"The Big Valley" by Mark Arax
2. Summarize the reading in one brief paragraph; be specific in your summary. Remember that your classmates will rely on you for this information. 2 percent
This story was about the area of Fresno in which Arax grew up in, and in which he still lives. Growing up as a boy Arax was surrounded by farmland. He would look outside his window and see acres and acres of fig trees. Slowly, though, the area became suburbanized and much of the farmland has now been plowed over to build a Walmart and McDonald. Yet, Arax still remembers the days when farming was more common. He often travels to the World Ag Expo in Tulare county where he gets to see the newest developments in farming. Arax realizes that he misses the days when farming was prevalent, and getting dirt under you nails as you cultivate and harvest your crops was one of the biggest rewards experienced by a person.
3. Which was your favorite sentence or paragraph (include entire quote; use quote marks and page number)? 1 percent
My favorite paragraph of "The Big Valley" was when Arax described his planting habits. To me, it showed how much farming was a part of his identity. It reminded him of his father and grandfather and gave him a feeling of being complete.
"As another orchard gets plowed under out there, I plant another pomegranate or apricot tree back here. I know it's futile, but my garden is now ample and year-round, and the dirt under my nails is honest farm dirt. The country, as my mother used to call it, is right outside my window." (Arax, 26)
4. What did the reading make you think of? (be specific eg "There is a bridge in SF that spans 4 miles from SF to Oakland and in the middle of the bridge it crosses an island called Treasure Island. This story makes me think of that specific little island where I can see the entire city and bay area. That city was also in the news recently where .... ) .75 percent
The reading made me think more of the farming communities in California. Every time I drive to San Diego, I pass a large farming area where almonds, oranges, lemons, figs, cotton, walnuts, and plums are grown. In the past, I haven't stopped to think what it would be like to own a farm, the challenges and rewards. I think it's a lifestyle that is very different than the one I am familiar with, but one that is a huge part of this state's culture and history.
5. What is one thing you did not know before you started the reading that you now know (again, be specific using concrete examples)? 1 percent
I knew that farming was widespread in the earlier days of California history, but I didn't realize that the culture still exists in very deep rooted manner among various communities.
Write the story title and author name. .25 point
"Transients in Paradise" by Aimee Liu
2. Summarize the reading in one brief paragraph; be specific in your summary. Remember that your classmates will rely on you for this information. 2 percent
The author lives in Beverly Hills. As she strolls down the streets of the city she is reminded of the quote form Italo Cavino's Invisible Cities. "Cities, like dreams, are made of desires and fears..." At first glance, Beverly Hills seems like a dream, where our desires are fulfilled. Here, multi-million dollar houses and cars can be found. In this paradise, even the rats are fulfilled as they feast on the thoughtlessly tossed fillet mignons. But, all these riches point towards one thing -fear. Beneath all the glamour and grandeur of Beverly Hills there is a fear. There are no hospitals of funerals in Beverly Hills. Only a facade of happiness. In the streets, the homeless are left that way as passerbys quickly hurry past, carrying there Prada purse and shopping in designer stores. No matter who is living in the city, no matter how rich or poor, they are all variable. Nothing is permanent. What happens one day will be gone the next And if you stay there all your life, or just three hours, it's all temporary. We are only transients, transients of paradise.
3. Which was your favorite sentence or paragraph (include entire quote; use quote marks and page number)? 1 percent
My favorite paragraph is on that I think the author writes to define the entire short story. In it, Beverly Hills is shown is simply a temporary stop, a transient position. "The wattage of that current is transience. Who is coming? Who is going? Who is staying, and for how long? A town like Beverly Hills puts up an impressive front of permanence, but no matter how massive the houses, how opulent the stores, how established the brokers of power and fame, or how deep their pockets, the truth of this place is as variable as the traffic passing down Wilshire Boulevard." ( Liu, 31)
4. What did the reading make you think of? (be specific eg "There is a bridge in SF that spans 4 miles from SF to Oakland and in the middle of the bridge it crosses an island called Treasure Island. This story makes me think of that specific little island where I can see the entire city and bay area. That city was also in the news recently where .... ) .75 percent
The story reminded me of what really matters in life. I've been to Beverly Hills and I love the glamour. But if I take a second look, it's only a facade. A mask of happiness and a carefree life. Though the owners of the multi-million dollar houses on Sunset Blvd. seem to have everything and anything they want, money doesn't by you happiness, and life is only passing. We are only transients, sojourners of a temporary paradise.
