TKAM Final Blog

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Prompt: 

- Which character do you like least? Why?

- Which character do you like best? Why?

     In To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee there were many characters that were not likable, but the least likable was Bob Ewell. I don't like him at all for many reasons. One includes he is a racist. He calls Tom Robinson the "n" word multiple times in his testimony, which shows no respect towards any of the other African Americans in the book. In the book it states, "...she had to walk nearly a mile out of her way to avoid the Ewell's who, according to Helen 'chucked at her...'" This also shows that he had no respect for Helen either since he threw stuff at her and called her cruel names. Another reason why I disliked him was because he would beat his children, I don't think anyone likes a child beater. Bob Ewell was a very unlikable character in To Kill a Mockingbird.

     In the book there were many likable characters, but the one I favored the most was Atticus Finch. There were many reasons stated in the on why he was a very likable character. He had empathy, which is really hard to find in any place and any time. In the book it stated, "'Jem, see if you can stand in Bob Ewell's shoes a minute. I destroyed his last shred of credibility at that trial, if he had any to begin with. The man had to have some kind of comeback, his kind always does. So if spitting in my face and threatening me saved Mayella Ewell one extra beating, that's something I'll gladly take. He had to take it out on somebody and I'd rather it be n me than that houseful of children out there. You understand?'" This quote shows that Atticus could see why Bob was doing the bad stuff he did, he understood him because of his experiences. He had done this many times in the book with many other characters including Boo, Bob, The Cunninghams, Mayella, and etc.

     Another reason my favorite character was Atticus Finch was because he only spoke the truth to his children, he was honest. In the book it states, "'... you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it–whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, he rich he is, or how fine a family he comes from, the white man is trash,'" Atticus said that to Jem, which is very honest and tells Jem what it is to be a real person. This quote doesn't only have to do with racism, but basically anything that makes people different. Another way in the book was "'I wanted you to see you what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you are a licked before you begin but you begin anyway you see you through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do,'"I wanted you to see you what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you are a licked before you begin but you begin anyway you see you through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.'" Atticus wanted his kids to be great, and he taught them many life lessons that could help them in the past. Especially when he described what real courage was. Overall Atticus was a very likable character because he treated people right, had empathy, and was honest.

     

TKAM - Character Relationship

Character Pair: Miss Maudie and Calpurnia

     In To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee Miss Maudie and Calpurnia have many similarities. Both Miss Maudie and Calpurnia have been there for Scout when Jem and Dill excluded her. Miss Maudie would let Scout hang out with her by just talking, looking at the sky, and planting. Calpurnia did the same think because when Jem and Dill excluded Scout she let Scout bake with her, and learn. Another similarity is they both have that polite and mature diction when they talk to anyone, besides when Calpurnia talks to the African Americans at the church.

     Miss Maudie and Calpurnia also have many differences. A difference is Miss Maudie goes to a white church, and Calpurnia goes to the African and poor church. Basically a reason they are different is because they come from different races. Another reason they are different is beause Calpurnia works for Atticus, but Miss Maudie doesn't work for him nor is she part of the family. 

     Miss Maudie and Calupurnia have affected Scout in some way. Miss Maudie has affected Scout by being there for her when she was being left out, which made Scout feel better about Jem and Dill excluding her. Calpurnia affected Scout because she brought her to her church, which showed Scout segregation and how it is not right.

     Miss Maudie and Calpurnia both have a type of relationship with Scout. Miss Maudie's relationship would be a good friend, that is a girl, since most of Scout's friends are boys (Dill and Jem). Then I see Calpurnia as the feminine influence for Scout, like stated in Chapter ten. I would think that Calpurnia is closer with Scout since she has been there since the beggining.

TKAM Setting Comparison

     In the photo "Houses in the Negro section of Eutaw, Alabama" I had many observations and about how it related to the setting in "To Kill a Mockingbird". In Maycomb the town is described as "a small tired old town" and in this phote it seems that it is a town but very small and rundown because of how the houses were contructed. In the book the setting was also described with "grass on the sidewalk and dirt road" and in the photo it shows the grass growing everywhere and it seems like an old small area, or a town. 

