Eleanor Hilton
Mr. Salsich
English 9
23rd September 2008
The Universal Language of Music
An Summary and Thoughts about Goldman’s Essay
There is one small thing in the world that connects all human beings together. This thing is music. It is the universal language that can soothe us when we’re sad, excite us when we’re happy, or is just something we can listen to or create ourselves. Music also seems to be one thing, essay writer Suzy Bernstein Goldman understands.
In her essay about the classic short story, Sonny’s Blues, by James Baldwin, Goldman connects everything to music. To begin with, she divides up the story into five movements, like a piece of music. The first movement, she says is about the older brother, ‘a strait-laced Harlem algebra teacher’ and his morning after discovering his brother has been arrested for heroin. The second movement is described as the recovery of Sonny, and the letter’s between the two brothers. In the third movement Goldman says, revolves around the word, ‘safe’, and when the brother’s fathers said, ‘no place safe.’ (Baldwin). The fourth movement is shown as the shortest movement, and builds on the first. This is when the brothers begin to understand each others lives. “The new relationship between the brothers.” Is what Goldman calls the fifth movements own theme. This is when Sonny enters his, ‘kingdom’ (Baldwin), and starts to play the blues, which is what this story is all about. Blues and music.
Goldman’s essay, I found was most enjoyable to read. The way she wrote it was kind of out of the box. She included everything she possibly could about music into her long essay. She even talked about the two small words that popped up through-out the story, ‘hear’ and ‘listen’. Although I liked her topic and style of writing I thought that the length of the quotes she put in were a little long. There were sometimes full passages that she included to make her point. I do think this shows dedication to her topic, but if they were shorter, the essay overall would be even more interesting. I’m glad that the story Sonny’s Blues has a great essay writer to back up and show the true meanings of it’s story.
As I have previously said, music is the universal language that connects us all. We use it however we want to and where we want to, within reason. However I didn’t think about the fact that it can also connect us to books and writings. Without out music, or sound, books would probably be boring because we wouldn’t be able to relate to them as well.
Works Cited:
1.) Baldwin, James. Sonny’s Blues. [database on-line]; available from http://www.wright.edu/~alex.macleod/winter06/blues.pdf (accessed 20th September 2008)
2.) Goldman, Suzy Bernstein. “James Baldwin’s ‘Sonny’s Blues’: A Message in Music.” Negro American Literature Forum; vol. 8, no. 3, Fall, 1994: 231-3 [database on-line] available from http://www.enotes.com/sonnys-blues/james-baldwins-sonnys-blues-message-music.com (accessed September 19th)
Monday, September 22, 2008
Hannah's Essay
Hannah Staley
Mr. Salsich
English 9
23 September 2008
James Baldwin’s Sonny’s Blues: A Message in Music by Susan Bernstein Goldman vs. My Opinion
An essay on an essay written and my opinion
“Theme, form, and image blend into perfect harmony” (Goldman). This is exactly what Susan Bernstein Goldman writes when writing her essay on James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues.” Goldman identifies the themes that Baldwin tries to deliver quite well. She notices key things in the Story and enhances their meaning. Also, Goldman gives us a summary of the story, which helps support her ideas.
Informative, persuasive, and close attention to detail are three things I took away after reading Goldman’s James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”: A Message in Music. In the essay, Goldman summarizes what happens in the story and highlights important parts that deserve recognition. An example of this is when she talks about the narrator opening his first letter from Sonny. Goldman, the author, is trying to demonstrate “his need to reach his brother” (Goldman) and how communication is key throughout the story as well as in the reader’s relationships. Another point Goldman is trying to make about Sonny, that relates to real life, is finding something you thoroughly enjoy and sticking with it. For example, Sonny connected with music, and it eventually made him a better person while saving his life. Playing the piano showed Sonny’s brother, the narrator, that even if you go through a tough time you can come out on top. These are interesting things to read and brought up some valid points for the reader to think about.
