My reading of the novel The Soloist has now come to an end leaving me with many emotions an opinions about the book .I hate to be a critic and analyze books because I think that every book has something unique about it and even if it seems good there is always room for improvement .This is because every reader will have a different opinion of the book. My idea is that a good book can always be better and therefore better can always be upgraded to best.
In the last set of chapters ( 23-31) my opinion of the book pretty much stayed the same as it as before .This ending of the book seemed to move at a faster passé for me though because in almost every chapter something stood out for me that made me think outside of the books pages . You know a book has really hooked your attention when your thoughts go further than just the plot.
First, one thing I really like about this book is that it really shows that there is always room for improvement and that a calibrate effort is better than one individuals thoughts. In chapter 23 when Lopez was going to give in to Nathanial’s weakness of taking his cart everywhere Casey Horan pointed out that it is time to help Nathanial get over his fear that he needs the cart for security. This little conversation in my opinion shows a life lesson. If you take things one step at a time and little by little get out of a bad habit you can attack it and win , but if keep giving in or trying to get it all at once , you will never be successful.
Next, in these set of chapters it wasn’t all fairy tale rainbows and butterflies which made me appreciate them a lot more. Lopez actually showed the reality and the dark side of Nathanial with his weaknesses that he still had to work on. For example the couple of times where Nathanial snapped out at Lopez really highlighted what his disease was like and what he had to live with. It reminded the readers that although there is all that improvement, everything is not better. Also, in these chapters Lopez admits and points out to us how Nathanial still writes on his walls and how he puts talcum powder on his face and calls himself Mr. White. This along with the shared opinions of a social worker at Lamp about Nathanial’s racial expressions and words he still publicly expresses, was enough to make Lopez second guess is positive feelings again .I felt pity for Lopez when he said “Is it possible that I bleary know Nathanial, that my perspective is blurred by both my own selfish desires and the fact that he is usually on his best behavior in my presence? The more I visit, the more I catch glimpse of this darker Nathanial.” This one quote shows a lot. It shows how peoples feelings can be easily let down but can be picked up just as fast as they are let down. It also finally states that Lopez is doing all this for Nathanial, but somewhere in this reasoning’s there is something there for himself also, whether it be satisfaction or just pride.
Also, I find the effort and time that Lopez puts into Nathanial amazing. Going back to Nathanial’s old life and walking in his actual footsteps takes a lot of dedication. The fact that Lopez was so dedicated really made him shine as a character in the book. Seeing the good in a character and really feelings like I met a truly kind hearted person, makes me want to read the book even more. Being the person I am and always inferring things made me see a sign of Nathanial’s disease when Lopez was looking at his records and grades. The way his grades plummeted in the spring semester but how he still managed to pass his end of the year solo performance with no problem, right away stood out as a sign of hardship in his life to me. A quote that really touched me on page 245 was when Lopez said “It’s like looking at a photograph taken moments before someone’s unexpected death. “ This definitely played on my emotions. It shows how tragic what happened to Nathanial was and how quickly even the thought of it can affect the others around him.
Last, I would like to make a general statement that although the end of the book wasn’t how most books end where everything works out perfectly, I think this way had more meaning. It was realistic and at the same time still put a smile on my face .I am proud of both Nathanial and Lopez .It seemed as if they both got something beneficial out of their experiences together. The book leaves me to think that Nathanial will live a happy life especially now that he has a place of his very own to live with his passion: His music studio.
· Jude my ideas
· Organization
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Forming a Closer Relationship
As I read further into The Soloist, I have come to feel as if I know Nathanial one on one as a person. Although he can sometimes be a little hard to read, after finding out a few more tid bids about his background, I am now able to connect with the character of Nathanial. In this review of chapters 13-22 I will talk about some key factors that really stood out to me and that I felt were major changes or important key ideas.
First , in chapter 14 Lopez says “ Not that I would ever diminish or romanticize a dreadful illness, but anticipating the possibility that this will forever be his life ,and looking for an excuse to leave him to his ways, I find myself what might sound like a strange question. Is he happy? “That one quote stroke up a major topic that was discuses in the rest of the chapter and in my opinion could stand as a question that would be a follow up on a theme of the book. This book has a person who has hardships coming his way left and right, but still manages to be happy. In most people’s eyes other than his, it cannot be understood why or how Nathanial is satisfied with how he lives life. This book makes you realize that it is on the person themselves to decide what will make them happy at the end of the day. In my opinion I do think Nathanial is a happy soul and even though he had to put up with his disease that he forcefully encountered, as long as he has his passion Nathanial will be satisfied. He does not care about the riches or the surroundings around him and that is what makes him different and makes Lopez ask the question I stated above. Because Lopez can somewhat see that Nathanial views things differently than many others, he sticks with him.
Next, in these chapters Nathanial’s family life and previous years were shared with us. He had a normal life, where everything was fine and well rounded, but once his father left them and went to California, Nathanial seemed to have been effected. He was too young when this happened to even realize why it all took place. He missed his dad and felt like he lost his mother because she took him and his sisters and moved them in with the new person she was seeing. The stress of losing her dad, feeling a lack of attention from his mom, and dealing with a new living environment that he didn’t even like, really added a lot of stress to Nathanial’s life. In my opinion, these family problems added to his hard life style and may be one of the reasons he lives how he does now. Although I know that his disorder is a big part of how he lives and I don’t blame the family splitting completely, I still think the burden that he put up with was unhealthy for him and had a long term effect. My idea seems to be supported by his teacher William Moon’s daughter in chapter 16 when she says to her father that "maybe Nathanial wanted to make Mr. Moon as proud of him as he was of his own daughter.” This shows that in the prime years of Nathanial’s life, he didn’t have a father figure to look up to or to impress with his great talents. This would take away some happiness form anyone’s life.
Last, the improvement that was shown throughout these chapters is amazing. Nathanial actually referred to Lamp as his place. Taking passion to anything other than his god Beethoven, his instruments or the tunnel was not heard of in the previous chunk of chapters. In my opinion seeing a little improvement doesn’t mean that things are all better, but if things are done one step at a time and fall into place, success will most likely come out of it. I can actually feel the excitement and vibe that Lopez probably got in his stomach when he witnessed Nathanial stand up for himself and say to James in chapter 19 “ I didn’t quit anything . This is my place. “At the end of part two of the book, Nathanial actually accepted a deal and is sleeping in his room, B-116, three times a week. For this we can thank Lopez for sticking by him.
In conclusion, these chapters always had something new coming for them whether it be a story, background knowledge, a success or a hardship. These chapters really made things in the book a lot more relatable for me allowing me to better connect with the book .
* check for : thoroughness, clarity, and thought out ideas
First , in chapter 14 Lopez says “ Not that I would ever diminish or romanticize a dreadful illness, but anticipating the possibility that this will forever be his life ,and looking for an excuse to leave him to his ways, I find myself what might sound like a strange question. Is he happy? “That one quote stroke up a major topic that was discuses in the rest of the chapter and in my opinion could stand as a question that would be a follow up on a theme of the book. This book has a person who has hardships coming his way left and right, but still manages to be happy. In most people’s eyes other than his, it cannot be understood why or how Nathanial is satisfied with how he lives life. This book makes you realize that it is on the person themselves to decide what will make them happy at the end of the day. In my opinion I do think Nathanial is a happy soul and even though he had to put up with his disease that he forcefully encountered, as long as he has his passion Nathanial will be satisfied. He does not care about the riches or the surroundings around him and that is what makes him different and makes Lopez ask the question I stated above. Because Lopez can somewhat see that Nathanial views things differently than many others, he sticks with him.
Next, in these chapters Nathanial’s family life and previous years were shared with us. He had a normal life, where everything was fine and well rounded, but once his father left them and went to California, Nathanial seemed to have been effected. He was too young when this happened to even realize why it all took place. He missed his dad and felt like he lost his mother because she took him and his sisters and moved them in with the new person she was seeing. The stress of losing her dad, feeling a lack of attention from his mom, and dealing with a new living environment that he didn’t even like, really added a lot of stress to Nathanial’s life. In my opinion, these family problems added to his hard life style and may be one of the reasons he lives how he does now. Although I know that his disorder is a big part of how he lives and I don’t blame the family splitting completely, I still think the burden that he put up with was unhealthy for him and had a long term effect. My idea seems to be supported by his teacher William Moon’s daughter in chapter 16 when she says to her father that "maybe Nathanial wanted to make Mr. Moon as proud of him as he was of his own daughter.” This shows that in the prime years of Nathanial’s life, he didn’t have a father figure to look up to or to impress with his great talents. This would take away some happiness form anyone’s life.
Last, the improvement that was shown throughout these chapters is amazing. Nathanial actually referred to Lamp as his place. Taking passion to anything other than his god Beethoven, his instruments or the tunnel was not heard of in the previous chunk of chapters. In my opinion seeing a little improvement doesn’t mean that things are all better, but if things are done one step at a time and fall into place, success will most likely come out of it. I can actually feel the excitement and vibe that Lopez probably got in his stomach when he witnessed Nathanial stand up for himself and say to James in chapter 19 “ I didn’t quit anything . This is my place. “At the end of part two of the book, Nathanial actually accepted a deal and is sleeping in his room, B-116, three times a week. For this we can thank Lopez for sticking by him.
