The leading topic that I'm leaning towards for my persuasive writing paper is the one concerning whether or not works of literature should be altered because they may seem offensive. The main examples of this that I have found is that people want to remove the "n" word from Huckleberry Finn and replace it with the word "slave." I feel that this is not something that should be done and is not fair to the author of the book. If we started changing and patronizing literature, we end up changing the past. There will always be another novel that someone doesn't agree with. If you don't feel that the content in a book is appropriate, don't read it. It's as simple as that. But you have to accept that when the book was written, the author was simply being honest. I feel that I could relate this controversy back to some previous books that I have read that, although may not be under the chopping block, may have instances in them that are controversal. I don't believe that altering literature will stop at the classics either. If they strip away the "n" word from a book, it could lead to any sexual material being cut away from books. Eventually, books like The Outsiders could be targeted as innappropriate for pre-teens to read because of all the violence and smoking and death in the book. I read The Outsiders when I was in 8th grade and thought it was a great book. Huckleberry Finn is thought of as being a great book. Why spoil that?
The second arguement that I am weighing against altering literature is the one concerning food stamps. These topics are really polar opposits, but I know about food stamps firsthand from working at a grocery store. My arguement would be supporting the government's possible guidelines for preventing food stamps to be used on unhealthy foods. I cannot tell you enough how often a mother or father comes in and buys cookies, soda, Hostess products, and energy drinks with their Link card. It enranges me that they are having taxpayers, including me, pay for them to bing out on shitty food that will only kill them sooner. I think that food stamps and Link cards are only necessary for buying things that are considered FOOD. I thought that common sense would render a mother or father to stop and think: "wow, I can't afford to have food for my family on my own, so the food they kids and myself receive should be something healthy and worth while." But at least once a night while I'm working, I have a lady come up with seven energy drinks being juggled in her arms and she shoves her Link card at me. There's an overweight man who comes in with his little son, who must only be about six years old, and buys nothing but pop and chips. I think that guidelines for a food stamp or Link card could keep taxpayers happier and prevent obesity rates from increasing.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Saturday, September 7, 2013
# 5 - you mean I have to be an expert?
For my informative essay topic, I've been thinking mostly about writing it over my knowledge of Journalism. I'm currently on my second year of the class and feel that I've learned a considerable amount from taking the class last year. Especially since this year I will be having to start enforcing most of the rules of journalism, I believe I have a relatively sound idea of what I'm talking about. My paper would not only discuss the ethics of journalism, but who the most prominent journalists are today and how the process of journalism came into effect (in other words, the history of journalism). Perhaps even researching more on this topic could make me a better writer for the class.
There really aren't any back up ideas at this point. I've thought about writing about the different crafts that I take part in as some of my hobbies. The only problem with this is who really cares about the maneuvers behind quilting? At least with Journalism, other students who may read this will gain insite behind why the class is even needing to be taught at high school. I live a pretty mundane life and there's nothing too special that I do on weekends besides work. By writing about Journalism, I'd be able to apply it back to my life and be able to actually sound like I know what I'm talking about.
There really aren't any back up ideas at this point. I've thought about writing about the different crafts that I take part in as some of my hobbies. The only problem with this is who really cares about the maneuvers behind quilting? At least with Journalism, other students who may read this will gain insite behind why the class is even needing to be taught at high school. I live a pretty mundane life and there's nothing too special that I do on weekends besides work. By writing about Journalism, I'd be able to apply it back to my life and be able to actually sound like I know what I'm talking about.
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
How to Make Cheeseburger Pie!!
Cheeseburger Pie is not something that you would typically find in your average cookbook. It is also something that many people have created their own personal recipe for. Depending on your preferences, you may choose to include: onions, peppers, or any other toppings to add for decoration when you are finished.
Cheeseburger Pie requires very basic ingredients that are available at any grocery store. Depending on how many mouths there are to feed, your amount of hamburger needed may vary. When dealing with only about 4-6 people, about two pounds of meat will do. This will add a thick layer to the pie.
Other ingredients include: one package of American cheese slices, one bag of mozzarella cheese, one bag of cheddar cheese, two packages of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, non-stick cooking spray, and one eight ounce can of tomato sauce.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
To prepare this dish, you begin by browning your hamburger on a non-stick skillet, preferably a 10 inch one. When the meat is cooked ( no remaining meat has any red color tint to it), add the tomato sauce onto the meat. Stir this together and set it aside.
In a pan of your choosing - preferably your average cake pan for this allows for more servings portion wise - spray the inside with non-stick cooking spray. Afterwards, unroll the first package of crescent rolls and lay them flat on the bottom of the pan. The rolls are cut in a triangle shape; position them on the bottom of the pan like you would fit together two sides of a triangle. Together you should have four squares made of seven triangles on the bottom of your pan.
On top of the crescent rolls, add your meat and sauce mixture. Spread it throughouly across your base.
Next, open up the packages of cheese slices and spread them evenly across the meat and sauce mixture. You may end up using almost, if not all, of the cheese slices. Over the cheese slices, you may add over half the bag of the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.
