AP English: Nickel & Dimed Evidence

There is a sufficient amount of evidence for Ehrenreich’s point in Nickel and Dimed. She describes life when working under minimum wage and how difficult it is to survive. It’s so much easier to spend money than earn it. When Barbara was in Minnesota she ended up only getting a check for $42 and spent $500 that week. She spent so much more than she had ended up earning (through a personal experience to touch the reader). She told of a time where she and her fellow employees were hungry, yet they all together couldn’t sum up even two dollars. Four people couldn’t put two dollars together! Or the time when she worked in Wal-Mart and one of the employees couldn’t even afford a stained, clearanced Wal-Mart shirt, after her employee discount. Barbara is smart and has education background, so through personal stories and backgrounds she touched the reader. Because if she was struggling in a minimum wage job, just imagine those around her who didn’t have an education background like she did, etc. Barbara didn’t look at the other people as bad people; she just saw them as mesmerized by their own goals and money. They had their eye on the prize and didn’t take in account how their employees are doing. She looked at people in higher class sort of oblivious, because they had what they wanted. The more successful have everything because of what the minimum wage workers do. She didn’t diss or negetate them, she just looked at them as oblivious and not as appreciative. But the people on her side won’t take a stand to the low income they have. They are so timid and feel that they can only impress their boss when there is so much more out in the world. (Holly wants to impress Ted so much; she hardly eats because she can’t afford it and will try to work with a broken ankle).

What defines you?

I never sit and think about what defines me in fine detail. I know I have likes and dislikes and I have things that I’m good at and things that I’m not as good at (or just not good at). I don’t necessarily have symbolism in my life like in Speak with the tree symbolizing Melinda as a character. But, I would define myself as a social and driven person who is athletic. I care about others and don’t let myself fall into a stereotypical group (University helps with that). I branch out to people that I wouldn’t necessarily see myself talking to or associating myself with. I have a kind and joking side and get along with most people I come across. The people around me help me define myself, because we have similar personalities and likes.

Some of the characters in Speak define themselves on what’s popular, not their true self. For example, Heather wanted to be with the popular groups, Marthas, and would do anything to have a moment with the group. She didn’t base her status on her true personality or her likes, she did whatever she had to do to join the group. How could she define herself when she was putting on a show the whole time, not necessarily expressing her true self/personality to the popular group? Melinda didn’t really define herself throughout the novel because she had no voice. That was in a way, how she defined herself at all. She was trapped in her own mind because of the incident that occurred to her and took control over her and led her to be so closed in. The incident defined Melinda for a long time, because it changed her to what she was and how she acted during the story. Not only was Melinda’s secret eating her up, but she hardly had a social life, or anyone to call her friend. According to Freud, when one isn’t recognized, they will go crazy. She is hardly noticed in her high school, and you can tell it gets to her in the novel. She hides herself in a closet and hides herself from people she doesn’t want to be noticed by. Speak by Laurie Anderson a is perfect example of Freud’s story The Social Me.

Utilizing Literature

There are many pieces of writing in literature where people express themselves such as books, bills, articles, etc. For example, in the Declaration of Independence, people are expressing how they think government and a country should work and be run. Freedom and freedom of speech is a big part of English and literature. It’s a key point in Little Brother too. Freedom has to do with literature because if one doesn’t have freedom or freedom of speech how will one express their ideas? Security takes a lot of freedom away from the people in San Francisco in Little Brother. This relates to English because with restricted rights, results to not having a way (or having to figure out another way) to voice ideas and thoughts. Literature can be changed if one has limited rights, and it will over years if limitation is continuously put on people.

This century can relate more to this book because of the technology used. We know what it’s like to be servalenced, but not to the extremity in Little Brother. We know the level of uncomfortableness of being searched or if we were searched. This piece of writing teaches me different things in life and goes beyond just learning. It displays what government has control over and even though one might not have something to hide, they have everything to hide at the same time. Can one really trust someone even if they are part of the federal government security or just a student at Chavez High?

