Journal #26- * Snow*

Snow is often a subject that comes up a lot when we get in the winter seasons. I think that once it gets about December first we start talking about snow. I thought it was weird that Mr. Langley even assigned this assignment on December first. I think that snow is just okay. I can take it or leave it, so in other words I am not that big of a fan of snow. I think that it is more of a pain than it is anything. I think that it is fun for the first like thirty minutes, but after that it wears off and it is more of a pain. I think that we all get so excited when it starts and we will get all of our warm clothes out and go play in it, but then thirty minutes later we regret playing in it. We get mad because we are so cold and miserable. Also, we get snow days from school which is always fun, but then we later have to make it up so it really is not worth it. I also think it makes stuff so much colder. Snow is also known to make everything really dirty. I think that is makes your driveways not very clean, and everything around you starts to turn black and ugly. I also think that it makes your cars extra dirty. I hate when the snow comes because it makes my black car look so dirty. It gets white all over it, which turns to a white dusty, nasty look. I am not a fan of that of all. I also think that snow makes everything very un- safe. I think that the roads get slick, which causes a lot of accidents. I think snow on the ground is very scary, and people are known to fall a lot or trip and get really hurt. A lot more accidents to the body and also car accidents are recorded when things like snow and ice happen. As you can see, I really do not like snow that much.

The Minister's Black Veil

I read The Minister's Black Veil in our literature book tonight, and I found it rather interesting. I think that I could find a lot of exampls in this story that were similar to that of dark romanticism. I think that there are really a couple of points that stuck out the most to me from this story.

I think that dark romanticism has a lot to do with human nature, and how we are naturally all evil. The Minister's Black Veil has a lot to do with human nature and the evil things we do and assume. The minister in this town was very well known from what I could tell, and the way that this story put it, it kind of seemed that the minister and the church were kind of a big thing around there. The main part of this story is when the minister arrives, and all of the people are so shocked because he is wearing this black thing on his face that covers everything but his chin and his mouth. They did not really know what to think of this black veil, and everyone was really quick to judge him on it. I think that they were a little too quick to judge in my eyes. I know that it would be weird to see that, but I also know that I would want to know what it was and what it meant before I just went and judged him. I think is just showing us how human nature can be so naturally evil. We are all so quick to judge. I think this is where I saw the most similarity to dark romanticism. What we see when we study dark romanticism the most is how they are very big believers in that human nature is so evil at times.

I think that the big point in The Minister's Black Veil is that we all have things to hide. We all have sins that we do not want others to know of. Just like we wrote in our blogs, we all where masks sometimes to cover up our wrong doings or sins. We might not literally wear one like the minister did, but we do put up walls. I think that we all make mistakes, and we all have to live with them. I think the minister was just wearing his veil to make a point. In my eyes, he was showing that he sins and a lot and so do others. I think that he was just wearing it on his face to get a point across to others. Another thing that the minister was trying to do in my eyes, was that he wore that mask to test the people of his congregation. I do not think that the story came right out and say that, but I could tell from reading it. He wanted to see if people would judge him or not, and they did. They immediatly judged him and thought of their own reasonings.

I think that this was a good story, and we could learn a lot from it. I think that we should not be so quick to judge, because everyone makes mistakes.

Journal #25- Wearing "Masks"

People wear masks all of the time. We get in situations that we do not want to be in sometimes, and we get very uncomfortable and we do not always know what to do. We just try to put on masks so that people will not notice us in certain situations. We think that if we just sit there and not do much that no- one will know who we are or even notice that we are there.

I think that we put masks on a lot in school. We have kids that think that they are not in the "in" crowd, so they just put up walls and put on masks, so that people will not notice that they are there. I think these masks are ones that the kids will just try and not be very active with in the school, and will just go from class to class without being notice. I think some times we put on masks when they are not needed. I think that popularity is not a big deal. I think that people think that because they may not be in the in crowd that they never will be. I think that people should know that they should take off their masks every once in awhile and know that we will talk to anyone.

I think another time that people put on their masks is when they are at church. I think that we think that we may not be good enough, or we "sinned" too much this week. I think that people will try to hide themselves, because they think that they might not be seen, or people will not notice them. Sometimes, when people go to church they do not want to talk to many people in fear that they will have to talk to people and they might notice that they were not a good or something. I think that people think that they will not be as good as others.

The Pit and the Pendulum

The Pit and the Pendulum was a long story that we read during class. Edgar Allan Poe was the author of this story. I think that it was kind of a hard story to follow along with, because it was so boring. I did not really think what was going on in the story was that interesting, but that does not matter. The Pit and the Pendulum, I noticed, did have a lot of examples of Dark Romanticism. I think this whole story was very dark. Everything that was happening in the story such as the setting, what he was going through, and his tone all set kind of a dark story.

Dark romanticism was used a lot in the 18th century and also in the 60's and 80's in music. Edgar Allen Poe was one that was known to write about dark romanticism. I saw a lot of examples of Edgar Allan Poe talking about and using the examples of dark romanticism. There was a lot of talking about death in The Pit and the Pendulum. In my eyes, death is the main basis of dark romanticism. The story was talking the whole time about all of the sufferings he went through and how the main character was in jail.

The Pit and the Pendulum talks about a narrator who is coming to a time of death and he is getting this punishment from the judges of the Spanish Inquisition. He did not just die, he got tortured a lot before, "including being bound beneath a scythe pendulum that descends ever closer to his chest as it swings back and forth, and being forced toward a fathomless pit" (Poe). Dark Romanticism was about these kinds of things, because the main part of this story was a guy that got tortured before his death. I think that he went through things that no- one would ever want to go through, which reminds me of dark romanticism also because it is a subject that not a lot of people like.

I looked up a criticism on The Pit and the Pendulum, and I actually got some good information from it. Edgar Allen Poe was the only one that really had good criticims on this story, which was kind of weird considering he was the author of this story. Edgar has done this a lot though. "The Pit and the Pendulum" illustrates Poe's authorial belief in the "unity of design," the principle that all elements of a piece must work toward a single effect embodied in the narrator and shared by the reader." (Poe). I think that this was the main point of Poe's story, and I think that there are points from this that you can compare with dark romanticism. I think this is related to Dark Romanticism by the meaning of the single effect. The single effect that he is talking about is the terror of being faced with death with hard conditions and all of the things that he had to go through that was very brutal before his death. I think that this person was going through a dark time that turned into a time of death, which reminds us a lot of dark romanticism.

E. N. S. "'The Pit and the Pendulum'." In Barney, Brett, and Lisa Paddock, eds. Encyclopedia of American Literature: The Age of Romanticism and Realism, 1816–1895, vol. 2, Revised Edition. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2008. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= EAmL0722&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 29, 2010).

The Raven Analysis

The Raven was a poem written by Edgar Allen Poe. The Raven is one of the most recongnized poems in American Literature. He is a well known author all around. He wrote this poem obvisouly about a raven that had been haunting him for awhile. I looked up criticisms on his poem and came up with a good one that discussed the composition of the Raven. The reason that this criticism stuck out the most to me was because Edgar Allen Poe was the author of the criticism. I thought that kind of seemed weird to write a criticism on your own poem, but oh well! I also thought that it would actually kind of mean a lot to some people, because he knew that his writings were not perfect and could always use a touch up in some areas. As reading the poem anaylsis I also found the poem closely follows the rhyme scheme of Elizabeth Barrett's "Lady Geraldine's Courtship." Poe really looked to Barrett's work, and decided to dedicate The Raven and Other Poems to her (Poe). I thought that was a good clip of information, because it was kind of cool that he had someone that he admired that much.

The criticism was based on the ideas that were going through Edgar Allen Poe's head as he was writing the poem, and he was now letting all of his thoughts out now that the poem had already been released. Poe described the reasoniing behind most things in his poem. He also broke down all of the stanzas and lines in his own words. He descrirbed his reasoning behind everything.

He also said in this criticism the way that it effects people still today. He said that through this great writing it haunted people since the first publication (Poe). In this poem Poe has a dificulty trying to figure out the noise that comes to the door, and he ends up freaking himself out through the whole thing. The raven then comes up on the window and all it would say is "nevermore", I think that Poe was trying to make a poem that was trying to freak someone out. I know while reading it I was a little weirded out.

"A poem that imagines the scenario of "The Raven" from the point of view of the dead maiden, looking down on her grieving lover from heaven" (Poe). I think that Poe sums up his whole poem right here in saying that he was just was in a grieving period. He was trying to see from the point of view of his wife up in heaven looking down on him while he was so sad.


"Critics have pointed out other literary antecedents for Poe's raven, including the biblical account of the ravens feeding Elijah in the wilderness and Hamlet's call, "Come, the croaking raven doth bellow for revenge""(Poe). I thought that it was kind of cool that he pointed out that there was a little bit of biblical account in this poem. I think that Poe probably did this on purpose.

