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Writer's Choice

One afternoon while scrolling through Facebook, I came across this article. It discusses an artist, Heather, Dewey-Hagborg, who collects chewed gum, cigarette butts, and hair she finds just laying around in New York City, extracts the DNA, and reverse engineers a sculpture of the face that the hair/gum/cigarette came from. 

This reminded me of the clones in Never Let Me Go, especially the part where Ruth is talking about how the clones were created from people that are considered "trash". In the case of Dewey-Hagborg, her art is literally created from genetic trash.

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Writing Genre Adaptation (Revised)

Blue Lipstick and a Cigarette HangingOut Your Mouth

Sometimes there is really no way of avoiding the fact that we, as humans, are incredibly dull and tend to think inside the box. We think the same thoughts, leading to coming up with the same ideas, resulting in writers writing the same material over and over. One way to break out of this monotony is to change something up. Cut your hair, paint your nails, or per Goldberg’s advice, put on blue lipstick and dangle a cigarette from your mouth.

“Blue Lipstick and a Cigarette Hanging Out Your Mouth”, a chapter from Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones, discusses the idea that a change from usual routine is sometimes necessary in order to prompt a change from the usual thought process. Goldberg explains that having the writer do something that he or she would not normally do allows him or her to “simply see the world from another angle.” (Goldberg, 142) Even the slightest change from the usual habitual activity can spark a change in the writer – in the chapter, Goldberg suggests that writers “put on a beret or house shoes and a nightgown, wear work boots, farmer’s overalls, a three piece suit, […] just sit down to write in a state you don’t ordinarily sit down to write in.” (Goldberg, 142)

This change is important because if the writer is able to see the world from a different point of view, then he or she will be able to add another dimension to his or her writing. This is essential in the analytical process because in order to properly analyze something it is important for the writer to break out of his or her frame of mind-set and open his or her eyes to different viewpoints in the world. Viewing the same piece of writing from different angles will allow for new ideas that the writer might not have originally have had to develop. This will greatly improve the analysis or writing being done because all the different perspectives that the writer could interpret the writing from will add another dimension to the writing. Goldberg’s ideas of doing something different from the norm facilitates this, as if the writer has already changed one part of his or her routine, then it’ll already be much easier for him or her to think and develop ideas from their writing from different perspectives.

In our English 3 class this quarter, one of the first lessons we were taught was to open our minds. There is no such thing as a “superior” way to view a piece of writing, or a “correct” way to analyze that same work of writing. Just because someone’s opinion is different from your own does not mean it is wrong. In fact, differing opinions should be welcomed by the writer with open arms, as being able to view the same work from multiple angles allows for the writer to think more deeply about that work. Whereas a writer was originally stuck thinking in their own box, the mindset that the society around them as deemed “the most correct”, the writer will now have a greater ability to understand the viewpoints of those who are different from him or her. Whether the writer agrees or disagrees with these opposing viewpoints, empathy is key. Being able to understand rather than simply dismissing the voice that disagrees with the writer is a key trait in not just writing and understand writing, but for life in general. The first step towards this change is a change within the writer themselves, even if it means dying your hair blue and placing an unlit cigarette between your teeth.

Works Cited:

Goldberg, Natalie. Writing down the Bones: Freeing the Writer within. Boston: Shambhala, 1986. Print. Page 142

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Analysis Review

Analysis #2 (C4: Idea that doesn’t logically follow)  Original excerpt: The careful planning on the wolf’s part as well as his thoughtfulness for the future of humanity shows that he was not the inferior character of the story, but rather he is the most superior of them all. Revision: The careful planning on the wolf’s part reveals that he was most likely in control of every step of the story, even his own death. The human characters may have thought that they were the winners at the end of tale as they were alive while the wolf was dead; however if this was all part of the wolf’s plan then he is the one that got what he wanted all along. This shows that he was in fact not the inferior character of the story, but rather he was the most superior of them all.

