THE FINAL BLOG!

For me it started on September 22, 2009. The assignment was to write about why we read. I wrote about how reading takes you into a whole new world, one where you can be whatever you want to be and see whatever you want to see. From there we progressed to writing about everything, developing who we are as a person and what is important to us. We had to learn to think outside the box. Reading other peoples' blog posts on the same topic that we wrote on gives you a new perspective on the way people think. Some people came up with ideas that just blew me away. I would have never thought of that on my own!

As blogs about me morphed into literary analysis about the current book that was assigned to read, it was a way to brainstorm, especially knowing that we would at some point have to write an essay on the book. Throughout the many changes in prompts and books, one thing stayed the same. Books can be related to your life. Every type of book, be it fiction or not, has some aspect that you can relate to. Whether it is a situation a character is in or a feeling the protagonist is experiencing, there is something there for everyone to relate to. If you can’t relate to something in a story, you won’t be able to understand it. It is critical, especially in English, to be able to relate to a book. As soon as you can’t relate to it, you won’t be able to understand anything at all having to do with the story. In every single book we read this year, I have been able to relate to something in it. In The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, there is the following quote:

"Staring at the letters on the cover and touching the print inside, She had no idea what any of it was saying. The point is, it didn't really matter what that book was about. It was what it meant that was more important.

***THE BOOK'S MEANING***

1. The last time she saw her brother.
2. The last time she saw her mother.

To the protagonist, books play an important role in her life. They shape who she is and what she will be. I think that I can say the same thing. I don't have the same experiences as she does, but I can relate to her. I haven't had to fight for the right to the right to read or struggle when I was ten to even learn how to read (I started reading at the normal age) but I can understand why she breaks the law just so she can get a chance to read. Her story is amazing and so unlike the life I live, but I can still relate to her. It is so important for people to realize that little pieces of all we read is something we have experienced. This, no matter how much you read, can help you live your life better. You see how the characters react to whatever you can relate with, giving you an idea on how you should react to the same situation. Now it is up to you to decide how you use the information.

How to Write An Essay

I think I am okay at writing essays. I try, sometimes more than others, but I never fall too far. In writing essays it is really important to be able to have good commentary about your thesis. Without commentary, it is impossible to convince anyone of anything. To have good commentary, you have to make sure that you are not just talking on and on about your quote or restating the same thing again and again. Give the reader something new to think about. Surprise them with your insight and new ideas that they would have never thought of before. Be original.

When writing essays, my biggest problem is not repetitively using words or phrases. Once I come up with a term I think fits the essay, it is nearly impossible for me to resist. For instance, my essay on Romeo and Juliet is on the symbol of masks and how they help support love. It seems as if mask is the only word that can be used to describe the situation. It seems to fit perfectly, but I have to resist using it. It is so hard.

Summer Reading List

So many books to read, so little time. For sure this summer I am going to be reading books that I have already read, but there are hopefully going to be some new ones. Here are some books I am going to read:

I am determined to finally finish all the books in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams. I have read at least three of them and have tried to finish the series for a long time, but I never have. In the first one, Earth is destroyed by to build a galactic freeway, which isn't actually required anymore now that The Heart of Gold has been built, a spaceship that runs on probability. Arthur Dent was plucked off Earth right before it was destroyed and now travels through space with his friend Ford Prefect, who isn't really from Earth after all, but instead is a researcher for The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (the revised addition).

The second book that I want to read doesn't come out until August 24th, but I think it still counts as summer reading. It is Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins. It is the final book in an amazing series that starts with The Hunger Games. It takes place in a futuristic world in which two kids from each of the 12 Districts must fight to the death each year for the entertainment of those in the Capital as a reminder to those in the Districts of what happens when you rebel against the Capital. I have been waiting for this book to come out since I finished the last one, which was approximately one day after it came out. I can't wait until it comes out!

Fate of Birth

Seeing how I am completely unable to remember dreams, let alone act to prevent them from coming true, it seems wisest to write this week about my birth sign and how it relates to me. In Romeo and Juliet the characters believe very strongly in fate and destiny, as well as the importance of dreams. Romeo almost refuses to go to the party where he first meets Juliet because he had a dream where he went and ended up dieing because of it. It is believed that the day and time of your birth has everything to do with who you will be in life and what sort of person you will be.

Apparently the astrological sign Cancer (June 22-July 22) is the Crab and a water sign and is one of the four cardinal signs. Cancer is the fourth sign in the zodiac. People with the sign Cancer are known collect sentimental items from the past, as well as being good with money and taking the long-term view, and to skirt around problems until it is absolutely essential to face them. We are usually attracted to team sports, as well as water sports (sailing!!!). We are also supposed to be creative (I wouldn't call myself creative...). Our colors are white, silver, and pale yellow. I totally agree with the collecting sentimental items and the skirting around problems, but I am not so sure about the money and long term goal part. I think everyone could see part of themselves in any of the zodiac signs, but it is impossible for it to be entirely correct about you. You have to take these with a grain of salt and realize that it doesn't have to be you.

Culture Shock- West Side Story

The classic Romeo and Juliet reference. West Side Story. Two kids, one Hispanic and one Italian, meet and fall in love, but it's not destined to be. Their parents don't want them to be together so they are forced to go behind their parents' backs. It sound very familiar, doesn't it? Where have I hear this before? Maybe it's that book we read in class that seems to be popping up everywhere. Everyone references the forbidden love and tragic death. You can't turn without seeing it, but it seems like West Side Story is one of the references that everyone knows and talks about in reference to Romeo and Juliet. This is the new take on a classic tale that never seems to get old. It is the revival of Shakespeare. It will not go away.

Great Expectations Skits!

Next week we are doing skits from Great Expectations. Here are my top three choices for scenes for skits:

• The first time Pip goes to see Miss Havisham. It is when Pip first gets told that Miss Havisham's heart is broken and his first impression of Estella. It should include Pip telling Miss Havisham what he thinks of Estella. I think this would be good for a skit because it introduces the characters well and gives you an impression on what they are like.
• Pip walking down the street in his village when he goes back to see Miss Havisham and keeps running into Trabb's boy. It is so amusing as well as shows how much Pip has changed since he was last in the country.
• Pip's first visit with the Pocket family. Everyone is so scattered and completely different from what he is used to, along with being his first real encounter with higher raised people. It would be an amusing scene to watch, that's for sure.
  

More Questions

One of the things that confused me about this week's reading was why Pip went to ask Miss Havisham to help Hebert. Pip says "Miss Havisham, if you could spare the money to do my friend Herbert a lasting service in life, but which from the nature of the case must be done without his knowledge, I could show you how" (387). I understand that Pip wants someone to keep helping out Herbert, but why should he have to ask Miss Havisham and not someone else that would be more willing to help him? Miss Havisham obviously has shown no interest in Herbert, so why now?