Scar: Family and honor or individual family member?

The story titled Scar narrated by An-Mei HSU. In this story is about a little girl name An-Mei that is living with her Popo or Grandmother, her aunt, her uncle, and little brother. While she is living with them her grandmother tells her that if she ever motioned her mother’s name or any part of her mother he would have a certain curse that will ruin her life. Basically her grandmother is threatening her that if she mentioned her mother’s name or something she wants to know she would be cursed.

“In those days a ghost was anything we were forbidden to talk about So i knew Popo wanted me to forget my mother on purpose, and this is how i came to remember nothing of her... But i often heard storied of ghost who tried to take children away, especially strong willed little girls who were disobedient... All my life, Popo scared me,”(Tan 42).

This was basically what happened in the story. Her grandmother tried to make her forget her own mother just because she married a new man and forced to leave her home and her children.

Now, the prompt said how do you think An-mei and her mother would respond to "Family and honor should take priority over the rights of the individual family member."? Well An-mei and her mother would probably be neutral because it is hard to look for evidence for An-mei’s thought of family honor versus an individual family member. Ever since An-mei was a little girl, her Popo told her that her mother is a disgrace to the family and that her grandmother has been telling stories about disobeying the family that a ghost will capture her. So it is hard for her to choose whether to listen to her grandmother of listen to herself. It is a win lose decision. In the other hand, her mother wanted to come back to the family, she believed that the family’s honor should come first. After being kicked out of the house for a long time, she wanted to return home. She did anything to come back home. In the end she was there with her mother,

“This is how a daughter honors her mother. It is shou so deep it is in your bones. The pain of the flesh is nothing. The pain you must forget. Because sometimes that is the only way to remember what is in your bones. You must peel off your skin, and that of your mother, and her mother before her. Until, there is nothing. No scar, no skin, no flesh,” (Tan 48).

Family is important to her and nothing else and all she wanted was to be forgiven. It just proves that family is important to An-Mei’s mother because even though she was a disgrace to the family she was there with her mother as she dies in her death bed. Family honor is important to An-mei’s mother and a little bit from An-mei. In the end family honor wins rather an individual family member.

Dislike Amy Chua's Article "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior" (Reponse Post)

In Amy Chua’s Article titled Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior and she also written the book Tiger Mom. She explains in her article how a Chinese mother controls her child and how a Western mom or parents different from each other. There was a part in the article that explains about that children should repay their parents.

“Second, Chinese parents believe that their kids owe them everything. The reason for this is a little unclear, but it's probably a combination of Confucian filial piety and the fact that the parents have sacrificed and done so much for their children. (And it's true that Chinese mothers get in the trenches, putting in long grueling hours personally tutoring, training, interrogating and spying on their kids.) Anyway, the understanding is that Chinese children must spend their lives repaying their parents by obeying them and making them proud.”

I personally do not believe in her idea that children should repay their parents, even if they are rude, strict, and horrible parents. I think that it is the childrens' decision to whether repay their parents. If the parents were guiding their children , helpful, and supportive then they have the chance for the kids to help them. But if the parents are rude, strict, mean, and intimidating - like Amy Chua - . Then there are less chance that the kids would repay their parent. For example, if my parents were like Amy Chua to me or my lilt brother, within the future i would not repay my parents i would just leave them in a nursing home. Even they gave me a shelter and food to eat, I would not care because my parents would off made my childhood memories a living hell. In conclusion, it all depend on how the parents treat their children and how the children reacts to their parents action towards them.

Honduras=Animal Farm

There is a connection with George Orwell’s book Animal Farm and to the event that happened in Honduras. From my observation Animal Farm connect is some little way with Honduran government. In book they talk about their Constitution and over the course of time they change their Constitution and not everyone body agrees to it. Similar thing that happened in Honduras. Their president Mr. Manuel Zelaya tried to change their Constitution to make his presidency longer. And the military people of Honduras did not agree to his conditions of making his presidency longer. In the New york Times said, that “ President Manuel Zelaya of Honduras was ousted by the army on Sunday, capping months of tensions over his efforts to lift presidential
term limits.” To the military people did not agree with with his terms and the military only did that to protect the law and doing their jobs.

In the Animal Farm they did change their Constitution as time pass by, but no one tried to stop Napoleon and the other animals that was in charge from changing the Constitution. And he also declared that will be the only leader with one disagreeing or agreeing with him. At sparknotes it said, “Squealer explains to them that Napoleon is making a great sacrifice in taking the leadership responsibilities upon himself and that, as the cleverest animal, he serves the best interest of all by making the decisions.” It is another way of dictating, similar to the president at Honduras. He probably want to expand his presidency because he want to dictate over Honduras.
With the connections i saw from Animal Farm and Honduras it explains how George Orwell’s writing is true. That his writing about government and power could happen anytime at the governments around the world or it is currently happening in the world. - The only difference i see is that in Animal Farm the animals do not fight back, but in reality people revolt and fight for what they believe in. So i was wondering did George Orwell ever thought of this happening to world or he did not. -

Chapter 11 - Human Revenge

Years after the animals took over the their owner’s farm, and renamed it into Animal Farm, everything was normal. Napoleon was still in power, dogs weakening because of old age, and secrets were leaking.With-in the farm someone had been a spy. In the dark night, rustling, and whispering was heard. No one paid any attention to it,they thought it could be just a a wild rabbit or crickets. They did not know that it was one of the animals from Animal Farm telling secrets to the humans about Napoleon's plan to take over England.

