Journals

Jacob Hickey

English 110-H4

Professor Miller

Playing the Naysayer in Your Text

• This chapter “urges” the writer “to tell readers what others might say against you” (Graff and Birkenstein). It gives examples on how to incorporate counterclaims into your writing. The authors make sure to tell the writers to make sure it is in depth saying that you should, “stay with them for several sentences or even paragraphs” (Graff and Birkenstein). Going in depth with this will show readers you are confident in your own ideas and are not afraid to go against your idea if it means it will help you idea in the long run.
• The authors also make sure to let the writer know to not “bully” your readers by not making a counterclaim, by quickly “brushing” over one, or by poking fun at certain topics. It states in this chapter that often time, “the more you give voice to your critics’ objections, the more you tend to disarm those critics, especially if you go on to answer their objections in convincing ways” (Graff and Birkenstein). Giving a voice to you objector can often times, help your own argument by making you seem to care about your topic.
• Another topic that is covered in this chapter is the fact that your own counterclaim might be more persuasive that your own claim. If this is the case you might have to go back and rework your original claim or part of your essay to make it even more persuasive. The writers tell the readers, “to avoid having this kind of unintentional reverse effect on readers, you need to do your best to make sure that any counterarguments you address are not more convincing than your own claims. It is good to address objections in your writing, but only if you are able to overcome them” (Graff and Birkenstein). It is important to give evidence to support your own claim while not making your counterclaim overly persuasive.

Jacob Hickey

English 110-H4

Professor Miller

Animals Like Us Journal

In today’s culture being a vegetarian is common, it is a fad or trend, if you will. Health and providing nutritious food for one’s body is increasing with outlets such as television commercials, magazines, and online stores taking aim to provide people with “healthy alternatives”. People are having trouble deciding between taking this route of living a healthier life, versus satisfying the wants of fast food and common meals such as Mcdonald’s cheeseburgers, Wendy’s fried chicken, and eating a Stadium hotdog. Then comes into context the morality of eating other animals. Many in today’s society are increasingly having trouble consuming many common creatures such as cows, pigs, duck, and chicken. However, that yummy, juicy, medium-well hamburger still calls everyone’s name now and then because of our culture. We live in a fast food and junk food world where we are constantly bombarded by signs and advertisements of McDonald’s and Burger King. Some people are better blocking out this noise than others and some are having trouble deciding whether to go the ethical, not eating meat or animals route, versus eating that juicy burger or piece of meat.

Humans are often egocentric beings. People are groomed and cultured to feel as though they are better than other animals we share this earth with. Many individuals can learn about themselves by meeting animals and being with them. I personally know many people that are with animals a lot who find it horrific that people eat them and thus go the vegetarian route because they can not fathom eating and killing these animals. In their opinion, they view people as no different from other animals, we all share oxygen and the great things earth has to offer. The only difference, in my opinion is that we have higher mental functions and abilities than other animals. Other than that, I feel we are all the same. However, a majority of people in the world, especially this culture, view themselves as better than animals and they justify this by eating them, including myself. Wallace provides examples of this when he describes people eating lobster, “A detail so obvious that most recipes don’t even bother to mention it is that each lobster is supposed to be alive when you put it in the kettle” (502). Personally, I am a sucker, now and then, for a great steak, chicken breast, or lobster as Judith Black was as described by Herzog, “Within a week, she was chowing down on cheeseburgers” (Herzog). People are omnivores who are built to eat meat which is why we have such a tough time staying away from it.

Hal Herzog in his passage, “Animals Like Us”, shares the experiences of being a vegetarian and what it is like in the view of Judith Black, who is the person being highlighted in this passage. Black viewed herself as a vegetarian even though she still consumed fish. Her husband, Joseph, tried to convince her, “there is not a shred of moral difference between eating a Cornish hen and eating a Chilean sea bass” (Herzog). This is interesting to note because David Foster Wallace in his own essay, “Consider the Lobster”, described the horrific and gruesome way in which lobsters are cooked such as this example, “the immersed lobster suffers from slow suffocation, although usually not decisive enough suffocation to keep it from still thrashing”, this sentence alone would make many readers think twice before they ate another lobster (507). In both writings, they consider sea life to be the same as other animals. In my opinion, they are viewed differently by many people because many lack arms, hands, legs, and feet, which are what many psychologically consider to be animals, like us. In the case of Judith, fish did not feel like animals as Herzog writes, “ While it is obvious that dogs and cats and cows and pigs are animals, it was equally clear to Judith that fish were not” (Herzog). This differs immensely from Wallace’s essay in which he makes the reader feel at times as if you are putting one of your loved one’s in a pot of boiling water, making the reader feel incredibly guilty for ever cooking or eating any type of animal as he describes, “lobsters boiled incrementally often display a whole bonus set of gruesome, convulsion-like reactions that you don’t see in regular boiling” (507). I know people who do it this way and learning how much lobsters suffer from Wallace would make me never want to cook lobster in this way.

