"Schooldays of an Indian Girl" and "Leaves From the Mental Portfolio of an Eurasian by Charlie

Jill Scott- The Fact Is (I Need You)

The song “The Fact Is (I Need You)” by Jill Scott is definitely a song that demonstrates a grappling with gender roles. It is about a woman who is in love, but how seems to want to be independent. At first listen, it may seem like a simple love song, but upon further inspection, there is so much more to be discovered.
The song is a continuous battle between what she is capable of and why she feels like she needs her lover. The song seems to be a woman’s wish to be independent. She states several things she is able to do on her own, such as pumping her own gas, getting her own job, buying her groceries, and taking care of her physical appearance. She even goes as far as saying that she can raise her child by herself. Although she can do all these things, she still goes on to say, “I need you.” This is a mental grapple in which she is struggling to decide whether or not she wants to be alone.
The overall message of the song is not one of independence. The message I receive is one of strength. Most of the things she states she can do on her own are things that are generally deemed to be manly responsibilities or characteristics. For example, it is often seen as a man’s responsibility to help a woman pump gasoline into her car, or to be the financial provider for the family. Basically, she is saying that she has the ability to do whatever a man can do, which is a very empowering message. Although she can do everything on her own, she says that she needs her lover. This is not because she is not able to be on her own, but she needs him to love her.




Jill Scott- The Fact Is (I Need You)

I can pay my own light bill baby
pump my own gas in my own car
I can buy my own shoe collection
I've been blessed thus far
I can kill the spider above my bed
although it's hard because I'm scared
I can even stain and polyurethane
But some things just don't change
I need you
Sometimes so hard to say
I need you
Some thing remail
I can buy my own groceries baby
Get my hair thight my nails right
I can floss my own bling bling
Write the the words to the songs I sing
I can even raise the child we'll make
Make sure he's loved and knows what God gave us
I can teach him how to walk and stand
but I need you to help him be a man
We need you
Some things don't change
I could be congresswoman or a garbage woman
or police officer or a carpenter
I could be a doctor and a lawyer
and a mother and a "good gGod what chu
donet to me?" kind of lover I can be
I could be a computer analyst
The queen with the nappy hair raising her fist
or I could be much more and a myraid of this
Hot as the summer
Sweet as the first kiss
And even though Ic an do all these things
I need you
And even though I can do all these things
We need you
(and you need us too!)

It could happen to you

For my media I chose to bring in the movie, "It could happen to you" this movie is a romantic movie about a cop who wins the lottery and gives a million dollars of his winnings to a waitress. I chose this movie because it fits into the cultural narrative of a woman needing to be saved by a man. The woman was bankrupt and had no way to make up all of the money that she owed and this cop had to come in and save the day for her, he ends up falling in love with her and the two of them live happily ever after. It is the same story that we have seen and heard a million times. The story that little girls are told that one day your prince charming will come and rescue you.

Breathe

I'm bringing in the song "Breathe" by Anna Nalick. While the song is generally just a pretty tune, there actually are some difficult topics addressed, such as abortion. The first verse of this song is about a woman who calls her friend because she's pregnant and scared and needs some support. The friend agrees to go with her to an abortion clinic, but on the way, and even in the clinic, other people are judging them. I think this song grapples with a women's narrative because it not only touches on friendship (which has been a resounding theme in our reading for this class), but also on a much bigger, more difficult issue: abortion. Not a lot of people, even today, are willing to talk about the simple right of controlling one's own body. I think this song is not just beautiful, it's honest. Women's every day relationships with each other can be so different and complex. The two women in the song are friends; the women in the clinic are there "for the very same reason", yet they still give looks that speak a thousand words. The second verse of this song is about a man, but that doesn't mean it's not a women's narrative. This verse is about a man the singer loves, and his addiction to alcohol. I think this is an interesting narrative, because instead of being angry, I get the sense that she just loves the man too much and really looks past him being an alcoholic, and instead sees him when he smiles. I think this is a women's narrative because it's a big theme that women will look past the bad and see the good that not a lot of other people can see.

Pink song "Stupid Girls"

PINK LYRICS

Stupid Girls


Stupid girl, stupid girls, stupid girls
Maybe if I act like that, that guy will call me back
Porno Paparazzi girl, I don't wanna be a stupid girl

Go to Fred Segal, you'll find them there
Laughing loud so all the little people stare
Looking for a daddy to pay for the champagne
(Drop a name)
What happened to the dreams of a girl president
She's dancing in the video next to 50 Cent
They travel in packs of two or three
With their itsy bitsy doggies and their teeny-weeny tees
Where, oh where, have the smart people gone?
Oh where, oh where could they be?

Maybe if I act like that, that guy will call me back
Porno Paparazzi girl, I don't wanna be a stupid girl
Baby if I act like that, flipping my blond hair back
Push up my bra like that, I don't wanna be a stupid girl

(Break it down now)
Disease's growing, it's epidemic
I'm scared that there ain't a cure
The world believes it and I'm going crazy
I cannot take any more
I'm so glad that I'll never fit in
That will never be me
Outcasts and girls with ambition
That's what I wanna see
Disasters all around
World despaired
Their only concern
Will they **** up my hair

Maybe if I act like that, that guy will call me back
Porno Paparazzi girl, I don't wanna be a stupid girl
Baby if I act like that, flipping my blond hair back
Push up my bra like that, I don't wanna be a stupid girl

[Interlude]
Oh my god you guys, I totally had more than 300 calories
That was so not sexy, no
Good one, can I borrow that?
[Vomits]
I WILL BE SKINNY

(Do ya thing, do ya thing, do ya thing)
(I like this, like this, like this)
Pretty will you **** me girl, silly as a lucky girl
Pull my head and suck it girl, stupid girl!
Pretty would you **** me girl, silly as a lucky girl
Pull my head and suck it girl, stupid girl!

Baby if I act like that, flipping my blond hair back
Push up my bra like that, stupid girl!

