Blog 28: Interpreter of Maladies

1. On page sixteen of Lahiri's short story, Mr. Kapasi makes observations of the Das's children: "Mr. Kapasi noted that this boy was slightly paler than the other children" (16). What is "foreshadowing"? Why does the author focus on this moment and how does it foreshadow what may occur in the story? What did you first suspect when you read this line?

Foreshadowing is a warning or indication of future events. When the author focuses on the boy's pale face, he's pointing out the differences in each chil

d. In the beginning, Bobby went out of the car to watch the goat and the it is clear that his father doesn't care as much about him so he just has his brother go outside to watch him. The pale face foreshadows the fact that the mother had an affair because he is different-looking than the other children of the family. When I read this line, I thought maybe he was ill, or even adopted, but the author obviously meant otherwise by it.

Blog 27: TBCC, The End

Period 3: What happened down in the Lenape Indian burial ground's cave? How do geologists at Stockton College explain the events? Why is it clear that Torey is still profoundly bothered by what he saw down there? In your opinion, is Dr. Fahdi have Torey's best interests in mind? Cite a quotation from the text to support your conclusions.

Torey saw the body of Bob Haines in the Lenape Indian burial ground. As he opened the cave, the body seemingly blew away. The only thing that remained in tact was the gun as it pointed toward Torey. The scientists at Stockton called it immaculate decomposition. They explained that it was so deteriorated from being in the cave for so long without oxygen. Anyone who sees a dead body can be disturbed for life. Having wondered about Bob and Digger for these past months, it was a life-changing experience for Torey.

It's clear that Torey is still disturbed because now he can only smell and taste things that have a burning sense. "I just gripped her around the neck, saying, 'I've just been in hell...' (Plum-Ucci 291) Dr. Fahdi did have Torey's best interest at heart, being a doctor.

Blog 26: Dishonesty Breeds Dishonesty/ Ch. 17

I think the dynamic between the adult and child characters in The Body of Christopher Creed is very realistic. Growing up in a small town like Steepleton, we have all experienced the secrets and lies that adults keep from us children. Occasionally, these secrets are unveiled, allowing us to view the adults in a whole new light. A specific example is Ms. McDermott, who sleeps around with married men and has virtually no morals. The worst part is that she does it loud enough for her kids to hear, which could cause them to have psychological problems later in life. It is a common misconception for children to believe they must rely on adults because, the truth is, adults are just big children. You must learn from your own mistakes and not always follow in their footsteps, but instead try to make the best of their indiscretions.

Blog 25: Chapter 6: Torey's Lyrics

Is he alive, or is he dead?

Freight train running all thru my head

Will he turn up in the woods?

He could be hanging by a thread

O, Christopher Creed where have you gone?

I know it's hard, but you could have stayed

Not everyone can live up to a swan

This town is falling apart, like a little girl's braid

Please come home

Show us your grin

We all want to roam

I want to ask...how have you been?

The first two lyrics that Torey has written are significant in his life because Christopher's disappearance has really taken a toll on him psychologically. He expresses this with the freight train comparison. The first line states a question. This shows how he's going back and forth with himself asking questions that no one can answer and that really messes with his head.

Blog 14: Chapter 1 in The Body of Christopher Creed

What do you think of Torey as a character? Does he remind you of Holden Caulfield? Why/ why not? Speak to the reliability of both narrators and make a comparison of the two.

Torey is a troubled boy and wants to be normal again. His resemblance to Holden Caulfield included going to boarding schools and being existentialist beings. I believe they are both depressed as well. They also both have nuisances of roommates. Ackley is the roomate in Catcher who annoys Holden and sticks his nose in his business. Leo is Torey's annoying roommate.

Blog 23: Issues in Our American Society

Driven to Distraction

The author supports his statements against texting and driving with statistics about how any people have died as a result of the act. He states that texting and driving is equivalent to drunk driving, and uses the example of the death of two men to support it. My personal opinion agrees with that of the author. After reading about all the deaths and accidents that have occurred since text messaging on the roads became an issue, I think the penalty should be heavy. My idea is that, if you are choosing to text and drive, it is very similar as choosing to drink and drive, and the penalties should be alike if not the same. The author uses a picture to depict his opinions. The picture shows the driver texting with both hands while the passenger takes control of the steering wheel. I think this is a realistic depiction of how dangerous texting while driving can be.

