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The second quarter benchmark was to write a vignette about one of our past experiences, and use various writing elements such as magic 3, and symbolism. Here is my project:

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.

 

 

I feel like my portfolio as a ninth grade English student really shows how much I’ve changed and grown throughout this year. When someone looks at my portfolio, I want them to see an honest, young, girl who changed and grew for the better throughout her year at Science Leadership Academy. I want it to be clear that I care about my work, and I would hope that my thoughts and honesty come through in this portfolio.

            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.

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

3^rd 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.

My myth project was on Eirene, the goddess of Peace. Each student had to pick a character from mythology. So it had to be a god/goddess, hero, or another figure from greek mythology or history. We just had to cover the basic information, a myth, and why do we think anient people might have been interested in the figure. Our final project was a poster with the four sections.



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

 

Our 3rd benchmark was to write a compare/contrast essay comparing Odysseus from the Odyssey, and Everett from the movie "O brother where art thou?" Here is the project:

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 10^th 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.

Reflection      


 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 10^th 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.

Introduction: This project is based off the playbook Macbeth, which was assigned to read for English class. For the project, our job was to chose a character, 10 quotes and explain how that person changes throughout the story.

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction: This benchmark was to write about a special moment in your life and describe it with stylistic devices, such as magic 3, dialogue, and similes.

 

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 7^th 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. 

Introduction: This benchmark assignment was to compare and contrast a character from the book The Odyssey and another person that related to them but  at the same time showed some differences.

 

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.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

 

Introduction: We were assigned to read a book over the first and second quarter and write a book review to turn in at the end of the second quarter.

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.

Introduction: These are my top four journal entries, that we were assigned to write about in class throughout the school year.

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.

2 times this year, each 2 quarters, we had to read a book that we chose, and do an essay on it. This is my project for the 3rd and 4th quarters, on the book Luka and the Fire of Life, by Rashid Khalifa.

At the beginning of some classes, we would be given a prompt on the board that we had to answer in our journal entries. These prompts could vary from asking why people write, to if we have ever done something with a group we were ashamed of.

Why do we write?                                                                                                       11/24/10

 

 

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

 

 

What makes someone an adult? Do you ever finish growing up?                                  1/25/11

 

 

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.

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.

 

Quarter 1:

Macbeth Character Analysis:

This project was to demonstrate the one of the characters growth throughout the book. The goal was to have 10 quotes that the character has said and illustrate the transformation of MacBeth or Lady MacBeth.

 

Thesis Statement: Lady Macbeth is a greedy person but then turned into a regretful person who was soaked with guilt.

 

In Act 1 scene 3 of Macbeth, Lady Macbeth receives a letter from Macbeth stating that he received a prophesy from the witches that he was going to be Thane of Cawdor and will be the King. Aside, Lady Macbeth reads, “Glamis thou art Cawdor, and shalt be what thou art promised. Yet do I fear thy nature” (Act 1, scene 5, lines 14-15). What this means here is that Lady Macbeth now wants this phophesy to come to pass. Now, Lady Macbeth is going to do everything that she can in order to make this happen. She fears his nature or his personality because he could react a certain way that Lady Macbeth wouldn’t like.

 

In Act 1 scene 5, Lady Macbeth wants to become like a man so that she can have the guts and the strength to kill Duncan. Her desire now is the make sure that she forms an alliance with Macbeth and set out to kill Duncan so that he will no longer become Thane of Cawdor. To herself, Lady Macbeth talks to the spirits and says, “Come you mortal spirits…unsex me here and fill me from the crown to the toe topful of direst cruelty…make thick my blood” (Act 1, scene 5, lines 39-42). What she means is that she no longer wants to be like a woman. She wants her blood to be thick as a man and so that she can think and fight like a man. She want the “feel” of a man so that she can have the ability to set out for Duncan.

