Song of Solomon

“She was the third beer. Not the first one, which the throat receives with almost tearful gratitude; nor the second, that confirms and extends the pleasure of the first. But the third, the one you drink because it’s there, because it cant hurt, and because what difference does it make?” (Morrison 91). This quote summarizes not only Milkman’s feelings toward Hagar, but also life and people in general. The first three chapters of Song of Solomon hint at Milkman’s attitude of entitlement and as you continue to read you are given many examples to prove this. We can begin with Milkman’s so called love for Hagar; “from the time he first saw her, when he was twelve and she was seventeen, he was deeply in love with her, alternately awkward and witty in her presence” (Morrison 92). This love at first sight turns out only to be a chase for Milkman, and once obtained he doesn’t even give her the respect to end it in person. He even has the nerve to tease her about her dream of a Prince Charming sweeping her off of her feet and into Happily Ever After.
Milkman’s feelings of self-entitlement become very evident when he is talking to Guitar about the recent killings in town. Guitar tries to avoid talking to Milkman about the murders because he feels Milkman is uninterested and he doesn’t want to cause trouble in their friendship. Milkman feels he is being put out and that Guitar doesn’t truly know him and what he is interested in. “I know you. Been knowing you. You got your high-tone friends and your picnics on Honore Island and you can afford to spend fifty percent of your brainpower thinking about a piece of ass. You got that red-headed bitch and you got a Southside bitch and no telling what in between” (Morrison). Because Milkman was born into money, a nice house and privilege he has been conditioned to believe that he can get whatever he wants. Guitar was not born with the opportunities that Milkman has and it is hard for Milkman to understand that not everyone has the advantages like he does. Born in Montgomery Alabama, Guitar understands the limits he has due to the color of his skin, whereas Milkman feels the need to push the limits.
Problems of black and white were no main concern for Milkman, in fact problems in general where of no concern to him. “His life was pointless, aimless, and it was true that he didn’t concern himself an awful lot about other people. There was nothing he wanted bad enough to risk anything for, inconvenience himself for” (Morrison 107). With no purpose in life or care, nobody could take Milkman serious or trust him with the problems that they experienced. When Freddie tries to have a serous conversation with Milkman, he throws it in his face and laughs at him. Milkman feels he is above his community and their petty concerns with race. He wonders why they spend so much time troubled over societies ills and why they blame it on their race.
Milkman cannot even take his own death seriously. With Hagar out for vengeance, “Milkman lay quietly in the sunlight, his mind blank…in that mood of lazy righteousness he wallowed in Guitar’s bed” (Morrison). Maybe its immaturity or how he was raised, but the novels leads readers to believe that Milkman is very self-involved and somewhat conceited. I hope the rest of the story will reveal a different, more concerned Milkman.