     In the same photo I had many thoughts about it, and how it related to the setting in the book. I thought that this picture may have been taken during the Great Depressin because of the poor living conditions. In the book it is during the Great Depression and many of the kids in the book didn't have a great place to live in baased on thier appearance on the first day of school. Many houses were closed together, and in this picture that is how it is.

40 Book Challenge 11.16.15

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry By Mildred D. Taylor

Pages: Finished Book

     Theme is a message about life or human nature. The theme of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor is meaningful change happens slowly and with sacrifice. I know this because in the book many characters had to do stuff they didn't want to do, but had to. In the book it states, "I asked him why he had to go away, why the land was so important. He took my hand and said in his quiet way: 'Look out there, Cassie girl. All that belongs to you. You ain't never had to live on nobody's place but your own and as long as I leave and the family survives, you'll never have to. That's important. You may not understand that now, but one day you will. Then you'll see.'" This quote shows that Cassie's dad always has to leave to work so they can keep their land. The reason why Cassie doesn't understand why the land is so important because African Americans at that time rarely owned anything. The dad has to leave for long periods of times to provide for his family and sacrifices his time with his family, so meaningful change happens slowly and with sacrifice.

     Another example that backs up the theme of this book is the conflict. The conflict is how the Logan Family goes through racism and segregation with the Wallaces and Harlan Granger. The book states, "'You think by shopping up at Vicksburg you gonna drive them Wallace's out, then you got idea of how things work down here. You forgetting Harlan Granger backs that store.'" This quote explains that even though there are sacrifices and consequences of getting in the middle of Harlan Granger's store that the Logans and many others will boycott the store to get a point across and to get treated better. They had to sacrifice their safety and threats to stand up for themselves and to not be treated poorly.

     One more example of the theme in the book is Mama's actions. In the book it states, " I know this quote backs up the theme because since the black schools didn't get new books no one thought it was fair. Even though it wouldn't change that black schools don't get new books it was at least showing something. She could have lost her job and be in trouble for standing up for herself and the students.This quote hugely backs up the theme of the book, meaningful change happens slowly and with sacrifice.

 

1st Quarter Reflection

     This quarter I have learned a lot more about writing. To be honest, the first draft of my memoir was just horrible. The second draft was a whole different story. At first when we started the memoir I didn't know about passive and active voice. Now I know that using a lot of passive voice isn't good in your writing it makes it sound awkward. I had lots of passive voice in my writing, now I changed it too active voice. I also didn't know how to correctly put dialuge in a story. I would put it like a quote in an article, now I know that for every new person that is speaking you must start on a new line and indent. The first draft wasn't descriptive at all, there was a bunch of "small images." Instead of saying "the sky was really clear" I put "The sky was really clear that night you could see the stars, which was strange because it was Christmas Eve, everyone would have thought there be a white blanket across it." A huge difference between those two. Just these little tequinecs have made my writing better in many ways.

     I think that my research skills has changed a lt. I used to just put a bunch of information in a page, now I know how to organize it. If I'm reseaching something, there is diffferent parts of that huge big idea. Every infromation has its own catagory. Under each catogory is bullet points and interpretations.  I also know how to show which information is coming from which source, the website link goes above the infromation from that site. From specific websites there may be false infrmation, I have learned how to identify if a website is worthy or not based off the format, publisher, url, and etc. My researching has improved drastically from previous researches. 

     I have benefited from many strategies. One major strategy includes time managment. If it is a regular week with vocabulary words, AoW, and a blog then I do eaach a acertain day. I start the aow on Mnday then finish it Tuesday. I do my blog on Wednesday oor Thursday, depending what I have that day. I study my vocabulary on Thursday night and Friday morning. Then Saturday morining I do my vocabulary for the next week. I usually get all my work done with a good grade with this strategy. 