Bloom, Harold, ed. "'The Raven'." Edgar Allan Poe, Bloom's Major Poets. Philadelphia: Chelsea House Publishing, 1999. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BMPEAP19&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 23, 2010).

The Raven

The Raven was a very interesting poem to me. I did not think it was the greatest poem in the world, but I did not mind reading it. I just took each line or stanza and broke them down in a way that I understood them.

"Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more."
--To me this first stanza and few lines just said it pretty simple. He was just sad and weapy and was just laying around by himself, and was shocked when someone came and knocked on his door.
"Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore."
--Edgar was really upset about the loss of his wife Lenore. I know that was something that he was never going to get over. He knew that there was always going to be any empty space there for her.
"And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
`'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -
This it is, and nothing more,"
--I think hear that Poe started to freak himself out, to the point that he was hearing stuff that he knew was not real, and he just made himself think that it was someone at the door when it really was not.
"Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
`Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; -
Darkness there, and nothing more."
--Edgar sounds like he finally got stronger and made himself realize that there was really no- one at the door, and he needed to get over his weird thoughts. He would open the door and see no-one there so he just needed to stop.
"Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!'
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!'
Merely this and nothing more."
--He did not want to ever believe that she was really gone, he always had some hope that she sometime would return. He then realized that that would not happen because there was always darkness and silence.
"Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
`Surely,' said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis the wind and nothing more!'"
--I think that Edgar could not stop with his hullicinations and he always kept thinking that it just might be her at the door, even though he knew that he would later find out that it was not.
"Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door -
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door -
Perched, and sat, and nothing more."
--He finally saw a raven when he opened the shutters, but all the raven did was just sit there on the ledge and do nothing or make a noise.
"Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
`Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said, `art sure no craven.
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the nightly shore -
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'"
--The raven ended up making Poe happy, and the raven said the word nevermore that was a big deal and meant a lot."Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning - little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door -
Bird or beast above the sculptured bust above his chamber door,
With such name as `Nevermore.'"
--He could not really believe how this ungainly fowl could say something that would actually mean something.
"But the raven, sitting lonely on the placid bust, spoke only,
That one word, as if his soul in that one word he did outpour.
Nothing further then he uttered - not a feather then he fluttered -
Till I scarcely more than muttered `Other friends have flown before -
On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before.'
Then the bird said, `Nevermore.'"
--He discovered that all the raven said was nevermore, but when the raven said that it was like the raven could let out everything he meant with one little word.
"Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
`Doubtless,' said I, `what it utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some unhappy master whom unmerciful disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till his songs one burden bore -
Till the dirges of his hope that melancholy burden bore
Of "Never-nevermore."
--He could not really believe the stillness between them, and when he would try to talk the bird would just repeat the same things.
"But the raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and bust and door;
Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of yore -
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous bird of yore
Meant in croaking `Nevermore"
--He got interested in raven and did not want to leave him, even though the bird just kept saying nevermore.
"This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the fowl whose fiery eyes now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the cushion's velvet lining that the lamp-light gloated o'er,
But whose velvet violet lining with the lamp-light gloating o'er,
She shall press, ah, nevermore!"
--He could not really guess what this creature was trying to say, but in my eyes I just think that the bird was trying to tell him that she was gone forever.
"Then, methought, the air grew denser, perfumed from an unseen censer
Swung by Seraphim whose foot-falls tinkled on the tufted floor.
`Wretch,' I cried, `thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he has sent thee
Respite - respite and nepenthe from thy memories of Lenore!
Quaff, oh quaff this kind nepenthe, and forget this lost Lenore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore."
--I think that he wanted to forget about her, but it was harder than he thought.
"Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil! -
Whether tempter sent, or whether tempest tossed thee here ashore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this desert land enchanted -
On this home by horror haunted - tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there balm in Gilead? - tell me - tell me, I implore!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore."
--He was believing that he was haunted and he just wanted to know the truth.
"`Prophet!' said I, `thing of evil! - prophet still, if bird or devil!
By that Heaven that bends above us - by that God we both adore -
Tell this soul with sorrow laden if, within the distant Aidenn,
It shall clasp a sainted maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Clasp a rare and radiant maiden, whom the angels named Lenore?'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore.'"
--He wanted to know if she was an angel up in the heavens with God.
"Be that word our sign of parting, bird or fiend!' I shrieked upstarting -
`Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black plume as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave my loneliness unbroken! - quit the bust above my door!
Take thy beak from out my heart, and take thy form from off my door!'
Quoth the raven, `Nevermore."
--I think that he got to the point where he wanted to be lonely, and wanted to be left alone and all of the noises gone.
"And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;
And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,
And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;
And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - nevermore!"
--He got upset because the raven would not leave and he thought that is was a demon.

I think that it was a pretty good poem, but a very weird one at that. Edgar always had a way of writing things that were different and way out there.

Thoreau's Walden

Thoreau, as we all know, is a guy that was big on nature, and most of his writings were based on nature, and if they were not about nature they were social critics. He would compare nature with other things, like a metaphor, because that is what made the most since to him. "The interconnectedness between civilization and nature is as central to Thoreau's thought as the interconnectedness of mind and body, the ideal and the real" (Keck). The author of the analysis of Thoreau's Walden really summed up right in this quote. Thoreau was big on tying together things around us, civilization, to that of nature in ways that we would not all think would be normal, but that was the way that he liked to do things, and what clicked to him. In Thoreau's Walden Pond, he went well beyond self- sufficiency (Keck). Thoreau went for awhile at this pond, and got rid of all of his attachments. He did not just get rid of physical attachments, but also social and intellectual attachments. I think that something like this would be hard. In Keck's point of view he was trying to attempt to uncover his own path and purpose in life. I think that Keck had a good point here, and I think that that was definitely Thoreau's main point for his break from all. I think that he was trying to find out what he was really here for and what he was meant to be doing.

"By stripping away the complex, superfluous layers of nineteenth-century life and actively distancing himself from the expectations, conventions, and traditions of society and culture, Thoreau follows in the footsteps of the "ancient philosophers". He combines various cultural philosophies and mystic traditions into "a complex and bicultural concept" (Keck). I also think that Keck had another amazing point right here. He was trying to say that by doing this Thoreau was trying to be a real philosopher. He was studying his cultural philosophies, because he was so big on nature and how it ties to culture. I also agree with him because I think that Thoreau's ideas were a lot more complex than they needed to be, but I guess we understood them.

"As is fit for such a quest, Thoreau's stay at Walden Pond re-enacts the journey theme so typical of the American Dream. On the one hand, Thoreau's hermitage at Walden Pond is an integral tale in American literary history. On the other hand, scholars like to draw attention to the fact that while Thoreau, the self-proclaimed hermit, bathed in Walden Pond and kindled the hearth in his self-made hut, he was sustained by hearty meals at his family home. The author himself makes no secret of his whereabouts" (Keck). I think that here Keck kind of seemed like he was seeing Thoreau's journeys in different ways, and could justify all of them. He thought that his journey was like the American Dream, but then again he talked about all the attention he got from this. I agree with the attention one more. I think that he was able to keep going because of his family. I also like how Thoreau was not secretive about his whereabouts, and he was honest. I think that I liked that about him.

I think that Keck had a good analysis, and he had a lot of good things to say about it. I thought that he brought up things that really made you think about the kind of write Thoreau really was.

Keck, Michaela. "Thoreau's Walden and the American Dream: Challenge or Myth?" In Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=5&iPin= BLTTAD021&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 17, 2010).

Journal #24- Mind Playing Tricks on Me

I am someone that is easily freaked out or scared. The time that my mind plays the most tricks on me is whenever it is dark. I do not think it matters if I am outside or in my room, it plays tricks on me a lot. I always think about things too much, and I make myself think things, see things, and hear things that are really not even there. If they are there, my mind usually exaggerates them. I usually get the tricks the most when I am outside at night. I am outside at night a lot because I have pigs that I have to feed every night. I always will be filling up the water buckets outside of the barn, and I will always make myself think that there is an animal or human or some sort of thing that is watching me and going to come get me at any moment. I think that I think about things too much, and my mind starts running like crazy. I am so paranoid about it though, that I always call me dog over and I make sure that she stays with me. I always think that I am much more protected with her. I do not know why I even think about is so much, because I do not think those animals are really there, but I end up doing it every time. I know that those animals that I am afraid of the most are more scared of me than I am of them, so they must be really scared. When my mind plays those most tricks on me inside, is usually when I am alone in my room at night and usually in bed. I always here stuff, and it makes me think that there is something that is in my room. I get a little carried away sometimes to the point that I just have to stop myself, because I know that they are not there. I do not have these mind games a lot, but I do every once in awhile.