In conclusion, these chapters always had something new coming for them whether it be a story, background knowledge, a success or a hardship. These chapters really made things in the book a lot more relatable for me allowing me to better connect with the book .
* check for : thoroughness, clarity, and thought out ideas
Friday, May 8, 2009
View Change of " The Soloist "
After reading my next chunk in The Soloist, in my opinion the book has changed a little and as I read, some curious questions about aspects other then Lopez's actual plot came into mind. Also, throughout these chapters (7 - 12) my emotions went up and down like a roller coaster. This set of chapters was really a page tuner for me and I can now say I am more into the book then I was when I first started, which is something I predicted. First, throughout out these chapters Lopez really inquires a lot about Nathanial and is determined to get help from every possible source he can get. He talks to several people about mental illnesses that pertain to Nathanial such as March, Rivia, Dr. Prchal, Calra Jacobs, and Dr.Alex Kopelowicz.This is physical proof of how much he truly cares about Nathanial, but sometimes his thoughts and words contradict his actions. Throughout these chapters he would say things about how he didn't want to be a care taker of Nathaniel and talks about how he cuts off family time for this case, even though it doesn't seem to be improving. Although some of the comments he makes lean a little toward the negative side, I firmly believe that he cares too much to truly mean this and back away from Nathanial. Other than having strong feelings about Lopez and his actions, the little events that happened to Nathanial throughout these chapters caused me to have different emotions. At some points I was nervous, sad, or at the edge of my seat. The first thing that had me feeling nervous was when the news that someone was jumped and in the hospital. Similar to how Lopez didn't want to call the hospital to see if it was Nathaniel was ok, I would have been reluctant about doing it too. I was very relieved to know that it wasn't him and he was safe. This made me want him to enter Lamp even more. I also felt embarrassed for Nathanial when he was on stage at Little Pedro Blue Bongo. I felt nervous for him and at the same time confident. He knows how to play very well, but when he messed up I think it was because of his nerves. Last, when Nathanial went to the rehearsal at the Disney Hall I felt his excitement. The Third Symphony was one of his passions and for him to be able to go and actually view it was definitely a privilege. When he wasn't going to go at first and almost changed his mind, I was actually heartbroken. One specific line that stood out to me was at the end of chapter 12 when Lopez said "I assume it was to prove his membership in the brotherhood." This really struck me as catchy. It summarized exactly what Nathanial seemed to have wanted all his life and what got taken away from him. It shows that everyone is connected in some way and are similar, but yet we are all unique in our own ways. Nathanial is part of the brotherhood at heart, but he is clearly different from the other musicians that he witnessed at the Disney Hall. My last point I will talk about is what Lopez writes for. I believe writes not only for himself and his happiness but to make the community aware of their surroundings and problems that happen in everyday life. His story is not only a great story line, but it also has a deeper meaning behind it. The fact that he is getting advice from other outside sources to see what their views are really sets a lesson for the readers of Lopez's work. In brief, I really think The Soloist is an entertaining book with actual meaning and feeling hidden behind the black and white lines.
* look for : tone , clarity, & well thought out points
* look for : tone , clarity, & well thought out points
Monday, May 4, 2009
Your Not Alone When You Have Your Passion
It is hard for me to have an overall opinion about the novel The Soloist considering the fact that I didn’t read a great amount of the book yet. Based on where I am so far (6 chapters in) I can say that I have mixed opinions about it. The topic of the book can be described with four “E’s “: entertaining, educational, emotional, and excellent. But on the other hand the pace of the book and the dull descriptions and details seem to bring my views of the book down a little. Unlike the last book we read, The Catcher in the Rye, this book isn’t just one big set of details, but there doesn’t seem to be a balance in between the two. I feel as if this book just gets to the point and does it in a cut and dry manner.
First, I like that I can relate both of the topics of the book to my life and my interests. I currently take a Psychology class which deals with mental diseases .One of the major charters of the book, Nathaniel, lost a lot of his success to schizophrenia. Also, his success and passion was in the field of music which clearly be directly related to all of us who attend GAMP.
Next, the way the book is written in first person appeals to me. Not just because it is in that form, but because the speaker of the book seems to have a kind, open heart while at the same time is determined and knows what he has to do to get things done. Reading Lopez’s thoughts and point of views can actually count as an inspiration since the way he goes about telling us the story is so positive considering the situation. The idea that a sophisticated journalist like Lopez set out to simply do a report on Nathaniel, but ended up actually caring about him and trying his best to look further into his life really touched my emotions. Also, I have great pity for Nathanael because he is a very talented person who had everything set out perfect for him. He went to Julliard and actually had the chance to pursue his passion for music, but that all got taken from him because of something that he couldn’t help. It makes you wonder, if there is a reason why the people who are out to do good and succeed, have these hardships.
In addition, I also not only admire the characteristics of Lopez so far, but I also think Nathanial is amazing as well. After all he has been through at such a young age such as losing his fiancée, his musical career, and becoming disconnected with his family, he still didn’t let his hopes down .He continued to pursue his love for music even if it meant playing a two string violin. I was extremely happy for him when he received the violin and the cello because the effects of this were a given; His heart was lifted.
The advice that was given throughout these few chapters to Lopez from the people he went to in order to inquire some help about how to handle Nathanial was 1 )for him to get Nathaniel to trust him and 2 ) to not treat the disease , but to treat the individual. This to me seemed to be very helpful advice especially because it was given to someone who was originally out to find more information on schizophrenia.
In brief, the first six chapters of the book weren’t bad. I am not as into it yet as I think I will be as I continue to read. This is a pattern that usually follows me when I read so I am not surprised. I can’t wait to find out more about Nathanial and how Lopez will help him!
When grading this we can focus on
- Clarity
- Explanations of my opinions
- Organization
First, I like that I can relate both of the topics of the book to my life and my interests. I currently take a Psychology class which deals with mental diseases .One of the major charters of the book, Nathaniel, lost a lot of his success to schizophrenia. Also, his success and passion was in the field of music which clearly be directly related to all of us who attend GAMP.
Next, the way the book is written in first person appeals to me. Not just because it is in that form, but because the speaker of the book seems to have a kind, open heart while at the same time is determined and knows what he has to do to get things done. Reading Lopez’s thoughts and point of views can actually count as an inspiration since the way he goes about telling us the story is so positive considering the situation. The idea that a sophisticated journalist like Lopez set out to simply do a report on Nathaniel, but ended up actually caring about him and trying his best to look further into his life really touched my emotions. Also, I have great pity for Nathanael because he is a very talented person who had everything set out perfect for him. He went to Julliard and actually had the chance to pursue his passion for music, but that all got taken from him because of something that he couldn’t help. It makes you wonder, if there is a reason why the people who are out to do good and succeed, have these hardships.
In addition, I also not only admire the characteristics of Lopez so far, but I also think Nathanial is amazing as well. After all he has been through at such a young age such as losing his fiancée, his musical career, and becoming disconnected with his family, he still didn’t let his hopes down .He continued to pursue his love for music even if it meant playing a two string violin. I was extremely happy for him when he received the violin and the cello because the effects of this were a given; His heart was lifted.
The advice that was given throughout these few chapters to Lopez from the people he went to in order to inquire some help about how to handle Nathanial was 1 )for him to get Nathaniel to trust him and 2 ) to not treat the disease , but to treat the individual. This to me seemed to be very helpful advice especially because it was given to someone who was originally out to find more information on schizophrenia.
In brief, the first six chapters of the book weren’t bad. I am not as into it yet as I think I will be as I continue to read. This is a pattern that usually follows me when I read so I am not surprised. I can’t wait to find out more about Nathanial and how Lopez will help him!
When grading this we can focus on
- Clarity
- Explanations of my opinions
- Organization
Sunday, April 26, 2009
The Catcher In The Rye
The Catcher in the Rye could be described as a one of a kind story. J.D. Salinger, the author of the story has the character Holden Caulfield narrate the novel. Caulfield is a sixteen year old boy and by reading the book you truly get the feel that you are communicating with a teen of his age. Throughout the whole book Caulfield tells different “tid bits” of his life, always sidetracking and expressing his thoughts that he had a some point in time .This is what made the book unique .Many may not like the book because they say that it is just a book of conversation with barely any point or story, but you have to look deeper into the life stories Caulfield tells to be able to connect with him.
I see Caulfield’s attitude towards life including how he acts towards himself, his peers, family and the environment around him as negative, cynical and even scornful at times. I do not think that this is his self born personality. I believe that this outlook on life grew over time after the death of his younger brother Allie. I know that this tragic event affected Caulfield greatly because he refers to his brother several times. He tells us different stories about Allie such as how he carries around Allies baseball mitt that had all poems on it. Also, at the end of the book Caulfield refers to how he always asked Allie to guide him safely to the other side of the street when he crossed one.
