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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

4.What makes someone an “adult”?

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

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

Victoria Yarbrough

Penelope v. Penny

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

REVISION:

Victoria Yarbrough

Penelope v. Penny

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

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

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

           

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

 

 

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

 

 Lady Macbeth

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

​Short Reflection

 

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

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

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

This was the very first piece I ever wrote for Ms. Dunn. It was also my worst piece of writing. This is the paper that showed I was still in 8th grade. My writing looks different now however. This was another piece we had to do for "Macbeth". We had to follow a character throughout the story and use quotes to show how much/how they had changed.

Victoria Yarbrough                                                                                               

October 30, 2010                        English

 

Lady Macbeth, a woman once filled with greed and lust, is now filled with remorse and guilt. She was driven to the edge and in turn died.

 

Her beginning:

Lady Macbeth gets the news that Macbeth is being promoted to the thane of Cawdor. She is overjoyed but begins to hatch a plan that involves Macbeth becoming more than he already is. “Page 16, 1.5”  “Hie thee hither that I may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valor of my tongue”. This means that Lady Macbeth hopes that she can persuade Macbeth into seeing her plan by talking to him and seducing him. She is now starting to see a queenly future and will stop at nothing to get it.

 

Realizing that Macbeth doesn’t has what it takes to kill Duncan; Lady Macbeth calls on the spirits to help her be more manly and unremorseful. She thinks that she has to be strong for the both of them. Page 17, 1.5“Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse…”. She means that she wants to be strong and have no remorse in her heart to get this done.  She is firing herself up to be strong.

 

Lady Macbeth was out drinking with the guards and now she is fired up to proceed in killing Duncan. Page 27, 2.2 “That which hath made me drunk hath made me bold; what hath quenched them hath given me fire.” She means that the alcohol that made the servants drunk has fired her up and she is ready to kill the king. Lady Macbeth says that she is ready to kill the king, but she does not have to do anything but make the guards drunk.

 

Now That the king is dead, Macbeth is really paranoid and is regretting killing him. Page 29, 2.2 “Why, worthy thane, you do unbend your noble strength to think so brainsickly of things.” She means that Macbeth is driving his self-crazy thinking about the repercussions of killing Duncan. She says this because she wants him to forget about it. Also, she does not want to be worried about too, so she tells him to forget about it.

 

Now that people have found Duncan dead, Lady Macbeth pretends to be surprised as if she doesn’t know who killed Duncan. Page 34, 2.3 “What in our house?” She is now being a weak lady again who didn’t know what happened, she will now be queen.

 

Her down fall:

 

Now that lady Macbeth is queen, she does not want to kill anymore. She has gotten what she wants so now she is taking the backseat as queen. Page 46, 3.2“You must leave this”

Lady Macbeth does not want to kill any more She will begin to feel guilty because she only had one objective.

 

Everyone is at a banquet prepared by lady Macbeth and Macbeth. Macbeth has gotten word that the murderers killed Banquo, while at dinner he saw Banquo’s ghost and is now acting crazy in front of the lords. Page 52, 3.4“, Are you a man?” lady Macbeth notices Macbeth acting weird in front of all of the guest at the dinner party. She pulls him aside and asks him is he a man. She really doesn’t know what is going on now; she had no prior knowledge of Macbeth killing Banquo.

 

 

Now that Macbeth is being suspected of killing Duncan and Banquo, lady Macbeth is sick with guilt and remorse. She is on the edge of insanity. Page 84, 5.1,“Out damned spot! Out I say! One two- why then ‘tis time to do’t. Hell is murky. Fie my lord, fie! A solider and afeard? What we need we fear who knows it, when no one can call our power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?”

lady Macbeth is spiraling downward into guilty insanity, she is seeing things that are not really there, and is babbling aloud to herself. She sees Duncan and Banquo’s blood on her hands and is feeling guilty for what she talked Macbeth into doing.

 

Lady Macbeth is dipping in between insanity and reality, she is telling herself to go to be and forget about it. When she just was seeing blood on her clean hands. Page 85, 5.2“Wash your hands, put on your night- gown, and look not so pale. I tell you yet again Banquo’s buried. He cannot come out on’s grave.” Lady Macbeth is now trying to convince herself that everything will be all right. That what is done is done. So she is telling herself to go to bed and not worry about anything, and get some rest.

 

Macbeth and the servant are talking when suddenly they hear a scream. Another servant comes and tells Macbeth that lady Macbeth died. Page 91, 5.5, lady Macbeth dies of guilt.  She probably just could not take the guilt any more and it may have driven her to the edge. She probably became so guilty and so worried that she died a sick woman.

 

Lady Macbeth went from greedy and lustful to insane and guilty in a matter of scenes. She wanted to become queen and coaxed her husband into making her so. However, lady Macbeth did not think of the repercussions, which was her own health and sanity. This goes to show that good things come in time and that if you rush, you mess up the order of things.

 

 Revision:

Victoria Yarbrough                                                                                               

May 18, 2011                        English

 

Lady Macbeth, a woman once fraught with greed and lust, is now filled with remorse and penitence

 

Her rise:

Lady Macbeth gets the news that Macbeth is being promoted to the Thane of Cawdor. She is overjoyed but begins to hatch a plan that involves Macbeth becoming more than he already is. “Page 16, 1.5”  “Hie thee hither that I may pour my spirits in thine ear and chastise with the valor of my tongue” she says. This means that Lady Macbeth hopes that she can persuade Macbeth into seeing her plan by talking to him and seducing him. She is now starting to see a queenly future and will stop at nothing to get it.

 

Realizing that Macbeth doesn’t have what it takes to kill Duncan Lady Macbeth calls on the spirits to help her be more manly and adept. She thinks that she has to be strong for the both her and Macbeth now since he won’t kill the king. On page 17, 1.5 she calls up to the spirits and says “Stop up th’ access and passage to remorse…”. She means that she wants to be strong and have no form of guilt in her heart to get this done.  She is firing herself up to be strong.

 

Lady Macbeth was out drinking with the guards of the king and now she is fired up about the idea of killing king Duncan. On Page 27, 2.2, she says “That which hath made them drunk hath made me bold; what hath quenched them hath given me fire.” She means that the alcohol that made the servants drunk has her up ready to proceed in her devious scourge to become queen. Lady Macbeth says that she is ready to kill the king, but she does not have to do anything but make the guards drunk to have a successful outcome. She uses the alcohol to manipulate a drunken guard into sleep.  Then he is blamed for a deed that Macbeth committed.

 

Now that the king is dead, Macbeth is really paranoid and is regretting killing him. Lady Macbeth says to her husband on Page 29, 2.2 ,“Why, worthy thane, you do unbend your noble strength to think so brainsickly of things.” She means that Macbeth is driving himself crazy thinking about the repercussions of killing king Duncan. She says this because she wants him to forget about it doing it and be happy for what’s to come. Also, she does not want to think of the consequences if they get caught, so she tells him to forget about it for the sake of her sanity as well. People have found Duncan dead, and Lady Macbeth pretends to be surprised as if she doesn’t know who killed Duncan. On Page 34, 2.3, she says with an innocent tone “What in our house?”. She is trying to come off as a weak lady who didn’t know what happened; All the while she is going to become queen.

