The Conclusion!!!

       From the start I was not ecstatic about the blogs, but I learned to enjoy them along with reading my classmates, and comparing our thoughts. While writing my first few blogs all I was worried about was if I spelt everything correctly or if what I was writing was even correct, and because of it I learn my biggest lesson which was no opinion on a book or poem is correct just that its your interpretation which makes it right.

        Thought the year I dreaded blogs and didn't really put alot of work into them but as the year when on I started to enjoy the blogs and found them as a time to practice my writting skills. Thats why this quote is perfect for the growth of my relationship with the blog " Storms make oaks take roots", meaning that even though a storm is annoying, scary and just a hassel they make lessons, they just turn out to be a good thing in the end. Thats exactly how I feel about my blog experiences.

        Yes, I was one of those people who thought blogs where just a exsuse for more homework but now I understand how they are to help me go over what we learned in class and to help me really et another chance to become a better student and writer.

(dont know who said quote, was in movie)

Reflecting on a Memorable Assignment!

Though there has been a lot of English projects my most memorable was the extra credit Animal Farm project where me and Annie Lu made a movie. To make the movie with all the animals we had to go to several farms where we would video tape the animals, in the rain! The first farm was a Christmas tree farm with these cute baby mini goats and one fat black pig that hated to have its picture taken. The second was a private farm (moms friend's house) with a horse that freaked Annie out (i have videos!!) and the cutest kittens. The last farm had these big goats that we had the choice of feeding..so we feed them but when turning to look at other animals the goats stole our bag our food and at all the food in it! The whole time Annie and I were screaming because the scared us, it was super funny!!
This project was my favorite because I didn't have to do it by myself at home but got to get out and have some fun, plus we got extra credit. Annie and I were freezing cold but we were always laughing. Also we got chances to feed the goats, pet the horses and snuggle the adorable furry kittens!! I will always remember the fun of filming this project and am excited do watch the movie years from now!

A Good Experience with Poetry

Although my parents never read me nursery rhymes that I can remember I actually loved to rhyme as a kid. It was either 3rd or 4th grade when we did a unit on rhyming and rocked it. Bold, hold, sold, gold. I loved making poems with rhyming and always tried to rhyme things at home. For example if my Mom was like umm.. "go get the honey for your pancake" I would be like "well is there money with that honey?". It was ridicules but I found it very entertaining!
This unit in class made me really enjoy making poems cause it showed me it can be fun and entertaining, especially when I got to rhyme. Even to this day I enjoy the rhyming because it gives a little adventure to the regular boring poem making units. Though when thinking about poetry I'm not jumping up and down but now just thinking about bold, sold, gold, hold it puts a smile on my face. Overall ! am kind of excited for poetry and would like to see how much I know about Robert Frost by the end of the year!!

Conflict in Romeo and Juliet!!!

       The specific conflict I first thought in the play Romeo and Juliet of was the bad relationship between the Montague's and Capulet's. This affects the central theme being the love between Romeo and Juliet. This conflict affects them extremely being that their families don't know about their marriage and of course if they did they would never approve of it. The conflict between the two families is not like any old hatred its so bad that if anything happens they blame the Montague's or Capulet's "For blood of ours, shed blood of the Montaque" (3.1.157). Lady Capulet says this after finding out about Tybalt's death and even after the loss of a family member she blames the Montague's after barely taking a second to feel the loss of her nephew. Of course the death of Tybalt was blamed on Romeo, again making the hate relationship between the two families stronger and pulling Romeo and Juliet apart (physically). So the hatred is not just affecting the families but the young, true love that Romeo and Juliet share.
       The conflict does not have anything to do with my life in particular cause obviously I'm not married so I don't have in-laws but obviously there is some couple out there whose parents hate each other. The significance of this conflict can be big on a relationship cause they have to pick sides, family or your husband/wife which can take a tole on the relationship. The conflict can link to how you love your family and don't want them made or angry but it also fogs the love that you have for your husband/wife, which a majority of the ruins the relationship. In general people have to confronted their family that even if they don't get along with their in-laws they need to try because you love your wife/husband and their bickering will ruin your marriage. 

Romeo and Juliet: It's Everywhere!

Yesterday Annie, Kristina and I went to the opening night of Coppelia by Ballet Northwest. While reading over what the story was about I realized it was extremely similar to Romeo and Juliet. The story is about a girl named Swanhilda who is in love with Franz. One day Swanhilda  notices Franz blowing kisses to Coppelia, angry she sneeks into Coppelias house after Dr. Coppelius dropped his key. Once in the house she realizes that Dr. Coppelius is a doll maker and that Coppelia is a doll. Once Dr. Coppelius realizes they are in his house he cashes them out but not Swanhilda who faked being Coppelia. Trying a experiment Dr. Coppelius drugs Franz (who sneaked in trying to find Coppelia) with sleeping pills. After realizing that Swanhilda was acting like Coppelia, he chases her and Franz who she got to wake up out of his house. After saving his life Franz and Swanhildia get married and wanting them to be happy Dr. Coppelius forgave them both. Throughout the play I kept comparing Coppelia to Paris, Franz and Swanhilda as Romeo and Juliet. The only difference between the two plays is that in Coppelia, Franz and Swanhilda got to live together happily in this life where Juliet and Romeo could not.