Top it off with the second tube of crescent rolls. Spread them open and lay them flat on top of the cheese. Arrange them as you did before, when you were laying them across the bottom of the pan.
Insert the pan into the preheated oven and let it cook for half an hour or until the crescent strips along the top are golden brown. Let it sit for ten minutes before serving. And then you have a kid and family friendly meal that everyone will love.
Cheeseburger Pie requires very basic ingredients that are available at any grocery store. Depending on how many mouths there are to feed, your amount of hamburger needed may vary. When dealing with only about 4-6 people, about two pounds of meat will do. This will add a thick layer to the pie.
Other ingredients include: one package of American cheese slices, one bag of mozzarella cheese, one bag of cheddar cheese, two packages of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, non-stick cooking spray, and one eight ounce can of tomato sauce.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
To prepare this dish, you begin by browning your hamburger on a non-stick skillet, preferably a 10 inch one. When the meat is cooked ( no remaining meat has any red color tint to it), add the tomato sauce onto the meat. Stir this together and set it aside.
In a pan of your choosing - preferably your average cake pan for this allows for more servings portion wise - spray the inside with non-stick cooking spray. Afterwards, unroll the first package of crescent rolls and lay them flat on the bottom of the pan. The rolls are cut in a triangle shape; position them on the bottom of the pan like you would fit together two sides of a triangle. Together you should have four squares made of seven triangles on the bottom of your pan.
On top of the crescent rolls, add your meat and sauce mixture. Spread it throughouly across your base.
Next, open up the packages of cheese slices and spread them evenly across the meat and sauce mixture. You may end up using almost, if not all, of the cheese slices. Over the cheese slices, you may add over half the bag of the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses.
Top it off with the second tube of crescent rolls. Spread them open and lay them flat on top of the cheese. Arrange them as you did before, when you were laying them across the bottom of the pan.
Insert the pan into the preheated oven and let it cook for half an hour or until the crescent strips along the top are golden brown. Let it sit for ten minutes before serving. And then you have a kid and family friendly meal that everyone will love.
Friday, August 23, 2013
#3 - Personal Experiences
For Personal Narrative Essay, I have already chosen that I would like to write the paper about how my life changed after losing my dad. After the broken feeling subsided, I have to admit that I am a much different person now than I use to be. The world seemed different to me after I lost him, and I didn't feel like anyone could understand what was going on in my head most of the time. Now that months have gone by, I am more comfortable talking about him. I'd like to not only dedicate this portion of writing to him, but to myself and how I have become a stronger person from it. After I lost him, my family had to overcome great hills; everything from finding out how we would afford things with our main source of income gone and how we would emotionally deal with each passing day. I have learned more about myself in the past year than I ever thought I would. I have matured tremendously and have a deep pride for the man he was. I feel that I could write a very strong paper about my experience.
The only other life experience that I could think that I could write about would be my trip to Washington D.C. after my eighth grade year. That trip was the first time that I ever had to fully take care of myself on my own. It was more difficult than I thought to be away from my parents and my family. The experience opened my eyes to how the world actually functions out of my small town, and I understood how large the United States actually was; the map doesn't do the land justice. By traveling and being constantly on the move, you had to keep yourself organized and prepared at all times. After completeing the trip, I felt more secure that I could overcome any challenges a city could throw at me.
I would only like to know how long the essay would be.
The only other life experience that I could think that I could write about would be my trip to Washington D.C. after my eighth grade year. That trip was the first time that I ever had to fully take care of myself on my own. It was more difficult than I thought to be away from my parents and my family. The experience opened my eyes to how the world actually functions out of my small town, and I understood how large the United States actually was; the map doesn't do the land justice. By traveling and being constantly on the move, you had to keep yourself organized and prepared at all times. After completeing the trip, I felt more secure that I could overcome any challenges a city could throw at me.
I would only like to know how long the essay would be.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
#2 - The Summer of Traditions
Over the summer, I experienced something that not only blessed me with new friends, but prepared me for my future. When I received the phone call from a local American Legion representative, I hadn't expected to hear what I heard. It is true that I had hoped that someone from the board of representatives would acknowledge my family's history and select me to represent them at the American Legion Girls State over the summer. But in truth, I hadn't actually believed that I would receive a nomination; still to this day, I don't know who nominated me. To be nominated, you must have a member of your family that once was a part or is currently a part of the military service. Nevertheless, because of this anonymous nomination and surprising phone call, I was able to travel to the college in Charleston, Illinois over the summer.
When someone typically describes their experience at Girls State, they mention how "the other girls with you will become your best friends" and " I learned so much and it really changed my life!" After I was asked by the representative to attend Girls State, I had second thoughts that maybe I didn't really want it to "change my life." I was having a great time by simply working and spending time with my friends over the summer. When the time came to actually leave to Charleston for a week, I hadn't even packed until the day before. My stomach churned with the thought of being away from my family for a week. I had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that as soon as I went away, something dreadful would happen and I would regret leaving. The main reason that I ventured on and decided to embark on my trip was that I also wished to carry on the family tradition. My mother had gone to Girls State when she was my age; a few of my great-aunts on my father's side had also attended. I wanted to be able to say to them all that I had also went to Girls State. I wanted to have the same experience under my belt as they did.
