Part 1

Homework Assessment Analyze the Text “American History”

1. Compare and Contrast: Explain the contrast in Elena’s feelings toward her own home and Eugene’s house. Cite descriptive details that reflect these feelings.

2. Analyze: In what ways does this story reflect social issues facing America in the 1960s? Consider descriptions of Elena’s school and neighborhood, as well as Eugene’s mother’s reaction to Elena.

3. (a) What subject is Elena planning to study with Eugene?

(b) Interpret: What other reaso

Part 1

Homework Assessment Analyze the Text “American History”

1. Compare and Contrast: Explain the contrast in Elena’s feelings toward her own home and

Eugene’s house. Cite descriptive details that reflect these feelings.

2. Analyze: In what ways does this story reflect social issues facing America in the 1960s?

Consider descriptions of Elena’s school and neighborhood, as well as Eugene’s mother’s

reaction to Elena.

3. (a) What subject is Elena planning to study with Eugene?

(b) Interpret: What other reasons might Ortiz Cofer have for calling this story “American

History”?

4. Essential Question: What does it mean to be “American”?

What have you learned about American Identity from reading this selection?

Part 2

1. Use the chart to identify conflicts Elena faces in addition to the main conflict.

For each conflict you note, identify at least one story detail that supports your answer.

 

Elena vs An Outside Force Elena vs Herself

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. (a) In the last scene of the story, why does Elena say that her tears are just for herself?

 

(b) In what ways does the assassination of the president both add to and minimize the

importance of Elena’s suffering? Explain

ns might Ortiz Cofer have for calling this story “American History”?

4. Essential Question: What does it mean to be “American”?

What have you learned about American Identity from reading this selection?

Part 2

1. Use the chart to identify conflicts Elena faces in addition to the main conflict.

For each conflict you note, identify at least one story detail that supports your answer.

Elena vs An Outside Force Elena vs Herself

2. (a) In the last scene of the story, why does Elena say that her tears are just for herself?

(b) In what ways does the assassination of the president both add to and minimize the importance of Elena’s suffering? Explain

Do you figure the war is going to fit in with your ideas? While everybody else is taking life, I’m gonna be saving it. That’s gonna to my way to serve (Hacksaw Ridge, 2016). The film “Hacksaw Ridge” is based on the true story of Desmond Doss, a world war ii first class medic who refused to carry a weapon on the battlefield and saved 75 of his comrades in the battle of Okinawa with his bare hands. At the beginning of World War 2, young Americans wanted to join the military and take up arms to serve their country. Doss also wanted to serve his country, but his beliefs kept him from using and carrying weapons. He was shunned by his comrades and superiors in the war years, when much of this foolishness was incomprehensible. But despite this he did not give up his faith. He was recognized by all his comrades in the brutal war. He saved more than 70 comrades’ lives from the Japanese army without any use any weapons. Hacksaw ridge is a very meaningful war film, which was recognized by the audience when it was just released. Audiences can learn a lot of knowledge that cannot be seen in life while watching this film, such as the respect for life and the persistence of faith. Although the film is based on doss’s true story, at the end of the film doss and his wife live happily ever after until her death from brain cancer in 1991. But the fact that doss was so traumatized by the war is not introduced in the film. The film makes doss a national hero, but it doesn’t show the pain a hero has to endure.

Hacksaw ridge is based on the true story of Desmond doss, Desmond Doss is the only U.S. soldier in history to receive the congressional medal of honor without killing an enemy. His respect for life and his fearless spirit made him reach the height of a god, and he brought warm redemption to people in the cruel war. The story begins on April 1, 1942, when a young country boy joins the U.S. army. Like other young americans, he wanted to help his country, but he was a devout Christian. He wanted to be a medic to help his fellow soldiers in battle, but he refused to carry a weapon. He refused to use weapons because god taught them not to kill. Because this special request, causes the doss to be hated by the comrade in arms, is targeted by the officer. He was also court-martialed by his superiors for withdrawing him from the army, saying he was mentally ill(Leepson 2008). But he never gave up, and eventually he became an army doctor. At first the soldiers thought him an anomaly, distrusted him and insulted him. But doss never cared, and in every battle he risked his life to save his comrades from the front lines. Eventually he was understood by everyone, and before the war began, soldiers would ask doss to pray for them, and he became their patron saint. But the World War was so cruel that while saving others, doss himself suffered incurable injuries. Doss was wounded four times during the battle of Okinawa, losing a lung and five ribs in one battle, leaving the army in 1946 because of tuberculosis. It took him five years to get treatment for tuberculosis, which kept doss in poor health. In 2006, doss died at his home.

Since hacksaw ridge is based on the true story of doss, there are no fictional stories in the film. And hacksaw ridge is a documentary film, so the director did not add fantasy elements in the film, everything is shot in the real world. The director adhere to the “pure film” all scenes using live action, including “devils” fire scenes is the use of special fire “burner” reality directly, and the film team without using 3d technology, design tools, under the condition of the three dimensional animation software, 3d model with clay sculpture geometric reduction battlefield ravines. In order to recreate the brutal battlefield of World War 2, MEL Gibson blew up an Australian farm and disguised it as the top of a hacksaw ridge, successfully capturing tens of thousands of square meters of bloody battlefield scenes（Sohu 2016). Although the plots in the film are all real events, the director needs to compress and adapt some stories to a certain extent due to the length and demands of the film. For example, in the movie, doss went to donate blood in order to attract the attention of his beloved woman. But in fact, doss went to donate blood because he heard an appeal on the radio for people to donate blood for a person suffering from a car accident(Ivan 2016).

Desmond doss had a “bad history” of military denial, but he signed up for the service himself, was court-martialed for refusing to use a weapon, and was decorated by U.S. President harry Truman himself for saving 75 of his comrades with his bare hands on the battlefield.If it weren’t for the fact that there was this man and these things in history, I would have thought this was a story written by an imaginative writer. However, in order to make the film more realistic and make the story of doss more believable, the director changed the story to be closer to people’s lives. As in the case I mentioned earlier, the real doss is donating blood to help people in car accidents.But in order to make the film more interesting and authentic, the director changed the story into doss, who donated blood in order to gain the attention of beauty(Ivan, 2016). Although the film hacksaw ridge is completely based on the story of doss, the director changed some small details in order to make the film more interesting and close to people’s life, otherwise the film would be hard to believe and lack of interest. However, the focus of the film is still on dawes’ insistence on his faith and dedication. These subtle changes have not affected the emotion and shock that the story should bring to us, but have made the film more vivid and easier to understand.