Analytic Snapshot:"Veil of Fears"

Genre: Social Criticism along with some political criticism

Purpose: The author argued that we can not apply Western values to everyone. Michael Kurtz is a writer who mostly talks about civil rights issues. In his paper he tries to show that it is ignorant and unfair for people to push their beliefs on others. He urges the audience to move out of their ignorance and to learn more about other cultures.

Central Message: We must look past superficial judgements, which are “mistaken and dangerous,” not force our culture on the Middle East, and allow for the gradual modernization of the Middle East.

World View and Assumptions: Kurtz sees the political process as a better option than violence or force. He believes in equality but within the context of each culture. Kurtz thinks that no culture is better than the other, just different. Kurtz assumes that different cultures try to improve other people by spreading their beliefs. He assumes that people are ignorant of certain aspects of foreign cultures, and because of their ignorance, force their beliefs on others.

Use of Tools/Evidence: Kurtz calls on examples of the past (Iran and Afghanistan) to make his point clear. He takes the counter-arguments and gives evidence that disproves them (poverty leads to terrorism). Kurtz explains Muslim tradition using reasoning that is sensible to a Western audience(tribe and family loyalty as a reason for veiling). He points out contradictions in the counter-argument (the ignorance of the Western claims that veils are forced on the women).

Assignment: Personal Narrative Review

What is there to say about personal narratives? First, it was not as hard as I thought it was going to be. Once I decided on my topic, I just poured out everything I remembered. This strategy worked well because I did not have to worry if I would have enough material to cover four pages. The only problem I had was letting go of my favorite parts. Revising is a painful process. When I think of revising, I feel like I am getting the life sucked out of me. Once I started revising my paper, it went well. I learned that reading aloud is a great help for catching your errors or weak areas. Something about listening to your writing just high lights your mistakes. My only regret about the personal narrative is my opening. I felt like I had a good hook for the essay, but as I sat in class I started kicking myself. I realized the opening was cliche and had a weak sentence structure.Sitting in class I just wanted to pull out a pen and change up my writing. I don’t think that would have gone over well with Sister Elliott. On the bright side, the personal narrative helped me to remember a fond memory and to understand myself more. I plan on keeping the paper so I can have it as a sort of journal. The narrative also helped me understand myself because I had to put my actions into context and see how other people would think about them. Putting yourself out there like that is nerve racking and made the personal narrative difficult.  

Assignment: Personal Narrative Progress

At first I thought the personal narrative would be easy. As I sat down to write it became extremely difficult. I began writing last night. It sounded like a good idea when I first planned to do it: I’d be able to ask questions about the problems I was having and I would not have much to do this weekend with the big game. When I stared at the blank screen on my computer my mind also went blank. I thought I would write about how my ears stick out more than most peoples and how I was teased for it when I was little. I worried that this would sound like a pity story. I was planning on making it funny and I would show how I came to not care about my appearance. It was hard to get words on paper, and as I began to make some progress I realized it was more of a personal essay than a narrative. I figured the problem was that it was late at night. I thought I would be able to fix it when I worked on it in the morning. When I worked on it today I could not figure out how to turn it into a narrative. I gave up on my page and a half of writing and tried to find a new topic. It was hard enough to figure out my first topic so finding another one was like pulling teeth. I tried to do some free writing like was suggested in Why Write. This helped to get my thoughts moving, and I was able to settle on a new topic. Hopefully this one goes better than the last.

Assignment: Loving Unconditionally

Greta Ballif shares her experience of taking care of her grandmother in “Caregiver.”  Ballif talks about a night in which she is supposed to take care of her elderly grandma. She recounts the simple tasks that she had to do and layers in her thoughts giving meaning to what she was doing. This popular form of personal narrative writing is effective for this type of story. It helps to understand what the person was going through. Often menial things have great meaning depending on the context. Helping someone get ready for bed could be seen as a chore, but the author began to love her grandma more because of what she was doing. Not only did she appreciate Alice more, but Ballif was grateful for her own abilities.

            My own grandma is beginning to age quickly and struggles to live on her own. It is difficult to see relatives struggle to do the things they could once do with no thought. When you come into life you are helpless, and as you leave this life you are reliant on others for your well being. This causes many elderly people trouble as they adapt to being dependent again. The narrative reminds me to treasure the time I have with my grandparents before they pass on. Hearing their stories and insights has been a great blessing to me. I have learned to appreciate the small things in life from seeing my grandparents age.  This helped me to relate to the author as she watched Alice struggle out of her wheel chair to change. 

Favorite Quotes from the readings

"I felt embarrassed, embarrassed for plummeting so suddenly into the deepest intimacies of my father's life, embarrassed for absorbing my mother's precious time those two years ago, embarrassed for being ignorant to her sacrifices for me, and embarrassed that, for the first time, I realized my father was capable of feeling shame and sadness and failure, just as I was." My Father's Sketch Book

"It is in our family that our Christ-like attributes. like forgiveness and patience, are tested the most." Families (that have been torn, re-cut with dull scissors, and then messily glued back together) Are Forever"

Thoughts on "Love Story Fades to Black"

Michael Potter tells of his first encounter with his high school sweetheart after his mission in “Love Story Fades to Black.” He intends to restart the relationship in a dramatic fashion, just the way it ended before his mission. His sweetheart had other ideas. She has since made many friends and dated other guys. This situation is consuming many of the freshmen at BYU. The men are trying to get girls to write them; the girls pretend to like them as they wait for Prince Charming R.M. to come sweep them off of their feet. This personal narrative acted as a warning for me to be ready for the Dear John letter.

Reading about Potter’s experience made me feel bad for him. His personal life was on hold while he was away for two years, but everyone else he knew continued on through life. Missions can be difficult on relationships; time and distance apart will either help you grow together or apart. His struggle to relate to his friend shows the adjustment it is to transition back into real life for missionaries. I have seen this with my own siblings as they return from their missions. There is an awkward period because they are not used to being on their own and doing casual things like watch television. Potter over thought and clumsy attempts at restarting his relationship with his sweetheart reminded me of my siblings as they returned to normal life after their missions.

While relating his story, Michael Potter used a well developed voice in his writing. With his personal narrative being semi-humorous, his dramatic yet comical tone worked well. Potter was able to quickly establish a relationship with his audience. I felt as if one of my friends was sharing their story of heart break to me so we could share a laugh.

Me in 100 (or so) words

I was born and raised in Torrance, CA. This is my first time living out of the LA area. I love going to the beach and hanging out. Sports are a large part of my life. The Lakers are my favorite team, but I am stoked for BYU football and basketball. My favorite kind of music is alternative, i.e. The Strokes, The Airborne Toxic Event. I love my family; they are the best. I hate when people are disingenuous. My pet peeves are when people take forever to text back and when people grunt obnoxiously while lifting weights.