Week 3: Discussion

1) Response to Outcasts United

When I began reading, I felt very disconnected (naturally) but as the author told Luma's story, I saw parallel's between her life and mine. Of course I am not “royalty” but just like Luma, I decided to a large school far from home that my parents did not approve of. And just like my circumstances, she was the first born and much was expected of her. I think parents, in general, need to stop this idea of being harsh with their older children in order to make them a “better person”. While this may lead people to lead “successful” lives, it also causes people to be angry and resent their parents for being held to such rigorous, unachievable standards, which in turn will, like Luma and I, push them to either willingly and forcibly disconnect from the entire family. I don't think it was fair of her father (in my case, my mother) to cut her off and prohibit her from talking to immediate family just because she did not want to follow her parent's orders. I am willing to bet most young adults adamantly agree with the following situation describing their own circumstances in finding a place away from home: “Luma tried to explain that she felt it was important for her to see if she could support herself without the social and financial safety net her parents provided at home...Hassan would have none of it. If Luma wanted to see independent she could be, he told her , he was content to help her find out. She didn't feel that she could be herself there (Jordan), and she was willing to endure a split with her family to live in a place where she could live the life she pleased.” (23 St. John)

One's life belongs one's self not to another so for other people, especially family, to bark orders then cut off their own children off because the parents are too emotionally unstable to accept that their children's lives are not theirs to control. The difference between Luma and I (and millions of other people) is the abrupt drop from one socio-economic class to another; The following quote details the core of Luma's situation in a short, quick sentence: “I went from being able to walk into any restaurant and store in the United States and buy whatever I wanted to having nothing” (23 St. John). Luma basically went from super rich to flat-out broke in a matter of seconds, and just because she wished to follow her own aspirations. How sad it is that in our day and age, one's dreams are controlled by worthless pieces of jean paper, or for this decade, “invisible” electronic numbers.

2) Why are stories vital to society?

I think stories, on a very simple, basic level, help people connect with each other. The fascination of mystery tales and ancient lore, for some reason, draws people together. Stories handed down through oral traditions are very susceptible to intentional or accidental "editing". While the most important part of a oral tradition is the subtle lesson inherent in the story itself, I also think it is the duty of civilizations capable of written language to preserve the original version of the tale/story/legend for history's sake. Although it is unacceptable for societies to not record the original versions of fables and tales, it would be very interesting to note how these stories changed over thousands of years from the original. For pros, oral traditions allow stories to be told in a way that reflects current society and perhaps remedy the situation in a more personal tone. A con of oral tradiion is that the mythology and true original meaning of the story may be lost on future generations, thus causing cultures to be incorrect when retelling these stories, perhaps losing the original intent.

3) Find a study tip in chapter three

I haven't used the Cornell note-taking or mind mapping method into my study routine. I think I will try one study tip in one class and see if it suits me well. If it doesn't, the I might switch to another note-taking method and check if it helps me with subject retention. I have struggled with paying attention in class, long and short. (ADHD-PI). Sometimes I forget tools for class because I am in a hurry as a result of staying up to help my family or finish homework that I couldn't do during the day because of family issues. I need complete silence or I will zone out (like right now the heater is on and my hard drive is spinning quickly and instead of putting my full concentration into this assignment, I am preoccupied with a sounds that I have no control over.)