The book "Dirty Little Secrets" by C.J. Omololu is a young adult novel in which a teen struggles to hide her private life from the world. Lucy, the main character, is extremely embarrassed by her mother who over time has become a hoarder. But when Lucy comes home one day, her problems become a whole lot worse when she sees her mom dead on the floor from an asthma attack caused by the growing mold in her house. With her mom out of the way, however, Lucy can finally clean up the house before anyone finds out. In this complex "dirty" story the author uses the hoard of garbage and manipulates it to act as a sort of "archaeological dig" to make the reader empathize about the characters with buried forgotten memories.
Firstly, when Lucy recovers some hidden items in the hoard of her house they bring back some joyful memories. For example, when Lucy finds her third grade teddy bear it brings back a certain memory. " It was a Girl Scout project- I even got my sewing badge for doing it. My mom used to make quilts a long time ago- she was a really good sewer, and she showed me what to do. I squeezed the bear's tummy... thinking about the nights Mom and I had sat with our heads bent over the effort of making the stitches... as tiny and uniform as possible." As you can see even though Lucy acknowledged that her mom was not a good one, they still bonded over things in the past and spent quality time together even if it wasn't recently. Another part of the story is when her mother heartwarmingly remarks, "Congratulations. You are now an official member of the top secret quilting society." Clearly her mom wanted to be a big, good part of Lucy's life and did once make an effort to do so. One last example of joyful memory is when Lucy uncovers a pair of her mother's scrubs she is reminded of what kind of person she was around her "people" (She was a nurse). " Mom always found the most obnoxious scrubs to wear because she said it made her people feel better to look at something cheerful. It had been weird to see Mom so efficient, so capable of taking care of other people." Clearly her mother, in her work place seemed to be a role model once. Lucy later even says that "I would remember back to the day I was proud of her (referring to watching her work)." Clearly the house is not only filled with garbage but memories to hold onto.
Secondly, Not only does Lucy uncover things with great memories, she also discovers things that make her feel distraught, confused, and just downright angry. For example the most disheartening discovery in the hoard is when Lucy finds an envelope of bills. "I ripped the envelope all the way open and took out the papers that were inside. There were pages and pages of charges, and on the first page in big black letters was one of the largest numbers I'd ever seen in real life. I looked up at the date in the corner of the page. This statement was from six months ago, but even then Mom owed $48,562 to this credit card... The scholarships and grants I was chasing because there wasn't enough money to go to a good university without a lot of help. And this is where it all ended up... It had ended in late-night home-shopping bargains on stuff we'd never use" Clearly, finding something as big as this must be truly upsetting, Their lost opportunities were just because her mom was a shopaholic. This also shows that material things seemed to have mattered more than Lucy to her mom.
Overall, The author takes advantage of the mother's hoarding problems and uses that to put meaning into a few of the things in her hoard. This affects the reader by making them feel empathy, good and bad. Many people can relate to the author's use of old items because most people have items to remember things by, even if they are the opposite of a hoarder. For example, when you go on vacation you often purchase a souvenir. Basically, nostalgia is something everyone can relate to. By clinging on to items from the past you can relive those moments just by seeing them.
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Thursday, October 9, 2014
"Guess Who's Looking at Your Facebook Page?" by Alessandra Potenza
A numerous amount of people have some sort of social media account. Whether it's Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, people post a variety of things that state facts, opinions, etc. But do these people know that what they post may cause them to miss out on opportunities? In, the article, "Guess Who's Looking at Your Facebook Page?" by Alessandra Potenza, found in Upfront magazine, the article talks about how employers and college admission officers are increasingly looking at applicants' and employees' social media accounts. If they find anything unappealing while invading your privacy, that could determine where you go in life. These employers and college admission officer shouldn't invade any one's social media accounts then judge them based on their posts or commentary.
