Close Reading Questions for Key’s
“Fifty Shades of Greyhound” (pp.55-62) and Swick’s “A Moving Experience” (233-240)
PART
ONE: Definitions (good reading is knowing what you read, so define these terms
as you go—don’t just guess, actually look them up and make sure they fit into
the essay)
Accosted
(55)
Festooned
(57)
Zenith
(though it’s plural in the essay) (58)
Sanguine
(59)
Ministrations
(61)
Promiscuously
(233)
Cliché
mongers (234)—you might want to look up each word separately
Wistfulness
(235)
Incongruous
(238)
Valediction
(239)
Answer
TWO of the following with a brief response: at least a few sentences, enough to
see you thinking and responding to the essays.
Avoid vague responses or restating the question; remember, these
questions will not only help you respond in class, but will help you write the
papers that follow. You can post these
responses as a comment below, OR you can bring a hard copy to class.
1. How
do both essays try to abolish the romanticism and illusions of travel and show
us something more true or disappointing?
If this is “real” travel, what can we learn from it? Can we still have a good experience if
we’re having a bad time?
2. Key
says that when people learn you’re taking a Greyhound, you get “a look. A look that remembers…as though speaking of
an enchanted evening many moons ago filled with love and peyote and cries of
distant coyotes” (62). What does riding
a Greyhound bus seem to represent for some people, and why might it be something
to do, even though Key claims it’s a miserable experience?
3. Why,
according to Swick’s essay, is travel often called “the saddest pleasure”
(235)? What makes traveling such a sad,
and often lonely, experience? How might
this go against the typical idea of travel sold to us by commercials and
films?
4. Swick
quotes the writer Christopher Isherwood who claimed “I am a camera” (238). Why should a traveler experience the world as
a camera, and what would that mean? Why
do so many of us, who travel with cameras and cell phones (and take selfies!)
still not see the world as a camera?
What are we missing?
Test...
ReplyDeleteElyse Marquardt
ReplyDeleteQuestion 3: Travel is the never-ending search for "The Place" in which we will finally feel at home. Everybody wants that one place where we truly, beautifully, permanently belong. Traveling can be exciting at first, yes, because we think that we are about to go find the home for which we have always been longing; but then we get there, and we struggle with luggage and hotels and food costs and the mean person in line ahead of us, and we realize that this is not the ultimately happy Place we were looking for. We wanted a heaven on earth - and that does not exist. Commercials and films just want our money, so they will portray anything that they believe will make us think we are capable of reaching that heaven.
Question 4: A camera captures an image and holds it forever; we can print that image out and carry it around with us, or frame it and keep it in the best spot in the house. Basically the image is made eternal (or as eternal as something can be in this world). So a traveler would definitely want to be a camera, because then he would be able to capture the image, the soul, of whatever country he was visiting, and then he could carry it with him forever. He could make it part of himself. Many people who go to different places nowadays, however, would not qualify as "travelers." They are "tourists" through and through, in that they pass through a place and notice the highlights, but do not get involved enough to internalize every single aspect and keep it in their hearts. They are missing the ability to look out and around themselves enough to truly SEE everything, because they are too focused on getting the best selfie to show off on Facebook.
Great responses--but don't forget the definitions (even if you think you know them all!). But yes, travel is a tricky balancing act between the ideal and the reality,yet we are encouraged to see through the eyes of others' cameras (TV, the internet, etc). and not truly take our own pictures. When we do, as Swick points out, we earn the right to become a citizen in our own right--not only of a country, but of the world (and perhaps of ourselves, too).
DeleteAmber Simpson
ReplyDeleteAccosted – represented as side by side.
Festooned – a string or chain of flowers, foliage, ribbon, etc., suspended in a curve between two points.
Zenith – a highest point or state.
Sanguine – cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident.
Ministrations – the act of ministering care, aid, religious service, etc.
Promiscuously – casual.
Cliché Mongers – a trite stereotype expression made by a person who is involved with something in a pretty contemptible way.
Wistfulness – characterized by melancholy; longing; yearning.
Incongruous – out of keeping or place; inappropriate; unbecoming.
Valediction – an act of bedding farewell or taking leave.
