Reflection #4- Nature

         After reading Polemic, Wildlife in American Culture, Easter's End and Fable for Tomorrow along with taking my ecological footprint quiz some strong emotions have risen in me. I feel almost angry at the way our world runs. I wish that earlier on as humans progressed that smarter decisions would have been made that took our environment's condition into consideration. Unless huge changes are made very quickly in the world we live in today, I fear that our environment is going to be destroyed before we have time to reverse the damage we have caused it. Hybrid cars and houses made from recylced materials need to become the most popular items on the market so that we can stop cutting down our forest and polluting our life source (air). This section of class had made me more aware of my bad habits and given me a passion to try harder to preserve our earth. Our environment is sacred and I feel is abused. She (mother earth) has always taken care of us and been there to provide us with what we need physically and spiritually. The environment really is a spiritual thing that needs to be nourished. Mother earth brings us back down to earth and makes us realize it's not all about us, she can make us realize the greater outside powers of this world. Roads, trash, and advanced technology need to stop entering and corrupting nature. Making nature comfortable is different than changing the entire meaning of spending time in nature by bringing your whole household's stuff everytime you enter it. Nature is wonderful, beautiful and special and deserves better treatment. I am going to start doing my part to make that happen.

Easter's End - Jared Diamon

          The general argument/point made by Jared Diamond is his work Easter’s End is that a perfectly healthy environment can be destroyed by overconsumption of resources and that if we (America) are not careful and make smarter decisions we will be destroyed just like the Polynesian community of Easter Island. More specifically, Diamond argues/suggests that we are destroying ourselves by overconsumption of all our resources. He writes, “Eventually Easters growing population was cutting the forest more rapidly than the forest was regenerating.”    (pg. 430) In this passage, Diamond is suggesting that the depletion of Easter Island’s resources was a slow process that gradually became worse with the growing population. It snuck up on them and then by time they realized it, it was too late, they had consumed too much and died because of it. In conclusion, it is Diamond’s belief that we are on a downhill spiral to destroying our own community by naively over consuming all of our own resources, just like the Polynesians on Easter Island did.

            In my view, Diamond is right because think about our gas prices, our weather, and our garbage problems; each year they keep getting worse because we are not making changes to live more proficiently and less wastefully. For example, three years ago when my brother started driving he could fill up the car that I drive now with gas for $35.00 dollars. It takes me a little more than $45.00 to completely fill the same tank now. Although Diamond might object me saying that I think it’s too late to change and save our earth, I maintain that unless everyone in the world were forced to make huge decreases in their resource use it is too late for any individual or small group to make a difference; our earth is doomed because of the way we choose to live and because of our stubbornness to change. Therefore, I conclude that Diamond is right in believing that our overconsumption of our resources is going to gradually and slowly destroy us.

Fable for Tomorrow - Rachel Carson

In Rachel Carson’s work Fable for Tomorrow she describes a small town in America. She talks about how lovely, wealthy, prosperous, and healthy this town is and pretty much makes it sound like the perfect place to live. I imagine it being out of a fairytale where everything is perfect and happy; a place where true love exists. Later on in her story, for no apparent reason a scourge crosses over the land. Everything dies: cattle, plants, crops, people, animals, the beauty, and the wonderful feeling the town brought about. Everyone that lived in the town thought an evil spell had been cast upon it but it turned out that everything died because of the people’s actions or the lack thereof.

           This fable made me extremely sad and feel hopeless. It made me realize how amazing our world could be if we treated it right, and how bad it is or potentially could get with the way we are treating it. I think we definitely take nature for granted and don’t give it anything back in return. Her argument/point is completely right. Our world as we know it could just disappear one day. Nature needs to be cherished and used to its full potential.

Hudson River School (Response)

          The Hudson River School (1825-1880) was the first coherent school of American art. The group of many painters from this school depicted nature of the Wild West as romantic and beautiful. These artists felt that the beauty of Nature could inspire good moral qualities and that it was an agent of spiritual and moral transformations. This school began in the 19^th century by Thomas Cole and Asher B. Durand. It started small but became the most popular luminous and late romantic school of landscape paintings in the 19^th century. This school helped depict the good/peaceful side of nature and helped the Europeans diminish their fear towards it.

1^st Painting: The Hunter’s Return

Artist: Thomas Cole (1801-1848)

            Thomas Cole, the founder of the Hudson River School, was born in England and then moved to America in 1818. He is best known for his allegorical paintings, but also did many paintings of the White Mountains like this one. Although painting romantic, amalgamative, grand, and enormous allegorical works such as the Voyage of Life and Course of Empire is what Cole preferred, he did many landscapes upon requests of patrons. His goal was to showcase the romantic side of American nature. He wanted to depict American nature as the “visible hand of God” but also to prove a point that nature is good and useable; it is not scary and needed to be avoided.

