Food Essay

Emily Moser

Wilson

AP Literature

December 1, 2013

The Most Wonderful Time

Every Christmas Eve Day, I wake up to the sound of my Uncle Greg’s laughter. At nine o’clock on the dot, I can rely on the sound of his ridiculous, short lived ‘HA!’ to wake me up, as he starts his morning with the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Every year for as long as I can remember this has been the case. Although it may be irritating at that point in the morning, it is something that I have grown to look forward to, recognizing it as the very beginning of Christmas.  Everything about that day seems to continue on a strict schedule, not outlined by any one in particular, but by the success of the years previous that has made Christmas with the Steinbeck-Glosser-Moser’s the success that it is.

Though the day may start slowly, by eleven preparations for family dinner are in full swing. Each person in the house is designated a task to get the house ready, the men creating one large communal table, my sister, being the youngest, putting together place settings and other simple tasks. This leaves the most important task upon me, my mom, and my Aunt Jill- the food. Each dish is carefully planned, each of us taking on a different course.  My task is to manage the appetizers. This may not seem like such a daunting task; however, this is extremely important in the grand scheme of the day, because of its use in buying time before dinner, in case of unexpected dilemmas. And what better filler than bread to buy time- sweet and rich pumpkin cranberry bread more specifically. It is a recipe that has been passed through the family for years, though we use it as a subtle time-buyer on this day, and a tradition that has been passed on to me. It may seem small to people outside the family, but when you have earned enough trust and respect from your elders to be in the kitchen, let alone create one of the most important foods of the day, it really is an honor.

Though we do have a strict schedule on Christmas Eve Day, I cannot say that my family is big on traditions, which is why I look forward this holiday so much. Every year the Moser’s make the four hour trek to Macedonia, packed like sardines in a car, because the thought of seeing everyone in the family is something that holds meaning to all of us. We are part of a very odd family, each individual clan representing a different Ohioan culture. We each live very different lifestyles, which make get-togethers far and few between. Even if it is only one time a year,  each family makes time to put aside “the stressful, fast paced nature of present life,”  to take “time for meals together [so that we make] better connections with each other,” (Schwarz). Each relationship is unique, from family to family, or even between individuals. As I have grown older, I seen many relationships grow, have been given more responsibilities, and recognized the values emphasized by the family as a whole. Seeing these rituals and the way they have created the family dynamic have created a clear “identity and sense of importance,” (McIntosh and Kubena) for each member.  In this, I have been able to not only hold on to fond memories from the past, but they have shaped the morals I value and will carry with me as I get older. I have gained more my respect for elders, my senses of responsibility has become a priority, and an understanding of the importance of every individual is one of the most important truths I hold onto. I think it is extremely important to treasure those who support me, and continue to shape me into the person I am becoming. This why this holiday is not just about, what we eat, but also “where we eat, how we eat, and with whom we eat. We constantly use food to express not only who we are but who we wish to be,” (Twiss) as we carry traditions on through our lives.

 

Quotes

1.      “We are also where we eat, how we eat, and with whom we eat. We constantly use food to express not only who we are but who we wish to be,” (Twiss)

2.      “Being together as a family can make a difference in the development of children when they are as young as two or three years old,” (Foster, 2001)

3.      “The amount of time spent together and the way in which it is spent is a determinant of the closeness of the family unit,” (Neumark-Stainer, Hannan, Story, Croll, & Perry, 2003)

4.      “The family is responsible for the socialization and values of children,” (Schwarz)

5.      “Despite the stressful, fast-paced nature of present life, a family that makes time for meals together has better connections with each other” (Schwarz)

6.      “The most recent literature has identified family meals as a mechanism for preventing deviant behavior in adolescents,” (McIntosh & Kubena)

7.      Researchers have long viewed family meals as events during which as a routine opportunities for social interactions, coordination of future family activities, information sharing, and the shaping of identities takes place,” (McIntosh &Kubena)

8.      “One particular interest lies with family rituals, which are thought to provide families with an identity and a sense of importance.” (McIntosh & Kubena)

 

 

Works Cited

Kubena, Karen S., and William A. McIntosh. "“Who’s at the Table and Why Does It Matter?

            The Relationship Between Family." Texas A&M University, n.d. Web. 3 Dec. 2013.

Schwarz, Lindsay. "Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences." Undergraduate

Research Journal for the Human Sciences. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2013.

