Friday, February 25, 2011

Joy Luck Club-Quickwrite #2

I feel that both An-mei and her mother would both put family honor as an importance in their lives.

An-mei grew up with her grandmother; throughout her life living with her grandmother(Popo), she was infused with senses of family honor in her morals. Popo constantly "controlled" her life by means of telling her to respect the family. For example, An-mei was told that the paining of her father was watching over her, so she needed to behave. One of the biggest examples An-mei dealt with was that of her mother; Popo told her that her mother was a ghost and that mentioning her name would be an insult to the family. Even though An-mei wanted to see her mother, she followed her grandmother's orders and soon forgot about her.

Although An-mei had to put family honor as a big emphasis in her life, a part of her still felt rebellious to the idea of it. In chapter two, a story was told of a recollection about her mother. In the story, her mother wants to desperately see her, but is not allowed to. An-mei wanted to too. In the chaos of the situation, a bowl of boiling soup spills on her neck. An-mei uses the scar that formed from the burn to be used as remembrance of her mother. She still has a feeling of love for her mother.

When Popo became very ill, An-mei's mother came to visit her. She made the sacrifice of cutting a piece of meat from her arm and putting it in a bowl of Popo's soup. This is considered very respectful and is meant to make the ill person become better. Even though Popo did not let her daughter see An-mei, she still had deep respect for her mom. An-mei wanted to see her mother, etc., but still followed the rules of Popo based around family honor.

In the end, the both put family honor as a big emphasis in their lives. This is because they are trained to think this way; it is a big part of their morals.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Why Chinese Mothers are Superior Responce

"For example, if a child comes home with an A-minus on a test, a Western parent will most likely praise the child. The Chinese mother will gasp in horror and ask what went wrong. If the child comes home with a B on the test, some Western parents will still praise the child. Other Western parents will sit their child down and express disapproval, but they will be careful not to make their child feel inadequate or insecure, and they will not call their child "stupid," "worthless" or "a disgrace." Privately, the Western parents may worry that their child does not test well or have aptitude in the subject or that there is something wrong with the curriculum and possibly the whole school. If the child's grades do not improve, they may eventually schedule a meeting with the school principal to challenge the way the subject is being taught or to call into question the teacher's credentials."
I am in strong support of the Western parents view of education. Children have the room to make mistakes in life. That is what the point of education is for. Children should not be expected to learn in school at the rate a college student is expected to do so.For example, throughout my school career, I have made many mistakes. That is because high school is meant to prepare you for college. My mom actually understands that. She does not punish me unnecessarily.

I feel that a big part of high school for the student is too also find their independence. Students need to learn for themselves; if parents are constantly pushing them to do better in their lives, they will grow to look for that in their future lives. Yes, parents need to guide their children, but they need to give them independence at the same time. They need to allow their children to know that they are in control of their lives. The choices they make will determine their future lives. They will not have someone to baby them through situations for the rest of their lives. Children need to be given the choice to explore their freedom and make learn how to take control.

If they are putting their child through ASTI, logically they should understand what I just explained. It is a chance for them to explore high school and college at the same time. They need to decide and choose if it is right for me and if they will succeed, not their parents

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Animal Farm Chapter 11

Chapter 11
The name Animal Farm stood in distance, with its name now a past recollection; and its  true significance and dream gone. Napoleon proclaimed that the farm be named Manor Farm, the prior name of the farm which was ruled by the tyrant Mr. Jones. Board by board, the name Animal Farm was removed from the entrance, removing the symbolism of the rebellion and Old Major’s teachings. Manor farm was slowly written in its place, its white paint dripping in the rain. Next the seven commandments were reduced to only one; “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” A sense of acceptance washed over the animals; Animal Farm was over.
Napoleon walked out. Two hooves arrogantly walked forward; he really had become a human. Behind him, two humans walked out, both wearing smug looks.
“Thank you for the business Mr. Napoleon.”
Napoleon replied with the best smile a pig could muster. “It is always my pleasure gentlemen.”
Suddenly, an angry squeal erupted from his mouth. “What are you looking at animals? Get back to work!”
Hurriedly, the other animals obligated. They were all very hungry and tired. Many collapsed on the ground, whimpering and crying for food. All were forced to work until next day; Napoleon planned to trade much of the harvest tomorrow.
Napoleon saw many of the other animals collapsed on the ground. Again, and angry squeal was released from his mouth. This time though, a dogs bark was heard in the background. The animals hurriedly got to their feet, but it was too late. Viciously, the dog jumped on one of the goats. Blood splattered the ground.
Silence. In the background, wind could be heard rushing through ancient evergreens, a stream merrily splashed along a sandy bank, and baby birds could be heard asking for food.
    “Get to work now!”, Napoleon scream.
    “No!” and with that the animals flung themselves upon Napoleon. Shrieks of pain could be heard from amidst the movement. After continuous blows, Napoleon was pronounced dead.
    In unison, the animals triumphantly yelled “For Animal Farm!” Napoleon was dead and they were free at last.
The animals stared at Napoleon's cold and still body in complete silence and awe. None of them could say anything  they were too overwhelmed with what they did. Then all of a sudden, Walter the old pig,  spoke up and said,
“Well are you guys just going to stand here and look at it or help get rid of it?”
The rest of the animals looked at him as if he said something stupid. Walter looked back at them as they did not move.  
“Don’t look at me! Clover, place your head under his back and pick him up; goats, go under him and lay his legs on top of you; other pigs, help me pick up his feet.”
The animals did what Walter said and picked him up gracefully. The animals saw the lake across the farm and decided to throw him in there. They carried his dead body until they reached the lake and threw him in there. As they saw Napoleon’s body all the way down in the lake, the animals wondered what they were going to do next now they do not have to take orders from anyone anymore.
As the animals gathered back to the farm, they now realized that they no longer have to take orders or be part of a monarchy. The animals decided to keep Animal Farm, but not as a place to make the animals slaves but for the animals to make plans so that there would not be another tyrant trying to take over. Their new leader was Clover, the older horse who made the rules fair for this group of animals and for the next generations.