The book gives you a lesson in the sense of how not to mess with the government. If one gets involved with the government and doesn’t cooperate, there can be some major consequences. This lesson helped me utilize literature in my life, because now I know if I ever get involved with the government, I know to cooperate. It’s very significant. Although I can find this information in other sources of literature, this one makes it all the more interesting. More details in more entertaining ways are used in Little Brother.

Books like Little Brother can have great significance in one’s life. Certain books are more significant than others, because you can articulate the text and pull things out of it. Many of what happens in books can happen in societies and make one question themselves, their surroundings, and feelings. Things are put into perspective when one reads a book. In Little Brother, this book makes you utilize literature because it has such a point of displaying that what happens in the book can happen in real everyday life. It makes you question how would you feel about being searched, etc.

Overall, I think lessons and books are very significant and can utilize literature in anybody’s life and no one should take advantage of them. Writing is always the way to express ideas and thoughts, so why ever think about limiting it.

The Dumb Generation

This article didn’t surprise me too much. I’ve heard before that people in this generation don’t pay fine attention or know history like their parents and so on did. It’s disappointing that people now don’t perceive important history facts that should be taken notice. But a few things caught my attention. The knowledge and life using skills behind video games was a shocker, along with plain and simple facts kids don’t know. I always thought video games were bad for people and one wouldn’t gain anything from it. But according to this article, video games can be used to a person’s advantage. But if I break it down and analyze it, I guess video games do have some sort of educational background! I always knew that multitasking was a different task to take on, but I never knew that it affected everything that one’s trying to do at once. I now know though, why I can’t multitask and I have to read a passage over and over again when I’m trying to do two other things at the same time.

I agree with some parts of the articles but others, I do not. I agree with the fact that many kids in this generation get distracted with what’s around us (technology) and lean away from the aspect of learning, knowing, analyzing, etc. It’s very sad and almost pathetic that some don’t know what ‘colored entrance’ stood for or who Dick Cheney is. Many of the facts that 2/3 of high school seniors in 2006 didn’t know, are pretty important facts and should be known. But maybe in their eyes, they don’t need it. Things can’t be taught if there is not a special need for it according to Gasset. All students are more interested in different subjects and areas of knowledge, not everyone is going to want to learn or know the same things. Therefore, some will not know facts that one thinks SHOULD be known. Plus, in this generation, people are better and specialize in things that help us to this day, such as technology. Technology is advancing, and as it advances, obviously people around it will be more interested in it (maybe with studying it). The reason we are so advanced with technology to this day is because the people of our generation and a little before have invented it. They might not know who Dick Cheney is, but they had a need and soon succeeded in inventing a T.V., radio, Xbox, and so on.

The generation before us maybe knew what a ‘colored entrance’ was, but no one knows if they were real students who questioned the knowledge that was being thrown at them. According to Gasset, a real student should question everything, starting with assuming the teacher could be wrong. Our generation definitely questions the technology being put out, because we are always trying to fix it or make it better.

Why Americans Are Often So Restless Int. Q's

Q: Why does a society devoted to equal opportunity weaken each individual?

A: According to Tocqueville, Americans strive for equality every day. "This constant strife between the desires inspired by equality and the means it supplies to satisfy them harasses and wearies the mind," said Tocqueville (167). Everyone works for something they want, but one can't be the only one that wants that prize. There are others around that want that same prize or pleasure, so competition takes place. Competition takes place everyday, everywhere, and to every person. Constantly having to compete and be aggressive towards the pleasure one wants and reaching one's goal, is utterly exhausting. "But men will never establish an equality which will content them," said Tocqueville (167). There is no room for men to be happy once they've reached that prize/goal/pleasure, because they're just going to have to right back and compete for something else. He said (166), "Men are often less afraid of death than of enduring effort toward one goal." Being more afraid of going through effort to reach a goal than death, puts stress on one's self. Temper, violence, and exhaustion can be results. "The same equality which allows a man to entertain vast hopes makes each man by himself weak. His power is limited on every side, though his longings may wander where they will," Tocqueville displayed (166). America will never be complete equality. "...they will never get the sort of equality they long for," said Tocqueville (167).

