Question 4: Sequencing DNA

Sequencing the human genome of every child would be beneficial in many different ways, but also arises many ethical issues. At birth, the parents should have the option of seeing and sequencing their child’s genome. This would give them an exact copy of their child’s DNA. If they do choose to receive this information they would be able to predict and possibly prevent any genetic disorders their child may have. Knowing this information has both positive and negative effects. Knowing this information may place many implications on a child’s life, but not knowing may do so as well. If they do choose to receive this information, and find that their child does possess a genetic disorder, they might be able to take necessary precautions which would help minimize the effects of the disorder. However, it may also put limitations on the child if they know they are living with a harmful disease. This is why it should be available to everyone, but not forced, the choice should be up to the parents.

If the information is sequenced, there should be very limited access to it. Only the parents or legal guardians and anyone who would need to see it for medical records should have access. It is not necessary for any of the information relation to DNA to be public, so the access should be very limited and only visible to those whom it concerns. Having this information so easily accessible, may lead to the misuse of it. This issue brings up an ethical dilemma if those who have access to the information would be using it to benefit themselves instead of the person it belongs to. Therefore, the option to sequence everyone’s DNA at birth should be available, but people should have the choice to do so. Also if they do choose to do this the access should be very limited to only those who need it.

Reflection

After reading Out Stealing Horses, I didn't really like the book. I felt that it was hard to follow due to the amount of flashbacks. The flashbacks did make the book unique and unlike anything I've ever read before, but they did add a confusing aspect to the story. Also, it was a little boring. Trond's life wasn't filled with a lot of amazing events. He had a rough childhood, which made him hesitant to take risks. The book was also super depressing. The whole book was centered around the idea of Jon's brother, Odd, killing himself under Jon's watch is a very sad idea for a book. The one thing that I really did enjoy in this book though was the use of imagery. It really allowed the reader to get involved in the book and imagine themselves actually in the setting of the story. There were parts of the book that were super interesting where imagery was used to draw the reader into the story, while other parts were just written in normal language causing the reader to lose interest and become bored. Overall, I thought the book was decent but it wasn't consistently intriguing. It was different though and was based on a very creative idea for a story.

Reflection

Out Stealing Horses was a novel that gave me an insight into a complex Character. Trond was for than just 2-d, he had a rough childhood and even a rougher adult hood. Although the book had its high points, for the most part it was extremely slow moving. It seemed as though a large portion of the book was Trond reconciling and thinking about his past. It seemed like i also couldnt relate to Trond because of the character that he was. He was a quite man who lived in a lonely house in the middle of Norweigen woods. Only after about halfway through the book did we understand enough about Trond that we saw his hesitency to befriend his neighbor. Although there were prominent parts I didnt like, I enjoyed the way the book was written. It reminded me a lot of Cormac McCarthy's style, short and to the point. overall, I didnt mind the book but I might have enjoyed another read hearing from other books that students read.

reflection

After reading the book, All The Pretty Horses by Per Petterson, I thought it was fairly dull. It did not exceed to my expectations. I was not disapointed, I just got kind of bored while reading it. The most interesting part of the novel were Trond's flashbacks, but other than that I felt as if there was just writting to fill the pages. My favorite flashback was the one when Trond and Jon were out stealing horses at Mr. Barkald's farm. I thought it showed a more lively side of Trond where he didn't depict every outcome of the situation. It was refreshing seeing Trond get involved with something, being rebellious, and enjoy himself, instead of when he is old. When he is older it seems as if he only sulks on the past and doesn't do anything interesing. The plot didn't follow much of a storyline, and in my opinion, some of the thoughts were not connected very well. I would give this book a 3 out of 5, because despite the outline of the book, it was well written. The words were well thought out, and they painted some very clear pictures.

Reflection

I really like this book so far and I am really excited to finish it. Even though I am only half way I still think this book is very interesting and an easy read. I really like the imagery that Per Peterson uses in this book. This book flows very well and it’s easy to picture the setting and characters in your head. Even though it’s an easy read, the book has some slow parts and does get kind of boring. I hope it speeds up a little because when I read, my mind likes to wander off to different places so that’s why reading this book can take awhile and I start to lose focus. But other than that this book was surprisingly very good because I didn’t think I would have liked before I started reading it. I would give this book a four out of five and I would highly recommend it to others. Another part of the book that I surprisingly enjoy are the flash backs. I would think that flashbacks would just make the book more confusing but instead it made the writing style a lot more interesting and different from other books. So far I really am enjoying this book and I can’t wait to finish it over break.

Reflection

However well written Per Petterson's Out Stealing Horses was, I found it to be severely lacking in plot. The imagery was incredibly powerful, but it was not enough to allow the reader to forge an emotional connection to the characters and events in the novel. I enjoyed the passages on their own because of Petterson's gift with words, but lost interest in the book as a whole. I felt alienated from the cultural traits since I do not have a Norwegian background or any knowledge whatsoever of Norwegian life. This book provided a somewhat obscure insight into a culture that many of its readers have little or knowledge about. I think it would be much more appreciated by someone with significant understanding of Norwegian culture. The flashbacks were intriguing and important, but lost significance because of the absence of an actual plot structure. To sum up my impression of the book, it was a well written collection of anecdotes that lost meaning when combined  together to form a novel. I would recommend this book to a book club because it would be much easier to appreciate when broken into smaller sections and discussed. 

Reflection

While I can appreciate the writing style and imagery of Out Stealing Horses, I really did not enjoy reading it. I come from a very strong Norwegian heritage, and while I got a better feel for landscape and lifestyle in Norway, I felt no connection. Of course, it must be taken into account that the book has been translated, but while keeping this in mind, the plot was just not captivating. I was excited to read this book when I first heard about it, but I wouldn't recommend it now that I have gotten through it. Petterson's use of imagery pulls you in to the scene, but when there is nothing interesting to be watching other than scenery, it can become mundane. It's hard to appreciate a book if it isn't one that keeps you entertained. However, some good aspects of this novel were the facts that Petterson kept his writing to the point, and never strayed from his storyline. It would be useful for teaching how to write concisely, but summer reading? Incoming sophomores would appreciate this more than The Iliad, I'm sure, but in the end would go insane trying to analyze it. Theres not enough action to interest them, and it would just be another chore at home to make them read it.