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. 

Chapter 51

Avoiding Plagiarism

It is important when writing an essay or paper to not plagiarize another persons work. This can lead to horrible consequences which can ruin your academic career. To make sure you don't plagiarize you should maintain a bibliography. You must keep a record of any sources you have used in your works. This list of sources will show up at the end of your paper in APA style format of MLA style format depending on which one you are using. Sometimes all the information for citing your source is not available but it is important to look around a bit for the missing information before assuming that it is not available.
To ensure you don't unintentionally plagiarize take notes and comment on your sources. When working on your bibliography keep in mind when it is a book you will need to include the author or editor, the title, the subtitled, and the publishing information. When  citing a periodical article you must show the authors, the title, the subtitle, the title of the magazine or journal or newspaper, the date, volume, issue, and page number. When writing a bibliography and it has a web source you should show the authors, the editor, the title and subtitle, the title of the site, the publication information, the page or paragraph number, last update, the sponsor of the site, the date it was accessed by you, and the web URL.
Finally it is important to summarize without plagiarizing. Making a summary simple by making a whole chapter summarized into a small paragraph. When you re word what you are saying you are not only not plagiarizing but you are always learning.
I think that this chapter will help me greatly which is why I picked it. I always have a tough time writing my bibliography so it was nice to kind of re fresh my memory. I think that plagiarizing is a horrible thing because your not really learning anything if you just steal someones work.

Chapter 48

Evaluating Arguments:

When evaluating arguments it is important to to distinguish between reasonable and fallacious argument tactics. Using hasty generalizations, and false analogies an argument can turn fallacious. A hasty generalization is a conclusion based on insufficient or not representative evidence. Stereo types are also a hasty generalization in the fact that you make a conclusion or hasty generalization about a particular group. Some examples include people of a certain ethnicity can't do something because they are of that ethnicity.
It is important to draw analogies. A analogy is when you point out a similarity between two things that are different. You must be aware of false analogys. A false analogy is when you assume that two things are alike in one aspect then they must be alike in other aspects. This can be very misleading. You should also weigh options and take other things into consideration. Do not make an assumption just because you think it is true. Lastly you must judge how fair the writer is and if they accept the opposing views well.
I think I will be able to use this when writing research papers now. I will use this when trying to prove my point and I think it will make my papers much more precise. I need to work on arguments in papers so the next paper I have I will go straight to this chapter and use it as a reference.

Obituary: Mr.Harvey

I think that Mr.Harvey was just wanted his students to be the best they can be. He was telling them the truth, and the truth hurts. I think that sometimes you have to be realistic. In America it would be very hard to become a productive part of society with broken English. Mr.Harvey may be harsh but it is obvious that he just wants to motivate his students to do better. I think his way of teaching might not be moral but I think that really he just wants the kids in the class to not be stuck and have multiple opportunity's in life. In the beginning it is clear that this is the case because Lois-Ann Yamanaka says "No make f-you finger to Mr.Harvey. We gotta try and talk the way he say. No more dis and dat and wuz and cuz' cause we only hurting ourselfs." The writer is ashamed of the broken English. I don't think that just because a person can't speak proper English that they are ignorant I think that society doesn't care if you are smart or not. Society judges you on your appearance and how you present yourself.

Chapter 47

When writing a argument you must construct it in a way that it is reasonable. Some easy ways to make a good argument is to focus on your audience. View them as a panel of jurors. Don't jump to conclusions that your audience already agrees with you. View your argument as data to persuade the audience. When writing your introduction you must establish your thesis statement and be sure to make clear what your position is. Show credibility by showing your audience that you are fair and know what you are talking about. Back your thesis up with persuasive arguments and support your claims by using specific evidence. When you use facts and statistics it can help you extremely well because it is known with certainty to be true. When talking about your argument you must anticipate the other side as well.
I think I will use this when writing a paper that is based on proving my point. I think I find this very useful because sometimes proving your point can be hard. Sometimes when I write papers that have an argument in them I tend to think that the audience already agrees with me. I think that now reading this I will be a better writer when writing papers that require me to use an argument.