 

Her down fall:

 

Now that lady Macbeth is queen, she does is satisfied. She has gotten what she wants so now she is taking the backseat. On Page 46, 3.2, when Macbeth begins to grow an insatiable attitude, Lady Macbeth says, “You must leave this”. Lady Macbeth does not want to kill any more or She will begin to feel guilty because she only had one objective, but in turn created a monster.

 

Everyone is at a banquet prepared by Lady Macbeth and Macbeth to celebrate their new royalty. Macbeth has gotten word that the murderers killed Banquo (who was his next objective after Duncan). While at dinner his mind sees Banquo’s ghost and is now talking to himself and acting crazy in front of the lords. On Page 52, 3.4, surprised, Lady Macbeth asks “, Are you a man?”. Lady Macbeth notices Macbeth acting weird in front of all of the guest – who are just as surprised as she is-at the dinner party. She pulls him aside and asks him is he a man meaning is he sane, and what did he do this time? She really doesn’t know what is going on now; she had no prior knowledge of Macbeth killing Banquo.

 

 

Macbeth is being suspected of killing Duncan and Banquo, Lady Macbeth is sick with guilt and remorse. She is on the edge of insanity. On Page 84, 5.1, she’s at the hospital yelling “Out damned spot! Out I say! One two- why then ‘tis time to do’t. Hell is murky. Fie my lord, fie! A solider and afeard? What we need we fear who knows it, when no one can call our power to account? Yet who would have thought the old man to have had so much blood in him?”

Lady Macbeth is seeing things that are not really there, and is babbling aloud to herself. She sees Duncan and Banquo’s blood on her hands and is feeling guilty for what she talked Macbeth into doing. Lady Macbeth is dipping in between insanity and reality, she is telling herself to go to bed and forget about it all that has happened when not too long ago, she was seeing blood on her clean hands. On Page 85, 5.2, she says, “Wash your hands, put on your night- gown, and look not so pale. I tell you yet again Banquo’s buried. He cannot come out on’s grave.” Lady Macbeth is now trying to convince herself that everything will be all right and that what’s done is done. She is also partially talking to Macbeth who was worried about murdering Duncan and Banquo in the beginning as much as Lady Macbeth is now.

 

At the end of his prime, Macbeth and a servant are talking when suddenly they hear a scream. Another servant comes and tells Macbeth that his queen has died. On Page 91, 5.5, lady Macbeth dies. She probably just could not take the guilt any more and it may have driven her to the edge of insanity, stress, and remorse. She became so guilty and so worried that she died a sick woman.

 

Lady Macbeth went from greedy and lustful to insane and guilty in a matter of scenes. She wanted to become queen and coaxed her husband into making her so. However, lady Macbeth did not think of the repercussions, which was her own health and sanity in the end. This goes to show that good things come in time and that if you rush, you mess up the order of things and in turn screw yourself over.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​Sean Force

Reflective Cover Letter

I feel that this portfolio shows that I have at least stayed somewhat constant if not improving in my writing over the course of the year.  I consider my strengths to be reading and then translating or explaining what I read to others.  I consider my weaknesses to be writing.  I found that it was much easier than I thought it would be to edit my old papers and to make this portfolio.  I am most proud I think of my independent reading review.

Q1 BM

For this benchmark we had to pick a character from the book “Macbeth” either Macbeth or Lady Macbeth and trace their character path though the course of the book.

During the play Macbeth, many characters changed in many ways. Macbeth was an example of one of these people.  Macbeth started this play as a decent person, someone who could make a good king but by the end of this play he had become the kind of person who would disgust the devil himself.  

During act 1 scene 2 Captain, a bloody man has just approached King Duncan and is telling about what he just saw on the battlefield.  “But all’s to weak: for brave Macbeth - well he deserves that name - disdaining fortune, with his brandished steel which smoked with bloody execution, like valors minion carved out his passage till he faced the slave,”. (Act 1, scene 2, lines 15-20) This quote means that Macbeth was too good for them all, he just hacked right through them all until he reached his destination.  This is an important quote because it shows that Macbeth may not have been the nicest guy but he was brave.  Bravery is an important quality that a king should have to be a successful.  The fact that he didn’t hesitate is also a quality that a good king should have.

In act 1 scene 2 Captain, King Duncan is still questioning the captain about what’s going on on the battle field.  “Yes, as sparrows eagles, or the hare the lion.  If I say sooth, I must report they were as cannons overcharged with double cracks, so they doubly redoubled strokes upon the foe.” (Act 1, scene 2, lines 35-38) This quote states  that the enemy frightened Macbeth and Banquo about as much as a sparrow would frighten an eagle or a rabbit would a lion.  In fact when they saw this new enemy they fought twice as hard as before.  This is an important quote because it also shows that Macbeth was a brave and noble man.  In addition, it shows that Macbeth would do almost anything for his country.  It also shows how Macbeth and Banquo are such good friends and that they trust each other so much.

During act 1 scene 3 Ross, Ross and Angus have found Macbeth and Banquo and are about to tell Macbeth that he has been promoted to Thane of Cawdor.  “The king hath happily received, Macbeth, the news of thy success, and when he reads thy personal venture in the rebels' fight, his wonders and his praises do contend which should be thine or his.” (Act 1, scene 3, lines 91-93) What he means here is that King Duncan was happy to hear about the success of Macbeth on the battlefield and he is so amazed that he can’t think of what he could possibly say.  This is an important quote because it shows that Macbeth can impress people in high places which is a desirable quality to have in a king.  This also shows that Macbeth must have been a good warrior if he impressed the king.  

Over the course of act 1 scene 3 Macbeth, Ross and Angus have just informed Macbeth that he is the new Thane of Cawdor.  “The Thane of Cawdor lives. Why do you dress me in borrowed robes?” (Act 1 scene 3, lines 107-108) In this quote he is saying, the Thane Cawdor is still living so why are you calling me by his name.  This quote shows that Macbeth didn’t want to make an uninformed decision and he wanted to be sure before he did anything.  This quote also shows that Macbeth is very inquisitive which is a necessary thing for a king to have in order to make skillful decisions.  

Throughout act 1 scene 4 Macbeth, Macbeth is appearing before King Duncan so that King Duncan can thank Macbeth for his services in person.  “The service and the loyalty I owe in doing it pays itself.” (Act 1 scene 4, lines 22-23) In this quote he is saying that he  was only doing his job.  Also just serving the king was payment enough for him.  This quote shows that Macbeth was not greedy at the start of the play, he was just happy to have helped.

In act 3 scene 1 Macbeth, Macbeth has summoned the murderers into the room with him so that he can tell them to go and kill Banquo.  “So is he mine; and in such bloody distance that every minute of his being thrusts against my near’st of life,”. (Act 3 scene 1, lines 116-118) In this quote Macbeth is telling the murderers that Banquo is his enemy and so much so that every minute that Banquo is alive pains him greatly.  This quote shows how Macbeth is progressing into a horrible person because Banquo was his best friend and now he is having him assassinated.  Also a king shouldn’t have to have his subjects assassinated if he has a problem with them.  He should just tell them to fix the problem or go.  Finally Macbeth is hiring assassins to have Banquo killed and keeping it a secret.   Instead he should give Banquo a fair fight and announce that Banquo is an enemy of the king and have the army fight him.

