Saturday, October 25, 2008

When I think of the word atonement I think about confessions in order to clear the air or to right a wrong. I feel that the Paul Marshall did not have atonement, and I must admit he is one of my least favorite characters. Paul did not have atonement because he was the actual rapist and did not come forward. Even though he married Lola near the end it still does not change what he did to her five years ago. I feel that Briony’s atonement wasn’t a full or as great as it could have been. I feel this way because she had so many years to clear the air and she passed opportunities to do so at Lola’s wedding. In the end her atonement does not lead to a “happy ending” making it even less impressive and even harder to forgive. I have no sympathy for Briony nor did I feel any empathy for her while I was reading. I feel this way because she sent an innocent man to prison which lead to him going to war and slowly dying. What made it worse was that it was for rape which to me is only second to murder.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Blog Topic for the Week of October 9

My favorite piece of literature that we have read this semester was The Rudy Elmenhurst story. This was my favorite because of the major culture differences that play out throughout the story. I can truly relate to this story because I went through a culture shock when I arrived at Clemson as a freshman. I also liked the ending of the story where Yolanda has adjusted to the American culture and turns Rudy down because of her morals.

My least favorite piece of literature was the short story snow. This was my least favorite because the plot never climaxed. There were no lessons to be learned and the story just kind of ended. I feel that boy’s car should have slipped into the ice while he was showing off or “snowing” as he called it.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Blog topic for the week of October 2

I could not put a number on my times with her….. The countless long nights…. The countless days spent waiting on her arrival at night fall only to be lifted off of my feet with her grace and beauty. We spent most of our time together at night because I was afraid, afraid of how the light of day would expose my every flaw to her. Afraid that my friends would not accept her. But during our long nights we would explore each other’s minds through free flowing thoughts with great detail. Detail I could not seem to create on my own. We she was around I would become a new man, leaving the earth and all of its troubles behind. Only to come falling back down as I would wake to the bright morning sun sad and alone. Nothing left of her besides the strong sent of her perfume. It started out as a once a week thing and grew and grew until we spent every night together. It became hard for me to keep her from my friends and family, the lies I told seem to never end. I told lies on top of lies about what I did with all of my money and how I was always away on business. I found myself losing interest in all of my daily activities, I had to face the facts she was all I could think about and all I wanted.
As time passed I began to get sloppy with my system no longer did I clean up after her nightly visits. But this was not because she made me lazy or took all of my energy, but because I lied to everyone for so long I never had any visitors. That is until both my worlds collided back into one. It was a Friday night and she had arrived at her usually time and her perfume seem to be even stronger than usual and we seemed to drift farther away from reality than any other night. There was a sudden knock on the door. I answered it with the hopes that our nightly food deliveries had arrived. As I flung the door open still dazed from my first experience of the night with her and what seemed to be the last of my pay check in my hand I was shocked to see my best friend who is also a co-worker’s puzzled face. He came to bring me the reports I would need for Monday’s quarterly meeting. I stood in the door way in a state of shock. With her loud scent on clothes and the truth written on my face I had no choice but to confess. I opened the door and introduced him to my girl friend London who works 12 hour shifts during the day and spends her night with me.