User:Contributorisme/sandbox

Research Journal Entry #1
On the first day of class(ENG103),I made an account on Wikipedia.I learned how to edit and go around in Wikipedia. I learned how to use the sandbox and practiced on citation. I also learned how to navigate through sandbox. For example, using the headings and cite using MLA format.

Research Journal Entry #2
Today I learned a little bit more about Wikipedia in class. I learned that Wikipedia shouldn't be the last source for an research paper but could be first. The word "wiki" in Wikipedia means quick in Hawaiian which makes a lot more sense to me now because people use Wikipedia as a first source for quick information that is already laid out. In class, I learned what a summary, paraphrase and quotation is. I learned it is best to use as less quotation in your paper and use paraphrase instead because it is just less of a hassle. We got put into groups to practice paraphrasing.

Research Journal Entry #3
In the beginning of class we reviewed how to summarize, paraphrase and quote. After that we had to get into our groups from the previous class to evaluate another group's paraphrase. I learned that an essay isn't a summary but an paper with a thesis statement with body paragraphs supporting it. I also learned each body paragraph must consist a topic sentence starting it off with evidence and commentary after it.

Research Journal Entry #5
Today I learned how to look for a article/journal through Laguardia's library page. I also learned how to cite a journal/article using MLA format and how to use bullet points while using Wikipedia's sandbox. In class we read 2 articles and had to point out the main ideas of each passage.

Research Journal Entry #6
In the beginning of class, we went over what ideas what could've used in our paper if the topic was feminist thoughts. After we finished discussing contributions to feminist thoughts, we finished the last reading for research assignment 3 by summarizing main points. Lastly, we picked our readings for research assignment 5.

Research Journal Entry #7
In the first half of the class we presented in groups on research assignment #5. We stated out the main points in the readings. Towards the ending of class we began writing our research paper proposal and have to pick our topic on our research paper.

Research Journal Entry #8
Today in class we worked in teams to write a first draft on putting together a topic sentence that summarizes the main idea of article. We also had to back up our topic sentences with sources from the article. At the end of class we went over about the research paper and proposal.

Research Journal Entry #9
Today we continued to work in our previous groups from last week and worked on first draft. The second half of class, we have to give in a working thesis.

Research Journal Entry #10
Today we had to revise our article sections and create a third draft. Towards end of class, we continued to work on our first draft of the research paper.

Citation Practice
Octavia Butler was shy as a child.

Wild Seeds, Chapter 1-4
Anyanwu finally meets Doro, who have been following/spying on her for quite some time. Anyanwu means “sun” and Doro means “the east-the direction from which the sun comes”. Anyanwu is about three hundred years old and have been a slave twice in her lifetime. Anyanwu’s mother was a witch that made medicine to cure disease and protect the people from evil. Anyanwu have powerful hands which she can also jump over wide rivers. She can kill things within herself such as diseases. Doro and Anyanwu accepted each other as wife and husband. In Anyanwu’s opinion, Doro killed too easily. Doro is a thief that brings people who are different from each other together to become a stronger new person. Doro convinced Anyanwu to leave her village to go with him to his village. On the way to Doro’s village, Anyanwu supported Doro by healing him and providing meals so that he wouldn’t have to kill people. They both stole a canoe and paddles to cross a river which brang them to a beach which he visits his worker Daly. On the island, Anyanwu finds out that Daly sold many of her people to white men as slaves except for Okoye. They then get on a boat which was runned by Doro.

Wild Seeds, Chapter 5-6
While traveling on Doro’s ship heading to Doro’s village in the United States, Anyanwu meets two of Doro’s son Issac and Lale. During a terrible storm, Anyanwu for the first time witnesses the power of Doro’s favorite son Issac. She saw him control the wind which he sped the ship through water to keep everyone on board safe. On the other hand, Lale which is the sensitive and troublesome one have the power to send and receive thoughts. One night, Lale enters Anyanwu’s room so he can try to control Anyawu’s mind which she was forced to kill Lale by turning into a leopard. She regained her strength by feeding off his flesh. Anyanwu also learns how to turn into dolphin and shark by the help of Issac but while she is in animal form, Doro can’t feel her in his mind which he’s unable to kill her. When they reached Doro’s village Anyanwu got introduced to civilization by Issac and Doro. Doro then reveals his plan to her which is for Issac and Anyanwu to marry each other for breeding purposes. Anyanwu of course argued about that situation but later got convinced into doing that because of her and Issac’s conversation.

