John and Abigail Adams

We haven't blogged in a long while, and to kick things off we have begun with some old timey writing:
In class today we read letters that were sent between John and Abigail Adams. Within the letters thy discussed what was happening at the time, as well as plans for the future of the country. However, the primary focus was not to be on the content of the letters but rather the stylistic aspects of the writing used. For example, many seemingly random words in the letters are capitalized, but this can be seen as a calculated choice. Important words and phrases are capitalized to show importance.
One piece of the letter from John to Abigail is particularly interesting. He says:
"Whenever Vanity, and Gaiety, a Love of Pomp and Dress, Furniture, Equipage, Buildings, great Company, expensive Diversions, and elegant Entertainments get the better of the Principles and Judgments of Men or Women there is no knowing where they will stop, nor into what Evils, natural, moral, or political, they will lead us."
This is obviously a lot, but taking a closer look allows its meaning to become clear. He is basically stating that over indulgence in material things can lead to what he describes as "Evil". John capitalizes the many things that lead to evil in order to emphasize their importance. His statement is astounding because of its truthfulness, as well as its ability to transcend time. It is indeed true that placing earthly wants above human principles leads to corruption, and John Adams realizes this and decides to mention it in a simple letter to his wife. John's words continue to be true today. What he says can be applied to any time period which makes its message even more meaningful.
The initial goal was to look at the stylistic choices of the documents, but the content ended up being the more interesting discussion.

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"Even a Fiuscrzsa Ticiwelmun Knows That a Typewriter is Feminine."

Language can be a difficult topic to wrap your mind around. Isn't it odd how ten people can say the same exact thing ten different ways? Isn't it strange that we may understand one of those people, but not the others, even though they are all saying that one same thing? Language is an incredible device, but it poses a few problems and creates some borders between people. Yes, one can learn a new language, but not everyone has time, and learning a new language can be incredibly difficult! (All of those who can speak more than one language fluently, I applaud you). In Me Talk Pretty One Day David Sedaris explores the challenges he faced while taking a French class. He describes how awful his teacher was, and how she would often tease the students whenever they misspoke. Some of the details in the article are likely exaggerated, but it got the message across: not knowing the language of the country you are in will often get you looked down upon.

When someone is in a country where they don't know the native language, it leaves them feeling out of place and inadequate. Being able to communicate is very important in any human society. Those who cannot communicate properly may be treated like children, or even worse, made fun of because they cannot speak and be understood.

Despite the negative focus of the article, it ends on a good note. The author realizes that when the teacher jokes at his broken French, he understands every word of her cruelty. After this realization he is filled with confidence because even though her teaching method is tough and unforgiving, he is still learning the language.

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Let Teenagers Try Adulthood

High school is something that one might have seen as the "big leagues" when they were younger. It is often romanticized in popular culture as the best four years of your life. However, once you get there it quickly becomes obvious that high school is NOT going be the way you see it in the movies. 

The article Let Teenagers Try Adulthood discusses our flawed education system, specifically high school. Before I even start on the content of the article I'd like to mention the title. It sounds almost as if it is a challenge. Let Teenagers Try Adulthood. They might fail or even sabotage their future because of this new system, but let them try anyway. Saying it that way probably makes it seem as though I dislike this article, but that is not entirely true. The article brings up good points and suggests some decent ideas for change in the system. The problem is that there is no way to change the school system so that it works properly, and accommodates the wants and needs of the students. This is because every person is different, and therefore matures at their own pace. The article mentions that students should be focusing their studies at a younger age and before they go to college. The problem is that most fifteen and sixteen year olds do not know what they want to do with their lives. There will be a situation where an unsure child is forced to choose what they want, only to regret it later in life. By then however, it will be too late because they had to choose their path before they were ready. Children and adolescents cannot grow up by force, most of them need some time.

Yes, the current school system is full of holes, and could probably use an update. The issue is that this update is that one that requires you to restart your computer so you keep putting it off until you have absolutely no choice but to do it.

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"Slang in America" Walt Whitman

