Liar Liar Pants on Fire!

There are two kinds of lies: little white lies and LIES. Both are used throughout William Shakespeare's play, Much Ado About Nothing. Claudio, Don Pedro and Leonato tell a series of white lies when they are speaking together in the garden trying to be overheard by Benedick.
Don Pedro says, "Come hither, Leonato. What was it you told me of today, that your niece Beatrice was in love with Signor Benedick?" (II.3. 72-73). Although Beatrice has no such feelings for Benedick, Don Pedro is simply saying this so that the two will grow to like eachother and stop quarelling. In my opinion, this is simply a white lie since it will improve dynamics between Benedick and Beatrice. Consequelty, they may fall in love, and there's always room for more love in a person's life. In this case, the men's lying can be morally justified since they are only trying to help their friend.
However, Don John and Borachio's lies are not so innocent. They are motivated by revenge instead of spreading love. When Don John asks Borachio how he will be able to hurt Claudio and ruin his marriage with Hero, Borachio responds, " Not honestly, my lord, but so covertly that no dishonesty shall appear in me" (II.2.8-9). The two men go on to devise a plan to break apart Hero and Claudio by making it appear as if she is unfaithful to him. Since the villains are only motivated by self gain, and their lies will bring no joy or peace to the household, their dishonesty is immoral.
Concerning real life examples, lying is not okay when you are delibrately trying to hurt someone, like stealing money from your brother and denying it, or telling your friend you saw her bouyfriend cheeting on her just so they will break up and you can date him. However, there are some cases when lying is okay. If your best friend is having a party and you know it means a lot to her that you be there, I think it's okay to lie to your mom and tell her you're going to a study session since your friend really needs to at her party.

Unfolding Bud

One is amazed
By a water-lily bud
Unfolding
With each passing day,
Taking a richer color
And new dimensions
One is not amazed,
At a first glance,
By a poem,
Which is as tight-closed
As a tiny bud.
Yet one is surprised
To see the poem
Gradually unfolding,
Revealing its rich inner self
As one reads it
Again
And over again.

Naoshi Koriyama uses a central metaphor in his peom to compare peorty to a budding flower. Much like a growing plant, peotry developes its beauty gradually. Koriyama refers to a peom's initial impression as ordinary and reserved. He describes:

"One is not amazed,
At a first glance,
By a poem,
Which is as tight-closed
As a tiny bud" (7-11)

Through this comparison, the reader is shown how a peom starts out with a hidden message inside, waiting to blosom and reveal itself. The connotation used by Koriyama reminds the reader that a "tiny bud" (11) is how a beautiful masterpiece begins, and one must be patient during the early stages of a poem until its true meaning is discovered.

Koriyama further illustrates the transformation from bud to blossomwhen he writes:

"One is amazed
By a water-lily bud
Unfolding
With each passing day,
Taking on a richer color
And new dimensions" (1-6)

Through these vivid words the reader is able to see how a flower is transformed to be magnificiant and beautiful. One can also see that this metamorphisis does not occur overnight, but rather it takes time to fully run its course. Just as Koriyama describes a plant as "Taking on richer color" (5), he later refers to a poem as "Revealing its rich inner self" (15). His diction convinces the reader of their similarities since they both develope a fuller beauty and meaning as time goes on. Through these comparisons, Koriyama shows the audience that to discover the true meaning of a peom, one must be patient and wait for its beauty to bloom.

First Quarter

Looking back on the past 8 weeks or so in Ms. Froehlich's class, I've learned a lot. I'd say the biggest thing I was thought is that a theme is not simply one word or idea, but a series of insights that are all related. This has really helped me improve my writing and dig deeper into the literature or film we're studying. There are still a lot of tough things to deal with in class, though. I really want to work towards making my voice come out more in my writing, and also to make sure my ideas are solidly supported with evidence. Another thing I want to focus on improving is not stressing out about papers and essays. I get so nervous and ask too many questions (Sorry, Ms. Froehlich).
I feel like our classroom environment is fairly mediocre. 5th hour seems to be very talkative and I think we should channel all that energy into trying to focus. That way, not only will our grades improve, but so will Ms. F's feelings towards 5th hour :). Also, I think that during group discussions it would be good to hear from some people who don't usually talk so we can hear the new ideas they have to contribute.
My goals for second quarter are to really focus on improving my writing skills. I want to vary my word choice, and make my ideas come accross in a clear and interesting manner. Another goal I want to work towards is meeting some new people in the class. There are people who I haven't spoken to much yet, but they seem very interesting and fun. Looking ahead at the final part of first semester, I hope that I can acheive my goals and that our class can keep up the hard work.