Coming Home Again: ESSAY 2 ROUGH DRAFT

Catherine Mandrell

Lauren Servais

3/8/11

In coming home again by Chang-Rae Lee there is a significance of family. I can relate to this story and Chang-Rae in it because my grandmother came to stay with us when my mother got back surgery. She came for a few months and made delicious meals every night. I can remember the succulent chicken baked in the oven stuffed with goat cheese and rosemary, the fluffy mash potatoes, and the hot fresh rolls out of the oven. My grandmother was there for my mom in her time of need and we greatly appreciated it. Just like in Coming home again where her son is there for his mother. I remember I would watch my grandmother in the kitchen like Chang Lee watched his mother. I was fascinated by it. I too enjoyed cooking and she even taught me how to make some of our family’s favorite meals. My grandmother and I bonded over those long six months. I was only around the age of eleven but I still understood that if my grandmother were not here it would not be an easy recovery for my Mom. The writer and his mother had a great bond when they were in the kitchen. Like in Lee’s family my family was the same way in the fact that dinnertime was my family’s time to catch up with each other and unwind from the day. I always enjoy hearing what my family has to say. It’s really rare that we are able to eat dinner around the table anymore and I deeply miss that but life is just too hectic now a day's.

The last time we saw my grandma we went out to Las Vegas to visit her at her condo. I surprised her when she came home from work with a full course meal. She was ecstatic! I made her the things she taught me the last time she came to visit. It was pork tenderloin set in a marinade for an hour and grilled, mash potatoes with lots of butter and cream, and a salad with homemade vinaigrette. Although this wasn’t exactly heart friendly food she ate it with joy.  Food is a big part of my family’s life just like in Coming Home Again.

My grandma and me have a very close relationship like Lee and his mother. The prime example in the story of how close Chang and his mother are is when he is making Mahn-doo filling. His mother tells Chang  “I don’t know how you were going to make it without me.”  Chang responds with “I don’t know either.” This shows there strong mother son bond. I am one of the only girl cousins in our family so whenever I am around my abnormally humungous family they completely spoil me. Just like his mother hated to say no to him my grandmother was the same. It hurt her to say no to me. She wanted so badly to give me everything but she knew that not getting my way everytime would build character.

The Insufficiency of Honesty

Carters definition of integrity is discerning what is right and what is wrong, Acting on what you have discerned, and saying that you are openly acting on your understanding of what is right and what is wrong. Discerning what is right and wrong is important because it shows what kind of moral values we have. It is a test if we comprehend right from wrong. Acting on what you have "discerned" is important because you need to follow through with commitments and what you have chosen to be either honest or not. Openly acting on what your understanding and faith in what's right or what is wrong in knowing that integrity can be trusted.
All the dishonesty in the world scares me. I am frightened that people are constantly lieing. After all All the worlds a stage and you and me are merely players.  Us, being the main actress or actors,  smack dab in the middle of the stage. Our front stage appearance is what we portray we are. Our backstage who we really are. You know all those things you think about on a day to day basis but don't say out loud. Why can't we all come out and say exactly what is on our minds? Because we are constantly in backstage appearance. We are constantly thinking how to act. How to dress. What to eat. So in some sense everyone is constantly lying a little bit.

Shooting Dad

 What accounts for the narrator’s struggles with her dad?


The narrator Sarah Vowell grew up in Oklahoma. Her father was a gunsmith and Sarah didn't completely support it. Her struggles come from her experiences and strong views. Some experiences being one day Sarah's sister, father and her went to a shooting range. Sarah held a pistol and shot it. She recalled that when she shot the gun it flung her backwards. She knew from a bad experience that guns were not for her. Maybe Sarah felt bad that her sister on the "other hand" was very interested in guns. It was something that her sister and father could share and maybe the narrator felt jealous or guilty for not taking pride in her fathers work. Her reluctance in family activities might have made her bitter. 


The narrator also shares one experience of not having so much reluctance and struggle with her father. The day he shot the canon. Immediately Sarah's father is suspicious when she says she wants come all the way to Montana to watch him shoot off the canon. When they set the  canon off in the mountains they both are amazed by it.  Sarah and her father are bonding on a whole new level. 

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 discusses revising and editing your draft. First you must use a checklist for doing a revision. First ask yourself if the purpose of your draft is projected to the right audience. Then make sure the focus of the paper is clear and concise. Ask yourself if the thesis is clear, if there is no thesis make sure your clear if there is a reason for omitting one, and finally if any of your ideas are off point. Organization and paragraphing is also very important because you need to make sure your ideas are presented in logical order and your topic sentences and headings are present. You also need to make sure your paragraphs are not too short or not too long. Ask yourself if your ideas are logical and presented in order. After you have checked everything above it is important to make sure the body and content of your paper is relevant and persuasive. Do any ideas need further development or material deleted?  Is there anywhere where material needs to be deleted?

