Whom Can We Trust?

What would you do if you saw any one of these men on the street? Would you just ignore them? Would you walk right past? You might take a closer look at Guy #1 but only because he has a crazy moustache, right? What if I told you that all three of these men were serial killers? That changes everything.

The book The Devil in the White City tells the true story of the World's Fair of Chicago in 1893. Half of the novel recounts the creation of the fair and its attractions. The other half presents the terrifying story of H.H. Holmes, America's first serial killer and Guy #1. A fairly attractive and charming man, Holmes was able to lure women into his "Murder Castle" where, after he made them fall madly in love with him, he killed them in a variety of ways. The book provides chilling detail as it tells of how women adored his "bright eyes" and tendency to "touch them" in tender ways that forced the women to trust him naturally. After that, it recounts the screams Holmes endured and the excitement he felt.

This is not the only story of killers that demand trust. Take Guy #2 Ted Bundy. Also an attractive man, he preyed on the caring tendencies of women by pretending to be injured. After they agreed to help him with whatever activity he requested, he kidnapped and murdered them, often after raping them as well. Bundy was believed to be linked to the murder of at least 100 women that were "white, thin, and single and had long hair that parted in the middle." But guys, don't think you're safe! Guy #3, also known as John Wayne Gacy or the "Killer Clown," only looked for male victims from nine to twenty-five years of age. He also convinced his prey to trust him, and he killed them once they came to his home. That pretty much covers everyone who could be reading this, right?

The question we must ask is: whom can we trust? Most of the victims of these killers trusted in them. Holmes was married to more than three women at the same time, most of whom he later murdered. What are we supposed to do when we see a man asking for help on the side of the road? A man who is injured, kind, rather handsome? The truth is, I do not have much of an answer. There is no way to tell the genuinely charming people from the crazies. I have trouble trusting people anyway, and Devil in the White City has certainly not helped that. I suppose all we can do is to be careful and follow what our parents told us. "Don't talk to strangers." "Don't walk alone at night." Intuition is also an important tool. I know we women often have gut feelings as to whom we should believe. It is very unfortunate that our society has such people in it, but we must face that fact and be careful where we put our trust.

The Time I Was a Gargoyle (In 12 Sentences)

Georgia and I always go crazy at my house, our stomachs aching from laughing so much, our iPod batteries dead from the endless dance parties, our voices hoarse from singing and screaming. It was the dead of winter: the weather outside was grey and freezing cold. I decided to make us fully loaded hot chocolate, a delicious but terribly sugary drink, to help with the cold. We travelled through the living room, across the foyer, out the front door, and onto the porch to enjoy our hot chocolate. Georgia and I then pretended to be gargoyles. Of course. Georgia got a text from her mother who instructed that we pack Georgia's things and that we wait for her to arrive and that we prepare to leave. Mrs. Weygandt pulled into my driveway, but she backed out of it immediately. Across my neighborhood to catch her, we ran frantically. Why had she left us? We caught her and jumped on top of her car and stopped her. The confusion we faced at her strange actions, the mini race we ran to catch her, the life-threatening jump we made to stop her all payed off when Georgia finally got to go home.

A Literary Slap in the Face

... or not. The video entitled A Dramatic Reading of an Actual Breakup Letter is one of the funniest videos I have ever seen on YouTube. The amusement comes not only from the hilariously bad writing but also from the narrator's reading.

After watching and laughing multiple times, I began to think about the background of the letter. Where did it come from? Who wrote it? Has the writer EVER had an English class... ever? Some part of me also began to feel sorry for the person who wrote the letter in the first place. Whoever this person is was obviously subjected to a terribly ridiculous relationship. If the horror of having a terrible relationship was not enough, the letter written was then placed on YouTube and made fun of in front of anyone who wants to watch. Viewers laugh at the relationship described, the funny voices used, the first grade writing.

When you think about it, this video is really just an example of a piece of writing gone bad. The author meant for the letter to hurt "Chris" and convince him that she or he (we can't assume) was done with the ups and downs of the relationship. Unfortunately, that purpose was completely shadowed by the horrible writing. No one can take the letter seriously with so many misspelled words, run-on sentences, and ridiculous "text talk."

So what can we learn from this? There really are stupid people out there. No, just kidding. We can all learn that good writing techniques are important. In order to properly express a point, authors need to know how to write properly. If a reader cannot understand what is being said in the plain-Jane text, then they will never understand the main purpose of the passage or the subliminal hints.

Moral of the story: pay attention in English class! That way, when you want to break up with someone via letter, they will actually pay attention instead of going on YouTube and making fun of you.

My Reading List

As previously mentioned, I want to expand my reading horizons. I am trying to be very open to suggestions this nine-weeks period. I also plan to read some books are not new and were written more than five or so years ago.


