Thank you, Ms. Knapp!

Dear Ms. Knapp,

I just want say a big Thank you! for a great semester. I enjoyed having you as my English Instructor for the last two semesters; I learned a lot in your class. You are always kind and helpful and patient. You are an excellent instructor. I hope our paths cross again. And I wish you all the best. :)

Happy Holidays!

Jim Munoz

Final Paper: Conflict and the Power of Ideas

Jim Munoz
Professor Stacey Knapp
English 1B
20 December 2011

Conflict and the Power of Ideas

In the novel In Dubious Battle by John Steinbeck, which was published in 1936, we see the battle of ideas and competing ideologies. The novel is set in California in the 1930s at the height of the Great Depression, which began in 1929 with the collapse of the stock market. This was a time of great anxiety and of social-political unrest and insecurity because of the economic crisis that caused 25 percent unemployment in the United States at the time. Because of the severe economic depression, many people lost their jobs, their farms, their businesses and their homes. There was a great migration of people from the Midwest to California. However, in California, the economic conditions were not much better. At trying times like these, people look for solutions. Some people blamed the economic depression on the capitalist system. This was at a time when the Communist Party in America had a strong influence on the national political discourse. The plot of In Dubious Battle is that the capitalist economic model serves only the owners of capital, while it exploits the workers. Wanting to create an economic paradise, Jim Nolan and his comrades seek to replace the current capitalist system with a new model based on the Communist philosophy.           

The first character and the main character in the novel is Jim Nolan. Based on his name alone, we assume that Jim must be a nice guy---and he is. We see that Jim is a nice guy because he does everything his superiors ask him to do, including cooking and typing letters. And in order to understand the novel, one needs to understand the main character, Jim Nolan. However, it is not easy to understand Jim Nolan; he seems to be a complex man. Jim’s character and temperament may be a reflection of his creator, John Steinbeck. When we first meet Jim, his life isn’t going anywhere. He is lonely; he is unhappy; and he is a man without purpose in his life. The first clue of Jim’s frustration is in the opening sentence of the novel, “At last it was evening” (3). Jim is single and lonely; he doesn’t have a wife or children or a girlfriend. To find meaning and purpose for his life, Jim decides to join the Party. And he is interviewed by Party member, Harry Nilson. Through the interview, we learn a lot about Jim’s personal life and about his family. Jim had just spent thirty days in jail for vagrancy. His mother had died a month earlier while he was in jail (7); his sister, May, who was a year older than him and his only sibling, had disappeared when she was about fourteen (12); and his father, Roy Nolan, who according Harry, “had a reputation for being the toughest mug in the country. […] he could lick five cops with his bares hands,” had been killed three years earlier (6). And Jim had also been treated unfairly by his employer, Tulman’s (8). We don’t know Jim’s age, but he is probably in his late twenties. This is Jim’s background and baggage.
          Why are details of Jim’s personal life important? The details are important because we can see whether or not Jim had a happy life, a happy childhood or a happy home. Someone who has never been happy or content in their life would blame their misery on others, or on a system that is unfair and unjust. The emotions are strong motivators to action. Emotions such as: love, hate, anger, resentment or vengeance can motivate people to do things that most people would not do. From the description of Jim’s family---his father, mother and sister---we can see that Jim did not come from a happy home. His only sister disappeared at age fourteen, never to be seen or heard from again. His mother was a nice woman---she was Catholic and she prayed; but his father would not let her go to church. "He hated churches,” Jim says (7). This is not a home where there was harmony and unity in the family. This is Jim’s baggage. Jim can justify his resentment and blame it on an economic system, which is certainly not without fault. However, Jim’s unhappiness may have more to do with his own personal life and his own choices, than with an economic system that is unfair and unjust. Jim doesn’t seem to realize that life is unfair, and that he is not entitled to anything. Perhaps Jim never considered how things might have been different in his family, if Jim’s dad would have joined his wife in church, or joined her in prayer at home. This is the sort of thing that some people do all over the world, and they live happy and fulfilled lives. Nevertheless, choice and freewill are wonderful gifts from God.                             

