"Boo Radley: A Fantasy" (To Kill A Mockingbird Found Poetry)

The more Dill told us about the Radleys
The more we wanted to know
A long jagged scar,
He dined on raw squirrels
And any cats he could catch
Boo drove scissors into his father's leg.
Dill came up with the idea of making Boo Radley come out.
“He’ll kill us!”
Maybe he just doesn't have anywhere to run off to.
Boo Radley's stayed shut up inside the house all the time
It's because he wants to stay inside.
And yet I remembered:
Two Indian Head Pennies,
Chewing gum,
Soap dolls,
A rusty medal
A broken watch and chain
The Radley Place ceased to terrify me.
I imagined how it would be.
“Hidy do, Mr. Arthur,”
“Evening, Jean Louise.”
But it was only a fantasy.

I commented on: Lorin's Blog, Jackson's Blog, and Carter's Blog.

To Kill A Mockingbird Character Relationships

      After reading chapters 1-14, we have met pretty much all of the major characters and people of Maycomb County, Alabama. First of all, there is Scout, the narrator. There is her brother, Jem, her father, Atticus, her family's cook, Calpurnia, and a bunch of other neighbors, friends, etc. All of the characters, however, have in some way shaped Scout's life. For example: Atticus and Aunt Alexandra.

      Atticus and his sister, Aunt Alexandra do have some similarities, despite being so different. For one thing, they do both want what is best for the kids, although they have different ideas as to what that is. In the book, it says, "'We decided that it would be best for you to have some feminine influence. It won't be many years, Jean Louise, before you become interested in clothes and boys--'" (Page 127) Aunt Alexandr a is coming and staying with Atticus and Jem and Scout because she thinks that it is best for the family. Atticus also does what he thinks is best for the family. For example, on page 137, Atticus says, "'Alexandra, Calpurnia's not leaving this house until she wants to. You may think otherwise, but I couldn't have gotten along without her all these years. She's a faithful member of this family and you'll simply have to accept things the way they are....Besides, I don't think the children've suffered one bit from her having brought them up.'" By standing up to his sister and telling her that no matter what, Calpurnia is staying, is him doing what is best for the family. Calpurnia has helped them out tremendously and Jem and Scout would not be the people that they are without her.

      Atticus and Alexandra have plenty of differences, on the other hand. For one thing, Atticus believes that in treating his kids like adults, and telling them everything that they ask. Alexandra is shocked by this and clearly does not believe the same thing. On page 132-133, it says, "'...Atticus said it cost the family five hundred dollars to get him out of that one--' Aunt Alexandra was standing stiff as a stork. 'That's all,' she said. 'We'll see about this.'" Atticus had obviously shared something with the kids that Alexandra is shocked by and would never have shared with the kids, had they been hers. Another difference between Atticus and Alexandra is their ability to listen to both sides of an argument. When Francis and Scout got into a fight, Alexandra didn't listen to Scout's side of the story, and Scout got punished for something that she didn't do. On page 85-86, it says, "'Well, in the first place, you never stopped to gimme a chance to tell you my side of it-- you just lit right into me. When Jem an' I fuss Atticus doesn't ever just listen to Jem's side of it, he hears mine too...'" This shows that when Francis got into a fight with Scout, neither Aunt Alexandra nor Uncle Jack stopped to listen to Scout's point of view. Atticus listens to both.

To Kill A Mockingbird Setting

      We started reading the book To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee last week. IN the book so far, we have been in traduced to many characters in the old Alabama county of Maycomb. The narrator Scout, is six or seven years old when the story begins. She lives with her father, Atticus, her older brother, Jem, and the family's cook, Calpurina. We have also been introduced to other people in Maycomb, such as the Radley family. Boo Radley, is though to be insane. There have been stories and gossip of him stabbing his father with scissors, eating cats and squirrels and creeping in people's windows at night. The children all see, to be scared of the Radleys. All throughout the story, the setting seems to play a role in character development.

      The photo I have chosen to represent Maycomb County, Alabama is a picture taken in Selma, Alabama. It shows a store front. There are dirt roads and farm-like land in the background, and there appears to be a man hiding in the shadows next to the store. In the book, it says, "Maycomb was an old town, but it was a tired old town when I first knew it. In rainy weather the streets turned to red slop; grass grew on the sidewalks, the courthouse sagged in the square." (Page 5) Another thing that I think is helpful to know is that may families in Maycomb are poor. I think that this picture represents Maycomb because many aspects of the picture match up to the description of the town in the book. For one thing, the roads. As you can see in the picture, there are dirt roads in front of this store. And, Scout describes to roads turning to slop when it rains, which implies dirt roads.

