Nathan and Blanche Comparison

In this entire course we have talked about elements of a southern literature. One of those main elements discussed was the grotesque and dark characteristics of a southern gothic. In A Streetcar Named Desire we discussed that the gothic elements came from Blanche because she not only like to hide in dark places, but she also took comfort in them.

In the book Dream Boy, Nathan also takes comfort in dark places. He likes to hide in the cemetery as well as in the woods to escape the the discomfort of his home and the people in it. Both Blanche and Nathan take comfort in dark places. Truly able to be themselves, but also masking their true selves from other people. Nathan goes to the cemetery to be with Roy who is the only person who he is comfortable with. While this dark place is a safe haven for Nathan away from his predator of a father; it also prohibits discovery of his relations with Roy. So the darkness is a mask of Truth. Blanche also uses darkness as a mask of Truth. She hides in the shadows of the little small apartment so as not to be truly seen by anyone. Blanche wants to be seen as young and mysterious and this lighting offers just that. An advantage for Blanche and a disadvantage to anyone who truly wants to get to know her.

Both of these characters both Blanche and Nathan take comfort in darkness. Blanche uses it to hide her age and lies and Nathan to hide his sexuality and to physically hide from his father. While these characters take comfort in the gothic shadows of the southern novel it ends up leading to their demise. Both of these characters stories end rather sourly, Blanche being taken to a mental institution and Nathan, dead.

The commonality of these two instances is not coincidental but rather it falls into the same patterns as most southern gothics do. The time period in which each of these stories takes place highlights a social issue that needs to be addressed : domestic violence and insanity and homosexuality and rape. Each of these characters embracing of darkness led to their demise in each of their own separate plots.

Aggressive Masculinity

Throughout the novels we read this semester, there is a single common factor that is relevant in all each novel; aggressive masculinity. Within A Street Car Named Desire it was relevant that Stanley was the aggressive male in the novel. However we can clearly depict that although he was an alcoholic who was deeply in love with Stella that he cared deeply for her. It was a mutual feeling between the two of them that no matter how rough their relationship could get, they could always count on the love that they had for one another to allow them to communicate or at least understand intentions. While in Dream Boy we see quiet a few men who portray aggressive masculinity. However within this novel, it is apparent that there is in fact a central victim, Nathan. While his father abused him,  Roy somewhat was protective but controlling, and Burke was no better than Nathan's father. The development of this aggression character throughout the novels develops in close proximity to the central character. While at first you see glimpses of actions from the characters, the novels' develop the characters so that this aggressive character is portrayed clearly through the eyes of the main charters. Stella and Blanch saw the actions of Stanley in his alcoholic state, and Nathan was surrounded until his death by characters that made himself seem weak. Nathans father abused him, Roy controlled him but not necessarily unwillingly. Then of course Burke whom takes advantage of Nathan. This character plays a vital role through all novels because it develops the main characters and gives this grotesque literature style that allows the readers to want to look away yet cannot because we want to understand more into these situations that can be very subliminal at times.

Agency in Dreamboy and Bellocq's Ophelia

Gaining agency is a key theme throughout both Bellocq's Ophelia and Dreamboy. In both stories that main characters cannot easily escape from their victimization through prostitution and sexual abuse respectively. They both embark on quests for autonomy which doesn't always work out for them.

In Dreamboy, Nathan is teenager dealing with not only with the realization of his gayness but also his constant sexual abuse. Nathan has little agency in his home where his biggest threat lies. Throughout the book he finds ways to gain more agency, but with unforeseen consequences. As he finds ways of escape and gains more agency his existence is increasingly threatened. Unfortunately for Nathan he never gets to be fully be free.

In Bellocq's Ophelia, the title character has little autonomy or hope for her future in the place she lives. She moves to New Orleans to gave some agency, but isn't able to fight work right away. Ophelia turns to prostitution where she has to sell her body and agency to the highest bidder. Finding her agency isn't easy, but she is eventually able reclaim some of it with her earnings. Ophelia's ending is ambiguous, but still filled with deadly possibilities.

Both Ophelia and Nathan are both into worlds where their choices are greatly limited. In Ophelia's case this is because of her class and race. With Nathan it is because of his sexuality and abusive father. These characters both try valiantly to change their situations with less than stellar outcomes. In the end, their quest for agency is just as dangerous as living without it.