Jonathan Livingston Seagull

I mainly plan to read this book because my mom told me to. Normally, she and I have different taste in books, but maybe I will enjoy the book. Plus, Jonathan Livingston Seagull was written in the 70s, so hopefully I will get a different style of writing than the modern teen books I am used to reading. My mom has a copy, so I will just get her copy.



The Devil in the White City

I was browsing our class library, and this book caught my eye. My dad and a friend read this last year, and I am pretty sure they both liked it. Since the book is readily available, I might as well try to read it. Also, the book seems to be historical fiction and I have never really read anything like that, so I should try.


Love in the Time of Cholera

Once again, I simply found this book in my house. Upon reading the title page, I discovered that it won the Nobel Prize and is part of Oprah's book club. If the book is good enough for such renowned people, it will be good enough for me.

Reading Independently

Reading is one of my favorite pass times. I love to dwelve into a different world and escape my own. At the first of the year, I had to push myself to read regularly. Now, however, reading for a while every night has become a habit. Not to mention, the books I chose this period were all pretty interesting and fun to read.

Inking my thinking was a harder habit to get into. Sometimes, I have trouble pausing my reading to write what I'm thinking. I found that I have many deep thoughts, I just cannot get them on paper very well. Looking over my reading journal is quite entertaining, though, since I can go back and remember how I felt during certain parts of the book. My favorite part of my journaling is writing down quotes that I love from books.

I am sure that I am reading more analytically this year. I know that I am putting more thought into the books I choose. Next quarter, I want to expand my reading variety even more. I am going to start with a book that my mom has recommended from the 70s called Jonathan Livingston Seagull. I want to read books that normally wouldn't have read.

Socratic Seminar Reflection

The Socratic Seminars proved to be a fun, interesting way to talk about "big ideas" in Brave New World. As we discussed we came to a conclusion that "there is no way for a utopia to exist because it cannot be perfect for everyone." I have really been thinking about this over the past weeks. Every person, no matter how hard any government tries, is different. With so many people to please, there is no way that everyone can be completely happy all of the time. This logic solidifies for me the use of soma in the book. The government cannot make everyone happy naturally, so they found a drug to do that chemically. By researching for my Seminars, I found that Huxley tied Shakespearean tales into his book. John the Savage can be related to many of Shakespeare's characters. Also, while talking about fads, (iPods in particular) one group concluded that even though they may be a fad, iPods bolster individuality because they allow users to listen to their own taste of music. From now on, I can imagine that I will be seeing the individual appear even in the following of trends.

By participating in the Seminar, I took two roles: I participated in the discussions and I also had to evaluate someone else in his or her discussion. Being in the discussion felt almost unnerving; I imagined myself as a fish in a bowl with everyone else looking in. Soon into the discussion, however, I was usually too into talking and listening to remember my surroundings. Evaluating my classmates gave me an opportunity to hear new ideas and watch how people interact with one another.

Overall, I felt I did pretty well. Sometimes I had trouble getting all of my researched thoughts in before I got distracted and moved on to another idea. I often had five or ten new ideas running through my head as another person was talking, so I had to push those out of the way to really listen to them. I generally like the seminar, but there was one point when the discussion turned into a flat-out debate. That was a little uncomfortable; many people seemed to walk away with their feelings hurt.

The Socratic Seminar was thought by Socrates to be one of the highest forms of learning. By participating in a civilized discussion, one not only collects his or her own ideas, but he or she also hears what others have to say. I am certain Socrates would be proud of the discussions we mere teenagers were able to have.

Pink's Purpose

Pink's amused humor reveals that Americans have forgotten how incredible their abundance is and are seeking meaning and creativity. For example, Pink describes the incredible environment of his local mall, but discovers that "what's so remarkable about Potomac Yards is how utterly unremarkable it is." (pg. 32) By comparing his childhood shopping experiences to modern ones, Pink shows that abundance in America has increased since the 1970s. This paradox explains how Americans overlook the extravagance of the normal objects in their lives because they are commonplace. However, this prosperity has not made Americans that much happier. Pink says "while living standards have risen steadily, personal, family, and life satisfaction haven't budged." (pg. 35) He is not suggesting that Americans are not happy, only that material possessions have not made Americans any happier than they were previously. Basically, Americans are looking past their material possessions to search for meaning and internal satisfaction. Pink's ideas lend themselves to suggest that American society is moving into an age where material possessions and technology are not as important as seeking purpose and self-satisfaction.

Persuasive Appeals Analysis

Most advertisements, whether directly or indirectly, use persuasion. Some try to persuade consumers to buy a product. Others, persuade people to stop or start a practice such as anti-drug and "got milk" advertisements. In order to do this persuading, advertisement designers use the three forms of persuasion: ethos, logos, and pathos. One ad that uses all three forms of persuasion is this ad for Triumph motorcycles.

