Why does Kiyoshi believe Obaban is a substitute for his mom?
From what I was able to understand when reading this second part of the book, Kiyoshi believed that Obaban would be the one taking his mothers place from passing away. His mother was extremely superstitious and she believed that someone had placed some kind of a curse in which she was paying for someone's wrong doing. Obaban mentioned that the person could always attempt to pass that "curse" on over to someone else in which that person would then take over the sickness.
When Kiyoshi's father showed up to his class to deliver some bad news and take the family over to Obaban's house, Kiyoshi sensed a bit of relief that it was not his mother who had gotten worse than what she was or even passed away. He considered Obaban's unfortunate passing as a substitute to his mother from passing away. In other words, she took Kiyoshi's mothers place since she had lived a long full life where as his mother was much younger and had many years to live in order to fulfill a full life.
I hope I understood this correctly for this second part of this book as I feel that this would play a key role for the remainder of the book since it focused so much on superstition, lack of money, building a stronger relationship, etc... All I know is that I got hooked and I want to continue reading more.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Rules for Writers Ch.52- response
In this chapter we learn about how to construct a well written thesis statement. Your thesis should focus on the central idea of your topic and is usually written at the end of the introductory paragraph. The thesis should give enough information to give the reader an idea on what they will be reading and grasp their attention to want to know more.
Once you construct your thesis, you should support your thesis by giving concrete evidence and organize it in a way that will ultimately support your point of view. We also want to include any arguments that are contrary to your thoughts to give the reader a better understanding of the topic and will ultimately help support the reader to be on your side.
After reading this chapter, I will make sure to construct an outline that centralizes on my thesis statement (main idea) and when writing the essay I will make sure that each paragraph will stay on topic to support the central idea. I will also make sure to include any contrary thoughts that can ultimately assist me with having the reader understand why I am writing about this.
Once you construct your thesis, you should support your thesis by giving concrete evidence and organize it in a way that will ultimately support your point of view. We also want to include any arguments that are contrary to your thoughts to give the reader a better understanding of the topic and will ultimately help support the reader to be on your side.
After reading this chapter, I will make sure to construct an outline that centralizes on my thesis statement (main idea) and when writing the essay I will make sure that each paragraph will stay on topic to support the central idea. I will also make sure to include any contrary thoughts that can ultimately assist me with having the reader understand why I am writing about this.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
All I Asking For Is My Body, Part I, Dialogue
b. 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 was the "gang leader" for Kiyoshi, Nobuyuki and Mitsunobu. They were much younger group then Makoto but they looked up to him a lot. Makot felt comfortable hanging out with those kids rather than kids his own age because kids his own age would make fun of him. They would taunt him for how he acted or the way he talked but Kiyoshi pointed out that they were treating him that way because Makot always had money and they others did not. By hanging out with the younger kids, he never got treated less than, and those kids really looked up to him as a bigger brother. Someone that they can confide with and have a great time with.
Of course it is odd that he never wants to hang out with kids his own age which makes me think of other things as to why he is doing this. Is he doing this because he wants to gain their trust and then manipulate them to do anything he wants in order to continue to get the same benefits as before? i.e. the chow fun, movies, candy etc... Or is he really doing this to get away from something that he does not want to share with others? The only other questionable thing that came up was the fact that his parents were never present most of the time until the very end of this section where you finally meet Makoto's mother for a brief moment.
A lot of things came across the this first section that just made you question the relationship Makot had with this younger kids and made me question just as much as Kiyoshi did to his parents as to why he was not allowed to hang out with Makoto any longer. That just brought back a lot of memories of when I was a child and being told who I could or could not be friends with. My parents never gave me a straight answer but just I could not and that I should respect what they say as they are my parents. I hated that so much but they eventually understood that they can not choose who I can be friends with and I can befriend anyone I wanted to and that I would sooner or later learn if that person would be a good person to have in my life. Maybe that is Kiyoshi's parents are trying to teach him, that Makot is not the greatest person to have as a friend and that he will understand at a later time but for now they are trying to protect him from harm that may be coming his way if he were to continue this friendship.
Also, since Makot's parents weren't properly introduced in the first section, you are left to wonder who exactly they are and what it is that they do that made Kiyoshi's parents comment negatively about them? They did not specify exactly what it was that made Makot's parents bad but just the way that they presented it with such secrecy made you think more and eventually find out for yourself. Since his parents weren't around that much, he probably took advantage of that by having them give him money when he wanted it and befriended those kids so he wont feel alone and do things that he might of wanted to do with his parents. Maybe he was just trying to fill a void for his parents working so much throughout the day. We shall soon find out more...
Makot is was the "gang leader" for Kiyoshi, Nobuyuki and Mitsunobu. They were much younger group then Makoto but they looked up to him a lot. Makot felt comfortable hanging out with those kids rather than kids his own age because kids his own age would make fun of him. They would taunt him for how he acted or the way he talked but Kiyoshi pointed out that they were treating him that way because Makot always had money and they others did not. By hanging out with the younger kids, he never got treated less than, and those kids really looked up to him as a bigger brother. Someone that they can confide with and have a great time with.
Of course it is odd that he never wants to hang out with kids his own age which makes me think of other things as to why he is doing this. Is he doing this because he wants to gain their trust and then manipulate them to do anything he wants in order to continue to get the same benefits as before? i.e. the chow fun, movies, candy etc... Or is he really doing this to get away from something that he does not want to share with others? The only other questionable thing that came up was the fact that his parents were never present most of the time until the very end of this section where you finally meet Makoto's mother for a brief moment.
A lot of things came across the this first section that just made you question the relationship Makot had with this younger kids and made me question just as much as Kiyoshi did to his parents as to why he was not allowed to hang out with Makoto any longer. That just brought back a lot of memories of when I was a child and being told who I could or could not be friends with. My parents never gave me a straight answer but just I could not and that I should respect what they say as they are my parents. I hated that so much but they eventually understood that they can not choose who I can be friends with and I can befriend anyone I wanted to and that I would sooner or later learn if that person would be a good person to have in my life. Maybe that is Kiyoshi's parents are trying to teach him, that Makot is not the greatest person to have as a friend and that he will understand at a later time but for now they are trying to protect him from harm that may be coming his way if he were to continue this friendship.
