3.2 Quoting and Responding to Turkle’s Essay

Referring to the “Quotation” exercise in the packet, quote a passage from Turkle’s chapter titled “Romance.”  In your response, include an explanation of the context the quote appears in.  What is going on in this part of her essay?  What is Turkle discussing in the nearby sentences and paragraphs?  Do you notice her using any “elements of narrative”?  Who are the “characters” in this essay?  Is there “action” or “conflict” that these characters are involved in?

In light of this context, what do you think the significance of the passage you’ve quoted is?  What does the quoted passage do to you as a reader?  How do you think it contributes to the essay as a whole?  Does it develop the “action(s)” Turkle is narrating?  Does the passage analyze the “action” or the “characters”?  Is Turkle making a “point” in this passage?  What exactly is she saying? Explain!

 

12 thoughts on “3.2 Quoting and Responding to Turkle’s Essay”

  1. Passage: “the call leaves Adam feeling bereft and then angry. He writes Tessa an email to tell her that what she is asking for would destroy any relationship. “I said that when she doesn’t get what she wants she’s petulant and childlike. Which is damn true… But I didn’t call her and say, ‘Hey, I want to talk to you about
    this.’ Why didn’t I level that charge face-to-face?”

    Explanation: This passage shows the conflict between the characters Adam and Tessa. whats going on is that Adam received a call from Tessa telling him they breaking up and so Adam becomes moody/sad and wrote to Tessa.
    – Sherry Turkle uses “element of narrative” plot to tell us how the relationship between the two characters evolved the quoted passages above show us the end of the relationship.
    – In the nearby sentences/paragraphs, Turkle discusses the effects of the breakup on Adam. “When Tessa broke up with him he was plagued with self-doubt.” Also, Turkle talked about how Adam felt that he could only communicate with Tessa through emails, but that only led to hurting her more.

    In light of this context: the purpose of this passage and the ones above/below it was to signal that the story was almost ending. As a reader, the passage made search up certain words that I didn’t understand, and it made me question the character’s actions. I think this passage showed that Adam is sensitive, and doesn’t like to confront his problems face-to-face. the point that Turkle was trying to make in this passage was that the “media ” serve as an easy/quick way to deal with our problems. An example of that is how Adam reacted to the breakup instead of going to talk to Tessa about it, he just sent an email.

  2. Quote: ” Adam says that early in their relationship, Tessa would sometimes present him with a problem, and his first instinct was often to suggest a solution. For example, sho told him about a misunderstanding with her thesis supervisor and Adam was ready with some advice. Adam tells me that giving Tessa advice was always a mistake.”

    Explanation: In this part of the passage/ article, Turkle is talking to Adam about his relationship and how when he was texting Tessa he had time to “reflect and revise” on what he had to say. In this part of the article Adams conflict or problem is that in face to face conversations he can’t give Tessa advise about anything because when he does she’s quick to jump in him and tell him that he’s not listen to her, ( so basically how she feeling about it) that he’s just trying to fix the problem. But when he texting her he has time to reread and really think about what he should and shouldn’t say.

    This part of the passage is significant because it shows how in a way for some people texting may be a better self of them. This part for me as a reader makes me really think like wow in some situations that i’ve been in, I would’ve really rather have been texting the person instead of having a face to face conversation. Only because I would’ve had time to really think about what was best to say in the situation. I do think that this little part contributes to the whole passage because this is one of the many problems that Adam had and i’d also shows a solution to his problem. I feel like Turkle is trying to show readers that go through the same things, that there are ways to fix it in a way.

  3. I used a passage from the essay “The NOTHING Gambit,” it states “In the past, you could console yourself that a person ignoring you was perhaps busy with a family emergency. You could tell yourself all manner of improbable stories,” Meaning before social media developed the way it did now you would make up thoughts in your mind to comfort yourself when you message someone online and they don’t reply, one of them being that the person was busy attending to a family emergency. In the nearby sentences, Turkle goes into depth about the effect “The NOTHING Gambit” has on individuals and ways they deal with it.
    The narrative element I noticed she used was the character “Hannah.” The way Hannah was used I would say is to make the readers see things from Hannah’s point of view. The characters in this essay would be Hannah and the person she messaged, and the conflict I which occurs is Hannah sending an online message to a person who didn’t respond.
    I would say the significance of the passage I highlighted in the essay is to show how individuals, rather than thinking negative toward someone tries to cover up for them instead they don’t even seem to care about you or your feelings. This quote made me think of how people would think positive rather than accept what it is and move on. This shows how people tried to comfort themselves in an unstable situation, I think it analyzes Hannah because it seems like the way she would think. A point may be being made to show how individuals thought in the past to comfort themselves now that social media is more advanced things are becoming harsher with socialization.

