“The Big Valley” by Mark Arax
“The Big Valley” is written about the changes that occurred over the years in the central valley of California. Farming has had to evolve with the times and if a grower can’t keep up then they lose their business. Constant advancements in technology and techniques are changing the face of the agricultural business and family farms are being bought out by corporations daily. At the end of the story the author reveals that his father, who taught him so much, was murdered and it left him with so many questions. He tries to live his life making his own little vegetable garden on his land where he plants a tree while others’ lands are being bought out.
Favorite lines:
” Like my grandfather and father, I am a backyard farmer with too little land for my dreams.” (Pg. 19)
“As another orchard gets plowed under out there, I plant another pomegranate or apricot tree back here.” (pg.26)
The reading made me think of the drive to Fresno on I-5 and HWY 99. When the author talked about how semi-trucks cross the separation line between the two sides of the freeway it made me visualize the many large trucks that drive those roads at all hours. Also when you’re driving in the valley there is so much brown and flatness that the land looks desolate and depressing.
I didn’t realize how much agriculture was done in the Fresno area. I was surprised to learn that the future is big producers of milk, grapes, tomatoes, peaches, nectarines, plums, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and olives.
“Transients in Paradise” by Aimee Liu
“Transients in Paradise” is a detailing of the superficial world we live in and how we ignore the dark reality of mankind. The author shows how a homeless person is no more transient than a rich Hollywood executive because we have all been placed here for a short time. The distinction that needs to be made is do you go with the rest of society and buy lavish toys, get plastic surgery, and eat out all the time or do you pay attention to the homeless man on the corner and the fact that the city is covering up all it’s filth with expensive boutiques and fancy clothes.
Favorite lines:
“If not hunger for beauty, what lies beneath the tucked, lifted, plumped and painted flesh of this town’s trademark denizens?” (pg. 29)
“We are all transient of one kind or another. On our way into or out of wealth, into or out of sanity, beauty, love, health, or death.” (pg. 32)
The reading made me think of the many reality television shows on the air that are following around socialites and people that aren’t worth much more than a pretty face. It seems that Beverly Hills and cities like it portray a certain image and it attracts more people to it for that reason. Then people get caught up in the social pressures and conform to be exactly like everyone else. These people are blind to the reality of many Americans who don’t even have a bed to sleep in.
I didn’t know that Beverly Hills has no hospitals, high-rises, garbage dumps, junkyards, or cemeteries.
“Showing off the Owens” by T. Jefferson Parker
“Showing off the Owens” is about the author taking another novelist from New York, into the back country for some trout fishing. The author is proud of the land and its plentiful offering of fish and he enjoys getting to show it off to someone from a different part of the country.
Favorite line:
“The sky was gunmetal gray and the parched red flanks of the canyon angled down to the blue jewel of river flowing hard to the south.” (pg. 40)
The reading made me think of my many trips to various camping sites where I did a lot of fishing. There is something about the clean air around rivers and just hanging out on the banks and catching some fish. Then to bring them back to camp and clean and cook them right then… the fish taste so fresh and delicious when their eaten that quickly. Mmm…
I had never heard anything about the Owens River prior to this reading.
“The Distant Cataract about Which We Do Not Speak” by Mary Mackey
“The Distant Cataract about Which We Do Not Speak” is written about the peaceful and spiritual experiences the author has encountered while visiting the American River in Sacramento. The “distant cataract” refers to the sound of the freeway, the hustle and bustle of a crazy city life that one hopes to leave behind for awhile when coming to the riverbanks. The river sees know race, color, or religion as it accepts people from different countries and many different animals.
Favorite lines:
“Quacking in panic, the ducks scatter like swimmers who have just realized that the log floating toward them is actually a crocodile.” (pg. 46)
“Above the lanterns, a full moon rose into the sky, bright and large as the second sun. The flames swirled in the current, the night primroses blossomed, the beavers were silent, and for a few moments the American was a river of light.” (pg. 49)
The story reminded me of swimming at Lake Berryessa where it is within a half an hour from many major cities, but when you’re there you feel so secluded and far from it all. One time I was in a boat and we drove passed a rattlesnake that was swimming from one bank to another. I did not know that rattlesnakes swam so it scared me to death that I could potentially come across one when swimming.
I did not know that beavers are crepuscular animals and I didn’t know that crepuscular meant that they are mammals who are active at dawn and at dusk, when the light level is low.
Compare & Contrast
Each author has their expression of the beauty of the land and it’s creatures as well as the ugly parts of our state. In “The Big Valley”, Arax describes the country as being “right outside my window” (pg. 26) but then he also describes “ten minutes outside Fresno, the strip malls and gated communities” (pg. 21) that are ran by corporations taking over the farm lands. In “Transients in Paradise”, Liu is a bit more cynical in her writing, but I cannot say I disagree. She describes the filth of materialism and wastefulness by the rich or aspiring, while the handicapped homeless man is doing whatever he can to make a buck. In “Showing off the Owens”, Jefferson Parker points out the encroachment on country by chains such as In-N-Out Burger and blockbuster movies, but does a really great job at pointing out the beauty of the land with and our fascination with it. In “The Distant Cataract about which we Do not Speak”, Mackey describes the beauty of the river and how it unifies all creatures through its purity. She points out that the buzz of the city is near, but here it is blocked out and ignored.
Classmates
1. Angelina learned that San Francisco is known for being the forefront of the new "green wave" that is sweeping our nation.
2. Diana found out that the Pomo Indians practiced the religion of Shamanism.
3. Gabriella said that the building of the Golden Gate Bridge started on January 5th 1933 and was completed on May 28, 1937.
4. Garin learned that the California Gold Rush began when James Marshall discovered gold at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California in January 24, 1848.
5. Jennifer said that the discovery of gold in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada began one of the darkest times of sexual assault and mass murder against the native people of California.
6. Karen found out that the Yurok Tribe is a Native Americans tribe who live at the Klamath River in the northwestern part of California.
7. Mary learned that Gone with the Wind was the most expensive film of the decade costing $4.25 million.
8. Nicholas learned that adobe is primarily found in the southwest and California.
9. Rachelle found out that Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla setup many secret meetings where the topic was directed against the Spanish colonial government and foreign rulers of New Spain.
10. Tuo learned that Father Junipero Serra collected about $137 during the American Revolutionary War which he sent to George Washington.
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