2nd Reading Response "Red Scarf Girl'

I finished my first coming of age book and now i am reading another.

"Red Scarf Girl"

In this book the main character Jiang-Ji-li is a young girl who experiences the hardships of a cultural revolution. It starts out with her as an innocent young child who is a smart educable girl then classmates hear and tell things about her families status. In their world being a landlords relative is a curse. She is subjected to bullying but also shame. She is forced to grow up as a child who is being discriminated against because of her grandfather.

In this book Jiang-Ji-li goes to a school during the CRC (cultural revolution of China). As a girl she goes to school to get an education. Her life turns around as in class she slowly gets bullied by the Red Guards . They bully her and talk bad things sbout her family, the students become instigators and mean when they are assinged to write a dao-zoa-bo. They write one about her and thats when events turn around.

She as a character journeys into knowledge from ignorance when she learns about her families past. Dhe goes through conflicts with children at school. She experiances so much hate and anger from others that she caves, and is about to change her name when she realizes that clearing her " black family name" wont do anything besides tear her family apart, and bring her family shame in their daughter.

In conclusion this book reflects coming of age because it shows a young person develop into a teen with a myriad of different things that may effect the character over time.

Secret Diary of Adrian Mole by : Sue Townsend

    " The things which the child loves remain in the domain of the heart until old age. The most beautiful thing in life is that our souls remaining over the places where we once enjoyed ourselves”

     As I read a coming book really explains grow up over a period of years. It takes account of one characters age progression. The author uses the character to relate to the reader. I think that in " Secret Diary of Adrian Mole". Adrian is a symbol that represents todays society of men in an allegorical sense.

   

    In the book Adrian says " I measured my thing, it grew 1 cm." This quote shows how in puberty when males grow up the experience many physical changes, but also one point in their life he grew up, he developed acne, which everyone gets at one point in their life. But the way the author uses Adrian to relate to male readers or teenagers in a general sense. It shows how he is slowly journeying from a small young boy into an older more mature male. The way he matures is by dealing with dissapointment from his parents seperation, but also from " love" with Pandora. He becomes sexually attracted to her.

   Another quote that the author says " I was racked with sexuality but it wore off when I helped my father put manure on the rose bed." this quote shows that the author is trying to tell the reader something imporant about how Adrian is a typical male whose sexual attraction is to females. It also is a huge clue to what may have spiked his interest in sexuality. It allows the reader to think more about the book and what might have happened earlier on. What could have caused his endocrine system to produce sexual hormones in his brain. It allows everyone to understand the book in any way they want to.

 

   Finally he said " I am in love with Pandora, I can't sleep a wink without thinking about." This really shows how in schools today and outside schools how kids interact with each other. They maybe become " BFF's" or maybe may end up going out with each other but it shows how he isn't much different from guys today. He uses his perception of how Pandora has a " bustling figure and she might have to wear a bra soon" who does that? There are things that are different between the two time periods that are being compared. 

In this quote I think that he journeys from being kind of close-minded, wierd, aloof from others. He sees himself as an "intellectual" and he may not really even know what that means. A journey from ignorance to knowledge. 

 In conclusion it shows how reading a coming of age book can really help the reader relaqte to the book and others.  

Writing Prompt #2

There are many questions adolescents have today about themselves that are really never-ending. We ask ourselves are we what we think. Do we know what we will grow up to be. how do you know when you have fully grown up becauase know when ever tells you to grow up. It comes from experience and living life and learning lessons.

Some questions:
- do you know what you what you want to be when your in college ?
- do your skills define you ?
-How do you know when your fully matured ?

When answering these questions I hope i really get the full extent of my life as a matured women

Writing Prompt # 14

Usually many teens are concerned with what they are expected to do as they grow older. And I see that as I mature and grow many questions seem to flood my mind about what to do, how to do things adults do. But when are you really counted as an adult. Many people have their own perceptions of what an adult is but it really matters what you think.

Some questions I had about being an adult was :
- Does it matter the career you chose to pursue ?
-Do peoples childhood memories or nightmares affect ho they turn out later on ?
-Does raising kids cause alot of stress ?
-How long can you live, can you surpass the life expectancy ?
-Does love come naturally to everyone ?
-If you don't get married does that mean no one loves you ?
-Finally, do kids grow up to be like parents or like their siblings ?

