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Independent reading review
Before we were Free
By Julia Alvarez
The book “Before we were Free” by Julia Alvarez
won the Pura Belpré award for its writing and the Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Children's Book Award in 2004. This book also won the ALA Notable children’s
books and ALA best book for young adults in 2003. Julia Alvarez published this
novel in 2002.
“Before
we were Free” is about a 12-year-old girl named Anita Torre who lives in the
Dominican Republic in 1960. Her family moved to The United States to escape the
harsh treatment in the Dominican Republic. Her grandparents went first and they
found a house in New York and lived there legally. The rest of her family left,
therefore, it was just Anita, her mamá, her papá, Lucinda and her family’s maid
Chucha (Chucha is like another family member, she has token care of basically
all of her family, she even took care of Anita’s mamá). Soon or later things
started getting even worse for Anita and her family that was still in the
Dominican Republic. Secret Police called the SIM kept 24 hour watch on their
house, their family, they were watching their every move. They searched every
house looking for a man named Carlos Garcia and his family. The SIM rudely
check people’s homes all the time; they walk in and destroy everything in their
way, throwing things around. They will not stop until they find what they are
looking for so they keep coming back to each house.
At the end of the story,
Anita has to move out of her house because the SIM was after her family. They moved
into the Mancini’s house for a few months, they had to be really carful and
sneaky there. At the Mancini’s house, they had to hide in their bedroom closet,
which was the safest place for Anita and her mother. Meanwhile her papi and her
tio tony were fighting for their freedom. A month and a few weeks later, Anita
and her mother moved to New York with her grandparents, where they were safe.
Everybody in Anita’s family who moved from the Dominican Republic was there.
While there, Mr. Washington who moved to Washington, came to visit them in New
York and delivered the news that Anita’s father and uncle was dead. Since El
Jefe were killed, his son was killing everybody in his way, He tied up
everybody who was involved with trying to set people free to a tree and shot
them until they were dead. Then he left the Dominican Republic. Now Anita is
safe living in New York with her family members that escaped to the United
States.
My
favorite character in the story is Chucha. This is her Anita’s clairvoyant
nanny from Haiti. She is my favorite character because she is very wise; she is
very different from the other characters in the story. She is a very spiritual
lady. She wore purple all the time to protect her from the evil spirits; she
also sleeps in a coffin, which I found very interesting. She is a
fortuneteller, most of the fortunes she tell that are about the future, she use
little riddles.
My
favorite character in the story is Chucha. The reason is, the whole family
looked up to her, Chucha she took care of as they grew up. I have lots of
younger children that look up to me. I used to help at a recreation center and
help the staff watch the children and help the children with their needs.
Chucha helped the family raise each other and they looked up to her because she
was old and wise. They came to her for just about everything from advice to
physical changes in their lives. I believe that readers should take from the
book that there were harsh times in this world for some people and there still
is some harsh moments. Some people didn’t have to go through what Anita had to
go through at 12 years old and maybe people even younger than that and they
should appreciate the fact that they are free and they don’t have to hide from
the government. People should also appreciate that they live in their own
houses and not a neighbors closet with a limited amount of things to do.
I could not relate to any
of the characters in the story, but I can feel how they were feeling. The
person that I really felt the most was Anita. The story was in her perspective
and I knew every thought during the whole story. I have felt the way Anita felt
when Oscar, her love, moved to the United States. Her heart dropped when she
found out and she did not even get a chance to say goodbye to him. I had an
experience like that when a person that I like moved to Georgia, it was
unexpected and I did not know so I did not get a chance to say goodbye.
I did like the book. It was
very interesting and had me wanting to read increasingly. I did not want to
stop reading it, which is how interesting it was to me. Reading about something
that other people experienced that I know I could not live like that,
especially at her age is just amazing. I also would want to know how they
handled being in that situation and what they thought about it. Some strengths
of this book are, They keep the reader engaged, it explains almost every aspect
of her life in the Dominican Republic in 1960, it has sympathy, and it has lots
of dialogue so you can get a clue as to what the other characters’
personalities are. I if could change something in this book, it would be the
way they explain the background of the story which, they do not. If they did
explain the background then they should make it more obvious because I had no clue
as to why were they fighting for their freedom, and the restrictions they had
because they were not free and who were the SIM because I had no clue what they
were either.
I would recommend this book to other people. This book was very interesting, especially for someone who likes to hear or read about racist or unjust events that happened in the 20th century. “Before we were Free” was told in a young girl’s point of view, so that is what makes it even more interesting. Some people may what to know how it was to live there as a child. So yes, I would most defiantly recommend this book to other people.
Journal entries!
Fitting in is somewhat important to me; the reason why is because if you do not fit in, then you may be the person that get picked on or always by yourself. You might be excluded out of the fun activities everyone else is doing and become desolate. It really depends on the type of crowd you are trying to fit in. If the crowd is insolent, barren, and choose to be doing the wrong things such as vandalism, smoking, selling or doing drugs, drinking under age, or something you know your parents would rebuke then most likely you would not want to be apart of a group of people like that. If it is a conscientious and shrewd crowd such as study group, a girl/boy scout club, music group, or something positive, then you may want to be apart of that crowd they could help you in your future. I have done some things with a crowd that I later felt horrible. When I was in school and my friends were talking about jumping this girl, they did not like because she has a smart mouth and she is conceited. I knew who the girl was, and where she lived at which was right down the street from me. I showed them where the girl lived, and they egged her house. I felt horrible about it because I knew they did not like her but I still showed the group of girls where she lived. I could have prevented it from happening, but I unfortunately did not.
A time when I exceeded expectations (someone else’s or my own)...
A time when someone exceeded my expectations is when my sister Dabreyah told me she was going to get some clothes for my birthday. I only expected her to be cheap and only buy me a shirt. Therefore, when my birthday came, and I looked at her gift box it had a whole outfit plus a small stuffed animal. I really did not think she would or had the ability to do this; she is a big grouch most of the time. She exceeded my expectations by buying me more than what I expected. I felt delighted, loved, and I felt like out of everything she did for me, this was one of the best things.
I have exceeded someone else’s expectations. A time when I exceeded someone else’s expectations is when I was in 8th grade, last year; I had to do a history project on Somalia. My teacher, Mr. Thomas, expected my call to just make a neat and organized poster board. I really needed this 100 % on this project because I had a high C in his class. Therefore, what I did was add a little extra to my project. I did the neat and organized poster board with a dance to a Somalia song from Somalia. I worked hard trying to perfect every move to the dance. I did so great with this project, that he gave me the 100% I wanted with extra 10% extra credit, that is when I knew I exceeded his expectations.
What are people’s expectations of you? What are your own? Some of the expectations put on me by others are to be mature, responsible, peaceful, hardworking, to know how to do almost any and everything, and to always be blithe. These are not expectations I put on myself though. I live by the expectations I have for myself and not the expectations other people have of me. The expectations I have for myself are to not let little things ruin my day, to set an example for everyone, act my age not my shoe size, and to stay positive.