Though act 3 scene 2 Macbeth, Macbeth is telling Lady Macbeth that something is going to happen to Banquo.  He is not saying what, just that something is going to happen and that she needs to put on a sweet face to hide the knowledge of the deed to come.  “...unsafe the while that we must lave our honors in these flattering streams, and make our faces vizards to our hearts, disguising what they are.” (Act 3 scene 2, lines 33-36)   What Macbeth is saying in this quote is that Lady Macbeth needs to act normal around Banquo tonight and that they need to pretend that nothing is going to happen.  This quote shows how Macbeth is progressing into a horrible person because he is telling Lady Macbeth to do what she told him to do earlier when they were killing Duncan.  When she was telling him to do this, she had no real friendship with the intended victim but Macbeth was best friends with Banquo and now there is nothing of that friendship left with Macbeth.  Also it’s not like she can stop the murderers from killing Banquo at this point because the order has already been given. Since the murder is going to happen he didn’t have anything to lose by telling her, that way he didn’t have to go through with having Banquo assassinated alone.  She could also have given him a suggestion after he found out that only Banquo was dead.

During act 4 scene 3 Ross.  Ross is telling Macduff that Macbeth has just had his family killed.  “Your castle is surprised, your wife and babes savagely slaughtered. To relate the manner, were, on the quarry of these murdered deer to add the death of you.” (Act 4 scene 3, lines 204-207) In this quote Ross is telling Macduff, your castle was attacked your whole family was murdered, if I told how they were killed then you would probably die too out of sorrow. This is more evidence that Macbeth is turning into a horrible person because he has had Macduff’s entire family killed because Macduff wasn’t there to be killed himself.  Also, if a person has a problem with another person, then the dispute should be resolved between the two people rather than including the other person’s family.  

Throughout act 5 scene 5 Seyton, Seyton has just returned from checking on a scream that came from another room and is reporting that Lady Macbeth is dead and Macbeth is mostly unfazed.  “The queen, my lord, is dead.” (Act 5 scene 5, line 16) In this quote Seyton says to Macbeth, the queen is dead my lord.  This just shows Macbeth turning into a cold hearted monster because his wife has just died and he doesn’t really care.  Most people, if their spouse had just died would show at least a little emotion not just sit there and say that they should have waited a little longer to die.  

Over the course of act 5 scene 7 Macbeth, Macbeth has just fought with Siward’s son.  Siward’s son is bloodied and dead but Macbeth doesn’t care. “Thou wast born of woman.  But swords I smile at, weapons laugh to scorn, brandished by man that’s of a woman born.” (Act 5 scene 7 lines 10-11) In this quote he means that Siward’s son was born of a woman and that when he sees a man who was born of a woman, no matter what weapon he holds, Macbeth laughs because none born by a woman can harm him.  Macbeth has just killed Siward’s son and he doesn’t care.  Life means nothing to him anymore.  Macbeth has plucked the last straw, he’s there, to the breaking point.

All of these quotes show how Macbeth has transformed from a decent person into someone even the devil would revile.  His conscience was dead by the end of the story.  Macbeth was an angry, scornful, paranoid man who feared only Macduff.  In the end he chose to fight Macduff to the death rather than surrender or commit suicide.

Q2 BM

To learn more about memoirs and vignettes by reading the book “The Freedom Writers” which was filled with memoirs and vignettes, we also read some short stories and “The House on Mango Street”.  Then after all of this we wrote our own vignettes.

Having Fun at the Beach

On Tuesday, March 10, I woke up at 2:00AM and very tiredly stepped into the shower to get ready for a journey that no one in my house had done before, so as you might expect I was rather wary (Vocabulary) of this.(Opening Sentence)  I was feeling nervous because I may have been on a plane before but I was only a year and half, so in a way this was my first plane ride.  If I’d known ahead of time just how it would be I probably wouldn’t have been as nervous at this point.  I was also feeling excited because this a trip of a lifetime, because not many people get the chance to travel with their classmates and teachers to another country that is also the homeland of one of the teachers.  When we were at the airport I went through security with the members of my group.  The airport security proved to be an effective bulwark (Vocabulary) considering I did not know what to do or say in the airport and what to say to the airport personnel, you might have even said that I was rather inept (Vocabulary) at traversing the winding path through the airport (Imagery).  Most of my group knew what to do so I asked them.  Soon we were on our way to Costa Rica.

One of the best times I had was when we went to the beach in Curu.  The cabins that we stayed in were almost right on the beach.  One of the first things I noticed right away about the beach, was the dark sand with holes in it.  The holes were about the size of a quarter but went more than a foot down.  Judging by the fact that there were hermit crabs coming out of the holes we figured that they must be the homes of the hermit crabs  Then our eyes followed the sand to the clear ocean water.  When we got on the beach we looked around and it was rather barren (Vocabulary), of people at least as the boys had gotten out of the cabins before the girls.  A couple of people found some hermit crabs, so we all started looking for hermit crabs.  When Ben and I started looking, we found some little tracks that we thought might be hermit crab tracks so we followed them.  The little things must have been rather shrewd (Vocabulary) as it got a little confusing because their tracks crossed over each other a couple of times, they split a couple of times, and the tide had washed parts of them away.  When I finally found one and picked it up, I noticed the crab was brown and purplish.  Its legs were hairy and moving quickly, like it wanted to escape, but then the crab sucked back into the shell.  I looked at the shell, it looked bumpy and it had ridges.  I started walking away from the water and all of a sudden the crab pinched me.  It must have wanted to get down and that’s what it did as I dropped it by accident.  I picked the crab up again, it pinched me again, but this time I put it down and watched it scurry away.  It walked kind of straight, unlike the other crabs which walked sideways. 

  A little while after that, Amir found a bunch of hermit crabs and wanted to make a shelter for them so that he could amass (Vocabulary) an even larger quantity of them.  I helped him dig one.  We used our hands and some of the many pieces of driftwood that we found on the beach.  Using the driftwood made us rather adept at digging through the wet, dark, and heavy sand (Magic Three).  The sand felt damp and smooth.  Some of the smaller crabs almost got covered with sand while we were digging the shelter.  When we were finished, the hole was about six inched deep and about the size of a piece of copy paper.  Soon our classmates were finding hermit crabs and telling us so we could add them to the shelter.  By the end, we had about fifteen hermit crabs of varying sizes and different color shells.  Some were as small as a dime while others were as big as a half dollar.   A lot were trying to climb out.  They would get about half up and then slide down.   

Since I was quite sandy, I wanted to rinse off in the water.  I walked down and waded into the warm water.  When I first got out there, I jumped at the wrong time and got a mouthful of salty water.  Most of my classmates were out in the ocean.  They were laughing and playing with a beach ball.  I stayed in the water for about twenty minutes and then went back to the hermit crabs.  Most of them were gone from the shelter.  They must have figured out how to get out.  Yet again shrewd (Vocabulary) little things.  The last one was on the edge, making his break for freedom.   

