Fast Food Nation Blog: Before and After

To me fast food affects life by advertising to the poor and children. When I see a commerical for McDonalds, I always see that they are adversting to little children the most with the happy meals and toys. I mean, almost all fast food chains has some type of toy inside their childrens meal but you hardly see them as much as McDonalds advertise. Many low income families look to the fast food chains for quick and easy food for dinner on a low budget. Fast food is a part of life whether we like it or not, its also about whether also if you choose to eat it or not.

After reading the introduction and chapter 2 of Fast Food Nation, I realize that I really do not need fast food at all in my life. By saying this, I have also become aware about how far these companies have come to market their product to the American people. To me synergy is a marketing ploy to get consumers to buy their product. For example, my favorite NBA player is Chris Paul, now if the Got Milk people or burger king people came to him and said if you shoot a commerical showing that you are eating or drinking our product, it will boost people to buy it because you are using it and it would also make them money. That is how I see synergy as, a marketing ploy. You are paying someone to endorse your product even though some products are sometimes harmful in large amounts. I remember in Elementary school, the lunches had actually food, now there are billboards with celebrity saying eat this or drink this because it is healhty. I think now, I used to eat healthy fresh food and what these people are showing are processed foods with added chemicals and preservitatives in them and I think that shouldnt be used.

Fast Food

To describe how fast food affects my life the first thing to do is to define what I consider fast food. To me fast food comes from places like McDonalds, Burger King, Taco Bell, and Arby's, to name a few. I very rarely eat at places like these. I grew up the son of a butcher so I know what good, real meat is and I know that none of those places use it. I do eat at places like Noodles and Co., Pei Wei, and Qdoba which also is considered fast food however I do feel the quality of the food is better. At these places there are items on the menu that are healthy and the food is actually made to order. The only times I eat at places like McDonalds are when I really need to get something fast or if I am on a road trip and not very familiar with the area I am in and those are the only places I can find.

After reading a little bit of Fast Food Nation I will probably not be changing my eating habits in regards to fast food, but I have become more aware of the social impact these companies have. The marketing used very successfully by Walt Disney called synergy has a strong impact on society and especially children. Synergy is actually a quite ingenious concept for marketing. If a person is a fan of the NBA for instance and they see McDonalds involved with the NBA in a commercial or sponsoring the high school all-american game then they are exposed to McDonalds name and products. The one thing that I have not considered is the effect of this on children. When I was in elementary or middle school I don't think that we were even allowed to have a soda in our lunches that we brought. Now to learn that some school systems are actually being paid by companies to advertise in the schools suprises me. This is not something that I have ever heard of and with the ongoing child obesity problem in the country I think that it is a dangerous situation. Don't get me wrong I understand why a company would want to advertise in schools and why the schools need to take the money for budget purposes, so I am not even totally against it, but I do think that it is important that young children have a healthy diet.

Fast Food Nation

Fast food affects my life by making it much easier and simpler. Most people these days buy fast food when they dont feel like, or have the time, to get the food that they really want. In a way fast food is really addictive; you may not really notice but for people who who are always on the go, they most of the time buy fast food in order to save time. Fast food affects my life by making my life easier. Something that I hadnt considered before reading FFN was that fast food restaurants provide alot more opportunities for society seeing as how one in eight people have started out working in fast food. With the use of synergy, fast food organizations and the general public together make the nation better; the fast food restaurants providing millions of jobs, thus helping out the economy.

Fast Food

1.Fast food influences life worldwide by providing a convenient and often cheap way to get a bite to eat on the go. This plays a major role in the economy of the United States, since most McDonald's signs state that they have served over 99 Billion people. It also negatively influences the consumer because it is considered very unhealthy to eat fast food on a regular basis.

2.After reading FFN, fast food affects life through the use of synergy. It is a combination of forces of marketing and advertising in newspapers, billboards, the internet, television, radio broadcasts, movies, and even in school hallways that give the American people the ability to recognize the Golden Arches before their own names. I was unaware that McDonald's capitalized on a time period where women were being inducted into the workforce which had caused an increased demand for food production outside of the home. Also, in that same time period, the United States had been experiencing a baby boom which sparked immense interest in marketing to children. McDonald's most effective ways to market to children include their playzones and their happy meal toys.

Becoming Adolf

 In the story Becoming Adolf Rich Cohen gives the history on the toothbrush mustache. The author says Hitler started wearing the toothbrush mustache. Rich cohen thinks the mustache showed his evilness and his power. The author explains how he wants to wear the toothbrush mustache to put him back into the past. In the end of the story the author realizes That he could not be Hitler. He came to the conclusion that the toothbrush mustache belongs to Hitler and he did not want to relive that pass. 

Becoming Adolf

In becoming Adolf Rich Cohen describes the meaning of the toothbruch mustache and were it came from. He tells how Adolf Hitler gave it a horrible meaning from the horrific acts that he did. Cohen attempts to wear the mustache to "own it" and change how people look at the mustache. In the end he finds that the mustache has to much of a powerful meaning to be changed.

Becoming Adolf

In becoming Adolf, the author Rich Cohen, shows the symbolism of the toothrush mustache and the ideals that it currently represents even in present day society. He truely makes an attempt to change the misconcieved notions society has towards this style of mustache today. He attempts this by not only describing how he includes the style of mustache in his appearance today, even though he is Jewish, but also by providing numerous historical facts about Hitler and other leaders who wore the style with glory. He tried to show how the mustache was a symbol of power and was worn by many great men. The negative impact the style of mustache has today on society is evident and even though Cohen strived to defuse this symbol for evil by wearing it out in public and experiencing first hand how powerful it was, he still was confronted with the same shocking reactions it had always produced and always will produce.


This author effectively analysizes the perceptions society has on this certain style of mustahce by connecting research and historical facts on Hitler, and other powerful leaders with facial hair, with his personal experiment with the style of mustache. The history of the mustache really builds a foundation for the signifigance of the particular style. In this case the readers can relate to the research and facts provided as well as Cohen's experience with societies reaction first hand. He shows that people no matter what will either be angered feared or completely disgusted by the style of mustache he presents himself with. Basically this type of mustahce cannot be worn with pride.

Cohen learns and experiences first hand that no matter what, the interpretation of the Hitler style mustache will always be common among society. No matter what the reason a person has for wearing this style of mustache, they will always be looked upon negatively. This is proven by him actually wearing the mustache himself. It truely shows the massive impact the symbolism of the mustache really has.

Becoming Adolf

Rich Cohen retells a story of how a popular style, the toothbrush mustache, got its notorious reputation from Hitler. He attempts to "defuse" the symbolic and terrifying meaning of the style by growing his own toothbrush mustache, but later decides that it is too powerful and that it still belongs to Hitler even to this day.

Cohen incorporates historic facts like how Hitler's mustache style was introduced to Germany from the United States and that a German folk hero gave it the popularity that may have attributed to Hitler's decision to wear the toothbrush mustache. Cohen grows his own toothbrush mustache to attempt to remove the horrible symbolism for Jews, but he fails.

Rich Cohen learns that some things, no matter how insignificant they may seem, can hold an untold amount of memories. In this case, Hitler (and by association, his mustache) will never be forgotten because of the horror he bestowed upon the Jewish people.

Becoming Adolf by Cohen is about the history oh Hitler's toothbrush mustache. The man Cohen grows out a toothbrush mustache of his own. He finds out that only trouble comes from having this mustache and Hitler has ruined the opportunity for anyone else to have it.
Cohen uses his own personal research as well as research from history. When he has the toothbrush mustache, people's attitudes change completely. Some people find it offensive and plain rude to have the mustache because it has been tarnished by Hitler's legacy.
Cohen learned that under no circumstance will anyone accept the Hitler mustache anymore. It is now just a symbol of evil in most peoples eyes and will never be socially accepted. There would be noway for anyone to reclaim this mustache and it will always be last remembered as Hitler's mustache and no one elses.

Becoming Adolf

Becoming Adolf by Rich Cohen is a story about the toothbrush mustache worn by Hitler and the role it still plays today. Rich Cohen tells about the background of the mustache and questions if it was the cause of his behavior. In the end he wears the mustache himself but finds that only Hitler can ever wear it.
Cohen combines personal research and research from history by growing a Hitler mustache. It shows how much of an impact Hitler did still to this day. Cohen would get looks and he'd leave impressions on many people in New York. He learned that he can't own it, it will always be Hitler's mustache. I learned that his mustache really had an impact because president's never wore facial hair after Hitler or pretty much anyone after WWII because people will think you're him.

Becoming Adolf

Rich Cohen combines his own experiences to explain to his readers about how powerful a mustache, particularly Hitler's mustache, has in politics. He explains about how all of the important political leaders had mustaches until Hitler came along and put a horrendous name to the mustache. Rich Cohen also figures out on his own what a powerful influence a Hitler mustache has on people.
The effect of the overall essay is pretty strong because it shows how powerful Hitler's mustache was and still is. It shows how the world can still be influenced by an evil person.
Rich Cohen learned that people judge by looks and if you have a toothbrush mustache like Hitler, you would not be take seriously. I learned that people do judge things by their cover and that something that is involved with an important event, like Hitler's mustache in relationship with the Holocaust, can still easily influence people.