The first persuasive technique that can be found in this add is ethos, an appeal to credibility or character. The most obvious example of this is the use of the Star Wars saga to try to grab attention from consumers. The top of the ad says "The Empire Strikes Back" which is also the name of the fifth movie in the Star Wars saga. The comparison of Triumph to the Empire from Star Wars also invokes thoughts of strength and power in the mind of consumers. Another play on Star Wars is seen in the first line of text: "Not all that long ago..." This is a play on the famous opening text from Star Wars that says "A long time ago..." These uses of ethos are what drew me to the ad, so they obviously worked. The second paragraph of text shows that Cycle Canada magazine called the motorcycles "sublime." Ethos tries to create credibility, and the ad is saying that if Cycle Canada, a credible publication (in Canada), likes these bikes, consumers should like them too. The text also tells consumers that Formula One technology, such as that used in race cars, influences the building of each bike. After all, who doesn't secretly love race cars?

Logos, or logical appeal, is clearly seen in the text below the photographs in the advertisement. The whole first paragraph speaks of the great benefits and bonuses that are included in each motorcycle. The ad tells consumers that each Triumph motorcycle is "crafted in the world's most modern motorcycle factory in the English midlands." Plus, "each Triumph is backed by a full two-year unlimited mileage warranty." The Formula One technology and hand craftsmanship are also facts about the bikes that could convince a consumer to buy a Triumph. All of these great facts about the motorcycles and the company make them seem more desirable.

Finally, pathos is used. Pathos appeals to the emotions of consumers. This ad is designed to make consumers feel excited about Triumph motorcycles. All of the photographs show riders in all black going very fast. The angles at which the pictures are taken make the scenes look fun and even a little daring. Besides the photographs, the text can also appeal to emotions. Talk of "traditional hand craftsmanship" remind consumers that they generally trust such craftsmanship. In the second paragraph, each motorcycle pictured is briefly described. The Daytona 955i is compared to a tactical fighter. The Speed Triple is said to have "the pugnacious attitude of an English bulldog." These comparisons make consumers want a Triumph because tactical fighters are cool and English bulldogs are too. Motorcycles that can be compared to these objects must be cool as well. Plus, the comparisons and the rest of the text has a sense of wit and humor. This makes consumers laugh and like Triumph even more.

By using all three forms of persuasion, the ad has proven to be successful.. Each persuasive technique is balanced by the others so that the advertisement is appealing and pleasing to consumers. This ad makes Triumph motorcycles seem cool and desirable, thus the advertisement has done well.

A Modern Marvel

For my confirmation, I received a book called Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla: A Woman's Life. At first, I pictured the book would be a semi-interesting, informative biography. I soon discovered inspiration and a wonderful story within the book's pages.

In a nutshell, Saint Gianna Molla was a modern day saint who lives between 1922 and 1962. She grew up with twelve siblings in a very religious family. She went to college to become a nurse to fulfill a need to help people. Gianna had four children herself, the last of which she sacrificed her life to give birth to. She remained as religious as her parents, and she went to mass every single day. She was the leader of many church youth and women's organizations. However, she also had many other interests such as opera, mountain climbing, and skiing. Of course, none of these took a larger place in her heart than that of her God.

Throughout the book, first-hand accounts of Gianna were given. In all of these accounts, family members and friends spoke of her appreciation of life and religion. One quote inpired me the most. "[Gianna took] pleasure in the small and great joys God grants us even in this world." I can always be greatful for the "great joys" that I experience such as when I succeed in a task or when I get a wonderful gift. This quote reminded me that we all should also be thankful for the "small joys" such as the weather on a nice day or a day that just seems to be going right. Often, I find this hard, but my eyes were opened to these small parts of my life.

During the pregnancy of her last child, Gianna discovered some complications that had three options to fix: an abortion, a surgery that would be very dangerous for the baby, or a surgery that would be very dangerous for Gianna. As she had a giving mother's spirit, Gianna chose the last option. Because of this, a few days after the baby was born, Gianna died. Her sacrifice for that of her child is incredible. I am not a mother, so I cannot really understand such love. I still ask myself, though, if I would be able to make such a sacrifice. Gianna knew that she would likely die, but she also knew that her baby would live. I also wonder how difficult the decision was to make.

There are thousands of Catholic saints out there. However, many of those modern saints are often overlooked. I am very glad that I could learn about a modern woman whose actions led her to become a saint. Who knows, maybe someone I know could become a saint.

"This is Your Moment, No Hesitation"

Every so often, I find a song that is so good, I listen to that song constantly. My newest song obsession is "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" by Shakira. This song has a killer beat that makes me want to dance. However, my favorite part about the song is the lyrics. Once I read the lyrics, I felt inspired and actually pretty confident.

