Extended Definition

Home: 

By definition, the meaning of home is, “The place where one lives permanently, esp. as a 
member of a family or household,” according to the New Oxford American Dictionary. The 
origin of the word “home” is Germanic, and comes from the German word “hiem.” The base of 
the formal definition is true, being that a home is indeed where someone lives. However, a home is not always permanent, and the idea of a home varies from person to person. 

In other words, having a place of residence can constitute as having a home in the physical 

sense. What this dictionary definition does not consider is the fact that many people prefer to 
have an emotional connection and established memories in their place of residence before 
they call it “home.” The word “home” can be classified as a place of residence, or just a place 
where someone sleeps and keeps all their belongings, however, the meaning behind the word 
goes more in depth. Most people won’t consider a place home unless it’s filled with memories, 
family, has a specific location, etc. 

When we break down the word “home”, we can see that the basic definition given is accurate, 
but also very broad. The definition tells us everything that is physically true about a home: it’s 
a place of resident, and more specifically, is usually a house, apartment, etc. As I said before, what makes a home is up to the person, and normally, home is a place where people feel 
comforted, and have a connection to. 

The expression “home is where the heart is” is a good way to demonstrate how people make 
emotional ties to the places they live in, and choose to call “home.”

This is what I have so far, it's very rough, but the main ideas are here for the most part. In later sections, I will discuss my personal experience with the idea behind a the true meaning of home, in my opinion. I will also compare and contrast the word while utilizing my experiences. Describing what makes a home will include some of my opinion, but I can discuss what might make others feel at home too. 

I can use all the help I can get so feel free! Thanks. 

Refleciton on Diaz part 1

I must confess I might be a bit biased when reflecting on this novel because I'm of hispanic decent (Cuban), and, coincidentally, I was born and raised in Elizabeth, NJ, which Diaz mentions a few times. So, I can pretty much understand the references, language and slang he uses.

For the most part, I think the novel is strong. There's plenty of detail, and I think the footnotes Diaz offers can help clear up some confusion the reader might have. The various pop-culture references, profanity, and sexual situations make for interesting additions, and I think they help young readers relate a lot more. 

For some though, the amount of details and footnotes might be bothersome. Readers who like straight-forward texts might find this a bit tedious, and could result in the reader trailing off or losing interest. 

As discussed in class before, there is a possible theme of the mental and physical struggle of immigrants who come to the U.S. This theme stood out to me the most throughout the novel. Diaz mentions several times how hard it was for Oscar to fit in, being that he was expected to be a certain way Dominican guys usually are. Lola can't find her place, and is switching personalities multiple times. Beli has multiple jobs on and off, and has a hard time maintaining control of her family. 

And like I said in my community post, allusion is used on almost every page. From literature and film references, to famous people both from the U.S. and the Dominican Republic. They are everywhere. 

Walcott Poem

I don't find this poem to be too much of a representation of Oscar, but I can see how both characters relate. In my opinion, Diaz could be providing the reader with an image of a person who has been around in his life, is educated, virtuous in his own ways, and has flaws like any other individual. Oscar seems to be the type of person who will do well in his academics possibly because he is ignored due to his many physical flaws that the people surrounding him aren't willing to look over. Like the character in the poem, Oscar also comes from a unique background that adds to his distinct personality. The person in the poem is also quite honest in the way he describes himself. Diaz is very blunt as well in how he chooses to characterize Oscar. He portrays Oscar as basically a fat sci-fi nerd with terrible acne, and as a result, is a complete social outcast. 


The last part of the poem is what says the most to me. Walcott writes "I have Dutch, nigger, and English in me, and either I'm nobody or I'm a nation."


My interpretation is probably wrong, but this tells me that Diaz's character represents a person we all know. The everyday type of person who has unfortunately been cursed, and therefore has to deal with the life he's been given. He could remain a loser/ "nobody", or ultimately might be able to make something of himself. We'll see.