Rich Comben set out to combine both personal experience and reseach about the toothbrush mustache when he wrote "Becoming Adolf". The dispostion and attitudes Rich received when wearing his mustache in this fashion showed the disdain that many still held for Hitler. This all showed that dispite the fact that the toothbrush mustache existed befor Hitler that this will now forever be remebered as a link to the decesed Nazi leader. People also viewed Rich in such a way becuase of this mustache. Rich also learend that despite the fact that it was a mustache style that because it was embraced by such a tyrinical person that it would forever remain a symbol of something that people hated and fear.

In Becoming Adolf, Rich Cohen combines research about the Toothbrush mustache and about his own experience.Rich found out that people defined him by his toothbrush mustache and what it had resembled.However, Rich found out that the toothbrush mustache died when Hitler died.

Rich used his personal experience and his research to write a story that people would show how a toothbrush mustache can be related to Hitler. Many people would see the mustache on Cohen and knew Hitler wore one so they would look at Rich in a matter that was disrespectful or just look away. He researched leaders who had made a bad name for theirselves and most of them wore mustache. He looked into the research as to why Hitler wore a mustache and how this defined Hitler as a person.

Becoming Adolf

In Becoming Adolf Rich Colen had combined his research with his personal story. After watching Bill O'Rielly interview Richard Dawkins he had come to wonder about Stalin and Hitler and how the toothbrush mustashe had become a symbol for evil. In his research he explained the origins of the toothbrush mustashe as well as how Hitler had come to use wear it. He had become obsessed with Hitler and how him having something as simple as a mustashe could be used in such a way. Colen had wanted to take back the mustashe, wanted to be able to wear it out in public so that people could get use to it once again, hoping that the more people who saw it, the more the mustashe would lose its power and reputation. His combination helps you to understand that you cant just wear the mustashe and not expect negativatey from others.

I believe Colen learns that some things run too deep for you to be able to change things; the Hitler toothbrush mustashe happens to be one of those things. Even though its been decades since Hitler was around, and the massive negative controlling influence that came with him, in many people, emotional wounds are still trying to heal.

Toothbrush stache

Becoming Adolf by Rich Cohen Is about the history and story behind the Toothbrush mustache. The author grows one to attempt to destroy the link in our minds that relate the specific style mustache to Hitler. By the end he realizes that it is impossible because it has "soaked up to much history" to wear with dignity and Its like "you are wearing the worst story in the world right under your nose".

The author combines his personal story with research by using his experience of wearing the mustache as his own research. He gives history on the mustache so you realize the significance, and he uses his experience to further understand how the mustache can affect him or make others view him. Because the author uses this combination I find myself better understanding why you simply can not wear the toothbrush style mustache with glory.

The author learns that he can not remove the thought of Hitler that accompanies the Toothbrush mustache. Anyone who decides to wear the style will be looked at with confusion or anger and disgust because of how horrified some were of Hitler and how terrible he was. I learned a lot about the significance and history of the toothbrush mustache, I was honestly never aware how much the style symbolizes Hitler.

Becoming Adolf

1) In Becoming Adolf, Rich Cohen combined the research and his personal story. When he was watching Bill O’Reilly interviewing Richard Dawkins the author of God Delusion. He was intrigue by the topic of Hitler and Stalin having a mustache made them more susceptible to evil. Right there he had an epiphany to grow a mustache. His personal wants leaded him to do a research about the Toothbrush mustache that Hitler had and it’s origin.
b) The effect the mustache had on him was that it leaded him to reading and researching more about the origin of the Toothbrush mustache and Hitler. He also grew a mustache through this process and noticed that people react nagatively when they see you with a Toothbrush mustache.
2) Cohen Rich leaned that in wearing Hitler’s mustache that he was Hitler too (p.20). He also learned that when you shave like Hitler, you follow the same rule you follow with bees. He came to realize that no matter how long or how casually he wore the mustache, it still belonged to Hitler and that he cannot claim it or own it because it’s too dirty and it’s soaked up too much history. He also realized that when you wear the toothbrush mustache, you are wearing the worst story in the world and he doesn’t want it (p.21).
b) I learn more about the origin of the Toothbrush mustache and the bad effect it has when people have it.

Becoming Adolf Blog

Becoming Adolf by Rich Cohen is about the combinations of a famous mustache brought into the modern world. The history and the experiences that the author describes about a particular mustache cut that made its way thoughout history. The author becomes infacuated with this so much that he ties his own experiences with the symbolic ones of history.

Well the author used his research very well to tell his story. It was almost like Mr. Cohen was there during these events during his these historical times. Mr. Cohen can recount almost perfectly the important aspects of the mustaches throughout history. He really focuses on Adolf Hitlers mustache the most. He is fond about how the mustache is shaped, formed and well kept. Mr. Cohen describes how the mustache would shape a person personality. He also described that Hitler was very vain when it came to his mustache appereance during the wars of his time period. To me, the mustache shaped the person around it.

Mr. Cohen learned that through his own personal mustache adventure, he found out that no matter how people see you, they will still have an opinion about you and your appereance whether if it is good or bad. He grew his mustache thinking about what would it be like to be like a figure from history.

Becoming Adolf Blog

Becoming Adolf by Rich Cohen illustrates the symbolism of the toothbrush mustache and the role that it continues to play even today in society. He portrays this by examining the history of the toothbrush style mustache as well as living the experience of wearing the mustache. By the time he shaves his facial hair, the conclusion is evident of the negative impact and the role that the toothbrush mustache holds today. This is shown from his own experience of how people reacted to this symbol from the past. Not to mention, it is because of the meaning that it has gained based on history when Adolf Hitler wore the toothbrush mustache during his time as leader of the Nazi Party. Making the toothbrush mustache a reminder to people today of the consequences that his leadership achieved.


The author of Becoming Adolf, Rich Cohen, combines his personal story with research by relating his experience wearing the toothbrush mustache to his research on the history of the toothbrush mustache. His personal opinion is influenced by the facts from his research that people with mustaches in history were very powerful men that many feared so he. In turn, the toothbrush mustache is a negative thing to many and he wanted to defuse it. The effect from Cohen relating personal experience with research is that the reader finds themselves relating to research and better understanding the outcome of his experience.


Rich Cohen learns that although he wants to make the toothbrush mustache a symbol that no one any longer fears, he can not undo how people feel. Therefore, any person who chooses to style a toothbrush, 'Hitler' mustache will be looked at differently. Whether it be with disgust, anger or fear as in Rich Cohens experiences. When walking down the street some people said things after he passed, "but most looked away". I learned that the toothbrush mustache was not always a bad symbol because "in the years before the First World War, the Toothbrush was taken up by a German folk hero". However, since the first world war ended, if you wear a toothbrush mustache you may be associated with Hitler by many people. This is because the person that wore the mustache in history and the consequences of his actions are portrayed by the symbol of the toothbrush mustache. Cohen points out that in the past many movies and media, portray those with toothbrush mustaches as 'madman', villains, power abusers or tyrants which just furthers the negative symbolism.

Becoming Adolf

In Becoming Adolf, Rich Cohen explains the importance of the toothbrush mustache worn by Hitler. As the story continues, Cohen explains how he tried to wear the tootbrush mustache himself. However, Cohen learns that no one can wear the Hitler mustache other than Hitler himself.



During Becoming Adolf, Rich Cohen utilizes both personal experience and reseached information. The combination of the two makes for a good interpretation of Hitler, and the toothbrush mustache. By using the researched information almost like background information, Cohen helps the reader identify Hitler as a person, and how the mustache he grew was a symbol of himself, and "evil" in the eyes of many people. Cohen then does a fine job of integrating his own personal experience with the tootbrush mustache and how the mustache he wore brought looks from other people, and how he was evaded by people in society. This combination worked well in delivering a good story.

Becoming Adolf

In Becoming Adolf Rich Cohen tells the story of the toothbrush mustache, better known as the Hitler Mustache. He explains the history of facial hair on political figures over the past century. In the end he realizes the social impact of a person who wears a toothbrush mustache and the menacing history that it represents because of the fact that Hitler made it infamous.

Cohen combined a personal story about how he grew a toothbrush mustache and wore it for a period of time because he, as a Jew, wanted to "own it" and "defuse" the horror that the mustache Hitler wore represents to Jewish people. He combines this personal story with research about the history of facial hair on political figures before and after Hitlers reign of terror. The effect is it causes the reader to see that a popular style of the time can turn into a symbol of evil when an evil person like Hitler wears that style.

Cohen learns that no matter who the person is or what they do they will automatically be looked upon differently with a Hitler mustache. He wrote of looks he would get on the street from other people when they saw him while he had the mustache, and how even after he left a store it "hung in the air." I learned the effect of Hitlers mustache on western politics. I never put together how since WWII no U.S. President has worn facial hair, despite the fact that all throughout history many U.S. Presidents have. It show the negative effect that one mad man can have on the style of the world.

Tripp Lake

Blog: 1. What does the author mean when she says on p. 244 "her face a mixture ...mastery"?

The author means that her face shows that even though fear is present that she is enjoying herself because she knows what she is doing.

2. What is the "way forward"? (246)

The way forward is the authors process to eliminate the fear and push on.

Tripp Lake

1. What does the author mean when she says on page 244, "her face a mixture of terror and exhilaration, the balanced combination that means only one thing: mastery."
As the author begins to describe her "humiliating" attempt to jump over the bar with the horse, she watches Kim, her instructor as she jumps the bar with the horse. She watched with amazement and and pays close attention to her face. Which she described as, "a mixture of terror and exhilaration". She feels as though this combination, is the combination of mastery. Kim has mastered the horse jump.