     Another strategy I have benefitted from is brainstorming for any work I would have to do. For blogs I brainstorm ideas of what I can write about, from there I build up on my ideas and make paragraphs.  For my AoW I write down words or phrases that are important for the reader to know, and just said that in my objective summary. I have improved a lot becuae of the little things I do now.

        

40 Book Challenge 10.14.15

A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer
Prompt:

- If you could talk to the author, what questions would you ask? Why?

- How have your feelings changed as you’ve been reading?
Pages: 1-51

     If I could talk to the author one question I would ask is how did you overcome your mother, especially at a very young age? I would ask that question because The obstacles he faced with his mother were devastating and surprising. I would never expect mother would hit their own child so I wanted to see his viewpoint on the obstacles you face against his mother. In the book it says that David's mother would slam his head against the mirror when he didn't do his chores, which were also a lot for a child. I am very surprised that he survived the brutal beatings by his mother and that is why I asked the question how did you overcome your mother especially at a very young age?

     Another question I would ask the author is what was the trigger for the brutal beatings that your mother has given you? I would ask that question because I do not understand how a mother would hit or hurt their children for no apparent reason. In the book it says that she would make him look for a lot of things she has lost for months. She also did not allow him to eat dinner or breakfast sometimes, The only breakfast he got was leftover cereal from his brothers the day before, so he never really got his own plate. I was very surprised how his mother could brutally beat him like it said in the book so that is why ask what was the trigger for the brutal beatings that your mother has given you?

     My feelings have changed dramatically why I was reading the book. In the first section of the book the author explained how his mother gave them brutal beatings from not doing his chores, not behaving, and she just hit him for the heck of it. I personally felt that the mother was a horrible person because of how the author described her in the book, but as I kept on reading there was a section in the book which stated his mother before the brutal beatings. That that section had showed me that the mother was not a bad person before, she would take her kids out to vacation and do a lot for them and really care for all her children. My feelings have changed dramatically because he went from horrible mother to mother that everyone would want. As I continue reading I want to figure out what was the trigger for the mound doing the brutal beatings her son.

"My Hero"

My father was a hero

to everyone he met.

He knew about life.

He said If you outwork the 

other students and never 

give up, you will win

the race one day.

He said work hard in 

school, and maybe

someday you can

help yourself and 

your family.

He said that the good

thing about words is they 

can also bring life into

our spirits.

He said the poor and ill

are described as beetles, 

but they are heaven's angels.

I have showed him that I 

am a success, his success.

He might still be a hero

tragic and flawed,

but a hero, my hero.

OBAA and AOW Comparison

     In Of Beetles and Angels and in "For many Syrians in Lebanon and Jordan, now it is time to go" some similarities between them are refugees, and organizations trying to help the refugees. In Of Beetles and Angels the refugees are Mawi and Tewolde. They both left Ethiopia and lost their home, friends, possible education, and extended family. In my article "For many Syrians in Lebanon and Jordan, now it is time to go" one specific refugee was Zeid Saad, it azstated, " ...Saad, a refugee expressed concern about the precarious journey through Syria. But he had no other choice, he said as he clutched his wife’s hand.“We either live in dignity or die trying,' he said.'" This shows that many refugees are facing challenges such as leaving home and going through difficult journeys, that they will overcome. 

      In Mawi's story and in my article some similarities are hard working and kind people. In Mawi's story it states, "The other half of the class wouldn't have voted for the cool kids if their life depended on it... the cool kids had made them feel like beetles. I hadn't. And that's how I got elected. I had treated everyone like and angel." This is showing how you are to people, such as being kind and hard-working, which will help in future problems or events. In my article it explained how many people would not give up and will continue to work towards freedom and dignity for their family. Overall both sources show how being a kind and hard working person can get you far.