Nothing about the first day was how I had imagined it would be. I had been informed that I would be staying in a dorm with another girl who I had never met before, but I hadn't expected that the dorm would be on the highest floor of a nine-story complex. I also hadn't expected to end up rooming with what I can only describe as Malibu Barbie. My roommate's name was Nora and she was really tan and really blonde and really thin. Surprising enough, she was the one person throughout the week that I could confide in. Nora was nice, as were the other girls on my floor, and I learned her quirks very quickly. Most of the girls came from suburbs of Chicago or closer to Springfield; no one had heard of my small town.
After meeting the other girls, the first thing you learn at Girls State is who is in your "town." Each couple floors represents a county, with each hallway of the complex representing your town. There were four towns per county. My county was named Henricks and I was residing in Burns City. The hallway of my town was decorated with pink streamers and large posters of old Hollywood movie stars. When it came time to decide what we wanted for our city flag, we ended up drawing a large picture of Audrey Hepburn saluting our town. Later, we all had to put on dress clothes and report downstairs to where some women would guide us to the banquet hall for our opening dinner and orientation.
Returning to the ninth floor was a lot harder than it sounded. By the end of the first evening, my feet were sore from the heels I wore and all the girls piled into the elevators like it was a race. Which, it did seem like a race when you figure that whoever could get to your floor first had first dibs on the showers. Throughout the entire week, every evening followed that same routine of racing to the top floor. On the third day, one out of the two elevators broke down, leaving over five hundred girls to fight over a single elevator. Luckily, all the girls were respectful to others and there was never an awkward moment when we were together. By meeting so many other girls of my same age, I was pleased to see how easily we all got along.
On a lighter note, the activities throughout the day were entertaining. We would all attend assemblies together that would last for hours, and we attended about three of those a day. At each assembly, there was an interesting speaker that arrived to enrich our minds with character building speeches and to motivate us to become involved in government as soon as possible. Speakers included teachers and professors, government officials, and retired military veterans. By sitting through many of their speeches, I am now not as uncomfortable in front of a crowd.
Not only did we attend assemblies, but each morning we stood around the courtyard in silence as the American flag was raised and each night we stood in silence as it was taken down. We had to place votes and elect people into different parties. My job that I was assigned was a Judge of Election, which enabled me to conduct the elections for my town. I ended up having to also count the ballots and travel between the ninth floor and the lobby three-times more often than most girls. I also took part in the choir at Girls State. We performed two songs at the last afternoon of assemblies and I sang a solo.
The experience I had at Girls State was not something that I would ever wish to withdrawal. Although it sounds like it was more work than play, which it was, I felt important by just being there. I was able to meet many older, sophisticated women and I felt almost like a debutant. Being at the college in Charleston with all the girls and officials made the entire experience seem almost surreal. There was something different in the air there than there is where I live, almost like the tradition of all the girls before you inspires you to stand a little straighter and smile wider. When I walked through the halls of the lobby, I walked with purpose because I knew that my own mother had also walked the same lobby. I won't say that the experience changed my life, but I will say that it added significant color and knowledge to my summer.
When someone typically describes their experience at Girls State, they mention how "the other girls with you will become your best friends" and " I learned so much and it really changed my life!" After I was asked by the representative to attend Girls State, I had second thoughts that maybe I didn't really want it to "change my life." I was having a great time by simply working and spending time with my friends over the summer. When the time came to actually leave to Charleston for a week, I hadn't even packed until the day before. My stomach churned with the thought of being away from my family for a week. I had a nagging feeling in the back of my mind that as soon as I went away, something dreadful would happen and I would regret leaving. The main reason that I ventured on and decided to embark on my trip was that I also wished to carry on the family tradition. My mother had gone to Girls State when she was my age; a few of my great-aunts on my father's side had also attended. I wanted to be able to say to them all that I had also went to Girls State. I wanted to have the same experience under my belt as they did.
Nothing about the first day was how I had imagined it would be. I had been informed that I would be staying in a dorm with another girl who I had never met before, but I hadn't expected that the dorm would be on the highest floor of a nine-story complex. I also hadn't expected to end up rooming with what I can only describe as Malibu Barbie. My roommate's name was Nora and she was really tan and really blonde and really thin. Surprising enough, she was the one person throughout the week that I could confide in. Nora was nice, as were the other girls on my floor, and I learned her quirks very quickly. Most of the girls came from suburbs of Chicago or closer to Springfield; no one had heard of my small town.
After meeting the other girls, the first thing you learn at Girls State is who is in your "town." Each couple floors represents a county, with each hallway of the complex representing your town. There were four towns per county. My county was named Henricks and I was residing in Burns City. The hallway of my town was decorated with pink streamers and large posters of old Hollywood movie stars. When it came time to decide what we wanted for our city flag, we ended up drawing a large picture of Audrey Hepburn saluting our town. Later, we all had to put on dress clothes and report downstairs to where some women would guide us to the banquet hall for our opening dinner and orientation.
