Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Frankenstein Question Response

If I had to choose among ugly, angry, ignorant, guilty, extremely intelligent, or extremely attractive, I would least want to be guilty or feel guilty. If I was guilty of a crime, I would not know how to live the remaining years of my life without thinking about the crime. I live by the  motto "To get anywhere in life you must look to a brighter future, not the road you were on before. Always move forward not backwards." With the crime I committed, I always be dragged by it everywhere I go because it will forever be on my record. It will be harder to live a better life since the crime I committed made a huge psychological damage to myself and my family. Above all the choices given, I would least want to be guilty.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

The Rime of the Ancient Mariner fig lang

2 Key elements that the author uses are alliteration and personification. Alliteration, which is the repetition of consonant sounds in 2 or more neighboring words or syllables, helps add extra detail to the poem. One example of it is, "The faire breeze blew, the white foam flew, the furrow followed free; we were the first that ever burst into the silent sea." It displays the Mariners memory which shows how important this event was. While personification, the giving something human like characteristics, is strongly used in givng the sun and other objects man like qualities. "The sun came up upon the left out of the sea came he! And he shown bright, and on the right went down into the sea" Displays the importance of the effect the sun had on the Mariner

Frakenstein

As Victor began his experiments he said "if no man allowed any pursuit whatsoever to interfere with the tranquility of his domestic affections, Greece had not been enslaved; Caesar would have spared his country; America would have been discovered more gradually; and the empires of Mexico and Peru had not been destroyed" to justify to himself of the creation of the creature. It makes me wonder that was disturbing the tranquility of his domestic affections worth it because upon meeting his creation he became traumatized. Also those events he mentioned had catastrophes.In the process of  discovering America many Native Americans were killed and entire populations of Native Americans in Mexico and Peru were enslaved or killed. Those events were terrible and he used them to justify his experiments, i believe it foreshadows that his creation, the creature, will go on to haunt him and do terrible actions.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

To Be of Use Modeled Writing by Katie M

The people love the best
look at life from a deeper perspective
without falling into shallow thoughts
and emerge with free ides never thought
They seem to become explorers of that gem,
the shinning, minds of creatures
skipping like round stones

I love people who express themselves, a wing to a bird
who fly like sparrows with immense beauty,
who strain in the wind and trouble to move forward,
who think what must be thought, again and again

I want to be with people who submerge deep into thought,
who dive into pools of knowledge
and swim in a row and pass secrets along,
who stand together and share their ideas,
who are not ordinary or dry of life, but move in a common harmony
when the truth must be discovered


**Katie M Period 4

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Where I Am From By Keana M

Where I Am From

     I am from an ironic cluster
from intelligence and rebellion
     I am from the diversity in every individual
(colorful, damp
it tasted like danger)
      I am from the music
the reggae
whose message is remembered
and shared as if it were my own.

     I'm from noise and silence
from Brazil and America.
     I'm from the outgoing ones
and the questioning ones,
from speak up and be heard.
     I'm from this earth
with an owl on a tree
and ten foot waves I can ride.

     I'm from Gaga and tattoo shops,
unlit cigarettes and ink.
      From the fights I've lost
to the battles,
the wars I've won with peace.

    Under my heart was a Phoenix
burning into ashes
an ocean of lost emotions
to navigate in the crevasses of my mind.
     I am from the lost moments-
dead before I was alive-
born again from the sky and sea.

This is where I am from.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Response to "The Grave", Anita Chen

In "The Grave", the author illustrates Miranda and Paul's casual behavior during their hunt that is later contrasted by Miranda's sensitive reaction to the death of a pregnant rabbit and its babies that gives an insight into the human instinct or intuition about sexuality, combined with the author's reference to traditional value in the way of dressing for women. There are many archetype themes apparent in the story, such as recurring symbol, doves, that may be a biblical allusion of Noah's Ark. Also, Miranda's reaction to the snake implies to sexuality. Later, children's encounter with a dead rabbit with babies illustrates the loss of innocence, especially for Miranda who was oblivious of her sexuality.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Big Comparison by D House

