“A Modest Proposal”
Jonathan Swift
Swift utilizes satire and irony to get his points across. He proposes that we should eat babies in order to help the impoverished society of Ireland. This was a crude way of getting his point across, yet it gained my attention. I found myself fully engulfed while reading though this piece. This is an excellent example of how satire can be used to gain the attention of your readers and get your points across.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Langston Hughes
“Salvation”
Langston Hughes
Hughes talked about the “emotional atmosphere” that is often created in church. This is something that bothers me very deeply. When I go to church, I feel like I came to a show. The pastor has a message eloquently prepared. The music plays at the right moments. It is almost like going to a promotional banquet for some product that someone is trying to sell me. This over stimulated service is not the real world. I feel like Christians go to church on Sunday for their emotional high and then leave it at the church doorsteps. Instead, we should be serving our community and showing people Christ’s love. That is what Christianity is really about, and the emotions evoked from doing this are 100% genuine. I think our churches have completely lost where our focus should primarily be.
Langston Hughes
Hughes talked about the “emotional atmosphere” that is often created in church. This is something that bothers me very deeply. When I go to church, I feel like I came to a show. The pastor has a message eloquently prepared. The music plays at the right moments. It is almost like going to a promotional banquet for some product that someone is trying to sell me. This over stimulated service is not the real world. I feel like Christians go to church on Sunday for their emotional high and then leave it at the church doorsteps. Instead, we should be serving our community and showing people Christ’s love. That is what Christianity is really about, and the emotions evoked from doing this are 100% genuine. I think our churches have completely lost where our focus should primarily be.
C.S. Lewis
“The Rival Conceptions of God”
C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis talks about how many world religions have common truths. Even though some religions are wrong, many of them have common ground with Christianity. It is important to know the differences between them. If we are going to show God’s love to the world, we need to be knowledgeable about other religions. Coming from the perspective that they are wrong is not a good way to go about it. Instead, we should start with common ground.
C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis talks about how many world religions have common truths. Even though some religions are wrong, many of them have common ground with Christianity. It is important to know the differences between them. If we are going to show God’s love to the world, we need to be knowledgeable about other religions. Coming from the perspective that they are wrong is not a good way to go about it. Instead, we should start with common ground.
Bell Hooks
“Keeping Close to Home: Class & Education”
Bell Hooks
The message I felt that Bell Hooks was trying to get across is that we should not abandon our community ties. We should be proud of the background that we came from. At the same time, we need to nurture those relationships with people that are different. She spoke specifically about education and how her community looks at it. She talked about the idea that she has to straddle two different worlds. The culture that she came from does not value education, and the educated community that she now works in does not value the uneducated sections of society. She does not want to loose her identity in both. Instead of education being something that divides communities and cultures, it should bring them together.
Bell Hooks
The message I felt that Bell Hooks was trying to get across is that we should not abandon our community ties. We should be proud of the background that we came from. At the same time, we need to nurture those relationships with people that are different. She spoke specifically about education and how her community looks at it. She talked about the idea that she has to straddle two different worlds. The culture that she came from does not value education, and the educated community that she now works in does not value the uneducated sections of society. She does not want to loose her identity in both. Instead of education being something that divides communities and cultures, it should bring them together.
Shelby Steele
“The Recoloring of Campus Life”
Shelby Steele
Steele writes about the racial tension between minorities and the dominant white population on college campuses. He goes in depth with explanations on why this occurs. He blames both sides for the tension. He states that we need to settle our differences instead of letting them get in the way. I feel like this is a lot easier said than done. The issue that he talks about is a very complex one. The social boundaries that our society has created will not come down easily. We cannot tell people to simply set aside their differences and expect everything to be perfect. Race relations are something that has come a long way, but the only thing that will fix it is the love of Christ.
Shelby Steele
Steele writes about the racial tension between minorities and the dominant white population on college campuses. He goes in depth with explanations on why this occurs. He blames both sides for the tension. He states that we need to settle our differences instead of letting them get in the way. I feel like this is a lot easier said than done. The issue that he talks about is a very complex one. The social boundaries that our society has created will not come down easily. We cannot tell people to simply set aside their differences and expect everything to be perfect. Race relations are something that has come a long way, but the only thing that will fix it is the love of Christ.
Niccolo’ Machiavelli
“The Qualities of the Prince”
Niccolo’ Machiavelli
Machiavelli focuses on the way a prince should conduct himself. If found it hard to glean anything from this essay considering I’m not a prince. Despite this fact, I did find it interesting and entertaining to read.
