Friday, December 7, 2012

Journal #22 - Snow

Write about snow, you say? More like the lack-thereof. I have been wishing for snow since fall first started. I know snow is not supposed to come until Wintertime- it usually does not come until January or February - but I love snow way too much to wait. I do not know what is so great about it, but it is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. It is peaceful, and silent, and all around gorgeous. In addition to that, it also has the ability to get us teenagers out of school! Alas, I digress. Every time it snows, I am overwhelmed with happiness. It forms a soft blanket over the ground, all of the imperfections of the grass, streets, buildings, and tress being erased with a thick white layer. The air is crisp with the below freezing temperatures, but of course, you have a nice warm coat and scarf to hide behind. Snow makes memories as well. As I child, the only memories of being outside in winter I can remember are those of me making snow forts and having snowball fights. Unfortunately, the only snow we have been getting in recent years stays for about a day before getting all mushy and gray or melting away. People have been saying that this year will have a lot of snow. Well, it is December 7th and the only snow we have gotten is about a  millimeter of it on one slightly colder than normal night about a week ago. Oh well, the amazingness of the snowy season will come eventually. Maybe then I will have more to say about it.

On another note - a more english-class-like answer - snow is a very symbolic thing. It often represents death or sadness, but it also could represent rebirth and beauty. It is such a broad part of nature that it could be taken in any way: sad or happy, cold or dark, you name it. Snow is just an beautiful thing.

Journal #21 - Emerson's Self Reliance Quote Reaction

"There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better, for worse, as his portion; that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till."

-Emerson


It seems to me that this quote is trying to show its readers that one's experiences through life all influence each other. Every part of your life is another step in your grand staircase. I got that especially from the quote about how a kernel of corn can not come to a person unless he first decides to till it. I also get from that part of the quote that we, as humans, cannot go forward in life without thinking about the past and what it has done to us and our society. We all came from somewhere. Something had to start our existence so that we could live our lives. This also shows us that we should work hard for our dreams. We cannot expect that they will just come to us out of the blue. Obviously, we have to put some effort in. We have to choose to make those first steps towards our goals. Doctors do not become doctors over night. They have to work through years and years of medical school and other training, and before that, they had to maintain good GPA's in their schools. That works for almost any profession. As for the first part of this quote, it seems to be explaining how everyone experiences a moment where they realize that they have so much to live for. "Envy is ignorance; imitation is suicide". We have to be ourselves and achieve our own goals. We can not live in the shadow of others. We have to be our own people and be great without anyone else to lean on. 

I really like this quote, it is all about self reliance and how you cannot depend on others for everything. Obviously, that being the title of his essay, he was trying to explain self reliance, but I really can understand it from this specific quote. I am all about getting help from others. However, I also understand that there are extents to the help you can get. You have to eventually step up and do something for yourself. If you do not, you will not be able to achieve all that you could have, had you tried. Once you know that you are able to depend on yourself, then life will become so much better and easier. This quote spoke a lot about how people should live their lives. 

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Journal #20 - It's the Circle of Life

One could say that the beginning of life is rather dark, for all light had to come out of somewhere. From the moment of our creation, we sit within the dark abyss of our mother's womb, waiting for the day of our birth. At that glorious moment, we are exposed to the fresh air and light of the world around us. We slowly grow up, our physical and mental bodies developing more and more as we experience the wonders of the world. We learn to breathe, eat, speak, walk, and create. Soon the time comes that we meet others around us. We make good friends who seem to complete us. Together, hand in hand, we grow. School provides a challenge that we hope to overcome, developing the skills that we need for the rest of our lives. As our schooling comes to an end, we seek not to better our intellectual knowledge, but our connections with those around it. Those friendships that we created in our childhood have grown. Bonds have been created that can not be broken. Soon, we find love. From that love, we decide to devote ourselves to one another in holy matrimony. As we grow older and wiser, we strengthen the bonds between us. Eventually, we feel that we are ready to bring more life and light out of the darkness. A child is born. We watch our children grow, just as we had. They develop the bonds and the memories that we formed in our youth. Seeing it happen before our eyes helps us understand life even more as we enter our elder years. As our life comes to an end, we reflect on those memories that we created, watching them pass by through our minds as our eyes slowly close. We contentedly fall asleep, the light of our lives fading into a soft... deep... darkness, waiting to start anew... perhaps in another life.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Journal #18 - MAGNIFICENT CREATURE

As I pondered the multitude of eyes beaming at me from the magnificent creature, I ducked back behind the massive boulder I was currently taking refuge behind. The creature let out a roar of dissent as I disappeared from its vision. Even with ten shining eyes, burning with hatred, the beast could not locate me. Angered, the beast pawed and scratched at the ground around me. The ground rumbled and cracked under the pressure. This beast was incredibly large, reaching almost ten stories into the sky. How I was going to capture it, I did not know.  "I have to bring this creature down, or it will strike the village again!" With a shout of rage, I dashed from my hiding place, earning a new, more frightening roar from the massive beast. The cry pierced the air and I drew my sword from its sheath. Standing my ground only a few hundred feet from the creature, I lifted my sword, prepared to strike. Only for a moment, I was distracted by its eyes. I could not seem to shake them from my vision. I felt as if they should be filled with more fire, but they were not. They held a softer gaze, almost sympathetic... no, sad. I continued to prepare to strike, the beast dashing towards me. However, the agonized look in its eyes forced my sword to lower... and lower. This creature was mourning. What about, I had not the faintest clue, but I knew I had to find out. I could not fight the beast, knowing it was in such a condition. With a loud, echoing clank, my sword dropped to the ground and I held my shaking hand out to the beast. Confused, the large creature skidded in front of me. It must have realized that my weapons were no longer a threat to it. Making eye contact with the creature, I tried to search its eyes for the reason for its sadness. All I could think of was how it reminded me of the agonized, mournful gaze of a mother who had lost its child. What would I do if this beast were a mother? A mother searching for her lost child? I could only imagine what would have happened if I had taken down the beast. "I know not if you can understand me, you magnificent creature, but I will help you! I mean you no harm! I only wish to help you and ease you from that which burdens you so!" I cried out to the the skies in which the beast's head hovered. With a howl of agreement, the beast seemed to understand me. I grinned and tried to remember if I had seen anything in the past that could help me help the creature before me. With a sudden realization, I remembered seeing a similar set of eyes on a much smaller beast a few days before. It must be the creature's child! Promising the great beast that I would return, I fled to the village of my residence and spoke with the elders. After explaining to them what I aimed to achieve, they convinced the guards of the young creature to release it. The great gates of the cage spread wide and the beast bounded out of its captivity. I laughed to the skies as it ran to its mother. I hopped upon my steed and galloped alongside it as it gleefully bounded against its mothers body. Seeing the mother and child reunited, I could only sadly think of what would have happened if I had captured or killed the magnificent beast. It is amazing the affect that the emotions of eyes can have on your judgement. I would never forget the pain and sadness that settled among that majestic creature's eyes, but thankfully, the memory would forever be intertwined with the happiness I saw that formed once it was reunited with its young.

Journal #17 - Blue fuzz...?


As the light blue fuzz feathered through the warm current of air purring from the heating vent, my eyes squinted, trying to follow it. Along with the air was a scent of hot chocolate and cinnamon that brushed past my nostrils, flooding my senses with warmth and coziness. I turned my head towards the kitchen and spotted my cheerful mother, baking Christmas cookies of all sorts with the preciseness and speed that only her numerous years of experience could explain. My eyes trailed lazily back to the light blue fuzz, speeding across my vision as a little burst of color. It reminded me of a small sprite, frightened yet curious of our much larger world. I smiled warmly as it landed atop my old golden retriever's snout, causing his sleeping eyes to slowly open up and stare at the little speck. After opening his mouth widely, showing me his worn down teeth as he yawned, he clumsily tried to lick the fuzz away, leaving his nose glistening from his wet tongue. I chuckled merrily as he missed it time and time again, finally proceeding to brush it off of his nose for him. He followed it with his dull eyes until it hit the floor, making sure that it would not move anymore so that he could return to his blissful sleep. With that, the dog swiftly fell back to sleep, my hands brushing across the silky golden fur atop his head. I grazed my fingers across the carpeted green floor as I tried to flick the blue fuzz back into the air to be caught by the warm current. I grinned happily as my plan worked, the crisp air of the vent successfully grabbing a hold of the fuzz and sending back into the air. I could only watch in astonishment as the small speck floated back into the air, continuing its adventure through the air of my winer home. Even though I would most likely never see the speck again, I pondered as it disappeared from my vision, the journies it would go on in the future were sure to be very exciting.