The lyrics of "Waka Waka" are all about believing in oneself and being strong. Even the old adage "try, try again" is included in the inspirational message. One line of the song says "if you fall get up...and when you fall get up." Obviously, Shakira is singing about continuing the fight for whatever is needed, even if failure comes first. Every person fails at some point, and these lines remind us that failure is not necessarily the end.

My favorite line from this song says "your time to shine don't wait in line y vamos por todo" (which means "we go for all"). To me, this line is saying that we should go and take what we want to achieve. I also feel impowered and ready to face the world when I sing this to myself.

I continually play "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" everywhere. I love the song and the message that the lyrics send. This song was chosen to be the 2010 FIFA World Cup official song. After reading the lyrics and taking them into consideration, I can clearly see why. The song is empowering, and perfect for a soccer team hoping to win.

Food for Thought

Some books are pure entertainment. They take the reader into another world, and when the book is done, the reader thinks "hey, that was fun." Other books, however, not only entertain, but they also propel the reader into thought and questioning. One such book is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Not only did this book keep me reading, but I could not help but question myself, the characters, and both worlds: the real world and the fictional one.

The main character of The Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen, was faced with great challenges during the annual Hunger Games during which her whole purpose was to kill everyone else in the arena. As I read, I found myself feeling almost weak. I know for a fact that if I were placed in the Hunger Games, I would be the first to die. Compared to Katniss and the other players, even the young and innocent Rue, I am seriously handicapped. I wondered how I could fare in such a situation, and I admired how the characters in the book showed such immense strength.

In the book, the Hunger Games are controlled by important people to make them interesting to watch and difficult to win. Throughout the book, the Gamemakers threw challenges and horrors at Katniss such as a spontaneous fire. However, they also seemed to bend the rules when they agreed to let two people win if they were from the same place. Then, a few days later, the Gamemakers revoked this rule. In other words, Katniss had to continually change her state of mind. One moment she has a partner, and the next she is supposed to kill him. I was astounded by how quickly she could adjust to these changes. As a person who resists change, I could see how difficult this would be.

I also was horrified at how a government could force such annual bloodshed. Not only did they force the Hunger Games to take place, they also forced all other citizens to watch. I cannot imagine how terrible watching such a program would be.

After I finished The Hunger Games, I found myself hungry for more so to speak. I cannot wait to find out how the rest of the trilogy plays out.

My Annotated Photo

A condensed look into my life. Click to see more...

Of Mice and Men

Analysis of Detail:

From his first paragraph, John Steinbeck sets the scene in Of Mice and Men through his use of imagery as he describes the natural world as a parallel to later events in the novella. These vivid descriptions can be used to foreshadow future events in the novel and represent characters.

Take the following quote for instance: "the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green." Some words that provoke the senses in that quote are "deep" and "green." Deep arouses thoughts of heaviness, solidity, and strength. These characteristics can be used to describe George. Though he is smaller in size than Lenny, he is definitely Lenny's support. He is solid in mental state where Lenny is weak. The word green can be used to symbolize young, fresh, lively, and natural people and objects. Children often have these traits, and Lenny is very much like a child. His mind is innocent and simple.

Another quote found in the first paragraph is "under the trees the leaves lie deep and so crisp." The deepness of the piles of leaves means that all of the leaves are depending on the others. They are relying on each of the other leaves' strength. It provokes thoughts of dark and cool places. Lenny is like the pile of leaves in that he depends of the strength of George to protect him. His mind could represent that cool and dark place, since he is simply mentally disabled. When leaves fall from the trees and remain on the ground they turn crisp. This shows age, fragility, and brittleness. George can be compared to this. He is not fragile or brittle, but he is weaker than Lenny. His temper can be fragile at times, as he is quite hot-tempered. With age comes wisdom, and George shows this wisdom in the face of troubles.

Steinbeck also writes "the limb is worn smooth by men who have sat on it." Smoothness arouses feelings of welcome. Many smooth objects, such as the branch, have been well used. George could be compared to the branch. He has been used by Lenny for help, and he sometimes even feels a little worn down from this. Despite that, he welcomes Lenny to remain as his traveling partner.

All of these quotes are found in just the first paragraph of Of Mice and Men. By analyzing the words and imagery used, the reader can discover that there is deeper meaning hidden in the sentences of the novel.

Analysis of Point of View:

The third-person objective point of view shows that even though the men live solitary lives, they still yearn for care and love. The men in Of Mice and Men, and most men of that time period, travelled alone. They seemed to try not to make connections, so that their moves where clean breaks. Many may have even tried to put on a mask to hide their true feelings. Despite this, these men really longed for good relationships.

One character in the book has an old, blind dog. His bunk mates try to convince him to kill the poor animal. "Candy threw his legs off the bunk. He scratched the white stubble whiskers on his cheek nervously. 'I'm so used to him,' he said softly. 'I had him from a pup.'" (p. 45) This scene shows how Candy feels about his dog. He really cares about the dog. In fact, he cares enough that he has had the dog for many years. Candy knows that killing his pet would be the best option, but he just does not want to lose the dog. Candy does not want to lose possibly the only real, loving relationship he has. He may seem like a loner, but truthfully, he has a partner in his dog. He yearns for the love and devotion that dog gives him.

