Preliminary Research Thoughts

The theme of conflict is the most intriguing to me thus far. I have not read Maus or Night yet, thus I am not certain which one if either I want to focus on. If they capture me, like I hope they will, then I will use one of them as my main text. I will most likely use a traditional research paper to explore this topic. I do not feel very comfortable creating a multigenre research project. However, if the sources I find lend themselves, I might attempt a multigenre project.

Blankets

In Blankets on page 61, the last two panels use the visual potion very effectively to convey the message held in the words. The words are describing hell and how it is an awful place. The teacher is completely surrounded by darkness. This, combined with the heavy mostly vertical lines used to shade her face, gives her a very ominous and foreboding feel. Her eyes are not drawn in behind the glasses, instead the glasses are partly shaded, giving her a very impersonal look increasing the ominous feel. The heavy lines used on the father's arm show strength, and the quick, thin lines showing movement of the hand move this strength from the arm itself into the motion of yanking the son. The expression, the large eyes with dilated pupils and wide open mouth, and words used convey the horror and fear in the boy. This connects to the previous panel as a more real representation of what the foreboding figure of the teacher is describing.

An Orange Piece

Jeanette has an interesting experience on page 108. She is thinking about demons and how supposedly everyone has them "like fleas". Then "her demon" appears. He tries to convince her that, contrary to what she was taught, demons are good and natural. This conversation is Jeanette's way of arguing with herself. She wants to hold onto this feeling that she has found though everyone around her tells her it is wrong. Through this conversation she convinces herself that her new feeling is not wrong, that it is a part of her.
The demon appears later. He tells her, "[Y]ou've made your choice now, there's no going back." He tosses her a small, brown stone to remind her of her choice. The stone is used later to tie together stories and thoughts about making a choice that cannot be taken back.

Oranges

"What do I believe?" is a very broad question, but I can sum it up easily. I believe what the Bible says. What the Lord has revealed to me in his word is what I believe. Initially, those that had the most influence on me were my parents. Now, I critically analyze the world myself, with little influence from those around me. Whenever I am challenged, I look to the Bible.
Jeanette, from Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, takes all of her beliefs from her mother and the church to which her mother takes her. The first time she questions one of these sources is on page 60. She says, "[I]t was at this moment that I began to develop my first theological disagreement." The author then presents a short story to convey what she believes is true perfection, not the absence of flaws, but the balance of all things.
The most obvious form of foreshadowing in the book is the oranges. Her mother says, "Oranges are the only fruit." The title of the book itself acts as a tool used to foreshadow Jeanette's break with her mother's beliefs.

Thoughts on The Bluest Eye

I find the consistent main themes of the texts we have read so far to be about people not being comfortable with who they are and desiring to change that reality. In Pecola's case, "If she looked different, beautiful, maybeCholly would be different...Each night, without fail, she prayed for blue eyes." The individual who is not comfortable with who they are or does not know who they are supposed to be ends up lost ,confused, and searching for meaning in what the world around them tells them they should be.
The most disturbing thing for me to see and read and difficult to believe is the idea, which is presented in both The Bluest Eye and the Black Doll, White Doll video, that white people are still preferred over black. I don't know how black people view themselves compared to white people because I do not have enough experience around them to make that judgment. However, what I was troubled by, was the fact that, in the video, only black children are chosen to participate. I do not believe that white people have the same bias against black people that was evident in the past.

American Born Chinese Close Read

In the panels on pages 146-150, Wong Lai-Tsao speaks to the monkey king. In these panels the monkey king realizes that his only way of escape is to swallow his pride and become what Tze-Yo-Tzuh wants him to be. The facial expressions of the monkey king really help portray this transformation of mind.