Topic Proposal for Essay 4

Michael Travesser (aka Wayne Bent)
The congregation returning from a purity ceremony

    

“The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood presented a lot of questions for me.  I felt very uncomfortable and angry reading this book.  The more I read, the more anxious I became.  How would I feel living in an environment such as the one depicted in the text?  The main question I have for this essay is why have these women, who once participated in a democratic society, “let” this new form of government take over their lives?  Why are they not putting up a fight for the rights that they once had?  I want to learn more about the people behind the roles in this book.  For instance, the men…did they all find it acceptable to treat the women with such indignity and disrespect or were they just playing a “role” in order to fit in to this new society? 

     While reading this book I kept thinking of the methods of control and power the government had over these women, which is why I decided to write about cults.  Cults are still a very real part of our society today and I don’t understand why?  I would like to research why cults are formed in the first place and why would a person actually choose to be a part of such negative aspect of human kind.

     Another aspect I would like to learn about is Margaret Atwood and why she would write about such a horrific lifestyle.  I know that she is an author and she has the God-given right to write about whatever she chooses, but why portray women in such a negative way?  Or people in general?  I understand that books are a form of entertainment; however, I do not see any aspect of this book as “entertaining”.

I found this link to be very informative about today's cult societies:

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/inside/3401/Photos#tab-cult-facts

EVALUATING SOURCES

Pach, Chester. "Servicemen’s Readjustment Act: Document Analysis." Milestone Documents in American History. Ed. Paul Finkelman. 4 vols. Dallas, TX: Schlager Group, 2008. Salem History Web. 24 Oct. 2010.

     For whatever reason, I had a hard time finding articles relating to my essay topic, The History of the Draft.  Ultimately, I found the above-mentioned article and found it to be very informative with regard to The Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the GI Bill.  This Bill was a benefit for all veterans in an effort to help them buy homes or farms, attend college or vocational school, pay living expenses while searching for employment, and ensure access to essential medical care or therapy to heal wounds or overcome disabilities.  This was one of the most important—and popular—federal programs in American history.  I intend to use this source to explore one of the few positive outcomes for serving in the military.

Davey, Monica.  “America & The Draft: A 200-year Debate” New York Times Upfront.  New York: Scholastic Inc. September 7, 2009. Vol. 142 Iss. 1; pg. 22, 7 pgs

     My second source was obtained through ProQuest.  I feel confident about its credibility due to the fact that I searched the YC Library database, as suggested by our instructor.  The article I found was written by Monica Davey who is the Chicago bureau chief of The New York Times.  In my opinion, The New York Times is one of the most credible news sources in this country. This article was written on September 7, 2009, and is critical to my essay as it deals with the long-running debate of the military draft.

Operation Homecoming

     I thought after reading Huze’s “Sandstorm” and O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” that I had a pretty good idea of what soldiers endured while at war.  I could not have been more wrong.  After watching the PBS documentary Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience I can honestly say that I have experienced a whole new aspect of what war does to a soldier.  The words and context in which the servicemen and women spoke in this documentary were full of emotion, allowing me to more accurately comprehend the true meaning behind their words.  Prior to watching this documentary I realize I understood only a small portion of their reality.

     To paraphrase Tim O’Brien’s words, “there is a false notion that we need to heal from our experiences, but some things should not be healable, war being one of those things”.  How does a person returning home from war “forget” their experiences?  It is impossible.  The events that they witnesses, the traumatic situations they endured will always be a part of who they are from this point forward.  If you survived, there is no escaping this fact.

     One way veterans try to deal with life after war is to write about their experiences.  Author and Vietnam veteran, Joe Haldeman explained, “you write because you want others to know what you are going through”.  Even still, a non-veteran can never accurately appreciate the true sacrifices made by a soldier.  SSGT Edward Parker Gyokeres said in his interview that when he wrote letters home he filled them with jokes.  Perhaps he did this so his family would not worry about him, but moreover, it was probably a survival mechanism he used to help ease the burden he felt. 