Why write?
The main reasons why I think we write is, because it is a way of communicating, showing your knowledge, and it is an eloquent way of expressing yourself to yourself or others. Writing is a very useful skill in my eyes.
You can communicate through writing, by writing letters, notes, and it could even help you speak to people who can’t hear. Communicating through writting is a great method of learning and teaching so it could also help expand your knowledge.
Writing is a way of showing your knowledge. I believe this because you have to write what you learn in school and many other places. Writing also shows that you know how to read and that you know how to speak the language you are writing in. Writing is also a way you could record your knowledge. You cannot always remember everything you say or learn. Therefore, when it comes down to your knowledge writing is a big aspect.
Writing is an eloquent way you can express yourself to yourself. I believe this because when you write in a journal or diary, you are writing what you think about something or how you are feeling. This is a great way to relieve stress. Writing to yourself could also keep you out of drama by writing down things that you may not like about somebody or something.
Being a freshman at SLA for me is very exciting, fun, and I had to learn how to adjust to it. In the beginning of the school year, I knew I was going to make many friends, but I thought they were only going to be freshman. I met many 10th, 11th, and 12th, graders. Well not many 11th and 12th graders but its all right I will meet more as the days go by. I really loved how SLA have colored streams for all of the freshmen obviously I was out in red stream (which is the BEST stream ever with the BEST teachers ever) my connection with red stream is closer than ever. I look at everyone as one of my sisters or brothers. I also met 9th graders outside of red stream through my friend that came from my old school Hamilton. I have no classes at all with them so I really did not like the beginning of the school year too much. However, if they were in the same stream as me then I would not be able to meet more people out of red stream. Now that I have gotten used to this school, the people in it, and the environment in and around the school I am extremely happy that I chose this school and I made really close friends in red stream and around our school that have my back and who will never let me down. I also know that I worked hard this marking period and my report card will show and it will be AWESOME!
Journal response to one Freedom Writer OR writes your own FWD Entry. What would yours say?
My favorite diary in the freshman year fall 1994 is on page 11-12 diary #4. This is my favorite because I could relate to it in a way. I would also want to see a fight just for the fun of it. Once I was hit during a fight of insolent children, and I did not do anything but stumble and almost fall. It was unexpected, but it was by accident the person was jumping up and down and was not really paying attention to the people around him. For the rest of the day, I was a little shocked because I never was hit like that; also, because I can be a little over dramatic in situations like that. So, I could relate to this journal in a way.
Q4 English Portfolio Reflection
Q1 Benchmark
In the beginning of the play, Macbeth is a brave and loyal thane; but as the play progresses he becomes an evil tyrant.
In act 1, scene 2, page 4, a captain enters the room to tell the king the latest news about the war. He said that they had just one a great battle, and that Macbeth killed a rebel leader. He also said that the thane of Cawdor was a traitor, so the king ordered his execution. The captain said, “For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name…” (Act 1, scene 2, page 4, line 16). What he means is that Macbeth deserves to be called brave. He’s saying that Macbeth is very courageous, and is a hero. At this early part of the play he is described as very valiant. Others in the play also admire him for his bravery and courageousness.
In act 1, scene 5, page 15, the king is talking to Banquo about Macbeth, during a gathering of all the thanes. The king says to Banquo “… he is full so valiant…” (Act 1, scene 5, page 15, line 54). He is saying that Macbeth is extremely valiant, and when he says full he means he is full of only good, nothing bad. He is talking about how much he values Macbeth, and how fine a thane he is. At this point King Duncan trusts Macbeth with because of how well he has proved himself to the King. He is being called loyal at an early stage in the play. Macbeth knows that he is valued which makes the decision to kill the king much more difficult.
In act 1, scene 7, page 21, Macbeth is in his first soliloquy, talking about whether or not he should kill King Duncan, and he is very conflicted. He says “First, as I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed…” (Act 1, scene 7, page 21, lines 13-14). What he means is that he shouldn’t kill the king because he is his kinsman and his subject, which means he shouldn’t kill him. He is trying to come up with reasons for and against killing Duncan. At this early point of the play he is already deciding whether or not to kill King Duncan, which shows how quickly the thought of having power is already corrupting him. He is extremely conflicted with himself, and is having lots of problems.
In act 3, scene 2, page 47, Macbeth is talking to Lady Macbeth about how they are not going to get caught. He says “…full of scorpions is my mind…” (Act 3, scene 2, page 47, line 37). What he is saying is that his mind is full of conflict. This means his mind is changing. This change signifies his change to an evil tyrant. As the play goes on, his change becomes more apparent.
In act 4, scene 1, page 63, the witches are making a potion when Macbeth appears and they give him 3 prophecies. The second witch says “…something wicked this way comes.” (Act 4, scene 1, page 63, line 66). The witch is saying that something wicked is coming. This means that the witch sees Macbeth as something wicked. The first time Macbeth came they just said Macbeth was coming, but the second time they said he was wicked, which shows how he has changed in the eyes of the witches. Eventually this change becomes more apparent, when he shows that Killing Duncan was hard for him, but the rest was easier.
In act 4, scene 1, page 68, he witches finished telling Macbeth the prophecies, and Macbeth finds out Macduff fled to England. He says “The castle of Macduff I will surprise…” (Act 4, scene 1, page 68, line 173). He is saying that he will attack Macduff’s castle. This means that Macbeth is going to kill Macduff’s family, and servants. This shows how he is less loyal and brave and more evil. Others also see he has changed, and see how evil he is.
In act 4, scene 3, pages 76 – 77, Macduff is talking with Malcolm about how Macbeth took over. Macduff says to Malcolm “Fit to govern? No, not to live!” (Act 4, scene 3, pages 76 – 77, lines 104-105). He is saying that Macbeth isn’t fit govern or live. This means that Macduff sees Macbeth for what he actually is. This shows how Macbeth has become an evil tyrant. Others start to see him in the same way also.
In act 5, scene 2, page 86, the Thanes and some soldiers are leaving Macbeth because they are joining Malcolm and Macduff. Angus says “…like a giant’s robe upon a dwarfish thief.” (Act 5, scene 2, page 86, lines 21-22). He is saying that Macbeth is a thief, who stole something from someone greater than him. This means that people have found Macbeth out. What he says also shows that Macbeth is an evil tyrant. Macbeth also shows this in the way he acts.
In act 5, scene 3, page 87, Macbeth is frustrated with all his responsibilities, when a servant walks in. Macbeth says to the servant “The devil damn thee black thou cream-faced loon! Where got’st thou that goose look?” (Act 5, scene 3, page 87, lines 11-12). He is calling the servant a cream-faced loon, and asking why he looks like a goose. This means that a servant walks in ad Macbeth immediately insults him. This shows how Macbeth has become an evil tyrant. Macbeth is also extremely harsh.