Returning to the ninth floor was a lot harder than it sounded. By the end of the first evening, my feet were sore from the heels I wore and all the girls piled into the elevators like it was a race. Which, it did seem like a race when you figure that whoever could get to your floor first had first dibs on the showers. Throughout the entire week, every evening followed that same routine of racing to the top floor. On the third day, one out of the two elevators broke down, leaving over five hundred girls to fight over a single elevator. Luckily, all the girls were respectful to others and there was never an awkward moment when we were together. By meeting so many other girls of my same age, I was pleased to see how easily we all got along.
On a lighter note, the activities throughout the day were entertaining. We would all attend assemblies together that would last for hours, and we attended about three of those a day. At each assembly, there was an interesting speaker that arrived to enrich our minds with character building speeches and to motivate us to become involved in government as soon as possible. Speakers included teachers and professors, government officials, and retired military veterans. By sitting through many of their speeches, I am now not as uncomfortable in front of a crowd.
Not only did we attend assemblies, but each morning we stood around the courtyard in silence as the American flag was raised and each night we stood in silence as it was taken down. We had to place votes and elect people into different parties. My job that I was assigned was a Judge of Election, which enabled me to conduct the elections for my town. I ended up having to also count the ballots and travel between the ninth floor and the lobby three-times more often than most girls. I also took part in the choir at Girls State. We performed two songs at the last afternoon of assemblies and I sang a solo.
The experience I had at Girls State was not something that I would ever wish to withdrawal. Although it sounds like it was more work than play, which it was, I felt important by just being there. I was able to meet many older, sophisticated women and I felt almost like a debutant. Being at the college in Charleston with all the girls and officials made the entire experience seem almost surreal. There was something different in the air there than there is where I live, almost like the tradition of all the girls before you inspires you to stand a little straighter and smile wider. When I walked through the halls of the lobby, I walked with purpose because I knew that my own mother had also walked the same lobby. I won't say that the experience changed my life, but I will say that it added significant color and knowledge to my summer.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Blog #1. My current abilities as a writer as of August 14th.
Due to the previous classes in English and writing throughout the years, I would have to say that I am highly confident in my abilities for this year. Last year in English Honors III, I was forced (sometimes against my will) to complete tedious essays and papers. My main regret from the class last year was that I procrastinated tremendously towards the middle and end of the school year. By doing this, I don't feel like my writing was up to par as much as I would've liked. I'm looking forward to pushing myself and keeping my grades high for the entire year. Over the summer, it became much more evident to me how fast I'm going to run into my future. Before I know it, I'm going to be filling out scholarship applications and applying for college. Soon I'll be a graduate of high school and have to possibly look for a more full-time job. Life is going to be falling upon me fast, and by taking this class, I feel like I will be more prepared for that future. One of my apprehensions for this class is that I will have more problems with my inner "passive voice". Last year I struggled with my writing because of that, and to this day I really don't know for curtain what that is...But I do remember having a lot of green underlines in my papers because my sentences seemed backwards. But besides that, I have become a more rounded writer. I have written my chemistry research paper and received a higher letter grade on it. I have completed two of your complicated portfolios. And I have written numerous articles for the Knightbeat and online newspapers. The idea of writing does not intimidate me, but rather it gives me something to look forward to accomplishing.
This year I am hoping to understand more about my passive voice. Overall, I'm just hoping to enjoy this class. I feel very lucky to have you as a teacher for my first college class ever, and I'm comfortable with your grading methods. I understand when I have made mistakes and you should know that I am more than willing (most of the time) to re-edit anything that doesn't meet my standards of writing. I'm looking forward to the challenges this class will pose on me and I'm hoping to become an even better writer when this semester is completed. To be able to not make as many grammatical errors and spelling mistakes would be a nice perk also. I'm still not very comfortable with presenting my work in front of a class, but I think that just comes from not wanting my work to be judged. Secretly, I'm hoping that I won't have to do any presenting... But I have been looking forward to this class all summer, so bring it on!
This year I am hoping to understand more about my passive voice. Overall, I'm just hoping to enjoy this class. I feel very lucky to have you as a teacher for my first college class ever, and I'm comfortable with your grading methods. I understand when I have made mistakes and you should know that I am more than willing (most of the time) to re-edit anything that doesn't meet my standards of writing. I'm looking forward to the challenges this class will pose on me and I'm hoping to become an even better writer when this semester is completed. To be able to not make as many grammatical errors and spelling mistakes would be a nice perk also. I'm still not very comfortable with presenting my work in front of a class, but I think that just comes from not wanting my work to be judged. Secretly, I'm hoping that I won't have to do any presenting... But I have been looking forward to this class all summer, so bring it on!
Thursday, May 16, 2013
"The Great Gatsby" Novel vs. Film
In regards to the new re-make of The Great Gatsby, there were many close similarities betweent he book and the film. The movie makers did an excellent job in creating a world ideal for the story to blosson in. The characters for both the film and the book shine; though there are some characters that I had pictured differently. Nick, for instance, never came across to me as the major recovering alcoholic that he is portrayed as in the beginning of the movie. When we meet Nick, he is a slob, with a doctor questioning him in order to regain some of Nick's mental health. The doctor decides that the best thing to do is for Nick to write out something that made him happy, or something that was incredibly important to him. In the beginning of the novel, Nick mearly comments and introduces his story. He mentions on page one, "In consequence, I'm inclined to reserve all judgements, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores." Nothing particularly about this sentence reveals anything of a crazed, deterred man; if anything, it reveals that Tom has grown from his experiences with Gatsby.
