Questions about Myths

Myths

Hebrew Bible, Genesis (page 98)

1.       What is the nature of Adam’s relationship to God? Of Adam’s relationship to Eve? How do these conflict?

Adam is the son of God and made in the image of him. Eve is Adam’s companion. Adam gets in trouble with God for listening to his wife and partaking of the fruit.

2.       How does God behave toward Man?

God behaves angrily toward Man because of their disobedience. He is very protective and specifically states his commandments.

3.       What economic group does the Hebrew story privilege? Why do you think this might be the case?

The Hebrew story may privilege the Jewish population because they are the most prominent religion in the bible.

Klamath Indian Myth (page 124)

1.       What differences exist between the human and divine worlds?

It seems to me that the Divine worlds seem to be noticed and mentioned in the past, and the human worlds are what are the product of what the Gods do.

2.       What differences do you notice between the stories regarding where the gods live? Again, can you explain this?

This story explains the two different opposite gods live. The difference between the god of the underworld and the god of the skies is always a big difference in many stories we read about. These are explained by representation of the opposites of “good and evil”.

3.       In all these stories, how do the gods behave?

The Gods in this story behave negative toward each other, because of the conflict with the God’s daughter not going with him. This started the war that supposedly created the Crater Lake.

Bering Strait Eskimo Creation Myth (page 118)

1.       What might account for the differences between the original material used to create human beings in all these stories?

In this story there are different ways that humans and animals are created. At the beginning of this myth the first human came out of a peapod and his companion was made of a clay or mud by a lake. The God has different ways of creating everything. He has ultimate power to create. 

2.       What is the significance of ‘naming’ in these stories?

In this story the naming is very simple and straight to the point. Although I’m sure that that is how words begin. What if the first human’s name was Human and that’s where the word came from?

3.       How might the movement from an oral version of the story to a written version of the story affect what we take from it?

I think if I were to hear these stories told by people who are a part of the cultures that believe these myths and have had them go down through their generations, it would be a lot more interesting because of the depth that they would put in their voices while they tell the story the way they learned it from their family. I think more people are moved to believe these stories when they are told the story orally first hand.

University of Utah Museum of the Arts

Event Critique—Art

1.      Which museum did you visit?

University of Utah Museum of Fine Arts

2.      In 150 words, describe at least one of the broad collections on a theme, period, geographic region, or topic within the museum.

The whole upper floor of the museum was based on different geographic regions like Egyptian, Native American, Pacific Island, Asian, European, American West, and many more different cultures. The Asian area consisted of many stone statues of Buddha and many other symbolic creatures. This area reminded me of the movie “The King and I”. Many things were in gold and symbolized peace, strength and power. One of the main Buddha statues had him with a raised left hand to symbolize peace and protection. There was also a stone carved depiction of a wedding that took place in Asia. On a poster underneath the artwork, it described who the actual people were and also some of the symbols hidden in the stone. Egyptian area was also very interesting. As you would expect, in the middle of the floor there was a mummy tomb. But the most I benefitted from this portion of the museum was on the other side of the wall. It explained and had examples of all the things they do to the body to mummify it, and get rid of our insides. I did not know that they took out the major organs of the body and put them in bottles for safe keeping in the tomb. I spent a lot of time reading about how it is all done. 

3.      Give a brief, one paragraph (100 words) description of a special exhibit (ask the curator what these are; they are usually in one of the first rooms).

The special exhibit displayed at this time is called “At Work” which consists of Prints form the Great Depression. The main theme of this display was to display individuals doing all they can during the terrible time in history that they were in.  They display lives from farmers to those building the frame of a building. Every person in the paintings were working very hard to make a living.  Every person played their part and were always “at work.” They would do anything for a small bit of money. It is incredible what jobs were done at this time. Many were very dangerous and killed many people but it was a job. I enjoyed envisioning the people that actually went through this time period, starting with my Grandmother. I remember her telling us her own stories and not really knowing how hard it really was to live at that time.

4.      What kind of information is provided about the words? Tell me three places you might find more detailed information that doesn’t include the web {hint: ask a curator for help with this question}

What helped me the most in the museum to find out more information was the plaques they have next the pictures, or about the whole general area of artwork that link together. They also provide learning that you can hear on your own phone if you would like to. All it said to do was to call the number on the plaque and there would be a recording on the other end of the line that told you about the piece of art you are looking at. They have brochures that you could grab off of the side of the wall that also have information about the exhibit as well. I don’t think it is possible for someone looking through the museum to be completely confused on any piece of art because of the much recourses that are given to you.

