Two Lives?

Most of you have a combination of cultural backgrounds. For example, you are ethnically Chinese, but you live in Taiwan and you go to an American school. Some of you have lived in other countries. Each of these backgrounds has an effect on you, and the synergy created by two or more creates yet an additional influence. Try to describe the different cultures which influence you, and how they influence you. Which of your backgrounds do you think has the most influence on you? If you were a writer, how do you think this might affect your style?

I am Chinese by heritage; sometime or another, whether it was during or before the Chinese Civil War, my past family came from China to settle in Taiwan. Despite my heritage, my parents decided to place my sister and me under the American educational system. They did not want my sister and me to be consumed by the unilateral, uncreative, and stressful system of education most of Asia has, and as a result generally encourage Western ideals and cultures.  What results is a juxtaposition of two different cultures and a lifestyle that may seem paradoxical at first glance.

Due to this American/Taiwanese cultural background, I live in a fairly moderate state between the two cultures. For example, my parents never pushed me to excel in school (they trusted that I would have the innate motive to do so), but they still expect me to succeed. However, sometimes I tend to side with one belief or another; for example, I strongly disagree with Taiwan's competitive and fanatically stressful educational agenda. I believe that while studying is crucial, a student's life should also be balanced out with extracurricular activities and fun and engaging events. This is probably the belief that decreases my popularity in this school, since PAS doesn't seem to share my point-of-view.

A third cultural influence is that of religion. I have personally accepted Christian doctrines, but I still hold incense sticks, burn paper money, and join in pray to Buddhist gods alongside my family, out of respect for them and for my culture.

Because I mainly affiliate with so called "American culture," some of my family members whisper and grumble behind my back (something I am more than aware of). Some, mostly the older folk, dislike the fact that I am "throwing my heritage away" while others disagree about sending me to college overseas.

I'm not entirely sure how this would affect my style. Perhaps after years of mental stimulation and intrapersonal learning practice, I am forced to think in more empathetic, yet rational means before I write.

Nature's Role

Think of an experience you had with nature or something you observed in nature. Maybe you were camping, or hiking, or maybe just going for a walk. Did anything surprise you? What role does nature play in our lives? How can nature surprise us? Can you think of how a writer might approach the subject of nature, and how it might be approached stylistically? How could different styles depict nature differently?

In modern times most young people aren't spending as much time in nature (possibly due to the rise of consumer electronics and indoor entertainment systems), and when they do go out they are bored by what they observe. This is most unfortunate, considering the physical and spiritual pleasures that nature can bring. Nature has its surprises; from a tree that is over a millennium old to observing the diversity of animal life and their unique characteristics, nature is widely diverse and extremely intricate.

Nature holds a spiritual role in some people's lives. Some feel that through observing nature, one can find inner peace and balance in life. Others use nature as a means to get closer with God, feel his presence, and observe his creations. Nature also holds a physical role in life. Because of its value and its importance to the Earth, many promote the protection of nature for the enjoyment of future generations. The great diversity and the puzzling mysteries within nature also prompts humans to attempt to study and understand such aspects of nature. All of the physical and natural sciences are based on the idea of understanding the natural world around us.

Authors can approach the topic of nature with different styles. For instance, a religious or more spiritual writer will want to embody powerful and emotional words and descriptions that describes his view of nature. A more emotional writer can describe how nature possesses deep metaphors and symbols and wondrous life processes that deserve contemplation and a great deal of admiration. A more down-to-earth writer can write about nature by simply describing the physical observations. This point of view would not deliver the more emotional and "deep" style of the previous author.

How Do Artists Convey Style?

Look at the painting on p. 445 of your textbook and answer the questions 1-5 on p. 444 and 1-4 on p. 445 (some are duplicates--you don't have to answer twice). In your own words describe the style the artist used in creating this picture.

1) What is the painting about? Is it a still scene or is there action? The painting is a depiction of the interior furnishings of an American domestic home. It is a still life painting; it is a work of art that depicts inanimate subject matter (furniture and a few dishware).

2)  Consider the manner in which the painting's subject is presented. Is the subject depicted in a realistic or nonrealistic way? There are no abstract or obscured objects that are out of proportion, shadows are drawn accurately, and fine details are added. The painting's subject is presented in a realistic way. After doing some light research, I found out that Charles Sheeler was known for his realistic style of painting, which further reinforces that the painting is realistic.

