Shining from the Darkness

The book The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a fantastic book. This blog post will be about the second half of the book and how Ponyboy changed and how it shaped him. In the first half of the book, Hinton talked about his struggles and how it effected him and changed him. He gone through changes through his experiences and through determination to achieve a goal. He never gave up on his goal and always had confidence in what he was trying to achieve. Even though his gang and his brothers influenced him in many bad ways, he still found the light in the end. He found the correct path and shined through the darkness.

I think Ponyboy changed mainly in two ways. He changed from "false" to "correct" view and the other big change was a greater sense of identity. He wanted to find who he was as  a person and what his true identity was. He tried to do this through his actions but was still not really secure. One example is how he saved kids from a burning building. This shows that he was nice and not selfish. He didn't want to copy others, he wanted to develop his own personality and identity. With his experience throughout the book, he finally found out who he was as a person and who he wanted to be. In the beginning, he wasn't sure about his identity but during the end, he had 100% contorl of his destiny and found out his true identtity. I think Ponyboy changed from "false" to "correct" view because in the beginning, he had a false and bad influence by his brothers which changed what he wanted to become. They cursed, killed, and did drugs. But during the end, he changed and decided that he didn't want to be influenced by his brothers anymore which gave him the correct view. Through experience and dramatic incidents, Ponyboy changed.

After Ponyboy changed, he had many responsibilities and different tasks which kept his life busy. When the book ended, Ponyboy was still a child. Although he was still a child. I thought he was becoming an adult and changing. He decided to help others through his experience in the gang and decided to write a story about his experience. Ponyboy didn't really get privileges but he did have more responsibilities. His brother expects him to do well in school and not get into any more gang fights. Ponyboy wanted others to experience what he had gone through and prevent it from happening from others by writing his story and his point of view. I think that this shows Ponyboy's true identity and how nice he really was. He did what he wanted to do and not copy what others were doing. He hated the Socs but was humble with them in the end and he really described how he felt about their gang. He realized that you could achieve anything you wanted as long as you put your mind to it and have confidence in yourself.

I think the author was trying to say that childhood is a stage where you're not really mature yet and you tend to do things because other people do it. I think she was trying to say that as you move along, you will realize your own identity and follow your own path. I also think that she was trying to say that in childhood, kids make mistakes and it's okay as long as you change your mistakes through your childhood. I also think that it's okay to make mistakes as long as you realize your mistakes and correct them. She was also trying to say that adulthood is a stage where you have to take responsibility for actions you have done and take responsibility in everything you do. If you make a mistake, it is hard for someone to forgive you. It's not like you're three or four and you have an excuse to make mistakes. It is also hard to correct your mistake in adulthood since there are many things going on in your life and are causing you to think everyday.

In conclusion, The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a fabulous book and tells a great story about a young boy's struggles and his journey to find his identity. He changes and shines through the darkness even though he is influenced in many bad ways by his gang and brothers. He is also teased because of how he looks and his background. This book has many great details that help tell the story. I really loved the end because it was the book inside the book. In the end, Ponyboy wrote his story exactly as how the story started which is very unique. After all, S.E. Hinton wrote this story based off of real life experiences. The ending showed how Ponyboy wanted to help others and how he wanted to change the way people thought about others. It was well plotted and I really enjoyed it. This would be a book that I would recommend to others and to my friends, especially friends that are struggling with identity problems.

Identity Hidden in the Shadows

The book The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton is a book about a young boy's struggle. He encounters many problems throughout his childhood. Ponyboy, the young boy is part of a gang called the greasers. This gang is his family and means a lot to him. Since his parents died, he can only rely on others and himself to live. Death at a young age is already a problem. The problems he faces throughout the book is constantly changing him and makes him realize what's right for him. There are many things that Ponyboy wants to happen but he must overcome obstacles in order for them to happen. Many things shape this book and make it a fantastic coming of age experience for young readers like me.

Ponyboy is encountering several problems throughout the first half of the book. One major external problem he is having is the feud between their gang and the Socs, a rich western gang that likes to bully greasers because they aren't as rich. Ponyboy almost got killed by the Socs one time walking alone on the streets. The Socs is a life threatening problem for Ponyboy and his gang. Another external problem is that Ponyboy got slapped by his brother Darry. Although Ponyboy doesn't really like Darry and thinks he doesn't care for him, but the slap that Ponyboy got was because Darry was worried about where he was. The most important external conflict is that Ponyboy was involved in killing a Soc called Bob. Johnny, a young greaser killed him to save Ponyboy, now they are both involved and could make the Socs take revenge. They are not only facing gang problems but they are facing outside problems too which makes their life so much more complicated.

