English 20-Spring 2013

Greetings,
Below you will find a copy of the handout from today's class. It is the sample student essay I read aloud. I want you to view it as an example of strong, analysis work.
Also, reminder, no class on Friday of this week, and Friday of next week as well.
As I mentioned in class today, this is the time in the semester where I feel that I have given you all the tools you need and now it is up to you to produce your best work. Have a wonderful and safe weekend.

The Art of Tough Love

If you have ever viewed a beautiful piece of art, you know that there is something almost majestic about it that makes the viewer want to know more. An artist must possess a certain level of skill to produce something magical which keeps the audience begging for more. The trouble with being a great artist is that you cannot go back and fix a brush stroke once it has been painted. Try as you may to erase the lines on a paper, you can still see the mistake. In the series Breaking Bad, this seems to be Jesse Pinkman’s problem. As much as he would like to go back and change his past, he never can, and this shapes the person that he has become as a young adult. On the exterior, Jesse may seem like a worthless, uneducated criminal, but beneath the surface he is still a boy who feels inadequate, searching for the affection he never received from his parents.

Jesse may try to act like a tough guy, but underneath the surface he is truly terrified, which actually drives him further into the drug trade. His fear becomes obvious in a number of ways, such as his reluctance to sell massive quantities of methamphetamines and his anxiety over speaking to Tuco about cutting a deal. It seems as though he is not only afraid of the legal consequences of his actions, but of the social repercussions as well. Jesse fears speaking up for himself because he is afraid of losing “friends” and having others view him in an unfavorable light. This is why he allows others to make choices for him, just as he did when he smoked meth with two men in his living room who threatened to leave if he did not.

This insecurity is perhaps one of the largest motivators of Pinkman’s behavior throughout the first season of Breaking Bad. Jesse wants everyone to believe that he is confident and capable of facing things on his own. It is necessary for him to act tough and play the role of the typical gangster to fit in with the community where he sells meth. Even his voicemail greeting testifies to the fact that he wants to adapt to this role, but it is evident that he is out of character. His lack of confidence is also demonstrated in his failure to make important decisions concerning his relationship with Walter and their drug operation. For instance, he did not want to decide how to dispose of the bodies once he and Walt had killed Emilio and Crazy Eight. Jesse goes along with the plan though he is completely apprehensive and pretends to let things roll off his back as if they are merely a consequence of being a meth cooker.

At times it seems he is overwhelmed with the anxiety that has formed as a result of his partnership with Walt, but he continues to wear a façade, not only because it helps him as a drug dealer; it also helps him cope with the emotional insecurities that he has as a result of past relationships. Much of this stems from the complicated relationship that he has with his family, who now appears distant and standoffish. It seems as though Jesse has always felt the pressure to please his parents, but has never felt like he was good enough. Through the interactions of his mother and father with Jake, his younger brother, it becomes obvious that the Pinkmans have high expectations of their children. They talk about academic achievements, positive feedback during his musical performances, and maintaining religious or moral standards. Jake’s room is also adorned with numerous trophies, suggesting that he is extremely involved and that he generally meets the high standards that his parents have set for him. Jesse’s failure to meet these expectations as a child has made him feel insufficient and has further driven a wedge between him and the remaining family members.

Though Jesse feels inadequate and knows his parents are displeased with his current actions, he still yearns to be a part of the family. He feels as though he can somehow compensate for his wrong-doings and what he was unable to accomplish in the past. For example, he voluntarily participates in household chores that most children would complain about, such as setting the table for the family dinner. Later, while chatting with his brother, he says that they should hang out more often and that if he ever needed advice then Jake could come to him. He wants to be a part of the Pinkman family again, but his parents’ lack of trust in him causes them to push him away. During Jesse’s conversation with his little brother, Mrs. Pinkman suggests to her husband that they should check his arm for needle marks. They also assume that the marijuana joint that their maid found was Jesse’s, again showing their lack of trust in him.

The incident where the marijuana joint is found in the Pinkman home also shows how much Jesse cares for his family despite the fact that they continue to push him away. Though Jesse could have easily told his parents that the weed was his brother’s, he took the rap for the situation because he views his sibling as still having the potential to fulfill his goals and aspirations. It also shows that he does not want to tarnish Jake’s reputation, although he may not be the perfect child that his parents believe he is. Then, when his brother thanked him and asked for the joint, Jesse threw it to the ground and crushed it. This shows that he was still attempting to set the example for his younger brother; he doesn’t want Jake to go down the same path that he did.