     One aspect that was referred to throughout both texts and this documentary was the fear these soldiers faced.  They were afraid of war and afraid to die.  The tone I felt was “kill or be killed”.  Fear brings out the worst in a soldier and makes them do things they never imagined possible.    

     When the word “war” is mentioned my mind automatically starts thinking about guns, bombs, tanks, smoke, dead bodies, the smell of burning flesh and screaming women and children.  I imagined soldiers tirelessly walking from one combat to the next.  I was surprised to hear in this documentary that war is boring.  Although there were some relentless events that transpired, most of the time soldiers were bored out of their mind.  When waiting for the next command by the higher-ups, soldiers spent their time scorpion-fighting, rock throwing, rewriting songs, or doing other mindless activities.  It is hard to imagine our soldiers traveled across the globe only to be “bored” once they got there.

     I remember watching a movie called Taking Chance.  I was happy, if that’s the right word to use, that the military takes the death of a soldier so sacredly.  Michael Shrobel describes in this PBS documentary that for every dead soldier, his or her remains are escorted back home by a military volunteer.  He personally escorted Chance Phelps’s body back home to Wyoming.  Throughout the entire trip he thought about the ultimate sacrifice that Chance Phelps had made and how he owed it to him to make sure he made it home and that no detail was forgotten.  Once Chance had arrived back home, it was his Chance’s family that thanked Shrobel for his service to this country.

     My reaction to the ideas presented in this video is that war can be a living hell.  As noted in this video, “only the dead have seen the end of the war”. (Plato)  Hopefully, through writing or other therapeutic outlets one can cope with their experiences and not live a life afraid of their memories.  These soldiers have been given a voice to help the rest of us understand the cruelty of war and the feelings associated with it.

Works Cited

Robbins, Richard E.  Operation Homecomeing: Writing the Wartime Experience. The Documentary Group (2007)

Mid-Session Check-In Blog

October 11, 2010

Laura Cline
Communications Division
Yavapai College, Prescott Campus
Building 3, Room 221

Dear Mrs. Cline:

     I am so excited to have made it to mid-session in my English 102 class. Although I had several moments when I thought I was a ship sinking fast, I have managed to stay afloat. I feel one of my biggest challenges thus far has been starting my essays. I sit and stare at the paper waiting for words to magically appear. However, I feel my biggest success was getting a passing grade on my first essay after twenty-plus years of not being in school. I worked really hard on it and I was so happy to have received a thumbs-up. It was the boost of confidence I needed to help me realize that I really can do this.  Another challenge for me has been taking this class online.  I have found that I am a hands-on learner and really need to be in a classroom environment to fully understand what is required of my assignments.  I need to be able to ask questions and get real-time feedback. 

     The readings we have done so far have been an eye-opening experience for me. Unfortunately, I have lived most of my life without really being interested in the various wars our country has fought. I didn’t ask questions and I didn’t really care to educate myself on the history of war. This is a sad, but true statement.  However, after reading “The Sandstorm” and “The Things They Carried” I have found myself to be very interested in the history of war, both past and present. I plan to continue to educate myself on this topic even after this class is over.

     As far as differentiating literary analysis from other types of writing I have done in college I must say that I am just at the beginning of my college education.  I have not had the opportunity to do a lot of writing, with the exception of your class. I do expect however to do a lot of writing as I continue on with my education.

     My goals for the second half of the semester are to understand the various aspects of writing an essay. I want to be able to recognize a thesis when I read one.  I also want to write with more confidence.  I know that as I continue to learn composition my writing skills will improve and I will feel more confident in my role as a student.

Sincerely,

Mechelle Noyes

Summary vs. Analysis ~ The Rainy River

http://www.vietnamphotography.com/

Summary:

It was the summer of 1968 and Tim O’Brien recently graduated from Macalester College. A young man of twenty-one year and was anxious to begin the next phase of his life. Politically naïve, yet educated enough to know that he is against the Vietnam War. O’Brien had taken a modest stand in college about why he was against the war. He rang some doorbells and composed a few editorials of the college newspaper. Little did he know that the world in which he felt so safe and secure was going to change with the opening of a letter he received on June 17,1968.  A million thoughts ran through his head as he scanned the letter. How could “he” be drafted? He was too good, too smart, he was going to Harvard on a full-ride scholarship. There must be some mistake.

