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"

Bio Poem: Lupe

Lupe,

Smart, insecure, beautiful, "unloved?"

A character in "Bronx Masquerade"

Lover of children, parents, and friends

Who notices the cry of hearts

Who feels the unloved and the unloving

Who learns to be a better her

Who used to think she was alone

But now knows how loved she is

Major character in "Bronx Masquerade"

A book about true self, secrets, acceptance, and identity

Character Development: Lupe

Lupe Algarin is a hispanic teenager in high school. She has many insecurities about not being loved because all her sisters are married and even her mom has a step-husband.  On page 35 she says, "So it's just me now, with Mami and her husband, Berto. Besides her factory job all she cares about is him." Another part of that is because her father left her when she was 5 years old. On page 36 she says, "Why Papi? There's nobody here to love me now." Her mom doesn't stand up for her or shows affection and when anything about her father pops up her mom goes on the offensive. That's why she wants a baby to give her affection to, she's even jealous of Gloria who is knocked up and still goes to school struggling each day. Lupe also mentions, on page 36, that, "Raul's been giving me the eye lately, but he can forget it." She says this because she is "dating" Marco.

In the middle of the book we can start to see some changes as she opens up because of her situation. On page 65 she says, "I broke up with Marco and I was a mess." She had broken up with him on the phone. She goes to her friend Leslie for help and she assures her that she isn't alone because she has friends and that she went through the same thing when her mom died. After getting support from friends she finishes her section on page 67 with, "Maybe we can all be alone together." This shows that she is starting to accept her situation and the fact that she is not alone no matter what she thinks. In her poem, "El Noche, she talks about her loneliness and then notes that, "and you come - a pale skinned surprise, a friend." She is starting to realize she is not alone.

At the end of the book Lupe stops mentioning her insecurities about being alone. She doesn't mention a baby except on page 147 where she says she wants to work in something with kids and starts dating again. On page 146 she's questioned about how her date with Raul went. She says, "Him and me had our first date over the weekend-" Her poem, "Imagine", ends with, "I'm still learning to imagine" This means that she is starting to accept herself and plan for her future life. Tyrone also comments that she is starting to look up at people in the eyes and is gaining confidence and intelligence. At the end of the book Lupe is way more confident and self-assured of herself and her worth. She realizes she still has a grand future ahead of her.