     War affects individuals and society in many ways. In the book, Of Beetles and Angels it explains how Mawi's father was shaped because of the war. He said, "But you, our children, work hard at school and finish the university, maybe someday you can help yourselves and hero your family too." He learned many great characteristics including not giving up, doing your best, persevering throughout anything you do, and always to be thankful for what you have. In the article it states, '"I am going back into hell,' Zeid Saad, 28, a refugee from the Damascus countryside, said recently as he prepared to enter Syria from Jordan with his wife. After living in Jordan for two years, he said, he had run out of money and hope.'" This is how war affects the society, many people just give up because they have lost everything they once thought was their home.

SUMMER READING - Blog Four

Tales from the Odyssey
By Mary Pope Osborne
Prompt(s) -
* Describe the main character.
* What were some problems the characters faced? How did the character overcome the problems? Explain.
Page: Finished Book

     The main character is Odyssey, he is the king of Ithaca. Ithaca is an island in Ancient Greece. He enjoyed tending his fields and orchards, working as a craftsman, and carpenter. Odyssey was tall. strong, brave, brave, courageous, and clever. He had auburn hair and bright eyes. The twenty years of war he was the only man that lived, all his soldiers died. He was held captive at the Calypso Island and he just wanted to go home to his family and friends. He eventually found his way home after all the hardships he had to face.

     Telemachus, the son of Odyssey problem was he had to get home. His mothers suitors plan to kill him though. He can't sail home because the suitors wait for him on the Island of Samos, which is rights before Ithaca. He sails through the island but cannot be near the shore. The gods then send a wind to speed his ship on a safe port. He then makes it home not killed.

     Odyssey and Telemachus must defeat Penelope's suitors. They asked for the help of Zeus and Athena, and they do help. The next morning Telemachus goes home alone and Odyssey disguises himself as a beggar and travels to the palace. Then Athene whispers to Odyssey that it is time to fight he nods to Telemachus and then they took all the swords, spears, and shields from the hall. Then hide them upstairs in a room.

SUMMER READING - Blog Three

Tales from the Odyssey
By Mary Pope Osborne
Prompt(s) -
* Explain how you have been surprised by what you are reading.
* Think of a problem that a character had to face. Write the problem and how the
character solved it or is working to solve it. If you were that character, what
would you do differently?
Page: 0 - 136

    One way I have been surprised by my reading is since Odyssey, the king of Ithaca, has been gone for over two decades there are suitors who invade his home and crops. They want to marry the queen, but she waits till her husband comes home. The suitors slaughter his oxen, cows, horses, and etc. They also drink his best wine and best bread. The servants there are treated horribly by the suitors. The demand to marry the Queen, the suitors come from many lands and try and take his land, money and power. I just find it unbelievable that these men ruin his home and demand to marry his wife after he survived the war and is captive.

    One problem Odyssey had to face was how he was going to defeat Troy, since they were in war. They solved it by him and his workers making a huge wooden horse as a gift to Troy. The people in Troy thought it was a gift and it showed they had won the war, but Odyssey and his best soldiers were in the horse. Later that night they all got out and they defeated Troy. Which was a great idea.

     If I were that character I wouldn't of even thought of an idea like that. He had to find a way in the only way he could was to be unseen and he was unseen in that huge wooden horse. Since Troy was guarded by huge walls they couldn't climb over them so they did what was smart. I probably would of just went through the front doors, I thought it was the only way. 

SUMMER READING - Blog Two

My Side of the Mountain
By Jean Craighead George
Prompt(s) -
* Describe what was either believable or unbelievable about your reading.
Defend your opinion.
*What were some problems the characters faced? How did the character overcome the problems? Explain.
Page: Finished book

His fishhook

   What was unbelievable to me was that Sam had actually survived in the wild for over a year. He used all the resources around him to make a life in a forest. He made fires, fishing rods, pancakes, a home inside a tree, and etc. I don't think just any regular kid can make any of the things Sam Gribley had done on his own. He even tamed a falcon on his own. That falcon got him food and was  a companion, just like a dog. That was unbelievable to me.

