Thursday, December 13, 2012
Journal #23
Being self sufficient is very important. Being self sufficient means that you take control of your own life and do your best to get things done by yourself. In order to succeed in anything, you have to be self-sufficient. You have to rely on yourself. One major component of it is trust. You have to trust yourself to get things done and to get them done right. It becomes very important in the real world. In school, being self sufficient can be the difference between an A and an F. If you don't take control and do your best to get your home work done all by yourself, and you copy someone elses, you: a) don't learn anything, and b) could very possibly receive and F. I do my best to be self-suffient. I do all my homework by myself, I study by myself, and i strive to do the best that i can in everything participate in. So pretty much, just do your own work. It's so much better for you and you actually learn that way. Why take someone elses work? Who knows. They could be kinda on the blonde side and could be SERIOUSLY wrong. Do you WANT to jeopardize your entire grade because you decided to cheat? No! Take control of your life and do things yourself. Life is so much better when you know that you can do things yourself and learn. It also feels good knowing that you can actually function and know that in the future, you might survive in the real world. I mean, come on. Is it really that hard to do the same work that everyone else is doing? No. Listen to the teacher, take notes. Don't talk to other people and don't distract yourself and you might actually not have to cheat and have someone else do your work. Also, self-esteem. Take esteem in your work. Don't just push it off like it's no big thing because it is. School work is important to the max.
Journal #24
How to prepare for finals? Oh, that's easy. Study until your eyes fall out. Literally. The ONLY way to completely prepare for finals is to study everything hardcore. It also depends on exactly what grade you are expecting. If you already have an A in the class, chances are you could do little to no work and still manage a good grade in the class at the end. So, if you don't want to get a perfect, study less and chill more, because you can still get a fair grade. Now, if you don't do well in the class, finals can become our redemption. If you do good on the final, you could very possibly pull a better grade in the class in the end. So the best thing to do, overall, to bring a bad grade up, is work and study and practice and go into complete solitary until you are compleatley and utterly POSITIVE that you know the study guide backwards and forwards, and you could recite it like monks recite the bible. Yes, my friends, it's that easy. No friends, no movies, no nothing until you know your stuff. The few days you become a recluse to study your brain off will prove beneficial in the end. All your friends at school will be sweating it and staying up late every night because they decided not to study hardcore. But you will be breathing easy, knowing that you are totally going to ace the test because it's burnt into the hard drive of your brain like your I-pods library is on your lap-top. Another little thing you should do in your solitary studying is DON'T forget to take breaks. That means you have to eat and walk around once in a while so your limbs don't go numb and you collapse on the floor like a dead seal. Make sure your blood is still flowing, and check it regularly. Also, a good thing to do during break is maybe go around and chat with your family a bit. Or go outside and throw a basketball around. Or take your I-pod doc into your sisters room (while she's studying) and have a dance party. When she kicks you out of her room, that's probably a good notification that you should go back to your room and subject yourself to death by studying. So, to conclude: study. Just study really hard for a few days and in between tests. If you study and take dance party breaks every couple of hours, you'll be fine. And remember: everything you are studying is stuff your ALREADY know, so think of it as a sort of review.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Reaction to Katebs analysis
Kateb's analysis of Emerson's vision of
self reliance was great because it further explained the essay and gave a
different perspective to it. Kateb also had his own idea of about self
reliance. "Self-reliance as a method of thinking with its own
intrinsic value means more than any substantive commitment to a particular
value, principle or idea, or to any practice or institution that embodies or
derives from them" (Kateb). I really liked what he said. He pretty
much described self-reliance as being an idea you can't really put words too.
It means something different to every single person, and this thought he
developed further backs up his thoughts on Emerson's essay. He stated this
point by describing Emerson's essay. "His variety of declarations
tempts us to say that he contradicts himself, but even if we resist the
temptation, we are still not sure where he finally stands. We can admit the
force of his impeachment of consistency in "Self-Reliance" (p. 265),
but may still wish that his assertions did not so frequently collide and
perhaps qualify one another to the point of damaging all of them, leaving us
suspended and uncertain" (Kateb). Kateb made a correct inference about
Emerson's essay and about self-reliance. Emerson himself bounces from point to
point but doesn't chose a straight-up side. He explores a variety
of perspectives, and Kateb clearly noticed this, and based his idea of
self-reliance being unique on this. "In fact, many of the assertions are
not assertions at all. He does not stand behind most of his utterances, even
though he expends his full virtue in them" (Kateb). This was also true,
and again backs up Kateb's point. Emerson describes his assertions, but doesn't
choose one or the other to support. I also thought it was great how Kateb used
other authors descriptions of Emerson's self-reliance essay in his analysis. He
used one quote by Walt Whitman to prove that he wasn't the only one who came up
with his idea. "An almost exasperated Walt Whitman can therefore say of
Emerson: 'He
does not see or take one side, one presentation only or mainly, (as all the
poets, or most of the fine writers anyhow,)—he sees all sides. His final
influence is to make his students cease to worship anything—almost cease to
believe in anything, outside of themselves'" (Kateb).
Kateb uses this quote to get another message across: Emerson didn't support just one point, or choose one certain method because he wanted readers to rely on themselves to choose the one they thought was true. He used his own essay titled "Self Reliance" to make readers exercise self-reliance for themselves. "Emerson's work shows the effort of achieving a method that refuses any 'selecting principle' which derives from something as narrow as one's 'own' personality, and which has so limited an aim as to gather one's like wherever one goes" (Kateb)" Here Kateb says that Emerson did this purposefully. He wanted readers to not be narrow minded, but to consider a variety of conflicting ideas. Kateb's essay was actually very helpful because he used a variety of different quotes from other authors. By doing this he's saying "I'm not the only source and person who thinks this," and he provides alternative views about Emerson's essay. This was extremely smart and helpful. It makes his essay all the more convincing.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo. "Self-Reliance and the Life of the Mind." In Emerson's Transcendental Etudes. Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. 2003. Quoted as "Self-Reliance and the Life of the Mind" in Bloom, Harold, ed. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Updated Edition, Bloom's Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.
Journal #22
I have a love hate relationship with snow. I love how it makes everything look. It falls gently overnight and cloaks everything in a flowing white sheen. It's almost magical. No matter the object, snow can make it look artistic and beautiful, without even trying.
The best feeling is waking up to it! Especially when you hear that it's a snow day, and you can do whatever you want for the rest of the day. I remember many days watching it fall slowly from the leaden sky onto the ground, praying and wishing that the next day i would be able to play in it, and it wouldn't be melted before i got home.
I remember making many snowmen. They never looked like something off of a hallmark card, and no matter how hard me and my dad tried, they were never really white. Always browish and full of leaves and rocks and other junk that the snowball picked up as we rolled it. My dad would always make the bottom half, because it was always really big and extremely heavy, then i would help make the middle and the head. After my dad put all the pieces together, shoved snow in any areas that needed support, and i approved it, we started on the face and arms and other accessories Our snowmen always had stick arms, rocks for the nose, the eyes, and mouth, and never had a scarf. Occasionally, we'd sneak inside, snatch a pot, and use it for a hat. Then, if we thought the snowmen looked too lonely, we would make him a wife or a son.
I also have another great memory of the snow. When the snow drifted up against the house, me and my family would dig into it and make a snow fort, complete with tunnels. Some of the best memories i have of snow is laughing with my sisters, digging out a fort, and crawling through pretending we were inside a cave!
The best feeling is waking up to it! Especially when you hear that it's a snow day, and you can do whatever you want for the rest of the day. I remember many days watching it fall slowly from the leaden sky onto the ground, praying and wishing that the next day i would be able to play in it, and it wouldn't be melted before i got home.
I remember making many snowmen. They never looked like something off of a hallmark card, and no matter how hard me and my dad tried, they were never really white. Always browish and full of leaves and rocks and other junk that the snowball picked up as we rolled it. My dad would always make the bottom half, because it was always really big and extremely heavy, then i would help make the middle and the head. After my dad put all the pieces together, shoved snow in any areas that needed support, and i approved it, we started on the face and arms and other accessories Our snowmen always had stick arms, rocks for the nose, the eyes, and mouth, and never had a scarf. Occasionally, we'd sneak inside, snatch a pot, and use it for a hat. Then, if we thought the snowmen looked too lonely, we would make him a wife or a son.
I also have another great memory of the snow. When the snow drifted up against the house, me and my family would dig into it and make a snow fort, complete with tunnels. Some of the best memories i have of snow is laughing with my sisters, digging out a fort, and crawling through pretending we were inside a cave!