I am going to use this by revising my papers better and using these tools to further better my papers. I need to focus more on revising my papers better because sometimes I get so excited that my paper is finally done that I do not go back and revise. I am sure that I would get a better grade if I focused more on revising the draft and adding and subtracting bits and pieces from my paper. Proofreading my paper over will not only make it sound better but will also be a relief to me because then I know that I did the best paper to my ability.

Coming Home Again

What is the importance of food in this essay?

The importance of food in this essay is everywhere. The writer finds relief with in food. Although is Mom was unable to cook he cooked for his family. It was a sense of comfort. When the Mom became extremely ill the entire family came together to be by her side. Her family was there for her like they should be. Food was seen as a way of life with in there family. It was a time when everyone could come together and sit around the table and unwind. It was a time to enjoy your family's company and spend time together. I remember when I was younger and with my family at dinnertime my Mother always use to say that we have to sit around the table because it's our bonding time. Although I don't have much time anymore we still try and at least once a week sit down for dinner. When we do have dinner with one another I can feel us all coming together as a family and its really enjoyable. 

All the vivid detail shows that the family not only came together as one when it was dinner time but they also praised her cooking. It's something that they all wanted in there day to day lives. When New Years Eve came in 1990 it was there final holiday together. They new that this might be the last time they spent a holiday together so the family came together and wanted to prepare some of her favorite foods. Although the mom could not eat she wanted the children to understand she appreciated the food so she told them it tasted good. She didn't want the children to see there mother, the person they praised and loved in pain. She wanted it to be hidden from reality. 

Chapter 2!

In chapter two we learn that in order to have a well constructed paper we must rough out an initial draft. Focusing on ideas and organization is very important. Before you learn to write it is important to use all prewriting materials such as outlines, diagrams, lists, notes and freewriting. Drafting a introduction with a thesis is step one. It should introduce the main points of your paper, your thesis, and be between fifty to one hundred and fifty words. To hook the reader the thesis may use a question, a startling statistic, a vivid example, a description, a paradoxical statement, a quotation, an analogy, or a anecdote. The hook should cater to your audience. An effective thesis is the central idea that can be supported by not just one fact but a number of them. It should be able to be supported with enough evidence to get your point across. When done with the introduction and thesis you must draft the body. The body supports the thesis with evidence. Then comes the conclusion. The conclusion should remind the reader the main idea of the essay but not repeat it dully. It should be short and the readers should by now understand your point. The conclusion can include a detail or example from the introduction.

I feel like I already knew most of this but it certainly helped refresh my memory. Sometimes I tend to mess up my conclusion by going on and on and now that I have read this I have a clearer understanding of how to do it properly. I also feel like the section on the introduction helped me by understanding how to make a proper thesis. It can be rough making the write thesis for an essay and supporting it with enough evidence. Now I see that it should be clear, concise, and focus on your main idea of your paper. I will use this format for future papers by drafting ahead of time and using an outline.

Theater

The reason I chose the theater masks is because growing up theater was a huge part of my life. Ever since I was little I was in ballet class, dance class, Broadway Bound Kids, which is a local theater group where I live, or doing auditions. I can still remember the way the lights dimmed as the curtains closed, I could still feel my heart beating like a racehorse, faster, faster, faster. I ran off stage into the dressing room full of poufy dresses that had large petty coats.  It was hard to catch a breath in such a small space. When changing into my costume I could barely move without hitting someone’s side with my elbow. As I got into my next outfit I ran to side stage filled with backstage helpers and the directors assistant. She was reading gracefully over the pages of the script skimming to make sure everything was on cue. The cast was quietly awaiting the next scene and watching our Julie Andrews wannabe skip across the stage singing to the sound of music.

The lights on stage were hot, melting my makeup off like fire penetrating a cigarette, the floors were dirty and had scuff marks from previous plays that took place years before.  I smiled as my heart started to race again. It wasn’t the bad kind of racing either. It was the kind where you feel the crowds clapping. Louder, louder, louder, the claps were full of excitement. The lights dimmed again and I took my place on stage along with the rest of the Von Trap Family. Once the curtains opened I could see the audience’s smiling faces, they became wider as the lights started to slowly turn on. The music started and we began singing around the stage dancing in unison and saying lines. I made sure to nail every line I had and felt a sense of achievement. It felt good to impact the audience with our performance. The final scene was done and we were singing the big finale. Are faces were smiling big like we just won the Nobel Prize.  As we finished off So Long Farwell with the entire cast, fireworks shot out like canon balls. We started moving back into the stage as the curtains started closing and were ecstatic we accomplished our first show. When I got back stage I was greeted by my parents who were smiling ear to ear. They handed me roses and chocolate and congratulated me. I was so proud that I got to be Martha in the Sound of Music and its still a memory that carries with me today. Theater has and always will be a part of my life. Although I am no longer participating in theater I still like to go to the Broadway shows in San Francisco. I think that the whole idea of performing a play that is overly dramatic is intriguing to me.

