Nonfiction Reading Response

Kicking The Bad Habit

By Robert K. Elder

Smoking has been around for a long time, and in the 1950s, it was extremely popular to always have a cigarette dangling from your mouth. The article “Kicking The Habit” by Robert K. Elder explains when it went out of style, why, and how tobacco companies responded. Based on the information the author gives in this article, I think that he’s against smoking.

Smoking became popular in the 17th century, and by World War Ⅰ, cigarettes were even in soldiers’ rations. In the 1960s, 42% of American adults were addicted. Tobacco companies used television to advertise with jingles and slogans, and they used celebrities to make smoking seem cool. There had been a few studies of a connection between smoking and some diseases, so many tobacco companies dressed up actors as doctors for their commercials to try to contro\adict this information. As soon as it was official that smoking can kill you, tobacco companies were instructed by Congress that they needed to put “warning labels” on cigarette packs, saying things such as, “Caution: Cigarette Smoking May Be Hazardous To Your Health”. As more knowledge about the dangers of smokng was obtained, these warnings turned into thing like this: “Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, and May Complicate Pregnancy.” Tobacco companies knew they were losing their adult customers, so they started to target children. They did things like create logos that were directed towards kids. The company Camel made Joe Camel, a cartoon camel mascot that they used to advertise.

Now that people know smoking cigarettes is unhealthy, companies have made a new product to solve this problem: electronic cigarettes. Even though e-cigarettes are not a bad as real ones, they still contain nicotine, which is what makes regular cigarettes addictive. Companies are targeting children again with this new product, by developing different fun flavors, such as cotton candy and banana cream pie.

Overall, the author is giving mostly negative information about smoking, which is making me think his views on it are negative as well. After reading this article, I understand the history of cigarettes and smoking. I knew that people smoked a lot more in the 1950s and 60s, but I didn’t know why until now. They had no idea how bad it was for them. I also think that its very unethical for companies to target children when they’re advertising cigarettes and e-cigarettes.

On this trip I learned many things about activists all throughout different times in New York. One of the most interesting things was how they used humor as a form of activism. The activists for bicycle safety used humor by dressing up as clowns and falling over on their bikes. I thought it was interesting how they would think of using humor to protest, but it got the attention they wanted.

I also thought it was interesting how the gay rights activists used violence against the police. I would’ve thought they would do something more peaceful, like give a speech like Martin Luther KIng Jr. They did get some results, but I was just surprised.

Reading Response

To Kill A Mockingbird

“Boy’s don’t cook.” Phrases like this and many others are loosely tossed around, especially in the 30s. The main character of Harper Lee’s “To Kill A Mockingbird”, Scout, is a girl, (a bit of a tomboy), and often gets told by various people that she can’t wear pants or be tough. Sexism is one of the main themes in this book. Even though she gets told these things, she still believes some gender roles, as did most people back when the book was written.

Every Christmas, Scout and her family go to visit Aunt Alexandra and her grandson, Francis. Aunt Alexandra forces Scout to wear a dress instead of pants every year. When Scout argues that it is difficult for her to play wearing a dress, Aunt Alexandra says that the kind of playing she should be doing should not have need for pants. She thinks that Scout should be playing with tea sets and dolls, instead of outside, with her brother. Aunt Alexandra believed that girls and boys each have specific clothes they need to wear and games they need to play. She says that Scout “could not possibly hope to be a lady if [she] wore breeches” Aunt Alexandra doesn’t respect Scout’s tomboyish personality, she judges people based on gender.

Also during Christmas, Francis told Scout that Aunt Alexandra was going to teach him how to cook. To this she replied, “Boy’s don’t cook.” This shows that back in the 30s there were defined gender roles for people. Everyone might not have believed in all of them, but everyone believed in some, whether they realized it or not. Scout didn’t agree with Aunt Alexandra saying that girls have to wear dresses and play with tea sets, but she still thinks that girls should be doing the cooking.

Before Scout and her family go to visit Aunt Alexandra and Francis, Scout’s Uncle Jack comes to visit them. Around this time, Scout begins to curse, saying things like damn and hell. Uncle Jack noticed this, and told Scout to stop. “You want to grow up to be a lady, don’t you?” he asked her. Uncle Jack thinks thinks that Scout should stop cursing because she’s a girl, and is supposed to be a ‘lady’ and have perfect manners. this shows that Uncle Jack doesn’t think she should be allowed to be tough, just because she’s a girl.

All of these unfair stereotypes prove that its important to respect everyone and their personality. Don’t just assume they are one way because they are a boy or a girl. Aunt Alexandra told Scout what type of games she was supposed to be playing and what she should be wearing, all based on her gender. Uncle Jack told Scout that she had to have nice manners because she was a girl. Scout told Francis he couldn’t cook because he was a boy. A lot of these stereotypes are part of the time period of the book and not modern day. We have made so much progress in terms of stereotypes and sexism from the 30s, and hopefully we can make more until there are no more left.