      Another thing that Scout mentions is that a lot of Maycomb is farm land. As it says on Page 16, "Miss Caroline seemed unaware that the ragged, denim-shirted and floursack-skirted first grade, most of whom had chopped cotton and fed hogs from the time they were able to walk, were immune to imaginative literature." So, as you can see from the quote, the children were taught to work on farms when they were little, and education was not the main priority. I think that that quality of Maycomb matches up with the picture because, as you can see in the picture, behind the store is what looks to be farm-like land.

Evans, Walker. "Store with False Front. Vicinity of Selma, Alabama" Jan.      1936. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black-and-White Negatives, Library of Congress, Selma, Alabama.

Election Reflection

What are your thoughts of this election in general?

      I am very disappointed in the results of this 2016 election. If for some reason you did not know, Donald Trump won. I don't know how America could elect someone so racist, homophobic, and just all around, not a good person. Especially after all of the stories, tapes, and videos of him saying terrible things about people.

      During this election, I have heard many people say a lot of different things about Hillary. That she wasn't trustworthy, that she should go to jail, and that she was just not a good candidate for president. And to that I say: Yes. She is not the perfect candidate. But, Donald Trump is so much worse. I just want to say, would you rather have a president who made one bad choice in deleting emails (who by the way was cleared by the FBI), or someone who is constantly insulting women, people of color, disabled people, the LGBTQ community, the list goes on and on. At one point in the election, he said that he could shoot someone and he wouldn't lose any votes. I can't even begin to describe how I feel about America choosing him as president, when he is clearly not even close to being as qualified as Hillary. And I know that some people will disagree with my statements, but, that's my opinion. So, if your opinion differs from mine, that's fine. 

Would you like to be more involved in politics? If so, how?

I actually think that I am pretty involved in politics. For one thing, in OAV (Our American Voice), I, along with a couple other classmates, helped people register to vote. We, didn't get very many people, unfortunately, but most people that passed by the school and actually payed attention to us, had already registered, which was great. Another thing that I did, last weekend actually, was helping my mom go door to door (to registered Democrats) in Iowa, reminding people to vote. We got a clipboard of people who were registered as Democrats in a specific town/couple of blocks and we would go and knock on their door. Some of them weren't home, so they would get a "VOTE FOR HILLARY" sign on their door, but if they answered, we would remind them to vote, and to vote for Hillary. And although the entire state of Iowa went Republican, the county that we were in went Democrat. I am really disappointed though, because I don't feel like I made that much of a difference.

Remembrance of Death

The morning I saw death was red as blood
Red sky, red ground, red water
The air was thick with the stench
Of men greeting death, as I was

Friend and foe lay beside me
Titans laid slain, or nearly so
Some lay quietly, accepting their end
Others cursed the unfairness of it all

Over them floated a creature shrouded in shadow
The air around it seemed to ooze darkness
It was an odd sight on such a bright day
The thing glided over to me and lowered to the ground

“It is time.” The creature spoke softly, with a lilting tone
“What are you?” I asked
“I am you. Your future. I am death.”
“I am not ready,” I pleaded.
“Look at you,” it exclaimed, “you are injured. You are dying. You are ready.”

I continued to argue my point,
 “ I have a country to serve, I've given too much to give up now!”
“The country will survive,” death assured me,
 “ it does not need you, you have done what you could.”
Perhaps it was right,
But perhaps….

“One man is all that is needed!,” I insisted, “ One man could change the tides of war!”
It tilted its head at me, an air of tiredness seemed to surround it.
“Many a man on this very field have made such a claim, what makes you different?”
I considered it's words.
What made me different? Nothing. Nothing but a chance to beat back death and win.

“Remembrance, I can offer them remembrance.” I told it.
“Every soldier deserves that,” I continued, “and even if I am the lone survivor I am enough to give them what they deserve.”
At this death almost laughed.
“Oh? And those fighting you? What of them? Do they deserve a memorial along side you?”

This made me pause, I had to think on this.
Did they? Could I give them that?
Did it matter? Did we not all fight for our beliefs?
Who was I to say one was correct and others were not?
To another man I could also be the enemy, but did that make me wrong?

“Every person leaves a mark, whether we wish to see it or not.”
It was the only answer I could give.
“I do not make them, but I can carry them with me.”
At this the world grew silent,

“Very well, for now I give you a chance,” it paused,
“But should you forget those words, I will be waiting.”
With that I was left alone,
The morning I saw death was bright as the sun

1st Quarter Reflections

      I cannot believe that the first quarter is over already! It went by so fast. 

Where are you in your 20 Book Challenge?

So far this year, for the 20 book challenge, I have read 15 books. I have read Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen, Counting but 7's by Holly Goldberg Solan, Paper Towns by John Green, Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain. I have also reread some of the Harry Potter Series, including Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. I have also finished the Series of Unfortunate Events Series by Lemony Snicket. The Histile Hospital, The Carnivorous Carnival, The Slippery Slope, The Grim Grotto, The Penultimate Peril, and The End. I hope that I will continue to read more and finish the challenge, which I know that I will, considering that the challenge is only 20 books and I have three quarters left.