 

Eatonville Video

Glog Post

Blog Post 1: DH Lawrence and 'The Rainbow'

Emily Moser Wilson AP Literature November 19, 2013 It has been said that there is power in knowledge, and in many cases, it does give an advantage to those who use it. However, when the ability to act on knowledge is limited, it can cause restlessness and desires to grow stronger. In his novel Rainbow, D.H. Lawrence uses personification and anaphora to characterize the woman, furthermore depicting her restlessness in her search for knowledge. The woman in the passage is restless, yearning to find freedom and knowledge. In the passage D. H. Lawrence uses third person omniscient to narrate the story, which immediately allows the reader to know both what the woman is seeing and what she is thinking, without the bias of her actual thoughts. Through this perspective he is able to use personification, such as, "the earth heaved and opened its furrow,"(Lawrence 1-2). He carries these descriptions and diction that imply serious labor throughout the piece, and there is a clear distinction made between the men working and the woman observing them. This is important to the meaning because it shows their complacency, which in turn makes her desire for a different life seem more desperate and important. As Lawrence continues with this theme of the woman wanting a better life, he also implores anaphora several times. These lists are also used, again, to draw a contrast between the woman and the men. He describes the life of the men, and their satisfaction with what life has to offer. He writes, "so much warmth and generating and pain and death did they know in their blood,"(Lawrence 7-8). By using anaphora to outline the stages of life, he is able to continue to show the simplicity of how the men view life. He then contrasts this with the way the woman views life, "looking out, as she must,"(Lawrence 30). The metaphor of her looking forward out beyond her farm represents her search for something different, bigger. As the passage continues on, she continues to observe the men around her, comparing their strengths and knowledge, as she tries to decipher how much she can gain from knowledge and freedom. As the passage concludes, the woman has an epiphany. She realizes that the strength and security in life is not brought on through “money nor power nor position,” (Lawrence 61) but instead, “she decided it was a question of knowledge,” (Lawrence 65-66).This statement gives a final characterization of the woman, showing her thoughtful and ambitious nature, as she yearns to become something more than herself. As she observes her situation and what could be, D.H. Lawrence uses this personality trait to also show the desperate and odd situation the woman has found herself in. My initial essay score, given to me by Samantha Villigran was a six. She gave me this score because although I did look at some of the motifs in the passage, I did not delve deeper or relate it back to the meaning of the text. I also provided several pieces of textual evidence, and showed more sophistication in my diction. I think this score was very fair, because I did try really hard to mention as many motifs as I could, but I neglected to relate them back. I may have answered all of the prompt, but I’m not sure I articulated what I was thinking as well as I could of. I merely mentioned the main points I wanted to make, I just didn’t go deeper. After reading through other essays and five steps, I think there are a few things I could’ve done to make this writing better. First off, I should have chosen a central motif. Because I tried to mention so many different motifs, I did not go as deeply into their meaning as I should have. I think picking two or three to really focusing on would’ve been good, not only for deeper analysis, but also for organization purposes. I feel like by choosing so many motifs, I also let the control I had on my writing slip because my thoughts were so all over the place. Another way I could have improved my writing was to focus on more of the literary devices used as they relate to the meanings and motifs. I only chose two devices, and there are several. More than that, I only spent a paragraph, if that, to describe them. I didn’t even explore how they convey meaning very well. My main focus lied on the difference between the women and the men. I could’ve also used that as a jumping off point for my essay. I think the real root of the problem is just that I tried to get too many things on paper at once, and didn’t organize them as well as I should have. I really just should have focused on one motif, the men and women, and the literary devices, and how they all work together to create the meaning. The last problem is that I did not even mention the juxtaposition, rhetorical devices, or how the structure relates to the meaning. I put more emphasis on the devices like personification, or anaphora, which are important. They just aren’t as important as other, bigger devices I neglected to see or mention. I need to read the prompt more, and look at both the big picture, and the devices used to make the purpose clear, but then also the little details that create the complexity of the piece. I focus too much on the little details and fail to see the importance they all work together to create.

Hamlet Post 6

Final Portfolio Reflection

One of my two favorite posts on my blog is the mythology presentation. This section of the unit was my favorite overall; I have always had an interest in mythology and the beliefs of other cultures, so I found this subject particularly interesting. Our myth that we researched was the Icarus and Daedalus, as it pertained to more recent literature. I thought it was really intriguing to be able to see the parallels made between current stories and myths that are ancient. Due to the fact that I found this subject so fascinating, I am particularly proud of the outcome of this presentation. I thought my group did an excellent job with research, and being able to connect the story with the writings of W.H. Auden. I think that my groups’ interest in this subject is what made it so interesting, as our research led us to information that we had never really thought about. For example, the Foster chapters about flight and what flight meant had never really occurred to me. However, as we gained this knowledge, we were able to do a much deeper analysis of the story, as opposed to remaining surface level in analysis.

