Here is an excerpt from WSh's paper. What are its strengths? How could he empower it?
"'To Eat a Peaceful Tortilla' is a brilliant piece because it doesn't want to be one. I say that because oftentimes, especially with older poems, unclear diction and confusing syntax can lead to a puzzled reader with no grasp on the poem's message. 'To Eat a Peaceful Tortilla' is the polar opposite of these poems in that its diction is refreshingly simple and its message is in plain sight. The poem reads 'The scramble to be president / is one of our oldest haunts / but to eat a peaceful tortilla / is all the poor man wants.' The author uses language to make political statements by using the images of the poor man and the tortilla to show the simplicity of the desires of most Latin Americans. The author is being political in that the message of the poem is that Latin Americans do not seek to be amazed by far-reaching promises or elaborate plans by leaders; they just want to live their lives without worrying about the violence and corruption so prevalent in Latin America. 'To Eat a Peaceful Tortilla' sums up this stance very well and its simplistic nature is undoubtedly a welcome change for poetry readers."
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Latin America 3
Here is an excerpt from KR's paper. What are its strengths? How could he improve it?
"On top of loyalty, words can be mistranslated in a way that affects their use. The little boy in Swift as Desire represents an innocent translator who causes chaos. He is not aware of words' connotations or full/double meanings which leads to mistranslations leading to unfortunate incidents between his grandmother and mother who already had enough conflicts to deal with. 'When Jubilo's grandmother gave him a message to translate, generally the words didn't coincide with what she really wanted to say' (Esquivel 17). As the boy, representing any translator, attempts to translate what is being said, he can occasionally, at no fault of his own, slip up which unfortunately leads to misunderstandings, awkwardness, and even violence. When the boy fears 'something terrible would happen' (Esquivel 20) during one of the conflicts, he mistranslates in a way that will cause massive conflict. Despite his intentions, to mistranslate, intentionally or not, will always lead to problems. From a political standpoint, it could be argued that many wars erupt over a series of slight misunderstandings, likely due to language. They are completely unnecessary and affect diplomatic relations all as a result of language."
"On top of loyalty, words can be mistranslated in a way that affects their use. The little boy in Swift as Desire represents an innocent translator who causes chaos. He is not aware of words' connotations or full/double meanings which leads to mistranslations leading to unfortunate incidents between his grandmother and mother who already had enough conflicts to deal with. 'When Jubilo's grandmother gave him a message to translate, generally the words didn't coincide with what she really wanted to say' (Esquivel 17). As the boy, representing any translator, attempts to translate what is being said, he can occasionally, at no fault of his own, slip up which unfortunately leads to misunderstandings, awkwardness, and even violence. When the boy fears 'something terrible would happen' (Esquivel 20) during one of the conflicts, he mistranslates in a way that will cause massive conflict. Despite his intentions, to mistranslate, intentionally or not, will always lead to problems. From a political standpoint, it could be argued that many wars erupt over a series of slight misunderstandings, likely due to language. They are completely unnecessary and affect diplomatic relations all as a result of language."
Monday, April 13, 2015
Even More Latin America 2
Here is an excerpt from WSh's paper. What are its strengths? How can he empower it?
"'One of these Days' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a much different piece in terms of style and purpose. As a fictitious short story, it covered a time period of only about an hour and had an appeal to ethos instead of logos. This is because it was paramount for Marquez to develop the characters of the short story first and write about their decisions, and then how they represent something on a larger scale that could be deeply political. In this piece, a poor Central American dentist displays his hatred against the town mayor for not paying 'for our twenty dead men'; and the humanity of the mayor is seen in his weakness, but ultimately it ends with a note aout the mayor's ultimate power over the dentist. 'Bent over the pitoon, sweating, panting, he unbuttoned his tunic and reached for the handkerchief in his pants pocket. The dentist gave him a clean cloth. 'Dry your tears'...' 'Send the bill, he said. 'To you or the town ...' 'It's the same ... thing.' Marquez is trying to say the mayor and in turn the town is as weak as any average human being, yet for some reason they maintain complete and utter dominance over the poor citizens of Central America. He does this by writing what seems like a small scale fictitious story and nothing more, but turns out to be a deeply political piece."
