"Purpose"

In class there was a questions that was brought up, the question was do you think Ensler served her purpose in writing this particular book? After reading the Vagina Monologues myself, I now see women differently. At first I was a bit uncertain about reading this book, and did not quite understand why the professor would have us read such a book. After reading the plays and realizing that each play was a different story that was being told. By Ensler writing such a book, it allowed many different kinds of women to tell their stories and experiences. Most would probably question why write this particular book and why take it step further and make it into a play for the whole world to see someone’s story. I know that Ensler wanted to raise awareness for violence against women, but like I previously stated it was much more than that. It gives us a true look into a woman’s world. Without Ensler being interested in what women were thinking or even feeling about their vagina then we would not have this book and most of these stories would go untold. Though most will continue to question Ensler’s motive for this book, but until they have read the book then they would better understand her motive. I can honestly say that Ensler served her purpose in writing this book, because for someone like me who looked at the book, and did not really care to read it because of the title, I can honestly say that after reading this book I now have a better understanding of what women went through and continue to go through, throughout their lives. Though this book might intimated most readers, it is a book that the today’s woman, (even man) should read and could guarantee that they would slowly being to appreciate women worldwide. 

"Angry Vagina"

I first want to start this blog by saying that my fellow classmate (I apologize for not remembering your name) I am sorry I missed your stage performance because she did an awesome job performing in class.

After reading this particular monologue myself, (before being performed), I did not quite feel that strong emotion behind the monologue. At first I felt a bit uncomfortable reading it, then to hear it read out loud none the less in a classroom, I felt even more uncomfortable, but after listening to it, I mean really listening to it I could see and feel the strong emotion behind the monologue. Ensler really capture the angry from the author toward everything that seemed to affect her “vagina” and feelings toward her vagina. I think that Ensler felt she needed to write this monologue with such emotion because she was trying to get her point across because many women are feeling the same emotion but are to embarrass to speak up.  In some ways many women can relate to this particular monologue, even if they might not want to omit their feelings.  For example, Ensler writes about, how women have to attend “doctor’s” appointments, “Why the Nazi steel stirrups, the mean cold duck lips they shove inside you,” (Ensler, 71). With this particular passage most women can relate to because all women have experienced this awkwardness in some way. Though most women might find this particular monologue offense, uncomfortable, and awkward, some might find it humorous. Like previously stated, Ensler definitely uses anger behind this monologue, but after one listens to it and see it performed they can see the humor behind it as well. Throughout the book Ensler uses a varied of emotions; some might relate to a particular passage or monologue, well others might find her work offense and something that should not be written about. 

"Physical Connection"

After reading through the vagina monologues I feel that if Ensler did not make this piece literature into a play then I would not get the full affect, and emotions that were behind each story. Just by reading the stories I do not get a strong enough feeling about what each women went through or something that they might have experienced. I think Ensler made it into a play because it allowed women around the women to express themselves in a way that they might have been able to do. For someone like me who knew little about the play or the book, I feel that by watching the play I would get a real sense for these women. Most literature is better when it is being performed live and in front of someone; you can get the full affect, you can see the emotion behind every story. I think Ensler wanted her audience to physically embody her stories because these are real women telling their stories, and through them you get a strong emotional connection to these women. While reading it is one thing to read it and understand it is another, but seeing it and feeling it, it is a whole another level. Ensler uses the word vagina in very different ways, and the word vagina is a representation of women worldwide. The word vagina is just a word to most people, but after reading these particular stories the word has a total different meaning as well as an effect on people. When you think of the vaginas you think “woman part”, but not after reading this play, has a greater meaning and effect on someone. When I think about the word vagina I will think of its deeper meaning it is not just a thing, but also more of an emotional connection to most women.   

"Vagina and Awareness"

In the Vagina Monologues, Ensler is celebrating the “vaginas” and “to raise awareness of violence against women”, she does because I feel she is being the voice who those women who might have been violated, raped, or women who are finding it hard to express themselves in the ways they are feeling. All around the world women are being assaulted and violated, because they are too afraid to stand up for themselves and what they believe in.  I think through Ensler’s writing she succeeds in using the words “vaginas” and “to raise awareness of violence against women”. Through her plays the word vagina is expressed in very different ways. Ensler uses the word “vagina” in both seriousness as well as humor. Ensler is giving a voice to the women who have fears and fantasies about one’s own body (Ensler). For most of these women who have found their voices, they share their experiences and stories with us in hopes to relieve their fears. Do I think that Ensler uses the word “vagina and awareness” in contradiction to each other? In some ways they are, but when you think about the word vagina it is in reference to a female part, and that female part is first thing that gets taken advantage of or taken the wrong way according to sexuality. What are the effects of reading through the monologues in a large piece? I felt that reading the monologue, as one piece was easier to understand what the “real” women felt about themselves. You get a different feeling from each play about what each woman might have experienced, or felt at a certain time on their lives. I feel that most of these plays were written for women who wanted their stories to be heard so that women all over the world who might have experienced such violence or is even afraid to discover one’s own body, Ensler is giving them their opportunities through The Vagina Monologues.

"Between the pool and Gardenias"

After reading through most of Danticant’s stories, I noticed that she is very passionate about her heritage. I know that we talked about whether these stories were fact or fiction, but through her writing you cannot help but feel for the Haitian people. Her stories seem as though she is a young child sitting on her mothers, fathers, grandfathers, or grandmothers laps, and they are telling her the stories about what they experienced and went through as a Haitian nation. The stories that I have read to this point have such strong emotions; each character experiences something different, but still such passion for their nation. Danticat’s language throughout the book, uses a graphic nature or style; I feel that it was important for her to write this way because it helped her get your own pain and sorrow that she might have felt for her nation.

