Coming into Language by Jimmy Santiago Baca :: Coming into Language

Is it possible to make vital life changes to become a better person at heart? Who’s the one that can help you? The only person that will get you up on your feet is yourself, and you have to believe deeply to make those changes. In this essay there are many main points that are being brought across to explain the problems and wisdom that arose from Baca’s life as an inmate. It talks about how he was grown up into an adult and the tragedies that he had to face in order to become one. Later I fallow steps that lead to the purpose and rhetorical appeals of Baca’s essay. The purpose dealt with the cause and effect piece and problem/ solution structure. For this specific essay that I read it is based on the effects of language and its values. I happened to read the essay called, â€Å"Coming into Language,† by a convict named Jimmy Santiago Baca. He was born in 1952 as an Apache Indian with a Chicano relation. Ever since Jim was a young individual he has been in and out of jail and roamed the streets before knowing the basics of right and wrong. From an early age he didn’t ever get a chance to read or understand writings. Because of his poor upbringing he wasn’t able to gain access to knowledge, and did not know that dropping out of the 9th grade could hurt the rest of his life. In the essay, Baca mainly focused on writing the essay to explain his values and beliefs. I believe that Baca wanted to bring his thoughts across to the Chicano decent and to other jail inmates who didn’t understand their upbringings as well. There is clear reasoning for this, stated in the essay it mentions when Baca started sh owing the Chicano’s and other prisoners, they too were building an interest. The main purpose of this essay is to show that people can change and make a difference. From a person who was given nothing, and dealt with misery for his first half of his life was able to learn to read and write (then later on learned to write poems.) In Baca’s writing style for this piece was a cause/effect and problem/solution. Throughout his writing he mentions how he wasn’t the smartest person, and didn’t even learn the importance of schooling.

The chaos in Part 2 of ‘Atonement’ is matched by the chaos in ‘The Crucible’