Connecting with Romeo and Juliet

       At some points about the characters in Romeo and Juliet I understand but others I am having trouble agreeing with. I don't feel like Romeo, Juliet or any of the other teens really act like our teens today, for example Romeo at the beginning of the play he is depressed and sad because he likes a girl who don't like him back. Today if you have a crush and the person doesn't like you back you learn to move on you don't get depressed that would just be taken as a dramatic today. Romeo's family comes off to be more concerned about how he feels and keeping him safe compared to Juliet's family who seem to be worried about how they look to the public and who important Juliet marries but not how she feels.

       I really enjoy reading the book at home and then going over the section in class the next day. It helps but reading it and annotating then going over what I should have annotated and comparing it to what I go the day before. I feel that I decipher some of the story, then at school I realize what more to decipher and to annotate for which it really helpful. Over all I am totally for this reading at home then reading and talking about it after school, I feel it's really useful.

Wrapping up Great Expectations

The lesson I felt Charles Dickens portray in the novel Great Expectations was that money is not everything, and that you can be happy without it. He portrayed this through Herbert, Joe and Wemmick who all feel that they don't need money and don't really care if they have a lot or not. Without lots of money you don't  have that urge to always want the next big thing because you can't afford it. Also you learn to be ok with how how you dress or how big your hands are because you cant do anything about it. This is why most people without as much money are happier, they have learned to accept it and themselves which is what Pip learned throughout this novel. So Dickens taught Pip and the reader that money does not pay for happiness!

Thoughts on Reading

Now having finished the book, what I enjoyed the most would be the characters. They are just not like any characters in other books, there just different. Like Joe who is a mild aged man who acts like a 5yr old and Miss Havisham who is this creepy woman who's goal in life is to break every mans heart through her adopted daughter. I mean can you name a another book with character like these?  The mystery that I discovered by myself was Orlick being the one who hurt Mrs. Joe, while the one that caught me off guard the most was Molly and Provis being Estella's parents because there was no foreshadowing, it was a complete surprise.
I can proudly say that yes I did read the entire book and never once used spark notes! As for my reading habits... they are horrible. I would read when ever I finish all my regular math homework or Spanish flashcards then would read. After that because I would never finish, before bed I would read until I fell asleep reading which was most nights. If I didn't finish that night I would get up at 6am and finish. I personally found while reading the book it was hard to stay focused. Especially in the middle of the book, chapters 30-40. But as far as the endings I found them my favorite and not just because I didn't have to read it anymore but because in most books there is not two endings one the author liked and the other the publisher which I found interesting.

Great Expectations Photo Post



For my picture I choose a chaise-cart. (above)

 In Great Expectations  Pip almost lives a double life...well kind of. He has his poor,town house with his thick boots and his rich, respect, gentleman city home. He likes to keep the separate which is my reason for choosing the chaise cart for my picture post. The cart is the transportation between his two lives it provides that separation that he likes. As his life goes on that separation grows and grows. Eventually after his sister died he feels that there is no reason since he has no family left what is the point of going there. So now he only has one life, in London with Herbert, Mr. Jaggers and Wemmick. Even though that separation don't exists anymore physically I still think it exists emotionally.

Making Connections

       I think  Great Expectations and the book The Joy Luck Club are similar. In TJLC four Chinese woman move to San Francisco to make better lives for themselves. The didn't speak English or have any money but they knew that it would be a better life for their children. Through out the book the children grow but don't realize that their mothers left there family and friends so that they can have a better life, in where they can make and reach their dreams.

       This is similar to GE because Pip has dreamed of becoming a gentle man and Joe knew it. Although he wanted Pip to stay and apprentice him, he knew that Pip would never be happy there. So Joe let Pip go to London and tackle his dreams. Joe put aside his happiness for Pips. When Pip left for London he was still young and didn't realize what Joe had done for him. 

       Joe and the four Mothers are obviously alike, both are parents. They care for their children, both put the children first which nobody can argue with but its how both the children and Pip acted. In TJLC the children realize what their mothers did for them, leaving their friends and family behind. But the question is, will Pip realize what Joe did for him?

Expectations the Second Stage

Throughout the second stage Pip's character grows into a gentleman in the progress when he moves to London and becomes under the eye of Mr. Jagger. In the first stage Pip is just a young innocent boy who was just dreaming of being a blacksmith like Joe. But then he gets great expectations from a mysterious person. Who has voluntarily plaid for his education on being a true gentleman and so Pip now lives between Mr. Pockets house and Herbert Pockets house in the city. He is being brought up as he always wished he could, in the higher class.

