Adam Cole
Lauren servais
English 100
25 February 2010
“What is the Significance of the Title”
This is one of those writings that I found so enjoyable, I actually insisted that my two daughters read it as well. I also talked my girlfriend into reading it as well. This text from the very beginning had me hooked. Something that I have found that keeps me interested in reading is how the writer uses comparisons. When the writer uses metaphors, similes and other figures of speech, they tend to grab my imagination and keep me reading waiting to see what is going to be said next. This text has defiantly captured my attention.
From the start, the title “Shooting Dad” had my imagination going. What did it mean? I knew that it did not mean its exact comparison. I just did not know where it would end. As I read the essay, the writers use of metaphors had me guessing as to the value of the title and had me thinking something other than what it actually turned out to be. I knew it was not going to be a negative conclusion because the relationship the daughter had with her father. Still I did not know where it would end.
After having a lot of laughs reading this essay and reminiscing about the fun and good times that I have had with my daughters teaching them how to properly take care of, handle and shoot guns. Also taking the time with my daughters to teach them my real hobby and that is restoring old cars. Both the subject of guns and cars are important to my relating to this text. In the end of this essay when the author is talking about her father having his daughters stuffing him into paper bags and blowing him out of the cannon he has built has a relation to my dying request. I to have asked my daughters to cremate me and then feed my ashes down the intake of my personal car until the engine freezes, making me a permanent part of where I have found so much peace. And just as in the essay, his daughters will do it, mine have said the same. I love my girls. They are the best.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
coming home again
What is the importance of food in this essay?
In the essay “Coming Home Again” the importance of food in this man’s life is the fact that it reminds him of his mother and the family life he was so fond of. Food is a way to keep his mothers memories from disappearing. It also reminds him of when he was young and the value his mother has taught him in preparing meals.
His fondest memories were of his mother cooking in the kitchen. Cooking up great meals with aromatic smells filling the house. Food was definitely an important part of their lives and this can be seen throughout the entire essay. He cherishes the memories of his mother in the kitchen preparing meals. He goes in great detail of his mother as she puts a meal together. This is so important that he decided to take on the role of the cook in the house. After she becomes sick, he takes on this role and has only memories of her laying ingredients out and the aromas of them to try and duplicate her recipes, something his mother never wrote down.
Every once in a while before she had passed, his mother would try to help him in the only way she could. She would come into the kitchen and sit down and ask him what he is doing. Then she would show him everything he was doing wrong and tell him the right way. His memory of his mother doing this is something that he cherishes and hates at the same time.
The story shows that even after her death, his desire to cook meals continued. He would try and cook a meal as his mother did for his father. But it never turned out the same, she was truly the cook and he knew it. But it did keep her memory alive and I believe that is truly what he wanted.
In the essay “Coming Home Again” the importance of food in this man’s life is the fact that it reminds him of his mother and the family life he was so fond of. Food is a way to keep his mothers memories from disappearing. It also reminds him of when he was young and the value his mother has taught him in preparing meals.
His fondest memories were of his mother cooking in the kitchen. Cooking up great meals with aromatic smells filling the house. Food was definitely an important part of their lives and this can be seen throughout the entire essay. He cherishes the memories of his mother in the kitchen preparing meals. He goes in great detail of his mother as she puts a meal together. This is so important that he decided to take on the role of the cook in the house. After she becomes sick, he takes on this role and has only memories of her laying ingredients out and the aromas of them to try and duplicate her recipes, something his mother never wrote down.
Every once in a while before she had passed, his mother would try to help him in the only way she could. She would come into the kitchen and sit down and ask him what he is doing. Then she would show him everything he was doing wrong and tell him the right way. His memory of his mother doing this is something that he cherishes and hates at the same time.
The story shows that even after her death, his desire to cook meals continued. He would try and cook a meal as his mother did for his father. But it never turned out the same, she was truly the cook and he knew it. But it did keep her memory alive and I believe that is truly what he wanted.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Chapter 47 Summary
Chapter 47 is about putting together a topic that can be debated, a topic that one can agree or disagree with what is written. When writing this topic, it is necessary to construct it in a manner that has certain elements included so that the reader understands what you are saying, where you found this information, why it is an important topic and something that does not push them away when reading but rather draws them into wanting to include their opinion.
Chapter 47 teaches us how to write an argument in a reasonable manner. It also shows us the importance of properly researching the issue so that all avenues are covered and your readers feel you are credible. They need to believe that you have researched the issue before they can believe or argue the issue. Also any research that you have done need the proper credit to its author and doing this further allows the reader to recheck your statement and also allows them to further their own research. This chapter also shows us that using facts, statistics, examples and illustrations further solidifies the information you have provided allowing your readers to feel comfortable with what is told to them.
One thing I have done in my past is a lot of sales in different modalities. Reading this chapter makes me think about the similarities it has with sales. Now I am able to tie my past sales experience with my writing via the information provided in this book. I will also be aware of how passive or aggressive I write text that involves arguments. Also something I have not done much in the past that I will be doing more of is to give credit where it is due.
Chapter 47 teaches us how to write an argument in a reasonable manner. It also shows us the importance of properly researching the issue so that all avenues are covered and your readers feel you are credible. They need to believe that you have researched the issue before they can believe or argue the issue. Also any research that you have done need the proper credit to its author and doing this further allows the reader to recheck your statement and also allows them to further their own research. This chapter also shows us that using facts, statistics, examples and illustrations further solidifies the information you have provided allowing your readers to feel comfortable with what is told to them.
