Course Response for December 11

This week in class we did close reading of Ceremony. One of the major points we touched on was the role of alcohol in the lives of the returning Laguna, and how it morphs them into a hybrid of Laguna and White cultures. Also we read articles on different aspects of ceremony. I read the articles on the structure of the poems and the hidden characters, and the humor in ceremony. I had a hard time seeing eye to eye with the humor article because I don’t see ceremony as that funny, but I think that was mainly because I was trying to digest the entire novel in such a short period of time. The structure and form of the poems though was quite interesting and when you look at it really contributes to the subtle meanings of the different fragments of the stories.

Close Reading for December 11th

Reagan was for taxing millionaires, says new Dem ad.

Posted by Kevin Liptak 

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/08/reagan-was-for-taxing-millionaires-says-new-dem-ad/

Imagery- The imagery of this article comes from tapping into the images that many of us already hold of seeing many of Ronald Reagan’s speeches on the news or in TV specials. The new advertisement described as showing clips of the president giving a speech on taxes invokes the very presidential feeling that Reagan gave off, and creates an image of a man who has all of the answers. This image constantly in our minds while reading makes the article seem much more compelling.

Details - This article is full of details, most of them concerning the advertisement and the effects that the advertisement is intended to have. They focus on the fact the Reagan himself advocated for a closing of the tax loopholes which allowed the wealthiest Americans to avoid playing taxes while lower income americans had to pay large portions of their incomes. They use this in conjunction with showing the opposing side being backed by a superpac run by Karl Rove, who is very polarizing and has been shown as running this pac mainly by the Colbert Report.

Syntax - The structure of the sentences and arguments are mainly centered around making a statement or showing a quote from Ronald Reagan, then using it to back a Democrat favored claim. This is used to try and sway so called “Reagonites” into supporting the advertisements goal.

Open prompt 6

1973.

Battles are won and lost on discipline and strategy, not numbers or brute force alone. In Edward Albee’s, The American Dream, he displays how the old american dream is apparently being beaten down and forced out, but turns out to have been aware and in control the whole time. The ending of the American dream is satisfactory because it affirms the position of control that grandma is.

There are two primary reasons why the ending displays grandma’s power, and in that the old american dream’s power. The first of which being her ability to talk to the audience. Breaking the fourth wall is a uncharacteristic aspect plays, but Alby uses it masterfully. Unlike the rest of the characters, Grandma is actually able to talk to the audience, she is able to connect with those watching on a level that those prescribing to the new american dream cannot. Regardless of the apparent support the new american dream has the old american dream cannot be truly stamped out and still resonates with us all.

Secondly the actual words that Grandma says to the audience serve to reinforce her position. The comments on the story getting to the good part and the end comment of ending it off right there show that she had manipulated her part to get them exactly where they were, and she knows exactly how it is going to end. Grandma’s actions show how the old american dream has the answers while the new american dream lacks much of what is required.

The act of Grandma being able to speak to the audience and the actual things she says make the ending to the play very satisfactory because it affirms the idea that the old american dream is superior to the new one.