I like this approach, it is 'journalistic' in that it starts with an anecdote, and develops a larger theme. She went outside the book to find a reference in something she learned and IMPRESSED HER (this is how memories are formed: by virtue of their impact on our emotional sensors.)
YOUR COMMENTS AND REPLIES, please.
I think it is very interesting that the professor
pointed out how the way we seek remedies when we become ill such as taking lots
of vitamin C to boost our immune system and defenses is an example of how we
are surrounded by invisible forces, such as the ones talked about in the SON
OF ITALY. I have never made that connection, but it makes sense. There are
many researchers who study these very same myths that we swear by, which then
are disproven to work for the reasons we think they do, yet we still follow
these traditional beliefs. This is an example of many other superstitions that
are imbedded in societies, and we believe them no matter what may contradict
them. I do want to talk about our beliefs in the invisible reality sense
because I find it interesting to discuss the many beliefs that are existent
within societies without us even realizing it. For example, I once read a piece
within an anthropology textbook, the passage started off by describing a
society of people, and the rituals they performed on teeth. I cannot recall
verbatim the details in the passage, but I remember reading it, and imagery
after detail I could only question what strange beliefs some people around the
world adapt to their cultures. In the end of the detailed ritual, they reveal
that they were describing the dentist within our society. I was in complete
shock at how much wording, yet not change the actual content can make such a
difference. My point is that there are many things we believe in that we don’t
question “just because” that is the norm, what we were taught, and we simply
don’t question. We adapt many things to our cultures without realizing that
they too are beliefs, and learning about this is interesting.
Katharina has a very valid point. A common thing that I heard growing up was to not go outside without my coat because I would "get pneumonia". Obviously we know this to be false, pneumonia is a virus and not something that is caused by a low body temperature; but my grandmother heard this as a child so she wanted to protect her grandchildren. This example is the same thing as what Katharina mentioned, "we believe in that we don’t question “just because” that is the norm, what we were taught, and we simply don’t question. We adapt many things to our cultures without realizing that they too are beliefs, and learning about this is interesting."
ReplyDeleteKatharina's connection is interesting. I recently had a conversation with a friend who was explaining that her mom fell ill with a brain injury and was hospitalized. She was telling me how healthy her mom was and that it was a very unexpected thing to happen to her family. She further explained how she was helping to care for her mother and the doctors were not very optimistic. And then my friend began to explain to the doctors how the brain is really a part of the body that medicine knows nothing about and that they should never say that something is less likely to happen when we really don't know what our bodies are capable of. I remember stopping to think how true and powerful that statement was.
ReplyDeleteI felt like I was, in fact, reading a newspaper article, a unique approach to writing that I can definitely appreciate. You hinted at the theme you wanted to tackle, hooked us in, and then hit us with the support needed to back up your position. This is an effective way to convey ideas through writing in that 1) claims are clearly supported by evidence and 2) readers are beckoned in, and WANT to find out what happens. Very strong approach.
ReplyDeleteI also read the piece that Katharina is talking about that she read in the anthropology text book. The way the writer was describing what the dentist does seemed like something someone would do if they lived in a jungle: using boar hair to clean the bones in your mouth (a tooth brush). I would have never made the connection to Pascal's story but now after reading Katharina's comparison I can understand where she made the connection. There are myth's in every culture that we all swear by and never question because that is our norm.
ReplyDeleteKatharina’s answer is very interesting. She had her own interpretation of professor’s example. She did good job giving an example about people and being connected to their cultures. In our culture also there are a lot of thing that people do even thou they do not know if it really true or not they follow them just because it is been before they were born.
ReplyDeleteKatharina's response was interesting and similar to my views on superstitions. We do not seem to question the peculiar things we hear and grew up to. Home remedies are one of those many things that we just do rather than go to a doctor. A cup of tea with honey and lemon would definitely cure a bad cough although not according to the physician. We as people just go through life with the assumption that home remedies work or that superstitions are truly real, however like Katharina said our culture helps us accept these notions and we don't question them.
ReplyDeleteI really like how Katharina took a different approach to the typical view of superstitions and related it to traditions and rituals that exist in our realm of reality. Providing an example made her paragraph even more strong and persuasive. Her thoughts are organized and lay out the information for us in a way that is easy to understand and interpret.
ReplyDeleteKatharina's approach to this question was quite different. I respect how she went out of her way to reference something from outside the book. I can agree with Katharina's take on how the superstition of taking Vitamin C while sick is relative to Pascal's experiences in the book. I also agree with Katharina's statement that "there are many things we believe in that we don’t question “just because” that is the norm".
ReplyDelete