Monday, October 31, 2011

Cleofilas, Carmen and Clemencia - FINAL DRAFT




            Cleofilas, Carmen and Clemencia are three female characters in Sandra Cisneros book Woman Hollering Creek and other stories that represent three totally different ideas on love and self worth.  The three women left me wondering; what is a good woman?  Is this woman evil?  What would I do in this situation?  After reading all three stories and analyzing each character, I have decided to explain my thoughts on each woman’s idea of love and how that relates how she values herself. 
            In our first story, “Woman Hollering Creek written by Sandra Cisneros, Cleofiles is introduced to the us as a young girl who is about to be married off to a Mexican American man.  She has an idealistic view of how the marriage will be as she watched telanovelas all day religiously in her home country of Mexico.  She is excited to experience marriage and dress fancy like the ladies in the soap operas she idolizes.  Cleo has no idea there is so much more ahead for her that she is too naïve know about.  But, before she leaves, her father reminds her that he will always be there for here to come back to if she needs to come back (43).  Once she is married, reality sets in after she already has kids and feels stuck with an abusive husband who talks down to her while she is also in between Dolores and Soledad, her neighbors.  Cleofilas is admirable because she tries as hard as she can to make the marriage work because that is what she believes to be the right thing to do at the time.  She reminds herself why she loves her husband (49).  That says so much to what she is feeling inside about her unfortunate situation with this manor lacking man that she feeds and cleans, which seems to be thankless tasks.  She quickly becomes depressed and the legend of the woman who drowned her kids in the creek enters the story.  Once again, Cleo is strong.  She is so blue that she seems to be drawn to the creek and it seems to pull her thoughts into a dark area where she seems to be considering taking the lives of her and her children to escape this hell she is stuck in.  But no, Cleo is strong.  She tells her doctor about the abuses she endures and like a good loving mother should do, she finds a way out.  She goes back to her loving father with help from the character Felice who happily drives her to the border and inspires our strong character to take matters into her own hands and be a strong woman.  I found Cleo’s character annoyingly naïve but amazingly strong in the end.  She helped herself out of her situation and I think many women would applaud her actions.  She envisioned her marriage to be loving and a fairy tale but it wasn’t, and I believe that the love her family gave her as a child and growing up shaped her to be able to leave this situation and love herself enough to know she deserved better.
            Carmen, on the other hand “is a take-it-or-leave-it type of woman” (61).  She is the character gossiped about like a legend in Sandra Cisneros short story called “La Fabulosa: A Texas Operetta.”  Carmen seems like a vibrant, intelligent woman that enjoys the finer things in life and knows exactly how she is going to get them, by dating powerful men.  To me, it seems it is more than just the material, it’s the fame.  The spot light is what she craves to fill her void.  I say void because she has to have something missing to date the military and not fall in love.  Some people would say she is playing him while others would say she is just keeping her options open, I would agree with that but only if I can add that she is missing a sensitivity chip.  That’s how Jennifer Aniston described Brad Pitt after he left their marriage for his costar Angelina Jolie.  For a woman, not doing to shabby on her own, to have the guts to live her life the way she did, you had to give her some credit.  She gave them something to talk about, that’s for sure.  In the end, it is sad because Carmen might have been entertaining and lived a glamorous life, but she was not searching for love and did not even seem to crave it by what was gossiped about her.  Who doesn’t want to be loved?  Was this her version of love?  Maybe Carmen was misunderstood.  Some might say she loved her self more than she loved those successful men she “dated”.  I think she must have been hurt along the way and she was a living callous that found a way to be happy with fabulous things her powerful boyfriends could provide.  I am not knocking her, because at least she was not out to hurt anyone.  Maybe just break a few hearts.
            Clemencia, Clemencia, Clemencia, where do I begin?  Clemencia, the woman with a black soul that is introduced to us in a very compelling story called “Never Marry a Mexican”, also by Sandra Cisneros, in which a woman exposes us to her charcoal heart, and obsessive love that is nothing short of Satan’s thoughts.  Her upbringing molded her into the woman she is today.  The way she loves today.  Her love is hurtful to women.  Clemencia is the other woman and that is what she likes.  She just wants the “sweetest part of the fruit” (69).  There is no love here in this story for another being.  In this story it’s the selfish thoughts of a brat of a woman turned psycho when she can’t have what she wants.  She falls for Drew, a married man who gets his wife pregnant and stays with her over Clemencia.  Clemencia feels like she damn near controls Drew’s life with his wife and he lets her think this, which leads to some sick thoughts on Clemencia’s part.  Sick thoughts of the son born to Drew and his ginger wife, where Clemencia waits oh so patiently to seduce the son of the man that left her for this woman, his wife.  This woman, Clemencia, is so shattered inside.  Her love is not sane, sweet, and gentle but the killing kind.   She seems to think she is protecting herself from the ills of love and a normal marriage but she is anti love or anti marriage and she is reaping what she sews.  She cannot have Drew, whom she wants so badly and you can tell how it eats away at her heart.  I wonder who naïve is really at this point. Cleofilas from the first story of Clemencia, when believing Drew really loved her and she wasn’t just some tramp he was having sex with on the side?  I mean, who really thinks that the man that is bedding her while his wife gives birth is worth a damn anyways?  Clemencia.  That is who thinks that she is loved and cared for by this man.  Any strong minded woman would see she is being taken for a ride by this smooth talker.  Clemencia, on the other hand, is insane and is very damaged inside. 
            Each woman, Cleo, Carmen, and Clemencia had their own tale of love in which it seems each one of their loves went bad in the end.  But, in the end, only one of these ladies shown through to be a heroine and respectable and that’s Cleofilas.  Her father’s love for her, I think, helped her through her stormy marriage and gave her the will power to get through it.  She is an amazing woman that faced becoming a mockery in her hometown in Mexico so that her children could live a better life.  Unfortunately, even though Carmen was not out to hurt anyone physically, she had cold intentions with love and the gossip mill says she might have paid dearly for that.  Even though I see nothing wrong with her light loving ways, her actions in love might have ended her life.  Clemencia, Clemencia, Clemencia with the black heart.  Not strong enough to leave a man that strung her along so she plotted.  She didn’t have the love inside to know better.  I am sure readers will be able to identify strengths and weaknesses in each one of these interesting characters but, in my opinion, there are only two women that show healthy signs of self respect and self worth. 