Also, since Makot's parents weren't properly introduced in the first section, you are left to wonder who exactly they are and what it is that they do that made Kiyoshi's parents comment negatively about them? They did not specify exactly what it was that made Makot's parents bad but just the way that they presented it with such secrecy made you think more and eventually find out for yourself. Since his parents weren't around that much, he probably took advantage of that by having them give him money when he wanted it and befriended those kids so he wont feel alone and do things that he might of wanted to do with his parents. Maybe he was just trying to fill a void for his parents working so much throughout the day. We shall soon find out more...
Thursday, April 14, 2011
"This is what it means to say Phoenix, Arizona” Response
Are you more impressed with the film or the story? Why?
After reading the story and comparing it with the film version, It's unfortunate to say that the video was a lot better. Usually the written version is much better than the video because in most cases the video usually leaves out a lot of key points or does not go into too much detail about on the characters backgrounds.
I would say that the video version did exaggerate a lot when it came to telling this story, like how Thomas parents died in a fire when in the story his father had died while in WW2 and his mother died while giving birth to him. Also, the movie mentions how Victor's father left because of guilt of accidentally killing Thomas parents by causing a fire in a house. When Victor and Thomas leave to Phoenix, in the movie it showed that they left on buss where as in the story they went on plane.
They way that Victor was depicted in the movie, it showed him with so much anger and hatred in which he took out with many people. He was not the most pleasant person to be around with since he was going through so much. Thomas was depicted in the story as someone that was annoying to everyone in which no one wanted to be around with where as in the movie it seemed that people were please to listen to his stories no matter how cheesy they might have sounded.
One key character that was missing in the story was the women who was the neighbor of Victor's father when he lived in Phoenix. I'm not too sure if I find the story to be better than the movie at all, I feel that the movie went more into depth with building character background and explaining why Victor's behavior was the way it was. Yes things were exaggerated but I felt it gave more to the story that was written. The story seemed a little boring compared to the movie.
After reading the story and comparing it with the film version, It's unfortunate to say that the video was a lot better. Usually the written version is much better than the video because in most cases the video usually leaves out a lot of key points or does not go into too much detail about on the characters backgrounds.
I would say that the video version did exaggerate a lot when it came to telling this story, like how Thomas parents died in a fire when in the story his father had died while in WW2 and his mother died while giving birth to him. Also, the movie mentions how Victor's father left because of guilt of accidentally killing Thomas parents by causing a fire in a house. When Victor and Thomas leave to Phoenix, in the movie it showed that they left on buss where as in the story they went on plane.
They way that Victor was depicted in the movie, it showed him with so much anger and hatred in which he took out with many people. He was not the most pleasant person to be around with since he was going through so much. Thomas was depicted in the story as someone that was annoying to everyone in which no one wanted to be around with where as in the movie it seemed that people were please to listen to his stories no matter how cheesy they might have sounded.
One key character that was missing in the story was the women who was the neighbor of Victor's father when he lived in Phoenix. I'm not too sure if I find the story to be better than the movie at all, I feel that the movie went more into depth with building character background and explaining why Victor's behavior was the way it was. Yes things were exaggerated but I felt it gave more to the story that was written. The story seemed a little boring compared to the movie.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Smoke Signals - Response
In what ways do the main characters struggle with culture, family, or identity?
Throughout this movie, we realize that both Thomas and Victor are two completely different people with different thoughts and views of the world. They are essentially one in the same as they are both Native Americans living on a Indian reservation trying to find themselves as who they truly are. It was unfortunate to find out that Thomas had lost his parents at a very young age making it a little difficult for him to grow up with a normal family. A mother and father to go home to everyday after school, or having someone to go up to in order to ask anything that is on your mind. His only family was his grandmother and his cousin Victor as well as his aunt and uncle. However, his relationship with Victor was not the best making it a little difficult for them to really bond as family. Thomas did have a good relationship with Victor's father in which he would constantly tell stories reminiscing the times that they had spent together, one of his favorites was the time that they had gone to Denny's.
Victor is a whole other story. Although he had both of his parents, it seemed as though he had none while he was growing up only because they were constantly drinking making it seem as if they were absent from his life. His parents loved him very much but Victor seemed to feel otherwise. It seemed as though he was extremely angry with how his parents were with him or were not with him. He took out his anger by beating up on Thomas anytime he were to ask him questions that would trigger his anger even more. Victor's life was extremely different compared to Thoma's, in fact they were the complete opposite. Thomas was very happy and calm and loved to tell stories regardless of being true or not. Victor on the other hand lived with a closed mind, everything was a bother for him with so much anger bottled up in him because of his father leaving him and his mom.
Victor and Thomas and different views to what Indians are. It's as if they did not know exactly how an Indian should be. Thomas was all about telling the stories and engaging with other people in order to create a friendship where as Victor was they type of Indian that would want you to feel fear. The bad Indian in order to get what ever it is that he wanted. These views were very different from each other in which it made it difficult for them to understand more of their cultural backgrounds as to who they truly are.
Throughout this movie, we realize that both Thomas and Victor are two completely different people with different thoughts and views of the world. They are essentially one in the same as they are both Native Americans living on a Indian reservation trying to find themselves as who they truly are. It was unfortunate to find out that Thomas had lost his parents at a very young age making it a little difficult for him to grow up with a normal family. A mother and father to go home to everyday after school, or having someone to go up to in order to ask anything that is on your mind. His only family was his grandmother and his cousin Victor as well as his aunt and uncle. However, his relationship with Victor was not the best making it a little difficult for them to really bond as family. Thomas did have a good relationship with Victor's father in which he would constantly tell stories reminiscing the times that they had spent together, one of his favorites was the time that they had gone to Denny's.
Victor is a whole other story. Although he had both of his parents, it seemed as though he had none while he was growing up only because they were constantly drinking making it seem as if they were absent from his life. His parents loved him very much but Victor seemed to feel otherwise. It seemed as though he was extremely angry with how his parents were with him or were not with him. He took out his anger by beating up on Thomas anytime he were to ask him questions that would trigger his anger even more. Victor's life was extremely different compared to Thoma's, in fact they were the complete opposite. Thomas was very happy and calm and loved to tell stories regardless of being true or not. Victor on the other hand lived with a closed mind, everything was a bother for him with so much anger bottled up in him because of his father leaving him and his mom.
