Greetings, rising seniors. As promised, this blog now rolls over to you, the Class of '13. As you work through your essay anthology, this is the place for you to write your observations. Remember that each of you in the AP course is expected to complete one post by 11:59 p.m. on July 1, and a second post by 11:59 p.m. on August 1.
The assignment is deliberately open-ended. For your first entry, choose one of the essays in the anthology I distributed to you. Comment on the author's tone, the argument of the piece, words or phrases with which you felt a connection, memories the piece sparked, ask questions (and attempt to answer them). If you feel stuck, each essay does have questions that follow it, and you may use those as a jumping-off point, but it is not required. In short, there is no "wrong" way to respond, except not to respond at all.
Enter your analysis/comments/observations/questions in the comment area below this post to receive full credit. Bonus points to the brave soul who goes first.
90 comments:
So the first story that I read was "On Going Home" by Joan Didion. The tone of the author was very nostalgic, because it seemed like she really loved her old home more than where she lived with her husband and daughter. I felt like it was a story of sweet memories, where the woman in the story remembered so much in her old home that she started to feel grief over the fact that she was not living there anymore. I liked the story, because it shows how "home" to someone is not their current home in which they live in, but where they had grown up, and it seems to never change. In the story, something that really stood out to me was the fact that the author stated “we live in dusty houses”. I think that just meant that, the house she was currently living in was not anywhere like the home she grew up in, and that it won’t ever feel the same way. The author had mentioned that when she thought of her old home she would think about the memories her and her family made and what she would talk about; things she normally wouldn’t talk about with her husband. And it seemed really sad that, she felt like she was not happy where she was. She never fails to remind her family that she will return very soon to see them again and that is actually very normal to feel that way. Because if you were not happy with the place you now live at, it is only right to long for your real home.
Lauren Ortega
6/15/12
The second story that I read was “We Do Abortions Here: A Nurse’s Story” by Sallie Tisdale. Before reading this story I was personally against abortion. It was very interesting to read because she never really answered the question over whether or not she had agreed or disagreed with abortion because she was always too busy doing something, or was always in a rush to get to the next woman who was coming in. I felt like the author was extremely descriptive, and really put a lot of detail into the emotions, thoughts, and feelings of the nurse, in which the reader could actually feel as if they were witnessing the experience. Tisdale does give a hint as to what she believes in, yet she still doesn’t answer the question fully and clearly. The painful thoughts that go through her head are talked about in the story in a way that really moves the reader to get a better understanding as to how it is for the life of a nurse who has to witness abortions being requested and confirmed by women that are really young. The author shows a great deal of her conversations with the patients and reveals a different perspective towards them all. This really leaves the reader knowing how difficult it can actually be for someone to have to go through this and yet still be able to wake up every morning and go through the same routine every day. Something that really bothered me about the story was that some of the young women would still want to see the child after the suction. Why would anyone want to see their dead baby? It’s not something to be proud of. Overall, I really found this story to be very interesting and it is written in a very realistic and sincere way where the readers can get a better idea of how cruel abortion is, and how it can really traumatize an individual.
Lauren Ortega
"An American Childhood" written by Annie Dillard was a story that I did not fully comprehend the meaning of until I read the end. I did, however, enjoy reading the mothers juvenile personality despite the fact that I wasn’t yet able to connect the points immediately. This story is told from the daughter’s perspective, so I enjoyed the idea of it being an outsider looking in. As I kept reading, I started to realize how the mothers child-like traits were her way of staying true to herself and she hoped to implement that same idea on over to all three of her daughters. It was as if the daughter learned along with the reader that all her mother wanted to do was teach her daughters that one of the most important things in life is to be yourself and if that takes going against the crowd, then so be it. My favorite part of the story was reading the, what some may call, jejune actions that her mother would take part in. I chuckled a bit when I read how the mother went over to the couple in the amusement park and made it seem as if the man was the father of her daughter; the man’s girlfriend was speechless! I could very well see that through the prank calls, mischievous card game player, and the jokester that she was, her only desire was to teach her daughters to live life on the edge and remain themselves no matter where life takes them. Lastly, I liked how the overall jolly mood of this story came through with a very deep and useful message.
Stephanie Salazar
The response that Martin Luther King Jr. gave to ‘Fellow Clergymen’ in “Letter from Birmingham Jail” was absolutely phenomenal. I feel that with this letter alone I got to see more of what Martin Luther King was really about and what he believed. I discovered several things as I was reading this outstanding response: firstly, Martin Luther King’s perseverance and endurance throughout his fight for equality were both due to his beliefs and faith, secondly, if there was anything in this world that he was truly passionate for it would be his fight for equality without violence, and lastly, his use of evidence was extremely brilliant! Martin Luther King Jr. implements rhetorical questions that leave the reader with no other choice but to believe and understand the point that he is trying to get across. By the time I was done reading this letter, I couldn’t grasp how racism today still exist and is something that is a constant issue. A question that I would’ve really liked to have gotten answered, but unfortunately couldn’t, was the reaction of who he was writing this letter to. Through Martin Luther King’s repetition of examples and evidence, it seemed impossible for someone to disagree with what he was saying. A point that Martin Luther King made was the fact that there are two types of laws “just and unjust”, and I find this more than true when it comes to African American rights .Laws given to whites weren’t given to African Americans and vice versa, and he states how “one has moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws” and this makes sense because no one is ever in the mood of being oppressed. This was one of my favorite pieces of writing in this packet.
In the story of "Notes on Punctuation" by Lewis Thomas, the author's purpose is to make the reader think a little more than the usual about simple things that we notice everyday but not give such an importance to: punctuations. After reading this, it makes me realize that without punctuations, we as humans would not be able to communicate the right way and may deliver a message wrong visually based on how we structure and place certain simple marks. Also, a simple punctuation mark changes the whole tone of a phrase. For example, it would not be the same thing to say "Can you take out the trash?" as to "Can you take out the trash!". The simple change in punctuation here varies from either being questioned or screamed at, which obvioulsy being questioned in a nice way is the better way to take it. Another thing that I noticed and am still questioned about is that different eras and people use the same punctuation marks for different purposes. The example here was that the greeks used the semicolon (;) for a question instead of how we use it today (?). What I am left wondered about is that why is it that these symbols changed over time if it could just be easier to use the same symbols for different languages in order to communicate an easier way between different people.
Thomas Martinez 6/17/12
In the first essay by Joan Didion "On Going Home", the narrator conveys a nostalgic tone throughout the passage in order to create the sense that she longs for the simplicity of her "true" home. The narrator has a desire to leave or forget about the fast paced life style of urban Los Angeles where her family lives. This feeling is juxtaposed with her longing of the rulral and serene setting of Central Valley California where she was rasied. A disconnect arises from the narrator and her husband's relationship hinting at troubles that she may have bonding with him because they value different topics of discussion. The narrator is in her element and comfort zone at her childhood home because she cares about the small details and memories she has shared with her family. Ultimatley the passage serves to convey the importance of remebering one's roots and trying to instill their traditional vaules into modern life over a period of years. We can connect this theme to our generation especially due to the amount of access we have to technology and the lack of gratefulness within society.
In Annie Dillard's excerpt from "An American Childhood", the author highlights the importance of thinking out-side of the box and being a leader apart from the group to prove that conformity is boring and uninteresting. The narrator characterizes his mother as very spontaneous supported in the following quote, "She dearly loved to fluster people by throwing out a game's rules at whim" to convey the unique personality traits of the mother. The narrator's mother encouraged her children to constantly use their minds as a way to become a leader rather than a follower. The main significane of the passage is expressed through the time period of the story in the 1950's which is a decade characterized in American History as very conformist and lacking unique qualities. Most American families at the time lived in the suburbs, and the mother's stayed home as house wives. In this story, Dillard institutes the idea of role reversal between the two parents because the father is inferior or meek in comparison to the extroverted and superior mother. The passage is a great example of advocating leadership and having pride in individualism.
Do I support abortion? I do. Through Sallie Tisdale’s story, “We Do Abortions Here: A Nurse’s Story”, I got an insight into the mentality of a nurse who aids in abortions, and my idea of pro-choice was challenged by the gruesome details of how abortions are done, but in the end I stuck with my original belief. Tisdale seems to take on a pro-choice position in her writing but pro-lifers could use some of her writing against her because of the negativity she projects about abortion through some of her thoughts. She says she hold “the anger and shame of these women” and points out the painful process of abortion. The realistic way she talks about abortion lets the readers see what the pros and the cons are. Likewise, she gives the readers a reason for why she still supports abortion, such as the sixteen-year-old rape victim. Someone without the knowledge necessary to care for a child, or who did not have a say in becoming pregnant, should not have to carry out a pregnancy by force. The rape victim does not need a constant reminder for nine months of the painful event she had to go through. The last sentence really left an impact on me because the author is stating that abortion is necessary. She imagines what a world would be like without abortion, because she does not want it to exist, but deep down she realizes that abortion must exist. There are women who are not meant to be mothers, or women who were forced into it. Those women need the option to not become the mothers they were not meant to be. My support for pro-choice continues to be strong because I realize that I would not want another person, or a law, to tell me what to do with my body, so I should not want to tell others what to do with theirs. Overall, I really enjoyed this essay because of the many realizations I had while reading.
After reading Terry Teachout’s essay “The Beatles Now,” I have the desire to listen to songs by the Beatles that are not as popular now, and to listen to some of the artists that were mentioned throughout the writing. As a teen of this generation, I can say that I do love some of the Beatle’s songs but I am not a hardcore fan. I felt that I could connect to the writing because the author pointed out multiple times how the popularity of the Beatles continued until present time, and I have to agree with that. I did not realize how important it was for the group to focus on their recordings, instead of their performances. That gives me a better insight into how the group functioned and why their music became so great. After learning this, I will listen to their songs differently. The author mentions Lennon and McCartney’s lyrics and how the group became what it was because of them. Honestly, I can never remember the names of the other two group members. The only names that I always think of when I hear The Beatles are Lennon and McCartney. Teachout says that as individual artists they were not able to achieve as much as when they were together because as a group they had no limits, but as individuals they did. I think this is because each person has their individual gifts that they can learn to develop, but beyond that they cannot have more. As a group, individuals can share their gift with others. The members of The Beatles were able to share their individual gifts with each other and become a band that had no limits. Overall, this was one of my favorite essays in the packet because of my love for music and the way I could connect with it.
In the short story "On Going Home" by Joan Didion, the narrator begins with "I AM HOME," but explains how Los Angeles is not home; home is where you feel safe, loved, comfortable. In her home in Los Angeles, with her husband and daughter, it is not what "home" she thinks of. Her ideal environment is the one in the Central Valley of California, which juxtaposes where she now lives. Due to her constant longing of being home, the narrator's relationship with her husband is troubled. Her troubled marriage is shown through Joan dreading her spouse's evening call, he insinuates that Joan should go out and be productive instead of staying indoors and reminisce about "home." Another reason her marriage is troubled, is due to her family's negative view towards her husband for taking Joan away from them and to the urban city of Los Angeles. Joan's brother, especially, demonstrates the lack of acceptance of her husband by calling her spouse "Joan's Husband" instead of his name, in his presence.
Torture, we all do it to someone at a point of life? Torture is a barbaric method society uses to get the truth ( or something they might want) out of a person. In Micheal Levin's "The Case of Torture," torture is considered a beneficial method to protect the life of others. Levin's argument is invalid, due to torture being a cruel way of to 'get even' or protecting citizens. Levin claims that torture is not a way of punishment, but it clearly is because the torturer damages the mental or/and physical state of a person. In the example of death penalty, a person should not be killed for the crime that was committed( even if it was murder, rape, etc.). Levin contradicts himself when he states " life is so valuable that it must never be taken," when he previously stated that death penalty is beneficial to society. It is unethical to torture a person, especially when it could cause the life of a person who committed or may commit a heinous crime.
