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Out of the three readings I found Didions "In Bed" as being both extremely informative as well as relatable. She goes into great detail talking about the chemicals in the brain which cause migraines, and in how debilitating they are. She then leads us into a psychological conversation on how others who have not experienced them treat her. Nonchalant as if she is making up how severe they are. that she should just take two aspirins to cure the pain. I find it relatable because in my early onset of anxiety and experiencing panic attacks I saw first hand how people viewed psychological illnesses differently then physical ones. I was told I was making it up out of convenience. Her explanation of how it doesn't take an extravagant event to bring one on. Talking about Serotonin, Methysergide, and LSD to help with the prevention of them. after explaining all of these facts she finds solace in the fact that fighting them will not prevent them. So she excepts that fact knowing that she will return good as new on the other side. In the Dark by Iyer is a more complex piece involving witch craft on the island of Bali.
ReplyDeleteEmbracing the dark versus the light which is exemplified by Wayan, a female native, who takes him on extended walks at night away from the more frequented beaches and sites. His peculiar interest in snakes and serpents gives this tale a metaphysical flare. After leaving then returning after eighteen months he discovers Wayan again only to tell her that it would be more proper to meet in daylight.They do meet with different results. Wayan is not as personable. her countenance changed so drastically that he makes an excuse to not see her. it seems a though a spell was cast on him for three days then before returning home he picks up a mask at a gift shop to remember his trip to Bali. It seems that a spirit of Bali was in the mask. he placed the mask on his wall in his apartment, but couldn't sleep due to all the hauntings and noise it caused from outside his window. his experience in Bali must have been so mystical that he needed to buy the mask to remind him that he was there. His concluding comment reveals much about him. he went into the dark to forget what he knew, but realized that the further you went in the less likely you were to return to the light. El Toro Rojo was a detailed, concise insight into a bull fight. Being that I have been to bull fights I can say that El Toro Rojo has a double meaning. Red with the blood of the matador that he gored on his horns as well as red with blood on the bull's back after the bandilleros thrust their bandilleras into his flesh to bleed him thus tiring him. I often thought that this practice was both cruel and unfair. I felt that if it was a life and death struggle, which it was, that it should be done on an even playing field not realizing that if the bull was not bled the bull would win every time. Then the suspense of the matador maneuvering around the bull in a "mariposa" or butterfly or a veronica maneuver both being quite dangerous. Then at the end when the matador draws the bull close with his red cape. His face downward as the matador lowers the cape revealing the lance which is then thrust into the spine of the bull behind the head. Everyone in suspense as they watch the bull slowly bow before the matador.
you should put your name at the end so you can get credit!
DeleteOut of the three readings I found Didion's "In Bed" as being extremely informative and relatable. She goes into great detail about the chemical Serotonin linked to the cause of migraines, and the chemicals such as Mysergide a derivative of lysergic acid or LSD to help prevent them. She also leads us into a psychological as well as a public response to them. In my early onset of anxiety and resulting in panic attacks I realized as did the author that I didn't do anything to bring on my condition. I also experienced the criticism from ignorant people who do not know anything about my condition. She explains that fighting it would be worse, and that she found peace after acknowledging that she would be fine after an episode. "The Dark" by Iyer conversely is a much more complex story revolving around the island of Bali, and how a visitor from New York, with a bad past can bury himself in the island's mysticism and darkness can blot out the past, but later after returning to New York realizing that the darker you go the less likely to enter the light again. By buying a mask from the island to remind him that he actually visited the island brings a part of the island's darkness back with him. He takes down the mask off his wall and put into his closet blaming the mask for the clamor and noise going on outside his apartment window. His last comment about how going into the dark to forget your past causes you to embrace the darkness making it harder to come back to reality. In my opinion "El Toro Rojo" has a double meaning. It refers to the blood left on the bull's horns after it gored the first matador, and also the red blood soaking the back of the bull due to so many thrusts of the bandilleras from the bandilleros. The second matador who replaced the first showed off his impecable skills by showing off his "mariposa" butterfly, and veronica moves with ease. It is apparent that the second bull fighter is much more skilled while the bull is no doubt weaker. The writer captures the suspense of the moment by showing the scenes of the final moment out of the eyes of a spectator. as the matador persuades the the bull to follow his cape downward. He reveals his lance from behind his cape then thrusts it deep into the spine of the beast right behind the head. as the bull kneels to his master with his last breath the spectator gives out a hushed, last "ole".