Friday, November 9, 2012

Journal #16 - Weirdly Dressed People.

Today, for example! There is something that a lot of the seniors are doing today. I am not sure what they are doing or why they are doing it, but for many of them it involves dressing differently that the rest of the crowd. A few senior boys in specific have been running around the school all day in super short jean shorts - at least for guys - and spandex beneath them. They also are wearing sleeveless plaid shirts with brightly colored t-shirts beneath them. They look really strange. I think some of them are even wearing sweat bands. When the students in the school have seen them, they have laughed, snickered, and sometimes shunned the crazy seniors. Their strange choice of fashion came as a shock to us, and is still is. They are probably doing something weird right now in their funky outfits. The people of the school are reacting very much to their antics. For the most part, people are laughing at them - whether it be light hearted or not. They laugh because it is different from normal attire, and therefore, they find it weird. However, there have been many instances where such a "weird" thing has become the new fashion trend that everyone is doing. I highly doubt that people are going to start wearing jean shorts and spandex with sleeveless plaid shirts and t-shirts beneath. That is just kind of strange. But there have been many times where those weird trends have become the next big thing.

Journal #15 - Missing Someone

There are plenty of people in my life whom I miss dearly. I make constant attempts to connect with them, and for the most part, I am successful. I maintain friendships with these people despite their long distances. I once hosted a foreign exchange student from the Netherlands. She is rather far away. I also have internet friends who I only get to see once a year, if that. However, the person I find myself missing the most is my friend Missy. She did not move an extreme distance from me. If anything, she is closer. Unfortunately, with her moving, she was no longer a part of our school district. Great. I find my self overwhelming myself with extra-curricular activities such as marching band, drama club, art club, scholastic, etc. I am almost literally never home during the school year. The thing about Missy was that she would always do those things with me. I saw her every day from eight to whenever we had to leave school, which was often in the evenings. My life always involved her. The moment she moved, however, I had to rely on planning things with her outside of school. When do I have time for that? Close to never. Then, whenever I have a free day, she is usually doing something with one of her friends or something with her school. The sudden lack of Missy in my life was pretty upsetting. I am still not entirely over it. Nonetheless, I find ways to keep in contact with her by texting her in the mornings and evenings. Sometimes, I even find time to skype her! She and I have been getting a lot better at hanging out and being consistent about it, so I do not find myself missing her too much all the time, but there are still many times where I wish she still went to my school so I could see her every day in person.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Journal #14 - Scary Moment?

To tell the truth, I do not remember a time when I was actually truly scared. I have watched many horror movies and those never cease to scare me to death, but that is not very exciting. A lot of people watch horror movies, especially around Halloween like now, so talking about such a scary moment would not be entertaining at all. However, there was one time a few years ago when I was actually terrified. It was not so much that I was scared of something, but more that I was worried out of my mind. You see, my friend had to move away because her current house was literally falling apart and they could not afford to fix it. The only house that they wanted and could afford was one out of the Pleasant Plains school district. She was my best friend (still is), so you could imagine that I was pretty concerned. The fact that she was moving was not even the worse part of it. During that eighth grade year, I had not been a great friend to her, and so when she said she was moving, she was almost happy. I felt terrible. She actually wanted to be away from me, it seemed. I was so worried and scared that she would not be my friend anymore. Not only that, but she was also moving away as I stated earlier. I was never going to see her, and there was a chance that she did not like me. I was not a happy camper. It was one of the scariest times of my life. I love my friends and I would never want to lose any of them. Other than that time, the scariest experiences in my life have only consisted of small things such as horror movies, my friends trying to scare me, typical nightmares, the power going out unexpectedly while I'm downstairs in my house with no windows... But I digress. That moment was the scariest experience I have ever experienced, even though it was not actually "terrifying".

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Journal #13 - Franklin's Virtues


To be frank, this was not my favorite of all projects. I will start by explaining how the project could be made better. There was a serious lack of communication in my group. I ended up having to do the project for all of my other "teammates" but one. I do not know exactly how you would fix that, but it would be nice if something could be attempted. Maybe it was just the people in my group being lazy, but as a whole I heard a lot of complaints about how no one was responding to anyone. I heard during class once that Farmington did not have gmail at their school. Well, that is a major problem for some of them, I would assume. What if they did not have internet at home? I know you have no control over their school, but maybe you could talk to Mr. Piper about getting that fixed. The lack of communication was the major flaw in this.

Despite that flaw that grew increasingly irritating over time, I found that I was gaining something from this project. It was a very independent project (if you do not include the group video). We had to individually find time to write out our analysis, reflect for 24 hours, and put together our video. It taught us how to manage projects like these. Also, concerning the actual information of the project, we learned a lot about Franklin's virtues. In class and out, we read through the virtues and gained a general knowledge of what they were about. However, without the project, I do not believe we would have gotten such and in depth understanding about the virtues. We found ways to connect with them through literature and our own lives, and I feel like that could help us actually put such virtues to use in our lives. Overall the project, where tedious, was helpful in some aspects with few issues which could be easily fixed.

PS: More individual grades would be nice. I did much more work than the other members of my group.

Monday, October 29, 2012

Franklin's Virtues - Literary Analysis

       Throughout history, Franklin has been thought of with huge respect and affection. He accomplished an amazing variety of things in his life. One of the reasons for that is his work ethic, and the reason that he is so well loved by Americans is probably the same. He attributed his morals to the system he devised to make himself a better person, and whether or not they really did is the matter soon to be examined.
 
      Faith can be put into Benjamin Franklin's system because in his autobiography he writes about how well it worked for him personally. Obviously it worked for him, why not other people? He writes, "I was surprised to find myself so much fuller of faults than I had imagined; but I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish" (Franklin 156-157). His personal affirmation of his system's success gives it a lot of credit. Rather ironically, his word is worth so much because of his impeccable character, and his character was considered so impeccable because of the system of virtues he practiced. The irony is that he was using his impeccable character to give weight to the system of virtues that produced said character.
 
      It may be easy to lie to a single person, or even just a few, but lies become more difficult the more people you try to trick. That makes it a little bit difficult to believe that Benjamin Franklin had the entire world fooled into think that he was an amazing person if he really was not. Even sixty-six years after his death, authors were still practically gushing about the wonders of Benjamin Franklin. Henry T. Tuckerman writes, "Never dawned a self-reliant character more opportunely on the world; at home, illustrating to a new country what perseverance, honesty, observation, and wisdom can effect with the most limited resources; abroad, proving to an ancient regime how independent a genuine man may be of courts, academics, and luxury;" both the most requisite lessons for which humanity thirsted, and both enforced with an attractive candor, a gracious consistency, a modest resolution, which no argument could attain and no rhetoric enhance," (Tuckerman 3).
 
      Benjamin Franklin is one of the most loved characters in American history, and it would not be at all possible for that to be true if he was not such a warm and friendly person. As it is, when today's Americans think of the founding fathers, Ben Franklin is one of the first people thought of, along with other such giants of American history. That is really what we see Franklin as, an intellectual giant that shaped the government and attitude of the entire country.
 
     Based on the above stated evidence, it is pretty clear that Ben Franklin's virtues were very effective. He recognized a change in himself because of them, and also gained the love of his countrymen and people around the world. Is anymore evidence really needed? Franklin made himself a better person because of his virtues, and because Franklin was such a good person our country is a better place.
Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New Haven: Yale UP, 1964.
Print.
Tuckerman, Harold, ed. "The Character of Franklin." Benjamin Franklin, Classic Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://fofweb.com/activelink2.aspItemID=WE54&SID=1&iPin=CCVBF019&SingleRecord=True. October 27, 2011.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Journal #12 - The American Dream

The American Dream has not changed much since the beginning of the nation. It began as the act of striving for success, but I have noticed that a lot of people have messed with it over time and made it entirely materialistic. In my opinion, the American dream is that a person can come here and be free to make their own choices and lives their lives as they see best. If a person works hard enough, they can become successful. It is a pretty great thing to strive for. Being successful is very rewarding and fulfilling.

Throughout the years, people have converted the American dream from general success to owning a house, having a nice car, and other material things of that nature. Those things are just products of the freedom we enjoy here in America. It is not possible to truly own a house in Communist countries, and in other corrupted places mobility is almost impossible. In America, people have the freedom to make their own choices and do what they want with their lives, but unfortunately that is not how it works for everyone.