I don’t really like how this essay was written. I think that Ms. Goldman used too many in text citations and chunks from the book. When you use in text citations or chunks in this way, they can be really helpful making your paper flow nicely. When you over use this technique, you can get into trouble and possibly loose the reader’s attention. This method can also get confusing and make your writing look like it was rushed. One thing that I did enjoy was her way of approaching different subjects. Ms. Goldman’s essay is well thought out when it comes to transitions, which made the paper easy to read. Her transitions are smooth and not choppy, which makes the essay a pleasure to read and study. In my opinion, this essay was nice to read except for the occasional chunks that appear to be unnecessary. Other than is, it was well written.
Ms. Goldman did a nice job of capturing the true beauty of “Sonny’s Blues” and emphasizing the main lessons the book has to offer. Her essay was a pleasure to read and to study. I definitely agree with some of the bold statements she writes about and think it is an interesting essay to think and write about. I hope to read more of Goldman’s work in the future.
WORKS CITED:
1. Baldwin, James. Sonny’s Blues. [database on-line]; available from http://www.wright.edu/~alex.macleod/winter06/blues.pdf (accessed 19 September 2008)
2. Goldman, Suzy Bernstein. “James Baldwin’s ‘Sonny’s Blues’: A Message in Music.” Negro American Literature Forum; vol. 8, no. 3, Fall, 1994: 231-3. [database on-line]; available from http://www.enotes.com/Sonny%27s Blues/james-baldwins-sonnys-blues-message-music (accessed 19 September 2008).
Mr. Salsich
English 9
23 September 2008
James Baldwin’s Sonny’s Blues: A Message in Music by Susan Bernstein Goldman vs. My Opinion
An essay on an essay written and my opinion
“Theme, form, and image blend into perfect harmony” (Goldman). This is exactly what Susan Bernstein Goldman writes when writing her essay on James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues.” Goldman identifies the themes that Baldwin tries to deliver quite well. She notices key things in the Story and enhances their meaning. Also, Goldman gives us a summary of the story, which helps support her ideas.
Informative, persuasive, and close attention to detail are three things I took away after reading Goldman’s James Baldwin’s “Sonny’s Blues”: A Message in Music. In the essay, Goldman summarizes what happens in the story and highlights important parts that deserve recognition. An example of this is when she talks about the narrator opening his first letter from Sonny. Goldman, the author, is trying to demonstrate “his need to reach his brother” (Goldman) and how communication is key throughout the story as well as in the reader’s relationships. Another point Goldman is trying to make about Sonny, that relates to real life, is finding something you thoroughly enjoy and sticking with it. For example, Sonny connected with music, and it eventually made him a better person while saving his life. Playing the piano showed Sonny’s brother, the narrator, that even if you go through a tough time you can come out on top. These are interesting things to read and brought up some valid points for the reader to think about.
I don’t really like how this essay was written. I think that Ms. Goldman used too many in text citations and chunks from the book. When you use in text citations or chunks in this way, they can be really helpful making your paper flow nicely. When you over use this technique, you can get into trouble and possibly loose the reader’s attention. This method can also get confusing and make your writing look like it was rushed. One thing that I did enjoy was her way of approaching different subjects. Ms. Goldman’s essay is well thought out when it comes to transitions, which made the paper easy to read. Her transitions are smooth and not choppy, which makes the essay a pleasure to read and study. In my opinion, this essay was nice to read except for the occasional chunks that appear to be unnecessary. Other than is, it was well written.
Ms. Goldman did a nice job of capturing the true beauty of “Sonny’s Blues” and emphasizing the main lessons the book has to offer. Her essay was a pleasure to read and to study. I definitely agree with some of the bold statements she writes about and think it is an interesting essay to think and write about. I hope to read more of Goldman’s work in the future.