Maybe if I act like that, that guy will call me back
Porno Paparazzi girl, I don't wanna be a stupid girl
Baby if I act like that, flipping my blond hair back
Push up my bra like that, I don't wanna be a stupid girl



I picked this song because it has so many of the narratives that we have discussed in class in it. First when the song begins you hear Pink singing about acting a certain way to get a guy to call her back. She also sings about the stupid celebrity woman, that the girls today have to look up to. She describes them as being dressed scandalously and dancing around in music videos and acting dumb. This song would be really mean, except for the fact that most of what Pink says is just observation and is pretty much true. I can't remember who, I think it may have been Quinlin, but someone used images of woman in music videos as there collage and this part of the song reminded me of that. I also found it interesting that in the chorus Pink talks about flipping her "blonde" hair, this imediately made me think of the poem "When I Was Growing Up", the stereotype of blonde being the only thing beautiful. Pink also touches on the subject of annorexia and the image of being skinny that woman deal with today. She trys to show how ridiculous the whole being skinny thing is. She also speaks out against the cultural narratives and says she wants to see outcast girls and girls with ambitions. Now here in the song I don't think she means outcast as you and might take it, but more like an outcast from this crowd of women who follow the steroetypes willingly. I think she means girls who don't try to be skinny, or who don't want to be blonde if they are not. So that is another good point in the song. The last thing that you hear in this song is Pink talking about women letting themselves fall into the man's fantasy of only being a sexually object with push up bras and the last verse talks about some sexual activities where the girl is just trying to please the guy. I think this song is a good example just because it touches on so many issues that are wrong with the world today. It shows the many narratives/stereotypes that women and young girls have to face today. I remember last year when this song came out that many people were angry (mainly celebrities) but in my opinion a lot of what Pink says is true. It is sad...but true.

Aug 2

Sister's Are Doin' it for themselves
Annie Lennox

Now, there was a time when they used to say
that behind ev'ry great man,there had to be a great woman.
But oh, in these times of change,you know that it's no longer true.
So we're comin' out of the kitchen,
'cause there's something we forgot to say to you.
We say, Sisters are doin' it for themselves,
standin' on their own two feet
and ringin' on their own bells.
We say, Sisters are doin' itfor themselves.
Now, this is a song to celebratethe conscious liberation of the female state.
Mothers, daughters,and their daughters too,
woh yeah,woman to woman,we're singing with you, ooh, ooh.
The "inferior sex" has got a new exterior.
We got doctors, lawyers, politicians too,ooh ooh ooh, ooh.
Ev'rybody, take a look around.
Can you see, can you see, can you see,
there's a woman right next to youou.
We say, Sisters are doin' it for themselves,
standin' on their own two feetand ringin' on their own bells.
Sisters are doin' itfor themselves.
Now we ain't makin' stories,and we ain't layin' plans.
Don't you know that a man still loves a woman,
and a woman still loves a manjust the same, though.
Ooh ooh oohooh ooh ooh ooh.
Sisters are doin' itfor themselves.
There was a time,oh, when they used to say that behind ev'ry great man,
there had to be a great woman.
In these times of change,you know that it's no longer true.
So we're comin' out of the kitchen,'cause there's something we forgot to say to you.
We say, Sisters are doin' it for themselves,
standin' on their own two feet and ringin' on their own bells.
Sisters are doin' itfor themselves.
Sisters are doin' itfor themselvesselves.
Sisters are doin' it, doin' it,doin' it, doin' it, doin' it, doin' it…
Sisters are doin' it for themselves,uhhuh, uhhuh, yeah.
Sisters are doin' it for themselves,uhhuh, uhhuh, uhhuh, yeah.
Sisters are doin' itfor themselves.I say, yeah, yeah,
Sisters are doin' it for themselves,standin' on their…
Sisters are doin' itfor themselves.

I read the lyrics to this song and I don't think that I could have wrote a song better for this class. This song sum's up the narrative of the role of women in the early 20th century (and before that) and where we stand today. Of us women coming out of the kitchen and our men not expecting us to just be housewifes. We now have a voice, and it is just getting stronger. My line in the song is "But oh, in these times of change,you know that it's no longer true.So we're comin' out of the kitchen,'cause there's something we forgot to say to you." I think this line is just so impowering to all of us.

For the life of me I can't believe
The you're on your knees beggin' please
All the pushing' away and puttin' down
Can't you see you're gettin' the run around
Oh it's plain to see you'd rescue me
From my loneliness so called unhappiness
Oh I didn't mean to cause you pain
I've got nothin' to lose and nothin' to gain

And don't waste your heart on a wild thing
She's got a soul that won't settle on one thing
Whoa this bird can't sing when you've tied its wings
Don't waste your heart on me

It's funny how the girls get burned
And honey as far as I'm concerned
The tables have turned

And don't waste your heart on a wild thing
She's got a soul that won't settle on one thing
Whoa this bird can't sing when you've tied its wings
Don't waste your heart on me

And I'm here to apologize
My heart can't compromise
Don't waste your heart on me
-Dixie Chicks

I think this song goes against some of the stereotypes and narratives that we've seen in the texts read that have been cast on women especially focusing on relationships. I like how the singer realizes that men are sometimes used to cure a woman's loneliness. She recognizes why sometimes women feel they absolutely need a man. The singer also seems to really be in touch with herself and realizes that she wants to be free and wild without the attachment of a man. I think the; main character in "The Yellow Wallpaper" and; many of the other main women from the texts we read might of had some feelings similar to what's expressed in the song like the desire to be independent;. We've talked about how our society and culture raises girls to believe they need a man and should settle down when in reality women deserve as much freedom as men. Some of the Dixie Chicks other songs like "Earl" and "Ready to Run" also have lyrics that deal with women empowerment.

Collage

For our "show and tell" type project tomorrow, I chose an idea that I had from HMK's narrative collage. Her collage was about women's strength, particularly through characters and superheros, and after looking at the images I noticed a trend with most of the women. It seems like there's no shortage of women superheros (though it's no comparison to men superheros), but one thing that is constant is the way they're drawn/created wearing skimpy clothes and having large breasts.

I realize that there is a certain style to comic book drawing, which I guess can be most accurately described as "exaggerated". To be fair, women's bodies aren't the only ones that get distorted in these depictions; men are drawn with huge muscles and a general body-builder physique. However, since this is a women's studies class, I decided to focus mainly on the depictions of women and so I gathered images of superheros like Catwoman, Batgirl, and Wonder Woman, as well as some human images of these cartoon characters like Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft and Xena. I wanted to include the real-life women in my picture to show how the style of dress is still exaggerated even in real life.

Before this class, I didn't pay much attention to these characters. Of course, I'm not the first person to notice this trend of scantily-clad, supposedly "powerful" women as cartoon characters, but I definitely noticed the trend more as a result of this class.

