Author: rgardner2 (Page 6 of 7)

1. Which images from Lameris’s poem resonate most with you, and why?

I’d have to say the picture of the hands reaching out of the blue sleeve as though they’re reaching out to something. To me it looks as if the hands are there acting as if they’re all places for you to grab onto and pull yourself out of whatever hole you’ve found yourself in.

1. What is the poet’s argument here? What does she want us, the reader, to consider? and what is your response to her argument(s)? Valid? Half-baked? Too sentimental? Spot on?

I think her argument is all people love and want to be loved. She’s saying love is the natural state humans chose and any other has to be thought about or actively changed as it’s against our nature. I completely believe her. I think going out of your way to compliment someone or helping them find something at the grocery store is an act of love every time. I think any chance you take to make someone happy, even a complete stranger, is an act of love.

1. In what ways does “Small Kindnesses” interact with ideas or themes from prior course readings? Be specific as you make connections.

I think it contradicts Bloom’s take on empathy as Bloom thinks we should be less emotional towards individuals whereas Laméris thinks we are driven by emotion towards others. I also believe Laméris and DFW have very similar ideas as they’re both powered by thinking about other people rather than being completely self centered. To me this is what Konnikova’s article was worried about losing; this intimacy of being in person with people even if they’re complete strangers. Chen’s article proves Laméris’ point in my opinion because Chen’s article shows that even after years of indoctrination she managed to start caring and loving others because she feels as though loving people is right.

1. In what ways is this a “pandemic poem”?

I’d say this is a pandemic poem because it romanticizes the everyday things; the little interactions we’d have strangers rather than family to emphasize the importance of everyday interaction. I think seeing people we know is extremely important to our mental health but seeing people we don’t know out living their lives on the street as we walk by is also extremely important to our mental health. We need to know we’re not alone in our little circles.

1. Read the poem aloud to someone not in our class, then have a brief discussion about it. Write a couple sentences about the interaction.

1. What was your final thesis statement? Paste, then analyze its strengths & weaknesses in a focused paragraph (considering specificity, taking a stance, narrow focus, multiple components).

My final thesis statement was, “I, however, believe Bloom’s take is much too harsh but DFW’s ideas about being more aware to those around us and making the mundane things more enjoyable are completely worth adopting in my everyday life.” I’d say it probably could be stronger in terms of explaining the stance I’m taking. We know I agree with DFW but not really why or what I’ll get into in this essay which I could’ve found a way to add into my thesis.

1. In a separate paragraph, describe what you learned or were reminded of about your own writing process, from completing Paper #2. 

I learned that I may not add my own voice enough. I had plenty of quotes and things from Bloom and DFW however a lot of the feedback I got from this paper was that I needed to add more of my own thoughts. I think it would’ve been easier for me if I was able to make this paper a bit longer. I had so many ideas on these readings that it was kind of hard for me to corral them and figure out which were the most important and should go into my essay. Because of that I think I lost a lot of my own voice.

1. In another paragraph: Which aspect of revision did you focus on most? What changes or adjustments made your essay stronger? Be specific. 

My revision focused mostly on trying to get rid of the word “this” or “that” and adding in my own voice. I didn’t realize how much I used vague words like “this or “that” in an essay until I went through and looked for them. I tried to get rid of them wherever I could and add more descriptive words so it’s more known what I’m talking about. As well as then going through and adding in my opinion. If I wrote something like “Bloom says….” I would then add “I think…” or something alongs those lines which I didn’t have in my rough draft.

1. How might you approach Paper #3 differently, from pre-reading and annotating, all the way through completion of your final draft? 

I may try to organize my thoughts the same way I organzine the quotes I find. Or I could try the way Hannah writes and write my thoughts first then fine quotes and things that fit into the narrative I’ve already written. I think that’s a bit too extreme so I may just try to write out a bullet list of my thoughts and all the ones I want to include and where I may include them in my essay.

1. In his essay, Paterniti uses “close 3rd” point of view as he describes each of the main characters. How does his choice of point of view impact your understanding and impression of motel owners Jack and Bout, specifically?

This was of thinking puts us in their heads and their shoes so much better until all of a sudden he says something like “can you feel it?” and pull you right out of that head space that you’re not actually in his head. I also think he did it so that you’d empathize a bit more with the character and really understand where they’re coming from as though their thoughts are your own.

