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For my independent reading choice, I chose "The evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly. It was a surprisingly captivating book. Kelly incorporated a lot of problems young women faced back in the 19th century which interested me because the wide difference form then to now.

Victoria Yarbrough

December 27, 2010

English Class  The Evolution of Culpurnia Tate.

     Book Review.

 

Book: The Evolution Of Calpurnia Tate.

Author: Jacqueline Kelly

Winner of the ‘Newberry Honor’

 

Calpurnia Virginia Tate is the only girl out of seven brothers growing up in rural Texas at the turn of the last century. (1899) Calpurnia’s mother is trying to teach her how to become a young woman so that she can find a suitable husband when she gets older. However, Calpurnia would rather spend her time observing insects, animals, and plants. She wants to become a scientist, but is restricted by the sexist ways of her town and family. The only person that believes in her and wants to help her is her grandfather. He is a naturalist him self and sees potential in the young Calpurnia. As their relationship grows, Calpurnia’s grandfather teaches her how to become an avid naturalist. He believes that young women should be educated academically and should not have to worry about things like ‘posture’ and ‘sewing’.

 

Personally, my favorite character would be the main character Calpurnia, seeing things from her point of view really hit home for me. It shows her feelings towards a situation that may be looked at differently from someone else’s point of view. It is interesting reading the way she feels about situations. This book is a prime example of the saying “Just because you are a girl does not mean that you should not pursue your dreams”.

 

I my self can partially relate to Calpurnia. When I was younger people would tell me “All a woman needs to learn how to do is cook and clean and she’ll be alright”. That enraged me even at a young age. Women have so much more potential and can do anything that a man can. I love science which is another reason why this book spoke to me, I too like Calpurnia, love to look at living organisms and study them.

 

I liked this book. The author did a really good job of emphasizing that girls don’t have to learn about the Domestic aspects of life to succeed. I felt the need for a romantic interest in this book, it seems like a challenge to fit one in this particular story. However, if there was one, that would make me appreciate it the book even more. Also, science remained one of the main ideas throughout the book; I think that will sit well with science lovers who are looking for a thrill.

 

I would recommend this book to other people. However, the book may only take to girls who are older than 10 years old. It is a fun way to learn a lesson about pursuing your dreams and exceeding past expectations.

Revision:

Victoria Yarbrough

May 19, 2011

English Class  The Evolution of Culpurnia Tate.

     Book Report.

 

Book: The Evolution Of Calpurnia Tate.

Author: Jacqueline Kelly

Winner of the ‘Newberry Honor’

 

Calpurnia Virginia Tate is the only girl out of seven brothers growing up in rural Texas at the turn of the last century. (1899) Calpurnia’s mother is trying to teach her how to become a young woman so that she can find a suitable husband when she gets older. However, Calpurnia would rather spend her time observing insects, animals, and plants. She wants to become a scientist, but is restricted by the sexist ways of her town and family. The only person that believes in her and wants to help her is her grandfather. He is a naturalist him self and sees potential in the young Calpurnia. As their relationship grows, Calpurnia’s grandfather teaches her how to become an avid naturalist. He believes that young women should be educated academically and should not have to worry about things like ‘posture’ and ‘sewing’.  The idea of a girl’s academic success being more important than her domestic abilities became the main conflict.

 

Personally, my favorite character would be the main character Calpurnia, seeing things from her point of view really hit home for me. It shows her feelings towards a situation that may be looked at differently from someone else’s point of view. It is interesting reading the way she feels about situations. This book is a prime example of the saying “Just because you are a girl does not mean that you should not pursue your dreams”.

 

I my self can partially relate to Calpurnia. When I was younger people would tell me “All a woman needs to learn how to do is cook and clean and she’ll be alright”. That enraged me even at a young age. Women have so much more potential and can do anything that a man can. I love science which is another reason why this book spoke to me, I too like Calpurnia, love to look at living organisms and study them.

 

I liked this book. The author did a really good job of emphasizing that girls don’t have to learn about the domestic aspects of life to succeed. I felt the need for a romantic interest in this book, it seems like a challenge to fit one in this particular story. However, if there was one, that would make me appreciate it the book even more. Also, science remained one of the main ideas throughout the book; I think that will sit well with science lovers who are looking for a thrill.

 

I would recommend this book to other people. However, the book may only take to girls who are older than 10 years old and younger than 18 . It is a fun way to learn a lesson about pursuing your dreams and exceeding past expectations and sexist stereotypes.

The Odyssey and O' Brother Where Art Thou is what our Quarter 3 Benchmark was about. We read the Odyssey and then compared it to the movie O' Brother Where Art Thou. O' Brother Where Art Thou was suppose to be based off of the Odyssey. For out benchmark, we had to compare either the book and the movie, characters, the book/movie to another movie. I picked Polyphemus from The Odyssey and Big Dan Teague from O' Brother Where Art Thou. Here it is!

Polyphemus vs. Big Dan Teague

 

While “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and “The Odyssey” are set in two different times and are from two different points of view, there are some major similarities and differences between events and characters. Both “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and “The Odyssey” are stories that describe a man’s journey home with the help of his crew, meeting different people, creatures, and triumphing over various obstacles. Although, the episode with Polyphemus and Big Dan Teague are set in different times, they both have some likenesses. Polyphemus is an antagonist in the book “The Odyssey”; he lives on an island that Odysseus comes to with his men. Big Dan Teague is an antagonist in the movie “O’ Brother Where Art Thou,” that Odysseus meets with his men.

         Polyphemus beat up Odysseus and his men, much like when Big Dan Teague beat up Everett and Delmar, while in the beginning of the movie/book that were kind. fgbh. Big Dan Teague greeted Everett and Delmar politely when he came up to them in the restaurant and then invited them onto a picnic.  However, Odysseus and his men snuck into Polyphemus’s cave uninvited, but Polyphemus was still pleasant towards them in the beginning. “Strangers! Now who are you? Where did you sail from, over the running sea-lanes?”(Homer, The Odyssey Book 9. Lines 284-285) Even though Polyphemus is a angry giant he was still kind to them when he found out they were in his cave, just as Big Dan Teague was kind and respectful to Delmar and Everett even though he wanted to rob them. 

            Both Polyphemus and Big Dan Teague attacked their prey for a reason. However, Polyphemus’ attack could be more easily explained than Big Dan Teague’s. Big Dan Teague invited Everett and Delmar to a picnic even though he had eaten lunch already. At lunch Big Dan Teague proceeded to eat everyone else’s food, then he began to explain how he was in the business of ‘making money in the Lord’s service’. Midway through his speech Big Dan Teague suddenly breaks off a tree limb and starts hitting Everett and Delmar with it. Big Dan Teague knocks Everett and Delmar unconscious, steals their money and leaves them dazed under a tree.   Similarly, when Odysseus and Polyphemus are just meeting, Odysseus is telling Polyphemus about how he and his men got to the cave. Polyphemus asks Odysseus about his ship and where it is, Odysseus expecting a trap of some kind, answers in his crafty way. “My ship? Poseidon god of the earthquake smashed my ship, he drove it against the rocks at your island’s far cape, he dashed it against a cliff as the winds rode us in.”(Homer, The Odyssey Book 9. Lines 318-321) Polyphemus doesn’t say anything in response, but he suddenly grabs two of Odyssey’s crew and eats them. Odysseus disrespected Polyphemus, by talking about his dad, Poseidon. Odysseus’s crafty skills ends up getting two of his men killed. Everett decided to trust a stranger, Big Dan Teague knew how stupid that was of him, and decided to use that to his advantage and steal their money. Both Polyphemus and Big Dan Teague attacked, but they attacked for different reasons. They both get something though, Polyphemus gets a meal and Big Dan Teague gets some money and another meal too. Both characters were aggressive when trying to get what they want.

            In both episodes, the monster or bigger opponent was given food; Polyphemus took the food without asking and Big Dan Teague was graciously given the food. Everett and Delmar went on a picnic with Big Dan Teague who ate their food from the restaurant. Everett bought food for Big Dan Teague and he thanked Everett for it, “Thank you boys for throwin’ in that fricassee.” However, Polyphemus just decided to eat two of Odysseus’s crew because he didn’t like what they said. “Not a word in reply to that, the ruthless brute. Lurching up, he lunged out with his hands towards my men and snatching two at once, rapping them from the ground.” (Homer The Odyssey. Book 9. Lines 322-325) Polyphemus thought he could just take what he wants because he is a giant and can kill all of them at once. On the other hand, Big Dan Teague knew that he couldn’t just kill them at once because he is bigger but there are two of them. So, Big Dan Teague decided to be nice about it, while Polyphemus decided to be violent. Both bigger opponents got their food, but in different ways.

            Both episodes have many things that are alike and different, even thought they are in different points of views and points in times. They show the difference between the real world and myths. In myths, giants are viscous are huge. They take whatever they want, but they get in trouble at the end or die. While, the human gets into trouble at the end to but the human is kinder at first and then gets mean. It shows how to worlds are different. Another thing is that it shows how some humans could be like mythical creatures because they are ferocious and larger than other humans. So, from the point of view of a smaller human that one person they know could be a mythical creature.

 

In class, we were reading Shakespeare's "Macbeth". To represent either Macbeth or Lady Macbeth's change throughout the play, we had to create an artistic version of what happened to them through the play. I chose Lady Macbeth and did a comic of how she changed.

This was my 3^rd Benchmark, a comparison between a character from The Odyssey and any other character. I chose Odysseus and Everett from O’ Brother Where Art Thou’ and got a 96.

 

English Q3 Benchmark

By: Nicholas Murray

Orange Stream

Odysseus vs. Everett  

 

Journeys can be long and difficult under certain circumstances and can sometimes seem impossible. But if you have the right team to back you up things might became much easier. Odysseus and Everett both faced odds and at some points, things seemed impossible to do. Odysseus and Everett had very different help throughout there long journey. Even though Everett’s life and Odysseus’s life are similar, Odysseus had more help in the end and overall had an easier journey.

 

       While Odysseus was gone for 20 years and Everett was only gone for one year but did not have as much determination as Odysseus. For him to have still been searching for his home to his family, even with the possibility of not being wanted or not being recognized. For example, Odysseus didn’t want any thing to stop him or slow him down while heading home. So that the sirens would not make him stray from his path, he told them to restrain him. “First, she warns, we must steer clear of the sirens, their enchanting song, their meadow starred with flowers. I alone was to hear their voices, so she said, but you must bind me with tight chafing ropes so I cannot move a muscle, bound to the spot, erect at the mast-block, lashed by ropes to the mast. And if I plead, commanding you to set me free, then lash me faster, rope, pressing rope.” (The Odyssey Book 12, Page 276, Lines 172-179). In this quote Odysseus tells his men to tie him up so that the he will not be tempted by the sirens, taken off his path and be killed.  When Everett met those beautiful women he was easily seduced and forgot all about his mission, which gave them the chance to drug him. Because of this mistake he lost one of his friend.

