Mariam Zaidan
20810517
October 23, 2009
My favorite story from the three we read for class was the second one, "Number One Son" by Monfoon Leong. One of the main reasons I liked it most is because it has to do with Chinese culture and customs. Ever since I was in elementary school, I enjoyed learning about anything Chinese or Japanese. The silk kimonos, the origami, the foot binding, the chopsticks, and the strict structure of the family where the woman has no worth until she bears a son all fascinate me. "Number One Son" is also my favorite because I understand Ming's anger. It's a lot easier to be angry than sad. When I lost my mother, I blamed my father for not taking better care of her. I also believe that any teenager gripes about his home life and the things he has to sacrifice for his family. The third thing I liked about the selection is how Ming realizes or admits to himself that his father really did love him. The story mentions little details of how a parent shows love for his children that children usually don't appreciate. For instance, Ming's father made sure to bring the children cakes everyday. The wide range of characters that the story introduces us to in a short period of time is appealing as well and gives us a wider view of the world that the family lived in.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Incident in a Rose Garden by: Donald Justice
Incident in a Rose Garden by: Donald Justice
1. Does this poem leave you with the same feeling you had after reading "Annabel Lee" or a different one? Explain.
This poem leaves me with a different feeling because when I read "Annabel Lee", I felt bad for the speaker because his love and grief were so strong; I felt empathy. On the other hand I felt a little smug after reading "Incident in a Rose Garden" as if I was Death, and I proved that I wasn't predictable.
2. What misunderstandings occur in the poem? Why do you suppose they happen?
The first misunderstanding is the gardener's when he thinks death has come for him. He thinks this because he is of old age and assumes his time has come since. Another misunderstanding is when the owner of the garden doesn't believe that it is really Death in the garden, so when he goes to speak to the "stranger" he doesn't take any caution or think there is a serious threat.
3. Contrast the reactions of the gardener and the master toward Death.
The gardener sees Death and understands him for what he is; therefore, he runs away afraid for his life. Meanwhile, the master thinking he is superior looks at the situation mockingly describing Death as another servant or low-wage worker. He doesn't feel threatened by Death when he sees him standing in the garden and orders him to leave. The master obviously thinks very highly of himself.
4. Consider the compact style, the use of conversation, and the abrupt ending in this poem. What are the effects of these techniques on you?
The conversation between the characters makes the poem real for me; it makes me feel like I am a witness to it all. It also gives me a better sense about the personalities of the characters. The abrupt ending is like an analogy for death is comes quickly and unexpectedly ending everything.
5. Compare the images of death presented in each of these poems. Use words of phrases from each poem in your comparison.
In "Annabel Lee" death is more realistic; Annabel dies from getting sick due to the cold "A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee;". Also in "Annabel Lee" death is orchestrated by God "And neither the angels in heaven above, Nor the demons down under the sea Can ever dissever my soul from the soul"
In "Incident in a Rose Garden" death is personified. "Sir I encountered Death… This as a scythe he stood there." It also seems that Death is his own agent in Donald Justice's poem.
6. Which poem do you like better? Why?
I like "Annabel Lee" more because its rhythm gives the poem a proper sadness. The poem also creates a beautiful image. I felt a lot more when I read "Annabel Lee".
7. What are some ways people react to the death of a loved one? What causes their reactions to vary? Consider such factors as the age of the person who has died and the cause of death.
When a person dies, people can feel a variety of things: sadness, anger, relief, freedom, and happiness are just a few. If the deceased was controlling, or prevented people from living their lives, freedom and happiness will be felt. When an elderly person who has been sick and suffering finally passes it isn't uncommon to feel relief; relief that the person is no longer feeling pain or relief that it's finally over even though sadness could be felt at the same time. When a child or young person dies, I think it's more devastating. The death was probably a surprise and the people who are left behind will probably think it was unfair for that person to die. Plus it forces people to remember that they can die any second. Dying isn't a thing only old people do.
Literary Concepts:
In the first stanza of "Annabel Lee" lines 1 and 3 rhyme as well as lines 2,4, and 6. There is a rhythm that continues throughout the poem. The even numbered lines in the poem all rhyme except in the last stanza.
1. Does this poem leave you with the same feeling you had after reading "Annabel Lee" or a different one? Explain.
This poem leaves me with a different feeling because when I read "Annabel Lee", I felt bad for the speaker because his love and grief were so strong; I felt empathy. On the other hand I felt a little smug after reading "Incident in a Rose Garden" as if I was Death, and I proved that I wasn't predictable.
