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Matthew Mullins

 

Major: Business with a concentration of Information Technology

 

         

Matthew Mullins Daily Course Work Discussion Questions 2/10/16 Reading Questions for The New Bedford Samurai Friday Discussion  Questions for Friday: 1. Would he rather live in Japan or the U.S. and why does he make the decision(s) to live where he does? Artifacts American Hero Defined Making Connections and Using Artifacts Secondary Sources To Kill A Mockingbird Presentation link: Rough Draft (with comments) American Literature II Final Paper Rubric

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Daily Course Work

Discussion Questions 2/10/16

 

1. What was the main point of the article we read about short fiction: The main point from the Article "The Remarkable Reinvention of Very Short Fiction" is about how over time people's attention spans have become lower than they were before. It has become very true in this day and time with everything. For example, now we don't even like watching "long" YouTube videos, we would rather watch a 6 second Vine.

The evidence given is just as it stated with the media, TV and Twitter. I believe that the media has shrunken our attention span. If it does not have an interesting title or "click bait" we would rather not read it or even consider clicking on it.

 

2. How does this relate to the short stories we read from Sudden Fiction?: 

The article relates in the fact that when I went to read "Sudden Fiction" I didn't like the fact of how long it was. I felt that it was easier to read the article than it would be to read all these pages from this section of a book, even though it really isn't that long.

 

3. How does the condensed form of the microstory enhance her message? By condensing this story into a microstory I think that it shows how the cannibals literally went from one way of life to another just like they were expected to be that way anyway. Now, I'm not saying I agree with cannibalism but, what I get from this story is that often people in society are expected to be a certain way and they are forced into a certain way of being and acting.

 

4. How does Fernando Benavidez's story "Montezuma, My Revolver" related the history of conflict between Native Americans and Europeans to the present? Why is this significant? I believe that this is significant in the fact that there were issues that people thought always needed to be carried out. Even if you befriend someone on the other side, you have this pressure from your family to get rid of them because it's just what you're supposed to do. The mindset is one of fighting and killing.

 

5. What do you think Juan Martinez is saying about the relationship between modern life and the past in "Customer Service at the Karaoke Don Quixote"?

Society has shaped us to be a certain way. People have their clicks and you stick to the status quo or you don't belong. People are so afraid to argue and be opinionated and would rather just stay quite than have any confrontation. People should be able to express their own opinions. 

 

Reading Questions for The New Bedford Samurai

February 22, 2016

 

Genre:

How does the genre shape the narrative?

The genre shapes the narrative in a way that it is relatable and real life.

How does it compare to other genres we've read?

In comparison to other readings, this gives an account of an actual event. It is something that has really happened.

Can a nonfiction novel have a hero?

I believe that a nonfiction novel can have a hero in it. Not every hero has to have super powers or something like that. They just have to be able to help others.

Character Development:

How is the character of Manjiro Nakahama developed?

The way that the book has been written, it portrays the character with having a plot line.

What imagery does the author use? 

Vlasopolos uses very vivid imagery to help you be able to imagine what is going on. 

How does Manjiro’s experience of encountering the West allow the Western reader to see our world with new eyes?

Manjiro does not see things as we do because he hasn’t been around our culture. Manjiro gets to form his own opinion because of not knowing what American’s think of on topics.

Nature:

How does Nature become a part of the heroic narrative?

Through the book, it has been mentioned of the killing of animals. It is necessary to eat, but they were over killing and mistreating the animals. Nature becomes part of the heroic narrative through the need to take care of the animals. 

How does Manjiro Nakahama's map emphasize his global experiences?

Manjiro was one of the first Japanese people to visit the United States. He has been many places and by traveling he has been able to gain experience and learn and understand other people’s culture.

Do you feel inspired to join one of the nature societies that Dr. Vlasopolos mentions in her preface?

Yes, I believe that the preface was well written to inspire others about joining nature societies. It gives just enough information to grab your attention and keep it.

How does Manjiro’s map resemble his journey in the novel?

The map is able to show the many areas that Manjiro has been to and what diverse experiences he has been able to gain.