Analysis #3 (J1: Positions expressed independent of analysis) Original excerpt: I believe that if an individual or institution wholeheartedly accepted the respected values of honesty and integrity, it would definitely have some impact on decisions that they make. Revision: The article stating that values “may be espoused, but do not influence behaviors” is quite contradictory. Values serve as moral guidance in choices and making decisions, so to claim that a value, although embraced, does not influence behavior, indicates that that value was most likely not a value at all in the first place.

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Literary adaptation

Introduction: The novel Frankenstein tells the story of a scientist named Victor who attempted to reanimate a man from the dead. However, once he succeeded, Victor was horrified of his creation and proceeded to abandon it. After Victor’s desertion, the creature is taken in by the DeLacey family, who can see past the creature’s ugly demeanor and decide to teach him the morals and ethics that Victor had failed to provide the creature with.

Adaptation: The creature watched as Safie, Felix, and Agatha left the cottage to go on a long walk through the countryside. He had been planning on introducing himself to the DeLacey for quite a while, but he was well aware of his intimidating appearance and knew that his best chances of acceptance lay with the blind old man, whose lack of eyesight made him incapable of judging the creature at first glance. The creature walked up to the cottage door and knocked.

“Come in,” the creature heard the old man say. With a new sense of courage, the creature entered the cottage and sat on the ground beside the old man.

“Pardon my intrusion,” he said. “I am a traveler in need of rest, and would be grateful if you would allow me to seek shelter by your fire for only a few moments.”

“Stay as long as you need,” the old man replied. “However I am curious of your name and where you are travelling from – you must come from somewhere far away as you sound very tired.”

The creature hesitated for a moment. Should he tell the DeLacey man the truth, that he had no name and he was the creation of a mad scientist, or should he fabricate a story as to prevent the old man from being afraid of him already? The creature decided that if he wished to gain the support of the DeLacey family, it would be best for him to remain truthful and honest.

“I do not know my name nor from where I come from,” the creature responded. “All I am sure of is that I am an unfortunate and deserted creature. I have no relation or friend upon earth. I am full of fears because of my horrendous appearance, and I am an outcast in the world forever.”

He then launched into the story of his origins, leaving nothing out. The creature told the old man of his first memories of awakening in Victor’s laboratory, and of Victor’s initial reaction of terror at the creature. He spoke of how he was abandoned by his creator, and how he had come across the books in the forest from which he gained his knowledge. The creature did not stop until his story had reached the present time – how he had discovered the DeLacey home and had struggled with finally making his presence known to the family.

“Great God!” the old man exclaimed once the creature had finished telling his tale. “Your story is truly horrific; however I and my family have also been condemned though we are innocent. I feel for your misfortunes, and will most certainly help you in any way I can.”

At this time, both the old man and the creature heard the sounds of the two younger DeLaceys and Safie returning from their walk in the countryside. The old man turned to the creature.

“I promised I would help you, but for now it would be wise if you returned to your home in the forest,” the old man warned. “I and blind and cannot judge you; however if you are truly as frightening as you claim to be, my children may not see you in the same way I do. Return to your hovel, continue to learn from your books, and I will speak to my family and convince them of your innocence.”

The creature agreed with the words of the old man. He left the DeLacey home, unseen by the trio returning from their walk, and remained in hiding near the house for a little longer. From his spot, he could hear the old man telling his children and Safie of the creature that had visited him in the afternoon. For the first time, the creature was witnessing someone defending his character, and could not help but feel a sense of hope for his future with the DeLacey’s.