WORKS CITED:
1. Baldwin, James. Sonny’s Blues. [database on-line]; available from http://www.wright.edu/~alex.macleod/winter06/blues.pdf (accessed 19 September 2008)
2. Goldman, Suzy Bernstein. “James Baldwin’s ‘Sonny’s Blues’: A Message in Music.” Negro American Literature Forum; vol. 8, no. 3, Fall, 1994: 231-3. [database on-line]; available from http://www.enotes.com/Sonny%27s Blues/james-baldwins-sonnys-blues-message-music (accessed 19 September 2008).
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Music for the Misery
Olivia Denison
Mr. Salsich
English 9
22 September 2008
Music for the Misery;
A Summary, Analysis, and Thoughts About an Essay
Sonny’s Blues, by James Baldwin, is about two bothers who live very different lives in search for common ground The essay by S.B. Goldman contends that the brothers’ rocky relationship is actually a journey to appreciate each other’s differences through the simple act of listening. Goldman presents music, and jazz specifically, as an analogy to the conflicting lives of the brothers. The following discussion is my interpretation of the essay, while expanding on some of Goldman’s ideas.
The author of the essay, Goldman, relates the rocky relationship of these two brothers like four movements in a jazz piece. Sonny’s older brother, Goldman states, “a straight-laced Harlem algebra teacher”(Goldman 1), wants Sonny to do well, but Sonny has his own way of life, which includes being a heroin addict and an aspiring jazz pianist. In the first movement, the brother first recognizes Sonny’s problems, but fails to understand them. In the second movement, the brother struggles to see how Sonny really lives and can only relate to him in terms of his own reality. The third movement is the climax or “crescendo” (Goldman 1), and Goldman explains that “their failure to communicate is at its peak.”(Goldman 2) Finally, in the fourth movement the narrator has an “epiphany” after his daughter’s death and he finally starts to relate to Sonny. “The dry, low, black man said something awful on the drums, Creole answered, and then the drums talked back. Then the horn insisted,…and Creole listened commenting now and then. Then they all came together again, and Sonny was part of the family again.” (Baldwin ) This quote from Sonny’s Blues shows that after having a talk with his brother he is now understood and part of the family. The last line in Goldman’s essay says that, “these blues belong to all of us, for they symbolize the darkness which surrounds all those who fail to listen to and remain unheard by their fellow men.”(Goldman 4) This applies to Sonny and his brother, but they both eventually emerge from the darkness that surrounds them.
Sonny’s blues is more than just a story about two brothers framed by a musical jazz piece. There were other multiple themes such as accepting the differences between people, symbolized through music. The narrator, Sonny’s brother, is a straight-laced guy who doesn’t appreciate crazy music like jazz because he is a very “orderly” (Goldman ) person. Sonny on the other hand is the outcast who likes jazz because it’s disordered like his life. Jazz was the “rebel” music for its day, much like rock and roll in the 50’s and 60’s and alt rock in the 90’s. The old traditionalists do not understand the new “complexity” of the new strange music. But eventually, like the brother, they appreciate it on some level and a new resolution occurs. This rebelliousness or thinking beyond the norm inspires change, which can be good; but a period of difficulty is always encountered with change. Also, before change can occur, both sides must finally listen to each other. But if your personality type or, music preference is different, the lines of communication will be broken. A resolution to a lack of communication occurs with a crisis or “crescendo” (Goldman 1). The narrator’s daughter’s death forced him to reexamine life from Sonny’s perspective and to appreciate the complexity of jazz on a whole new level.
The theme of listening to each other resonates throughout Sonny’s Blues, but can also serve a lesson to the world at large. If people listened to one another more, perhaps a greater understanding of our differences would result. As Creole concluded, “he and his boys up there were keeping it new, at the risk of ruin, destruction and madness and death, in order to find new ways to make us all listen.”(Baldwin ) The hope here is that with potential darkness and destruction, a willingness to communicate can save us from ourselves.
