Reading Journal- Harjo

Harjo is on the cause side of the argument. She is explaining what is going on in the Indian heritage and why it is so serious. She is going to depth about how the Indian community feels about the situation. She's constructing her argument in a strong manner. She is using her resources to her advantage, giving plenty of information on what she is telling her audience about.

Weekly Reflection 2

Well this is my second week of English Composition 1301 and it's going pretty well, very different from high school English. This week we learned about many different things. We learned hoe to listen to music and describe the feeling it gave us or even what the music actually meant and what the composer intended. I also learned that there are three possibilities result in comparison/contrast: 1.discover the benefits if one element over another. 2.re-enforce a common theory about the contrasts between two elements. 3. possibly find a similarity between two unrelated sources. I also learned how to properly cite my work, which is a major thumbs up. I needed that!!!

Reading Journal- Didion

1. The whole essay gives me this warm cozy feel. I'm not exactly sure why. The way the Didion describes how she takes notes of every moment that she comes across, is amazing. Didon jots down absolutely everything. "But our notebooks give us away, for however dutifully we record what we see around us, the common denominator of all we see is always, transparently, shamelessly, the implacable “I.”' (Didion 9). To write down something in a notebook and then later on go back and read it in reminisce on it would give me a tingling feeling, just to know the exact moment that you are describing in that exact not. Didion's essay makes me feel as if I should start writing down everything that goes on through out my day and how it exactly may have happened.

2. The section that contributed an emotional connection for me had to be when she explained about her mother giving her her first tablet. When your parents give you and item that contributes to something you love it means the world to you and you will always remember that special item. No matter how big or small, you will always remember it. Maybe it means so much to me because of the relationship that I have with my mom. She is literally my best friend.

3. When Didion ask the questions in her essay I feels like they make the essay stronger because the reader can answer it based off of their emotions. The way she was feeling when she was writing this may not be the same way someone is feeling while reading it. So there leaves plenty of more for imagination and thoughts.

Reading Journal- Cisneros

At the very beginning of the story Cisnero's and her father were not the same in any form. She had H brothers and she was the only girl, so 6 sons and 1 daughter. He didn't really acknowledge her when he would tell others about his children. Her father would always refer to them as "my 7 sons" instead of something like "my 6 sons and daughter". It was as if she was excluded from the group or that she was fading away. Her father continuously felt as if when she went to college she should go find a husband, and when she didn't he was very disappointed and said that her whole education was a waste. All because she didn't do what he thought was necessarily right. I feel like through out the story their actions mirror each other because when her fathers acts a certain way with her, she'll use that as motivation to make something positive out of it. For example, her writing her book and showing it to him for him to read, everything she wrote was based off of her father so she could receive his approval. She continued to do this till the end when he was sick and older, then she finally got his approval.

Weekly Reflection 1

This week I learned a lot in such little time that I didn't learn my four long years in high school. I've learned the proper MLA format and how to properly do citations. I also Learned that there are three different types of purposes: persuade, inform, and entertain, you can tell which is which by the tone in the author's passage. I have also have been taught about the seven modes that there are: narration, description, comparison/contrast, cause/effect, definition, illustration, and argumentative. Narration pattern was another really important subject. There has been a lot to take in within this first week, but it is going well.

Reading Journal- Baker, Liu

1. I think that Baker is writing to anybody that may have a love for something but doesn't know exactly how to express it, such as himself. He loved writing but wasn't sure if that was the right path for him. People may feel like they want to do something but do not know if it is exactly right until they take a chance and try it. The audience is speaking to is that type of person. He's giving them a little push to do what they feel, without being afraid of what may happen. I feel as if he is talking to a person that reminds him of himself.

2. In the last paragraph Baker states how his teacher had "opened a door for me", meaning that he gave him a different outlook on writing. Baker instantly felt as if he could continue writing as a career. Being that his teacher and fellow classmates enjoyed his piece he knew that he had a gift. This is what he is trying to get the audience to understand, the joy that he felt doing something he was so in love with doing. In that moment he had realized what he could do what his talent and what his talent did for others.

3. Bakers overall purpose in the passage is to pursue others to chase what they believe in. He is continuously explaining what he experienced in high school. At a fairly young age he knew what he wanted to do with his life. He loved writing and loved the feeling that it gave him. He also noticed that people around him enjoyed the things that he wrote. He is basically informing his audience about his situation and for them to do what they want and what makes them happy. There is something for everyone to do.

4. I feel like Baker is using an informal tone with his audience. He is making it more relate able for this audience. When Baker says "My words! He was reading my words out loud to the entire class". He is showing his overall excitement. Through out the entire passage he is speaking in first person. If he was speaking in a formal form he wouldn't continuously use "I" and "me".
                                                                                     

Free Writing Assignment 1

Waiting in the lobby is so agonizing. All the snotty nosed children are running around here screaming and yelling. Where are yall's parents? I am 15 years old and this is my first time ever coming to the dentist....EVER, and the experience is starting of absolutely horrible. I am 15 years old and my mother brings me to the kiddie dentist, oh my God how embarrassing!!!!  My mom is filling out the paperwork that the dentist needed, so unnecessary. Finally after waiting 10 annoying minutes, the lady calls my name to walk to the back. "Antanashe?" GREAT! There goes another person that can't help but slaughter my name to pieces. I just tell her to call me Shae, so much easier. She sits me in the chair and preps me for the actual dentist to come into the room and work on me. OUCH!! Stabbing at my gums and scrapping my teeth is always fun, right? How does someone do this to children for a living? I am ready to go home to my warm bed. Thankfully I don't have any nasty cavities, that's always good news. Dude, I am never coming back to this cold place again, it's hell!!