     One problem the character faced was the harsh winter. In the fall he was thinking ahead and hunted deer. He got one so out of the skin he made a blanket and clothes so that he would be warm in the winter. He also got another deer and used that to make a door so the wind wouldn't blow in his tree home. What he also did was he gathered a lot of food so that he would have enough food throughout the winter. He made a "fridge" sort of thing so he can store all the fish he got.

   


     Another problem he faced was people hiking and camping in the woods. Many people came in the mountains and if they found Sam their they would call the police to take him back home. He didn't want to do that at all, so he would hide in his tree home when he heard people. Sometimes he wasn't close to his home so he was seen. He just made up lies so the people wouldn't call the police. He did meet this one guy that saw he had made a home in the mountains but they became friends and he visited him a lot.

SUMMER READING - Blog One

My Side of the Mountain
By Jean Craighead George
Prompt(s) -
* Tell me about the main character. What kind of person is he/she?
* Is the setting described well? If so, then describe the setting.
Page: 0 - 90

   The main character is Sam Gribley. He is a teenage boy that leaves his home to live in the forest. He values his privacy and independence since he grew up in a family of eleven in a New York City apartment. When he arrives in the woods he realizes quick that he has to learn a lot in the woods. He is resilient, determined and intelligent. The longer he lives alone in the woods, the more he learns and the more content he is with his isolation on the mountain, living in the natural world. He is also is very friendly even though he is alone in the woods most of the time. He meets several people and greats them in the mountains and overall is a great host.

     I think the setting is well described. The author basically paints a picture in my mind. I can see everything he is describing. This book takes place in the 1950s in the Catskill Mountains of Eastern New York. Sam looks for his great grandfathers farm which is surrounded by mountains, giant trees, meadows, and lots of rivers. He makes his home inside of a tree near a small area of water. The forest he is alone, except for the animals like deer, raccoon, his falcon, weasels, skunks, fish, and many birds.

   

      His home is basically a remote place. The nearest town is several miles away, Delhi. The mountains are not filled with hikers. The summer and spring many hikers, hunters, and campers come in the Catskill Mountains. His tree home is built perfectly and he makes sure it is good enough during the winter. He has a bed, fireplace, and a place for his bird to stay in his home. He makes his door out of deer skin he tanned, smoked, and dried himself.

Paradox Reflections

Paradox Reflection One:

Paradox: "Even in our so-called virtues we are intemperate: a teetotaler is not content not to drink-he must stop all the drinking in the world; a vegetarian among us would outlaw the eating of meat."

Reflection: 
     This paradox in "Paradox and Dream" by John Steinbeck states that we believe only what we think. Other people's ideas are wrong and we only listen to our opinions. Like how it states the vegetarian would outlaw meat, but a lot of other people like meat, just because they don't like it doesn't mean it should outlawed for everyone. This paradox basically shows selfishness and how us as Americans only think of ourselves.

     I relate to this paradox because I have heard, read, and seen it in the news. Like how Hitler killed all the Jewish people because he didn't believe they were actually people and their way of life was wrong. Also how ISIS is killing Christians and other innocent people that don't believe in ISIS's beliefs. Many people just believe in what they think, which is a horrible way to live.

Paradox Reflection Two:

Paradox: "We spend our time searching for security, and hate it when we get it."

Reflection: 
     This paradox in "Paradox and Dream" by John Steinbeck states that all our lives humans are looking for something great and then when they get it they absolutely hate it so much, which is very confusing but true. Like if you get a promotion at your firm you are satisfied you made it there, but then you have to work more hours and you are barely home with your family. This happens to many people who strive for what they want and are disappointed.

     I relate to this paradox because it is happening to my mom right now. She got this promotion from being a teacher to a literacy coach at her school. She has to stay later hours and do a lot of more work because from what I hear is her boss makes her do his work. She is glad she got this opportunity but also hates it because of the hours she had to work. I don't know why but she is now going to school to become a principle, which must be way more stressful.

