5th & 6th blog assignment

　

Summary
Tackling Textuality With Theory illustrates different ways of interpreting literary works, focused on that with literary theories. When we interpret a literary work without using any theory, ‘close-reading’ in other words, there are ten factors considered in the process: structures, similarity beneath apparent dissimilarity or vice-versa, distinction between apparent content and real content, meaning and significance, genre, important literal words to maintain, micro-patterns like tone or register, stages, and linguistic background of the work. However, exterior elements should also be considered to help look into four major aspects of relationship between literature and world. They are literature and history, language, gender and psychoanalysis, exemplified through Shakespeare’s Sonnet 73 in the article. Moreover, the writer argues that the use of ‘deconstructive reading’ is a very useful way of interpreting literature; deconstructive reading is “characterized by disunity rather than unity,” contrary to close-reading whose aim is to show a unity. When a theorist uses deconstructing way of reading, four big techniques can be found in a work: contradictions, linguistic quirks and aporia, breaks, and omissions.


Keywords
Double message
Interpretation
Close-reading
Deconstructive reading
Impossibility of reading


Paraphrasing
When we re-read a literary work, we should look into both inside and outside of it—both close-reading that is about tones, words, genre, etc, and broad literary theories about relationship between literature and its backgrounds. However, another type of inward reading, deconstructive reading, is an interesting way of interpretation, in terms of its characteristic to make literary works almost non-readable. Though it still brings up more difficulties when reading literature, literary theory helps understand how one literary work is bond with other elements and also have fun of the process.


Quoting
(What is deconstruction?) “revealing fault-lines of doubt and contradiction within it.”
“‘textual harassment’ and oppositional reading’”
“it is characterized by disunity rather than unity.”


Review
It is an interesting article to read. I could get novel knowledge and information about interpretation of literature with detailed examples and explanations. Overall structure makes it easy to follow, but I’d been better if the writer illustrates merits or reasons of using literary theory in a big picture more in the conclusion.


　

4th blog assignment

　

Enough is Enough, Kids Are Kids


Recently, there have been lots of arguments on Swedish education, especially about whether or not we should start grading system at earlier age. “Previously, Swedish school children did not receive grades until 8th grade—at the age of 14…. Now, however, school children will receive grades in 6th grade, and schools may choose to give parents written reports of their children's academic progress as early as in 1st grade.” However, it is more likely that adopting grading system earlier has more serious disadvantages than advantages.
　　　　Test-based education is based on result-oriented notion. Education, however, should be focused on a process of leaning, not a result. Result-oriented education from an early age might cause teachers, parents and children to consider grades and result the most important factor of learning so that they will pay less attention to learning process. So it is possible that a lot of children and parents who are worried about being tardy in a dingdong race at school may do education for exams, centered on rote memorization and hasty cram.
　　　　Another bad effect of grading system, and more important than any others, is the fact that children will get much more mental pressure and stress. It has long been noted how bad influences grade-based education brings to young children. Moreover, it should be reminded that building up self-esteem is a major stage for an early-age child. So emphasizing subjects for which he or she struggles is harmful for forming healthy self-respect.
　　　　It has been argued that what all educators should follow is heading forward diverse values and against simple competition-based education; starting grading system at earlier age definitely goes against the stream. One of the main reasons to sublate competitive education is a belief that grades at schools cannot deal with every aspect of child’s abilities. A common way of grades at schools often fails to help children who are more interested in or good at non-graded subjects. Besides, it also happens that many children in grade-based education lack their interest in certain subjects after they ‘are told’ that they are ‘less well-done’ at such subjects. That is why it is important for young children to experience as many activities as possible to find out what they are really interested in and good at.
　　　　One of the crucial arguments of supporters is that early-age grading system is useful for children to get early help from educators about their weak points. However, grading is not a problem-solving but a simply problem-awareness. As mentioned above, children should be helped more about subjects that they have interests and aptitudes, rather than those that they don’t.
　　　　Education before the period of jumping into more competitive world is critical due to many reasons; it is the moment when children deliberate about their self-existence and build up basic senses of values. If they start to worry more about how they are evaluated by teachers than what they learn from them, school is no longer another home to develop children but simply a place where even young kids should feel pressure and stresses.


　

3rd Blog assignment

Love and Hate Snow Spray for 2010 Christmas!

What do you think would be the best Christmas gift this year? This question bothers every Christmas-fan over the world to make the most thumb-up Christmas ever. And in the result, unsurprisingly, most people decide to buy things that most people buy—not to make, at least, the worst gift choice. However, keeping track of what others buy and do for Christmas never guarantees you a special Christmas! If you want to be in the mood of greatest Christmas ever, Love and Hate Snow Spray will be the perfect choice.
　　　　The reason why people don’t stop making music, films and programs about white Christmas is because they always want it. There was no other way for it to come true except sitting and waiting for it in the past, but now we’re in the year of 2010. To make Christmas with your caring people more special, you can let them prove themselves as even God, bringing white Christmas into the room with Love and Hate Snow Spray. The gift-receivers are recommended to hide the product inside their sleeves and probably shout spells of their own, as written in the instruction paper. This mysterious white Christmas with their lover, family and friends guarantees great memories and another happy Christmas with them again.
　　　　However, things are sometimes different from what we expect them to be. If you fall into a situation that you have to give a gift to someone you don’t like, and especially he or she is from cold countries, Love and Hate Snow Spray can be your choice. People in Africa, Spain or Thailand must be thrilled of receiving snow spray, but people in Sweden or Alaska must not. At the moment of noticing your generosity in the word of ‘snow’, they’ll gladly scream with full of tears in their eyes, “I’m sick of snow!”
　　　　The year of 2010 has been amazingly hectic, sadly even with unpleasant accidents. Having noticed how crazy and dangerous the world has become, now no one can be sure of their own security while walking, working and even sleeping. If you cannot stop worrying about your caring people and at the same time if you also cannot give them guns or hand grenades, Love and Hate Snow Spray might be a great help. Even though some countries are prohibiting from owning a pepper spray, there isn’t any law in any country about owning a snow spray. It would probably not as strong as pepper spray, but it’s still harmful for eyes at least enough to escape from danger. However, the user must always be aware of direction of wind.
　　　　As looked upon above, there’s no reason not to choose Love and Hate Snow Spray as a Christmas gift this year. It guarantees you the best in any Christmas—with people that you love, protect and even hate. It’s cheap, easy to get, yet memorable and effective! I wish you the best Christmas ever with Love and Hate Snow Spray as a Christmas gift.

