Wendell Frink

H. Salsich

9English

20 September 2008

“A Message in Music”

An Analysis of an Essay written by Suzy Bernstein Goldman

Hans Christian Andersen once said, “Where words fail, music speaks.” That’s what Suzy Bernstein Goldman’s essay, “A Message in Music,” is about, how music speaks. This essay contained several qualities that I enjoyed, in particular, how she states the parts of the story, “Sonny’s Blues,” and how she wrote her essay. Ms. Goldman has carefully crafted this wonderful essay about how a message can be sent through music.

Throughout the essay there were several aspects that I enjoyed. Firstly, this essay has two distinctive meanings. The essay was described as discussing the “musicality of Sonny’s Blues” (Goldman), or how Sonny’s Blues is musical. In “particular[] the influence of jazz” music, the type that Sonny liked to listen to and play on the piano, is a large part of Ms. Goldman’s essay, too. The way Ms. Goldman has written this essay is very skillful. She made the essay very musical by using musical terms. For example, when describing the theme, form and image of the story, she states that they “blend into perfect harmony and rise to a thundering crescendo,” and “sounds the initial note” (Goldman) when describing how the narrator finds out about Sonny’s arrest. Ms. Goldman has made this essay truly worth reading.

Ms. Goldman had several parts of her essay that I enjoyed. I liked the way Ms. Goldman stated the parts of the story, instead of just monotonously saying the second or third part. She would put the parts as “the second movement” or “the third movement,” which kept me more interested. I also liked the way that she wrote the essay. She not only summarized “Sonny’s Blues,” but also provided the feelings and emotions of the characters. Throughout the essay she used quite a few quotes and excerpts, ranging from a couple words to a couple of sentences to a couple of paragraphs. This essay, with its different way of stating the sections of Sonny’s Blues and the amount of quotes and excerpts from the story, makes you want to read more.

Johann Sebastian Bach once said: "Music is an agreeable harmony for the honor of God and the permissible delights of the soul." Music makes Sonny's soul full of delight and joy, and Ms. Goldman finds this delight and joy and describes it in her essay “A Message in Music,” which is about how music speaks and heals long term hatred in the story “Sonny’s Blues.” Her way of writing her essay was exceptional. A message can be sent through music and that is exactly what Suzy Bernstein Goldman has written about in her essay.

Goldman, Suzy Bernstein. “A Message in Music.” eNotes Oct. 1974: 231-233. 20 Sept. 2008 >.

You Win Some and You Lose Some

Wendell Frink

H. Salsich
9English
7 October 2008
Sometimes life is good and we gain something or sometimes life is bad and we lose something. In the two short stories "Sonny's Blues" and "Winter Dreams," both Sonny and Dexter lose something and gain something. It could be a loss of family, like in "Sonny's Blues" or a personal gain like in "Winter Dreams." "Sonny's Blues" and "Winter Dreams," two exceptional short stories, are both about two people with exceptional losses and gains in their lives.
Sonny has had a hard life that usually tends to having losses, but not always. First of all, Sonny has had losses within his immediate family. For example, after Sonny told his brother that he was heading off for the army, he in a sense lost his brother who didn't want him to go. In reality he lost his mother and father due to natural occurrences. Secondly, he has had losses in his life. He lost the ability to attain a reputable job by getting arrested for using heroin and peddling. Also, thanks to his love of music he lost his education because he played music so much. Sonny has had some gains, too. Most importantly he gained his brother’s recognition, which was one of his greatest accomplishments. He also had a personal gain, in which he lived his dream to be a jazz pianist. Sonny may have had many losses in his life, but also, he has had some gains.
Dexter Green had more gains than Sonny did, but his losses were quite strong. Dexter has had several gains. As a child he was one of the poorer families in his town, but as he grew up he gradually accumulated more funds. This all started back when he was fourteen and working as a caddy, he was one of the best caddy's and he made a decent amount of money for a teenager. Dexter had several gains in the area of friendship. There was a young woman in the story named Judy, who Dexter was madly in love with and finally she and Dexter dated. Then, the woman started to see other men and "Dexter [...] finally g[ave] up all hope of Judy (Burhans 2)" and became engaged with a woman named Irene. Throughout his life Dexter had some losses. Dexter lost the love of his life, Judy, to other men, which struck a final blow to Dexter's plans to try and marry Judy. A man named Devlin came to New York and told Dexter that Judy had lost all of her beauty and was now a regular housekeeping mother; he lost her image in his mind which affected him dearly. The story of Dexter Green contains many losses and gains.
If there life is good then they gain something if its bad then they lose something. In both "Winter Dreams" and "Sonny's Blues" losses and gains occur throughout the stories. "There are occasions when it is undoubtedly better to incur loss than to make gain. (Titus Maccius Plautus)" Even though "Sonny's Blues" and "Winter Dreams" are by two different authors they both contain loss and gain.