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Analysis 4

“The True History and Adventures of Catherine Vizzani”, by Giovanni Bianchi, describes Catherine (otherwise known as Giovanni Bordoni) both as “a Dishonour on (…) his Parent, his Guide, and Instructor” and as “an Offence to the God of the Holiness”. While the former evidence supports the idea that Catherine’s actions contradicted the morals and ideas of what was “right” during that time period of history and as a result caused a great shame to Catherine’s family, “her internal organs were otherwise “in their natural state”” casts a new light. Together, these latter pieces of evidence imply that physically, Catherine was not all that different from everyone else and that, if anything, she was just a regular girl. This means that even though Catherine’s personality may have been viewed as unnatural, if she was only judged based on her physicality she would have been deemed very natural, and this encourages readers to consider that the different perspectives that one chooses to a view a person to can lead to starkly different opinions.

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Writer's Choice

The TV show Fresh Off the Boat tells the story of a Chinese family who moves out of their home in the Chinatown of Washington DC to Florida for the father in the family to follow his "American" dream of owning a restaurant. Once in Florida, the family faces a plethora of difficulties, the main one being they are the only Chinese family in a dominantly white neighborhood.

This show relates to our class because while watching it I was reminded of "Epistemic Disobedience" by Mignolo. Mignolo's writing discusses how the white, European viewpoint in life is generally seen as the "correct" one and the perspectives of other cultures are seen as inferior or disregarded as irrelevant altogether. In FOTB, this idea is incredibly prevalent as the Huang family faces difficulty assimilating into their new neighborhood because of their different lifestyle from that of their neighbors. However, the show strives to show that just because the Asian viewpoint is different, it should not be seen as worse than that of white culture.

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Analysis 3

I chose to write my article on the “Changing Values” section of the article “Human Value and Sustainability: Can Green Swim Upstream?” This section argues that although institutions such as today’s businesses, governments, and universities claim that they embrace values such as democracy, honesty, and integrity, these claims are nothing but a façade, and that in reality these values are not appreciated at all. My opinion, on the other hand, is that today’s institutions do in fact still uphold these human values and they do not claim these values for the sake of appearance.

The article states that, “These values are no longer dominant in many institutions. They may be espoused, but they do not influence behaviors, as evidenced by the recent spate of scandals in corporate and public life.”

The argument that ideology “may be espoused, but not influence behaviors” is one that I would like to explore further. If a good code of morals was truly embraced by an individual, is it truly possible to prevent it from influencing the individual’s actions and behaviors? I believe that if an individual or institution wholeheartedly accepted the respected values of honesty and integrity, it would definitely have some impact on decisions that they make. Since there are many institutions that still uphold these “old” values, such as corporations with philanthropic business models such as Tom’s and SplinterRock, I believe that if human values are indeed still values they would have an influence on behaviors.

The idea that morals have a significant impact on actions and decision-making, as well as the idea that institutions still value democracy and honesty allowed me to explore the article further in my analysis.

I disagree with the idea of the article, as not only does the author fail to provide examples of the “recent spate of scandals”, but they also are only choosing to look at evidence that strengthens their own argument. I do not doubt that there have been recent scandals, but there have only been very few and should not be used to form a generalized opinion that is representative of all institutions.

Twomey, Daniel F., Rosemarie F. Twomey, and Gerard Farias. "Human Value and Sustainability: Can Green Swim Upstream?" People & Strategy 33.1 (2010): 52-59. 2010. Web. 06 Feb. 2015.

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Notes 4

Including too much summarization of the text rather than writing about my own thoughts and ideas or analysis has always been a problem with my writing. The feedback provided about my first analysis, combined with ideas from the group discussions in class, made me realize that there are two very different possible meanings behind the “as if” stated by the wolf throughout the poem. He could be implying that he did indeed know about the grandmother living alone and that he was more than capable of killing them all without the drama of the story. He might be trying to refute the common opinion that the reader thinks of him as a weak villain who meets his demise at the end of the tale. On the other hand, he could also be directing the reader to that train of thought when he in fact was no capable of such a thing. The wolf might only want the reader to believe that he did to make him sound more in control of the story’s plot than he actually was.