The Southern Gothic

Both Salvage the Bones and Dream Boy display aspects of being a "southern gothic." Both novels contain instances of ghostly/ haunted figures in the fathers. Neither father is present during any positive time over the course of each novel, this makes them ghost like. The fathers presence seems to be more of a haunting to their children then a typical father-child relationship. Both novels also contain "taboo" sexuality and sexual relations. In Dream Boy, homosexuality is expressed in many of the male relationships presented. In Salvage, Esch has sex and gets pregnant before marriage. Both of these are examples of sexuality and sex that are not widely accepted in the south. Haunted/ghostly figures and taboo sexuality are major themes of the genre "sothern gothic" and are explicitly  present through Dream Boy and Salvage.

Was Roy That Bad?

At the start of Dream Boy Roy's character set off multiple red flags. Roy portrayed the classic role of over protected boyfriend, and boyfriend who cheats. Roy constantly questioned Nathan's past love life but was never open to conversation about his. Roy ran off to church on Wednesdays with his girlfriend but would tell Nathan to not let anyone else touch him the way he did. Jealous and authoritative, the main characteristics of the abuser in a relationship. In the bus, in the car ride home when Roy cried I wanted to Nathan to run!

As the novel moved forward and Nathan was left in the cold Roy really stepped up. Roy sheltered Nathan in his barn. A more loving side of Roy shinned through. Although Nathan has always been an easy target he was most vulnerable during this time. Instead of Roy taking advantage of that,  Roy evolved. We can see this change into Roy and Nathan's last moments together. Roy kneels before Nathan for the first time in the mansion. Roy physically leaves his girlfriend's side to be with Nathan's ghost. Not the real Nathan, his ghost.

I do not know if we can take Roy out of the toxic category all together. However I think we can acknowledge he did change for the better.

Make-Up blog #9 Kiese Reading Make-up

i feel like this is how I feel as a young, black woman in Louisiana but less racism. To be Black in the South means having so much pride in where you're from, especially New Orleans.  For example, many New Orleanians make a distinction between the South and New Orleans as if they are two separate regions (which they are). Being Black in the South also means recognizing how incredibly slow, receptive, and accepting of change and now it's to the point where it infuriates me. Another note I would lie to add is that many Black people fear going to certain areas of the South. For example, there are certain places of Slidell, LA and parts of Mississippi where I refuse to go out of fear that I'll be harassed or killed for the color of my skin and it is mainly because those areas proudly wave the Confederate Flag. It may be weird but I am sincerely terrified of the Confederate Flag because wherever that piece of fabric flies, death follows and it was usually the death of black bodies. Everything that Laymon has said is very in that the removal of the Confederate Flag will help the fight for equality and to end racism, but it is not a solution to an almost 400 year old problem that has plagued the U.S. since its inception.

Make-Up Blog #8 Kiese Laymon

I would like to have a reaction to this story but I don't. It's not like the story wasn't not intriguing and captivating but instead I have grown numb to the treatment of Black people in America. Many of his examples of racism in American, I have either seen first hand or already heard of it before. His article shows how growing up Black in the South feels like. Sometimes it is the greatest feeling ever because we are automatically labeled as awesome. Many of the things that become trends in pop culture, fashion, and music comes from the Black community, specifically the Black South. On the other hand, having to deal with racism at a young age, having to be taught about racism and slavery before your white counterparts, or having to twice as hard to get half of what our white peers get is beyond tragic. Throughout the entire story, he kept mentioning how he swing back meaning that he would fight back against the institution of racism, which reminds me of a Tupac interview that was featured on the Kendrick Lamar album,"To Pimp a Butterfly." The interview explains how a black man can only live and be rebellious while he is in his teens and early 20's after those years the Black man becomes docile and subdued. I just thought it was cool for someone to be fearless in what they wrote about.

Make Up Blog: blog #7

Letters from Storyville is about how Ophelia has finally arrived to New Orleans and must work for Countess P in order to survive. She then becomes a Storyville prostitute and begins sitting in the parlor to entice men but unfortunately she is not attracting any men. Countess P sympathetically introduces Ophelia to a longtime client but he soon is bored with Ophelia and moves on the the next girl. Later on, Ophelia is being sold as the newcomer and when the auction begins Countess P makes her recite poetry and walk around the room and remain in difficult poses for long periods of time. This is where is given the name Violent by Countess P but it soon changes to African Violent because of her African-American heritage that she tries to hide. Ophelia begins the tableau vivant, in which she must stay in uncomfortable poses for a long period of time. By the end of the night, Ophelia receives a bidder, but her unfortunately does not know her name.

