The Tell-Tale Heart By: Edgar Allan Poe

I was actually very excited to see an Edgar Allen Poe story as one of our reads. I have always found him to be one of the most iconic and literary talented authors from the 19th century. I've read this short story once before, but reading it again definitely freshened my memory, and I now happen to understand the core of it a bit better. There is nearly always an eery and dark note which Poe has almost stapled in all of his works. Maybe it's because I'm naturally a horror enthusiast, but even 100 years later, he manages to attract readers to his strange tales that exemplify the twisted workings of the human mind. Specifically inThe Tell-Tale Heart, this mystery narrator focuses on the annoyance of an old mans eye, which drives them so mad, that it makes them commit an insidious murder. The disturbing part is the narrators constant reassurance that they aren't crazy, and in such an eloquent manner. This person stalked and preyed on such a helpless old man for no reason at all. In the end, the powerful emotions of guilt and paranoia gets the best of them, and they fess up to the crime. The story really takes the reader through a madmans thoughts and actions. There is no real motive, only the dire need to appease their own warped desires, and that may be the creepiest aspect of this tale. I would recommend this story to a person who likes to delve into psychological thrillers, such as this one, or one who just enjoys a good, short and frightful read.

Everyday Use By: Alice Walker

I found this story by Alice Walker very uplifting. I believe it is a story which shines a light on societies misconstrued ideas on what heritage and culture truly is. In Dee's character, she is described as a very prude person, who thinks of herself higher than her sisters. She is pretty, more educated, and lighter than them. She has no true interest in her background until she comes back to visit her family after graduating from college. Here she is portrayed as"enlightened", perhaps more enlightened than her family on their heritage, a family she has somewhat forgotten about while she was away. Changing her name to Wangero, a prized African name, she comes off as a real changed woman. But her fraudulent and masquerade of her african pride is what really stands out above her drastic style of dress and extravagant jewelry. She has no concrete idea of what being a strong colored woman really is, she also cannot identify with the true culture since she departed from it long ago, and now sees it as the "cool" thing to be. She is too tied up in her own image and resumes to validate it with her being educated. Knowing your heritage is understanding the hardships and accepting them, alongside with understanding the beautiful concepts which make your heritage. These are the fundamental things a person must know to truly love who they are, and be proud of it, these are not things that you can just simply learn from reading a book. I would recommend this prideful story to anyone. it is a great read from a strong author who knows what adversity is, and has conquered it in many admirable ways.