© cNN® chapter @ The Example Essay Theme The Power of Culture and Language Goals Writing To select examples to support a thesis and use these examples to write an essay To understand how extended examples and numerous examples can effectively support a thesis statement To learn how to avoid hasty generalizations To use transitions between paragraphs To use repetition of key words and phrases to increase coherence Reading To learn about and discuss examples of the power of culture and language in our lives To identity examples in an essay and determine how they support a thesis Grammar To review gerunds and infinitives and noun clauses 127128 Getting Started Unit Two The Essay Journal Writing: Choose one of the following two questions, and write about it in your journal. 1. What are some examples of unacceptable behavior in your culture? In Ameri- can culture? Have you ever experienced an uncomfortable situation because someone from your culture or from mainstream American culture behaved in an unacceptable way? 2. What aspects of your culture have been misunderstood by another culture? What do people from this other culture need to know so that they can understand your culture better? CHN® Video Activity: “The Lost Language of the Juaneno Tribe” How closely are language and culture related? Is it possible to be eS a part of a culture without knowing the language? In this video, you will see how the members of a tribe of Native Americans are trying to learn a language that no one speaks. This is the language of their ancestors, and many of them feel that itis important to try and bring this language back to life. As you watch the video, listen for answers to these questions: 1. How are these people trying to learn the language? What materials are they using? Who is their teacher? 2. Why did this language die out? Why didn’t the people who knew the language teach it to their children? 3. Why do these people feel that it is important to learn this language, even though none of their ancestors who once spoke it are alive any more? Video Follow-up: Sharing Your own Experiences ‘Many languages and cultures have changed throughout the years, but these days, because of TV and international travel, cultures seem to be changing faster. Think about some element of your native culture or language that has been changing or disappearing. Tell your class about it. Are there any movements in your country to revive this element of the culture or language? Do you think these movements will be successful? Readings: The Power of Culture and Language Both the culture we live in and the first language we learn to speak are powerful forces in shaping our behavior and worldview. From them we determine how toReading @ very loudly suddenly Chapter @ The Example Essay 129 act in the world and how to make sense of it. Usually, we are unaware of the power of language and culture until we experience firsthand a different culture or learn to speak a different language. These activitics help us to gain a perspective on our own culture and to see some of its unspoken but powerful rules. They also make us aware that, when two cultures meet, one culture can misunderstand or misinterpret the other. ‘The two selections that follow use examples to show the power of culture and language in our lives. As you read the essays, try to answer these questions: 1. What kinds of rules do we follow every day without thinking about them? Do these rules help us to live in society or do they cause problems? 2. What problems can happen when two cultures have different ideas about what kind of behavior is acceptable? What can happen when mistranslations ‘of words and concepts occur? 3. How has your culture shaped your behavior? “How Unwritten Rules Circumscribe Our Lives” by Bob Greene Bob Greene’s newspaper columns and articles are collected in Johnny Dead- line Reporter: The Best of Bob Greene (1976) and American Beat (1983). In the article reprinted here, Greene writes about the power of unwritten cultural rules in our lives. As you read the essay, consider these questions: 1, Are Greene's examples confirmed by your own experiences in American culture? 2. Would these same examples be true in your culture? 3. Can you think of additional examples of unwritten cultural rules? 1 The restaurant was almost full. A steady hum of conversation hung over the room; people spoke with each other and worked on their meals. 