Works Cited
Baldwin, James. Sonny’s Blues. [database on-line];available from http://www.wright.edu/~alex.macleod/winter06/blues.pdf (accessed 18 September 2008).
Goldman, Suzy Bernstein. “James Baldwin’s ‘Sonny’s Blues’: A Message in Music.” Negro American Literature Forum; vol. 8, no. 3, Fall, 1994: 231-3. [database on-line]; available from http://www.enotes.com/Sonny’s Blues/james-baldwins-sonnys-blues-message-music (accessed 18 September 2008).
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Essay
Eleanor Hilton
Mr. Salsich
English 9
16th September 2008
Which Quote?
A Comparison of a Lincoln Quote
By Eleanor Hilton
In this world, the word time, could now be called a cliché, a word that has been used too much. It has been used so many times, in so many unnecessary places that does anyone know the real definition? It could be the time us humans wrote down and calculated, or it could be time in our lives, however we feel like measuring it, or not. The quote, “The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” Is by Abraham Lincoln, and really speaks about time, and the greatest parts of our lives, even though we might not think it.
Another poem that I love is by Rainer Maria Rilke. He is a German poet from the nineteenth century. Born in 1875, he had a different perspective on life. He must have tried to find the answers at an early age when they were not yet for him. Later in his book, Letters to a Young Poet, he probably had written this meticulous poem to pass the knowledge on. In the poem he speaks about the questions and answers in our lives. He tells us that even though we would think the questions as, ‘locked rooms’ or, ‘foreign books’, we should try to keep them anyway. We should try to love them as much as we possibly can so that someday the answers will walk into the picture. However, we must not always be thinking about the questions, which in some cases circle our minds endlessly. We should not be searching, looking or waiting for the answers to fly into our faces. Although, we should live our life as best as we can, so that eventually we will have the key to the locked room, or will be able to speak the foreign language.
Just as Abraham Lincoln speaks of time, I also believe that Rilke’s poem does too. However, at first sight, it would appear that
Rilke’s poem only spoke about questions and answers. If you dug down deeper though, Rilke’s poem would be a different story. When Abraham Lincoln says, ‘it comes […] one day at a time.’ He is talking about how much time we have to experience the world. How much time we have to live our life and enjoy it. This is like in Rilke’s poem where he talks about living the questions now. Luckily for us we don’t just have to live them now, we can live them through our whole life. This means that we have time to fully experience every part of the question. We have time to analyze and love every single word. Even though Abraham Lincoln died before Rainer Maria Rilke was born I believe they were thinking on the same wavelength.
As I have said before time, is like a cliché. However, after observing, and reading over and over again both writings, I am starting to believe that maybe having it as a cliché is a good thing, to a point. Everyone is talking and thinking about it, doesn’t this help us understand it more? Like the questions, and time, everyone is living and loving time.
Mr. Salsich
English 9
16th September 2008
Which Quote?
A Comparison of a Lincoln Quote
By Eleanor Hilton
In this world, the word time, could now be called a cliché, a word that has been used too much. It has been used so many times, in so many unnecessary places that does anyone know the real definition? It could be the time us humans wrote down and calculated, or it could be time in our lives, however we feel like measuring it, or not. The quote, “The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time.” Is by Abraham Lincoln, and really speaks about time, and the greatest parts of our lives, even though we might not think it.
Another poem that I love is by Rainer Maria Rilke. He is a German poet from the nineteenth century. Born in 1875, he had a different perspective on life. He must have tried to find the answers at an early age when they were not yet for him. Later in his book, Letters to a Young Poet, he probably had written this meticulous poem to pass the knowledge on. In the poem he speaks about the questions and answers in our lives. He tells us that even though we would think the questions as, ‘locked rooms’ or, ‘foreign books’, we should try to keep them anyway. We should try to love them as much as we possibly can so that someday the answers will walk into the picture. However, we must not always be thinking about the questions, which in some cases circle our minds endlessly. We should not be searching, looking or waiting for the answers to fly into our faces. Although, we should live our life as best as we can, so that eventually we will have the key to the locked room, or will be able to speak the foreign language.
