Ribbons

Author's Note: Analyses of the short story "Ribbons". 

Beauty is pain. A phrase often used to describe the suffering women go through to achieve a look. America to China, despite cultural differences, have hurt within the definition of beauty. “Ribbons” by Laurence Yep, shows the superficiality of beauty in China. Parents would wrap their little girls feet with satin ribbons to halt the growth of their feet. Paw-Paw, the grandmother of Stacy, felt this torture first hand. She works around her deformity but lives her life in pure embarrassment and with insecurities. A never ending ache. The shoes resembles the cultural differences between Paw-Paw and Stacy, for Paw-Paw they resemble the pain and deformity she goes through. For Stacy, it’s the beauty and the love within her dance.

Although China has beauty through feet America is not much different. Surgeries and processes are applied for the perfect body or facial beauty. Pain and suffering for something so superficial. No one should have to do that for beauty. Beauty should be defined as something from the inside. But it happens all around the world and is a problem unsolvable as long as people are judged on their outer appearance.

“Ribbons”, the name of this short story is what this piece revolves around. The binds of life that can hold you up or pull you down. The title even reflects on the whole piece itself, these ribbons symbolize the bond and respect for cultural differences between Paw-Paw and Stacy. 

Who am I?

I live in a prickly fruit. My limbs, although thin, carry my box like body through the deep waters of the ocean. A figure unexplainable. My curves and pores add much dimension to my build. I would consider myself a total catch. I am the definition of perfection. I am giddy, happy, and forever part of the goofy goober club. My hobbies vary with range. I prefer blowing bubbles but I also enjoy jelly fishing.

My hobbies are fun but they wouldn’t be nearly as gratifying without my best friends. My neighbors/friends differ in contrast; happy, grumpy, strong, and greedy. They are very diverse in color and shape, quite like myself.  I also am a proud owner of the oh so wonderfully glorious snail. He is quite loyal and never responds rudely to my commands. Only with a subtle “Meow”.

Employee of the month every month. A motto used to describe my fry cook ethic. My technique would be nothing without my beloved spatula. Flipping patties is the highlight of my life. Also I take pleasure in working alongside one my closest best friends forever, a squid. My boss on the other hand is very avaricious. He cuts pay often. Most of the time money is short at my residence, but I will never give hope for a better life.

Any who, my shoes are always squeaky clean and my tie is so darn beautiful I get complements everywhere I go. All in all I am a beautifully wonderful glorious sponge. I am Squarepants, Spongbob Squarepants, and I am proud.

Death With a Twist

Author's Note: I am hoping to improve my score on conflict resolution with this piece on "My Sister's Keeper" With very conflicts that form in to unique endings. 

As a cancer patient, life slowly crumbles through your fingers.  Going to college, getting married, having children all become improbable dreams. The Fitzgerald’s know exactly how this works. Suffering from very persistent leukemia, Kate at only 15 had spent the majority of her life in a hospital bed. Only thing that has kept her alive for such an extensive time is her younger sister Anna. But, Anna has decided to be in charge of her body and give her sister what she’s always wanted. This created a large conflict between many of the characters in the book, “My sisters Keeper” By Jody Picoult , and an unique resolution.  

Cancer takes a toll on everyone involved, especially Anna.  She goes against the “right” thing to do and takes her life in to her own hands. Which is obviously frowned open in the Fitzgerald’s household. Resulting in a Person vs. Society conflict. Anna vs. her family; she is sick of being the backbone and done with being poked and prodded. Who can blame her? But, her parents do not understand Anna’s fight and choose to deny her of her needs, creating a large and obvious battle between the two. Also Kate has done the same as Anna; she has gone against her family (Person vs. society). She has chose to take her life in to her own hands. Hands that want to rip up her life and throw it away.

Even though she goes against her family it seems Anna has it all figured out; starting her own lawsuit alone and with no support. But Anna starts to question her own motives. She runs in to person vs. self. Anna starts to doubt her decisions on her lawsuit and whether it is for the best or not. Yes, her sister wants it but will her family hate her forever? Is she wrong for letting her sister die?

