Harvest of Shame

Everyone regret some things they have done in their life. Some are less intense than others. No matter what mistake you do, there are only two things left to do. You learn or you do not. Although I am not proud of this action at all, I did once sneak out of my home to meet a boy I thought I liked. I remember as if it happened yesterday. Boy was my mom angry, especially my dad! Silly as it sounds, I was young and well…dumb. I was 15 years old and I just started having crushes on boys and whatnot.…

Meeting parental expectations and completing all of the “requirements” to be a successful son or daughter has always been part of the main goal and developing process for everyone, no matter how old the “child” is. Sandra Cisneros and Amy Tan, authors of two unique essays - "Only Daughter" and "Mother Tongue" - with the similar theme, are sharing their experiences and thought processes regarding that question. They have something in common – both women immigrated to the United States with their…

Growing up I heard a lot of different terms. The saying “But I know how those things go” kinds means you’ve been there and you’ve done that, and that’s how you know how things go. Another example would if in the past you loaned friend money but that friend never paid you back. But then later that same friend came again and asked to borrower money again. Well you do know how that’s gonna go that friend may not pay you back once again. The term “People like us” is usually used when speaking, or…

key, there was a bloody scourge. [Dimmesdale] plied it on his own shoulders; laughing bitterly at himself the while, and smiting so much the more pitilessly, because of that bitter laugh” (132). The poor minister suffered from unbearable guilt and shame at having consciously committed a crime and worst, not publicly confessing his sins as Puritan law requires. A guilty conscious burdens him; relief can only be found in severe punishment. Dimmesdale feels this is necessary since his crime would…

Rehabilitation of the Soul: How Flannery O’Connor Uses the Concept of Disability in “The Lame Shall Enter First” In her short story, “The Lame Shall Enter First” Flannery O’Connor shares the tale of a self-righteous reformatory counselor, Sheppard, who forgoes the raising of his own son to embark on a quest to improve the life of a young miscreant, Rufus Johnson, who has a clubbed foot. Eventually after devoting all his time and effort to the saving of this young boy, Sheppard realizes the…

Application of New Criticism: forgiving my father A short synopsis of the poem “forgiving my father”, written by Lucille Clifton is that it is about a daughters recollection of her life growing up, specifically her father’s inefficiencies. Throughout the poem, the persona shifts through boots of anger, bitterness and contempt as she reflects on the experiences she had growing up. To fully grasp what the poem is about in its totality, one could ascribe to many different types of criticism…

Brene Brown once said that "shame is the most powerful, master emotion. It's the fear that we're not good enough" (Shame Quotes). Shame is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as a "painful feeling of humiliation or distress caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behaviour" (Shame Definition). In Puritan society, people felt shame due to the strict moral code that was enforced because people would inevitably break it at some point throughout their lives. In both stories, the characters…

Constructive Criticism When someone offers constructive criticism, one may respond in a defensive manner no matter how constructive the criticism may be. One tends to attempt to explain or excuse the behavior as to avoid the feeling of judgment. Reactions to constructive criticism, I believe, depends on who offers it, whether it is a family member, a friend, a co-worker, our boss or supervisor, and how well we get along with the person. Overall receiving and responding to constructive…

Lieutenant Jimmy Cross, Kiowa,Dave Jensen and many others whom he served with in the war. This, draws meaning about the war from their relationships. O’Brien addressed shame and storytelling and memory for the people that don’t know about what really happens in war. The chapter, “ In The Field,” readers can see the soldiers all carried shame and guilt. The chapter is talking about how three men managed their guilt over…

Why Blame is Your Fault When I was in tenth grade, I was cut from my school’s soccer team. It shocked and upset me. The coach spoke to each of us individually so that those who did not make it would not feel embarrassed. The trek to the car was one of the longest 50 meters I have ever walked. Telling my friends the results of the tryout was even less rewarding. I had every reason to believe I would make the team. I had played for the freshman soccer team the year before. I was one of the…