Jim decides that he’s had enough with a system that is unfair and unjust, and he wants to change it, so he joins the Party. Although not clearly stated, it is understood that Party refers to the Communist Party in America. Jim is now ready to take on the system. He is armed with two-years of high school education; and he has three dollars in his pocket at the time he joins the Party. But Jim is no dummy, when he is being interviewed by Harry, and Harry is impressed with him, Jim declares, “I've read a lot” (8). And this was against the wishes of his old man. “But I read anyway,” Jim says proudly (9). And it happened one day---by providence, perhaps---that Jim met a man in the park, who “made a list of things for me to read” (9). Jim continues, “Oh, I read a hell of a lot” (9). The list includes the works of about fourteen prominent philosophers, including: Plato’s Republic, Nietzsche, and Marx, who wrote Das Kapital, and others. The list of these thinkers and philosophers is quite impressive. It is safe to assume that these great thinkers had all similar ideas and beliefs. Referring to the man who spoke to him in the park, Jim states, “He liked to group books that all aimed in the same direction” (9). Jim doesn’t describe or give details of the man he met in the park; and he gives the impression that he only saw the man once. However, the impact that this man made on Jim was huge.

 A quick look on Wikipedia reveals that all, or most, of these philosophers are Europeans. It is rather interesting that in the Home of the Brave and the Land of the Free, Jim Nolan could not find much inspiration among his fellow citizens. Jim Nolan chose to follow the beliefs and philosophies of these thinkers---which he is entitled to do. But I had never heard of most of these men before---my formal education is limited to a couple of years of ESL education and a couple semesters now back at City College (and I repeated the 3^rd grade in my native country).  So I have not had the opportunity to study these philosophers. I checked on Wikipedia to see who Spinoza was; and I found out that he was a Jewish man from the Netherlands; and Spinoza’s family was originally from Portugal or Spain. Furthermore, Spinoza had, at a young age, renounced God and his Jewish faith. Consequently, the Jewish community in the Netherlands renounced Spinoza and excommunicated him from the Synagogue, because he would not change his ways. Seeing that Baruch de Spinoza would not repent, the Jewish leaders pronounced a course on Baruch de Spinoza, who was twenty-three years old at the time. Spinoza went on with his life, and he wrote books about his beliefs. And twenty years after he was excommunicated and cursed, Baruch de Spinoza died at age forty-four.                                                                

Jim Nolan’s father “hated churches” (7); what this really means is that he hated God.  So Jim Nolan, or rather his creator, John Steinbeck, chooses to follow the philosophies of these thinkers, who probably all have much in common---maybe they all hated God. It is evident that Spinoza hated God; and from what I’ve heard, Nietzsche also hated God. I had never read Steinbeck before; as I have stated, I am man with a very limited formal education. Before I began to read In Dubious Battle, I had no opinions about Steinbeck, one way or another. I had heard his name and understood that he was a famous and accomplished writer. But I had no idea what his books were about. Steinbeck seems to have been a man fascinated with God; a lot of his books have a title with references to God and to heaven. The title of In Dubious Battle comes from another work, Paradise Lost, which I have never read. I do not know what Paradise Lost is really all about. However, Steinbeck takes a quote from Paradise Lost and uses it as a preface for In Dubious Battle. I don’t know if I understand what is really being said in this quote, but it seems to be loaded with meaning. Here is the quote:

Innumerable force of Spirits armed,
That durst dislike his reign, and, me preferring,
His utmost power with adverse power opposed
In dubious battle on the plains of Heaven
And shook his throne. What though the field be lost?
All is not lost—the unconquerable will,
And study of revenge, immortal hate,
And courage never to submit or yield:
And what is else not to be overcome?

                                                           Paradise Lost

Works cited

Steinbeck, John, and Warren G. French. In Dubious Battle. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.

Wartzman, Rick. Obscene in the Extreme: the Burning and Banning of John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. New York: PublicAffairs, 2008. Print.

Peer Review on the Last Draft

I had my draft reviewed by two outstanding students. I love having peer review. Every time we had peer review, I have always appreciated the comments I got from students. Students point out the mistakes that I don’t see. I am always willing to learn--this is why I am in school for.

Good luck, Everyone! :) 

What Have I Learned This Semester?

I have learned a lot this semester. I like it how Ms. Knapp uses technology in her teaching. Having our papers posted on a blog is a wonderful thing; it benefits both the teacher and the students. This really benefits the students because it gives us greater flexibility to work on our assignments. Additionally, the students have the opportunity to learn from each other, which only enhances our learning.  

