Journal 4

Have you ever smelled homemade bread baking in the oven?  That warm, loving smell wrapped around me like my mother’s arms.  As I sat at the dining room table, a massive ceramic pot was placed at the center of the table, as if it were piece of artwork.  My sister removed  the lid and out came steam that danced around like a ribbon.  I rose out of my chair and grabbed the serving utensils before anyone had a chance to even think about serving themselves.  I leaned over the table and saw a surprising medley of grey clams, tiny shrimp, and colorful chopped vegetable all submerged in a red, broth-like liquid.  I went at the food like I have never eaten before, scooping deeply to serendipitously find that al dente angel hair pasta was hiding at the bottom like earth worms in soil.  I plated myself and asked for the Romano cheese.  I sprinkled carefully and plentifully, making sure the whole surfaced was covered in white.  I forked around before I took my first bite, trying to find the perfect place to start.  The clams clinked and clunked, egging me on to eat them.  I stabbed into the mound of pasta and twirled until my fork was heavy.  As I raised my fork to my mouth, the smell of tomato and pasta warmed my soul.  I opened my mouth wide so I could get as much of the food in my mouth as possible.  I chewed and chewed with my cheeks protruding; all the meanwhile, I paid attention to the soft crunching sound of the shrimp.  I picked up the grey clam and felt its warmth conduct from the shell to my hand.  I stabbed at the muddy brown flesh nested in the center of the clam, and then yanked my fork to pull the meat away from its stem.  I realized as I attempted to swallow the meat of the clam that is was very chewy; it felt as if I swallowed a wad of gum, sea flavored.  I finished my plate and thanked my mother for such a tasty dinner.

Journal 3

1.  Cite three specific examples of Hodgman’s descriptive imagery that you find to be particularly effective. 

Hodgman uses descriptive imagery to communicate to the reader how gross and nearly inedible the dog food was.  Hodgman admits that when she was younger she thought Gaines-burgers were a luxury for her dog to eat when she says, “Gaines-burgers are neither mush nor nuggets.  They are rather, a miracle of beauty and packaging...”  Then, she continues with describing how terrible the dog food looked and tasted.  Hodgman often uses humor as a tool to describe the dog food as well; specifically, she says, “You could make one at home if you had a Play-Doh Fun Factory.”  Hodgman also bluntly describes the horrorible and misleading food that she saw after she opened the packaging.  In a honest and comical way, she describes the chicken saying, “Chunky chicken? There were chunks in the can, certainly—big, purplish-brown chunks.

2.  What do you think Hodgman’s purpose was in writing this essay?  What overall message/meaning do you take from the essay?

           

I think Hodgman’s purpose for writing the essay was to deliver the truth about dog food, in case someone similar to her ever wondered what it was really like.  For example, in the beginning of the essay, she admits that she has “always wondered about dog food.”  Also, Hodgman uses the essay to uncover dishonesty of advertising.  The message I take from the essay is as a consumer, you should beware of advertisement dishonesty.

Journal 2

1. How are the moths in the essay’s opening different from the moth at the campsite?  What do the different moths represent? 

The moths in the opening were just dried up corpses that had been eaten by a spider in the corner of the bathroom floor.  Unlike the moths in the opening, the moths at the campsite had been singed by fire.  The moths that have been singed by the fire are thought to have been doing something with their lives.  The different moths show different lives lived.

2. What lesson does the moth provide that Dillard takes back to her students? 

Dillard offers her students a lesson about going at life with all you have and taking chances.  The moths show her that she could take chances and make her own life interesting.

                                                                                         

3.  How many references are there to fire in the essay?  What’s the larger significance of fire in the essay? 

There at least three references to fire in the essay.  I think the fire symbolizes an element of danger in one’s life, or a life-or-death risk that someone takes.

4. Address how each of the following quotes connect to Dillard’s overall point.  

a.      “I would rather be ashes than dust!
          I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot.
          I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in        magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet.
          The function of man is to live, not to exist.
          I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them.
          I shall use my time.”

                    -Jack London

Jack London’s quote is similar to the message Dillard is trying to send in that both writers want to live an interesting life and die knowing they have taken a chance and been extraordinary.

b. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.”

          -William Butler Yeats

Dillard refers to fire many times during the course of her essay.  Dillard tries to teach her students the lesson that she has learned.   The “lighting of a fire” in Dillard’s case is the sudden understanding of life.

c. “A book should serve as the ax for the frozen sea within us.”  

          -Franz Kafka

Reading a book provides a reader with new knowledge and understanding: possibly, a new way of thinking.  It almost seems as if a book brings alive this sense within a reader, similar to how Kafka says there is a frozen sea within us.  It is also similar to how Dillard says you must go at life with a broadax.  I think it means you must look at life with a new understanding.

Journal 1

Sick of Goodbyes

I heard the alarm go off at the usual time of six o’clock. I grudgingly peeled the old, white sheets away from my body. Mornings are always hard for me.  I feel as if I am constantly reminded of my emptiness. My apartment is empty, my wallet is empty, and worst of all my heart was empty.

It was only a few months ago when everything left me. And everything, specifically he, never came back. I looked for him everywhere. I looked around corners and down allies. I watched people get out of taxis. I watched people watching me.  He was never one of those people. I never found him. I got out of the shower and rubbed away the fog covering the mirror. It reminded me of when we would get ready in the mornings together. I would rub off the fog the same way and discover his beautiful face smiling back at me in the mirror. I would give anything to see his face in the mirror now.

I grabbed my winter coat and cracked open the heavy, wooden door of my apartment building. The brisk air sent a chilling sensation down my spine. I carefully climbed down the steps in my new, favorite shoes. They were gorgeous, grey suede heels that made me feel amazing. Like no one would ever want to leave me. I got to the bottom of the steps, and then I thought of the last time I saw him. I was wearing my ugly, worn down boots. Maybe if I was wearing my heels, he wouldn’t have wanted to leave. I hugged him as tight as I could, hoping that he would never be able to pull away from my grasp. He wiped the tears from my cheeks, and turned around and got in the cab. After I thought about this, I ran back into the building and struggled up the many stairs in my heels. I took a can of red paint out of the closet. I smashed the mirror that reflected so many of our memories. I took the paint and let out my emotions. I stepped back and the mirror read SICK OF GOODBYES. I sank to my knees and began to weep, something I had never allowed myself to do. All of the sudden I realized I knew he was never coming back. The emptiness inside me was full. I had to move on.