The Cold Equations, Eureka. Reflection Journal from Stories - Essay Example

?Reflection Journal from Stories 1 3. List of Possible Essay s: a. What possible solutions are there to the story and were they all discussed? What in our current lives is set in stone as in this story with no possible other solution? Narrative notes-I remember that I lied once in grade school about breaking something, and the teacher was going to punish the whole class by cancelling a field trip, because nobody would tell who did it. So, after a lot of thought I told her I did it, and that it was an accident, but I had been afraid, because it was her personal vase. She said that she would not punish me, or anyone else, because I told the truth. b. How is love characterized in this story? What actions show love the strongest? Narrative notes-My friend’s mother did not tell her and her brother that their father was dying when they went on their last vacation together. In fact, she had not told their father either, though she and his brother knew. So the children spent a wonderful summer trip with their father without the taint of impending loss. They were told in plenty of time to say goodbye, but they remember that they really enjoyed that trip. c. What should the rule be for the EDS or should they have to pay compensation because the door was not secured and the warning was inadequate? Seems like this could be considered by earth government as an attractive nuisance. So maybe Marilyn’s parents or brother could sue for wrongful death, since the door was not protected. It will not save her life, but it may prevent more incidents. Narrative notes-I remember a case in our town about a child who drowned in a swimming pool when the home owners were not home. The parents sued on the basis that the fence could be climbed, as it had no barbed wire on top. d. What does this story say about the society within which it takes place? Narrative notes-It makes me think about the death penalty. We really should not have one for many reasons. e. Could this story be written from Marilyn’s point of view or her brother’s? Narrative notes-I have written a story in third person that I first thought should be first person to create intimacy between writer and reader, but in first person it did not work, because I was too close to the story and it turned out just really maudlin and not interesting. f. If we change the science to what we know now, how does this story change? I cannot answer this. 1.2 Changing the Ending g. I do not think I could change the ending of The Cold Equations without totally destroying the story. I think that there can be no other ending for this story. If a rescue was suddenly available it would ruin this story. If they could strip enough out of the ship to save her it would make this story boring. If she could learn enough very quickly to land the ship and he went out the airlock it would not be believable and rather stupidly maudlin. I think the story only works, because it has no solution. In order to change the ending of this story you have to change the entire story. Maybe you could add the parents suing the company and the court proceedings against the pilot and the company, especially for the unlocked door. Even then it would be really difficult, because the story is really over when Marilyn goes out the airlock. Even if we begin with the lawsuit and flash back it just would not be a good story. However, after days of thought I decided that science of the future to the story might be able to do something. So, I have tried a changed ending. I still think the first ending is far superior and I would never publish a story with this ending, but I tried. Marylyn Said, “I’m ready,” but before Barton could press the button to open the airlock the radio crackled to life. “EDS, urgent, take not action. There is a solution.” Barton jumped to the console. “This is Barton, say again.” “This is Group One. We just got a message from Earth. There is a solution built into every EDS. It is horribly expensive, so it has never been revealed or used that we know. I mean nobody wants to spend such a fortune to save a criminal. All of us on this planet and you, the girl and her parents will swear to silence on penalty of death. In addition, Gerry and Marylyn will have to work for three more years to pay for this, and the fine does not begin to actually pay the cost. Do you so swear?” Barton looked at Marylyn. “We do.” “I need to hear her swear.” “I do swear,” Marylyn shouted, while tears flowed freely. “Ok, under the console at the very back there is a recess where a one finger will fit. Put your finger in there, push the button, and the system will release a solid fuel pellet into the fuel tank. It is not a lot and your landing will be very uncomfortable, but you will be able to land safely. Enter this code into the console once you have released the fuel: “deathtrap” and follow it with your pilot number. Do it now.” “Ok.” Barton practically leapt to the floor, crawled under the console and found the recess for his finger. He pressed. There was a small jolt as the fuel was added. He squeezed out and entered the codes into the console. The screen read, “Ultra-solid fuel released and emergency landing procedures invoked.” Barton sucked in a breath and gave thanks as one tear escaped his right eye. He wiped it away, then turned back to Marylyn. “Do something good with your life,” he said. 1.3. The