Works Cited

Clinton S. Burhans, Jr., ‘‘‘Magnificently Attune to Life’’’: The Value of ‘‘Winter Dreams,’’’ in Studies in Short Fiction, Vol. 6, No. 4, Summer 2000, pp. 401-12.

Abe Lincoln Meets Rainer Maria Rilke

Wendell Frink

Mr. H Salsich

9 English

15 September 2008

Abe Lincoln Meets Rainer Maria Rilke

An essay on the relationship of a quote and a poem

We all know that Abraham Lincoln was our 16th president of the United States, and surprisingly one of his quotes “The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time,” relates to an excerpt from a poem written by Rainer Maria Rilke titled Letters to a Young Poet, Rilke was a poet from the late 20th century. The Lincoln quote is written in a totally different style than Rilke, but they both relate to each other is some way. They are both about success and living in the present and not in the past or in the future. The future (according to these great writers) should only be thought about until the day comes, so live in the present.

Upon studying this quote, I noticed three distinctive meanings. One of the meanings this quote has is to only think about the present and not about the past or future. You should take your time for you have all the time in the world, if you take your time it will be well spent for in this modern world we are all rushing around trying to accomplish things. And don’t try to rush things in your life because people who rush usually aren’t the happiest of people. When growing up everyone wonders what the future will entail, but this is surely a mistake. If you worry about the future, then life will be hard and tiresome not smooth and relaxing. It might even make you stressful because you might think about the future holding bad things instead of good. The last meaning is to not think about the past. We should never worry about what has happened in the past only what is happening now. If we do worry about the past then, this could be a problem. These few words in the quote provide a mountain of information and interpretation.

When reading Lincoln’s quote and Rilke’s excerpt, I came across one similar meaning: to live in the present. Both poets talk about the future but in each a different way. Rilke says that the future comes “gradually” and “without [you] even noticing.” Lincoln says the future “comes only one day at a time” so you should use the day that you have wisely. You should “live everything,” every conversation, every event, and most of all your life the way you want it. Everyday is a new day that needs to be lived. Even “live your questions now” and not in the future because if you need an answer now, you won’t get it if you wait. When looking for the answer to something, don’t search for it, let it come to you. If you don’t it could make you live in more than only one day at a time and could make you forlorn. Everyday think about what you say, and what you do, for one of these times you will “live your way into the answer.”

As life goes on we should always remember to not think about the future, only the present. For a moment, pretend it is your last day on earth; do you wish that you had more time to do things or are you unhappy with not taking your time? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it is truly worth not thinking about the past. Begin now to embrace the present and live your life to the fullest.

Commenting

I think that we should highlight or change the color of the content that we are commenting about. That way we will know exactly what to change.

WEndell

Appreciating Me; An Analysis of "Colored Me"

10.20.2008

Rashad Young

Mr. Salsich

9Engilsh


Do you care what other people think about you? Would you change yourself just because someone critiqued you in a certain way that was hurtful to you? In the essay Colored Me by Zora Neale Hurston, though she is looked at in many different ways throughout the essay she appreciates herself a lot more than anyone I have ever met. I appreciate myself in many different ways, even though people sometimes put me down it is only something that will make me stronger and make me feel better about myself. Hurston showed many different signs of appreciation towards herself and this made me think about what I appreciate in myself(Purposeful Repetition).

There are many different reasons why I appreciate myself in fact if I were to name them all it would be a list that goes on forever. First, I appreciate that I have a family who cares for me because some people are not as fortunate to have two parents
who give the same amount of love. Though my parents may not be together neither of them have shown a shortage in love or care, in fact they live about 10 minutes apart so traveling between each of them is fairly simple to switch between households.
Secondly, I appreciate that I was born into a world where I am able to experience wealth and knowledge. Our wealth is usually controlled by our knowledge and I am glad that my parents got the knowledge to raise me in a wealthy environment. Finally, I am thankful for my athleticism,(F.A.S.T) this enables me to have fun while participating in social sports and excel in them. Though I may be good at these sports it is also something that teaches me teamwork and also my social skills with friends. This list could go on and on but these are the ones that I find to be the most important to me.