How has your writing progressed?

I think that my writing has come a long way since last year. Just this quarter, I have learned a lot about writing style, voice, formatting, grammar, etc. Looking back at my old blogs, I am noticing all of these little mistakes that I hadn't noticed before. 

What are your goals for ELA in the next three quarters?

My goals for the next three quarters are, for one, to get better ar vocab. Last year, I was great at vocab. I would study and I would usually do very well on the tests. But, this year, I am struggling. I usually forget to study and don't do as well as I would like to. So for the next three quarters, I really want to improve on that. Another goal for the next three quarters is to finish the 20 Book Challenge and hopefully get to 40. Last year, I got so close to finishing the 40 Book Challenge, I think that I read about 35 books. This year, my goal is to finally finish the 40 Book Challenge. 

Confessions of a Madman

The following is a recorded confession of Montresor to the murder by asphyxiation of one -- Fortunato.

You understand why you are here correct?
Yes.
So then, why are you so calm?
You do not frighten me. 
And why is that?
Nothing does, nothing ever has. Now then can we get on with it? You're wasting my time.
Just to clarify, you are speaking of your own free will?
Yes.
And you will speak the truth, and nothing but the truth?
Of course I will.
Now then can you please explain, in detail, why you are here?
You already know why I am here.
Yes, but you must say it yourself, otherwise it would not be a confession.
You have a point. I am here to confess  to murdering my dear friend Fortunato.
In detail, Mr. Montresor
Everything? From planning to the act?
Yes.
Very well. I first wished to kill him when he dared to insult me.
He insulted you? 
Yes.
Was it really deserving of murdering him?
Yes. 
Well, what did he say?     
He insulted the Montresor family. If I'm correct his exact wordswere, " The Montresors we once a great family, so full of culture and talent. It is a shame that they have been reduced to this."
Well that is rather harsh. When was this?
Over my dead mother's grave.
Ah....I see.
You understand my contempt for him, no?
Regardless of what was said and where, don't you feel remorse for your actions?
No.
Not at all?
No, not at all.
I see. Carry on.
I returned home and considered if I would ever have a chance for revenge. I wanted to reduce him to a mere sentence, as he did to my family. I understood that it would not be easy, he was a rather public figure, then there was the pesky matter of witnesses. I was thinking that I would need to lure him to a place he would not be noticed, and then do the deed. I know that murder can be a messy business, so I had to find a way to kill him without killing him. That way if they found him I wouldn't be directly responsible.
So why are you confessing?
I got bored.
Bored? Bored of what?
Bored of everything. I had been planning this for months, it was my everything. And so I now have nothing to do with my life.
You do realize the years you will be facing, right?
Considering the insults, and all the other things I had to bear, it was worth it.
What other things?
He hurt me in a thousand ways. 
Hurt? As in a physical injury?  
One could perceive it that way.   
You could be facing the death penalty, and you claim it was worth it?
I have no intention of facing my charges. 
And just how do you intend to escape them? 
I have just as many enemies as I do friends. 
Please elaborate.
I'd rather not.
It was not a request.
I do believe it was
I will repeat myself, how do you intend to escape your charges?
………….
Mr. Montresor?
…………. 

The recording ends there. There is no record of anything said or done by Montresor before the trial, where he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to death.

I commented on Sofia's Blog, Aine's Blog, and Hazelle's Blog.

"A Gift From the Angels" - Of Beetles and Angels Poem

This is a poem made from quotes taken from Of Beetles and Angels by Mawi Asgedom.

I was told to forget our differences.
And unite.
That I needed a heart that sees angels
A lifelong inspiration.
I was told that no matter how much strangers resembled beetles,
to treat them as if they were angels sent from heaven.
That they were to test the deepest sentiments of my heart.
In America, I found that people used a different calculator.
Beauty was external, money mattered, and so did skin color.
They only saw angels, when angels could help them.
To my parents, It didn’t matter who the person was or how much they had.
The poorest, most recently arrived refugee
received the same welcome as the richest American.
That is something I learned from them.
I learned that of the gifts that we can give,
the greatest is to see the beauty in each other
Because true power
comes from focusing on what we can give,
not just what we can take.
The big sweeping revolutionary actions are not always the most noticeable.
Quite often, it will be the small things that all of us can do
that will have the most impact.
And today’s small act of kindness
can become tomorrow’s whirlwind of
human
progress.

