Dolphin Courtship: Brutal, Cunning and Complex

Some scientists have proclaimed that dolphins are one of smartest creatures next to humans.  This piece gives justice to what scientists have discovered especially since the dolphin’s intelligence is seen throughout their courtship.

Aside from conducting their own form of communication and having the ability to understand and respond to humans, dolphins show intelligence throughout their brutal, cunning and complex courtship. Natalie Angier describes the lovable creatures as turn aggressive, even possessive once they are looking for their partners. Somehow these can be reflected to human behavior as both follow their instincts when it comes to love.

I am impressed on how the author attacked the piece. Usually information-filled essays have the tendency to become a bit draggy and boring. I give kudos to Angier since she was successful in keeping my attention and making me want to finish reading it. 

The Maker’s Eye: Revising Your Own Manuscripts by Donald Murray

This piece is particularly informative and helpful, especially to aspiring writers. It talks about the importance of writing drafts and revising, and how both are viewed differently by students and professional writers.

Donald Murray first clarifies to the readers that the student’s perceptions of a first draft is dissimilar to that of a professional writer’s. While students rejoice and see a complete draft as something that is done and final, professional writers regard this as just a start and something that needs a lot more revising. From this point, the author goes on to telling the readers that all good writers always revise their work and that they habitually do so, by not looking at the first one they made.

I really found this essay very insightful because I am one of those students who settle for having a paper done at once. Now that I have read this, I can safely say that I am one more step closer to having perfect my writing skills. 

Cinematypes by Susan Allen Toth

More often than not people watch movies that reflect his or her own preference, culture and background. Still though, there are times when these preferences change because we adapt to the liking of the people we immerse ourselves with. Take Susan Allen Toth’s essay for example. She describes her personal fondness for musicals or those redeemed by Thelma Ritter, and how all that changes when she starts seeing and dating three different men.

The author’s use of exemplification and comparison and contrast in this piece, in my opinion helped emphasize that there are, indeed, differences when one person watches alone and when one watches with another person. Also, these techniques helped build up the conclusion and emotions of the piece.

There is more to this piece than just how people are easily influenced by those around them. This essay can also be viewed in a very informative way. It discusses and differentiates the different cinematypes available to people.

The Filipino Woman: Cory & Leonor, Gabriela & Imelda by Carmen Guerrero Nakpil

Based from the title itself, readers would already get the idea what this narrative is all about. Carmen Guerrero Nakpil makes a brief comparison between these four prominent women with the Filipino women. The author goes on and narrates the lives of each one of them, making sure to point out how they have reflected the Filipino women of today.

This essay is very inspiring to women of all ages. It shows how women can defy society’s usual mental image of them by following the footsteps and foundation that Cory, Leonor, Gabriela and Imelda have laid out.

Doublespeak by William Lutz

According to this piece, Doublespeak is a language that deliberately reverses the meaning of words. It is a language that pretends to communicate and convey, while, in fact, it really doesn’t. With the help of euphemisms, jargons, gobbledygooks and inflated language, it only cleverly disguises the nature of the truth.

People, nowadays, resort to using doublespeak because it makes saying harsh truths and realities seem less unpleasant. It is like “sugar-coating” words so as not to sound as offensive as it really is.

In my effort to learn more about doublespeak and William Lutz, I have learned that Lutz is the third chairman of the Doublespeak Committee since 1975 to the present. This entails that this piece is very reliable and all the information stated are indeed true. Also, I learned that Lutz’ sole purpose in writing this is to enlighten the readers that “doublespeak is a form of language that defeats the purpose of inventing language because it does not communicate the truth but seeks to do the opposite and the doublespeak committee is tasked with correcting this problem that doublespeak has created in the world of language.”

Why We Crave Horror Movies? by Stephen King

Being an expert in contemporary horror and suspense, Stephen King enumerated a few causes why people can’t get enough of watching horror films. He identifies that people continuously seek a source for thrill, suspense and sometimes even, gore, so as to keep ourselves sane. Yes, you heard me correctly. There is, in truth, insanity in all of us, which in order to keep it in; it needs to be nourished by these movies. Had we stopped watching films like these all together, we might have the sudden urge to ‘experiment’ ourselves. 

Film + Humor

Propaganda Techniques in Today's Advertising: New Category

As we may know, in propaganda films, the director-marketer’s main goal is to try and convince the audience on a specific political point or influence the opinions or behavior of the viewers. Personally, I think that this propaganda technique is effective because most people are visual or spacial learners.  The populace learns best when ideas, concepts, data and other information are associated with images and techniques.

