This is an excellent story of a Hawaiian Japanese American boy who is coming of age during World War II, and also a dirt poor time of working class Hawaiians. I found this to be a heart breaking story of this teenage boy who has a longing of a life of his own, but instead he is faced with huge debts that his parents left him with because of their misfortune and bad decisions and also the poor labor conditions.
All characters in this story struggle I noticed but they seem to persist on with family loyalty, guts and humor. I feel the title and story has an aspect that is about a coming-of-age, the internal struggles of a Japanese family or Nisei (second generation Japanese Americans). The title is about finding the old ways grating and confining but yet also finding pride in heritage as Tosh, does one of the main characters. Kiyoshi, the other main character is more comfortable in the divide between the Hawaiians and Japanese divide and just wants to understand the good points of the old ways, but knows his generation is different. Tosh is the one who says, “All I asking for is my body” which is an emotional statement. I also feel that the way the title is worded is due to the author, Murayama who kept traditional English, but much of the dialogue is Hawaiian pidgin Creole, which captures to me the difference between the ways the issei and Nisei communicate as well as strongly but subtly shows the divide between the two cultures and the life on the Hawaiian plantation which is another draw that I feel is related to the title of this book. The title fascinates me because it gives a realistic way to see races pit against one another to benefit corporations milling cane, this also resonates in today’s political world.
Segregation by debt is depicted in this story well, as well as keeping poor in their place being shown such as Kiyoshi’s family as they are trapped in their massive debt and low wages and also resembles the title. Tosh too supports the title as it is shown he is suffocated as if he is in prison, both boys reactions are varied but yet the complexity of their emotions are reflected in the story which reflects the title.
Concluding that the title captures Japanese-American experience in Hawaii, plantation life, reactions to Pearl Harbor bombing, the traditional Japanese family system and the confidence the characters have in themselves. This is displayed in Kiyoshi as he has a very strong family community structure around him.
This book is very well told in the eyes of perceptive Nisei who are in difficult situations and forced to make tough choices and completely reflects the title for me because of this as well as it gives a feel of living through your ancestors and just wanting your own title.
Lastly, this book and title truly are a power of emotions for the reader as to how a man is in search of himself.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
All I Asking For Is My Body, Part II, Dialogue
Why does Kiyoshi believe Obaban is a substitute for his mom?
I believe Kiyoshi gets the idea that Obaban is a substitute for his mom from his mother’s belief in superstitions, she thinks if someone gets away with a bad deed then someone is going to pay for it and not necessarily the person who committed the bad deed this person somehow replaces them she believes. This is also where the term “substitute comes from in the book.
Kiyoshi’s mother becomes very ill and is hospitalized; he is to look after her and the younger children while his father is fishing. Obanan seems to be the one who lifts his mother’s spirits as she is doing poorly. Obanan goes onto to tell Kiyoshi about bachi, which means doing something bad and getting away with it. Obanan then says that if his mother can find a substitute to take her place of death because of her bad luck she may be freed from it before it is too late.
Kiyoshi’s mother than explains her substitute theory to him at this time thinking she was near death. She tells Kiyoshi that she is next in line in her family to die because she believes that it happens in fours. Kiyoshi’s uncle died from tuberculosis, his grandmother from grief, and his grandfather from a stroke, so she thinks it is now her turn in the family line. She went on to explain that it is receiving the punishment for someone’s bad deeds in her family which Kiyoshi believes her.
Almost near her death Kiyoshi receives bad news and finds out that Obanan died of a stroke and not his mother. He is relieved and in the story we read that she becomes better and this concluded that what she told Kiyoshi is true in that Obaban took her place and died as her substitute for someone’s sins.
I believe Kiyoshi gets the idea that Obaban is a substitute for his mom from his mother’s belief in superstitions, she thinks if someone gets away with a bad deed then someone is going to pay for it and not necessarily the person who committed the bad deed this person somehow replaces them she believes. This is also where the term “substitute comes from in the book.
Kiyoshi’s mother becomes very ill and is hospitalized; he is to look after her and the younger children while his father is fishing. Obanan seems to be the one who lifts his mother’s spirits as she is doing poorly. Obanan goes onto to tell Kiyoshi about bachi, which means doing something bad and getting away with it. Obanan then says that if his mother can find a substitute to take her place of death because of her bad luck she may be freed from it before it is too late.
Kiyoshi’s mother than explains her substitute theory to him at this time thinking she was near death. She tells Kiyoshi that she is next in line in her family to die because she believes that it happens in fours. Kiyoshi’s uncle died from tuberculosis, his grandmother from grief, and his grandfather from a stroke, so she thinks it is now her turn in the family line. She went on to explain that it is receiving the punishment for someone’s bad deeds in her family which Kiyoshi believes her.
Almost near her death Kiyoshi receives bad news and finds out that Obanan died of a stroke and not his mother. He is relieved and in the story we read that she becomes better and this concluded that what she told Kiyoshi is true in that Obaban took her place and died as her substitute for someone’s sins.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Week 14 Rules for Writers
I chose to give an overview of the chapters I found extremely helpful throughout the course in Diana Hackers, Rules for Writers book. The chapters I found most helpful were the ones dealing with writing research papers. The book gave specific guidelines and examples to help me through the research and arguing to construct an organized paper.
One of the areas in the book was Chapter 46 on constructing arguments which advises on how to construct a paper including the arguments. The chapter gives suggestions on how to backup the argument with facts and expert opinions with examples of papers which was extremely helpful to me because then I could see how the suggestions were used.
Chapter 47 I learned how to evaluate arguments and tactics writers use to argue their points. I think being able to see writers evaluate each other’s arguments and suggestions on avoiding pitfalls helped me to improve in these areas, especially because it offered specific arguments so that I could determine the problems of the arguments.
Chapter 48 was also helpful on conducting research, by helping you pick a topic and determine a research strategy. The book shows traditional and non-traditional sources of information, as well as suggestions on how to narrow a search when looking on the internet to write your paper.
The chapter I found the most valuable was chapter 49 evaluating sources, it gave specific guidelines on determining how valuable information is for my topic and how realiable the information is to my topic by giving a checklist to help me through writing my paper.
All these chapters gave specific information to easily and clearly help me from picking my topic, developing my arguments to researching the topic and being able to backup the topic with reliable sources. I will hang on to this book for future use.
One of the areas in the book was Chapter 46 on constructing arguments which advises on how to construct a paper including the arguments. The chapter gives suggestions on how to backup the argument with facts and expert opinions with examples of papers which was extremely helpful to me because then I could see how the suggestions were used.
Chapter 47 I learned how to evaluate arguments and tactics writers use to argue their points. I think being able to see writers evaluate each other’s arguments and suggestions on avoiding pitfalls helped me to improve in these areas, especially because it offered specific arguments so that I could determine the problems of the arguments.
Chapter 48 was also helpful on conducting research, by helping you pick a topic and determine a research strategy. The book shows traditional and non-traditional sources of information, as well as suggestions on how to narrow a search when looking on the internet to write your paper.
The chapter I found the most valuable was chapter 49 evaluating sources, it gave specific guidelines on determining how valuable information is for my topic and how realiable the information is to my topic by giving a checklist to help me through writing my paper.
All these chapters gave specific information to easily and clearly help me from picking my topic, developing my arguments to researching the topic and being able to backup the topic with reliable sources. I will hang on to this book for future use.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
All I Asking for is My Body Week 14
All I Asking For Is My Body
Who is Makot? Do you feel sorry for him? What are your thoughts about him and the way he copes with his parents?
Makot is a teenage boy living in Pepelau, Hawaii with his parents they are a traditional Japanese family who migrated to the sugar plantation; he is also the main character of the story. Makot finds himself always hanging out with kids much younger than him, like Kiyosh. Makot comes from a wealthy family and seems to like to spend money on his group of friends and because of this I believe is the reason no one his age will hang out with him, they make fun of him and his family. There seems to be an oddity about Makot, he is always having his group of friends over for dinner. This is when Kiyoshi acquired the feeling that Makot’s parents act very strange and told his folks and they responded by saying that Makot’s parents are bad people and live a questionable life.
Makot appears to me to be somewhat childish, this could possibly be because his parents do not spend a lot of time with him as well as check up on what is doing, he seems to run free a lot. This could also be why his behavior toward his parents is arrogant and angered. I believe that Makot learned this behavior from his parents they are not a good role model and therefore the way they act or treat him affects the way Makot treats them. I also think this is why no one Makot’s age wants to be friends with him, which I find very sad.
Kiyoshi’s mother feels Makot is a bad influence and knows that he is getting caught up in the ideas that Makot introduced him to and they are not traditional ways she feels. Eventually, Kiyoshi has to tell Makot he cannot play with him anymore.
I think that Makot is losing his friends either because he is trying to buy them or because his parents are not approved of either way it seems there is always separation because of social -economic status.
Who is Makot? Do you feel sorry for him? What are your thoughts about him and the way he copes with his parents?
Makot is a teenage boy living in Pepelau, Hawaii with his parents they are a traditional Japanese family who migrated to the sugar plantation; he is also the main character of the story. Makot finds himself always hanging out with kids much younger than him, like Kiyosh. Makot comes from a wealthy family and seems to like to spend money on his group of friends and because of this I believe is the reason no one his age will hang out with him, they make fun of him and his family. There seems to be an oddity about Makot, he is always having his group of friends over for dinner. This is when Kiyoshi acquired the feeling that Makot’s parents act very strange and told his folks and they responded by saying that Makot’s parents are bad people and live a questionable life.
Makot appears to me to be somewhat childish, this could possibly be because his parents do not spend a lot of time with him as well as check up on what is doing, he seems to run free a lot. This could also be why his behavior toward his parents is arrogant and angered. I believe that Makot learned this behavior from his parents they are not a good role model and therefore the way they act or treat him affects the way Makot treats them. I also think this is why no one Makot’s age wants to be friends with him, which I find very sad.
Kiyoshi’s mother feels Makot is a bad influence and knows that he is getting caught up in the ideas that Makot introduced him to and they are not traditional ways she feels. Eventually, Kiyoshi has to tell Makot he cannot play with him anymore.
I think that Makot is losing his friends either because he is trying to buy them or because his parents are not approved of either way it seems there is always separation because of social -economic status.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Extra Credit week 13 Dartmouth's Program Writing About Film
“Extra Credit Dartmouth’s Writing Program on Writing About Film”
By Daye Richardson April 23, 2011
English 100 Section # 8736 Instructor: Servais
"Other cultures and nations have different values and so produce different sorts of films. Sometimes these films baffle us. We might watch a French film, for example, and wonder why it's funny. Or we might watch a Russian film and wonder why the director never calls for a close up. These observations are in fact excellent starting places. Consider differences. Find out if these differences reflect something about the national character, or if they reflect trends in the national cinema. You may find that you have something interesting to say."
—Dartmouth Writing Program, Writing about Film
In this extra credit assignment I took a look at Dartmouth’s writing program on writing about film which I found very helpful. This program contains a number of materials that answer a very important question about what an academic paper is as well as provide information on researching topics for writing.
I found it useful that this program was designed in categories of writing and getting to know glossary terms. The categories included: writing academically academically which was about starting the paper and having a critical eye, in humanities which explains how to write with tools for a art history-English-film-music-religion or philosophy paper, in social sciences gives great hints on the biology and chemistry of the paper, writing about sciences explains a lot of the same tools and advice for social science but without a social environment, and finally in special tasks which basically gives you hints on using English as a second language in writing, overcoming disabilities, how to write for a job or professional audience and which I found interesting was the writing a graduate school application.
This glossary of categories is referred back to many times throughout the program to use when analyzing movies before, during and after viewing them. This program discusses how to analyze the film in a review and a comprehensive analysis. Different types of film papers that can be written was pointed out, along with analyzing behind the scenes, sequence of parts of the film, the lighting and the history of the film to use in writing a paper about film.
