Posts by ldixon

ldixon

Jul 9, 2007

Writing Feedback / The Worst Job I Have Ever Experienced! - Essay [4]

Essay About The Worst Job I Have Ever Experienced!

As a teenager I had decided that I wanted to pursue a college degree after I graduated high school, but I knew that my parents could not afford to pay for it. Therefore, I ended up joining the Pennsylvania Army National Guard at the age of seventeen to help pay for my college tuition. Previously, I had only worked at an Italian restaurant located in Indiana, Pennsylvania as a dishwasher, which at the time I considered my worst job. If I had only known what basic training was going to involve, I would have preferred to wash and scrub my way through college. Soon after reporting to my basic training location in Fort Benning, Georgia, reality set in and I realized that this particular job would end up ranking number one on my list of worst jobs.

The verbal abuse from the drill sergeants at basic training made it the most horrific experience of my life. In fact, not a day went by without being verbally ridiculed and belittled with vulgarity. After, we finished the tedious in processing tasks; we all packed into a big metal cattle truck and headed "down-range" (Any forward-deployed area of operations) to our barracks. As soon as the cattle truck stopped the drill sergeants attacked it like a pack of wolves screaming: "GET OFF MY BUS MAGGOTS". At times the drill sergeants would get so close to my face yelling, "Are you eyeballing me, boy?" that I could feel the spit flying out of their mouths.

In my opinion Georgia had no positive qualities what so ever, but only negative ones. When we would go out to the "field" (outside area that usually consisted of sand and trees) to train we always had to watch for snakes, spiders and many other types of harmful bugs. First, we had the fire ants that would inflict a very painful sting when one of us accidentally disturbed a mound of them. Next, we had the Brown Recluse spider which could cause a tremendous amount of agony and necrosis at the site of the bite. Finally, we lived with the cockroaches sometimes as big as a mouse that would scatter around everywhere as soon as a light was turned on. In fact, some of the older out houses that we had to use housed hundreds of disgusting cockroaches.

The heat from June to August in Georgia was horribly hot and humid, so the drill sergeants would constantly make us drink water to keep hydrated. For example, when they would say, "drink water," that meant drink your entire canteen and then turn it upside down. However, the water tasted like they got it out of a swimming pool from all the chlorine they used in the water buffalo(mobile water tank that was black in color) to kill the bacteria. Also, the canteens that we used gave the water a funky plastic taste. The funky plastic taste combined with the chlorine and the fact that it was always warm just left a bad taste in my mouth.

The mental and physical challenges that we faced every day are what made basic training the absolute worst job I have ever experienced. Every morning we would get up at 0330 and head to Physical Training. It consisted of a Three to Six mile run followed by an hour of push ups, sit ups, and what ever other form of torturous activities the drill sergeants felt like making us do. Throughout the day we would complete various intense training courses and attend one or two monotonous classes, where on average we would get told, "drop and give me twenty" at least twenty times. After getting back to the barracks for the night between 2100 and 2200 we had two minutes to shower and until 2300 to shine our boots, do our laundry, and perform any personal hygiene that we so desperately needed. Furthermore, the deprivation of sleep made it very easy to become unfocused and careless, which consequently led to unsafe training that the drill sergeants frowned upon.

After nine weeks of exhaustion at Fort Benning, Georgia, I was finally home; all of the verbal, mental, and physical abuse had ended. I did not have to drink the funky tasting water anymore or get up every morning to participate in physical training. My life was back to normal: going to school, and working every day. Meanwhile, my parents and teachers would occasionally yell at me, but compared to the drill sergeants their yelling did not seem to have any negative effects. In conclusion, there are many ways to pay for college tuition, but for me, the military was neither the easiest nor the quickest way.

ldixon

Jul 10, 2007

Writing Feedback / The Worst Job I Have Ever Experienced! - Essay [4]

Thanks alot for reading over my essay. I have changed some stuff around after some peer editing and suggestions from my professor. The paper is due tommorow, so if you could please look over my changes I would greatly appreciate it.

ldixon

Feb 27, 2008

Essays / Help with analytical paper for Children's Literature class [4]

The topic is: "How books reflect the age in which they were written?"

I am not sure where to start, if anyone has any idea's please let me know.

