Shooting an Elephant

This story is pretty short but surprisingly it offers a lot of descriptive detail and has a well developed plot. "Shooting an Elephant", is about a man named Geroge who lives in an imperialistic country where he's aware he doesn't fit in. In many instances, people have made fun of him, such as when a player on the opposite team tripped him on the football field, as the referee looked away right after. He was being treated unfairly and when this happens, it tends to lead people to do something they know they shouldn't do, just to fit in, and that's what happened at the end.

He serves as a sub divisional police officer in India, and usually you think of an officer as someone of higher power who has the right to tell you what to do, at least legally. Int his case, he was the laughing stock of the town. "As a police officer i was a obvious target and was baited whenever it seemed safe to do so." Even though he was always bothered, i don't really think he would have ever had the guts to stand up for himself and put a stop to it. Until he found an opportunity to end it all and be looked at, in a completely different way.

The title of this story seems very uncommon, but it actually serves the biggest purpose of all. In the town, George was called in to a scene of an elephant that was on the loose. The whole town was going crazy running back and forth. When he got the call, he didn't know what he could do about it but yet he just went because he wanted to laugh as little and see what was going on. When he got there, the elephant had killed a person and that's when he knew that somehow, someway, he had to stop this all until it went farther. He called for backup, and everyone then began looking at him as a hero. He could tell how everyone had changed with him because they wanted him to kill it, and he was the only one with the weapon.

"But i did not want to shoot the elephant." But he did. And it was just so he could be excepted. And to me, i think that was wrong. It would have been a different story if he wanted to kill the elephant for the sake of everyone's safety, and yes, that was part of it, but a hero, never asks for the title. I think this is why our society in some way is dysfunctional today. Because everyone does what they think people want to see. Everyone wants to fit in, whether its with a bad crowd or not, just to feel wanted. No one thinks for themselves these days. Sometimes it's better to be alone, then to be surrounded by fake people. And then at the very end, he proves exactly what i just stated, "I often wonder whether any of the others grasped that i had done it solely to avoid looking a fool."

Homecoming, With Turtle

I didn't really understand this story at all. It was too short for me to even give it a chance to try to understand it. It ended before i knew it. I'm used to a short story having a climax of some sort and this story didn't really have one. It spoke about him and his girlfriend and how he cheated on her. He somehow begged her to still go on vacation with him. The cheating part is a big issue but it didn't really talk about how they overcame it. Then Diaz began talking about his trip he made and how he helped provide dental assistant. It was just jumping from topic to topic. I couldn't keep up.

I couldn't understand his concept of fitting in at "home". He mentioned it a couple times but i didn't get the hint of why he felt that way.

Towards the end of the story he spoke about everything that went wrong on his trip in in his life with his girlfriend but that he didn't completely crumble. I get the fact that he's obviously a strong person but throughout the whole story he didn't really talk about himself and what he did talk about, contradicted the other. First, he's a horrible boyfriend who hid the fact that he cheated on his girlfriend, then he's out in some other country helping out people with dental problems and assisting help as much as he can.

Personally, i didn't enjoy reading this story. I didn't see much point in what he was telling. It wasn't that interesting and its not something i'll always remember and be able to retell later on.

Unspeakable Covnersations

         I do not agree with Mr. Singer at all. I can’t even believe that there are people out there with those kinds of thoughts towards babies that are known are going to come out with disabilities. Every person has a right to live. No one but oneself will know how happy of a life they could live until one so does. I believe that Harriet is a great example of something who didn’t come out looking “perfect” in a humans life, but has found a way to live a great life, that might at times need some assistance, but is doing well on her own as well. 

The comments that people have said to her on the street is just wrong. If I saw someone walking down the street that was disabled, I usually just turn away because I don’t want them to think that I’m judging them by how they look. I just believe that that’s the right way to do it because in their minds, they’re used to people staring at them then whispering to one another.

An extraordinary thing that I find to read is how she actually had the guts to go to Princeton and talk against what Mr. Singer was proposing. For her to do that is big. I personally would never be able to do that. The fact that she stood up in front of a whole class and shared her story and made it clear that what Mr. Singer was teaching them is unfair, was very brave of her. That right there should just show that even someone like her, who came out crippled, and in a wheelchair, could still have confidence. Confidence can be showed in many ways, and speaking up is one of the best things you could do when you’re standing up for yourself.

        My feelings towards abortion leans more towards not doing it, but I also think that everyone should have a choice. But then again, my religious point of view is that god puts everyone on this earth for a reason. Everyone here can easily live an equal life but it’s up to them to do that. For example, you wouldn’t think that someone like Harriet could make a future for herself. But look at her. She worked her way to becoming an attorney and fights for human rights. She devoted her life to changing people’s views by sharing her own experience. 

        I’ve met a lot of people in this world, some who are “normal” and others who aren’t. But yet again, I’ll always believe in one thing. I believe that we all have a purpose. That we all are meant to be a part of this world for a reason and that somehow, all together, we can help make a change.