This semester I also learned a lot from other students. I enjoyed reading the blogs of other students and learned much from reading their papers. The diversity of the students in the class is reflected in how we write and the things we write about. We all have much in common but have different life’s experiences---which is good!

This semester I also learned that it is extremely important to read the instructions carefully, and then plan your work accordingly. I have learned that I could have done very well this semester in all my classes, including French, if I would have just read the instructions (the syllabus) carefully and checked the calendar. But I am a guy and sometimes I reason, “Hey, I got this thing figured out, I don’t need no instructions.” Furthermore, at the beginning of the semester every class looks very easy---am I the only one who feels this way?

Perhaps it is all designed this way on purpose… but I have never been big on conspiracy theories. Then I find out that at the end of the semester I have finals in four classes, all at the same time, while I am well-prepared for two---that’s fifty per cent, or 500 per thousand.

I learned that I have a good mind, thank God! and am capable of getting A’s in all my classes, but my baggage gets in the way. We all carry our own baggage---well, I am speaking for myself. This idea came to me a couple of weeks ago after a Friday class. I was walking on Leigh Avenue toward the LR station when I saw a Toyota Camry parked on the street; the car looked clean and in good condition on the outside, but on the inside it was full of garbage. I took some pictures of the car, and then wondered about the person who owned that car. Why would they keep that trash and carry it around in the car? This is not the first time that I have seen a car like that.

I have recently realized that I, too, carry my own baggage, though I would not compare it to what I saw in that car. Nevertheless, I have become aware that I still carry baggage, and that baggage gets in the way of me doing my best. I am not being pessimistic or feeling hopeless---not at all---just thinking out loud.  

Merry Christmas! ¡Feliz Navidad! Happy Winter Break!

How is Jim Similar with the Growers?

Oh my, I need to think about this a little more... But this much is clear: the growers have their own agenda, and so does Jim. Each party has their own agenda; and guess what... each party pushes their own agenda. And each party uses all the means at their disposal in pursue of their objectives. The growers are greedy and they want keep things the way they are...

Rough Draft Peer Review

My short draft was reviewed by three students – thank you! I got some positive comments and some negative ones – that was good! The positive comments are encouraging, while the negative ones help me to focus on the areas where I need to improve. There were three reasons for the negative comments, and they were all justified; so the students were doing their job! The reasons were: a- the draft was not complete, b- was lacking MLA citations, c- there were a couple of run-on sentences---I know this was true. This is kind of my writing style and I tend to use too many semicolons. The reason for that is I try to avoid using too many short sentences. Another comment was, “I am not sure what this paper is about.” That was a good comment, too. I am an aspiring writer, and I am here to learn. And I am learning. “Writing is hard work,” as Ms. Knapp often says.     

Persepolis: Taking Another Look

          The book Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi, tells a powerful and fascinating story of a young school girl growing up in Iran during the time of the Islamic Revolution of 1979. The book is a memoir of a very smart and equally ambitious young girl, who is being educated at a French non-religious school---for she was born into a well-to-do family.  Although Satrapi was only ten years old at the start of the revolution, she shows wit and wisdom beyond her years. This is demonstrated by the things that interested her at that young age; she seems more interested in having conversations with intelligent adults than with kids of her own age, with the exception of Mehri, the family's maid. The book is interesting and compelling for a number of reasons; the story is intriguing because it speaks of the social-political realities of Iran at the time of the revolution; and it also speaks of the oppression and injustice suffered by the people of Iran---at the hands of their own government---going back into ancient history. Pulling no punches, Satrapi weaves this fascinating story, and she puts it in the historical context of the people, the culture and the history of Iran---also known as Persia, its ancient and former name.

          Persepolis is such an interesting book that there’s no wonder why it has received so much praise from American institutions like the New Youk Times, Los Angeles Times and USA Today, among others. The book is compelling even before one opens the first page of the book; just the title itself, Persepolis, is very appealing. The title is just one word, comes from the Greek, and it just flows off your lips very smoothly: Persepolis---it’s genius! And then the red color, which is a beautiful color, it’s all part of the design. I mean, the red is so red that if one looks carefully enough and closely enough, one can probably see the hammer and the sickle right on the book’s cover (now I did take a good look, but I am colorblind and have sort of a poor vision - for reals). 

