Friday, June 8, 2007
Reflection Letter
Well first off I would like to say that writing has never been one of my strong qualities. I have always been good with things such as business letters, resumes and such, but when it comes to writing an essay I seem to always struggle over wording and getting my thoughts out onto paper. This class has been one of the hardest I have had to take in my two years at EVCC, but I did enjoy the challenge. The identity section made me really think about who I am and how I fit into the big picture. The community section got me contemplating how all of my interests, such as drawing, being a Mom, and barbecuing with friends, get me involved in communities every day. The tradition section helped me change my view on what we consider traditions to be and how pop culture changes these on constant basis.
This whole experience made me realize what a diverse society we live in and by reading what others had to say made me appreciate that fact more. Through the topics of identity, community and tradition my classmates have opened my eyes to the fact that we all have different interests and different customs, but we also have a lot in common. The world is such a large place and to be able to get to know my classmates and get a glimpse of how they think, feel and live, as well as share my views and ideas, has made this whole struggle worth it.
The culmination of our quarter in English 101 is a portfolio that displays how not only our writing skills have evolved, but how our personal views have been challenged and altered. The pieces that I have chose to present to you span a wide range of issues from metaphors to pop culture to the excessive eating that takes place during the holidays. The diversity of topics we were assigned to talk about surprised me and made me really contemplate topics that are present in my everyday life, but that I never really pondered before now. I hope what you read here helps to open up your eyes to another view of the world and possibly change how you interpret it.
This whole experience made me realize what a diverse society we live in and by reading what others had to say made me appreciate that fact more. Through the topics of identity, community and tradition my classmates have opened my eyes to the fact that we all have different interests and different customs, but we also have a lot in common. The world is such a large place and to be able to get to know my classmates and get a glimpse of how they think, feel and live, as well as share my views and ideas, has made this whole struggle worth it.
The culmination of our quarter in English 101 is a portfolio that displays how not only our writing skills have evolved, but how our personal views have been challenged and altered. The pieces that I have chose to present to you span a wide range of issues from metaphors to pop culture to the excessive eating that takes place during the holidays. The diversity of topics we were assigned to talk about surprised me and made me really contemplate topics that are present in my everyday life, but that I never really pondered before now. I hope what you read here helps to open up your eyes to another view of the world and possibly change how you interpret it.
Introduction to Critical Thinking Piece
The first assignment I have to present to you demonstrates how I have used, along with my classmates through an online discussion board, critical thinking skills to analyze the use of metaphors in a poem. “Ending Poem” is a fusion of a mother and daughters examination of who they are and how their ancestors have contributed to who they have become. My family has always been a strong force in my lives and my mother is possibly the strongest. Not only have I been influenced by her, but my Russian heritage has had a large impact on who I am today. Being able to relate to this poem helped me interpret the metaphors that were used. I have always enjoyed poetry and have found translating what the author is really saying a challenge. This discussion board made me think about how different objects symbolized different aspects of the authors heritage and others postings opened my eyes to metaphors I really hadn’t thought about.
Critical Thinking Piece
In the “Ending Poem” discussion board I posted the following:
Throughout this poem there are several significant metaphors. One is the example given in the question of the tree and how it has been rooted in several places. Moralles and Levins also use it to convey how they are connected to other continents. "Africa waters the roots of my tree," and "I am a late leaf of that ancient tree." Both these lines show how she is the person she is by the places that have influenced her past. All these people from different communities have intersected to create a community that has produced her family-line.
Another metaphor that is used in the poem is a tablecloth. "The table has a cloth woven by one, dyed by another, embroidered by another still." Most people possess something that has been handed down through generations. This tablecloth that they speak of represents something that has been altered and enhanced and then passed down through the generations. Each person that contributes to it's creation are apart of a community of people that want to leave something for their successors.
Not only was I able to use my critical thinking skills to understand the metaphors in this poem, but I was able to enhance and improve upon these skills by reading what others had to say. Bailey Luder posted the following:
The poem conveys several different people who descended from different areas of the world. "I come from the dirt where the cane was grown" signifies an individual who either grew up in somewhere in a warmer climate where sugar cane was grown, or was born to parents who came from there.
