Out of the papers you are putting into your English portfolio, which one do you think shows your best work and which one do you think needs to be edited the most? Explain why. Be specific. Provide examples of your best and weakest areas.

I think that out of all three of my papers, I would have to choose my personal analysis paper is my best work only because I have worked on it the most. Though I try to spend more time on my research paper rather than my Cleopatra paper, I always end up working on it. I think I just have a lot of interest in that topic rather than my other topics. My Cleopatra paper does show my better work too, I think I've included almost everything that needs to be included. Also, I have gotten it criticized by my group members, making it a little bit easier to mend the final product. I would just have to add a few more thoughts and ideas, and also to play around with the order of my paper.

I think the paper that needs a lot of work would have to be my lit essay. I haven't really touched it since I changed my topic. After working on it a little bit, I plan to submit that to be looked over by my group members and after that it will become better quality. I haven't done tremendous research regarding that paper either, so that is something that will be taken care of over the next 2 weeks after getting criticized by my group. Also, in my lit paper, I need to add more quotes from naysayers and try to incorporate more of them into it to further strengthen my essay. It's pretty hard to notice the very weak areas in your own paper, so I hope to get a lot of feedback through my group. I always tend to focus on the good parts of my own papers rather than the bad, so this group work is totally helping me out in that sense.

Numbah Eight

What is your topic for the research paper? How does this topic currently impact American culture (or another country, if that's where you're going with this)? How is your book/show/movie different from all of the other books/shows/movies out there like it? How is it unique? What specific cultural issue will you be addressing in your research essay and why is it relevant TODAY?

My topic for my research paper is the effect of television on children has started through the 90's, specifically focusing on Tiny Toon Adventures. I am simply stating that this show has continued to include lessons learned through the point of view of children. The cast of the show are young "children," I guess you could say, who go through a day doing some awesome activity and then in the end learning a lesson that has been entirely new to them. Usually in the end the "granny" helps the children work out their differences and whatnot. Enough with that, I'm sure many of you already know this show.
What I am trying to say is that children watch shows that teach lessons a lot, and it has had more influence on children of the earlier generations, like our generation, and today, it seems to have less impact on their lives. I'm trying to show that Tiny Toon Adventures was an awesome show that taught lessons, and it has. I would also like to touch on some modern shows and see the different techniques they used, that haven't been working as well as the older cartoons. This is a major issue in the present day, mostly because children watch more television than play outside, making it the one place they learn from. With a lot more fun shows that are educational in some way help children learn. Even the smallest of lessons can improve a child's ability. Blah Blah you'll hear more about it in my paper. :)

Numbah Seven

In regards to Tuesday's class select one paper that you have written in this semester and access it as high, middle, or low and explain why. Then explain what you can do to make that paper stronger.

I think my Personal Analysis paper that I have recently written is a pretty good paper. In it I wrote about Cleopatra and how she had to adapt to Egyptian culture from Greek culture. I compared it to how my life was in the beginning, learning English when I only knew Japanese, it was definitely a huge change for me. I would give it a Middle, because I have included sources and have an argument. I am arguing in it that multicultural people have changed the world by creating more diversity, and that is definitely harder to define ourselves as a certain race. I think to take it to the next level I would have to get help from a peer to have it reviewed and read to clear out some things that might be confusing in it or just not working out. It definitely has the potential I think, and how to bring it out is going to be a tough road, but I'll get there!

In light of Krakauer's self-express, do you find his recount of Chris' story more or less credible? Explain your answer. When Krakauer explains

When krakauer explains his life and how he has a similar life as Chris. The one thing that got me though was that he had a story similar to Chris. Why was his story so similar to chris'? I had a feeling that he mightve spiced his story a little to make him seem as though he understood Chris' story better than ordinary readers. Since he wrote the story though, you'd want a writer that could relate. Through his painul story of his father and chris' story with his father, they totally related perfectly. Chris though, seems as if his story is a little more credible, because of all the letters and pictures that can prove his story. When krakauer uses his stories to relate, it made me change my idea of Chris a little because I bought of Chris as being like the only one with a bad relationship. Looking at krakauers stories, showed me that there are more people than you'd imagine to have bad relationships with parents.

Numbah Five

"Did the article about Taylor Swift influence your opinion of her personally and her music? Do you think the pictures and charts added to the article or subtracted from it?"

My view of Taylor Swift is that she is an innocent little girl who sings about her love life. When has she sung a song without the thought of a boy? I guess that's what's in now days. Anyways, the article did not change any of my opinions on her but merely made me laugh. It was hilarious looking at the pictures and charts to see that she sings about driving, mostly in a truck, and crying. After reading this article and viewing the pictures I really started to notice that her songs were actually about riding in trucks and crying! Also, I started to like point out stuff when she sings it in her songs. This article did not change my view of Taylor Swift as a person or as an artist, but has made me notice those things about her.

Numbah Four

"In your opinion, what do you think is the most effective (pathos, logos, or ethos) when writing a paper? In your "Into the Wild" and "American Literature" essays did you focus more on one rhetoric, or did you balance all three? If so why?"

I believe that the most important Rhetoric would have to be Pathos. Pathos is the emotional control over an audience, which you can make your audience believe what you want them to believe. When the reader reads your paper, you want them to be interested. By using pathos in such a way, the audience can cry, laugh, and enjoy your paper the way you want them to. I think when I read something, I want to be involved or like have a little laugh or something. Like the Taylor Swift piece we read for class, I was laughing along and I understood what the author was saying. Sometimes I'm reading an essay and I don't even understand what they are trying to say because of the lack of pathos.

In my papers however I noticed all I did was use Logos. I know I sound kind of like a hypocrite, but I read my papers and all I had was a bunch of information. Now that I see it though, revising it so that I can draw in my audience, or try to draw in a audience, would be a good idea. I guess I just thought that I needed to support my idea more than speak to my audience.

Numbah Three

My opinion on McCandless hasn't changed much. I believed his story was an inspiring story, and still do. His bravery has inspired me to try things I always thought sounded crazy or even stupid. Reading the book though, has given me more reason. Even though he kind of died like super young, he still did something he probably wouldn't have done when he was 16 or whatever. I guess it goes to show that trying new things is good for life, just not living in the Alaskan wilderness on not much supplies. :p