As the wolf presents his motivations in the play, I believe that he is doing much more than defending himself. In saying that “I did it for posterity (…) and a clear moral,” it seems that the wolf is placing huge emphasis on the fact that there is an important moral that is to be learned from the story. It implies that he is reminding the audience that The Little Red Riding Hood is more than just a fun children’s tale. It is a lesson on how it is unsafe for young children to wander around, especially in the woods, by themselves because they do not know what might be waiting to prey on them. The wolf sacrificed himself for the sake of that lesson, and is reminding the audience to take it to heart.

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Analysis 2

The Wolf’s Postscript to “Little Red Riding Hood”

Prewriting:

Binary/Division: Human v. Creature – in the poem, the wolf is the only character that is not obviously human (as opposed to Little Red Riding Hood, her grandmother, and the huntsman). The wolf may be seen as inferior to the other characters because of this.

Complication: The poem implies that the entire tale of “Little Red Riding Hood” was intentionally and thoughtfully planned out by the wolf, who believes that his actions in the story was an act of himself doing humanity a favor by creating a story with a moral that is applicable to other children in the future.

Evidence:

“First, grant me my sense of history (…) and a clear moral” (1-4) Implications: (1) The wolf implies that what he did was for posterity, or the benefit of future generations. (2) He also states that he has a clear moral, which shows that he was trying to teach a lesson for posterity.

“I ran with that weight and fell down (…) should have come to an end.” (26-33) Implications: (1) The wolf purposefully ran even though he was filled with stones, indicating that he knew exactly what he was doing and what was happening. (2) “(…)just when the tale should have come to an end” implies that the wolf was in complete control throughout the entire story, emphasizing the idea that everything he did was on purpose for the sake of the moral of the story.

Claim: Although most readers would initially believe that the wolf was the inferior being in the tale of “The Little Red Riding Hood”, as he is the only non-human character and he is killed at the end of the play, further analysis of “The Wolf’s Postscript” shows it is possible that the wolf is actually the most superior being of the tale, as he had planned out the tale and did everything, including his own death, on purpose.

Analytical Paragraph:

The famous tale of “Little Red Riding Hood” implies that the villainous wolf was inferior to the other characters of the story, as he was the only non-human and ultimately meets his demise at the end of the take. However, “The Wolf’s Postscript to ‘Little Red Riding Hood’” explores the idea the wolf was in fact not a villain, but rather a martyr for posterity. In the first stanza of the postscript the wolf states, “first, grant me (…) a clear moral” implying that he knew exactly what he was doing and continued on for the benefit of teaching a lesson to future generations. The careful planning on the wolf’s part as well as his thoughtfulness for the future of humanity shows that he was not the inferior character of the story, but rather he is the most superior of them all.

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Notes 3

Character: Miranda

Brief summary: As the daughter of Prospero, Miranda is the only female character in the entire play. She’s often portrayed as the stereotypical “girl” – very naïve and innocent, most likely because she is the only female. After she discovers Prince Ferdinand on the island, she falls in love with him very quickly.

Sparknotes excerpt: For a majority of the play, Miranda “displays a meek and emotional nature”. Sparknotes states that is “presented … almost as a prop or piece of the scenery” for Prospero. However there are two instances where she acts otherwise. The first occurs when Prospero discusses an incident where Caliban attempted to rape Miranda (Act I, scene ii), and Miranda scolds Caliban for agreeing with her father. The second instance is when Miranda proposes to Ferdinand (Act III, scene i), an act that would have been very uncommon during that time in society.

Comparison: My take of Miranda’s character is similar to that of of the Sparknotes analysis of major characters in that we both agree that Miranda is often written to be a naiive, docile girl. This is how girls were often seen in society during the time that The Tempest was written. However, Sparknotes does not discuss the fact that Miranda is the only obviously female character in the play. I believe that this, combined with the fact that Miranda’s character is seen as the “perfect girl” is a very important part of the play.