After checking on the hermit crabs, I decided to go in the water again.  I spent a little more time digging on the beach with my friends.  I went into the water to wash my head and body because I had gotten watery sand on myself while digging.  I got out of the ocean and then Maestra Sandra said it was time to get washed up and changed for dinner.  This was a meaningful experience to me because it was really a once-in-a lifetime experience.   Now I like my tech stuff but even though the beach can be rather low-tech it had still been a fun day on the beach in Curu in the end.

Q3 BM 

For this benchmark we read the book “The Odyssey” and then we had to compare and contrast it to another piece of media, I chose to compare and contrast it to “O’ Brother Where Art Thou?”

Some people prefer to watch movie then to sit down and read a book.  For this paper however the subject is both.  While the movie “O, Brother Where Art Thou” and the book the “The Odyssey” are almost the same they do have a few differences, these differences cause them to be liked by different types of people.

These two pieces of media are similar for the most part because the movie is supposed to be and interpretation of the book.  However this doesn’t mean that it was exactly the same.  For example with Polyphemus, the cyclops, in the book he ate some of Odysseus’ men “He lunged out with his hands toward my men and snatching two at once.....But once the Cyclops had stuffed his enormous gut with human flesh, washing it down with raw milk” (Book 9:324-334).  In The Odyssey the Cyclops hinders them by eating some of their men and robs them of time.  Meanwhile, in the movie, the character who is similar to the Cyclops robs them of their money, food, time, and transportation.  He hinders them by robbing them of the previously mentioned items then, knocks them around and injures them.

One reason that they are different is that the movie may be more liked because

the book is a difficult read for many people while the movie they just sit back press play and watch.  Another thing is that may have caused people to like it better might be because it was less confusing and contradicting of its self.  For example, when Odysseus and his men were in the Cave of Polyphemus when he was closing up his cave “Then to close his door he hoisted overhead a tremendous massive slab, no twenty-two wagons rugged and four-wheeled, could budge that boulder off the ground” (Book 9:271-274). Then shortly after that for dinner Polyphemus, the cyclops, eats some of Odysseus’ men, “He lunged out with his hands toward my men and snatching two at once.....But once the Cyclops had stuffed his enormous gut with human flesh, washing it down with raw milk” (Book 9:324-334). These two quotes from the book would show  a picture to most readers of a huge hulking monster who has the ability to change his size at will because the first quote would paint a picture of large monster whereas the second would paint one of a monstrous figure about the size of two large men.  Now in the movie it is more constant with the Cyclops figure being portrayed by Big Dan Teague who is large but not one who can change his size at will, which is more believable.

Another difference that they had was of course time, which as would be expected caused some very different things to happen.  For example, instead of them passing the sirens while they were on the boat, the main characters were in a car.  Still this didn’t prevent them from ending up getting into trouble just like Odysseus would have if he hadn’t had his crew there. “I signaled the crew with frowns to set me free-- they flung themselves at the oars and rowed on harder” (Book 12:210-211).  Now since Odysseus was on the boat with his crew, he and they were able to escape the sirens, whereas Everette, Pete, and Delmar were not warned plus they were in the car with no crew to help them past the sirens. On the other hand, Odysseus was on the boat with his crew to help him get through it and they were warned, which may also have helped them.

While both pieces had their similarities and differences which may have affected which types of people liked these different pieces of media they were both very interesting to watch and read.  Their similarities most likely came about because of the fact that the movie was an interpretation of the book.  They did have their differences like the movie was not as contradicting of itself whereas the book did.  Time was another factor in their differences as in pre 700BCE, you couldn’t just stand on the side of the road and ask for a ride to Ithaca. Similarly, in 1937 you wouldn’t just run around shooting people with arrows and cutting other people up.  So, which is better sitting in the movie theater and lazily watching the story go or sitting down in the shade with a cool breeze blowing through the air with the book.

Creative project

After we did our papers on macbeth we had to take those quotes we used and put them into a creative piece.  I chose to do a keynote explanations of the quotes

​Independent Reading 

Throughout the first and second semesters we had to read a book of our own choosing and then write a review on it for the one for the second semester we could choose what type of project we wanted to do on it. 

I’m here to talk to you today about the book Reckless by Cornelia Funke and Lionel Wigram.  This book is in my opinion one of the best books that I have read to this date, now I know and acknowledge the fact that there are people out there with different view who might think that crazy.  Some interesting thing that I’ve found out about this book is that Cornelia Funke worked on this book with another person, Lionel Wigram and as far as I can tell she has never done this before.  Another interesting fact is that one of the writers of this book Lionel Wigram has been involved in some well known movie productions like "Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'hoole," “Sherlock Holmes,” and the Harry Potter series so although I haven’t found anything that says it will or it wont become a movie, I think that it has a good chance of becoming a movie.

This book is about a about an other world that is called by the main character, Jacob Reckless, “The Mirror World” and it as obtained this name because of the fact that to get to it from “our” world he must travel through a mirror.  Jacob Reckless is the kind of person that doesn’t like to make mistakes and then one day when he finally does it sends his both of his worlds whirling into a spiral where they both collide causing his brother, Will Reckless, to be infected with the curse of fairy.  As much as Fox, a young vixen shapeshifter that Jacob has met in in treasure hunting, tries to console him Jacob blames himself for what is happing to his brother,  and to make matters worse Will has decided to bring his girlfriend, Clara, along who even more so than Will, Jacob has to remind of the dangers of this world like; attacking trees, the Goyl, and countless little forest creatures just itching for a some human flesh.

A favorite character of mine is Jacob Reckless because he is a master of his trade, treasure hunting so he has amassed all sorts of little magical items ranging from a handkerchief that creates gold coins when rubbed to a magical hair that also when rubbed gains infinite length and attach to whatever you look at.  Another reason is that he is sort of a “I’ll-tell-you-it-when-you-need-to-know” kind person which I think is kind of comical to watch, that is as long as I’m not the one from which the information is being withheld.  If there’s one thing that I think people should take away from reading this book it is that mistakes happen even to the most careful of us and that thing usually work out in the end, not always for the better but they do tend to work out.  Another good idea to take from this book or maybe more so from Jacob Reckless is to try and not make stupid mistakes.

One character that I can relate to in this book is Jacob Reckless because I know what it is like to have little brother that can be so annoying that you just want to be able to go to another world to get away from him, unfortunately for me I don’t have another world to go to when he is being annoying.  Another reason that  I can relate to him and probably we all can is that we all know what it’s like to want something that we can’t have, like the saying goes, “The heart wants what it can’t have”, maybe it’s not quite the same things as Jacob maybe it is.  I don’t personally think that I have done many of the same things as really anyone in this book has done and there probably aren’t many aspects of this book that many people in the world could have done, at least not that many that are still living.