FINAL REFLECTION BLOG

Prompt: via Mrs. Larson's Blog

     One very important thing I learned this year from Mrs. Larson is time management. You can't hold off all your work the last minute, I learned that the hard way. It just comes to show that it isn't responsible at all. Getting all your work done on a Thursday night kind of sucks. I like spreading out over the week like I have learned in this class, it just makes more sense that way. This is a skill needed throughout your life.

     Another very important thing I learned this year from Mrs. Larson is how to stay focused and on task. Honestly, I still do need a little more work on this, but I know for a fact I have improved since I was a the first day of 7th grade. If you aren't on task you are wasting time, or how Mrs. Larson likes to say it, "Come on people. You are wasting precious moments of your lives. Stay focused." :)

     A final important thing I learned this year from Mrs. Larson was how to make an objective summary. I thought at first an objective summary included quotes. I know now that that is what a regular summary needs. An objective summary is supposed to focus on the central idea of a text, but restate it in your own words, no textual evidence. Only the important details, not minor ones. I now know that, I am glad I do.

     Something we did this year that I will remember for the rest of my life is how to create a Works Cited list, and the citations in MLA format. It is a very important life skill people need to have in any job, and even when we are in high school and college. When we are writing essays we need to state our sources. Instead of just copy and pasting the link we need to give full credit to the people that helped us with our essay. I think creating a Works Cited list is very important to remember throughout your life as a student and as a worker.

     The nicest thing someone has done for me in this class was whenever there was a vocabulary test Siari would study with me. She didn't mind at all and I actually did better because she would give me tips or advice.

     Something I taught my teacher was that even the most obnoxious and talkative students (me) can make progress and actually do what is expected. I can stay on task, or at least try to when told to. I get all of my work done on time and most meets or exceeds standards.

    The area I feel I had made the biggest improvements on was as simple as comprehending what I was reading. I understood what I was reading and could answer questions and tell a summary. I wasn't there reading and having no idea what I was reading.

     Something I accomplished this year was reading more than 20 books. That was my goal, and I read 28 books in total this year. I think is is my best year and it doesn't even end until July. I hope that at the end I would have read 35 books, that's my goal. The most challenging part this year for me getting all my homework done and study for vocabulary. On regular weeks we have an AoW, Blog, any other extra homework assigned based on the lesson we are doing, and Vocabulary. I have so far turned in all my work on time and completed the homework needed.

     The best piece of writing I have done this year was my Argumentative Essay to the Governor. I put every reason and statement about why I am for Death with Dignity. I clearly backed it up with evidence and interpretation. Even had all my sources in my Works Cited list in MLA format. It was by far the best essay I wrote that year, and probably any other year considering that I have more knowledge now that I did when I was 8, 10, and 12 years old.

     Of the books I read this year my favorite was The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. It really just showed problems that regular people face very clearly. I especially liked how the main character, Charlie, wrote to a person (he did not know personally) who listened to what he had to say. That was the format throughout the whole book, him writing a letter to someone he had no idea about. It really gave a different approach then if it was from different perspective. I just enjoyed it so much and recommend it also.

     Advice I would give to students who will be in this class next year is two things: 1. Time management is very important if you don't want to fail this class. Like I said in the first paragraph you would have to do all your work on Thursday night and trust me it really sucks. 2. Think outside the box. You were put in this class for a reason, don't be basic and just think of meeting the standards. Go over what you are expected to do, and be successful.

Symbolism Blog

A blank canvas

     Something that symbolizes me is a blank canvas.  It shows a new beginning, a fresh start someone needs. An opportunity to start over. Not literal, like if you mess up drawing a stick figure on that canvas you just go to the next one. It shows creativity and basically anything that can lead to an idea. It is a fresh slate, something is waiting to happen. That one blank canvas could be the thing you needed, a new place to just start all over. I need to start over a lot, because who's perfect? Not me for sure. But like Lennie, he and George need to start over a lot too, with the incident in Weed. It just shows a place to start whatever you want, and it's up to you how you want it to turn out. My art teacher sees a blank canvas like this, "A blank canvas is just a white polar bear in a horrible and snowy blizzard."

