Getting all the kids on and off the bus was a difficult task but it helped to have the some parents volunteering that Thursday morning. Melissa was leading the class to the museum when she remembered that there was still a few paintings that she was going to point out but had no idea what they were about. She thought to herself, “I should have read more about this museum rather than sitting online talking to Andrew last night on the computer. What was I thinking?” The truth is Molly spent far too much time on the computer than was necessary. Andrew lived in a different state so it was hard to talk to him that often and even more hard to see him. This long-distance relationship stuff was way harder than she thought it was going to be. After being together for two years, she never imagined he would have to be transferred for his job, and Molly was actually a little surprised he had not invited her to go with him. On the other hand, her family, friends, and work was here. She had to stop worrying about her relationship at this point in her life and start focusing more on work. The kids gasping with glee, whispering to one another, were extremely excited and wanted to know what was going on in the painting.
Once arriving at the first painting she wanted to talk about, one of her kids said, “I don’t get it. Why is the painting so dark and scary? Mrs. Marks, why is the lady holding her heart?” With a long breath in and then an exhale out, Melissa looked at the painting and then at her kids, she shamed herself for not preparing better for this field trip, and then quickly thought of an explanation for the painting. She was breaking into a sweat because she had all eyes on her, including the parents full attention, and she had absolutely no idea what this would be about. Then, an idea hit her and she went with it.
“Good question Patrick, are any of you other kids wondering the same thing?” With an overwhelming shaking of the heads, Melissa begun her interpretation of the painting. “Let’s start with question one, about the painting being so dark. One reason is because this painting was created so long ago that they did not have as bright of colors as you see today. Color, back in the olden days, was extremely expensive, so artists would only use it on the most important characters in the painting. Another reason why the painting was so dark is because painting usually was done at night because painters did not make enough money, so most artists had to have a day job as well, to support their family. Therefore, they could only see by candlelight which created the sense of night time in the picture as well.” The parents looked confused for a minute but after glancing at the picture and then back at her, they all started to shake their head in agreement. Melissa thought, wow this was easier than I thought, for not even taking one quarter of art class did not seem to hurt her thus far. She not only had the kids fooled, but the parents as well.
One of the mothers asked, “So what is going on between the characters in this painting?” Without knowing who the characters were or what the painting was trying to convey, Melissa again took another shot in the dark.
“Well, as you notice on the left we have an angel sent from heaven to earth, and I can remember my father telling me this story when I was a little girl, probably in the first grade just like all of you. My father always had many art books around because it fascinated him. I liked to listen while he would tell me stories when I was young. This angel, Stanley, was sent down from heaven because God assigned Stanley to be Sarah’s guardian angel. Sarah is the woman on the right; Sarah is in her late twenties and has had a rough life so far. Her mom died when she was young due to a strenuous pregnancy. Sarah had always felt bad because of it and her father would always blame her for her mother’s death. Not to mention, that he dad was never at home and when he was he was yelling at Sarah for some reason or another. Sarah had to grow up very fast and was extremely lonely because of the fact that she had no other brothers or sisters and her dad would rarely let her go play outside with the other kids. Stanley took Sarah underneath his wing and was determined to not let anything happen to her ever again.
Stanley has lots of people to look after, but every night before he goes to sleep and every morning when he wakes up, he looks down on Sarah because deep down he finds her very beautiful and full of life. Once in a while, he will fly into her bedroom just to watch her sleep peacefully. One night, after she had been sleeping for quite some time, Sarah started to stir about in her bed. She must have been having a bad dream because she quickly woke up and saw Stanley for a quick second before he flew out the window. It was the strangest feeling because she had seen this angel man before, many times, in her dreams. So instead of being scared that he was in her bedroom, she felt more relieved and at peace. Sarah secretly hoped that she would see Stanley again someday and she wondered what kind of person he would be. He was so breathtakingly gorgeous, it amazed her. To be so real in her dreams and then see him in the middle of the night, she knew there was something magical about him and she was determined to find out what it was like.
“Did she know he was an angel Mrs. Marks, or did she think it was still a dream.” Cari was so intrigued at the story and all eyes were fully intent on hearing the rest of the fictional story, Melissa felt sure she was on the right track.
