Tyler was part of a team that managed the technological infrastructure of the world. In truth, he did very little since much of the system was automated; the real work had been done by past generations. All Tyler had to do was look at a screen and make sure that the satellite he was in charge of worked correctly. If there was a problem that could not be solved automatically, he would receive an alert and have to manually correct the problem, which typically involved reprogramming the system. While this would have been nearly impossible for a human to do alone only 100 years ago, Tyler could do it independently with ease. This was due to the computer chip in his brain: this computer chip allowed any human being to instantly receive an education, which eliminated the need for schools and colleges. Of course, there were limitations to what could be learned. Nobody could become an engineer, doctor and lawyer at the same time; people had to choose what they enjoyed most and specialize in that field. Tyler had found computer programming to be the most enjoyable from an online career test, and pursued a career in it.

An alarm in the kitchen went off and Tyler went to eat his breakfast. However, before he had the chance to take a bite of his omelet, a much louder alarm went off at his main computer. Startled, Tyler ran into the living room and clicked on the alert that had appeared on the screen. It was a message from his administrator; he clicked “respond,” and a window opened up revealing the face of a middle aged man with balding hair. He spoke in a deep, firm voice: “Mr. Johnson, there has been an emergency, we need you to come to our headquarters in New York City immediately. There is going to be a major problem with the satellite and power systems due to an unusually large solar storm. Be here by this evening. We apologize for the short notice, but this is urgent.” Tyler had barely opened his mouth when his boss ended the conversation and the window closed. The abrupt end to the conversation and ominous message made Tyler nervous. To what extent would the damage be due to the solar storm? It was likely to be fairly serious, since he had to leave the convenience of his own room. Plus, Tyler had never been to New York, and for that matter, had never traveled outside of Chicago his whole life. No longer having an appetite, Tyler put his breakfast into the dishwasher where the food was automatically disposed of and the dishes cleaned. Stressed, Tyler went to the bathroom and took some anti-anxiety pills. Immediately, he felt much better and was able to think more clearly. He was never able to do much of anything when he felt any sort of stress. With his mind relaxed, Tyler went online and requested a flight for New York City. The next departure was leaving in only 3 hours, so Tyler immediately prepared to leave. He ordered his tickets and made reservations for a hotel room. After shutting down his computers, he grabbed his cellular phone, and extra pair of clothes, and was ready to go.

Stepping into his car, Tyler set the destination to Chicago’s O’Hare airport. The car automatically began driving itself to the destination while Tyler listened to his favorite songs. It had been awhile since he had been outside of his room, and he decided to roll down the window. The cool November air felt strange against his face; Tyler was used to the comfortable 75 degree temperature inside his apartment. Rolling the window back up, Tyler looked at the city around him. It was surprising how many buildings had no lights on inside them. He knew that the world’s population had been steadily decreasing for the past several hundred years. Most people had stopped having relationships since they were complicated, and instead preferred the convenience of technology. After 15 minutes on the road he had only seen four other cars. Tyler felt that he was one of the last people on earth. Not liking the feeling of isolation, he turned up the volume on his music and played some games on his cell phone. Soon, Tyler found himself passing through the bright lights and towering buildings of downtown. He had never actually been downtown before, but it was difficult to see the buildings from his vantage point, so Tyler searched for pictures on his cell phone to find detailed pictures of the buildings. He was in the midst of looking at an aerial view of downtown when suddenly everything outside went black.

