The Omnivore's Dilemma

There were a lot of details that caught my eye in this reading.  This reading was very similar to the Stuff Video we watched in class. As consumers it showed us the full picture of what was going on, instead of what we thought was going on. I didn't know that corn could be so expensive, and that a lot of people/animals can suffer from the consequences of corn-fed cows. As I read the article I was confused as to why the author could see the harm his steer were causing, and not remove his steer from that facility. I think this article does present people with quite a dilemma, but like the ending of the article I feel like most people will go back to eating corn-fed cows, including myself.

Chapter 7- The Everyday Writer

A good essay is organized, and is written so that the reader can understand it. I think I could use outlines to my advantage when writing essays. I tend to outline things in my mind, but by writing it down with specific examples I want to include can help me get to the point without dragging on. I like the formal outline and the linear organization options, because it shows the flow of things.

Is This Kansas: Claim

Eula Biss believes that the University of Iowa, and its students do not have the midwestern hospitality that she expected. Biss argues that the university doesn't care for anything more than itself, and that the students are too wrapped up in their college life. When the community is hit by a storm, Biss writes, "It was a version of the usual Thursday-night carnival, but set against the backdrop, this time, of disaster. And that backdrop revealed the carnival for what it was." Biss had some negative views against the type of community she found herself living in. In Is This Kansas, Eula Biss uses tone, imagery, and narration to describe her experiences and observations in Iowa City.

Grizzly Man

1. I believe that Herzog revealed Treadwell's death early in the film because it makes the viewer question what led up to this. It also changed the outline of the film. Herzog keeps information about Treadwell's life growing up until much later, because it allows the viewers to make their own assumptions before his credibility was questioned.
2. Using "I believe" as Herzog narrates the film makes his credibility questionable because he doesn't sound sure in himself. He enters the film when he listens to the audio of Treadwell's death, and by his reaction the viewers can tell how horrible it is.
3. Some of Treadwell's friends saw him as a mentally unstable guy, while others thought he was smarter than he was given credit for. The opinions about Treadwell were back and forth, much like Treadwell's personality. Herzog questioned Treadwell's intentions several times throughout the film which made Treadwell seem weird.
4. Treadwell thought he was "protecting" the bears, and doing good, but I think he was causing harm. Treadwell stayed in an area where the bears were protected, because it was a national state park. He made the bears think all humans were nice and wouldn't harm them, which could one day be the reason they die. Treadwell also violated several park rules, which could have harmed the bears as well. I believe Herzog made this film partially as a tribute to Treadwell, but also to show what he was doing wasn't helping.
5. Through the film you could tell that Treadwell was clearly more comfortable in the wild with the bears. Amie knew the difference between the human world and the animal world, but never brought him back before his death. Treadwell clearly crossed many lines that are unspoken between the human world and the animal world.
6.  "I believe the common denominator of the universe is not harmony, but chaos, hostility, and murder." The world will always have hostility and murder, but that is what keeps the world in equilibrium. While Treadwell spent time with the bears you could tell he never thought anything bad would happen to his "friends." It was almost as if he failed to recognize predators.  He knew the human world was imperfect, but he wanted the bear world to be perfect which is impossible. This ties into the movie because although he felt things were better in the wild, Treadwell became part of the life cycle out there.
7. They didn't release the audio because it would be too emotional and horrible to listen to. There are certain people in this world that never need to hear it, and as viewers it isn't our place to hear Treadwell's and Amie's last minutes. Herzog presented the tape by him listening to it, and the coroner describing what was on it.
8. We learned the Treadwell had a safe upbringing, and when he was young he loved bears.  Once he went off to college things changed.  He began to take on different personas and spiraled out of control after he wasn't casted on Cheers. The fact that he had a normal upbringing and ended up being weird doesn't surprise me. As I was viewing this film I could tell he was mentally unstable. Herzog waited so long to show this because it questioned Treadwell's credibility.

Walden

There was one line that really grabbed my attention throughout this story. "But a man has no more to do with the style of architecture of his house than a tortoise with that of its shell..." Although some may think the author is talking about a house, I think this is a metaphor for genetics. A person can't design themselves physically, at least they couldn't back then.  I suppose now there is plastic surgery, and that can change the "architecture" of one's body, and there is always the healthy eating at exercising that can determine width of a body. The author also tells his story of how he built his house with his own hands. He found it a very valuable experience, and believes that by doing things yourself you learn more about the world than spending years at an institution. The entire piece was very philisophical, which made it challenging to try to figure out what he meant.
(Specific Details)

Ethel's Sestina

The first thing I read was the description of what this poem was referencing. That stuck with me throughout the entire poem.  The text in the poem sounded very hopeful that help would soon come, but because of the description I already knew the outcome. "Gon' be obedient in this here chair..." That is the very first line of the poem, and it made me think about how she had been restricted in her chair, and how the storm had restricted her further. The lack of help that reached her led her to her death in that chair. On the second page of the poem the author uses text that I found powerful. The way she describes the process of Ethel ascending to heaven is beautiful. I liked how she repeated "come," the voice of her lord. I also really appreciated the way she made it seem peaceful and that Ethel was happy, even though she had been suffering for days because of Hurricane Katrina.
(What specific details stay in your mind? Why? How do these small details lead to larger ideas?)

A day in August 1998

                               

 I saw

                                                                                                the silent tears flow

                                                                and had

                                                                                                no emotions to share

                                                                the sight

                                                                                                I could not bear

                                                                yet still

                                                                                                looked

                                                                he was

                                                                                                gone