Should I take a job promoting cigarettes?

This author starts out by using outstanding statistics telling how many people die as a result of smoking each year. The picture he uses shows a factory worker handling hundreds of packs of cigarettes. He asks the heavy question of: would you want to be responsible for millions of deaths a year?

Blog 22: The "Birds" and the Bees

1. Yes. She had yet to experiment with sex because she believed she was a lesbian, not because she was abused in the past. She was also uneducated on the subject of sex, and this is revealed when she believes that the lump growing on her is a penis, making her a lesbian.

2. If they had discussed the issue earlier, she would've known to use contraception and be careful about who she has sex with. It was hard for them to discuss such a taboo topic, especially when she had been raped at such a young age and, as a result, stopped talking.

3. Yes, because you can't expect Maya to never have sex just because of her bad experience. If she hadn't been raped, maybe she wouldn't have become pregnant and her life would be different, but there's always the possibility.

4. If she had lived in Stamps, she would've been harshly judged and would have kept her baby and lived at home to take care of it.

5. She would've probably not been treated all that differently. She might've been called white trash and closer to the rank of black citizens.

Extra Credit:

1. What if Marguerite had gotten pregnant when she had sex with Mr. Freeman when she was eight?

2. What if she hadn't kept the baby?

Blog 21: Making Connections

For the past two days, your class has viewed the I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings film and responded to teacher-constructed questions during your viewing; all participating students received credit for these worksheets.

Now it is your turn to develop questions and make connections between the film and book! With a partner or individually, post five questions you realized you had about Marguerite's story from viewing the film--a question can be formed from something you were wondering about. After you have developed your questions, find the answers in the book! Challenge: Cite quotations to support your answers. Include page number.

1. Q: Why does Uncle Willie walk with a limp and what's with his stutter?

A: A babysitter dropped him as a child, but Momma says it was God's will, so she's not mad about it.

2. Q: Why aren't Bailey and Maya enthusiastic to meet their father?

A: Neither of his parents had ever written them or bothered to visit, so they felt offended that all of a sudden he shows up. They were also confused because Bailey Jr. thought that he saw his dead body the night before.

3. Q: Were "the boys" apart of the KKK?

A: Yes, even though they weren't dressed in white hoods, they were still part of the racist group.

4. Q: Why were the children upset that their parents sent them gifts?

A: They felt that their parents were showing off their big city lives while Bailey Jr. and Maya were left to live on a farm, forever abandoned by them.

5. Q: When did Maya's parents seperate?

A: Maya was only 3 years old.

Blog 20: Segregation Presented in Chapter 8

1. How did the Depression impact the black community of Stamps?

Maya says that "whatever was given to Black people to other Blacks was most probably needed as desperately by the donor as by the reciever." By this she meant that everyone was in a terrible financial state.

2. Did it change them much?

It didn't change them so drastically, considering they weren't accustomed to the life of a white person with pretty dresses and gems, but it only made life harder.

3. Did it alter their view of life?

Some were deterred but Momma in the story kept her store going and the strong people had hope. It was really a test of who could be strong and pull through.

4. Were they better or worse off than the white community?

They were better off than the whites in the sense that they weren't that far out of their usual element, but the whites had to adapt to a life of not spending, which they were very used to.

5. Which would recover faster?

The Blacks would recover faster because their normal state wasn't too far off from poverty.

At this time, I would have rather been Black. Maya Angelou makes it clear that the Blacks live in a tight-knit community where everyone has each other's backs and cares about family. Even though the Depression was going on, Momma kept her store going. I think it would really test who was strong and who was weak, and separate the ox from the mice.

Blog 19: Angelou's Life, Times, & Message

1. We discussed the famous Scottsboro case in which 9 African American boys were convicted of rape just because of their race.