Like I said earlier in this review I think that this is one of the best books that I have read so far.  A strength that this book has is that it is very descriptive in a way that it almost transports you to the Mirror World. However a weakness that I believe that this book has is that it will at times jump around to a different character, but this can also serve as a positive to keep you from just falling into a sort of waking sleep.  If there is one thing that I could change it would be where it ends, I would make it keep going.  Another thing that I might change is that you never find out what the Dark Fairy’s name is which is something that really bugs me so I might change it so you do find out what her name is.

I would recommend this book to most people but there are some people that I know would not like this book and some people that I know would like it.  So the long and short of it is that I would definitely recommend this book to people who like magic, action, and creepy creatures.  

Journal Entries

Most days when we went into Mrs. Dunn we would have a journal prompt to write about, sometimes it would be related to the unit we were working on, other times it would be more of a “get to know you” kind of question.

 Journal #1

I finished the magazine

I would maybe do a power-point, get it really checked sooner 

Nothing really popped like that

Journal #2

We write so that we don’t forget.  We write so we have to.  We write because we want to. We write to talk when ow voices can’t.  We write to express.

Journal #3

It is important to fit in because if you don;t then you wont be able to make friends.  Without friends life can be very stressful because there wont be stand up for you, to help you.

Journal #4

People are technically an adult when they reach the age of 18 but to me someone doesn’t really seem like an adult until these conditions are met, they are at least 18 years old (at least hopefully older), has a kid (at least one), has a steady job, grandparents are all dead and are married/dating seriously.

​In this project we had to compare and contrast the book The Odyssey and the movie brother thou art thou. We had  to come up with Points of Contrast and Comparison. Then Conclude the charters at the end.

Robert Jenkins

March 6, 2011

Orange Stream

 

The movie “O Brother Where Art Thou” and “The Odyssey“ features two adventurers who encounter similar pathsb but  but handles their paths in told different ways. Everett is a convict that is sentenced to work on the chain gang. He makes up a lie about a treasure of 1.2 million dollars. So that his friends Pete and Dumar will break free and help him get to his wife before she remarries. Odysseus is a leader of a Roman army who has been away from his wife Penelope and his Son Telemachus for 10 years. He tries to get back home before his wife remarries because he is believed to be dead.

 

Odysseus and Evert are both on journeys to get back to their loved ones, however they both take two different approaches to complete their journeys. Evert has to lie in order to make his friends want to break out but Odysseus already has a loyal army that also needs to get home as well. This shows that his peers respect Odysseus more, because he doesn’t have to make up a lie in order to get followers to join him on his journey. Also during Evert’s adventure, he has to continue to fight for power as the leader of Pete and Dumar, especially after they learn that the Treasure is a fake.

 

There are many differences in how Evert and Odysseus take their journeys.  Evert has only his two friends Pete and Dumar to take on his adventure but Odyssey has too lead him and a whole army from island to island through so many different dangers and encounters. However they both do encounter Sirens for example in book 12 Circe says to Odysseus as she explains to him about his journey. “First you will raise the island of the sirens.”(Book 12: line 44). In O Brother Where Art Thou Evert and his companions are led to the sirens by their song then is left there over night and Pete is captured by the ”Devil” and forced to tell were they are trying to get towards as they run away from the chain gang. 

 

Evert and Odysseus are both sharp-witted men who have to go through great obstacles to get back to their homes and loved ones. But even though Odysseus and Evert are both on journeys to get back to their loved ones, they both take two different approaches to complete their journeys.

 Robert Jenkins

March 6, 2011

Orange Stream

 

The movie “O Brother Where Art Thou” and “The Odyssey“ features two adventurers who encounter similar pathsb but  but handles their paths in two different ways. Everett is a convict that is sentenced to work on the chain gang. He makes up a lie about a treasure of 1.2 million dollars. So that his friends Pete and Dumar will break free and help him get to his wife before she remarries. Odysseus is a leader of a Greek army who has been away from his wife Penelope and his Son Telemachus for 10 years. He tries to get back home before his wife remarries because he is believed to be dead. The main difference in this is that Everett has to lie to get people on his side but people just generally follow Odysseus as a leader.

Odysseus and Everett are both on journeys to get back to their loved ones, however they both take two different approaches to complete their journeys. Everett has to lie in order to make his friends want to break out but Odysseus already has a loyal army that also needs to get home as well. This shows that his peers respect Odysseus more, because he doesn’t have to make up a lie in order to get followers to join him on his journey. Also during Everett’s adventure, he has to continue to fight for power as the leader of Pete and Dumar, especially after they learn that the Treasure is a fake.

There are many differences in how Everett and Odysseus take their journeys. Everett has only his two friends Pete and Dumar to take on his adventure but Odyssey has too lead him and a whole army from island to island through so many different dangers and encounters. However they both do encounter Sirens for example in book 12 Circe says to Odysseus as she explains to him about his journey. “First you will raise the island of the sirens.”(Book 12: line 44). In O Brother Where Art Thou Evert and his companions are led to the sirens by their song then is left there over night and Pete is captured by the ”Devil” and forced to tell were they are trying to get towards as they run away from the chain gang. 

Everett and Odysseus are both sharp-witted men who have to go through great obstacles to get back to their homes and loved ones. But even though Odysseus and Everett are both on journeys to get back to their loved ones, they both take two different approaches to complete their journeys.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Reflection: This portfolio shows how I changed as a 9^th grade student and also how much fun and passion I have when I do these projects. I have many strengths and weaknesses when its come to English. Some of my strengths are that I can be very creative and write a lot of great content into my work. Some weaknesses are that I get frustrated and give up to easily, so I don’t always put out my best work. I still would like to work on becoming a better writer, a skill that I have not fully grasped yet. It was hard for me to go back and fix things where I really didn’t see where I made errors. It was weird and humorous to go back and see how I used to write to how I write currently. The piece I am mostly proud of is the Macbeth Creative Project where I made the poem. I am very good at rhyming so me doing that project was very fun. Overall I am pleased by my portfolio. 

​

This was when we had to do a Memoir of a time are life that matters to us. I chose to talk about the time I had a summer job and work for a horrible boss.

The Boss By Robert Jenkins (Original)

Bull Crap Bull crap, these young adults don’t listen to me I’m a kid. Man let me tell you last summer I decided I was going to make me some money with my free time. So I could be independent till September then it’s in my parents pockets I go. I was going to be able to buy clothes, go to the movies whenever, and buy any videogame I wanted. So I found a job at MLK Recreation Center they tell me I get paid 7.25 an hour for 4 hours a day. So I'm like what a sweet job and its watching kids at an after care that’s cake.  All I have to do is interact with little kids. But little did I know my boss was some big grumpy lady that sole purpose was to make my summer full of anguish. She gave me the job of watching kids ages 15-16 even why knowing I’m 14. But gave her daughter and niece the job of watching kids ages 5-10 that’s totally unfair.