PINK-- You and Your Hand

Check it out
Going out
On the late night
Looking tight
Feeling nice
It's a **** fight
I can tell
I just know
That it's going down
Tonight
At the door we don't wait cause we know them
At the bar six shots just beginning
That's when dick head put his hands on me
But you see

I'm not here for your entertainment
You don't really want to mess with me tonight
Just stop and take a second
I was fine before you walked into my life
Cause you know it's over
Before it began
Keep your drink just give me the money
It's just you and your hand tonight

Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh oh
Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh oh

Midnight
I'm drunk
I don't give a ***k
Wanna dance
By myself
Guess you're outta luck
Don't touch
Back up
I'm not the one
Buh bye
Listen up it's just not happening
You can say what you want to your boyfriends
Just let me have my fun tonight
Aiight

I'm not here for your entertainment
You don't really want to mess with me tonight
Just stop and take a second
I was fine before you walked into my life
Cause you know it's over
Before it began
Keep your drink just give me the money
It's just you and your hand tonight

Uh uh uh uh uh uh uh oh
Break break
Break it down

In the corner with your boys you bet 'em five bucks
You'd get the girl that just walked in but she thinks you suck
We didn't get all dressed up just for you to see
So quit spilling your drinks on me yeah

You know who you are
High fivin, talking ****, but you're going home alone arentcha?

Cause I'm not here for your entertainment
No
You don't really want to mess with me tonight
Just stop and take a second
Just stop and take a second
I was fine before you walked into my life
Cause you know it's over
Know it's over
Before it began
Keep your drink just give me the money
It's just you and your hand tonight
It's just you and your hand

I'm not here for your entertainment
No no no
You don't really want to mess with me tonight
Just stop and take a second
Just take a second
I was fine before you walked into my life
Cause you know it's over
Before it began
Keep your drink just give me the money
It's just you and your hand tonight
Yeah oh
__________________________________

I chose this song by Pink because it deals with the stereotype of women needing men to have a good time. Pink sings how she's not there for the guys' entertainment, but to have a good time, and they need to just leave her alone. I think it's an awesome song and I belt it out and nod along the whole way through it, everytime. It's soo true how guys think they're God's gift to women sometimes, and we don't need men to have a good time. "Wanna dance by myself....."

Question, tell me what you think about me
I buy my own diamonds and I buy my own rings
Only ring your cell-y when I'm feeling lonely
When it's all over please get up and leave
Question, tell me how you feel about this
Try to control me boy you get dismissed
Pay my own carnote, oh and I pay my own bills
Always 50/50 in relationships

The shoes on my feet
(I've bought it)
The clothes I'm wearing
(I've bought it)
The rock I'm rockin'
(I've bought it)
'Cause I depend on me
If I wanted the watch you're wearin'
(I'll buy it)
The house I live in
(I've bought it)
The car I'm driving
(I've bought it)
I depend on me
(I depend on me)

All the women who're independent
Throw your hands up at me
All the honeys who makin' money
Throw your hands up at me
All the mommas who profit dollars
Throw your hands up at me
All the ladies who truly feel me
Throw your hands up at me

Girl I didn't know you could get down like that
Charlie, how your Angels get down like that
Girl I didn't know you could get down like that
Charlie, how your Angels get down like that

Tell me how you feel about this
Do what I want if I would wanna live
I worked hard and sacrificed to get what I get
Ladies, it ain't easy bein' independent
Question, How'd you like this knowledge that I brought
Braggin' on that cash that he gave you is a front
If you're gonna brag make sure it's your money you flaunt
Depend on no one else to give you what you want

The shoes on my feet
(I've bought it)
The clothes I'm wearing
(I've bought it)
The rock I'm rockin'
(I've bought it)
'Cause I depend on me
If I wanted the watch you're wearin'
(I'll buy it)
The house I live in
(I've bought it)
The car I'm driving
(I've bought it)
I depend on me
(I depend on me)

All the women who're independent
Throw your hands up at me
All the honeys who makin' money
Throw your hands up at me
All the mommas who profit dollars
Throw your hands up at me
All the ladies who truly feel me
Throw your hands up at me

(Wassup?)
You in the house?
(Sure 'nuff)
We'll break these people off Angel style

(Child of Destiny)
(Independent beauty)
(No one else can scare me)
(Charlie's Angels)

All the women who're independent
Throw your hands up at me
All the honeys who makin' money
Throw your hands up at me
All the mommas who profit dollars
Throw your hands up at me
All the ladies who truly feel me
Throw your hands up at me

All the women who're independent
Throw your hands up at me
All the honeys who makin' money
Throw your hands up at me
All the mommas who profit dollars
Throw your hands up at me
All the ladies who truly feel me
Throw your hands up at me

This song is called "Independent Women" by Destinys Child. I picked this song because they are giving the message that a woman does not need a man paying her bills or getting her things because she can make her own money. I think it goes along with the narratives we have been talking about because the stereotype is that women need men to be fulfulled, which is not true.

Song: I Am Woman

(Helen Reddy and Ray Burton)
I am woman, hear me roar
In numbers too big to ignore
And I know too much to go back an' pretend
'Cause I've heard it all before
And I've been down there on the floor
No one's ever gonna keep me down again

Oh yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to
I can do anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman

You can bend but never break me
'Cause it only serves to make me
More determined to achieve my final goal
And I come back even stronger
Not a novice any longer
'Cause you've deepened the conviction in my soul

Oh, yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to
I can face anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman

I am woman watch me grow
See me standing toe to toe
As I spread my lovin' arms across the land
But I'm still an embryo
With a long, long way to go
Until I make my brother understand

Oh, yes, I am wise
But it's wisdom born of pain
Yes, I've paid the price
But look how much I gained
If I have to
I can face anything
I am strong (strong)
I am invincible (invincible)
I am woman

Oh, I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong

I am woman
I am invincible
I am strong
I am woman

The most well-known version of this song was released in 1972. It became the anthem for the women's liberation movement. I think it definetly grapples with gender issues, because for it's time it was a step ahead when it came to women's empowerment. It describes women as strong, invincible, that they can face anything. A part I really like about it is the fact that it uses the word "woman" as almost a synonyme for strong. That was definetly something new back when this song was released. It takes the common cultural narrative of women being the weaker sex and describes them as strong and explains why they're strong. This is the classic feminist song, and I think I think it was the perfect anthem for the women's liberation movement.

