Week 2- Article 3: Please Read

Central Argument: Like formal words of gratitude, simple things in our life no longer seem to have the same meanings anymore.


Linton Weeks, in her article "Please Read This Story, Thank You," talks about how formal words of gratitude, like "thank you" and "you're welcome," are being replaced by other words, such as "no problem" and "sure," that do not carry the same message and weight. Our day to day speech, according to Weeks, is turning into something more casual. What was important to us in the past is no longer important now.


Things we did in the past start to loose their importance as time passes. As a high school student, I can think of one example: bed time. When I was little, they made up take a nap for two to three hours during the day. And when I got home from pre-school, my parents put me to bed at around 8 p.m. I remember how much I used to fight and cry because I would want to stay awake too, doing the same things they did, like watching television. My mother would get angry and tell me that I really needed to rest because I was a growing child. Even then, I would try to make excuses after excuses to get to stay for even just a little bit longer. However, as I grew up, the hours of sleep I got everyday started to lessen more and more. I would have to actually make an effort to go to sleep early. Nap times were long gone. Soon, as I came to high school, it became more and more difficult for me to get even 7 hours of sleep everyday. Other things, such as catching up with my homework, seemed more important than getting a good night's sleep. I could stay up late just playing games or chatting with my friends into the night.This experience, and reality, shows us how as time passes, certain things start to change and get less attention. They don't seem so important now as they have lost their importance.


However, this kind of loss doesn't always have to be in a negative sense. For example, meal time is always supposed to be family time. After a busy day, a good dinner is what joins the family together and lets stories be shared and feeling be recited. However, in my family, ever since I was little, we never had such rules in the house. My sister and I ate dinner first. After feeding us, my mother would have her dinner with my helper, since my father was away. However, as we started growing older, and my father settled back in Nepal, meal times did start becoming family time. My sister and I would set out the table very enthusiastically for the whole family, including my little brother, to sit. Once everyone returned home, we would gather together and have a great meal, happily, as a family, sharing the experiences of the day. This example shows us how sometimes, simple things in life can change for the better. Certain modifications can be made which are certainly harmless and can be a good development as well.
These two examples provided show us that when little things in life change, they can be negative or positive.

Week 4- Article 2: Why We Like What We Like

Central Argument: We like what we like because of the context we experience these things in.


Why do we like the things we like? What gives us that thirst to do things that are pleasurable for us? Well, Alva Noe, in her article "Why We Like What We Like," explores this dilemma and tells us that we like what we like because of the context we experience these things in. I agree with her because the context or experience gives us a particular feeling we like feeling.
Doing certain things triggers feeling which we then like feeling. For example, I love art. I love drawing and painting and being creative. When I sit in that wide room with the sunlight flowing in, I forget everything else. In that room, its only that paint brush and me, only that sketchbook and me. The feeling that builds up when I paint is that of joy and happiness. I feel relaxed and comfortable. I don't worry about anything else. The satisfaction and joy builds up till my throat pushing everything else aside. I let my imaginations go running and let my heart lead the way. Because I enjoying doing art so much, I do it again and again. I don't get sick of it because art is something I can let myself be absolutely controlled by, no matter how good or bad the results may turn out. This example shows me how painting, for example, triggers a relaxed and joyful feeling in me that I love and that I try to get more of by continuing what I do with art.
 In addition to triggering a special feeling, we do something we like because of the significant impact it has on our collected sphere of experiences. In the novel Shanghai Girls by Lisa See, she talks about two modern Chinese girls. They are beautiful and wealthy and can take advantage of the luxuries of the day. They frequently visit an artist for whom they model. He paints them beautifully and sells these paintings to the newspapers and magazines for advertisements. The author specifically describes the girls' feeling and thoughts as they model for him. The moment when he captures every detail of their posing, from the lighting to the folds of their skirts, stays with the two girls for a long time. Even after they have shifted to Chinatown in the States, they still recall those good days when they led such comfortable lives. They frequently recall the studio and the artist and remember how much of a luxurious and comfortable life they had had. They only remember all this because the thoughts and feelings they felt at that time left a remarkable scar in their memories to cherish even after such a long time. This example shows us why we do something we like, and it is because doing these things have a deep and significant affect on our memories.
Through these two examples, one can see how doing things we like have an impact on us: they trigger special feelings inside of us and they also leave heavy scars in our memories that we can call back later on. 