If I had to sum up the American dream in one word, it would be freedom. Maybe this is just me, but I could travel to all ends of the earth trying to find the most freedom I could, and as far as I know America is still the freest country on earth. If you do not have freedom to live your life the way you want, then what is the point of living it at all? It seems to me that if everyone else makes decisions for you, then it is not really your life, but the live someone else is making for you. That is why the American dream is so important. Without freedom, life loses meaning and value, at least for me it does. Being free, having a choice; that's what the American Dream is all about.


Monday, October 1, 2012

Benjamin Franklin's Autobiography

Benjamin Franklin obviously thought a lot about the concept of being virtuous. He spent a lot of time talking about his personal virtues. I think that the virtues Benjamin Franklin tried to work on are very much deistic. Instead of being about specific quotes from the Bible, Ben uses reasoning to support himself in his writing.  He writes his reasons for his virtues and also the reason for his order of virtues and the reason for his system of implementing his virtues. His tactics were rather reasonable, were they not?

After looking up the word, I found out that Deism is "knowledge of God based on the application of our reason on the designs/laws found throughout Nature." Taking that into consideration, it makes sense that deistic morals would also be based on reason, as Benjamin Franklin's are. He puts a good deal of his own thought into his list and system for being a good person. In his autobiography, he also makes sure he explains all of that thought so it makes sense to anyone who reads about his virtues. When explaining the reason for adding humility to his list of virtues, he writes, "I soon found the advantage of this change in my manners; the conversations I engaged in went on more pleasantly. The modest way in which I proposed my opinion procured them a readier reception and less contradiction; I had less mortification when I was found to be in the wrong; and I more easily prevailed with others to give up their mistakes and join with me, when I happened to be in the right." (Franklin 163)

In the passage above, he seems to be explaining that he chose to add humility to his list of virtues because it made conversations better and made arguments easier to win. This virtue was added because he thought it was a good idea, rather than because it was one of the Bible's teachings, and that makes his virtue deistic. He also wrote about how he disliked his Presbyterian church. He wrote that the morals it taught were pertaining to the church only, and not at all relating to how to be a good person in general (Franklin 146). Also lacking was any reasoning in the system of morals his church presented. He stopped going to church for this exact reason, and made his own system of morals.

Likewise, the manner in which he chose his virtues and how he described them are reminiscent of Deism. He writes that he chose to use quite a few virtues with specific meanings to keep himself from trying to focus on too much at once, and from spreading his attentions too thin. He was worried about trying to do too much at once and about failing at everything because of it. The way he went about deciding on his virtues was very rational, and instead of spending his time studying the Bible and basing his system off of the morals it taught, based them off of his own reason. Because all of his virtues and morals are based strictly off of reason, it is safe to assume that Franklin's ways were diestic.

Franklin, Benjamin. The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. New Haven: Yale UP, 1964. Print.
"Deism Defined." Welcome To The Deism Site! Web. 26 Oct. 2011.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Propaganda in the Declaration of Independence

Despite the Declaration of Independence being a very well written document, I am sure that there are some forms of propoganda and faulty logic in it. The Declaration of Independence is in my opinion a very accurate depiction of how England treated America, with few exceptions. I can actually remember reading about several events in the Declaration that were mentioned as wrong doings by the crown. I also noticed that although there were several parts with rather violent language. The rest of the document was fairly mild mannered, though. You would think that a document starting a revolution would be a little more violent and distressing, but I guess that must not have been Jefferson's style because this read more like a documentary list that a passionate rebellious one. That being said, I do believe that Thomas Jefferson did exaggerate in a few points when he was writing in his more dramatic style.

At one point, Jefferson accuses the English having "abdicated government here, by declaring us out of his protection and waging war on us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people" (Jefferson 124). I know that America was in the middle of the Revolutionary War at the time this was written, but even so the language may be a little bit melodramatic. Even though many people died in the Revolutionary War, I still think that it is a pretty big stretch to make the generalization the king ruined the lives of the American people. Other than that, I think that if you were to ask Thomas Jefferson to give an example of an any even that he accuses the king of doing, he would easily be able too. The real issue between America and England was caused by Parliment trying to control the American assemblies, but the king's rude insolence was apparently much easier to attack than that of Parliment. All of Jefferson's accusations just seemed a little too dramatic for my tastes.

Other than that specific example in the Declaration of Independence being overdramatic, I think that it is a very reasonable document. Without taking the Revolutionary War into account, it does sound really dramatic and a bit unfounded and unreasonable. But when you remember that they were in the middle of a war, and the King George III had gotten entirely rid of the local representative governments and gave their power to his governors. I can understand completely why the American people would be outraged enough to start a revolution. All things considered, I was really surprised at the tone of the declaration. It was not as self-righteous as I thought it would be, and considering that the declaration was starting a revolution. It was really pretty mild. I think that it was a really good example of writing in the rationalist period because it really put reason and rationality before emotions. There was a bit of emotion in the Declaration of Independence, but it really was mostly based on reason. I think that it is a very good thing that our government was founded on reason, because governments founded on emotion tend not to be very stable. Overall, the Declaration of Independence was a very well written piece of rationalist literature.

Jefferson, Thomas. "Declaration of Independence." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Journal #11 - VIRTUES

Everyone has their own ways of living their lives. Some people go with the flow, where some others create a set of rules by which they go about living. I personally go with the flow. I choose to do what I feel is right, and that has always worked for me. Unfortunately, for this assignment, I must create a set of virtues to follow. Not that that would be to hard.

I will make an effort to open doors for those I feel need help! Some examples are: crippled people, injured people, the elderly, and the small children who just can not push that door open. This does not mean I will not open the door for those who are able, I just will make more of an effort to be that person who takes a stand and helps out. I will always be polite, unless the situation requires a more firm approach. I will maintain a healthy, Christian life. I believe that having and living by a religion is good for a stable life of love and happiness. I will maintain humor in my life, bringing joy to those around me. I have always felt that a life without humor and laughter is not a life at all. If life does not bring you such happiness, what reason would you have to live? I also believe in the virtue of silence. As I have been taught many times in the past, "If you have nothing nice to say, do not say anything at all." By staying quiet, you avoid conflict. I do not like conflict, so this is a good virtue for me to live by. Another virtue that I would choose to live by is tranquility or peacefulness. Going on with what I said about the last virtue of silence, I hate conflict. Why would I try to get  stressed or angry when I have the option of staying calm and not allowing myself to become mad? If I do not let conflicts get to me, I will not become too emotional, and therefore I would be able to stay happy.

With these virtues at my side, I would be able to live a much more fulfilling of a life, so I may just have to choose to live by them full time.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Journal #10 - Persuasion of the Mints

In my opinion, mints are among some of life's true delights. I would spend this blog talking about how tasty they are as my reasoning for wanting you to bring them, but unfortunately I believe that is what you meant by "faulty logic". Despite the amazing, calming, and refreshing sensation brought on by the taste of mints, I have more logical reasons for wishing that you bring them in.

Are you aware of the health benefits of mint? Sure, they taste good. But, they also do wondrous things for our bodies. Our class is in the afternoon, so therefore the students in our class have already consumed their lunches. A good percentage of those students probably had a school lunch, which, despite attempts by the kitchen staff, are not very healthy. Unhealthy foods cause indigestion. The aroma, and therefore the taste, of mint soothes our stomachs by activating our salivary glands to produce more digestive enzymes. Our digestion would be working so well if you brought in mints! It is a fact that it is significantly harder to pay attention while you are feeling ill. Healthy students are happy students!

Mint does not only help ourselves, though. It helps the people around us. Again, I will bring up how this class is after lunch. I will also bring up that teenagers are not the cleanliest people in the world. As much as people try to keep up with dental hygiene, there are still some that forget. Being in an English class, we often find ourselves having to speak up and reflect on certain topics. Well, when we have stinky breath and we have to talk, bad things happen! So, Mr. Langley, with the help of Brach's Star Brites mints, we could have amazing smelling breath. That would make you, our classmates, and ourselves much more comfortable in this class. Who would be able to speak up in class if the moment they try to they are blasted in the face with disgusting odors?

