Saturday, April 25, 2020

Mississippi River free essay sample

She learned to set hens, and raise chickens, feed pigs, milk cows, plant and harvest a garden and carry every fruits and vegetables. She carried water nearly a quarter of a mile from well to fill her wash boilers in order to do her laundry on a scrub board. She also had to shuck grain, feed threshers, and shock and husk corn, feed corn pickers. In winter she sewed dresses, trousers and jackets for the children, housedresses, aprons for herself. She even made pillows from plucking each bird’s breast feathers, not only for her family but also for her relatives. Every morning and evening she milked cows, fed pigs and calves, cared for her chickens, picked eggs, cooked meals, washed dishes, rubbed floors. Apart from these works and household chores she had to look after her children. Even after her car accident and she was paralyzed she didn’t stop working. We will write a custom essay sample on Mississippi River or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page From her wheel chairs she canned pickles, baked bread, ironed clothes, wrote dozens of letters weekly to her friends and children. 2. Why isn’t Martha Smith eligible for a death benefit? Martha smith was a very hard working woman who worked throughout her life to sustain or keep family going. She served her entire family and relatives doing all the household chores. But work done by her in home didn’t entitle her the dead benefit. She wasn’t eligible for the dead benefit because she never served for the state. And according to the government any job is considered work only when the person gives service to the country. The household work is still not considered a work by government. So; Martha smith is not eligible for the dead benefit. 3. How does government define work? For government a work done by a home maker to sustain or keep family going is not a work. Acccording to the government any work done by a person which gives service to a country and he gets wages for it and pays apart of wages as tax to the government is called work. Purpose and audience 1. What is the essay’s thesis? Why do you suppose it is never explicitly stated? Thesis-a woman who works all her life day and night is not regarded as work or not entitled for a death benefit. Thesis is not explicitly stated as it is not mentioned in the introduction part or in the conclusion part. 2. This essay appeared in ms magazine and other publications whose audiences are sympathetic to feminist goals? Could it just as easily have appeared in the magazine whose audience was not? Explain. This essay is mainly focused towards the feminist side but the fact is that it also has a human appeal that suits everyone to read it and also understand exactly the same way as a woman could feel . The mother represents the whole of the women side. It is suitable for the non-feminist readers as well. It could have been published in the other magazines also. While reading this essay we could visualize Martha smith as our own mother. Even our mother works rigorously as her. 3. Smith Yackel mentions relatively little about her father in the essay. How can you account for this? The essay, â€Å"My mother never worked† is written by Yackel and this essay is a tribute to her mother. She has mainly written about her mother who worked rigorously throughout her life to sustain her family. She hasn’t mentioned about her father as she wants to divert all the reader’s attention towards her mother. She wants all the readers to know and recognize how hard a mother works for her children or family throughout her life. And even though she had worked so much she isn’t eligible for the death benefit. Style and structure 1. Is the title effective? If so, why? If not, what title can you suggest? The title my mother never worked is very effective. The thesis of the essay is the topic itself. The author’s mother is a hard working woman who has served her family throughout her life doing all sorts of household chores. This essay has an ironical meaning. And due to this it grabs the attention of the reader’s . The first impression of the reader after reading the title is that the mother might be lazy. But after reading the whole essay we come to know that her mother worked hard for her children and family throughout her life. 2. Smith Yackel could have outlined her mother’s life without framing it with the telephone conversation. Why do you think she includes this frame? The essay starts with the telephone conversation the writer could have outline her mother’s life without framing it with the telephone conversation but the writer has included the telephone conversation to make the essay more interesting and effective. If she had started the essay normally then the impression and impact upon the reader’s would not have been so strong. 3. What strategies does Smith Yackel use to indicate the passing of time in her narrative? The passing of the time is clearly mentioned by the writer by mentioning the date or the year. . This narrative piles details one on the top of another almost like a list. Why does the writer list so many details? The writer has written the events in a chronological order. He piles the events one on top of another like a list. This is because the chores done by her mother is continuous and repetitive in nature. Therefore she has mentioned dates to make readers know that she d id all the works in every event or throughout her life even though she was financially secure. 5. In paragraphs 20 and 21, what is accomplished by the repetition of the word ‘still’? In paragraph 20 and 21; By the repetition of the word ‘still’ , the writer wants the readers to know that her mother worked day and night continuously throughout her life. Even after she got paralyzed due to the car accident or war she didn’t stop working. Vocabulary projects Scrounge-to get or trying to get something by asking and without praying for it Shuck-to remove the covering of the grains Shock-to shake violently Husk-to remove the outer covering of the grains, nuts or corns Rutted-the deep tracks that have been made by wheels Reclaimed-to get something which you have lost again Flax-a plant with blue flowers. Its stem is used to make thread, rope and cloth and seeds are used for making linseed oil Fodder-food given to the cows, horses and other animals Intricate-having lots of part and small details that fit together Sustenance-means of support 2. Try submitting equivalent words for those italicized in this sentence: He wooded her thoroughly and persistently by mail, and though she reciprocated all his feeling for her, she dreaded marriage†¦ He attracted her completely and continuously by the letters and though she responded all the feeling for her, she feared marriage. How do your substitutions change the sentence’s meaning? Even though the meaning of both the sentences is the same, the charm of the first sentence is gone. The beauty of the words presented by the writer is lost and the sentence is even not effective as the first one. 4. Throughout her narrative, Smith Yackel uses concrete, specific verbs. Review her choice of verbs, particularly in paragraphs 13-24, and comment on how much verbs serve the essay’s purpose. The writer uses concrete and specific verbs in the essay. Some of the used by her are plucked, stuffed and harvested. The essay’s main purpose is to make the readers know what kind of tasks her mother did throughout her life. Journal entry Do you believe homemakers should be entitled to social security death benefits? Explain. I believe homemakers should be entitled to the social security death benefits. According to the law of government any job or work done by a person is considered as work only when he gives his service to the country and expects wages from it and pays a part of it as a tax to government. The work or household chores done by house makers to sustain their family is not considered work. Federal law entitles with social security death benefits to only those who, in the eyes of state, worked during their life. Here ‘worked’ means a job or trade done in a legal manner or work that can be recognized in terms of documents. Unfortunately the work done by Martha smith did all her life do not fall under this criterion. Therefore she isn’t eligible for social security death benefits. But by saying this we can’t ignore the fact that she did almost everything she could do to earn her family’s living. Like Martha smith there are numerous women in the country who dedicate their whole life for family and children. Such work can’t be presented on a paper or tax clearance certificates or a salary cheques. Works like domestic chores, poultry, farming, and small vegetable gardens, sewing etc don’t get recognized or authorized â€Å"work† document. But these are the works people can live their whole life on. Their work can’t be ignored by just saying that their work is not a work in the eyes of state. They deserve to be entitled for social security benefits and their work should be appreciated by the state. Writing workshop 1. If you can, interview one of your parents or grandparents (or another person you know who might remind you of Donna Smith-Yackel’s mother about his or her work, and write a chronological narrative based on what you learn. Include a thesis statement that your narrative can support. I was sitting alone, looking at the sky. It was clear, blue and high. I was in my own world, lost in my own imagination. Suddenly, my grandmother came from behind and asked what I am doing. I said that I am looking at the beautiful clear and blue sky. I told her that I want to go there and asked her whether it is easy to reach there. She said it’s not so easy to reach there, not at least when the journey up to heights is your life. You have to struggle a lot to reach there.