In conclusion my questions focus on does life as an older person slowly change you or do you always stay the same but mentally or spiritually different. Never changing physically.

Everyone looks at me like I'm ugly
I may be different and I know
But I'm not afraid to show it
Not afraid to stand out

Everyday people talk about me
I feel like I have done something wrong
I am tortured at school
And I hate the fact that I'm gay

People say to me
Appreciate your life
I feel like I could die
I want to run away

My emotional change hurts
My head is confused, and I can't see
People corner me and beat me
I'm afraid for my life

Help! Help! as I cry out
No one helps me
I run and run
But I can't hide
The torment is around me wherever I go

Addition to my poem
After "The torment is around me wherever I go" i add
A shallow pool of life
No one really gives a thought to me
Sprawled on the floor with a scared look in my eyes
I get up and run away from the
Pain, Hate, Sadness, and Dissapoinment
My dad looks at me like I'm some germ
Says things to me I've never thought would happen
I cry but he doesnt comfort me
HATE MY LIFE
STUPID THINGS AND PEOPLE HURT ME
LEAVE US ALONE
WE CANT HELP WHAT IS UNCURABLE.

EXCEPT ME PEOPLE, I'M A HUMAN JUST LIKE YOU !!!!!
SO DON'T BULLY US, JUST SUPPORT US.

Chicken Soup For teens

I really think this book is kinda perfect and amazing because it is so straight forward with all the problems that we as adolescents go through. And it really y focuses on all the real focus points we pay attention to. I kind of relate to it because now we are all going through our phases and I am also. In the book it shows real life people going through real life situations. It is kind of easy to read and easy to relate to. REALLY RELATABLE. It is really amam-zing book to read.  i think that everyone that read it would have/ will enjoy it because we are all going through the same period as the stories so we can kind of use that and our insight to help solve out teen problems.

Also it is really funny, the author is a great one to know about all the stuff we do without sounding like some old tired person who is reminiscing on the best times of her life. So I think that other people should read this book because they will feel the same way. The author probably used her memories plus stories from others who were once tweens to .

Respond 2 Responses

I was reading Kamilah's blog and I really noticed how she payed attention to detail, plus she breaches into topics others don't want to talk about mostly. I think that in her blog posts she really captures the essence of what the assignment was and describes it with many sensory language tools. I think that is why her blog is so interesting to read.

i liked Melody's blog because the way her titles are straight to the point + I think her writing has a sense of humor 2 it which makes me laugh. The background of her blog shows kind of her personality. Like how she is quite expressive, and fun to be with as a friend. Her writing reflects how she pays attention to detatil.

Finaly I like my blog because it is all bieberized plus it adds some flare to it to show my favorite things. My writing is expressive with big words with some side captions which add some humor to it.

Fire: Sonnet

The bright flourescent glare of the fire
Is burning down the redwood and cedar

Crackle, crackle never stopping to retire 

The orange, and red is your feeder 

Snap, cracking, burning fury, fiery

Screaming life has ended here in this place

No sadness, revenge of the diary

Never to vanish or to be chase

The rain pouring down to slow you to a stop

Agitated you revive back to life

Trees dead, you all slew, now its time to chop 

your anger is sharp, a sting like a knife

Smack, swoosh, fire gone, vamoosh but not totally dead 

Your wrath is not unkindled but merely widespread.

My Papa Waltz

The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.

In this poem there is a large amount of description. the poet uses sensory languge to help the readers visualize what is going on. Also the poem is about a little boy who is dancing with his drunk dad. I think the poem is from the view of the son. He is "waltzing" with his dad. The dad to me percieves to be drunk, and kind of stumbling around the kitchen. Whiskey is on his breath which to me means he has been drinking. The child is short, I think and when his ear scrapes a buckle it means the dad might be pushing him along to go to bed. Doesn't nessacarily mean the dad is abusive, but means that he gets drunk, the mother hides, and the son is stuck in the middle of drunken clumsiness and a scared mother.