You can see now that bringing in Brach's Star Brites mints would be a major help to the class as a hole. Not only that, but the taste would brighten the lives of us all. Considering all of these reasons, how could you not bring in Brach's Star Brites mints.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Journal #9 - Autumn

There is seriously nothing I love more on this earth than the Autumn season. I am not one who likes bitter cold or scalding hot temperatures. Quite frankly, I hate them. They are not perfect to me. Fall brings on a very cool calming temperature that I always want to be outside in. It is not too hot or too cold. It is a perfect in-between temperature of warm days (in the beginning) and cool nights. It is also the perfect weather for hoodies and campfires. I love the feeling of having no homework on a cool Friday night in Autumn. Most likely, the perfection of that night would be used by some friends for a bonfire and movie night. So, since I would realize the chilliness of the weather, I would put on a hoodie and head out. The night would be lots of fun and I would have an amazing time. Then, when I come home, I would still smell like the campfire smoke and be reminded of the hot dogs and smores that were cooked over them.

Fall is the most relaxing time for me. I would like Spring more (seeing as though it is also not too hot or cold), but I enjoy the cooling sensation more than the warming sensation. I don't know, but I really just enjoy cooler temperatures. I suppose it is because I realize that it is easier to get warm when you are cold than to get cool when you are hot.

I am also significantly happier during the fall. Most people get depressed during this time because everything is dying, but not me. I love the sights, the smells, and the tastes of fall. It is an overall beautiful time. I have only ever been truly relaxed during the fall. I know I am rambling, I just adore this season. With its crisp, freshly picked apples to the crackling sound of falling into a pile of leaves, I have never enjoyed anything more than Autumn.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Journal #8 - Being Emotional

When some one is emotional they tend to get angry, sad, or even depressed very easily. The biggest thing that stops people from being rational is their swing of emotions. When something or someone causes a person to become angry or upset, that thing consumes their lives and they just cannot handle it anymore. The hardest part is that people might try to fix their emotions through even more emotionally blocking strategies. This makes rational thinking become nearly impossible. The trouble with emotions is that they are constantly there and apart of our everyday lives. The thing with being rational is that we have to use your brain to be rational. Many people do not like to use your their brains and actually think things through. I am a pretty good example of an emotional person. I take everything to heart, but I can take a joke when it is meant to be a joke. My emotions cause me to speak my mind a lot and give my opinion in times when maybe it is not exactly needed. The hardest part about that is that it tends to cause problems sometimes when my opinions or feelings are cared about or wanted. The only rational way I can think to fix this is to basically just keep my mouth shut. All I can do is just vent my feelings in writing or speaking aloud to myself because the more people I involve in my problems, the more problems that causes. When people get involved they add their emotions into as well. So rationally, I would keep it to myself and keep my mouth shut. Would this really be the rational thing to do? Maybe....maybe not, but I have no other choice but to sit and think about it. This is my way of turning my emotions into rational thinking to minimize more emotions and problems in my life. With more emotions, it is almost inevitable that I would get too emotional and the endless cycle of emotions would continue.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

The Crucible - 4 : Comparisons

Ther are actually a few things that are very similar between Jonathan Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and The Crucible. I noticed that a few of the characters in the play remind me of Jonathan Edwards, and the message those characters seem to be expressing is very similar to Jonathan Edwards'.

Mr. Parris especially makes me think about Jonathan Edwards. In the first act, Mr. Procter talks about how Mr. Parris is always preaching about fire and brimstone and how the unfaithful will go to hell (Miller 28-29). Jonathan Edwards' entire sermon was to that effect, so it was easy to make that connection. (Edwards 97-99). I have trouble putting up with people like this who always talk about the bad side of things. I know that it is important to consider the consequences of the things you do, but for God's sake do you really need someone nagging at you all of the time like your step mother? It is no wonder that there is a faction in the play that does not like Mr. Parris. I would not like a person like that either.

I can also see similarities in the things they talk about and their priorities. It seems like a big priority to both of them is avoiding God's wrath. They do not really talk about the things a person can do to please the Lord, they just want to be not sent directly to hell. I think that most of the reason for there violent phrases is that they want to keep their power and keep the support of the people who pay them. I can see that the message of getting people all worried about their eternal souls would be a bit more profitable than letting the parishioners stop attending church. In the play it is really obvious that Mr. Parris is trying to further the conviction of witches because it makes people afraid of the devil and sends them back to church. I am not truly certain if this was what motivated Jonathan Edwards or not, but I would not be surprised it ifit was.

In the end, I can see a lot in common between Jonathan Edwards and Mr. Parris. The parts I had to read concerning both people annoyed me a lot. I guess I just do not like people who preach in general. I do not like to be told how to think and feel about certain things. I want to process the things I am told and think about them myself. I also wonder what motives those preachy people have. Why does it matter to them how I feel about things? I really do not think that it should. It just makes me feel very bad in general. The Crucible and Jonathan Edwards' sermon had a lot in common through the way the characters behaved, so it was easy to make connections between the two.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print.

Edwards, Jonathan. "From Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Journal #7 - Bullying

If there is one thing that I can absolutely not stand in the world is the concept of bullying. Why would you do that? Why would you purposefully belittle someone like that? Does it make you stronger or better? No. It just tears apart everyone involved, the bullies and the bullied alike.

Obviously, there is at least on person being affected in a bullying situation. The person being bullied. They are the person that is being made fun of/yelled at/picked on/etc. They do not deserve that much hatred. When you make fun of or bully a person, you are pointing out their flaws and weaknesses and using them to your advantage. That is the lowest thing I have ever heard of. How cruel do you have to be to actually have the guts to do that to someone? Anyways. The person being bullied has to try and put up with this. But, let's say they can't. What do they do then? They go into a depression or something of that sort. They lose their confidence and expose more of their weaknesses to the person bullying them, which only brings on more bullying. The person who is being bullied is being torn apart from the inside, or maybe even the outside, just by being called out and made fun of.

Not only is the person being bullied affected by the bullying process, but also the bully. Most of the time in bullying situations, the bully will not realize how much it is affecting them. Truthfully, it is affecting them a lot. When you bully someone - not that I have had any experience in it -, you are gradually or even drastically altering your attitude and mannerisms. Once someone begins to bully another person, they become more violent, rude, sarcastic, and overall mean. Most of the time, the bully gets a sense of pride after they are done bullying the person. They feel like they have accomplished something. They grow accustomed to this great feeling of power and domination that they begin to cling to it. Soon, it would become so addicting to them that they would not be able to stop. Without that feeling of power, they are nothing. In order to compensate for this loss of power, they bully more and more and more. It would tear apart their very being from the inside until there is nothing left. Maybe I am being a little dramatic with this, but it is the truth. There are people out there who feel that they need to bully others to feel good themselves. They are self conscious. So, they use other people's weaknesses against them in order to not expose their own. To know that there are people out there like that who bully because they feel they need to... It is just sad. In a way, I feel bad for them just about as much as I feel bad for those who are bullied.

So, in all, both sides of the bullying process are effected greatly by it. You could either be mentally deteriorating yourself as a person or losing your self esteeem. Either way, bullying is just a horrible thing that should never ever take place.


Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The Crucible - 3: Human Nature

To me, human nature is what drives all of the events of the Crucible. All of the conflicts in the play have to do with the little problems people have with each other and with themselves. We get to see how they handle those conflicts and so we learn all about human nature. Jealousy, being unfaithful, and guilt all play roles in the main conflict. Another part of human nature that influences the plot is not wanting to get in trouble and using a situation to the most advantage possible.

I noticed a lot of jealousy within this book as I read. Elizabeth Proctor is accused by Abigail because Abigail is jealous of her husband (Miller 74). Abigail wants to be John Proctor's wife, so she accuses Elizabeth of being a witch in an attempt to get her hung so she can marry John. She must be either really jealous or really inconsiderate to want to murder someone to get what they have. This is a great example of human nature because of how flawed her feelings are. Humans are flawed; it's a fact.

A lack of faith is a large conflict in this plot. We all do stupid things that we are bound to be made miserable by. John Proctor has the same problem. He cheated on his wife with Abigail, and Abigail decided she was in love with him. Then, Abigail decided to try to kill his wife in a way (Miller 74). Obviously, getting involved with Abigail was a bad idea. Because of his cheating ways his family got in a whole bunch of trouble. Besides the obvious consequences, because Proctor cheated on his wife, he starts to lose his self esteem. By the end of the play, he considers lying to save himself because he does not feel like he deserves to be martyred for his honesty (Miller136). He thinks he is so worthless that it does not matter if he lies to save himself.  This is where guilt comes in. His guilt made him feel completely horrible by the end of the play. Guilt is a pretty common part of human nature because we all have ideas about what is right, and for the most part we all take care to do the right thing as much as possible.