In act 5, scene 5, page 92, Macbeth has just learned that lady Macbeth has died, and a messenger walks saying that the trees are moving, fulfilling one of Macbeth’s prophecies. He says “If thou speak’st false, upon the next tree shalt thou hang alive till famine cling thee.” (Act 5, scene 5, page 92, lines 38-40). He is saying that if the messenger is wrong we will tie him to tree until he dies of hunger. This means that Macbeth will punish someone extraordinarily harshly for something incredibly small. This demonstrates that Macbeth has completed his transformation into an evil tyrant.
All these quotes show how Macbeth changed throughout the play. He changed from a brave, loyal thane who honored the king and did great deeds in battle, to an evil tyrant, who threatened and abused people. The message Shakespeare could be trying to give us is that all of us have something inside us that will go to any length to get what it wants, no matter how respectable or wicked we truly are. Macbeth shows us this because Macbeth is an honest and loyal thane, who is shown that he could be king. This temptation made him kill many people, just because he wanted to be king.
Quarter 4 benchmark - Journal Entrys
Journals
In English we kept a journal and everyday when we came in we wrote in it and shared. Here are some of the topics we wrote about.
Why write?
People should write because it’s good to put your feelings and thoughts d own on paper if you normally don’t talk about it. Also it gives you the freedom to write about anything you want, Stretch your imagination. It is an amazing talent if you love writing then do it all the time.
A time when I exceeded expectations (someone else’s or my own)....
A time when I exceeded expectations is when my family and friends didn’t think I would sign up for running and be good at it because I am a very lazy person but now I have bin running for 2 years and I most I ever ran was 13 miles and I hope to run a marathon and my friends didn’t think I could do it but I did.
What makes a good story? What kinds of stories do you like?
I like fiction, fantasy and mystery stories because they are very creative. What makes a good story is when it is descriptive and flows it’s not all over the place. Also when they are not to long but not to short. Sometimes people do not want to read a book because its to long so it being right in the middle would would make a reader more interested in the book but that’s not always the case.
Response to reading/hearing/saying the “n” word...
When I see the “n” word in stories it makes me not want to read the book. I think the word is wrong and should not be used at all. Also the little kid said it and didn’t no what it meant so maybe he might start using it and it don’t turn out good. Some people say it all the time and it doesn’t matter to them because they way its used now like as a friend to friend saying it makes it okay. No using it at all is not okay doesn’t matter what the situation is.
If you really knew me...
If you really knew me you would know that I am not shy at all, I am always talking to someone no matter who or where it is. I always try my best to keep a smile on my face even if I am not happy. If you really knew me you would know that I have bin through so much with family and school. If you really knew me you would know I am the pickiest eater ever!
A time when you wish you could drop a part of your identity...
A time when I wanted to drop a part of my identity was in school and with my friends would make fun of my nose because its big. I was called a couple of different names and it hurt but then I started to get used to it and just laugh along.
Quarter 4 benchmark - Macbeth Creative
For the Macbeth creative we had to take the Q1 benchmark and make a different creative piece that shows the characters change.
Macbeth Creative Project
Q2 Benchmark
I
have always been amazed by my travels, seeing things like the Eiffel Tower and
the Pantheon. I however, had no idea that something natural could be more
spectacular than anything man made. For the past 4 years I went to the
Schuychill environmental center to go to summer camp. Every week we would go on
a camping trip somewhere in the US. We went to places like the Pine Barrens,
Assateague, and Allaire state park[SA1]. These trips were fun, but the places
that really stood out to me were the White Mountains and North Carolina.
In North Carolina our camp learned how
people got food before they domesticated animals and made farms. I learned how
to whittle knives out of wood, I went fishing and I learned about edible plants
that you could find in the wild[SA2]. What really stood out to me on this
trip was a night hike we went on. We were in a national park so there was
hardly any light pollution, and the stars were bright and numerous. A little
bit into the hike we saw a spider web[SA3]. When most people think of spider webs,
they think of it as creepy and want to destroy it. What they don’t think about
are the countless hours the spider put into making this web. First, it makes
several lines of web between two objects and then slowly spirals its way in.
This spider web I saw was spanned across the entire trail and was perfect in
every detail. If you looked closely (which isn’t an easy thing to do
considering it was pitch black out) you could see that every little section of
the web was tiny, the perfect trap for insects. No one beside the spider could
have made anything so perfectly. Compared to something as simple as a spider
web, all of man’s achievements are nothing. The Pantheon? Nothing; The Louvre?
Nothing;. The Arc de Triomphe?
Nothing.[SA4] I find natural things to be more
incredible than something artificial. Nothing made by a person could ever be as
intricate as a living creature. We couldn’t make anything as big as a mountain,
or as powerful as star. [SA5]Anything we can do is nothing compared to
the scale to which nature can do it. Seeing the spider web also made me sad,
because sometime in the next few days, someone will come along and destroy it.
It wouldn’t really matter whether it was on purpose or by accident. That seemed
to me as a perfect metaphor as to what mankind is doing to Earth. We take some
natural and unspoiled area and ruin it by either polluting it or building
something on it. After marveling at the web for a few minutes we decided to head
back to camp. Along the way I looked up, and the stars, coupled with the
darkness and the trees gave me a sense of how incredible our world is.[SA6] We’re the perfect distance from the sun,
and an incredibly unlikely series of events occurred to make life possible on
the planet. What I felt at that moment is impossible to describe. It made me
think and I realized that the world cannot be changed by an individual. We
still obliviously cut down forests and build ugly suburbs; we still burn
millions of tons of coal a year, and we still don’t change.[SA7]
The
other trip that stood out to me was when I went up to the White Mountains in
New Hampshire. The highlight of that trip was going to be summiting Mt.
Washington. The first few days of the trip the other campers and I went rock
climbing near Mt. Washington. After a short hike, we got to the rock wall. Rock
climbing was a lot of fun, and in my opinion, a lot more fun than watching TV,
or playing video games. The next day we started the hike. We had packed the day
before with clothes, sheets, and other things we might need on the two day hike[SA8], and set out early in the morning. At
first the hike was steep and rocky, and I thought, “There’s no way I can do
this.” But as I got going I got used to it. About three hours into the hike we
were about to leave the forest and start actually going up the mountain. When
we got above the tree line we turned around and I saw the most incredible view
of my life, an extensive forest beneath us and the rest of the White Mountains
in the distance. As I kept going up the steep and rocky trail, I kept turning
around and each time the view was better than before. After a few more hours of
this, we got to the ridge between two mountains, Mt. Washington, and Mt.