5.      Choose several works that particularly appealed to you. Explain why you were drawn to these works. Comment on the subject, style, medium, time period, etc. Who were the artists? This question must be answered in its entirety. (This should be at least 500 words.)

I thought it was cool to be able to experience all of the different, marvelous, fantastic, intricate works of art. They must have taken a long time to collect and preserve. One of the first things that became one of my favorites was done Deborah Butterfield, who called it “Rex”. This contemporary, life size structure of a horse was made out of cast bronze that looked like wooden sticks. It was very impressive and I didn’t understand how it stayed upward. It looked very graceful and poised. On the plaque it explains that it is “a dressage horse, capable of the graceful, rhythmic movements of controlled, formal exercises.” It has a very fragile appearance. And I love the emotions that it was meant to portray.

Next I really enjoyed one that was a part of the same collection as the horse. The message of this one was to show the trustworthiness of shipping companies. Sounds like a weird thing to make an art piece about but it was one of my favorites. The Artist shipped glass boxes that were about the same size as the FedEx box to himself. All of the boxes were labeled as fragile. Every glass box was cracked and broken upon arrival. He set the glass and FedEx cardboard boxes next to each other in a neat design and it turned out to be a great piece of art and humor. I’m sure that many people relate to this piece of art because of their experiences with shipping fragile things.

I like how artists can do things that people have never thought of doing before. I think that is what makes them most successful. But not everyone can do that so it is very impressive to see something new. There was one piece of art that was done with strips of tires. They placed the strips in unique positions to create what looked like whirled up ball of black material.

Lastly, I loved the feel of the area with the European items of history. I have always loved looking at old vintage furniture, frames and portraits. One of my favorite movies is Pride and Prejudice. It is one that I really enjoy! I felt as though I was in that time period when I walked through that part of the museum. This was a very large section as well, so I enjoyed checking out every vintage chair, candlestick, table, and clock. It made me feel like I was placed in my favorite movie. There is a part of the movie where the main character is walking through a very expensive “museum-like” house that is filled with artifacts, statues, paintings, and expensive furnishings. I felt like that character and envisioned the movie as I slowly walked through. The only thing that was missing was the piano music in the background. I took time to look at the things I am interested in. I think I spent most of my time looking at this exhibit, just because I like to analyze the furniture and the unique rips and tears in each one.

6.      How did the artworks you looked at relate to material we have discussed in class? {they do relate in many ways, you just need to look for those relationships} Minimum of 150 words.

I thought it was very exciting to know about one of the artists because of how we talked about him in class. Thomas Cole’s painting that was titled “Pastoral Landscape with Fisherman” was in the Museum. While I was walking around, I decided to start read the names of the authors and ironically the first one I had read. I was really excited that I knew all about him, his background and purpose. I looked around and I was in the area of the museum titled “American West”. It then made perfect sense why he was in that portion. I then looked around to see if I recognized any other names or art pieces that had the same style of work. There was another piece of art painted by Thomas Doughty called “Along the Hudson”. Although I didn’t recognize the name of the painter, I did predict that this person was also a part of the Hudson River School group of painters.

7.      What was your personal reaction to this experience? Would you enjoy attending this type of event again? Why or why not? {Minimum 100 words}

I really enjoyed going to this museum. My experience may have been different than a lot of the other students because I went by myself. The museum was very quiet and it felt as if the security guys and I were the only ones wandering through the place. I did enjoy the silence. I really felt like I could take my time. I had plenty of time to kill and wasn’t rushed the museum at all. I also took my digital camera and took some shots of artwork that I thought was interesting or wanted to show to my family. I would enjoy attending an art museum more often because of the way it helped me relax and ponder without a time limit.

Argumentation in a Culture of Discord

The general argument/point made by Frank L. Cioffi in his work Argumentation in a Culture of Discord is that students misunderstand the argument concept. More specifically, Cioffi suggests that students have a hard time learning this type of writing because of their education and the media. He writes about students that are “using writing only as an evaluative tool, these assignments invoke the consumer like currency exchange model…Like consumerism, this pedagogy reduces enormously complex issues down to simplistic solutions: canned answers qua canned soup. Or as one of my colleagues puts it, ‘Human beings, pork and beans, they’re all the same!’” (64-65) In this passage, Cioffi is suggesting that student’s writing is boring. In conclusion, it is Cioffi’s belief that educators need to help people learn how to have academic arguments and give them the right models of thinking.