Throughout this book, I think the main internal problem that Ponyboy is facing is trying to find who he is as a person and what his identity is. The reason he can't find it is because he relies too much on his brothers and his gang. I think that Ponyboy is unsecured because he is not sure what he wants his life to be like . He doesn't want to be like his gang because they are too violent and always causing trouble and doing illegal things. He also doesn't want to show off his true emotions because he is afraid that he won't be liked by his gang anymore. I think he wants to be different from the gang and wants to become someone nice. One example of Ponyboy starting to change was when he was at the movies. Two-bit, a gang member was talking trash to a girl that was a Soc. Ponyboy didn't join in and talk trash, he kindly spoke and even apologized. Ponyboy is slowly finding his identity through his experiences in life. His childhood is like a journey to find out what he wants to be when he is older.

Ponyboy's gang throughout the book influences him a lot which causes him to be unsecured. His gang is constantly around him and makes a lot of decisions that also influences Ponyboy. One example is smoking, most of Ponyboy's brothers smoke which causes Ponyboy to smoke also. Smoking at a young age is certainly not healthy and could cause harm to his body. His brothers causes bad influences for him. I'm surprised that Ponyboy isn't exactly like his gang and still has a good side. The greasers are also quite violent as most of them carry switchblades to protect themselves. Some of them also jump other kids for their money and their belongings. They influence Ponyboy in so many bad ways that he can't really have a chance to show his true identity. I think that Ponyboy wants to be a brave, nice, and normal person in life. Because he is a greaser, many people think of him differently but I think that he will try to achieve his goal.

This book's setting makes it incredibly realistic.The story takes place in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Although the book doesn't talk about the setting, the author states the setting in the back of the book. It also takes place in the mid 1960's which makes it realistic. The setting creates many realistic aspects such as gangs. People were poor in the old times and the rich started taking advantage of the poor which caused gangs. The setting also affects their personality and how they act and how they speak. The setting shows differences in the poor gang and the rich gang and how they live and act.

In conclusion, this book is a fantastic coming of age book for young readers and really gives us an image in our head. This book has many realistic problems for a young teen and shows how a character is struggling throughout their childhood. The author creates many things that causes us to think deeply and how the characters are feeling. This is a fantastic book about a young boy trying to find his identity regardless what others think about him.

Blog Post #6- Narrative Writing

The series "Cirque Du Freak" by Darren Shan are wonderful and entertaining books. Since the change occurs within the series, I can't do one book so I said "series". These series of books are about a human becoming a half vampire to save his friend, but as the story goes on, his friend becomes the Lord of the Vampaneze which is the enemies of vampires. Darren, the main character goes through a series of adventures as he is one of the vampires destined by a powerful magical man called Desmond Tiny to put a stop to the Lord of the Vampaneze. I have read the first few books a year ago, but during this week, they have been extremely entertaining and I'm up to the last book. Throughout the series, I've noticed a change in Darren.

In the beginning of the series, when Darren was first blooded by Mr Crepsley (the vampire in a circus freak show), Darren didn't like him and wished that he was dead. Because Darren stole his spider, the spider bit his best friend Steve and there was no other cure. The only way was to ask Mr Crepsley for the antidote, but in exchange Darren would have to be Mr Crepsley's half vampire assistant. His life was difficult being a vampire and he hated Mr. Crepsley. For example, during the first book when he was blooded and he was taken to Steve's(his best friend aka the Lord of Vampaneze) room to be cured, Darren pressed the emergency button to try to get Mr. Crepsley to be arrested. Darren tried his best to get rid of him and pretend to be normal, he didn't like him because he turned him into a vampire. Another example was when Mr. Crepsley told him to drink human blood and he instantly became mad and he told him that if he didn't stop bothering him, he would kill him and drive a stake through his heart while he was asleep.