Victor and Thomas and different views to what Indians are. It's as if they did not know exactly how an Indian should be. Thomas was all about telling the stories and engaging with other people in order to create a friendship where as Victor was they type of Indian that would want you to feel fear. The bad Indian in order to get what ever it is that he wanted. These views were very different from each other in which it made it difficult for them to understand more of their cultural backgrounds as to who they truly are.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Rules for Writers Response Ch. 48
In this chapter we learn of different ways presenting well written argumentative statements when writing an essay. We learn how we can distinguish different methods of arguments when we are trying to present something to our audience. For example, we first learn about distinguishing between reasonable and fallacious argumentative tactics. By providing generalized information without proper investigation or just ones thoughts is considered to be fallacious, like stereo typing that a specific race will forever be on welfare. When using information like this, we want to provide enough supporting evidence to confirm this.
Also, we learn about coming up with analogies. How we can come up with a reasonable analogy and avoid unreasonable ones. For example, coming up with an analogy that has a false statement. Implying that it is or will do something without the proper support will be considered a false analogy. Assuming that something will work does not mean that it will. When making assumptions, we should consider our readers and provide as much supporting facts as possible. Giving a statement of your thoughts will not be sufficient.
Furthermore, we learn how to distinguish between legitimate and unfair emotional appeals. We do want to be careful when expressing emotional arguments in our work. We want to provide legitimate info with our reasoning behind our thoughts and avoid any misrepresentations of our thoughts. Like saying that you will loose 30pounds in a week by taking a pill without having enough support or background on this pill.
In my work, I will make sure to revise any arguments that I may had included and make sure that I had followed the proper guidelines when presenting an argument. I will make sure that I also include any supporting facts or additional information that could help my overall argument and not make it look like its just my own opinion and that's that.
Also, we learn about coming up with analogies. How we can come up with a reasonable analogy and avoid unreasonable ones. For example, coming up with an analogy that has a false statement. Implying that it is or will do something without the proper support will be considered a false analogy. Assuming that something will work does not mean that it will. When making assumptions, we should consider our readers and provide as much supporting facts as possible. Giving a statement of your thoughts will not be sufficient.
Furthermore, we learn how to distinguish between legitimate and unfair emotional appeals. We do want to be careful when expressing emotional arguments in our work. We want to provide legitimate info with our reasoning behind our thoughts and avoid any misrepresentations of our thoughts. Like saying that you will loose 30pounds in a week by taking a pill without having enough support or background on this pill.
In my work, I will make sure to revise any arguments that I may had included and make sure that I had followed the proper guidelines when presenting an argument. I will make sure that I also include any supporting facts or additional information that could help my overall argument and not make it look like its just my own opinion and that's that.
Happy Endings- Response
Choose a quote from the readings and share your critical thinking in response.
"Jerry holds all his goods and regrets ever saying that we weren't good enough to have the kind of love that he wrote about in last Sunday's Bullettin. That's what got me crying. We weren't good enough for the kind of love that Shirley had every Sunday, the kind of love that makes the bottom lip quiver and mothers rush through crowds to hug you at the end of the movie."(26)
To be honest, I have never once seen a Shirley Temple episode in order to really understand what the characters in this story had experienced. However, I have seen several shows if not movies that can relate to the kind of stories that Jerry and Lois-Ann wrote during Sunday school. Everyone wants a happy ending for every moment of their life. Unfortunately, most of the time the complete opposite seems to occur in which most people live with devastation of some kind.
In this quote, they talk about not being good enough to have a happy ending as good as to the one they had written. That they were good enough to have the same kind of love that Shirley experiences in every episode. I don't see how anyone can ever think that way. What can possibly be going on in your life that could cause for you to think that you are not worth to receive the same kind of love that someone may get on a television show? Could their lives possibly be in that bad of a situation that makes them feel hopeless? I strongly feel that everyone should experience a happy ending at least once in their lifetime. Hopefully more than once.
Come to think about it, I can't remember that last time I cried because I was happy. In my opinion, that kind of cry is the best kind that you can ever have. The worst that you can ever experience is for the loss of a loved one, or getting bad news of some kind. No news is good news to me. I feel though that everyone should have some kind of hope or desire for something that will truly make them happy. Either thinking about it or writing it down just as the author did with Jerry every Sunday, gives them a sense of hope that something great will be coming their way.
"Jerry holds all his goods and regrets ever saying that we weren't good enough to have the kind of love that he wrote about in last Sunday's Bullettin. That's what got me crying. We weren't good enough for the kind of love that Shirley had every Sunday, the kind of love that makes the bottom lip quiver and mothers rush through crowds to hug you at the end of the movie."(26)
To be honest, I have never once seen a Shirley Temple episode in order to really understand what the characters in this story had experienced. However, I have seen several shows if not movies that can relate to the kind of stories that Jerry and Lois-Ann wrote during Sunday school. Everyone wants a happy ending for every moment of their life. Unfortunately, most of the time the complete opposite seems to occur in which most people live with devastation of some kind.
In this quote, they talk about not being good enough to have a happy ending as good as to the one they had written. That they were good enough to have the same kind of love that Shirley experiences in every episode. I don't see how anyone can ever think that way. What can possibly be going on in your life that could cause for you to think that you are not worth to receive the same kind of love that someone may get on a television show? Could their lives possibly be in that bad of a situation that makes them feel hopeless? I strongly feel that everyone should experience a happy ending at least once in their lifetime. Hopefully more than once.
