All I Asking For Is My Body, Part Three

All I Asking For Is My Body shows us the struggle of Toshio and Kiyoshi. Their parents have burdened them with traditional points of view. Traditionally the number one son is required to work in order to pay off their parent's debts. Tosh, being the oldest son, has to give up his desire to become more than just another worker in the fields. He works for years so that he can attempt to pay off his father's debt. He doesn't feel that this is fair because his father brought the debt upon himself. Tosh speaks out and his mother tells him that if he can't be counted on, then Kiyoshi will become the number one son. 

Toshio sees that his parents will probably never let him reach his full potential. "All I asking for is my body. I not even asking them to send me to high school" (Murayama 55). He knows that there's no way that his parents will give him the money to go to high school. He's not asking for that. He's simply asking for them to permit him to make his own choices. It's almost as if his parents control what his life will become because they're demanding him to work. They're not giving him a choice, they automatically expect him to drop all his personal plans so that he can help them out. If he doesn't live up to his parent's expectations, they'll turn that burden over to Kiyoshi. Toshio doesn't want his brother to live with that which is why he continues to subject himself to that torture. 

It's not much to ask for. He's not asking them to help him achieve what he wants. His only request is for his parents to allow him to go after his goals. Unlike the majority of the guys around him, he doesn't want to settle. The "good" number one sons have made their parents happy and they've helped them greatly. The problem is that they haven't even thought about looking beyond the established boundaries and expectations. Toshio is too smart to blindly follow tradition. He questions authority and wants more than what he's given. He's asking for the opportunity to walk his own path.

All I Asking For Is My Body, Part Two

Kiyoshi's mother is very ill and he's bothered by the fact that no one has told Obaban about his mother. He believes that if she were aware of what was going on, she would visit. She is a kind person and has always cared about Kiyoshi's mother. He decides to go pick her up and they begin to talk about his mother being sick and about how "she believes she's being punished as somebody else's substitute"(Murayama 20). Obaban then informs Kiyoshi that if she could also find a substitute, then she could liberate herself and become healthy again.

When Obaban visits she's in the room alone with Mama. Kiyoshi can hear humming and chanting coming from the room because they're praying. When Obaban is leaving, Mama keeps reapeating, "Sorry to cause you so much trouble" (Murayama 21). By saying this, she's hinting that Obaban is going to do something very important for her. Kiyoshi becomes sure of this when something occurs to Obaban. She has a stroke shortly after visiting and ends up passing away. It's interesting what Kiyohi's initial reaction is when he hears about the stroke.

He's relieved to hear the news because he's certain that Obaban is his mom's substitute. This means that his mom is going to get better and he wants this more than anything. It's a little bit selfish of his part, but he is young and it must cause him a lot pain to even think about having to carry on without his mother. Which is why when he hears about Obaban he feels glad on a certain level, but at the same time he's upset that she's passed. Mama does begin to feel better after the incident so that confirms that Obaban did become Mama's substitute.

Summary for Chapter Five

Chapter five of Rules for Writers gives you some guidance on how to design any document that you make. It's important to design it well because it will support your writing and promote readability. First of all you'll have to select an appropriate format. Next you can move on to headings, which need to be used appropriately. The third step requires using lists. Finally you can focus on visual aids.

When it comes to formatting, you basically have to worry about five things. The layout, margins and line spacing, alignment, fonts, and different kind of font styles. When deciding on all these factors you want to remember that more than anything, you want your document to be readable and understandable. Also it's important to take into consideration your purpose and audience. You can look at examples of different types of writing to ensure that your document's formatting is appropriate. Headings can be helpful cues, especially when used in complex documents. By using headings you can give the reader a preview of your document. Hacker mentions that headings should be brief and consistent in style. When using lists in a document, keep in mind that you don't want to clutter the document by using too many lists. Their purpose is to guide the reader which means that they should be easy to read. Finally, using visuals can greatly improve your document. This can be true if visuals are used wisely. You need to employ visuals that support your writing. They should also be placed in the right spot and they must be labeled. If you used a visual that you found online, you need to cite the source. If your document is going to be published outside of class, you need permission to use borrowed visuals.

It's rare the occasion when I actually use lists and visuals in my writing. They haven't really been necessary in the essays that i've written. If I were to use them I would like to have a good understanding of how to use them appropriately. Lists can help out my reader. Maybe I could somehow incorporate a list into a document of mine and if doing so, I would remember to use them when necessary. I shouldn't use them all over the place. I can also try to use visuals. In the past I have used pictures, but not recently. It's nice to have a bit of a refresher on the matter. It's important to pick the correct visuals because they can support your document in ways that words can't. I'll keep this in mind next time I have to make use of a visual.

Writing About Film Summary

"Writing About Film" presents an interesting point. When we're watching a film, we tend to ignore a lot of the elements and details that go into making a film. Gocsik mentions that these little details hold a lot of valuable information that can help us compose a good analysis. We don't simply want to review a film, but instead we want to pay attention to specifics. In order to properly write about a film you'll need to first off know what kind of analysis you'll be composing, then you must watch the film, and finally you'll need to do plenty of research.