Holden Caulfield had a very funny personality in my opinion. His problem was that he didn’t let anyone in. Throughout the book I saw two characters that really tired to help him out and lead him in the right direction as he was taking the wrong path by getting expelled from Pency Prep. They were Mr. Antolin and Mr. Spencer; both of these men were former teachers of Holden. I personally believe that Caulfield is lonely and thinks that everything surrounding him is phony. This explains why he doesn’t like the movies too much and why he has a strong opinion about everyone he knows. Caulfield can’t relate to anyone directly because of his different outlook and views.
Childhood seems to be of importance to Holden. As he watches his sister Phoebe go around the carousal at the zoo several times while experiencing a day in the life of childhood, Caulfield became able to have innocent thoughts and communicate with people around him a little better, although he never talked about the stories he told us again. He ends the book talking in the same tone that he did throughout the story, which makes you wonder if he really began to change. He also just simply filled in details about what was currently happening to him and told of a plan for his future without getting into a list of ranting stories. These ideas both contradict each other. The last sentence Holden says is “Don't tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody” which completely supports my idea. It seems that he still has hard feelings about communicating with others, but at the same time shows value towards the people around him.
· Comments can be based on the ideas and organization of my overview. Also, you can take into consideration the idea of focus as you read this paper.
I see Caulfield’s attitude towards life including how he acts towards himself, his peers, family and the environment around him as negative, cynical and even scornful at times. I do not think that this is his self born personality. I believe that this outlook on life grew over time after the death of his younger brother Allie. I know that this tragic event affected Caulfield greatly because he refers to his brother several times. He tells us different stories about Allie such as how he carries around Allies baseball mitt that had all poems on it. Also, at the end of the book Caulfield refers to how he always asked Allie to guide him safely to the other side of the street when he crossed one.
Holden Caulfield had a very funny personality in my opinion. His problem was that he didn’t let anyone in. Throughout the book I saw two characters that really tired to help him out and lead him in the right direction as he was taking the wrong path by getting expelled from Pency Prep. They were Mr. Antolin and Mr. Spencer; both of these men were former teachers of Holden. I personally believe that Caulfield is lonely and thinks that everything surrounding him is phony. This explains why he doesn’t like the movies too much and why he has a strong opinion about everyone he knows. Caulfield can’t relate to anyone directly because of his different outlook and views.
Childhood seems to be of importance to Holden. As he watches his sister Phoebe go around the carousal at the zoo several times while experiencing a day in the life of childhood, Caulfield became able to have innocent thoughts and communicate with people around him a little better, although he never talked about the stories he told us again. He ends the book talking in the same tone that he did throughout the story, which makes you wonder if he really began to change. He also just simply filled in details about what was currently happening to him and told of a plan for his future without getting into a list of ranting stories. These ideas both contradict each other. The last sentence Holden says is “Don't tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody” which completely supports my idea. It seems that he still has hard feelings about communicating with others, but at the same time shows value towards the people around him.
· Comments can be based on the ideas and organization of my overview. Also, you can take into consideration the idea of focus as you read this paper.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
"The Death of a Salesman "
The Death of a Salesman was a play/movie that truly depicted and gave me and idea of how times in the 1920’S were. The story line was very basic in my opinion, but it had deep meaning behind it all. I clearly saw throughout the book that Willy Loman had some type of illness or was just tired and warn out from life. I sometimes wondered why none of his family members tired to look deeper into his actions, but then I remembered the time the story took place in and the time I live in and realized that difference is the reason I thought so much deeper into his ways then the book did.
One problem Willy had was how hard he was on everyone including himself .He had big goals and dreams that he wanted to live by, but it came to the point where he pushed this “American Dream,“ to be a great Salesman too far. He even pressured his sons to do the same and considered them failures when they weren’t doing what he wished they would do. Biff was constantly changing jobs and looking for new options in order to make his dad happy. Happy on the other hand loved being around woman and was very pleased with himself, which is why he didn’t have many boundaries. Although the way Willy acted towards his children seemed a little hard and pushy, when it boils down to it , it makes sense because most parents want what they think is best for their child. Willy pushed this idea too much though. He was never satisfied with himself, let in known his kids. Willy always wanted everyone to think highly of him but this couldn't’t happen because he was always hesitant in trusting himself which caused him to lose respect from others. He needed to come in terms with reality, and realize that no one person can satisfy everyone.
A theme that I saw throughout the book , which turned out to be a life lesson in my case was to always remember to keep reality and hopes and dreams separate. Hopes and dreams are great things to strive for and use as guidelines but sometimes they can prove to only be illusions. Willy never came in terms with life how it is. He thought he had to be always thriving to be well liked which is why he put so much pressure on himself and everyone around him. Instead of working in the business world it seems to me he tried to beat it. Also, the way the story was written showed that Willy had flashbacks and sometimes even had literal conversations while picturing people from the past in his present. Although this can have something to do with him being mentally ill, it still is a way of him not coming in terms with realism. At one point Biff even says "We never told the truth in the house for ten minutes." This can support Willy’s problem because he could never come in terms with the actual truth to tell his kids.
A part of the book that really touched me emotionally was when Willy went to his boss asking for a job that required less traveling but got turned down. This was very upsetting to me because he was confident that this would pass as ok with his boss, but was shot down and fired instead. He had his traveling job for many years and just wanted to continue to peruse his “success” in the business world. I don’t know if it is out of pity for Willy or if I really firmly believe it, but I strongly think that he should have got his request granted.
At the end of the book Willy died due to one of his moments where he more or less “went crazy”. He went driving and got into a car accident which is what caused his death. The end of the play was very descriptive and because of that I had pity for Willy’s family even more when they had the funereal and only his wife, Biff, Happy, Bernard, and Uncle Charlie showed up. This story literally was “The Death of a Salesman”.
* Concepts you can focus on can be
1) organization
2)style
3) ideas and how they are described
4) my overview of the book ( opinion and fact )
One problem Willy had was how hard he was on everyone including himself .He had big goals and dreams that he wanted to live by, but it came to the point where he pushed this “American Dream,“ to be a great Salesman too far. He even pressured his sons to do the same and considered them failures when they weren’t doing what he wished they would do. Biff was constantly changing jobs and looking for new options in order to make his dad happy. Happy on the other hand loved being around woman and was very pleased with himself, which is why he didn’t have many boundaries. Although the way Willy acted towards his children seemed a little hard and pushy, when it boils down to it , it makes sense because most parents want what they think is best for their child. Willy pushed this idea too much though. He was never satisfied with himself, let in known his kids. Willy always wanted everyone to think highly of him but this couldn't’t happen because he was always hesitant in trusting himself which caused him to lose respect from others. He needed to come in terms with reality, and realize that no one person can satisfy everyone.
A theme that I saw throughout the book , which turned out to be a life lesson in my case was to always remember to keep reality and hopes and dreams separate. Hopes and dreams are great things to strive for and use as guidelines but sometimes they can prove to only be illusions. Willy never came in terms with life how it is. He thought he had to be always thriving to be well liked which is why he put so much pressure on himself and everyone around him. Instead of working in the business world it seems to me he tried to beat it. Also, the way the story was written showed that Willy had flashbacks and sometimes even had literal conversations while picturing people from the past in his present. Although this can have something to do with him being mentally ill, it still is a way of him not coming in terms with realism. At one point Biff even says "We never told the truth in the house for ten minutes." This can support Willy’s problem because he could never come in terms with the actual truth to tell his kids.
A part of the book that really touched me emotionally was when Willy went to his boss asking for a job that required less traveling but got turned down. This was very upsetting to me because he was confident that this would pass as ok with his boss, but was shot down and fired instead. He had his traveling job for many years and just wanted to continue to peruse his “success” in the business world. I don’t know if it is out of pity for Willy or if I really firmly believe it, but I strongly think that he should have got his request granted.
At the end of the book Willy died due to one of his moments where he more or less “went crazy”. He went driving and got into a car accident which is what caused his death. The end of the play was very descriptive and because of that I had pity for Willy’s family even more when they had the funereal and only his wife, Biff, Happy, Bernard, and Uncle Charlie showed up. This story literally was “The Death of a Salesman”.
* Concepts you can focus on can be
1) organization
2)style
3) ideas and how they are described
4) my overview of the book ( opinion and fact )
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Feedback on Blogger
The blogging idea really surprised me. I didn’t think it would be productive when I first heard the idea and had to make an account for it, but as time when on and we got actual assignments to do with it, it became useful and easy to use. I feel that the blogs make my work a little better. This is because I feel relaxed when I write my "papers". It is not the norm, do the work and print it out for a grade because there is more room for you to talk with fellow classmates allowing you to share ideas and thoughts about what we are writing about.
