So, for Tuesday, you will have read a number of essays from the beginning of the Reader. Please use the comment feature here to tell us which one you enjoyed the most, and why. Please try to be as specific as you can--try to stay away from "I liked it because it was good" sort of statements. Did you enjoy the details? What happens in the piece? How the writer explains the significance? The subject matter?
Please remember two other items:
1. To complete the survey in the previous post on this blog.
2. To write a "proper" Reading Response and bring it in on Tuesday.
Thanks!
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13 comments:
Joan Didion's "On Going Home" is a reading that I found most interesting because I suspected it be a narrative about how the main character will forever be attached to her home and family, but instead the character exemplifies that traditional accustoms of family unity (within her own family) have slowly diffused over time, which ultimately has changed her attachment toward her own family; it's as if times have changed and her place in her family has disappeared.
Marilyn Schiel's "Levi's" stood out to me the most because it was intriguing to me how important these pair of Levi jeans were to her. To Marilyn they weren't just jeans but they stood for something. They stood for the change of what a woman's typical duties were. Once those jeans were on she was no longer the girl who could only play with dolls because she had a dress on. She was no longer the girl who had to sit back and watch her brother from afar getting disgustingly dirrty while building a treehouse. She was the girl who could go and explore and ride the big wheel and do things that she couldn't do before. When Marilyn put those hand me down Levi jeans on she was finally able to be herself and take interest in the things that caught her eye.
Jean Brandt's " Calling Home" made me feel as if i was part of the story. She built up the story making the part where she gets caught shoplifting an exciting climax. Its surprising that she gets thrown in jail, because she is only thriteen years old. The way her family forces her to use her one phone call to tell her mother where she was and how she got there is a great way to build up the ending, when her family goes to pick her up.
As I read Jean Brandt’s piece “Calling Home” I was drawn into it more and more as I got further along the reading. I was pretty surprised of how this young girl just decides to steal the snoopy button instead of waiting in line, but then again she’d had to wait thirty minutes. Throughout the process in which she’s being escorted out of the mal she feels ashamed and worried of what her mother might say, but then all of a sudden as she’s going through the process at the station she’s having “fun.” I thought it was ironic how instead of having fear towards the police, or the law she’s fearful more o her own mother. Her having fun through this whole thing makes you wonder since she already went through the whole progress at the station will she continue seeing this as fun and continue doing this? But at the end the father didn’t punish her because he said the officers had punished enough already and I agree with him.
Marilyn Schiels " Levi's" was the reading that I enjoyed the most.The jeans passed down from her brother marked an significant change in the American society.It made me think of the many barriers women had to break down.Women werent allowed to work,wear jeans and had to stay home.Those Levis symbolized a change in History when women were able to work, take care of the family, wear jeans, and do things that were considered "man work".Her piece was interesting and caught my eye it showed the change and transition in the American society.
The story that caught my attention most was "A Woman in April." The way the writer used different words to portray his friends, surrondings and other people around him fascinated me. The writer described every person and situation in a unique way. The descriptions were very detailed and meticulous. It made me feel like I was part of the story. I also liked the smooth flow and transition from one paragraph to another. In addition to that, I was enthralled by the way the writer ended the story. The idea that even though he was crippled, he wasn't lackadaisical. He didn't just sit back and felt self pity for himself because of his calamity or adversity. The whole gist of the story was very interesting and factual.
“My Neighborhood,” by Ishmael Reed, dealing with civil liberties, and perspectives sparked my interest. Once I started reading this essay I couldn’t put it down. I had such admiration for what this man went through and how he always had a positive outlook on life. Even though evolutionist like his stepfather would say, “ ‘success’ was … being able to live a neighborhood in which you were the only black and joined your neighbors in trying to keep out ‘them’, ” (p25). He experiences this first hand, over and over again. It dose not matter if you are living in the richest neighborhood, all that matters is that you have neighbors who will be your friend and have your back without judging on first appearances.
Jean Brandt's "Calling Home" was the one that interested me the most. This story started off in a very elated state but ended in a very dissapointing way. I can relate a lot to this essay because my brother has been in a similar situation; this pulled me towards this reading even more. It uses great detail and it makes the reader want to keep reading. "Calling Home" serves as a great example on how teenagers dissapoint their parents.
The piece I found most interesting is Marilyn Schiel "Levi's." The jeans represent Maryilyn's coming of age and realization of the new age for women. Marilyn lived in a time when women had less freedom of choice, but with the coming of her new jeans, a change in America also came. Marilyn's jeans represent a major change in women's history.
Barry Lopez’s passage, “Gone Back into the Earth,” was my personal favorite. The combination of Lopez’s writing style, and somewhat familiar subject matter, resulted in a passage I truly enjoyed. His “show not tell” writing style helped me to conjure vivid images in my head, and stay focused on the story. I enjoyed the subtle details he combined to paint a large picture of the entire rafting trip.
Marilyn Schiel's "Levi's" appealed the most because of its turning point for women. It's amazing how some old blue levi jeans, could change how women were looked upon on. Women in the late 1950's were not just doing typical housework. They were working, housework, and fixing things around the house. "Marilyn" the main character got to experience the transition that women were capable of doing anything a man did. The pair of blue jeans was the symbol for a new beginning for women.
The story I enjoyed the most was "A Woman in April." The thing that caught my attention in this story was the writers diction and attention to details and all the colors and light around him. I can relate to what he is saying because I like to sit and just observe people from afar. I can feel an emotional connection for the narrator of this story. I know how it feels when one small incident can brighten up an entire day.
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