Just as Abraham Lincoln speaks of time, I also believe that Rilke’s poem does too. However, at first sight, it would appear that
Rilke’s poem only spoke about questions and answers. If you dug down deeper though, Rilke’s poem would be a different story. When Abraham Lincoln says, ‘it comes […] one day at a time.’ He is talking about how much time we have to experience the world. How much time we have to live our life and enjoy it. This is like in Rilke’s poem where he talks about living the questions now. Luckily for us we don’t just have to live them now, we can live them through our whole life. This means that we have time to fully experience every part of the question. We have time to analyze and love every single word. Even though Abraham Lincoln died before Rainer Maria Rilke was born I believe they were thinking on the same wavelength.
As I have said before time, is like a cliché. However, after observing, and reading over and over again both writings, I am starting to believe that maybe having it as a cliché is a good thing, to a point. Everyone is talking and thinking about it, doesn’t this help us understand it more? Like the questions, and time, everyone is living and loving time.
ESSAY
Hannah Staley
Mr. Salsich
English 9
16 September 2008
Two Great Writers
An essay on quotes by Rainer Maria Rilke and Soren Kierkegaard
For our first essay assignment, we were given a challenging task. We had to compare a quote that is posted on Mr. Salsich’s blog by Rainer Maria Rilke, a German poet, with one of the quotes inscribed on the walls of the school hallway. The quote I chose is by Soren Kierkegaard, a Norwegian philosopher, and it reads: “Life must be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” It is interesting that a German poet and a Norwegian philosopher would have such similar views on life. What makes it even more interesting is that they didn’t even live at the same time. Rilke lived from 1875-1926 and Kierkegaard lived from 1813-1855. Additionally, both men understood that, if it were possible, we would live life backwards. Unfortunately, we can’t.
While reading both quotes, I realized that there is one part of the Rilke passage that relates to the Kierkegaard quote quite well. Rilke states that: “Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.” While Rilke ends talking about “living your way into the answer,” that is where Kierkegaard begins his quote. Both men seem to be intrigued that you have to wait until you’re older to understand many aspects of life. Rilke tells us to think like we are older, even if we are young, so we can try to answer unsolved questions we may have.
These men would have related well to each other, even though they could never have met. They both lived short lives, along with having similar views and an interest in pondering serious questions. Rilke lived to be 51 and died of leukemia. Kierkegaard lived to be 42 and died due to complications from a childhood fall from a tree. Even though these men didn’t live to be very old, they lived thoughtful lives. Since they had poor health, they may have been inspired to think more about life. Also, since they died young, they may have felt pressure to answer their own questions more than people who live longer lives. Finally, both of these writers understood the importance of finding meaning. Kierkegaard focused mainly on “understanding” life. While Rilke doesn’t use the word “understand,” it is clearly the subject of his passage.
It’s fascinating how you can compare a one sentence quote with a five sentence passage and have so much to talk about. Once you read these passages over and over, you understand more that life’s challenges are similar for all of us. These writers had a passion for trying to answer life’s questions and for inspiring others to do it, too.
Mr. Salsich
English 9
16 September 2008
Two Great Writers
An essay on quotes by Rainer Maria Rilke and Soren Kierkegaard
For our first essay assignment, we were given a challenging task. We had to compare a quote that is posted on Mr. Salsich’s blog by Rainer Maria Rilke, a German poet, with one of the quotes inscribed on the walls of the school hallway. The quote I chose is by Soren Kierkegaard, a Norwegian philosopher, and it reads: “Life must be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” It is interesting that a German poet and a Norwegian philosopher would have such similar views on life. What makes it even more interesting is that they didn’t even live at the same time. Rilke lived from 1875-1926 and Kierkegaard lived from 1813-1855. Additionally, both men understood that, if it were possible, we would live life backwards. Unfortunately, we can’t.