“Oh, Sarah was sure he was an angel because only angels could be that handsome and only angels could fly away so gracefully, without a word. Wait, come back, she thought, but before her eyes could be fully adjusted to the night time light he was gone. Just thinking about him, she fell quietly back to sleep. When Stanley arrived back at the heavenly gates, God was there to greet him. Stanley, I saw what just happened, and that’s not the first time you’ve been caught by Sarah. You are lucky she did not freak out, most people would, what you did is not professional. Your job is to look after her to make sure she is okay, but not to spy on her at night. Stanley thought to himself, I’m not spying, I just love to watch her sleep so peacefully. She is such a unique and special girl, I wish I could be with her all the time.”
“Then what happens Mrs. Marks, is that why he goes back to talk to her?” Little Lilly, the shortest of the first graders, was standing on her tippy toes, so anxious to hear the rest of the story. Lilly was always the first to guess the ending. Every Tuesday, we would have sharing time and every kid would draw a picture and make a story to go with it. Lilly was always the one that would interrupt the story teller, but only because she got so excited she could not help herself. It was her favorite time of the week. Sometimes she would draw two pictures, one that she told, and one that she had the other kids guess what was going to happen at the end. Mrs. Marks admired Lilly because she was always in good spirits and always firing up the other kids and getting them excited to chime in on every game.
“Well, Lilly, I’m going to get to that. Stanley became so obsessed with Sarah, that he forgot about all the rest of the people he was supposed to look after and only would watch Sarah, day in and day out. Finally, God gave him an ultimatum. He said, ‘You can either go down and confess your love for this girl but if she refuses you must have someone else be her guardian angel, and you will never see her again.’ At the sounds of the words Stanley was instantly sick in his stomach. Never see her again, he mumbled, I would be devastated. I care to much for Sarah. But God gave him the catch is if you ask her to come back to heaven with you and she agrees to, she will never get to see her father or friends again. She will remain in heaven and only be able to watch from above. You must convince her to come with you, but if she refuses as I said before you will never be able to watch over her or see her again.”
Continuing, Sarah said, “Torn between the decision he had to make, Stanley decided Sarah was worth trying to convince because he had slowly been falling in love with her. Everyday he watched her was another day he liked everything she did even more and more. If he did not try he would always regret it. The night before he went down there, Stanley again watched over Sarah, and while he did he wrote a poem he was to read to her the following day. All night he worked on this poem, and he was sure she would fall madly in love with him as soon as the words flowed out of his mouth.” All the kids oohed and awed. “The following day, Stanley dressed in his best and mentally prepared to make his visit to win Sarah over and of course brought her flowers.”
Sarah was just getting ready for bed, like any other night, but she was thinking about the dream she had the night before. The angel man had appeared in her dream but every time she went to talk to him, he disappeared. Almost every night for the last couple months, Sarah’s dreams included this handsome figure, too good to be true. She was extremely curious what his name would be and his personality. She only imagined him the truest of men and the most gentle, kind sir she had ever met. All of a sudden her dreams became reality.
Pointing to the painting, Sarah announced that this was the scene when Stanley makes his appearance and Sarah is shockingly surprised to see him outside of her dreams.
“What happens next Mrs. Marks? Do they live happily ever after, does she go up to heaven with him, or does she stay down on earth?”
“Well kids, we don’t know the ending to the story because the artist wanted to let the viewer decide what Sarah’s decision would be.”
“Not fair, I want to know what happens.” Little Lilly was thoroughly disappointed in the ending. After listening intently to her teacher for the whole story, she thought for sure the ending would be just as in the movies and books that she was previously aware of.
“Well, that is the best part of the story. Use your imagination do decide what you think Sarah’s decision would be. You can have the end of the story be however you would like.” With a sigh of relief, Sara knew she had pulled it off. The words just kept flowing and they all seemed to make quite a bit of sense. The kids loved the story and it kept their minds wandering as to what would the ending be. She felt confident in her story but still a little guilty that this was not the correct story that went along with the painting. She would be sure to look this one up later just out of curiosity. Most likely when she was messages Andrew on the computer that night. Mrs. Marks wondered what he was up to right now and gave a little chuckle at her performance, she was sure Andrew would get a kick out of it.
After touring the rest of the museum, one of the parents came up to Melissa and said, “Huh, I heard a different version of the story, but I really like the one that you told to the class. How interesting.”
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Monday, March 5, 2007
Reading Journal
In which time period is Louise Gluck’s Averno set? What is the tone of this book? Describe the narrator(s) and what is of value to them? What kind of relationship does the Persephone narrator have with the earth in Gluck’s work? Cite at least one passage to back up your argument. To what does the final verse on page 16 refer? Cite a passage in the text where the narrator second guesses her own voice by reconsidering the way in which to describe something. Why would an author show such a thing? What are some key differences between Part I and II of the book; how is Persephone the Wander figured differently in each? How do you understand the ancient myth differently after reading Gluck’s interpretation?