In Act 1 scene 5 of Macbeth, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are talking and Macbeth states to Lady Macbeth that Duncan is coming home and staying over for dinner. At this time, Macbeth is unaware of what Lady Macbeth wants to do, so he is unmindful of what she wants to do. Lady Macbeth states to Macbeth, “O never shall sun that morrow see…” (Act 1, scene 5, lines 59-60). What she means is that Duncan will not live to see tomorrow because by that time, he will be considered dead.

 

In Act 1 scene 5, “Lady Macbeth thinks that she has everything under control and she’s going to do this all by herself. She is now starting to be very selfish and egotistical about killing Duncan. She explains all of what she is planning to do to Macbeth and says, “Only look up clear. To alter favor ever is to fear. Leave all the rest to me.” (Act 1, scene 5, lines 70-72). This means, she’s telling Macbeth to not to worry about what she is planning to do because she has it “under control”. Lady Macbeth’s ego is really getting to her, which causes her to act out in this way.

 

Act 1 scene 7, Lady Macbeth feels like Macbeth is trying  to back out from killing Duncan. She also feels like he’s  thinking twice about what he is going to do especially if it’s going to lead to him getting into some trouble. Lady Macbeth says, “And to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man.” (Act 1, scene 7, lines 50-51). This means, she doesn’t think that Macbeth has the guts to kill Duncan anymore and that he doesn’t have the courage anymore. He is second guessing  himself because he thinks that he is going to fail. That shows that Macbeth is now thinking that he isn’t thinking like a man and doesn’t show any signs of being a man. Lady Mac manipulates him to try and get inside of his head.

 

In Act 1 scene 7, Lady Macbeth is now planning in what they should do in order to kill Duncan. Her plan is to set him up along with his two chamberlains. She says to Macbeth, “Soundly invite him, his two chamberlains, will I with wine and wassail…shall be a fume, and the receipt of reason…when in swinish sleep their drenched natures lies as in a death.” (Act 1, scene 7, lines 64-69). She means that she is going to get the chamberlains and the guards drunk so that they won’t be aware of what is going to happen. She is later going to have Macbeth sneak in and kill Duncan. She is now being very mean and self-centered.

 

In Act 5 scene 1, Lady Macbeth has been found sleep walking with a light. The gentlewoman and the doctor are trying to figure out what she is saying. She is now regretting the fact that she has pressured Macbeth into killing Duncan. For her, she is now feeling guilty. While in her sleep, she says, “ Here’s the smell of the blood still. All the perfumes of Arabia will now sweeten this little hand. Oh, oh, oh!” (Act 5, scene 1, lines 50-51). What she means is that she still smells and feels the smell of the blood of Duncan. The Gentlewoman and the doctor found out that she was apart of killing him. Mentally, she is not feeling well and is struggling because she can’t figure out how to get the blood off of her.

 

In Act 5, scene 1, Lady Macbeth is sleep walking and is talking about her killing Banquo and Duncan. She says, “Out, damned spot!” (Act 5, scene 1, line 35). She is rubbing her hands because she still see’s blood and it is reminding her of the killing of Banquo. She is now blameworthy of what she did.

 

In Act 5 scene 1, Lady Macbeth claims that Banquo is now dead and that he is in his grave. She doesn’t realize that she is saying this but this is big news to the gentlewoman and the doctor. She says, “I tell you yet again, Banquo’s buried. He cannot come out the grave.” (Act 5, scene 1, lines 62-62). This means that Lady Macbeth is soaked with guilt now since she was the cause of killing Banquo. Not only is she talking to herself, but she is talking to Macbeth because she wants him to know that her work is done and now Macbeth is now king of Cawdor.

 

In Act 5, scene 1, Lady Macbeth is now going to go to bed and at least try to relax. She see’s that what she has done can not be undone so, she’s full of regret. Still sleep walking, she states, “ To bed, to bed; there’s knocking at the gate. Come, come, come, come, give me your hand. What’s done cannot be undone. To bed, to bed, to bed.” ( Act 5, scene 1, lines 64-66). That was the last time that Lady Macbeth had spoken until she died. She was not feeling well. She died full with regret and guilt.