Cold Equations is, for me, the strongest and most memorable short story I have ever read. I actually read this story several years ago, and I note that goes back to the 1950s, yet it is not quite that dated. I have read some criticisms that point out some of the technology has changed considerably. I don't really care if the technology is not that realistic. The problem is very realistic. I have tried to resolve this problem, and I have never been able to come up with a solution. The author has managed to contrive a problem that only seems to have one solution. I sat down and tried to figure out some way to make this problem solvable, and I can't. I thought about it for weeks. I remember reading some criticisms that the story is not all that well written. I disagree. One criticism I read said that it was written too dryly, that is, without enough emotion. I think that is the way it should be. After all, the title uses the word, "Cold". I once took a creative writing course when, during the middle of the course, there was a family tragedy. I could not write. My instructor told me that I should write about my experience from a distant observer point of view. I should put no mention of emotions, and just describe what this observer could see. So I described my mother, and the displayed reactions to the emotions that she went through in the days following the tragedy. It was not a great story, as I will never really be a writer, but it wasn't bad, and it had a lot of power. This story gains power from being written in much the same way, containing third person description and dialogue only. For me, it works. 1.4 Some things in life just cannot be changed or sometimes there is not good decision. Life is not fair. My cousin had a friend who came to the house to pick her up one day at breakfast time, very early to go to school. Lara found out that her friend, Shawna, was kicked out of the house at night sometimes by her mother. She stole food from my cousin’s freezer, so we all worried about her. We thought about calling the welfare, but would she be any better off in foster care? ….The teacher reported the case to welfare when she learned the extent of the neglect and that Shawna had become afraid to go home whenever a certain “uncle” might visit. Welfare investigated and took the girl away. Later that year, her foster father shook her to death. Her mother died in the trailer in a fire two months later drunk and smoking dope. 1.5. I want a quilt for the window to keep heat in and hot sun out. I could line it with a space blanket. I could use photographs of friends and family for the inside and put them on pretty backgrounds with that liquid they sell on television that transfers photos to cloth. For the outside I think a design like a painting would look really nice. I would put magnets in the edge so it would stick to the metal frame. The outside should be different nubby fabrics with a black ribbon between the panels making it look like a stained glass window. I could use old pieces of cloth from my relatives and friends, one or two pieces from each, so I could make the top and bottom with one cloth and the sides with another. For the other side I would make a design like a sunset on an ocean, or with one large bird soaring across it Inside I will just make colorful frames for my pictures which would be printed on plain pale colored silk, and then join the frames with the black ribbon. I could make a few butterflies with cloth and stick them on the quilt here and there with double sided tape. I could to something like this on the outside too and stick them with Velcro dots. Or I could make fish. Maybe they could be made on little wire frames so that they were 3 dimensional. The outside part of the quilt will be actually quilted like a crazy quilt and the inside will be quilted on the background only. Then the space blanket will be sewn between them. Because the quilt is only attached to the frame via magnets, it would also be reversible. This would be so nice, because it would keep the room warm in winter and cool in summer and also be a remembrance of family and friends. It would be removable to let sun in on winter days too. We do not have any quilts in our house, since it is not part of our family tradition, but I can start one. 1.6 Persuasive Narrative Essay Some things in life just cannot be changed or sometimes there is not good decision. Life is not fair. My cousin had a friend who came to the house to pick her up one day at breakfast time, very early to go to school. Lara and her brother were still eating breakfast, and Lara’s mother invited Shawna to sit at the table and asked if she would like some waffle, fruit and milk. Shawna started showing up every day to walk to school with Lara. Lara told her mother the next time they went shopping that maybe they should get extra breakfast food and milk. They did. They figured that Shawna was hungry. Over the next months Lara found out that her friend, Shawna, was kicked out of the house at night often by her mother, and that she did not own a single dress. She gave Shawna her favorite dress. The teacher reported the case to welfare when she found out the extent of the neglect and that Shawna was afraid to go home whenever a certain “uncle” was due to visit. Welfare investigated and found that the mother was prostituting to support drug and alcohol habits. There was almost no food in the house. They took the girl