Jacob Hickey

English 110-H4

Professor Miller

Living/Dead-Journal

Caitlin’s philosophy is honesty

She doesn’t think there is anything wrong with discussion

You can’t take in the full existential despair in order to do the job

Embalming is what the funeral service industry was founded on

She is a mortician who says you don’t necessarily need a mortician

As a funeral director, you are constantly dealing with sorrow because families need to release their anger that results from losing someone.

She says death in a normal state can be beautiful

1. How would you feel being directly involved in the death process of a family member? Would you be able to push the button to send your loved ones “off to their final disposition” as Doughty says.

As a very emotional person, I feel that in a situation where I could “push the button” to send one of my loved ones to their “final disposition” as Doughty writes, would be unthinkable. I have had a hard enough time with college, but losing a loved one would be too tough mentally for me. In pondering this situation for the past couple of days after listening to Caitlin Doughty, I would pay my respects to my family or friend before this situation took place. I would want the lasting image in my head to be one where I was talking to them as if they were still there, not one where I was sending them to be incinerated by flame.

1. Why does Caitlin Doughty feel like it is so important to humanize the industrial crematorium?

The industrial crematorium, as of now, definitely has a spooky, eerie feel to it. It is something not often spoken or thought about because the thought of death makes people feel uncomfortable and sad. Death is one part of life that can leave us feeling alone or abandoned and therefore is often left off discussions about life. However, in Caitlin Doughty’s view, death and the industry of cremation are things to be celebrated. She states in her interview on Fresh Air that people should be cremated with, “Candles, flowers, and Wagner playing in the background” (Doughty). This is the last hoorah, if you will, of their lives and it should be something that is honored, not denounced.

1. Having gone behind the curtains of embalming, cremation, and fast-food production, has your opinion changed regarding these commonly accepted practices? Reflect on the Pollan, Mitford, and Doughty interview and isolate a passage from each text that did not surprise you and one that did. Help us understand why for all 6 references.

Coming from Maine and having my grandfather live in a small lobstering village in Downeast Maine, I have had plenty of experiences with Lobster Festivals over the course of my life, so little of what Wallace wrote in his essay surprised me. Participating in these fun celebrations with my family, I can relate to this quote by Wallace when he writes, “The Maine Lobster Festival’s democratization of lobster comes with all the massed inconvenience and aesthetic compromise of real democracy. For example, the aforementioned Main Eating Tent, for which there is a constant Disneyland-grade queue, and which turns out to be a square quarter mile of awning shaded cafeteria lines and rows of long institutional tables at which friend and stranger alike sit cheek by jowl, cracking and chewing and dribbling. It’s hot, and the sagged roof traps the steam and the smell…” (Wallace 500). It can feel overwhelming at times, especially when there are tired and hungry children crying, lots of tourists crowding about and the steam and smoke from the lobster cookers make the air hot and smelly. Despite the star of the menu, this hardly offers a true taste of Maine! Another quote that I did not find surprising was when Jessica Mitford is describing the amount of action that goes into embalming a body. She lists,  “… In short order sprayed, sliced, pierced, pickled, trussed, trimmed, creamed, waxed, painted, rouged, and neatly dressed-transformed from a common corpse into a Beautiful Memory Picture” (Mitford 43). Previously, before reading this essay, I had a general idea of the amount of work that went into embalming a body, however some of the words used here were new to me. Lastly, a quote I was not surprised with was from Michael Pollan’s, “The Meal”when he describes what can happen, in terms of a negative impact on health, when too much fast food is eaten. He writes, “In the long run, however, the eater pays a high price for these cheap calories: obesity, Type II diabetes, heart disease” (Pollan 117).