Towards the end of the series, Darren changes his opinion about Mr. Crepsley. Mr. Crepsley was killed while fighting Steve. He fell into a pit of stakes and died, Darren was shocked as they developed a son like relationship. Darren loved Mr. Crepsley, he thought of him as a father because of all the things he'd done for him throughout the series. Mr. Crepsley almost sacrificed his life to save Darren and also made funny jokes together that really made Darren happy through tough times. Darren thought he was a nuisance at first but really studied the ways of the vampires and decided that being a vampire was his fate. When Mr. Crepsley died, Darren was depressed for many weeks nonstop. He always had his mind on Mr. Crepsley. He was a good friend and I would be extremely sad if my friend died like that. For example, Darren sat in one place without eating just thinking about Mr. Crepsley and all the good times they had together. He was depressed and sad without him, he ignored his surroundings and focused his mind on Mr. Crespley. He wanted to get revenge but was reminded by the last words of Mr. Crespley which told him he shouldn't be filled with the desire for revenge and hatred.  Darren changed because he realized he couldn't live without Mr. Crepsley, he needed him and he was nice and gentle. At first, Darren thought he was evil but later discovered that he was doing things for the good. Another example of Darren changing and wishing Mr. Crepsley hadn't died was when he had a dream that the vampires from Vampire mountain had come and saved Mr. Crepsley from falling into the pit and that they were rescued.

In conclusion, Darren changed throughout the series from hating Mr. Crepsley to liking him and thinking of him as a father. This lesson teaches us many things about life. You may have heard the phrase "Do not judge a book by its cover", this means that you shouldn't judge someone base on his appearances. Darren judged Mr. Crepsley by his features. Because he was a vampire, Darren thought that he was evil. He didn't like him, but later on he learned that he was a kind hearted person and had a lot of sympathy, he was willing to give up his life to save his pupil. Life can be bitter and there can be a lot of people you don't like at first, but later on, you will learn that these people that you didn't like at first could play a huge role in your life. They could be your best friend, these people could be really nice people that stand up for you when you're in trouble. This teaches us that we shouldn't judge without knowing someone's point of view or traits. A case could have multiple points of view, what others see can be different from what another one would see. All in all, this teaches us that we shouldn't judge others without knowing their personality.

Blog Post #5- Poetry/Song Lyric Responses

The song "In the End" by Linkin Park is one of my favorite songs of all times. Linkin Park is my favorite band and I love all the music they compose and I believe that all of their music have meanings. This song is a song and it reminds me of all the sad times, the beat is just really... calm. It reminds me of death and sorrow. I have two inferences about this song. One inference is that I think this song tells us that no matter what your status as a person is, ex: rich, poor, famous, pretty) when you die it won't matter. My second inference is that this song teaches us that you shouldn't waste time and that you should value your time.

First, I think that this song tells us that no matter what status a person has in life, it won't matter when we die. For example, the repetitive line ""What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when I tried so hard/ And got so far/ In the end, it doesn't even matter" is repeated many times throughout the song. This quote is telling us that in the end of your life, when you die; all of the fame and wealth or vice versa you had doesn't matter because you are dead. It also tells us that the future doesn't matter and only the present matters because everything you do will determine a different outcome of people's futures. All of it is gone, and nothing matters now. "What it meant to me will eventually be a memory of a time when I tried so hard/ And got so far", I think this part of the line means that the person's life use to be full of riches but it will eventually be a memory when he/she dies. The narrator tried so hard and achieved his/her goals of becoming rich but in the end, it doesn't matter.

Second, I think that this song also teaches us that you shouldn't waste time and that you should value your time. For example, the lines "All I know / time is a valuable thing / Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings /
Watch it count down to the end of the day / The clock ticks life away" indicates that time is a valuable thing. The line "Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings", I think this line means that time is ticking really fast and that's why you shouldn't waste time. The pendulum is the clock and when it swings, time moves by really quickly. The line "Watch it count down to the end of the day" means that the narrator is wasting time and time is going by so quick that it's already the end of the day. Another example that shows this teaching is the lines "Didn’t look out below/ Watch the time go right out the window/ Trying to hold on but didn’t even know / Wasted it all just to/ Watch you go". I think these lines are talking about the narrator not planning his time well, because the narrator didn't plan his time well the time flies and as a result, time is wasted. He/she tries to fix his error but he/she just wasted all his/her time already so the narrator just watches the time fly.


