Observation 11: Field Trip to Lee Gallery

http://www.nhhistory.org/champney/ws7-lg.jpg I think this painting is a great representation of the peacefulness of nature. I think this painting appealed to me because I enjoy the outdoors. It shows some cattle drinking from a peaceful stream and some people relaxing in the shade. The fall colors of the trees and the mountains in the distance also give a peaceful feeling to the painting. The overall painting is very soft and somehow manages to capture my attention and make me think about time when I have been in the mountains and other places outdoors.

Observation 10: Personal Relationships

I don't think this was brought up in class, but i think the style of the radios in the movie (the cassette player and the cd player) is representative of peoples personalities. I think it shows how opposites can attract and differences don't really matter. I also think the cassette player could be associated with lower class and the cd player could be associated with higher class. Again this shows a difference in the two but it does not seem to matter to them. This, as well, is true in todays world in many cases. I think that the trouble the two had communicating in the movie is also important. I think this represents how hard it can sometimes be to say what you are thinking and feeling.

Observation 9: Follow Through Ch. 9

I do not think Kimball or Martinez would find Mukherjee’s essay to be persuasive. I personally saw this essay as a more informative essay rather than a persuasive essay. I cannot really see where she is arguing for anything, but just describing the way she sees society. She talks about how nationalities are divided in the US, some of them at their own will. For example, she says that some people get upset because their children forget or never acquire the culture of their country of origin. She expresses that it is alright and expected to form to the culture where you are living. Crevecoeur’s idea of a “new race” is similar to Mukherjee’s ideas in that she says people tend to form to the culture around them, and in turn, people become similar to each other.
Mukherjee discusses the term “hyphenated Americans” and says she feels these classifications add to problems with race tension. Using these terms singles out individuals and creates prejudice. She mentions fighting discrimination through protests and lawsuits. I disagree with this because lawsuits cause everyone to be scared to speak their opinions, rather than solve problems. She says she is sometimes condemned because she acknowledges erosion of memory (of culture) is a natural result of emigration. She implies that a merging of cultures is beneficial and is not something that should be resisted.