One strategy from Haydar's Piece and Summary of "The Muslim Woman"

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Jose Arroyo

Professor Werry

RWS 200 M & W 3:30-4:45

2 February 2015

One strategy from Haydar’s piece and a summary of Abu-Logodh's "The Muslim Woman"

            One strategy Haydar utilizes to her advantage is the use of comparing and contrasting the cultural values between the West and the Middle East. She states how the a women in the West wishes to, “appear in Stuff magazine,” as compared to her she wishes to not be seen as a simplistic piece of meet but rather appreciated for her personality and her whole self. This comparison is most likely more persuasive than many of her other claims because her audience (general American public) can relate this comment to a person in his/her life. But despite this great claim she does have a knack of overgeneralizing people in one of her claims. She talks about how wearing her veil she was able to rid herself of harmful experiences. She uses an example of how men try to harass girls who walk past a construction site. But she overgeneralizes on the aspect that every man will have a comment as a women walks past their view. This overgeneralization most likely works against her and makes her audience question her way of thinking.

            In Lila Abu- Lughod’s online editorial, “ The Muslim Woman” she calls to attention the misconceptions the West has on the image of a woman with a veil on. She quickly rewrites the misconception and reveals how the veil is sometimes a geographical reason or purely a personal choice. She also states how even if Islam threw away the “submission” for women to wear a veil if they would really stop wearing the veil. The claim I just mentioned above draws interest from me because she is right. Many women will not simply throw off their veil and wear jeans. It has become a way of life for these women and especially since some areas enforce this type of submission they would still be required to wear the veil.

Veiled Intentions

Thursday, January 29, 2015

“Veiled Intentions: Don’t judge a muslim girl by her covering” Response Paper

            In trying to find more information about the writer I went to google search and I typed in “veiled intentions” to get a broad summary of Haydar’s life. For the date of publication I found out that “Vieled Intentions” was published in 2003 and the context of this text is that 9/11 happened a year before the publication. The controversy that surrounds this text may be one of fear that the United States has toward Muslim people. Haydar is a Muslim woman from Michigan, who works as a social worker in New York City. I find all this information https://dananicoleburns.wordpress.com/2014/02/19/haydar-nussbaum-essayedited/.

            Haydar claims that wearing a veil isn’t soley a “oppressive tool” she reveals how it is actually a sense of freedom that comes with it. She also states how in meeting boys she was not “wanted soley for [her] looks,” but rather she could be treated with respect and seen for the person that she was. She also claims how her religion, Islam, is not “backward thinking” (264) but rather it is a way of life for her people.

            One key strategy Haydar employs through her text is rebuttal against her audience. When discussing how there is a negative view on the way the “patriarchal” religion of Islam is imposing “oppressive” measures on the women she states that it is, “ a choice for women.” She quickly asserts and diminishes the prior way of thought her American audience had, which creates an open-minded atmosphere for the reader while he or she is reading.

            Another strategy she uses is her personal anecdotes and her personal narrative in why she does not see the veiling as a negative thing. Her upbringing as a little girl enabled her to choose if she wanted to undertake the veiling but she was not simply forced to by her parents. In describing her parents her mom and dad were opposites but they both believed to “Let there be no compulsion in religion” (2:256). Due to that understanding they fruitfully gave the opportunity to her to choose if she wanted to or not. However, in some cases some girls are not so lucky and are forced to veil. So to them they do not see the veiling ritual as a sense of freedom but rather a form of oppression.    

            

Questions on Kristof's "Do We Have the Courage to Stop This?"

"Do We Have the Courage to Stop This?"

What do you think are Kristof's main claims?

One of Kristof's main claims is that he believes that there should be stricter regulations on gun purchases. Also, since people vouche for safety regulations on cars he sees gun control as the same necessity and it needs to be addressed to cut down the mortality rate.

List the main types of evidence you saw in the text.

 One of the most prominent types of evidence Kristof utilizes throughout his text is the use of statistics. He frequently inserts data through his piece to make the reader realize the significance of each situation, especially the concerning numbers surrounding deaths. The statistics that deal with death were inserted to reveal how weak gun control is or how many lives could be saved annually.

Identify a strategy Kristof uses to persuade his audience (see the reader). Do you think this is effective? Why/why not?

The most likely effect strategy Kristof uses throughout his piece is the use of logos. For example, he states how if children are protected with, "building codes," they they should also be protected against mass shootings by putting more regulations on guns to make it harder for unstable people to get them. This assumption evokes the readers logic and also ethics to make them realize how important it truly is to enforce more regulations on guns.

About Me

About Me

 What is your prospective major?

 I am currently undeclared but I am leaning towards majoring in History, so I can become a high school history teacher.

 What do you plan to do when you graduate?

When I graduate I would like to begin my job search for being a teacher at any high school meanwhile, I would be enrolling in a masters program.

 Describe a couple of interests or experiences that help describe who you are. 

 One major personal interest that helped me become who I am today is playing football when I was in high school. Playing the sport taught me to be resilient, persistent, and most importantly it taught me how to manage my time. Also, my current job of being an AVID tutor enabled me to see my true talents and helped me make my decision on wanting to become a teacher due to the satisfaction I receive when I help someone.

What writing activities do you engage in outside of school (blogging, tweeting, journaling, etc.)?

 I usually do not write outside of school. The only reason why I do write is because I realize that writing is a necessity in the major I am trying to get into.

 What do you write about and how often do you do it?

When I do write, I usually analyze arguments in texts that the professor assigns, which is usually two papers a month for all my classes.

How do you feel about yourself as a writer?   

I personally feel that I am an above average writer because I know how to find effective devices and strategies that help the author's argument become effective, which leads to me understanding many difficult readings.