Of Beetles & Angels Blog

      We are reading Of Beetles & Angels by Mawi Asgedom. It is the story of his life and how he went from a refugee camp in Sudan, to getting a full scholarship to Harvard. So, currently, Mawi is in America with his family. His mother, Tesege, his father, Haileab, his brothers, Tweolde and Hntsa, and his sisters, Mehret and Mulu. They are brought to America by the World Relief Organization. 
This week, I also read an article called, "Refugees can be an economic engine for small communities" by Stateline.org and Newsela. It is about how some small towns across the country, but more specifically Rutland, Vermont, have been relocating refugees from all over Africa and the Middle East to try to boost their decreasing population and economic issues. In the article, it says, "The mayor, however, sees a solution. He has asked Vermont’s resettlement agency to send refugees to Rutland. He adds that they would help fill vacant housing and entry-level jobs and keep the economy moving. Many small towns across the country are doing the same thing in order to deal with shrinking and aging populations." this means that the population is going down, so they are taking in refugees in order to help it. The connection that I made to Of Beetles and Angels is with the World Relief Organization. In the book, the World Relief Organization, is the organization that helps Mawi and his family relocate to America. They helped with finding sponsors, housing, education, etc. In the book, it says, "My parents could'nt just snap their fingers and conjure up a transatlantic jetliner. They needed help, so they contacted World Relief, a U.S.-based Christian organization that located refugees and helped them resettle in the United States." In the article, the refugees were being helped by three different organizations. The first one is called The Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program. In the article, it says, "After considering other cities in the state, the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program, the local section of the USCRI, recommended that 100 Syrian refugees be sent to Rutland." I think that the Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program is like the World Relief Organization because they are both organizations that help to find refugees and relocate them into America.

      Another connection from the book and the article, is another organization that helped with relocation. It is called the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI). In the article, it says, "U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), a network of groups that help resettle refugees around the country." This relates to the World Relief Organization because they, again, both help to find and relocate refugees into the U.S. 

       How does war effect individuals and societies? 
War can greatly effect individuals and societies. For example, during wars, many people are forced from their homes or villages into refugee camps. This is what happened in Of Beetles and Angels, with Mawi's family, and it is currently happening with the Syrian Refugees. In the book, it says, "I may or may not remember seeing my mother look at our house in Adi Wahla, Ethiopia, just before we left... I remember playing soccer with rocks, and a strange man telling me and my brother Tewolde that we had to go on a trip, and Tweolde refusing to go. The man took out a piece of gum and Tewolde happily traded it for his homeland." Mawi and his family were forced out of the house that they loved, they were forced to go to a Sudanese refugee camp, because of the 30 year war (1961-1991) that took place between Eritrea and Ethiopia. Refugees from Syria, have also been forced out of their homes and into refugee camps. But, it is just one of the ways that war can effect societies and individuals.  

All About Me (Again)

       Welcome back to my blog. Or welcome new people. My name is Sophie,  as you can see from the title, and I am 13 years old (14 in February). I am in 8th Grade and I live in Illinois.

       I don't really do much in my free time. I watch YouTube and Netflix, I draw, I read, and I love to listen to music. I also play the guitar and the ukulele. I am obsessed with the Harry Potter Series and the TV show Sherlock on Netflix. I can quote entire episodes and they are 1.5 hours long. I hope you have enjoyed learning a little bit about me.

   

End of the Year Reflection - (Final Blog of the Year!)

      I cannot believe that we have reached the end of the year already! It all went by so fast. So much has happened this year, and although I am kind of heartbroken that it is coming to the end, I am really excited for summer. 

What are the three most important things you learned this year?

      I learned a lot of things this year. I think that the most important thing that I learned about this year was time management. Last year and at the very beginning of the year, I would usually wait until the last minute to do homework or projects. This year, since there is a lot more homework, and I had more after school activities, I had to learn how to manage my time more and plan things out so that I can get things done and still have time do the activities that I want. The second thing that I learned this year was about studying. I learned that the best way for me to study was using flashcards. This helped me very much when I had to study for the vocabulary tests. And the third most important thing that I think I learned this year was about annotating articles. We learned how to annotate, and what to annotate for. I think that annotating is important for understanding news articles. 

What is something we did this year that you think you will remember for the rest of your life?

      Something that we did this year that I think I will remember for the rest of my life is the poetry unit. I learned about different types of poems, figurative language (mostly metaphors), and how to write poetry ourselves. During this unit, I found out that I actually like poetry, and I really like writing it. I think that I never really liked poetry because I didn't understand it. But, now that we learned about metaphors and figurative language, I think I can understand it a little better, so I enjoy it a lot more. I also really enjoy writing poetry. I have written a number during the unit (Where I'm From, Spine Poem, Found Poem, AOW Poem, etc.) I think that this unit helped me a lot, and I think that I will continue to use these skills for a long time. 

What was the nicest thing someone in our class did for you this year?

      The nicest thing that that someone did for me was when Evelyn helped me with my homework. If there was something that I didn't understand, I would call her or text her, and she would explain it. And I would do the same for her. I am very grateful because she helped me so much. Thank you, Evelyn (if you read end up reading this).