MORE Conflicts...Poor Harry :(

Since my last posts about the conflicts in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Harry's problems have gotten even more serious. Harry learns through looking into the thoughts of Proffessor Snape that he will one day need to be killed by Lord Voldemort since part of the dark lord is bound to Harry. Not only is Harry demotivated by this realization, but he also gets angry with the late Proffesor Dumbledore. He believes Dumbledore used him to get to Voldemort and was planning to sacfrifice Harry when the need would arrise. But when Harry is struck in a duel by Voldemort, he does not die. Only the part of Voldemort that remained in Harry died. Through this, Harry learns to trust others and not to fear death, but accept it as a part of life. Another struggle Harry has is with himself. While defending the Hogwarts castle from Voldemort's army, several of Harry's friends perish. When Harry enters the Great Hall he sees Voldemort's many victims and the Harry's reaction is described as, "He could not draw breath. He could not bear to look at any of the other bodies, to see who else had died for him,"(662). Getting through these conflicts, Harry realizes that it is up to him alone to defeat Lord Voldemort and he must stop at nothing to complete his task so that others to not suffer the same fate as his friends.

Conflicts also interfere in the lives of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. When Harry escapes from the Malfoy manor (where he was supposed to be held prisonner until Voldemort arrived), Lucius Malfoy is punished by the dark lord. He gets beaten up severely for not carrying out his task of holding Harry. This experience is what starts to turn the Malfoy's against Voldemort, and they learn that perhaps such an cruel tyrant is not worth devoting their lives to helping. Another conflict arises for the Malfoy's when their son, Draco, is missing inside Hogwarts castle. They are worried that Draco may have been killed in the battle and author J.K. Rowling descibes their franticness as, "Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy running through the crowd, not even attempting to fight, screaming for their son," (735). In the end of the novel, when they have finally been reunited with Draco, the parents learn that working for Voldemort wasn't worth it in the end because he put their family through so much violence and fright. These and other events lead the reader to see how the characters in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows face many hardships, but learn and benefit from them and in the end.

New Characters in Harry Potter

Since my last post about the main characters in the novel Harry Potter and the Dealthy Hallows, several new people have been introduced into the story, and others have been better developed by the author. One new character is Luna Lovegood, who comes into the story when she meets Harry and his friends in the cellar of the Malfoy Mansion. Luna is very kind to everyone around her. She is very concerned about leaving the cellar without Harry and when he suggests that she flees to safety without him, Luna responds, "Harry, we want to help you!" (468). Luna is also very unique. She is different from most other witches her age and is fascinated by bizarre creatures and objects. Luna seems to be motivated by her hope of helping Harry defeat Lord Voldemort so that the world can once again be a peaceful place to live for wizards.
Luna is stuck in the Malfoy's cellar with another key character, the goblin Griphook. He has a grumpy disposition towards those around him and seems to prefer being alone rather than with wizards. He id very offended that wizards and witches pass goblin-made goods amongst themselves and is motivated by his hope of obtaining these goods one day. For instance, Griphook only agrees to help Harry gain access to a goblin bank vault if he will award him with a valueable goblin-made weapon in exchange. The goblin insists, "I want the sword. The sword of Godric Gryffindor," (505). Griphook's eye is also caught by a gem-encrusted tiarra which is owned by Ron's aunt.
Griphook's greed is nothing compared to that of another character, Lord Voldemort. The dark lord (whose former name is Tom Riddle) is cruel and vengeful. He will turn on even his allies when he is upset. Peter Pettigrew, a follower of Voldemort, is attacking Harry Potter when he is overcome with sympathy for the boy. Instead of strangling Harry with the artificial hand given to him by Voldemort, Pettigrew releases him. However, Pettegrew is strangled by the hand and the scene is described as, " The silver tool that Vodemort had given his most cowardly servant had turned upon its disarmed and useless owner; Pettigrew was reaping his reward for his hesitation, his moment of pity; he was being strangled before their eyes," (470). This cruel deed of the dark Lord reveals his anger and hunger for revenge. Voldemort is motivated by power, and he hopes to one day have control of the entire world, both of wizards and non-wizards. All of the new characters in the novel are quite different and play big roles in the novel.