Thanks

ldixon

Mar 4, 2008

Book Reports / "The Westing Game" by Ellen Raskin - evaluation/summary edit [2]

I had to read this book and do a evaluation/summary and kind of analyze it while summarizing it. It is not complete, but if I can get some grammar errors fixed it would help.

The Westing Game, written by Ellen Raskin, won the 1979 Newberry Medal for distinguished writing. With twenty characters in the cast, this intriguing mystery novel includes many twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the very end. Coupled with many underlying themes including but not limited to patriotism, finding ones self through others, and looking past differences. The story is a perfect representation of how people interpret information differently and how appearances can often be deceiving.

The story starts out with the delivery of six letters signed by Barney Northrup, to six different households on the Fourth of July. The letters offer a once in a lifetime chance to rent an apartment at the new and luxurious Sunset Towers, located on the shores of Lake Michigan. The Sunset Towers, built mostly of glass, stands five stories high, but oddly faces east instead of west where the sun actually sets. Barney Northrup manages to rent all the apartments out to the six hand selected households, which includes the Wexler family, the Theodorakis family, the Hoo family, Judge Josie-Jo Ford, secretary Sydelle Pulaski, and dressmaker Flora Baumbach. The building also accommodates the businesses of Jake Wexler, George Theodorakis, and James Hoo and employs a cleaner, Berthe Erica Crow, a door attendant, Sandy McSouthers, and a delivery boy, Otis Amber.

Simultaneously, on Halloween the characters share a defining moment when they see smoke rising from the supposedly empty Westing house, which symbolically signals the beginning of the game that no one is aware of just then. As a result, rumors spread that Sam Westing, the rich industrialist who owned Westing Paper Products, went missing a long time ago and his dead rotting body could be in the house. On a dare, Turtle Wexler goes into the Westing house where she discovers what she thinks is the body of Sam Westing, dressed up like Uncle Sam. The next morning, the newspaper reports the death of Sam Westing, but nothing about how.

Later on, sixteen of the tenants and three of the workers at Sunset Towers received letters inviting them to the reading of Sam Westing's will, as did Angela Wexler's fiancé D. Denton Deere. After the heirs gathered at the appointed time in the Westing house, attorney E.J. Plum read the will and testament, where Sam Westing revealed, "I did not die of natural causes. My life was taken from me-by one of you!" The will proceeds to ask the sixteen heirs to play a game in which they have to solve the mystery of his murder. The lawyer then splits up the heirs into eight groups of two, in which each group received an envelope containing a check for ten thousand dollars and a set of clues in which no two sets were alike. The will states: "Spend it wisely or go for broke. May God thy gold refine" and "It is not what you have, it's what you don't have that counts."

Meanwhile, the "Westing game" had begun and the groups started to examine their clues. One of the authors themes became apparent in how all the groups interpreted the clues differently. For instance, one group thought that "Take stock in America, go for broke" from the will meant to invest the money in the stock market, so they did. Yet, other groups had interpreted their clues to represent people's names, apartment numbers, and even chemical equations, which none of these were right.

Aside from a motive to win the game, the defining development of characters were initially presented in terms of a single trait of some sort making it easier to tell who's who in this large cast. Many of them hide secrets about themselves and present a false identity to those around them. Although, the pairing of certain characters leads to conflicts it helps them find themselves through each other and develop new perspectives about one another. Through the conflicts of the game the heirs end up forming friendships that last forever

Finally, the heirs meet back at the Westing house to share their answers, but nobody has correctly solved the mystery. Sandy McSouthers ends up falling to the floor, lying motionless, until he is pronounced dead. The heirs start pointing fingers, but eventually they find out that Sandy McSouthers died of natural causes due to an illness he has been stricken with. Before Sandy died he had whispered to turtle: "You still can win. I hope you do."

The book is written in third person, which allows the author to selectively introduce characters and related information at different times. For example the bomb at Shin Hoo's Restaurant is described giving the reader an insight to the make up of the bomb and the anticipation of it going off, but the first explosion that went off had no warning which was more surprising. Realtor Barney Northrup shows the first apartment to the Wexler family, which he tells them "the rent here is cheaper than what your old house costs in upkeep." This statement had me baffled until the end of the book, when an explanation to how he knew their costs was revealed.

ldixon

Mar 11, 2008

Essays / Help with analytical paper for Children's Literature class [4]

This is what I came up with, could you please review it for me. Also for references would I include the books that I used for examples?