2. What is the "way forward"? (246)
At the end of the short story, essay, Lauren is practicing jumping...again. Her horse Rain would always sense her fear so he would not jump. Finally Lauren, was able to push through whatever it was that was in her way, and holding her back. "I did it. I found a way to move forward." I think this is where she was able to leave her fears behind and finally move forward.

Tripp Lake

What does the author mean when she says on p. 244 "her face a mixture ...mastery"? 2. What is the "way forward"? (246)

1. Tripp lake talks about a 10 year old fgirl having some type of emations thaat made her to be scared and havin diffrent thoughts of the surroundings at that moment.

2. The meaning from "Way Forward" can be the happiness of succeding to what she wanted to do especially the rain to wash away the fears and focusing to be positive in life

Tripp lake

lauren slater was useing those words to show how kim the camp teacher was great at what she did no matter that she feared the thoguht of taking the jump she did it anyway . because she loved it and she got a rush out of doing what she does best.

i think she was useing way forward because it was saying that she got to move on with her life and she was able to let go and her and rain both got over there fears. she was able to do somthing that made her happy.

Tripp Lake

Tripp Lake by Swink is about a ten year old girl who goes to summer camp for the first time. The whole time she is upset about her mom missing out on life and not being able to live like her. She finally finds a way to feel better when she masters riding her horse.
1. In the quote on page 244 the author is saying that Kim has the same fear that she has, but can control. There is terror in Kim's face, but also a rush of adrenaline that pushes her to make the jump. Lauren recognizes the fear, but needs to balance it out with the trill of the ride to master the jump.
2. The "way forward" refers to Lauren moving forward in her horse riding and also her life. She has learned how to move pass the guilt she has for her mother and live her own life based on her own feelings.

Tripp Lake

1. I believe that the quote "her face a mixture....mastery." is reffering to the exhileration that Kim experiences. The build up to this moment was nerve racking and when it finally happened she felt relieved and pleased that she accomplished the jump. This is what is referred to as the mastery.

2. The way forward is another way of saying not to look back to the past. It is a time to look into the future and to focus on what is happening in the present; not what already happened. Kim overcame her major fears and as a result never has to look back on such fears. She will be able to move on and eliminate more of the fears that she has.

Tripp Lake

1. The author is describing Kim's face as being a mixture of terror and exhilaration because being a "master" implies that you know what you're doing, that you know something can go wrong, but still loving every minute of it. I think that the narrator admired Kim because Kim could do something she couldn't. She could jump over a fence with her horse, the one thing that the narrator cannot do. She also learns that Kim did not like her mother that much either, and the narrator has someone to relate with. Kim gives the narrator the confidence to not sit back in the shadow of her mother, and go out and do what she loves, riding horses.

2. The "way forward" means that the narrator does not have to sit back in the shadow of her mother, and that she now has the confidence to live her own life; not caring what other people think of her.

Tripp Lake

Summary: Tripp Lake is about a nine year old girl who had gone to camp for the summer. She had felt bad about going because she felt that she shouldnt go and leave her mother. Her mother was in a state of depression because she wanted more out of her life other than being a simple mother and the wife of a muffin man. She wanted her daughter to do more in her life than she did. The little girl doesn't really do anything at camp because she's afraid, until she gets into riding horses.



In the quote "Her face a mixture.." I believe its reffering to her being afraid that she's actually about to jump but also excited that she's finally going to do it after failing so many times.



In the second quote, I think its referring to the girl not living in her mother's shadow anymore and feeling sorry about doing something with her life when her mother didnt.

Tripp Lake

What does the author mean when she says on p. 244 "her face a mixture ...mastery"? 2. What is the "way forward"? (246)

The story Tripp Lake is about a ten year old girl named Lauren Slater who is going through a rough point in her life. She is sent to a camp in Poland, Maine. The quote on page 244 explains the rush she gets while riding. She explains her inner feelings and outer expressions of this exhileration where she feels like a superhero.

When Lauren overcomes her fear of jumping she is a lot more positive about everything. She believes in herself now and realizes what she would have been missing out on if she would have given up because she was afraid.

Tripp Lake

In Tripp Lake by Swink is about a ten year old girl named Lauren Slater who goes away to an all girls camp where she soon begins to have fears and worries about her mother. She feels like she's betraying her mom because she's doing things her mother could never do when she was younger. Lauren soon realizes she needs to stop worrying about her mom and focus on herself where she begins to face her fears at the end.

1. When the author says "her face a mixture of terror and exhilaration, the balanced combination that means only one thing: mastery." I believe she's trying to give a vivid description about Kim's face and how she fears making the jump even though she's done it many times before but loves the thrill of doing it knowing that she has accomplished this or will makes it mastery which what Lauren wants to be able to have but she has too much fear and not enough exhilaration like Kim has to do it.

2. On pg.246 I think "way forward" is that Lauren finally came to realize not to worry about her mother anymore, that she needs to worry about her own life and when she's afraid to face her fears she can think back to that day with Kim and Rain and remember she faced her fear and that she can do it again.

Tripp Lake

1. What does the author mean when she says on p. 244 "her face a mixture ...mastery"?
I believe that Lauren Slater is referring to the adrenaline rush that Kim receives when she makes the horse jump. The fact that Kim can balance terror and exhilaration means she that although she is aware of the apparent danger of the leap, she can still set the fear aside and execute the jump with fluidity. This is what Slater refers to as "mastery".
2.What is the "way forward"? (246)
I believe that the "way forward" is seeing past the fact that she doesn't care for her mother very much. She sees that Kim was right and she doesn't wish to hide from her fears for the rest of her life. Horse riding is her way to work through her problems.

TrippLake

On p. 244 "her face a mixture ...mastery the author is trying to show that just because there is mastery in something doesn t always mean that fear cannot still be present. Both terror and fear possess her and this is shown. What should be understood from this though is that truely getting over your fear is what is important. By getting over her fear and realizing she can still master the art with that presence of fear still there, she gets the horse to jump.

The way forward is simply overcoming what fear is still present. Even though the fear may still always be a thought in her mind she will always go back to a time where she actually overcame these fears and use that to help her, find the way forward.

Tripp Lake Blog

Blog: 1. What does the author mean when she says on p. 244 "her face a mixture ...mastery"? 2. What is the "way forward"? (246)

In Tripp Lake from Swink the main characters name is Lauren Slater, 10, who goes to a summer camp in Maine where she learns that sometimes you have to do things you don't want to. The story twists and turns when the relationship between her and her mother outcomes the buried feelings that she has toward her mother as well as her own fears that she realizes. From her time at camp she overcomes fears, learns to understand and deal with her emotions and faces mature issues and lessons that teach her to just keep moving forward.

1. On page 244, I think the author meant that Lauren's face showed her feelings of being scared that she is in the air, on the horse but also that she likes the adrenaline feeling she has. The mixed emotions are a part of life that one must be able to deal with, the feeling of being scared that it gives her and the excited feeling is just another thing that Lauren must learn to move past by dealing with them. With these two emotions she is having, she has created what is needed to thrive and succeed at something that she is interested in being good at. To gain maximum experience and understanding of the skill, to have excitement but fear is the way to perfect the skill. To control those feelings means that she can focus on that and continue furthering her life
which helps her overcome her fears that she has because of her mom, enabling her to really start her own life instead of living her mother.

2. On page 246, I think that the "way forward" is facing everything she has been fighting and dealing with it by realizing its not the end of the world. Even if she does not succeed she should continue trying until she succeeds. It's that she can go forward by using what she has learned and continue to overcome her fears as well as any obstacle just like her with the horse. Lauren shows this when trying to get the horse to 'get over it' by using what ever means possible, the whip, in order to motivate her horse to just face fears which was what she was trying to do herself because the horse was sensing her fears and hesitating to continue like Lauren. She had to find the way forward and continue down the way that leads forward.

uwaezu's answer

1) In the short story Tripp Lake by Lauren Slater, when she says “her face a mixture ……mastery? Lauren was talking about when Kim was entering the air, though she was an expert in it but the sense of falling, making a mistake, not completing the task tries to bring an intense or overwhelming fear over her but the balance of mastery gave her the courage to move on because she knows her ability will give her the total control over the horse to complete the jump.
2) In p.246 the Way Forward for Lauren Slater was when she finally made the jump. She overcome her fear of not completing any task, her fear of feeling guilty because of her mum, her fear of wanting to move backward but rather she gained the spirit of wanting to move forward.

Tripp Lake Response

In Tripp Lake, Lauren Slater describes how a nine year old must face the things in life that she dislikes. From her parents recent divorce, Lauren attends a girl camp in Poland, Maine where she finds that the happiest moments are right near her. She meets another girl at the camp where she finds out that a journey is right in front of her.

I think on page 244, the author was saying that this girl who was riding the horse was very good with her expressions of fear and excitement. I think by that was being said, she wanted the readers to get a vivid image of the girl riding while Lauren was watching with amazement and fear. The balance of mastery could mean that she doesn't know what to expect when a horse is riding and by keeping a straight face with these features showed that she was ready for anything that was going to happen.

I think "way forward" meant that Lauren was happy with what she has learned with the new thing of horse riding and the fact that she can realize that she can move forward with her life knowing she did something that she felt made her realize that going to camp was not in vain and that she can enjoy herself from the things that she learned.

