Analyzing Turning 10

In this poem Billy Collins is talking about how oblivious to the negatives in life you are at young ages as well as how much more magical it is because you have more imagination and don't know as many facts about the world. He captures his growing up by going through ages and what he believed or acted like at each age in his life. I think what makes this poem effective is the last paragraph when it talks about how he used to believe if he was cut he would shine light, but now he scrapes his knees and bleeds. That shows the sad change from the happy imagination of a younh kid to realizing the sad realities of the world. This poem fits into my life experience a bit because I remember each time I learned or experienced something troubling in life for the first time and felt disappointment and sadness to know that things aren't like fantasy movies or that Santa Claus ect. aren't real.

Definition essay questions

Are there any fresh ideas enlisted in this definition? How would you have defined this idea? Are there ideas similar to it that you could choose to define?
I think the definition of the Yankee overall was a fresh idea to me because I had never heard that before. If I defined it I would have thought just a big American patriot type person, or the baseball team. I can't think of any similar ideas I could choose to define because im not very knowledgable in that subject.

There are allusions here: (1) to the musical Damn Yankees!, (2) to the Bible (the parable of the Good Samaritan), and (3) to a poem by Robert Frost. Do these allusions add anything to the essay or to your understanding of things? What if you didn't "get" the allusions?
I understood third allusion because it has a direct explantion of the connection and what he was adding it in for. But the first one didn;t really have a purpose other than maybe to be comical or just, explain that maybe people would think of that musical as the most famous yankee thing. I dont understand the bible allusion at all probably because I'm not religious at all and havnt heard bible related things since I really young.

What techniques of development does the essay use in the process of definition? Do you think the writer dwelt too long on what a Yankee is not before moving on to what a Yankee is? I think the writer started out more loosely talking and being vague then moved towards a specific story and closer definition of a Yankee. I dont think he stuck too long because saying what somebody is not can sometimes define as well or better what someone is.

Can you point to (write down) one sentence that functions as thesis statement in this essay?
To most Americans, though, the word Yankee means either the pin-striped New York baseball team or the Northern forces in the American Civil War, the soldiers from north of the Mason-Dixon Line. In time, though, the idea that the word Yankee suggests has shrunk geographically until it is on the verge of extinction.



spring break:
I went to Puerto Rico for a week with my parents and my girlfriend. We stayed out in Dorado which is 20 minutes from san juan. Everything there is legal at 18 haha so it was really fun and eventful. Saw lots of beaches and nice restaurants

A modest proposal questions

1. “A Modest Proposal” is an ironic essay: the author deliberately writes what he does not mean. What is the real thesis? Is there more than one?
I think he was saying how difficult life is for the lower class, and cruel the rich can be. It was not very clear though, because he did a decent job at backing up his horrible points. This writing was very confusing for me.

2. Look closely at paragraphs 4, 6, and 7, and study how the appeals to logic are put in mathematical and economic terms. Underline those words and phrases.
"I have always found them grossly mistaken in the computation. It is true, a child just dropped from its dam may be supported by her milk for a solar year, with little other nourishment; at most not above the value of 2s., "
"this being granted, there will remain an hundred and seventy thousand breeders. "

3. When does the reader begin to realize that the essay is ironic? Before or after the actual proposal is made in paragraph 10?
I believe it is made apparent a bit before paragraph 10 because it starts to get more ridiculous and extreme.

4. Which groups of people are singled out as special targets for Swifts’ attack? Are the Irish presented completely as victims, or are they also to blame?
The rich and middle upper class, he seems to also imply the irish people who are more rich.

5. Does the essay merely function as a satirical attack? Does Swift ever present any serious proposals for improving conditions? If so, where?
I dont think it is purely an attack because he also kind of makes points out of his crazy statements throughout and then at the end he does have realistic statements and meaning for what he actually wants.

6. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?
To blatently place his real views and show his intetions and clear up any doubt that this was a satire.


7. The character proposing the measure uses various techniques to convince. These include statistics and appeals to the authority of prominent figures. Can you spot any others? Have you done any sort of "labor" job? Did you resist your employer and, if you did, what forms did your resistance take? Is there a strong link between humor, anger, or other emotional states and resistance? Can you give examples of things you did to vent frustration (particularly if they were funny?)
I think he has a very strong link between his emotions and humor because its funny to read but also a very negative and on serious and harsh topics. You can tell its not just lighthearted. When mad or frustarated sometimes I will begin to laugh from frustration or like walk away and keep coming back and go semi crazy for a little bit haha.


