Reaction to "The Two Views of the Mississippi"

In the reading, the persona spoke of losing sight of the magic he once saw in the river when he became a riverboat pilot. When he learned this new skill, he lost the ability to enjoy its simplicity and beauty, and now saw every elemental threat it posed to his boat.

I believe this is a metaphor of our learning anything in life. In learning a new skill or knowing more about a new subject, we gain and lose something. We gain knowledge and information, but we can also lose our inquisitiveness and wonder about the things that used to remain unknown to us.

For example, I used to believe in Santa Claus. He was just so full of magic and hope for Christmas. When I learned that he wasn’t real, I gained consciousness of reality. I learned about the truth. However, I lost my belief. I lost the trust I once had in hoping for miracles. Most importantly, I lost my belief in magical things existing in this world.

I guess this was the kind of thing the author implied in his writing. People always assume a magical explanation to things they cannot fully understand. However, people who ask how and why things happen and people who are in pursuit of facts and knowledge lose sight of all the magic they can have in their lives because of their strict adherence to fact.

Reaction to "The Pencil Rack" and "Halloween Party"

“The Pencil Rack” and “Halloween Party” are two good examples of lists. In certain cases, citing examples or listing down details is a good method to develop one’s essay. Certainly, in “Halloween Party,” it listed down in detail what the mother spent for her son’s Halloween. It reinforced the theme of the essay, which is the pricelessness of her son’s happiness. In “The Pencil Rack,” the reader is given a vivid image of the writer’s environment. This gives the audience a clear vision of what the writer sees on a day-to-day basis as he write his literary creations.

Reaction to "The Filipino Woman"

In the essay, four women from different generations and walks of life were juxtaposed. Cory Aquino, Imelda Marcos, Gabriela Silang and Leonor Rivera all possessed strong characteristics that many women today only wish of having. Even if they all acted differently and chose to handle life in certain ways, there was one thing common to all of them: strength.

                                     

I personally liked how the author wrote, “everyone of those glossy, female yuppies in the high-rise office buildings, there lives the spirit of an embattled, fiercely courageous Filipino woman.” It brings to light how strong women are not just in matters of the home but in the work force as well. It is essays like these that remind me that women, even if still often seen as the weaker sex, can rise up to the challenge and find themselves on equal footing as men, especially in the professional world.

The essay, for me, highlighted two things. One, these women all valued different things but are all considered empowered women. They all excelled in their selected fields and are given due credit for it up to today. It only goes to show that there is not one formula to become a “heroine.” One simply has to live according to one’s beliefs, fighting for them and constantly standing by them despite any trouble that may arise. Two, these women are heralded because of their amazing accomplishments, but they did not seek to accomplish these things. It was only a consequent from doing what they were passionate about. Thus, this is what I want to apply as well. I want to pursue everything I am passionate about, for these will be the only things that will reap real reward. 

Propaganda Technique: Heartstrings

            Another propaganda technique that is evident in many advertisements is the tugging of heartstrings. Ad campaigns and publicity material use images and storylines that will affect their audiences emotionally. The heartwarming feeling that these advertisements leave appeals to the hearts of audiences, which makes these viewers support what the advertisement is promoting. In this propaganda technique, advertisers use the audience’s compassion to their advantage.

            An example of this is the use of Joy Tissue of a puppy in their advertisements and in their packaging. The image of the puppy leaves the consumer with warm-heartedness for the animal, making the consumer want to purchase the product solely for an adorable image of a puppy. Another example is McDonald’s Philippines series of commercials. They use different storylines that delve into traditional family practices, love, friendship and the memory of one’s childhood. Each commercial leaves the audience with a warm feelings and the thought that if the consumer went to McDonald’s, he would feel the same heart tugging experiences that the actors portrayed in the commercials.

Reaction to "Am I Blue"

In this reading, the author talks about the feelings of animals and how they can be similar to humans in this way. She also compares her own emotions to the emotions of Blue, a horse. She discusses this in detail, as if Blue was human. Even as if Blue was herself.

In the essay, the Walker’s comparison of Blue’s feelings with a human’s is so much in detail that one would believe that the horse did have feelings, especially the capability to love. In the end, when Walker talks about humans’ lacking the compassion for considering the feelings of animals, such as by eating meat, she makes a point to let her readers feel somehow guilty for disregarding animals.

In reality, however, we cannot prove if animals do feel the same things humans do. We sometimes tell ourselves that we can see their emotions with the way they position their bodies or through the look in their eyes. However, we do not really know whether what we think has any validity. 

Horror Movies

            In my opinion, adolescents and adults are drawn to watch horror movies just like how children are pulled by fairy tales.  As children, we see the antagonist in every fairy tale as the character that robs the heroes and heroines of their happy endings. However, throughout the plot, they are the characters that provide excitement to keep the audience interested in the story.

            The same goes for horror movies, I believe. Horror films give the excitement that is normally absent in everyday life. It provides story lines that delve into alternate realities where events or characters of our imaginations come to exist in a place one may find safe and comfortable, and is shown in picture.

            After watching a horror film, audiences may feel thrilled, nervous, even scared. However, it usually depends on the type of horror film what the viewer feels afterwards. The subjects of these movies usually linger with the audience, which causes the fear that the events in the movies may happen in real life. The fear that audiences feel may stay with them temporarily or for an extended time period. Sometimes, permanent fear towards these things may arise. This, however, does not stop most people from viewing these movies.