No price can be payed for First Class

In the North, Linda is completely thrown off by how different it is than her expectations. She imagined a land where a black could walk down the street feeling happy, independent and equal, without only his or herself to worry about. Well she was brutally wrong. Sure, whites didn't own the blacks, and the blacks weren't property. The blacks could vote, own land, pay taxes, have a paying job, go to school and all that jazz, but really, they weren't equal at all. Segregation still plagued the north. In a way, the segregation of the north during the mid 19th century was very similar to the serration in the south 100 years later in the mid 20th century. Linda's daughter, Ellen, was still basically "property" working as a maid and house servant for an old lady. Linda also experienced racial divide when she tried to get a nice first class ticket for the train ride from Philly to New York. The guy who was hooking her up and helping her out bought her a train ticket and told her he couldn't get her a first class seat. Instantly she pulled out more money and told him he could afford it, but instead he said, that this was all he could get for her, due to her race. Blacks could not ride on the first class train, so instead Linda had to ride on the train full of foreign smokers and baby holders. It was smelly inside the train box and was suffocating. This made Linda mad because she could ride like this for free in the south, instead of paying for it, and it also made her mad because she could afford to ride first class. She could afford to get out of the situation she was in, but her skin color would not allow for it. Just because she had a dark sun tan meant that she could never, ever, ride in first class. I think it's ironic....

Free Willie

William left Mr. Sands because he knew that promises in slavery were always broken. Although Mr. Sands had always shown great kindness to him, but the fact that he was still a slave, and was being taken to Washington D.C. to be a slave, even though he had been promised freedom. He did not trust it and wanted to taste freedom as soon as he could. He didn't want to risk Mr. Sands changing his minds, so he took his opportunity, and left.
I think that William's decision to run away was perfectly justified. I think that any slave who runs away's reason is justified. Slavery is an awful, cruel thing that should never have existed, so of course, his actions were completely and utterly justified. He had no other choice, he wanted to be free, and he wanted to do it as soon as possible.

What you talkin' bout, Mr. Sands?

Mr. Sands gets Linda's kids by getting a seller to buy the kids and then getting the seller to sell the kids to him. He does this because he does not want to give any idea to Dr. Flint that he has come into contact with Linda. At first Dr. Flint is reluctant to sell the kids because she wants to use them as bait so that Linda could come back. Dr. Flint then realized that there was a good chance of the kids dying and that they are worth the most around the age 15. He made a good profit off of it. Mr. Sands has always been nice to Linda and has always been kind to his own kids. I think that he is trustworthy because in the text, there has never been an example of him being untrustworthy. Although he does own slaves, and you never know what he could do. The institution of slavery screws everyone and everything up.

Does your chain hang low?

When Linda's grandmother wants Linda's newest child to be baptized, I found it interesting because Linda's grandmother is known as the "loyal do-good slave" and would never go against her master and mistress. Dr. Flint would most likely not allow the baptism of Linda's child, but her grandmother insisted that she get the baptism done. So, when Dr. Flint goes out of town, Linda and her grandmother go to church. Eventually, Linda's dad's mistress gives Linda's baby a gold chain. Although, the chain is most likely nice, fancy, and thoughtful, Linda does not like this because she is comparing the gold chain to the chains of slavery. Sure, I see the comparison, and understand where Linda is coming from but I also feel like she should be happy because a white person did something and gave something nice to a black person. It just seems that she should accept this gift with great honor, and should feel like a great step has been taken between the "barriers" of race. But I can also see that Linda hates slavery so much and does not like anything that reminds her of it, and she does not want anything related to slavery to be touching her children. She wants her children to be free, and with liberty.

Mi casa es su casa

I thought an interesting passage was on page 23 when it described Lindas grandmother's loss of her youngest son, her favorite, Benjamen. It just seems interesting to me because to them, the selling of a family member is a usual occurrence, and although sad, is a part of life. It's odd to me because I will and have never felt these emotions. Sure, I've known people that have died, but I have never known anyone that I have loved that has been sold, or bought. I don't even know how I would feel, knowing that someone I loved was alone, in a whole new environment. It was also interesting to see how her grandma negotiated with the seller, and how she made him promise that he would not sell Benjamen until they got to New Orleans. This shows the respect that many people have for Linda's grandmother.

