Taylorjasminenxvp's Blog

Dear Marlen,

Wow what can I say, it went by so fast. I didn’t think I would make it but I did and I am very proud of myself. I feel that throughout this semester I have grown in the class and in my life journey. I really enjoyed taking this course with you Marlen. I think that your class really helps people find who they are and what they are made of. I think that the class overall was great.

            In this class I have learn many different forms of literature, theories, poems, and movies. I like the way the different themes all come together in one way or another. I was not really getting it at first but I can now say that it all came together. In the beginning, I was really having trouble because I did not really comprehend all the assigned readings. I started to fail the quizzes and thought that maybe it was too much for me to handle. Lately I have been trying to participate in the conversations in class because I am starting to understand a little bit more and plus I really need the bonus points.

The first time in class when the word archetype was mentioned I really didn’t know what it was. Learning about the archetypes, monomyths and the hero’s journey was very interesting. The hero’s journey wasn’t really new to me but the way I learned it in class was a little different then what I was thinking about in the beginning.By learning the archetypes, I have learned a little more about others as well as myself and that everyone at some point in their lives goes through most of the different archetypes. I sometimes catch myself looking at different things and comparing it to the different archetypes.

The reading was a lot but I guess that’s college. I struggled to keep up with all of the reading and the poems. I really didn’t think it would be possible to read all seven books in one semester and still have time for other course readings assignments. With the Color Purple I have watched that movies a million times but you showed me a different meaning with the archetypes and monomyths. Most of these books I had never heard of before but after reading them I really liked them. I didn’t see the connections of the books but as time went on I made connections with the books and my life journey. 

                        I also like the theme of a hero’s journey. Learning about the path taken throughout a hero’s journey is very interesting for me. It made me look back over my life’s journey and point of my belly of a whale moment and my threshold etc. Another thing I liked about the class was when we watched “In the Woods”. I knew all of them fairy tales from when I was a little girl but I never made the connection that they all come together.  

            I liked many things about the class. I really liked the class discussions.  It helped me to understand the work  from other people point of view rather than just my own because I didn’t always get it. I was glad to see that sometimes other people feel the way I do in the discussions. I think that by discussing things we really make connections with the literature  and life experiences.

I can honestly say that I have gained a lot from this Literature Class, and it has been a wonderful journey. It is unbelievable how much I learned this semester alone in your class and I am glad I stayed in the course. I really liked the teaching methods that were used. I know that all of the information I learned in this class I will take with me in my future classes.

Marlen, I never had a professor like you before. You are cool as shit and then can be a little tuff but I like it.  You are as real as can be. I like the way you laugh and joke with us about things when we are in discussions but still stay focus on what you are teaching. You really show that just because you are young and want to have fun, you are about your shit. This has been a wonderful journey for me ever since the beginning of the semester. Just like I explained before I knew your class was going to be a challenge but I didnt know that I was going to enjoy myself so much. Thanks Marlen!!

Jasmine Taylor

 “Henry and June” and “Middlesex” were very different. The concept of sexuality was the same. In both of the stories  the  main characters both find their self.   In the movie Henry and June, Anais found herself by becoming a very sexual acttive.  She wanted to sleep with everyone . In the book Middlesex the character, Cal, founds himself when he runs away.  Both stories had many sex scenes.               

Anais Nin becomes bored with her husband Hugo. When she first saw Henry and his wife June in her driveway, she fell in love with him and her. Henry was an escape for her, he is someone she can relate to as a writer. Anais feels the same way about June.  She is a woman and someone that Annais can relate to as a woman. She feels like she can be herself when she is with June. Her journey is over when June leaves and she must return to her home and to her husband. 

Cal grows up as a girl but she has male parts that prevents her from developing completely as a woman. After facing the fact that she had both parts, she decides to live the rest of her life as a man.She decided to live this way because she had  feelings towards woman . 

As Cal and Anais experiment on their journey they discover who they truly are.

Well this is my final blog and it has been a great journey. I learned alot along the way. I really enjoyed myself in this course and i will do it again. I feel that i had grown since the begining. This semester I learned about stories and how they are all similar.  I learned that I actually like reading and  poetry a little bit too.