"'One of these Days' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez is a much different piece in terms of style and purpose. As a fictitious short story, it covered a time period of only about an hour and had an appeal to ethos instead of logos. This is because it was paramount for Marquez to develop the characters of the short story first and write about their decisions, and then how they represent something on a larger scale that could be deeply political. In this piece, a poor Central American dentist displays his hatred against the town mayor for not paying 'for our twenty dead men'; and the humanity of the mayor is seen in his weakness, but ultimately it ends with a note aout the mayor's ultimate power over the dentist. 'Bent over the pitoon, sweating, panting, he unbuttoned his tunic and reached for the handkerchief in his pants pocket. The dentist gave him a clean cloth. 'Dry your tears'...' 'Send the bill, he said. 'To you or the town ...' 'It's the same ... thing.' Marquez is trying to say the mayor and in turn the town is as weak as any average human being, yet for some reason they maintain complete and utter dominance over the poor citizens of Central America. He does this by writing what seems like a small scale fictitious story and nothing more, but turns out to be a deeply political piece."
More Latin America 2
Here is an excerpt from WSc's paper. What are its strengths? How could he empower it?
"In 'One of these Days,' Garcia Marquez creates a metaphor for the Latin American people in the form of the dentist. He paints a picture of a simple man who wants to keep to himself and live his life. The man whom Garcia describes sounds like an old farmer, a worker in a rural area. He wakes early and sets to work, working hard and steadily at his job, polishing the false teeth and arranging his office. The man looks at the simple things in life, whether it will rain before lunch and looking at the birds outside of his window. His office lays plain and bare, being 'a poor office: an old wooden chair, the pedal drill, a glass case with ceramic bottles.' He cares not for what is happening in the town or what the important people are doing. He stays to himself and concentrates on his place in society. The dentist can be interpreted as the poor, a man who is different in almost every way from the upper class, which was a great portion of the common Latin American population. The mayor is also a metaphor for the upper class. The mayor comes with the need to have his infected tooth removed, and he wants it done quickly. The dentist, seemingly uninterested and apathetic towards the mayor, continues on with what he was doing, not reacting to the mayor's threats that he would shoot him if he did not do his job. He merely replies that he will come and shoot the mayor himself. The mayor resembles a foreign power, similar to the US in most situations. The foreign power comes in wanting something; the Latin American state says that they are busy and don't want America there. America threatens them; Latin America fights back, and the whole thing leads to a painful experience for America and a hostile remaining relationship."
"In 'One of these Days,' Garcia Marquez creates a metaphor for the Latin American people in the form of the dentist. He paints a picture of a simple man who wants to keep to himself and live his life. The man whom Garcia describes sounds like an old farmer, a worker in a rural area. He wakes early and sets to work, working hard and steadily at his job, polishing the false teeth and arranging his office. The man looks at the simple things in life, whether it will rain before lunch and looking at the birds outside of his window. His office lays plain and bare, being 'a poor office: an old wooden chair, the pedal drill, a glass case with ceramic bottles.' He cares not for what is happening in the town or what the important people are doing. He stays to himself and concentrates on his place in society. The dentist can be interpreted as the poor, a man who is different in almost every way from the upper class, which was a great portion of the common Latin American population. The mayor is also a metaphor for the upper class. The mayor comes with the need to have his infected tooth removed, and he wants it done quickly. The dentist, seemingly uninterested and apathetic towards the mayor, continues on with what he was doing, not reacting to the mayor's threats that he would shoot him if he did not do his job. He merely replies that he will come and shoot the mayor himself. The mayor resembles a foreign power, similar to the US in most situations. The foreign power comes in wanting something; the Latin American state says that they are busy and don't want America there. America threatens them; Latin America fights back, and the whole thing leads to a painful experience for America and a hostile remaining relationship."
Latin America 2
Here is an excerpt from KR's paper. What are its strengths? How can he empower it?
"Comparisons are imperative in explaining the advantages of one thing over another. In One of these Days, the reader can recognize a stark contrast between the dentist and the mayor. The mayor is symbolic of all that is wrong with the town, as further symbolized by his aching tooth. The seemingly lazy dentist is in fact a sort of rebel with a patriotic and revolutionary vibe which reflects the attitudes of the masses in Latin America. The Good Neighbor employs a similar comparison technique though with pictures. The variety of angles from which a picture is taken and its subsequent interpretation can vary greatly. This, multiple perspectives and backgrounds of a particular photo must be compared and analyzed in order to evoke a better understanding of the situation being photographed. The analogies created by the author question what a picture truly represents such as 'free food or ration line?' (146) and 'Moscow or Masaya' (146). These discrepancies between location and the welfare of an area can have a great impact on an understanding of a situation and therefore both a fictional and nonfictional account employed comparisons to make their argument."
