Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Eclipse By Stephenie Meyer
Eclipse
By Stephenie Meyer
Published in 2007(?)
Rating: 9/10
The third book in the series. I actually own this one. I love this one it is possibly my favorite in the series. It didn't necessarily "grip" me but it definitely filled many of the possible gaps in the story line that were left hanging in the last book. As I was reading this book I was suddenly struck with the fact that her writing is getting better and better. Each of her books drags me deeper and deeper into her realm. I can't wait for the finally!
By Stephenie Meyer
Published in 2007(?)
Rating: 9/10
The third book in the series. I actually own this one. I love this one it is possibly my favorite in the series. It didn't necessarily "grip" me but it definitely filled many of the possible gaps in the story line that were left hanging in the last book. As I was reading this book I was suddenly struck with the fact that her writing is getting better and better. Each of her books drags me deeper and deeper into her realm. I can't wait for the finally!
Quick Note
The "Ratings" that I post on a scale of 1-10 are purely based on enjoyment on my part, and a little on organization, use of words, ext.
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
New Moon
By Stephanie Meyer
Published in 2007
Rating: 9/10
An new twist! Edward leaves!This is the second part in the Twilight saga. It branches out to more than just the vampire fans into the werewolf fan's territory. Now there is a struggle for Bella's love. Who will win? Edward? or Jacob?
A very well written book. The characters are deep and the reader is instantly drawn to them. The story is well developed. I could not stop reading this untill I was done. Any book that can make me do that is an interesting book indeed.
By Stephanie Meyer
Published in 2007
Rating: 9/10
An new twist! Edward leaves!This is the second part in the Twilight saga. It branches out to more than just the vampire fans into the werewolf fan's territory. Now there is a struggle for Bella's love. Who will win? Edward? or Jacob?
A very well written book. The characters are deep and the reader is instantly drawn to them. The story is well developed. I could not stop reading this untill I was done. Any book that can make me do that is an interesting book indeed.
Twlight by Stephenie Meyer
Ok, so in starting a book reviewing blog I must review the Twilight saga, it is an unwritten law.
Twilight
By Stephenie Mayer
Published in 2007
Rating: 9/10
Written for the new scene of readers. In pervious years, vampire loving readers had been loosing their steam. But ever since this series has come about there has been a much bigger fan base. I love this new twist on the old vampire, a vampire who regrets what he/she is. I will say that it is pretty obvious that Mrs. Meyer has never read a vampire book. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. I love this book and would reccomend it for any teen who likes to be a rebel and loves the dangers that can come with love.
Twilight
By Stephenie Mayer
Published in 2007
Rating: 9/10
Written for the new scene of readers. In pervious years, vampire loving readers had been loosing their steam. But ever since this series has come about there has been a much bigger fan base. I love this new twist on the old vampire, a vampire who regrets what he/she is. I will say that it is pretty obvious that Mrs. Meyer has never read a vampire book. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. I love this book and would reccomend it for any teen who likes to be a rebel and loves the dangers that can come with love.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
"I Stand Here Ironing" by Tillie Olsen
“I Stand Here Ironing” by Tillie Olsen, liked to talk about the fact that the main character ironed all of the time and it was that one thing that seemed to keep her life the same and keep her in reality almost. I think there is a very deep significance in the action of ironing; possibly the fact that she is a tough mother, or to remind everyone that she is the mother not anything else.
I liked the title choice and it seemed well thought out. It almost seemed like she was telling this story and reflecting over her life as a mother as she was ironing her daughter’s, Emily, dress.
The style of the writing is old as well as original, it was in a normal format, but the way it went through the story very quickly, as if in a memory, was original.
I thought that the main characters point of view was one of a struggling single mother that wanted only the best for her children; she seemed very upset by the fact that she couldn’t always go near Emily because she couldn’t get the new baby, Susan, sick.