ReplyDeleteSpiro Zagouris
I liked how in the story In Bed the author goes into a lot of detail about the day-to-day struggles of having migraines. By describing different types of migraines and how it’s not just a headache but it also causes mild hallucinations, temporary blindness, etc. I thought this was very informative cause I also thought migraines were just reoccurring headaches. However, it isn’t, and the author also goes into detail about all the different types of medicine and how they’re not really cures but just taken to help cope with the pain. Overall, I liked how personal this essay seemed to be cause the author not only stated the pain but also how ignorant people treat migraines as just being a headache and saying stuff like “why not take a couple of aspirin.” So when the author expresses her frustration and writes, My favorite line from this essay, which is “All of us who have migraine suffer not only form the attacks themselves but from this common conviction that we are perversely refusing to cure ourselves by taking a couple of aspirin, that we are making ourselves sick.” I really connected with this sentence because I feel like this describes an unknown struggle and unless you yourself suffer from it you won’t understand. It’s like a silent chant/anthem for those who can relate, and I believe, as a writer it’s our goal to put together a perfect arrangement of words that capture the puzzled emotion that we feel but can’t explain and that’s exactly what this sentence did.
ReplyDelete- Eduardo Guerra
(This may be brief because I had written a post, but it did not allow me to comment, unfortunately)
ReplyDeleteI unfortunately wasn't too big of a fan of the readings in this portion of the weak. "In Bed" is by far my least favorite, due to its informative nature. I found the subject matter simple: the author suffers from debilitating migraines that are genetic, the author tries to deny the migraines, and suffers from criticisms from those that cannot comprehend what it is like to have such painful migraines. This is a straight-forward concept that I found the author made entirely way too wordy, with description that completely lost my interest. Such descriptions would be such as the incredible detail gone into serotonin and methysergide. While I understand this is an informative piece meant to educate the reader, I find such a topic and writing style not at all within my interests. I could imagine the audience for such a topic to be incredibly minuscule.
Next, my favorite piece on this half of the week would be "In the Dark." This is because I am incredibly partial to things like imagery and figurative language, which "In the Dark" is chock full of. The whole attitude of the essay really embodies the author's experience of Bali: darkness, magic, mystery, and eeriness. This piece does, however, make me question the potential contents of a non-fiction piece. Can non-fiction piece successfully describe magical or supernatural elements without crossing over into fiction territory? This essay rather blurs this line for me.
- Hannah Daniel
I found Didion’s “In Bed” to be incredibly informative and yet very poetic. The essay brings awareness to the severity of migraines and how easy it is for those who don’t suffer to just brush them off as headaches while also going into depth about the chemical reactions that occur in the brain when migraines happen. The essay not only gives the reader a chance to gain insight on what it may be like to live with chronic migraines but it also allows the reader to learn the science behind it all. The essay felt really personal and there’s an appeal to reader when they see the vulnerability in someone’s writing. Didion’s use of imagery gave me a sense of an oncoming headache because I was feeling as I was reading. Didion’s word use flowed beautifully and the way she incorporated her facts and the science behind it all made the essay extremely easy to read. As I’ve said in previous posts, I continue to be left in awe of how much I am enjoying reading these factual essays because they are so easy to get into.
