Melody's journal #1: A Streetcar Named Desire

As I read the title of the book, I wondered, why would a streetcar be named desire? I didn't think that the streetcar may actually be a streetcar, but I thought of it as a metaphor to signify something else. I thought the book would involve something having to do with fighting temptation. In reading scene one I found that the streetcar was an actual streetcar that Blanche, Stella's sister, had ridin' on to get to Elysian Fields, the place where Stella lives. In seeing the way Blanche spoke to Stella in the beginning of the book about where she lived and how she had gained a few pounds, I came up with the idea that with all of her dresses, Blanche just might be very insecure having not gained or lose any weight herself. In losing their family to death and also losing Belle Reve, I noticed that Blanche wasn't all that sad about losing the family, but rather sad that they didn't leave not one penny to help her out and if they did it was for their coffin. Blanche came off as very selfish and materialistic.

When Stella entered the scene I noticed that she was very nice and didn't seem to care much about living the way she did. I quickly liked her character. She spoke with patience, although she didn't say much. Stella was also the kind of person to be very caring and I figured she was the oldest of the two. Stanley and Stella seemed to be really in love with each other. Although Stanley was too aggressive for her especially since Stella's pregnant. I figured Stanley can't drink to much in order to keep his composure. He quickly regretted hitting Stella, but did he always react that way when he drank? Why didn't Stella leave him when he did?

Stanley was very quick to point out how he didn't trust Blanche and came up with the idea that there may have been something more to losing Belle Reve than Blanche lead on. Stanley seemed to give off the feeling that he doesn't really trust anyone and is quick to judge anyone walking into a room whom he's never met. Of course his reaction made me wonder what Blanche was really doing in Elysian Fields? What really happened to Belle Reve? I found myself reading scene one to four over thinking that I must have missed something. Having to come up with nothing I continued to read the play to see what Blanche was really hiding.

Amanda's journal #3: Streetcar Named Desire

The clear theme of “A Streetcar Named Desire” is alcoholism and insanity. Throughout the book many hints are thrown at readers such as myself that Blanche’s mental state is not very well. It seems that Stanley saw through her right from the start. She lies repetitively and she openly stated it to Mitch. “I don’t want realism. I want magic!...Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people, I misrepresent things to them. I don’t tell the truth, I tell what ought to be truth. And if that is sinful, then let me be damned for it!” (Pg. 117). Also, when she becomes inebriated, she sees, says and makes up things. “[Lurid reflections appear on the wall around Blanche. The shadows are of a grotesque and menacing form. She catches her breath, crosses to the phone and jiggles the hook]” (Pg. 128)

Symbolism also plays a key role in this story. In Scene Nine when Mitch comes over Stan’s apartment for the last time to see Blanche, he openly realizes that he had never seen Blanche in the light before. “I don’t think I ever seen you in the light. That’s a fact!...I’ve never seen you in the afternoon…you always make and excuse. You never want to out till after six and then it’s always some place that’s not lighted much” (Pg. 116) The archetypal significance of the night or dark is fear, society out of control, the witching hour or femininity. In which case, Blanche is afraid of her age, and rejection by men. Even when she is being taken away to a mental institution she finds comfort in the male doctor and lets him take her away rather than the Matron, who was a female. The witching hour can be associated with lies which Blanche is highly capable of.

I really liked this story. While I was reading it I tried deciphering the eight pictures in the middle. I only really figured out what they were about at the end where she is detained. There were many surprises during the whole read which intrigued me and reeled me in to only want to read more. Tennessee Williams is a spectacular writer and I wouldn’t mind reading another one of his pieces.

Rachel's journal #1: A Streetcar Named Desire

Rachel’s journal #1: Streetcar Named Desire

Before I even started reading this book, I was stricken with flashbacks of the last time I’d read it. So needless to say, I’ve already spoiled the play for myself. But, as far as first impressions go, the one I got from reading the introduction, character list, and back cover was the same as I’d felt before- this play seems to be about the mental development and downfall of Blanche DuBois. This kind of first impression leaves me wondering. Will the opening of the play be straightforward, possibly including some kind of event, or series of events, that illustrate why this character would be so mentally distressed? Or will it be not so obvious, with Blanche in denial of any mental illness, or running away from some kind of occurrence that the play’s plot will evolve around that put Blanche in a compromising state? Personally, being a writer myself, I would expect and be more entertained by the latter.

Now, the character list in the introduction included last names, while the character list at the beginning of the play only mentioned first names, meaning that the play could give the viewer/reader the impression that there was a kind of friendliness, or openness about the characters that gave others permission to call them by their first names. In the introduction’s character list, we can see that there are connections between Stanley and Stella (Mr. and Mrs. Kowalski), and Steve and Eunice (Mr. and Mrs. Hubbell). But unlike most plays, there is no brief description of each character to provide further insight into possible relationships between these characters.

After reading Scenes one and two, the most compelling thing about the play is the obvious state of Mr. Stanley Kowalski toward women. The playwright (Tennessee Williams) included an introduction of Stanley when he enters the room with the two women, Stella (DuBois) Kowalski and Blanche DuBois (sisters). The introduction and explanation of Stanley’s chauvinistic nature is very, VERY accurate. I’ve personally never met a man with such incredibly old world objective pig-headed view toward women, but I imagine that if I did, I’d have about the same reaction as one would if one met the man who killed one’s prized possession, friend, or family member- I’d want to hit them with my car. I believe that the playwright’s depiction of Stanley may in fact be accurate, which makes this play an era-piece, but I can’t see how it could be relatable to current day.