I think that the character of Emily was very attention grabbing in the fact that she was a very peculiar child and liked to collect little oddities, such as 1 earring of a pair. I also thought that might symbolize something as well. Maybe it meant that she was always going someplace out of her will and she wanted to remember it always so she took a piece of it with her. Emily was also peculiar in some of the things that she did, like, “The time we came back, the front door open, the clock on the floor in the hall. She rigid awake. ‘Three times I called you, just three times, and then I ran downstairs to open the door so you could come faster. The clock talked loud. I threw it away, it scared me when it talked.’” (3)
I felt sorry for the mother, and I also felt sorry for Emily, the odd one out who was too skinny and always sick. It makes me want to be very careful with whom I want to be my children’s father; I do not want that to happen to me. Forever ironing. I want to be able to give my future children the life that I think that they deserve, and that is the best one available. I don’t want to be left alone like that. I do admire her courage and strength. But I don’t think I would be able to go through what she did.
I liked the title choice and it seemed well thought out. It almost seemed like she was telling this story and reflecting over her life as a mother as she was ironing her daughter’s, Emily, dress.
The style of the writing is old as well as original, it was in a normal format, but the way it went through the story very quickly, as if in a memory, was original.
I thought that the main characters point of view was one of a struggling single mother that wanted only the best for her children; she seemed very upset by the fact that she couldn’t always go near Emily because she couldn’t get the new baby, Susan, sick.
I think that the character of Emily was very attention grabbing in the fact that she was a very peculiar child and liked to collect little oddities, such as 1 earring of a pair. I also thought that might symbolize something as well. Maybe it meant that she was always going someplace out of her will and she wanted to remember it always so she took a piece of it with her. Emily was also peculiar in some of the things that she did, like, “The time we came back, the front door open, the clock on the floor in the hall. She rigid awake. ‘Three times I called you, just three times, and then I ran downstairs to open the door so you could come faster. The clock talked loud. I threw it away, it scared me when it talked.’” (3)
I felt sorry for the mother, and I also felt sorry for Emily, the odd one out who was too skinny and always sick. It makes me want to be very careful with whom I want to be my children’s father; I do not want that to happen to me. Forever ironing. I want to be able to give my future children the life that I think that they deserve, and that is the best one available. I don’t want to be left alone like that. I do admire her courage and strength. But I don’t think I would be able to go through what she did.
"The Rocking-Horse Winner" by D.H. Lawrence
I read the short story named “The Rocking-Horse Winner” by D.H. Lawrence, and I thought that it was a very moving story filled with anticipation, exhilaration, and sadness.
While I was reading this story I kept wondering and trying to see what the metaphors in the story were, and what they meant. It was a very bizarre story; I think that maybe the “house” whispering was possibly either the servants or a conscience in the boys head. This house was also very greedy; this whole story seemed to revolve around greed though.
The little boy in the story is so many things at once, he is a little boy, you are reminded about this by the fact that he still rides his little rocking-horse, but he also seems to be wise beyond his age, look at the way he talks and the way he knows about his family’s money problems. I like the reoccurring mention of the boy’s eyes, the fact that they are cold and a vivid color of blue, to me they seemed to be described as almost being intimidating.
I really didn’t like the mother on some levels because of the fact that she seemed to be superstitious and the fact that she “had” to live extravagantly no matter how little money they had. If she had been better with money then maybe that first five thousand pounds could have solved most of their problems, and the ending would not have been as it was.
There was so much info in this short story that I think that it could have possibly been made into an entire book. It was that exciting to read. It was so sad in the end, but powerful, the author seemed to not want you to feel sorry for the boy or mourn his death. But that annoying money was brought back up again.
I also liked the magical elements of it, it seemed like everything was magic, the house, the horse, the boy, ext.; it all seemed to have some sort of magical feel to it. “The room was dark. Yet in the space near the window, she heard and saw something plunging to and fro. She gazed in fear and amazement. Then suddenly she switched on the light, and saw her son, in his green pajamas, madly surging on the rocking horse….” (10) is a clear example if this unnatural felling to the whole story.
