The first time I heard of Oedipus was in a class that I took last semester. However, I do not remember what his life was about. Therefore, I researched him on the internet and after researching, I began to remember what his life was like.
Oedipus is a play that is written by Sophocles. The play is about a young boy named Oedipus who is an adopted child, except that he does not know that he is adopted. When Oedipus grows up, he becomes a Greek King, and it is said that he fulfills a prophecy and kills his father and marries his mother.
I am looking forward to the next unit we doing in English. Since Sophocles is one of the most influential writers of Ancient Greece, "Oedipus" should be a good play to learn about. I expect to learn more about Oedipus and what his life was like. Hopefully, I will remember what I learned about him from the class I took last year and I hope to learn more as well.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Reflection of Annotated Visual Project
For the essay unit, we received an assignment where each student has to choose one essay to read and analyze, and create a visual representation that describes the essay.
The essay I chose to analyze is called “Across the Bridge”, which is written by Graham Greene. This narrative essay describes a man who cheated many people out of large sums of money in England. He then moves to Mexico in order to escape from the authorities in England. This man believed that if he had millions of dollars, he would become an extremely happy person. However, this is not the case for Joseph Calloway. After he cheated people out of large sums of money and moved to Mexico, he became a very depressed person where he had no family, no friends and no one to socialize with. One of the themes in this essay is that money cannot buy happiness. I completely agree with this theme! Many people who have millions of dollars are still looking for something to fill the empty gap that they may feel inside them.
After reading the essay a few times, I was able to understand fully the different themes and the overall message. I was also able to connect how the title relates to the rest of the essay. When a person thinks of a bridge, they usually think that a bridge joins two places together. However, in the essay “Across the Bridge” the bridge divides two places rather than joins them. In addition, I was able to determine the different internal strategies that were used and the tone. I also began to visualize what I can do for the visual representation of the essay and how I can include the different themes that are underlined in “Across the Bridge”.
One challenge that I am having right now while I am in the process of making my visual representation is that I can clearly visualize what I want my final product to look like, but I do not know how to create every aspect. To overcome this problem, I have been brainstorming different ideas that would make every aspect possible to create.
The break through moment I had was when I began to envision what I could do for the visual representation of the essay. I have decided to create two towns, one on either side of water and I want a bridge that connects the two towns together.
“Across the Bridge” is an essay that I enjoyed reading and analyzing. This essay has many true themes and can relate to people of all ages who think money buys happiness. Here is a fact: money does not buy happiness. This essay is also for those people who see things differently than most. I benefited from reading this essay several times because I was able to dig deeper and deeper with each time I read it. I have a deeper understanding of the different aspects in the essay and I hope to incorporate most of them into my visual representation.
The essay I chose to analyze is called “Across the Bridge”, which is written by Graham Greene. This narrative essay describes a man who cheated many people out of large sums of money in England. He then moves to Mexico in order to escape from the authorities in England. This man believed that if he had millions of dollars, he would become an extremely happy person. However, this is not the case for Joseph Calloway. After he cheated people out of large sums of money and moved to Mexico, he became a very depressed person where he had no family, no friends and no one to socialize with. One of the themes in this essay is that money cannot buy happiness. I completely agree with this theme! Many people who have millions of dollars are still looking for something to fill the empty gap that they may feel inside them.
After reading the essay a few times, I was able to understand fully the different themes and the overall message. I was also able to connect how the title relates to the rest of the essay. When a person thinks of a bridge, they usually think that a bridge joins two places together. However, in the essay “Across the Bridge” the bridge divides two places rather than joins them. In addition, I was able to determine the different internal strategies that were used and the tone. I also began to visualize what I can do for the visual representation of the essay and how I can include the different themes that are underlined in “Across the Bridge”.
One challenge that I am having right now while I am in the process of making my visual representation is that I can clearly visualize what I want my final product to look like, but I do not know how to create every aspect. To overcome this problem, I have been brainstorming different ideas that would make every aspect possible to create.
The break through moment I had was when I began to envision what I could do for the visual representation of the essay. I have decided to create two towns, one on either side of water and I want a bridge that connects the two towns together.
“Across the Bridge” is an essay that I enjoyed reading and analyzing. This essay has many true themes and can relate to people of all ages who think money buys happiness. Here is a fact: money does not buy happiness. This essay is also for those people who see things differently than most. I benefited from reading this essay several times because I was able to dig deeper and deeper with each time I read it. I have a deeper understanding of the different aspects in the essay and I hope to incorporate most of them into my visual representation.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
"Ka Ching" by Margaret Atwood
Choose one of the essays we have read so far this semester. In a fully-developed response discuss what you liked/disliked about the essay. Did it remind you of an event or experience from your own life? If so, explain. Discuss any questions you may have about the essays meaning or the ideas considered in it.
"Ka Ching” is an essay written by Margaret Atwood in which she describes her first real job. Atwood's first 'real job' was at a coffee shop that was in a small hotel on Avenue Road in Toronto. Atwood's job consisted of serving things at the counter, which included coffee, toast and milkshakes. She also had to learn how to operate the cash register. Atwood states that her job was entirely unsuited for her, and that she would not have done it except for the money. She was also surprised when she found out that she was hired for the job, but she felt underpaid and frustrated while she was working.
