comment

  Make ONE original post and comment on TWO of your classmates’ posts. Please read what your classmates have posted before you. Avoid simply repeating what others have already said. Write in complete sentences.You will be graded on BOTH the content of what you write and the cleanliness of your language — spelling, capitalization, punctuation. Make sure to proofread! 
1. Essay Passage
The passage I chose below, was from the essay “Me Talk Pretty One Day” by David Sedaris.
“Over time, it became impossible to believe that any of us would ever improve. Fall arrived, and it rained every day. It was mid-October when the teacher singled me out, saying, “Every day spent with you is like having a cesarean section.” And it struck me that, for the first time since arriving in France, I could understand every word that someone was saying.”
The reason I chose this passage is because sometimes we are caught in situations where we feel things are never going to get any better and we get so focused on the negative, not realizing that positive things can come out of negative experiences. In this passage Sedaris finally realizes that he is actually learning from the verbally abusive manner the teacher instills knowledge on her students.
This essay was not long but Sedaris included important elements throughout his writing. Just in this short paragraph Sedaris incIudes four important elements in writing: setting, dialogue,specific details and action. I also enjoyed the humor in his writing. I laughed so hard when the teacher compared the time she spent with him to a cesarean section. I cannot imagine having to tolerate such disrespectful behavior from a teacher and the fact that he stayed in the class shows how determined he was to learn the French language.
2. First Scene Passage
As I laid on the floor with a gun to my head, so many things immediately went through my head. Of course the first one was if my life would end in this dark, dirty bathroom, full of graffiti. The next thing that came to my head was something that I would hear my mom say all of the time, “Dime con quien andas y te dire quien eres,” which translates to, “Tell me who you are hanging around with and I will tell you who you are.” The thought of fighting back also went through my head, but I knew either way that would not end well. Either get killed or kill one of them, which would land me in prison. I had to be smart and relax, do as they say and maybe we would all walk away from this situation. I also knew I had to be ready for whatever came next, including my death. 
My goal from this passage is to get the attention of the reader. I believe that the beginning of any book, essay or article has to catch the attention of the reader from the beginning. There have been times when I have started reading a book and if the beginning does not get my attention right away, I will put it down and not continue to read it. I also want the reader to know that even though I am in a bad situation, I was being rational and thinking about the consequences, which describes how I am. I always think about the many possibilities before acting on anything. I also want the reader to know that I am a strong person and it was situations like this one that made me an even more confident and stronger person. 

other one:
 
1. Essay Passage
“Despite shame and confusion, my longing for him hadn’t diminished; it continued to thrive without air and light, like a luminous fish in the dregs of the sea. In the name of play, I swam up behind him, encircled his shoulder, astonished by his taut flesh. The two of us flailed, pretended to drown. Beneath the heavy press of water, Grady’s orange hair wavered, a flame that couldn’t be doused.”
Out of the essays I read last week, I chose this passage from Cooper’s “A Gay Boyhood.” I was caught off guard by how much I enjoyed reading this specific paragraph. I personally found this passage to hold profound thoughts, ideas, and metaphors. I also think Cooper’s ability to use clear and descriptive writing, while giving the reader vivid imagery, is talent that I very much envy. Additionally, his use of metaphors provides the reader further clarity. An example being when Cooper writes that his longing for Grady “hadn’t diminished; it continued to thrive without air and light.” What I admire most about this passage is when Cooper gives an objective description of Grady’s wavering orange hair and then seamlessly morphs the hair into an internal flame. A flame too strong to be put out by its only elemental enemy – water.
2. First Scene Passage
“After an impromptu, and surprisingly easy escape, I felt untouchable. I was victorious. I was a force to be reckoned with. I was 17 years old. Nothing was going to stop me from reaching the nearest phone; conveniently located at the nearest gas station several miles away. Undeterred by the near freezing temperatures or several inches of snow that had sheeted the landscape, I walked down the road with the attitude of a supermodel — giving it her all — on the catwalk.”
After reading this passage from my personal essay I would like my reader to envision me as an eccentric soul and a powerhouse of emotions – good and bad. My purpose in this passage is to hook the reader, and hopefully leave them curious enough to keep reading. On the other hand, the powerhouse of emotions I try to convey in the passage also serves a forceful gesture to disinterested readers; hopefully invoking a sense of fear in them. Perhaps the reader is who I’m feverishly chasing on the catwalk.