          Additionally, the book’s cover has an illustrated picture of Satrapi---which was done by Satrapi herself---as a young girl, wearing the veil that she was forced into wearing. Also, the book is an illustrated book with very powerful images throughout the book---we all know that a picture is worth a thousand words---without the images the book would be a very small book. Furthermore, this is a story about a smart and beautiful young girl, who at every young age saw the injustice and suffering of her people, and she just wanted to make a difference. After reading the book, what else can one do but fall in love with her.

A draft... to be continued...

For My Formal Paper

For my Formal Paper, I’d like to do it on the book Persepolis. I find the book interesting and fascinating, and I would like to expand on the story of the book and the characters in it.

Ms. Knapp, do you think this is a good idea?

Thanks! :)

Thinking About Your Thinking

 

Wow! It’s good to learn something new every day! Lately I have being learning so much that my head is spinning like a trompo. Not only am I learning about ideas and about people I never heard of before, but some of these ideas even have Greek names --or at least they all sound Greek to me. I think that is the reason why my head feels like it is functioning in overdrive: too many Greek words in such a short time. On second thought, I also have been drinking more coffee lately, so that would be an alternate theory. I am referring to a new word I learned this week: metacognitive. If someone would have asked me a short time ago, what were my “metacognitive skills,” I would have answered that I had none, and that my health was excellent; because I would have assumed that they were talking about some kind of illness. But now I know that this has to do with, or is about, thinking about your thinking…

I think that thinking about your thinking is a good thing, if you really think about it. The brilliant French philosopher, writer and mathematician René Descartes (31 March 1596 – 11 February 1650) said it best when he said, “I think, therefore I am.” Now because Descartes was a Frenchman, he actually said it in French, “Je pense donc je suis.”

Now how often do we drink the kool-aid that is given to us and we swallow it, dead flies and all (ugh!!!), without thinking? I think this explains a lot of indigestion out there… but then again I am not a science major. I say this because I’ve been there... done that. For a long time, I was brainwashed by a certain political ideology; however, in the last seven years, or so, I began to see things very differently.         

To be continued… I still need to get to my main point…

Character Description

The protagonist, the main character in Persepolis is Marjane. Here I want to focus on how Marjane sees the heroes in this story. She is very much disappointed that her father is “not a hero” when she declares, “My father was not a hero, my mother wanted to kill people… so I went out to play in the street” (52). The picture here is of a little girl walking away very disillusioned that her father was not a hero. For her father to be a hero, she wanted him to have spent time in jail, be tortured or have his limbs cut off; anything less, disqualifies her father as a hero in Marjane’s eyes.  

However, I see her father differently: he is a good husband and a good father. Her father is an engineer; he is providing for and taking care of his family.  Her father is not a wimp (my word), he is going out to protest in the streets and he is taking pictures; by doing that, he was risking his life. Marjane laments about her father, “If only he had been in prison.” Then she just lies to some kids: “They cut my dad’s leg off, but he still didn’t confess!… so they cut off an arm as well” (54).

Marjane’s true heroes are: Siamak, Mohsen, Ahmadi, her uncle Anoosh (especially him) and her great-uncle Fereydoon. Siamak and Mohsen spent six and eight years in jail (47), respectively --sure they are heroes. And Ahmadi was horribly tortured before he was cut to pieces (51/52).

Now uncle Anoosh is Marjane’s great hero, and he is family. She declares, “And now I had a hero in my family… naturally I loved him immediately” (54). So Marjane slobbers all over him; then she goes to the kitchen and whips up hot chocolate for him and for her. She is seen carrying a tray with two cups, and the caption reads, "dialectic materialism?" They stay up late, so uncle Anoosh tells her his great story of how he swam across the Aras River and made it all the way to Moscow (if true, this is very interesting), where he was educated; he proudly tells her he got a doctorate in Marxism-Leninism (59). Interesting, he does not mention if in his studies he learned how many millions of people Lenin killed… but that’s another story.  