From the first essay, "On Going Home", Joan Didion attempts to explain the meaning of home. The main character attempts to find similarities, differences, and meaning in both of her families through the juxtaposition between her original childhood home and her new independent home. The extreme differences between these two settings cause the narrator to become obfuscated with a sense of being lost. Didion employs declarative and simple sentences along with the use of quotation marks to further emphasize the loss of her home. Through the use of declarative and simple sentences, Didion emphasizes the norms of her family, while at the same time contradicting herself with the other details that were given in the passage. When expressing her thoughts, the narrator states “We did not fight. Nothing was wrong. And yet some nameless anxiety colored the emotional charges that I came from” (Didion 10). Through this statement, the narrator states that there was nothing wrong yet there is a sense of distance and distaste for her original home. By declaring two lines that reflect the narrator’s family and almost instantly debunking those statements causes the audience to characterize the narrator as confused as to what her idea of home may be. Didion also employs the use of quotations around certain words that describe the instance of herself and her life at home. The narrators states, “I think that those of us who are now in our thirties were born into the last generation to carry the burden of “home”, to find in family life the source of all tension and drama. I had by all objective accounts a “normal” and a “happy” family situation” (Didion 10). Through this line, the narrator has debunked her belief of what home is and what it has to offer. All of her past beliefs do not exist.
Sophia Nguyen
6/23/12
In Joan Didon's "On Going Home" she clearly sees the difference in her original household compared to that of her new life with her husband. In the beginning Joan's tone is not exactly shame but in a way embarresment due to her family's way of living. For she had to see her husbands judgement, in her family's lifestyle of being " oblique" and "deliberately inarticulate". For Joan,her new life revolves around propriety and new family values. Joan's idea of which life to lead is tangled, for there is two juxtaposing lifestyles. One being the lifestyle she was born into and the other being the lifestyle she married into. At one point within Joan's observation of people, she sees pointless actions in which those people are without substance. This thought develops into the question of, why do people continually perpetuate on actions that in retrospect do not contribute to society? A contribution to society would be: learning, teaching, working, helping, or anything that adds to the world in a positive manner. Degrading oneself is an enigma, in which is not understood, and this point is made by Joan, through pointing out that some people just do not understand what it is one should be doing in life. The micro answer to the question on actions and why people do what they do, is because that was how they were raised, or because they are lost. Being lost is a situation in which many people are faced with throughout life, a situation in which Joan can relate to, and draw parallels from those who degrade themselves. Indirectly, the observing of others around her as well as her daughter ultimately answers the macro question of which life to choose. Joan sees life now as a possibility of mixture, the mixture of family life with as little of "ambushes" as possible, and a life lead by comfort where one holds most self-value. Perhaps this life may be with Joan's husband or with her family, but the thought having a mixture is ultimately with both.
It has been determined that one of the things that separate human beings from animals, and any other creature, has been the capability of criticizing, judging, feeling, and most importantly thinking. William Golding shares his analysis on the complexity of thinking, from the time he was a young boy as he moves into adulthood, in his essay "Thinking as a Hobby". Golding’s tone is clearly stubborn, for he refuses to falter at the constant criticism he receives from the people who surround him and simply chooses to brush away their condescending remarks; it is incredible to see that Golding didn’t succumb to the expectations of authority, despite feeling “disintegrated” from society. This inevitable alienation is similar to that of Holden’s in J. D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye”, since both individuals appear to be dwelling in their suffering and in their own world; however, Golding overcomes his slight case of monophobia when he meets another grade-one thinker, Professor Einstein, while Holden, a grade-one thinker, is left in solitude due to his reluctance detached himself from childhood. Golding states, “thought is often full of unconscious prejudice, ignorance, and hypocrisy”, which is a grade-three person’s way of thinking, revealing how easily one can be inconsiderate and close minded. Overall William Golding observes the changes that occur in one’s thought process as one ages; everyone appears to go through each level of thinking. We are each grade-three thinkers when we are children, since we are heavily influenced by what our parents say and, most importantly, we are told what to think; therefore children are ignorant. One is a grade-two thinker when they can’t help but notice contradictions and keep their ears open at all times to simple argue and dispute, which is when one is an adolescent. Lastly an individual will be a grade-one thinker when we keep our ears open and have the power to avoid contradiction oneself as are more thoughtful. Ultimately, he expresses how thinking is a power that could easily be misused, but one that can develop it into something greater.
-The Genesis
“Letter from Birmingham” Martin Luther King Jr. gave an answer to the critics that disagree with his actions of breaking the law. Before reading this article I had prior knowledge to the powerful diction King uses like on his “I have a dream” speech, but by reading this it gave me a greater understanding on how King manages to use his words as a strong defense against any attack. King puts into perspective the situation of how a simple negotiation doesn’t solve the problem since all the other party wants to do is to quiet the movement. By the non- violent actions he understands that it puts pressure on the present situation so “it can no longer be ignore” (King, 894). King shows the reasons of his actions in many ways but in an emotional paragraph in his letter is where he uses vast repetition of “when you” (King 895) to show the constant problems he and many others had to suffer every day. The most emotional one was of when he finds his “tongue twisted and your speech stammering” trying to explain to his daughter of why they cannot go to an amusement park. This example of not being able to tell the child of the situation leaves one breathless,In as to not having the correct choice of words to tell in order for her not to build “an unconscious bitterness toward white people”(King 895). Overall the biggest theme Imanaged to get from the reading is about how the action is what solves the problem. It seems like a logical explanation, but how King manages to put it in context is what gives a greater meaning. King questions the idea of time which many people believed that is something of an obstacle; even I did before reading this. King eliminates this “misconception” since is just a scapegoat to everybody’s issue. This is the greatest excuse on why people are left in the shadows. King understands that in order for change to occur it has to come “through the tireless efforts of men” (King 898) not by the pass of time.
When I first saw the title “We Do Abortions Here: A Nurse’s Story” I thought it would focus on a heartless nurse that judged the women who came in to get abortions but in reality it focused on her thoughts and what she herself has to deal with even though she isn’t the one giving up a child. She also criticizes society by saying that women expect abortions to be like manicures fast and painless. If many women are ok with abortions and expect it like a manicure that means that it has become an unimportant topic for them because they don’t think about all the emotional problems it can cause. One topic many excuses, many reasons, many situations and many opinions. Abortion isn’t a matter in where people say I’m for or against any more, they now say depends on if it was rape or if its health is unstable because that gives them the license to abort. Women that abort seem to be lacking a role model that could lead them in the right way and even the women that comes in with her husband lacks support because he doesn’t even make the effort to understand how hard it is for her he is inconsiderate and has the audacity to threaten her. It seems as though he thinks that his presence is enough support. The nurse has to deal with seeing abortions every day and at a certain level it can be worse than being the women who is aborting because the women that gives up a child has to deal with one lose but the nurse is there every day and sees how a beautiful child is murdered. When I thought of abortion I thought of the people having it never about the nurses.
In “The Case for Torture” by Michael Levin, he attempts to unveil what torture is and definitely forces the reader to decide on whether or not torture is something that has unfortunate benefits. Levin immediately throws out a definition, that most would probably agree upon of what torture is, providing the idea that if one is to use torture as a punishment they are instantly deemed horrible and heartless creatures, meanwhile those who opt out are questioned about that person’s regard for their own safety as well humanity’s safety. The statement that Levin offers, “ torture is not merely permissible but morally mandatory” is one that really caused me to think about my own opinion on torture and why in multiple cases it has the ability to prevent horrible catastrophes. The horrendous hypothetical examples that are given for the reader to think about seem to give the idea of torturing someone justice. When thoughtfully reflecting on what a person might do in that given moment in which hundreds of peoples of lives lie completely in that single person’s hands it is hard to deny that they would feel extreme amounts of guilt and would most likely carry out with torture because it would lead to an ending that would benefit the innocent lives that are being targeted. Additionally, Levin proposes that perhaps by a person, such as a terrorist, committing such an extreme act that is inhuman, this person is also agreeing to consequences that may be considered inhuman. Michael Levin, without a doubt, provides context for his readers to walk away from this piece thinking about what they would do in a situation that is very much dependent upon torture.
In “The Terrifying Normalcy of AIDS” by Stephen Jay Gould, Gould offers an eye opening article to his readers by paying special attention to the one thing that seemed to have lost all of its needed attention: AIDS. The introduction to this article was quite interesting when compared to the whole article as a whole because of the confidence that this world seems to have gained that we have all of the answers and that nothing at all can put a stop to our success. One particular quotation that really struck me was “If we can dream it, we can do it” because of the bold self assurance that is meant to be understood from this quote. Immediately following this quote Gould brings light to the fast moving development of the AIDS pandemic. The AIDS pandemic is easily comparable to a horrible disaster, however people began to lose interest in preventing it and began to distinguish themselves as people who could never, in any possible way, be attacked by this disease. Gould’s supportive argument allows for people to gain a sense of what truly was going on after the seriousness of AIDS had dies down. Suddenly, people had began to think that if they no longer paid attention to such a striking disease and ruled themselves out they would not have to worry about this. Gould truly does allow for his readers to gain a better perspective on a common occurring event in which we suddenly feel that something needs to be let go of and forgotten when, in actuality, it need to be given more focus, time, and effort.
In the story "On Going Home" by Joan Didion, the author's purpose is to show how even a grown up who is married could miss home for so long. The author uses a very nostalgic tone in order to express how much the main character misses her childood and the place she grew up in. In a certain point of the story, the main character questions herself "whether or not you could go home again" meaning that sometimes your childhood life will never be lived again, even if you go back to where you used to live. Throughout time things and people change, whether good or bad, but that's just how life is. The main character realizes that her husband does not understand how she has lived her childhood, especially since he always questions her about her families ways. He does not really understand the way her family used to live back then and now, and he says he does not recognize his wife sometimes when she is around them because she acts differently. It's her daughter's first birthday, and her only wish to her is to give her a place she can call "home" all of her life, even when she grows older. But the main character realizes that things will change once you grow up, and the place you once called "home" will never be the same. Time and the people you once knew may either have changed while they grew up or they may no longer be in existant in life. The only things left of them will be the memories you shared or knew about them. Basically, the author's purpose is to help the reader understand to cherish their childhood and the place you call "home" because sooner or later it will no longer be what you remember.
Kyarha Morales
It’s never easy letting go from your ordinary life and adapting to a new one. It usually takes time and patience but even then one may be conflicted to adjust to a new life style. In Joan Didion’s essay On Going Home, the author writes in full detail expressing ones emotions through a wistful tone in order to prove that even though one has physically moved away from home they are still mentally stuck in the past, making it a challenge to accept their new life. Through the narrators struggles of trying to connect to her new “home” where both her daughter and husband live proves that as we grow older things change from what they were when we lived at “home”. It’s difficult to try to put together a home where both traditions of the wife and husband are shown. Her statement “we live in dusty houses” emphasizes the lack of connection she has towards he new home. The word dust proclaims her view towards the house she lives in, a place that is strange, uncomfortable. The fact that she is not able rebuilt the home she once had makes it hard for her to adapt to her new lifestyle. The narrator is consistently spending her days looking over pictures and visiting family members trying to cure the remorse feeling that is running her life.