 

These quotes all follow the path of Lady Macbeth. She was a greedy person who wanted anything and everything just do that her husband could be king of Cawdor. When she was done her deed, she realized that what she did was wrong and now she’s filled with guilt. She had to suffer the consequences of what she has done.

Quarter 2:

Memoir Vignette

This project was to take a snapshot of my life and make it into a small story. This was to utilize and create my personal piece of non-fiction. A vignette is a stand a lone story that you can fit into the bigger picture of your life story.

 

 

      The Miracle Child

             What? When? How? Why? She’s not going to live? Inconceivable. Confused, maybe? Unimaginable. Scared. What is going to happen to her at such a young age?  Is she going to live or die?  Is she going to live to see 5, 10, or even 15 years old? (Repetition for effect)These are just some of the questions that probably ran through my parents mind when they found out that I was really sick and possibly not going to live. Come to find out, I had this horrible sickness called sepsis. It was a horrible condition in which my body was fighting a severe infection that has spread to the bloodstream.

            It was on December 17, 1996, that I was transported to the hospital at such a young age. No one knew what was going wrong with me. Not even my parents knew. They only suspected that something wasn’t normal with me. When I arrived at the hospital, I was immediately hooked on to tubes and machines. I had tubes going in and out of my body. Breathing tube, feeding tube… You name it, I had it.  After doing multiple tests and blood work, the doctor noticed that I had this rare sickness and that there was a possibility that I wasn’t going to live. The doctor said, “I’m so sorry Mr. and Mrs. Maddox but your daughter has a chance of not living.” (Dialogue) It got even worse. I had to stay at the hospital for four months. (Dialogue) I wonder how they could’ve felt. Maybe scared, mad, or even upset. I just know that they weren’t happy.

            Hours have gone by. Tick, tock, tick, tock, (repetition for effect) and I’m still hooked onto these machine. Next thing you know, most of all of my family was there in the hospital praying for me and staying at the hospital for days waiting to hear any new news from the doctors. My mom was so scared. She didn’t want me to go, especially since I was her 5^th child to be conceived, but only one to survive. My mom had 4 miscarriages before she birthed me. I bet that had to be tough for her and my dad.  It would have been hard for her to hear that I have passed away. All they could do is not just depend on what the doctors said but what God had to say. They knew that if it was my time to go, then it was just my time to go. Would it be devastating? Yes. However, things would not have made sense as to why I would survive the birth but not the sickness. If I was the 5^th child to be conceived but then the only one to survive, then there had to be a reason why I was the only one to make it into what you call life. Hmmm. Now that I try to look back and listen to the stories and the pictures, I realize that as a get older, I have a story to tell and let people know that miracles do happen.

            It was the cold morning of Christmas Eve on December 24, 1996,  my mom was shopping at the Kids R’ Us shopping for gifts. As she was walking down the aisle, she bumped into this lady. Of course when you bump into someone, you say excuse me. The lady said, “Just know that your daughter will be fine and everything is going to be okay.” (Dialogue). My mom never met this woman or ever heard of her a day in her life. As soon as my mom turned around and looked back, the lady wasn’t there anymore. She looked for her all around the store. But the funny thing is that they were in the back of the store so the lady couldn’t have gone far. My mom looked high and low like she was investigating a crime scene (metaphor). It was like she was an angel sent from heaven just to let my mom know that I was going to okay. (simile). To hear that being said, I bet it was a sigh of relief. She went back to the hospital knowing that everything was going to be fine. Still, there was like a sea of people just standing around waiting and waiting and waiting. At least I know that my family cared enough about me!