I do think we should continue to blog. It not only helped my particular writing, I think it changed the environment of the two classes. I now know how the other class writes, whereas before I had no insight as to how they were in terms of their school work. Although I am not complexly blinded to how the other class works now, a way that I think will change the environment of the two classes and make it even better is to assign each of us a person from the other class each week to make sure everyone is getting the full advantage of crossing classes. Another positive thing about blogger is that I am the type of person that has my own ideas and I can extend on that, but for the most part am blind to other points of views. Being able to get other peoples’ thoughts and opinions about the same topic I am concentrating on helps me to reflect on my own ideas while gaining new ones.
I really like the commenting part of blogging. It helps me in several ways. First, with the other Google way that we used I most likely different wouldn’t have checked out other peoples pages and actually benefited from them. The comments on blogs being little mini points that go toward your grade actually make me read the works of others. It is also very interesting and helpful when you, Mr. Fiorini, comment our blogs. This makes it personal and directed to me specifically which in my opinion is better feedback then a set structured rubric. Although I like this idea, I think you should tell us your idea of writing before we do any more blogging .I think you should tell us your standards and your writing ideas and aspects of how you would use examples, quotes, correct grammar, and things of that nature. Since we only have them once a week for the most part, in my opinion I think it is fair if these assignments are greater a little harder than the regular homework assignment.
In brief, I think that using this new blogger site really is beneficial to everyone. It not only is a fun, more relaxed way of handing in writing, but in my case it boosts my confidence as a writer. I now make sure that I work my hardest because I know others will be reading and responding to my work. When I get good feedbacks from both you and the two classes it makes me feel happy with the work I do and actually want to do more. Blogger really does make me have more positive outlook on writing in general.
I do think we should continue to blog. It not only helped my particular writing, I think it changed the environment of the two classes. I now know how the other class writes, whereas before I had no insight as to how they were in terms of their school work. Although I am not complexly blinded to how the other class works now, a way that I think will change the environment of the two classes and make it even better is to assign each of us a person from the other class each week to make sure everyone is getting the full advantage of crossing classes. Another positive thing about blogger is that I am the type of person that has my own ideas and I can extend on that, but for the most part am blind to other points of views. Being able to get other peoples’ thoughts and opinions about the same topic I am concentrating on helps me to reflect on my own ideas while gaining new ones.
I really like the commenting part of blogging. It helps me in several ways. First, with the other Google way that we used I most likely different wouldn’t have checked out other peoples pages and actually benefited from them. The comments on blogs being little mini points that go toward your grade actually make me read the works of others. It is also very interesting and helpful when you, Mr. Fiorini, comment our blogs. This makes it personal and directed to me specifically which in my opinion is better feedback then a set structured rubric. Although I like this idea, I think you should tell us your idea of writing before we do any more blogging .I think you should tell us your standards and your writing ideas and aspects of how you would use examples, quotes, correct grammar, and things of that nature. Since we only have them once a week for the most part, in my opinion I think it is fair if these assignments are greater a little harder than the regular homework assignment.
In brief, I think that using this new blogger site really is beneficial to everyone. It not only is a fun, more relaxed way of handing in writing, but in my case it boosts my confidence as a writer. I now make sure that I work my hardest because I know others will be reading and responding to my work. When I get good feedbacks from both you and the two classes it makes me feel happy with the work I do and actually want to do more. Blogger really does make me have more positive outlook on writing in general.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Great Gatsby Post # 2
Great Gatsby was a book that I really enjoyed. It had a variety of characters, topics, themes, and problems that could influence any reader that picks up the book. When I first started reading the book, I didn’t think F. Scott Fitzgerald was that good of an author because it was very detailed, but as I read and got more into the book I came to the conclusion that he is an awesome writer. He wrote to all people and made sure his work would suit everyone’s interest. As I read his personal quotes there was even firsthand support to the conclusion that I made about him as a writer. “My idea is always to reach my generation. The wise writer...writes for the youth of his own generation, the critics of the next, and the schoolmasters of ever afterward.” This is exactly what Fitzgerald said to the New York Tribune in the 1920’s.
Throughout the books there were ideas mentioned that I knew had to have a deeper meaning and weren’t just part of the plot. These aspects were the ones that made me thing and threw me off a little. The kept coming up repeatedly and each time I attached something else to their meaning and put all ideas together. First, the symbol that I pulled the most meaning out of was the green light outside of Daisy’s dock on East Egg that Gatsby could see from his house in West Egg. Since the deeper meaning of the book had a lot to do with the rising and falling of America what Nick compared the light to, fit right it in .He said that the light was like what the settlers views the rising America as. The historical, real life meaning I got out of the green light was that it is similar to the lights that the females and wives of someone in a war or out at sea out up to show that they are waiting for someone. The green light also represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams for his future with Daisy. It is the light that will help him reach his goal: make Daisy his again. Another symbol in the book was the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. These are faded eyes on billboard that is over the Valley of Ashes. Fitzgerald never really tells what exactly what the symbols represent. He puts the idea out there that the characters generally put a meaning on the things that the reader comes to think are symbols of something. Based on what the character says about the billboard and how they refer to it is how the reader can get its meaning. If it wasn’t for George Wilson comparing the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eclleburg to the eyes of God looking over the people then I personally wouldn’t have gotten such a strong meaning from the billboard. It allows me to think that the eyes are the eyes of god looking over the valley of ashes with applying his judgment to it.
All of the characters had their own unique personalities, but my favorite character in the book was Gatsby. This is because of his multiple personalities throughout the book .I feel as if I got to know him the best because I seen varying sides of him. In the beginning he was more of a shady character that we didn’t know much about, yet one would think you would know more about him at first because his name is the title of the book. The way you found out more and more about him and his life as the book when on was another way that Fitzgerald held my attention and another reason why I thought he was a great writer. Gatsby went from mysterious, to someone that seemed like partier but not very friendly. Next he was best friends with Nick and a lover of Daisy. Gatsby became a very loveable person in m y eyes and when he was killed, in my opinion it was very unexpected and upsetting. “Riches have never fascinated me, unless combined with the greatest charm or distinction.” This was a quote of Fitzgerald in a letter to Ernest Hemingway. This quote could show how he came about the character traits of Gatsby. Gatsby has a big house and the riches, but also by the end you saw his loveable side that showed his charm and made him distinctly different from the other characters. The whole book revolved around the money classes of the East Egg and West egg and his quote refers to riches. Obviously riches were a constant thought of Fitzgerald.
I was a little disappointed at the ending and how Gatsby was killed. The fact that Daisy stayed with Tom instead of getting back with Gatsby upset me. They were apparently in love from a long time ago and wanted to get back and become an item, but in the end she didn’t even acknowledge the fact he was shot. It was random how she just left and went on a trip with Tom leaving her past few days with Gatsby just as a memory.
In brief, I have a lot if opinions about the book, most of them being positive ideas. I really enjoyed F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book The Great Gatsby.
Throughout the books there were ideas mentioned that I knew had to have a deeper meaning and weren’t just part of the plot. These aspects were the ones that made me thing and threw me off a little. The kept coming up repeatedly and each time I attached something else to their meaning and put all ideas together. First, the symbol that I pulled the most meaning out of was the green light outside of Daisy’s dock on East Egg that Gatsby could see from his house in West Egg. Since the deeper meaning of the book had a lot to do with the rising and falling of America what Nick compared the light to, fit right it in .He said that the light was like what the settlers views the rising America as. The historical, real life meaning I got out of the green light was that it is similar to the lights that the females and wives of someone in a war or out at sea out up to show that they are waiting for someone. The green light also represents Gatsby’s hopes and dreams for his future with Daisy. It is the light that will help him reach his goal: make Daisy his again. Another symbol in the book was the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. These are faded eyes on billboard that is over the Valley of Ashes. Fitzgerald never really tells what exactly what the symbols represent. He puts the idea out there that the characters generally put a meaning on the things that the reader comes to think are symbols of something. Based on what the character says about the billboard and how they refer to it is how the reader can get its meaning. If it wasn’t for George Wilson comparing the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eclleburg to the eyes of God looking over the people then I personally wouldn’t have gotten such a strong meaning from the billboard. It allows me to think that the eyes are the eyes of god looking over the valley of ashes with applying his judgment to it.
All of the characters had their own unique personalities, but my favorite character in the book was Gatsby. This is because of his multiple personalities throughout the book .I feel as if I got to know him the best because I seen varying sides of him. In the beginning he was more of a shady character that we didn’t know much about, yet one would think you would know more about him at first because his name is the title of the book. The way you found out more and more about him and his life as the book when on was another way that Fitzgerald held my attention and another reason why I thought he was a great writer. Gatsby went from mysterious, to someone that seemed like partier but not very friendly. Next he was best friends with Nick and a lover of Daisy. Gatsby became a very loveable person in m y eyes and when he was killed, in my opinion it was very unexpected and upsetting. “Riches have never fascinated me, unless combined with the greatest charm or distinction.” This was a quote of Fitzgerald in a letter to Ernest Hemingway. This quote could show how he came about the character traits of Gatsby. Gatsby has a big house and the riches, but also by the end you saw his loveable side that showed his charm and made him distinctly different from the other characters. The whole book revolved around the money classes of the East Egg and West egg and his quote refers to riches. Obviously riches were a constant thought of Fitzgerald.