Friday, October 28, 2011

More on prison reform...



Sweden finds it important to rehabilitate their criminals rather than punish them.  This is something that the Scandinavian country takes pride in along with running a humane prison system. The prisons in Sweden are considered some of the most comfortable in the world, so much so that Saddam Hussein’s lawyers tried to get him transferred there after his capture in 2003.  After some high profile escapes in 2004, Sweden began to debate their penal policies and implement harsher security procedures especially with criminals with a violent record.  As you will read, some of the privileges prisoners were getting in Swedish prisons sounds like a holiday rather then jail.  There really is no point of a prison other than keeping the criminal away from society, if they are not limiting the prisoner’s liberties.  What has Sweden done to prevent escapes and eliminate contraband from their liberal prisons?

Prisoners can also apply for leaves up to four hours accompanied by staff members according to Lizette Alvarez from The New York Times in an article regarding prison escapes in 2004.  Violent offenders can apply for a leave up to four hours and they will be chaperoned by a prison staff member. Reports have said that the budget for this is shrinking but it is still going on. I understand that it does not mean that it will be approved but this is a waste of time and money.  Why give them that option if it will just be denied?  Even if the prisoner is not violent, why should the law afford four hour leaves to convicted criminals?  The government also has to pay for the correctional offices to accompany the criminal on this outing.  This poses a risk for the officer as even if the criminal has a non-violent background, he may be desperate enough to escape that he just pay graduate to violence.  After reviewing policy and procedures of the prisons in Sweden, I think that they should not let the prisoners have so much freedom and privileges.  When they were convicted of the crime that got them put into the criminal justice system, they should loose their rights.  Some inmates might have been convicted of drug trafficking which is not a violent offence yet is still very serious and no leave time should ever be granted to a criminal of that caliber. 

Prison officials say inmates are savvier, bolder, more organized and more violent than in the past; they have become more adept at smuggling in contraband, including weapons and cell phones as reported in the Lizette Alvarez from The New York Times.  Prison officials have the best analysis of situation as they work inside the walls, so if they are making these kinds of statements about the current criminal locked up in Sweden then I think it would be a fair assumption that the justice system needs a closer look. 

