Money: A Raisin in the Sun

Where money is but an illusion and all it brings are nothing but dreams, one family struggles to discover that wealth can be found in other forms. In the play "A Raisin in the Sun," Lorraine Hansberry uses the indirect characterization of the Younger family through their acquaintances to reveal that money and materialism alone are worthless.

  Living in a society where the fulfillment of dreams is based upon wealth, the Younger family strives to overcome their hardships as they search for happiness. The insurance check's arrival brings hope to each person to see the chance that their own dreams can become reality. For Walter, the check dominates his thoughts. The idea of money and being able to hold it in his hands blinds him from the evils of society, as he cannot see that the Willy Harris's of the world will steal a person's "life" without a word to anyone. When money becomes nothing but an illusion, Walter is forced to rethink his values and his family's future, realizing that there is more to living that possessing material riches.

  When Walter loses his sister's school money, the consequences are widespread and Beneatha sees that dream diminish before her eyes. She sees her slipping through Walter's fingers and finds her lifelong goals changing. From the beginning Beneatha has always wanted to be unorthodox from a family and try new and different things. Being a doctor is a goal that gleams in her eyes because of the success she and her family will get. But when she looks at George Murchison, she sees money's effect on his outlook on life and knows that she wants more substance in her future even though he could give her innumerable material possessions. Her ideals of life are not based upon what a husband can provide for her, but what she can offer for her family and mankind. When Asagai asks her to "come home" to Nigeria, Beneatha's response to the proposal reveals that her dream is not extinguished, but merely altered from attending school to going on a quest to "cure" and to search for her identity.

  While their dreams are within reach, through the course of one mistake, two characters were forced to reevaluate their plans for the future and realize that the riches in life are not found in one's societal position, but by their ability to see that money is worthless when it comes by itself. 

How the Harlem Renaissance affects us today

 When one thinks of the Harlem Renaissance, one thinks of the great explosion of creativity bursting from the talented minds of African-Americans in the 1920s.   Although principally thought of as an African-American literary movement, the Harlem Renaissance's influence extended through every form of culture: art, dance, music, theater  literature, history, and politics.   Along with the great contribution this period made towards art and entertainment, the Harlem Renaissance also made a great impact on a social level.   The Harlem Renaissance gave birth to the first African-American cultural identity and played a significant role in the political thought of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. But when I think about the Harlem Renaissance I see how much it affects music in our lives every day. 

Music is the joy to my life and I realized how much music I listen and play that is influenced by the Harlem Renaissance. The syncopated rhythm I love to play, such as in The Maple Leaf Rag by Scott Joplin, was actually invented in the Harlem Renaissance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMAtL7n_-rc  Even music such as Rap and Hip Hop would not have existed without the cultural movement in the early twentieth century. Yes the Harlem Renaissance basically invented Rap! Many poems had a unique musical quality which eventually turned into the popular type of music played on the radio everyday. 

It is truly incredible how African-Americans fought for their rights and finally just let go of their emotions in the Renaissance. And what is even more amazing is that they would never thought that their role in this cultural movement would be historic and would change every person's life in the United States forever.  

Is there really true love in the Great Gatsby?