Now we are finishing the movie “Henry and June”.  Its a movie about a woman who is in love with a man named henry and she is even in love with his wife june.The whole story is based on her diary. She didnt allow to be published until everyone was dead.  This story is about the sexual journey and her relationship between both henry and june. It is a little boring. All it is is sex. I can see simularies between characters and others that we have studied this semester.

The End

Omg its the last class,

It went by so fast

I didnt think I would make it

I learned many things along the way

and found out about myslef

now I can continue down the path of sucess

Next semester here i come.

Being Different

Whats wrong with being different?

I consider myself different…

I dont like being like everybody else

Im me and only me!!

In class we talked about queer theory.Queer Theory was developed from the feminism studies movement.  Queer theory is not just about homosexuals. It is about anything that makes you different.  It talks about sex, sexual orientation, race and other things like that. It relates to Middlesex because the main character Cal is telling his story about  how he was born a girl and changed into a boy.  Cal is different  and even though he is a guy now he still feels the girl in him. Because of this Cal, her family is different from the norm. Her grandparents are really brother and sister. Now a days people dont really do that anymore. Back in the day people would  married their cousins but not brothers and sisters. This book is basicly about queer theory and being different from the norm.

                The book “Middlesex” is a very confusing and boring book. This book has alot to do with queer theory. This book is about a girl name Cal who was born a girl and reborn to a boy. Cal feels that its her grandparents fault for her being like this. Her grandparents were married siblings. They are third cousins as well.Even though it was a little boring i can honestly say that i liked this book. It was long but agian a good book. I like reading about how it is possible to be born with the mind set of a male yet the parts of both male and female.

Today we watched The Color Purple. I have seen this movie a thousand time before but i never read the book. I would rather watch the movie  than the reading the book because the book was a little boring. It is a good book but its just a slow read.

 There are many similiarities between the book and the movie. The  first half of the movie is almost exactly word for word to the book. Things that are  different  are the things I don’t remember like when Shug goes to see her father during the church service .

Celie is forced into her journey by her father when she was younger. She was forced to marry Mr. and he beats her. Celie has very low self esteem and is  unable to fight back. She does what ever any body tell her to do. When Shug came things changed for celie.Shug and Celie both teach each ohter many things.

Well I just found a partner to work with for this final project, and it is Lyrica. We havent really decided on what exactly we was going to do yet, but we have alot of good ideas in mind. Because we have learn so much in this class i think that whatever we decied to present is going to really show the what  we have  learn this semester.

1.) The first song that soundtracks my life is Eve-Love is blind. This song talks about a girl who is being abused by her boyfriend and when ever i would listen to this song i would be in tears. All i would think about is my mom and how she was abused by dad for years. This song ready means alot to me.

“Love Is Blind”

Hey, yo I don’t even know you and I hate you
See all I know is that my girlfriend used to date you
How would you feel if she held you down and raped you?
Tried and tried, but she never could escape you
She was in love and I’d ask her how? I mean why?
What kind of love from a nigga would black your eye?
What kind of love from a nigga every night make you cry?
What kind of love from a nigga make you wish he would die?
I mean shit he bought you things and gave you diamond rings
But them things wasn’t worth none of the pain that he brings
And you stayed, what made you fall for him?
That nigga had the power to make you crawl for him
I thought you was a doctor be on call for him
Smacked you down cause he said you was too tall for him, huh?
That wasn’t love, babygirl you was dreamin’
I could have killed you when you said your seed was growin’ from his semen

[1] – Love is blind, and it will take over your mind
What you think is love, is truly not
You need to elevate and find

[Repeat 1]

I don’t even know you and I’d kill you myself
You played with her like a doll and put her back on the shelf
Wouldn’t let her go to school and better herself
She had a baby by your ass and you ain’t giving no help
Uh-huh big time hustler, snake motherfucker
One’s born everyday and everyday she was your sucker
How could you beat the mother of your kids?
How could you tell her that you love her?
Don’t give a fuck if she lives
She told me she would leave you, I admit it she did
But came back, made up a lie about you missing your kids
Sweet kisses, baby ain’t even know she was your mistress
Had to deal with fist fights and phone calls from your bitches
Floss like you possess her, tellin’ me to mind my business
Said that it was her life and stay the fuck out of it
I tried and said just for him I’ll keep a ready clip