Another passage shows the longing for care: "Slim said 'You hadda, George. I swear you hadda. Come on with me.' He led George into the entrance of the trail and up toward the highway." (p. 107) Obviously, George is very upset about the murder he just committed. He lost a friend. He lost a good, strong relationship that he had built. Also, Slim shows genuine care for George. He tries to console George and even leads him up the trial. George seems to give up trying to be a loner, and he takes the care that Slim is giving him.

All of these men may have liked some of their coworkers better than others, but they also tried to make and keep caring relationships. Whether they loved a brother, a friend, or even a dog, they worked hard to show their pal how much they cared.

Analysis of Tone:

The lonely and melancholy tones in Steinbeck's writing reflect the sad lives and conditions of the Great Depression. This is reflected because Of Mice and Men is set in the Great Depression. Many passages in the novel have such tones that have an effect on the reader.

One passage that has a lonely tone is on page 39: "You know how the hands are, they just come in and get their bunk and work a month, then they quit and go out alone. Never seem to give a [care] about nobody." This passage speaks of the solitary lives that the workers live. They do not seem to care about anyone or travel with anyone. Their lives can be lonely since they try to simply work instead of making friends. This lonely tone carries on into the entire book, and almost every character ends up experiencing loneliness.

The passage, "He reached into his side pocket and brought out Carlson's Luger; he snapped off the safety and the gun lay on the ground behind Lennie's back. He looked at the back of Lennie's head, at the place where the spine and skull were joined." (p. 105) has a very melancholy tone. This passage provokes great sadness and a feeling of despair. George, the character whom the passage is about, loves Lennie immensely, yet here he is, about to kill Lennie. The whole situation is devestatilgly sad. In the wording of the passage, George seems to be pretty emotionless despite what he is about to do. Multiple passages provoked feelings of melancholy, but this was the worst.

All in all, Of Mice and Men was a sad book. This sadness is due partly to the story, but the tone that Steinbeck uses also has a huge impact on the reader's feelings. The book leaves readers feeling like the characters and the tone: lonely and melancholy.

Analysis of Theme:

All throughout Of Mice and Men, Steinbeck and his characters explore the question, "Am I my brother's keeper?" In the novel, George asks as Lennie's "keeper." Even when Lennie offers to leave because he is such a nusiance, George says "I want you to stay with me, Lennie...No, you stay with me. Your Aunt Clara wouldn't like you running off by yourself, even it she is dead." (p. 13) Of Mice and Men shows that humans are their "brother's keeper." The novel shows the bond between humans and how they take care of each other in times of trouble. Sometimes, this relationship only helps the party in need, such as Lennie. George, however, lets Slim in on the benefits he gets.

"'I ain't got no people,' George said. 'I seen the guys that go around on the ranches alone. That ain't no good. They don't have no fun. After a long time they get mean. They get wantin' to fight all the time.'"
"'Yeah, they get mean,' Slim agreed. 'They get so they don't want to talk to nobody.'"
"'Course Lennie's a nuisance most of the time,' said George. 'But you get used to goin' around with a guy an you can't get rid of him.'" (p. 41)

George obviously cares about Lennie and likes the company he gives. Plus, Slim seems to understand the desire to help. All people rely on other people at some point in their lives. Therefore, we should all look out for our fellow humans if we expect as much in return.

"Migrant Mother"

The photos entitled "Migrant Mother" envoke many feelings. After seeing these photos, I felt sorry for those in the pictures. I was also reminded that there are many, many more people who live in similar situations. Some people face horrible challenges and conditions, yet they still show courage. I feel like the mother in these photos showed courage. Maybe she needed to be there for her children. Maybe she needed the courage to continue. Maybe she just needed the courage for herself. She seemed to be taking care of her children as best she could in her conditions.

I am also reminded to be thankful for what I have. I am lucky that I do not have to live in situations such as those shown in the photos. I could just as easily been in that place. We should all be greatful for what we have, and these photos remind us just how awesome our lives are.

The Giver

What would be necessary in a utopia? Would there be no sickness? No grief? What about no color, no love, and no sense of family? How could someone think that such a society was perfect? This is the question that comes to mind when reading Lois Lowery's The Giver. This book had me reading enthusiastically from cover to cover until I was done.

The Giver tells the story of a boy named Jonas who lives in a seemingly perfect society. His life gets turned upside down when he turns twelve. In his society, all children are considered adults once they turn twelve. They receive their job and become functioning members of society. Most children get assigned to be judges, teachers, or care givers, but Jonas is chosen to be the new Receiver. This means that everyday he will go to the current Giver to receive the memories that were taken away when this utopian society was formed. As Jonas begins to receive these memories, he realizes that his society is not so perfect after all. An internal struggle begins to take place inside Jonas. He questions what is truly best for people and community. How does Jonas take all of the changes that he can now see in his life?