Once in a while, the dogs would hear these sounds, until one of them got irritated, and he peeked through the bushes in the dark night, he saw a big animal with a long tail and a bow in it. He realized it was Clover, a trusted animal. For over two years she had been telling humans some of Napoleon's plan. At the end of each month, she would sneak out and make an excuse like “I am just going for a run” or “ I am just getting air”. While the other animals does their own activities, she is in the dark across from the Animal Farm talking to a human about what was currently happening in the farm and what Napoleon was planning. After she told all the secrets of the farm, the human gives her carrots, lettuce, and cabbages.

As time went on, Napoleon noticed something was different. He had a feeling in his guts that something was wrong. Then suspected that someone is a spy within his group. Clover was shaking, sweating, and has cold hooves, as Napoleon was walking slowly towards her. He saw a drop of sweat coming down from her head to the floor. He asked “Why are you sweating, Clover? Do you have anything to say?” he said suspiciously and Clover did not answer him, but with a blank stare from her eyes. From there on he had his eyes close on to Clover. He had some of his best dogs report back to him when they noticed something suspicious about her. But Clover was quick, she caught on that Napoleon was watching her, so she told the humans to meet somewhere else. They met at the far end of the field, that took hours to go to, but since she is a horse she got there within less than an hour. That was their new meeting place, until one day when everything changed.

As usual, Clover met with the humans at night in the end of the field of corn. When she got there she did not see the humans. Napoleon had created a forged letter from Clover saying that she would not be able to meet, and the humans believed her it. So when Clover arrived in the end of the field she saw nothing, but tumble weeds. When they did not meet the humans was planing with a group of men on how to attach the Animal Farm. But clover did not know that her job as a spy would not be permanent. The humans were planning to get rid off her after they are done with animal farm.

After months of planning, they attack! The animals saw shadows of humans running toward the farm. The animals were defenseless. They had no weapons to protect them-selves, so they went on a head on collision. It was brutal war. Groats were biting the humans’ bottoms, humans were kicking animals, horses were stomping on people. They called it The Battle of the Cow Shed II. While the humans and the animals were fighting, within the horizon a huge machine was brought into battle. the humans called it Machine 2011. The animals did not suspect this, this weapon was meant to destroy all animals that was in it’s way. little by little the animals was dieing including Clover. All was left was Napoleon in this little corner surrounded by all humans. Since the humans had feeling and compassion, they left him running for the wind going through the forest.

The war was done. Everything was back to normal, the humans were back on top of the chart. They ruled over the farm. Everything was in it’s place. Everyone was in peace. And so they thought. After hearing about the revolution the animal farms did, the see animals was to gain respect from the humans too. Soon enough the sea creatures will attack and become rulers of the Seas.

rebuttal opeing statment.

Kyle’s opening is great, i agree on some of points that the government should lower the age limit of the voting age from the age of eight-teen to the age of sixteen. For example, one of his paragraph that says, “ I say it should, as lowering the voting age to six-teen will provide the option to young adults to vote on matters that will affect them when they are adults.” I agree with his sentence, but it is more likely to be an opinion. Because i do not not see any factual or outside resources supporting his idea, it is more likely to be an opinion. Also at his last paragraph or his conclusion paragraph he wrote, “ At six-teen, students are able to work a job and therefore pay taxes, so why shouldn't they have the right to vote too?” And when he said At six-teen, students are able to work a job and therefore pay taxes. I agree to him that at age sixteen, teens are able to get jobs during the summer or get permission to the school and parents for the job. But i never knew that sixteen could pay taxes because when i am sixteen i do not see any mail saying i have to pay taxes or at least a law that at sixteen i have to pay taxes. So i his part of of his sentence is not a factual sentences. It did not have a right fact. So he has some areas that are no facted correct and has no supporting evidence to support his idea.
There are more areas that did not make sense, one is on his conclusion paragraph that says, “ A lowered voting age would prove nothing but beneficial as having a wider base would be more fair and provide a cleaner point of view than older generations past.” When kyle wrote cleaner point of view than older generations past, i did not understand what he is trying to say. Is he trying to conclude his his two other paragraphs into one sentence or creating a new point. It was confusing to understand his idea at that sentence. At his second paragraph in the first sentences said, “ Students that are taught politics in school are politically active and denying their right to do so is destroying a useful voter base to stem stalemates between two parties.” i do not see any connection to his idea of teen voting. The other is on his first paragraph that said, “ The voter age has been eighteen because people at that age seem to be educated enough to know what they are voting for...,”. he just repeated his first sentence and added more words in the end of the sentences. Basically his opening statement has the lack of evidence, some sentences has no connection to idea, and just some parts are repetitive.

