SHOOTING AN ELEPHANT - GEORGE ORWELL

       Back in older societies Imperialism was a major factor for any growing empire.Imperialism is the act if extending the rule of one country over other countries and colonies. In "Shooting an elephant" by George Orwell we learn about the British imperialistic government in Moulmein(lower Burma)through Orwell's descriptive narration. Orwell used dialogues and chronological order to effectively write his narrative. Orwell describes the hatred felt by the "sneering yellow faces of young men everywhere." The Burman citizens hated how the English government was taking over their country and in result they hated everyone working for them including Orwell. 

       Orwell used clear and direct diction that effectively showed his views. He even stated that "imperialism was an evil thing and the sooner i chucked up my job and got out of it the better." Orwell seemed to be trapped working as a policeman of this government even though he didn't agree with their choices. One day he was called to deal with the chaos of a elephant roaming wild in the market place. This elephant killed a civilian in town. Orwell got an elephant gun so he would be able to stop it, if it was necessary. He did not want to hurt the elephant unless it was the only possible way of stopping it. But sadly Orwell was forced to kill the elephant because of the crowds of people behind him waiting for him to do it, there seemed no other way get out of the situation. In the narrative it becomes evident Orwell regretted this decision but he tries to rationalize his actions by stated how the older Europeans believed he made the right decision and because the man died he was "legally in the right" for killing the elephant. I can  feel the oppression of the imperialism because Orwell clearly didn't want to shoot that elephant but with all the pressure from his superiors and the people around him, made him commit this act. Yes that might of been the "right" thing to do but was it the just thing to do? 

       I felt a sense of grief when the elephant died it was obvious it just wanted to be free able to roam around. When no one bothered it stayed to himself. As Orwell stated his anecdote about killing the elephant, I felt remorse for the narrator he was unhappy with his life and the government he was apart of but still he wasn't able to leave. Its like he was trapped in this society where most people hated him and for good reason too, even he hated himself for being apart of imperialistic England. I also felt hopelessness and grief for the Burman people. These Europeans were coming into their country and trying and change and control how they have been living for years and that's just not fair to them. 

I really did enjoy Orwell's narrative it was very descriptive and entertaining. It showed the many different aspects of this one situation and showed the different views of the sides of all the people involved.

Nostalgia (Descriptive Writing)

                          As I walk forward beads of sweat run down my neck. The cool salty air wraps itself around my body. With each step the stresses of my life fade away. I sink further and further into relaxation as the grains of sand flow in-between my toes. I listen to the soothing ebb and flow of the waves crashing onto the shore. The serenity and vacancy of my surroundings was a well needed contrast to the push and shove of the busy New York City streets. I saunter along the shore, taking it all in the immense beauty. The blue skies merging with the crystal clear ocean at the horizon. It's been way too long, I think to myself.

                       Oh how I missed this. I missed jumping into car every other Sunday morning and driving seven minutes down Sheridan street to Hollywood North Beach Park. The cool breeze and blazing sun intermediately wakes you from your slumber. We sped by supermarkets, shopping centers, elementary schools, and dozens of houses. They all seemed so deserted. It was as if we were thieves of the night trying to escape our capture. When we finally reached the beach the endless miles of white sand and blue oceans was the same as always yet still enchanting in every way. We found our spot under our palm tree. It was slanted and leaned towards the ground as if its each frond was too heavy creating pressure for the tree to fully support. Even though this palm tree had it's imperfections it was perfect to us. Each frond hid us from the blazing rays of sun. We were grateful for the shade on a hot summers day. I frequently gazed up into the sky and day dreamed about my life, where i'm heading and my purpose in this world. Even though I was never able to answer these questions, every Sunday I revisited them hoping I would have a breakthrough. Now, six years later I still tend to look up into the sky past the top of NYC sky rises, past the minuscule airplanes overhead, and into the vast emptiness reminiscing about being on that beach in Hollywood Florida trying to answer all the questions that are still unanswered today.