2. What misunderstandings occur in the poem? Why do you suppose they happen?
The first misunderstanding is the gardener's when he thinks death has come for him. He thinks this because he is of old age and assumes his time has come since. Another misunderstanding is when the owner of the garden doesn't believe that it is really Death in the garden, so when he goes to speak to the "stranger" he doesn't take any caution or think there is a serious threat.
3. Contrast the reactions of the gardener and the master toward Death.
The gardener sees Death and understands him for what he is; therefore, he runs away afraid for his life. Meanwhile, the master thinking he is superior looks at the situation mockingly describing Death as another servant or low-wage worker. He doesn't feel threatened by Death when he sees him standing in the garden and orders him to leave. The master obviously thinks very highly of himself.
4. Consider the compact style, the use of conversation, and the abrupt ending in this poem. What are the effects of these techniques on you?
The conversation between the characters makes the poem real for me; it makes me feel like I am a witness to it all. It also gives me a better sense about the personalities of the characters. The abrupt ending is like an analogy for death is comes quickly and unexpectedly ending everything.
5. Compare the images of death presented in each of these poems. Use words of phrases from each poem in your comparison.
In "Annabel Lee" death is more realistic; Annabel dies from getting sick due to the cold "A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling My beautiful Annabel Lee;". Also in "Annabel Lee" death is orchestrated by God "And neither the angels in heaven above, Nor the demons down under the sea Can ever dissever my soul from the soul"
In "Incident in a Rose Garden" death is personified. "Sir I encountered Death… This as a scythe he stood there." It also seems that Death is his own agent in Donald Justice's poem.
6. Which poem do you like better? Why?
I like "Annabel Lee" more because its rhythm gives the poem a proper sadness. The poem also creates a beautiful image. I felt a lot more when I read "Annabel Lee".
7. What are some ways people react to the death of a loved one? What causes their reactions to vary? Consider such factors as the age of the person who has died and the cause of death.
When a person dies, people can feel a variety of things: sadness, anger, relief, freedom, and happiness are just a few. If the deceased was controlling, or prevented people from living their lives, freedom and happiness will be felt. When an elderly person who has been sick and suffering finally passes it isn't uncommon to feel relief; relief that the person is no longer feeling pain or relief that it's finally over even though sadness could be felt at the same time. When a child or young person dies, I think it's more devastating. The death was probably a surprise and the people who are left behind will probably think it was unfair for that person to die. Plus it forces people to remember that they can die any second. Dying isn't a thing only old people do.
Literary Concepts:
In the first stanza of "Annabel Lee" lines 1 and 3 rhyme as well as lines 2,4, and 6. There is a rhythm that continues throughout the poem. The even numbered lines in the poem all rhyme except in the last stanza.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Nonfiction: "Primal Screen" by Ellen Goodman
Answers to nonfiction section: "Primal Screen" by Ellen Goodman
Responding to Reading- First Impressions
1. What is your reaction to the final statement in Goodman's essay?
I think the last statement is an over statement. I believe she's trying to make the problem of television a lot more serious or widespread than it actually is; I know plenty of families who spend quality time together away from the television. Also there are plenty of families who don't watch television, but still don't spend time together. Plus, when I think of people I've been around while watching TV, they are rarely in that semi comatose phase she mentions.
Second Thoughts
2. How did Goodman's essay affect your opinion of your television-viewing habits?
Goodman's essay didn't have much affect on my opinion of my television-viewing habits firstly, because it's not the first essay I've read about the negative effects of television on the family, secondly, because I only watch TV when I know there's a movie on that I really want to watch; no essay's going to make me not watch a movie that I want to watch. A lot more of my time is spent reading or talking to people.
3. Which of Goodman's arguments did you find most convincing? Why?
I think the most effective thing Goodman mentions (pg 47, 3rd par) is how the series we watch on television are examples of how we think families should be, but instead of trying to be like them we only sit around watching them and not communicating. I think this statement is most effective because it makes the reader remember how a family should be and causes him to examine his family. Comparing the two, he may decide that his family is spending too much time watching TV and should try mimicking some of the things the TV family does.
4. The title of this essay is a pun of Primal Scream, a book describing a therapeutic treatment for people who find it difficult to face reality. Why do you think Goodman titled her column "Primal Screen"?