Zora Neale Hurston is appreciative towards various moments in her life. When she was 13 she moved to a white town with a white school, she describes this as her being "a dark rock being covered by the white waves." Hurston does not think of herself as being colored and she does not think of the white people any differently, they are just people who "Drive by but do not live in her town." Though she was discriminated by many times in her life she did not look at her skin as a factor but only as an attribute(F.A.S.T.) that added to her assets. At one point in Hurston's essay she enters a Jazz lounge and while the music is flowing through her she says that she wants to scream out in joy. This makes her appreciate herself and the music for this
moment that makes her feelings just go crazy. While she is listening to this music she actually gives out a small "whoop" in excitement. The final thing that Zora Neale Hurston appreciates about herself is that she is one of the only african american women whose "Great grandfather on their mothers side was not a [Native American] cheif." You can tell that this is one of her most appreciated things because she states it very early in the essay. She appreciates that being African American is not a reason to be treated differently but to be treated the same as everyone else. Ms. Hurston seems to appreciate people from what is on the inside and not by being superficial(F.A.S.T.).

As I have grown older through my 14 years of being on this earth, I realized that it is usually harder to appreciate yourself than it is to appreciate others. Hurston does a great job of showing the world that it is a wonderful thing to appreciate you as a whole and not by what other people believe. After reading this essay I have started to believe in myself even more than I was just last week. Zora Neale Hurston is one of the greatest essay writers of all time and she should be because she believed in herself when she was writing those very words.

Appreciation

Wendell Frink

Mr. Salsich

9English

20 October 2008

Appreciation

An essay on an essay and my life

What do you appreciate about yourself, is it the way that you act, the way that you feel, or the way that you are towards others (Purposeful Repetition)? Zora Neale Hurston was a woman who appreciated herself immensely (FAST); whether it is her race or that she lived at the beginning of the road that led towards Orlando. I also appreciate several aspects of my life, the fact that I am a good soccer player and that I am nice and caring. Zora and I both have something that we appreciate about ourselves, something we can always look at and say “I appreciate it,” and something that makes us swell with pride (Purposeful Repetition).

In her essay “How It Feels to Be Colored Me” Zora states the reasons that she appreciates and likes herself. Firstly, she was “the first welcome-to-our-state Floridian” and she personally liked to think that she was “the first.” It made her have a sense of pride and joy to welcome the people from out-of-state. She would usher (FAST) them in and ask them where they were going and what they were doing. Secondly, she loved to listen to jazz music; she appreciated it. She loved jazz music so much that she “dance[ed] wildly inside [her]self” and her “pulse [wa]s throbbing like a war drum.” It is like a drug to her; that’s how effective it is. Lastly, she appreciates her race. Sometimes she is a dark skinned African American living in the U.S. Other times she is something else, not a race but herself, for she has no race. Hurston appreciates every living aspect of her life, and more.

I admire and like many aspects about my life, whether it is how well I play soccer, or my feelings toward other people, or general things that I do in my life (Purposeful Repetition). I have been appreciating the fact that I’ve played soccer for many years, 8 in total. I appreciate the fact that I can pass and shoot well and that I have good ball skills. As I have progressed through the levels of the soccer-world, I have appreciated the help of other players and the help of coaches. In addition, I am a nice and caring person. I care about my family, my friends, and my teachers (Purposeful Repetition). I’ll assist (FAST) a person in need or who is feeling bad. Lastly, I like the general things that I do in life. Reading a good book is one of my favorite things to do; quite often you will see me with a book more than anything else. Reading brings you into a magical world where the words on a page let you imagine anything that you want and wherever you are. Zora and I both appreciate and like something about our life.

Appreciating yourself is a remarkable thing to do. You realize that each individual aspect of your life is something to cherish and hold dear to your heart. Zora Neale Hurston wrote an essay about the things that she appreciated and liked about herself and I appreciate and like something about myself too. You only live once so acknowledge what you possess (FAST).