There are various kinds of analysis that you can employ when writing about film. There is a formal analysis, film history, ideological paper, cultural studies, and discussion of the auteur. When watching the film, you want to pay close attention to the scenes. Often as viewers we don't look at what kind of camera angle is being used or how the scenes transition from one to the other. If you're going to analyze a film, you must try  to be more attentive in this aspect. Gocsik also talks about research. It's vital to familiarize yourself with as many things as possible about the film Like for example, who made the film, under what circumstances the film was made, and other such things. When investigating these matters, avoid having the internet as your only source. Instead, go to a library and search for some books. This will provide you with more reliable information.

I don't usually write about films. It's been the case that i've had to do a lot more writing on literature and because of this, I found the article to be helpful. The article mentions that when you write about film you have to be able to pay attention to a lot of things. The characters and their actions are important, but you have to also look beyond that. This is going to help me a lot because when I watch a film, i'm going to try to look closely at little details. They can tell me a lot about the film and what the filmmaker was trying to get across. Also I need to avoid using "I" as much as possible. I have to try to be a little more objective.

Essay Three Workshop

Sarahi Carranza

Lauren Servais

English 100

April 18, 2011

Essay Three

             A major theme in Smoke Signals is forgiveness. It plays a large role in the development of the story. We specifically see a few characters that have to heavily implement forgiveness into their life. Victor is one of these characters, but he has a bit of a hard time moving on. Thomas is the other character and he’s somewhat of an example for Victor.

            Victor is an intriguing character. He’s very complicated for the fact that he’s emotionally damaged because of what he’s had to experience as a child. Both of his parents were alcoholics. This angered him very much and we can see that in the film. In one of the scenes in the film, his parents are passed out in the middle of the day with beer bottles surrounding them. Victor is outside breaking beer bottles and you can see the frustration and anger that he’s feeling. It’s hard for a young child to see his parents deal with addiction. It’s even harder when they don’t try to better themselves for the sake of their children. Victor experiences this situation and that frustration begins to build.

            To make matters worse, his father abandons him. Victor chases after his father and tries to convince him to stay, but his efforts are in vain. This only adds to his pain, which in return worsens that anger and frustration. He doesn’t hear about his father until he’s informed about his passing. This is a lot for him to deal with. His father’s death

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makes a lot of feelings resurface. He’s always had resentment, but he didn’t deal with it appropriately. This is especially apparent after his father’s death.

            In order for Victor to find peace of mind and to overall improve his emotional health, he needs to come to terms with the things that have happened to him. He needs to forgive his father for the wrong that he did. It’s understandable that this is something very hard for him to accomplish, but it’s necessary. You can’t hold grudges and expect to lead a satisfying life. If you let negative feelings accumulate, you’ll damage yourself more than you’ll damage others.

            Arnold wasn’t a horrible man even though he did leave his son. He wasn’t happy about the choice he made and Victor didn’t consider that this might be the case. Susie mentions to Victor that Arnold didn’t mean to die out there in Arizona. He wanted to return to his son, but something prevented him from going back. It could have been the guilt that he felt or the fear of being rejected by his family. Whatever the case, he longed to be home with his son. Once Victor recognizes that his father didn’t absolutely hate him and he disposes his hate, he begins to heal.

            Thomas is also required to forgive others. The obvious person that he has to forgive is Victor. There has been a lot of hostility coming from Victor. He talks down to him and he often becomes aggravated with him. When he becomes annoyed, he yells at Thomas. This has been going on for a while, but when Victor needs money to travel to Arizona, Thomas is willing to give him the money. He doesn’t ask for repayment, he only asks to come along on the trip. This shows a very admirable quality from his part. He

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doesn’t resent Victor for the treatment he’s giving him. Instead he shows kindness and generosity.

            He’s also had to deal with plenty of hardships. He was a baby when he lost his parents in a fire. This meant that he never enjoyed the company and love that parents have to offer. This alone would be enough to cause someone to become bitter. Once again we see Thomas overcome the bad. He’s not aware that Arnold started the fire that killed his parents, so he can’t directly forgive him. Judging from his character, we can almost be positive that he would forgive him without thinking twice. This attitude has benefited him so much. He has a refreshing personality and we can sense that he’s content with how things have turned out for him. He doesn’t have any regrets or pent up frustration.

            If we stop and take a look at the life that Victor leads and the life that Thomas leads, we see just how important it is to forgive. Smoke Signals permits us to see this a bit more clearly. The changes that Victor makes are a clear indication of what part forgiveness plays in the film. He begins to heal as soon as he accepts his father’s abandonment. If we think about it, one of the most important things in life is growing as a person. Thomas doesn’t have to make many changes, but it’s still a good experience for him. Forgiveness isn’t an issue with him, but after accompanying Victor, he can help him move forward.

            

This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona

"This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona" is very similar to Smoke Signals. Regardless, I was still able to find a new meaning when reading the story. Victor and his father have had a falling out. They have only talked a few times within a span of a few years. We can see just how distant they are as father and son. When Victor hears that his father has passed away he's still impacted by the news. "There [is] still a genetic pain" (59) that he feels. This shows us a lot about Victor and about human nature.