Come to think about it, I can't remember that last time I cried because I was happy. In my opinion, that kind of cry is the best kind that you can ever have. The worst that you can ever experience is for the loss of a loved one, or getting bad news of some kind. No news is good news to me. I feel though that everyone should have some kind of hope or desire for something that will truly make them happy. Either thinking about it or writing it down just as the author did with Jerry every Sunday, gives them a sense of hope that something great will be coming their way.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Rules For Writers - Chapter 47
In this chapter, we get to learn of ways on how to construct an argumentative essay that will not only support our views but help others (audience) understand how or why it is that your argument is true. We are shown a way of composing this essay by not being too aggressive but reasonable enough to have our audience think and have an open mind to want to read more. It discusses how we should accomplish this by completing a well written thesis statement that will grasp the readers attention and interest to want to hear you out and see exactly what it is that you have to say.
With our arguments, we want to make sure that we not only include our personal views but should also include scholarly resources that can help us, as the writer, persuade the readers to change their point of view. Besides including your own arguments, we should also include information from the other party. This will essentially help the reader understand that you did go out and research both sides of this topic, and in the end help support your overall views as to why you think this certain way.
When integrating supporting information from accredited resources, we want to make sure that we give credit to the person who had written this thought and site it in proper MLA formats in order to insure that the reader is aware that you did obtain this info from a certain site or book. We do want to include clear and concise arguments to support our reasoning's and give as much supporting evidence as possible. When writing our essays, we want to think about the opposing party and their counter arguments in order to achieve a convincing, persuasive, argument. By including views of the opposing party, this may in the end help them understand the reasoning behind your arguments by comparison, in which the reader would likely have a better understanding behind all of your arguments.
From taking English 302 last semester, I realized that I liked to write argumentative essays more than any of our other essay topics. I found it to be who I really am as a person to argue any facts that I may be opposed to and try to find any reasoning's behind it. After reading this chapter, it gave me a refresher of what I should be focusing on when writing this type of essay and to keep in mind of our audience as we are trying to persuade them to change their views. By being too straight forward and not providing the facts, it will ultimately have a negative effect on your reasoning behind your essay in which you will not accomplish your overall goal. I will make sure to include as much supporting info as possible and of course include the opposite parties views, in order to maintain their interests throughout the essay and provide constructive, reasonable, supporting arguments.
With our arguments, we want to make sure that we not only include our personal views but should also include scholarly resources that can help us, as the writer, persuade the readers to change their point of view. Besides including your own arguments, we should also include information from the other party. This will essentially help the reader understand that you did go out and research both sides of this topic, and in the end help support your overall views as to why you think this certain way.
When integrating supporting information from accredited resources, we want to make sure that we give credit to the person who had written this thought and site it in proper MLA formats in order to insure that the reader is aware that you did obtain this info from a certain site or book. We do want to include clear and concise arguments to support our reasoning's and give as much supporting evidence as possible. When writing our essays, we want to think about the opposing party and their counter arguments in order to achieve a convincing, persuasive, argument. By including views of the opposing party, this may in the end help them understand the reasoning behind your arguments by comparison, in which the reader would likely have a better understanding behind all of your arguments.
From taking English 302 last semester, I realized that I liked to write argumentative essays more than any of our other essay topics. I found it to be who I really am as a person to argue any facts that I may be opposed to and try to find any reasoning's behind it. After reading this chapter, it gave me a refresher of what I should be focusing on when writing this type of essay and to keep in mind of our audience as we are trying to persuade them to change their views. By being too straight forward and not providing the facts, it will ultimately have a negative effect on your reasoning behind your essay in which you will not accomplish your overall goal. I will make sure to include as much supporting info as possible and of course include the opposite parties views, in order to maintain their interests throughout the essay and provide constructive, reasonable, supporting arguments.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Essay 2 - Rough Draft
Jaime Rivera
Lauren Servais
English 100
10 March 2011
Essay 2 RD
Family is something that everyone cherishes the most. Family is what usually drives you, are there when you are in need of assistance or just need someone to talk to. When people ask me what matters most in my life I would always respond family. In my dictionary, family always comes first along with close friends who are also considered part of my family and then my job. Chang-rae Lee wrote a magnificent story called Coming Home Again in which he discusses his relationships with his family when he was growing up. Over all, you get to understand what had driven him in his life in order to shape him into what he is now and how he became to appreciate what he knows now.
Lee gives many examples throughout the story that helps us understand as the reader how his life was growing up in a Korean family and how his personality began to change during his teen years, which ultimately helped him become who he is today. As a child, Lee writes about a time when he loved to see his mother cook. Out of all the different interests he could have picked up on, he remembers being in the kitchen was his most favorite place in which he holds dearly to his heart. He mentions, “When I was six or seven years old, I used to watch my mother as she prepared our favorite meals. It was one of my daily pleasures” (12). Lee formed a bond with his mother by visiting her in the kitchen as often as he could to observe the delicious dish she was going to prepare next. “I would enter the kitchen quietly and stand beside her, my chin lodging upon the point of her hip” (12). By spending time observing his mother cooking during most of his childhood, it helped shape him into the person he is today. He confirms this by introducing us in a setting of his mothers’ kitchen cooking up dishes that his mother had prepared for them many times before. “I was usually in the kitchen, preparing lunch or dinner, poised over the butcher block with her favorite chef’s knife in my hand and her old yellow apron slung around my neck” (11). Lee did this to help with his family’s needs since his mother fell very ill with cancer in her stomach in which he felt a certain obligation to cook in order to keep his family's spirits up.
Another time that is remembered most in most family's is the time that you get to bond when you gather around the dinner table. I know that anytime that I had sat around the dinner table it was always a pleasant time to speak to my family and just sit back and listen to what we each have to say. This was also one of Lee’s most cherished period of his life. When he cooked he mentions that “the point was simply to sit together at the kitchen table and array ourselves like a family again… crammed in the center was all the food I had made—a spicy codfish stew, say, or a casserole of gingery beef, dishes that in my youth she had prepared for us a hundred times” (11). Food played a huge role in this family, it’s what helped them bond and grow stronger together. It was one of the main things that helped shape Lee. Another instance, he mentions “during the following days, it was always the cooking that started our conversations” (16). He also recognized himself in positions that reminded him of his mother, “Whenever I cook, I find myself working just as she would, readying the ingredients… My mother never left me any recipes, but this is how I learned to make her food, each dish coming not from a list or a card but from the aromatic spread of a board” (12).
