Revising

Man, out of the three papers I'm putting in I guess I would say that my personal analysis paper best demonstrates my writing capability so far. I think that as of now, some of my better analysis has come out and it has been easier to express something that relates directly to my life. I also like the direction I am taking with my paper, showing how both Martha and I started at the bottom and how because of our situations we have beterred ourselves and become stronger because of it. With something so emotional, it has been easier to capture my audience. On the other hand, I think that my research paper needs the most revision because I am lacking the ever-important outside contextual evidence. Instead of writing a paper about "The Simpsons," I need to show how it has made an impact in the American society. It has taken me a while to really get a clear focus for my research paper but I think as I start adding real world proof it will help flesh out unecessary parts of my paper.
One of my biggest weaknesses in all of my papers is delving into the analysis and not just touching on the surface. I need to work on really trying to explain and prove my argument rather than just talking about it. Darn 5-paragraph essays! I also need to work on the flow of my writing, making sure that everything connects and works with together instead of feeling choppy. I want to eliminate any awkwardness and make my papers easy to read.

...and Into the Wild comes to an end.

To be honest, my opinion pretty much completely switched from the beginning to the end. So i guess you could say Krakauer's methods were effective for changing my ideas about McCandless. When we wrote the initial McCandless essay, I thought he was an ignorant lunatic. I mean, who goes into the Alaskan wilderness unprepared. From what I've learned and experienced throughout my life regarding the outdoors, it seemed purely mad. But as Krakauer started exposing Chris's personality, I started respecting his drive and ambition more and more. He lived by his own means and I found that very refreshing. One of the biggest turning points for me was when Krakauer related his personal experiences to those of Chris's; I started to relate on a whole different level and was more able to understand both of them. Although there are certain things I don't necessarily agree with and decisions I find questionable, on the whole, I have truly come to respect Chris. If this story was told by someone who didn't respect Chris, my opinion might differ; but Krakauer did a great job at influencing my opinion, even if it was based on false conclusions. Chris was extremely motivated and I really appreciate his connection to the outdoors; it is something that most of us could use a little more of. He saw true, natural beauty in the world and a part of me wishes I could be a little more like him. The journal writings and accounts from people he met along his journey helped me to see his true personality and feel as though I was getting to know him on a deeper level. So yes, Krakauer's methods sure worked for me! Now it's time to revise my papers...YIKES!

My primary source of The Simpsons supports my topic of family relationships and the imperfections within. While much of society has been raised with the stereotype of a perfect family with minimal issues and a "Leave it to Beaver" style life, The Simpsons flips it 180 degrees. The argument I am making is that in a serious minded society, people should be more willing to laugh at themselves and joke about imperfections. The Simpsons brought about a new age of television that show the downsides of family relationships and a dysfunctional life, just like how it is for a lot of people. I address this dysfunctional family lifestyle by highlighting the specific relationships between the characters and use examples from different episodes that highlight this aspect. I then go on to show how eventhough they have their issues, they are still a family that love eachother and despite their problems, they make it through the day, or to the next episode. Our classmates should care about this topic because it relates directly to our lives and our interactions in our relationships dealing with not only family, but with friends as well. Whether we are close to our families or not, this ability to be less judgmental about people like Homer in our lives, the happier we will be. Being able to accept imperfection, even laugh about it, will allow us to see that life isn't necessarily about being perfect, and that everything will be okay in the end.