I believe the Averno is set in modern times because some of the passages refer to things in the 1900’s such as subways. The tone of the book is more like a life lesson to learn from and grow because it is a retelling of a story from one woman’s point of view. The narrator is a woman who has been robbed on her innocence and childhood because she is a victim of a rape. She also is telling the story of Persephone in the third person point of view. The type of relationship that Persephone narrator has is with earth is almost like a love/hate relationship. She loves it for its beauty and the innocence it possesses but she hates it because it is where her childish body was forced to become a woman. “The sun seems, in the water, very close. That’s my uncle spying again, she thinks—everything in nature is in some way her relative. I am never alone, she thinks, turning the thought into a prayer. Then death appears, like the answer to a prayer.” I think the final verse on page 16 refers to Persephone being stained with the red juice meaning that she is soaked with her own blood and suffering from the rape. I believe the “red juice” is both mental and physical pain and scarring from the rape.
An example in the text that the author second guesses herself is on page 35, “I was the man because I was taller. But I wasn’t tall—didn’t I ever look in a mirror.” I believe that she would show such a thing because she wants the reader to understand the character is learning and thinking about their life as if they are living it in present times. As if the character is going through these hard times at the same time as the reader is reading about them. It gives a stronger emotional attachment to the character.
There are quite a few key differences between Part I and Part II of the book. In part I it is telling the story of Persephone’s rape but debating what happened and the reasons for it. It focuses more on how nature played a key role in the actions of Persephone. In part II, it is the story of Persephone’s mother telling her story about her child from a different angle because the daughter is now dead.
I think this book really helped me understand the myth in a different light and I really like the modern interpretation Louise Gluck wrote about. I think it was easier to understand and I could relate it to current issues happening today.
I believe the Averno is set in modern times because some of the passages refer to things in the 1900’s such as subways. The tone of the book is more like a life lesson to learn from and grow because it is a retelling of a story from one woman’s point of view. The narrator is a woman who has been robbed on her innocence and childhood because she is a victim of a rape. She also is telling the story of Persephone in the third person point of view. The type of relationship that Persephone narrator has is with earth is almost like a love/hate relationship. She loves it for its beauty and the innocence it possesses but she hates it because it is where her childish body was forced to become a woman. “The sun seems, in the water, very close. That’s my uncle spying again, she thinks—everything in nature is in some way her relative. I am never alone, she thinks, turning the thought into a prayer. Then death appears, like the answer to a prayer.” I think the final verse on page 16 refers to Persephone being stained with the red juice meaning that she is soaked with her own blood and suffering from the rape. I believe the “red juice” is both mental and physical pain and scarring from the rape.
An example in the text that the author second guesses herself is on page 35, “I was the man because I was taller. But I wasn’t tall—didn’t I ever look in a mirror.” I believe that she would show such a thing because she wants the reader to understand the character is learning and thinking about their life as if they are living it in present times. As if the character is going through these hard times at the same time as the reader is reading about them. It gives a stronger emotional attachment to the character.
There are quite a few key differences between Part I and Part II of the book. In part I it is telling the story of Persephone’s rape but debating what happened and the reasons for it. It focuses more on how nature played a key role in the actions of Persephone. In part II, it is the story of Persephone’s mother telling her story about her child from a different angle because the daughter is now dead.
I think this book really helped me understand the myth in a different light and I really like the modern interpretation Louise Gluck wrote about. I think it was easier to understand and I could relate it to current issues happening today.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Writing Assignment 8
History Repeats Itself Once Again
On the outside, I try to be strong,
Oh, how I long to for normalcy again.
On the outside, I appear dangerous to others,
In reality I am the same person I have always been.
I never thought it would be me,
Me, the one who was mistreated.
It is in these times one must believe in righteousness,
Believe in justice, and believe in morality.
On the outside, I walk with my head held high,
The pain and sorrow burning inside.
On the outside, I am a hard outer shell, tough and sturdy,
For I know things will be normal again someday once and for all.
Evil stares, no eye contact from my peers, and awkward whispering and pointing abruptly stop when I enter the room. It was only a little over two months ago that my life was normal, I was treated like all the other students, and the beginning of my Junior year was getting off to a great start. Then one day my life was turned upside down and I am treated like a criminal.
