"When the Other Dancer Is the Self" Discussion #1
1) Walker used specific memories from her past to display how she was feeling about herself at the time. Showing that your perception of yourself directly effects how you're feeling. She explained a moment when she was a little girl, before her accident in which she was chosen to go to the fair with her father out of all the kids. "I'm the prettiest" she said. And she was not surprised that he chose her because of this. Once the accident happens, she starts to relate all things in her life to her eye. She's doing worse in school, had to move in with her grandparents, and hid when company came to visit. She recalls keeping her head down and cursing at her eye. All of these to show how down on herself she was. When her brother takes her to have the scar removed, she recalls almost immediately seeing a change in her life. She ends up with the man of her dreams and class valedictorian. Everyone says that she didn't change after the accident, and once she sees it for herself she believes. She remembers times in her life when she's feeling badly about herself because of her eye, then being appreciative when she thinks about the fact that she can still see the beautiful desert.
Shooting an Elephant Discussion #2
Orwell shot the elephant because it was the right thing to do. The elephant killed a man, even if it the man was a Coringhee coolie. He was still a person and the elephant was a raged animal. Like Orwell says in his story "like a mad dog, if the owner fails to control it, it has to be killed". I believe he killed the elephant because of circumstantial motives. He couldn't just do nothing and this kind of incident doesnt happen everyday. I think Orwell was only having second thoughts that he killed the elephant as a personal motive because some people were upset about the shooting. Animals are usually caring and loving and it is sad when they have to die but it did because it broke its chain, killed a coolie and destructed numerous things in the town. It was difficult to categorize it because of his comments at the end of the story and how he was having second thoughts asking himself if he killed the elephant to avoid looking like a fool. He is a police officer and its his job is to protect the people in his town no matter if its people he doesn't like or that don't respect him.