Meaning:
5. The purpose of this essay, it seems, is primarily to be to rake muck. Mitford seemed to be generally criticizing the embalming practice, as well as the fact that the general populous thinks it is required.
Writing Strategies:
1. The tone is almost mocking-- the way she opens shows that she thinks the process is superfluous.
2. I think Mitford goes into such detail to help prove her point. Because not many people know about what takes place, her details effectively shed light on the topic, which she is hoping will help support her opinion that the whole process is very strange and unnecessary.
3. The effect of calling the body Mr. Jones kept it very impersonal so the reader could fill in one of their own relatives. This actually brings much more power to her point than if she had used a less ambiguous name.
4. She uses the transitions such that the chronology of the process is clearly outlined and the order in which her points are discussed make sense.
5. Mitford divided the essay into a few clear parts: first, the death and preparation; second, the actual embalming; third, the dressing of the body; and fourth, the actual funeral.
6. It is clear that she isn't writing to professionals in the field because she uses mostly lay-person terms, and she explains things that need explaining. Also, she appeals to what the general person would know about funerals and sheds some light on why certain things are done the way they are, like how the body is positioned in the casket.
7. It seems that when Mitford quotes a professional, she is trying to show that there is a lot of careful work that goes into this unnecessary practice. By quoting, she is showing the proper process for caring for the dead.
8. Mitford identifies the dermasurgeon's tools, chemicals, and cosmetic substances. She felt it necessary to separate them because they are all used in different stages: first, the tools are used on the body; then, the chemicals are used to restore the body as necessary; lastly, the cosmetics are applied.
Language:
3. It's useful to Mitford to cite the brand names because it allows her to show how specialized this "art" has become. She uses the brands to prove that this is serious to many people. The Throop Foot Positioner was memorable, both because of the name and because it has the express purpose of positioning the feet of a dead person.
Suggestions for Writing:
4. Based on this reading, Mitford is making assumptions about the general populous when it comes to the dead. One such assumption is that most people are ignorant towards the whole embalming process, and I think she is correct in that assumption. Through my own experience, I knew what embalming meant, but I was not aware of the careful art form that preparing the dead for burial has become. Another assumption she is making is that, if people knew what was happening to the body, it would fall out of practice. I both agree and disagree with this point. On the one hand, many people might be disgusted knowing that the body has been drained and filled with various fluids. But, on the other, I think that many people would not really care, as the person is dead. The embalming practice is based upon making the body look presentable for the wake and burial. Still, though, I think many people would be divided over this issue. The last assumption that Mitford seems to make is that she assumes that there is too much work put into this task, that the whole process is superfluous. This, though, I think can be linked back to the previous point. Of course some will view it as absolutely ridiculous, but others could view it as distinctly necessary. I think it all has to do with the family and the dead person's background when it comes to how they should be buried. In my father's family at least, his parents were both cremated, so I was never really exposed to the burial of a casket. Personally, though, I think the process might be a tad unnecessary, only because it seems that so much work is put into something that just winds up being buried. But, the whole profession of being a mortician is viewed as an art by some, so the necessity of it depends on who you ask. All in all, though, I think Mitford raises many very nice points, but I would love to see the other side of the story, the side that says that the mortician's process is explicitly necessary.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Journal #5: How to Hunt a Unicorn
So, you want to hunt a Unicorn? Well, there are a few things that one must consider before embarking on this magnificent journey. One must make sure that they are well equipped. As in any long journey, one must make sure to pack for the long haul. I would estimate about five days' worth of supplies should be sufficient. This would include: food, water, a makeshift shelter (e.g. tent), a lance (for the slaying of the beast), and all the wits one can muster. One must realize that, even though a unicorn seems to be nothing more than a convoluted cross-breed between a narwhal and a horse, it is so much more. Unicorns are actually very aggressive creatures, and one must hope that the Unicorn does not decide that their follower is a threat, or that follower (in this case, the avid unicorn hunter) will be in a very dire situation. When hunting unicorns, one must keep in mind the fact that their name literally means "one horn", and that horn is nothing to trifle with, for I have seen that mythical creature take down men twice your size. What's that, you don't mind? Well then, the last thing to keep in mind his how to actually hunt the unicorn. One must be vewwy vewwy quiet, because a Unicorn proves much more troublesome than a wabbit. One must always cover their tracks, so as to avoid the reversal and become hunted by their own prey. And, lastly, in that final confrontation, one must never back down. Even though Unicorns are made of magic and happiness, they can smell fear. One must keep their wits about them and strike out with the lance only when it is advantageous to them. If one should happen to succeed, then huzzah! Drink a cup of its blood and rejoice in their takedown, for they would be the first to successfully hunt a Unicorn.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Journal #4: How Does One Kill a Horde of Zombies?
Aim for the head, always. Shoot it, sever it, whatever. Aim for the head. Once the head is removed from the shoulders, the zombie just slumps down and becomes even more useless than it was before. After taking this into consideration, however, one must also take into consideration the kind of zombie one is fighting.