The car slowly came to a halt in the middle of the pitch black street. Aside from the greenish glow of the car’s dashboard there were no other sources of light. Immediately, Tyler’s heart rate began racing as he tried to figure out what was going on. The screen on the dashboard of the car no longer displayed a map like it had before, but instead simply displayed a message saying “No Service.” Tyler deduced that the effects from the solar storm had come earlier than expected. He began to worry: if he didn’t make it to the meeting on time, then several other programmers didn’t make it either. Therefore, any hope of reestablishing the satellite and power networks was unlikely. Tyler waited in his car for several hours not knowing what to do. Eventually, the lights in the car went off putting Tyler in complete darkness. He picked up his cell phone and tried calling everyone he knew, but there was no service. After giving up on his cell phone, Tyler remembered something that he believed would save his life. All heavily populated areas had stations that were designed for emergencies. They had their own temporary power source and most importantly, internet access. The internet from these stations connected to other emergency stations around the world, and would allow people to communicate and hopefully find a solution to whatever problem had occurred. He knew that there was one of these in the New York City headquarters he was previously en route to, so finding this station was the most important thing he could do. The location of Chicago’s emergency station was in the Chicago Public Library; unfortunately, Tyler had no idea where he was. Had he been less reliant on his car’s automated transportation system for directions, perhaps he would have been able to use surrounding landmarks and street names to figure out his location. Unfortunately, Tyler was completely clueless. Out of indecisiveness and desperation, he decided to get out of his car to walk around. Immediately after opening the door, Tyler’s jaw dropped and his eyes stared into the sky in awe. Above him lay hundreds of small shining specks in the sky. He had never seen anything like this before and instinctively took out his cell phone and pointed it at the sky to take a picture. To his great disappointment, none of the objects in the sky showed up on the camera. He began to walk south, although he didn’t know it. Had he walked north instead, he would have walked directly past the library which was only one block away. After a few hours, Tyler collapsed on the cold cement, but thanks to the airbags in his clothes, he didn’t hurt himself. He couldn’t walk any farther: he was exhausted from all the walking, and the cold air sucked the life out of him. At the top of his lungs, he cried out for help, but there was nobody outside to hear him. Everybody else was in their rooms either panicking, or lying in their beads out of hopelessness. They too would eventually meet the same fate as Tyler.

Michael Lee looked at the horizon as the sun rose over New York City. His message had gone out too late, but he was hopeful somebody would still make it to one of the emergency stations and send a message. This was the most technologically advanced society in mankind’s history, and the people of this generation were better educated than all men and women who lived before them. Something as simple as a solar flare wouldn’t bring down civilization, would it? Michael turned back to the computer screen, and waited.

In my story I’ll focus on one individual (don’t have name yet) who lives in only one room. Everybody is in the same situation that he is in, so he represents the entire world’s population.  Everything he needs is in that room, and he never needs to leave it. He hardly ever has to leave his chair, and is fed through an IV tube. From his computer, he can connect to the internet and contact anyone in the world, as well as do his job. His job doesn’t require much work, all he has to do is to put numbers into a calculator and submit the results. Instead of traveling for vacations, he instead looks at pictures of areas in the world and reads about them on Wikipedia. He never talks to people in person, but instead uses emails or instant messaging. With regards to his health, the character is obese, just like the rest of the population. However, people in this time are the most highly educated generation humanity has ever produced. Most of society’s problems in this time period have been eliminated by previous generations, so for the most part people can simply “enjoy” life. Diseases, poverty, and discrimination are no longer large obstacles to society. However, while this society has few problems, they have become so accustomed to their luxuries that they can’t live without them. One day, a powerful solar storm knocks out the power and disrupts satellites, so people no longer have access any of the technology they have been dependent on. Crowds of people pour into the streets, but nobody knows what to do. Some people form groups and try to leave the city to get food, while others panic. The main character tries to leave the city, but quickly gets tired and stops and waits for help. Eventually, everyone becomes fatigued and sit in the streets and waits for help. Since nobody is physically fit and everyone is in the same situation, there is no help coming. In the end, the main character along with everyone else dies from thirst, exhaustion, or the cold. The most intelligent and advanced society in the history of the human race perished due to something that any previous society would have been able to easily recover from.

In my opinion, we are in danger of becoming too dependent on our everyday conveniences. I believe that our advances in technology are somewhat responsible for the increasingly sedentary lifestyles people are living. There is nothing wrong with using technology to make our lives easier and more comfortable. However, we are in danger of becoming too dependent on it so that instead of being something we want, it becomes something we need.

In the short story, people are given “handicaps” that cause them to be equal to everyone else. These range from headbands that interrupt people’s thoughts with a loud noise every few seconds, to bags of birdshot that restrict people’s strength. People are also forced to be modest and never show anything about themselves that would give them an unfair advantage over somebody else. Attractive people are forced to wear masks and news reporters stutter. These mandatory policies are enforced by the handicapper general, who ironically doesn’t have any handicaps herself. The world Kurt Vonnegut depicts in his short story is so absurd that it shows how equally absurd the idea of complete equality is. His critique is legitimate in that it shows the danger of taking equality too far. In our society we value individualism, but we also don’t want people to feel disadvantaged. While this is understandable, we can’t expect everyone to perform at the same level: some people have advantages in different areas.