5. What is one thing you did not know before you started the reading that you now know (again, be specific using concrete examples)? 1 percent
I thought it was very interesting that Beverly Hills doesn't have a cemetery or a hospital. To me, it only adds to the facade of paradise. Suffering and death has been cast aside to make room for the shopping centers and the country clubs.
Write the story title and author name. .25 point
"Showing off the Owens" by T. Jefferson Parker
2. Summarize the reading in one brief paragraph; be specific in your summary. Remember that your classmates will rely on you for this information. 2 percent
This short story was about the author and his novelist friend, Brian Wipred from New York, who also happened to be an experienced fly-fisher. These two men are driving through Northern California for the sole purpose of fly-fishing. Parker is showing Wipred the best places in the area for this sport, and one such location happens to be the Owens River. Overlooking the waters of the river is the Sierra Nevada. It completes the stunning setting of the river. There is nothing these two men would rather be doing than fishing on a murky-gray day with the majesty of the mountains looming overhead, and experiencing the excitement of seeing the shimmering of a trout's silver scales against the darkened water.
3. Which was your favorite sentence or paragraph (include entire quote; use quote marks and page number)? 1 percent
My favorite pat of the story is when Parker describes what it's like to see catch a trout. I can understand his thrill because I have been fishing before and experienced the same excitement. "The foliage is flat gold under the brooding gray sky. The river is high-gloss black. A rainbow trout takes an elk hair caddis, explodes through the surface in a spray of bright silver and the entire world holds its breath and watches." (Parker,40)
4. What did the reading make you think of? (be specific eg "There is a bridge in SF that spans 4 miles from SF to Oakland and in the middle of the bridge it crosses an island called Treasure Island. This story makes me think of that specific little island where I can see the entire city and bay area. That city was also in the news recently where .... ) .75 percent
This story made me think of the few times that I have gone fishing with my dad and two brothers. I remember the feeling I experienced when I first saw the bass come up out of the water. It was very exciting to be rewarded for my hours of patience while waiting for a bite. Unfortunately I wasn't surrounded by the majestic Sierra Nevada (I've only been fishing in Southern California), but I have good memories of rowboat races, slimy fish, and lazy afternoons.
5. What is one thing you did not know before you started the reading that you now know (again, be specific using concrete examples)? 1 percent
I learned that the Owens river is a good fly-fishing spot in Northern California. It is not the monstrous river it used to be due to the fact that it is the water supply for many people in Southern California. There are, however, many excellent remaining spots that guarantee a fisherman a jolly good time.
Write the story title and author name. .25 point
"The Distant Cataract About Which we do not Speak: by Mary Mackey
2. Summarize the reading in one brief paragraph; be specific in your summary. Remember that your classmates will rely on you for this information. 2 percent This short story is about a woman enjoying a swim in the river in mid-July after the Sierra snow melt. Surrounding the water are brush and duckweed. Ducks, herons, beavers, rattlesnakes, and fish populate the riverside. Here, it is peaceful and one can watch the sunset amidst the quiet. Yet, if you listen too closely, you'll hear a distant hum. It is the hum of a freeway, in the city of Sacramento. The quiet river is a quiet haven in the midst of a crazy and populous city. This is Mackey and her husband come to find peace.
3. Which was your favorite sentence or paragraph (include entire quote; use quote marks and page number)? 1 percent
My favorite paragraph of the story is when the author is explains where she is and why her and her husband come to the river. "We are sitting on an island in the American River, right in the middle of Sacramento, the state capital, a metropolitan area of well over a million people, but my husband and I like to preserve our mutual delusion. We have agreed not to imagine we are not a five-minute drive from our home and a twenty-minute walk from the university where we both teach, but instead in some remote part of California where just out of sight a magnificent waterfall foams down into a green pool." (Mackey,48)
4. What did the reading make you think of? (be specific eg "There is a bridge in SF that spans 4 miles from SF to Oakland and in the middle of the bridge it crosses an island called Treasure Island. This story makes me think of that specific little island where I can see the entire city and bay area. That city was also in the news recently where .... ) .75 percent
The story made me think of how important it is that we all have a place where we can go to find some peace and solitude. Amidst the craziness of it is nice to settle down for once in awhile and get a hold of our sanity.
5. What is one thing you did not know before you started the reading that you now know (again, be specific using concrete examples)? 1 percent
I did not know that in the middle of the city of Sacramento, a piece of nature has been preserved, and that if you want to, you can swim with the beavers and dive with the ducks.
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