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.