First of all, I think it was a good idea to study Kingston in addition to Alvarez because it allows you to see the evolution and connection of literature. It is interesting to see where Alvarez' inspiration and roots come from as well as it is interesting to see how she deviated from Kingston's style and what new elements she brought to the table. Besides that, I also want to talk about the "W diagram" because I think it is extremely intelligent and accurate. Coming from a different culture myself, it is impressive to see a lot of what I felt accurately portrayed in the diagram. I think it's a great way for people readying themselves to experience new cultures to see a simplified diagram showing what they might expect. Your presentation looked good!
Tina, your ability to really bring in the symbol of the doll in your presentation and connected it throughout with the question of if one can fix themselves and find their true identity after immigrating was great. I think that the fact that you studied both Kigston and Alvarez really strengthened your points and idea that there are many ways to look at and answer the question. I think that your ability to show the struggle each writer had with not knowing where they fit in also added to your overall point as well. It was great learning about both authors because looking at one topic from different perspectives really helped further my understanding. Great job!
The broken doll image related with many different aspects in your presentation and connected everything together very nicely. I was very impressed that you researched two different authors, both from different backgrounds, and related them together in a meaningful way. Since I have not experienced life in a different country, I cannot personally relate to the struggles, but I can empathize with the shock. Your presentation gave me valuable information on what I will experience if I ever decide to go study abroad. You were very prepared for this presentation and it is apparent that you worked extremely hard.
As commented previously, your introduction was very effective. Its connection to a major symbol in one of your novels and the overall theme of your presentation well prepared us for the rest of your presentation. I also found it really interesting that you studied multiple authors since no one else in the class did this. This deviation allowed you to gain multiple perspectives and the ability to analyze the relationship between the two authors’ styles and experiences. Choosing the to analyze the author that inspired your original author allowed you to gain insight into why she was inspired and provided you with another example of the search for cultural identity. I thought your discussion of this search was able to reach a deeper level of analysis and insight through your discussion of the W-curve. I think using this model was really important because it allowed you to discuss the experience of going into a new culture in a more defined way. I love how you connected the personal lives of your authors to the theme of identity within your novels. This allowed you to give information about their personal background without straying from your topic. I feel that your presentation will be extremely helpful for the AP exam and in the future. The part that I found especially helpful was your discussion of poetic structure. The structure of poetry is often hard for me to define, and often I forget to look for it. But you explained the sestina used in your poem and the effect it had on your poem’s meaning very strongly, which I found really helpful.
I enjoyed your presentation, especially the emphasis placed on the idea of voice as an aspect of a person’s identity. The idea of voice and identity has been a recurring theme throughout this course, studied relatable in books from The Namesake to Their Eyes Were Watching God, as well as the topic of some of my previous open prompts. Because of this prevalence I think it was very helpful that you readdressed the issue of voice in yet another context as it has a high probability of providing aid on the AP exam whether it be in the open response or even in the prose and poetry responses. Your discussion of how the motif of voice, using literary tools like allusions, can cause the emergence of new identity provided another way in which voice can be portrayed in writing that I hadn’t previously considered. On the other hand, it also reminded me of how I noticed my own author, Winterson, using allusions and motifs within her writing, but for another goal entirely of showing the nature of love. I think this fact that language is so effective in creating a multitude of possible meanings for the author is an important reminder to be open and receptive to the way that language is working when attempting to analyze a piece. Your presentation also introduced me to new terms that will expand my knowledge for the exam. The structure of poetry is an essential part to the poetry response on the exam and I appreciated how you introduced us to a sestina since it is likely to encounter such a poem. Having this familiarity of the sestina’s strict patterns could definitely prove helpful. Finally, because I absolutely love traveling and plan to study abroad in college it was very intriguing to learn about the W curve and its relationship to a change in surrounding culture.
I kept wondering what the doll was for on your desk and then someone touched it and it broke and I thought your presentation was destroyed after that. But iguess it all worked out, and that was a very unique attention grabber. I also thought it was interesting that you researched two authors. I didn't really get it at first but it really paid off and it is really going to help for the AP exam for us and especially for you because you've equiped yourself with two authors and the parallels between them.
Also, I have to say I haven't really gotten much out of the poetry from not all, but most of, the presentations so far. But you really did a good job with your poetry, especially in the presentation. But reading Legal Alien and your analysis was great and the parallels you drew between that and your authors in general was great. This is just another example of the success you're having with researching two authors.
I find the W-curve hypothesis model so interesting that I want to discuss more about it. When I first saw it, I couldn’t stop thinking about how accurate it was pertaining to my own life. What they describe as a “W” I myself described as a rollercoaster of emotions, so I realize that my rollercoaster and the W depict the same concept. When immigrating and delving into new cultures and places there will be lows and highs. The reason why I like the W better is because the ending is defined whereas in my rollercoaster model, the ending is not defined. The last leg of the W has an ending behavior going up, towards the sky. I think this is a positive key point because it suggests that after the initial happiness and suffering, immigrants should aim to achieve self-actualization and happiness. Thank you for showing the model in your presentation! It looked good!
