Category: Short Essays and Responses

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Short Essays and Responses

Short Essay 4 (due Oct. 16)

We’ve read a bit more of Huntington and all of _Races, Wrongs, and Remedies_. A big theme in these readings is the way in which American society has approached the question of American identity over the past half century or so. Huntington classifies the approach that has emerged as dominant as ‘deconstructionist.’

Using the readings, respond to the statement in bold below. You may take any position on it you like; just be sure that you make a case for your position based on the readings.

The psychology of victimization described in Wax’s book is incompatible with the original Anglo-Protestant view of American identity, and specifically it is incompatible with the Anglo-Protestant cultural ideals of self-reliance, self-improvement, and the work ethic. The way in which we have to understand the situation of American blacks requires us to throw out those earlier ways of conceiving American identity and accept instead that some historically disadvantaged groups are effectively powerless to help themselves.

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Catch-All/Student Discussion Questions Reading and Film Presentations and Discussion Short Essays and Responses

Race, Wrongs and Remedies (70-100)

Throughout this section of Race, Wrings, and Remedies by Amy L. Wax it was clear to me what she meant by discrimination.  She wants people to acknowledge people’s differences, it is when we ignore them completely then we are racist (77).  This makes complete sense to me as there is much to be learned about one’s race when we dive deeper and acknowledge who they are.  If we completely forget about a person’s past and all the turmoil and anguish, they have gone through to get to this point in their lives then we can not respect them or any of their successes.  This is something that I take pride in myself, as I do not glaze over diversity or racism, but rather am intrigued to learn more about their past and what their people have gone through.  This is why I feel that education is so important about the human race.  It is something that everyone should know, about themselves. 

Another aspect that Amy L. Wax touches on are the areas beyond family, school and work (87).  But rather she focuses on their careers and their public perception.  By evaluating where a person is in life to their race and setting standards to them based on their race.  This idea makes no sense to me because it implies that a certain race or class deserves to be in the position more than anyone else.  That the job or title should just be given to them based on their race or how much money they have.  If there is a white male that has had money all of his life and he going into budgeting for a major company, underqualified, there is no chance that he will be able to realize what he is doing and will probably allocate money to the wrong areas of the business or miss use his powers.  But if there is someone from a lower class who had very little money growing up, then they obviously know more about setting a budget and sticking to it, because it was the only way that they would survive while they were growing up. 

In the fourth chapter of the book, Amy L. Wax discusses the psychology of being the victim of discrimination (95). In this chapter she mentions the fact that when someone is and has been discriminated against in their life then they will eventually believe it.  Meaning that if everyone, from the day that you were born told you that there was no place for you in the world, that you would eventually believe them and recognize that your life is meaningless and there is nothing to progress towards.  This idea also hurts me because of the missed potential in so many people who have been told their whole life that they cannot amount to anything of meaning.  But it makes sense, if you hear or see something enough you eventually begin to believe it and act like it in your own life, that is just the psychological nature of it.

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Short Essays and Responses

Workshopping Friday (repost)

Just reposting these for your convenience.

For everyone, be sure to read the guidelines for how to participate in workshops (I’ve cut and pasted the whole thing below just in case you can’t find it).

If you’re among those students who were assigned to write an essay on this week’s topic, please be sure to post your essay to the blog by the end of today (Wednesday), under the menu item for Short Essays. Be sure it has your name on it. Also, please make four (4) printed copies of your essay and bring those with you to class on Friday.

If you’re not among the students assigned to write an essay this week, please read ALL of the short essays posted for this week before class meets on Friday. You should write comments on the blog to AT LEAST two different short essays by our class meeting on Friday. (You may write comments on more than two essays if you like–all of this writing will count toward your blog writing requirement). Then come to class on Friday ready to participate in a workshop session.

The ABCs of Critically Commenting on the Writing of Fellow Students

The general idea behind this practice is that writing is a social process, involving both writers and readers, and one of the most effective ways by which writers can improve their work is to get feedback from readers and revise with that feedback in mind. 

