Spirit or Not?

          Jessamy "Jess"  is an eight-year-old caught between two different worlds. The daughter of a Nigerian mother and a non-Nigerian father, she has always felt like a misfit. She is smart and precocious, but can't seem to get along in school. When Jess and her family go to Nigeria so Jess could meet her family on her mothers side, she experiences something new and becomes friends with what i like to call a spirit called "Tilly Tilly" enters Jess and changes her life for ever. From that day on, Jess was never free of Tilly Tilly and as a result, Jess begins to act out more then normal. She would miss behave in school and through tantrums.  Concerned about Jess her parents take her to a therapist who makes very little headway. He does determine, though that Tilly Tilly is in some way related in Jess's mind to her twin sister who died in infancy. Most of the novel is an account of Tilly Tilly's involvement with Jess and the impact that this spirit has on Jess's life. 
          When reading the book the Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi I looked at life in a new prospective. What if everyone had someone like Tilly Tilly with them and changes the lives of people daily. I know it is kind of out there thinking that there may be a spirit that causes us to do things and act out, but is it actually that crazy? Do we run are lives or is there a Tilly Tilly watching over us and guiding are day? 

Forgotten like an onion

          This poem by Naomi Shihab Nye is not only just about an onion but is figurative to the beauty of life. The author contemplates the importance and beauty of the onion and the fact that it is often overlooked and forgotten." In the lines throughout the poem Nye is describing the onion and indicating the fact that she holds great respect for this particular vegetable.The onion, the central object in this poem, is both a representative of the unnoticed. Many of us eat onions on a regular basis in some form but rarely, if ever, think about or consider them in any real depth. It adds flavor and a kick to various foods, such as casserole, but unless it's an onion dish, most people probably don't pay attention to the onion. Nye says, "How at meal, we sit to eat, commenting on texture of meat or herbal aroma but never on the translucence of onion."  Here, she openly acknowledges the fact that while other foods receive the benefit of compliments and recognization, the onion is not discussed.Yes, the onion may be small and forgotten, but so are the disabled, so are the sick. The onion, as well as being unnoticed itself, might also be a representative of other unnoticed things. So, why should any of this matter to you? It matters to you, and to me, because all of us, at one time or another, have experienced the pain of going unnoticed or unappreciated by those around us. 

The story of the mask

          "Mirror mirror on the wall, whose the greatest of them all" As we grew up many of us have heard this saying in either a book or a movie.  This saying puts the thoughts that if you were to look at the mirror your reflection will show you who you truly are. In the book Masks by Fumiko Enchi, the main character Mieko is who makes me rethink this saying. On page 138 of the book, Fumiko writes "He liked to think if it as a metaphor comparing the heart of an older woman to the depths of a bottomless well- a well so deep that its water would seem totally with out color." When reading this i begin to think that by looking in the well it is empty. 
          In the book masks there are many concepts that can be portrayed in the writing. Two main concepts are revenge and love. In the book Mieko is searching for revenge and is taking part in setting up a love triangle. Mieko I feel gets herself so far into trying to plot her revenge that i feel that she hits a point where she can not go back to before it started. In the saying that i stated earlier when they say a bottomless well- a well so deep that its water would seem totally with out color this makes me think about how when you look in water you can see your reflection as you can in a mirror. If there was no water you would not see a reflection witch mean you can not see yourself. Therefore you are no longer yourself. We all try to be the best people we can be but sometime we change and as Mieko did have situations that cause us to plan revenge. So who is the greatest of them all? 

An intro to me :)

          Hi, my name is Michalla, and I am a freshman at Silver Lake College. This is my first time ever blogging which makes this my first blog post. The reason for this blog is not just for the fun of it. I am starting this blog because I am taking a World Literature class, and this is one of the requirements - typical college student response, I know, right.  As I start this journey as a blogger, I am begin to think, is the professor just trying to make me do something I don’t want to do, or am I actually going to enjoy blogging? My goal for this class is to learn more about other cultures through written work. I may not understand what it all means but I will try my best to interpreting the writing as well as I can. Another goal I have is to try to learn as much as possible through the writing so that i can relate to it.
            Anyway, let me tell you a little bit about myself. I am the 2^nd oldest of 5 kids. I love pets, especially dogs. I am probably one of the biggest klutzes you will ever meet! My freshman year of high school, I fell down 3 stairs and broke my foot. Yes, you may laugh at this but, man oh man, did it hurt. Besides my foot injury, I have had two knee surgeries. It’s not fun to be only 18 and having had two knee surgeries already. I like to sing, dance, run, and hang out with family and friends. Well, anyway, that’s enough about me. One of the biggest things I believe in is to live the life you want, and don’t let a day pass by without reaching for your dreams.