ReplyDeleteArianna Martinez
“In Bed” was an extremely informative essay. I never had any type of knowledge about how awful migraines can bring to a person. However, after reading this essay, I feel well informed about how one can experience migraines. It was interesting how she said, “My husband also has migraine, which is unfortunate for him but fortunate for me.” (Didion, pg. 222) Trying to understand a person who is in pain but has no physical injuries or scars can be hard for some people to understand what they are really going through. I can see how she wouldn’t wish her kind of pain on anyone, but it is the only way someone to accurately understand what kind of struggles she has to go through. Her husband understanding her pain with migraines is probably a huge benefit in their relationship.
ReplyDelete“In the Dark” was an interesting yet complicated read. I couldn’t really grasp the meaning behind the story. Although, I did get an eerie yet mystical tone to it. The ending was what mostly caught my attention. I feel like the ending could be interpreted in many ways. It states, “You go into the dark to get away from what you know, and if you go far enough, you realize, suddenly, that you’ll never really make it back into the light.” (Iyer, pg. 225) How I interpret this would be that one can avoid their problems as much as they want, but sooner or later your problems will catch up with you, and it will be too late to try and fix them.
“El Toro Rojo” seemed to lean more into the poetic side of short stories. It was a very violent and brutal read, and it was one of those stories where I can instantly connect both the story and the title together.
Angela Milan
The readings this week were all different, yet, fairly similar. My favorite one would have to be “In Bed”, because the narrator wasn’t trying too hard to make you understand her pain. Though she does go in depth, she has an attitude that conveys maturity and acceptance of her situation. Basically, if you know, you know. It’s not a popularly discussed topic but to read about it was refreshing. I myself have had a migraine before and I know multiple people who suffer from them periodically. I loved the link she made at the end of her essay. The appreciation she’s gained for the little things in life. This is also a dictum I, personally, believe in which is, “you cannot appreciate the sun without enduring the rain”. When I first began reading this story, I thought she just wanted to complain and dwell on her sorrows. I am so glad it took a twist of optimism. This story felt like a bit of a word vomit, but a good word vomit. It was quick witted, raw and honest, with a splash of cleverness in between. The other two stories left me a little confused as to what the purpose was. “In the Dark” was my least favorite because of its randomness and lack of plot. I’m convinced it could’ve been better explained for the audience. That is the thing that puts me off about some short stories. It seems as though, the author is completely knowledgeable of his storyline and plot yet doesn’t stop to think that the audience might not assume that background information as the author has. It would be nice to not be lost.
ReplyDelete-Cassandra Ramos
DeleteAll three selections were very interesting in their own ways. "In Bed" was something that I think needed to hear. As someone who suffers from a lot of headaches, not migraines, it was cool reading about all the chemistry and science behind it. People always tell me to brush it off because its only a headache, and yes granted its not a migraine, but it can still get very annoying because that doesn't take away my feel of pain I get. A sentence that really caught my attention was on page 222, the second to last paragraph, where it says, " ... perfectionism can also take the form of spending most of a week writing and rewriting and not writing a single paragraph." I myself never consider4ed myself a perfectionist, but after reading that Ive reconsidered. I never saw it that way but it makes perfect sense.
ReplyDelete"In the Dark" kind of confused me. I had to reread it multiple times and even then I'm still kind of lost. What I did enjoy was reading all the descriptions Iyer wrote. I could really picture it in my head which was neat. I also found it extremely interesting how Biblical references were made, "We stand at the gates of Eden, looking in, and choose to forget that one central inhabitant of the Garden is a snake." As someone who is religious I found that to e very different and fascinating.
The last selection "El Toro Rojo" just made me want to cry. Im not very good with animal abuse, and yes I know some people don't see it that way. It was interesting to learn new vocabulary, even though it was pretty gruesome, but I was not familiar with the terms and names the people are called as well as the weapons they use to kill the bull.
