blog number 5

Chris Lane

Understanding Literature

Dr. Juniper Ellis

Nature and its Effects on our lives

The three literary works of Langston Hughes, Richard Hague and Gary Gildner explore the deeper meaning of how nature affects the human mind. In there own way these authors all talk about how one moment in life, can change you forever and affect your future. In Huges story “Thank You Mam” he talks about how the boy is treated so well by the woman that his attitude towards life was changed for the better. In “Directions for Resisting the SAT” Hague explores how one big test can make you look at what you want to do with your life. Finally Gildner shows us how one mans perspective on life can be changed by fighting in a war for his country.

Langston Huges tells us the story of a boy whose life is changed forever when he tried to steal a woman’s purse. She shows him affection and treats him with respect, making him wash his face, and feeding him a home cooked meal. She relates to him and lets him know that she was not perfect. She explained how she has also gone through similar turmoil and did not hold theft of the purse against him. This event in the boys life changes his perspective on life for the better. This will effect his future actions and possibly put him on the right track toward a better life.

Richard Hagues poem explains the feelings and stress one test can bring in a young persons life. The preparation involved in the SATs is brutal and can make you feel scared if you dont finish it because this test can affect the college you go to. Everyones parents tell there kid that the college you go to can change the life you live. The feeling of something determining the rest of your life can make you consider the way you want to act in future situations.

  Gary Gildner shows how being a solder can change your perspective on life. The poem talks about how a coach tells his football players to fight each other at there first practice and what it takes to change a mans perspective on life. Gildner explains how the coach had killed men for his country and it has effected his view on the way men had to grow up. War changes men, and for some the horrible things these men see change the way they see the world. This relates to the Zen meditation as during the meditation I met a man who had been in the war, and he remarked that Zen really calms him down when he thinks of his war days.