As for Abigail, she blames everyone possible for her behavior in an attempt to avoid trouble. She really does not want to get in trouble, so she is willing to shift the blame to anyone else possible. I find this very rude and I am really not a fan of her. She's a little bit too much of an example of human nature. She uses the witch trials she created to her advantage. She puts the people that annoy her in prison and on trial. She even tries to get her lover's wife hung. Everyone will try to get the most out of a favorable situation, but her ways are a little bit more ruthless than most.

In the end, the characters of this play are the epitome of human nature. They use the blame game, they are self concious, and they are conflicted. Humans are flawed creatures, and as we read through this play, we are able to see just how much the author understands human nature. These examples of human nature make it easier to understand how the Salem Witch Trials escalated into what they did. We can see how they were fueled by human flaws. Human nature was one of the most significant parts of this book, and it would not have had the same effect had it not used such perfect examples of it.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print. 

Monday, September 10, 2012

Journal #6 - Repercussions for Blaming Others Wrongly

Blaming others for things you did is never a good idea. It will seriously come back to bite you in the butt. It really depends on how your personality is though. Many things can happen when The most obvious one is that an innocent person may be punished. That is not a good thing. No one likes to be punished, but it is especially bad when the punishment is undeserved. In the end, they paid the price for whatever YOU did, and that is unfair to them. They did not deserve the punishment that you should have received. Besides that, a perfectly happy person that gets blamed for something they did not do will get bitter. Even if the whatever you blamed them for does not end in punishment, the innocent person would feel like they have been wrongly persecuted, and that is enough to ruin anyone's cheerful attitude. Not to mention that wrongly blaming someone can ruin a friendship. If my best friend blamed something bad on me, it is likely that I would be pretty upset at her until she apologized or until I got bored of all the hate in the atmosphere. If she thought I was responsible for some bad happening, it is also quite possible that he would be upset with me, and over something I had not even done. This has not happened yet, I believe, but I am sure it would be a bad experience.


A big repercussion of wrongly blaming someone is that the person who was blamed may carry a bit of a grudge. They are obviously not going to be happy that you wrongly blamed them. That grudge can cause friendships or other relationships to fall apart. That is never good...

As you can see, blaming people for the things you do can really come back to bite you in the butt. Especially when you only blame one person, because that is just not fair. Instead, you should blame EVERYONE equally for everything bad that happens. I"m kidding. That would be bad too. You should refrain from blaming people until you are absolutely sure they have done what ever it is that is in question.

Sunday, September 9, 2012

The Crucible - 2 : Characters

I still remember when I took the True Colors test in Heath last year. I think they are pretty legitimate in their answers. They make a lot of sense when you think about it. When I come to think of the most important characters in the Crucible within the context of happy little colors, it seems clear enough to me.

Proctor is gold, I think. Golds are typically very family centered and organized. He is willing to soil his own reputation in order to save his wife, showing how much he cares about her (Miller 80). People with gold personalities often care a great deal about their families. I believe that golds would act more like blues when they are under stress, and perhaps Proctor was under a lot of stress with his wife when he had his affair with Abigail. Having a lover seems more like a blue sort of thing to do than a gold kind of thing - blues being the type of people who care most about relationships with other people. If he were really a blue, I doubt he would be putting Abigail on ice as well as he has by this part of the play. The play mentions that he has a sort of moral superiority about him, and this is keeping with a gold personality as well (Miller 20).

When it comes to Abigail, I believe she has more of an orange personality.  Orange people are most interested in being active and having a good time. She danced at night with other girls at a heathen ceremony because it seemed like it would be fun and entertaining (Miller 11). This shows that she was more concerned with having a good time than with her family - whose reputation she put in jeopardy -, the rules -which she obviously broke-, or much of anything else. She seems very uninclined toward learning, so that definitely rules out green. I think that she is really just a very immature orange type. She is not a very likeable character in my opinion.

I believe that Rebecca has a very blue personality. Even though she has not really said much so far in the play, every time she speaks her words seem to be very comforting. She really cares about Betty and her illness in the first act, even though she knows that Betty had been out dancing in the middle of the night (Miller 39). When in the second act it mentions that she was arrested, the reader cannot but feel sympathy and worry for the kind old woman. I really like Rebecca's character.

The Putnams were very hard to decide one color for. At best, they will have to be a mixture of at least two. They put a lot of effort in their plans for how to best get their revenge on people who they feel have done them wrong. I am not sure if this would be more green or more orange because of how hard they work at their schemes. On one hand, their schemes revolve around who they think has done their family wrong in some circumstances, like when a family member of theirs -due to some neighbors- was not allowed to be minister (Miller 15). On the other hand, some of their plots are purely about economic gain. Anyway, I think the Putnams are a very close call between green and gold. I cannot place them into one category.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Journal #5 - Proper 21st Century Punishment

I personally have never been grounded or had anything taken away from me. I really do not do much in the ways of bad behavior. That, or my parents are just really lenient. If I were to do something worth punishing, though, I agree with the video that we watched that certain electronic items should be taken away. I would absolutely hate having my phone taken away, my facebook rights taken away, or my video game/television privileges taken away. Though, I suppose punishments are not necessarily supposed to be enjoyed. Nowadays, children and teenagers cling to their electronics like lifelines. I admit to it myself. I am almost always on the computer, and where that is sad, it is the truth. If those privileges were taken away, I would not be happy, and I would certainly not do whatever I did to deserve that punishment again.

On another note, I did not agree with the video that parents should be able to friend and monitor their children online. Sure, I am friends with my parents on facebook, but I know that they respect my privacy enough to not check my wall, my friends, and my friends' walls routinely. I know that they are able to see the things I do on facebook, but I feel it would be really rude for them to invade our privacy because they felt that we needed to be punished. I just do not agree with that aspect of the video.

Overall, I believe that, under certain circumstances, taking away electronics would be a good punishment for the average 21st century child/teenager.

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Journal #4 - Traveling

Normally, I am not one to want to travel much. Nor do I get too excited about it. Sure, if my parents suddenly said, "We're going to Disney World!", I would be more than excited to go. Despite my happiness, I would not be looking forward to the actual trip, but the time spent there. Over the years, I have become more and more accustomed to long road trips. I go to church camp every year and the sites of the camp are usually 8+ hours away. I have found ways to enjoy these long trips, but it has become somewhat of a routene for me.

Last year, things changed. Early in 2011, I met a girl online who would become one of my best friends in the world. (Yes, online. I know that is pretty sketch, but we skyped and everything and I was happy to find that she was in fact not a forty-year-old creeper man, but a fourteen year old girl.) We have many things in common so we became fast friends. I began to "plot" against her, as I would say, and in October I went to North Carolina to meet her in person (without her knowing, I might add. Her parents knew, though.). Though the entire process of planning, packing, and driving there took a rather large portion of my time for a while, I was jumping with excitment. The entire drive, where it was very long, was one of the most enjoyable rides of my life. I was going to see my friend! We arrived after the 17 hour drive and had a great weekend of teenager antics. Then, I had to leave. That ride was not as fun.

After that trip, I realized that long trips can be fun. They are an adventure of sorts. Sure, they are more fun if you actually are wanting to go on them, but they are not too bad. That particular road trip had a big impact on my life. I now know that me and her will probably be friends forever. Because of this, I have more respect of long trips, because you never know how they will turn out. They could change your life. =)

The Crucible - 1 : Puritan Qualities?

Reading through The Crucible, I noticed that it was written in the early nineteen fifties. That is not exactly the time in which most Puritan writing was written. Despite this, I noticed quite a few characteristics of Puritan writings about it. The sentence style is very much puritan sounding in the narration. Arthur Miller uses fairly short, declarative sentences with little extra in them to add much flavor. This can be seen very well in the beginning narration, and especially in the following passage.

"The edge of the wilderness was close by. The American continent stretched endlessly west, and it was full of mystery for them. It stood, dark and threatening, over their shoulders night and day, for out of it Indian tribes marauded from time to time, and Reverend Parris had parishioners who had lost relatives to these heathen." (Miller 5)

It uses more description than actual Puritan writing- the phrase "dark and threatening" probably would have been omitted- but the lack of drama and passion when talking about Indian killings certainly savors strongly of Puritan. Arthur did not want too focus to much on his opinion on the killings.