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Journal #21
I thought the quote by Emerson was really deep. The theme he's trying to convey is that good things come from hard work, and that you must go out and do for yourself. Accept what you have and work with it. Don't envy or imitate someone else, or what they have. Take what you have and make it into something good and amazing. It's true. If you want to be successful in life, you can't depend on someone else to do something for you. You can't try to imitate them, and don't envy them. Envy is ignorance because instead of being jealous of someone, be grateful to what you already have. Envying someone else is ignoring the good things you already have with you. Imitation is suicide because by imitating someone else, you are killing your own personality, your own character, and yourself in general. You are you, and imitation is when you try to do away with your personality traits. Be yourself and work hard for success. That is what Emerson is trying to say. Search for yourself rather than envy and imitate somebody else. Doesn't getting something done yourself feel better than having someone do it for you? Individuality is a beautiful thing. This quote is very influential. Its a good philosophy to live by. If more people followed it, i believe more would be happy in life. In this day and age, everyone is trying to imitate one another because we feel like that makes us fit in. But we forget that uniqueness is just as important. I really like when he talks about tilling your own land. Everyone is given a 'piece of land' and the only way to get any thing good out of it is to struggle and till it until you get something good out of it. That's how it really is. We each have a choice. Till our own soil--our own life--and get something good out of it, or go out and try tilling someone else's or have someone do it for us and reap no benefit. Emerson is also trying to say you need to work for what you want. Work hard and struggle through hard times to make it your own.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Journal # 20
The Cycle of Life
From the moment of conception, a life beings. We are swaddled in the darkness of wombs, weather we be cuddled in the damp soil of the earth, or the mother of our beginning. We are birthed. Breaking through the soil and winding up into the waiting sunlight, or sucking in our first breathe, cherishing the feeling of lungs being filled for the very first time. We analyze our world. Opening up our leaves to the waiting sky, or opening our very eyes to view the place we will inhabit for our short eternity. We go out. We rise-- in height, in spirit, and in maturity, stretching to the deep expanses-- whatever we can reach. Our bodies and tender branches elongate, and we reach for anything--everything-- that we can. We take in the air, the water--our life source--flowing from the rivers and into our trembling hands. We are nurtured, weather it be from our parents or the gentle rays of the glowing sun. Our vessels grow. They reach for the sun, hands open wide, legs and roots firmly planted into the earth. We are young. Energy flowing from our thirsty veins. Strength coursing through our corded muscles. Life bursting from our skin and into the world around us. We live. Create a name for ourselves. Make our existence known. But as we reach the end of this phase in life, and we have drunk the nectar of youth and our taste buds can no longer relish it's tang, we stop growing. We recede. The process is slow, grueling. Continuous. Just as we grew, so our bodies sink. We continue our life, nurturing our wasting bodies, doing with what we have. Limping our way through our earth, saddened by the truth revealed to us: We cannot stay here forever. Our souls will tire of our weary bodies. We will ache for more. For a place beyond this place where paradise waits for us. Some of us will pull. We will exhaust our selves tearing away from our destiny. We will make it worse. The strain and the ripping and the tearing will break us. We will go fighting. Calling out to the sun. To the Earth. To our mothers. Cursing them for letting us live so that we will die and glitter into nonexistence again. And some will glide into Death's embrace with their arms open. Melancholy and trembling. But willing. They will not be alone. As they go into the realm where life meets death, they will pass by others. Walking. Waiting. Remembering. Just like them. All have lived, and just as so, all must die. All have felt the warmth of the sun upon their skin, the taste of youth and the flowing water of rivers. All have inhaled the sweet oxygen of life, and have heard the calling of the crow each morning. And just as so, all must hear the beckoning of Death when she comes. So we remember our lives. The birth of our existence, the life we lived, and the recession we experienced. And with frail limbs and bodies, we return to the Earth of which we were birthed. We have lived. We have died. And our existence has blinked away and left a beautiful impression. A legacy. An impression of who we once were.
From the moment of conception, a life beings. We are swaddled in the darkness of wombs, weather we be cuddled in the damp soil of the earth, or the mother of our beginning. We are birthed. Breaking through the soil and winding up into the waiting sunlight, or sucking in our first breathe, cherishing the feeling of lungs being filled for the very first time. We analyze our world. Opening up our leaves to the waiting sky, or opening our very eyes to view the place we will inhabit for our short eternity. We go out. We rise-- in height, in spirit, and in maturity, stretching to the deep expanses-- whatever we can reach. Our bodies and tender branches elongate, and we reach for anything--everything-- that we can. We take in the air, the water--our life source--flowing from the rivers and into our trembling hands. We are nurtured, weather it be from our parents or the gentle rays of the glowing sun. Our vessels grow. They reach for the sun, hands open wide, legs and roots firmly planted into the earth. We are young. Energy flowing from our thirsty veins. Strength coursing through our corded muscles. Life bursting from our skin and into the world around us. We live. Create a name for ourselves. Make our existence known. But as we reach the end of this phase in life, and we have drunk the nectar of youth and our taste buds can no longer relish it's tang, we stop growing. We recede. The process is slow, grueling. Continuous. Just as we grew, so our bodies sink. We continue our life, nurturing our wasting bodies, doing with what we have. Limping our way through our earth, saddened by the truth revealed to us: We cannot stay here forever. Our souls will tire of our weary bodies. We will ache for more. For a place beyond this place where paradise waits for us. Some of us will pull. We will exhaust our selves tearing away from our destiny. We will make it worse. The strain and the ripping and the tearing will break us. We will go fighting. Calling out to the sun. To the Earth. To our mothers. Cursing them for letting us live so that we will die and glitter into nonexistence again. And some will glide into Death's embrace with their arms open. Melancholy and trembling. But willing. They will not be alone. As they go into the realm where life meets death, they will pass by others. Walking. Waiting. Remembering. Just like them. All have lived, and just as so, all must die. All have felt the warmth of the sun upon their skin, the taste of youth and the flowing water of rivers. All have inhaled the sweet oxygen of life, and have heard the calling of the crow each morning. And just as so, all must hear the beckoning of Death when she comes. So we remember our lives. The birth of our existence, the life we lived, and the recession we experienced. And with frail limbs and bodies, we return to the Earth of which we were birthed. We have lived. We have died. And our existence has blinked away and left a beautiful impression. A legacy. An impression of who we once were.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Journal #19
The Boston Massacre
The day was cold, ghosts of shots filled the air
The sounds of screams filled their hearts with despair
The men marched down with their muskets in hand
The phantoms of death lay over the land
all that was left was a crimson nightmare
The mob then closed in, consuming the reds
The fate of lost lives hung over their heads
fists flew in the air and hit 'guilty' men
Defending has now turned into a sin
No one can undo the blood that was shed
The bodies lie still, so covered in snow
with fear in the air, the sound of a crow
calls out in the night, with sun coming soon
Reminding us all of unending doom,
And the dark future we already know
With morning comes pain, and tension severe
If only the king knew what happened here
His greed has become the death of us all
This outwardly act is only a call
To show that freedom is no longer near
So here we lie in the truth we have found
The time to rebel is coming around
Standing for the king, we no more will do
Bright future is here, of past we are through
We now will stand firm and hold our own ground
The day was cold, ghosts of shots filled the air
The sounds of screams filled their hearts with despair
The men marched down with their muskets in hand
The phantoms of death lay over the land
all that was left was a crimson nightmare
The mob then closed in, consuming the reds
The fate of lost lives hung over their heads
fists flew in the air and hit 'guilty' men
Defending has now turned into a sin
No one can undo the blood that was shed
The bodies lie still, so covered in snow
with fear in the air, the sound of a crow
calls out in the night, with sun coming soon
Reminding us all of unending doom,
And the dark future we already know
With morning comes pain, and tension severe
If only the king knew what happened here
His greed has become the death of us all
This outwardly act is only a call
To show that freedom is no longer near
So here we lie in the truth we have found
The time to rebel is coming around
Standing for the king, we no more will do
Bright future is here, of past we are through
We now will stand firm and hold our own ground
Monday, November 19, 2012
Journal # 18
As I pondered the multitude of eyes beaming at me from the magnificent creature, i felt a shiver jolt up my back. My hands began to shake uncontrollably, mouth slack, my mind buzzing and twirling, trying to comprehend what i was seeing. I could imagine the smell of my blood filling this very room, with only one swipe of the monsters talons. In minutes it could happen. I could see myself, screaming for help, eyes bloodshot, body bruised and ripped. The thought made me blanch, and the metallic taste of pure fear washed over my trembling tongue. The monster was truly a sight to behold. It's long , curved, snakelike back tremored with unease, and the dim light of the room hit it's dazzling scales, enslaving my very eyes to it's sight. The arcane creature had a sloping head, set with four eyes, electric blue, and glowing like the midnight sun. It's maw was fitted with doezens of sharp teeth, and it's jaw was strong enough to snap me like a toothpick. They seemed to paralyze, and i couldn't tear my gaze away, no matter how hard i tried. It's four legs, long and slender, ripped with corded muscles and strong enough to kill me with one flick. It's smell filled the room--completely foreign and exotic, causing my nose to twitch with nerves. Out of self defense, I grabbed the nearest object--a hairbrush--and brandished it in front of me, surprising myself as a fierce growl ripped from my trembling lips. "Get BACK!" I screamed, carefully retreating behind the kitchen table. The creature cocked its head to the side, clearly mystified at my actions, and took at gentle step forward, talons clicking on the linoleum. "I said GET BACK!" I screeched again. I backed away even further, till my back was flush against the wall, and began to jab the comb at the air, hoping that i looked as intimidating as i felt. "Don't get ANY CLOSER." I chided. Of cource, it took another step towards me, and I blew up. "I'LL SHOOT! I SWEAR TO YOU I WILL SHOOT!" The idea was preposterous. I was holding a HAIRBRUSH. I could only hope that it didn't understand what it truly was. The creature only seemed mildly offended at my intense warning. It's head turned to the other side, and half of it's eyes averted their gaze away from me and to the open door, which led outside--to the fresh, glorious freedom. I had to get there.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Journal #17
As the light blue fuzz feathered through the warm current of air purring from the heating vent, I drew in a deep, exasperated sigh, and listened to my lungs whine with complaint. Here I was again. Sitting through the usual, lengthy lecture from my charismatic Grandmother, who garbled and squawked continuously. The temperature in the room was overwhelming and as I again adjusted myself in the seat, I could feel the heater lashing scorching lances across my undefended back. Sweat began to trickle down my temple.