The program talks about writing tips, which I found a great tool to store for myself and how not to write the paper as a review by using the word “I” and do not limit as you write in discussion of plot characters.
Throughout this program I learned at ways to look at and analyze movies and how the author suggests doing research on writing a paper. What I found is that looking at the reviews of certain films and what the director’s style is in film making was critical in analyzing a film to write a paper.
I found it helpful and well noted for future use on the information given on writing about film and the suggestions on writing from fellow students which to me is using the critiquing to help write a final paper. This program also addressed how to come up with a topic for a paper, developing your thesis, structure with logic and argument which were main points that I reviewed in this program and will take with me for future use.
Concluding that the main helpful tips of this program for me were the writing tips in writing about film being no different than other kinds of humanities papers was very useful and they included Don’t simply summarize a film or summarize camera angles or editing techniques, don’t limit yourself in talking about plot and characters, and lastly avoid using “I” so that you don’t fall into a review in writing your paper.
The last point that was stated was as prevalent that film is in our lives when writing about it we must find a familiarity with the film or this will present the greatest challenge when writing a paper. We also must recognize the invisible aspects about the film and then proceed as I mentioned above in writing the kind of paper you want to write about the film.
By Daye Richardson April 23, 2011
English 100 Section # 8736 Instructor: Servais
"Other cultures and nations have different values and so produce different sorts of films. Sometimes these films baffle us. We might watch a French film, for example, and wonder why it's funny. Or we might watch a Russian film and wonder why the director never calls for a close up. These observations are in fact excellent starting places. Consider differences. Find out if these differences reflect something about the national character, or if they reflect trends in the national cinema. You may find that you have something interesting to say."
—Dartmouth Writing Program, Writing about Film
In this extra credit assignment I took a look at Dartmouth’s writing program on writing about film which I found very helpful. This program contains a number of materials that answer a very important question about what an academic paper is as well as provide information on researching topics for writing.
I found it useful that this program was designed in categories of writing and getting to know glossary terms. The categories included: writing academically academically which was about starting the paper and having a critical eye, in humanities which explains how to write with tools for a art history-English-film-music-religion or philosophy paper, in social sciences gives great hints on the biology and chemistry of the paper, writing about sciences explains a lot of the same tools and advice for social science but without a social environment, and finally in special tasks which basically gives you hints on using English as a second language in writing, overcoming disabilities, how to write for a job or professional audience and which I found interesting was the writing a graduate school application.
This glossary of categories is referred back to many times throughout the program to use when analyzing movies before, during and after viewing them. This program discusses how to analyze the film in a review and a comprehensive analysis. Different types of film papers that can be written was pointed out, along with analyzing behind the scenes, sequence of parts of the film, the lighting and the history of the film to use in writing a paper about film.
The program talks about writing tips, which I found a great tool to store for myself and how not to write the paper as a review by using the word “I” and do not limit as you write in discussion of plot characters.
Throughout this program I learned at ways to look at and analyze movies and how the author suggests doing research on writing a paper. What I found is that looking at the reviews of certain films and what the director’s style is in film making was critical in analyzing a film to write a paper.
I found it helpful and well noted for future use on the information given on writing about film and the suggestions on writing from fellow students which to me is using the critiquing to help write a final paper. This program also addressed how to come up with a topic for a paper, developing your thesis, structure with logic and argument which were main points that I reviewed in this program and will take with me for future use.
Concluding that the main helpful tips of this program for me were the writing tips in writing about film being no different than other kinds of humanities papers was very useful and they included Don’t simply summarize a film or summarize camera angles or editing techniques, don’t limit yourself in talking about plot and characters, and lastly avoid using “I” so that you don’t fall into a review in writing your paper.
The last point that was stated was as prevalent that film is in our lives when writing about it we must find a familiarity with the film or this will present the greatest challenge when writing a paper. We also must recognize the invisible aspects about the film and then proceed as I mentioned above in writing the kind of paper you want to write about the film.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Week 13 Essay 3 Workshop
What role does forgiveness play in smoke signals?
I wanted to start this essay with the part where Victor, a young Native American boy, is asked by his parents who his favorite Indian is and he replies “nobody”…of course they didn’t believe that answer nor settle for it. They asked him several more times and he kept saying, “nobody”, until he replied for the last time with a yell “Nobody!” He grew up not trusting people; he carries a lot of bitterness and hopelessness. This leads me into why I chose how forgiveness plays a role in this particular film.
Forgiveness is strongly portrayed in the part where Victor throws his father’s ashes off the bridge into the river and lets out his primal scream, but what I noticed that is also conveyed in this part is Victor is also able to let go of the bitterness and hopelessness he has carried with him his whole life since childhood. What ties forgiveness all together in this film is the last line of the movie showing Thomas asking “if we forgive our fathers, what is left?” This line is an adaption of the film, which makes me wonder why it is so hard forgiving those that are closest to us and usually it isn’t until they are no longer living and then we realize how much it helps, just as Victor experienced and revealed through this film. I believe that forgiveness gives us freedom and love possibly without the stigma of “daddy” that weighs us down. The last line in the film portraying forgiveness is taken from the poem written by Dick Lourie, called “forgiving our Fathers”. Lourie, is a self-described beatnik poet that brought a beauty to the motional climax of this film through his poem.
(Referenced website:http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080627084016AAbcdTe)
I must say the film also coaxed my response out, of emotional abandonment I have with my father, so as I sat watching, crying out as if a blubbering-fest was taken place, I found that I had something in common with Victor self-reconciliation. I truly felt the movie tenderly moved through love, pain and hopelessness through twisted past and present scenes so well, you can see in these scenes how the emotions were faced and felt by Victor and Thomas, I too sat there watching and experiencing them within myself.
Watching this film I could see the alienation and reconciliation displayed through the Native American eyes of Victor and Thomas as they begin the film toward understanding of two opposites shared on common culture land.
Victor had to forgive the years of abuse and alcoholism that destroyed his family as it raged through his life from his father, until he separated from his mother and eventually his father died in a fire. This is also depicted in the beginning of the film narrated by Thomas of children who are born of fire and ash. Then the film opens up displaying the struggle Victor undergoes facing his past and recovering his lost identity from the personal effects of his father in a warrior role he takes on a journey with his friend Thomas in a sensitive manner.
This film is a depiction of contemporary Native American culture through a journey of Thomas and Victor Joseph’s lives woven together that leads us through the film with keen understanding of a sensitivity of universal human emotion and social commentary with love, regret, pain and forgiveness which can be related to and not just that but that these characters show moments of humor, sadness through the past and present that we understand. Both of these boys learn acceptance, human compassion, perseverance understanding and forgiveness in which is sad and comforting in this film and also opened me up to care about them. I too compared my life experiences of learning to accept and forgive my father with compassion and understanding to let go and go on with my life.
The forgiveness shown in this film certainly made me think, I wondered if Victor needed to find forgiveness for his father because his father could not forgive himself for the life he gave his family, which certainly gave me heavy thoughts into my own life of suffering of this. I also believe that by Victor forgiving his father he will then be able to move on with his own life as I have mine and possibly make his life for his children different then his own. I also thought that possibly it is us that needs to ask for forgiveness and that we are here to teach our fathers and not the other way around and we may need to find forgiveness for our fathers in our age and not in theirs or at their deaths. Forgiveness is the central theme of this movie and is important to viewers everywhere, it is about letting go and what holding on does to us and even learning to forgive the unforgivable. This film is about what has happened in our past and our present and what we become because of things our fathers did when we were young and how find forgiveness from the rage. This film has such a strong plot that triggers lost feelings of not ever understanding our fathers or ourselves because things were never expressed the way they were meant to be or things were done that couldn’t be forgiven.
This film does not receive the recognition it deserves and it seems to be largely misunderstood as it shows the quality of a very sad life on a Native American Indian reservation. I think that this movie talks to everyone about forgiveness no matter what ethnic background they may be and I think if it hadn’t been for my English teacher I may have missed watching this amazing film myself. Thank you!!
References:
1. Alexie, S. (1998). Forgiveness on movie Smoke Signals . In Smoke Signals (p.
196). English : Hyperion; 1st edition (July 1, 1998). (Reprinted from
Smoke Signals , 2008, November 21, Movie , pp. ISBN-13: 978-0786883929)
I wanted to start this essay with the part where Victor, a young Native American boy, is asked by his parents who his favorite Indian is and he replies “nobody”…of course they didn’t believe that answer nor settle for it. They asked him several more times and he kept saying, “nobody”, until he replied for the last time with a yell “Nobody!” He grew up not trusting people; he carries a lot of bitterness and hopelessness. This leads me into why I chose how forgiveness plays a role in this particular film.
Forgiveness is strongly portrayed in the part where Victor throws his father’s ashes off the bridge into the river and lets out his primal scream, but what I noticed that is also conveyed in this part is Victor is also able to let go of the bitterness and hopelessness he has carried with him his whole life since childhood. What ties forgiveness all together in this film is the last line of the movie showing Thomas asking “if we forgive our fathers, what is left?” This line is an adaption of the film, which makes me wonder why it is so hard forgiving those that are closest to us and usually it isn’t until they are no longer living and then we realize how much it helps, just as Victor experienced and revealed through this film. I believe that forgiveness gives us freedom and love possibly without the stigma of “daddy” that weighs us down. The last line in the film portraying forgiveness is taken from the poem written by Dick Lourie, called “forgiving our Fathers”. Lourie, is a self-described beatnik poet that brought a beauty to the motional climax of this film through his poem.
(Referenced website:http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080627084016AAbcdTe)
I must say the film also coaxed my response out, of emotional abandonment I have with my father, so as I sat watching, crying out as if a blubbering-fest was taken place, I found that I had something in common with Victor self-reconciliation. I truly felt the movie tenderly moved through love, pain and hopelessness through twisted past and present scenes so well, you can see in these scenes how the emotions were faced and felt by Victor and Thomas, I too sat there watching and experiencing them within myself.
Watching this film I could see the alienation and reconciliation displayed through the Native American eyes of Victor and Thomas as they begin the film toward understanding of two opposites shared on common culture land.
Victor had to forgive the years of abuse and alcoholism that destroyed his family as it raged through his life from his father, until he separated from his mother and eventually his father died in a fire. This is also depicted in the beginning of the film narrated by Thomas of children who are born of fire and ash. Then the film opens up displaying the struggle Victor undergoes facing his past and recovering his lost identity from the personal effects of his father in a warrior role he takes on a journey with his friend Thomas in a sensitive manner.
This film is a depiction of contemporary Native American culture through a journey of Thomas and Victor Joseph’s lives woven together that leads us through the film with keen understanding of a sensitivity of universal human emotion and social commentary with love, regret, pain and forgiveness which can be related to and not just that but that these characters show moments of humor, sadness through the past and present that we understand. Both of these boys learn acceptance, human compassion, perseverance understanding and forgiveness in which is sad and comforting in this film and also opened me up to care about them. I too compared my life experiences of learning to accept and forgive my father with compassion and understanding to let go and go on with my life.
The forgiveness shown in this film certainly made me think, I wondered if Victor needed to find forgiveness for his father because his father could not forgive himself for the life he gave his family, which certainly gave me heavy thoughts into my own life of suffering of this. I also believe that by Victor forgiving his father he will then be able to move on with his own life as I have mine and possibly make his life for his children different then his own. I also thought that possibly it is us that needs to ask for forgiveness and that we are here to teach our fathers and not the other way around and we may need to find forgiveness for our fathers in our age and not in theirs or at their deaths. Forgiveness is the central theme of this movie and is important to viewers everywhere, it is about letting go and what holding on does to us and even learning to forgive the unforgivable. This film is about what has happened in our past and our present and what we become because of things our fathers did when we were young and how find forgiveness from the rage. This film has such a strong plot that triggers lost feelings of not ever understanding our fathers or ourselves because things were never expressed the way they were meant to be or things were done that couldn’t be forgiven.