As for things from the movie that I agreed tremendously with, I thought it was a refreshing change of pace to see the story told from something other than first person point of view; I am glad that the screen writers kept the story from Nick's perspective because it leaves the audience guessing at Gatsby's past. I also found it interesting how in one of the first scenes that we see Gatsby, they only show his sillouette. We see a ghost of him in a window of his mansion, and the back of his body when he is standing out on his dock, reaching for the green light at the end of Daisy's dock across the bay. Not until at the party, when Nick discoveres what Gatsby really looks like, do we learn for ourselves what he looks like. I enjoyed the part in the movie where there is a specific quote/description out of the book when Nick is commenting on Gatsby's smile:
As for things from the movie that I agreed tremendously with, I thought it was a refreshing change of pace to see the story told from something other than first person point of view; I am glad that the screen writers kept the story from Nick's perspective because it leaves the audience guessing at Gatsby's past. I also found it interesting how in one of the first scenes that we see Gatsby, they only show his sillouette. We see a ghost of him in a window of his mansion, and the back of his body when he is standing out on his dock, reaching for the green light at the end of Daisy's dock across the bay. Not until at the party, when Nick discoveres what Gatsby really looks like, do we learn for ourselves what he looks like. I enjoyed the part in the movie where there is a specific quote/description out of the book when Nick is commenting on Gatsby's smile:
"He smiled understandingly -- much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced -- or seemed to face -- the whole external world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey." (Page 48)
The part of the movie and book that affected me the most is Gatsby's death. In the novel, we get a sense that Gatsby was to a point where he felt that all his efforts on Daisy had been wasted. When referring to a phone call from Daisy, "I have an idea that Gatsby himself didn't believe it would come, and perhaps he nolonger cared. If that was true he must have felt that he had lost the old warm world, paid a high price for living too long with a single dream. (pg. 161)" In the movie, Gatsby was awaiting the phone call from Daisy for the very last second of his life. There may have been a chance that he doubted her, but when the telephone rang and his servant picked it up and Gatsby was getting out of the pool, his expression was relief; he expected the call on the phone to be from Daisy. In the moment where Gatsby is shot in the movie, it is actually Nick who had called on the phone, not Daisy. In the novel, Nick appears with a chauffeur, butler, and gardener to see the carnedge of Wilson and Gatsby near the pool. But the biggest difference from the aftermath of Gatsby's death in the novel and the movie, is that Gatsby's dad comes back for Gatsby's funeral. In the movie, no one appears, no one cares enough for Gatsby but Nick to come back to Gatsby's mansion and pay their last respects. In the novel, Mr. Gatz travels to his son's mansion to see him one last time, saying that: "He had a big future before him, you know. He was only a young man, but he had a lot of brain power here. (Pg. 168)" I feel that bringing back Gatsby's father adds a sense of finality and completeness to Gatsby's life, but in the movie, you just feel that poor Gatsby died with no one who loved him.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Human Activity Kills
Now that summer is on it's way to the Quad Cities, more procautions should be enforced now more than ever to ensure the protection of our nation's water-ways. The Mississippi River has more of an impact on the world than many citizens from our area understand. A portion of water known as the Dead Zone has been expanding since 1993 and is located where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico. The Dead Zone is caused by unbalanced levels of nitrogen and phosphorous from the Mississippi River. Illinois farmers, as well as farmers who use nitrogen based fertilizers from Iowa, Minnesota, Winsconsin, Mississippi, and Tennessee spray their crops to protect crops, but the runoff causes long-term side effects. When the runoff reaches the Mississippi River, there is a process where the chemicals mix in the water, resulting in oxygen depleted water. These low levels of oxygen in the water makes aquatic life unmanagable. Thirty-nine percent of this problem comes from our area. The Quad Cities lies almost directly on the Mississippi River, so we are the ones with the power to prevent the majority of the pollution.
The Dead Zone is visible from numerous satellte images and software, and the images are dramatic. There is a perfect divide from where the oxygen-rich water of the Gulf of Mexico meets the hypoxic water from the river; the water color shifts from blue to brown. The Dead Zone varies in size every year, but usually covers an estimated six thousand to seven thousand miles. In May of 2012, an estimated fifty-eight thousand, one hundred metric tons of nitrogen entered the Gulf of Mexico with help from the Mississippi River. This creates a huge impact on aquatic life, but also fisheries in Texas and Louisiana.