In conclusion, I think that this song tells us that no matter what your status as a person is, when you die it won't matter and also teaches us that you shouldn't waste time and that you should value your time. The rich think that because they are rich, they can boss others and show off. But the value that this song teaches is that everyone is the same and it doesn't matter what clothes you wear or what kind of style you prefer. In the end, it doesn't matter. Everyone should be treated equally regardless of their looks or style. People should also value their time and spend it well, this song tells us that time can only go forward and not backwards. Once time is passed, there's no going back. This is why people should value their time and not waste it because if you're doing something you love like playing video games instead of doing your homework, you'd mostly end up not doing it or doing it late. When people enjoy events, time flies by and goes by like it's only been 10 minutes.

Blog Post #4- Informational/Nonfiction Writing

The article Why is this child so distressed? by Jane Hersey is an article about reasons why children can be distressed. The article tells us many reasons why children can be distressed and it gives us examples of people that are distressed and their causes. There are many children and are distressed because of many reasons, this article tells us about reasons that children can be distressed.

First, the article isn't really trying to convey the readers about a certain topic. The article is just giving information about reasons children can be distressed. Jane Hersey is trying to be informal with us and telling us many things that can make us or children distressed. One example of something that can make children distressed is death. The article talks about a young 7 year old girl and the death of her parents. "Betsy was only 7 years old, but was haunted by thoughts of death; one of the pieces of art work she brought home from school was a black paper with three tombstones, bearing the initials of her parents and herself. She quietly planned on ways that she could end her life, which held no joy for her despite a loving family that desperately tried to help her". This is from the article, as you can see, she is only 7 years old and her parents are already dead. Death is a serious issue that can cause children to be distressed. If I was in her shoes, I would be distressed and depressed! Another reason why children could be distressed is disorders. Disorders are especially common nowadays, they shape a person's personality and their actions. One example in the article is a boy called Joshua with oppositional defiant disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. The disorders often puts him in an angry, aggressive, and compulsive mood. 

In conclusion, there are many reasons that children can be distressed. There are so many reasons that there would be a huge list going on and on. My personal response to this article is how many are unlucky. There is always something that cause something like being distressed. Children are distressed because of many reasons that they can't control and is far beyond their capabilities. If their parents die, they can't do anything about it. If someone has diseases or disorders, they can't do anything about it. The only option is to be distressed or depressed. Although there are many drugs that can help these children wake up from their distressed mood, these drugs are often not risk-free and can come with many deadly consequences. I feel really bad for these children because of bad things are happening and it was all fate. Fate brought it upon them, that is why fate and can be good and it can be evil sometimes. Not all things work out successfully in life and that's why many bad things happen to people, bad enough to change their mood and their attitudes.

Blog Post #3- Narrative Piece of Writing

The boko "The Hunger Games" is a fast paced action book about a girl fighting to survive. Each year, there is an event called the Games, it is an  event in which random people are chosen from each district and the participants (or "tributes") must fight in an outdoor arena controlled by the Capitol, until only one remains. The main character Katniss was one of those tributes. Her sister was chosen as a tribute in the Games, but Katniss loved her so much that she offered herself as a tribute. This book is one of the most popular books of all time. However, many people read the book for enjoyment or because many others were reading it. Since many read it for enjoyment, they don't discover the important themes in the book. I think the main theme in this book is survival.

First, although there are many other important themes like love, survival is the main one. Ever since the start of the games, survival is the main issue that Katniss has to solve. One example of survival in the book is that Katniss has to look for her own food and shelter. Just finding food and shelter in the wild is difficult, but she is doing this when others are targeting her and she is the prey. She survives by using her skill which is climbing trees in order to evade her targets. Another example of survival in the book is other tributes trying to survive. The main point of the Games is to survive, but we have other tributes teaming up to survive. The Careers were one group, each member of the group did a task to make sure they survived. Each one had to gather food in the wild and hunt out other members so that they can survive. Suzanne Collins conveys us by showing us what Katniss and the other tributes do in order to survive.

In conclusion, I think the main theme in this book is survival because of my examples. Katniss has to survive in the wild by hunting and gathering food for herself so that she can continue to survive. This is a clear example how Katniss is trying to survive and how she is trying to fight the wild. Survival is important in the book because if the last tribute was standing, their family would be crowned with riches. Everyone would want to be rich. They are also fighting to show the Council that they have spirit in their families and that they can't control them. Survival relates to the real world because there are many situations with survival. There could be a run-away teen running away from abusive parents and trying to survive in the wild. There could be an accident where you're left on an island and you have to survive by yourself. One example of this situation is the book "Hatchet" by Gary Paulsen. There could be many situations that can force someone to live in the wild and look for food and shelter in order to survive.