           More specifically in this work of art, The Hunter’s Return that Thomas painted in 1845, he is portraying nature as useful and homey. This piece of work I think reflects upon the ideas that America came from nature and showcases the Wild West perfectly. The men in this painting are on their way back from hunting, foraging, and scavenging.  They are living in the land, not just on the land and are obviously not fearful of it. It depicts the history of America and how we grew to what we are now; nature really is the visible hand of God.

2^nd Painting: Rainy Season in the Tropics

Artist: Frederic Edwin Church (1826 – 1900)

            Frederic Edwin Church, perhaps the best known representative of the Hudson River School, was born in 1826 in Hartford.  He was mastered/taught by the famous painter Thomas Cole at a young age and soon was said to be the student as having “the finest eye for drawing in the world.” He soon went global after opening a studio for himself with his beautiful landscape paintings. Church was a painter that focused very much on showing natural science in his work but he never failed to give each of his paintings a spiritual twist; probably something he learned from Thomas Cole.

           Specifically in this painting Rainy Season in the Tropics which he painted in 1866, like many of Church’s paintings is portraying the beauty and power of water. When I look at this painting, I see pure power and strength. It makes me realize how beautiful our country is and how resilient nature is. It always rebuilds itself when given time and nurturing. It reflects romanticism in a spiritual aspect. Waterfalls have always been a spiritual symbol and I think this painting makes the people who view it, think a little deeper and past this world.

 

3^rd Painting: Grand Canyon of the Yellow Stone

Artist: Thomas Moran (1837-1926)

            Thomas Moran was born in 1837 in Bolton, Lancashire. At age 16 he got his first job as a wood engraver and with this position is when we began to paint and draw seriously. He became an extremely good painter and was asked to go on many excursions to paint landscapes. In 1860 he was asked to come to West and paint Lake Superior. He enjoyed the American West so much that whenever he got the opportunity to come back he did. It was on one very special occasions that he got the opportunity to come paint the geyser’s, canyons, and hot springs of Yellow Stone park. He was a big part in making Yellow Stone National Park what it is today; he showed color and such power in his paintings that it drew many tourists’ specifically European tourists to visit the park.

            Specifically in this painting of Yellow Stone Grand Canyon of the Yellow Stone that Moran painted in 1893, Moran is showing the vividly awesome riches – scenic and material- of the West. This painting provides a spiritual and inspirational background/ reason for venturing to the West. Moran’s ability to showcase the beauty/ necessity of the mountain men’s myth’s in this painting considered him to be a national icon of the time.

          

          In conclusion to these wonderful artists that created a historical landscape school that went down in history, I would like to connect them and their works to the beautiful words of Henry D. Thoreau. He stated in his work Selections from WALDEN “Most men, even in this comparatively free country through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life that it’s finer fruits cannot be plucked by them.” (pg. 350) I think that the works created at the Hudson River School helped men to pluck the finer fruits of life. These works show spirituality, the beauty of nature, our necessity for nature, and portray romanticism which are all finer fruits of life.

 Citations

http://terpconnect.umd.edu/~alexatn/finalfin.htm

http://www.medicinemangallery.com/bio/thomasmoran.lasso

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chur/hd_chur.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cole

http://whitemountainart.com/Biographies/bio_tc.htm

Polemic: Industrial Tourism and the National Park - Edward Abbey

          The general argument/point made by Edward Abbey in his work Polemic: Industrial Tourism and the National Park is that wilderness is a necessary part of civilization and that’s it’s national parks’ job to keep it intact and undiminished but people are making that impossible to do by trying to change the wilderness experience. More specifically, Abbey argues/suggests that wilderness is being destroyed by people’s desire for roadways, electricity, and comfort everywhere they go. He writes, most readiness, while generally sympathetic to this latter point of view, will feel as do the administrators of the National Park Service, that although wilderness is a fine thing, certain compromise and adjustments are necessary in the order to meet the ever-expanding demand for outdoor recreation (pg. 387). In this passage, Abbey is suggesting that the idea of outdoor recreation has changed; it can’t be sleeping under the stars, walking on foot, and living off the land, it now has to be motorhomes, restaurants, and constant modern entertainment. In conclusion, it is Abbey’s beliefs that no more roads should be built in National Parks because it is ruining the true meaning and opportunity of the wilderness.

           In my view, Abbey is right because National Parks and wilderness everywhere are getting destroyed by the convenience of roads and groups of people. For example, the parkway by my house, originally created for a quiet, clean, and peaceful place to be alone in nature and run or walk your dog is now, loud, always busy, and full of trash. Although Abbey might object to the idea of finding a happy medium between comfort and pure wilderness, I maintain that it’s possible to have comfort and a full wilderness experience with maybe a control of tourism and stricter wilderness laws. Therefore I conclude that Edward Abbey is right in wanting to keep wilderness, wilderness but he has too high expectations for everyone to want the same experience as him so a compromise needs to be made.