"Comparisons are imperative in explaining the advantages of one thing over another. In One of these Days, the reader can recognize a stark contrast between the dentist and the mayor. The mayor is symbolic of all that is wrong with the town, as further symbolized by his aching tooth. The seemingly lazy dentist is in fact a sort of rebel with a patriotic and revolutionary vibe which reflects the attitudes of the masses in Latin America. The Good Neighbor employs a similar comparison technique though with pictures. The variety of angles from which a picture is taken and its subsequent interpretation can vary greatly. This, multiple perspectives and backgrounds of a particular photo must be compared and analyzed in order to evoke a better understanding of the situation being photographed. The analogies created by the author question what a picture truly represents such as 'free food or ration line?' (146) and 'Moscow or Masaya' (146). These discrepancies between location and the welfare of an area can have a great impact on an understanding of a situation and therefore both a fictional and nonfictional account employed comparisons to make their argument."
Thursday, April 9, 2015
And Even More Latin America 1
Here is an excerpt from JD's paper. What are its strengths? How could he empower it?
"The author takes a different approach but reaches the same conclusion in 'The Building of Brasilia.' Rather than approach the cultural problems of greed through emotions, the author intentionally gains the audiences' attention and achieves his purpose at the same time. By beginning his passhe with the Kubitschek's motivations and aspirations, and then closing with his remarkable accomplishments, he distracts his audience. In doing this, he can mention negative aspects of Kubitschek's reigns, criticize his flaws, while still appearing to be a supporter of his rule. His shadow is casted especially when he says 'no one denied that an astonishing feat - building an entire city - had been accomplished in under four years.' This effectively supports his purpose of appearing to build Brasilia, while actually criticizing the wealth and scandal of Kubitschek. Thus, his middle paragraph is effective in analyzing the greed aspect of Latin American culture because he masks it behind the glory of Kubitschek."
"The author takes a different approach but reaches the same conclusion in 'The Building of Brasilia.' Rather than approach the cultural problems of greed through emotions, the author intentionally gains the audiences' attention and achieves his purpose at the same time. By beginning his passhe with the Kubitschek's motivations and aspirations, and then closing with his remarkable accomplishments, he distracts his audience. In doing this, he can mention negative aspects of Kubitschek's reigns, criticize his flaws, while still appearing to be a supporter of his rule. His shadow is casted especially when he says 'no one denied that an astonishing feat - building an entire city - had been accomplished in under four years.' This effectively supports his purpose of appearing to build Brasilia, while actually criticizing the wealth and scandal of Kubitschek. Thus, his middle paragraph is effective in analyzing the greed aspect of Latin American culture because he masks it behind the glory of Kubitschek."
Even More Latin America 1
Here is an excerpt from WS's paper. What are its strengths? How could he empower it?
"The Nazca Lines were a large part pf Latin American architecture in and of themselves, but later Latin America also focused their culture partly around architecture, particularly color within architectural structures. At excavation sites and still intact monuments and temples dispersed throughout Latin Americas, there is a meticulousness about the role of color that rivals the intricancy of the Nazca Lines. Regarding the Pyramid of the Niches in El Taijin, the Impact of Colour and Sound reads, '...an extraordinary impression because of the contrast of light and shadow in 365 apertures of the structure. Archaeologists report that its appearance in its prime would have been even more remarkable, for they have found traces of the dark red paint that originally coloured the interior of each niche and of the bright turquoise that bordered each one.' While the focus architecturally differs between the Nazca and later Latin America, the attention to detail and effort remains. Continuing with similarities, both the Nazca and the Aztecs, Mayans, etc focused the efforts of the architecture on giving praise to the gods. The Impact of Colour and Sound states, 'The use of coloured paints enhanced the messages of divine, dynastic, or military power represented by sacred and other ceremonial buildings. The northern shrine to Tlaloc was painted blue and white to signify his powers over water.' It is apparent that both the Aztec and eventually all of Latin America would regard architecture as a chief vehicle of furthering their religious faith both over the long term and on a daily basis."