If one is in combat with the "generic zombie", a reanimated corpseit is ideal, as they shuffle about and moan, but don't do much apart from that. They do tend to be very aggressive, but are not too quick. Hole up somewhere safe, build a fence, and shoot them if they get too close.
However, if one has the misfortune to be fighting against the "modern zombie", which is not technically a zombie at all, it could prove more of a problem. In today's society, the zombie is not a reanimated corpse, but instead was a human who became infected with some sort of virus that attacks the brain and makes them hyper aggressive. These zombies are also called "fast zombies", as they sprint after any provocation. These zombies can only be deterred with the severing of the head, as anything else will only enrage them further. To fight a horde of these, get to high ground, inside, and monitor the exits; be prepared to spend a very long time there.
Another factor that needs to be considered is the method of infection. Since it is most likely that one will be trying to survive the onslaught of modern zombies, this can be a very important factor. Is it purely through contact with the zombie, e.g. a bite, or has the virus gone airborne? If it is purely physical contact, then take the necessary cautions, discussed above. If it is airborne, though, one must take extreme caution. Wear a mask frequently, and don't venture outside unless absolutely necessary.
Of course, another important factor is are you alone? Being in a group is key to survival, so to combat a horde of any kind, make friends. Stick together, fight together, survive together. The key to killing a horde of zombies is surviving; it is very unlikely that one person, or a group of people, will manage to kill off the entire horde. If they do, great! If not, follow the rules: cardio is key, limber up, double tap, and fight to the death.
If one is in combat with the "generic zombie", a reanimated corpseit is ideal, as they shuffle about and moan, but don't do much apart from that. They do tend to be very aggressive, but are not too quick. Hole up somewhere safe, build a fence, and shoot them if they get too close.
However, if one has the misfortune to be fighting against the "modern zombie", which is not technically a zombie at all, it could prove more of a problem. In today's society, the zombie is not a reanimated corpse, but instead was a human who became infected with some sort of virus that attacks the brain and makes them hyper aggressive. These zombies are also called "fast zombies", as they sprint after any provocation. These zombies can only be deterred with the severing of the head, as anything else will only enrage them further. To fight a horde of these, get to high ground, inside, and monitor the exits; be prepared to spend a very long time there.
Another factor that needs to be considered is the method of infection. Since it is most likely that one will be trying to survive the onslaught of modern zombies, this can be a very important factor. Is it purely through contact with the zombie, e.g. a bite, or has the virus gone airborne? If it is purely physical contact, then take the necessary cautions, discussed above. If it is airborne, though, one must take extreme caution. Wear a mask frequently, and don't venture outside unless absolutely necessary.
Of course, another important factor is are you alone? Being in a group is key to survival, so to combat a horde of any kind, make friends. Stick together, fight together, survive together. The key to killing a horde of zombies is surviving; it is very unlikely that one person, or a group of people, will manage to kill off the entire horde. If they do, great! If not, follow the rules: cardio is key, limber up, double tap, and fight to the death.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Journal #3: Author's Writing Process
As of right now, my favorite authors are Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. The catch, though, is they write novels together. Naturally, this could present a problem if they went about it the wrong way. When asked in an interview to "describe the way [they] work together", they responded:
Douglas:
First, Linc and I work out the plot. Linc sends me an outline of the chapters, I write the first draft, then Linc polishes it. As you can see, I do most of the work.
Lincoln:
(Laughs.) There are lies, damned lies, and writer's exaggerations. I take the coal Doug gives me and, using tremendous force, press it into a diamond.
Essentially, we wrote RELIC without ever seeing each other once. The first time we got together since that day we first brainstormed about the idea was to have our author photograph taken just before the book was published.
And in the same interview, when asked "don't you ever argue?" Lincoln Child responded:
Are you kidding? We argue about every detail. That's why RELIC is so tight. Nothing gets by unless we both like it. Have you ever read a novel and said to yourself, 'How did that clunker get through?' Well, with us, it doesn't get through. That's also why we're two thousand miles apart. Less chance of inflicting bodily harm on each other. (Laughs.)
It seems as though these two authors have really worked out their joint writing process. They discuss how, even before computers were around, they were discussing novels over modem (prestonchild.com). Also, on their website, they gave their advice on how to be a successful writer. They said that one needs to "write, and write often," and to "develop the habit of ruthless self-criticism" (prestonchild.com). They also briefly describe more details of their writing process. They say that they "do all their own research", and offer one last piece of advice: "you must rearrange your life so that you have an uninterrupted, inviolable period of time to write every single day" (prestonchild.com).
Works Cited
"Relic -- An Interview With the Authors." Interview. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - The Official Web Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Sept. 2012. <http://www.prestonchild.com/>.
Ruelke, Claudia. "Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - The Official Web Site." Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - The Official Web Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Sept. 2012. <http://www.prestonchild.com/>.