When Socrates is setting up the scene of the cave for his student, Glaucon, in “The Allegory of the Cave” by Plato, it reminded me of the Shades in Limbo from The Inferno by Dante because the Shades in this Circle of Hell are chasing after a blank banner since they are indecisive in their moral decisions. It connects to the setting since the prisoners being kept in this cave are forced to believe that the shadows they see on the wall in front of them is reality and their world revolves around just those shadows. The people controlling them are choosing for them instead of the chained prisoners choosing for themselves. Socrates then later explains how when one of the prisoners was released to witness what is outside of the cave, they realize that the shadows are not reality and there is much more to the world than just darkness and the shadows. They start learning about the new setting with confusion at first but with time they understand what is around them. They have feelings towards desires which the prisoners in the den do not have since they only know about shadows. The freed men have options to learn more than just about the shadows. Once they come back the prisoners see the freed men’s new intellect as evil and revolt to believe him. Plato compares this new discovery as “coming out of the light or from going into the light” which means that the person is either exiting knowledge and entering ignorance or exiting ignorance and entering knowledge. That line also reminds me about The Inferno when Dante the Pilgrim enters the Gates of Hell, which is dark, and then has to go through the epic journey to find the light of the stars. Socrates reminds me of Virgil because they both try to help their naïve pupils understand the world they are living in and what cannot be seen by everyone.
In the essay Ralph Waldo Emerson from Journals, the authors tone and ideas is what astonish me the most. Like one idea was that “The Religion that is afraid of science dishonors God and commits suicide”. Now the first thing that pops in my head was that this is very true. Im not the religious type but I understand back in the 1800s everyone believe that God was the reason for the world and universe. But as science grew, so did the amount of people that stop believing in anything their religion tells them because science has facts. Another thing I notice was the author use of repetition. He repeats the word “must” in one of the sentence stanza. “ A man must have aunts and cousins, must buy carrots and turnips, must have…….” You get the point. It was almost as the author was writing a hand manual of how a man should have as part of his life. Now Im a young adult growing in to a man, but I can tell you that not all man are perfect, to be honest there is so such thing as a perfect man. But the tone set by the author in that paragraph is like anger. He was angry probably because this wasn’t a manual, but probably writing all the negative comments he was told throughout his life as man/father? “ slavery is a divine institution” now that just stuck out to me the most I have to say. To see slavery nothing but a company of workers is wrong. Slavery was never a great idea so why make it look like a worldwide institution. This whole essay was just astonishing to me because is as if the author choose to make a list of things he never wish he had done or wish to have done better.
From the essay “On Going Home,” Joan Didion starts with an initial idea of homes being distinct from one another. She explains she is a different person when she is with her family than with her husband. What really stands out however is the amount of dust she and her husband live in. I thought of dust being the cover of objects obviously, but then she writes about memories where I thought about how she and her husband have either lost memories behind the dust, or the husband is being passive about the past. I also related this thought to the title where the word “going” has the stronger meaning than the word “coming.” I thought about how that would change the essay’s meaning where “coming” sounds gentle, but “going” has this force of going through with determination. The paragraph beginning with “That I am trapped…” makes a transition to flash backing at everything that brings memories where some were exciting and others were dreadful. To me, I see the moral of encountering memories may succumb to pain because people are unable to remember if it was something they do not want to meet again. The narrator and her husband were aware that what they did as occupations were basically memories of the narrator’s family’s events, but it seems that facing family is worth dealing with the memories to overcome the misery they have once endured. Especially if it means the narrator must celebrate her baby’s birthday. Also the baby may take affect to the surrounding because she may one day find all of these mementos and begin to start curiosity about the story behind each one. Of course, someone may lie about why each object is there, but is it worth to tell the lie rather than the lesson behind it. A child must learn about the world around them and it is best to here it from someone with experience and struggle from those events. It’s just a thought.
In the first essay “On Going Home” by Joan Didion the author used a very nostalgic tone through most of the essay. I see it as this because of the way she writes the essay. She seems to miss being in her old home. She also seems to have more than one home. And this does not include her actual home that one would think is the home she actually wants. I also see positive imagery because of the last paragraph when she describes the birthday cake. She makes this part like that, in my opinion, because she wants to end it in a happy tone. In that last paragraph there is also a very calm feeling because of the way she describes herself kneeling next to the crib. She makes it seem like nothing in the world matters and that she wants to be calm. She talks to the child like nothing in the world matters and only cares about what is happening right there in that moment. She almost seems to be acting like a child which relates back to the nostalgic tone. She wants to be a child again so she talks with this child and gives her toys. She says she will share a funny story with the child so that shows how children act. They tell each other stories. She misses her old home and she misses being a child. That is why I see this as a nostalgic tone. I really enjoyed this essay.
Joan Didion's essay "On Going Home" is more relevant to our lives than we realize. Her sense of longing makes us think that she is regretful of leaving her home, where she grew up where she became who she is. What impresses me the most is that she didn't realize how much she missed her home until she left it; how no other place could give her the same feeling as when she was a child. Now that we are on the brink of going off to college, I constantly think about this, about the fact that wherever I go it will not be the same as where I am now. I debate whether or not I should leave because I don't know whether I will be happy or if my homesickness will be too debilitating for me to actually enjoy my college experience. "The question of whether or not you could go home again" persists in my mind. In my mind I feel that once I leave the nest it would not be acceptable for me to come back. Leaving is the ultimate sign of independence, to regress and come back home would show that we are not actually mature. That we are still children inside.
In the essay "On Going Home", Joan Didion reveals a nostalgic tone throughout the essay. The woman in the story misses her home. What caught what my attention was that home to her was not where her and her husband live with their baby girl, but where she grew up in and where were blood relatives are. Her husband fails to understand the beauty of the Central Valley of California and why it is so important to his wife. The womans brother does not understand why her husband does not understand their family ways. There is a gap and tension between her real family and her huisband which she calls "the ambush of family life". She longs for how things used to be and is sad to think that her daughter will not grow up with the old family customs. She grew up in a new soceity where everything is different and modern. Her husband encourages her to distance herself from her family by telling her to go visit the big cities instead but she refuses to leave her past. I asked myself why was the baby's dad not with them for her birthday at his wife's family's house? I came to the conclusion that he wants nothing to do with her family and is uneasy at the fact that she takes their daughter there. Her husband is the reason for her unhappyness. She is in a constant tug back and forth of whether to keep visiting her family or not because her husband wants nothing of that. This story was a bit sad to me because we are always going to have a little bit of child in us, and as we grow up, we have to determine whether to ignore it or let our past intertwine with our present.
Joan Didion's essay "On Going Home" was surprisingly easy to relate to for me. Throughout the text, Didion used a very longing tone in reference to her home. Didion writes about the conflicting emotions she has between her life and home as an independent adult in contrast to the place where she was raised by her family, the first place she truly knew as "home". The nostalgia that flows through her words is so obvious, especially when she describes the mementos she finds as she's going through an old drawer,but it's difficult to understand whether leaving her family behind is something she regrets entirely. The fact that she left her family life in the past and moved on without them seems to trouble her which is something that I feel a connection with. I think about what my life is going to be like when it's my turn to leave home and start over on my own and, honestly, it can be really intimidating. I think what worries me is that I might forget about my family or what my values were before leaving or that even if I am able to come back, it will never feel the same as it does now. I suppose it is just one of the responsibilities that is attached to becoming independent. Didion uses words like "burden" or "sentimental...baggage" to describe the place she returns to, but I think that she really does miss it all despite having formed a new life with her husband. Perhaps she is just having a difficult time accepting the fact that she was the one to decide when she grew up and how she did so.
In the story “The Terrifying Normalcy of AIDS” by Stephen Jay Gould, Gould tries to farther explain the importance of the AIDS pandemic, which many people had disregarded as an important aspect of their daily or “normal” lives. Gould compares the AIDS pandemic to nuclear weaponry which many people would rank as a potential high danger to mankind; however no one is really doing much to make a drastic change because mankind feels as if it can easily be resolved. A quote that stuck out as a whole was, “With the help of modern technology, we feel there’s really no limit to what can be accomplished,” which is quite shocking because it is clearly stating that humans simply believe that the technology we discover will always solve all of our problems. However, this isn’t the case for AIDS, there hasn’t been a medical miracle that has been created to cure all AIDS yet and stop the spread, so technology has failed us. Gould tries to make the point that mankind relies on technology to an extreme that they feel that technology will solve all their issues and problems, causing them to not be able to face reality that AIDS is serious and will continue to spread. It was stunning that Gould noted how when AIDS first began to spread no one paid much attention to the rate it was growing but now that “1 million becomes 2 million,” that is when more people start to realize the drastic impact it is having on society. Many people knew the origin of the pandemic, however, no one really thought to try and stop it in Africa to prevent its spread. Gould just wants people to realize that our daily life can’t only depend on the technologies and the choices of today, but rather on the choices made in the past, since we must correct those to fully move on with our lives successfully.
In the short story" On going home", by John Gidion,impacted me the most because many of us think that our home is the one that you create, the one with your husband and children.In this case the woman reveals that there is no other home but the one you grew in. The place that saw you cry or that saw you play. There is a sense of nostalgia in every sentence that is written, she now realizes that she misses home and is somewhat regretful of the decisions that she made when leaving.She seems to not pay much attention to her daughter allowing the reader to have more depth onto how much she rather be at her other home.I disagree with her decision on what home is to her.A home is not just the place where you grew up, but the place where there is love and communication. Is she saying that she does not love or feel a connection with her husband and daughter? I have been taught that a home is a place where you spend time with the people you love and you teach your new family what your family taught you. This bring me back to the last paragraph of the story where she explains that time changes and nothing can be done only to "promise to tell her a funny story". In my opinion by recalling all those memories that make growing up such an amazing place, can allow for this woman that suffers from leaving "home", feel that she can revive all those moments with her daughter and bring back her other home to create a much more welcoming place to the family she created and finally be able to call it home.
In the essay “The Case for Animal Rights” by Sallie Tisdale, the author maintains a mild tone throughout her introduction of the animal’s right being violated through force. She expresses her thoughts into question because animals are not easily understood because we cannot connect with them and often misinterpret their behavior. I was suddenly interested by her argument on animal pregnancy because the females must become pregnant and nurture the baby. The animals are force to not only have sex but become responsible of an infant. In the other hand, are the male informed of what they are doing, are they ready to become a father and do whatever it takes to provide for the infant. Having a child no laughing matter, you need to be prepared to make some adjustment in life because it’ll change one way or another. I see a valid point on her argument since no one can really force you have a baby as humans, so why force animals to mate. The author’s intentions in writing this essay is to inform others on how animal’s rights are being violated and the effects it has on them. Now day’s women have abortions in other to not have the responsibility that a baby would bring in to their lives. They have abortions in order to not “be forced to bear a child against” their will. Women do have the right to have an abortion because it’s their body and their decision to be a parent or not. This reminds me of a time when I saw television show called Maury, the pregnant teenager decided to keep the baby an raise her on her own because she felt that she could have provided a great home for the baby. Abortion has giving women chances to avoid the responsibility but has warmed them of the consequences.
“Being Mexican is a state of soul— not one of mind, not one of citizenship.” In “How to Tame a Wild Tongue”, written by Gloria Anzaldua, the issue of language and identification is discussed by a Mexican woman who grew up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. Anzaldua takes pride in the language spoken by the Mexican Americans around her that was essentially made up over generations, and discusses how others view that culture of Chicanos."So, if you want to really hurt me, talk badly about my language" This essay immediately captivated my attention due to the familiarity in the language used by author as well as the controversial idea behind it. In my family, many of my aunts and cousins speak this made up language, “Spanglish”, and I absolutely cannot stand it. As a child, I grew up speaking Spanish but was taught by my mother how to speak it more eloquently than others do, so when I hear others intermingling English and Spanish it is almost a pet peeve to me. I have never allowed this erroneous language dominate my speech. Reading this essay made me recognize some of the hardships and language margins that caused this morphed language to surface and why the language exists today; many people grew up with only the opportunity to speak this choppy form of Spanish. As much as I can read justifications for this language, I cannot condone people who won’t speak a language properly when they know they aren’t. Being bilingual I feel as though I got more insight on the topic being discussed in the essay than a non-Spanish speaking reader would due to the familiarity and relevance to the world around me. Conclusively, I enjoyed Anzaldua’s writing and argument but would have to disputably disagree with her reason.