Almost every character in The Great Gatsby claimed to be in love with someone.  After reading the novel, I began to question the authenticity of any of the characters feelings.  Each character seemed to interpret love in a completely different way.  It made me wonder if any of the characters had any idea of what love really was!
    A prime example of this unique observation is Tom.  He seems to think love is more of a controlling, dominating feeling.  He doesn’t do much loving and nurturing for either of his women.  He cheats on his wife, and beats his mistress.  If he truly loves either of them, he sure has a bizarre way of showing it.  He likes being able to control Daisy the way he does, and he loves having Myrtle obey him because of his money.  It seems he loves controlling them, not being with them.        Daisy is yet another character seemingly confused by love.  When she was only seventeen she fell in love with a young Gatsby.  She left him because he was not wealthy enough for her blood.  She later married  another man who is wealthy.  Several years later when Gatsby comes back into Daisy’s life she is ready to leave her husband.  It seems odd that if he wasn’t good enough for her when she was a girl, that he suddenly would be now that she is a grown woman with a husband and child. It is obvious that Daisy is mistaking her love for money, and not Gatsby.
    And last but not least, the man the novel was named after; Gatsby.  He claims to love Daisy so much that he would do anything for her.  His feelings seem truly genuine. His actions, however, border more on obsession than love.  He tries to get her to leave her husband.  What if Daisy is truly happy with Tom? If you really loved someone would you want to break up their marriage? His obsession makes him willing to partake in illegal activities and, even split up a family.   If Gatsby truly loved Daisy, he would want her to be happy no matter who she was with.  Instead he tries almost forcefully to get her to leave the only life she has ever known.  That seems just a little obsessive rather than loving.
    It seems the only person in this entire novel that comes the closest to understanding love, is Mr. Wilson.  He does his best to make a good life for Myrtle, even though he knows she isn’t happy.  After her accidental death he tries to avenge her killer by murdering Gatsby , and then in his agony, turns the gun on himself.  He couldn’t bear living without his wife, and with what he had done.  Mr. Wilson was obviously mentally unstable, but that was only because he lost the only person he ever really loved.
    The characters in this novel all interpreted love in their own unique way.  Some interpreted it for power, domination, want of money, or even obsession.  Who knows! Maybe some of them really were in love! (Doubt it...)

What do you think?

How do class, gender, religion, race, and culture determine our relationships?

The United States of America is known to be the "salad bowl nation", where all cultures and religions unite to form this great country. But ironically everywhere I see people mostly hang out within their ethnic groups, there is no sort of mixture whatsoever. African Americans with African Americans, Asians with Asians, Arabs with Arabs and Caucasians with Caucasians. Its funny how the human mind automatically is most comfortable with a person who we are very similar to by race/religion. Although our personalities maybe different we are somehow "comfortable". So the process keeps on going with all the people with similar race/religion joining together to form a large group in a society ( which could be small as a high school or large as a county). As a result of this process, lets say if a person wanted to maybe want to join a group of another race/religion, he/she would feel intimidated and would be uncomfortable in the environment. But why have it even come to this point? After all every person should not feel intimidated because we are all actually very similar! And when cultural differences intermix with one another, we can greatly benefit from that!

I feel thankful to go to Troy High. I am friends with all kinds of people with different race/religions and I love to learn something new which I didn't know before! In this high school, friendships aren't determined from similar cultures but are determined who we truly enjoy spending time with everyday.

Who is Emily Dickinson?

Emily Dickinson is famous for her poetry and her prolific writing, but during her lifetime she was more famous for the fact that she rarely, if ever, left her house. During her lifetime she wrote over 1700 poems, but few were published in her lifetime; a relative discovered them after her death. When she was alive, Emily Dickinson was not that popular and her writing was unheard of! That is why I admire Dickinson. She wrote poetry for the right reasons; not because she wanted money or fame but because she wanted to express her emotions. This is why I feel her poetry is so strong to us today because of where she was coming from and what women like her faced at the time. It is amazing that an unknown poet inspired many different poets after her. Think about it. Maybe a hundred years from now students will be studying a writer who kept his/her works secret. It even maybe the person who you see everyday!!!!!

The end of the Scarlet Letter.

Quick summary!

The Scarlet Letter follows Hester Prynne as she learns to cope with the conspicuous letter A sewn on her clothing. The letter symbolizes the adultery that she committed in having borne Pearl, her baby girl. Hester refuses to give up the man with whom she committed her sin with.
  Hester raises little Pearl on her own, away from the prying eyes of the extremely conservative Puritan settlement of Boston. She grows as a person throughout this time and eventually becomes someone that people are no longer wary of.

