I think the main theme for No Name Woman is tradition. The family and community were so wrapped up in the tradition that they hardly had any concept of human decency. They totally disregared what the woman felt for what they believed would be better off in the sense of tradition.
The point of view is from the No Name Womans niece. She talks about how everything had affected her and the idea that hopefully she wouldnt also be looked at the same way. The setting had a lot to do with the idea sense it was in old China and in a village. This probably wuoldnt have been nearly the issue if it were in an area based less around tradition.

The theme for Becky was racisism. Becky was not accepted because of her mixed child and neither was her child. People cast her away and did not want to have anything to do with her. Even with all this, they still supported her for the fear of the lord. It is ironic that they would help her because of religion but not because of the actual person that she was.

The point of view is 3rd person. It is an outsider looking in but they dont know how Becky is feeling or what is actually going on in the situation. The setting is country and small town. Everyone is pretty close nit and they all know everything about everyone.

How to date a ....
I was sort of taken back by this reading. It was almost a how to do guide on girls depending on their race and what their ideals could be. But it does seem kind of true though.

No Name Woman:
I can understand the tradition behind the villages in concerning family ideals. It seems like they were very in touch with the community and everything they stood for. Women were obviously treated differently.

War: history, Iraq, death, brown, tan, controversy, blood, hospitals, guns, weapons, cold, black and white, innocent, emotions

Gunner: mentally unstable, black, huge guns, insignificant motive, accurate, emotional, Virginia Tech, gas stations, homicide, man

Attack: dark alley, women, knife point, rampage, hit, shoot, drop bombs, Middle East, red, screaming

A lot of my images are being formed by the Iraqi War footage. I have grown up seeing this and its sad that I associate many of these negative words with a country that we shouldn't be at war with in the first place.

b) World War 2: black and white, British, pearl harbor, japan, Hitler, old fashion weapons/machinery


The Death of the Ball

Now that I understand the meaning of the poem, the words are so much more than what I thought they were. I think the authors message is one that is very realistic. It isn't a pleasant thought to think of especially being washed out by a hose. I think the speaker knew he was going to die when he went up in the air. He didn't have much or any hope.

Randall Jarrell-the same year he enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps. He failed to qualify to fly, however, and instead worked for the Army stateside as a control tower operator

Jarrell's reputation as a poet was established in 1945, while he was still serving in the army, with the publication of his second book, Little Friend, Little Friend, which bitterly and dramatically documents the intense fears and moral struggles of young soldiers

In these poems his earlier, Audenesque style modulated into a flatter, greyer, more homely idiom, appropriate for recreating the dailyness of barracks life as well as the disasters of combat

* I think he was influenced by how he wasn't able to fly like he would of liked to. In stead of showing the postive side, he always went for the negative side

I thought the first reading from the Strategies book was especially interesting with the facts about history within the reading. It makes a lot of sense to note that something like that could really affect how the reader percieved the text. For someone who knew very little about a topic, the reading could make no sense to them. The second reading from the strategies book was very religious in the theme. It had a bit of background information but really, you didnt get much in terms of history. The reading from the Carolina Reader seems very much like a rebirth. Like the author had a certain type of life but then he was able to come from that and be reborn.

I think my paper might be based to heavily around personal experiences and not enough around a general audience or wearer of the item being described. I felt like once I had said what was exactly what I wanted to say, there was not much more to add to it. I also thought that I was repeating myself a lot with my description of the user and the judgement that I had given out. I did think my thesis statement was strong but maybe not my closing paragraph so much.

With my poster, I was trying to get across the point that drinking and driving was not only illegal but dangerous. I chose this issue because I have had a friend die from a drunk driver. It is an issue that I hold very close to my heart and I am very adiment about it. I used bold letters and scratchy handwriting to get aross the point. I also put a martini glass on my poster to make sure that if the audience didn't understand it from the words, they would most definitely understand it after seeing the image. I could probably only use this poster in areas where parents would be part of the affected audience. A college campus would not be the ideal location.

Topic Proposal

I chose my Chaco sandals, outdoor sandals, as my text. They have a stigma of being active, hippy, sometimes trendy shoes depending on the wearer. The purpose of the text is to protect your feet, wear outdoors, and be versatile. The shoes say a lot about the type of person who would wear them. It would be typical that the message would be something along the lines of, this person enjoys the outdoors, understands the importance of sturdy shoe and at the same time, is up to date with fashion and the latest trends. The distinctive design of the brand makes it very easy to recognize. Also the labeling of the brand in a very noticeable location adds features worthy of noting. The words of the shoes makes them official, the design makes them recognizable, the color (which is one of about 25 different varieties) was specified to my own liking. All of these elements create a brand that is known and appreciated by many walks of life. I think the intended audience of the text is outdoor enthusiasts, but at the same time, people looking to portray a certain image concerning the environment would also be considered as part of the targeted audience.
Thesis:
Something as simple as shoes can portray a complex image; Chaco’s are not only worn by outdoor enthusiasts but by many types of people who see them as an image molder versus a functional shoe.