Summer- Response

I read what Trinity wrote and I was pleased that she chose different passages then my own, and ones that I must have glanced over without really thinking about at first look. The first passage she mentioned was the one about North Dormer in comparison to the rest of the world. Charity wondered how the rest of the world viewed North Dormer, and how it fit in with the rest of the world. She was hungry for information on what was outside her own town and for awhile she read every book she could get her hands on and then she just stopped. Trinity drew comparisons with North Dormer and the small town she was from. I can relate to this, but in a sort of differnt fashion. I'm from St. Charles, not really a small town, but it is true what they say about St. Charles, everyone is either distantly related to everyone or they know everyone. It has that small town feel, without really being a small town. I can see how the comparisons between small town life and city life are important throughout the rest of the novel. It is the big city that gets Charity in trouble, and it reverberates back on her town life. The gossip lovers of a small town and the "behind closed doors" attitudes that these gossip lovers practice. Everybody knows everybody's business, but they won't say it to your face, because its not really their place. I think small towns are hilarious, and very homey. I liked that the story was set in a small town with the little ol' gossip bittys.
The other passage she chose was about Liff Hyatt and how Charity wasn't afraid of him. I didn't think of Shadrack, the character from Sula, when I was reading about Liff. I don't know how I didn't though. It is a great comparison. They're both social outcasts in the town, but they dont' seem to be aware or if they are they don't care. It's how they are and they're fine with it. I think the fact the Liff was from the mountain, just like Charity, is kind of an important fact when you delve into the relationship/interaction between the two of them. Charity questions her heritage and so questions her association with Liff. This relationship also made me think of the poem "When I was growing up," again. Both Charity and the main character from the poem wanted to fit in and be like the others, yet they had this one very fundamental and unchangeable "flaw," if you will, that prevented this. I think this self doubt that Charity has influences her actions in the rest of the book. She is so drawn to Harney because he loves where she's from, something she is very insecure about, this likeness he has for the mountain people helped to influence the relationship that festers between the two of them. I say fester because it was like a bad sore that looks fine at first, set ends up getting infected and festering. It was bad news.

Part two turned out so different than I expected! I feel like I got into Charity's character and really understood where she was coming from. These two scenes really shocked me and helped me develop a better understanding of Charity. "If all the people got married that folks say are going to you'd have your time full making wedding dresses," she said ironically. / "Why--don't you believe it?" Ally ventured. / "It would not make it true if I did-- nor prevent it if I didn't." / "That's so... I only know I seen her crying the night of the party because her dress didn't set right. that was why she wouldn't dance any..." / Charity stood absently gazing down at the lacy garment on Ally's knee. Abruptly she stooped and snatched it up. / "Well, I guess she won't dance in this either," she said with sudden violence; and grasping the blouse in her strong young hands she tore it in two and flung the tattered bits to the floor." p.142 This passage stood out to me because it was unexpected and showed part of her personality that we had not been exposed to yet in her acting out physically. For some reason throughout the book, I viewed Charity as kind of a passive character on the outside but who was in touch with her emotions and desires. Her thought process seems somewhat immature and she seems unaware of all the emotions that she's being faced with. This scene is almost like a tantrum and I was so glad to see some rage because it's almost like the exact opposite of what the town seems to expect from women and girls. Acting out how you feel or throwing a tantrum is almost like a stepping stone to understanding your feelings and what you want not what others want.
The second section that shocked me was, "I'm married to Mr. Royall. I'll always remember you. -Charity" The last letter she sent to Harney was a shock to me. Charity held so much in and I almost feel bad for her that she feels like she has to do what is "right". The ending shocked me so much because it left me with a few questions and I wanted to know more about what was going on in Charity's head. I felt like she let society and people's opinions get in her way of love and exploring the world which seems like what she wanted to do. It kind of reminded me of Victoria from "As Children Together" because I feel like both the characters wanted to get out but didn't believe it possible or felt like they were stuck.

I was reading over the blogs about part 1 of Summer and I like that KP recognized the passage at the beginning of the book and how it goes along with the narratives we've been talking about in class. I didn't recognize when I was reading how Wharton phrased the gender roles, it kind of flew by me so I'm glad KP caught on to it. When I read KP's comment about Mr. Royall not mentioning Charity's name when talking to Harney about the child he had brought down from the mountains it made me wonder too if he was not mentioning her name out of respect for Charity or not. When I first read that particular passage, I thought that Mr. Royall probably thought Charity might be eavesdropping on his conversation with Mr. Harney because he knew she was interested in the young man. I also thought he might have exaggerated his rescuing her to make her feel like he saved her. I'm not sure but I'm glad KP brought up that scene because it does make me question why he didn't mention her name.

Indie Arie-"Video"

[Verse 1]
Sometimes I shave my legs and sometimes I don't
Sometimes I comb my hair and sometimes I won't
Depend of how the wind blows I might even paint my toes
It really just depends on whatever feels good in my soul

[Chorus]
I'm not the average girl from your video
And I ain't built like a supermodel
But I learned to love myself unconditionally,
Because I am a queen

I not the average girl from your video
My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes
No matter what I'm wearing I will always be
India.Arie

[Verse 2]
When I look in the mirror and the only one there is me
Every freckle on my face is where it's suppose to be
And I know my creator didn't make no mistakes on me
My feet, my thighs, my Lips, my eyes, I'm loving what I see

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
Am I less of a lady if I don't where panty hose
My momma said a lady ain't what she wears but what she knows…
But I've drawn the conclusion, it's all an illusion
Confusion's the name of the game
A misconception, a vast deception,
Something got to change

Now don't be offended this is all my opinion
Ain't nothing that I'm saying law
This is a true confession
Of a life learned lesson
I was sent here to share with y'all
So get in when you fit in
Go on and shine
Clear your mind
Now's the time
Put your salt on the shelf
Go on and love yourself
‘Cause everything's gonna be alright

[Chorus]

[Out]
Keep your fancy drink, and your expensive minks
I don't need that to have a good time
Keep your expensive cars and your caviar
All's I need is my guitar

Keep your cristol and your pistol
I'd rather have a pretty piece of crystal
Don't need you silicone, I prefer my own
What god gave me is just fine…

[Chorus]

This song has been around since I was in middle school. Every time it would come on the radio, I would feel instantly better about any insecurity or worry about myself. Every line of the song carries such a strong, empowering message. I think Indie Arie really breaks a lot of the main narratives we've been talking about in class. Men as the sole provider, men as "buying" women into love, etc. Another big one, is that she breaks down the narrative of women wanting to look like the media and striving to be those perfect, air-brushed images you seen in magazines. In the lines, "And I ain't built like a supermodel/
But I learned to love myself unconditionally/Because I am a queen," she seems to accept her body and how she looks. She's not always worrying about being thin or about ways to perfect herself, she's content with how she is. That's a huge narrative in today's society. I think women are seen as the gender that is never satisfied and always dieting, always watching their figure, and constantly worrying about their body. However, I think men are just as self-confidence (maybe theirs is more internal) and women are a lot more accepting of their bodies than society thinks.