The setting of The Giver is different from any other book that I have read. In the community in the novel, everything is the same and no one can see colors because they do not have the memories of them. I had great difficulty imagining the setting because The Giver is set in a place that is very different from our own. Lowery did not provide a whole lot of description of the setting. However, this did not prove to be too important in the understanding of the story.

The characters in the novel were very well developed. I grew attached to Jonas and began to feel his pain. I felt sorry for characters such as Fiona who did not know what great things they were missing out on. I worried for the outcome of the questionable Gabe. Each character had his or her own struggles and triumphs. Lowery did a wonderful job in the creation of her characters.

Overall, I enjoyed The Giver very much. I would recommend this book to anyone. The Giver was easy to read and interesting.

Animal Farm

George Orwell's Animal Farm shows the progression of a utopia. This utopia starts as a wonderful place for all of the animals of the farm. However, as time wears on corruption sets in and the utopia soon turns into a distopia. Orwell obviously does not believe that utopias can exist.

Characters are important in the formation of a story and a theme. Orwell chose to use animals as his main characters. This classifies Animal Farm as a fable, but this novel is far from a child's story. Animal Farm shows how corruption can ruin a society. This is a very human idea, yet Orwell used animals to convey this viewpoint.

Many authors could not have pulled this off, but Orwell's use of animals was very effective. The animals had human characteristics, and they acted very similar to people would when put in such situations. I even often forgot that the book's characters were animal and not human. Orwell managed to use farm animals to show how utopias often end up, and with the use of animals, a humorous aspect was added.

Animal Farm used a "fairy tale-esque" style to convey a very deep theme. By using animals as his main characters, Orwell created a perfect balance between a fun storybook and a thought provoking political essay.

Cross-Examined!

I am pretty much a good girl. Despite this, my parents cross-examine me quite often. Sometimes, they can get pretty cop-like.

Generally, they do the interrogations before I go somewhere such as to a friend's house or to a movie. My parents always want to know every single detail.

"Who's going to be there?"

"How are you going to get there? How are you going to get home?"

"How much money do you plan to spend?"

"Are you lying to us? Are you really going to ditch the movie and run off to do something else?"

You get the picture. Sometimes, they can really get on my nerves. However, I know they are just trying to proctect me because they love me and all of that. But, do they really think I am going to run off?

Hope

I get hope from the
sunrise

When nighttime turns to
daytime

I get hope from the
colors

How the blackness turns to
beauty

Celebrate!

My favorite celebration is the celebration of a birthday. April is a big month for my group of friends because four people have birthdays in this month. I love to help people celebrate their birthday with well wishes, gifts, parties, and cake.

Birthdays are very important to me, especially since I am so (relatively) young. They act as a way to tell someone how much they mean to you. Think about what a birthday celebrates. Basically, when celebrating a birthday, you are saying "Hey! I am so glad that you were born 'x' years ago! I think you are awesome, so we should celebrate your birth and having you here!" Who does not want a day all about celebrating them?

I am very excited to help my "April Baby" friends celebrate their big days. And just think, after April comes May. With May comes my birthday! I think that is good cause to celebrate!

I Wear the Mask

I Wear the Mask

My life is a lie.
No, it's not that extreme.
My life is a fib,
And my emotions are unseen.

They say the eyes
Are a portal to the heart,
But mine hide the truth.
My inside and outside are apart.

Outside is ecstasy
With a little anger in my mind.
My mask hides the inside
Making it hard to find.

Under the mask,
I have a different side.
My emotions can be scary,
So the mask helps them hide.

St. Patrick's Day

"Oh my name is Bishop Patrick. I sailed across the sea to teach the Irish folk about the Blessed Trinity."

This is a song that I taught to the kids at vacation bible school a few years ago. That year, the theme was the story of Saint Patrick of Ireland. For me, St. Patrick's Day is not about luck, leprechauns, or pinching people. Instead, I look at St. Patrick's Day as a day to honor the Catholic saint the day is named for.

Time for a little history lesson:
St. Patrick was born in 385 in Scotland. When he was about fourteen, he was captured in a raid and taken to Ireland as a slave. He remained a slave until he was about twenty when he escaped. After that, legend says that St. Patrick had a dream in which the Irish people were calling out to him for help. Because of this, he returned to Ireland, studied to be a priest, and eventually became the Bishop of Ireland. He went all around Ireland teaching the people about Christianity. His main teaching was that of the Holy Trinity. (I am not going to even attempt to explain that here. You can ask me later if you are really that interested.) He used the three leaves of the shamrock to help explain this abstract idea. One legend says that he drove the snakes out of Ireland. Personally, I have no idea if there are snakes in Ireland today, so I just believe the stories.