[Repeat 1 (2x)]

I don’t even know you and I want you dead
Don’t know the facts but I saw the blood pour from her head
See I laid down beside her in the hospital bed
And about two hours later, doctors said she was dead
Had the nerve to show up at her mother’s house the next day
To come and pay your respects and help the family pray
Even knelt down on one knee and let a tear drop
And before you had a chance to get up
You heard my gun cock
Prayin’ to me now, I ain’t God but I’ll pretend
I ain’t start your life but nigga I’mma bring it to an end
And I did, clear shots and no regrets, never
Cops comin’ lock me under the jail
Nigga whatever my bitch, fuck it my sister
You could never figure out even if I let you live
What our love was all about
I considered her my blood and it don’t come no thicker

2.)# 2 on the soundtrack of my life is Lyfe Jennings-Lets stay together.This song is a aplogy to the other person that you are in a relation with and asking them not to leave you and to work things out. When i was in my very first real relationship and we was at a point when times was geting tuff this song really helped us get back together because we just listen to the words and aplied it to our situation and talked things out. I still listen to this song non stop.

Let’s Stay Together lyrics

Lalalalala la……ohhhhhhhh
we gon’ put some people back together today ha
Lalalalala somebody gon’ thank me after this song man
Lalalalala matter of fact I’m gon’ thank me right now haha wooh
Lalalalala ooh

Girl I apologize I’m to blame
And I can’t sympathize with your pain
If I could I’d make it go away, but I can’t
So I concentrate on more realistic things
Like questioning is there anything here worth salvaging

[Bridge:]
Is it over, how do we go about deciding
Do we add up all the good times then divide them
By how many times we hurt each other
Or do we just ignore the numbers
And vow right now that nothings gonna to take us under
[Chorus:]
Let’s stay together
Can we agree to just disagree
Let’s stay together
Don’t do it for the kids do it for me
Let’s stay together
I’m tired of all this making up and breaking up
Let’s stay together

Girl I can’t justify what I’ve done
ain’t got no reasons why, not even one
I pray to God what seems like every morning for the sun
to shine on us just one more time and let me hold you in my arms and we just cry

[Bridge]

[Chorus]

[Breakdown:]
See if you leave
I will not die physically
But emotionally “You might as well bury me”
if I can’t be the man I should’ve been
before all of this happened.
But if we hold on “And ask god for direction…”
where we went wrong, we can make the correction if we
just stand strong all our ups and downs have finally come around
And there will be nothing that can shake us nothing that can break us and we will stay together!!!

[Chorus x2]

(Put your hands together man, let’s go)
Let’s stay together

[Lyfe talking:]
This is where it all comes to a head at
Are all these years worth nothing,
Is it over?
You don’t wanna be with him, he don’t wanna be with you.
Hell you done made some mistakes , he done made some mistakes too you done made some mistakes before man,
Work it out man.
And you dudes out there
Anybody can be slick at talking
Anybody can be slick at talking, man
Try to be slick at listening, man
Your work is at home
It ain’t in the streets, it’s at home
So get there, get there
And stay there.
 

3.) My #3 is R-kelly- U saved me. At the time  this song was very meaningful to me because all the things that R-kelly talk about in this song was either happening to me or happening to somebody i loved and effected me deeply.
“U Saved Me”

I was riding in my car one day
In the express lane rollin on the freeway
And suddenly the phone rings then I
Reached down beside me then i look
On the floor felt on the backseat
See I was drinking while I was driving
Never thinking bout what I was doing
I turned around and before i knew it
Here comes this truck now

Doctor said don’t think he gonna make it
Family said make the funeral arrangements
Unplug the machine he’s gone now
Then told my wife to be strong now
Then a small voice said told me
If you promise to stop drinking
I surrendered on that day
Now for ten years i’ve been straight

You saved me [4x]
Gave me a second chance
You saved me [3x]
You saved me

Now i’ve been sitting in this chair
Waiting on the phone to ring
Praying up to God that someone will call
Me with a job opening
Cause it’s been so hard for me
Month to month struggling to eat
But still there was no answer
I stop believing in his word and
Got so mad at him and
When somebody said God’s good
I just laugh at ‘em