  4. Passage: And when it happens to you, the only way to react with diginity is to pretend it didnt happen. Hannah decribes the rules: If people dont respond to you onine, your job is to pretend to not notice. “Im not not going to be that person who goes off on people saying, “Why dont you get back to me, blah,blah,blah”….Not cool. I’m not going to be, like, “Hello, are you still there? If you dont want to talk, just tell me. ”
    Exlanation: In this part of the passage i see Turkle trying to get a understanding of where Hannah is coming from, far as she want to know why bother if no one respond back, why get mad, why must you feel you have to respond? Hannah feels its not right to be rejected that if you dont respond back from a long period of time that you should have answer to why. Hannah is the character in this passage and the tone is she is disappointed, I sense she is aggravated. I see she is trying to get her point across to the speakers.

    This part of the passage is very important because I see alot of people act like Hannah and im one of them. this hits home, this is why i picked this passage. i get so angry when people dont respond back for a long period of time, but then you could be all on social media or whatever. i believe in hannah rule as just let a person know hey im busy right when im free ill hit you back. sometimes you dont have to go into your personal details a quick text not going to hurt. i also believe this passage is not really explaining what turkle is trying to explain about The Nothing Gambit. I mean sometimes you need to say something to get your point across. she said “you meet silence with silence” but i dont think thats the case in what Hannah is explaining. also she said Hannah behaior is what no one will ever do” thats a lie because im a living proof of a person that willdo what hannah does or did.

  5. Quote, “Adam says he wanted to be the more’open’ man that Tessa needed. He consoles himself that he gave it his best shot because electronic messaging allowed him to ‘pause and get it right’ in his exchanges with Tessa. ‘If Tessa and I [ had been a couple] at a time when emails and text messages were unavailable, I don’t think we would have stayed together”(pg 199).

    Explanation: In this part of the passage, Turkle has demonstrate how has social media changed the relationship between Adam and Tessa. In the situation, it seems like Adam feels appreciated about social medias such as emails and text messages have been innovated. This allows Adam to have control on texting and bring up more time to think what to say when he is texting Tessa.

    However, as a reader, I think this part of the passage is significant, because it feels like this might connect to the real world as Turkle is telling that how does social media has changing a relationship between a couple’s online and reality. For example, anyone who’s an introverted person, who does not like to talk or shy in the reality. But, she/he might be more socialized and confident on texting online.

  6. “But since so much of Adam’s relationship with Tessa took place online, this old question has a new twist . Online, Adam was able to ‘edit “ himself. Now, he wonders if he needs editing delays to be his best self”.
    Adam was able to showcase his best self online like we all do. Turkle tells us this early in this section of the essay this information so that we have background on how this relationship ended. Before this he was questioning himself about ‘“who am I outside of this relationship?”’ Character are being established because we are learning about Adam and Tessa’s behavior. The conflict is a man vs self one where Adam is question himself. I can relate to this quote back of past experiences where I have changed my behavior online for reasons that weren’t mine just for it to be a waste of time. It gives the reader a chance to connect to the text.

  7. Passage: “Adam looks for other examples that show how editing made him a better self. He pulls up a text he sent Tessa after a fight. Adam says that after this quarrel he was frightened, afraid of what would happen next. But in his text her lessened the tension by sending a photo of his feet, beneath which he wrote,”Try to control your sexual passion in seeing me in crocs and socks””
    QUOTED FROM CH: THE BETTER, EDITED, SELF
    PG 201

    Explanation: Adam is conveying how much of his true self he has manipulated to portray this perfect being for his partner Tessa.
    Its easier to build confidence behind a phone than in person. Adam’s anxiety would have caused him to corner Tessa into forgiving him, instead Adam hid his anxiety by humoring the situation. The conflict between Adam and Tessa causes Adam to re-evaluate whom he really is, Adam literally edits this persona into the Adam he wants to be; not who he really is.

    Finally, the understanding of this specific paragraph besides the point of Sherry Turkle attempting to draw the readers attention; is that in today’s social media we tend to edit ourselves. In many ways it holds a strong significance of how the outcomes of simple arguing would turn out to be. To be more detailed, it is well explained how Adam would have had a horrible anxiety attack but instead he covers those emotions by being humorous in text messages. To sum up, this paragraph leads to what the whole article is mainly about, we have representatives online rather than ourselves instead.