 

       Gods helped out Odysseus while Everett had little help and was being chased. Odysseus had Athena to watch his back throughout his whole journey, which proved helpful to him. “Father, son of Cronus, our high and mighty king, surely he goes down to the death he earned in full! Let them all die so, all who do such things. But my heart breaks for Odysseus…” (The Odyssey Book 1, Page 79, Lines 54-57). She also helped out when the battle with the suitors came, “At his command, concentrating their shots, all six hurled as one but Athena sent the whole salvo wide of the mark (The Odyssey Book 22, Page 447, lines 267-269) … Again the suitors hurled their whetted shafts but Athena sent the better part of the salvo wide (The Odyssey Book 22, Page 447, Lines 285-286).” In both quotes Athena was showing sympathy for Odysseus and because of this she helped him. Everett had no one important looking after him until the very end of his journey, which wasn’t very helpful to him during his actual journey. After he prayed for help for him and his. His prayers caused the higher power to send a flood to stop him from being hung. Unlike Odysseus he does not believe in this higher power and it may never help him again.

 

Odysseus was missed by his family and was helped by his son to kill the suitors; Everett’s family turned his back on him, which left him with even less help. Odysseus’ son was by his side when he prepared for battle, “He paused with a warning nod, and at that sign Prince Telemachus, son of the king Odysseus, girding his sharp sword on, clamping hand to spear, took his stand by a chair that flanked his father--- his bronze spearpoint glinting now like fire…” (The Odyssey Book 21, Page 438, lines 480-484). Everett had no family member that would lift a finger to help him. His wife kept saying he didn’t know him and that a train hit him. His daughters had also turned their backs on him because of his wife. In the end his wife was still cruel to him. Unlike Odysseus, after Everett, wife finally addressed him as her husband, she still makes his life difficult, and she also makes it seem as though his journey is still going on.

 

Both Odysseus and Everett had a difficult journey, but in the end Odysseus had better luck than Everett due to the support of his family and his determination of getting home after so long. It is true that Odysseus had it tough in the beginning and lost all his friends. But, near the end of his journey he had so many powerful people helping him he could not fail. Everett had to brave it out with only two friends for nearly all his journey. Odysseus had an easier time when it came to finding his home after being gone for twenty years.

 

Journals

How important is it to fit in? -

It is not even important to try and fit in with everyone. If you can’t fit in, then you were not meant to be there. It’s kind of like a puzzle, if the piece doesn’t fit, don’t force it in, it’ll just break or mess everything else up down the road. Basically, it’s not worth killing yourself over fitting in, soon all the pieces will fall into place.

 

 

 

What makes a good story? What kinds of stories do you like?

For me, a good story is one that leaves you unfulfilled and hungry for more at the end. I have never liked stories that have a completely happy ending with nearly all the problems resolved. BORING. I like conflicts and I love it when the ending is sad with so many questions unanswered. For me, it makes the story be interesting and keeps me on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book. A book should not give the reader everything they want, and it should make them wait.

 

 

 

Response to reading/hearing/saying the “n” word...

In these days, the N word is not a big thing, plus it is in a book that is centered on the time of slavery. There is no reason anyone should have gotten mad because of that word just because of its context. In addition, so many people have used the N word and being called the N word is a good thing. Just because someone who is not black says it doesn’t make it racist. It is just hypocritical to be offended especially if you are one of those people.   

 

 

What is a “hero”? How would you define it?

A hero isn’t afraid to give his life; a hero will save you just in time. This can be interpreted in several ways. A hero isn’t afraid to give his life, for example. Their “life” might not be as extreme; it could be their social life, their possessions or their freedom. So a hero is not afraid to give up something dear to them in order to protect someone. A hero will save you just in time; can also go another way. It can mean that the hero will race to help you out no matter what. It can also mean that they wont let stop something before it gets out of hand, like a rumor. The hero will also take the blame for an ill deed, in order to not get anyone else involved. That is what I think a hero is.

 

 

 

In Quarter 1, we read Macbeth and did our benchmark on him. The benchmark was a character analysis of either Macbeth or Lady Macbeth. I picked Macbeth. Later on that year, we did a creative project about our character analysis. I picked a Keynote to do, here it is. Enjoy!

(In our first benchmark we had to show how macbeth evolves as a character.)
Roger Bracy                                                                                                           11/1/10

Macbeth Evolved

            Throughout the story of Macbeth the character of Macbeth has evolved in so many ways. Macbeth has changed and evolved from a heroic and ambitious person to evil and mean spirited.

            In act 1 scene 2 of Macbeth, Macbeth is thought of as heroic for the country of Scotland he is one of a kind on the battlefield. He is praised when the captain describes him on the battlefield; “like a valor’s minion carved out is passage till he faced the slave which ne’er shook hand nor bade farewell to him till he unsreamed him fro the nave to th chaps and fixed his head upon our battlements.” (Act 1, scene 2, p 4) The captain is saying that Macbeth is a warrior who is very gruesome on the battlefield. Showing he is heroic and will fight for his country.

            In act 1 scene 7 of Macbeth, Macbeth and his wife, Lady Macbeth, are planning to kill King Duncan. Lady Macbeth plans on killing the king to get Macbeth prophesies to happen faster. Although, Lady Macbeth is confident in the decision Macbeth is not, he thinks to himself when he states; “If it were done when ‘tis done, then ‘twere well it were done quickly. If the assassination could trammel up the consequence, and catch with his surcease success.” (Act 1, scene 7, Page 20) insuring that he will get his power. Macbeth is saying that, if the assassination were done then he could get his success promised to him by the three witches much faster. As the story goes on the Macbeth get more and more anxious to make his prophesies come true.

            Also in act 1 scene 7 of Macbeth, after Macbeth’s wife, Lady Macbeth, gave him the idea of killing King Duncan, Macbeth man-hood is questioned because he doesn’t have the strength to kill. So he second-guesses himself by stating; “Bloody instructions, witch, being taught, return to plague th inventor.” (Act1, scene 7, p 21) This shows that Macbeth is very humble to King Duncan because he says he doesn’t want to kill the man who taught him how to kill. However this shows Macbeth is willing to at least think before he and his wife make a decision.

            In act 2, scene 1 in Macbeth, Macbeth finally makes the decision to kill off the king. He is doing this to prove his masculinity to his wife and to prove the witches prophesies true. Through peer pressure Macbeth makes the decision to kill the king when he says. “ Is this a dagger I see before me? The handle toward my hand” ( Act 2, scene 1, p 25) Macbeth is trying to state that he is not ready to do this, and he is about to do something he will regret.

            Act 2 scene 2 of Macbeth, the deed is done and not only is Macbeth feeling guilty but Lady Macbeth acts like there is nothing wrong. Macbeth shows his guilt when he comes back with the bloody dagger he used to kill Duncan with, and says. “Will great Neptune’s ocean wash this blood clean from my hand.” (Act 2, scene 2, p 29) Macbeth has stated that he wants to wash this blood from his hands because he doesn’t like that he just betrayed someone who he trusted. He has to over come his guilt if he ever is going to be a powerful leader and right at this point he doesn’t show those qualities.

            In act 3 scene 1 of Macbeth, the town finds out what was done but not who had done it, so the lords group together to find this mystery. Banquo, who is also a lord like Macbeth, has a suspect that there was foul play involved and he tries to go farther into in, but Macbeth soon find this and tries to shut Banquo’s investigation down. He decides, without influence from his wife, to kill Banquo by having two murderers follow him. Macbeth makes this plan by saying; “So is he mine; and in such bloody distance that every minute of his being thrusts against my near’st of life.” (Act 3, scene 1, lines 116-118) Macbeth is now on the path of evil because he is stating that he will kill banquo because he is a threat to his crown. Banquo will soon have his revenge.

 

 

            In act 3 scene 4 of Macbeth, after Banquo is killed he comes back as ghost to haunt Macbeth at his dinner party, but Macbeth is the only one who can see him. Macbeth knows he’s in way over his head when he says; “I am in blood, Stepped in so far that, should I wade no more.” (Act 3, scene 4, p 55) What is being said here, is that Macbeth is feeling some guilt he mite have done to much. As a reader, Macbeth is now making his own decisions and is not influenced by anyone else but himself and he is becoming more of villain with all these murders under his belt.

            In act 4 scene 4 of Macbeth, Macbeth is now a full blown king with and he is using his power to become a villain instead of a leader. Macduff was next to get executed because he knew too much about what happened to King Duncan and Banquo. So because of this Macbeth decides to kill Macduff while he is at home, what the muderers found was a house only filled with Macduff’s wife and son but he wasn’t there. Macduff hear this news and Malcolm, the real king who was next to receive the crown but run away, comforts him when he says; “This tyrant, whose sole name blisters our tongues once thought honest, you have loved him well; he hath not touched you yet.” (Act 4, scene 4, p 73) Malcolm statement on Macbeth shows that he is a disloyal king and cannot be trusted as the King of Scotland.

             In act 5 scene 5 of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth has just passed away because of her sickness and Macbeth isn’t fazed by this because he has a bigger challenge ahead of him.

This challenge is the war between Macbeth and the other lords. He doesn’t even think about his wife when the messenger says; “The Queen my, lord is, dead” (Act5, scene 5, line 16) Macbeth is feeling no hurt because he has been through this situation before with King Duncan. So now he has no one to back him up and he will face this army alone.

            In the end, Macbeth is found to be a ruthless killer, who has no feeling for his wife or his country. These quotes connect to my thesis because they help describe Macbeth evolvement into the monster that he became in the story. Shakespeare’s motive for the story of Macbeth was to inform readers to be happy with what you have, because Macbeth was given a promoted and the prophecy that he will be king; but he was impertinent and need more power.

http://trexy.wikispaces.com/BM+4+Portfolio

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my favorite piece by myself and it was a rather upsetting time for me. I started my new year off with an argument with my step dad. It escalated and at the time I wished that the New year had never came.

“A Not So Happy New Year.” – By: Victoria Yarbrough.

New Year’s is such a joyous occasion. Being with family, seeing people that I haven’t seen for months, and feeling the triumphant feelings of getting through one more year (Magic Three). However, the “joy” of New Year’s was cut short for me. My step-dad and I had an argument that ruined my New Year’s and days to come. We were all at my Aunt Teresa’s house having a good time seeing family again. Everything was going smooth. We were all dancing, hugging, and eating. (Magic Three)  Like being asked to marry (Simile), it felt unexplainably great to see them again. After the ball dropped and everyone screams “Happy New Year!” my mom, dad, and I sit down for a while and begin talking. We were talking about how glad we were to start fresh and what were our thoughts of 2010.