Tim O’Brien worked his summer in a meat-packing plant as a Declotter. He used a so-called “water gun” to dissolve the thick blood clots that had accumulated in the carcass of each pig that passed by his work station. He was showered in a mist of warm blood for eight hours a day. He was being tormented by his feelings of fear and anxiety of the war. He did not want to die and he did not want to kill. However, the fear of disappointing his family lay even heavier on his mind. He did not want to be a topic of discussion at the town café. The pressure finally became too much to bear. O’Brien left work one day and didn’t look back. He went home, showered, packed his suitcase, wrote a note to his parents and out the door he went. Destination unknown, but Canada was a sure thought. It was at the Tip Top Lodge where he met the old man who would later save his life, Elroy Berdahl. During his stay at the old fishing lodge Tim had a lot of time to contemplate his life and the decision that lay before him. The man didn’t ask questions, but he knew there was something serious on O’Brien’s mind. On the sixth and last day of his stay at the lodge, they headed off on the Rainy River for some fishing. At some point O’Brien realizes that they have crossed into Canadian waters. It is at this moment that O’Brien understands that he cannot and will not flee to Canada. Instead, “I would go to war-I would kill and maybe die-because I was embarrassed not to” (59).

Analysis:

Tim O’Brien lives his life, day in, day out. Nothing much changes except he is headed for Harvard on a full-ride scholarship. That was the reality of a young man. However, Vietnam is his “true” reality. Tim O’Brien faces the inevitable consequence of war. A war that he does not believe in, a war that he may not come home from, a war he wants to run from, but cannot because he is too afraid of what his family will think of him. O’Brien fights a war within himself first. Does he flee to Canada and risk a life without his family or friends, or does he go to Vietnam and risk death, honorably. There seems to be no positive outcome with either decision. In the end it is the fear of facing his family, friends, fellow citizens, and strangers that forces him to choose war. He would rather die a martyr than a traitor.

photo from: http://www.statesman.com/multimedia/dynamic/00449/HRC_Tim_OBrien_449868c.jpg

http://vietnamphotography.com/imagesAll.php

An into to the Vietnam War: http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/vietnamwar/p/VietnamBrief.htm

Works cited: 
O'Brien, Tim. "The Things They Carried" (1990) 37-59 Print

Tim O'Brien - "The Things They Carried"

http://wallpaperstock.net/crossroads-in-life-wallpapers_w10124.html

How many of us have come to a “crossroad” in our lives? A life-altering decision needs to be made, but we do not know which way to go or what to do. It seems like no matter which decision we make it will be the wrong one. What are the consequences of choosing? Which one is less painful? Which one will benefit us more? Or not? How will our lives change by our decisions? How will our decision affect the lives of our family and friends? This is the situation that Tim O’Brien faced in his chapter, “The Rainy River“.

As O’Brien finally hit rock-bottom, he felt his only answer was to run. Run fast. Run far. Run away. He needed solitude to help him face the fact that he was either going to war, (possibly to die) or fleeing with his life to another country, possibly never to see his family again. What would people think of him by the choice he inevitably was going to make?

I feel that the moment O’Brien stopped at the old Tip Top Lodge and stood face-to-face with Elroy Berdahl, he was staring at his conscious. During O’Brein’s stay, the old, skinny man asked no questions and gave no advice. As O’Brien said, the man had an “almost ferocious silence”. They worked side-by-side during the day, shared dinner in the evenings without a word being said. No words needed to be said. Yet.
As the days passed, the pressure mounted on his chest. O’Brien was literally sick by the two choices that loomed before him. On the final day of his stay, O’Brien and Elroy take to the river. The moment he realized that they had crossed onto the Canadian side of the river, he knew he was at freedom’s gate. As his past twenty-one years of life flashed before him, so did his future. However, the fear of embarrassment overtook him and he knew he would choose war. He felt helpless.