 

How was I supposed to make people older then me listen to me as their guardian? Then though they all were shorter then me and had a mind set of a little child. But still if I was in their shoes I would look at this 14 year old and say sit your little a** down who you think you talking too.  So after that moment I decided I was going to let them do whatever and I were going to sit somewhere and just sit back and relax the day away. Like their 15 why do they need after care anyway I can see you go to camp but after cares for little babies who can’t be home by there self. So when it was time the go outside they went out and started harassing the little kids and I just sat on the bench at the end of the park texting not realizing that the Boss will chew me up if anyone gets hurt on my watch. So I got up and did my job and led them back in into the building. As I did I noticed the kids starting to look at me as if they were going to do something, but they had another thing coming if they thought they could just run all over me like a Track star. So when we got in the class room I told them they were going to sit still and play like young olds with common sense.

 

However that attempt was what I call an epic fail because in less than a half and hour the room was uncontrollable and I didn’t know what to do. All I could think of was to ask my boss what to do. As she sat at a desk watching this mess and stuffing her fat face full of KFC chicken. Nevertheless she was no help because all she said was  “You have to make them know you’re the boss” and then she started laughing. I didn’t see what was so funny yes the kids where having fun but they could have did this in a more Conscientious manner of acting.

 

After two hours of uncontrolled time with the children I was switch it to finish the rest of the day at the front office. What a relief from them villainous kids and that dumb lady. This ending of my day was way better than working with kids because now I was a assistant and I didn’t have to deal with my main super visor. I was running back and forth doing all kinds of task. Such as filing, cleaning and working at the sign-in desk.

 

It’s almost time togo for me since their parents have picked up all the kids in my group. After they were gone I cleaned the messy room and was ready to rush put the door. But that Insolent woman stopped me and said “There is pieces missing to three board games your group was playing with them so your responsible for them being found and you can’t leave till they are.” I groped around looking for the pieces that I finally found in a child’s desk and then left work 10 minutes later then schedule. I though about quitting that day but I realized I’m not a quitter and sometimes a man's got to do what man have to do.

 The Boss By Robert Jenkins

I was at MLK recreation but this was not my dream. Man, let me tell you about last summer. I decided I was going to make me some money with my free time. With employment, I could be independent until September then dependent on my parents come school again.. I was going to be able to buy clothes, go to the movies whenever, and buy any videogame I wanted (Magic 3). So I found a job at MLK Recreation Center for $7.25 an hour for 4 hours a day. So I'm like what a sweet job and its watching kids at an after care that’s a piece of cake.  All I have to do is interact with little kids. But little did I know my boss was some big grumpy lady whose sole purpose was to make my summer full of anguish(vocab). From the first time we met she was yelling at me for being late on the first day even though I explained to her I never had even been in North Philadelphia by myself and I had gotten lost. After being torn of my happiness she gave me the job of watching kids ages 15-16 even while knowing I was 14. But she gave her daughter and niece the job of watching kids ages 5-10.

How was I supposed to make people older than me listen to me as their guardian? Even though they all were shorter than me and had a mind set of a little child, the fact was they were still older than me.  If I was in their shoes I would look at this 14 year old and say sit your little a** down who you think you talking to.  So after that moment I decided I was going to let them do whatever and I were going to sit somewhere and just sit back and relax the day away. Like they’re 15 why do they need after care anyway I can see you go to camp but after cares for little babies who can’t be home by themselves. So when it was time the go outside they went out and started harassing the little kids and I just sat on the bench at the end of the park texting not realizing that the Boss will chew me up if anyone gets hurt on my watch. So I got up and did my job and led them back in into the building. As I did I noticed the kids starting to look at me as if they were going to do something, but they had another thing coming if they thought they could just run all over me like a Track star(simile). So when we got in the class room I told them they were going to sit still and play like young adults with common sense.

However that attempt was what I call an epic fail because in less than a half and hour the room was uncontrollable with kids doing whatever they wanted like playing dodge ball or nearly breaking windows with baseball. As they yelled loudly with a variety of foul words that you think you would only here from a sailor. All I could think of was to ask my boss what to do. As she sat at a desk watching this mess and stuffing her fat face full of KFC chicken,  she was no help because all she said was  “You have to make them know you’re the boss”(dialogue) and then she started laughing. I didn’t see what was so funny. Yes the kids were having fun but they could have did this in a more conscientious(vocab) manner of acting.

After two hours of uncontrolled time with the children I switched shifts to finish the rest of the day at the front office. What a relief from those villainous kids and that dumb lady. This ending of my day was way better than working with kids because now I was a assistant and I didn’t have to deal with my main supervisor. I was running back and forth doing all kinds of tasks such as filing, cleaning and working at the sign-in desk.(Magic 3)

It was almost time to go for me since the parents had picked up all the kids in my group. After they were gone I cleaned the messy room and was ready to rush out the door. But that insolent(vocab) woman stopped me and said “There is pieces missing to three board games your group was playing with them so your responsible for them being found and you can’t leave till they are.”(Dialogue) I groped(Vocab) around looking for the pieces that I finally found in a child’s desk and then left work 10 minutes later than scheduled. I thought about quitting that day but I realized I’m not a quitter and sometimes a man's got to do what man has to do.

 

 

Creative project: Out of all my projects the one that I am most proud of is my Macbeth creative project. In this project I incorporated all of my quotes and gave a cute rhyme scheme to go along with them.

Macbeth Poem

“For brave Macbeth well he deserves that name”

This is the tale of Macbeth

A thane, brave soldier who never took a rest

King Duncan was his right hand man

But soon, very soon that didn’t help the plan

 

You see he was told of a new life

One that would sure please his wife

He was told he would move up the chain

Eventually to king, but for now just a thane

Aside he replied

“ If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me.”

You see Macbeth when told wasn’t in a rush

But for Lady Macbeth with her, immediately she blushed.

 

So she set it for the night

King Duncan wouldn’t make it to see morning light

Macbeth wasn’t sure how to feel

For that was his friend he had to kill!

“First as I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed then as his host who should against his murderers shut the door.”

Guilt is overflowing within this thane

For Lady Macbeth I couldn’t say the same

You see he was ashamed of this act

But she felt as though he was breaking their internal pact

“My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white”

 

Soon Macbeth would dramatically switch up

His thirst for power started to empty out his cup

King being taken away from him, was creeping up slow

So he decided to eliminate Banquo

“Whose being I do fear; and under him, my genius is rebuked, as it is said, Mark Antony’s was by Caesar. He chid the sisters, when first they put the name of king upon me”

Lady Macbeth didn’t understand this

She was upset by it, maybe even pissed

“Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling night, Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day, And with thy bloody, and invisible hand.”

By now Macbeth is cold blooded, cruel

Feeling apathetic, breaking all the rules

The sisters who first promised him of being king

Have now told him to beware of Macduff

Now he is going to kill his family this is no bluff

“The castle of Macduff I will surprise, Seize upon Fife, give to Th’ edge o’ th’ sword, His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line.”

All of the lands have now heard of his crimes

Malcolm and Macduff are talking about these horrible times

Malcolm the real heir to king

Hears from Macduff this thing

“ Not in the legions, of horrid hell can come a devil more damned, in evil to top Macbeth.”