The other presentation I am proud of is blog post three. Although it is not a very long post, I still did enjoy the assignment, once again because it pertained to mythology. The assignment allowed me to look into more myths and fables, which I enjoyed very much. I had never heard of several myths or stories that I came across, which gave me the opportunity to look further into the subject. It was fun to read through important mythological figures and try to see who I was most like. Finding my personality in small pieces of several mythological characters, from several different cultures gave me a small insight into beliefs from around the world. I’ve always found it interesting to see what other cultures believe, and how we adapt their beliefs into our own. In this assignment I was able to do just that, adapt several parts of other cultures into one, a single figure that reflects me and my work ethic.

As for my participation in class, I was never really to outspoken. It is naturally my personality to take in information, and really process it before I ask questions. I much prefer one-on-one conversation, which made me appear quiet in class, though I did help my classmates out often. In the classroom, I paid close attention to what was said and presented, and outside of class, I was able to explain concepts to classmates outside of class. When it came to individual or partner projects, I think I handled these much better than group projects. During these, I was able to have more of a voice and more of an understanding than I would have in a group; once again, because it is my personality to be more of the quiet member. I usually did very well on individual papers, such as the timed writing we did in class, because it did allow me to organize my thoughts and not be swayed by other opinions or questions. I was able to focus more than I would have been able to for group projects.

I was able to hold my ground in group projects for the most part, though. I was not necessarily the leader by any means; however, I did do my part and take into consideration the opinions of others. I did struggle with this at some points, only because I was trying to find compromise between several ideas. I think that my group was very helpful with this though, we were all mature enough to hear each other out and reach a consensus fairly quickly for each project in the first few units. We all had a say or part to do in each presentation, and we held each other accountable for each part, which allowed us to move quickly and smoothly through each presentation. I did do my part for every project, as did everyone else.

            A couple of goals that I have for next trimester really just pertain to the group projects and the multiple choice quizzes. These were the two main areas I really struggled in this trimester. I am confident enough in my writing knowledge and style, that I think being able to translate that into a group setting will be beneficial for me, even beyond this class. I also believe that communication with group members is really something I need to work on; being able to communicate ideas and plans with group mates to execute each task in a much more professional manner. Just simply taking the time to ensure every member understands what the project entails and what their portion of the project is, I think will really improve our work quality. I think this goal can be achieved within the first few group projects, as we continue to work together and get a feel for each other’s personality and writing styles.

The other goal of what I hope to improve in this class is my multiple choice skills. I didn’t do very well on the multiple choice tests, which I know I can do better on. The first problem is that I rush through them. I always find myself having plenty, perhaps too much time left. I need to remember to slow down, and find a balance between taking the test and keeping an eye on the clock. I can do this by taking practice tests at home every once and a while, setting up the test environment by setting a timer. I think this will also help me become more familiar with the types of questions on the test. I don’t think there’s a time stamp I can put on this goal, just that the more I practice, the more I think that the tests will become easier.  It is just a matter of me taking responsibility and actually setting aside time to work on them.

Hamlet Post 4

Oh, the tragedy of losing touch with reality, especially that of one so young. Poor, dear Ophelia; I cannot help but believe I had part in your madness. My nephew, so full of sorrow and anger, driven mad by his suspicions of me, broke your heart. If only I could have helped you in some way… perhaps if I had sent him away earlier as I had planned, he would not have pushed you away, and left you so grief stricken. Alas, a girl in love is confused anyway; a young man messing with her heart no doubt brings misery. And beyond this, so many men tried to warn you, to get you to refuse Hamlets affections. This “must have come as a shock to [your] gentle nature which believed men were what they seemed,” (Seng 220). You began to realize this on your own terms, as you watched the man you love transform before your eyes. I remember you once told me, “We must be patient, but I cannot choose but weep,” (4.5.42-43), for you grieved his loss, both physically and mentally. Tis a shame you felt as if you “could hardly turn to King Claudius,” (Seng 118), and yet I played a part in Hamlets dismissal of your affections, as I plotted with your father to expose his madness. Unjustifiably, “we closely sent for Hamlet hither, That he, as ’twere by accident, may here Affront Ophelia,” (3.1.30-32). It was never my intention to bring you to isolation, instead you were “poor Ophelia, Divided from herself and her fair judgment, without which we are pictures, or mere beasts,” (5.4.61-62). The moment I felt this guilt, I must confess, did not occur until I saw you in the foyer, and you sang the ballad of a broken heart. It was when you sang that I saw the advice given to you by your family and so many others had caused you to ‘take no man at face value,’ (Seng 220). Instead, you avoided me and my queen, singing nonsense that we had assumed “Conceit upon [your] father,” (4.5.28). But as I have gone back and forth in my mind, I now see it was your broken heart as the grievances piled on, that broke you as my nephew pushed you over the edge. You became so confused by the men around you, you had to ask yourself, “How should I your true love know, From another one,” (4.5.21). Unable to find the answers to the simplest of your questions led you to madness, the madness I could have helped.