Of Mice and Men Blog

In the start of chapter 2 we are introduced to the setting of George and Lennie's sleeping quarters. The setting is, "The bunkhouse was a long, rectangular building. Inside, the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted." It seems to be a an old big cabin, which says a lot about the depression and how migrants lived. The atmosphere is different from the setting in which it is the feelings in the place not what it is or how the place looks like. Due to the characters having conflicts about power, as shown by Slim being more respected, “There was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talk stopped when he spoke.” Page 33 Meanwhile Curley is more tolerated,"He just don't give a damn. Won't ever get canned 'cause his old man's the boss." They even insult him with the vaseline rumor.

All characters in the story are important however when introduced they are all showed differently. George and Lennie's appearances are directly stated in the book, “-small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined:small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose.”, and “-a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders;and he walked heavily-” Page 2 However like most of the other characters we are left to interpret their character though their actions and mannerisms, like George's foulmouth and anger towards Lennie or Lennie's forgetfulness and dull manner. Some characters like Carlson are introduced very briefly, “A powerful, big-stomached man…” Page 35 and then left vaguely until the next chapter. Carlson's wife is an exception to this and is explained by other characters, specifically the gossipy old man Candy. He is the one who reveals her "tart" and "tramp" actions without even having her being seen or introduced by us. They are all introduced differently, but every character is still important to the story and the way it develops.

Curley's wife, in my predictions, will have an influence on the conflict of the story however she has no name. I think that John Steinbeck is trying to make a point of her eyeing other men by stating that she is Curley's wife constantly. In the book they mention her as a "tart" a "tramp". All descriptions except of her beauty all have negative meanings. They even go as far as mentioning she has the eye in page 28. By not giving her a name they can enhance the connotation the name brings. When I think of her I think of Curley's flirtatious wife.  Another reason is the possibility that Curley's Wife could be based off of one of John Steinbeck's past relationships and the name is kept that way due to secrecy. 

3rd Quarter Reflection

The Five People You Meet In Heaven is about an old man named Eddie who works and has worked his whole life at the fair despite hating the place. In his last day of life he saves a little girl from being toppled by a ride. In heaven he meets five people who influenced his life and caused him to head down the path he did. The Five People You Meet In Heaven is my favorite because it tells the message that all our lives are connected in many ways, some people affecting your life more than others. It isn't the most challenging book by far, but it has rich messages about life and death and especially forgiveness.

My biggest improvement this quarter is my reading speed and summaries. In the beginning of the year I could only read a 300 page book in 4 hours, now it's been halved. You might say that reading too fast could be a problem but my understanding of books and their messages has improved to match my reading speed. My increased understanding of this has been improved and this has helped me in many ways. For example I can now write better summaries that get to the point.

In this quarter I am most proud of getting into art and sketching. During my elementary school days I used to draw all the time. But as I got busier in middle school I haven't had the time to get to it again. But after being done with everything I got back into art again. I am proud of being able to draw good enough and for getting back in it.

One of my biggest struggles this quarter was getting up and reaching school. I have some problems sleeping and I always have to turn on at least 10 alarms to get to everything in time. I also live far from school and I have no way of getting here and back other than walking. It takes at least 15 minutes, if I run, and for me that just means I have to wake up 15 minutes earlier. Another problem is the weather. I have to walk and somedays, like today, it rains. A way that I can solve this problem is by asking friends for rides or pay $2.00 to take the bus. Since my dad is here now, when he doesn't work I might also be able to ask him.

I am not a stranger to blogs since 6th grade but after around a year and a half I have to say that I've gotten better at writing them. For example in the past I used to get to the point quickly without showing descriptions but now I can describe things with a little bit of work and no problems. Another change is the length which goes hand in hand with better and bigger descriptions. But another thing would be word choice and understanding their affects in different mediums. I've gotten better at this thanks to practice in ELA.