Extra credit - Make up blog - Free write

This might be a very controversial post, and I know I might be in the minority, but I think that it is important to look at both sides of the argument. Recently, it was announced that Harriet Tubman will replace Andrew Jackson on the 20 dollar bill.
I think that Andrew Jackson was one of the greatest leaders in our countries history. If it wasn't for him we probably not be living in New Orleans right now. Not only did he meet the British in New Orleans, he engaged and destroyed the enemies of the United States of America in close combat, training a militia, man of which never had fired a gun before. He defeated the strongest Army and Navy the world had ever seen at the time with nothing more than a few farmers.
When elected president he was able to balance the national budget, but not only balance it but ensure that it was not just balanced on paper. He was able to run the country 2 terms and was the last president to refrain from creating any debt for the country. He was considered an enforcer and was overwhelmingly supported by both sides of the aisle for both of his terms.
Many believe that his controversial support for the Indian removal act of 1830, which is now known as the trail of tears, means he should be erased from the history books. If he and Tennessee congressman Davy Crockett did not have the intestinal fortitude too make sure this act passed by congress was not enforced, our country would have never expanded past the Mississippi river. Some argue his actions of enforcement were not fair towards the Native Americans already here, but his enforcement was no different than president before him and after him. We would not have the great country we live in now if it wasn't for Jackson. Our founding fathers would be turning in their graves if they knew we were trying to erase such a great leader from our history books.
Harriett Tubman was a great leader in our history and deserves her place of remembrance, but erasing  certain parts of history because of political feelings of the time and trying to make place for someone else sets a very dangerous precedent.
Obviously there are many more points which could be brought up on the debate but cannot be fit in an online blog.

Dream Boy 4-22

I believe that the silence of the mother in Dream boy is very disturbing. It is obvious that she loves her son. She would not have these silent interactions with her son, making sure that he is ok if she did not love him. When I think about the love of a mother, I believe it must cross all boundaries. It is hard for me to believe that if a mother knows her child is being abused and hurt time and time again that she would not try to save him. The book takes place and is written in 1995, this is the height of criminal prosecution, advocacy and rights victims. There is no excuse for her to fear leaving or reporting her husband. If she did, there was no way he would ever get out of prison. She, in my eyes, is just as much of a criminal as her husband is.

Many spouses who are subjected to domestic violence and abuse stay in their position because they are dependent on their abusers for money, shelter and even "love." The mother might feel as if she has no where to go, almost trapped. She might feel like no one else will love her the way her husband does. There are even mental disorders where those being abused even become attached to their abusers. Even in the face of this, it is hard for me to believe that she still doest value value the life of her child over these monetary items that can be replaced. I know that If i was being sexually abuse by my father, my mother would have me removed from the position, by all means possible. This is what the mother in dream by should be doing for her child as well.

Shadows in Summerland

Attending Adrian Young's book launch for Shadows in Summerland was a lot more fun than I anticipated. Not only were there free drinks, but there was food and cookies as well. Outside of that, I was surprised how many people were drawn to such a book launch. I think the book seemed very interesting but it also seemed like a tough read. I was interested by the topic, for a few reasons. I do believe that there are "spirits," not in the sense that there are ghosts, but that there is a struggle between angels and demons. Asking demons to enter someones life through a saiance could be a very dangerous but real activity. I also wonder if living in New Orleans would have persuaded Adrian to write his book taking place in New Orleans. New Orleans seems very in tuned with spirits, voodoo and the 1850-1873 time period. I think it would have made a just as good, if not better seeing for his book. Overall, I had a great time at the book launch.

Dream Boy

Once I hit page 80 I just could not put the book down. See the book is interesting because from the beginning there is this unspoken case within Nathan's family. This is what originally drove me into reading the book as quickly as I did. Eventually however the book goes for a turn in the sense that Nathan comes of age in his own way. Throughout the novel Nathan and Roy are constantly having unspoken conversations based on their emotional status as well as their surrounding. Growing up in the 70's when the novel takes place, there was an apparent status of homophobia. Nathan and Roy endured  social rules throughout the novel. While Nathan is unspoken confidence with his sexuality, Roy on the other hand has to "plan" his actions in order act upon his desires. When compared to the movie, the actors who portray Roy and Nathan really do narrow down their role by the unspoken actions seen upon the two. While Roy and Nathan have and apparent connection, social rules force the two to not act upon their emotions unless alone. Take into consideration that both men are growing up in a rural area which fully embraces religion and devotion to "God". Surrounding plays the significance of the novel because where at first Nathan feels at home, it turns into a place to evade. This is apparent with all locations throughout the novel.

