Looking Back

In life, it's always about getting somewhere.  In middle school, everyone is getting ready for high school.  Once we begin high school, preparation for college starts.  Sometimes we forget that it's not about getting somewhere.  It's not about hoping to be someone.  It's about being the best person we can be in the present, right now.  Robert Frost once declared his similar feelings when he said, "A person will sometimes devote all his life to the development of one part of his body - the wishbone."  Life is supposed to be a journey in which the significance lies in the trip itself.  I think that the purpose behind this blog was to enhance what we were working on in class.  It was the thin, subtle yet permanent marker that drew the parallel between the literature we were working on and our lives.  It made the assignments more relatable.  In learning the curriculum, it seems that we are merely fullfilling the requirements of the state.  These blog assignments are what reminded me every thursday afternoon that what we are learning is enjoyable, and I shouldn't rush through everything.  Each week, the blog was the one assignment that I usually took my time on.  It wasn't necessarily to check my spelling and grammar, or to make sure the diction was perfect.  It also wasn't to get a good grade.  I spent time on my blogs because the topics allowed us to relate the assignment to an experience that was significant in our lives.  Every time I wrote a blog, it was like a discussion I was having with myself in my head.  By the time I had finished writing, I had learned something new about myself.  When I was doing most other assignments during the first part of this year, in every class, the question in my head was always, "How can I get a good grade on this assignment and put in the least amount of effort possible?"  When I got into the blog, my perspective changed.  Like everyone, I still take the easy way out sometimes.  Now, I have a new outlook on school.  Each assignment is like a tiny opportunity to improve upon myself.  A way to discover talents and feelings about myself I never knew I posessed.  Sometimes, I would just start typing and lose track of time.  I would often forget that I was publishing the posts onto a blog.  I would discuss personal experiences or feelings that I didn't want people to read.  I would end up going back and deleting certain sentences.  As I read over my blogs, I saw how much my writing had developed since the first few.  I sounded like a third grader!  Some of them embarrassed me, and I wanted to delete them immediately.  But as my mouse was hovering over the "delete" button, I remembered that we were SUPPOSED to think our first posts were terrible.  The assignment was meant to show us our growth over the past year and remember things about our lives 9 months ago.  My favorite blog I wrote was the one about Kay--my old neighbor with Alzheimer's.  She doesn't know who I am anymore, so it was nice to read about a time when she knew me.  I also enjoyed reading "Writing about Writing."  I wrote, "I conjured up a realm in the clouds, and Mushroom Land, where tiny fairies lived in fungi. When I got old enough to write, I would make up tales about my fantasy worlds.  I like to just sit down and write, not being held back by the confines of reality"  I could tell that I was writing about something that I loved doing.  The blog has always sparked something inside of me.  It takes me back to times I loved, experiences that helped me grow as a person, and things that I am passionate about.  The blog helped me to become a more dynamic writer, student, and a better person.

My favorite Assignment

I love to talk.  I really, really love to talk.  Naturally, I was excited when I heard about the very first discussion we would be having in class.  I want to become a lawyer, and enjoy arguing my point.  I also like writing, so the project combined two of my favorite things in English.  The assignment seemed difficult--10 questions and answers!  At that point, I still didn't quite understand how or why we were we were supposed to be writing answers--Why would we ask questions if we already knew the answers?  It seemed ridiculous.  I later learned that the purpose of the questions are to ellicit a variety of responses, so obviously the answers of my classmates would be different than my own.  I struggled in writing my questions, but I worked hard and the fun soon began. 

Once we got to the discussion part of the assignment, it was exciting!  The arguing was fantastic.  We got to discuss things on both a literal and symbolic level, which really helped me to get a full understanding of the literature.  Saying everything I wanted to get out there was difficult with so many people participating at once, but I soon learned.  I was proud of myself for working hard at something new.  The discussions are also great for people who DON'T love to talk in front of people.  It gives them a safe environment in which to practice getting over nervousness!  The discussions were one of my favorite parts of english class this year.

How I Feel About Poetry

I was right in the middle of the line.  My eighth grade Language Arts teacher had asked to line up according to our feelings about poetry.  "Passionate poets need to stand near the door," she explained, "If you hate it, position yourself along the cabinets."  Completely bewildered, I walked aimlessly about for a few seconds while the classroom became a writhing mass of students all fighting for the spot they wanted.  Just as the chaos began to die down, I quickly slid between two people near the center of the line.  My teacher assured us that we would all be standing near the door by the end of the semester.  Despite her promise, my spot in line settled comfortably in the middle until Poetry Out Loud.
 