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In my view, Cioffi is right because they should teach students about how intellectual discourse works. For example, students are learning a cookie cutter format to writing. Although Cioffi might object that students are getting by with the way they write now, I maintain that he is correct by saying that there needs to be a change throughout the world and creating an intellectual alternative to writing. Therefore, I conclude that the world today is becoming commercialized in our ability to write and to think.

Easter's End

The general argument/point made by Jared Diamond in his work Easter’s End is that we are on our way towards the same fate as the people of Easter Island. More specifically, Diamond argues/suggests that just like them, our civilizations are going to become extinct because of the way we live. He writes, “Perhaps someday New York’s skyscrapers will stand derelict and overgrown with vegetation, like the temples at Angkor Wat and Tikal.” (page 426) In this passage, Diamond is referring to the state of the statues that were made by the Easter Island islanders. These statues are massive and could have been the civilization’s pride and joy, their God. In conclusion, it is Diamond’s belief that our world will slowly loose civilizations, especially American societies.

In my view, Diamond is wrong because I think our circumstances are different than those apart of that civilization. For example, they had no connections to the other parts of the world. They were completely cut off up to the point where they didn’t realize there were even other civilizations out there. America is well known and will never be isolated the way they were. I think it would be very interesting to see our own statues, monuments, and skyscrapers live the same fate. I am reminded of the way New York is shown in the movie I Am Legend. I definitely think that is what it would look like if that did happen. What I think is interesting is that one of the greatest mysteries is the disappearance of civilizations. It would be great to know all of the answers, but there is no way unless we meet them in heaven to ask, I guess. Although Diamond might object that we are not susceptible for becoming a lost civilization, I maintain that that will not happen to the United States. Therefore, I conclude that many of the mysterious disappearances of cultures will continue to be a mystery and will now be prevented because of our theories for how it happened will help us prevent all of the possibilities.

A Fable for Tomorrow

In Rachel Carson’s work A Fable for Tomorrow, she depicts a piece of scenery that goes through quite the change. This beautiful, once delighted town didn’t know what hit it. She describes the appearance of this American forest that went from all to none. As the reader we are warned that it is our fault, mankind that is. Carson describes the influence that people have on nature. There is no going around the fact that every person in their lifetime will witness this type of tragedy. This imagined tragedy that she describes “may easily become a stark reality we shall all know.” I believe there is no way around witnessing the destruction of a forest, animal, or even a small patch of land.
I am reminded of the amount of junk that we leave out in the once peaceful and beautiful areas of land. All my life I have loved going to my grandmother’s house. She lives in Murray but her house is tucked in a small neighborhood that lies at the end of a dirt road down a small lane. Her house, to me, was the little house you would picture when you sing “over the river and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go”. Trees surround her house that we get together as a family to take care of every year, and a cute creek that runs through her front yard. I have some wonderful memories at this house. A few things we would do with my grandma I have never forgotten and will always cherish. A day spent at grandmas consisted of eating lunch with the squirrels that lived the tree closest to her house, fishing in the creek (even though there is rarely anything to catch, it was our favorite), walking across the bridge to the small piece of land on the other side, feeding the ducks walking across her front yard, and looking up the names of birds that would visit the bird feeder we wanted to fill every hour to make sure the birds had enough. Once we even saw a couple deer in her yard. Grandma’s house was the small escape in the middle of Murray, UT that nobody knew about.
Unfortunately a lot has changed in to that small piece of get-away. A large amount of homes were recently built on the other side of the creek. Soon, the man who owns the home by the bridge decided that would be a great place for his hot tub even though it legally is for the use of all of those who live in that area. Along with the hot tub, there are chairs, tables, and who knows what else. So much has changed. The animals have definitely moved on as well, because of the new arrived noise and company. I don’t think I’ve seen a single squirrel or nearly as many other animals that used to visit.
Nature is now struggling to survive. As Carson explained, I believe every person will experience the change or destruction of nature in their lifetime, there is no doubt about it.

Grandma Voorhees

Hudson River School Artists

Hudson River School

Not very many people lived, or were interested in living, in the American West. To increase this expansion and to show that majesty of the wilderness out there, a group of painters known as the Hudson River School got together and painted beautiful scenes of the West to show the beauty of it and the luxury of living in these places. They reflect the land with no worries. You don't see anything that would produce stress because of their purpose. Their paintings are very effective and realistic to the nature state of the mountains, trees, water and so forth. Because of these paintings there became a large increase in the populations, areas are reserved for creating National Parks to preserve those landmarks. They were a large influence.