Televisions in every cell are a luxury and rewards criminals for their bad behavior. Bored inmates, even get those in high security prisons can simply switch on their television sets.  There is on in every room or cell. This practice would not be permitted in the prisons in the Unites States as the programs are stricter there.  A television room would be a brighter idea and would be a reward for prisons that are reformed and following policy in the prison.  That would still be a luxury but it pales when compared to TV sets in each cell.  Rather than giving criminals the option to relax in front of a TV and watch a sitcom, there should be a privilege that allows the inmate to make a visit to the prison library.  High security usually means that the criminal is violent or a possible sex offender.  At the point of conviction this TV luxury should be revoked.  Prison is not a vacation but rather time to reflect on what the offender has done to break the law. 

Cell phones smuggled into jails are thought to have played an important roll in organizing both of Sweden’s most recent prison escapes, and one female guard was forced to resign after admitting that she had snuck a phone into one of the prisons. This means that the prison is not keeping its employees honest and it is causing security breaches which could endanger other officers, employees and even other inmates not participating in the breaches.  When this guard smuggled in that cell phone, it could have easily been a knife which could have led to a serious injury or death of a correctional officer or inmate.  Not only would this have been disastrous, the government has to pay the medical bills of the injured costing the prison money.  These situations could be avoided if the security is increased for guards when they enter prison grounds.  Routine checks of employee lockers and mandatory metal detector scans of each guard before they can interact with the prisoners would help prevent weapons or cell phones from getting in the hands of inmates.  With routine security checks, I think that guards would think twice before doing favors for inmates as far as smuggling. 

According to the newspaper the vast majority of those held in Sweden's prisons and other secure units are smokers. Indeed, statistics show that almost 95% of prisoners smoke - compared to less than 20% of men in general.  For guards to let an inmate go outside to smoke at a maximum security prison is not an easy task and it can be debated if this luxury should be permitted to a high risk criminal.  In recent reports, Sweden has considered a ban on smoking for these very reasons. 

With close to 5,000 inmates, Sweden’s 43 medium-security and 4 maximum security prisons are operating at capacity.  With prisons full to the brim with inmates, overcrowding could end up a problem soon and with lax security procedures, this leaves the door open for inmate-on-inmate violence, injured guards, and contraband.  I think this also has made it easier for prisoners to escape as the guards will not have the best time keeping track of each inmate.  With the above mentioned security breaches plus the prisons at capacity and possibility of overcrowding in the future, a change is needed if the prison system wants to maintain a safe environment for all of its occupants. 

In 2008, 69 escaped directly from Swedish prisons, 61 of whom escaped from open prisons that lack escape security. 


Longer sentences have led to massive overcrowding in jails. Since 1991, the prison population has grown from 4,110 to 5,320 with 60 per cent on some form of drug addiction. The collapse of Europe's eastern borders has led to an influx of foreign criminals who now make up 27 per cent of the prison population.

Decades in which Sweden had pioneered rehabilitation rather than punishment and long-term incarceration are now under scrutiny.

Swedish prisons are handling more dangerous inmates from Eastern Europe, more people doing time for drug crimes and a record number of prisoners serving life sentences. 

Metal detectors are rare, conjugal visits routine and unlocked cell doors the norm.


Prison Reform


Prison Reform



  • These are the issues I focused on to show why Sweden should rethink its justice system and how they treat inmates.

  • Sweden takes pride in the fact that they rehab and treat inmates rather than punish.

  • Along with not punishing them the prisoners get all the privileges listed.

  • I enjoyed doing the research on this topic because there was plenty of resources and info online.  I had no idea how the prisons were in Sweden.  Although I gave my opinion on the subject in my research paper, and it was that the prisons are lenient, I am not sure what would really help the situation.  Here in the United States we have a more conservative justice system and we also have our problems.  I am sure that this is a topic that is discussed worldwide with passion.  I just wish there were more views from people in different countries on the internet. 

  • But seeing as how when, Saddam Hussein was captured, he had his lawyer request that he go to a Swedish Prison, it makes you wonder if what Sweden is doing is the right thing. 



Why is Sweden considering reforming their prisons?


10 Quotes with Explanations

Michelle Perry

February 15, 2010

Research Question:
Why is Sweden considering reforming their prisons?


Quote #1:  Prisoners can also apply for leaves up to four hours accompanied by staff members according to Lizette Alvarez from The New York Times in an article regarding prison escapes in 2004. 