 

We all agreed that 2010 was a trying year and that we were going to make the best out of 2011. My stepdad and I begin talking about the events of 2010 and how we were going to change. Him and me have had some issues in the past, like all stepchildren I just didn’t feel that he possessed the authority to tell me what to do. This caused sizzling hot (Imagery) arguments, and dark (Imagery) mean words to occur just about every day. How can you expect me to respect you if you don’t even know the first thing about me? And when I asked him this he got upset and began yelling at me. “ Oh, but when I am throwing money in your damn face everything is all cool and I’m your dad huh? But when I tell you to clean your room I’m just a stranger to you”. (Dialogue)  When it’s not even about that, “I just don’t feel that you should be yelling at me when you don’t know the first thing about me.” I replied. (Dialogue) So we drove home. All the while my step-dad is yelling at us. I remained silent while my mom took the back lashes (Imagery) for me. She was trying to defend me and explain my point. I felt helpless and stupid. How could I just sit there and listen to “Shut the Fuck up” (Dialogue), and “You don’t even matter” (Dialogue)? I still look back and think how I should have defended my mom. Seeing her cry made me hate him from an unknown place within me (Imagery). He has me mistaken because I don’t think that way. Why would I? I’m not some self center egotistic manic or a user. We arrived home and I went upstairs to my room and slammed the door as hard as I could.  With the anger doing tap dancing inside of me, I picked up an old juice bottle and threw it at the wall of my room. ‘CRASH’ (Onomatopoeia). He hollered at me through the door as if I had no right. I was furious. I was here before him! It’s practically my house next to my mom. Who did he think he was? Sometimes I despised him. The way he paraded around the house as if he was the boss, as if he were my real dad! No! He would never replace my real father. I locked the door of my room so he wouldn’t get in. I wasn’t in the mood for him, not tonight, not on new years. It was quarter to 2, and my mother began to knock on my door. I didn’t answer. The sound of rushing pounds (Imagery) came to be annoying. Constant bangs against my door. “BAM, BOOM, BOOM, BAM.” (Onomatopoeia) She began screaming. “VICTORIA! UNLOCK THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!” (Dialogue) I kept the door locked. I didn’t care. I was pissed to a new level. Why did he have to say something like that? I’m not a user and for the record, I never considered him as my father in the first place. More importantly, I didn’t mean to get my mother involved but I didn’t want to see anyone at this moment. Later on she stopped screaming and yelling. I was left alone for the moment and I began to cool down. Anger still ran through me (Personification) at an all time high. The thought was still swimming (Imagery- Personification) through my mind and I wanted to feel a little less. I felt numb and confused so I went to sleep. That was a waste because I woke up 20 minutes later to the sounds of hollering…

 

…Enough was enough. I swung open my room door and followed the sounds. They were in the basement.  The next thing I hear is “ If she cant respect me then I cant respect her, so Imma’ talk to her any way I want to.” (Dialogue) I hate how he thinks that he is right. He sounds like a child. “But that’s not what she’s saying at all. She just thinks that maybe you should get to know her before you try to be a direct father figure.” (Dialogue) My mom shot back. At that moment, I didn’t even want him to get to know me. Being on a stranger like bases sounded completely fine. Right when my step dad was about to say something, I came down the basement stairs and said, “ She’s right you know. I try to be friendly with you but we all know that you don’t care about me. You only do things for me because it pleases my mom.” (Dialogue). Surprisingly, it got really quiet. And I knew what the silence meant. I had been right. He didn’t give a damn about me. All though I tried to stop them, tears fell out of my eyes. Right there in front of my mom and him. I hated myself for it. Those tears made it seem as if I cared, but they were tears of anger. I felt played. All that time he didn’t care and I thought we were working towards some kind of relationship. I guess I should have expected it, but it shocked me. Why couldn’t he accept me? Why did I have to be so ideal for him? After that, we stopped talking to each other as much as we used to. Now, we barely speak. And I wish the New Year never came. At least last year, words were exchanged no matter how gruesome. Words were words.

My stepdad and I had a rocky relationship. But now that I know he doesn’t care about me, I don’t think there is a relationship.  It may be wrong to feel that way, but after knowing him for a few years and still not being on good terms what am I supposed to think? Maybe in reality we are both being silly. Whatever the case may be, I’m not ready to forgive. If there is one thing I can take away, I can probably say to trust my first instinct. Why? I knew he was a phony but I let the curious side of me win and I wound up getting hurt. Now I know to not be so trusting and to not distribute my respect and love if I won’t be loved and respected back.

 

Revision:

“A Not So Happy New Year.” – By: Victoria Yarbrough.

New Year’s is such a joyous occasion. Being with family, seeing people that I haven’t seen for months, and feeling the triumphant feeling of getting through one more year (Magic Three). However, the “joy” of New Year’s was cut short for me. My step-dad and I had an argument that ruined my New Year’s and days to come. We were all at my Aunt Teresa’s house having a wonderful time seeing family again. Everything was going smooth. We were all dancing, hugging, and eating. (Magic Three)  Like receiving a surprise gift(Simile), it felt unexplainably great to see them again. After the ball dropped and everyone screams “Happy New Year!” (Dialogue) my mom, dad, and I sat down for a while and began talking. We were talking about how glad we were to start fresh and what were our thoughts of 2010.

 

We all agreed that 2010 was a trying year and that we were going to make the best out of 2011. My stepdad and I begin talking about the events of 2010 and how we were going to change. Him and me have had some issues in the past, like all stepchildren I just didn’t feel that he possessed the authority to tell me what to do. This caused sizzling hot (Imagery) arguments, and dark (Imagery) mean words to occur just about every day. How can you expect me to respect you if you don’t even know the first thing about me? And when I asked him this he got upset and began yelling at me. “ Oh, but when I am throwing money in your damn face everything is all cool and I’m your dad huh? But when I tell you to clean your room I’m just a stranger to you”. (Dialogue)  When it’s not even about that, “I just don’t feel that you should be yelling at me when you don’t know the first thing about me.” I replied. (Dialogue) So we drove home. All the while my step-dad is yelling at us. I remained silent while my mom took the backlashes (Imagery) for me. She was trying to defend me and explain my point. I felt helpless and stupid. How could I just sit there and listen to “Shut the Fuck up” (Dialogue), and “You don’t even matter” (Dialogue)? I still look back and think how I should have defended my mom. Seeing her cry made me hate him from an unknown place within me (Imagery). He has me mistaken because I don’t think that way. Why would I? I’m not some self center egotistic manic or a user.

We arrived home and I went upstairs to my room and slammed the door as hard as I could.  With the anger tap dancing inside of me, I picked up an old juice bottle that I failed to throw out some time ago and threw it at the wall of my room. ‘CRASH’ (Onomatopoeia). He hollered at me through the door as if I had no right. I was furious. I was here before him! It’s practically my house next to my mom. Who did he think he was? Sometimes I despised him. The way he paraded around the house as if he was the boss, as if he were my real dad! No! He would never replace my real father who I know for a fact wouldn’t treat me the way he does. I can’t help but have curiosity towards what my life would be like if my real dad was still around. I locked the door of my room so he wouldn’t get in. I wasn’t in the mood for him, not tonight, not on New Years. It was quarter to 2, and my mother began to knock on my door. I didn’t answer. The sound of rushing pounds (Imagery) came to be annoying. Constant bangs against my door. “BAM, BOOM, BOOM, BAM.” (Onomatopoeia) She began screaming. “VICTORIA! UNLOCK THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!” (Dialogue) I kept the door locked. I didn’t care. I was pissed to a new level. Why did he have to say something like that? I’m not a user and for the record, I never considered him as my father in the first place. More importantly, I didn’t mean to get my mother involved but I didn’t want to see anyone at this moment. Later on she stopped screaming and yelling. I was left alone for the moment and I began to cool down. Anger still ran through me (Personification) at an all time high. The thought was still swimming (Imagery- Personification) through my mind and I wanted to feel a little less. I felt numb and confused so I went to sleep. That was a waste because I woke up 20 minutes later to the sounds of hollering…

 

…Enough was enough. I swung open my room door and followed the sounds. They were in the basement.  The next thing I hear is “ If she cant respect me then I cant respect her, so Imma’ talk to her any way I want to.” (Dialogue) I hate how he thinks that he is right. He sounds like a child. “But that’s not what she’s saying at all. She just thinks that maybe you should get to know her before you try to be a direct father figure.” (Dialogue) My mom shot back. At that moment, I didn’t even want him to get to know me. Being on a stranger like bases sounded completely fine. Right when my step dad was about to say something, I came down the basement stairs and said, “ She’s right you know. I try to be friendly with you but we all know that you don’t care about me. You only do things for me because it pleases my mom.” (Dialogue). Surprisingly, it got really quiet. And I knew what the silence meant. I had been right. He didn’t give a damn about me. All though I tried to stop them, tears fell out of my eyes. Right there in front of my mom and him. I hated myself for it. Those tears made it seem as if I cared, but they were tears of anger. I felt played. All that time he didn’t care and I thought we were working towards some kind of relationship. I guess I should have expected it, but it shocked me. Why couldn’t he accept me? Why did I have to be so ideal for him? Is it my fault that you don’t like me? After that, we stopped talking to each other as much as we used to. Now, we barely speak. And I wish the New Year never came. At least last year, words were exchanged no matter how gruesome. Words were words.

My stepdad and I had a rocky relationship. But now that I know he doesn’t care about me, I don’t think there is a relationship.  It may be wrong to feel that way, but after knowing him for a few years and still not being on good terms what am I supposed to think? Maybe in reality we are both being silly. Whatever the case may be, I’m not ready to forgive. If there is one thing I can take away, I can probably say to trust my first instinct. Why? I knew he was a phony but I let the curious side of me win and I wound up getting hurt. Now I know to not be so trusting and to not distribute my respect and love if I won’t be loved and respected back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

​During the year, we had to read to books of our own choice. Then, we had to write a book review about what we thought about the book, our favorite parts, and if we would recommend it to people. I picked the book Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler. Here is the book review. 

            The book I read was ‘I Am An Emotional Creature: The Secret Life of Girls Around the World.’ by Eve Ensler. Eve Ensler is also the write of the ‘Vagina Monologues’, which was a bestseller. She received many awards for being an activist, Vagina Monologues, and some screen plays that she directed.

Basically, the book is made up of about 35 vignettes/stories that are fictional but inspired by girls around the world and their problems. There isn’t a main character but there is a conflict. The conflict is the way the world sees girls. The fact that girls are not able to speak, taken seriously, or allowed to have any right in controlling their life. The book is about showing people what girls have to go through and the real thoughts.

I don’t have a favorite character in the book but I do have a favorite vignette.

My favorite is ‘My Short Skirt’ which is about why girls wear short skirts. This is my favorite because it states the real reasons why girls my age where short skirts. “My short skirt is not an invitation, a provocation, an indication that I want it or give it or that I hook.”. “My short skirt is happiness. I can feel myself on the ground. I am here. I am hot. My short skirt is a liberation flag in the women’s army. I declare these streets, any streets, my vagina’s country.” I think this quote means that a short skirt is celebrating the fact that she is a women and talking about how women rule the world. Women rule the world because we have vaginas, we can give birth to all the children in the world, without us there wouldn’t be any. These paragraphs are my favorite because I connect to them the most. Also, they are universal for all girls that usually wear short skirts, with the expectation of some girls. I think people should take away the life of girls and how they are. Also, those men can find out that women are just as important in society as men are.

