Weekly Reflection on Rash's "Saints at the River"

"A darkroom is a place where your failures come to light: a wrong combination of f-stop and shutter speed, a misjudgement of depth of field or right exposure." (Page 131)

In the context of this quote, Maggie is right about failures coming to light in the darkness. However, when I think of  a dark room I do not consider that my failures come to light in them, but then again I am not a photographer and most likely will never be put in a situation like that. Although, Maggie is referring to her photography in this quote, I also think you can relate it to her life and surroundings. When in the dark, you do not have any distractions that alter your thoughts and while she is bringing her photographs to "light" she can think about her failures and by bringing them to "light" she can accept those failures and push forward to making them better.

• safelight: a darkroom light  with a filter that transmits only those rays of the spectrum to which films, printing paper, etc., are not sensitive.

"As I regained my balance, my eyes still on his face, I wondered if Herb Kowalsky had looked much the same as he watched his daughter sweep down the river." (Page 135)

Maggie was exactly right in this quotation, in a way. The feeling that Allen felt when she stepped into the road almost getting hit by a truck, brought back a lot of emotion similar to the way Herb probably felt. When you watch something happen, in any situation whether you know the person or not, you feel guilty for letting it happen and trouble yourself with thoughts on how to go back in time and change it. I believe that everything happens for a reason and although we wish we could change some things in our lives, most of them are going to happen whether we want them to or not. 

• exasperated: 1. to irritate or provoke to a high degree; annoy extremely: He was exasperated by the senseless delays. 2. Archaic . to increase the intensity or violence of (disease, pain, feelings, etc.).

"'You can't feel bad about things you didn't know,' I said. My words sounded so facile I didn't say anything else. For a few moments neither of us spoke." (Page 137)

 Maggie is so right and although she said her words sounded so facile, they should have been. It is completely normal for Allen to feel guilty about being upset when Claire did not get him at the airport and he called and left an extremely rude message. But, he cannot blame himself of what happened to Claire and "can't feel bad about things he didn't know" because if we all lived our lives that way there would most likely be a lot more of guilt and depression in this world. I think that if Allen is finally going to open up to Maggie about the tragedy, Maggie should open up too and tell Allen how she feels just like she did in this situation.

• facile: 1. moving, acting, working, proceeding, etc., with ease, sometimes with superficiality: facile fingers; a facile mind. 2. easily done, performed, used, etc.: a facile victory; a facile method. 3. easy or unconstrained, as manners or persons. 4. affable, agreeable, or complaisant; easily influenced: a facile temperament; facile people.

"'So you were faithful to Claire,' I said. It was the first time I'd spoken her name, and it unsettled me to hear it come from my mouth, almost as if I were afraid the word might invoke her spirit to join us in the room." (Page 141)

This quote immediately jumped out at me because it is a subject all new "couples" or "daters" should ask one another, if they've been faithful in their previous relationships. I do not think that Maggie should feel bad about asking Allen if he was faithful to Claire, although the circumstances, because it is a legitimate question that everyone should ask. Most likely, if your significant other has been faithful in all of his/her past relationships, he/she will be faithful in this one; but if they haven't been faithful and have gotten away with it, in a sense, then they may try to test their limits and do it again and again.

"I did understand, because I was with Momma when she died." (Page 143)

All throughout this part of the story, Allen and Maggie are both opening up to each other and able to speak more about the deaths and the outcomes. When Maggie tries to relate to Allen when he doesn't think she understands the meaning of death, she finally talks about her mothers death and how she handled it. Death is such a hard subject because as we meet new people and find out more about them, we do not know their past and what we've been through. Although Maggie knows what Allen has been through she doesn't know the way he feels or handled it at that moment in time.

Weekly Reflection on Mukherjee's "Orbiting"

"Mom has the simple, immigrant faith that children should do better than their parents." (Page 58)

Typically, many people would most likely agree with her mother's "immigrant faith" because parents do want the best for their children and better than what they, the parents, have. I agree that children should use their parents as "guidelines" to the way they live so that they can live up and exceed their parents expectations. It is so sad that in this day in age there are cycles and, for example, many stereotypes are: if you are raised poor, you'll end up poor and if you're raised wealthy, you'll end up wealthy. I have seen both of these cycles among my peers and I don't think there is an excuse for anyone because each state does so much for those in need.

• slat (Page 58): 1. a long thin, narrow strip of wood, metal, etc., used as a support for a bed, as one of the horizontal laths of a Venetian blind, etc.

• incessantly (Page 59): continuing without interruption; ceaseless; unending

• coy (Page 60): 1. artfully or affectedly shy or reserved; slyly hesitant; coquettish 2. shy; modest

"The first time Vic asked me out, he talked of feminism and holism and macrobiotics." (Page 62)

It seems as if she is very "hung up" on Vic, who is clearly stated as her EX boyfriend. At first I could not tell if Vic was just a good friend, but then she mentioned him asking her out and the fact that they lived together and had "rituals" and daily routines; that quickly changed when Vic decided to up and leave New Jersey without any warning. From a girls perspective, break-ups seem way harder when they are unexpected and I think that is why she compares almost everything she does to Vic and what Vic did or what they did together or what he enjoyed. 