I wasn't there for your presentation, unfortunately, although I heard wonders! However I did read through your powerpoint and I know we'd discussed some of the elements from your novel before you presented. I have a personal connection to your novel's topics and to the overall themes in your presentation, having been an immigrant myself, I've lived through the W-curve you presented. The hope, shock, discomfort and confusion which then translate into the initial adjustment, the mental isolation and the final acceptance and integration have all been a part of my life since I was a child moving to the United States for the first time, and once more when I moved to Brazil, and once again when I was reintroduced to my home country and then back to the United States again. It's a long process, and it does feel like it "breaks" you when it happens, specially if the individual doesn't know what's happening. I had never seen a diagram that so perfectly explained these emotions until the W-curve. Also, I really admire your thorough research. In taking two different authors with different backgrounds and showing their similarities and how they connect thematically, you gave your research a completely different depth, more room for analysis and a wider range of understanding. In particular, I found the motifs of voice and silence to be really interesting just because we'd covered some of them in "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and the ability or inability to express oneself has always been a perfect way to demonstrate the inner turmoil within characters. I wish I'd been there for the actual presentation, but as far as your research goes, snaps to you!
I was very impressed by your presentation, and the introduction with the broken doll was very effective in conveying meaning throughout your presentation. The fact that we were all stunned by the suddenness of you throwing it to the ground also directly parallels the "culture shock" that immigrants may feel when they come to a different country where everything is foreign and new to them. I'm so glad you brought up the W-curve in your presentation, and it reminds me of one of the summer reading books, The Namesake, and how Ashima and Ashoke went through all of these ups and downs in learning about new culture, before finally reaching a point of not fully assimilating into American culture, but being more open into accepting it. I think this also relates to the question you posed to us, about whether or not we think people are continously adapting and finding their identity in life, or if there is a certain point where they reach that level of self-actualization. My personal opinion is that people are continuously changing and experiencing new things, as well as being introduced to new cultures, so for me, people may think they reach a full-understanding of them and the world surrounding them, but there's so much more to learn. Again, I was super impressed by your focus on how language creates meaning, and the idea of comparing two authors side by side, who have different cultural backgrounds. Great job!
First of all, I think it was a good idea to study Kingston in addition to Alvarez because it allows you to see the evolution and connection of literature. It is interesting to see where Alvarez' inspiration and roots come from as well as it is interesting to see how she deviated from Kingston's style and what new elements she brought to the table. Besides that, I also want to talk about the "W diagram" because I think it is extremely intelligent and accurate. Coming from a different culture myself, it is impressive to see a lot of what I felt accurately portrayed in the diagram. I think it's a great way for people readying themselves to experience new cultures to see a simplified diagram showing what they might expect.
ReplyDeleteYour presentation looked good!
Tina, your ability to really bring in the symbol of the doll in your presentation and connected it throughout with the question of if one can fix themselves and find their true identity after immigrating was great. I think that the fact that you studied both Kigston and Alvarez really strengthened your points and idea that there are many ways to look at and answer the question. I think that your ability to show the struggle each writer had with not knowing where they fit in also added to your overall point as well. It was great learning about both authors because looking at one topic from different perspectives really helped further my understanding. Great job!
ReplyDeleteThe broken doll image related with many different aspects in your presentation and connected everything together very nicely. I was very impressed that you researched two different authors, both from different backgrounds, and related them together in a meaningful way. Since I have not experienced life in a different country, I cannot personally relate to the struggles, but I can empathize with the shock. Your presentation gave me valuable information on what I will experience if I ever decide to go study abroad. You were very prepared for this presentation and it is apparent that you worked extremely hard.
ReplyDeleteAs commented previously, your introduction was very effective. Its connection to a major symbol in one of your novels and the overall theme of your presentation well prepared us for the rest of your presentation. I also found it really interesting that you studied multiple authors since no one else in the class did this. This deviation allowed you to gain multiple perspectives and the ability to analyze the relationship between the two authors’ styles and experiences. Choosing the to analyze the author that inspired your original author allowed you to gain insight into why she was inspired and provided you with another example of the search for cultural identity. I thought your discussion of this search was able to reach a deeper level of analysis and insight through your discussion of the W-curve. I think using this model was really important because it allowed you to discuss the experience of going into a new culture in a more defined way.
ReplyDeleteI love how you connected the personal lives of your authors to the theme of identity within your novels. This allowed you to give information about their personal background without straying from your topic.
I feel that your presentation will be extremely helpful for the AP exam and in the future. The part that I found especially helpful was your discussion of poetic structure. The structure of poetry is often hard for me to define, and often I forget to look for it. But you explained the sestina used in your poem and the effect it had on your poem’s meaning very strongly, which I found really helpful.
