Reflecting...

Either write things worth reading or do things worth the writing. ( Benjamin Franklin)

"I learned that you should feel when writing...like child stringing beads in kindergarten, - happy, absorbed and quietly putting one bead on after another." (Brenda Ueland) This describes blogs very well because when you are blogging you are constantly adding to your long string of other ideas. Sometimes you don't enjoy writing and you do a horrible job because your not "absorbed" into the writing. Reading my past blog posts, I realized that I could really tell when I had fun writing my thoughts down when it was about certain topics I liked. Those were the better blogs. Most of the posts that weren't very good I knew was because I wasn't into the writing, whether it be because I just wanted to get it over with as soon as possible or that I didn't like the topic. That's why I love this quote. It just sums up my blog and probably others' so well.

First of all, it was really fun looking back at my recent blogs. This is what I found.

Sometimes I enjoyed posting, sometimes I didn't. It mostly just felt like something to do, and I have stayed up many a night to finish it. However, looking back at my postings, I found that I have, in fact, become a better writer partly from blogging. Not only that, but I enjoy being myself and sharing my thoughts with others, and it was fun discovering other peoples' opinions and analyzing them, wholeheartedly agreeing at times and completely disagreeing at other times. I'll often get ideas from reading other people's blogs. I'll somtimes think, that's a really interesting idea! Now what can I do to build off of it?

My favorite post was probably the one where I had to write about something from my weekend using formal or informal diction. It was fun being myself and getting creative. As Ernest Hemingway once said, "In order to write about life, first you must live it! I also enjoyed topics about The Importance of Being Ernest. I enjoyed that book and I think it helps a lot to like a piece of work when you have to write about it. Otherwise, its not very enjoyable. But on the flip side, forcing myself to write about something I originally didn't like actually made me learn more and like the piece of work a little bit better. Expressing my feelings and opinions definitely has made me a better writer in some ways. It sometimes helped me to understand more and dig in deeper into books. I find that as I'm writing I realize things I normally don't think wouldn't think of because my work is in right front of me in writing, and not just part of a mass of ideas floating around in my head. The environment in which you are can really affect your moods, especially in writing. Right now I'm sitting outside and its awesome! I can't believe I wasted so much time sitting at the table, thinking of stuff to write and not outside in the nice weather! What I also can't believe is how I expected myself to write a good poem sitting at a desk in front of the computer. Oops. I got a little distracted there. Sorry.

"To be a well-flavored man is the gift of fortune, but to write or read comes by nature." (William Shakespeare)

fun assignment...

I really enjoyed writing a paragraph for The Importance of Being Ernest. I really enjoyed working with Kahli and Amaya. We each chose one of the three topics from our rubric to write about. My topic was Cecily Cardew and her diary. Writing my part of the essay late one night, (as usual) when I was writing the essay, I thought of some great ideas and actually enjoyed writing. I realized how deep the character Cecily Cardew really was.

I actually didn't think my paragraph was very good until I read it to the class and people said they thought it was interesting. I'm not trying to brag, but I was so surprised! I don't remember what grade my group and I got, but I guess we did pretty good.

before and after

In elementary school I was always indifferent about poetry. Unlike most people, I never really had a bunch of memorable experiences with poetry worth remembering. Whenever my teacher made us write poems at school it wasn't torture, but as soon as I got it over with I quit thinking about it.

Then, in fourth grade my class went to the library and since I guess we were studying poetry at the time there were tons of books on the tables. Every single one of them contained poems of all kinds. Funny ones, serious ones, long ones and short ones. We all chose to tables to sit at, and after a few minutes of looking at the books everyone took turns reading to the class a poem they liked. I remember discovering a funny poem from the perspective of a kid who was sick. All the words made the reader sound like they had bad congestion. Of course, I tried to read this to the class but read with so little expression that the librarian stopped me and read it herself.