I commented on Jared's, Lillian's, James', Rebecca's, Devin's, and Sebastian's Blog

OMAM: Book vs Movie

     I think Of Mice and Men was a great book. It showed many things like loneliness and the hardships for different people back then. What had the most profound impact was how the book and movie both showed different types of loneliness. In Crooks, Candy, Curley's Wife, and Lennie. It helped me understand the message of the book more. I would recommend this book to anyone honestly. It seems like it could fit a variety of many younger and older people. It just is a great piece of writing.

     In the film, the director shows us “the incident in Weed” differently from how we find out in the book. In the book they mention it many times, but the reader doesn't know what "the incident in Weed" is until when George finally tells Slim. In the movie they actually show what happened in Weed as the first scene. That is the reason they went to the ranch. They did it that way because in the book it left you wanting more but in the movie it built up the suspense, its good both ways. This changes the story because then it won't let the reader/viewer left hanging.

     The book begins with the “stage” set by the pond. In the film, we see George on a train first. The director shows George on the train first because that is also how the movie ends. I also think it shows how it was "back in the day" than present day. It shows the time they are in, because now a days people don't ride on those type of trains without seats. It is showing that George's life is very hard, he has no place he actually can call home and is running everywhere. He tries to find one place and he is still looking for it.

     I think the director’s choice of Sharilynn Fenn to play Curley’s wife could have been better. She does not look how I imagined her. I thought she would be blonde with a very bright face. I would have chosen Scarlett Johnson, because that is how I pictured  Curley's Wife in the book.

AOW Impression Blog

     My impression on the gallery walk was it was a great idea! We could learn a lot about the world in just about 30 seconds from each AOW someone has done. I learned about how google is creating a new wifi. They are working with Sprint and T-Mobile. It also is cheaper, if you only use 2 of the gigabytes then you will be charged with only 2, even if your plan stated you had 3 gigabytes. This could totally affect a lot of people, we can save way more money and actually use that for something else. They are also creating hotspots which is great for people who travel a lot, or who want to travel a lot.

     I also heard about the Nepal Earthquake and how it affected many people, close to 8 million people affected. At least 7,500 died and more than 8,000 injured. It was the worst earthquake in over 80 years and there wasn't even enough hospitals for everyone that was hurt. Then the Earthquake caused many avalanches on Mt. Everest, 19 people died from the avalanches. I thought this was very sad and crazy to happen. It stinks because you can't really do anything to stop an earthquake, it's a natural cause that is very hard to predict if coming.

     Including me, I heard a lot about the Baltimore Riots. It happened because of Freddie Grays' death. Many cars and small businesses set on fire and burned. Rioters threw bricks and anything they could get their hands on and threw it at the police. School was cancelled in the area because of the fear of children's lives at stake. The worst part is this hurt and affected many innocent people that just happened to live in Baltimore and had nothing to do with Grays' death. It's pretty embarrassing that this happened and devastating.

I commented on Jeremiah's, Sebastian's,  Sam's blog.

Dream Poem

Dreams

You look into the future,
what do you see?
You see a dream
that you hope you will achieve.

School, sports, job.
It can be anything at all.
If you set your mind to it
you won't quit.

Without dreams,
whats the point?

You are the average
brick on the wall,
you are no different
than the others.

Dreams are the things
that separates us
from each other.

He dreams to be
in the pros.
He dreams to go
to college.

She dreams to
be a doctor.
She dreams to
have a family.

Without dreams,
whats the point?