            I stayed at the hospital for a couple more days. Doctors were monitoring me making sure I was doing okay. When they said that I was going to be okay, it was a miracle that I was even going to survived. I could have died right there on the spot. However, there was some bad news. The doctors said that I had to take physical therapy for a whole 6 months. I had to learn how to breathe and how to sit up again. Having all of those breathing tubes coming in and out of my body just messed me up big time!

As I look at the pictures of when I was sick, what I saw was something that I knew wasn’t going to control me for the rest of my life or even take my life. I know that I have a purpose for living on this earth and I am destined to do great things. It’s a miracle that I survived and I’m glad that I am here 15 years later healthy, and just fine!

Quarter 3:

The Odyssey Compare/Contrast Essay

The quarter 3 benchmark was to compare and contrast the book “The Odyssey” to either the movie “O’ Brother Where Art Thou?” or someone that you may know or a movie that you have watched. This was to see if there are any similarities and differences between the characters.

 

 The Odyssey (Penelope)

vs.

O’ Brother Where Art Thou? (Penny)

 In the movie, “O Brother Where Art thou?” and the book The Odyssey  both of the characters have families that they have to provide for and take care of them. The three points are that Penny decides not to take back her husband however, Penelope does. Both of these characters make decisions that can either jeopardize or bring together their families. Even though Penelope and Penny share many qualities, Penny is very selfish and unwilling to wait to work it out with her husband.

 Both Penelope and Penny show signs of untrust when rumors were going around that their husbands were back. While Everett and Delmar return back to Everett’s hometown, they all find out that Penny is engaged to Vernon T. Waldrip. He is willing to get back with her and tries to convince her that he has changed. However, she doesn’t believe that he has changed and he is the same way as he was before. She tests him to see if he would give her back the ring that she deserves. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the ring because it’s ten thousand feet below the water. As a result, she does not reunite herself with him. Instead, she stays with Vernon. This shows that Penny was very hurt by the fact that her own husband was sent to jail and she doesn’t want to get back with him. Similarly, when Penelope first finds out that her husband is back from being gone for 20 years, she doesn’t believe the suitors. During this time, Penelope is still faithful. However, she tests Odysseus and was asking him questions to see if it was really him. She said, “Come, hand him the bow now, and let’s just see . . . “ (Homer, The Odyssey 21. Line 375). She says this so that she can test the suitors to see if they can shoot the arrow and hit the target.

Even though Penelope and Penny may have some similarities, they also share some differences.  Penny is not willing to wait for Everett. When he was sent to jail, she wanted to divorce him. Overtime, she ends up being engaged to Vernon. She tells her children that Everett was hit by a train and that he’s dead. This shows that Penny was making decisions based on her feelings and what she wanted to do. In contrast, Penelope was always faithful to her husband. She spoke very highly of him. She loved him a lot and always cared about him as well. For example, while Odysseus was gone, she tricks the suitors so that she won’t have to get engaged to any of them.

 Penelope and Penny are very different when their husbands come back. When Everett comes back, Penny doesn’t want to listen when he asks to come back into her life and their children’s lives. She feels this way because she thinks that he is not a good provider for her and her children. Everett has no job and would have no way of taking care of his family. Instead, Vernon has a job and is able to provide and take care of the family. Unlike Penny, Penelope takes Odysseus back. After she tests him, she is still the faithful wife that she was before he even left. This shows that she stays committed to the relationship that she and Odysseus have. For example, when Odysseus comes back she said, “Odysseus- don’t flare up at me now, not you, always the most understanding man alive!” (Homer, The Odyssey Line. 235 -36) This shows that Penelope trust Odysseus and loves him very much and they sill have trust in each other.

 Penelope and Penny do share some things with each other. However, they share a lot of differences. Both of their personalities are different therefore causing them to not have many similarities with one another. Penelope and Penny share similar qualities that effected them when rumors where going around that their husbands had retuned back. Penelope made her decision to stay with her husband and remain faithful to him as well as her children. Unfortunately, Penny decided not to because of her Everett’s choice that resulted him to going to jail. Both families were infected by this in a good and bad way. In all, both families made a choice that they thought would benefit them as well as their families.

