1943

1943

They toughened us for war. In the high-school auditorium
Ed Monahan knocked out Dominick Esposito in the first round

of the heavyweight finals, and ten months later Dom died
in the third wave at Tarawa. Every morning of the war

our Brock-Hall Dairy delivered milk from horse-drawn wagons
to wooden back porches in southern Connecticut. In winter,

frozen cream lifted the cardboard lids of glass bottles,
Grade A or Grade B, while marines bled to death in the surf,

or the right engine faltered into Channel silt, or troops marched
—what could we do?—with frostbitten feet as white as milk.

—Donald Hall


This poem strikes me in several different ways. Primarily, I was drawn to it because 1943 refers to World War II, one of the most fascinating historical eras (in my opinion). The poem however hardly even speaks of the war, but instead of the daily life with an undermining tone of war. It, in a way, reflects war- when one is not actively fighting or in some other way involved in it, the day to day life can seem unchanged on the surface- but it isn't. War effects everything- especially a war to the degree of WWII. The author first speaks of becoming prepared, "toughened up" for war. However, the person being "toughened up" for war died ten months later. It is a difficult concept; to be "toughened up" for death. There is a melancholy to this segment, because that is indeed what has happened.The melancholy undertone continues as the writer talks about the milk, which is a mundane, daily task that is somehow still effected by the poison of the war. Finally, the poem ends talking about the war again, bringing what has been an undertone to the whole poem to the surface- "what can we do?"

The Lesson

The Lesson is a story about a girl who has grown up in a bad part of town and her reaction to a woman's attempt to show her and her friends that there is more to the world.

level one: What is the name of the main characters best friend?
level two: What is Miss Moore trying to teach the children?
level three: What is the significance of education to get rid of poverty? Is it effective?

The theme of this story is essentially the response that the characters have to an attempt to educate them about getting a better life for themselves.
I believe it is significant to educate to get rid of poverty, but the truth is, and the story shows, that it is extremely difficult. As shown in the story, the kids are very happy when they don't realize what they are "missing out" on. When we read Nickel and Dimed last summer, I remember that when Eihnreich (I am not sure how to spell her name) tried to talk to the other maids (when she worked in a maid service) about what she was trying to accomplish by writing the book, many of them were simply disinterested. However, the other thing that many people have to realize is that although being in poverty certainly isn't a good thing, what is important is being happy- and money certainly doesn't mean that (ok it's a little cliche but still far too many people fail to see it). Sometimes the people without all the money and the "things" are the people that need to be teaching the lesson to the people that do have everything- because people tend to put way to much value on their material possessions, and their money. Not only does having money not mean everything.... it hardly really means anything. Not that education isn't a great thing... of course the kids should be educated, and of course they should know what is out there beyond what they know- but it should be recognized that people can be happy in all walks of life if they learn to put less worth on their money and more worth on more important things.

I Stand Here Ironing

"I Stand Here Ironing" is a story about the daughter of the narrator; her life as she grew.

What is the daughter's name?
Why did the mother emphasize how much she nursed Emily?
What is the effect of a father leaving have on a child?

Though I am not a mother, and don't plan to be for quite a while, I felt a connection with the mom. Simply because the story is so well-written; but it really allows you to understand the love that the mother has for her child. However it struck me as odd how she compared Emily to the other children- and she didn't even list many of the other childrens' names. It was as though Emily was the only one that truly mattered to her, and she felt in some ways as though she had failed Emily because of how melancholy she always was. The comedy is the fascinating aspect, to the mother. "How did she get that comedy?" is kind of the repeated theme and question for the piece. Her mother is convinced that it was obviously not from her own childhood. However I believe that in some ways, one can receive comedy from less than pleasant experiences. Like a coping mechanism, in a way... comedy could be a way for her to escape from it. Though at the same time, her childhood didn't sound too terribly painful... her mother was loving. So her comedy could have come from this.