DILLARD – considered opinion
See Week 15 course calendar.
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Gabrielle Tallman
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
ENG 1003
3 December 2015
Considered Opinion
Annie Dillard's mom, Pam Doaks, is introduced through Annie's childhood memories in "An American Childhood" as fun, independent, and smart. Although her mother was supportive, she also wanted her daughters to remain independent as well. To conform to society was unheard of in Dillard's childhood home and was forced to have her own opinion about everything. The "considered opinion" that Annie's mother would always ask about means having their own ideas, not somebody else's.
Peter Cote
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
English 1003
3 December 2015
An American Childhood Paragraph
In “An American Childhood,” Annie Dillard describes her mother, Pam, as a very opinionated women who insists that her children have a “considered opinion.” Dillard explains her mother as always believing that her way is the best. Dillard shows that her mother “simply tried to keep us all awake.” This is showing that her mother wants them to be aware of the things going on in society. She simply does not want her children to restate other’s opinions but do their own research on the subject. This is the “considered opinion” that Pam insist her children have. Annie explains that “When we children were young, she mothered us tenderly and dependably; as we got older, she resumed her career of anarchism.” Annie shows that her mother raised them until they could form their own opinions and make their own decisions. After they were old enough, Pam began to be stricter and make her children have a “considered opinion,” one that they did not get from other people, but one they formed themselves. Pam is shown as a loving, caring mother who loved her children enough to allow them to make their own inferences, but she also showed them how to make an educated one.
Austin Bennett
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
English 1003
3 December 2015
A Considered Opinion on An American Childhood
In Annie Dillard's "An American Childhood", Dillard describes her mother as quick-witted and clever, always challenging opinions. Dillard's mother constantly challenged the norm and wanted to cause chaos simply to see how people around her would react. No opinion that her children held were safe from questioning, either. She would ask them why they held that opinion. It's clear that Dillard's mother was constantly trying to keep her children "awake" and aware. In this instance, a "considered opinion" is one that has been thought about rather that going with the common opinion. Saying "because everyone thinks so" was never good enough. Her children had to learn to form their own opinions and defend them.
Hunter Hebert
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English 1003
3 December 2015
Considered Opinion: An American Childhood
In An American Childhood, Annie Dillard’s mother is describes as very fun, witty and a deep thinker. While her daughters are growing up, she constantly asks them their opinions and evaluates how they view the world. She insists that they develop their own views of the world, rather than the norm and encourages them to resist to the conformity of society. It is this individual, independent stance that their mother encourages and urges for when she tells her daughters to have “considered opinions”.
Logan Radwanski
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
3 December 2015
Considered Opinion
Author Annie Dillard writes about her mother, Pam Doaks, in “An American Childhood” where recalls memories from her childhood about her. Describing her mother to be eccentric, intelligent, and a unique being that always had her own opinion & ways of doing stuff. Pam always told her girls that they had “considered opinions” meaning they went with what everyone else thought or liked making that their “own opinion”. Relating with Taylor Mali’s message in his poem “Totally Like Whatever” to fight the mainstream flow, Pam did so and tried to teach her daughters to do this also. “Torpid conformity was a kind of sin; it was a stupidity itself, the mighty stream against it which Mother would never cease to struggle. If you held no minority opinions, or if you failed to risk total ostracism for them daily, the world would be a better place without you.” She found ways to make them break free from this by making them think on the spot, throwing out game’s rule, asking questions they didn’t know the answers to, and being an example for them. Because she loved her children ever so dearly she wanted what was best for them and did allow them to think on their own but with push towards their originality of thinking and opinions.