2.) If someone heard you were riding a Greyhound bus, they would probably look at you funny because why in the world would anyone want to ride on a bus for hours, going across the country, with a bunch of random strangers? There are some crazy people out there and you would be stuck on that bus with them for God knows how long! That just doesn’t sound like fun to a lot of people. Also, from riding on a Greyhound bus, people may wonder if you fit in with the crazy people who are riding along.
3.) Swick refers to travel as “the saddest pleasure” because of what people see when they travel: poverty, misery, and hopelessness. Traveling is sometimes sad and lonely because usually travelers are away from their families. As they travel, they see people having fun, enjoying life, and being their families; this may cause them to become homesick and sad. Commercials and films make traveling seem like a “must do” when in reality traveling isn’t a vacation. Travelers move so quickly that they don’t have time to stop and enjoy where they are, see all they can see, and do all they can do.
Great responses. As you suggest, if you become part of a culture, what makes you different from all of "them"? In Key's essay, he's initially horrified by "bus people," but quickly realizes why they become the way they are. Like any culture, you first have to be an outsider to move inside, but you have to look closely to see the distinction between outside and in. Tourism rarely gives you a chance to do that (according to both authors).
Delete1. I think both essays try to show us a more real experience of travel by talking about everyday occurrences that most people try to leave out. A lot of travel can be unpleasant such as the weather, for instance last summer when my family went camping in Colorado it rained and hailed for most of the week! It was cold a lot, and we had to sleep in tents. When I tell people about our vacation I don't tell them about that, I talk about the beautiful scenery and how much fun we had while we were fishing. I don't find it so much disappointing, but I understand how some people can. Commercials and advertisements show places and vacations at such a high standard, that by the time the traveler gets there it doesn't meet the standard they had set in their mind. I think what we should take from it is that not everything is perfect, and that if the vacation was perfect and everything was perfect, how would you be able to remember your favorite parts, or have those funny mishap memories? The best advice I think is to go into a vacation with no expectations, and anything can happen.
ReplyDelete4. A camera captures everything. It sees all that is going on, from the main focal point to the objects and people in the background. I think experiencing the world as a camera is being open to all experiences, and not just seeing your own little world. You would experience so much more and learn more about cultures and places. A lot of times people who travel with cameras are to focused on capturing the moment that they never actually get to experience it. They just want to document it to show the world or Facebook how much fun they are having. This take so much away from their vacation or trip. The one thing this question really makes me think of is that funny scene going on in the background of a picture. It is always hilarious when you spot it! this is how a camera captures it, it saw the moment and everything that went on, but when you are to focused on getting the best shot, you miss that moment that could have been a great story.
Kalli Mowdy
Great responses--but don't forget your definitions, even if you think you know them all. I want you to get as much out of these readings as possible to help you on the future papers. But as you suggest, the ideal sold to us by the media often prevents us from having our own experience and enjoying the true purpose of travel: not just to see new worlds and relax, but also to change as a person. Every person you befriend changes you slightly, and so, too, with places: your memories of each place become part of who you are and shape your character. Hard to do when you're following in everyone else's footsteps, both authors would argue.
DeleteKrysta Brown
ReplyDeleteAccosted – to confront boldly
Festooned –a decorative representation of a string pr chain of flowers, foliage, ribbon, etc., as in architectural work or on pottery
Zenith – a highest point or state; culmination
Sanguine –cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident
Ministrations –the act of ministering care, aid, religious service, etc.
Promiscuously – characterized by or involving indiscriminate mingling or association, especially having sexual relations with a number of partners on a casual basis
Cliché mongers - A common idea or instance with a person who is involved with something in a petty or contemptible way
Wistfulness –characterized by melancholy; longing’ yearning
Incongruous – out of keeping or place; unbecoming; inappropriate
Valediction – an act of bidding farewell or taking leave
1.) Both authors try to destroy the common misconceptions of travel and all it entails. They speak in common slang when recalling a certain encounter and describe people harshly by their appearances alone. I believe this to be a rhetoric tool allowing us to see how others view us as we travel to other places. Our eyes are opened to the idea that possibly humans have not progressed as far as we would like to think and we are judged purely on our looks and reactions to certain things different from our own environmental comfort zone. Whether your trip has gone smoothly or rough, whether it is exactly what you had expected or something completely opposite, we are given examples of people who found ways to fully experience every part of their trip and did their absolute best to enjoy themselves by immersing themselves in the culture.
