Blog post #10

Addie Ramonda
Mrs. Smith
Per. 3

At this point in the book Huck meets Mrs. Loftus. She's one of the more genuine people in the story. Mrs. Loftus treats Jim, an African American with respect which is unusual in this time period. Mrs. Loftus is a very smart woman and sees Huck exactly for what he is. Mrs. Loftus husband doesn't like Huck and Jim though and is planning to hunt them down. There is a raft in this part of the book that Jim and Huck share, Twain uses it as a safe haven between the two boys. There are equal in the raft, not a white and black boy, just the same. Huck shows his immaturity in these couple of chapters. His foolish behaviors get Jim and him into trouble when they have a run in with robbers. Huck can't resist his Tom-like impulses. Jim sees the childishness in Huck but never says anything, he is acting like a good slave by doing this. Jim is constantly afraid to disobey and go against Huck because he is a run away slave.

Blog post #9 Reader Response

At this point in the book Huck is living in a cabin with his pap. Huck absolutely hates it because his dad is a drunk. One day when his  Huck decides to leave, he smashes the windows of their cabin and smears pig blood inside, making it look as though robbers broke in and killed him. Huck is planning to go to Jackson island at moon rise. Huck falls asleep and finds pap rowing him. Pap then dies and Huck takes over and begins on his way to Jackson Island. When Huck is at Jackson Island he sees a fairy boat pass that supposedly is carrying Pap. Everyone is very concerned thinking that Huck has been murdered. This point in the story is where the author can really see what the rest of the novel is going to be based around, Huck's supposed death. Huck is lonely for awhile but then on the fourth day at the island he meets Jim, who thinks Huck is a ghost. Jima and Huck are very similar because they are both outcasts from society. It seems as though the two of them are in their own paradise not giving a care about the world. The author keeps foreshadowing that this paradise won't last. Huck and Jim are constantly aware of the invaders that could come onto the island. So far I think the book is cute and even though it is about a child I feel like we can all relate in some way of wanting to get away from society.

Blog #8 Reader Response to parter novel

My partners (Andrea and Haley) and I are reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain. Huckleberry Finn is the main character and narrator of the book. The first scenes start off by giving you a sense of what Huck is like. To me he seems to be kind of an outcast but also very thoughtful and intelligent. Tom Sawyer is Huck's friend who is the complete opposite. Tom comes up with rebellious ideas and is aggressive whereas Huck is passive. From these first few chapters we learn that Huck and Tom ended their last book with finding gold in a cave, both of them receiving 6,000 a piece. We also learn that Huck was adopted but ran away until Tom convinced him to return and join his band of robbers and live with Huck's widowed mother. Huck does not like his mother and the way that she always tries to push her believes onto him. Huck gets annoyed of his mother for her continuing to think that he is bad and is going to go to hell. From the first chapter the reader is informed of Mark Twain's other book The Adventures of Tom Sawyer but that we didn't need to read that and the two books are separate from each other.

Literary Criticism & Music

Addie Ramonda
Blog post #7

  Dear John by Taylor Swift

 "Feminist Criticism"

Long were the nights when my days once revolved around you

Counting my footsteps, praying the floor won't fall through
Again
And my mother accused me of losing my mind
But I swore I was fine
You paint me a blue sky
And go back and turn it to rain
And I lived in your chess game but you changed the rules everyday
Wonderin' which version of you I might get on the phone
Tonight
Well I stopped picking up and this song is to let you know why
Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?
The girl in the dress cried the whole way home
I should've known
Well maybe it's me and my blind optimism to blame
Maybe it's you and you're sick need to give love and take it away
And you'll add my name to your long list of traitors who don't understand
And I'll look back and regret how I ignored when they said run as fast as you can
Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?
The girl in the dress cried the whole way home
Dear John, I see it all now, it was wrong
Don't you think 19's too young to be played by your dark twisted games
When I loved you so
I should have known
You are an expert at "sorry"
And keeping lines blurry
Never impressed by me acing your tests
All the girls that you've run dry have tired, lifeless eyes
Cause you burned them out
But I took your matches before fire could catch me
So don't look now
I'm shining like fireworks over your sad empty town...
Dear John, I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?
The girl in the dress cried the whole way home
I see it all now that you're gone
Don't you think I was too young to be messed with?
The girl in the dress wrote you a song
You should've known
You should've known
Don't you think I was too young?
You should've known...
Dear John by Taylor Swift shows the feminist criticism. In this song she is talking about a man who plays games with the women that he dates. It's explaining how he is the one that holds all of the power in the relationship and is controlling. Taylor Swift is explaining how this man, "John" is acting like a puppeteer, controlling the way that these women feel and their emotions. Taylor is explaining that she sees his ways and that she isn't going to fall for them anymore. 