She viewed the line “I come from the dirt where the cane was grown,” in a completely different way than I did. Being able to cooperatively decipher the poem expanded how I interpreted it and strengthened my critical thinking skills. After participating in the discussion board I was able to reread the poem and see what the authors had to say in a different light.
Throughout this poem there are several significant metaphors. One is the example given in the question of the tree and how it has been rooted in several places. Moralles and Levins also use it to convey how they are connected to other continents. "Africa waters the roots of my tree," and "I am a late leaf of that ancient tree." Both these lines show how she is the person she is by the places that have influenced her past. All these people from different communities have intersected to create a community that has produced her family-line.
Another metaphor that is used in the poem is a tablecloth. "The table has a cloth woven by one, dyed by another, embroidered by another still." Most people possess something that has been handed down through generations. This tablecloth that they speak of represents something that has been altered and enhanced and then passed down through the generations. Each person that contributes to it's creation are apart of a community of people that want to leave something for their successors.
Not only was I able to use my critical thinking skills to understand the metaphors in this poem, but I was able to enhance and improve upon these skills by reading what others had to say. Bailey Luder posted the following:
The poem conveys several different people who descended from different areas of the world. "I come from the dirt where the cane was grown" signifies an individual who either grew up in somewhere in a warmer climate where sugar cane was grown, or was born to parents who came from there.
She viewed the line “I come from the dirt where the cane was grown,” in a completely different way than I did. Being able to cooperatively decipher the poem expanded how I interpreted it and strengthened my critical thinking skills. After participating in the discussion board I was able to reread the poem and see what the authors had to say in a different light.
Introduction to Revision Piece
For the revision piece I have decided to choose a timed write. The piece isn’t really that bad, but I missed the point of the assignment. We were told to analyze a film and then tell how the film changed our views about non-conformity. I analyzed the film well, but unfortunately left out the most crucial part of the assignment. I am keeping the essay mostly the way it is, but I am inserting a paragraph to actually complete it. Although I feel that all of my writings could do with a good revision, this one bothered me the most since I could’ve easily solved the problem by just thoroughly reading the assignment. Our instructors have told us that following the instructors is vital and I unfortunately have had a problem with that on all of the assignments.
Original Piece
In the film Akeelah and the Bee we were presented with several characters who not only had problems fitting in with their peers, but had problems really figuring out who they were. In this story the struggle to become apart of those around us is not only external, but internal.
Akeelah is a bright, young person who has trouble accepting her intelligence. She comes from a place where being smart is frowned upon. As Akeelah is getting a drink at the school water fountain she is approached by two bullies who call her names, like "freak." They say that they know she is smart and that she will do their homework; when she tries to run she is attacked. The fact that Akeelah can't excel in school without being criticized for it makes her feel isolated from the rest of her school that doesn't value those unique qualities she possesses. Another example of this is when Akeelah is studying for the spelling bee; her "gang-banging" brother comes in and states that "those white folks are going to tear your black ass up." Akeelah feels like an outsider because she is an African-American and she is competing against rich, white kids.
Another character in the film who is made to feel like an outsider is one of Akeelah's competitors, Dylan. However, unlike Akeelah, Dylan's isolation is forced upon him by his father. At the beginning of the district spelling bee all of the kids are mingling and getting to know one another, but Dylan is sandwiched between his parents and isn't allowed to fraternize. Even if he wanted to his father would look down upon it and cause Dylan to re-think his own desires of having friends. Another example of this is when Akeelah decides to invite Dylan to drink soda and goof-off with the other spellers. She is met with a firm "no" and a swift goodbye from Dylan's father. He is made to study continously and never really has a chance to be a kid. Even when he is in school he isolates himself from others; he is seen studying alone in a classroom after school when other children are meeting to study spelling. He has become so isolated that he doesn't even think about going to join them.