     So here is my take on this classic. The novel starts with Hester's imprisonment and her embarrassment upon the scaffold. I felt so bad for her. The crowd was jeering and the Ministers were prying. I would have wanted to be swallowed by the Earth if I were her.
     As the book continues, I kept waiting to learn more about what really happened. I already knew who Pearl's father was from the movie, so I kept expecting him to step out and relieve Hester. He didn't, of course.  I began to dislike this man; he was a coward in my eyes. When the book finally started describing more about his situation, I finally understood. He was a good man. He cared about Hester more than one might believe.
     Then there was Pearl. The girl kind of annoyed me. She seemed to take pleasure in giving her mother a hard time. Though, if I'm to be honest, she wasn't a terrible child. She just didn't seem to actually care!
     The person I absolutely could not make any excuses for was Roger Chillingworth.He was cruel and malicious. His only concern was for vengeance, and even that was misplaced.
  Most of my classmates didn't enjoy The Scarlet Letter, which I can understand. Hawthorne is a bit long-winded. Nonetheless, I found it to be an interesting book. It didn't drag on too long, nor was it seemingly pointless. Although it was a book with a different style than books that I usually read, I cannot say however, that the ending did it for me. It just wasn't what I wanted to happen.

Rating 7/10

Can Revenge Be A Good Thing?

Picture this. You are sitting in the cafeteria,eating lunch with your friends, and having a good time. BOOM!! Your friend spills water all over you. Do you get he/she back? Or do you move on? Now picture this. Your friend had an affair with your wife. Now do you get he/she back? The second instance does seem more reasonable to get revenge, but I feel it is the worst thing a person can do. Revenge destroys people because it negatively changes who they are. They are the ones being hurt. They are the one who's reputation is being ruined. It destroys the seeker by making them a smaller person. By not taking revenge you have a higher sense of yourself and you are the bigger person. Taking revenge brings you down a level and makes you just as bad if not worse than the person who you are seeking revenge upon.

Roger Chillingsworth in the Scarlet Letter is a great example of the consequences revenge. Although many readers might feel sympathy of Chillingsworth, I absolutely do not. The small idea to get back at the one who had an affair with his wife has infected him so much that he no longer acts like a human being anymore. Torturing Dimmesdale for pleasure just makes me uncomfortable and unforgiving to Chillingsworth and has made me realize that there is no turning back for Chillingsworth now. He can no longer forgive Dimmesdale and will continue to eat himself up over Revenge. 

All in all, revenge isn't a good thing. It just shows that you are as low or lower then the person who wronged you. Why bother wasting your time on revenge while the greatest revenge is actually to just move on?

Immortality: Essential or Unnecessary?

As time has progressed, humans have made significant improvements in having a longer lifespan. Every day, scientists are one step closer to curing cancer: the major cause of death today. Although this seems amazing for every person to live a 100 years and even more, wouldn't this actually have terrible consequences for human beings? 

Think about it. If everyone lived forever the Earth's population would rise and would probably cause chaos for areas that already have population problems. Gas prices could rise, food shortages, and unemployment would disrupt human society. So would accepting death as a natural process be better than trying to get around it?

In William Cullen Bryant's Thanatopsis, he offers a peaceful view of death, comfort for the living, and no matter what a person's religious beliefs, the poem is still applicable. Thanatopsis views death as part of the return to nature, like death is just another phase of life itself. Thanatopsis also tells the reader that he/she will not go to death alone. Everyone who has ever died will already be there. Everyone who hasn't gone yet will be there eventually. Social class or age does not matter; we all share one thing, and that one thing is death. 

All in all Bryant's poem is moving to human society who wants to get around death. People should accept death and think of it as a positive way. When a generation dies off, a new generation will take its place and continue the great progress of human society. 

Persuasion

Everyone persuades his/her friend to do something everyday. Or in many cases they get influenced very easily. Humans are extremely flawed when it comes to resisting something they really want to do, but unfortunately can't because of a conflict. But at the end they do it anyway! Why? Well here is an example.

