Blog Analysis

Jess, a freshman student from the University of Indiana, did an analysis of my main blog - Before the Sun Sets, for her English 201 class. I am republishing here the unedited analysis which first appeared on Jess' blog as a way of expressing my gratitude. Jess is very new in the blogging field. I hope this analysis would spark the readers' interest on her blog and pay it a visit.

Blog Analysis #1: Before the Sun Sets

The implied thesis as I saw it is that through believing in yourself and appreciating what you have, you can achieve great friendships and leave something very memorable in your wake as you age.

The blog "Before the Sun Sets" is a very well written one, and it is written mostly in the style of a story. The writer, known on the site as Julehya, is a ninety year old woman from the Philippines. Her blog is a chronicle of her life, spanning from her childhood to the present. Clearly, her writings tell of a time long past, but some truths she has to tell still ring true today. Julehya grew up in the Philippines where missionaries were frequent visitors. She moved to the city from the mountains, and had to adjust to a totally new lifestyle there. She attended a school funded by missionaries, and she worked in a convent for the nuns in the summertime (Juleyha). She does not write much concerning the political perspectives of that time, but she does reveal some things in the way of religion and social attitudes. Though she was in school around eighty years ago, it seems that the attitudes of grade school children were similar to when I was a child. Growing up, neither Julehya nor I had very much money. Therefore, we wore hand-me-down clothes and were picked on at school for it.

The main theme in Julehya's blog seems to be friendship. In the beginning, she was nervous about making friends. As time passed, she came to make friends and spent a great deal of time laughing with them. In this way, we are very similar. However, since we come from different times and different cultures, we have many differences as well. She speaks of different social classes in her childhood, and of how they were treated in different ways. Today in America this is true to an extent, but not to the extreme that it was in the Philippines in the early 20th century.
Julehya writes her posts like a storyteller, with the quality you would see in a novel. She describes people and places in great detail, including herself and her emotional responses to these people, places, and even events. The only reason there would be to doubt her truthfulness is that her writing is of such high quality and it is so interesting. I do not believe that she is not telling the truth. She just wants people to hear the story of her life.

The writer's stated purpose for the blog is telling her life story to anyone who wishes to hear it. I believe she wants people to remember her culture and the lessons she has learned throughout her life. She wants her grandchildren to have something to look back on and learn something about her and their heritage. She wishes to pass on the wisdom she has gained through experience from friends and family during her ninety years on Earth. The words of her father, "hate warps your being," (Julehya) stayed with her through her life, and allowed her to live a full life and make good friends.

The writer communicates her childhood so effectively and even uses pictures of her own to show the topics she is talking about and how they have changed. The way she describes her feelings on subjects are so detailed and well expressed that she gives a definite sense of honesty in her writing. The intended audience seems to be people interested in reading about the life of an ordinary girl 75 years ago, and also her descendants. I believe that this blog is very well written, and relates to young women and the friendships they make in their childhood. Friendship lasts a long time, and even people who are very different can be the best of friends. When you are gone, make sure you leave behind a legacy that can help people to learn and grow.Thank you for sharing and great job