1984

When George Orwell was writing 1984 World War 2 was going on. We learned in class that the World Wars were devastating to people, they truly thought this was going to be how the world would end. I don't know how the second World War couldn't have been an influence on George Orwell. This book is talks about how the future will be a place where there is basically no freedom. A place where every move you make you are watched. I think that this book could be how George Orwell thought the war was going to affect the world. During WW2 there were some major leaders, for example Hitler. George Orwell could have taken a leader like Hitler as inspiration for the character Big Brother. Maybe he thought Hitler would win the war and this is how the world would be from it.

Much Ado About Nothing

I think that there are multiple themes in Much Ado About Nothing. One of the first themes that comes to mind is deception and manipulation. Throughout the book you see people overhearing conversations and manipulating or deceiving people about the information that came from the conversations. An example of this is when Benedick and Beatrice overhear that the other one is in love with each other. Then is manipulated by people around them to believe it. I also saw the theme of honor of the ones you love. I saw this theme when Beatrice continuously tries to defend Hero after the wedding scandal. Also Hero's father reacting to the scandal.

Following the thought

"Claudio: That I love her, I feel.

Pedro: That she is worthy, I know 

Benedick: That I neither feel how she should be loved, nor how she should be worthy, is the opinion that fire cannot melt out of me. I will die in it at the stake." 

The thoughts that I am following are Claudio's and Benedick's. Claudio's thought is that he is in love with the character Hero. Before and after this line Claudio is saying how beautiful she is and he wants to marry her. "In mine eye she is the sweetest lady I have ever looked on." 

Benedick thinks this is a horrible thought. He is opposed to marriage and he thinks Hero is ugly. Benedick is very passionate about how much he hates Hero. He says he would rather die on a stake than marry her.  

This is what the passage would say if it was in modern English; 

Claudio: I love her. 

Pedro: I think she is good enough. 

Benedick: Are you kidding me? I don't think she is good enough for you at all! I don't see how anyone could love her. Nothing is gonna change my mind about this, I would rather be staked through the heart or burn to death than love her. 

All The Light We Cannot See

All The Light We Cannot See has been my favorite book we have ever read in ELA. My favorite part of the book was the imagery. The way the author uses basically every sense (sight, taste, touch.., etc) was beautiful. I loved it so much I am writing an essay on imagery for my response project. Some examples of the imagery in the book are "Bees are silver; pigeons are ginger snd auburn and occasionally golden. The huge cypress trees she and her father pass on their morning walk and shimmering kaleidoscopes, each a needle a polygon of light." "Out of loudspeakers all around Zollverein, the staccato voice of the Reich grows like some imperturbable tree; its subjects lean toward its branches as if toward the lips of God. And when God stops whispering, they become desperate for someone who can put things right." "We are mice he thinks, and the sky swills with hawks." "The eggs taste like clouds. Like spun gold." "Seconds later, she is eating wedges of wet sunlight." I strongly recommend this book.

Marie-Laure and Werner, how has your opinion of Marie-Laure and Werner changed and why?

Marie-Laure: My opinion of Marie hasn't changed that much throughout the book. I think she is very smart, amazing, and I love how much she loves her family. I think its so impressive how she can solves the puzzles her father makes her and navigate her way around the neighbor based off counting and memorization. I think she is a very caring person. Always thinking of her father and helping her uncle in anyway she can.

Werner: My opinion of Werner has changed. At first I thought her was an extremely smart boy who was a great big brother. But, as time throughout the book as passed Werner has made decision that I do not agree with. For example how he never helped his friend by standing up for him, or when he threw the water on the man, and how he never writes to his sister. I understand that its not a black and white situation and that he is only a kid going through war. That never stopped his friend Frederick. I still like Werner though. I think he is very smart and talented.

"Just roll with it" Oral History

A granddaughter interviews her grandfather in a parking lot in her 1994 Buick. Why the parking lot? Her grandfather lives in a senior living home and didn't want to share his life with others. She begins the interview with questions about his life and her grandmother. Her grandmother passed away in 2012 and he loved his wife very much. Her grandfather has had lots of hard moments in his life. He lost his eldest son of Lou Gehrig’s disease. He now is dealing with Alzheimer disease. His family was poor growing up. He shares a story that one time he knew there would be no hot water at home so he broke into his school to take a warm shower. Throughout his interview though he has wonderful attitude, many laughs are shared. When his granddaughter asks if he has any advice for them as they get older? He responds with "Don’t fight it. Just roll with. I mean real life. Live it. It’s wonderful." I think that is a beautiful message and great advise. https://storycorps.org/listen/james-kennicott-and-kara-masteller-112015/#

My thoughts on Persepolis

I really enjoyed reading Persepolis. The story was capturing and beautiful. I strongly recommend the graphic novel. It was one of my favorite books we read for ELA. Marjane faced so much in her life and reading her life story as a graphic novel was amazing. The story also taught me a lot about the Islamic Revolution. One of my favorite parts about Persepolis was learning about how the revolution affected her and how she handled it. For example when she started to have to wear the veil and she first did it because she was told she would be killed, raped, murdered if not. When she had to leave her family because of the war you see her face many struggles from not having her family. She becomes depressed, sells and does drugs, goes through many changes in personality. A lot of the things she faced were experiences teenagers face like the changes in personality. I think that because she didn't have her family around she would be things she was disappointed in. Multiple times in the book she says that at those moments in her life she isn't the person her family would be proud of.