Some important points:

  • Read the whole essay in class, in your workshop group, with someone reading it aloud while others follow along. 
  • After you’ve read it, take 5-10 minutes for readers to carefully go over the essay alone and make notes regarding their comments.
  • Go around the group, allowing each individual a few minutes to comment on the essay. Don’t be in a hurry.  Be generous to the writer, but if something doesn’t make sense in the text, don’t ‘fill in the blank’ and assume you know what the author was trying to say.  You are obliged to tell the author about incoherencies and problems in the argument. 
  • Be sure when making your commentary to make constructive critical comments in addition to pointing out aspects of the writing that were in your view effective.  Simply cheerleading for your fellow students might make them (and you) feel good, but it will not help anybody to become a better writer.
  • Be as concrete as possible in your comments.  This is a concrete comment: “Consider omitting or moving paragraph 2.  The theme it takes up seems out of place at that point in the essay, and it makes murkier what is otherwise a very fine introduction to the argument.”  Here are some comments that aren’t very concrete: “Great job!” or “Lacks focus!”
  • Your comments should be detailed and substantive in class. By the end of the day Friday, you should post a commentary statement as a comment on the essay on the blog.  This should be a minimum of 150 words.
  • Authors should take notes on the commentary they receive from others, the better to absorb its content through active reflection. Authors may respond to comments after all the readers of their essay have had a chance to make their commentaries.
  • Remember overall to be friendly about this and to try not to get adversarial or defensive (this last point applies especially to the authors).  No writing is perfect in its first incarnation/draft form; in fact, no writing is perfect even after many, many revisions.  The best writers talk about their desire to go back and revise even brilliant books they have written.  The whole idea here is that the crafting of effective arguments in writing is a complex process that takes a lot of time and effort and that can be greatly aided by a community of readers that actively aids the writers in the process of refining and revising an argument.  So, don’t feel personally attacked if someone says your argument is confusing.  Ultimately, the intent is to help you make a more effective argument.
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Short Essays and Responses

Short Essay #3

In the novel All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy, the main protagonist John Grady Cole is a unique individual who craves action and adventure on his journey from Texas to Mexico. John Grady decided to leave his home and family after finding out the ranch he grew up on was being sold. His trip took him down an unexpected path involving stolen horses, prison and murders that showed John Grady’s grit and determination; additionally, along the way we see his strong work ethic that aligns with the Protestant work ethic that Samuel Huntington discusses in Who Are We?. John Grady Cole shows both similarities and differences with the values of the Anglo-Protestant cultural worldview according to Samuel Huntington, but he is more consistent with this worldview than not. 

John Grady Cole’s distinctive individualism is shown throughout McCarthy’s novel in may ways. It begins with his willingness to leave everyone that he knew behind in the beginning of the novel, aside from his friend Rawlins. John Grady did not have a strong relationship with either of his parents, which is most likely the cause for his willingness to leave everything behind. However, there are a few ways that John Grady does not show true individualism in the novel, such as when he decides not to travel alone by bringing his friend Rawlins along for the journey. Additionally, he did not fight back much when Jimmy Blevins joined them for the ride. John Grady Cole is an interesting character in that he seems to do well on his own, similar to the Anglo-Protestant culture, but he also has a soft spot for his friends that seems to be his driving force.

The Protestant work ethic is another idea brought up by Huntington that shows similarity to John Grady Cole’s persona. His and Rawlin’s plan for their journey to Mexico was to find work as cowboys. John Grady’s willingness and ability to work at the ranch is a good example of the Protestant work ethic. This ethic is of central importance and is unique to the culture as stated by Huntington on page 71, “In other societies, heredity, class, social status, ethnicity, and family are the principal sources of status and legitimacy. In America, work is.” John Grady Cole knows a lot about horses which impresses the hacendado on the ranch allowing for his promotion while working on the ranch, as opposed to Rawlins who was stuck with their initial, lower position job. John Grady did not seem to be looking to be promoted, and even was unsure about accepting the position for fear of upsetting Rawlins, but he took it and worked hard. 

