Last week, we discussed the two stories by Shirley Jackson and the new story we read titled “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” by J.D Salinger. I found Tuesday’s discussion the most interesting because I was introduced to a wide range of takes on the prompt. I felt satisfied after reading the stories and participating in the discussion because all of my questions were answered and I truly feel like I understand the stories. The message I got from these stories is very similar to the impressions I got from “The Yellow Wallpaper.” Both of the authors wrote about women not being taken seriously in their times of need. They both reflect upon the phenomenon of women being labeled or interpreted as dramatic and people overlooking the underlying issue. Salinger’s story got straight to the point and highlighted the stigma and lack of knowledge of PTSD at the time. We have gotten better as a society with recognizing these issues before they cause any harm.

Last week, I read two short stories for our class discussions. They were “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins and “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allen Poe. “Usher” was a nice story to read because it was unique. It was mysterious and it had a lot of hidden details to unpack. It wasn’t the easiest story to read, but, taking it one part at a time helped me tremendously. It was different than other short stories I’ve read. A lot of the time, writers give away all of the elements of the story on a platter. “Usher” used symbols and imagery to convey the inner conflicts of the characters. The ending is also inconclusive. The narrator runs out and the house collapses, but there are still a lot of questions left unanswered. I wonder what the narrator did afterward. Did he just return to his normal life as if nothing happened? Did the house staff die as the house collapsed? Were they there at the time? “The Yellow Wallpaper” was also a great piece, with a strong message about sexism and how women’s issues and mental health, in general, are overlooked by society. My one comment on it is that while reading it, I wanted the narrator to just rip the wallpaper and get it over with. I know it was more complicated than that, but the urge was still there.

This is my first journal entry and I am excited to start sharing my thoughts. I feel important because this is my own personal site where I control everything. I want to reflect on my first week of classes in this post.

A few weeks ago, I was terrified of what college might be like. I was expecting a stressful transition back to school life. I was pleasantly surprised with how understanding and supportive most of my professors have been.

So far, I am satisfied with my experience in this class. I like the discussions and the clarity of what is expected of me. I got to have fruitful interactions with some of my classmates. I made a friend in the process and I am really happy about that. I learned some key terms that can be useful to know when you have to analyze a piece of writing.

I am looking forward to seeing what this course has to bring, it has been engaging so far.