Capitulo Cinco- Ocho (Amor)

Slaves technically, can't love. They aren't aloud to really get married, they are just supposed to work for their master, and have kids to produce more strong, and healthy slaves to be sold off or put into the field or house. Slaves should not have any emotions, feelings, or anything else that could make them to the same level of humanity as whites. Sometimes love is artificial for slaves. For instance many masters have lust for their slaves and want to be sexually involved with them. They have sex with them, and get their slaves pregnant, sometimes treating the children just as terrible as the other slaves. Also, it is potentially extremely painful for slaves who fall in love because the second one falls in love, they could loose their loved one and family because their master might sell them away, or their family members get sold off.

Capitulo Uno - Cuatro

In the beginning of this book, I immediately felt the terror and horror of slavery. The author did not sensor his writing whatsoever and graphically described scenes quite well, giving me a most realistic vision in my head. I didn't realize that many slaves of the time, like Linda, got more freedom as slaves. It seems as if their masters were kinder, and nicer. They gave their slaves more freedom. Now, I don't know how common that was, but it sort of confused me, because it seems as if other slaves were treated much more harshly and terribly. It also makes me believe that these experiences and ideas are true because the author was an actual slave. It's interesting to read from the perspective from an actual slave. I also felt the pain of slavery when Linda described her Grandmother's sorrow and sadness when her son was sold to a different master. These types of things made me feel quite sad. I also got a broader and better view of slavery from Linda's stories of other slaves that she knew and interacted with.

En el classe de Literatura Americano, yo me gusta el simbolisma.

In class on Tuesday, i found it to be very interesting when we talked about the symbols in the book, The Great Gatsby. Symbolism and metaphors are something that I often miss when reading novels and works of writing. Is hard for me to find underlying meaning to stories. I often just look at the "1st level" of writing, instead of digging down deep, and looking at "layers 2&3." Understanding symbols like the Green Light on the East Egg and the "Valley of Ashes" is very important to understanding what exactly the author wants you to get from the book. My favorite bit of symbolism and the most obvious one in the book is the Green Light. I just like what it represents, and how the Green Light applies to everyone in the world. Everyone has that one goal or dream. Everyone is gazing off at something in the distance, and that's what interested me the most.

Wonton Soup's Egypticon

At Gatsby’s family, Owl Eyes, Nick, and Gatsby Senior guy only showed up for the funeral. Although Gatsby through tremendous parties filled with people weekend after weekend, he never really became friends with them. He usually just observed his parties hoping that some day Daisy might stray through the door in a glamorous dress with diamonds and rubies perfectly and precisely laid upon her body. He really had no friends, no acquaintances to honor him and his death. His business “partner,” Wolfsheim did not show up because in my opinion, I truthfully don’t think he cared too much. Gatsby made him money, so of course Gatsby was in his best interest. But once Gatsby was wasted, Wolfsheim didn’t miss a beat and innocently said “that’s evolution.” Now like I said, this is my opinion. Maybe Wolfsheim had a heart attack and was terribly tremendously sad that he could not make his good friend and long time business partner’s ceremony, who knows. It’s up for the reader to decide.

Jay Gatsby and the West Eggs

In chapters 7 and 8, the book reaches it’s climate, and in my opinion it’s most awkward and compelling point. Tom and George Wilson both find out that their wives are cheating on other men, and both, in a way have a breakdown. George is so screwed up about it; he wants to take Myrtle out west, away from everything. His only interest and dream is to be able to keep Myrtle in his life. He cares for her more than anything and will sacrifice anything, including his life, to keep her love. Unfortunately for George, he lost Myrtle to a more successful gentleman in Tom Buchanan. When Tom finds out that Daisy is having an affair with Jay Gatsby, he finally realizes that he cares for Daisy. This is example of not realizing how good something is until it’s gone, opposite of the examples used in the book about wanting something so bad that when finally received, it’s not all that it was made up to be.