These two characters are presented throughtout the movie has strong, but unsure of who they really are. They over-achieve in areas that most of us would fail in. Because of their uniqueness they are shunned and made to feel like outsiders. In the end though, they see that they should celebrate their differences and embrace who they really are; this is the only true way to happiness.
Since each of us has something unique about us I feel that we can all sympathize with these two characters. We know what it is like to be different and we know what it is like to want to be accepted. In every aspect of our lives there is room for prejudice. We see what we want to see even without facts to base it on. We constantly make assumptions about others. If we ever want to look past their differences we need to be comfortable with our own. Akeelah realized this by the end of the movie and in return she became closer to her loved ones
Akeelah is a bright, young person who has trouble accepting her intelligence. She comes from a place where being smart is frowned upon. As Akeelah is getting a drink at the school water fountain she is approached by two bullies who call her names, like "freak." They say that they know she is smart and that she will do their homework; when she tries to run she is attacked. The fact that Akeelah can't excel in school without being criticized for it makes her feel isolated from the rest of her school that doesn't value those unique qualities she possesses. Another example of this is when Akeelah is studying for the spelling bee; her "gang-banging" brother comes in and states that "those white folks are going to tear your black ass up." Akeelah feels like an outsider because she is an African-American and she is competing against rich, white kids.
Another character in the film who is made to feel like an outsider is one of Akeelah's competitors, Dylan. However, unlike Akeelah, Dylan's isolation is forced upon him by his father. At the beginning of the district spelling bee all of the kids are mingling and getting to know one another, but Dylan is sandwiched between his parents and isn't allowed to fraternize. Even if he wanted to his father would look down upon it and cause Dylan to re-think his own desires of having friends. Another example of this is when Akeelah decides to invite Dylan to drink soda and goof-off with the other spellers. She is met with a firm "no" and a swift goodbye from Dylan's father. He is made to study continously and never really has a chance to be a kid. Even when he is in school he isolates himself from others; he is seen studying alone in a classroom after school when other children are meeting to study spelling. He has become so isolated that he doesn't even think about going to join them.
These two characters are presented throughtout the movie has strong, but unsure of who they really are. They over-achieve in areas that most of us would fail in. Because of their uniqueness they are shunned and made to feel like outsiders. In the end though, they see that they should celebrate their differences and embrace who they really are; this is the only true way to happiness.
Since each of us has something unique about us I feel that we can all sympathize with these two characters. We know what it is like to be different and we know what it is like to want to be accepted. In every aspect of our lives there is room for prejudice. We see what we want to see even without facts to base it on. We constantly make assumptions about others. If we ever want to look past their differences we need to be comfortable with our own. Akeelah realized this by the end of the movie and in return she became closer to her loved ones
Revised Piece
Traditions are the cornerstone of any culture. Ancestral ways that were passed down from generation to generation are what many cultures pride themselves upon. These ways are meant to guide future members and are usually very ancient and much cherished. However, these old ways sometimes have to bend for new traditions. Conforming to a cultures ways is not always easy and is even harder when you know that there is a need for change.
In the movie Whale Rider, a young Maori girl struggles to find her place amongst her people. She is thought of as an outcast by some, a beloved family member by others and a curse by her grandfather. When Pai was born her mother and her twin bother passed away. This painful event was compounded by the fact that her brother was thought to be the next chief for their people. Her grandfather is sadden and angered the most by this loss and sees Pai as the reason for this taking place. As the movie progresses we see that not only is her grandfather wrong about her, but that she is actually the true heir to the title of chief.
Pai is seen throughout the movie as a rebel. She is constantly going against the old ways of her tribe and doesn't understand how she is doing wrong. Pai's grandfather is determined to find the new leader for his people and begins to teach all of the boys in the tribe the ways of a chief. He feels that if he does this a new and rightful leader will make himself known and all of his troubles will end. He never thinks about asking the girls to join because in his tribe only males can lead. However, the boys only continue to disappoint him and Pai tries to show that she can do what he is asking. She eventually goes behind Kora's back and learns the fighting style, dances and chants on her own. Kora catches her doing this and severely reprimands her. He is blind to the fact that she is better than the boys in her tribe and shuts her off only because she is female.