I also think the lines, "Sometimes I shave my legs and sometimes I don't/ Sometimes I comb my hair and sometimes I won't" break the narrative of doing everything for a man. I like that she's singing about doing the things she wants to do. A lot of times, I feel like we do things and dress up for the opposite gender or for potential love interests. I think in today's world, it's more accepting to think of women as the creatures always doing that. Society says we dress up to impress men, but why can't we just dress up or shave our legs because it makes US feel happy? We can, and we do!

Summer Part 2

Marissa stated the following about Mr. Royall's attitude toward Charity, "His reputation in the town of being above everyone else and very powerful does not match his relationship with Charity. He does pretty much whatever she wants, when in reality he probably could force her to marry him or just be more aggressive with her in general. I think this says a lot about what a strong woman Charity is, and I think that's one of the big reasons I like her."

I think Mr. Royall didn't need to be aggressive or power her into marrying him. I think he just sort of knew it would always work out that way. I really started to like his character (minus him drunkenly calling her a whore on the fourth of July). He seemed like he genuinely cared about her and helped her out multiple times in the second half of the book. First, I feel like he knows that Luicius is going to leave her or already be in a situation. Royall is constantly on her about her liking him. Which, most of it seems to stem from he himself liking Charity. But he kind of scolds her about them spending so much time together. While I think that she should do whatever the heck she wants, I think that’s his way of caring for her and making sure she doesn’t get her heart broken.

SUMMER- response

My response is to HMK's post. She chose the quote from page 19 "I know Mr. Royall is...trying at times; but hise wife bore with him; and you must always remember, Charity, that it was Mr. Royall who brought you down from the Mountain." HMK said she felt Charity was told this repeatedly to keep her in her place and keep in control of her. I felt a bit differently.
I felt like Charity was consistently reminded of her deliverance from the Mountain to remind her that she is in debt, for the rest of her life, to Mr. Royall. He basically guilts her into doing anything and acts like she is something he can control. When Mr. Royall is talking to Charity about marriage and she denies him (because that's F-ing CREEPY), instead of letting her leave, he pops in with another offer: to get Harney over as soon as possible for a wedding. On page 76, Mr. Royall says " I'll have him here in an hour if you do. I ain't been in the law thirty years for nothing...And I can put things to him so he won't be long deciding...He's soft: I could see that. I don't say you won't be sorry afterward - but, by God, I'll give you the chance to be if you say so." This made me kind of angry, like HMK, because it's just a reminder that Charity can basically make no decisions in her own life. She was brought down from the Mountain, she was forced to live with the fun and abusive Mr. Royall!, and now she can't make the decision on her own about her future. I think Charity is constantly reminded of her deliverance because it's another way of saying that her decisions will be made for her, because other people know what's in her best interest more than she does.
I also think that because Charity is constantly told that her life was better since taken from the Mountain, that's why she decided to return there. Like HMK said, Charity was told that she was brought down from the Mountain and for that she had some debt to repay. I think that because of this, the Mountain was the best place to go to find out what exactly she had been removed from and why, exactly, it was so important for her to get out. On page 153-154, Charity decides to go to the Mountain. "Almost without conscious thought her decision had been reached; as her eyes had followed the circle of the hills her mind had also travelled the old orund. She supposed it was something in her blood that made the Mountain the only answer to her questioning, the inevitable escape from all that hemmed her in and beset her. At any rate it began to loon in her now as it loomed against the rainy dawn; and the longer she looked at it the more clearly she understood that now at last she was really going there." I think this passage is very important because it is a full circle from the quote HMK chose. Instead of feeling guilty for being delivered from the Mountain, Charity decides to find out exactly what it was in her life she was taken from. And the best part it, she does it on her own volition.

Summer part 2

I read the post by HMK about the first half of the book. The points she made were very good about the two passages she picked.
The first passage she picked was talking about the treatment that Charity received from Mr. Royall and Miss Hatchard telling her that she needed to just put up with Mr. Royall because she owed him for taking her out of the mountain. I too thought Mr. Royall to be awful in the first half of the book but as I read through the second part of the book I did notice that he seemed to really care for Charity. He had many flaws but he never let himself disrespect her or give her reason to fear him. Even after she has turned him down twice when he asks her to marry him, he still treats her somewhat decent and lets her live in his house. I saw that he was an okay man to Charity and even though she didn't love him you knew at the end of the book that he would take care of her.

The second passage that HMK picked was the passage where Charity and Harney go to the brown house. After leaving there Charity breaks down a little and cries. Harney comforts her and they share a moment. I agree with how HMK made comaprisons to the stories "Schooldays of an Indian Girl" and "Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of an Eruasian", in all of the stories the girs are made fun of and looked down upon for where they have come from, their background. I also thought of a comparison to "When I was Growing Up" when I read the book Summer. Both the asian girl in the poem and Charity in the story wish they were different and see themselves as unfit or "unclean" because they are from different places. I also noticed how odd it was through the book Summer, that at first Charity doesn't want to be from the mountain people, then she decides to join them, then she retreats from their ways again and finally decides that is no place for her and her child. She struggles throughout the book with being from the mountains. This reminded me of a sort of narrative one might see today in our culture, either someone struggling with being from the ghetto or from the trailer park or etc. There are so many movies that depict this struggle that it seems that it is a narrative overlooked a lot of times. But I still feel that it is one that is given too much attention. I think that at the end of the book however that Charity has overcome a bit of the struggle. She gets some closure by seeing her mother's body and then realizes that no matter what, she does not belong on the mountain and her final thoughts are what really set her mind to leave. Her final thought was that the mountain was not the place she wanted to raise her baby. Even though she doesnt like where she is from she still accepts it in the end I think.

Summer part 1

In the first part of the book I really got a sense of the town and how Charity felt in her life. One passage says:

"What, she wondered, did North Dormer look like to people from other parts of the world?She herself had lived there since the age of five, and had long supposed it to be a place of some importance....This initiation had shown her that North Dormer was a small place, and developed in her a thirst for information that her position as custodian of the village library had previously failed to excite. For a month or two she dipped feverishly and disconnectedly into the dusty volumes of the Hatchard Memorial Library; then the impression of Nettleton began to fade, and she found it easier to take North Dormer as the norm of the universe than to go on reading."