Thoreau's Walden

I think that Walden by Thoreau was a great story. Thoreau as we all know was a writer that was all about nature. He was always writing about nature. There are really not many writings that he did not talk about nature in. He would compare anything that was going on in his life or the life of others with nature. He made things into something like a metaphor to do with nature, because that was what made the most since to him. Thoreau was big on tying together things around us, civilization, to that of nature in ways that we would not all think would be normal, but that was the way that he liked to do things, and what clicked to him. He did a lot of this in his story about Walden Pond. Thoreau went for awhile at this pond, and got rid of all of his attachments. He did not just get rid of physical attachments, but also social and intellectual attachments. I think that this was probably tough for him, but not as tough as it would be for us. I love nature and all that goes along with it, but I do not think I love it as much as Thoreau. He probably enjoyed going away like this somewhere in nature, and not have to worry about a single thing. I think that in doing this he was trying to find out what he was really supposed to be doing here on Earth, and what his purpose as human being really was. I think that he got a little carried away with some things and his ideas would become a little complex, but he still brought out some good points. I think the main purpose for the story Walden was just to let people know how we need to take a break on the wordly things sometimes. I think that we think we can not live with out some things sometimes, when the truth is we really can. We do not have to have things like cellphones or computers twenty- four seven. I think that he wrote this to show us all that we can and need to take breaks like this every once in awhile. I think it would help us clear our thoughts and realize what our soul purpose is.

Thoreau vs. Ghandhi

I do not think that Thoreau's writings were very similar to that of Gandhi. I think that they were both two totally different writers, and did not have a lot in common when it came to their writings. The only thing that I can pick out that was kind of similar in their writings was that they both had issues with the government in some ways. The main difference in Thoreau and Gandhi's writings was that Gandhi was more of what we would call a peacemaker, and Thoreau was did not care really about peace and he was more about himself. Just by reading Gandhi's writings, you could tell that he was just a totally different person and he wrote in more of a peaceful way, and Thoreau was more loud, demanding, and get to the point.

I read Thoreau's Civil Disobedience in the book, and I picked up a lot from his writing. I think that most of his writing's were based on what the government is and all of its effects on people. I picked up one line that really stuck out to me. "The government itself, which is only the mode which the people have chosen to execute their will, is equally liable to be abused and perverted before the people can act through it" (Thoreau). I think about how laws change and how their are so many laws when I read this quote. I think that what he was trying to say was that we do not even have time to act on laws or learn about them, before someone has changed them. I really agree with him, I think that the government is changing so much, and is going to get to the point where we can not do anything.

In Gandhi's Dindi March I also saw a lot of Gandhi's philosophy in that. I did not even have to pick a quote from his clip to show you that he was more peaceful than Thoreau, you could just tell from his writing styles that he was a lot more peaceful. He was not so demanding. He would come to a conflict, but then he would stop and say how there should not be a time with no peace. "But let there be not a semblance of breach of peace" (Gandhi). I think that he knew the government had issues, but he thought that those issues could be resolved in peacefulness.

I think that even though they both have different writing styles, I find myself agreeing with both of them. I think that the government does get a little carried away like Thoreau says, but we do not have to be so demanding like him. I agreed with Ghandi in that we should be peaceful in our writings and also peaceful when it comes to being in government or having anything to do with it. I think that they were both great writers, and had an influence on all of us, even though they both told us what they were trying to get out in a different way. I like that they had different writing styles, I liked seeing different opinions on their thoughts.

Thoreau. "Civil Disobedience." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print. November 14, 2010.

Gandhi, Mohandas. "On the Eve of Historic Dandi March." American Literature Textbook. Columbus: McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print. November 14, 2010.

Journal #23- Unplugging Things

I think something that I would unplug for a week would be my cellphone. I think that cellphones have became more of a stress than they have anything. I think that my cellphone is defenitely something that I could not live without, but something that might relive a little bit of stress and drama if I did not have it. I think that we have our cellphones out twenty- four seven, and to the point where all we care about is our cellphone and who is going to be texting or calling us at that moment. I think that we get so wrapped up in our cellphones sometime that we do not even know what is going on around us in the world. I know that my parents get mad at me sometimes, because they will be trying to talk to me or something and I will talk back but I will not really be "there" in the conversation. I will be thinking about something else. So, I think that cellphone would be the best choice for me to unplug for a couple of days. I do not think that I would necessarily have to go somewhere to be totally un- plugged for it, but just turn it off and set it somewhere that I would not see it a lot. I think that would be enough for me. I think that going even a day without a cellphone seems like forever, so I think that a couple days would really help me chill out and relax from it. The only thing bad about un- plugging from the cell phone is that I would always be thiking about it, even when I did not have it. I would always be wondering who was texting me or if anyone really needed seomething from me. I think that I would be ok, and I should probably consider un- plugging from my phone at some point for a couple of days.

Journal #22- Write About A Time When it Was Ok to Disobey the Law

I do not think that there was ever a time that you could just deliberately break the law. The last time that I checked there was not a time when people just thought it was ok to break the law. They would get in trouble, because that is not legal at all. We have never written a law that said most people need to obey this law, but it is okay for some of you to just not even worry about it. Even though there are laws that were only written for certain groups or people, we still all have to follow them because we could be like that one day too. I think that we have all broken laws before, whether we knew it or not.

I think that there is a lot of times when people break the law, though and do not get caught. I think that is a different story. We break laws such as being on the phone while driving, the number of people in our car, and being out past curfew. All of these are examples of when we did not obey the law like we should. Even though we might break the law, it does not mean we had someone there telling us that it was ok. When we break those laws, we know that it is wrong and we really can not justify ourselves because we know that.

I would try to say a time when it was ok to disregard laws, but there, once again, was never a time where they said "oh, just go and disregard that law, it does not matter." If there was ever a time like that, it was way before I ever knew about it, or someone just never filled me in on that rule! I think that people might have disregarded to rules a long, long time ago when there was not really a written law. People probably did a lot more wrong, but only because there was no set law, and they did not know any different.

Emerson

I looked up the definition for transcendentalism, “any system of philosophy, esp that of Kant, holding that the key to knowledge of the nature of reality lies in the critical examination of the processes of reason on which depends the nature of experience “ (Dictionary.com) I think that this is very related to the works of Emerson. I thought that the definition was going to through me off, but it just made me realize how closely related Emerson was to transcendentalism. Emerson was very big on experiences. He always thought that we should have as many experiences as possible in life, because we are lucky to be here. Like I said before, I think he was this way because he lost his wife at a young age, and it just made him realize that he should have a lot of experiences. We all are here for a reason, and he knew that and he was trying to let all of his readers know.

Emerson was not a big mourner, in fact it was one thing that he was almost against at most times. Emerson had been through a lot in his life that made him no want to mourn. His wife named Ellen died in 1831 at the age of nineteen. She was way to young to die. Five years after his wife died he lost his closest brother, Charles. (Edmundson). Emerson had cried many tears over this, and he finally just realized that life was too short to be doing that, and he decided that even though he loved those two he needed to move on. He had mourned so much, that he could not mourn the rest of his life. I think that he just wanted to teach others that before they had to go through it. He wanted others to know how lucky we are for being her

"Yet Emerson doesn't just preach against mourning. He offers a philosophy of aggressive perpetual motion by which we can throw off circumstances before they have become confining. This strategy of ceaseless self-creation, which, it should be added, is always accomplished through the systematic destruction of the existing self, is the subject of a remarkable passage from the essay "Compensation." (Edmundson). I agree with this statement in that Emerson did not preach against mourning like we some times think he did. He just offered his philosophy that after something happens we pretty much just need to forget about it before we become to confined in it. He was trying to say that we should know that it happened and think about it for a little bit, but then we have to let it go. If we do not let it go we get stuck with thinking about it all the time and it almost becomes a sickness. He wants us to stop before it gets that way. He had to learn the hard way with his mourning, and he does not want anyone else to have to go through that.

I think that Emerson has a lot of good to say, and if we would listen to him we could really learn a lot. I think that we mourn a little bit much too. I know that if something happened to someone I deeply loved I would mourn forever, though. I think that we should just know that God has a plan and that even though it is hard to accept it sometimes, he does.

"Emerson and the Work of Melancholia." Raritan (Spring 1987). Quoted as "Emerson and the Work of Melancholia" in Bloom, Harold, ed. Ralph Waldo Emerson, Updated Edition, Bloom's Modern Critical Views. New York: Chelsea House Publishing, 2006. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=1&iPin=MCVRWE007&SingleRecord=True (accessed November 11, 2010).