Pride and Prejudice

Addie Ramonda
Blog #6

Dear Elizabeth,
I believe that you're behavior toward Mr. Collins in completely absurd. Turing down his engagement was a mistake. Mr. Collins is a wealthy man that could provide for you and your future family. A single woman like you doesn't have that chance come around very often. I also believe that your actions towards Mr. Darcy are very inappropriate as well. Mr. Darcy has an arranged marriage that shouldn't be tampered with. It is clear that he has developing feelings for you and it seems as though you are encouraging them. Asking him to dance at  the ball was a very bold move for a young lady like you, I recommend that you do some research first before attempting behaviors like that again. It is also clear that you are not happy for your dear sister and her engagement to Sir Wickham. I feel as though those feelings should be subsided and a smile present on your fragile lips. I would like to congratulate you on supporting your eldest sister and her pursuit of love. And as for your adoring mother, she is just trying to make sure that her girls are well off, give her a break my dear and dance along with her actions they are truly out of the kindness of her heart.

"Why Go to College at All?"

Addie Ramonda
Blog post #5
Per. 3

"Why Go to College at All?"

    

   I agree and disagree with this article. I agree with the fact that you do have to go off into the world and find your own adventures to discover who you really are. But I think going to college differs for each person. There shouldn't be one article out there saying that it is the right way to go or the wrong way to go, everyone has their own idea of what is right for them. If you are looking to become a doctor or a lawyer then you have to go to college! There's no way around it. You can't be taught those things by going off and living in the woods for a year. It truly just depends on what you are looking to get out of your college experience. 

   I want to become a nurse. I know that in order to achieve that I have to go to school and study and learn, and make deadlines. College for me is the only option I've ever thought about doing after high school, it's the only path. Sure going to Europe and "discovering" myself would be fun and an adventure but what would I have when it's over? Certainly not a degree or college education. I think this article puts a negative view on college. When it's referring to staying in your "social bubble" by only socializing with your dorm or the people in your classes, that's limiting to a certain type of person. That's limiting to the type of people that don't branch out, not everyone is like that. 

 There's so many other factors tied in with college that weren't shown in this article, there's also a lot of negative sides to not going to college that wasn't shown in this article either. With the way things are now, getting a job without a college education is very hard. At least a well paying job with good benefits. Even going to school for 4 years to have a little bit of education people seem to be better off. 

  I think that this article does have strong points but a lot of people have their minds made up already and strong points aren't going to change their thinking. When I read this though I definitely saw the good and bad sides of going to college and it did make me think, but my minds been set. 

 Going through the process of applying for schools I really see how important it is to pick a major that has promising jobs. Students that go to school and receive majors in things like art, are wasting their money. You should be going to school for engineering or nursing or something that you know that job is needed. Many people get out of school with a bunch of debt and a useless degree. I just think you have to be very smart when thinking about college and if it's not for you, not to force it. 

Gothic Story

Addie Ramonda
Blog post: Gothic Story
9/20/13

Looking through the cold dark eyes of what was once my best friend it finally struck me that I was alone.
We'd been on the ferry for at least 15 hours already. Tired, sick, and ready for our own beds. It was a horrible night to be on the ocean. The waves were about 10 feet and the constant, pounding rain wasn't helping. After a long weekend of swimming we had drawn our last straw.
Haley, Drea, and I decided our best bet was to try and fall asleep. We layer down our sleeping mats and pillows and tried our hardest to let the humming of the boat put us to sleep.
I was awoken suddenly by a loud crashing sound, only coming to find that my best friends were no longer by my side. It took me awhile to adjust my eyes and realize there was absolutely no lights on in the boat. Frightened I quickly got up and searched for anyone, finding no one. I quickly began to panic. Where did they go? Why wouldn't they wake me? I checked my phone, 3:03 AM, we weren't scheduled to dock for another two hours. After what seemed like forever, I had finished searching the boat, still finding no one. I began to cry. I was on a fast moving ferry...alone. I could barely drive a car, let alone a ferry! And what if everyone was dead? Was I next? My mind began to race at the possibilities. I decided to look outside again, just in case I missed anyone. As I opened the heavy, metal door and pushed myself through the cold rain and harsh wind, I instantly started to regret my decision. And regret it even more when I saw her. Lying there, so peaceful. I had never seen her so still, her dark brown hair quietly flowing in the wind. Raindrops, silently dripping from her now white cheeks. Run. That's all I could do. Screaming for help, I ran inside, no one answering my calls. Having no phone service, radio, or anyway to contact anyone, I realized there was nothing more I could do. I laid down next to my quiet friend and awaited our fate.