As O’Brien sits in the boat, loudly crying, and the realization of the choice he has made sinks in further I remember this moment from the chapter most: “His eyes were flat and impassive. He didn’t speak. He was simply there, like the river and the late-summer sun. And yet by his presence, his mute watchfulness, he made it real. He was the true audience. He was a witness, like God, or like the gods, who look on in absolute silence as we live our lives, as we make our choices or fail to make them”.

http://www.illyria.com/tobhp.html

The Sandstorm

My initial reaction to Sean Huze’s play, “The Sand Storm”, was that of shock and sorrow. The characters’ were so honest, their feelings, so raw. Never before have I been exposed to such brutal circumstances. The more I read, the more I felt. I could not stop reading the words of these soldiers. Each and every one has been exposed to a life-altering experience that they will never be able to escape.

I have not been to war, nor do I want to go. I have only seen movies and documentaries about war. Is that an experience similar to that of these soldiers? No, I don’t think so. Did they know when they enlisted they would actually go to war? When our President gave the word that the United States was heading to war, fear was the first feeling I felt. What did that really mean? Were we as a nation about to experience being bombed in our own neighborhoods? In my mind it was possible. However, our enemies were the ones who really had to worry. US Troops invaded their countries and killed their people. Innocent men, women and children being blown to smithereens. As noted by LCPL Dodd, “Yeah, there’d been some “collateral damage”. That’s the nice way of saying we killed a bunch of civilians”. There was no looking back and no time to second-guess yourself. I believe the mentality of these soldiers was “shoot or be shot“, “kill or be killed“, “defend, or die trying“. How does a man feel about shooting innocent people; killing them as if their lives meant less than their own. After reading this play I felt these men put their “human side” up on a shelf and acted as machines. It was the only way they would survive.


"Collateral Damage"


One of these soldier’s experiences stood out to me, gave me goose bumps. Doc Matthews discussed how the Marines ripped through a particular town with no bloodshed, at least not on our side. He came to a burned up car with three dead bodies inside and a man lying outside of the vehicle, still alive. The situation was more than Doc could stand and he breaks down, while hugging and telling the wounded man how sorry he was for killing his innocent family. The man replies, “not your fault. I blame Saddam. You, you Americans are a gift from Allah. You are here to deliver us from Saddam. I only wish I could have gotten my family out sooner.” If I were Doc Matthews, that would haunt me for the rest of my life. I am happy that Doc was able to find comfort in this man’s words.

"...you are here to deliver us from Saddam"

It amazes me how our minds work when faced with such a horrific situation, such as war. For example, CPL Waters tells us of an assault in Al Kut. There were minimal, if any, injuries to civilians. He says, “it was kinda’ nice to look around afterwards and know that the only dead were the ones who deserved it”. While drinking from his canteen he notices a movement. He walks over and finds what is left of an enemy soldier. He begs CPL Waters to kill him. However, that man was not going to be relieved of his pain so easily. CPL Waters recalls his fellow soldiers who were not shown any mercy, why should he? Instead, he finds pleasure in watching this man die a slow and agonizing death. Where else, expect in war, would we justify such behavior?

Although this play opened my eyes to the “truth” that war brings to us, it was comforting to know that the civilians, who just happened to live in the wrong place, at the wrong time, were normal people. They lived in neighborhoods just like me. Their kids played ball in the fields, just like I once did. They had refrigerators and candy and they cooked family meals, just like me. And yet, their country was in the midst of a war that seemed to have no end. They welcomed the soldiers and were thankful for their help. Their kindness helped to “undo” the awfulness they had endured for the past months. As SGT Casavecchia described, “It was kinda‘ nice to feel human again…not some machine void of emotion.”

I can only imagine the struggle these men go though on a daily basis with their thoughts and emotions. How do they “go back” to their regular way of life if/when they return home? How do they express the reality of what they have been through? Can we really comprehend the depth of their experience by reading a play or book? Only a fellow soldier can truly grasp the “truth” that lies within “The Sand Storm”.

images obtained from: www.chris-floyd.com/war/
click here for a link to a page of touching poems about the Iraq war: http://www.chris-floyd.com/war/

http://www.chris-floyd.com/war/