The episode where Jesse interacts with his family also reveals a number of other important aspects about his character, which explains why he may be in his current predicament. While rummaging through a chest in his old bedroom, we see that he was actually quite a talented artist. He saved several drawings, but based on the conversation that his parents had with Jake in the kitchen and the fact that they are not on display for guests to see, one could deduce that this type of artistic interest was not fostered by his parents. They seem rather conservative, showing appreciation for more traditional, “respected” hobbies such as Jake’s training on the oboe and piccolo. For this reason, it may be assumed that Jesse did not get the type of positive attention or feedback from his family to further progress his creative skills. Currently, he still seems to be stuck in this same pattern; if he cannot attain the positive affirmations from the people around him, then he must settle for any attention.

Jesse also settles when it comes to finding the type of care and compassion he wants from others. This may be because he has learned to keep people at a distance in the same fashion his parents have become detached from him. In fact, the only type of relationships Jesse has formed with women is of a sexual nature. First, we see a naked woman throwing him his clothes from the second floor of a house. Later, we find him fooling around with a prostitute in a cheap motel room. It seems as though he purposely seeks relationships where he can remain emotionally disengaged. Ironically, he also maintains alliances with people that do not genuinely care for him either, such as the customers that he smokes meth with at his aunt’s house. Conclusively, Jesse wants deep, meaningful relationships, but keeps everyone at a distance for fear of being hurt.

The only person that has broken through this barrier is Walt, who acts as a sort of authoritative, fatherly figure to Jesse. As their friendship develops, their interactions become more than strictly business-related. Most notably was the incident in the desert where Walt becomes unable to finish cooking the meth because of the severity of his reaction to chemotherapy. Jesse notices his radiation spot and tells Walt that he should have told him he has cancer. He also gives him advice on dealing with the side effects of his treatment based on what his aunt suffered during the course of her chemotherapy. Not only does he care for Walt’s health, but he shows compassion for other human beings prior to this interaction with his cooking partner. For example, he told Walt to “think of it as doing him a favor” when he was assigned with the task of killing Crazy Eight because he was obviously suffering from respiratory issues among other injuries after the explosion in their recreational vehicle. This demonstrates that although he may pretend to neglect other people’s emotions, Jesse truly does care for others and desires more than superficial kinships.

Another sign that shows Jesse’s longing for meaningful relationships is his reaction or coping mechanism when he feels as though someone has let him down. One of his main responses to disappointment or failure is sarcasm. By being sarcastic he is able to say the things he really feels without letting others see that he is truly hurt. We see this several times throughout the series, especially in his exchanges with Walt. Perhaps this is most obvious when he finds out that Walt went behind his back to arrange a deal with Tuco. This hurts Jesse because he thought they would mutually make decisions concerning their business, and more importantly because Walt willingly established a relationship with the individual that just put him in the hospital. His snide, derisive comments about Walt’s relationship with Tuco and their meeting in the junkyard are a reflection of his dissatisfaction.

Jesse’s sarcastic mannerisms are a way of protecting himself from feeling disappointment in others, but it may also serve as a defense mechanism for being disappointed in himself. In the past he felt defeated because he did not meet the standards set by his family, which may be why Jesse fails to see that he does still have potential; however, he is lacking motivation and direction. He never received positive feedback from his parents for his artistic abilities, so he has identified a means of finding them elsewhere. By selling drugs, he has found a group of people that keep returning to see him because they are pleased with the product he is creating. This has also become his creative outlet, which is why he is so adamant in his argument with Walt that cooking meth is an art form, not just chemistry. Walt encourages him and shows confidence in him, saying that Jesse can produce the last batch on his own after he becomes dizzy in their drug lab. This reinforcement makes Jesse believe that he does have potential, but his success in the drug game further perpetuates his addiction to the business.

While it is true that Jesse could continue to be successful as a methamphetamine cook, he is definitely intelligent enough to find lucrative work elsewhere. This is something that he struggles with internally, as he seems to question his own intelligence and standards. He believes he is capable of finding a legitimate job, but when he runs into his old friend Badger, he is quickly convinced that it would be more profitable to partner with this man and cook meth again. Still, his ability to recall the names of the beakers, flasks, and other chemistry equipment shows that he is a fast learner. Walter even stated from the very first episode that Jesse could have performed much better in his class if he had only applied himself. Others see that he is bright and resourceful, yet he still questions his own abilities.

