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My Father's Life, Book 1

Posted by Lindsay Theile on February 12, 2001 at 14:58:26:

MAIN POINT/ARGUMENT: summarize in 2 or 3 sentences what you think was the author’s main point, message, or argument.
Book 1 of “My Father’s Life,” describes Edme’s upbringing and illustrates the key events and turning points in his childhood. These turning points, as well as his family life, help to shape Edme into the person he becomes.

EVIDENCE: note briefly one or two specific examples of the evidence that the author offered to support his main argument
Edme’s father plays a big role in his life. When Edme goes with his instincts and does certain things, like feeding the prisoner and planting the seeds in the field during the famine, his father reprimands him, but then realizes what a good boy Edme is.
Anne Simon, Edme’s mother, is his backbone in life and the person who I think Edme learns the most from while growing up. The support which she gives Edme and the love and understanding which the two have for each other, shows us how Edme grows up to be such a kind and thoughtful individual.

M.I.T. (most interesting thing): note the one aspect of the work that you found to be the most interesting.
Initially I wrote that I thought that Edme’s relationship with his father was the most interesting aspect of Book 1, but after reading Charleton, I now think that Edme’s relationship with his mother is the most interesting aspect of the Book because she influenced his life so much.

CONNECTIONS: note one or two ways the ideas in this reading relate to other works or subjects in the course—or with other materials familiar to you.
Every time I have reread parts of “My Father’s Life” or have read another piece that related to “My Father’s Life,” the connections which I make are always through Anne Simon. She has such a small, but very integral role in the story. Her image is projected through Bonnie Smith’s chapter “Changing Lives” and D. G. Charleton’s “Happy Families”.

PROMPTINGS/REFLECTIONS: note an idea or reflections stimulated by the work, including possible questions or topics for further consideration or research.
I think that it would be interesting to research Edme’s father more and find out why he acted the way he did. As Charleton mentioned, there was not a lot of work done on the progression of the man’s role in a family, and I think that it would be very interesting to look more into that.
Also, I think that Anne Simon’s role in Edme’s life is very important because Edme’s demeanor comes much more from learning from his mother’s actions than his father’s.

EVALUATION: your assessment of the reading, its argument, its persuasiveness, etc. Thumbs up? Thumbs down? Why?
I like the series of “My Father’s Life” a lot because it is a story line of how families actually interacted with each other. Instead of just clear cut facts, Rétif de la Bretonne tells us the true story of his father’s upbringing.

P.T. (perplexing thing): note briefly any ideas that you had trouble understanding or that seemed confusing—perplexities and uncertainties.
I kind of think that Edme’s father has some major emotional problems...it seems like he was always on the verge of either being the man society wanted him to be (through beating Edme, etc.) or being a loving father (crying after he beat Edme because he loved him so much). His whole background just seems very confusing and I’m not sure whether it was his upbringing or society which made him who he is.

KEY TERMS OR VOCABULARY: list the terms or words that seem to carry special significance in the work and it’s argument. Also list any term that you don’t know or are unsure of. Look words that you don’t know in a dictionary.
Patriarchy, motherhood, childhood, instincts

Reading Charleton influenced me to think deeper in terms of which parent played a more integral role in Edme’s upbringing. In “Age of Innocence,” we see that the child was mainly seen as an adult in the making, and that is how Edme’s father treats him, whereas Anne Simon treats Edme like a child. In “New Eve,” the role of the mother and her nurturing characteristics are explored in depth, showing the care and joy a mother possesses in raising her children, like Anne Simon.

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: MAIN POINT/ARGUMENT: summarize in 2 or 3 sentences what you think was the author’s main point, message, or argument. : Book 1 of “My Father’s Life,” describes Edme’s upbringing and illustrates the key events and turning points in his childhood. These turning points, as well as his family life, help to shape Edme into the person he becomes. : : EVIDENCE: note briefly one or two specific examples of the evidence that the author offered to support his main argument : Edme’s father plays a big role in his life. When Edme goes with his instincts and does certain things, like feeding the prisoner and planting the seeds in the field during the famine, his father reprimands him, but then realizes what a good boy Edme is. : Anne Simon, Edme’s mother, is his backbone in life and the person who I think Edme learns the most from while growing up. The support which she gives Edme and the love and understanding which the two have for each other, shows us how Edme grows up to be such a kind and thoughtful individual. : : M.I.T. (most interesting thing): note the one aspect of the work that you found to be the most interesting. : Initially I wrote that I thought that Edme’s relationship with his father was the most interesting aspect of Book 1, but after reading Charleton, I now think that Edme’s relationship with his mother is the most interesting aspect of the Book because she influenced his life so much. : : CONNECTIONS: note one or two ways the ideas in this reading relate to other works or subjects in the course—or with other materials familiar to you. : Every time I have reread parts of “My Father’s Life” or have read another piece that related to “My Father’s Life,” the connections which I make are always through Anne Simon. She has such a small, but very integral role in the story. Her image is projected through Bonnie Smith’s chapter “Changing Lives” and D. G. Charleton’s “Happy Families”. : : PROMPTINGS/REFLECTIONS: note an idea or reflections stimulated by the work, including possible questions or topics for further consideration or research. : I think that it would be interesting to research Edme’s father more and find out why he acted the way he did. As Charleton mentioned, there was not a lot of work done on the progression of the man’s role in a family, and I think that it would be very interesting to look more into that. : Also, I think that Anne Simon’s role in Edme’s life is very important because Edme’s demeanor comes much more from learning from his mother’s actions than his father’s. : : EVALUATION: your assessment of the reading, its argument, its persuasiveness, etc. Thumbs up? Thumbs down? Why? : I like the series of “My Father’s Life” a lot because it is a story line of how families actually interacted with each other. Instead of just clear cut facts, Rétif de la Bretonne tells us the true story of his father’s upbringing. : : P.T. (perplexing thing): note briefly any ideas that you had trouble understanding or that seemed confusing—perplexities and uncertainties. : I kind of think that Edme’s father has some major emotional problems...it seems like he was always on the verge of either being the man society wanted him to be (through beating Edme, etc.) or being a loving father (crying after he beat Edme because he loved him so much). His whole background just seems very confusing and I’m not sure whether it was his upbringing or society which made him who he is. : : KEY TERMS OR VOCABULARY: list the terms or words that seem to carry special significance in the work and it’s argument. Also list any term that you don’t know or are unsure of. Look words that you don’t know in a dictionary. : Patriarchy, motherhood, childhood, instincts : Reading Charleton influenced me to think deeper in terms of which parent played a more integral role in Edme’s upbringing. In “Age of Innocence,” we see that the child was mainly seen as an adult in the making, and that is how Edme’s father treats him, whereas Anne Simon treats Edme like a child. In “New Eve,” the role of the mother and her nurturing characteristics are explored in depth, showing the care and joy a mother possesses in raising her children, like Anne Simon. :

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