Humor is another different concept. It is when normal experiences are tinted to induce laughter and amusement. I think this would be an effective propaganda technique as well because people of all ages and cultures respond to humor. 

So, you may as well imagine the outcome if we combined documentary-style productions or fictional screenplays with a great dose of laughter. 

Propaganda Techniques in Today’s Advertising by Ann McClintock

This piece is very informative. It explains the different marketing strategies that people commonly use and how they are classified according to the techniques used.  In fact, this piece would be very helpful to both consumers with little knowledge on marketing and advertising, and expert marketers and advertisers. It would be of service to the consumers because they would gain background on marketing, which they could then use to make efficient and economical decisions. It would help expert marketers and advertisers, on the other hand, because they would be more familiar with other common techniques, which would then help them develop their own style in selling.

I recommend for everyone to read this piece, because it doesn’t hurt anyone to be more informed and aware. It’s better to be knowledgeable than to be “victimized” by everyday’s advertisements. 

Am I blue? by Alice Walker

Here, we can see that Alice Walker’s use of parallelism enabled the readers to recognize that human capacity of emotion can also be applicable to animals.

Walker briefly narrates her observations of a horse, which goes by the name of Blue. For a period of time, she just observes the horse in its natural habitat and she just tries to imagine what it may be feeling.  After much thought and consideration, it dawned on her the harsh reality that people sometimes disregard that animals are living creatures as well and that they have the ability to feel.

Aside from the parallelism that the author had portrayed, there is also a hint of racism involved in the story. The readers would note from the story that the whites were the superior race and that other human races other than the whites were, more or less, treated like animals. 

Two Views of Mississippi by Mark Twain

In this narrative by Mark Twain, readers would get the author’s perspective and imagery of the Mississippi River throughout time. The author is able to describe with great detail the river in both the past and present due to his work in a steamboat.

Twain described how before he conducted a steamboat, he thought of the river as something that is majestic and captivating. However, once he had the chance to see it almost every day, he got used to everything about it and he started to see the dangers that it can bring.

The use of contrast, in my opinion, greatly helped this piece stand out. It helped differentiate the reality with the author’s first impressions.

In more ways than one, the lesson that we got from this narrative can be reflected to the real world because first impressions are not always true. People have the tendency to assume at first glance, only to realize how wrong they were throughout time. 

Halloween Party by Lillian Ross

Like a lot of the readings in our class, Halloween Party by Lillian Ross is another example of how authors use exemplification and enumeration in their essays. This particular essay enumerates what a mother has gone thru in throwing a Halloween party for her beloved son. It accounts all the materials used for decorations, the son’s Dracula costume, the different candies to be given out to trick-or-treaters, etc. It even included the complete inventory of the mother, listing the total cost of all the expenses.

What I appreciate most about this piece is the last line, which goes: “Total investment of emotion and puzzlement: indeterminable.” This line ties up everything in the essay because it would make the reader rethink about everything that the author had described in her previous sentences. Also, I like this line because it verified how true a mother’s love actually is. Readers would understand that the mother in this article doesn’t really care how much the party, itself costs, the only thing that matters for her is her son’s happiness. 

Pencil Rack by John Ciardi

When I first read the title, I honestly thought that this piece would be just one of those boring descriptive essays describing the author’s pencil holder. Obviously, I was wrong about a few minor things. John Ciardi, the author, did describe the pencil rack but he put greater emphasis on its unusual contents.

Ciardi enumerated every little thing that he had placed in the said stand, and continued on to illustrate each with great detail. He described the ball-point pens, Kleenex tissues, the screwdriver, the movie tickets, etc. even mentioning the price and purchase date of each said item.

By the end of this piece, I realized that we have the tendency to sometimes take some of our things for granted. We tend to stock them up or leave them on a shelf and just take the pleasure that they are just there whenever we need them.

Like how we take advantage of our material possessions, we also have the tendency to take the people around us, more specifically our family, friends and loved ones, for granted. At some point in our lives, we are guilty of believing that people we care about will always be there for us, and will always be available that is why we put off things we want to say and do until tomorrow. This shouldn’t be the case; we should always take the time and show our affection and gratitude to the people we care about. 

What I’ve Learned from Men by Barbara Ehrenreich

Similar to the selection entitled Sexism and Language, this essay revolves mainly around the theme of gender discrimination. It speaks of all the things women should learn from men. For the most part, it explains that women should try to defy society’s usual image of women as being frail and weak. It emphasizes that women should in fact learn to get tough, and take credit when credit is due.