Essay Pt. I

Gabe

Mr. Salsich

English B

20^th October 2008

 

                                                Appreciation;

                        A Relation on an Essay by Zora Neale Hurston to my Life

 

 

            In the essay, “How it Feels to be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston, appreciation is a recurring feeling, much like it is in my life. She appreciates anything from music to her heritage and I am similar. It is important in both of our lives because if it weren’t present, sadness would get the best of us. Overall, appreciation is present in Ms. Hurston’s essay and my life.

            Zora Neale Hurston appreciates many things in her life. The first thing she appreciates is music. When she was at the club listening to jazz, the music uncovered feelings the she had buried and forgotten. She appreciated it because it allowed her to feel like her true self and forget about the racism and discrimination. In addition to music, Ms. Hurston appreciates her heritage. She does not let the fact that she is an African American in a racist society bother her. When writing, “But I am not tragically colored. […] Some one is always at my elbow reminding me that I am the granddaughter of slaves. It fails to register depression with me.” she says she doesn’t care if people don’t like her heritage, she is still proud to be an African American. Finally, Ms. Hurston appreciates herself. She knows she is a friendly and caring person and is flabbergasted that some one wouldn’t want to spend time with her because she is African American. Even though she knows that many people dislike her, she still is happy with whom she is (Purposeful Repetition). Overall, appreciation is something that is apparent in Zora Neale Hurston’s life.

            Appreciation is present in my life as well. The first thing I appreciate is music. Music is my personal anchor in life because It does anything from getting me motivated to getting me through a demanding day with its rhythmic riffs and poetic lyrics (purposeful repetition: 3 adjectives). I am grateful for this because music is like my sanctuary; whenever I need to escape it is there. Aside from music, I appreciate sports. Sports has given me an understanding of teamwork that will help me in life. For example this upcoming collaboration project is much like our soccer team; everyone must work together to achieve a common goal. I am thankful for this life lesson because now I have a better view on how to work with others. Finally, I appreciate my family. My family is the safety net I need when things get rough. I appreciate this because there have been instances where without my family, I would have spiraled into a depression. To summarize, appreciation follows all the joys in my life.

            Appreciation is embedded in Zora Neale Hurston’s life and mine. We both appreciate many things, from music to family. We also know that the things we appreciate are important to our lives. Overall, appreciation exists in everything that is vital to Zora Neale Hurston and me. 

Initiation

4. The Initiation-This situation refers to a moment, usually psychological, in which an individual comes
into maturity. He or she gains a new awareness into the nature of circumstances and problems and
understands his or her responsibility for trying to resolve the dilemma. Typically, a hero receives a Calling,
a message or signal that he or she must make sacrifices and become responsible for "getting involved" in
the problem. Often a hero will deny and question the calling and ultimately, in The Initiation, will accept
responsibility

Updated Blog

WENDELL + GABE. I did some work on our blog it seemed too plain to me. Hope you guys like it. :P

Loss and Gain; A Comparison of Two Stories

Rashad Young

Mr. Salsich

October,7 2008

Imagine that you just got out of school and apprehended a test, only to arrive once again in class and receive below average

grade; you could take that test and gain something from it. I believe that there are many differences in “Winter Dreams” and

“Sonny’s Blues”, but in a way they both seem to show signs of gain and loss. Sonny and Dexter both have had a number of

conflicts that have interfered with their normal, happy life. Nonetheless they have had magnificent highs from these startling

losses and the outcome is truly amazing.

Sonny had a major drug problem in “Sonny’s Blues” but that didn’t stop him from creating a wonderful sound with his piano.

According to Sonny’s brother sonny had a major drug problem and whenever he tried to help Sonny would get defensive. At

this point his addiction had become extremely serious Sonny would do whatever he could to get these narcotics. This limited

him short times with the piano, though his confrontations were short he made the most of them. As Sonny’s drug conflict

started to pick up on him he was forced to live on the streets for different periods at a time. This also prohibited him from his

love for the piano and drew him even further back from any of his goals. Living on the street was a very large tumble in

Sonny’s life but it is only part of the things that comes with being extensively addicted to a drug of any sort. Sonny eventually

started to do good again and had been able to start playing the piano again. He was able to do the thing he loves and do in

beautifully. As he started to play the piano even more he was featured at a bar with his jazz band. Here Sonny played for his

brother and was even able to do a solo called Sonny’s Blues.

