Blog 2

Extended Reflection Journal (BLOG 2):  Hemingway defined a code of ethics for heroism, the most important tenet being that a brave hero exhibits "grace under pressure." What this means is that in difficult situations -- especially mortal ones -- the hero handles himself assuredly and confronts the danger head-on.  First, how does Romero display these qualities in The Sun Also Rises?  Second, how does this mesh with our modern heroes?  Minimum 650 words

        Romero is first introduced into “The Sun Also Rises” on page 166, as Montoya asks Jake to meet the amazingly described bull fighter. The text states that Romero was “dignified” and that he is “a real one. [And] there had not been a real one for a long time”. This is our first glimpse at the heroism that exudes from Romero in the ring and the first time one can see his “grace under pressure”. Romero's skills exhibited within the bull ring steal the show and as the narrator puts it “Romero was the whole show”. Romero avoids “ every brusque movement and saved his bulls for the last when he wanted them,..smoothy worn down” and “always works to the bull”. His grace under pressure leaves the on-edge crowd with “real emotion”, and “did not emphasize the closeness” of the bull. Romero's style is described as “something beautiful done close to the bull was ridiculous if it were done a little way off”. His heroism is displayed in the old fashioned, real way and “holds his purity of line through the maximum of exposure”. Pedro Romero displays himself by exhibiting smooth, graceful, fear-free tactics while being extremely close to death each and every time Romero enters the bull ring. Romero's fighting ability to guide the bull and choose when to kill shows how he can handle himself assuredly and how the bull fighting lifestyle makes him confront danger head on in his everyday career. On page 178, Romero is described as “not at all embarrassed...nothing conceited or braggartly about him”. This shows the genuineness of Romero's character, his true heroism. During the last, and greatest bull fight the novel states that “the public were for Romero...they applauded him” and that “Romero did always, smoothly, calmly, and beautifully”. Pedro Romero's character is the direct embodiment of Hemingway's “heroism” idea. He remains one hundred percent calm, stoical, and magnificent while directly facing danger. This is Romero's legacy of true “Hemingway heroism”.Hemingway's definition or code of ethics for heroism, is that a true hero exhibits "grace under pressure”, as Romero displays within “The Sun Also Rises”. Hemingway's idea is that in difficult life situations a “true hero” can handle himself assuredly and can confront the danger head-on. This idea and expectation of Hemingway's hero meshes with many types of everyday heroes. The police, firefighters, parents, and teachers are all “heroes”. In different ways, of course, but all show the qualities Hemingway describes and portrays Romero to embody. The Police force are a unit used to protect a community from danger. They portray excellent citizenship while sporting a loaded gun and taser. As an officer kicks down a locked door awaiting the danger beyond, the never once let that fear keep them from “striking out”. Their entire job centers around the idea of “confronting danger head on”, ideally what Hemingway believes true heroism is. As the siren goes off, fourteen men slip on boots, fireproof gear and hug the pole all the way down. The truck siren arrives in front of the danger, a house caught of fire by a forgotten cigarette. As these fourteen men ruthlessly evacuate the house, they never once think “am I going to get out of this alive?” or “what about my family”, firemen think only about the present and helping out the ones who need it, never once bowing to danger. While police and firemen uphold serious jobs that contribute to societies safety; teachers and parents also portray Hemingway's idea of heroism. Screaming kids, spit wads, dirty diapers, and ABC's; parents and teachers may face more dangers than most. Everyday though; these two important professions prove that heroes do not back down. Parents and teachers portray ideal Hemingway “grace under pressure”. Hemingway's idea is that heroes represent and uphold themselves while facing extreme dangers never backing down and face danger head on. Like Hemingway's Romero, everyday heroes also mesh into his ideal of the “true hero”.

Blog 1

HW: Extended Reflection Journal  (BLOG 1) on Turgenev text, due Friday (checking them begins at 8 AM). Must be MINIMUM of 450 words. Analyze his tone, purpose, and point of view, including the strengths and weaknesses of his argument concerning capital punishment. Include whether you agree or disagree, although your opinion should not be the focus of your essay.

