Final Post

Over the course of this semester we have looked at several different works by several different authors. Each story, poem, and drama helped me to better understand literature. The works we studied showed me how writers often write about what they know. Mark Twain wrote about the river and life in the towns along it. Fitzgerald wrote about people who struggled for wealth and lived unhappy lives because of it. Even Williams included much of his own personal struggles in his drama. This class has taught me that the some of the best fiction stories are founded in reality. In my last post I mentioned my writing class that I have been taking this semester. Being able to read these works and learn a little bit about there authors helped me to be able to write stuff for that class. This class has taught me a lot and I have really enjoyed being a part of it.

As I looked at the different authors we have read about this semester I believe there is a common theme between some of them. We read that F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote in a way that reflected his own life. His relationship with his own wife and his quest for wealth are found in his stories, Mark Twain was the same way. His writings often reflected his own childhood and life on the river. I have also read that Mark Twain wanted to be rich. Unlike Fitzgerald he never gained the wealth he desired. These two did seem to have a lot in in common though and I think it was weird that they became writers for the money.

Novels, Dramas, and Poems

Over the last several months we have looked at many different types of writing. Everything from poems by Robert Frost to novels by people like F. Scott Fitzgerald. While taking this class I have also been taking a writing class online. In that class we have learned many of the different rules that go into writing each genera. I am glad I took these two classes at the same time because they help to explain each other very well. While learning how to write each of these genera's I have come to appreciate the stuff we have read even more. It takes more than just a good idea and a few characters to make something worth reading, this is why I enjoyed the writings in this class. Each of the authors wrote because they had a story worth reading.

Comparative Works

As I look at the different authors of stories we have read I still believe Mark Twain is my favorite. I have been comparing works like "The Great Gatsby" or "The Red Badge of Courage" to Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn". While each of these stories are enjoyable in their own way, "Huck Finn" is by far my favorite. Every time I read the novel it reminds me of the first time I read it as a child. Mark Twain's stories have that feeling to them. He has a way of bringing out the child in a reader. I have really enjoyed being able to compare these stories and authors.