Dialogue Assignment

Setting-White House at the Tell Your Story Conference.

Characters- Helen Keller, Malcolm X, Fredrick Douglass, and Slave 1

Presenter-Hi welcome to the Tell Your Story Conference at the White House. Today in just a few minutes we will have three speakers talking about their own stories about their learning obstacles, thank you for coming.

Fredrick Douglass, Malcolm X, Helen Keller are behind stage getting to know each other as they are approached by the helper. 

Slave 1-Hello, thank you for coming we will be ready for you in just a couple of minutes.

Fredrick Douglass- As I was saying, while trying to learn how to read “I had no regular teacher.”

Malcolm X-Yes, I know what you mean. From not having a teacher I was “frustrated at not being able to express what I wanted to convey in letters that I wrote.”

Helen Keller-“There were barriers” since I am deaf and blind, but that didn’t matter because barriers “be swept away.”

Fredrick Douglass-I think we all had obstacles, correct? Eventually “I soon learned the names of these letters.” So how did you guys get to be at this conference? For me to develop my speech it “enabled me to utter my thoughts, and to meet the arguments brought forward.”

Helen Keller-When I was invited to come it “made me hop skip with pleasure.”                            

Malcolm X-I at first didn’t want to come, but then “it was because of my letters” from my readers “that I helped” wrote to me.  

Fredrick Douglass- I, like Helen Keller, was also excited for this; it was like a “silver trump of freedom had rousel my soul to eternal weight fullness.”

Slave 1-I’m sorry to overhear on your conversation, but for me as a slave, “literacy was a two-edged sword.”

Malcolm X-We are all in the same boat little boy, trying to “write simple English, I not only wasn’t articulate, I wasn’t even functional.”

Fredrick Douglass-Well “my copy-book was the board fence, brick wall, and pavement; my pen and ink was a lump of chalk.” I also “got hold of a book entitled “The Columbian Orator.” Every opportunity I got, I used to read this book” I can only imagine how it was for you little boy.

Slave1- “If they caught you trying to write they cut your finger off and if they caught you again they would cut your head off.” Also, “Patrols, mobs, and social ostracism faced owners who taught their slaves.”

Helen Keller-I’m so sorry that you had to face those fears every day, when I started to develop my skills, the “living word awakened my soul, gave it light, hope, joy, set it free!”

Malcolm X-Excitement went through my body too, “I saw that the best thing I could do was get hold of a dictionary—to study, to learn some words.” “In my slow, painstaking, ragged handwriting, I copied into my tablet everything printed on the first page, down to the punctuation marks.”

Helen Keller-Just like the dictionary “everything had a name, and each name gave birth to a new though.” “I remembered the doll…picked up the pieces, I tried vainly to put them together” just like putting words together, but only in a different form.

Fredrick Douglass-My liberation with learning is when I got “kindly aid obtains at different and in different places, I finally succeeded to read” it was the best feeling in the world.

Slave1 –You are very lucky sir to have help from others, “former slaves mentioned themselves as their own teachers.”

Fredrick Douglass- Yes, I was very fortunate, and very fortunate not to get caught, “by going one part of my errand quickly, I found time to get a lesson before my return.”

Slave 1-“A large number held a leadership position in the ministry government and education.” As much as I am into our conversation about our obstacles on learning how to read and write, I think it is time to tell your speeches to the crowd of people at the White House, thank you.

Helen Keller, Fredrick Douglass and Malcolm X-Yes, of course, let’s go tell our remarkable stories to others.

Alberto Garcia-Figueroa

It’s a Woman’s World” Summary

Are women really seen as equals in today’s society? Are they maximizing their potential to go forth in the world? In the poem “It’s a Woman’s World” by Eavan Boland it illustrates how women were not allowed to do anything that did not involve home maintenance and how women did not care much and/or abandoned their dreams of excelling further than being just the common housewife.

The poem states that women were not allowed to be anything more than a mother and housewife. For years, women were not allowed to be on the scene when history was taking place (men were doing great things to be remembered by), then women make the excuse well we were not allowed to be there so it is not our fault. Back then they would rather be safe in their home while the husbands were out making it happen. The whole poem says that women are not willing to take the risks and challenges outside of the household.

