September 7th, 2010
The story, ‘Thank you Ma’am’, depicts a boy called Roger who, thinks himself as a person of no apparent value, a person who nobody wants to talk to, nor see. However, one day Roger ran into a lady, and before he knew it, by the end of the day, found himself feeling that he is worth something, that he is valued in the world. All that has happened that day was that he was taken to the lady’s house, ate some food, and left with a ten dollar note clutched in his hand. Obviously, something more has happened in the house, other than a simple meal and a conversation. The lady, Luella Bates Washington Jones, has shown her trust and belief to Roger, and through that trust, he felt valued. After Luella and Roger’s little struggle, Luella drags Roger into her house. ‘When she got to her door, she dragged the boy inside, down the hall, and into a large kitchenette-furnished room at the rear of the house’. The only type of people I would let into my house, is people whom I can honestly trust. As a fellow human being, the same would go for Luella. The fact that she had let Roger darken her door step shows that she believes in the honest side of Roger and trusts him not to steal her belongings or demolish her house. When a person trusts another person, it creates a certain bond between them. When a person trusts another person, that person must open him or herself to the other. This tells the other person that he or she is giving that person a choice (respect their trust or betray their trust), and is leaving themselves into the other person’s hands. Roger was both perplexed and uncomfortable when somebody actually trusted him enough to let him inside their house. Luella gave Roger a choice when she let him into her house, Roger had to choose between respecting Luella’s trust and stay, or betraying her trust and stealing some valuables and running off. Especially for someone like Roger, who had no-one to go to, no-one to talk to, no-one to look forward to, having to look over his shoulder all the time in fear of being caught, Luella’s trust would have reached him, and made him feel valued as nothing else would have. Obviously a person who has nobody by his side will gladly accept any sort of attention given. For Roger, Luella’s trust would have been as important as a ray of light in a long, dark, lonely, endless hallway would have been. If Luella really cared about Roger, she would not have let him leave the house until she was absolutely, positively certain that he would not try to steal from anyone from now on. However, she did let him leave. ‘She led him down the hall to the front door and opened it. “Goodnight!” Behave yourself, boy!” she said, looking out into the street’. Here, Luella shows her trust yet again. She trusts Roger, and believes that he would not get him self into trouble again. The bond that is created when a person trusts another (the bond that made Roger feel valued), those not make people feel valued because the person must open him or herself to the other, it also makes people feel valued because, what ever the person is entrusting upon the other, it gives the other person a sense of responsibility. When a person is responsible for something, that responsibility gives more value to the person, because something or someone is depending on that person’s responsibility. In this case it is Roger who is responsible for himself. As he depends upon himself to stay out of trouble, Roger feels that he himself is more valuable. The trust Luella has shown Roger in her house helped Roger feel more valuable than he would have before Luella’s trust.
Trust can make people feel valued and influence another’s life in different cases. The movie, ‘Make a Difference’ is a fictional, 8 minute long movie where it shows how certain actions or lack of actions can make a difference in someone’s life. This movie also depicts a boy. This boy is named Teddy Stallard, and he has been having a hard time with school ever since his mother died. However, Teddy’s fifth grade teacher Ms. Thompson found out about Teddy’s mother’s death and decided to help him. Ms Thompson encouraged Teddy, and by the end of the year, he became the smartest kid in the class. When Teddy grew up; he invited Ms Thompson to sit in the seat reserved for the mother of the groom. Teddy told Ms Thompson how thankful he was that she had believed in him, and made him feel important. ‘Thank you for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference’. The intended message of the movie is that certain actions or lack of actions can make a difference in someone’s life. However it also shows that believing that someone would be able to do something helps them succeed the task in question, and feel valued. As I said, belief and trust gives the other a sense of responsibility. Not only those responsibilities push the person to complete the task for the sake of the something or someone who is depending on the person’s responsibility, it also makes people feel valued because of it. During the movie, it mentions how Ms Thompson encouraged Teddy. ’Ms Thompson payed particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind began to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded’. A person wouldn’t waste their time encouraging another, if the person he or she is encouraging will not be able to respond in an appropriate and timely manner. The act of bothering to encourage Teddy showed that Ms Thompson believed that Teddy would be able to take the encouragement and move forward into the right direction. Teddy is another one who has nobody beside him when he is troubled or worried. Thus Ms Thompson’s encouragement, company and trust would have reached Teddy, the same way it had reached Roger.