In the movie, the general message is still the same; however, the movie follows the experiences of Harrison Bergeron and allows us to see the government that rules over the people. Only intelligent people run the government and they are free from any sort of handicaps. Government workers are able to enjoy things that “normal” people can’t such as music and movies. However, they are restricted to living in one area and must sever their previous relationships with their families and friends. Harrison disagrees with the fact citizens are never given the opportunity to experience anything that might allow them to become better than average, and in the end of the movie he committed suicide out of refusal to accept what the government wanted, whereas in the short story the handicapper general shot him. I think these changes to the storyline were made so we could more easily relate to Harrison himself. By following Harrison’s experiences, we hear his thoughts and watch his efforts to change society. In the short story, Harrison appears to have slightly lost his mind when he declares himself emperor. There is still a degree of humor in the movie that matches that of Vonnegut, such as when the teacher tells Harrison to see a doctor because he receives higher grades than his classmates, but at times the movie is meant to be taken seriously, particularly when we discover Phillipa is pregnant after Harrison kills himself.

Both the movie and short story had the same message that creating a society where everyone is the same is absurd. The short story focused on the ridiculous handicaps people were forced to wear and how those handicaps “dumbed down” society. The movie showed how forcing people to be equal deprived them of any opportunities that would give them an advantage and resulted in everyone living in an alternate reality. I think that the movie is a better critique because it is easier to relate to the characters and see how complete equality destroys people’s potential and relationships.

With Pandora, radio stations are created which play music that shares characteristics with the song or band that was initially typed in. Type in “Queen” and songs from other bands such as Journey and Styx will be played that share many of the same musical qualities that songs from the Queen do. The goal of Pandora is to find new music to listen to from songs that the person already likes. This is a popular alternative from listening to the radio since people are in control of what they want to listen to: they are given the ability to listen to whole songs and skip ones they dislike. Pandora is significant in that it gives people control over what they listen to and allows them to discover previously unknown songs and artists. It also gives lesser known bands the opportunity to access a greater audience that they would have otherwise been unable to reach.

LastFM is similar; however, unlike Pandora, it is not possible to listen to the entirety of songs, only portions of them (with some exceptions). On the other hand, people can post comments and make personalized accounts on LastFM, which creates an interactive online community. Typing “Queen” on LastFM will show the band’s most popular songs based on how many times members of the LastFM community have listened to them and several comments by users regarding their opinions of the band. It is possible for people to exchange their opinions of songs and albums, as well as give one another recommendations of other bands and songs to listen to. LastFM signifies the social aspect of music. Not only do people want to find songs on our own, they also want to interact with others and express themselves as an individual.

Music in some ways defines who a person is. It has always been an important part of our culture, and it comes in many varieties. Radio stations appeal to a large audience at the cost of appealing to the individual. LastFM and Pandora recognize the wide variations in musical taste and offer a large library of music available for all types of personalities. Both these websites put people in control over what they want to listen to and therefore signify that convenience and individuality are highly valued by our culture.

Wherever I look, I see people carrying around some form of technology. Some are talking on a cell phone; others are typing on a laptop computer; nearly everybody has headphones in his or her ears. Society today is addicted to technology, particularly the technology of convenience. What once was confined to wires has become wireless: game controllers are now powered by batteries, phones have become cordless and the internet can now not only be reached in a living room, but also in the middle of a forest. If a piece of useful technology somehow restricts us, it is safe to bet that it will one day be with us wherever we go. Dependence on technology is essential to our daily lives and something we often take for granted, much like electricity and water: without it our lifestyles would have to change dramatically. Not only does technology impact our culture, culture also impacts our technology. An object’s design, coloration and function are influenced by the values and tastes of the culture that designed it, as well as the individual who owns it. Perhaps one of the greatest examples of this is cell phones. They can be found everywhere and have become an integral part of people’s daily lives. My cell phone in particular says a great deal about the society I live in.

My cell phone, while slightly outdated, resembles many newer cell phones. With regards to shape, it is rectangular with curved corners. It is light weight and small enough to fit in my pocket with ease. In the upper left corner, an antenna sticks out and can be adjusted in length from one to four inches. On both front and back sides is a rectangular chrome area 2.5 by 1 inch. The chrome area has several small indentions only millimeters apart which circulate around a small chrome circle with an “M” on it. By moving one’s finger over the chrome area, the curved indentions can be felt and force the finger to move in a circular motion. The front of the phone has a small rectangular screen situated just above the middle on the chrome rectangle which displays the time. The phone opens up like a pair of jaws via a hinge to reveal a glowing screen on the top half and a group of buttons on the bottom half. The buttons are flat and the same size as a pinkie fingernail; pressing them allows the user to dial a number or change the phones settings. All the buttons have numerous symbols on them, from numbers to letters, and are illuminated by a vibrant blue light, making it easy to see them in the dark. Only three buttons are different: one on the upper right is green and one on the upper left is red, and one in the upper middle is circular. All the different details on the object give it a stylish and appealing appearance.