Creative Piece

Macbeth Creative

This creative piece was to describe either Macbeth or Lady Macbeth in how the have changed throughout the book. We were able to be creative and put in it our own way.  It was a fun project to it.

 

Independent Reading

First Independent Reading

In the beginning of year, we were assigned to read a book and write a book review on it. The book that I choose was called “Blessings In Disguise” by ReShonda Tate Billinsley. Not only did we have to read the book, but we had to understand what was being read and how comprehend it.

 

The book that I read was called “Blessings In Disguise” written by ReShonda Tate Billingsley is the second, of an 8 part novel series listed in Essence Magazine as a #1 bestseller. The book is a continuation of the first book, “Nothing But Drama”, which is about four teenage girls – Camille, Angel, Jasmine, and Alexis – who experience difficulties, trials, and conflict as friends. ReShonda also wrote many other books such as: “My Brothers Keeper”, which she received the Gold Pen Award for Best New Author from the Black Writer’s Alliance.

             “Blessings In Disguise” centers around two of the four teens, Jasmine and Alexis, who find themselves dealing with the dysfunctions, chaos, and challenges in their families and personal lives. Jasmine is raised by a single parent, who is in search for her dad. Jasmine is sick and tired of always being the one trying to sustain her family together and always cleaning up after everyone, so she escapes from her home and tries to find her father to go and live with him. Alexis seems to have the “perfect life”, however, no one can see what’s she’s really going through as her parents are heading to file for divorce. Both of the girls are terribly tempted to do something substantial that they know will get them into a lot of trouble but instead do it anyway. My favorite character in the book is Jasmine because she goes through a lot as far as family and friends. She tries to find her way through life and is searching for someone to talk to that will understand her in a way that they would know where she is coming from. After the reader is finished with this book, I think they should learn to obey their parents and never to steal. Following these lessons will help them in their everyday lives.

I can relate to the story more on Jasmines side. Even though I don’t have any siblings and my parents aren’t divorced, I have felt like I have wanted to run away and try to live a life that I wasn’t living in the past. I have never done any of the things that Alexis and Jasmine has done but I can relate to how they felt.

I really like this book and I hope to read the rest of the books to see what will happen has far as their relationships and attitudes. Some of its strengths are that the author explains each of the characters in a way that the reader is able to understand. To me, this book doesn’t have any weaknesses. I can apprehend the book very well and know where each of the characters is coming from. There is nothing in the book that I will try and change.

I would defiantly recommend this book to other teenagers to read because it teaches them life lessons that they can carry out and take with them in their everyday lives. Readers will take pleasure in the captivating characters, emotional power, and the down to earth messages of this novel and the other books that follow.

Four Top Journals:

My Choice:

Throughout the year, we occasionally were assigned to write in our journals. Sometimes, we got the chance to write what ever we wanted, however, there were times when we had to answer questions that the teacher wrote down.

 

Journal entry #47

Do I like being a female? Of course!! I wouldn’t change it for the world. However, in being a female, comes a lot of challenges physically, mentally, and emotionally. From deciding what to wear everyday, to body parts changing, to mood swings…it’s just a lot. Sometimes it can be very painful and uncomfortable each month. Each female is different and they can either take the pain or just can’t. These are the times that I wish I was a boy just for the couple of days. For me, I have mood swings and don’t want to be bothered with anyone. Sometimes I get so sick that I don’t even come to school. Not only the physical changes that I as well as a lot of other females go through, but we also go through a lot of emotional changes. Personally, they can get in the way a lot because you would have feelings that later on you would think about it and then it would be stupid that you even thought about it.