Participating in theater not only helped me become less shy but also gave me good morals. Instead of going out and doing destructive things I went to in rehearsal, which helped me have structure in my life. 

Omission

Ericsson's definition of Omission says that the person telling the lie tells most of the truth with some points left out. I agree with this because a lot of people do this. I remember countless times that when I found out my friend or person I was acquainted with was lying and usually they used omission where they would tell me most of the truth but with some of the key points left out. I suppose people lie to make sure the person on the other end doesn't get hurt but it's really something I try to avoid and not do because it can end up biting you in the butt later. It's just a matter of time before karma catches up to you. 

I feel like people lie in order to "lubricate the daily machinery of living" because they feel if like they will hurt the persons feelings if they tell the truth. People aren't able to face reality sometimes so they lubricate the truth. I think it's important to tell the truth no matter what the consequence is. I sure learned my lesson a few times the hard way. I don't think it's possible to be a complete honest person if you tell lies. That defeats the whole point of being honest. 

Rules for Writers: Chapter 1

The Writing Process in chapter 1 main focus was how to write a well written paper and the stages of writing a paper. The first thing to do when writing a paper is to "assess the writing situation." The key points when assessing the writing situation is to look at the subject, the sources of information available to you, the purpose, your audience in which you are trying to reach out to, length, document format, review sessions, formulating a tentative thesis, and the deadline. First the subject, usually the subject will be given to you but sometimes you can be free to choose your subject. When this happens you must be aware of the expectations of the assignment. When looking at the sources of information you must be aware of the facts, details, and examples and where they come from. you can use personal experience, readings or text, observations, and interviews and questionnaires.

The purpose of the assignment is important. You don't want to confuse the writer. Asking yourself why the reader will care about what your writing is something to think about when writing the paper. There are many purposes some of which are to inform, to persuade, to entertain, to analyze, to argue, to evaluate, to summarize, to express feeling, to provoke thought, and to change attitudes. Questioning what you are trying to persuade can lead to asking yourself what audience you are trying to aim at. This can lead to strategy for entertaining your readers or reaching them. The length and document format is another thing to consider when writing a paper. If there is a strict guideline on what the length or document design should be you should probably research what the audience expects.

Formulating a tentative thesis means to explore your topic and identify questions you are interested in. When writing a thesis consider the following: Can you support your thesis with evidence available? Can you explain to readers why they will want to read an essay with the given thesis? Will you be able to include all your support? Will your evidence and points run out too quickly? If writing a thesis seems to hard you can simply sketch a plan by using a formal outline. Writing a paper may seem complicated at first but with much practice it is quite simple.

I can use this information in so many ways! The next time i write an essay I will diffidently read this chapter and use it as a guideline. I feel like if you just use these points you will have the perfect essay. Sometimes when I write essays I have troubles writing and figuring out my thesis. This cleared up most of my questions. Usually I run out of support and evidence when writing a paper and now that I understand to take things so and make an outline I feel like I will do much better. It's really important to assess the writing situation and use all elements of writing a paper. I sometimes just start a paper the night before and don't asses the entire situation. I think if i were to make a outline, annotate, pay more attention to the purpose and audience I will have far better writing and not have a bunch of thoughts bunched together that don't make sense.

"The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me"

    What does it mean to be smart in contemporary U.S. society? What do people need to know and/or be able to do, and where is all of this learned? 


Sherman Alexie was a Spokane Indian boy living on a reservation in Washington State. He was expected to be "stupid" by his Indian peers. This may seem crazy to some but in his culture it was a bad thing. He refused to fail and taught himself how to read the hundreds of books his dad owned. This lead to him becoming a writer and influencing many Indian children today.


In contemporary U.S. society knowledge is power. Without knowledge or education it is almost impossible to gain a high paying job, or even support a family comfortably. I don't mean to sound ignorant because there are some people that have made millions without going on to a higher education but that is a very low statistic. You are more likely to get a job that pays high with a college diploma than if you were to apply without one. It's hard in this economy we are in because it is even more important to gain an education since everyone is looking for work. I feel like I have some sense of safety in going to school. In U.S. society you are seen as smart if you get good grades and stay in school. You are seen as smart if you got a education. If you have a minimum wage job and your trying to support your family U.S. society may see you as ignorant or you didn't try enough hard in school. It's tough living in U.S society. 


