Helen vs Massie

Author’s Note: I will be comparing/finding differences of two different people from two different worlds.

Helen. The beauty of the Trojan War. She started so many wars between guys. She ends up running away from her husband with another guy. Her husband was the king of Sparta, and they had two kids. Helen was also a very inspirational person. Massie on the flip side, had four friends who loved her, and she was the popularity in the school. She didn't have much of a love life, except getting her number one crush taken away. These two had very little in common, but what were they?

Maybe it was that they were both girls, or maybe it was because so many people loved them. Helen was known for the ruler of starting wars, and Massie was just the ruler of her school. They had controlling in their blood. These two are hard to compare. I mean, they are both super gorgeous, but one was a goddess and the other was just a small town girl. You could say they had love life problems, but they were totally opposite. Massie was from The Clique Series. Helen was from a city of many fighters willing to kill themselves for her love. 

Trojan

Person verses person is pretty much saying, Side verses side. The war between the Greek and the Trojan. It all means the same thing. They were trying to make peace by sending the Greek a giant wooden horse, that meant, but surely didn't actually mean, "This magnificent wooden horse is their offering, to say how sorry they are for all the needless death and destruction they have caused. Only bring it inside your walls before night falls, because unless I am far wrong, there will be gold and treasure hidden deep inside the belly of that wooden horse.” All of it was lies. That only meant one thing, the Trojans were getting back at the Greeks. Sending one of the Trojans soldiers over to the Greeks side, was very sneaky, they could have lost them, but by sending him, he lied and said he is no friend ofOdysseus, and then later escaping and lighting fire to send a message to his boss. By sending the horse they made enough room down deep in the stomach of this creature, and planned to attack at night, when guards and soldiers were sleepy and drunk. 

I highly doubt that something this bad could happen nowadays. We have much better security systems. Locking people up in cellar, or behind the bars. We have smarter people now that can actually take care of themselves and are ready for the attack. Yes, yes it could. People can attack anywhere they want, but what I do think is that we would have police or highly trained people to check out this 'Wooden Horse." I honestly can't say I have. Actually yes i probably have, but not recently, where i can think of what happened. 

Are you a guilty person?

Author's Note: In this piece I wrote about an amazing book, and what the theme is, and how it relates to me and society.

Have you ever felt so guilty, that you want to cry? What about breaking something, running away and never telling anyone about it except your best friend? These connections are real similar to the book I Know What You Did Last Summer. No one can explain guilt the way Lois Duncan can, and she uses the theme of guilt differently with altered characters. The four friends are driving down the street, when something pops up out of nowhere, so tragic, it turned out to be a little boy on his bicycle.

“A ten-year-old boy was killed last night in a hit-and-run accident…” Reading those words, and knowing you had everything to do with that, just doesn't make sense. The emotions going through your body and that point makes you want to faint, and never want to get up again. Let’s stop and think for a minute though. Was it really an accident? Did he really not mean to see that little boy on his bike? Maybe they had “had a few beers and smoked a little pot,” but they still could have seen that innocent little boy on the side of the road.

I have never, ever, smoked or drank beer, but I have still had that feeling of guilt lodged in my stomach. Society these days does not even think about what they are about to do, or what they have done before stepping a foot in that car. There has been so many accidents from drunk driving, and there are so many people out there asking for another chance at life. Barry Cox, the one driving the car, didn't even want to go back and say sorry for hitting the poor kid. He wanted to create pack for the four people that were in that car. A pack that you couldn't break.

Although you have your pack, do they really have your back? What would you be thinking if someone figured out you killed someone last summer? Receiving letters, strange phone calls, feeling like people are following you, and news papers from last year. What’s wrong with these people? Sometimes, I feel that people get I kick out of scaring people, but why? I have received many calls, saying bad things will happen to me. I never even get scared anymore, just hang up. It isn't worth my time.

Not only are those few things creepy, but seeing them in other books and stories just means that you’re not the only one. Although I Know What You Did Last Summer,  was the only real “Mystery” book that I have read, Ms. Shay had told me the book,  Who Killed My Daughter, was very comparable. Not only in analogous did Lois Duncan write this, but it is just so similar in the accidents. A “random-drive-by-shooting” and a “hit-and-run”, are so identical. Also seeing that they have never really found out who did it in the beginning. Having to search and search for that one individual person.