One thing I have done in my past is a lot of sales in different modalities. Reading this chapter makes me think about the similarities it has with sales. Now I am able to tie my past sales experience with my writing via the information provided in this book. I will also be aware of how passive or aggressive I write text that involves arguments. Also something I have not done much in the past that I will be doing more of is to give credit where it is due.
chapter 46 summary
Chapter 46 talks of writing about texts of various sorts. It talks about the value of certain pieces of information included in your writing. Also about how to pull out as much information of the text you are writing. How to actively read a text whether it is written or is a picture. It gives you ideas of what to look for to utilize the text as best possible.
It is interesting as to the many different types of text there are and the book gives us a few of those to go by. It shows us that responding to a text usually requires us to include a summary, an analysis or both. We are told of a couple of techniques that will help us in our writing. Annotating and outlining the key points. By actively reading or annotating the text it shows us that we can make more since of the text and we will typically find meaning that we would usually fail to see. Annotating allows you to become familiar with the purpose of the text. It also allows you to see things that you typically would pass over. Another thing it does is gives you the opportunity to take the time and learn new words or phrases by looking them up.
Chapter 46 also gives us some helpful information on writing a good summary such as keeping it brief. Also focus on the main points and to not add anything extra. We need to remember that we are just summarizing what is already there. Also in analyzing a text, we are looking at how a text makes its point. I like on page 353 where it states that if we have written a summary of the text, we can use its main points to help with our analysis.
I am further fascinated by this book. It really has helped me and woke me up to the options that we have when writing in different forms. I have only recently learned about annotating (as odd as that may sound) and I find it is actually fun to dissect a piece of written text. When I have summarized text in the past, I have done it in a happenstance way. Now with new information and a proper procedure to follow, I will be able to write a better summary. This same goes for analyzing text.
It is interesting as to the many different types of text there are and the book gives us a few of those to go by. It shows us that responding to a text usually requires us to include a summary, an analysis or both. We are told of a couple of techniques that will help us in our writing. Annotating and outlining the key points. By actively reading or annotating the text it shows us that we can make more since of the text and we will typically find meaning that we would usually fail to see. Annotating allows you to become familiar with the purpose of the text. It also allows you to see things that you typically would pass over. Another thing it does is gives you the opportunity to take the time and learn new words or phrases by looking them up.
Chapter 46 also gives us some helpful information on writing a good summary such as keeping it brief. Also focus on the main points and to not add anything extra. We need to remember that we are just summarizing what is already there. Also in analyzing a text, we are looking at how a text makes its point. I like on page 353 where it states that if we have written a summary of the text, we can use its main points to help with our analysis.
I am further fascinated by this book. It really has helped me and woke me up to the options that we have when writing in different forms. I have only recently learned about annotating (as odd as that may sound) and I find it is actually fun to dissect a piece of written text. When I have summarized text in the past, I have done it in a happenstance way. Now with new information and a proper procedure to follow, I will be able to write a better summary. This same goes for analyzing text.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Essay 1 draft
Adam Cole
Lauren Servais
English 100
5 February 2010
It becomes my escape
In this world, we all have something or someplace that we run to for peace of mind or to allow ourselves to escape the pressures of this world. My oldest daughter turns to going to her friend’s house. There are no rules there, she feels comfortable with her friend and family. My youngest daughter turns to her dog. That dog has become her pacifier. They are best of friends and rely on each other for support. My girlfriends escape is me. There is nothing more that calms her than to be in my arms. When she is having a rough day, she runs to me so that I may hold her and take all the pressure away. But for me, my escape is also a living thing. Though it is mechanical and it is man-made, it still has its own heart and soul. This escape is a car. It is not just any car though. This car becomes one with me whenever I sit in it. And as soon as we meld together, the rest of life comes second to us.
This car is no ordinary car. It is sleek and low to the ground. It is light and agile. It is a brilliant black, not just a regular black but the black that glows in the sun and disappears at night. There are no sharp lines on this ride. All lines are smooth and seem endless. People have compared it to the bat mobile, mysterious and suspicious. It has a sinister look to it as if you were to mess with it, it would bite back. It also looks like it is going 180 miles an hour just sitting still. Very few people have ever seen this car on the road, in a magazine or in a showroom. It is truly mysterious.
When you venture into its cockpit, you immediately notice it is not like other cars. The multitude of gauges, navigation, and radar detecting/jamming devices tells you this car is made for a specific purpose. That is to go fast and not get caught doing so. As you set in the driver’s seat, you notice the way it forms to your body and does not let you move. It holds you like a cocoon. You definitely feel as if you and this vehicle become one. You look around you and everything you need to keep you and this car alive is in easy sight while keeping your eyes on the road. The instrumentation resembles that of a jet airplane. All of this may be intimidating to some, to me it is home.
Now it’s time to bring this steed to life and with the flick of my wrist, the whine of the starter is noticeable and then with a thunderous roar, the engine comes alive. My heart starts beating a little faster with the anticipation of getting on the road. But as all of us need to wake slowly, so does this. So I wait and wait…. And wait for what seems like hours (its really just minutes) and then finally the engine is warm and the steed is ready to run.
Its 5am Sunday morning. I roll out the driveway of my house and slowly roll down the street. I have a long drive before I get to my intended destination. I will meet others like myself. Ones that are into the game of chase. But this is not like most people play chase. Our game of chase requires the use of 2700 pounds of steel, carbon fiber, and various other composites. These steeds are fire breathing, high horsepowered highly tuned machines that are made for one thing only and that is to run as fast as they can. There are five of us that show up this morning.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)