1) X: Hey Y, what about going to the gym today?
2) Y: Am afraid I can’t, I have got to study for at least 2 hours today
3) X: why don’t you study right after the gym? , we will finish at 5 Pm, you will still have time, i can study with you too
4) Y: Well, my back hurts a little
5) X: But gym is the best cure for back pain, you will feel great right after we finish
6) Y: but my car is out of fuel and I don’t have money
7) X: I will come and pick you up, get ready in 10 minutes
8) Y: okk!!

So Y was convinced. But how did this happen! Well X did four very important things; He shook Y's belief, undermined his knowledge base, provided proof, and most important spoke confidently.
X was very assertive about going to the gym with Y, and he distracted Y from his plan for the day: STUDY. X told Y that they could study after working out. He made it clear to Y that they had plenty of time left to study. This strong support made Y feel that X knew what he was talking about and everything would be fine. Already X is successful with persuading Y because Y gives another excuse about his back, not anything about studying! Again with proof and confident speaking X gets to Y and convinces him that the gym will actually help his back. A positive for Y.... All in all, the  more clues you can provide to strengthen your argument, the less skeptical the other person will be and so the easier they will be convinced. 

Surprisingly, this strategy of persuading someone is EXACTLY like the American Revolution. For example, although colonists were getting frustrated with Britain, they still were reluctant to fight for independence. The big turning point came with the Boston Massacre. Newspapers depicted this event worse than it actually was! Patriots who desperately wanted independence, like Thomas Paine, took advantage of this and persuaded the colonists easily. Thomas Paine's Common Sense (note the title Common Sense. It makes the reader feel that this is the most logical thing to do and if he/she doesn't do it he/she is not intelligent) used the 4 steps of persuasion above to persuade the colonists to fight for independence. The pamphlet had a very strong and confident tone, it provided proof, made the reader think that "wow Thomas Paine a very important person is saying this. Maybe he is right?" 
It is very interesting to see how the strategy of persuading someone has stayed the same throughout the years and in several different situation. These 4 strategies can work with anyone for whatever reason if it is convincing a person to fight for independence, or to go work out at the gym.

The Dilemma

John Proctor definitely made a tough choice at the end of The Crucible. But was it truly the right one?

 

Sadly, no matter which decision John made, his life was over. He could choose to die with honor or live with shame. If he had chosen to lie in order to live, he really would not have gotten his life back. He surely would have lived every day hating himself for what he had done. His great unhappiness surely would have made life difficult for Elizabeth and the children. Also, since John would have lost his self-respect, he would not have felt himself capable of being a fit parent. He would have felt that he incapable of setting a  moral example for his sons (especially after he cheated on Elizabeth).

So all in all, based on the purposes of this drama, Proctor made the right decision. He was concerned for about the consequences of having his "confession" made public. He was especially afraid that his sons would never respect him and think him a coward for caving into the court. Thus, he died a martyr in order to uphold his own good name---not for himself, but for his family. However, people of Salem were questioning the validity of the entire court. I think most people would have understood his "confession" as a way to be able to support his family and see his sons grow to adulthood. Over the years, people would have forgotten the "confession" and seen the horrible result of their own actions, or non-actions. After all, how many people do we remember who actually "confessed" to being witches? Yeah none....

The Effect of Mass Hysteria

Technically the definition of mass hysteria is a condition affecting a group of persons, characterized by excitement or anxiety, irrational behavior or beliefs, or inexplicable symptoms of illness. However, the term is more commonly used to refer to any mass delusion, in which a group of people become governed by irrational beliefs or moral panic. Jumping on the "bandwagon" can be especially dangerous especially for the people living in the time of the Salem Witch Trials. 