McEwan’s ‘Atonement’ throws its narration into an abject state of confusion in Part Two, with Robbie facing the horrible images of war which repeatedly return in his state of consciousness as menacing flashbacks; history has once again repeated itself in the destruction of French society as he makes his way towards Dunkirk, while the citizens of Salem in ‘The Crucible’ experience the terrible murders and descent into chaos at the whim of Abigail and the breakdown of order within society. Little is left to imagination in the opening of Part Two within ‘Atonement’, as McEwan assumes the narrative role of Robbie in the midst of confusion and the reader is immediately thrust into a situation where there ‘were horrors enough’, with worse to come as he examines the destruction of a household as he notes ‘The scraps of cloth†¦may have been a child’s†¦ A boy’s’. The complete lack of respect for human life is fully realised when Robbie observes that ‘it was a leg in a tree†¦wedged in the first forking of the trunk†¦severed cleanly†¦ small enough to be a child’s’; it is disturbing that the Robbie notes that the leg ‘seemed to be on display, for their benefit or enlightenment: this is a leg’. The situation of body parts strewn across the landscape can only be seen as a ‘normal’ situation, and Robbie describes his company as ‘[refusing] to be drawn in†¦in the past few days they had seen enough’. Miller mirrors this in ‘The Crucible’, especially in regards to the lack of respect for human life. The Putnams, described as ‘a man with many grievances’. Disturbingly it is this very part of him that results in the ensuing chaos of which he acts as a land-grabber, making full use of the Salem witch trials to his profit. The audience becomes fully aware of this motivation when the introduction of his character notes that ‘many accusations against people are in the handwriting of Thomas Putnam’, and the later accusations of Proctor are first hinted by Putnam suggesting that ‘The tract is in (his) bounds’; notably after Proctor’s condemnation the only person that can afford to purchase such expensive property within Salem is, in fact, Thomas Putnam. In another accusation, Giles Corey argues that ‘If Jacobs hangs†¦there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece’. We see the descent into chaos as Putnam is clearly willing to trade human life for his own physical gain, with even the Reverend Paris in implied collusion, when he adamantly exclaims that Salem has not treated him in accordance to his rights as a minister, and he too decides to join the accusation bandwagon which only leads to condemnation of further innocence. Both texts refer to the destruction of humanity; it is disturbingly normalised in Robbie’s war with the citizens only seeing ‘mutilated bodies’, ‘in a way tortured by war’2 while the envy of the characters within ‘The Crucible’ is directly responsible for the deaths that ensue. Miller also portrays a sense of hysteria within the town; Abigail acts as the initiator of the hysteria bandwagon, choosing to accuse Tituba of witchcraft, with dark intentions of having her own charges dropped: ‘I never called him! Tituba, Tituba†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. The trials and chaos that ensure therefore comes as a direct consequence of a single accusation, as Abigail realises that she, and many others, stand to gain much more from false accusations and Proctor furiously states that ‘little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom, and common vengeance writes the law’. A disturbing reflection of this is portrayed in Robbie witnessing the scene where the soldiers began to turn against their own side: ‘he was in the RAF and the tommies held him accountable†¦everyone had suffered, and now someone was going to pay’. The lack of chapter demarcations within Part Two gives first indication of the descent into chaos as order is broken down, and previous allies are instead pitted against each other as ‘a hand whipped out and slapped the man’s face’ and disturbingly he notes that even he could ‘[understand] the exhilaration among the tormentors and the insidious way it could claim him’. It is clear that the war has a chaotic effect on men, as ‘McEwan†¦ [creates] the commentary that war can destroy even the best of men’2, including Robbie. It is only through the intervention of Mace that this chaos is somewhat diverted away from the RAF officer; clearly morality is still in existence but is already veering towards questionable. Miller similarly alludes to his in the accusations against Tituba, when even the lowly servant who simply works on behalf of the family is used as a scapegoat. The following accusations are similarly targeted at Good and Osburn, solely for being of lowly sort within Salem’s society and the easiest targets. Eventually the accusations take a much more hysterical turn when Putnam stands as perhaps the most corrupt schemer within Salem; he is the only to accuse Rebecca Nurse of witchcraft, in which even the authorities including Parris and Hale find questionable. Society within both Salem and Atonement’s scope reveals the true nature of chaos and hysteria as direct result of human nature and envy. It is thus described by some commentators that ‘the witch trials offered†¦a release of pent-up frustrations and emotion’1 In both cases it is notably the children that advocate and cause the chaos; Robbie explicitly refers to Briony as the sole creator of his destruction. In his converse with Cecilia, we see the full capacity for destruction on behalf of children within the text: ‘Yes, she was just a child. But not every child sends a man to prison with a lie. ’ In Miller’s case, this is exactly what follows Abigail’s initial accusations; she opens further accusations, and in a fit of vengeance decides to openly accuse Proctor of witchcraft, and under Abigail’s leadership the children clamour together and even implicate Mary Warren, one of their own, as colluding with a witch. Hence both texts present chaos in the form of an upturned society, where the higher authorities hold little to no power. The opening of Part Two in ‘Atonement’ already hints towards this, as Robbie is noted for taking ‘the dead captain’s revolver’, with later instances of insubordination as they refuse to listen to a commander who insists on a suicide operation to push the Germans back. In Salem, it is the children that make the bulk of the evidence within the judiciary system, and even the ‘weighty judges’ Danforth and Hathorne are somewhat unwilling to question the evidence of the children, with Danforth only willing to ‘worriedly’ question Abigail’s evidence, not to seek the truth, but rather to protect his own reputation as a judge; we see Abigail directly challenge Danforth himself who can only shrink back in fear. The failure of order within society is clear in both texts; Robbie assumes command of Mace and Nettle despite the two being a higher rank than he is himself, and repeatedly we see the two referring to him as ‘Guv’nor’. Crucially, in both texts the onslaught of chaos is exacerbated by the very people who we assume to be willing and able to curb it. Cecilia angrily accuses Leon of being a ‘grinning, spineless idiot’ and that she now understands ‘the snobbery that lay behind their (her family’s) stupidity’. Conversely, in Salem it is Danforth who crucially holds the ability to change the course of chaos, yet he too insists on furthering the accusations to save his own reputation, insisting that ‘there will be no postponement’, as he ‘cannot pardon these when twelve are already hanged for the same crime’; he is ‘loath to relinquish control to anyone†¦he cannot cope with the potential chaos caused by free thought’1 Hence the two texts illustrate the full force of chaos, ‘Atonement’ in the sense of physical and psychological destruction, while ‘The Crucible’ draws links to destruction and chaos as a result of human nature. Arguably it is possible to see the physical deaths and horrific images of corpses as far greater chaos than in Miller’s play; Robbie’s narration is evocative in normalising the sight of corpses and breakdown of order. However, ‘The Crucible’ also somewhat matches the chaos and cruelty of war, as we see the executions of numerous innocents as the result of human treachery and envy. The chaos that ensues in Miller’s descriptions are therefore far more disturbing in the driving force behind the destruction, where chaos is the result of intentions; in ‘Atonement’ Robbie is only swept away into chaos and imprisonment by the act of a ‘silly, hysterical girl’ who does not necessarily realise the full weight of her actions, while within Salem it is the deliberate acts of individuals that contribute. Thus the chaos seen within both texts is generally matched, although with different motives – it is a different sort of chaos that is portrayed within the two, where one is avoidable and the other perhaps unavoidable in the sense of war and its inherent destructive capacity.