This film does not receive the recognition it deserves and it seems to be largely misunderstood as it shows the quality of a very sad life on a Native American Indian reservation. I think that this movie talks to everyone about forgiveness no matter what ethnic background they may be and I think if it hadn’t been for my English teacher I may have missed watching this amazing film myself. Thank you!!
References:
1. Alexie, S. (1998). Forgiveness on movie Smoke Signals . In Smoke Signals (p.
196). English : Hyperion; 1st edition (July 1, 1998). (Reprinted from
Smoke Signals , 2008, November 21, Movie , pp. ISBN-13: 978-0786883929)
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
"This is What it means to say Phoenix Arizona" Dialogue
Are you more impressed with the film or the story? Why?
“This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona”. Some of the differences of the story and the film are that in the short story they travel to Arizona by airplane while in the film they travel by bus. Other major changes include the addition of parts in the story for the film which was possibly to increase the length for viewers. One example in the film was when Thomas and Victor walk to Victor’s Father’s home from the bus and in the book they take a taxi. Suzy Song is also in the movie and not discussed in any of the stories of the book. In addition, I noticed that they added the dialogue and actions with the part about the fry bread in the film and this is not talked about in the book at all. It seems in the film a lot of phrases, places and characters were added that were not mentioned in the book which is why I was impressed more watching the film than reading the book.
I would have to say that whether you are a book reader or a film buff, this story is a look at sometimes difficult, sometimes brilliant times of these characters lives but from printed page to the big screen both capture a remarkable story that it is hard to decide which I liked more. Although the film did include parts that were not in the book which seemed to give the story zest to me, but in the book the characters seemed more real than they did in the film.
The book has a great way of teaching the way of Native Americans and how they were treated in the past which is not much different then now. Although I feel the book is a rough draft of the story as to where the film develops into a much more interesting story.
I think the film has great actors which gave the story life much more to me than the book and this is the main reason I preferred the movie over the book, Evan Adam is brilliant as Thomas and he brought a story of Native Americans that I think is somewhat understated out in a better way through the movie than you clearly see in the book. What I found with the film that I didn’t with the book is the understanding of American Indians lives on a reservation which included: poverty, inability to improve their economic status, addiction, public alcoholism, racism and domestic violence. The scene in the film that this brings to mind is when Victor’s father lights Thomas’ parent’s home on fire being intoxicated, and the scene that shows domestic violence is highlighted by Victor’s father’s abuse to his mother. I had a better picture of the social, cultural, political and personal issues faced by American Indians living on reservations that was expressed in the film that the book didn’t seem to make as clear to me.
“This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona”. Some of the differences of the story and the film are that in the short story they travel to Arizona by airplane while in the film they travel by bus. Other major changes include the addition of parts in the story for the film which was possibly to increase the length for viewers. One example in the film was when Thomas and Victor walk to Victor’s Father’s home from the bus and in the book they take a taxi. Suzy Song is also in the movie and not discussed in any of the stories of the book. In addition, I noticed that they added the dialogue and actions with the part about the fry bread in the film and this is not talked about in the book at all. It seems in the film a lot of phrases, places and characters were added that were not mentioned in the book which is why I was impressed more watching the film than reading the book.
I would have to say that whether you are a book reader or a film buff, this story is a look at sometimes difficult, sometimes brilliant times of these characters lives but from printed page to the big screen both capture a remarkable story that it is hard to decide which I liked more. Although the film did include parts that were not in the book which seemed to give the story zest to me, but in the book the characters seemed more real than they did in the film.
The book has a great way of teaching the way of Native Americans and how they were treated in the past which is not much different then now. Although I feel the book is a rough draft of the story as to where the film develops into a much more interesting story.
I think the film has great actors which gave the story life much more to me than the book and this is the main reason I preferred the movie over the book, Evan Adam is brilliant as Thomas and he brought a story of Native Americans that I think is somewhat understated out in a better way through the movie than you clearly see in the book. What I found with the film that I didn’t with the book is the understanding of American Indians lives on a reservation which included: poverty, inability to improve their economic status, addiction, public alcoholism, racism and domestic violence. The scene in the film that this brings to mind is when Victor’s father lights Thomas’ parent’s home on fire being intoxicated, and the scene that shows domestic violence is highlighted by Victor’s father’s abuse to his mother. I had a better picture of the social, cultural, political and personal issues faced by American Indians living on reservations that was expressed in the film that the book didn’t seem to make as clear to me.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Clarity Chapter Rules for Writer's Week 11
I have chosen the chapter on Clarity, particularly emphasizing on untangle mixed constructions, which I need to focus on so I thought it was fitting.
I have at many times myself read emails or letters from someone that was too wordy, lacked focus, and left me confused. So, how do you compose a writing that someone actually wants to read? I understand this is crucial to getting my message across no matter what I am writing about. Clear and concise writing is vital to having words read and understood; I seem to spend a lot of time over worded thoughts.
Diana Hacker suggests, to spend some time thinking about what you are going to write, which too often I think this is overshadowed by my concern with content and I fail to express myself clearly which in return my content doesn’t even get read.
Hacker suggested pretending that you are writing for someone else that way you don’t worry about your own performance, what a great concept one I would like to hang on to and store for future use. Hacker goes on to say, that you can then focus on the performance of your words in terms of the audience who will read it rather than you as your own audience. This seems liberating to me, possibly in developing a better relationship with my writing so that I am the director of my own words, sentences, paragraphs, punctuations. Hacker mentions that carefully directed words create clarity! (94)
I slowly am getting the techniques and developing the skills of writing, although in the particular area of clarity I seem to still struggle. I am not ever sure I think clearly, so how will I be able to untangle enough to write with clarity, it all seems like a new transition. I seem to try to write more intelligently and attractively than I need to or so this is a hint that Hacker suggests is common in writers. Possibly it comes across as trying too hard and it isn’t attractive writing this way. I can see how it is more important to be clear and inviting to my readers to write with clarity rather than try to impress with language or clever ways that end up diminishing the message. So, my first lesson of this chapter is learning to inform my readers, rather than impress them. Ultimately, I stand a better chance impressing my readers with expressed points that are clear.
I usually have a general idea of what I want to say, but apparently I am not very good at capturing it in one short sentence. I seem to touch my topic with different angles and all the bits of information that I think is relevant instead of being clear about my message, which is a common mistake Hacker points out in this chapter. Thinking back about this, a lot of the time my comments are that my writing is usually readable and professional sounding, but my readers come away thinking that they understood the gist of my intent but that they can’t really say what the point was exactly. Hacker says, this is because I never really knew what it was either.
I think this may be a possibility of too many distractions; I need to find a space to clear my mind so that my writing is precise. My focus a lot of the time is eradicated, which I will now start finding space to myself for my writing without outside influences.
Also Hacker suggests developing a clear mental state for writing, by reading broadly; searching for the right words instead of intelligent sounding words, and this will provide a much more natural feel with clear fluid writing. As well as exposing myself to new ideas and perspectives which she goes onto state this opens you up to think more critically in general and enables you to concentrate on the subjects on which I am writing about.
My key ideas I will take with me from this chapter are: clearing my writing space, block off time for writing, and eliminate distractions for starters. Next, I will take time to think about my subject thoroughly and then write out in one or two short sentences the main idea I am trying to get across. Consider my purpose of the writing and my expected outcome. This will serve as a guide for structure in my writing that I can refer back to, Hacker states.
Instead of reaching for soaring words and phrases I can just write as normal people speak; of course Hacker suggests adjusting for the difference between spoken words and written words.
I also realize that a summary or thesis statement is like a company’s mission statement, it is the clear direction of whatever I am writing about. My headline acts as my guiding force for my entire piece of writing. Once I have this, as my reference point I can then begin to write with more clarity and purpose.
I have at many times myself read emails or letters from someone that was too wordy, lacked focus, and left me confused. So, how do you compose a writing that someone actually wants to read? I understand this is crucial to getting my message across no matter what I am writing about. Clear and concise writing is vital to having words read and understood; I seem to spend a lot of time over worded thoughts.
Diana Hacker suggests, to spend some time thinking about what you are going to write, which too often I think this is overshadowed by my concern with content and I fail to express myself clearly which in return my content doesn’t even get read.
Hacker suggested pretending that you are writing for someone else that way you don’t worry about your own performance, what a great concept one I would like to hang on to and store for future use. Hacker goes on to say, that you can then focus on the performance of your words in terms of the audience who will read it rather than you as your own audience. This seems liberating to me, possibly in developing a better relationship with my writing so that I am the director of my own words, sentences, paragraphs, punctuations. Hacker mentions that carefully directed words create clarity! (94)
I slowly am getting the techniques and developing the skills of writing, although in the particular area of clarity I seem to still struggle. I am not ever sure I think clearly, so how will I be able to untangle enough to write with clarity, it all seems like a new transition. I seem to try to write more intelligently and attractively than I need to or so this is a hint that Hacker suggests is common in writers. Possibly it comes across as trying too hard and it isn’t attractive writing this way. I can see how it is more important to be clear and inviting to my readers to write with clarity rather than try to impress with language or clever ways that end up diminishing the message. So, my first lesson of this chapter is learning to inform my readers, rather than impress them. Ultimately, I stand a better chance impressing my readers with expressed points that are clear.
I usually have a general idea of what I want to say, but apparently I am not very good at capturing it in one short sentence. I seem to touch my topic with different angles and all the bits of information that I think is relevant instead of being clear about my message, which is a common mistake Hacker points out in this chapter. Thinking back about this, a lot of the time my comments are that my writing is usually readable and professional sounding, but my readers come away thinking that they understood the gist of my intent but that they can’t really say what the point was exactly. Hacker says, this is because I never really knew what it was either.
I think this may be a possibility of too many distractions; I need to find a space to clear my mind so that my writing is precise. My focus a lot of the time is eradicated, which I will now start finding space to myself for my writing without outside influences.
Also Hacker suggests developing a clear mental state for writing, by reading broadly; searching for the right words instead of intelligent sounding words, and this will provide a much more natural feel with clear fluid writing. As well as exposing myself to new ideas and perspectives which she goes onto state this opens you up to think more critically in general and enables you to concentrate on the subjects on which I am writing about.
My key ideas I will take with me from this chapter are: clearing my writing space, block off time for writing, and eliminate distractions for starters. Next, I will take time to think about my subject thoroughly and then write out in one or two short sentences the main idea I am trying to get across. Consider my purpose of the writing and my expected outcome. This will serve as a guide for structure in my writing that I can refer back to, Hacker states.
Instead of reaching for soaring words and phrases I can just write as normal people speak; of course Hacker suggests adjusting for the difference between spoken words and written words.
I also realize that a summary or thesis statement is like a company’s mission statement, it is the clear direction of whatever I am writing about. My headline acts as my guiding force for my entire piece of writing. Once I have this, as my reference point I can then begin to write with more clarity and purpose.
Smoke Signals Dialogue
Smoke Signals seems to be a successful film based exclusively of Native American Persons. The film explores the relationship between Victor Joseph and Thomas, which is important aspect of this film and what I chose to discuss for this writing.
In the beginning of the film, Thomas’s grandmother says to Victor’s mother that “Victor is a good name, because it means he’s gonna win.” I feel this is truly an inspiring part of the movie. The other scene is also in the beginning of the movie where Thomas says, “You know, there are some children who aren’t really children at all, they’re just pillars of flame that burn everything they touch. And there are some children who are just pillars of ash, that fall apart if you touch’em. Me and Victor – we were children born of flame and ash.”