I can relate to many vignettes, for example, ‘What Don’t You Like About Being Girl?’, ‘I Dance (I-III)’, ‘Things I Heard About Sex’, and ‘What Do You like About Being A Girl?’.  I can relate to these stories because they are things that came up in my life and things I have thought about. Also, the paragraphs in the each vignettes there is at least two that I have talked to my friends or family about. I have done some of the things, for example, instead of dancing, I would sing. Even though I sing horribly, it would help me feel alive and go into my own place just like drawing would too. Another thing is that they had vignettes called ‘Would You Rather?’ which was two girls at a sleepover. One of the girls is asking the other girl questions and then girl isn’t answering the questions because they are just really out – there questions. I have done that with my friends and they ask really crazy questions and I don’t even try to answer them. I have felt some of the things that the characters did too. I feel that men don’t care about women’s feelings and that my views on things weren’t listened too before.

            I love this book. I am deeply, utterly, and totally in love with this book. I think the whole book is empowering but, mostly toward women. The book is good that is talking about the trouble within the women society. I think it would be better if that were connected to men because then men can change their ways. Also, they would learn about women society. Even though, men created most of the problems today for women. Men need to know about the way women are suffering. I wouldn’t change anything in the book, actually. I love the book that much and I think it should be appreciated in its original form.

 

 

 

 

Reflection. This is a reflection on all of my English work this year.

What do you feel your portfolio says about you as a 9^th grade English student? What are we as viewers supposed to “get”/understand about you when we see your work?

What my portfolio says about me is that I have come along way as a writer. All of my writings are never perfect so I have to keep working harder and harder to make them better and better. That’s what I want my viewers to understand. My work is not perfect but I am working toward it.

What do you consider to be your strengths in English? What are your weaknesses? What would you still want to work on?

 

One of my strengths in English is journaling. I love to journal, I have such a good time doing it and getting all of my feelings out and expressing myself. One of my weaknesses is that I’m shy. I don’t like to get up in front of the class. Like for example, when we presented our Me Magazines. I rushed through it so I could get off the stage and I wasn’t up there long, nor had anything else to say. That is one thing I would like to work on. Talking in front of people and getting used to it. Another thing I would like to still work on would be adding literary devices to all of my paper. I get creative in the beginning and then as the paper goes on I start to lack on the creativeness.

What were your experiences in making this portfolio. What issues did you encounter? How did you resolve them? What was it like going back through all of your work?

Making this portfolio I thought was really interesting and fun. One issue that I encounter was finding one of my benchmarks. I didn’t remember what I had labeled it. I resolved it by typing in everything I could possible think of. Another problem I had encountered was fixing my 2^nd quarter benchmark. I wasn’t sure how to edit it exactly at first, until I had asked Ms.Dunn. The last problem I had encounter was with the first benchmark, I had forgotten a lot about Macbeth, so when I was editing it was difficult. I fixed it by re-reading the whole paper and it started to come back to me. It was kind of weird going back to my old work. I seen how much I grew as a writer which was very interesting.

What is the piece you are most proud of, and why?

The piece I am most proud of is my 2^nd quarter benchmark- Best Friends? I am most proud of this because I really took my time in writing it and put my heart in it. I had such an easy time remembering everything that happened because it had a huge effect on my life. Writing it made me realize how strong I was when this was going on.

Macbeth Character Analysis. This was the first paper that I have ever completed in Ms.Dunn's english class. At first I was nervous because I wasn't sure how I was going to get it all done and what exactly I was going to do. But after Ms.Dunn went over it and told us that we had to choose our favorite character, and show their changes. I had got started I was working very well and had fun doing it!

Drue Boccuti

    10/28/10

Thesis and 10 quotes

Thesis statement- Young Lady Macbeth didn’t care who she hurt, but old Lady Macbeth became a whole different person.

In Act 1 scene 5 Lady Macbeth has just gotten news that Macbeth and the King are coming to visit her. And she wants to kill Duncan, so Macbeth can work his way up to king. (Act 1 scene 5)“Make thick my blood; stop uh the access and passage to remorse.”

What she’s doing here is asking the spirits to make her not feel guilty so that she can help Macbeth kill Duncan because Macbeth feels too nice. Here is when she’s being cold hearted.

Act 1 scene 7, Macbeth just let Lady Macbeth know he doesn’t want to kill Duncan anymore, because it hit him that Duncan has been kind hearted to him and there close friends. But Lady Macbeth doesn’t want to hear it.(Act 1 scene 7.) “And pity, like a naked new born babe, striding the blast, or heavens cherubin horsed” She refers to a new born baby, that if she had promised Macbeth she would have killed it for him she would have and its not right he promised her and now he’s going to chicken out. She’s forcing him to kill Duncan, and making him feel lousy that he let her down.

In Act 1 scene 1 Macbeth keeps asking him self if he really wants to do this and is thinking what if it goes wrong? And trying to show her all the ways this can go wrong. Lady Macbeth doesn’t want to hear it. (Act 1 scene 1.)“But screw your courage to the sticking-place, and we will not fail.” Basically she’s telling him that if he listens to her and does it right he wont fail. She’s only worrying about her and her husband but not the King or his family.

Still in Act 1 scene 7 Macbeth wants to put an end to this. He’s just nervous and is good friends with Duncan.(Act1 scene 7.)“We will proceed no further in this business. He hath honored me of late, and I have bought Golden opinions form all sorts of people, which would be worn now in their newest gloss, not cast aside so soon.” He doesn’t want to kill him and he’s finally getting respect from him. And he thinks its wrong. But she doesn’t care.

Act 2 scene 2 Macbeth has killed Duncan , and can’t stop thinking about it. He is very guilty. (Act 2 scene 2.)“A little water clears us of this deed.” Lady Macbeth is sick of hearing him. She told him when you wash your hands and the blood is gone, were free of the killing. It’s over. She clearly has no problem with no ever thinking of this again. All she’s thinking is that there one stop closer to becoming king and queen.

Act 3 scene 4 Macbeth killed Banquo and now he’s seeing his ghost and is freaking out. Lady Macbeth thinks he’s crazy.(Act 3 scene 4.)“O proper stuff! This is the very painting of your fear.” She doesn’t believe him and thinks its just because he’s guilty. She just wants him to stop being a baby because it will all be worth it to her when they are king and queen.

Act 5 scene 1. Now the tables have turned and Lady Macbeth is going crazy. And Macbeth just wants to rule and he doesn’t care who has to die for that to happen. Now Lady Macbeth is being watched by a woman.(Act 5 scene 1.)“It is on accustomed action with her to seem thus washing her hands. I have known her to continue in the quarter of an hour.” The lady starts to notice how she’s washing her hands all the time and talking about blood but there’s never anything on her hands to any one else but her. 

Act 5 scene 1. Now the women and a doctor are now watching her. They are both questioning all that she’s doing and what she’s saying.(Act 5 scene 1.)“Here’s to the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this hand.” What this means, is all the times she washes her hands and puts sweet smelling stuff on them it will still smell like blood and she will still see the blood out of her guilt.

Act 5 scene 2.  Lady Macbeth been so guilty that she just admitted to killing Banquo and King Duncan, that she actually admits it. (Act 5 scene 2.)“Banquo’s buried. He cannot come out of his grave.” Because of what Macbeth and she did, he will never be alive again. (Act 5 scene 2) “ Yet who would have thought the old man to have so much blood in him?” This is an explanation that she had killed Duncan because she mentioned that he had a lot of blood. She knew this, because she helped kill him.

Act 5 scene 2.The doctor finally found out what was wrong with Lady Macbeth because she just admitted to him that she killed him. (Act 5 scene 2) “Foul whisp’rings are aboard. Unnatural deeds. Do breed unnatural troubles. Infected mines, to their deaf pillows will discharge their secrets. More needs she the divine than the physician. God, God forgive us all. Look after her; Remove from her the means of all annoyance, and still keep eyes upon her. So good night. My mind she has mated, and amazed my sight. I think, but dare not speak.” He prayed to God, so that he will forgive Lady Macbeth, for all the bad things she had done or helped Macbeth do.  Such as helping the murder. She then died.

In conclusion, based on all the passage examples it is very clear that Lady MacBeth has had a drastic change between the first couple paragraphs and the last paragraph. By wanting to help Macbeth be king, even if it required killing people. But now it has came back to haunt her and she feels very awful. She has such a hard time sleeping. Shakespeare’s message to us could be not to be greedy, and just take everything life gives you. Because in the beginning they had each other, and at the end yes he was king but he didn’t have a wife. 

The second benchmark I completed for Ms.Dunn was the Memoir Vignette. This was one of my favorite benchmarks. What we had to do was tell about a important life chaining snapshot in our life.

                                Drue Boccuti

Orange Stream

Best Friends?

I really look up to Demi Lovato. Yes you can say she’s my role model. When I seen her in Camp Rock she had this really cute hair cut with front bangs, I really liked the way they looked on her so I talked my self into it and got them cut. Little did I know that changing my look would make two of my so called “best friends” furious with me.

Then next weekend I went down the shore and I showed my friends. Well they made a very big deal that one girl Madison had side bangs. They swore that Demi Lovato had nothing to do with my hair decision and that I copied off of Madison. That very next week, I became a victim of cyber bullying.  I innocently was sitting on my computer only to find out that my two best friends, Katie and Madison were having a brutal bashing session about me and my new hair cut and how I thought that I was so special because I got these bangs.  I thought these girls were my friends. I found out the truth about them. Madison would go along with Katie just so Katie would like her. Everyone would, like she was something special. She had this kind of power over them and she got almost all of my friends mad at me for getting my haircut. I was really upset so I tried talking to Madison about it and she just made me feel worse. The fact that she was making me feel horrible about myself was making her feel pretty. This episode happened in September and continued through the whole winter. However my mom kept telling me “I know it’s killing you inside but just ignore them. The more that you ignore them the more it’ll get them knowing its not bothering you.”

“I know but it’s easier said then done.” I said with tears in my eyes.(Dialogue.) It was killing me inside, the months went on and I deleted them off my MySpace and avoided contact with these two people I considered very close to me. Then when I was finally over it one day in February Katie text me and says she wants to talk to me so when she finally did call I decided to talk the call and see what she had to say. It was shocking to hear her apologizing to me and blaming Madison for the whole thing.  Just like that she turned right against Madison. So I forgave her but kept it in mind how quickly she turned on Madison and when I got back to the shore in April we were friends again. It wasn’t a good while until I became friends with Madison again but it happened. As the summer went on Katie and I grew a little bit apart and from what I can see now I believe that maybe she didn’t like me for no reason at all and just has a grudge she holds upon me. I came to this conclusion because one night during the summer she invited everyone to the boardwalk but me so I am in my house minding my own business and she has one of her friends call me up from her sister’s phone and start with me out of the clear blue sky. 