3.) Traveling can become quite lonesome very quickly. The moment you leave your comfort zone and everyone inside of it you are alone, no one knows you or anything about you. The moment you begin to travel a world of opportunities appears with which you can make of it what you desire. You discover very quickly you will not automatically have people to care for if you do not make an effort to know and care for them. Typically, we are fed images and scenes of finding people who automatically are there for you the moment you step onto the grounds of your destination, but this is false. The people who care for you are fake and paid to do so. Opposite to what many people believe as they leave for a trip after watching and reading many advertisements, you must work to not be alone.
Great responses: I like your idea that both essays open our eyes to the importance of first impressions, especially in a world like the Greyhound bus. Key judges "bus people" pretty harshly until he learns the advantages of becoming one (at least on a bus). Perhaps travel really challenges our ideas of who we are and who we think others are. It makes us walk in their shoes and imagine ourselves in their day-to-day lives.
DeleteMikayla Sparks
ReplyDeleteQuestion 1. Both essays abolish the romanticism and illusions of travel by showing us that you do not always travel with your partner and by telling us about the whole experience there, not just the ‘good’ stuff. You can learn from both of these ‘real’ travel essays that while traveling you may meet strange people, feel uncomfortable, and lonely for the most part of your traveling experience. You can, however, still have a good experience even if you are having a bad time. Knowing what your future travels will hold will come in handy. Plus you may end up with more memories to talk about.
Question 4. Every traveler should experience the world as a camera. A picture is worth a thousand words. A picture is a memory. It could be a good memory, or a bad memory. The world, like a camera, is filled with all this wonder and excitement that each individual has a different view on. Like a picture from a camera, there are many different perspectives. Memories are there for us to remember. Many people do not see the world as a camera however. People believe that they have to have a physical (or some physical technology) copy of their memory, so they take a picture. People want something to look through and be like “hey I remember this”. They are missing out on the real stuff though. While they are looking through the lens trying to take as many pictures as humanly possible, they aren’t absorbing their environment, and taking in what they are really seeing. Being glued to their technology and not seeing themselves as a camera could turn them into a tourist, not a traveler.
Great responses--but don't forget the definitions! I want to make sure you get as much as possible from these essays to help you on the papers to follow. But as you say, if we focus on the actual picture, we lose out on the mental pictures we take from truly experiencing a place. Even a Greyhound bus can show us the entire world in a very small space--often the very world we ignore in our daily lives.
DeleteFaith Armstrong
ReplyDeleteAccosted – approach boldly or aggressively.
Festooned – adorned with decorations.
Zenith – high point.
Sanguine – positive.
Ministrations – provision of assistance or care.
Promiscuously – involving indiscriminate mingling.
Cliché mongers – person involved with petty stereotypes.
Wistfulness – longing.
Incongruous – unbecoming.
Valediction – act of bidding farewell.
1. In both essays, they try to abolish the “ideal” travel scenarios by telling us all of the negative things about travelling. Things such as, getting lost, losing luggage, uncomfortable bus or airplane rides, strange people, dangerous situations, and even being unwanted. We can learn that travel can be stressful, and it may be, at times, difficult, but it is beneficial to push past all of the negative things that can consume so much time, and focus on the positive things because that is when you can truly enjoy yourself.
3. Travelling is called the saddest pleasure because it is pleasurable to get away from life as we know it for a short time, but often people travel alone, or they feel unwanted where they are. They also may see things that sadden them. It has been mentioned that people native to certain places don’t like tourists and travelers, which can make a trip miserable if you allow it. Commercials make every single vacation ever seem to be completely perfect and relaxing. There are absolutely no problems, everyone accepts you, and they usually have several people they love with them while they soak up sun on the beach. This can be true, but sometimes things don’t always go that way.
Great responses: but in Key's essay. does he find anything positive? Isn't it an out-and-out bad trip? What positive ideas can one take away from a Greyhound trip? And why do other people seem to envy him even though all agree it's a miserable way to travel?
