Before reading these essays, I had not put much thought into the rights of women, other than briefly covering it in history class. I realized that the rights women possess today are often taken for granted. These authors are just three examples of people I should thank for their efforts toward bringing equality between men and women in society.
Margaret Wollstonecraft's essay was at times very difficult to read. Her writing style may have been very fitting for women reading it in the 1700's, but not quite as fitting for women reading it today. I can appreciate the sophisticated vocabulary used by Wollstonecraft in her essay, but it required me to look up the meaning of many of the words. Having to reread many of the lines and constantly look up words disrupted the flow of the essay and made it less enjoyable to read. It took me a while to piece things together, but in the end I was finally able to decipher many of the valid points she made in her essay. I would agree that women are more than just caretakers who desire to wear fancy clothes and look pretty. Just like men, women deserve the right to receive an education. At the time this essay was written, women were not allowed to receive the same level of education as men. As a high school student with dreams of continuing my education and becoming a doctor, I am very appreciative that modern women now have the right to an education just like men.
It was very interesting how different it was to read Margaret Fuller's essay, even though it was written only 50 years after Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Women. While Wollstonecraft's style of writing was very sophisticated and full of rich vocabulary, Fuller's essay was much easier to understand. I liked how Fuller explained that it is possible for women to have a balance between becoming educated and continuing to fulfill their domestic duties. One of the lines that particularly stood out to me is when she says, "Women can express publicly the fullness of thought and emotion, without losing any of the peculiar beauty of her sex." This point she makes is very true and I feel that the balance of ideas coming from men and women today is what makes our society great. I also agree with Fuller's statement that all humans have a need for expansion and without this we will perish. The desire for freedom is shared by everyone. Today's society is a great example of men and women both having the freedoms they desire while still living in harmony.
Of these three essays, the piece written by Gloria Steinem was the most enjoyable to read. I appreciated the humor and lighthearted feeling that Steinem brought to a topic that is often very serious. I can honestly say that this is the first time I thought about how different the world would be if men were the ones who menstruated. For women, the topic of menstruation is not often discussed in public. The only time you may hear a women discussing her menstrual period is in soft whispers while talking to one of her girlfriends. According to Steinem, keeping it a secret would not be an option for men. I was surprised when she brought up the idea that men would turn it into something positive and a topic to boast about. I never realized how tough women really are because we don't make a big deal out of having our periods. I think that the point that Steinem was trying to make in this essay was that women still lack many of the rights that men enjoy. She chose to bring light to the topic of women's rights in a humorous way instead of the serious tone that many authors choose.
I think that all three essays illuminate great points about the rights of women. Women still have a long way to go in terms of being equal to men, but I am very thankful for the advances we have made in the last 400 years. With so many women out there trying to make a difference, I look forward to seeing what the future holds for the rights of women.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Monday, July 15, 2013
The Ethics of Living Jim Crow
I truly enjoyed reading Richard Wright's story about learning the ethics of Jim Crow during his life. I found this story very easy to read and engaging. The way Wright divided his story into different jobs that he acquired during his life gave the essay a very nice flow. It was amazing to me how the fearless boy in the beginning of the story morphed into a man who was very cautious with his actions. Many of the decisions Wright was forced to make involved two options. The difficult part seemed to be that neither option was without a consequence. I felt a pain in my heart after this realization. It is not fair that black people had to live in constant fear of being tortured or killed if they did not submit to whites.
Wright's style of writing was another point that made this story engaging to read. Even though a lot of the dialogue between Wright and his coworkers was very vulgar, it woke me up to the reality of these events. This word choice also helped me realize the vast amount of physical and verbal abuse that blacks received early on. With each page, I continued to gain sympathy for this cruel treatment of blacks and felt as if I wanted to climb into the story and stand up to their abusers myself.
Although these horrible events made me very sad, they also made me very thankful for how different things are today. It is true that racism does still exist in many places in the U.S. and may never go away entirely. The good news is that most black people no longer have to live in constant fear for their life. There are also many more people willing to take a stand against acts of racism too. We have come so far in 75 years and I hope that our country can continue working toward ending racism altogether.
Wright's style of writing was another point that made this story engaging to read. Even though a lot of the dialogue between Wright and his coworkers was very vulgar, it woke me up to the reality of these events. This word choice also helped me realize the vast amount of physical and verbal abuse that blacks received early on. With each page, I continued to gain sympathy for this cruel treatment of blacks and felt as if I wanted to climb into the story and stand up to their abusers myself.
Although these horrible events made me very sad, they also made me very thankful for how different things are today. It is true that racism does still exist in many places in the U.S. and may never go away entirely. The good news is that most black people no longer have to live in constant fear for their life. There are also many more people willing to take a stand against acts of racism too. We have come so far in 75 years and I hope that our country can continue working toward ending racism altogether.
Is Google Making Us Stupid?