Everyone is tired of this new era

They are going to defeat Macbeth and his reign of terror

 

Nobody is loyal to him this was clear

Orders were only being followed out of fear

“His secret murders sticking on his hands. Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith breach. Those he commands, move only in command, nothing in love. Now does he feel his title hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe? Upon a dwarfish thief.”

 

 

Macbeth’s life is about to end

Now you see that depends!

Kill? Sisters told him no man born by woman would

Ha , but this doesn’t apply to Macduff he could

“Then yield thee coward, And live to be the show and gaze o’ th’ time. We’ll have thee, as our rarer monster are, painted upon a pole, and under wit.”

Now the end is here for this greedy man

Karma has caught up with him, to end his plan

Brave Macduff ended his life

He is now in the underworld accompanied by his wife

 

This was the tale of Macbeth

A once honorable man but died much less

There is a lesson here to be learned

Power can’t be stolen, it must be earned

​http://goldie-englishbm4.wikispaces.com/


ENJOY(:

 

·      Journal Entry 1: The Journal entry I feel like I had a very strong response was on the one that asked how do we know whether somebody an adult and how do we know. I answered by saying that a person is never finished fully growing, that someone being an adult should be based off their maturity level and how well they handle responsibilities, not on age.

·      Journal Entry 2: This prompt asked us if we had a fresh start on one part of our life what would it be. Surprisingly I answered none. I believe that everything happens for a reason, we might not see the purpose for it because we’re only human. There are some things in our life that we have done that we are not proud of, but whatever I did on yesterday makes me who I am today.

·      Journal Entry 3: This prompt asked have we ever faced a situation where we wanted something from someone but instead of coming out and asking we pursued it by indirectly asking. I do all of this way too much. I am not the type of person who likes to ask for things unless I have to. The example I used is how I ask my mother for money. I don’t like asking her for things at all so instead of me just asking her I will beat around the bush for hours until I can finally get out what I want to ask.

·      Journal Entry 4: The last journal entry I will share is the one where I feel I had the strongest response. It was the one when we were reading Kindred, and Ms. Finlay asked the question how did it make us feel to see the word nigger used in the book. I told about how the word itself makes me sick. It reminded me of how far America has come and how much farther we still need to come. I explained how for over 400 years African-Americans have been discriminated against and it is still going on. How the word nigger has been changed to nigga and it has a whole new meaning, it no longer is an offensive term but a term that means brother; friend. 

One book report that is the one I did for Jason & Kyra. This book is about 2 African-American teenagers who are in love. This book tells about hard it was for them to keep a relationship. To me it showed how some teenagers actually have to live.

Title: Jason & Kyra

Author: Dana Davidson

 

 

Summary:

 

This book is a love story about two African- American teenagers who have a relationship. The story takes place in the Detroit area.  Their names are Jason and Kyra. Jason is one of the most popular boys in school and plays on the basketball team. Kyra is a girl who has less popularity status then most teenagers, she is very smart and focuses on school at all times. The two never hung out or anything of that nature because of they were in two different social classes; but all that will change. Jason and Kyra are paired together for a project. As they worked on the project they both started to see a side of each other that wasn’t there before. As time went on they fell in love and started to date. Jason’s ex-girlfriend Lisa is very upset by this. All throughout the book she finds ways to break them up. But despite all the rumors and hatred they received in the end of the book they stayed together.

There is person vs. person conflict. It’s Jason & Kyra against almost everybody. People are either jealous of their relationship or just want them to break up. Most of this is coming from Lisa; Jason’s ex. She spreads rumors and even attempts to personally make Kyra break up with him.

My favorite character is Jason. I say this because even when everyone was telling him that she wasn’t good for him he didn’t listen. Jason is the type of boy who could have anyone and anything, but he went with his heart. His ex-girlfriend was trying and trying to get him to go back with her, but Jason wanted no parts. He had Kyra and that’s what he stuck to; despite what people said or thought.

I believe that there is a very good lesson that can be learned from this story. It showed that no matter what to always follow your heart. Readers should take away the message I believe the author was trying to deliver. Love never fails. Those if your heart and mind are telling you to do something then do it.

 

I could relate to Kyra in this story. There was a boy that I really liked. He was very popular and every girl liked him or wanted him. I figured that there was nothing special about me that he would like. But as we got to know each other we started developing feelings for each other. There have been many times where I have also felt like Kyra. At times I’ve felt like some things that were given to me or happened to me were too amazing to be true.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Some strengths of this book is that it is very interesting. From the moment I picked up the book I didn’t want to put it down. A weakness of this book is that it is a “typical” teenage love story. It’s the love story that you would expect to read about. If I could change anything in this book it would be to incorporate another character that was strongly against their relationship besides Lisa.

 

I would recommend this book to other people. Even though it is a love story the message that the story delivers can be used in all aspects of your life. 

Reflection: This portfolio shows how I changed as a 9^th grade student and also how much fun and passion I have when I do these projects. I have many strengths and weaknesses when its come to English. Some of my strengths are that I can be very creative and write a lot of great content into my work. Some weaknesses are that I get frustrated and give up to easily, so I don’t always put out my best work. I still would like to work on becoming a better writer, a skill that I have not fully grasped yet. It was hard for me to go back and fix things where I really didn’t see where I made errors. It was weird and humorous to go back and see how I used to write to how I write currently. The piece I am mostly proud of is the Macbeth Creative Project where I made the poem. I am very good at rhyming so me doing that project was very fun. Overall I am pleased by my portfolio.

 

Creative project: Out of all my projects the one that I am most proud of is my Macbeth creative project. In this project I incorporated all of my quotes and gave a cute rhyme scheme to go along with them.

Macbeth Poem

“For brave Macbeth well he deserves that name”

This is the tale of Macbeth

A thane, brave soldier who never took a rest

King Duncan was his right hand man

But soon, very soon that didn’t help the plan

 

You see he was told of a new life

One that would sure please his wife

He was told he would move up the chain

Eventually to king, but for now just a thane

Aside he replied

“ If chance will have me king, why chance may crown me.”

You see Macbeth when told wasn’t in a rush

But for Lady Macbeth with her, immediately she blushed.

 

So she set it for the night

King Duncan wouldn’t make it to see morning light

Macbeth wasn’t sure how to feel

For that was his friend he had to kill!

“First as I am his kinsman and his subject, strong both against the deed then as his host who should against his murderers shut the door.”

Guilt is overflowing within this thane

For Lady Macbeth I couldn’t say the same

You see he was ashamed of this act

But she felt as though he was breaking their internal pact

“My hands are of your color, but I shame to wear a heart so white”

 

Soon Macbeth would dramatically switch up

His thirst for power started to empty out his cup

King being taken away from him, was creeping up slow

So he decided to eliminate Banquo

“Whose being I do fear; and under him, my genius is rebuked, as it is said, Mark Antony’s was by Caesar. He chid the sisters, when first they put the name of king upon me”

Lady Macbeth didn’t understand this

She was upset by it, maybe even pissed

“Be innocent of the knowledge, dearest chuck, till thou applaud the deed. Come, seeling night, Scarf up the tender eye of pitiful day, And with thy bloody, and invisible hand.”