Blog Post #2- Song Lyrics - Linkin Park- Numb

The song Numb by Linkin Park is one of my favorite songs! I have never thought about giving the poem more meaning, to go deep in the poem and unravel what the song is trying to say. Obviously, everyone just likes music, there's no explanation. Numb has a good rhythm in my opinion, and the singer just makes you fall asleep. Many like this song but never think about the lyrics, just like me until I did this blog post.Throughout the poem, there is repetition and strong words. I think that this song is about someone having a difficult life and is unpopular and gets bullied.

I think this because of two of the repetitive lines in the song. The lines says "I've become so numb, I can't feel you there/Become so tired, so much more aware". This line is repeated three times throughout the poem, this makes me believe that this is an important line. When it says "I've become so numb, I can't feel you there", I think that this means that the person has already experienced so much bullying that it's like nothing anymore. It's happened so much that the narrator can't feel that bullying is a threat anymore. The second line "Become so tired, so more more aware" is also repetitive. I think that this line means that the narrator is tired of the bullying, but he/she is becoming more aware of the situation. The most important repetitive line in this song is "Every step that I take is another mistake to you". I think this because it shows that the narrator is getting ignored and not cared for. I don't think that Linkin Park meant that "every step he/she takes is another mistake" for real. I think that this line means that everything the narrator does is ignored and that no one cares. This is why it says "another mistake to you", it's considered a mistake and a bad thing every time the narrator does something it likes to do. Even though the narrator likes it, the crowd and other people or classmates don't like it so that's why it's a "mistake". If it's not bullying, then it's some other sort of problem.

This is probably another song about social problems like bullying if I'm correct about my theory. Bullying is one of the world's top issues, it has constantly strained many peoples' lives. Bullying has forced many to commit suicide and many to suffer from the pain everyday. Cyber-bullying also affects kids and others. Bullying happens mostly at school because people judge others and just doesn't like someone in particular. They feel that they are superior just because they think that the person they are bullying is ugly or whatever. Bullying is a huge issue, it could turn someone down and make them feel depressed and sad. It is recommended that if you are bullied, you are suppose to tell someone you trust. But what if you're in a situation like the narrator of the poem, no one likes her and she has no one she trusts. This would really make her life feel miserable and possibly lead to suicide. Even if people tell others, many don't do anything to change bullying. Just because you don't get bullied doesn't mean that the issue doesn't apply to you. Many are bullied and you should care, it is the right thing to do and is also a good way to open up new friendships.

Blog Post #1-Informational/Nonfiction Writing

The article Hug a Hoodie: What the U.K. Teaches Us About Making a Sweatshirt a Symbol by Tim Fernolz is an informational article about a recent incident in Florida. The article talks about many opinions public people had about this incident. A 17-year old kid called Trayvon Martin was shot and killed in Florida about a month ago. He was killed by George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin was watching basketball with his dad when halftime occurred. He decided to go out and get some snacks, he bought some iced tea and Skittles. After he bought snacks, he headed home. Just when he got outside, there was a light drizzle. Trayvon decided to put his hood on, he then hurried back home. On his way, he noticed someone following him, which was George Zimmerman. Zimmerman was the Neighborhood Watch, he suspected that Trayvon was a criminal and was possibly a dangerous target. Trayvon had his hands in his pockets and was running, which made him look like a suspicious target. Zimmerman called the police and told them about it, the police told him to stop following him. He kept following him and then a fight began, Trayvon was shot in the chest. He was not arrested or charged because he claimed that it was self-defense. He said that he attacked him first and many are still trying to find evidence and witnesses. The poor boy died only at age 17, he was almost an adult and was going to get his driver's license. Through this incident, Tim tried to persuade us that hoodies are bad for outwear and people shouldn't wear them outside, especially when you have your hands in your pockets.