Rebecca Muniz
All three stories were very informative. Detail is important when telling a story about your life or even one that is not real. The story “In Bed” was my favorite only because the author wrote this story comparing things to the situation she was in when explaining what having a migraine was like. I never knew how bad a migraine can get but reading this made me realize that it is a serious condition and that we should be more aware of the symptoms of a migraine. The second reading “In the Dark” was also interesting to read because of the details that were given to describe the scene of the story. As I said before I am not a fan of fiction stories, so this was very unreal to me and although I can imagine what was going on, I was disappointed with the story behind it; it did a good job describing the scenes in the story. “El Toro Rojo” was a really good story to imagine in your mind, that is what I call an attention getter. Just the title itself brings attention as you read it. I enjoyed reading this because I honesty imagined it well in my head. It was well written and very specific. Letting us know when characters change and just very precise with telling the story. Very happy with this reading.
ReplyDelete-Karla Romero
Didion’s in Bed was interesting to read. I can relate to the feelings of the author, not in the form of a migraine but on the condition of my hormones and how they affect my life. People that have never experience the pain or distress that one is feeling can many times be unsympathetic or downright rude. Many can go as far as to belittle the condition that one is feeling, and I felt that the author was portraying this in the essay. It is good that the author feels comforted by her husband suffering migraines too because when one knows what its like to be in pain it is easier to comprehend and be sympathetic. Pico Lyer’s In the Dark was very mysterious and compelling. I liked the way the writer describes the Bali as magical, bewitching and even blurs the line of fantasy and fiction during the essay. It is dark and hard to decipher really. I was left with questions such as was the author scared, captivated or just fond of the place he visited and the most mysterious was the woman. It was difficult to figure out the role of the woman in the story aside from the mystery it added because the nature of the relationship was left to the imagination. Although I am not an animal rights member or any of the sort, I truly disliked the bullfighting sport. I was bias in my dislike of the story because of my dislike for the nonsensical way in which a bull dies or in some cases the matador. It was a very well written essay and the description of the events were palpable and very real. I hate that people can act so primitive in this time and age with such a dreadful sport.
ReplyDelete-Maria Ramirez
In the first essay “In Bed”, Joan Didion explains her condition (migraine), and how it affects her throughout unexpected days. She describes how migraine attacks her during her day and what consequences it may bring. Before reading this, I never knew what a person who has migraine really suffers, I thought they only had normal headaches, but it is clear that there is more into that than what most people probably imagine. I liked the reading because people who suffer through some episodes like this (not only connected to migraine, but also to other conditions) may feel connected to this essay. I liked the ending on how Didion accepts her migraine and she learns how to live with it instead of just ignoring the fact that she has to endure it, and that is something that we have to do with anything that happens to us. The essay that caught my attention instantly was “In the Dark” because I did not understand it at all the first time that I read it, and I got curious and had to read it again. The last essay, “El Toro Rojo”, was very interesting because I have never seen a bullfight (not even in TV) because I do not like the concept of this contest, and this essay was very detailed and I could imagine the course of events. Something that really caught my attention was the mention of a personal death written in the fifth paragraph, and it quotes “In your own life, death has lingered. Your father, for one.” (pg. 226).
ReplyDeletePaulina Longoria
“In bed” was a great read as we got to see how the writer handles her migraines. She has fought against them all her life and lives at their unwelcomed will. I like how at the end of the story she accepts migraines as part of her daily routine. She understands that migraines are there to almost “reset” her brain from all the stress she’s been dealing with. Almost anticipates their arrival and couldn’t enjoy the motionless tranquility they bring. Of course, the pain is still there to remind her that she’s prone to migraines but feels pain brings also pleasure, making her count her blessings. I don’t think I fully understand “In the Dark”. I found myself looking up half the words in this text and only understood that the writer had an eerie feeling when visiting Bali. And when he went back, it sounded like he relived the same experience just this time he wanted to take a souvenir to help him remind him of his visit. The story took a left turn when he mentioned that this owl he got quickly became something he needed to dispose of. Why? I don’t remember ever reading he had a bad time in Bali except maybe for those lines where he said he couldn’t move for days on end.
