Unit+1-Esther+Kim

__Classwork 8/26/11__

Family History Project-Esther Kim

__Homework due 8/18/11__


 * **A (Author)** || Hendrick Hamel, a Dutch man who explored Korea is the author. He became like a prisoner after his ship was wrecked. He has a very prejudiced view of Korea. Hamel reflects Korea negatively in his journal. ||
 * **P (Place & Time)** || The journal was written during the 17th century. He wrote it mainly in Korea. However, it also includes Japan and Holland. ||
 * **P (Prior Knowledge)** || Background knowledge of both Korea and Holland would be useful. ||
 * **A (Audience)** || The Dutch East Indies Company was the audience. ||
 * **R (Reason)** || Hendrick Hamel took the role of keeping records of the trip. He needed to make reports on what was happening. ||
 * **T (The Main Idea)** || He describes what is happening to other crew members as they live in Korea. He does not think Korea is a good and advanced country. This journal introduces Korea to the Europeans. ||
 * **S (Significance)** || It is the first account of Korea by an European man, introducing Korea to the Europeans. Moreover, this journal is subjective history since a lot of personal opinions were included. ||

__Homework due 8/17/11__
 * "The Historian’s Many Hats"**


 * Vocabulary **
 * -heretical:** believing in religious blasphemy
 * -faggot:** bundle of sticks or twigs
 * -Eucharist:** Christian ceremony honoring the Last Supper, in which bread and wine are consumed.
 * -abstain:** hold back, refrain from
 * -penance:** self-punishment, penalty
 * -beseeching:** imploring, begging
 * -source:** origin, authority

**Questions** -Hogsflesh is carrying out his penance by walking through the streets of market, carrying a faggot with hardly any clothes on. At the marketplace, he has to declare that his beliefs were heretical and that now he rejects those views. It can be said that the author is attempting to show that individuals at the time did not have much power to voice their own opinions. When those beliefs were thought to be heretical by the Church, people had to renounce their own ideas and take punishments.
 * 1. In section 1, Heretical Beliefs, the historian gives his account of a historical event. What is happening to Hogsflesh? What is the historian's “story” or main point of the article?**

-John Arnold claims that a historian has many roles. First, a historian is a record keeper as he or she organizes the information and keeps an account on that information. Second, one of the roles is an interpreter as a historian examines events and fills in the gaps and contradictions of them. Third, a historian is a detective since a historian questions the historical event’s importance and the evidences of that event. Fourth, a historian takes the job of being an analyst because one has to stay neutral and analyze the evidences and findings. Fifth, a historian is a philosopher. A historian has to consider our knowledge and ideas and question the knowledge. Sixth, a historian wears a hat of a synthesizer, being required to combine numerous ideas and works together. Last, a historian is a storyteller. He or she has to publicize history and make it widely known. I definitely agree with John Arnold’s thoughts about the diverse tasks of a historian.
 * 2. What are the roles of a historian defined by John Arnold? Do you agree or disagree with his assumptions? Can you think of any other roles?**

-Regarding sources with fidelity means that one should not make up history but instead, history should be able to be supported by evidences from their studies and sources.
 * 3. What is meant by “treat(ing) their sources with fidelity?” Remember to put your response in your own words. Why is it important to remember this when reading historical references?**

-A particular event can be analyzed in different ways since people have different perspectives when viewing things or events. In other words, they would have their own distinct ideas about a single happening. I think historians could interpret an event in my life in which I had to live in the United States for a while without my parents when I was in elementary school in various perspectives. Although I had a guardian who took care of me, being without a family for a rather long period of time was something that I have never experienced before at that age. While some might say that it was a worthy experience, others may argue that there was no need to live overseas when I could have just studied in an English speaking environment located in Korea.
 * 4. How can a single event be interpreted in more than one way? Can you think of an event in your life that historians could interpret with differing points of view?**

-When my older brother and I were younger, we had a discussion about whether being older is better or not. While my brother asserted that it was worse since one had more responsibility, I said that it was better because one would be more mature. The fact that we had differing opinions seems to be a reason why we both did not forget that incident. When we recall that event, it is clear that we both have our own thoughts and that we do not stay neutral. Likewise, when attaching meaning to history, a historian cannot be entirely evenhanded as everyone has their own beliefs.
 * 5. Talk to a family member or friend about something that happened to you both a long time ago. Examine how you both remember the incident and write about it. With that in mind, when attaching meaning to history, is it possible for a historian to be completely objective? Use examples from the incident you just discussed to reinforce your response.**

-Many problems can result when historians practice subjective history. Such problems would be history being no longer very historical but instead, more personal. By practicing subjective history, more personal meaning and emotions would be attached to history. Then, numberless versions of history would be stemmed. Still, subjective history can be helpful to the study of history since various perspectives on history would be given. On the case of my older brother and I, we remember the event in different ways because we had different opinions about the topic. This displays that history would be remembered or thought to be different by individuals since people have varying perspectives.
 * 6. What problems may arise when historians practice subjective history? In what ways may subjective history be beneficial to the study of history? Think back to the incident you just discussed with your family member or friend. Why did it make sense for you to remember the event the way you did and for the other person to remember it the way he or she did? What does this tell us about history?**

-Every historian is a storyteller because he or she has to make history known by the public. Granted, there would be countless versions of every historical events and we cannot trust every single accounts, but we can trust historians when they have supporting evidences to prove their versions of history.
 * 7. Why is every historian "a storyteller?" If all historians are storytellers and there are myriad versions of every story, can we trust historians? Why or why not?**

-After reading this passage, I became to think that history can always be questioned since history would be different depending on the individuals’ perspectives of viewing history. Now that I have explored these views, I will approach history by always leaving a gap for a new view of history instead of simply fully believing in a single version of it.
 * 8. How did your view of history and historians change based on this reading? How will you approach history now that you have explored these views?**

__Homework due 8/12/11__ -An understanding of culture is crucial to comprehend history because studying the culture provides various views to understand the historical events of people. Culture is the way of life adapted and accepted by the people. Moreover, history is the history of people, meaning that people make up history. Historical events can be analyzed by how they came from cultural trends, how and why they were either rejected or accepted by people, and how those events influenced or changed the people. In other words, by being aware of the culture, history can be interpreted. For instance, the reason why Italy was the first country to go through the Renaissance in Europe can be asserted when knowing its culture. Unlike other European nations, Italy had a strong economy and they were in constant contact with the Muslims, which allowed them to be exposed to the new ideas, inventions, and products. Culture is almost like a fingerprint of a group or a country as it displays the lifestyle of people and historical events can be traced when understanding the culture. Therefore, it is clear that the learning of culture is essential when comprehending history.
 * Why is an understanding of culture necessary in order to understand history?**