Moreover, we get to understand how a family’s relationship can become stronger when someone spends some time away. You get to appreciate that person or persons in your life even more and just think about the times that you would like to cherish the most. Lee speaks of a time when he was not so pleasant to his parents. He was a teenager going through so many changes and as most teenagers do, they react negatively towards their parents. He stated, “I was a teenager, and so ever inclined to be dismissive and bitter toward anything that had to do with family and home” (14). That pretty much sums up every teenager and their relationships with their parents, some of them are lucky to grow a stronger bond during these times but more than anything, there is a sense of aggravation.
****more to come****
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
The Insufficiency of Honesty - Response
a. Choose one of the examples Carter provides. Do you agree with Carter's reasoning?
After reading Stephen L. Carter reasoning as to why honesty, or a form of honesty, could not be viewed as integrity, all I could say was...wow. That was a lot of info to take in and surprisingly enough, it did make a lot of sense. I never really thought of how people could have many different definitions to what integrity means. Based off the essay, I guess the number one thing that most people say is that honesty plays a huge role. Carter on the other hand disagreed in many ways in which he had given us many examples to go off of as to why he thinks that way and is one of the reasons as to why I chose to answer the first question.
One of the examples that Carter used was about telling everything that you know, which is a form of honesty. He supported his beliefs by giving us a scenario that involved a man basically on his death bed confessing to his wife that he had been dishonest to her and had cheated on her with another person 35 years earlier. This was a marriage that had lasted 50 years in which the wife may have thought were all wonderful years until of course she heard this news. The man's conscience was finally in peace before he died but what about his wife? Carter stated that the wife could of course forgive him but she will now not have anything that she could cherish during the 50 years that they were "happily" married.
I feel that this was a great example to show that although the man was honest with his wife late in life, it basically caused pain for his wife. Carter used this example to show that although someone will be telling the truth, it can be at the expense of someone else getting hurt. Integrity is not about hurting people but it's more for looking out for people. I do have to agree with Carter's reasoning with this as I never really looked at it this way until I read this example out of many examples given, this one really stood out the most to me. Only because many people out there say like it is but its causing pain in others while it's benefiting themselves which is not what integrity is all about.
After reading Stephen L. Carter reasoning as to why honesty, or a form of honesty, could not be viewed as integrity, all I could say was...wow. That was a lot of info to take in and surprisingly enough, it did make a lot of sense. I never really thought of how people could have many different definitions to what integrity means. Based off the essay, I guess the number one thing that most people say is that honesty plays a huge role. Carter on the other hand disagreed in many ways in which he had given us many examples to go off of as to why he thinks that way and is one of the reasons as to why I chose to answer the first question.
One of the examples that Carter used was about telling everything that you know, which is a form of honesty. He supported his beliefs by giving us a scenario that involved a man basically on his death bed confessing to his wife that he had been dishonest to her and had cheated on her with another person 35 years earlier. This was a marriage that had lasted 50 years in which the wife may have thought were all wonderful years until of course she heard this news. The man's conscience was finally in peace before he died but what about his wife? Carter stated that the wife could of course forgive him but she will now not have anything that she could cherish during the 50 years that they were "happily" married.
I feel that this was a great example to show that although the man was honest with his wife late in life, it basically caused pain for his wife. Carter used this example to show that although someone will be telling the truth, it can be at the expense of someone else getting hurt. Integrity is not about hurting people but it's more for looking out for people. I do have to agree with Carter's reasoning with this as I never really looked at it this way until I read this example out of many examples given, this one really stood out the most to me. Only because many people out there say like it is but its causing pain in others while it's benefiting themselves which is not what integrity is all about.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Shooting Dad- Response
What is the significance of the title?
I would have to say, when I first read the title of this story, I was immediately thinking about someone actually killing their father. The title really did catch my attention but then once I started to read into this, after the second paragraph, I began to loose interest. As I read a long, at the end the author then gives explanation for the title by mentioning what her fathers last wishes are once he passes away. Don't get me wrong, I was relieved in a way that this was not about murder but I also felt that I was mislead to think something way different.
The author gave several examples as to why she did not have a good relationship with her father, different political views, his ambition with building guns, hunting, showing her and her sister how to shoot a gun at the age of 6 to name a few. Yes they had their differences but to think about it, what teenager does not have a difference with their parents? I remember quite well that I did but kids at that age are basically trying to find themselves and discover who they really are. The author discovered that she loved art, music, living creatures, and absolutely hated guns. At first, with this description you think that she is describing the differences between her and her father, but in the end you find out that they are very much a like.
Yes, she did not like her fathers line of work, but she realized that his work is art. Something that he was very ambitious about and it something that she absolutely loves. She finally realized that her father and her were very a like after a complete stranger went up to them and said "that's quite the machine you got there." (p 439) At that time she noticed her fathers cannon and then realized he was talking about her recording equipment which is called a shotgun mike. At that point, she mentions "my dad and I are the same person. We're both smart-alecky loners with goofy projects and weird equipment." (p. 439)
After realizing that they are one in the same, she became more fond of her fathers art and was more than willing to shoot a canon at any time but never a gun. She promised to fulfill his last wishes of shooting his ashes through his canon on the first day of the hunting season that way he was able to take his last hunting trip since he loved it so much and he will be shot out of one of his very own masterpieces.
I would have to say, when I first read the title of this story, I was immediately thinking about someone actually killing their father. The title really did catch my attention but then once I started to read into this, after the second paragraph, I began to loose interest. As I read a long, at the end the author then gives explanation for the title by mentioning what her fathers last wishes are once he passes away. Don't get me wrong, I was relieved in a way that this was not about murder but I also felt that I was mislead to think something way different.
The author gave several examples as to why she did not have a good relationship with her father, different political views, his ambition with building guns, hunting, showing her and her sister how to shoot a gun at the age of 6 to name a few. Yes they had their differences but to think about it, what teenager does not have a difference with their parents? I remember quite well that I did but kids at that age are basically trying to find themselves and discover who they really are. The author discovered that she loved art, music, living creatures, and absolutely hated guns. At first, with this description you think that she is describing the differences between her and her father, but in the end you find out that they are very much a like.