“Hello?” I was nervous.

“This is Haley don’t ever call Briana ever again, ok?” Her voice was like scratching someone’s nails down a chalkboard. (Simile)

“Okay? But why are you calling me and starting something?” I wasn’t about to let her step on me. (Hyperbole)

“Who do you think you are?” (Dialogue) She could not answer the question I asked, and she knew she wasn’t making any sense and also that I was right. Not that any of the fighting made any sense anyway.  So I just hung up on her.

I wasn’t going to let them make me upset but they did make me very angry. My mom was there to hear the whole thing. I didn’t want to get the parents involved and I begged my mom to stay out of it. But she couldn’t so she got Katie’s parents involved and they were furious. They came over and apologized for their daughter’s friends’ behavior so I accepted their apology. “This isn’t the first time we’ve had problems with Haley.”(Dialogue). Then her dad went on to say- “Were not to crazy about her either.”(Dialogue) I just looked at my mom when they both said this. All that was running through my head- Why would you invite her down here if you weren’t crazy about her? But I was done bothering with them for good so I just decided to say ok. This was the second time that an innocent fight broke out and I was not going through this every summer. I wanted to enjoy my summer so I ended that friendship as quick as a cheetah runs.(Simile) Madison however fell out of the picture because she got extremely disgusted with the Katie drama that she doesn’t even come to the shore as much anymore. It is really sad that one girl could start so much trouble and Madison let her win and doesn’t come back that much. Everyone always told me she was jealous, but I don’t see any reason for her to be jealous of me. One time even my friend’s mom had said- “Drue, she’s so jealous of you.” (Dialogue) She had came out and said it plan and simple. I really couldn’t find anything for her to be jealous about, but I just agreed to disagree. I don’t know what goes through girls’ heads now of days and why they create such fights over some things that do not matter. I was taught to treat people like you would like to be treated. I for the most part am nice to everyone and I would never even think to be mad at someone for getting a haircut. 

This past summer I wasn’t as excited as I have been in the past because I figured here we go again. What kind of lies is Katie going to make up about me and who will be mad at me now. To my surprise this summer turned out to be one of the best summers I ever had. As they say what goes around comes around and if I didn’t see it with my own eyes I would’ve never believed it. Katie came down the shore and all the people who she got to turn against me weren’t there, she was all alone. Just like a dog whose owner goes away and leave them there. (Simile) Her own sister was even tired of all the drama and remained my friend and hung out with me all summer. Katie was alone and had no one to bully around or to hang around with because everyone was just so sick of the drama that everyone stayed away and found her out. She started to bring down Haley and I thought it was going to be a problem as if another war was going to start over. Luckily it didn’t. At one point Haley even admitted to my one friend that she was jealous of me. So there it was. The truth had come out. 

All things happen for a reason right? I found out who my true friends really were who stuck by me and they are my friends Alexis, Luc & Damian. No one could take them away from me not even Katie. During this summer I also made some new friends and that drove Katie crazy because I know she was dying to hang out with them but no one really bothered with her. Even after all that she put me through, I still kind of felt bad. I know the feeling of being put down and having really hurtful things said about you. I still see Katie and Madison, however I am friends with Madison but not like it use to be. We used to be stuck together like glue but not anymore. (Simile)  I don’t have time for Katie’s nonsense and to make sure that nothing will happen again we came to a solution that we will be civil. She is still up to her old tricks she bullies another girl that I know Erin. You would think that Katie had learned her lesson. Erin is smart and just like I did she doesn’t let her know she is bothered by it. I do feel bad because Kate is even worse this time because Erin is usually picked on. I don’t have anything against her and will always stand by her because I know how it feels and how one friend makes a difference. She knows what happened between me and Katie and the best advice I give her is to just stick to what she is doing and don’t let Katie know she is bothering her because one day I hope for Katie’s sake she’ll grow up. This was a lesson well learned. I learned not to put my trust in to people because they can be very jealous for no reason at all and there is nothing you can do about it. I don’t understand how or rather why they can be so hateful or jealous of you. Girls become animals when they want you to feel horrible inside and make themselves feel important. (Hyperbole) Why can’t everyone just try and be nice to each other? We would have such a better time down the shore. If you have one friend who sticks by you then that is the only friend you ever need. In my case I had three of them who stuck by me through all this nonsense.

The third benchmark that was given to us was compare and contrast pieces involving the Odyssey. What I compared and contrasted was two pieces of art work along with a poem about the sirens.

Drue Boccuti

Orange Stream

      Same but Different

Ulysses Captator: The Appropriation of Myth in Roman Satire” By Dr. Bryce Walker. “Ulysses and Sirens” By John William Waterhouse, and the “Siren Song” By Margaret Atwood. Although they make look different, they all share a lot of similarities. In the Odyssey Homer describes the Sirens as hideous along with John William Waterhouse, Dr. Bryce Walker made the sirens appear gorgeous to show just how powerful their voices are.

The point in comparing these three very different works of art is because there are a couple things that they all have in common. For example, they all take place in the sea. “They swung aboard at once, they sat to the oars in ranks and rhythm churned the water white with stroke on stroke.”(Homer, The Odyssey book-12 line-158-159) This is important because in the poem it says–“It forces men to leap overboard.” When the pieces show us that they all take place near or in water, it makes it very easy to create a picture when we are reading this part in The Odyssey. Another common thing that these pieces share is, anyone looking at the paintings or reading the poem can definitely tell that the Sirens are deadly and not things that you want to interact with. The poem comes right out and says it. “The song nobody knows because anyone who has heard it is dead, and the others can’t remember.” The picture by Waterhouse displays some skulls next to the Sirens and Dr. Walker has made them look like vultures that are getting ready to attack. The poem actually includes both of the descriptions that the pictures display.  Margaret says –“Even though they see beach skulls.” Also, “Will you get me out of this bird suit?” There is a lot more then meets the eye with all three pieces of works. This is also a very important feature.

Margaret Atwood along with Williams had made these girls look awful. He also and made them fly. Dr. Walker took a different path has made them look beautiful and naked so that you would see that Odysseus, along with the other men were attracted physically other than just vocally “So they sent their ravishing voices out across the air and the heart inside me throbbed to listen longer.”(Homer, The Odyssey Book 12 line 208-209) What they do, and just how mean they really are. The reason that Dr. Walker did this was because he wanted to prove that the girl’s voices are strong enough to make the men go with them. But the poem -“Siren Song” and the painting by Waterhouse “Ulysses and Sirens” just tells you that the Siren’s are really dangerous and you need to plan out to stay away.

One more difference between the pictures and the poem is Odysseus’ reaction. The picture that John Williams Waterhouse had created “Ulysses and Sirens” he decided to go with Odysseus tied up just like in the book had described. “I alone was to hear their voices, so she said, but you must bind me with tight chafing ropes so I cannot move a muscle,”(Homer, The Odyssey Book 12 line 174-176) While Dr. Bryce Walker had made him look so strong that it looks like he was attracted so strongly that he broke off the pole. He is now fighting threw his men to get to the Sirens. While in the poem, it is just directed to what happens to all the men. The position of Odysseus is important because it gives you the meaning that no matter who you are, or where you’re at on the boat you’re going to be attracted to these voices. 

Even though these photos and poems may look very different, which they are, like all the examples that were given. But in some ways they have things in common and show the main point. For instance, they all show how powerful the Sirens voices are and how strong they are. Just like Homer had mentioned, “The high, thrilling sound of the Sirens will transfix him, lolling there in their meadow, round them heaps of corpses rotting away, rags of skin shriveling on their bones…”(Homer, The Odyssey Book 12 line 50-52) 

One creative piece that we did this year was the Macbeth creative project. We had to take the 10 quotes from the book and make a creative way to show them. It could have been anything you wanted. I decided to make a keynote.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12821390/Macbeth.%20Key%20note..key

Independent Reading Project was a paper that we had to write and basically give a review of a book that we had just completed reading. Tell what its about, the main characters, the problem if there is one.

Drue Boccuti

Book Review-

The book I read is called The Outsiders By S.E. Hinton. The movie, was based on the book. The movie was made in 1983, but the book was written in 1965. The book is also a best seller.

Fourteen-year-old Ponyboy Curtis, is the main character of the book. He and his best friends are called Greasers, they’re the poor kids in their neighborhood and are always in some kind of trouble with the rich kids who are called Socs. One night Ponyboy, Johnny, and Two-bit walk home with these two girls Cherry and Marcia, who are Socs. Their boyfriends are very drunk and they catch up and see the Greasers with their girlfriends.  The Socs are not crazy about it at all, there is almost a huge fight until Cherry (Bobs’ girlfriend) stops it and decides it would be easier to get in the car with the boys.  Later that night when Ponyboy comes home it’s really late and his oldest brother Darry was very worried, his other brother Sodapop tries to standup for Ponyboy but Darry pushes Ponyboy and he gets so upset and he leaves and runs into the park with Johnny. 

Johnny and Pony are just sitting at the park minding their own business when a car full of drunken Socs pulls up. Since they couldn’t fight the greasers around the girls now is their perfect opportunity.  The Socs are drowning Ponyboy in a fountain and the other is kicking Johnny.  Bob leaves Johnny to go help drown Ponyboy, Johnny gets out a knife and he stabs Bob.  Everyone else is scared so they run off, and Ponyboy is knocked out. Since Johnny had just committed murder he waits for Ponyboy to wake up and then they go to their friend Dally.  Dally is the one in the bunch who is always in trouble so he knows where to go and how to hide. He tells them to take a train to this desolate church in another part of town where no one will be looking for them. My favorite character is Ponyboy. I like that Ponyboy hates fighting even though all of his friends seem to enjoy it.  He seems to appreciate life and what surrounds him even though his life is bad.  There are a couple conflicts in the book, but the main one is person vs. person. For instance Johnny has to face all the Socs, because he killed one of their best friends. What people should take away from this book is that you shouldn’t start fights with people who are different then you.  Its just like bullying because people are different than someone else they like to tease or hurt it is pointless and sometimes it comes back to you.

If I would have to say that I could relate to any character in the book, I would say I relate to Ponyboy. I would relate to Ponyboy because I also hate fighting. In my shore house there is always fighting going on and I try to stay out of it just like he does but somehow I always get included. I always feel like Johnny felt. Guilty. Now don’t get me wrong I have never killed someone or even hurt anyone on purpose. However, I always feel bad about everything. If I was really mean to someone who didn’t deserve it I will try to make it right immediately. 