Week3- Article 1: Cool

Central Argument: "This paradox of the need for self-control in the face of a lack of control nurtured a cool attitude."


One has heard the phrase "Don't let others get to you" many a times. It is something that one says when implying that you need to have some self-control, whether it is over your actions or your feelings. You have to maintain your "cool," as they say. And that's exactly what a cool attitude is: the ability to control ones' emotions when one doesn't have control over the situation, just like professor of philosophy, Thorsten Botz-BorNstein, says. 


Staying "cool" means not letting others, no matter how much powerful they are than you in controlling the situation, manipulate your actions. It also applies to things like non-violent protests. For example, Ai Weiwei is a famous contemporary artist in China. His sculpture and pictures reflect his dissatisfaction with the Chinese Communist Party to signify human rights. He strongly speaks against the CCP. And, consequently, the government, ruled by the CCP, has become very angry with him and has arrested him with false charges. However, he still speaks against the government, strongly, and continues to criticize it in his works of art. This example shows us how Weiwei stands uprights and "cool," even though a force as strong as the government is after him. Another example is Mahatma Gandhi and his famous, non-violent approach to the British rule in India. He carried out his protests by telling his fellow Indians to boycott British goods. Also, when the prices of salt were augmented, he told them that they could make their own salt. Hundreds and thousands of Indians followed him as he went by the beach to "pick up" salt. This example also shows us how staying cool means not letting the actions of the powerful effect your own. 

Similarly, being "cool" also means controlling your feelings, but still not giving in, to something that seems unfair to you. For example, recently, as my exams finished, I spent a lot of time in chatting around with my friends. We were so engrossed in conversations about crashing a Muslim wedding, that we didn't realize how quickly the time has passed and that we now needed to head towards our own rooms for "quiet time." We also didn't realize how much noise we were making and that the dormparent would be angry because of this. She barged into the room and told us to return to our rooms. She looked particularly angry at me, and it could have been due to my loud, "obnoxious" voice. She snapped at me and angrily told me that she didn't like my behavior. At first, a deep anger arose in my chest, but, I managed to push it down and control my emotions. I nonchalantly waved goodbye to my friends and skipped down the hall, humming to myself. The whole time, I could feel her anger piercing my back, but I ignored it. Because of my reaction then, she dislikes me even more now. However, this experience shows that if one learns to control her emotions, she will have successfully managed to act the "cool" way.

These two examples clearly show us how being "cool" means not letting a higher or equal force manipulate our actions and emotions. We learn to stay in control and to stay "cool."

Week 3- Article 4: Awesome

Central Argument: Robert Lane Greene says that just like the word "awesome," many things take on a different meaning and evolve over time.

Just like organisms that learn to adapt to a new environment, words and concepts in general take on a different meaning over time. They evolve through their journey with time, changing and becoming something new and different depending on the time period. Just like the evolution of the word "awesome," as explained in Robert Lane Greene's article, The Rise of "Awesome," many words and way of life take on a new meaning and evolve over time.

Like the word "awesome," certain things that society perceives as "acceptable" change over time. The first example that comes into mind is one's body figure. Back in the twentieth century, to be beautiful was to be chubby. Women who were chubby and "healthy" were seen as beautiful. Being plump was also a way of displaying power and wealth. Many advertisement used beautiful, chubby woman to promote products like cigarettes and alcohol. This was what was "in" back in the day. However, as time went on, this started changing. People's perspective about what was considered "beautiful" started to change. Being thin became socially accepted; if people were thin, they were beautiful. Those who were chubbier were made fun of. And till now, in the twenty-first century, the trend still follows. So just like the word "awesome," social perspectives about various things, like a "beautiful" figure, started changing over time.