3) Identify the author's technique. How does the artist use color, texture and shapes to show the subject matter?
The artist includes certain details and designs in his painting of the carpets, the dishware, and uses precision in representing lighting and shadows. He also predominantly utilizes the color brown and similarly darker colors (with the exception of the plates on the night-table). The shapes are well defined, and everything possesses a rather smooth or soft texture. This overall design allows the painting to have a feeling of warmth, comfort, and oddly a sense of reliability.

4) What mood is created by the artist's use of light and shadow?
The cast shadows formed by the furniture blocking the light source off-image (which is relatively dim, as with a setting or rising sun) gives the painting a well-defined feeling and contributes to a mood of security, comfort, and sophistication.

5) How is the painting different from other paintings of similar subjects? Other paintings tend to have softer edges, blurred details, lighter colors, lighter, and less-defined shadows. While some paintings also use similar color schemes, they do not convey the mood of being sophisticated, yet not overtly contemporary or conservative, as many other paintings make me feel.

Style

What do you think of when you hear the word “style” or “stylish”? How do you recognize whether someone or something has style? Or does everyone have style? How does one reveal one’s style? How do you evaluate between “good” style and “bad” style? Is style more permanent, or more temporary? Do you have a style? What is it, and how do you manifest it?

To me, the word "style" means a certain type of mannerism and how something is carried out by the person. A style can be connoted through a person's behavior, and with some more perceptive people, through the manner in which they dress.

"Stylish," on the other hand, has a completely different meaning. To me it refers to being up-to-date on the latest fashion, and having elegance in manner and being discriminant in their choice of clothing. To put it in easier terms, everyone has a style, but not everyone is stylish.

A style can be anything such as the manner in which they speak (a rapid style of speech, a punctuate manner, etc), their choice of fashion, and the mode in which they live their lives. I believe everyone carries themselves with a certain style, based on their mannerisms and how they live their life; even being bland is a style (though, granted, not a very interesting one). 

The distinction between a good style and a bad style is, essentially, based on the style of the person who is judging. To me a good style is one that balances between a conservative and a progressive attitude, and is classy but also knows when to be free and have fun. To be stylish is to live in a contemporary house and listen to jazz on Sunday nights.

Style, I would say, is reasonably permanent, but is very prone to change. For instance, a few years ago I listened and enjoyed contemporary music. Now, I may recognize modern singers on the radio, but I only listen to jazz, classic rock, soft rock, and Oldies in my free time. My choice of clothing is also fairly reserved, and I hate ostentatious clothing with wild colors and symbols, something that my mom says is "not natural" for my age.

A Daring Adventure

Helen Keller, the first deaf and blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree, once said, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. To keep our faces toward change and behave like free spirits in the presence of fate is strength undefeatable.” Write what this quotation means to you. What is fate? Who or what controls fate? What gives a particular event meaning in our lives? What gives meaning to our lives as a whole?

I agree with the quote in that life can be viewed as a continual strive for progress and change, relying on our own independence and wild freedom. When fate comes into the picture, however, then it starts becoming slightly debatable.

Fate refers to destiny, which then refers to a future event that is inevitable. Whether or not one believes in this is up to the religious background of the individual. Some Protestants asset that life is predestined by God, whereas others believe that there is only free will in the world. I personally believe a combination of both. For me, fate is split into choice and purpose. My choice is the free will I exercise every day (what subject I will major in, whether I should drink Coke or Sprite, what kind of religion I choose to believe in), but because of my religious beliefs, I believe that I have a specific purpose, both in a spiritual and physical sense, that is set out for me by a higher force. This unique purpose is the purpose of my life, and I believe it to be the purpose of most people's lives.

Ultimately it is a person's individual values that gives a particular event meaning. An event only impacts us significantly if we allow it to do so, and it usually occurs because we either value it greatly or not enough. It is based on individual views of values. In the same way, a person's values gives meaning to one's life. For me, I value religion, so my religious purpose is the ultimate pursuit of my life, while at the same time working hard now so that I can play a positive role in society. Others without a clear purpose may be working for material wealth and worldly success, as they continue their education with the goal of making money in the future. Others strive to seek their purpose, some want to play a role in society and help others, and still others abide by the rule of "eat and drink and be merry, for tomorrow you will die." No guesses as to what kind of raucous behavior these people get themselves into.