Tripp Lake

in Tripp Lake Lauren Slater tells a story about her summer at a camp in Poland, Maine as a ten year old girl. However the story is about her feelings about her mother who she dislikes because of the guilt she feels for the way her mothers life turned out. Throughout the story Slater realizes that life is finite and things don't always turn out the way you want them to. When she begins riding horses she learns to face her fears and push forward.

In the passage "her face a mixture of terror and exhilaration, the balanced combination that means only one thing: mastery." Slater is saying that in life you often have conflicting feelings about things but in order to move forward in life you have to learn to focus those feelings. This is evident by Laurens feeling of guilt as she boards the bus because she feels her life is beginning while her mothers life is declining or already set.

For Slater the "way forward" is to face her fears head on and keep trying until she succeeds. I think in this story Lauren realizes life is hard and can beat you down as it has done to her mother. However by riding Rain and facing her fear of jumping she realizes she can't just sit on her bed and cry about it she has to face it and move forward.

Tripp lake

1. What does the author mean when she says on p. 244 "her face a mixture ...mastery"?

This quote reminds me of a race car driver. They are going high speeds so its natural to be scared and wonder if you can make your obstacles, but along with the fear you feel an adrenaline rush. The mixture makes you careful and cautious, yet have a mindset that has you determined you can do anything.

2. What is the "way forward"?

With the horse not rushing her because it can feel her hesitation she realizes she can move forward with out really being alone. She feels a strong connection in the horse and gains trust by the end. The crackle of the whip makes me think of the symbolization of a sudden wake up call, the world might be harsh but she cant give up.

Vivid description/ An unspoken Hunger/Lights

Vivid means a clear and distinct image of something. By showing something that is vivid is to present its appearance and have it seem almost sort of bright or intense. This is done in both An Unspoken Hunger and Lights.

In An Unspoken Hunger vivid images are being created throughout the entire passage. The actual appearance of the avacado can be given through the detailed descriptions and vivid mental images of the avacado being sliced is given. The exact detail which is used in the slicing of the avacado is also giving creating an even better image to the reader on what is taking place.

Lights is also a vivid passage and when reading it you can gain a sense of understanding of how the people in the town work together. A clear image is given of what this task that most of the town takes place in actually looks like. I think this is important to the author because it was a good memory of all the people coming together all for one reason. Even though some of the drivers could care less some would even thank them. However in the beginning the author has a more positive motivated attitude and towards the end he starts to show some anger towards certain peoples carelessness, the ones who drive by without their headlights and continue to ride that way.


The Things They Carry

In The Things They Carry every single object that any one of the soliders carries is important in some way. If you think about it, it has to be. Some of these soldiers are carrying extra objects despite the large amounts of weight they are already required to carry. In this case each object has a special meaning to the soldier in some way. They either carry objects that stand for their fear, their homesickness, possibly good luck, or just things to distract them from the horrors of the war. I chose Rat Kileys objects. He carries comic books. The reason I chose this object was because it's somewhat similar to Jimmy Cross's in the way that both of these mens objects provide as a type of distracton to the war. Jimmy Cross has his pictures of Martha which keeps his mind of the war and Kileys comic books are also good items to proivde distraction from the war.

an unspoken hunger & lights

1)the vivid passage i thought was a good decsion was the vegtable planks the reason i chose this was because it gave you a imaged of how the slice of avocado looked after they were done sliceing them.2(vivid to me means somthing that when you read it gives you a great image of what they are trying to show you they are saying. 3)in both the essays i read they both are in great detail and they explain everything to a t . they dont miss anything . they descride everything to you as you are there in the summary with them. they are trying to show you step by step kinda like a cook book they are talking about food in one and telling you what they do with the food and why they love it so much and in the lights they are showing you a night when they all hang out and showing how close there town is and how they all help each other in a way and still have fun with each while doing it.

vivid description

My mother seemed to treat the diary and boots and jodhpurs,the glamorous pictures of herself that she had sent to my father overseas, her dreams of becoming a famous journalist as relics of a distant past that no longer had much to do with her. She had left them all behind for life with my father, and me, and eventually my two brothers.
1. This passage is vivid because she is completely describing his mother's life and her dreams. Vivid means to specifically describe something.
2. The author is trying to say how she feels that her mother has missed out on the life she wanted, instead she raised a family.
3.Dave Jensen carried around dental floss to keep good hygiene. This stands out to my because he has time to worry about flossing his teeth in between fighting.

The Things They Carried/ Lights/ An Unspoken Hunger

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
In "The Things They Carried", by Tim O'Brien, the object that stood out the most to me was the diary that was carried by Norman Bowker. The story did not elaborate on the importance of the object to Norman, but I can relate to carrying a diary. I think that carrying the diary was important to Norman. "The things they carried were largely determined my necessity". I think that Norman carried the diary so that if he survived, he could look back at the diary, and read his story, his version of what happened. I think even if he did not survive, someday someone will come across it and read his story. Everyone has a story, and I think Norman just wanted to share his story to anyone who was willing to listen.

Lights by Stuart Dybek
"In summer, waiting for night, we'd pose against the afterglow on corners, watching traffic cruise through the neighborhood. Sometimes, a car would go by without its headlights on and we'd all yell, "Lights!"
When I read this passage, I was able to visually see what the author described in my head. Vivid means clear, and distinct. The author's mood changes from the beginning of the story to the end. In the beginning, it seemed like he was recalling a fun memory from his childhood, but towards the end of the story he seems to be agitated with the drivers who would not put their headlights on.

An Unspoken Hunger by Terry Tempest Williams
"With the green fleshy boats in hand, we slice vertical strips from one end to the other."
This sentence stood out to me the most because, I can visually see her (or someone) cutting the avocado into vertical strips.

Around the Corner/ Object

1. The essay "Around the Corner" by Sharon Bryan is about a child and her mothers past. Sharon Bryan seems to use the mothers objects as tools to describe her past. However, in the end we learn that her child may not be so pleased with her new mother.

The vivid passage i chose was: "Yet at the same time I basked in the attention my mother lavished on me, I was haunted by the image of the person who seemed to have disappeared around the corner just be I arrived." I think this message is vivid because I think vivid means a colorful description of an object or person that makes it seem more realistic. In this passage Sharonbryan uses words such as "basked" and "I was haunted by the image" to really give me a good image of what she was talking about.

2. In Around the Corner, Sharon Bryan seems to change from being in a happy mood while talking about the mothers past. However, towards the end, I believe she becomes more sad as she misses what she used to take part in.

3. The object or thing that stood out the me the most in "The Things They Carried" was "the responsibility for the lives of his men" that Jimmy Cross carried. This really stood out to me, because as we all know, he felt it was his fault that Lavender died, and if he wasn't so worried about Martha, he may have been able to save his life. This passage also stands out ot me because responsibility is a minor flaw of mine, and the story really shows the importance of being responsible.

Volar

1.I think vivid is clarity images in the mind or an clear experience.

 "In the morning I'd wake up in my tiny bedroom with the incongruous-at least in our tiny apartment-white "princess" furniture my mother had chosen for me, and find myself back in my body: my tight curls still clinging to my head, skinny arms and legs and flat chest unchanged" This passage to me is vivid because you can picture a clear image in your mind of how she looked outside of dreams and how she lived.

2. In the beginning of the essay i think the author was trying to say she did not like her life and how she would have dreams of what she wish she could do. towards the end of the story i think she was more understanding of how she lived.

3. Jimmy cross carried around Martha's notes because he was in love with her. He would take the notes out of content to make it seem like martha loved him. This stood out to me because I don't understand how can you image someone being in love with you when there are no signs to say that martha was. I think Jimmy did this because he needed to know someone cared for him outside of the soldiers.

The Things They Carried "Lights" and "An Unspoken Hunger"

"Lights!" we'd keep yelling until the beams flashed on. It was usually immediate- the driver honking back thanks, or flinching embarrassed behind the steering wheel, or gunning past, and we'd see his red tailights blink on"

What i think the word vivid means is bringing the emotion out of what the story states or what that passage is talking about in the story. It is also going to the main point that shows the action of the story on the main idea. The word vivid can also visualize the the importance of the description. Thats very vivid to me because the authar Stuart Dybrek is trying to say that their is cautions to watch out when a car would go by withought its headlights on showing that lights should always be on at night so that it wouldnt cause any bad accidents


"It is an unspoken hunger we deflect with knives-one avacado between us, cut neatly in half, twisted then seperated from the large wooden pit. With the green fleshly boats in hand, we slice vertical stripes from one end to the other"

That passage shows the main point of what it is talking about because the vivid information gives details and the clear point of how it was going to be cut very sharply and being cut neatly in half. Its very interesting because the author is trying to state that they were enjoying the silver blade " risking the blood of our tongue repeatedly"

On the story "The things They Carried" talks about many things that the soldiers carried. The items that was very important to the soldiers were the pocket Knives, wristwatches, ciggerettes, matches, and two or three canteens of water. Those stood out to me because for men they needed knives for their protection and also needing to cut objects, also ciggerettes were the needs of soldiers to take to help keep them releived.

