"Uncle Rachel" by Rane Arroyo

"My Transvestite Uncle Is Missing" touched alot of cords with me. The first half of the poem was interesting; basically about a man who is expressing his feelings towards his transvestite uncle. My friend has a transvestite uncle, she called him uncle Tom. Although he didn't go through the 'change' completely, he wore wigs and makeup like the author of this piece described. The second half, however, was in some ways confusing for me. It was written as one sentence, with no spaces in between unlike the first portion. I'm left with a feeling of uncertainty, however, because I dont know whether or not his uncle really died, or if the man behind the "breasts and European wigs" was the man who died, giving rebirth to the woman inside. Either way, this piece made me think. It reminded me of my friend's Uncle Tom and the transformation she was going through. It reminded me of some of my friends, Chris who now goes by Sasha, Missy who now goes by Mike. Being a lesbian, it was interesting to read about such a situation as this. I read somewhere that many people take Arroyo's work offensively. I disagree. I appreciate him for talking about situations that many people wouldn't find comfortable. Someone has to do it.

Diversity.

"Lady Lazarus"

"Lady Lazarus" has always always always been a favorite of mine. Sylvia Plath is one of my favorite poets for many reasons. She's dark, mysterious, and her style is intriguing to me, especially in "Lady Lazarus". I enjoy this poem because I think it has alot to do with the Phoenix, which is some type of mythological bird. The speaker in the poem, who may or may not be Plath, seems to be talking about his/her unsuccessful attempts at suicide. However, these failed attempts aren't looked at as failures, but more so as a rebirth. By the end of the poem it says, "Out of the ash/ I rish with my red hair/ And I eat men like air". Perhaps this means that he/she was finally successful with his/her suicide attempts. "Out of the ash" could mean that after death he/she transformed into the Phoenix, "with my red hair". It's an extremely powerful ending. Yes, it signifies death, but it also signifies a rebirth into something much more powerful than we could imagine. I love the detail, and I love all the different types of interpretations. It makes you think, to say the least.

If anyone else has any other suggestions, I'd be interested in hearing them

"Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been"

Joyce Carol Oates wrote about an intense situation that to many, especially parents, can be hard to read. "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been" deals with issues pertaining to adolescence and the problems that arise with such a difficult time period in teeangers lives. Oates also details this piece with the many pressures put on teens in our modern society, a problem that's been around for years and years. With realistic detail, Oates is capable of presenting a teenager, Connie, who many kids can most likely relate to, with her rebellion and dangerous tantics. She also presents the reader with Arnold Friend, a man who is capable of manipulating almost anyone into believing anything. As scary as this is, many vulnerable teenagers are affected by men like this the same way Connie was. Although I liked this short story for its truth and knowledge about the danger that lingers, I also disliked it for its detail, and the uneasy feeling it would give me while reading. I have younger siblings at home, and to think of my little sister being wooed by a man that's more than twice her age scares me. It was an eye-opener, to say the least.

Toni Morrison "Recitatif"

I found this piece interesting, as I do all of Morrison's pieces, because it deals closely with racial relationships. Morrison also makes it more appealing to our curiosity by not disclosing which character is white, and which is black. After thinking alot about why she would have done this, I realized that it could have been because Morrison wanted to show the reader how dependant our society is on the stereotpes that accompany both races. Without the ability to tell which character is white and which is black, we have no judgement to cast on either. Rather than feeling sorry for the victim, or mad at the oppressor, or wondering the heritage of each character, we're left with a feeling of uncertainty. Morrison makes the story more interesting by allowing us to make our own decisions based on our judgment. Usually in Morrison's stories or novels, she writes about black communities from an insiders perspective. In this piece, however, we're given a story from neither the black or white perspective. It's simple; just a story that focusses on two main characters who have a friendship formed purely on their racial similarities and differences. Overall, I enjoyed the piece because it brought out a different side of the 'thinking process' that goes along with reading.

Madonna

In Tennessee William's "Portrait of a Madonna", the theme of society's influence on the individual is relevant. Lucretia Collins, the unmarried, "spinster" daughter taking care of her aged mother feels the pressure society puts on her in many instances. For example, she wants the feeling of freedom. She aches to live her own life, find someone to marry and just live happy without the constant worry of her mother and society's opinion on her mind. Unfortunately, she can't because her will to express herself is silenced by her duty to take care of her mother. Ultimately, this drives her mad and she never accomplishes what she wants: freedom. I found this particular piece interesting because I know someone who is in the same type of situation. My next door neighbor all throughout my childhood had the same character traits as Lucretia. She was living with her mother, only went out to go to the grocery store and occasionally the Blockbuster on the corner. She took care of her mom and ignored her own feelings. She expressed her feelings to me whenever we ran into eachother outside, her feelings of discontent and lonliness. To be honest, I felt sorry for her the same way I felt sorry for Lucretia Collins. However, meeting such a woman as my next door neighbor helped me relate to Lucreta in "Portrait of a Madonna". In some ways I understood what she was going through because I had seen it before, because I had seen it in real life. Because of this, I really enjoyed reading this piece and picking apart such an interesting character as Lucretia.

The Children

"Children," by Charles Reznikoff, actually brought tears to my eyes. This poem has the capability of turning words into reality for me. I have twin brothers and a younger sister who I immediately thought of. Obviously, this poem is about the Holocaust so never could I truly imagine the pain and torture of what such subjects had to go through. But the way it was written, with the detail and heart ache, I could feel it. I could imagine what the children looked like before and after, develop certain pictures of what they had to go through. Not only did this poem open my eyes to every day things so many of us take for granted, but it showed me how powerful experience, brotherhood and detail truly was/is. I'm grateful for having the chance to read this. It's something I've never read before, something I didnt even know existed. Since the first time I read this I've read it four more. Every time it gives me shivers. Children stand for innocence, and for these children--it was taken away.

The Road Not Taken

In "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost, both roads are worn, covered with leaves and grass...something I overlooked when I first had the chance to read this poem. After I read it this time, I realized that the speaker didn't take the road less traveled, for they were both traveled on the same. So as the speaker progresses, he taked the road in which he would like to take, knowing that he will later question his decision. He states, "Oh, I kept the first for another day!/ Yet knowing how way leads on to way,/ I doubted if I should ever come back". I believe here he's saying that the past is the past. Sure, later he'll think about his decision and wonder wether or not it was the right one, as many of us always do, but then he also states that he'll probably never return. He cant change his decision, and he can't change the past. He takes the road he wanted to take, the one he wanted to travel down. His individuality is important because there were no outside influences affecting his overall choice. To fully understand the meaning, us readers just have to remember that this poem is about the road not taken, and not about the road less traveled.