small assignment: a hero that is aloha/not aloha

 

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hero as aloha

hero as aloha

Overview:

When we read the daily newspaper or watch advertisement, the word aloha gets FREQUENTLY used, almost to the point of exhaustion,we recognize that aloha is an often repeated term, an advertising jingle. Nonetheless, just like the word "hero," the word "aloha" has been stretched to include a variety of meanings—perhaps even aloha has some flavor of 'heroism' contained within it. If you read Eric Chock's "Poem for George Helm Aloha Week 1980," you recognize that even though Chock indicates that he "was in love with the word 'aloha'" (qtd in Morales 57), that meaning of aloha began to change.

You might do several things with this assignment:

You might explain how the meaning of "hero" has changed throughout time all the way up into the present.

You might explain how the meaning of "aloha" has equally changed throughout time all the way up into the present.

One optional task is for you to connect the words and realms of "aloha" and "hero" and indicate WHY the meaning of those words have changed and WHY there might exist a similar reason for the permutation in these terms.

Student Learning Outcomes:

Discuss your personal concept of either "hero" or "aloha" or both. What does that term mean to you? as a local? as a non local? as a worker? Does 'aloha' matter to you?

Indicate how "hero" and / or "aloha" have changed. Indicate your understanding of how and why aloha has been changed over time.

Discuss, if possible, ACTUAL manifestations of that change; for example, since 'appears' so often in tourist brochures, you might actually want to analyze and/or take a walk around Waikiki to get a "vibe" about that aloha that you feel there.

Ultimately, assess why you agree or disagree with the poet Eric Chock, who keeps repeating that particular line about aloha—"I want to live the word 'aloha' / but it's so hard just to say" (59).

Do you think aloha will and continue to prevail into the future of this state?

 

Copyright 2008 Davin K. Kubota. All Rights Reserved.