Remembered Rapture

Prompt: How does having an educational background change the way you understand a story?

(Remembered Rapture by Bell Hooks)

    A lack of education can cause a person to be very one sided. This is due to the fact that they base their opinions solely on what they have experienced. However, they do not have the knowledge of other places or cultures to compare the writing to. For this reason, aspects of a story can seem very offensive. An explanation for this might be that they feel targeted based on things like gender or race and the stereotypical duties that come with these labels.

     On the other hand, having an educational background can help the reader perceive the story differently. Remembered Rapture by Bell Hooks expresses this idea when comparing the thoughts of her parents to the views of her siblings. Since Hooks' parents did not attend college, they view her interpretations of their family life as false. However, her siblings that have attended college, are a lot more supportive and understanding when it comes to Bell Hooks writing and memories. Although educated people might not agree with what is being said, they can have an easier time accepting what the text has to say. This is because they are more informed about the obstacles other people and groups face. They also see that writing is a form of self expression that can be interpreted differently based on the open mindedness of others.

A Small Place

Prompt: Why do tourists view their vacation destination differently than those that actually live there?
(A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid)

     When visiting a different place on vacation, people tend to see beautiful parts of that piece of land. Referring to A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid, she states on page 4, "You can stay in this place where the sun always shines and where the climate is ridiculously hot and dry for the four to ten days you are going to be staying there." This makes the vacation spot seem like a dreamland. However, people fail to realize that although they are experiencing the top quality aspects of this place, there are those that are suffering in poorer parts of this location.

     I believe that tourists tend to ignore the fact that others are struggling because they do not encounter such people. This is because the vacationers stay at places like resorts, which supply them with goods and necessities to accommodate the traveler's stay. Another reason for this blindness is that many tourists only see the nice parts of the destination. This gives off the assumption that every other place around there is similar because they are part of the same land. Based on the way that hotels and guides create this pleasant experience, those traveling are given a false perception of what is actually occurring. Therefore they are too focused on all of the positive things that are presented to them to notice that other people do not have essential resources like clean water, which they need to survive.