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Odyssey Compare and Contrast Essay, Willie Willson, BM Portfolio
For our third quarter BM, we had to take the knowledge that we had gathered from The Odyssey and put it into the form of a compare and contrast essay. We had to take a creature from other literature and compare it to something in The Odyssey.
Compare and contrast essay:
Two of the darkest creatures in literature are, the Dementors from Harry Potter, and The Sirens from The Odyssey. Although Dementors and Sirens both incapacitate their victims, they do so in different ways, and by exploiting different emotions. It is strange to see how many emotions can be turned against a human. It is interesting to see how these two creatures, even though created so far away from each other, are eerily similar.
Although both
Dementors and Sirens control emotions in their prey, these emotions are very
different from one another.
Dementors’ very presence instills absolute despair and fear, so bad that
it is not uncommon for people to go insane because of just being around them. "Dementors infest the darkest, filthiest places, they
glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the
air around them… Get too near a
Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory will be sucked out of you…
If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something
like itself... soul-less and evil. You will be left with nothing but the worst
experiences of your life,” (Remus Lupin, The Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter
10). You can see how
Dementors instill fear even unto the bravest of people. Harry, the protagonist, is known for
surviving Voldemort, the antagonist, many times, yet as soon as he happens upon
a Dementor for the first time, he faints out of terror. Likewise, Sirens use human emotions to
incapacitate their victims, but instead of fear, like Dementors, it is
seduction. The Sirens sing so
beautifully that any sailor on their boat has such an intense impulse to go
over to them, they ignore the mounds of corpses surrounding them, and the fact
that it would spell certain death for them. “ I signaled with a frown for the
crew to set me free,” (The Odyssey Book 12, line 210-211). In this quote you can see how “brave
Odysseus“ fights against his bonds, even though he knows it will spell certain
death for him. Seduction and fear
are both powerful forces to be tangled with.
Even both
Dementors and the Sirens eat their captured victims in order to gain
sustenance, they go after rather different parts of the human. The Sirens eat the flesh, bones, and
everything else physical in a human.
They are carnivores that need flesh to sustain themselves. “Lolling there in their meadow, round
them heaps of corpses.” (The Odyssey Book 12, line 51-52). You can see that there are many bodies
surrounding the Sirens, rotting and half eaten. This shows that they have a great physical impulse to eat
food. Dementors feed on nothing
except the fear, despair, and souls of their victims. Dementors can “kiss” their victims and suck their soul out
through their mouth. Likewise, they feed off of the emotions that they inspire
in humans. “A Dementor's last and worst weapon is
called the Dementor's Kiss. The Dementor puts back its hood and clamps its jaws
on the mouth of the victim and sucks out his soul, leaving him an empty shell,
alive but completely, irretrievably ‘gone.’” (Remus Lupin, The Prisoner of Azkaban, Chapter 5). This quote shows how the Dementors
literally feed off of fear, despair, and even the soul. This need for negative emotion coupled
with their ability to make humans feel these emotions is a deadly
combination.
Although Dementors
and the Sirens both are in different books, they both have personas that are
both different and similar to each other.
Dementor’s have the persona of being like death. They symbolize the grim
reaper. “A Dementor rose slowly from the box, its
hooded face turned toward Harry, one glistening, scabbed hand gripping its
cloak,” (The Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter, Chapter 7). Dementors
are deathlike in everything they do, even in appearance. They inspire fear, they look like
floating black grim reapers, and they are eerie. Sirens are different however. In many stories they are said to be beautiful maidens that
seduce the men on the ships to swim to their own deaths. In the Odyssey, they are half woman,
half bird, with grime and rotting flesh surrounding them with “Rags of skin
hanging from their bones,” (The Odyssey Book 12, line 52). The Sirens
may look ugly, but because of their singing, the sailors ignore their looks,
and fill in their space with an illusion created by the mind of a beautiful
woman. After all, both of these creatures have personas that precede them, and
whether they are better or worse than the actual thing, when one meets them,
one will probably die.
Dementors and the Sirens are both eerily similar, and at the same time different. This is strange because of how far away form each other in time they where created, yet how their creators seemed to share a similar image of horror. This has an underlying message that these two creatures are images that are subconsciously man’s greatest fear. Maybe they are the product of thousands of years of terror combined into two beings, or maybe not. We will never truly know how the human mind works and maybe it’s better that way.