2. Suddenly, from a table near the center of the room, came a screaming voice: 3 “Damn it, Sylvia 4 The man was shouting at the top of his voice.” His face was reddened, and he yelled at the woman sitting opposite him for about 15 seconds. In the crowded restaurant, it seemed like an hour. All other conversation in the room stopped, and everyone looked at the man. He must have realized this, because as abruptly’ as he had started, he stopped; he lowered his voice and finished whatever it was he had to say in a tone the rest of us could not hear.130 Unit Two The Essay surprising seen very loudly speak loudly no organization falling apart police car grandstands, seating area in sports arena all together pay, do the right thing equality go against 5 It was startling” precisely because it almost never happens; there are no laws against such an outburst, and with the pressures of our modern world you would almost expect to run into such a thing on a regular basis. But you don't; as a matter of fact, when | thought about it | realized that it was the first time in my life | had witnessed’ such a demonstration. In all the meals | have had in all the restaurants, | had never seen a person start screaming at the top of his lungs.” 6 When you are eating among other people, you do not raise your voic is just an example of the unwritten rules we live by. When you consider it, you recognize that those rules probably govern our lives on a more absolute basis than the ones you could find if you looked in the lawbooks. The customs that govern us are what make a civilization; there would be chaos’ without them, and yet for some reason—even in the disintegrating’ society of 1982—we obey them. 7 How many times have you been stopped at a red light late at night? You can see in all directions; there is no one else around no headlights, no police cruiser’ idling behind you. You are tired and you are in a hurry. But you wait for the light to change. There is no one to catch you if you don't, but you do it anyway. Is it for safety’s sake? No; you can see that there would be no accident if you drove on. Is it to avoid getting arrested? No; you are alone. But you sit and wait. 8 At major athletic events, it is not uncommon to find 80,000 or 90,000 or 100,000 people sitting in the stands.” On the playing field are two dozen athletes; maybe fewer. There are nowhere near enough security guards on hand to keep the people from getting out of their seats and walking onto the field en masse.° But it never happens. Regardless of the emotion of the contest, the spectators stay in their places, and the athletes are safe in their part of the arena. The invisible barrier always holds. ¢ In restaurants and coffee shops, people pay their checks. A simple enough concept. Yet it would be remarkably easy to wander away from a meal without paying at the end. Especially in these difficult economic times, you might expect that to become a common form of cheating. It doesn’t happen very often. For whatever the unwritten rules of human conduct are, people automatically make good’ for their meals. They would no sooner walk out on a check than start screaming 10 Restrooms are marked “Men” and “Women.” Often there are long lines at one or another of them, but males wait to enter their own washrooms, and women to enter theirs. In an era of sexual egalitarianism,” you would expect impatient equality people to violate’ this rule on occasion; after all, there are private stalls inside, and it would be less inconvenient to use them than to wait. . . . It just isn’t done. People obey the signs. 11 Even criminals obey the signs. | once covered a murder which centeredusual, normal badness, evil money left for waiter or bartender, gratuity 00d manners conform, go along outburst, angry speech feeling of uncer- tainty Chapter @ The Example Essay 131 around that rule being broken. A man wanted to harm a woman—which woman apparently didn’t matter. So he did the simplest thing possible. He went to a public park and walked into a rest room marked “Women”—the surest place to find what he wanted. He found it. He attacked with a knife the first woman to come in there. Her husband and young child waited outside, and the man killed her. Such a crime is not commonplace,” even in a world grown accustomed to nastiness.” Even the most evil elements of our society generally obey the unspoken rule: If you are not a woman, you do not go past a door marked “Women.” 12 I know a man who, when he pulls his car up to a parking meter, will put change in the meter even if there is time left on it. He regards it as the right thing to do; he says he is not doing it just to extend the time remaining—even if there is sufficient time on the meter to cover whatever task he has to perform at the location, he will pay his own way. He believes that you are supposed to purchase your own time; the fellow before you purchased only his. 13 I knew another man who stole tips’ at bars. It was easy enough; when the person sitting next to this man would depart for the evening and leave some silver or a couple dollars for the bartender, this guy would wait until he thought no one was looking and then sweep the money over in front of him. The thing that made it unusual is that I never knew anyone else who even tried this; the rules of civility” stated that you left someone else's tip on the bar until it got to the bartender, and this man stood out because he refused to comply.” 