Although Anna rethinks her lawsuit she follows through with it. In fact, she ends up winning but death is at hand for Kate. It’s seems a perfect ending is that life spares Kate and she becomes sick-free. Everyone lives happily ever after, right? Not so much. Instead a twist takes place. Anna goes brain dead from a tragic car crash. Organs and all were donated to Kate, giving her a necessary transplant to go to college and start a life. All conflicts resolved with an obviously bittersweet resolution.  A very surprising, uncommon one at that.

Maybe surprising and uncommon but not as rare in the books  “Get Well Soon” by Julie Halpern and “The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein. All have resolutions that end with trades and  all have conflicts that persist through the whole book. “Get Well Soon” a young girl, Anna, is sent to a mental hospital and each day prays to leave, until she meets the unexpected “love of her life”. Conflicts consisting alike with “My Sister’s Keeper”. This lovesick girl’s wishes come true and she leaves the hospital but without her acquired boy. Bittersweet is how I would define it. Bitter, heartbroken. Sweet, leaves the place that causes her agony. A Trade. Only “The Art of Racing in the Rain” is quite similar. Conflicts, although changing throughout the book, are none stop with person vs. self, person vs. society, and person vs. person.  Denny, Father and ex-race car driver, loses his wife to cancer and loses his daughter to a lawsuit. His money is gone and all that’s left is his loyal pooch Enzo. This resolution ends with the death of his best friend, Enzo, but his dreams of testing cars and having his daughter back are remarkably fulfilled. Again, a trade.  All depressing conflicts and bittersweet endings.

Kate’s life changes in the aggressive collision of two cars, Denny’s with a phone call, and Anna’s with a change of mind. Conflicts relating to resolution and resolution to conflict, especially in “My Sister’s Keeper” with conflicts that turn enormously during the resolution. Every part works together to make similar yet different twists on each book. Improbable dreams turn in to reality!   

Friendly Racism

 Author's Note: Mrs.Hanson's Class was given a writing piece called "After you my dear Alphonse" about the sensitivity of racism to analyze and think about the moral of the story. 

 ‘“After you, my dear Alphonse,”  “No, after you, my dear Alphonse,”’ Equal out looks on race are obviously shown through the this text by the two little boys in the story “After you my dear Alphonse” by Shirley Jackson. Showing that without a influence by a parent, teacher, or towns people children don’t notice the difference  between black or white. A child often shows more respect or gratitude then even an Adult of more than twice his age. Shown very much in this piece.

   Mrs. Wilson gradually becomes more and more racist through a subtle way. Using assumptions and stereotypes to offend poor little Boyd. Boyd family is normal, two children, scrawny father, stay at home mother, and money is not a problem at their home. Although, Mrs.Wilson thinks complete opposite  because of their skin color. She doesn’t realize that their two families are much of the same, though her unnatural friendliness and assumptions lead otherwise. I think the moral in this story is to show that treating a different race in a different way than you would treat your own is just as bad rudely criticizing them. Author Shirley Jackson demonstrated this beautifully. 

A clean, Well-lighted Place response.

Author's Note: My classmates and I were instructed to read and answer one of the question referring to the short story “A clean, Well-lighted Place”. I chose to answer the question "Write a brief analysis of the two waiters.  What do they represent about life? What does the café symbolize?" The is my response...
 

Two waiters were used in the story “A clean, Well-lighted Place” The youngest of the two became rude and inconsiderate to the old man. Representing evil within the café. Which the café could be interpreted as life or the world. While the older of the two waiters was patient and easygoing representing the good in the world. Both treating the old man, who could be depicted as struggles and challenges in life, in very different ways. 

Feeling Pretty?

Authors Note: Beauty, being a large part in society today it seemed that writing a research paper on the effects it has on people and their thoughts on beauty would be more interesting then the usual "Life of..." research papers! 

Beauty, is it the perfect body? The prettiest face? The best clothes? Or is it the utmost purity and humbleness within you? The media has had the largest and most detrimental impact on societies definition of beauty. Ad’s and magazines plastering the perfect airbrushed body and face on the front cover of every magazine. One in every three (37%) articles in leading teen girl magazines included a focus on appearance, and most of the advertisements (50%) used an appeal to beauty to sell their products. Is it wrong to be comparing yourself to a model when society expects that out of you?  