Nicholas Carr's article brought many ideas to my attention that I had never thought about before. Previously, I have felt that technology and the internet take away time that could be spent in more meaningful ways. This is the first time, however, that the idea of our minds changing and being filled with artificial intelligence occurred to me. Carr's own recollection of the way his brain has changed is what really caught my attention. Carr states that "Immersing myself in a book or a lengthy article used to be easy," and he goes on to say, "Now my concentration starts to drift after two or three pages." It is possible that spending more time on the internet and reading more from the internet could be the cause of losing concentration skills. I also think, though, that it may be caused by our busy lives and our minds trying to juggle everything that we have to complete. The change in his ability to maintain concentration reminded me of how I tend to drift when I am very busy and have a lot of things to be done.
The way that Carr incorporated history and evidence made his argument more believable. With a stronger argument, the article became more engaging as a whole. In history, many people have been skeptical of the newest technology for valid reasons. I was amazed that even something like writing, an essential part of our education today, brought about skepticism. Socrates' fear that we would become "filled with the conceit of wisdom instead of real wisdom" is very true and has indeed come true. I feel there will always be both good and bad that results from progress, just like there was with writing and the invention of the internet. I think the downfall of immersing our lives in the internet is that we may lose important skills that we previously took for granted. Many of the skills that used to simply be part of life, the computer can now do for us. Another downfall may be that we will no longer have a need for paper books, newspapers, and magazines. With so many people beginning to read everything via online, people may no longer see the need to print paper copies. Sadly, they may one day disappear from our society entirely.
Although technology is changing the way we think and live our lives, it has also made many improvements to our lives as well. Even though Carr said that the internet has affected his ability to read, he also states later that "The Web has been a godsend to me as a writer." The internet has made research and schoolwork easier and much faster. Research for a paper that used to take hours searching in the library is now at the tip of our fingers. I also liked how Carr pointed out the ways that technology has made factories more efficient with the beginning of "Taylorism."
My hope is that we won't let Google make us stupid. I feel it is important to keep a balance between engaging in the advances of technology and taking time out to be creative and think without technology's influence. We cannot forget the peacefulness of losing yourself in a good book that you can hold in your hands. As long as we keep a balance, we can prevent Google from making us stupid.
The way that Carr incorporated history and evidence made his argument more believable. With a stronger argument, the article became more engaging as a whole. In history, many people have been skeptical of the newest technology for valid reasons. I was amazed that even something like writing, an essential part of our education today, brought about skepticism. Socrates' fear that we would become "filled with the conceit of wisdom instead of real wisdom" is very true and has indeed come true. I feel there will always be both good and bad that results from progress, just like there was with writing and the invention of the internet. I think the downfall of immersing our lives in the internet is that we may lose important skills that we previously took for granted. Many of the skills that used to simply be part of life, the computer can now do for us. Another downfall may be that we will no longer have a need for paper books, newspapers, and magazines. With so many people beginning to read everything via online, people may no longer see the need to print paper copies. Sadly, they may one day disappear from our society entirely.
Although technology is changing the way we think and live our lives, it has also made many improvements to our lives as well. Even though Carr said that the internet has affected his ability to read, he also states later that "The Web has been a godsend to me as a writer." The internet has made research and schoolwork easier and much faster. Research for a paper that used to take hours searching in the library is now at the tip of our fingers. I also liked how Carr pointed out the ways that technology has made factories more efficient with the beginning of "Taylorism."
My hope is that we won't let Google make us stupid. I feel it is important to keep a balance between engaging in the advances of technology and taking time out to be creative and think without technology's influence. We cannot forget the peacefulness of losing yourself in a good book that you can hold in your hands. As long as we keep a balance, we can prevent Google from making us stupid.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
"Talk of the Town"
Both John Updike and Suzan Sontag clearly have strong feelings about the eye-opening event of 9/11. I loved the way Updike used vivid pictures and recollection in his writing. This style drew me into his story and helped me feel as if I also just experienced the tragedy of 9/11. The way he describes the destruction also made me feel empathy towards the people affected by the attack and sympathize with the point he wanted to make. The point that I concluded from the author's writing was that the immense loss and tragedy is difficult to portray on a t.v. screen, therefore; the people who were there in person are the only ones who could truly feel the sense of loss and tragedy. He wanted people to realize how bad this event really was.
The word choice chosen by Updike was also very interesting and engaging. Some of my favorite examples are "inky rivulets" and "architectural reticence". Both of these word choices had a nice ring on the tongue when read or said out loud. There were a few words in the passage that I did not know, which made some sections difficult to understand. However, the passage was well written overall which helped me piece things together and understand it in the end.
After reading Suzan Sontag's passage about 9/11, I could tell that she put a lot of time and thinking into this topic, which showed in her writing. She described how many people in America think the Al Qaeda attackers were simply cowards, but in truth they had valid reasoning behind their intentions. It does not by any means make what they did right. A lot of what Sontag described reminded me of the discussion we had about the 9/11 attack in U.S. History. Many other countries in the world, especially in the Middle East, do not like the way the U.S. puts its nose in other countries' business. This has led to many countries resenting the U.S. and may be part of the reason why Al Qaeda chose to attack the U.S.