Macbeth Creative Project, Willie Willson, Fourth Quarter BM
Introduction:
In this creative assignment, we took the first quarter BM and altered it. We changed it so that the sam underlying message was sent, but in a more creative way. For this project, a thesis was required and then ten quotes with an analysis after each showing how Macbeth, or Lady Macbeth, evolved a a character.
Creative Project:
Thesis: Macbeth started out as an innocent person but turned into a bloody tyrant who was feared by all because of his cruelty.
I wonder what would happen if Lady Macbeth
could comment on her husbands character evolution?
“Brave Macbeth” is what his brothers in war call him. He deserves that name for he is a valiant warrior capable of wreaking great havoc among his enemy’s, with his sword stained red with bloody execution. He has been known, also, to be a bit overdramatic and dedicated in his killing. He likes to hang the heads of the smitten upon his battlements as a message, that all who enter Macbeth’s domain shall be killed. But my husband is not a violent man, and he is valued as a trusted person of the king’s inner circle. But he could do much more, he could be the king to surpass all previous. Yet the path to such greatness would cause him to become filled with malice.
My husband is a great warrior and trusted advisee to the king! Yet I am still unsatisfied with his grandeur. He welcomes the fact that if chance should make him king then he would welcome it, but he is still to innocent and truthful to do the deed that is needed for him to progress through the ranks. He will not raise a hand toward the effort of him becoming king.
He is weak! He cannot fathom the thought of committing a foul crime against someone who nourished him. He has illusions of daggers floating towards his hands but he cannot bring himself to plunge them into this foul king.
He has finally done it! He plunged the dagger deep within his heart and watched as the crimson blood flowed from him. But right now, he is distraught with depression, he cannot even say amen in prayer. He was pushed over the edge when he killed Duncan, his mind couldn’t take the stress of it, so it has crumbled.
My husband is such a genius. He has enough sense in him to realize that he should fear Banquo, not because of what a good warrior he is, but because of his royalty of nature. But now “Brave” Macbeth knows how to deal with such information. He will order Banquo’s murder, along with his son, Fleance. Oh, my husband has turned from a loyal companion, to a person loyal only to himself.
Be innocent of the knowledge, hah he has finally begun to think for himself. He doesn’t need my guidance anymore, he can call upon his own recourses to help fix all of our “problems”. He is such an evil individual now that he can make decisions that are the causeway to someone’s life, or death. With all of this power, he will spur our efforts further, so that we reach new levels of glory.
First he was wary of the witches prophecy, but now he goes to them on his own! His heart surely has changed if he can openly go to such foul felons for advice. But they told him some very insightful news. He cannot be harmed by anyone who was born of woman, until the woods march up to his castle he will not be harmed, and that he should fear Macduff. Why should he fear Macduff? Even if he could harm him my husband is a better fighter? Anyway, I should go rest. Fro some oddity I have not gotten much sleep lately.
My husband might have finally crossed the line! He ordered the murder of innocent woman and children, oh my heart is full of guilt. I brought this upon us with my evilness. Wait what am I saying? “I” am not the one who declared that he would “Sieze upon the tip of my sword Macduff’s family.” That was my husband! Why was I questioning his actions either? We both have committed deeds worse than this, and now he is just trying to assure to himself that the throne will stay beneath him. Now I really have to sleep, I am awfully tired.
It is Evil! I cannot even bring myself to look that devil in the face for fear that he might sentence me to an eternal slumber. Yet he has done well, my mind keeps telling me, my eyes deceive my mind! He has murdered many and now commands his vast forces through fear alone. Many even believe that speaking his name is taboo, and will lead to their deaths. This is what my brain tells me, and I think it might be right. The only thing that hurts more is the fact that I pushed that snowball of hate down a hill, feeding it until it grew in size and strength, and eventually overthrew the man my husband used to be.
