HW 27: What Makes Riverbend Bend?

This is the bibliography for Baghdad Burning: Riverbend. Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog From Iraq. The University of New York, NY: The Feminist P, 2005. 1-286. I believe that this book is similar to the class A Blog of Ones Own because it serves to focus on woman and the struggles they face. In class, we talked about Virginia Woolf and her book A Room of Owns One which also focuses on woman beliefs and woman rights. Woman, especially Iraqi woman, are the focus in Riverbend’s blog Baghdad Burning. This blog, which was later published into a book, is all about capturing the events of a young woman who faces challenges and obstacles in her everyday life as an Iraqi. Riverbend purposely writes this blog to 1. Experience her life in the war and to speak out about the reality of what is going on and 2. To show people that she DOES know English and that she IS educated. Some people are actually skeptical when reading the blog or the book because they think that she might not be Iraqi. Riverbend essentially laughs at these assumptions because they are being stereotypical. They think that Iraqi people don’t own computers or Televisions. For the most part, readers get connected to what she is saying when they are reading her blog. If Riverbend doesn’t respond or post any recent blogs, readers become nervous. I know people say: “No news is good news” but that is not the case. We, at home, are wondering is she and her family made it through the bomb or gun fires in which she speaks about. Riverbend explains in dept her everyday life in the mist of the war so well, that people become concerned whether or not she is still alive.

HW 25: Riverbend Den

In the foreword of “Baghdad Burning”, we are introduced in the introduction to a young woman of 24 named Riverbend. This is not her real name. Riverbend is just a stage name because she blogs anonymously. If her name was to get out, there would be controversy because she talks a lot about the US and other notorious subjects. We learn in the forward that Riverbend has a brother named E. She also lives with her mother. When people talk about Anti-American Riverbend gets frustrated because she watches American movies and listens to Brittney Spears the same way we do. Also, Riverbend states “Why does America identify itself with its military and government” (Soueif viii). Which is a very complicated question for any American. Soueif also argues with the reader that Riverbend is well educated and speaks good English. He stresses that she didn’t have to write these blogs. In the introduction, the author Ridgeway talks about Riverbend’s life. He explains how Riverbend and her brother would sit on the rooftop and listen to the tanks and gunshots. That is very scary. He basically explains the background and history of the war. The Persian Gulf War in 1991 and the 2003 war were the couple of wars that he mentioned. He also just wanted to prepare the reader for some of the horrific events that Riverbend will experience and he wants us to know that we will experience these events like she did because they become real.

HW 24: My Room-Woman

I do have a room of my own. Even though I live in my dorm, that is not the place that I like to think and collect my feelings. My room at home is actually the place I like to think for the most part. Even though I don’t have access all the time, when I am home, I take full advantage. I took a Woman History class in high school and this quote was actually stated in that class and I remember it. “One could not go to the map and say Columbus discovered America and Columbus was a woman; or take an apple and remark, Newton discovered the laws of gravitation and Newton was a woman; or look into the sky and say airplanes aeroplanes are flying overhead and aeroplanes were invented by woman.” (Woolf 85). This actually brings me to a life experience because I somehow thought that woman are going to take over the world. Even with Hilary Clinton taking a chance. But, I found out that maybe that will still never happen even though it has gotten better, I don’t think that it will never happen. People are shutting her down. “It is fatal to be a man or woman pure and simple; one must be woman-manly or man-womanly. (Woolf 104). I love this quote because it is so true! There can never be a just a man or just a woman. We are all combined and like each other. There is no possible way that someone can be like that because this is how god created us. Then why is woman so degrading even to this day?

HW 23: Jezebel Absurd with Apologies to Woolf

Clearly, my mind has by no means “Woman Who Date Married Men Make No Apologies, But Plenty of Excuses.” (http://jezebel.com/gossip/foreign-affairs/woman-who-dates-married-men-makes-no-apologies-but-plenty-of-excuses-313988.php.) On the contrary Alliyah, the 25 year old model harassed and distracted with hates and grievances, left her then a man. The human race is split up for her into two parties. He then man the “opposing fraction”; he is hated and feared. However, he was diminished for a non other married soul. He is far greater than some bum. Meeting in the bar. In fact she has the power to bar her way to what she wants to do--- which is to…do her hair different. This paragraph was taken and revised. (Woolf 59) The blog that I was watching was Jezebel. I wanted to pick this because it is completely opposite of something that Virginia Woolf would watch. But, I think that she would respond to the article in that way. Because it is opposite of the things she talks about men with.

HW 22: Woolf Isn't She Ironic?

After reading A Room of Ones Own by Virginia Woolf I noticed a lot of irony and sarcasm. She seems very sarcastic and ironic when she states “Woman do not write books about men--a fact that I could not help welcoming with relief, for if I had first to read all that men have written about woman, then all that woman have written about men, the aloe that flowers once in a hundred years would flower twice before I could set pen to paper” (Woolf 27). I think that she is being sarcastic because she is basically she is saying that there is too many books to read about men talking about woman and woman talking about men. Also, I think that this is ironic because she is says that woman don’t write books about men and she is actually writing about men in this book. She also says “When the arguer agues dispassionately he thinks only of the argument; and the reader cannot help thinking of the argument too” (Woolf 34). This is very ironic because she is arguing passionately about arguing passionately and she still is thinking about the argument. I found this next quote very ironic because she is talking “bad” about men in this book. She states “I found myself adopting a new attitude towards the other half of the human race” (Woolf 38). As she says “It is useless to ask such questions; for nobody can answer them” (Woolf 40). I think that this is ironic because she is answering these questions day by day by living life. I think that she has a really strong opinion in the way that males and females are different. I believe that by living life and hitting challenges on her way, she is answering them in her own way.

HW 21: Dear Amy...

Dear Amy,
I actually did read the book “A Room of Ones Own”. I actually read it in my Blogging class a couple of months ago and I thought it was confusing too! I know it is a hard read, but I will do my best to try to help you. Don’t freak out. It will be OK. I actually really did like this book. My blogging class is talking about woman and woman’s rights. I bet that is what your English teacher wanted to portray. So in chapter one, the narrator Mary is asked to describe woman and fiction. Which she thinks it is really difficult to do. She says that she needs money and one room to think. She thinks by the river bend in Oxbridge. As she does that she thinks of fish and grabbing ideas in the river. Then a guy named beetle tells her that woman cannot be on the grass, so she has to move. In my opinion and the way I took it, it was degrading to woman. I think that if you take each sentence and break it down then you might be able to understand it better. That is what I did. I think that it is hard to understand, because there are a lot of symbols figures. But, just take it slow and read it maybe a couple of times. If you have any other questions about chapter 1, just email me back ok? Don’t get stressed out it will be alright.
Sincerely, Kerri

HW 19: Its Taking Over the World all to Quick!

I chose the second paragraph on page 85. I found this paragraph interesting because I found out how much politics have really taken over in the blogging world. This paragraph talks about how much the blogging has effected politics and the mainstream media. The White House Internet Director by the name of Jimmy Orr, stated that blogging is “instrumental, important, and underestimated in its influence.’ What Orr really means is that blogging has been looked at lightly and not taken serious by some people. When it is actually very important and useful. But, it can also get you into trouble. Consider Trent Lott, for example. In December of 2002 he was resigned as U.S. Senate leader for making provocative comments at Sen. Thurmond’s 100th birthday party. Even though he got fired, it did make some news in the media. Which is why I believe that blogging while go big and global. Once the media gets a handle on these incidents, then blogging will be known. My conclusion, then, is that since politics is taken over our country and blogging is taken over politics, then blogging will defiantly take over the country. You watch, it will happen.