But in the nick of time his blessing
Rain on me
By his grace the phone ring
A lady said were hiring and
That’s when I knew

You saved me [4x]

Now i was 18 out there on the block
Selling drugs
With a gun at my waist
And for people I had no love
See the streets was my home
Family and friends were all gone
Had no one to trust
And deep inside i was all alone
And a deal went bad one day
And it was enough to pause me
I was shot 4 times and before i
Knew it I was on my knees

Blood pushin out my body
My heart’s beating faster don’t know what i’m gonna do
I don’t think i’m gonna last then
I begain to flash back on the things
I done in my past
Then I heard a small voice that said
I’ll give you peace if you believe
I accepted Christ that day
Halilujah now i’m free

You saved me [4x]

I was in the aisle of the grocery store
With a pain in my chest and I’m wondering
Where did it come from (I got tested)
And the results came back
And the doctor said i’m sorry but u got cancer
I could not beleive it so
I call my mama to calm my nerves

(mama) she got down on her knees
(mama) she said a prayer for me
(mama) just keep on thanking Jesus
(mama) he’ll give you what you need
(thank you Jesus)
Now that was five years ago
I don’t have that pain no more
Doc said you can go home
Cause all your cancer’s gone

You saved me [4x]

You saved me (said you saved me)
You saved me (but you saved me)
You saved me saaaved me
Gave me a second chance (second chance)
Halilujah saved me
Saved me saved me
Wooooooh You saved me

You gave me it was by grace You saved me
I’m so thankful that You looked down on me
Saw me standing there
I was at the end of my rope no where to go
And you gave me

No where to go (and you saved me)
I was down and out 2
I was doing drugs 2
I was running the streets 2
Never felt love
I was wilding out
You saved me
You stepped in ooh save me

You saved me

4.)  Well the #4 song on my soundtrack is one of the most important songs in my life. It is MaryMary-Cant Give Up Now. This song really means alot to me because ive been throuh so such im my life and i believe in the words of this song, that i just cant give up now I made it this far, its not easy but i no god didnt bring me this far to leave me.

“Can’t Give Up Now”

There will be mountains that I will have to climb
And there will be battles that I will have to fight
But victory or defeat, it’s up to me to decide
But how can I expect to win If I never try.

I just can’t give up now
I’ve come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me the road would be easy
and I don’t believe he brought me this far to leave me

Never said there wouldn’t be trials
Never said I would’t fall
Never said that everything would go the way I want it to go
But when my back is against the wall
And i feel all hope is gone,
I’ll just lift my head up to the sky
And say help me to be strong

I just can’t give up now
I’ve come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me the road would be easy
and I don’t believe he brought me this far to leave me

[Hook:]
No you didn’t bring me out here to leave me lonely
Even when I can’t see clearly
I know that you are with me(so I can’t)

I just can’t give up now
I’ve come too far from where I started from
Nobody told me the road would be easy
and I don’t believe he brought me this far to leave me

5.)The last song is The Clark Sisters- Blessed and Highly Favored. Now this song lets my know that no more what happens in my life at the end of the day im still blessed. Sometimes when i doughts about things in my life i turn this song on and i truly reminded of how blessed i really am.

“Blessed and Highly favored”

Verse 1:
He brought me through hard trials
He brought me through tribulations
Never let a day go by and not realize
Had not been for the Lord who was on my side

Back was against the wall
He looked out for me
He heard my cry and rescued me
Never let a day go by and not realize we are blessed

Chorus:
Don’t take it for granted that we are here today
Just know that we’re blessed and highly favored
Just know that we’re blessed and highly favored

Verse

Chorus

Bridge:
As I look back through the years,
It’s amazing how He kept me.

What the devil mean’t for evil,
God turned it around,
Turned it around just for my good.

I know that I am blessed and highly favored.
Just know that we’re blessed and highly favored.

Vamp 1:
It coulda’ been me,
It shoulda’ been me,
It woulda’ been me if it wasn’t for the blood.

Vamp 2:
Grace, mercy.
Grace, mercy.

Ending:
Just know that we’re blessed and highly favored,
just know that we’re blessed and highly favored.