Even though Victor hasn't shared a close relationship with his father, he's still saddened by his death. We can discern the love that he continues to have for his father. This still continues to be the man that made it possible for him to be born. Not only does he feel sad, but he also wants to do what he can to travel to Arizona to pick up his father's ashes. He swallows his pride and accepts the help that Thomas offers him. Thomas and Victor have hardly talked and yet the situation calls for an exception. It's a matter of setting old feuds aside and moving forward so that Victor can be a good son.

This can not only be said about Victor, but about people in general. We can never fully close out people that we have once loved. This is especially true when it comes to our immediate family. Even if we've had a falling out, we still continue to care. If we hear about some unfortunate event that has occurred to them, we tend to feel a certain amount of compassion and hurt. If possible we try to do what we can to help them out. Victor's reaction to his father's death supports this well. He never stopped loving his father.

Smoke Signals

Smoke Signals is a very moving film. It addresses a lot of things about the struggles of life and how difficult it is to overcome these struggles. At first, Victor came across as a mean guy that picked on others for no apparent reason. That's not quite the case, he has suffered a lot and that's caused him to be angry. Both of his parents were alcoholics when he was younger. Even though his mother decided to give it up, his father wasn't as willing. Not only did he continue to drink, he abandoned his family as well. Victor didn't know how to deal with this and instead of trying to seek help, he closed everyone off and let that resentment and hurt build up.

This shows just how difficult it is to deal with pain. When someone hurts us we tend to brush it off. Instead of dealing with the situation, we do what we can to ignore the problem. It's easier than actually facing what has happened. Victor does this and we can notice it very clearly throughout the film. Every time Thomas brings up his father he becomes uncomfortable. He feels rejection from his father. He feels that his father didn't want him because he wasn't a good enough reason to stick around. Victor lets this take ahold of him for ten years. This is a long time to be feeling so bitter. Instead of moving forward, he's preventing himself from healing.

In order for him to move on he has to forgive his father. We find out later on in the film that Victor's father regretted leaving his son. He wanted to go back, but he wasn't able to. Even if that wasn't the case it would have been better for Victor to rid himself of the resentment he felt. He was taking it out on his loved ones, including his mother, and he was also harming himself. We can see that overall the situation he faced wasn't ideal and was worsened by how he reacted.

Summary for Chapter 51

Chapter 51 of Rules for Writers talks about plagiarism and how you can avoid it. It's all about keeping a good record of the sources that you've used. Hacker lays out three steps that you must take. Keep a working bibliography, keep track of the material that you use, and avoid unintentional plagiarism.

A working bibliography is a record of the sources that you've made use of. You can annotate this bibliography with the key points, which will help you avoid plagiarizing. Next, insure that you keep track of your source materials. It's a good idea to have a photocopy or printout of the sources because you can annotate the source. It will allow you to get a start on your note taking. Finally, while taking notes, avoid unintentional plagiarism. When taking notes, avoid looking at the source. This way you're able to take notes without plagiarizing. If you want to use direct quotes from your source you must give credit to the author. There are three kinds of note taking, summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting. All these types of notes require page references.

I've never had much trouble with plagiarism. I do worry about it though because you can unintentionally commit this offense. In order to avoid doing this, i'm going to try to take Hacker's advice. When i'm taking notes I am going to make sure to write down the page numbers from which i'm extracting quotes. Sometimes I do this at the last minute and I can't find the page from which i'm quoting the author. Also when taking notes I have to be better about not looking at the source so much. This way I can write things down in my own words and it won't be as likely that i'll plagiarize.

Summary for Chapter 48

Chapter 48 points out the importance of evaluating arguments because sometimes they can be erroneous. When evaluating, you want to look for both logic and fairness. Hacker advises us to begin by distinguishing between reasonable and deceitful argumentative tactics. There are many ways in which an author can be deceiving, so we have to be careful with that. Next, we should look at the emotional appeals of an argument and distinguish between the legitimate and unfair appeals. Finally we can observe the way an author reacts to opposing views and decide whether or not he's being fair about the matter.

Writers can be misleading or unreasonable when it comes to their arguments. They do this by employing different tactics. Like for example, by generalizing which can include stereotypes. Also through analogies, cause and effect, weighing options, assumptions and deducing conclusions. Hacker then suggests that we distinguish between valid and unfair emotional appeals. It's perfectly acceptable to appeal to readers' emotions, but sometimes appeals are misused. When dealing with this we can't let our emotions take over. We have to be logical and think about wether the emotional appeals are legitimate. Then we must observe how the writer handles opposing views. This will let us know a lot about the author. An author can either describe the views of others or they can directly quote an opposing view. Hacker explains that if the author handles opposing views well and with fairness, it's more likely that they can be trusted and that they have credibility.

This information didn't particularly appeal to me as much as previous information, but I did benefit from it. It made me think about how sometimes an author can pose an argument that isn't fair. Next time I read an argument I will think about it more and i'll try to determine whether or not they have a legitimate argument. An argument has to be backed up. It can't just be based on a bunch of information that has been misinterpreted and manipulated. Also when I personally write an argument I want to be honest and fair. I have to do my research and use others opinions wisely. Instead of immediately disagreeing, I can address the arguments fairly and with tact.

