Assignment 4a: Group #2

Essay 1

1. Write the story title and author name.
Ode to Caltrans by Hector Tobar

2. Summarize the reading in one brief paragraph.
In this short story, author Hector Tobar reflects on his years growing up in California. He describes his childhood memories with parodies involving his fascination with the California freeway system. Tobar begins by comparing the California freeways to freeways that are located outside of the United States. His description of the foreign speedways includes their lack of highway etiquette and traffic laws, emphasizing his appreciation for the roads back home. Tobar then goes on to explain that there is a special relationship between Californian’s and their freeways. His personal bond started when he was a child, believing the freeway symbolized the path home. However as he grew up and lost his innocence his relationship with the freeway became more and more jaded. Tobar began to view California’s highway as a transportation danger zone and the source of foul pollution, even going so far as to avoid the freeway when he had to drive his wife to the hospital while she went into labor. However, despite his negativity he still maintains a respect for California’s interstate because it not only provides him with a connection to other locations but it also provides him with a connection for his memories.

3. Which was your favorite sentence or paragraph.
“The Law of Evolution has dictated our adaptation into homo californius mobilius, and clever tool-making — the hands-free cellular phone, the multi-CD player, and the radar detection device — has saved our breed from extinction.” (pg. 52)

4. What did the reading make you think of?
This reading made me think of the dangers of freeways. Recently one of my best friends almost got into a bad car crash. It was the first rain of the month and the roads were deceivingly slick. Somehow she lost control of her wheel and hydroplaned into the next lane. As she trained to regain control, her car began to spin out and she landed in headfirst in a lane of oncoming traffic. Miraculously, traffic was light so she had just enough time to pull over to the shoulder of the road. When she told me this story I realized just how much I have been taking our freeway systems for granted. It only takes a minor slip-up to create a huge disaster. Her story has struck a much-needed fear in me and I am much more cautious driving on the highway now.

5. What is one thing you did not know before you started the reading that you now know.
I learned that speed limit in foreign countries does not effect the abundance pedestrians. There is little law abidance and hardly any form of transportation etiquette. While I was aware that foreign countries show less of an emphasis in traffic regulation, I was still surprised to learn just how little of these rules are stressed.

Essay 2

1. Write the story title and author name.
Montavlo, Myths, and Dreams of Home by John Steinbeck

2. Summarize the reading in one brief paragraph.
Thomas Steinbeck believes that California has been full of myths all throughout its existence. These myths have sparked an interest in non-residents for centuries. This type of description began with the Spanish Revolution and its literary insurrection of the Spanish Romance novel. Steinbeck claims that the fourteenth century author Garcia Rodrigues de Motavlo expressed one of the earliest examples of a California “myth”. In one of his novels Motavlo briefly describes a “lush and fruitful paradise, a utopian island set in the western sea” (pg. 64), which was believed to capture the beauty of the land of California, and lead to the naming of the state. As time went on explorers such as Cortez and Louis and Clark explored this rumored paradise. In reality the California Myth has a way of reinventing itself. It changes as fast as the trends and is believed by native Californians as the way of outsider thinking. However Steinbeck believes that even native residents contain a form of the California Myth: nostalgia. Many often mentally reference the California of fifty years ago, stuck in a cycle of re-imagining the past. Steinbeck admits that his California Myth involves The Big Sur. Steinbeck considers this spot to be a beautiful and magical California gem. He writes that ultimately it is these California Myths that have shaped California into the only state of its kind.

3. Which was your favorite sentence or paragraph.
“[…] the book was an instant bestseller among the lesser nobility, and soon an object of moral suspicion for the Church fathers. In short, things were looking up all around.” (pg. 63)

4. What did the reading make you think of?
This reading made me think of the first time I moved to California. Just like the story, I fell victim to the California Myth. I dreamed of mile-long beaches and endless summers. I was moving from Seattle, known for its constant rain, and realizing that California received only a quarter of such weather was an unfathomable concept. Now I have lived in California for twelve years and I have yet to hold on to some aspects of my old Myth. I still believe California is an amazing state and I still love that there are regions with mile-long beaches and practically endless summers. However I live in a region with a moderate climate and colder beaches. I still don’t consider these setbacks, and I like to think of myself as a permanent Californian. I have come to appreciate the diversity of cultures and diversity of regions. No matter my place of residence, I will always bring a piece of my own California Myth with me.

