Janie

     Janie. The main character in the novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Neale Hurston. She is like any human being, looking for love, and wanting love. Although Janie has gone to all the right places to look for love, the love never turned out right for her. She imagines her true love with her under pear tree blossoms, with the beautiful petals opening up, just like her heart to her love. Janie has met many people so far in the first ten chapters of the novel, which takes place over a whopping time period of over 20 years! Zora Neale Hurston introduced Joe Stark, Logan Killicks, and Teacake. Logan Killicks, a farmer with  60 acres of land, was introduced to Janie by her grandmother. Janie refers to her grandmother as Nanny, who has taken care of her ever since she was a small child when Janie's parents died. Logan married Janie soon after, who believed that love is something can be brought with marriage. However, after the marriage, her Nanny died, and Janie broke up with Logan soon after meeting city-boy Stark. Stark is the type of person who used Janie. He used her to gain power in the community, whereas he did not need to put in as much work. You see, Stark was a power-hungry mongrel, using his money to gain power in a poor community and eventually becoming mayor. The novel skips then 20 years ahead, where Janie has learned to not intervene with Starks' business. But, Stark dies soon because of his arrogance to receive actual medical attention. You may believe that may have devastated Janie, but more as the other way around. She lets down her hair for the first time, showing her freedom from Stark, and meets Teacake after all those events occurred. The rest of the town does not like Teacakes going for Janie and does not approve of him, but Janie runs off with him still. What will happen with Janie and Teacake?

Thankful...for a Classmate

This time, in spirit of Thanksgiving, I will be writing about something I am thankful for. In this case, I am writing about a classmate. A classmate I am thankful for... I guess that if I was to choose a classmate, I would choose someone from the small group we have over in the corner. That includes Jason, Gabe, Rivka, Brandon, and Ethan. They are all very helpful in class and outside of class. Helping me with other homework or assignments, help me in other classes, or help keep me up when I'm down (especially in the morning when I have to wake up sooooo early). They make me laugh or chuckle even at the smallest jokes, helping me get through the day. So, I guess those are some classmates I am thankful for: for helping me out when I need it and keeping me joyful too.

Principles to Keep (In the Sudden Case of an Apocalypse)

Which principles should we keep?
Not to steal, not to kill?
 Maybe even not become a cannibal?
I think the principles I would keep,
Includes no stealing, no killing,
No hurting others,
Or at least if they hurt me first.
I will try to put
Other before me.
After all, how can you live
If your loved ones aren't with you?
How could I live with myself
If I ate another human?
I just simply cannot, will not, should not.
Another principle I would keep.
I will try to keep
My principles all together.
After all,
They keep me together
And surround me like a shawl.

Hemingway: His Style and Background

Iceberg Theory

  Hemingway's "theory of omission" (AKA"Iceberg Theory) is based off of short sentences, where he leaves out unnecessary details, and gives off a simple surface with a deep meaning under it, and trying not to clearly show underlying themes. He basically believed that the true meaning of a story should be shown on the surface, but rather under it. Hemingway tries to give the reader the feeling of the story, and rather than tell the reader what the story if about, shows the reader instead. Hemingway had also described iceberg theory as if the clear story is floating on top of the water, while the whole structure is under the water, unseen and unaware by the reader.
  Much of Hemingway's iceberg theory developed when he was writing for the school newspaper, "The Kansas City Star". He would try to keep the story simple, yet tell what is going on in the story as a whole. He would create stories with little to no context or information, trying to keep the story short. Hemingway retained his style of short stories throughout his life and his works, which eventually won him the Nobel Prize of Literature in October 1954 and became known as the iceberg theory. Hemingway also used long sentences (commonly used by Mark Twain as well) to show the reader a snapshot of a scene with everything in the sentence happening at once rather than throughout a time period. So, in conclusion, Hemingway's iceberg theory is based off of his time as a journalist in "The Kansas City Star" and showing the reader less than the actual meaning of the story.

6 Word Sentences!

These may be pretty bad but...:

Nobody came, there was no one.

Will he beat it doctor?

How great is this guys.

Look, that dog has three legs.

Aaaanndd there goes my money.

Free bunnies, not enough space.


I tried.

John Proctor: Hero...or Stooge?

     Personally, I think that he can be considered both, depending on how you see it. He can be a hero because he wants the truth, as the same for almost all heroes. Then there's the part where he wants Mary Warren to confess and show the court officials that the whole hysteria is nonsense, that no one was seen with the devil and no one should have been accused of witchcraft. He is a hero for trying to save others and prevent the finger from being pointed at another innocent person. He may also be seen as a hero because he is a highly respected member of society and doesn't want his good name ruined by some nonsense, which I guess can also be seen as him being a stooge, bending to others' will and throwing away his life with the desire to not lose his title.
     He is a stooge by bending to others' will and being generally weak. He is a farmer, whose primary responsibilities are to serve the society by bringing it food, which may be explain how he got his high title. He had also done the work others don't want to do by trying to get the truth out of the girls, and trying to show the town that the hysteria is nonsense.
     These are my opinions about John Proctor, how he can be seen as both a hero and a stooge. Hero by attempting to expose the truth, but a stooge for the same reason as well. Then, there is him showing the hysteria is nonsense, which can be related to both as well. All show evidence of John Proctor: Hero...or Stooge?
     

There Goes the Neighborhood

From the view of a Native American:

1492

   Who are these people? They are so different, so strange. They come from other land? Not possible...but...? Hm.. What if men from the sea were sent from powerful force, one we can't understand? They bring us goods for our shinies, much of which we have an abundance of.
   These men, they are as white as the sun, and wear strange, foreign clothes we have never seen before. These men are strange and speak this language much more proficient than us, but they have spent so much time into teaching us this new language of theirs. Maybe they are a message from a higher power?
                                                                   

Spring, 1493

   These newcomers (although not so new anymore) had finally left, but not before taking so much from us! They took my family, our crops, and even almost destroyed our food source. They say they will return soon, and left some with us. They introduce us to a new weapon called the "musket" and a horse, which helped us actually have a fighting chance against these who had taken out families and took our land from us.

Fall, 1493

   The foreigners had returned finally, but came back to the crew they left behind, dead. The captain had gone onto a rampage, slaughtering hundreds of us. We were down to a mere hundred left, and many of our crops were destroyed in the fight. After all this had happened, he brought a couple of us with him, sticking all of us on a ship, in a crammed room with little to no light and ventilation. I wonder what he has done to our land, and what will he do with us?

ME

So, this blog is about me, but mainly my life, and some of my personal interests. Here’s about my life: I have a mother and a father, both of whom are Asian, grandparents and aunts/uncles living in the United States, and an even LARGER extended family in China and other places in the world. Also, although I am Chinese, I was actually born in America and have never been to China as long as I can remember. Also, I have practically no sense of fashion, and despise wearing jeans. And then…what else? Oh right. I have 2 pet turtles, who are named Turtle One (For the larger one) and Turtle Two (For the slightly smaller one). Best names ever, am I right?
                Now, onto the personal interests. Some of my many interests and activities I do are swimming, biking, quarter collecting, and the occasional running. I swim practically every day after school, competitively and leisurely, and go biking some nights. In quarter collecting, I have collected most of the released national park quarters and all of the state quarters. Also, I play basketball sometimes with my brother.  Although I have no accuracy what so ever, at least I try (but I still fail…horribly). Well, I think that sums up my simple life real nicely. So in conclusion, my life is simple and boring (in my view, of course).