Swimming...ahhhh!

Harry Potter Compared to Other Literature

The novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is quite similar to other novels we have read in Ms. Froehlich's class. Harry Potter's chracter reminds me a lot of Oskar Schell from our summer reding book, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Both these young men have had their fathers killed while they were still at a very young age. Oskar's father perished in the September 11th attacks, and Harry's was murdered by the Lord Voldemort. Harry visits his parents' grave much like Oskar went to the graveyard to find his father's grave. When Harry enters the cemetary, he sees a memorial and the author describrs, " Harry drew closer, gazing up into his parents' faces. He had never imagined there would be a statue..." (324). Harry and Oskar both suffer similar problems: having lost their fathers.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows also reflects some of the same principles as Richard Wright's memoir, Black Boy. Just as Richard longed to be on his own and away from his family, Harry desperately wants to leave His aunt and uncle's home and go off into the wizarding world. Richard also has a very awkward relationship with his Aunt after he misbehaved in her class, and as a result the two do not get along very well. Harry and his Aunt Petunia aren't very close, either. Since Harry was left at her house after he was orphaned as a young child, Petunia does not treat him with the loving care a guardian should. When she says goodbye to Harry for the last time, the author describes, "She gave him an odd, tremulous look and seemed to teeter on the edge of speech, but then, with a little jerk of her head, she bustled out of the room with her husband and son" (42). The similarities of Harry's character to those of Oskar and Richard reflect how the three books share some of the same ideas.

Harry Potter Conflicts

The chracters in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows face struggles and conflicts throughout the story. Harry, for instance, is dealing with Lord Voldemort's servants pursuing him and his friends and trying to capture them. When Harry is hiding in a tent with Ron and Hermione, the three are discovered by Death Eaters who order, "'Come out of there with your hands up...we know you're in there!'" (445). Consequently, Harry and his friends are captured. Harry is able to free himself of his numerous captures, however, and in the process he learns how to be more cautious so he can try to avoid problems like this in the future, but he also gains some self confidence when he is able to escape his enemies.
Ron Weasely also has his fair share of hardships throughout the novel. He gets into disagreements with Harry regarding their quest to defeat Voldemort, and eventually gets so fed up that he goes off on his own. When Ron decides to forgive Harry and join him again, he can't find him in the wilderness. Ron recounts to Harry after they are reunited, "'Well, I stayed on that hill all day...I kept hoping you'd appear. But when it started to get dark I knew I must have missed you'" (385). Through this experience, Ron learns that he must learn to control his temper and think more deeply about things before reacts so strongly or runs away. The character in the story face struggles and conflicts almost every day, yet somehow they are able to learn from them and find out more about themselves.

Memoirs

I believe that people write memoirs for a variety of reasons. Memoirs help people express their feelings about events in their past and after writing the memoir, the author seems more aware of their feelings and has a clearer picture in their mind of what happened and how they reacted to it. If the story involves a sad event from their life, they are more easily able to ponder it and figure out what made them feel this way once they have their ideas down on paper. If it is a happy story, the author can remeber experiencing joy and figure out what to do to have more times like these. Overall, the author can look back and reflect about their life.

People tell memoirs not only for their own benefit, but also for that of others. Readers can learn valuable life skills and lessons once they've heard about someone else's experiences first hand. After reading the memoir of Richard Wright, I had a better understanding of the hardships African Amricans faced in the early part of the 20th century. I saw how resilient and hardworking Richard was, and through this I feel as though my outlook on certain aspects of my own life have improved. When I remember how Richard was deprived of food, I remeber how fortunate I am to have enough money for food and try not to complain to my mother about what she makes for dinner.

There is also a certain power that comes with writing our own stories. A person can describe the event as how they remember it as opposed to trying to write about something they did not experience. People can write their memoir to convey a certain message or theme to the audience, and I believe that this is a very influencial tool. They can include all aspects of the story that they believe are important, and omit less interesting parts. I think memoirs are a very fun and beneficial way to write stories.

What does Richard hunger for?