Dream Boy - A mother's silence

Through Dream Boy, Nathan's mother is rarely seen and even more rarely heard. She is confined to the shadows of her life, which in her defense is not easy. The time period that this book is set in did not over women, especially in rural areas, many choices. Nathan's mother is presumably very economically dependent on her husband who is abusive and an alcoholic. She is also physically dependent on him to go out and work for them. This is not to say that it is impossible for her to give by on her own and provide safety for Nathan because it isn't. But she is living in a culture that silences and devalues her.

In the novel, there are many instances where the mother is described as being "invisible" which is not only reflective of her position, but also shows how vulnerable Nathan is to his father. Because she is constantly trying to distance herself from her reality, she leaves Nathan wide open to his abusive father. Nathan is suffering immensely, as we can in the text, but I think that his mother is also suffering to an extent because she is so complicit in his abuse.

Her silence and "disinterest" is a coping mechanism; it is her means of survival. Mother's are supposed to protect and nurture their children, but she has been stripped of this purpose. She has no agency to support herself or Nathan. This alienation, I argue, precipitates her subsequent distance from her family life. She is only going through the motions because the pain she is experiencing not being able to protect her son. This does not fully justify her inaction, because if there's a will, there's a way. But I do believe that in order to understand her part in Nathan's abuse, we must understand why she such a silent, passive character.

Dream Boy Second Blog

        It was brought up in class today that Nathan's mom may not be held accountable for being passive in the situation. She obviously knows that Nathan is being sexually abused. I can understand why his mom wouldn't speak out against it. Personally I don't believe I entirely blame for the way she handled the situation. If her and Nathan were to leave, it is unclear as to where they could go. It is also mentioned by Roy's mother says she "can't do numbers. I don't think women have the minds for some things."
       I think it bought up an interesting topic for the final comparison paper. The discussion led me to think about Stella's passiveness in A Streetcar Named Desire. Both women were in a society where the husbands were the patriarchs and ruled the household. While I have not completed the book, Nathan's mom has refused to acknowledge his sexual abuse or act on it. Stella also refused to acknowledge her own physical abuse with Stanley or Blanches' rape. They are both in denial yet know everything is really true. However, both women have limited options if they decide to do the right thing. I'm not sure what affects will be similar as I still have to finish reading Dream Boy.

Silence

I was very excited to read this book because it is on a subject matter we don’t normally read about in English classes. I think this book is very eye opening and is about a topic that is not easy to speak about. I think the book is very interesting because it never uses the words to explain what is happening because the characters lack the terms. I think the lack of terms make it difficult to read because you have to bring the ideas together for yourself. I think this helps to let the reader feel how uncomfortable the situation is.

On Thursday Alpha Chi Omega will be hosting an event to end the silence surrounding domestic violence. All proceeds from the event will go to helping survivors of domestic violence. If you are interested in the event I have included a link with more information. I hope to see you guys there!

 https://www.facebook.com/events/1343267889033234/

Dream Boy Discussion

The novel was an interesting one in regards to the southern setting, the unwelcome cast of lovers who reside there and the people who inhabit the town. Reading the novel you get an idea of Nathan being a timid person, who is sure about his sexuality, but unsure about the means to express it. I watched the movie and it offered a better depiction of how unwelcoming Nathan's environment was in terms of the hyper-religious town he lives in. In the movie you can see the massive placement of religious paraphernalia in his house. The constant mention of needing to attend church and prayer groups is an over arching theme in the text. His relationship with Roy is also portrayed better than in the text. Specifically their first encounter, the scene and characters recreate that perfect, authentic timidness one has with their first romantic encounter. Another thing I see done well in the movie is Roy's attempt to come to grips with his sexuality and trying to reconcile it with the masculinity norm in his town (having a girl, working, etc.) 

Dream Boy

      After reading a majority of the novel, I have mixed feelings about it. I have been raised Catholic since birth which has caused me to develop opinions based on my religion. It has been hard to break as I have always attended catholic schools that condemn homosexuality. Putting aside my personal opinions, I think it is a well written book and Roy and Nathan seem like a typical high school couple. They become increasingly close, become curious about each others' bodies and have to hide their relationship from their parents.
      After discussing the book, I realized I missed the clues about Nathan's dad sexually abusing him. It gave a reason as to why he needed to run away from home. After reading through my highlighted notes, I realized I highlighted a note that expressed this. While with Roy, Nathan has a moment of thought that, "in a fleeting way, the irony that what pleases him with Roy terrifies him with his father" (100). He is doing the same things to Roy but is being forced while with his father. It is also ironic that his dad seems to be a very church oriented man but would do something like this to his son.

