Describing people - Assignment Example

of the of the English 2 Part Submitted English 2 Part 1. Colette gives brief snippets of s of both the new wife and the ex-wife. Using these descriptions: physical appearance, demeanor, positive or negative image, and your own knowledge and experience, describe your mental image of the New Wife (Alice) and the Ex-Wife. Be sure to describe for each one their physical appearance, demeanor and positive or negative image. The New Wife: Marc’s new wife Alice is described as dark-skinned and plump, an earthy blue eyed blond, fragile with wavy hair. She is over-indulgent and exuberant, pleased and happy with her husband and his caring attitude. She is naturally curious about her husband’s ex-wife and asks him about the reasons for the breakup, as anyone would naturally want to know. She is positive but nevertheless curious to know what the ex-wife found lacking in Marc. The Ex-Wife: Marc’s ex-wife is described as the woman in white, with dark smooth, lustrous hair and blue eyes. She appears to be a sophisticate and is hard to please, as Marc has told Alice. Alice might have found her superior for a while but can rest content in the knowledge that she is the one with Marc now, while his ex-wife dines alone. 2. Write an essay describing which of the following statements you think best describes the character of Alice, the second wife. Provide the number of your choice and briefly defend it. Use at least one example from the selection to support your ideas: 1. She is a thoughtful person beginning to question the wisdom of her decision. 2. She is a shallow person easily swayed by the opinions of others. 3. She is a happily married person exhibiting natural curiosity. 4. Other - Describe Alice in your own words and then defend your statement. In my opinion, (3) Alice is a happily married person exhibiting natural curiosity. She is quite respectful of her husband and a part of the story has her looking him over and wondering what made his first wife leave him… “She was looking with furtive attention at her husband's face, with its good color and regular shape, at his thick hair with its occasional thread of white silk, at his small, well-cared-for hands. She felt dubious for the first time, and asked herself: "What more did she want, then?" (Colette, 1) and “She showed overwhelming gratitude to her husband. She was immodest without knowing it and her entire person revealed over-conspicuous signs of extreme happiness.”(Colette,1). It is human nature to be curious about her spouse’s ex-wife and why they divorced and following her husband’s explanation, this makes Alice wonder why the ex-wife- ‘the woman in white’ -was so hard to please. Nevertheless, Alice would have been pleased to see that she was dining alone, as it would validate her husband’s statement. 3. List three experiences that Sasaki relates in her anecdote. After each experience, describe her reactions to the experience. Then, describe the point you think Sasaki is trying to make by relating this anecdote. One experience that Sasaki relates in ‘Another Writer’s Beginnings’ is that her sister was not as overly concerned with outward appearances as she was. In contrast, Sasaki considered herself an ugly specimen of humanity right from the very beginning. She measures her beauty according to her suitability to being a Mousketeer at age five, while her sister who is three years older than her was realistic enough to know that it is hard for a Japanese to look like a Mouseketeer anyway (Sasaki,1). Secondly, Sasaki is hugely disappointed by her school picture taken at 5 years old and even her mother who was normally a positivist let out a sigh of disdain after viewing the picture. Even she could not find any words of encouragement (Sasaki, 1). Thirdly, at times Sasaki even wished that she could be like her friend Marilyn who was cute and looked as good as Shirley Temple in pictures. She thought at least that would comfort her parents and spare them the embarrassment of having such an ugly child. Nonetheless, she says that she grew up in a loving family. The point that Sasaki is trying to make is that beauty is only skin deep. Even if we are not endowed with physical beauty we should always try to develop talents and skills that will help us get along in the world. Sasaki thus knew early in life that her looks would never amount to anything and that she would have to rely on other talents- such as writing- to make a living. 4. Write an essay describing which of the following words you think best describes the tone of the essay. Include the number of your choice and the reasons behind your choice. Use at least one example from the text to support your idea: 1. humorous 2. persuasive 3. sentimental 4. honest I would describe the tone of the essay as (4) honest. It can be seen right at the outset that Sasaki is narrating her childhood experiences with a realistic and honest touch. Sasaki does not show extreme displeasure, hurt or remorse due to her bad looks, teeth and spectacles, nor lets it define her self-worth. She learns to live with her looks and appearance. Once she realizes that she will always be a plain Jane, she concentrates on developing other skills and talents-such as writing- in order to survive in the world. Although parts of the story are humorous as well as sentimental, on the whole it is an honest and realistic account of the writer’s childhood. Works Cited Colette, Crosland, M. (Trans.) The Other Wife. Sasaki, R.A. Another Writer’s Beginnings. Read More