I really enjoyed reading this essay because it reminds me of the first 'real job' that I received about three years ago. My first real job, which I still have today, is located at a local grocery store and my position is a cashier. Since Atwood worked on the cash register, I can fully relate with her. When I first began training for my job, and even for a couple weeks after, I thought that I would never fully understand how to operate the cash register. I was so worried about making mistakes and counting the wrong amount of change and giving it back to the people who went through my line. In addition, I did not have a clue how I was going to remember all of the different fruit and vegetable codes. I was frustrated just like how Atwood was frustrated when she had to work on cash.
Another reason why I like the essay "Ka Ching" is because the theme is not directly stated. The reader can develop a theme based upon the knowledge and the facts that are given throughout the essay. In "Ka Ching", Atwood's overall theme is for a person to discover a job that does not feel like work; the person needs to find a job in his or her ‘element.’ Another theme for "Ka Ching" can also be that a person does not have to have a degree in a certain subject, or have had any scholarships to be in their ‘element.’ The waitress at the coffee shop did not have any university degrees and she never had a scholarship, yet she was, in her 'element.' In many ways, the themes in this essay can relate to all sorts of people who are trying to find their 'element'. Personally, I agree that when a person is in their ‘element,’ their job will not seem like work.
Another aspect I especially liked in "Ka Ching" was that although Atwood is an extremely intelligent woman, she had a rough time operating the cash register as well as preparing food and beverages for the customers. This explains that Atwood was not in her 'element', and it demonstrates that like the waitress, you do not need to have any special qualifications to be in your 'element.' Today however, Atwood has found her 'element' by being an author.
The ending of the essay is somewhat ironic when Atwood finally decides to quit her job. Her boss reveals to Atwood that they only hired her because they wanted someone as inept as her because they suspected their real cashier of stealing money. Atwood was so concerned about how to operate the register that she did not even think of stealing any money.
One last observation about this essay that I liked is that the title relates to more than one aspect mentioned in the essay. The title "Ka Ching" is an onomatopoeia that describes the sound of the cash register that Atwood operated. The title also represents that the only reason Atwood worked so long in the coffee shop was to pay for the difference between her scholarship and for the cost of living in her next school year.
I enjoyed dissecting this piece of writing and I look forward to reading and analyzing more essays in which I can relate too.
"Ka Ching” is an essay written by Margaret Atwood in which she describes her first real job. Atwood's first 'real job' was at a coffee shop that was in a small hotel on Avenue Road in Toronto. Atwood's job consisted of serving things at the counter, which included coffee, toast and milkshakes. She also had to learn how to operate the cash register. Atwood states that her job was entirely unsuited for her, and that she would not have done it except for the money. She was also surprised when she found out that she was hired for the job, but she felt underpaid and frustrated while she was working.
I really enjoyed reading this essay because it reminds me of the first 'real job' that I received about three years ago. My first real job, which I still have today, is located at a local grocery store and my position is a cashier. Since Atwood worked on the cash register, I can fully relate with her. When I first began training for my job, and even for a couple weeks after, I thought that I would never fully understand how to operate the cash register. I was so worried about making mistakes and counting the wrong amount of change and giving it back to the people who went through my line. In addition, I did not have a clue how I was going to remember all of the different fruit and vegetable codes. I was frustrated just like how Atwood was frustrated when she had to work on cash.
Another reason why I like the essay "Ka Ching" is because the theme is not directly stated. The reader can develop a theme based upon the knowledge and the facts that are given throughout the essay. In "Ka Ching", Atwood's overall theme is for a person to discover a job that does not feel like work; the person needs to find a job in his or her ‘element.’ Another theme for "Ka Ching" can also be that a person does not have to have a degree in a certain subject, or have had any scholarships to be in their ‘element.’ The waitress at the coffee shop did not have any university degrees and she never had a scholarship, yet she was, in her 'element.' In many ways, the themes in this essay can relate to all sorts of people who are trying to find their 'element'. Personally, I agree that when a person is in their ‘element,’ their job will not seem like work.
Another aspect I especially liked in "Ka Ching" was that although Atwood is an extremely intelligent woman, she had a rough time operating the cash register as well as preparing food and beverages for the customers. This explains that Atwood was not in her 'element', and it demonstrates that like the waitress, you do not need to have any special qualifications to be in your 'element.' Today however, Atwood has found her 'element' by being an author.
The ending of the essay is somewhat ironic when Atwood finally decides to quit her job. Her boss reveals to Atwood that they only hired her because they wanted someone as inept as her because they suspected their real cashier of stealing money. Atwood was so concerned about how to operate the register that she did not even think of stealing any money.
One last observation about this essay that I liked is that the title relates to more than one aspect mentioned in the essay. The title "Ka Ching" is an onomatopoeia that describes the sound of the cash register that Atwood operated. The title also represents that the only reason Atwood worked so long in the coffee shop was to pay for the difference between her scholarship and for the cost of living in her next school year.
I enjoyed dissecting this piece of writing and I look forward to reading and analyzing more essays in which I can relate too.
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