Psychological analysis of the character Bartleby

AP lit
Blog Post #3
Addie Ramonda

This week in class we read the short story, "Bartleby the Scrivener." It's a story about a man named, Bartleby who is a little strange. He works at a law firm and refuses to be like anyone else. Whenever he is asked to do something he replies with, "I would prefer not to." The lawyers at the firm get very annoyed with Bartleby and are not sure what to do with him since there is not much they can do. Eventually Bartleby ends up dying in jail by refusing to eat. Many people that read this story aren't sure of what the author is trying to have Bartleby represent. I think that Bartleby acts the way he does to show freedom of will. Bartleby by does not conform into what the lawyers want him to do, he doesn't want to do the things that a normal human being does. Bartleby is able to do whatever he pleases by having this state of mind. When reading this I thought that he was pretty stupid in the end refusing food which then ended up killing him. On the other side it shows that sometimes people often don't know that they are too stubborn for their own good, that in some cases it's necessary to put your pride behind you. Some critics say that it was Mellville trying to get across a point. At the time his readers and fans were really pressuring him to write generic stories and he didn't want to. I think it's a clever message although I didn't enjoy this story. I honestly just think that Bartleby was depressed. He lacked motivation and drive, in the end not even enough to stay alive.

This weeks reading

This week we read the short story The Birthmark. This story is about a scientist who wishes to remove his wife’s birthmark, the only thing keeping her from being all around perfect. The story goes through the process of him and his wife discussing the birthmark, all the way to him trying to remove it. In the end the wife ends up dying. While reading it I thought it was super boring and kind of weird. But once I finished the story and started to analyze it and discover the author’s purpose I thought it was so clever. The birthmark was a symbol of our imperfections and that when we try to alter those imperfections we are punished. I was able to use this story for my literary device paper, so worked out pretty well. I thought it was boring because I just wanted it to get to the point already. It felt like it was so dragged out. The time that it was written in is very different then the way things are now so I had to grasp that concept before I read it. For example husbands now would most likely not bring up something that was wrong with their wife such as a birthmark and ask if they could try to remove it. I think as a class we should have gone over the reading. That way we could have seen what other people might have thought the authors purpose was, I'd be interested to hear that. 

I didn’t really think that any of the things that we read this week were very interesting. But once we start reading books I think there will be more to talk about and it will start becoming more exciting.  I thought that writing the paragraphs that then showed up on the big screen was pretty cool, that way we got to read what other groups were saying and could add things that we thought needed to be there. I think that each group should have had to read what their paragraphs said out loud because no group read what the other groups wrote and that way we all could have gotten a little bit more out of the assignment.

I didn’t read anyone else’s blogs but I think I might to see what others are thinking about the class. It’d be fun if the prompts were a little bit more exciting because it’d be easier to write them each week. For example, we should have to add in what we did that weekend or share something interesting that we read or did on our own. Those things could in in addition the original prompt. It's just hard to write all 500 words on something that we didn't do that much of this week.

First AP lit entry: Class thoughts

            Last year, I took AP Lang and Comp. It was horrible. I dreaded the class almost everyday. It might have been the teacher or maybe analyzing the way other people wrote a speech just really wasn’t my thing.  When I signed up for this class I was excited because I love reading. I find the way that authors from the past write compared to the way that authors write now a days is so interesting, it's changed so much over time. 

            Even though I’ve only been to this class twice I can already tell I’m going to like it. I like the way that Ms. Smith is trying to incorporate technology into the class. I think it’s important to do that since technology is becoming such a big part of our lives. I feel that many adults are trying to ignore that factor, when really we should be embracing it and raising the new generations to use it to its full potential. For example, the blogs that we’re creating and how our assignments are posted online.

Having a blog is exciting. You’ll be able to have the things you wrote all in one place and its accessible at all times. You’ll also be able to show people the things that you are up to and have them follow the things that you’re doing in class.

            My weaknesses are definitely going to be things like the multiple choice practice tests. Their so boring and I always end up rushing at the end. That’s what got me down last year on the AP exam so I’m definitely going to put a little bit more effort into that part this year. Also I hate writing fictional stories because I feel silly. I’m not sure if we’re planning on doing anything like that but if we are, that’s an area I need some improving in.

            I’m really looking forward to working in groups. I like having discussions about books and hearing what other people think about them. Working in groups is really important I feel because hearing other peoples views and ideas can help you see a side to something that you never knew was there and help you grow as a writer and reader. It also teaches you how to work in a group, which is something that you’re going to have to do for the rest of you life. Another thing that I’m excited about is the fact that we are going to be reading Jane Austin as a group. With books like that it seems like it’s going to be helpful having others that are reading it as well, so that if you don’t understand something you can ask someone and discuss what the author is trying to get across.

            I’m excited to see how this class is going to go and learn what else Ms. Smith has planned for us. From this class I'm hoping to become a better writer and be able to receive a good score on the AP test. I feel like it’s going to be a great year and a fun class!