I think Goodman titled her column "Primal Screen" because when people spend all of their time watching television, they're living outside reality and possibly avoiding it.
Literary Concept: Newspaper Column
1. "Someday, I would like to see a television…about a family that sits around the set." – I find this opening sentence effective because it's a little ambiguous making the reader interested about what the rest of the essay is about.
2. "On the scale of problems… but it ran neck and neck with unemployment." – This is an effective sentence because it makes readers want to know what makes television as much of a problem as unemployment.
3. "The average viewing of the American child… to twenty four hours a week." – Sentences with statistics tend to be effective, so are things that mention the concern of children.
4. "But a television set has a dial and a plug. And we have hands."- This sentence is effective because it's like a wake up call telling us it's not a hard thing to stop watching TV.
Writing Options
1. For a public service message have pictures of a person on a date with a television set, a woman pushing a TV in a stroller, a child playing a game with a TV, and a funeral with a TV in the casket. Then for the last scene the question "How much of your life is revolved around the television set?" shows on the screen.
2. A typical day in which I go to class is spent as follows:
5:30am- Wake up and get up while listening to music
6:40am- Leave for class
7:40am- Have coffee with friend
8:00am- Classes start
1:00pm- Leave University campus
2:00pm- Change, relax a little, have lunch
3:00 pm- Study/Clean/Shower/Sleep
5:30pm- Go to Grandparents/Sit with family
7:00pm- Study/Go online
8:00pm- Watch TV if there's a good movie on/Study if necessary
9:00pm or 10:00pm- Sleep
If I were to not watch TV I'd use that time for reading a novel or chatting on the net.
Vocabulary Practice
1. The Basics of Woodworking- Fundamental
2. A Peek at the Lives of the Rich and Famous- Vicarious
3. How to Invest Your Money Wisely- Inflation
4. Exploring Communication- Medium
5. Sleeping Your Way through Life- Semi comatose
Responding to Reading- First Impressions
1. What is your reaction to the final statement in Goodman's essay?
I think the last statement is an over statement. I believe she's trying to make the problem of television a lot more serious or widespread than it actually is; I know plenty of families who spend quality time together away from the television. Also there are plenty of families who don't watch television, but still don't spend time together. Plus, when I think of people I've been around while watching TV, they are rarely in that semi comatose phase she mentions.
Second Thoughts
2. How did Goodman's essay affect your opinion of your television-viewing habits?
Goodman's essay didn't have much affect on my opinion of my television-viewing habits firstly, because it's not the first essay I've read about the negative effects of television on the family, secondly, because I only watch TV when I know there's a movie on that I really want to watch; no essay's going to make me not watch a movie that I want to watch. A lot more of my time is spent reading or talking to people.
3. Which of Goodman's arguments did you find most convincing? Why?
I think the most effective thing Goodman mentions (pg 47, 3rd par) is how the series we watch on television are examples of how we think families should be, but instead of trying to be like them we only sit around watching them and not communicating. I think this statement is most effective because it makes the reader remember how a family should be and causes him to examine his family. Comparing the two, he may decide that his family is spending too much time watching TV and should try mimicking some of the things the TV family does.
4. The title of this essay is a pun of Primal Scream, a book describing a therapeutic treatment for people who find it difficult to face reality. Why do you think Goodman titled her column "Primal Screen"?
I think Goodman titled her column "Primal Screen" because when people spend all of their time watching television, they're living outside reality and possibly avoiding it.
Literary Concept: Newspaper Column
1. "Someday, I would like to see a television…about a family that sits around the set." – I find this opening sentence effective because it's a little ambiguous making the reader interested about what the rest of the essay is about.
2. "On the scale of problems… but it ran neck and neck with unemployment." – This is an effective sentence because it makes readers want to know what makes television as much of a problem as unemployment.
3. "The average viewing of the American child… to twenty four hours a week." – Sentences with statistics tend to be effective, so are things that mention the concern of children.
4. "But a television set has a dial and a plug. And we have hands."- This sentence is effective because it's like a wake up call telling us it's not a hard thing to stop watching TV.
Writing Options
1. For a public service message have pictures of a person on a date with a television set, a woman pushing a TV in a stroller, a child playing a game with a TV, and a funeral with a TV in the casket. Then for the last scene the question "How much of your life is revolved around the television set?" shows on the screen.