Wildlife in American Culture - Aldo Leopald

          The general argument/point made by Aldo Leopald in his work “Wildlife in American Culture” is that culture and the environment go hand in hand; one effects the other. More specifically, Leopald argues, suggests that our environment effects the way life is lived or in other words our culture; it may determine whether we wear clothes made out of buffalo hide, nor gator skin. He also argues/suggests the opposite which is that our culture can effect our environment; our culture at certain times may include more house building which would effect the forests’ tree supplies. He writes, “Wildlife has still value, now visible only to a few ecologists, but of potential importance to the whole human enterprise.” (pg. 375) In this passage Leopald is suggesting that environment effects culture and culture effects environment and that they have an irreplaceable and necessary connection. In conclusion, it’s Leopald’s belief that the environment has a great effect on the culture of the people around it and vice versa.

           In my view, Leopald is right because in history when no other resources were available, people had to live off the land/environment which would effect the type of lives they lived (their culture). For example, people today know how to hunt and enjoy hunting because their ancestors had to hunt in past times to survive when farming and the Industrial Revolution were not around yet. Therefore, I conclude my agreement with Aldo Leopald and believe that environment and culture go hand in hand and have great effects on each other.

Ecological Footprint/Reflection #3

          My ecological footprint states that if everyone on the planet lived my lifestyle, we would need 5.64 earths to withstand our living habits. I found this crazy after taking the quiz because I always thought of myself as definitely not an environmentalist but someone that actually took consideration of the environment and the wear and tear it takes. This obviously proved me wrong and made me realize that some big changes in my life and others could be made to conserve energy and the earth's resources.
          Everyone on earth needs to start recycling anything and everything they can. Recycled products are great to use as building materials and take up 1/100 of the space. Besides recycling, we can try to just cut down on the products we use. Refill a water bottle many times before throwing it away or bring go green bags to the grocery store with you.
         Small things besides recycling could be done to help our earth not have to work so hard to provide for us. Plant and care for your own garden, change your lightbulbs to ones that conserve energy, un-plug appliances that are not in use, change your water faucets, and now you can even change your windows to windows that let more light in so lightbulbs do not have to be used so much.
         I honestly feel like there are so many things we as people can do to help our earth out and it's crazy to me that we aren't. I decided after we had our class discussion and I took this ecological footprint quiz to make a goal to use a waterbottle at least 3 times before throwing it away. I know that is small change in my life but I feel like I may be able to influence others and make a difference :)

Selections from WALDEN - Henry D. Thoreau

          The general argument/point made by Henry D. Thoreau in his work Selections from WALDEN is that us as people are so busy and ignorant to what’s really important in life and so routine that we never stop to smell the roses or see/care about the fruits of our labors. More specifically, Thoreau argues/suggests that we as humans, work so hard at the wrong things and care about the wrong things; we have and work for so much stuff that is not needed. He writes, “Most men, even in this comparatively free country through mere ignorance and mistake, are so occupied with factitious cares and superfluously coarse labors of life that its finer fruits cannot be plucked by them.” (pg. 350) In this passage, Thoreau is suggesting that we as humans are so busy all the time with the wrong things; we work our lives away just because our ancestors did and because it’s what we think we are supposed to do to obtain material objects that are not needed. In conclusion, it is Thoreau’s belief that humans need to refocus themselves on the important things in life so that we can fully receive the fruits of life.

             In my view, Thoreau is right because the happiest people I know are the ones that slow down their lives, don’t work all the time, and spend time with the people they love and on the things they care about the most; they truly enjoy the fruits of their lives. Another example of this, one from Thoreau’s selection, takes us clear back to the times of the savages. They lived comfortably warm, in the middle of winter, completely unclothed while English men very well clothed sat next to a fire and were far from too warm. That statement struck me hard, because it goes back to what we need versus what we want. As long as the savages ate the right amount of food for energy and had some sort of shelter, they were comfortably warm and fine. It made me truly realize that we busy ourselves in the world we live in today with stuff that does not matter; we fill all of our wants and not our needs. We could be so much happier, slowing down and treating ourselves right not caring about all the material stuff in our world today. Although Thoreau might object me saying that I don’t believe completely cutting yourself off from the world like he did is the best thing to do, I maintain my agreement with him that a simplification of life, would do wonders. Therefore, I conclude that I agree with Thoreau; men (society) needs to slow down, simplify everything they have their hands in, and truly receive the fruits of their labors, not just keep laboring.