Just last week as I was walking home, a boy in the eighth grade asked me, “So did your family have anything to do with the plane crashes? I’ve seen pictures on television that say it was all planned out.” I was utterly stunned and amazed at the question, the first time it was asked, but now I had almost grown accustomed to similar questions. All I could do or say is shake my head and keep walking. When I arrived home I told my mom what the boy had said to me and she said “Rhagda, over and over again in history, we can see when there is a crisis people become paranoid and start accusing anyone and everyone that could be at fault. It is going to be tough for a while but we must remain strong and hold our dignity up high.”
As I sat in history class the next day, my memory was filled of accounts when people had become panic-stricken and because of this many people were mistreated and even killed. I remembered learning about the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. In the town of Salem, Massachusetts the Witch-hunt resulted in the executions of 20 people and the imprisonment of between 175 and 200 people. Wow, this was in 1692 and people thought others were witches so they killed them?!?! It sounds ridiculously silly now but at the time it was a very serious issue.
As my teacher continued to talk but my mind raced to another point in history. The crazy number of 110,000 stood out in my head. That is how many Japanese and Japanese Americans from the West Coast alone were sent to camps known as “War Relocation Centers” for which President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized this Executive Order 9066. This was in 1944 that the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the exclusion, removal, and detention, arguing that it is permissible to curtail the civil rights of a racial group when there is a “pressing public necessity.” The government apologized and justified their actions by saying that is was based on “race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.”
That night after dinner, I wrote in my journal about another critical point in United States history when people were overcome with hysteria is during the 1940’s and continuing until the late 1950’s the scare of communism was on the rise. Thousands of Americans were accused of being Communists and became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before the government committees and agencies. Those targeted I remembered were usually employees of the government, those in the entertainment industry, and educators. These people lost their jobs, destruction of their credibility, and even imprisonment. Most all of the trial verdicts were later overturned and declared illegal.
After thinking about all the previous accounts of individual’s rights violated over and over again, I suddenly was struck with fear myself and started panicking. Will my family lose their jobs or be imprisoned for decisions that others have made. Will we have to suffer consequences due to the fact that who flew the planes into the buildings were from our ancestral country, the country for which I have never stepped foot in, and my parents have not even visited. The suicide attacks made by the Hijacking of the aircrafts by the al Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, has not only taken nearly 3,000 lives but also put fear and anger into all civilians of the United States.
I heard my mom talking to her brother, who lives in California with his family. After over hearing parts of the conversation I could not help but ask her what had happened by her reaction on the phone. She said he could not really talk about it much to him on the phone but she had received a letter written by him, the first letter she had remembered receiving in years. He said that his phones had been tapped and that the police came to his door asking questions about the attacks. They even bothered him at his jewelry shop interrogating him about any information he had about the attacks. He responded honestly because they told him they had record of him talking about the attacks after September 11th. He said of course he would talk about the attacks because he had some friends that had worked in the World Trade Center and his entire family was devastated. He told the police that the entire country was devastated and how could he be blamed for simply talking about what had happened. The police had questioned him three times that week and threatened his business license if he did not provide more information. My mom informed me that our aunt and cousins were terrified and refused to leave the house.
Now we not only have to be intimidated to go out in public but also scared to talk on the phone freely about politics and current events to our own family. We have to watch our emails because the government is now free to track that as well. Because of September 11th, people have given up some of their rights due to the fact that they think the government should have the right to be able to have open access to our private conversations. Targeting a certain group seems so ancient because we live in such a diverse society, but yet again the cycle continues.
I discussed with my mom the other student’s reactions to me after September 11th, it was now a nightly discussion topic. My friends, or my so-called friends, the people I ate lunch with just a few months ago have excluded me from their table. I now bypass lunch and instead sit in the library reading articles that pertain to the attacks. Lately, what has perked my attention is reading about the U.S. Patriot Act, which was passed a little less than two weeks ago on October 26th. This bill passed by an overwhelming 98 to 1 in the Senate, and 357 to 66 vote in the House. Due to the terrorist attacks, this bill was passed to dramatically expand the authority of American law enforcement, and can be used to detect and prosecute other alleged potential crimes. There are many frightening elements regarding the Patriot Act. First being that most Federal courts declared it unconstitutional because it interferes with civil liberties. Secondly, articles say that only a few of the hundreds of people who voted for the Patriot Act actually read the text. This is how they are justifying interrogating my uncle and his family.