1. The dreaded question–what is this essay really about, in your own words? Frame one direct quote (using the quote sandwich method) to support your answer.

I don’t one hundred percent know what this is about. It very well could be a story about how some people may just need to talk to each other for things to be figured out. Or a story about how people will be content to hate and be hated because it’s easier than changing their mind set. Or it could be something like “Hills like White Elephants” by Hemingway where the story is about something not even mentioned. I think it’s a narrative about how so many people are content to hate and be hated even if something as simple as a conversation may open up lines of conversation. Although a lot of the patrons that came into the motels seemed to be hateful as well. So maybe it’s a commentary about how the whole world hates and is hated.

1. What do you think Paterniti wants us, the reader, to think about once we finish his essay? Use two direct quotes to help support your answer.

I really have no idea. I kind of want to read it again but also I don’t know how much that will help. I think it may be a commentary on getting into people’s heads and understanding where they’re coming from no matter what outward appearance they give off. Or that at the end of the day no matter where you come from if you’ll have the same mentality “I hate and I’m hated.” I don’t know.

1. What does it mean “to be American”? How do Jack and Bout support and/or challenge your definition of “American”?

I don’t know. I absolutely don’t agree with Jack about how native people aren’t American and about how Bout isn’t one even though she legally is. I think American is also more a state of mind than an actual thing? On paper I’m American because I was born in America and am an American citizen but I know plenty of people who would say I’m “not a true American” because of some of my views or because I’m not as patriotic as some think I should be. I think being American is a mindset but it’s the same mindset most people have no matter the country. I’d say an American mindset is working hard and bettering yourself but I think most people would say that’s a good mindset no matter the country. On top of the fact that people have all different ideas of what American is.

1. How do the themes in “Eating Jack Hooker’s Cow” interact with themes in prior readings? Be specific.

I wonder if it’s a commentary on people eating away at Jack Hookers empathy like they eat “his” cows. I think this could relate to Bloom’s article on how empathy can be harmful to not only other people but themselves. I’m a little confused on the title I definitely want to know what the class thinks of it.

I feel like I was much better at giving advice this time as I had been through this process before and had reflected on the type of feedback I would’ve wanted to hear but maybe hadn’t. I also felt like I got better feedback this time. I think because we had all been through this process and realized what we wanted to hear it was much easier for us to give that feedback. I really like peer review. It’s always fun to read work done by others in the class and I love being told what I can improve on when it comes to my writing.

From what Lamott has to say, is writing a first draft more about the product or
the process? Do you agree in regard to your own first drafts? Explain.

I’d say Lamott says a first draft is more about the process than the product. It’s just to get your ideas down and on the paper; out of your head. Whatever comes out comes out at the end of the day all that matters is you’ve put something down. I completely agree with her. There’s nothing worse than starting something; I feel like I have to start it off so good and with such gusto that way the whole thing can follow in that way and that doesn’t make sense. It’s like a hockey player strapping on skates, going out on the ice without warming up and expecting to play at their very best. We need the warm up time. I love hearing writers talk about how they struggle and how they hate their first drafts. Not because I’m a sadist or something, but because it makes me feel less alone. Knowing I’m not the only one that struggles with a first draft or even with hating my own work in the beginning is comforting.

• In 400 words or less, summarize the piece AND show (with framed quotes and paraphrase from the text) what you believe to be the author’s three main points/arguments. Support with textual evidence and include your own initial response to the material.

Bloom’s article is all about empathy and how it can do more harm than good. Bloom goes through many examples of how empathy can be a problem. He states, “A world in which an act helps one person in the here and now can lead to greater suffering in the future (1).” He says empathy tends to be biased and his reasoning is that people cannot be empathic to more than a few people at a time and that they’re less likely to be empathic towards others they don’t know. He says people need to use diffuse compassion and intellect to help have a more unbiased form of helpfulness.

• Do you agree with Bloom’s main arguments? Why or why not?