Memoir Comments

After reviewing the feedback I received on my rough draft, I changed my mind about how I wanted the story to affect the reader. I made some pretty big changes from my rough draft to the final draft, and it helped out a lot for the most part. I also did quite well with usage and proofreading.

There are a few things I could add to improve reader comprehension, and the overall telling of the story. Looking over the types of verbs I used, and changing or adding new ones, could help to strengthen the description of the action. I could also include more details in my writing to clarify the parts of the story where the reader might be confused. Incorporating more details and descriptions may also provide for a better sense of imagery and emotion to help put the reader in my position, and explain how I was feeling throughout the experience.

Editorial Idea

As I said in the community blog, my editorial idea is based on personal experience with the housing department this summer before starting the fall semester at OU. I basically am thinking about the issue regarding limited housing availability on campus for the thousands of students who are allowed to apply with no clear deadline. I also think there is a pretty serious problem with the way they choose to contact applicants about their getting, or not getting, a dorm or student apartment. I did not receive any notification at all, and had to call the housing department numerous times to be told that I could not be accommodated regardless of the fact that I applied months ahead of time. They had no concern whatsoever for my situation, and I had no choice but to settle in an overpriced apartment in the area one week before classes where scheduled.

As a result of this mess that I, and other students I know, went through, I think the housing department should establish a clear deadline or put a limit on how many students can apply for housing each semester. If this cannot be accomplished for whatever reason then additional housing buildings should be put in place. I'll note that adding a deadline seems like the more sensible solution because more construction could mean higher tuition, room and board for OU students. I also think the housing department should set up a type of contact system to make certain that all housing applicants are notified with time whether or not they will be able to live on campus.

Basically, I think the OU housing department should figure out a solution to its incompetence.

Memoir Feedback

The memoir is about my first time having surgery, and the lack of moral support I had due to my family's absence throughout the experience.

The main criticism I received on my paper was to make it more interesting, add more personal details to make the story more relatable, and to remove the chronological order it was in. There was also a bit of confusion towards the conclusion as to why I chose to write about this, or the point of the story in general.

I thought this criticism was the most valuable and helped a lot because I'll admit I was a bit lost at the beginning. I also took the advice from the fellow bloggers' comments to choose this topic because of it's potential dramatic and emotional tone. I will definitely try to make this paper more interesting because even though it's hard for me to explain, it was still a significant event in my life. However, I don't want to make it seem like I am playing the victim, or looking for sympathy. That's definitely not the point I want to come across. Even though it was a part of the experience, I don't really want to emphasize this too much. Taking the story out of chronological order seems like a good idea as well since it may keep the reader engaged without spilling everything out at once. Lastly, I want the reason for telling the story to come through at some point in the paper clearly. I could possibly make this happen by using the emotional factor, and explaining how the situation affected me at the time.

Advice from Stephen King

Even though I am technically a part of the “texting generation”, and I indeed do text, there is no way I could ever allow myself to purposely write like a teenager with no regard for basic skills in English. Unless, of course, it was a joke. With that being said, I consider myself to be serious about writing and speaking well and using proper grammar even in a friendly conversation or text message. I may not always remember or want to use proper grammar, but I try my best because I know how much I hate it when others do not.

As a result of this I can appreciate Stephen King’s advice to put proper grammar and vocabulary at the top of your writing “toolbox.” He says, “Bad grammar produces bad sentences.” I agree that writing properly is crucial to make sure that you do not confuse your readers and, in turn risk losing them. Even though King admits to deciding not to write much about the basics and importance of grammar, he still offers valuable information in the few examples he provides. He emphasizes the significance of proper use of sentence structure, complete sentences, verbs and nouns. While this all may seem overwhelming to most people, he also offers his advice on using simple sentences in moderation to start off. 

With this in mind, for my memoir I intend to first write what comes to me and go back to analyze the basic mistakes King says every writer is bound to make. I also want to make certain that my sentences and paragraphs are structured properly to avoid any confusion with the reader. I will focus on keeping my nouns and verbs where they belong throughout the memoir, and take a shot at using some simple sentences to see if they will help at all.