I loved this book. It is actually now my favorite book. One strength of the book is that it’s so real. The way they talk, the way they live all their lives and act. For example, Darry has to raise Ponyboy and Sodapop because their parents had died. They are always fighting just like normal teenagers. I honestly can’t think of any weakness of the book. I like it that much. If I could change one thing in this book, I would make it so that Johnny didn’t die. It is sort of ironic that he killed someone and even though he did such a gallant thing by going into a burning church to save little kids, he dies from it.  

I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. It’s a great story about friends who really do love each other. It teaches some good life lessons and it has some funny parts also.

Journal was something that we did very often in class. We would walk in class and there would be a topic to write about on the board. I enjoyed journaling.

Journal entries-

How important is it to fit in? 12-1-11 (1)

Fitting in, is somewhat important to me. Because I’m very self consciences and extremely sensitive. If I was getting made of and no friend to stand by my side I don’t know what I would do. No matter what its always a good thing to have at least one friend that’s always with you so you can tell all your feelings to and the comfort you. I’ve never done something that I felt bad about doing just so that I can fit in. Like I said, I’m very sensitive and I also take other peoples feelings into consideration. If one of my friends was making fun of someone else I would stop them from it and make them apologize. I think fitting in at this age is so important because kids are cruel and you don’t want to be picked on or left out. Also, just so you can have someone to laugh with. I think as I get older fitting in won’t be so important. I’ll have my true friends by my side and that’s all I will need.

What are people’s expectations of you? What are your own?

 (2)

The expectations that are put on me are high ones. My family expects me to do great things with my life. In school and out of it. They aren’t always strict which is nice. I’m very proud of these expectations because I try to exceed them and make my family proud and it feels good. Its also nice that they believe in me and think that I am capable of doing these things and more! My own expectations are the same. I know I can do anything if I put my mind to it, so I try very hard to do well in everything I do. Also, to stay out of any kinds of trouble and surround myself with good people.

If you really knew me.  (3)

If you really knew me you would know that I love to dance. I’ve been in dance classes ever since I was 2 years old. I used to take tap, hip-hop and ballet. I stopped taking classes when I was in 6^th grade. However, just because I stopped taking the classes doesn’t mean that I still don’t have the same love for it now then I did when I was taking classes. If you really knew me you would know that I love my family. My family means more to me then anything else in the world. I love spending time with them and laughing with them. If you really knew me you would know that I absolutely love spending all of my summers down the shore. I love laying on the beach and spending my nights walking on the boardwalk. Those are my favorite things to do.

What makes a hero? (4)

A hero doesn’t have to be someone who wears a cape and beats up evil guys for a living even though that it definitely one. A hero can be someone who is just a nice person all the time to almost everyone. Hero’s are of course people who do save people just like a cop or a firefighter especially. There are way to many qualities that qualify someone as a hero. Everyone has different ones. Being nice, loving, and kind. These are all such great things to be in my book. My dad to me is a hero. He is such a kind person. I remember one night we were driving home from a party and when we were driving by this old man had fallen my dad did not even hesitate to pull over and go help that man up. The man was having a hard time getting up but my dad did not stop until the man was up and walking again. This is just one of the act of kindness that he had done but I promise you there are so many more. If that’s a hero then I must not know what is.

A time when you were part of a group but didn’t want to do what the group was doing. (5)

At my shore house there is a lot of kids my age. We all get along very nicely. However some times I do not want to do what everyone else is doing.  No, I’m not talking about not wanting to go somewhere where they are going or do some sort of activity. I am always up for everything and anything. But when they are making fun of people and making them feel bad I’m not okay with that. I always try to make them stop but when its me against 4 other girls there’s not much I can do but either leave them and go with other people in my group or just ignore them until it stops. Last summer, one morning we were all going to the water park and my friend Briana’s mom was driving us.  Well, Briana didn’t want this girl Erin to come. Erin never did anything wrong to any of us Briana just felt like being mean to her. So we were all leaving at 10, well Briana told Erin to be at her house at 11. I didn’t even notice that she wasn’t with us until after we had pulled up to the water park. At that point there was nothing I could have done. I was extremely mad and it wasn’t even done to me. I don’t like leaving people out because in my head I always think “What if that was me?” So to make sure this doesn’t happen anymore I try to get my mom to drive everywhere so that everyone is included.

Reflection on Winter Break. 1-3-11 (6)

My winter break wasn’t really anything special other then Christmas. Christmas was the best day of my whole winter break. I got a new camera and 2 new pair of Uggs which was great! Other then the presents though, I enjoyed having all of my family over my house and talking with them. Sleep was something that I got a lot of I would wake up between 10:30 and noon everyday. My cousin also had slept over and we had a lot of fun. There was also a lot of mall time in my winter break which I always enjoy! On New Years I went over to Goldies' house because she was just getting back from Florida, she had a party which was a great way to bring in the new year. I wish we had a week off more often! So I guess in a way my break was special!

Here is the link to the most amazing literary pieces written by Dejah Harley over the course of her 9th grade English year.

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A book review was when we choose a book and instead of giving a traditional book report instead we had to review it. The difference of the two are that in a report you more tell the about the book but in our reviews its like more showing than telling.

The book I am reviewing is a science fiction novel called “The House of the Scorpion” by  Nancy Farmer. This book has been honored with many awards such as Newbery Honor, National Book Award, Michael L. Printz Award, Young Hoosier Book Award, etc.

 The basic plot of the book Is about a boy named matt that is really a clone to a evil science professor named El Patron who controls mostly everything  and  everyone. But as through out the book Matt learns more and more information about himself as a clone and El Parton as a dictator to society.  The conflict of this story is person vs. person. This is because its Matt vs. the dictator El Parton  but the problem is that Matt is brain washed to believe that El Parton is his friend but he is really just a clone he wants to be in handy for spare body parts if something goes wrong.  You should take away from this book that everyone is not your friend and you can not live in world blind of your own personal thoughts. For example you can not expect someone to always be their to do everything for you and lead you through life’s task. Basically you should take away from this that its good to have independents

I  can relate to Matt in this story because just as for him everyday in my life is a opportunity to learn something  new with in my self. So I can someday have a vision of what a great life is for. The feeling I felt that a character in the story also felt was the down feeling of being accused of something and having no one believe me when I say I didn’t do it. This was the same feeling that Matt has when everyone is accusing him of killing Furball.

My personal opinion of this book is that it is a must read for anyone. This story had me on my toes from the minute I picked it up. The special thing about this book is that I have not came across to anything with a similar plot or way to present the conflict. The strength of this book is that it’s a original plot and  the suspense level it puts on the reader is unbelievable. I don’t find significant weakness in this text.

 

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a different kind of story to read and loves a suspenseful book fraught with mystery this is the book for the job. I loved this book and wish everyone could obtain the same care for it as I did.

If you wanna see the best English portfolio ever click this link.

IF you found a way to get on a block websites would you share it?
1.​I would keep it to myself so  I could do it again if necessary because if a lot of people begins to use the same trick it becomes easy  to get catch up with. For example  if you find a way to use block websites in school you mite not get catch but you tell your whole class the trick your teacher or the school distinct sever will detect it faster.

What is a “hero”? How would you define it?
2.I define a  hero as someone who is not necessary supernatural but is able  to make a difference in someone’s overall life.  For example someone that could be a hero is a great teacher that lesson shaped you on to the path to success. Or your hero’s can be your parents that guided you through your life through thick and thin.

3.If you really knew me......

You would know that i just a regular kid looking to have fun everyday.If you really knew me you would know that i hate work but know the importance of it so i just get it done. If you really knew me you would know that sometimes i feel like im people expect to high of me. 

4.What makes someone an “adult”?

What makes someone is someone that is 18 and has independent from their parents. For example if you are 18 but you still love under your parents home and they pay for everything your more of a big kid then a adult to my standards.

We were reading the "Odyssey" at one point, and then watched a movie  ( "O, brother where art thou?") that based it's story line off of the "Odyssey". As a benchmark, we had to take two characters from the book and the movie and compare/contrast them. I chose Penelope who was the wife of Odysseus/Ulysses.

Victoria Yarbrough

Penelope v. Penny

 

Authors and directors have very different ideas on the way a character should be portrayed. However, it can confuse a viewer or a reader and make things a tad bit hard to follow. In The Odyssey, Penelope is viewed, as strong while Penny in “O, Brother Where Art Thou” is viewed as mean. A viewer may wonder why a director would change her character, but the differences in the two are important as well. Even though Penelope is portrayed in both “The Odyssey” and O, brother where art thou? She is stern towards Everett in “O, brother where art thou”, while Penelope is more loving, and understanding in “The Odyssey”.  However, both these characters challenge Odysseus and Everett, which leaves the viewer with a bad taste for Penny in O, brother where art thou? and makes it hard for Odysseus and Everett to settle down and be home.

 

In O’ brother where art thou?, Penelope is strict and hurt by the fact that Everett left, but she conceals it with anger. For example, when Everett comes back to his hometown and sees Penny in the store, she gives him the cold shoulder and disowns him in front of some of the townspeople and his own children. This shows that she does not want anything to do with Everett. There is a moment of intensity and attraction when Everett grabs Penny, but she quickly goes back to being stubborn and not giving him the chance to tell her all that had happened. This proves that she still has feelings for him, but is upset that he left her on her own. Instead of being understanding, she lets her “suitor” challenge Everett in a fight, which he loses and causes him to get thrown out the store. Viewers do not respond well to this because Everett is the main character and went through all of his triumph and adventure just to be with Penny, and in response, she acts like he is a stranger and not the man she married.

 

However, in “The Odyssey” Penelope is more loving and understanding. For example, through the whole entire book Penelope is faithful. There are countless times where she weeps for Odysseus, stands up in his name, and tricks her suitors to buy time for Odysseus. On Page 393 [99-104] Penelope says “ “Make no mistake you brazen shameless bitch… how well you knew that I meant to probe this stranger and ask about my husband… my heart breaks for him.” Penelope rages at one of her maids for being rude to a stranger who has information on the whereabouts of Odysseus. This is evidence that Penelope still yearns for Odysseus and is faithful no matter how far away he is. If she wasn’t faithful, then she would have never spoken to Melantho in that way.

 

Together, both Penelope’s challenge Odysseus and make it somewhat hard for him to fully return home. In “O, Brother Where Art Thou”, Penny – after much convincing- remarries Everett. However, she will not marry him without her old wedding ring, which is all the way back in their old home. This task is challenging for Everett because the house is far away and the ring may not even be there.  Also, in the “Odyssey” Penelope challenges Odysseus to see for herself if it’s really her husband. In the “Odyssey” Penelope says,  “ Come, Eurycleia move the sturdy bedstead out of our bridal chamber- that the master built with his own hands …”  (Page 461 lines 198-200) she says this to test Odysseus because only he would get upset by her saying this.

 

The differences in both these women make the character of Penelope hard to follow at times. However, the differences are what make the “Odyssey” and “O, brother where art thou” tie together in the end. It shows how an author thinks the way Penelope should be. A viewer would ponder the reason why the author of the book, and the director of the movie would make Penelope different, but in all, the sternness of Penny and the cunning way of Penelope help to make both the movie and book a good read and an attention keeping film.