Thanks,

Reflections of Society in Children's Literature

Nutritionist, Victor Lindlahr once said, "You are what you eat," or in this case, what you read. In a sense, the books children read may alter who they become as they grow older. Children's literature tends to influence a child's perspective on society and his or her role in it. Thus, it is vitally important that children be given literature that does not exemplify the negative views of society. Although there were many great books written in the preceding eras, many of them signified aspects of society that are no longer considered to be politically correct. Children's literature reflects the times in which it was written through society' cultural values of gender, race, and sexual orientation.

Generally, past societies viewed women as feminine homemakers and men as masculine providers. Consequently, this view, commonly known as gender socialization, was passed from generation to generation, eventually leading to gender role stereotypes. This common generalization of women portrayed them as inferior, unintelligent, emotional, and needy people, whose only role was to cook, clean, and raise kids. These Illusions of women are evident in most early works of children's literature, such as Marry Poppins, Little Women, and Swiss Family Robinson, which tend to reflect the Victorian period. Until about thirty-five years ago, non-sexist books were very rare, almost nonexistent. However, because of the women's rights movement, societal views towards women have slightly changed. Though still not equal, the perception of women's roles today appears less stereotyped than in the past. Unfortunately, gender stereotypes still exist in children's literature today, though not as abundantly. For instance, the book Possum Come a-Knockin' written by Nancy Van Laan in 1992 contains the verse: "And Pa was busy fixin' and Ma was busy cookin' and Granny was a-knittin' when a possum come a-knockin' at the door," illustrating gender stereotypes.

Today, the typical stereotypes of girls and boys noticeable in children's literature are that boys are tough and girls are wimpy. These lopsided Images include adventurous boys playing sports and girls playing with dolls or dressing up. Ordinarily gender biases are found in the content, language, and illustrations of children's books. For example, published in 1970 was the book I'm glad I'm a boy!: I'm glad I'm a girl!, written by Whitney Darrow, in which the content depicts boys as handsome, girls as beautiful, boys as doctors, girls as nurses:. The whole book is full of typical stereotypes. Conversely, published in 2006, the book Counting on Grace, written by Elizabeth Winthrop, portrays a twelve year old girl and boy who are forced to quit attending school in order to help their mothers work in a textile mill. The book portrays the two children as equals with both of them helping their parents provide for the family. The book also teaches children that women had to work just like men, which contradicts gender stereotyping.

Furthermore, children's literature reflects the times in which it was written through prejudicial attitudes and racist content. Racism, the belief that one's own race is superior to all others, has been evident since the beginning of civilization. Early children's literature often depicted certain races in unethical ways, sometimes not even on purpose. For instance, the original 1922 edition of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, written by Hugh Lofting, contained several derogatory terms and images towards Africans and Native Americans. In 1988, the book was revised for reprinting and contains the following epilogue by Christopher Lofting, son of Hugh Lofting, explaining the revisions: "Hugh Lofting would have been appalled at the suggestion that any part of his work could give offense and would have been the first to have made the changes himself." This demonstrates the changes of societal views over time and how racism in children's books can reflect the times in which they were written. It was not until after the Civil Rights Movement that books started to relinquish prejudice and racist content, eventually leading to multicultural books that enlighten children on how different is not always bad. For example, the book What's the Difference?, by Brian Footitt, teaches children the importance of acceptance, no matter race, culture, or religion. The world has become so diverse that people need to realize and teach their children that there are no "pure" races in existence anymore due to migration and cross-cultural marriages.

Finally, the most noticeable reflection of time in children's literature is the theme of sexual orientation. For the most part, alternative family forms were greatly opposed by past societies. Therefore, to the best of my knowledge and research, I could not find any children's books that discussed sexual orientation until the late 1960s. Still today, there are battles of morality over same-sex marriages and homosexuality. Likewise, recently there have been many controversial children's books with gay or lesbian themes that display same-sex families. For example, the book and Tango Makes Three, published in 2005, tells the story about two male penguins that like to cuddle together in the zoo decide they want to have a baby penguin like all the other penguin couples, so they adopt one. Some other children's books that support the theme of same-sex couples include Heather Has Two Mommies, Daddy's Roommate, and The Different Dragon.