President Obama's Address to the Nation Regarding Syria (Extra Credit)

                   Syria,Syria, Syria, that's all you hear on the news lately. It has become a major problem not just to America but for all the countries in United Nations. The Syrian government and its civilians are in the middle of this civil war, and 100's innocent children and adults are dying everyday because of this. This all started back in 2011 when a group of people peacefully protected against the government. The government responded by trying to silence these activist, but that quickly backfired. The government eventually turned to open fire on these protest. From there the violence continued, the power struggle between the government and its citizens continues and the end didn't seem near. This quickly escalated to a civil war. Now it seems like the government is loosing so much control that they are going to desperate measures to get back full control over their land. The US government has enough evidence to conclude that recently the Syrian government under Assad decided to use chemical weapons against its own citizen killing hundreds. Obama says that this is a risk to the US's national security, that the use of the chemical weapons could increase and even get into the hands of terrorists. Obama does have a point here but i personally don't believe the US army should intervene in Syria. I think that would just end up making things worse. the government could be angered by the US infiltrating their land, and might turn on the U.S and send their missiles and chemicals weapons here. Then what would we do? Just like the article "where does hate come from" states violence begets violence. why cant we come up with a different resolution? Can't the Assad regime compromise with their citizens so that the innocent don't die or have to flee their homes, their lives, and everything they know. I don't understand why the American government needs to be involved in everything. What the U.S Should do is send money to help the Hospitals set up in Syria. I know that with the hundreds that were injured in the crossfire between the rebels and government, these hospitals must need more funding for medical supplies to help heal all these people. Although Obama did say no men will  land in Syria (We will not put boots on the ground.) its still kind of hard to believe everything our government says, they are so quick to grab a weapon when ever someone is doing something wrong , they never consider what they could be doing to help the current situation which in turn will help Syria in the future.
                     So what exactly is limited duration and scope? He doesn't really clarify what the US will be doing there. I just hope a resolution is found as soon as possible. Too many people have already died. If America can help in a positive, effective and efficient way then I think they should do whatever they can to help. There must me some way to negotiate with Assad and the rebels so that everyone is satisfied. But maybe i'm just a believer, that has to much faith in humanity. Or maybe violence is just a part of the human condition. But hey, what do I know about international politics and how to solve civil wars in the middle east, as college freshman in an English 120, these problems are astronomical to my daily trials. Obama even states, " The American people have the good sense to know we cannot resolve the underlining conflict in Syria with our Military, " and this is the only statement the President said that I can truly say I agree with wholeheartedly.

Chapter 4 -Narration & The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry Response

        Many people use the word narration but have no idea what it truly means. Let me simply things for you: Narration is listing accounts of events. It tells you what happened at a particular place and time. We write narratives for many reasons, to connect with other people, to entertain, to explain events,and to persuade others to accept a certain view. When writing a narrative you have to consider your audience and your purpose for writing. Then you'll know how to organize and which details to include in your writing.  To properly organize a narrative events need to be put in chronological order and used with appropriate transitions. Correct verb tenses and the sequences of them help connect events in time. To have a compelling story you have to have a plot and tell it from a consistent point of view. By adding dialog into first person narratives you introduce the points of view of other people in to story.You can use techniques such as brainstorming and clustering to find raw materials for your narrative. When planning a narrative keep asking who what where when how and why. You can analyze the causes and effects of the characters actions compare contrast one character to another. This may not seem as easy as it sounds but with some practice you’ll notice significant changes, when it comes to writing a narrative. A prime example of a well done narrative is The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry. It was interesting from the beginning of the narrative. I was curious how or why a 7 year old would sneak out the house. Then when there was no specific reason why she snuck out, I thought I would be disappointed but I wasn't because for some reason I understood her. Even though she didn't know at the moment, it became clear that she needed an escape from her life. Her only escape was her school, her “Sanctuary,” and that’s the reason her subconscious just brought her there. I liked how Linda inserted her own voice on what she thought about her past experience. So not only did she give us a descriptive story she also expanded on how she feels in the future and how that event impacted her life. I agree with overall argument, stated at the end of the narrative, that the government shouldn't be dropping before and after school programs and art-related activities. These programs definitely do help the students and their parent’s as well. It keeps their children in a safe environment doing productive things. Lynda Barry’s narrative essay reveals the benefits of these programs through her personal experiences with them. Barry uses the metaphor "a thousands points of light," at first this phrase was a little confusing, but after reading the footnote it became a little clearer. Those points of light represent the many programs that Lynda Barry is advocated for. But sadly because of the government budget cuts those programs seem as if they are as far away as stars, because children across america don't get the privilege to benefit from them anymore.

There are only a few things I would say could have been added or done better in The Sanctuary of School by Lynda Barry. If I was the Lynda I would have definitely added some commentary of highly known and recognized individuals who also support her idea that the government is doing the wrong thing by canceling these programs due to budget cuts. That would have made the essay a little better. Maybe Lynda could have added other perspectives of children who also benefited from the programs. But other than those two things the essay was well done and entertaining to read.

                                                                                                                                     Terry Tafari

                                                                                                                                          9-15-13