Is there a scene in the book that I relate to personally? Well… everyone has been in love at one time or another, right? The story that Anoosh tells about uncle Fereydoon and his girlfriend is fascinating! It’s a love story, and the girl is the bigger hero here because, without her, nothing happens. The man she is in love with is in jail, and she knows that he will be executed the next day, so she goes to see him for the last time (58). They are hugging tightly and she is crying while she proposes, “My love… let’s make a child.” He seems surprised and asks, “Here? Right now?” --“Yes," she replies, "I paid the guard. He won’t bother us.” So they consummate their love, and voilà!… a son was born in due time.  

Persepolis Part One: The Veil

The personal narrative of Marjane Satrapi in Persepolis is a powerful and compelling story. In the book, she tells us her personal experiences as a young school girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Marjane was born into a well-to-do family, and she was getting her education in a bilingual non-religious French school (4). Life was good for her and for her family. Her father drove a Cadillac, and her family had a maid. Although Marjane was only ten years old, she already knew what she was going to do with her life: she was going to be a prophet, “the first woman prophet,” and “the last prophet.” She had known this since she was six years old (4). However, the revolution put in power a dictatorship government. The first changes the dictators made: they closed down all bilingual schools, and made the veil obligatory to wear at school (3).
 
The main protagonist in Persepolis is Marjane herself, and she leaves no doubt about it. However, Marjane tells not just one story, but three stories in one; she gives us a quick lesson in the history of Persia (Intro.), tells the story of her family (22) and her own personal story. She pulls this triple-play very effectively. She traces the history of Persia way back to the second millennium B.C., and identifies the Persian people as descendants of the Medes and the Persians. She mentions Cyrus the Great (Intro.; 28; @footnote), who was a Persian emperor in the 6th. Century B.C. Marjane gives these important historical details, evidently, because she is very proud of the history and culture of her people.

What will happen to Marjane in the book? She will probably face a lot of drama and danger; and she will put herself in the center of it all; there will be many twists and turns, but she will not be the hero. Her attitude is that of a smart cookie. I am sure she was, and is, smart. Her tone in the book---at least I see it this way---is that she was smarter than both her mom and her dad. Let’s remember that she was only ten years old when all this drama started.

Marjane will also end up somewhat confused, but not too confused. Why do I say this? Marjane is only ten years old and she is idolizing Fidel Castro and Che Guevara (10). Where did she learn about these guys, in school? Were French schools teaching communism at that time? I have no idea. Her family was communist (22), but there’s no word that they had indoctrinated her at that young age, though that would have been more likely. Also her concept about God is misguided (13), in my view, but she is certainly free to believe what she chooses to believe.

In summary, the book is enjoyable to read, and I learn much from reading it. I especially enjoyed the Letter chapter (33) where she writes the love letters for the maid (35). When the maid loses her boyfriend because they were from different social classes (37), Marjane tries to comfort her; Marjane says: “We were not in the same social class but at least we were in the same bed.”

@ Cyrus the Great is in the book of Isaiah the Prophet in the Jewish/Christian Bible; he is a prominent figure. Isaiah lived more than 100 years before Cyrus but prophecies about him, identifying him by name.

"Tiempo Libre"

Por el Pobrecito Hablador II (Moi)

Mi nombre es Jaime, tiene diptongo   
Y estos son versos que yo compongo

Yo soy un hombre que ha vivido   
Lo más valioso es lo que he sufrido
Yo vivo simple, como ermitaño   
Es poco tiempo, ya van cien años                       

Yo no se letras, no en francés   
Y siempre he sufrido de timidez
Estudié español, dos por semana   
La profe es linda, se llama Ana                                                         

Mis compañeras, sólo en la escuela   
Fueron: Zuly, Blanca, y Maricela
Estas niñas, ¿son estudiosas?   
Lo que no hay duda... ¡que son hermosas!                                                         

Zuly es niña salvadoreña  
De algún dichoso, ella es la dueña
Ay, Blanca, ¡que hermoso aroma!  
Sus bellos ojos son de paloma

Tengo una amiga, ya es más de un mes  
Es muy bonita, habla francés
"Mon ami," así me llama
Es un encanto, y es toda una dama

Un gran amor mi alma desea   
Ella es hermosa, se llama “Rosa”
Ella no sabe que a mí me gusta   
No se lo he dicho, quizá se asusta

En esta vida es la costumbre   
El que más ama, el que más sufre
Esto lo tengo bien entendido
Pero no indica que estoy vencido

"Tiempo Libre"  Copyright 2010  by Jim Munoz

My Mother Never...