Violent offenders can apply for a leave up to four hours and they will be chaperoned by a prison staff member. Reports have said that the budget for this is shrinking but it is still going on. I understand that it does not mean that it will be approved but this is a waste of time and money.  Why give them that option if it will just be denied?  Even if the prisoner is not violent, why should the law afford four hour leaves to convicted criminals?  The government also has to pay for the correctional offices to accompany the criminal on this outing.  This poses a risk for the officer as even if the criminal has a non-violent background, he may be desperate enough to escape that he just pay graduate to violence.  After reviewing policy and procedures of the prisons in Sweden, I think that they should not let the prisoners have so much freedom and privileges.  When they were convicted of the crime that got them put into the criminal justice system, they should loose their rights.  Some inmates might have been convicted of drug trafficking which is not a violent offence yet is still very serious and no leave time should ever be granted to a criminal of that caliber.  (214 words)

Quote #2:  Prison officials say inmates are savvier, bolder, more organized and more violent than in the past; they have become more adept at smuggling in contraband, including weapons and cell phones as reported in the Lizette Alvarez from The New York Times.

Prison officials have the best analysis of situation as they work inside the walls, so if they are making these kinds of statements about the current criminals locked up in Sweden then I think it would be a fair assumption that the justice system needs a closer look.  The prisons in Sweden are getting what could be called super criminals.  These career criminals most likely have been to prison before and were schooled by other, more dangerous offenders, and then they are put back on the streets after serving their time only to commit a more heinous offences and return to the over crowded prison.  When they return they are already wise to the prisons liberal ways and know how to smuggle in dangerous items into the prison walls.  Gang leaders have been able to smuggle cell phones inside and give commands to their gang to carry out drug deals, murders and other crimes.  (154 words)


Quote #3:  Lizette Alvarez from The New York Times wrote an article titled Escapes Lead Sweden to Rethink Liberal Prison System where she explained that televisions in every cell are a luxury and rewards criminals for their bad behavior.

Bored inmates, even get those in high security prisons can simply switch on their television sets.  There is on in every room or cell. This practice would not be permitted in the prisons in the Unites States as the programs are stricter there.  A television room would be a brighter idea and would be a reward for prisons that are reformed and following policy in the prison.  That would still be a luxury but it pales when compared to TV sets in each cell.  Rather than giving criminals the option to relax in front of a TV and watch a sitcom, there should be a privilege that allows the inmate to make a visit to the prison library.  High security usually means that the criminal is violent or a possible sex offender.  At the point of conviction this TV luxury should be revoked.  Prison is not a vacation but rather time to reflect on what the offender has done to break the law.  (163 words)

 

Quote #4:  Cell phones smuggled into jails are thought to have played an important roll in organizing both of Sweden’s most recent prison escapes, and one female guard was forced to resign after admitting that she had snuck a phone into one of the prisons.

This means that the prison is not keeping its employees honest and it is causing security breaches which could endanger other officers, employees and even other inmates not participating in the breaches.  When this guard smuggled in that cell phone, it could have easily been a knife which could have led to a serious injury or death of a correctional officer or inmate.  Not only would this have been disastrous, the government has to pay the medical bills of the injured costing the prison money.  One 22 year old prisoner, who is the leader of a criminal gang, was able to give orders behind bars.  “He was able to call freely and hand down orders to his accomplices outside the prison, where he was already serving a lengthy prison sentence.” said David Landes of The Local, Sweden’s News in English.   These situations could be avoided if the security is increased for guards when they enter prison grounds.  Routine checks of employee lockers and mandatory metal detector scans of each guard before they can interact with the prisoners would help prevent weapons or cell phones from getting in the hands of inmates.  With routine security checks, I think that guards would think twice before doing favors for inmates as far as smuggling.  (211 words)

 

Quote #5:  According to the newspaper, The Local who translated an article in Folkbladet, the vast majority of those held in Sweden's prisons and other secure units are smokers. Indeed, statistics show that almost 95% of prisoners smoke - compared to less than 20% of men in general. 

 

For guards to let an inmate go outside to smoke at a maximum security prison is not an easy task and it can be debated if this luxury should be permitted to a high risk criminal.  In recent reports, Sweden has considered a ban on smoking for these very reasons.  Smokers have health risks and if these prisoners do end up with lung cancer, the government will be footing the bill for treatment at a high price.  This means more money spent on an already tight budget, which could be prevented by placing a ban on smoking.  Sweden backs up their liberal prisons with claims that the treatment that the criminals receive is rehabilitating but having a lax policy on smoking in the prisons do not have anything to do with this process. I see no reason why smoking should continue in the Swedish prison system and specifically in the maximum security jails that house violent offenders. (157 words)

Quote #6:  With close to 5,000 inmates, Sweden’s 43 medium-security and 4 maximum security prisons are operating at capacity according to The New York Times writer Lizette Alvarez. 