Dream Boy- Discussion

After reading through Dream Boy I was interested and understanding of the situation that Nathan found himself in. He loves Roy and admires his nature but it seems that the relationships that he finds himself with is one of abuse. It's a relationship that brought by dominance and Roy is the controller of them. He is the one that's steering Nathan away from who we really is and a relationship shouldn't be based on one trying to achieve self worth because of the other person. Also, Nathan comes from a struggling family that doesn't work to well. His dad is also a care taker that abuses him in the book. This leaves Nathan to turn to Roy because he doesn't have any other person to turn to. It's a terrible situation to be in and the fact that Nathan is strangled in this issue of abuse is disheartening to me.

Dream Boy

Dream boy has been quite the read so far. It really bothers me that Roy is so selfish as to try and control what Nathan does with anyone else, and is so ignorant in the fact that Nathan had been going through a lot at home with his father who turned pretty bad after drinking, and a mother that just looked away from it as if it never happened. I'm practically screaming at my book wondering why no one is helping this boy or even trying to figure out what's wrong. Everyone in this book is so selfish, all but Nathan. This book is really intriguing but also frustrating at times to read.

The controlling of Nathan

The thing that drew my attention the most in Dream Boy is the number of ways which Nathan is affected by the significant men in his life. In many ways, Nathan is controlled and manipulated by both Roy and his father. His character, throughout the novel, often shows a sense of helplessness and vulnerability because he is clearly not the dominant male figure in his life. Roy is able to control Nathan socially by prohibiting his innocent interactions with others due to his jealousy. We know this is a double standard because Roy finds it acceptable when he does the same, or worse. Nathans father, on the other hand, has placed himself in a predatory role with Nathan often being the prey. His father is clearly the most dominant figure in the household because Nathan’s mother “looks away” from what he does to Nathan. With that being said, Nathan is controlled, in some way, in every aspect of his life, no matter where he goes. Nathan, however, does find his life with Roy to be better than his home life

Dream Boy

I did not like this novel one bit. Form the beginning I was a bit disturbed with the sac-religious views of Jesus, suggesting that he might have been gay. Loyola is a Jesuit university, promoting Catholic and Jesuit ideals. It is a bit disturbing that such things could be suggested in a class here. Although I was not happy with the sac-religious views and suggestions of homosexuality through out the novel, the novel did a good job advocating for those put in such positions everyday. I am not naive that these situations of abuse, molestation, rape and even manslaughter happen daily.  At no time should a child, or anyone for that matter, be taken advantage of, discriminated against, abused or even killed for their sexual orientation. It is a sad book for me from the beginning to the end, and even though I do not agree with what is going on in the book, it still does a great job to try and open the eyes of the public. People must understand that everyone on earth is a person and has unalienable rights that cannot be ignored.

Dream Boy Reflection - Abuse

I was disturbed at the clear signs of abuse in this novel thus far, which isn't explicitly said but is definitely implied in the actions and words of the character. It is an underlying theme that leaves an impression on the reader. It seems that Nathan, is caught in between his abusive father and his first love, Roy. Roy is seen as extremely controlling in the novel, and at times could be emotionally abusive. This is definitely not what love is, and it's sad to watch a character be so naive about his situation. I know they are trying to hide their relationship, but the power differential leaves you feeling uneasy. There were clear signs of child abuse of the dad, because of the fact that Nathan slept with his clothes on in case he had to run, implies that something was not right in the household. It's very sad that his mother remained silent throughout, and basically turned a blind eye to her son who so desperately needed her help. His parents are symbols of failure for treating him this way, and especially his mom for not intervening and helping her son.

Dream Boy reflection

I've not finished the book yet, but so far it is a scary roller coster of events and emotions. I'm going to start of by saying I like how the book is written in third person so we can see all the characters and not just Nathan's point of view. My biggest question so far is why does Nathan's family moves so much? I assume it will come out in the reading but I still can't link it to anything yet. I think it may have something to do with Nathan and his father's incestual relationship and people finding out about it. My next question is why is Nathan's mother is so passive about it? Yes I see that she doesn't call attention when Nathan enters the house to eat and she certainly tries to help Nathan in very casual/ sneaky ways to distract from the father. She barely says anything about it though, and it's not like it's kept as a secret from her. She defiantly knows about it. Yes, I also realize the book is set in the 70's so its taboo for a women to be going against her husband, but it's her own child! Wouldn't you want to try to help a little more? Again this could lead back to the reason why they moved, being that she told someone to stop it and they moved before anything could happen to end it.

