Duck Dynasty

Hey Ya'll,

After having a couple class discussions about the reality show Duck Dynasty, I decided to write a post about it. Some of the people that I talked to seem to think that speaking ability is a reflection of a person's education level. This is not true as we see with the cast of Duck Dynasty. As you will see from this post some are educated but choose to speak the  way they choose.

http://www.duckcommander.com/

If anyone wants to watch this show, it comes on A&E on Wednesday nights but they have reruns on Friday and Saturday evenings, also. With the setting of the show being in West Monroe, Louisiana, this show is a good way to see how rich country people live in Louisiana. I know this sounds like an oxymoron but it's ture. The family has an authentic rags to riches story but they have managed to hold on to their redneck lifesyle from the rags days.  The cast of the show is the Robertson Family and friends. The Robertson's made their millions from manufacturing duck calls which are used for duck hunting. They have fun while making money. If you are ever in West Monroe and ride by a warehouse with the name Duck Commander on the side, that's where the excitement happens.


Happy, Happy, Happy!!! Favorite words of Phil Robertson 


The Commander-in-Chief and father, Phil, built the company after acquiring the nickname "Duck Commander". He is an avid hunter of anything that is not human but is known more for his hunting of ducks. He made a duck call for himself and eventually for others thus leading to the manufacturing business. If you listen to him speak, you would never guess tChat he went to college at Louisiana Tech University where he  was quarterback of the football team. He and wife Miss Kay have been married since they were teenagers and have four grown boys. They seem like a typical redneck family but they are not because they are rich.

The other characters are:
Miss Kay- Phil's wife
Willie - Phil's son and CEO of Duck Commander
Jase - Phil's other son
Jep - Phil's youngest son
Uncle Silas - Phil's brother
Mountain Man- AC man and friend
And many more


This family has passed their backwoods lifestyle down to their children and they are hoping that it rubs off on the grandchildren. Grandpa Phil and Miss Kay both work hard at trying to keep the family together and just like any other country family the patriarch and matriarch are in control. Unlike city slickers, as they call them, this is typical of good God-fearing, parent-fearing country folk. When they boys or the grandkids do something stupid, Phil and Kay, do not waste time in setting them straight. And as Jase Robertson said " You have no choice but to listen because most of the time you have done something wrong". The last thing you want is for word to get around in a small country town that you were disrepectful to your parents or grandparents. Even though Phil went to college, he believes the children need common sense as much or more than book sense. They "keep it real" in the country as Uncle Si Robertson once said.

These are some of the riches rednecks that I've ever seen. Some people think redneck is a degrading term but it's not for these people. It's just another way for them to express to other people who they are and what they enjoy. A common misconception is that country people are backwoods and less intelligent but the Robertson proved that they can be millionaires and country. This show reminds me of my hometown where everyone is so nice and down to earth.  I know people who act and speak just like these people.

The Secret River

I have been reading and analyzing The Secret River by Kate Grenville for another class. I chose this book because I had read it before and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to write about it. It's about English convicts who were shipped to Australia, in the 1800s, to serve their time. The trick was they could be executed in London for their crime or go to this foreign land of New South Wales (Sydney) and never return home again. I'm not sure what you would do but I would do as the characters in the book did...I would move. I guess you're dead to your family either way.

http://kategrenville.com/The_Secret_River

The first time I read it, a few years ago, I didn't see the gender inequality in it; however, it was clear as day when I read it the second time. A friend of mine said that I was just looking to make an argument like most women. I was so shocked because I thought he was on my side. Was I looking for feminism or was it there all along? It was there and I'll tell you how I know. 

William Thornhill, the father and convicted theft, is the prisoner but his wife, Sal, is the One who doesn't have freedom. She is stuck in this foreign land that she doesn't want to be in because her husband committed a crime that she has to do the time for along with him. He eventually forgets about his wife's needs. Instead of him being punished, he is able to become part of the elite land owners in New South Wales.  She spent years counting the days like prisoners who are locked up.

The next example is when Sal Is called a wh@&£ by a guy who didn't know her. This just shows how women have been disrespected for centuries. Of course she couldn't defend herself as a woman especially since she had her children with her. She took this abuse as she took the subtle mistreatment acts that she was subjected to for so long. 

One other example is when Sal is chosen as Will's master. Every prisoner had to have a master with them in New South Wales and Sal is Will's but only in name. She might have the title but he tells her what to do.

These are just a few of the examples but there are more. After you read the text, meet me back here for a discussion. Tell me if you see gender equality in the text or if it seems like women are not equal.

New experiences

I had one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I visited a mosque today for a theology class so that I can observe the way they worship. The service was for 50 minutes but I was there for almost 3 hours.
The message was about anger management but I learned so much more. I met another student but she was not American. She attends a college that I used to attend and so by talking about our experiences I learned that she was struggling with writing. This was perfect. I'm not the best at writing but I'm sure I can help her pass comp 1 & 2. After she told me her struggles, she gave me her phone number so that we can meet for tutoring. I told her about some grammar books that have helped me along the way. I love helping people who are not native English speakers (English as a second language) because they seem to appreciate learning English. I wish English speakers enjoyed learning English in the same way.
If ESL people can see the importance of English, why can't English speakers?