Sunday, September 9, 2012

Week One


Option #1: From what I’ve gathered, Para Teresa was written in both English and Spanish for a few different reasons. One of the reasons was to expand further on the speaker and her background. The speaker used this change in languages as an expression of the culture she belonged to. She is both Hispanic and American. In her world she used both languages frequently. She used English more than she used Spanish signifying that although Spanish is part of herself and her heritage, her future and the majority of her life revolves around English. This could even be exemplified in her life; although she has a Hispanic background, America is becoming the forefront and basis of her life. It is an innate part of who she is. Another reason would be explained by understanding that she used Spanish specifically when she was addressing Teresa. This, in a way, shows Teresa a great amount of respect. Teresa rebelled against schooling, the system, and America in general. She wanted to stay true to her roots. The speaker understood that and spoke or referred to Teresa in Spanish as a sign of respect for Teresa’s choice to remain loyal. It shows that all along the speaker never meant any harm by Teresa, and although they are choosing different lifestyles, they still are united by their past and the culture they belong to. The speaker shows a great amount of respect for the Hispanic culture she originated from. This is seen by her use of Spanish when referring to her family, specifically her grandparents. She is not ashamed of her family or heritage when using their native language to describe them. The next reason would be that of simple language barriers. In this particular situation, the Spanish language explains the situation so much clearer. English would not have done the scenes justice. Not only that, but Spanish gives such a deeper understanding of both the circumstances and the overall theme itself. The poem would not exist without this obvious battle between cultures, heritages, and languages. The author uses the switch between languages as a literary technique to expand on these differences.  Teresa and the speaker would have never had a conflict if they both only knew English and grew up in the American culture with American heritage. Overall, the use of both Spanish and English in this poem is extremely important and the poem would not have been as effective if it was written in only one language.  

Option #6: The article I found on Proposition 30 was published by the Los Angeles Times On August 16, 2012. This article was written after Governor Jerry Brown kicked off the campaign to promote the proposition. Although this article states a lot of facts about the proposition such as the quarter of a cent sales tax increase and how it will raise income tax for those who make $250,000+ per year, it also has a subtle bias against the proposition. It does so by adding quotes that explain why one should be skeptical of the proposition and advertise another proposition, Proposition 38, and why it would be better for schools. The article explains that so far, the state government doesn’t have the best track record of keeping track of tax payers’ dollars and also that the proposition was written in such a way that the money generated is not strictly promised for schools.

No comments:

Post a Comment