Not only social perspectives, other words have also taken on new meaning over time. Like "awesome," the word "nigger" has taken on a different meaning. In Spanish, it means a "black object." From the very beginning, the word took on a negative meaning when it was used to label African slaves. It became an offensive term to use against Africans or people from African decent. However, as time went on, and pop culture started triggering, the "nigger" was used as a replacement for the words like brother or friend or "dude." When used among "black people," it wasn't such a rude term anymore. Hip-hop music started using this word in its lyrics. Although it is still extremely rude for someone to call a black person "nigger," the meaning of the word has evolved a fair bit.

Just like words, friendships evolve and change over time too. When anyone is little, a good friend is the one who admires your handwriting, who plays "catch" with you, who learns the alphabets with you. She is the one who shares her candy with you, who helps you climb down the monkey bars, and who builds sand castles with you. If you two fight, all will be forgotten by the next morning, or, as seen in Mean Girls, your friendship will terminate right there. And as you grow and start to mature up, your friendship grows and changes. Now, friendship is not only limited to material things, but something more. That good friend will be with you through your hard times, she will encourage and support you when you need it, she will comfort you when you are sad, and laugh with you when you're happy. She will do crazy things with you. Like in the movie Something Borrowed, if you fight, it might leave a heavy scar, but you will eventually learn to move on because you care for each other. Therefore, just like the word "awesome," friendships also change and take on a different meaning in life.

These three examples show us how, like the word "awesome," many words and things in everyday life take on different meaning as time goes on.

Week 2- Article 3: Of Youth and Age

Central Argument: Francis Bacon claims that a young mind has much more capacity to dream, discover, and create than does an old one.

They say as people get older, they become wiser. They have had experiences that have truly been a one of a kind. However, as Francis Bacon says, a young mind has much more potential to learn and discover, no matter how wise age makes you. Francis Bacon tells the truth when he says that a young mind his curious, creative, and can change ideas into reality.

A young mind has the potential to be curious and creative. For example, in the beginning of the novel, Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Caroll, Alice is sitting by the shore, bored, when suddenly, she sees a rabbit with a pocket watch. As her curiosity gets the best of her, she leaves her sister behind, and ignoring her calls, runs after the rabbit. Thus, her adventured in Wonderland begins, and she returns home after having an extraordinary experience. When she recites her adventures to her sister, she refuses to believe her. This story tells how an adventure-seeking and imaginative mind can create wonders. It shows the reader how, perhaps unlike an aged mind, a young mind doesn't hesitate even once before jumping right into something that it finds interesting.

Other than being curious, a young mind can dream and actually make it a reality. For example, Kony 2012 has grasped the attention of many. First, it started out as just the idea of a man working in Uganda. Because of a painful encounter with a boy who lost his brother to the rebel group there, the man decided to take the matters in his own hands and try to make a difference. He went back to the United States and to the government, asking the officials for their assistance in this ongoing struggle in Uganda which has lead to violence and abduction of many children. Then, as he gathered more and more people to support the idea, it actually started making a difference. The U.S. government sent in troops to Uganda to assist the local army to capture the deadly criminal, Joseph Kony. And now this year, more and more people are recognizing the severity of the situation and coming together to raise awareness. This case shows us how it takes just one, enthusiastic and determined young mind to make a difference. It shows us a young mind is capable of coming up with an idea and actually making it a reality.

As seen in the two examples, a youth is very capable of being creative and making dreams reality. The youth have the energy, the enthusiasm, and the thirst to keep moving forwards in this world.

Week 2- Article 1: Of Marriage and Single Life

Central Argument: Francis Bacon claims that being married is more advantageous than being single because marriage helps to build up men's personalities and values.

