Weblog 10

If this is a story about sacrifice, what does Jimmy sacrifice?
It is not until the end till we see Jimmy sacrificing something. Jimmy, throughout most of the story, seemed like a dreamy boy, obsessed with a girl far from him emotionally and physically. Jimmy was supposed to be a lieutenant, a leader, responsible for lives of a few men. However, it did not seem that way throughout the majority of the story. He would always daydream about doing things to Martha, his imaginary girlfriend. For instance, on page 373, “After five minutes, Lieutenant Jimmy Cross moved to the tunnel, leaned down, and examined that darkness. Trouble, he thought – a cave-in maybe. And then suddenly, without willing it, he was thinking about Martha.” This was one of the many examples where Jimmy would think about Martha while being in combat. His obsession and love led to guilt. This was only after one of his men, Ted Lavender, got shot in the head. Due to his obsession over Martha, he was unable to realize the importance of his duty as a leader and how his obsession was a distraction. It was only till Ted Lavender got shot, did Jimmy Cross come to this realization. From this realization, Jimmy sacrifices his love for Martha. With the sacrifice of Jimmy’s obsession for Martha, Jimmy traded it for concentration on the war and his men. Page 382 shows Jimmy’s sacrifice of Martha’s love. “First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross crouched at the bottom of his foxhole and burned Martha’s letters. Then he burned the two photographs… Lavender was dead. You couldn’t burn the blame.” This shows how Jimmy is trying to erase Martha from his mind so that he could concentrate on getting his men out of the war safely. ‘You couldn’t burn the blame’ shows how despite all the burning of objects related to Martha, the guilt would still be there to remind Jimmy Cross of his mistake. Proof of his sacrifice is shown on page 384, where he starts to concentrate only on the war. “He would accept the blame for what had happened to Ted Lavender. He would be a man about it. He would look them in the eyes, he would issue the new SOPs in a calm impersonal tone of voice, a lieutenant’s voice.” This quote shows how he would forget about the past and be a responsible lieutenant, sacrifice the carefree, loving, obsessive side of him. Turning into a strict lieutenant who would not tolerate mistakes.

Weblog 9

In Gryphon, Charles Baxter intertwines the conventional and unconventional primarily through the odd substitute teacher, Miss Ferenczi. When she first introduced herself, Miss Ferenczi did not follow the daily routine of pledging allegiance, which was the first example of unconventional intertwining with the conventional children who follow schedules. Another way Baxter intertwines the conventional and unconventional is through Miss Ferenczi’s story telling. Miss Ferenczi would constantly give the kids a fact, but would also tell a completely unrealistic story just to make the children interested in what she is saying. One of the many examples of this is when Miss Ferenczi told the children about diamonds, on page 50. Miss Ferenczi started off talking about jewels and diamonds and explained that they were magical and the biggest diamond killed anybody who owned it. She then went on to say women wear diamonds as a sign of the magic of womanhood, which so far, everything she said is fictional. She then says the magic in diamonds are reasons why men fall in love with women but women do not actually fall in love with men, instead they love being loved. From there, Miss Farenczi leads on to say that George Washington had died due to a mistake he made about a diamond, and that Washington was not the first true president. She goes on and talks about other completely fictional things but adds a touch of reality to make the story believable for the children. Charles Baxter does this to make Miss Ferenczi seem like a very peculiar character who cannot be trusted. Also, another way Baxter intertwines the conventional and unconventional is when the class was doing math. Miss Ferenczi asked what six times eleven was and a student answered with sixty-eight, which was wrong. Soon after, another student points out her mistake, which leads to a speech where Miss Ferenzci said that since she is a substitute teacher, she can provide a substitute answer which the children can use only when she is there. By this, Baxter wants to show that people should think outside the box and be creative, instead of being dull and narrow-minded.

Weblog 8

How does Jhumpa Lahiri use the minor action and subtle details to express the unmet needs of the characters?

