We're coming up on the end of the quarter, which seems to edge closer and closer every time I look at the calendar. I've enjoyed quite a bit of our assigned reading in this class, though each work spoke about a great deal of death and suffering. It can be hard to read about the devastation often ignored by a victor's history books, but focusing on novels like A Small Place, A Pale Views of Hills and the Bikini Island supporting reading gave me a greater sense of perspective on histories I'm still learning about. I particularly liked A Small Place for its accusations; it forced me as a reader to take some responsibility for the effects of capitalism and colonialism on poorer countries than the US. Being forced to be on the offense, rather than sitting quietly on the sidelines, also forces the reader to understand the harms of the business world, which we seem to let off the hook the minute our stock market spikes upwards. It's a valuable perspective for me, especially when my first thought for an after-graduation life gears towards making money before bettering my own writing as a poet and author.
I also enjoyed my section with Danielle this quarter; everyone was able to close read our assigned texts without recycling the same ideas over and over again. My peers often furthered their thoughts from section during our lectures, which was also helpful and informative.
Overall, a great deal of our reading made me depressed, but for good reason. I study fiction and write fiction; but that does not mean our world and its history can't touch those intangible stories as well.
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