Eavan Boland stresses the point that women at some point did not take the challenge to better themselves in society and excel. By saying she is no “fire-eater” meaning women would not like to take the risk and try to accomplish more because they are afraid of failure. It can mean way back then but I believe also now in the present how women are seen as “equal” but yet  it is looked down if women reach a certain level and exceed it.

I believe than even though society says that women and men are equal that is not completely accurate. Based on everyone’s beliefs women could be successful but to a certain degree. This is the main point that I believe Eavan Boland tries to portray in “it’s a Woman’s World”.

Dear Eavan Boland,

            Your poem was really interesting and I believe it had to do with more than just how society views women. It could be viewed as how society has seen minority groups such as; Mexicans, African Americans, Arabic’s, etc. Your poem I believe relates to the fact that people are contemplated as equals but yet, society still sets boundaries on how far you can go (or stereotypes). An example would be, Mexicans, an equal to everyone else in society but, to society if one happens to make it, it is seen as wrong.

            Being recognized as a not only as male (who is not supposed to excel in the classroom), but a Hispanic male I was not expected to make it into a university. In society’s point of view I was to barely graduate from high school and possibly make it into community college. Well I defied that stereotype. I graduated from high school with honors and I was accepted into 3 Cal state’s, and 2 UC’s. Another way I can relate to what your poem illustrates towards views on women and society as a whole. I am a Hispanic male attending the California state university of Northridge. When I was in high school I was part of the football team but at the same time taking advance placement courses. The first day I stepped into class the teacher said, “a football player huh, we will see how long you last in here.” I would later go on to receive a B in the course. My teacher didn’t believe I would last just because I was a football player, I was distinguished as a “dumb jock” or someone who has schoolwork done for them. I however earn everything I receive and strive for excellence.

            Your poem I can argue had more meaning than just women not taking risks and going further than what is expected in society. I could relate to what you illustrate in “It’s a Woman’s World.” I enjoyed reading your poem very much it was really intriguing.

Sincerely,

Alberto Garcia-Figueroa

English 113A-poetry dis.

Roses are red violets are blue... To be or not to be.. I am Sam I am I eat green eggs and Ham.. What I think makes these poems a poem is that it comes from the heart, made from love, humor, and truth. I would define poetry as something that comes from the heart whether it rhymes or not. The way I would explain learning poetry is analyzing what someone put down on a piece of paper and trying to understand what they were feeling/thinking at that moment, and figuring out if it has a double meaning.

I believe there are many different types of poetry so it is rather hard to say whether it is popular or not. I would say although, overall, poetry is popular in my opinion. I think that is because, many people consider MUSIC poetry and music has become a way to identify ones personality in todays era. There are many pieces of poetry thtat cannot be seen as poetry right away. (People just writing down there thoughts can be a form of poetry.)

The first poem that I have ever read would have to be, in a note that I received in elementary in the 5th grade. Rose are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and so are you. It was an experience, a weird but good experience. The first thing that came to mind was "wow, this is really corny." The way I look at poetry now is that every part of it must have a double meaning to it and I always look for figures of speech. It doesnt affect the way I look at it but rather enhances the look I see poetry because, it allows me to understand what I'm reading more.

What I was taught and stressed more than anything about poetry was figures of speech. Figures of speech such as metaphors, similes, hypeboles, onomatopeia, etc. I was also taught the many different forms of poetry like sonnets. I learned how to analyze and see poetry a step forward than what it is.

What I learned about poetry outside of the classroom would mainly have to be that poetry comes from your thoughts and heart, and your thoughts put on paper. That is what poetry is. It doesnt have to rhyme or follow certain guidelines.

I have written a couple poems. A couple in english and in spanish as well. I would have to present them in class which is a little hard when you are presenting your thoughts in front of your peers for the first time. Most people liked them, they got a kick out of them, I usually try to humor my audience while at the same time be serious. Writing poems versus reading poems is somewhat of a challenge. The first time I had to write my own it took me hours just to write down the couple of sentences. However, I am beginning to get the hang of it.