Overall, I truly enjoyed Sontag's writing style. I felt that the way she made her writing personal and more casual made it easier and more enjoyable to read. The line "But let's not be stupid together" is just one example of her casual and personal writing.
Despite being written about the same topic, both were very unique and different. Although I enjoyed reading both, I was able to understand and follow along with Sontag's article more clearly than Updike's. I do feel that both were very interesting and well written articles.
The word choice chosen by Updike was also very interesting and engaging. Some of my favorite examples are "inky rivulets" and "architectural reticence". Both of these word choices had a nice ring on the tongue when read or said out loud. There were a few words in the passage that I did not know, which made some sections difficult to understand. However, the passage was well written overall which helped me piece things together and understand it in the end.
After reading Suzan Sontag's passage about 9/11, I could tell that she put a lot of time and thinking into this topic, which showed in her writing. She described how many people in America think the Al Qaeda attackers were simply cowards, but in truth they had valid reasoning behind their intentions. It does not by any means make what they did right. A lot of what Sontag described reminded me of the discussion we had about the 9/11 attack in U.S. History. Many other countries in the world, especially in the Middle East, do not like the way the U.S. puts its nose in other countries' business. This has led to many countries resenting the U.S. and may be part of the reason why Al Qaeda chose to attack the U.S.
Overall, I truly enjoyed Sontag's writing style. I felt that the way she made her writing personal and more casual made it easier and more enjoyable to read. The line "But let's not be stupid together" is just one example of her casual and personal writing.
Despite being written about the same topic, both were very unique and different. Although I enjoyed reading both, I was able to understand and follow along with Sontag's article more clearly than Updike's. I do feel that both were very interesting and well written articles.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
About My Life
Hi, welcome to my blog! I am looking forward to becoming a junior this coming fall. I enjoy school and feel privileged to have the opportunity to learn. I am hardworking and tend to put a lot of thought and time into my school work. I also enjoy being involved in many of the clubs and programs McFarland has to offer. Through student council and ambassadors I've been able to experience the joy of helping others in our school and community. Although I'm going to be a junior, this year will be my first time competing in cross-country. During my freshman and sophomore year, I was a member of the girls' swim team in the fall. As many may guess, I love to run and I'm excited for my third year in track. I also have a passion for music and have loved being part of choir, band and musicals during my high school career.
After high school, I plan to further my education by attending college. I'm still unsure of the exact career I'd like to pursue, but I do know it will be something in the medical field. Science is not the easiest subject for me, but to the surprise of many I enjoy dissecting and find cuts and scrapes fascinating (This disclosure is often accompanied by an "eww"). By working hard in both school and sports, I hope to fulfill my dream of studying and running at an NCAA Division I school.
Outside of school, I enjoy doing activities that help me relax and come down from my busyness of life. These activities include practicing my saxophone, playing and composing music on the piano, and reading books on the swing in my backyard. I love everything about the outdoors and love adventure. I was excited to combine both of these loves on a backpacking trip in Colorado last July. In the summer, I can often be found hiking, biking, kayaking or playing watersports with my family and friends.
Due to my favorite hobbies and employment during the summer months, my hair is more often wet than dry. This is my third summer teaching swim lessons at the McFarland Pool. It has been an exciting journey to expand my opportunities to help others by becoming certified as a lifeguard and a WSI (water safety instructor) in the past year. I don't think I could ask for a more rewarding job. Each day I feel the joy of seeing kids' smiling faces as they learn to swim and reach their goals.
With so many new and exciting things to come, I can't wait for the rest of summer, becoming a junior, and furthering my writing skills in AP Composition.
After high school, I plan to further my education by attending college. I'm still unsure of the exact career I'd like to pursue, but I do know it will be something in the medical field. Science is not the easiest subject for me, but to the surprise of many I enjoy dissecting and find cuts and scrapes fascinating (This disclosure is often accompanied by an "eww"). By working hard in both school and sports, I hope to fulfill my dream of studying and running at an NCAA Division I school.
Outside of school, I enjoy doing activities that help me relax and come down from my busyness of life. These activities include practicing my saxophone, playing and composing music on the piano, and reading books on the swing in my backyard. I love everything about the outdoors and love adventure. I was excited to combine both of these loves on a backpacking trip in Colorado last July. In the summer, I can often be found hiking, biking, kayaking or playing watersports with my family and friends.
Due to my favorite hobbies and employment during the summer months, my hair is more often wet than dry. This is my third summer teaching swim lessons at the McFarland Pool. It has been an exciting journey to expand my opportunities to help others by becoming certified as a lifeguard and a WSI (water safety instructor) in the past year. I don't think I could ask for a more rewarding job. Each day I feel the joy of seeing kids' smiling faces as they learn to swim and reach their goals.
With so many new and exciting things to come, I can't wait for the rest of summer, becoming a junior, and furthering my writing skills in AP Composition.
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