The Tell-Tale Heart

In this short story, the narrator repeatedly states he (or she) is not mad. If someone continuously has to state they are not mad so they can persuade someone else to believe them, then that someone must be mad. The way the story is told, it appears as if the narrator is speaking to someone. It could be a judge, therapist, or just anyone. After reading, it is inferred that the narrator is not trusted into tell the truth of what is happening; maybe the narrator is imagining what happened, or it could have been a dream. It could be the narrator explaining to the judge what had happened, giving the judge a confession. Or telling a therapist, in hope for help and what to do to eliminate the sounds of the heartbeats. Maybe it could be the narrator telling a story about their past. Also, the narrator watched over the old man every night, but how does he have access to the old man’s chamber? When the police arrive the narrator shows them that the old man’s belongings are still there. The narrator can be the old man’s servant. However, I believe the narrator is creating an imaginary story of wanting to kill the man, but he doesn’t actually do it. The “Evil Eye” may be the old man always watching the narrator to make sure the narrator is getting his work done. The narrator may be tired of all this work, and being watched 24/7 so he just wants to get rid of the eye completely. 

I was in the living room, kneeling on the couch, looking out the window. All I could see was everything covered in a blanket of white fluff. I saw little white dots continuously falling from the sky, adding on to the layer of fluff outside my window. It was early in the morning, so no one was outside shoveling the white snow off the sidewalk and cars.

Christmas was coming soon, so many of the houses on my block were also covered with lights and decorations. If you could look through the windows of the other houses, you would see huge Christmas trees decorated with small ornaments  and lights. I envied my neighbors’ Christmas trees; I always wanted one, to decorate and to keep presents under them.

I walked back to my room, and climbed back into bed. During winters, I always sleep with an electric blanket so my bed is always toasty warm. I knew it would take at least an hour for my sister to wake up. She was the person who I hung out with the most; she was always around, after she came home from high school of course. But today was a Saturday; she was sleeping in since she never has the chance to. Once she wakes up, we would both eat breakfast together and of course eat the same thing. It would also take some time to persuade her to get on some warm clothes and go outside to play in the snow with me.

My next door neighbor, Erica, was my very first friend and I saw her almost every day. I met my next door neighbor when I was about three years old. We always did things together, make mud pies in the summer, play with dolls, go to the park, go swimming, and today I would wait for her to play in the snow.

Under me, I heard a door close; then shortly after, I heard footsteps coming up the stairs. Someone was in the kitchen looking through the cabinets. I jumped out of my warm bed, feeling the coldness slowly surrounding me. I walked to the kitchen and was quickly greeted with a “good morning.” I sat down at the kitchen table and saw a red box with a bottle of syrup accompanying it. --

Our December

This song/poem can possibly be interpreted about a relationship.  “December” usually refers to coldness or darkness. December could be the point of a relationship where things don’t turn out so well, and the two people break up. But he writes that our December will be littered with light, so it won’t be dark and things will be okay. Also, there may have been a breakup before because the writer keeps writing that “I see her walking to me.” The writer is letting her know that things will be okay and “our December will be sure to last.” 
lyrics:
I could see snow covered hills
You were walking
I was standing still
I could feel the cold on my face
And we were talking like always

And Iould touch snow covered leaves
And you were walking closer to me
And I could play you song out loud
We could sing it
Til the year runs out

I remember streets covered white
And I remember long tonight
Saidur December will be littered with lights
And I see her walking to me
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/t/thriving_ivory/our_december.html ]
Oh
We were holding our future in hand
And place to fly and a place to land
Now our December
Will be sure to last
I said there'll be no rush for the year to pass

I remember streets covered white
And I remember a long tonight
Said our December will be littered with lights
And I see her walking to me

I could see snow covered hills
And all at once my heart is still
And I see her walking to me

I remember streets covered white
And I remember a long tonight
Said our December will be littered with lights
And I see her walking to me

I remember streets covered white
And I remember a long tonight
Said our December will be littered with lights
And I see her walking to me
And I see her walking to me

On the Reservation

After watching smoke signals in class, I have a better idea and image of what the reservation is like. If the Indians aren’t happy living in the reservation, why can’t the Indians leave and move elsewhere? If it’s financial issues, can’t the Indians get a job somewhere? Getting a job is ultimately the best idea for Indians because they can save their profit and have a lot of money to make their homes better. However I believe Indians would be happier living in the reservation because they are more familiar with the surroundings and there aren’t people around to judge them and give them a hard time.