Finally it may seem like the dad is a bit abusive when he is drunk and the mother is to scared to do anything. Because maybe when the father is drunk he may be full of rage if you say the wrong thing.

Somethin a Brewin

Skippin through the streets of Cali
Looking in the summer breeze
A gazin down the long coast
Hair rustling in the breeze

A sigh of relaxation
solo per rilassarsi: just to relax
Take a deep breath of the fresh air
Surf, try new things

Walk around a corner
Made a wrong turn
To late to run back
I've been noticed
Men running after me

Suddenly I was snatched
The breath washed out of me
Suddenly my silent scream can be heard

Police come
Help me

Globalism Strikes

"Tearing Down the Blockade"

We cheer as people in front

Hammer away at this wall

Standing in front of me

Thousands of cheers resounding from behind

Doing something right for once

Satnding up for justice

Cries of joy resound from left, right, and from my mouth

Finally as the wall

Crumbles to its demise

We see a new horizon

" Church calling"

Blue skies above us with the white clouds

Painting of beauty

The church is calling for me.

Beckoning with its tall pillars of white .

The focus is on me full of people

Deep in conversation in San Isidro

1788 was the time .

the detail on our facial expressions shown deep in context

All the people that look at us .

Think they understand .

Frozen in a time capsule .

With the late Victorian era still around

The writer writing this

gets us, someone finally gets us.

So now we can be understood for more than just a painting

Francisco De Goya

            This painting is by Francisco De Goya. The first time I saw this painting I was curious about what the inspiration was. But now that I look into it, I can see how he pictured life.

           Observations 
In this painting you see many people gathered together, but also I see a man talking to a woman. They seem to be in a deep conversation because the are more detailed and separate from the crowd of people.  Also many people are crowded in front of the church which to me means that something important must be going on inside or in front of the church. There is also a group of women in the bottom left corner sitting down on the ground with their fans, also deep in talk. They are all dressed fancily and classy. The style of clothing looks kind of the late Victorian era, where every woman wore dresses everywhere. Also the men are dressed in the best with the suits with the long backs.

           Inferences
My conclusion of this painting is that everyone is flocking towards the church. A mass of people going to the San Isidro. Pilgrimage to the Church of San Isidro 1788 was the paintings name. Many people are coming together to either see something or do something. See he blue pure sky and buildings behind the people.

            Interpretation
I think he was trying to show us an important event or issue in the area of the world in 1788. Literature means a way of expressing what he was trying to say, or show to us. A work of art is a painting or any way of expressing what the artist feels.

hold yor Hand Song

Bonus -Random Post

I think that this song is really speaking out to supporting others,"The nights are getting darker (hold my hand)
And there's no peace inside (hold my hand)" says that together we can stand together and unite on one front. U know the saying " united we fall divide we fall" Lets all follow that and unite. Become friends or even BFF's.

RIP Micheal Jackson . LUv yah.

Extra Credit

I will be participating in the December's challenge. Extra credit. Bye Peace

Research #2

  When I researched the trafficking of Haitian children. I dug deeper and looked up the article on http://www.sirs.com/ . I realized that many of the smugglers were able to get past border patrol because they pay off the guards. Many people in Dominican Republic are saying that they have doubled there efforts but actually I think that they have not done anything.

 The reason why I say this is because I think the government is in a tough time and without this industry they cannot make any money.  They know their government will dry up without it. Statistics show that there has only been two convictions since 2006. In the last 4 years there should of been more.

 As a young child in the US, I realize that could be any one of us and if we don't stand up for those who can't then we may as well be part of the trafficking. It is like watching someone get beat up and you don't help the police find the criminals.

 In this video I chose to show some images of the Haitian children. At the end there are two websites that you can go to and donate to help them.

Here are some of the images if the video doesn't play.

                          , and many more that show this message.

Research Topic #1

When I started to really dig deeper into looking up all the real problems that many gays had with acknowledging themselves and were afraid to tell anyone bout what they were.
Being that scared to have to try and pretend to be something you are not. I think that it causes personal problems. Then mostly you start to wonder what did I do wrong, am I really that bad. Self-hate starts to erupt inside you and you just want to stop it forever.