Introduction to Responses to the Land: Nature, Ecology, and Materialism & Peach Blossum - T'ao Ch'ien

          Nature over every decade of human life has been a key part of our species survival but are we surviving with it, or surviving on it? In the first generations of human life, we lived with nature, taking what we needed but also giving back what we could. Then as the industrial revolution age came about, things changed. Roads and large buildings/factories were being built right in the middle of nature destroying it. As us humans destroyed nature it started destroying us spiritually. We need nature to give us peace of mind and also to survive physically. A general motors spokesperson says “The average American family still needs the lifestyle they want to have.”(pg. 341) By that he is saying that unless our actions start to change to preserve the environment, our lifestyles will have to change or we will be destroyed. Global warming will burn up our cities fumed by the poison we put into the air. I believe he is correct and that we are not looking enough to the future and thinking about how drastically life will be changed.

            In the story The Peach Blossom Spring by T’ao Ch’ien a fisherman rowed up stream stumbling upon a grove of peach trees in bloom. It was beautiful so he rowed along seeing how far the grove went when he finally came to the foot of the mountain where a spring was; the spring that supplied the stream he was rowing on. He noticed a hole in the foot of the mountain that light was streaming through and decided to explore it.  The hole at first narrow, opened up into a broad level plain where well-built houses were surrounded by rich fields and pretty ponds. Dogs barked, plants grew, and men and women were coming going about their days dressed liked ordinary people doing ordinary things; they were carefree and happy. The story goes on to talk about how welcomed the fisherman was and about all the stories shared exchanged between the fisherman and the people living in the side of the mountain. The fisherman came to find out that this group of people used to live in China with him but fled from Chinese rulers many years ago and lost all contact with the outside world once they found refuge in their cave. After their stories and conversing about life nowadays, the fisherman left after getting severe warning not to tell anyone about their cave home. He recovered his boat and carefully marked the route back home where he reported what he had found. The Chinese magistrate sent a man with the fisherman to find this so called city in the hole. No matter how hard the fisherman tried, it could not be found again. . . The point of this story I think is that nature is special and needs to be cherished. The people in the cave warned the fisherman not to tell outsiders in fear their home would’ve been destroyed which it would have been if found. The fisherman should’ve cherished the nature he discovered like the people who lived there did.

Reflection #2- Poetry/Literature

          After reading Education by Poetry and Why Literature? I have had some cool thoughts about the written word; I decided I absolutely love it. Words have always been a huge part of my life because I never like to shut my mouth. I could talk all day if you let me but I also like listening and learning from others so reading, poetry and music are things I thoroughly enjoy. Music makes me feel original and can change my day from bad to great in a matter of a few measures. The cute, sad, playful, angry, or happy lyrics touch me everytime. I feel I agree with both the authors of these 2 passages when they say that poetry teaches metaphor, analogy, and parable and that literature is essential in entertaining and cultivating the mind. Everytime I am done reading or writing a poem or story, my mind is in a different place than usual. I feel like I think more deeply and consider more; my mind is clear.

Reading Quiz #2 - Argument Paper

          Literature and poetry are cultivating and educational activities to engage in. In Mario Vargas Llosa’s work Why Literature he states how cultivating and entertaining engaging in literature is. Also in Robert Frost’s work Education by Poetry he states that Poetry is necessary in teaching metaphor, analogy, and parable. Frost even goes so far to say, “Suppose we stop short of imagination, initiative, enthusiasm, and originality – dread words.”(pg. 48) Both of these authors have a passion for the written word and the beneficial effects that come from it. All I can say is that I agree with them completely.

          As I was growing up, like most children I did not like to read but also like most kids I couldn’t avoid reading because it’s everywhere. All of my teachers through elementary school gave me the assignment to read thirty minutes a day. By my sixth grade year, I was fed up with reading because I felt it was all I did. I would read before school, during school, and after school reading was involved with my homework and many of the video games I played. I felt trapped in a way because I couldn’t escape this activity that I disliked so much, so for a long time I loathed reading and couldn’t allow myself to see any of the benefits that it gave me.

           After I graduated from elementary, I still disliked reading but somehow started gaining some respect for it. As I began junior high, I also began to realize that reading was a necessary skill I would use for the rest of my life. Because of my perfectionist attitude, I decided that I would take reading as a challenge and become the best I could be at it. At that time of my life, my seventh grade year in junior high was the first time I started in any way to appreciate literature and the knowledge it gave me. It became a fun hobby instead of a chore because I decided that I wanted to excel in that area of my education.
           To shorten my story a tiny bit, let’s just say that through each year of my education reading became more and more important to me. In my sophomore year of high school, I found another side to reading though that I thought I would never understand. I finally understood that reading was not only for my education but that it had deeper powers; it could be a cultivating escape. My sophomore year was the year I found out that my older sister struggled with a strong type of depression. She struggled with thoughts of suicide and didn’t feel she had a purpose or a joy in life. I came to find out later on that literature is what saved her. Whenever she got to a point she felt she couldn’t rise above, she would open a book and escape. Those short hours while she could escape from her own life are what saved her and gave her the strength to not destroy it. From that time on, literature has been a love of mine.

