Tuesday, March 22, 2011

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.

Monday, March 21, 2011

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.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

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.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

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.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

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.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

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.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

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.