Monroe. Even though we all wanted to summit that day, we knew it would be late
soon, so we followed the original plan and went to the “Lake of the Clouds” hut
to spend the night. After an hour’s hike we got to the hut and it was late in
the afternoon. We got there tired and happy and found ourselves to be the only
kids there. All the people there were experienced hikers and were amazed to see
us. That night there was a meteor shower and there wasn’t any light pollution,
or even clouds for that matter. Fifteen other people and I just lay down on top
of the rocks and watched, not caring for how freezing cold it was, even though
it was summer. The next day when we were hiking up the final trail, we were
really excited to be almost there. Finally reaching the top, however, was
different from what I had expected. First, there was the huge sense of
achievement that comes with summiting a mountain, which to me was more
gratifying than any thing else that had ever happened to me. But the summit
itself was disappointing. It was basically a big parking lot with some
buildings. It doesn’t matter where the space is, because human nature makes us
build there. Whether it’s the top of a mountain or in a canyon. Nature is most
influential when it comes to advancing in technology. The robotic eye is being
made to recognize things the same way as the human brain does. Batteries are
being revolutionized by a design that nature created. Almost all of our
research is devoted to understanding nature. If we keep destroying the areas
untouched by humans, we won’t have anything to learn from. Rare plants would be
lost that could have been the cure for cancer, or a new way to get fuel. I
wasn’t sure what I was hoping for at the summit, but a parking lot wasn’t it. I
felt that views like we could see from the summit should be earned, and you
shouldn’t be allowed to just drive up. But it didn’t matter, because I was
still happy to be there. The way down was as incredible as the way up, but not
quite as difficult. When we finally reached the bottom I looked at what I had
just done and thought, “There’s no way I just did that.” All in all, it was one
of the best experiences of my life.
Reflective "cover letter"
My strengths in English are my vocabulary for one. I love to read, and I have always read at higher reading levels than normal for my age. I have acquired a great vocabulary and this always comes in handy in My English classes. Another thing about me is that I am very descriptive and honest in my writing, and I want to do something with journalism when I get older so I think that writing in general is a skill I have.
This portfolio was hard for me to make because I was out of school for most of the first and second quarter this school year with mono. The only problems I encountered were having to rewrite large parts of my papers that I’d been able to shorten before, and editing a lot of half written journal entries.
I think the work that I am most proud of is the work that I did towards the end of this year because that is the work I tried the hardest on. My book reflection on “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” is one of those pieces, and I loved that book as well.
Quarter 4 benchmark - 3rd benchmark
The third Benchmark was for the book The Odyssey, we had to write an essay comparing a character from the Odyssey with a character from another author or movie.
Jessica Maiorano
Penelope & Bella Comparison Essay
3rd Quarter English Benchmark
March 11, 2011
Most people understand or know the feeling of being depressed or abandoned by someone they love. Two girls, Bella and Penelope know that feeling very well. You can get lonely staying away from someone you are really attached to. Bella from the movie twilight is in love with a vampire named Edward. This made things difficult for her. Penelope from the Odyssey is in love with her husband who has been gone for 20 years. What should these girls do? Even though Bella and Penelope’s reuniting with their men was different, their paths were very similar.
Bella and Penelope were both left by their men but the way they got back together was very different. When Odysseus comes back to Ithaca he is not himself. Odysseus stays disguised as a beggar until the battle between him and the suitors is over. He reveals himself to Penelope but she doesn’t believe him. Odysseus discusses this with his son Telemachus. “Now because I am filthy wear such grimy rags She spurns me – your mother still can’t bring herself to believe I am her husband” (Page 459, book 23, line 130-133) this shows that Penelope is independent and wants proof herself. Mean while Bella is jumping off a cliff because Edward Is gone thinking it will bring him back. Then she goes after him when he was going to expose himself. That shows that Bella is dependent on Edward. Contrasting, Penelope handled the situation better then Bella.
Being abandoned by your husband or boyfriend for a long period of time hurts.
Penelope and Bella both felt the same when they were. Bella went into zombie mode for months while Edward was gone. She didn’t want to go out with her friends anymore, cried. Penelope kept going back to her room and crying. They both were not themselves. Having this feeling will make anyone’s life different or difficult no matter what the situation is just like Bella and Penelope.
Both characters were depressed about the situation and found a way to stall. Penelope drops hint to the suitors and saying she misses her husband but went along with everything that was happening. This quote from the book shows that she was just going along with everything “Dangling promises, dropping hints to each – but all the while someone else is mind."(Book 2, lines 99-100) The quote from the Odyssey says that she is now feeling alone even though she says that she is going to marry one of the suitors. Also she weaves a web to stall also. Bella hung out with Jake when Edward wasn’t there but tried to find way to get to him, which was her way of dropping hints. They both have someone that wants to replace their loves. Bella has Jake like the same as Penelope she has the suitors that want her. Whether or not they want to be with them they are trying to take them from their men.
All and all they have walked similar paths. Even though the paths are the same the ending can be totally different. Penelope is independent and mischievous while Odysseus is away for twenty years. Her idea of weaving a web kept her from answering to the proposals that were being constantly thrown at her. Waiting for her husband, not doing anything to get him. Penelope gets her love back in the end. For Bella however, seeks Edward out in her hallucinations of him as a way to cope with the Cullens’ departure. She does reckless things to be with Edward in her hallucinations like cliff diving. Doing that eventually reunites her to Edward. These characters from to different books all of the four characters are trying to get their love.
Myth Project
Basic Information
Name: Eirene
Symbol:
· Olive branch
· Peace sign
· Birds
· Clouds
· Flowers
Relative
of:
· Zeus (daughter)
· Themis (daughter)
· Eunomia (sister)
· Dike (sister)
Enemy of:
· Polemos (god of war)
Where she
is from:
· Greek myths
· Roman myths
· Latin myths
Other
names:
· Eirhnh (Greek)
· Pax (Latin)
Described
as:
· Heavenly qualities of calm,
quiet, and still.
· She is usually thought of
as a young maiden wit an infant child name plutos, the god of wealth, and an
olive-branch in one hand with a torch in the other.
· Burning a pile of arms, or carrying corn-ears in her hand or upon her
head.
EPITHETS:
· Shy Eirene
· Quiet Eirene
· Blooming Peace
Myth:
Eirene has two sisters Dike, the goddess of Justice and Eunomia, the order of good-pasture. They are always together and usually mentioned in one sentence together, you cannot say one name without saying the others. The myth is that they are always together because you cannot live without peace if you do not have justice, and you cannot live with justice if you have disorder. Some people also say that it is never a good thing to disrespect justice, destroy peace, or live in disorder.Some people do believe that you can separate the three sisters. For example, some people believe that peace (Eirene) must be banished for the sake of justice (Dike) or that justice must be suspended in order to keep order (Eunomia). No matter how much. Abstractions are the things we want, or things that we inherit as people.
My Take Away
I think this myth exist
because the ancient Greek people had to have a meaning for wanting peace, justice,
and order. I think that they were thinking about what is it; what is the
importance of it, and why do people want it. Once they thought of the meaning
of Peace, they probably wanted other myths to link up to peace, so they also
thought of justice and order. On the other hand, they maybe just wanted three
goddesses to link up to each other to define a good way of living. Eirene is
also the hora of Spring.
I believe that they made the the Hora of Spring because, when I think of Spring, I think of justice, graceful, peaceful, and things blooming. In the statue of Eirene holding plutos (wealth) and a olive branch in one hand, and a torch in the other hand, that is what I think of. Plutos reminds me of the blooming because he is a baby and he is growing every day. The torch reminds me of justice because usually you hold up a torch when you have gained justice of when you have achieved something great. The olive branch reminds me of peace and grace because the olive tree is a symbol of peace, and peace makes me think of grace so I believe that they are connected.