DeleteChristian Beeler
ReplyDeleteAccosted – Approach and address (someone) boldly or aggressively.
Festooned – Adorn with ribbons, garlands, or other decorations.
Zenith – The time at which something is most powerful or successful.
Sanguine – Optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.
Ministrations – The provision of assistance or care.
Promiscuously – Characterized by or involving indiscriminate mingling or association.
Cliché – A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.
Monger – A person who attempts to stir up something that is usually petty or discreditable.
Wistfulness – Full of yearning or desire tinged with melancholy.
Incongruous – Not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings of something.
Valediction – A statement or address made at or as a farewell.
3. When traveling, you are exposed to, not only the sights you go there to see, but you are exposed to, more importantly, the real things that aren’t as aesthetically pleasing as those landmarks that you want to see. Poverty, misery, and hopelessness are the three that Swick states. Because you are exposed to such circumstances that are beyond what you can fix, it takes a toll on you. Also, traveling alone to a place that is foreign to you, (and in the same way, you are foreign in that place), can be a sad experience when you arrive with the expectation of I am the foreigner. They should invite me into their customs and their personal lives to take care of me, when, in reality, that is an unrealistic standard that we conjure up in our own selfish minds. Similarly, in the commercials and films we see, the “ugly” side of the place we wish to go to is almost always hidden from our immediate vision. This results in our mind masking, even further, the problems that the natives of said place face from day to day.
4. I think I can safely say that a lot of the time when we, the traveler, go to a foreign, yet exciting place, we go with the expectation to “be a camera” by taking pictures of nature or landmarks that we know, in America, will provoke the response of getting two hundred likes on Instagram. If and when that is the case, we are missing the point. If, instead of making it about getting likes on the pictures we took, we took pictures to take home as a momento of the time we spent there, and to relive the special moments we shared whilst being in that foreign land, it would be a more meaningful adventure. A camera takes in only what the lens can see. If we were more like a camera, we should take mental pictures of what we saw as meaningful while being there, and not only preserve those moments in our minds to appreciate them more fully, but also to ask ourselves, Why was that meaningful to me? That would allow us to appreciate, and not forget, why it was so meaningful, and why.
Excellent responses: as you suggest, traveling shows us the non-commercial aspects of the world if we care to look. This is sad and isolating, since we can never be part of this world, and we might not want to. We will always be outside, and yet, the memories of the places we go can become the most important part of who we are.
DeleteAshlyn Thompson
ReplyDeleteAccosted - Approach boldly or aggressively.
Festooned – Adorned with decorations.
Zenith – The time at which something is most powerful or successful.
Sanguine – Optimistic or positive.
Ministrations - Provision of assistance or care.
Promiscuously - Characterized by or involving indiscriminate mingling or association.
Cliché – A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.
Monger- A person who attempts to stir up something that is usually petty or discreditable.
Wistfulness – Characterized by melancholy; longing; yearning.
Incongruous – Out of keeping or place; unbecoming; inappropriate.
Valediction – A statement or address made at or as a farewell.
3. Commercials and films show us that travel is a fun, relaxing, and happy time to be spent with friends or family. We get this false sense, that when we actually do travel, it is a sad pleasure for us. In traveling, we do have a pleasure, but we also see the reality of the world. We see the loneliness of people, poverty, and the hopelessness, and misery that people are enduring.
4. The old saying is a picture is worth a thousand words, but if we cannot hear those words, what are we actually seeing? You can’t get the full experience through a picture. You aren’t able to feel the emotion, or engage in a conversation. We engage in day to day conversations with people, but in that those get lost. We forget what we said, what experience we had, and what we felt. A camera captures the moment, and once the moment is captured it holds that moment in time and once we see those pictures again we remember those experiences. We may not remember the physical aspect of the moment, but with the picture we do remember the emotional side of it.
Great responses: travel is a kind of memory, one that we can only get by taking our own "pictures" and taking our own steps in another place. The memories made through travel, however bad, become the building blocks of personality and identity. This is why most people travel when they're younger: they're still becoming who they are. So older people envy them a little, knowing that their memorable travels are over...they've become who they have to be. They don't have time for another journey like that.