While reading both quotes, I realized that there is one part of the Rilke passage that relates to the Kierkegaard quote quite well. Rilke states that: “Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.” While Rilke ends talking about “living your way into the answer,” that is where Kierkegaard begins his quote. Both men seem to be intrigued that you have to wait until you’re older to understand many aspects of life. Rilke tells us to think like we are older, even if we are young, so we can try to answer unsolved questions we may have.
These men would have related well to each other, even though they could never have met. They both lived short lives, along with having similar views and an interest in pondering serious questions. Rilke lived to be 51 and died of leukemia. Kierkegaard lived to be 42 and died due to complications from a childhood fall from a tree. Even though these men didn’t live to be very old, they lived thoughtful lives. Since they had poor health, they may have been inspired to think more about life. Also, since they died young, they may have felt pressure to answer their own questions more than people who live longer lives. Finally, both of these writers understood the importance of finding meaning. Kierkegaard focused mainly on “understanding” life. While Rilke doesn’t use the word “understand,” it is clearly the subject of his passage.
It’s fascinating how you can compare a one sentence quote with a five sentence passage and have so much to talk about. Once you read these passages over and over, you understand more that life’s challenges are similar for all of us. These writers had a passion for trying to answer life’s questions and for inspiring others to do it, too.
Quotes
Olivia Denison
Mr. Salsich
English 9
16 September 2008
Greatness in Patience;
A Comparison of Two Quotes, One said by Rainer Maria Rilke and the Other by Helen Keller
Patience is a great quality that not many people have. People that have it are strong within, because you aren’t just born with a gift like patience. Think about the word patience for a minute. What does it mean to you? It is a very strong word that rarely applies to the ordinary person. Rainer Maria Rilke, a poet, tells us, “to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart”, and Helen Keller demonstrates patience in her own life.
As a blind and deaf girl, Helen couldn’t do many things. However, the two things she could do better than anyone else were sensing how people felt and touching people. Learning sign language is very difficult, especially if you’re blind. Therefore, patience is needed when confronted with an obstacle like this. Helen could feel the shape of the person’s hand in order to figure out how sign language was done, and she could also feel a shape of an object in her hand. In order to do this, she would have to keep reviewing the object repeatedly until she knew what the object was. Repeating this process took a lot of fortitude. Helen Keller once said, “The most beautiful things in life…are felt in the heart”, which is true because the most direct way to connect with a person is to touch them in the heart. The way you choose your words is how you make an impression on someone. Words are very powerful. The way words are expressed or the way you want them to be heard can make a person like you or not. Patience is a gift, but it can also be developed and improved over time. It must be practiced with people and with obstacles.
A wise German poet, Rainer Maria Rilke, once said, “try to love the questions themselves…or books written in a very foreign language.” Life is a foreign language, you cannot envision what’s going to happen next; you cannot read the future. This applies to Helen Keller. She couldn’t read the future and life was a foreign language to her, especially while trying to learn sign language. Ms. Keller had to work for the answers her whole life and finding the answers wasn’t easy, but as Rilke said, “You will gradually, without even noticing it, live your way into the answer.” The answers didn’t come to Helen Keller quickly. Keller “gradually” learned to speak a foreign language. Helen Keller had a very long life and was forced “to live her way into the answers. She “gradually, without even noticing it” learned how to communicate with people. When Helen first started to learn sign language, she didn’t know what she was doing; she could only hope that she was doing it right. Eventually when she got older, Helen got all her answers to her questions about sign language and life. It took a great deal of patience for Ms. Keller to learn what she did.
Helen Keller’s only advantage over other people was her patience. Because of her disabilities and the patience that she needed to overcome them, she could sense how people and things felt, better than anybody else. She possessed patience and that patience sculpted her into the great woman that she was. It took a long time to sculpt her though. That’s why patience is such a superb thing to possess, because it allows you to become a better person and better educated about life.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
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