Journal #21- Discuss Reflections

The works in Emerson's Self Reliance are some what similar to that of the works of Franklin. I think that they were the most similar because they were both very confident in themselves and others and they also always believed in people. I think that they both tried to make people happy a lot. They think that they should try to make up for the bad things that they might have done with a lot of good things. I think that they thought if they were a better person and a good example to others, that others would want to be like them. I think that they were worried about being a good example to others, and being remembered forever. As you can tell, they did it all right because we are still talking about them. We still talk about all of the things that they have both done that still affect us now. They both had quotes that we still remember today. I think they are different because of their romanticism views. They both believed in it at the beginning, but that actually ended up changing. Emerson wrote about romanticism and some of his stories were based on romanticism, but he ended up rejecting it in the later years of his writings. Benjamin Franklin always was for romanticism, and that is what his writings and also a lot of his life was based on. I think that they were pretty much similar writers.

I liked writing a reflection on Emerson because he was kind of a creative guy. I liked how he was worried about having good relationships. I think that relationships are important in life. We should focus on having those people that we can count on at all times. I did not necessarily like how he said that we should do a lot of good to make up for our bad. I do not think that we can make up for our mistakes, I think that we can be forgiven though. I think that we should not try to make up for the bad, but just learn from our mistakes. So, I did agree with them a little.

Journal #20- Self Reflecftion & Taking Breaks from Society

I think that self reflection is a really important to do because we all need to look at ourselves every once in awhile. I think that we should think about ourselves and see if the way we behave is okay to society. I think that we are always quick to judge others, when we need to judge ourselves sometimes. We need to make sure that we look at ourselves and make sure we are perfect before we look towards others for their mistakes. I also think if we self reflect ourselves and we know our mistakes, it will work out good for us. If people were to come at us with what we do wrong, we already know what to say because we have already thought about it. I think that we should stand up for ourselves.
I also think that taking breaks from society is not a bad thing at all. We get tired of things, and sometimes it is okay to relax and take a day off. I do not mean we just shut the world off and everything going on around us, but we let go of all the worldly things. I think that we should all take days away from the computers, t.v's, and cell phones. We should just sit them down and not worry about them. I think that we get a little too obsessed with the things of this world. We could not live without some things, and we should be able to just live without some things. I think taking a day off from school is not a big deal, because we seriously can have too much going on in our brains and we just want to shut down. We get a lot of homework, especially being in advanced classes, we get a lot of burdens and it can be very stressful. I think that we just need a day of every once in awhile that we can just sit and not have to worry about so much. I like school, but I think that we need to get a little less sometimes.

Journal #19- Perfect America

America being perfect is something that we all wish for, but we all know that nothing is perfect, so we know that will never happen. I think that there is too much that you would have to fix for it to be perfect. I love the country that we are in though, and we have one of the best in the nation. We are pretty lucky to live in this country and have all that we have. I think one thing that would help if we could change it in America is the way that we are always wanting more. I think that we have gotten a little greedy lately, and we are never satisfied with what we have, and we always want more. I wish that we would just be a little more satisfied, because there are countries that are a lot worse. I think another thing that would help our country is less fattening things like fast food joints and unhealthy things like that. Now, do not get me wrong, I love fast food places, but I also know when to stop. And, not many people in America do. Our obestity rate has gone up a lot over the years, and it keeps increasing. I think that we need to know how unhealthy things really are for you, and have a lot more healthier options, not just junk. I also wish that we could handle our money better. I do not think that money is a situation in all of America, but here in Illinois it is. I know that our state is really behind on some money issues, and I wish that we could figure it out or have someone help us figure it out. I do not know much about it, but enough to know that it will soon affect us all. I think America is pretty awesome, and I do not have much to complain about, but we still could all work together to make it even better.

Poetry Anaylsis of Wendell Holmes: A Loving Cup Song

Katie McGraw and I read the "A Loving Cup Song by Holmes. We broke down each sentence and came up with this:
1.) Come gather the wood.
2.) The fire will burn again for everyone.
3.) The summer days are over, on to Christmas.
4.) They pass the loving stories and remember stories and memories.
5.) Pinning his love for them on his heart.
6.) He likes flowers, and they remind him of the boys.
7.) Spring comes along.
8.) They do not think life will be as fun as it was in the winter, they think it will be more work.
9.) They know that it will still be fun, or they are at least going to make it not a task.
10.) Life life is about love and filling each others loving cups.

I think that this was a really good poem. I thought that this meant a lot. I think to me it means, that we should try to fill each other's cups. Which means, that we should try to build each other up and always be nice to others. If we do that to others they will do it back to each other. I think it also was saying how we should always be trying to make memories and remember all of our past memories.

Journal #18- Ramanticism Style Poe

I do not really know how to right a poem really but here I go..

I wish that I was a tree in nature.
I would get to see all the animals.
I could and would see tons, that is for sure.
I want to he most incredible.

I have always dreamed to see everything.
Animals would not want to hurt me ever.
I could be the cover for anything.
I think that I would be the most clever.

To be the biggest, and most admired.
I think everyone would look up to me.
I do not think that I would get tired.
Because I am the biggest, greatest tree.

Poem Analysis by William Cullent Bryan

I worked in class today with Alex and we came up with the meanings for each of the sentences. We thought that some of the sentences got pretty complex, but we were able to eventually get the meaning of everything. We broke down the sentences of William's writing down to this:

1.) Nature speaks out to people who like nature in different ways.
2.) When someone dies their spirti sees sad images at all times. When we think of death it is sad. Going into Nature. Few Days later they will be dead.
3.) We will become a part of the earth and it's elements.
4.) An oak tree will grow through your body.
5.) There will be otheres in the resting place.
6.) You'll be among kings, the powerful, wise, and the average.
7.) All beauty in nature are just declarations compared to the tomb of him.
8.) The sun, planets, and stars shine down on the earth.
9.) The earth is not compared to the dead people.
10.) May be lost and hear nothing but your own footsteps.
11.) When you die, do people know you are gone?
12.) Everyone dies eventually.
13.) Death is hard to accept, but life goes on.
14.) Everyone will eventually be by you.

We got the main assumption, after reading the poem many times, that it's main focus was on death. Even though we are all going to die at some point and no- one really knows when, I still do not like talking about death. I do not think that William really minded talking about it. I think that he looked at it like, it is something that happens to everyone so we just have to face the facts. I do not think he believed in everyone ending up in heaven or hell, he just believed that when we died we all went into the ground. I kind of noticed that when he was stating about how the roots of the tree will go through us. I thought that was a pretty bold, and crazy comment. I think he was trying to get out how short life was to us, and that we should not take any part of life for granted. We only have one life so we need to live it to the fullest! I do not think we should live with any regrets of the things that we did not do. I think we need to have fun and do it all while we can. I think he was saying that life is short, and it will be over before you know it.

Journal #17- A TIme I Bonded With Nature

Nature is a great thing, and I have bonded with it before. I am a hunter, and i love being outside during shot gun deer season. I bond with nature while I am hunting the most. Nature is such a great thing. I think it is crazy how God could create something that amazing and so beautiful. I love just sitting down on the ground on all of the leaves and leaning against the tree. It is kind of fun to just sit and listen to all the noises that go on while you are sitting there. If i listen to long, I get really tired and it makes me want to doze off, but since I am hunting that is usually not the best idea. I think nature is very beautiful, and all of the different trees and leaves really entertains you. I also like to listen to all the animals, and since I love animals that can really entertain me for awhile. i like to listen to all the birds, and how they talk and communicate in their own little language to all of the other birds in the woods. I think it is also great when all of the birds respond back with the exact same sound. I think that is so cool when they mock each other. I also like to watch the squirrels run up and down the trees and go crazy in the leaves and make a lot of noise. They are very entertaining to listen to. I always think that squirrels sound like deers walking up on the leaves, so I get excited but then I get so mad, because I realize that it is just squirrel. I think nature is a pretty awesome thing, and also a very beautiful thing that we are very blessed to have. I think sometimes we all need to just relax and go sit down and just enjoy the things around us I think we could all learn a lot from doing that, and it really can relive some stress.

Journal #16- My Favorite Guy (Besides my Daddy)

Dan Reiser, besides my Daddy, is my favorite guy in the whole world. He makes me so happy! I love hanging out with him, and we always have a lot of fun. We have been together for two years and have been dating for a year and four months. He started liking me when I was the freshman attendant, and it was also my birthday too. I remember it was my birthday because he was asking about the birthday party I was having. He told me later on down the road that i first caught his eye because I was looking sexy in my freshman attendant dress. I do not remember it as clearly as him, but only because I did not know him yet. I started to get to know him because he started to text me, and we saw each other at the Fraase Hog Roast. I remember that night clearly, because that was the night that I really started liking him, even though he flipped my Polaris Ranger that we had just bought. I knew I liked him from that night, and we started texting a lot after that night. Then, we started hanging out, and then I really knew I liked him. It has definitely been my favorite year so far, and I would not trade it for anything. Not only has he been my boyfriend for the past year and four months, but he has also been my best friend. We have so much trust in each other, and we tell each other everything. I really love him a lot, and he means the world to me. I would not ever want to be without him, and I know I would be a mess without him. He is the best boyfriend ever, and he treats me so good. He is always romantic, and he does the cutest things for me. Dan Reiser is the best guy in my life. I love you Danny!!

