The Earth is Flat

            It is often difficult for people to accept something that goes against what they are taught there entire lives. It seems that humans are naturally inclined to prefer what they already know rather than acknowledge something new that radically changes the world (in this case, literally). Hundreds of years ago, when people “discovered” the earth was round, people who always thought the earth was flat were asked to abandon there beliefs and adopt the new, now incorrect, notion that the earth was in fact round. It seems the tables have now turned, and once again, the earth is believed to be flat. The evidence that supports this is simply unshakable. The most damning piece lies in logic from long ago, that ships could fall off of the world if it was flat. The people thought there was absolutely no way this could happen, wouldn’t every ship eventually go missing then? What they never thought about was the many ships that DID go missing. Mysteriously enough, almost all of the ships that go mission are destined for far away places, where they eventually met the edge of the world. One of the most famous spot for ship disappearances, the Bermuda Triangle, is now thought to be one of the edges of the world. Another key piece of evidence is that we would be able to walk on the face of the earth if it was round. People would constantly stumble and fall over trying to walk on a perfectly round surface. Even with gravity, people are still unable to walk on an exercise ball, for example. There is a list as long as the earth’s flat sides that this is in fact the correct theory, but these to reasons alone should suffice for most people, at least those with common sense.

Poem analysis

This poem truly captures what everyone goes through when they turn 10 years old. It is viewed as being the first time you are a “big kid” with more responsibility than ever before; the yearning for the simpler years, the years where they could pretend to be a super hero instead of having chores. One of the most effective lines in the poem is when the author says that turning 10 is the first “big number.” Almost everyone probably thinks of it the exact same way. I cannot relate to this, however, as I was looking forward to getting older.  

Definitions

Beauty is a made-up term extorted by corporations in order to sell their products.

Denial is a term mainly used in the context of modern psychology, meaning that it refers to repressing the truth of an event in a self destructive (or in some cases, destructive to others) manner.

Evil is a complex thought that is ever present in the world in many different forms, and it has expanded due to globalization.

Definition Essay Question

1.      The explanation of the attitude of a “Yankee” was a very fresh idea. Everyone associates the term with the northern forces or the baseball team, but a description of what a regular “Yankee” is was clever and interesting. A similar term would be to define what a patriot is.

2.      The allusions add detail, and in some cases humor, to the essay. I feel it was a very effective method. If one did not “get” the allusions, then they may actually subtract from the essay, as the reader would get hung up on what they mean, rather than the point of the essay.

3.      The writer first said what people think of when thinking of a Yankee and then used an anecdotal story to describe what a Yankee is. I think the writer put the right amount of time into each element.

4.      “According to my friend, that's the first tenet of Yankee-ness.”

A Modest Proposal Questions

1.      The real thesis of “A Modest Proposal” is that the people of Ireland are treated very poorly and are in a very bad way. He also believes the country is not doing anything that would actually help the situation.

2.      Calculate, subtract, commodity, exchange, value, charge, shillings per annum.

3.      There are subtle hints of sarcasm before the actual proposal, but it becomes clear as day as soon as he mentions the idea of feeding baby’s to people in Ireland.

4.      The target’s of swift’s satirical attack are landlords, the wealthy, England, and Ireland itself. He does partially blame Ireland for its own troubles, bringing to attention many things the country could do to fix its problems through satire.

5.      In the last paragraph, Swift mentions that to fix the country, the following things need to be done, “…advancing our trade, providing for infants, relieving the poor, and giving some pleasure to the rich.” It is implied that this should be included in any plan to fix the country.

6.      Satirically, he uses the last paragraph to state his pure intentions in relation to his proposal (that he personally has nothing to gain from it, and only wants to help his country). I think the last paragraph is also a list of suggestions on what could be done to help the country in another, realistic plan.

7.      Swift also uses appeals to emotion in his essay by telling of the suffering of the children and their parents who can’t afford to take care of them. I work at McDonald’s, and I have resisted my employer in more than one occasion. One event that sticks out in my mind is when one of the less experienced managers didn’t want me to “double team” ice (where one person gets the ice and hands it off for the other person to fill up) and do it myself. In pure defiance, I took one step every 3 seconds, making the process extremely slow and slowing up the restaurant. After 3 minutes, he finally gave in. I feel there is certainly a link between anger and other emotions and resistance, supported by my story above.

8.      If I had to market babies, I would call it “jeunet Déli,” a play on “jeune et délicieuse” meaning young and delicious. Also, the babies would have to be ground up or styled in a way that they would not be recognized as human infants. As any fast food executive will tell you, Americans will eat anything with the right marketing campaign.

Judy Brady Essay Questions

1.      This essay does not have an explicitly stated thesis, but that is part of what makes it so effective. The point she is trying to make is stated in passing, between the lines. The message is that husbands expect wives to do way to much, and even expect wives to not do things they do themselves.

2.      It emphasizes how much husbands expect wives to do.

3.      I don’t think Brady wants a wife like this, and this wife does not exist. The purpose of this essay is to display the unrealistic expectations husband’s hold for wives. 

4.      Brady’s definition of a wife, in relation to this essay, is a woman who is responsible for everything in her husband’s life. I feel that this expectation of what a wife should be is unrealistic and unfair, just how she wants people to perceive it.

5.      Dear Mrs. Brady,

I really enjoyed your “Why I Want a Wife” essay. I feel it is a very effective and persuasive way to get people to understand what is expected of many wives and what they do for their families. This essay made me realize how unfair and unrealistic these expectations are, no one person should have that many responsibilities. I will certainly not treat my wife this way, and will share all of these responsibilities. I think every man should read this essay, and they may decide to do the same.

Sincerely,

Brylan May

Satire Questions

My two favorite stories were The Little Girl and the Wolf and The Unicorn in the Garden. I liked The Little Girl and the Wolf because it is a good satire of Little Red Riding Hood, and pointed out some of the holes in the story I have noticed in the past (such as how a wolf shouldn’t look anything like a grandmother). I liked the Unicorn in the Garden because it is a good story about how trying to harm other people can come back and bite you. As mentioned, The Little Girl and the Wolf sounds like Red Riding Hood, but I am not aware of a story like The Unicorn in the Garden, though there may very well be one. I was surprised at how humorous these stories are; I greatly enjoyed reading them.