  8. “nothing” “the hardest thing” is that the person you text has the option of simply not responding– that is, with NOTHING. a conversational choice not really available in face-to-face talk.” This qoute really stands out to me because in flirtation text you can face a big dilemma, when you’re not getting the type of responses your looking for. In a text conversation you can be putting your all while the other person can give you answers that don’t really seem to give you that impression your looking forward to seeing. Most times this causes a conflict or a akward feeling, the conflict would be why isn’t the other person giving you nothing to talk more about or why is the conversation boring showing you how they feel towards you, not getting a reply is much worst but it is equally as bad when the conversation isn’t good either.

    The main conflict that can arise here is the feeling of you getting your feelings hurt because you’re not getting what you want, also the conversation just is boring so it doesn’t really last long and ends shortly this can cause a person to sit and think what was the problem. I believe the quote shows another side of getting rejected while getting a text back because the conversation is just boring or lacks a mutual feeling of interest from each other.

    Words that stood out to me were nothing, available, not responding.

  9. Passage from Romance by Turkle: Adam explains that in this last line he is trying to equate Tessa’s books and mind because she worries that she is ” not as smart as the people writing the books she owns.” But at his words, Tessa becomes defensive: ” Mind and books are sadly not equated.” Adam reassures her: ” Allegedly. I want to type/talk forever love.” This time, at his attempt to reassure, Tessa moves to cut the conversation off. She replies: ” I’ll let you go.”

    This part of the story shows not only the fact that they are growing apart as a couple, but the common problem of miscommunication and misunderstands that have among people talking to each other in general. Here Adam is trying to show his love, and she just keeps insisting on being negative. Sometimes in life people take what you say the wrong way and once you do or say something, you can never take it back, which can make people get upset with one another because they misinterpreted the situation. I genuinely don’t believe Tessa understood that Adam was giving her a compliment and that lead to her just writing him off without even thinking about what he might be feeling towards her. What people need to do is choose their words carefully and not get so caught up in their own world that they can’t see a loved ones good intentions.

  10. “Adam begins to answer his own question. He says that when he wrote his angry email, he could imagine Tessa receiving it instantly but had some protection from her response. When she did respond, by text, she told him he was wrong and laid into him Adam cannot bear to look at the text. He only says, ” she responded with something pretty brutal. ” He faced those cutting words on the screen but had not been willing to see her in person, perhaps saying such things.”

    Explanation: The relationship with Tessa and Adam is over and they both taking it in an unpleasant way. Adam send an angry message to Tessa and she responded back angry. I think the author was trying to show how usually relationship that end doesn’t end the right way.

    The quote shows the conflict of two character that once loved each other and now they dislike each other. The quote explain a life listen that when relationships end, their isn’t a mutual feelings towards each other. The people within the relationship have bitterness when it’s all over and they express their emotions.

  11. In the passage “Romance” the author Sherry Turkle states “although technology offers so much to the chase — new ways to meet, new ways to express interest and passion — it also makes a false promise.” This statement alone is a representation of what online dating truly is and how the passage containing this statement examples a whole term based around this fact called “friction-free”. Turkle goes on to say how people who are often talking and dating online end up with little experience when it comes to “face-to-face encounters”. A narrative element or a lack there of can be conflict. Seeing as how this term eliminates or could eliminate conflict by simply ditching someone and moving on to the next is a perfect segway to the fact that this heavily impacts the romantic relations of people dating online.

    With the context to this statement it serves to prove the point that technology has had a big impact on people not only in terms of development but in terms of love and communication. The quoted passage serves as a type of reality check to me as a reader. This concept has manifested itself into an actual term where as the people caught up in it realize it but continue on the path they’re on. Turkle mainly establishes this point by stating how people are unable form “secure attachments” and how technology itself in this case is a big step up but in reality it’s “a false promise”

  12. Copy and pasted *

    “It’s a game changer.” This short yet spicy quote speaks volume to the whole logic of online identity. In this case, apps. Liam, one of turkel’s ‘subjects’ says that Tinder which is a app basically eliminates the whole pickup line or trying to get to a romantic conversation because the app already does it for him. It’s important because it is so true that apps nowadays take away the traditional approach when speaking to people, some find this bad and some find it great. Personally this speaks to me due to me being very shy and it proves that apps nowadays really do most of the socializing.

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