Alfonsa, the great-aunt of the hacendado’s daughter, spoke with John Grady in extensive detail about the comparison of French and Spanish culture. She explains the difference in how Spanish (which also applies to Mexican) culture is very conservative and traditional, whereas French culture is radical and liberal. Anglo-Protestant culture stands somewhere in between the two, which is also where John Grady Cole falls. There are ways in which John Grady is traditional, such as his affinity for horses consistent with the American West, but he is also free-spirited considering he runs away from home and goes with the flow as he runs from law enforcement. 

John Grady Cole, although distinctly individualistic, has multiple traits that align with the Anglo-Protestant culture. Examples including his individualism, his work ethic, and his mixture of tradition and progressive ideals all prove that he has similarities to the culture mentioned extensively by Samuel Huntington in addition to differences.

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Short Essays and Responses

Short Essay #3

In Cormac McCathy’s novel “All the Pretty Horses”, John Grady Cole serves as an accurate representation of the Anglo-Protestant culture described by Samuel Huntington in his book “Who Are We: The Challenges to American National Identity.” Huntington describes America’s Anglo-Protestant culture as concisely defined by an almost universally accepted American Creed. Scholars differ in their specific articulations of the creed, but whether its a commitment to “the essential dignity of the individual human being, of the fundamental equality of all men, and of certain inalienable rights to freedom, justice, and a fair opportunity” (Huntington 68) or “to liberty, equality, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and private property” (Huntington 46), all definitions center around the same core principles found in early American dissenting protestant culture. John Grady Cole is an excellent exemplar of these principles. His tale of riding into unknown territory with nothing but his wits and his work is as American as can be. Three principles of the American creed that he embodies most obviously are strong individualism opposition to hierarchy, and commitment to principles, no matter the cost. 

Before departing from his home country, John Grady Cole is distinctly aware of all the reasons he should not go to Mexico: the country is foreign to him, it is more dangerous than the United States, the same work will pay less, among others. In spite of this, he chooses to venture onward with only his horse and his most trusted companion. Along the way he faces challenges and setbacks, but no obstacle shakes his resolve. The same unquenchable spirit that in America has demanded neverending progress flourishes within John Grady Cole. What else could sustain him through loss after loss but a foundational belief in his individual will?

When John Grady Cole moved to Mexico he entered into a hierarchical environment that runs directly contrary to his American principles. When he and Rawlins arrive at Don Hector’s hacienda and see Alejandra ride by, he does not let hierarchy stand in the way of his desires.  Cole’s position on the hacienda as a ranchhand places him at the bottom of the social order and thus, according to the prevailing social rules, the Don’s daughter is completely out of his reach. His opposition results in imprisonment and near assassination, but neither deters him for an instant. In the end, it is Alejandra who says no to John Grady Cole, but had she not, he would have continued disobeying the hierarchy with her for the rest of his life. 

The most significant way in which John Grady Cole exemplifies the American creed is his commitment to his values, no matter the cost. After he and Rawlins are arrested but before they are taken to prison, an official gives them the chance to sell out Blevins in exchange for their freedom. The official makes it explicitly clear that this is their only out, refusal will result in them being sent somewhere from which they can not escape. John Grady Cole refuses to comply, demonstrating his commitment to honesty and loyalty regardless of the consequences. Another fundamentally American principle he holds sacred is the inherent dignity of human life which becomes particularly relevant to the plot of the novel after he captures the captain who facilitated Blevins’ execution. After being taken deep into the desert, the captain fears for his life and asks John Grady Cole if he plans on killing him. Cole responds he will not; “I ain’t goin to kill you…I’m not like you.” (McCarthy 278) Even though the captain is burdening him and may seize an opportunity to attack him, John Grady Cole will not kill him because that is simply the wrong thing to do. 

Throughout the plot of the novel, John Grady Cole spends most of his time adventuring through a foreign country, which only serves to make his Americanism stand out. In a land with a different culture, Cole continues to exemplify the American Creed, and his commitment to these principles infinitely outweighs the expedience of changing himself; there is no greater testament to American individualism and identity than that.