Stephen King: Why We Crave Horror Movies

Stephen King’s essay does a good job in explaining why people love horror movies.  The writing is a good example of a cause/affect essay in that he explains how everyone is a little crazy and as a result we use horror movies as an outlet for our insanity and to keep reality in check.  He culminates this theory with his comparison of a horror movie being the “basket of raw meat” thrown to the gators to keep them down.  Apparently as long as people can vent their insanity through watching horror movies, they won’t hack someone up in real life.

As much as I would like to agree with King’s theory, I cannot relate.  I don’t particularly need to watch horror movies to vent my insanity and stifle urges to kill;  I guess my degree of insanity is fairly low.  I will admit I make funny faces in the mirror..  Maybe if I go rent a slasher movie I’ll stop.

Suzanne Berne: My Ticket to the Disaster

My Ticket to the Disaster made me think differently about the site of the World Trade Center in NYC.  This essay made me realize it is in fact a tourist attraction, but not in the conventional definition.  When I think of a tourist attraction, I think of the worlds largest ball of yarn or the Grand Canyon, not a memorial or a disaster site.  It made me hope that people were visiting it for different reasons than normal tourist destinations.

Even though Ground Zero can be compared to the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C.,  it is still completely different.  It is not a memorial yet; at present it is more of a spectacle, especially how Suzanne Berne describes it in her essay.  This is apparent when the security guard scoffs at her asking, “You want tickets to the disaster?”  The site is the aftermath of a terrible day in our country’s history.  It is still in its raw form, unlike the nice black granite Vietnam Memorial.

Berne made the site sound even more touristy to me by listing the different nationalities of people she noticed who were visiting.  When I think of visiting Ground Zero, it is from my perspective as a resident of New York.  I had been inside the World Trade Center before when I was younger, and when I saw the site after September 11th all those memories came back to me, along with the news coverage from the day of the attacks.  I hope the tourists visiting the site were there to pay their respects and were not there just to see the scene of destruction.

Dave Barry: Punch and Judy

Dave Barry’s Punch and Judy is a fun to read compare and contrast essay.  This is mainly because it is completely true, although mildly exaggerated in parts for full effect.  Barry uses humor well in his writing, which makes it even more fun to read.  In it he is comparing the differences between men and women and how they react to certain situations as well as the assignment of some gender based tasks.  He bases the differences in reaction to situations on the fight or flight syndrome for males and the tend and befriend syndrome for females.  He gives examples of these two by saying that men always end a disagreement by physical means and women always compromise and befriend.  This is obviously a gender stereotype, but it is pretty close to the truth.  Barry also gives the example of children on Halloween.  He starts off by sorting each of the genders by one of two costumes, and then states that all the girls are in social groups while all the boys are bouncing off the walls.

Barry also lists two tasks that are generally male or female jobs.  He talks about the “laundry refolding syndrome,” which states that a man never folds clothes correctly and a woman will always correct his mistakes.  He then lists the “inflatable pool toy syndrome,” in which the female brings home an incredibly large pool toy for the man to inflate for the children, almost losing consciousness in the process.

Ernest Hemingway: Camping Out

This week Ernest Hemingway’s essay Camping Out was the most effectively written.  To start off, Hemingway immediately begins with how going camping can be either a relaxing vacation or a terrible experience based on your knowledge on the subject.  He outlines points that can make a camping trip horrible to a novice, leading the reader to believe that he has done this many times himself and he truly is an expert.  This sets up the credibility of the rest of his process analysis.

This is about as straight forward as you can get with a process analysis essay beyond being just numbered steps.  It is in traditional essay format with an introductory paragraph, a body and a short conclusion.  He states all the problems an amateur camper will most likely encounter and then follows that up with the correct method to avoid any possible issues.   After that he goes beyond the basics, especially with the section on cooking.  He talks about making multiple course meals with pancakes as a appetizer and trout and bacon as the main course.  He even instructs the reader on how to bake a pie while camping, going into great detail.  He even includes, “..prick it a few times with a fork in an artistic manner.”  Who these days would actually bring a baker and bake a pie over a camp fire?

Bill Bryson: Your New Computer

Bill Bryson’s your new computer is the most effectively written essay this week. He is writing for the majority of people who aren’t tech savvy and are familiar with the frustration and confusion sometimes associated with technology. He satirically writes the directions with lots of technical terms (most not even associated with computers) and inserts lots of previously unmentioned prerequisites for the steps. He focuses on decision points with high consequence that most people would not know how to make. He also lists consequences asterisk points based on impossible logic.

Despite being well written, this essay seems old and behind the times. These days technology is part of everyday life and if you are still struggling processes he describes you need to update your own knowledge. Also, the user manuals ad setup processes have now been tailored for inexperienced users and are practically idiot proof. Maybe the computer companies read this essay and made some changes.

Malcom X: Prison Studies

Malcom X’s essay, “Prison Studies” was an inspirational read.  It’s effectiveness is apparent in the way he conveys his message.  He humbly describes how he educated himself by only reading & writing during his incarceration.  This essay made me want to go out and learn about things I have always been curious about but either haven’t taken a class on or haven’t had the initiative to learn myself.  Malcom X reassured me that the latter is possible.

Malcom X does an excellent job illustrating the prison scenes of him learning in the library and within his cell at all hours of the night.  His descriptions were not overly developed, but were effective and to the point.  This essay to me is filled with inspiration and modesty.  He is writing about how he got to be so well educated, but does not flaunt his abilities at all.  His essay is not filled with obscure adjectives unlike the books he was reading at the beginning which he did not understand.  He is writing to an audience who could be in his shoes before he began his informal education.  He is sending a message of hope and guidance to try to better the youth of the time.

Malcom X’s technique is proven by his own success.  He went from another inmate with an 8th grade education to an extremely well educated man with a place forever in history.