Back then, poetry had just been one of those things you don't love but don't hate (but now I enjoy it more, mainly after Poetry Out Loud). Back then poetry was just another subject. Now however, when I hear the word "poetry", it sparks a warm feeling of excitement. Since I've taken honors English I've been appreciating it a lot more. I really enjoy annotating poems and literary works. What used to be a same old, same old subject is now fun and interesting.

Love or Family?

In the play Romeo and Juliet Juliet has a conflict within herself. After finding out that Romeo has killed Tybalt she can't figure out whether or not to feel happy that Romeo is still alive, since if he wasn't would have. But at the same time she knows that Tybalt is family and Romeo is an enemy to the family. She asks herself, "Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband? Ah, poor my lord, what tongue shall smooth thy name when I, thy three-hours wife, hath mangled it? But wherefore, villain, didst thou kill my cousin? That villain cousin would have killed my husband." (3.2.106-111) This conflict is intra personal. When love is blind it can cause violence. Blind love that doesn't think ahead, is impulsive, and is selfish, has negative consequences.
Many people fall in love with people their families and/or friends don't approve of. And how do they cope with this? Most of them elope, which just gets them into bigger trouble. When people deal with forbidden love they only think about themselves and forget everything else. Their love is now their top priority.

Romeo and Juliet was here

I think the movie Titanic is an example of media similar to the story of Romeo and Juliet. Both stories are about forbidden love and have a sad ending. Juliet has to marry Paris, someone she doesn't care about, as is Rose with Cal. Rose and Juliet are both well behaved and controlled by their mothers. However on the inside they don't want to be that way. Juliet first told Romeo that she doesn't like how their relationship is moving so fast, but then quickly changes her mind afterwards. Rose looked well behaved on the outside but on the inside was bored of her life and even attempted suicide. And of course, the couples in both stories experience love at first sight. The first time they see each other they love each other because they think that the other person is so attractive.

Connections between me and my book

I don't think I can relate much to anyone in the book Romeo and Juliet, but I think I am a little bit like Benvolio, who likes to give advice to friends and tries to make them feel better. Benvolio would do anything to help Romeo with his problems, Even taking him to a party where only Capulets are allowed, ignoring the feud between the families. After reading scene 4 (I hope that counts as part of the first few scenes) I realized that Romeo's intrusion to the party might have escalated the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues.
The language of Shakespeare is actually easy to understand with the help of the footnotes, which are definitely a HUGE help. However, there are lots of jokes and allusions I don't really understand. This is where the reading in class helps. I guess since I'm kind of getting used to Shakespeare's language when I'm reading on my own its easier now. I'm so glad we aren't assigned huge portions of the book to read at home every night like when we were reading Great Expectations. (or maybe it was because that book wasn't very exciting) The first scene took my forever to get through because I had to constantly refer to the footnotes. I still don't think that reading in class helps that much though.

wrapping up GE :D

I think that Charles Dickens really wanted his readers to remember that when you go after something you don't really need you won't become happy or content. Pip went to London with lots of money thinking that would make him happy. You think it will make you feel better about yourself but it only keeps you from realizing what real happiness is. Nowadays this message is still very true. For example, when you get something that everybody else has, what's considered cool, you might be happy for a moment. But after a little while you start to realize that it isn't as great as you thought it was. A great example that supports this message is the silly band. Silly bandz were a huge fad with elementary schoolers for an extremely short period of time. People liked to trade them and cover their wrists, fingers, and necks with them. Then the fad of these interestingly shaped rubber bands started fading away. I can imagine the regret people who spent huge amounts of money on the fad felt then. When you do or take something just to fit into other people's standards you'll never be content. But when you stay content with your circumstances and where you are that's what can make you happier.

Thoughts on Reading

copy: control c paste: control v

I think the story of Great Expectations was pretty good in some parts and boring in others. There were some pretty interesting parts near the end. At first I felt sad for Pip when he was little. But then when he got his expectations and was rude to Biddy I hated him. What kind of confused me was Mrs. Joe's role in the book. She's a big part of Pip's life, being her guardian, and then she dies. Also, I don't remember solving any of the mysteries. I normally like to stay oblivious and enjoy being surprised. So I don't like to use Sparknotes often.