Another character that I really liked was the deeply religious gardener, Mr. Bassett. I thought the fact that this seemingly gambling addicted man was very deeply religious because he kept saying that it was a god given gift that the boy had such a talent. It may also be the fact that he is greedy and just doesn’t want to second guess this good fortune given to him. And if he was really religious, wouldn’t he think that gambling is bad? I really don’t know.
I really liked this story because I was able to relate to the boy in the fact that I want to be able to help the people that I care about when they need it the most.
While I was reading this story I kept wondering and trying to see what the metaphors in the story were, and what they meant. It was a very bizarre story; I think that maybe the “house” whispering was possibly either the servants or a conscience in the boys head. This house was also very greedy; this whole story seemed to revolve around greed though.
The little boy in the story is so many things at once, he is a little boy, you are reminded about this by the fact that he still rides his little rocking-horse, but he also seems to be wise beyond his age, look at the way he talks and the way he knows about his family’s money problems. I like the reoccurring mention of the boy’s eyes, the fact that they are cold and a vivid color of blue, to me they seemed to be described as almost being intimidating.
I really didn’t like the mother on some levels because of the fact that she seemed to be superstitious and the fact that she “had” to live extravagantly no matter how little money they had. If she had been better with money then maybe that first five thousand pounds could have solved most of their problems, and the ending would not have been as it was.
There was so much info in this short story that I think that it could have possibly been made into an entire book. It was that exciting to read. It was so sad in the end, but powerful, the author seemed to not want you to feel sorry for the boy or mourn his death. But that annoying money was brought back up again.
I also liked the magical elements of it, it seemed like everything was magic, the house, the horse, the boy, ext.; it all seemed to have some sort of magical feel to it. “The room was dark. Yet in the space near the window, she heard and saw something plunging to and fro. She gazed in fear and amazement. Then suddenly she switched on the light, and saw her son, in his green pajamas, madly surging on the rocking horse….” (10) is a clear example if this unnatural felling to the whole story.
Another character that I really liked was the deeply religious gardener, Mr. Bassett. I thought the fact that this seemingly gambling addicted man was very deeply religious because he kept saying that it was a god given gift that the boy had such a talent. It may also be the fact that he is greedy and just doesn’t want to second guess this good fortune given to him. And if he was really religious, wouldn’t he think that gambling is bad? I really don’t know.
I really liked this story because I was able to relate to the boy in the fact that I want to be able to help the people that I care about when they need it the most.
"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker
A story that I have recently read was titled “Everyday Use” by Alice Walker. This story is all about a small family that is very strange. The story line is very strange as well because it is vey unusual and almost seems to contradict itself sometimes. But it also seems to have the same theme as “The Rocking-Horse Winner” and that is greed; in this story though it is the daughter (Dee/Wangero) who is greedy.
I liked the character of the mother because she was strong, but an unusual mother figure. She described her younger self as more of a man than a woman. I think that Maggie was more like her mother. The description of the mother was very vivid and I feel like I “know” her.
Dee/Wangero is a character that I liked a little bit in the beginning but I really hated her by the end of the story because she was greedy and very mean to her family. Another thing that I noticed about Wangero/Dee was the fact that by shedding her name, “’I couldn’t bear it any longer being named after the people who oppress me.’” (4) she also shed her family and heritage. But then when she wanted all of the little knick-knacks in the house it seemed like she was brining her heritage back into her life. At the same time I felt sorry for her because it seemed like she picked jerks for men and that maybe she had been influenced by Hakim-a-barber to do all of this stuff. It also seemed like she was putting her family up like an exhibit, and for that I didn’t like her at all.
Then there is Hakim-a-barber; I really hated this man, he seemed mean and just generally a jerk. I don’t really know why I hate him; he just seemed really pompous about things. I know that he didn’t say much of anything but I get the feeling that he may have been pulling most of the strings in the background.