　

2nd Blog Assignment

Thesis statement: Junk food should not be more heavily taxed than health food.

WHO has recently announced that a USA is considering imposing heavier taxes on Junk food. This astonishing announcement has created a huge sensation, followed by a lot of on/offline demonstrations. And I also suggest Junk food not be more heavily taxed than health food due to three reasons: First, it will damage social economy. Second, it is not realistic. And third, we can plan better policies to reduce junk food problems.
　　　　Initially, it’s certainly predictable that imposing higher taxes is harmful for social economy. One of the important reasons why McDonalds has become one of the world’s largest chains of every industry is its reasonable price. Is it imaginable for McDonalds still to be the strongest economic part of America with ‘heavy’ taxes? With more numbers of people worried about bad effects of junk food, heavy tax will certainly make customers not buy them, at least much less than they did with lower prices. Then what would happen after that, with much smaller number of customers, discouraged industry and also dismissal notices! Deadening junk food industry will be a huge damage also because junk food is ‘a necessary evil’ for current, suffocatingly busy, American people.
　　　　Moreover, it is an unrealistic proposal due to two reasons. First, the biggest world-wide economic crisis has been a huge concern for every industry, including junk food industry. Especially with growing worries for junk food quality, they are severely competing against each other, not only with price, but with more diverse and better services and menus. The government’s intervention will make this industry more chaotic, without bringing any realistic help. And second, it’s hardly acceptable if junk food, with much lower material costs, would have heavier taxes than health food. Tax payers and junk food customers will distrust about what the government is doing with high taxes. So this non-sense ‘heavier’ tax policy sounds as if it just goes directly to the government’s pockets, without any concrete alternatives to solve junk food problems.
　　　　Speaking of which, third reason is that we can have alternative plans to settle junk food problems because simple tax policies usually bring up more negative opinions than positive ones. What junk food industry can do, and what they are actually doing now, is trying to use healthy—at least healthier—ingredients. It would probably lead to higher price, but it is still acceptable because it is derived from better quality, not empty taxes. At the same time, the government can bring up more programs and facilities where junk food addicts can get professional help. Campaigns through media and systematic preventive education in public/private schools should go together.
　　　　These three reasons are supporting the idea that junk food should not be more heavily taxed than health food. To sum up, it is more acceptable for junk food customers to be provided with better educational support from the government, not with heavy taxes.

　

1st blog assignment

1. Define the term "style" in the context of (academic) writing.

“Writing style is the manner in which a writer addresses a matter.” (Wikipedia) And especially in academic writing, there are two types of writing: formal and informal writing.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writing_style)



2. Find a piece of formal writing and a piece of informal writing, compare the two and list a few distinguishing features indicating to you which is which. Include an excerpt of each text in your blog.

[formal]
Conservatives 'to rush in new law on academies'
David Cameron: "We really do believe in giving schools more freedom"
The Conservatives say they would change the law within days of winning a general election to allow hundreds more schools in England to become academies. Shadow schools secretary Michael Gove said a new education bill would remove the need for schools to consult local councils before becoming independent. It would also exempt the best schools from Ofsted inspections to allow the watchdog to focus on problem schools. Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said he wanted to focus on cutting class sizes. Academies receive state funding, but control over how that money is spent rests with those in charge of the individual school.
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8542589.stm)


[informal]
My trip was great but I had some problems with the short stay in Paris. There was this weird guy on the plane from Pittsburgh who threatened the staff and other passengers so they had to turn the plane around over the Atlantic and drop him off in Newfoundland. Really weird and a little scary. The whole thing took ages and I had no time for anything else than macaronis and lunch at the airport in Paris :( I'm also organizing stuff and preparing to get started with my master’s thesis. I have plenty of time these days and no plan for the weekend. Let me know if you wanna do something!
(personal e-mail)


[List of differences]
1. Colloquial words in informal writing: this weird guy, the whole thing, wanna etc.
2. Contractions in informal writing: I’m
3. Use of the first and second person in informal writing: I, you (whereas third person and inactive voice is used in formal writing.)
4. Difference in syntax: formal writing contains longer and more complex sentences. On the other hand, short and even fragmentary sentences (Really weird and a little scary.) are used in informal writing.



3. Write two very short texts (5-10 sentences) on the same topic, using formal language in one piece and informal language in the other. Pick a simple topic - the focus is on the language.

[formal]
It is essential for library patrons to make reservations for printed sources--books and journals. Every source is sorted by the authors' last names, divided in colors. For example, Blue section has journals for environmental studies, green for literature and red for law. More information is provided in the library catalogue. In order to provide an optimum environment for using the Library, patrons are also prohibited from cell phone conversations in study areas. All the library facilities are open only to KAU students, faculty and staff from 8 am to midnight.

[informal]
Here are libraryrules. You should book first before borrowing. Books are divided in colors: blue for environmental studies, green for literature and red for law. You can see more information in the library catalogue. You should not use cell phone in study areas. Library's open only to KAU students, professors and staff from 8 am to midnight.