Literature Assignment: Reader Response Three - Personal Coat of Arms

The third Reader Response for my literature class is to read a group of text from our text book, Text Book: Writing Through Literature and create a Personal Coat of Arms. I put my fertile mind to work and decide to take it to the next level or so and do three things. I will create my crest in PhotoShop because I am a graphic designer and that is what I do. Taking it to the next level is what I have learned to do at UTD in Arts and Humanities in the Fine Arts Department. Blame them.

In the readings this week, "Names and Professions" by A. A. Roback, I learn that originally names were a reflection a man’s occupation. So the process I use for this assignment will reflect mine. This process is a traditional way I make Christmas cards. The process is a secret, but meaningful to me. The next thing I will do is blog the whole process. This is another tradition. I blog my Christmas card art whether it is the computer quilt process I am using in the coat of arms or watercolor. I am also going to comment on the text because I am a writer and writers also have an opinion on EVERYTHING.

I am the curious type, so I look up my family crest. My maiden name is West. It is Irish and here is our crest. I thought I might let this influence me.

From a site called All Family Crests

Significance of colors and animal in the crest

Gold: Generosity

Green: Hope, Loyalty

Black: Constancy, Grief

The Leopard: Valiant and Enduring Warrior

We are to take this simple coat of arms outline. Answer a few questions and illustrate our answer.

First question 1. Something that you feel you contribute to the lives of others.

I decide to use a recent photo I took on my lunch break. It represents the way I see the world. I hope I bring life, beauty, passion and art to the lives of others. I love tulips. They remind me of my childhood in Ohio. Tulips symbolize perfect love. The red tulip in particularly symbolizes true love.

We read from the text about Romeo and Juliet. The text is the famous balcony scene when Juliet laments her separation from her true love. Their names point to the fact that she is in love with her enemy. Romeo overhears her lament and denies his name in order to reveal his love. His name becomes beloved. Ah the dilemmas we call love.

Second Question: Something that you dislike, hate, or find troublesome. This was very easy to decide. I hate gossip. I have been extremely hurt by it. I have to admit it has unfortunately shaped my life. For the most part, for a long time I remind silent. That is the title of this self portrait; Silence. It is what someone should do when tempted to spread falsehood or things they know thing about but have no business repeating.

Third Question: Something you have accomplished.


One of the biggest accomplishments of my life is not something I did alone, but am a part of. I was instrumental in the concept design of a very large stained glass window for my church. I am writing a book about it.

Fourth Question: What is something you really want.

I want to finish this painting. It is called, The Way Home. It is a work in progress. I guess a home always is. I want a peaceful place for my boys to call home whether they live with me or not, a place they can always come home to. I have fought for this, now I am struggling for this. I want them to know that they are loved

Fifth Question: Something that is keeping you from achieving this.

Heaven is our real home and the painting suggests that too. The image is taken from the book of Revelation. The painting depicts the river of life and the tree of life as described in Revelation 22. What keeps us from heaven is what keeps us from peace while on earth. That is sin. Our sins and the sins of others keep us from loving others as we should. Thankfully the way to heaven does not depend on me. Thankfully I can know peace in my heart here and now.

Sixth Question: Jelly beans who are important to you.

Sean, Cassie and Scott

Sean Alexander was named after Sean Connery. We are both a bit Irish. We liked the name and the movie Zardoz. It is a really cool science fiction fantasy. Interestingly enough Sean loves science fiction fantasy. His middle name we thought sounded good with Sean. It is after Alexander the Great. No relation, but we found out later Sean's great grandmother's favorite uncle was Alexander and he was Irish.

Scott Nicholas was names after his father's middle name. We are both a bit Scottish. Nicholas is for Csar Nicholas. We thought it fit with Sean's name. We used to call him Scotty Nick. He was/is adorable.

In the text "From Hidden Names and Complex Fate," Ralph Elllison, like my sons struggle with a BIG middle name. His full name is Ralph Waldo Ellison. A reference to Emerson. It causes him a great deal of confusion as a child. His dad liked to read. As an adult he hid the name with a W.