Jhumpa Lahiri uses little bits of the story to express the unmet needs of the characters a lot in her story, Interpreter of Maladies. One of the many examples is how Tina is treated and how Tina treats her doll. Tina, a girl who constantly seeks her mother’s approval, is constantly met with disappointment. Her mother, Mrs. Das, does not treat Tina like a daughter, instead, according to hints given by Jhumpa Lahiri, Mrs. Das treats her daughter as if she is a nuisance thus neglects her. An example is shown on page 62, “…pulled out a bottle of nail polish, which she proceeded to stroke… ‘Mommy, do mine too.’ ‘Leave me alone,’ Mrs. Das said, blowing on her nail and turning her body slightly.” This neglectful attitude impacts Tina heavily. It leads to Tina, treating her doll the way she feels like how she is being treated by her mother. This need of love from her mother is unmet, thus the minor action of treating the doll poorly occurs. Another example of a minor action or detail that display unmet needs of characters is when Mr. and Mrs. Das have the minor fights during the tour. An example of one of these fights is when the two bicker about the car, which had no air conditioning. Mrs. Das complained to her husband about how the car is hot because it lacked air conditioning, yet Mr. Das said it wasn’t that bad, while he himself put his own window down. This shows Mr. Das’s hypocrisy and his neglectful attitude towards his wife, which may express his unmet need of having a caring wife. On Mrs. Das’s side, the quarrels between her and her husband express her need for a proper caring husband, which she also wants to care about. It represents the failed marriage, which was premature, considering they ‘were in high school when he proposed.’ (Lahiri, 75) This desire of a good or better spouse may have lead to her leading Mr. Kapasi on. In many occasions, she gave hints, which showed that she was interested in Mr. Kapasi. Some examples would be the use of the word ‘romantic’ on page 64, the sharing of food such as gum on page 64. This may have been an effect of Mrs. Das’s unmet needs of a happy relationship.

Weblog 7

Why are writers driven to write, according to Tobias Wolff? Also, what does Wolff say should be our motivation in reading short stories?

On page seven, Tobias Wolff says, “Writers can never be sure, in the act of writing, if anyone will pay that price for the company of their words. We proceed on faith but in doubt, dreaming uncertainly of readers who will justify this lonely work by passion equal to our own.” This says that when writers write, they do not know if anybody will be isolated to read their (the writers’) words. It then says that they, the writers, continue to write in doubt, only hoping readers will admire the writing as much as the writers themselves. This is an explanation for the motivation for writers to write, so that they can receive the satisfaction of satisfying the readers. Also, writers write because they want to share certain experiences they encountered in their life, hoping to find a commonality between the readers and themselves.
This search for a sense of commonality between the writer and the reader thus leads to our motivation in reading short stories. On page 8, Wolff says, “… so convincing in their portrayal that the reader had to acknowledge kinship. That sense of kinship is what makes stories important to us.” Here, Tobias Wolff states that the sense of kinship or commonality makes us read more, because we care about it and we know what the writer is feeling. He also says, “ Those are the stories that endure in our memories…” By this, Wolff meant that the sense of kinship causes readers to remember the stories because the both writer and reader share something. In addition to this, Wolff goes on and says, “But when we read we are alert and undefended, and liable to be struck hard.” This sentence states that when reading, we, the readers, are able to be struck hard and be excited, which motivates us to read.

Weblog 6

Describe a time you had divided interests. How did one interest win out over the other(s)? What factors came into play?
There were many where I had divided interests. For instance, I had to choose between sports, computers, and community service. I was really devoted to playing soccer and baseball, yet I loved to play around with computer software and hardware. I also loved helping the poor in my community. So I signed up for all three, computer science, sports, and community service. Yet I could only pick one, which was a real dilemma for me. In the end, I chose sports because of a few important reasons. At first, I eliminated computer science because I thought it wasn’t as important as sports and community service. Both sports and community had benefits, yet I chose sports for reasons, which seem selfish. Although community service had good benefits, such as helping the community and helping my self esteem. It got into my head that health and extra curricular activities for college were even more important. I believe that I thought the well-being of myself was the reason why I ruled out all the other factors for the other activities.

Also, how does the author foreshadow that the protagonist will be unsuccessful at wooing Sheila Mant?
Wetherell shows many indications that the protagonist will not be successful in wooing Sheila Mant. One primary indication is that she constantly does not seem to care much about the protagonist. When he is with her, she simply ignores him or answers his questions without much passion. For instance, when the protagonist would swim to and from the Vermont shore, Sheila Mant did not seem to care about his efforts. Also, Wetherall shows the difference in interest between the protagonist and Sheila Mant. An example would be when they were on the protagonist’s canoe to the fair, Sheila Mant would be talking about topics that the protagonist did not know about or seemed to care about. Sheila Mant called fishing, the protagonist’s favorite hobby, dumb. This difference in interest was a clear indication that the two did not match or cooperate; despite how much the protagonist admired Sheila Mant.

In Rosenthal's piece, No News From Auschwitz, what section of the newspaper does his piece belong and why?