In the Letter "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr., the letter shows us how Martin Luther King's approach to society to not fight fire with fire but to fight water against fire. To change history and the world of segregation like no other has changed. What I mean by that is that King knows how peaceful protests have more to say than to create chaos among the people. People would criticize King of just having these "Non Violent" acts, why wouldn't he negotiate? He would respond of his acts to be "constructive" to put a mark in history. Also he points out what "Whites" try to do and backs it up with the "Whites". He says that the "Whites" are "more to "order" than to justice". He brings up the Ku Klux Klan and how the Law doesn't even step in to protect also when they fail they try to "become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress". In the excerpt I believe that King tries to shows us how he feels that in this time his society feels like a never ending in which he tries to break because he alone can't win without the people. I like to learn a lot from the Civil Rights movement. This is a personal favorite from the rest.
In the Letter "Letter from Birmingham Jail" by Martin Luther King Jr., the letter shows us how Martin Luther King's approach to society to not fight fire with fire but to fight water against fire. To change history and the world of segregation like no other has changed. What I mean by that is that King knows how peaceful protests have more to say than to create chaos among the people. People would criticize King of just having these "Non Violent" acts, why wouldn't he negotiate? He would respond of his acts to be "constructive" to put a mark in history. Also he points out what "Whites" try to do and backs it up with the "Whites". He says that the "Whites" are "more to "order" than to justice". He brings up the Ku Klux Klan and how the Law doesn't even step in to protect also when they fail they try to "become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress". In the excerpt I believe that King tries to shows us how he feels that in this time his society feels like a never ending in which he tries to break because he alone can't win without the people. I like to learn a lot from the Civil Rights movement. This is a personal favorite from the rest.
After reading the title of Adam Goodheart's "9.11.01: The Skyscraper and the Airplane", i immediately thought back to the day i was in a classroom with my former peers as many of them began to disappear little by little and i wanted to join them completely unaware of what was causing this epidemic. Fast forwarding to present day, i can honestly say i don't fully understand the horror of this event since i was not in New York City 9/11/01. Goodheart's introductory paragraph creates the image of a person inside the tower witnessing the plane approaching frame by frame awaiting the "fatal kiss". This imagery used by the author allows the reader to understand what the scene was like that tragic day. However in further reading Goodheart's essay, i have come to realize what his message truly is, modernism is what is truly at fault for tragedy. Had the innovation of skyscrapers and airplane never submerged many years ago, society would not have had to suffer an unfortunate of event such as 9/11/01. The constant human urge to be superior over all, in control over all, and be ruler of the world is what caused 9/11/01. Otis quote: "All safe gentlemen, all safe", has indeed become the saying for the dawning era as said by Adam Goodheart. Also, with innovation comes danger and it seems as if society has decided to willingly place themselves in the trust of technology and in great confidence continue living their lives. However, we take for granted what we have such as those terrorist who decided to use technology to harm. Unfortunately for those people who decided to work that day in September 11, 2001 in the world trade center, Otis' words were not as reassuring as they were many years ago. It comes to show that we humans are at fault for constantly wanting more from life, constantly attempting to attain the unattainable.
- Hector Carmona
The short story "On Going Home" by Joan Didion has a tone of nostalgia, Joan longs for her past in Central Valley of California. When Joan refers to the word "home" she is not refering to where she lives now in Los Angeles but to where she grew up. This gives me the sense that she feels more comfortable and feels that she belongs more where she use to live. What suprised me the most was when she did not call her husband or her daughter her family but only her other relatives. When married, one creates a new family of their own which in my opinion should be now put as your first priority. Not calling her husband or daughter family makes me think that she longs for the customs she use to have with her parents and other relatives which she can not have with her husband or daughter. The city of Los Angeles is what causes this difference because in the end of this short story, Joan writes that she desires to give her daughter a "family life", one with cousins and relatives like she had growing up in Central Valley, but unfortunatly she cannot do to the complete different setting they now live in.
I was immediately drawn to the Parables of the Kingdom by Jesus. Due to my religious affiliation, I had already read or at least heard the majority of the parables given. Do you have to be religiously affiliated for the parables to make sense to you? Of course not. I believe they serve as skills for living and have as much an impact on any person as do fables such as The Lion and the Mouse or The Turtle and the Hare. The definition of a parable is a story which illustrates one or more instructive principles or lessons. Jesus, being the righteous and moral teacher that he was, used parables such as these to instruct anyone who was willing to listen. Every parable distinguishes right from wrong and exalts the bad in order for people to stay away from it and do good instead. In The Ten Virgins, the lesson learned is that one should always be prepared, for those that are ill-prepared are also ill-fated. In The Ten Talents, the lesson learned is that no good deed goes unseen, but likewise, no bad deed goes unpunished. Finally, in The Prodigal Son, the lesson learned is that one may be forgiven if he/she repents for his/her actions. I think it is important to note the way the parables are writen. They each go from pointing out the negatives, into either punishment or forgiveness. Whichever way it goes, the negatives always lose, therefore the parables are succesful in getting their message across, and hopefully injecting positives into humanity.
Besides skimming through some of his quotes on the internet, I’ve never really taken the time to read any of Emerson’s works. This collection of quotes from his journals doesn’t necessarily make me an expert on Emerson, as this wasn’t a complete section of one of his works, but they certainly helped me to understand who he was, and two quotes in particular caught my eye.
Out of all the quotes, the one that caught my eye the most was the one where he stated that there was a very good house after his lecture, but that the architect had neglected to put stairs in it. The image of a house without stairs fascinated me. I had never really looked at stairs that way before; to me, they were simply a structure placed in a house to facilitate movement between two or more floors, but the way that Emerson mentioned the stairs made them seem more vital to the health of the house. It made me realize that the stairs are not only a structure, but a connection between two worlds, and that without them, the house isn’t really a house. Without a link, two items are simply two items, but with that link, the sum of the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
The other quote that made me raise my eyebrows was the one where he described Thoreau as “military”. To be honest, now that I look back on Walden, Thoreau did indeed have some of the characteristics that Emerson believed he had; Thoreau was stubborn, wise and implacable. The only thing that I disagreed with was when Emerson described him as being unable to “feel himself except in opposition”. I guess that you can argue that most of the things written in Walden were simply observations of the things that he laid his eyes on, but I saw those observations as small windows into his soul and, because of Thoreau’s observations, I would like to argue that Henry is not only fully capable of feeling himself without opposition, but is also capable of feeling mother nature (that sounds weird now that I’m rereading this) and humankind without opposition standing nearby.
In the short story, The Skyscraper and the Airplane by Adam Goodheart, the author analyzes the creation of the skyscraper and compares it to airplanes. I find it interesting how the author makes this comparison. Not only did he say we as people put our lives in jeopardy by choosing to trust the innovators and architects who create these forms of storage: he also says in order to do so people commit an act of religious faith. People that follow religion must trust and have faith in what they choose to dictate their lives. People that work in the skyscrapers and fly in the airplanes unconsciously do the same thing. This short story made me more self conscious of the danger of these high rising inventions. The plane crashes on 9/11 will forever be remembered in America, but the danger will not stop the majority of people from working in skyscrapers, building skyscrapers, or flying in airplanes. I feel that people in this advanced world do not care about danger, and will put their lives at risk just to stay modern.
In Joan Didion's short story, On Going Home, its seems very easy and fair to say that many could come to feel very attached to what the story comes to tell. Throughout the short story Didion allows the reader to see how all minds do not think alike. They say only great minds think alike. But instead, we are presented with the life a wife and mother who seems nostalgic in coming to realize how much she grows to miss the life she left. To her, her family and her roots ,matter more to her than the family that she has created and made for herself. The only home she sees is the one in which she was raised in. Didion seems t find a stronger connection and admiration to the family that she grew up in rather than the one she chose for herself. The nostalgia live through majority of the lines in the short story, the reader can see how unclear her regret is but she finds herself quite in denial . I can find a connection to Didions short story because I believe that family comes first I see that one can truly learn a lot about who they can really rely on. My family has been my all, and have always been watching my back through the majority of the decisions I've taken in life, whether those decisions have had their ups and downs. Its a bit sad as you read the short story and one comes to realize that life can pass right by you without you knowing. As I come into senior year I realize that that one day in which I have to leave my home, possibly leave my family is intimidating. I couldn't imagine leaving my family behind but yet I think that I'm not leaving to escape the life and childhood that I grew up in, but I leave to create my life create a future for myself. One that I know I would make my family proud of. One can easily create a home but that doesn't mean you forget what made that alone specific home unique. A home is not determined by its appearance but by what holds it together and how well one can make it feel like home sweet home.
I chose to read the first essay, "On Going Home" by Joan Didion. Didion certainly drags her readers along many different trails and covers several varied emotions and tones throughout this relatively short piece. Ultimately, though, it strikes me as an essay primarily about "home", and what the author's personal definition of the word is. This piece of writing bears great similarity to the poem "The Century Quilt" by Marilyn Waniek. Didion discusses the confusing nostalgia which adults and adolescents often struggle with when visiting their childhood home, or, in my case, a grandparents' home where they have spent the years of their early childhood. Personally, I am quite familiar with the "lassitude" the author describes feeling upon "meeting one's past at every turn", and this sentence stood out to me more than any other because I encounter the same weary familiarity when visiting the home of my grandparents (which is very similar to the country home Didion details in this story), upon recognising an old teddy bear, sitting in the old entertainment room, or eating a meal at the table where I was once disciplined into completing rigorous kindergarten arithmetic homework assignments. When you return to the places of immaturity as a mature being, a dull aching begins somewhere in your body, and we're never quite sure what this pain indicates. We only know that something is wrong, as if we are our own souls, trapped in a stranger's body. The real conflict which Didion describes, however, is the yearning to carry on family history and traditions, which clashes with her desire to start her new life with her own family, her husband and newborn daughter. While she has no objections to the way she was raised, at the end of the essay she realises that she has the power to create an entirely different life for her own daughter, to decide what will become home for her and what sort of memories and family experiences she will have. Didion treasures the past she has with her family and her home, and while she wants to share this with her daughter, she is also eager to begin her own nesting, and to someday provide the same pleasant nostos, or homecoming, for her children.
In the educational short essay, Notes on Punctuation, by Lewis Thomas, the author conveyed a series of statements relating to the misuse of punctuation notes by implementing them into his writing in order to reveal his message that punctuation notes can either make or break any literary work. As English being my weakest subject, I was able to relate to this essay more than the rest by the mere fact that, as a young student I have always had trouble with misusing punctuation marks. What I enjoyed reading from this essay was that Lewis Thomas dedicated each paragraph to explain the purpose behind every punctuation mark and gave an example of each by using them in his writing. Besides just explaining the use, Lewis Thomas still had some humor added into his work which made it more entertaining and really grab the reader’s attention and make them want to keep on reading. I had a feeling, that as I read this essay it felt as if Lewis Thomas was in front of me giving me a speech of punctuation rules which gave the essay a unique structure of writing. Now that I’ve read this essay, I believe I will start using it as a helpful pointer in case I need any help in my writing. Lewis Thomas did an outstanding job in leading the reader in the correct path of using punctuation marks.
In the story “On Going Home” by Joan Didion, Didion commences the story with a very sanguineous tone to describe the place in which she calls "Home". Although, Didion shares her inner conflict which is accepting her new life with her husband instead of expressing the "Home" feeling. She describes how it doesn’t quite feel as it does when she was at home. As I read on I realized that Didions husband has judged her family’s lifestyles from the very beginning. He constantly looks beneath them, he questions why. He clearly thinks his better than them “My Husband in turn does not understand why so many of the people he hears about my father’s house have recently been commited to mental hospitals or booked drunk driving charges” (Didion 2). Although Didions does not judge on anyone she accepts where she comes from even thought her husband doesn’t she moves on by being optimistic. Another thing I noticed was that her husband felt threaten if she talked or hanged around with people that would influence her in changing her lifestyle. Joan often seems to regret leaving her secure place her home would be the only place she wouldn’t have to be or act like another person. Didion uses the word “ambushed” in a positive way for example her homes is where her family is and shes reminding herself to continue expanding what “home” represents; eternal happiness according to her past memories. The author wants to capture our attention by sharing her story of her definition of "home”, or what it used to be as well as having the audience understand why it’s important to live every moment in the place we call "home". As one of the following quotes compares to Didions story, "Home is the most popular, and will be the most enduring of all earthly establishments" (Channing, Pollock).