DeletePriscilla Texter
ReplyDelete1. Both essays abolish the romanticism and illusions of travel and show us true disappointment by showing us that it can be extremely lonely and gross. It makes us feel almost disgusted at the thought of traveling because it makes it sound so unappealing. On the other hand though, some of our greatest experiences come from our struggles and usually when things do not go as we had planned. It allows us to feel something, usually good, after bad situations occur. Also, "horror" stories can be some of the funniest.
2. Riding a Greyhound bus, for some people, represents poverty and disgust often comes to our mind when thinking of a bus. People feel crowded and like the trips take forever. However, it is something to do because it allows you to experience the life that many people live. It is almost an insight of how people are and what their lives can be like. It's very fun to read and think about.
Good responses, but don't forget the definitions! I want to make sure you get as much out of these essays as possible, especially when you go to write papers over the conversation of travel. But yes, travel is as much an experience as a state of mind, and being open to the possibilities of travel makes one a traveler. Even if the trip is a horror story.
Delete1. Accosted – Approach and address (someone) boldly or aggressively.
ReplyDelete2. Festooned – Adorn with ribbons, garlands, or other decorations.
3. Zenith – The time at which something is most powerful or successful.
4. Sanguine – Optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.
5. Ministrations – The provision of assistance or care.
6. Promiscuously – Characterized by or involving indiscriminate mingling or association.
7. Cliché – A phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.
8. Monger – A person who attempts to stir up something that is usually petty or
discreditable.
9. Wistfulness – Full of yearning or desire tinged with melancholy.
10. Incongruous – Not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings of something.
11. Valediction – A statement or address made at or as a farewell.
Q.3
In commercials traveling is “fantastic.” “See a ‘world’ you have never seen!” There are many commercials for travel. But when it comes down to it, there is multiple hours in a bus or a car. Even if a person was to fly there Is still hours to get to an air port for most. There are hours waiting in line to get a ticket, through security find the plane and board. Then when a person gets to a place they have heard so many stories about. Either all the stories have been told so there is no cool surprises for you to learn or they stories are completely wrong. Perhaps a person wanted to go visit Turner Falls here in Oklahoma. Someone had compared it to Niagara Falls just to find that Turner Falls is not even 1/12th of the comparison. Resulting in the trip to be horrible, the person feeling like they were ripped off and to go home calling the trip the worst trip they have ever had. (For now)
Q.4
The world is an ever changing picture. When a person sees something memorable they will remember it for the rest of their days and might even tell people of their experience to others will make that “memory photo” live on forever. But for most people, they believe they won’t remember everything forever. They know in due time they will forget many of the little things because something else will replace it. Which is true to some degree, but if we live our lives though a lens then in reality are we really there? If someone was to walk around with a camera over there eye all the time then what’s the difference of watching a video on TV of the same thing the entire time?
Great responses: yes, travel is often 99% expectation, so that it becomes impossible to truly see what we expect or what it really there. How can we travel to see a place for the first time? Can we see anything for the first time in our age of television and the internet? Traveling is a philosophy that tries to see past the "cliche mongers" and seek a new, unique experience--even if it's a bad one.
DeleteHayden Blakemore
ReplyDeleteAccosted- To approach and address someone boldly or aggressively.
Festooned- To adorn a place with ribbons, garlands, or other decorations.
Zenith- The highest point reached by a celestial or other object.
Sanguine- Optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.
Ministrations- The provision of assistance or care.
Promiscuously- Casual; irregular; haphazard.
Cliché mongers- A promoter of a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.
Wistfulness- Characterized by melancholy; longing; yearning.
Incongruous- Not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something.
Valediction- The action of saying farewell.
2. Ridding a Greyhound is something of a special trip. Hours with people you do not know, landscapes you wouldn't see driving through there, and even some of the places you wouldn't think to stop at. Not very many restroom facilities to use on it, so every stop is eventful in the restrooms. The people you meet range from the age of 1 to 100 and have had experiences from war to the everyday life. This experience is one in a life time chance and you will regret some parts of it, but for the most part, riding in one is a very eventful trip.