The heat was almost embodied .It consumed the room, pacing back and forth, tracing my limbs and neck with it's white hot fingers. My throat constricted and I forced a smile, tasting the electric in the air. Squinting my eyes, I focused attention back to my Grandmother and tried to ignore the terrible feeling of being swallowed alive by a scorching beast. She didn't seem to notice my discomfort though, and continued to babble on. Her sweater was a bright, light, blue today, and sent the familiar smell of peppermint wafting my way on another warm catch of super-heated air. The feathery clothing piece was warm and comfortable I'm sure, but obviously falling apart at the seams. As I observed the way the tender fabric protested, another turquoise fluff from her sweater was drawn up into the heating vent, and my eyes darted away from her face to watch it's graceful decent. It blew to and fro through the toasty air, twirling and flipping like an acrobat. I wondered if it was cooler up there. My mind continued to wonder, but when my eyes drifted to her offended face, and i realized her talking had ceased, I again directed my attention back to her, and watched her careful face as she spoke. "Sarah said we're having jello again for lunch tomorrow," grandma sighed. "They feed it to us almost everyday. Jello, jello jello. Why they think we never tire of it, I'll never know!" She heckled playfully and smiled at me, her wrinkles lifting and her face lighting up. I nodded at her, and she squeezed her eyes shut like she just noticed something. " My goodness! It's rather chilly in here today," She wrapped her frail, spider- veined hands around her thinning arms and pretended to shiver. I forced a smile again, praying to God that she would talk about something I could focus more easily on. "Tell me that poem i like, Grandma," I urged. My mind flashed back to my childhood. Visions of her younger, livelier face danced through my head. There i was, sitting on the floor, my back against the cozy, embroidered couch, listening to the same poem. T-Shirt bottom rolled up above my stomach, hair pulled back into a ponytail, sweat trickling from my pores. A cold, refreshing pink lemonade clutched in my hand, condensation dripping over my tiny fingers. The memory upturned my lips gently, and I drew in a pleasurable breath and listened. She began to recite it, and i relished the fact that my ears could now focus in on her soft, soothing words. I relaxed in my chair and put my feet up on the coffee table in front of me, enjoying the feeling of comfort. Grandmother's hands clenched and revolved around her wrists, rhythmically dancing to her rhymes As she continued her requested story, my eyes began to droop, and the intensity of the heat swam to the back of my mind. It no longer bothered me. And with the smell of peppermint, the soothing sound of my Grandmother's voice, and the warm arms of heat wrapped around me, i let my eyes close, and descended into the calming darkness of sleep.
The heat was almost embodied .It consumed the room, pacing back and forth, tracing my limbs and neck with it's white hot fingers. My throat constricted and I forced a smile, tasting the electric in the air. Squinting my eyes, I focused attention back to my Grandmother and tried to ignore the terrible feeling of being swallowed alive by a scorching beast. She didn't seem to notice my discomfort though, and continued to babble on. Her sweater was a bright, light, blue today, and sent the familiar smell of peppermint wafting my way on another warm catch of super-heated air. The feathery clothing piece was warm and comfortable I'm sure, but obviously falling apart at the seams. As I observed the way the tender fabric protested, another turquoise fluff from her sweater was drawn up into the heating vent, and my eyes darted away from her face to watch it's graceful decent. It blew to and fro through the toasty air, twirling and flipping like an acrobat. I wondered if it was cooler up there. My mind continued to wonder, but when my eyes drifted to her offended face, and i realized her talking had ceased, I again directed my attention back to her, and watched her careful face as she spoke. "Sarah said we're having jello again for lunch tomorrow," grandma sighed. "They feed it to us almost everyday. Jello, jello jello. Why they think we never tire of it, I'll never know!" She heckled playfully and smiled at me, her wrinkles lifting and her face lighting up. I nodded at her, and she squeezed her eyes shut like she just noticed something. " My goodness! It's rather chilly in here today," She wrapped her frail, spider- veined hands around her thinning arms and pretended to shiver. I forced a smile again, praying to God that she would talk about something I could focus more easily on. "Tell me that poem i like, Grandma," I urged. My mind flashed back to my childhood. Visions of her younger, livelier face danced through my head. There i was, sitting on the floor, my back against the cozy, embroidered couch, listening to the same poem. T-Shirt bottom rolled up above my stomach, hair pulled back into a ponytail, sweat trickling from my pores. A cold, refreshing pink lemonade clutched in my hand, condensation dripping over my tiny fingers. The memory upturned my lips gently, and I drew in a pleasurable breath and listened. She began to recite it, and i relished the fact that my ears could now focus in on her soft, soothing words. I relaxed in my chair and put my feet up on the coffee table in front of me, enjoying the feeling of comfort. Grandmother's hands clenched and revolved around her wrists, rhythmically dancing to her rhymes As she continued her requested story, my eyes began to droop, and the intensity of the heat swam to the back of my mind. It no longer bothered me. And with the smell of peppermint, the soothing sound of my Grandmother's voice, and the warm arms of heat wrapped around me, i let my eyes close, and descended into the calming darkness of sleep.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Journal #16
There was this one time that Lady Gaga wore meat to some award ceremony. I never actually saw it, but i heard about it for months afterward. Actually, that was one of the things that set Lady Gaga apart from everyone else, and ever since then, she dresses really odd in public. For example, at ANOTHER awards ceremony she dressed up like a dude! I was watching this on TV and i was thinking "Who IS that? I recognize the voice and everything, but who IS that person!?" The next day everyone was talking about it. That 'boy' i saw on TV was actually Lady Gaga. I was really shocked! People responded in different ways. Some people thought it was just really weird but they knew she did it to get extra attention. Some responded negatively, calling her a freak and talking really bad about her because she dressed really drastically. Personally, i thought it was just interesting. I didn't have anything against it, but i did think it was rather peculiar that she chose to wear something so outrageous--and more than once! Doing this earned her a name though, and she finally established herself as someone unique and different as the rest. Some think she's just an artist with the way she dresses. I just think she wanted a little extra attention. I mean, you have control over what you wear, and going for something completely 'out there' is definitely going to catch peoples eye. I think it was kind of inspiring. Most people don't really have the guts to wear whatever they want. Lady Gaga is famous tough, and no one can tell her what she can and cannot wear. She doesn't have to worry about social suicide because she's confident enough that her fans will like her no matter what. Plus, what you wear doesn't change how good your music is. Though, just because one person decides to go out in a meat suit and later dressed up like a boy doesn't mean that i'm going to go that far! It just is crazy how people's thoughts of you can change so quickly by what you wear out in public.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Journal #15
I have a lot of people that i miss in my life. I've had to move many times, and it all just depends on what kind of relationship you make with that person. Friends are great, and i do have friends i miss, but the person i miss most of all would have to be my cousin Heather. She is one of the coolest people i know, and she's my age, so we relate really well! I see her only a couple times a year because she lives somewhat far away, but mostly because her family situation is complicated, which means she can't come see me. I get to see her on Thanksgiving and New Years, but i don't think that's nearly enough. Her and i see eye to eye, and whenever we go to my Aunts for Thanksgiving, we always exchange funny stories and end up laughing our heads off! I don't think there had ever been a time I've seen her and i HAVEN'T laughed! We always have a great time.Both of us really like to right stories too! Ever since we were little we'd write these little plays and we and my other cousins would perform it in front of all the adults. We did that for YEARS, but now since we're older, we just tell each other about recent stories we've written, and talk about books we've read and movies we've seen. I miss her because she's just a super nice person who's really fun to hang with, and we both like the same things. Her and I both love writing, reading, music, plays, and movies. I try to contact her mainly over Facebook which is her main way of communication. Sometimes i text her and sometimes i call too. We really like talking over Facebook and seeing how each other is doing. Facebook is great because we both post pictures of things we've been doing, and sometimes if i see a funny picture with a hilarious quote on it, i share it with her on Facebook so she can see it! There was this one time she found this hilarious website and she sent me the link over Facebook It totally cheered up my day! We both like to encourage each other too. Once in a while i message her on Facebook and encourage her, and she'l do the same for me. She's close like a sister to me. There is one good thing about not seeing her all the time. It makes the times when i DO get to see her much better! It's part of the reason why we always have something to talk about when we see each other.There are new ways i think we can contact each other too. Since her and i both like to write, i think it would be fun to write letters back and forth. Letters can really cheer you up because unlike electronic messages, they mean more and you can read them later. So next time i want to contact her, i think i'm going to try sending her a handwritten letter, and it will be really exciting to wait for her reply.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
The Pit and the Pendulum and Dark Romanticism
Edgar
Allen Poe’s short story, “The Pit and the Pendulum” is one of morbid
description, snakelike suspense, and dark dungeons of despair. The story weaves
in and out of a man’s consciousness, and his steep steps into the arms of
insanity. Faced with certain death and forced through the agony of torture,
Poe’s unnamed character must face the consequences of an unnamed and possibly
harmless ‘crime’. Mysterious in plot and description, Poe’s story loudly
exemplifies the style of Dark Romanticism. This type of Romanticism writing
deals with suspense, psychological struggle, and other dark elements. Poe’s
story exemplifies it in several ways: mood, setting and plot, the psychological struggle of the character,
and the symbolism of human nature.