      Capital crimes lead to death row, and death row leads to execution. Capital punishment is analyzed thoroughly in the text of Ivan Turgenev, “The Execution of Tropmann”, a short essay outlining the start to finish of a condemned criminals last day. Turgenev's uneasy, guilty tone, and purpose of persuasion, effectively portray his non proponent point of view pertaining to the act of capital punishment.

      In the month of January, 1870, in Paris, France, The execution of murderer Tropmann had been scheduled to take place, and our author, Ivan Turgenev has been invited to be front and center at the “big performance”. Turgenev's description of January 18, to the early morning execution on the 19^th, is weaved with words and a tone of guilt, frustration, fear, and uneasiness. “We were all overwhelmed by a feeling of irksome and wearisome—yes, wearisome-uneasiness”(Sec.3). Turgenev's text clearly states that the thought of watching capital punishment created guilt within the invited audience, and this tone continues throughout the text. As the writing begins, a sense of pride is seen within Turgenev, but slowly the author's guilty tone gets the best of him and he describes what he felt as “ terribly sick at heart”(Sec.7). Turgenev does not understand how the “street urchins”, or crowd of “fans” can form, excited, to watch the entertainment of a public execution, while he feels a close, intertwined connection to Tropmann. Turgenev's tone continues to provide concrete evidence, and reiterates, his point of view throughout his essay.

      Turgenev's text clearly has a persuasive factor within it. His point of writing is to ask why and how a person can be okay with capital punishment. Persuasively, Turgenev describes the events details to throw off the reader, to appall, and to make the reader think “why?”. As the actual execution approaches it is revealed that Turgenev can no longer go through with it and turns his head as the guillotine's blade comes crashing, swiftly down. The sound of the blade is enough to sicken Turgenev, and emotionally effect his life forever. “How could such a shocking routine be allowed? And capital punishment itself—could it possibly be justified?”(Sec12). Turgenev includes these rhetorical questions with the purpose of further reiterating his negative view of corporal punishment. As a last persuasion, Turgenev writes that “the question of capital punishment is one of the most urgent questions that humanity has to solve at this moment”(Sec. 12). This quotation wraps up his idea and persuades the reader to think and develop an idea that coincides along with his con capital punishment attitude.

      Turgenev's opinion is one that, I too, take to heart. How can we, as human beings, kill other human beings? What Turgenev's guilty, embarrassed tone reveals is a negative opinion and a persuasive force that dives deep into the minds of the intellectual human being. His entire text makes a person want to think about his own personal beliefs regarding capital punishment, and the humaneness of it. Through tone and persuasiveness, Turgenev is successful in bringing his opinion to the surface and displaying his point of view on capital punishment.

Blog 15

BLOG #15  discuss the ways in which Ehrlich describes cowboys. In what ways does her tone fit her purpose and help her convey her purpose?

Ehrlich describes cowboys as sensitive, caring, and maternal unlike the normal "Marlboro" image usually associated with the rugged men. She uses a light, proud tone to convey cowboys as charming hard workers who just have a little trouble displays their feelings. Her purpose is to convince a reader of the true attitude and characteristics of a cowboy, using her friendly, happy tone she effectively gives cowboys a "good image". One that is soft, gentle, and relate able....making everyone want their own cowboy.

Blog 14

discuss the three reasons Sante gives for a breakdown of secrecy (Soviet Union/KGB, internet, “confessional culture”/media). Do you agree, for example, that the Internet is a “nemesis” to secrecy? Defend your answer. 

I do believe that the internet completely neglects the privacy of others. Online, I can type a name into google and up pops a twitter, facebook, and youtube account. All of which display very private information, publicly. Now-a-days, Not only can one view who you are and where you are from online, one can log onto formspring and ask you questions anonymously. Therefore, anything anyone wants to know can be asked and seen. The internet has created interesting ways to get to know someone's private details that most likely someone has gone to alot of trouble trying to keep private.