Journal #15- Where Do You Use Logic and Reasoning?

Logic and reasoning are two qualities that we use everyday, and a lot everyday. We may not realize that we use these qualities, but we do! I really think that we use logic and reasoning for about everything we do. I think we use it for everything, because you have to think about what you are doing, which is logic, before you do anything. Then, if you have to justify to someone why you did that, you give them your reasoning. I think these traits are used the most when it comes to school, and they are also used a lot when it comes to living with parents. I use logic and reasoning a lot in my pre- calc class at school. I have to write down my problem and solve it, but I know the answers because of the notes and the formulas that go along with it. I also use it in other classes when the teachers ask us to write essays and give examples and explain what each one means. I also use logic and reasoning a lot when I am at home, and I am accountable for all my actions. Parents make you the most accountable for your actions it seems like. At home if we do something wrong, we have to tell our parents why we did it, and if that was a good decision on our part. An example of when we use it with our parents would be, if we fight with our siblings they always question us about it. We have to say if it was necessary to be fighting with them or why we did it. I think that logic and reasoning is a good thing to use because we have to be accountable for why we do things the way we do them, whether they are good or bad. I mean sometimes it makes things worse, because we do not always like to be accountable, but it always works out for the better.

Criticism on Thomas Paine's "Common Sense"

Thomas Paine's writing was another one that I was kind of confused on while reading it at first. I thought that it was another one of those writings, that you had to read the sentence over and over to get the real meaning. So, lets just say that it took me awhile to get the meaning of most of his writing. However, when I did comprehend the meanings of everything and saw what he had to say, I actually kind of liked some of his thoughts.
I realized from the start, that it seemed to me that the theme was all about America and it's government. I kind of liked how it started off and Thomas said, "Society is produced by our wants, and government by our wickedness; the former promotes our happiness positively by uniting our affections, the latter negatively by restraining our vices. The one encourages intercourse, the other creates distinctions. The first is a patron, the last a punisher". (Paine) I think this really kind of sums up everything that he is about to say in his writing. From my understandings, it does not seem to me that he thinks too highly of the government. He kind of bashes it right from the start, but then again he is just saying the facts. He is pretty much saying how government is just here because of the mistakes we have made. Government keeps building after it realizes the more laws that there needs to be. I also liked how he said that society is trying to make us so happy, but then we have the government that kind of shuts us down. I think that is a good thing though, because lately society is really getting carried away and we are getting away with a lot more than we really should be getting away with. I think that it is good that the government has some control over things, and sometimes I think that they need to take even more control.
The next thing that I liked that Paine had to say was "Society in every state is a blessing, but government even in its best state is but a necessary evil in its worst state an intolerable one". (Paine) I think this goes back to the point that I said where society gets a little carried away sometimes. I like how he notes that society is a blessing, but it is good that you have the government that steps in at some points. I think that the society has and is getting to the point that is too much, and worried about the looks on the outside, and no- one really focuses on the inside as much. Everyone usually always listens to society, and that does not usually always lead you in the right directions. I think that it focuses more on money and how much we can get, no moderation, and lately no respect for ourselves. I am glad that we have governments that can give us rules, and when someone does something wrong they can get in trouble.
I learned a lot from reading Paine's writing. I thought it was kind of cool to see his view on that. I always think it is neat when someone really stands up and says what they think and believe, becasue usually it just takes one and a lot of people stand up with him. I think that I agreed with a lot that he had to say.

Paine, Thomas. Common Sense. Printed by W. and T. Bradford, Philadelphia, 1791. accessed October 17, 2010.

Critisizing the Autobiography on Benjamin Franklin Criticism

J. A. Leo Lemay's writing style was very interesting to me. I was kind of confused while reading it, just because he had such a hard writing style to read. I thought it was a very complex writing style, and even though it was hard to read at first, I got the hang of it and ended up kind of liking the criticism. J. A. Leo Lemay had a lot to say, and he really seemed like he knew what he was talking about.

The first point that I really liked about reading Lemay's criticism was where it said, "the Autobiography is the rise from impotence to importance, dependence to independence, from helplessness to power". (Lemay) I liked this sentence, because it shows how we change as humans, and take big steps that are really important and make us more mature people. I think this meaning meant something to me too. I think it shows you that we need to do things like we are important and do them to the fullest, we also need to be independent and as we get older not rely on people as much as we always do, and last i think it shows us that we need to not be helpless and work with as much power as possible. I think Franklin wanted us to be independent and confident people. I thought Lemay did good by bringing up this point to us, and it was definitely a big point that Franklin was trying to get across in my eyes.

Another point that Lemay brought up in his criticism that I loved was, "it holds that the world can be affected and changed by individuals". (Lemay) I really like this, and to me this means that everyone can make an impact on everybody. I think this is great, because you can make impact no matter what your gender, race, age, or beliefs. I think anyone can make and impact on anyone, and I know that Franklin always tried to get that point across.

The last, and one of the most important points that I really liked was, "God helps those who help themselves". (Lemay) Lemay had this in his criticism, but it does not necessarily go with Franklin's autobiography, because Franklin was a rationalist. He did not ever talk about God, like the Puritans. I think this is still a really good point, though. God does not always help you when you ask him. You can not just expect him to help you with everything if you are not able to help yourself. You can not always blame God when something goes wrong.

I really liked Lemay's criticism. I think he really had some good words. He really broke down the autobiography well, and helped us understand it more. At first, the criticism was just making it more confusing, but then when you understood his writing style it was really interesting. I really thought there was really affecting points, and one that you should bring into your own life. I was glad I got to read a criticism like that, and it really made it more on my level.

Lemay, J.A. Leo. "Franklin's Autobiography and the American Dream." In The Renaissance Man in the Eighteenth Century. Los Angeles: William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, 1978. Quoted as "Franklin's Autobiography and the American Dream." in Bloom, Harold, ed. The American Dream, Bloom's Literary Themes. New York: Chelsea Publishing House, 2009. Bloom's Literary Reference Online. Facts On File, Inc. http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE54&SID=1&iPin=BLTTAD005&SingleRecord=True (accessed October 14, 2010).

Journal #14- Declaration of Love

Mr. Langley gave us the journal blog topic of writing our own declarations. I chose the declaration of love. Love is and has always been something that I believe strongly in. I think that love is a really big thing in life, that everyone experiences at some point in their life. I do not just mean the love that we experience between our family and friends. We all know that we love our parents and siblings, and we could not live with out them, but I am talking about a different love. I am talking about the kind of love that everyone experiences once, and that love is between them and their mate for life. Everybody loves someone like that once in their life. This kind of love is hard to describe, because you only know that love when you have experienced it and gone through it. This kind of love is unconditional, and never ending, even through the good and the bad times. You love your mate all the time, and never want to be without them. You have unconditional love, which means you love them even in times when it is hard to love them. They might make you mad and they might get annoying, but you love them anyways. Also, I am a strong believer in a love, that never gets a divorce. I do not believe in divorces at all. The only time that they are acceptable is if you are being treated wrong, and something bad is going on. I just really hate when people get divorces because they give up on their mate. You should never give up on them, because when you married them you said you would never give up on them. I am a strong believer in love, and it is a great thing, and one of the best things of life that we go through. I think that everyone has a special someone out there waiting for them.

I love spirit! School spirit is so fun!! Homecoming week is one of the best things at school! We all come together and do the themes every day, and we get to dress up and have lots of fun. I like seeing all the different outfits and the themed day. Homecoming week is always so fun. We make memories, and it seems like everyone really comes together that week. I also think that school spirit makes everyone be in a better mood. Everyone is so happy on homecoming week it seems like. We all get so excited to see everyone's outfits, and take as many pictures as possible!! School spirit has always been one of my favorites. Homecoming is the one week of the year that we have the most school spirit. We are in homecoming week right now, and it has really been a great week, and so many people are involved in this week. Our first day, on Monday, was hat and jersey day. Everyone had their favorite team jerseys on, and if they did not have a jersey on they had a hat on! I think that it is neat to see all of the different jerseys. Tuesday was cowboy cowgirl day, and that was another fun day. Everyone dresses up like a cowboy or cowgirl. Wednesday was eightys day, and that was by far the best and most spirited day. Everyone had on their eightys outfits, and everyone was looking so good. Today was class color day, and everyone has on their class's color. I think it is neat to walk down the halls and see the four main colors. Tomorrow will be the best day because it is spirit day, and everyone will be wearing blue and red! what a fun day! I am also a cheerleader, so spirit has always been one of my favorite things! I always love when the whole school gets into things, and everyone dresses up, because the cheerleaders plan it.

