"Happy Endings"

When I was reading “Happy Endings” I actually thought Lovely was an orphan. If I didn’t read all of the stories I believe I would have continued thinking that. Lovely and Jerry weren’t good enough for the kind of love Shirley had every Sunday. (page 4) In that sentence I thought that she was referring to family but she wasn’t it was acceptance. I then realized that Shirley Temple didn’t mean family for Lovely, but more of what she thought was happiness.
 She related Shirley Temple with always having the happiest ending and none of the feeling that she felt growing up.  She never had realized or even paid attention to the story or the heart ache that went on before. She wanted a family to be what she saw and all American family. Not a poor Hawaiian family that didn’t speak proper English and the family that wasn’t going to ever amount to anything because of not being that “All American” family. She saw Shirley Temple as the girl that everyone should be and that was what she seen as a happy ending. Leaving a life that wasn’t hers.
It really got to me when I read “Happy Ending” when your growing up kids wish for things and sometime things that they will never have, but to wish that you could be someone else because you didn’t feel that you were good enough or worth it. That’s just got to me. Sometimes I felt that I didn’t belong but what was always there for me was my family and I hope that she did finally feel that for herself.

Writing Topic: Rules for Writers, chapter 48

In chapter 48 there are 3 key steps to evaluating an argument. The first step is the ability to see the difference between reasonable conclusion or hasty generalizing and false arguments. Most misguided arguments are in the form of hasty generalization, stereotyping, or trying to point similarities were there are none. When creating an argument you must be fair and weigh opinions and not make assumptions. Always use deductive reasoning.

Another step is to be fair. It’s oaky to appeal to the audience but do it without bias and unfair remarks. The final step is to judge the writer on how they deal with opposing views. You can do this by either describing the opposition or using direct quotes. Either way one must make sure to quote accurately and do not misrepresent opposing views.

I feel that this helps me to makes sure that just because I might not agree with what someone says I cannot just assume that the conclusions are in correct I need to research the topic and come to an educated and fair reason for my opposition. Another thing that seems to be repeated is to show the opposing view and discuss it. This can only make your argument stronger if you are fair and reasonable when you come to your own conclusion.

Extra Credit:Writing about fiction

In the Purdue OWL it explains on how writing about fictions can be very difficult and gives a person 3 major steps that will aid them when taking on the task. The first step is closely reading the text and avoiding pitfalls. When reading one should highlight key points without over highlighting and missing the points. One should also write notes in the margins like asking questions about the text, comments and dialogue. In this step you should then after you have finished reading it comment on what the Author meant about the story and the characters in it.

How to avoid pitfalls doesn’t just know the plot, but refers to specific text when discussing it. Another area is to avoid focusing on just the text and not what you get out of reading it. The people wants to read what you think about the text and just pull key points to support what you are saying. Developing a thesis is the next step. This is where your closely reading pays off. If you done this right you should be able to draw from your notes a pretty good idea of what thesis and supporting evidence you have to write about.

That brings us to our last step and that is pre-writing and drafting your essay. Out of your notes see what intrigues you and write on it for five to ten minutes. When you have done that go over your notes and evaluate what evidence you have to support what you have written. Then research outside sources that will aid you thesis and views of the fiction. When drafting your easy give examples and provide quotes from the literature. Be sure to put quotes in quotations and state the page you read it on.

I have found out the hard way that skimming something doesn’t aid you at all it just creates more frustrating steps of going back and rereading parts of the story that would have only taken once if you had closely read it. I never really thought about how your notes and highlighting should aid you in creating you thesis and supporting evidence. I always just thought of notes as an aid in remembering what you have already written. I will take that part and the next time I read something I will closely read it and take my thesis from the notes that I have written.

Writing Topic: Rules for Writers chapter 47

To build a constructive reasonable argument chapter 47 states that there are a few steps that should aid you to do this. The first step is to show that you understand the facts about the subject or the problem that need to be fixed.  You must be informed and do reach on the subject when preparing your argument. Seeing you audience as a jury will aid you to present any evidence to a wider variety of opinions. The chapter states a good tip  is to test you thesis while you draft it and try to imagine a counterargument. If you cannot think of any the chapter advises to rethink your thesis.

You will need to establish credibility by stating your position in thesis statement. Then back your thesis with arguments that support your thesis. You can support your claims in many ways. One way to support your argument is to have facts and statistics that help prove your argument. Examples and illustrations are another way to aid your thesis. Citing opinions from experts that support your argument is just another way to show contribution to your thesis. Any of these by there own doesn't prove your argument, you need to do that.