The work force doesn't look at what skills you may have to offer. It sees intelligence as where you went to school, how long you went to school, and if you recieved a diploma. There are many people that are brillient and haven't gone on to college. People need to know the basics to survive in the U.S. From kindergarden to about Eighth grade we are taught how to read, write, add, subtract and multiply. All these subjects teach us how to get by in life. The U.S. has high standards but I think that they help us as a nation if you engage in them. 

Writing Topic: Rules for Writers chapter 46

Analysis or a summary are usually associated when referring to an essay, periodical articles, government reports, and books. These are all known as texts. When writing about a text you must first prepare yourself to do so by annotating the text with observations and questions and outlining the key points. This can help the reader in many ways by getting the full understanding out of the text. Annotating the text means to read and actively write down your own thoughts or questions about the text. This means you are engaging with the text and comprehending the text. When annotating the text you must re read the text, analyze the text, write down details that surprise you, and use critical thinking to further understand it. Outlining what you are reading is important too, it can help your collision of thoughts become more clear. When reading a text write down the topic sentences and thesis. Summarizing a text can help you understand the main ideas and key points.
I think that these techniques can help immensely. I can use these tools to help write better and have a more clear understanding of what I am reading. I have some issues with writing papers sometimes and getting the full meaning out of a paper after I read it. I think that if I use these techniques It will help me become a better writer.

Freewriting Exercises

 Freewriting is used to help facilitate stronger and better writing. A freewrite is sometimes known as "babbling" or "automatic writing." It's meant to be mindless writing because it's not supposed to be judged on editing or the mistakes made. The only rule in freewriting is that you must write for ten minutes straight. We edit the grammer and punctuation as we write as well as unacceptable thoughts. So when we freewrite it lets are thoughts explore and be free. The writer can get incoherent because they are focused on editing or re wording the way something might sound. In freewriting it is non editing, if you practice freewriting on a regular basis it can make writing less blocked and your words will flow more easily from your brain to the tip of your pencil. While reading this article called "Free Writing Exercises" I was suppd that it actually helped your writing if done regularly.  Its very understanding that when we are writing we are constantly editing and rephrasing. I know that when I mess up a word my thought process is entirely thrown off or I get confused on what I would like to say next. Freewriting should be done in elementary school everyday before class starts and I'm positive that there test scores would improve. 
When we free write in class it is meant to help us generate ideas without feeling judged or scared about our writing. It is meant to help generate ideas and help us grasp the materiel. Once a week we do a ten minute freewrite which is accessible as a quiz. You have to keep writing without stopping to fix a word or fix grammar errors. The one requirement when writing a freewrite is to never stop. From the teachers stance she or he must not judge nor comment on the freewrite. To some, Freewriting may sound a little odd but there are many beneficial factors. For one, freewriting is non editing. The student is less likely to have blocked writing because they won't be focussed on editing the paper and rewording to make the text sound better. Instead they will be focused on the flow of the paper and the meaning of what they are trying to say. If you do freewriting on a regular basis your writing skills will improve immensely. 
I also found it suprising that freewriting can be anything that comes to your mind and you wont judge us or mark us down for it. I actually use to have a teacher that use to do this when I was in middle school and even though at the time I thought it was crazy of my teacher but now looking back it had a lot of benefits because it got the classes attention for the rest of the period. We were all more awake after she did it each class. The reading was surprising to me because I never new that writing like this could actually improve your writing.

Autobiography-C mandrell

My name is Catherine Mandrell. I am nineteen years old and currently a Sociology major and the Santa Rosa Junior College. I have been going to the Junior College for a little over a year now and I really enjoy it. I am hoping to transfer to a California State College with in the next two years. I want to be a sociology teacher after graduating from a four year college. I'm not quite sure which one yet but I am deciding between CSU San Diego or CSU Sacramento. I currently reside in Sonoma, California which is about forty minutes away from Santa Rosa. I am really looking forward to this class because that means I am one step closer to getting to English 1A and transferring. I am hoping and expecting to learn a lot this semester. I really enjoy reading so I am hoping that the books we read are intriguing and enjoyable.


Usually I learn better in a classroom setting but since my schedule was completely full and I want to transfer as soon as possible I had to go with the online class. I learn slowly but I always try my best and put everything I have into a class. I think that the English class online might be better for me actually because I can pace myself but I will also be on top of the assignments because I have to turn them in each week. I like to be on top of things so I usually get work done early so I don't have to worry about it later on in the week.