My beautiful sister :)

           After my sister’s crisis, I started reading more. I didn’t read for school, I read because I wanted to. Once I started finding books and poems that I found interesting, I found I learned to escape into literature like my sister did. That is when I saw what a cultivating and entertaining activity engaging in literature was. I got into music (poetry) at that time and because of my personal experience, I can say I agree with Frost’s earlier statement that without poetry there would not be imagination, initiative, enthusiasm or originality.
          People may say after reading this argument “literature is only educational and entertaining for some people.” All I could say to that is that I thought that once too. When I was little I never thought in a million years that I would have a passion for literature and poetry but as I started to understand it, my opinion changed. Loving literature and poetry all comes from understanding literature and poetry.
           In conclusion, literature and poetry are cultivation, educational, and entertaining activities to participate in. They teach metaphor (things of the world), personal enthusiasm, and give you a sense of originality. They are an escape from everyday life and once understood, are activities to be cherished.

Education by Poetry - Robert Frost

The general argument/point made by Robert Frost in his work Education by Poetry is that without poetry students can’t find their way around in contemporary literature. More specifically, Frost argues/suggests that poetry teaches metaphors, analogies, and parables; it shows students how to judge editorials and political campaigns. He writes, “Education by poetry is education by metaphor.” (pg. 48) in this passage Frost is suggesting that poetry is what gives students their imagination, initiative, inspiration, originality, and most importantly their enthusiasm. In conclusion, it is Frost’s belief that poetry is a way of learning and a way of teaching students metaphor, enthusiasm, how to make judgments, and originality.

           In my view Frost is right because think about how many people in general, more specifically students or teenagers, are influenced greatly by music every day. For example, music is a huge part of my life personally. I am constantly finding new songs that I love because they help me express myself, inspire me, and teach me life lessons just like Frost says poetry does. I definitely agree with Frost that poetry can teach people originality because my music makes me feel original; I get to listen to whatever I want and feel whatever I want from those songs. Although Frost might object me saying that I don’t agree that poetry is the only way to learn skills and understand literature, I maintain that there are many ways to gain enthusiasm and inspiration but that poetry is one great way to attain those skill and emotions. Therefore, I conclude that poetry is a great escape and an A+ teacher when it comes to teaching students enthusiasm, inspiration, originality, and metaphor but do believe there are other ways at attaining these skills that are just as beneficial. 

Why Literature? - Mario Vargas Llosa

          The general argument/point made by Mario Vargas Llosa in his work Why Literature is that literature is an important part of life and that people are too busy in life today to enjoy it. More specifically, Llosa argues/suggests that although people say they enjoy reading, they always follow it up with but I am a very busy person and don’t have time for leisure reading. He writes, “Literature is a dispensable activity, no doubt lofty and useful for cultivating sensitivity and good manners, but essentially an entertainment, an adornment that only people with time for recreation can afford. It is something to fit in between sports, the movies, a game of bridge or chess; and it can be sacrificed without scruple when one “prioritizes” the tasks and the duties that are indispensable in the struggle of life.” (pg. 39) In this passage, Llosa is suggesting that people are busy but that literature is such a good hobby/activity to engage in that it is worth fitting in and not hard to with prioritizing. In conclusion, it is Llosa’s belief that literature is extremely important and without a question needs to be fit into people’s daily life because it is an entertaining and cultivating experience.

            In my view, Llosa is wrong because a lot of people do find time for reading when they choose to, so it’s not that people can’t find the time for reading it is that they fill their time with the hobbies they most enjoy. For example, I enjoy reading like a lot of people do and sometimes wish I read more but the reason I don’t is my own fault because every time I have an hour of leisure time I fill it with a nap, television, soccer, or other things I enjoy more than reading. Although Llosa might object that people don’t read plainly because they don’t have time not because they don’t want to, I maintain that if people truly had a desire to read more and loved literature like Llosa does that they would fit in time to engage in it instead of choosing other leisure activities to fill up their time. Therefore, I conclude that I agree that literature is important and should be more important to people today but that the reason we do not find it important is not because of our limited time, it is because we find other activities more important.

Icarus Reading and Interpretation

Reading and Interpretation Exercise pg. 36

1.      The subject of the first line is the Old Masters.

2.      No, usually the subject is in the beginning of the sentence not the end. Poetry mixes up words sometimes.

3.      Auden is trying to say that life goes on despite events that cause suffering.

4.      Auden’s argument is that people turn away from other peoples’ problems if it doesn’t have anything to do with them. They turn their heads from disaster.