Common motifs in the second stage are mystery such as who is the person who has voluntarily paid for Pip's new schooling. Another is becoming of a gentleman like Biddy who in the first stage was often schooling with Pip or helping get Mrs. Joe healthier. The common theme throughout this book is contrasts for example when Pip compared the personalities of Mrs. and Mr. Joe. Most themes and motifs happen through out the book but there is just one goal for Pip which is just becoming that gentleman he has dreamed of being.

Analyzing the Quote

       Pip has just realized that he has more to offer life than just an common blacksmith. In the first nine chapters he is so excited to apprentice Joe. But after meeting Estella and Miss Havishams he knows that a blacksmith is not the career choice for him. He wants to be more uncommon to impress Estella. In the chapters ten through sixteen Pip grows up and becomes a gentleman. That day changed his life because he when from boy wanting to apprentice a blacksmith to a young man want to be a gentleman.

       A day that changed my life was when my friend Sierra moved away in 3rd grade. I had only know her for two years but we were bffs. She was the first of 3 of my friends to move away in 6 years each two years apart.  It was really hard because every time I made a new friends she was moving away. But i learned that things are going to happened around you and no matter what you just have to learn to go with it and things will go on.

Question about a Passage

"I think the Romans must have aggravated one another very much, with their noses. Perhaps, they became the restless people they were, in consequence."(Chapter 4)

What do the Romans noses have to do with anything? Why does it get them aggravated?

The Importance of Being Earnest Essay

       Every couple speaks differently, some argue, others its all business but no matter how they speak they love each other. For instance with Cecily and Algernon they say, “Cecily, ever since I first looked upon your wonderful and incomparable beauty, I have dared to love you wildly, passionately, devotedly, hopelessly.”. They speak to each other with love, which is obviously good because they are engaged. They have just met each other in person and fell in love at first sight. On the other hand with Miss Prism and Dr. Chasuble they are all business  “That depends on the intellectual sympathies of the woman. Maturity can always be depended on. Ripeness can be trusted…”. Prism and Chasuble both have jobs, which hold high morals; this affects their what of talking. They both hold jobs, which interfere with each other causing them to put their relationship to the side and be professional; this sometimes makes them respect each other more. On the contrary with Jack and Gwendolyn they speak to each other very formally, -“ Miss Fairfax, ever since I met you I have admired you more than any girl…I have ever met since…I met you.” These two are live in the city where it is all about social standing, this makes them speak to each other in a very formal way. This is not a bad thing but shows how they feel about each other, and most of all how they community sees them. Every couple speaks differently but this is what makes that couple special.

Dishonesty in The Importance of Being Earnest

       In the play The Importance of Being Earnest dishonesty is very common, but is expressed in several kinds of literary elements, epigrams is one. Jack says "... it is a terrible thing for a man to find out suddenly that all his life he had been speaking nothing but the truth." (60). The humor in this is very clear because normally to find out you haven't been lying to everyone would be a good thing but Jack says it as if it is horrible to speak the truth. While there was several references to earnest and to Ernest. These are the same but different Ernest is the name of a character in the book but Earnest is part of the title of the play. "I mean it is naturally Ernest!" Now why make a play all about a man named Ernest only to spell it different for the title?
       Wilde is trying to explain that little lies are fine because the wont change you or you loved ones like when Algernon and Jack claim to be a different person which then affects Gwendolen and Cecily. Oscar wanted the little lies to be shown as something small and little like when Algernon and Lane to Lady Bracknall about the sandwiches that's nothing not a big deal and it didn't hurt Lady Bracknall. He wanted to show that dishonesty is not always bad like it is thought out to be.

Animal Farm Project Evaluation

Emma-
Drawing
Her drawing clearly showed the resemblance the book has to the Russian revolution. Truth was written on her drawing but then smeared away which I really liked.

Daryl-
Drawing
In his drawing the words were small and blurry but it still looks like he put a lot of time into it.

Meghann-
Drawing
I liked how she used a different scene with Squealer instead of Snowball or Napoleon. She also

Olivia-
Drawing
I liked how she picked one scene to show all the irony and symbolism instead of all these separate items combined into one picture.

Maddie-
Drawing
Her drawing was different cause she used different animals like the cow and chickens instead of the pigs which was nice and refreshing.

Britta-
Poem
Her poem really showed the relationship between the pigs and other animals. My favorite part was "So good farmers of England, let's have a drink, courtesy of Manor Farm!".

Conor-
Drawing
The part of his drawing I enjoyed the most was the "x"'s on Snowball, Old Major, Trotsky, Marx because it was a different way to show hoe the characters resembled the Russian revolution. 

Galen-
Comic
His comic did the book from start to end and he really showed the theme of this book through his comic.

Nic-
Picture
His was of Napoleon in human cloths drinking a beer. I think this shows a lot of the stuff Napoleon did that were the reasons they rebelled in the first place.

Aaron-
Drawing
His drawing showed the continuous circle that the characters are in which was easy to understand and was very clearly represented.

I put a lot of work into my project. After looking over many of my classmates projects I still feel good about mine but I also think that it is easier to show symbolism on a picture or drawing then in a movie trailer. I feel that my partner and I did a good job and it really show in our final project.