Best-Worse

My favorite poem was probably "The Fish" simple because the way that the author used descriptive words to describe something that would have otherwise been dull. The poem I least liked was "Sex Without Love". Besides being extremely awkward, I didn't want to read about people having sex.
My favorite short story that I read was "The Things they Carried" because I had read it when I was in high school and book that talk about or are set in WW2 or Vietnam are usually pretty good. The story I didn't enjoy was probably none of them. The only thing that I thought was hard was the amount of them. Thought they are called short stories some are extremely long for the time we had to read them
I did like watching Bartleby and the Death of a Salesman simply because they made the reading much easier to understand and draw writings into something more physical, easier for people to understand.
My favorite task in class was probably the comic strip we did, the drawing was fun and brought the story to a new view point. My least favorite task was the large groups we had for the poetry. Most if not all of the poems were hard to understand and having just one person answer all the questions was hard and pushed not only myself but others from answering your questions.
And no, I do not miss the small group presentations. There was enough work and I felt that would have just complicated things. And no, small group discussions were where I felt most comfortable for sharing ideas and thoughts.
The blogs were ok but I feel that most if not all of them weren't so much about the reading and terminology to help us through the tests as they were about our simple creativity. But even if they were changed they added an unneeded element that I felt could just have easily been left out and covered in class.

Grandpa Willy

(Biff being the father; sitting on the couch with two kids, a girl, 7 and a boy 5)

                “Come on Dad, tell us a story about Grandpa!”

                “YA! Come on Dad!”

Nodding my head I bundled them on my lap as I thought back about my father Willy.

               

                  “You see when I was growing Grandpa Willy was the hardest worker I’ve ever seen in my entire life. He would drive his red shinny care all over the United States to sell the next best thing. He was practically a celebrity when he came into town! As I got older and was in college Grandpa Willy had worked so much that the company didn’t know what to do with him!”

The white lie covering the story of my Father went unnoticed to the kids but it stuck in my throat as I continued,

                “So after years of work Grandpa Willy had just run out. But the one thing that Grandpa Willy never did was lie down and take defeat. Grandpa Willy worked and worked and worked to get the things that he knew would make me and you’re Uncle Hap the happiest kids around. Of course nobody’s perfect but my father didn’t settle for just anything. Grandpa Willy kept on his life dream of being a salesman and kids, he died a salesman. If you ever want to look up to someone who worked until his deathbed, you’re Grandpa Willy was a hell of a man, and a father.”

The kids looked up at me with a smile as my father’s face grew in my mind. That part was true, my father was a salesman and he died a salesman.

Linda's Diary Entry

May 5^th 1928

-          Willy has made another trip home, a smile on his face and the boys running up to meet him. It so good to see Willy doing well at work. He brought in at least 112 dollars! I wish to get a new refrigerator in the kitchen, hopefully Hap and Biff will be willing to help carry it up the steps in front of the house. Oh, seeing the Willy and the boys brings a smile to my face, Biff’s doing splendid in his classes while Hap is with his jobs. What a lucky girl I am.

August 20^th 1935

-          It’s been hard. The payments on things seem to creep up on you without any warning and without Willy bringing in the money he used to… I do love to see Willy come home but time and time again he just walks in, not even looking at me. I ask him time and time again how he did but he just waves me off, telling me he talks to much, jokes to much anymore. Lately he’s been up late talking to himself, about better times, when things were better. With Biff, home its only gotten worse. I hate to see them fight but it’s the only interaction they have anymore. I just don’t know how much longer we… I have to keep up with this. It’s only looking worse. 

The Lottery

The lottery by Shirley Jackson

Man’s ability (and need) to rationalize generally unacceptable actions

The first thing that I find that directs my thought of the Lottery is the fact that the town hasn’t quit the lottery. On page 294 Mrs. Adams says “Some places have already quit lotteries” while Old Man Warner responds, “Nothing but trouble in that – Pack of young fools”. This evidence demonstrates the mentality that the town does these stoning but for the good of the town. Old Man Warner is a great example of people who will justify the horrible things that they are doing thinking that the other towns who have stopped are condemning themselves or are “fools”. The whole town I believe feels this same way with the way that they act nonchalantly about the whole thing, simply wanting to hurry up so they can go back to their normal day. Old Man Warner is really the only person who speaks out and goes to tell and demonstrate to the reader that the town feels it’s a necessity to continue. The whole situation really reminds me of the sacrificial killings that people found that were happening in the Maya culture. They didn’t go about stoning the sacrificial person but instead went in a harsher route just straight cutting out the person’s heart and letting the blood just spill everywhere. Another example that I think of was a documentary, don’t remember the name since I was flipping through the channels and didn’t clearly recognize the channel, but they were talking about how camels, all different breeds of them, were used in different cultures. The main point that really connects with the story was the fact that every year they would have a celebration for the lama (cousin to the camel) they bred and with the celebration they would sacrifice one of the lama’s cutting its throat and letting the blood soak into the ground believing that their God was taking the blood back into the earth and taking it as a good luck and prosperity sign. The fact that both the lottery, the Maya’s and the rural community with the lamas both believed that the sacrifices that they were doing were essential for the community to have luck or prosperity shows that people mask their actions with the idea that if they don’t do it something will go wrong. 