These two cases where one makes the other feel valued are different at first glance, however the more you compare the setting the more you realize that the two settings are similar. This is because the two settings and situations tells us the same thing. Firstly, it shows us that the act of trusting makes people feel valued and cherished. It also shows us that taking a leap of faith, and trusting someone such as Roger or Teddy is not something everyone can do, because sometimes trusting someone has its own risks. For example, there was a risk of Roger stealing her property when Luella let Roger into her house. If everyone was able to do what Luella or Ms Thompson did, then it would be hard to find someone like Roger or Teddy anymore in this world
August 16th, 2010
(Quotes Underlined)
(Theme Notebook #2)
Showing belief in someone can help a person to feel valued
Showing belief in someone can help a person to feel valued
These two cases where one makes the other feel valued are different at first glance, however the more you compare the setting the more you realize that the two settings are similar. This is because the two settings and situations tells us the same thing. Firstly, it shows us that the act of trusting makes people feel valued and cherished. It also shows us that taking a leap of faith, and trusting someone such as Roger or Teddy is not something everyone can do, because sometimes trusting someone has its own risks. For example, there was a risk of Roger stealing her property when Luella let Roger into her house. If everyone was able to do what Luella or Ms Thompson did, then it would be hard to find someone like Roger or Teddy anymore in this world
August 16th, 2010
(Quotes Underlined)
(Theme Notebook #1)
One's Identity is Fragile
The identity of the protagonist, Mary Maloney from the beginning of the story 'Lamb to the Slaughter' by Roald Dahl and from the end of the story is significantly different. The theme 'One's identity is fragile' is evident in this story. The theme 'Ones identity is fragile' states that ones identity or traits can be changed, or destroyed easily. Mary Maloney's identity from the beginning of the story was a loving and caring wife who expecting a child and likes everything to seem perfect. She keeps the house clean, she loves to take care of her husband, Patrick Maloney. However, one simple act of cruelty changes her identity entirely. Under the influence of hearing that Patrick is leaving her, she kills Patrick with a blow to the head with a frozen lamb leg. Still holding the frozen meal in her hands Mary Maloney looks down at the dead body of her husband, and whether she realized it herself or not one thing is certain. At that very moment, as Mary Maloney gazes down at the motionless body she had struck down, her very identity had changed. No more was she the lovely housewife who enjoys taking care of her husband, her identity had changed to, the calculating, cunning woman who had murdered her husband in cold blood and is now concentrating all of her abilities into covering up her crime. One simple act of cruelty had changed Mary Maloney's very being and everything that defines her for who she is. 'It was extraordinary, now, how clear her mind became all of a sudden. She began thinking very fast'. The fact that identities are so fragile that it can be changed or destroyed as such, is obvious. Something which is fragile could be described as weak, vulnerable, and easily changed or destroyed, but it can also be described as insecure, thus can be changed, not by events such as killing someone, but by something from within the very person, such as emotions like, shock, anger, and sadness. One could say that it was the act of killing her husband which changed Mary Maloney's identity, but another could argue that point by indicating that it was actually the shock of hearing Patrick's betrayal which caused the change of Mary Maloney's identity. 'A leg of lamb. All right then, they would have lamb for supper. She carried it upstairs, holding the thin bone-end of it with both her hands, and as she went through the living-room, she saw him standing over by the window with his back to her, and she stopped'. The shock of hearing that Patrick is leaving has changed Mary Maloney's identity into an angry woman who has nothing to lose and thus wouldn't feel regret, whatever she those. The fact that Mary held the leg of lamb as though holding a club shows that she had murderous intent even before she killed her husband, this proves that her identity had changed before the murder of Patrick Maloney. Her identity had changed at the point when she heard the news of Patrick's betrayal. Whether the theme 'Ones identity is fragile' indicates that, 'Ones traits can be changed by acts' or whether it states that, 'Ones identity can be changed from within the very person', the fact is that the theme says the identities can be changed and it is clearly shown in the story 'Lamb to the Slaughter'.
Since identity is so fragile, it can be changed or destroyed through a variety of different means. This article, "Police: Defendent Claimed Dual Personality" depicts a man named Dennis A. Blackman Jr. who suffers from dual personality (or dissociative identity disorder (DID)) and is being questioned under police custody for the murder of St Louis county police officer, JoAnn Liscombe. Dual personality is a diagnosis where the person in question shows multiple distinct identities or personalities. Blackman is questioned nonstop for 15 hours, and faints briefly during the process. All the while Blackman is continually insisting that he is innocent. However, under continued pressure from the police, Blackman admits to the murder and explains that his second personality was the cause of the murder, just before he losses consciousness. Blackman was in a fit state during his final interview. However, throughout the final interview, Blackman's demeanor changed, from his normal tone to a violent personality. 'in a normal tone of voice then like a violent type of person'. The idea of 'Ones Idenitity is fragile' is more obvious than it is in 'Lamb to the Slaughter', because the symptoms of dual personality is display several different identities or personalities. It is thought provoking to see a case where one's identity can be defined as a normal person and the next thing you now, the traits that defines the same person is changed so suddenly and so entirely.
One's identity is one's very traits in which combines to become what defines you as a person. It is remarkable to think that it is possible to change such a thing so suddenly. In Mary Maloney's case, her identity of a perfect house wife has changed by the shock of her husband's betrayal and the act of killing her husband. What is more unusual is the case of Blackman's dual personality. His identity those not change based on what he decides to do or what he wants to do, but because of his condition. The cause for the change of identities for these two cases are different, yet it is still obvious that one's identity is something is one's pride and joy, yet it can be altered so suddenly.