And lastly we come to Maggie; she seemed like a sweet character but I really wondered if she might be mentally retarded or something. She and her sister seem to be complete opposites of each other; Maggie stayed at home, Dee got out of there as fast as possible; Maggie is going to marry because her mother says so; Dee married whoever she wanted for whatever reason, ext. The point being that Dee just didn’t seem to belong to them but they also didn’t seem to belong to regular society.
I was able to relate to this story because I sometimes feel like I don’t belong in my family because we are so physically and mentally different. So in that sense, I understand Dee. That doesn’t mean that I like her at all though.
I liked the character of the mother because she was strong, but an unusual mother figure. She described her younger self as more of a man than a woman. I think that Maggie was more like her mother. The description of the mother was very vivid and I feel like I “know” her.
Dee/Wangero is a character that I liked a little bit in the beginning but I really hated her by the end of the story because she was greedy and very mean to her family. Another thing that I noticed about Wangero/Dee was the fact that by shedding her name, “’I couldn’t bear it any longer being named after the people who oppress me.’” (4) she also shed her family and heritage. But then when she wanted all of the little knick-knacks in the house it seemed like she was brining her heritage back into her life. At the same time I felt sorry for her because it seemed like she picked jerks for men and that maybe she had been influenced by Hakim-a-barber to do all of this stuff. It also seemed like she was putting her family up like an exhibit, and for that I didn’t like her at all.
Then there is Hakim-a-barber; I really hated this man, he seemed mean and just generally a jerk. I don’t really know why I hate him; he just seemed really pompous about things. I know that he didn’t say much of anything but I get the feeling that he may have been pulling most of the strings in the background.
And lastly we come to Maggie; she seemed like a sweet character but I really wondered if she might be mentally retarded or something. She and her sister seem to be complete opposites of each other; Maggie stayed at home, Dee got out of there as fast as possible; Maggie is going to marry because her mother says so; Dee married whoever she wanted for whatever reason, ext. The point being that Dee just didn’t seem to belong to them but they also didn’t seem to belong to regular society.
I was able to relate to this story because I sometimes feel like I don’t belong in my family because we are so physically and mentally different. So in that sense, I understand Dee. That doesn’t mean that I like her at all though.
"Girl" by Jamaica Kincaid
In the very short story “Girl” by Jamaica Kincaid, I noticed that I didn’t like the mother at all. She seemed really pushy and overbearing. I felt sorry for the girl. I also don’t like the mother because she keeps telling her daughter that she is going to be a slut. That, to me, was not something anyone should be telling their daughter. But there is also the possibility that she was only saying that to scare her daughter into obeying.
As I was reading this story I also noticed that it was all one sentence. That is very unusual; I have never seen a story like that, ever. And it was all dialogue, without the quotation marks or anything else. The style is very original and very eye catching. I liked the fact that she did it that way, I don’t think it would have been as good if it were in a ‘normal’ format. I like this new style so much that I am even thinking of writing a piece like this one just to try it out.
The message that I got from this story was that back then there were, maybe still are, so many things that a woman has to know how to do to be considered a lady, there are so many rules for women in society. I like this message; I think that it is very true, maybe even today. It seems like no matter what era you look at, women are expected to behave a certain way and to be able to do certain things.
I also noticed that the relationship that this mother and daughter has seems to be like every other mother-daughter relationship. The mother is talking 90% of the time and the daughter barely able to get two sentences in.
On that note; I feel sorry for the daughter having so much asked of her, being told she is acting like a slut, and seeming like she can defend herself against some of the accusations thrown at her.
And as I noted that the mother did have some points going for her. Some of the stuff she mentioned were good things to know; like how to “…sweep a whole house…” (2) ext.
I love how the story is written and I would never think of changing it but I really would have liked to know what brought on this speech of hers to her daughter.
As I was reading this story I also noticed that it was all one sentence. That is very unusual; I have never seen a story like that, ever. And it was all dialogue, without the quotation marks or anything else. The style is very original and very eye catching. I liked the fact that she did it that way, I don’t think it would have been as good if it were in a ‘normal’ format. I like this new style so much that I am even thinking of writing a piece like this one just to try it out.