Around the Corner and The Things They Carried

1. The essay "Around the Corner" by Sharon Bryan is a child sharing his mother's past with the audience by using his mother's possesssions to explain some of her memories. It is clear that the child has a great love for his mother and he tells about all the great and positive things that she did for him. The child cared for his mother and her passion of journalism and all of the things she sacrificed for her family. I think that vivid is another word for clear or lively.
2. The author changes because in the beginning of the story she explains the mother's possessions and how they relate to his mother's past. Whereas coming to the end of the story the story changes because the mother was not worried about herself, her memories, or her future because she focused more on her children and what was best for them. The author has probably had an experience that made her feel closer to her mother and relates to this story.
3. The object that stood out most to me in "The Things they Carried" by Tim O'Brien was the land itself--Vietnam. "The place, the soil-- a powdery orange-red dust that covered their boots and fatigues and faces." (pg 14/15) The land itself is significant to me because it is pure evidence that they were soldiers on a mission in Vietnam. As dangerous as the territory was the soldiers continued to march and fight for their lives and the pride of their country. Their march is repetitive throughout the whole story.

Lights and The Things They Carried

1. "The driver honking back thanks, or flinching embarrassed behind the steering wheel, or gunning past, and we'd see his red taillights blink on." I feel that this is a very vivid passage in "Lights" by Stuart Dybek. To me the word vivid means something that you can picture in your head. It is something that you could imagine happening right infront of you face. In this passage I can imagine the driver that honks to thank them having a smile on his or her face. I can also imagine the embarrassed driver trying to hide his or her face becaused they are embarrassed.




2. The author Stuart Dybek changes his attitude. In the beggining of the essay he is calmn and seems like he used to have fun calling out to drivers when they did not have their lights on. Toward the end of the essay Dybek seems a little angree. It seems like he is annoyed by they drivers that are drunk, high, or stubborn.



3. The object that stood out to me the most in "The Things They Carried" was the sling shot that Lee Strunk carried. He called it his weapon of last resort. This stood out to me the most because that men carried so many different types of guns, explosives, and many other types of weapons and he decides to bring a sling shot with him. I would never imagine anyone at war attempting to use a sling shot to kill or injur anyone.

Lights and The Things They Carried.

"But there were times-who knows why?-when drunk or high or stubborn or simply lost in the glide to somewhere else, the driver just kept driving in the dark, all down the block we'd hear yelling from doorways and storefronts, front steps, and other corners, voices winking on like fireflies: 'Lights! Your lights! Hey lights!'"

1. When I think of the word vivid, I think of a passage that evokes an intense emotion. I also think of something clear, concise, and creates a visual in your head of what is going on. I believe that this passage is very vivid. When Dybek writes adjectives such as drunk, high, and stubborn, an emotion is evoked. For me personally, it evokes an angry emotion. Dybek could have used other adjectives to describe the drivers that would not be so demeaning. He said high, drunk, and stubborn and it makes me think that he is frustrated with those types of drivers. The simile "voices winking on like fireflies" is also vivid to me because it portrays a visual in my mind of the civilians yelling at the drivers.

2. In the beginning of the short story, the author is relaxed and seems that he is just telling a story of the summer nights that he had when he was younger with his friends and neighborhood children. Towards the last paragraph, Dybek transfers his soft tone from before into a harsher, frustrated tone. The passage I chose for question one is the prime example for this. His tone is a lot harder and he sounds like he wanted the drivers to be safer.

3. The green plastic poncho stood out to me the most in The Things They Carried. It stood out to me so much because I feel like it would be the most useful of all items that were mentioned. O'Brien said that the poncho was used for a raincoat, a groundsheet, or a makeshift tent. This protects the soldiers from becoming sick, and providing shelter. The following sentence stood out to me very much because it says, "With its quilted liner, the poncho weighed aalmost 2 pounds, but it was worth every ounce." The fact that O'Brien said it was worth every ounce stood out to me the most because the soldiers carry so much already. Any extra weight could cause more of an issue rather than benefit the soldiers. Therefore, the poncho is the object that stood out the most because of the emphasis O'Brien puts on it on how useful it can be in different ways.

Volar and The Things They Carried

" Step by step I would fill out: My legs would grow long, my arms harden into steel, and my hair would magically go straight and turn a golden color."

1) To me, vivid means that something is very descriptive and you can imagine being there, knowing exactly where you are, due to the description. I chose the passage above as being very vivid because I can see the narrator's dream and see her change completely into Supergirl.

2) The author changes because in the beginning it seems like she is very childish and does not understand what her parents are going through. But towards the end she notices that her parents are going through a hard time financially. She allows them their 45 minutes of peace in the morning before her mother wakes her up, even if she is awake already. She realizes that her mother dreams too, but her dreams cannot come true due to financial difficulty. The author then realizes that things in life don't come true all of the time.

3) In The Things They Carried, the object that stood out the most to me were the tranquilizers that Ted Lavender carried around. The tranquilizers stood out to me because I know that if I was in Vietnam during that vicious time, I would want to be in my own world too. Ted Lavender used the tranquilizers because he was scared of being in the Vietnam War, and in the end the tranquilizers helped Ted out. When Ted Lavender got shot, he never felt a thing. He didn't feel any pain because he had taken about two tranquilizers right before he got shot and also because he got shot in the head. I think he took the tranquilizers because they hid the fact that being in the Vietnam War was a scary situation.

Things They Carried

In my opinion vivid means something that stands out and catches the eye.While reading "Lights" I came across a line that to me was vividBut there were times-who knows why?-when drunk or high, stubborn,or simplylost in that glide to somewhere else,the driver just kept driving in teh dark,and all down the block we'd hear yelling from doorways and stormfronts,front steps,and other corners,voices winking on like fireflies:"Lights!Your lights!Hey, lights!"I would have never have compared voices to fireflies but by using those words it captured a vivid image in my head.Comparing fireflies to humans showed how fast people were yelling about the drivers lights.

In "An Unspoken Hunger" the author says ,"With the green fleshy boats in hand,we slice vertical strips from one end to the other." This is gave a good visualization in my mind of how exactly they cut the avacado. The author used good words to describe what he wanted to portray.

2.In"Lights" by Stuart Dybek the author describes the excitement of waiting for night to come so they can watch the traffic.They would see a car without lights and yell "Lights" and then the driver would respond with a immediate thanks,flickering of lights, or a honk.On some occasions there would be a stubborn driver and they would not respond back nor would they turn their lights on.

In "An Unspoken Hunger" by Terry Tempest Williams the author describes how making this meal is not only hard but while eating this meal you could risk blood from your tongue.The author went from explaining how to make this meal to eating this meal with graphic words.

3.The object that stood out for me in "The Things They Carried " was earplugs that Dave Jenson carried because it was something so simple that I would have never thought about. I would neveer think of a solider carrying this because if he is wearing ear plugs then how can he hear orders or gun shots. I mean if they are being attacked at night and he is asleep and his friend next to him is whispering something he would be unable to react .I could see in my head this solider wearing ear plugs while in the tunnel sleeping.

"Around the Corner" and "The Things They Carried"

In Sharon Byran's "Around the Corner," the speaker is greatful for the devotion and attention her mother gives her. However, she is also intrigued by her mysterious past. Her mother's old horseback riding equipment, diary written in shorthand, and old journalism aspirations make her wonder who her mother was before she left all of her dreams behind for a family life, and why she considers them nothing more then "relics of a distant past."

Sharon Bryan does an excellent job in incorporating imagery in describing the mother's diary. "It was a little red leather book with gilt-edged pages, and I was most intrigued by it's little gold lock," creates a vivid (a strong distinct mental image) for the reader. This is vivid to me because I can visualize the diary and register it's importance due to the detailed description it was given.

In "Around the Corner," the author is first naive to the fact that her mother is in fact a person, not just a caregiver. This experience was important to her because by learning about her mother's past, she now views her in a different perspective.

The object that stood out to me the most in Tim O'Brien's "The Things They Carried," was the good luck pebble Martha found on the beach and gave to him. This is a very sentimental object to the soldier because when marching, the pebble is always in his mouth and she is always on his mind. This gives him the moral he needs to continue the fight. This stood out to me because a tiny pebble gave this man the motivation he needed to perform his duties, regardless of it's simplicity.

Volar/Things they carried

Once I saw our landlord, whom I knew my parents feared, sitting in a treasure room dressed in an ermine coat and a large gold crown. He sat on the floor counting his dollar bills. I played a trick on him. Going up to his building’s chimney, I blew a little puff of my super- breath into his fireplace, scattering his stacks of money so that he had to start counting all over again, I could more or less program my Supergirl dreams in those days by focusing on the object of my current obsession.

I choose this passage because it shows that although the author was a child at the time that she had insight to the world/financial issues that her parents may have faced. In this passage she brings the real issues into her dreams but deals with them in a fantasy sort of way. She also states that she could program or control her dreams of this nature so she at least wanted to help her parents out.

The object that stood out to me in "The Things They carried" was the severed thumb that Norman Bowker carried. The thumb was given to him by Henry Dobbins a fellow memeber of his platoon. The thumb to me signfied itself as spoils of war being cut from a VC boy pressumbly a solider. Which made it stick out even more was the fact that Norman one of the gentler soliders religiously kept it with him as a sign of good luck.