8. If you were, conversely, given the job of marketing babies, do you think it could be done, and how? We have a tradition, in English, of keeping the French names for the meats of animals eaten primarily by the rich. Would the first step be calling baby meat something French? Would it be by processing the baby to the point of non-recognition?
I dont think it could actually be done because the rich are all about image and being all civilized and cannabilism is the opposite, the main market would more likely be the people that couldnt pay for it. But yes, to make it more likely it would need to be named something misleading and have no correlation to a human child in appearance to the people being sold it.

Why I want a wife questions

1. Does this essay have an explicitly stated thesis? If so, what is it? If you believe the thesis is implied, paraphrase it in your own words.
I believe that the thesis is more implied and it is that wives do so much and deal with so much and are kind of negected but still are great, so who wouldnt want someone to do so much for them with little or nothing in return.


2. Throughout the essay, Brady repeats the words “I want a wife.” What is the effect of this repetition?
To emphasize and repeat the point that, of course everyone would want someone who would do all this for them.

3. Do you think Brady really wants the kind of wife she describes—does this ideal spouse actually exist? Explain why you think Brady wrote this essay.
I think she really wants someone like that like in imagination but obviously is into guys and knows that this is not actually realistic to how most if any wives are but more stereotypes made by men and/or society for how wives should be.

4. How does Brady define what it means to be a “wife”? How does she organize the many services a wife provides her husband and family? What do you think of Brady’s characterization of a wife and her responsibilities? How do you think she wants her readers to respond to this characterization? Why?
she pretty much defines it as this super mom super wife slave of sorts. She organized the services starting out somewhat normal then getting more extreme and unrealistic. I think her characterization is dramatic and more something that youd think of hearing back in the 1930s or something, im guessing she wanted readers to be somewhat offended and maybe humored because its sexist and extreme.


5. Write a letter to Brady responding to “I Want a Wife.” Let her know what you admire or don’t admire about the essay and the extent to which you consider it effective and/or persuasive.
Dear Brady,
I enjoyed your reading and thought it was enlightening about a lot of stereotypes and crazy beliefs that people have about how a wife should be and act with her family. At first it wasnt obvious about the message that I got but became more pronounced as I read on. I think it is effective to get the point across and make you step back and realize how crazy some views are. I feel like some people may not get the message that I got though and I wonder if what I got is for sure what you meant. Maybe some extra clarity at the end would help its effect on readers.

Responses to Thurber Satire

"The Little Girl and the Wolf"
This story started out extremely similar to Little Red Riding Hood. I then made fun of how obvious it would be that a wolf was dressed as your grandmother. It was also funny that then the girl pulls out a gun from her basket and shoots the wolf. This was a much more realistic aproach to the situation if it happened (other than the talking wolf and young girl with the gun).

"The Bear"
I didn't see any connection to other fables or stories but I thought this was very funny. I was not expecting the ending. It seems that this author tends to have very comically harsh and blunt endings to his story that aren't a "happy ever after".

"The Princess And The Tin Box; A Fable For Our Time"
This story tricked me probably because I'm so used to typical fairytales laid out like this. It had a funny moral at the end and made you feel dumb for thinking shed choose the tin box. I feel like I remember a story very similar to this but dont remmeber too well. This was funny and I also liked how he went into such ridiculous depth on how extavegant of a life she has.

Fables And Fairytailes

"Androcles"

Summary: A slave escapes and runs to forest where he helps a lion with a thorn in its paw then the lion takes him back to his cave and feeds him and they become friends. They are later captured and the slave is threatened to be eaten by the lion. Once the lion is let loose it recognizes his friend and then licks him. The slave and lion are both set free.
Moral: Helping people (or animals) will almost always pay off and is the right thing to do.

"Avaricious and Envious"
Two neighbors get granted wishes by Jupiter, under the condition that the opposing neighbor gets twice what they wish for. The first man wishes for a room full of gold, so the other neighbor gets two rooms full. The second man wishes for one of his eyes out, so the other neighbor gets both out so he is blind.

moral: vices are there own punishment

" Belling the Cat"
A bunch of mice try to figure out how to deal with the cats. After getting nowhere a young mouse says they should tie a bell to the cats neck so they know where it is. Then an old mouse asks who will go to put it on the cat. Nobody responds.
moral: It is easy to think up solutions but difficult to actually go and do them.

