Marriage

Wolfson begins the reading with a definition of marriage. I really like that he started off with saying that when we describe marriage, it's about the love and dedication between the two people - not about it being between a man and a woman. It is also a statement, a status, a symbol. Marriage permits couples to do things others can't. They can have access to health care, taxation, Social Security, and other various things.

The reason why Wolfson does this is, is to provide a base for his argument. He has to first define what marriage is so that he can pull from it later. I think his explanation of marriage is sensible and fair. I love that he does not specify that marriage has to be between a man and a woman because it makes the article seem more on a equal field. Marriage is about the love, not the sex of the people.

Also, on a side, note, the cartoon in this reading was absolutely hilarious. Why, what doesn't make a bigger mockery of traditional marriage than of those who cheat. Such irony!

Always v. Significant Less Often ... (Plane)

After I read Dr. Horn's comparison of the two planes, I feel it's pretty harsh but pretty true. Having two figures in your life is going to allow you to have better odds in life. It's as simple as that. Most of the time parents will stay together just for the sake of the children. I think it's sad that having one parent will raise your chances for risk. And I also feel its harsh because Dr. Horn relates the second plane will getting you to your location, but "significantly less than the first time". He is making the point that people shouldn't take the second plane (if they had the choice) and feels that the traditional mother and father are better for the kiddies.

Appearances

If Vazquez were to disclose that "Brian" and "Mickey" were straight men who got beaten up right off the bat, it would not have made such an impact. It gives the article a stronger angle it allows the audience to have a better understanding of how horribly people that are homosexual are treated. The entire point of the article is show how often people judge others based on appearances. By waiting, it also emphasis the prejudices that occur so often by gays and lesbians. It also gives the article a stronger angle it allows the audience to have a better understanding of how horribly people that are homosexual are treated.

I'm kind of on both sides of the fence in feeling that antigay violence changes when we recognize the victims are heterosexual. I feel that it makes the case worse if a person reacts off of someone's sexual orientation. I don't think people should have a violent reaction to others who might appear or be homosexual. And if they do, then they should be punished to a degree higher because it's so wrong. However, it's also just as wrong to beat someone up for some other reason. So while it should seem okay to say everyone should be punished equally, in my mind I want to say you should have a harsher punishment for antigay violence.

Lesson Learned

Treat others how you would like to be treated; don’t be rude to your brother; always say please and thank you; look people in the eye while talking; eat with your mouth closed and feet on the floor; ask questions, because you won’t know the answer until you do; indulgence and allow yourself to do what you want; this is how you wash whites; use this detergent when washing darks; never mix anything red with light; don’t scuff your feet while you walk, it’s annoying and makes you look sloppy; this is how you put on perfume; this is how you clean the kitchen; light a candle afterwards; protein and fiber are your best friends; eat your veggies; why do you need a boyfriend, can’t you just date?; keep your door open; experiment different things; do multiple things at a time; laugh at yourself; don’t be afraid; don’t smoke; this is what you wear to college visits; shoes without arch support aren’t worth the money; call mom and dad for help; be aware of how you say things; confront those who challenge you;

The “Manly” Man and “Sensitive” Man

Mansfield contrasts the “manly” man and the “sensitive” man. He feels that the two are incompatible because if the two were equal, there would be no need for on or the other. They would become interchangeable and there would be no differences. I hate to think that because it seems so unfair that two cannot exist together. However, I understand it because the two sexes need to compliment each other There needs to be that balance. It's like, woman have to do their womanly jobs, and men have to do the manly jobs and that's way our society works.

Eustace is the Last American Man

Why does Gilbert believe Eustace is the last American man?

Gilbert believes Eustace to be the last American man because he is living off the wilderness and is like a modern-day Daniel Boone. He left his home when he was 17 and moved into the Appalachian Mountains. He made fire with sticks, wore skins from the animals he killed with his own bare hands, and just lived in the wild. Eustace even calls himself a “Man of Destiny”. He knows modern Americans don’t share his same outlook on life and wants to convince them to give up on what they believe in – which is to say a materialistic lifestyle – and join him.

To Gilbert, Eustace is a symbol for what men should be like; Eustace is this man who is rugged and outdoorsy. He is the last American man that lives in a tepee, tracks 30-40 miles through the woods per day, and eats animals right off the branch he might of found them on (e.g. him tying a noose around a birds neck). Eustace is the last American man because he knows how to live in the wild; he is a self-created rustic mountain man.

A man like Eustace is pretty much a memory of the books we were told when we were little. We heard stories of men chasing a frontier, and Eustace represents all of that. He is the only recent one - the last American man.

America vs. Europe

According to Tocqueville, American and European attitudes toward women differ greatly.

He feels that in America, women are rising to same level of men, intellectually and morally. Tocqueville feels that the reason for this is due to democracy. One of the things he mentioned in this article that I found interesting was that, "...Americans do not think that man and woman have either the duty or the right to perform the same offices, but they show an equal regard for both their respective parts..." (p.379). I think that is a very, in a strange way, legit observation. He feels that while both parties treat y each other with respect, the support system for women is not as apparent. It's not that men doubt a woman's ability, they just have trouble showing how they feel.

In Europe it's kind of the opppsite. Men may 'lavish' women, but they have contempt while doing so. Europeans don't see women as equal. That seems very odd to me. To have contempt while complimenting someone is very degrading towards women. Clearly, the attitudes in American and Europe are really quite the opposite.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

It seems like every fairy tale is about boys (who are animals, like the 3 Little Pigs... ironic much?) or they are about a girl who is waiting on the man of her dreams, her "prince charming" as they call it, to come along.

The fairy tale I thought of was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She was thrown out of her house by her stepmother, who was very vain and did not like to be told that Snow White was more beautiful than her.

Snow White was actually suppose to be killed in the woods, which is really interesting and kind of graphic for a fairy tale. She was let go though by the man that was going to kill her and went to live in a tiny cottage belonging to 7 dwarfs. However, her stepmother always came back around, disguised as a witch, and tried to kill her with a poisonous apple. She cooks, cleans, and teaches them manners. She is the wife of the house and does it in a very good mood.

This fairy tale actually kind of bugs me now because it makes girls think that they have to cook and clean for men, and be happy doing it. Never do you see Snow White without a smile on her face or without make-up on. It shows how women are suppose to act and look. It's a bit shallow in a sense. It also makes woman look really competitive, and if you aren't good looking then someone is going to go after you, much like how Snow White's stepmother did with her.