One scene in the movie shows Kora taking the boys out to sea and throwing his sacred whale tooth out into the waves. He tells the boys that only one of them will bring it back to him. They all try and fail. Later we see Pai and her family out in the same spot. She turns to her uncle and asks if this is where Kora threw his whale tooth, he shows her the general area and Pai dives in; returning several minutes later with the tooth. The fact that she found this when only the true successor is supposed to, shows her family that she has potential.
Pai struggled from the day that she was born. She was seen as the reason for the tribe’s problems when they should really have looked to her for the solution. Within every culture there is the urge to conform. If you don't you are usually out-cast or taken in by another community that fits your ways. But the challenge to stand up and say that even though we have traditions we should still be open to new ones is a hard one. Pai is only a young girl and looked at as weak and unworldly. But once she is given a chance to show her true strengths and her true qualities she is shown as a strong leader; one worthy of her tribe, despite the fact that she is a girl.
Like most women in a male dominant society, she felt out of place when faced with her true feelings of leadership. Being a female myself I can relate. I am a stay at home mom and some look down upon that fact in society today. Women have struggled so long to gain respect as leaders that some now fear being in a position of support, although I view this important position as a way to lead, even if it is just to guide my own children. Women naturally have the ability to nurture and encourage and unfortunately that usually places us in a position of support instead of being in the forefront, like Pai’s grandmother. Although she wasn’t a leader she often times was the influence on Kora when he needed to be steered in the right direction. This movie enhanced my already strong feelings that women can lead and should strive to no matter the odds. Women can not only support their families, but at the same time we can pilot the way and positively impact others through guidance.
This movie shows how when we are blind to change we end up only hurting ourselves in the end. The urge to conform is strong and to go against it is hard, but sometimes necessary. If we can't find a way to keep old traditions and integrate new ones than many cultures will not survive. Change is a natural way of life, those who embrace it are braver than most and are often stronger than those who follow them.
In the movie Whale Rider, a young Maori girl struggles to find her place amongst her people. She is thought of as an outcast by some, a beloved family member by others and a curse by her grandfather. When Pai was born her mother and her twin bother passed away. This painful event was compounded by the fact that her brother was thought to be the next chief for their people. Her grandfather is sadden and angered the most by this loss and sees Pai as the reason for this taking place. As the movie progresses we see that not only is her grandfather wrong about her, but that she is actually the true heir to the title of chief.
Pai is seen throughout the movie as a rebel. She is constantly going against the old ways of her tribe and doesn't understand how she is doing wrong. Pai's grandfather is determined to find the new leader for his people and begins to teach all of the boys in the tribe the ways of a chief. He feels that if he does this a new and rightful leader will make himself known and all of his troubles will end. He never thinks about asking the girls to join because in his tribe only males can lead. However, the boys only continue to disappoint him and Pai tries to show that she can do what he is asking. She eventually goes behind Kora's back and learns the fighting style, dances and chants on her own. Kora catches her doing this and severely reprimands her. He is blind to the fact that she is better than the boys in her tribe and shuts her off only because she is female.
One scene in the movie shows Kora taking the boys out to sea and throwing his sacred whale tooth out into the waves. He tells the boys that only one of them will bring it back to him. They all try and fail. Later we see Pai and her family out in the same spot. She turns to her uncle and asks if this is where Kora threw his whale tooth, he shows her the general area and Pai dives in; returning several minutes later with the tooth. The fact that she found this when only the true successor is supposed to, shows her family that she has potential.
Pai struggled from the day that she was born. She was seen as the reason for the tribe’s problems when they should really have looked to her for the solution. Within every culture there is the urge to conform. If you don't you are usually out-cast or taken in by another community that fits your ways. But the challenge to stand up and say that even though we have traditions we should still be open to new ones is a hard one. Pai is only a young girl and looked at as weak and unworldly. But once she is given a chance to show her true strengths and her true qualities she is shown as a strong leader; one worthy of her tribe, despite the fact that she is a girl.