In the past I never had any exposure to other countries except for the rare news channel or movies, which are very biased and exaggerated however after researching things I learned many new things. I learned these things because of new research skills. For example after verifying the website's expertise I can learn more accurate facts about many different countries, like Pakistan, no matter if its for personal interest or projects. I verify websites by checking if they are .com or .edu or .org. Sites with .edu are much more safe and informational. Some things I've learned about Pakistan is it's relationship with other countries, especially neighboring ones. I learned that Pakistan and India hate each other and have had many wars against each other. All these things are changes in this quarter.

Half Brother Blog

The book Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel is about an ordinary boy named Ben who's family adopts a baby chimp named Zan as an experiment for teaching sign language to a species other than humans. Throughout time the relationship with Zan and Ben improves greatly but my essential question was how does Zan affect the relationship between Ben and his Dad. Throughout the book we see that their relationship is less than perfect. They fight constantly about Zan, school, money, and grades. They don't have a great relationship. When Zan goes into their life they do go into a rough period, Zan is being treated like an experiment by his dad meanwhile Ben and his mother see him as family. After Ben's dad finally accepts Zan, Ben and his dad are much more peaceful. I think that Zan made them think about their family and fix things. The answer to my essential question would be that Zan has changed their relationship for the better.

Animal rights and family was the main theme and topic in both the book Half Brother and the article, "Chimpanzees in Laboratories," but that doesn't mean they are the same. There are many differences which can be seen immediately. For example the book is written in the first person view of a troubled teenager meanwhile the article is written by an educated animal rights activist. But there are many similarities.

When Zan is bought by Helson they describe his life there as violent. One scene in particular says, " But before she even reached the slot, Zeus had given Sheba a hard smack across the chest. She cowered in submission, but Zeus kept at her." (Page 285) This means that Zeus, the leader chimpanzee is violent and controlling towards women and even baby chimps, they live their lives in fear. Later on in the book they describe experimental facilities as making the violent place as, "a five -star resort." (Page 324) Meanwhile in the article they say, "In these prisons, chimpanzees were frequently caged alone and deprived of the freedom, autonomy, and meaningful social interaction essential to their well-being. There were no families, no companions, no grooming, and no nests. There were only cold, hard steel bars and concrete—and terror and loneliness that went on for so many years that most chimpanzees would sink into depression, eventually losing their minds." This means they are both similar in the way that they portray experimental facilities. The book describes it more emotionally meanwhile the article is more informal.

There are also more similarities. They both talk about how chimps act. The article says, "They care deeply for their families and forge lifelong friendships. " (First Paragraph) This means that Zan cares deeply for them and that no matter what he won't forget. In the book they say, "They care about each other. It's hard for some of them, because they came from all sorts of different places and families, so it's difficult for them to feel loyalty. But when they do, it's phenomenal to see." (Page 288) Overall, they all have their benefits and setbacks.

The book Half Brother was a good one. It showed universal themes like family and gave me knowledge on the closest animal to a human. Though it was fiction it felt possible for everything to exist in real life. It was amazing to see the development between all of the characters and though some of them like the relationship unbeneficial like the one between Janelle and Ben, it was nice to see his relationship with his family change for the better. This book is a very strong book in family values. 

Poetry Reflection Blog

In my life poetry is important in the way that its everywhere. From the moment you step into a room you see poetry. From songs, catchphrases, slogans, posters, and more. It is a natural part of my life. In a way since I can't live without music, you could say, I can't live without poetry. Poetry is not for everyone. I know this because most of the people around me hate poetry and sometimes I know exactly how they feel. It can be for a wide variety of reasons. They might not understand it, they might hate the rules, or they might just think its boring. 

The life and experience of a poet effects their poems. It gives them inner depth and understanding of a subject. Everyone can assume about death, loss, and happiness but unless they've experienced it, it might not mean anything to them. Edgar Allen Poe used his lovers death to write the poem, "Annabelle."  Every word expresses his grief and anger at the events. When poets can understand their topic they can add more feeling and truths to poetry. They give the insight and experience to a subject and show others the emotion in it. 