Like all technology of today, cell phones started out bulkier, simpler and less practical. The first cell phones were released in 1982 and were “the size of a Philly cheese steak, each [weighing] almost two pounds.”[i] Hardly something anyone would want to carry around and a far cry from the cell phones we are accustomed to today. Earlier phones were homogeneous in style as well. Cellular phones from the 1980s and 1990s were darker colors such as black or dark grey, a stark contrast from the diverse colors phones are available in today. In addition, the buttons used for dialing numbers were on the outside of the phone, much like a home phone of the time, minus the cord. As time went on, advancements in technology allowed phones to become smaller and more sophisticated. Companies realized the possibilities a cell phone could bring and invested heavily into developing it into a practical and useful part of our daily lives. Over the course of just ten years cell phones went from being heavy and cumbersome to lightweight and streamlined.

Today, cell phones can do much more than simply make phone calls: they play music, write text messages, take pictures and even connect to the internet. A majority of cell phones are smooth and polished, and most have a chrome area somewhere on them. While the first cell phones could have been used as weapons in extreme situations, today’s phones appear fragile. Some are so thin that I wonder how they don’t break in half. This evolution in design makes a statement about our culture as a whole. We want our gadgets to be smaller and offer more than the previous models. Cell phones seem to be incorporating everything we enjoy into their design. Why carry an iPod and camera around when you can listen to music and take pictures with a cell phone? Personal convenience seems to be the direction cell phones are taking into the future.

Change in the design of cellular phones has also led to a change in our society. If I want to talk to somebody I don’t need to wait until I see them next or wait until I get to my room. Instead, I can call them whenever I want thanks to my cell phone, which is with me at all times. It is easy to make plans with my friends or call my parents back at home without any sort of delay. Everybody seems to own a cell phone nowadays: “The Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association projected that in 2006, 233 million people had cell phones in the US, making 76 percent of the population wirelessly connected to one another.”[ii] This exemplifies society’s desire to be able to do anything in a moments notice. We don’t want to have to use a pay phone or wait until the next time we meet in person to talk to somebody. Our culture has always wanted to be in complete control of everything and the cell phone is a step in this direction. With it, we are not limited to anything but ourselves and those who we want to talk with.

In addition to impacting society, cell phones also reflect the individuals that use them. My phone, for example, is relatively basic. It can send text messages, make phone calls and take poor quality pictures. I never use the camera on my phone and both my conversations and text messages are brief and to the point. I feel no need to pay a higher price for “fluff” that while may look impressive, will serve me no purpose. Other phones, however, put mine to shame. The iPhone, for example, can connect to the internet and play music in addition to doing everything mine can. I have no need for any of this and feel no need to always stay connected to society. Some people, however, want to have everything in the palm of their hand.

Additionally, cell phones reveal what people have always needed: social contact and security. We don’t ever want to be completely alone. Looking at technology one would think the exact opposite. More and more, we are isolated from one another and it not as necessary to be in direct social contact. Why meet up at a certain location to talk with somebody when instead you can talk to him or her from where you already are? Appearances can be deceiving, however, especially with regards to technology. Cell phones are used so we can talk to people more, not less. While text messages and a voice can’t match a personal conversation, the latter is very limited due to location. The former, on the other hand, can be done anywhere. It’s not that we’re talking to each other less; it’s that we’re talking to one another more often, just in different ways. Distance, once mankind’s greatest restriction to dialogue, is no longer an obstacle. Having a cell phone also gives a feeling of security. When I went mountain biking during the summer or on a hiking trail, I had a cell phone so I could call for help if it became necessary. Whenever my parents left the house when I was young, they told me to call them on their cell phone if anything went wrong. Wherever you are, you are never alone and help is a phone call away.