Tim tried to persuade us that wearing hoodies are bad for outwear and people shouldn't wear them outside and have their hands in their pockets. He is trying to tell us that wearing hoods can make you look very suspicious and make others think differently about you. Like Trayvon, Zimmerman thought he was a criminal but he was really a nice and innocent African American boy. For example, Rivera said on his show Friday. “I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin’s death as George Zimmerman was.” I think that this means that the hoodie was the primary cause of his death, the hoodie was just as responsible as Zimmerman killing Trayvon. The hoodie was the main reason why Zimmerman had his suspicions on him. Tim was trying to tell us the results of wearing a hoodie while walking down the street, it could mean your life. Another example that Tim tried to persuade us was "Some British observers blame the United States for “hoodie” culture, saying it originated in hip-hop and captures the medium’s defiant posture." Tim is trying to persuade us that hoodie culture created what we have today. It's our fault that we shaped our culture like that and that's why hoodies are bad. Another example is a quote from Rivera, “I am urging the parents of black and Latino youngsters, particularly, to not let their young children go out wearing hoodies,” Rivera said. Because there are a lot of racism these days against Latinos and blacks, wearing hoodies would give off a lot of suspicion to the community. Especially since there are black, many people have different stereotypes on each race.

My response to this article is that I am shocked. Even though slavery ended hundreds of years ago, there is still racism and stereotypes against blacks. Blacks are still treated unfairly, and just because they have a hood on, people suspect them of thievery and that they are a criminal. I am always thinking how different people get treated differently because of different characteristics we have. There are always stereotypes against each other, but after all we're all human. We are the same species and the same race so why should we harm each other and harass each other? Shooting people for no good reason is bad, there was some kind of racist issue involved. Zimmerman was white and Trayvon was black, Zimmerman suspected him because he was black. People are constantly judging a book by its own cover, just like they judge people. This article helped people and realize what the problem is and why people shouldn't wear hoodies, because people can easily judge you and can possibly do harm to you.

His life sucks alright.....

The book The Recruit by Robert Muchamore is a very fast paced exciting book about a young kid and his life. I have only started reading this book. I can tell that this book will be sort of like the Alex Rider series, since I read the blurb. Although I have just started reading the book, there are a lot of issues and problems that are going on in the main character, or James' life. He's so young and we already see a lot of issues, death, peer pressure, and more.

First, one issue in the book that I've seen so far is the most tragic thing that can happen to a teen, death. He's only 11 years old! James' mom dies all of a sudden from a stroke, he is left all alone. All he has is a step-dad that is mean spirited. He finds a way to take James' sister away to make James' life even more miserable. James' and his step-dad have this parent child relationship, James' hates his step-dad because he hates him. Not many peoples' moms die when their only a teenager. This is why I think that James' is one of the unluckiest people in the world, his mom dies and then his step-dad abandons him.

A second issue I see in the book so far is peer pressure. When James' agree to hang out with one of the most violent gangs. The gang peer pressures him into joining their gang and peer pressuring James to do a lot of bad crimes. They broke into a shop and stole some cars. James isn't even confident with himself. He doesn't really quite trust them, but if he denied the offer to join their gang, it would make him look like a scaredy cat. For example, when James made a joke about Vince, Vince was about to beat him up and make him lick the floor ten times.

In conclusion, James' life is very complicated. He's so young and is already encountering so many problems. The book is very entertaining so far. I can't wait till James gets recruited into CHERUB.I hope there will be more fast paced action. I am also hoping for a change from James, I hope he'll become nicer and won't hang out with the gang. Life is tough these days, especially for teenagers. In reality, a lot of teens are experiencing what James is feeling. He feels lost, he has to go to daycare.

Romeo and Juliet-Theme Response

I thought this movie was pretty cool overall. I wished it wasn't in the modern days though because I couldn't see what the buildings and Verona looked like when Romeo and Juliet was written. What I disliked was how the characters are so young and they're already in love. Even though the actors were over 18, the true story was that they are under 14. It shocks me how people so underage is already in deep love. I also found it hard understanding Shakespearean language, it's really tough, have to decipher each line one by one. My theme was sound and I think the sound really plays a role in the movie.

The sound is what makes the movie interesting. One observation I noticed about sound was the intense thunder noises when Romeo killed Tybalt. I think that the thunder sounds got louder and louder because it showed that Romeo committed a huge crime. The sounds helped us understand how Romeo felt when he killed Tybalt, regret and scared. Since he killed Juliet's cousin, he might've thought that Juliet would hate him for killing him. Not only did the sound change, the weather changed. The clouds got dark and it started pouring, showing his regret and anger.