The Three Heartbreaks of Belicia Cabral

The title to the third chapter very accurately describes the text you are about to read. “The Three Heartbreaks of Belicia Cabral.” (Pg. 77) Upon reading this chapter your mind can only be filled with terrible thoughts of the unfortunate and under-qualified parenting and person that Belicia Cabral is. Although, after reading the over-hopeful love, struggle and broken dreams Belicia has endured one can only feel sadness and pity for this woman who was once so full of dreams.
Born in Bani, Belicia Cabral was raised by La Inca who could otherwise be known as her savior. Before La Inca took Belicia into her care, “our orphaned girl had lived with another foster family, monstrous people if the rumors are to be believed, a dark period of her life.” (Pg 78) Ever since an early age Belicia always had aspirations for a different life, she could never find herself happy with La Inca; always dreaming of a rich husband and children to satisfy her. Living in the Dominican Republic under the rule of the man accused of having a hand in killing her parents, Belicia wanted to escape “but where she wanted to escape to she could not tell you.” (Pg. 80)
Belicia met her first love in her early teen years at the El Redentor. “Jack Pujols of course; the school’s handsomest boy, a haughty slender melniboien of pure European stock.” (Pg. 89) At thirteen the only boy Belicia ever dreamt of being with was Jack, but it was until Belicia grew into the beautiful women she was destined to be did Jack even glance at her. Before you knew it Belicia lost her virginity and the great rebellion against La Inca began. “I will not serve. Never again would she follow any lead other than her own. Not the rector’s, not the nun’s, not La Inca’s, not her poor dead parents’. Only me she whispered.” (Pg. 103) Jack eventually moved on and the first heartbreak was felt with full force, taking her much time to get over.
“There it was the Decision That Changed Everything.” (Pg. 113) What was this decision you ask? His name was the Gangster and he brought the fuku over Belicia’s life. Belicia fell hard for the Gangster and soon all she could think about and want was him. La Inca disapproved of their visits to the love hotel, and we would soon find out for a good reason. The Gangster spoiled Belicia giving her dreams of a better life and the escape from Bani and all her terrible past. “He made her feel guapa and wanted and safe, and no one had ever done that for her.” (Pg. 127) Too bad this was only a lie, what he really gave her was trouble and a beating that almost sent her to an early grave. The Gangster failed to mention he was married, married to Trujillo’s sister, and Belicias pregnancy did not sit well with her. Belicia then found her life in risk, receiving a beating warning her to stay away from the Gangster forever. “It was the sort of beating that breaks people, breaks them utterly.” (Pg. 147)
With Trujillo’s people after Belicia, La Inca encouraged her to move to America saving her from the danger of the Dominican Republic. She boarded a plane still hoping the Gangster would come and save her, still with dreams of the life she hoped to one day live. What she didn’t know was “that the man next to her would end up being her husband and the father of her two children, that after two years together he would leave her, her third and final heartbreak, and she will never love again.” (Pg., 164)

Oscar 1

The footnotes in the first pages of The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao serve several different functions. Footnotes are extra pieces of information that help aid the story by giving a larger insight into the history behind what the narrator is explaining in the story. Footnotes allow the author to give extra information to the reader without interrupting the story they are trying to tell. For example, the first footnote in the novel gives a brief history of the Dictator Trujillo Molina. The footnote explains his reign over the Dominican Republic and the advantages he took over the citizens of his country. This footnote helped you grasp the personality of Trujillo, which ultimately gives you better insight into how the fuku and him have a relationship that Dominicans have grown to fear. The second footnote gives you evidence to back up the story that John F. Kennedy and his family where cursed due to the fuku of helping assassinate Trujillo. The story tells of the Piper Saratoga going down with John Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette aboard the same night that Dominican food is being cooked up for Johns father. The final footnote of this section explains Morgoth’s bane, it explains how a curse can be passed down to all those you love and how it will not go away until it gets the person it seeks. The footnotes tells a story of doom following the cursed and not relenting until their life is full of darkness and hopelessness.

The author includes footnotes into a story for a couple of reasons; they include them to help give extra information about the story and to help in keeping the story flowing without interruption. The author of The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao may have possibly included the footnotes as a kind of zafa, or counterspell to all of the fuku he was writing about in his story. If the author believes that what he is writing is fuku and will curse him then he might have wanted to include more background information in a way to clear the fuku and warn the reader. The other possible reason for the footnotes could just be to simply aid the reader by giving more information and insight about the story.

Introduction

My name is Allie Mateus I am a sophomore at the University of Redlands. I came to the University with the intent to major in Psychology, but have recently decided to change my major. Although, I am still undecided on what exact field I would like to major in. I decided to enroll in Comparative Ethnic American Literature for two reasons. The first reason being that I would like to minor in Race and Ethnic Studies, and this course not only fulfills my writing requirement but also at the same time will be discussing literature that I am very interested in. The second reason I enrolled in English 161 is to become a better writer and analyzer. I enjoy reading novels but I feel that sometimes I have trouble understanding the deeper meaning and I hope this class will help me with that. The goal of my blog is to help me understand and dig deeper into the reading by writing it down and keeping track of my thoughts easier. This blog will allow me to outline my thoughts easier and more clearly so I can understand the deeper message that the author is trying to convey to me as a reader. The goal for my blog is to help me advance as a writer and reader.