 

Five Questions of my own:

1. On Page 40, Diaries of Casual Killings, how were you able to get those diaries?

2. Page 40, why did you not include other diary entries in the book? Was it all you were able to get? I enjoyed the entries on page 40, it added to the realness factor.

3. Why did you want to share this story?

4. How long did it take for you to write this book?

5. Do you know why Manjiro went back to Japan? I see this from two different points of view:

Going back to show others what he has accomplished.

Not wanting to go back to that life at all.

 

Friday Discussion 

 

Questions for Friday:

1. Would he rather live in Japan or the U.S. and why does he make the decision(s) to live where he does?

• I believe that Manjiro would rather live in the United States because he is able to make decisions for himself and the U.S. gives him more opportunities. 
• If he goes back to Japan, I feel as if he wanted to make a difference and spread his learnings. Through this he could teach them and give them new opportunities. For example, he brought back a compass. 

2. How does Manjiro relate to the ocean?

• The ocean is an escape to freedom. 

3. If the roles were switched, could Manjiro have been as successful?

• If Manjiro was going from the United States to Japan, I feel that the story would have not have been popular. I feel that Americans don't pay as much attention to things that aren't dealing with their country. 

4. Give two examples of continuity in Manjiro's experiences and relationships with people in different places. 

Without Manjiro's different experiences, he wouldn't be able to relate and understand people with different backgrounds and cultures. I believe that he found peoples work ethics and how they treated each other and animals (cruelty and kindness) as examples. 

 

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Personal Online Presentation Material:

Group Number: Group Two

Term: Villain

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Artifacts

I chose this image to portray the house for the average American person.

http://blogs.voanews.com/tedlandphairsamerica/2012/03/23/whither-the-american-dream/

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American Hero Defined

An American Hero is someone who is looking for a better life and doing what it takes to get there.

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Making Connections and Using Artifacts

March 23, 2016

 

1. 

 

2.
i. Theme of racism and identity
ii. Realistic representation
iii. Both of these items occurred in the 1900’s. The book was published in 1960 and the poster was made in 1965.

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Secondary Sources

 

Mancini, Candice. Racism in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2008. Print.

Shields, Charles J. Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee. New York: Henry Holt, 2006. Print.

"Timeline." A History of Racial Injustice. Equal Justice Initiative. Web. March 16, 2016. <http://racialinjustice.eji.org/timeline/>.

 

To Kill A Mockingbird was published in 1960 around the era when African Americans and Caucasians were not equal. This novel is based upon racial inequality so I have chosen this website with a timeline of events dealing racial inequality. Please follow the link: http://racialinjustice.eji.org/timeline/

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Paper Outline

 

1. Southern living
1. Values
2. Actions
3. Small town living (Maycomb [Fictional], Alabama)
4. Racism issues
2. Scout Finch
1. Innocence of a child
3. Jem Finch
4. Atticus Finch
1. Moved for a better life/career
5. Calpurnia
1. Racism/slave
6. Charles Baker (Dill) Harris
1. Provokes Jem and Scout to mess with Boo Radley
7. Arthur (Boo) Radley
1. People may not always be who they seem
8. Court Case/Rape
1. Tom Robinson
1. falsely accused of raping a woman
2. Mayella Ewell
1. white woman
3. Caucasians and African American’s do not mix in this time period
4. Atticus defending Tom
1. African American’s respect for Atticus in the court room
5. Tom being shot
9. Jem and Scout being attacked after school play due to how they treat African Americans

10.  Timeline artifact about racism in America

11.  Boo Radley saving Jem and Scout

1. People not always being what others say about them 

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To Kill A Mockingbird

   

     To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in a small town called Maycomb (fictional town) in Alabama. The town’s social structure is characterized by Southern attributes. (Man, 38) This novel is placed in the time period of the 1930’s when racism was still a big issue in the southern states. The South is known as a trustworthy area, such as when we read “The Life You Save My Be Your Own.” The South has the reputation of trusting one another and being close to one another. While paintings/photographs/song such as the one attached of an “American Dream House,” have depicted the South as a domestic refuge. To Kill a Mockingbird modifies the Southern Gothic tradition of authors like William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor to illustrate the dark underbelly of Southern small-town life. The picture depicts what some see as the perfect American Home. After reading this novel, I have chosen three main themes to elaborate on: racism, southern living and rape.