When Mrs. Gilman told us we had to memorize a poem and recite it to the class, I was only slightly unhappy.  But when I saw the criteria and read the 24 line minimum, I was horrified.  It wasn't until I began practicing that I warmed up to the idea.  I chose to learn Solitude by Ella Wheeler Wilcox.  Memorizing and reciting poetry gave me a chance to impersonate someone else and forget about the stress of school and my other homework.  When the day arrived that we were supposed to present, I got nervous.  I didn't want to forget my poem and look like I hadn't tried...But I didn't want to try too hard and look like an idiot in front of my friends either!  I had a dilemma.  As soon as I got on the little makeshift stage, however, I had fun with it.  I lost myself in the words and just pretended I was in my living room again, practicing with my dad.  When I did well, I loved it!  When I hear the word 'poetry' mentioned, it sparks excitement and also nervousness.  The nervousness is because I know that writing poetry requires pouring onto paper my secret thoughts and feelings which scares me.

Conflict

In act 3, scene III, a very important conflict arises.  Romeo says,

"There is no world without Verona walls,
But purgatory, torture, hell itself.
Hence-banished is banish'd from the world,
And world's exile is death"

Romeo is a very dramatic man, and he is comparing banishment to death.  Because being banished means a life away from Juliet and, from his romantic point of view, no life at all.  This brings out how foolish love makes people.  Shakespeare primarily uses Romeo as a tool in this not-so-subtle suggestion.  This inner struggle also exhibits Shakespeare's use of religion.  It is a common occurance for characters to compare a bad situation to being banished to hell.

Obviously, teenagers aren't banished from the city walls these days.  But they do have inner conflicts that could be life-changing.  Teenage suicide is so common these days that the statistics are heartbreaking.  Like Romeo, young men and women see no way out of a bad situation.  They fail to look to the future and realize that life will always get better.  Instead, they see death as the only option and end their life. 

Romeo and Juliet--A Classic Brought Back

My little sister loves watching American Idol.  It is incredibly annoying, but sometimes I listen absent-mindedly while I'm doing something else.  As I was sitting in front of my computer staring at a blank screen and wracking my brain for something in modern culture that had to do with Romeo and Juliet I realized that what I needed was right there.  The off-key distraction was finally helping me.  I realized that on American Idol, no matter how talented the artists are, the ones who win are the singers who fit perfectly into a mold.  They are the ones who are exactly like the people before them.  If a singer is fantastic--but unique--they will likely fail and be doomed in their career, just like in Romeo and Juliet.  (Only the stakes are much higher in the play) 

When Romeo and Juliet fall in love, it isn't accepted.  A Montague and a Capulet?!  It just ISN'T done!  In the play, "The fearful passage of their death-marked love, and the continuance of their parents' rage/Which but their childrens' end/Naught could remove" is a rare occurrance.  Their romance does not fall neatly into line with all of the other preplanned marriages of Capulet and Capulet, Montague with Montague.  I think that Shakespeare is suggesting that when people don't follow 'the rules,' they are doomed forever.

Romeo and Juliet: 4/30

I can personally relate to Benvolio. Benvolio is more carefree than Romeo, and is always having to console him after each of his lost loves.  He tells Romeo, "Be ruled by me.  Forget to think of her./By giving liberty unto thine eyes.  Examine other beauties."  He doesn't get involved in the dramatic conflicts of love.  I have a few friends who feel like time is coming to a close when a certain guy doesn't return their affections.  My other friends and I are constantly comforting them and telling them that it will be alright.  These romantic friends are like Romeo in that they are shortsighted.  They do not see that one heartbreak-causing boy in 9th grade will mean absolutely nothing to them later in life.

Reading Romeo and Juliet has been interesting.  Certain scenes are very easy to read and understand, while others may as well be written in Greek.  I have found that the most helpful resources are the footnotes on the left side pages and class discussions.  I feel like I would understand everything more if we had ungraded socratic seminars more often without being prepared with questions.  If it weren't for the "grade" fear, I think people would talk more which would liven the discussion and increase understanding.  The most difficult things in the book for me to understand are puns.  I never, ever catch them!  The words are rarely used, the jokes discreet.  I hope we discuss more of the puns in class--I worry that I am missing a huge chunk of the book without catching the puns!