"The Nazca Lines were a large part pf Latin American architecture in and of themselves, but later Latin America also focused their culture partly around architecture, particularly color within architectural structures. At excavation sites and still intact monuments and temples dispersed throughout Latin Americas, there is a meticulousness about the role of color that rivals the intricancy of the Nazca Lines. Regarding the Pyramid of the Niches in El Taijin, the Impact of Colour and Sound reads, '...an extraordinary impression because of the contrast of light and shadow in 365 apertures of the structure. Archaeologists report that its appearance in its prime would have been even more remarkable, for they have found traces of the dark red paint that originally coloured the interior of each niche and of the bright turquoise that bordered each one.' While the focus architecturally differs between the Nazca and later Latin America, the attention to detail and effort remains. Continuing with similarities, both the Nazca and the Aztecs, Mayans, etc focused the efforts of the architecture on giving praise to the gods. The Impact of Colour and Sound states, 'The use of coloured paints enhanced the messages of divine, dynastic, or military power represented by sacred and other ceremonial buildings. The northern shrine to Tlaloc was painted blue and white to signify his powers over water.' It is apparent that both the Aztec and eventually all of Latin America would regard architecture as a chief vehicle of furthering their religious faith both over the long term and on a daily basis."
Latin America 1
Here is an excerpt from WS's paper. What are its strengths? How could he empower it?
"One half of this identity is the native culture that had thrived on the continent centuries before the Europeans came. With this culture comes a very different mindset compared to the Europeans. The natives were more in tune with nature; they were more simple minded and in sync with their immediate lives. Whereas the Europeans would come to the New World often in search of money or power, the natives were content living where they were and doing things they had done for hundreds of years. It seems that the natives had much more of a need for finding their place in the world, to communicate and explain the forces outside of their control, to truly understand the universe around them. This can be seen in the passage on the Nazca lines. These huge carvings in the earth were created to help the people try to communicate with their gods, as well as an astronomical calendar. The need to commune with whatever holy bodies there are drove them to do such amazing things like this. The need to understand the earth and find their place in the cosmos led them to create their own calendar, not some monetary goal. They could have even possibly built primitive hot air balloons and gone on the first human flight in search of this intangible goal. Money or fame did not encourage them; they only wanted to know their place in the universe."
"One half of this identity is the native culture that had thrived on the continent centuries before the Europeans came. With this culture comes a very different mindset compared to the Europeans. The natives were more in tune with nature; they were more simple minded and in sync with their immediate lives. Whereas the Europeans would come to the New World often in search of money or power, the natives were content living where they were and doing things they had done for hundreds of years. It seems that the natives had much more of a need for finding their place in the world, to communicate and explain the forces outside of their control, to truly understand the universe around them. This can be seen in the passage on the Nazca lines. These huge carvings in the earth were created to help the people try to communicate with their gods, as well as an astronomical calendar. The need to commune with whatever holy bodies there are drove them to do such amazing things like this. The need to understand the earth and find their place in the cosmos led them to create their own calendar, not some monetary goal. They could have even possibly built primitive hot air balloons and gone on the first human flight in search of this intangible goal. Money or fame did not encourage them; they only wanted to know their place in the universe."
Latin America 1
Here is an excerpt from KR's paper. What are its strengths? How could he empower it?
"Latin Americans' intelligence was overlooked just as much as the combination of cultures within Latin America. Simon Bolivar said, 'we are not Europeans; we are not Indians; we are but a mixed species of aborigines and Spaniards' (221), which demonstrates the idea that it is unclear who the people of Latin America are. All that is clear is that they are simply Latin American. How could anyone judge the heritage of a group of mixed people? It is not that they are bad people, but rather a union of Europeans with Indians who have now evolved into a culture that is all its own. That is a situation not very common in the world's history but it holds great importance. The history and ancestry of Latin America is very unique, which represents its diverse culture."
"Latin Americans' intelligence was overlooked just as much as the combination of cultures within Latin America. Simon Bolivar said, 'we are not Europeans; we are not Indians; we are but a mixed species of aborigines and Spaniards' (221), which demonstrates the idea that it is unclear who the people of Latin America are. All that is clear is that they are simply Latin American. How could anyone judge the heritage of a group of mixed people? It is not that they are bad people, but rather a union of Europeans with Indians who have now evolved into a culture that is all its own. That is a situation not very common in the world's history but it holds great importance. The history and ancestry of Latin America is very unique, which represents its diverse culture."
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