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- Reading responses are due by midnight on the night PRIOR to our discussion of the required reading.
In Moore’s, “On Conflict” he speaks of how your writing is even better when there is a conflict to it. Everyone who reads anything wants to hear any type of conflict and have their own opinion on it. And let’s face it conflict makes any story just that more interesting. Just as his student’s essay whose stood out from all the other essays. Why do we feel that everything must be happy and gleeful? Moore’s student didn’t believe that she should love her grandfather more than her dog. She had a better relationship with a pet than a human being, and as Moore mentions that is not a bad thing to feel. It is a conflict and makes the reader want to keep on reading more and more to the very end. In Hessler’s Article “Tales of the Trash” we read about a conflict between a man and his family which are Egyptian and adjusting to America. They find a way to help and be a part of the country not set themselves aside from everyone else. Moore and Hesser bring forth conflict within their writings or examples of what it is to write conflict. Which helps is as readers thing and find a conflict within our own writings.
ReplyDelete-Christina Velasquez
Within Moore’s “Of Conflict”, we are introduced to the idea that conflict between two individuals can propel a narrative into one with excitement and thus make it more interesting. According to Moore, a great way to emphasize the conflict taking place within the story is to add some action to the opposite forces. The action does not have to be actually physical movements, but rather, a statement against some unsaid law or thought that proves equally as strong. This general idea is presented in Hessler’s “Tales of the Trash”, which follows the verbal and metal fight between Sayyid and his wife Wahiba. While no physical action takes place, the conflict of their fighting and their almost divorce is enough to impact the writer during his stay in Cairo, as well as the reader. While the reader could have focused in on Sayyid and his time as a trash collector, he instead focused on his personal life, which gave the story traction. As Moore states, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two or three opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still write elegant, detail-filled, fiery sentences” (pg. 112). If your story has a conflict with action from both sides, it will create an amazing story.
ReplyDeleteDavid Leal
While reading Hessler’s “Tales of the Trash”, I was interested solely because of the things Sayyid would find when he picked up the garbage. For some reason, the way he was so deeply intrigued and curious about the things he’d find and the way he found everyone to be part of an intensely sex-crazed culture caught my attention. (Perhaps because things like Viagra, birth control, and porn are all somewhat normal in the United States.) Quite frankly, his curiosity was not enough to keep me interested. I began to get bored when Sayyid showed Hessler people’s garbage and explaining what he thought it meant. It wasn’t until Hessler mentioned the argument between Sayyid and his wife, Wahiba that I became extremely interested in the story. The explicit text messages sent were provocative and definitely evoked some emotion out of me. The whole fight is what made the article interesting to me. In “Of Conflict”, Moore introduces us to the idea that a conflict could really spice up a story extremely well. This, of course, I found to be accurate because of the way I didn’t become interested in Sayyid’s story until I learned about the conflict between him and his wife.
ReplyDelete-Starleen Rendon
Reading "Tales of the Trash" brings to perspective a life style that embodies the saying "One man's trash is another man's treasure". Throughout the entirety of this essay the writer talks about Sayyid, his job, his role in Egyptian society and how traditions are actively being challenged even within his own household. It was a well written and captivating essay because it subtly introduces the conflict through tension, mounting like an undrawn bow until it suddenly springs into climax. The ending was humorous and shows the writer's genuine friendship towards Sayyid. An essay like this feels like the template which Moore pushes for in "Of Conflict." Hessler's essay never became 'static'.
ReplyDeleteEutimio Longoria
Moore’s chapter “Of Conflict” talks about how having a conflict in a story drives it and usually a topic of conflict is popular among readers. I like the example he uses of a girl named Kate who writes about the death of her grandfather and she comes to realize that she misses her dog, Snowball, more than she misses her grandfather. For the sole reason that the dog was more loving than her grandfather. In my case I came to realize that the day my grandfather died, I cried because my mother cried. Not because I was going to miss him. I know it sounds harsh but I hardly spoke to him, I spoke to him towards his final days more that I had spoken to him in the course of my life. I didn’t get to bond. Though now after his death I recalled a memory of when I was a child and I am filled with a nostalgic feeling, I created more memories with him while he was bed ridden and on the edge of losing his mind. He suffered from dementia. He didn’t even know who I was at one point. The article “Tales of the Trash” was interesting and at one point I was shocked when Hessler wrote that Sayyid’s older brother said, ““You keep one for a while and then you change... It’s like changing a tire on a car.” When he was talking about his wives and his divorces. How can people talk about women like that! Ugh I felt upset after that part then the how Sayyid asks Hesslet if he’s going to circumcise his daughters. Ugh! Then when Hessler writes about the belief amoung their people that pleasure is only for men. Oh hell no.