               Big Fish and “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” are two pieces of art that display incredible adventures at the hands of their protagonists. On the surface they both seem to be fantastic stories that children would enjoy, but when digging deeper, it is possible to see they have allude to something stronger. The use of archetypes, which determine the form and function of a particular work, only help further this meaning to new heights.
                One archetype that both of these pieces of works have that plays a major role, is the “quest”. In both Big Fish and “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”, the protagonists, Edward and Alice respectively, had a destination but did not know how to reach it. This both allowed them to take an unbelievable path, which eventually took them to their point of destination. For Edward, it was to find the girl of his dreams. For Alice, it was just to get home. “The Quest”, is more than just what the end result is, it is about the process in which they take to get there. Its what the “hero” discovers about themselves, and is also a growing process. When Alice is called to the stand to deliver her evidence in the case, she then comes to the realization that this world makes no sense and that she has the power to control it. In a sense, it displays a loss of innocence which came about through the process. For Edward, his path to his goal showed him that anything he wanted, as long as he worked for it, he could achieve it and his growth as a person. Both “heroes” had similar results with very different roads.
                    Both pieces of art didn’t just have similarities; they also had archetypes with very different meanings. Both protagonists had a connection to the archetype: water. In Big Fish, Edward had a connection with water. His son told a story, as Edward was dying, about how Edward would be sent off in the water where he would be able to roam constantly without an end and to be the big fish in a big pond representing his connection. Water was a metaphor for his thirst for more. He wanted more. After he obtained the girl of his dreams, he continued on to become rich and get the “perfect” house. Even after that, he just continued on. He always wanted more. This is the exact opposite to Alice. There was a point when she first entered Wonderland where she just wanted to give up; so she began to cry until she created a lake of tears. Even in this fantasy world, she still wanted to go back to reality, to what was real. For Edward, he wanted to keep going; for Alice, she wanted to give up. These are two completely different stances, a thirst for more and the will to give up, which helped further their meanings.
             The theme behind Big Fish was to show the relationship between a father and son, and show that through all the years, through all of Edwards tall tales, that he was telling the truth. Through is thirst for more, and his process in doing that created an unbelievable story that eventually had the father and son come together at the very end. In Alice, the meaning has a broad spectrum and could mean many things. But one idea is that our world is one that’s simple and does not create very many complexities; very much unlike Wonderland or a persons imagination. That are imagination is a place with no limits or boundaries. The “quest” and “water” were two archetypes that these works incorporated into, creating a strong meaning.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Alice the Feminist? Katie M

Although I wrote this a couple weeks ago, I still wanted to share it :]

Alice Reading Response: Alice the Feminist?

Abrasive or assertive is this little girl? Although Alice is very young, she is shown several times throughout the novel standing up to the Caterpillar, Cheshire cat, and even the much feared Queen of Hearts. She could easily be mistake as just a rude girl who speaks her mind too much, or she could be seen as a feminist for her time and her situation.  
           
When the novel was written, in the late 19th century, during the Victorian period, women’s status in society was poor in the United States, England and much of the world. Women often were encouraged to not speak up or even speak when it wasn’t necessary for them to.
           
However, throughout Alice’s Adventures, Alice repeatedly shows her aversion the female stereotype. Even in the beginning she does not wish to be prim and proper like her older sister who is content with reading picture less books. In Wonderland, even among very peculiar characters, Alice refuses to conform to their ways and to what they think is “right”. Also the fact that Alice is so independent and intelligent despite being only seven years old allows her to be viewed as a character with feminist traits.

--Katie M.

Monday, September 20, 2010

The Caterpillar, Furzan A

Alice's trips in to wonderland have caused her to question her identity. The Caterpillar asks "who are you?" and Alice cannot give an answer to that. Although she seeks guidance from the Caterpillar, she finds only further self doubt. She does not heed to the Caterpillar’s authority, just as she did with the White Rabbit in the previous chapter. Alice’s confusion increases when the Caterpillar seems to be able to read her thoughts, answering her unspoken question “just as if she had asked it aloud.” Her identity is so confused now that her thoughts no longer seem to be her own. As the story continues a Pigeon mistakes her for a snake which further puts Alice in doubt of her identity.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Introduction to Tattoos by Keana Marin

(a poem based on “Introduction to Poetry” by Billy Collins http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/001.html)


I ask you to look at tattoos
and see them as art
like they are plastered on a museum wall
or as if they were muerals along the streets.
I say press your nose into the life of a tattoo
like a child peering into a closed candy store
or wander into a tattoos room
and witness the sensuality of it.
I want you to see tattoos
with an open mind and heart
accepting the beauty of color on skin
but all you want to do
is strangle tattoos with false perceptions
and label them as an evil.
you begin beating it with your negative thoughts
and never really find out what it means.