Gender

In the 4th grade, all public schools teach at least one of the same subject, YOU'RE BODY AND THE CHANGES AHEAD. They did this in such a way that built it up, made it a big deal and made it something scary sounding. We were going to watch a video, divided up into 2 classrooms by gender. Or parents would view the video first and then tell us what to expect, and the next day we would see it. I remember being shepherded into my math teachers class room with all the other 4th grade girls, while the boys were in the room diagonal across the hall. Me and my best friend ended up in the second row, fighting not to have to be in the front. I remember squeezing my best friends hand as if we were about to watch a scary movie, and then listening to the awful 'Just around the corner' soundtrack that went a long with a movie that is just a blur to me at this point. When the movie ended we had extra time before school got out, so we ended up discussing what we had just witnessed, and someone said...."I wonder what the boys saw...." At that moment I actually took notice of the fact that there were no boys in the class, that we had been made different, even if we were all learning something new and foreign to us.

Transending.

I don't believe that Eustace is a transcendentalist, Eustace goes out into the woods to get away from others keeping him down, not to get closer to God in some way. The transcendentalist idea is that by being out in nature with the natural things God created, one will grow closer to God. Eustace on the other hand, ventures into the woods for two main reasons, the first being the fact that well, he likes it. Eustace likes being outdoors and doing woodsy type things, and so he chooses to do it. he also does it to escape the oppression he feels from his father, neither of these represent the ideas of transcendentalism.

"To speak truly, few adult persons can see nature. Note Most persons do not see the sun."
These two lines really spoke to me due to the fact that as I've gotten older I feel as though the time I spend outside and the time I take to appreciate aspects of nature have been dwindling. Emerson really shows how people lose sight of what is important, one of those being nature and the outdoors in general. The second piece made me realize how few people actually stop and appreciate the things nature has done for us. The everyday fact that the sun is still shining is completely disregarded by far too many people, and Emerson is quick to point it out.

Why did Elizabeth Gilbert write this book? What does she want us to take away from Eustace. Refer to (and analyze) a specific passage in your response.

Elizabeth Gilbert seems to have written the book for a few reasons, the first being that she seems to have a bit of an attraction to Eustace, and she wants to share him and his incredible-ness with the rest of the world. Another reason being that she wants a message to be taken from the book, and that message is to change the way a person thinks. Some may think that she wants them to change their way of acting, however I think it's more realistic to believe that she knew one book wouldn't change the world, but maybe it would get some people thinking. One passage that made me myself stop and think was the passage on page 19, toward the top of the page, where Eustace is describing how modern people live their lives in boxes, living in them, sleeping in them, going to and fro in them, and finding entertainment in them. It made me wonder if living in modern society and not living in a box was entirely possible.

I'll let you know if I find out.

M or F

Tocqueville states that women in Europe are treated as women, delicate, feminine, and almost prize like. The contrast to this in America, it is seen as a crime to make a woman less than a man, to say that she is unable to do the work or jobs of a man is an insult, not just to her, but to all of America's women. Tocqueville says that American democracy is becoming 'more and more equal of man' which could be seen as the fact that we are making women equal to men, not the other way around. To say that a woman is less than a man is an insult, but to say that a man is less than a woman is laughed at, seen as impossible in the first place and therefore not necessary to be taken seriously. The difference in American and European treatment of women doesn't exactly present itself as being vastly different, however the real differences are shocking.

Writing // Polit....ing?

Based on what I know from both half, yes. I know those who write who claim they want nothing to do with politics in any way shape or form, and the same for those who closely follow and enjoy, who do little to know writing. And while the people I know aren't exactly a great measurement of ALL writers and politicians. They don't seem to connect very well, if at all. Writers only seem to get involved in politics in their writing, based on what is going on at the time they are writing or what event is happening that could involve politics. Some would argue that politicians do write, the speeches and presentations they give are written beautifully. The point would be valid, if politicians actually wrote their own speeches. Writers and politicians do not cross paths typically at all, however as far as them disagreeing, I'm unsure. I think it's more of a case by case idea.

Knowledge. Educated. Freedom. ?

A comparison between Malcolm X and Richard is not hard to make. Malcolm X taught himself to read in prison, which in and of itself is a feat. Malcolm X was able to bring the knowledge upon himself behind bars to help him leave the prison gates. Richard on the other hand finds knowledge through the way he grew up, the knowledge to know when to speak to someone and when not to, the knowledge of who to call sir and ma'am, THIS is the education that Richard has received, and this is all he has to get out of where he is, this is all he has to find his 'Freedom'.