I was a little disappointed at the ending and how Gatsby was killed. The fact that Daisy stayed with Tom instead of getting back with Gatsby upset me. They were apparently in love from a long time ago and wanted to get back and become an item, but in the end she didn’t even acknowledge the fact he was shot. It was random how she just left and went on a trip with Tom leaving her past few days with Gatsby just as a memory.
In brief, I have a lot if opinions about the book, most of them being positive ideas. I really enjoyed F. Scott Fitzgerald’s book The Great Gatsby.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Great Gatsby "Quotes"
--"'Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,' he told me, 'just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.'"This quote is directly from the narrator and one of the main characters of the book, Nick. The way the author opened the book up like this was strong and powerful, but misleading at the same time. I quoted this from chapter one, page one, the second sentence. Due to how effective the quote is, the background story behind it, and because I never seen a story open in this way, it really stuck out to me. After reading a few more chapters of the book, the fact the Nick said that this quote has came to be more of a habit that he lives by, seemed to be proven to me. He didn’t judge anything that anyone told him so far. He could have literally showed he had an opinion about Tom, Daisy, Gatsby or Jordan Baker and been a person who expresses his opinion and gets involved in everything , but instead he didn’t . You could tell how he feels since his narrating the book, but the quality of judging people doesn’t show in his interactions with others. The way there is such a powerful start to the book made me more interested in how the story line was going to go. The idea that the father puts out there to Nick is a very good lesson that I think everyone can relate to and should live by. Everyone at one point has judged someone without thinking of the other person’s situation. To me this quote allowed me to relate it to life on general, cheerleading, and my psychology class. In cheerleading, our beginning formation was so unique and out of the ordinary that it drew people in and had people wondering what we were going to do next, which is what this quote does for the book. Also, in psychology I recently learned the term for judging someone based on the generalized knowledge that they have programmed in their head. In brief, this opening to the story blew me away.
--“He smiled understandingly - much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternally reassurance in it that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced- or seemed to face- the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prestigious in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself , and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you, at your best , you hope to convey. “(Chapter 3, pg. 48)
This is another quote that came directly from the barraters mouth. At this point of the story, Nick was already well into the plot and was at a party a Gatsby’s house. We have yet to be introduced to the host of the party, or the main character of the story, Gatsby. This quote is the first set of descriptions that describe him .He already seemed mysterious and shady based on previous descriptions, but this quote doesn’t really allow the reader to get to know his true character. It only leads the reader to have mixed signals about whom and what he is all about. This is Nick’s first reactions about him because this is said as soon as Gatsby introduced himself to Nick. This quote can also be tired back to my first quote found in the first chapter because again Nick was not criticizing or judging Gatsby, but at the same time you can still see all different views that he was able to draw just from meeting him once. The way the author wrote this and the style he used when he italicized “you “and used dashes to stress certain phrases is another writing tool that made this part powerful and allowed it to stand out to me .
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Stephen Crane
http://vmlinux.org/ilse/lit/crane.htm (In the Desert)
http://poetry.about.com/library/weekly/blscranewar.htm (War is Kind)
Stephen Crane was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1871 to a religious family. He was the 14th child of a Methodist minister and was named after an ancestor from the revolutionary war. He grew up to be an American novelist, short story writer, poet and journalist. When Crane was growing up he wasn’t too interested in his schoolings at the university, but more so in the field of writing, so in turn he dropped out of school and decided to be a reporter and writer. Ever since Crane was younger he was a very brilliant child and had a strong interest in the way he could use and manipulate words. He was very independent in the way he thought and went about things.When Stephen Crane was three he taught himself to read and wrote letters for his father for his grandmother. When he turned four he was sneaking in around reading James Fennimore Cooper’s novel because his Methodist household was so strict. Stephen wrote his first poem at the age of six, started writing stories at eight, made his first known story at age 13, and even contributed the “York Tribune” at 16. Some of his works that he is most famous for happened when he was 22 when he published his first novel, “Maggie, Girl of the Streets,” which is considered the first work of American literary Naturalism. His second novel, “The Red Badge of Courage” won him an international acclaim. This was about the Civil War even though he wrote it without any Civil War experiences. This shows his strong interest in war. In 1896 Crane accepted the opportunity that was offered to him to be a war correspondent in the Spanish – American War. During his last years of life he lived in Europe with his wife and wrote about issues that he experienced in Greece and Cuba and in the mean time met and built friendships with other writers. Crane died of tuberculous in at the age of 28, but at this point death was no stranger to him. Throughout his life he witnessed five of his siblings die in childhood and his father, Jonathan Townley Crane die when he was only eleven years old.
Stephan Crane’s writings left an impression on the 20th century writers, especially the modernists and the imagists. He was an example of American Naturalism and Impressionism This means his writings were opposite of the Romanics, the time before his. The idea that his poems were based on heredity and environment supports this idea. Crane preferred his poems to be referred to as lines and said the purpose of his poems in his words was to "to give my ideas of life as a whole, so far as I know it.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Crane). In his poem In the Dessert there are many themes. The themes that appear to me are themes that involve being alone and isolated, fear, and relations with nature. These themes also seem to appear in his collection of versus along with In the Desert that makes up The Black Riders. His writing really make the reader think because they go smooth and have a single flow to them until one word is read multiple ways and gives the reader a double meaning to think about . In the Dessert along with the other poems can all be related and made into a whole, but not because of their flow, but because of the common themes travel through all of the parts. The meaning that I got out of In the Dessert was that man doesn’t control fate and whatever happens to him is what is meant to be and is controlled. The final result of things, whether they are big or small most of the time will not be happy go lucky, but rather cruel. According to Crane man must accept life as it is. Cranes writings were a little on the dark side which makes logical sense die to the fact that his past consisted a lot of deaths and war.
Crane uses a lot of metaphors and is able to paint very vivid image in the readers head. His poems were different from the standard poems of that time because they were done in free verse and didn’t contain titles. He tends to be dramatic in the sense that he enforces beliefs and opinions rather than feelings like mot poets do. In his poem In the Dessert there is a significant voice that directs when the specific action that happens. “In the desert I saw a creature, naked, bestial, “is an example of this. His adjectives and description that is given are also important to his way of writing because it is what puts the twist to it all .For example the word bitter in this poem can be taken into consideration and have multiple meanings. If you take it as the environment of a dessert it might mean intense hostility, but if you consider it as a personality type of the bird it might mean strong and sharp. Also, if you take it literal as a food taste, it could mean an unpleasant taste, creating imagery. Narrative is the approach he takes on his poems only he adds the metaphors in to make it catchier. For example, the bird in the dessert with the bitter heart is the symbol for a man that is living life as a victim in a tough situation, but is excepting it.
Another poem that is written by Stephan Crane is War is Kind. This poem is again about one of his passions …war. It simply expresses the feelings of people as hurt and against war, but then his ideas of war turn theirs down and forces the reader to think about how we must be excepting of war and its purpose. This poem showed me another poem of Crows that had the same style as In the Dessert. Both were a little part of a bigger work that was tied in by theme and were written originally without titles. In this poem, what I liked best was how he repeated several times War is Kind to stress the message he was trying to get across. I noticed that this poem is more direct then In the Dessert.
The works of Stephan Crane can be considered American not only because they were written by an American poet, but because a lot of the content of them could be related back to war. In order to be where we are today in America, we needed to have are past. Our past wars are what developed us into who we are and made us the strong, powerful country we are today. His writings show first hand feelings, thoughts, and actual actions that happened during wars America has been in. These works connect directly to our history and can be considered references of the past.
In brief, Stephan Crow was a very powerful writer and although his pomes aren’t what made him the famous American writer that he is, if you read them, they are very catchy. Their meaning doesn’t jump right out at you, but instead are like a puzzle and makes you think and apply facts to gain the knowledge.
http://poetry.about.com/library/weekly/blscranewar.htm (War is Kind)
Stephen Crane was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1871 to a religious family. He was the 14th child of a Methodist minister and was named after an ancestor from the revolutionary war. He grew up to be an American novelist, short story writer, poet and journalist. When Crane was growing up he wasn’t too interested in his schoolings at the university, but more so in the field of writing, so in turn he dropped out of school and decided to be a reporter and writer. Ever since Crane was younger he was a very brilliant child and had a strong interest in the way he could use and manipulate words. He was very independent in the way he thought and went about things.When Stephen Crane was three he taught himself to read and wrote letters for his father for his grandmother. When he turned four he was sneaking in around reading James Fennimore Cooper’s novel because his Methodist household was so strict. Stephen wrote his first poem at the age of six, started writing stories at eight, made his first known story at age 13, and even contributed the “York Tribune” at 16. Some of his works that he is most famous for happened when he was 22 when he published his first novel, “Maggie, Girl of the Streets,” which is considered the first work of American literary Naturalism. His second novel, “The Red Badge of Courage” won him an international acclaim. This was about the Civil War even though he wrote it without any Civil War experiences. This shows his strong interest in war. In 1896 Crane accepted the opportunity that was offered to him to be a war correspondent in the Spanish – American War. During his last years of life he lived in Europe with his wife and wrote about issues that he experienced in Greece and Cuba and in the mean time met and built friendships with other writers. Crane died of tuberculous in at the age of 28, but at this point death was no stranger to him. Throughout his life he witnessed five of his siblings die in childhood and his father, Jonathan Townley Crane die when he was only eleven years old.