Poe announces the mood of his story within
the first sentence. “I was sick—sick unto death with that long agony,” (
Poe 263). From the start, we can clearly identify the fact that the main
character is in an intense struggle. As the character continues to describe his
situation, it is made aware to readers that he is being sentenced by terrible
and harsh judges, of which he is very afraid ( Poe 263). Poe also uses
reoccurring terms like agony, death, torture
and horror on multiple occasions,
setting the mood of the story as dark and terrible (Poe 263-275). The thought of the main characters arising
death also makes the story more macabre.
Likewise, Romanticism is also seen in the story’s setting. Poe puts his
character in the brutality of the Spanish Inquisition, one of the darkest times
this world has seen. This was a time
period where Catholics accused others of heresy against the church and many
people were tried, put to death, or imprisoned, making this the perfect time
setting for a Dark Romantic tale (Poe 262). Not
only does Poe’s mood and setting exemplify Dark Romanticism, but his main
character does too. He is a trembling, frightful man, convicted of an unknown
crime, and then thrown into a dungeon of terror. Poe has begun his dark story
at last, and as the plot is played out, more Dark Romanticism is seen within
the pages.
Hidden within
Poe’s plot is not only the story of a doomed man, but also one of a man’s
psychological struggle: one of fear, insanity, and the shadow of death.
Naturally, one of the most defining traits of Dark Romanticism is the discussion
of the human psyche. Poe’s character demonstrates this consistently. As the
protagonist realizes that the pendulum is moving closer to him, he assumes it
will eventually slice him in half. After making this morbid inference, his mind
takes a dark turn . “I saw that the crescent was designed to cross the region
of the heart. It would fray the serge of my robe-it would return and repeat its
operations—again—and again,” ( Poe 270). Days pass, and he comments, “I grew
frantically mad, and struggled to force myself upward against the sweep of the
fearful scimitar,” ( Poe 269 ). Poe’s protagonist begins to lose his mind under torture,
and this demonstrates the psychological element in Dark Romanticism. Another reason for intense psychological
struggle of the protagonist results from
his consistent falls in and out of consciousness. “The narrator's task is
simply to save himself, but in order to survive he must know where he is; the
first crucial task he undertakes is to try to orient himself. However, his
efforts are complicated by his moving back and forth between sleep and waking;
each time he falls asleep, he must reorient himself all over again”, (May).This
continual process of re orientation drives the protagonist to his very edge,
further proving the style of Dark Romanticism.
Literature
of Dark Romanticism also has a lot to tell about human nature. How far will one
man go to save himself? Does hope still lie within the mind of a persecuted
prisoner? This story proves that people will go to great lengths to prevent
death. The main character here rubs his food all over the strap restraining
him, and allows hungry, ravenous rats to pile over his body in hope that the
rats will eat his strap away (Poe 273). These rats come from the terrifying pit,
which the protagonist mentions time and time again scares him immensely—yet he
does this to save himself (Poe 265-275.) Another element mentioned in this
story is hope. Despite his situation, the protagonist still holds a hope within
him. “It was hope that prompted the
nerve to quiver—the frame to shrink. It was hope—the hope that triumphs on the
rack—that whispers to the death-condemned even in the dungeons of the Inquisition,”
(Poe 271).It is human nature that prompts people to face fears in doom and
still hope in the shadow of death.
The symbolistic elements of human nature, the
mood and setting of this story and the psychological details of the protagonist’s
torture are all elements of a strong Dark Romantic style. Poe’s story serves as
a superb example of how a traditional Dark Romantic should be written. “The Pit
and the Pendulum” not only contacts the senses,
but manages to throw the reader into the
character’s terrifyingly real word, leaving a permanent mark in their minds. It
is emotional, haunting, and grotesque, but still extremely satisfying to read.
Poe’s short story is a continued read not only for its twisted plot, but for
the high-quality Romantic style he wrote it in.
May, Charles E.
"Alternate Realms of Reality." In Edgar Allan Poe: A Study of Short
Fiction. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991, pp. 96–97. Quoted as "Dreams and
Reality in the Story" in Harold Bloom, ed. Edgar Allan Poe, Bloom's Major
Short Story Writers. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 1998. (Updated
2007.) Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc.
http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin=
BMSSEP39&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 4, 2012).
Poe, Edgar A. "The Pit and the Pedullum." Glencoe
Literature. Ed. Jeffery D. Wilhelm. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. 263-73. Print.
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Journal #12
There have been many times when I've been very afraid. There is the regular everyday fear, paranoia , and then there is real fear. I usually don't experience REAL fear. I mostly just feel paranoia, but this year there was a time when I actually was really fearful So me and a couple of my friends went to a haunted house. To me, it wasn't actually scary. The 'scary' part was your own nervousness and paranoia of the unknown. We had no idea what was going to come next. Usually, to make the fear go away, you just grab on to the person in front of you and keep going. Well, one thing you should know about me is that I am very claustrophobic. I get very frightened when I get put in small spaces. Usually I don't have to worry about this fear day to day because i don't rarely have to go in any area that makes me nervous and scared. Being in small spaces for a long time is extremely frightening to me too. Anyway, so we went to this haunted house, and i didn't expect to be scared at all. I just wanted to see their decorations. The 'monsters' were just people in costume, i knew that. They were not any sort of threat whatsoever because i knew they were here to have fun too. So we go through this house. We go from room to room and there are all sorts of things to see. Each room is a different scene and is filled with different monsters in full body costume, which i thought looked really awesome. I really wasn't scared at all, and i just kept my hand on the back of my sisters jacket, or sometimes on my friends jacket, so i wouldn't get separated. We went through this dark maze, and i had no idea how small it was because i couldn't see, so that didn't scare me at all. It was all fun until we came to this certain dead end. There was just a slit in the wall, made up of the material blow up bouncy houses are made of.. I stared at it because i had no idea what was supposed to happen. Then my friend Ryan and my sister walked right into it, and because i didn't want to get left behind, i followed. It was TERRIBLE. The material pressed down on me from all sides, top, bottom, sides--everywhere. It was pitch black and i felt like i was being strangled alive. I had no idea how long it went on, or where we were even going, but i felt like someone was crushing me. My claustrophobia kicked in and i almost went into panic mode. Any second i was going to have a total freak out. I can't even describe how scared i was. I know claustrophobia is listed as an 'abnormal' fear, but it was extreamely real to me and i almost couldn't stand it. I kept my hand on my sisters jacket and just prayed and prayed that we would get out of there, i was so terrified. It seemed to go on forever, and i felt that if we didn't break through in one second, i was just going to be suffocated to death. Finally, we broke through, and i got a taste of fresh air. Relief flooded through me, and i looked back at the thing i just came out of. That was something that was completely and utterly terrifying for me.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Journal 13
Franklin's
Virtue project wasn't exactly easy, but it was insightful. There were several
things I learned, and it was new and interesting to get to associate with
people from other schools. I learned WAAAAAY more about Franklin than I ever
had in my entire life, and I feel like the information I obtained will be
helpful in the future. Having a challenge to accept made the Project much more
interesting. I thought it was kind of cool how everyone had to pick one of the
virtues and follow it for an entire day. I've never actually done that myself,
and I learned a lot about how I act from that. I gained alot of practice with
youtube because I was the editor, so by having to use it, I learned how to
present a video and make it look cool. I also got to collaborate with several
other students, including the Farmington ones, who were very willing to be a
part in the whole project. For the future, instead of using E-Mail, I think
that a Ning would be more efficient. A Ning is kind of like a facebook, but you
can create your own site and friend people who are in your group, and then you
can communicate with them over that. Having someone posts something on a Ning
wall makes messages alot easier to keep track of. I had to talk to my
group via E-Mail, and because i get a lot of emails in general, it was hard to
sort through the ones that had to do with this project. I think most certainly
that having everyone set up a Ning would be much more efficient. Students will
know how to use it because it's just like facebook, but it will only have group
members on it, so the students won't get mixed up with facebook friends. I used
one in the Netgen project in Speech Class last year, and it worked well. My partners unfortunately didn't
really contact me AT ALL in the Netgen project, but it worked for some
other students and I think it would be nice to give it a try. Deadlines were another big deal. I think it would have helped if teachers enforced them harder, or went through a check list and made sure every student did their part. I had some problems with the video part because i was the editor. More time would be much better. Another class period would be great. The problem mainly was time. Students just didn't have enough time to get the videos done. Anyway, the
project was alright. Communication, like always, was a big deal. One Plains kid
and two from Farmington contacted me, but the other Plains kids did not. It was
difficult to collaborate when people don't always contact you. We managed it
though. It helped that there was a lot of individual work. That made it much
better because everyone was responsible for them self. That was definitely a plus.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Was Franklin Successful in Becoming a Better Person by Implementing His Virtues?