With prisons full to the brim with inmates, overcrowding could end up a problem soon and with lax security procedures, this leaves the door open for inmate-on-inmate violence, injured guards, and contraband.  I think this also has made it easier for prisoners to escape as the guards will not have the best time keeping track of each inmate.  With the above mentioned security breaches plus the prisons at capacity and possibility of overcrowding in the future, a change is needed if the prison system wants to maintain a safe environment for all of its occupants.  Harsher sentences, stronger security and fewer privileges could cut the crime rate and slow the growth of the prison system by getting the message out that Sweden is serious about violent crimes and punishment.  I think more people would think twice before committing crimes if this were the case.  The money the prisons save by cutting privileges could go to build a new prison that would just house the life time criminals and extremely dangerous and violent offenders.  (173 words)


Quote #7:  Metal detectors are rare, conjugal visits routine and unlocked cell doors the norm states Mitchel P. Roth, the author of Prisons and prison systems a global encyclopedia.

Some high schools in Los Angeles have metal detectors that you have to pass through before entering the campus to protect students from guns, knives and other weapons.  Sweden’s prisons rarely use metal detectors which make it easy to smuggle in weapons to be used in killings behind the walls.  The prison essentially trusts the criminal not to have contraband.  Conjugal visits however are not a rare occurrence.  Inmates are allowed to request this visits with their spouse and our provided a small condo style home to spend this away time.  Another freedom allowed to these violent and undeserving criminals is unlocked cell doors.  Leaving the doors unlocked so inmates can come and go as they please is more like recess than what should be the life of a criminal sentenced to jail time.  The privileges mentioned above give the wrong message to the inmates and clearly leads to repeat offenders.  (151 words)


Quote #8:  In 2008, 69 escaped directly from Swedish prisons, 61 of whom escaped from open prisons that lack escape security according to Kriminalvården’s Basic Fact pamphlet. 

With poor security, it makes it easy for street smart criminals to plan an escape and merge back into society without serving their time.  Other inmates see this and I am gathering they follow the leader as there have been a lot of escapes during the last 6 years.  Since Sweden pride’s itself on helping the criminal get treatment during the prison stay, this is counter productive.  Sweden should try to build a better security plan and then they could house the criminals and keep them there with out the worries of them escaping.  Then they could focus on the rehabilitation in a safe environment.  The Swedes want to rehabilitate rather than punish because they think it works better but if they don’t have a security plan that keeps the prisoners behind bars, then they cannot reach their goal with the inmate.  It becomes a waste of time and money for the Swedish Government that is already making budget cuts.  (160 words)


Quote #9:  Swedish prisons are handling more dangerous inmates from Eastern Europe, more people doing time for drug crimes and a record number of prisoners serving life sentences according to The National Center for Policy Analysis. 

This means criminals from other countries are committing crimes in Sweden and serving time there.  This is costly and if they are more dangerous than the breed of criminal already in the Swedish justice system then the more violent criminals are influencing the less violent criminals and could possibly create a more sophisticated criminal.  This new breed of criminal will be nothing like what the guards have seen and in combination with the liberal prison system, it could mean more escapes and a failed justice system.  If the punishment is not real and certain, then the prisons will be full of repeat offenders and escapees.  That is, if they are lucky enough to recapture them after the escape.  Creating a separate system for the more violent and clever criminals along with a separate prison would be ideal.  This would prevent minor offenders from using prison as a criminal college.  Separation of inmates is key to if Sweden wants to be taken serious by other countries and criminals as far as their criminal justice system.  (174 words)


Quote #10:  Decades in which Sweden had pioneered rehabilitation rather than punishment and long-term incarceration are now under scrutiny. - Fox, Lionel W.

With the freedoms mentioned above, breaking of prison rules and subsequent prison breaks, critics and citizens are vocalizing their concerns about the escapes as they are afraid of the criminals.  After several years of escapes, I am sure critics are wondering why changes have not been made.  Not making immediate changes after prison escapes gives the impression that there is no concern.  When prisoners escape they go back into society and are dangerous so I am sure citizens became angry and started speaking to politicians about changes and reform in the Swedish prison system.  If it takes that long to even think about reform, I wonder how long it will take to implement stricter policies and create a safer prison for guards and inmates.  Rather than letting the inmates serve shorter sentences, they should have them serve the whole term, frill- free and implement strict rules and structure to guide the prisoner back into society.  (155 words)