Q: Does Tocqueville think Americans are restless because they don't know what they want or because what they want is not attainable?

A: Tocqueville thinks Americans are restless because what they want is not attainable. "...the latter never stop thinking of the good things they have not got," displayed Tocqueville (164). Americans are so educated to know they could have more and there is more out there, that they never stop to relish what good things they have in the present day. "...the freest and best educated of men in circumstances the happiest to be found in the world..., and they seemed serious and almost sad even in their pleasures," said Tocqueville (164). Americans are always in a rush, and they feel they don't have a long enough life span to sit and absorb all the good things they obtain. "Apart from the goods he has, he thinks of a thousand others which death will prevent him from tasting if he does not hurry," Tocqueville wrote (166). When can one have time to rejoice over his possessions, if right after one has to work for the next prized possession before death? Tocqueville said (165), "They clutch everything but hold nothing fast, and so lose grip as they hurry after some new delight." Americans want more and better. "An American will build a house in which to pass his old age and sell it before the roof is on; he will plant a garden and rent i just as the trees are coming into bearing; he will clear a field and leave other to reap the harvest...," Tocqueville said (165). The average American can't even fulfill happiness over the hard work he/she performs because he/she is focused on the next object they have to hurdle over in order to get something unattainable.

Comparison: Empowered Peasants vs. Previous Ruling Class

I feel that the empowered peasants don't behave too much differently than the pervious ruling class. They are a lot less strict and cruel though. The peasants don't randomly beat citizens on the road or put the death penalty on people who don't bow to the higher class. They instead, arrest any emigrants and trial them much time later. But most, don't come out of the trial or prison alive.

But, the empowered peasants listen to the appeals that the "criminals" or anyone has to say.For instance, when Darnay was in court and the jury was determining weather to free him or send him back to jail. (Page 292-293) Darnay was honest with the court room and appealed to having himself put back in prison, the judge listened and the jury decided. The empowered peasants are opened to listening unlike the Marquis was. They care about their people and what they have to say, even if they are a little strict. Before, when the peasants would appeal, they would be beat, tortured, or just plain killed because of how the previous ruling class system worked.

I think that empowered peasants have good intentions, but are just trying to be strict so the country doesn't get a monarchy or cruel ruling like before.

TOTC Book 1 Q's

1. For how long has the man in Jarvis Lorry’s thoughts been buried?
18 years

2. What else do we know of this man who has been “buried”?
He (Dr. Manette) has been buried alive. This man has been hidden and isolated from the world because he's been in prison. He has changed his name and now Jarvis Lorry has to recall him to life.

3. What are the two conditions concerning Dr. Manette?
He has lost all memory of who he is and who he knows because he has been isolated for so long.

He is alive, but he acts like he is dead. The way he communicates, does his work, body language, etc.

*He has no life in him, because he has been in prison and then trapped up in the top of Defarge's house for 18 years.

4. Who are the proprietors of the wine-shop?
Monsieur Defarge and Madame Defarge (his wife)

5. Why does Defarge show Dr. Manette to the “Jacques”?

Defarge only shows a few people to Dr. Manette, and the ones with the great name "Jacques" because that's also Defarge's name. The sight is likely to do them good, because of the name.

6. What is Dr. Manette doing when they enter his room?
Making a lady's shoe-he is a shoe maker. He was sitting on the bench in his room with hardly any light, making a shoe.

7. What does Dr. Manette say his name is? What is the significance of what he says?

One Hundred and Five, North Tower. It was the prison he was held hostage at for so long.