Oleanna by David Mamet

I read this play to fulfill my final genre requirement for the year. I find it somewhat difficult to read plays because there is a major performance component in them. When we read them in class, such as Antigone and Brighton Beach Memoirs, each character is read by a different person with the intended inflections. However, when I read Oleanna independently, it required me to not only read the play, but also imagine it being performed.

Aside from that, I was still not a fan of the plot of the play. It followed a discussion between a professor and one of his college students. I found the tone to be too angry and the plot did not really go anywhere. The discussion did not lead anywhere and I thought the ending did not really fit the rest of the story. Also, because the dialogue was only between two people, I found myself bored often. I would only recommend this book to drama lovers, who would probably be more likely to analyze the underlying discussion. I would still like to find other plays to read so that I can become more used to understanding them, rather than having to see them being performed.

The House at Sugar Beach by Helene Cooper

I read this book for the literature circle unit of English. At first, I wasn't sure that I would enjoy reading the book and discussing it with my group. But after the first meeting, I found that a lot can be added to the book through others' insight. On top of liking my group, I really loved the book. It had an excellent balance of history and memories of Liberia and Helene's life. The fact that it was a true story really amazed me. Helene is clearly a great writer, as evident from her job as a journalist. The book was well-written and really inspiring. She stressed the importance of intervening in conflict and never fleeing from home.

Helene's lesson of intervention and struggle with it reminded me of Paul from Rwanda. There was little intervention in both Rwanda and Liberia, which enhanced the conflict in both areas. Throughout the story, Helene learned the importance of facing problems, rather than saving yourself the trouble of dealing with them. The one quote I remember most clearly from the book is when Helene is nearly killed in a Humvee accident while covering the war in Iraq. At the end of the chapter she states that she shouldn't be in Iraq; if she is going to die in a war, it should be in Liberia. After running away from her family and homeland, Helene realized that the home is the most important place to be. She also demonstrates that you cannot correct prior wrongs and become a better person through your actions.

This book was very inspirational and it kept me interested through every page. I would definitely recommend it to everyone. It is a great read!