The message that I got from this story was that back then there were, maybe still are, so many things that a woman has to know how to do to be considered a lady, there are so many rules for women in society. I like this message; I think that it is very true, maybe even today. It seems like no matter what era you look at, women are expected to behave a certain way and to be able to do certain things.
I also noticed that the relationship that this mother and daughter has seems to be like every other mother-daughter relationship. The mother is talking 90% of the time and the daughter barely able to get two sentences in.
On that note; I feel sorry for the daughter having so much asked of her, being told she is acting like a slut, and seeming like she can defend herself against some of the accusations thrown at her.
And as I noted that the mother did have some points going for her. Some of the stuff she mentioned were good things to know; like how to “…sweep a whole house…” (2) ext.
I love how the story is written and I would never think of changing it but I really would have liked to know what brought on this speech of hers to her daughter.
"Gryphon" by Charles Baxter
The short story “Gryphon” by Charles Baxter is a good story, and it reminds me of another story whose title evades my memory. But I really do like it. I loved the characters and how well rounded they all were. Miss. Ferenczi the eccentric and possibly crazy substitute teacher; Mr. Hibler, the older teacher with the cough who teaches in a very formal way; Tommy, the little boy who loves to learn, and all the other sub-characters as well.
As I was reading I was wondering if Mr. Hibler would be okay, but when I realized that it only seemed to be the common cold I was able to read the story for what it is. I like how clear the wording was, I was able to read it all the way through without having to re-read anything.
Miss. Ferenczi is a very strange woman, she seems eccentric at times. She also seems to be a little bit out of it. She is almost inhuman in her nature. She also seems to be a lot like the children that she teaches, the fact that she doesn’t get along with the other teachers tells me that. It is also evident in her irresponsibility; she was reading tarot cards to her class. I think that that was very irresponsible; yes, Wayne did ask to have it read to him. But I think that even bringing them to the class was very irresponsible.
I do wonder if she was telling the truth when she talked about all of the places that she had been and all of the things she had done. I also wondered about what the exact conversation was that she had with the principal. Did she go quietly? Did she argue? Where did she go? I also wondered about why Tommy’s mother ignored him when he tried to tell her about his day, it seemed like she was really worried or stressed out. Why was that?
I also wondered why no body piped up when she decided that the rules didn’t apply to her or the class, that “six times twelve equals sixty-eight” (4).
Tommy is a very kind boy as well, he likes Miss. Ferenczi throughout the entire story; he apparently really liked to learn and he loved her teaching style, he seemed riveted by everything that she said; I also admired his devotion and belief in the fact that what she said was true.
Over all it was a very good story, it didn’t seem to have a message per say. But I think that the author wanted you to know about this character in his head that maybe came from one of his teachers.
As I was reading I was wondering if Mr. Hibler would be okay, but when I realized that it only seemed to be the common cold I was able to read the story for what it is. I like how clear the wording was, I was able to read it all the way through without having to re-read anything.
Miss. Ferenczi is a very strange woman, she seems eccentric at times. She also seems to be a little bit out of it. She is almost inhuman in her nature. She also seems to be a lot like the children that she teaches, the fact that she doesn’t get along with the other teachers tells me that. It is also evident in her irresponsibility; she was reading tarot cards to her class. I think that that was very irresponsible; yes, Wayne did ask to have it read to him. But I think that even bringing them to the class was very irresponsible.
I do wonder if she was telling the truth when she talked about all of the places that she had been and all of the things she had done. I also wondered about what the exact conversation was that she had with the principal. Did she go quietly? Did she argue? Where did she go? I also wondered about why Tommy’s mother ignored him when he tried to tell her about his day, it seemed like she was really worried or stressed out. Why was that?
I also wondered why no body piped up when she decided that the rules didn’t apply to her or the class, that “six times twelve equals sixty-eight” (4).
Tommy is a very kind boy as well, he likes Miss. Ferenczi throughout the entire story; he apparently really liked to learn and he loved her teaching style, he seemed riveted by everything that she said; I also admired his devotion and belief in the fact that what she said was true.