I, for one, agree with what the author, Barbara Ehrenreich, had said. All women should take a stand and prove once and for all to everyone that women can do whatever men can do. Sometimes, even better.

I know that this would be particularly hard for women to do, given that we have long been branded as the inferior sex, but I believe if all women see their worth and try to exert more effort then, maybe someday, society would recognize this as well.  We should continue to fight our way thru the many biases thrown at us and strive for equality always. 

Sexism and Language by Alleen Pace Nilsen

In this selection, Alleen Pace Nilsen is clear to make a relationship between two unlikely concepts: sexism and language. He introduces the readers to the idea of gender biases in the English language. He says that words have more to imply than just its meaning and that there are subtle influences it makes to our everyday lives.

We might not really notice it at first, but what Nilsen says is, in fact, true. Words used to describe men, usually signify or emphasize power, strength or courage. These words, when pondered upon, would then lead us to relate men to history. All the adventures (or misadventures), battles, fights, and violence are generally perceived to be done mostly by men. Words used to describe women, on the other hand, usually connote elegance, passiveness or frailty. This gives the society the idea that women are somewhat inferior to the male population. The author also points out that society tends to label women as objects. Men often perceive or treat women as just sex objects or possessions.

Whether it is the words that denote negative meaning or the perception of men that women are just sex objects, it is exactly these two reasons that make women embarrassed in their own skin.

I hope in the future, writers would be more conscious of the words that they are using so as to  avoid being sex-biased in the process. 

Best Friends

Two Views of Mississippi: Comparisons between your pet and best friend

I received my first pet directly after my Ice Skating accident back in 2007. Upon having the doctor’s approval of my discharge, I was sent home after a week of confinement in the Medical City hospital. I was relieved, of course, because somehow staying in a hospital made me feel like something was wrong with me. 

As I step into the familiar cream-colored walls of my living room and take in the sight of everything that I was missing for the past few weeks, I notice that there was a pink striped bag on the bottom of the staircase. I didn’t really mind it at first, but as soon as the bag started moving, I cautiously checked it. It really took me by surprise when I saw that a very fragile, white-cream Toy Poodle with brown nose came out of the bag.

It was my first time to have a dog that I can call my own, so you might as well imagine that I was overly ecstatic. I got more excited when I started playing with her and seeing familiar traits.


In more ways than one, I began seeing some traits in my pet dog (which I decided to name Sparkle) that was also in my best friend, Rissey Reyes. Aside from the obvious fact that they both have curly hair, they exude this aura of comfort. It’s like when I’m with them, they would somehow make my life feel better and more fun. Also, they’re both loyal and dependable. I am able to enjoy their companionship, knowing that they would not disappoint my trust in anyway. I have to admit though, there are times when I seek human companionship over pet companionship or vice versa. It all really depends on my mood. When I want some peace and quiet, I seek comfort from my dog. When I need someone to talk to and give advice, I go to Rissey.

In more ways than I can really tell, I am lucky to have my two best friends with me. 

Happy Feet: The Pleasures of Teen Dance Movies

I absolutely love dance movies. The fact that I’m into dancing as well may have contributed to this strong liking, but after reading Joan Acocella’s essay, I might as well marry dance itself. I’ve gained more insights about how dance was revolutionized and how it brought about changes to people. I also realized that these movies are more than just buck choreographies and hard-rock abs. Each movie is molded around themes that everyone can relate to, such as bravery and social hierarchy.

Acocella was able to list and explain each and every message that these movies portray in a very systematic and orderly manner. She presented a topic sentence for each paragraph, then from there, she constructed and gave examples to support her point. This made reading her essay very easy to follow and very informative at the same time.

One would also note the author’s extensive use of exemplification throughout her essay. She gave readers clear pictures and scenarios from certain movies, which in my opinion, greatly contributed to how well the readers were able to grasp each concept she laid out. Not only that, but such type of writing would make anyone feel that the author was very knowledgeable on the said topic.

I highly encourage everyone to read this essay. I can guarantee you that this essay would leave you wanting to do two things. One: to apply exemplification in your own writings, and; two: to watch a dance movie and see what message it could bring.

Megamall Ice Skating Rink

Out of Africa: descriptive essay written without the sense of sight

I like to think that everyone has their own place of solitude and relaxation, a special little corner here on Earth where they can go to whenever they want, wherever they want. Some would choose common places like their house or room; others would pick places with great sceneries like the beach or park; yet still others would pick places that they can share with their loved ones; but to each his own.