4. A traveler should see the world and marvel in its beauty not behind a camera to brag to their friends, but to see the world with your own eyes. Yes, some people argue that you need photos as proof and also to remember the experience, but that's all lies. The more you look and see without the camera, the more you actually catch that you wouldn't with the camera. Sure you would get some of the big stuff that everyone sees everyday. But it's the little things that make the trip so memorable and amazing.
Great responses: as you suggest, we might regret taking a Greyhound, but there's no other chance to see these people and have these experiences. It's also something you can really only do when you're young and have the time to kill. It's an experience that many wish they could do again, however much they hated it at the time because it represents youth and adventure.
DeleteRichard Helms
ReplyDeleteAccosted-approach and address (someone) boldly or aggressively.
Festooned-adorn (a place) with ribbons, garlands, or other decorations
Zenith -the time at which something is most powerful or successful.
Sanguine-optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.
Ministrations-the provision of assistance or care
Promiscuously-casual; irregular; haphazard.
Cliché mongers-a stereotype or electrotype. and A dealer in a specific commodity, normally used in combination.
Wistfulness-characterized by melancholy; longing; yearning.
Incongruous-not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something.
Valediction-the action of saying farewell.
2. A greyhound could represent disorder and chaos as it is a very slow in inconvenient way to travel from one side of the country to the other. While the view that the writer gave us is a very disgusting and unattractive view he does also talk about going to many large cities and seeing many different things while he was on the road this could be used as justification for someone who wants to travel across the country and not just see it from thirty thousand feet but to see it up-close and enjoy it.
3. One reason traveling may seem so lonely unless you bring your entire family is that you have very few people to communicate with and to connect with. This could make it seem as if you have left nothing in the place you were visiting. But if you were to leave that place having made new friends you may look upon that location differently as you would have some sort of "stake" in that place.
Great responses and definitions: as you suggest, sometimes the closer you see something, the uglier it can appear. But how much can you see when hiding in the clouds? As the author suggests, riding on a Greyhound forces you to change--and perhaps all travel should change us, so we can see ourselves and the world more vividly.
DeleteJessica Olivar
ReplyDelete3. Traveling might seem lonely to someone if they're in a country where they cannot speak their language. Communication is a thing that makes us feel like we are apart of something. What could also make you sad is seeing the true reality of the country, such as poverty, crime, or discrimination. Commercials about traveling somewhere only show the good parts and not the bad parts such as getting lost or loosing your luggage at the airport or having your flight delayed. Also, the weather could partake in your travels. It isn't always rainbows and sunshine.
4. I don't think a traveler should experience the world through a camera because they will not really take in the moment like if they were to see it through their own eyes. I think some people don't see the world as a camera because they are too busy thinking about how to get the perfect shot, the right angle or the right lighting. They are so consumed on the thought of taking that perfect picture to show of to their friends that they forget to enjoy the sight themselves. They see more through the lens of their camera then their heart/eyes.
Bessie-Mei Soh
ReplyDelete3. Like a child staring longingly at a puppy through a pet store window, a similar barrier exists between a traveler and his quarry. I can best relate to this through my experiences being a "foreigner". You can learn the language, make friends, and get a good job in the place you travel to, but you will never be a native. You will always be on the outside looking in. You will never experience the place and understand it as deeply as the natives do. The worse part of it is, if you live in that place a long time, you can become a "foreigner" to your original home. Then you will be homeless. I felt this way often, having dual-citizenship and having lives in both my home countries half my life. I have often felt envious of those who have one country where they fit in perfectly with the stream of things and can completely "belong". Perhaps I suffer from overly-idealized expectations of "home", but this is the connection between travel and loneliness this question evokes from me.
4. The camera... is a terribly flawed invention. Then again, so is the metaphor. Humans aren't built to be "selfie-cameras" we are meant to look at everything around us instead. Many would nowadays prefer to use the world as a frame to their ego. To me, as lonely as travel can be in the previous question, selfies are even more lonely. "Here is me," It says, "I care about me, just in case nobody else does." There is a saying that comes to mind: you are what you eat. If all you're consuming is yourself, wouldn't that make you "full of yourself?"--cue comedic drums. If we grow from the outside in, then we definitely need to keep our sights ahead and actually gain something from the vast world around us, upon which we are just an insignificant wrinkle. Also... death to selfies!
