Five Lessons About How To Treat People
— Author Unknown
1. First Important Lesson - “Know The Cleaning Lady”
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the questions, until I read the last one: “What is the first…
Forward Motion >>: Five Lessons on How to Treat People
Based on these pictures from the original version of Mark Twain’s 1885 novel Adventures of Huck Finn, what can you infer about these characters? Where do they live? What do they probably talk about? How do they act? What do they believe? Come up with as many as you can.
What makes something funny? How does it make us laugh? Are there different types of humor? What do skilled writers do to make us laugh?
”
He was for Ireland and Parnell and so was his father: and so was Dante too for one night at the band on the esplanade she had hit a gentleman on the head with her umbrella because he had taken off his hat when the band played GOD SAVE THE QUEEN at the end.
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, page 42.
James Joyce’s dissection of identity in this heated Christmas table debate is impressive. Although everyone at the table shares this common bond of Irish nationalism, the conflict between religion and national identity is so dividing when it comes to this Parnell case. Which side do you choose? That’s Stephen’s dilemma.
Some images that came to mind as I read the first part of A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Going to boarding school would be kind of a mixed experience, methinks.
I'm a Sheep. And Not God's Judge.
I was mistaken when I was younger. I thought for sure “Daniel” meant “God’s judge,” kind of like I was holier than everyone and could thus judge them. Actually, Daniel means “God is my judge” in Hebrew. Oops. Looks like I have no right to judge anyone because God will judge me.
I kind of like that I’m a Sheep. Daydreaming the day away by myself sounds heavenly. I guess I picked the right career as a teacher since I’m not too concerned with money; happiness really does come to me through creativity and freedom. It’s true, as well, that I’m not very organized, but I’m trying.
It makes sense that a Sheep will hide away from conflict. I hate it. In fact, I get all shaky if someone’s up in my face. Good thing my wife and I get along so well. Like a Sheep, I love to shower her with loving service, and it makes me feel great when she returns the favor. I disagree with the appearances bit about Sheep, though. I haven’t owned a comb or brush since I was 16. We can thank the grunge movement in the nineties for that. I’m all for daily showers, though …
(If you’re reading this and not in my English 10 classes, this post is an assignment we had that was inspired by the “My Name” chapter in The House on Mango Street.)
This is how I picture Cathy Queen of Cats. She seems to be an older, eccentric woman who gossips about people and judges them too quickly. I even detected a bit of racism in her when she said she was moving away because, “the neighborhood is getting bad” (page 13). I imagine she has lived in her building a long time and is a bit stuck in her old ways. Likely the neighborhood was different before integration, and she just hasn’t adapted to it. She’s the product of an older time and setting.
Keep moving, Esperanza; this isn’t a good friend to have.
