"A Coney Island Life":Literary Analysis

Many people live their lives as if there is always a tomorrow. When will they come to the realization that life is too short to take for granted. In “A Coney Island Life” by James L. Weil, he compares life’s opportunities to popular attractions at amusement parks. Weil uses Coney Island as a metaphor to convince the reader to make the best out of their life with no regrets.

The poem shows that life may have its struggles but when you work hard you will be rewarded for it. Just like in the poem, “on roller coaster ups and downs”, it also means that you will encounter unsteady roads, but all will be over when you finally come to a stop. In life, when you put the effort you will be rewarded for it. In the poem it states, “now arms filled with dolls I threw so much for”. After you have continuously been trying to knock over the pins, you are rewarded with a plush when you finally do. Even though some things make you want to give up and pull your hair out there is always a happy ending when you succeed.

This poem tries to use amusement park rides as a comparison to living life to fullest before your chances are all gone. It mentions, “I take perhaps my last ride”, meaning that you don’t know when the next opportunity is for you to accomplish something before your time is up. Some amusement parks are only there for a limited amount of time before it is gone until the next annual event. Weil also states, “how many more times round I have to catch that brass-ring-sun before the game is up.” Life can move so fast sometimes you won’t realize how much time you have wasted. There are so many things you want to achieve in a lifetime that each day must be a step towards that goal. If not, with a blink of an eye it is all over.

Weil uses Coney Island as a metaphor to convince the reader to live everyday a little more risky with the idea that there might not always be a tomorrow. We end up realizing how precious every minute really is. 

Brainy

Portfolio Reflection

Overall, I feel I have greatly improved this past semester. I never enjoyed the writing process growing up, so now I am glad to say that it is something I no longer find like a waste of time. I am very proud that I can make a boring essay sound somewhat exciting for the reader and for me. I have noticed that with some assignments I have trouble with my organization skills. In the next semester I will strive to plan out exactly where I want certain parts of my essay to be. This goal will make the assignment seem less stressful for me and would make it easier for the reader to distinguish my thoughts. Im excited for more obstacles to come my way in the next semester so it can teach to become a more advanced writer for the years to come. Please write a short comment answering the following questions:

What piece of writing did you like best in my portfolio and why? 

What did you like about my portfolio and sharing and what would you like to see me improve on?

Which of the writing traits (ideas, organization, voice, word choice) do you feel was most successful for me?

Which of the traits of writing would you like me to improve on in the coming semester?

First Semester Portfolio

sherylcheong.weebly.com

Westernization of Hawaii:Tourism (Final Draft)

      Roughly 1,500 ago with only the stars the stars to guide them, Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands first set foot on the Island of Hawaii. Soon after, settlers from Tahiti arrived. In 1778, Captain James Cook landed on Hawaii and from that point on Westerners began coming almost endlessly. In 1893, American Colonists illegally overthrew the Hawaiian Kingdom and in 1959 "The Aloha State" became the 50th state of the US. From that point on Hawaii began attracting tourists from all over the world with its magnificent sights and culture. Now the amount of foreigners are overpopulating the Native Hawaiians. With that, the first experiences of Western contact created the tourism industry in Hawaii.   
         Tourism is the largest single source of private capital in Hawaii. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, 8,028,744 visitors came to Hawaii in 2012. That is an overwhelming amount for our small island. It's a no-brainer that the population of pure Hawaiians are becoming extinct because of the exposure of Western contact. The Hawaii Tourism Authority also states that in 2012 the total visitor expenditure added up to $14.4 billion. That is 18.1% more than it was in 2011. It's amazing how much our tourism industry has grown throughout the years. Even though tourism has been a big benefit for Hawaii, it has led tourists onto this island with no way of getting them off. It has caused 8.4% of the population to identify themselves as multiracial with three or more different ethnicities, leaving with a decrease in pure Hawaiians. Western contact has been bringing more and more tourists and has contributed to Hawaii's economic success, but has created a devastation to the Hawaiian population.
      Over the years, Hawaii has been depending on the tourism industry. It provides a quarter of the labor force on the entire island. Now it's not only Hawaii that depends on tourism, but the workers too. If the popularity of tourism begins to decline, so will their income. Tourism is a $10 billion sector of the state economy and has contributed $232 million in tax. Without tourism, the economy would struggle greatly. Tourism has been a dependable and reliable source for everyone on the island.
       Tourism has led to the destruction of historical landmarks that are tied with culture, tradition, and lifestyle. The industry is continuously demanding hotels and resorts to be built, most times on sacred land. Reverend Kaleo Patterson, member of the Hawaii Ecumenical Coalition on Tourism and the Board of Directors of the North America Coordinating Centre of Responsible Tourism, states that, "When tourism takes away the land, it takes away access to the fishing grounds or the right to gather food or medicine, the Hawaiian loses a primary means of livelihood, and more important, meaning in life." Land is very valuable to a Hawaiian. That shouldn't be taken away from them. There have been occasions where Hawaiian families who have lived in a valley or along a river for generations have been forced to leave due to construction of a golf course or resort. Reverend Patterson also states that, "As Hawaiians struggle to regain a foothold on the land, tourism remains a major obstacle." The tourism industry is slowly destroying the lives of our natives, leaving them with almost nothing
       When Captain Cook first arrived on this island, the eyes of Westerners began to see new opportunities in Hawaii. At that time there was roughly 400,000-800,000 pure Hawaiians. Today, there are fewer than 8,000. In replace of those Hawaiians came Westerners that eventually brought tourists.Westernization has created the tourism industry in Hawaii to thrive for several decades. It has become a dependable source for the economy and for ourselves. We have to remember that even though tourism has been a big benefit to Hawaii it has taken the lives and culture away from the Natives, leaving them with only a memory of what Hawaii truly is.