"The things they carried"/"Volar"

Volar by: Judith Ortiz Cofer

1. In my opinion, the definition of vivid is a thorough description of anything that creates a realistic image of that being described. An example of a vivid description in the story "Volar" by Judith Ortiz Cofer is when the author writes, "Once on the roof, my parents safely asleep in their beds. I would get on tip-toe, arms outstretched in the position for flight and jump out my fifty-story-high window into the black lake of the sky". I think this paragraph is vivid because it evokes a detailed, life-like image to the reader. This description clearly expresses what the author is trying to portray to the audience. This is based on the graphic usage of the author's dictation which helps the reader imagine the vivid scene take place.

2. In "Volar", the author changes in an important way. The author, being the girl in the story as well as the narrator, becomes aware of reality and how life really is. Realizing that her mom not only dreams like she does but also dreams about the same thing she does, makes the author realize she will be dreaing her whole life, though she may never have her dreams come true. To me, dreams can be desribed as what people want or wish to have. In this story the author learns to understand that just like her mother she will be dreaming and wishing to fly forever but reality is that no one can fly and not all dreams can be a reality. Not to mention, the realization that she is like her mom in many ways and to me is makes her understand the reality of her future. The author is trying to say that he meaning of this experience is that the author is growing up. Opening her eyes to the fact that her entire life will be full of things she wants or wishes, dreams, for but you must be mature enough to except and be happy with what you have.

3. In "The things They Carried", there are many objects that stand out to me. However, I specifically noticed when the author wrote on how they carried their memories. Particularly, " They shared the weight of memory." from this experience which they all are sharing. This stood out to me because this is something that the soldiers can not choose to discard if they desire to, unlike most of the other items that some soldiers carried. The memories will be with them forever, even after the war is over. The things that they all see and go through together, they will each carry with them until the end of their time. One could say this is a burden but no matter, this will be an item that they have with them always and not by choice. This reality that is in front of their face keeps them aware, now and most likely in the future, that life is precious. It could be them laying down on the ground next, just like their buddies. It keeps them in reality, being that death is simple when in war and to die is easy.

The things they carried/ Volar

Volar.

1. "Not abruptly. She would light a cigarette and look out the kitchen window"

This motion to me makes me feel a connection, I can see it clearly and even think I can understand what shes feeling. It specifically makes me realize her patience and I know she wants more out of life.

Vivid to me is when certain descriptive words induce almost lifelike, or very realistic, images in your mind


2. In this essay the author realizes towards the end that her and her mothers dreams are very similar. Although her mother appears patient about it they want more out of life and both aren't to keen about waiting for unrealistic dreams to come true.


3. What stands out most to me in "The Things They Carried" is the focus of the story. The letters from Martha are so sentimental to the Lieutenant that by the end they bring him down. He puts himself in a reckless daydream clutching his letters, making them reality, taking away from the bitter truth of whats going on around him. By the end he has to go as far as to burn the letters to rid of the daydreams and take his mind somewhere else, to a realisation that where he was men were dieing because of "carelessness" and it was worlds away from her.

The Things They Carried / Volar

To me, if something is vivid it stands out in the reader's mind.

"At twelve I was an avid consumer of comic books - Supergirl being my favorite. I spent my allowance of a quarter a day on two twelve-cent comic books or a double issue for twenty-five. I had a stack of Legion of Super Heroes and Supergirl comic books in my bedroom closet that was as tall as I."

I chose this passage because not only does it invoke imagery relative to the physical aspects of the setting, but it also indirectly describes the time period in which the story is taking place. This passage also stands out in my mind because of how cheap the narrator could purchase comic books and the fact that she could acquire such a large collection at such a young age is unbelievable.

In Volar, the author changes from imaginative to serious. She makes this transition after she wakes up every morning and her thoughts progess from flying around in a superhero's body to the tension between her parents in their morning time together. It is a sad slice of reality that she is forced to face every morning that she wakes up early. The narrator knows that if she goes to the kitchen before the forty-five minute grace period, she will dissapoint her parents.

The object that stood out the most for me was Kiowa's feathered hatchet. This is a very significant object because it is an object that has been passed on from previous generations and as a result it has sentimental value added to its obvious practical benefits. Also, to me the hatchet is very symbolic. It is a weapon of last resort and if it does end up saving Kiowa's life the connection between him and his grandfather would become even stronger. Finally, the feathers on the hatchet are symbolic to Native Americans so it may be considered an additional good luck charm or a way of expressing love for his culture.

Vivid Passage: Around the Corner by Sharon Bryan

1) My mother seemed to treat the dairy – and the boots and jodhpurs, the glamorous pictures of her self that she had sent to my father overseas, her dreams of becoming a famous journalist as relics of a distant past that no longer had much to do with her. She had left them all behind for life with my father, and me, and eventually my two brothers.
I choose this passage because the author described how her mother valued her dairy, boots, jodhpurs, and her dreams of becoming a journalist, still she forget all about it because of the love she had for her husband and children and the need to be a good mother. Therefore, she treated all those things as relics of a distant past that no longer had much to do with her and focus on loving and caring for her family.
1b) To me vivid means producing powerful feelings or strong, clear images in the mind.
2) The author changed the tone of her story when she said she was hunted by the image of the person who seemed to have disappeared around the corner before she arrived, perhaps the father.
3) The Object from the Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien that stood out to me was Mitchell Sanders, the RTO that carried condoms. It is funny having condoms at war because it is unusual. However those who carry bible for protection or pebble for good luck charm, Mitchell Sanders carries condoms for sexual protection. Being human, I guess for him it is necessary too.

Objects from "The Things They Carried"

In the "The Things They Carried" the object or objects that stood out there to me the most was Kiowa's New Testament Bible. I chose this object because in any time of a crisis people tend to think about religon in their time of need. Now I understand that you are in a area that you know nothing about and you are afraid and I can undestand carrying it with you. Mainly men tend not to believe in reilgon but only in the time that they think that they are going to die. I guess the author Tim O'Brien wanted to show that even the biggest toughest men have some side of religon. All of the other men carried practical things like the necessities of a tooth brush and other personal hygeine items but O'Brien also wanted the readers to know what item was very special to each person fighting in the Vietnam war. On Page 9 of the novel it says: "Kiowa always took along his New Testament and a pair of moccasins for silence". To me this also showed me that this is a solider who kept to himself alot during this hikes.

I think vivid means the clear and precise. For a picture to be painted in your head, the image description has to be vivid and clear to understand it.

Vivid Passage: Volar
Once on the roof, my parents safely asleep in their beds, I would get on tip-toe, arms outstrechted in the postion flight and jump out my fifty story high window into the black lake of the sky. From up there, over the rooftops, I could see everything, even beyond the few blocks of our barrio; with my X-ray vision I could look inside the homes of people who interested me.

I chose this passage because I think that the author did a wonderful descprition of how a childs mind works when they are imagining or dreaming about things. I particuarly liked how the author described the sky as being a "black lake". I thought the word usage of the sky being as a lake was very nice and poetic. I know as a child I used to have dreams or imagine things that I would like to, like flying was my thing. The author did a great job caputuring a childs imagination at its best.

Object from The Things They Carried

The object that stood out to me the most in "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien was the 6 or 7 ounces of premium dope carried by Ted Lavender. The reason it stood out to me was because most of the things the author was describing that these men carried were, either practical necessities such as rations or helmets, or personal effects such as letters or toothbrushes. To me the dope doesn't really fit into either category. Another thing that stood out to me was that Ted Lavender carrying the dope was acceptable to the rest of the men. I think the reason it was accepted by the rest of the men was because for Ted Lavender it was a necessity to cope with his fear of being in a war. After being shot and killed O'Brien described the other men sitting around smoking his dope until the chopper came to pick up his body.

Vivid Passage

To me vivid means very detailed, giving an image that you can almost see from the words.

In Unspoken Hunger by Terry Tempest Williams, and Lights by Stuart Dybeck, the authors vividly describe experiences. Both of these passages are very short so the entire thing is a vivid passage. In an Unspoken Hunger the author describes how the knife changes purposes. At the beginning it is used to cut the avocado in half, then remove the wooden pit, and finally used to slice the avocado into "planks" as the author puts it. At the end the knives are used to put the salsa and chile covered avocado planks onto their tongues. The way the author changes throughout the essay is that at the beginning the unspoken hunger is the excitement of preparing the avocados and wanting to eat them. At the end there is the satisfaction of actually eating the snack even with the risk of cutting their tongues with every bite.

In Lights by Stuart Dybeck the author vividly describes a neighborhood on a summer evening as they watch the cars drive through. It is vivid because the author describes the line of lights from the cars that is broken when one of the cars doesn't have their lights on. They yell Lights until the driver flashes the lights followed by a wave or a honk to say thanks. At the end Dybek describes the cars who despite the yelling or waving from the people on the street never turn on the lights. The author changes in the essay because at the beginning the description was more of a sense of satisfaction that they got the drivers to turn on the lights where at the end it was the disappointment that they could not get everybody to do it.

Around the Corner by Sharon Bryan

Vivid Passage: "My mother seemed to treat the diary-and the boots and jodhpurs, the glamorous pictures of herself that she had sent to my father overseas, her dreams of becoming a famous journalist- as relics of a distant past that no longer had much to do with her. She had left them all behind for life with my father, and me, and eventually my two brothers."

I had chosen this passage because the author described in great detail, how much the mother valued those things because they remind her of the life that she used to live, as well as the life that she had given up in exchange for her becoming a devoted wife and mother.

Vivid to me means a well detailed and clear explanation of something that you can create in your mind when told to you.