The Hunter's Return Home

Painter 1: Thomas Cole (1801-1848)

Thomas Cole was the inspiration for the Hudson River School, and organized them together. His work revolved around showing people living and having dwellings in the wilderness. He wanted to portray that Americans actually did live in nature and that people can do it nowadays as well.
For example, this piece entitled The Hunter’s Return Home shows the style of living out in the open west. It is painted as a safe, stress free, and excluded environment. I believe that this way of living has completely different values than the rest of the world. These people value their family, friends and belonging together.

Rainy Season Through the Tropics

Painter 2: Fredrick Church (1826-1900)

Fredrick Church was a central figure in the Hudson River School. In his work he was "always concerned with including a spiritual dimension in his works." Church loved water and the natural recourses, which are apart of close to all of his paintings.

"Rainy Season Through the Tropics" is one of my favorite paintings done by the Hudson River School Artists. Like Church tries to accomplish, it has a spiritual, magestic, bright quality to it. As the double rainbow reflects colors along the rest of the mountain, the water brings in a beautiful natural resource.

Kindred Spirits

Painter 3: Asher Brown Durrand (1796-1886)

Asher was well known for his detail and realism. The way he is able to capture the complete details of a tree or a rock, or any wilderness for that matter, was marveled by many.

One of his most famous works is one that he etched called "The Decloration of Independance". But one that really caught my eye was one that he painted as a tribute to a fellow Hudson River School member and a poet friend that both had passed away. After Thomas Cole and William Bryant had died, the painting "Kindred Spirits" was done. This painting still depicts the same type of style that is done in all of the Hudson River paintings. But this one seems to bring them all together to remember the founder and the whole purpose of the school. It is an incredible tribute.

Decloration of Independance

Polemic: Industrial Tourism and the National Parks

The general argument/point made by Edward Abbey in his work Polemic is that the national parks should be left intact and for the people and are not developed for industrial tourism. More specifically, Abbey argues/suggests that people should enjoy nature and get out of their cars and motors to be involved with the wilderness surroundings. He writes, “So long as they are unwilling to crawl out of their cars they will not discover the treasures of the national parks and will never escape the stress and turmoil of those urban suburban complexes which they had hoped…to leave behind for a while.” (page 389) In this passage, Abbey is suggesting that as long as people are taking these efforts to get away from the stress of the city, they should get away from the stressors of the world including the car and discover the treasures of nature. In conclusion, it is Abbey’s belief that there should be no more new roads in national parks, rangers should be put to work, and that people need to put aside their motorized transportation and enjoy themselves because National parks are for people.

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In my view, Abbey is right because I have different experiences that have either enhanced or tainted my ability to enjoy nature while camping. For example, he talks about nature as a “holy place” and I agree with that because of the simple silence that we can find there when we choose to listen. I remember studying out in the wilderness during a girl’s camp lesson. The counselors gave us some time to just sit and enjoy the silence, yet beautiful sounds of the untainted scenery. In contrast, I went to a girls camp another year with some girls that made “getting away from the world” quite difficult because of the electronics they would play with and the inability they had to appreciate being away at camp. Although Abbey might object that the cities do not taint our ability to enjoy pieces of nature everyday, I maintain that you see nature in its purest form when you get to recognize the beauty of the earth like the stars. Here we don’t see the stars because of the brightness and technologies of the earth today. We already are missing out on a piece of nature. Therefore, I conclude that there is a big difference between using electronics, staying in the car, driving by scenery than roaming the nature on foot to really view the surroundings. You may discover things that you would have missed out on.

Wildlife in American Culture

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The general argument/point made by Aldo Leopold in his work Wildlife in American Culture is that gadgetry has changed the way we interact with nature. More specifically, Leopold agues/suggests that we used to be more apart of nature and the lifecycle. But that life cycle is interrupted because of wildlife being used in different ways. Gadgets are taking us away from our true sense of nature. You used to have to be skilled in getting food from nature, but now it has become more of an unethical sport. It has changed completely, and the animals aren’t killed for the right reasons. For example, they are less worried about the cultural value of the shooting because they have the inventions to make it more inviting as a sport. He writes, “Wildlife once fed us and shaped our culture. It still yields us pleasure for leisure hours, but we try to reap that pleasure by modern machinery and thus destroy part of its value. Reaping by modern mentality would yield not only pleasure, but wisdom as well.” (page 376) In this passage, Leopold is suggesting that if we make studying wildlife a sport, we will get back to the basics and learn about ourselves and the way nature affects us naturally. In conclusion, it is Leopold’s belief that the gadget industries are making bigger and excessive technologies that treats wildlife unethically and that we should use wildlife by studying it and getting back to becoming linked to nature.