     To Kill a Mockingbird is narrated by Scout Finch. I believe that Scout was chosen to narrate this story because of the innocence of a child; children are seen as people who speak their mind. Using the innocent young Scout Finch to narrate her novel, Harper Lee addresses the ways that racism and rape become an integral part of the facade of Southern life. “When Harper Lee first introduces Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird, she is almost six years old. By the end of the book Scout is in the third grade. Throughout the book events are described by the adult Scout who looks back upon life in the constricted society of a small southern town” (Mancini, 58). “Miss Lee presents an Emersonian view of Southern romanticism, suggest that the South can move from the archaic, imported romanticism of its past toward the more reasonable, pragmatic, and native romanticism of a Ralph Waldo Emerson [19^th-century American writer and philosopher who as a transcendentalist believed in the existence of an idea spiritual reality]. If the movement can come to maturity she implies, the South will have made a major step toward becoming truly regional in its vision” (Mancini, 37).

     “Throughout To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee presents a dual view of the American South. On the one hand, she sees the South as a still in the grip of [its old] traditions and habits… caste division along strictly color lines, hierarchical class stratification within castes, and exaggerated regard for kin-group relations within particular classes, especially the upper and middle classes of the white caste. On the other hand, she argues that the South has within itself the potential for progressive change, stimulated by the incorporation of the New England romanticism of an Emerson, and characterized by the pragmatism, principles, and the wisdom of Atticus Finch. If, as she suggests, the South can exchange its old romanticism for the new, it can modify its life to bring justice and humanity to all of its inhabitants, black and white alike.” (Mancini, 45)

“Being Southerners, it was a source of shame to some members of the family that we had no recorded ancestors on either side of the Battle of Hastings.” Scout was trying to figure out her extended family history. She knew of her father’s immediate family, but that was about as far back as she could recall. Her father is introduced, Atticus; he went to Montgomery to read law. After he was admitted to the bar, he returned to Maycomb and began his practice. As we discussed in class, Atticus was moving for a higher education and better life such as in The Daybreakers. Lee introduces the simplicity of Southern life through descriptions of physical surroundings. (You could compare/contrast with image). “Atticus’s office in the courthouse contained little more than a hat rack, a spittoon, a checkerboard and an unsullied Code of Alabama,” a statement to tell of how simple the times were.

 “Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it.” This sentence represents the simpler time period.” If you continue in the paragraph, it tells of how people acted in their routines. “Men’s stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. Ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o’clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum. People moved slowly then. They ambled across the square, shuffled in and out of the stores around it, took their time about everything. A day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County.”

     The family (Atticus, Jem and Scout) lived on the main residential street in town along with Calpurnia their cook. Their mother died of a heart attack when Scout was two so she never really knew her; but Jem did. “He [Jim] remembered her clearly, and sometimes in the middle of a game he would sigh at length, then go off and play by himself behind the car-house. When he was like that, I knew better than to bother him.” Both were happy to have their father though, “Jem and I found our father satisfactory: he played with us, read to us, and treated us with courteous detachment.”

The Finch’s were not your typical American family in this time period. The mother was not in the picture. Scout would have never said this but Calpurnia was what others would have called their slave. The family treated Calpurnia with respect and did not mistreat her, they were grateful to have her around. The Finch’s did not discriminate against the blacks, Atticus raised Jem and Scout that they were people to and they should not be treated any differently because they were not white. The mother figure of the family was Calpurnia, not only did the family care for Calpurnia but the kids were technically being raised by an inter-racial couple.