First of all, whether you are applying for or have a job, the employer of that that job may come across posts that would compromise your position despite that the posts are your personal opinions or pictures. For example, in Findlay, Ohio, "Kirsten Kelly complained on Facebook about the small tips she'd received from customers. One happened to be a former schoolmate and a Facebook friend. When the customer saw the post, she printed it out and showed it to Kelly's managers. ' I knew that they could have yelled at me or that,' Kelly, 22, told a local TV station .' But I didn't think they could fire me for posting that." One can understand how Kelly's post might offend someone, however as an opinion on her private Facebook account, she wasn't directly disrespecting any of her customers and shouldn't have been so rashly fired. On the more statistical side, "More than 90 percent of recruiters check candidates' social media profiles, according to a Jobvite survey of thousands of U.S. companies." Clearly, this is a widespread standard and no one is the exception or has complete privacy despite privacy settings.
Secondly, college applicants are scrutinized and affected quite like employees. For instance, "At Pitzer College in Claremont, California, an applicant was denied admission because of offensive comments he had posted on Facebook about one of his teachers." No matter how offensive, the student most likely had reason for the offensive comments and even if he didn't that is his own personal opinion which shouldn't change his chances, if he is still a hardworking student, on getting in to a college. Sure the comments were disrespectful, but that doesn't imply that he treats everyone in the same manner. Clearly, the post was a mistake because of his denied admission but admission officers should also be empathetic in understanding, at that age, teenagers do a lot of impulsive things. One last point is that even if these student are not quite yet adults, they still have freedom of speech.
Lastly, some may say that employers and college admission officers have every right to determine some one's position with what they post to social media. For example, " most admission officers don't have time to check every candidate online. But if something in the application raises a red flag, a Google search is likely to follow." Obviously, if something is concerning, you look it up but most people act differently in different environments. Therefore, if you view a student solely in their personal life then you don't really get to see them as a student. In the case of employees, most adults understand that in work you have to have a sort of professional character and on an adult's social media account you will only see what they are like when they don't have the pressure of working on them.
First of all, whether you are applying for or have a job, the employer of that that job may come across posts that would compromise your position despite that the posts are your personal opinions or pictures. For example, in Findlay, Ohio, "Kirsten Kelly complained on Facebook about the small tips she'd received from customers. One happened to be a former schoolmate and a Facebook friend. When the customer saw the post, she printed it out and showed it to Kelly's managers. ' I knew that they could have yelled at me or that,' Kelly, 22, told a local TV station .' But I didn't think they could fire me for posting that." One can understand how Kelly's post might offend someone, however as an opinion on her private Facebook account, she wasn't directly disrespecting any of her customers and shouldn't have been so rashly fired. On the more statistical side, "More than 90 percent of recruiters check candidates' social media profiles, according to a Jobvite survey of thousands of U.S. companies." Clearly, this is a widespread standard and no one is the exception or has complete privacy despite privacy settings.
Secondly, college applicants are scrutinized and affected quite like employees. For instance, "At Pitzer College in Claremont, California, an applicant was denied admission because of offensive comments he had posted on Facebook about one of his teachers." No matter how offensive, the student most likely had reason for the offensive comments and even if he didn't that is his own personal opinion which shouldn't change his chances, if he is still a hardworking student, on getting in to a college. Sure the comments were disrespectful, but that doesn't imply that he treats everyone in the same manner. Clearly, the post was a mistake because of his denied admission but admission officers should also be empathetic in understanding, at that age, teenagers do a lot of impulsive things. One last point is that even if these student are not quite yet adults, they still have freedom of speech.
Lastly, some may say that employers and college admission officers have every right to determine some one's position with what they post to social media. For example, " most admission officers don't have time to check every candidate online. But if something in the application raises a red flag, a Google search is likely to follow." Obviously, if something is concerning, you look it up but most people act differently in different environments. Therefore, if you view a student solely in their personal life then you don't really get to see them as a student. In the case of employees, most adults understand that in work you have to have a sort of professional character and on an adult's social media account you will only see what they are like when they don't have the pressure of working on them.