14 There are so many rules like these—rules we all obey—that we think about them only when that rare person violates them. In the restaurant, after ‘the man had yelled “Damn it, Sylvia” and had then completed his short tirade,” there was a tentative aura’ among the other diners for half an hour after it happened. They weren't sure what disturbed them about what they had witnessed; they knew, though, that it violated something very basic about the way we were supposed to behave. And it bothered them—which in itself is a hopeful sign that things, more often than not, are well. EXERCISE 71 Comprehension/Discussion Questions 1, What is Greene's thesis in “How Unwritten Rules Circumscribe Our Lives”? 2, What are some of the examples he gives to support it? 3. Are all of his examples equally strong? Do any of them strike you as unconvincing? 4, Why is it important that the laws discussed by the writer are unwritten? Do you agree that these laws govern our lives more strongly than written ones?132 Unit Two The Essay 5. Which of the laws given by the writer are true in your culture? Give examples to support your answer. 6. Can you give additional examples of unwritten laws in any culture? 7. In your view, which unwritten laws mentioned in the essay seem basic to life in any civilized society and which seem relatively minor matters of form or taste? Explain your answers. 8. Where does Greene first state his thesis? Does he state it again? If so, where? Do you think his organization is effective? 9. Are the author’s examples selected from a broad enough range of experience to support his thesis effectively? 10. Why are so many of Greene's examples exceptions, that is, examples of people who do not follow the unwritten laws? Internet Activity: Composition Skills and the Internet ‘As the Internet has grown, an Internet culture has developed. When you are sending e-mail or joining a newsgroup, you need to know the “rules of the Internet” and the culture of the group you are joining, The term “netiquette” has come to mean the “etiquette” or rules of the Internet. To learn more about this, do a keyword for “netiquette.” Then, test your knowledge of Internet culture by taking this “Netiquette quiz” [Link] [Link]/netiquette/[Link]. Then, discuss this question with your class- ‘mates: Why are the rules for appropriate behavior on the Internet often written down so clearly? Why don't people usually write down the rules for cultural behavior? EXERCISE 7-2 Vocabulary Development The following idiomatic expressions are used in Greene’s essay. Study the sections of the reading in which the expressions occur. From the context clues or surrounding information, determine the meaning, of each idiomatic expression. Then use each one in an original sentence. 1. at the top of his voice (par. 4) 2. at the top of his lungs (par. 5) 3. run into (par. 5) 4, raise your voice (par. 6)Reading @ the US/Mexican border ‘Americans of Spanish descent spoken by European Jews believeshe issuperior ‘to women unfaithful, has many women the most perfect Chapter @ The Example Essay 133 5. nowhere near enough (par. 8) 6. make good (par. 9) “Americanization Is Tough on Macho” by Rose Del Castillo Guilbault Rose Del Castillo Guilbault, born in Sonora, Mexico, is a syndicated writer for Pacific News Service. In this essay, which first appeared in her column for This World (1989), a weekly magazine of the San Francisco Chronicle, Guilbault gives an example of the power of language. She shows how a particular Spanish word has come to have different meanings in different cultures. As you read this essay, consider these questions: 1. What are the various meanings for the word macho? 2. What examples does Guilbault use to make her point? 3. What is the problem with the American use of the word macho? 1 [Link] macho? That depends which side of the border’ you come from. 2 Although it's not unusual for words and expressions to lose their subtlety in translation, the negative connotations* of macho in this country are trouble- some to Hispanics: 3. Take the newspaper descriptions of alleged mass murderer Ramon Sal- cido. That an insensitive, insanely jealous, hard-drinking, violent Latin male is referred to as macho makes Hispanics cringe. 4 "Es muy macho,” the women in my family nod approvingly, describing a man they respect. But in the United States, when women say, “He's so macho,” it’s with disdain. 5. TheHispanic macho is manly, responsible, hardworking, aman in charge, a patriarch. A man who expresses strength through silence. What the Yiddish language® would call a mensch. 6 The American macho is a chauvinist,° a brute, uncouth, selfish, loud, abrasive, capable of inflicting pain, and sexually promiscuous.” 