Ryan Jolly
ReplyDeleteAccosted-To approach or address someone boldly or aggressively.
Festooned- Adorn with ribbons or decorations.
Zeniths- the point in time at which something is most powerful.
Sanguine- An optimistic or positive outlook.
Ministrations- The provision of assistance or care.
Promiscuous- Without discrimination; haphazard
Cliché- stereotype
Monger- Someone who promoted a specific activity.
Wistful- Having a feeling of vague longing.
Incongruous- Not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings.
Valediction- The action of saying farewell.
Question 1:
Both essays represent travel in a real life way. However, this doesn't mean that travel has to be dull or disappointing. Even though we may be having a terrible experience traveling, it is an experience that later we can reflect on with great memories like Key stated "People do not want to ride the Greyhound again, but they will want to be able to do it again." This shows that we can have an excellent experience, even if we are having a bad time during travel.
Question 3;
According to Swick, travel is sad because what we see doesn't include us. He states that it is like watching someone else have fun, knowing that you cannot participate. Travel can also be a sad pleasure because it can be a lonely experience. Swick says that he mostly "wanders around lonely and aimlessly." However, it can be a pleasure to travel so that we can see how other people and cultures entertain themselves in ways that we do not, to see them having fun, even though we cannot participate. Sometimes it is better to watch and learn from others than to participate yourself, because often we can learn much from simply watching.
Accosted- approach and address boldly or aggressively.
ReplyDeleteFestooned- adorn with ribbons, garland, or other decorations.
Zenith- The Highest point reached by a celestial or other object
Sanguine- optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.
Ministrations- the provision of assistance or care.
Promiscuously- characterized by or involving indiscriminate mingling or association,especially having sexual relations with a number of partners on a casual basis.
Cliché mongers- I’m not really sure what this is, I understand the meaning of cliché and monger, but I’m still not sure on what it meant by it. Could it mean a writer who often uses cliches in their works?
Wistful- having or showing sad thoughts and feelings about something that you want to have or do and especially about something that made you happy in the past
Incongruous- Strange for not agreeing with what is the usual or expected.
Valediction- The action of saying farewell.
Question 2
When one says that one is riding a greyhound bus it signifies a type of adventure. It is a way to experience the world and all the people at its heart. The greyhound houses all walks of life and so by riding it, you are establishing a temporary home with the biggest craziest people in the world, a temporary family. Just like a family though, it is not always pleasant. The people annoy and irritate you and in the moment all you can think about is why did I choose this, why did I choose to come home, but weeks later when you look back you find yourself thinking “I wonder when I can go home and see my family again.”
Question 3
Swick says that travel can be lonely and sad because you do not get to interact in the everyday tasks that you see around you. You are stuck outside of the crowd, causing loneliness. We are all human, and it is in our nature to interact with others and to enjoy their company. However, when you travel, you are often alone do to either lack of knowledge, language, or simply because the world moves on, as all the people in it as well, whether you are taking a vacation or not. This is different from what we see on t.v. because what is sold to us is this idea that to be on vacation is to be completely relax and almost disengaged from the world, secluded on our own personal island of peace and relaxation. This seclusion is what causes travel to be the “saddest pleasure.”
Preston Hawkins
ReplyDeleteTravel is often overplayed in movies, books, and other forms of media. When traveling we expect the perfect getaway, free from stress and duties. Brochures and commercials fail to inform you of the crowded beaches and hours you’ll spend roasting your skin waiting in the long lines. (It always seems other people are the source of one's problems while traveling) The essay’s we read shed light on the the real experience of traveling, they talk of the miseries you’ll come to face while on your journey. There is hope! Key shows how he finds enjoyment while being miserable at the same time. The experience you have, good or bad, all depends on your outlook of things.
