JOURNAL 9

Aging is a biological event that occurs as one grows. I agree that using cosmetic products and anti-aging therapy will not stop one from aging. People think they just by temporarily covering up their flaws from aging with makeup will allow them to stop aging but they are wrong. The flaws of wrinkles or any other signs of aging skin will only be covered temporarily, not forever. Also, just because the makeup product states that they will deter aging but it is not true. It seems that people are mentally comforted by these false claims and go out to purchase these products that do not actually work. People try so hard to fight the reality that aging is biological. Aging is a part of life that people do not understand or refuse to accept.  

I do not believe that science can prevent people from aging and I agree that it may even worsen the aging process. Using these newly invented products will damage one’s skin and cells in their body rather than help slow down the natural process of aging. These products may temporarily succeed in making one’s skin appear different but the reality is that the products are killing the body’s natural process. People are ment to age and grow as they become older, to attempt to stop this process is a dangerous thing to do. I think people should make little changes like sleeping earlier or eating healthier and it will make a better difference than using artificial products on one’s skin.

JOURNAL 8

           The student poses an important issue in society. I never thought of human trafficking as slavery but after reading the paper, it makes sense to define them as one terrible existence. I do not feel like there are too many laws out there to protect victims of slavery. The government should be strict about these crimes of slavery because it regards human life. A large number of people are being tricked everyday about how they would receive more opportunities if they left their families and go with the strangers who convince them of these “modelling jobs”. These people are naïve and they need the government to impose strict laws and actually care about the issue of human trafficking. People are being abused and violated of their natural rights because they are locked up and treated like sex slaves.

These criminals who are smuggling people here should be punished harshly so it could set as an example to other people who are thinking of committing the crime. I don’t agree that the girl who was saved, was arrested to prostitution because I see her as a victim. She did not give her consent to be raped by several men, she simply was lied to and led thinking that she was going to be a model. The people who committed the sexual acts with her should be the ones severly punished so that the world can know this is a serious crime. I agree with the student that there needs to be laws that are effective on preventing sex trafficking.

JOURNAL 7

Birthmark by Nathaniel Hawthorne shows how beauty is defined differently for every individual. Georgiana and others think positively of her birthmark and how it even seem “charming” to others. However, to Georgiana’s husband, the birthmark was a constant reminder of how she was imperfect. Clearly her husband had a different idea of beauty and perfection compared to the other people. It was unfortunate that he did not find his wife beautiful just because of the birthmark she carried. It was wrong of him to pressure her into removing the birthmark because it was a part of who she is. I think her birthmark makes her who she is and it has been a part of her since she was born. For her husband to not accept her, it makes him seem shallow. I feel like if he really loved her, he should be able to accept whatever flaws that she may possess.

I do not agree with the fact that Georgiana allowed her husband to easily persuade her that his version of beauty was superior to her definition of beauty. If she felt that the birthmark was not a problem then her husband should have accepted that instead of trying to change her. I understand that she was being a good wife and considering her lover’s view but since he wanted her to remove the birthmark, it seems as he did not actually love her for herself. People should be confident and believe in their own definitions of beauty and not allow others to easily pressure them to change their views.

JOURNAL 6

            Raw Materials by Jane Maher stirred up many different thoughts and emotions inside me. I found it extremely admirable that Maher was teaching these women that were locked up for different crimes. It was inspiring that even though these women had tough, stressful lives, they still had the passion for education. It shows how sometimes I may take education for granted because I would complain about having papers to write or tests to study for while Maher was trying her best to promote this education program in prison for the women. Also the women were taking advantage of the education services they had, and were eager to learn. It makes me feel like I need to take advantage of the educational opportunities I have now and utilize it for something greater in my future. Their passion and eagerness to learn is very admirable.

            Reading the situations that some women been through prior to being in jail shows how strong they are mentally. It shows how they can overcome these despicable memories by utilizing education as a way of distracting themselves and feeling free from their real dilemmas. It shows how they are able to overcome the worst scenarios and become better; people can overcome any obstacle as long as they are determined to. This piece of literature was very inspiring and admirable.

JOURNAL 5

            This McDonalds advertisement is on a billboard high up for everyone to see. The red background of the billboard grabs people’s attention because of its obvious color. The advertisement also has a large chicken sandwich which is dramatized in size to show its ingredients that are visible. The clearly shown ingredients in the sandwich is tomatoes, bacon, lettuce, and of course the most important one of all the chicken. The billboard also uses words that state “Please do not eat the billboard” along with “all white meat chicken at the bottom. In the bottom left of the billboard, it shows the McDonalds logo so it is clearly representing their fast food restaurant.

            The advertisement is showing how delicious and great their chicken sandwich is while utilizing imagery and words. The red color shows a bright background which is able to make the white words stand out and capture the viewers or passerby’s attention. The vibrant colors of the lettuce, tomato, white sauce, bacon, and chicken makes the sandwich look even more appealing so people will want to purchase and consume this specific sandwich. The words “Do not eat the billboard” suggests that the sandwich is so delicious and convincing with its tastes that it may tempt people to want to wish they could consume the billboard. McDonalds is trying to persuade people to buy their chicken sandwich.

JOURNAL 4

Composing this literary narrative at first seemed impossible and difficult. I have a hard time with writing and organizing my ideas. As I started the process of writing my draft, most of the ideas flowed and I tried my best to keep them in an organized manner. It is somewhat difficult to write everything that comes to mind on a certain topic while also trying to remember everything you learned about how to construct a good piece of writing. However, composing this narrative allowed me to have more practice with organizing my thoughts while trying to appeal to my readers as well.

Some things that I gained from writing this narrative were that I was able to see and utilize the peer comments left on my paper. It helps to see things in a different perspective. Also reading other peer’s drafts were extremely helpful because I got to witness other ways of constructing a narrative and it allows me to be open-minded with my ideas.  From writing two drafts, it allowed me to review my work several times and add on to what I already had. This helps a lot because normally when I compose any kind of essay or writing, I just do it to get it over with and not bother with drafting them. Another thing that I gained from was the feedback from the Professor. It helps to receive individual advice and critiques because it tells me exactly what I must improve on. I gained a lot of different ideas and skills from this assignment.

JOURNAL 3

        I found it fascinating that Malcolm X educated himself in prison and became the man he was. I think it was most beneficial that he turned his life around and learned how to read instead of continuing his disagreeable lifestyle. He is a determined man because of how he would stay up at night reading the books he borrowed from the prison library. I feel like not a lot of people would have done what he did in prison. In my opinion people who are guilty and go to prison, they come out with really not much to offer. They do not try to better themselves in life most of the time. However, Malcolm X was different because he used the prison to his advantage. I loved that he turned being in prison into a beneficial thing by learning to read. He inspires me to work hard to receive what I really want in life and do not give up.

            While I was reading the part about Malcolm learning about the horrors of slavery, I felt that it was a good thing that he learned to read. Now he can finally learn about the world and what was occurring in his time of history. It must have been extremely frustrating that he did not know how to read in the beginning. I am not able to imagine my life without knowing how to read or write. It is extremely essential to me as a human being that if I lost my knowledge of reading and writing I would feel so helpless and make wrong decisions. I enjoyed reading this narrative that Malcolm X wrote and it shows how being literate is important in life.