Saturday, October 4, 2014
"Faithful Elephants" by Yukio Tsuchiya
Writing a truly meaningful, short story is difficult. In "Faithful Elephants: A True Story of Animals, People, and Wars" by Yukio Tsuchiya, however, the author successfully manages to do just that. "Faithful Elephants"is about three elephants that used to reside at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo. Their names were John, Tonky and Wanly. The elephants lived at the zoo in a time of war, therefore bombs that could potentially destroy the cages were raining down. So they had to be executed. The author makes this story purposeful and worthwhile by using settings, symbols and word choice to effect the overall feeling of the story.
Initially, the author sets up multiple settings in which the depiction of the zoo effects or generates certain feelings. For instance, the first, present day setting brings a certain cheerful mood to the reader then slips into a peaceful, almost loving feel. "The cherry blossoms are in full bloom at the Ueno Zoo. Their petals are falling in the soft breeze and sparkling in the sun. Beneath the cherry trees, crowds of people are pushing to enter the zoo... Two elephants are outside performing their tricks for a lively audience... Not far from the cheerful square, there stands a tombstone. Not many notice this monument for the animals that have died at the Ueno Zoo. It is quiet and peaceful here, and the sun warms every corner." Clearly the scene transitions from a boisterous, entertained crowd to a quiet, calm scenario with only a monument. This would make a majority of people feel peaceful or at least content since that is the mood the settings exude. Another example is when the story begins and the author shifts to another, almost opposite setting. "Today,' he (the zoo keeper)said, 'there are three elephants in the zoo. But years ago, we had three different elephants here... At that time Japan was at war. Gradually, the war had become more severe. Bombs were dropped on Tokyo every day and night, Like falling rain." As you can see when the zoo keeper starts his tale, the reader is brought to this flashback scene where the surroundings are completely different then the present day. With bombs raining down and foreshadowed soon-to-be-dead elephants, the mood changed drastically from a cheerful zoo to a mid-war death zone full of despair.
Furthermore, The author also incorporates symbols throughout the story in order to effect the reader's understanding of the situation. For example, "The zoo keepers wanted so much to keep Tonky and Wanly alive that they thought of sending them to the zoo in Sendai, far north of Tokyo." The zoo in Sendai or the idea of sending the elephants there helps readers better understand the way the zoo keepers feel and the zoo itself stands as a symbol of hope. Another symbol is found at the death bed of the elephants. "At last, Tonky and Wanly could no longer move. They just lay on their sides, hardly able to see the white clouds floating in the sky over the zoo. However, their eyes appeared clearer and more beautiful than ever." Obviously, no one but the elephants could know what they could or couldn't see, therefore the lack of clouds in sight stood as a symbol for how the elephant were accepting of their fate; an untimely demise. This peaceful symbol despite the foreshadowed death changes the story's mood to one that is calming and almost reassuring.
Lastly, Tsuchiya uses specific word choice to make every action in the story meaningful. For instance, when the zoo keeper is introduced, his actions are observed and described in order to tell a little about the zoo keeper's relationship with the past animals of the zoo. "One day, an employee of the zoo, while tenderly polishing the stone (monument), told me a sad story of three elephants buried there." By using the word tenderly, the author lets you know that he did care for the animals that past away and he show remorse for having to watch them die slowly. The overall feeling that emanates from this one word is melancholy. It shows his love and compassion for the animals that once lived at the zoo while also letting you view the ashamed unsettled side of him in relation to this situation.
Overall, Yukio Tsuchiya uses meaningful settings, symbols, and words to convey certain feelings to the reader. In doing so, one might think of sacrifices, the damage of war or even the beauty of simple creatures. However the story may impact you, Tsuchiya's purposeful story does just that, leaves an impact.
