The Cuban Swimmer

I can't really say that I liked The Cuban Swimmer. It seemed to much like a fairy tale story with no real explanation for the outcome aside from magical intervention of some kind. For some reason it felt very predictable and I pretty much knew what the outcome was going to be before the drama ended.
The drama did provide an interesting perspective on family ties and support in hispanic families.
It also touches on the prejudice that Americans have toward Hispanics as the reporter Mel Munson insults the family by classifying the family as "simple people" on the "ragtag La Havana, taking their long-shot chance to victory."
It also seems to shed light on the resentment that Hispanic nationalities have toward other Hispanic nationalities as the mother explains her resentment of her son who has gone to live with a Puerto Rican in New York City.

Poetry Response #3: Sharon Olds "Rites of Passage"

"Rites of Passage" seems to focus on the competitive nature of males. At an early age, her son argues with the other boys at his birthday party over who could fight the other. "I could beat you up, a seven says to a six" is one such passage that reveals the author's implication that the male gender looks for reasons to fight, even at an early age.
Later in the poem, one of the boys says "We could easily kill a two-year-old," an interesting and disturbing revelation to the "masculine" nature that is developed at an early age. It is debatable as to whether this is a trait that is common in males, or if it is just the result of parenting. The fact is, this mindset must come from somewhere. Gender roles may not only be the result of culture, but an inherited gene that transcends from father to son.
She observes them as they begin their role-playing "like Generals" and begin to wage war. It's uncertain as to whether Olds is being an objective observer or has a bias against the opposite sex. However, judging by this poem and the poem "The One Girl at the Boys' Party," she seems to focus a lot on the innocence of the female gender and the nature of men to dominate others.

Poetry Response #2: Sharon Olds "The One Girl at the Boys' Party"

I think this poem represents a mother who is watching her daughter mature and attempt to understand more about the world around her world through calculation. While that calculation might be literal, it is probably more figurative than anything.
It represents her daughter's realization of the difference between the sexes but at the same time a sense of innocence as she doesn't appear to care much for impressing anyone as she wears her "silk suit with hamburgers and french fries printed on it." In the beginning of the poem she states "They tower and bristle, she stands there smooth and sleek" representing masculinity as opposed to femininity. Her maturation comes through the realization of the contrasts between herself and the opposite sex.

Poetry Response #1: Adrienne Rich "Living In Sin"

"Living In Sin" discusses the effects of living a careless life of a slob. This poem was very descriptive and in many ways seemed like the opening to a short story. The cleanliness of the patrons or lack thereof seems to be the focus of the poem. It also focuses on the aggravation of the supposed woman partner who has to clean up after the mess of an active, reckless life. Living in a life of despair she feels herself being "jeered by the minor demons." She thinks that maybe this isn't how she wants to live her life.
I think this poem represents a life in which a person is stuck in a rut of excitement and disappointment, in other words, it represents the life of a manic depressive personality. The woman in the story feels disgusted and dissatisfied with her life throughout the day but the poem ends with a glimmer of hope in which she looks to the stars and is suddenly "back in love again."

Response #3 C.J. McCarthy: The Drowning Incident

This is a very disturbing and depressing story. I think it shows that postpartum depression may not only be a feeling mothers have, but fathers as well. While the father did not directly harm his own baby, it seems as though he displaced his feelings for his baby on the puppies.
It's very difficult to understand how someone can commit such a disgraceful act of crime, but what's even more difficult to understand is how the son reacts to the entire situation. While he does show disgust and remorse, he handles the situation very calmly, but in a very strange way. His actions show that he may have a passive aggressive personality, or perhaps he was in so much shock that he may not have known how to handle the situation.
What's frightening is that events such as this do occur in our society. It is difficult to understand how the mind of a murderer works but is important that we do what we can to prevent such actions before it is too late.

Response #2 Ursula K. Le Guin: The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas

I think this story in many ways reflects the ideology that "ignorance is bliss." The community of the Omelas know that if they acknowledge the disadvantaged child that they will come to the realization that all is not right. Those who do come to this acknowledgment flee the city most likely due to their disgust and hatred of the ignorant city. In many ways this reflects our own humanity. Often when we are faced with the cold reality of children dieing due to hunger we either make the choice to help out or we turn our backs and think only of ourselves.
This is not to say that all people are ignorant, however, those who choose to live in a world where nothing is bad and everything is blissful are repressing the fact that everything is not blissful and there are many flaws and imperfections. Those who make this realization often find themselves unable to return to their old ways, so they flee from them, much the same way as the Omelas who fled. While it may not be literal in the sense that the people who come to this realization physically leave where they are, it may just be that they change their ideology and come closer to reality.
I feel that this story had a very valid moral lesson. That is, we should not ignore what is painful, and that we should do all that we can to fix what is wrong.

Response #1 Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.: Harrison Bergeron

I think this story provides a considerably gloomy outlook for our future in which socialism has become a common element in American culture. In this story, competition becomes outlawed and everyone is purposefully handicapped in order to ensure complete equality. It is a scary revelation of what could happen in the future if we allow the government to take complete control of our lives. This story presents the future in a different light than that of past socialistic cultures as the development of technologies coerce people closer to the cause of equality. The main characters George and Hazel Bergeron are punished for their ability to critically think, therefore the government uses preventive measures to clear their thoughts using a buzzing sound that activates anytime they conduct a thought process that is negative to equality.
Many people today would probably argue that something like this could never happen in our culture, however, in many ways it has happened. Our media now practically decides our presidential candidates with little to no argument from outsiders. When an argument does arise from an outsider it is dismissed as lunacy, much the same way that Diana Moon Glampers, the Handicapper General repressed Harrison's message by assassinating him and his "empress." Stories like these should not be taken lightly, they reveal the human nature of conformity and address the need of taking everything you see and hear with a degree of uncertainty.