            

 Throughout the book, I can almost feel the pain and sorrow that each character went through, the story that caught my attention a bit more than the others, (so far), was “Between the Pool and the Gardenias”, and the reason why I chose this particular one was because I have someone close to me who was experiencing the pains of miscarriage, and the feeling of wanting a child. The poor lady would find a young girl wandering around, and finally decided that she would take the girl in, because she has wanted a child to care for so long now. When she finally got that chance to care for a girl, she could not, she has to hide her in backyard by the “pool”, and eventually she had let her go, and began to bury her “between the pool and the gardenias”, but would be caught by a Dominican. There as she laid her down “ROSE”, she pictured herself with this man and child, as the happy family she hoped for one day. You cannot help but feel for her, because for most women they wanted that happy family, but struggle to get it, and you can see how it tears them up inside and some never can recover from it. What I think this story is trying to portray, is that if you cannot conceive on your own, there are children out their waiting and wanting a family just as much as you are.

"1937"

When reading through Edwidge Danticat’s stories of “Children of the Sea” and “1937” I start to feel the raw emotions behind her writing. Her writing paints pictures of what the Haitian people might have and or did go through many decades ago. Though the stories are mostly fiction, you almost cannot help but feel for the Haitian people.           

After reading “1937” I knew that I would have to do some further research on the significance of the

year 1937. On October 2^nd to October 4^th of 1937, “70 years ago” 15,000 to 20,000 Haitian immigrant workers were massacred in the Dominican Republic. They were slaughtered by the Dominican Army as well as “big landowners,” they also murder infants and women as well. Many would try to flee but could not, because they were stopped at the border. After reading about this terrible and awful time, you cannot help but feel for the Haitians, they did not deserve what was given to them. The Dominicans were ordered by dictator Raphael Leonidas Trujillo to murder the Haitians, so that it would “cleanse” the border. This occurred at the Massacre River, which was a river between the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

When reading the story “1937”, I could not help but feel for this young girl, who witnessed her mother be beaten then tossed in prison for the rest of her life for a crime that she did not commit. The mother was arrested and beaten because they believe that she murdered a young boy, but when really she was helping to take care of him because the baby’s mother was too tired. Her mother was not only one thrown in prison, there were many other women that day as well. The police believed that these women were witches, or some how supernatural beings. As days went on this young girl would continue to visit her mother, and watched, as her mother would slowly die. The way that Danticat writes this story it is as if you are there, you’re that young girl. For someone like me who does not like to read that much, Danticat’s writing is suspenseful and real, I just want to keep on reading her stories. I feel that the this story was written for a reason, Danticat wanted to put into words what the Haitian people went through 70 years ago, and for myself I can really being to feel for these people.

For the most part I think I understood the story, and got a real sense of the story and what Danticat was trying to tell, but there is one lingering question, the Madonna, what is the significance of this item. I take it to be a magical or spiritual piece that was of great importance to the Haitian people. 

How Long Peace Takes

As I became reading through Naomi’s poetry, I came across a poem called “How long peace takes?” I feel that Naomi is trying to express that “peace” is literally taking to long, she uses references like “As long as the slow crawl of loosening paint” meaning for her and maybe for the Palestinians as well as Arabs, peace is like watching paint dry or paint slowly being to peel away it's layers. For example, I referenced the media in my first blog, and how the media has caused problems for the Palestinians. By the media causing these problems for the Palestinian people, they are finding it hard to find that inner peace as well as peace outside their homeland. Like I previously stated, not every Palestinian person is responsible for what happened on 9/11 but through this poem “How long peace takes”, it seems that they are still being blamed for what happened on that particular day, and still fighting for their rights. After reading through the poem that the Arabs as well as the Palestinians will always being searching for some type of peace, and it may take "as long" "and longer" to find it. As long as the fighting continues peace will be something that the people of Palestine may never see. Until Americans as well as other countries can find someway to resolve such issues that they may have with such people, peace and forgiveness is far, far away. 

After reading this certain poem, I may or may not have understood if this what Naomi met by "how long peace takes" but I feel that she is trying to tell me that peace for her and family and friends is something they have been searching for, and will continue to look for until they have succeed.

A Palestine Women

A Palestine Woman

In the introduction Naomi talks about how the media has played a huge part in trying to destroy her homeland of Palestine. Though she started to feel “rooted and connected, but there were those deeply sorrowful headlines in the background to carry around like sad weights.” How can someone move on, when every time they turn on the television or read the newspapers, and all they see or hear is something horrible being said about their homeland? For someone like Naomi, she takes into count the positives that she has learned from her family and certain Arab friends that she has met. She also discusses the role media has played on the 9/11 attacks on the United States. What happened on 9/11 did not just affect the American people; it affected everyone around the world. Naomi says “September 11, 2001 was not the first hideous day ever in the world, but it was the worst one many Americans had ever lived.” I feel that by Naomi stating this she is saying that though it hurt and destroyed many Americans it also “cast a huge shadow over the lives of so many innocent people.” The media began to scrutinize the innocent people (Arabs) that had no part in the doings of these horrific tragedies. For Naomi she would found ways to express herself and her pride for her homeland; she wants Americans to understand that what the media is portraying is not necessarily directed toward every Arab or Palestinian. The media should focus on the people who did these crimes and instead of the people who are innocent bystanders. I feel that through reading Naomi’s poems, you start to get that feel and better understanding of the Arabs and the Palestinians nations. It is clear that Naomi felt the need to paint a picture of her homeland and the good people in that land. I feel that I can get a better understand of the Middle East through her poems.