I enjoyed your presentation, especially the emphasis placed on the idea of voice as an aspect of a person’s identity. The idea of voice and identity has been a recurring theme throughout this course, studied relatable in books from The Namesake to Their Eyes Were Watching God, as well as the topic of some of my previous open prompts. Because of this prevalence I think it was very helpful that you readdressed the issue of voice in yet another context as it has a high probability of providing aid on the AP exam whether it be in the open response or even in the prose and poetry responses. Your discussion of how the motif of voice, using literary tools like allusions, can cause the emergence of new identity provided another way in which voice can be portrayed in writing that I hadn’t previously considered. On the other hand, it also reminded me of how I noticed my own author, Winterson, using allusions and motifs within her writing, but for another goal entirely of showing the nature of love. I think this fact that language is so effective in creating a multitude of possible meanings for the author is an important reminder to be open and receptive to the way that language is working when attempting to analyze a piece.
ReplyDeleteYour presentation also introduced me to new terms that will expand my knowledge for the exam. The structure of poetry is an essential part to the poetry response on the exam and I appreciated how you introduced us to a sestina since it is likely to encounter such a poem. Having this familiarity of the sestina’s strict patterns could definitely prove helpful. Finally, because I absolutely love traveling and plan to study abroad in college it was very intriguing to learn about the W curve and its relationship to a change in surrounding culture.
I kept wondering what the doll was for on your desk and then someone touched it and it broke and I thought your presentation was destroyed after that. But iguess it all worked out, and that was a very unique attention grabber. I also thought it was interesting that you researched two authors. I didn't really get it at first but it really paid off and it is really going to help for the AP exam for us and especially for you because you've equiped yourself with two authors and the parallels between them.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I have to say I haven't really gotten much out of the poetry from not all, but most of, the presentations so far. But you really did a good job with your poetry, especially in the presentation. But reading Legal Alien and your analysis was great and the parallels you drew between that and your authors in general was great. This is just another example of the success you're having with researching two authors.
ReplyDeleteI find the W-curve hypothesis model so interesting that I want to discuss more about it. When I first saw it, I couldn’t stop thinking about how accurate it was pertaining to my own life. What they describe as a “W” I myself described as a rollercoaster of emotions, so I realize that my rollercoaster and the W depict the same concept. When immigrating and delving into new cultures and places there will be lows and highs. The reason why I like the W better is because the ending is defined whereas in my rollercoaster model, the ending is not defined. The last leg of the W has an ending behavior going up, towards the sky. I think this is a positive key point because it suggests that after the initial happiness and suffering, immigrants should aim to achieve self-actualization and happiness. Thank you for showing the model in your presentation! It looked good!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't there for your presentation, unfortunately, although I heard wonders! However I did read through your powerpoint and I know we'd discussed some of the elements from your novel before you presented. I have a personal connection to your novel's topics and to the overall themes in your presentation, having been an immigrant myself, I've lived through the W-curve you presented. The hope, shock, discomfort and confusion which then translate into the initial adjustment, the mental isolation and the final acceptance and integration have all been a part of my life since I was a child moving to the United States for the first time, and once more when I moved to Brazil, and once again when I was reintroduced to my home country and then back to the United States again. It's a long process, and it does feel like it "breaks" you when it happens, specially if the individual doesn't know what's happening. I had never seen a diagram that so perfectly explained these emotions until the W-curve.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I really admire your thorough research. In taking two different authors with different backgrounds and showing their similarities and how they connect thematically, you gave your research a completely different depth, more room for analysis and a wider range of understanding.
In particular, I found the motifs of voice and silence to be really interesting just because we'd covered some of them in "Their Eyes Were Watching God" and the ability or inability to express oneself has always been a perfect way to demonstrate the inner turmoil within characters.
I wish I'd been there for the actual presentation, but as far as your research goes, snaps to you!
I was very impressed by your presentation, and the introduction with the broken doll was very effective in conveying meaning throughout your presentation. The fact that we were all stunned by the suddenness of you throwing it to the ground also directly parallels the "culture shock" that immigrants may feel when they come to a different country where everything is foreign and new to them.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you brought up the W-curve in your presentation, and it reminds me of one of the summer reading books, The Namesake, and how Ashima and Ashoke went through all of these ups and downs in learning about new culture, before finally reaching a point of not fully assimilating into American culture, but being more open into accepting it. I think this also relates to the question you posed to us, about whether or not we think people are continously adapting and finding their identity in life, or if there is a certain point where they reach that level of self-actualization. My personal opinion is that people are continuously changing and experiencing new things, as well as being introduced to new cultures, so for me, people may think they reach a full-understanding of them and the world surrounding them, but there's so much more to learn. Again, I was super impressed by your focus on how language creates meaning, and the idea of comparing two authors side by side, who have different cultural backgrounds. Great job!