A Bolt of White Cloth

                    “ Love Lies With The White Cloth”

                                     By: Blayne Jasper

            Thought the story “A Bolt of White Cloth” the author Leon Rooke tries to illustrate in the story that the white cloth is suppose to represent love.  Leon Rooke gets to the point by making the white cloth and love the main part in this story. He does a great deal of work showing how love matters and whoever decides they what a piece of cloth then they will have to show him how they can prove that they symbolize and show the meaning of love.

            As the author tells the story he also gives off some character archetypes at witch describe the character. In the story the Traveler could be considered a person that is a greasy and homeless, who is very fit and strong from walking in the hot sun for a long period of time. “ His shoes had big holes in them and you could see the blisters on the soles of his feet, but he had an air of exhilaration now. His hair fell down over his eyes and he shoved the dark locks back.” (Pg. 54) Another character in he story is the wife, and her personality in the story could be considered funny. “ My wife is a real joker, who likes nothing better than pulling a persons leg.” (Pg.51) Even though the wife is a bight of a jokester she could also be called a very hard working and old-fashioned person who likes to et her work done. “ She put his washtub of clothes in my hands, and went back to hanging wet pieces on the line.” (Pg. 52) When the story comes closer to the end I start to realize that the husband is telling the majority of the story by what he is looking at. The husband is a very pleasant person and loves everything about his wife, and how she likes to play jokes and tell good stories. After all the events he simply enjoys everything about his wife and the type of person she is. “ Funny thing was, hearing her say it, I felt the same way. It, them, that, those- they were all beautiful. I couldn’t deny it was love I was feeling.” (Pg. 53)  He really shows how love is and how loving someone can make the relationship a wonderful thing to have.

Throughout the story the author tends to use some extraordinary situations that happen with the characters. “The ordinary kind,” he said. “Your ordinary kind of love will buy this cloth.” (Pg.52) The author is starting to describe what the whole story is based upon. For this quotation he was acting out the traveler and begins to tell exactly what the traveler does. Soon after the wife tells the traveler all about love, and how she pretty much loves just about everything she could possibly love. “Practically everything! There isn’t any of it I’ve hated, and not much I’ve been indifferent to. Including cats. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.” (Pg. 53)  After those two quotations the author is trying to prove, and show you, that love doesn’t just have to be love for one another, but it can also be as simple as enjoying your house or anything that brings out the goodness and pleasure in yourself. Later on in the story the traveler begins to unroll the white cloth out onto the grass. The traveler said that the wife may have as much as she pleased. “ Hold up a minute,” the wife said. “ I don’t want to get greedy. I don’t want you rolling off more then we can afford.” (Pg.55).

“You can afford it,” the traveler said. (Pg. 55) What the author is trying to demonstrate with this situation is that love has no price tag, love can never be bought and it can be an endless amount.

 “A Bolt of White Cloth” also has some colorful symbolism in the story. Witch the author uses from time to time. “It was as if some giant dark bird had fluttered between us and the sun.” (Pg. 55) The author uses this colorful symbolism almost to create an image in your head; witch can be lead to more depth of thought throughout the story. “ Looks like a long white road, don’t it.” (Pg. 56) Once again the author creates imagery in your head, and for this symbolism he is trying to describe how long of piece of cloth is and how much the Traveler is rolling out on the grass.  He is trying to make the reader picture a long white road in order to give an image of what the cloth looks like on the grass.

In the end I think Leon Rooke did a very good job with this story. All thought out the story he managed to create a lot of detail and gives hints to why the title of the story is the way it is. The white cloth is suppose to represent love, because white is the color of purity, and when people get married the brides dress is always white and people get married, because they love each other. In that sense I think that white was the most suitable color for this story, because white can represent love in so many ways. White is clear and is clean and also has a very healthy look.

                                               Self Reflection

In this essay I was faced with some strengths and some weaknesses. Some of the challenges I faced with this essay was finding the right quotations that will give the right meaning to the readers. I handeld this challenge by collecting quotes as we went through this assignment. 

The Mysterious Macbeth

                                              The Mysterious Macbeth

                                                       By: Blayne Jasper

             Macbeth is a play that William Shakespeare wrote between 1603 and 1607. In this play many things happen that can cause an impact for prior actions made about a character.  Some might say that some characters in the movie may have experienced dangers when being influenced by hubris, but as the movie goes on some characters seem to be having lots of righteousness and the cost they pay for being this way makes up the majority of the movie. Righteousness having a cost may also tell how the person will live their lives whether they live a long live or a short life based on their doing.   

            Threw out the play the author develops an idea about the cost of righteousness for an individual. In the play this theme will illustrate that having righteousness is not a good thing and will soon turn into something very bad to the point were the character might have an early death. “If chance will have me, king, why, chance may crown me, without my stir.” (Act I, Scene iii, Line 154-156) Macbeth desires to be king so bad that he is willing to kill the king that is related to him just for a chance to rule more then he already does. Furthermore Macbeth being righteous means there will be a punishment for his transgression.  “Art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it.” (Act I, Scene V, Line 18-19) Lady Macbeth talks about how they plane on framing the murder so that Macbeth and her can kill the king and slip away without question. Their plan was to drug the guards and frame them making them look like they did the corruption, but for this act of wrong doing there will still be a price Lady Macbeth and Macbeth will pay for keeping the guards alive. 

