Group 3s Discussion on The Writers Presence Essays:

Kevin Su
Riley Redman
Nancy Morales
Gaby Ad
Anita Khoshkhelgat
Shanny Brown

Manuel Muozs Leave Your Name at the Border

1. Consider the way Muoz structures his essay. What is his purpose in starting
with a name heard over the intercom at the Fresno Airport? What does that
incident trigger? In what ways does ending his essay with further reflections on
the same moment reinforce his perspective about identity? In what ways does
this final paragraph complicate that perspective?
2. As a reader, would you know how to pronounce the authors name correctly?
Any of the other Mexican names he mentions? Why do you think Muoz offers
no guide to pronunciation that would help English-speaking reader say the
names as the author thinks they should be said? What does he feel is lost when
the Mexican names are Anglicized?
3. CONNECTIONS: Compare Leave Your Name at the Border to Dinaw
Mengetsus Home at Last (page 170). What identity issues do both writers
contend with? You might also compare Muozs essay with Richard Rodriguezs
longer essay on the Spanish language, Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual
Childhood (page 187). What differences in attitude did you find between
Muoz and Rodriguez?

Martin Luther King Jr.s I Have a Dream

1. How does King use familiar concepts and phrases from American democracy to
create his message? What are some examples? How does he use repetition? How
does he use rhythm? What are the effects of his rhetorics?
2. Make a list of the metaphors King uses throughout the speech. What
connotations do they bring? What recurring themes does he draw on for his
metaphors? How do metaphors help extend the meanings of the word he
describes?
3. CONNECTIONS: Read Ho Che Andersons graphic reprensatation of Kings I
Have a Dream speech, which follows this piece. How does Anderson represent
King as a speaker and leader? How does the juxtaposition of images and words
influence your perception of the event?

Alright guys, I formatted and transcribed everything that we need from the books - this
can help you refer to the questions without having to flip through the pages as you
answer. This might seem extremist, but please dont answer all over the pages but start
from Page 3 and onwards, if needed. Please use this answer format in 12 pt Times New
Roman:
Name - Author, Title of Essay
1. Answer, no need to copy paste
2. SHIFT + ENTER, then hit ENTER again to start your second answer with a space between the
two answers
Answers

and Discussion

OKAY, finally done. Ive yet to read all this so please go ahead and answer below this placeholder text
- I will collaborate everyones answer together into a hopefully not-too-long summary for each
question, including my own answers. Dont wait for anyone, go ahead and just pop your answers in
here and leave the rest to me.
UPDATE: Sorry guys, been a little under the weather. I will have my answers up this evening. Where

is everyone else? I only see Anitas answer!

-Kevin
Anita
my answers to Leave Your Name at the Border
1- I think he wanted to show the importance of the correct pronunciation of the names and the incident
shows that names are anglicized. In the last paragraph he implies that even the Mexican woman try to
anglicize the Mexican name and how the language rule her. How they try to assimilate the names,and
displace one culture over another.
2- I think so, yes. I think in his opinion, as the same as mine, if english speakers can not pronounce a
persons name correctly, it doesnt change the persons identity or personality. It is just they cannot
pronounce it because of the different alphabets, different sounds, different structures that exist between
two languages. There are sounds in one language that dont exist in another language. for example, my
last name, khoshkhelghat, is a difficult one that always pronounce incorrectly since it has sounds that
dont exist in English; therefore, they cannot just pronounce it correctly, and it will not change my
identity. I am a persian. And it doesnt show that my name or my language is inferior if they cannot
pronounce it. Each name in each language has its own meaning in that language.
I think originality and nobility if we try to anglicize or change or name for convenience.
cultural loss
Anita
I Have a Dream
1- In paragraph three he implies the words of constitution and the Declaration of Independence.
According to these promissory notes, all people have equal rights of life, liberty, and happiness.
All people are equal despite the skin color.
At the end of paragraph 4 he repeats Now is the time to. In paragraph 10 he repeats I have a
dream that. Also he repeats Let freedom ring from and we can never be satisfied.. In my
opinion repetition and rhythm are the features of poems.
I think by using rhetoric, effective and persuasive speech, repetition, rhythm, and metaphor he could be
more effective and persuasive. He invited people to conduct their struggle on dignity, trust,
brotherhood, and peacefully. His rhetoric was promising.

2- manacles of segregation
chains of discrimination
bank of justice
vaults of opportunity

doors of opportunity
quicksands of racial injustice
solid rock of brotherhood
sweltering summer of the Negros legitimate discontent
invigorating autumn of freedom and equality
whirlwinds of revolt
palace of justice
mountain of despair
stone of hope
symphony of brotherhood
I think metaphors help to understand the meaning of words better. By using metaphors we identify one
thing as being the same as another thing which is unrelated.