Some people today have a very stereotypical view about marriage. People joke about how after marriage, the man is stripped off of all his luxuries and comforts as a bachelor. After marriage, the woman becomes moodier and bossy, and according to men, she likes to control every aspect of her husband's life. People are so overwhelmed with these kinds of theories that they neglect the bright side of the bond between a couple. Marriage can bring a lot of joy and happiness to people as it proclaims that they are to spend the rest of their lives in each other's arms. Like Francis Bacon says in one of his many essays, "Of Marriage and Single Life," I believe a married man can extract many great things from a marriage that ultimately helps him build his character.

Marriage can teach couples about many important values about life. For example, a recent movie I watched called One Day told the story of a young couple. They had been friends for almost fifteen years until finally they decided to marry. As their days of marriage becomes a source of joy, the man starts changing and becoming a better person than he was before. He stays true to her for the rest of their time together, when before, he did not take relationships seriously. After her sudden death, he starts to fall apart and lose himself completely. However, with a little chat with his father, who lost his wife ten years ago, the man finally realizes that he has to live everyday like his dear wife was still alive. He understands that this is what she would have wanted. This self-discovery shows the viewer that because of their unconditional love and support for each other, the husband understood an important value in his life, which was to move on even if his wife was no longer living.

Marriage doesn't only help build values, but it also gives them a chance to test these values. I come from a very strict, religious family, and although my father is a little relaxed about rules, at home, we are obliged to follow them. In many Hindu houses, like my own, it is considered unclean for women, who are going through their monthly mensuration cycles, to go into the kitchen where meals are being cooked for the elders of the family. My mother is especially careful about this rule as my grandparents stay with us, and they are very religious people. Therefore, one day, when the milk was boiling and my mother was nowhere to be seen, I ran into the kitchen, when I shouldn't have, and turned off the gas before the milk spilled all over. When my father saw what I had done, he looked taken aback. My mother returned from upstairs only to find that the gas was turned off. She turned around and asked me who turned it off. I looked at my father pleadingly who, noticing my desperation, turned to my mother and said that he had turned it off. My mother was relieved and I wan't in trouble. I mouthed a small "thank you" to him, and we went on with our lives. However, that event showed me how having kids can teach a man important things, like responsibility, love, and sacrifice. It shows that marriage can test a father's character and allow him to show the values that he has gathered from his marriage.

With these examples in mind, I believe that marriage is more advantageous to a man than being single. It teaches them about significant values in life and allows them to test their character from time to time.

Week 1- Article 1: T.V.: Good for You?

Central Argument: Watching television is beneficial because it is a way to spread knowledge and education to people, especially women in rural India, who don't have access to any.

He sat in front of the television, without blinking, without speaking, without even breathing, it seemed. He was so engrossed in it that he would even respond to my father's friendly whistle as he returned from work. It was absolutely amazing to watch. What was he watching? Nothing in particular: just a Japanese cartoon dubbed in English, which he didn't even have the fundamentals of. But still, he sat and watched, and later, when I asked him who the characters were, he named them, A to Z. He knew all of it. That moment, I realized how important T.V. is, even for a four-year-old child. T.V. is a revolutionary force that not only taught children about magical creatures that can fly, but, as Joel Waldfogel says, has helped people be more educated and be aware of the things going around in the world.

Watching television can help change a woman's perspective about her place in society. For example. there is an advertisement on Indian television about a English-learning program. A housewife, probably from rural India, is doing laundry as she speaks in broken English. However, as she progresses with her story, her English and her pronunciation ameliorate so that by the end, she speaks like a native English-speaker. Although the woman portrays the role of a typical housewife  in India, the message is somewhat different. Aside from advertising purposes, the commercial is teaching young women that being  housewives does not limit their education. It is telling them that housewives can also be smart and learn English just like their spouses or children. This strong message has a positive impact on women watching this commercial, and ultimately, it can change their point of view and have a positive impact on their behavior as women.