7 Quintessential” macho models in this country are Sylvester Stallone, Amold Schwarzenegger and Charles Bronson. In their movies, they exude * See explanation of connotaion/denotation in Exercise 7-4134 Unit Two uncertainties chopped unimportant ‘came back to hurt him made fun of was promiscuous are promiscuous The Essay toughness, independence, masculinity. But a closer look reveals their machismo is really violence masquerading as courage, sullenness disguised as silence and irresponsibility camouflaged as independence. 8 If the Hispanic ideal of macho were translated to American screen roles, they might be Jimmy Stewart, Sean Connery and Laurence Olivier. 9 InSpanish, macho ennobles Latin males. In English it devalues them. This pattern seems consistent with the conflicts ethnic minority males experience in this country. Typically the cultural traits other societies value don’t translate as desirable characteristics in America 10 | watched my own father struggle with these cultural ambiguities.” He worked on a farm for twenty years. He laid down miles of irrigation pipe, carefully plowed long, neat rows in fields, hacked away’ at recalcitrant weeds and drove tractors through whirlpools of dust. He stoically worked twenty- hour days during harvest season, accepting the long hours as part of agricul- tural work. When the boss complained or upbraided him for minor mistakes, he kept quiet, even when it was obvious the boss had erred. 11. He handled the most menial” tasks with pride. At home he was a good provider, helped out my mother’s family in Mexico without complaint, and was indulgent with me. Arguments between my mother and him generally had to do with money, or with his stubborn reluctance to share his troubles. He tried to work them out in his own silence. He didn’t want to trouble my mother—a course that backfired,” because the imagined is always worse than the reality. : 12 Americans regarded my father as decidedly un-macho. His character was interpreted as nonassertive, his loyalty non-ambition, and his quietness, ignorance. | once overheard the boss's son blame him for plowing crooked rows in a field. My father merely smiled at the lie, knowing the boy had done it, but didn’t refute it, confident his good work was well known. But the boss instead ridiculed” him for being “stupid” and letting a kid get away with a lie. Seeing my embarrassment, my father dismissed the incident, saying, “They're the dumb ones. Imagine, me fighting with a kid.” 13. [tried not to look at him with American eyes because sometimes the reflection hurt. 14 Listening to my aunts’ clucks of approval, my vision focused on the qualities America overlooked. "He's such a hard worker. So serious, so responsi: ble.” My aunts would secretly compliment my mother. The unspoken compat son was that he was not like some of their husbands, who drank and womanized.’ My uncles represented the darker side of macho. 15. In a patriarchal society, few challenge their roles. If men drink, it’s because it's the manly thing to do. If they gamble, it's because it’s how men relax. And if they fool around,” well, it’s because a man simply can’t hold back so much man! My aunts didn’t exactly meekly sit back, but they put up with these transgressions because Mexican society dictated this was their lot in life.Chapter @ The Example Essay 135 16 Inthe United States, | believe it was the feminist movement of the early 7s that changed macho’s meaning, Perhaps my generation of Latin women Latin women was in part responsible. | recall Chicanas” complaining about the chauvinistic nature of Latin men and the notion they wanted their women barefoot, Pregnant and in the kitchen.* The generalization that Latin men embodied word meanings chauvinistic traits led to this interesting twist in semantics.” Suddenly a word that represented something positive in one culture became a negative proto- type in another. 17 The problem with the use of macho today is that it’s become an accepted stereotype of the Latin male. And like all stereotypes, it distorts truth. 18 The impact of language in our society is undeniable. And the misuse of macho hints at a deeper cultural misunderstanding that extends beyond mere word definitions. EXERCISE 7'3 Comprehension/Discussion Questions 1. What is the thesis of Guilbault’s essay? 2, What is the meaning of the word macho to Hispanics? To Americans? 3. What people are given as examples of the American meaning? How do these examples support Guilbault’s definition of the American meaning of macho? 