Facebook Charlotte Gilman

Charlotte Gilman - Married to John -


- Just moved into the summer house! Should be a fun three months!

- The house is great, but my room could really use a little TLC.

- Don't feel to hot today, but John is doing his best in making me feel better, I sure hope I start feeling better again.

- Happy Fourth of July! It was so good hang out with Mom and Nellie and the kids!

-HEY! Being still sick and all I found this awesome website on Bedroom Decorating! You guys should check it out! http://www.hgtv.com/topics/bedroom/index.html

- OMG, cannot sleep, the light from outside is creeping me out on these stupid yellow walls! #creepedout #seriousneedofnewdecor

-Hey, somebody shoot me a text, John is out of town on a case for one of  his patients and I'm bored! :)

- Thanks for all the get well cards everybody is sending me! But got to get some sleep, doctors orders!

- Like if you use to look at your walls as a kid and pretend to make different shapes on the walls! LIKE! LOL

- Got a new roommate living with us at the house! I didn't even notice her when we moved in but she's just so nice! Going to hang out with her tonight! Can't Wait!

"Girl" Imitation

Son

Remember to sit up straight and remember what the teacher tells you. Play fair and don’t get into fights. Don’t ever get into an argument with a girl, she’s going to win either way. Eat with your mouth closed and don’t hunch over your food with your elbows on the table. When coming home try and remember to grab the mail as you walk home. Take your shoes off and say ‘hello’ when coming in, don’t just go running off to your room. Do your homework. Do the chores around the house and don’t complain about it. At practice do as the coaches say and don’t hesitate when they put you on the spot. Do something wrong, don’t whine about it. Get hurt, don’t cry about it. Told to run laps, just do it. When a coach asks you if you have bruises, don’t show em’ you’ll only get punched. Not the best on the team, earn your way up. When your beat don’t be a poor sport, when you win remember how it feels to be beat. Don’t be the cocky boy nobody likes. When talking to a girl don’t be loud. Be polite and try not to interrupt. Even when you don’t like her, try and be nice. And Always Remember, never hurt a girl, even if she’s trying to fight you. Be respectful to adults and the elderly, especially the elderly. When you see a dog or cat don't just go running up to them and they and pet them. See a snake on the ground, its best you leave it alone. Try and tie your shoes when you’re running,  the last thing you need is to fall on your face. Help your dad around the house whenever you are asked or told. And yes, you are allowed to play after chores and homework are finished. 

And always, always remember that I love you. 

Dialogue

Sitting in a quiet hallway I take my seat against the wall and open my book. As classes begin to leave I watch as everybody files out, talking to each other about all different things. Across from where I sat two women, who seemed to be close friends sat next to each other, already in a heated argument,

            “I cannot believe you! You’re retarded.”

The short haired girl snapped, pointing her finger at the other women, who just sat there crossing her arms, shaking her head,

            “No, YOU’RE the dumb one!”

Shaking her long brown hair she pulls up her foot revealing her shoe, she carefully unties the shoe laces and then proceeds to tie while singing a song from what I thought to be from SpongeBob,

            “Make a Loop-de-Loop and pull, and your shoes are looking cool!”

The other girl flailed her arms, in disgust as the friend finished tying. Pointing out again the brown haired girl said,

            “THIS makes sense. Whatever you’re doing, is just plain wrong.”

            “I see absolutely nothing wrong with how I tie my shoes, which makes you stupid.”

Obviously giving up the brown haired girl sat back in her seat as the other flaunted her shoe at her.          

            “Stilled tied, SEE!... you stupid, I win.”

Both sitting back in their seats they both looked back at the clock then back at each other with the same look on their faces. Bursting into laughter the brown haired girl asked,

            “Why do have these stupid arguments? We’re arguing about how we tie our shoes!”

            “Why? Because you’re stupid, I’m stupid and we’ve been friends for way too long.”

They both silently looked at one another, almost communicating though their exaggerated facial expressions, shook their heads and they both got up and left.