Cell phones are a reflection of both our static and changing culture. We want them to perform the roles our other devices do in addition to making calls, yet we want them to be smaller. At the same time, we keep them because we are social by nature and always want to have somebody to talk to, even if we can’t see them. Cell phones say more about our culture than any other piece of technology: they reflect our desire to have it all in one convenient package. Humans have always created tools to make their lives easier, and the cell phone is a perfect example of this. Our cell phones are our greatest technological companions, and the most practical. They make us feel safe and bring new opportunities of communication to our fingertips. If words were to be described with objects, “convenience” would be represented by a cell phone.

 [i] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/22/AR2008022202283.html?hpid=topnews

My cell phone, while slightly outdated, resembles many newer cell phones. With regards to shape, it is rectangular with curved corners. It is light weight and small enough to fit in my pocket with ease. In the upper left corner, an antenna sticks out and can be adjusted in length from one to four inches. On both front and back sides is a rectangular chrome area 2.5 by 1 inch. The chrome area has several small indentions only millimeters apart which circulate around a small chrome circle with an “M” on it. By moving one’s finger over the chrome area, the curved indentions can be felt and force the finger to move in a circular motion. The front of the phone has a small rectangular screen situated just above the middle on the chrome rectangle which displays the time. The object opens up from the bottom to reveal a glowing screen on the top half and a group of buttons on the bottom half. The buttons are all flat and the same size as a pinkie fingernail; pressing them causes the screen to change. The buttons have numerous symbols on them from numbers to letters and are illuminated by a blue light, making it easy to see them in the dark. Only two buttons are different: one on the upper right is green and one on the upper left is red. All the different details on the object give it a stylish and appealing appearance.

Like all technology of today, cell phones started out bulkier, simpler and less practical. The first cell phones were released in 1982; they were the size of bricks and weighed 2 pounds. Hardly something anyone would want to carry around and a far cry from the cell phones we are used to today. As time went on, however, companies realized the possibilities a cell phone could bring and invested heavily into developing it into a practical and useful part of our daily lives. Over the course of just ten years cell phones went from being heavy and cumbersome to lightweight and streamlined. Earlier phones had different styles as well. Cellular phones from the 1980s and 1990s were darker colors like black or dark grey. In addition, the buttons used for dialing numbers were on the outside of the phone, much like a home phone of the time minus the cord. The buttons also lacked letters which all modern phones have for text messaging. As time went on, advancements in technology allowed phones became smaller and more advanced.

Today, cell phones can do much more than simply make phone calls: they play music, write text messages, take pictures and even connect to the internet. Nearly all of them are smooth and polished and most typically seem to have silver or chrome area somewhere on them. While the first cell phones could have been used as weapons in extreme situations, today’s phones appear fragile. Some are so thin that I wonder how they don’t break in half. This evolution in design makes a statement about our culture as a whole. Clearly, we want our gadgets to be smaller and offer more than the previous models. Cell phones seem to be incorporating everything we enjoy into their design. Why carry an iPod and camera around when you can listen to music and take pictures with a cell phone? Personal convenience seems to be the direction cell phones are taking into the future.

Cell phones have not only changed in their design, they have also allowed our society to change. If I want to talk to somebody I don’t need to wait until I see them next or wait until I get to my room. Instead, I can call them at any time thanks to my cell phone which is with me at all times. It is easy to make plans with my friends whenever I want and I can call my parents back at home without any sort of delay. From what I see daily, people talk on the phone almost as much as they talk in person. This exemplifies society’s desire to be able to do anything in a moments notice. We don’t want to have to use a pay phone or wait until the next time we meet in person to talk to somebody. Our culture has always wanted to be in complete control of everything, and the cell phone is a step in this direction. With it, we are not limited to anything but ourselves and those who we want to talk with.

Cell phones reveal what people have always needed: social contact and security. We don’t ever want to be completely alone. Looking at technology one would think the exact opposite. More and more we are isolated from one another and it not as necessary to be in direct social contact. Why meet up at a certain location to talk with somebody when instead you can talk to him or her from where you already are? Appearances can be deceiving, however, especially with regards to technology. Cell phones are used so we can talk to people more, not less. While text messages and a voice can’t match a personal conversation, the latter is very limited. The former, on the other hand, can be done anywhere. It’s not that we’re talking to each other less; it’s that we’re talking to one another more often, just in different ways. Distance, once mankind’s greatest restriction on dialogue, is no longer an obstacle. Additionally, having a cell phone gives a feeling of security. When I went mountain biking during the summer or on a hiking trail, I had a cell phone so I could call for help if it became necessary. Whenever my parents left the house when I was young, they told me to call them on their cell phone if anything went wrong. Wherever you are, you are never alone and help is a phone call away.