What is something you taught your teacher or classmates this year?

      Something that I taught my classmates was about gender equality. For one of my AOWs, I chose an article that talked about the pay gap between men and women. It said how in some countries, women don't even have the same access to food that men do. The article said that even though International Women' s day is considered a holiday (kind of), women aren't close to being equal to men, at least not with equal pay. So, during the AOW gallery walk, I taught my classmates about gender equality. 

In what area do you feel you made your biggest improvements? What is something you accomplished this year that you are proud of?

      I think that my biggest improvements were with poetry. At the beginning of the year, I didn't understand most poems, so I didn't like them. I also could not write a decent poem. Ever. I wrote a terrible poem about how I didn't have anything to write about. Then, we did the poetry unit, and I got better at writing poems. I guess I was good at writing when I could write about anything and write in whatever style I wanted. I also learned about metaphors and figurative language, so I understood poems better. Something that I accomplished this year that I am proud of is getting up in front of the whole class and reading some of my poems. I was crazy nervous, but I did it. And, to my surprise, they actually liked them.  

What was the most challenging part of this year for you?

      I think that the most challenging part of the year for me was the 40 book challenge. I completely underestimated my time. I spent about a month on a book that I wasn't interested in (so I don't know why I kept reading it) and didn't read as much as I wanted to this year. For the 40 book challenge, I read 31 books, so I didn't complete the challenge. I blame myself completely. I underestimated how much time I had and wasted most of the time I had. I wish that I had spent more time reading, because I enjoyed a lot of the books that I read. I discovered that I enjoy historical fiction books, and the author Mitch Albom. But, I am really disappointed in myself that I couldn't finish the challenge. 

What was the best piece of writing that you did this year? Why do you think it is your best?

      I think that the best piece of writing that I did this year was my poems. I am really proud of them. I think that the best poem that I wrote (for this class) was the Where I'm From Poem. I think that it is the best because it has a lot of memories from when I was a little kid. For example: "from making weird videos with friends." A bunch of friends and I went to the park and spent the whole day filming an awkward dancing music video to "Worth It" by Fifth Harmony. The poem brings back a lot memories and it just makes me happy. 

Of the books you read this year, which was your favorite? Why?

      My favorite book that I read this year (that was not for this class) was The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. This book is very different from the rest of the books that I read because it starts off with the main character, Eddie, dying. The book is his journey with five people, who help him understand his life and what happened to him. I really like this book because it is really interesting, his journey through heaven, meeting people who help him understand his life. He meets a "blue man" from the carnival where he worked, who (after a chain of events including Eddie) died. He meets his marine commander who sacrificed himself so that Eddie could live. He meets Ruby, who died before he was born, but was the inspiration for Ruby Pier where he worked, where his father worked, etc. He met his wife, who had died in a car crash trying to apologize to Eddie for yelling at him. And finally, he met a little girl who helped guide him to heaven, and had an impact on his journey through heaven, as he was trying to figure out who she was. 

What advice would you give students who will be in this class next year?

      My advice for the sixth graders going into this class next year is to manage your time well. Obviously, get your homework in on time, but leave time for after school activities. Say, if you have soccer practice or something Tuesday and Thursday, and an AOW due Friday, get it done on Monday, so 1) you don't have to worry about it the rest of the week, and 2) you aren't frantically trying to rush through it at 1 A.M. on Friday. Because if you do it at the last minute, your work won't be as good.

Blog For Week: 5.16.16 - Of Mice and Men: The Movie

      We just recently finished the novella, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, and yesterday finished the movie. Both were great, although there were some things that were different from the movie than in the book. There were also some scenes that were added into the movie. For example, the movie shows us the incident in Weed, when in the book, we hear about it from George reminding Lennie why they are on the run.

Section III

      Although the plot has the same ending in both the book and the movie, the actual ending moments of each piece are different. The movie ends with a flashback; the book ends with dialogue.

      The flashback at the end shows Lennie and George "buckin' barley bags", as they would say, and then walking off together. This shows that Lennie and George are a team and they work together. Always. This leaves the audience (at least, in my opinion) feeling sad, knowing that George has just killed Lennie, and destroyed that friendship and teamwork. 

      The book ends with a quote however. The last line is, "Curley and Carlson looked up after them. And Carlson said, "Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys?" It kinds shows that it wasn't normal to really care about another person. It was kind of like it was every man for themselves. That's why everyone was so surprised that Lennie and George traveled together because it wasn't common for men to do that. And that is what the quote shows. It shows that Curley and Carlson thought that it was unusual for Slim to feel kind of sympathetic towards George because he had just killed his best friend. This shows that back then, it was every man for themselves. It kind of makes me feel bad, the line because no one really had a true friend or people that they could rely on. So I don't think that the feelings at the end of the book and the movie match up that much. 