Why I Am A Doctor - 828 Words

Born into a family of farmers from a small village in southern part of India has given me a real life view of a community with limited health care services but significant health care needs. I still remember my own experience as a 7 year old kid walking anxiously into the hospital where my grandma was admitted with heart attack. Sitting nervously at her bedside, I watched her slowly die due to lack of proper medical care. In the course of time I lost my grandpa to diabetes, a cousin to tuberculosis, a dear friend to leukemia and my own mother from complications of pregnancy. These simple yet a significant events in my life have given me the inspiration to become a doctor. I graduated from medical school with a philosophy in life, to provide health care services to the poor and under privileged sections of the society. My initial 4 years were spent working in small Christian mission hospitals serving rural India in the states of Chhattisgarh and Punjab. These hospitals served more than 300 hundred villages and by establishing village health clinics we were able to provide medical care for men, women and children. Educating them about common preventive health principles have helped us witness first hand, how sensible and well planned healthcare interventions can change people s lives. Working here I have witnessed how primary care can help decrease both morbidity and mortality from heart disease, stroke and cancer. Performing simple tests, procedures and follow-up care,Show MoreRelatedWhy I Am A Doctor962 Words   |  4 Pagesthe disease.† A doctor is someone who treats people as people, not as a list of symptoms. It is this crucial characteristi c that sets a great physician apart from a good physician. I aim to be a great one. College is a time of exploration for many, and the decisions that we make will influence our future careers. My interest for human biology has driven me to choose medicine for my career. So today, I hope to leave you with an understanding of why I intend to pursue medicine, how I will prepare myselfRead MoreWhy I Am A Doctor811 Words   |  4 Pagesof my mind when I graduated with Excellent with Highest Honours and got accepted in the best internal medicine program in Egypt, Cairo University. I thought I reached the peak of my dreams, but through the following years I realized that my journey didn’t begin yet. Back from where it first started, I believe that I grew up with medicine in my blood. I can still remember how I was really fascinated when my father who is a veterinary pathologist brought his first microscopy at home. I was captured byRead MoreWhy I Am A Doctor880 Words   |  4 PagesI stood with a look of wonderment as I watched the beehive of physicians, radiologists, nurses, and paramedics collaboratively save a man’s life. The scene initially appeared chaotic with scrubs flying around and doctors swarming all over, but in actuality the team was extremely single-minded—as if driven by instinct. I was amazed by the speed and conviction with which the attending doctor made his decisions; his training and experience was evident with every move. Seeing the tearful wife thank theRead MoreWhy I Am A Doctor923 Words   |  4 Pagesnever be reached by someone of their age. I have been through the same situation in which my parents were expecting a lot from me. I remembe r It came one day my father and I were home; he then called and told me what he was planning for my future he told me that he wanted me to become a doctor even though he knew I wouldn’t accept what he was saying, for I have taken Biology classes in high school, but never succeeded. Thus, I tried to explain and show him what I was planning to do right after high schoolRead MoreWhy I Am A Doctor1334 Words   |  6 Pages Ever since I was ten, I knew what I wanted to grow up to become, a doctor. Eight years later, and I still have not completely decide on what type of physician I want to be. This is because every career in the medical field interests me. However, when I decided on this career field, I knew one thing for sure. I knew it entailed several different science courses. I was happy with this because I always loved science. What I did not realize was the fact that it also meant I would have to take two semestersRead MoreWhy I Am A Doctor1241 Words   |  5 Pagesdo something. That’s what I was doing one day. But, my imagination got the best of me, because of how suspicious the situation looked. First of all, I was at the supermarket buying some groceries in the afternoon on a sunny summer day. As I walked to my car outside, i saw somebody in jeans and a black hoodie. I have always been interested in mysteries, even though I have just gotten a degree to be a doctor a few months ago. As i passed this person on the way to my car I saw the items in his bag.Read MoreWhy I Am A Doctor1237 Words   |  5 Pagesintervene somehow. One day, I was doing exactly that, yet my imagination got the better of me, because of how doubtful I was of the person’s intentions. First of all, I was at the supermarket buying some groceries in the afternoon on a sunny summer day. As I walked to my car outside, I saw somebody dressed in dark jeans, a black hoodie, and very used looking tennis shoes. I have always been interested in mysteries, even though I’d just gotten a degree to be a doctor a few months ago. I passed this personRead MoreWhy I Am A Doctor Essay2143 Words   |  9 Pagesthey should go see a doctor, and then it becomes just as easy to get the proper treatment for that illness because of the vastly expanding realm of medial knowledge that doctors have. However, there are legions of individuals who go without help every year. I was among that population. Fr om a young age, I have suffered from anxiety and depression. It is hard for me to remember when exactly this started because life had melted together into a feeling of bleak nothingness. I recall trying to talkRead MoreWhy I Am A Doctor778 Words   |  4 Pagesafter my grandparents died and my dad could not obtain any answers, it was tough memories for the each person. As a child, I was always interested in medicine, never forgot my Atlas of Human Anatomy my dad gave to me as a child, then the pictures was the utmost intriguing part. These painful memories lingered and are only one of my driving forces behind my ambition to become a doctor. Doing missionary work, working at the health clinic and volunteering to feed the homeless was my reality as child. VolunteeringRead MoreWhy I Am A Doctor766 Words   |  4 Pagesthe answer was simple â€Å"I want to be a doctor†. Growing up, in a countryside environment witnessing both the medical and non-medical hardships of people, i t did not take much time to realize that doctors are very much more than people dealing with syringe’s and stethoscopes. They play a fine balance between a friend and care giver in the lives of patients for whom the very treatment could be a life changing experience. The desire to be a physician just got stronger, when I saw my ever willing physician