How do we choose to respond to events that are beyond our control?
The Paper Menagerie By Ken Liu (WAIT to do this until after we read it in class).
This story answers the unit question different because it shows all examples of how the people were on the bottom of the situation. They didn't have any pull that could impact their circumstance. They couldn't do anything about what was happening to them, not because they understand but rather they didn't have the power. In addition it shows how everyone responds to events they can't control differently. Emotions from anger to loneliness are all expressed as it's hard to sort out our feelings entirely.
"Mark punched me, hard. 'This was very expensive! You can't even find it in the stores now. It probably cost more than what your Dad paid for your Mom!"
The use of exclamation points and the phrase "punched me hard" are both examples of the frustration and anger that Mark felt as a result of Jack breaking his toy. Instead of just reprimanding him he even brought in Jack's mom into the situation.
This gave me insight on the unit question because it shows how to begin with Jack didn't even fully understand the situation of how his mom and dad met and were together. That mean that Mark using that against him was sorta a slap in the face but he couldn't do anything about because he himself didn't even understand. This meant that because he couldn't control this situation all Jack could do is watch Mark get upset but he couldn't necessarily do anything about it. Mark was able to twist information and use it to make him seem to have the higher ground in power even though he was hurting. Therefore Jack couldn't see his weakness and he would have all the power in the situation.
"Son, I know that you do not like your Chinese eyes, which are my eyes. I know that you do not like your Chinese hair, which is my hair. But can you understand how much joy your every existence brought to me? And can you understand how it felt when you stopped talking to me and won't let me talk to you in Chinese? I felt I was losing everything all over again."
Phrases like "losing everything" and "stopped talking to me" were all examples of how the Mom was in so much pain of how her son didn't want anything to do with her. She was ashamed that he was ashamed of her. But that didn't really matter as all she wanted was for her boy to love and care for her as she did to him.
The feeling of loneliness connects to the unit question because it shows that when we don't understand situations it can hurt because we know that no matter what we do there's nothing we can do to make an impact. The mom expressed her events that were out of control with unconditional love. As she was lonely as Jack was practically her whole world it was hard for her to express herself. She never stopped persisting and continued to be the more knowledgeable and experienced character the whole story as she saw things from a perspective that Jack couldn't even if he tried with all his might.
Based on the different texts that we have read, they have all changed my views on the unit question How do we choose to respond to events that are beyond our control? For example I don't think I realized how many different reactions people have towards things are out of our control. From emotions like anger to loneliness these are just so few of the infinite ways people deal with situation.
School
This text helped me see the unit question in a different way because it showed how sometimes when we're in situations where we don't feel as if we have any impact we try to take hold of it. Almost as if we could give ourselves power we could actually gain it in reality.
"But that first day, meandering home, I dropped it."
It relates to the unit question because it shows how the child is trying to take hold of their own power. Instead of listening to higher authority they seem to need some grip on their own life.
Edmund Burke's Theory on the Sublime. To refresh your memory look at the notes on Edmund Burke and what you jotted today.
Edmund Burke thought that people liked feeling unimportant. When they saw problems bigger than their own they saw themselves as sort of irrelevant.
This relates to the unit question because it shows when events or problems are so big we seem to think that we have no control over them. Therefore either ignore it or try to do something about it. However our efforts won't always be a big help.
I understood this text differently then the other texts that we've read because this is an interesting theory. I personally don't exactly agree with it but it can be true to a certain extent. It's interesting how helpless we feel in times of need. It's important because it shows what big of a world we live in and all the things that go on in it. It's sometimes even hard to comprehend. But it's important to feel important in a world with so many people in it. However not too important to a point where we are so self absorbed. There's a balance that's needed.
A Children's Story By James Clavell
This story helped me think of a different answer for the unit question because it shows how sometimes we blindly follow authority, especially when we look up to it. Sometimes we don't even realize how much things are out of our reach since we feel connected to it. However sometimes even sources of power can get so out of hand that we can't control it. This helps me because it shows how sometimes we get in over our heads in things that we look up to. But that can be dangerous because some people can take advantage of it.
"'If you fear too much, you'll be dead even though you're alive.'"
This quote which has words like "fear", "dead", and "alive" all showed how Johnny was trying his best not to be scared because he was taught that he could accomplish more when he wasn't.
These feelings gave me insight on the unit question because it showed how the old teacher was scared when she couldn't control her situation of being kicked out of being a teacher. However this made her children scared as well as she was a figure of authority and they followed her example. This is important because it shows how easily when things aren't in our power how insecure we could get. Especially when we represent an authority of power we can pass down that emotion.
"'So you know that it doesn't matter whom you ask, whom you shut your eyes and 'pray' to -- to God or anyone, even Our Leader -no one will give you anything. Only another human being.'"
Words like "only" or "anyone" are both examples of how the New Teacher was sort of forcing upon her authority. The children don't really have a choice but to listen since they see the teacher in a very positive light.
This gave me insight into the unit question because it shows how the New Teacher was manipulative towards the children since they would pretty much believe anything she said. It shows how authority was not something that the children could control. They were sorta blinded by the teachers power so they automatically listened to every word she says.
"A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" by Marquez
This story helped me answer the unit question different then other stories because it showed how authority isn't always how we picture it. We can't always trust sources of power to benefit us for the better. In addition I learned how in situations we need to have some authority in the situation because without it we feel helpless with no control.
"Besides, the few miracles attributed to the angel showed a certain mental disorder, like a blind man who didn't recover his sight but grew three new teeth, or the paralytic who didn't get to walk but almost won the lottery, and the leper whose sores sprouted sunflowers. Those consolation miracles, which were more like mocking fun, had already ruined the angel's reputation when the woman who had been changed into a spider finally crushed him completely."
Phrases like "mocking fun" "ruined the angel's reputation" and more show how people were getting upset and annoyed that the angel wasn't living up to this set "reputation". Now they couldn't get what they wanted and the blame went the the angel.
Some of the phrases here showed how the people were very disappointed. They wanted to trust in the authority however it wasn't a reliable source. When someone needed help they were granted something else beneficial however not in the way they wished. That left them in a jumble since this "power source" wasn't something they could trust which makes them question it. This is important because
"Pelayo watched over him all afternoon from the kitchen, armed with his bailiff's club, and before going to bed he dragged him out of the mud and locked him up with the hens in the wire chicken coop."
Phrases like "armed with his bailiff's club" and "locked him up" are all examples of how Pelayo was scared of the angel since he had no authority over him. However once he put him in the chicken coop he that power transferred since the angel was now the person trapped without any capability.
These phrases show how Pelayo fear was getting the best of him. Especially since his neighbor said that the angel was probably here for his newborn that means that the life of his baby was at stake. To try to gain some authority in the situation he thought that locking the angel up in the chicken coop would would put him back in power.
