Great Expectations: Photo Post

Hand-made photos don't look as good as photos you just find on the internet, but I'm pretty sure it's legitimate. But I chose to make this photo because I couldn't find it on the internet, and it's the best analogy I could think of, of Pip's new "great expectations". The reason being is that Pip had such a sudden change in his life, from being poor to having such great wealth, that it is symbolized perfectly with the transforming of the crappy car above, to the super cool transformer that can shoot lazers. Likewise, Pip is ashamed of his childhood because of how poor he is, and how like a commoner he is. However, when he received his great wealth, it transformed his life a lot.

Great Expectations: The First Stage

The last sentence on Chapter 9 of Great Expectations summarizes Pip's thoughts on the day's events, and show's his insight. The deeper message I've extracted was that: Every circumstance follows-up with the happening of one major event, and that major event shapes who you are, and who you will become. From earlier readings, you can tell that Pip is referring to his day at Mrs. Havisham's, and how he was so impacted and changed as a result of it. Mrs. Havisham introduced a new aspect into his life of woe and grief that was shown on her face, and affects his sensitive childhood innocence. When Estella enters his life, he is astonished by her beauty, and at the same time, hurt by her harshness. She criticizes him, never fails to take note that he is a commoner, and plays with his heart. All of this is new to him, and creates a memorable imprint into his childhood. His innocence, sensitivity, and self-consciousness are all affected through this one moment in his life. This is what he means by "the formation of the first link on one memorable day".

However, sitting here, trying to think of one memorable day that forever changed my life, I realize that I don't have one that particularly stands out. Though there are many events that have formed my character as who I am, I know that probably only one event has effectively shaken my childhood off of me, and sent me off into adolescence, and that would be coming into the store named "Spencer's". 5th grade year, I have just learned the "C" word, from my friends, and they decide to take me to this bad, bad store. Knowing not even, what Playboy meant, I was in my own safe little haven.. but not for long. Upon entrance of this alien environment, I was greeted by skeletons, and plastic butt-shaped masks. Shocked, I react with a desire to leave, instantly ushered by my friends to wander in further. Further in, there were rude stickers, inappropriate slogans, and sexual joke books. But that was not the worst. Deep into the back of the store, I fear to even recall the memories that have forever imprinted itself onto my childhood memories. And I will stop there, for as you can already see, from the inner cringing that I can feel creeping inside of me, that I will forever remember this event, and it has indeed, shaped my future, and character.

Group Essay Collaboration

I'm pretty sure my group handed me the hardest couple to write about but no big deal, haha. Uhmm, so.. Obviously we are writing the essay on the three main relationships in The Importance of Being Earnest. Specifically, I'm writing about the couple, Jack and Gwendolen, and my paragraph will be inbetween Alex and Lilly's. This is kind of hard because I have to transition according to Alex's concluding sentence, and Lilly's topic sentence. However.. We will make this work!~

My first CD is about how Jack and Gwendolen flirt too much, and the CM I wrote about it was that: Well, one, they flirt too much - excessively so - and two, it was not standard to be seen in the Victorian Era, so pretty much, it was unnacceptable. My second CD is when Jack proposes to Gwendolen, but Gwendolen is disappointed in the way he proposed. The CM's were that you could tell they were experienced in proposals, or even just relationships themselves, and that the way their dialogue, even during a proposal, is casual, shows that their relationship is also casual - comfortable. My last CD isn't very good, because I didnt know what CM to write about it, so I kind of just made the CM's up. So my CM's dont really match up with the CD... But, my CD was when Gwendolen says to Jack, (about the name Jack/John vs. the name Ernest), "I pity any woman who is married to a man called John. She would probably never be allowed to know the entrancing pleasure of a single moment's solitude." My CM goes along with my earlier CM, saying that their maturity in the relationship is developed by the high expectations that influence them. And also that, the highest influencing expectation is from Lady Bracknell who teaches/mothers/governs her daughter, so that Gwendolen's expectations are high as well.