America 1950s, an era where women and men embraced curves. Every body type was used in campaigning and no one was judged based on facial beauty. America 2013, according to an ongoing study funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute 40% of 9 and 10 year olds have attempted to lose weight. Only 9 and worried about looking like their idolized actress or pop-star. Even the famous are judged for their body! "In Hollywood, I’m obese … I’m considered a fat actress.” Jennifer Lawrence, Hunger Games star, states to the media. She’s perfectly toned and 22 years young, anything but “obese”. With the media’s tabloids throwing fat next to every actress/actor in Hollywood children and adults start to compare themselves, trying to reach goals in the wrong ways. Ways that cause anorexia, Bulimia, and EDNOS. 8,000,000 or more people in America are diagnosed with eating disorders each year.

People will give anything for their perfect body, from eating disorders to now procedures with our availability to new modernized technology. Children and technologies are evolving in each generation. Media streams through not only magazines but cell-phones, I-pods and internet. Children are developing along with technology, they become more attached to Facebook, Instagram, and the lasted trends. Tests have proved children are spending a quarter of their days with media. Easily available to the growing tendency of perfection; that anything but flawlessness is thought out to be unacceptable: acne, pointy nose, eyes to far apart, eyes to close together, round face, big ears, exedra.  Some of this has resulted in 1.6 million Cosmetic Surgery procedures a year and still growing by 5%. Now even teen magazines giving tips on how to achieve you’re “perfect look” as if teen’s natural beauty not good enough? One study reports that at age thirteen, 53% of American girls are "unhappy with their bodies." This grows to 78% by the time girls reach seventeen. Is this because of their overexposure to media’s thoughts on beauty?

Along with being over exposed many people are inspired by a perfect petite actress/athlete and disown the famous who are not a size two! For me an actress like Rebel Wilson is someone I aspire to be like. At 213 pounds and 5’8” she has been considered by the media as “fat”, but she is one person who embraces their body. Sure she, like the rest of the world, probably has her insecurities but she gives a bigger pant size something to be proud of. “I know, I pick up the roles other actresses don’t want [laughs]. When there’s movies where there are two sisters and one’s the uglier sister, there’s always no actress that wants to go for it. I’m like, why not! They’re the best roles!” She acted upon her words in her latest movie, Pitch Perfect, playing “Fat Amy”. Rebel doesn’t let the media tell her she’s fat, she says it before they get to. Although this may not be the healthiest option she gives women and men a reason to embrace their bodies. But, she has become bullied and ridiculed by the public for her weight. Media being a horrible example to the public, letting them think it's okay to judge people. As said, Ms.Wilson doesn't let anyone knock her down and without people like this humanity would have no chance against the fight of media. 

The cameras, the callous words and the preposterous idea of “pretty”. America today is brainwashed by the modern media to think that prettiness is based on outer appearance then your true inner beauty. So whether you are 100 pounds or have arched eyebrows does not define who you are. That model on the front spread is just as pretty as the next girl!

 Bibliography

Cdc. National Center for Health Statistics . n.d. www.cdc.gov/nchs/. 10 April 2013.

Disorders, National Eating. National Eating Disorders . n.d. http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/. 10 April 2013.

Now, Children. Media's impact on Children. n.d. http://www.childrennow.org/index.php/learn/medias_impact/. 18 April 2013.

Relations, Media. Plastic Surgery . n.d. http://www.plasticsurgery.org/news-and-resources/press-release-archives/2012-press-release-archives/138-million-cosmetic-plastic-surgery-procedures-performed-in-2011.html. 18 April 2013.

Samhsa. SAMHSA'S National Mental Health Information Center. n.d. http://store.samhsa.gov/home. 10 April 2013.

Plums

Author's Note: In class we were instructed to write a parody to a poem. This is my parody from the point of view of the person who got their plums stolen!

The original Poem:

I have eaten 

The plums

that were in

the icebox

And which 

you were probably 

saving 

for breakfast

Forgive me

They were delicious

so sweet 

and so cold

My Parody-

I have seen

That you have eaten

my plums

From the icebox

And which 

you thought 

was so 

Clever

Forgive me

But they aren't

as delicious 

as they seem.