Overall, I think that the society we live in has made giant leaps forward, but there is always room left for improvement. Children's literature from the past reflects the changes that society has seen over the years, mainly speaking from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day. Children should never be restrained from reading literature that might contain offensive content because it shows them the hardships, differences, and ignorance that people have had to overcome throughout the centuries, reminding them of how fortunate they are. Although racism, stereotyping, and prejudices are still present today, every child, if properly brought up, can contribute to the cause of ending hatred. Giving children literature that shows them what the past was like can teach them why racial diversity and cultural relativity are so important today. Teaching them why they are wrong instead of secluding them can lead towards a world of equality. Children of all races and ethnicities can benefit from reading literature of the past and present.

ldixon

Sep 9, 2008

Writing Feedback / What Morrow has to say about writing history; Essay for Time Magzine article [3]

I have to write an essay on the article above. Here are the instructions:

Here is a 'Time' magazine essay by file critic Lance Morrow about the film JFK as "history." What does Morrow have to say about the writing of history? About who defines history? About what happens when artists like Oliver Stone use "public events as raw material," when artists "have taken history into theiir imaginations and transformed it"?

Write an essay in which you explain what Morrow has to say about writing history. Begin with an account of what you think are the key issues in his article. WHat does Morrow think is at stake when an artist "distorts" or "transforms" history?

Then, finish your essay by addressing these questions: where do you, as someone who has studied history, stand on this issue? What difference does it make to you?

Can you please give me some advise on how to start this?

Here is what I have so far:

Morrow on Writing History

According to Lance Morrow one must sort through the writings of history to determine what is factual and what is propaganda. He believes that once factual history dies with the past artists create their own vision of it. They let their imaginations run wild recreating the triumphs, tragedies, and conspiracies of the world for entertainment. Although Morrow believes that the writing of history is art, he thinks that when artist distort it with their imaginations. These illusions of art have a negative effect on the younger generations, in which their ideas are mislead.

History plays an important role in society for "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" (Santayana 284). If history is tampered with there

ldixon

Sep 12, 2008

Writing Feedback / What Morrow has to say about writing history; Essay for Time Magzine article [3]

Here is what I have so far, it someone could please peer edit and give suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. I don't think I have fully ended it yet, but I am stuck right now.

The Time Magazine essay written by Lance Morrow gives a personal analysis on how and why artists are transforming history. In addition, it explains the effects that these transformations have on the future generations. Although Morrow believes that this transformation of history is art, he feels that it presents a false portrayal of the true events that transpired.

Consequently, one must sort through the writings of history to determine what is factual and what is propaganda. Once the factual history disappears with the past, artists recreate their own version, which is usually biased. They let their imaginations run wild recreating the triumphs, tragedies, and conspiracies of the world all for entertainment. Unfortunately, each time an artist recreates an event through their imagination, the history ends up changing. Therefore, it is the artists actually defining history instead of the witnesses and participants. As a result, misconceptions form about how the events really occurred.

History is nothing more than an explanation to the events that have occurred over time. These explanations grow like branches, different sizes, shapes, and directions with no two of them identical. Thus, it's almost impossible to distinguish fact from fiction when multiple explanations are prevalent. History plays an important role in society for "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" (Santayana 284). Future generations depend on history for guidance.

ldixon

Sep 21, 2008

Writing Feedback / Movie review essay "The Pursuit of Happyness" [NEW]

Please look this over for me and tell me what you think. I would appreciate any changes in grammer or content.

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson mentions "the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." What did Thomas Jefferson mean by "the pursuit of happiness?" Is happiness something that one can pursue? Fortunately, the movie "The Pursuit of Happyness," reveals the answers to these questions through a touching story of how far one man goes to provide for his family.

Recently I had the pleasure of viewing, "The Pursuit of Happiness," a film directed by Gabriele Muccino and written by Steve Conrad. The film has been available since December 15, 2006, so I was able to view it from the comforts of my own home. The movie has a PG-13 rating due to some mild language and violence, but I think it could have been borderline PG. The main character, Chris Gardner is played by actor Will Smith, who has also starred in many other blockbuster hits such as "Bad Boys," "Hancock," "Men in Black," "I am Legend," and "I-Robot". In addition, the movie casts Will Smith's son Jaden Smith, who plays the son that Chris vows to take care of. Inspired by the true story of Chris Gardner, this movie drama depicts a man who relentlessly struggles to support his family. After losing his wife and home, Chris endlessly pursues happiness. Will Chris rise from destitution to riches?