ReplyDelete-Leonardo Torres
The things that really stood out to me about the reading selections this week was just how much I really enjoyed them. Much like “The Mute Sense” from last week, this week’s selection started out with a very mundane topic: migraines. When I first started reading it I was taken aback by how vividly they described the migraines, and how the preconceived notions of the audiences can factor into the way the essay is being told. The author even mentions it in the essay. The second essay “In the Dark” was a little more abstract. It uses the tropical scenery of Bali to its advantage. He also does an excellent job of using the customs and traditions of Bali to further the way the narrative is driven. I really felt like I was there in Bali with the author. The last one was my favorite, Dinty Moore’s “El Toro Rojo”. I remember having taken the Hemingway course and the way he described bullfighting was amazing. I remember Dr. Laprade going into the details of bullfighting, and all the jargon I learned from his course was in this essay. I also remember him saying that Hemingway described bullfighting as a greek tragedy and not a sport. I really enjoyed this essay after having taken the Hemingway course and I have a much better appreciation of this essay. I feel like I really enjoyed this weeks selection of essays, they seemed a lot easier and enjoyable to read.- Jesús Iván González
ReplyDeleteI related a lot on the story In Bed by Joan Didion. Due to the fact that I suffer from migraines. As I kept reading more and more I could create a personal connection. When she spoke of the time “ a crippling inability to make even the most routine connections”, At least in my case I primarily get migraines when i'm diving and it becomes difficult to see out of my left eye because the pain closes it shut and it disorients me to where i'm going.(Didion,line 69) Overall, Didion did a great job on how to describe the feeling of a migraine but the process all of use that suffer migraines have to accept. The way of living with the migraine and not fighting it. Letting the migraine take its course. I am blessed to say my migraines aren’t at that level of severity but she wrote it in such a way that i truly believe that I and people that don't suffer migraines can understand. I have always hated reading but joining this class and being exposed to writers such as Didion for example. It feels like I am getting but a taste of the knowledge I can obtain but also go back and reread works such as this one and be able to understand more of the way she used the details to give a sense of pain that some people just haven’t felt.
ReplyDelete-Daniel Acosta
The short story, "In Bed" was not so entertaining for me because at the beginning it was just informal with the fancy anatomy names, and then it covers how the husband also has migraine like the narrator, and what doctor says, and etc. I feel like it’s a good start of a story, but it could have been better with a little more background story of this family to have a deeper meaning and moral of the story. “In the Dark” I liked how it demonstrates a descriptive view of this dream but yet a little mysterious, and wonder what will come up next. The last paragraph when he says he took the owl to remember this place goes back to this fiction story of this drem which was pretty clever, and I enjoyed reading. “El Toro Rojo” is short and specific right to the point which I liked because its also very descriptive of what is happening, and I also liked how they used the actual Spanish words and saying such as Matador, bandilleros, descabello, San Miguel. It gives this Mexican American feature where it interst me as a reader bcause I can relate to this words and the translanguaging daily.
ReplyDelete- Carina Pompa
While In the Dark and In the Bed were interesting and emotionally charged writings, I personally enjoyed El Toro Rojo the most. It was extremely emotionally charged, slightly abstract, but linear and deep. It had soaring emotions as it helps understand a matador, and it held such dark and macabre undertones, almost as if making references to an unknown knowledge just outside our grasp that the author can only begin to hint at. The short length of the work gives it urgency and finality while not giving away an obvious ending. Some things simply end without explanation. The use of the proper terms that are relevant to the matador’s career gives insight into the culture of the author of the piece, allowing the reader to imagine oneself in Spain during a ritualistic killing of a bull, and the life the author has lead. It almost seems as if you are sucked into the mind and experience of the author and can only hold on while given a ride through a somewhat melancholic time where the pain of surviving the death of a loved one is resolved through the vicious murder of a bull, with ornate blades that hold only the purpose of killing in this ritual that many enjoy.
ReplyDelete- Hubel Gonzalez