I chuckle a little when I see people getting all geared up for St. Patrick's Day. I feel that way about St. Valentine's Day, too. Most people have no idea what this day is about. Good thing you all have me to tell you, right?

The Call of the Wild Review

Imagine living a happy, comfortable life. Then, imagine being taken from that life and thrown into the complete opposite: a life of hard work and struggle. This is the beginning of the story of Buck in The Call of the Wild by Jack London. The Call of the Wild proved to be an exciting and interesting book.

The Call of the Wild is about a dog named Buck during the time of the gold rush in Alaska. Prospectors began to race to Alaska to find gold, but in order to get there, they needed sled dogs. Since sled dogs were very expensive, a black market took form. Buck gets sold into the black market and soon discovers just how difficult his life will be. This is the story of Buck's survival in the tough conditions, his fight to be top dog, and his road to answering the "call of the wild."

The characters in this book are very interesting. The entire book is written from the point of view of a dog, so this provides unique insight into the mind of an animal. Each other dog on the sled team is thoroughly described, and I found myself thinking that they were real people. Each dog had his own personality and traits. There are people mentioned in the book, but they stay in the background because the story is about Buck.

The setting that Jack London created in The Call of the Wild was interesting. He described the many places that Buck had to go to including the Alaskan and Canadian wilderness. Each scene was not perfectly clear in my mind, but since there were so many different scenes, that would have been very difficult for London. With that much extra description, The Call of the Wild would have been an extremely long book.

The Call of the Wild illustrates a theme of survival of the fittest. In order to survive, Buck and the other dogs had to push themselves to the limits. Many dogs died because they simply were not fit to work. The book shows what great lengths Buck will go to in order to survive and proper.

The Call of the Wild provided interesting insight into the world of a character who would normally not be brought into light. I would recommend this book to anyone of any age.

Writer's Notebook: Persuasion

Persuasion is used all of the time. Everywhere I look, someone is trying to persuade me into doing or buying something. Often times, I do not even notice the persuasive techniques being used on me.

I would like to think that I am pretty good at persuading people. Feel free to argue. Most of the time, I am persuading people to trust my answers for assignments. That is about all of the persuasion that I use, so I mostly use the technique of logos. I always try to have a reason for the answers I put down, and I rarely just guess. However, I often find that when I am trying to persuade someone, I talk about my subject so much that I begin to doubt myself. Persuasion can sometimes influence my decisions because I value other's opinions.

Persuasion is used on television every time a commercial plays. The whole purpose of a commercial is to get consumers to buy a product. Many different techniques are used in commercials.

Writer's Notebook: Winning

Winning and losing is part of everyone's life. Sometimes, we are on the winning side. Other times, we are the losers.

Being a winner does not always mean receiving a reward. Instead, being a winner means achieving the goals set for you or receiving an honor. In the game of winning and losing, there are not always losers. For example, one person may receive an award. That person is a winner. Are the rest of the people losers? Since the rest may not have been striving for the award, they are not losers.

I am most proud of the awards the 2008-2009 junior high quizbowl team won last year. We won by teamwork and "brainpower." That means more to me that winning any athletic event by skill or strength. We worked hard to develop our knowledge, and all of those days payed off.

Writer's Notebook: Commitment

Olympic athletes make extreme commitments in order to compete and train. They commit to their sport, their team, and their training. All of these aspects come together to make a well trained, successful athlete who can lead his or her country to victory.

Although I have not made commitments as extreme as the ones made my Olympians, I have made a serious commitment to my dance studio. I have been taking dance classes for over eleven years, but I have really committed to the studio over the past two. I am at the studio, Batesville Ballet Etc., dancing for about ten hours a week. Three of those hours are on Saturday mornings. I have given up so much time to teach and learn the art of dance. Unlike most kids my age, I do not have many extracurricular activities, but the ones I do have, mainly ballet, take up most of my free time. I have suffered pain and stress, but the outcome is worth the price. Performing is amazingly fun, and ballet has helped me in more than just my fitness. Dancers at Batesville Ballet are not required to be as committed as I, but I would not hesitate to step in when needed. My commitment has hopefully made a difference for others.

How to Pick a Confirmation Name

Do you know how to pick a confirmation name? Seriously, I need some help.

This July, I'm going to get confirmed in my church. Confirmation is a rite of passage that shows that a person has decided to be fully Catholic. It is a huge deal. I have to take classes until July and the bishop, a man named Anthony Taylor, is coming to Batesville to confirm us. One part of the process is choosing a name. A candidate for confirmation gets to pick a saint's name to take as part of their name. No, this will not be part of my legal name, but in the church records, I will have an extra name. This is all very exciting, but I am finding choosing a name to be extremely difficult. I have gone through numerous books and I have been reading tons of articles on websites such as this site and this site. If you decide to look at these websites, you can see that there are thousands of saints for me to choose. This is narrowed down a little because I do not really want to take a male name. Even after eliminating the male names, there are still tons of choices. How am I supposed to choose?