The item that stood out to me in "The Things They Carried" was the m&m's that Rat Kiley had carried with him. I'd say it was important to him because it was something that reminded him of the things that he'd taken for granted. It had stood out to me because to me it represents a forgotten luxury-something small that you;d never really miss until your put in a situation where you no longer have it.

Vivid Passage/Object from "The Things tThey Carried"

Around the Corner by Sharon Bryan

1. Vivid passage: I was grateful for the sort of mother she was-she had milk and cookies waiting when I came home from school, packed my lunches in the morning. Every holiday was full of treats and surprises: a present by my plate on Valentine's Day, eggs hidden all over the house on Easter morning, Kool-Aid in my thermos on my birthday.
I chose this passage because the author gave details about why she's grateful for the mom she is, actual specific things her mom does for her such as surprises and treats on holidays. In my opinion vivid is giving clear details that a reader can imagine in their head. I know I could picture this passage in my head especially because my mom would do the same things.

2. I believe the author is trying to say that even though she's grateful for her mom and who she has become today that she regrets and blames herself for her mother not pursuing her dreams and believes she gave up her life for her family. Even though her mother seems happy with her life and the daughter loves the attention she can't help but feel selfish that she took everything away from her mother.

3. The object that stood out to me the most was the pebble Martha gave Lieutenant Jimmy Cross. This object was important to him because she gave it to him as a good luck charm and as a token of her truest feelings for him. The pebble stood out to me because it was something so simple yet so special to him that he kept it in his mouth during hot days and tasted the sea salt. Just the way she described where and why she got it stayed in my mind through out the story.

Melissa's Bio

My name is Melissa, however most people call me Missy. I was born at the end of May, making me a Gemini. Now I am 18 and live in Cockeysville, MD. I have every intention to acquire my AA at Essex and transfer to a four year college. Although my plans are not set in stone, I envision focusing on business as my major, yet I aspire to become a wedding coordinator. In turn, owning not only my business for wedding planning but also a flower store to refer clients to and further my business horizons. Beside being a student at CCBC, I almost work full time with the company Bath and Body works which helps introduce me to a large variety of necessary business skills such as customer services. Nonetheless I am eager to proceed to bigger and better opportunities.

The last thing that I completed writing was an essay about "Unpacking the White Knapsack" from the book of essays entitled "Race, Class and Gender" by Margaret L. Andersen and Patricia Hill Collins for a final in Sociology 141. In order to widen the variety of authors which I am familiar with, the last full-length book that I read was entitled "A Street Lawyer" and was written by the author John Grisham. On the other hand, the last event which I attended on the Essex campus was during the fall semester, again for my Sociology 141 course. The event was a multicultural exhibit on different countries and showcased international foods and some deserts. In addition to attending events on campus, classes, work and trying to get some sleep then I am in my car. My car is how I get by day to day due to it being the easiest and quickest way to do what needs to get done. Not to mention, I love to listen to my music and just drive to places that I have never been before to see new scenery and the diverse landscapes that many do not know that we have in Maryland. Aside from my goals pertaining to my career and school in the long run, I have goals within each course as well. Other than receiving an 'A' grade in English 102, my goal is to comprehend a greater understanding of communication, through writing and speaking as well. Accurately communicating and listening can be key in basically every situation and is essential in meeting peoples' needs.

jessica blog

Hi, my name is jessica and this is my second year at CCBC. I go to school and also have a part time job. 

1. The last paper I wrote was on the presidential election.

2. The last book i read was Wisdom of Forgiveness by Victor Chan

3. Last semester i went to see a author give a speech about his book and his life.

4. I spend a lot of time in my car going to work in school every week.

5. Other than receiving an A in english 102 i would like to improve my writing skills. 

Shawn's Bio

My name is Shawn Myers. I was born on june 5, 1990. Some of my hobbies are skateboarding, pole vaulting, traveling, and skiing. I try to ski as much as possible. I recently just got back from a ski trip in Killington, Vermont. I love animals and want to do something with them after college. I plan to transfer next year to a 4 year university. The last thing i wrote was a paper for my health 101 class on abortion. Pro-life and Pro-choice was the main focus on the essay. The last book i read was "The Greatest Miracale in the World". Last event i attended on campus was a lecture for my business law class. Im not sure of the exact date, but it was sometime last semester. I don't know exactly how much time i spend in the car per day. Really depends on what im doing and where i am skating. My goals in English 102 is to improve and make my work stronger.

Nick's bio

Hey my names Nick DeCarlo. I am 18 and go to Essex Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I live in Parkville and went to Towson Catholic High School. i do not have a job,b ut would really like to find one.
1. The last thing i wrote was a creative writing assignment for eng 101 about being stranded on a island.
2.The last book i read was Old Man and the sea.
3. Never
4.i don't spend too much time in my car since i don't have one.
5. My goal in this class is to enhance my writing skills and move on to the next class.

Sammie's Bio

All right. So here's your first test. As your first post, write a short blurb about yourself. Include the following information:1. Last thing you wrote2. Last full-length book you read3. Last event you attended on campus and date4. How much time you spend in your car -- travelling to/from work, school, etc.5. Your goal in 102 other than an A grade

Hi I am Samantha Mosner but like to be called Sammie. I'm 18 and graduated from Towson Catholic in 2008. I attend Essex Monday, Wednesday, Friday and my major is Nursing. I live in Lutherville with my parents, brother, and my dog Roxie. I work at a little grocery store called Graul's and I have for the last three years. Also my boyfriend, Nick DeCarlo takes this class with me.
1. The last thing I wrote was my to do list for this week, I like to be organized.
2. The last book I read was The Bright Forever by Lee Martin.
3. I've never actually attended any event on campus, I was very involved at my high school but I don't know anything ever going on at Essex.
4. I spend a lot of time in my car I'm always the one whose driving between my boyfriend and I and my friends. I pick my boyfriend up, go to school, drop him off, go to work, drive home, drive wherever after work...as you can tell i'm always driving.
5. My goal in English 102 is of course to get an A but I also want to just improve in my writing skills and feel like I actually know what I'm doing.

Victorias bio

Hi there! My names Victoria, I'm 19, I live in Parkville with My dogs and myself. I enjoy writing and the last essay I wrote was for English 101 on racism in America and how its changing for a more positive impact. I also enjoy reading and recently found myself reading a very good book entitled "The Art of Racing in the Rain" and loved it. I also read "come hell or high water" not to long ago, but after attending Micheal Dyson's lecture I was discouraged from campus events there on. The reason I choose to take English 102, besides the credits, is because I really want to learn as much as possible on the English language. Upon graduating I'd like to receive a bachelors in early childhood education, therefore I will be teaching children and would hate to do it ignorantly. But when I'm not focusing on school I spend most of my life in my car considering I'm always going from one place to another, and taking different ways for variety.

Kyles info

All right. So here's your first test. As your first post, write a short blurb about yourself. Include the following information:1. Last thing you wrote2. Last full-length book you read3. Last event you attended on campus and date4. How much time you spend in your car -- travelling to/from work, school, etc.5. Your goal in 102 other than an A grade

I am Kyle LaHatte I attend school at Essex on Monday Wednesday and Friday. I have a part time job and spend most of my free time hanging out with my family or friends. Im big into snowboarding and i love the snow. Broken arms suck :(

1. The last thing I wrote was my schedule for the upcoming week.
2. The last full length book i read was Fast Food Nation
3. The last event I attended on campus was the viewing of the play The Jungle. I am not sure of the exact date but it was for this class and it was an excellent play.
4. On average I probaly spend about two hours in my car per day. Most of it is between work and school and the extra time is just spent driving around to various places.
5. My goal in 102 other than an A grade would probaly be to work on improving some of the skills I had already obtained in English 101

Tony Guercio's Bio

I am a 31 yr old returning student to CCBC. My last semester was fall of 2004, and to be honest it feels a little strange to actually be back in school. My first semester of college was in Spring of 1997 at Harford Community College, so I have been working on getting a degree for quit some time. My main obstacle in achieving this goal has been that until now I really have never known what I wanted to do in terms of a career. Due to some of the experiences in my life I have decided to pursue a career as a lawyer. I am currently working as a bartender at the Greene Turtle in Towson. I am a big sports fan and am still a little disappointed about the way the Ravens season ended. They definitely exceeded expectations but I had high hopes in the playoffs and really, really hate the Steelers. I spend a lot of time in the gym lifting weights, and trying to eat healthy. During the winter months I really don't do much other than work and now go to school.

The last thing I wrote was an e-mail to the Democratic Congressional Committee in response to the petition they put out a couple weeks ago against Rush Limbaugh for his comments about wanting President Obama to fail. Whether you agree or disagree with those comments as an American he has the right to make them.

The last book I read was called Busting Vegas by Ben Mezrich. It's a true story about an MIT "whiz kid" who won hundreds of thousands of dollars counting cards in the LasVegas casinos in the nineties. I enjoy going to Las Vegas and playing Blackjack so naturally I was drawn to that book.

As far as the last event I attended on campus, I think I went to see a speaker for my speech 101 class, but that was about 6 yrs ago so I can't remember for the life of me who the speaker was or where he was from, but I do remember going.

I don't really spend a lot of time in my car anymore. Mostly just back and forth to work which is about 5 miles each way. I've tried to cut back on driving as much as possible to avoid paying the gas prices that were reaching the $4 gallon level just a couple months ago. Most of the errands I have to run are pretty close to my apartment so I would say I spend less than an hour a day in my car typically.