And if the nitrogen in the water isn't killing our aquatic life, plastic and other forms of pollution from the river is. You wouldn't want to be submerged in water contaminated by sewage, manures, and runoff, and neither do the fishes, turtles, and birds! The animals don't understand not to eat a floating bottle cap, a cigarett butt, or scraps of aluminum. Everyday, animals will ingest, suffocate, or become entangled by junk that citizens throw on the ground, which eventually runs off into rivers, and then to the ocean. Citizens who waste eight thousand gallons of water a year waiting for the hot water to run will create long term problems but we should be more forcused at the moment with what we are contaminating out water with.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
The Demise of Edna Pontillier
The character of Edna Pontillier, from the classic novel The Awakening by Kate Chopin, is a woman with great conflictions of the heart. She continually makes a series of bad choices throughout the novel, but her own stupidity is not the only cause for blame. By marrying Leonce, she has been adopted into the Creole society and is forced to obey by society's demands of her. Edna is not expected to live for herself, but rather as a domestic wife and mother. She's not allowed to make major choices - she must obide by what her husband says and thinks and can not doubt those actions. Edna had not grown up with these ideals, though society throughout the country was not extremely different; women were thought of as housewifes everywhere. But Edna's character is not one to hold tightly to these expectations. On page eighteen, it is revealed that Edna's feelings towards her children were as follows:
"She was fond of her children in an uneven, impulsive way. She would sometimes gather them passionately to her heart; she would sometimes forget them...Their absence was a sort of relief, though she did not admit this, even to herself. It seemed to free her of a responsibility which she had blindly assumed and for which Fate had not fitted her."
Other characters in The Awakening, like Adele, would perfectly resemble the idealistic Creole woman. Throughout the novel, Adele is described as being beautiful whereas Edna is merely "handsome". This difference is made to distinguish how easily Creole's adore Adele, but they are more weary of Edna. Edna does not feel like she has been accepted because "the Creole woman seems to be inborn and unmistakable. (pg.9)"
Because of these hardships, Edna makes the choice to befriend Robert Lebrun. Adele, as well as the other women in the society know of Robert's history; he is a ladies man and finds a new woman to chase every summer. Nevertheless, Edna begins to spend most days in Robert's company. She grows fond of him without even realizing her true attachment until he proclaims he is leaving for Mexico. Edna is devistated by this news and becomes a shell of herself when he leaves. And although she begs him to write her, she never recieves a letter from him.
Days become longer for her and her husband becomes convinced that she has a mental illness. Sadly, the only evident illness is her sickness of the heart. When her husband unwisely leaves her to go on a business trip, Edna seems to search for someone to fill the void in her heart. Her search drags up Alcee Arobin, another ladies man and one with a worse reputation. Alcee seduces her in a way, and is the first person she cheats on her husband with. After her kiss with Alcee, Edna thinks through her situation and decides that "among the conflicting sensations which assailed her, there was neither shame nor remorse. (pg 84)"
Obviously at this point, she doesn't care what her husband or any townspeople think of her; she doesn't feel like her fling with Alcee should really matter. But her husband should deserve more loyalty, and her love for Robert is not being reflected in what she feels for Alcee. Alcee is simply there because selfish Edna acts like she deserves the male attention of every single man in the city. She is not thinking of her children when they are away, she only focuses on how alone she would be without Alcee around.
When Robert returns from Mexico, Edna makes more of an emotional bound away from her husband. By this time she has moved out of her home with Leonce and into a smaller home a block away. She had also acted self-indulgently when she served her guests at her "moving" party and claimed that expence was no predicament because Leonce could just pay for it later. Her children are still staying with a relative and she rarely wastes a thought with them. And now, finally, when her love Robert returns, he tries to keep his distance from her.
The time finally comes when Robert and Edna express their love for eachother, and there is a sense of hope in the novel. Edna is finally happy and she is ready to throw all the rule books out the window just to run away with Robert. Edna doesn't think about how her children could perceive her relationshipm with Robert or what the rest of the town would think. Robert obviously understood his relationship with Edna better than Edna understood it. She became so caught up in the passion of love, she forgot her place in society. And while Robert may not be completely agreeable with everything the society believes in, he knows that if Edna's marriage were to end in a scandal, the society may never forgive them. Robert would basically have to give up everything to be with Edna. And even after he gave up everything that he was born into, he would have to face Leonce, who does not want to give Edna away.
When Robert makes the decision that he would rather be miserable for the rest of his life without Edna than to risk her unhappiness for the rest of her life because everything in her life would change, Robert dissappears, leaving only a note in his wake. The note that he left said: "I love you. Good-by--because I love you. (pg. 112)" Nowhere in that note gives Edna any sort of explaination of his actions. She doesn't realize that he may have had her best interests in mind, and even if she did, she acted like a rebellious teenager ready to leap off a cliff with the man or die trying.
Edna died trying. Her death is truly sad because if Robert would have given her more of an explaination before he abandoned her, she wouldn't of felt so miserable. If Edna had understood that what he was doing was going to be the best thing, maybe one day she would come to accept it. Robert must have felt too weak to refuse her; to Edna's face, he couldn't deny his love for her. He would've had to say that he loved her too much, and because of it, he had to set her free. While Edna may have realized somewhere in her conscience that she was in a warped fantasy that could have never come true, she doesn't seem to think that her life could be livable without him. She doesn't consider that her children would need her. She only feels that her children and her husband could no longer "possess her, body and soul. (pg. 116)" The sea is where had felt the most free in her entire life, so she felt that drowning would be her escape to true freedom.