REVISION:

Victoria Yarbrough

Penelope v. Penny

 

Authors and directors have very different ideas on the way a character should be portrayed. However, it can confuse a viewer or a reader and make things a tad bit hard to follow. In The Odyssey, Penelope is viewed, as strong while Penny in “O, Brother Where Art Thou” is viewed as mean. A viewer may wonder why a director would change her character, but the differences in the two are important as well. Even though Penelope is portrayed in both “The Odyssey” and O, brother where art thou? She is stern towards Everett in “O, brother where art thou”, while Penelope is more loving, and understanding in “The Odyssey”.  However, both these characters challenge Odysseus and Everett, which leaves the viewer with a bad taste for Penny in O, brother where art thou? and makes it hard for Odysseus and Everett to settle down and be home.

 

In O’ brother where art thou?, Penelope is strict and hurt by the fact that Everett left, but she conceals it with anger. For example, when Everett comes back to his hometown and sees Penny in the store, she gives him the cold shoulder and disowns him in front of some of the townspeople and his own children. This shows that she does not want anything to do with Everett. There is a moment of intensity and attraction when Everett grabs Penny, but she quickly goes back to being stubborn and not giving him the chance to tell her all that had happened. This proves that she still has feelings for him, but is upset that he left her on her own. Instead of being understanding, she lets her “suitor” challenge Everett in a fight, which he loses and causes him to get thrown out the store. Viewers do not respond well to this because Everett is the main character and went through all of his triumph and adventure just to be with Penny, and in response, she acts like he is a stranger and not the man she married.

 

However, in “The Odyssey” Penelope is more loving and understanding. For example, through the whole entire book Penelope is faithful. There are countless times where she weeps for Odysseus, stands up in his name, and tricks her suitors to buy time for Odysseus. On Page 393 [99-104] Penelope says “ “Make no mistake you brazen shameless bitch… how well you knew that I meant to probe this stranger and ask about my husband… my heart breaks for him.” Penelope rages at one of her maids for being rude to a stranger who has information on the whereabouts of Odysseus. This is evidence that Penelope still yearns for Odysseus and is faithful no matter how far away he is. If she wasn’t faithful, then she would have never spoken to Melantho in that way.

 

Together, both Penelope’s challenge Odysseus and make it somewhat hard for him to fully return home. In “O, Brother Where Art Thou”, Penny – after much convincing- remarries Everett. However, she will not marry him without her old wedding ring, which is all the way back in their old home. This task is challenging for Everett because the house is far away and the ring may not even be there.  Also, in the “Odyssey” Penelope challenges Odysseus to see for herself if it’s really her husband. In the “Odyssey” Penelope says,  “ Come, Eurycleia move the sturdy bedstead out of our bridal chamber- that the master built with his own hands …”  (Page 461 lines 198-200) she says this to test Odysseus because only he would get upset by her saying this.

 

The differences in both these women make the character of Penelope hard to follow at times. However, the differences are what make the “Odyssey” and “O, brother where art thou” tie together in the end. It shows how an author thinks the way Penelope should be. A viewer would ponder the reason why the author of the book, and the director of the movie would make Penelope different, but in all, the sternness of Penny and the cunning way of Penelope help to make both the movie and book a good read and an attention keeping film.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The third benchmark was comparing a character from the The Odyssey, and I really had to think and enrich my mind, and think broadly.

People Write about Penelope everyday from her beauty to her love to her tale to her story. The comparison of both Penelope from The Odyssey and Penelope from the poem  “Penelope”. Both authors write different styles but they both look at Penelope in a unique way, and describe her love and passion for her husband in two totally different perspectives but also at moments the same way. Homer the author of The Odyssey writes a book and gives a lengthy story about how Penelope story goes and Dorothy Parker the author of “Penelope” gives me a good 8 lines not too much and not too little, about the missing part of Penelope life. While both Penelope from The Odyssey and Penelope from the poem  “Penelope” hope for their loving husband Odysseus, one gives another point of view on the story of this couple.

 

 

            Penelope from the poem “Penelope” is sad and hurt, by the tone of the poem and the strong words she use for the language of the text. She States, “ I shall sit at home and rock; Rise, to heed a neighbor’s knock”. She wants to wait for him and believe he is still out there, she won’t do anything until the love of her husband return. Similar to Penelope from The Odyssey she is sad that her one true love is away for so long, and she yearns for his love again. She talks to a man in disguised which is Odysseus and tells him how she really feels about her husband being gone for so long, she states” A black day it was when he took ship to see the cursed city, destroy I call it, I hate to say its name!”(Book 19; line 297- 299, Page 399). Her heart cracks as words stumble out her mouth as she talks about the day Odysseus, left, she wants her husband back. Both Penelope in poem and Penelope from book wait in sorrow for their loving husband Odysseus to return, and they want him back but while he is gone their hearts continue to ache.

 

            Penelope from the poem “Penelope” speaks for herself in her own words showing the audience her own heartache for her husband’s return. In support of this Penelope says in the poem “ Brew my tea, and snip my thread; bleach the linen for my bed. She talks about how she feels, she speaks from the heart and say’s what she does in her own voice. Penelope from The Odyssey doesn’t speak her self; the person telling her story is Homer.  In The Odyssey he describes Penelope saying, “Now down from her chamber came reserved Penelope, looking for all the world like Artemis or golden Aphrodite” (Book 19, page 392, lines 55-56). He starts from when she comes down the steps to comparing her to Artemis or golden Aphrodite. Penelope from the poem speaks for her self; if she feels pain she expresses it in her own voice. Penelope from The Odyssey voice is drowned out by Homer, he speaks for her and expresses how she feels.

 

Penelope from the poem “Penelope” waits for Odysseus, she tries to be strong and hopes for the best for but she still waits for his return. The tone of the women is so up beat as she tries to think positive she says, “ He shall ride the silver seas, he shall cut the glittering waves.” She thinks he is out there coming back to her, riding in the breeze trying to find his way back to her love, and has much faith. Penelope from The Odyssey doesn’t waste any time, she think my husband is gone for 20 years he is dead. He most likely won’t come back, and I will not sulk over him I will get re married. In her pretty voice you can hear how she doesn’t believe he is coming back she states “Odysseus never again will I embrace him” (Chapter 19, page 398, line 95). Penelope from The Odyssey lost faith in the one she calls her husband and Penelope from the poem “Penelope” waits and has faith her strong man is at sea.)

 

           

            Penelope from the poem  “Penelope” seems as though she has more love for Odysseus even though she and Penelope from The Odyssey are quite similar. They have similarities because both wait in sorrow for their loving husband Odysseus. But the two have differences in their personalities. Penelope from The Odyssey has Homer speaking for her and Penelope from the poem “Penelope” is speaking for herself. Also, Penelope from The Odyssey thinks Odysseus is dead and Penelope from the poem “Penelope” thinks that he is still out there and she will wait for eternity. The Poem “Penelope” showed a different type of Penelope and with out she would be just a one - dimensional character.

 

 

​The Me Magazine was for each student to express their self to their new classmates in a creative way. The overall goal was for us all to get to know a little about each other.

 

This is benchmark 2 the memoir vignette, and this is actually my favorite. I actually got to pick what I wanted to write about and speak form my hard, instead of stating facts from books. This is a true and inspirational story.

I woke up again with a groan, not wanting to be bothered. Mom and her scratchy loud voice, you can hear her two blocks away. This short woman sure has pipes on her as I whispered while slowly crawling out of bed, man do my mouth taste disgusting (opener). I had knots and a bad feeling running in my body (foreshadowing). Time for another day at school, as my looney family bum rush down the stairs. When I stepped outside an instant wind blew threw my hair cheating for my brother, stopping me from running. My cheeks and ears stood still as I tried to beat the wimp. Mother comes screaming out the door as always, now for about five minutes we wait for my dad to wobble out it was a tradition. We waited the five minutes, then he came out different, he wasn’t walking normal, and all he kept doing was coughing but like a dog, bark bark barking all over (repetition and foreshadowing). The sound effect startled me; my mom wasn’t paying attention she was too busy talking about tonight. He slammed the door and waited for a minute to start the car. My mom noticed the bark and then she put on her wife voice the voice of a soft humming bird (metaphor). She said, “ Are you alright babe”? (Dialogue) while rubbing his back. Then she gave my dad two big fat thick white missiles that he had to shove down his throat. (Imagery and hyperbole) Ahhh, that soothing sound, finally I can hear the mean and grumpy engine start, its like music to my ears (personification).

            Sitting in class with screaming kids and annoyed teachers. I felt like I was in first grade, kids had baby stains all over there shirts. Girls rolling their eyes and popping there gum, but I was zoned out in another world. I was thinking about what my mom was talking about in the car this morning. I wasn’t paying attention I think she said something about meat loaf, I sure hope not. The time sure was moving sluggish, but when the bell screeched all you could hear were screams, lockers slam, and curse words in the thundering hallways (magic three). Then this loud mean munchkin hall motor screams down the hallways, “ GET YOUR DAMN STUFF, AND KEEP IT MOVING”(dialogue) She continues her rampage down the rest of the hallway. I walked out slowly, thinking I was catching the stinky cheese bus (Imagery). But surprisingly my aunt was there to pick me up, I got in the sparkling silver car, and I seen my wimpy brother, thinking to my self this was a lucky day for both of us. My aunt wouldn’t say anything the whole ride, her eyes had water sliding down them. It was like a water slide on her face (simile).  But then I noticed this wasn’t the normal way. Instead of taking the busy highways, we took the dirty and loud downtown streets. There was nothing but traffic and horns beeping. We showed up at the place where babies were born.

            The two sliding doors flew open, the lights were bright. People everywhere, I think to my self, it must be my baby cousin with the bad case of the runs, I call him Poo Poo Kazoo (humor). Sounds coming from everywhere coughs, sneezes, ambulances, and babies crying (Imagery-sound). The smell was awful; it smelt like vomit, cafeteria food, and sick people (Imagery-smell). I stayed close to my aunt and my brother stayed close to me, we were walking like we were in a scary movie about to get murdered (simile). My aunt asked “Where is room 436?’ to a man that look like cookie monster, he had on a bright blue uniform on with a badge that said front desk security (simile). The guy said 4^th floor then a left, we got on the elevator and went up which seemed like forever. Finally the fourth floor, we went down this long hallway, the light got dimmer and dimmer. Then there was the room, room 436, the numbers made me nauseous and nervous. I was scared, there were old mean with there hairy, wrinkly butts dangling out the back of dotted pajamas which looked like sheets (humor).