On Being 17, Bright, and Unable to Read by David Raymond



            When I first started reading David Raymond’s essay “On Being 17, Bright, and Unable to Read”, I first thought he was a problem child that was out to defy the substitute teacher by refusing to read.  After reading further Raymond goes into a brief account of his reading struggles and how he learned to live with Dyslexia.  Raymond associated his reading success with having friends and even wished for the other kids to like him on his birthday when he blew out the candles.  His candid account of his progress and therapy is admirable because it gives the reader some insight into what people, especially children, go through when they have a learning disorder.  It’s clear that Raymond always knew that his disease made him different as he was the only kid going to a child psychiatrist in elementary school therefore his parents sent him to a camp for kids with learning disabilities which Raymond enjoyed.  My guess is that he felt like he was amongst kindred spirits and was able to relax and not have his guard up since he was made fun of so much growing up.  In brief, Raymond learned to except his disability, learn about others like him such as Einstein, and write this essay to help us understand him. 

Comso & GQ Analysis




            When I look at the Cosmopolitan Magazine covers shown to us in class, I see a pattern of young starlets with almost identical suggestive outfits on along with various sexual topics laid out.  If you were to lay the covers on top of each other it might appear that they are made from the same template because the cover models all have a similar pose with their breasts and thighs showing, and the article teasers in the same spot.  At first glance I cannot even find the cover models name.  With scantily clad women on the cover and various sex articles I think the message is clear; this is what you need to look like to be sexy and here is your guide to make guys want to have sex with you and what to do when you do have sex.  Sex sells.

            I have purchased GQ before, I don’t remember who was on the cover but I am sure I have.  The men are usually gorgeous on the cover and the articles range from sports to politics.  A well rounded man would be the audience for this magazine, or woman.  In comparison with Cosmo covers, GQ seems to respect their cover model more by putting their name in the key position at the top left of the cover where Cosmo usually has SEX.  It’s almost like it’s saying that a mans name and face will sell itself but for a woman to sell magazines she has to use her body surrounded by articles telling you moves in bed to made it “hotter”.  With GQ, the audience gets treated to a woman on the cover every so often, like Jennifer Aniston.  But I think she was naked.  I am sure the audience was clothed when they read the article on Jennifer, of course in fine apparel I am sure since GQ offers style tips.  GQ even breaks down good eats. 

            I think the message is clear that Cosmo’s audience is possibly looking for a mindless magazine to fill some time and that entertains them.  Surely I would be entertained by an article explaining how I can become a Sex Genius.  I do find it odd that to sell Cosmo to women, they put young lightly clothed women on the cover.  I would prefer to see Anderson Cooper or Miguel Almaguer on the cover.  I guess that’s why I would rather by GQ.  A well rounded magazine for a well rounded guy, or gal.  Handsome men on the cover that look distinguished and are in finely tailored suits.  I can respect that.

Shitty First Drafts by Anne Lamott





            The saying practice makes perfect is immediately what I think of after reading “Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lamott.  “All I had to do was to write a really shitty first draft of, say, the opening paragraph.  And no one was going to see it.” Lamott declared.  Just get some words down on paper and revise is the message Lamott is trying convey in this essay about her writing experience as a professional where she lets the reader know that even she struggles to write an article.  In the fourth paragraph there is a part where Lamott talks about the first draft being the kids draft and how it just pours out and how she lets it romp all over the place, “knowing that no one is going to see it and that you can shape it later”.  I think the best advice given in the whole essay is when she tells us the audience that “You have to start somewhere” (Lamott 2005).  It’s just as simple as that.   I am sure all writers can relate to this essay and that it saves them a lot of grief.  Like Lamott we need to “trust the process”.

Anolon Ad





I chose my ad from Glamour Magazine and as you can see it is for cook wear.  The man in the ad appears sophisticated yet hip with his flannel shirt and designer eyewear.  To add to his cool sophistication, he is cooking duck in high end cook wear.  I see women chatting in a circle blurred out behind him.   I am pretty sure one of those women is his lady and is so excited and proud that her man is amazing enough to cook for all of their guests.  Since I found this add in Glamour I think this ads audience is women 30+ and married.  Anolon is sending a message that with this fancy pan, your man will want to make you something special and your closest friends.  So sophisticated!