A major Puritan-like characteristic I noticed in the writing was the many references to religion. The main difference in the play and Puritan writing is who the characters reference when they talk. In Puritan writings, God is talked about in every aspect of every event. In The Crucible, the devil is the constant religious figure being referenced and talked about. Despite the play being centered around accused demonic encounters, if were it written by a Puritan, there would have been many more references to God.

We can see how the Puritan faith was declining through all of Reverend Parris' sermons about the impending doom awaiting in hell for the faithless. Mr. Proctor says "I have trouble enough without I come five mile to hear him preach only hellfire and bloody damnation. Take it to heart, Mr. Parris. There are many others who stay away from church these days because you hardly ever mention God anymore (Miller 29)." When the Puritan faith was declining, the preachers tried to pull their parishioners back by scaring them with such speeches of hell. I am really not surprised that that did not work, because no one really wants to be told they are going to hell. Who would?

I could also tell throughout the play that the Puritan religion was declining because of Mr. Proctor's continued respect in the community. He did not go to church often, which in normal cases would lead to your persecution in the community, but people still respected him. In the days of the Salem Witch trials, faith must have become a lot less important for such absence from church to make so little difference to everyone.

In the end, I think that The Crucible is a very good example of Puritan writing even though it was written over a hundred years after most Puritan writing had been written.  Despite this, I think that a lot of it is different than Puritan writing, especially in all of the details in the author's descriptions. It still came very close to average Puritan writing.

Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Journal #3 - Hostage Situation

I can imagine that in a hostage situation, I would not be able to keep my cool. It is a well known fact that while in a bad situation, you must keep calm so that you can think clearly. While picturing this potential hostage situation, I can only picture myself kicking and screaming to be free from whomever/whatever was holding me hostage.

However, there is also the slight possibility that I would be in complete control of the situation despite the fact that I was being held hostage. I would remember what I had been taught to do in that situation and stay calm. In fact, I would probably do what my captor least expected. I would talk to him/her/it. I would make small conversation. For example, lets say I was being held hostage and I noticed that my captor was very nervous about everything. Obviously, a newb at holding people hostage. Let's say that this person is male. Depending on how much I was restrained, I would mention how I noticed his nervousness.  This would probably cause him to get very defensive at first, but that would cause him to become unstable. They are showing weakness. They are not confident with their hostage-ing skills. I would then bring the conversation to where we discuss his home life and I would discover that he was only doing keeping me hostage because he needed the money. I would continue to prod him with questions until I discover that he has been so unsuccessful because no one believed in him as he grew up. No one gave him to confidence to go far in life. So, being the caring person that I am, I would convince the man that I believed that he could do anything. He would be so overwhelmed with happiness that someone believed in him, he would let me free. We would then skip happily with our arms linked out of wherever I was being kept and when questioned by the police, I would not press charges. 

With these two possible scenarios in mind, it is easy to see that it is better to stay calm, which is what I intend to do if I was placed into such a situation.

Puritan Qualities of Bradford's Writing

In my opinion, Bradford's writing seems to be very typical of the time period.  It fits so well that I am beginning to wonder if these examples of early American literature were specifically picked out to make a point, or if the style really was that consistent. They are all very much alike.

In the first passage of Bradford's book, it shows how many people of the time considered everything that happened in their life to be an act of God.  He writes about a young man who was making fun of all the people who will die on the boat ride, when he himself is the first to get sick and die (Bradford 15). In the second passage in the book, Bradford talks about how it was God's will that a sailor was saved (Bradford 64). Reading through Bradford's writing, we can see how he references to God's strong influence of people's lives.

The most Puritan characteristic I noticed in Bradford's writing was its very simple style. With some writers, reading their prose is like to reading poetry, but such is not he case with Puritan style writing. Bradford's work, along with other Puritan writing, is very plain.  I am not a huge fan of then simplicity of this writing. Sure, it can be interpreted easily, but I prefer more detail in the things that I read. I did not find the writing bad, but it is just not my favorite.  I actually liked reading about some of the passages in his novel.

One thing we talked about last class was how Puritan writing often references scripture. The Puritans were very knowledgeable about the Bible. When he talks about how the Pilgrims landed in America, he mentions how some apostles were received in a foreign land (Bradford 65). Most Puritan writing has a lot of references to the Bible in it, and so does Bradford's writing. Despite my being a Christian, many of his passages I had never even heard before. People during that time must have read their Bible a lot more often than we do now.

Bradford, William. "Of Plymouth Plantation." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Journal #2 - Story That Teaches Manners

Pavel the Giraffe Throws a Party!
-A Sequel to "How the Giraffe Got Its Long Neck"-



It had been only a few weeks since the giraffes of the savannah were changed for the better. The additional length to their necks made it easier for the once short creatures to reach the tastiest leaves of the trees.

Being the first long-necked giraffe in existance, Pavel's neck still lingered above the rest of his herd's heads. Until his death, his neck would serve as a reminder to everyone that he was the giraffe who made a difference.

Overcome with joy at his herd's transformation, Pavel wanted to a throw a party for everyone. He gathered the sweetest, most flavor-filled leaves of the tallest trees and tossed them into a large pile that was almost as big as him. The location of the pile was right next to a small spring filled with the sweetest water in the area. Pavel cleared the small area of its tall grasses and formed a nice, flat, socializing area. Everything was ready.

He giddily gallopped to the rest of his herd, excitedly telling them about the party he had planned and set up earlier in the day.

"A party, you say?" One of the older members of the herd spoke, "Well, I'd love to come!"

The rest of the giraffes chimed in and with Pavel leading the way, the party began.

Everyone loved the taste of the leaves Pavel had gathered. They had never been able to reach such sweet leaves, not even with their extended necks. They slurped up the springwater, ate, and had a grand time. When the sun began to set, fireflies made their way out of the grasses and lit up the area, inviting the giraffes to dance around them.

The night went on, the giraffes dancing their hooves off, and all too soon it was over.

Pavel thanked everyone for coming and bid them a good night, glad that they all enjoyed themselves so much.

The next day, Pavel woke up to the sound of three young giraffes galloping towards him. He yawned and stood up, smiling to greet them. They appeared to be about the same age as him.

"Are you having another party tonight, Pavel? That was so much fun! And the food was amazing!" One of the giraffes exclaimed.

Pavel hesitated, "Well, I wasn't planning on it." He considered it, smiled and said, "I guess I could. One more couldn't hurt. It was a lot of fun."

"Great!" They cheered and ran back to their other friends.

Pavel sighed and went to collect more of the sweet upper-tree leaves. If he was going to have a party, the food might as well be as good as before!

So, he spent the day plucking off branch after branch of leaves until he accumulated the same size of a pile as he had before. The sweet water from the spring still flowed in a gentle pattern, so there would still be enough to drink. He trampled down a larger area for socializing, having greatly underestimated the quantity of his herd that would be there. By late afternoon, everything was organized. The giraffes of the herd galloped towards him and immediately started to eat the food provided.

As the night before, everything was going smoothly. The moon came out, luminating the makeshift dance floor as the fireflies waltzed out of the nearby tall grass. The giraffes danced into the night until they could not dance any longer. Then, thoroughly exhausted, they quietly thanked Pavel and headed home.

Once the area had cleared, Pavel sighed and will a small smile he said, "Well, at least everyone had a good time." He quietly cleaned up the pile of twigs and branches that were left behind from his now-deceased pile of sweet leaves. Thoroughly tired himself, Pavel then headed to bed.

In the morning, Pavel awoke to the bright glare of the sun in his eyes. He must have overslept. Normally, he was up by dawn, but the sun was well into the sky then. He stretched and attempted to rid his mouth of that awful morning taste --- unsuccessfully.

He walked to a nearby tree and ate a few sweet leaves from the top for breakfast.

A few members of his herd noticed him and smiled, walking over to him. Pavel swallowed his leaf and smiled at his herd members. "How are you today?" He asked them.

"We're good. We are rather sore though. We danced the night away!"

Pavel laughed, "Yes, yes. Many of you did, including myself."

"You are having another party tonight, right?" They asked, hope gleaming in their eyes.

Pavel's eyes widened, "I...was not planning on it, bu-."

"Oh, come on, Pavel! Lighten up! Everyone has a great time at your parties! Don't you want everyone to have a good time?"