 

I would like to be a boy and have the mentality of a boy for one day just so that I can see and experience how they function on a day to day basis. To me, it’s kind of difficult to understand them and know their ways; for example, how they think, what they do when a girl walks by, etc. I think that it would be cool, however, I wouldn’t want to go through this for a long time. I think being a girl is better than being a boy J

 

Journal Entry: December 16, 2010

I really never wanted to be apart of a group. For me, it was mostly me hanging out with the same group of people. Hanging out with that same group of people has made me realize that hanging out with the same people is not making myself available to other people. I always that when those group of people weren’t in school, I thought that I was alone and there was no one for me to talk too.

 

But I realized that if I continue to hang with the same people over and over, then I won’t ever make myself available now and later in the future. Now that I am older, I now go up to people and introduce myself and network. Im not really good at meeting new people because I can be very shy in the beginning. It sometimes feels awkward, but I make the best of it.

 

Journal Entry: February 2, 2011

To me, a hero is someone that you look up too as a person of integrity. That person might have done something nice or has helped someone out in hard times. A hero must be someone that you can look up too and count on for anything possible. That doesn’t mean to take advantage of them but use them for legitimate reasons. They also are people who have wisdom and can guide you threw the roughest times that you may encounter in your life.

 

Journal Entry: April 4, 2011

Some of the expectations that are put upon by others aren’t always the best. They could be sometimes be uncomfortable for me and I won’t want to accomplish those expectations. On the other hand, some of the expectations that make me “uncomfortable” is good for me to bring me out of y comfort zone and explore and experience different things. Some of the expectations that are put upon me are to continue to get good grades, and continue to do what I do. Also, they want me to be a leader and not so much a follower. Some expectations for myself are too also get good grades, be an example for others that are younger than me, and some times older people.

 

​ My portfolio shows that I am hardworking 9^th grader. I had trouble in getting the grades that I wanted but I was still passing. As the year went on, I got better and better at writing papers and getting A’s on benchmarks.  

I think my strengths in English are coming up with ideas for papers. I would pick topics that no other person would pick to write about, or I would come up with reasons that no other people would even think about having. Also, I tend to be different that everybody else, so I bring different ways of doing things.

I think my weaknesses in English are participating in class and writing papers sometimes. Also, reading aloud in class.  I am always scared in all classes that I will say the wrong answer or that my idea is stupid, so I don’t say it. I would always try to get A’s on my papers in English, but it never worked out well. I would always get B’s, when I tried so hard to A’s. Reading aloud is very hard for me, the fact that everybody is listening to me read, scares me. I will get nervous and then mess up reading.

I would work on writing better, reading aloud, and not being so shy in front of class. I would work on being more confident about my answers and ideas so, I could say it to the class. I would work on reading aloud by reading to my friends or family. I would work on my writing by proofreading my work more than once and then give it to the teacher to read. So finally, I could get it to be an A.
I had issues with correcting my papers from the teacher’s comments. I never know what to change. I just sit there and look at the essays and think about what I should change. It is annoying. So, I go home, sit down, and really look at them. I realize what I need to change and then I proofread. The outcome is better essays than before. When I go through my old work, I just wondered why I would write something so weird. I feel like I matured in my writing because I think what I use to write is just goofy.
     The piece that I am most proud is the ‘The Odyssey Compare and Contrast Essay’. This was the Quarter 3 benchmark and it was the highest grade I received on ANY of the benchmarks. I’ve always had a difficult time in English, getting B’s mostly on my essays or missing parts that were missing on all my benchmarks. This benchmark was different; I let a whole bunch of my peers read it. They all came to conclusions that it was too boring and that I should change everything, 3 days before the benchmark was due. I stood my ground and didn’t change anything. I was proud that I could write something so long and descriptive, so I turned it in. I received a 92%, 92% was higher than all my friends’ grades. They wanted me to change it; if I had changed then the grade would’ve been lower. I didn’t change it and I toped all their grades. I toped my own grades for the benchmarks. I was so immensely proud that I could get a 92% in English.