Wednesday, October 26, 2011

How I’ll Become an American Essay





How I’ll Become an American
Miklos Vamos


I really enjoyed Miklos Vamos: How I’ll Become an American because it made sense and it also made me laugh.  Right from the beginning of the essay Miklos Vamos shows that he has a very good sense of humor.  There is a particular paragraph that I find to be hilarious because I have encountered American’s just like his example of what he will do.  Miklos Vamos states in How I’ll Become an American “And I'll buy a car, a great American car. Then I'll sell my car and buy a smaller West German car because it's reliable and doesn't use so much gasoline. Later, I'll sell it and buy a smaller Japanese car with a computer aboard. Then I'll sell it and buy a camper. When I sell the camper I'll buy a bicycle.”  Don’t we all know of someone or heard of someone like this?  So there is some truth to the matter of his essay.  I think his point is that the American way to buy a huge SUV even if you’re single with no kids so you can fit in on the road.  But maybe your friends all start thinking more green and buy a hybrid.  Uh oh, now you have the gas guzzler polluting the environment.  How awkward, time to buy a Prius.  What do I do if I want to go camping or travel across the States?  I guess I’ll buy an RV.  Overcome with guilt from buying the camper, I will downsize to a bike.  That’s my favorite part, the bike.  This essay is about keeping up with the Joneses and is an Ode to the Rat Race.


Jamaica Kincaid’s "The Ugly Tourist" Essay




                       
           
            Jamaica Kincaid’s "The Ugly Tourist" originally appeared in the magazine Harper’s in 1988.  In this essay Kincaid successfully conveys her opinions on tourists and how ugly she thinks they can be and are.  She, Kincaid, starts her essay off with a very frank statement “The thing you have always suspected about yourself the minute you become a tourist is true:  A tourist is an ugly human being.”  With this statement I believe Kincaid is trying to insult the reader along with shocking them, which is an attention getter.  Now that Kincaid has your attention she tells her audience, which are tourists, exactly what she thinks of their antics and why they are not appreciated.  Kincaid is obviously from a place that is frequented by tourists and has many opinions on the subject.  One of many good points Kincaid makes is when she states “the way they squat down over a hole they have made in the ground, the hole itself is something to marvel at.”  Kincaid is clearly talking about tourists that stare at the way natives take care of nature calling and how it is ugly of them to gawk at the way these people who are most likely not as well off and not as clever as the tourist.  I am certain that she, Kincaid, is telling the audience that it is obvious that their holiday in which they take part in sight seeing is ugly, especially when they watch the natives like a caged animal in the zoo.  The part of Jamaica Kincaid’s “The Ugly Tourist” that hits hardest for me is her final paragraph where she explains the cruelty of your travels and how the “natives are too poor to go anywhere.” 

Originally appeared as a short article in Harper’s Magazine (September 1988), and later it was included as the opening chapter to Kincaid’s novella “A Small Place”.


Three C's of WHC


            Cleofilas, Carmen and Clemencia are three female characters in Sandra Cisneros book Woman Hollering Creek and other stories that represent three totally different ideas on love and self worth.  After reading all three stories and analyzing each character I have decided to explain my thoughts on each woman’s idea of love and how that relates how she values herself.

            In our first story, Woman Hollering Creek written by Sandra Cisneros, Cleofiles is introduced to the us as a young girl who is about to be married off to a Mexican American man.  She has an idealistic view of how the marriage will be as she watched telanovelas all day religiously in her home country of Mexico.  She is excited to experience marriage and dress fancy like the ladies in the soap operas she idolizes.  Cleo has no idea there is so much more ahead for her that she is to naïve know about.  But before she leaves, her father reminds her that he will always be there for here to come back to if she needs to come back.  (43)  Once she is married reality sets in after she already has kids and feels stuck with an abusive husband who talks down to her while she is also in between Dolores and Soledad, her neighbors.  Cleofilas is admirable because she tries as hard as she can to make the marriage work because that is what she believes to be the right thing to do at the time.  She reminds herself why she loves her husband (49).  That says so much to what she is feeling inside about her unfortunate situation with this manor lacking man that she feeds and cleans for which seems to be thankless tasks.  She quickly becomes depressed and the legend of the women who drowned her kids in the creek enters the story.  Once again, Cleo is strong.  She is so blue that she seems to be drawn to the creek and it seems to pull her thoughts into a dark area where she seems to be considering taking the lives of her and her children to escape this hell she is stuck in.  But no, Cleo is strong.  She tells her doctor the abuses she endures and like a good loving mother should do, she found a way out.  She goes back to her loving father with help from the character Felice who happily drivers her to the border and inspires our strong character to take matters in to her own hands and be a strong woman.  I found Cleo’s character annoyingly naïve but amazingly strong in the end.  She helped herself out of her situation and I think many women would applaud her actions.  She envisioned her marriage to be loving and a fairy tale but it wasn’t and I believe that the love her family gave her as a child and growing up shaped her to be able to leave this situation and love herself enough to know she deserved better.