Blog 13

BLOG #13 - Do you think public schools should teach students ethics and personal values? Which values should schools teach in order to produce “good citizens”? What kinds of values (or even subjects) should not be taught in schools? Classify these values using some guiding principle or standard, and explain the characteristics of each category

     I do not believe schools should teach ethics or personal values. Values are meant to be a passage of a parent to a child. In todays world, many religions hold their own values or ethics and therefore if schools cross that line tehy could possibly cross religious boundaries and upset societal beliefs. If schools did teach values they should teach the values of raising a family in heathly ways and the impact parents can have on children. They should not ever cross teh line into religious values or values that pertain to innapropriate topics, like telling kids to not have premaritual sex. Values can be broken down into: Religion, family, school, sports and many other types. They are classified by the type of subjsect covered and how importantly society views certain values.

Blog 12

BLOG 12 - Consider the topic of movies. Put films into carefully thought-out categories. Discuss what constitutes a great film, and discuss examples. Try to be as explicit as possible regarding WHAT criteria or guiding principle you use to categorize them.

Comedy
Horror
Drama
Musical
Foreign
Animated

Great films must captivate an audience. They must impact generations, and the generations to come along with having themes that span full circle. Covering many aspects of human life, struggle, or the human need for love.

examples:

It's A Wonderful Life
Casa Blanca
The Godfather
The Graduate
Gone With The Wind

All of these films have captures audiences and impacted generations to come. Every film covers life changing, interesting, and topics that cover many aspects of the "American Dream".

Blog 11

AP Language and Composition Wight

Metacognition Questions on Definition Essay

Meta-Cognitive Reflection Directions: Respond to the following questions in your reflection journal. Your answers must be in complete sentences. All questions must be labeled by section and number. Keep organized for easy evaluation by instructor.

Culminating Writers Profile

Discuss how your expectations about your writing style and needs have both changed and remained the same since this class has started.

- I didn't expect to have grown so much in my writing in such a short time, but I already feel like I am improving immensely.

What do you see as your strengths as a writer and how have you reinforced them?

- I feel like I have a unique style and sentence structure, and i try to reinforce them whenever I can in my writing.

What do you still see as your writing weaknesses and what have you done to strengthen those areas?

- I defiantly need to improve my word choice and rhetorical devices. I try to listen to what Mr. Wight has to say and imput them into my writing.

Evaluating your writing process

If you had the time to write one more draft of this essay, how would you improve it?

- I would add in better language, and more imagery, but overall I enjoyed my essay structure.

As you received peer feedback and revised your essay, what did you find the easiest element to improve in your essay?

- I found it very easy to add more "oomph" to it. It was easy to improve the parts lacking interest or pizazz.

Discuss the biggest problem you had in writing and revising this essay.

- I had a really hard time connecting my introduction to my whole essay.

Evaluating Your Successes

Discuss your most successful large scale revision in this essay.

- I changed a lot of the intro and conclusion to make them work together.

Discuss your success in combining descriptive, narrative, and illustrative elements into this Definition Essay.

- I used a lot of personal narrative using description hoping to "show", rather than "tell".

Discuss your best success when considering your audience.

- I think my examples, which are personal stories, are very relatable, and add a lot of interest to the paper.

Being Honest with Self

What most intimidated you about this writing process and how did you combat this intimidation?

- It intimidated me to even write the essay, but once I started writing the ideas came to me and the paper started to flow.

What idea from our text influenced you to try a new strategy within your writing process?

- The box man paper influenced me to reveal my point in the end of my paper and to stay far away from shaffer format.

What idea did you pick up on from reading student essay examples that you tried in your own writing process?

-I always try to use student examples to help me with structure.

What idea for improving your essay did you learn from a peer?

- Peers told me to add more detail, and bulk. They also helped me connect the intro to the conclusion.

Where do you see yourself as a writer now, in both strengths and weaknesses, after completing this writing course?

-I see myself as a pretty good writer in my method,and imagery or details, but i suffer when it comes to using "mature" wording. After this course i really hope to have improved a lot in all aspects of writing.