4. What people are given as examples of the Hispanic meaning? How do these * & examples support Guilbault’s definition of the Hispanic meaning of the word? 5. Guilbault includes a discussion and examples of “the darker side of macho.” What does this phrase mean? Who are the examples of it? 6. Does including the section on the darker side of macho strengthen or weaken her main point? How? 7. Guilbault says that the misuse of the word macho stereotypes Latin males. What does she mean? 8. In paragraph 9, Guilbault says, “Typically the cultural traits other societies value don’t translate as desirable characteristics in America.” Do you agree? Be prepared to support your answer with examples. 9. Can you think of a word, phrase, or concept from your language/culture that changed in meaning when incorporated into another language/culture? Explain the various meanings of the word. EXERCISE 74 Vocabulary Development _ Words have both connotations and denota- tions. Connotations are the implications, suggestions, or emotional associations of words from the point of view of the speaker. These associations can be favorable * barefoot, pregiant and in the kitchen—a phrase used to suggest that women should be dependent om men and fulfill only ther traditional role of mother and housewife.136 Unit Two The Essay or unfavorable. For example, the word home tends to have favorable connotations, suggesting warmth, love, and family. The word shack, while still a place to live, hhas negative connotations, suggesting dirt and poverty. Denotations are the established, or dictionary, meanings of words. They do not imply or suggest favorable or unfavorable meanings. In contrast to home and shack, the word houseis denotative. It means a dwelling place and does not suggest anything more. In Guilbault’s essay, she investigates the positive and negative connotations of the word macho. To describe men, she uses a number of other words that have connotations. Phrases and sentences from her essay are listed below. For each italicized word, determine if, in this context, the word is used with positive connotations, negative connotations, or simple denotation. Mark your choice in the space provided. CONNOTATION DENOTATION | POSITIVE | NEGATIVE 1. hard-drinking, violent Latin male (par. 3) 2, manly, responsible, hard- working (par. 5) 3. uncouth, selfish, loud (par. 6) 4, selfish, loud, abrasive (par. 6) 5. sullenness disguised as, silence (par. 7) 6. translated to American screen roles (par. 8) 7. he stoicilly worked twenty- hour days (par. 10) 8. accepting the long hours (par. 10) 9. he kept quiet (par. 10) 10. his character was interpreted as nonassertive (par. 12) 11. my vision focused (par. 14) 12. who drank and womanized (par. 14)Writing Chapter @ The Example Essay 137 The way you develop your topic depends on what the topic is and on what you want to say. Let us suppose, for example, that you are asked to write about the difficulties of being a foreign student. How could you develop this topic? You would probably want to develop it with examples that illustrate the difficulties. Could you adequately cover this topic in a single paragraph? Probably not. The topic is simply too broad. You will need to write a longer essay to cover this topic adequately. How to organize and develop the examples for such a topic in the multiparagraph essay is the focus of this chapter. Number of Examples Just how many examples you use in an example essay depends on the topic. Some topics require numerous examples, whereas others can be effectively developed with three or four extended examples (illustrations). For instance, the thesis statement “San Francisco has some of the most unusual sights in California” does not commit the writer to giving numerous examples; after all, the claim is only that this city has “some” unusual sights. Therefore, three or four extended examples should suffice. As you read the following essay about a student's first year in the United States, determine if the writer provides enough examples. Americans Are Friendly to Strangers | came to the United States one year ago and | had no idea about life in the United States and American traditions, except that life was complicated and people are strange. At the time | arrived at J.F. Ken- nedy airport, | felt very happy because | am fond of traveling around the world. Coming to America had been one of my dreams, so | could go to Jamaica or any island in the Caribbean. A few minutes later, however, | felt afraid. | asked myself why | had come to this strange world and what | was doing here. The reason for that was what | remembered my friends in Saudi Arabia saying about Americans and how they treat strangers. After | attended college, however, | discov- ered the opposite of what I had expected. Even though American social relations are complex, hard to form, and hard to maintain, | managed to bridge the gap, and | was able to have close friendships with some Americans. For example, the first semester attended college, I became friends with one of the American students who used to attend math class with me. We used to study together, go to parties together, and he used to help me a lot with