The movie, just shy of two hours long, takes place in San-Fransisco during the year1981. Chris, a struggling sales man, tries to support his family, but is not having much success. He attempts to make things good, but they always end up worse. His wife finally cracks and leaves taking their son with her. Chris's son means more to him than anything in the world, which is why his wife decides to let their son stay with him. One day while walking down the street Chris runs into a guy getting out of a red Ferrari, in which he asked him what he does for a living. The man tells him that he is a stockbroker and works for Dean-Witten. From there on out, Chris pursues an internship as a stockbroker hoping to land a full time position. The only problem is that the internship has no salary, so he has to sell some of his medical scanners in order for his son and him to survive. Does Chris and his son make it after being evicted our of two apartments, having the IRS take almost all the money out of his account, and sleeping wherever they could? I cannot tell you, but one thing is for sure, this movie is definitely worth renting, so kick up your feet, set back in your recliner, and enjoy two hours of heartwarming emotion.

Will Smith was the producer of this movie, which did not surprise me since he has produced many of his own movies. The thing that I found interesting was the way he used his own son in the story. I think that this greatly added to the plot, because they were so natural together. There is one seen where Chris makes up an imaginary game with his son to hide the reality of sleeping in a subway bathroom. This particular part was an excellent example of the acting talents of Will Smith, because it truly made you fell sad.

Since the first time I watched Will Smith on the TV show "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," I instantly became a fan. His acting talents are superb, always resulting in a great film. I have watched all of Will Smith's movies and have never been disappointed. Will Smith is a great actor and in this movie, his acting turns a mediocre story into a masterpiece. The makeup crew also did a great job of quickly aging Will's character to portray the stress he was going through.

Although this movie lacks the fast paced action, special effects, and no stop comedy that will keep you laughing all night, it will definitely have you feeling happy, sad, and then happy again. In a rating scale of one to ten, I would give this movie an eight. If I was a big drama fan I would probably give the movie a ten, but it was not really my forte.

ldixon

Oct 20, 2008

Writing Feedback / "Wild animals never kill for sport"; killing animals (argument synthesis) [NEW]

British historian James A. Froude once wrote, "Wild animals never kill for sport. Man is the only one to whom the torture and death of his fellow creatures is amusing in itself." Today dog fighting is illegal in all fifty U.S. states. Unfortunately, underground crime rings continue to train and fight dogs in cities and towns across the country. According to The Humane Society's animal fighting expert, John Goodwin, "there are an estimated 40,000 professional dog fighters in the United States." As an example, NFL star quarterback Michael Vick is currently serving time in prison for his involvement in dog fighting.

The history of dog fighting traces back to its origin in ancient Rome. In the United States, it dates back to the 1800's, but it did not become part of the American culture until 1817. Surprisingly, the United Kennel club endorsed dog fighting until the 1930's. Experts think that the causes of dog fighting have changed over the years. The Romans considered it a "blood sport," purely for the entertainment of the people. Today dog fighting, although still for entertainment, also enhances self-image and gang status, but its main purpose is illegal betting. Dog fighting is cruel and inhumane and it inflicts negative effects on animals, children, and the community.

Consequently, these dogfighters usually have violent criminal backgrounds and often deny any wrongdoing. The most common defense is that, "we're not hurting anybody, because the dog's love to fight, so what's the harm?" (Forsythe and Evans). Some dogmen (those who handle the dogs in the fight) defend dog-fighting saying that "dog fighting is no different than boxing," (Forsythe and Evans) but boxers are not forced to fight they choose to fight. Dogs on the other hand are forced to fight and are usually very reluctant to continue. Often these dogfighters are involved with gangs, illegal betting, as well as the sale of, use of, and possession of illegal drugs. This kind of social behavior and illegal activities are degrading the cities and towns that we live in. Because these dogs are trained to viciously attack and kill, it has increased the likelihood of dog attacks on people. Dogfights usually take place in abandoned homes and buildings that eventually become infested with animal feces, blood, rats, and decaying carcasses. These locations after discovered are torn down, but the negative effect on the community remains.