• macrobiotic (Page 62): 3. long-lived 4. lengthening the life span

• squabble (Page 66): to engage in a petty quarrel

• parochial (Page 68): 1. very limited or narrow in scope or outlook; provincial

"I make the kiss really sexy so they'll know I've slept with this man." (Page 68)

This quote is very, can't quite find the right word to express how I really feel but, confusing? I don't understand why she would want to make the kiss "sexy" so her parents and family would know she has slept with him. It is one thing if she kisses him to show affection that he means something to her and he's important in her life, but it's another thing to kiss him "really sexy" to show what she's really been doing with him. Growing up, I would hug and kiss my family on the cheek when seeing them but when it came to having a boyfriend around family I would barely even hold his hand! I suppose that the two cultures clashing in this story plays a huge role in what's acceptable and traditional. 

"He looks very much the head of the family, a rich man steeply in debt to keep up appearances, to compete, to head off middle age." (Page 69)

I believe this quote could describe a lot of middle to upper-class men in this day in age. Everything is so materialistic in today's society and everyone wants to make a statement. I feel like the people that flash their possessions around do it to fill a void, that in this case may be a void in their bank account, and people that keep their possessions to themselves appreciate what they have and the hard earned money they've used to gain these possessions. Also, I feel like he is very flashy with the way he dresses and the cars he drives and all of his possessions because his father is Amish and as simple as it gets!

• effeminate (Page 70): 1. (of a man or boy) having traits, tastes, habits, etc., traditionally considered feminine, as softness or delicacy

"Our scars are so innocent; they are invisible and come to us from rough-housing gone too far." (Page 74)

This quote is so inspirational. When I think about all of the scars that I have, I think about the time I fell off my bike when I was young or the time I tried cooking in the oven for the first time, and she's right our scars are innocent. But for Ro, all of his scars may not be so innocent and I think that is why it is hard for her father to take. The family seems very uncomfortable when Ro talks about his scars, all except for Franny, and I think because they do not really know where he is from it is hard for them to understand.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading this story and when reflecting on it I feel like there was a lot going on in such a short story. I thought the story would start off as a sappy love story because she talked all about her ex-boyfriend, but it quickly evolved into a family-oriented, dysfunctional, and somewhat emotional story. I feel like this captures a typical family holiday: the new boyfriend everyone wants to know about, the men talking about sports, the women in the kitchen, the bratty daughter that doesn't say much until the end, political conversations, etc.

Weekly Reflection on David Mamet's "Glengarry Glen Ross"

At the beginning of the play Williamson and Levene are discussing Levene taking a "lead." Initially, I did not know what they were referring to, "I need the leads. I need them now. Or I'm gone, and you're going to miss me, John, I swear to you" (Page 18). Finally I looked up the definition of "lead," even though I obviously know the usual contextual definition of lead and this is what it read:

• lead: a suggestion or piece of information that helps to direct orguide; tip; clue: I got a lead on a new job. The phone list providedsome great sales leads.

Then I realized that Levene was referring to a piece of information that related to Glen Ross Farms, and he actually wanted to take over the sales for this development. After realizing what they were referring to when they were talking about "leads" I was able to make much more sense of the play. 

Throughout the entire beginning of the play I noticed the use of profanity and the tone of the play. I was extremely surprised that Levene was speaking to his boss, Williamson, in this manner and it seemed like his boss did not care and actually felt bad for Levene. Then I realized that Williamson probably felt bad for Levene because he knew that if Levene did not increase his sales by the end of the month he'd be fired, "Levene: ...You don't look at the f*****g percentage. You look at the gross. Williamson: Either way. You're out. Levene: I'm out. Williamson: Yes" (Page 21).

• defeatist: 1. a person who surrenders easily or is subject to defeatism. 2. an advocate or follower of defeatism  as a public policy. (Page 24)

Finally, Levene tries to make an offer with Williamson: "...Get on my side. Go with me. Let's do something. You want to run this office, run it" (Page 24). Initially, Williamson did not go for the deal but finally he increased the percent Levene initially asked for and asked for cash for every lead he gave Levene. After noticing that there is a conspiracy building stamina in this story, it became that much more interesting and it was only the first scene.

So far, the first scene shows the "behind the scenes" side of, probably, many offices that we would not expect to have so much conspiracy. The fact that these two men are so relax with each other and the tone they are using with one another represents the closeness to the office but also the comfortableness, which sometimes could work out negatively or positively. I think that Williamson makes the right decision by not initially agreeing with Levene, but negotiating with him thereafter and even remotely considering the deal shows that he, like many others in today's age, would do close to anything for money. Clearly this entire situation and conspiracy is going to evolve into something over the course of this play.