Wild Seeds, Chapter 7-10
Soon 50 years have passed which means Issac is getting old because he isn’t immortal. Anyanwu and Doro isn’t in good terms due to the fact that Doro got Anyanwu and his son to get married. Anyanwu have 5 children with Issac and 8 with Doro. She also got forced into having sex with a farmer named Thomas. After Anyanwu got pregnant with Thomas, Doro killed him to show Anyanwu who’s the man and for her to fear him. Issac is the only one around Doro that didn’t have fear. Doro had thoughts of killing Anyanwu but Issac gave him reasons not to. Anyanwu’s youngest daughter Nweke starts to transition. During Nweke’s transitioning, Anyanwu would be a good mother and take care of her till the end of the process. Neweke unintentionally kills Issac and Anyanwu uses her skills to heal him but eventually fails. Later on Nweke also dies and a funeral is held for her and Issac. Even though there is a funeral held for both, Anyanwu wouldn’t attend. After all of this disaster, Anyanwu becomes Doro’s enemy and leaves Doro by turning into a dolphin which keeps her at peace.

Wild Seeds, Chapter 11-"Epilogue"
After Anyanwu transforms into a dolphin, we end up in Louisiana. We get introduced to Edward Warwick, he was the third body who Doro ended up in. Doro is on the hunt for Anyanwu. He felt that she was missing in his life and it wouldn’t feel right living without her. We find out that Anyanwu is running away from Doro because she is worried that she will be killed by Doro, since he’s an aggressive person to be around. Doro over the years has settlements all over the world such as Canada, Mexico, Kentucky, and Brazil. Ever since Doro went to look for Anyanwu in human form, all he could ever think about is how there were times he sparred Anyanwu instead of killing her because he really loves her and he wanted to change for her. Doro finally finds Anyanwu and they catch up with each other. Doro almost kills Anyanwu but decides not to because he really wants her. Anyanwu becomes pregnant with Doro’s kid. Few weeks after Anyanwu has the kid, she almost commits suicide and decides to move to California, and transition into Emma Anyanwu.

Research Assignment 1
Octavia E. Butler was born on June 22, 1947 in Pasadena, California. She began her writing career in the 1970s. She lost her father when she was very young and was raised by her mother. Her mother worked as a maid in a white household which she would bring home books and magazines that the white families no longer wanted. Octavia E. Butler would get picked on because of her shyness and height. Even though Octavia was dyslexic, it didn’t stop her passion for books. At the age of ten, she begged her mother to buy her a typewriter which she typed her stories with two fingers. Octavia later earned an associate degree from Pasadena City College. She also studied with Harlan Ellison at the Clarion Fiction Writers Workshop. In 1976, Octavia published her first novel, Patternmaster. In 1978, she stopped working at temporary jobs and lived on her own writing. In 1995, Octavia became the first science-fiction writer that got awarded with a prize of $295,000. In 1999, she moved to Lake Forest Park, Washington because of the death of her mother. Her last book became a science-fiction vampire novel called “Fledgling” because she became very depressed of the Parable novels. In 2005, Octavia was introduced into Chicago State University’s International Black Writers Hall of Fame. At the age of 58, Octavia died outside of her home in Lake Forest Park, Washington on February 24, 2006.

Research Assignment 2
Lynn, E. “Vampires Aliens, and Dodos,”


 * Wild Seed came to Africa in the 1690's and it lasted in the New World until the Civil War took over.
 * Explains what it means to be human.
 * Also talks about the superhuman powers mentioned in Wild Seed.
 * Anyanwu is important to Doro for breeding purposes which he can produce humans with both his and Anyanwu's powers.

"Doro's existence is obsessively dedicated to breeding a line of people with various psychic gifts, and for his people he is God. Anyanwu is forced to join the gene pool, to pass on her abilities of healing, shape-changing and great physical strength to Doro's people."

Pfeiffer, “Octavia Estelle Butler (b. 1947),”


 * The struggle of the characters are gender roles.
 * Doro comes out as a hero in this book.
 * Discuss Doro’s long life and his ability and goes into detail of Anyanwu.
 * The relationship of Doro and Anyanwu is preview of how each mortal may feel about each other in the mortal world.

“Doro and Anyanwu Dramatizes a fundamental conflict between the affinity a solitary immortal male and female might feel for one another in a world of mortals”

Bishop. M. “Wild Seed,”


 * Oldest love stories around.
 * Doro's an old immortal who steals the bodies of people to survive.
 * Anyanwu is a immortal whom can heal which is the good to Doro's evil.

