Introductory Reflective Hypertext Essay

Dear Classmates,

At the beginning of this journey through my first run at an online class we began learning about the Fiction form of literature. I learned the many uses of tone in fiction stories, especially from the sarcastic tone used by Byron in Allison Baker’s Better Be Ready ‘Bout Half Past Eight. This dialogue for example shows the sarcastic tone used by Byron:

“A shower?” Byron said.
“Isn’t it a kick?” Emily said. “Gifts like garter belts and strawberry
douches.”
“That’s sick,” he said.
“Oh come on, honey. His men friends are invited too… It’ll be fun.”
“Why don’t we just play red rover?” Byron said. “All the girls can stand on
one side and yell, ‘Let Zach come on over.’” (307, lines 159-63).

Byron’s tone throughout this short story showed how he was trying to hide his discomforts through the use of sarcasm in conversations with Zach/Zoe, his wife, and others. This piece was a great start to this summer session, and therefore I chose it as my second artifact for the Webfolio. In addition, I really enjoyed Lorrie Moore’s How to Become a Writer. This story-telling piece taught me much about the idea of theme, because this story that is told revolves around one theme—becoming a writer. Moore describes all the things, even the minute things, one really must do to become a writer despite all the stereotypical ideas of just getting a degree and simply writing. According to Moore, it’s not that simple. One part of the story describes the sacrifice needed to give the necessary attention to one’s writing: “Your child psychology advisor tells you you are neglecting courses in your major. What you spend the most time on should be what you’re majoring in. Say yes, you understand,” (552).

From Fiction we moved to Drama. While reading the assigned dramatic pieces I learned to pay attention and think about every word that a character speaks. There are so many meanings behind everything when you read it three-dimensionally. I really enjoyed digging deep into the meanings of the objects and words in Glaspell’s Trifles. I enjoyed it so much that I chose to write about this element of the drama in my first letter of Drama Forum One (Artifact 1) and in my Critical Analysis (Artifact 5). While reading Trifles I also learned to read a play better, as if I were watching it unfold in my head. This was especially true at the end of the play when I read the character action descriptions, which say

Suddenly Mrs. Peters throws back quilt pieces and tries to put the box in
the bag she is wearing. It is too big. She opens box, starts to take bird
out, cannot touch it, goes to pieces, stands there helpless… (1257).

I also learned a lot about Samuel Beckett’s hard-to-read Krapp’s Last Tape by exploring the meanings of different objects used in the monologue. I discuss this exploration in my third Artifact.

My second favorite piece in the Drama portion of our course was Rodeo by Jane Martin. This piece taught me the importance of each character’s language. If Big Eight’s language would have been different than “Them people is so screwed-up they probably eat what they run over in the road,” the story would not have been the same (1667). I connected with and learned a lot from this piece and that is why I chose it as my fourth artifact.

I have always enjoyed reading poetry, although I find it fairly difficult, and this time was no exception. My favorite poem was Syliva Plath’s Mirror, which taught me how to personify truly inanimate objects in a way that connects them with the deep and hidden thoughts of those who use them. For example the mirror in this poem describes itself by saying, “I am not cruel, only truthful…I have looked at it so long I think it is a part of my heart,” (828). I also learned that poems can be used as dramatic monologues when I read Katharyn Howd Machan’s Hazel Tells Laverne. I can just picture a character on stage performing a monologue and saying, “…an I hitsm with my mop an has ta flush the toilet down three times me a princess,” (764).

The feedback I received from the Discussion Board Posts of my peers was very helpful throughout this course. It was interesting and mind-opening to see how classmates viewed the exact same pieces of literature so differently. As Meredith P. explained in her Fiction Forum 2 Letter 2, “While I thought that Byron was confused and scared, you viewed him as sarcastic.” I also learned from Erica E. that even the aged work of Frankenstein applies to events in today’s society. For example, she says, “I would just like to make a connection between what Victor Frankenstein did to create the monster and what brilliant scientist and people in the medical fields can do with the stem cell research and cadaver parts.” These two peer discussion board posts are also my sixth and seventh Artifacts.

Sincerely,

Jennifer H. ENGL 202