5.      Auden conveys this message by giving evidence from the picture showing that people turned their heads when Icarus fell from the sky.

6.      Auden’s evidence is from the painting; just take a look at how little Icarus is compared to the rest of the painting.

7.      The title is not written in English, it is written in French

8.      The Old Masters include; Brueghel, Davinchi, Rembrandt, Michael Angelo, etc.

9.      The Old Masters is capitalized to show respect for that narrow group of prodigies.

10.  In this poem Auden made it flow by starting general, and becoming more specific throughout the poem.

11.  Breughel’s Icarus is the painting.

12.  The thesis he is arguing is that people turn away from disasters especially if it does not include them. I agree with that statement completely because I see it happen. For example, the other day someone was stuck on the side of the road and I was stopped in traffic. I was stuck there for about 5 minutes and saw at least 20 cars pass this car stuck on the side of the road but no one stopped to help because the problem did not involve them.

13.  He argues that statement because the time period he lived in was full of human suffering; for example the concentration camps were during his time period.

14.  Auden’s living in Europe did affect the way he viewed humans reactions to human suffering because he saw how the Jews were treated and how no one did anything to try to stop it.

15.  Auden says the Old Masters were never wrong when it comes to understanding suffering in their art because like him they went through and saw pain and suffering from when they lived.

16.  The Old Masters are held in high esteem because they are able to connect with pain and suffering and then turn around and portray those emotions in their art work.

17.  That is the case because they can sympathize and empathize unlike other people who turn away.

18.  Yes, Auden’s presence in the museum does affect his views about what he sees. He is in a museum where only the Old Masters art work is which is manipulating his views to see pain and suffering.

19.  Auden uses Brueghel’s Icarus to support his thesis by saying something in his poem that he saw in the picture “how everything turns away quite leisurely from the disaster; the plow man turns away.”

20.  Auden was not always in his lifetime accepted or treated right so you can see why he believes the way he does and why he sympathizes with the Jews.

21.  Different styles of art done by the Old Masters may create a variation of interpretations of the Old Masters.

22.  The picture conveys a visual meaning by showing a story that you can read. It is possible to make a picture readable by putting in specific details that may be from a certain time period. Shadowing, picture, context, perspective and other things all help to tell a story or show meaning without using words.

23.  The color and composition provide the correct meaning to the picture by being light and dark in certain areas that are supposed to stand out. It has a gloomy feel to it that tells you that no one cares about each other.

24.  Icarus is in the corner of this painting painted very small for the purpose that he is hard to see and shown as insignificant.

25.  He is so small, to show that he is not important.

26.  People are responding to his tragedy like nothing happened, they are ignoring him.

27.  The people’s response to Icarus is exactly what Auden said it was; ignorance.

28.  Auden’s interpretation was a good interpretation because it was right and the whole the point of the painting.

29.  The painting is different than how Brueghel showed it because in the story at least one person cares about Icarus; his dad.

30.  Ovid’s view of why people would ignore Icarus is because of the time period he was living in.

31.  Ovid’s time period was full of human torture. It was the same time period as the Jewish concentration camps.

32.  This affected his story telling because it made him have a metaphoric opinion about people that was/is not always true.

Reflection #1- Critical Thinking

          After the first 2-3 weeks of class and after reading these first 5 pieces of work (method for thinking critically, engaging in political thinking, argumentation, closed mind, and concepts we live by) I  have a better understanding of how important critically thinking is. It opened my eyes to the fact that not everyone knows how to fully think about issues and that our own country is suffering from it. It made me grateful for the education and life lessons that I have learned that have taught me how to critically/politically think. I feel capable to make difficult decisions because I know I can make a pro and con list, ask questions, argue and counterargue, and expand on everyside of an issue. These pieces of writing have also made me grateful for all the people in my past that have critically thought and made decisions that have made my life the way it is now. I am now a little nervous for the future of our country simply because of the way our media is represented and projected. People that younger generations look up to need to learn not to be two-sided and make rash decisions based off of opinions or non provable statements. With the 2012 presidental election coming up in a few months, I sure hope that our president is chosen off of people's critical thoughts and that he/she themselves can critically think and make the best possible decisions for the whole of our country.