How They Do in Oxford

When first reading Kiese Laymon’s article “How They Do in Oxford,” my brain was already engulfed with thoughts of the Take Em’ Down initiative of New Orleans monuments, as well as, the Confederate flag controversy. As Kiese begins to talk about his experience living in Oxford, I find his journal like writing style incredibly interesting. The constant images of the Confederate flag and rebels have for many years been the central theme of American teenagers dubbed to express their rebellious side. The theme of belonging and insensitive imagery go throughout the lines of the article until the very end. However, I couldn’t stop thinking about a conversation that my mother and I had a couple of weeks ago.

Out of nowhere, she asked “do you know what the fleur de lis stood for?” I figure of course it represents Saints, New Orleans, French culture, etc. With astonishment she says, “no. It was branded on slaves. I might have to take all my fleur de lis in the house down.” For some reason it connected to Kiese Laymon’s description of the conversations he had with his mother and grandmother. 

In some way, while I’m reading I’m thinking this is going to be a “why we should not support this, but come together and fight against the degrading nature of Southern symbols, etc.” However, Kiese Laymon continues to shake things up and change the way I look at writing as a whole. Kiese instead tells of the support his grandmother depicts even knowing of the symbols that still have a unforgettable history for many, including herself.     

Kiese Laymon Reading

Kiese Laymon read the prologue of an upcoming novel Tuesday night at the Column's Hotel. The novel would be an autobiographical account of his experiences with sexual abuse, racism, and obesity as a young, black boy growing up in Mississippi. He was the last to speak after student speakers from Loyola. He came up to the microphone dressed down in camo shorts, a sweatshirt, and a sense of familiarity. Before he began reading, he explained that what he wrote in the prologue were things he didn't feel really comfortable sharing with a room full of strangers (understandably).

When he spoke, his voice was strong and confident even when he faltered. He spoke of speaking to his grandmother about the abuse he had endured as a child. When he first told her at 12 years old, his grandmother was not ready to visit those tough, heavy subjects yet. When he got older, he revisited these issues through the subject of food. This time his grandmother was more open to discuss his and her truths. (This is a great example of how he and his grandmother saved each other's lives and staved off a slow death another day.)

After he finished reading, there was a 20 minute Q&A that addressed many topics such as how Laymon got to place where he could become so open and honest, how did he relate to the world as cis black man, and what advice he could give to shy or anxious writers. At the end of the event, Professor Groner introduced me to Laymon (who also thinks the s6 finale of The Walking Dead was awful). Overall, I think Kiese Laymon's honestly, writing talent, and overall amiable personality was awesome to experience. 

Confederate Monuments

In the article “How They Do in Oxford, Kiese Laymon, tells the story of his residency at Ole Miss in Oxford. The format made the passages seem like journal entries because  he told his story week by week. I thought this was a very unique way to organize his thoughts. I thought this article was very interesting because I did not know very much about Mississippi. In the article Laymon  discussed Mississippi’s state flag and how it includes the confederate flag. He explained that his mother told him “how integral that Confederate flag on the jersey was to lynching, racial terror and multigenerational black poverty in Mississippi.” This made me think of the current problem with the confederate monuments in New Orleans.  These statues also stand for the same ideas as the confederate flag.  I have a similar idea to the The Clarion-Ledger’s letter idea that  the statues glorify the Civil War and that it is time for New Orleans to have monuments for all its people. I also agree with Skipp Coon’s idea that it might be a false solution, but the removal of the statues would be a step in the right direction.

Oxford Journey

The author writes about his returning journey to Oxford, Mississippi. Upon arrive there, he witnesses the majority of people attending the football game to be so apparent that it is blinding. There were barely any black people around and white folk continued to flow into the area he was at. With the return after twenty or so years, he remembers the glorification of the confederate flag and how his hometown continues to lay insult to his people. With that said, he first provides contet as to how he first remembered the secret behind the confederate flag and how his mother taught him a lesson about its history.

            Upon comprehending the meaning, he understood that he should have no influence upon supporting this flag and denies to the national anthem and anything to relate to it. As a black man, he understands that it is difficult for change to occur in this confederate dominant culture. Because of this, he witnesses number amounts of flags flung around and the support that is held behind it. Although there are painful memories in this town that he is currently residing, he still contains love for this place due to his connection to it.

            His grandmother recalls the connection she had to his place, regardless of the pain that she had to endure. As a place she worked in and fought to endure, she calls this place home because she cannot and could not give up the efforts that every black man made to attempt a equal society amongst humans. Therefore, the main character and author of the story comes to understand that though this place still upholds insulting symbols, it is still home to those that wish to change it so that that can come to Oxford as a place where they belong.