I cannot go on much further. My heart is aching, and my feet hurt from the walking that I now do at night, through my own castle while asleep. Whenever I close my eyes, I envision my hands covered in the blood of the old king, and this blood I cannot wash off. It shall haunt my consciousness forever. My “husband” on the other hand, feels no such emotion. He kills and plunders without a second thought. He has even started treating the servants like trash and has taken to the habit of being cruel and controlling at all times. He even thoroughly calls upon their features for ideas for insults, like “Though cream faced loon!” He has turned into an awful man and I cannot take it anymore……
Macbeth as a character evolved over the course of the play. He started out as a gracious, brave, valiant, and honest person, and ended up as a twisted, evil, and cruel villain. This change was brought on partly because Macbeth was a lose cannon ready to blow in the beginning, but his wife helped pushed him over the edge so that he snapped. This manipulation is sickening, and lady Macbeth rightfully went insane and died. This change in character is a great example of how a person can become the exact opposite of what they originally where.
Bibliography:
Special
thanks to google for providing images.
Independent reading project, Willie Willson, Portfolio BM
Introduction:
This independent reading assignment was assigned to us in the second quarter. It was on our independent reading book, which each student got to chose for themselves. This project was only challenging if you forgot to read your book, which I didn't.
Independent Reading Assignment:
The book that I read for my independent reading assignment was Tales of Mystery and Imagination, by Edgar Allen Poe (E.A. Poe). E.A. Poe is considered to be the father of the detective fiction genre, and also revolutionized science fiction. His stories are better known for being chilling, and having plots that are twisted and confusing until you see it unravel like a lithe snake. He wrote short stories so that the reader had time to absorb every detail before moving on.
Since E.A. Poe wrote short stories, I will summarize one of my favorite ones, which is called William Wilson. There are two main characters in this story, William Wilson, and some other person whose name you never find out. William is a tyrant of a child who always bullies other children into doing what he wants. Then he meets this other child who stood up to him. He hurt this child and made a big mistake.
From that point on the child becomes a shadow of William. He starts to walk, sleep, and eat like William. The only thing that he couldn’t do exactly like William is speak because of the fact that his voice is very faint. He could still get the infractions and tones of how he spoke, however, which created a very disturbing thing for William to see and hear. As they grew older this other child kept on shadowing William. Then William ran to another country to escape this child, and found himself cheating at poker in a rich Frenchman’s in Paris. But right before he is about to cheat the Frenchman out of all of his money, a stranger barges in and explains how William is cheating.
After this William goes mad with rage and chases down the stranger, only to find out it is the boy from his childhood. This young man still had the same way of speaking and this pushed William further over the edge. William pulled out his sword and kills this person, and then the now man pronounces that he has just killed himself and turns into a mirror. William falls to the ground, dead.
This is the kind of story that E.A. Poe creates. It is twisted and interesting at the same time. The conflict is mainly person vs. person because William doesn’t know that this other boy is him until the very end, at which point it becomes person vs. self. My favorite character would have to be William because of the fact that he didn’t snap earlier. The only thing that I would expect anybody to get out of this story is that you should make sure you know the way you act and like it, before you go insane.
I couldn’t really relate to anything in this story because I have always liked how I acted. I have always been very cool-headed(mostly), and I think that my personality completely goes against such a story of dementedness.
Having said that, I loved this story. E.A. Poe uses such detailed verbs when he writes so that you can almost taste, feel, and smell everything around you. He writes as though you are part of the character and so that the reader can really relate to the trauma that these characters go through. I wouldn’t change anything about this story, and all of it is fantastic. I would like to recommend this book to teens or young adults who like to feel their spine tingle with the sensation of horror that comes with E.A. Poe’s writing.
Journals, Willie Willson, BM portfolio
The journals where an element of this years english class that took a long time to complete. It was made up of different entries that where made to answer questions posed to us by Ms. Dunn. These are my favorite journal entries of the year.
Journals:
How important is it to fit in?
Fitting in is a funny thing. Fitting in really depends on what party you are trying to fit in to, and how you want people to see you, as a person. Someone might be trying to get in to the jocks, or might be a geek. Who knows. All I can say for sure is that everyone fits in somewhere, and finding that somewhere is a very important part of life.
What makes someone an adult?
What makes someone an adult is mainly mindset and circumstance. If you have to care and provide for a family in some way, then you are an adult. If you look at the world and think of how you have to fight for your place in it, then you are an adult. Being an “Adult” has nothing to do with your age, it only has to do with how you treat obstacles that try to overcome you.