I can understand how trapped and tired Edna must have felt. It would be terrible waking up every day to something that makes you feel weighed down. I truly think that Edna could have been dealing with depression because she was so unhappy about the way her life had played out. Obviously, Edna had a great deal of regrets in her life - her husband being towards the top of the list. But I am a firm believer that suicide is never the answer. She should had taken an opportunity to speak to a doctor about the way she was feeling. And never once did she talk to Leonce about how miserable she was; he only sensed that she was mentally ill, he couldn't of known that it was him that was causing her unhappiness unless she admitted it to him! Situations don't get better until you can accept where you are in your life and try every possible solution to reach happiness again. Edna could have gotten divorced someday. She could have stepped up to the plate and been a major factor in her children's lives. She could have found a way to take her mind off men in general and focused on herself, but she felt trapped and she didn't believe that there was anything society would have allowed her to do for her to dig herself out of her rut.
"She was fond of her children in an uneven, impulsive way. She would sometimes gather them passionately to her heart; she would sometimes forget them...Their absence was a sort of relief, though she did not admit this, even to herself. It seemed to free her of a responsibility which she had blindly assumed and for which Fate had not fitted her."
Other characters in The Awakening, like Adele, would perfectly resemble the idealistic Creole woman. Throughout the novel, Adele is described as being beautiful whereas Edna is merely "handsome". This difference is made to distinguish how easily Creole's adore Adele, but they are more weary of Edna. Edna does not feel like she has been accepted because "the Creole woman seems to be inborn and unmistakable. (pg.9)"
Because of these hardships, Edna makes the choice to befriend Robert Lebrun. Adele, as well as the other women in the society know of Robert's history; he is a ladies man and finds a new woman to chase every summer. Nevertheless, Edna begins to spend most days in Robert's company. She grows fond of him without even realizing her true attachment until he proclaims he is leaving for Mexico. Edna is devistated by this news and becomes a shell of herself when he leaves. And although she begs him to write her, she never recieves a letter from him.
Days become longer for her and her husband becomes convinced that she has a mental illness. Sadly, the only evident illness is her sickness of the heart. When her husband unwisely leaves her to go on a business trip, Edna seems to search for someone to fill the void in her heart. Her search drags up Alcee Arobin, another ladies man and one with a worse reputation. Alcee seduces her in a way, and is the first person she cheats on her husband with. After her kiss with Alcee, Edna thinks through her situation and decides that "among the conflicting sensations which assailed her, there was neither shame nor remorse. (pg 84)"
Obviously at this point, she doesn't care what her husband or any townspeople think of her; she doesn't feel like her fling with Alcee should really matter. But her husband should deserve more loyalty, and her love for Robert is not being reflected in what she feels for Alcee. Alcee is simply there because selfish Edna acts like she deserves the male attention of every single man in the city. She is not thinking of her children when they are away, she only focuses on how alone she would be without Alcee around.
When Robert returns from Mexico, Edna makes more of an emotional bound away from her husband. By this time she has moved out of her home with Leonce and into a smaller home a block away. She had also acted self-indulgently when she served her guests at her "moving" party and claimed that expence was no predicament because Leonce could just pay for it later. Her children are still staying with a relative and she rarely wastes a thought with them. And now, finally, when her love Robert returns, he tries to keep his distance from her.
The time finally comes when Robert and Edna express their love for eachother, and there is a sense of hope in the novel. Edna is finally happy and she is ready to throw all the rule books out the window just to run away with Robert. Edna doesn't think about how her children could perceive her relationshipm with Robert or what the rest of the town would think. Robert obviously understood his relationship with Edna better than Edna understood it. She became so caught up in the passion of love, she forgot her place in society. And while Robert may not be completely agreeable with everything the society believes in, he knows that if Edna's marriage were to end in a scandal, the society may never forgive them. Robert would basically have to give up everything to be with Edna. And even after he gave up everything that he was born into, he would have to face Leonce, who does not want to give Edna away.
When Robert makes the decision that he would rather be miserable for the rest of his life without Edna than to risk her unhappiness for the rest of her life because everything in her life would change, Robert dissappears, leaving only a note in his wake. The note that he left said: "I love you. Good-by--because I love you. (pg. 112)" Nowhere in that note gives Edna any sort of explaination of his actions. She doesn't realize that he may have had her best interests in mind, and even if she did, she acted like a rebellious teenager ready to leap off a cliff with the man or die trying.
Edna died trying. Her death is truly sad because if Robert would have given her more of an explaination before he abandoned her, she wouldn't of felt so miserable. If Edna had understood that what he was doing was going to be the best thing, maybe one day she would come to accept it. Robert must have felt too weak to refuse her; to Edna's face, he couldn't deny his love for her. He would've had to say that he loved her too much, and because of it, he had to set her free. While Edna may have realized somewhere in her conscience that she was in a warped fantasy that could have never come true, she doesn't seem to think that her life could be livable without him. She doesn't consider that her children would need her. She only feels that her children and her husband could no longer "possess her, body and soul. (pg. 116)" The sea is where had felt the most free in her entire life, so she felt that drowning would be her escape to true freedom.