Different authors and topics can be brought out by using literary devices. In my poem,"Am I a Terrorist?" I chose to write as the victim speaking to the bullies. In the poem, "A Stereotype of Me" by Kyle Ezra Kriticos he is also speaking as a victim to the people of wrongdoings.  I use personification when I say, "My hijab screams my religion." The hijab is a symbol of pride and individuality to the people of the Muslim religion and by using personification I give it emotion. I use an allusion to a poem in the book, "Bronx Masquerade" when I say, "Do you still want to call me names?" I use a simile when I say, "like Osama Bin Laden". In the poem, "A Stereotype of Me" by Kyle Ezra Kriticos he also uses literary devices. He uses repetition in his stanzas  by saying, "a stereotype of me" to give emphasis on his point. He uses personification like, "your voice is long since dead to me" to give more emotion to his poem. He says, "I'm worth a million times the weight". This metaphor shows his feelings for the events that made him write this poem. 

- Non-fiction poem
- Bio-Poem of a Literary Character
- Where I'm From Poem
- Spine Poem
- Found Poem
- Nonsense Poem

Prompt Blog - The Great Gatsby - Spoiler

THE GREAT GATSBY

By: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Satire, Modernism

Pages: 180

Prompts:

Is what you're reading believable? If so, why?

What surprises you in this story? Why?

The Great Gatsby is an amazing book. It has a movie (with Leonardo DiCaprio), plays, and more in its honor. But do you really know what it's about? 

The Great Gatsby is about an educated young man named Nick Carraway who moves into a small house in a rich neighborhood during the summer of 1922 in pursuit of the knowledge of bond business. He meets his neighbor Jay Gatsby a great party thrower and a surprisingly young and naive man when it comes to love. He has loved a married woman named Daisy for years and due to Nick's relations with her Gatsby tells him to invite her over so they can meet. After an awkward time they fall in love like younger times but her husband, who has been cheating with a woman named Myrtle is infuriated after finding out of her cheating. After a heated confrontation between Gatsby, Tom, and Daisy the Great Gatsby and Daisy are both found in a car with the dead body of Myrtle. Myrtle's husband is enraged and confronts Gatsby, who took the blame to protect Daisy, and kills him and then commits suicide. After having a small funeral in Gatsby's honor Nick leaves back to the midwest in deep thought and disgust of their actions. 

The Great Gatsby is extremely believable. Everything that happens in the book could very well happen in real life. People do cheat in hopes of true love and warmth like Myrtle with Tom and Daisy with Gatsby. Marriage is not always a happy tale and the Great Gatsby shows that. It also shows that in real life circumstances sometimes override true love. People also kill when driven to a corner with rage or shame. Everyday thousands of people are murdered no matter what the reason. There is no escaping death and for these people it comes early. 

After reading the book I was extremely surprised at the sequence of events. In the beginning the book was peaceful with it's events but after giving us an introduction goes to the extremes with love crimes (cheating) and murders as well as suicides. When Daisy and Gatsby got together again I thought that Tom and Daisy would simply divorce because both of them were already cheating with others and didn't have a stable relationship. But instead the confrontations turned violent and Myrtle was killed by Daisy, Gatsby was killed by George, and George was killed by his own hands. It was a horrific ending with a realistic portrayal of life and how fate can't be controlled and how things don't always end in a happily ever after.

"The Lady and The Robber" Nonsense Poem

"Am I a terrorist?"

“Am I a terrorist”

By: Citlalli Esquivel

I walked into my classroom

at Glenview Illinois Middle School

The stares were immediate

Sweat gathering on my forehead

I quickly sat on my white desk, like them

They all stared at my head

At my “towel-head “hijab,

My hijab screams my religion

It screams I’m different

When I only want to be accepted

I grew up hearing

Muslims are murderers

Muslims are most troublesome

Adults with islamophobia say it

And their innocent, ignorant children repeat it

You laugh at me, judge me

Muslims are murderers

and terrorists to boot

“like Osama Bin Laden”

The whole package

I wasn’t even born yet

When the tragedy happened

Do you still want to call me names?

My innocent, responsible bullies

Call me a terrorist

When they don’t even know

What terrorist means

I can’t help but get angry when

they don’t even know what my religion is.

Do they even know what values I follow?

They don’t, do you?

Inspired by the article, "Chicago teens confronted with new wave of Islamophobia speak up"