In my view, Leopold is right because of the influences we have today and how they compare with the technologies that he talks about in his day and age. They influence our lives 100% and take away from the character we can build by having to work naturally and harder for things. For example, if he were to see the world today with all of the new technology and gadgets since then, he would be blown away. Even in wildlife sports it changes how we view the ideas of hunting. There are large sports malls and factories that specialize in these gadgets and tools to make hunting and dealing with nature more of a worldly sport. Although Leopold might object that we can go back to how we were and reverse the use of these technologies, I maintain that his idea of making the study of wildlife and animals a sport to help us connect with nature is important in our ability to understand ourselves. Therefore, I conclude that we should unplug ourselves from the world’s gadgets and seek knowledge in a natural way.

Intro and Peach Blossom Spring

This first article, Introduction to Responses to the Land: Nature, Ecology, and Materialism talks about the relationship mankind has with nature. There has always been conflict between man and the wild. Now it is becoming more and more of a problem in our culture. “Historically we know that human cultures have regularly destroyed their environment, resulting in their own demise.” (page 343) Some cultures on the other hand are more in tune with their natural surroundings and have a connection with it. Our views of these types of people are also distorted. I like to watch the Chinese do Tai Chi exercises because of the appearance it gives them as one who is apart of the flow of nature. A good question to ask ourselves so that we can decide not to damage the natural things surrounding us is: What is our responsibility as “global citizens”?

The Peach Blossom Spring written by Tao Ch’ien tells a story of a fisherman who lived in Wu-ling. He rowed upstream and along the banks of the stream there were unusual flower growing. He was impressed and decided to find out were these flowers led to. He came to an open cave in the mountain. He left his boat and after entering the cave he met an ordinary people that looked care free and happy. After meeting with them and admiring the happiness of their Utopia. Upon leaving they told him to keep their place a secret, but he slips and tells the people of his own village. They at once sent a group of men to find the cave again but they were unable to find it again. To me, the people who live in the cave are very wise. The author is trying to get the message across that in our societies people need to slow down and experience their surroundings. Life simpler is a happier life. People don’t search for a balance between man and nature. I think about all of the technology we have today to make things “easier”. But is it making things easier, or more stressful? Studies show that the increase of technology increases the amount of daily choices, which in turn cause more stress. It’s also unfortunate that the men were unable to find the cave again. Why did the man want to leave in the first place? This also can become a lesson to be learned. Sometimes moments that we experience in our lives come and go. We may never experience them ever again. This could teach us to live in the moment. Appreciate having the people we love and the everyday experiences now because you may miss out on them.

Readings Reflection (in class Reading Quiz 2)

As the sociology of the world is explored, many different cultures are discovered. Many of them are hard to understand or connect with. Laura Bohannon in her work Shakespeare in the Bush explained that she had once thought “that human nature is pretty much the same the whole world over” (page 50). She theorized that all cultures would understand a piece of literature the same, but then discovers that that is untrue. I have come to the conclusion that reading literature helps us to connect with other cultures.

It is important that we are educated in the way other cultures act. By reading literature written by places around the world, and learn how they interpret it, we can understand them more fully. It would be interesting to read a speech given by the leader of the Indian people, or dive into an Egyptian children’s book. On the other hand, some people think that reading literature is a leisure activity, and in this world today we don’t find leisure time. But it is important to make reading a priority because of the way it expands our knowledge and critical thinking. In the article Why Literature? by Mario Vargas Llosa, she suggests that society would fail us if we do not incorporate literature in what we do. “No other discipline or branch of the arts can substitute for literature in crafting the language that people need to communicate” (page 41). Literature connects the people of the world to each other.

Sometimes you get yourself in trouble if you use symbols or certain words in other countries because they might have a different meaning than you are used to. Many times we do not understand what they really mean and end up offending others. For example, a thumbs up in America means “good job”, but in other countries it has different meanings that may be inappropriate and crude. Experts advise travelers to learn more about the country and their mannerisms through literature before making the trip to avoid such embarrassment.