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Analysis 1

Prewriting:

Quote: “And then grant me my generous sense of plot: …. As if I couldn’t have swallowed her years before?” From stanza 2 of The Wolf’s Postscript to “Little Red Riding Hood”

Immediate context:  The wolf is talking about how it would have been very easy for him to have just eaten Little Red Riding Hood and the grandma, but instead chose to take a longer route for the sake of the story.

Broader context: The wolf did everything that happened in the story of “The Little Red Riding Hood” on purpose for the purpose of creating a story with a lesson to younger children about wandering alone in the woods.

Focal word/phrase: “As if”

Binaries/divisions: appearance v. intentions; being alone v. the company of others

2 possible implications of focal word:

The “as if” implies that the wolf already knew that the grandma lived alone but he chose to do what he did instead anyways.

The “as if” implies that the wolf was more than capable of devouring the old woman before this story but chose to wait until this story for the sake of the story.

Reference to another moment: “… with a perfect sense of timing, just when the tale should have come to an end.”

Analytical Paragraph:

The quote “And then grant me my generous sense of plot” implies that the wolf knew exactly what was going to happen in the tale of “The Little Red Riding Hood”. He was more than capable of killing Little Red Riding Hood and her grandmother before but chose not to. He knew that he was going to be killed by the huntsman in the end but accepted this and allowed it to happen instead. The wolf “ran with that weight [of stones and garbage] simply so children could laugh”, showing that he sacrificed himself for the sake of using Little Red Riding Hood to teach children a lesson about how dangerous it is to carelessly wander off by himself or herself. He is not the villain of the tale, rather he is a martyr for the moral of the story.

Reflection:

While writing this analysis, it was difficult to remain focused on the text instead of just following my own ideas which may not have had any textual basis from the poem. In order to stay with the text I tried to find a quote as evidence for each idea I thought of.

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Notes 2

The material I chose was the Biblical Account of Creation, which is from Genesis 2:4-23 in the Bible. This passage discusses how God created the first man, Adam. He also creates for Adam a garden so that Adam may have a food to eat and a place to live, as well as a female counterpart for Adam, Eve. God does this because “It is not good that the man should be alone.” (Genesis 2:18) Because God was Adam’s creator, he felt that it was his responsibility to ensure that Adam was content and did not feel like he was alone. The passage connects to Frankenstein because it was one of the books that the creature found in the forest and subsequently read. In the novel, Victor creates the creature, however Victor fails to provide with the creature by providing him with a home to inhabit nor did Victor ever complete the female counterpart, even when specifically requested to by the creature.. Similarly to Adam, the creature was created as the first of his kind and felt very alone as he was unable to connect with anyone else. This passage from the Bible serves as the most likely explanation for how the creature came up with the idea to demand from Victor a female creature companion. The creature probably saw Victor as God and himself as Adam, and he requested an Eve for himself. This makes it much clearer why the creature was so certain that this was what he wished for himself from Victor. The creature most likely felt that as the “creator”, Victor was responsible to provide for him by creating the female counterpart.

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Writing Genre Adaptations

Adaptation of “Blue Lipstick and a Cigarette Hanging Out Your Mouth”

The chapter “Blue Lipstick and a Cigarette Hanging Out Your Mouth” from Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones discusses the idea of how a change from usual routine is sometimes needed in order to write something other than the usual, routine material. The writer doing something that he or she would not normally do allows him or her to “simply see the world from another angle.” If the writer is able to see the world from a different view point of view, then he or she will be able to add another dimension to his or her writing. This will not only vastly improve the piece of writing, but it will also improve the writer themselves by opening his or her eyes to different viewpoints in the world. Perhaps by using this method in writing, the writer will be able to apply their ability to see the world from another angle to other parts of their lives as well.