Wrapping up Great Expectations

Appearances and status do not equal happiness and contentment.  In Great Expectations, everything that falls apart is based off of appearance and money.  The central theme suggests that life filled with simplicity is the key to happiness.  In life, friendships should be built off of a connection with someone's inner personality.  In society, things are very different.  Many friendships are developed for the sole reason of raising one's own "status."  People are drawn to those with money, talent and good looks.   Is this ingrained in our minds, due to human nature?  Or is it a habit that evolved over time, fed off of by a need to feel important?  Unhealthy friendships occur because of this twisted sense of companionship that places so much importance on competition and appearances.  Every person is unique, yet somehow society manages to corral people into groups and smack labels onto their foreheads.  The most twisted part of it all is that the pens of people have nothing in common on the inside.  They have a few physical similarities.  They are trapped together, barricaded from others by invisible walls ten feet thick.  There is a lot more to people than what can be understood at first glance.  At the grocery store, good food comes in all colors and shapes of bottles and cartons.  People should base opinions not on what someone is born with, but what they do with themselves.

Thoughts on Great Expectations

I was not thrilled by the end of the book!  It was boring, inconclusive, and overall just an unsatisfying close to a very long story.  I am sure that everyone hopes that Pip and Estella will fall in love at the end, just as I do.  Despite my disappointment, I enjoyed reading Great Expectations, and I feel like it helped me grow and evolve as a student.  While reading certain sections, I had trouble putting it down.  Other times, however, I had to force myself to sit down and read.  The storyline was a great one, one that we can all relate to.  As small children, we take things day by day and enjoy every minute of life.  As we grow older, we look forward to things in the future and expect more.  We are less easily satisfied with our lives.  It is a sad but true fact, one that Dickens captures perfectly in Pip.  Pip's life story was one with many turns!  I have to admit, I didn't guess the answers to any of the mysteries before they were revealed.  I was surprised by every outcome!

Reading Great Expectations wasn't a chore, but it wasn't always enjoyable.  I usually ended up reading late at night after I had finished my homework, so I didn't absorb as much as I would have reading with an alert mind.  Each time I sat down, I would force my eyes along the page so that I could finish and go to sleep.  Only when I reached an exciting part did I get lost in the story.  I wish that we could have read less each night.  It would have made the reading easier and less tedious.  It was all very achievable unless I didn't understand something.  I tried looking on Sparknotes, but the site  doesn't add details and is sometimes wrong.  I would end up forgetting what I didn't understand, which would lead to further confusion later on.  Another thing that slowed me down was annotating.  I strongly dislike having to stop reading every 45 seconds, get out my pencil, and shove a little sticky note into the book.  It required so much hassle that I would usually lose my place and have to start at the beginning of the page again.  I began simply writing in the book with pencil--I am not looking forward to erasing it all!  I understand that it is important to mark important events in our books for later reference, but it reduces what I absorb during my reading sessions!    I wish there were another way to keep track of certain places in the story without distracting myself and making it impossible to get lost in the Pip's world.

Photo Post

I feel that this photo accurately represents Great Expectations.  Each and every character says one thing, and does another.  Although actions speak louder than words, they are usually only a shadow masked by a false exterior.  Miss Havisham leads Pip to believe she is his benefactor.  Compeyson acts like a smooth gentleman; when in actuality he is a mischievous, evil conman.  Pip grows ashamed of Joe, someone who truly loves him.  Betrayal is a common motif in Great Expectations, and this picture depicts it perfectly.

Making Connections

               In Great Expectations,  I personally see the main purpose of the book as a message.  I think that Charles Dickens was trying to convey how he feels about life.  He believes that life is a more fulfilling, beautiful thing when it is simpler.  When life gets complicated and one comes into money, or is suddenly powerful, it is more challenging.  Happiness is determined by your attitude and a simple way of life.

               The story about Pip begins when he is at his most innocent.  He lives in a small town near the marshes and leads the life of a common person.  He seems content being who he is, for the most part. Life is good.
  His perception is drastically changed when he catches a taste of being more.  This change in viewpoint happens when he meets Estella.  Suddenly and all at once, his expectations are fulfilled.  He has more than he ever dreamed of having, yet he is not happy.  He buys all the fancy furniture and fine food he could ever need, but something inside him still isn't content.

               Pinocchio, in my eyes, has a very similar message and storyline.  It begins with a small wooden marionette puppet.  This puppet's maker, Geppetto is exactly like the character Joe from Dicken's work.  He is kind, sweet, and truthful.  Pinocchio wants to be a real boy, and that is all he longs for.  When his expectations are fulfilled, however, he wants more.  He becomes greedy and self-centered.  Like Pip, he is controlled by strings, both literally and metaphorically--money and power.  He betrays Gepetto.  He doesn't prove that he can be compassionate and truthful until he hits rock bottom. 

               I have been keeping up with the reading on the calendar, and have not read ahead.  But I am guessing that Great Expectations will end in a similar way to Pinocchio.  I think that Pip will do something horrible and finally see what he has become.  He will correct his wrong doings and make things right, going back to his original way of life. 