Journal #12- Working With A Partner

Partners is always a subject that is brought up in school. People always love to work with partners. It is brought up for all ages, we still work with partners all of the time in high school, and we all love it. I really enjoy working with partners. I always have loved working with partners. I like being able to count on someone else too. I like it especially when one of you do not know the answer and the other does. I think it helps people become smarter, because you have two brains working at once. You can get two people's opinions at once, and it helps you see from someone else's point of view. I always get excited when the teacher says that we are going to be able to have partners. I like working with other people, and I also like partners because you do not have to do all of the work by yourself. There is times when partners are not the greatest thing in the world. I get all excited when the teacher says that we can work in partners, but then they drop it on us that they are going to pick the partners. I really hate when the teachers pick the partners. I just do not like it because sometimes you do not always get the best people, and you end up doing all of the work. Sometimes it is good for the teacher to pick the partners, because then you get to talk to a person that you do not always get to talk to, and you get to know them. I think this is good, because we need to get out of our comfort zones sometimes and talk to people that we do not always get to talk to, because if something was to happen to them you would not have to feel guilty because you talked to them. Either way, i all in all like working with partners.

Journal #11- Ethics & Values

Ethics and values are a thing in life that everyone has. They may not realize that they have them, but they do. I think it is important to set morals and values for yourself. I think it is important, because you need to set your boundaries. You need to be able to set them so you can tell yourself what is right and wrong. For instance, a moral of mine is I do not like cheating. I do not like it when people cheat on tests, because you did not earn that grade. Also, not only did you not earn the grade, but the person that you cheated off to get a better grade really worked hard to study and to pass that test. I will admit, that I do get help on homework a lot, not in a cheating way, but I like to make sure I am doing the things right. I like to ask people for help if I do not understand something, but I think that is ok. Another moral that a lot of people set is no sex before marriage. I think that this is a really good moral to set. It is really hard to keep this one sometimes, but you just have to remember the promise you made yourself. Also, sometimes morals like that might affect the person you are with, or dating, so you have to be sure sometimes that the other person knows your values. You also tell them, because if they do not necessarily share the same values of you then maybe you should not be with them. Morals and values are a really big thing in life, and you have to be sure that you set ones, so that if you are in a situation you can remember those and lean back on them. Sometimes you get in situations, and you have to tell someone why you do not believe in it or why you do not want to do that, and if you have morals you can just explain those.

Journal #10- Science vs. Religion

Science verse religion has always been a topic to people. The topic is usually always a fight too, because most people do not agree on the things between science and religion. Every person really has a different opinion when it comes to those two subjects. The big arguments, or discussions, that go on between science and religion are usually evolution and the beginning of the world. These two examples have always been an issue, and they are issues that some people think will never be solved. I think that they are already solved, because I am on the religion side. I know that God started this world, and there is no other reason to think that he did not if you read the Bible. Other people that are on the scientist side though, think other things and would like to tell you that there is no way that my idea is right. They just think that everything just somehow popped out one day. They think that some particle of dust that was in the space just turned into the earth one day. We know that as the "Big Bang Theory." I do not believe in this theory, and I really think that it sounds pretty silly, but some people really believe in it. I just have a lot of faith in God, and in the Bible, and so that is my proof that he started the Earth. He was the creator. I know that everyone has their different opinions, but I am a Christian, so there for I know the creator. I have a lot of faith, which makes me reject the other thoughts that people believe in from science, and I am okay with that. I think that scientists should not be so certain on their answers, because God is who invented science and he is the one that put these scientists on the Earth. I probably she be a little more listening to the other sides, but once you believe in something, it is hard to believe something else. I am sure scientist say the same things about us though.

Puritan Exam

The Puritan writing period, was one that has affected us forever. Even though their writings were pretty plain and simple, they still got their point across. We still learn about all they did today, and it is really inspiring to most of us to see how they were then.

Journal #9- Organized Religion

When I saw what the topic was for this journal, I did not really know what he was talking about. I had never really heard of organized religion. Then, I got to thinking about it, and realized that maybe I did know a little about organized religions. Organized religion in my eyes are the religions like Baptist, Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist, and other religions like that. When you look up the definition of organized religion, it really kind of confuses you. In my eyes, I just think it says organized because it is an actual religion that people believed in, and also a religion that believes in God. I do not think that religions that worship something other than God would be known as an organized religion. I am a Southern Baptist, and I know what I believe in and most of the things that you do as Southern Baptist, but when it comes to other religions, I really have no idea what I am saying or talking about. I do not know much about Catholics or any other religion like that. I just have not learned much about them. I do know that we all believe in God, but we do differ any many ways too. I know that we all have different ways in believing how we get to heaven. I do not know much after that though. I am not necessarily against those different religions, they just believe in something different than what I believe in. I do not really know what organized religion really means, but I blogged what I thought that it means to me. When I think of organized writings that is what I think of. I am sure that every one else probably was totatlly different than me though. I do like discussing religions though, because I am a strong believer in God, and I like to share with people what my beliefs are. I just know that some people do not think the right things.

Journal #8- Why Proof Reading is Important

Proof reading is a really important thing when it comes to writings. It is something that you must always do, and if you do not you will really suffer the consequences. You even have to proof read little things like blogs or reflections, because you could really mess up and say something that you did not mean. The reason that you have to proof read, is because you could type it one way, but then when you go to read it is does not mean the same thing. In the funny video that we watched during class, they did not proof read at all, and they really should have. He would keep saying things that he did not mean, because he did not read over it before he decided to share it with a bunch of people. He really made himself look bad, at least it was not something that was meant to be really important. It happens a lot these days, that people will go to give a speech and they do not read over it much before they give it, and then they just say it all wrong. That really makes them look not very proffesional, and all they would have had to have done was read over it, and it would have saved them some embarrassment. It also kind of has something to do with copywriting, because people will steal ideas and try to make them their own, and when they do that they do not read over it, and when they go to say it they say it all exactly the same and it really does not make them look good. Things like that really get people in trouble, and it happens every day. The video was kind of funny to me, but then you think about it and realize what it really means. People do not proof read, and sometimes people have to get really embarrassed to learn that they have to do things the right way next time. Then when they go to do it next time the make sure that they proofread.

Journal #7- Supersitions

I do not really think that I believe in any superstitions. I am not big on witchcraft, ghosts, or anything like that. I tend to think of those kinds of things when I think of superstitions. I do not believe in the superstition of Friday the thirteenth, but it is a big one that I can think of. A lot of people think that if the thirteenth of the month lands on a Friday, then it is probably not going to be a good day. They think that it is really bad luck, and everything is probably going to be wrong. They start to think about it too much, and every little thing that might go wrong on that day, they think it is because of Friday the thirteenth. They do not realize, that all of the "bad" things that happened that day, would have happened that day anyways even if it was not a Friday or the thirteenth. I do not believe in things like this, because I believe in God, and he does not say or talk about believing in superstitions in the bible. I do not like superstitions, because people take it too far, and half the time they do not really know what they are talking about. People also believe in superstitions because someone tells them to, and they just believe in it. I hate when people do that, because they do not even know what they are believing in, they just know that someone told them to believe in it. I am not against people that believe in superstitions though, because I do not turn down other beliefs, or look down on other people that have different beliefs. I just wish people knew how things really were, and did not believe in things that do not make since. Friday the thirteenth is really not anything but another day. It is not a day that is going to be bad, or a day that is going to give everyone bad luck, it is just a regular day.

Journal #6- Blaming Someone

I do not like when people blame someone, and they do not even know if they did it or not. Some people just like to blame people, so they look good, and they do not have to deal with the trouble. Also, people like to blame other people because they could get some kind of reward for it. I think that there are some times that people really do need to be told on or blamed, but there are also times when people should just shut their mouths. I think that everyone should think before they blame someone. They first need to think about if it is worth blaming that person on, and then they should put their selves in the other person's position and see if they would like to be told on. I do not like to blame people a lot, because if it came down to it for me, I would not want someone to blame me for something I did not do. The scary thing about blaming sometimes, is you really have to know the story and all the details. You do not want to blame someone for something they did not do, and you also want to make sure you know the story because you have to have the same story as everybody else. You do not want to blame the wrong person, because it could back fire and all come back to you. If you were to blame the wrong person and it ended up not really being that person, then they would come back to you and question you. They would end up either blaming you because they think you just blamed that person as a cover up, or they will just blame you because they are mad that you gave out false information. so it is really not good to blame others, unless you know the facts and they need to be in trouble. I do not mind blaming if they really deserve it.

