Written Thoughts

 I find that Sherman Alexie's use of mixing humor and sadness of his stories displays how he decided to cope with his father's alcoholism, abandonment, and their dysfunctional relationship. This is because I noticed how he doesn't just speak about his hardships, or what going through his experiences felt like, but also adds jokes and irony to "lighten the mood". I think that this is deeper than just a style of writing or a rhetorical choice, representing how Alexie himself endures these circumstances. For example, he jokes about how Jimi Hendrix "ruined" his father and mother's marriage, which may initially seem like a playful, humorous line. In. reality, it displays the abandonment issues Alexie deals with from his father, and the dynamic between his family. Him adding humor to this part of the story acts almost as a shield; instead of focusing on the despair behind these stories, he uses dark humor not only for us readers for the piece not to be so...

In David Wallace's piece "This is Water", his perspective on things made me realize that the way we see the world is a choice. His explanation on how people's "default settings" can create an environment that feels overwhelming, stressful, irritating, etc. It made me realize that us, as humans, can be stuck in our own annoyances and focus solely on ourselves. His perspective on this got me to think, everyone else around us are dealing with their own set of issues as well. His idea on us always living by our “default setting” shows the natural human tendency we have to always think of the world revolving only around us, and feelings of self-centeredness. For example, when we’re in traffic, we may be annoyed by the slow drivers, when in reality, they have their own story too. Realizing this obviously won’t make sitting in traffic fun by any means; however it will change your outlook on it and how you choose to experience it.  This passage was an excellent remi...

 The Thiepval Memorial is unique amongst other memorials. Built in Northern France, 1932, its purpose was to commemorate the 72,000+ soldiers whose bodies were never found during The Battle of Somme. The memorial is located on high ground, overlooking where the soldiers initially fought their battles. Because of the land being on the scene of these tragedies, it creates a symbolic space. This is due to how the land was first associated with war, death, chaos, destruction, and now it has transitioned to a place of peace, closure and remembrance. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the monument rises over 140 feet into the air, with massive interconnecting arches. Yet what makes this memorial stand out is not its architecture or location, but its simplicity.  In contrast to other memorials, Thiepval does include depictions of troops, symbols of victory, or celebrations of war or struggle. Rather, the coherence of this memorial creates a mournful tone that focuses on the lives lost. W...