Stephan Crane’s writings left an impression on the 20th century writers, especially the modernists and the imagists. He was an example of American Naturalism and Impressionism This means his writings were opposite of the Romanics, the time before his. The idea that his poems were based on heredity and environment supports this idea. Crane preferred his poems to be referred to as lines and said the purpose of his poems in his words was to "to give my ideas of life as a whole, so far as I know it.” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Crane). In his poem In the Dessert there are many themes. The themes that appear to me are themes that involve being alone and isolated, fear, and relations with nature. These themes also seem to appear in his collection of versus along with In the Desert that makes up The Black Riders. His writing really make the reader think because they go smooth and have a single flow to them until one word is read multiple ways and gives the reader a double meaning to think about . In the Dessert along with the other poems can all be related and made into a whole, but not because of their flow, but because of the common themes travel through all of the parts. The meaning that I got out of In the Dessert was that man doesn’t control fate and whatever happens to him is what is meant to be and is controlled. The final result of things, whether they are big or small most of the time will not be happy go lucky, but rather cruel. According to Crane man must accept life as it is. Cranes writings were a little on the dark side which makes logical sense die to the fact that his past consisted a lot of deaths and war.
Crane uses a lot of metaphors and is able to paint very vivid image in the readers head. His poems were different from the standard poems of that time because they were done in free verse and didn’t contain titles. He tends to be dramatic in the sense that he enforces beliefs and opinions rather than feelings like mot poets do. In his poem In the Dessert there is a significant voice that directs when the specific action that happens. “In the desert I saw a creature, naked, bestial, “is an example of this. His adjectives and description that is given are also important to his way of writing because it is what puts the twist to it all .For example the word bitter in this poem can be taken into consideration and have multiple meanings. If you take it as the environment of a dessert it might mean intense hostility, but if you consider it as a personality type of the bird it might mean strong and sharp. Also, if you take it literal as a food taste, it could mean an unpleasant taste, creating imagery. Narrative is the approach he takes on his poems only he adds the metaphors in to make it catchier. For example, the bird in the dessert with the bitter heart is the symbol for a man that is living life as a victim in a tough situation, but is excepting it.
Another poem that is written by Stephan Crane is War is Kind. This poem is again about one of his passions …war. It simply expresses the feelings of people as hurt and against war, but then his ideas of war turn theirs down and forces the reader to think about how we must be excepting of war and its purpose. This poem showed me another poem of Crows that had the same style as In the Dessert. Both were a little part of a bigger work that was tied in by theme and were written originally without titles. In this poem, what I liked best was how he repeated several times War is Kind to stress the message he was trying to get across. I noticed that this poem is more direct then In the Dessert.
The works of Stephan Crane can be considered American not only because they were written by an American poet, but because a lot of the content of them could be related back to war. In order to be where we are today in America, we needed to have are past. Our past wars are what developed us into who we are and made us the strong, powerful country we are today. His writings show first hand feelings, thoughts, and actual actions that happened during wars America has been in. These works connect directly to our history and can be considered references of the past.
In brief, Stephan Crow was a very powerful writer and although his pomes aren’t what made him the famous American writer that he is, if you read them, they are very catchy. Their meaning doesn’t jump right out at you, but instead are like a puzzle and makes you think and apply facts to gain the knowledge.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Kate Chopin's Reading Journal
Kate Chopin was a famous writer whose works were a main part of American realism. She wrote many short stories in which people can specifically relate to because she makes them realistic and tells of situations how they really are in everyday life. American realism was a time when the writers told a story that boys and girls could grow up with as a guide and made sure the stories relate to the average Americans life. In Chopin’s story’s Lilacs and A Pair of Silk Stockings she did just that. For example in Lilacs Adrienne lived a life of happiness. She had her life in Paris, but still visited the Church where she grew up at every year in the spring. In the End she was forbidden to go to the church anymore because she lived a life that had two sides to it and she wasn’t as pure as the other nuns were. This real life situation where people get rejected because they act like they are someone they are not. In Chopin’s other short story called A Pair of Silk Stockings a problem was brought out that still to this day we come across .She tells a story of a woman who spent all of her money she finds on stuff that she really didn’t need but greatly wanted. She wanted it because having a lot of money just to enjoy wasn’t a part of her daily life style and it was something different for her .Living a day in a life that we know we can’t have is something we can all relate to, and spending money like it grows on trees is another problem Americans seem to have. Although this was progress and Chopin’s writings had messages in them making her be a writer in the Realism time period there were some aspects in her works that could tie back to the previous time period of the American Romanics. The Romanic writers concentrated on nature’s beauty and emotion rather than reasonableness and being realistic. For instance, Chopin made several references to nature. A very vivid description of nature was used when she said “…could hear the notes of birds, just as we hear them now, and the humming of insects in the air.” Also when she describes her walk by saying “ … over the tufted grass down the gentle decline where it sloped toward the broad, flat meadow , and the limpid stream that flowed cool and fresh from the woods.”
Chopin’s stories are stories with meaning, but they have to be deeply looked into in order to get the message across. A theme that I got out of these short stories is that you can’t live a double life and live the life you wish you lived while being the person you truly are. Your character type in one setting cannot differ from your character in other circumstances because that is how problems are caused. In Lilacs, Adrienne acted one way in Paris, but a completely different way when she came to stay at the church. She was more open and on the crazy side in Paris, but at the church she acted as if she was always pure like the other nuns .Eventually this double act backfired on her. She was trying to pretend she lived a life under chastity but in reality she was a dancer and did scandals things. That is another little mini lesson that the story taught about the Catholic religion. In A Pair of Silk Stockings the main character, Mrs. Sommers was a mother who didn’t have a lot of money. When she found 15 dollars she had all intensions of spending it wisely, but instead she got caught up in living in the life she always wanted to live with extra money to just enjoy for herself. Both situations show that if you just live the life that was made out for you instead of changing things around to be someone you were not meant to be then there would be no bad consequences there for you in the near future. This author views the world as one big place where we all have a spot that is made for us.
Kate Chopin’s writings are made for any audience those choices to read them. Her purpose is to teach people a life lesson through a story that people can relate to .Any one can take interest in a story that they relate to. In the case of the two short stories I read from her theme of being someone you are not is something that everyone pretty much goes through at one time or another because it is part of finding out who you really are .Although her writings can relate to any one I particularly think it would be easier for females to relate to her stories .This is supported because the two main characters are females and although the stories have messages males can connect to , the story line itself is more set for girls. The females back in the day when Chopin wrote this didn’t have many opportunities set out for them and neither did the woman in her stories .The woman in Lilacs had set rules to live by and a certain way she had to do things in order to be excepted and the woman in A Pair of Silk Stockings didn’t have much money.
As a reader Kate Chopin’s way of writing is something that attracted me to her stories and kept me interested. I enjoy writing stories and most of the time they come easy to me, but there is always room to better my writing. I believe the way she ties in a message, is humorous and includes real life situations along with creating vivid images makes her a high-quality writer which allows me to read her works not only to enjoy them but to learn from them also.
“How good was the touch of the raw silk to her flesh! She felt like lying back in the cushioned chair and reveling for a while in the luxury of it. She did for a little while. Then she replaced her shoes, rolled the cotton stockings together and thrust them into her bag. After doing this she crossed straight over to the shoe department and took her seat to be fitted.” This is a quote from Kate Chopin’s story A Pair of Silk Stockings. I was attracted to this author’s works, especially this piece, because of her feminine ways. Her writings leave me with something to think about. The quote above can be particularly related to teenage girls. Shop till I drop is my motto and as soon as the mother in the story got extra money she seemed to have the same mind set even though she didn’t mean to. She went from store to store buying stuff she really didn’t need, but doing it made her feel complete. This is how a lot of girls of all ages feel about buying new things. They feel like they need it all but from the outside point of view, we already have too much.
In brief, Kate Chopin has writing talents that grab my attention and make me want to read her works, but also shows me an example of a good writer from the time of American Romanics. Her two stories A Pair of Silk Stockings and Lilacs both have themes that I can relate to. I believe I made a good choice when I choose this author.
