Are there any fresh ideas enlisted in this definition? How would you have defined this idea? Are there ideas similar to it that you could choose to define?
The idea of being "beholden" and the secret generosity of a Yankee. I believe that most Americans (Yankees) are generous to a fault relative to other people. I probably would have folded all the ideas of the Yankee into the fact that Yankee is associated with Americans everywhere else in the world so that Yankee=American.
There are allusions here: (1) to the musical Damn Yankees!, (2) to the Bible (the parable of the Good Samaritan), and (3) to a poem by Robert Frost. Do these allusions add anything to the essay or to your understanding of things? What if you didn't "get" the allusions?
There are allusions here: (1) to the musical Damn Yankees!, (2) to the Bible (the parable of the Good Samaritan), and (3) to a poem by Robert Frost. Do these allusions add anything to the essay or to your understanding of things? What if you didn't "get" the allusions?
They add a bit of taste and recollection to the essay, and helped me picture in my head what the author might have been thinking at the time. Of course, allusions are dependent on the reader understanding what they are, and in todays America, I'm not sure many people read Robert Frost regularly unless forced unfortuneatly, and the Bible for that matter; or even read.
What techniques of development does the essay use in the process of definition? Do you think the writer dwelt too long on what a Yankee is not before moving on to what a Yankee is?
Some techniques the author used in development of the essay were using common literary devices such as anecdote and allusion, as well as giving precise details and historical descriptions. I do not think the author dwelt too long on those things, I believe what the author wrote was necessary and was writing for someone who had never heard the term "yankee" before.
Can you point to (write down) one sentence that functions as thesis statement in this essay?
"That's what I think defines this dying breed of the American Yankee: an extraordinary sense of balance and reserve, a holding off — and yet, behind all that reserve, a reservoir of generosity and friendliness that can be nearly overwhelming."
Spring Break
For my Spring break, I took a trip to california, to see my brother who I haven't been in contact with in 5 years. I went hiking and saw many amusement parks around the greater california area, including Knott's Berry Farm(owned by Cedar Point) and Six Flags Magic Mountain. I even went to SeaWorld. I came home yesterday, and I'm running on 4 hours of sleep and a cup of coffee. So I'm sorry if my decription of events is brief, but I'm tired.
Thank you for your understanding,
Gabe.