"How They DO in Oxford" follows a young black reporter as he follows Hotty Toddy's winning football season. A black man following white fans who are cheering for black athletes on only game days. The story is about the mixed culture of white men families who paint their skin red, hang confederate flags, and sing at church on Sundays. The same people who gather in community to put down others. The crowds gathering outside the stadium do not represent the men playing on the field, the students working hard in school, and the rest of their state that they carry the name across their shirts. The falling of the confederate flag is a step for Mississippi but not the end goal.

It was interesting reading this article because Laymon only paints the picture, he never puts the words in your mouth. I am from the south and after Katrina I longed to be like the rest of my family Saturday mornings out watching football. Instead I was in my basement with my step dad eating hot wings watching the fans on TV. I dreamed of going to a big state school and planned game day outfits of purple and gold, blue and navy. 

Racism in America: Response to Laymon

Kiese Laymon, in his article “How They Do in Oxford,” describes a prevalent racial conflict in modern America. While I also agree with Laymon that certain traditions that the University of Mississippi are offensive and racially unjust, I think that this is an extremely small racial and prejudice conflict when compared to others throughout American history. The Ole Miss conflict has been over publicized and exaggerated due to popular demand. The media, and authors alike, will focus (write about) what will sell and draw the largest amount of attention. American history holds and hides other more severe examples of racial injustice that belittle this conflict. The movement and extermination of Native American populations, Japanese-Americans being placed in internment camps during WW-II, the harsh labor conditions of early Chinese and Irish immigrants, and extreme stereotypical views towards Middle-Eastern immigrants are just a few examples of racism that have been forgotten and looked over. Racism encompasses many minorities in America and must be confronted by uniting each race to all others, not focusing on one more than any other. Otherwise, racism will not be exterminated, it will simply transfer from one race to another. That being said, modern racism in America is not directed towards any single race (I think many do not notice this), it encompasses almost every minority. Many minorities also have/had severe racial problems and issues should also be taken in consideration, despite popular demand.

OXFORD

I commend Laymon for his life reflection within this article because he truly uses the senses allowing reader to be one with his article. The way by which he can easily transitions from memory to the current situation for which he is in just shows how fluent of a writer he is. I felt a deep connection with Laymon at the end of the article when he was talking with his Grandmama when she stated,

 "I thought they were close to running out of gas, kie. You didn't tell me they had so many black boys on the team. I prayed for every last one of those boys and their mamas last night. I prayed for the white ones, the black ones, the Mexican ones if they on the team too."
when asked why she responds with "Because you live up there with them now."

Prior to leaving for college it was a struggle with my family accepting that I was leaving. My mother would break down and not talk to me for a few days. However my oldest brother actually helped me with my mom coming to terms with the fact that I was leaving. After having an argument with my mom, one evening over the concept of me taking my acceptance and leaving for New Orleans. My brother stepped in looked at me and said "Hey if your leaving out of state so be it your going to be great and our going to be yourself, and its because of this that I know your going and I am going to make the best of it while you are still here in California."

My own mother at first was heart broken with my determination to come to New Orleans, but after this one evening of arguing and my brother stepping in, just made me realize that he supported me. It was not the fact that he allowed his sadness cloud the fact that i was eventually leaving rather he supported me and wanted to make the best of the situation while the time was allotted.

Laymon's Grandmama was doing the exact same thing, rather follow her own daughter's reaction to the jersey and the team, she supported knowing that this was what he wanted, knowing that no matter what the decision was the decision and to make the best of it. The article has a lot of morals to it and for me this easily made the connection hit home for myself.

I hope you're ready to Grove

The most interesting part of Kiese Laymon's essay which resonated the most with me was in Week 4, when he went to visit Ole Miss' William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation. He described all the work they were doing and the partnerships they had with other organizations to improve the community. The most impressive praise was when he said, "The Institute is doing some of the most creative and necessary work around race in the country." Creative and necessary are words I never hear used to describe institutions, so him describing it in that way definitely built it up for me.

When he tells his friend at the Institute that he's going to the Grove, the spot where the Rebels would tailgate football games. His friend responds that while she's critical of what the school was and can be, "I still say to everyone in the country, 'You don't know to tailgate like we do.'" The energy that Laymon has been building up for the Institute through the previous paragraphs was immediately destroyed. At the end of the day, the good work that they're doing for racial reconciliation takes a back seat to tailgating.