            The door too room 436 was cracked, we walked into the dark room with a Television playing, and the news was on at a very low volume. Then they slid back the blank white curtains it was my dad. The horror in my eyes, they burned before the lava fell from them (metaphor). My mother sitting there, with a pale sick look on her face. She didn’t even say hi babies, like everyday when we come from school. I study my father like I had a test the next morning on a big black man in a bed (simile). He had snakes shooting venom in his arms. Something breathing for him, and one half of his body moving and the other half practically dead (metaphor). As I stood back for a while, I felt like a sponge I was absorbing all that just happened (simile). But I got the courage to walk, to the man I didn’t even notice. I slowly grabbed his hand; my hand was shaking it never done that before. His hand was rough and fragile, his eyes popped open, I whispered “dad why did you have a stroke”? God chose you why were you bad to him (dialogue). A gentle tear trickled down my face as I said “I would do anything you ask, are you in here because I spilled all of your cologne”(dialogue). He grabbed my hand tight, tight enough to lose circulation and chuckled. He kissed me and said, “I love you young lady, and no matter what happens life changes. “(Dialogue) That was the first day I ever heard my dad call me young lady, that day I grew up in that hospital, knowing that life will throw obstacles in your way. But when it happens you have to be prepared. I whispered “I love you too dad”(dialogue), and let go of the sand paper hand (imagery and metaphor) and then I left the room 436.

 

 Lady Macbeth

 

This was the first benchmark that was received and it was the hardest one. This benchmark is about looking at a character from the beginning of Macbeth to the end. I chose Lady Macbeth, I felt she was basically the only girl, and she was tougher than most the men. This benchmark required a lot of patience and time.

 

Thesis- Lady Macbeth is a conniving woman, let greed arrogate her body, and then her mind erupted.

 

In Act 1, Scene 5, Macbeth sent Lady Macbeth a letter telling her that he had been promoted to Thane of Cawdor. He had an encounter with Weird sisters, and they read a prophecy that he could become king. Lady Macbeth, showed so much excitement, she stated, “Is too full o’ th’ milk of human kindness, to catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great; art not without ambition, but without the illness should attend it” (Page 17, line 16 – 19, scene 5, Act 1). Lady Macbeth is questioning Macbeth’s ability to get the job of killing Duncan done; she feels he is too kind. She thinks he doesn’t have enough ambition or drive to go on with the murder. This reveals the start of a cold heart, and how she is letting her greed and ambition take charge.

 

The King is coming, to celebrate Macbeth becoming the Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth came home from the war greeted by the greedy Lady Macbeth, discussing with his wife when the king is coming. Lady Macbeth say very proudly, “Shall sun that morrow see your face my thane is as a book, when men may read strange matters” (Page 18, line 60-62, scene 5 Act 1). Lady Macbeth is saying that she can read Macbeth like a book, all his expression and all he wants is on his face. This reveals that Lady Macbeth and her conniving ways have grown.

 

Macbeth broke the news to Lady Macbeth saying that he is too loyal too the king, the plan about killing Duncan isn’t good. As anger travels through lady Macbeth body, she says harshly “Does unmake you, I given suck, and know how tender ‘tis to love the babe that milks me, have plucked my nipple from his boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I sworn as you have done this” (Page 22, line 54-59, scene 7 Act 1). Lady Macbeth is saying she would do anything for Macbeth, and he should kill the king for her. He promised her he would be strong and kill king Duncan and she would keep a promise if he tells her to kill a baby. Her veins are running with avarice that’s how bad she yearns to be queen.

 

Scene 7, Act 2, Macbeth just killed Duncan and came back with the murder weapons. Lady Macbeth very worried and anxiously says “You do unbend your noble strength to think so brainsickly of things. Go get some water and wash this filthy witness from your hands”(Page 29, line 48-50, scene 7, Act 2). Lady Macbeth is a woman, who wants things done her and the right way. She said that wasn’t the plan, you did something dumb by bringing the weapons here. Wash the blood, guilt, and everything else off your hands. Her manly over coat was revealed, she had to take charge of the situation. She is willing to put her guilt and anger inside behind her, her mind is in charge of her heart.

 

Macbeth killed Duncan, she is telling him to man up, wipe the guilt off of your hands. Be strong, and go like nothing ever happened. He brought the murder weapons with him and she grabbed them to plant them on the guards to finish the job. Macbeth was acting like he was in shock and very guilty. Lady Macbeth had to transform into a deceitful mastermind. As her over coat of manly essence came, she had to grab hold of the situation so she stated, “My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white”(Page 29, line 67 – 68, scene 2, Act 2). Lady Macbeth states her hands are the same color as Macbeth covered in blood, but she doesn’t care. Her heart is so cold and greedy she can just go like nothing ever happened. She is ashamed to be as weak as Macbeth, she wants him to just man up. Lady Macbeth is a woman of a manly essence and this shows so much. Her guilt is killing her but the ability to rule and be in charge is keeping her alive and well.

 

             Banquo and his sons found Duncan murdered, and all the thanes, and Duncan children are reacting abominable. As Macbeth and Lady Macbeth reactions are phony, acting like they don’t know what’s going on. Lady Macbeth’s sham is still in place as she is about to faint she says  “Help me hence ho!”(Page 35, line 116, scene 3, Act 2. Lady Macbeth went with the plan by acting very dramatic like she didn’t know what was going on. She plays heartbroken and very sad that there was a murder in her house. She is basically saying help me, I don’t feel well. This shows that Lady Macbeth cold heart, yearns to be queen and when she want something she will get it, even if it calls for her to act very fake.

 

Act 3, scene 4, Macbeth is alone a lot, Lady Macbeth asked for a word with her own husband. He is dropping hints that Banquo and Fleance will be murdered. Lady Macbeth very curious asks, “What’s to be done?” (Page 47, line 45, scene 4, Act 3). Lady Macbeth doesn’t know what’s going to happen, she is not included in the plan. But she is curious to know what’s going on. She asks what’s going to happen or what will you do. Now she is worried, she is not the one in charge of this murder; this reveals that now her manly essence and partnership with her husband may be fading.

 

Banquo was murdered, there is a dinner going on at Kings Macbeth’s house. The lords, thanes, and Queen all around the table. Then Macbeth sees Banquos ghost, no one else can see him. Macbeth is reacting horribly and has everyone worried thinking he is severely sick. Lady Macbeth pulls Macbeth aside says very firmly “O proper stuff! This is the very painting of your fear. This is the air drawn dagger, which you said led you to Duncan. O, these flaws and starts, imposture to true fear, would well become”(Page 52, line 61-65, Scene 4, Act 3). Lady Macbeth acts very strong, and tells Macbeth this is only your imagination and fear. You killed Duncan, you feel guilty don’t worry about it. She saying you are not really seeing anything, calming him down. She is taking control of the situation, making sure the secret wont be told, this reveals her greed.

 

Act 5, Scene 1, Doctors come to exam Lady Macbeth, she is very sick. The gentle woman shows the doctor how Lady Macbeth is acting, she is sleep walking. Lady Macbeth face is zoned out, and you can tell in the expression in her face she is angry, she says “Out, damned spot! Out, I say! One – two - why then ‘tis time to do’t. Hell is murky. Fie, my lord, fie! A soldier and afeard? What need we fear who knows it, when none can call our power to accounts? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?” (Page 84, line 34-40, scene 1, Act 5). Lady Macbeth has cracked, her strong scent of manly essence has faded away, she is sleep walking. She speaks aloud about what she and Macbeth had done. She is saying get the blood and guilt off my hands, we kept it a secret, and nobody knows it, we killed Duncan. She knows so much evil things her heart has caught on fire, and now she feel like she’s in hell. Everything she done had caught up to her, she wonders why this guilt won’t wash away from her skin, her mind had erupted.

 

 Gentle Woman and doctor come to examine Lady Macbeth. She wants blood, and guilt to get out of her head and go away. She is sleep walking telling all of her secrets, what her and Macbeth had done. As the doctor and gentlewoman discuss what is happening to Lady Macbeth, the gentle woman states “I would not have such a heart in my bosom for the dignity of the whole body” (Page 84, line 54-55, Scene 1, Act 5,). She is saying she would not be that cold hearted and mean, she would not have such an sinful heart in her body; for the health and respect of the body.  She saying all those secrets, guilt, betrayal, greed, and evilness in one heart, can really kill you. The gentle woman feels its melicious, just gut wrenching. Lady Macbeth heart is fully charged with guilt, evilness, and deception. This conniving and greedy woman with a heart of the devil, manly scent is gone, her heart is filled with guilt and her mind is corrupted and lost.

 

In conclusion, Lady Macbeth has evolved because she was a woman who was strong, and wanted Macbeth to unsex her, and make her manly. She was conniving and convincing, to make Macbeth kill Duncan. Her smart plan could fulfill her dream to become queen, the greed she had running through her vain and blood stream arrogated her body and mind. But her manly essence started to fade away as the story went on. The quotes from the stories supported the thesis because it showed how this cold hearted, strong, and conniving woman that was corrupt and evil, turned brain sickly. Shakespear sent out a very interesting true message and that is if you do evil things, bad things will bound to happen to you, perfect example is Lady Macbeth. Her heart was cold and bad, and she did very evil things. But then, Her heart started to get warm and her woman appeal took over again. Her mind started to erupt and all the lies, greed, evil, betrayal and deceit killed the woman, who had a scent of a man and heart of a devil.

​Short Reflection

 

I sat for a while and thought, what does this portfolio say about me as a 9^th grade English student? Honestly I have no clue, but I would say that this portfolio shows my weakness of writing but also my strength and greatness of writing. You can tell in this portfolio that I am creative with words, and different with my style of writing from most 9^th graders. But also my work takes so much editing, before my teacher, audience, and me can be satisfied. I’m that 9^th grade student that can be one of the best writers, my potential is there but the work sometimes doesn’t show. I need grammar work, and learn how to write better in past and present tenses.

When you read my portfolio you will see a strong writer, that puts effort, thought, and precision in her work. You will see my creativity, and how I love to use imagery to spice up my writing and give it that BAM! I have two pieces that have that special BAM! First one is Room 436 my Memoir Vignette, My endearment for this piece is so prodigious because I got to go free, and we didn’t have a specific guideline. Room 436 shows how great of a writer I am, and I open up to my audience so they can really meet the author. The second piece I idolize is my Macbeth creative, also another piece with no guideline. This piece showed a side where you just don’t write stories and big paragraph but also short sentence that can me just as much as a paragraph. You can write a stanza that will have your audience pondering, and that’s what I did with this piece. I wrote a big poem that sometime a young audience doesn’t understand, they have to think deeply to actually read it. These two projects were superb and every minute of creating it was substantial.

If I could start 9^th grade English over again I wouldn’t because I have grown so much in the process that I don’t want to go back where I started. I have difficulties with writing pieces, such as the 10 paragraph Macbeth benchmark, because I started to run out of what to say and how I would describe a lady I didn’t know. I looked at her as a character in a book that we were reading. Going back through my work, I see that I have grown from just a freshman writer, to a sophomore or maybe a junior writer.