Jordan Miles

  3/29 From Meatless Days / Sara Suleri Jordan Miles  "Meatless Days" is a memoir written by Sara Suleri, a Pakistani author. In this book, Suleri shares personal essays and reflections on her life growing up in Pakistan and later studying and teaching in the United States and England. The title "Meatless Days" is about the days when her family would not consume meat due to religious or cultural reasons. However, the title, I think could be interpreted as a symbol of the different types of hardships and losses that Suleri and her family faced. Suleri talks about Pakistani society, including the effects of colonialism, religious and ethnic problems, and challenges for women. She also talks about her own experiences as a woman, showing a personal and interesting perspective of her life and what she considers her identity, racially, and as a woman. She writes, "I decided that the only way to reclaim my own voice was to write myself back into existence." This ...

 Blog 25: 3/27 From Motherwit / Onnie Lee Logan In "Motherwit," Onnie Lee Logan tells her experiences growing up as a midwife and healer in rural Alabama. Throughout the book, Logan shares insight and experiences across many lessons, such as the importance of community and the power of education. Logan relied on traditional methods to help women during childbirth and treat various patients. She believes A healer needs to have the gift of seeing beyond the physical, to the spiritual. she shows how genuinely caring she is through her writing and life's purpose.  Logan emphasizes the importance of providing support and guidance to individuals during hardship. She writes, "We were all part of a larger family, a larger body. Everybody helped everybody else out"  Logan emphasizes the importance of giving something back to the community, writing, "I made my living off the people, and it was my responsibility to give something back to them"  It is not surprisi...

 Jordan Miles  The Life and Words of a ! Kung Woman by Nisa is a book written by Marjorie Shostak about her life experiences with Nisa who is a member of the tribe living in the Kalahari Desert. The story explores major ideas and themes similar to the ones we have read about in various memoirs such as gender roles and relationships, as well as diving into the traditions and beliefs of the culture. She brings attention to some of the challenges they faced due to the cultural clashes between the Kung people with the arrival of Europeans and its effect on their culture and society. Something that stood out to me in the book is the gender roles present. They showed how the traditional role of women in society is the caregiver of the family and is responsible for tasks like cooking and cleaning. Whereas, the man's job is traditionally to provide food through hunting and being more of the protector role. The book shows the value of both men and women. A quote that shows this aspect ...

  In "The Woman Warrior," Maxine Hong Kingston shows her unique perspective on Chinese customs. She is fascinated by the stories and myths of her Chinese heritage but she also exposes the oppression and mistreated aspects of Chinese culture, especially toward women. She shows that she sees the significance of certain Chinese customs, such as the storytelling tradition that she got from her mother. But on the other hand, she struggles with these traditions with the realities of her life in America, where she faces discrimination and racism as a Chinese-American woman. She however shows so much perseverance thoruhout the story and demonstrates great ambition for her future. An example is seen when she says, "I am going to college. And I'm not going to Chinese school anymore. I am going to run for office at American scholar, and I am going to join clubs."(465). She is eager for a future she is going to work for and create for herself.  Her relationship with her par...

 Blog 22:  West with the Night / Beryl Markham  Beryl Markham's memoir, "West with the Night," is an account of her adventurous life as a pilot, racehorse trainer, and adventurer in Africa. The book is filled with vivid descriptions of her experiences, from growing up in the wilderness of Kenya to her historic solo flight across the Atlantic. One of the main aspects of the book is her adventure, as Beryl Markham's life was filled with numerous thrilling experiences and challenges. She faced many obstacles throughout her life, but her determination and resilience helped her overcome them and emerge stronger. In addition to adventure, the book also explores themes of independence and perseverance. Beryl Markham defied societal expectations and pursued her passions despite the odds. Her story is an inspiring reminder of the power of perseverance and the rewards of taking risks. She says at the end, “why am I sitting here dreaming of England? Why am I gazing at this...

Jordan Miles  Totto-chan / Tetsuko Kuroyanagi "Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window" is a memoir by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi that tells the story of her childhood and her experiences at a unique elementary school in Tokyo during the 1940s. The book emphasizes the importance of education and how the right kind of teaching can make a huge difference in a child's life. Totto-chan was expelled from her previous school because she was a very talkative child and her behavior was seen as disruptive. Her mother was worried about her future education, but she found a new school that was very different from the traditional schools she had attended before. At the new school, Totto-chan found a warm and welcoming environment where she was allowed to be herself and express her opinions freely.   She describes how the school created an environment that fostered creativity, curiosity, and independence in the children. It encouraged them to explore their interests and learn in their own w...

Jordan Miles  Blog 19: Out of Africa / Isak Dinesen Out of Africa is Isak Dinesen's memoir of her time in Africa as a woman who created and ran a coffee plantation and its impact on the rest of her life. During her time in Africa, she encountered many people and experiences that have shaped her life. Africa allowed her to find herself and find her passion for writing and literature. As a white woman living in Africa and experiencing a divorce during these times, Dinesen truly had to put herself out there to get by in such a foreign, mysterious place. I think through her writing  she draws a distinction between the differences between Africans and westerners. Particularly at the end in the last few paragraphs.    For example, she says, "A white man who wanted to say a pretty thing to you would write: "I can never forget you. The African says: we do not think of you, that you can ever forget us." It is interesting how the white man uses "I" and the African wo...

 Jordan Miles  Blog 19:  Landscape for a Good Woman / Carolyn Kay Steedman   The landscape for a Good Woman is Carolyn Kay Steedman's story she shares her and her mother's life and upbringing as a British Historian in the working class. She aims to share and bring light to the well-known assumptions of working-class life. She demonstrates her feminist views throughout her works and uses her own personal experiences to challenge the generalizations. She also describes many hardships that she faced growing up with her mother. She would often burden her by saying, "If it wasn't for you two I could be off somewhere else." These types of words clearly took a toll on Steedman because she would think, "we couldn't stay in the house or play on the doorstep without the fear of disturbing her. The house was full of her terrible tiredness and her terrible resentment, and I knew it was all my fault." (720). These sad feelings of being a burden are also carried o...