The movie Smoke Signals, is written by Coeur D’ Alene Sherman Alexie and is based on a short story collection, which includes The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. For the purpose of this week Smoke Signals will be the focus of topic. The movie depicts a journey from Coeur D’ Alene reservation in Idaho to Phoenix by two teen-aged Indians, Victor Joseph and Thomas, they are headed to Victor’s fathers trailer because he has just died and Victor is returning his ashes to the reservation. This journey shows how the boys move from the reservation into the United States facing discrimination and stereotypes along the way head on. In my opinion if I may, we have all had points to make and scores to settle the Native Americans are not singled out. I think this film mirrors reality but is not overwhelming with sociological critiques.
Thomas, who Victor regards as a pest, begs to be taken along, this is basically where their relation to each other develops the central make up of the movie. Thomas is looked at as somewhat of a nerd, eccentric, a smiling young man on the reservation, the girls laugh at him, but Thomas Joseph allows him to accompany his travels. At one point in the film there is a scene where, Victor requests Thomas to “get stoic, undue his braids and lose the suit.” Thomas certainly is a complex character in the film, which blends traditional American Indian traits and contemporary American ones. An example, Thomas unties his braids at Victor’s request and puts on a T-shirt that says “Fry bread Power.” I think this is when it shows him transition in his character from the traditional to the contemporary American Indian. Thomas seems to serve as a spiritual guide for Victor. Thomas seems to be portrayed as a threat to white culture with a storytelling fetish but yet an extreme need to tell the truth.
I noticed this movie is built on honesty, partly due to the location being on a reservation and the other the way the characters are portrayed and develop and unfold in the movie and that truth is depicted much the same way that time is treated by American Indians. There is a particular scene of the movie, which I believe is the line between truth and lies that is powerful in this movie and also prior to the boys leaving where Sonya Song, Thomas Joseph’s ex-girlfriend says, “Do you want lies or the truth?” and he responded by saying, “I want both”, to me this shows a little tricky type of a character in him. Thomas seems to represent traditional Indian values, but it seems he has little concern about whether his stories are truth or not. Such as when he lied to Sonya about Victor hitting a winning shot, but in reality he missed the shot and lost the game. These stories he told seem to be a theme of the movie for his character.
Victor and Arnold are brought together through Victor’s father, who rescued Thomas as an infant from a house fire that killed his parents, so Thomas considers him a hero. On the other side, Victor has to endure his alcoholism, domestic violence and as I will discuss again later abandonment from his father, he has deep love and bitter resentment toward his father for these things. The boys grow up together as neighbors, fighting each other and at the same time forming a close alliance. Victor being the stoic and pragmatic one and Thomas more idealistic and traditional, this shows in the film as Victor’s irritation with Thomas and Thomas’s fascination with Victor. They both are true to their identity as Indians but their perspectives differ throughout the movie although the trip seems to be a soul-searching endeavor for both of them. Arnold, Victor’s father dies in Phoenix where he lived after leaving Victor’s mother Arlene this is what leads to the journey that the boys will embark together cross country to retrieve his ashes and belongings.
Continuing into the relationship of Victor and Thomas there is a scene where they are heading back to the reservation in an old truck which belonged to Thomas’s dad and they have a heated argument. Thomas shows aggression and yells at Victor telling him that he doesn’t know who he is and accuses him of making his mother cry although most of the time they are cordial and Victor always seems enthused to hear Thomas’s stories. There are several scenes that show a very abrasive and confrontational relationship between the two of them. There is also a great deal of humor in the movie that seems to be a way the movie uses this to show the characters connecting with people who have nothing in common.
I must mention a particular funny scene where there was a moment in the end of the film that Victor and Thomas were praised for their bravery because they witnessed a drunken driving accident. I mention this particular scene because it caught my attention that the nurse said, the two of them are like the lone ranger and tonto and Thomas corrects the nurse by saying, “No, we’re more like Tonto and Tonto.” As though it is depicted to show how American Indians do not always stick together. I also see this throughout the film by how Victor in the beginning wants nothing to do with Thomas and that he may even be using him for his money because they argue and fight throughout the film. It is also said in the movie that “the most intense competition on any reservation is Indians versus Indians.”
This movie is a true journey between two different types of men who form a comradeship as Victor finds the healing he needs to forgive his father. We see flashbacks of both of these men’s lives throughout the movie, which to some extent threw my attention off a little; although it also reminded me to pay attention that I am not doing this in my writing as I generally do. I also see that these flashbacks give a vivid idea of how events throughout their lives affected them in their present. The scene I will point out that shows this is when Victor remembered a party his parents had when he was a child that leads to his father leaving and his mother to stop drinking. My belief is that these flashbacks are showing a gradual view of what happened in these boys lives and it gives us a way of connecting to the movie. This gives comfort to the movie but it also tells the story of accepting whatever fate has handed to these boys.
The final scene of the movie is what ties it altogether for me, Victor finally poured his fathers ashes into the river and during this moment we hear his words and message of forgiveness which seems to be that the movie is not only about honesty as I believed in the beginning but also about forgiveness, he thanks Thomas for his support and wisdom, I think this is where the movie shows an understanding of a more tangible and meaningful relationship between Thomas and Victor. I also felt a sense of redemption towards Victor’s feelings of his father and also of his own identity and a way he could separate from his abandonment of his father.
In the beginning of the film, Thomas’s grandmother says to Victor’s mother that “Victor is a good name, because it means he’s gonna win.” I feel this is truly an inspiring part of the movie. The other scene is also in the beginning of the movie where Thomas says, “You know, there are some children who aren’t really children at all, they’re just pillars of flame that burn everything they touch. And there are some children who are just pillars of ash, that fall apart if you touch’em. Me and Victor – we were children born of flame and ash.”
The movie Smoke Signals, is written by Coeur D’ Alene Sherman Alexie and is based on a short story collection, which includes The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. For the purpose of this week Smoke Signals will be the focus of topic. The movie depicts a journey from Coeur D’ Alene reservation in Idaho to Phoenix by two teen-aged Indians, Victor Joseph and Thomas, they are headed to Victor’s fathers trailer because he has just died and Victor is returning his ashes to the reservation. This journey shows how the boys move from the reservation into the United States facing discrimination and stereotypes along the way head on. In my opinion if I may, we have all had points to make and scores to settle the Native Americans are not singled out. I think this film mirrors reality but is not overwhelming with sociological critiques.
Thomas, who Victor regards as a pest, begs to be taken along, this is basically where their relation to each other develops the central make up of the movie. Thomas is looked at as somewhat of a nerd, eccentric, a smiling young man on the reservation, the girls laugh at him, but Thomas Joseph allows him to accompany his travels. At one point in the film there is a scene where, Victor requests Thomas to “get stoic, undue his braids and lose the suit.” Thomas certainly is a complex character in the film, which blends traditional American Indian traits and contemporary American ones. An example, Thomas unties his braids at Victor’s request and puts on a T-shirt that says “Fry bread Power.” I think this is when it shows him transition in his character from the traditional to the contemporary American Indian. Thomas seems to serve as a spiritual guide for Victor. Thomas seems to be portrayed as a threat to white culture with a storytelling fetish but yet an extreme need to tell the truth.
I noticed this movie is built on honesty, partly due to the location being on a reservation and the other the way the characters are portrayed and develop and unfold in the movie and that truth is depicted much the same way that time is treated by American Indians. There is a particular scene of the movie, which I believe is the line between truth and lies that is powerful in this movie and also prior to the boys leaving where Sonya Song, Thomas Joseph’s ex-girlfriend says, “Do you want lies or the truth?” and he responded by saying, “I want both”, to me this shows a little tricky type of a character in him. Thomas seems to represent traditional Indian values, but it seems he has little concern about whether his stories are truth or not. Such as when he lied to Sonya about Victor hitting a winning shot, but in reality he missed the shot and lost the game. These stories he told seem to be a theme of the movie for his character.
Victor and Arnold are brought together through Victor’s father, who rescued Thomas as an infant from a house fire that killed his parents, so Thomas considers him a hero. On the other side, Victor has to endure his alcoholism, domestic violence and as I will discuss again later abandonment from his father, he has deep love and bitter resentment toward his father for these things. The boys grow up together as neighbors, fighting each other and at the same time forming a close alliance. Victor being the stoic and pragmatic one and Thomas more idealistic and traditional, this shows in the film as Victor’s irritation with Thomas and Thomas’s fascination with Victor. They both are true to their identity as Indians but their perspectives differ throughout the movie although the trip seems to be a soul-searching endeavor for both of them. Arnold, Victor’s father dies in Phoenix where he lived after leaving Victor’s mother Arlene this is what leads to the journey that the boys will embark together cross country to retrieve his ashes and belongings.
Continuing into the relationship of Victor and Thomas there is a scene where they are heading back to the reservation in an old truck which belonged to Thomas’s dad and they have a heated argument. Thomas shows aggression and yells at Victor telling him that he doesn’t know who he is and accuses him of making his mother cry although most of the time they are cordial and Victor always seems enthused to hear Thomas’s stories. There are several scenes that show a very abrasive and confrontational relationship between the two of them. There is also a great deal of humor in the movie that seems to be a way the movie uses this to show the characters connecting with people who have nothing in common.
I must mention a particular funny scene where there was a moment in the end of the film that Victor and Thomas were praised for their bravery because they witnessed a drunken driving accident. I mention this particular scene because it caught my attention that the nurse said, the two of them are like the lone ranger and tonto and Thomas corrects the nurse by saying, “No, we’re more like Tonto and Tonto.” As though it is depicted to show how American Indians do not always stick together. I also see this throughout the film by how Victor in the beginning wants nothing to do with Thomas and that he may even be using him for his money because they argue and fight throughout the film. It is also said in the movie that “the most intense competition on any reservation is Indians versus Indians.”
This movie is a true journey between two different types of men who form a comradeship as Victor finds the healing he needs to forgive his father. We see flashbacks of both of these men’s lives throughout the movie, which to some extent threw my attention off a little; although it also reminded me to pay attention that I am not doing this in my writing as I generally do. I also see that these flashbacks give a vivid idea of how events throughout their lives affected them in their present. The scene I will point out that shows this is when Victor remembered a party his parents had when he was a child that leads to his father leaving and his mother to stop drinking. My belief is that these flashbacks are showing a gradual view of what happened in these boys lives and it gives us a way of connecting to the movie. This gives comfort to the movie but it also tells the story of accepting whatever fate has handed to these boys.
The final scene of the movie is what ties it altogether for me, Victor finally poured his fathers ashes into the river and during this moment we hear his words and message of forgiveness which seems to be that the movie is not only about honesty as I believed in the beginning but also about forgiveness, he thanks Thomas for his support and wisdom, I think this is where the movie shows an understanding of a more tangible and meaningful relationship between Thomas and Victor. I also felt a sense of redemption towards Victor’s feelings of his father and also of his own identity and a way he could separate from his abandonment of his father.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Happy Endings, Obituary and Oompah Loompahs Week 10
The author talks about Shirley Temple and how much the main character Lovey looked forward to watching her on Sunday mornings. Every time she watched her it made her cry even though she rarely saw the endings because her and her best friends Jerry had to leave for Sunday school. As Lovey says, "I used to wish I was just like her, with perfect blond ringlets and pink cheeks and pout lips.”(25). Calhoon, Lovey’s sister teased her and called her an Oompah Loompah after she gets a perm which turns out looking like what they called a Toni perm that resembles an afro and definitely not the ringlet curls Shirley Temple had. This is the contrast of Shirley Temple and Oompah Loompahs that the author is referencing to in this story. Shirley Temple represents who Lovey wants to be, she sees Shirley as never being teased for how she talks and looks the way that Lovey and she considers herself ugly, struggling with standard English, so she was placed in the “dumb” class; as she puts it, and her family often calls her stupid.