ReplyDeleteAlejandra Rodriguez
On Moore’s “On Conflict’, was quite interesting because everyone likes to read about conflict but not everyone likes to write about it. Conflict is not what people see as “perfect”. Moore talks about conflict as a good thing as something that can make a story different. Everyone comes across conflict but prefers to not pay attention to it and sees things as being perfect. Moore states,” the center of the essay is some question or problem that the writer is trying to solve.” That’s what is all about a question within oneself because there is always something going on that we might not agree with or something that we do agree with and is fighting against all odds. I hadn’t given much thought of using conflict to my advantage and it certainly makes sense. What Moore is trying to say with using conflict, allow yourself to feel bad, sad, angry, because that is good too and it shouldn’t be shy because that’s what separates an okay writer with a writer that can make you feel all emotions you’ve never experienced through text.
ReplyDeleteIn “Tales of the Trash”, at the beginning I wasn’t quite sure where the story was going it wasn’t until the conflict between Sayyid and his wife is presented that made the story even more interesting. There were multiple things happening at one but that mad the story flow in a good way. One, the trash pick-up routine two, the rundown of how the trash pick-up came about and how Christian were basically the founders of it, three Sayyid family problem. Something that also brought conflict was how Sayyid describes his daughters and the process that is accustomed over there. That just irritated me how can you do that to someone with no respect of her body. It brought conflict to the reader also. It was good readings on how conflict can be used.
- Abigail Vasquez
Hessler’s “Tales of the Trash” was an interesting read mostly because it feels like you are experiencing these events with the author and find yourself slowly becoming acquainted with Sayyid as the narration goes on. Similar to Shtyengart’s article, you get to see something from a different perspective with Hessler’s descriptive observations of his garbage man and the numerous life experiences being relayed to him that give us a good idea of the culture as well as the struggles in Sayyid’s life. Overall, “Tales of the Trash” was an interesting look into what someone else’s life is like in another country from the perspective of a narrator who is an outsider to the region. “Of Conflict”, the ninth chapter of Moore’s book, talks about what you would expect from the title: conflict within a narrative. It can range from either tension with a friend, family member, the elements, or something a little more complicated like the example of the student not knowing if she missed her dog more than her grandfather or vice versa. Basically, Moore states that to avoid your conflict “becoming static” you need to look at your conflict a little more deeper in order to find the little human nuances within it and yourself in order to engage the reader.
ReplyDeleteNarciso Garcia
I thought that Moore’s and Hessler’s readings were very interesting to say the least. However, I found Hessler’s: “Tales of Trash” to be more comedic (because of the sex junk that Sayyid would find in the trash) and harsh of what they say about woman than interesting. Moore’s “Of Conflict” was, in my opinion educational and possibly an eye opener to people and their views on conflict. We the people revolve around conflict. It is I our entertainment and media and even classic stories, essays, and poetry. It is human nature and that could also be our downfall. On page 99 Moore quotes Phillip Lobate: “Without conflict, your essay will drift into static mode, repeating your initial observation in self-satisfied way…” This quote in my opinion isn’t just for essays. I believe that he speaks about life itself. Back in the day when our form of entertainment was books, what was so entertaining was the conflict that was within the books, poetry and essays. Today, the entertainment industry is all about conflict. We revolve around conflict and worship it sometimes as if it were a god. This could become our very downfall but I digress.
ReplyDeleteMarco Garza
In Moore’s “Of Conflict” chapter, he states that as an essayist we do not have to have the answers to our questions as we write, but that they writing process should help us figure it out. I found it hilarious that the guy missed her late dog more than her recently deceased grandfather. At first, I thought wow that is super messed up, but lately I have been realizing that I write to make my reader like me. In reality, we should write the truth even if it seems grey to us. And “Tales of the Trash” brought back a lot of memories of Cairo. I just went there this past July and seriously the trash is an issue. And most Coptic Christian neighborhoods are overflowing with mounds of trash on every side. It made me sad to read about how Sayyid’s wife would threaten him and make his life hell. What broke my heart more was learning about what they do to their little girls. The city of Cairo itself is known for sexual harassment, so it doesn’t really surprise me that they practice something as horrid as that. And I honestly thought that the divorce would go through, but the ending was the best part. The fact that life went back to normal and that Sayyid’s sex life was also back to normal added to some humor and relief for him.