“A love story, then, but one in which love is annihilated by betrayal, threat, and active cruelty, only to reassert itself, tentatively, in Anyanwu’s melancholy acceptance of Doro’s inhuman nature.”

Research Assignment 3
Govan, S. Y. “Connections, Links, and Extended Networks: Patterns in Octavia Butler’s Science Fiction,” pages 82-84.


 * 4-5 books on power struggle of a super-race/mutant/psionic.
 * Creation of super race-Doro breeds people.
 * "Wild Seed"- Anyanwu,
 * Power Struggles-Breeder with agenda=Doro (taste good), He's looking for companion/immortal.
 * Nurturing healer-Anyanwu,He needs her genes, LOVE=changes struggles.
 * New type of Science Fiction.
 * Black protagonists.
 * West African history culture->replicated in the relationships of the mutants.
 * Middle Passage,Slavery in America.
 * Myth:New Genesis(Like Adam&Eve),Superhuman VS. Regular humans,Erasing race/racism.

Govan, S. Y. "Connections, Links, and Extended Networks: Patterns in Octavia Butler's Science Fiction." Black American Literature Forum 18.2 (Summer 1984): 82-84.

Salvaggio, R. “Octavia Butler and the Science-Fiction Heroine,” pages 78; 80-81.
 * (Feminists viewpoint)-Article context:white,male,sexist and racist environment.
 * Fight within the power,structure to change, the power structure.
 * She writes about strong black female protagonists.
 * Male-dominated,Goal is freedom.

Salvaggio, R. “Octavia Butler and the Science-Fiction Heroine.” Black American Literature Forum. 18. 2 (Summer 1984): 78-81.

Govan, S. Y. “Homage to Tradition: Octavia Butler Renovates the Historical Novel,” pages 79-88; 94-95.


 * Renovating historical novels-Gone with the wind.
 * Slave narrative
 * Fantasy
 * Injecting science fiction into historical narratives, specially related to the African-American experience.
 * Africa is a cultural backdrop<-Cultural kinship networks.
 * Anyanwu's "material" side as a cultural legacy.

Govan, S. Y. “Homage to Tradition: Octavia Butler Renovates the Historical Novel,” MELUS 13. 1/2 (spring-summer 1986): 79-96.

Research Assignment 4
Holden, R.J. “‘I began writing about power because I had so little’: The Impact of Octavia Butler’s Early Work on feminist Science Fiction as a Whole (and on One Feminist Science Fiction Scholar in Particular).”


 * Feminist point of view.
 * African mythology.
 * Strong black female protagonist.
 * Cyborg/multiple layered identities/flexibility
 * Race&Gender

"As Butler worked through her various renditions of feminist characters, she significantly affected the course of feminist s£ More than simply focusing on Mrican-American female protagonists, Butler raised new questions about women's bodies, relationships, and responsibilities but rarely left us with definitive answers or visions of feminist triumph found in other feminist sf of the time."

Duchamp, L.T. “‘Sun Woman’ or ‘Wild Seed?’ How a Young Feminist Writer Found Alternatives to White Bourgeois Narrative Models in the Early Novels of Octavia Butler.”


 * Political and social struggles.
 * Feminist struggles.
 * Gender oppression.
 * Struggles between Doro and Anyanwu.
 * Difference between good and evil.
 * Regular human beings against super humans.

"Gender oppression, feminist like myself realized, is too complicated to be seen as a simple matter of men existing power over women, and new ways of conceputlizing not only the complexities of political and social oppression but also personal agency and political freedom are needed."

Research Assignment 5
Alaimo, S. “Skin Dreaming”: The Bodily Transgressions of Fielding Burke, Octavia Butler, and Linda Hogan,”


 * Body-Darwin-Survival of the fittest.
 * Body-Romance-Seperate from nature.
 * Body-Descantes-Mind-Doro.-Body-Anyanwu.
 * Body-sucks less apart object(reject).
 * Anyanwu also "reads" but with her body.
 * Anyanwu's body cannot be "read" when she turns into an animal.
 * Messiness-cyborg.
 * Human&nature.
 * Ecofeminism-she escapes into nature.

"Octavia Butler's Wild Seed and Linda Hogan's poetry in The Book of Medicines challenge the dominant dichotomies by envisioning bodily transgressions and corporeal crossings. They transform the body from a site of abjection into a means of connection. Instead of displacing corporeality onto the bodies of racially marked others, as Ishma does in Call Home the Heart, they displace the Cartesian and social Darwinist ideologies that cast the body as abject by rewriting the body as a place of power, knowledge, and liminality."