Cell phones not only reflect culture, they also reflect the individuals that use them. My phone, for example, is relatively basic. It can send text messages, make phone calls and take poor quality pictures. I never use the camera on my phone and both my conversations and text messages are brief and to the point. I feel no need to pay a higher price for “fluff” that while may look impressive, will serve me no purpose. Other phones, however, put mine to shame. The iPhone, for example, can connect to the internet and play music in addition to doing everything mine can. I have no need for any of this and feel no need to always stay connected to society. Some people, however, want to have everything in the palm of their hand.

Cell phones are a reflection of our changing society. We want them to do more than just make phone calls: we want them to incorporate everything that our other devices do. Cell phones say more about our culture than any other piece of technology; they reflect our desire to have it all in one convenient package. Humans have always created tools to make their lives easier, and the cell phone is a perfect example of this. Our cell phones are our greatest technological companions, and the most practical. They make us feel safe and bring new opportunities of communication to our fingertips. If words were to be described with objects, “convenience” would be described with a cell phone.

The object is rectangular with curved corners. In the upper left corner, an antenna sticks out and can be adjusted in length. On both sides of the object is a rectangular chrome area in the interior, bordered by a dark grey area. The chrome area has several small indentions only millimeters apart which circulate around a small chrome circle with an “M” on it. By moving one’s finger over the chrome area, the curved indentions can be felt. The front of the object has a small rectangular screen which displays the time, situated just above the middle on the chrome rectangle. The object opens up from the bottom to reveal a glowing screen on the top half and a group of buttons on the bottom half. The buttons are all flat and the same size; pressing them causes the screen to change. The buttons have numerous symbols on them and are illuminated by a blue light. Only two buttons are different: one on the upper right is green and one on the upper left is red. When closed, the object is compact and small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. It is light weight and easy to transport. All the different details on the object give it a stylish and appealing appearance.

Possible sources:

http://www.motorola.com/content.jsp?globalObjectId=7632-10812

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/22/AR2008022202283.html?hpid=topnews

For the most part, my experiences from elementary to high school were fairly typical for any American student. I sang the alphabet, took spelling tests, read books and wrote research papers. By the second grade I suppose I could have joined the “literate” percentage of the population, since I could read and write independently. However, I remember the third grade changing my perspective on language. While other teachers were always saying encouraging words and giving out stickers, my teacher, Mrs. Johnson constantly pointed out my mistakes, albeit kindly. She was never unpleasant or mean, just very different to what I was used to. I remember the first time she looked over my answers to a reading we did and found something wrong with all of them. This was extremely discouraging to me because before I had thought I understood everything adequately. I went back to correct them halfheartedly, but when I showed them to her again she still found flaws. Was she doing this on purpose, or was I completely oblivious to what I was being asked to do? Never before had I been told I was wrong by a teacher more than once. Embarrassed, I returned to my seat and reread the story, paying close attention to all the descriptive details. Instead of just reading words I carefully looked for everything the questions asked me to identify. Finally, all my answers gained her approval. Despite the disappointment I felt over this ordeal, it was a much needed wake up call. Before this experience I had always been given praise for anything I did with regards to reading and writing. This gave me a false sense of confidence over my reading and writing skills. After Mrs. Johnson’s class I paid closer attention to details in what I read which helped to make me answer questions more effectively both verbally and on paper. This was a major turning point to how I viewed my own work. Now, instead of assuming that I understood what I read, or clearly expressed my thoughts on paper, I looked critically at my work and did my best to make corrections to it. Mrs. Johnson’s different teaching strategy helped me with my literacy more so than other methods because I wanted to gain her approval, so I read and wrote things more carefully than I did previously. Looking back, I progressed more in third grade than I did in any other grade from kindergarten to my senior year in high school. The way I looked at other people’s language and my own changed dramatically after this experience.