away. We all hoped Shawna would get a new start, but maybe there really is no cheating fate, because later that year, her foster father shook her to death. Her mother died in the trailer in a fire two months later drunk and high. The coroner said she probably never woke up and dies of smoke inhalation. In a family discussion, we mourned Shawna and my mother said that welfare tried to make things better for her, since leaving her there would eventually resulted in her using drugs and probably being “turned out” by her own mother. At least my cousin helped her be happy for some time and she was buried in the pretty dress, her favorite. So remember that even when things do not turn out right and your effort does not result in success, it was still the right thing to do. We cannot know what will happen, so the best that we can do it to what we truly believe is right at the time. 1.7 I really enjoy the television series’ that use science or science fiction, so I have been watching Eureka. The characters are interesting and the stories are fun, even if the science is a little “iffy”. I am not happy that it was cancelled. However, I understand that with this many characters, it might have been very expensive to produce. Characters: (The most interesting main characters) 1) Sheriff Jack Carter is a “normal” in a town full of geniuses. His IQ is 111. However, he has a very practical form of intelligence that makes him very good in his job. He has a sense for putting varied data together and understanding the results. He is very dedicated to his job, shows a great deal of courage and ingenuity and cares for his family. His main motivation is family and duty to protect. 2) Dr. Allison Blake is married to Sheriff Carter, though she has been married twice before. Each of her former husbands came to an untimely end and she has a child by each of them. Her main motivation is her children and the health of the townspeople. 3) Zoe Carter is Jack Carter’s daughter, a bit rebellious but she adores her father. She is pretty smart and wants to be a doctor. Zoe’s motivation is still family and her own future, which is being drawn by the town. 4) Dr. Henry Deacon is the all around handy man for the town. He does mechanic work for fun and takes on many engineering and administrative tasks. He is a problem solver and an inventor, whose inventions of have shaky starts. Henry is driven by curiosity, was driven by love to alter the timeline, and it was then fixed, and is now back to being driven by curiosity. 5) Josephina "Jo" Lupo is the deputy sheriff in the beginning, but the story line changed her position to security head of Global Dynamics, the huge company that provides most of the jobs in town. She passes on an opportunity to go to Titan, because she feels that it should go to someone who really wants it. 6) Zane Donovan is a young criminal who is recruited to work on certain problems for which he is extremely qualified. He is on parole for cybercrimes. He eventually proves himself to be a reliable member of the town and of GD. He is romantically involved with Jo off and on. His motivation is still forming as he learns and grows. He was a neglected child and never did well in school due to his obstinacy and genius. 7) Dr. Douglas Fargo is possibly the most interesting character. He was comic relief in the beginning, but he has become a confidant leader and heads up Global Dynamics. He has developed a relationship with a girl sent as a spy from the senate appropriations committee and at the end of season 5 he and she are on their way to Titan together. 1.8 Unforgettable Character One character I will never forget is a neighbor who worked at Schnitzer Steel. His brother was operations manager, and when he was in need of a job to support his family John was given a job on the sorting assembly. He came home absolutely filthy and greasy, and really stinking of things like diesel oil and mechanical grease, burned rubber and such. It took him more than an hour to clean up every night, but he said it was worth it as he got good pay and benefits. John was a packrat. And he would bring things home he took of the junk conveyer. He and his wife had a constant game of getting rid of things that he rescued. She said they would need a new house for all the stuff if he kept it up. So she would wait until he went to work and then dispose of the junk, Once I was over there with my dad and we stopped in the kitchen for drinks before going to the garage to help with their car. John saw a white shirt in the trash bin where hisa wife was ironing. He pulled it out and said it was a perfectly good shirt. She replied that it was old cotton and wrinkled as soon as it was hung after ironing, and he never wore it. He protested, so she calmly ripped it into several pieces and threw it back in the trash. John again retrieved it, and held it out to her with a plaintive look on his face. “It’s good for rags,” he said. We were all laughing until we had to hold our stomachs. After that Karen cut off the buttons for sewing and threw the pieces in the kitchen drawer for rags. She is only half packrat. 