Reading Quiz #1 - Connect, Reflect, and Respond

Assignment: Choose 2 of the 5 articles read so far in class and write full,complete and thoughtful sentences with correct spelling and punctuation. ANALYZE the Argument, respond, reflect, and connect to the argument of the writer. Give a SPECIFIC EXAMPLE that connects to your commentary. Use any example discussed in class or something where you have personally seen the argument in the text connect to your own life:

1. A Method for Reading, Writing, and Thinking Critically - Kathleen McCormick
2. Why Engage in Political Thinking? - Glenn Tinder
3. Argumentation in a Culture of Discord - Frank L. Cioffi
4. Life of the Closed Mind - Anna Quindlen
5. Concepts We Live By - Lakoff and Johnson

4.)           In Anna Quindlen's piece Life of the Closed Mind her argument is that our country is setting the example for our younger generations to be closed minded by way of the media. The media is extremely two sided; everything is black and white. Quindlen is saying with this article that we (our country) needs to critically think about the statements being made in everyday life. We should ask questions like "Why did he/she say that? Is there evidence? What counter claims could be said about that statement?" I agreed with her claim completely and gave the example of teen gossip in highschool. The reason why gossip is a huge issue among teens is because teens have not been properly taught to think critically. If a statement is said about someone everyone automatically believes and spreads the rumor just because it was said. Teens do not ask critical questions that argue the statements that are made. I believe this is a huge problem and that our country needs to critically think more just like Quindlen argued.

2.)          In Glenn Tinder's article Why Engage in Political Thinking? the argument made was that although political thining is difficult and may sometimes leave you empty handed, it is the only way to answer complex problems. In the article an example was given asking why we believe that slavery is unjust? Our answer to that question comes from former theroists who did politically think about the topic. We get our beliefs and feelings about slavery from them. I agree that political thinking is important and key in making big decisions the correct way. In my own personal life I know I use critical thinking to make important decisions like where to attend college. I have to take certain factors into consideration like how expensive tuition is, where the school is located, what majors they teach their, scholarship opportunities, sport teams, etc. If i did not politically think about that topic by thinking about everyside of it, i would most likely make a decision that wouldn't be the best thing for me.

Concepts We Live By - Lakoff and Johnson

          The general argument/point made by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson in their work Concepts We Live By is that having metaphor is a necessity because it is persuasive. More specifically, Lakoff and Johnson argue/suggest that metaphor doesn’t just include the matter of language and mere words, it the way we argue and make decisions. They write “The concepts that govern our thought are not just matters of the intellect. They also govern our everyday functioning, down to the most mundane details. Our concepts structure what we perceive, how we get around in the world, and how we relate to other people.”(pg. 61) In this passage, Lakoff and Johnson are suggesting that in a culture without a metaphor of how we look at argument as war, would probably not see an argument as arguing at all. In conclusions, it is Lakoff’s and Johnson’s belief that a world without metaphor would lead to quick decisions not being able to be made because in most of the little things we do every day, we simply think and act more or less automatically along certain pre-defined lines.

           In my view, Lakoff and Johnson are right because as human beings we learn from the past or by connecting actions with consequences. For example, as a young kid you usually learn not to touch a stove by touching one while hot one time. The next time you walk by a stove you probably wouldn’t purposely touch the stove because in your metaphorical brain, you defined the stove as dangerous and hot. Although Lakoff and Johnson might object how a metaphor is contracted, I maintain that it is obtained by past experience or actions connected with consequences. Therefore, I conclude that Lakoff and Johnson are just in arguing that metaphor is key to argument and making decisions in everyday life even though my detailed ideas vary a little.

Life of the Closed Mind - Anna Quindlen

          The general argument/point made by Anna Quindlen in her work Life of the Closed Mind is that America has become a country that sets its young people the terrible example of closed minds and that, that needs to change. More specifically Quindlen argues/suggests that we think about the world as good or evil when a statement like that shies away from rigorous intellectual engagement. She writes, “Is that true? Maybe there’s something to what she just said. Let me think about it. That’s interesting. Maybe I should change my mind. I changed my mind” (pg. 67) which are all questions we should be engaging in when making a decision/opinion about something. In this passage, Quindlen is suggesting that our nation makes decisions based on statements made that are not backed up by any evidence and that statements need to be questioned. In conclusion, it is Quindlens belief that our country in close minded and that because of that we cannot tell the difference between enemies and opponents, heresy and disagreement, or even between discussion and destruction.

           In my view, Quindlen is right because I have seen more than a couple of times people believe a statement that was said only for the reason that it was said. For example, at my high school rumors and gossip are spread around the school every day. The only reason they spread is because people believe them and I can guarantee that at least 50% of rumors spread are not true, but are believed to be true because people are trained to automatically assume that the person who said it is correct. Although Quindlen may object me saying that not our whole nation is closed minded, I maintain that even though the example of being closed minded is set before us that many do have open minds and critically think before forming an opinion. Therefore, I conclude that Quindlen is correct when she argues that intellectual engagement is needed when making decisions or forming opinions, but that she is wrong in believing that our whole nation is closed minded.