The idea of reservation does not seem as bad to me as it is described. Indians have an area where they can follow their own beliefs and keep their culture. It’s better to keep in touch with your roots instead of becoming a new person and forgetting about your past. I also think it’s good that the government gave them land (even though it’s crappy) instead of nothing. They gave Indians land where no one can take away from them (but the government should have given Indians more because they deserve it).

The reservation sort of reminds me of the suburbs. Just not as fancy and rich. 

prop·a·gan·da

  

[prop-uh-gan-duh]  

1. information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation,etc.

This past summer, my sister went to Palestine and Israel. She’s Jewish, and wanted to see for herself what life was like for Palestinians and Israelis. A couple months later, the FBI called her and tells her she is going to be subpoenaed (an order to go before a Grand Jury without a lawyer). The FBI is trying to investigate my sister to collect evidence that she supports terrorism just for going to Palestine. She didn’t go to the Grand Jury when she was supposed to, but if the FBI asks her again to go to the Grand Jury and she denies again, she can face jail time.

The US government says that Palestinians are “terrorists” so when my sister went there, they believe she must be supporting terrorism. Our government gives money to Israel and supports them; our government does not want Americans to speak out against Israel, travel in support of Palestine, and organizing in the US against Israel. If people (such as my sister) see for themselves the truth about Palestine and Israel, then the US cannot pretend that Palestinians are terrorists instead of victims of Israel.

These rumors about my sister supporting terrorism has caused some of her friends and family members to stop talking to her because they believe she is associated with people involved in terrorism. One of my sister’s “best friends” from high school did not even support my sister despite their long friendship they had shared. 

Since my sister has been subpoenaed, along with 22 others, there is still no evidence of material support of terrorism. Instead, my sister has had to defend herself publicly to educate Americans that her and the 22 others are not involved in this support of terrorism.

http://www.stopfbi.net/profile/sarah-smith

http://chtodelat.wordpress.com/2010/12/11/sarah-smith-i-am-being-subpoenaed-by-the-fbi/

Beat Street

Open Response:
The music is good, the dancing is good, the rapping is good, the movie is good.
This movie may not be modern, and catch people's attention compared to Step Up 3, but it was the base, or foundation of our dancing, rapping, and graffiti nowadays.
The scene at the train station, where the actors have a dance battle, the famous Michael Jackson took that idea and made it into something huge. The rapping is really amazing, it focuses on the problems they had, what was going on in their lives. Now its about women or sex and it has been changed for the mainstream. However, some graffiti that I see around the city is ugly, but the idea from the movie, to make something beautiful, to express meaning, has been developed. There are now murals around the city and paintings on the building walls. To see a  graffiti piece like in the movie would be amazing. The movie is filled with talent, but the people also loved to do what they did, which I think has been changed nowadays. Someone would stop doing their graffiti pieces because there is no profit for it, and find a job they do not like. People change their music style to become more popular and to make more money. In the movie, the actors didn't care about the money, it was what they loved to do, so they did it.

Hungry?

In the novel, Black Boy, Richard is constantly hungry. He's hungry for not only food, but attention, love, and knowledge. 
However, he is not the only one who is hungry. There are many kids who are literally hungry for food. Everyday, more than 16,000 children die from hunger related problems. When I went to India on vacation, there were many little kids in the street begging for some change to feed themselves, like what Richard did. There are also a lot of people hungry for attention. Some people are so hungry for attention, they want a spotlight on them at all times, and there are people who just want to be noticed, to have some appreciation. There are people who are hungry for knowledge, people who are curious. For instance, I feel like my dad is hungry for knowledge because he loves to read books about the world, history, books in Spanish, the boring stuff. He watches so many educational videos like dinosaurs, the universe, history of science, nature, Malcom X, etcc. Richard wanted to learn, hungry for the books to read, counting to a hundred endlessly. 
Richard isn't alone when it comes to hunger. Many kids are just like him, and every child should be (not hungry for food). I know I was. 

Reading Response (numero dos.)

The author describes how he grew up to be Mexican American, but then later became “Anglocized.” He says “As much as we may try to become part of the main stream, there will always be someone or some event that will remind us of who we are and where we came from; it is usually just enough to cause most of us to stop and remember our heritage.”

I grew up to be Asian American, even though I’m half white/Anglo Saxon. I ate Chinese food, celebrated Chinese traditions; my first language was even Chinese. I’ve been with my other white family, but it doesn’t make me whiter or become “anglocized.” It actually makes me feel more Chinese than I already am. I’m not embarrassed for who I am, so I don’t plan on trying to lose my past, my language, or traditions. I’m American, Asian American, whichever, I’m perfectly fine with it.