Machiavelli’s thoughts were well plotted throughout his piece, and he did an excellent job at expressing his points. His clear and concise writing style made it easy for me to follow.
Niccolo’ Machiavelli
Machiavelli focuses on the way a prince should conduct himself. If found it hard to glean anything from this essay considering I’m not a prince. Despite this fact, I did find it interesting and entertaining to read.
Machiavelli’s thoughts were well plotted throughout his piece, and he did an excellent job at expressing his points. His clear and concise writing style made it easy for me to follow.
Mike Rose
“I Just Wanna Be Average”
Mike Rose
Reading this essay reminded me of all the kids out there that are not living up to their full potential. Many kids struggle in school, but they are not stupid. Their learning styles may differ from the format that their teachers utilize. Mike was not afraid of learning growing up. He was constantly learning and trying new things, yet he struggled in school and eventually ended up in vocational classes.
Mike appeared to be someone that did not care throughout his years as a student. When Mike was having trouble learning, he would tune out and ignore the curriculum in self-defeat. Mike was not stupid; he just needed help. This is what happens to a lot of kids today. They just need the proper adjustments made with their learning.
Mike Rose
Reading this essay reminded me of all the kids out there that are not living up to their full potential. Many kids struggle in school, but they are not stupid. Their learning styles may differ from the format that their teachers utilize. Mike was not afraid of learning growing up. He was constantly learning and trying new things, yet he struggled in school and eventually ended up in vocational classes.
Mike appeared to be someone that did not care throughout his years as a student. When Mike was having trouble learning, he would tune out and ignore the curriculum in self-defeat. Mike was not stupid; he just needed help. This is what happens to a lot of kids today. They just need the proper adjustments made with their learning.
Michael Snider
“The Intimacy of Blogs”
Michael Snider
Blogs are growing rapidly in popularity. People utilize them as an avenue to express their thoughts and feelings. It is often looked at as a form of therapy. I find this interesting because people are sharing their thoughts and feelings with hundreds of people they do not know. What makes people want to share their thoughts with individuals they will never meet? Is it primarily for the purpose of getting things off their chest, or is it for personal gratification? Relationships are frequently formed on through blogs. How rewarding can these relationships really be? Snider brought up an interesting topic.
Michael Snider
Blogs are growing rapidly in popularity. People utilize them as an avenue to express their thoughts and feelings. It is often looked at as a form of therapy. I find this interesting because people are sharing their thoughts and feelings with hundreds of people they do not know. What makes people want to share their thoughts with individuals they will never meet? Is it primarily for the purpose of getting things off their chest, or is it for personal gratification? Relationships are frequently formed on through blogs. How rewarding can these relationships really be? Snider brought up an interesting topic.
Russell Baker
“Work in Corporate America”
Russell Baker
Bake brought up an interesting point. He wrote his piece from the standpoint that corporate America is basically wasting its time with unproductive work. He stated that corporate America is making junk unlike our forefathers. I tend to disagree with Baker’s perspective because that is a big statement to make. I’m sure there are many individuals and companies in America that are not working at their full potential, but there are many hard working people in America. As our country advances in technology, we have to shift our mindset. Running papers around is still a vital part of productivity in our country, and I do not think we should look down on those that do this for a living.
Russell Baker
Bake brought up an interesting point. He wrote his piece from the standpoint that corporate America is basically wasting its time with unproductive work. He stated that corporate America is making junk unlike our forefathers. I tend to disagree with Baker’s perspective because that is a big statement to make. I’m sure there are many individuals and companies in America that are not working at their full potential, but there are many hard working people in America. As our country advances in technology, we have to shift our mindset. Running papers around is still a vital part of productivity in our country, and I do not think we should look down on those that do this for a living.
Henry Thoreau
“Civil Disobedience”
Henry Thoreau
I believe the main point that Thoreau was trying to get across is that we need to establish a better government. He spoke about getting away from the majority rule and becoming centered on making better laws. The ethical responsibilities that the government holds should not be placed in the hands of the majority.
Thoreau made a very interesting point. The majority is not always right. If a country were corrupt, the majority would still be wrong. The average is not always right. Therefore, our laws should be strictly based off of moral principles. This is a tough thing to do when we have taken God out of our government. I do not know what how we should go about doing this.
Henry Thoreau
I believe the main point that Thoreau was trying to get across is that we need to establish a better government. He spoke about getting away from the majority rule and becoming centered on making better laws. The ethical responsibilities that the government holds should not be placed in the hands of the majority.
Thoreau made a very interesting point. The majority is not always right. If a country were corrupt, the majority would still be wrong. The average is not always right. Therefore, our laws should be strictly based off of moral principles. This is a tough thing to do when we have taken God out of our government. I do not know what how we should go about doing this.
