Proposal

De Anda Jocelyn

November 14, 2011

Professor Marca

English 113A

Proposal

            Reading is an important ability in which everyone will need. It can either become a passion or an enemy. Reading became my best friend as a child and developed my point of views as a mature teenager.  A book change people’s views, perspectives, believes and thoughts.

            Through the life story of Dave Pelzer in the book A Child Called It, I realized how serious and real the child abuse in this country is. Through the eyes and experience of Pelzer one is brought into a world of misery and pain. Pelzer had a great life up to a point, his mother became an alcoholic and Dave Pelzer was her target. He was treated worse than an animal he was seen as just an object. Pelzer took abuse from his mother from her breaking his body parts, burning his arm to shoving a dirty used diaper with human discharges in his face. The story can only bring one pain and sympathy for Pelzer but hate and anger toward the mother.

This book was a life changing experience for me. With every beating and suffrage the young boy suffered I grew hate towards the mother. I had always known the love and compassion I had for children. I wanted to be the voice for the younger children whom could not speak up against their abuse parents. I wanted to stop the abuse and not have to see life stories like Dave Pelzer’s. This book inspired me to become a social worker and be there for children. With literature I was educated and lead to the path in which I was destined to be.

Rhetoric

De Anda Jocelyn

Professor Mary Marca

October 10, 2011

Eminem Cleaning Out my Closet

            In the very strong lyrical song cleaning out my closet, Marshall Bruce Mather’s III or more commonly known as Eminem or Shady. He is known for his strong lyrics, speaking his mind out as well as the truth. He is one of the very few rappers or as I see poets in which speaks about the truth. The music industry has changed to talking about women, sex and drugs. He has stayed to his topic speaking about his life and life experiences. The reason I have chosen his song Cleaning Out my Closet out of the many songs he has is because this song has a deeper meaning than one hears. Cleaning Out my Closet is his metaphor for  he is letting everything of his life out to the public.

            The meaning of the Closet in this song means his life. Everything has been pushed in there and hidden year after year. The closet tends to build up every year. It holds memories of childhood the good and the bad as well as many more special events. The cleaning of the close is seen as well as two ways. The most common one would be the one of cleaning out the closet. To get rid of the unwanted trash as well as the space taking memories. Things that no longer mattered. The way Eminem is advocating cleaning is he is telling everyone about his life. Cleaning he is letting everything out of the closet. Like his song says, he is discriminated as well as protested against because of what he says. He speaks the truth and does not lie. He does not mean to make his mother nor wife look bad; he is just telling everyone who he is where he came from and what he went through.

            The message that Eminem is broadcasting is his rebirth. It is not mentioned nor shown, but by the actions and lyrics he is in need of a new beginning. Letting everything from the past go. He suffered plenty as a child and suffering continued into his adulthood as a husband. In this song with the “cleaning” of the “closet” he will become a new man, getting the rebirth that he wants. In his music video he is shown in the rain burying something or someone. From my understanding he is burying the old him. Along with the old him he is burying his past, his regrets, his pain and suffering.

            Marshall Bruce Mather’s III or Eminem wants to broadcast his message of his life. He is judged and hated because of the type of person society shapes him to be. With this song Cleaning Out my Closet, Eminem is letting everyone know of his past. He is letting go of the past and becoming a stronger man. This was his step to a rebirth or a new him and how society view him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ9_TKayu9s

Letter to the Author

Jocelyn De Anda

September 14, 2011

English 113A      

Professor Marca

Letter to the Author

Dear Boland,

                I have recently read your poem, “It’s A Women’s World,” the title caught my attention right away but as I read the poem I stumbled in confusion. After analyzing the poem several times I came to the conclusion that I find the title and poem contradicting. I believe that society does view women as housewives and nothing more.  I would like to disagree on the statement that “hardly much has changed” in the sense that things have changed for women.

                Through the years women have gained rights and respect. The ability to vote was once just a dream and now it is an equal right. I am now legal of age and because of the progression in society I am now able to make a difference, and have my voice count in the choice of my country as well as community.  Along with the ability to vote, women have become more independent and are given the ability to work. It use to be men who worked and brought home the bacon, while the wife was a stay at home mom. Now one has the option on what to do with their life. Continue school after high school, settle down, settle down after college, and settle down after getting a career or never settling down. A woman has the ability to pressure the career she desires. Although things have changed there is still discrimination. Employers at times chose the male candidate for the job opening instead of the woman for all the wrong reasons.

                I define myself as an independent woman who is attending college to become a successful social worker. Growing up my mother was a house wife and depended on my father for many things. I would believe that every household was like mine but later on learned that it wasn’t. I learned that society labeled women to be housewives and expected very little from them. I refused to fit into the norms of society. I decided that I would not want to relay on financial for the rest of my life. I want to be able to work and equally put in money. I didn’t want a man to ever threaten to kick me out because it was “his” home or he paid. Currently I refuse to relay on a guy for certain things. I like to take matters into my own hands and do it on my own.

                I would like to end this letter with thanking you for your time. I see that society still expects little from women. I hope that this letter shows you my point of view. I know I speak for many other women when I say things have changed and women like to be independent.