I would imagine that interpreting another culture’s writings would be like interpreting poetry. It’s almost like a puzzle that needs to be put together until you come to an understanding. In order to completely understand a poem, for example, you need to know background to the life of the author or the reason he wrote the poem. There is so much behind the scenes when it comes to poetry. The same goes with writings by other cultures. The importance of learning about poetry applies to knowing how to interpret cultural writings as well. And sometimes, like poetry, you need another person’s help to understand because of their extended knowledge.

I have found that by reading written explanations regarding, or written by, other cultures I gain a new appreciation for these people. I also found it easier to connect with them one on one to get more insight and become friends. My family hosted a girl from the Ukraine for about a month. She was my age and spoke little English. I found that we could connect in other ways, like children’s books that she recognized in our closet even though they were in English and she couldn’t read it. We looked at an Encyclopedia together that talked about her country. We connected through literature. I tried to learn a little bit of her language and I taught her how to ask for certain things that she wanted by showing her what it looked like in writing. I came to understand more about her people and where she came from though writing and reading.

Not everyone has the opportunity to look at literature with someone from another culture. But it is important that people should do it on their own or maybe even encourage teachers to explain literature that is significant to people across the world. As we learn about other countries and what they believe, we can connect with them more fully and applaud them for being so faithful in the things they do. Because cultures interpret differently, we can use literature to relate and associate with each other. It’s fascinating what you come to appreciate about others.

Education by Poetry

The general argument/point made by Robert Frost in his work Education by Poetry is that people are getting away from poetry and coming short of enthusiasm, but by being closer to poetry one can be more in tune with expressing and interpreting feelings and expressions. More specifically, Frost argues/suggests that by interpreting and learning the format and concept of poetry you learn to analyze and know about the word “belief”. People who don’t understand or aren’t able to interpret poetry, because of lack of poetry in college, don’t know how to judge or interpret them when they are confronted with it. He writes, “The person that gets close enough to poetry, he is going to know more about the word belief, than anybody else knows, even in religion nowadays…every time a poem is written, every time a short story is written, it is not written by cunning, but by belief. The beauty, the something, the little charm of the thing to be, is more felt than known.” (page 50) In this passage, Frost is suggesting that poetry unlocks the most profound thinking that we have. In conclusion, it is Frost belief that the world would go in a bad direction if people do not gain from learning and interpreting poetry.


In my view, Frost is right because being educated through poetry and metaphors really does help you to have imagination and grow. For example, during my Honors English class during my sophomore year at Murray High School, I was taught the basics of poetry. Looking back at what I was taught, I can definitely tell that the experience in recognizing and interpreting poetry helped me to become a more alert and imaginative reader as we would discuss them in class. The expressions you interpret in poetry helped me recognize how people can have strong feelings towards situations and experiences. Although Frost might object that everyone should write poetry, I maintain that there is another way to come closer to poetry and that is by reading it. Therefore, I conclude that people shouldn’t all write poetry but learning and coming close to poetry makes us become more educated and better thinkers.

Why Literature?

The general argument made by Mario Vargas Llosa in his work Why Literature? is that literature is not a “luxury pastime”, also that reading literature is being viewed as a thing of the past and there is not enough time to do so, or they do not want to waist valuable time on something like reading. More specifically, Llosa suggests that society would fail us if we do not incorporate literature in what we do. He writes, “The autonomous individual would not have been created, science and technology would not have progressed, human rights would not have been recognized, freedom would not have existed.” (page 44). In this passage, Llosa is suggesting that there are many things in life that would have never existed without literature. In conclusion, it is Llosa’s belief that literature keeps us from becoming an “animalistic” world.


In my view, Llosa is wrong and right because literature is a way that our people relieve stress and learn a great deal. For example, reading gains your knowledge and imagination with good literature. Although Llosa might object that literature is very harmful to the world today, because of the things that are released in writing. I maintain that literature is also a way that our world has become more and more “animalistic”. Therefore, I conclude that good literature is the key to getting the most out of what you read. Reading can gain your knowledge but also can damage us and others around us. It is important to recognize when things you read and write are damaging to others and should be avoided.

Reflection #1

The major thing I am very pleased about this class for is the opportunity it gives students to state their opinions and debate with other students in class. I love the discussions we have and how it connects to the readings we are given about thinking critically. These days, I don't think that very many students take the time to really come up with an opinion on any issue that is effecting the world we live in.