Journal #5- 21st Century Punishments

There are a lot of things that would devastate kids in the twenty- first century if they got them taking away. Facebook, cellphones, internet, online games, and also game sets such as Xbox and Play Stations are examples of things that a kid would not want taking away. Parents usually know that taking things like that away is really a way to get their points across. When parents take away those things, it does not take very long for the kid to start acting good and being sorry for what he does. I think fair punishments are different for each thing. I think a cellphone really only needs to be taken away for a day to get the point across to the child. I know for me, a day without a phone really does suck. Also, if you are over sixteen you need to have a phone in case something were to happen while you were driving. I think that the online games and game sets need to be taken away for longer periods like a week. You do not need those to survive so they are really just a privilege like anything else. Facebook or really anything on the internet can be taking away for awhile too. Also, depending on how bad the kid was behaving determines how long they needed to be grounded forr. If it really was not anything that big, then give them a little punishment and ground them for a couple of days, but if it was something big, than that is when a parent could ground them for a longer amount of time. Some kids also take punishment different, and two days really could make an impact on them. Other kids though, need a harsher punishment because they have to have more punishment to get the point across. It really just depends on the kind of kid he or she is, and what kind of things they do that gets them in trouble. It also depends on the type of parent they are, and how they parent their kids, because everybody does it differently.

Journal #4- Traveling

I really like to travel. I like being with my family, and going to new and different places. I have always thought it was cool to see new things, and to also see the things that not many people get to see. I do not care if I drive or fly. Flying is faster and simpler, but you do not get the experiences that you do when you drive. When you drive, you get to see all of the things along the way and you get to see all of the great things that this world has to offer. I usually fly everywhere, but I have drove to Florida twice. I have flown to places like Oregon and California, because I have family there. I enjoy going to different states and traveling there. I always remember all of the different vacations that I have been on. Those kinds of things affect you forever. Some people do not like traveling, and sometimes traveling can really affect some people. I have never been that way, I really like to travel and go to different places. Whenever we drove to Florida this summer, it had it's ups and downs, but over all it was a really great trip. The drive down there was fun. I like going through the states like Tennessee and Alabama and seeing all of the landmarks they have there. It gets boring sometimes and it is a really long ride, but I just sleep and try to make the time pass a little faster. I also even go to drive on the way to Florida, which was pretty awesome. I think it is fun to drive, especially in different states because it is all so different. I will always remember that. Traveling has always been something that I enjoy, and look forward to every year.I love traveling, and I am so glad that I am able to, because not everyone is able to go on vacations and travel.

Journal #3- Held Hostage

Hostage is a scary word to me. I do not like to hear this word, and most of the time it really scares me. I have always been scared of things like that. I would not like someone to take me away from what is comfortable to me. I would also not like if they took me, and I had to do everything they wanted me to do. I would not want to listen to the person that is trying to hold me hostage. If I was held hostage, I am not quite sure what I would actually do. I think I would do one thing, but I know once I was in the situation of being held hostage I would not do those same things. I would like to think that I would listen to the person that was holding me hostage, because I would end up having a better chance if I tried to make that person happy. If they told me to do something, I would probably do it. If I did not do it, I would just be in more trouble and they would hate me more. I would also hope that I could stay calm during the whole situation. If I was to act calm, I would not be as targeted, because freaking out would probably get on their nerves. I feel like if I actually went through this situation, I would probably be freaking out the whole time. I would probably cry and scream, and get annoying after awhile. I do not think I would last very long at all. I really hope I am not ever held hostage, because not only would that freak me out for the time, but I would always be freaked out and messed up the rest of my life. If I was to be in a situation like this though, I would hope that it was one that did not last very long, and I would later be able to return to my home.

Journal #2- Animals As Characters

Once upon a time, there was a jungle that did not have very nice animals living in it. They were always very mean, and they were very rude when it came to manners. The animals in the jungle did not get along with one each other, either. Each kind of animal always stuck together, but they did not get along with someone that was a different kind than them. For instance, the monkeys did not get along with the toucans and the frogs did not get along with the tigers. They always fought, because each animal always thought they were right and they did not ever like to work together. They all wished they could get along, but they were never able to figure out how to work things out. One day though, they were expecting a new gorilla to move into the area. No-one really knew what to think about having a new member to their jungle, but at the same time they were excited about their new addition. They made sure everything and everyone was in their place for the time of the gorillas arrival. When the gorilla arrived, he introduced himself to everyone, and his name was Dan. Everybody loved Dan and they always got along with him. Dan did not really like how the jungle did not get along with everybody though, and he knew that he was the person to change this about the jungle. He held a meeting for the whole jungle, and told every animal that things were going to be changing around there. He taught everyone how to treat others, how to work together, and how to always have good manners. The jungle really changed after that and everyone started getting along, and they also started doing things for one another. The monkeys got along with all of the cheetahs and toucans, and the lions were always nice to the parrots and frogs. Dan, the gorilla, had changed so much, and they knew they could never thank them enough.

Journal #1- Native American Culture

I do not know very much about Native Americans. I do know that they are called Native Americans, because they were born and raised in America. They are also what we would call Indians. Not very many people know of them as Native Americans. When you hear the name Native Americans, people usually do not know what that person is talking about. You have to think about it first, and then you realize that they are talking about Indians. When Mr. Langley assigned this I was kind of confused, but then I realized I did know some things about the Native Americans. I know that that is what the Pocahontas movie was based on. Pocahontas is not really true about the life of Pocahontas. She actually did have thing for John Smith, but she ended up moving back to England and marrying a guy named John Ralph. Native Americans were also in the Twilight Series. There are Native Americans that live in a town called La Push, and they are main characters in the book. Jacob, a Native American, is the most popular one and a very important character. He falls in love with Bella Swan. When Jacob got to a certain age, he got to the point to where he was part of a pack that turned into wolves. They turned in to wolves whenever they were angry or wanting to protect someone. Jacob always made sure he was protecting Bella. I do not know a lot about Native Americans, besides what I know from movies, but I do know a little about them. I know that they were the ones that were always living in America, and we have never been quite sure how they got here. I also know that they had groups. Also, they lived in tee pees. I think that they are interesting to learn about, but it seems like we do not learn much about them, and they are the ones that were here in America before anyone.

Symbolism in the Summer Readings

The main book that had symbolism in it was The Old Man and the Sea. The whole book was based on a christian background, and most things that happened had a double meaning. When Santiago was fishing, a lot of things happened that represented what Christ went through. For instance, when he cut his hand that was supposed to represent Christ when he got nails through his hands on the cross, and also when Santiago let out a scream when he was fishing was supposed to represent when Christ would yell out in pain. At the end of the book, Santiago was very weak and passed out on his bed, and Christ never did have much energy at the end and especially on his walk to Calvary. Steinback, the author of The Old Man and the Sea was a religious man, so talking about these things was comfortable to him, and that is what he loved.

Their Eyes Were Watching God- As the Reader

Their Eyes Were Watching God was my favorite book out of the three that I had to read over the summer. I liked seeing some of the things that happened after the Civil War, the slavery, and I also liked seeing he different things that went on during that time. Janie went through a lot with her family like not having her mom when she was born, being raised by her grandmother, and also being raised as an African American in that time. Her grandmother, Nannie Crawford, taught her a lot from all of the things that she went through while being a slave. It was sad to see Janie go through her first marriage with Logan Killicks who did not treat her good at all. Then, she got married to Joe Starks. I really liked Joe, and I thought he was a great guy. He was so good to her, but then he became the mayor, and after awhile it all got to him and he got a little cocky and started treating Janie wrong. He ended up passing away and Janie got married to a guy named Tea Cake. Tea Cake was the love of her life. He was always good to her, and they taught us how a relationship should really be. They never got sick of each other, always treated each other good, and stuck together. It was sad, as the reader, to see that Janie had to kill Tea Cake in self defense because of his mad dog disease. I wish it would have not had to end that way. I really loved this book, and never got bored reading it. Once again, Their Eyes Were Watching God was definetaly my favorite book of the summer. I liked learning how the African Americans were treated in that time, and seeing how different it was for them then, than it was now. I really liked learning all about the early nineteen hundreds.

The Old Man and the Sea- As the Reader

The Old Man and the Sea, was really a pretty good book in my eyes. There was not anthing that I did not like about this book. It was a very well written book, I would have to say. I liked all of the things that this book represents. One of the things it represented that I really liked was relationships. The Old Man and the Sea showed us how to get good relationships and to take care of them, so you would have them forever. Santiago had a relationship with Manolin was one that was never going to be broke. They were best friends and were really good to each other. They always took care of each other. The other thing that I loved that this book represented well was it's religious similiarities. A lot of things that happened in this book were supposed to represent some of those things that Christ went through himself. The whole time that Santiago was fishing, things happen to him that symbolized some of the things that God went through on the cross. For instance, when Santiago cut his hand while trying to fight his fish, Santiago let yells out like Christ did on the cross, and Santiago did not have much energy when he got back home and collapsed on his bed. All of these symbolized Christ and when he got hurt, and his walk to Calvary that was unbearable for him. I thought that was pretty cool that they had something like those symbols in a book like this. I really enjoyed this book. I actually liked all the books we had to read. I liked how The Old Man and the Sea always was interesting, and I liked how Santiago was tired and never gave up when he was fighting for his fish. That really showed us that we should never give up. This book really taught us a lot, and we really could learn from this book.