The Puritan way of life actually strengthened the possibility of mass hysteria infecting everyone living in the society. In order for a society like the Puritan's to survive, it must be unified and ordered. It is clear from the beginning of the play that the society is very strictly set. Everyone's mind is already made up about everyone; for example, Giles Corey resents Thomas Putnam because he feels that he is only obsessed about land. The society is so ordered, that outsiders have had a hard time finding their places. Some of the accused are actually people of lower class such as Tituba and Sarah Osbourne. With only one person, (yes one person!) Abigail, driving the hysteria, Salem becomes unsafe. She takes advantages of the Puritan way of life and becomes very believable in the accusations of people committing witchcraft.

In recent times people in a way take the same advantage that Abigail took. Most people usually jump on the "bandwagon" and believe anything that everyone else believes in. When Donald Trump called out Barack Obama for not being born in the United States, many people believed him because of his integrity and popularity. The hysteria of Obama spread around the country in less than a day! Even though Obama proved that he was born in America, this idea had spread so quickly that people ignored his birth certificate and stayed on the bandwagon just because of one person who decided to raise a question to the public. Isn’t that interesting?

The Art of Blogging

I was pretty terrified when I entered Ms.Valentino's class. 11 AP sounded very intimidating to me, and learning that I would have to write a blog every weekend of the school year didn't cheer me up either. But reading the stories of John Smith or even William Bradford made me think that without their "blogs" we wouldn't have had a detailed challenges that they had to face upon entering this new land. Their interpretations of how America was really captured the unique history this country has today.

Indians! The first encounter with these foreign people was immediate for the settlers and they immediately thought of them as savages. Both John Smith and William Bradford wrote about how unorthodox these people were. They also wrote how terrible the land was in America. Both people documented their challenges as they were faced with cruel weather, disease and even starvation (people were forced into cannibalism!). But with these journals they left their legacy on how they overcame these challenges. As William Bradford and the pilgrims learned from the Native Americans, they eventually formed a national holiday which everyone celebrates today: Thanksgiving. Bradford and other Pilgrims left a tremendous impact on American history as they showed how peace and happiness between very different cultures and traditions could actually make both groups prosper. This simple tradition continues today with families celebrating and coming together for one glorious time in the year.

When I read the article about a little girl who started a blog to fight the terrible school lunches that the kids were eating, I thought that anyone could make a difference. But what is more incredible is that one blog or journal every day could really make an impact in the future whether if it was the settlers who colonized America, or the little girl who fought school lunches.

Native Americans in the 21st century

Native Americans, or Indians as some people call them, have always been pictured in my head as people from the movie Pocahontas. But that changed after our English class read short stories from an Indian author, Sherman Alexie. His writing is extremely humorous but at the same time showed how he his proud to be Indian and how  people aren't very different from the people living in the United States.

In the short story, Indian Education, Alexie details his childhood (Yes he went to an actual school!). Living in a HUD house, and having barely any food to eat Alexie had a rough start but soon found a love in learning. Readers saw this intelligence when in second grade, he scored a perfect score on his spelling test designed for junior high students. Even though his teacher set him up to fail Alexie proved that he was not stupid even if he was a Native American. He writes, "Indians, indians, indians." She said it without capitalization. She called me "indian, indian, indian. And i said , Yes. I am Indian. Indian, I am. The reader can see how Alexie is proud to be and Indian and that in a way he exceeded her expectations of what he can do by getting a 100% on the spelling test. Sherman Alexie shows that Indians have the capability of being intelligent also. Also by being a star basketball player, getting his own drivers license, and graduating high school, he removes the stereotype of the Native American that people think today and shows that he is no different. But at the same time Alexie wants to show off his heritage. His stoic look captures his pride in being Native American and shows to many people around the world what he could do what many other people cannot.

In recent times the movie Peter Pan shows a scene with a Native American tribe. After reading Alexie's short stories people will be shocked at how even a popular Disney movie can make these normal everyday people seem like savages.

I can blog!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!