Besides the gut reaction about Stanley, I’m beginning to sense that when Blanche and Stella departed, they were not on good terms, taken by the awkwardness that crept into their conversation when they were reunited. It seems as if Blanche is the kind of frail, shaky woman who prides herself on seeming normal in a crowd, but in reality, is desperate to stand out. She needs that crowd, because when she has people around her, people to pay attention and pamper and love her, she can stop the music in her head from playing so loudly, and keep her mind off the pent up anger, frustration, and insanity she has built up from nursing and burying her dying family members. She puts a lot of blame on Stella, who is too focused on finding her own slice of happiness to care about what happens to people just before they die. Blanche suffers from what seems like post-traumatic-stress disorder, or PTSD, often exhibited by soldiers coming back from war. She thinks of herself as a soldier, looking constantly for a place to reinvent herself, and gain respect, and relocate happiness, as Stella has. She’s oblivious to the fact that her illness and the pain she’s suffered through is following her around, trapped in her own mind, screwing with her because she’s so afraid to let go. She can’t allow herself to feel negative emotions because of her egotistic nature, and because it would force her to be alone, which she can’t be anyway because she dwells on the past. So, when she is alone, or pressured, or stressed, or even asked simple questions, she goes back to the death of her husband, and voila, she’s depressed, vengeful, masochistic, and insane. My analysis of Blanche DuBois after Scenes one and two forces me to think that every scene from here on will be a downward spiral for everyone she’s made a connection with.

AP Literature Summer Assignment 2010

SUMMER READING AND WRITING ASSIGNMENT: AP Literature & Composition, 2010

I. Ms. Tramantano’s contact information:
Jdavid4@schools.nyc.gov
* Please contact me via email during the summer if you have any questions or problems.

II. Summer Assignment

A. Read Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
*translation by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky
Complete 3 reading journals to be posted on our class blog about the book.
Email them to Jdavid4@schools.nyc.gov
Comment on at least 4 classmates’ journals on the blog at http://tigerwriters.blogspot.com

B. Read A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
Complete 3 reading journals to be posted on our class blog about the book. Email them to Jdavid4@schools.nyc.gov
Comment on at least 4 classmates’ journals on the blog at http://tigerwriters.blogspot.com

Buying Crime and Punishment: Each student should purchase his or her own copy of Crime and Punishment. (The rest of the books will be provided for you by the school). If buying the book is a financial hardship for you or your family, please let me know and I will arrange for you to obtain a copy of the text. Please buy the Pevear/ Volokhonsky translation of Crime and Punishment and not another translation.

Reading Journals and Responding to Other Students’ Journals on the Blog:

While you are reading, (don’t wait until after you’ve finished the book!) write three reading journals for each book. You should write one near the beginning of your reading, one somewhere in the middle, and one at the end.

The journal should be around two-three organized paragraphs long, and should contain your questions, thoughts, and opinions about the book. They should NOT simply summarize the plot. Some possible topics:

-Personal reactions (emotional, conceptual, etc.)
-Questions you have about the book
-Post a favorite quote or passage and tell why you thought it was significant
-Something from the book that connected to current events, another period in history, another book or movie, or your own life (remember that everyone is going to read this)
-Identify a major theme you see developing in the book
-What is your opinion of the book so far? Why?
-Analyze a particular character’s development
-Analyze the writing style or the author’s purpose for writing in a particular way
-Predict what you think will happen next in the book and tell why
-Discuss a literary element (symbolism, imagery, plot structure, etc.) and talk about what role it plays in the book
-What were the author’s main ideas in the book? What did he want the reader to learn or gain or think about through reading this book?

Try to be provocative, and thoughtful so that others will want to respond to your post. Also, it is great to ask thoughtful questions about the book that your classmates can respond to.

*The post should be a final draft, so I expect you to correct it for spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. Please use standard formal English and look over your journal before you send it. If your post is filled with grammar errors, I will just send it back to you and ask you to revise it. Don’t forget to put your name on your post! *

When you have finished your journal, email it to Ms. Tramantano at Jdavid4@schools.nyc.gov and she will post it for you.

How to comment on your classmates’ journals on the blog:
Read other people’s comments before responding so that you can create a conversation over the internet about the work!

Go to http://tigerwriters.blogspot.com to see your post and respond to you classmates.

To leave a comment:
Click on the orange link at the bottom of the journal post you want to comment on that says “0 comments” or “2 comments” (or whatever number of comments there are).
Write your comment in the box.
Under “choose an identity,” select “other.” Fill in your first name. You do not need to fill in a web page.
Click on “publish your comment.” Your comment will NOT show up on the blog right away; it will be sent to me to approve before it will appear on the blog.

C. Preliminary Advanced Literature and Composition preparation:
1. As you read Crime and Punishment and A Streetcar Named Desire, use post-its to annotate (mark-up) the text. Use at least one post-it for every ten pages. You can record text-world, text-text, text-self connections, questions, reflections, and any other comments.
2. Read the excerpt from Adler’s piece “How to mark a book”
3. Read Question 1 of the 2010 AP Free response question on “The Century Quilt.” Annotate the poem, and then develop an essay on the piece as outlined in the question. You may choose to type this essay or handwrite it.

Summary
1.The blog posts must be completed by Monday, August 24th.
2.Read both books and annotate them as you read with post-its.
3.Write 3 reading journals about each book (total of 6 overall)—beginning, middle, and end
Respond to 4 of your classmates’ journals on the blog for each book (total of 8)
Again, please email if you have any questions or problems.
4. Read the Adler piece (http://academics.keene.edu/tmendham/documents/AdlerMortimerHowToMarkABook_20060802.pdf)
5. Read and write an essay for Question 1 of the 2010 Free Response AP Exam (go to AP Central).

***Please feel free to reach me at ANY point during the summer should you have any questions!
Have a wonderful summer!