What is a “hero”? How would you define it?
Being a hero is every Childs dream. What they don’t realize is that a hero doesn’t necessarily need superpowers, all they need is something to fight for, and risk their lives for. Firefighters are hero’s, the military is filled with hero’s, and everyone who has ever risked something for what is right, or what they believe in, is a hero.
A time when I exceeded someone’s expectations.
In case you didn’t know, my favorite thing ever is playing ice hockey. I love the way that your skates slide over the ice, I love how it is hard enough that you have to give 100% all the time, and I love that skill takes a backseat to the ability to try your hardest. That’s me. My puck skills are bordering on terrible, but I always give 100% effort. Also, I’m fast. I don’t mean slightly fast, I mean I can catch up to my teammates even after they get a solid head start. Teammates, coaches, and parents have always recognized me as a person who will never stop going. This year, I got an award for this hard work. I got an award that goes only to one person in the entire hockey club, and is awarded for leadership, dedication, and just being an overall good hockey player. This award has been the highpoint of my hockey life, and when I got it, I felt like I had earned it, and that it was going to look great on my wall!
Slacker
Tarea 31 de Mayo 2011
walking
Walking, thinking, dreaming and believing
Seeing, living, and not planning on leaving
Friends, enemy’s, love, hate, Its all life
A future, a date, maybe a wife
and yet people tend to get upset
they cry moan, bid, and they bet
to me that’s a life, not so well spent
We come, and we go,
Only god will know
Were here, and gone
All we can do, is say so long
But trough and trough,
Its all but true
Its not just a lie
What we have,
Just wont die
Walking, thinking, dreaming and believing
Seeing, living and not planning on leaving
Friends, love, I’ts more than life
Kids, a job, and my lovely wife
Theres no need to get upset
Because I say, and I bet
My life, was well spent
KIMMY!!!!
KIMMY THE OWL IS STILL JUDGING YOU!!!
o.
Anyway I haven't posted in ages, so here's an update on my life.
I'm still madly in love with the guy Shaquor who is, an complete asshole.
I haven't talked to him in months but I guess that says a lot huh?
Anyway prom was fun. Ocean City was epic.
College is coming. I'm going to Howard or Arcadia.
Cursed out Howard to send me my FA packet.
I LOVE SHAQUOR.
What else?
oh yes, Grandma moved up here! I'm so happy about that.
That is all. SHAQUOR <33333
My favorite little toys:)
Extra_Credit :)
My favorite statistics benchmark
was when we did a benchmark investigating correlation. For the benchmark we had to
investigate a problem. I decided to do my project on the graduation rate in
Philadelphia and the possible things that could affect the graduation rate. Some of the possibilities that i chose was the attendance of the students, the amount of low-income students, the amount of students
that are non-English speaking, the number of suspensions, the
neighborhood that school is located in, and the demographic make up of the school. I decided to do this project for our
quarter two benchmark because Philadelphia itself seems to be experiencing
problems within their school system. The average graduation rate for the School District of Philadelphia is
63%. I investigated all 60 public high schools in Philadelphia.
I learned while doing this benchmark is that the sla core values are heavily correlated to my benchmark. I started with inquiry by coming up with questions such as what affects the graduation rate?. My next step I did required research. So with the variables I came up with I researched for each of the 60 high schools in the Philadelphia area. Presentation was that I analyzed all my data in a word document and used graphs to show how these different variables had a negative or positive affect on the schools graduation rate. Collaboration was used in my benchmark for a few of the graduation rates I had worked with a peer to come up with. We worked together because we were both investigating Philadelphia’s high school graduation rates but we had different variables. So collaboratively we helped each other find the graduation rates. I presented my benchmark by doing a word document with graphs and my calculations of each variable. My calculations included the mean, median, mode, min, max, correlation, spread, and standard devation. These are all things that we have learned over the year when working with univariate and bivariate data. The last core value is reflection and at the end of the project I wrote a conclusion about what work still has to be done in the School District of Philadelphia and I even gave possible solutions to the problems.