The sections of a newspaper are, Front Page, News Article, Feature Article, Editorials, Letter to the Editor, International News, Advertisements, Business, and Entertainment or Lifestyle. Each is unique in its own way. The Front Page consists of the most important story of the day and captures the most attention. The News Article section is made up of articles that contain a report on an event that took place, they are supposed to be objective. Feature Articles report about an issue, person, or an event with a lot of details and more depth. Feature articles are also usually informative. The Editorial section of a newspaper is an article, which is written by the editor(s) with a subjective view of the matter. The Letter to the Editor section is made up of letters, which also have subjective stances. These letters are usually sent to a newspaper company to respond to an article. They usually have strong opinions on certain issues. International News contains news about other countries, which may have impacted the world in a certain way. It could be about wars, politics, disasters, etc. The Advertisement section of a newspaper is made up of advertisements, which are trying to sell certain things such as products or ideas. The Business section of a newspaper contains news about commercial activities, news about new inventions or innovations, and stock reports. Finally, the Entertainment or Lifestyle has news about popular people or people who make a difference to communities, health, beauty, religion, music, movies, etc.
I believe Rosenthal’s piece could belong in many sections of a newspaper such as the News Article section but shouldn’t because although it is about an event that took place, it took place quite a long time ago and his piece is not entirely objective. Also, it could fit in the Editorial section because it is somewhat subjective, but I believe the piece fits best in the Feature Article section because it is very descriptive and deep. It is also informative and “It does contain some elements of the short story and is written with a lead to get the reader's attention and then uses conversational tone to present the reader with information to evoke an emotional response.”


http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_a_feature_article

Wordle

Describe the tone differences between Hair and Theme for English B and how it contributes to the differing overall stance of each author in light of white status measured above black status

Although Hair and Theme for English B both revolve on the issue of racism, their attitudes towards it are extremely different. In Hair, Malcolm X shows an angry and violent tone towards the matter. Although in the beginning of his memoir, he seemed excited and anxious to go through the change to have a white person’s hair, looking back on it, he was ashamed and irate towards white superiority. A primary reason for his aggressive attitude would be how many black people have admitted to the fact that white people are superior. He came to this realization by looking back on his painful experience to make his hair look pretty by white standards. While in Theme for English B, Langston Hughes has a passive, playful, and non-aggressive tone. With this tone, Langston Hughes shows that his stance towards white status superiority is rather peaceful. Though he wants equality just like Malcolm X, he prefers the two races to accept differences and not be racist. Although he continues to state the huge differences between himself and his white professor, which he is supposedly writing to, he also shows what he likes to prove that he isn’t any different than any other person despite the color of his skin. Instead of having an attitude of rebellion like Malcolm X, Langston Hughes wants blacks and whites to reconcile with each other. Hughes concluded with another symbol of how blacks and whites are equal. He concludes with how that they are all American, which is supposed to be the emblem of unity between blacks and whites.

In Hair by Malcolm X and Theme for English B by Langston Hughes, what similar topics are they grappling with and how do they treat them differently?

 In Hair by Malcolm X and Theme for English B by Langston Hughes, their primary similar topic is based around racism and equality between white and blacks. In Hair, Malcolm X appears to have a more aggressive and hostile attitude towards racism. This was probably because during the memoir, he went through pain to transform his hair similar to a white person. Thus, Malcolm X appears to be very ashamed and regretful towards his actions of self-degradation. Also, he concludes with a hint of disgust towards how many blacks have acknowledged white people’s superiority over black people. While in Theme for English B, on the other hand, Langston Hughes seems to have a much more passive and un-hostile attitude. Though, he keeps contradicting himself throughout the whole poem. For instance, he would compare himself with his professor and say he’s younger while his professor is older and he is black while his professor is white, making him (professor) have more freedom. Langston then describes the similarities between himself and his professor by telling the readers what he likes and saying “I guess being colored doesn’t make me not like the same things other folks like who are other races.” This shows that he wants whites to accept white by saying how despite the color of the skin, they are all humans. Also, he says, “That’s American” which was another proof of how he was trying to find a sense of commonality between his white professor and himself. Also, another reason why Langston is much more passive is because unlike Langston, he did not go through pain to look more like a white person, he wants white people to accept the differences between the two races and be friendly.

Why does Amy Tan choose to title her memoir Fishcheeks?

I think the title 'Fishcheeks' represents Amy Tan's identity problems that she encountered during the memoir. I believe the title is plural because one 'cheek' represents her true Chinese ethnicity and the other represents how she has or her desire to adapt to white culture in America. This was extremely significant to her theme of identity, and for a multicultural teen like her, it is difficult to find your true identity. For the majority of the time, she dreaded being a Chinese because she was very embarrassed of the Chinese culture while eating with Americans. This symbolized one side of the fish cheek, which she made the food sound disgusting and Chinese culture, vulgar. On the other hand, the other cheek represents how deep down, Amy Tan was proud of her Chinese heritage. This was only identified at the end of her memoir when her mother gave her a miniskirt as a Christmas gift. It was also until then, that she realized that the food she described as revolting was in fact, her favorite dishes. Though she came to this realization long after the event, I believe this represents to two different fish cheeks in a different way, of how a time lapse or reviewing the incident can change your views on certain things. Therefore, on one cheek is the ignorant Chinese American teenager. While on the other hand, it is the matured girl who understands the importance of both cultures.