Oompah Loompahs are completely the opposite and not what Lovey wants to be, they are the one’s teasing her for the way she talks and calling her names. Shirley Temple is Lovey’s idol, who she feels she needs to be to be accepted. My meaning of the contrast is the detailed description of Lovey’s rapture of infatuation with Shirley Temple’s perfect ringlets, cherubic smile, bright eyes, happy endings and her love for Grandpa. Lovey looks up to Shirley Temple and wants to be just like her not the girl she is who is awkward and struggles to fit in while struggling to be herself. Lovey has taken images such as Shirley Temple and Oompah Loompahs and compares herself to them and finds she ends up with a low self esteem and lacking in many areas. She is negatively shaping her identity between the contrast of Shirley Temple who she wants to be and Oompah Loompahs that she doesn't want to be.
Oompah Loompahs are completely the opposite and not what Lovey wants to be, they are the one’s teasing her for the way she talks and calling her names. Shirley Temple is Lovey’s idol, who she feels she needs to be to be accepted. My meaning of the contrast is the detailed description of Lovey’s rapture of infatuation with Shirley Temple’s perfect ringlets, cherubic smile, bright eyes, happy endings and her love for Grandpa. Lovey looks up to Shirley Temple and wants to be just like her not the girl she is who is awkward and struggles to fit in while struggling to be herself. Lovey has taken images such as Shirley Temple and Oompah Loompahs and compares herself to them and finds she ends up with a low self esteem and lacking in many areas. She is negatively shaping her identity between the contrast of Shirley Temple who she wants to be and Oompah Loompahs that she doesn't want to be.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Chapter 48 Week 10
Being able to distinguish between good and bad arguments is vital to being able to be successful in incorporating research into writing. Most good arguments or reasonable arguments I have noticed use strategies and are generally used by drawing analogies, tracing causes and weighing options when making assumptions that are effective in writing. Bad or fallacious arguments are difficult to recognize as Hacker points out in chapter 48 and the strategies that are used to twist your writing into a fallacious one.
Basically chapter 48 main topic is arguments and you first want to make sure your tactics are between reasonable and fallacious by staying away from generalizing. Hacker also shows us how to use inductive reasoning by recognizing whether your evidence is sufficient, representative and relevant. Cause and effect is another good way to argue your point, but Hacker does suggest watching out for the post hoc fallacy which is an approach writer's do to show one event comes from another. You must weigh all options to be fair and then make your assumptions. Lastly, you deduce a conclusion by putting things together using deducive reasoning Hacker explains in this chapter. The three steps in deducive reasoning Hacker informs us about are called: Syllogism and they are: major premise, minor premise and conclusion.
Next Hacker explains when evaluating arguments you want to understand the difference between legitimate and unfair emotional appeals. I really like the idea Hacker shares about writing an argument and that is you will find when someone opposes views it actually helps you gain credibility in your writing to make it better. I learned from this that it is important to quote the opposing viewers because it is accurate and fair, this will definitely be something I will pay attention to incorporating in my writing from now on. I also learned from this chapter to watch out for emotional appeals because you want to use them the right way.
Learning about arguments has been interesting and confusing because it can be so challenging to use them in writing.
Basically chapter 48 main topic is arguments and you first want to make sure your tactics are between reasonable and fallacious by staying away from generalizing. Hacker also shows us how to use inductive reasoning by recognizing whether your evidence is sufficient, representative and relevant. Cause and effect is another good way to argue your point, but Hacker does suggest watching out for the post hoc fallacy which is an approach writer's do to show one event comes from another. You must weigh all options to be fair and then make your assumptions. Lastly, you deduce a conclusion by putting things together using deducive reasoning Hacker explains in this chapter. The three steps in deducive reasoning Hacker informs us about are called: Syllogism and they are: major premise, minor premise and conclusion.
Next Hacker explains when evaluating arguments you want to understand the difference between legitimate and unfair emotional appeals. I really like the idea Hacker shares about writing an argument and that is you will find when someone opposes views it actually helps you gain credibility in your writing to make it better. I learned from this that it is important to quote the opposing viewers because it is accurate and fair, this will definitely be something I will pay attention to incorporating in my writing from now on. I also learned from this chapter to watch out for emotional appeals because you want to use them the right way.
Learning about arguments has been interesting and confusing because it can be so challenging to use them in writing.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Chapter 47 Rules for Writers week 9
In reading this chapter, I am starting to see how the aspects are all coming together to be a good writer, one of these is learning how to construct a good argument with a good logical argument introduction in writing. You also must understand how to get to the point and write convincingly about a topic and not ramble on. In this chapter it was also advised to not worry as much about anticipating a reader’s objection and more on building your argument or own case in your writing. In doing this you need to provide support and not arguments with alternatives, it means that you just focus on the evidence of the argument. All this was so beneficial for me to read and write about as part of my assignment I felt it better implanted this in my brain to utilize going forward in learning the art of constructing good arguments in my writing so that I can recognize my strengths and weaknesses in my writing process.
Diana Hacker has such a commonsense language and terminology that has been so easy to follow and learn from with each chapter and this one is no exception in providing helpful skills to evaluate and learn how to begin to write logical arguments. Hacker actually walks you through how to construct an actual argument, which for me the hands on approach makes things so much more clear and understandable. I will definitely use the tactics Hacker provided to use to argue points and avoid pitfalls; I found this to be a great tool.
In my own words I believe what writing my own argument means is including: an introduction, thesis, evidence, logical support, transitions and discussion of my sources and then I approach my writing topic with and intellectual open mind, I establish my position of the topic in a clear, logical, consistent and organized way as I consider my reader’s possible objections.
Concluding this by that if my paper must be written in an argument for the purpose of this chapter, my thesis and evidence must define and support a position that my audience could potentially disagree with. An argument is not just informing my audience of a topic. I believe this clarifies what I have read so that I can now practice these skills and tools in my writing.
Diana Hacker has such a commonsense language and terminology that has been so easy to follow and learn from with each chapter and this one is no exception in providing helpful skills to evaluate and learn how to begin to write logical arguments. Hacker actually walks you through how to construct an actual argument, which for me the hands on approach makes things so much more clear and understandable. I will definitely use the tactics Hacker provided to use to argue points and avoid pitfalls; I found this to be a great tool.
In my own words I believe what writing my own argument means is including: an introduction, thesis, evidence, logical support, transitions and discussion of my sources and then I approach my writing topic with and intellectual open mind, I establish my position of the topic in a clear, logical, consistent and organized way as I consider my reader’s possible objections.
Concluding this by that if my paper must be written in an argument for the purpose of this chapter, my thesis and evidence must define and support a position that my audience could potentially disagree with. An argument is not just informing my audience of a topic. I believe this clarifies what I have read so that I can now practice these skills and tools in my writing.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Extra Credit Optional Writing Summary on Fiction Week # 9
The urge to write fiction seems god given to some and a learned skill to others, but I find it can be a bit intimidating, Purdue offers great mini courses as well as reasons you may want to write fiction, of course I think it is just because a person is compelled.
I found the major topics that Purdue discussed when writing about fiction were: pre-writing, close reading, thesis development, drafting and many others. What I found interesting are the resources this particular chapter covered on basics of plot writing, character, theme, conflict and point of view when writing fiction.
There were two of these that I really focused on, the first is plot which I have found I need to structure my writing toward my plot better and watch my organization. Basically, plot is what happens in the story, not just the action of the story, but the way the writer arranges and organizes particular actions writing the plot. The suggestion was to think of the plot as a chain reaction, which I found beneficial to keep in mind and I will keep this planted going forward as a tool to access in writing an organized sequence of events as my other events of the story are arranged. The stories meaning has to still have a selection of detail as well as the cause and effect also needs to have connection between the events that make sense are logical and believable so that the reader isn't loosing interest because its hard to follow. The plot doesn't have to be written in chronological order when writing fiction, I found this interesting but at the same time, I need to be careful that I am still clear and concise because I have found my audience can get lost in the way I interrupt this and then I write my story as I know what I am writing about and not keeping in mind of my audience. I realize I have to keep in mind there are additional tools such as Point-of-View that work with each other. Basically the plot is what examines the human relations to situations that change throughout a story.Plot also strongly depends on character along with human value or idea about an experience related to the theme of the paper.
For the purpose of what I concentrated on for chapter 47, my next tool I focused on was point-of-view, this is what refers to the perspective the writer uses when writing the story. There are three points of view in writing traditional fiction they are: Third person, which means the author tells the story. Second person: is not common in writing fiction but more common in poetry, this is that the character is not referred to by name or he or she but by you. Lastly is First Person: this is when a narrator who is a character in the story speaks or tells the story usually as the main character of the story. I have learned that which ever one of these points of view above are chosen a story can change drastically from how the writer tells it. I also will keep in mind that to know which one to use for the story is a very important tool for fiction writing.
I can see how the ability to writing fiction is not easy to achieve without practice and a set of tools, skills and techniques. Obviously understand the basics of storytelling which I have mentioned and learned about myself such as plot and point of view, that I am enthused to take away from this and use ongoing in my fiction writing.
I found the major topics that Purdue discussed when writing about fiction were: pre-writing, close reading, thesis development, drafting and many others. What I found interesting are the resources this particular chapter covered on basics of plot writing, character, theme, conflict and point of view when writing fiction.
There were two of these that I really focused on, the first is plot which I have found I need to structure my writing toward my plot better and watch my organization. Basically, plot is what happens in the story, not just the action of the story, but the way the writer arranges and organizes particular actions writing the plot. The suggestion was to think of the plot as a chain reaction, which I found beneficial to keep in mind and I will keep this planted going forward as a tool to access in writing an organized sequence of events as my other events of the story are arranged. The stories meaning has to still have a selection of detail as well as the cause and effect also needs to have connection between the events that make sense are logical and believable so that the reader isn't loosing interest because its hard to follow. The plot doesn't have to be written in chronological order when writing fiction, I found this interesting but at the same time, I need to be careful that I am still clear and concise because I have found my audience can get lost in the way I interrupt this and then I write my story as I know what I am writing about and not keeping in mind of my audience. I realize I have to keep in mind there are additional tools such as Point-of-View that work with each other. Basically the plot is what examines the human relations to situations that change throughout a story.Plot also strongly depends on character along with human value or idea about an experience related to the theme of the paper.
For the purpose of what I concentrated on for chapter 47, my next tool I focused on was point-of-view, this is what refers to the perspective the writer uses when writing the story. There are three points of view in writing traditional fiction they are: Third person, which means the author tells the story. Second person: is not common in writing fiction but more common in poetry, this is that the character is not referred to by name or he or she but by you. Lastly is First Person: this is when a narrator who is a character in the story speaks or tells the story usually as the main character of the story. I have learned that which ever one of these points of view above are chosen a story can change drastically from how the writer tells it. I also will keep in mind that to know which one to use for the story is a very important tool for fiction writing.
I can see how the ability to writing fiction is not easy to achieve without practice and a set of tools, skills and techniques. Obviously understand the basics of storytelling which I have mentioned and learned about myself such as plot and point of view, that I am enthused to take away from this and use ongoing in my fiction writing.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Essay 2 Rough Draft Week 8
My Essay 2 Workshop ~ Rough Draft
By: Daye Richardson email: doccottage@yahoo.com
English100 section # 8736 instructor: Lauren Servais
The Day my Dad came home, it may seem a little confusing as to why I am relating this to the story “Shooting Dad” by Sarah Vowell and that somehow I compare myself to her story. Possibly I can help invite you into why I feel it has a relationship to my life; I will begin with the uncountable days I would get up at 6:30am every morning to get ready for the day. The one thing that was always a joy was having breakfast with my Dad at the kitchen table each morning, barely ever missing one. I always finished and hugged my dad goodbye on my way out the door to school.