Thank God we have it all finished today! Nice work guys. And thanks for the help. Have fun enjoying your vacation. :)

The Importance of Being Earnest/Victorian Research

The Victorian Era research we did before the book, seemed at first, completely useless and irrelevant to English. However, as we began to read the book and analyze the play's social institutions, it really helped me to have some background information on the Victorian Era. Especially on the subject of marriage, I know I probably would have been lost with all the puns or satire if I hadn't caught up with the Victorian Era facts. Such as on pg. 17 when Lady Bracknell gossips about a widow, "I hadn't been there since her poor husband's death. She looks quite twenty years younger." It clicked in my mind that Wilde was using black humor on marriage for a women, because the looking 'twenty years younger' when your husband dies, obviously means your happy not to be married to him anymore. This shows that marriage was unpleasant, and rarely ever out of love in the Victorian Era, which I already knew from the research I did.

While researching education in the Victorian Era, I found that children's education wasn't even a priority because the Industrial Revolution caused a need for child labor. Therefore, not many people were educated. I saw a reference to this in the book when Lady Bracknell says on pg. 24, "The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever." Without the research, I would probably pass this off as being a bad pun, but because I have researched it, I know that it was satire on education, showing the severity of how little education there was in the Victorian Era.

New Year's Resolution

Read Read Read. My parents have been instilling that in me since I was a little kid. I don't even mind it anymore, in fact I love reading. It's weird sometimes that I might turn down a chance to hang out with friends to stay home and read. But it's my own hobby and I revel in it. With that, I see 2010 as an opportunity to improve my reading. To be practical, I will set a goal of 4 books per month, as minimum. But to beat 2009's record of 58 books total, I will have to step it up, and read however much I can, whenever I can.

Writing my resolution down, will help me to actually try hard, because it's tangible and I would also have an audience (sort of). I'm motivated by the fact that if I succeed I will be really satisfied with myself, however, I also have back-up encouragement which my parents are providing and that is a reward of monetary value. So yes, I really do want to succeed in my resolution. Bring it on 2010! I can take whatever you throw at me.

Animal Farm : Revision of the Past

Just Kidding

Battle of Cowshed
Many had fought,
but most brave of all – Snowball
to save animals, he got shot.

Later, when he was gone
some still remembered his feat
but, Oh, just kidding!
He was actually a cheat.

Snowball and Napoleon argued.
And when Snowball planned
for a great, big windmill
Napoleon passionately contended.

No, just kidding.
Squealer explained
that it was in fact Napoleons plans.
And it seemed so valid..

"No animal shall drink alcohol"
It was to be the process,
Just kidding, it was truly
"No animal shall drink alcohol to excess."

Such as these were modified
but t’was all justified
Except for one, drilled deep in their minds
from a land distant time.

"Four legs good, two legs bad"
Even the sheep knew, that’s what was sad.
Already, it is altered
"Four legs good, two legs better"

Life in equality, no humans, no tyranny
was really, all too imaginary
for when time came for understanding
they found that the pigs were just kidding.

Poetry Out Loud Performances

Shawntay A. Henry recites Frederick Douglass By: Robert E. Hayden with a powerful voice that causes my brain to slow, and catch every word she says. Her physical presence alone was sure to define confidence; the thoughtful glance she had, the confident stance she took, and the key movements she expressed deliberately were as if she were the one who wrote the poem. However, it was her voice and articulation that helped me understand the meaning of the poem. The strength behind the words she delivered was not at all hindering, nor overwhelming. It held the passion of a story teller telling her own story, and the authority of high rank.

Listening to her recitation helped me interpret the poem. Basically, what Hayden was trying to capture with his poem was that the hard work put into acheiving freedom mustn't be forgotten. Frederick Douglass was a slave, beaten for his hope in a freedom that we've taken for granted, and he must not be forgotton. The beauty and grace of freedom must not be forgotton. For the dream of a man in history is now alive in our hands, and we must keep appreciating it, or it is worthless.