Reflective B

**Reflective B**
The introduction to these clever writers can become overwhelming. Answering each question to your assignment as you try to interpret the writer’s message can result into a few all nighters. When discovering the writer’s purpose, then pulling in the strategies makes you feel as if you wrote an award winning paper – unit it’s edited. Well, that is how I felt as I wrote “Could it Be?” my Annie Dillard paper. It seems Dillard essay was written for people that read a book per day. These people usually enjoy the different angles and concepts the writer writes to keep their interest. My mind went crazy trying to find Dillard’s message. She talked about several insignificant items which created an elimination process that allowed me to draw into what was more important. Dillard’s essay caused me to work more then I wanted to. I had to think outside the box to find her message, and I’m still thinking about it daily. I expressed that Dillard purpose was to expose her new interest in technology with the persuasion of her friends. The “Speaking in Tongues” by Zadie Smith I felt was more vividly written. She allowed her words to draw pictures of her characters allowed me to feel their emotion. Some of her selected quotes I felt weren’t needed, those are the quotes from Obama’s book, but that was her purpose to spark a conversation. Smith notes that she is a poet and she provided enough information to make me understand her argument and where she wanted her audience to believe. Smith takes the multi voiced very seriously and I agree that it is a very serious topic because America was once known as the melting pot; therefore, people came to America from other countries and it was necessary for them to maintain who they were/are. There is a difference and Lynda Barry’s Today’s Demon: Common Scents comic shows a colorful, humorous illustration as Barry takes a flashback into her childhood, and during those days Barry is seen as an insecure, and an immature girl that was introduced to the real world of discrimination. Within the comic Little Barry was guided by her Grandma informing her of the crudeness and ignorance of people whom value themselves higher the others due to their difference. This comic I considered it very creative and considered it as an ice breaker to allow a larger age range to discuss the issue of difference, discrimination and acceptance. There were many topics to discuss and very difficult to narrow it down and argue the author’s purpose, and to discuss her agenda.
Started to think about Dillard’s essay brings a state of confusion because as I gathered quotes and interpreting them I found it to be very frustrating. Rereading my Dillard paper I realized that my first paper was also confusing to read. I made corrections sentence by sentence and moved around my quotes making my argument visual for the audience. The Dillard paper I attempted to display and show my argument that she was grieving of a love one and struggled to move on with her life. I interrupted that she was content with her lifestyle and was hesitant to open up to new ideas. I concluded that she became more interested into technology and attempted to persuade like minded to join her. I pulled a few interesting quotes but it was difficult to select them mainly because I did not enjoy reading Dillard’s essay. I argued that Dillard became aware that a need to step out of her comfort zone and brace for a difference was a pivotal moment. Surrounding herself among a new crowd of people and gaining a new interest Dillard began to enjoy the new environment and stated that, “It was good to be back among clever people.”(168) This quotes bring me to think of the clever people was Dillard’s friends who motivated her to experience something new, something creative which makes her appreciate them more than before. She discovered that it was alright to view her total eclipse as a moment of awareness. “He was a walking alarm clock.”(168) This quote makes a significant statement allowing me to see that Dillard was shocked, she was surprise by reality. Reality is a shock especially if what surface was the unknown. Learning new things takes time and patience but is worthwhile. Discovering the brilliancy of something new as technology creates a new perspective of how the world has advanced and by Dillard having no interest has passed her by. Dillard was eventually revitalized by her friends and new interest. One great quote I think was written creatively as I figured Dillard viewed life as seeking adventure and return back to her life. “On the broad lobby desk, lighted and bubbling, was a ten gallon aquarium containing one large fish; the fish titled up and down in its water.”(161) Dillard could have been that one fish in the aquarium seeking a breath of fresh air as well as she went up and down the hill to get a glimpse of the total eclipse, a breath of fresh air. The one fish in a ten gallon aquarium is Dillard watching the total eclipse and watching others respond and reaction to this once in a life time moment. I picture this as Dillard watching the world turns as if it was a globe spinning around at a slow speed on its stand as it finally stopped. I think Dillard wanted to know what happens afterwards, would the world change or the people might have been the puzzling question. Those few selected quotes helped me show how Dillard was reserved to change her ways and once she took those steps out of her comfort zone she was amazed at how the acceptance of her friends still welcome her as well as her new interest. She was able to observe her new surrounds and take notice how this new technology was viewed to others. How significant was this total eclipse in her life changing adventure? This format as I write about Dillard isn’t written in a clever style, it’s written in the simplest form because Dillard did not give me any motivation.