Obituary

Mr. Harvey is Lovey's English teacher. He's somewhat of a complex character because at first he comes across as a mean man. He talks down to his students and makes them feel bad about the way they talk. He wants them to speak proper English because otherwise he thinks his students sound uneducated and that they'll "go nowhere in life" (Yamanaka 10). Just from reading this, we see that Mr. Harvey wants his students to make something of themselves. In order to do this they need to improve their speech which is why he makes them practice repeatedly. Lovey can sense that he has good motives.

She thinks "that Mr. Harvey doesn't meant to be mean to [them]" (Yamanaka 14). Sometimes when you really want someone to do good and they're not able to perform to the best of their ability, you become frustrated. Mr. Harvey knows that all of his students can speak properly, they don't have to be hindered by their background. They can overcome their use of slang. After all the practice and talks that he gives them, they still continue to use incorrect grammar. This probably really frustrates him and angers him which is why he ends up talking to his students in a hostile manner. It's not that he doesn't like them, he simply doesn't understand why they're not able to pick up proper English. He doesn't know how to properly handle the situation.

Summary for Chapter 47

Chapter 47 of Rules for Writers goes over how we can build a reasonable argument. When you write an argument, you're taking a stand on an issue. A reasonable argument doesn't necessarily involve winning a debatable issue, but rather explaining your understanding of a certain matter. You want to convince your readers to rethink their viewpoint. To do this, Hacker explains that it's important to first of all, examine the different contexts of your argument. View your readers as jurors. Also in your introduction you want to establish credibility and your opinion on an issue. Next, support your thesis with persuasive lines. Use evidence to support your claims. Once you've done all the above you can move on to your final steps which are to address possible opposing arguments and finally to build common ground with your audience.

You want to be aware of social and intellectual contexts because more likely than not, your audience will be aware of them. Make sure to do research to prepare so you won't be at a disadvantage. Hacker mentions that your audience is like a panel of jurors because they are going to make up their mind after listening to the different sides of the argument. Sometimes you can narrow your audience, but this won't be very different. It just means that your panel of jurors is less diverse. In your introduction, your thesis sentence states your position, but you want to do more than just that in your first paragraph. You want to also establish credibility and you can do this by showing your audience that you know a lot about the subject and that you are fair-minded. Use persuasive lines to support your thesis. This convinces the reader that your thesis is valid. Next, Hacker explains that's it's crucial to back up all your claims. You can achieve this by using specific evidence like for example, with statistics, illustrations, or an expert's opinion. Make sure that you document your sources. Anticipate any arguments and objections, this is a good idea because you present yourself as a well-informed writer, which strengthens your argument. Finally build common ground with skeptical readers. If they feel like you share their concerns, they will be more apt to view your argument as a legitimate argument.

Essay 2

Sarahi Carranza

Lauren Servais

English 100

March 08, 2011

“Coming Home Again”

            While reading this story, I found myself making connections between Lee and myself. These similarities surpassed general and surface connections. Although we both had a parallel family background, I focused more on internal struggles. I had to spend time away from my parents, deal with my mom’s desire for a better life for me, and also experience the pain that the separation caused both my parents and I.

            Lee’s parents were immigrants and my parents were immigrants as well.  Unless you share this background, it’s hard to understand the repercussions that it brings to both the parent and the child. The parents tend to push their kids more than usual because they wish to have them become better and more successful than themselves. Not only do they expect more from their kids, but they also expect more of themselves as parents. Lee’s mother “in the traditional fashion, […] was the house accountant, the maid, the launderer, the disciplinarian, the driver, the secretary, and of course, the cook” (Lee 125). She was a hard worker, something that her son could easily perceive.

            In my case, I saw that determination from my mother. I no longer live with her, but even to this day I can still see how much pride she takes over taking care of her home and her husband. She is traditional in that sense because in the Hispanic culture, it’s expected from a wife to take care of all the affairs at home and to look

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after the children as well. In Lee’s story we get more of glimpse into his mother’s responsibility in the kitchen. This is something that I too felt in my home with my mom.

She loves to cook and growing up I’d see her make dinner for us and I sensed just how much joy it brought her. Seeing her made me develop an interest in cooking as well, but unfortunately it wasn’t something that I pursued. I suffer from dermatitis, which is a skin condition that is worsened by moisture. In the kitchen, you’re constantly exposing yourself to moisture and therefore I was advised by many doctors to steer clear from pursuing my wish to become to a chef. Regardless, I still look back on the times that I would observe my mom in the kitchen and it makes me feel closer to her because I too find pleasure in the preparation of food.

            Lee left his home when he was only 15 years of age. His mother wanted him to go Exeter so that he would have the chance to become successful and well off. She felt proud of the fact that he had graduated from that school because to her it was an academic accomplishment. I’ve felt that pressure from my parents, but especially from my mother. I remember when my high school graduation was approaching; my mother would ask me what my plans were. She noticed that I wasn’t very motivated at the time because I like mentioned before, what I really wanted was to attend a culinary school and I knew that wasn’t going to happen for me. She kept encouraging me to get my act together so that I wouldn’t become another young adult at a dead end job. She’s always had bigger plans for my sister and myself.