If you sum up your text you should be able to clearly state your thesis and supporting evidence to this claim. Each claim will have its own set of evidence to support it. Being able to counter opposing view will aid you in support of your argument. Showing the audience that you have looked and researched other argument will only support your argument by showing them that you are fair and reasonable.
One must be able to be persuasive without being too aggressive. Another things that might help is to show the audience that you can meet them half way. Show them that you can be level headed and even might agree with how they could come to their conclusion but show them that yours is better. You do not have to win to present a constructive reasonable argument. Keep that in mind.

For me the best thing that I have found is to do an outline of my argument. When I have an outline I have to make sure that my thesis is clear and my position it stated. Make sure that I have evidence to support each claim and that will aid me in writing a clear and persuasive argument. Another thing that I want to do is show that I have researched my subject and I have been able to strengthen my argument by showing that I have considered other arguments but have came to another conclusion.

Purdue's Online Writing Lab on writing about Literature .

In the Purdue Owl it covers what makes a good literature topic. When you write about literature there are key topics that need to be presented. In your thesis statement one should present an argument. An argument is your point of interpretation, an evaluative judgment, or a valid point. A thesis statement is something that is supported with examples from the text or secondary sources. You do not just want to use a summary statement but give a point that needs to be supported with evidence throughout the essay. Good examples of a topic are discussion of the characters, a comparison and contractions of different authors, and deconstruction of the particular work.

Then one needs to research support for the topic. You can find it on the internet or in the library. Once you find secondary sources you will need to introduce the evidence either by direct quote or by writing according to…. (102) and explain how it is related to your thesis. At the end of the paper one needs to use MLA format to cite works used. One must be able to explain what creditable sources were used and where to find them.

I have found that it is important not to use a summary thesis for a statement. To simple state something for a fact is something that doesn’t need to be explained and it doesn’t make a good thesis. A thesis statement needs something to support it, it cannot stand alone. After reading this I have realized that I must be able to present something that needs to be supported. I will be able to somehow create an argument and to show support for that argument to provide a good thesis statement.

The Insufficiency of Honesty

What is Carter's definition of integrity?  What does it mean?

Integrity to Carter definitions needs three steps. One discerning of what is right from wrong, two acting on what is discerning to you even at personal cost, and let everyone know that your acting on what you believe is right or wrong. Carter gives example of what is meant by each of these steps and for most part I can agree that just because one person is honest doesn’t mean that you have integrity. Well at least were Carte is concerned. I do feel that some people may act and say thing that are hurtful and feel that they are doing people and themselves justice, but without taking other people feeling into consideration can just be mean. I am a pretty honest person and I feel that most part I am doing some people and injustice without be honest to them, but sometimes it can do more harm than good if you tell the person the truth.

But I do believe that what the writer said in "The Ways We Lie" Dialogue and that the person telling the lie or keeping the truth from someone is the arrogance of the person that is keeping it. How arrogant the person is to feel that they have the power or the ability to know what is better for someone else. I understand that saying something because you believe it to be true isn’t such a great idea. I like the fact that Cater believe that one should not just act on something to be factual but to search for the truth and gain knowledge. Just because one believes something doesn’t make them have integrity if that person acts without thought.

Essay 2 rough draft

As I was reading “Shooting Dad” I was able to relate to Sarah and her life. As I kept reading the more I realized how much of what Sarah wrote reflected my life. I was raised in a home that allowed me to make my own choices just like Sarah. When I was younger I thought my dad and I were on the opposite sides of everything. As Sarah did, I realized that my father and I are so much alike. I too can understand the emotions that see described when she buries her father.

My parents divorced when I was really young. I lived with mom until I was almost sixteen, but was able to come and go from her house to my dad’s house whenever I desired to do so. My parents never got along but they never wanted us children to feel that we didn’t have both parents. My mom however was liberal with how she raised me. I was raised in a house that had very few rules. I went to school did my homework, but was really able to much things that I wouldn’t allow my child to do. But like Sarah we were able to become strong independent females because of it. We had the freedom to choose what we believed in and were encouraged to be a passionate about what we believe in. I believe that was why my dad and I didn’t get along. We had different views on what was best for me.

Sarah started her story of explaining how her family was divided into two. They were divided on everything, Sarah’s father being completely a republican and Sarah being a democrat. They had completely separate views on politics, guns, and art. I too had a fare share of times that were supposed to be discussion with my father which would end up being full blown out yelling arguments. At the end of each of them I would just end up not speaking for a few days. Things got so bad that I moved out. It was such a hard thing to do, but I think that my dad and I turned out better for it. He was more structured then what I was used too and I was just as stubborn has he was that if I didn’t get my way I didn’t want to stay. I honestly had such an open role in my parenting when living with my mom I never really thought about that my father just wanted what was best for me.

