Eighteen-year-old José was forcibly separated from his family and drafted into the army. Later that year, rebels attacked his garrison. Although they were easily suppressed, José knew that it was the beginning of something much bigger. Five years later, José, now the commander of Battalion 18, was ordered to attack the rebel base in the Sierra Maestra. The attack was a disaster, and his battalion was encircled. The rebel leader Castro, a former classmate of José, called on him to surrender. José, who was loyal to his country but despised the dictator Batista, would internally conflict between his two options before ultimately defecting to the rebels. José would develop from a patriotic nationalist into a hardened revolutionary. The journal closes out with José leading the Cuban army to victory against counterrevolutionaries.

After rebel victory in 1959, José would constantly reflect on the question: after all the blood spilled, all the lives lost, and all the time wasted, did it really bring any change to the society? Though nothing is ever quite so simple, he believed the answer to be yes. Although Cuba ended up with another dictator, at least the lives of the people were significantly improved. Instead of living in hardship under ruthless landlords, they could now interact in harmony, own the land they rightfully deserve, and enjoy quality education and healthcare. José would end his life as a pacifist and published many books on his experiences during the revolution.

Revolutions spread like wildfire and cannot be contained once it has won the hearts of the people. This is the herioc tale of how a group of less than a hundred fought against an entire army. From bloody Batista to communist Castro, this is the Cuban Revolution in plain English.

Renaissance Humanists

Renaissance humanism was a worthwhile experiment but given that it happened in a time when the church was still pretty much predominant, the ideology did encounter many obstacles. I believe that humanism, despite its many advantages, was not flawless, for the core of it all was the study of classical culture, which could be not completely correct, since old ideas may be outdated or just wrong. I agree with secularism and that no supernatural beings exist, but the belief that all humans are good does not seem very realistic. Overall, I agree with humanism 60%.

Click here to view the found poem

My found poem included bits and pieces from the entire story. Thank you, M’am taught the story of a boy, Roger, who originally attempted to steal the purse of the “large woman”, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, but who later came to regret his actions by the kindness of Mrs. Jones.

The first part of my found poem explained the first part of the conflict, the attempted robbery, the second part described the inner struggle of the boy, the third part depicted the thoughts of Mrs. Jones, and the fourth part portrayed the thankfulness of the boy to Mrs. Jones.

Hyperlinks:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/458778.Thank_You_M_Am

https://americanliterature.com/author/langston-hughes/short-story/thank-you-mam