Eirene and her symbol
I made this symbol using illustrator application on my computer. I believe that this would be the perfect symbol for Eirene. The reason is, it represent her as the Hora of spring, the myth about her and her three sisters , Dike (justice) and Eunomia (Order) sticking together, and her being the godess of peace. Also, I imagined her having a bunch of flowers on her dress because she is the hora of Spring and a halo on her head to represent peace.Bibliography:
http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/HoraEirene.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eirene_(Greek_goddess)
http://www.loggia.com/myth/eirene.html
http://www.maicar.com/GML/Eirene1.html
Q3 Benchmark
Everett
Odysseus compare contrast
In
the Odyssey, Odysseus, the Greek hero, has a 10 year journey home where he
undergoes many trials and challenges. In the movie O brother where art thou,
Everett, the main character, has to go through similar challenges to Odysseus.
Despite Odysseus being a hero, Everett had characteristics that in some ways
made him more heroic than Odysseus.
Both
Odysseus and Everett had very similar stories in their journey home. This is
because the movie O brother where art
thou was based off of the Odyssey. Both Everett and Odysseus faced many of
the same problems, such as the Sirens, and the Cyclops Polyphemus. For example,
Odysseus had over 100 suitors courting his wife because they thought he was
dead. Everett also had a suitor, but there was only one. Another example of
this was changing the Sirens, who were women who would lure sailors to them by
singing. The movie changed them to women who sang and seduced Everett and his
men and took in Pete, one of the crew, for the bail. A third example was the
Cyclops Polyphemus. He was changed into a large bible salesman with an eye
patch, who robbed Everett and his men. While Everett and Odysseus had similar
things happen to them, they didn’t always act the same way, or get the same end
result because, even though they were similar in many ways, they were different
people. Odysseus would sometimes look for only the fighting way through,
whereas Everett might seek to trick someone, or escape the problem altogether.
Odysseus was mainly known for being two
things, clever, and a hero, but he was also very prideful and vain. During the
Trojan War, he fought with the Greeks for 10 years. At the end of the 10th
year, he had the idea for the Trojan horse. The idea was to build a massive
wooden horse, and have the best Greek warriors go inside it. They would act
like it was a gift saying that they surrendered. Then the Trojans would take it
inside the castle, and when it was night, the Greeks would leave the horse and
attack Troy from the inside. It worked and that was how the Greeks defeated
Troy. Another example of Odysseus being clever was when he was captured by the
Cyclops. He got him drunk, and when the Cyclops fell asleep, he stabbed him in
the eye. The next day, because the Cyclops was blind, Odysseus
and his men were able to escape underneath sheep as the sheep left to go out
into the field. But Odysseus can also be vain and prideful. For example, when
he escaped from the Cyclops, he yelled out “Cyclops, if any man on the face of
the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so – say Odysseus, raider
of cities, he gouged out your eye,
Laertes’ son who makes his home in Ithaca!” (Book 9, lines 558 – 562), so the
Cyclops would know who blinded him, and he would get credit for it. But the
Cyclops throws a boulder at the ship, because he heard where it was from
Odysseus’s voice, and then knowing his name, was able to curse Odysseus, and
ask Poseidon to make Odysseus’s journey home as difficult as possible.
Everett,
like Odysseus was also vain. When they were escaping from a burning barn, he
wanted to make a detour so he could get his hair gel. This would have gotten
him killed, but his crew convinced him not to. This shows that even though he
could be stubborn, he could also be convinced to do something. He also liked to
show that he was smart by using big words in every sentence. He was also
somewhat humble, because he could admit a mistake, and at one point in the
film, asked his crew for forgiveness, whereas Odysseus never did.
Everett
and Odysseus had many similarities. For example, they both were “smart” and
were known for it. They were also both vain, and always tried to make
themselves look better whenever possible, whatever the cost. They also had many
differences. Odysseus was much more of a “fighting” person, and always wanted
to solve problems with a sword. An example of this was when he tried to fight
Scylla, who was immortal. “But now I cleared my mind of Circe’s orders –
cramping my style, urging me not to arm at all.” (Book 12, lines 45 – 46), he
went up on deck with his some of his crew, and lost his 6 best men. Other than
that, he almost always “won” his fights, like when he went past the sirens he
chose to listen to them while his crew tied him to the mast, and put wax in
their ears. “They bound me hand and foot in the tight ship – erect at the mast
block” (Book 12, lines 194-195). Everett, on the other hand, would usually be
on the losing side of fights. When he met the Sirens, Pete was captured. When
he met the Cyclops, he was robbed. Everett was also much more humble than
Odysseus. Odysseus may have shown some remorse occasionally, but he never
actually apologized for anything he did wrong. When Everett told Pete and
Delmar that he had lied about the treasure, he apologized, showing that he
could be humble.
While
Odysseus may have been a hero, Everett, the protagonist in the film O brother where art thou, was in some
ways more heroic than Odysseus. Though Odysseus and Everett were proud people,
Everett could be humble, and admit his mistakes. Though Odysseus and Everett
were both vain, Everett could be convinced that there were things more
important than himself. Though Odysseus and Everett were both the leaders in
their respective groups, Everett cared more about his men, whereas Odysseus
would recklessly answer to any challenge, no matter the harm to his men. In
all, any humility and being humble could make someone greater than any hero who
was proud and self-centered.
Q4 BM Portfolio Roth
Reflection on the school year.
Throughout the school I have tried my hardest and worked to the best of my ability to do well in school, especially when it comes to English. English class involves a lot of writing and thinking which is what you need to type a well-presented paper. The work that you represents me as a writers, maybe not a very good one but, someone who puts forth an effect to complete a well challenging task.
Some things that I feel are my weaknesses in English are my spelling, I can’t spell to save my life. When writing, I could type for hours if it’s an interesting top I’m writing about, but when it comes down to revising it I find many errors in my writing. Especially when using the right form of the word, such as their, they’re and their also than and then. These are just a few things I need to work on so when I enter 10th grade I’ll be on point with my word context.
I’m proud of myself looking back on my work throughout the year. I feel accomplished with all the hard work I put into my portfolio. A few things I struggled on are finishing assignments last minute and just completing my work the day it’s due. It’s usually because other assignments from other classes I’d be forced on more because they would be due first. Juggling task from other classes is a major thing I need to work on for the new school year. Another thing I had a hard time with was gathering information or coming up with information to write about in the papers for my portfolio. It very hard because after all ideas and details I’d put it the paper, I’d see that it wasn’t enough to fit the requirements of whatever the assigned pages were.
My piece I am most proud of is my vignette, in that assignment I felt as though I got to express myself because our stories we writing had to be about something that happened to you or your family. Such as a special event, vacation or even your family itself. In that piece I talk about how it was living in my household and compared my family to a family portrait, wishing that would be my everyday life, my family being as happy as in a family portrait.
