This week's readings were not my particular favorite. I have enjoyed Hemingway. I love the way that he writes and what he writes about. Out of all the Hemingway that we have read for class, this "Cat in the Rain" is my least favorite. It was not very interesting to me and just seemed to be a pointless story.
Like I said, I did not find the story very interesting. It took place in Italy, which is an awesome place to vacation. There could be so many cool stories that come out of a vacation in Italy. Instead, it is raining so there is nothing to do. With nothing to do, a woman sees a cat, wants to get it away from the rain and fails to do so. The husband is disinterested the entire time and the woman makes a comment about wanting to grow her hair out and wanting a cat. This was the entire story.
I found this story boring because I found it bland. There was nothing deeper to me in the story. The husband is disinterested so that shows trouble in the relationship. The maid brings up a cat that was requested, that shows that the woman gets some of the stuff she wants. That is all I saw in this story.
Also, I did not relate to this story. I have first off never been to Italy. I would love to go to Italy when it is sunny, but a rainy Italy does not sound like a fun trip. The best trip that I have ever gone on was a trip to Europe. I went to Spain with my family. It was amazing. I got to see Madrid, Barcalona, a bull fight, the beach, and much more. It was one of the best times of my life. Therefore, I cannot see how anyone can not enjoy Europe. It did rain for one day in Madrid and my family and I took a cab around the entire city going to the museums and sights. Even in the rain, people have fun on a trip, but in this story it seemed to be a boring time in Italy. I didn't understand this. Also, I am not married so the whole rest of the story doesn't make any connection with me.
Overall, I have enjoyed Hemingway. I enjoy reading most of his stories. Yet, this particular story was not one of them. I did not connect or enjoy this story.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
A Way You'll Never Be
Hemingway tells a confusing tale of Nick in this short story. It deals with Nick going through post-traumatic trauma. He has suffered a head injury and is not fully recovered. Nick is suffering from the heat and a head injury, possible concussion. When I tried to understand this story, the first thing that I looked for was Nick in relation to Hemingway. Nick is an American that claims to know the Captain and has a quirky story to go along with his being there. When I thought about it more, I thought of Ernist Hemingway in WW1 as an American Cross volunteer. As part of the American Red Cross he was able to talk to people from the other side of the war. This is probably the background Nick has in the story.
Next, the major theme to look for in this story is identity. Nick is looking for his identity. This is evident in the story, but can be seen in every day life also. College is a major example of this. College is the place that many people across the world find their identity, find who they truly are and what they truly want to do. In my case, I am still looking. I have not found my perfect calling, but seem to have a little better grasp than last year. The great thing about college is that there are many opportunities to allow me to find myself.
This story hits home for me for one reason mainly. This reason is that my grandpa (grandfather) took part in WW2. The war talked about in the story is most likely WW1 seeing as how that is what Hemingway took part in, but it still related to me. My grandpa has experienced a lot in life and knows who he is. He has found his identity.
My grandpa told me a story one time about his best friend before they both went off to war. My grandpa was a fighter pilot and his best friend a soldier. They did their jobs and eventually returned back home after the war. When he got back his friends had changed a lot. They had seen the world through a different perspective and had changed. He said he had changed also. This is a perfect story when thinking about identity. People are lost at one point in their lives. Whether it is in college or in a war, people in one way or another need to find who they truly are. Before they do that they are just like Nick, confused and wondering around.
Next, the major theme to look for in this story is identity. Nick is looking for his identity. This is evident in the story, but can be seen in every day life also. College is a major example of this. College is the place that many people across the world find their identity, find who they truly are and what they truly want to do. In my case, I am still looking. I have not found my perfect calling, but seem to have a little better grasp than last year. The great thing about college is that there are many opportunities to allow me to find myself.
This story hits home for me for one reason mainly. This reason is that my grandpa (grandfather) took part in WW2. The war talked about in the story is most likely WW1 seeing as how that is what Hemingway took part in, but it still related to me. My grandpa has experienced a lot in life and knows who he is. He has found his identity.
My grandpa told me a story one time about his best friend before they both went off to war. My grandpa was a fighter pilot and his best friend a soldier. They did their jobs and eventually returned back home after the war. When he got back his friends had changed a lot. They had seen the world through a different perspective and had changed. He said he had changed also. This is a perfect story when thinking about identity. People are lost at one point in their lives. Whether it is in college or in a war, people in one way or another need to find who they truly are. Before they do that they are just like Nick, confused and wondering around.
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