Yes, she did not like her fathers line of work, but she realized that his work is art. Something that he was very ambitious about and it something that she absolutely loves. She finally realized that her father and her were very a like after a complete stranger went up to them and said "that's quite the machine you got there." (p 439) At that time she noticed her fathers cannon and then realized he was talking about her recording equipment which is called a shotgun mike. At that point, she mentions "my dad and I are the same person. We're both smart-alecky loners with goofy projects and weird equipment." (p. 439)
After realizing that they are one in the same, she became more fond of her fathers art and was more than willing to shoot a canon at any time but never a gun. She promised to fulfill his last wishes of shooting his ashes through his canon on the first day of the hunting season that way he was able to take his last hunting trip since he loved it so much and he will be shot out of one of his very own masterpieces.
Rules For Writers - Chapter 4
In this chapter we learn about being able to construct effective paragraphs that will focus on your main ideas, support your thesis, being coherent, etc...
We learn about creating a good topic sentence that will primarily summarize the main idea of the paragraph in one sentence. This sentence would be a general idea of what the reader is going to be reading in this paragraph and of course it is going to be something that will for one support your main idea for writing this essay and you will follow your topic sentence with more support to back up your main point. Furthermore, we learn about making sure that we are staying on topic by sticking to the point. We do not want to include any useless information or information that will drift our readers off the main points.
Another thing we learn about is when to appropriately use examples or illustrations in our paragraphs. Examples are commonly used to support something with facts or give instances of certain ideas. Illustrations are "extended examples frequently presented in story form."(p44) Another thing that is covered is about narration on being able to tell a story usually in chronological order but they could include flashbacks, or interruptions that will take the reader back.
We also learn about being descriptive with our paragraphs by describing person, place, or thing by using concrete and specific details. When writing about a process, ,we want to be descriptive with how that thing is completed or just give the reader explanation from a-z in order for them to have better understanding on how to achieve that thing like making a pizza for example. Another thing that we learn about is how to properly compare and contrast by expressing any similarities of a subject that will further assist us with proving a point. Causes and effects are to be used in a situation to show argument. We also learn about classifying our paragraphs that will help us write a smooth written essay that will support the reasoning from beginning to end. Of course, as learned previously, we want to be as coherent as possible when writing our paragraphs in which it should easily go with the flow from one paragraph to another. We want to clearly link our ideas to the main point of the topic sentence as well as being able to repeat any key words that can help the reader have better understanding and not lose interest or the main idea for that paragraph.
Lastly, we learn about being able to maintain consistency by making sure that we do not drift off the main topic and how to transition a sentence with what has been read. Also, most importantly, how to determine when the proper length has been achieved for that one paragraph. We do not want to overwhelm our readers but instead make sure that we keep their interest throughout the essay until the very end.
After reading this chapter, I have better understanding on how to effectively compose a well written paragraph that will over all support my thesis, main ideas, and making sure that I stick on topic. I will make double sure to read my essay out loud to make sure that everything sounds coherent and that I am providing enough detailed information to support everything being written without drifting off.
We learn about creating a good topic sentence that will primarily summarize the main idea of the paragraph in one sentence. This sentence would be a general idea of what the reader is going to be reading in this paragraph and of course it is going to be something that will for one support your main idea for writing this essay and you will follow your topic sentence with more support to back up your main point. Furthermore, we learn about making sure that we are staying on topic by sticking to the point. We do not want to include any useless information or information that will drift our readers off the main points.
Another thing we learn about is when to appropriately use examples or illustrations in our paragraphs. Examples are commonly used to support something with facts or give instances of certain ideas. Illustrations are "extended examples frequently presented in story form."(p44) Another thing that is covered is about narration on being able to tell a story usually in chronological order but they could include flashbacks, or interruptions that will take the reader back.
We also learn about being descriptive with our paragraphs by describing person, place, or thing by using concrete and specific details. When writing about a process, ,we want to be descriptive with how that thing is completed or just give the reader explanation from a-z in order for them to have better understanding on how to achieve that thing like making a pizza for example. Another thing that we learn about is how to properly compare and contrast by expressing any similarities of a subject that will further assist us with proving a point. Causes and effects are to be used in a situation to show argument. We also learn about classifying our paragraphs that will help us write a smooth written essay that will support the reasoning from beginning to end. Of course, as learned previously, we want to be as coherent as possible when writing our paragraphs in which it should easily go with the flow from one paragraph to another. We want to clearly link our ideas to the main point of the topic sentence as well as being able to repeat any key words that can help the reader have better understanding and not lose interest or the main idea for that paragraph.
Lastly, we learn about being able to maintain consistency by making sure that we do not drift off the main topic and how to transition a sentence with what has been read. Also, most importantly, how to determine when the proper length has been achieved for that one paragraph. We do not want to overwhelm our readers but instead make sure that we keep their interest throughout the essay until the very end.
After reading this chapter, I have better understanding on how to effectively compose a well written paragraph that will over all support my thesis, main ideas, and making sure that I stick on topic. I will make double sure to read my essay out loud to make sure that everything sounds coherent and that I am providing enough detailed information to support everything being written without drifting off.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Rules for Writers: Chapter 3
I had learned a lot after reading chapter 3. It's unfortunate that I had to learn about this process after the fact of writing essay 1 but I can at least use these new methods with my other writing assignments. Reading about Global revision really helped me understand of making sure that we take the proper steps of composing a well written report or essay. Making sure that everything is in order and are staying on topic. Also making sure that we are accomplishing the purpose of writing this essay by targeting our readers and making sure that they are basically hooked from beginning to end. Also, making sure that we clearly state the thesis and that we organize our paragraphs to support our thesis or main idea.
Also, taking the time to proof read everything and editing any content as needed in order to make sure that everything is flowing smoothly and will not cause our readers to drift off topic. I currently use the printing method to then read my essay out loud slowly and carefully to make sure that everything is making sense and is staying on topic as I continue my writing. Any corrections that I see that need to be done I will write to the side or cross out any thing that does not need to be in there. After doing that then I have a few other people read it before officially submitting the essay. Of course, we want to make sure that we are using proper grammar, punctuations, spelling, etc. before submitting anything over.