            Carmen, on the other hand “is a take-it-or-leave-it type of woman” (61).  She is the character gossiped about like a legend in Sandra Cisneros short story called La Fabulosa: A Texas Operetta.  Carmen seems like a vibrant, intelligent woman that enjoys the finer things in life and knows exactly how she is going to get them, by dating powerful men.  To me, it seems it is more than just the material, it’s the fame.  The spot light is what she craves to fill her void.  I say void because she has to have something missing to date the military and not fall in love.  Some people would say she is playing him.  Others would say she is just keeping her options open, I would agree with that but only if I can add that she is missing a sensitivity chip.  That’s how Jennifer Aniston described Brad Pitt after her left their marriage for his costar, the knock out Angelina Jolie.  For a woman, not doing to shabby on her own, to have the guts to live her life the way she did, you had to give her some credit.  She gave them something to talk about, that’s for sure.  In the end, it is sad because Carmen might have been entertaining and lived a glamorous life but she was not searching for love and did not even seem to crave it by what was gossiped about her.  Who doesn’t want to be loved?  Was this her version of love?  Maybe Carmen was misunderstood.  Some might say she loved her self more than she loved those successful men she “dated”.  I think she must have been hurt along the way and she was a living callous that found a way to be happy with fabulous things her powerful boyfriends could provide.  I am not knocking her, because at least she was not out to hurt anyone.  Maybe just break a few hearts.

            Clemencia, Clemencia, Clemencia, where do I begin?  Clemencia the women with a black soul that is introduced to us in a very compelling story called Never Marry a Mexican also by Sandra Cisneros in which a woman exposes us to her charcoal heart, and obsessive love that is nothing short of Satan’s thoughts.  Her upbringing molded her into the woman she is today.  The way she loves today.  Her love is hurtful to women.  Clemencia is the other women and that is what she likes.  She just wants the “sweetest part of the fruit” (69).  There is no love here in this story for another being.  In this story it’s the selfish thoughts of a brat of a woman turned psycho when she can’t have what she wants.  She falls for Drew, a married man who gets his wife pregnant and stays with her over Clemencia.  Clemencia feels like she damn near controls Drew’s life with his wife and he lets her think this which leads to some sick thoughts on Clemencia’s part.  Sick thoughts of the son born to Drew and his ginger wife where Clemencia waits oh so patiently to seduce the son of the man that left her for this woman.  His wife.  This women, Clemencia, is so shattered inside.  Her love is not sane, sweet, gentle but the killing kind.   She seems to think she is protecting herself from the ills of love and a normal marriage but she is anti love or anti marriage and she is reaping what she sews.  She cannot have Drew, whom she wants so bad and you can tell how it eats away at her heart.  I wonder who is really naïve at this point? Cleofilas from the first story of Clemencia, when believing Crew really loved her and she wasn’t just some tramp he was having sex with on the side?  I mean who really thinks that the man that is bedding her while his wife gives birth is worth a damn anyways?  Clemencia.  That is who thinks that she is loved and cared for by this man.  Any strong minded woman would see she is being taken for a ride by this smooth talker.  Clemencia on the other hand is insane and is very damaged inside. 

            Each woman, Cleo, Carmen and Clemencia had their own tale of love in which it seems each one of their loves went bad in the end.  But in the end, only one of these ladies shown through to be a heroine and respectable and that’s Cleofilas.  Her father’s love for her I think helped her through her stormy marriage and gave her the will power to get through it.  She is an amazing women that faced becoming a mockery in her hometown in Mexico so that her children could live a better life.  Unfortunatly, even though Carmen was not out to hurt anyone physically, she had cold intentions with love and the gossip mill says she might have paid dearly for that.  Even though I see nothing wrong with her light loving ways, her actions in love might have ended her life.  Clemencia, Clemencia, Clemencia with the black heart.  Not strong enough to leave a man that strung her along so she plotted.  She didn’t have the love inside to know better.  I am sure readers will be able to identify strengths and weaknesses in each one of these interesting characters but in my opinion there are only two women that show healthy signs of self worth.