Macbeth Benchmark. Character Analysis.
Victoria Odom
Macbeth Benchmark
Thesis: Lady Macbeth stands her ground as a strong woman who is willing to do anything to get what she wants, but in the end her guilty conscience gets the best of her, leaving her with the wrong act of suicide.
In Act 1 Scene 5, Lady Macbeth discovers a letter from Macbeth that he we will soon be promoted as the Thane Of Cawdor and later reign as King. Since Duncan is still King, and is staying the night at Macbeth’s castle, Lady Macbeth confronts Macbeth on a plan to killing Duncan in his sleep. She states in Act 1 Scene 5 Lines 64-65, “Look like the innocent flower, but be the serpent under’t”. What she means is be a gentle person show no fear, emotion, or signs of murder. Although she is excited that the King is coming to stay, she hides that eagerness of her husband Macbeth becoming King. In the quote she is talking to Macbeth and telling him to do this also, she wants there to be no suspicion of them being the murders behind this death, hoping for this to be a perfect kill.
In Act 1 Scene 7, Macbeth is having seconds thoughts on killing Duncan and is a bit scared of the outcome. He is still wondering on whether or not to go through with the plan, but Lady Macbeth questions him and makes him want to change his mind. She says in Act 1 Scene 7 Lines 39-41, “Art thou afeard to be the same in thine own act and valor as thou art in desire?”. What she is asking him is, is he afraid to act the way he desires. She questions him on if he is afraid to do want he feels he needs to do, but she uses seduction to convince him to stick to the plan.
In the beginning of Act 2 Scene 2 Macbeth is on his way to killing Duncan while Lady Macbeth awaits for the conclusion of it being done. Within this Act and Scene, Lines 10-12 Lady Macbeth says “Th’ attempt, and not the deed, confounds us. Hark! I laid their daggers ready – he could not miss ’em”. What this means is Lady Macbeth is anxious and can’t wait for the murder to be done with. She is waiting and waiting and wants to know what’s taking Macbeth so long but, when she final hears the good news she is filled with relief. This indicates that Lady Macbeth is willing to do anything to get what she wants and stop at nothing to make sure that happens.
In the middle of Act 2 Scene 2 Macbeth is going crazy and starts to feels guilty about killing Duncan. He starts to regret it and wish it never happened but, Lady Macbeth says in Line 37 “These deeds must not be thought. After these ways; so, it will make us mad.” She tells Macbeth that thinking that way is wrong and if he continues on this path he’ll go insane. Lady Macbeth is now starting to take command and shows that she now has power.
In Act 3 Scene 2 Lady Macbeth starts to get worried and feels regret of what has been done, although she was the one telling Macbeth to man up and feel no guilt.
Macbeth starts to keep to himself and tells Lady Macbeth that he’s been thinking a lot and having nightmares about the night of the murder. Lady Macbeth states in Lines 12-13 “Things without all remedy should be without regard. What’s done is done.” What she means is what is done can’t be fixed so stop giving it a second thoughts. She wants Macbeth to stay focused with his role as King and stay on path with his power in command.
In Act 3 Scene 4 Macbeth is at the banquet dinner with all the other Lords. Before the dinner he sends out murders to go and kill Banquo but, during the dinner Macbeth starts to have illusions and see ghosts of Banquo. This makes him seem as if he’s crazy and talk out loud let the ghost is really there. Lady Macbeth watches as this happens and talks to the Lords and tries to play it off. As she shows the Lords out the door she says to Macbeth “You lack the reason of all sleep”, Line 142, she starts to give up and lose that willingful power. She’s telling Macbeth to go to bed because she knows he is tired, she also feels tired too. Tired of the lies and worries, and so she starts to die off and lose that empowering control.
In the beginning of Act 5 Scene 1 the doctor and gentlewoman are in the hall, and are talking about Lady Macbeth and her continuous sleepwalking. The gentlewoman says in Lines 28-29 “It is an accustomed action with her, to seem thus washing her hands”. What she means is that she’s been seeing Lady Macbeth do this a lot lately for many minutes at a time. What she doesn’t know is that what Lady Macbeth is doing, is replaying that moment in time where she was washing the blood from her hands from the murder of King Duncan. Lady Macbeth has let all this go to her head and this guilt she is holding in making her go insane and feeling she has done wrong.
In the middle Act 5 Scene 1 the doctor and gentlewoman are still discussing Lady Macbeth and her sleepwalking. They observe the things she says and does, and soon they find out that her and Macbeth were the masked murders behind this killing of Duncan. As Lady Macbeth is walking she says in Lines 50-51 “Here’s the smell of blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will not sweeten this little hands”. What she means is in her mind the smell of blood still lies on her hands, and nothing no perfume or cleaning can make it go away. Again she feels this guilt inside of her and its eating her alive.
At the end of Act 5 Scene 1 the doctor and gentlewoman are still listening and watching Lady Macbeth sleepwalk and soon are on their way to bed. Before they go off, the doctor says to the gentlewoman in Lines 58-60 “I have known those which have walked in their sleep who have died holily in their beds”. What he means is he doesn’t know vary much of this disease but those he’s known who have done it weren’t guilty of anything. Although, Lady Macbeth is spilling the beans about the murder in her sleep these truthful words warn the doctor and gentlewoman about what Lady Macbeth might do next.
In Act 5 Scene 8 the battle is on for the taking of thrown, now that everybody knows that Macbeth is the murder behind Duncan’s death. Before the battle beginning news is brought to Macbeth that Lady Macbeth is dead but, really shows no emotion of this terrible news. Macduff enters the castle and slays Macbeth leaving him with nothing. At the end of the battle Malcolm states in Lines 70-71 “Of this dead butcher and his friend like queen who, as ‘tis thought, by self and violent hands took off her life”. This indicates Lady Macbeth took her own life because of all the guilt tearing her apart.
In conclusion, Lady Macbeth has definitely changed throughout the play. At first she was excited and happy her husband was becoming King. She was also hoping to be satisfied with the murder of Duncan and felt that she had some say and power in the decisions made. As time moved on she started to feel guilty and less and less powerful while her husband was king. Then she started sleepwalking and having nightmares about the day of the murder. Finally the day or a few hours before the big battle Lady Macbeth took her own life because she good no longer take the guilty conscience in her head.
Vignette Benchmark.
Red Stream
Victoria Odom
Family Portrait
Families aren’t always what they look like in family photos. (opener) I guess, “I’m blessed to even have a family”(dialogue) as my mom would say, but sometimes it doesn’t feel like that. I remember the first time my family and I went to take our first family photo. My mom was looking in the car mirror trying to get her hair the way she wanted it, my dad still inside trying to figure out what to wear, and my little brother crying for a reason of which I don’t remember, we all were excited to get our picture taken. (magic 3) As my dad entered the car, a few minutes later we pulled off and were set out for reaching our destination.