The correlation between the graduation rate and the amount of suspensions is a strong linear negative correlation. The fewer amounts of suspensions you have the higher the graduation rate will be. For the simple fact when students are suspended they miss school, and when you miss school you miss work. I think this is a reliable source to use when you trying to find out how much a school suspensions may affect their overall graduation rate.
June 14th.
Musical Instrument Blog #1
Producing sound in a flute mainly depends on the size of the diameter of the wholes in the flute. To change sound a note, you have to cover other wholes with your fingers, and use the uncovered holes to make alternating sounds and notes. A flute is a cylinder shaped object that uses wind to manipulate its sound. This can connect to other wind instruments as well as brass instruments, as the are designed in a similar way.
E1 U9 TAREA 31/05/11
My Boyfriend.
It cost him $4 to play the game.
Holy shit I love him.
<3
Tramautized.
There were three lanes and a one way exit. Let me see if I can find you a picture of the intersection:
In case you can't read it, it says that the black arrow is the car and the red arrow is the motorcycle.
What had happened was, the girl in the car all the way in the right lane cut across to the far left but was going the wrong way into a one way exit. The man on the motorcycle did not have time to stop and his bike began to go out of control as he tried to swerve not to hit her but he couldn't help himself. His bike went into the car and then he flew off and went flying into the back drivers side of the car. He hit his face and went flying into the street. Thank god the man had a helmet on. The girl was probably about 18 or 19. The man was lying on the ground yelling that he couldn't move his legs. He yelled at the girl "why would you do that?" She just stared, dumbfounded and embarrassed. I was kneeling next to the man on the phone with 911 as they were trying to figure out where I was. I had no idea so I read the closest green sign that had "Rt. 88" on it. As they transferred me to dispatch I began to hear the sirens. I told the man it would be okay. At this time there were multiple people around me making sure the man was okay. The girl that had hit him started crying and yelling that people were ignorant. I turned around and replied "I don't care where the fuck you're from, you don't cut over 3 lanes without knowing your fucking surroundings."
I spoke to the police and they thanked me and told me I would be contacted for witness statements because I was the only witness.
I hope to god that man is okay.
First blog for you and the world
One thing i wonder about is why can't they just go back to school and try to make up the time that they lost when they couldn't go to school and still try to get their important education. My plan for moving on is to fine charts and graphs on giving me the numbers so i can see how many people exactly
Journal Entries. 1&2
Guns, money, gangs, sex, power. Is that what everyone wants out of life? That’s not what i want. I want to get get married become a lawyer, raise a family. My husband and I will be able to take care of our family.
Everyone wants tattoo’s or pericings. I want them too, but not for the same reasons. Why does everyone have the same tattoos? Same cloths? Same hair styles? Most girls have weave, fake nails, fake body. My question is, why can’t you be yourself.
Journal Entry 12/17
I’ve always wanted to be the girl that always a had a hot boyfriend that was everything. I always wanted to feel loved and held tightly. But that never happen. I had plenty of boyfriends, but none really fit my “list”. I always wanted a boyfriend, that was just like the husband of a Tyler Perry movie.
I got the reputation of being a boyfriend stealer at school. Thats not true. If your boyfriend loves you he wouldn’t leave you. Thats not all, I get along better with guys. I don’t really like girls.
Mom.
Patiently Waiting...
Musical Blog Post #2
Musical Instrument Blog #2
The physical characteristics that are important are the length of the the metal bars. As well as small tube below each bar, which helps to project the sound and sustain it when the bar is struck. I can change the pitch of the xylophone by manipulating the size and thickness of the bars.
I will be sing pvc pipe, wood, nails, a metal spool for a mallet but I haveing yet decided what i'm going to use for the tubes yet. My plan for constructing my instrument is to complete most of it in school It doesn't seem hard to make the only part that stil confuses me is how to attach the tubes.
How do I attach the tubes to my xylophone ?
Josh's Music Blog #2
Musical Instrument Blog #2
Instrument - String
Originated - Portugal
Has four strings and guitar shaped body
Family- Chordophone
The sound is produced by plucking and strumming the strings. The strings then vibrate and are amplified by the resonating body.
To build a Ukulele, I plan on using a small box as that base, like a tissue box, or cigar box or shoe box, but WOODEN. I'd also need wood for the neck, bridge, fingerboard, saddle and nut, and braces.