Ralph Waldo Emerson's Journals to my perspective seemed to be, not because of obvious reasons, small statements or justifications of what he sees and thinks about morals, the social norms, and how the world works the way he strongly believes. I was intrigued by what some of these journals he wrote state due to the fact that I felt attached to his philosophy and view points of the world; although in totally different eras, Emerson brought my attention to several world issues that seems to still be happening up until our present time. For example "The Religion that is afraid of science dishonors God and commits suicide. [1831]". An underrated issue in our world, but it is still something people regard as a problem among those who strongly believe in their religion and those who truly believe the miracles of science cause the creation of life and not some supernatural, holy being. In our world, God and science don't live happily together, however, they still have some concepts the reflect each other. Another journal he wrote down consist of the morals of an individual who might be heading towards their end of the thread; "Don't tell me to get ready to die. I know not what shall be. The only preparation I can make is by fulfilling my present duties. This is the everlasting life [1832]. This particular individual represents the band of people who cannot be content when their obligations, promised during their lifetime, are not accomplished and over with; it is as if they have committed harm to their self-esteem and the people they encountered throughout their life. Once his duties are achieved, they may await that great eternal slumber without having the human conscious disturb their final days, awaiting for that glimmer of light to shine down on them. Ralph Waldo Emerson's Journals has no specific tone, but the syntax of his journals shows that his journals were simple and short, however when it came to his inspiring, blunt yet unclear diction, it brought my agreements and the pondering I went through as I was reflecting through each one; some are confusing as the world is, while most of them were complex and amazing.
In the essay “On going home” by Joan Didion, the author writes about her life with her family and how she and her husband tend to have completely different views about different topics and ideas. This difference is also used to compare the author’s houses, the one she is currently living in with her husband and daughter and the one that she grew up in. When I first read this essay, I believed that all it was doing was comparing the feeling of the new house to the house the author originally grew up in, when in reality the essay is juxtaposing the high standards and critical thinking of the husband and the open-mindedness of the author. An idea of this was formed as I was reading the part where the husband wrote the word “D-U-S-T” on the walls and furniture of the house. After reading this I had a personal connection to the symbolism to the dust everywhere. All the husband sees is a dirty house and decides to the word dust, in my opinion when I see dust on things of my past, it reminds me of the memories I once had with a certain object and how time has passed since then. For example, finding an old album or an item from your past and seeing that its covered in dust the first this one does is clean the dust off, after I do that I look at what I just dusted off and the first thing that comes into my mind is some sort of memorable moment involving that object.
I chose to read Adam Goodheart's essay, 9.11.01: The Skyscraper and the Airplane. As soon as I laid my eyes on the title I was preparing myself for an emotional ride on the tragedy but the author had a whole different perspective. Goodheart does not speak or mention much of the tragedy but rather analyzes how our modern world came to be. Our world has been caught up with all of the new technologies that helps us build higher and higher skyscrapers that we lose focus in what should matter most, one's safety. Goodheart mentions how we as individuals rest our lifes on the architects and construction workers that create these buildings. Not only does he mention the risk of skyscrapers but also the risk of being the pilot in an airplane. Being the pilot in an airplane is putting one at risk because it is putting one out there willing to fight and possibly lose their life. Goodheart uses facts from our history to explain his perspective and by using them it helps get his message through. We as individuals want to believe that we can be independent and choose our path but with so many influences out there we tend to follow others. In the 9/11 situation many were killed because of the crash, obviously, but also because they put their lives in the hands of others. The victims didn't bother to worry about how the skyscraper would hold up and by not giving a care their lives were immeaditely taken. Although I was expecting an emotional essay, Goodheart's essay was just as intense.
"On Going Home" by Joan Didion stood out to me with the author's description of her family and her past as such an onerous thing to go home to and to just experience in general. However when the author is alone with her family, not accompanied by her disaproving husband, she seems content with her upbringing, with her past. Overall i believe the essay is not describing one with a burdensome and shameful past but rather one who is accepting of her past but at the same time in want of a future that is different and new , filled with her own traditions and upbringings for her daughter and family. However at first this message is not clear with the authors almost embarrassed tone, and negative connotation when reminicing upon her past, but it is definitely reinforced in its conclusion, in which the author promises her daughter a different "home".
So going over Joan Dideon’s thoughts in her essay entitled “On Going Home”, I couldn’t help but pity the poor woman. Her husband doesn’t connect well with her family, her family is purposely rude to him, and neither her husband nor her family have any common ground for them to get along on. What’s worse is that although she claims that he ‘likes’ her family, he doesn’t even come with her to her family’s home to celebrate his daughter’s first birthday. I don’t have any parenting advice to compare this to, but isn’t your child’s first birthday a big deal? Shouldn’t he have found a way to put up with the awkwardness of her family to make his daughter’s first birthday truly a day to remember? Another thing that rubs me the wrong way is that she never mentions if she ever tries to decode to her husband what the family means when bringing up sale-leasebacks and right-of-way condemnations. She points out that she’s sure he doesn’t know that that’s what her and her family secretly mean, but whether she explained it to him or not seems to be another story altogether. Also, it appears Didion doesn’t like her family all too much either. Of course she still spends time with them and even went as far as to have them help her celebrate her baby’s first birthday with them, but without the baby’s father, it seems really pointless and cruel to the child. Sure she spends quality time with them, and they seem to live in a better environment than that of Los Angeles, but any family that involves speaking about real estate and people heading to asylums may not have a lot of ground on being the best community. Didion even wishes she could have a better environment for her baby than that of her family. This honestly strikes me as more of a small tale of a horrible person with mixed views than anything else.
-Luis Muniz
In the essay “The Case for Torture” by Michael Levin, the author has a judgmental and didactic tone towards the subject about torture relating to people’s real life situations. Levin’s argument in this paper is that he believes torture should be allowed and that it is not a punishment. Not only did Levin state his point, but he provided many real life situations that prove that torture should be allowed. For example, one of the scenarios told by Levin was described was on a terrorist that got caught for hiding an atomic bomb in the Manhattan Island, and the terrorist prefers death than to failure. This means that millions of innocent people will have to die. Levin believes that this terrorist should be tortured in order to get the terrorist to say the truth of where he/she hid the bomb. Levin stated “Mass murder is far more barbaric. Indeed, letting millions of innocents die in deference to one who flaunts his guilt is moral cowardice, an unwillingness to dirty one’s hands”. This phrase has a didactic tone because Levin is trying to educate the reader about his personal belief but I must say that I agree with Levin’s personal belief because “mass murder” is not something in a daily day basis. Of course, people die every day, but a “mass murder” should never be allowed to happen because the guilty outweighs the innocent lives. This means that the terrorist should be tortured to say where the bomb is hidden so that many people’s innocent lives can be saved. Levin also stated “I am advocating torture as an acceptable measure for preventing future evils”. This clearly shows how he is for torture to be allowed. One of Levin’s phrases I liked was “Paralysis in the face of evil is the greater danger”. This phrase sort of has a judgmental tone towards Levin’s argument because he describes how someone that is not able to do something is far more dangerous because it can make others to be involved. This phrase made me imagine about a rape case where a woman witness the victim’s rape, and the person is not able to do anything because she threatened by others and this put the woman’s life in danger. In this essay, Levin included many different kinds of scenarios that made me ponder about whether torture is or is not impermissible.
Kassandra Falcon
7/1/12
When I first read the tittle "On Going home". I though this story would be about a soldier trying to find a way back home after going through war many times. My thoughts were wrong after reading the story a couple of times. Not only was i wrong but this story makes me wonder how i should cherish my home right now because i do not know how i would be living in the future either with 4 walls around me or with none. Joan Didion portrays a character that is nostalgic with the beauty of the past, which allow me to understand that the "present day" of her existence is not as charming as when she was young. By the way Didion describes "home" and all her problems that she goes through with her family. I paint a drawing in my head of Didion going through so much pain that all she can do is keep everything inside of her and tell her little baby funny stories. The ending was touching do to the fact of Didion having to keep all the misery away from her daughter because she doesn't want any of her sadness to attach the her baby.
Thanks for all your timely responses, folks! I need to know whose ID is "sen." Anyone care to claim that one?
The excerpt from Annie Dillard's memoir, An American Childhood, initially captured my attention due to my curiosity to read about the typical American life, like in the movies. Dillard surprised me however by using her mother as the theme. Like Dillard, my mother is the most influential and significant person in my life and it is indubitable that my personality is due to hers. The most pivotal moments in my life have something, if not everything, to do with my mother. I truly enjoyed this specific essay because the format was very story-like and sporadic. “She dearly loved to fluster people by throwing out a game’s rules at whim…” This really made me think of my own mother because often my mother will say controversial things in order to take people out of whack and test how far things can go; to my mother there aren’t taboos or off-limit conversations. Mother’s energy and intelligence suited her for a greater role in a larger arena…” Dillard explains how her mother’s intelligence was much more than she could express due to the limitations in her life. Alike, I feel as though my mother is too smart for the credit she receives. Lastly, when Dillard states It drove our stolid father crazy” it completely made me think of the dynamic of my parents. My step-father is a calm, passive big guy while my mother is a domineering, aggressive tiny woman and it is noticeable how they balance each other out. However, there are times when my dad goes crazy due to my mother’s demanding personality. Ultimately, I felt many connections from my personal life to Dillard’s feelings about her life. I believe that Dillard’s mother was influential in her growth and development just like my mother has been to mine.
Hello, everyone. As we approach the deadline for the second and final blog post, I want to commend all of you on your thoughtful analyses. This kind of critical thinking is what I am looking for on the Book of Choice assignment.
Feel free, however, to take the approach Paloma did in the above response, and make these Reader's Responses a tad more personal. No need to feel like this must mimic a timed essay. I'm trying to get a sense for what you enjoy, how you agree or disagree with an author, what you don't enjoy, too.
Abortion is a worldwide topic that has been discussed to be legal or not for quite a while now. In the essay "We Do Abortions Here: A Nurse's Story" by Sallie Tisdale, the narrator is presented to be a nurse at an abortion center and gives her personal experience about a variety of cases that show up at her work. Even though people take either side to this issue and stick to it, I believe that it should not be permitted with a few exceptions. It should not be permitted because when a female aborts, they are basically taking away the life of an innocent child that has no fault to not even come to life. A suggestion or other option to this is to give birth to the child and if a family knows that they will not be able to maintain it and raise it well, then they can give it to an orphanage and let another family(which in most cases is not capable of making a baby)raise it. The only exception that there should be when abortion comes up is if the female was raped or sexually abused. There has been many cases of these and I do not find it fair for an innocent woman to raise a child that they were forced to have on top of having been abused of. An example of these was provided in the essay in where a fourteen year old was abused of and found herself in the abortion clinic. By the way that the narrator described this young teen, it seemed that she was very immature and did not really know what she was actually doing. This falls into the exceptions because not only was she sexually abused and was about to have a child, she was still too jejune and was not capable of raising a baby at that age, like the saying says: "children having children".