Section IV

What are your general thoughts, feelings, reactions of Of Mice and Men? What had the most profound impact on you or your understanding of the novella? Who would you recommend this  book to and why?

      I really like both the movie and the book Of Mice and Men. Although I think I like the book a little more, I think in the movie, it gave off slightly different emotions (like mentioned, with the ending). In the ending of the book, there was a quote, which some people think takes away from the death of an amazing character. In the ending of the movie, there was a flashback which shows how much of a team Lennie and George were, which makes you feel really sad because that was just destroyed.

      I would recommend this book to everyone. I really would. I think that this is an amazing book and I've seen so many people (classmates), who usually don't enjoy reading, fall in love with the characters, and cry/get upset when something happened to Lennie and when Lennie died. So I think I would recommend this book to everyone. 

Blog for Week 5.9.16 - Conflict in Of Mice and Men

      In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, there have been a few conflicts that have affected the plot. For example, Curley immediately doesn't like Lennie and George. "His glance was at once calculating and pugnacious. " (page 25). The other characters have informed us that Curley has a pretty bad temper and picks fights with bigger guys a lot. This is an example of a Man vs. Man Conflict. And this conflict affects the plot. “He slashed at Lennie with his left, and then smashed down on his nose with his right. Lennie gave a cry of terror. Blood welled from his nose” “Curley’s fist was swinging when Lennie reached for it. The next minute Curley was flopping like a fish…” “Looks to me like ever’ bone in his han’ is bust.” (Page 63 & 64) The result of Curley not liking Lennie and George, is Curley getting into a fight with Lennie, and Lennie breaking nearly every single bone in Curley's hand.
Another example of a conflict in Of Mice and Men is Lennie and George not having enough money to pay for the ranch they are dreaming of, which means that they cannot make their dream come true. This is an example of Man vs. Self. "We got ten bucks between us." (page 59). The result of this conflict is Lennie and George letting Candy come along to help pay for their dream. "S'pose I went in with you guys, Tha's tree hundred an' fifty bucks I'd put in. I ain't much good, but I could cook and tend the chickens and hoe the garden some." This affects the plot because Candy is now a part of making their dream come true which is a HUGE part of the plot. They all of the time mention their dream of owning the ranch, and letting Candy come along, which will help their dream come true, is huge.
The third conflict in Of Mice and Men that I will talk about is Curley's wife flirting with everyone. ""Hi Slim," she said. ... "Hi, Good-lookin'," (Page 31) Curley's wife and Slim seem to flirt with each other all of the time. I think that this is an example of Man vs. Man conflict. The effect of this is that Curley confronts Slim way to much, thinking that he is with his wife. Slim gets angry, which makes Curley angry and Curley takes his anger out on other people. "Curley said, "Well, I didn't mean nothing, Slim. I just ast you." Slim said, "Well, you been askin' me way too often. I'm getting God damn sick of it. If you can't look after your own God damn wife, what you expect me to do about it? You lay offa me." This makes Curley mad, and then Curley takes his anger out on Lennie, which in addition to the first conflict I mentioned, resulted in Curley getting into a fight with Lennie. So it is kind of like a chain reaction of events.
And the final conflict in Of Mice and Men is Lennie's disability. This is an example of Man vs. Self. "I forgot," Lennie said softly. "I tried not to forget. Honest to God I did, George."" (page 4) He has the mind of a child and is very forgetful. This can sometimes get him into trouble sometimes because he doesn't know better. "Jus' wanted to feel that girl's dress--just wanted to pet it like it was a mouse--- Well, how the hell did she know you jus' wanted to feel her dress? She jerks back and you hold on like it was a mouse. She yells and we got to hide in a irrigation ditch all day with guys lookin' for us..." (page 11) He didn't think anything of it, he just wanted to feel the little girl's dress because he liked the texture of it, he didn't think that he was doing anything wrong, but who wouldn't be scared if a huge man comes up and starts feeling your dress? His mind gets him and George in trouble sometimes because he doesn't know better, and they usually get kicked out of camps, which affects the plot a lot. 

Blog For Week 5.2.16 - Dreams

"The Dream That Flew Away"

The dream that flew away from you
that gave you so much hope,
well, now it's gone, Oh WHAT TO DO?
Because you can't do anything to cope.

Maybe you gave up to soon
Maybe you gave up too fast
I don't know what you did
But I know your dream didn't last.

Maybe it flew away like a balloon,
Maybe it ran away,
But it left you way too soon.
Because it knew it couldn't stay.

Now you feel so broken
You don't know what to do
that dream was all you had left
and it flew away from you.