However, there were topics in these three essays that did surprise me. In Wallace’s, “Consider the Lobster”, he describes what lobsters go through when being cooked, providing imagery on this topic writing, “Even if you cover the kettle and turn away you can usually hear the cover rattling and clanking as the lobster tries to push it off” (Wallace 506). This is very sad, and having never actually cooked a lobster, I questioned whether I would ever want to eat lobster again. In Mitford’s essay, she informs the reader of the legal considerations that occur after death and with the whole embalming process describing, “Unless the family specifies otherwise, the act of entrusting the body to the care of a funeral establishment carries with it an implied permission to go ahead and embalm” (Mitford 44). I feel that the family should be more informed of their choices and am surprised it has not been called into question more by various groups. In Pollan’s essay, he advises the reader on the harmful substances in fast food. He states, “McNuggets also contain several completely synthetic ingredients, quasi-edible substances that ultimately come not from a corn or soybean field but from a petroleum refinery or chemical plant” (Pollan 113). I found this very surprising as I did not know that fast food, which is eaten everyday by millions of people, contains substances from a petroleum refinery.

Jacob Hickey

English 110-H4

Professor Miller

Reconsider the Lobster

In the essay, “Consider the Lobster”, by David Foster Wallace which I read two months ago and am now revisiting, I found I have the same opinion on a majority of the topics covered. I reread my journal entry from that time as well and found to have many of the same questions as I did then. The major question I still have for Wallace is, “Isn’t a lion preying on a small zebra or other animal the same as us eating lobster or any other meat? Isn’t this the way we survive, as humans are omnivorous creatures?” I still remain confused on this subject, as I feel that the food chain is part of the circle of life and lobsters are part of the food chain that allow us to survive as humans.

However, in contemplating food and its impact on people for over two months now in class, I have discovered that the primary reason we eat any food, including lobster, is not necessarily for the lobster itself, it is for the shared experience with people. In my experience, lobster is typically a dish served in the summer at family gatherings and celebrations. This is ironic since we are celebrating together at the expense of the lobster. In rereading this essay again, I am still horrified, in certain ways, with the amount of suffering lobsters go through during the cooking process. In some areas, it is almost hard to read, as it was two months ago. The gory details of the lobster attempting to free itself by banging on the lid make you never want to eat another lobster again.

This essay is very similar to two essays, Jessica Mitford’s, “The Story of Service” and Michael Pollan’s, “The Meal”, we have read since this one. Just as Wallace sheds light on a topic rarely discussed, so too, does Jessica Mitford in “The Story of Service”. Both stories enlighten the reader about a topic often overlooked. The information I learned in “Consider the Lobster” was very illuminating and next summer I will make sure to think twice about ordering a lobster on the menu.

Jacob Hickey

English 110-H4

Professor Miller

Mapping Thoughts – Jessica Mitford

What are the questions/conceptual interests/inquiries present in Mitford’s essay?

In Mitford’s essay, “The Story of Service”, she questions whether the funeral and embalming industries are ones that should be trusted by the public. She provides examples of a number of areas within the embalming process of which the industry does not want people to know. She expresses her own personal displeasure of the industry, revealing that the people associated with the business have a certain arrogance. She points out that the public is paying too much for services they are not necessarily receiving. She gives examples of this, highlighting that the funeral service, “lasts no more than twenty-five minutes” (Mitford 42). According to Mitford, the public is being taken advantage of by the industry, citing that these business owners who “only care about money” are “chucking” everything “under the heading of ‘service’” (42). Ultimately, Mitford wants the public to understand this and make sure they are paying appropriate pricing for their loved one’s funeral services. It is interesting to note that this industry is one dealing with people at some of their most vulnerable times; after they lose someone dear to them. It is human nature to want to give our loved ones the best we can, even in death, though cost must be a consideration, as well. This is a tricky and often difficult situation because how can a funeral professional be considerate while trying to make money off of people’s heartache and loss? Mitford is so adamantly against the funeral industry that she exclaims, “I decided that I could never face another American funeral-even dead” (50). Ultimately, it is in the hands of the people  to decide whether or not they shall conduct business with the funeral industry. However, if one decides that they shall, Mitford cautions against overpaying for things and trusting the business. While it is interesting to have light shed on something not often given much thought or discussion, it is likely the funeral industry will continue to be a lucrative one due to current societal and cultural norms and customs.

Below, list claims/positions/arguments Mitford makes in her essay. Provide a quote/page number where the claim is stated. Then decide whether you, A=agree, D=disagree, C=it’s complicated, and explain why.

Mitford Claim: The embalming and funeral industry takes advantage of people by overpricing their services and hours of work. Mitford describes this saying, “In general, the funeral salesman is inclined to chuck in everything he does under the heading of ‘service’” (Mitford 42).