My mother never understood her real potential. She could have been many different things professionally. She could have been a great teacher at any level of education, elementary, high school or college. My mother could have been an excellent journalist; she could have been a business woman. My mother could have been a doctor; my mother could have been a scientist.

However, my mother never dreamed of becoming a professional in any of those fields. Why...? Because my mother was born at time, and in a place, where people didn't dream of those kind of dreams, specially for little girls. My mother only went to grade school, and even that was limited; but in the short time that she was in school, she did extremely well in language and in math.

My mother had all the potential to excel in any of these professions that I mentioned. My mother (she's in her 70s now) has always had a great mind and an amazing memory that is still very impressive. My mother, with very little effort, memorizes important dates, details of events, many telephone numbers, etc. She remembers details and dates of events that happened over her lifetime.  

My mother's dream as a young girl was to grow up, find Mr. Right, and get married; and that she did, she married my father. And my father was definitely Mr. Right for her, he was a good man, was hardworking and he was a very handsome man. I once described my father as being "extremely handsome" and of having "charisma that could choke a horse." Too bad I did not take after my father--but neither did any of my brothers. My father passed away just a couple of months ago.

I am...

Out of my comfort zone! That is what it feels like to write this blog. . . . My name is Jaime Munoz, and I also go by Jim. In the past I was not sure I liked my name but I like it now; my name has ten letters, including all five vowels, none repeated... I think this is cool; it gives me something to smile about ^_^ ... A few years ago when the economic recession hit, and I lost my job, my income, my car, my marriage and other personal and valuable things, I realized it was time to start saving. I had no money to save, and I could not save time, so I looked elsewhere to see where I could save something... that’s when I realized that I could “save” two vowels in my name; this is how I got Jim.   

I am probably the oldest in this class, and that’s alright with me. I don’t think I am a senior yet, but a friend told me I could be considered a “super senior.” I am a return student to this college--I had attended this college before. I never imagined that after an absence of three decades, I would return here, but last fall I returned to this campus. At first, it was a real struggle emotionally to be back in school; my mind was telling me that I needed to be here, but my emotions were totally against it--it was a tough fight. Now I am glad that I am here, and I am committed to continue to the finish line.

I have recently reconnected with an old love of mine... and I am tickled to death about this love. I first met (discovered) this love at the time when I was a young college student on this campus. I am speaking of my love for letters... I love literature! I had forgotten about this love, but we are back together now where we belong. I am an aspiring writer, and this why I am back in school now. I have received much encouragement from wonderful people, including from Ms. Knapp. This means a lot, thank you!!! :)

I am a Christian, and my faith is very important to me. And I believe in being nonjudgmental, “judge not lest you be judged.” I am well acquainted with the word of God, the Bible, and I believe it. I also believe in miracles. When the Loma Prieta earthquake hit in October 1989, I thought I was going to die, and I felt a real peace about it. When the quake hit, I was in my corner office on the 11th. floor of a 13-story building in San Jose; the shaking was very strong, so I thought the building was going to collapse. I really thought I was going to die at that moment. I was not afraid to die, I was just concerned about my wife and my two boys, who were five and two at the time.   

I was born in Mexico in a small town north of Guadalajara. I came to the U.S. when I was sixteen; I enrolled in high school but soon I dropped out. After this I moved to Chicago and then to Indiana, where I lived for about a year and a half. I returned to San Jose, and it was then that I got serious about completing my high school education and trying to learn English. After high school, I enrolled at City College, but unfortunately, again I dropped out. This was due to lack of vision, not motivation. Soon after this I got married to my sweetheart, and life took a different direction. A few years later I briefly attended San Jose State, and again, I dropped out.   

I have a dream! I have a dream to go to Rio de Janeiro. I wanna go to Rio to see people there DANCING on the beaches of Rio. This is actually very high up on my “100 things to do bucket list”. If and when I accomplish it, this alone will account for about 55 points. The distance from SFO to Rio is only 6,617 miles. God willing, I will go to Rio... However, it is a bit difficult to focus on a “bucket list” when I am reminded that, right now, I could really use a new pair of sandals--but that’s besides the point. . . . Anyhow, I am thankful for 3M Tape and bobby pins.