           

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Like Lee’s mother, she was “worried [I would become] too much like [her]” (Lee 12).  Both of my parents have had to work very hard to get to where they are now. On various occasions my mother has told me that she wants a better life for me. She doesn’t want me to have to kill myself at a job for minimum wage. Lee and I share that aspect. We both have had influence from our parents to aspire to more. To not settle for barely making ends meet.

            When I was very young, I couldn’t have been more than 8 years of age; I was forced to spend time away from my mother. My father, sister, and I were living here in California, but my mom was in Mexico. I don’t recall exactly how much time she spent away from us, but I will never forget the pain that it caused me. No matter how old one is, we always need our parents. It can be in a very miniscule way or we may share a very close relationship with them and therefore like to spend plenty of time together. I’ve always felt close to my mom and I think that the separation has a lot to do with this. My aunt recently told me that when my mom was away I’d always ask my grandma about her. I would ask her when she was coming back so that we could be a family once again.

            I wasn’t the only one that suffered from the distance. I know that my mother felt equally bad if not worse. Lee’s mother regrets having spent time away from her son. If she had known that she was going to die, she wouldn’t have made the same choice. I don’t necessarily think that my mom felt that she made the wrong choice in spending time away from us. It’s not like she could control the circumstances. What I am sure of is that if it were possible, she wouldn’t have been away from her family

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for long periods of time.  It makes you appreciate your family more, but it also creates a gap in your relationship. It’s a slice of time that you’re never going to get back.

             I could relate to what Lee was saying in “Coming Home Again”. It was a moving story that reminded me about my personal experiences. Lee had to live away from his mother. I also had to spend time away from my mother and it impacted me as well. Also both of our parents longed for us to have a better future. Lee’s mother felt the same way about her son going to Exeter. I imagine my mother takes pride in telling others that I decided to continue with my schooling. She no longer is able to have her daughter at home, but it’s of some consolation knowing that I’m trying to do secure a better future for myself.

The Insufficiency of Honesty

Carter lays out what integrity means. We tend to confuse it with honesty and truthfulness because we believe that if we speak the truth, it automatically indicates that we possess integrity. Carter breaks up this virtue into three steps. First off, it means that we're able to identify what's wrong and what's right. Second off, it means that we act based on what we have identified to be right or wrong even if it involves leaving ourselves at a disadvantage. Finally, integrity requires us to openly let others know that we're acting on what we have found to be right and wrong.

As can be seen, integrity has nothing to do with honesty. They're completely two different things even though on some level they compliment each other. Carter stresses that honesty and integrity are not dependent on one another. The reason for this has to do with our motive behind telling the truth. There are times when we express ourselves and really put our feelings out into the open. This is a good thing because it shows that we're not hiding anything, but are we telling the truth because it's the right thing to do? We have to take other's feelings into consideration. We may be honest, but what we're saying is hurting someone. In that case, integrity wouldn't be demonstrated from our part.

Integrity is a very hard thing to possess. It involves so many things, but it's not impossible to acquire. Carter mentions that because we all think differently, our opinion on what's wrong and right varies. This makes it harder and it demands that we really look at our actions. We can't simply act based on what we believe. Instead we must do "the hard work of discerning whether what [we] most deeply believe is right". Integrity goes above and beyond personal beliefs; it's about questioning our beliefs.

Shooting Dad

Vowel talks about her relationship with her father in "Shooting Dad". The title at first may seem a little odd because it suggests violence, but this isn't the case when it comes to their relationship. Instead we see how Vowel's father possess a specific liking towards something. He is passionate about guns. So passionate in fact, that when he dies, he wants to somehow integrate this love into his passing. This is when the title of the story comes into play. He wants his children and wife to shoot his ashes from a canon.

Guns have been such an important part of his life. It's not just the fact that Vowel's father likes collecting firearms, but also the fact that he's built a canon with his own hands. He spent two years putting it together out of scratch. That must make him proud because it's probably not an easy task. He feels a certain amount of attachment towards this canon and wants to mark the end of his time on earth being shot out of the it. This way he'll go out with something familiar, something that he loves and appreciates. It's similar to the way people choose to have their ashes deposited in a place that holds meaning to them. This canon is meaningful to him.

Summary for Chapter Four

Hacker explains how it's possible to build effective paragraphs when writing. It's necessary to focus on a main point so that your paragraphs can be unified. The main point can then be developed. After development is determined and completed, you should decide how you'll be organizing your information and writing. Next, work to make your paragraphs coherent. The last thing you want to focus on is the length of your paragraphs.

The main point is usually summarized in a topic sentence. It helps your paragraph maintain unity and is usually found in the first paragraph. It can either be introduced at the beginning or at the end of the paragraph. Developing your key point is vital. Brief paragraphs tend to indicate insufficient development, but you want to keep in mind that there isn't a fixed amount of appropriate development. It's completely based on your audience and purpose. There's many ways in which you can choose to organize your paragraphs. Some patterns occur more frequently because they reflect how we think. Some examples of development patterns are illustrations, narrations, comparisons, analogies, definitions, etc. Once you've organized your paragraphs, you want to make sure that the paragraphs are coherent. The sentences need to flow together nicely. To achieve this, Hacker suggests the linking of ideas, repetition of key words, parallel structures, consistency, and effective transitions. The length of your paragraphs is also important because it influences both the attention span and interest of your reader. The length depends on what type of writing you're doing, but overall, make sure that your paragraphs are neither too short nor too long.