I am glad that the students in my class are willing to speak up and say what they think about the topics brought up in class. Sometimes I am surprised at some of the student's responses because I had no idea that some particular students were so passionate about their ideas and I think it's a wonderful thing to hear what they have to say. I definitely think this class is worth while because students today are not engaged in deep discussions, and this class helps us to learn that skill, which will definitely be used in our lives to fight for the things we believe in.

Read and Interpret Exercise

The Subject of the line is The Old Masters. You find the subject in the second line.
The words of the sentence are not in the “correct order”. Subject is not fully found there. Aud
Auden’s argument is that life goes on after a catastrophic event. People turn their head away from tragedy especially if it does not directly affect them. Over time the emotions of the events change.
To support his argument, he provides evidence from the painting.
The title means “The Museum of beautiful arts”.
The Old Masters in terms of art include: Brueghel, DeVinci, Rembrant, Michelangelo. Thy can express pain and suffering in their paintings because they have experienced it.
Old Master’s is capitalized because it represents a specific group of people and the title is a form of respect for these people.
Auden starts with the general in his poem until he gets more specific as the poem progresses. And then even more specific. 1939
Brueghel’s Icarus is the painting that Auden uses to create his argument.
I agree with Auden’s thesis. I also agree with the fact that over time, the remembrance of these historical events will change. I remember sitting in History class with Mr. Gibbs. He introduced the topic of the next unit,
He was living through this period in England and seeing events involving Hitler. This may have sparked his mind about how true his argument is.
Living in Europe, he saw how the Jews were being treated so it effected his point of view.
It was not an easy lifestyle to be an artist. It was understood that it would be challenging. But they understand the pain and suffering and there were more likely able to see and respond to other people’s suffering.
The Old Masters are held in high esteem because they are able to connect with pain and suffering and are able to reflect that in their artwork. They can sympathize and empathize.
Auden is in a museum that only has the artwork of the Old Masters. He is looking for the pain, suffering and religious paintings. His view is affected because these are the type of paintings that you only see.
He points to specifics within Bruagle’s Icerus. For example he says, “everything turns away quite leisurely to the disaster.” When you look back at the painting you do see that.
In order to be successful as a painter they really needed to have a patron. If you did not, you had a more difficult time. Being accepted or not accepted was important.
The Old Masters have styles to their paintings which could allow for different interpretations. The technique and realism show different interpretation because you look for different things in the paintings.
Through light, shadow, composition, color, darks, perspective, and subject it portrays a message that can be “read”.
We would expect to see a central painting of Icuras because he is the main focus of the story.
Interestingly, we see a large scene with Icuras barely noticeable in a small portion of the painting that isn’t even centered.
The colors of the painting are warm and it doesn’t portray that there is anything wrong happening.
The painting almost wants you to look away from the main focus of the story and the title.
The other people depicted in the artwork are not really reacting at all to what has happened close to them.
Because they are not noticing what is happening, this painting definitely supports Auden’s interpretation.
His view of the painting flows really well with the context clues of the scene. And According to the story, Brueghel’s art seems to have a different historical and cultural view of the other’s reaction to the tragedy.
Ovid, on the other hand, is depicting the people interested in what is happening, and stopping in awe at what had happened.
If I were to talk to the author, I would respond to them with questions on what he wrote so that I could hear their train of thought in person about it. It is more interesting to hear what they have to say about it outside of the print.
Today, we make assumptions about religions. These assumptions cause others to challenge the beliefs of others just to prove their own religion or belief.

Life of a Closed Mind

The general point made by Anna Quindlen in her work Life of the Closed Mind is that post 9/11 has made us become intolerant. Specifically, Quindlen argues that people view things as either good or evil and nothing in-between. She writes, “It occurs to me…that the tourists did win. Since September 11 we’ve become more like them. The essence of the way zealots think about the world is polar: good and evil, holy and profane, them and us.” (page 67) In this passage, Quindlen is suggesting that we have become like the terrorists instead of having an open mind. In conclusion, it is Quindlen’s belief that we are choosing sides between good and evil. We view the world so narrow mindedly because of it.