2. A typical day in which I go to class is spent as follows:
5:30am- Wake up and get up while listening to music
6:40am- Leave for class
7:40am- Have coffee with friend
8:00am- Classes start
1:00pm- Leave University campus
2:00pm- Change, relax a little, have lunch
3:00 pm- Study/Clean/Shower/Sleep
5:30pm- Go to Grandparents/Sit with family
7:00pm- Study/Go online
8:00pm- Watch TV if there's a good movie on/Study if necessary
9:00pm or 10:00pm- Sleep
If I were to not watch TV I'd use that time for reading a novel or chatting on the net.
Vocabulary Practice
1. The Basics of Woodworking- Fundamental
2. A Peek at the Lives of the Rich and Famous- Vicarious
3. How to Invest Your Money Wisely- Inflation
4. Exploring Communication- Medium
5. Sleeping Your Way through Life- Semi comatose
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty"
Mariam Zaidan
Section 1
Answers to "The Secret
Life of Walter Mitty"
1. Do you feel sorry for Walter Mitty? Why or why not?
No, I do not feel sorry for Walter Witty because he is not living a hard life; also, he must have a good job if he can afford to send his wife to the hairdresser's every week. He may be dreaming of a life of action, but I doubt he would be able to handle the stress of being in war or performing high-risk surgery.
2. What differences do you see between the kind of person Mitty is in his fantasies and the kind of person he is in real life?
In Mitty's fantasies he is brave, always in charge, and unafraid to act on a spur, while in real life Mitty is can barely stand up to his wife who treats him like an errand boy. Furthermore, in his fantasies, Mitty is always a man of importance or one with power, but in real life he's just your average Joe, if not less.
3. How would you characterize the way Mitty's wife and other people in the story treat him?
I think Mitty's wife and other people treat him like a child or one who is incapable of handling responsibility. Others may also see him as less of a man because of the way his wife treats him, his incapability of changing the chains on his tires, and his poor driving. Granted he maybe treated this way because he is always in another world dreaming about a life he'd rather be living.
4. Why do you think Mitty's fantasies are so important to him?
I think Mitty's fantasies are important to him because they give him a chance to escape, escape from daily life, escape from his nagging wife, escape from his embarrassment for needing a mechanic. By imagining he is a powerful man he may convince himself that he is instead of becoming depressed by his real self.
5. Why do you think Mitty has the fantasy of the firing squad at the end?
I think Mitty has the fantasy of the firing squad at the end because he would rather die an exciting life than continue his mundane existence, or that he considers himself of the same worth dead or alive since he isn't doing much alive.
6. Are Mitty's daydreams a help or hindrance to him, or both? Explain your opinion.
I think Mitty's daydreams are both a help and a hindrance to him; they help him by filling up his time so he isn't so bored when he goes with his wife and allowing him to escape his disappointment in himself. At the same time though, they are a hindrance because he gets so involved into the fantasies he doesn't pay attention to the world around him and starts making mistakes. The fantasies may also depress him even more when he wakes up from his fantasies and realizes that they'll never come true.
LITERARY CONCEPT: Conflict
I think the internal conflict that occurs in Walter Mitty is his inability to be satisfied with himself or the world he is living in. He should be more aware of all the positive things he has in his life; he supports himself, he is married, we can assume that he is in good health, and he has enough free time to make it to the city once a week. A lot of people are worse off than he is especially if the story is taking place during the Great Depression or shortly afterwards. I think the internal conflict is the more important conflict in the story because Walter Mitty is capable of changing himself. Every person, who has the willpower, can change himself and create a better outlook on the world. Meanwhile, it is impossible for Walter Mitty or anyone else to change everything in the world that he doesn't like. He'd be lucky if he could change one thing.
VOCABULARY PRACTICE
1. Incorrect 6. Incorrect
2. Correct 7. Correct
3. Correct 8. Correct
4. Incorrect 9. Correct
5. Correct 10. Correct
Friday, October 2, 2009
My First Entry
A. What is good literature? Why is literature important?
Without looking up any definition, I define good literature as literature that can withstand time, has an underlying meaning(s), has an impression on the reader, and entertains or benefits the reader. I think literature is important because it helps people to express themselves, and it is a record of culture and history that can be passed down to future generations.