Initially, Jesse may appear to be a low-life, drug-dealing failure, but he has an enormous amount of potential within himself to be something greater. He needs a group of supportive individuals to help draw this potential out of him in order to become successful outside of the methamphetamine business. The only people that have ever shown interest in him and encouraged his talents in the past were people within this business, so he continues to thrive off of this feedback. Still he keeps everyone at a distance, hiding his pain, just as he did when he put make-up on his face to cover the black eye he received from Emilio. From his nostalgic moment in the bedroom where he explores the contents of his old toy chest, to the scene in the desert where he shows that he cares about Walt, Jesse’s true character is revealed to us slowly, just like in a great painting. Though his parents never fostered his artistic abilities as a child, Jesse is still an artist today, painting the picture that everything is okay while he keeps his true self inside.

Greetings,
a few things:
1. Due to my error--I noted the due date for essay 3 rough drafts as Monday, April 29th, on the course outline BUT Wednesday, May 1 on the essay assignment. I apologize. Those students who still want to submit a rough draft for essay 3 can do so tomorrow. Since there is NO CLASS ON FRIDAY, I would prefer that you email me your draft by the end of the day tomorrow. That way I can review the essay and send you comments via email.
2. Below you will find a copy of the handout from Monday.

English 20, Spring 2013

Editing & Proofreading Workshop, Monday April 29th

REVIEW

NEW POLICY EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY! J

For this third and final out of class essay, it is now an unacceptable error (10 points deducted, if your heading set up is incorrect. By heading, I am referring to your name, my name, the class title and the date.) Please refer to your class notes from the first week or so of classes. Also, you now have received and read at least six sample student essays, which also provide you with the correct set-up.

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REVISIONS

· Please follow the guidelines on how to submit a revision, which are provided on your class syllabus.

· If you did not choose to revise out of class essay one or two, and you end up wanting to revise essay three, there will still be time. Graded essay three will be returned to you on Monday, May 13^th. If you choose to revise, it must be submitted no later than Friday of finals week. YOU MUST EMAIL ME TO LET ME KNOW YOU HAVE PLACED IT IN MY DEPT. MAILBOX. Otherwise, I will not be on campus to pick it up. ALSO, be sure you hear back from me that I have indeed received the email instruction.

RESEARCH DOCUMENTATION

· You must introduce all direct quotations with a lead-in.

· If you refer to the author in the lead-in or when you paraphrase, you DO NOT NEED an in-text citation.

· All in-text citations MUST CORRESPOND/MATCH THE SOURCE ON THE WORKS CITED PAGE EXACTLY.

· DOUBLE SPACE ENTIRE WORKS CITED PAGE.

· INDENT SECOND AND CONSECUTIVE LINES OF EACH CITATION.

· YOU DO NOT NEED TO RECORD THE ENTIRE WEB ADDRESS.

CONTENT AND ORGANIZATION

· One main idea per paragraph.

· Transition clearly from one paragraph to the next. You do not need TWO transitional sentences, one at the end of the paragraph and one at the beginning of the next!

· You do NOT need to include a Webster’s dictionary definition of words that are commonly understood and recognized by the majority of readers. For example: suicide and alcoholism are commonplace terms and do not need further explanations.

· In a three to five page essay, there is no need to summarize your main points in the conclusion. And you also do not need to actually write—“In conclusion….”

· Most instructors (and it should be ALL instructors) expect near perfection from a writing assignment where the student has been given three to four weeks to plan, research, write and revise an essay. In other words, evidence of editing and proofreading must be obvious.

Although other classes probably do not have an Unacceptable Errors list, they will not be tolerant of the errors I have included on that handout,

English 20-Spring 2013

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Sunday, May 12th, 2013--Sunday afternoon around 4 pm

Monday, May 6, 2013

Monday evening, May 6, 2013

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

SECOND POSTING for Wednesday, May 1st. 9:15 pm

Wednesday, May 1, 2013--8:30 pm

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Second Posting for Tuesday, April 30th, 2013

Tuesday, April 30th, 2013--5:30 pm

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Tuesday, April 23, 2013