Web Blog 'By any Other Name'

Do you believe the author's intention was to support the idea of dual personas or dissuade the reader it (support of dual personas) in her story?

I believe Santha was not supporting the idea of having dual personas. Although there is evidence that she was supporting it by the story but I think she was trying to convey a deeper meaning. For example during the story, she encounters many forms of either segregation or discrimination such as Indians not making friends with British kids. Also, when the teacher said all Indians cheat, which was another major form of discrimination. Normally, young children should not be exposed to such horrible things, but at the end of the story, she says she ‘happily put it away’ which could be evidence that she promotes having dual personas, but probably not on a daily basis. Only maybe when you’re encountering bad things. By pushing away troubling encounters, one, especially a child, can simply forget about it because it wasn’t pleasant. In other way, though, Santha might be trying to imply that such racism should never be forgotten and should be fought against. Also, I think you should keep to your true self and take pride in yourself, not trying to become somebody else. For instance, Santha’s case would be keeping her name and not accepting an Anglicized name.

Can a person have dual identities?
A person can have dual identities. For instance, criminals or even average people have dual identities. Criminals have dual identities for the sake of committing crime and attempting to get away from it. In many cases, they have more than two identities. An average person can have two identities either because they are huge liars or they change completely when they meet certain people. But that is more dual personalities rather than identities. But certain average people can have dual identities for perfectly acceptable reasons. For instance, I am called Alex in school because it is the easiest to say by everybody. But at home, I am either named by Chinese or Korean name. Two reasons why people have dual identities is either because they having committed something and want to get away from it or because they are part of two or more cultures.

RLB 5: What sets the tone for your personal essay?

The thing that sets the tone for my personal essay is when my friend accidentally falls into the frozen pool. This would be the inciting incident, making the situation very alarming.

RLB 4: Research an instance of injustice, the act of an individual or group upon another individual or group. How did that make you feel (be specific and detailed)? Don’t forget to cite your source(s).

A well known 'era' of injustice was when Adolf Hitler came to power during the late 1930s and early-mid 1940s. During his reign of terror, Adolf Hitler launched many anti-Semitic laws. Eventually, he came up with the 'Final Solution.' The Final Solution was the 'solution' to the 'Jewish question.' This was also known as the Holocaust. During the Holocaust, Jews were systematically murdered by the Nazis. This was genocide against the Hebrew people. Also, the Holocaust was an excuse to kill unwanted people in Nazi Germany. Unwanted people consisted of gypsies, disabled people, and homosexual people. This event made me pity the victims of the murderous genocide and despise Hitler and his accomplices. This is because I read accounts about Jewish people who had gone through the suffering. I read books such as Night by Elie Wiesel which describe with detail about the conditions in the concentration camps and how family members were lost.

RLB 3: Have you known anyone willing to experience pain for vanity's sake? Did the outcome justify the means?

Nobody that I know in person is willing to experience pain for vanity's sake. Although, I have heard of my friend's friends who got surgery such as breast enhancement or a nose job because they weren't happy with the way they looked. But that is only surgery, I do not know anybody who was willing to go through as much pain as Malcolm X to look better. I supposed for those who got surgery, it depends whether or not the outcome justified the mean. For example, if somebody got a nose job because they were bullied for the way their nose looked, I supposed a nose job would justify the person's means. Breast enhancement on the other hand, might not be as justified because its is less common for a person to be bullied for the way their breasts looks rather then their nose.

RLB 2: What is the author's purpose

I believe the author of 'By Any Other Name,' Santha Rama Rau's purpose was to show that Shakespeare's concept of names not mattering was actually "incorrect" because names are actually extremely important. She's try to show readers that names represent who you are. She proves by saying how all the racism which occurred in the Anglo-Indian school she attended did not matter because it all happened to her alibi, Cynthia, instead of her true self. This train of thought implies that Shakespeare is not entirely correct about the fact that a name does that matter.

RLB 1: What makes an incident in an individual's life worth retelling?

Certain incidents can be used to set an example. It can be used to either to tell other people what to do or what not to do. In other words, individual people's incidents can have morals. For instance, I can use a personal incident of mine. It was when I was hit by a golf club on accident. I was hit by my brother when I was around 5 or 6 because I accidently walked to close to him when he was practicing his swings. This story leaves an generic and obvious moral. Never walk close to a golfer when he or she is getting ready to hit. Another reason why an incident in an individual's life is worth telling is because it can spread awareness of certain things such as diseases. I have heard many stories about how large amounts of people were affected by AIDs either because they had it or someone close to them had been killed by it.