Laymon begins repairing that disappointment by meeting the OpEd Editor at The Daily Mississippian, who is also black, and should for those two reasons presumably be more sensitive to the issue of racial conflict. Laymon broaches the conversation of him not being convinced that black students have been involved in the change that everyone was talking about. I thought, good, she'll have something really insightful and powerful to say. Instead, to my complete shock, she ripped off her hat to show that her hair was died green, and said that she's at a college, not a confederate day camp. My jaw dropped, because here is this person who I was expecting to bring out some knockout comment about how the problem is deeper than people want to admit, or that the people most victimized by racism haven't been listened to about how to change it, say that it's not her job to police racism at her school, because it's college and I guess that makes it unimportant.

As if to break my heart a second time, Kiese shows how difficult it is to get people who are directly impacted by a problem and whose mission it is to solve that problem give in to it for the most unimportant reason.

How to Slowly Kill Yourself...

Laymon is by far an advance writer, from his artistic skill to the language he so fluently interchanges throughout his story. The story encompasses his own coming of age in which he deals with his mother raising him as if he were a black man on parole. Now although many may see this as harsh or unloving in the best way his mother was in fact looking out for him with her best intentions. Laymon came of age after dealing with many a corrupt system. Having been a writer with a passion to critic on the events that took place at his university. All of these event that lead him on the successful path in which he is on currently. I understand that Layman did not write this story as a woe-for us article, meaning he was not writing this story of his life with the sense that he was speaking on behalf of all the black men whom have had their own run ins with a corrupt system. In fact his audience was the youth of America, because its a story about how his life got twisted up side down for a bit, yet through all he had been through he found that there was a lot more in him to give and be the man that he wanted to become rather what stereo types lead him to believe he would become. Overall i enjoyed the discussion and the reading today.

How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Other in America: A Rememberance

Laymon's essay, "How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Other in America: A Rememberance" was a raw account of life as a black person living in the Deep South. The way Laymon framed his story around the young black people who faced (and were literally killed) by racial violence proved a very stark tone to his reality. I think the most compelling part of the his story is the when he talks about everyday we kill ourselves and others by doing cruel things to each other. He gives many examples of the hostility and violence he has been through such as the young guy randomly pulling a gun on him, the frat guys shouting racial slurs at him and his girlfriend, and even when he puts a gun to his own head. These instances highlight the ways in which we choose to die slowly.

I think that what Laymon is trying to say here is that instead of doing these cruel things, we should choose to help ourselves and each other by being present and giving, and nice. This is how we choose life. Laymon offers his friend Gunn as an example of how with his help, he choose life more often. He and Gunn help each other by "telling and listening to each other's odd-shaped truth." My takeaway from this piece is that even though, we constantly have the opportunity to kill ourselves and each other by being selfish and cruel, we can choose life by doing the opposite. Our choices not only will affect ourselves, but everyone we encounter. 

How to Slowly Kill yourself and others Repsonce

My favorite part of this essay is how Laymon can push a race issues along with having every race relate. I mentioned in class during the Formation discussion that it felt weird to admit to watch the video, that this was not made for me to enjoy. However Laymon pushed his issues across while inviting others in.

The structure of comparing his age to other victims throughout the essay applies to all. Evil exists in the world and being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time happens too often. Laymon was not discriminated against by the same type of people over and over. Variations of people are cruel and treat people unfairly, they are all not the John Deer's or Greek students. There is no formula for hate in America. If there was, we would have stopped it already. With this structure, a twenty year old white girl can relate to these stories. I do not need to share the same race as Laymon to hear his story.

Despite this empathy I do not want to take away from the bigger picture that there is a larger race problem here, even in New Orleans.

How To slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America

The essay, “How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America”, provided me with such a flurry of emotions while trying to comprehend his situation. The cruelty of reality for black individuals in our country is so apparent even for me who had lived in California and had rarely seen the racism that still runs rampant to this day. The irony and pressure that the main character faces while in college is a cruel one. To continually face discrimination and to be watched by the eyes of those who don’t have the color of their skin shows the post racism that still exists today. When he faces shooters and attempts to swing back at those who start fights, he is the one alongside his girlfriend to face the repercussions of a corrupted society that bends on doing what it seeks as good for themselves and not for others. This is especially seen when the President of his college tries to remove the anomaly known as his student by suspending him for a year for merely taking a book and returning it the next day when far worse crimes have occurred on campus. The tragic reality that the main protagonist faces is that of self survival, to not rely on others but to face it on his own and to try renewing his life in order to find himself a better path than the reality he had previously faced with regards to his family, to his fellow students, to his fellow officers, and to his discriminating population that continues to deny him and his race as people of this nation.