I think this author sees Mexican American and American as two different things. Main stream was just Americans. But to me, Americans are American citizens or people born in America. Not the different ways we look, or act. I think for people to be just called Americans is for them to be a descendent from Europe (so white people).

This brings me to a quote from American Dreamer. “Why is it that hyphenation is imposed only on nonwhite Americans?”  Whenever I go on vacation, people always ask my dad “what are you?” My dad of course says “American.” However, when they talk to my mother, they always say “are you Chinese…where from Asia are you from?” She is Chinese, but she’s also an American citizen. So what exactly is an American? I was never really sure. 

King Still King?

There’s one day a year where people take off one day of work or school for the birth of Martin Luther King. Kids look forward to it because they get a day off of school, but is King’s hard work relevant to our present day society?

I say yes; King is still king.

Without him, Obama certainly wouldn’t be the president, schools wouldn’t be mixed with different ethnicities, people couldn’t sit where ever they wanted on a bus, and we would still have different water fountains. King proved that huge changes can be made without the use of a gun. However, I think we should view this day with more value, to realize how much has changed since he lived. In the far future, I believe this day will simply just be a day off, not to recognize someone for their hard work, or even to realize that King changed America. Maybe Americans will be so caught up in the new technology to even look at the small print on their calendars that says “Martin Luther King Jr. Day.” But King is still inspirational to many people and should always be. 

Reading Response

Children of the Sea

This short story was one of the best things I've read in class so far, and I wish it could've been longer than it was.  I liked it for a couple reasons, and one was that it was so real. People do not usually read about things that happened in the short story, like having to throw yourself overboard, or a group of soldiers raping a young teenager. People do not talk about the awful things that happen to people, and it was interesting when we did for class. I also liked the short story because it was like letters for the other person so the reader could understand both sides of what’s going on. 

There was a Child went Forth

I’m not saying this poem/story wasn’t good, but I didn’t like reading it. I don’t like many poems, like the poems that you have to focus on extremely hard on, or the poems that are filled with complicated words that you’re just too lazy to look up for every one of them. I know that’s what you’re supposed to do in school, that’s the point of reading the poem, but I don’t enjoy it. It took me forever to focus and actually pay attention to actually read it. But after I read it, it was pretty good. I liked how the poet went in detail about the child’s childhood and what the child grew up with, and how it became a part of the child as it grew up.

If I were to chose between the two stories, I would choose to read Children of the Sea.

Music Review

Song: Just a Dream (Cover)

Artists: Christina Grimmie & Sam Tsui

      If you haven’t heard of Nelly’s song, Just a Dream, I advise you to listen to that prior to this one. The beat of the original one is faster and has more pop than the one in the cover.

      I came across this song out of boredom, and the first time I heard this cover, I loved it. I liked it way more than the actual song. I have a taste for every genre of music, but if you are interested in slower music, you should check this song out. The two singers are not professional, but they are truly amazing. I chose this song because they aren't famous (yet) and some famous people create awful music, but the people who aren't discovered yet are really really good. They have other songs on their youtube pages if you want to hear more from them.

      In the video/cover, every beat, lyric is recorded by them. Both of them can hold long and high notes, their vocals are amazing, and it doesn’t sound bad or squeaky. If I rate them on a scale of 10, I would say 10. Both of them are truly talented and they don’t need any of their music to be edited because it sounds perfect just the way it is. They can sing different songs and still sound incredible. Honestly, I don't know exactly how to describe this song, but just go check it out to see for yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PT8gcZh_42w

Jay and Nick. - The Great Gatsby

Jay and Nick are different in their own ways. Jay is wealthy and likes to go according to plans. Nick goes with the flow and isn’t extremely wealthy, or extremely poor.

People may view Jay and Nick’s friendship/relationship fake. Jay is using Nick to see his love, Daisy. Nick is second cousins with Daisy so he could help Jay with seeing her again. However I disagree with that statement. Sure, Jay and Nick are different and come from different families, but they can still be friends.

Everyone has a friend who is nice and always there for you. They do favors for you when you need them to, even if it seems like you’re asking for too much. Nick is simply helping Gatsby and that is what friends do, so why is that considered fake? Is it not when a friend helps you, they are called a real friend?

Readers may believe Nick is using Jay for becoming more popular, or having the image of being luxurious. Or Jay is using Nick for Daisy. However, Nick does not like being a rich airhead, so why would he use Gatsby to appear so? Possibly, Gatsby only has his wealth as an option to repay Nick for helping him with Daisy. Nick also says Gatsby turned out differently than he thought he would, so possibly it could be a reason why Gatsby is not using Nick. I may be wrong since I did not read far enough to know what else their relationship is like, but at this moment I do not think that their relationship is fake. 