In the beginning of the novel, Scout starts by telling us of her brother, Jem. Scout tells us “our summertime boundaries (within calling distance of Calpurnia) were Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose’s house two doors to the north of us, and the Radley Place three doors to the south. We were never tempted to break them.” But that summer, Dill came along and tried to change their boundaries. Early one morning while Scout and Jem were playing the backyard, they heard something in Miss Rachel Haverford’s collard patch. They went to go see what it was and found someone sitting and looking at them. They introduced themselves and Dill said he was from Meridian, Mississippi. He was there to spend time with his aunt and would be spending every summer in Maycomb from now on. Dill’s family was originally from Maycomb County but his mother became a photographer for someone in Meridian and that’s why they moved. From close reading it sounds like Meridian was moving on from simpler times and being more of a modern area. Using camera technology and having contests. As Jem said “Don’t have any picture shows here, except Jesus ones in the courthouse sometimes.”

Harper Lee uses her life to create the characters Atticus, Jem and Scout and the town of Maycomb to display her life and her old beliefs. Maycomb is portrayed as a part of southern Alabama from the first settlements, isolated and untouched by the Civil War. “The quality is graphically suggested by the Maycomb County courthouse, which dominates the town square: The Maycomb County courthouse was faintly reminiscent of Arlington in one respect: the concrete pillars support its south roof were too heavy for their light burden… Miss Lee’s courthouse, inoffensive form the north but architecturally appalling from the south, neatly summarizes Maycomb’s reluctance to shed the past. It is, like the South, still largely subject to the traditions of the past.” (Mancini, 38).

As the novel progresses, we learn of Tom Robinson, an African American man who has been accused of raping Mayella Ewell a white woman. Not only was the rape in scandalous enough, it was two different skin colors. The issue was taken to law enforcement and into the court system. Atticus did everything in his power to prove Tom’s innocence. During this time period, the South saw the color and associated it with bad. They choose not to listen to the case or the details because they had already made up their minds with their racist judgements. This was decades before Martin Luther King Jr. was able to create a movement (A History of Racial Injustice).

Because of Tom’s skin color, the jury decided that Tom was guilty and the court room was dismissed. The court room was full; it was a scandalous trial. After all of the whites had cleared the room, with the exception of the Finch’s, the African American’s in the room stood up. By them standing, it symbolized their respect for what Atticus did. I believe they were also showing that they knew that it was not his fault of what the circumstances where. They were thanking him for all that he had done.

 

      “Readers, teachers, and scholars alike tend to assume that in writing To Kill a Mockingbird, Nelle was choosing to tell a version of the Scottsboro Boys trials in 1931-1937. The Scottsboro “boys”-teenagers, were none other than nineteen-were nine Negroes accused of raping two white girls in boxcars on the Southern Railroad freight run from Chattanooga to Memphis, as the train crossed the Alabama border on March 25, 1931. The public was fascinated by the story because of its sheer ugliness… The jury found all of the accused guilty.” Maybe this was Lee’s reason for writing of this. After all, if you are going to write something, it should be about something that you can relate to. (Shields, 116)

     As I mentioned before, Dill changed the boundaries of Jem and Scout. The rumor was Boo Radley had stabbed his father in the leg with scissors. As kids do, they went to investigate his house to bother him basically. They were caught and ran away. One night when Jem and Scout were on their way home from school, they were attacked by Bob Ewell. Bob is Mayella’s father and his hate drives him to hurt Atticus’s children. I see an underlying meaning as well with Arthur “Boo” Radley in there are rumors about him but he is not necessarily like that. He ends up saving Jim and Scout. The picture shows of him being kind to Scout as they wait on Jem to wake up.

     Scout want a gun at the beginning of the novel and Atticus told her no. Atticus said he used to go out and shoot mockingbirds for practice. Tom was the mockingbird of this novel because of his innocence. It doesn’t matter what color you are; you can be a bad white person or you can be a bad black person. You can be a good white person or a good black person. Color should not be a judgment of a person. People were cruel and evil over race, a man tried to harm another man’s children for rightfully defending another man. Rape is a big issue and should not be taken lightly. The issues of the time period made an innocent man guilty in the eyes of the law because of his color. People are not always as they seem, you cannot believe everything you hear; you should get to know the person yourself.