Literacy, in my opinion, also includes personal style, which makes all the difference when I am trying to get my point across. Visiting Washington D.C. with my dad during the summer after fifth grade changed the way I viewed language. I remember going up to the various monuments and memorials and reading the text inscribed in the stone. One that sticks out in my mind is the inscription on the Lincoln Memorial. Behind the statue of Abraham Lincoln the text read:

IN THIS TEMPLE

AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE

FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION

THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

IS ENSHRINED FOREVER

What I liked about this was that the powerful message the dedication sent despite its relatively short length and lack of “fancy” words. This showed me the power of language. Had there been no text, the entire memorial would have still been an inspiring sight, but it would have lacked a fitting message. The dedication sent a fitting tribute to one of our greatest presidents, and when coupled with the atmosphere within the temple, made the language all the more powerful. Not only did the dedication say something about Lincoln, it gave a purpose to the monument and to why I was there. I feel that this was a unique time in my literacy because I gained a new perception of language on my own without help or instruction. From this experience I learned that my writing isn’t only a way for me to express my feelings, it is also a way to create feelings in others. I also learned that I don’t need to use a thesaurus when I’m writing, but instead need to create an atmosphere that fits my message clearly. When I write, particularly when giving my opinion or making an argument, I do my best to instill some type of emotion in the reader, however small it may, be by giving each and every one of the words I use a purpose. They don’t have to be crying or laughing, but if they feel something other than boredom then I know that I expressed myself successfully by getting another person to care about what I have to say.

            During my sophomore year of high school I wrote what I believe was my best paper. My teacher had us watch an episode of Sweet 16, which is a show on MTV that features self-centered girls lavishly celebrating their 16^th birthdays. After watching it I was assigned to write a paper about materialism in today’s society and had to cite examples from my daily life and Sweet 16. I hated that show with a passion, so I was happy to use it as a source. There were also plenty of people at my school who I could imagine being on that show. They loved to talk about what their daddy bought them for Christmas or where they traveled to for spring break. I have never liked it when people brag about their material possessions to impress others, as if those somehow make them exceptionally important. What’s worse is that some of my friends were drawn to people who had lots of money, a big house and expensive car. This always irritated me and I couldn’t wait to start writing the paper to express my distaste on the subject. As soon as I got home I began writing. It was the easiest and most enjoyable essay I have ever written. My thoughts came out easily on the blank page and I soon had three pages full of text. I reread it and made sure that there were no grammatical errors. It flowed smoothly, met all the requirements, and expressed my emotions on the subject. Also, it made a strong argument to the reader that perhaps glorifying those with money is wrong and that we should instead focus on more important things such as personality and integrity. Not only did I receive a good grade, my teacher also gave examples from my essay to the class. The best part, however, was the satisfaction I felt after I had finished. After writing all my thoughts down, I felt like my distaste and anger towards materialism had been lifted. Since then I have not been nearly as bothered as I was before about people boasting over their possessions, and I could probably watch Sweet 16 without wanting to throw a brick at the TV. I feel that this paper fully incorporated both the personal and academic components of my literacy and I believe this is why it was so successful and rewarding. I was writing about something I cared about, which showed me that having interest in what I write is just as important as how I write it. After writing this, I noticed that my other papers I wrote later in the year lacked the strong voice that the materialism paper had. Having the opportunity to write about something I cared about gave me the opportunity to reach my full potential, which wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.

            Based off my experiences, I would define literacy as the ability to analyze all types of communication and the capability to respond to it effectively. Regardless of how much the world changes, we all need the ability to understand what others say and express ourselves clearly whether it’s in the classroom or on the internet. Literacy for me has been influenced academically and independently. In the classroom I learned the basics of reading and writing so I could have the ability to better understand the world around me and express myself. At the same time this was happening, my own personal experiences from outside the classroom influenced the manner in which I would go about expressing myself. In the end, both were combined to create something satisfying and rewarding. I couldn’t have the literacy I do today because of only one factor: both are essential to me even to this day. My literacy history as of today will not be the same as my literacy history tomorrow. I am always being exposed to new perspectives on language from what I see around me and what learn in class. As time goes on I hope both these new academic and personal aspects will help to further evolve my literacy so I can communicate more effectively in the future.

After starting school, the teachers wasted no time getting everyone used to reading and writing. I was drilled constantly in kindergarten on how to write letters and memorize the vowels. My teacher had stuffed dolls of all 26 letters of the alphabet and each Friday she would hide one of them in the room for us to find. It was very competitive, but I managed to find the letter “C” which afterwards was my favorite letter until we were given our first school project. We were randomly given a letter, and had to dress up in a costume that started with our letter. I was given the letter “V” and wore a vest to school that day. Looking back at all this seems silly but the fact is it helped me become familiar with letters of the alphabet. During the following years we learned how to spell and write sentences, as well as reading stories. In second grade I remember writing the same words over and over until my wrist hurt. By fifth grade I was writing crude essays and stories. During this time I also started reading books in my spare time such as Harry Potter. Elementary school didn’t stress quality as much as it did familiarity with the basics of reading and writing. Some people struggled with this while others excelled. I was somewhere in the middle. Occasionally I would have difficulty spelling a few words, but overall I was able to leave the fifth grade with confidence in my current reading and writing skills.

