All I'm Asking For Is My Body: Part 3.

"Honesty," Mr. Takemoto would say, "is the glue to any society. Without it the best society falls apart. Dishonesty is almost always dishonesty without money. That's why  the merchant class is considered the lowest in Japan, below the samurai, farmer, and artisan. Without honesty there can be no trust, no sincerity." I think that what Mr. Tokemoto was trying to say is what the main theme of our class has been all along. What is a society without honesty? Without lies there could be no honesty and without honesty there could be no lies. I think when he says "without honesty there can be no trust, no sincerity" he is trying to say that without honesty we can't have trust with in people. Tosh and Kiyoshi under stand this when Mr. Takemoto would tell them in a more abstract way. He would use story's so they could get the importance of sincerity, honesty, and trust. Without any of these important things we would have a very corrupted society.

Kiyoshis father later on hides 7,000 dollars and donates it the the Red Cross. The FBI comes and questions him if he is on the enemy's side or Americas side. I think it was very courageous of him to answer the way he did. It showed great honesty and integrity. He showed that he was not going to let the FBI intimidate him. His father also showed integrity (which is part of honesty) when Kiyoshi mentioned that his father would take Kiyoshi and his friends out fishing and waste gas, ice, and bait just to treat him. I think that this family is built on honesty. Tosh and Kiyoshi's mother don't hold anything back when talking to each other. They fight but at least they aren't talking behind each other's backs. I think that this book was very interesting and it kept me highly interested. I am so glad we got the opportunity to read this and I would love to read more from this author. I now have an in depth view of what went on in Hawaii and the challenges the Japanese people had to face.

Part 2: All I Asking for is My Body.

 Why does Kiyoshi believe Obaban is a substitute for his mom? 

Many things come to mind when I ask myself why does Kiyoshi believe Obaban is a substitute for his mother. First of all she is the eldest in the family. Wisdom is associated with age. I think Kiyoshi looks up to Obaban because she treated his mother with respect when many people treated her like "dirt." His mother thinks that she is being punished for someone else's substitute. He thinks that when Obaban has a stroke his mother has found another substitute and his mother has been freed. His mother even believes that Obaban is a substitute. When she says "I'm so glad you went to get Obaban. We must've both known, something must've told us we wouldn't see her again. It would've been too much if she too died without my seeing her. Thank you, thank you." I think that this quote is such a large part of this chapter because it shows that his mother loves his children. She appreciates Kiyoshi and him bringing Obaban because she knows that Obaban was her substitute. 

I think that when Kiyoshi first hears about Obaban's death he is somewhat happy because he knows that his mother is going to heal. He is young, scared, and can't even imagine going through his young years without his mother. I think that Obaban helped give his Mother some assurance that someone really loves her and is there for her. I am really interested into finding out more about this book. Like I said before I am completely interested into Japanese culture. 

 

Dialogue: All I Am Asking For Is My Body.

In part one of the book “All I asking for is my body” we are in the location of Pepelau, Hawaii. The narrator Kyo-chan is a young boy who is not a loud to play with his older friend Makot. Kyo-chans parents are poor. His father a fisherman and his mother makes kimonos. He was very respectful because his parents taught him to do so. Most of the town is very poor or in working class. They barely have enough money for food. They eat fish and rice on a daily basis and Kyo-chan sneaks out eat at his friend Makots house to eat something more delicious.

They were so poor that most people did not wear shoes. They wore them at night but during the day they were barefoot. Makot took Kyo-chan out to play and to the movies. Kyo-chan could not afford them so his friend offered to do so. His parents did not approve of him hanging out with them and so they banned him from doing so. I think they did this because they were worried. They wanted Kyo-chan to not look down on them. I am very interested in what is to come from this book. I have always enjoyed Japanese culture so I cant wait what is in store! 

Rules For Writers: Chapter 7.

It is very important when writing in a professional setting or for a professional setting to understand how to format it correctly. It could be anything from a business letter, to a resume, to a memo. For business letters you must be direct, clear, and courteous. Make sure you do not question yourself and be firm. State your main idea, the purpose of the letter, and only put important information that is clear and concise to the body. You show that the readers time is important when you follow these steps because then they get the purpose of your letter right away with out having to question. Full block style writing is when the letter has non indented paragraphs, typed single spaced, and double spaced in between the paragraphs. There is a signature at the end to show that it done.
Writing effective resumes and cover letters is very important specially when you applying for a job. Cover letters introduce yourself and tell the employer a few reasons why you want the job, what qualifies you for it, past experience, and helps present yourself in a good way. When writing your resume you should limit it to one page,  organize your categories clearly, present information in chronological order, use bulleted lists, and use strong verbs to emphasize what you have accomplished. Scannable Resumes are when you submit it online through a employer service. Remember to use keywords that could be highlighted by a scanner like "manager" or "supervisor". Avoid graphics and format features like tabs, indents, and columns. Web resumes are when you post your resume on a website. Consider putting in the html version in case it does not load properly. Writing memos that are clear and concise and emails that are clear is always important in a work setting. When writing a memo make sure it is straight to the point and short. Memos display the date, the name of the recipient, the name of the sender, and the subject on a seperate line at the top. Use headlines and display any items that deserve special attention.

I think I will use this in life a lot. I think that these are skills we must know to gain a good job. I know that I revised my own resume after reading this chapter and it looks a lot better! I was very interested in the email paragraph because sometimes when writing a email to my teachers I feel as if it needs to be more clear in what I need and want. This chapter will help me make my writing more effective and clear.