Another observation of sound that I noticed was intense music in dramatic scenes. The sound draws the audience to pay close attention and wonder what is about to happen. I noticed that during the romance scenes, the music tends to be soft and peaceful. During the scene where Romeo and Juliet find out about their family and how they are Montagues and Capulets, the sound is very dull in tone. I think that the dullness in the music means that the two can never be together because one is a Montague and one is a Capulet. Another scene I thought meant something was when Juliet drank the sleeping potion. There was music that sounded like music played in a church or in a funeral. The music told me that something bad was going to happen. It conveyed sadness. To me, the music made me think of fate, it made me think of how Romeo would never see Juliet again after she drank the potion.

In conclusion, sound plays a big role in all movies. Without sound, we wouldn't be able to hear what the characters are saying or what is going on. Back in the old times, people would do silent plays and they would try to guess what the actors were doing. Also they had silent films with no sound, sound is really important. This is why sound plays a big role in this movie too, especially in a movie that is fast paced and filled with romance and drama. Sound can represent happiness and sadness. This is the interesting thing about music, music conveys different emotions. Music can be happy, sad, exciting, dull and more.

Similarities Make Friends

The book Staying Fat For Sarah Brynnes by Chris Crutcher is a very intense book dealing with many issues that people face everyday. The book also deals with an intense long lasting relationship that makes the two characters in the book friends. The main character is called Eric and Eric's best friend is called Sarah. I think that these two characters have a lot in similar and some things that are different.

The two characters have similarities, one similarity is that they both have an issue that troubles them, and also mocks them. Eric is overweight and Sarah has scars on her face and her hands which also mocks her. The only reason why they became friends was because they had this similarity, they have been friends for years and these issues are what kept them together. Eric starts losing weight by joining a swimming club, but then is afraid that his friendship with Sarah will break apart. He is scared that if he is skinny, Sarah won't be his friend anymore because they don't have a similarity. This is why Eric constantly eats throughout the book to maintain his weight and his relationship with Sarah.

The two characters also have differences. Of course, everyone is different and everyone is born with different styles and techniques. I noticed a really important difference in this book, I've noticed that Eric is usually the one that has a lot of strengths and that Sarah has a lot of weaknesses. For example, Eric reveals the secret of Sarah's father trying to kill her to the school staff to save Sarah. Sarah on the other hand was weak because she was hiding the secret and didn't want to tell it out. Eric has a lot of courage and does what it takes to save his friend, I think that this was very courageous and showed a true symbol of friendship. Sarah was also weak because she didn't tell everyone that her father use to abuse her and why she got her scars.

In conclusion, I think that the two main characters in the book have similarities and differences. When's the last time you've heard of child abuse? For me, not too long ago, this issue is happening everyday around the world. I think that confronting yourself is the best way to heal yourself. Even though Eric was fat and Sarah had scars, it's not the outside that matters. It's what matters inside and your personality. Eric stayed strong and ignored what others said about him. Teen issues are all over the place, many people face issues everyday. For example, in our school, there is this kid that somehow has a crippled leg and has to rely on a roller cart thing. I really feel bad for him because even though he's crippled, he's still going to school. I really wonder how it feels to be in his life, always walking slower than others. It must be bad to be in his life, but it's good that he's still fighting it.

Visual Art Assignment due 1/25

 

This painting is called Frida Khalo, The Little Dear by Frida Khalo. Frida Khalo has been a huge inspiration to me when I was in elementary school, I use to hear her name all the time from art teachers. I noticed that she did a lot of self portraits that were rather strange somehow.  Many people would have different perspectives on this painting but this is mine. I think that Frida Khalo must've drawn herself in a deer because of some kind of pain physically or mentally she's having.

One obvious evidence that I can point out is the arrows. She drew arrows all stuck around the deer's body with blood coming out. There is also an arrow on her neck, which has to be painful. I think that this painting portrays both physical and mental pain. In the background I see a nice blue sky, there's also a path that leads out of the forests. Frida could've drawn the deer moving out that path but instead  Frida draws herself around a bunch of dark trees. I think she did this because she thinks that there's no more hope for her for whatever the problem she's having. The blue sky represents hope while the forests represent darkness, it seems like she's trapped in the mentally with no way out. Drawing herself in a form of a deer makes me think really deep, she could've chosen any other animal, why a deer? Back to my theory about her experiencing pain physically and mentally, I think that she's experiencing pain physically also because she's put her body form into a deer form. This makes me think if she has some kind of bone fracture that injured her body. Even her face shows a sign of unhappiness and something that is bothering her.

