Hi! My name is... (what?) My name is... (who?)

     My name is Justin Irene. My family is Italian on my father's side (and German on my mother's side, which is why I don't look Italian at all), and the name Irene has been our surname for as many generations as we have been able to retain records of (about 5).

IRENE

- From Greek Ειρηνη (Eirene), derived from a word meaning "peace".

- GENDER: Feminine

     Although the name Irene is fairly common as a first name in the United States today, it is much more rare as a last name. According to data taken from the 2000 Census, "Irene ranks #51809 in terms of the most common surnames in America". The census reports that Irene had only 377 occurrences as a surname in the entire country. That's pretty cool to me! (Feel free to check out your own surname: http://names.mongabay.com/data/1000.html)

     Along with its rarity, my last name has put me in a few somewhat-comical situations. In elementary school, my friends and I joked about my last name being a "girl's name" and things like that. We all got a kick out of it, and some of my friends started calling me "Irene" rather than Justin. In middle school, a few of my teachers started calling me Irene (I'm not sure how that started) and it began to stick. When Hurricane Irene passed through North Carolina, my nickname changed from "Irene" to "Hurricane" for a while, which I didn't mind at all.

     My parents have received numerous letters in the mail addressed to women named "Irene Thomas", since my dad's name is Thomas Irene. Also, callers on the phone often ask my dad if they can speak to my mother, whom they believe is named "Irene Thomas". Sometimes these occurrences can be irritating, but overall my family and I think they are pretty funny.

     My name has never really had an ill effect on my life, at least as far back as I can remember, and I don't ever plan on changing it.

     In my opinion, names are part of what makes us unique. However, I characterize myself by my personality more than by my name. I rarely think of myself as Justin Irene, but rather as "me". I think that the name itself is more or less irrelevant; It can be anything. What is important is the person behind the name. I wouldn't have thought any differently about Beowulf had his name been Skagi Brynjolfson.

     Like Anna Quindlen, I believe that "there are two me's, the me who is the individual and the me who is a part of a family of four...". I act a certain way when I am around my family, not necessarily who I really am. I don't think that this is a bad thing, as it allows me to be an individual inside while still being a part of my family.

"Othering" and Other Things

Author:
Wing Young Huie

Date:
2007

Published:
Inside the Springs
http://know.wingyounghuie.com/

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Summary:

     At first glance, this photo may seem boring or dull. Especially so if the viewer's eyes are immediately drawn to the bare walls, the limited decorations in the room, and the modest appearance of the three male subjects of the photo. These traits may immediately give the viewer a sense of unexceptionality (that's not a word, but it should be) and disinterest.

     However, if the viewer takes a moment to look deeper into the photo, they will begin to notice that every object in the room has a purpose in telling the story.

     The main attention grabbers in this photo, at least to me, are the pictures held by two of the men seated in the photo. As soon as I saw them, combined with the appearance of the men and the state of their residence, I immediately guessed that they were migrant workers of some form. They hold what keeps them going each day: pictures of their loved ones who are still in their native country. The lamp sitting on the cheap folding chair lacks a lamp shade and the beds in the room are unadorned, showing either severe poverty or a poor taste in interior design (I would presume the former, not the latter). I noticed the book with the word "Larousse" on it and presumed (correctly) that it was some sort of language dictionary. The only thing in the picture that I did not immediately recognize its importance was the Disney-themed poster hanging on the wall behind a ceremonious lit candle. I initially thought it was just some cheap thing that the men found to spice up the décor in the room. Upon further examination, I found that it was in fact the their dream to one day visit Disney Land. "Only then would they know they had truly arrived". This was very powerful to me. It connotes the hope that the men possess, despite their hardships.

"Othering"

     Margaret Atwood, like Wing Young Huie, uses "othering" to convey ideas. While Huie uses his character's visual appearance and symbolic objects to represent greater meaning, Atwood uses her character's thoughts and actions. For example, the main character and narrator, Offred, is rebellious and defiant to the Gileadean regime through her thoughts. She constantly remembers her life from the past and how happy she was with her husband, Luke, and their young daughter. She is always contemplating the possibility of salvation, either through escape, or more likely, death. Although Offred no longer has any pictures of her family to hold and cherish, she keeps them alive in her mind through flashbacks. She always holds on to a thin shred of hope that she will one day see her family again.