1.9 Character Description Dr. Douglas Fargo is possibly the most interesting character. He was comic relief in the beginning, but he has become a confidant leader and heads up Global Dynamics. He has developed a relationship with a girl sent as a spy from the senate appropriations committee and at the end of season 5 he and she are on their way to Titan together. Resourceful, can “make do” extremely well and fast Somewhat low self-esteem, but gaining on that Genius, and understand many different areas of subjects Needs approval and show of respect Passive, but not cowardly A bit clumsy Highly ethical Very conservative in relationships, especially sexual Better than the average genius at delegating Dependable, but can be distractible or forgetful 1.10 When Two Years had Passed By the time two years had passed, Feld had gotten used to the idea of having Sobel for a son-in-law. However, he had not given up on having an educated son-in-law, even though he had begun to understand both Sobel and his daughter. They had had many conversations, such as when Feld asked Soble to consider getting an education. “Do you mean that you worked here for five years, just waiting for her to be old enough?” asked Feld. Sobel hesitated and then said quietly, “It seemed not long to wait.” “Would you go back to school for her and become and educated man with a better trade?” Feld asked, and added right away, “if I paid you enough for the tuition?” Sobel asked, “What is wrong with this trade?” “I want more for my daughter than what I have given my wife,” said Feld. “She deserves more. I wanted her to go to school but she refused. I hoped that being with an educated man might change her mind. That is why I asked Max to call her. I just want an education for her, or, at least, an educated husband.” Sobel started to argue, “but…,” and the words died on his lips. He knew what Feld meant and he understood. “I could,” he said, “but they will not like a man my age going to university. Still, maybe...” Feld felt his heart leap. “and if you go, maybe she will also.” “Can you afford this?” “I will. Will you?” Sobel answered slowly, “I will think.” So, after a few weeks of thinking and visiting the college and looking at the catalog, Sobel enrolled in a literature course, followed by another and finally joined the program in literature. He went to school three nights per week. When two years had passed he was qualified for an AA degree, but decided to go for the BA so he could teach. It would be easier work and pay more. He asked Miriam to marry him, and said they should wait until he finished school. She was astonished that he had been going to university. “It is very practical,” he said, “and I can pass on my love for books to many more. I will also make enough money that you do not have to work once we have children.” 1.11 Prewriting: Believability (Cultural Differences) 1.12 Diorama The village of Kumansenu is nestled up next to the edge of the jungle. To the left stretches the strip of beach for miles. Pathways into the jungle can be seen on either side of the village. They lead to clearings where trees have been cut and burned to provide space for cultivation, Most of the villagers have a spot in the jungle their family has cleared to grow food. There are no public buildings for such a small village and even the mud huts numbered only 17. Most had roofs thatched with palm but a few had corrugated sheet metal roofs. All were one story with a sheltered outdoor kitchen to the front or the side. Most months were far to hot for indoor cooking. The low metal stove could hold a large pot, and a grill for roasting vegetables or fish. A flat stone was used for things like flat bread and hard cakes from squash and cassava. There were a few stools on the veranda carved from jungle trees and woven with vines. In the rain the village appeared small and drab. In the sun it was peaceful. 1.13 Character Sketch Dr. Douglas Fargo is possibly the most interesting character. He was comic relief in the beginning, but he has become a confidant leader and heads up Global Dynamics. Fargo, as he is called, is of small stature, not overly muscular, wears glasses and is extremely smart and a little timid. In a different environment he would be the resident geek, since he is extremely smart and resourceful. However, in this series he is one of dozens of geeks, and he has never invented anything, putting him at the bottom of the pecking order. In one universe Fargo is not respected and makes a lot of mistakes. His father was responsible for the creation of Eureka, so he has some security. However, after an episode where a group of the most important characters goes back in time and returns to an alternate universe, Fargo is now head of the company, Global Dynamics Inc., that supports Eureka. He comes into a situation where he is hated, as his alternate was an egotistical overbearing power freak. It shames him, but it also shows him that he can be strong and commanding. So he steps in and changes everyone’s perception of him, and redeems his reputation without sacrificing his position or respect. In fact, he gains more respect, because he actually does a good job. His resourcefulness is key to solving many problems and even saving lives. He shows great courage and also sticks to his own set of values. When confronted with a situation where he is in love and the girl is willing to have sex, just because they are attracted to each other, and she wants to get rid of the sexual tension between them that is causing them both problems, he resists, and finally tells her it is because he loves her and he wants it to be right. By the end of the series, Fargo has actually grown the most of all the characters and become quite a hero. Read More