High School Expectations

My dream ever since Middle School has been to go to a fashion school in Paris. Aside from passing my classes, it's mandatory for me to learn Frnech, and speak it as fluently as possible. I'm hoping that if I stay in French class throughout all four years of High School, and practice as much as possible I will be at the point by the time of graduation. I will also have to take classes like textile design, and hopefully do things outside of school too involving fashion. I'm not sure what they require for French schools, but I will do everything I can to help get closer to my goal.

One of my great fears is that when I leave High School, I will know no more than I do now about surviving in the world. It may sound silly but paying bills and managing money and college tuitions etc. horrify me. It may not be in High School that I learn more about life out of home, but I'm definitely hoping I learn enough before I graduate. Especially If I'm going to live in France. Then I will have to learn about the French currency etc. as well! I know I wish that I didn't live with my family sometimes, but then there are times when I realize how totally dependent I am on them.

Poetry Out Loud

I initially chose "Backdrop Addresses Cowboy" by Margaret Atwood because I really like the metaphors and similes, and how she used free verse. I like free verse poems best because they seem to have so much more meaning, and they seem less light and bubbly then rhyming poems. You can make even a depressing poem seem happy with rhyming. "Backdrop Addresses Cowboy" reminded me of something that Francesca Lia Block or Ellen Hopkins may write, with so much figurative language, I found it beautiful.

Once I started trying to read the poem aloud I had a few problems. I knew what I wanted it to sound like aloud, and how I wanted to read it, but it was hard to follow through, to remember every pause etc. I also had a lot of trouble memorizing it, because it was fairly long. I would always find certain parts where I would always forget a word, or what order to say the words, no matter what. Of course, after I read it out loud I can almost recite it perfectly, but getting up in front of the class it scary enough, It's hard to remember every word when you're still shaky at it.

Themes in "To Kill a Mockingbird"

Racism is a theme that is explored throughout the book. Scout grows up in a racist community and reflects that when she tells Dill that it's no big deal, and Tom's only a black person. As the novel progresses, Atticus teaches Scout through his actions and words that you don't have to view someone by the color of their skin. When he defends Tom Robinson, she sees that he is a human being just like anyone else. Unfortunately, her cousin Francis is not able to see this. As a result of a racist family, he tells Scout that Atticus is a "nigger lover."

Although Scout learns to see beyond a person's skin color, the people of Maycomb County obviously have not. This is proven when the jury finds Tom guilty, even though there is no evidence of his alligation. Tom could not even use his left hand, which is the hand that had been used most on Mayella. I believe the jury was just frightened of what everyone else would think, because to say Tom Robinson is innocent, is to say that a black man is better than a white man, and to Maycomb County, that is unspeakable.

This book Changed My life

This book helped me persevere. Normally, when I start to read a book and find it boring, I don't even bother to finish it. However, this book was a class assignment so I pushed myself to get through the boring bits. The bits where you realize you've been reading the same sentences over and over again whenever you open the book, because you had totally forgotten that you had even read it.
About halfway through the book those parts ended and I was able to read straight through it
speedy quick, as I do with most books I'm interested in. It is like how Atticus always gets a job done that he says he will, no matter how unappealing it is, and there are rewards. Like when Atticus received heaps of food from grateful people for working on the Tom Robinson case. From now on I will persevere just like Atticus and get a job done when I say I will, because nothing good will come from not doing it.

Life Lessons

In chapters 22-28 the main event is the trial with Tom Robinson. I think that Jem learns a big lesson from Atticus about racism and equality. Jem was so positive that Tom was going to win the trial, he had his hopes very high, but the adults knew better. When Tom lost, Atticus told Jem
"...As you grow older, you'll see white men cheat black men every day of your life, but let me tell you something and don't you forget it- whenever a white man does that to a black man, no matter who he is, how rich he is, or how fine a
family he comes from, that white man is trash."(pg. 220)
Right then Atticus taught Jem that racism will always be around, but that doesn't mean that it's ok and you should never give in or support it.

This is an important lesson because it's true that even now, so many decades later, racism is still a part of everyday life, and it will never go away completely, but we can't forget that it's still there, or give up the fight against it. We see racism everywhere and don't even notice it, we grow up with it, and are introduced into a society of it. I have definitely seen it during this Presidential race. There are so many remarks about Obama's skin color. For some people against him, it's all that they've got against him, and for some people for him, all they have to say is "It would be cool to have the first colored President" It's sad that that's all that they think matters, because really skin color does not, nor should it define a person.