A/D/C

I would agree with Mitford on this claim. In reading her points about the industry’s taking advantage of people, it does seem as though these business people, in wanting more money can easily lie about their hours because no one will really know how many hours they actually worked. However, it does seem rather inflated to say they worked “two forty-hour weeks to complete a funeral service” (Mitford 42).

Mitford Claim: The purpose of embalming is to make the corpse presentable. Mitford highlights that the main reason for embalming is the make the corps look “undead” if you will. She writes, “the purpose of embalming is to make the corpse presentable for viewing in a suitably costly container” (43).

A/D/C

I would agree with Mitford, partially. In my opinion, I feel as though the purpose of embalming is to not just make the corpse presentable. It is also something that has been in our culture for hundreds of years. We, as a culture, do this without giving it as much thought as another culture who may not do this. People embalm not only to make the corpse seem “undead”, but also because our ancestors did this to preserve the body, and we are all subject to routine and passing down things we have done for generations.

Mitford Claim: Towards the end of the essay Mitford loudly gives her opinion on funeral services exclaiming, “Then and there I decided that I could never face another American funeral-even dead” (50). She is clearly upset by everything she has learned about the industry and the way, she feels, they take advantage of vulnerable people.

A/D/C

I would disagree with Mitford in this claim. In the years ahead, I will unfortunately have to go to funeral services. It is part of life. However, I will continue to honor people in their death, instead of protesting against the funeral service industry by not going. In my opinion, it would be disrespectful to not go to someone’s service.

Mitford Claim: Mitford claims that if the public actually knew what went on during the embalming process, people would not want to pay for this and then the funeral services business would hurt, in terms of money. Mitford writes, “A close look at what actually does take place may explain in large measure the undertaker’s intractable reticence concerning a procedure that has become his major raison d’etre” (45). She continues to show that this industry hides most of the information to protect their work and money.

A/D/C

I would agree with Mitford in this claim. The funeral industry obviously wants to keep the details of the embalming process out of the minds of the public so they can continue to overcharge for services. If people knew the actual steps to the embalming process and preparing the body for a funeral, they would realize they’re being overcharged.

Jacob Hickey

English 110-H4

Professor Miller

In Jessica Mitford’s “The Story of Service”, she angrily argues as well as questions why the funeral service industry would take advantage of people by misleading grieving families to pay for embalming their loved ones. She loudly exclaims in the beginning of the essay, “spokesmen for the funeral industry tend to become so carried away by their own enthusiasm, so positively lyrical and copious in their declarations” (Mitford 41). She states that this industry is not “clear cut” and that the funeral service directors often dramatize the number of hours it takes to produce an eloquent funeral. This can lead one to question whether funeral directors really care about their clients or rather making money. She states, “Our informant has lumped a lot of things together here. To start with ‘the most important of all, the service of your clergyman’: the average religious funeral service lasts no more than twenty-five minutes” (Mitford 42). She finds it interesting how “long” they have to work, or as they say, to produce such a short service. She feels they are lying and getting paid for hours they do not deserve. In this passage, she goes on to say that “the funeral salesman is inclined to chuck in everything he does under the heading of ‘service’” (Mitford 42). She is questioning here if it is truly service or taking advantage of people who are vulnerable due to grief. She uses the word “chuck” to highlight how loose she feels the funeral service industry is with their money and costs. Later on, Mitford questions the embalming method and if what takes place is truthfully explained to the customer. She writes, “A close look at what actually takes place may explain in large measure the undertaker’s intractable reticence concerning a procedure that has become his major raison d’etre” (Mitford 45). She again shows her feelings that this industry cares more about the money and notoriety than caring for the patients. She questions, “Is it possible he fears that public information about embalming might lead patrons to wonder if they really want this service”? In providing insight into this industry, it does raise questions as to how honest these people are with families of the deceased. Mitford calls into question multiple topics that are legitimate and should be asked of these companies.

Jacob Hickey

English 110-H4

Professor Miller

“The Art of Summarizing” Response

In this chapter of “They Say/I Say”, the authors highlight summarizing in writing using clear examples and sentences to provide the reader with the materials needed to understand how summarizing works. At the beginning of the chapter the authors highlight relatable material on why many students fail to summarize properly explaining, “perhaps because they don’t want to take the trouble to go back to the text in question” or “because they fear that devoting too much time to other people’s ideas will take away from their own”. These statements are relatable for many people, including me as I have certainly had these fears before, nervous that I will adequately use the text correctly while not completely straying from my own ideas. The authors do admit this can be a fine line to walk because, as they add, “it means facing two ways at once”. You, as the writer must carefully craft a piece that does not stray completely away from your thoughts and arguments, but just enough so you are able to give the author’s points.