As I read this passage the image that came to my mind was one of my hometown. I come from a very small town that sounds simiar to the one in the book. Charity talks about how small it is but how at one time she had thought it was an important place. The above passage is a description of her first dose of reality and her first insight into just how big the world is and just how small her town is. I remember when I first starting realizing that Rich Hill ( my town) was not once what I thought it to be when I took my first few trips north to Kansas City. I remember seeing the skyscrapers and wondering why Rich Hill didn't have those. As I grew older I took a great interest in going beyond Rich Hill later in life. Now I am here in college doing what I can to make sure I don't end up in a routine life that I don't enjoy back home, just as it sounds in the story it happened to Charity. She talks about wanting to leave the town someday but stays because she feels sorry for how lonely Lawyer Royall is. She keeps herself there because of him. Now in my comparing this to my hometown I will say that I don'tlook down on anyone who stays in Rich Hill all their lives, it is a great little farm town and a great place to raise a family, but it is just not what is right for me. I have always been one wanting to get out and see the world outside of that tiny town. So I feel a bit of connection with Charity in the fact she too wanted out.


The second passage that I thought about was:

"Charity sank back on her heels and looked at him musingly. She was not in the least afraid of poor Liff Hyatt, though he 'came from the Mountain', and some of the girls ran way when the saw him. Among the more reasonable he passed for a harmless creature a sort of link between the Mountain and civilized folk, who occasionally came down and did a little wood-cutting for a farmer when hands were short."

When I read this I first thought of the character in Sula, the man who made up suicide day. I also thought of how this refelcted on Charity's character. She seemed to undestand this man and understand that she had some sort of connection to him because of their origin. Regardless of Charity's being "from the mountain", I still think that this scene shows that she is a very compassionate person. I think that this event relates to another part of the text where Charity doesn't leave town because she feels sorry for Mr. Royall. She has a heart and tends to put others above herself or at least considers their feelings. Here she talks to Liff as if he were just another person when she describes him as being someone who other girls run away from. This also gives the reader an impression that Charity is different from the other girls and is pretty tough. We see throughout the story that she is very independent and strong. She is not afraid of anything.
She fights some of the cultural narrative that women are passive and weak and scared of everything. The above paragraphs are a sort of example of that and another huge example is when she tells Mr. Royall off, when he tries to get into her room. She is not scared and puts him in his place. I think she is the total opposite of this narrative and there are many examples in the book of this.

Summer, Part Two

Wow, the second half of this book was definitely more interesting than the first. Before I finished it tonight I didn't think I would really connect with the characters/plot in this book like I did with Sula, but I guess they're somewhat comparable now that I've finished this one. Anyway, the first passage that struck me was this:

"As she spoke she became aware of a change in his face. He was no longer listening to her, he was only looking at her, with the passionate absorbed expression she had seen in his eyes after they had kissed on the stand at Nettleton. He was the new Harney again, the Harney abruptly revealed in that embrace, who seemed so penetrated with the joy of her presence that he was utterly careless of what she was thinking or feeling."

Personally, I don't find anything endearing about my boyfriend staring blankly at me while I'm trying to communicate something to him. Yes, I recognize the "romantic" tone that could be associated with this, and Charity goes on to explain it rather well by saying something to the extent of, 'when they're together--- nothing/nobody else mattered'. Which would've been fine and everything, except for his affair with Annabel and everything else he deceived her about. I don't think she knew him long enough to trust this "vacant-but-loving" blankness to his face and take it for true love's spell or whatever. Maybe I'm being too cynical, but the point is, I think this is the first of many instances where Charity begins making excuses for Harney's behavior. Examples:

"It was not that she felt in him any ascendancy of character---there were moments already when she knew she was the stronger---but that all the rest of life had become a mere cloudy rim about the central glory of their passion."

"She hardly heard his excuses for being late: in his absence a thousand doubts tormented her, but as soon as he appeared she ceased to wonder where he had come from."

"I want you should marry Annabel Balch if you promised to. I think maybe you were afraid I'd feel too bad about it. I feel I'd rather you acted right."

"He was not trying to evade an importunate claim; he was honestly and contritely struggling between opposing duties."

"Harney had written that she had made it easier for him, and she was glad it was so; she did not want to make things hard."

And on and on... you get the idea. This illustrates that idea of "personal perception" that we discussed in class today; how people twist events and others' personalities in their mind to fit their own idea of the world and how it relates back to them, or how they want it to be. Obviously, we find that Harney was not the person she thought he was by the end of this book, and conversely, neither was Mr. Royall. While Royall played the "villain" and Harney played the "knight in shining armor" throughout this book, I think we come to realize that neither fit very nicely into those categories; both their actions were good and bad, on and off-- just like regular people. I think this also highlights a main point in Sula, where the characters get entangled in their ideas of "right and wrong, black and white", and the solution comes only when they're free of those shackles and free to think in the gray area.

Since I feel like this book focuses on two main relationships (between Charity and Harney, and Charity and Mr. Royall) I chose some passages relating to the second one. There were several instances where Mr. Royall bursts into the story unexpectedly. First:

"There was a fumbling at the padlock and she called out: "Have you slipped the chain?" The door opened, and Mr. Royall walked into the room."

And then when he picked her up as she was coming back from the Mountain, and again when he appears in their hotel room in the middle of the night seated across the room in a chair. Every time this happened, I was filled with fear. Yet every time, he ended up not acting like the monster that I expected him to be. I would cringe each time expecting some kind of highly uncomfortable, incestuous scene about to unfold-- and it never did. Especially in the hotel room after they were married, I was scared to read ahead and find that he would try to "consummate" their marriage later that night. But he never did. He knew what she needed and when, and never failed to provide it; both materialistically and emotionally. While I don't think this makes him the perfect husband, I do think it helped instill a sense of security in Charity. I don't think Mr. Royall or Harney were any kind of perfect, typical "soul mate" match for Charity--- but maybe seeking out that perfection leads us right back to where we started, and maybe it helps us to terms with what we ultimately need-- support, and understanding.

I haven't even mentioned the pregnancy yet. Wow! I kept waiting for her to tell Harney, or Mr. Royall-- somebody--- but she never did. I wonder how that played out? I pictured her coming up with some kind of story to tell Mr. Royall (maybe even eventually try to convince him it was his, if they ever ended up getting intimate shortly after their wedding), but I realized that a main factor of their relationship was that they had grown beyond lying to each other. By the end, I could just as easily picture her admitting the truth about her pregnancy, and Mr. Royall accepting it dutifully, without judgement, just like he had with most everything else. The interesting thing about this story is that she sort of became the girls she looked up to (in Annbel's case) and the girls that she looked down upon (in Julia's case). More evidence that her life didn't turn out perfect or disastrous (black or white) like she expected... but a little bit of both.