One thing Richard mentions numerous times in the novel is his hunger for food. When he sees other boys at school buying food for lunch he is struck with jealousy and wants to be able to earn money so he can also buy a lunch. A negative effect of this is that he starts to dispute with his Granny about working on Saturdays. She doesn't want him working on the sabath since she is very religious, and these disagreements cause more chaos in Richard's household. However, Richard's job search also has positive outcome, since he is able to learn some responsability.
Food is not the only thing Richard Hungers for. He also has a desire to be respected by boys around, both black and white. Richard is part of a gang in Arkansas and engages in battles of throwing rocks and glass at a gang of white boys. When Richard moves in with Uncle Clark and starts at a new school, he fights with his classmates to prove how tough he can be. He even throws a brick at another child. The negative outcome of these fights are that Richard gets in trouble with the adults in his life for being so violent with his peers. However, a positive outcome is that he is able to feel a little better about himself and more confident. He can also defend himself in dangerous situations since he has become so skilled at fighting.
One last thing I found that Richard hungers for is strong relationships with the adults in his life. Although he doesn't admit to this directly, I believe that Richard's misdeeds and disrespect are simply his way of coping with the fact that he is not close to his mother and Granny while also trying to get their attention. A negative effect of this is that it makes him grow even father apart from these adults, since more fights breakout in the household and Richard is punished for being disrespectful and misbehaving. However, a positive effect is that perhaps one day, when Richard is mature enough, he will be able to express his desire for a stronger relationship with his mother and Granny.

Characters in Harry Potter

The main characters in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows are Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger. The three have been best friends since their first day of boarding school over six years ago.
Harry Potter is a young wizard of seventeen, and he is very courageous. He’s overcome many obstacles in his life, including the deaths of his parents and godfather, and numerous combats with Lord Voldemort. However, sometimes Harry has too short of a temper and lets his anger get the best of him, like when he got in an argument with Ron about their search for the horcruxes (the three friends are on a quest to find these to destroy Voldemort). Harry is motivated by what he believes to be a noble cause: defeating Lord Voldemort.
Another character is Hermione Granger. She tries her best to make peace when there are disputes between Harry and Ron. Hermione is quite intelligent, and helps Harry and Ron out a lot when they are on the quest, for instance she casts charms around their camp sites so villains can’t find them. Hermione is also very responsible and usually tries to do the right thing. What motivates her is the hope for a safer world once Voldemort is no longer in power.
Ron Weasley is quite a bit different than his two best friends. He’s neither as courageous as Harry nor as smart as Hermione. However, Ron is humorous and lovable. Sometimes Ron gets very anxious, and he’s quick to judge others. While visiting a strange wizard named Xenophilius Lovegood, Ron calls him a hypocritical for not defending Harry in the magazine he publishes. Ron is motivated by approval from his parents and friends, since he sometimes feels as if he can never live up to Harry.

Is Richard a bad boy?

In the first chapter of the story, we see that Richard makes some very poor behavioral choices. However, I do not believe that this makes him a bad boy overall. In Richard's case, his parents and situation are partly at fault for his bad behavior. Richard's poor descision making comes into play when he lights the curtains on fire to see if they will burn, but he ends up burning down the house. Had Richard's mother been supervising him, or perhaps if she would have taught him about the dangers of fire, he might have been more cautious.
Richard does wrong again when he kills an innocent stray kitten. Richard was very nice with the kitten and gave it food until his father came out, woken up from his nap, and yelled at his son to kill the animal. After this, Richard's attitude towards the kitten changes completely and he strangles it with a string. I do not believe Richard is truly violent in nature, but rather he deeply wanted to show his father that he was capable of obeying him.
Later on in the chapter, Richard tries to go to the grocery store to buy food for his family, but he keeps getting beaten up and robbed by a gang of boys. Since his mother will not let him back into the house until he fights off the boys and gets the groceries, Richard is forced to beat up the other children with a stick that his mother gave him. Although this may seem like bad behavior, Richard is simply doing what his mother told him to do. Although Richard's behavior is rather crude at times, I am not of the impression that he is a bad child. Rather, I think that his environment is more responsible for his wrongdoings.

Hey!

Hey I'm Kenzie! I like strawberries, disney princesses and tigers! I have a cat named Taj, two dogs named Murphey and Lucy, and two pigs named Lily and Maggie. I like to swim in lakes and have picnics. I also love Heath Ledger...