Chopin’s stories are stories with meaning, but they have to be deeply looked into in order to get the message across. A theme that I got out of these short stories is that you can’t live a double life and live the life you wish you lived while being the person you truly are. Your character type in one setting cannot differ from your character in other circumstances because that is how problems are caused. In Lilacs, Adrienne acted one way in Paris, but a completely different way when she came to stay at the church. She was more open and on the crazy side in Paris, but at the church she acted as if she was always pure like the other nuns .Eventually this double act backfired on her. She was trying to pretend she lived a life under chastity but in reality she was a dancer and did scandals things. That is another little mini lesson that the story taught about the Catholic religion. In A Pair of Silk Stockings the main character, Mrs. Sommers was a mother who didn’t have a lot of money. When she found 15 dollars she had all intensions of spending it wisely, but instead she got caught up in living in the life she always wanted to live with extra money to just enjoy for herself. Both situations show that if you just live the life that was made out for you instead of changing things around to be someone you were not meant to be then there would be no bad consequences there for you in the near future. This author views the world as one big place where we all have a spot that is made for us.
Kate Chopin’s writings are made for any audience those choices to read them. Her purpose is to teach people a life lesson through a story that people can relate to .Any one can take interest in a story that they relate to. In the case of the two short stories I read from her theme of being someone you are not is something that everyone pretty much goes through at one time or another because it is part of finding out who you really are .Although her writings can relate to any one I particularly think it would be easier for females to relate to her stories .This is supported because the two main characters are females and although the stories have messages males can connect to , the story line itself is more set for girls. The females back in the day when Chopin wrote this didn’t have many opportunities set out for them and neither did the woman in her stories .The woman in Lilacs had set rules to live by and a certain way she had to do things in order to be excepted and the woman in A Pair of Silk Stockings didn’t have much money.
As a reader Kate Chopin’s way of writing is something that attracted me to her stories and kept me interested. I enjoy writing stories and most of the time they come easy to me, but there is always room to better my writing. I believe the way she ties in a message, is humorous and includes real life situations along with creating vivid images makes her a high-quality writer which allows me to read her works not only to enjoy them but to learn from them also.
“How good was the touch of the raw silk to her flesh! She felt like lying back in the cushioned chair and reveling for a while in the luxury of it. She did for a little while. Then she replaced her shoes, rolled the cotton stockings together and thrust them into her bag. After doing this she crossed straight over to the shoe department and took her seat to be fitted.” This is a quote from Kate Chopin’s story A Pair of Silk Stockings. I was attracted to this author’s works, especially this piece, because of her feminine ways. Her writings leave me with something to think about. The quote above can be particularly related to teenage girls. Shop till I drop is my motto and as soon as the mother in the story got extra money she seemed to have the same mind set even though she didn’t mean to. She went from store to store buying stuff she really didn’t need, but doing it made her feel complete. This is how a lot of girls of all ages feel about buying new things. They feel like they need it all but from the outside point of view, we already have too much.
In brief, Kate Chopin has writing talents that grab my attention and make me want to read her works, but also shows me an example of a good writer from the time of American Romanics. Her two stories A Pair of Silk Stockings and Lilacs both have themes that I can relate to. I believe I made a good choice when I choose this author.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Words are Wonderful and Speak to Everyone
Writing is a voice that speaks to its audience. It is not just something that is read and forgotten. If it is well written and expresses its point it can have a great effect on people and there will be a reaction. By reading a piece of writing, a person may be influenced one way or another about a topic that they decide to get involved with and take into their own hands. Writing is a way to communicate with everyone no matter and no matter who they are they will come across it. If the writer knows how manipulate words and work with the text the piece will definitely be remembered by all. Words can help express an opinion in a non violent way.
Shirley Kaufman is a poet whose words really relay important message out to her readers. In her poem “Cyclamen” the people had to pay the consequences for not taking the signs of war returning into consideration. They sat back, didn’t speak up and didn’t take action about the signs that were being thrown in to their faces. The examples she uses through her poem and the way she made it flow like a story with the warning of danger in the beginning and the price the people paid at the end is what will make us remember her message forever.
“They are fragile, pale apparitions among the stones after the heavy rains, as if to tell us, "we're back, you have to take notice."
This quote from her poem uses descriptions that actually allow the reader to picture the meaning of the words as an image in their minds. That is her goal. Planting pictures with words is what makes them be more than just part of a piece of writing. It allows them to actually have an effect on the way a person lives their life.
Another one of my favorite poems that I read was “Speak Out” by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. He uses a play on words which really made the poem stick in my head. The message came across and bit me in the nose due to his examples of all the people being called into war and dying because no one speaks. If we don’t use are talent of putting words together to express our opinion nothing will get accomplished. Actions will not always do the trick and neither will sitting back quietly. Sometimes it takes that one brave person to express themselves using their way of words in order for everyone else to do the same .If this non violent way of expressing an opinion is put off too long then it may become too late.
“All you lovers and sleepers
Deep in your private dreams
Now it is time for you to speak
O silent majority
Before they come for you”
The way Lawrence ended his poem wrapped up the whole point of the poem and left the audience with a lasting message that is powerful enough to stick with them forever. They have now learned a message they can use throughout the rest of their life and put into action.
In summary, writing does have the power to enact social change. Words can be used by anyone and be heard louder than any action that a person can do. Words are there for you to communicate and influence others while getting your point across, so use them!
Shirley Kaufman is a poet whose words really relay important message out to her readers. In her poem “Cyclamen” the people had to pay the consequences for not taking the signs of war returning into consideration. They sat back, didn’t speak up and didn’t take action about the signs that were being thrown in to their faces. The examples she uses through her poem and the way she made it flow like a story with the warning of danger in the beginning and the price the people paid at the end is what will make us remember her message forever.
“They are fragile, pale apparitions among the stones after the heavy rains, as if to tell us, "we're back, you have to take notice."
This quote from her poem uses descriptions that actually allow the reader to picture the meaning of the words as an image in their minds. That is her goal. Planting pictures with words is what makes them be more than just part of a piece of writing. It allows them to actually have an effect on the way a person lives their life.
Another one of my favorite poems that I read was “Speak Out” by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. He uses a play on words which really made the poem stick in my head. The message came across and bit me in the nose due to his examples of all the people being called into war and dying because no one speaks. If we don’t use are talent of putting words together to express our opinion nothing will get accomplished. Actions will not always do the trick and neither will sitting back quietly. Sometimes it takes that one brave person to express themselves using their way of words in order for everyone else to do the same .If this non violent way of expressing an opinion is put off too long then it may become too late.
“All you lovers and sleepers
Deep in your private dreams
Now it is time for you to speak
O silent majority
Before they come for you”
The way Lawrence ended his poem wrapped up the whole point of the poem and left the audience with a lasting message that is powerful enough to stick with them forever. They have now learned a message they can use throughout the rest of their life and put into action.
In summary, writing does have the power to enact social change. Words can be used by anyone and be heard louder than any action that a person can do. Words are there for you to communicate and influence others while getting your point across, so use them!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Gabrielle's Price Of a Child
English III
Gabrielle DiCrosta 11/1
January 29,2009
The Price of a Child (New Ending)
Chapter 12 – Runaway… Family Astray
When Mercer and I finally returned back into the area from the speaking tour trip which generally went well, I dropped her off at Ziplha’s house where she would spend the next night or two. In the back off our heads we knew what we wanted to happen in life, we just had to find a way to make it all come true. Our dream of fleeing off to Canada together is exactly what we needed to figure out. Before she got out of the carriage I told her to remain here and say nothing to Zilpha about what our plan was .I would be back within the next few mornings to get her. “I love you Tyree. I wish you the best of luck with handling the situation of telling your family. “
I rode along in the carriage and proceeded to go see my mom and tell her of my safe comings home. When I arrived at the house she welcomed me with a big hug and kiss .This made me very distressed inside because I knew how much my family needed me but I also knew how much more happy I would be living with Mercer and the children ,starting a new life in Canada . My mother even made it worse by saying “Your father has gotten worse Tyree. He is giving us more trouble than ever now. Go upstairs and see him.” Before I did this I decided that I would tell her what’s going on with Mercer and me. When I told her that she was the one I loved and that I planned on going with her to Canada in order to keep her safe she didn’t take it the way I had planned. She completely disapproved of it and told me that I am a cheater and I have committed a moral sin. She was even more upset because she knew that I knew what my father had did to her and was ashamed because she thought she taught me better then to follow in his footsteps. With the tension building up between the two of us I just walked upstairs to go see how my father was coming along.
He was sick .Sicker than ever before .He could comprehend what I was saying, but I barely got a response out of him. All he could do was motion to me to get this point across. He also managed to get little sounds out to communicate with people. It was very upsetting to see him like this, but we knew it was coming, because there was never a sign of improvement the whole time he was sick. I could no longer bear looking at how sick he has become especially knowing that I was leaving him like this to suffer without my support to guide him through it. I kissed him on his fore head that was burning up, and returned down stairs.