I am going to try to incorporate Hacker's advice on the effectiveness of paragraphs into my writing. I never really thought too much about a topic sentence because I was too focused on developing a thesis. Topic sentences support the thesis and therefore help the strength of the essay. If I can write out a good topic sentence, I can improve my writing. I'm going to try to work on making my essays more interesting by using examples and illustrations. By doing this I can liven my writing and capture my audience. It would also keep me interested in what i'm writing.

Coming Home Again

"Coming Home Again" is beautifully written and permits us to learn a lot about Lee. He describes both a  complex and heartwarming relationship with his mother. When asked why she permitted her son to be away at boarding school, Lee's mother explains that she did it "because [she] didn't know that [she] was going to die" (Lee 128). By saying this, she gives us an insight into the way that we tend to carry out with our life. Sometimes we regret how we handled a certain aspect of our life because of an unforeseen event. 

We often take others for granted because we automatically assume that we have a whole lifetime ahead of us. We think that time is on our side and that there's no need to go out of our way to spend time with our loved ones. This isn't always how things turn out. Nothing is guaranteed in this life which is why it's crucial to do as much as we can right now. 

Lee's mother wished that she could go back so that she could have spent more time with her son when he was young. Even though he was living with her before she passed, she missed out on part of his life. It's a chunk of time that she simply wasn't ever going to get back. That time she spent away from him was very sad for her because she sacrificed quality time with him. It's to be expected that once you're an adult, you move away from home and you make your own life, but it's different when you're still a child. This is when children are supposed to learn from their parents, a time when you enjoy being really close to your parents. This just goes to show that sometimes, being with your family is more important than anything else. 

Summary for Chapter Three

Revising can not be accomplished merely by completing one step. The process is split up into two sections. Hacker discusses these  stages in chapter three. There are global revisions and there's also revision of overall sentence structure. Global revisions center around organization, focus, content, purpose, and strategy. After making the necessary adjustments to global matters, you can focus on sentence structure, grammar, spelling, punctation, and mechanics. Hacker advises completing global revisions first. The two steps aren't really interchangeable, but for a good reason. 

Global revisions come first because while making these revisions, you're going to make drastic changes. You might even eliminate whole sections. Therefore there isn't a valid reason for revising sentences that might not even end up in the final draft. When making a global revision, try to view your work from the an audience's perspective. In order to distance yourself from your draft, you can take a night or two to step away from you draft. Then come back and try to read as if you were the audience. You could also ask a few people to read over your work. Make sure that they focus on the larger issues of the writing such as whether or not the thesis is clear. The next stage is to revise the sentences. You have to be careful when reading over your essay so that you can identify typos. Finally, you're ready to prepare your final manuscript and to proofread. Proofreading involves checking for misspelled words, omitted words, and word endings. This can be hard because you might not be able to identify your own mistakes which is why you might consider proofreading out loud. Don't try to avoid proofreading because it is crucial to the quality of your writing. 

Summary for Chapter Two

Chapter two of Rules for Writers is centered around making a rough draft. Hacker talks about a few vital steps that will help you produce a helpful draft. It's all about organization, so in order to sketch a draft you have to have all your materials ready. That includes lists, freewritings, outlines, etc. If you have these materials within reach you're better prepared to take on the task at hand. An essay has three main components, you'll target all of these while doing your rough draft. You'll begin by drafting an introduction, then the body, and lastly, you'll try to put together a conclusion.

The purpose of an introduction is to point out the main point of your essay. The first few sentences need to capture the reader's attention and establish what your purpose is. Include a focused thesis in the introductory paragraph, it doesn't matter if it's shown at the begin or at the end of paragraph. In order to make the thesis more attractive, you can make use of examples, quotations, questions, and other enticing sentences. You want your readers to want to read on. Sometimes it will be impossible to express the main idea in one thesis sentence. If that's the case, don't force the main idea into one sentence. Hacker then goes on to suggest drafting the body of your essay. The body is crucial because it develops your thesis, therefore you should have a tentative thesis before beginning the body. It's a good idea to have a plan as to how you'll be approaching this part of your essay. If you don't have already have a plan, take a break and write one up. The conclusion is the last paragraph and should echo your central idea. You don't want to simply repeat the idea, instead briefly remind the reader of the main idea. The conclusion paragraph can also include key points or offer advice. Most importantly, make it memorable.

I've always know what a thesis is, but when it comes to my writing, I have a hard time composing an effective thesis. This is probably because it's very hard for me to try and convert my main idea into one sentence. This chapter did make me think a little about how I can make improvements in my writing when it comes to this specific component. I don't necessarily have to have a perfect thesis when I first begin drafting my essay. I should have a tentative thesis, which means I can adjust and alter it as I go. This is really going to help me because I won't lose confidence in my paper if at first my thesis doesn't sound as good as i'd like it to sound.

Essay 1

Sarahi Carranza

Lauren Servais

English 100           

February 8, 2011

Photograph

            Photographs are often heavily important for many of us. They hold a lot of significance because they’re capable of capturing so much. They can capture an important moment in our life or even someone that we cherish. I found a particular picture that is truly valuable to me. It’s an image of my sister, my only sibling whom I care for and love dearly. The setting is also vital to it’s value.

