Mac Jeffrey
English 1100

Prof. Young

Language

September 13, 2015

Language

It is a common discussion weather or not students should be able to write like they talk in school assignments. I think that both sides of the argument have truth and I'm not totally sure there is a right answer to the question, but it is definitely worth taking a closer look at. It was a rule with most of my teachers in high school that we weren't able to write like we talk and I have to say I never really understood that rule. After all, we do have freedom of speech in this country. After looking back, I think the purpose of that rule was probably to prepare us for the real world because you might not be able to write exactly how you talk if you are writing a letter to your boss or any other authority figure. Also, if you write in Academic English, it is pretty much universally recognized so it is a safer bet when you aren't sure how to phrase an essay. On the other hand, the style of writing that most teachers teach gives you no authenticity. I think writing should reflect your unique personality and writing in Academic English might not be your preferred style. Some people speak more properly, and some people like to throw a lot of slang into their speech. Of coarse, every student's writing still has to be understandable to the teacher. The question becomes where do you draw the line between authentic and proper? There has to be a bit of both in a student's writing. If the whole thing has to be in proper English, the students might not be being true to themselves. If it is in total modern day slang, it might not be readable for the teacher. The student must be able to write clearly while still being true to who they are. A great example of using your own language is in the song "Fuck Tha Police" by NWA. They talk about all of the terrible things they have seen the police force in Compton do. While a lot of people will have a problem with this song, I think that it was somewhat appropriate them for them to say what they said. They are talking about what they know to be true and they are getting their anger out by rapping. However, it is wrong to assume this about all police and it could cause some people to rebel.

Mac Jeffrey
7 September 2015
English 1100
Prof. Young

Identity

 

     In the essay "How to Tame a Wild Tongue", Gloria Anzaldua talks about identity. What she

mainly focuses on is how much her unique Chicano language has shaped who she is. She had taken a lot of crap on her life because most people don't recognize her language and they assume it is incorrect. But after reading the essay, we know that this couldn't be further from the truth. Anzaldua shows us in her writing how important identity really is. She learned throughout her life to be true to herself and not to follow what other people think she should do. To me, identity is important because it distinguishes you from the crowd and makes you unique.      

 

       Identity should be something that nobody can take away from you. It is something that is yours alone and it is just a little bit different from person to person. All the time people say things like "they are exactly alike" or "you're just like him" when in reality, no two people in the world are exactly the same. Even two people who seem incredibly similar on the surface might be completely different on the inside. There are so many tiny qualities that make us up as human beings and they are different for everyone. This is why your identity is so important, because it is who you are in your heart and you should never try to be anything other than that.

 

       Everyone has their own unique personality. Part of having an identity is being able to let your personality shine through in whatever you do. If you constantly have to switch up who you are to impress everyone, I don't think you don't have a true identity. Of coarse, everyone has to put on a front from time to time to impress certain people, such as your boss or your parents. But if you change drastically with different groups that you hang out with, that isn't your real identity. Most people who do this are scared of what people will think about them, when in reality much more people would respect them if they were true to who they are.

      

      If you have your own identity, that means you know exactly who you are. If you know your identity, you will be a much happier person because you know what you want to do with yourself. It is definitely very impressive to see someone who knows their identity and doesn't change who they are to fit in or to try to impress people. I would say most people in the world try to change who they are to try to fit in to some degree, but the less you do that the more you will be respected. Also, people will look at you as a leader if they see that you have your own unique identity.

      The most important thing to remember about identity is that you need to own it. Be true to who you are and no one will be able to tell you to be a certain way.  The real reason that identity is important is because nothing makes a person more happy than knowing exactly who they are. So many people try to push you in a certain direction so it is important to be able to make your own decisions so you could have your own identity. Anzaldua could have listened to the people telling her that her language was incorrect, but she stayed true to herself and ended up writing a great essay that many people can learn from.



Mac Jeffrey
3 September 2015
English 1100
Prof. Young

Identity

 

      In my opinion, identity is everything about you that makes you who you are. In class we discussed how identity is everything that you can tell about a person just by looking at them, but I believe it is a bit deeper than that. I think identity is any trait that makes you unique, such as your interests, personality, or what you are good at. For example, no one would be able to tell just by looking at me that I am a basketball player, but I consider that to be a huge part of my identity. I also really like music and I am a pretty good guitar player, which I consider a part of my identity.

 



      In "How to Tame a Wild Tongue", Gloria Anzaldua mostly talks about her language being her identity. Language is definitely a huge part of your identity, but even more so in Anzaldua's case because of how much it has shaped her life. Her entire story is about how her unique language has impacted her life. Her entire life she was told that the way she talks is wrong and that clearly had a huge affect on her. Because of how unusual her language is and how much she was ridiculed for it, het language is an extremely important part of who she is. However, there are many other intangible things that also make her who she is.
     Identity could be shaped by how you were raised, but it is also greatly influenced by your individual personality. The majority of people don't change too much from the culture they were brought up in, although some people do break away from their upbringing and start their own path. It is ultimately up to you what your identity is. Anzaldua could have listened to everyone and spoke the way they thought she was supposed to, but she decided to be strong and stick with what she felt comfortable with regardless of what people thought.