Westernization of Hawaii: Tourism

      Roughly 1,500 ago with only the stars the stars to guide them, Polynesians from the Marquesas Islands first set foot on the Island of Hawaii. Soon after, settlers from Tahiti arrived. In 1778, Captain James Cook landed on Hawaii and from that point on Westerners began coming almost endlessly. In 1893, American Colonists illegally overthrew the Hawaiian Kingdom and in 1959 "The Aloha State" became the 50th state in the US. From that point on Hawaii began attracting tourists from all over the world with its magnificent sights and culture. Now the amount of foreigners are overpopulating the Native Hawaiians. With that, the first experiences of Western contact created the tourism industry in Hawaii.

      Tourism is the largest single source of private capital in Hawaii. According to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, 8,028,744 visitors came to Hawaii in 2012. That is an overwhelming amount for our small island. It's a no-brainer that the population of pure Hawaiians are becoming extinct because of the exposure of Western contact. The Hawaii Tourism Authority also states that in 2012 the total visitor expenditure added up to $14.4 billion. That is 18.1% more than it was in 2011. It's amazing how much our tourism industry has grown throughout the years. It has created a major impact in our social, political, and economic life. Western contact has been bringing more and more tourists and has contributed to its economic success. 

      Over the years, Hawaii has been depending on the tourism industry. It provides a quarter of the labor force on the entire island. Now it's not only Hawaii that depends on tourism, but the workers too. If the popularity of tourism begins to decline, so will their income. It is a $10 billion sector of the state economy and has contributed $232 million in tax. Without tourism, the conomy would struggle greatly. Tourism has been a dependable and reliable source for everyone on the island.
      The islands became known as "The Paradise of the Pacific." People became motivated to see the beautiful sights before they vanish forever. Hawaii's scenery is very memorable whether you live on the island or if you're just visiting. It's the perfect place to spend your summer vacation or honeymoon. Many tourists come to experience our very unique culture. That's a good feature of our tourism industry. They will become more informed about our land and history. Soon everyone will have more respect towards Native Hawaiians. Hawaii's landscapes and culture has brought people from all around the world.
     Tourism is the biggest and most profitable industry in Hawaii. Westernization has created the
tourism industry in Hawaii to thrive throughout the years. It has become a dependable source for the
 economy and for ourselves. Let's hope that it will continue to be successful for the years to come so that we can continue to spread aloha all over the world. 

Oceans of Nothing by: Sheryl Cheong and Lennon Sullivan

      Whenever fishermen go out to sea they always have to consider the dangerous possibilities of storms, squabbles, and sometimes even pirates. Now, a new problem is arising. Research from marine  biologist Boris Worm has proven that, " by the middle of this century, fishermen will have almost nothing left to catch." Overfishing, climate change, and pollution have contributed to the decrease of fish and damage of reefs and other natural habitats in the ocean. From the looks of the ocean, we must be more conservative with the items we take.
      With the decrease of fish in the ocean, the value of export trade has increased. The demand of seafood has grown intensively because of our dietary needs. In the past several decades the value of fish export trade has grown to $71 billion. 90% of the population of big predators like tuna and cod has almost been fished out of existence. This means that all the major seafood that we eat on a daily basis are slowly becoming extinct. Right now our best option is to eat sustainably harvested seafood. The Monterey Bay Aquarium gave out a list of options. By eating those certain types of seafood it will decrease the amount of fish being taken out of the sea. Several restaurants even agreed to sell sustainably harvested seafood. Now if we team up with other countries, it will ultimately restore our ocean's population.
      The use of overfishing has caused a diverse amount of fish almost to extinction. Before we know it there won't be anything left in the ocean to fish for. Knowing that, we have to be more cautious and conservative of the amounts of seafood we take out of the ocean. It is possible to restore our resources. The only way is for everyone to make an effort. If we lost all the fish in the ocean it would dramatically harm our economic, political, and social life.