Everyday when I come to school I wish I did not have to be here because I am treated differently from those around me. My family is treated differently at the airport, in the grocery store and even at work. One would think that after so many cases of people mistreating others, our society would learn by the accounts of history, but that is not the case. History seems to forever be repeating itself, no matter how many times similar situations arise. My uncles family continues to live in fear and are punished because of choices other have made but they are suffering the consequences. When will the judgments stop, will life ever become normal again? Will people stop judging me because of my religion or the characteristics I possess? How can this stop if the government is encouraging it and even participating in the irrational behavior?
Writing Journal
What are the implications of designing a piece which joins the imaginary (characterization) and the real (current event)? Have you read any authors who do this regularly in their writing? If so, which authors? As a reader, how can one determine how reliable the depictions are in a piece of literature which presents itself as autobiographical? Are there more “reliable” forms for depicting/communicating real historical events, especially to future generations, than the personal account? If so, what might they be? If not, why not? What impression did the writings on the walls of the Museo Storico della Liberazione di Roma have on you? Why did you choose to write about the event you did for this piece?
I think the implications of designing a piece which joins the imaginary and the real event are to make it very believable and realistic. It is easier to show emotion in a real scenario because one can be very specific to the catastrophic event. There is no formal way of determining how reliable the depictions are in a piece of literature which presents itself as autobiographical, but based on historical facts one can make their own judgments from what they have learned or if they decided to do more research. The impression that the writings on the walls of the Museo Storico della Liberazione di Roma had on me is sadness and sorrow. After learning about interment camps in history classes it still felt so foreign, but after visiting the museum it because reel and extremely depressing. I chose to write about this specific event because I researched a lot about the Patriot Act and was very disturbed when this was passed. Also, by choosing this event I could add in other historical events that tied in with the points I was trying to make.
On the outside, I try to be strong,
Oh, how I long to for normalcy again.
On the outside, I appear dangerous to others,
In reality I am the same person I have always been.
I never thought it would be me,
Me, the one who was mistreated.
It is in these times one must believe in righteousness,
Believe in justice, and believe in morality.
On the outside, I walk with my head held high,
The pain and sorrow burning inside.
On the outside, I am a hard outer shell, tough and sturdy,
For I know things will be normal again someday once and for all.
Evil stares, no eye contact from my peers, and awkward whispering and pointing abruptly stop when I enter the room. It was only a little over two months ago that my life was normal, I was treated like all the other students, and the beginning of my Junior year was getting off to a great start. Then one day my life was turned upside down and I am treated like a criminal.
Just last week as I was walking home, a boy in the eighth grade asked me, “So did your family have anything to do with the plane crashes? I’ve seen pictures on television that say it was all planned out.” I was utterly stunned and amazed at the question, the first time it was asked, but now I had almost grown accustomed to similar questions. All I could do or say is shake my head and keep walking. When I arrived home I told my mom what the boy had said to me and she said “Rhagda, over and over again in history, we can see when there is a crisis people become paranoid and start accusing anyone and everyone that could be at fault. It is going to be tough for a while but we must remain strong and hold our dignity up high.”
As I sat in history class the next day, my memory was filled of accounts when people had become panic-stricken and because of this many people were mistreated and even killed. I remembered learning about the Salem Witch Trials in 1692. In the town of Salem, Massachusetts the Witch-hunt resulted in the executions of 20 people and the imprisonment of between 175 and 200 people. Wow, this was in 1692 and people thought others were witches so they killed them?!?! It sounds ridiculously silly now but at the time it was a very serious issue.
As my teacher continued to talk but my mind raced to another point in history. The crazy number of 110,000 stood out in my head. That is how many Japanese and Japanese Americans from the West Coast alone were sent to camps known as “War Relocation Centers” for which President Franklin D. Roosevelt authorized this Executive Order 9066. This was in 1944 that the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the exclusion, removal, and detention, arguing that it is permissible to curtail the civil rights of a racial group when there is a “pressing public necessity.” The government apologized and justified their actions by saying that is was based on “race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership.”
That night after dinner, I wrote in my journal about another critical point in United States history when people were overcome with hysteria is during the 1940’s and continuing until the late 1950’s the scare of communism was on the rise. Thousands of Americans were accused of being Communists and became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before the government committees and agencies. Those targeted I remembered were usually employees of the government, those in the entertainment industry, and educators. These people lost their jobs, destruction of their credibility, and even imprisonment. Most all of the trial verdicts were later overturned and declared illegal.