Weekly Reflection on Chris Offutt's "The Same River Twice"

• amniocentesis: a surgical procedure for obtaining a sample of amniotic fluid from the amniotic sac in the uterus of a pregnant woman by inserting a hollow needle through the abdominal wall, used in diagnosing certain genetic defects or possible obstetric complications.

"The baby was missing an ounce of life already, a shot glass of amniotic fluid, and I was afraid that it might be notice. We had taken its water away, like drought. I sat on the bed and apologized to Rita's belly for our invasion." (Page 57)



So far in The Same River Twice it seemed as if Chris did not want to have a baby because he did not want to selfishly sacrifice his life, his writing life especially. However, this quote makes me believe that there is a turning point in Chris' thoughts and since he is reading up on pregnancy and seems to know every small step his wife goes through, I believe that this baby was a blessing in disguise. Rita seems to be taking this pregnancy extremely serious, since she wanted it so bad, and although when they first found out Chris went to the bar, it seems like he is just as serious about the pregnancy as Rita. 


"The whole room has an ethereal, expectant quality, like that of a cathedral in which miracles are rumored to occur." (Page 58)


This quote describe's the baby's room when Chris goes inside and stands in the middle and looks around. His flashback back to his own mother and father using that bassinet, that him and Rita will use for their baby, leads him to remember his father probably felt the same way as his. Although Chris' father was not around during his childhood, he seems to think that his father had the same feeling and emotions. It is so sweet to think that he compares, using a simile, his baby's future room to a cathedral. There is such a turn around in Chris' emotions and instead of the ignorant person he seems to be at the beginning of The Same River Twice, he is now molding into a loving husband and good father that he wishes to be.

• ethereal: 1. light, airy, or tenuous: an ethereal world created through the poetic imagination. 2. extremely delicate or refined: ethereal beauty. 3. heavenly or celestial: gone to his ethereal home.

• brethren: fellow members

• slalomed: any winding or zigzag course marked by obstacles or barriers, as one in which automobiles are tested formaneuverability or drivers for reaction time.

• fisticuffs: 1. a cuff or blow with the fist. 2. fisticuffs, combat with the fists.

• equanimity: mental or emotional stability or composure, especially under tension or strain; calmness; equilibrium.

• coalesced: 1. to grow together or into one body: The two lakes coalesced in to one. 2. to unite so as to form one mass, community, etc.: Thevarious groups coalesced into a crowd. 3. to blend or come together: Their ideas coalesced into one theory.

"Such an insult was tantamount to a Kentucky warning shot, the French musketeer's slap in the face, or the New York faux pas of daring to look someone in the eyes for more than ten seconds." (Page 62)

This quote sums up the "stereotypes" people have about Southern, French, and Northern people. Throughout the story thus far, there has been a lot of different races mentioned, along with their lifestyles and dialect. It is surprising to me that since Chris is from the south, that he is not prejudice towards other races, but then again right there that is me stereotyping people into groups. I like this story because of the equality Chris has and shows through all of his different relations. 

• aficionado: an ardent devotee; fan, enthusiast.

"I watched the sky, wondering if I was living at the edge of adaptability, cherishing the residue of death." (Page 66)

This quote does not really have anything to do with what has appealed to me so far in the story, however I do believe this is an extremely strong quote. After Chris finds out that his boss, Bill, has killed himself, he leaves his current, secure, job and continues to travel until he reaches "the edge of the continent," (Page ??) California. So far, even though Chris is abandoning his home, I can not recall a time that he has contemplating taking his life, however he has mentioned dying. To me, this quote can make us all think about the meaning of life. Are we living at the edge of adaptability? Since I am a Christian, I believe God has a plan for all of us and that we need to live our life to the fullest because we do not know when our last day will come. I interpret this quote in a similar way and believe that Chris has a good head on his shoulders, and along all of his travels he has and will learn so much about himself and others. 

• tarried: 1. to remain or stay, as in a place; sojourn: He tarried inBaltimore on his way to Washington. 2. to delay or be tardy in acting, starting, coming, etc.; lingeror loiter. 3. to wait.

"Instead of viewing me with eastern scorn or southern suspicion, they recognized me for what I was, more or less a damn fool." (Page 67)

I absolutely love this quote! Once again, Chris brings up the stereotypes that people have for one another throughout the country, and world. If everyone viewed people for what they were (whether they are "more or less a damn fool" like he is portrayed, it seems) this world would be a much easier place to live. Personally, I was born in the north and lived there for about half of my life and then moved south, so I have seen both worlds and remember "how it is" very clearly. I see, remember, and wonder why there are, in fact, so many differences between the parts of the country but I also think that a lot of the "stereotypes" are not true and they are just started and kept on by pure ignorant people.