Other than getting an A in 102 my goal for this class is to get back in the swing of things in school. It's been awhile so I feel I need to get used to reading and then writing about what I read again so that I can successfully complete the Pre-Law requirements that I am seeking.

uwaezu's bio

1) The last thing I wrote was writing in my schedule book the days, time and room for my classes.
2) The last book I read was not really a book but a program of my dad’s burial about his life and achievements.
3) The last event I attended on campus was the play about the book The Jungle and I can’t remember the date.
4) I spend a lot of time in my car because I work M-F and school M,W,F and with kids you ran a lot of errands .
5) My goal in Eng. 102 other than A is to improve in my writing and also expand my knowledge.

jennifer obanye blog

All right. So here's your first test. As your first post, write a short blurb about yourself. Include the following information:1. Last thing you wrote2. Last full-length book you read3. Last event you attended on campus and date4. How much time you spend in your car -- travelling to/from work, school, etc.5. Your goal in 102 other than an A grade

1. The last thing that i wrote was writing in my diary about my updates in life.
2. The last thing that i read was the driving school book so that i can get ready for my tast.
3. I havent attended any events on the campus but the last class i took was in fall semester and
i was doing english 101.
4. I am a new experienced driver so i take my time driving so that i can get used to the road and
when im driving, im usually going to my job because its not to far from my house.
5. My goal in 102 other than an A grade is to acheive in learning anything in the future and to
to help me accomplish on my writing and reading skills

laceys blog.

1. I graduated from Kenwood High School. Class of 2008.
2. Im hoping to transfer at the end of next year to Stevenson University.
3. English is my favorite subject. I dislike math the most.
4. Im the middle child, with an older brother and a younger sister.
5. I was born in Greencastle Indianna on June 15 1990.
6. My goal for this class is to become a better writer and pursue a major in journalism.

Stacey's Bio

My name is Stacey Chinwendu Udumukwu.

My birthday is April 25, and I am 18 years old.

My parents were born and raised in Nigeria, Africa.

I have four sisters.

I love to play tennis, and was on the Varsity Tennis Team for four years during High School.

The last thing I think I wrote was my name.

The last full-length book I read was The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton.

I love to read.

I love the ocean, even though I do not know how to swim.

My favorite animal is a Killer Whale! I think they are amazing, and I would love to study them someday.

I do not spend a lot in the car, because I do not drive.

I do not have a favorite color.

I hate it when people judge other people solely on looks, sexual orientation, etc.

My goal in English 102 is to become a better writer, and more specifically, to learn how to write complex sentences.

I want binoculars.

Brittanys Bio

My name is Brittany Brockmeyer, I am 20 years old. I have an older sister named Heather, she is 22. I enjoy cheerleading. I have been a cheerleader since i was 8 years old. Last year i had tried out for the Ravens Cheerleading Team, I did not make it but i plan on trying again next year. I am a waitress at Redbrick Station. I have worked there for 2 years now and i really enjoy it.


The last thing i wrote was a paper for pilosophy reflecting how i felt about Aristotle and Plato's poin of veiws on the ways of life. The last full length book i read was "Ben Carson's Gifted Hands". The last event i attended on campus was a seminar on Feminism in November. I spend a lot of time in my car. I drive to work, school, friends houses, the gym, and many other places. My goal in English 102 is to improve my writing skills.

Chloe's Bio

1. The last thing that I wrote was a poem called " Virgin Snow". It was about two young people who liked each other but didn't know how to expressed it.
2. The last full length book that I read was E. Lynn Harris's "Just to Good to be True". I just finshed it almost a month ago.
3. The last event I attended on campus was the reading of Dr. Micheal Eric Dyson's Novel: " Come Hell or High Water".
4. I spend very little time in my car unless I am driving to work or school.
5. My goal for this English class is to gain the knowledge to become a better writer as well as being able to write a paper with no grammical errors in it. But I am also shooting for an "A" but I know I have to work for what I want.

Ok, about me: I am 20 years old. This is my last semester at CCBC. I will be attending the University of Balitmore for my B.S. in Applied Information Technology. I really like computers and everything that entails with it. I write poetry and learning how to speak Japanese, so that is basically it for me. Wanna know more, just ask.

Jordan's Bio

Im a 17 year old freshman, this is my 2nd semester at CCBC, im the youngest of 10, first to go to college, a candy fiend, love anything sweet, spend hours on the my laptop, looking for anything new I havent already seen, and hope to do well enough at CCBC so that I can transfer to a 4 year college next year.

The last thing ive written was a three page essay on how racial prejudice is still present in today's society.

The last full-length book I read was "Bastard Out of Carolina"

The last campus event I attended was when I had taken my final exams on December 18

I spend out an hour total a day in my car

My goal in 102 is to get more of an understanding of verbs, nouns, etc

nicole ryan

My name is nicole ryan and i have a younger brother named connor he is 8 years old. i enjoying working at my job its at a daycare because i love children .i always love going on vactions to different places .
the last thing that i wrote was a script for my english 101 class in fall along with the book was fast food nation in the fall. i attened was the dancers for national dance week . i spend most of my time in my car going to work and school. my goal in 102 would be to have a better understanding of different was to write a paper and writing them right.

Paige's Bio

My name is Paige. I was born in Virginia and moved to Maryland when I was 5. My birthday is September 5 and I'm 18. I've played lacrosse since I was 3. I went to Prague last summer to play in a lacrosse tournament for a USA International team. I went to Dulaney High School. Last semester I went to Lycoming College, located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. I have a sister, Heather, who is 29. She is married and has a baby named Carter, who is turning 3 in March. I am Carter's aunt and godmother. The last thing I wrote was a final reasearch paper on comparing the accuracy of the Holocaust compared to Elie Wiesel's novel, Night. The last full-length book I read was Twilight. I've never attended anything on campus before because I transferred from Lycoming College. I spend a lot of time in my car, it takes me 30 minutes to drive to school, then I drive to my friends houses and to work. So a lot of my day is spent in the car, about 2-3 hours a day. My goal in English 102 is to make my writing more sophisticated and more professional.

Barrys Bio

My name is Barry Norman Jr .
I am 20 years old going on 21 in about a week.I like to write poetry,stories random ideas that come into my head as they seem to often do. I am a manager at a retail store. I watch alot of movies and play alot of video games

1. The last thing I wrote was a couple of poems i write about every hour on the hour lol
2. The last book I read was "The Art of War" by Sun Tzsu
3. The last event i attended on campus that i remember was orientation for freshmans last year
4. The bus ride from home to school/work is about a hour long
5. My goal in 102 is to become a better structred writer to improve where i lack in writing.

Jenn's goals

The last essay I wrote was a short essay reguarding the book "America Now" in English 101 for extra credit. The last book I read was "Gifted Hands" by Ben Carson. I attend 4 classes on the essex campus on Mon, Wed, Fri. This is my 4th semester at CCBC, I started as a pep student from Loch Raven High School. I am also taking an online course in addition to the other 4 classes. I spend a good amount of time in my truck, my house is about 3 exits away from CCBC on 695 and it takes about 15 minutes for me to get to work. My goal in english 102 other than an A grade is I would like to learn new writing techniques, how to improve my writers block, and improve my procrasitination. I do not want to miss any assignments, and I want to have a lot of good work this semester. My ultimate goal this semester is to pass all of my classes so I can trasfer to Flagler College in Florida.

Stefanie's Bio

My name is Stefanie Esbrandt, I am 21 years old and I am hoping to get into the Radiography program. I have one sister named Shannon and she is 15 years old. I went to Carver Center for dance in high school.I have danced since I was 3 years old. I am currently in a dance company called"Common Ground".I enjoy traveling, scrapbooking and hanging out with my friend as well.I work at Dr. Morrills office in Perry Hall and I have been there for almost two years.I really enjoy working there because you are constantly moving .



1. The last thing I wrote was a essay for anatomy and physiology on diabetes and how it relates to my family history.

2. The last full length book i read was "He is just not that into you".

3. I attended the National Dance Week on essex campus. I watched the african and hawaiian dancers.This was last year, and I am not sure of the date.

4. I spend a great amount of time in my car usually. I drive to work,school, friends, house to house,dance and social events.

5. My goal in English 102 is to become a better writer and become better at proofreading my essays.

Sean's Bio

1. Research paper explaining the importance of race in the presidential campaign
2. Night by Elie Wiesel
3. Final Exams 12/11?
4. To and from school about 15 minutes, 40 if I hit every red light which is usually the case.
5. To learn effective writing strategies and to have fun.

My name is Sean, I am attending CCBC full time although I am technically a senior at Perry Hall High School. Currently I am an undeclared major and I hope to transfer to UMBC in a year. I am currently employed as a service coach at OakCrest Village in Parkville. In my spare time I am usually working, spending time with my girlfriend, or listening to music.

Welcome to ENGL 102 with Carr Kizzier

Hey there EEB,

Welcome to the class blog. This is where we'll post our weekly comments about the readings and class discussions. When you log on, make sure you scroll down to see all the recent posts.

All right. So here's your first test. As your first post, write a short blurb about yourself. Include the following information:
1. Last thing you wrote
2. Last full-length book you read
3. Last event you attended on campus and date
4. How much time you spend in your car -- travelling to/from work, school, etc.
5. Your goal in 102 other than an A grade

Good luck.
CK