2. Some people seem to think that taking a greyhound is for low class, redneck, and other types of people resembling Barrel. Airplanes are the way to travel nowadays so when someone is seen taking a greyhound to travel it may come across as if they are not doing so well financially. Greyhound travel could be a fun experience if you have the right mindset. The author may not be having the best time (miserable) on his journey, but he tries to see things in a different way to make his experience more enjoyable. He saw the driver as a pirate, he made the comment about a hand costing $20, and other things throughout the story. I would want to experience riding a greyhound at least once in my life, it would be appealing to see all the different parts of the country while not having to worry about driving or filling up your car with gas.
Accosted- approach and address boldly or aggressively.
Festooned- adorn with ribbons, garland, or other decorations.
Zenith- The Highest point reached by a celestial or other object
Sanguine- optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.
Ministrations- the provision of assistance or care.
Promiscuously- characterized by or involving indiscriminate mingling or association,especially having sexual relations with a number of partners on a casual basis.
Cliché mongers- I’m not really sure what this is, I understand the meaning of cliché and monger, but I’m still not sure on what it meant by it. Could it mean a writer who often uses cliches in their works?
Wistful- having or showing sad thoughts and feelings about something that you want to have or do and especially about something that made you happy in the past
Incongruous- Strange for not agreeing with what is the usual or expected.
Valediction- The action of saying farewell.
Accosted (55)--approach and address (someone) boldly or aggressively
ReplyDeleteFestooned (57)--adorn (a place) with ribbons, garlands, or other decorations
Zenith (though it’s plural in the essay) (58)--the highest point reached by a celestial or other object
Sanguine (59)--Optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation
Ministrations (61)--the provision of assistance or care
Promiscuously (233)--Demonstrating or implying an unselective approach; indiscriminate or casual
Cliché mongers (234)— a trader of over used materials and/or ideas
Wistfulness (235)--Having or showing a feeling of vague or regretful longing
Incongruous (238)--Not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something
Valediction (239)--A statement or address made at or as a farewell
Q3-- When Swick says that travel is the saddest pleasure he means that what people might see while they are travelling is much more depressing than what companies advertise. It is a sad pleasure because we see how other people and cultures live and then we realize how good we have it. Travel is sad and often very lonely because we are in a foreign environment and we don't know anybody except whom ever we might have brought with us, it really shows how small we are compared to the rest of humanity.
Q4-- Swick quoted Irshwood saying "I am a camera" to mean that the human mind is better than any kind of technology. Today people rely on actual cameras to heavily that they don't see the big picture or don't even remember events and places at all. The human mind is capable of remembering even the most minute details. The human imagination is probably the one thing that makes us humans want to travel and see places they have only imagined about, in our minds we see the world as a grand and amazing place, and while it is that our imagination makes it even more grand and in turn we have a longing to see that place or thing in person, even if ends up being less grand than we imagined.
Accosted – represented as side by side.
ReplyDeleteFestooned – a string or chain of flowers, foliage, ribbon, etc., suspended in a curve between two points.
Zenith – a highest point or state.
Sanguine – cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident.
Ministrations – the act of ministering care, aid, religious service, etc.
Promiscuously – casual.
Cliché Mongers – a trite stereotype expression made by a person who is involved with something in a pretty contemptible way.
Wistfulness – characterized by melancholy; longing; yearning.
Incongruous – out of keeping or place; inappropriate; unbecoming.
Valediction – an act of bedding farewell or taking leave.
Q3
He might mean that sometimes what we see when we travel is different than what we thought it would be. It might be put off as a tropical wonderland, but actually be a place full of poverty. It's sad to see, but makes us feel good about the things we have.
Q2
Riding a greyhound might mean adventure. Although it may be chaotic, it could be fun and definitely would be a different traveling experience. It's not everybody's cup of tea and that's what makes it adventurous.
Savannah Lincoln
Victoria Murray
ReplyDeleteAccosted- To approach and address someone boldly or aggressively
Festooned- To adorn a place with ribbons, garlands, or other decorations
Zenith- The highest point reached by a celestial or other object
Sanguine- Optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation.
Ministrations- The provision of assistance or care
Promiscuously- Casual; irregular; haphazard
Cliché mongers- A promoter of a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought
Wistfulness- Characterized by melancholy; longing; yearning
Incongruous- Not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something
Valediction- The action of saying farewell