Inspired by Edward Hopper

I chose this painting because I feel like I somehow have a personal connection to it. This paining by Edward Hopper reminds me a lot of a painting that my mom had hung up in our dining room when I was younger. I’m not even really sure how I remember the painting, or what happened to it. I think that I must have looked at it so many times because it hung on the wall for so long and I was always fascinated by it. I remember having so many questions about it that nobody in my family could answer.

The painting that I am referring to might always be a mystery because I don’t even know what artist painted it or what the title of the piece was, but I remember it pretty clearly. The painting was of a women behind a bar of a restaurant, I’m assuming she was the bar tender. She had a very tired and worn expression on her face. The women in the painting was wearing old style clothes, if I remember correctly and she had pale skin. I always thought that her face resembled one of a dog, and I’m not sure why I thought that, wild imagination I guess.

I think that my parents liked the painting so much because we have owned multiple restaurants of our own and I think they could relate to the exhaustion in the painting. Or maybe I’m making something up, maybe they had just been trying to fill space on a wall. But even so, it was on the same wall for way too long for them to not like it. I don’t think I noticed it missing for quite some time after it was gone, I think eventually I got tired of looking at it and wondering about it with unanswered questions. I think I studied it all that I could with the years it was up there, on that wall.

I used to imagine being her. I used to think about how that women in the painting, lived. I would make up stories in my head and imagine that I was all grown up to be her age and I worked in that same restaurant too. Of course I never actually knew what it meant to have a job or work in a restaurant but now that I do, I can honestly say, that I was way off from my imaginations. 

Disclaimer to Mrs.Fraser: I think that I missed the mark on this assignment. After writing this piece, I went back and reread the directions in your original post for this assignment I realized that I had the wrong idea of what this post was supposed to be about. If you would like for me to redo this assignment, I would be happy to. 

6 Word Memoir

"Love plus Laughter: Happily Ever After"

6 Word Memoir

"Thank you for breaking my heart"

Comments

Katie


I think Katie writes very descriptively, especially about things she is interested in.
I commented: "You definitely described this passage as beautifully as it was written. I think that if Fitzgerald were to read your thoughts on this passage, that he would think you got everything from it that you were supposed to. You really understood the meaning behind it, you captured the importance. Very nice work!" On her Gatsby piece. I think it was beautifully written and well described. I think she is very passionate about this book and it shows through her writing. I can tell that she has really thought about this book, the characters, the plot, and how Fitzgerald wrote it. I think she did a truly wonderful job on her Memorable Passage story.


I really like Katie's Inspirational Quote that says "If you judge people, you have no chance to love them" by Mother Theresa. I think this quote is important and I think that I could really learn from it. I know that I can be quick to judge by first impressions and by appearances. It is definitely one of my many flaws that I need to work on, in order to better myself. Seeing as how I am judgmental at times, I have never thought about judging people in this way, and it has completely changed my perspective. I commented "Hi Katie! I loves the quote by Mother Theresa, about judging people. I think that if everyone thought like this then the world would be a better place with nicer people in it. I like to think that maybe manners and complements will be the next new trend. Fingers crossed. Thank you for sharing." on this piece.

I really liked the idea of enough food in the world for everyone to eat, I agree. I also would agree with you about not having grief anymore. But also I think that without it, we wouldn't appreciate people and things as much as we should. Lastly, I think people feeling safe and free is a very nice idea as well. It is very easy to feel trapped in a p;ace or time or even a life. It is also easy to feel unsafe in situations or in the world in general. I would definitely vote for you for president :)




Taylor M (I accidentally thought she was in my group, instead of Taylor D)
'Breaker of Chains'
"I enjoyed every second of reading this piece. I too sometimes feel this way about certain people and things. I think you put a lot of emotion into this piece and it shows. I agree with Mrs. Fraser about the idea of outgrowing a life, very powerful. I think this was very beautifully written, Taylor."
And I forgot to add in my comment that I also really enjoyed her picture that she attached. I think it really captured the essence of the poem. I often get the feeling like I am outgrowing a time in my life or people. I think everything in your life passes through, even the good things and the bad things. I think people are only put into your life for certain periods of time and then you outgrow them, and I think that is what Taylor was trying to capture in this piece. I really loved it.


Mariah
Next, I commented "Hi Mariah! I really enjoyed your haiku about the monsters hiding with fear and evil, because when I think of monsters I think they do very similar things. Thank you so much for sharing!" On Mariah's haiku. I like that Mariah writes about darker elements, that most people avoid, like monsters and creatures. I am excited to read more of her work.

Favorite Quotes

   
 
 
     

Last Line

"He heard the rind of the steel against steel as a far door clanged shut." This quote is the last line to the novel Native Son. This novel was written by Richard Wright.
Wright was born on September 4th, 1908 and he died on November 26th, 1960. Much of his literature was focused on African Americans during the late 19th to mid 20th centuries.
Wright was married twice and had two daughters.

Native Son is about a boy named Bigger who killers two girls throughout the novel. One of the girls being the daughter of a very well known family. The other girl was Bigger's current girlfriend who he ran away with, then raped her, then killed her. Eventually the police caught Bigger while he was on the run and the grand drury found him guilty for murder, sentencing him to death. Towards the end of the novel Bigger comes to terms with what he has done and accepts his fate.

I found the story some what interesting but I wouldn't read it on my own. I think that this book would bother me because of all the misfortune and death, much like my views on "The Good Soldier". I think that Bigger didn't mean to kill the first girl, it was an accident. But I also think that Bigger felt like he had to kill his girlfriend, like he had no choice.

First Line

My first line is "This is the saddest story I have ever heard."
This line is the opening line to The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion. It is a 1915 novel by English novelist Ford Madox Ford.
Ford Madox Ford lived from December 17, 1873 to June 26, 1939.
"The Good Soldier" is about multiple betrayals, affairs and misfortunes. In this story two people commit suicide due to loss of loved ones, one person goes crazy and cannot marry due to her extreme mental illness, and the last person dies as well. The story is told in a series of flashbacks in a non chronological order. I would not personally like this story because it seems very dark and depressing. It involves almost every character resulting in death by suicide, if not every character being very unhappy. This book also has a main focus of affair and adultery, to which I don't agree with.