Winter Poem.

(By the way, this is not about anyone. I was just typing randomness and throwing it together. And since everyone loves Christmas and the holidays, I thought I'd write about the opposite. Also because winter is dark and cold.)

Goodbye fall, it’s back to December.

Did you forget when we’d dream about the times together?

Fighting for the cookie jar like it was a guilty pleasure.

Drink hot cocoa and have snowball fights for forever.

But please give me your eyes; I just want you to have a memory to take.

Look around and look at the snowflakes,

Doesn’t it remind you of our meteor shower?

We used to be so strong and have so much power.

You took me ice skating and played in the snow every day,

And you were always there for me during the holidays

But these things have changed and I surrender,

But don’t forget our December.

Thankful for a Classmate

I am a freshman at Whitney Young, therefore I do not know many people. But I am thankful for everyone in my class.

American Literature is one of my favorite classes, and it would not be the same without the people who made it that way.  Third period doesn’t make me tired in the mornings even though it’s my first class period. I am thankful for the interesting class discussions, and the randomness that occurs when we get off topic. Even though I do not talk much in that class, I still find that class fun and enjoyable. I am thankful for the creativity in the questions that are asked, the projects we are given, the blogs we have to write. I like the calmness of the class as well. Nobody gets in trouble or yelled at and class can be fun and serious at the same time. I am thankful for being placed in this class because this class is different from the other ones I take. My past literature classes were dreadful, but I am thankful that this one is not. The work we do may not be interesting but somehow I find it not that bad sometimes. I would like to thank everyone for making this class this way. 

I Am Plow.

A plow is a tool used to make the fields easier to plant crops and so they are easier to grow; it is pushed or pulled by a person to be able to use it.

I am not literally a plow, but I can relate to one.  My parents push me to do better. They want me to be better at everything I can do. They just want it to be easier for me in the long run when I get older.

My dad makes me do vocabulary 24/7; in the car going to school, over the summer, whenever he can squeeze it into my schedule. He never takes any of my excuses not to do vocabulary. He always says I’ll thank him when I have to study for ACT. He signs me up for extracurricular activities all the time, so I can learn new things, and not be accustomed to do the same things all the time. He forces me to go on vacations around the world so I can learn about the world, and to think about topics with a wider view.

Both my parents make me take Chinese classes. Everyday. I’ve been taking Chinese ever since I was about 6 years old. I’ve never paid attention to my classes on Sunday, so I still have to take them. My dad wants me to study Chinese in China next year, or to be tutored in Chicago all summer so I can take AP Chinese next year (not happening). I learned Cantonese when I was young, and my mom makes me speak it to her instead of English so I’ll remember the language. It sucks having to take Chinese everyday of the week, but my parents just push me harder to be successful in the future. 

Third Period American Literature.

American literature is one of my favorite classes and there isn’t anything I’d want to really adjust in that class. It’s enjoyable which is hard for me to say because literature isn’t my strongest subject. I like the idea of blogging, its creative and you can talk about your thoughts without worrying about grammatical errors. I like the journal entries and the music that is played during that time. The only thing I don’t like too much, is taking notes. Reading and taking notes is hard for me, it’s not fun to do at all. If I’m reading a good book, it’s hard for me to stop and write notes down if I can just remember it since it’s an important part in the story. If we have to take notes, we should be able to use them on a quiz or test. Besides notes, I like the class just the way it is.

Modern Slavery

sweat·shop

–noun

a shop employing workers at low wages, for long hours, and under poor conditions.

The thirteenth amendment officially abolished slavery everywhere in the United States in 1865. However, slavery still exists in other parts in the world, but we don’t know about it or possibly even care. Slavery is a worldwide issue and there are people working in sweatshops in many countries at this very moment.

I’m not allowed to do certain things because of my parents’ orders, just like other kids. However, they aren’t the type of regular things like be home before dark or finish your homework before you go out; but for me, I can’t purchase certain things, or wear certain shoes, like products of Nike. 

The first thing that immediately came to my mind for the topic of modern slavery was Nike. Millions of Americans are consumers of major industries that are associated with sweatshops, like Nike. A lot of people don’t know the Nike Company overwork people and the workers are only paid a very small amount. The largest producers of Nike shoes are the factories located in China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, India and Thailand.