Over all it was a very good story, it didn’t seem to have a message per say. But I think that the author wanted you to know about this character in his head that maybe came from one of his teachers.
"A&P" by John Updike
I was reading a short story titles “A&P” by John Updike, and I noticed that it was written in a very different way than I was used to. Actually in some points I was really confused. His wording wasn’t clear to me sometimes. But the way that he used visual descriptions was new and original and I liked that very much. I could have read a whole book on his view of every day things.
I thought it was interesting when he described what is was like when “the Queen” looked at him. He said, “…it made my stomach rub on the inside of my apron…”(2) this was a very visual description and it was really a new and original way of describing what it is like to have your stomach churn.
I think that the story really doesn’t have a message. If it does it really is unclear to me. It just seems like he was simply telling you a story about one summer when he was a teenager. The girls that came into the store were strange, it seemed like the “Queen” was this confident person who knew exactly what she was doing all of the time and was used to people staring at her. But then at the end you see that this super confident leader figure can be reduced to a blushing teenager when confronted as to her attire.
I thought the boy’s reaction to what his boss did to the girls was way to extreme. It seemed like he knew exactly what the consequences of his actions were but he forged ahead anyways and then a minute after he made that decision he regretted it and knew that he was making things difficult for his family in the long run. I honestly don’t see as to why he didn’t think more about what he was really doing for those girls that he would probably never see again.
My “gut response” to this story is, “What? What just happened? Why did he make such a rash decision?” And I really don’t know why he really did any of that. It seems almost like he fell in love. Maybe that was the only reason for why he was acting so strangely.
There was a question asked in a little section after the story and one question that I noticed was basically “Are you offended by the language used in the story? As in how he described the “Queens” body?” And when I saw that it really made me look back and take a second look at what he had said about her. It didn’t particularly offend me, but I do think those observations were very sexual in nature. Describing her breasts as “…two scoops of vanilla...”(4) was a very good description for a story because it gave a very good visualization of her, but at the same time you also notice that all of the things he said about her seemed to almost turn him on.
Over all I was fairly confused by this story, it was written well visually but the plot, themes, ext. evaded me.
I thought it was interesting when he described what is was like when “the Queen” looked at him. He said, “…it made my stomach rub on the inside of my apron…”(2) this was a very visual description and it was really a new and original way of describing what it is like to have your stomach churn.
I think that the story really doesn’t have a message. If it does it really is unclear to me. It just seems like he was simply telling you a story about one summer when he was a teenager. The girls that came into the store were strange, it seemed like the “Queen” was this confident person who knew exactly what she was doing all of the time and was used to people staring at her. But then at the end you see that this super confident leader figure can be reduced to a blushing teenager when confronted as to her attire.
I thought the boy’s reaction to what his boss did to the girls was way to extreme. It seemed like he knew exactly what the consequences of his actions were but he forged ahead anyways and then a minute after he made that decision he regretted it and knew that he was making things difficult for his family in the long run. I honestly don’t see as to why he didn’t think more about what he was really doing for those girls that he would probably never see again.
My “gut response” to this story is, “What? What just happened? Why did he make such a rash decision?” And I really don’t know why he really did any of that. It seems almost like he fell in love. Maybe that was the only reason for why he was acting so strangely.
There was a question asked in a little section after the story and one question that I noticed was basically “Are you offended by the language used in the story? As in how he described the “Queens” body?” And when I saw that it really made me look back and take a second look at what he had said about her. It didn’t particularly offend me, but I do think those observations were very sexual in nature. Describing her breasts as “…two scoops of vanilla...”(4) was a very good description for a story because it gave a very good visualization of her, but at the same time you also notice that all of the things he said about her seemed to almost turn him on.
Over all I was fairly confused by this story, it was written well visually but the plot, themes, ext. evaded me.