ESSAY 3 WORKSHOP

Catherine Mandrell

4/20/11

English 100

            A major theme in the movie is the question does Arnold have integrity? I have very mixed feelings about Arnold. I think that at times Arnold has integrity but at other times he lacks integrity all together. Thomas and Arnold set off on a journey to release Arnold’s ashes. The film begins by showing a house fire where Victor’s father Arnold, rescues Thomas as young boy from a house fire, which killed his parents. Thomas considers him a hero and idolizes him. Arnold was like the father he never had. He taught Thomas things and helped him grow as an individual. I think that Arnold stepped up and took responsibility, which showed integrity. 

Victor who was the son of Arnold suffers from Arnold’s alcoholism, domestic abuse, and eventually desertion, both hates his father but also has a large love for him. This bitter resentment leads to Thomas and Victor growing up together and fighting with each other. We find out that Arnold, drunkenly one night, shot off a firework into the living room window, causing the fire in Thomas’s house which consequently killed Thomas’s parents. Thomas never finds out about this and I think that this shows great integrity from Arnold. While some may argue he was not being truthful and that lying could wipe out any kind of integrity that Arnold could carry, I however argue that he did it for the best.

            I feel as if Arnold never told Thomas what really happened because he knew it would devastate him. I think that it took a lot of integrity because he could have easily come out and said it. I think that he didn’t want Thomas to resent him and instead took him under his wing to make up for it. That also shows a lot of integrity. He could have just let Thomas live his life with out anybody there to help him. Just thrown off what he had done and forget about it. Instead he helped Thomas and let him into his life.  When Arnold was alive, he would go to Thomas sitting on the bridge near the falls, and they would both go out and get something to eat. Arnold and Thomas were like father and son, bonded by the heroic act of Arnold saving his life. 

I think that Arnold also has another side to him, which greatly lacks integrity. I think that relying on alcohol to solve your problems is one of the most ignorant and selfish things a person can do, especially when you are affecting the people you are supposed to care about and love. He lacks integrity every time he picks up a bottle. It shows a sign of weakness. I think that his alcoholism is one of the main reasons people see Arnold as not showing any integrity. I think that leaving his family was one of the worst things he could have done. Arnold’s impact on Victor made him the bitter person he was. The role of Victor highlights an emotional journey. All caused by his father. Victor is able to come to peace and shed his hatred of his father when he embraces his own cultural heritage.

            I feel as if maybe if Arnold changed his ways and stopped the heavy drinking he could have mended his relationship with his son.

MORE TO COME!

            

This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona

"Listen, Victor said as they stopped in front of the trailer. "I never told you I was sorry for beating you up up that time. " "Oh, It was nothing. We were just kids and you were drunk." "Yeah, but I'm still sorry." "That's all right."

This moment is a prime example of the Victor and Thomas's relationship. It is salty and sweet. It's a love hate relationship. In this moment we see a view of Victor that we don't normally see in the movie. We see a sense of remorse and gratitude towards Thomas. It's interesting because Usually Victor gets annoyed of Thomas. I think there relationship gets deeper because they are visiting where Victors father died. He finds out that his father had died of a heart attack in Phoenix, Arizona.  Later on in the short story we find that when they went to the trailer to the death place of Victors father, it still reeks of dead body. It must really be hard for Victor because he too had a salty sweet relationship with his father. He was trying to retreive old photos and other tangible objects. It was part of his past and even though  Victor was abused and had alcoholic father he still wanted to have his past with him.
Arnonld was Victors real father. He was a father like figure to Thomas as well. Thomas never saw what Arnonld really acted like. I feel as if this has a huge effect on Victor and Thomas's relationship because in this quote you can see that Victor obviously treated Thomas bad sometimes out of resentment. He saw what his father was like; a sloppy drunk. Thomas never had to see what his father was like. Victor was jealous. He wasent just saying sorry for beating him up he was saying sorry for jealousy and his own emotions putting a gap in between there friendship.

Smoke Signals

What do you think about the relationship between Thomas and Victor?

Thomas and Victor have a very interesting relationship. I think that when you grow up with someone your bond to that person is very strong because they know you so well. Thomas and Victor grew up together on an American Indian Reservation. It was hard to get away from each other. Thomas the sweet, kind character and Victor the rugged, hard headed, character. Thomas and Victor are almost like brothers. I can relate to this because my best friends are like my sisters. I have known them since I was about five years old so I felt like I could really relate to how Thomas and Victor felt about each other. Victor and Thomas go on a journey to release Victors fathers ashes. This is a very bittersweet moment for Victor for his father was some what of an alcoholic. Thomas is there for Victor because his father saved him in a fire as a young boy. The fact that Victors father saved Thomas is one aspect into why there relationship is so strong. 

Victor seems somewhat annoyed by Thomas at times. Thomas asks many questions, and is dorky. Victor on the other hand is stubborn and cocky. Somehow Thomas and Victors relationship works though. Thomas tells many story's that are very vivid and could go on forever. Victor gets pretty annoyed when they last a long time but I think he secretly likes to hear about his father. I think it helps the pain of his fathers death go away. Although Victors father was abusive I think that Victor has resentment but also pain that his father and Victor never had the relationship he wanted. Victor learns from Thomas that with a kind heart you can be happy.