For example, Nike has been accused of taking advantage of children in Pakistan to make soccer balls. If we were to go to a store to purchase a soccer ball, the chances are that the soccer ball was made by one of the more than 200 children in Pakistan, which some are as young as 4 or 5. The more we purchase these items, the demand of the products is higher, which increases the demand for cheap labor.

Nike is a very popular company, so nobody cares about how the shoe was made, as long as they get to wear it. People don’t care about the hard labor on the children because they think, “well it’s the style, and a lot of other people wear Nike, so why do I have to be the one to feel guilty about wearing them? It’s not like one person can make the difference.” Or something like, “these shoes are so comfortable, so I don’t really care.” This is my opinion, but I know it’s the truth because people have said it to me before. I don’t believe the Nike Company will change the ways they produce their items, just like the way I don’t believe Global Warming will come to an end.

Indonesian workers make $2.46 a day, Vietnamese workers make $l.60 a day, and Chinese workers make $1.75 a day.

You pay over $100 for a pair of shoes that cost less than five dollars to make.

House of Seven Gables.

Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of The House of Seven Gables, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1804. His father, who was also Nathaniel Hathorne, was a descendant of John Hathorne, who was a judge in Salem during the witch trials of 1692. Nathaniel later changed his last name, adding the “w” in Hathorne to be separated from his relatives, such as John Hathorne and his great grandfather who were both involved with the witch trials. His ancestors were some of the first Puritans to settle in the New England area, and from the guilt he had from his relatives’ deeds, it inspired him the theme for many of his stories, including The House of Seven Gables.


The House of Seven Gables is located in Salem, like told in the book. In the book, Colonel Pyncheon fought Matthew Maul over land, who then “won” by the death of Maul. Colonel claimed Maul was doing witchcraft and was sentenced to hang. Puritans in the Salem area were a little overboard with the witchcraft trials. A few factors that influenced the trials were religion, family feuds, economics, imagination and fear from the people. 


Religion was a huge role in Puritans’ lives. Puritans believed they were building a society that God wanted, living the way they believed God wanted. They thought they were better than others, and they were a model for others to follow their rules. Today in our society, the government thinks along the same lines. We’re the “better” country than the others; we’re a first world country, not a third. We have “freedom” and apparently the model country for others to follow. In my opinion, Puritans were obsessed, and they weren’t a good model for others. However, American is obsessed as well, not with religion, but with wealth. Which isn’t a good model for others either. Puritan roots are hard to recognize in today’s society but they’re still there.

The Moment I Knew I Was an American.

What is an American? Someone born in America, and living in America. But is there a more concrete definition of an American? Are there certain rules you have to follow to portray an "American"? 

I do not agree that an American is a descendant from Europe born in America. There are so many more races than just white, which are American.

In America, you can choose what religion you want to believe in, what sexual orientation you choose to have, the language you choose speak (besides English), what job/career you want to do, what you choose to wear, what traditions you want to celebrate, etc. America provides all these different opportunities. So is being American mean being who you are? Without living/visiting in another country, or not knowing much about the world, how can you compare these differences? Say for example, someone from France was a tourist in Chicago; you could not tell if they were French or American from just looking at them. When they start talking, yes, you probably can tell then.

The only time I realize I am American is when I travel outside the country. When my family and I have to ask a pedestrian for directions, they ask (nine times out of ten), are you from America? That's when I know I am American. I see being American when you're different from everyone else who do not necessarily have the choice to make decisions for how they live. 

Us vs. Them...Us & Them.

I didn’t completely understand the “Us vs Them…Us and Them” topic, so I’m going to hope I have the right idea.

Everybody likes to be the right person in any situation. People have stupid excuses that motivate them to keep to their point which causes terrible outcomes. The worst part is when disagreements end with death, and because people don’t think about both sides of the story.

People usually don’t think about what they say until after they have said it. People don’t see the consequences of their choice of words, or what the other person’s views are. I have heard so many stories about young adults who have committed suicide because of what other people have done to them over the internet, or any bullying in general. It makes me feel disgusted that we people act in this way, and then no one does anything to stop it. Others are losing loved ones because someone else wanted to have everything go their way. That should not be a reason why someone should lose their life.

A great example is the Crucible. I cannot stand reading that book knowing Abigail and the girls are ruining people’s lives to cover up what they did and for what they want, and everyone else is in lala land believing in witches. The sad thing is the higher power people are usually the wrong ones, so the good people are defeated.

When we have these books/novels that show us how we can act differently, we don’t change anything to make everything become better. There are still wars, suicides, arguments. Why can’t people understand the fact they won’t always have their own way, that other people can be right at some point? Even in drama, the girls don’t like admitting that they are wrong, but is it worth being right then losing a friendship?