Argumentation in a Culture of Discord- Frank L. Cioffi

          The general argument/point made by Frank L. Cioffi in his work Argumentation in a Culture of Discord is that our media does not provide a platform for actual debate and so is teaching our younger generations the wrong ideas about argumentation. More specifically, Cioffi argues/suggests that his students cannot write an argument paper when he assigns it to them because they see an argument as a heated debate that usually ends in violence when in actuality is a persuasive process of reasoning that helps you better understand a topic. He writes, “In terms of media discussing issues, they offer two sides.” (pg. 63) In this passage, Cioffi is suggesting that because the media talks about topics as two sided in a malicious way, it is teaching younger generations that an argument includes anger and violence so therefore enabling them from engaging in what argument really is. In conclusions, it is Cioffi’s belief that our nation is becoming unable to argue.

          In my view, Cioffi is right because I myself have a hard time writing argumentative papers correctly. For example, last semester in Slcc English 1010 I was asked to write an argument paper which I failed miserably at because I didn’t understand what argument meant. I thought I could only state two sides and fight for which one was better when I actually needed to think of as many sides of the topic as I could and discuss them all in detail, not fight for one specific side but fight for an understanding. Although Cioffi might object me saying that argument is a battle in many cases in the world today, I maintain that I believe that argument in the way I see it is needed to prove a point many times. Therefore, I conclude that Cioffi is just in believing that the media is teaching younger generations the wrong way to argue, but I don’t agree that it is unnecessary.

Why Engage in Political Thinking? - Glenn Tinder

          The general argument/point made by Glenn Tinder in his work Why Engage in Political Thinking is that the idea of forming deep and personal thoughts is hard work when in actuality all you need is  solid ground underneath, and how important it is to engage in political thinking. More specifically, Tinder argues/suggests that Americans do not engage in thoughts possessed of philosophical seriousness and need to. He writes, "In sum, the paths of thoughts are not altogether inviting. Following them leads inevitably to toil and insecurity but not necessarily to solid answers or inner rest. Then why do it? Some questions cannot be answered by any other means." (pg. 16) In this passage Tinder is suggesting that practical problems can only be answered and defended through philosophical reflection. In conclusion, it is Tinder's belief that although deep thinking is hard, it is necessary when finding answers to complex problems.
          In my view, Tinder is right because many of our answers or views today come from deep thought from philosophers long ago; without their philosophical minds some of America's biggest issues would have never been solved. For example, why was slavery such a huge issue and the discrimination of blacks in America so unjust? The idea that slavery is wrong comes from our idea of eqaulity which would probably not have been possessed if it were not for thinkers like Locke, Rousseau, and Marx. Although Tinder might object that statement, I maintain that philosophical thinking is important to answering complex problems. Therefore, I conclude that Glenn Tinder is just in arguing that although deep thoughts take work and may not lead down a road of success, there is sometimes no other way to answering complex ideas/issues than with philosophical thinking.

A Method for Reading, Writing, and Thinking Critically- Kathleen McCormick

           The general argument/point made by Kathleen McCormick in her work A Method for Reading, Writing, and Thinking Critically is that today the media and our country in general is full of conflicting opinions. More specifically, McCormick argues/suggests that the media doesn’t tap into/discuss in detailed types of analyses. She writes, “Differences are most often discussed on television and on the radio in terms of inferior and superior, absolute right and wrong, black and white; there is a clear winner and loser.” (pg. 21) In this passage McCormick is suggesting that our country needs to be less black and white and become historically and culturally analytical. In conclusion, it is McCormick’s belief that looking at a topic as right or wrong is oversimplifying complex positions, and that analyses need to be made to include your personal life and the past.
             In my view, McCormick is right because it’s hard to make a correct decision based on claims made without fully analyzing former perspectives from the past and present. For example, you may think proclaiming war on a country is the right thing to do because there seems to be only two answers; declare war or don’t declare war, but if you looked into the past and analyzed the outcomes of past wars you may change your mind or see at least see reason to. Although McCormick might object my statement, I maintain that making a complex decision can be made easier and more accurate by searching into the past or present to form complex ideas. Therefore, I conclude that Kathleen McCormick’s argument is valid; America needs to become less black and white and become analytical engaging in detailed types of analyses.

All About Me

I love my family, friends, soccer, animals (my dog), and nature!! <3



This is my family :) i have 8 siblings and then my parents plus a few in laws and a niece and nephew

This is Me, Paige, and Nicole. They are best friends in the world!!!

                            



This is my soccer team after we won a rival game ;)



This is my dog roxy that i have had for 7 years



Me enjoying a freezing cold waterfall :)



I really enjoyed this assignment because I learned a lot about the people in class. I didn't find I had a ton and a ton of things in common with everyone in class but it gave us things to talk about and made them feel less like strangers; it helped break the ice. I found it interesting to learn about some peoples' hobbies like vacationing. I enjoyed the people that shared their talents with the class by showing drawings or photographs they had drawn and taken. It also helped me learn about myself a little more and be grateful for who I am. Overall, it was a great assignment that I didn't mind doing.