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ReplyDeleteDevante Wrenn
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
English 1003
3 December 2015
In Dillard’s story she talks about her life and how it was manipulated in a way by her mother. The whole story is about her mother and what her mother did to show her daughters about how life is. In this case her mother is giving her opinion on life. Her mother gets very fond about “what is English” and she uses different types of ways to talk. She used to use the phrase “Terwilliger bunts one” for anything she said. It was very random but she eventually got her point across because everybody in her family got the understanding of what she was saying. It was sort of like a code name for anything. The mother always made situations hard and awkward, and she also said whatever was on her mind. Throughout the daughters lifetime they began to realize what was going on. In the mothers way you are capable of taking a stand on life. I believe that this is all opinions for her daughters on how to take on life. Because after all life is full of opinions. It just depends on how you use them.
Anna Newton
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
English 1003
3 December 2015
An American Childhood
In Annie Dillard’s, “An American Childhood,” Annie talks about how her mother, Pam, has a “considered opinion.” Pam is a very outspoken woman, who is always willing to create a counterargument. Raising her kids to always have their own ideas, Pam never wanted Annie, Amy, or Molly to just hop on the bandwagon and agree with what everyone else thinks. Annie wrote that her mother was “an unstoppable force.” She always made the kids have a “considered opinion” to help them be strong and stand up for what they truly believe in.
Breanna Roper
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
English 1003
3 December 2015
Considered Opinion
In Annie Dillard's "An American Childhood", Dillard describes her mother, Pam, as a very liberal, free-minded, unique person. She encourages her children to always do as you please; not as others desire for you to do: conform. To Pam, "Torpid conformity was a kind of sin; it was stupidity itself. . ." (357). It was of a very large significance to the childrens' mother that they show intelligence and individuality throughout their actions and words. She would question her children, "Is that your considered opinion?" The sisters had learned that this question means 'is that really what you think'? 'Do you mean that'? 'Did you come up with it yourself'? This specific question becomes somewhat of a motif throughout the duration of the piece; it is a question of originality/individuality, which the entire work centers around.
Aidan Bish
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
SWU English 1003
3 December 2015
Dillard - Considered Opinion
Annie Dillard’s mother, who is shown throughout the narrative to be quick witted and skeptically curious, insists that her daughters have “a considered opinion” instead of just accepting the general consensuses. She encourages and shows them to think outside out of the box and challenge the norm. If Dillard would announce a popular opinion, especially one that they themselves had not thought about at all, she would leap at the opportunity to challenge them. The phrase “considered opinion” is well-coined because she wants them to think about their ideas and not just accept those of the general population.
Carter Groomes
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
English 1003
3 December 2015
Considered Opinion
In Annie Dillard's life her mother was not the normal parent. She strived to be different than society. Also, mother wanted to question everything that was going on so she could form a strong opinion on a topic. She wanted her kids to not only think about what they believe, but also dig deeper into the conversation. Being the skeptic she is, Annie Dillard's mom loved challenging everyones opinion. This opened more doors for her kids to see that they should not conform to societies views.
Kaylee Young
ReplyDeleteProfessor Kirk
English 1003
3 December 2015
An American Childhood
Pam Doaks, in “An American Childhood,” is a woman of numerous, exquisite characteristics. In the story she hears the unique phrase, “Terwilliger bunts one,” on the radio. She begins to use this phrase in her everyday actions, along with whatever newly founded words she possesses. She uses whatever words she wants, within whatever context she believes it should be used in. Annie likes to mess with people by constantly cracking jokes and initially giving people “Verbal Challenges.” She’s not your typical woman, she does not care about anyone’s opinions. She is a woman that speaks solely of conviction and especially does not conform to anyone or anything among society. She is completely original in all ways. Her children however, see her as embarrassing and a bit too much. Since Annie is very outspoken and fond of all sorts of jokes, her children find it a bit annoying having to constantly be embarrassed. Therefore, considered opinion, most means that her children are conformists. They take what everyone else says, to come up with their own decisions and ideas. For example, in the text, Annie is having a conversation with her daughter. During the conversation Annie asks Pam to give a reason behind what she has just said. Pam responds with, “Everyone says so.” Pam is a conformist who considers everyone else’s opinions before her own. Annie is the complete opposite who sees conformity as an utter act of stupidity.