In my view, Quindlen is right to a degree because you can be strong in your own beliefs and still be more accepting of others. For example, we should be more understanding and learn the differences between opponents and enemies etc. Although Quindlen might object that people should be driven by religious certainty, I maintain that, like Quindlen suggests, you can also learn to be tolerant and have an open mind toward other people by learning about them so you don’t form harsh opinions. Therefore, I conclude that we have become a nation of conspiracy theories and intolerant. We should do better at keeping an open mind.

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Shakespeare in the Bush

The general argument/point made by Laura Bohannan in her work Shakespeare in the Bush is that cultural or historical background does play a role in how a story or a piece of art etc. is perceived. More specifically, Bohannan argues/suggests that through her own experience of arguing with a friend that there is universal understanding, she discovered that by trying to tell the story of hamlet to natives in Africa that she was studying, they had there own views and interpretation of the story that made it difficult for her to describe her perception of the story. She literally thought that everyone would understand it the same. She writes, “I protested that human nature is pretty much the same the whole world over; at least the general plot and motivation of the greater tragedies would always be clear—everywhere—although some details of custom might have to be explained and difficulties of translation might produce other slight changes.” (page 29) In this passage, Bohannan is suggesting that she felt like motivation and plot could be understood by everyone universally with very slight changes, but she came to find out that this wasn’t true while trying to explain Hamlet to the TIV tribal culture. She was proven wrong because of they way they interpreted it. Sometimes her interpretation didn’t make any sense to the others because it wasn’t something they had ever heard of. In conclusion, it is Bohannan’s belief now that it is very difficult to explain the plot and the tragedies to those of other cultures and ethnic backgrounds.

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In my view, Bohannan is steered toward the right because of her experience. Various interpretations can be made between people with different backgrounds and history. For example, a thumbs up in America means “good job” but in other countries it has different, sometimes inappropriate meanings. Although Bohannan had objected that cultures view different stories and plots, I maintain that her experience in another country with people she had never spoken with before changed her own opinion. Therefore, I conclude that Bohannan discovered that people should realize the differences in cultures to clear up misunderstandings in writing, art, and symbols.

Why Engage in Political Thinking?

The general point made by Glenn Tinder in his work Why Engage in Political Thinking is that humans are incredible thinkers and need to do it effectively. More specifically, Tinder suggests that we need to think along with having a sure knowledge and combine our thoughts with facts to make our own opinion. He writes, “We humans are thinking beings. Only through thought do we affirm our rationality, our freedom, and out loyalty to being. Hence if we learn to consider questions with clarity and determination…we learn something that is irreducible to objective answers—the wisdom and poise of humane uncertainty.” (page 20) In this passage, Tinder is suggesting that our mind should be open to think clearly and deeper about our thought processes. In conclusion, it is Tinder’s belief that we should use both methods to bring up our own ideas.

In my view, Tinder is right because we cannot live in a world that just goes by hard facts. We wouldn’t be individuals if we weren’t aloud to think and create our own conclusions. People need to have “food for thought”. For example, without our own educated and creative thinking, ideas like freedom and equality would have never come to be. Although, Tinder might object that thinking is easy. I maintain that it is an important process to master. Therefore, I conclude that thinking is an essential part of being human and an individual.

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A Method for Reading, Writing and Thinking Critically

The general point made by Kathleen McCormick in her work A Method for Reading, Writing, and Thinking Critically is that there are more than two sides to any story. More specifically, McCormick argues/suggests that there are two methods of developing better critical thinking skills to evaluate your own perspectives and the perspectives of others, which include historical analysis and cultural analysis. She writes, “Critical thinking involves discovering differences and connections across time, which is what occurs in historical analysis. It involves recognizing conflicts and continuities within the same time period, which occurs in cultural analysis. It is the capacity to explore the relationship of one perspective to other perspectives and to connect those perspectives to larger practices, systems of belief, and expectations, in the past and the present.” (page 22) In this passage, McCormick is suggesting that critical thinking helps us to have a more open mind and a broad view of a subject to find its relationship to the past and present. In conclusion, it is McCormick belief that as you do his you will develop better critical thinking skills and have deeper, finely tuned academic skills.

In my view, McCormick is right because it is important to understand where ideas come from. For example, you can look deeper into analyzing an art piece, different perspectives create appreciation and connections when you understand it more fully through culture and background. Although McCormick might object that all things have a right/wrong or black/white answer. I maintain that it is good to do what she suggests and to gain perspective by taking steps toward good analysis. Therefore, I conclude that the combining of historical and cultural analysis creates different ways of looking at issues, helps us see where things connect, how they are different and how to gain more perspectives.

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