Arriving at the photo shop within 30 minutes, we all hopped out the car, as my mom unstrapped my brother from his car seat. (magic 3) While we entered the building, I discovered that we weren’t the only family getting our picture taken today. Minute after minute after minute (rep 4 effect) went by, and finally it was our turn under the camera light. The cameraman, whose name was so hard to pronounce I couldn’t remember it, told us to sit, positioned us all in an appropriate angle, and told us to smile. I smiled wide and proudly as if I was a superhero in a comic book, that had just saved the day. (simile)With all the positioning just right the camera man kindly said “ 1…2…3…smile”. (dialogue) He took a few photos so when it came time to selecting the best ones we had a variety of them to choose from. My family and I left the photo shop with great excitement, so when the pictures were delivered to my house and the photos were hung on the wall, we had some sort of happy memory to look back on in the near future.
By the time the weekend was over I was so ready to go back to school, at that age you think school is cool and learning was something you’d be interested in the rest of your life. Back then I had already gotten tired of people pronouncing my last name as if it was “O your dumb”. (dialogue) Coming home from elementary school that day I heard strange voices I wasn’t expecting to hear after a good day of learning. “Its your fault its all your fault” (dialogue) words that never seemed to make sense to me at such a young age, were all part of a puzzle I’ve always been hoping to but together. The voice came from upstairs, I walked into the kitchen as if I didn’t know what was going on, although I could still hear the arguing. Being young then, it was hard to understand why my parents were always mad at each other one minute then loving and caring the next. I guessed that’s what real love was all about, and you just had to except the similarities and differences of each others’ open-minded company, and if you didn’t like it then leaving was the only other option.
I always thought my parents would end up in divorce, with my brother and I juggling from place to place to go to one parent to the next. Especially since on our last family vacation, filled with great joy and amusement, my dad didn’t join us. Before we left for the vacation I ask my dad “Why aren’t you coming with us?” (dialogue)he responded ask your mother, and indeed I did. As I walked to my parents’ room to find my mom still packing her things. She seemed pissed but I still intended to ask her “Mom”(dialogue) as every average American girl called their mother, “Do you know why dad isn’t coming on vacation with us?”, “He’s mad at me I guess” (dialogue) replying with an irritated voice. She started mumbling under her breath, I got tired of listening to my mom’s complaining similar to what I heard on a daily basis, so I left and waited with my brother down stairs in the living room. Over all the vacation was great with splashes, laughter, food and fun but I wish we could of spent it as a whole family.
If I was to really think hard about it seems to me that they fight over about the any and everything, especially when it comes down to money, bills, and sometimes even me and my brother. That’s what hurts the most, sometimes I think we’re the cause of the problem, between my brothers reckless behavior and my so called nasty attitudes, it’s easy to believe that’s why they argue, but harder to imagine.(magic 3)
The arguing is mind blowing, it’s hard to study or even complete homework with all that noise. It’s not always the arguing though, I would say sometimes its not that at all, I’d say its mainly the yelling, screaming, and complaining at me. (magic 3) This gives me major headache, along with the fact my brother’s room is literally right next to mine. He’s always gaming, and talking on the phone, he talks on the phone more then a female does. Although there’d be nothing for a 7th grade middle schooler to talk about, he indeed spends hours in conversation. The vent from his room is connected directly next to mine, so it’s as if he’s in the same room as me. I’ll tell him to “Shut up”(dialogue), that just results to me yelling “Shut the hell up!”(dialogue) but still that butthead continues to disrespect my elderly authority.
My life isn’t what I want it to be but it does have its happy sides, like good family outings. It’s always fun then, spending time together, having a good laugh, and just chilling. (magic 3) Quality time together seems to be the best time I enjoy with my family, even if they’re a pain, but overall it’s better then not having a family at all. My parents are still together, for now anyway, but sometimes I wish living in a house with them was a great happy feeling as you see in a family portrait.
Odyssey Benchmark. Penny and Penelope Comparison
Victoria Odom
Red Stream
3-11-10
Penny And Penelope Comparison
Could you stand being a single mother raising your children alone, while your husband is away on a journey? Well Penelope and Penny could. The book The Odyssey and the movie O, Brother Where Art Thou are being compared and contrasted based on the characters Penelope and Penny, the wives of the main characters, Odysseus of The Odyssey Penelope’s husband, and Everett of O Brother Where Art Thou Penny’s husband. Although Penelope and Penny were both left pregnant and alone their stories of struggle and husbands’ journeys home are different.
Penny and Penelope both remain confident throughout their stories. Penny divorces her husband Everett, after he has to leave and go to jail. With a need to support herself and her family, she seeks out to find a new husband, who has better qualities than Everett, one who she says has to be “bone-a-fide”. Penny knows what’s best, so she finds herself “a suitor” who is up to her standards and is formally engaged to her fiancé, Vernon T. Waldrip. Penelope is left with a baby boy to take care of while her husband Odysseus is away for 20 years trying to find his way home after the Trojan War. Penelope has her house invaded by a group of 100 plus suitors, with one who she has to marry. She still feels for her husband and doesn’t want to marry any of these suitors. She wants him to come home but has a feeling he is dead. According to Penelope the suitors are nothing but a bunch of greedy pigs, and she wants out of her home. One day she has enough of the suitors and says” And you, if you have any shame in your own hearts, you must leave my palace! See to your feasting elsewhere; devour your own possessions, house to house by turns. But if you decide the fare is better, richer here, destroying one man’s goods and going scot-free, all right then, carve away” (Book 2 lines 156-160). The both of these ladies know what they want and if it’s best they’ll strive to get it.
Penelope and Penny are the reasons why their husbands want to come home.
While Everett is away serving his jail time, Penny sends him a letter that tells him she is getting married to her fiancé Waldrip. So Everett lies to his companions who is he is chained to telling them that they are escaping to find treasure. He is dedicated to returning home and getting his wife back. Penny stubbles upon Everett in a store and he realizes that she has been telling her daughters that he is dead because he was hit by a train. Penelope, on the other hand can’t communicate with Odysseus because there is no way she can. Odysseus is coming home from the war but along the way faces many great challenges occurring by sea and islands. Penelope has no idea he is alive and when he comes home Penelope doesn’t know it is Odysseus because he is disguised as a beggar. The only people who she can talk to, are the suitors who she wants nothing to do with. “These men drive me mad, hedging me round, right and left, plotting their lethal plots, and no one takes my side”. (Book 18 Lines 261-262) Penelope has no contact with Odysseus but Penny has contact with Everett. This shows that Penny as a chance to talk to Everett and work things out in there relationship. Penelope has no way of talking to Odysseus and explain how she feelings about him but, she can’t all she can do is worry and hope he makes it home safely.