By now Macbeth is cold blooded, cruel

Feeling apathetic, breaking all the rules

The sisters who first promised him of being king

Have now told him to beware of Macduff

Now he is going to kill his family this is no bluff

“The castle of Macduff I will surprise, Seize upon Fife, give to Th’ edge o’ th’ sword, His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls that trace him in his line.”

All of the lands have now heard of his crimes

Malcolm and Macduff are talking about these horrible times

Malcolm the real heir to king

Hears from Macduff this thing

“ Not in the legions, of horrid hell can come a devil more damned, in evil to top Macbeth.”

Everyone is tired of this new era

They are going to defeat Macbeth and his reign of terror

 

Nobody is loyal to him this was clear

Orders were only being followed out of fear

“His secret murders sticking on his hands. Now minutely revolts upbraid his faith breach. Those he commands, move only in command, nothing in love. Now does he feel his title hang loose about him, like a giant’s robe? Upon a dwarfish thief.”

 

 

Macbeth’s life is about to end

Now you see that depends!

Kill? Sisters told him no man born by woman would

Ha , but this doesn’t apply to Macduff he could

“Then yield thee coward, And live to be the show and gaze o’ th’ time. We’ll have thee, as our rarer monster are, painted upon a pole, and under wit.”

Now the end is here for this greedy man

Karma has caught up with him, to end his plan

Brave Macduff ended his life

He is now in the underworld accompanied by his wife

 

This was the tale of Macbeth

A once honorable man but died much less

There is a lesson here to be learned

Power can’t be stolen, it must be earned

For Quarter 3 Benchmark we had to pick two characters from The Odyssey and compare them. For this I chose to compare Helen and Penelope. I compared how both of these women were beautiful but one of them used her beauty to get whatever she wanted (Helen). This was one of my most favorite projects. I am very interested in Greek Mythology so while doing this project I felt like a kid in a candy store. I completed it as early as I could. I got a 92 on this assignment and I feel as though I greatly deserved it.

 

Thesis Statement: Even though both Penelope and Helen had problems concerning men, love, and life; they both had different ways of dealing with them.

 

Helen of Troy and Penelope are two women that are featured in the Odyssey. Helen of Troy was considered a very beautiful woman. She was a demigoddess. There were many princes and suitors that wanted to marry her. Odysseus even wanted to marry her. In the end she chose Menelaus to marry. Eventually they had two children and Menelaus became the King of Sparta. Paris who is the Prince of Troy was sent by Aphrodite (goddess of love) to go wed Helen. While Menelaus was away at Crete, Paris took his chance. Paris took Helen back to Troy with him (it is unclear whether she went willingly or not). When Menelaus returned home he was furious to find this out. So he gathered his army and went to Troy; this is how the Trojan War began. She is known as “the face that launched 1,000 ships”. Penelope on the other hand is the complete opposite. She like Helen is beautiful, but she doesn’t use that to get her way. Penelope is a very intelligent woman. She is a mortal. She like Helen had to marry a suitor and she chose Odysseus. Helen is actually Penelope’s cousin, they’re relationship is very strained the two don’t get along. But Penelope is very faithful to her husband. For over 20 years he is gone from her life and not once does she cheat or have the desire to remarry.

 

 

          Penelope is a very intelligent and faithful woman. “And she begun to weave, and the weaving fine-spun, the yarns endless and she would lead us on” (Speaker: Antonius. Book 2, lines 103-204). Penelope did not want to marry any of the suitors. But she knew that just telling them no would not work. So what she had to do was come up with an elaborate plan on how to make it so she has a reason for not marrying one of them. So she came up with a weaving trick. Promising them that once she finished it she would choose one to wed. In actuality her plan all along was to unweave so she wouldn’t have to marry anyone. This is a very wise and clever trick that she pulls. In this sense she is like Helen. Even though Helen used her beauty to get what she wanted she still was very intelligent. If anything she tricked men more then anything. Both of these women are alike in the sense that they both have high intelligence.

 

 

Helen explains herself how she treats men. “I grieved too late for the madness Aphrodite sent me…neither brains nor beauty” (Speaker: Helen. Book 4, lines 301-304). Helen is telling them about what happened. Aphrodite sent Paris to go fall in love and marry Helen, and because of that the Trojan War started. This quote references to both Helen and Penelope in the sense of their differences. Because Helen was beautiful and lonely the moment Paris came along she went right to him. For 20 years about 140 have done nothing but try to marry Penelope. Because she is a faithful wife she did not once cheat on Odysseus or leave him for another man. She stood by him diligently, something that Helen doesn’t do when it comes to men.

 

         Even after a long period of time
Penelope is still not ready to move on. “Odysseus—if he could return to tend my life the renown I had would only grow in glory. Now my life is torment” (Speaker: Penelope. Book 19, lines 141-143).  This is Penelope talking towards the end of the Odyssey. She is explaining how she feels about Odysseus. For 20 years he has been away from her, for 20 years she has been without a husband. She is depressed and it feels like torment to her because she is without him. Her and Helen are dislike in this sense. Helen when her husband was gone for a little bit of time easily remarried. And when her new husband died she remarried immediately after that. Helen is the type of woman who feels like in order for her to be happy she has to be with a man, and the fact that she’s beautiful only adds to it. Romantically when it comes to men, Penelope is much stronger than Helen.

Conclusion: Even though both Penelope and Helen had problems concerning men, love, and life; they both had different ways of dealing with them. Helen was a very very beautiful woman and she used that to her advantage. While Penelope on the other hand used her intelligence and dedication to get through life. They were both very smart and clever, but approached love differently.  I believe that the Greeks made both of these women for a reason. To show the different personalities that people can actually have.  Because the world is filled with Helen’s and Penelope’s

​·      Journal Entry 1: The Journal entry I feel like I had a very strong response was on the one that asked how do we know whether somebody an adult and how do we know. I answered by saying that a person is never finished fully growing, that someone being an adult should be based off their maturity level and how well they handle responsibilities, not on age.

·      Journal Entry 2: This prompt asked us if we had a fresh start on one part of our life what would it be. Surprisingly I answered none. I believe that everything happens for a reason, we might not see the purpose for it because we’re only human. There are some things in our life that we have done that we are not proud of, but whatever I did on yesterday makes me who I am today.

·      Journal Entry 3: This prompt asked have we ever faced a situation where we wanted something from someone but instead of coming out and asking we pursued it by indirectly asking. I do all of this way too much. I am not the type of person who likes to ask for things unless I have to. The example I used is how I ask my mother for money. I don’t like asking her for things at all so instead of me just asking her I will beat around the bush for hours until I can finally get out what I want to ask.

·      Journal Entry 4: The last journal entry I will share is the one where I feel I had the strongest response. It was the one when we were reading Kindred, and Ms. Finlay asked the question how did it make us feel to see the word nigger used in the book. I told about how the word itself makes me sick. It reminded me of how far America has come and how much farther we still need to come. I explained how for over 400 years African-Americans have been discriminated against and it is still going on. How the word nigger has been changed to nigga and it has a whole new meaning, it no longer is an offensive term but a term that means brother; friend.