            Last summer I attended a music festival in San Francisco with my sister. This was a special occasion for her because it was her first time going to any kind of live music event. The first day we arrived, we wandered around and we arrived at one of the stages in which a reggae band was playing. I, of course, had my camera and one of the pictures that I took was a picture of my sister at this very moment. The reason why I like this particular photograph so much has to do with the fact that I’ve experienced a lot alongside my sister.

            We had a fairly happy childhood; we had loving parents that were able to provide a comfortable life for us. As we grew older though, we began to have trouble at home. It wasn’t necessarily serious trouble, but it distanced us a lot from our father. It was tough for both of us. Children deserve to have a healthy relationship with their parents, but unfortunately that wasn’t the case for us. By the time I was about 12 years of age, we had altogether stopped talking to my dad.

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It was quite an experience for us because it was emotionally straining. Even thought it was difficult for me, it was especially hard for her to deal with the situation. Although the experience wasn’t pleasant, it brought us closer. We had to rely a lot on each other during this time because no one else could really grasp what we were going through. My mom is a great person, but frankly, she wasn’t very sympathetic in this case.

            She would just write us off and she came to the conclusion that we were at fault for the distance that had been created between my father and ourselves. She was partly correct. In any relationship, it takes more than one person for a strong bond to form. In any case, my sister and I depended on each other’s support. We would talk about the situation with one another and that strengthened our relationship.

            This is not the only reason for my emotional attachment to the photograph. My sister is very important to me, but the location is also significant. San Francisco is a city that I love. The bay area in general has appealed to me since I was very young. I have family here and because of that; I had the opportunity to visit often. Visiting up north was always something that I looked forward to as a child. I was always happy here. I got the chance to spend time with loved ones and I also took in all the beauty of the valley and of the city as well.

            Now that I live here I’m able to enjoy this environment on a daily basis. The music festival that I attended in the summer was one of the first things that I really enjoyed after moving here. Fresh out of high school, I wasn’t too sure of what it was that I was going to be doing. In the midst of all that confusion, I was able to share an

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unforgettable experience with someone that I admire and appreciate. My photograph is a visual recording of this. 

The Ways We Lie

Ericsson talks about an array of lies, but the white lie is usually the most commonly used. He mentions that a white lie in essence is assuming that the truth will cause more harm than the lie. This definition is pretty well rounded. White lies tend to be small lies that aren't going to cause much harm to anyone. This kind of lie is often used to spare someone's feelings. For example, when a friend asks us whether or not we think they possess a bad quality, do we tell them that they are obsessive? Or do we assure them that they are far from it? It's really a matter of how we feel about distorting the truth.

A white lie is still a lie. Even if our intentions are good, we're still refraining from telling the truth so that our friend won't feel bad. It might be a better idea to be honest and that way, if our friends finds it necessary, they can choose to make changes. If we don't tell them the truth, we're personally deciding what is best for someone else. That's not our responsibility. It may seem like it's up to us to keep our friends happy, but we shouldn't compromise their trust in us. After all, aren't they asking for our opinion? The right thing to do is to answer honestly. That doesn't mean that we're going to be harsh, we can tell the truth in a respectful and considerate manner. This way, we avoid lying not only to our friends, but to other's  that are interested in our opinion.

Summary for Chapter One

In chapter one, Hacker discuses ways in which we can create ideas for any writing assignment. She also provides suggestions as to how to go about when organizing your ideas. Writing is a process, there's steps that you have to take to crank out good material. Organization is key. The first step is to assess the writing situation. The second step is to explore the subject that you're writing about. After exploring the subject, you should create a tentative thesis. The final step of this writing process is to sketch out an outline or plan.

As you're assessing the situation, keep in mind a few things. You want to know what your subject is exactly, know what your sources of information will be, your purpose, who your audience will be, and specifics that include the length of the assignment and deadlines. By knowing all of the above, you're able to execute your writing well. Once you have this down, Hacker believes that the next step is to explore your subject. Some ways in which you can do this is by talking to others about your subject and listening to their input. You can take notes on the text and on your sources of information. Freewriting is also a good idea. The third step is to create a tentative thesis, this basically means that you want to establish a central idea. A thesis should provide direction for both the writer and the reader. Sometimes it's a good idea to know your thesis early on because this can help you with your draft. Drafting is the final process. Sketch an outline so that you have an idea of how your ideas will be structured. A formal outline can be written after you have a rough draft, that way you can visually see if your essay's structure makes sense.

This chapter is going to help me out when I have to write an essay. In the past, my way of writing is very unorganized. I don't use structure as far as planning and sketching out an outline. I tend to just write and let the ideas come to me as i'm typing. It works out okay for me. I can produce good work, but I think if I organize my ideas to begin with, I might be able to produce excellent work. Planning is important because that way I can see beforehand whether or not my essay is going to flow smoothly and logically.

The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me

Sherman Alexie's father was an avid reader and this heavily influenced Sherman. He began to pick up books at a very early age and was a completely self taught reader. This in itself is very impressive, but even more so considering that he was Indian. Sherman mentions that a "smart Indian" is a dangerous person. Education is such a powerful thing. By simply reading, you're able to expand your overall knowledge significantly. This allows you to go beyond what you've been taught because you begin to learn about new things and concepts. This is influential especially in a person like Sherman.