Memories

What do you remember from your childhood that was important, unusual, or funny? Write about an early memory from the perspective of your childhood self. Be sure to use vivid images and descriptive detail. Are our strongest memories formed by happy or sad events? Why do you think this is so?

I think that it is up to the personality of the person; some are optimistic and remember happy times, other more down-to-earth people tend to recall negative events easier. I personally think our strongest memories are formed by events that bring sadness or a similarly negative emotion. Though happy events tend to suffice for quite a period of time, events that truly bring about a negative emotion will etch a mark on your heart and will bring about a greater change in you, whether good or bad. Many people try to push away bad memories and neglect their existence; however, the mere act of pushing them away indicates that we remember them. For me, negative events tend to form a dark cloud over the positive events, and though I continually push them out of my mind, the lessons or ideas that these events have taught me affect me in ways greater than positive influences. Though we tend to focus on the good things in life, we can recall the negative emotions easier.

I personally don't think negative events are supposed to be brooded over. Whoever does that is emotional, narrow minded, and simply stupid. Negative events, I believe, are God's methods of teaching us lessons - to point out morals, ideals, changes that need to be made to oneself, or simply to remind us that life is not easy

For some reason the events in my childhood were relatively happy, while the more recent years have been bordering on the negative. I remember the time (must've been only three-and-a-half at the time or four) when my mother was going to give birth to my sister. I spent the night at a friend of the family's house, where their kid Jake was my "best friend" (that is, he pushed me around and used simple means of coercion to bend my choices and my personality to suit his pleasure). Anyways, I bawled my eyes out at that first sleepover. I have always hated change, even at that age. When something at their house was different from mine (e.g. the sleeping bad I slept on was different or something related) I would start bawling. Then I started bawling when I realized I couldn't see my parents. Needless to say, I was a pretty hard to handle kid at that age. I even woke up in the middle of the night and, remembering the state of affairs I was in, I gave a single sob before falling back asleep.
My father picked me up in the morning, to the delight of Jake's parents, to go home. I was more than happy to comply.
The next day was sunny, but the weather was nice and cool. We walked to the hospital (Galveston has only one hospital, and it was close enough to home to walk) to see my mother. This was the first recorded time of me going to a hospital and learning what a "C-session" was. I saw my sister for the first time as well, in the nursery alongside other bawling and sleeping babies. I remember looking at her with a sense of wonder that I can hardly describe in words and can't fully recall either, but I know that it was too much for a 4 year old to comprehend and I shook it off quickly. Interesting memory. I can't believe I just remembered that.

Your Role

Describe your role in the class Of Mice and Men video project. What is your job or jobs? What have you done so far? Has it been a good experience, or have you had some frustrations? What is left for you to do? What is your opinion on how the final project will turn out? Give an honest appraisal of your own level of effort so far.

My role in the Of Mice and Men video project seems to have deviated from what I originally signed up for. I originally wanted to be involved with the video shooting or editing, and actually requested to be a video editor. Somehow, though, I am now an actor. I love watching actors through various forms of literature representations and media, but I don't like acting. It's a self-conscious thing.
The jobs of others include acting roles, screenwriters, a cinematographer, a video editor, and of course our beloved director.

To state it bluntly, we have done little or nothing. Oh sure, the script is written and the character roles are assigned. Mostly. And sure, we've talked about how the cinematography will be and how the scenes will be set up. Mostly. But have we actually implemented any of those ideas in reality? Well, no. Has everything been planned and scheduled meticulously and has every minute detail regarding the film, including costume design and props, been addressed and taken care of? Hardly at all. What is left for us to do? Everything.

So, how well do I think it will turn out? Well, I don't know exactly what is there to do. That's why I'm not the director. But I think I have the sensibility to know that a lot is missing and that we need a more punctuate plan. And we need to get started on filming, but because of the different extracurricular activities each person has after school, this has been difficult. How do I think it will turn out? Now it seems like production is in development hell. We'll see if things work out at all.

I haven't been giving much. My role in the project has been minimal, and so far all there is to do is participate in the group discussions (which, you can see, have always been productive, since we've had several weeks to prepare but have not started filming yet).