FIVE PERSPECTIVES

00.00 Introduction

00.01 The purpose of this paper is to focus on history and culture. This is also the required paper four for English composition 1301.

00.02 The thesis is this that this essay analyzes and interprets five essays on history and culture in terms of understanding the meaning, evaluating the strategy and appreciating the language as suggested by The Sundance Reader.

01.0 Point one

01.01 In the first essay by Matthew Arnold he writes about the two influences in our world, which are “Hebraism and Hellenism”. Hebraism is strictness of consciences and Hellenism is spontaneity of consciences. In the second essay by Ruth Benedict she writes about “The Pueblos of New Mexico”, which are Indians. These Indians have a different culture than the any other Indian tribe in North America. The Pueblos of New Mexico are Apollonian and the other Indians are Dionysian. In the third essay by Joan Didion she writes about “Pacific Distances”. She uses Los Angeles, as an example of how our cities have become so big that everything is the same. The constant rat race that people go through in order to stay caught up and how sometimes this drives people over the edge. In the fourth essay by N. Scott Momaday he writes “My Kiowa Grandmother”. In the essay he goes on to discusses her heritage as a Kiowa Indian in memory of her. In the fifth essay by Ishmael Reed he writes about “The multicultural Society”. Which explains how America has several different cultures. Meaning that the countries surrounding it influence America. Such as Mexico, Africa and China. The different types of art also influence other cultures here in America.

02.0 Point two

02.01 In the first essay by Arnold, the strategy used by the author is of meaning. Matthew uses the terms of Hebraism and Hellenism to manipulate a clear picture of the terms; which he states are commonly misunderstood. The second essay, by Ruth Benedict speaks of cultural significance. How the pueblos culture is distinct to them. She paints a very distinctive image of the society and rituals of the pueblos in the minds of the reader. In the third essay, “Pacific Distances”, the author uses a descriptive prose to illustrate her point. Which is the big city (Los Angeles) is so big that it is hard to escape from the confines of it. Everywhere you look it is the same there is no uniqueness. Her story of the woman who was driven to insanity and took her life and tried to take the life of her daughter; reflects the authors strategy in rounding up her essay on the effects of the big city life. “My Kiowa Grandmother” is an illustration of the authors grandmother and her tribes traditions. Here the author tells a story and relates past experiences making them culturally significant. The final perspective “America: The Multicultural Society” the author talks about how different areas of the U.S. and world are influenced culturally. The strategy used in this essay is occurrence. They speak of the instance in Texas with the signs being in Spanish and English. Also, the author talks of how classical music and painting was influenced by different cultures. The way the author talks about these different instances helps illustrate their theme.

03.0 POINT THREE

03.01 The third goal is tellingly appreciating the language. In “Hebraism and Hellenism” the language is hard to follow it requires a more in depth look than the other stories. I regard this passage as my favorite, because of the language being more complex. Arnold Matthew’s tale “The Pueblos of New Mexico” uses a clean and clear language to speak about the cultural significance of the Pueblos people in relation to other surrounding cultures of the time. “Pacific Distances” seems vague in language to me. I can catch the theme but don’t quite catch a clear representation of how the article in the paper fits together as a whole. “My Kiowa Grandmother” uses plain language to describe the Kiowa culture in relation to the persons Grandmother. The language here is easily understood to the reader. The fifth essay, “America: The Multicultural Society” uses plain language to portray the authors message of how cultural diffusion has leaked into all parts of American and worldly fashions.

04.0 SUMMARY/CONCLUSION

04.01 Above is an analysis and interpretation of five essays dealing with history and culture based on meaning, strategy, and language appreciation.

04.02 These essays provide rich evidence that, as the Hellenes proposed, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

Word Count: 756