Franklin was
a man of many accomplishments. He was man
who went from rags to riches and drove through hardships to get there. He was
an eloquent philosopher, full of ideas to better society and the rest of the
world. He was an inventor, who did his best to leave his mark in this vast universe.
Franklin, the kind hearted man that he was, felt obligated to continue these
feats. In attempt to better his own self, he overcame his pride and completed
one of his most influential accomplishments: The Thirteen Virtues. These virtues spelled
out how one should live one’s life, and Franklin followed them closely, even
going as far as to develop an elite system to keep himself from straying away
from his well-developed morals. Choosing to correct one’s own moral is a brave
and difficult thing to do, and society still wonders today if Franklin was
successful in becoming a better person by implementing these virtues. The answer to this question can be seen
throughout literature. From the success and cleverness of Franklin’s system
mention in his autobiography, and from
words of continued praise seen in Tuckerman’s essay“ Franklin’s Character”,
it is easy to see that Franklin was not only a good moraled man, but also a consistent
one, all because he chose to take a stand and follow a set of virtues that he
created.
Standing up and pointing
out one’s own wrongs is one of the most
toilsome things a man can do, but Benjamin Franklin took on this inner odyssey
with humbleness and determination. The key to Franklin’s success in becoming a
better person was in the method he used to keep his virtues. In his autobiography,
Franklin says that he decided to take the virtues one at a time, rather than
take them all on to himself together (Franklin). One can infer that the separation of the virtues
is what made him successful. However, Franklin continues in making his method
even more auspicious. He describes how he made a weekly chart of his
wrongdoings, and to keep track he said, “I might mark, by a little black spot,
every fault I found upon examination to have been committed respecting that
virtue upon that day,” (Franklin 85).He recorded his every wrong, and refused to move on to another virtue
until he had fully mastered the one before. Since it is known that Franklin
completed this process many times, it is safe to say that Franklin successfully
mastered each virtue. As Franklin
continued this process, he began to see the results. In his Autobiography, he
said, “I had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish,” when referring to the
black dots that were representations of his wrongs (Franklin 88). Franklin goes
on to describe the rewards he reaped while following his system. After
mastering Humbleness, Franklin said, “ I soon found the advantage of this
change in my manner; the conversations I engag’d in went on more pleasantly,
The modest way in which I propos’d my opinion s procur’d them a readier
reception,” (Franklin 91). He also
mentioned noticing how his influence in councils increased ( Franklin). Franklin
finally stated that he believed he had become a better person by strictly
following his virtues: “I was, by the endeavour, a better and a happier man
than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it,” (Franklin 89).
Tuckerman
further supports the idea that Franklin made himself a better man. By his
continued praise, it is very clear that Franklin went above and beyond. “ If we
compare the life of Franklin, as a whole, with that of other renowned
philosophers, we find that the isolated self-devotion, the egotism and vanity,
which too often derogate from the interest and dignity of their characters of
men, do not mar the unity of the tranquil, honest, and benign disposition which
lends a gracious charm to the American Philosopher,” (Tuckerman). Franklin, in
being compared to other philosophers, outshines them completely. Why? Franklin did something that they did not: He
took it upon his own hands to make
himself better. As I mentioned
previously, One of Franklin’s virtues was humbleness, the opposite of vanity
and egotism. The absence of these elements in Franklin’s life, according to Tuckerman,
was one of his most defining features! Franklin worked very hard to force them
from his life, and he clearly succeeded. That is one of the things Franklin is
remembered for. Not only does Tuckerman say this, but he also clearly states
that people admired him for his moral
uprightness, self-devotion, consistency , his patriotism, the habits he
exemplified, truths he made vital, interests he promoted, prosperity he
initiated, and the silent dignity with which he was content (Tuckerman). All of
these reasons for admiration are directly related to the morals Franklin worked
so hard to keep, further proving that he succeeded in making himself a better
person.
Franklin’s
choice to implement his set of virtues drastically affected his life. He saw
the benefits, and mentioned more than once the rewards and progress he made.
His method of following them and his determination to do so can be fully
credited to his success . Franklin knew that he was becoming a better person,
and he continued to keep it up. As said by Tuckerman, Franklin is remembered
for his moral uprightness, and it has been made known that this was a direct
result of Franklin’s hard work to better himself. From the results mentioned,
it is fully justifiable to state that Franklin was indeed successful in
becoming a better person. Now the question to be further analyzed is no longer 'was Franklin successful?' but rather 'could one be successful if one tried?'
Franklin, Benjamin. The
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Philadelphia: Henry Altemus, 1895. Print.
Tuckerman, Henry
T. "Franklin's Character." Comp. Harold Bloom. Benjamin Franklin, Classic Critical Review. New York: Chelsea House, 2006. N. pag. Print.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Journal #12
What is the American Dream of today? I don't think the American dream has ever changed. It's stayed pretty constant over the years. So what is it? I think the American Dream is having wealth. Wealth in finance, wealth of family time, wealth in your health. Success in what you do. No stress. No worries. Having more than enough to be happy. Everyone in the entire world wants that. No one likes to have to worry about money, or worry about their health, or worry about their family. The American Dream is the absence of worry. You can achieve SOME of it. Some people can be rich, so they don't ever have to worry about money. Some can be healthy, but not rich. Some might be poor and unhealthy, but have a great family. It's impossible to achieve the American Dream entirely. I mean, we spend our whole lives attempting to reach it, maybe even just brush it with our fingers, but it's impossible to get there. We think people who are rich, who are movie stars, or billionaires are living the Dream, but in truth, they aren't. They might be rich, but what about the other things? Health and family and so on? We can't ever know who's actually living it. There is no way to know. So we just go throughout our lives, climbing the latter until we reach the Dream. Doing our best to enjoy our lives as best we can, and making do with what we have. No worries. Money to do whatever you want with it. Always healthy. No family troubles or ruts to get stuck in. Getting to do what you want. Enjoying your life. Being stressful No more worries. No more stress. That is the American Dream. Will anyone ever actually reach it? I guess we'l never know.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Benjamin Franklin's Virtues and how they reflect Rationalization
I found
Benjamin Franklin’s Virtues to be very helpful, well thought out, and
inspiring. Franklin made an outward effort to better himself, and doing
something like that takes a lot of courage. He admitted his wrongs, developed a
set of virtues in a rational way, and he pledged to live by them, reflecting on
them every day. His Virtues and his plan to follow them was rationalistic
because he thought them through. He actually took the time to think about what
Virtues would improve your life the most, and chose them accordingly. To do
something like that is life changing, and I think everyone can learn a thing or
two from Ben Franklin
Ben
Franklin, from the start, demonstrates a Rationalistic lifestyle. He begins by
saying he respects and accepts all religions, and then describes how he chose
not to go to church meetings because his preacher only targeted how to live
like a Presbyterian, not a good moraled man (Franklin 82). This in itself is a
Rationalistic way of life. He acknowledges and respects all religions and is
very open, which was a rationalism way, and gets to choose weather not to go to
church on his own, which is very rationalistic compared to the Puritan way of
life. Because the preacher doesn’t teach morals, he decides to teach himself
and take control. He then chooses 13 Virtues
to live by, each with their own logical definitions.
His
first few Virtues are Temperance, Silence, Order, Resolution, and Frugality. Because Franklin was a rationalist, he believed
that there was other ways to do things, and in this case, other ways to ‘boost your morals’ besides going to church.