I think this painting connects to humanity and the world because many people suffer these days from all kinds of things. They experience pain physically and mentally like in this poem, it can even connect to me. In face it can connect to everyone since I'm pretty sure everyone has experienced some sort of pain. They probably have experienced frustration to the point where you just give up.

All-Star Mentor Nomination!

I think that our All Star Mentor should be Leah. I really liked her reading responses especially her recent one.  What I like is how she compared each characters by their personalities. Her opinions were strong and the message was said clearly. She limits her retell and gets straight to her thesis, she is always using comparison to compare our real world or other characters in the book which I think is really unique.
Her blog: http://writinguponreading.blogspot.com/

Mixed Discussion-Thoughts

The book Burned by Ellen Hopkins is a pretty good book. I have just started reading it about a day ago. I happened to pick this book up at the library when I was looking for books. The cover was just so appealing to me that I had to pick it up. The paper actually looks burned, Ellen must've really thought about this book before she wrote it. Burned is another social issue book, but this time it's not about the main character's life. It's about the life surrounding her, her dad is an alcoholic who beats her mother.

Comparing to the outside world, I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of abusive fathers or mothers. This book just models the reality of our world and make us think more about the issue. Many parents abuse their kids and threaten them too, but kids are too scared to tell someone. I've seen a lady on the street scream and curse at her kid and I was just shocked.


What amazes me about this book was that the font and then placement of the text was really cool. I think that Ellen placed it in different places to represent symbolism, like when they talked about spaghetti, Ellen decided to place the words so that it looked like spaghetti. The text in her book is so different from other books, the dialogue is totally different from other books. At first, I thought the book was actually poetry.

Depression

The book Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson is a very moody book and can probably make you change your mind about some things after reading it. The book is about a freshman girl that is had a party during the vacation before school. She invites all her friends and they party off, but who knew that a friend would rape her in the woods. This scene would have a big impact for the rest of her life, causing many problems throughout her life. Thus causing her to have an extremely complicated life at an young age.

I think the author titled this book Speak was because throughout the book, Melinda didn't speak out for herself. She let others accuse her and she just didn't speak aloud and clarify the situation. I think the message the author is trying to get to us is that whenever there is a situation that is clearly a misunderstanding, then you should speak up for yourself.

Telling everyone that you got raped is a really hard thing to say, it would embarrass you in front of everyone else.

This one issue caused many issues to Melinda throughout the book. For example, Melinda falls into depression later on in the book. Depression is a serious condition and may kill you due to stress. Depression usually occurs when a loved one dies suddenly, but she just falls into depression because she got raped. Speaking up would help clarify all this and wouldn't have caused all this.

Another is that she's losing her friends, friends is a really important aspect of education life. Friends are there to help one another. Without friends, this is probably one of the reasons why she is in depression. Since at the time of the rape, she called 911 because she was getting raped. But then when the police arrived, they saw that the some of the people that Melinda invited were drinking when they were underage. Her friends thought that she did it on purpose trying to get some of them arrested, thus losing all her friends. Even worse, her friends treat her badly. They insult her and throws food in her face when they don't know the truth.

She also fails most of her classes, except for art because the teacher is really nice and encourages everybody. The teacher understands Melinda's pain and tells her to show it through art. I thought that this was really interesting because my old art teacher use to tell us this too. Who can you blame when you're in depression and you're failing class? Everyone would fail class, this is why depression is such a big issue. It affects people in a lot of ways, such as changing things they do daily.

I really pity Melinda because even in school, she feels anxious sometimes and nervous. She hides in an abandoned janitor's closet where she just sleeps throughout the school day. She has to go through all that, probably when she got raped, the nightmare still haunts her. I really like the ending of the book, because she finally had the courage to tell her art teacher what really happened to her. She also decided that she would move on with life which was a really good thing.

In conclusion, this book was a really great book to read. I really enjoyed it and it got me to think more about bullying in our world. Many people bully without realizing it which is a bad thing. Maybe if she reported her situation to the police earlier, then she wouldn't have had gone through such a harsh life. If I was Melinda, I would've probably not tolerated all that bullying and insulting. I would probably tell my friends what really happened, and if they keep bullying me, I would punch her and shake some sense into her.