I think Bloom makes some good points. But fundamentally I completely disagree. I think Bloom’s article helps that prejudice they seem to be against. By using empathy so much in this article they claim we can understand what different people are going through which we can’t always do. The argument is made that white people find it harder to empathize with POC. However I as a white person cannot empathize with POC on racism. I have no idea or understanding what it’s like to face racism. I know what it is and that it’s awful. But I will never directly have to deal with it. Because of this I can only sympathize. If I empathize I assume I understand and know what POC facing racism are going through. Which I don’t and can’t. This false understanding can lead to prejudice and bias. I cannot empathize with POC therefore I should listen to their voices as I can’t understand. Going through life with this false sense that I CAN empathize makes it so I may listen as much or as hard. This is my biggest issue with the article. The idea of empathy and sympathy are used interchangeably which is awful. I shouldn’t think I can empathize I need to know I’ll never understand what it’s like. It’s important to know that and this is true for many other issues. I will never be able to empathize as I will never understand. I need to know that in order to listen and know how I can help or if I simply need to stand to the side. Operating under the assumption you can empathize with everyone and can simply imagine how anything anyone has gone through feels can cause prejudice and bias of its own.

• In what ways does Bloom challenge your initial understanding or perception regarding empathy?

Bloom does make me realize there is a bias in empathy and the idea that we ca’t empathize with everyone. I do like that that’s pointed out in the article. I think great points are made that if something gets enough media coverage things with change but people are very eager to turn a blind eye to things as it’s easier.

• Find one claim Bloom makes that evoked a strong response. Paste the direct quote from his piece, then write a few sentences in which you challenge OR support his claim in your own words.

“Here your empathy is silent — how can you empathize with a statistical abstraction? To the extent that you can appreciate that it’s better for one specific child to die than for an unknown and imprecise larger number of children to die, you are using capacities other than empathy.” I don’t know that I 100% agree with this. I can sympathize with that fact that hundreds more families would have to go through losing a child and I don’t want that to happen (however Bloom is right I cannot EMPATHIZE with them as I don’t know what it’s like to lose a child). But this quote, to me, also frames humans as having a one track mind. I’m can understand the vaccine in this example is needed to save many more lives while also feeling bad it killed a child. I can use both an emotional and logically part of my brain at once. They’re not two separate things. I think this is a complex issue but this article is diluting too much and acting as though it’s black and white when it’s actually multiple shades of grey.

1.) What was your final thesis statement? Paste, then analyze its strengths and weaknesses in a focused paragraph (considering specificity, taking a stance, narrow focus, multiple components).

My final thesis statement was, “Social media should be taken less seriously and children should be monitored or not use it at all.” I think I could’ve made it more specific and focused around my ideas. I honestly wish I had volunteered it to be workshopped with the class I think I would’ve benefited greatly from that. I do hit my topics and make my claim but there was so much more I said in the essay and even more I wanted to say. I think part of the issue was this was only a four page paper. I could’ve written about this for much longer than only four pages so it was choosing which ideas were most important and what I should focus on.

2.) In a separate paragraph, describe what you learned or were reminded of about your own writing process.

I was reminded that I need to force myself to sit down and write things. I think the process I use to write my essays works well. I lay out what topics I want to hit and what I want to talk about, gather quotes that fix that topic, then I sit down and get most of it done. I usually skip the intro for last. I get everything laid out beforehand so when I sit and write I don’t have to stop I can just go for it and get it all out there. The problem is sitting down and writing. I get my outlining done days before I have to but leave the writing for the last minute. I need to find a spot on campus where I can just hole up and feel the need to be productive so I can write it. That’s always been my biggest issue with essays or papers.

3.) In another paragraph which aspect of your revision did you focus most on? What changes or adjustments made your essay stronger?

I focused most on making sure everything flowed together. I find that when I write I can think I explained something extremely clearly but I actually didn’t. So making sure my points are developed and coherent are my biggest worries. Sometimes I can leave a sentence or idea half finished so leaving the draft for a few days then returning fresh faced can make me realize just how messy my writing can get. I’m always looking for ways to make my sentences or paragraphs better flow into each other.

4.) How might you approach paper #2 differently from pre-reading and annotation, all the way through completion of your final draft?

I’d try to get paper #2 done and written before the day it’s due so I have time to properly revise and rethink over my ideas. That way if something big or structural about the essay has to change it’s not a race against the clock or a “well too late now” kind of deal. I want to be able to go in and make those changes with the proper time to do so. That way the paper can be as best as I can make it. I’d also like to annotate the things I read more. It’s much more helpful to have good annotations that way I don’t have to completely reread the article multiple times to find the quotes I need or to be able to create a good summary. I want to mark up what I’m reading more so I can remember what I was thinking/feeling when I first read it.