Middle school focused more on writing an organized paper while also becoming familiar with good grammar skills, citations, and writing a thesis. Now I had more difficulty writing than I did before. Since there was so much more to worry about, I couldn’t simply start typing a paper and finish in 15 minutes. Now I had to watch all sorts of errors and make sure that my words sounded smooth when I read my paper out loud. Listening to my English teachers give lectures was boring, and the assignments were tedious at times, but I left middle school as a better writer than when I entered. When I entered high school I continued to learn about different types of writing such as research papers and compare/contrast essays. The reading I was required to do was far more complex than before, and involved readings from Dante’s Inferno and Shakespeare’s plays. By graduation, I was able to read and write at relatively advanced level, however literacy just not only involve those two things.

Literacy, in my opinion, also includes personal style, which makes all the difference when I am trying to get my point across. Visiting Washington D.C. with my dad during the summer after fifth grade changed the way I viewed language. I remember going up to the various monuments and memorials and reading the text inscribed in the stone. One that sticks out in my mind is the inscription on the Lincoln Memorial. Behind the statue of Abraham Lincoln the text read:

IN THIS TEMPLE

AS IN THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE

FOR WHOM HE SAVED THE UNION

THE MEMORY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN

IS ENSHRINED FOREVER

What I liked about this was that the powerful message the dedication sent despite its relatively short length and lack of “fancy” words. This showed me the power of language. Had there been no text, the entire memorial would have still been an inspiring sight, but it would have lacked a fitting message. The dedication sent a fitting tribute to one of our greatest presidents, and when coupled with the atmosphere within the temple, made the language all the more powerful. Not only did the dedication say something about Lincoln, it gave a purpose to the monument and to why I was there. From this experience I learned that my writing isn’t only a way for me to express my feelings, it is also a way to create feelings in others. I also learned that I don’t need to use a thesaurus when I’m writing, but instead need to create an atmosphere that fits my message clearly. Whenever I write, particularly when giving my opinion or making an argument, I do my best to instill some type of emotion in the reader, however small it may be. They don’t have to be crying or laughing, but if they feel something other than boredom then I know that I expressed myself successfully by getting another person to care about what I think.

            Another influence on my style has been from not reading or writing, but from listening. When George Carlin died, I knew very little about him or his comedy acts. After going to watch some of his videos online, I was amazed I hadn’t seen them before. Not did I find them funny, they showed me how clarity and confidence are essential in communicating. If George Carlin had an opinion on something he made sure everybody knew what it was. Not only would they know it, they’d know his position on it before he started elaborating about it. Tone and movement was an influential factor in his performance. The way he said something was just as important as what he said. Another thing I noticed was his tendency to talk about controversial issues without holding back. He wasn’t afraid of giving his opinion because he believed in what he said and wasn’t worried about what others thought of him when he shared his views. In the first video I saw of him, he was talking about golf courses. I could tell by the way he talked how much he disliked them and the people who played it. He didn’t hold back anything either and said exactly what he felt: golf courses are a waste of space. While I don’t agree with some of the things in his comedy acts and wouldn’t express my opinions in the same way, I try to incorporate some aspects of his delivery into my writing. If I have a strong opinion on a subject I’m passionate about I won’t be afraid to say it. Of course I won’t be swear and try to offend people, but I’m not going to hold back because somebody might disagree with me. Not only will I express myself, I’ll use language that fits my feelings on the subject. If I’m sympathetic or upset, I’ll make sure use expressive words that reflect my feelings and leave no doubt in the reader’s mind how I feel.

            Literacy for me has been influenced academically and independently. In the classroom I learned the basics of reading and writing so I could have the ability to better understand the world around me and express myself. At the same time this was happening, my own personal experiences influenced what manner I would express myself in. I could have the literacy I do today because of only one factor: both are essential to me today. As time goes on I hope both the academic and personal aspects will further help evolve my literacy so I can communicate more effectively in the future.