Robert Frost Poem

In Robert Frost's Poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening he speaks of a forest that he stop by in the evening. I think that even though this poem is short, it has an important meaning to him. It seems to me like he was considering suicide, but then decided that he had to keep on going in life. The way he spoke of the woods was like he was so at peace there and it was so beautiful and calm, he just wanted to stay there and let his life end at that point. But when he says "But I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep." It's like he decides to keep moving forward, that other people depend on him and he has to keep his promises to them, that he still has a long time before his life is over.

I chose this poem because it reminded me somewhat of my great great grandma who passed away two years ago at the age of one hundred one. She also could have let go at any point. When she broke her hip by simply falling down, when she was bed bound for the remainder of her life, when she became blind and almost completely deaf, but for some reason she held on. Perhaps she had promises of her own to keep.

Atticus as a father

Through Atticus' actions you can see that he is a sensitive and loving father. He really cares about his children's values and teaches them important life lessons. When they get air rifles for christmas he says "Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit 'em, but remember it's a sin to kill a mocking bird."(90) This shows that Atticus cares for all living things and wants to teach his kids the same.

My parents are a lot like Atticus in the sense that they are very laid back and don't punish me unless they need to, and they are against violence too. However they are almost half the age of Atticus which changes there morals a and parenting quite a bit. I would like to have a parent like Atticus because of his views and morals, and parenting.

Changing Perceptions of Boo Radley

At the beginning of To Kill a Mocking Bird Boo is made out to look like a scary character, one that everyone is to fear. In the next few chapters strange occurrence's start happening, such as gum and other small gifts being put in a tree for Jem and Scout to find, and Jem's pants mysteriously being stitched up and folded back where he left them "When I went back, they were folded across the fence...like they were expectin' me." "They'd been sewed up. Not like a lady sewed 'em, like something I'd try to do. All crooked." -Jem. Since these occurrences can be traced back to Boo Radley, I think it shows that he's more kind than the people of Maycomb make him out to be. He helped Jem when he could have been in huge trouble, he has been watching Jem and Scout and it seems that he wants to do something for them, to help them or at least be kind, possibly he's hoping they will figure out it's been him all along. It seems that Boo is friendly, but is treated otherwise just because of his past, what he could not control, like how his parents treated him.

The conversation between Scout and Miss Maudie made me curious, because it shows that Miss Maudie knows something that she isn't letting out. It also shows that she respects Boo, because she doesn't believe any of the rumors spread around and she won't be part of all that gossip, it helps with the theory that maybe Boo isn't as bad as he seems. Also Atticus' reastion when he found Dill, Jem and Scout playing the Boo Radley game, shows that he doesn't believe all of the rumors either. He didn't want the kids to be part of the rumors, becuase Boo has feelings just like any other human and he doesn't need that from everyone.

Boo Radley.

In To Kill a Mocking Bird the Character Boo Radley seems to be a very troubled man. He stayed in his parents house for fifteen years, in a basement, then back to the house. He spent almost all of his life isolated from any social interactions. I think that it would be hard for anyone under those circumstances to keep sane. However, I think that the kids of Maycomb took his insanity and brought it to a new level, just to scare each other. I do not doubt that he stabbed his father, or many of the alleged crimes, but I doubt when he breathes he freezes things, that is literally impossible. "There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time," (Pg. 13) This also makes him seem insane, as most insane people can't take care of themselves. Also, if you haven't seen a person in around twenty years because they are allegedly insane, and suddenly they show up looking like that, rumors are bound to come about.

I think I am a mix between Dill and Jem. I am very curious like Dill, how he wants to see what Boo looks like etc. when most people just want to avoid him. I also am like Jem because I am daring and I would touch Boo's house too if I was told to, just for fun. I like doing things like that just for the thrill. I think scary/thrilling situations are the most fun, like roller coaster rides.

Miss Grace Face....English.

I think the best thing so far about English class was learning about characterization and things like onomatopoeia's, and looking for examples of it. I had forgetten most of it over the summer and it was cool to remember certain things, and learn new ones. My favorite is similes and metaphors. They can be really useful, and even beautiful. Also onomatopoeia's because they can make writing really fun, and helps when there's no word that describes a sound.