Ever since I can remember, I was almost always surrounded with a lot of chilly wind rushing to my body. Every little move I make just brings forth another whiplash of that cold, gentle breeze. Some would find it rather too cold for their taste but having been exposed to such low temperature at a very young age; I have grown accustomed to it already. In fact, I catch little salty beads of sweat rolling down my face each time I decide to rest on one of many worn-out navy blue wooden benches of the waiting area.

Sitting is a whole different story as compared to actual gliding on the thick, uneven ice. It was only at that point when I would notice how packed both the rink and waiting area is with people of all shapes and sizes. It never failed to surprise me how completely unaware I get with what’s happening around me as soon as I step on the ice and dance my way through my steps and choreography.

I miss the Megamall Ice Skating Rink. It was my favorite place in the world.

Photograph of my Parents by Maxine Hong Kingston

Nowadays, photography is everywhere. Literally, everywhere we look, we can spot images of random things and persons. There are pictures up in billboards; in different books and magazines; in shopping malls; online; and in our own houses. This might be because photography isn’t as uncommon as it was like in the past. We might have recently saw its essence of documenting moments that we may, someday, want to look back on.

Maxine Hong Kingston, in this selection, was exactly doing just that. She was scanning some old pictures of her parents back when they were happy as a clam, in the hopes of discerning what may have caused their conflicts at the present. She inferred a lot of things about her parents. She noted that they both have two very distinct and large personalities or cultures based on the pictures that each took. Her father took pictures of events wherein he was all dressed up or wherein he was with his friends. Her mother, on the other hand, preferred to take pictures, of important once-in-a-lifetime events only. Through small differences like these, Kingston was able to deduce how her dad was more of the fun-loving and outgoing type while her mom was more of the serious and long-term thinking type.

I’ve heard the saying that “A picture is worth a thousand words” before, but I was actually amazed at how Kingston was able to discover a great deal about her parents. Maybe I should try that once for myself. Take a random picture and just admire its simplicity and try to decipher more out of it.

Adoration and Blessedness

Topic: What I learned from my pet

My family adores dogs. In the eighteen years of my existence, I can safely say that we have housed over 20+ dogs already. Don’t get me wrong though; we didn’t house all of them at the same time. Of course, throughout time, some of our dogs passed away, some gave birth and still, some were given away to distant relatives.

At the present, we have five dogs that are in our care (one Dalmatian, two cream-colored Toy Poodles and two brown-colored Toy Poodles.) The two cream-colored Toy Poodles are the only dogs which have ever received ‘special treatment’ in our house though. Our family fell in love with them. The man who sold them to us, told us that they are sisters but this was kind of hard to believe since they do not look nor act the same. The smaller of the two has a black nose and is very outgoing, while the taller one has a brown nose and is very shy and scared.

All of my dogs have somehow touched my life. Although each is different in size, shape and personality, they all taught me the same set of things.

First and foremost, they taught me how to be responsible. The fact that these creatures are so helpless and that their lives depend on me is pushing me to work hard. This responsibility that I learned from taking care of my dogs has greatly helped me develop responsibility towards other important aspects in my life, like my responsibility as a daughter, sister and student.

Second, my dogs taught me the value of loyalty. As we may all know, dogs are very loyal companions especially towards their masters. They stick to their owner’s side thru both the good times and the bad. Like the example given to us by our furry friends, I always exude faithfulness towards my family and friends.

I am thankful for my dogs. They are one of God’s greatest blessings to me.

Death of a Moth by Virginia Woolf

First and foremost, I would like to give kudos to how Woolf was able to describe one of the most mundane and trivial subjects in rich detail.  She conveyed everything so vividly that readers would be certain that they were seeing what Woolf, herself, sees.

The title itself sums up everything that one needs to know about this narrative essay. Death of a Moth is a tale explaining how death caught up to the helpless insect, who against all odds, continued to fight to live until the last second of its life.

Reading between the essays’ creatively detailed sentences, one could see that Woolf puts the moth in a role that represents life (and death). She creates a perfect analogy, saying that animals and humans, in a way, are alike. Just like how the moth struggled to cross the windowpane even if it was clearly weak, we have the same notion to follow what we believe in and to never let anything or anyone get in the way of achieving our own dreams and aspirations. With the given time that we have in Earth, we all try to make a name for ourselves and wish that we can, someday, leave a legacy of our own.

This essay in some ways is timeless because again, it depicts all of humanity and its struggles in life, and then inevitable death. Also, it conveys the message of the importance of life and of survival.