On Yahoo.com answers page the best answer chosen for the question "What is good literature" is the following Good literature is when it makes you think, and feel. It opens your eyes to something new, or brings vivid images of another time and place to mind. Mostly, however, I'd say good literature is something that endures through time, which is why it is so difficult to classify modern novels as good literature. When something was written a hundred years ago, and is still read and enjoyed, that is good literature. The book of the moment at the top of the charts that everyone raves about may not. Entertaining does not necessarily mean good literature. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060913184009AAoqSb7
Yahoo's best answer for "Why is literature important" is Literature helps us understand and make sense of the world around us. Through literature, we explore the human condition and analyze how and why people think the way they think and feel the way they feel. Literature enables us to develop our minds analytically and promotes open minds. We see the world through the eyes of different writers from different cultures and in turn learn the ways to deal with things happening around us. Without literature, we lack insight and understanding of human nature. Everyone should, therefore, study literature. WWW.Classiclit.com believe literature is important to us because "it speaks to us, it is universal, and it affects us. Even when it is ugly, literature is beautiful." http://classiclit.about.com/od/literaryterms/g/aa_whatisliter.htm
B. Genres of literature include: Drama, Fable, Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Fiction in Verse, Folklore, Historical Fiction, Horror, Humor, Legend, Mystery, Mythology, Poetry, Realistic Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Story, Tall Tale, Autobiography, Biography, Essay, Narrative Nonfiction, Nonfiction, Speech. http://www2.bsfcs.org/forums/green/Literature/Genres.htm
C. These are a few of the pieces I have read that have stood out to me.
1. It, Stephen King, 1980, horror. It is about a group of kids who decide to kill a monster that preys on the town's children every twenty seven years after the ringleader of the group's brother is eaten by it. They believe they successfully kill the monster but still promise to come back and finish the job if it ever starts killing again. After twenty seven years the disappearance of children in
2. "The Raven" 1844, "Annabel Lee" 1845, Edgar Allen Poe. In both poems Poe is talking about past loves that have died. In "The Raven" Poe has a conversation with a raven questioning if it is possible he well see his love, Lenore, once again. In "Annabel Lee" Poe says that even though Annabel Lee was taken from him, he will never forget her or stop loving her. These poems impress me because of their emotion and beauty; I can feel the suffering of the speakers.
3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was written by J.K Rowling in 2007. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series. Harry must face his destiny and either kill or be killed by Voldermort with the help of his two best friends, but first they have to figure out why their late headmaster left them peculiar gifts and what to do with them. This book stood out to me because it shows the struggles of growing up and the importance of friendship; the book took me to another world with its detailed imagery.
4. The Fall of the House of Usher was written by Edgar Allen Poe and was published 1839. The story is about a man who goes to help his depressed friend after receiving a letter from him. The friend either has a split personality or a sick sister causing the narrator to question his own sanity. At the end of the story the House falls apart symbolizing the destruction of the mind. I like this story because it talks about the psychological state of people.
D.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cujo
Cujo is about unfaithful Donna Trenton, her husband Vic, and her four year old son Tad as well as a mechanic, Joe Camber and his dog, Cujo. After Vic founds out his wife has been cheating on him, he goes on a business trip. While Vic is away, Donna's car breaks down, so she takes the car to their mechanic; the family's mechanic, Joe Chamber, lives in a secluded part of town, but they continue going to him because he is closer and cheaper. The same day Donna takes her car to Joe's, he plans a fishing trip with his friend, but Cujo his dog kills both him and his friend after he is infected with rabies. From the Cujo's point of view we understand the immense pain he feels while he loses his mind. The dog goes back to his owner's home to wait for death, where he finds Donna and Tad stuck in the driveway waiting for the mechanic. Donna continues waiting for Joe because her car won't start, she has no cell phone, and Joe's is too far from anything else to walk. She decides to try knocking on the door again, but when she opens the door Cujo attack her. Donna and Tad are trapped in the car with little food and water not knowing that Joe is dead. Vic is mad about his wife's affair; thus, he hasn't tried calling to check on her. As the two become dehydrated, Donna realizes that if she doesn't call for help soon Tad will die of dehydration. She spots a baseball bat in the yard and makes a plan to kill Cujo, who has already attacked her once mangling her leg. Hysterical with fear, Donna dashes for the bat beating Cujo to death. Even after he dies, she hysterically continues beating his bloody body until the police come having been called by her husband. Sadly she risked her life by facing Cujo to save her son only for him to die of dehydration. The death of their son allows the couple to reconcile differences.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
