Excerpts from: Ashley Matos, Pajtesa Rexhepi, Solansh Moya
COMMENT:
Which of these three samples is closer to your writing style?
Are you happy with the way you write? Or do you wish you wrote more like one of these three samples? Which one in particular?
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There’s a picture at 1:37/4:46 in “The Way They Lived” that really caught my attention, where the man is laying on a bed made out of a couple of boards and two barrels, looking into the camera with a deep sadness. The picture made me stop and wonder, “Why would anyone have wanted to document this? Don’t just take pictures of how miserable they are, they know how they feel and look. They don’t need the permanent reminder.” As a journalist, that’s one thing we’re forced to do. We go into areas where people are at their worst, begging for help in some cases, and we take pictures and write stories about their suffering for our own gain. We’re unable to help, lest we become biased or tarnish the results of our research. It’s an atrocious practice, yet we do nothing to change it.
I felt my chest tighten at the line, “Dear mother, what is money when you long for your home” in “Lacrime Napoletane.” I identify with this line, because I’m either working or in class until 8 p.m. every day. The idea of wishing to be home, but knowing you have to do work for a better future is a painful internal struggle that the songs reminded me of, but in a new context. The songs made me remember when I left home for a country I’d never been to, and the feelings of loneliness and fear as I tried to start my life over. I can’t even begin to imagine how much more painful the experience would have been if it was actually hard to communicate with my loved ones here, or if I was potentially unable to ever return.
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As I watched the pictures in the short video “The way They Lived” I wondered how a human being can be so strong to swallow all that misery. I was driven to despair by their eyes and the way they looked, so tired, yet that was just a “click” of their lifetime, just one image of their everyday reality.
When I read the book “Son of Italy” I thought I was able to visualize Pascal’s tragic experiences. However, I was aware that those were images created by me as I read his words. These pictures in the contrary bring the actual victims to my eyes and I can’t escape that reality. In them I saw the children, the mothers and the way they had to live, with sleeping beds made of thin tatters over the floor. Everything I saw and read so far is in a way stamped by these pictures, they are the ultimate proof of that tragedy lived by so many immigrants.
In the song “Lacrime Napoletane”, same as in “Santa Lucia Luntana”, there are parts of lyrics that bring the same question, if money is worth so much pain and sorrow? “Yes I have a few dollars, but I’ve never felt like such a miserable bum”. When one is away from home, money has no value. The time doesn’t reduce the lamentation for home, nor do a few dollars more especially if earning them costed ones honor.
In the song “Lacrime Napoletane”, same as in “Santa Lucia Luntana”, there are parts of lyrics that bring the same question, if money is worth so much pain and sorrow? “Yes I have a few dollars, but I’ve never felt like such a miserable bum”. When one is away from home, money has no value. The time doesn’t reduce the lamentation for home, nor do a few dollars more especially if earning them costed ones honor.
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Through these pictures you can see how hard the immigrant experience was, from the difficult journey to America to the living conditions they had to endure. However, I admire their sacrifice. They were willing to endure hard circumstances in order to obtain the American dream. Pascal D’Angelo said, in his autobiography, “Without realizing it, I had learned the great lesson of America: I had learned to have faith in the future" (pg. 156). Faith, in sadness, is something that is depicted in these text. They feel alone and sad; they wish to go back home, but they can’t. They believe if they continue working hard they’ll give their families a better life, even if theirs is in despair. The future is bright if you work hard and never give up. These text were more explicit than Son of Italy because we don’t see a resolution in them. We don’t know what happened to the immigrants in the end. Did they come into some luck? Did their American dream come true? We see a heartfelt ending in Pascal’s story. He endured a hard life, but in the end his dream came true. His hard work payed off. Not everyone is that lucky.
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I would relate to the last writing style, because he/she asked questions about he subject and thats what I would do. It sort of like making conversation with yourself and then try to answer it,if possible. I also liked how in the beginning he/she says " Through these picture.." thats how I would start writing a response to a question, to talk about the emotion that you have when reading something or looking at the picture.I would like my writing to be more deeper and go into a subject more and find connections with myself and express my own opinion to make an argument better.
ReplyDeleteThe emotions expressed in the second writing concerning a comparison with the words from "Son of Italy" and images from "The Way They Lived" reveals the same emotions I had while watching the video. I think the writer expressed it beautifully and concisely in his/her own words. I like how this author covered the points really well and expressed his/her thoughts clearly. I like to be very expressive in my writing and technical at the same time. I want to make sure I covered every points.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading all 3 writing styles, I found the last one to be the most refreshing to read because of its simplicity. It does not look like my writing style but it's nicely short and direct, I wish I can write this way.
I can relate to the last writing style because when I'm writing I like to keep it short, simple, and easy. In some writings you have to answer the questions stage by stage and gave lot of evidences to support your answers. For me I just want to make my point clear and just answer the questions. Although writing in that style makes my essay short and simple but I also gives my readers evidence that support my answer. I like to keep my evidences short and is based on the questions instead of giving my readers so much to learn about the background of why I choose that answer.
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ReplyDeleteI believe that the third writing sample is closest to my own linguistic nature, though the exactness of the though is not always something I employ. I am extremely happy with the way in which I write, yet can't say that I am satisfied with it. As time passes, I find that my own voice (in a written medium) is a rapidly evolving one, and one which is finding strength with each word written. I struggle to be more succinct at times, and strive to use simpler language at others. Yet I thoroughly enjoy the way in which I write, as it provides me a way in which *je peut se defoule*
ReplyDeleteThe third writing sample I feel is the closest to my own. I do my best to understand each character and see where they are coming from with how they express themselves in whatever medium we are looking at. The way that I try to write is to explain what I know from whatever we are reflecting upon, and then I like to add my input as well. Sometimes taking something from another thing I have learned or know and relating it to this current writing as well. Generally I am pleased with how I write, but I feel that sometimes even though I have watched or read whatever is assigned, I feel as though in writing I cant always get across my reflection as well as I could if I was verbally describing it. I'm also trying to work on getting to the point more quickly, and not dragging on responses that could be shorter and more clear.
ReplyDeleteI think my writing is much closer to the last sample than others because when I write an expression writing, I directly express my opinion first, then explain why I think that way. Then I go into the deeper. I think the last writing covers the general points about the video as well as simple, but intense thoughts, which I also prefer to write.
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