In addition, dog fighting is desensitizing the young children of America, often present at dog fighting events, to violence and animal cruelty. For example, a survey conducted by the anti-cruelty society at schools in Chicago, discovered that students are well aware of dog fighting in their neighborhoods. One out of every six children admits that they have attended a dogfight. They are also exposing these children to extremely dangerous situations consisting of drugs, guns, gang wars, and viscous dogs that are trained to fight and kill. These children are taught that this is an acceptable way of life and are encouraged to engage in these horrible activities.

Finally, one of the most obvious and disturbing effects of dog fighting is the pain and suffering that the animals endure. Dogfights take place in a "pit" (small arena enclosed by plywood) and average an hour in length or until one of the dogs can no longer continue. The dogs subjected to this sadistic sport suffer severe injuries that do not receive veterinarian attention and they often end up dying from the loss of blood, shock, dehydration, exhaustion, and infection. Furthermore, if a dog loses a fight and somehow manages to stay alive, the owner will usually torture, starve, or just outright kill the dog, in order to regain the respect of the other dogfighters within the community. Other animals, most often pets, are stolen and used as "bait"(small animals used to train fighting dogs), often suffering before their death.

In spite of the federal and state laws that have been legislated to help stop dog fighting, dogfighters continue to run their underground rings, bringing in millions of dollars. When caught, they can face jail time and fines. However, they consider these fines part of their operating cost. Dog fighting has no positive effect on society, but instead takes millions of tax paid dollars to control it. It is particularly disturbing that people involved in dog fighting thrive on the violence with no guilty conscious for partaking in or attending these saddening events. It is very important that we teach children around the world that it is not acceptable to mistreat any form of life weather it involves people or animals. Likewise, it is also important that people are aware of the signs of dog fighting. If one suspects that it is going on in their neighborhood, they should notify their local police station.

ldixon

Nov 11, 2008

Writing Feedback / Hypothesis essay on the book, Out of This Furnace [2]

Good evening,

I had to do a hypothesis paper on the book Out of This Furnace in the format of: IF A AND B, THEN WHY C

I used the following: Given the fact that Kracha is discriminated against for being a Slovak immigrant and that he always struggles to survive on the low wages he earns, then why does he stay in America and never return to the old country?

Could someone please check the grammar, style, and readability of my paper. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

In the Nineteenth Century Slovak immigrants traveled to America in search of prosperity and good fortune, only to be disappointed with the outcome. Shortly after arriving, they realized that there was no such thing as equal rights or equal pay. Hence, "it was their good fortune, perhaps, to come unburdened with many illusions about a land of freedom, a land where all men were equal" (Bell 124). Many of them were no better off in America than they were in the old country they left. Particularly, in the book Out of This Furnace, author Thomas Bell focuses on Kracha, a Slovak immigrant who migrated to America. Kracha "had come to America to find work, to make a living" (Bell 124). He immediately finds work in America, but quickly sees first hand that America is not as glorious as he'd expected. For the most part, the work was hard, the pay was bad, and the natives were hostile towards Slovak immigrants. Despite the fact that Kracha works very hard barely earning enough money to survive and was discriminated against for being a Slovak immigrant, he never returns to the old country.

First of all, Kracha never gives up hope that someday life in America will be pleasant and satisfying. "He hoped he was likewise leaving behind the endless poverty and oppression which were the birthrights of a Slovak peasant" (Bell 3). Kracha arrives in America with high expectations of wealth and success, for instance as he departs from Zuska, a woman he'd met on the boat, he proclaims, "Till we meet again. Who knows? We may all be millionaires by then" (Bell 7). However, he never achieves the millionaire status, but instead has to work seven days a week just to get by. As a result, daily life was very difficult, yet "hope sustained him, as it sustained them all; hope and the human tendency to fell that, dreadful though one's circumstances might be at the moment, there were depths of misfortune still unplumbed beneath one, there were people much worse off" (Bell 47).

In addition, "there was always hope, the hope of saving enough money to go back in triumph to the old country, of buying a farm back in the hills, of going into business for one's self (Bell 48). Kracha actually ends up owning his own business, buying a butcher shop, which turns out to be a successful venture. Aside from Kracha's hope for himself, he also appears to have hope that his children, being American born, will achieve success in America. As illustrated in his reply to a question, "Suppose I was lucky, suppose I made a lot of money. By that time the girls would be big. They were all born here, they went to school here, they're more American than anything else" (Bell 59).