 

Presentation link:

Matthew, Mullins Final Paper - To Kill A Mockingbird

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Rough Draft (with comments)

To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in a small town called Maycomb in Alabama. Alabama is in the South during the time period when racism still a big issue. (What year? What time period?)  The South is a trustworthy area (Is the area trustworthy or are the people just trusting) (Explain why you say they are trustworthy.. and show evidence that you found in the text showing they trustworthy), such as when we read “The Life You Save My Be Your Own.”(Like this connection to the text used in class)The South has the reputation of trusting one another and being close to one another. This novel uses three main themes: racism, southern living and rape(Maybe break this down into separate paragraphs and elaborate on them because these are important themes). To Kill a Mockingbird is narrated by Scout Finch. (What are you trying to prove in this paper?)

(What's the topic sentence of this paragraph?) “Being Southerners, it was a source of shame to some members of the family that we had no recorded ancestors on either side of the Battle of Hastings.” (Remember what Dr. Heiniger said about direct quotes. Only use them if you're going to reflect on the language.) Scout was trying to figure out her family history. She knew of her father’s family (immediate family or extended?), but that was about as far back as it went(Reword this sentence).Her father is introduced, Atticus; he went to Montgomery to read law. (To read it or to learn it?) After he was admitted to the bar, he returned to Maycomb and began his practice. This was a simpler time period, (Great point! Expound? Why is this relevant?) (I would add direct quotes and examples where you saw this point that you brought up)“Atticus’s office in the courthouse contained little more than a hat rack, a spittoon, a checkerboard and an unsullied Code of Alabama.” 

 

 

(Topic sentence?)“Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it.” This sentence represents the simpler time period and how things used to big. (Where are you getting this idea from? If it was a 'tired old town' when she was younger, would that mean it has gotten bigger?) If you continue in the paragraph, it tells of how people acted in their routines. “Men’s stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. Ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o’clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum. People moved slowly then. They ambled across the square, shuffled in and out of the stores around it, took their time about everything. A day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County. But it was a time of vague optimism for some of the people: Maycomb County had recently been told that it had nothing to fear but fear itself.” (Watch the quotes. I think Dr. H is persnickety about them if they're not relevant in regards to language) (why are you telling us all of this?)

The family (Atticus, Jem and Scout) lived on the main residential street in town along with Calpurnia their cook. Their mother died of a heart attack when Scout was two so she never really knew her; but Jem did. “He [Jim] remembered her clearly, and sometimes in the middle of a game he would sigh at length, then go off and play by himself behind the car-house. When he was like that, I knew better than to bother him.” Both were happy to have their father though, “Jem and I found our father satisfactory: he played with us, read to us, and treated us with courteous detachment.” (This is all summary. What are you trying to say? Try to assume we've all read this book.) (Remember that we are only to have one paragraph of summary) 

Scout would have never said this because she was raised with respect and non-discrimination of blacks, but Calpurnia was what others would have called their slave. Atticus treated her with respect and did not mistreat her. The family was grateful to have her around and was more of what we would call a maid today. (What does this show about Scout and her family? Does this set them apart from everyone else? Are they admired for it?)

In the beginning of the novel, Scout starts by telling us of her brother, Jem, who had broken his arm and feared he would never be able to play football again. His arm healed with one ending up being shorter than the other. He didn’t mind one bit though. Jem loved football and all he cared about was still being able to pass a punt. Second, Scout introduces us to Dill which Jem says started their curiosity’s in trying to make Boo Radley come out. (What are you trying to tell the reader here?)( This is good but you keep summarizing)

Scout tells us “our summertime boundaries (within calling distance of Calpurnia) were Mrs. Henry Lafayette Dubose’s house two doors to the north of us, and the Radley Place three doors to the south. We were never tempted to break them.” But that summer, Dill came along. Early one morning while Scout and Jem were playing the backyard, they heard something in Miss Rachel Haverford’s collard patch. They went to go see what it was and found someone sitting and looking at them. They introduced themselves and Dill said he was from Meridian, Mississippi. He was there to spend time with his aunt and would be spending every summer in Maycomb from now on. Dill’s family was originally from Maycomb County but his mother became a photographer for someone in Meridian and that’s why they moved. I don’t know much about the Meridian but it sounds that they were moving on from simpler times and being more of a modern area. Using camera technology and having contests. As Jem said “Don’t have any picture shows here, except Jesus ones in the courthouse sometimes.” (Be careful, you're summarizing here)

After the jury decided that Tom was guilty and court was dismissed, I believe that there was more symbolism that respect shown when the African Americans stood up for Atticus. I believe they were also showing that they knew that it was not his fault of what the circumstances where. They were thanking him for all that he had done. (Yes! This is great! Keep going with this!)