And so that was that. They had convinced him. And for the next five days, they continued to convince him. Day after day, Pavel woke up, gathered sweet leaves, trampled a dance floor, and hosted a party. On the final day that week, he woke up, his eyes crusted over from a lack of sleep, and dragged himself over to the nearby stream. He flicked his tongue out to drink the sweet waters, but there was nothing there. He stared with confusion at the stream. Why was there no water?

He looked around him, trying to bring moisture to his mouth in any way. He squinted his eyes and searched for any other source of water. None.

He slowly walked over to the rest of his herd and saw them in a group, chatting about him.

"The food was not good last night! The leaves had hardly any flavor!"

"By the time I went to get a drink, there was nothing there!"

Pavel looked sadly over at them. He only wanted to please his fellow herd members, but he had failed. They were anything but pleased.

One giraffe in the group noticed Pavel out of the corner of his eye and angrily stomped towards him, "What gives, Pavel? You used to throw the best parties!"

"I'm very sorry, friend. I have just been low on sweet leaves. I had to use leaves from the lower portions of the trees because the tops had been cleared. Also, the water from the spring has stopped flowing, so there is none left," It was then that he noticed his surroundings. Dry, waterless grasses. Bare, stripped trees. Nothing was left. "I have nothing more to give you."

The herd looked around them. They too noticed the state of their temporary home.

One elder of the herd spoke up, "We have been working this poor, young giraffe to the bone. We only wanted to enjoy ourselves, but we never thought of him."

The other members of the herd sadly agreed.

The elder continued, "He has stripped the trees to nothing, and used up all of our water just so that we could have a good time. We never stopped to help him or give him a break."

There was silence.

"I am disgraced with all of us, including myself."

Because of the state of the area, the giraffes were forced to move on to a new area. In half a day, they were able to find a nice, grassy area with a watering hole large enough to quench the thirsts of everyone in the herd. Despite everything being okay again, the members of the herd learned a valuable lesson about hospitality. They learned that it is okay to accept hospitality when it is given to them, but they must never use it to their advantage.

Since then, whenever the giraffes wanted to have a party, everyone helped.

To be potentially continued in a new journal... 

Puritan Reflections

Despite Mary Rowlandson and Anne Bradstreet not being typical writers of their time period, being women, their writings are still very typical of a Puritan of that time. Puritan writing often included interpretations of events such as works of God. It also had an unadorned writing style. Their writing also was about true events. Also, despite the plainness of the style, these women are still able to make their writings sort of touching.

When Mary Rowlandson talks about the small good things that came her way while she was a captive, she always credits God for them. For instance, when she recalls how her youngest child died and she was forced to spend the night beside it, she writes "I have thought since of the wonderful goodness of God to me, preserving me so in the use of my reason and senses in that distressed time" (Rowlandson 83). Even though something horrible had happened she still thanks God for that one small blessing. When Anne Bradstreet reflects on how her house was destroyed, she rebukes herself with the thought that God had given all of that to her, and it was his right to take it away if he wished (Bradstreet 16-19). Both women see events as acts of God, and because they are works of God the women always look to the bright side. After all, God only does things for the good of his people. Even though the writings are about sad things, they still seem to be slightly optimistic.

Reading through the two story, I do not believe that I read a single simile or metaphor. Even in descriptions that could use that kind of detail, like when Mary describes how much she worried about her children, the language is simple and to the point (Rowlandson 84-85). In Anne's work, the amount of flouring language is about the same. The closest she even comes to that kind of description is when she writes about all of the things that will never happen again in her house (Bradstreet 29-34). Even without all of the long descriptions that I am accustomed to, both works still make me upset because of the topic that they are about. The way the things are written makes me feel like all of the fancy words and long expressions would get in the way of the feelings behind the words. Puritans seem to get by just fine without using similes.

It seems to me that Puritans wrote about the things that happened in their lives because they believed those things were the real workings of God. That may have made them more special to the Puritans, thus inspiring them to write about them. Both Mary Rowlandson and Anne Bradstreet wrote about actual events in their lives instead of things they had imagined. because the things they wrote about were true, even though the language was plain they were still able to get across the way they felt about what happened very clearly. Because of this, I really liked reading these stories.

Bradstreet, Anne. "Upon the Burning of Our House." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Rowlandson, Mary. "A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Journal #1 - Creation Story

How the Giraffe Got Its Long Neck

Most people believe that the giraffe species has always had a long, proud neck atop its shoulders. Despite their beliefs, that is not the case. The start of its existence begins long before the creature was discovered by men.

The giraffes had always been part of a large, yet peaceful herd. They were able to eat their fill of leaves from the trees around them, but they were only able to reach the bottom of each tree's foliage. Nonetheless, there were plenty of trees to go around and everyone was happy.

Most of them, that is.

A young, short giraffe named Pavel pranced around the clump of trees that their herd had recently stopped by. He looked forward to filling his empty stomach on the dark green leaves of the trees. Running up to one, he happily lifted up on his hind legs and - using the tree to balance him - reached to bite one. To his dismay, the leaves were to high for him to reach. He sighed and looked around him. All of the trees in this patch were too high for him.

He walked with defeat in his steps towards a small, dry bush that sat a few feet from the tree. Realizing that this would probably be his only food for this stop, he reluctantly took a few bites. The leaves were not appalling, but compared to the sweet, fresh taste of the leaves from the trees, they were boring and tasteless.

After he had eaten his fill of the leaves from his bush, Pavel decided to walk around for a little while. His family and friends were talking amongst themselves, so he would have some time to himself.

"If only I could reach the leaves of the trees," Pavel thought, "Then, I would be able to eat like a king."

Deciding to hike up a tall hill nearby, Pavel decided that he would ask his god to be taller, so that he may eat the fresh leaves of the trees like the rest of his herd. 

-And so he did. Reaching the top of the hill, Pavel looked up to the heavens and pronounced, "My God, I ask that you make me taller so that I may eat the fresh green leaves  from the top of the trees! No taste could be sweeter than that!"

After moments of waiting, Pavel felt a spiritual presence overwhelm him.

"It shall be done," a deep voice sounded from above, "You may have your wish."

Suddenly, Pavel was knocked unconscious. When he awoke, he wobbled to his feet, noticing that it was harder than usual for him to keep his balance. He stood tall, looking about his surroundings, realizing that he could see farther than usual. Remembering his experience from before he was unconscious, he realized that his god had granted him his wish. He was tall. His legs had grown significantly, but his neck was where the biggest change had occurred. It stretched several feet into the air and would surely give him access to all of the trees of the area.

Giddy about his new features, Pavel galloped down the steep hill to greet his family and friends in his herd. They were silently eating from the bottom leaves of the trees, but Pavel ran straight to them, breaking their silence, happily explaining his experience.

They stared at the once small giraffe in disbelief, a few of them giggling at how ridiculous he appeared to them. Soon, they all chimed in, ridiculing him for his new look.

Angry about their reaction, Pavel snorted, "I can reach the freshest, most flavor-filled leaves of the trees. Whether I look different or not, this is a gift from God, and I am willing to use it to its full potential." He reached his neck far into the air and snatched the highest leaf of the tree, holding it in his mouth to let the flavor fill it. He happily munched at his meal.

Despite his achievements, Pavel continued to be insulted by whom he had believed to be his family and friends. It grew to the point where the young giraffe could no longer take it, so he left. He took off in the opposite direction that his herd was headed with the full intention of never seeing them again.

Tragedy struck the herd of giraffes a few months later. A great and terrible storm attacked the valley in which they were living temporarily. The winds and rains of the storm caused the leaves of the trees to be blown away, leaving only a few clusters of leaves behind at the very top of each tree. The ground was muddy and almost nothing green remained. The storm raged on for many days, until the herd became fragile from starvation. The members of the herd were too tired to move.

Pavel, who was passing by the area, noticed his old herd struggling. He saw the leaves at the top of the trees around them and felt pity towards them because they could not reach them. His mind became conflicted as he tried to decide whether or not to help them. In the end, he chose to help them. They were his family afterall, despite their mean comments towards him.

He galloped to his herd and they noticed him immediately.

"Stand tall everyone. I will help you reach the food," Pavel spoke, his voice showing no sign of weakness, indicating that he had been well fed and healthy this entire time.

He reached for the top of one tall tree and grabbed ahold of its flimsy upper branches. After getting a decent hold on the branch, he pulled and pulled until it snapped off. He dropped the leafy bundle on the ground before his fellow giraffes and they happily ate from it. Pavel continued to break off branches of leaves for his family and friends until they were well fed and happy again.

They thanked him for his help and apologized sincerely about the horrible things they had said.