Like most women in a male dominant society, she felt out of place when faced with her true feelings of leadership. Being a female myself I can relate. I am a stay at home mom and some look down upon that fact in society today. Women have struggled so long to gain respect as leaders that some now fear being in a position of support, although I view this important position as a way to lead, even if it is just to guide my own children. Women naturally have the ability to nurture and encourage and unfortunately that usually places us in a position of support instead of being in the forefront, like Pai’s grandmother. Although she wasn’t a leader she often times was the influence on Kora when he needed to be steered in the right direction. This movie enhanced my already strong feelings that women can lead and should strive to no matter the odds. Women can not only support their families, but at the same time we can pilot the way and positively impact others through guidance.
This movie shows how when we are blind to change we end up only hurting ourselves in the end. The urge to conform is strong and to go against it is hard, but sometimes necessary. If we can't find a way to keep old traditions and integrate new ones than many cultures will not survive. Change is a natural way of life, those who embrace it are braver than most and are often stronger than those who follow them.
Introduction to Audience and Voice
The third piece we were instructed to present is a piece that speaks to an audience and clearly has a voice on a topic. I have chosen a blog entry about how food plays apart in family traditions. I think we can all relate to the fact that in our society today food plays a major role in gatherings. Whether it is Christmas, Thanksgiving or Halloween we all come together to eat. I have a hard time actually writing to an audience, but I feel that this piece is something that everyone can correlate themselves with. Every assignment I did is a way for me to convey my ideas, even if I didn’t always get it across very well I still feel that my opinion on the topic is prevalent in this entry.
You Are What You Eat?
When it comes to my family and holidays, food is one of the main components. Every Thanksgiving we have the traditional turkey with all the trimmings. Christmas is a day full of food. Pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausage and cinnamon rolls for breakfast; chocolate, cheeses, meats and crackers all day and then a huge ham with all the trimmings for dinner. Not to mention 3 pies, 2 cakes and cookies for dessert. (No wonder I gain about ten pounds over winter.) Although we go over board on these days, I think that all the decadent food and wine we have just adds to the merriment and all of the cooking helps bring us together. I always feel pretty content on those days, but I eagerly return to reality the next day. My family is a joy to be around a couple times a year, but even then they wear me out; and the fact that they stuff me full of 10 pounds of food probably doesn't help.
Introduction to Writer's Choice
Lastly we have been asked to display an essay that we feel is our favorite and represents our work this quarter. In our final essay we were asked to examine an aspect of pop culture that challenges tradition. I chose the topic of body art since I personally have tattoos and piercings. I felt that I could really relate to this topic and writing this essay was the most enjoyable assignment I had this quarter. I feel this essay flowed nicely and conveyed my thesis better than any of the others I wrote. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Body Taboo
There are always new ways to push the envelope and break away from the norm in our society. Body art has become a generation’s way to express this defiance and create new customs. Throughout history body modification has been used for religious purposes and cultural reasons. In the past decade, however, we have seen these once sacred rights of passage become apart of our everyday lives.
Walk down any street in America these days and you are bound to spot someone with a tattoo or piercing. In some places almost every one you see is adorned with these creative works of self-expression. But only a short time ago these forms of art were thought of as unusual and even looked down upon by some. Americans often associated tattoos with criminals and piercing with circus freaks, but now teenagers, soccer moms and even businessmen decorate themselves with images of things that they hold dear or represent something in their past. We have taken body art and integrated it into what we are accustomed to.
In many ancient cultures warriors were adorned with tattoos that depicted their triumph in battles. They would display their loyalty to countries, governments and clans. Now many of our own war heroes and loyal military wear their dedication on their skin. “Semper Fi” is popular among marines and wings among the navy. They are also used in memoriam of those lost in combat and help in the grieving process.
In the past people ornamented themselves to show allegiance to a tribe or religion or to show distinction from others. There is no known origin for any of these methods, but in almost every culture they are present. Tattoos were seen as sacred representations of their identities and served to tell the story of their people’s lives. We now view tattoos to be part of a movement of self-expression and individualism. And in an age of going to the extreme, these forms of self mutilation fit right in.