This has been on my mind since they told us to start looking at names. I cannot chose a saint that is boring or that does not "speak to me." I have a few that I am leaning towards, but I just cannot choose!

I have been thinking that maybe I should be glad that I did not have to choose my own legal name. Maybe I should thank my parents for that. Having a pretty awesome name, I have reason to thank them. If I would have had to choose my own name, I am sure that I would still be picking. For now, I only have to worry about my confirmation name. At least I have a deadline.

Taking a Stand by Others

(Please note that this post is about taking a stand against abortion. I am only providing an example of a group taking a stand. I do not want to start any ethical discussions.)

Many groups are formed just for the purpose of taking a stand. Take, for instance, PETA. PETA just stands up for the ethical treatment of animals as the name suggests. Other groups will take a stand for something they believe in, even if people do not expect anything. This happened about a year ago in my church.

I go to St. Mary's, a Catholic church. As a fundamental Catholic teaching, we believe that abortion is wrong. Anyway, last year, Congress was debating on some Pro-Choice legislation. Honestly, I do not remember exactly what it was, but I am pretty sure it was mainly about whether or not health care programs should cover abortion costs. My church, and many other Catholic churches in our diocese, decided to take a stand. Leaders in my church such as council members, our deacon, and our priest urged us to write letters to our representatives in Congress. They said that if we did so, they would mail all of the letters to Congress. After about two weeks, almost every family had a letter to send in. I was very proud of our congregation when the stamps went on the envelopes and the letters went on their way.

Our letters probably did not do much. I do not really know the outcome of that particular debate. However, I still felt accomplished. At least our view was made known. We stood up for what we believed in. Sometimes, taking a stand does not do much good. We keep taking a stand simply because we are waiting for that chance that it will make a difference for someone.

When I Took a Stand

On most days, I have to ride a bus home. Until this year, my brother Anthony and his friend Jimmy rode the bus too. For some reason, they decided this year that they should start walking home from school even though the bus passes right by them. Unfortunately for them, we can see them walking down the sidewalk on many occasions from the bus. Again, for some reason, they decided that they should start to break out into a run every time we pass. From the point of view of the sister, they do look a little silly running down the street with all of their bags in tow. But, if they want to walk home everyday, that's their prerogative.

One day, I forgot to bring my mp3 player onto the bus. I was already pretty steamed because without my music, it is impossible for me to just close my eyes and pretend I'm somewhere else. Anyway, we were going home, and the bus passed Jimmy and Anthony. They started running. The guys who sit behind me started to laugh and prodeded to call Jimmy and Anthony names. They made fun of them, and I just did not think it was appropriate. I turned around and said

"That's my brother and his friend, and you need to just stop."

Lucky for me, those guys did not get violent. They simply sat down, and turned their attention elsewhere. I did not do much, but I still felt accomplished.

Sure, standing up for Anthony and Jimmy was not really nesseccary. After all, they could not hear the things being said about them. All that taking a stand did was make those guys behind me think that I was a crazy, annoying girl. Still, I feel like I did something that day for those who could not help themselves. Let's just overlook the fact that they did not know help was needed.

The Count of Monte Cristo Review

Historical fiction novels can reside on opposite ends of the spectrum of good books. They can either be exciting and possibly even educational, or they can be terribly boring. At a staggering 591 pages, Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo took determination and time for me to get through.

This book was published sometime between 1844-1846, so the language used in it was hard for me to follow. Along with that, Alexandre Dumas applied a style in which the story was told by a different character in each chapter. Generally, this style adds to the story because the reader can understand what each character is feeling. In this book, however, there are many, many characters, so switching around is just confusing.

The Count of Monte Cristo tells the story of Edmond Dantes. Edmond gets wrongly arrested on the eve of his wedding. Once in jail, he meets a man who is willing to help Edmond escape. Escape may not be the best plan for Edmond since he has been in jail for fourteen years. How does one piece his life back together after so long?

This book is set in France around the early 1800s. In my opinion, the author did not do a good job of describing the setting. I have no idea what France looked like during that time, so there is no background information to help me. Plus, the setting is constantly changing with the change of characters.

The theme "Taking a Stand" fits nicely into this novel. The Count of Monte Cristo is very rich, but he does not only use those riches to help himself. He also helps those in need of money, such as the young girl who has no money for her dowry. All through the book, the Count makes many friends with those that he helps. He takes a stand against their poverty.

Truthfully, I did not like this book at all. I was not interested in the subject, and there was hardly any action. It was also very difficult to read and hard to get through. I would not recommend it to anyone.
591 Pages