" Hercules and the Waggoner "
A man driving a waggon gets his wheel stuck in mud and the more the horses pull the deep it gets. He prays to Hercules to help him and Hercules appears and just tells him to put his shoulder into it and push.
Moral: That you should try to fix your problems yourself before begging for help from others.

"The Ant and the Grasshopper "
An ant was bringing food to its nest to stock for winter and a grasshopper was just playing and said it didn't need to worry because there was plenty of food at the moment. Once Winter came, the ants had plenty of food and the grasshopper was starving.
Moral: It is important to prepare for the future

"The Ass and the Lapdog"
A man had both a donkey and a lapdog and after the lapdog jumped into the mans lap the donkey noticed and wanted to do the same so it attempted to prance and put its hooves on his shoulders in attempt to get on his lap, the servants ran up to get it off of him.
Moral: Do not try to be what you are not.

"The Old Man and Death "
An old man has troubles carrying sticks and cries out for death to take him. Death appears and then asked why he called him. The man asks him to help him with the pile of sticks.
Moral: You don't always really want what you may wish for

"The Two Crabs"
While a Mother crab and child crab are walking, the mother criticizes it on how he's walking. The young one then tells her that if she does it then he will follow how she does.
Moral: Example is the best way to teach

"The Mishcievious Dog"
A dog becomes known for being very quick and sneaking up quickly to people and biting there ankles. Eventually the master ties a bell to him and a clog to slow him down. He wears it around proudly then an old dog asks why he wears it proudly when it is a disgrace.
Moral: Infame can be mistaken for positive fame.

"The Camel and the Arab"
A master of a camel asks if he would prefer to go uphill or downhill. It replies that he doesnt know why he'd ask and if the level way is closed"
Moral: Dont ask obvious questions.


2 Grimm Summaries.
"Hansel and Gretel"
Hansel and Gretel have a stepmother with there father, a wood cutter in the forest. The stepmother keeps getting the father to lead the kids out to the woods and abandon them, the first time the boy lays a trail of pebbles to get home but the second is crumbs and birds eat it all. They come to a candy house and it turns out to have a witch living there who tries to fatten them up to eat them but she ends up getting locked in the oven by the kids. They take her gold then wander home to see their father crying saying they can come back because the stepmother has died.

"Little Red Riding Hood"
A little girl is to deliver a basket of food to her sick grandma in the forest. Shes told not to go off the path but she gets distracted and goes off and encounters a wolf which asks what shes doing then leaves with the intent to eat both her and her grandmother. The wolf acts as the girl at the grandmothers house and eats her. Then it acts as the grandmother when the girl comes and eats her too. A man had been hunting the wolf and stopped at the house to get refreshment but through the window he sees the wolf. He shoots it in the head then cuts out Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother, and they are both safe.

fairy tale poem thing

"The Lion and the Mouse"

I thought I was unstoppable and that no other creature could beat me.
But then I got am lesson of my life when what I would typically eat saved my life.

"beauty and the beast"

When I first saw her I knew shed never see me for anything but a monster.
But as time went on i finally realized she was different and could see into what a person really is.

"mermaid"

When i first saw he swimming to save me I thought that I had died and an angel was coming for me. As it turned out it was a real mermaid who had whisked me up to the surface to save my life.

"grasshopper and ants"

I was only playing my music for myself, nobody ever seemed to appreciate it. But then I looked up and realized I had a large audience of ants and I became filled with pride.

"cinderalla"

I had hated my life, always being treated like a slave and never aloud to do anything. It was the most amazing thing in the world when i was granted this fairy godmother to change my life forever and resque me from this hell.

"red riding hood"

When I walk to my grandmothers house I always get a scared feeling, like im being watched. I tend to hurry both ways to find safety from the unknown forest.

"alice and wonderland"

I dont understand this girl at all, she seems so rushed and doesnt understand out simple ways of life.
All we want to do is celebrate our un-birthday which is a big deal to us.
She just asks silly questions and ignores our kind gestures without trust.
But she should understand what we're doing is not unjust.
We drink lots of tea and have fun all the time.
but we also are good people and will help at the drop of a dime.
She has an obsession with the rabbit with a clock.
I dont see why she wont just catch him, itd be a short walk.
Soon she grows frustarated and gets out of her chair.
We yell after her telling her to watch out for the bears.

"Princess and the Pea"

I was quite confused about why I must sleep on such a ridiculously high bed. I thought it might be for comfort but when I laid down it was the most uncomfortable bed ive ever slept in.

"Snow White"

In the forest I just feel at peace with everything. People always seem to want to cause trouble but the animals remain true friends.