Not only can it be strange but this is devastation all tied up in a story. Not only is it devastating to hear that you killed a kid and not trying to, but to have someone nagging you on about it, when you have finally might have forgotten it. The story to the book can connect to so many people in this world. Kids who have been hit, and even kids you haven’t. These lessons that you can learn in these books are wonderful. Think before you always do something that could change your life, and you should never run away from your problems. Face them! Changed characters with different themes, and still can explain guilt the best way possible.

Wooden Horse

Person verses person is pretty much saying, Side verses side. The war between the Greek and the Trojan. It all means the same thing. They were trying to make peace by sending the Greek a giant wooden horse, that meant, but surely didn't actually mean, "This magnificent wooden horse is their offering, to say how sorry they are for all the needless death and destruction they have caused. Only bring it inside your walls before night falls, because unless I am far wrong, there will be gold and treasure hidden deep inside the belly of that wooden horse.” All of it was lies. That only meant one thing, the Trojans were getting back at the Greeks. Sending one of the Trojans soldiers over to the Greeks side, was very sneaky, they could have lost them, but by sending him, he lied and said he is no friend of Odysseus, and then later escaping and lighting fire to send a message to his boss. By sending the horse they made enough room down deep in the stomach of this creature, and planned to attack at night, when guards and soldiers were sleepy and drunk. 

I highly doubt that something this bad could happen nowadays. We have much better security systems. Locking people up in cellar, or behind the bars. We have smarter people now that can actually take care of themselves and are ready for the attack. Yes, yes it could. People can attack anywhere they want, but what I do think is that we would have police or highly trained people to check out this 'Wooden Horse." I honestly can't say I have. Actually yes i probably have, but not recently, where i can think of what happened. 

Torture or Hobby?

Parents in China thought that beauty was having small feet. Bending their feet in to half of their regular foot size. Rapping ribbons around their tiny new sized feet, to stop the growing of them. Being able to have small feet, and to wear very small shoes, meant to parents that they would marry someone rich. Disgusting right? You can’t really stop feet from growing.

In the U.S, I would say makeup, and to a lot of people, a lot of makeup. Having a lot of makeup to a lot of girls is beauty, but it is just plain gross. I know that what I think is beauty in your natural self. A lot of parents believe that natural beauty is the best. The significance of the title, Ribbons, Stacy Dancing, they all are very important in this story. Ribbons, for “Paw-Paw” means torture. For Stacy, it means dancing, and her favorite thing to do.

Who may I be?

Two left feet and still walks straight? Has holes that can sing the beautiful tune of a violin. Yeah I’m pretty cool! I have a great neighbor that loves me dearly. Plays his music ever so well. I have a job that I love, and I am the best in the business. I always am ready for work. Always riding my unicycle, happy as ever.

My boss has an evil nemeses, who ever so sadly, works right across the street from us in a bucket. Always trying to steal something dear and important to my heart. It’s not so bad that he lives, and works in a bucket, because he is right across the street from a lobster trap, which is ever so famous in the rough waves, down deep with all different creatures.

I’m as yellow as the sun, and as square as box. My teacher is very puffy and ever so lovely. I have been in school for as long as I can remember. I started way back in December. Always trying to achieve that main goal of getting that rectangular piece of happiness. I always end up going back home to my favorite snail, that thinks he is a cat.

Here's a view tips to you!
 The best time to wear a striped sweater, is all the time. Especially the ones with the turtle neck!

Abuse It.

Author's Note: In this piece, I wrote about a book A Child Called It, and how abuse is something that should not happen. I also related abuse to other things in life.

Little things in everyone’s childhood are brought up in their adult life, like the way their mother’s food used to take, the way their clothes were washed, or the way there clothes smelled. Adolescence is the most important part of anyone’s life as they age, it’s the time when kids know right from wrong and when they know what they want to me. Imagine being abused as a kid, having no childhood that is worth remembering or reminiscing about. In A Child Called It, the childhood of young David is taken away from him when his mom locks him in their basement, beats him, starves him, and deprives him of the basic necessities. There are obvious ways that abuse from his childhood to his adult life have shown through.