Secondly, Kracha has difficulties saving up enough money to make the long and unpleasant trip back to the old country. Accordingly, the most logical explanation to why might have something to do with the turbulences of the economy. Kracha argues, "You know what it's been like ever since we came to America. Good times, bad times, good times, bad times, one after the other. What we save in good times we have to spend to keep alive in bad" (Bell 60). Not to mention the fact that he also now has a family, which complicates things even more especially if he'd decide to go back to the old country.

Furthermore, things never seemed to change, "he worked and saved and then something happened and he was back where he'd started" (Bell 39). One day when Kracha is asked, "What would you do if you made a lot of money? Go back to the old country?" he replies, "Elena thinks she would like to go back. Since coming to America she's had a bad time of it, what with one thing and another. But it would take money, lots of money. What good would it do to go back with empty pockets?" (Bell 59). Kracha never saves enough money to fill his pockets, even when the economy is good. The closest he ever comes to success was when he buys the butcher shop, but Kracha not very responsible when it comes to money loses everything, because of an affair he has with the woman he'd met on his trip to America.

Finally, Kracha seems to think life in America offers more opportunity than the poverty-stricken life he lived in the old country. Even though Kracha is treated unfairly and discriminated against "he had come to America to find work and save money, not to make friends with the Irish" (Bell 124). Kracha appears content with what he has, especially after he achieves the American dream of owning his own business. Illustrated in a conversation with relatives he says, "Braddock is no paradise, I'll admit, but have you forgotten how we had to live in the old country?" (Bell 59). Consequently, it appears that he does not have good memories of his birthplace and never whishes to return. On the other hand, Kracha notes, "Elena thinks she would like to go back. Since coming to America she's had a bad time of it, what with one thing and another" (Bell 59). Moreover, when conversing his idea of buying a butcher shop, Kracha adds, "Elena would rather I bought a farm, but I got all I wanted of farming in the old country" (Bell 33).

All things considered, the most certifiable revelation to why Kracha never returns to the old country is his inability to save money and get ahead. With all odds against him, he struggles to survive and provide for his family. His self, partially to blame for the financial failures, makes bad decisions resulting in turmoil. The world against him, "usually he got drunk. Only whisky could pierce the shell of his weariness, warm him, make him think well of himself and his world again" (Bell 47). All in all, things could have been worse, at least he still had hope, hope for something better. Unfortunately, hope was not enough, Kracha's life falls apart right before his eyes, but he never once considers returning to his birthplace.

ldixon

Dec 1, 2008

Writing Feedback / Research Paper (Argument)-Reflections of Society in Children's Literature [2]

The research paper that I had to write was suppose to take a stand for something and support it with research. Can someone please look over my paper so far and let me know what you think. I am having problems with the opening which I am not sure accurately states my focus. Please read and let me know what you think. Thanks

Reflections of Society in Children's Literature

Reflections of Society in Children's Literature
Nutritionist, Victor Lindlahr once said, "You are what you eat," or in this case, what you read. In a sense, the books children read may alter whom they become, as they grow older. Furthermore, children's literature tends to influence a child's perspective on society and their role in it. Although there were many great books written in the preceding eras, many of them signified aspects of society that are no longer considered to be politically correct. As a result, there are ongoing arguments over whether stereotypical children's literature benefits or hinders the development of a child. Thus, it is vitally important to explain to children why literature exemplifying these negative views of society is incorrect instead of banning them from reading it. Nevertheless, all children's literature is important because it reflects the time in which it was written and the changes of societal values such as gender, race, and sexual orientation.

Generally, past societies viewed women as feminine homemakers and men as masculine providers. For instance, in the book Out of this Furnace written by Thomas Bell, the women take care of everything at home; cooking, cleaning, and caring for the children, while the men go work in the mills to provide for their families. Consequently, this view, commonly known as gender socialization, was passed from generation to generation, eventually leading to gender role stereotypes. This common generalization of women portrayed them as inferior, unintelligent, emotional, and needy, whose only role was to cook, clean, and raise kids. These illusions of women are evident in most early works of children's literature, such as Mary Poppins, Little Women, and Swiss Family Robinson, which tend to reflect the Victorian period. Until about thirty-five years ago, non-sexist books were very rare, almost nonexistent. However, because of the women's rights movement, societal views towards women have slightly changed. Though still not equal, the perception of women's roles today appears less stereotyped than in the past. Unfortunately, gender stereotypes still exist in children's literature today, though not as abundantly. For instance, the book Possum Come a-Knockin' written by Nancy Van Laan in 1992, contains the verse, "And Pa was busy fixin' and Ma was busy cookin' and Granny was a-knittin' when a possum come a-knockin' at the door" (7).