Grapes of Wrath- As the Reader

As the reader, I thought Grapes of Wrath was pretty good. I am glad I got to read this book, and I really learned a lot. There was a lot of things I liked about this book, and really nothing at all that I did not like. I think it is good to read about what people went through back then, like the Joad family. We need to see just what they really went through. Not only did we get to see what they went throught, but we got to get every detail, and we got to see just how it really was. At times, it could get pretty graphic and you could not believe just what they really went through. I also liked how this book showed us how important families are. The Joad family showed us how important it was to always stick together as a family, no matter what you are going through. Even though sometimes it gets ruff, and it would be easy for you to split up you got to stick it out and stay together. Another thing that I liked about this book, was it seemed like everybody was always worried about someone else before they were worried about themselves. Ma Joad was always taking care of everyone else, Rose of Sharon breast fed a man dieing of starvation, and Tom and Al were always fixing their car and other people's cars. We can not forget what they went through in the Great Depression. We tend to forget things like that, and that affected us forever. Once again, I am glad I got to read it, because if I did not have to read it for this class I probably would have never read it. I learned a lot through reading it, and I will remember reading it forever. I recomend other people to read it to, because you get to see just how it was in history in a way that you probably have not before.

Grapes of Wrath- It Seems So Real

The Grapes of Wrath seemed so real, and some of the things that happened in this book were just really hard to believe. Steinback, the author of The Grapes of Wrath, was really an amazing author and I think did a really good job in writing this book. The setting is what is so brutal to us. We got every little detail on their living situations at all times. Everything that the Joad family went through was just crazy. I could not imagine living in that time. They got everything taking away from them. They lived in such bad situations. During that time, dust, starvation, death, suffering, and poverty were just a few of things that they saw everyday. The Joad family not only saw those kinds of things, but they went through it. They lost all of their crops from dust, they did not have much money, their grandparents passed away, and they never had that great of living situations. It was during the Great Depression, and that was just how it was, and people were used to it. The author of this book, Steinback, was a good person to right about something like this. Steinback was just a real kind of guy. He was not afraid to provide the readers of his books with the honest details, and that is just what he did in this book. We got every single detail, and maybe some that we did not want such as knowing about how they buried Granpa when he passed on the way there. All the details he gave made the book seem so real, like you were living right then. The reason they seemed so real though was because all that happened during this book, really did happen in the early nineteen- hundreds. They went through some dramatic, real, and very heroic things. Steinback really knew how to write a book like this, and did a great job. I think he needs a lot of praise for writing a book like this.

Their Eyes Were Watching God- In the End

Their Eyes Were Watching God came to a sad end, and one that you would never really expect. Janie's last marriage, her third one, with Tea Cake came to an end, because Tea Cake passed away. Janie actually was the one that killed Tea Cake, too. Janie really only killed him out of self defense, because Tea Cake had a gun on her too and might have killed her too. Janie was very upset about all of this, and did not know what she was going to do. She was put on trial that same day, but they proved her not guilty after she got to give a long testimony about her love for Tea Cake, and how she only did it to protect herself. Janie was still living in the Everglades, and she did not really like it. She could not stop thinking about Tea Cake, because everything reminded her of him. She knew she was going to have to get out of there, because she could not handle the thought of him much longer. He was the love of her life, and you could tell she loved him very much, but the way he was before he died scrared her. Janie ended up going back to Eatonville, where she lived when she was married to Joe Starks. When she returned, people would talk about her and wonder where she had been and what had happened to her husband Tea Cake. Janie did not really care what they had to say though, and her good old friend Pheoby Watson stuck up for her when everyone was talking. Pheoby and Janie had not seen each other in awhile, but they sat down together and talked. Pheoby told her what had happened while she was gone, and Janie told Pheoby what had happened while she was gone. They were friends again already. I really enjoyed reading Their Eyes Were Watching God, and I think it had a lot of meaning behind it, and also had a lot in it that we could learn from.

The Old Man and the Sea- Religious Symbolism

The Old Man and the Sea has some religious symbolism when you start to understand the reading. There a lot of meanings hid in this book that you may not get from reading, but if you study it you can see all of them. Most of the religious symbolism in The Old Man and the Sea occurs when Santiago is trying to kill his big marlin after catching it. While Santiago was fighting the huge marlin, his hands got cut up pretty badly. This symbolizes how Christ got his hands cut and screwed to the cross. I know that what Christ went through was way worse, and nothing will ever compare to that. Santiago would have gave his life for that marlin, and he just about did, like Christ did for us. Santiago really loves the water and the fish, and that is all he cares about, and that is also what his life revolves around. Christ loves this earth and all of the people in it, and he would do anything for each and every one of us. Also, while fishing Santiago lets out a loud yell, or scream, in pain. This yell is supposed to represent the screams that Christ let out when he was getting nailed up to the cross. I did not realize how much this book really represented all of the things Christ went through, and when I did I thought that it was pretty awesome. When Santiago was back to shore he struggled walking up the hill to the village, and this is also supposed to represent Christ's hard walk to Calvary. Then, when Santiago gets home, he collapses on his bed and his arms are out, palms up, and this represents Christ while he was on the cross. Santiago was really struggling in the end just like Christ did. Hemingway, the author of this novel, really wanted to link Santiago to Christ in many ways. This book really had some great religious symbolism.

Their Eyes Were Watching God- Significance of the Title

Their Eyes Were Watching God, actually has a big meaning in the book, and it really does mean something. The title starts off with the word Their. Their is a plural word, which represents the community and partnership during the book. It represents how the three people at the end of the book had to work together to fight off the big hurricane that was coming through the Everglades. Tea Cake, Janie, and Motor Boat stuck together for awhile and try to fight the storm. Tea Cake and Janie later have to leave Motor Boat though. The other big word in the title is God. This word in the title is a big deal in the book. They show us in the book that God is all powerful, and always wants to make sure that people know that he is in control at all times. Janie and Tea Cake knew that the hurricane was coming, but Tea Cake thought that they would be just fine, and they could make it throught the hurricane together. Tea Cake got way too confident, and thought he was a big guy on the muck, and he could make it through it. I think God wanted to show him that he should have listened to the other people for once. So God put him through the storm, and Tea Cake eventually left the mucks and got to safety in fear of the storm. The whole time they were always looking up to God for safety, because at times they did not think they were going to make it. While reading this book, you got little clues on the title, but the biggest one is just what God put them through during the hurricane. God kept them safe, but he just wanted to show them that he was always in control, and at any moment can create a storm, like the hurricane he created. I think that this title really showed up a lot in this book, and really had a good meaning to it.

Their Eyes Were Watching God- Nanny

Nanny was a main character in the beginning of Their Eyes Were Watching God. Her name was Nanny Crawford, and everyone loved her. She was like a grandmother to everyone, and that is why they called her "Nanny." Nanny was all Janie had her whole life. Nanny was not only her grandmother, but her mom pretty much too. Janie's real mom, Leafy Crawford, ran away after giving birth to Janie, and Nanny took over from there. Janie never got to meet her real mother or father. Nanny had been through slavery, and all of her experiences as a slave affected her everyday, and she taught Janie a lot from her experiences. Nannie was always worried about money, and also being respected as a African American. Nanny thought about all the slave things she went through everyday. She went through a lot while being a slave, and when Janie was sixteen she heard about it all. Nannie actually got pregnant with Leafy when her slave master raped her. The master's wife wanted Nannie whipped to death for getting pregnant by her husband, but Nannie escaped and hid in swamps with Leafy until the Civil War was over. She then lived with the Washburns, and she worked for them. Nannie dreamed of a better life for Leafy, but that ended when Leafy was raped by a school teacher. That was when Leafy ran away. Nannie raised Janie playing with the Washburn kids. They were white though, and Janie thought she was a white kid, until she saw a photograph of herself one day. Janie always got made fun of at school for living with white people, and playing with them. Nanny was so good to her, that she bought a new house just for them, so Janie would not have to worry about being made fun of anymore. Nanny was such a good woman. She taught Janie a lot, and Janie always had Nannie in the back of her mind. Janie was always thankful everyday that she had a grandmother like Nanny to take care of her. She was glad Nanny teached her all she did, and always hoped and was thankful that she never had to go through all that Nanny did.