I can understand how trapped and tired Edna must have felt. It would be terrible waking up every day to something that makes you feel weighed down. I truly think that Edna could have been dealing with depression because she was so unhappy about the way her life had played out. Obviously, Edna had a great deal of regrets in her life - her husband being towards the top of the list. But I am a firm believer that suicide is never the answer. She should had taken an opportunity to speak to a doctor about the way she was feeling. And never once did she talk to Leonce about how miserable she was; he only sensed that she was mentally ill, he couldn't of known that it was him that was causing her unhappiness unless she admitted it to him! Situations don't get better until you can accept where you are in your life and try every possible solution to reach happiness again. Edna could have gotten divorced someday. She could have stepped up to the plate and been a major factor in her children's lives. She could have found a way to take her mind off men in general and focused on herself, but she felt trapped and she didn't believe that there was anything society would have allowed her to do for her to dig herself out of her rut.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The Impact of Longfellow and Whitman
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow was born February 27, 1807, in Portland, Maine. He was the second son out of eight and loved to read. He enjoyed foreign tales and works by Shakespeare. His schooling took him to Europe for three years, and when he returned, he began to publish the first in a list of books. Longfellow's first wife, Mary Storer Potter died in a miscarriage in 1835. His second wife died after catching the skirt of her dress on fire in 1861. The second wife was named Frances Appleton and they were married for eighteen years and had six children together. Reading kept Longfellow out of a depression after Frances's death.
Longfellow worked as a professor at Harvard when he was thirty-two years old. The time spent teaching, however, gave him little time to focus on his writing. He quite his job at Harvard in 1854 to devote the rest of his life to poetry. He wrote many poems throughout his life and mainly during the time of the American Civil War. He published books up until his death on March 24, 1882.
Walt Whitman was born May 31,1819, in Brooklyn. He was the second son out of nine children and loved "the written word". He first worked in New York City as a printer. By age 17, he was a teacher and remained a teacher until 1841. He then began a career in journalism and founded a newspaper titled Long-Islander. He became a main-stream editor in New York by working for many leading newspapers.
In 1862, his brother became wounded severely in the Civil War. Whitman moved to Washington D.C. and worked in the hospitals, tending to the wounded. He struggled financially but persevered by re-publishing Leaves of Grass occasionally. With the money he eventually earned from his writing, Whitman bought a home and died March 26, 1892.
Where Walt Whitman re-published Leaves of Grass and eventually released Goodbye, My Fancy, Longfellow had many poetry books published in his lifetime. These publications included Tales of a Wayside Inn, Voices of the Night, Ballads and Other Poems, and Evangeline. Both men struggled through the Civil War and suffered many loses in their lives. I have noticed that the best writers in American history have faced the death of loved ones and great opsticals in their lives. Perhaps that is what made both these men so popular. Both men had fame bestowed upon them for their success in writing. Whitman may have leaned on his success more prominantly than Longfellow, but Longfellow never seemed to be destitute either.
Where Whitman had a book containing twelve untitled poems, Longfellow made more of a career out of his writing. Longfellow's poetry books often were story-length and had aspects of adventure and love. I imagine Longfellow to have been the expressive poet with the brooding soul and Whitman to be the creative imagination with the 'in your face' personality.
Longfellow worked as a professor at Harvard when he was thirty-two years old. The time spent teaching, however, gave him little time to focus on his writing. He quite his job at Harvard in 1854 to devote the rest of his life to poetry. He wrote many poems throughout his life and mainly during the time of the American Civil War. He published books up until his death on March 24, 1882.
Walt Whitman was born May 31,1819, in Brooklyn. He was the second son out of nine children and loved "the written word". He first worked in New York City as a printer. By age 17, he was a teacher and remained a teacher until 1841. He then began a career in journalism and founded a newspaper titled Long-Islander. He became a main-stream editor in New York by working for many leading newspapers.
In 1862, his brother became wounded severely in the Civil War. Whitman moved to Washington D.C. and worked in the hospitals, tending to the wounded. He struggled financially but persevered by re-publishing Leaves of Grass occasionally. With the money he eventually earned from his writing, Whitman bought a home and died March 26, 1892.
Where Walt Whitman re-published Leaves of Grass and eventually released Goodbye, My Fancy, Longfellow had many poetry books published in his lifetime. These publications included Tales of a Wayside Inn, Voices of the Night, Ballads and Other Poems, and Evangeline. Both men struggled through the Civil War and suffered many loses in their lives. I have noticed that the best writers in American history have faced the death of loved ones and great opsticals in their lives. Perhaps that is what made both these men so popular. Both men had fame bestowed upon them for their success in writing. Whitman may have leaned on his success more prominantly than Longfellow, but Longfellow never seemed to be destitute either.
Where Whitman had a book containing twelve untitled poems, Longfellow made more of a career out of his writing. Longfellow's poetry books often were story-length and had aspects of adventure and love. I imagine Longfellow to have been the expressive poet with the brooding soul and Whitman to be the creative imagination with the 'in your face' personality.
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