I see an underlying meaning as well with Arthur “Boo” Radley in there are stories about him but he is not necessarily like that. He ends up saving Jim and Scout. It doesn’t matter what color you are; you can be a bad white person or you can be a bad black person. You can be a good white person or a good black person. (Great points. Expound some more) ( I think you have started off good just be careful summarizing so much and do more close reading, also support your thought because they are really starting to develop.) 

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American Literature II Final Paper Rubric

 

Name (paper): Matthew Mullins

Name (reviewer 1): Allie Campbell (In purple) 

Name (reviewer 2): Buterakos, Breanna (In Pink)

 

	Satisfactory	Unsatisfactory	Comments
Organization	Strong thesis at the conclusion of the introduction to guide the paper. Thesis connected and supported in all body paragraphs. Thesis makes a strong argument about a single theme or idea using the primary text and artifact. Discussion of the primary text and artifact is coherent and succinct.	Thesis is vague or spread throughout the introduction and the paper. Thesis is not clearly connected to all body paragraphs. Thesis does not make a strong argument about the primary text and/or artifact.	You need to work on your thesis and topic sentences. What are you trying to tell us?
Close Reading	Analyzes the theme of the American hero in or through a primary text and artifact. Close reading brings the primary text and artifact together in meaningful ways. Places close reading in conversation with secondary sources. Summarizes and paraphrases evidence from the primary text to support the close reading (only using direct quotes when it is necessary to analyze the language).	Does not clearly analyze a theme from American Literature in or through a primary text and/or artifact. Close reading does not relate the primary text and artifact in meaningful ways (although it may discuss both separately). Does not situate close reading among secondary sources. Primarily summarizes the text or quotes it (rather than analyzing it).	You have a couple really good ones. Try expounding on them a little more. Get a theme going.
Support (Research)	Integrates support from secondary sources to support close reading. Creates a clear conversation with secondary sources (without being overpowered by them). Uses strong evidence from secondary sources. Summarizes and paraphrases evidence except when quotations are necessary.	Does not integrate support from secondary sources. Argument is either overpowered or disconnected from secondary sources. Evidence from secondary sources is not clearly connected with the argument. Uses unnecessary quotes from the secondary source.	You need some secondary sources. I didn't see any cited.
Pre-Writing	Completed all pre-writing activities on-time (including conferences and rough draft workshop)	Did not complete all pre-writing activities on-time.	Great job!

 

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Final Paper

 

1. The Nineteenth Century in Print and Making of America Project: finding an artifact from after 1865

1. Find and identify an artifact from online databases above.

2. Find and identify three possible primary texts for your final paper (American literature written before 1865 that is not being studied in class) 

2.  Race, Sex, and Citizenship: Redefining America 

1. Think about the course theme of race, sex, and citizenship in ethnic American literature. In 3-5 paragraphs, define this theme/term (or some other theme from the course). What are the criteria for your theme/term? When and where do we see this theme/term being used (and how)?  

3.  Doing a Close Reading 

1. Select one passage from the text and do a close reading (3-5 paragraphs). The close reading should tie into the theme for the paper. 

4.  Making Connections: texts and artifacts 

1. Think about the course theme of American encounters. In 3-5 paragraphs, discuss how you see this theme (or some other theme from the course) developing in both your artifact and one of your primary texts 

5.  Secondary Sources 

1.  Create a list of possible sources (5 secondary, scholarly texts) from your annotated bibliography.

1.  See "Primary vs Secondary Sources" if you have questions about what constitutes secondary texts.  

6.  Thesis and Outline 

7.  Revising a Paper 

8.  Reflection Letter and Participation 

 

 

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