For starters, even when he is being abused, early signs of the abuse that he is being given is taking a toll on him when he stops believing in God, or that he would be able to get out of the living hell that he is in. (184) “Inside, my soul is so cold I hate everything. I even despise the sun, for I know I will never be able to play in its warm presence. My stomach coils whenever I smell food that is about to be served to somebody else, knowing it isn’t for me.” It is obvious that he doesn’t have any feelings towards anyone but hatred and remorse. In other ways than just feeling hatred for other people, he also lacks other emotions -- trust.

When Dave finally runs away from the nightmarish house that he lives in, and he finds himself in a nearby pizza shop. While there, it is clear that he doesn’t trust the owner of the shop to tell him anything about himself; he doesn’t want to give away too much about himself to make his mother look like the bad person in the situation. The ability to trust and to be able to tell somebody your secrets is key to being a healthy person -- you can’t live without someone to lean on. Clearly, Dave struggles with that. Throughout the second and the third book, his trust remains dangling by a thread, as he struggles to get along with his “brothers” at his foster home, and with his foster parents.

The story of Dave Pelzer’s life is heartbreaking enough, let alone the fact that it was a true story. This book can connect to the lives of kids that have been abused, and even kids that have not been abused. Although the books are extremely sad and gruesome to read, the lesson that can be told is that you will overcome the obstacles that you face. It may take time, but there is always a silver lining, and you will always get out of the abuse or neglect that you are in. It connects to people that haven’t been abused to tell them to be appreciative of what they have and let them be aware of things that they don’t always know what are going on.

Naivete.

In this story Mrs. Wilson assumes things that are not true. She is defiantly an example of reverse racism. She also fits the category of naiveté. She has no experience of the boys life, and she is making assumptions that the boy is poor, and has no clothes. In one sentence she was telling Boyd to eat the stewed tomatoes, and he wouldn’t eat them, then she tried giving him all of their used clothes,  like Boyd and his family needed them. Pewaukee now a day’s doesn’t go up to people and ask them question, people here just think about what these kind of people are, and how their life would be. Not just Pewaukee, but almost everyone around the world does it.

Although that has happened in the story, Shirley Jackson teaches us all a lesson. He is literally telling us through the story, that stereotype people like Mrs. Wilson, should learn to think before talking. This is just like the quote, “Never judge a book by its cover.” We shouldn’t just assume people’s life’s are in critical conditions and they need help, or they are rich so they must be snotty and think they know everything. They need to know the story behind peoples life before judging them.

Reading Response

2.  What is one event, character, or plot element that is similar to a modern text/film? Explain.

The impatient/ younger waiter reminds me of Massie from the series The Clique. She can never wait on anyone, and it is always about her. Her friends are just like her, while a new comer enters their group, they have gotten a whole lot meaner and bossier. Just like in the story, he yells at the old death man to go home.

VIDEOS.

I thought that the café was going to be bigger and brighter. It didn't stand out to me as much as I thought it would. I feel like the screen shots are very long, but I like it, because I get to really pay attention to them. I think that they kept it like that because they wanted them to make sure they get a good look at the outside. The Young Waiter wasn't what I thought he was going to be either. I thought he would be better looking, but that is just my opinion. The other to people in this film are pretty much what I thought they would be. When I read the paper, it was pretty much the same thing as the video, but I just got to see how they really sounded, and how they what there expressions were. 

Although I found those things, I thought that the beginning music was a sad type, well that’s at least what I thought. It makes me get in a sad mood, I feel really bad for the old man, and I feel like the Middle Aged Waiter feels bad too. The lighting is reminds me of daytime, and not 2 o’clock in the morning. The lighting towards the end is depressing. The lighting in the other café kind of scares me, but it is much bigger, and it isn't as depressing. The voice over is low and sad. 

Sleepers?

Author’s Note: In this piece, I decided to research Why People Sleep? It has been such a curious topic to me.

What would we do without sleep? Think about it, every night we clear out 8 hours of our days to just sleep. Why do we do this? Why do our bodies need sleep? Couldn’t we spend those 8 hours doing something more productive. In this essay you will learn about why humans need sleep to survive and why sleeping is so essential.

