My Writing Process

Reality

Reality conveys truth. It is what a person sees, smells, feels, hears, and tastes. Reality differs from each person's perspective.What could be the reality for a wealthy millionaire could not be the reality for a homeless person on the streets of New York. However, reality could also be the same for people of varying lifestyles. A single mother of one and a independent male of forty-five could face the same reality if a natural disaster were to occur; they could experience lose of power, food, and water.

While reality is what is real or true to people, people have a variety of ways of viewing everyday occurences. Thus, since people have varying opinions, people's realities can be similar or disimilar.

Academic Integrity Pledge

Morals and ethics-the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong- define a person. When someone thinks of "Jennifer Blethen" I do not want a picture of a poor ethical character to come to mind. Therefore, I am forthright, honest, and fair; abiding by the rules and being true to myself. Ethics are crucial in shaping the way others perceive you. When applying for a job, for example, I will need references to show the employer that I, indeed, have proper morals and ethics. Who might these references be? Former teachers, employees, or coaches, perhaps. Hence, it is imperative to be ethically sound for your entire life-not just when you are trying to obtain a career. So, I, Jennifer Blethen, pledge to use sound ethics and morals in and out of class and not plagiarize. I know that in doing so it will be beneficial to my ethical character, as a writer and a person.

"Easy-Think" Society

This particular cartoon is describing a modern society that has come to accept other people's opinions or beliefs without really thinking about their own. I think this is especially true in regards to today's society because we are constantly bombarded with advertisements that say "Try this new hair product!" or "Call toll free for the Book of Mormons." Whether it is a product to improve (or change) the look of your hair, or a commercial trying to get you to convert to a religion, people ARE trying to change your opinion on countless ideas, beliefs, etcetera. Many people may not even realize-or may not want to admit- that an advertisement, a radio talk show host's opinion, or a new commercial has control over them. I am willing to concede, however, that I am guilty of mindlessly welcoming CoverGirl products into my makeup bag. One day while shopping for makeup I was faced with the daunting task of picking out one tube of mascara out of the never-ending options. I picked up an orange tube-CoverGirl Lash Blast, to be exact- of mascara. Why this mascara you may ask? I saw advertisements in my Seventeen subscriptions, observed it being used in America's Next Top Model, and admired as Drew Barrymore promoted the mascara on national television. So, I picked up what I was most "familiar" with. Had I not seen those advertisements perhaps I would have chosen the second most advertised mascara. Now I use CoverGirl religiously because I was happy with the product, not for the prior reasons.

So what might this have to do with the cartoon? Simply, almost everybody is affected, at one time in their life, by a type of media which tries to change their opinion, belief, or intuition.  Perhaps to emphasize the fact that nearly every type of person is affected in such a way, the cartoonist choose to include different types of people in this cartoon: short, tall, African American, Caucasian, a mother, and a father.

This cartoon speaks to the people who are easily swayed or who believe in something just because it is "cool", it is endorsed by a celebrity, or it is just a new fad. It shows the importance of believing in what you believe and analyzing other ideas and concepts before readily jumping onto the bandwagon. Although succumbing to advertisements is not always negative, as in my situation (the satisfied customer), sometimes it can be. To avoid a negative outcome the cartoonist shows that we must look at what we see, hear, touch, taste, and smell to decide for ourselves if it agrees with what we truly believe.

Short Bio

My name is Jennifer Blethen. I am a student at Clemson University majoring in Secondary Education: Mathematics. I enjoy spending time with friends and family. I am interested in photography, hiking, and playing soccer.