When I was reading Great Expectations out of class normally it was right before bed. I don't know if this habit had any effect on my comprehension of the novel, but I just wanted to get to bed so I skimmed over the really boring parts a few times. I always followed the reading schedule because once when I hadn't it took me forever to make up an extra night of reading. It was super hard to pay attention.

photo post

This is a picture of someone who has been overtaken by regret and shame. Pip really regrets ever meeting Miss Havisham and Estella. Because of them, Pip's life is ruined, like the poor guy's skin over here. Instead of being happy and content with what he has he is discontent and ashamed, constantly afraid that Estella will find out how poor he is. This shame is part of the "chain" that leads to him to have his heart broken by Estella later in London. If Pip hadn't known Estella he probably would have been happy in London.

Fishtails!...Blacksmithing!

A story I think is similar to Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens is the original story of The Little Mermaid, by Hans Christian Anderson. In both books the main character longs for something they've always wanted. For Pip, its to become a gentleman, and for the mermaid (Sirenetta! Not Ariel!) its becoming a human. Both Pip and Sirenetta/Ariel want those things because of love. When the time finally comes that Pip and Sirenetta get what they want it isn't as great as they thought it would be. London reveals itself as dirty, ugly, and a dissapointment. The Prince is in love with somebody else and Sirenetta's feet hurt a lot when she walks (a curse). A common theme between these two stories is to be content with what you already have. Pip and Sirenetta were both exposed to something that changed their lives. Pip met Miss Havisham and Estella. Sirenetta finds and saves the prince. Instead of acting impulsively, they could have stayed put and refused to go any further.

When Pip first met Miss Havisham the first link of a chain started to form. Sirenetta's started when she fell in love with the prince and saved him from dieing.

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P.S. Read the REAL Little Mermaid story here! (apparently Anderson modified the ending later to make it less gruesome so this story ends happily kind of)

http://www.yankeeweb.com/library/storytime/grimmbros/grimmbros_32.html

This is off topic, but...

(I didn't write this summary!)

In the original sleeping beauty, the lovely princess is put to sleep when she pricks her finger on a spindle. She sleeps for one hundred years when a prince finally arrives, kisses her, and awakens her. They fall in love, marry, and (surprise surprise) live happily ever after. But alas, the original tale is not so sweet (in fact, you have to read this to believe it.) In the original, the young woman is put to sleep because of a prophesy, rather than a curse. And it isn’t the kiss of a prince which wakes her up: the king (her father) seeing her asleep, and rather fancying having a bit, rapes her. After nine months she gives birth to two children (while she is still asleep). One of the children sucks her finger which removes the piece of flax which was keeping her asleep. She wakes up to find herself raped and the mother of two kids.

second stage

In the second stage of Great Expectations Pip arrives at London, which has been part of his dream of becoming a gentleman. But it isn't as great as he expected. "Ugly, crooked, narrow, and dirty..." The disapointment he feels is part of the result of his "long chain that has bound him" starting in chapter nine.

This part of the book helps represent and discontentment. After going to Miss Havisham and Estella's place for a while Estella's beauty and his love for her has created the trait of discontentment in Pip. When he goes to London it was not the answer ot all his problems anymore.

link by link...

"Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day."

Pip is probably referring to how his first day at Miss Havisham's house is also the first day he met Estella and Miss Havisham. It is also the first day he ever made such a big lie. These lies eventually lead to a chain of events that really changed his life. In the chapters following this quote Pip's character changes mostly negatively. For example, he changes his mind about wanting to be a blacksmith. Also, he worries a lot; for his convict's friend, Estella discovering him, and the pale young gentleman taking revenge on him.
I think a memorable day that started my "chain" was when my mom didn't let me try orchestra in fourth grade, wanting me to join band the year after that instead. I remember not being so happy about that. Everyone else got to join orchestra! And the violin looked sooooooooo pretty! But it was a good thing that I joined band in the end, because I wouldn't have learned so much from Mr. Allison and made the friends I did there. My life would probably be very different without my friends from band (and my arms a lot weaker without having to carry a heavy box to and from school!)

great expectations question

In chapter 4, what does Mr. Wopsle mean by saying the church should be "thrown open meaning to competition"?

group essay collaboration

Here is my paragraph. I added a commentary for the last concrete detail after a group member mentioned to me a commentary was missing.