I will strive to use these methods in my upcoming assignments in order to make sure that everything is basically perfect and serves the purpose for writing that essay.
Also, taking the time to proof read everything and editing any content as needed in order to make sure that everything is flowing smoothly and will not cause our readers to drift off topic. I currently use the printing method to then read my essay out loud slowly and carefully to make sure that everything is making sense and is staying on topic as I continue my writing. Any corrections that I see that need to be done I will write to the side or cross out any thing that does not need to be in there. After doing that then I have a few other people read it before officially submitting the essay. Of course, we want to make sure that we are using proper grammar, punctuations, spelling, etc. before submitting anything over.
I will strive to use these methods in my upcoming assignments in order to make sure that everything is basically perfect and serves the purpose for writing that essay.
Coming Home Again - Response
c. What’s the importance of food in this essay?
After reading this very sad story, I came to realize that food had a huge role in the relationship between him and his mother. In fact, food was basically the happiest time for the whole family. When it came to dinner time, the family gathered around the table and eat together and enjoyed each others company. This was the time where they could feel that the family is whole and they have each other during the good or bad. I felt that the food had a huge significance in this story because he described how he built his relationship with his mother and how he was always fond to learn all the different cooking techniques and having the ability to be one of the first taste testers while she was preparing the food. He showed a lot of interest in the process of preparing the meals and even though he was sent off to boarding school for some time, he still held on to the skills that he had learned from his mother as a way of appreciation for everything that she had done for him. A piece of her will forever be part of him in his cooking.
I believe that food has a major role with building relationships with your family. It is a special time that you get to share and bond with your loved ones. It is a time that you get to learn new things and share any interest with each other. I know that in my family, especially around the holidays, we always gather around the kitchen to help out and just have fun. Once all the food preparation is done then we all get to sit down around the table and just enjoy everything that we have and be thankful. Every time that we have a conversation with any family member, we always seem to remember the times that we all spent together around the kitchen table or when ever we all got together for a barbecue or pic-nick, no matter what we always remembered times that involved food. I can see how much of significance this is to the author as those times were the times that were most cherished, just being together.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Essay 1 Photo
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Chapter 2
In this chapter, we cover all the areas necessary to start an essay. One of the main things covered is how to compose a well written thesis that will state what you are writing about and the main idea. With that, you will then support your thesis but completing your body paragraphs in which you will include any supporting facts or any info you see necessary that can give any additional reasoning to your thesis. Also, it shows you how to write a well written conclusion that will basically wrap up your essay that will ultimately support your thesis and reasoning behind the essay.
With this info, I will make sure to follow through with composing a mind sucking thesis that will want you to continue reading the whole thing until the end. I was fortunate to have this practice last semester with completing 5 well written essays in order to prepare me for this class. One of the things that I remember being told when writing an essay is staying on topic and not to give too much info that can cause us to drift off the main idea of our essay.
With this info, I will make sure to follow through with composing a mind sucking thesis that will want you to continue reading the whole thing until the end. I was fortunate to have this practice last semester with completing 5 well written essays in order to prepare me for this class. One of the things that I remember being told when writing an essay is staying on topic and not to give too much info that can cause us to drift off the main idea of our essay.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Ways We Lie- Response
Do people have to lie in order to "lubricate the daily machinery of living"?
After reading the different ways of lying and how it can affect people by doing just that, really reminded me of myself on how I usually thought of myself as a truthfull person but then I came to realize that maybe I’m not as honest as I thought I was. I lie constantly every day in order to either benefit myself or to avoid any confrontations.
For example, I had a situation with one of my customers earlier in the week that resulted in them getting over 30 overdraft fees. We have helped this individual many times before and have educated them on how to avoid these situations from occuring again, but unfortunately they are right back where they were before. I knew that my supervisors would NOT reverse any fees based off the circumstances that I had mentioned but this person was really struggling financialy so I was thinking of ways to help this person out, so I stretched the truth. I informed my supervisor that this person had issues with comprehension and did not understand what we meant by having overdraft protection so this person thought that they can just keep charging against the account without having the money and would just pay it back once they got paid. As long as they did that they assumed that we would not hold them responsible for the fees. My supervisor believed the story I told them and they credited back all the fees.
So do I believe that people have to lie in order to “lubricate the daily machinery of living?” Of course I do. No matter what the situation, people are constantly lying in order to move forward in life. Whether it is a little white lie by telling your partner that they don’t look fat in those jeans just so you could avoid an argument, or by telling someone that your cell phone was on the fritz and that was the reason why you did not get the phone call when in reality you just wanted to avoid them. These two examples basically lets them hear something that will not cause them to get mad at you and continue with life. One of the number one rules for lying is to remember your lies in order to make sure that you never get caught; otherwise this will cause an even worse situation for you at a later time.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Chapter 1 Summary
This chapter was a refresher to what I had learned last semester. As mentioned in the chapter, it discusses ways to produce great structural essays. It helps us think as to what audience we are trying to target and if we are trying to persuade them to do something or educate them. It also helps us find the purpose for writing on the subject that we chose as well as maybe relating any personal experiences to that subject.
We also learn ways of being able to build what would end up being a well written essay. For example, taking notes that can help our thesis or to help us come up with a subject to write on. Jot down any ideas that may come to mind or creating a brainstorm of all the information we may know on that subject. By doing this, it will help us get an overall understanding of what we already know and possibly raise questions to what we do want to find out and complete any necessary research to support the subject we would like to write on. By following simple steps like these, it can then help us then create a rough draft to start off with.
After reading this and taking into consideration what I had learned before, I will continue to use these methods in order to be able to draft a well written essay. I never really thought about listening to music for inspiration but I shall take that into consideration this time around to see if I get inspired for any new ideas or thoughts that can help me write my essay's.
We also learn ways of being able to build what would end up being a well written essay. For example, taking notes that can help our thesis or to help us come up with a subject to write on. Jot down any ideas that may come to mind or creating a brainstorm of all the information we may know on that subject. By doing this, it will help us get an overall understanding of what we already know and possibly raise questions to what we do want to find out and complete any necessary research to support the subject we would like to write on. By following simple steps like these, it can then help us then create a rough draft to start off with.