2. Maya Angelou was raped at the age of 8 by her mother's boyfriend. This caused her to remain silent for 5 whole years.

3. Hitler's actions at this time were racist and caused a mass murder of all those who he was racist against.

4. Maya Angelou is mainly a poet but wrote I Know Why the Caged Bird sings as a nonfiction novel.

5. Racism exists everywhere in the U.S. Thousands of hate crimes are committed each day. Although, different races have also gained more acceptance since the 30s and 40s when blacks were lynched just because of their skin color. Racism has come a long way but still lurks in the shadows.

Blog 16: Story Time Macbeth Style

Once upon a time, in a far off land called Scotland, there lived Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. One day, three weird ladies visited Macbeth and told him of all the dreams they had about him and what he would become. They said that he would one day become King of Scotland and be so famous that he'd be able to wear a crown all the time. Macbeth felt invincible! He walked back home and waited and waited for a knock at his door saying he was now King, but it never came. He decided that he was going to make this happen himself, so he and Lady Macbeth made up a plan. They were going to make a potion for King Duncan, who was King at the time, and make him sleep for a very long time, so that Macbeth could take the title. They were successful! Macbeth became King and Lady Macbeth queen. Everything was good and happy until one day, Macbeth's best friend Banquo got suspicious of his wrongdoings. By this time, Macbeth's fame had gone to his head and he did the same thing to Banquo that he did to King Duncan. By the end, he had pushed away everyone who he loved and was sad and lonely. A good man Macduff who knew that Macbeth had become bad took care of him and Scotland lived happily ever after.

Blog 18: Female Roles in Shakespeare's Macbeth

What exactly is the difference between masculinity and femininity? Shakespeare includes only men in Macbeth but I don't think this has as much to do with the time period as the article suggests. "At that time, a woman’s role would be as home-maker and child-bearer," Thacker states, but if you're able to look deeper into Shakespeare's creative mind, you will see that Macbeth is not about whether you are man or woman. This is revealed the most when Lady Macbeth asks the spirits to "unsex her" in order for her to be able to kill King Duncan without feeling. Throughout the play, characters go from men or women to demonic figures who will do anything for a position of power. As the play goes on, the more and more each character is stripped of their humility for other human beings. Immediately at the beginning, anyone who is sane is immediately killed off, leaving only the men and women who have become savages to live and cause more destruction.

Blog 15: New Year's Premonitions

Banquo states that even though the premonitions may be true, that he and Macbeth must take precautions. As much as they would like to believe that their future holds good fortune such as high positions of power, nothing is guaranteed. His main argument is the fact that they are witches; therefore, they are not to be trusted. The "instruments of darkness" that he speaks of are probably a figurative way of saying "the three witches." He declares his warning in a dark sense, making it clear that although they spoke of Macbeth attaining the titles of Thane of Cawdor and King, they never tell how Macbeth will come to acquire these high positions. If the witches had never filled Macbeth's head with these unrealistic premonitions, he and his wife would have never been driven to kill for the position of power, and King Duncan would probably still be alive and well.

To be honest, I never really make new years resolutions. This is mostly because I don't believe in premonitions, but instead believe that the future is subjective and depends on what happens in the present. For the sake of this blog, I will state my goals for the year of 2010, these of which I hope to make a habit of.

First, I would like to apply myself more in school. In the past years, I have been discouraged by hard work and immediately find myself giving up when I don't understand something. I put this first because although my teachers and Mom may not believe it, I want to do well in school and this is my biggest goal. My personal goal would be to just be nicer to everyone in general, even if they don't deserve it because if everyone stopped hating and was just nicer and stopped accusing and judging than the world would be a better place. But I think that's pretty much everyone's personal goal, it's just that not enough people put it into action. My resolution involving my family would definitely be to be nicer to my Mom. It's unrealistic to think that I can be the perfect child who is pleasant at all times but I can try to come close. Finally, my goal within the outside world is to continue to be nice to strangers at work and in general. What made me came to this decision was an elderly woman who wrote me a letter just because I smiled at her and asked her how she was, apparently I made her day. I think that all my goals are definitely within reach and I hope to achieve them.