ISU Novel

The book, Three Day Road, tells the story of two Cree natives, Elijah and Xavier, who become famous snipers in the Canadian army during the first World War. When Xavier returns home, missing a leg, addicted to morphine and clearly dying, his auntie Niska picks him up at the train station and they begin their three day canoe trip home. This suggests the title and relates to death. Niska tries to sustain Xavier on their trip home by telling her stories of Elijah's and Xavier's childhood and in return, Xavier tells stories of what happened in the Front and Elijah's descent into madness.

My Story Waits Like a Restful Beast

During this seminar, many people threw around the idea that the Abolitionists are using Aminata and do not respect her. I could not agree with this more. To me it feels like the Abolitionists are just using Aminata for their cause. This puts Aminata in a tough situation because she needs them, and without them, she could be sold back into a life of slavery.

I like them name of this chapter because throughout the novel we learn that Aminata wants to become a Djeli (a storyteller). This relates to the title of the chapter because she wants to tell her story, but so far, her story is not finished. I think the term "Restful Beast" refers to the fact that her story is still developing, but when she releases it, it will become a "Beast".

A Streetcar Named Desire

The discussion questions about the play A Streetcar Named Desire were very engaging. We covered topics that include music, set, light, themes, symbols. The question about the use of music and what its presence indicates was very interesting to me because I thought that music was very skillfully woven into this play. There are certain types of music that play during certain situations and conflicts. For example, the Varsouvianna music plays when Blanche is referring to her past. It is a symbol of how Blanche is trying to escape from her past. Also, the blue piano music begins to play when Blanche is feeling lonely. It also represents the spirit of life in New Orleans because that is the music that plays during all the poker games and bowling scenes.