Every day I came home he was there, of course along with my Mom…if for some reason he wasn’t home he always was shortly thereafter I got home.
My family and friends always looked at me and said that I was “Daddy’s little girl” proud of that I was and I didn’t mind a bit that it was broadcasted to all. I loved my daddy, looked up to him and enjoyed tagging along with him every chance I could.
People who can relate to each other share one or more of the same interests, hobbies, outlooks, ideals or personality traits. Or you can just learn to get along with almost anyone and you never know some of the people someone else knows, at any rate we all have hang-ups. I do believe though that one of the most rewarding things in the world is when you realize you relate well or similarly with someone. It is a great bridge being built and not a hopeless situation that we can relate and enjoy others and they us as well. We don’t automatically understand other people and of course there are millions such as Sarah and her Dad who don’t understand how to get along but there are millions out there who can and do. We need to grow in our understanding for people, just as we don’t individually just become for example a pianist, there are insights and principles to understand and practice just as there are in getting along with people. The best place to start is with ourselves, by taking inventory of our own personality traits and attitudes and this is because the feelings we have down deep about ourselves influence how we feel about others.
Human beings have several basic
emotional needs, including the feeling
that one belongs, that he is loved,
and that he is a worthwhile person. ~ unknown
We must remember to accept people “As is”, the problem occurs when we tend to want a person to change. We can learn to focus on their strengths and not their weaknesses. One last thing on this thought, people sense whether we are being honest or not and there are aspects of honesty that make the difference whether you get along with a person or you don’t.
It certainly just seems like yesterday to me when the news came, they were shipping my dad over-seas for 2 years. “I thought mom was kidding, right…Their not taking my dad, he won’t go! We won’t let him! I couldn’t believe it not for days, weeks, until the day came and he was gone, Gone!! I sunk, I knew at that moment I wasn’t going to see my Dad, of course I couldn’t even contemplate two years, I couldn’t get past tomorrow. But, two years, not seeing my Dad, no more breakfast together talking about our days, joking around, empty I sat…I couldn’t wrap myself around the thought no more hugs before I left for school.
Months I would lay in bed every morning when I woke up knowing I wouldn’t see my Dad downstairs, his face, his hug… twenty minutes would pass daily and my mom would call me finally, “Daye”! You won’t have time for breakfast, I didn’t eat at the table for six months after he left, I didn’t care but I got up anyway knowing I had to leave for school in 30 minutes.
Somehow when I got to school as hard as it was to smile for days otherwise my friends always made it easier.
I relate my story and myself a lot to Sarah Vowell, my family was the same I had a sister who never had anything in common with my Dad as far as activities like I did and also unlike Sarah and her sister, my sister and I received equal attention. We both grew up like Sarah, in a home where we were free to make our own choices and voice our own opinions, not living in town the same as Sarah, we grew up on a ranch in the Columbia Gorge Oregon population 25,000 if you count the animals (that was a joke we passed around town just to chuckle). Our property resembled Sarah’s families as it also included an orchard, horse pasture although on 20 acres which Sarah only had 2 acres of woods and our property was all pasture land.
We also were not much of a political family per-say that we partitioned off territories, but yet my era was much different then Sarah’s yet very similar lifestyles as far as Dad being the center of our home. Also my dad and I had our differences at times with different view-points but we didn’t collide as often as Sarah with her father, although my sister and my dad never seemed to see the same eye on anything, but somehow we all managed to sit and eat and talk with compassion.
I believe a lot of my feelings of similarity to Sarah come from our fathers living very self-absorbed our whole lives in their own interests, one of my dad’s also being guns but, yet he always tried somehow to include us in his interests, differently then Sarah though he enjoyed sharing our interests as well. I didn’t grow up with antlers on my walls but many guns and rifles of all varieties lined them. Dad’s shop wasn’t messy but he definitely enjoyed having his own space, just as I did mine. My domain similar to Sarah’s but called the “Peach Room” where all walls, curtains, bed spread were painted peach and my trim cream. My sister much different she liked blue. Oh, yeah, similar in the sense that I too like musical instruments; piano, drum set, guitars and other doodads as well. Funny, I can say that now without skipping a beat, as where before even saying a word that had “dad” in it would bring me to my knees sobbing.
My sister and I also never had to be the up-talkers to impress suitors such as Sarah did, but he sure liked to show off his prize possession guns and then my sister and I. I also don’t remember a time my sister and I didn’t like to go shooting with my Dad unless we were sick, we did love Dad!!
So, as Sarah’s dad was building his replica of the cannon called the “big horn gun” his most elaborate tool of death, my father too was a man that would putter in his space called “the shop”, I would sneak out every chance I got to hang with my Dad, but my mom didn’t like me out there much, she said, his verbal expressions would get away from him. My time was always cut short from the “the shop”, and we didn’t have a long history of nefarious ancestors as Sarah did but we seem to be a little piece of everything under the sun.
My great moments I shared with my dad were also some of the same as Sarah; although my dad never had to change my mind about guns…It sometimes worried me when he pulled the trigger the gun always got bigger and the BOOM ~ louder! Oh, and not to mention I love music…Sarah Vowell!! I too had many Awe Hah…moments when I would think, Oh, My God, My dad and I am the same person and I liked it, well so did my sister.
September 13, 1987, on my 16th birthday, I woke up and lay in my bed for twenty minutes just like any other day when I would have been jumping to my feet and full of energy excited for My Birthday day, not this year. I still felt the pain from a year ago, the day dad left. My mom in the background faintly, I hear “Daye” you are not going to have time for breakfast and again as usual I wasn’t hungry for it, but today mom made my favorite eggs in the middle of toast. I sat down not any more radiant then I was prior I slowly put the fork to my mouth and noticed a note with my name on it, puzzled I opened the official looking envelope and inside a small hand-printed paragraph…”My darling daughter, Daye..I love you so much “Happy Birthday” and I will see you soon, Love Dad. Dad is coming home, to me? Soon!! I instantly rose, yelled “Yippee” ran out the door and my day was bright, my feet skipping, my heart racing the world was changing and my dad was coming back home!! Maybe at this point, I felt more like Chang-rae Lee in “Coming Home Again”, we would gather around the table again and share breakfast, how our day went and be a family together again!
All my friends, today on my birthday saw the spark, the gleam the joy of happiness radiating from and knew…my dad was going to be home soon! When, I see him they all knew I would throw my arms around him as I always did and he knew and give him the biggest hug until it hurt!!
Reference:
1. Servais, L., professor. (n.d.). Shooting Dad [Chapter Four]. In English 100
College Reading & Writing (pp. 19-23). Santa Rosa, Ca: LAD Publishing, Inc. . . .
Tracking number SRJ0198
2. Servais, L., Professor. (n.d.). Coming Home Again [Chapter Three]. In English
100 College Reading & Writing (pp. 11-18). Santa Rosa, CA: LAD Publishing, Inc. . . .
Tracking number: SRJ0198
3. Narramore, C. M., Dr. (1998-2011). Psychology for living (Version Narramore
Christian Foundation) [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.ncfliving.org/
bk_123_relate4.php
By: Daye Richardson email: doccottage@yahoo.com
English100 section # 8736 instructor: Lauren Servais
The Day my Dad came home, it may seem a little confusing as to why I am relating this to the story “Shooting Dad” by Sarah Vowell and that somehow I compare myself to her story. Possibly I can help invite you into why I feel it has a relationship to my life; I will begin with the uncountable days I would get up at 6:30am every morning to get ready for the day. The one thing that was always a joy was having breakfast with my Dad at the kitchen table each morning, barely ever missing one. I always finished and hugged my dad goodbye on my way out the door to school.
Every day I came home he was there, of course along with my Mom…if for some reason he wasn’t home he always was shortly thereafter I got home.
My family and friends always looked at me and said that I was “Daddy’s little girl” proud of that I was and I didn’t mind a bit that it was broadcasted to all. I loved my daddy, looked up to him and enjoyed tagging along with him every chance I could.
People who can relate to each other share one or more of the same interests, hobbies, outlooks, ideals or personality traits. Or you can just learn to get along with almost anyone and you never know some of the people someone else knows, at any rate we all have hang-ups. I do believe though that one of the most rewarding things in the world is when you realize you relate well or similarly with someone. It is a great bridge being built and not a hopeless situation that we can relate and enjoy others and they us as well. We don’t automatically understand other people and of course there are millions such as Sarah and her Dad who don’t understand how to get along but there are millions out there who can and do. We need to grow in our understanding for people, just as we don’t individually just become for example a pianist, there are insights and principles to understand and practice just as there are in getting along with people. The best place to start is with ourselves, by taking inventory of our own personality traits and attitudes and this is because the feelings we have down deep about ourselves influence how we feel about others.
Human beings have several basic
emotional needs, including the feeling
that one belongs, that he is loved,
and that he is a worthwhile person. ~ unknown
We must remember to accept people “As is”, the problem occurs when we tend to want a person to change. We can learn to focus on their strengths and not their weaknesses. One last thing on this thought, people sense whether we are being honest or not and there are aspects of honesty that make the difference whether you get along with a person or you don’t.
It certainly just seems like yesterday to me when the news came, they were shipping my dad over-seas for 2 years. “I thought mom was kidding, right…Their not taking my dad, he won’t go! We won’t let him! I couldn’t believe it not for days, weeks, until the day came and he was gone, Gone!! I sunk, I knew at that moment I wasn’t going to see my Dad, of course I couldn’t even contemplate two years, I couldn’t get past tomorrow. But, two years, not seeing my Dad, no more breakfast together talking about our days, joking around, empty I sat…I couldn’t wrap myself around the thought no more hugs before I left for school.
Months I would lay in bed every morning when I woke up knowing I wouldn’t see my Dad downstairs, his face, his hug… twenty minutes would pass daily and my mom would call me finally, “Daye”! You won’t have time for breakfast, I didn’t eat at the table for six months after he left, I didn’t care but I got up anyway knowing I had to leave for school in 30 minutes.
Somehow when I got to school as hard as it was to smile for days otherwise my friends always made it easier.
I relate my story and myself a lot to Sarah Vowell, my family was the same I had a sister who never had anything in common with my Dad as far as activities like I did and also unlike Sarah and her sister, my sister and I received equal attention. We both grew up like Sarah, in a home where we were free to make our own choices and voice our own opinions, not living in town the same as Sarah, we grew up on a ranch in the Columbia Gorge Oregon population 25,000 if you count the animals (that was a joke we passed around town just to chuckle). Our property resembled Sarah’s families as it also included an orchard, horse pasture although on 20 acres which Sarah only had 2 acres of woods and our property was all pasture land.
We also were not much of a political family per-say that we partitioned off territories, but yet my era was much different then Sarah’s yet very similar lifestyles as far as Dad being the center of our home. Also my dad and I had our differences at times with different view-points but we didn’t collide as often as Sarah with her father, although my sister and my dad never seemed to see the same eye on anything, but somehow we all managed to sit and eat and talk with compassion.
I believe a lot of my feelings of similarity to Sarah come from our fathers living very self-absorbed our whole lives in their own interests, one of my dad’s also being guns but, yet he always tried somehow to include us in his interests, differently then Sarah though he enjoyed sharing our interests as well. I didn’t grow up with antlers on my walls but many guns and rifles of all varieties lined them. Dad’s shop wasn’t messy but he definitely enjoyed having his own space, just as I did mine. My domain similar to Sarah’s but called the “Peach Room” where all walls, curtains, bed spread were painted peach and my trim cream. My sister much different she liked blue. Oh, yeah, similar in the sense that I too like musical instruments; piano, drum set, guitars and other doodads as well. Funny, I can say that now without skipping a beat, as where before even saying a word that had “dad” in it would bring me to my knees sobbing.