"The Saterday Evening Post" by Russel Baker
I have just recently read an essay called “The Saturday Evening Post” by Russell Baker. I feel like the author was trying to tell his audience what his early life was like and how he discovered that he actually wanted to be a writer. Hey conveyed that his childhood was a rough one and that he had a lot of pressure to be great at something and become rich for his mother. He also wanted to convey that it was hard to grow up in the 1920’s, work was scarce, life was hard, families were poor, it was a lot and he wanted the reader to know that.
The style of this author is a sense of the fact that he should have a dry humor about him, he writes in a way that drips sarcasm, but still conveys a sense of intelligence. I liked the fact that he mentioned that his mother would use many maxims in her daily life and her talks with her son. For example, the author wrote; “By the time I was ten I had learned all my mother’s maxims by heart. Asking to stay up past normal bedtime, I knew that a refusal would be explained with, ‘Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.’”
I liked that the writer seemed intelligent, and I liked learning about what the beginning of his journey into his writing career was like. I didn’t like his mother just because she tried to conform him to something successful that she wanted, not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, that is why I was glad that in the end he found something he liked and his mother thought was good enough for him to make into a career.
This essay seemed a lot like the life I feel like I live, the one where I have to be successful or I will fall, but I must also love what I am doing. That sometimes is hard because I don’t really know what I love more than anything that could be made into a successful career. I feel a lot of the time that I must be unique by doing something a lot of other people do as well, which fells almost impossible at times. Though my exact career is not chosen I do know what “kind” of stuff I like and wish to pursue a career in.
The style of this author is a sense of the fact that he should have a dry humor about him, he writes in a way that drips sarcasm, but still conveys a sense of intelligence. I liked the fact that he mentioned that his mother would use many maxims in her daily life and her talks with her son. For example, the author wrote; “By the time I was ten I had learned all my mother’s maxims by heart. Asking to stay up past normal bedtime, I knew that a refusal would be explained with, ‘Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.’”
I liked that the writer seemed intelligent, and I liked learning about what the beginning of his journey into his writing career was like. I didn’t like his mother just because she tried to conform him to something successful that she wanted, not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life, that is why I was glad that in the end he found something he liked and his mother thought was good enough for him to make into a career.
This essay seemed a lot like the life I feel like I live, the one where I have to be successful or I will fall, but I must also love what I am doing. That sometimes is hard because I don’t really know what I love more than anything that could be made into a successful career. I feel a lot of the time that I must be unique by doing something a lot of other people do as well, which fells almost impossible at times. Though my exact career is not chosen I do know what “kind” of stuff I like and wish to pursue a career in.
"Only Daughter" by Sandra Cisneros
I just read an essay written by the author Sandra Cisneros titled “Only Daughter”. I felt that the reason that she wants to get across to the reader is that impressing someone with your work to show your worth can be a great motivator for some great writings. She also wanted to get across her Hispanic back round, which she did very well. I was glad that she incorporated all of her back round into this one small piece of literature.
Her style of writing is one similar to talking to a younger audience, like she wanted to make her points written in an easy to understand, “flowing” manner. My favorite point she made was the part that said “When he was finally finished, after what seemed like hours, my father looked up and asked: ‘Where can we get more copies of this for the relatives?’ Of all the wonderful things that happened to me last year, that was the most wonderful.” This really touched me because it seemed to touch her deep in a place in her heart and she conveyed it well in her writing style.
What I liked about this essay was that it made me understand her as well as her culture in a personal way that I would have never been able to access without this fine piece of work. One thing I did dislike about it though was that she took the almost sexism like attitude from her father and made it seem okay, which it never is. Another thing I liked though was her use of English and Spanish words in a flowing way that just “felt” right to the eye, it didn’t look like she was trying to just throw some random Spanish in there to “spice” things up, it was used sparingly but in the right way with the right types of speech, which made I seem like iy was natural, which it probably was to her.
I related to the character in the way that I feel like I must impress my father as well because he always wanted to raise a boy, but he never got to for, obvious reasons, so I try to make him proud. Proud to have an accomplished daughter, even just a daughter, like me.