As I became older I realized what was important to me and family played a big role in that. I wanted my father to be a big part of my life. The older I got I realized like Sarah that we are so much like are fathers. They played such a big role in how and who we are shaped into. My father and I never had a problem with telling each other how we felt but we never really was  concerned with what the other person point was. We have learned to be able to respect one another’s point of view and I believe that comes from age. My father did respect my views when I was younger he just wasn’t going to allow me to do whatever I wanted. I even think that Sarah’s father like the competition and being able to have a critical conversation with Sarah. It isn’t much fun when you have someone that always agrees with you.

I moved into my dad’s house when I was sixteen because my mom died in a car accident. So when Sarah expressed the feeling that she would do like her father asked with his ashes I understood. Sarah would take his ashes and shoot them from his homemade cannon and wouldn’t cover her ears because she wants to feel the pain of laying her father to rest. I can really relate. The feeling of losing a parent or a loved one is something that a person really can’t imagine unless they have experienced it. It is very painful and something that you don’t want to come easy, you want it to hurt. And believe me it does.

You see Sarah and I have been able to come out of or early childhood as a better person. We have been able to take what we have learned and to realize what the most important things are for us. We have grown into independent people that have the willingness to change. We have been able to except people for who they are and what they believe in. We have been able to become critical thinkers and we have are fathers to thank for that.

Building an effective paragraph

There are five main steps to building an effective paragraph. One is to focus on the main point. In this step you should have a topic sentence that will inform the readers what the paragraph is going to about. Each other sentence is going to support that topic sentence. If a sentence doesn’t support the main topic then get rid of it. The next step is to develop the main point. In creating an effective paragraph one must have enough information that will provide what the writer wants to inform the audience about.
The next step the writer must choose a suitable pattern of organization. One could choose example and illustration or narration is another pattern which tells a story or part of a story. Description pattern is another way a writer could describes a scene, person place, or thing with such detail that the reader could imagine it. Process is a pattern that describes things or events in chronological order. There is compare and contrast pattern and analogy, which compare similar things. Cause and effect and classifications and divisions are another pattern and the final pattern is definition.
The forth step is making the paragraph coherent. This is where each sentence flows from one to another. One must be able to link ideas clearly. To do this the writer should keep repeating key words and keep the same structure throughout the essay and each paragraph. The writer must maintain consistency so the reader knows and understands what the writer is trying to say.
The final step after is to adjust paragraph length. Reasons for beginning a new paragraph is of course introduction and conclusions, but signals to shift to a new idea or to emphasize a point.  A writer may need to connect paragraph to clarify an idea or to connect two closely related ideas.
For me I realized the important to not only have a thesis statement but to have a topic sentence in each paragraph to provide the reader what you’re writing about in each paragraph. A topic sentence tells you even what you should maintain on writing about. I found that even if I feel a sentence is good or may have impact if it doesn’t stay on topic it doesn’t belong.

“Shooting Dad”

 The story “Shooting Dad” was about a daughter and a father having totally opposite views on guns. Sarah is an active democrat that believes in the 1^st Amendment right to free speech and she believes that the 2^nd Amendment could be altered. Her father could care less about the 1^st Amendment and feels that every person should support their rights to bear arms. Sarah grew up not understanding her father and his beliefs; she feels that people should not be able to have the control over something so dangerous or the ability to carry something into a convenience store, as she put it, and blow someone’s head off.
Sarah grew up with a very open family that gave her the ability to choose for herself. Sarah’s parents never stopped her from viewing her opinion even if it was different from theirs. Her father however didn’t stop letting her know his views. Throughout her teen years Sarah and her father had fights about what they both felt was right and their relationship was strained because of it.
As she grew up Sarah wanted to have a better understanding of her father and his beliefs so one day after her father made a cannon she wanted to go with him and try to understand his fascination over it with him. Sarah came to discovered that she liked the feeling of the loud painful noise that the canon made when fired and the overly excited feeing that it gave her after it went off. It was good for Sarah to ask her dad to there when he fired the cannon for the first time because she discovered that she and her dad was more alike than not.
The name of the story comes from Sarah realizing that she was going to do what her dad wanted when he passed and takes his ashes and fire them like cannon balls into the mountain on the first day of open session. Sarah likes that idea because she wanted to feel the pain of the sound that the cannon made when she laid him to rest.