I commented on Sonny's, Giovanna's, 

40 Book Challenge 4/30/15

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Prompt: From your brainstorming session, choose at least two conflicts to explore more in depth in this blog. Be sure to include textual evidence and support and also identify the effect that the conflict has had on the plot so far
Pages: 37-98

     One conflict I chose was when whenever Lennie was in shock or in fear he always held tight to the thing that was scaring him. When he used to live in Weed he saw a girl's dress that was soft and he touched it. The girl yelled out because she thought Lennie was going to hurt her. He was very scared that he held on in shock. That includes when he was in the fight with Curley. It states, "George slapped him in the face again and again, and still Lennie held on to the closed fist." That shows the relation of the first and second incident, he is scared so he holds on. This was a Man vs Self conflict because he just froze out of fear. He never meant to hurt anyone.

     Another conflict I chose was how Candy was very guilty that he couldn't kill his own dog. He thought that he was useless because many people compared him to his dog. It states, "...a lousy ol' sheep dog..." He gets very frustrated at that and he feels guilty about his dog dying because a stranger shot him, instead of himself. This is also a Man vs Self conflict, he is very guilty about his dog dying.



I commented on Emily's, Omar's, and Mia's Blog.

40 Book Challenge 4-22-15

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Prompt:
-Describe the atmosphere of the ranch and bunkhouse.
-Be sure to include characteristics of different characters that were formally or informally introduced to us in this chapter. Support your choice with textual evidence and interpretation.
-Why doesn't Curley's wife have a name?   What message, if anything, is John Steinbeck  trying to send by not giving her a first name?  Support your choice with textual evidence and interpretation.
Pages: 1-37

     The novel states, "The bunkhouse was a long, rectangular building. Inside, the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted. In three walls there were small, square windows, and in the fourth, a solid door with a wooden latch." This makes the reader have an image inside of their head on the basics of how the inside of the bunkhouse looks. It also states, "Against the walls were five bunks, five of them made up with blankets... Over each bunk there was nailed an apple box with the opening forward so that it made two shelves... Near one wall there was a black cast-iron stove, its stovepipe going straight up to the ceiling. In the middle of the room stood a big square table..." This was the place of where George and Lennie would be staying for now, it was for the men that worked on the ranch.

     Many characters were introduced in this chapter, including Slim, Candy (aka Old Swamper), Carlson, Curley, Curley's wife and, the Boss. Everyone besides the Boss and Carlson were informally introduced. The boss and Slim actually greeted each other, in the book it states, "Glad to meet ya," the big man said. "My name's Carlson." "I'm George Milton. This here's Lennie Small." "Glad to meet ya," Carlson said again." This shows that they actually introduced each other, unlike how Curley's wife just walked in (without greeting them) and asked them one question and left. The other characters didn't say their name either like Carlson, George and, Lennie did.

     Curley's wife doesn't have a name because her significance is not as important in that time period, women weren't respected as much as they are now. John Steinbeck is trying to show the way women were respected, which was very minimum in that time. He wants the reader to know and feel how back then that different people were treated differently.

I commented on Lillian, Sebastian, and Nick's blog

40 Book Challenge

Of Mice and Men

by John Steinbeck

Prompt: - Describe the main characters.
              - How does the authors writing affect the book?

     George Milton, “...small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features… small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose.” Small guy, big leadership role, he is like the father of Lennie. He is the tough love guy, he would swear and curse at Lennie even though he loved him like a brother. He even said that at the end of Chapter One.

     Lennie Small, “... a huge man, shapeless of face, with large pale eyes,with wide, sloping shoulders…” Big guy, sidekick. He is the other guy that messes up everything. He gets in trouble and can't remember anything. He often loves George's stories when he explains it to him. He feels sorry that he ruins everything for George. And he squeezes mice heads till they die.


     The author's writing has a southern feel to it. It uses slang instead of full real words. It adds a different and cool affect to the characters' dialogue, it makes it sound cooler. It matches the characters with their personality, like the swear words. Honestly I think that is a good touch, it shows that George is more of a tough guy that can get angry easily.

I commented on Sebastian, Devin, and Siari's Blog.