Rather than go through each one and explain why I think he chose them, I’m
first going to say that I believe he chose all his virtues based on reason and
experience. Each one could benefit your life if you followed them well. He
thought them through and noted which
ones were most important and logical to follow. All were rationalistic, but of
the few I mentioned previously, I found Order and Resolution to be the most.
Order is rationalistic because it is logical to take control of your life and
better yourself by regulating what you do.
If you want to be successful in life you must learn to organize it. You have to keep things in their place, make
time for everything you do. Franklin understood that. Resolution was rational
because it revolves around decision making. You have to make decisions in life
in a logical way. Think things through, and if you resolve to do something, DO
IT. Do it ‘without fail’ (Franklin 84). That will make your life much easier
and smoother.
The rest of his morals were Industry,
Sincerity, Justice, Moderation, Cleanliness, Tranquility, Chastity, and
Humility. Again, they were all rational morals, but the ones that stood out to
me were Industry and Tranquility. Industry was the most rationalistic of them
all, mainly because it talks about how to spend your time. It says that you should ‘lose no time’ and do things
that are always useful and necessary (Franklin 84). If you’re going to live
your life, you need to make sure you are living it to its fullest and in the
best way. Rationally, you should only do things that are beneficial to you in
the long run. I think Franklin chose this one because he noticed how people
spend so much time doing things that don’t help them at all. They waste their
time when they could be doing something useful with it. Rationalists were
really into that lifestyle because they saw it as a way to live their life to its
fullest potential. My other choice was
Tranquility. It related to Industry, except it was more on the ‘don’t waste
your breath’ side. If you are going to speak, make it useful. Don’t waste your
time getting involved in vain conversations. Talk intellectual to better yourself
and your knowledge.
I
found Franklins method of following his virtues rational too. It was extremely
well organized and logical. He didn’t over load himself and even said “I judg’d
it would be well not to distract my attention by attempting the whole at once,
but to fix it on one of them at a time; and, when I should be master of that,
then to proceed to another” (Franklin 85). He chose ones he thought would be
easiest to start with, and by mastering that would help him master the
following virtue. He really thought it out, and by reflecting on them each
night was able to look back and view his progress. He made it so that he could
visibly see how his character was shaping in a positive way.
Overall,
his Virtues were well planned, and he chose them all for specific reasons. They
were all rational because they were significant things that, if changed in a
positive way, could better someone’s life. By developing them on his own, he
demonstrated Order because he took control of his character. He made each day
count, and asked himself how he’d improved someone else’s life and himself each
day. He lived his life in a rational way, and his virtues and the way he
followed them demonstrated the Rationalization period.
Franklin, Benjamin. The
Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. Philadelphia: Henry Altemus, 1895. Print.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Journal 10: Virtues
Virtues are a way of life. A set of values that everyone makes for themselves so they know when they've gone to far. They are a line that a person draws, and they train them self not to cross it.Over time, I've adopted my parents values, and I've made some virtues for myself.
The first virtue that I keep is integrity. I don't like it when people are dishonest, especially with one another. No one likes deception. I try to do everything with integrity, even though sometimes it can be hard. It't the same thing as honesty, and honesty in itself is extremely important. Liars don't get anywhere in life, and if you don't do things with integrity, no one can trust you.
Another virtue I keep is hard work. I believe that everyone should do their best in everything they attempt or succeed in. Having someone else do something for you isn't going to teach you anything. It won't make you a better person, and it wouldn't be yours. I especially keep this virtue when i'm doing homework. I don't copy off of others because first of all, it's dishonest, and second of all, I won't learn anything from that. I do all my work myself, like i'm supposed to.
I also try to be compassionate. Everyone has bad days. Some people can be kind one day, and grouchy the next. I believe that it doesn't matter. The person is still a person, and just because they have a bad day doesn't mean you have to be really hard on them. In simpler words, I like to 'give people a break'. Give them the benefit of the doubt. I like to be compassionate.
I also don't like to judge people harshly. It's always very difficult to avoid judgment, especially when you know everyone else judges you too. I understand that judging others is an instinct, but if I find myself dong that, I try not to think about it. Judging someone in a cruel way before you know them is cutting them short. It't not respectful. Who knows! They could be a really cool person, and you might never know that because you judge them too harshly before you ever meet them! So i keep myself open, and i try not to be judgmental.
Monday, September 24, 2012
The Declaration of Independence Reflection Blog
“The Declaration of Independence”,
to me, was a wonderful work of literature. Honestly, I had never in my life read the entire thing because I was never
given the assignment to. I actually
really liked the work. The thing that really stood out to me was how logical it
was. "The Declaration of Independence" was the United States written formal
statement as to why they wanted to split away from Great Britain. The work was
literally a record of the reasons why they had the right to pull away and be
their own country. It was very persuasive to me, and i found myself agreeing with them many times.
Thomas Jefferson uses several affective techniques in this work to persuade
readers to his side and also to gain their understanding.
The
majority of the persuasive techniques described in the “Recognizing Propaganda
Techniques and Errors of Faulty Logic” article were describing ‘bad’ and ‘tricky’
ways to persuade someone. They weren’t really being described as good and effective way to persuade, and
to me, weren’t assumed to be used in a good way. Thomas Jefferson, however,
uses several of the techniques but the way he uses them appears to support his
argument well. His major argument was that the Colonies should break away from
Britain. He was trying to justify this. The main way he justified his reasons
was by using the propaganda technique of “Name Calling”. He attached a bad
feeling and name to King George, and listed off the unjustified things he
did that drove the Colonies to rebel, using words like “tyranny”, “refused”, “swarms”, and “harass”. An example of this was when Jefferson said, “He
has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the
lives of our people” (Jefferson 124). He goes on later and says that King
George is sending over armies to “complete the works of death, desolation, and
tyranny,” (Jefferson 124). Jefferson continues this listing of Georges unjustly
acts, and makes sure to leave nothing out. To me, King George does NOT sound like an
enjoyable guy, and that is exactly
what Jefferson wants. George was a
bad guy, and his cruelty to the colonies justified Jefferson’s want to split
from them.
There
were some other major propaganda tecniques I noticed as I read on that may or may
not qualify as faulty logic. Thomas Jefferson did not use specific examples. He
was very general about everything, and made everything seem like it had occurred
often instead of noting specific times when it did. For example, “He has dissolved
representative houses repeatedly” (Jefferson 123). Notice, he says ‘repeatedly’.
He doesn’t list off the different times the king did it, or who he did it to,
he just says ‘repeatedly’ and assumes everyone will know. In the same tokenJefferson also uses a technique
similar to “card stacking”. He tells all the bad occurrences and withholds every
good one, leaving the audience to assume that King George didn’t do anything good at ALL. And for all we
know, he might not have. Jefferson only repetitively mentions all of the
wrongful things George did, and with each event, the audience finds themselves appalled
by how terrible George was as a king.
In conclusion, “The Declaration of Independence” was successful at persuasion. If it hadn’t been, we might not be the free country we are today. Someone had to write it, and someone had to justify the reasons to split. This document was a logical listing of why the colonies had the right to pull away from great Britain, and Jefferson used several propaganda techniques like name calling and card stacking to get his point across and gain an understanding.
Jefferson, Thomas. "The Declaration of Independence."
Glencoe American Literature.
N.p.: McGraw-Hill, n.d. 82-85. Print.