The example that Goldberg uses in the chapter is wearing blue lipstick or placing a cigarette in one’s mouth if he or she does not regularly smoke, hence the title of the chapter. However, the change does not necessarily have to be a change in appearance. Goldberg also mentions writing on a large drawing pad instead of the typical notebook as a method of changing things up. The change can be any kind of change that the writer desires to use; it is in only required that the writer make a change from the norm.

When I was younger, writing for school was probably the most stressful task in the world for me. I would at my desk in my room for hours and struggle to even get a few paragraphs onto the page. After a while, I realized that that sometimes a change in routine can really help with writing, as per the advice from “Blue Lipstick and a Cigarette Hanging Out Your Mouth”. I stopped sitting at my desk when I needed to write; in fact I stopped staying at my room altogether. Instead, I went to coffee shops and neighborhood parks. I would wear sundresses in the middle of winter or shades while I was sitting indoors. In fact, as I am writing this adaptation I am currently sitting on the floor of the UC Davis science labs building, a place I have never even step foot in until today. A change of surroundings allows for a change in one’s writing.

Even while in class or lecture, there are ways of changing up the usual in order to see from a different view point. At the end of Wednesday’s English class, Karolyn mentioned that students were allowed to do things that might not be allowed in typical classes during the lecture in order to focus better or be more attentive during discussions. She suggested bringing food or water, or even knitting in class – anything that would create a change that would help us be the best students we can be.

REFLECTION: I chose to write about “Blue Lipstick and a Cigarette Hanging Out Your Mouth” because, as stated above in my adaptation, I have personally experienced how Goldberg’s ideas of change can affect writing.  Using myself as an example helped me to relate better to Goldberg’s writing, and in the process of writing this adaptation I realized the importance of being able to relate the pieces of writing that I read to my own life. This is something that I will certainly make an effort to do more often when reading. After all, what is the point of reading advice to improve your writing if you cannot take that advice to heart and actually apply it to your own writing?

While I was writing this adaptation, at first I found it difficult to convey how even just a slight change from the regular routine could make such a vast difference in ones writing. I understood the point behind Goldberg’s advice, because I have personally experienced it myself. Nevertheless I initially struggled with being able to explain it in a way that was different from Goldberg’s own words – “to simply see the world from another view”. However, I was able to overcome this by following her advice and making a change from my usual habit in order to write. In the process of writing the adaptation, I tried to make a change by situating myself in a location in campus that I normally do not ever visit.

I feel that my adaptation is more appropriate for my peers because using myself as an example provides an example that is much easier for other students my age to relate to. For example, Goldberg suggests that the writer place a cigarette in his or her mouth or write while wrapped up in a flag instead of clothes, neither of which seem very appropriate for a college or school setting.

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Note 1

One binary I found in the first volume of Frankenstein was the division between those who flourish in society and those who do not and would rather hide in seclusion. Examples of those who prosper in society would be Victor’s father, who “had filled several public situations with honour and reputation” (18, vol. 1, ch 1) and Elizabeth Lavenza, who everyone adored (20, vol. 1, ch 1).

On the other hand, Beaufort, the best friend of Victor’s father, is a man who did not share the same fortune. Beaufort “fell from a flourishing state (…) into poverty” (18, vol. 1, ch 1) and who retreated into solitude because he “could not bear to live in poverty and oblivion in the same country where he had formerly been distinguished for his rank and magnificence” (18, vol. 1, ch 1).

Another binary is between the accepted and unaccepted branches of sciences that Victor encounters in his studies. Natural science and philosophy were accepted by Victor’s father, who “expressed a wish that [Victor] should attend a course” (24, vol. 1, ch 1) on at school. However, these studies did not seem to interest Victor very much. Rather, he preferred the works of Agrippa and Paracelsus even though his father and M. Krempe stated that they were “sad trash” (22, vol. 1, ch 1) and “nonsense” (25, vol. 1, ch 2). Despite this, Victor continued to pursue his passion in this subject matter, which ultimately led to the creation of the creature.