5. What is one thing you did not know before you started the reading that you now know.
I learned that California was named after a Spanish novel. I was never aware of the history of behind the state’s name. I always assumed it was the product of explorers or missionaries, not the result of a literary reference.

Essay 3

1. Write the story title and author name.
The Last Little Beach Town by Edward Humes

2. Summarize the reading in one brief paragraph.
Seal Beach is one of the last original beach towns. It has maintained its charm and small town feeling despite its upper class neighbors. While beaches such as Newport, Huntington, and Laguna are all known for their lavish houses and pristine surroundings Seal Beach has maintained a friendly, family-oriented beach hideaway. While other So Cal towns have been bombarded with chain stores Seal Beach thrives with local businesses. Unfortunately this relaxed way of living might have seen its last days. Humes reports that Seal Beach is slowly falling victim to commercial development due to money issues.

3. Which was your favorite sentence or paragraph.
“I cant help but remember Crystal Cove and its vanished paradise, and just how fragile our dreams and myths truly are, at least ones that count.” (pg. 78)

4. What did the reading make you think of?
This reading made me think of the little town in Texas that my grandparents live in. Just like Seal Beach it is full of locally run businesses and everyone knows everyone. It contains a charm that is hard to find in many towns today. I believe this relaxing and close-knit lifestyle is underrated. It is an intimacy that accompanies daily routine. For some it may be a little claustrophobic but ironically, I find that visiting my grandparents is a refreshing escape. To me it is an escape from the busy, corporate-induced cities and an escape from the aloof encounters with other strangers.

5. What is one thing you did not know before you started the reading that you now know.
I learned that Seal Beach is one of the last Southern California beach towns that have stayed true to its local beach roots. I never expected it to be one of the last places to conform to corporate chain stores and ornate suburban development.

Essay 4

1. Write the story title and author name.
Surfacing by Matt Warshaw

2. Summarize the reading in one brief paragraph.
In this story, Warshaw describes a young surfer by the name of Jay Moriarity and his experience with Mavericks’ giant waves. Maverick’s is one of the most notorious and dangerous surf spots in California. It is known for its record-high waves and isolated location. Although Santa Cruz has been considered to be one of the best and first surf spots in the United States, its danger level is not quite as high. Just like Jay experienced, Maverick’s produces the most reckless swell in California. Even experienced surfers are highly aware of the risks that come with catching a Mavericks’ wave. Located in Half Moon Bay, Maverick’s used to be the sight of illegal alcohol smuggling during the prohibition era. Its rocky inlets were prime settings for secret booze drop-offs. The story ends with Moriarity just nearly surviving an uncontrollable undertow. He somehow makes it to the surface, his only injuries found in his board, which breaks in two. Nevertheless, jay captures the spirit of a true surfer by grabbing a new board, paddling out, and catching the last set of waves.

3. Which was your favorite sentence or paragraph.
“In the late eighties, a surf-magazine writer theorized that the essential requirements for big-wave writing is not courage, or daring, or fitness, but a placid imagination.” (pg. 87)

4. What did the reading make you think of?
This reading made me think of my first surfing experience. It was in Maui and it felt like such an accomplishment when I caught my first wave. When I think of big wave surfers like Jay, I have the utmost respect. Not only do they have an extreme amount of talent but they also have an amazing sense of courage. Every time they paddle out to catch a wave there is a possibility of injury or even death. Everything is put on the line for their love of the ocean and surfing. I see surfers in places like Bodega Bay run with their boards into thirty degree waters, and am in awe of their dedication. Surfing is a sport that demands respect not only for the surfers themselves but for the ocean as well.

5. What is one thing you did not know before you started the reading that you now know.
I learned that the first surfing in the United States took place in Santa Cruz in 1885. I always assumed it would have taken place in Hawaii and that it wasn’t a popular recreation until the twentieth century.