And Dr. Merkle is the devil. I never knew privatized health care was this much of a problem even way back when.

Summer 2

The blog entry that I am focusing on is the blog entry done by Kim. In her entry she talked about how Harney had written her that letter telling her to met him when he went away. In her blog entry she wrote about how Charity really liked him and how this showed a vulnerable side to Charity. However, in the end she ends up marrying Mr. Royall but writes Harney a letter saying he will always be in her heart. I think this in a way flashbacked to when Harney had first written that letter to her. I think once again it showed her vulnerability and feelings for him, even though she was married to Mr. Royall.

Summer Part 2

After reading over the blogs for part one of Summer, a part of Niki's really stood out to me. She talked about the part in the beginning where Mr.Royall seeks Charity's forgivness for trying to get into her room that one night. He tries to get her to forgive him by saying that he only did her wrong that once, and that other than that one time he's been good to her. After finishing the book, I realized that Mr.Royall uses this excuse once again later on. On page 133 he says,
"All I know is I raised you as good as I could, and meant fairly by you always,-except once, for a bad half hour. There's no justice in weighing that half-hour against the rest, and you know it." After finishing the book I realized that Mr.Royall had done her wrong for more than just that one half hour. Like in the second part of the book he called her a whore in front of everyone. He goes back to that one incident over and over as if it's the only thing he's done wrong to her, but in reality it's been more than just that one night. Even by naming her Charity he put his possession over her, and even though he didn't always express it, he felt that she owed him for "saving" her as a young child. I think it's a really sad situation all together, and actually have pity for Mr.Royall thoughout the novel.

SUMMER- Part 1

The first passage that I picked can be found on p.19:
"I know Mr. Royall is... trying at times; but his wife bore with him; and you must always remember, Charity, that it was Mr. Royall who brought you down from the mountain."-----------------------------------
I chose this passage because it struck me as interesting and was also infuriating. The woman obviously knows what Charity is going through at the hands of Mr. Royall, and she almost says its what she deserves. She is putting Charity in her place, and saying she has to take what he does to her because he was so very generous bringing her down from the "savages." It really made me think of the era the book was written in and how people knew of the things that go on behind closed doors, but they certainly don't speak of them. That's just the way it is. You turn your head at the "unmentionable" actions and sum it up to the man's in charge and he can do what he wants. It makes me sick.
This passage made me think of "The Thirty Eighth Year" where the woman lays there and takes her husband basically raping her. The idea that men can do what they want if they're in charge of you. Like your husband, or guardian.

The second passage that I chose is on p.57-57:
"I saw you take out a dollar to give to that poor woman. Why did you put it back?" He reddened, and leaned forward to flick a swamp-fly from the horse's neck. "I wasn't sure---"
"Was it because you knew they were my folks, and you thought I'd be ashamed to see you give them money?"
He turned to her with eyes full or reproach. "Oh Charity---" It was the first time he had ever called her by her name. Her misery welled over.
"I ain't- I ain't ashamed. They're my people, and I ain't ashamed of them," she sobbed.
"My dear..." he murmured, putting his arm about her; and she leaned against him and wept out her pain.---------------------------------
I chose this passage because it moved me. It was very vivid and interesting to picture, easy to picture. They obviously have something between them, and Charity is so embarrassed by him knowing the mountain people are her "people." She hates where she comes from and hates that about herself. This passage really made me think of the two stories about the young girls who are ridiculed for their nationalities, "The Schooldays of an Indian Girl" and "Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of an Eurasian." All three girls face ridicule because of where they're from (or in the case of the two previously read narratives, their nationality.) It's just another example of prejudices at work and how hurtful they are. I really felt for Charity in this scene, it was very moving.

Summer

The first part of the novel that really caught my eye was when Mr. Royall says "people ain't been fair to be-from the first they aint been fair to me." For some reason this really caught my attention. After he has just basically been scolded I cant help but picture a man whose ego has been very bruised walking out of the door, being terribly hurt. You can only think that it had taken him alot to get up the courage to ask her to marry him in the first place and then he was shot down so badly. The next passage that caught my attention also had to do with this first passage it is when Mr. Royall stands up and says, "see here, charity Royall: I had a shameful thought once, and you've made me pay for it. Isnt that score pretty near wiped out?... Theres a streak in me I aint always the master of ;but ive always acted straight to you byt that once. And youve known I would- youve trusted me. For all your sneers and your mockery youve always known I loved you the way a man lovesa decent woman." This quote really caught my attention again because it seems to inappropriate. A man trying to convince a woman to marry him, yet he uses the words decent woman and says I have always been straight with you except for that once. It just kind of made me laugh to hear what seems like a man wanting forgivness to apporach the subject matter in that way.

Summer Part 1

"On such an afternoon Charity Royall lay on a ridge above a sunlit hollow, her face pressed to the earth and the warm currents of the grass running through her. Directly in her line of vision a blackberry branch laid its frail white flowers and blue-green leaves against the sky. Just beyond, a tuft of sweet-fern uncurled between the beaded shoots of the grass, and a small yellow butterfly vibrated over them like a fleck of sunshine. This was all she saw; but she felt, above her and about her, the strong growth of the beeches clothing the ridge, the rounding of pale green cones on countless spruce-branches, the push of myriads of sweet-fern fronds in the cracks of the stony slope below the wood, and the crowding shoots of meadowsweet and yellow flags in the pasture beyond." p. 34 This passage from the beginning of the book stood out to me a lot because it reminded me of when I was a kid. I used to get really bored and angry because I was so bored so I'd go outside and lay in the backyard to ventilate my anger from being so bored. This passage to me shows Charity's youth and her feeling of being confined in North Dormer. The description is written beautifully which may be another reason why it caught my attention.

"Harney and Charity sat down on a bench made of a board resting on two starch boxes. They faced a door hanging on a broken hinge, and through the crack they saw the eyes of the tow-headed boy and of a pale little girl with a scar across her cheek. Charity smiled, and signed to the children to come in; but as soon as they saw they were discovered they slipped away on bare feet. It occurred to her that they were afraid of rousing the sleeping man; and probably the woman shared their fear, for she moved about as noiselessly and avoided going near the stove." p. 54 This section reminded me a lot of some of the first mission work I ever did in West Virginia. The group I was with and I painted and repaired houses, did yard work, and hung out with locals while we were on our trip. It was a big surprise to me when we went to the first house and socialized with all the people who were living in it. I knew people lived in poverty and struggled and that poor people existed but I did not get a true sense of their situation until that trip which was very mind opening. This passage is similar except I feel that Charity is in even more of a shock that these are the type of people she came from. The people from the town ignored the people from the Mountain which I think also made it a big shock to finally see what she'd only heard a little about. This section also helps Charity see the lifestyle she might of been living if Mr. Royall hadn't taken her to the valley.