1. According to Walt Whitman, American slang is a kind of language all its own. In order to understand it, you need to learn what it means, just like any other language. The difference is that not all English speakers understand all English slang. I believe that slang is the same way today.
2. Whitman lays the foundation for an essay on language, by first defining it. He describes what  language is, how it changes, and how important it is. From here he can go on and discuss the idea of slang.
3. By saying “lawless” he means to say that slang follows no rules, and is simply used in any way by its speaker. “Below all sentences” and “behind all poetry” means that slang is a hidden language in all forms of speech. It supports the words it hides behind. The last piece means that slang will always come back, and always be present in our speech. It gives language force.
4. One of the metaphors compares slang to “wholesome fermentation”. He also calls slang a “lawless germinal element”. Both are equally effective in their own ways.
5. Whitman makes his perspective simpler by using shorter sentences, as well as more easily understood words. He also gives examples of slang to explain what he means.
6. According to Whitman, slang is what gave start to old mythologies.
7. All of the examples given primarily support the point that slang is unique to different areas, an that slang is focused around the people who speak it.
8. Whitman claims that the laborers of America are more fun to be around that the “American humorists”.  I believe this statement strengthens his point of how slang and humor intertwine, and how the American people use slang.
9. The tone is intelligible, informational, and even passionate. Whitman shows that he knows much about the topic, and is passionate about describing his thoughts to the reader. The last paragraph really shows how fascinated Whitman is by including exclamation points.
10. In Whitman’s poems he often uses slang, and most of his work is free verse. Also, Whitman was a traveler and likely visited most of the places mentioned in the essay. He probably heard slang from across the country first-hand.
11. One word that has a slang meaning is “wicked”, often used in New England. It’s literal meaning is evil, but as a slang term it means something closer to awesome or amazing. The term has escaped its literal meaning and become something else.
12. What Dalzell says is true. Slang is a language used primarily by youth, I know this because I myself use slang language often.  

Mother Tongue

In Mother Tongue by Amy Tan, it is discussed how much language influences our lives. Tan talks specifically about her mother who speaks what can only be described as "broken" English. Her mothers English is difficult for some to understand, but to Tan it is easily understandable. AT one point in the essay Tan includes a direct quote from her mother. The quote is relatively long, but Tan includes the entirety of it. She does this because the focus of her writing is her mothers speech. She want to show the reader how her mother speaks by including this specific example. If she had shortened or edited it, the piece would not have the same effect on the reader. By reading the quote it becomes obvious just how "broken" her mothers English is.
A few times in the essay, Tan criticizes herself. She does not like to use the term "broken" or "limited English", but lacks any other way to say it. At another point she criticizes her past work and how proper her English was written. Tan used impressive words, and perfect grammar, to the point that it became slightly pretentious. I believe that Tan may have done this in an attempt to impress the reader.  Her origin may cause some to automatically expect her to speak unimpressive English. She wanted to prove them wrong. However, in doing this she found that her writing lost its humanity. The English in which she wrote was so impeccable, that it became something difficult to read. For this reason, she looks back on her previous work with criticism.
In the last few paragraphs Tan discusses how she realized that she wanted her work to be readable. So rather than hold it to the highest of standards, she instead writes with her mother in mind. Tan decided that she would write english in a way that her mother could understand and read.

Where's Your Home?

The word "home" often carries a different meaning depending on who you ask. Some may simply state that home is where you live, or your house. Others might say that home is where you're from, or where you grew up, and you'll always get that one person that says something like "home is where the heart is" (such beautiful poetry). The point is, "home" does not have much of a solid definition.
I believe that home is wherever one feels most comfortable. Home is the place where you can escape from the rest of the world to feel more at ease. For me "home" is my room, which doesn't seem like much of a home to some, but it perfectly fits my definition. My room is the epitome of comfort for myself, and I will briefly explain why. Somehow, I managed to get the biggest bedroom in the house (my parents are still upset about the missed opportunity). I have worked hard to make my room a comfortable place with a positive atmosphere. Plants on the windowsill, a bookcase full of books, a collection of small glass bottles, a wall covered in drawings, my computer and laptop, and lots of pillows on my bed. These are the things that make my room more of a home. Whenever I am feeling stressed I can always retreat to my "home" to recover. This is how I define home.
Some people believe that where you are born is your home. Although this may be true for some, I don't believe it is always the case. Some people are born in one country, but find themselves living in another. Often times they will considered the country where they live to be home. Others do indeed consider their place of origin to be their home. One may live in America, but recognize Africa as home. Home is wherever you choose it to be. Sometimes it is where you live, other times it's where you feel the most comfortable. Home can be where you are loved an welcomed. It can be a place you made, or a place you found. It all comes down to one's own definition of home.

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Activism

In the article "Small Change Why the Revolution Will Not be Tweeted" the author, Malcolm Gladwell, talks about activism and how social media has changed it. After reading the article I have come to some personal conclusions and opinions on the topic. The biggest question being asked is whether or not activism is effective on social media. It cannot be denied that social media is one of the fastest ways to spread information, and get one's voice heard.  However, it cannot replace real world activism. Social media is simply too unorganized, or loosely grouped. People come together under a common cause, but fall apart when it comes to specifics on how this or that should be.
Seeing real world activism is far more powerful than reading about it on a screen. When we see real people standing up for what they believe in, or fighting for change we are inspired to do the same. Seeing is believing and images can be more powerful than words. A video of protestors is likely to get more attention than an article. Social media's best use would be to assist in the spread of real world activism. Showing videos, sharing articles, and keeping everyone up to date on activism in real life is social medias most powerful tool.
In the end, I believe that real world activism will always be above social media activism. Social media can serve has it's purposes, maybe this isn't one of them.

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