Second Stage

A very significant event that occurred in the second stage of Pip's expectations was his arrival to London.  He was disappointed.  He thinks, "While I was scared by the immensity of London, I think I might have had some faint doubts whether it was not rather ugly, crooked, narrow, and dirty." (Dickens, Pg. 161)  It is obvious that becoming "a gentleman" and living in London could be less than glamorous.  This occurrence displays how Dickens feels about living in the upper class--it leads to a life without joy or gaiety.

In the first stage, Pip is innocent and eager.  Becoming a gentleman is his dream, and he can imagine that such an opportunity would be nothing short of fantastic.  I am sure that before his wildest dreams came true, he would have been amazed to be in London.  Everything was exciting to him.  Since a mysterious benefactor has become interested in him, however, he is less easily awed.  Becoming a gentleman, in the book, is a common motif throughout.  I suspect that Dickens is also saying something about life.  He is using Pip and the characters around him as instruments to suggest that becoming "a gentleman" can have a negative effect on someone's life.  Being a part of higher society can lead to a less fulfilling life, despite the benefits.

Pip Quote

"Pause you who read this, and think for a moment of the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns or flowers, that would never have bound you, but for the formation of the first link on one memorable day."


At Mrs. Havisham's, Pip is embarrassed of Joe's illiteracy and shyness.  He thinks, "I am afraid I was ashamed of the dear fellow-I know I was ashamed of him..."  This one event causes a long line of events to occur, leading Pip to realize that he doesn't want to be like Joe.  He wants to accomplish great things, and not be a blacksmith.  In the first few chapters, Pip acts like a child.  He has his own opinions, but needs to be taken care of.  He goes with the flow like most children, and just assumes his life will go where fate takes him.  Later, however, he understands that he needs to fight against the current to find his place and to achieve his goals.  He matures greatly in the most recent chapters.  Pip has a moment where he realizes that one decision can alter his life forever.  


One day in 8th grade, I realized that decisions I make in the moment should be based on more than what my friends are doing or what I think might fun at the time.  I decided to be my own person, and make choices that reflect my character.  Choices that possibly could harm my body or future are easy to make.  Every time I face a decision, I think about how bad decisions could haunt me for the rest of my life.  I remember that everything I do defines who am, link by link.  

Great Expectations: Confusion

The entire dinner conversation from pg. 23-27 is completely confusing me.  The sentences in this passage are long and "wordy."  Also, every sentence seems to have a different meaning that I cannot decipher! 

Here are a few sentence from the passage:
Mr. Pumblechook says to Pip, "Think what you've got to be grateful for.  If you'd been born a squeaker-"
"He was, if ever a child was," said Mrs. Joe.
Joe gave me some more gravy. 
"Well, I mean a four-footed squeaker," said Mr. Pumblechook.  "If you had been born such, would you have been here now?  Not you-"
"Unless in that form" said Mr. Wopsle, nodding towards the dish [of swine].


 What is the point of the seemingly ridiculous dinner conversation?  What are the guests discussing, literally and metaphorically?  Help needed!  Thank you!! 

               In the play, Gwendolen speaks eloquently and politely in an attempt to get her way.  Gwendolen chooses diction that appears harmless on the surface, even if she has negative intentions.  She does this so that people will listen to her.  To Algernon, she says, "Algy, kindly turn your back.  I have something very particular to say to Mr. Worthing."  If she had said directly that she was going to say something negative, he wouldn't have listened.  Instead, she used a sweet tone and polite language to make him feel secure and obey.  Gwendolen also uses language to mask her true feelings.  She says to Jack, "The simplicity of your character makes you exquisitely incomprehensible to me."  Although she is saying he is either unintelligent or shallow, she words it beautifully in order to distract him from her statement.  Gwendolen is using beauty as a tool to gain power.  Gwendolen even uses the beauty of others to gain social respect.  She says, "What wonderfully blue eyes you have, Ernest...I hope you will always look at me just like that, especially when there are other people present."  She doesn't simply enjoy Ernest's eyes for their beauty, she is only interested in how others view her because of them.  She expects others to have the same views on beauty as she does.  In the play, Gwendolen sees beauty as simply a ladder up to respect and social status.

Above is my body paragraph.  I loved that I got the opportunity to write about Gwendolyn, because I thought that it was so clever of Wilde to create her!  At first, I was going to discuss her shallowness, but I decided that it didn't really fit with the aesthetic principles.  Do you think that my third concrete detail fits with the rest of the paragraph?  Also, does my concluding sentence seem long enough?