Blog For Week 5.2.15 - Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

      We have recently started reading the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. We have been introduced to a whole crew of characters, the main ones being George Milton and Lennie Small. George is kind of short tempered with Lennie. They get into fights a lot, mostly because Lennie forgets things very easily and gets them in trouble. Lennie is very childlike. He doesn't even know that is is getting them into trouble. In Chapter 1, it says, "Jus' wanted to feel that girl's dress--just wanted to pet it like it was a mouse--- Well, how the hell did she know you jus' wanted to feel her dress? She jerks back and you hold on like it was a mouse. She yells and we got to hide in a irrigation ditch all day with guys lookin' for us..." George gets very irritated with Lennie, but Lennie doesn't know what he is doing wrong. He just likes the texture of things. Mice, especially mice. He starts petting a little girl's dress because he likes the texture of it and she starts screaming. Who wouldn't if a large strange, full grown man comes up and starts petting your dress? They get kicked out of the work camps because of all of Lennie's little mistakes like that.


      They end up in a new work camp. Lennie, because of George's request, doesn't talk or answer any of the questions because George is worried that The Boss won't give them a job if he sees "how much of a crazy bastard" Lennie is. So George answers all of the questions and The Boss gets suspicious. He thinks that George is trying to steal Lennie's pay. Curley is also kind of suspicious of the two guys because Lennie doesn't talk. Curley is The Boss's son. We learn about him through the swamper named Candy. He says, "...Curley's like a lot of little guys. He hates big guys. He's alla time picking scraps  with big guys. Kind of like he's mad at 'em he ain't a big guy. You seen little guys like that, ain't you? Always scrappy?" Candy is saying that Curley is always picking fights with bigger guys. I think that he is jealous of the bigger guys because he is not a big guy. We have also been introduced to Slim through direct characterization. “A tall man stood in the doorway. ... He was a jerkline skinner, the prince of the ranch, capable of driving ten, sixteen, even twenty mules with a single line to the leaders. He was capable of killing a fly on a wheeler’s butt with a bullwhip without touching the mule. There was gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talk stopped when he spoke. His authority was so great, that his word was taken on any subject, be it politics or love. This was Slim, the jerkline skinner.” The author wants us to know that this man is powerful. People respect and trust him, so they come to him with their problems. They know that he will give them a good answer and they take his word on everything. They listen to him when he talks and when he tells them to do something, they do it. So, I think that Slim has a lot of power in the camp.

  In Of Mice and Men, Curley's wife does not have a name. She is just referred to as "Curley's wife". For example, "Wait'll you see Curley's wife." The author and the characters don't refer to her by name, they just call her "Curley's Wife". I think that John Steinbeck could've done this because she is not an important enough character to name. Maybe she will not be seen much or talked about much, so it wasn't worth giving her a name. Maybe he though she didn't deserve a name. She flirts with a lot of other guys, basically anyone she sees, so maybe John Steinbeck though she didn't deserve a name.

3rd Quarter Reflections

I can't believe it is the end of 3rd Quarter, the year went by so fast! (In what area do you think you made your biggest improvements in English Language Arts?) My biggest improvement is by far poetry. After the poetry unit, I know so much more about metaphors, figurative language and especially writing poetry. I think that my favorite poem that I have written so far is either the AOW Poem or the Where I'm From Poem. 

(What is something you have accomplished this quarter that you are proud of?) I think that something that I am proud of is finishing my Lit Circle Book, First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung, and all of the different jobs that we had to do. Each day we had a different job to do: the summarizer, the connector (who connects the events in the book to a current event happening now), the passage picker (who picks quotes or paragraphs that stuck out or meant something to them), the discussion director (who came up with questions to help guide the discussion the next day). Getting everything done was challenging sometimes, because I was sick and out of school for two days and I just get distracted very easily and most times go right to my phone when i get home from school. But, I am very proud that I got everything done on time. 

(What has been the most challenging part of 3rd Quarter for you and what did/can you do to help overcome this?) I think that the most challenging thing this quarter was staying on course with the 40 Book Challenge. I am not proud of how many books I have read so far and I still need a ton of books left if I want to finish (which I really do). I get distracted very easily and when I get home, normally I go straight to my phone and don't notice where the time goes and I don;t have enough time for reading. I think something I can do to fix it is have someone take my phone hostage until I can get something done. 

(Of the books you have read this quarter, which was your favorite? Why?) My favorite book that I read this quarter is First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung. It is a memoir written by a survivor of the 1975 Cambodian Genocide. It is very, very interesting. The title hooks you in and you are kind of anxious the whole time because you aren't sure when her father is going to die or if he is going to die. We came up with a theory in the beginning that he wasn't going to die physically, but the part of him, the funny and caring person that she loves, that part of him dies. The book is so detailed and well written is crazy to me how she can remember some of the tiny details, because she was so young when it happened. I would definitely, definitely recommend this book.

