I can not believe that our trip is really over; The city of London was the absolute best! I did not know that you could learn so much in one week. This study abroad trip taught me a lot about myself, my writing, and about my history. I tried new cuisines that I would never try in the states. I saw how Londoners were shopping at markets rather than making a publix and walmart run. It was absolutely beautiful! And the fish and chips are to die for!

In London, I was able to step outside of the box and really bring some enlightenment into my life. In like manner, I learned that British women writers often do the same through their writings. Before this trip, I thought that much of what we read would be dull and overtly romantic to be honest; however, the readings were mind blowing….literally! The authors really step outside of the box and make their characters come to life. They reveal just enough information to ground the story, and leave the rest up to the audience like in The Embassy of Cambodia written by the English novelist Zadie Smith. I enjoyed Virginia Woolf the most though. Through her writing, I learned that it is of vital importance to pay close attention to what I read. Very few writers are writing “just for fun.” I believe that Woolf was preparing the world for her own suicide in which she later committed after the publication of her book. Now when I read, I try to get a good sense of the characters in the book and see which one the author could most identify with…it’s fun. As in Woolf’s case, I believe that she disguised her life through the character of Septimus.

I think this is awesome…devastating, but aresome. Her use of her personal life placed into a fiction book was stunning. To allow your personal story to  bleed through the pen as you characterize  stories of hallucination and insanity is great! I do not believe that I could be so creative. This gave me new insight on how to write my book. I was going to make it non-fiction. But Woolf has encouraged me to play with it a little and leave my audience the mysterious thrill.

I also enjoyed being able to see, touch, and feel some of the places that these writers once lived. It was interesting to walk down Brick Lane and see and taste curry. It was great to walk down the steps that Charle’s Dickenson did. The walking tours were a masterpiece.

Also, British women’s books are loaded with history and messages. however, It is left up to the reader to decode them. That is unlike a lot of the readings that I have read. Usually, the plot is evident, and the story seems to be well thought out and sitting smack in your face for you to understand. Yet, in these readings, you have to sort of dig deep in order to understand the depth of the messages. I guess that’s why I thought British writers (men and women) were boring because I couldn’t understand them. I learned that they aren’t boring at all. I truly enjoyed the readings! I enjoyed the language that was used by the women, through their books, and I like how many of the writers aimed to highlight the underlying oppression of feminism back in their times.  These women writers are the grassroots of active feminism.

I cannot wait to do this again!

I can’t believe I’m writing my final blog post. It is so bittersweet.

The Embassy of Cambodia left a very loose ending which  disappointed a lot of readers; however, I enjoyed Zadie’s Smith’s style, and I feel as if it was designed to make the readers think. I could not determine who was actually telling the story, but I assumed that it had to be someone that had been paying close attention to Fatou as she journeyed through the neighborhood. This character brought the Embassy of Cambodia to life. I had no idea what this was, or what the people on the other side were doing, but it sure made me want to climb inside and see for myself. I think the story shows how we can be on the outside of someone’s life and looking in, imagining what we want about someone. Fatou imagined the lives of those who were on the other side of the wall just as the people who watched her on the side of the streets formed their opinions of her sitting on the sidewalk. They could only imagine “a violent conclusion or a hopeful return” for her.  I think this implies that people should take a moment to just check on someone! I see this all the time in Atlanta especially! People are so focused on their own lives, where they have to be, what they have to do, and they won’t stop to see how someone else is doing. But it only takes a few seconds to ask someone, “how are you?”

I try to make someone’s day even when I can’t brighten my own. I believe if any one of those people would have stopped and talked to Fatou, the story would have ended differently. But now we don’t know what happened with Fatou, or how life turned out for her. And we never will!

Zadie Smith made the characters seem so real and she raised some very intense points in this short story. I could relate to Fatou’s battle with her faith and religion. I feel that this story was short and complete and it served it’s purpose of making the reader’s think.

Listen up English majors: DON’T LAUGH AT ME! I’m just a minor lol

I had no idea that writers could write through third person amonition. Or maybe I did know, and I just wasn’t aware of the fancy name for it. And maybe I spelled amonition wrong. But that’s the beauty of it. This is my blog post written in first person, and I can make mistakes because I’m the focalizer, and you can see the inconsistency in me through this blog post, just as we were able to see the inconsistency of characters in Mrs. Dalloway.

Moving right along!

Virginia Woolf opened a whole new door of writing for me. Her writing has encouraged me to try and drift away from first person narratives, though, I don’t know if I will be skilled enough to do so. I think the use of third person is a craft that won’t come easily to all of us. Woolf’s use of free and direct discourse was not limited like first person narratives are. Though, after reading the Embassy of Cambodia, I feel like I’m reading in “fourth person.” Or is there such a thing? Again English majors, don’t you laugh at me! But even if you do, it’s okay. Because I’m just a minor, still trying to find a way to connect to you all and still have individuality through my writing, like Woolf.

“It is a thousand pities never to say what one feels.”
-Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway

Today’s Tour was very interesting, though I didn’t think that the suicide notes were funny. There are way too many deaths by suicide then and even now which shows us that it is important how we treat one another, no matter who you are or where you are in life. I think we take these things with a grain of salt when really people are committing suicide every few minutes.

To to tie this up with writing, well, I for one think that writing is one of the best ways to express yourself. Diaries are important and they help me to elevate my mind. When I can’t find the words to speak, I can usually write down what I feel. I think it’s important to write down and track things daily because you never know where they may end up.

lastly, I was surprised to find out about Virginia Wolf’s stressful life, but then I remember that she was just another human being dealing with the stress of life in her own way. But one of the best ways to solve problems is to let the pain bleed through the ink of your pen. And through her stories and her various characters, we can see how Wolf is able to turn her own problems into characters that deal with some of the things she may have dealt with, but could not express to others..

i think that that most authors have an underlying motive and a message and its up to the readers to discover it!

So far I’m enjoying unfolding these stories through our discussions because there have been so many hidden messages that I have overlooked! This encourages me to get a deeper understanding of everything I read, and to not just “read it” because it was assigned for class.

thank you!

Today’s discussion helped me appreciate Gaskell’s craft so much more. She is truly a skilled writer. It takes a lot to really understand the message of her writing. I didn’t really understand why this book was chosen until today. I realize that it is not just another Victorian romance. Gaskell’s desire to raise awareness within her own community is so powerful.

My favorite part was the use of the words “hands” to describe the servants. It makes me appreciate being a hand or lending a hand even more. Why? Because I know that people depend on me. The hand is arguably the most important part. While the servants were the “hands,” Mr. Thornton served as the arm. He held the hands together because the hands would be useless without the arm of the business. To me, Margarett is the elbow joints. She has the power to move the arms  which will then determine the way the hands move. I love how she was able to tug at Mr. Thortons heart literally throughout the book. She helped Mr. Thorton to realize the significance of the hands, the arms, as well as the joints that all work together to create a powerful movement.