Cultural Identity

         In the lastest discussion that we had in class, we talked about the balance that we need to have when it comes to our identity as well as the respect for our families culture. Having a middle ground is a very difficult thing to achieve, especially when your world is completely different from your parents. For that reason, when it comes to keeping things equal, its the hardest thing one can do even when people say otherwise.

          First thing, technology is a big part of our lives now and that's probably not going to change anytime soon. The advancement that's occurred throughout the years is a great one and people are starting to realize that its not going away so it makes it difficult for my family to get used to the idea. They are used to having time with the family that doesn't include distractions like cell phones and television. It was all about the interaction with one another that made the family so strong that now, its becoming a bit difficult to be interactive with each other with technology included in the mix. That's why when it comes to this, its very hard for me to adjust from my lifestyle to the one of my family's. I'm used to having technology with me like my cell phone, tablet, and laptop, and trying to leave it behind is super difficult. 

         

          Another thing that's hard to keep the balance with is the language that I speak. I grew up with speaking Spanish as well as English since my parents wanted me to speak both languages. Growing up, I always had to adjust to speaking Spanish at home and English at school, but at times, I would confuse them both and mix them in with one another. Being a child, I didn't think it was a big deal, but it was. Sometimes, I would be in trouble for just mixing up the two, creating the language of Spanglish. My parents after a while though began to realize that English was a big part of my life that eventually they began to adjust it as well. They knew if I was going to make any progress of what is right or wrong, they would need to actually teach me the differences and that's what happened. It was a long process, but we all found a balance in my family, even if at times we still speak English at home. 

          The equilibrium that people look for when it comes to our identity and our family's culture is a great challenge, but its what makes us who we are. Being a Hispanic girl as well as an American girl is a balance that is very difficult to attain, even when your family is constantly reminding you by calling you a gringa, but its just who I am. I'm not ashamed of being both and no one should ever be either. That's why when it comes to achieving that equal, we shouldn't be afraid of being both. Being like Dee and embracing one side and not the other is what made her be the way she was, a bit rude. Maggie is the same way. Being loyal to her mother made her lose herself in the process so that balance that we all look for, is what we need to find if we don't want to end up like those two characters.

What Makes Up A Haunted House Story

 

      There are many different kinds of stories that were told to us when we were children of superheroes and villians, but what I'm going to talk about are the ones that are dark and spooky. The ones that are haunting and unexplainable like The Fall of the House of Usher. Edgar Allan Poe's short story has many characteristics that I would probably use if I were ever to write a story like his. 

     
      The first thing that I would copy that Poe did was create a creepy house. Many would agree that stories like these always needs a creepy house. Although in The House of Usher the main character didn't seem to notice how creepy the house was, there seems to be an interest of which the character always wants to go to the dark and lonely house of which I would use in my story. Using a characteristic such as this one, a reader would be intrigued to keep reading to find out what's inside.

      Another characteristic that I'd use would be the usage of diction. The words that Poe uses in his stories always captures a readers attention and makes them create a mental picture of what he wants you to see and feel. Being able to create that sort of image in someone's mind is something very powerful. For that reason, diction would be the second thing I would copy from Poe.

      The third thing that I would use if I ever were to write a story would be the suspense created for the reader. When Poe wrote The House of Usher, the story always had a suspense in which made readers wanting more. Creating that effect makes things more interesting and bringing about the unexpected ending. That's why I would copy Poe in the aspect of creating suspense in a story.

      The fourth charcteristic would be the way he ends his story. Many writers give the readers an ending that they want which is that the characters have a happy ending, but Poe has a different idea. He wrote this short story leaving us with an ending that can have many different outcomes to it. That's why when it comes to writing a story, I would copy that idea of which leaves the reader to create their own ending even though I would hate that kind of ending left for me to ponder as well.

      The final thing that I'd copy from Poe would be the crazy character. There always needs to be that one character that stands out, even if it means that they're crazy. You got to admit, they do keep us engaged and wanting to know what they'd do next. For that reason, the crazy character is one that I'd use in a story, even if that story doesn't exist.

      Those were some characteristics of what Poe used in his short story of The Fall of the House of Usher that I would copy if I ever were to write a story like his.