The first essay that caught my attention was "Lessons Learned in Tragedy" (http://www.thisibelieve.org/dsp_ShowEssay.php?uid=13646&topessays=3).
The writer describes her experiences after hurricane Katrina and how she went from having all the commercial commodities to having nothing. I can relate to the emotions that the writer went through because I have also gone through the effects of a powerful Hurricane and loosing all our everyday luxuries that we take for granted sometimes. The reson I found this essay more compelling than many of the others is not because of the tradegy that writer is describing but seeing the silver lining of this horrible event.
The second essay I chose also relates to another writer who went through the Katrina hurricane in New Orleons. (http://www.thisibelieve.org/dsp_ShowEssay.php?uid=26077&topessays=3)
The style of writing seems different from the last essay. Robin uses shorter sentences describing each event simplistically kind of in an enfish style of writing. Also when comparing the two essays the first writer gives a negative point then reflects upon the point with a postive message where as the second writer gives the impression that she is suffering through out the entire story but only shows how this depressing lifestyle actually became a diamond in the rough for her.
I think a good quote that would sum up the main message behind these stories would be from the author Chuck Palahnuik , " Hit bottom. Loose everything. Only then are you truely free because you nothing left to fear."
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4 comments:
I think that Chris made a good choise when he chosed these two essays. He knows what it's all about and he can relate to the writers. I think that Chris is giving a good view of what both essays are about.
I think these essays are a good pick because others may want to know how the people who went through Katrina felt about it.
[re-posted after editing]
I think Chris identified a common strategy in writing about an experience. Instead of discussing the enjoyable aspects of enjoyable events, or the horrible aspects of horribel events, some writers seek, as chris writes, the "diamond in the rough" or the "silver lining." This is a common strategy, but it's common becuase it works. It's more interesting and more challenging to us intellectually to see things from two perspectives, or to see them in an unexpected way.
This relates to our discussion of "dissonance" in class, where writing often emerges from feelings of discontent or disappointment. Finding the good in the bad (or finding the bad in the good) is a strategy you might consider in writing your own belief essays.
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