My sister and I also never had to be the up-talkers to impress suitors such as Sarah did, but he sure liked to show off his prize possession guns and then my sister and I. I also don’t remember a time my sister and I didn’t like to go shooting with my Dad unless we were sick, we did love Dad!!
So, as Sarah’s dad was building his replica of the cannon called the “big horn gun” his most elaborate tool of death, my father too was a man that would putter in his space called “the shop”, I would sneak out every chance I got to hang with my Dad, but my mom didn’t like me out there much, she said, his verbal expressions would get away from him. My time was always cut short from the “the shop”, and we didn’t have a long history of nefarious ancestors as Sarah did but we seem to be a little piece of everything under the sun.
My great moments I shared with my dad were also some of the same as Sarah; although my dad never had to change my mind about guns…It sometimes worried me when he pulled the trigger the gun always got bigger and the BOOM ~ louder! Oh, and not to mention I love music…Sarah Vowell!! I too had many Awe Hah…moments when I would think, Oh, My God, My dad and I am the same person and I liked it, well so did my sister.
September 13, 1987, on my 16th birthday, I woke up and lay in my bed for twenty minutes just like any other day when I would have been jumping to my feet and full of energy excited for My Birthday day, not this year. I still felt the pain from a year ago, the day dad left. My mom in the background faintly, I hear “Daye” you are not going to have time for breakfast and again as usual I wasn’t hungry for it, but today mom made my favorite eggs in the middle of toast. I sat down not any more radiant then I was prior I slowly put the fork to my mouth and noticed a note with my name on it, puzzled I opened the official looking envelope and inside a small hand-printed paragraph…”My darling daughter, Daye..I love you so much “Happy Birthday” and I will see you soon, Love Dad. Dad is coming home, to me? Soon!! I instantly rose, yelled “Yippee” ran out the door and my day was bright, my feet skipping, my heart racing the world was changing and my dad was coming back home!! Maybe at this point, I felt more like Chang-rae Lee in “Coming Home Again”, we would gather around the table again and share breakfast, how our day went and be a family together again!
All my friends, today on my birthday saw the spark, the gleam the joy of happiness radiating from and knew…my dad was going to be home soon! When, I see him they all knew I would throw my arms around him as I always did and he knew and give him the biggest hug until it hurt!!
Reference:
1. Servais, L., professor. (n.d.). Shooting Dad [Chapter Four]. In English 100
College Reading & Writing (pp. 19-23). Santa Rosa, Ca: LAD Publishing, Inc. . . .
Tracking number SRJ0198
2. Servais, L., Professor. (n.d.). Coming Home Again [Chapter Three]. In English
100 College Reading & Writing (pp. 11-18). Santa Rosa, CA: LAD Publishing, Inc. . . .
Tracking number: SRJ0198
3. Narramore, C. M., Dr. (1998-2011). Psychology for living (Version Narramore
Christian Foundation) [Data file]. Retrieved from http://www.ncfliving.org/
bk_123_relate4.php
Extra Credit: Optional Writing Topic Summary
Starting this writing topic on Purdue’s Online Writing Lab, it seemed to make sense to reference the first sentence considering I have little or no experience in writing an extended literary essay and I definitely didn’t take into consideration that I am essentially writing an argument. This seemed very interesting to me on how it suggested how to become comfortable with the uses of quotations, paraphrases and summaries basically to summarize and synthesize a comprehensive discussion about the issue. The examples showed me how to summarize the topic phrase or sentence to generate free flow in developing an outline. Reading Purdue’s online writing lab I also found out that it ranks among the best known and most highly valued.
First, I encountered the understanding that there are four genres of essays: description, narration, exposition and argumentation or “EDNA” for short known as the modes of discourse. I went onto what makes for a good extended literary essay one that requires research, and found that you argue about your interpretation or perspective of an evaluated critical judgment assuring that it is a valid one. This online lab stated that you must start with a specific detailed thesis statement which includes your perspective and that it must be debatable.
Basically the argument/evaluation is the extent that the essay develops an argument relevant to the research question of the essay from the materials being considered and that a conclusion is consistent with the argument.
I found this very interesting and exciting to understand the meaning of this and now when I intensively look for a literary topic that is in the scope for discussion, I can then engage personal critical judgment of literature establishing critical comment as I develop persuasive views in a structured manner appropriate to the study of the literature. I see the argument as the backbone of the essay and that my personal views should be supported with reasoned argument that persuades my audience of the validity of my argument, which I will keep with me as my tool of knowledge that I learned when I write my essays. I also noted that a narration of the action or straightforward description of a literary summary should be avoided in the argument.
The conclusion of this literary writing essay is that the argument should come out of it and not introduce new matter in the end or repeat the introduction but yet present a synthesis of the discussion. In knowing this I better understand the process and going forward using this as a tool and guideline.
First, I encountered the understanding that there are four genres of essays: description, narration, exposition and argumentation or “EDNA” for short known as the modes of discourse. I went onto what makes for a good extended literary essay one that requires research, and found that you argue about your interpretation or perspective of an evaluated critical judgment assuring that it is a valid one. This online lab stated that you must start with a specific detailed thesis statement which includes your perspective and that it must be debatable.
Basically the argument/evaluation is the extent that the essay develops an argument relevant to the research question of the essay from the materials being considered and that a conclusion is consistent with the argument.
I found this very interesting and exciting to understand the meaning of this and now when I intensively look for a literary topic that is in the scope for discussion, I can then engage personal critical judgment of literature establishing critical comment as I develop persuasive views in a structured manner appropriate to the study of the literature. I see the argument as the backbone of the essay and that my personal views should be supported with reasoned argument that persuades my audience of the validity of my argument, which I will keep with me as my tool of knowledge that I learned when I write my essays. I also noted that a narration of the action or straightforward description of a literary summary should be avoided in the argument.
The conclusion of this literary writing essay is that the argument should come out of it and not introduce new matter in the end or repeat the introduction but yet present a synthesis of the discussion. In knowing this I better understand the process and going forward using this as a tool and guideline.
Insufficiency of Honesty Week 8
“The Insufficiency of Honesty" Dialogue
a. Choose one of the examples Carter provides. Do you agree with Carter's reasoning?
Stephen L. Carter states that “one cannot have integrity without being honest but one can certainly be honest yet have little integrity.” He also states that “honesty can be used quite selfishly.” As he points out there are specific differences between honesty and integrity.
The statement in the first paragraph I used of Carter’s is linked to integrity and honesty and I do agree with his reasoning. Honesty is most laudable when we risk harm to ourselves he said, which is why I agree with his reasoning as well as he goes on to say that honesty becomes a good deal less if we instead risk harm to others when there is no gain to any other other than ourselves. I believe what he says about integrity also ties into the example I chose above and that is integrity may counsel keeping our secrets in order to spare the feelings of others as in the example of the wayward.
There are three constraints discussed in Carter’s insufficiency of Honesty essay that determined why I agree with his reasoning. One is integrity does require moral reflectiveness, second: integrity may cause conflict to be resolved and third: someone with integrity can be trusted. I also believe what ties all this together is the “American Core” that has six values necessary for good character that Carter spoke about and they are: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, caring, fairness and citizenship.
My example is that in class many times students have plenty of opportunity to cheat during tests, quizzes or assignments. Integrity is not taking advantage of these opportunities and being honest with others especially yourself. I think if integrity didn’t exist many people in these situations would copy other people’s work and be dishonest. Think of how the world is today if Martin Luther King didn’t have the integrity to fight against segregation.
I also feel that it is important to recognize that integrity and honesty are quoted in the bible and the examples I have chosen are:
1) 1 Thessalonians 2:10 “You are witnesses, and God also, how holily, justly and honest, we behaved ourselves in front of all that believe.”
2) Proverbs 2:7 “He lad up solid wisdom for the righteous: he is a shield to them that walk with integrity.”
3) Titus 2:7 “Do away with all yourself, a pattern of good works: in teaching incorruptness, gravity, sincerity.”
I do believe that integrity is taking responsibility for one’s own actions, being in the military I was taught this first hand because straying from ones core values compromises both my own and another’s integrity. In the military we defined integrity as “Doing what is right legally, and morally.” This is so successful team building can be built.
A distant relative of mine I grew up with taught me honesty, not because he was honest but because he lied all the time. It seemed he took the easiest way out of any situation and I think he felt it was the best way out. This meant telling a lie that seemed believable and when we were young it seemed cool at the time to lie and then I started going to him with a problem or issue wanting to know what to do and of course he insisted I lie. Naturally, I would and soon found out that these occasions taught me that it was more painful to be caught in the lie than to actually tell the truth and be honest. I wondered why he never learned that lesson, and I had so painfully easily. He told so many lies after lie, but what bothered me the most about him being dishonest was that he used me in his lies.
I feel like living in the world these days is hard, people are not honest with each other which to me is a problem because it seems to always lead to someone getting hurt emotionally or physically. Actually in the end the truth eventually comes out and it causes more pain and a bigger problem, it seems much easier to me to have a clean conscious. “Honesty is the best policy.” So in researching this statement I also saw a series of comments regarding the definition of honesty, what I came up with is that human quality that values integrity and truth during communication with other people. Honesty is characterized by truth and sincerity and building a positive self-image, and creating a heart-warming social atmosphere.
Concluding that my agreeing with Carter’s statement leads me to end by saying that the faith of honesty may be decreasing today from mistrust, lack of communication, deceit and hate which all decline social values. Such as the common saying “Cheater’s never win and winners never cheat.” This goes with fair play, prosperity of self and others in an honest lifestyle. You must know your limitations in life and build on your strengths to face situations where honesty pays with integrity and good self-image.
a. Choose one of the examples Carter provides. Do you agree with Carter's reasoning?
Stephen L. Carter states that “one cannot have integrity without being honest but one can certainly be honest yet have little integrity.” He also states that “honesty can be used quite selfishly.” As he points out there are specific differences between honesty and integrity.
The statement in the first paragraph I used of Carter’s is linked to integrity and honesty and I do agree with his reasoning. Honesty is most laudable when we risk harm to ourselves he said, which is why I agree with his reasoning as well as he goes on to say that honesty becomes a good deal less if we instead risk harm to others when there is no gain to any other other than ourselves. I believe what he says about integrity also ties into the example I chose above and that is integrity may counsel keeping our secrets in order to spare the feelings of others as in the example of the wayward.
There are three constraints discussed in Carter’s insufficiency of Honesty essay that determined why I agree with his reasoning. One is integrity does require moral reflectiveness, second: integrity may cause conflict to be resolved and third: someone with integrity can be trusted. I also believe what ties all this together is the “American Core” that has six values necessary for good character that Carter spoke about and they are: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, caring, fairness and citizenship.
My example is that in class many times students have plenty of opportunity to cheat during tests, quizzes or assignments. Integrity is not taking advantage of these opportunities and being honest with others especially yourself. I think if integrity didn’t exist many people in these situations would copy other people’s work and be dishonest. Think of how the world is today if Martin Luther King didn’t have the integrity to fight against segregation.
I also feel that it is important to recognize that integrity and honesty are quoted in the bible and the examples I have chosen are:
1) 1 Thessalonians 2:10 “You are witnesses, and God also, how holily, justly and honest, we behaved ourselves in front of all that believe.”
2) Proverbs 2:7 “He lad up solid wisdom for the righteous: he is a shield to them that walk with integrity.”
3) Titus 2:7 “Do away with all yourself, a pattern of good works: in teaching incorruptness, gravity, sincerity.”
