Homework for 3/25/08

Reading Response:
"How to Date a Browngirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie"
I liked this story a lot because it was written interestingly and had some comedy to it. It was written in a how-to manner but it still tells a story around a central character. It is kind of vague on the details of the main character and setting but enough detail is gathered by the end. There's a lot of ethnic stereotypes as can be guessed by the title of the poem, and the story comes off as mysogynistic.

"Becky"
I could tell right away reading this story that it was older, but I didn't expect it to be from the 1920s. I know the views of races and interracial relationships was much different then compared to now. The language used in this poem definitely shows that it is from a much older time. I'm sure it was not as common or as accepted for an unmarried woman to have a child, more so if the child is interracial.

"America"
I may be wrong, but I feel like this poem was written by an immigrant that has come to America. I always take notice of the time something was written, which as we established before is an essential part to understanding the culture and meaning of a piece of text. This was also written in the 1920s. This poem is about all the troubles and hardship you may face in America, but you can still look to future optimistically. After all, America is the land of opportunity, right?

"If We Must Die"
This poem is about fighting bravely and with honor even though you may die. Theres not much more to say that isn't summed up in the lines "If we must die, let us nobly die,/So that our precious blood may not be shed/ In vain"