One reason we need sleep is for our well-being. Our bodies need to sleep just like they need to eat, and drink, and breath to survive. Sleeping lets our bodies rest from a long day and relax. Our bodies were not made to be moving and active all the time. Everyone needs their sleep because if they don’t they will get cranky and their bodies will collapse because of exhaustion. We as humans our up on our feet and moving constantly, our bodies just can’t keep up with our busy lifestyles without sleep. According to the New York Time’s survey that they took in 2012 90% of Americans don’t get enough sleep. To survive we as humans need to sleep to rest our bodies to maintain our well-being.

Although one of the main reasons we as humans need to sleep is because we need to rest our bodies another main reason we need sleep is because we need a break from our long days. According to curiousity.discovery.com dreaming is an opportunity to work out your emotional problems and experience your memories. Also according to the same site your dreams only occur in the first 90 minutes of sleeping which is when your body reenergizes the most. Lastly when we sleep our bodies reenergize, adjust hormone levels, promote morning alertness, and regulate feelings of hunger. A main part of why humans sleep is because of dreaming and because our bodies need to reenergize.

Sleeping is something that our bodies need to survive, without it we would be too lazy to every do anything because we were so exhausted. Yes exercising and being active is good, but without rest, none of us could do that. Without sleep we would be a reckless mess.

Take a Ride

Author’s Note: This piece is on how well I know about Figurative Language and how I can tell tones in a story.

Have you ever wanted to ride on a train? Ever wanted to see a train wind its way through a hilly landscape? In Emily Dickinson riddle- like poem, she describes this animal kind of a creature as a powerful, speedy thing, almost like a train! Emily doesn't describe it in just simple, more of lame terms, she describes in beautiful figurative languages! This language she is using makes the reader want to go on, and not stop and say, “Wow I just wasted 30 seconds reading something this boring.” This can relate to life, You may be boring or normal, but the best kinds of people or the freaks, with a tint of color in their life.

            And neigh like Boanerges, is an allusion, as in reference to something more historical. Now that sounds kind of odd right? Well it’s not. Emily put that splash of color in her poem to make it shine! I like to see it lap the miles, would be a personification giving human traits. Punctual as a start its own, would refer to a simile, by combining to examples into one sentence using as or like. All these sentences use figurative language, without it, I would say this piece would be a F. It’s what makes this piece exciting and fun to read. I would honestly say this piece is mostly a personification piece. 

Not only does the descriptive words a big part of this piece, but the tone defiantly expresses this poem. I feel like when the author was writing this, she was imagining it. She would be nervous, or scared. If you put the two sentences, And stop to feed itself at tanks and  In horrid, hooting stanza, sounds like he is getting himself ready to pounce on you, or another object. The tone effects this piece on the way you want to read it. It you want to read it with more excitement, you would get a different point of view then just babbling it off with no effort put into it.

As you read, you should now understand why figurative language and tone play a huge role in the Language Arts world. It shouldn't be easy learning it, you should run into some difficulties. With some good help, from a great teacher, or even some peers, you will be on the right track. Just don’t forget, always put a dash of color in life. 

Back Together?

Authors' Note: This piece is about how well I can demonstrate point of view from another ones observation.

Have you ever been through I break up? Ever heard the words, maybe we can be friends, or don’t ever talk to me again? Throughout your life, these words will be recognized every day, either hearing them from a friend, or even being the person saying those words.  In the song “We are Never Getting Back Together,” written by Taylor Swift, she shows how these words, can me nothing to her. Taylor is an idol to many young people. She literally shows us, how this relates to our own lives, and not just hers.

  

Baby, I miss you and I swear I'm gonna change. Trust me, remember how that lasted for a day I say, I hate you, we break up, you call me, I love you. As Taylor mocks her ex boyfriend, she teaches us that we shouldn't just listen to the words, we should understand them. She may have loved him, but in reality, things don’t always go your way. Their relationship was a repeating motion. If this song was written as the guy’s point of the view, the song could have a whole new meaning. 

Dear Taylor,

I remember when we broke up, THE FIRST TIME. I can't take this anymore, I need my space. Maybe we just need a break?

July 14

JULY 29(On the phone)

Boy: Baby, I miss. I swear I’m gonna change! Trust me?

Taylor: I remember how that lasted for a day.

Boy: But I Still love you!

Taylor: We are never ever, ever, getting back together.