After thinking about all the previous accounts of individual’s rights violated over and over again, I suddenly was struck with fear myself and started panicking. Will my family lose their jobs or be imprisoned for decisions that others have made. Will we have to suffer consequences due to the fact that who flew the planes into the buildings were from our ancestral country, the country for which I have never stepped foot in, and my parents have not even visited. The suicide attacks made by the Hijacking of the aircrafts by the al Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden, has not only taken nearly 3,000 lives but also put fear and anger into all civilians of the United States.
I heard my mom talking to her brother, who lives in California with his family. After over hearing parts of the conversation I could not help but ask her what had happened by her reaction on the phone. She said he could not really talk about it much to him on the phone but she had received a letter written by him, the first letter she had remembered receiving in years. He said that his phones had been tapped and that the police came to his door asking questions about the attacks. They even bothered him at his jewelry shop interrogating him about any information he had about the attacks. He responded honestly because they told him they had record of him talking about the attacks after September 11th. He said of course he would talk about the attacks because he had some friends that had worked in the World Trade Center and his entire family was devastated. He told the police that the entire country was devastated and how could he be blamed for simply talking about what had happened. The police had questioned him three times that week and threatened his business license if he did not provide more information. My mom informed me that our aunt and cousins were terrified and refused to leave the house.
Now we not only have to be intimidated to go out in public but also scared to talk on the phone freely about politics and current events to our own family. We have to watch our emails because the government is now free to track that as well. Because of September 11th, people have given up some of their rights due to the fact that they think the government should have the right to be able to have open access to our private conversations. Targeting a certain group seems so ancient because we live in such a diverse society, but yet again the cycle continues.
I discussed with my mom the other student’s reactions to me after September 11th, it was now a nightly discussion topic. My friends, or my so-called friends, the people I ate lunch with just a few months ago have excluded me from their table. I now bypass lunch and instead sit in the library reading articles that pertain to the attacks. Lately, what has perked my attention is reading about the U.S. Patriot Act, which was passed a little less than two weeks ago on October 26th. This bill passed by an overwhelming 98 to 1 in the Senate, and 357 to 66 vote in the House. Due to the terrorist attacks, this bill was passed to dramatically expand the authority of American law enforcement, and can be used to detect and prosecute other alleged potential crimes. There are many frightening elements regarding the Patriot Act. First being that most Federal courts declared it unconstitutional because it interferes with civil liberties. Secondly, articles say that only a few of the hundreds of people who voted for the Patriot Act actually read the text. This is how they are justifying interrogating my uncle and his family.
Everyday when I come to school I wish I did not have to be here because I am treated differently from those around me. My family is treated differently at the airport, in the grocery store and even at work. One would think that after so many cases of people mistreating others, our society would learn by the accounts of history, but that is not the case. History seems to forever be repeating itself, no matter how many times similar situations arise. My uncles family continues to live in fear and are punished because of choices other have made but they are suffering the consequences. When will the judgments stop, will life ever become normal again? Will people stop judging me because of my religion or the characteristics I possess? How can this stop if the government is encouraging it and even participating in the irrational behavior?
Writing Journal
What are the implications of designing a piece which joins the imaginary (characterization) and the real (current event)? Have you read any authors who do this regularly in their writing? If so, which authors? As a reader, how can one determine how reliable the depictions are in a piece of literature which presents itself as autobiographical? Are there more “reliable” forms for depicting/communicating real historical events, especially to future generations, than the personal account? If so, what might they be? If not, why not? What impression did the writings on the walls of the Museo Storico della Liberazione di Roma have on you? Why did you choose to write about the event you did for this piece?
I think the implications of designing a piece which joins the imaginary and the real event are to make it very believable and realistic. It is easier to show emotion in a real scenario because one can be very specific to the catastrophic event. There is no formal way of determining how reliable the depictions are in a piece of literature which presents itself as autobiographical, but based on historical facts one can make their own judgments from what they have learned or if they decided to do more research. The impression that the writings on the walls of the Museo Storico della Liberazione di Roma had on me is sadness and sorrow. After learning about interment camps in history classes it still felt so foreign, but after visiting the museum it because reel and extremely depressing. I chose to write about this specific event because I researched a lot about the Patriot Act and was very disturbed when this was passed. Also, by choosing this event I could add in other historical events that tied in with the points I was trying to make.
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