Journal #10
Brach's
Star Brites Mints are the PERFECT pick-me-up for any slow moving day! Craving
sugar or sweets but want to stay healthy? Grab a hand full of Mints to get you
through your day. They're HEALTHY, and with the drowsy cold season approaching,
they are a GREAT REMEDY for opening up your sinuses and giving you a relaxing
coolness in your throat. IN FACT, Mr. Langley, you should BRING THEM with you
to NEXT CLASS!!! Why bring Brach's Star Brites Mints to your next class? Well,
they're are actually many reasons. First, our class is early in the morning,
and many people (especially teenagers like us) don't eat breakfast every
morning or don't eat enough to keep them going till lunch. Mints are a perfect
way to curb hunger and help us focus on the work we need to accomplish in English class,
because being hungry is extremely distracting! So next time your hear
a student complaining about early morning hunger, all you have to do is give
them a few mints to get them through your class! So that is one major reason
why you should bring them for us. Another great reason is that, like I said
previously, cold season is coming, and mints are great for opening up sinuses
and helping us all breathe easy. Having a stuffy nose is very distracting in
class time, and instead of having us disrupt the class by getting up
to go to the nurse's office to grab a cough drop, why not just give
us a fresh spearmint to relieve our ailment? It seriously works, and in
ALL HONESTY I use mints all the time when I have a cold. A third reason
you should bring them is because most of us are drowsy in the morning and maybe
didn't get a good amount of sleep the night before. Ever tried to lecture a
class only to find out that half of us are asleep? All you've got to do is have
us all eat a mint, and the coolness will wake us up and bring us back to focus
on the lesson. Overall, mints a great to have in a class room! They have many
uses, and I’ve already explained to you some of them. So don't let your class
be distracted from the lesson, just give out some mints and you're next lesson
is sure to go smoother.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Journal #9
My favorite season is spring, but Autumn comes in as a close second. I like fall for several reasons. First of all, its the LEAVES. When it comes, everything starts to metamorphasize into something new. The lush green leaves start to dull, and their colors change to scarlet, orange like the sunset, and yellow like the morning sun. The hot stuffy temperatures of summer begin to recede, and the air becomes crisp and fresh. My favorite thing to do is open all the windows in the house and let the coolnesss come in. I also love it because you get to wear a hoodie or a jacket, and you never get too hot! Football season is in the autumn to, and i love going to games to watch our Plainsmen. Because it's cold enough, you can also have bonfires, which are really fun too. Another reason I like autumn it is the SMELL. The crunchy leaves and the freshness can completely change your day. There is no better thing to wake up to in the morning. With autumn comes chilly winds that blow and brush the colorful trees gently. Halloween and Thanksgiving come too. Halloween is awesomely fun, and my little sisters put on their costumes and run from house to house through the chilly night breezes, then come home with smiling faces, sugary mouths, and pumpkins full of candy. As for Thanksgiving, my family always goes to my Aunt and Uncles house, where we spend time with family all day and eat a TON OF FOOD. For the Tyler family, you can never have enough, so my Aunt and Uncle leave it out all day, and we all get platefulls, sit in the living room, and talk about memories and fun times we had thanksgivings before. It's always funny because my Aunt started up a tradition. After we all eat lunch, we go bundle up in coats, mittens, and stocking caps, and then take a walk through the autumn chill, laughing and talking and just having a good time. By the time we get back, our cheeks and faces are flushed red and we all sprint to the house, fling open the door, and let the warmth and smell of yummy food and the sound of giggling welcome us in. Overall it's a wonderful season. It's full of color, and it's a very family oriented time of year because it lead up to the holiday season, with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and finally Christmas!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Journal 8
One time, when my family moved to a new house and a new town, we let our dog Snoopy out to explore the new area. We had only been there for around a day, and Snoopy hadn’t had a chance to go outside yet and look around our new home. My sister Faith let him out, and he ran outside, sniffing around and looking at the new trees and bushes in our yard. Faith went inside for a few moments to get something, and when she came back, Snoopy was gone. She realized that he had ran off, and after looking around the house, she became very emotional because she was very scared that something bad could have happened to him, or that he might have run off and couldn’t find his way back. She was crying and was really, very scared for him, and also she knew the rest of us would be upset because we loved Snoopy and didn’t want anything bad to happen to him. Well, that was exactly what happened. Me and my other sister Lydia were really upset, and my parents were too. At first, none of us knew what to do because we hadn’t ever lost a dog before because Snoopy was our only pet at the time. After we reigned in our emotions though, my dad decided to solve the problem in a rational way. He said that the first thing we needed to do was predict where he might go and how far away he might be. My dad said that he most likely would try going towards the houses downtown because there were a lot of dogs in that area that Snoopy would be drawn too. He also noted that Snoopy was quite fast, but that if he was just looking around he would probably go slower so he could sniff things and get a better look at them. My dad then decided to gather a search party. He went around to some of our neighbors to let them know we’d lost our dog, and they offered to help. So we organized a group of people to go scope out the area because the more people helping would result in us finding Snoopy faster. My dad also told them that Snoopy would come to them if they called his name and clapped their hands at the same time. So all of us went out, car windows open, clapping our hands together calling for him. We all went around the intended route, and after around thirty minutes, we found Snoop! He had gone where my dad suspected, and was on the other side of town near a local gas station, covered in mud. At the sight of us he got extremely excited and was wagging his tail and jumping up and down all over us. The experience was extremely scary for all of us, and we all were very emotional, but in the end we solved the problem in a rational way.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Similarities between Jonathan Edwards' "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" and Miller's The Crucible
Hellfire. Angry God. Confession. Sin. Damnation. The
Crucible and Jonathan Edwards “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” don’t
touch these subjects lightly. In fact, Edwards’ whole sermon is about the wrath
of God and the fire of Hell that awaits those who turn from him. The
Crucible, on the other hand, is a story of Puritans who, rather than point
out things that make God angry, go out and find those people and use their common
sins or imaginary ones to condemn them to be hanged. While comparing them, I found a character with the same beliefs as
Edwards, people who demonstrated Edwards words on ‘hypocrisy’, and the tone of
them both.
The very first thing I noticed about The Crucible was the similarities between Jonathan Edwards, and Mr. Parris, the preacher from the book. John Proctor says this about Mr. Parris: “I have trouble enough without I come five miles 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 28-29). As you saw, Proctor describes Parris preaching ‘hellfire’ and ‘damnation’, which is exactly what Edwards preaches in his sermon. Parris says, “I do not preach for children,” and “It is not the children who are unmindful of their obligations toward this ministry” (Miller 29) Edwards also mentions people of the church being hypocrites and not true Christians (Edwards 99). Parris also states that he thinks ‘the better half of Salem village’ are unmindful, and says “There is either obedience or the church will burn like Hell is burning!” (Miller 30). Clearly Mr. Parris and Edwards see eye to eye. Edwards says basically the same thing in his sermon, saying that “instead of one, how many is it likely will remember this discourse in Hell!” (Edwards 99). He also claims that God is the one holding us out of Hells fiery pit (Edwards 96). Mr. Parris and Edwards are extremely similar, and both are preachers of fire and brimstone and misery. They have the same belief system, and call out the sinners of the church, warning them of their fate. Unfortunately, most people, like Proctor, don’t enjoy what they have to say.
One of the people Edwards talks about in his sermon are hypocrites. People who he claims sit in the church every Sunday and could “be the subjects of this very misery to all eternity”, or the misery of Hell (Edwards 99) So he’s claiming that many of the people in his congregation think they’re fine, but they’re really going to go to Hell in the end. SPEAKING of hypocrites, I saw many of them in The Crucible. The hypocrites I saw were the very people accusing everyone else. People in the church are NOT supposed to go around condemning everyone and killing them for their sins. The church people of The Crucible claim they are doing God’s work, but really, they aren’t at all, which reveals them as hypocrites. For example, Hale is one, as is Danforth. They both search and try people for witchcraft, and put many in jail to be hung. Edwards plays a role similar to theirs. He preaches God’s love, but then points out everyone’s wrongs and tells them they will go to Hell.
The third thing I noticed that is similar between Edwards sermon and The Crucible is the tone of both of them. They are both gloomy, macabre and disturbing. Edwards sermon says things like “great furnace of wrath” and “a wide bottomless pit full of the fire of wrath” (Edwards 98). He goes into great detail and describes the fiery furnace of Hell that people are destined to go to. The Crucible on the other hand is just as disturbing. It describes Christian people killing other Christians for crimes they didn’t commit, and the horror of lies and rumors that only lead to death. Both leave the feeling of death in your mind and are sorrowful and terrifying. They leave your heart thundering in your chest and your mind reeling long after you stop reading them. The tone is intended to be this way in both stories, and was very similar.
In conclusion, there were several similarities between Edwards’ horrific sermon on Hell’s fire and Miller’s macabre book of a town that tears itself apart. Edwards’ beliefs and his characteristics are similar to the character Mr. Parris is Miller’s book. Edwards’ sermon talks of hypocrisy, as does Miller’s characters, and the tone of both works is exactly the same: foreboding and gloomy. Both the Crucible and “Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God” are similar in their subject matter.
The very first thing I noticed about The Crucible was the similarities between Jonathan Edwards, and Mr. Parris, the preacher from the book. John Proctor says this about Mr. Parris: “I have trouble enough without I come five miles 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 28-29). As you saw, Proctor describes Parris preaching ‘hellfire’ and ‘damnation’, which is exactly what Edwards preaches in his sermon. Parris says, “I do not preach for children,” and “It is not the children who are unmindful of their obligations toward this ministry” (Miller 29) Edwards also mentions people of the church being hypocrites and not true Christians (Edwards 99). Parris also states that he thinks ‘the better half of Salem village’ are unmindful, and says “There is either obedience or the church will burn like Hell is burning!” (Miller 30). Clearly Mr. Parris and Edwards see eye to eye. Edwards says basically the same thing in his sermon, saying that “instead of one, how many is it likely will remember this discourse in Hell!” (Edwards 99). He also claims that God is the one holding us out of Hells fiery pit (Edwards 96). Mr. Parris and Edwards are extremely similar, and both are preachers of fire and brimstone and misery. They have the same belief system, and call out the sinners of the church, warning them of their fate. Unfortunately, most people, like Proctor, don’t enjoy what they have to say.