Summer Part 1

The first passage of the book that stuck out to me was "North Dormer is at all times an empty place, and at three o'clock on a June afternoon its few able-bodied men are off in the fields or woods, and the women indoors, engaged in languid household drudgery." (Page 4) This was right at the beginning of the book and it struck out to me because it sums up what we have been talking about in class before when it comes to the traditional roles of men and women. That text is basically saying even in this small town the role of the man is to go work in the field and the role of the woman is to do housework. It just shows that the notion of men doing field work and women doing house work has been set for a long time. Also I think this is important to the novel as a whole because right before this she says "How I hate everything!" I think this is Charity's way of saying she does not like how that is what is expected of her and I think that plays into why she wanted to work in the library, so she could get out of North Dormer. I think this relates to the narratives we have talked about where the women is always conforming to the role that is given to her, such as the housewife.

The second passage that struck out to me was in chapter six when Mr. Royall and Harney were talking about The Mountain after dinner. "He told me he had a child up there-or thought he had- a little girl; and he wanted her brought down and reared like a Christian. I was sorry for the fellow, so I went up and got the child." This passage struck out to me because when he was explaining to Harney the one time he went up to The Mountain he was talking about when he went up there and brought back Charity when she was a little girl. However, while he was telling him this he never once mentioned the little girls name or made a reference to how he was referring to Charity. I think he did this because he did not want Harney to judge her because she came from The Mountain, even though Harney already knew that and thought that was why Charity was different than the other folks in the town. I think Mr. Royall might have done this out of respect for Charity.

7/30/07

"Yes, sir: right after it. The fellow came down to Nettleton and ran amuck, the way they sometimes do. After they've done a wood-cutting job they come down and blow the money in; and this man ended up with manslaughter. I got him convicted, though they were scared of the Mountain even at Nettleton; and then a queer thing happened. The fellow sent for me to go and see him in gaol. I went, and this is what he says: 'The fool that defended me is a chicken-livered son of a--and all the rest of it,' he says. 'I've got a job to be done for me up on the Mountain, and you're the only man I seen in court that looks as if he'd do it.' He told me he had a child up there--or thought he had-- a little girl; and he wanted her brought down and reared like a Christian. I was sorry for the fellow, so I went up and got the child." He paused, and Charity listened with a throbbing heart. "That's the only time I ever went up the Mountain," he concluded” (Wharton Chapter 6)

I had a strong reaction to this passage, because I liked how it showed Charity’s vulnerability. So far in Summer, Edith Warton shows Charity as independent, a little tomboyish, and not concerned with romance. She kind of strikes me as a character from Jane Austen’s novels. Charity is a little bit sassy and does what she wants when she wants. The quote above shows a whole other side to her personality that was unexpected, but refreshing to see as a reader. Her being worried and embarrassed about Mr. Royall telling Lucius about her mountain past—even though he doesn’t directly mention her name—is a sign that she really likes Lucius. This observation says a lot about other events in the book so far. The whole book shows Charity as a little cold but completely aware of her surroundings. Developing a liking for Lucius makes her appear to feel a little lost and she doesn’t have control of the situation that she seems to love.
This passage in Summer seems to touch on the cultural narrative that men are strong and females are insignificant. The way Mr. Royall talks to Lucius about the Mountain and his experiences going up the mountain is kind of superior sounding. It’s as if he knows everything and these people in the Mountains are so inferior to him. And of course the passage shows Charity becoming a little weak about the situation and getting upset.

"Anywhere where I can earn my living. I'll try here first, and if I can't do it here I'll go somewhere else. I'll go up the Mountain if I have to." She paused on this threat, and saw that it had taken effect. "I want you should get Miss Hatchard and the selectmen to take me at the library: and I want a woman here in the house with me," she repeated" (Wharton Chapter 2).

I like this part, because it showed how Charity was strong. She stood up for what she believed in, told off Mr. Royall, gave him circumstances, and he met those. I got the impression that he was intimidated and surprised by her confidence towards the situation. I almost put the book down and clapped. Got to love that girl power!
This event in the book really connects with another one in the future. The passage where she tells off Luicus because she thought he sort of “told” on her for not being at the library is similar. She doesn’t hold back in that scene either. To me, it kind of showed her Mountain side. She’s a little unruly, headstrong, and aggressive—just the traits the Mountain people are supposed to bear (beside rumoring to be a dirty and ignorant people). This scene show that she is this type of women.

Summer, Part One

I enjoyed several things about the first half of this book so far. After reading the introduction and first several chapters of this book, I expected Charity's character to act a certain way, and when she didn't, I was surprised. For example, when Charity is described as having a job at the local library, I thought this fit in naturally with her character. Furthermore, I envisioned her as a "dreamer", and pictured her spending her days at the library engulfed in a book, or organizing the shelves, or caring about the state of the building in general. Then I read this passage:

"Today the sense of well-being was intensified by her joy at escaping from the library. She liked well enough to have a friend drop in and talk to her when she was on duty, but she hated to be bothered about books. How could she remember where they were, when they were so seldom asked for?"

While I now understand her disdain for having to spend her days indoors inside a dusty and practically abandoned library, at the time it was surprising to find that she was not enthusiastic about her job. This passage started to clue me in about the other things she was surprisingly un-enthused about. I guess I had a stereotype in my mind of a young girl living in the secluded country, so I'm glad that she doesn't exactly fit into that because I think it makes her character more dimensional.

The second passage I reacted to was when Charity received the letter from Harney after they met to say their goodbyes when he was supposedly leaving town. The letter said:

"I can't go away like this. I am staying for a few days at Creston River. Will you come down and meet me at Creston pool? I will wait for you till evening."

I can't say I was completely and utterly surprised by this secret-letter development. After all, this is obviously a love story where Harney is the object of Charity's affection, and surely he wasn't permanently disappearing from the story less than half way through the book? Although, I didn't expect his "return" to happen so suddenly. I thought he might leave town, and she would mourn him for days, weeks, or months before hearing from him again. It was nice to read the note and feel how Charity must have felt. Especially since the only sign of affection she'd had her whole life besides her interaction with Harney had recently come from Mr. Royall... which would obviously be upsetting. It was interesting to read and feel the contrast in affection that she received from two different relationships with two very different men.