Her style of writing is one similar to talking to a younger audience, like she wanted to make her points written in an easy to understand, “flowing” manner. My favorite point she made was the part that said “When he was finally finished, after what seemed like hours, my father looked up and asked: ‘Where can we get more copies of this for the relatives?’ Of all the wonderful things that happened to me last year, that was the most wonderful.” This really touched me because it seemed to touch her deep in a place in her heart and she conveyed it well in her writing style.
What I liked about this essay was that it made me understand her as well as her culture in a personal way that I would have never been able to access without this fine piece of work. One thing I did dislike about it though was that she took the almost sexism like attitude from her father and made it seem okay, which it never is. Another thing I liked though was her use of English and Spanish words in a flowing way that just “felt” right to the eye, it didn’t look like she was trying to just throw some random Spanish in there to “spice” things up, it was used sparingly but in the right way with the right types of speech, which made I seem like iy was natural, which it probably was to her.
I related to the character in the way that I feel like I must impress my father as well because he always wanted to raise a boy, but he never got to for, obvious reasons, so I try to make him proud. Proud to have an accomplished daughter, even just a daughter, like me.
"No Wonder They Call Me A Bitch" by Anne Hodgeman
I have just finished reading an informative essay called “No Wonder They Call Me A Bitch” by a talented author that goes by the name of Ann Hodgman. I believe the author’s purpose was to inform her audience on the different types of dog food with a bit of hilarity twisted into the story. One of her main points was that she actually ate all of the dog food and wasn’t embarrassed or afraid to tell anyone.
The author had a very interesting style; she covered up every moment that she was uncomfortable very smoothly. A good example of this was when she said “I shrieked and went instead for a plain chunk, which I was able to swallow only after taking a break to read some suddenly fascinating office equipment catalogues.” In this instance she was able to hide the fact that she really didn’t have the courage to down that nasty first piece, which had a “long trailing grey vein”, so smoothly you almost don’t even notice it. Her sentences are exactly the right length and stay pretty consistent. I also noticed that she wrote the entire thing in first person, but it was written in a way that made it seem like she was writing just for you.
I liked the fact that her paragraph started with questions and she immediately started to answer them. What I didn’t like though was the gristly detail she went into, I suppose it was necessary to get the reader involved, but I felt like it was almost more than I wanted to know. It was slightly disgusting to have her describe the color that it was and then say that she actually put that in her mouth and ate it makes me almost ill. I also wished she would have explained the flavor of the Milk-Bone Snacks, those didn’t seem quite as disgusting to me and I wanted to know if they really tasted like the box said, for I have been using them for years.
I did relate with this story in the fact that I used to eat my dogs food when I was around 5 years old, but thank the moon that I never tried any of the wet dog food, and I will never make my dog suffer through that either.
The author had a very interesting style; she covered up every moment that she was uncomfortable very smoothly. A good example of this was when she said “I shrieked and went instead for a plain chunk, which I was able to swallow only after taking a break to read some suddenly fascinating office equipment catalogues.” In this instance she was able to hide the fact that she really didn’t have the courage to down that nasty first piece, which had a “long trailing grey vein”, so smoothly you almost don’t even notice it. Her sentences are exactly the right length and stay pretty consistent. I also noticed that she wrote the entire thing in first person, but it was written in a way that made it seem like she was writing just for you.
I liked the fact that her paragraph started with questions and she immediately started to answer them. What I didn’t like though was the gristly detail she went into, I suppose it was necessary to get the reader involved, but I felt like it was almost more than I wanted to know. It was slightly disgusting to have her describe the color that it was and then say that she actually put that in her mouth and ate it makes me almost ill. I also wished she would have explained the flavor of the Milk-Bone Snacks, those didn’t seem quite as disgusting to me and I wanted to know if they really tasted like the box said, for I have been using them for years.
I did relate with this story in the fact that I used to eat my dogs food when I was around 5 years old, but thank the moon that I never tried any of the wet dog food, and I will never make my dog suffer through that either.
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