Today, the typical stereotypes of girls and boys noticeable in children's literature are that boys are tough and girls are wimpy. These lopsided images include adventurous boys playing sports and girls dressing up or playing with dolls. Ordinarily gender biases are found in the content, language, and illustrations of children's books. For example, published in 1970 was the book I'm glad I'm a boy!: I'm glad I'm a girl!, written by Whitney Darrow, in which the content depicts "boys as handsome, girls as beautiful, boys as doctors, girls as nurses": the whole book is full of typical stereotypes (10). Conversely, published in 2006, the book Counting on Grace, written by Elizabeth Winthrop, portrays a twelve year old girl and boy who are forced to quit attending school in order to help their mothers work in a textile mill. The book portrays the two children as equals with both of them helping their parents provide for the family. The book also teaches children that women had to work just like men, which contradicts gender stereotyping.

Furthermore, children's literature reflects the times in which it was written through prejudicial attitudes and racist content. Racism, the belief that one's own race is superior to all others, has been evident since the beginning of civilization. Early children's literature often depicted certain races in unethical ways, sometimes not even on purpose. For instance, the original 1922 edition of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, written by Hugh Lofting, contained several derogatory terms and images towards Africans and Native Americans. In 1988, the book was revised for reprinting and contains the following epilogue by Christopher Lofting, son of Hugh Lofting, explaining the revisions: "Hugh Lofting would have been appalled at the suggestion that any part of his work could give offense and would have been the first to have made the changes himself." This demonstrates the changes of societal views over time and how racism in children's books can reflect the times in which they were written. It was not until after the Civil Rights Movement that books started to relinquish prejudice and racist content, eventually leading to multicultural books that enlighten children on how different is not always bad. For example, the book What's the Difference?, by Brian Footitt, teaches children the importance of acceptance, no matter race, culture, or religion. According to the article Children's book tackles racism written by Michael Gennings, Footitt says, "Children must know from a very young age the importance of acceptance." The world has become so diverse that people need to realize and teach their children that there are no "pure" races in existence anymore due to migration and cross-cultural marriages.

Finally, the most noticeable reflection of recent times in children's literature is the theme of sexual orientation. For the most part, alternative family forms were greatly opposed by past societies. Therefore, to the best of my knowledge and research, I could not find any children's books that discussed sexual orientation until the late 1960s. Still today, there are battles of morality over same-sex marriages and homosexuality. Likewise, recently there have been many controversial children's books with gay or lesbian themes that display same-sex families. For example, the book and Tango Makes Three, published in 2005, tells the story about two male penguins that like to cuddle together in the zoo who decide they want to have a baby penguin like all the other penguin couples, so they adopt one. Some other children's books that support the theme of same-sex couples include Heather Has Two Mommies, Daddy's Roommate, Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin, and The Different Dragon. Although the majority think that these books can have negative effects on a child, the author of Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin, Susanne Bösche says, "I wrote Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin back in 1981 because I became aware of the problems which some children face when meeting family groupings different from the ones they are familiar with" (par. 5). Sooner or later children are going to come in contact with different

Overall, the society that we live in has made giant leaps forward, but there is always room for improvement. Children's literature from the past reflects the changes that society has seen over the years, mainly speaking from the beginning of the nineteenth century to the present day. Children should never be restrained from reading literature that might contain offensive content because it shows them the hardships, differences, and ignorance that people have had to overcome throughout the centuries, reminding them of how fortunate they are. Although racism, stereotyping, and prejudices are still present today, every child, if properly brought up, can contribute to the cause of ending hatred. Giving children literature that shows them what the past was like can teach them why racial diversity and cultural relativity are so important today. Teaching children why these changes took place instead of secluding them from it can lead towards a world of equality. Children of all races and ethnicities can benefit from reading literature of the past and present.