Literature Circle - First They Killed My Father

      What obstacles did Loung overcome during and after the genocide? Loung, the main character and author of the book First They Killed My Father, has overcome many, many obstacles during and after the genocide. For example, nearly half of her family being killed by the Khmer Rouge group that took over her country and shattered her innocence. Her life that once consisted of a nine person family, a "middle class" house with servants and Mazdas, turned into a 5 person family, faded black Khmer Rouge clothes, going to bed hungry, labor camps, and watching her family get torn apart on by one. She had to overcome labor camps, being forced to become a child soldier. And she had overcome leaving all of her family but her brother behind, in order to go to America. 

The overall topic of the book First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung is the 1975 Cambodian Genocide. The article that I chose that relates to the book is called "Cambodian Families Separated By Khmer Rouge Reunite — on TV" The article is about a Cambodian TV show called "It's Not A Dream" reunites families that were separated by the Khmer Rouge group during the genocide in front of a studio audience. One of the people that was reunited, that the article talks about, is from Phnom Penh, the same city that Loung was from. "In 1975, Moy Da, then 5 years old, and his parents, who died three years later, lost track of 15-year-old Pheap when the Khmer Rouge emptied Phnom Penh and marched residents to the countryside." They give more information about the TV show, Moy Da and Cambodia, and then comes the moment where he finally reunites with his family. "After a series of video montages described his circumstances, the moment finally came when his mother and father joined him on stage. Overwhelmed, he removed his sandals, a sign of respect, and fell into their arms, his back to the audience. His mother, Phorn Sopheap, sobbed softly and said, "I never thought I would see you again." She vowed to shave her head to give thanks to the gods that reunited them. Many in the audience wept silently." 

      The book and the article are different because the book has a lot more emotion than the article,  and the article has a lot more information. Loung tells her experiences with hunger and loss, dealing with the death of her parents. The article talks about things like how many people call the show each day, what the show is like, what TV is like in Cambodia. In the book, it says, "All I know is the constant pain of hunger in my stomach." And in the article it says, "Nearly 60 people call the show's hotline every day, and there are a half-dozen successful reunions waiting to be filmed". Another difference between the book and the article is perspective. In the book, Loung is the character that is experiencing what is happening. We are reading what she is seeing and feeling. But, in the article, there really isn't a narrator, I guess, because there isn't a main character. The article is focused on information. 

Poetry Reflection Blog

Poetry can be a vital, real part of everyone's life. What place or importance does poetry have in my own life? Does poetry belong to everyone? How do I know?

      After the poetry unit, I have a greater respect for poetry. I never really liked poetry, mostly because I didn't understand it. But, I think now, I can understand metaphors and figurative language better. Poetry can be a way to express things without saying them, using metaphors and figurative language. I really like poetry now, especially writing it. Now I am realizing that there is poetry in everything, especially music.
      I think that poetry does belong to everyone. Anyone can read it, anyone can write it, anyone can love it. 

How does the life and experiences of a poet affect the poem he/she creates?

I think that the poet's life experiences definitely affect the poems that they create. For example, earlier in the poetry unit, we read a poem called "Names". The author experienced and was affected by 9/11, so that affected his poetry, since he wrote a poem about it, obviously. Another example is with poetry from Jean Toomer, who I did my Harlem Renaissance Research on. He didn't want to be seen as an African American poet and writer because he wanted to escape the restrictions of racial identity. He wanted to be seen as just American instead of black or white, and he wrote a poem called Blue Meridian which was about how how he wanted everyone to come together as American instead of putting each other into boxes of black and white. His life experiences affected his poetry and novels. And I think that that happened a lot in the Harlem Renaissance. Most of the people struggled with racism and segregation and I think that affected their poems. 

Choose two poems (one that you have read and one that you have written yourself) and analyze how a poem's form and structure contribute to its meaning. Also, analyze the impact that words/phrases, rhyme, alliteration, repetition, and figurative language have on the poem.

      Form and structure of poems can really affect the meaning. I think that this can show with shape poems.  One example of this is called "Raindrop".  It is about rain and raindrops and the poem is shaped like a raindrop. One example that I wrote is the Letter Poem. The poem is about me, and it is the shape of the first letter of my name. Really, every poem's meaning can be effected by the form and structure. Choosing to make one line only one word can make the word more powerful. I can add a pause/ more emotion. 
      Adding rhyme and repetition can make a poem more humorous sometimes. Using figurative language can make a poem more confusing for some people, but it can make the poem more meaningful by using symbols and metaphors. For example, Sam wrote a quatrain poem using rhyme, and the rhyme made it more humorous:

"Oh no, oh no, I've done it again.

I'm in such a pickle.

My mom's gonna be so mad at me

'Cause I sold the dog for a nickel."

Here are the poems that we have written in this unit:

Nonfiction Poem (AOW Poem)

Bio Poem of a Literary Character

Where I'm From Poem

Spine Poem

Found Poem

Nonsense Poem