After reading this and taking into consideration what I had learned before, I will continue to use these methods in order to be able to draft a well written essay. I never really thought about listening to music for inspiration but I shall take that into consideration this time around to see if I get inspired for any new ideas or thoughts that can help me write my essay's.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Superman and Me; Response
Why is a “smart Indian” dangerous? Dangerous to whom?
I had to really think about how a person can be dangerous for being well educated. How or why would that person be feared or ridiculed for knowing more? After taking a moment to think about it, I had to put this in another perspective as to maybe that person knows too much. That person would be the geek of the classroom, which in most cases would get picked on all the time. But as we know, knowledge is power. Without knowledge no one would be able to get ahead in life, in order to survive a tough situation or to comprehend enough to know where they can seek assistance. Maybe the people who ridiculed him are just afraid that he could possibly do something that can have a negative effect not only on them but on the whole Indian tribe. And for the non-Indians, the only thing that comes to mind that they will have to fear is that the Indians will learn their legal rights. Maybe something is occurring that shouldn’t, and they do not want them to be aware of it. Maybe I was over thinking it but that’s what I was able to come up with for the questions above.
After reading Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie, I was shocked to find out how he portrayed his life as a child growing up on an Indian Reservation in Washington in which all Indians expected you to be a certain way. In this case, they are not to show any signs of wisdom but to let the “non-Indians” believe that there is basically no hope for them and they will forever be less educated than them.
I felt like Alexie was informing us that it was difficult to know which way would be the correct way to follow since the Indians were expected to show themselves a certain way and not engage in any learning activity in order to be “accepted” in the tribe. Whereas Alexie wanted to do the complete opposite and learn as much as he could and grasp as much information as possible whether it be in class with a teacher or in literature. Being well educated can have its dangerous factors with both Indian community and non-Indian communities. As mentioned in the 5th paragraph, “A smart Indian is a dangerous person, widely feared and ridiculed.” I believe he says this because he has constant battles with his fellow classmates for answering any questions that the teacher (who is a non-Indian) may ask, when they are supposed to keep their heads low and not answer at all.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Rules for Writers Ch. 46
After reading Ch. 46, it talks about ways of being able to find main ideas, thesis, supporting facts, and arguments to name a few. It also references ways of being an active reader by following simple steps which include highlighting, writing notes to the side of the page, underline any key points, interests, as well as researching definitions for unknown words in order to grasp a better understanding.
In this process, we also learn about summarizing what we had read in order to make sure that we have complete understanding. In the summary, we should include the key subject (thesis) and knowing what audience the writer was trying to target as a couple of examples. Also, we learn about how to properly analyze what we had just read in order to find out the main idea of the document and being able to come up with our own thesis that will state our own judgment about the text.
Knowing what I know now, I am now going to make sure to become a more active reader by following the steps mentioned in this chapter by either highlighting anything of importance, researching anything that I may not have complete understanding on, as well as keeping notes throughout the text that I can later refer back to in order to create a well written essay. Also, based off what I had learned, I feel like I am now more aware of what steps I will need to take in order to complete a proper outline, summary and analysis of what I had just read.
Freewriting Excercise
After reading about freewriting, I came to find out that it is a very good tool to use in order to gather as much information as possible to what we are thinking about. It could be as simple as just jotting down our thoughts about a specific topic we want to write about. By doing this, we can then know if this is something we can write a full essay on or even find out if we know enough about that topic and if we need to do more research.
Reading into this kind of reminded me as another way of brainstorming ideas. Just going for it and writing whatever comes to mind without having to worry about grammar or punctuation since it's not the official essay. I realize that we can all become better writers if we take the time to free write about a topic in mind so that we can become better organized and well aware of what we know, what we don't know, and what we should be working on in order to achieve a well written essay/report.
What I really like about freewriting is that you can write about anything and not really think about the consequences. This is just a stepping stone that you can later refer to in order to find out if this is a topic that others will either accept or reject. Of course, we don't all think the same way so most likely you will come across those few that are completely against your views or are willing to challenge your beliefs/research. This is why I believe it is good to have freewriting because you could at least take a look back and see if you are willing to defend any arguments that may come up.
Reading into this kind of reminded me as another way of brainstorming ideas. Just going for it and writing whatever comes to mind without having to worry about grammar or punctuation since it's not the official essay. I realize that we can all become better writers if we take the time to free write about a topic in mind so that we can become better organized and well aware of what we know, what we don't know, and what we should be working on in order to achieve a well written essay/report.
What I really like about freewriting is that you can write about anything and not really think about the consequences. This is just a stepping stone that you can later refer to in order to find out if this is a topic that others will either accept or reject. Of course, we don't all think the same way so most likely you will come across those few that are completely against your views or are willing to challenge your beliefs/research. This is why I believe it is good to have freewriting because you could at least take a look back and see if you are willing to defend any arguments that may come up.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Autobiography
Hello all! My name is Jaime Rivera. This is my second semester back at the JC after taking 4 years off from school. I am looking forward to further my education in order to obtain my Bachelors in Business Management. Besides going to school, I am also working full time as a Member Service Rep at Redwood Credit Union, so for those who have any questions at all about obtaining a loan, opening an account, or just need some type of financial guidance, please do not hesitate to contact me at jrivera@redwoodcu.org.
I would say that I am visual learner. I do find it difficult for me to understand complex situations without having some kind of visual in order for me to have a better understanding. Other than that, I would say that I am a quick learner and can grasp on to new information as long as I have complete understanding. When it comes to my work, I would have to say that I am a procrastinator, but most of my work comes out the best when I complete it the night before it is due or even a few hours before it is due.
I hope that we all have a great semester and I am looking forward to working with all of you.
I would say that I am visual learner. I do find it difficult for me to understand complex situations without having some kind of visual in order for me to have a better understanding. Other than that, I would say that I am a quick learner and can grasp on to new information as long as I have complete understanding. When it comes to my work, I would have to say that I am a procrastinator, but most of my work comes out the best when I complete it the night before it is due or even a few hours before it is due.
I hope that we all have a great semester and I am looking forward to working with all of you.
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