I found other points made to be extremely helpful as they write, “to write a really good summary, you must be able to suspend your own beliefs for a time and put yourself in the shoes of someone else.” I love how they word this because it is relatable to students at or around our age as they tell us, the students, that we need to think about what “they say”, which will truly provide the opposing view to make your essay well rounded. However, the authors advise the writer that although explaining what another says is important, it is critical to not stray completely from your own argument and thoughts. They provide insight into this complexing writing stating, “it also requires that your own response exert a quiet influence.”

Lastly, the authors describe how to summarize satirically to which they illustrate this as, “a writer deliberately gives his or her own spin to someone else’s argument in order to reveal a glaring shortcoming in it.” This way of summarizing is amusing, entertaining, and relevant in today’s culture with all of the various political and social differences facing the country. In using this form or any model of summarizing, the authors suggest using colorful verbs, instead of old and commonly used verbs, that will make your writing stand out. In summary, I found this chapter to be very helpful, and will use it in my writing, in any way I can in the future.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B_bnLVJSXikPTWl0RjJxTW01eU0

Jacob Hickey

English 110-H4

Professor Miller

Peer Review Questions

I learned from both of my peer reviewers that my overall essay was very descriptive and interesting. They shared with me that my essay was knowledgeable and informative about what and why my favorite food is turkey soup. I found it helpful when we shared where I possibly needed more imagery or description and how to make my thesis statement stronger in order for my essay to be more clear and concise.

In my opinion, I felt I adequately shared and pointed out to each of my peers where they had strong points and areas where they could improve their essays. I told each of them specific points where they could use more descriptive language in certain areas to spice up their essays. I learned in my high school years that adding imagery and description is very important in allowing the reader to join you in the writing experience you are describing.

One thing that was not mentioned very much in the actual feedback was on the topic of MLA format. I think this topic is unclear to some. I ended up using the guides Professor Miller gave us on our handouts and was able to see if I correctly organized my MLA format with headers with our last name and page number in the upper right-hand corner.

One topic I do wish that we talked more about is the thesis statements of each other’s essays. In my opinion, it would have been beneficial to state how clear and concise each other’s was. In some ways, I think there are still some people who are confused about this statement and avoid talking about it in order to not feel embarrassed or seem confused around their classmates. Overall, I loved this project and felt the topic was fun and interesting!

Jacob Hickey

English 110-H4

Professor Miller

Raymond Carver’s “A Small, Good Thing” Response

In Raymond Carver’s tragic short story, “A Small, Good Thing”, he teaches the reader that food is a tremendous connector for people, as well as comfort in times of need because of the warmth and satisfaction it provides for the human body and soul. By using words such as “warm” and “sweet”, he is able to impart imagery, detail, and color in the minds of the reader to show them how food can make people feel in painfully unimaginable circumstances.

The baker and two parents have a certain feeling of hopelessness and lack of control. The parents, Ann and Howard, do not understand how to cope with this sudden death as shown when Howard drives home from the hospital and thinks about the “forces he knew existed and that could cripple or bring down a man if the luck went bad” (Carver). The baker responds to the parents after learning of their child’s death, “‘You got to understand what it comes down to is I don’t know how to act anymore, it would seem’” and “sense of doubt” that had overcome him in recent years (Carver). The food the baker produces for the two parents at the end of the short story brings a certain amount of control to their lives again. They are able to control the amount of food they eat and what types of rolls they consume. The food made all three of the people connect and listen as the writer describes, “Then he began to talk. They listened carefully. Although they were tired and in anguish, they listened to what the baker had to say” (Carver). Carver teaches the reader that in times of hardship, having companionship and friendship from others is vital in overcoming tragedy.

Another point made by Carver is that everyone should think before they act because you never know what others are going through. During the child’s hospitalization, the baker continually called the hurting parents, even at midnight, and made Anne, the mother, incredibly angry saying, “‘I wanted you dead’” (Carver). Carver teaches a terrific lesson all people should live by, inferring through the characters that everyone should think of the other side, what are “they” going through.

Food provides a connection for everyone in different circumstances. It provides warmth, comfort, and friendship. It is an opportunity to show others you care. It offers relief in times of great tragedy as shown in this short story. Because it’s something everyone does, we all have stories that involve eating or sharing food.