Initially, the author sets up multiple settings in which the depiction of the zoo effects or generates certain feelings. For instance, the first, present day setting brings a certain cheerful mood to the reader then slips into a peaceful, almost loving feel. "The cherry blossoms are in full bloom at the Ueno Zoo. Their petals are falling in the soft breeze and sparkling in the sun. Beneath the cherry trees, crowds of people are pushing to enter the zoo... Two elephants are outside performing their tricks for a lively audience... Not far from the cheerful square, there stands a tombstone. Not many notice this monument for the animals that have died at the Ueno Zoo. It is quiet and peaceful here, and the sun warms every corner." Clearly the scene transitions from a boisterous, entertained crowd to a quiet, calm scenario with only a monument. This would make a majority of people feel peaceful or at least content since that is the mood the settings exude. Another example is when the story begins and the author shifts to another, almost opposite setting. "Today,' he (the zoo keeper)said, 'there are three elephants in the zoo. But years ago, we had three different elephants here... At that time Japan was at war. Gradually, the war had become more severe. Bombs were dropped on Tokyo every day and night, Like falling rain." As you can see when the zoo keeper starts his tale, the reader is brought to this flashback scene where the surroundings are completely different then the present day. With bombs raining down and foreshadowed soon-to-be-dead elephants, the mood changed drastically from a cheerful zoo to a mid-war death zone full of despair.
Furthermore, The author also incorporates symbols throughout the story in order to effect the reader's understanding of the situation. For example, "The zoo keepers wanted so much to keep Tonky and Wanly alive that they thought of sending them to the zoo in Sendai, far north of Tokyo." The zoo in Sendai or the idea of sending the elephants there helps readers better understand the way the zoo keepers feel and the zoo itself stands as a symbol of hope. Another symbol is found at the death bed of the elephants. "At last, Tonky and Wanly could no longer move. They just lay on their sides, hardly able to see the white clouds floating in the sky over the zoo. However, their eyes appeared clearer and more beautiful than ever." Obviously, no one but the elephants could know what they could or couldn't see, therefore the lack of clouds in sight stood as a symbol for how the elephant were accepting of their fate; an untimely demise. This peaceful symbol despite the foreshadowed death changes the story's mood to one that is calming and almost reassuring.
Lastly, Tsuchiya uses specific word choice to make every action in the story meaningful. For instance, when the zoo keeper is introduced, his actions are observed and described in order to tell a little about the zoo keeper's relationship with the past animals of the zoo. "One day, an employee of the zoo, while tenderly polishing the stone (monument), told me a sad story of three elephants buried there." By using the word tenderly, the author lets you know that he did care for the animals that past away and he show remorse for having to watch them die slowly. The overall feeling that emanates from this one word is melancholy. It shows his love and compassion for the animals that once lived at the zoo while also letting you view the ashamed unsettled side of him in relation to this situation.
Overall, Yukio Tsuchiya uses meaningful settings, symbols, and words to convey certain feelings to the reader. In doing so, one might think of sacrifices, the damage of war or even the beauty of simple creatures. However the story may impact you, Tsuchiya's purposeful story does just that, leaves an impact.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Summer Reading: The Over Sight
While reading, "The Oversight" by Charlie Fletcher I found the constant change of characters to be a bit confusing, however I enjoyed that after about sixty pages all the characters with their different lives started to come together. The book is placed somewhere in London. This book of "supranatural" beings and magic was not like most. It didn't follow simple characters like witches and vampires, but it had its own unique type of "beings" which I enjoyed while also keeping some classics such as golems. The descriptions of the run down city this book is placed in was also something i enjoyed reading. One main part of the book that intrigued me the most is that this ancient "government" has dwindled to five measly characters yet they still have the power to protect the town against evil forces such as "The Slaugh". Another aspect of the book that was very well thought out is that one of the main characters, Lucy, is an amnesiac which means she often forgets things throughout the book.
Overall, the book was one I would definitely reread just to better understand what happened throughout.
Overall, the book was one I would definitely reread just to better understand what happened throughout.
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