            The Murder of Duncan takes place and Lady Macbeth and Macbeth are already starting to feel the pressure for their actions soon after the killing of the king. “ Glamis hath murder’d sleep: and therefore Cawdor Shall sleep no more: Macbeth shall sleep no more!” (Act II, Scene ii, Line 55-56) Describes how Macbeth talks about how he will never be able to sleep again. The righteousness is having a cost to how he will live after the horrible event that occurred. “ Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight with a new Gorgon: do not bid me speak” (Act II, Scene ii, Line 78-79) Macbeth seeing his relative dead on the floor was devastating and after killing him he was speechless. He has killed many people in battle, but this act of greed was so dreadful he could not speak no more.

            After the death of the king Macbeth starts to feel over confident. Macbeth wants to be crowned king so bad he rushes to the spot without question and takes the crown. Leaving him in a position as if he had planned the whole event just for a chance to be in the top spot. “  Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature Reigns the which would be feared tis much he dares” (Act III, Scene I, Line 54-55) Which talks about how he is now so fare up in royalty that thee is so much more risk about him getting in trouble or that someone will find out for the crime he did.  Even if Macbeth is king he still serves punishment for his action, which would be considered righteousness having a cost. Him not being able to sleep at night and having nightmares will haunt him for the rest of his life and everyday there’s a threat that there might be someone out there that knows just what he did the day of the murder.  In the end Macbeth had his head cut off and was killed for his righteousness and should have left things the way there were and stayed happy with all the money and fame he already had.

            In conclusion in every part of the play you will always see some type of righteousness having a cost cause to me thats what the whole play is based upon. The things Macbeth does in the play contribute to how the play is going to turn out and what types of events are going to come soon. All threw out the play there was a continuous use of righteousness having a cost and all threw out the play that is what determined the major parts.

                                                             Self Reflection
For this assignment I wasn't faced with many challenges. Some of the small challenges that I was faced with was having enough words to provide enough meaning to provide my reader with enough detail. I faced this challenge by working on it outside of class and spending time at home writing it. I have learned that when I do this I can accomplish more and receive a better mark for my work. 

             

The Dark Tuesday

                                    The Dark Tuesday

                                        By: Blayne Jasper

            One Tuesday afternoon, out by my father's truck stood my dirt bike on the trailer waiting to be tied down so that my father and I can drive off to the motocross track. Getting to the trailer I had to ratchet down the straps which felt as hard as climbing Mount Everest with out any equipment. Finally finishing I walked off to find my father who had been sitting in the garage peering though the window laughing at my struggle. After the embarrassment,we walked off to the truck and started it up, hearing the sound of the diesel engine was like the sound of an older tractor starting up in the middle of winter hearing the thumping sound as it shook your seat we took off down the driveway.

              As we cruise down the gravel road to the highway my nerves start to increase feeling like I had just flown down the biggest roller coaster in the world.  Finally reaching the highway my father and I turn on to the road for the motocross track thinking to my self that I am an hour away from the possibility of death.

            We finally arrive at the dirt bike track and I jump out of our diesel truck shaking in fear that today might be a day of regret. Walking to the back of the truck to unload the gear and get dressed and prepare for my racing that is going to begin shortly. After getting dressed I unloaded the dirt bike from the trailer, which seemed like it took ages. When I got my dirt bike started up it sounded like the sound of a chainsaw cutting down a tree. Then I was called to the gate to begin my race and find out just how my afternoon will turn out.

           

Lining up my front tire to the gate looking from side to side seeing all the riders as they start their engine and prep their bike for the race that is about to depart. Looking up seeing the young girl come walking out to the middle of the track waving the thirty second flag then she changes it to five seconds.  Then in a flash the gates drop and the race begins around the first corner we go in a huge group just like a herd of cattle.

The adrenalin takes over and the laps start to go by fast in a couple minutes I find myself in first position coming up on the second last lap. In the lead feeling like I just won the lottery I decide to give it my all on the last jump reaching the max speed on my dirt bike as I launch off the jump feeling as though I have just set a world record gliding threw the air glad to finally be able to say I cleared the finish line jump. Then in an instant the nose end of my bike dropped and my heart stopped dead in its tracks cringing as I fly into the ground as though a bomb had just gone off. Everything was black then the dust cleared and I got up in shock seeing the ambulance and people sprinting towards me as if I might be seriously injured. Finding my dirt bike I picked it up and headed off the jump in a hurry as my father and his friend got to me checking to see if I was okay. After they found out I was lucky and no serious injuries happened they straightened my handle bars witch were bent like some pipe in a metal bender.

Finally my bars were straight and I took off down the track to finish my final lap. Half way done the lap I start feeling pain in my arms and wonder if I have an injury. Toughing it out for the last half of the lap I find myself heading towards my fathers truck to see what the pain might be.  Setting my bike on its stand I pull up my sleeves finding three quarters of the skin on my arm gone on both my arms. Getting undressed and putting my gear away I pack up my bike and leave to leave thinking about what went wrong and soon realized that there are things that people can do to prevent my crash from happening. So next week I put it to the test and realized that my skills have increased and I did jumps that would have lead to a crash or problem. Soon I was racing and doing jumps more completive and will always believe that there is a solution for anything.

                                                       Self Reflection 

For this assignment I was faced with lots challenges. Most of the challenges I was faced with was having enough words to provide enough meaning to provide my reader with enough detail.Another challenge was trying to figure out the question so I knew what type of essay/ story I was writing.  I faced this challenge by working on it outside of class and spending time at home writing it. I have learned that when I do this I can accomplish more and receive a better mark for my work and become a better essay writer.