Although many of us have lived our childhood, I was quite curious while reading an excerpt from Annie Dillard’s memoir, “An American Childhood,” as to what an American childhood really entailed. However, as I read the memoir I realized that the author’s childhood was made out of what she remembered her mother doing or saying, almost as if her childhood revolved around her mother’s actions. My fondest memories include the moments I had with my mother and older sister, who are the people I have always admired the most in life. Dillard is trying to prove through this memoir how important her mother truly was to her growth and development, as my mother and sister were to mine. As far as I can look back my mother and sister have somehow molded me into who I am today. I took bits and pieces from the two; I got my mother’s loudness and attitude, while I got my temperament and likes. Regardless of how minor of a role my mother may have had in my life growing up due to her work schedule, she was always someone I looked up to. So I think that an American childhood is just like the American dream, your childhood is whatever you make out of it. You can be your own individual or learn from others and inherit their ways, Dillard inherited her mother’s ways because that is what her childhood was full of, memories of her mother, and that is why I am like my mother and sister in different ways because they were the major people in my childhood that were there consistently.
Henry David Thoreau expressed his love and passion of being a free spirit and running with what his heart desired, in "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For"; he enjoyed being his own person and didn't give much care for the world around him. I connected Thoreau’s work to the life of a Youtuber named Nathan Wills, who was incredibly passionate about music and eventually made it his job by becoming a Youtube partner, which is what he is now known for. Thoreau mentions how nature is inviting and comforting despite its harsh weather; he saw the beauty and value in life and knew too well that he directed the path he wished to lead. Nathan Wills loved life as well but saw that he had finished his work and found it was time to put an end to his journey; he knew his life was his to take, as confusing as it is, this was his truth. Nathan lived by his beliefs as Thoreau did. Thoreau claimed that we should all live with “Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity!” and have “two or three… not a hundred or a thousand” affairs, and Nathan lived nothing but a simple life, never looking for an extravagant life and wish to produce music anyone could use. Thoreau examines how society is too structured, not allowing one to fully live. The only escape one can find is within their own mind. He states “my instinct tells me that my head is an organ for burrowing” and Nathan clearly saw his head as the only thing to get him away from the suffering he endured, and chose to exit this world in peace and to continue his life like a Phoenix, living on through his talent as Thoreau did with his way of living. I've been inspired by Thoreaus work and have found comfort it in now looking back at this essay, knowing that Nathan had his reasons. Even though I did not know him I was overwhelmed knowing about his passing. Needless to say, one does not need to meet someone in order to care for them or to be impacted by them.
The mother in An American Childhood seems to lack a maternal instinct towards her children because she shows them different lessons but in a way that can be seem as rough and sarcastic. In my opinion I feel as if she does things just to amuse herself regardless of what others think of it. She always seems to want things done her way despite how they get done. When I read the part when she walks up to a stranger and started a conflict between the couple I felt bad for the man because he had done nothing but she went and disrupted their relationship and might have even caused it to end. She didnt even think about how the girl would react or what could come of it she just went and caused problems for others. I don't understand why she did that, was it because they might have looked happy and she couldnt stand it? If this was my mother I would not like to be left alone with her because people would think that I could be just like her but because of the fact that she was my mother I would have to respect her actions. The story is suppose to be about her childhood but she seems to talk alot about her mother and doesnt mention alot about herself or the rest of her family. because she only talks about her mother it makes us think that her mother dominated her life and everyone else's. I understand why she doesn't tell her mother something or asks why did you just do that because my mother can seem rude to others but sometimes you have to be a certain way to get your point across and if I asked why my mother did certain things she would be insulted and it would seem as if I didn't respect her. I think that her mother's personality affected her negatively because when she is talking about the road, Tamiami Trail, she says "it wasnt my suffering" so she stopped having sympathy towards others which could have been caused by her mothers remarks like "is that your own idea?" which can impact a childs thought and the direction they take.
In "How To Tame a Wild Tongue" Gloria Anzaldua leaves many of the Spanish words and phrases untranslated to convey the confusion that may appear within the Latin community. The confusion stemming from new words that derive from English terms as well as from "fixed" or "slang" Spanish. Language within Spanish speaking communities are censured due to the fear of criticism by others in a smaller community, within the larger Spanish speaking community. Fear within one's language has become a common emotion due to the constant condemnations for "ruining" the "original" Spanish language, when in reality Chicanos have tried to adjust to the English culture while trying to maintain their own language. Through this the true language has been lost for some people due to the adjustments made and because of this shame has been thrust upon the new generations to come. However Anzaldua's tries to convey to the reader to be proud and prideful in where he or she comes from because until one is proud shame will only follow. This idea carries onto the title given to this Essay, "How To Tame a Wild Tongue" through people especially, Mexican born citizens trying to stop what they think is harming the true Spanish language. These are the people who are trying to "Tame the Wild Tongue". However, if Chicano's do pride themselves in their language no one can cut out their tongue for it is labeled theirs. Throughout this Essay Anzaldua mentioned that eventually English will dominate if pride within communities is not taken, which in turn is how one tames the wild tongue. This thought is not the case because today, many pride themselves in the language or dialect one speaks; fear no longer lingers or dominates people's thoughts, however it does not mean that fear is extinct. Fear is not extinct because critiques of others language is still present and full acceptance isn't.
In Annie Dillard’s essay “An American Childhood” I was able to make a connection with the narrators childhood experience. Unlike the narrator, who mostly talks about her mothers self-ruling actions, I was able to relate in that her mother reminds me much of my father, some one who is always discovering new ways of going against the norms to find the truth in individuals. At one point the narrator explains an experience where her mother encountered an older man and approached him as if he knew him for years, but in reality the man found himself confused as to where they had met. The mothers chilled relaxed ways of approaching strangers is a trait my father carries. No matter where we are at my father finds a way of encountering a new friend. He is someone who does not care what others say and does what he feels comfortable doing. Dillard explains a moment in her life where her mother questions her to why she felt Eisenhower was going to win presidency. Dillard’s states “I was doomed it was fatal to say ‘Everyone says so’ ”. I find this line interesting because of that fact that her mother is totally obsessed with the idea that one should never make decisions based on what others think. The fact that Dillard states the word “fatal” emphasizes how her mother would react if she were to find out that her daughter was allowing others to make decisions for her. My father is someone who would agree with Dillards mother. He always makes sure that all my finial decisions are something I approve of rather of following others. Dillards mother was influential in that she taught her kids how to be independent and open minded about how they carry themselves.
Alejandra Perez 7/31/12
At first, I thought Adam Goodheart's essay "9.11.01: The Skyscraper and the Airplane" was, like many other pieces on the tragedy of September 11th, going to be a difficult read for me. From the beginning of the essay, Goodheart gives a somewhat fuzzy description of the towers but I found it so poignant and impactful because I knew exactly what was happening. The words "fatal kiss" really stuck out to me because the phrase is so contrasting. When I think of a kiss, I think of it as being something so fragile and sweet, but the word fatal gives it such a strange connotation. Of course, it directly emphasizes death, but Goodheart's choice of pairing those two words makes that particular moment of tragedy something almost beautiful and perplexing. I think that Goodheart's more prominent idea in the essay, however, seems to be the comparison of modern technologies and how society is being changed as further advancements are made. The more technologies are created and integrated into our society, the higher a risk there is for everyone. Everything is so fragile and intricate, but no one really seems to pay any attention to that. Goodheart speaks ironically about all of these things in order to demonstrate that we consistently come to depend on these innovations and the creators of them, such as the architects behind the great structures and skyscrapers, without considering our own safety and well-being. Society blindly trusts the modern world without truly understanding how much of a danger it can actually be. Perhaps we are all fully aware that we have the ability to prevent unfortunate events such as 9/11, but for some reason we continue to create and innovate things, altering the world we live in and making it more prone to insecurities of all sorts.
The second essay I choose was the one called “Thinking as a Hobby” by William Golding. From the first couple of paragraphs I knew that this was not going to be much of a happy story. I felt that by the way he was writing this I feel he had a really terrible childhood. I don’t feel that he would like to go back to relive it. The way he spoke of his child years was quite impressive and I felt that was actually living them myself. I personally would not have wanted to have lived like this. I feel he was too much into thought. The shift he made in the essay that forwarded time into his teen years was also very impressive. The way he would talk about his girlfriend both confused and kept me wanting to know more about her. I felt that he was confused because of his girl’s religion. I feel that by the way he was taking about her. I could not tell if he was in love with her or not. He had a lot of sarcastically language when he was talking about this particular part of his life. I was very amused at how he wrote this and it just kept getting me entertained. I kept reading this essay over and over again.
Gloria Anzaldua's "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" made me believe, on a more basic point, that it was about a lame, long and boring trip to the dentist's office, for it did begin in that setting; "Silver bits plop and tinkle into the basin. My mouth is a motherlode" (533). However, after this sudden appointment to the dentist's office, the author jump into a completely new story. in other words, I as the reader was thrown off. It begins with this woman's childhood, starting with such a negative mood; being discriminated for the way she spoke her English. She understood that her accent was the only setback in this new American environment, but she understood that her punishment was amplified due to her Mexican background: "If you want to be American, speak American. If you don't like it, go back to Mexico where you belong" (523). Thus the story revolves, finally, to the development of Mexican accents and languages, created by the generations moving along the time scale. We learn that that the title "How to tame a Wild Tongue" actually meant that the Mexican language is branching off too much and too quickly due to the region a group population of Mexicans lived at. If you lived in Southern Texas and are a Mexican, you spoke Chicano or Tex-Mex. And so on. While the Mexican population began to label itself, some were conscious about this sudden "mutilation" of their own language. Yet, when the topic wasn't about language, the people were very happy for their culture having to expand. Music, food, and for her,Anzaldua, to see that her culture is being recognized around the world by some literary work being published to the general public. This short story showed emotion about one's heritage, in all the good and bad ways. The reader, if a Latino (Mexican or Hispanic) feels very connected to this literary piece due to the fact that it can bring mood and nostalgia; the sentimental feeling of a culture that used to be so beautiful and simple can change dramatically by environmental influence. But, no matter what part of the world you live in, you will always be a Mexican at heart. Gloria Anzaldua, and many other Latinos in the world, show so much more pride in their heritage than other countries who have already "given up their [own] tongue".
In the short essay “Notes on Punctuation”, by Lewis Thomas, the author explains the reason for the commas, colons, exclamation points, and other punctuation in order to have a deeper meaning of why they are used they way they are. Lewis Thomas uses varies explanations to portray the significance of each and the reason it needs to be place in a certain part of the sentence. In my experience, I am not the strongest in finding my grammatical spelling because I am used to using commas or ending the sentence with a period in order to begging another sentence. Lewis Thomas in the other hand has “grown fond of semicolons in the recent years” (Thomas 2). Afterwards he continues to explain the reason for semicolons through examples related to semicolons. Personally I find his method in describing semicolons fascinating because he was able to not only explain it but show great examples through his humor. When explaining semicolons, his tone suddenly lightens up because he is encouraging others to use semicolons although the short story is meant to be informative. What I enjoyed about reading his short story was that Lewis Thomas is informed the reader through varies of example why explain the significance of each punctuation. His sentences captured my attention and made reading the significance stick in your brain through an entertaining process. I find his method very helpful because it certainly beats reading the significance from Thomas Lewis than a dictionary without a personality. His writing is not only informative but creative, and so I would enjoy reading more from him in the future.