English language VS. Orwell

Orwell has written many essays, books, and so on. The one I am writing about is Orwell’s essay titled Politics and the English Language. His essay was mainly about people say that “we cannot save our English language”, and he argues that the people can, but is is just a unreasonable idea. He also argues that language does develop over time, but he contradicts himself on the second paragraph. He continues to explain that by our sloppy thoughts we have bad English language. Finally concludes that if someone gets rid of the “bad language”, then they are politically smart and a proper English Language speaker. The main idea is to explain that people that think foolishly, cannot speak English properly.

Orwell’s writing is interesting, but the diction he uses and the way he explains his ideas are hard to understand. There is one area in the passage that was confusing for me. It said, “ … it is not due simply to the bad influence of this or that individual writer. But an effect can become a cause, reinforcing the original cause and producing the same effect in an intensified form and so on indefinitely,”. When i got to this sentence i got confused, i asked myself what is he talking about or in English please. When i read this question i did not know if it had to do with the prompt or was it just a sentence clutter. There was also one sentence that did not connect me to the main point of Orwell. He wrote, “ Out civilization is decadent and our language -- so the argument runs -- must inevitably share in the general collapse,”. It has has probably have to do with the English language, but does the civilization have to do with anything and when he said must inevitably share in the general collapse, what does he mean by collapse and inevitably share? His two beginning paragraphs did not much connect with the idea.

While rereading the entire passage or trying to figure out what a word means or a sentence means, i came across a contradiction to his two beginning paragraph. It said, “ Underneath this lies the half-conscious belief that language is a natural growth and not an instrument which we shape for our own purpose,”. Orwell believes that the English Language is a more of a natural growth, but not used a very day tool. And he contradicts himself at the second paragraph that says, “ It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts,”. Now he explains that with the growth of the language it makes a man’s thoughts are foolish and when it comes to his writing it too becomes foolish. Basically he means that the humans gets influence with the current language style and makes a man’s thoughts and writing bad. When i first read those two sentence it contradicts Orwell’s essay, but i also disagree and agree with him. When Orwell wrote his conclusion sentence for the first paragraph, i agree with him. I agree that language does change during the course of time. Starting in the beginning of time to the twenty first century, the words, grammar and the language change. No one can stop the progress of the changing English language. With the development of the world, there are a lot of things that changes too like, the technology, marriages, and the English Language. In the world there are now many styles of English. There are slang, country, and so on. We can’t control on how we learn the English language, we instantly get influence with our everyday lifestyle. When he wrote the third sentence on his second paragraph it confused me there. Because i though he supports the idea of English language is changing, but it did not. He explains that with growth of English language it makes that mind of humans think and write foolishly. And now i disagree with him because the growth of the English Language does not have to do with the person’s thinking. It is mostly on the the person’s of how he comprehended the language. It depends on how the persons thinks whether he or she can think critical or not. It is is the way their brain function and how fast they get to understand the language. Like i said earlier, we cannot control on how we to speak English language proper, each person has its own interpretations. By him saying that it is make it easier for us to have foolish thoughts, he is portraying that English language development is making the humans speak and write foolishly. In conclusion Orwell’s piece is about the English language is growing and changes in over time and that he does not approve it changing. And how well they could comprehend the idea.

Should Teens Be Allowed To Vote? : opening statemnet.

There many teenagers that get their permit by the age of sixteen and there are teens that can get a job by the age of seventeen. Now, should teenagers allowed to vote? There many many reasons that teens should have a say on the political elections and the government. And voting is a chance for teens’ opinions to be heard. For my perspective that teens should be allowed to vote because it is a chance for them to practice out their rights of being a citizen, and being independent in selecting the right candidate to help solve the current problems in the nation. The website called Youthrights.org has an article titled Top Ten Reasons To Lower the Voting Age. In the he end it has a sentence explaining that teenagers voting will be a great experience. “Lowering the voting age may not be the magic bullet to improve the lives of youth, but by giving them a real stake in their futures and their present lives it will push them to become involved, active citizens of this great nation.” It explains that if teens are allowed to vote, they will have a great chance to experience being responsible and independent, and also being active in the nation’s political problems.

With the the issues coming in and out of people’s live, they barely have chance to look at the issues that is affecting the teens. For one thing, the education. There are many Districts across America has it either to cut schools or close down. In the same website, but different article titled Proposal to Lower the Voting Age by Keith Mandel, explains how the youth cannot vote connects with the problem. the article said, “Another issue too often neglected by government is education. Throughout America, classes are crowded, school buildings are delapitated and test scores are down. This is especially true in the District, where in 14 of the 18 public high schools, 94% of the students tested below grade in mathematics.A survey by the District’s Financial Control Board found that 12% of classrooms lacked textbooks when the 1996-97 school year began and 20% lacked other important instructional supplies.” As people can see, that the issue affecting the teens by the low supplies and budgets to have an education. With the youth voting, they could chose someone to help them over coming the problem and finally have a stable education. The main point is that with teens voting there are more chances their will be a better future.