One of the people Edwards talks about in his sermon are hypocrites. People who he claims sit in the church every Sunday and could “be the subjects of this very misery to all eternity”, or the misery of Hell (Edwards 99) So he’s claiming that many of the people in his congregation think they’re fine, but they’re really going to go to Hell in the end. SPEAKING of hypocrites, I saw many of them in The Crucible. The hypocrites I saw were the very people accusing everyone else. People in the church are NOT supposed to go around condemning everyone and killing them for their sins. The church people of The Crucible claim they are doing God’s work, but really, they aren’t at all, which reveals them as hypocrites. For example, Hale is one, as is Danforth. They both search and try people for witchcraft, and put many in jail to be hung. Edwards plays a role similar to theirs. He preaches God’s love, but then points out everyone’s wrongs and tells them they will go to Hell.
The third thing I noticed that is similar between Edwards sermon and The Crucible is the tone of both of them. They are both gloomy, macabre and disturbing. Edwards sermon says things like “great furnace of wrath” and “a wide bottomless pit full of the fire of wrath” (Edwards 98). He goes into great detail and describes the fiery furnace of Hell that people are destined to go to. The Crucible on the other hand is just as disturbing. It describes Christian people killing other Christians for crimes they didn’t commit, and the horror of lies and rumors that only lead to death. Both leave the feeling of death in your mind and are sorrowful and terrifying. They leave your heart thundering in your chest and your mind reeling long after you stop reading them. The tone is intended to be this way in both stories, and was very similar.
In conclusion, there were several similarities between Edwards’ horrific sermon on Hell’s fire and Miller’s macabre book of a town that tears itself apart. Edwards’ beliefs and his characteristics are similar to the character Mr. Parris is Miller’s book. Edwards’ sermon talks of hypocrisy, as does Miller’s characters, and the tone of both works is exactly the same: foreboding and gloomy. Both the Crucible and “Sinner in the Hands of an Angry God” are similar in their subject matter.
Miller,
Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY: Penguin, 1996. Print.
Edwards, Jonathan. "Sinners
in the Hands of an Angry God." Glencoe American Literature. N.p.: McGraw-Hill,
n.d. 82-85. Print.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Journal 7: Bullying
Bullying is cruel and it usually occurs because the bully doesn't realize the damage they really do. Even simple joking can turn to bullying, and it's all about how the person being 'bullied' views it. Personally, i hate bully's. I think the world would be a better place if people would stop and realize how terrible it is to make fun of someone else. Everyone's want in life is to fit in with the rest of society, and if a person is bullied, it ostracizes them and makes them feel like everyone in the entire world doesn't like them. Being bullied can lead the victim to depression and anger, and the consequences are great. School shootings occur mainly because the person has been bullied and treated in a cruel, inhuman way. Bullying another person can end up in tragedy, like the Columbine shooting. the bully usually does't realize the psychological damage they have done to the victim until its too late, and sometimes, the bully ends up becoming the victim. I wish that bullying could stop forever. Hearing for example, about my little sister getting made fun of at school, makes me so angry, if i was there, i think i would do something terrible to the bullies. It's terrible, because she goes to the middle school, so i can't stand up for her, and i know she would't stand up for herself because shes too sweet and tender hearted. I just hate people who are cruel to others. It makes me sick, and the victim is the one who feels the affects, along with the family member. The bully doesn't feel anything. The only affects they get is the satisfaction of knocking someone else down the esteem ladder. It should stop and be outlawed. Everyone should just stop doing it. The only thing that comes out of bullying is pain and hurt, and people these days can be so insensitive to that. Everyone should just stop and think about what they are doing before they say something cruel.
Monday, September 10, 2012
Human Nature in The Crucible
Human nature is the word that
describes our reactions to events, our own inner struggles, and our interaction
with others. It is something every human has in common. There are some things
that every human on this earth will do in their life, because all of us have
the same basic thought process as the rest. The Crucible has a lot to
say about human nature. The characters in The Crucible are faced with horrific problems, and the
entire town is haunted and plagued by the idea that the Devil is among them in
the form of witches. This book shows the
characters reaction to terrible situations and proves that all people cling to
certain natures and thought processes under pressure. Some of which are, lying, blaming others out of fear,
believing the majority over minority,
and attempting to atone for sins.
Lying and blaming others out of fear came up a
lot throughout The Crucible. Blaming someone else for your own wrong doing
is an immediate and instinctive reaction to the fear most people feel of getting
in trouble. The characters of The Crucible rely a lot on the blame game
to get them out of hard situations, and fear is their number one motivator. For
example, in the very beginning of The Crucible, Betty and Abigail have many suspicions surrounding
them, and in order to direct the townspeople’s wrath away from themselves, they
begin to call out names of women in the town whom they claim were in cahoots with the devil (Miller 48). They flat out blame and lie about some women in the
town out of fear, and after that,
everyone is distracted from them, and is consumed with the idea of putting the ‘witches’
away. This way, Abigail and Betty escape their fate. Another example of blame
is when Abigail accuses Mary Warren of witchcraft to direct attention away from
herself, and then Mary Warren accuses Proctor of witchcraft to direct attention
from herself ( Miller 114-118). Both Abigail and Mary are terrified of getting
put into jail and killed, so they push witchcraft on each other, and in the
end, Proctor is the one who gets punished. He denies it, but by that time it is
too late. The court believes the children over him. What Mary and Abigail did
was terrible, but it just goes to show you how human nature really is. It’s
human nature to avoid conflict at all costs, and Abigail and Mary did this by
the blaming technique.
Another
thing I noticed was that it is human nature to believe the majority over a minority.
If, for example, Sally tells Jimmy that Mr. Fido is a witch, and then Jimmy and
Sally both tell Josh and Jacob that same story, then that is four people who
now believe it. If Mr. Fido claims he isn’t a witch at all, then everyone else
will have to decide for themselves who they will believe. That is four people
against one. Four people with the same opinion is seen as more reliable than
one. This concept of believing the majority over minority is seen a lot in The Crucible. Abigail and her band of young girls use their
power of youth and majority over the whole town. For example, they all use it
against Mary when she’s accusing Abigail of being a liar( Miller 114-120). They
act out and claim that she’s bewitching them, all at the same time, and Danforth
can’t help but believe them. In fact, this majority over minority occurs in
more than one place. Once everyone in Salem believes that there is witches among
them and begins to accuse people, everyone joins in because EVERY one things
EVERY one is seeing witches. The court believes the majority of people over the
minority of the people who think it’s wrong. Sometimes the minority is the good
side. But it’s human nature to believe in the majority opinion.
It
is also human nature to atone for past sins. When you do something bad, and you
can’t take back what you did, you try to make it up to the person in a
different way. Two characters do this in The Crucible. One example is
John Proctor. When his wife caught him cheating on her, he tried to atone for
it by getting her out of jail by proving her accuser (Abigail) dishonest (Miller
110). He ruined his reputation and gave himself away doing this, but he tried his best.
Mary Warren also tries to atone for her wrongdoings to Elizabeth and John Proctor.
Proctor convinces her to tell the court the truth, and she does, (Miller 107),
but in the end it isn’t enough and she ends up blaming him.
Overall,
The Crucible really gives readers a good idea about what human nature
is. Like I said previously, people act similarly in different situations,
especially under extreme pressure. The people in The Crucible blamed
others to avoid conflict, believed the majority over the minority, and some
tried to atone for past sins . All of these are examples of human nature, and
The Crucible really made them come out because the characters are very intense.
It shows what the true side of people really looks like, and that people will
sometimes do anything in pressing situations.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. New York, NY:
Penguin, 1996. Print.
Journal 6--Blaming someone else
All of us can admit it. We've at least once in our lives blamed someone else for something they didn't do at all to save our own skins. It's human nature, and it's a survival technique: Avoid getting in trouble and let someone else take the heat for it. Though this can save you momentarily, the karma will eventually come back to you, and you'll wish you hadn't said a word. Blaming someone else for something they didn't do is a mean cruel trick, and a variety of things can come back and haunt you if you're the culprit. For one, the person might try to avenge what you did to them. The last thing you want is a fury driven victim planning your immediate death in the dead of night why you sleep in bed unaware. So who knows what they'll do to you when they get the chance! Another thing that an happen is that you might loose your rep. If someone finds out what you did, you're in trouble, and no one will ever trust you with anything ever again. Not to mention everyone will think you're an evil scumbag who doesn't deserve any love or care anymore. People strongly dislike people who blame others for things they didn't do. The main thing you have to fear though, out of everything, is the truth. With truth comes wrath, and if you can't keep the truth hidden, you will have to face it. Keeping the person you blamed to keep their mouth shut is hard enough, and it all depends on who is more trustworthy. The worst mistake is when YOU blame someone else, THEY deny it, and it turns out that THEY are the more reliable one. Then YOU look terrible for what you did, and everyone knows what trick you were trying to pull. Talk about embarrassing. In the end though, the most likely thing that will happen is that the guilt will eat you alive. Having to see someone suffer and be punished for a 'crime' they didn't commit can chew you up inside. You might find yourself awake at night wishing that you hadn't done what you did. You might even tell the truth and face the heat. The truth will come out eventually, and if it doesn't find you, the person you blamed WILL.
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