After reading Marjorie Agosin’s essays “Always Living in Spanish,” I thought about the different side of what it means to bear a struggling life as an immigrant from the Latino world. Usually, those originally outside the country would explain they have entered the land of the free to discover the opportunity of freedom and everything else that America offers as an experience to those who live in America. From what I thought, many people wanted to live in America for every kind of happiness available to whoever because it is all about equal opportunity. However, Agosin’s essay made me see a different perspective of America and how odd it has made her see it as the strange next door neighbor who no one really wants to meet. Of course she feels left out as an outcast because of her native traditions, but sympathy is what she uses to get to the reader by influencing the reader to think about how much someone from a different world must learn to deal with a new world. Also, what I thought about while reading was how she compared Chile to America with their cons and pros. She explains the numerous issues that have developed within the area such as the actions of a dictator and unsolved crimes, but to me she did not make it sound like a major problem. She wrote more about how used to she was living in her homeland where she belongs with her family and own traditions where she was able to express herself in anyway possible. However, she loses all types of ways of communication with America, but still prominent with herself through her poems. Many people, even I, write what we think about on paper rather than to others because it is difficult to explain some issues we have to settle with. Whenever telling someone about anything emotional, some people feel uncomfortable with the other person’s face because there are tears falling down or even someone who is forming an explosive face of anger and rage. In person, it is brutal to take in anything that is too much to bear for someone, so instead forms of indirect communication is best to not only be comfortable in dealing with what it says, but to also realize how much time the writer has to form an essay that can really display how well they can actually express what they are feeling.
“Thinking as a Hobby” by William Golding holds deep truth of what is the reality we live in. In this story human beings’ true intentions are questioned by a young boy who seeks to clarify every statement of way of life of a person. I as a deep thinker connected with this story in varies of ways from the verbal to the attention to one’s actions. The attention to detail the narrator puts on Mr. Houghton is so precise in finding ones truly personality. The narrator analyzes to extreme detail in the moment when he was observing the “neck” of Mr. Houghton which was “of great interest” to the narrator. Although one might argue that you cannot truly see much by a small detail of the neck I would disagree. I myself also pay attention to every movement one might show without intention. Once the movement is observed constantly you are able to see the emotions that lay in the person. The movements that the narrator describes give an insight of what is going through Mr. Houghton’s mind. The other way that I connected with the narrator is through the critical analysis of the “grade-three thinking”. My way of viewing the “grade-three thinkers” is as people who are ignorant or hypocrites to society. This story manages to demonstrate how much of the population is not thinking but instead acting on emotions which therefore causes confusing views and contradictions. Throughout this novel I managed to relate a lot but there was a scene I truly did not agree with. The scene that I felt was disgusting was when the narrator confronts Ruth. Ruth’s way of religion is a topic that shouldn’t be confronted or made into an argument. The narrator’s way of confronting Ruth only managed to show him to his lowest point and the heartless person he is due to him not respecting ones religion. He did managed to learn that thinking does have its limits, if not it can be very dangerous. Respecting of one’s values is a main rule all thinkers should know. The ending of this story shows the dangers of thinking too much and not being able to managed it in order to not become like the narrator who fell to demise due to the friendships he lost by his critical thinking.
In "The case for torture" by Michael Levin, the author talks about a big subject relating to terrorists and how to fight them off. Torture is a technique used since the beginning of time to force out the truth in humans.This technique is a big issue because some people think its not moraly right. I believe that it is, torture is the only way to get truth out of humans, then let it be used. If torturing means saving the lives of people from terrorrists, then i believe it should be used. Levin says,"Torture is barbaric? Mass murder is more Barbaric". I believe one hundred percent with him because the people who are torturing terrorrists might seem awful to everyone and everyone hates them but most people dont see the greater cause behind that action. The act of torturing to save thousands of lives outweighs torturing people. The tone the author conveys to the readers is more of a urgent tone to fight of terrorrist groups. He wants the readers to know that torture is the only way to bring out the truth from terrorrists. The author also says," Torturing the terrorrist is uncontitutional?". The author is asking this question because he wants to know your opinion on it. He later goes on and says," But millions of lives surely outweigh constitutionality". I believe in his ideas because i rather torture the life of someone in order to save millions of lives than do nothing and have a mass murder in our hands. Then he talks about wat if terrorrists threatennes the life of millions and you cant save those people because you dont believe in torture then what do you do? This engages the readers to think about torturing and allowing it for the greater good of mankind.
In his essay "The Skyscraper and the Airplane", Adam Goodheart develops and explains a unique connection between two seemingly dissimilar technologies by detailing the parallels between their histories, their purposes, and the way in which people relate to them. Perhaps the connection is more obvious to some, but I'd never really thought of what skyscrapers and airplane could have much in common. I find the line in which Goodheart says that both inventions cradle us, "half-willing aerialists, and then whisper: Trust me." Huge, towering buildings hold us up to a perilous height close to he heights to which airplanes fly. This essay does an excellent job of making the readers look at 9/11, a tragic disaster, in a different and somewhat magical way.
In the short story "On Going Home" by Joan Didion, the author imbues the scenes with her longing of home, and with pleasant memories that shows how special her home really is to her. Even though the author lives in Los Angeles with her daughter and husband, she does not consider that her home. What she considers home is where her childhood memories were lived and created, at which is located at her family's house in Central Valley California. What stood out to me was whenever the author stated "My husband likes my family but is uneasy in their house, because once there I fall into their ways, which are difficult, oblique, deliberately, inarticulate, not my husband's ways". I get a sense of disapproval from her husband, since Joan wants to go her family's way but fears to dissappoint her husband. Also, whenever Joan's husband wrote "D-U-S-T-Y" all over the house, Joan stated how the house was"filled with mementos quite without value to him". At first I got a sense of detaste and rudeness from her husband because he is not fully understanding his wife's feelings of what is home to her, and the husband decided to write all over the house as if he was careless. All what Joan wants to give her daughter is a home, a home that she will always carry in her memories but she knows that what Joan considers "home" is not going to be the same as her daughter's due to the new generations. As Joan put her daughter to sleep, she stated "She is an open and trusting child, unprepared for and unaccustomed to the ambushes of family life...". Joan can not promise to give her what she calls "home" but she sure wishes to give her the best childhood life she can give her. Generations after generations are becoming more distinct, which means every single person grows up with different childhoods due to their ethnicity, customs, traditions, religions and etc. Every single person deserves to have a childhood filled with happiness and that they would be able to enjoy and remorse!
Kassandra Falcon
8/1/12
"The case for animal rights" by Tom Reagan was one of the shortest and most interesting story I have read so far. I recognize the story is not a page long but it is enough for me to blog about it. These story can relate to my experience that i have seen animals get their right violated! As Reagan bullet points his importance in eliminating hunting animals and re-fuse to allow the use of animals in science. I can share the feeling i get when i see a animal ran over in the streets. I become sad and feel very sorry for the poor squirrel,cat,dog, etc. Even though we can't communicate with the animals they also have feelings. Imagine an animal not being able to communicate with you the pain is feeling! I agree with Tom supporting "animal rights movement". If i could join i would gladly be able to spread the movement.
In the essay "The Case for torture" by Michael Levin, the author talks about terrorism and why people deserve to be in a position of death when they don't even ask for it and trying to avoid death and terrorists. Torture has been around since the beginning of time to make people suffer and to cause pain to others.This idea that people call torture is a very important issue in the history of mankind because some people think its not right and people believe there is a better solution to keep the terrorism away. I also believe that torture is wrong and it is not human. torture is a way to get the truth out however torture is very wrong and torture just causes more and more problems. Torturing doesn't save lives because it can ruin lives by affecting the families lives also and causing hate and revenge. Levin says,"There are situations in which torture is not merely permissible but morally mandatory". I disagree with him because the people who are torturing terrorists don't realize what they are causing and Levine agrees to this but it nature its not morally right to torture another human being. The act of theory of torturing to save thousands of lives is wrong and not true at all. The tone the author conveys to the readers is more of a urgent tone to fight of terrorrist groups. He wants the readers to know that torture is the only way to bring out the truth from terrorists however its the reader to decide whether its right or wrong. I do not believe in his ideas because torturing another human being is evil and it doesn't solve anything it actually causes revenge to the people who are being affected. This makes the readers to think about torturing and and whether or not to allow this because in the end its up to the person who commits the torture to decide whether its wrong or right and that though its not morally right in society.
After reading On "Going Home" by Joan Didion, I started think more about my life and where it is headed. The second sentence from the essay: "By "home" I do not mean the house in Los Angeles where my husband and I and the baby live, but the place where my family is, in Central Valley of California." (Didion) shows the perspective on family the author has in her life. She seems to enjoy the company of her side of the family rather than her new immediate family. This made me question whether or not I am looking forward to adulthood. As the essay continues, the author seems to be frustrated with the fact that she is stuck at home doing nothing and is left with reminiscing about the good old days. I understand growing up is inevitable, but I also understand what is lost in becoming an adult. Responsibilities are assigned to every adult as they age, unfortunately that does not leave much time for fun and entertainment. The responsibilities for a kid are simple, have fun, stay out of trouble, and listen to your parents. Although that may seem hard as a kid, now that I have grown older I realize that isn't so bad. However, those days are behind us and we have to consider what is not only most convenient for us but for everyone around us. It is a scary thought that some day we will all be old and busy all the time but that is bound to happen, so the best thing to do is be the best you can be.
"The Beatles Now” by Terry Teachout goes in deep into the world of the Beatles and their music, and how they managed to become famous within the course of eight years. Like most artists the Beatles were discovered and became famous in the music industry, yet their music does not seem to fit the standards of Rock and Roll during this time period. They got most of their inspiration from Elvis and Little Richard, but the words and messages that were found in the songs were completely original and were the cause of the Beatles rise to fame and popularity. Yet topping the charts did not last long until the famous band suffered their famous break up. Many believed that the fame brought by the Beatles was going to end years after they had broken up, but music that the Beatles had brought into the world has been entertaining people to this day. Their music has not been able to be categorized in a particular type of music genre, but it has certain elements from many different types of music genres, which to me seems like it could be the reason that so many people enjoy their music and why their music has been so popular up to date. I had fun reading this essay, I would read more essays like these, and this essay really caught my attention. I would be tempted to read more articles like this in class or as homework. I think I might even go and look for any of the books that have been written about the Beatles.
Abortion. Those words are what an unfortunate lady who has been abused by a man. But to us as humans those words kill us(metaphorically speaking) even when we know that, in most cases, it was the fault of a man. In "We Do Abortions Here: A Nurse's Story" a nurse, who is also the narrator, narrates her story through a very grim and sometimes . Personally, I had to take a brake quite a few times because the essay really is disturbing: "Abortion is a routine that no one expects it to be like a manicure: quick, cheap, and painless"(Tisdale 750). This describes the never-ending "popularity" of why abortion is liked by those who want it. Although as a human, I believe that a life is the most valuable thing we can have this is our only chance and when we die we can't reverse it (only if you get a time machine, then your friends can make you semi-immortal, but still its our destiny). Its amazing that we are the "chosen one's" to live a life instead to be cut off from life. Nobody want's to be non-existent(the other word will gravely disturb me). Thinking about it twice if a person was given the decision to live and they learned that they were the result of rape, they will feel detrimentally grave(that is if the person is strong and has a positive mindset, but even then they will feel upset). Advice? Give it up for adoption if you have any hope for the child. If you have to? Do it. Though I wouldn't recommend it because what if it grew up to be an important person? No more Mr. Important person.
I was initially intrigued by Sallie Tisdale’s story, “We Do Abortions Here: A Nurse’s Story” because it is not a common topic for writers. I have seen books written by pro-choice or pro-life supporters but they always go into a debate, they do not tend to show what it is like to be involved in those abortions. Reading this essay offered me some insight to a very debatable topic. I have a few friends who have had abortions before. One has even had multiple ones. I cannot really relate to most of what the author said, but I can understand where she is coming from when she says, “A twenty-three-year-old mother of two having her seventh abortion.” There are so many women, some which I know, who are not mature enough to handle their own lives, much less the life of another human being. That is why many have abortions; they realize that they have a very immature way of living that they cannot deal with raising a child. Although that should be incentive enough to learn to use protection to prevent pregnancies, many women (except for those in special circumstances) continue to commit the same mistakes and continue to use abortion as their method of cleaning up after themselves. Even though, this essay captured my attention at first, it later lost much of it because of the contradictory things the author was pointing out. She did not seem to stick to one side, whether it was pro-choice or pro-life. It was a bit annoying that I could not get one direct answer of her opinion, but it was also helpful because it changed the way I viewed abortion. I do not see it as black and white, but as black, white, gray, and a huge mix of colors. Nothing is a hundred percent clear when we talk about abortion and I think that is one of the points the author made. This was an interesting essay to read, but I would not say that it was one of my favorites.
