[Alexa Krowiak]

Kelly makes a good point, paratext certainly can be taken advantage of in a negative way and misused and so that is why I feel in some regard it needs to be paid attention to because you should be weary of it, but we should not allow it to greatly affect us. I personally do not allow paratext to affect my judgement of the content of a work, I like to figure out for myself my own interpretations and feelings of a work not influenced by any paratext on the work. Everyone has their own opinions and interpretations on what they read, and so because of that I don’t feel we should allow paratext to affect us much.

[Alexa Krowiak]

Casey makes several good points that I agree with. I find myself, too, unfortunately skipping over important and useful aspects of a text such as the introduction and the footnotes so I can start reading the text. If it is a text I have to read for a class in a subject area I am not as familiar or comfortable with, I do however try and make more of a point to read the introduction and footnotes to provide more context for me and help my understanding of what I am reading, so that I am able to get more out of it. But I need to make more of an effort to do so more consistently.

[Alexa Krowiak]

In taking a look at the final paragraph, I noticed that Lincoln chose to stay with the phrasing of the sentence that read “It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedicated here..” which conveyed a much less impactful and meaningful message. Compared to the first draft of the address from Nicolay that read “It is for us, the living, to stand here we be here.” If the sentence had remained with the phrasing of stand here not crossed out instead of “be here” I felt it would have had more impact. Reading “be here” gave me the impression that we are more or less stagnant and not really present and taking a stance, while saying “stand here” would have maybe conveyed more of a unified feeling and that we as individuals need to take a stand together dedicated to the task before us. So therefore, I felt that this particular change took away some of the impactful tone and rhythm Lincoln may have been going for.

[Alexa Krowiak]

Melissa makes a good point. Thoreau seems to be adhering to his “simplistic” lifestyle he is striving for because he really is trying to find the simplest way to accomplish that task.

I would say something could still be pretty primitive and still be considered technology, it would just be in a very simplistic form depending on how early in time it was used. Thoreau showed us how you can still accomplish a task at the hands of nature even with the most simple tools and materials available to you.

[Alexa Krowiak]

I suppose I would say both forms of learning both allow you to be enlightened on something you wanted to learn about, but just in different ways.

Yes, it is very convenient and helpful we are able to find how-to videos on practically anything we are trying to learn about. There is a huge difference though between learning through videos and really learning through observation and actually doing it, as has been pointed out in the comments above me.

[Alexa Krowiak]

With today’s ever evolving modes of technology that we use as means of publication, it makes it very easy for us to share our thoughts and enlighten ourselves on information we may want to find out. But, as Maya points out the internet allows for people to basically be able to post anything they want, and this provides us with a need to be able to distinguish the truth in the information we find, and is what we are reading really what we were looking for and true information?

[Alexa Krowiak]

I agree with Holly, Thoreau was influenced by the American prejudice against new waves of immigrants, and so I would say it is very important to realize how preconceived notions about people affect the way we read them. Thoreau was busy discussing his own beliefs with the Field’s and how his way of life could help them live, not really taking into consideration what the family is going through as being immigrants who have children. Thoreau’s way of life may not be suitable for every lifestyle, as Thoreau isn’t married and doesn’t have children so he is showing an inability to see into another person’s perspective aside from his own.

[Alexa Krowiak]

I agree with Julia, Thoreau believes in experiential learning as a form of a precursor to institutional learning or as a way to deepen their learning received in traditional education. It is very evident throughout Walden that Thoreau makes references to various “classical” works and makes use of Latin phrases, which showed to us that he was able to attain a high level of education, and he values those works that he has been exposed to. Julia makes a good point saying he believes in higher education  because of that fact.

[Alexa Krowiak]

Some good points have definitely been made in this discussion, and I feel I have to agree with both. I feel that Melanie definitely is right when she refers to technology as a “double-edged sword. It certainly brings about many benefits because we now have the ability to access information, share ideas, and communicate faster than we’ve ever bee able to before. Not only with just the internet, but with other very beneficial technologies Melissa mentioned as well. However, because with such technologies as the internet that also pose problems in terms of cyber-bullying and other issues, I can see why Thoreau felt technology creates fighting, and in a sense with our ever-changing world and technologies, it does foster a sort of competitive edge for companies to come out with the next best thing. So technology really does prove to be both good and bad,

[Alexa Krowiak]

Personally, I do feel it is valid today that experience in nature can teach you more than simply just reading about it. You could read all there is to know about nature and how beautiful it can be, but unless you really go out and see that for yourself you won’t completely be able to grasp what you are reading is trying to describe.

[Alexa Krowiak]

I have to agree with Julia, I feel that authorial intent has more influence on a work’s literary merit. When you look at the examples given such as Thoreau’s journal and The Diary of Anne Frank, they are actual personal stories and accounts coming first-hand from the individual. Those writings are meant to be portrayed as such, and shouldn’t be altered in any way to appeal to a wider audience of readers. I feel that would really weaken the messages that those works had to offer if they were “fluffed” up or altered to change information in them.

[Alexa Krowiak]

I would say that observation could be considered a form of reading. I feel that whenever you read something, you are learning something from what you just read. Because in this selection, we are being told based on Thoreau’s observation “I think I might learn some wisdom of him…” he has also learned something through observing his surroundings. So therefore that could be considered reading. Not in the same way one learns through reading actual text, but in both scenarios you are learning.

[Alexa Krowiak]

Although the classics certainly have been a basis for people to read and look to for enlightenment over the years, they shouldn’t be solely what you read so that you are considered a “literate” person. It is important for everyone to expose themselves to all types of readings in various topics and genres so that they are exposed to many different ideas and perspectives they may not have encountered before. No matter what it is you’re reading, it still is reading and counts for something none the less as Darby mentioned above.

[Alexa Krowiak]

I do feel that an individual still can in fact be an adventurous student even if they aren’t studying the classics. When someone is simply very excited about learning in general, they are going to want to explore a topic more when they find one that interests them, and that sense of curiosity and exploration that brings about makes a student an adventurous one, in another way other than just studying the classics

[Alexa Krowiak]

I have to agree with Thoreau that food, shelter, clothing, and fuel are what I would deem as “natural for the human condition” that we need to survive.

When he discusses how after we have those man needs taken care of to take on “the true problems of life,” I would consider freedom and prospect of success that he mentions to be ones that are dictated by the culture we live in, and I would also add in education as one that is encouraged. In some cultures, they do not have the luxury of freedom that we do, and may also have a different stance on what they would consider to be someone who is “successful.” Education also is not always an important thing to have in some cultures, either. In our culture, education is something we strive to have in order to obtain and a job and be considered “successful,” even though not everyone feels it is important. These various needs are regarded in many different ways among the many cultures we have in our world.

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