You can tell that Taylor doesn't buy his lame excuses. She doesn't even trust the fellow, but the guy’s point of view he thinks they will be back together within the snap of a finger. He has been sending her mixed signals, and Taylor doesn't know how to respond to it. This then might lead up to angry, upset, or even confused relationships, but most of all, them Never Getting Back Together.

As you can see, relationships are a pain, but if you truly love someone, you would risk getting hurt. You’re going to want to shrivel up like a raisin and ignore everyone that tries to talk. With a little encouragement from Taylor, you will be back on your feet and as new as freshly picked strawberries.

Personal Metahpors

Authors' Note: I wrote a bunch of adjectives and then thought of something that has most of these adjectives describing it.

I am a zebra. I'm outgoing and love to the center of attention, but I am also very shy around the people I don't know. I am very protective/defensive around friends and my family, and I love to be up and moving. I'm not very tall, but I'm very loud. I'm also a very bright person.

The Clique

Authors’ Note: In this piece I am going to be working on the cause and effect about the book “The Clique.”

            “The Clique”, is a great and well written book. It is really fun to read, it is like you’re almost the main character. The two main characters are Massie and Claire. One popular chick and one not so popular. It just doesn’t work out. In my opinion, the most important part of the book, is when Claire moved all the way from Orlando to Westchester. You will understand once you play attention.

            Massie was living the best life. All her friends were surrounding her, as always. Her black puppy, Bean, always by her side, but most of all a family that cares about her the most. Well that what I thought. Until old family friends, brings their daughter Claire, and live in her guest house? This ruins everything. Tears her best friends away from her! Massie job in this case, is make Claire’s life miserable. She wants to make sure she doesn’t have any friends, but by the first week at OCD, Massie’s planned worked out. Claire has no friends, and especially no sense in style.

            This wouldn’t have happened if Claire’s family wasn’t so close with Massie’s family. They both would have had their normal lives and normal friends. That didn’t happen though. Their dads just had to be friends in high school, and their parents just had to life right next to each other. Claire and her family might have wanted that, but Massie surely did not. Just imagine if their fathers weren’t even friends! Massie defiantly wish that would happen!

            As you can see, this serious of books look very interesting. Once you read them, you always wonder, What if this happened to me? What would my life be like if that actually happened. After reading a book like this, you will want to read over and over again. Then you will know why a popular girl and a non popular girl shouldn’t be together.

Peommm!

You're the thought in my head that starts each morning,
the conclusion to each day.
I vision you in all that I do,
and everything I say.

You're the smile on my face,
the sparkle in my eye.
the warmth inside my heart,
the sunshine in my life.

The only hand that's laced to mine,
the coat upon my back.
My best friend,
I will never turn back.

You're the dimple in my cheek,
the constant tingle in my soul.
the voice that makes me weak,
You're the one who hides me from the cold.

You're all I've wanted,
all that I need.
You're all I dream of,
You mean so much to me.

Our Song

Author’s Note: This piece is about a song that Taylor Swift wrote, and how it would be different if a guy told the story.

Our Song, by Taylor Swift, really can get to you. You can understand the lyrics by hearing it once. Taylor sings many songs, but this one is, by far, my favorite. This song is written in both points of view, but she’s the one telling us the fantasy of their love life. It would change drastically if Drew, the guy she wrote it about, was telling the story.

Taylor wrote this song when she was in ninth grade, and also when she was dating a guy, named Drew, and apparently, they didn’t have a “song”. So when the talent show came up, she wrote this song, that included her boyfriend, and sang it at the talent show. When she wrote the lyrics, she was trying to say, that she wanted them to have a song, and she was telling him how they don’t have a song. In the song, she wanted him to tell her that they had a song, and that it was something special.

Parts of this song are in Drew’s point of view, but they way he is telling her was more different, than she was probably expecting. Taylor’s saying that she wants a song, but he was telling her that everything they do together is the best song there could be. He was putting their memories into lyrics. He didn’t want some ordinary song, he wanted a individual kind of song. One that would bring chills to your back one everyone heard it. Especially one that meant the most to Taylor.

If Drew had sang this song, I think we all know that it would be a whole lot different. Even though it is in two point of views, Taylor was still the main person telling us what’s going on. If you think about it, songs can really change from point of views. You don’t know a song correctly, unless you know who is the outlook of this the outlook of the story.