Penelope and Penny both want their husbands’ back but at different times. Penelope remained faithful to Odysseus for 20 years and didn’t want to marry anybody else, but when he returned home things were a little different. He came home in disguise, as a beggar, but Penelope doesn’t know that it’s him. “… my husband in their ships, Odysseus if he could return to tend my life the renown I had would only grow in glory.”. (Book 18 Lines 284-286) When the competition arrives Odysseus proves himself worthy because he is the only one who successfully completes the challenge. He tries to tell Penelope that it is really him, her husband and not just an old man. So Penelope tests Odysseus to see if it’s really him. She tells the maids to move the marriage bed and once Odysseus sees this he quickly fills with anger because that bed was made special, made from a firmly planted tree trunk. Penelope immediately knows, it’s Odysseus after she sees his reaction. Penny found herself a new man, “a suitor” who met her standards and could help support her family. She forgot about Everett as if he was really dead and told her children that a train had hit him. Once Everett proves himself to Penny and shows that he is “bone-a-fined” she plans to remarry him but only if he finds the wedding ring he gave to her when they first were married. Both women Penelope and Penny take their husbands back but with a catch.
These stories of Penelope and Penny are different but in some situations they are alike. They both were single mothers who took both parent rolls while their husbands were away. Penelope was loyal to Odysseus but, Penny on the other hand could care less about Everett. Their husbands wanted them back so Penelope and Penny were the reasons why the wanted to come home. When their husbands arrived Penny and Penelope took them back but both at different times in their stories. Over all, both women remained confident throughout their stories and got their husbands back with an amazing story for them to hear about Odysseus’s and Everett’s journey.
Macbeth Creative Project.
Independent Reading.
To Kill A Mockingbird
Book Review
By: Victoria Odom
To Kill A Mockingbird is a novel written by Harper Lee. The book was first published in 1960 and in 1961 won the Pulitzer Prize. It was lately made into modern day movie, which some people like to call a great classic. In the story, the setting takes place in the deep south of Maycomb, Alabama during the time of the Great Depression.
In the book the main characters are Scout, Jem, Atticus, Tom, Bob and Mayella. The book is told through Scout’s eyes and as you read you’ll discover, as a young girl, Scout is learning a lot about what really goes on living in the deep South. Scout’s father, Atticus, is a lawyer and is appointed to represent Tom Robinson, a black man, in a rape case. Although everyone knew that Tom wouldn’t stand a chance on trial, the sheriff knew with Atticus as his lawyer that at least Tom last longer. Tom Robinson was accused of rapping a young white girl, Mayella but, truth is Tom is innocent. Her father Bob has been beating and raping her for as long as she can remember. Growing up this is what Scout is a witness to this racist unfair trial, and later discovers what racism actually is.
Although I have not really experienced any of the things the characters have, I have experienced of racism in my daily life. When I walk into a store usually owned by a different race they follow me around as if I was going to steal something. We as black people have come a long way from all the wrongly accused acts, I feel that peace has gotten better since that time period.
Over all I really enjoyed the book, it was very interesting to read and I have read it many times before. In my opinion, this is one of the greatest books ever written. It combines the act of racial discrimination with the everyday life of a young girl. If Harper Lee ever continues from this book I would love to read the next book. I think she is a great author and when she writes she really bring in the reader’s attention. There’s nothing I disliked about this book.
Yes I would recommend this book to others because of its truth relations in history. It inspired me to read more books just like it. It shows that some people are caring and kind the stick up for others. As Atticus did with Tom in court, all though everyone knew they didn’t stand a chance on trial. I wish this book was longer because I think 376 pages wasn’t enough, it will have you thinking what happens next even after you’re done reading the book.
Journal Entries.
Journal Entries
Victoria Odom
11-30-10
I thought school was suppose to be a place of peace and learning but, some people make it seem like the total opposite. I think some girls feel so bad about themselves that they talk about other people to make themselves feel better by degrading others. If they something to say, then they should say it to your face rather than behind your back. This is why I hate two-faced people the want be your friend to get all the n they talk all this trash about you. This is why it’s hard to get along with people because you never know who you can trust. Making friends comes easy but, finding the true ones are the hard part. I feel that you shouldn’t judge people on how they look or was others say about them, what really matters is what’s on the inside, was things like a good personality.
12-9-10
A lot of times I wish I could drop my race because of the racist stereotypes. When I walk into a store that’s usually own by a person of high class or different race, they follow me and or my friends around. I hate the fact of stereotypes, just because I’m black doesn’t mean I steal because that surely is not true. I think no one should be thought of a criminal just because of their outer skin appearance. Or even thought to be a drug dealer or murder just because their black, live in a not so fancy part of their city and may or may not own a gun. People need to stop judging others on racial aspects and judge based on personality.
12-9-10
I
am who I am
I am who I am
each and everyday
I am who I am
no matter what you say
I am who I am
when I go to sleep
I am who I am
when I don’t say a peep
I am who I am
standing tall and proud
I am who I am
speaking very loud
I am who I am
no matter what I wear
I am who I am
no matter if you care
I am who I am
each and everyday
I am who I am
is what I have to say
1-4-11
My winter break wasn’t so great. Spending the majority of it sick wasn’t what I had planned, but over all I guess you can say it was okay. Christmas was interesting, I got everything I wanted and more, seeing family I haven’t seen in awhile was great too. Family time is usually fun, when there’s no drama but, that’s all it seems to be lately. New Years was even worse, BECAUSE I DIDN’T GET TO CELEBRATE IT! I guess you say it was my fault, it’s all because I was on the phone from 3 to 8:30 am the night before. So when the new-year came around I was knocked out on the couch fast asleep. Although I was sick for 2 weeks straight I feel much better now.
Independent Reading Project
Journal Entries
Why do we write? 11/24/10
We write because writing expresses what messages we want to give to the world, whether they are expressed in a serious or a comical way, we can give these messages even if we believe them or not. Other than that, there are many other reasons we write, if we want to write a story, to complete an assignment in school, or to get something on paper and off our mind. Everyone can write, even people who are illiterate, because writing to me is less the physical act of putting words on paper, but more an act of self expression, like art, or music.
Is it important to you to fit in? Have you ever done anything as part of a group that you’re ashamed of? 12/2/10
It isn’t that important to me to fit in, I don’t want to be completely excluded from a group, but I don’t want to be the same as everyone else either. I have never done anything as part of a group that I have regretted later, and I think that fitting in is important because people want to feel wanted.
What makes someone an adult? Do you ever finish growing up? 1/25/11
I think that what defines someone as an adult is maturity. Just because you are over 18, doesn’t mean you are mature. You are never finished growing up, you are constantly learning and growing.
What are some expectations set on you by others? How do these compare to expectations you put on yourself? 4/5/11
Expectations put upon me by others are that I do well in school. I expect myself to do this also, but I also expect my self to do well in things other than academics. These expectations are somewhat different, because I expect more from myself than others expect from me.
Portfolio Reflection
Quarter 4 Portfolio
Introduction/ Reflection:
I think my work says that I am a very creative person and I put a lot of detail into my work. I love to use keynote, because it allows me to put color and be creative on my work. As viewers, you will see a lot of me in my work in the way I write and the way that I express myself. For example, the memoir vignette, you will learn a lot about me just by reading it. I think my strengths in English are comprehending the work and doing the work on time. Also, I think that I’m good at participating in class and engaging in the conversations that we have.