He was not only feared by non - Indians, but also by people of his own kind. When you're ethnically different, and by this I mean not caucasian, you're expected to have a certain amount of knowledge. A very minimal amount of knowledge. Sherman was expected to be like any other Indian that struggled with school related matters. He was different though and being different can be a threat to many. Once you've proven to be smarter and hungry for knowledge, you're a force. If you lack resources and books, you can be kept under control without asking questions. By reading, Sherman was likely to want more than he was given because he knew what else was out there. A "smart Indian" is bound to question authority and likely to crave education.

Summary for Chapter 26

Diana Hacker shares methods and basic ways in which to write about texts. There are different types of texts, they range from essays to visual texts and anything in between. Hacker divides this procedure into five steps. First, you need to read actively. Second, it's important to sketch a brief outline of the text that you're reading. Third step is to summarize the text. Fourth, analyze the text. Lastly, it's vital to understand the different kinds of texts that can be analyzed, depending on the discipline that they're derived from.

Reading actively means that you're making annotations as you read along. Hacker encourages you to underline important concepts and to circle concepts that you find interesting. This permits you to fully absorb the text that you're reading. Rereading can also be extremely beneficial because you might have missed certain things in previous readings. Once you've done this, you can sketch a brief outline of the text. You don't want to write out a lengthy outline. Instead, you should focus on the central points and most importantly, you want to find the author's thesis. A visual text doesn't have a thesis, in that case you have to personally interpret the meaning. When summarizing the text, you want to employ your own words. If you use phrases from the text, make sure you put them in quotation marks and indicate the page in parenthesis.  The first sentence has to have the the title of the text, the author's name, and the author's thesis. Hacker stresses the point of maintaing a neutral tone while summarizing. Finally, it's important to understand that there's various types of texts. Some examples are literature, music, photographs, government documents, and many more. The basic guidelines to summarizing or analyzing these texts can be adapted to fit the text being read.

Hacker points out some really useful methods that can be used. Personally, I think that i'm going to try to read actively. I usually don't bother underlining or highlighting anything when i'm reading. I'm sure it would help me out a lot because it would make it more of an interactive experience. I'm not just reading, i'm physically involved and  key concepts would be clearer and easier to identify. Also the use of an outline would be a good idea. If I can briefly sketch out what the author's main points are, then my understanding of the text would be a little more wholesome. This way I would have a visual aid that didn't provide all of information, just the important information.

Freewriting Exercises

Freewriting is a very loose and unorganized way of writing. Basically you write for a certain period of time and you don't stop while in the process. The point of the exercise is to write continuously even if that means repeating yourself or writing down random thoughts that are running through your head. You're not supposed to go back and correct anything, it's perfectly okay to misspell words. You simply can not stop writing.

This exercise does have a purpose and it's actually very interesting. Freewriting helps you because it eliminates the usual process that we take when writing. We tend to think, edit, and write all at the same time. This can be good, but most often then not, it prevents us from pouring all of our ideas onto paper. We're so busy trying to edit what we're thinking, that sometimes we forget to jot down some really good points and ideas. By freewriting regularly, we're able to produce work without editing at the same time. It permits for a smoother flow of words.

I found the article to be of great interest. It made a lot of sense. I personally find myself editing quite a bit when i'm writing essays or doing any other assignment that involves typing or writing. Not always, but there are times when i'm stuck on a certain sentence for a long time because i'm trying to make it sound just right. While this is going on, a lot of my other ideas or thoughts are getting put on the back burner. Unfortunately, this means that I end up abandoning  solid points that I could have made. Freewriting in theory seems like an excellent way to improve your writing. You may produce a lot of "garbage" in the process, but you'll probably be able to get down great material that you wouldn't have otherwise.

Week One

My name is Sarahi, plenty of people have trouble pronouncing my name, but I don't blame them. I, in fact, am unsure of the correct pronunciation and so I prefer to simply be refereed to as Sarah. I am 18 years of age and i'm originally from Southern California. I grew up in a very small mountain town north of Los Angeles. Here I completed grade school and I graduated from high school this past summer. Now i'm attending SRJC and working towards an associates degree. I'm undeclared, which means that i'm not quite sure what kind of degree i'm be working towards, but I do know that I will receive one! For now i'm just trying to get some general education out of the way.

I've recently grown to really enjoy my English classes. My sophomore, junior, and senior year of high school I was fortunate enough to have an excellent teacher. He explained literature in a way that made sense and it really opened up my eyes to new ideas and concepts. I found myself enjoying writing essays and pondering on the words that were found in books, poems, etc. I hope to have a very similar experience in this class. More than anything, i'm hoping to progress in my writing and to overall do good.

I can't say that i'm any type of specific learner. I don't like to categorize myself, but I have noticed that I do surprisingly well when I take my time. I am very capable of cranking out an essay within a matter of hours, but it wouldn't be my best work. When I take the time to think and organize my thoughts, I can produce decent school work. It also helps a great deal if i'm genuinely interested in what i'm reading or writing.