My mother was standing in the middle of the living room with her arms crossed as I walked down .She gave me the “ you messed up , good luck now “ eyes and walked out of the room . In stormed Blanche, screaming like a mad woman. I wasn’t expecting this and didn’t even have any thoughts planned out in my head of how I was going to explain the situation to her. I was so angry at my mother for betraying me and telling Blanche without even warning me. When I finally realized this wasn’t a dream and she was really in front of me angry as can be , a war broke out in the living room .She screamed so loud “ How could you do this to me “ repeatedly. “I was nothing but good to that tramp and now she repays me like this. “ Blanche said. “But But, it wasn’t all her …” I couldn’t even get a word in to stick up for Mercer without her cutting me off and continuing to scream. “No no let me finish. And you, you just decide one day you are going to pick up and go miles and miles away with out even thinking of the people that love you that you’re leaving behind. What about your family that needs your support? I can’t believe I fell in love with a man that could be so heartless! “Blanche Burst out into tears and began to hit me on the head with one of the clothes she was sewing that she still had in her hand. I felt bad for her, but had to stay strong. I told her that I knew how she felt because I saw what my father did to my mother and how badly it hurt her even though she kept it bottled in. There was nothing else I could do to help her. The best thing for us was for her to walk away and never see me again. “And what about our poor little Syris” she said. We’ll see what happens in the morning I told her, already knowing that I planned on taking him with me to Canada. “You are shameful. You have no respect for anyone but yourself. “She screamed as she walked to the door and slammed it behind her.
Bea and my mother came into the room next. Aggravated already, I told them if they were going to continue to scream at me more not to even bother because I already understand how shocked everyone is. My mother walked out of the house full of disgrace and said “Good luck with your knew life in Canada; I love you. “ Bea giggled already half intoxicated and said “Wow I would have never expected it from you. Want some of this wine to relive ya from the stress Mr. two timer. “I chuckled and said no thank you and she left.
That night I slept upstairs in my father’s room to get away from the ruckus. I didn’t know if any of them crazy woman were going to return home in the middle of the night. God knows where they even went. I spent my last night in Philadelphia with my dad who I loved so dearly. It killed me to have to leave him like this .He would have accepted the news I brought home if he was conscious enough to know what was going on. At 4 o’clock that morning I picked up my stuff and got Cyris all ready to go. We hoped in the carriage and went to go get the love of my life. It was a windy night, but regardless of the weather and my empty heart from turning my family against me I was still very excited to pick up Mercer and leave. When we arrived at Zilpha’s house Mercer was peering out the window waiting patiently to see the carriage drive by. Once she seen us, she gave us a signal that told me that she knew we were waiting for her. She grabbed her stuff and quietly left the house. She entered the carriage and told me “The shut of that door behind her, was like the ending to a horrible dream that she has been living. “
Now we were off to go get the children, Etta and Matthew. When we arrived at Harriet’s house, where they have been staying, Mercer got out and nervously walked to the door to get her children. She knew that Harriet probably already heard what had happened and didn’t know how she would act towards her. With the dock on the door, Harriet came and answered.Mercer said hi and went to wake her two children .They were so excited to see her in front of them with their own two eyes. She gave them both big hugs and told them to remain quiet and follow her. They did as she said .All three of them said good bye to Harriet and as the kids were about to walk out of the door she handed them two little gifts so they could always remember her. Matty received the block he always played with and Etta got her favorite book that she has been practicing reading. They said thank you and gave her a big hug goodbye. She watched them as they got into the carriage with Tyree.
Although all of this happened so fast and no one was sure what was going to happen next, Mercer and Tyree knew this is what they wanted not only for themselves , but for their children.They stuck together this long and held each other up threw all of the tragedies that took place since Mercer has arrived with his family . Together they knew they would live happily ever after and start a new life once they arrived at their destination of Canada.
*This was my new ending of The Price of a Child
Gabrielle DiCrosta 11/1
January 29,2009
The Price of a Child (New Ending)
Chapter 12 – Runaway… Family Astray
When Mercer and I finally returned back into the area from the speaking tour trip which generally went well, I dropped her off at Ziplha’s house where she would spend the next night or two. In the back off our heads we knew what we wanted to happen in life, we just had to find a way to make it all come true. Our dream of fleeing off to Canada together is exactly what we needed to figure out. Before she got out of the carriage I told her to remain here and say nothing to Zilpha about what our plan was .I would be back within the next few mornings to get her. “I love you Tyree. I wish you the best of luck with handling the situation of telling your family. “
I rode along in the carriage and proceeded to go see my mom and tell her of my safe comings home. When I arrived at the house she welcomed me with a big hug and kiss .This made me very distressed inside because I knew how much my family needed me but I also knew how much more happy I would be living with Mercer and the children ,starting a new life in Canada . My mother even made it worse by saying “Your father has gotten worse Tyree. He is giving us more trouble than ever now. Go upstairs and see him.” Before I did this I decided that I would tell her what’s going on with Mercer and me. When I told her that she was the one I loved and that I planned on going with her to Canada in order to keep her safe she didn’t take it the way I had planned. She completely disapproved of it and told me that I am a cheater and I have committed a moral sin. She was even more upset because she knew that I knew what my father had did to her and was ashamed because she thought she taught me better then to follow in his footsteps. With the tension building up between the two of us I just walked upstairs to go see how my father was coming along.
He was sick .Sicker than ever before .He could comprehend what I was saying, but I barely got a response out of him. All he could do was motion to me to get this point across. He also managed to get little sounds out to communicate with people. It was very upsetting to see him like this, but we knew it was coming, because there was never a sign of improvement the whole time he was sick. I could no longer bear looking at how sick he has become especially knowing that I was leaving him like this to suffer without my support to guide him through it. I kissed him on his fore head that was burning up, and returned down stairs.
My mother was standing in the middle of the living room with her arms crossed as I walked down .She gave me the “ you messed up , good luck now “ eyes and walked out of the room . In stormed Blanche, screaming like a mad woman. I wasn’t expecting this and didn’t even have any thoughts planned out in my head of how I was going to explain the situation to her. I was so angry at my mother for betraying me and telling Blanche without even warning me. When I finally realized this wasn’t a dream and she was really in front of me angry as can be , a war broke out in the living room .She screamed so loud “ How could you do this to me “ repeatedly. “I was nothing but good to that tramp and now she repays me like this. “ Blanche said. “But But, it wasn’t all her …” I couldn’t even get a word in to stick up for Mercer without her cutting me off and continuing to scream. “No no let me finish. And you, you just decide one day you are going to pick up and go miles and miles away with out even thinking of the people that love you that you’re leaving behind. What about your family that needs your support? I can’t believe I fell in love with a man that could be so heartless! “Blanche Burst out into tears and began to hit me on the head with one of the clothes she was sewing that she still had in her hand. I felt bad for her, but had to stay strong. I told her that I knew how she felt because I saw what my father did to my mother and how badly it hurt her even though she kept it bottled in. There was nothing else I could do to help her. The best thing for us was for her to walk away and never see me again. “And what about our poor little Syris” she said. We’ll see what happens in the morning I told her, already knowing that I planned on taking him with me to Canada. “You are shameful. You have no respect for anyone but yourself. “She screamed as she walked to the door and slammed it behind her.
Bea and my mother came into the room next. Aggravated already, I told them if they were going to continue to scream at me more not to even bother because I already understand how shocked everyone is. My mother walked out of the house full of disgrace and said “Good luck with your knew life in Canada; I love you. “ Bea giggled already half intoxicated and said “Wow I would have never expected it from you. Want some of this wine to relive ya from the stress Mr. two timer. “I chuckled and said no thank you and she left.
That night I slept upstairs in my father’s room to get away from the ruckus. I didn’t know if any of them crazy woman were going to return home in the middle of the night. God knows where they even went. I spent my last night in Philadelphia with my dad who I loved so dearly. It killed me to have to leave him like this .He would have accepted the news I brought home if he was conscious enough to know what was going on. At 4 o’clock that morning I picked up my stuff and got Cyris all ready to go. We hoped in the carriage and went to go get the love of my life. It was a windy night, but regardless of the weather and my empty heart from turning my family against me I was still very excited to pick up Mercer and leave. When we arrived at Zilpha’s house Mercer was peering out the window waiting patiently to see the carriage drive by. Once she seen us, she gave us a signal that told me that she knew we were waiting for her. She grabbed her stuff and quietly left the house. She entered the carriage and told me “The shut of that door behind her, was like the ending to a horrible dream that she has been living. “
Now we were off to go get the children, Etta and Matthew. When we arrived at Harriet’s house, where they have been staying, Mercer got out and nervously walked to the door to get her children. She knew that Harriet probably already heard what had happened and didn’t know how she would act towards her. With the dock on the door, Harriet came and answered.Mercer said hi and went to wake her two children .They were so excited to see her in front of them with their own two eyes. She gave them both big hugs and told them to remain quiet and follow her. They did as she said .All three of them said good bye to Harriet and as the kids were about to walk out of the door she handed them two little gifts so they could always remember her. Matty received the block he always played with and Etta got her favorite book that she has been practicing reading. They said thank you and gave her a big hug goodbye. She watched them as they got into the carriage with Tyree.
Although all of this happened so fast and no one was sure what was going to happen next, Mercer and Tyree knew this is what they wanted not only for themselves , but for their children.They stuck together this long and held each other up threw all of the tragedies that took place since Mercer has arrived with his family . Together they knew they would live happily ever after and start a new life once they arrived at their destination of Canada.
*This was my new ending of The Price of a Child
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