Realizing that their apology was sincere, Pavel accepted it and rejoined his herd.

Up in the heavens, God looked upon the herd of giraffes with a smile. He was amazed by how much Pavel's long neck was able to help that one group of giraffes. Deciding that it was time for a change, God transformed all of the giraffes in the world to look like Pavel. Since then, the giraffes of the world have been tall and strong, allowing them to reach the tallest, most tasty leaves of any tree.


The End.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The Moon is Down - According to History...

Does this novel accurately reflect events in history??? Yes. Doing a mental recap of all the books I have read in my life, I can pick no other novel that reflects certain events in history better than this one. As I have stated in a few other blogs, this novel was written as propaganda during World War II to help inspire people in conquered countries and towns across Western Europe to fight back. Looking back in history, this novel accurately reflected events that took place as the Nazi's invaded Norway during World War II. This novel represents the Norwegian resistance that actually took place during the war.

As for how well Steinbeck understands certain relationships, I believe that he got them pretty spot on. One of the most noticeable kind of relationships I noticed during this novel was the relationship between a soldier and his commanding officer. Growing up, I was told that in the army they break you down so that they can build you up again as not a man or woman, but a soldier. This is obviously true, because there are so many points in this novel in which Colonel Lanser refers to a member of his army as not even being a man anymore. "You're not a man anymore. You are a soldier. Your comfort is of no importance and, Lieutenant, your life isn't of much importance. (Steinbeck 99). Hearing this, we can see how life really is in the army. In the end, you are just taking orders, and you had better respect those orders.

The other main relationship that I noticed Steinbeck trying to show us was the relationship between a political official and his people. The readers can see that the author strongly believes that politicians should be dedicated to the people they serve, and represent them to the very best of their ability. "When the town makes up its mind what it wants to do, I'll probably do that." (Steinbeck 19). The Mayor believes that his decisions can only be what the people want, or else everything would fall apart. There is obviously a lot of respect on either side of this relationship. The people respect the Mayor and his final decisions, but the Mayor respects his people enough to take their thoughts into consideration. It really seems that Steinbeck described these relationships well. He was able to accurately capture the time period during the war and incorporate it into his novel.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Writing Techniques?

Because I look at these questions before reading the book, I find myself constantly searching for answers. I felt myself scanning the pages, asking myself, "What is this author doing?" The most consistent technique I noticed that Steinbeck used was suspense. It is only fitting, seeing as though this is war novel, and war tends to be a suspenseful topic. As I read, I could never tell what was going to happen next. That made it a lot easier to read because I found myself wanting to continue to read, something that unfortunately does not happen much with the summer reading we do for Honors English. One second I was on page 15 and the next I was at 100.

One of the most notable forms of suspense were during the parts where the book talked about the Anders Brothers' plan to spread word of the villagers' situation (Steinbeck 80-84). We knew that the Mayor was planning on getting weapons into the city that could help the villagers rebel, but we did not know if their plan was going to work. What if they were caught? What if they were able to drive the soldiers out of the city? What if the soldiers just confiscated the weapons and punished the villagers for it? There was an endless amount of possibilities and the reader was glued to the book trying to figure out which one would happen.

Another technique I found in this novel was the author making the people of the town grow. I do not mean that they physically grew, though I'm sure some of them did. I mean that the characters started out weak and unaware, but they grew in strength and courage. The villagers were not ready to rebel at the beginning of the novel, not at all. But at the end, we knew that they could handle it. The mayor had utmost confidence in them. He even showed confidence in them in the beginning, "My people don't like to have others think for them. Maybe they are different from your people. I am confused, but that I am sure of." (Steinbeck 17). When the readers noticed that the villagers were growing in this way, they realized that they could grow in the same way as well. This could have drawn people to read this book.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Why do we STILL read this book?

I believe that we still read this book because of its lasting theme of never giving up. Almost everyone can relate to this goal because almost everyone has something that they are trying to achieve. They could be trying to achieve anything from running a marathon to winning a talent show to beating the world record in the Olympics. In the end, the book can still inspire these people as they witness a town that started off weak and helpless grow in strength and determination that could one day help them succeed.

It could also still be popular because of its historical impact on the world. Written during World War II, The Moon is Down was used as war propaganda to spread word of the resistance movement in Western Europe. Where according to John Steinbeck, it did not meet that goal in Western Europe as much as he wanted it to, it still had a lasting impact on the rest of society. The book was passed around secretly, spreading the message to the world that you have to keep trying, no matter the circumstances. The rest of the world revelled in this war propaganda book. Many people still read it so that they can experience what the people of that time experienced. They might even try to envision themselves in the same situation so that they can think about how the people of the time may have taken it. Altogether, the book just has had a lasting impact on history in Western Europe so it became popular for that.

Going back to the theme, we can see how much the town grew in strength and determination. We saw how they responded when they realized their food was being rationed and their freedom was questioned. "The cold hatred grew with the winter, the silent, sullen hatred, the waiting hatred. The food supply was controlled - issued to the obedient and withheld from the disobedient - so that the whole population turned coldly obedient." (Steinbeck 57). Reading through that passage, we can see how the town is realizing what is going on. The people of the town did not understand the reality of war in the beginning of the book, but they were slowly beginning to understand as the book progressed. One person, Alexander Morgen, gets so mad that he attacks one of the soldiers, though he hits the wrong one (Steinbeck 38). Knowing that the town was able to fight back, the people who read this novel will be inspired. They will realize that if actions speak louder than words, so if you do not take action, you will not succeed.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

Monday, August 13, 2012

The Moon is Down - According to the Time Period...

The strange thing about The Moon is Down is that it does not have a very descriptive setting. We, the readers, do not know when or where this book is taking place. It is one of those stories that is literally about a town in a country that is being conquered by people in a war from another country who are lead by one "Leader". Everything about it is very vague.

The readers can only assume that this novel takes place during the time that it was written. When it was first written, John Steinbeck was writing this novel as propaganda for World War II. Seeing as though this novel is about a war, I believe it takes place during World War II and their "Leader" is Hitler. This novel reflects the time period because many towns were being taken over during the war. I am sure that many of said towns were as afraid as the townsfolk in the book were. From reading this, the readers gain a better understanding of what happened during World War II in Western Europe.

The novel is very symbolic because it was written to give the people from captured towns in Europe a little bit of hope. In the book, we witness how a small, peaceful town is able to finally rebel. By writing this novel, Steinbeck hoped that he would get the message across to captured towns in Europe that they did not have to be afraid to fight back. Even now, while the war is over, people can still look to this novel and be inspired by the theme of it.

Steinbeck really captured the essence of war through this novel, so the readers were able to learn a lot about that time period. "Lanser had been in Belgium and France twenty years before and he tried not to think what he knew—that war is treachery and hatred, the muddling of incompetent generals, the torture and killing and sickness and tiredness, until at last it is over and nothing has changed except for new weariness and new hatreds." (Steinbeck 23). From this section, we get a summary about how war is to the average soldier. We got info from both sides of the war.

Overall, the novel really explained how life was like during World War II. It gave a lot of subtle hints about the time period, that when noticed, can give a lot of infortmation.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - The Hero?

Before I even read these summer reading books, I take a look at the questions that we have to answer about them. I kept in mind that I would have to pick out a hero in the book, so I prepared for that. I expected it to be right there. Normally, the heroes in these kinds of books are introduced immediately. They are normally the main characters of the books. Not this time.

As I read through The Moon is Down, looking for it's hero, I could not pick one out until the end. The one thing I noticed as I read was that there is not one single hero in this novel, but an entire group of heroes. I believe that a hero is a person who can make a difference and take a stand. The people of the town that was conquered fit that description. At the beginning of the book, the people of the town did not understand what war truly was. As soon as they realized that their freedom was being threatened, they fought back. They may not have all made plans to rebel, but they knew that they needed to think of something. "The people of the conquered country settled in a slow, silent, waiting revenge." (Steinbeck 57). They realized that something had to be done.

By the end of the novel, we see that these people are strong-willed. They know that they will not get their freedom back by sitting around and obeying their conquerors. They realize this, as well as their mayor. "If I tell them to fight, they will be sorry, but they will fight. If I tell them to fight, they will be glad, and I who am not a very brave man will have made them a little braver." (Steinbeck 110-111). The people of the town are determined. Their determination will lead them to their freedom, although we never got to know whether they did or no. Their qualities will get help them succeed. I respect them greatly for their courage.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.