Response to Course Material

       I'm glad that we're reading Ceremony because it puts a heavy emphasis on Native American culture, which is very interesting to learn about. The amount of symbols and motifs in the novel also make for some interesting discussions. However, I think our class goes a little to far into analyzing sometimes (as evidenced by our failure to complete one group's passage in three days). But I guess it's better than not having engaging discussion at all :)

Close Reading (11 December 2011)

Machine Age- By Meredith Bryan
http://www.marieclaire.com/hair-beauty/trends/beauty-gadgets

       Through the use of comedic language, entertaining images, and relatable details, Bryan produces a very personable, yet well-informed, article about the maze of new anti-aging technology on the market today. The article begins with a sentence that many women can relate to: "...after a decade spent tithing embarrassing portions of my meager salary to the French face cream gods in an attempt to soothe symptoms ranging from dark circles to boyfriendlessness, I quit products cold turkey." This sentence contains several inviting aspects. First, the reality of meager salaries and incredibly expensive French face creams immediately cause the reader to feel a connect with the writer. Also, the use of comedic language when saying "French face cream gods" rather than just "French face creams" or something to that extent, shows a common sense of mocking towards something not necessarily loved. All in all, the first sentence draws in a variety of readers by relating to various common woes. Later on in the article, when discussing the Fine-Light Skin Rejuvenation System, Bryan uses comedic language to maintain her connection with the audience. She states: "I read the instructions three times before I'm even able to put the damn thing on." Again, several of her readers were probably able to relate to similar experiences. The comedic language used by Bryan leads to a connection between her and her audience that establishes a sense of trust not commonly associated with new technologies in the cosmetic market.
       The details Bryan uses throughout her article come from various sources within popular culture and contribute to the personable nature of this piece. Some are slightly obscure, like her reference to the high-end skin care company "La Mer". However, most of them are immediately recognizable. When sharing her experiences with a teeth whitening device, she compares it to a "white iPod" that "can even be charged through [her] MacBook with a USB cable." In a technology-obsessed world, these details surely had an impact on many of her readers. 
       The comedic tone that pervades this article leads to some very entertaining images throughout the piece. Here, she relates her unique experience with the personal teeth whitening device: "I haven't even cleared the first eight minutes when I'm drooling heavily and my jaw feels slightly warm." Further into the piece, she describes the strange feeling of using an LED skin rejuvenation system: "I... am suddenly overcome by the sensation that my life has ended and I am walking into the blinding light à la Ghost." These images, while hilarious, also give the audience another opportunity to relate to the author.
       All of these factors combine to result in an personable article that provides feedback and information the readers can trust.

Wuthering Heights v. Thrushcross Grange

1991. Many plays and novels use contrasting places (for example, two countries, two cities or towns, two houses, or the land and the sea) to represent opposed forces or ideas that are central to the meaning of the work. Choose a novel or play that contrasts two such places. Write an essay explaining how the places differ, what each place represents, and how their contrast contributes to the meaning of the work.

       Authors often emphasize differences in ideas throughout a novel by physically separating two contrasting groups. In Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange are the settings of two very different series of events that contribute to the emotions of those involved. These emotions reflect the role and effects of love in the characters' lives.

       Thrushcross Grange is the more benevolent of the two houses. Here, Catherine is transformed into a young lady after gallivanting through the night with Heathcliff. This change shows the more sophisticated nature of Thrushcross Grange, where Wuthering Heights is in a continual state of wild discontent. Later in the novel, Thrushcross Grange is the place where Catherine and Heathcliff carry out their secret love affair, even as Catherine is dying. This setting is where Heathcliff displays his more gentle and sane side, further contributing to the more agreeable nature of Thrushcross Grange.

       Wuthering Heights, on the other hand, is a setting full of drunken rage. All three of the dominating male figures at Wuthering Heights, Mr. Earnshaw, Hindley, and Heathcliff, give in to the lures of gambling and alcohol, leading to unthinkable violence and insanity. Wuthering Heights also plays the role of a prison for various characters; Isabella succeeds in fleeing after 'falling in love' with Heathcliff, and Cathy is able to leave only after being forced to marry Linton per Heathcliff's demand. In general, the emotions of many characters in this novel proceeds in a downward spiral when they spend any great length of time at Wuthering Heights.

       The intense, yet secret, love that Heathcliff displays towards Catherine at Thrushcross Grange explodes in insanity at Wuthering Heights upon her death. This love is a central fixture in Heathcliff's life, and its absence leads to his demise, however slow and violent it may be. The forced love between Cathy and Linton for the sake of Heathcliff's possession of Thrushcross Grange leads to an acceleration of Linton's illness and, later, his death. Note Heathcliff's motive for forcing the marriage: to regain the property where Catherine lived and died. His insanity leads to his extreme actions, all stemming from his acute love for Catherine. As a result of her forced marriage and the death of her father, Cathy retreats into herself, becoming very closed off to the outside world. However, towards the end of the novel, Cathy and Hareton plan to marry on New Year's Day, signifying a new love and new chapter in her life.