Jonathan Moore
M. Schroeder English Composition 101 October 20, 2016 Blog Post 3: Summary and Choice of Analysis Fish Cheeks In Amy Tan’s Fish Cheeks she targets the teenage audience and attempts to encourage pride in individual heritages and cultures by relating her teenage angst, at the age of 14 years, during a Christmas dinner at which her crush was invited to enjoy Chinese dishes. Through imagery she effectively relates the embarrassment she experienced with panicked exposure of the seemingly brutal differences between Chinese and American cultures only to realize later in life that living in both cultures was a strength. As her mother told her “You must be proud you are different. Your only shame is to have shame.” (par. 7) Superman and Me In Sherman Alexie’s Superman and Me he attempts to relate the struggles he faced as a victim of prejudice and stereotypes to the general reader. He recounts his childhood as a poor Spokane Indian boy who was able to teach himself to read by the age of 3 years with the use of comic books. His metaphor about paragraphs being “a fence that held word” and his world around him was filled with paragraphs was very effective in helping the reader understand a segregated point of view. Though a target of peer pressure from his fellow Native Americans, he persevered and was able to overcome the belief that “a smart Indian is a dangerous person.” (par. 6) Now focusing on educating “Indian kids” children he hopes to help end the stereotype and help his students achieve their potential. (par. 8) My Choice Though I disagree with Alexie’s method, I related more to his story than to the story in Fish Cheeks. Having been raised with a father who preached prejudice and intolerance I was exposed to one sided hate for 15 years of my life. I never understood the reasoning behind it, it simply made no sense to me. Whatever the reason, prejudice has no place in the real world, but teaching this only to those victims of prejudice is pointless. By choosing to educate only “Indian kids” and not all children (par. 8) he is, in fact, prolonging the very ignorance and prejudice he wants to end. This is why I disagree with his methods. We are one people, one race. Everyone needs to be educated equally. Works Cited Tan, Amy. “Fish Cheeks.” The Bedford Reader. Ed. X J. Kennedy et al. 12th ed. Boston: Bedford, 2014. 110–111. Print. Alexie, Sherman. “Superman and Me.” The Bedford Reader. Ed. X J. Kennedy et al. 12th ed. Boston: Bedford, 2014. 582-585. Print. Links to Blogs I Commented On Kaylin Jordan Shelby
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Jonathan Moore
Melinda Schroeder English Composition 101 October 6, 2016 Throughout my life there has been a particular place where my imagination runs wild. The first impression is of a long abandoned fortress or temple partially reclaimed by the environment, with eroded words from a long dead language. Partially buried under sands of time I imagine what it must have been like when it was in its prime, bustling with activity. Upon approach there are chambers on the main level providing access to the interior, while stairways on either side allow visitors to climb to the upper level and top of the structure. Choosing which way to go depends on which story is playing in my head at the time. As I climb the stairs to the right I see the slanted wall where I used to climb, pretending to be Spiderman (a story for another time). Standing at the top is like being on the edge of two worlds. To one side is a view of distant land masses bordered by a great sea, while on the other is where the Paguah people would meet and go about their daily lives. Looking down on the upper level there are two round sunken places where they would gather, sitting on the circular steps to discuss philosophy, politics, or tribal concerns. At the other round they would gather to celebrate the arts. Activities could be seen in all directions from inside the small uppermost part of the structure where access to the roof from the sea side where public addresses could be made. The lower level has many rooms that echoe every footstep as you enter. These were the places for meetings, for storage, for worship- it’s hard to know as evidence of their use had been lost to erosion. There is, however, a room that feels like a place of torture or sacrifice with beams on the ceiling that secured shackles holding victims. There are secret entrances to passages and alcoves lit only the small amount of defused light from either entrance that dims further still as you walk deeper in. Within the alcove as I stand quietly in the in the pitch black, the eerie sense of things past grabs hold of me. The waters rhythmic dripping gives way to the beat of my heart followed by voices of the hiding Paguah whispering to each other in fear of their fate. Then, in abrupt silence, the Paguah are no more and the sounds of the dripping water returns. Though you will never find the Paguah in human history; though the place I visit was never host to any kind of tragedy; though this place is not really that old; this is the place I go, to let my imagination run wild. |
Jonathan MooreJust a local person excited to be learning. Archives
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