In "How To Tame a Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzaldua, the author heavily points out the struggle Chicanos have while living in an English speaking environment and how ethnic identity and linguistic identity entwine. Chicanos live with fear that they will be criticized, due to their accent or their different form of speaking their language. This creation of fear was unreasonable and illogical to Anzaldua, because she believed one should not be ashamed of speaking their creation of language. Anzaldus states, “I am my language,” to emphasize a sense of pride for one’s language and self being. The tendency of wanting to adapt to English culture is what initiated the creation of new languages. In the short essay, Anzaldua added all the languages a typical Chicano speaks due to their wanting of expressing their ideas and communicating with others. I strongly agree with Anzaldua, because the language that someone speaks identifies their true identity; therefore, it is unnecessary to be afraid to speak your language. I was born in Guadalajara, Mexico and my first language has been Spanish; moving to America was drastic change for me. On my first years in America speaking a language that was understandable to others was essential to me, because I had a wanting of fitting in. I felt a sense of obligation to speak English at school but I knew that speaking Spanish was my best way of communicating with others. As a result, the language of Spanglish or Tex-Mex came naturally to me. When I spoke, I mixed up English and Spanish and I would switch back and forth between both languages. It became a new way of communicating with my family and friends, but I knew that when it came down to being in a school classroom, English was the language I needed to speak to communicate well with my teacher. Although, I do consider Spanglish as a valid language and I am not ashamed of speaking it because that is my true identity. As well as for Gloria Anzaldua, Chicano culture was something she truly wanted to be acknowledged as valid.
My favorite essay, by far, has been Lewis Thomas’ “Notes on Punctuation”. As I read, I couldn’t help but feel that his ideas were my own put on paper. I too feel that punctuation bothers me when forced upon me, it signals what kind of person the author is and I’m not the type of person to be very flashy. Punctuation, if it doesn’t come naturally, just rips the meaning from the work. When English teachers, the world, ect. Tell you that you NEED a comma here, you NEED a semicolon there, the first thing I think is, why? This isn’t what I want, this changes what I’m trying to say and the way that I’m trying to say it. I admire Thomas’ view of rules of orthography as mere suggestions to how you should write, “There are no precise rules about punctuation (Fowler lays out some general advice…”. “General advice” is what it should be, rules have authority, they must be met, general advice are suggestions, nice to have but you don’t have to follow all of them. I love the way that Thomas goes through several punctuation marks and explains his thought process when he comes across one. I feel that if I could ever text Thomas he would hate me because he thinks “Exclamation points are the most irritating of all.” We would both, however, would agree that semicolons are amazing, “ Sometimes you get a glimpse of a semicolon coming a few lines further on, and its like climbing a steep path through woods and seeing a wooden bench just at a bend in the road ahead, a place where you can expect to sit for a moment, catching your breath.”
In the short story, On Going Home by Joan Didion, the author is reminiscing. She now lives with her family away from her parents. The fact that she no longer lives with her family (parents) has a toll on her. She starts feeling nostalgia, memories come back to her which makes her feel worse. As a human, one has always been under the wings of their parents's until one has to become an individual; although one becomes independent there are still moments in life in which one longs for the past. The author uses the word 'dusty' to describe her old home to show that it whas been long since she has been home. Some might wonder why she does not consider her house with her family 'home' and the answer is, wherever you grew up, whatever house you spent your childhood is the place that you actually call home. As my time comes to leave my 'home', the memories will fade and become 'dusty' but that is the reason in why we come home and visit our childhood once again. One should never forget where they come from, no matter how far on life.
The second story that I read was "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" by Gloria Anzaldua. The reason why I chose this story was because it was the only story out of the whole packet that made me laugh. It was actually interesting because I didn't know me being a Mexican American , that back then they had "classes" in how are accent was. It's actually very funny to see how we developed "Linguistic Terrorism" when really immigrants made up this country and primarily the SPANISH people came first to the United States. Ironic isn't it? What I've always been told was the person that speaks one language only counts as one person. A bilingual person would count as two people. Why? Well because you get to intermingle with the people that speak that language being Spanish, English or French. I don't know if I have an accent because I speak English the way I was thought. What I do remember from when I was a little kid was that I didn't know English at the time because I lived in a Spanish speaking environment but the school didn't give us classes for what our speech was. It's funny though how white people have tried forever trough century's on the United States existence to overpower people but we always manage to find a way around it and fight it. This has been a great short story hope to read more from this author this year.
In the essay, "The morals of a Prince", Niccolo Machiavelli expresses the aspects of a prince that allow him to be most successful at maintaining control of his kingdom and his throne. In his essay, Machiavelli debunks the conventional aspects of a successful prince. For example, he argues it is more advantageous for a prince to be feared than loved because at points during his rule it is necessary to be cruel in order to keep his people loyal and united, while decreasing his chances of being overthrown. Through the points that Machiavelli makes I do believe that his views are credible and make a lot sense. All of Machiavelli’s arguments lead up to the prime perspective that argues that it is impossible for mankind to only achieves good qualities; therefore a prince is no different making it necessary for a prince to only appear as if he has these good qualities. Through this prime idea, Machiavelli states that the acquisition of power and the continuation of power are built upon the careful actions of the prince to monitor and regulate his kingdom. The conventional idea of a successful ruler includes aspects such as generosity, clemency, compassion, honor, and humanity are the aspects that may lead to the fall of a prince. When exercised incorrectly, a prince may be seen as weak, while exercised correctly and minimally a prince will establish strength and power that will last a lifetime. Machiavelli not only defines the aspects of a prince but also a of any modern day political leader or any icon of modern society.
In Sallie Tisdales story , "We Do Abortions Here: A Nurses Story, the reality of life truly opened my eyes. You don't really come to appreciate life until you've either lost or gained much in life. Tisdales story, narrated by a nurse tells the stories of these scared and confused mothers who have chosen to abort their innocent children, who which share no fault for their existence in this world. I chose this story because my mom would always tell me that in life not everything is given to you. Whatever it is i want in life i had to get myself. Abortion to me isn't right i truly believe that abortion solves nothing its just the easy way out. I'm not saying that mothers should be forced to accept the reality of what has just happened but i do believe that yes, we are bound to make mistakes. No one in this world is perfect nor will they ever be but sometimes we have to face all that comes in life. It isn't meant to be easy. My mom would always tell me, you made your bed, now lay in it. I don't think that because young mothers or even mothers who already have children but unexpectedly have anther one have encounter in a relationship, should pay the price but i see it as one being blessed, not punished. Which i feel many mothers who chose abortion use that as an excuse which i highly disagree with. I enjoyed Tisdale's story because one can learn that no matter what age we are all human, and we all make mistakes. I don't believe that a child brought into someones life is ever a mistake. I truly believe that every life has a purpose, a meaning and value. It shouldn't be thrown away.
Torture has always been a sketchy subject. On the journal entry "The Case for Torture" by Michael Levin, the author does not try and justify torture, rather he attempts to explain why torture should not be discarded as a means of finding solutions. I do not agree with he idea of using torture as a form of punishment, but when you are trying to get crucial data out of a terrorist, are the actions being taken against him/her really considered punishment? I would not say so. Yes, there are extreme cases in which torture should be allowed. I completely agree with Levin. You have to be willing to make some sacrifices every now and then, especially concerning the greater good. Punish one so that millions will not DIE. That seems reasonable to me. The terrorist is not being killed, he/she is merely being subdued to extreme pain, maybe to the brink of death, but never quite there. Hey, you have to do what you have to do, right? I do not see why anyone would disagree with such resources. As long as torture methods are used strictly for extreme cases such as getting a terrorist to spill the beans, then why not allow it? Why take the risk of endangering innocent lives when you can save them by being radical with a guilty one? Is it because of morals? Which is more righteous, hurting one to save others, or letting others suffer for not hurting one? Come on people, the answer is simple, and Levin hits the nail right on the head. Torture does not equal punishment; torture equals necessary answers. However, just because torture methods should be allowed, it does not mean that they should then automatically be made public. I am pretty sure that torturing goes on all the time "underground". If it were to be allowed, then it should remain like this. After all, what the public does not know, will not hurt them. I am not saying that it should be kept secret, all I am saying is that it should not be made public. "Don't ask a question that you don't wanna know the answer to"- MIB:III.
from An American Childhood, Annie Dillard
When I first read Annie Dillard’s An American Childhood a few months ago, I found that I could not relate to her childhood, and, frankly, I still cannot. I think the problem lies with our mothers. They seem to have different approaches to parenting; her mother is non-traditional in every way possible, from views on politics to using peculiar ways to keep her children tongue tied around her. My mother can bask in the sunlight of tradition until her skin becomes the shade of a mahogany table, and, to her, nothing is more ideal than a child that can talk for hours on end. Two completely different mothers we have. Two different childhoods we have that will never share many similarities, unless we both relieve our childhoods and become fraternal twins. The differences between her childhood and mine, though, do not, and will never, change the quality of her writing. She is a master. She knows how to write about things that otherwise seem unimportant and make them into works of art that people crowd around to see. I’m not very good at listening to others, but her story made we feel connected to her.
In order to have a clear understanding of what the word “tutor” truly is instead of continuing a brutal legacy in the short story “The Case For Torture” by Michael Levin. Levin wanted to allay the readers’ assumption by giving an excellent example which relates to terrorists it is obvious how one can easily lose their humanity by following what” torture “truly is. Torture is an ancient technique of punishing the victim in order to receive answers quickly, instead of risking the odds. Although, torture is sort of the easy way out of the problem however, torture is a technique that works. I do not agree with Levin’s assumptions due to the fact that were all humans were prone to make mistakes. Torturing victims won’t make us any better than the few who cause pain, loss, and fear. It is tempting once it’s the safety of our love ones if there was a terrorist attack, and hundreds of civilians were held hostage; one being a loved one as Levin states, “Won’t WE turn into THEM?” (1). Would it still be considered as a crime to torture them then just to be even or justice? Reflecting back to Levin’s engaging assumptions it would be obvious we would have to act on self-defense and not even take a moment to think back “what’s done is done”.
Decided to go through Lewis Thomas’s “Notes on Punctuation”, and I thought it to be a brilliant laugh. It pokes fun at the subject that it carefully elaborates on while making great (and fairly humorous) examples of each individual subject. There isn’t too much depth into this though. I see it mostly as a way for any writer to get both a good laugh and to get fairly decent review over punctuation. It isn’t doing anything bad in doing that though. Most people tend to make grammar mistakes regarding punctuation daily, so it’s never a bad idea to go get some review or the subject, and quite frankly there isn’t much of a better way to see that than through getting an elaborate explanation with the subject being exemplified simultaneously. In fact, that’s an ideal way for most people to get taught. It’s never really enough to just get an example or an explanation; it leaves room for error and confusion. You want to receive both so that you don’t walk in thinking something is done one way, or walking in after just seeing something but not knowing what exactly you just saw. So ideally, being taught with explanations and demonstrations is naturally more likely to help the learner retain what they have been imbedded with. Or if not completely retain what was taught, they may at the very least have something to associate the lesson with. Thomas not only makes sure that both pieces are planted, but he does so simultaneously to further deepen his lesson for the reader, so that when the reader starts going over it, (s)he sees it being used practically while having knowing what it is suppose to be doing. I’m not saying that every teacher of everything start implementing this (because explaining what a bomb is while setting one off is dangerous/illegal), but that at the very least be aware that it can be done. Not everyone learns the same way, but being diverse in teachings can be beneficial for everyone involved.
- Luis Muniz (sorry this was late, but at least it’s here)
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