E.B. White
“The Meaning of Democracy”
E.B. White
The author did a great job at utilizing analogies. This was a creative way of getting his point across. It is unusual to see a piece written in this format, but it was enjoyable. These analogies broke up the monotony. I was engaged due to the fact that it was out of the norm. I found this essay to be an enjoyable read.
E.B. White
The author did a great job at utilizing analogies. This was a creative way of getting his point across. It is unusual to see a piece written in this format, but it was enjoyable. These analogies broke up the monotony. I was engaged due to the fact that it was out of the norm. I found this essay to be an enjoyable read.
Sojourner Truth
“Ain’t I a Woman?”
Sojourner Truth
The content of this essay is emotionally charged. When reading it, I could not help but empathize for the women that lived in this time period and more specifically, the African American women. African American women suffered through great injustice and discrimination.
The author of this essay frequently failed to use correct English. Despite the negative connotations that are normally associated with this, I feel like it added to the piece. This misuse helps the reader to picture and understand the context that this is written in.
Sojourner Truth
The content of this essay is emotionally charged. When reading it, I could not help but empathize for the women that lived in this time period and more specifically, the African American women. African American women suffered through great injustice and discrimination.
The author of this essay frequently failed to use correct English. Despite the negative connotations that are normally associated with this, I feel like it added to the piece. This misuse helps the reader to picture and understand the context that this is written in.
Jesse Jackson
“Who Makes the Clothes We Wear?”
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson did an excellent job at gaining my attention from the very beginning of her essay. She did this by raising a very good question. She asked if I would by a T-shirt that was made by sweatshop workers. By asking this thought provoking question, she created and excellent attention getter. This also set the tone for the rest of the essay.
The topic of the essay is something that I never really thought about before. Where do my morals lie in this situation? I feel very deeply for the underprivileged workers in other countries that have to work day and night for scraps. Is it my moral responsibility to research what companies utilize this type of labor before purchasing products, or is it only my responsibility to not by from the stores that I hear about? These are tough questions to answer. I feel like I should not support stores that use sweatshop labor, but I doubt that I will go to the extent of researching them before shopping there.
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson did an excellent job at gaining my attention from the very beginning of her essay. She did this by raising a very good question. She asked if I would by a T-shirt that was made by sweatshop workers. By asking this thought provoking question, she created and excellent attention getter. This also set the tone for the rest of the essay.
The topic of the essay is something that I never really thought about before. Where do my morals lie in this situation? I feel very deeply for the underprivileged workers in other countries that have to work day and night for scraps. Is it my moral responsibility to research what companies utilize this type of labor before purchasing products, or is it only my responsibility to not by from the stores that I hear about? These are tough questions to answer. I feel like I should not support stores that use sweatshop labor, but I doubt that I will go to the extent of researching them before shopping there.
Maya Angelou
“Graduation”
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou did a great job at utilizing sensory details. I found it easy to picture what was going on in my mind because her writing style was so detailed. This heightened my enjoyment while reading. I find it frustrating when I struggle to imagine what is going on while I’m reading. When this is not an issue, I know the writer has done his or her job. Maya definitely did her job.
Maya Angelou
Maya Angelou did a great job at utilizing sensory details. I found it easy to picture what was going on in my mind because her writing style was so detailed. This heightened my enjoyment while reading. I find it frustrating when I struggle to imagine what is going on while I’m reading. When this is not an issue, I know the writer has done his or her job. Maya definitely did her job.
Frederick Douglass
“Learning to Read and Write”
Frederick Douglass
I really enjoyed reading this essay. It was interesting to see how difficult it was to become educated as a slave. Not only was it hard to access knowledge, people did not want you to have knowledge. This makes me have an enormous amount of respect for Frederick Douglass. There are not many people that would strive for something to the extent that he did.
Frederick did a great job at telling his story. The narrative format that he utilized made it fun to read, and it also held my attention. Douglas used many sensory details throughout his essay as well. This also contributed to maintaining my attention. I felt it was a well-written essay.
Frederick Douglass
I really enjoyed reading this essay. It was interesting to see how difficult it was to become educated as a slave. Not only was it hard to access knowledge, people did not want you to have knowledge. This makes me have an enormous amount of respect for Frederick Douglass. There are not many people that would strive for something to the extent that he did.
Frederick did a great job at telling his story. The narrative format that he utilized made it fun to read, and it also held my attention. Douglas used many sensory details throughout his essay as well. This also contributed to maintaining my attention. I felt it was a well-written essay.
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