I do believe that integrity is taking responsibility for one’s own actions, being in the military I was taught this first hand because straying from ones core values compromises both my own and another’s integrity. In the military we defined integrity as “Doing what is right legally, and morally.” This is so successful team building can be built.
A distant relative of mine I grew up with taught me honesty, not because he was honest but because he lied all the time. It seemed he took the easiest way out of any situation and I think he felt it was the best way out. This meant telling a lie that seemed believable and when we were young it seemed cool at the time to lie and then I started going to him with a problem or issue wanting to know what to do and of course he insisted I lie. Naturally, I would and soon found out that these occasions taught me that it was more painful to be caught in the lie than to actually tell the truth and be honest. I wondered why he never learned that lesson, and I had so painfully easily. He told so many lies after lie, but what bothered me the most about him being dishonest was that he used me in his lies.
I feel like living in the world these days is hard, people are not honest with each other which to me is a problem because it seems to always lead to someone getting hurt emotionally or physically. Actually in the end the truth eventually comes out and it causes more pain and a bigger problem, it seems much easier to me to have a clean conscious. “Honesty is the best policy.” So in researching this statement I also saw a series of comments regarding the definition of honesty, what I came up with is that human quality that values integrity and truth during communication with other people. Honesty is characterized by truth and sincerity and building a positive self-image, and creating a heart-warming social atmosphere.
Concluding that my agreeing with Carter’s statement leads me to end by saying that the faith of honesty may be decreasing today from mistrust, lack of communication, deceit and hate which all decline social values. Such as the common saying “Cheater’s never win and winners never cheat.” This goes with fair play, prosperity of self and others in an honest lifestyle. You must know your limitations in life and build on your strengths to face situations where honesty pays with integrity and good self-image.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Chapter four Paragraphs
Chapter four was a great learning experience for me that I felt I greatly needed to grasp some of these pointers so my enthuiasm opened up I noticed to absorb this chapter. Focusing on main points in sentences by restating them, recapping and summarizing arguments and expanding on topics I seemed to consider the broader meaning of what this was informing me to do when I read this chapter, more than I have before which I feel will be a great benefit going forward in helping my proofreading and hearing what I write from an audience point rather than my own personal experience of knowing what I am writing. I also found that relaxing so I can focus on my choices o fmy main points and how I develop them is a great tool to have so that all my sentences flow and relate to the topic in that paragraph or basically supporting the development of my single idea of the paragraph. I gathered what this means is that each paragraph should have its own topic sentence or main idea. The paragraph Hacker stated should have three main points including the topic sentence and then the conclusion tying them all together. This will form a clear concise eligible paper for your audience which is what chooses the suitable pattern of organization for the paper and the paragraphs.
Unity was mentioned in making paragraphs coherent, using transitional words to create understanding and structure. Bascially coherence combines every paragraph and sentence to contribute to the meaning of the topic. Suggested that you make sure that the sentences look good backward and forward for a paragraph to be coherent.
I think I have learned to write a paragraph and share it with someone to see if the meaning I am trying to relate to is the meaning that is being read. this obviously is a learning skill with practice to beable to write paragraphs from the heart that make sense to your reader and I look forward to using these skills to better my skills in writing readable coherent paragraphs and sentences going forward using these tools.
Thank you ...
Unity was mentioned in making paragraphs coherent, using transitional words to create understanding and structure. Bascially coherence combines every paragraph and sentence to contribute to the meaning of the topic. Suggested that you make sure that the sentences look good backward and forward for a paragraph to be coherent.
I think I have learned to write a paragraph and share it with someone to see if the meaning I am trying to relate to is the meaning that is being read. this obviously is a learning skill with practice to beable to write paragraphs from the heart that make sense to your reader and I look forward to using these skills to better my skills in writing readable coherent paragraphs and sentences going forward using these tools.
Thank you ...
Shooting Dad Dialogue
Shooting Dad Dialogue
What is the significance of the title?
Sarah struggles with her relationship with her father because he admires firearms and she music, both at high octane. She also conflict's with her Dad's politics one Repulic and the other democratic under the same roof. Sarah and her sister were allowed to voice their own opinions of politics and beliefs in the house and Sarah doesnt fall short holding her tongue which causes many disputes between her father and her.
I believe that the title of this story is directly related to the last sentence "Because when I blow what used to be my dad into the earth, I want it to hurt." I feel it has some sort of Farwell to arms meaning, finally peace resting of their differences but yet somewhat similarites just in different areas.
I think Sarah and her father both disillusioned themselves into believing each of their views was right but yet their relationship struggled in a tug-o-war, but yet the same person.
I found this reading so enjoyable, I shared it with my family because the way Sarah used comparisons was so interesting to me. This story captured my attention by how she used figures of speech, my imagination was inspired which lead me to ponder into what the title actually meant of this story. I think it was Sarah's way of preparing her written statement to burry her father with closure.
I think she feels that shooting her father out of that cannon is for the love of him and what his wishes are and therefore she feels is one of the most loving acts she will perform.
So I feel that Sarah realizes that she related to her father more than was acknowledged because in reality they existed harmoniously through different passions but yet similar dedications to their respective arts. I also see how Sarah may have felt she failed to see the appeal of her father's trait as his art, she later recognized that her Dad was a driven talented enthusiast and it was her that early on failed to see the appeal firearms possessed and finding a way to bond with her father.
What is the significance of the title?
Sarah struggles with her relationship with her father because he admires firearms and she music, both at high octane. She also conflict's with her Dad's politics one Repulic and the other democratic under the same roof. Sarah and her sister were allowed to voice their own opinions of politics and beliefs in the house and Sarah doesnt fall short holding her tongue which causes many disputes between her father and her.
I believe that the title of this story is directly related to the last sentence "Because when I blow what used to be my dad into the earth, I want it to hurt." I feel it has some sort of Farwell to arms meaning, finally peace resting of their differences but yet somewhat similarites just in different areas.
I think Sarah and her father both disillusioned themselves into believing each of their views was right but yet their relationship struggled in a tug-o-war, but yet the same person.
I found this reading so enjoyable, I shared it with my family because the way Sarah used comparisons was so interesting to me. This story captured my attention by how she used figures of speech, my imagination was inspired which lead me to ponder into what the title actually meant of this story. I think it was Sarah's way of preparing her written statement to burry her father with closure.
I think she feels that shooting her father out of that cannon is for the love of him and what his wishes are and therefore she feels is one of the most loving acts she will perform.
So I feel that Sarah realizes that she related to her father more than was acknowledged because in reality they existed harmoniously through different passions but yet similar dedications to their respective arts. I also see how Sarah may have felt she failed to see the appeal of her father's trait as his art, she later recognized that her Dad was a driven talented enthusiast and it was her that early on failed to see the appeal firearms possessed and finding a way to bond with her father.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Chapter 3 Rules for Writers Global Revision
There are many stages of writing in which have great techniques to use but global revision definitely seems to be the most under used correctly and overlooked. I have realized a different concept of how global revision is used than I had prior to chapter three reading. We all know that writing never emerges perfectly from our minds with clarity and organization and we must travel through a series of stages to the final product. I also see how global revision and proofreading can be thought of as one in the same and I think it is important to separate these processes of revising and editing. There is definitely an overlap in the two but revision is a continual process of writing and re-writing where editing or proofreading focuses on grammar once you have a draft.
Global revision is revising and redrafting a paper till its right, you review the overall paper looking at the bigger picture, how it flows and the main point having clarity which may mean changing the direction of the paper. In a nutshell I see this as a revision where you review and change the ideas, reasoning and conclusions of a paper which it is mentioned is the process that is often resisted. This is important in clarifying the introduction, thesis and main point of a paper so that it is clear enough.
Editing is proofreading attending to the detail and usually this is done once you are happy with the idea and flow of the paper. This is done after you have done everything else; this is also the integral part of the paper. I learned great techniques on how to proofread properly in this chapter and wished I would have known them when I was doing the first essay. They include: don’t read large sections because you will miss a lot, read the paper aloud to find repetitions and missing links, use a hard copy to proofread rather than a computer screen it is useful!! Spell check is not your best friend although useful it cannot be relied on alone, because if you don’t have the right word it may not catch this.
My last point is that global revision in the book suggests that in this revising process we look at the paper fresh so that we see it again but in the view of our audience to make our point consistent. Going forward I will definitely attempt to use global revision to my advantage with more clarity of how the process is used.
Global revision is revising and redrafting a paper till its right, you review the overall paper looking at the bigger picture, how it flows and the main point having clarity which may mean changing the direction of the paper. In a nutshell I see this as a revision where you review and change the ideas, reasoning and conclusions of a paper which it is mentioned is the process that is often resisted. This is important in clarifying the introduction, thesis and main point of a paper so that it is clear enough.
Editing is proofreading attending to the detail and usually this is done once you are happy with the idea and flow of the paper. This is done after you have done everything else; this is also the integral part of the paper. I learned great techniques on how to proofread properly in this chapter and wished I would have known them when I was doing the first essay. They include: don’t read large sections because you will miss a lot, read the paper aloud to find repetitions and missing links, use a hard copy to proofread rather than a computer screen it is useful!! Spell check is not your best friend although useful it cannot be relied on alone, because if you don’t have the right word it may not catch this.
My last point is that global revision in the book suggests that in this revising process we look at the paper fresh so that we see it again but in the view of our audience to make our point consistent. Going forward I will definitely attempt to use global revision to my advantage with more clarity of how the process is used.
Week Six "Coming Home Again"
“Coming Home Again” response: c. what’s the importance of food in this essay?
This story was so real…about a man whose family is united through his mother, who dies of stomach cancer and the family seems to fall apart.
Lee shares the food his mother cooks throughout the story as the symbolism of his mother’s tool to keep the family together. Lee knows that even when he is at boarding school, knowing he hates to be with his parents when he tastes his mother’s food he feels happy. Lee felt he bonded with his mother when he watched her cook this food was the force that brought the family together.
Everyone had their own seat at the dining table, this was the time the family came together in order. Lee’s mother always sat next to the stove as he mentioned in the story, his father on her right, on his father’s right he sat Chang-Rae Lee and then his sister sat to the right of him. The table filled with food and plates, everything seeming right as they ate and conversed together.
When Lee’s mother was stricken with cancer and could no longer sit and eat the food with the family they seemed to separate, especially after she died his sister moved back out of the house. Lee stayed in the house with his father and they continued sharing the meals now Lee made from watching his mother all those years. Nothing seemed the same, he states the color of the food was wrong and so was the taste…the touch of his mother was gone, he realized she was more than the family cook, she was their bond that kept them as a family unit, that connected them through food she made everything taste delectable.
This story was so real…about a man whose family is united through his mother, who dies of stomach cancer and the family seems to fall apart.
Lee shares the food his mother cooks throughout the story as the symbolism of his mother’s tool to keep the family together. Lee knows that even when he is at boarding school, knowing he hates to be with his parents when he tastes his mother’s food he feels happy. Lee felt he bonded with his mother when he watched her cook this food was the force that brought the family together.
Everyone had their own seat at the dining table, this was the time the family came together in order. Lee’s mother always sat next to the stove as he mentioned in the story, his father on her right, on his father’s right he sat Chang-Rae Lee and then his sister sat to the right of him. The table filled with food and plates, everything seeming right as they ate and conversed together.
When Lee’s mother was stricken with cancer and could no longer sit and eat the food with the family they seemed to separate, especially after she died his sister moved back out of the house. Lee stayed in the house with his father and they continued sharing the meals now Lee made from watching his mother all those years. Nothing seemed the same, he states the color of the food was wrong and so was the taste…the touch of his mother was gone, he realized she was more than the family cook, she was their bond that kept them as a family unit, that connected them through food she made everything taste delectable.
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