One symbol Wilde uses is Cecily’s diary. The diary portrays childishness, insincerity, and carelessness. Cecily says she keeps a diary “in order to enter the wonderful secrets of my life.” (p. 38) In Hertfordshire, where she lives, the only company Cecily has is her tutor Miss Prism and her uncle Jack, who is often away from home. Sometimes when children are bored they play house. In this case, Cecily is bored enough to start playing her own version using her diary. And she gets caught up in this game even more as she gets deeper into it, buying things in her pretend fiancé’s name and writing fake love letters. She starts living in her diary in a way. Also, when Miss Prism tells Cecily that memory is better than a diary Cecily says that “Memory…usually chronicles the things that have never happened, and couldn’t possibly have happened.” (p. 38). Cecily isn’t serious and doesn’t care much about life. She would rather stay in her own little fantasy inside her diary. She is so caught up in it that she probably sometimes forgets that it isn’t even real. Similarly, Cecily even refers to her diary while telling Algernon about their fake engagement she made up. As Cecily’s made-up world becomes bigger and more detailed it becomes more realistic to her too. Cecily is so into it that when “Ernest” actually arrives she figures it was all true in the first place, even referring to her diary during her conversation with him, saying “you can see my entry if you like.” (p. 55)

Dishonesty in The Importance of Being Earnest

In the book, The Importance of Being Earnest, Wilde uses humor, satire of social institutions, references to earnest/Ernest, and the persuit of pleasure to express his opinions on dishonesty. Wilde often uses satire of marriage. Jack and Algernon are lying about their names and have fake identities so they can have some fun and get away from their boring lives of being serious and chivalrous. But they fall in love and become engaged to women who fall in love with their fake names. Also, since Jack is posing as Ernest, and its very ironic because the word earnest means sincere and serious. The name Ernest means serious. The one going by this name is neither. Jack and Algernon are constantly persuing pleasure and lying to make it easier. Jack's gettaways and Algernom's Buburying result in a huge misunderstanding. Another example of dishonesty is the way Cecily lies to herself through her diary. And though Algernon is only a little surprised and he brushes it aside, it will probably cause some kind of problem later on in the book.

Jack and Algernon are always persuing pleasure. And look what happens. Dishonesty comes with consequences. I think this is part of the theme Oscar Wilde was trying to communicate with this book. Life comes with stuff that bothers you, but you just have to live with it, instead of lying to get out of it. What seems like harmless fun always turns out to be a lot more.

Animal Farm Project Evaluation

1. Porter
2. artwork
3. The irony and hopelessness was conveyed very well and the plot was nicely summarized.


1. Conor
2. artwork
3. The project was well organized and showed a clear understanding of the way the story of Animanl Farm reflected the Russian Revelution.

1. Britta
2. poem
3. I thought Britta's project was very descriptive and showed the irony in the book.

1. Enola
2. video
3. Though the pictures were pretty accurate, the video didn't show any literary elements in Animal Farm.

1. Aaron
2. artwork
3. The project showed good understanding of the plot and things we discussed in class. It also showed the transitions the story went through as it progressed.

1. Kyra
2. video
3. This project was very creative and the scenes showed the evil of the pigs.

1. Kady
2. video
3. The elements were well reflected and the music really helped convey the moods.

1. Adrienne
2. video
3. The project was very creative, and showed how the pigs came to power.

1. Meghann
2. artwork
3. I thought Meghann's project was very good, and showed a clear understandeing of the things we discussed in class.

1. Daryl
2. artwork
3. I liked how the project had symbolism and reflected the Russian Revelution.