Not only women, but children can also gain knowledge and inspiration watching television. In a novel called Little Prices, Conor Grennan wrote about his experiences as a volunteer worker in an orphanage on the outskirts of the Kathmandu Valley. While he volunteered in the orphanage, he continued working on a book in which he wanted to write about his experiences. There is a chapter in the book where it talks about how one day, when he returns from Thamel, he finds that his computer is missing. When he goes to check on the boys at the orphanage, he finds that they are watching a Bollywood movie on his laptop. Their laughter fills his ears, and the way they mimic the cheesy scenes in the film touches his heart. While I read, I thought about how big a part electronics, computers in this case (but it can also apply to television), play in a kid's life. It can be, at certain times, a source of joy and laughter and knowledge. This shows how even children can make the most out of televisions.

Therefore, I agree with the author when says that watching television can be beneficial. It can inspire and educate women, who don't have education, about the importance of women in society today, and it can also help children gain knowledge and have fun in their everyday lives. Inventing the television was a significant growth in mankind's part.

Week 1- Article 2: Meet My Son

 Central Argument: Emily Rapp defends women’s right to terminate a pregnancy with the knowledge and information deduced from prenatal testing.

 

                 Abortion has always been an issue of great debate and controversy for a few decades. People argue about the cases where abortion should or not. Many believe that in cases where the girl has been a victim of rape or sexual harassment or if she herself has decided to give up the baby, then abortion should be legal. However, others believe that no matter what, aborting a child means taking the life of a human being, which is a crime. In certain cases, like in the one of Emily Rapp, people can understand why abortion is necessary. Rapp highlights the problem of babies being born with physical or mental disabilities and incompetence. In cases like her own, doctors predict that these babies aren’t even going to live till they are two years old. And their lives for the two years comes with great difficulty and hardships: paralysis, low rates of responding to the environment, or being deaf or dumb. I think that Rapp is correct when she states that abortion should be legal, but only in cases like her son’s.  In other cases, legalizing abortion can have a negative effect.

                If the baby is born with severe disabilities, abortion should be legal. For example, a few years back, our English class analyzed a short story about a boy named Christy Brown. This boy, being the youngest of several children, was born paralyzed. The doctors believed that he could never walk or talk or be a “normal kid.” His mother, along with handling all of her others kids, had to pay special attention to Christy due to his disability. She had to dedicate all her strength into raising Christy the right way. Many a times, the story told the reader about the times the mother broke down because it was so overwhelming for her. Even though Christy ends up being able to write an “A” with his left foot, the story highlights the difficulty of being born with a disability. Even if the mother loved her son with all her heart, she still had to face a lot of problems as Christy lived a different lifestyle from his siblings. Therefore, in cases where both the parties are being hurt, abortion can only prove to have a more positive effect than a negative.

                However, legalizing abortions completely can have negative effects, especially in the culture aspects of life. For example, many villages in rural places of Asia have conserved their traditional ways and try to implement their customs and traditions in their daily lives. In places like China, India, and Pakistan especially, the uneducated villagers have the mindset that having a baby girl is a curse in the family. According to them, along with a baby girl comes the burden of raising her well only to give her away with a lot of dowry. Therefore, if abortion in legalized, and if these kinds people find out about the sex of the baby in a mother’s stomach somehow, they will only force the woman to adopt her baby. It is called female infanticide. To many people, legalizing abortions would mean a way to be warned about the “misfortunes” to come and being able to deal with them through abortions.

                All in all, I think that Emily Rapp is right when she says that abortion is a choice of a mother and should be legal when she chooses to take necessary steps. It could save a lot of suffering in the caretaker’s part and the victim’s. However, abortion can also have negative effects when it is used by backward people for female infanticide. What would be best would be to make abortions legal depending on the situation.