ReplyDelete-Joy Perez
I relate to Moore's student, but to clarify, I don't feel conflicted about it. There's several people in my family (my grandmother included) that I will not miss after they die. Moving on, I really liked that Moore talks about how the conflict in our non-fic doesn’t have to be the most dramatic thing in the world like moving into the wood Thoreau style. I appreciate this because I know that there’s people out there who might feel discouraged by the fact that they haven’t experienced something as life-changing as that. Personally, I feel that everyone has at least one good story to tell about themselves (even if it’s about the lack thereof), but it can be hard to convince them otherwise. As for Hessler’s, boy-oh-boy that was interesting. It reminded me of the episode of Parks and Recreation where April and Leslie work as garbage men for the day and April discovers some useful secrets. Back to Hessler, though. I feel enlightened because this information was really news to me and I liked getting to know more about a different country (even if it was about its trash for the most part). Hessler did an amazing job of making me feel like I was right there with them, digging through trash. I really enjoyed reading about Sayyid's ‘crazy wife’ conflict because I have a tia and tio that are pretty similar to that.
ReplyDelete- Angie Acuña
Moore's Chapter "Of Conflict" is meant to describe the importance of having conflict in a story, regardless of how uncomfortable for someone to read. Often times if we just write about what is most soothing and comforting to us, the story begins to lack a pace and becomes static and will become less strong. Conflict, regardless of how unnerving it can be, makes your story more interesting. Part of what makes conflict strong is the surprise it can give to the reader. Sure, a girl missing her dog more than her grandfather may cause somebody to gasp, but you have to admit it grabs a reader's intention. That right there is what you should aim for when writing conflict. Sure talking about a deceased loved one is upsetting, but many of us have been through this same scenario and unless it leads to you becoming a rebellious mass murder, we all know how it ends.
ReplyDelete"Tales Of The Trash" starts off talking just talking about a trash collector's work. I'll admit, if the entire reading had just been about talking about trash, I would have grown tired of it halfway through. But then we get into the heartbreaking drama involving garbageman Sayyid and his wife. Once we see the things that he goes through, our attention is pulled in. This right here shows how powerful conflict is. Reading about a man's drama with his wife can be uncomfortable to read, but we end up reading it because we want to know how everything ends. Maybe some people find just talking about a garbageman's duty enjoyable, but I'm definitely not one of those people.
Michael McCormick
In chapter 9 Of Conflict, I strongly agreed with Moore’s thoughts on what makes a nonfiction or fiction piece more enjoyable. I believe that stories are designed to teach lessons and what better way than conflict. The example of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind is a great example. I don’t like the character of Scarlett but I can relate to her problems. She is the bratty girl who’s in love with a man who is in love with someone else. Even though I am not a woman, I can understand the dilemma of loving somebody who is taken. The conflict in many stories for beginning writers, in MY opinion is non-existent. Why? Because I think, the novice writer doesn’t take into consideration being read. When I write a piece, I need for my characters to struggle to get their ultimate goal. My character needs to have a hard time before understanding or receiving the pot at the end of rainbow. Conflict is very much a part of the human experience and it’s something people can relate to. Nobody has it easy. Every one struggles for many reasons. Even a nonfiction piece has struggling character like in Tales of the Trash.
ReplyDeleteHessler essay Tales of the Trash takes a look at Sayyid. A garbage man working piss-poor conditions but manages to do just fine. However, he is struggling with not reading and dealing with his wife, who wants a divorce. This piece was interesting to read because it took place half-way across the world and the man is dealing with issues that people here in the U.S. Even though I don’t know what it’s like to live in Egypt in those kinds of conditions, I can understand how difficult it can be for Sayyid, who can’t read, who is struggling with wife who wants a divorce. The conflict for Sayyid isn’t that he lives in Cairo but that he is going through human struggles. Not being able to read and not making his wife happy. His struggle is heartbreaking and I don’t need to be in Egypt to understand that he is getting the shit kicked out of him.
Mathew Betancourt
As I read Moores, “Of Conflict”, I was interested in how the internal conflict was presented. Normally I think of external conflict to be external that I sometimes forget that conflict can exist internally. This factor in a story which can make the character a lot more interesting to the reader. The example that Moore brings up about the girl loving her dog more than her grandfather was an internal conflict that help mold the character. Another example was when Moore talks about Hazlitt’s view on hate and how its natural to have ill feelings within one’s self. What I gathered from the chapter is that conflict really helps drive a story as well as shape character development when writing. This adds more color to what could have been a bland story. In, “Tales of the Trash”, I was intrigued when the story first introduces Sayyid. It’s not every day that I read about a garbage man. Though, what kept me going in wanting to know more was how this man kept going despite his hardships. The conflict in his story is what kept the story alive and helped define him as a character. The conflict between him and his wife was severe and it was so sudden how everything just got solved. I disliked how the build up was a quick let down. I had expected more from the solution.
ReplyDelete-Benito Reyes