Walter Van Tilburg Clark’s The Portable Phonograph Essay -- essays res

Walter Van Tilburg Clark’s â€Å"The Portable Phonograph,† In Walter Van Tilburg Clark’s â€Å"The Portable Phonograph,† the author makes setting play a major role in understanding the action of the characters within the story. Clark, a writer and an English Professor, lived from 1909 to 1971. During that time, he lived through both World Wars at a relatively young age, which may have influenced this story. Clark has excellent use of setting to make the atmosphere needed and set the proper mood, so this story is credible. To accomplish this, Clark orients the reader to a unique place and time by use of the physical setting and human possessions, and uses symbolism to create a mood that gives the reader insight to how the characters must feel in their surroundings.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In order to understand the behavior and actions of the four characters in this story, the author must describe the place physical place and time where the four characters must survive. The perception of this environment is crucial for the actions of the characters to be appropriate. Clark describes some sights in this decimated prairie, â€Å"The frozen mud still bore the toothed impress of great tanks, and a wanderer on the neighboring undulations might have stumbled, in this light, into large, partially filled-in and weed-grown cavities, their banks channeled and beginning to spread into badlands. These pits were such as might have been made by falling meteors, but they were not. They were scars ...

A Mutable Self

Haley Wiedenman English 101 Brit Ashley 4/8/11 When reading â€Å"A Mutable Self†, by Mary Catherine Bateson, I am forced to analyze why I am myself. For several years I have stubbornly believed that I have become myself by myself alone and have not been influenced by the things and people around me. I didn’t want to admit that I am in fact tightly connected to people of my past and they have influenced who I am greatly. Bateson makes it clear in her writing that â€Å"no one –fetus, child, or adult- is independent of the actions and imaginations of others. Though we have the power to alter ourselves, the fact that we do so because the influence of others proves that we can never break the connection of the people who we have been subject to, making us somewhat dependent of those around us. Bateson brings this subject to our attention to spread an awareness of how we come to be under the influence of others. Not only does she inform us of the ways of ourselves b ut also she enlightens the reader of cultures around the globe.Taking in this information has the potential to change readers view and allow them to have a greater understanding of the world around them. In opening this door Bateson is creating a continual awareness that will aid the reader in their daily life though the understanding of themselves and others. On the contrary to popular belief, Bateson has faith that â€Å"the self is learned, yet ironically it often becomes a barrier to learning. The way that I perceive this is that we often are so stubborn with the views of ourselves that we deny any opposing views given by others, which in turn blocks our access to further knowledge. Once we have an idea in our head about a certain thing, it is often difficult to persuade us otherwise. In the works of Bateson she writes a personal story about her visit to an Iranian kindergarten. In her visit the teacher allowed a period for drawing time to the students. At the end of there time the teacher went to each student, collected the drawing pencils, and threw away each of there creations.I come from a home where my first piece of art I brought home remains framed in our living room. So, to me, it is extremely sad that these children are not rewarded for their creative efforts. Instead of a high five and gold star on our artwork, these small children just watch as their masterpieces fall into a trashcan. The difference between Iranian culture and my own is huge. Though I am sure they have there own motives for their ways, I personally am glad I grew up in a home where I was praised for my hard work.Even though I enjoyed reading this essay, I do believe there are a few things Bateson could have done my successfully. Her writing is a bit repetitive, which I suppose is an effective way to make your point clear, however it can also make the reading a bit dull from time to time. Another item she could have improved on is her connection to the reader. Many of her exampl es where of other cultures, and while this may be extremely interesting, it does not relate to the most the people who will be reading this essay.It could have been more triumphant if Bateson would have both related to the common reader and added other cultural insight. Connections between the Essays: 1- The self is ever changing – pg. 252 What is the Self? & pg. 272 A mutable Self 2- People and culture around you shape the self – pg. 261 What is the Self? & pg. 269-270 A Mutable Self Questions 1- Can we disconnect ourselves from our family/community to become independent and find our true selves? (w/ out outside influence) 2- What effect does our childhood have on our lives?

Reasons why Bilingual Education Is not Appropriate for Public Schools Free Essay Example, 1750 words

The potential disadvantages of bilingual education can be assessed from its impact on the US educational system as a case study. Bilingual education was introduced in the US educational system fundamentally to provide the children from immigrated communities with an opportunity to speak, read and write the language of the locals. In the start of its implementation in the schools in the US, it was deemed necessary to let the children attain education solely in their own respective languages for at least 3 years, so that they may be able to make the foundations of their education After that period, the system required to transition into the bilingual setup. The idea was heavily criticized as it surfaced because many thought that the provision of separate mentors as per the linguistic needs of different children would serve to enhance the gap between the immigrated children and the local ones. Also, there was great verisimilitude that the children would encounter great difficulty shift ing from unilingual to the bilingual educational system after expiry of the said period, and this might affect their academic performance. We will write a custom essay sample on Reasons why Bilingual Education Is not Appropriate for Public Schools or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page