Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.
~Mark Twain
Monday, May 14, 2012
Double Point of View
Harrison Bergeron
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
A Pleasant Way to Die
Author's Note: Here is my abstract piece that was written after I wrote my essay "A Pleasant Way to Die".
In my recently written essay, "A Pleasant Way to Die", I prove that the narrators husband was setting the narrator -- his wife -- up for death by insanity. In the short story, he took her to a house she openly admitted she was afraid of and was never home to comfort her. The husband is a physician. With knowledge of the body, he locks his wife up and confines her to her bed. She refers to "bars" surrounding the walls. These bars symbolize the jail cell she feels like the house is, having no freedom to leave under her husbands close watch. Most readers would think that he is doing this to cure the illness she claims to have, but she clearly states "He does not believe I am sick!" Why does he pretend to be concerned for her well-being? Why does he feed her strange tonics and assign her strange activities? Why could he possibly enjoy torturing his own wife?
My last piece of proof regarding this man's deliberate killing of his wife takes place in the final scene. The husband fainted when he saw his wife creeping along her wall in pure insanity. The reader writes the scene to make us believe he was taken by sadness regarding the small portion of his wife's life that is left. Unfortunately, the cruelest part of this short story is that he does not faint from sadness, he faints because his experiment to turn his wife insane has succeeded. He was so overcome with excitement, he couldn't even stand.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
A Make-Shift Mother
Author's Note: We were assigned to choose one character from the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird and write a creative piece from that character's point of view. I wrote about what Calpurnia, the maid, thought about the series of events taking place after Tom Robinson's court case, and what she thought of Scout and Jem.
No series of unfortunate events ain't gonna stop me from caring for these wonerful folks. I came here years ago feelin' bad for Atticus's loss, not knowing his gal personally but hearing stories and rumors about her fine skin and nice personality. I knew I's only apposed to cook and clean, but after seein' the depression in this family I knew it was my time to step up and play the mother role in these kids lives. Jem didn't need me much, seein' as how he's growin' to be a fine man like his Daddy, but Scout..oh that child needed me more than ever. Not only does she refuse to wear dresses, but Ol' Alexandra want her to join all them ladies at the gossip table! Scout wont know what's comin. Hopefully by the time Alexandra say she don't need me round here no more, Ill have left enough impact for lil Scout to be a fit young lady. Yes, I said it. There will someday be a time when Alexandra offically replaces me. Now don't go worryin' about me, Ill be ready. I'm getting old anyway. Black women don't show it, but the ladies down yonder near Dolphis Raymond, they in they deep 50's when they look fit to be 25.
Now two different mysteries have been solved in the past busy week. Number One, Boo Radley's real as the sun shinin' down in the evening. After hearin' them children's stories about his whereabouts for the past few years "Boo Radley's a mad murderer!" "Boo Radley sewed up Jem's pants, Calpurnia!" "Boo Radley ain't left that house for 30 years!" I finally got to see the nice fellow. Saved Jem's life, he did.
The other mystery solved is what Mr. Ewell's been plannin. We knew after the court case that he wouldn't let Atticus out of his reach for long, but none of us knew he would tryin' kill his chillun! After he brought out that knife, any folk in all of Maycomb would've done the same as Mr. Radley. Now he's dead an no longer a problem. Jem's still sleepin his life away, but I suppose he would've done that anyway. And Scout's been trying to contact Dill. Those three chillun are my reason for bein' here. Without them I would be trapped up in my church day and night. Although I am thankful, I must keep 'em in my sight for as long as I can. I'm gonna make sure they grow up to be big and strong, and never forget they make-shift mother, me, Ol' Calpurnia.
Monday, March 19, 2012
What It Takes to Make A Child Cry
All children are sensitive until they reach their teenaged years, and all cares fade away. But while they are children, cuts, scrapes and bruises can cause tears for hours. Unlike adults though, they have no real emotions for negative words and events. Knowing this, I found it strange how halfway through the court case in To Kill A Mockingbird, Dill broke out in tears. Reverand Stykes, Jem and Scout took him outside and prompted him to explain his emotions. Dill was sick to the point of tears on the racism of the people of Maycomb County. If such unfairness can do this to a child, then just imagine what it must be doing to adults like Judge Taylor. Dills sadness proves what the case is doing to the county, and everyone in it.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Thoughts Not Meant to be Shared
Mr. Neck: "So tell me why my son can't get a job"
How does a Social Studies class answer such a question? How is it relevant to social studies in the first place? You can't; It isn't. The author put this passage in Speak to showcase how cruel of a man Mr. Neck really is. Simply because his son cannot get a job as a firefighter in New York (because of lack of talent, strength, education, connections, or a possible criminal record -- it does not say) he lectures his ninth grade class on how America should close its borders so that real citizens can get the jobs they need, and opens this up for discussion. Any teacher in their right mind at Pewaukee High School, Middle School, or Elementary school would never do such a thing unless they are preparing for a note asking for them to kindly take an unpaid vacation for the rest of the year. We now know that Mr. Neck has no sympathy for students, is discriminitive toward races besides his own, and has absolutely no passion for teaching. If Melinda's life was ever climbing toward happy before this point, Mr. Neck rolled it up into a snowball and sent it right back down.