 You are torn between committing suicide and knowing the huge grief and pain you would cause your parents plus yourself.
In an article on (http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=S44-4241-0-323&artno=0000297482&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=bullied%20gays&title=Coming%20Out%20in%20Middle%20School&res=Y&ren=N&gov=N&lnk=N&ic=N)

The reason why this article is included because it really shows that once you except yourself you should be free to be you, and no one controls who you are. Just because your sexual orientation doesn't make you the butt of all jokes and the school punching bag.

I the article the boy says" I definitely lost some friends,” he said, “but no one really made fun of me or called me names, probably because I was one of the most popular kids when I came out. I don’t think I would have come out if I wasn’t popular.”  

See that states that if this boy didn't have this "popular" status he would of hid who he really was/is and then it would only come back to haunt you. He is somewhat scared to admit that without a status above popular, you shouldn't admit to being GAY.


This video shows some of the things that happen to kids when they are being tormented. I support the message at the end.

songs for Justice

" Bloody sunday"
By: U2

I can't believe the news today
Oh, I can't close my eyes
And make it go away
How long?
How long must we sing this song?
How long? How long?
'Cause tonight, we can be as one
Tonight

Broken bottles under children's feet
Bodies strewn across the dead end street
But I won't heed the battle call
It puts my back up
Puts my back up against the wall

Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Sunday, Bloody Sunday

And the battle's just begun
There's many lost, but tell me who has won
The trench is dug within our hearts
And mothers, children, brothers, sisters
Torn apart

Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Sunday, Bloody Sunday

How long?
How long must we sing this song?
How long? How long?
'Cause tonight, we can be as one
Tonight, tonight

Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Sunday, Bloody Sunday

Wipe the tears from your eyes
Wipe your tears away
Oh, wipe your tears away
Oh, wipe your tears away
...Sunday, Bloody Sunday...
Oh, wipe your blood shot eyes
...Sunday, Bloody Sunday...
Sunday, Bloody Sunday...Sunday, Bloody Sunday...
Sunday, Bloody Sunday...Sunday, Bloody Sunday...

And it's true we are immune
When fact is fiction and TV reality
And today the millions cry
We eat and drink while tomorrow they die

...Sunday, Bloody Sunday...

The real battle just begun
To claim the victory Jesus won
On...

Sunday, Bloody Sunday
Sunday, Bloody Sunday...

I think that U2, is correct about speaking out about the massacre that occurred in Ireland, I think that it is wrong that innocent people were killed because they were standing up for whats right. The military were wrong for killing  people who did not threaten them in any way, shape, or form.

Scared to Death

Everyone looks at me like I'm ugly
I may be different and I know
But I'm not afraid to show it
Not afraid to stand out

Everyday people talk about me
I feel like I have done something wrong
I am tortured at school
And I hate the fact that I'm gay

People say to me
Appreciate your life
I feel like I could die
I want to run away

My emotional change hurts
My head is confused, and I can't see
People corner me and beat me
I'm afraid for my life

Help! Help! as I cry out
No one helps me
I run and run
But I can't hide
The torment is around me wherever I go

EXCEPT ME PEOPLE, I'M A HUMAN JUST LIKE YOU !!!!!
SO DON'T BULLY US, JUST SUPPORT US.

Media Immersion

In the world today there are many issues, but the main issue in Africa and Asia are poverty. Many people live in slums littered with trash, bugs flying around everywhere. The people that live in it though may be infected.  This is how the poor people's lives are. Many women and children are destitute and have no place to eat, sleep, and do other things that they used to do.
 

 The poverty in East Africa is outrageous because it is covered in filth also many bugs that could carry diseases or worse . When i see these pictures it makes me hurt inside and that to makes me want to advocate for food. The UN has been trying to send food, hold large charity events and more. Many organizations such as Amnesty International sings about children being dropped off, having to fend for themselves.

While many people spend billions on unnecessary objects or things why can't they donate to make other countries much better because the other countries need it more. Lots of people are sitting in rubble, or going through mile high garbage bags, being Eco-friendly might help them out.

On http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNvz7TSRUyQ there is a video of what certain governments do to their people. They have their had destroyed.

 In conclusion poverty is no joke and people must stand together to fight it.