'Apostrophe'

I have always struggled with proper usage of the apostrophe. After a little bit of research I discovered it is not quite as difficult as I thought to properly place an apostrophe.

Some simple rules to remember are: (Thanks to WIKIPEDIA)

Singular nouns

For most singular nouns add the ending 's

Plural nouns

When the noun is a normal plural, with an added s, no extra s is added in the possessive; so pens' caps (where there is more than one pen) is correct rather than pens's caps.

Compound Nouns

Compound nouns have their singular possessives formed with an apostrophe and an added s, in accordance with the rules given above: the Attorney-General's husband; this Minister for Justice's intervention; her father-in-law's new wife.

I think I will always be a little fuzzy on the use of apostrophes but Wikipedia really helped straighten a few things out.

political cartoons

The 1950s

In the essay, Looking for Work, Gary Sato uses a narrative style along with creative writing skills to contrast his life as a young Mexican American in the 1950s to that of the families on television in that period. Gary keeps his readers interest with stories from his younger life while continuing with on his "quest" to improve his family life to the standards of those television shows.

I think that Soto was trying to show the influence the media had on his life at that time. He saw how the white families were on television and wanted to be like them and accepted more in his community. He shows that in the "perfect" 1950's society that racism, violence, and other activities supposed to be gone from that culture still existed at the time.

In the essay, What We Really Miss About the 1950's, Stephanie Coontz chose a more analytical research style of writing. She uses many facts and figures to support the idea that while on the surface 1950's family life was great, below the surface family life was not so kosher. She writes about how many things such as racism seemed to have disappeared they were really just depressed into different forms.

I think Coontz was also indicating the media as a very powerful form of influence in that time period. Her use of research was very effective in getting her point across. She creates a very effective contrast between the good and the bad things occurring during the 1950s. While her viewpoint's mentioned in her essay differ from those in essay by Gary Soto, both authors display the key characteristic that this era, while being prosperous in ways, was not all it was cracked up to be.

Introduction to Rereading America:

What does it mean to you to be an American Citizen?

The introduction to the text, Rereading America, challenges us to look beyond the common misconceptions of the "myth" of the American dream and to think critically. As far as what i think it means to be an American citizen, there are many things to consider. I believe that to be an American can imply freedom, security, and prosperity to some. To others however, it can mean a struggle to make ends-meet while "The Man" lives in comfort. The ideal American dream, no matter your interpretation of the idea, seems simply out of reach for most.

My idea what it means to be American is that if you are willing to do the work, you can become a success in whatever dreams you seek. While it is not a full proof plan for immediate success, I have personally experienced the value of a hard days work. Maybe the American dream is not all it is cracked up to be. For me being an American citizen is hard work. America is not where you live, it is how you live. Proud to be an American, consider that these words are more than words. Open your mind and ask yourself, "What, if anything, makes me proud to be an American?".

How might this text challenge or complicate your opinions?

While I hate to admit it sometimes, I am only human. As with all human beings, one thing that stands in my way is the tendency to search for conformation of my existing beliefs. I do, however, enjoy the very nature of exploring new ideas and ways of thinking. While I may not agree with every opinion that challenges my beliefs, I will always try to take the time to ponder such ideas from another point of view. I hope that this text will challenge many of the beliefs that I currently maintain.