Because our current unit is on short stories, we took a look at the short story, "Cathedrals." One thing, as Mr. Allen mentioned, is that unlike a lot of the novels, there are different elements that play more important roles in a short story in contrast to an actual novel. One of those elements is details! The power of details in most novels is quite often overlooked, and because there are so many other powerful and bigger elements at play, that's acceptable, but for an author of a short story, details are his or her most powerful color. Neglecting the details will result in missing out on the deeper meaning along with losing the true goal of the author.
In "Cathedrals," the author uses details to portray mood, tone, characteristics of characters, and emotions. Without the details the short story would become nothing, but pointless words. I think it's incredible to be able to see how adding a detail like, "She was still wearing that smile," can give insight on the narrator's feelings and their relationship (Carver 214). Without even mentioning their relationship, the readers can already learn who they are and what kind of couple they are.This makes me think about the ultimate power in the words and how well placed details can do much of the talking for you.
I think through this short story and the realization of the importance of details, they have completely changed my methods of reading and writing. For me, with such a limited time schedule, when we have reading assignments, I tend to (at times) look over or skim over the details. However, seeing the depth of meaning a piece of writing can reach through well placed details, I'm beginning to see the importance of small words. This paying attention to details crosses over in all the fields, academic, artistic, as much as the big picture matters, in places like Math, details are also extremely important. I can see myself using details and paying more attention to them in all my classes, all my assignments, reading, and writing. I want to be able to wield the power of the details.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Inconvenient Truth: Paying Separate Fees for Emergency Services
A house burned down in Tennessee and the firefighters came, but instead of taking out their hoses to stop the overwhelming flames, they watched the blaze as it engulfed the house.
Ray Bradbury must have been picturing a scene like this in Fahrenheit 451. But this isn’t fiction, it’s real and this is America. A house with life, with four household animals, burned to the ground. Impossible, was my reaction. I thought that living in the land of the free meant that it came with some privileges or some rights that would make me safe.
The house had burned because the owners had not paid $75 for such emergency services. Having forgotten the fee, they were forgotten by the firefighters. Even though the owners had offered any sum of money in exchange for the service of dousing the blaze, the firefighters refused. They stood there and watched. The family learned that day that the country does not allow room for mistakes.
Growing up, whenever I heard the loud sirens outside, I would always sigh a sigh of relief, because I knew, without knowing it, that another life or another family was saved. That was one of the best things about being an American, I thought. The idea that 911 is always there for you, no matter what, they’re there to save lives. Isn’t that what it all comes down to? As special as 911 is and as exclusive as it is, it is also a meaning of hope as well as optimism. The powerful words, “Thank you, you saved my life” are words that can’t be transformed into dollars or euros or yens. The emergency services are icons of hope in times of great desperation. Even as a young girl, reading picture books and looking outside the window, the ambulance and its colorful siren was a sign of help. The siren was a song singing, “Don’t worry, I’m here to help.” That very siren that never dies has always been a distinct part of our lives whether we realize it or not. We live our daily lives knowing that help is only a phone call away. In turn we not only live more hopeful lives, but optimistic and productive. After all, we are optimistic in the sight of danger or threats. We are also far more confident about our country because we know that we have services that assure our citizens’ safety.
Another implication could be (as gruesome as it may sound), violent criminals getting a hold of a list of the homes that did not pay and burning them all, and nobody would be able to do a thing about it. Are we ready to let this happen?
Understandably, due to the current state of the economy more politicians are pushing for this option of turning people into customers. Breathing on the people of the United States to pay separately for the insurance of their safety and their lives. Maybe it’s the most logical option for us to surrender to this idea, but a philosopher once said that our decisions are not results of our reason, but of our emotions. Have you ever given money to charity out of reason? Frankly, isn’t it unreasonable to give money away? So, maybe we ought to look into our emotions and really figure out what is our priority and what we are willing to lose. Because, that little girl who is looking through the window for the red truck to appear is slowly moving away from the window.
Payments for emergency should not be an option. We need to speak up and make sure that it stays implanted within our taxes or not at all.
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