Author: Charlie Shadek

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Reading and Film Presentations and Discussion

ERA #2: All The Pretty Horses pg. 59-101

So far throughout the book, John Grady and Rawlins have been traveling through Mexico in hopes of finding cowboy work and individualism. This idea of individualism is important to the core values of the book. It is something you can find very prominent in our country today. I think in John Grady’s case it has been tough to find individualism when his whole life has been living at a ranch. He has been secluded to the same things since he was a baby. Now, that his mother has left the ranch, grandfather has died, and father is terminally ill he seeks a new life. I don’t blame him for doing what he is doing. At the time he is living in, the late 1940’s, if you had no support you were on your own, and I think John Grady is taking the correct matters into his own hands. 

            All The Pretty Horsesis a great representation of how life was in Western Frontier during the mid-20thCentury. You can see this by how John Grady and Rawlins act. They do whatever it takes to survive. They carry guns and have no trouble being rough and tough. If that means stealing, then they will do it. Blevins’s, a character that John Grady and Rawlins run into on their journey, is in the same boat of the other two; living on his own. It seems that in late 1940’s in the Western Frontier, if you were young and your life was falling apart then you sought a more promising life either on your own or with some company. 

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Catch-All/Student Discussion Questions

Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan is a great example of American pride and honor. The American soldiers fought for their lives. As they stormed Normandy, they fought to the last man standing. The beginning scene of D-Day is one that always strikes me with amazement. Thousands of American soldiers died that day before even reaching the dunes. Many didn’t even get off the boats. Nationalism was at its peak during WWII. There was one national identity and no one strayed away. Also, there was one common goal of ending the Nazis Regime. I think the brotherhood of the soldiers is a model for how we should be as a country especially with how recently we are becoming more divided. We lack our national identity and I think the best representation of our national identity is during a time of conflict, war. I think Saving Private Ryan is one of the top WWII films made. The acting and directing is on point. It does a great job of representing how extreme the conditions were such as major cities being turned upside down. 

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Catch-All/Student Discussion Questions

The Witch

In the movie The Witch, religion is the forefront of the film. The Puritan family is kicked out of their village for having different religious beliefs from the rest of the people. From that point on, they experience supernatural things including devil and witch related acts. Some of the scenes of witchcraft really scared me. I was not ready for the horror. I didn’t want to read or watch anything of the movie beforehand. I wanted a true experience of the film. I have a feeling that ever since they were exiled from the village that bad things were going to happen as if it was their punishment. The oldest daughter, Thomasin, becomes a witch at the end of the movie and it makes me think that she was destined to be one. I was surprised that the black goat was the leader of the witch coven and he is the devil, but it all made sense when it was revealed at the end of the movie. Although the movie was creepy at points, it does a good job of representing people’s beliefs of witchcraft during 17thCentury in America. 

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Reading and Film Presentations and Discussion

ERA #1: Who Are We? Chapter 2

Identity is a concept that affects everyday life. It is predetermined but also is able to be altered. Groups and even individuals have more than one identity. We use identities to judge people and make assumptions. We may not have an actual or definite identity of someone but we use pre-assumptions to judge someone. Someone’s identity is affected years before they are born and by the people around them. It can be a good and/or bad thing. I think that is the price of living. Everything you associate with affects your identity. Living in America or being American holds its own identity. Identity thrives with differentiation so people can set themselves apart from others. This is key in competitive world we live. So, applying for a job it is important that we have our own personal identity. Virtually everything has an identity even a nonliving thing but in the large scope a country has an identity. Extreme measures are sometimes taken for identity. Countries fight physically via war to keep and build on their identity. For example, Japan’s national identity was established after WWII. Culture is a part of the broad term identity. I believe culture is one of if not the most important component to identity because it is how we live within society. It is important to understand that almost anything we do affects our identity; it is constantly changing. We should be trying to better our identity every day because improvement is essential to be successful in today’s world.

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Short Essays and Responses

Short Essay #1

Tocqueville wrote about his discoveries almost two centuries ago. His language is quite different than what we use today but he’s able to illustrate America back then very well. He breaks down the democratic structure of the nation. Although technology has advanced and so has the human race, Tocqueville’s observations of early America can help us with the contemporary problems we face. 

In his findings about the three races in early America, he breaks down how the Native Americans and slaves have nothing in common but still are inferior to the white race and in some way this will always continue even when slavery is over. Tocqueville is hundred percent correct. There is still discrimination in current day and even hate groups still exist. The past cannot be reversed and it is another reason why with advancements things may be better but cultural and structural things will have the same conflicts from the past. We will rely on what our ancestors did: living off the natural resources. For example, communities around the Mississippi River use it for its resources like water supply. Still to this day perfectibility will never be fully obtained and that goes as well with equality. Even with the improvements this country has experienced like having one of the greatest economies, we still face poverty. We certainly are far from being close to perfect and that is a good thing because we should never be comfortable with the current state of things. Change must always occur and that is what Tocqueville is getting at with at the ships. We can use that ship metaphor to understand that improvements are always there ready to be made because there is an indefinite limit to perfectibility. The fundamental concepts of Tocqueville’s philosophy of early America are still present. They might not be so prevalent but they exist. 

The American government is founded by documents that were created hundreds of years ago. So, it is important to keep in mind that although something was from a while ago it can still hold great value. We are affected by the past every day and we cannot forget about it. It is easy to think Tocqueville’s discoveries are not relevant as he is from France and he is biased towards an aristocracy government. But Tocqueville looks at the core of early America and that is what hasn’t changed throughout the years. The white race continues to be superior and that is how it will be for years to come because that is how America was founded. It is unfortunate how things are but in Tocqueville’s eyes it is key to understand this and not be oblivious to it. Tocqueville’s philosophy can give us the proper awareness. Police brutality occurs against black people and that is just a smaller magnitude of the hate black people experienced during the time Tocqueville explored America. His observations keep us in check and can help us learn from what happened in the past as we experience similar cultural and social problems that we did during Tocqueville’s exploration of America, and see that improvements have been made. It is inspiration to do even better in hopes of reaching perfectibility.