The magic number of eighteen is often highly anticipated for today’s youth. Just as young Samoan leaders would receive tattoos once they reached puberty, today’s adolescents see it as a right of passage; as a statement of entering adulthood. It is often seen as a way to go against the mainstream, but as we go further into the 21st century it has become almost commonplace. I know that I wasn’t the only graduate at my high school to go out and brand myself to mark my independence and even though I shocked some I drew comfort from the fact that I will always remember this moment in my life. The obtaining of a piercing or tattoo can often times be a bonding experience. Friends go together to acquire these personal pieces of art and ornamentation, as well as family. The experience draws people closer and the commonality we share makes us feel accepted.
Of course this form of expression is not for everyone and is often looked down upon in many professional situations. But the body is easily concealed and people that don’t fit the “self mutilation” mold have dark, little secrets in hidden places on their skin. For example, in Britain royalty have reportedly kept up a tradition of getting a small tattoo in an easily concealed spot. This custom goes as far back as Queen Victoria.
How we view our bodies and what we do with them have changed dramatically with each new sway in our culture. From total disassociation with our bodies in the Victorian period, to embracing ourselves and “free love” in the 60’s we have gone from one extreme to the next. Currently the world is finding a place for this custom of permanent ornamentation and slowly we are embracing the fact that we should all be able to express ourselves, even if that means going against beliefs and traditions. Body art has found a niche in our culture among a generation that will use it to create a history of self-expression and body awareness.
Walk down any street in America these days and you are bound to spot someone with a tattoo or piercing. In some places almost every one you see is adorned with these creative works of self-expression. But only a short time ago these forms of art were thought of as unusual and even looked down upon by some. Americans often associated tattoos with criminals and piercing with circus freaks, but now teenagers, soccer moms and even businessmen decorate themselves with images of things that they hold dear or represent something in their past. We have taken body art and integrated it into what we are accustomed to.
In many ancient cultures warriors were adorned with tattoos that depicted their triumph in battles. They would display their loyalty to countries, governments and clans. Now many of our own war heroes and loyal military wear their dedication on their skin. “Semper Fi” is popular among marines and wings among the navy. They are also used in memoriam of those lost in combat and help in the grieving process.
In the past people ornamented themselves to show allegiance to a tribe or religion or to show distinction from others. There is no known origin for any of these methods, but in almost every culture they are present. Tattoos were seen as sacred representations of their identities and served to tell the story of their people’s lives. We now view tattoos to be part of a movement of self-expression and individualism. And in an age of going to the extreme, these forms of self mutilation fit right in.
The magic number of eighteen is often highly anticipated for today’s youth. Just as young Samoan leaders would receive tattoos once they reached puberty, today’s adolescents see it as a right of passage; as a statement of entering adulthood. It is often seen as a way to go against the mainstream, but as we go further into the 21st century it has become almost commonplace. I know that I wasn’t the only graduate at my high school to go out and brand myself to mark my independence and even though I shocked some I drew comfort from the fact that I will always remember this moment in my life. The obtaining of a piercing or tattoo can often times be a bonding experience. Friends go together to acquire these personal pieces of art and ornamentation, as well as family. The experience draws people closer and the commonality we share makes us feel accepted.
Of course this form of expression is not for everyone and is often looked down upon in many professional situations. But the body is easily concealed and people that don’t fit the “self mutilation” mold have dark, little secrets in hidden places on their skin. For example, in Britain royalty have reportedly kept up a tradition of getting a small tattoo in an easily concealed spot. This custom goes as far back as Queen Victoria.
How we view our bodies and what we do with them have changed dramatically with each new sway in our culture. From total disassociation with our bodies in the Victorian period, to embracing ourselves and “free love” in the 60’s we have gone from one extreme to the next. Currently the world is finding a place for this custom of permanent ornamentation and slowly we are embracing the fact that we should all be able to express ourselves, even if that means going against beliefs and traditions. Body art has found a niche in our culture among a generation that will use it to create a history of self-expression and body awareness.
Monday, June 4, 2007
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