Unlike Sonny, Dexter had a different type of loss, true love. Over and over again Dexter tried to show Judy Jones his love for her

but she kept ignoring him. Dexter first tried to show his love for Judy at the golf course but he decided to quit on that very day.

A few years after this Dexter had another encounter with Judy, this time they were a lot closer but they still weren’t together.

These encounters all revolve around the foolishness of two young adolescence maybe if they were grown men and women they

would have done something differently. Dexter, trying to escape his struggle decided to join the service. This basically

destroyed his chances of love with Judy Jones. During this time Dexter had matured in a way that showed him that Judy was not

the only person that he had to love and cherish. When Dexter emerged from his duty he had become a changed man and

became engaged to a different woman. Soon after this Dexter catches the eye of Judy at a dance, and they become acquainted

with each other Dexter is extremely nervous. As Dexter grows out of his adolescence and becomes a young man it seems that

“The dream was gone” (Burhans) Dexter seems to have lost the will to love, lost the will to care, and lost the will to fight for his

love.

The protagonists in both of these stories have achieved some seemingly impossible goals and tapped into some hidden

feelings. They also seemed to have some of the biggest conflicts that one man could even bare. Even so they have achieved the

greatest achievements that few people accomplish. I could not imagine going through any of the things these two characters

have achieved.

Loss and Gain

Gabe Campbell

H. Salsich

English

7th October, 2008

Loss & Gain;

A Comparison of Stories

The protagonists from the stories “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald seemed to experience losses and gains regularly. They came in any shape or form and ranged from money to an escape from reality. Without these losses and gains, the characters would have been drastically different. Overall, losses and gains is a frequently recurring theme in the short stories “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Throughout the story, Dexter’s experienced a variety of losses and gains. One of the most prominent gains was conventional wealth. All of Dexter’s hard work paid off when he moved to the city and opened his first cleaners. The success was so immense that he opened a chain of them around the city making him incredibly wealthy. Although he had a lot of wealth, the one thing he lost that was most important to him was his fiancé, Irene. That night of the party where he rekindled his long and what seemed to be lost relationship with Judy Jones, he inadvertently kicked Irene out of his life. When Clinton S. Burhans Jr. wrote “in turning from Judy to Irene Scheerer, he had found almost unendurable the loss of these tangible and emotional qualities” it sounds like this was an acceptable decision on Dexter's behalf, but with Judy’s false promises and betrayal taken into consideration, his loss becomes clear. When weighed in, Dexter’s gain of conventional wealth pales in comparison to the loss of some one seemingly perfect for him. With that one mistake, Dexter lost companionship, friendship, and respect. When put in to perspective, losing Irene overshadows Dexter’s gain of wealth. Overall, throughout the story Dexter experienced his fair share of losses and gains.

In Sonny’s Blues, Sonny encountered many losses and gains. Sonny’s most momentous loss was the loss of his parents. Throughout his life, he could have relied on the support of his mom or dad to get him through the day. With that gone, he had no one. When Sonny was addicted to heroin, he still managed to gain an escape from his tribulations with music. When Sonny began to take an interest in piano, it was as if all of his troubles were relinquished. This was by far his biggest gain in the story because he took one of the most addictive substances and effortlessly conquered it with his music. When compared, Sonny’s gain of an escape from drugs by far overshadows his loss of his parents. Deaths of close family members are incredibly devastating because you lose some one you love who is an outlet for you whenever you have problems so when he lost his outlet, he took a dark path which he conquered by finding an new outlet that he could express himself through and unleash his pain. Overall, Sonny’s losses were significant, his gain of an escape was very incredible.

Sonny and Dexter experienced their share of losses and gains. They each experienced obstacles which they overcame even though they were experiencing the gravity of their loss. They also managed to gain things that ranged from wealth to a personal sanctuary. Overall, throughout the course of the stories “Sonny’s Blues” by James Baldwin and “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, each protagonist experienced their own form of loss and gain.

Burnhans Jr., Clinton S. ""Magnificently Attune to Life": The Value of "Winter Dreams"" Studies in Short Fiction 6 (2000): 401-12.

ATTENTION

ATTENTION WENDELL AND RASHAD

a change: Use and identify two examples of PURPOSEFUL REPETITION (the lesson for Monday and Tuesday)