Douglas:
First, Linc and I work out the plot. Linc sends me an outline of the chapters, I write the first draft, then Linc polishes it. As you can see, I do most of the work.
Lincoln:
(Laughs.) There are lies, damned lies, and writer's exaggerations. I take the coal Doug gives me and, using tremendous force, press it into a diamond.
Essentially, we wrote RELIC without ever seeing each other once. The first time we got together since that day we first brainstormed about the idea was to have our author photograph taken just before the book was published.
And in the same interview, when asked "don't you ever argue?" Lincoln Child responded:
Are you kidding? We argue about every detail. That's why RELIC is so tight. Nothing gets by unless we both like it. Have you ever read a novel and said to yourself, 'How did that clunker get through?' Well, with us, it doesn't get through. That's also why we're two thousand miles apart. Less chance of inflicting bodily harm on each other. (Laughs.)
It seems as though these two authors have really worked out their joint writing process. They discuss how, even before computers were around, they were discussing novels over modem (prestonchild.com). Also, on their website, they gave their advice on how to be a successful writer. They said that one needs to "write, and write often," and to "develop the habit of ruthless self-criticism" (prestonchild.com). They also briefly describe more details of their writing process. They say that they "do all their own research", and offer one last piece of advice: "you must rearrange your life so that you have an uninterrupted, inviolable period of time to write every single day" (prestonchild.com).
Works Cited
"Relic -- An Interview With the Authors." Interview. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - The Official Web Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Sept. 2012. <http://www.prestonchild.com/>.
Ruelke, Claudia. "Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - The Official Web Site." Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child - The Official Web Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Sept. 2012. <http://www.prestonchild.com/>.
Journal #2: Purpose in Writing
The most important thing, I think, an author can have is a strong feeling of purpose when they are writing. This means that said author probably knows a thing or two about what they're writing about, so they can write a solid paper. Without that feeling of purpose, it would be easily to do the paper half-heartedly, leave things out, just do the bare minimum, etc. However, with a sense of purpose, the author wants to put everything they know about something into the paper. In my experience, a sense of purpose allows for an excellent first draft, in that the editing doesn't really consist of having to add content to the paper.
An author with a very strong sense of purpose can make one want to read their paper, as well. Purpose allows for the author to be "intellectually interesting" -- they can discuss the topic very knowledgably, but still make sure the paper isn't dull and uninteresting to read. That also means that they will stick to the topic at hand. Purpose, though, does not only help with research-type papers. It also comes into play with narratives and fictional stories, too. When writing, the author usually has a goal they want to achieve, whether it be to support a point or to effectively tell you exactly why they put their cat in the oven last summer. That means they have purpose. Purpose, I believe, is by far the most important thing for an author to keep in mind when they write anything.
An author with a very strong sense of purpose can make one want to read their paper, as well. Purpose allows for the author to be "intellectually interesting" -- they can discuss the topic very knowledgably, but still make sure the paper isn't dull and uninteresting to read. That also means that they will stick to the topic at hand. Purpose, though, does not only help with research-type papers. It also comes into play with narratives and fictional stories, too. When writing, the author usually has a goal they want to achieve, whether it be to support a point or to effectively tell you exactly why they put their cat in the oven last summer. That means they have purpose. Purpose, I believe, is by far the most important thing for an author to keep in mind when they write anything.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Journal #1: The Name
This, I think, is a bit of a bizarre title for an advanced writing class journal. However, there is a story behind the title. Ever since I moved into this house in the first grade, I have been sleeping on the same mattress. However, my bunk bed has gone through many iterations; the bed varied between just the bottom bunk or both bunks many times, but about a year ago I removed the bottom bunk and made it into a "loft bed". In the process of moving my preferred mattress to the top bunk, I noticed something peculiar. In between the mattress and one of the base boards on the bed was a little red-and-yellow electronic bell. I'm sure you can imagine my surprise when I discovered this, as I had been sleeping on it for about twelve years, completely unaware. So, naturally, after making this discovery, I showed the bell to my parents. Turns out, it belonged to one of my favorite board games when I was very young, and I was devastated to find out it was lost.
Now, I know this doesn't seem to have much to do with a journal, or with anything, but I think it does. That little bell was a gem from my past that I found somewhere I wouldn't have even thought to look. In a way, I think this can relate to high school; so many people end up finding things that they love in high school, their own little bells. This being my last year, I hope to fill it with wonderful experiences both in and out of class. I hope to find a few more bells under mattresses.
The bell:
.JPG)
Now, I know this doesn't seem to have much to do with a journal, or with anything, but I think it does. That little bell was a gem from my past that I found somewhere I wouldn't have even thought to look. In a way, I think this can relate to high school; so many people end up finding things that they love in high school, their own little bells. This being my last year, I hope to fill it with wonderful experiences both in and out of class. I hope to find a few more bells under mattresses.
The bell:
.JPG)
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