Reflection 3: Chapters 5 & 6

Kristen Halbritter
October 19, 2016
COMM 320
Reflection 3: Chapters 5 & 6

Chapter 5

1) The movie ‘Inside Out’ 

“Are you able to recognize your emotions when you experience them?” -Looking Out Looking In, page 152

I would say I recognize my emotions pretty well when I experience them.  However, sometimes I don’t realize what I’m feeling until someone asks me whats wrong or why I’m acting a certain way. When my emotions are very strong, I for sure recognize them and can tell someone myself how I am feeling and will often express it.  For example, when I’m super happy, I’ll express that I am.  If I am feeling very frustrated and upset, then I’ll let people know why.  When my emotions are not as strong, I may not be super aware unless someone mentions something to me.

2) The TV show ‘Revenge’

“What emotions typically accompany a desire for vengeance?” -Looking Out Looking In, page 159

The first emotion that came to mind when I read this question was anger.  In my own experience, I would want revenge when someone made me angry.  A very mild example in my experience would be losing a soccer game.  I would want revenge on the opposite team, to beat them the next meet up after getting upset about losing or getting upset with a certain player on the team.

Besides anger, I think another emotion that can make someone feel revengeful is sadness.  I think of Ramases the Pharaoh of Egypt after Moses, through God, sent the plagues.  After he let the Israelites leave Egypt, Ramases shortly went after them. I personally think some of the reason as to why he wanted to go after them had to do with revenge and I can imagine he was especially feeling sadness as well as anger due to his country being in ruins and his son being killed by the final plague.

Chapter 6

1) The movie ‘Mean Girls’

“Does your language reflect the groups to which you belong?”  -Looking Out Looking In, page 188

I think so.  One time I was talking with a friend about a certain program she wanted to join and she went on to explain that the people in the program speak a certain way.  She told me they speak more intellectually and proper than the average student and that she appreciated that and wanted to be a part of that.  I think some of the things I say reflect the groups of people I spend time with.  For example, I sometimes say things in Samoan because I was good friends with a Samoan family/community that would constantly use those words.  I also have certain sayings that only people in a certain group would understand or find relateable and funny.  For example, the saying, “cut me a piece.”

2) Language and Heritage

“Can you think of words and names that others use for you that denote their relationship with you,  similar to how hearing the word “Mi’ja” led Sandra Cisneros to think of her father?” -Looking Out Looking In, page 207

a.  Yes, when someone calls me “Kris” it reminds me of an old friend I no longer have contact with.  They always called me that and hardly no one else called me that.  So when people on occasion call me “Kris” I immediately think of them. 

b. “If you know another language, describe how certain concepts are difficult to translate from one language to another. Discuss the role that culture plays in this phenomenon.” -Looking Out Looking In, page 207

I don’t know another language fluently, but I know that my great grandmother had this joke she would say in Oneida and my mom told me she asked her to tell it in English and my great grandma responded with “It wouldn’t be as funny!”
I have also seen different words that represent feelings or things that we don’t have words for in English.  For example, the Filipino word “Gigil” that is a word used to describe ‘the urge to pinch or squeeze something that is irresistibly cute.’ -mentalfloss.com 
I can imagine that different languages have words for different things because it is more of a common thing to happen in the culture that the language is a part of.  Furthermore, the feelings or things that we don't have words for in English happen more or are used or felt more in other cultures that the language is a part of.