ENG 2100 Omar's Blog

1) Reflect on your own writing and decide which myth (under “myths about writing,” 4-5, apply to you? Use 3-4 sentences.

Out of all of the Myths stated the one I find myself believing in certain cases is Myth 7, Never Use I. Unless it was a blog post, I rarely had an opportunity to create an informal writing assignment and I find that if things are more formal I can express my ideas a little better. I will have to incorporate using “I” in the future since it can be a good way to  engage the reader and it might help to characterize which assignments are more formal and which are informal.

2) What does college-level research require, as opposed to high school-level research? What skills do you need to acquire to do good research? Use 3-4 sentences.

High-school level research is much more rudimentary than college level research. In high school, the typical way of doing things is just using google and wikipedia to get an idea of the topic and use that as research. In college level scenario we have to use more professional sources such as books in the library and scholarly articles present in online sources. The skills needed is primarily the ability to read difficult and obscurely worded complex texts.

3) Define “argument”– what does it mean to argue in a college-level essay? What comparison does the author use? Use 3-4 sentences

In a college essay, an argument is a carefully arranged presentation of a viewpoint backed by credible evidence. The author compares the essay with a courtroom. Lawyers present a side and it’s up to the jury and judge to be swayed by your argument that’s presented as an essay.

4) What are the three kinds of academic writing assignments you might receive in college? Briefly define each kind. Use 4-5 sentences.

There are primarily 3 kinds of writing assignments one might receive in college. They include closed, semi-open and open style. Closed give an option to choose one of two sides in a given statement and argue your position. Semi-open is more nuanced where the writer has to create his own statement and defend his response, where you can’t simply agree or disagree with the question but you have to find out your own position on the issue.. Closed gives the option to choose both the writing topic and what you claim, the thesis.

5) What are the three characteristics of effective writing, according to the research on professor expectations conducted by George Mason University? Use 3-4 sentences

According to researches at George Mason University, there are 3 characteristics of effective writing. They include: 1. Using clear evidence while being clear, persistent and open-minded. 2. Using reason rather than being clouded by emotion or senses. 3. Having a responsibility as a reader in being cool, open minded and rational people.

6) Give two examples of when the author feels first person is more appropriate in a particular context. Use 3-4 sentences.

The author states that using “I” is a more informal expression in an essay. There will be college assignments that are not expected to be formal and using “I” is a way to appeal to the reader. It’s also a way to avoid using archaic writing in an effort to seem more smart.

7) When is it clearly a bad idea to use “I”? Use 3-4 sentences.

There are some assignments that it is not a good decision to use “I”. Lab reports for example, are a way to present empirical data and using I is not a good idea since you have to present data in a clear formal way.

Sontag has a very polarizing view of war. In essence the major theme is that war is generic. She used the example of photographs to illustrate her point. The same photos can be used as propaganda and a way to give reason to any war. The glorification that tends to happen where one side is clearly wrong and the other clearly right is obviously wrong. More or less everything is in the gray. The justification used for combat can be easily used to justify both sides which makes the war itself a battle of two parties who are trying to create identities. The identities of a Nation or army are vital especially during war. Fighting for one’s people and the patriotism give a people a sense of identity. People want that more than anything and often times use things like photos for the justification. If war is based around a thing as flimsy and gray area bound then it takes away, what some believe, the glorification of combat.

1: How does fear influence the characters actions?

Fear was the deciding motivator in many of Maus’ characters. The people that lived in homes and worked in business for multiple generations had their entire lives turned upside down. Before the war they had good lives, they worked hard and had a large extended family live together. People knew were they stood, what was right and what was wrong. During the German occupation their rights were slowly taken away. The things the Nazis did and what they had planned for the Jewish people was something so alien to the people and when faced with the unknown people were naturally afraid. They let fear rule their thoughts and actions, ending up in positions they would never have imagined themselves in. Vladek’s father in law was a successful business man. He pulled strings to get a nice factory and was well respected with a nice luxurious house. He suddenly had to move his parents to a makeshift shed to protect them and eventually he lost his life and the lives of his parents believing in the Nazi’s lies. Their population were being whittled down slowly and they did nothing. Gripped by fear the Jewish police obeyed arbitrary laws and turned people in, hoping to placate the Nazis and save their lives.

1. How did going through World War Two firsthand influence Artie’s father on his personalities, values, and his perspectives on life?

WW2 had a profound impact on his father’s life. When his son came home he got angry at his wife for giving him the wire hangar and not the superior wooden hangar. Before the war he was seen as a charismatic person, someone with multiple girlfriends and someone who was carefree about life. When his wife was feeling depressed he went with her to the hospital, when his father in law wanted to start a factory with him he didn’t hesitate. After the war he seems more cantankerous, more angry and in a bad mood. The wooden hangar is something inconsequential to most people but to him, going through the holocaust and losing everything, the hangar meant a lot more. His perspective and values on life definitely changed after everything was taken away.

3. How does the presence of family impact people during war (such Abel’s godmother and the Whiteheads)?

The Great War was a very dehumanizing event in the soldier’s life. People unaccustomed to war were suddenly thrust into a position where they had to endure trench warfare and constant shelling leading to a very bleak existence where the creature comforts of their lives were gone. On the other end of the spectrum were the wives and mothers the soldiers left behind. Even though they did not actively fight in the war they were just as equally impacted by it. They cared deeply for the health and well being of the soldiers and were at times helpless to do anything. In Stein’s piece the Whiteheads are a prime example of the helplessness that war creates in those back home. Mrs. Whitehead intercepted her son before he enlisted and wanted him to learn how to drive in the 3 days before he enlisted. It was a rather naive way for the mother to give to her child some life experiences before he was put in danger as if she realized how little time she might have with her son. She successfully delivered a coat to keep him warm, but she herself was weak and sick as though the fact her son was in danger directly impacted her health. The military God-son/mother relationship played a key role in giving the soldiers some of their humanity back. Abel, the sweet boy that Alice and Gretrude both loved, was their favorite military God-son. Even though Stein wrote to many soldiers, they each replied back very quickly as if to them the letters were a glimpse into the humanity and home they left behind, as if to remind them towards what they were fighting for.