In our recent unit relating to Jews during the Holocaust, we (essentially) read two books. Elie Wiesel's Night, and Maus by Art Spiegelman. These two books went along well together just as Restrepo also related to Fallen Angels, which focused on an earlier unit in our class.
Night, by Elie Wiesel, tells about his first hand experiences as a Jewish prisoner sent to several different labor camps in Auschwitz. Usually I don't like non-fiction that much, but this book blew me out of the water. I really enjoyed the style of writing Wiesel uses, along with the events and the story line of the book. I highly recommend this book to all classes. I loved it. This story about survival really illustrates how different beliefs and feelings can get you through a traumatic experience like the Holocaust. In Elie Wiesel's book, he says that at the beggining of his journey through the labor camps, he was trying to stay alive for his father's sake. It is here that love is a powerful thing and can get you through many hardships. Elie also states that many other prisoners were doing the same thing, staying alive for loved ones. There were also many other prisoners that were very religious and depended very heavily on their faith in Judaism to get them through their experience in Auschwitz. I think that a theme that is illustrated is that love and faith are powerful things, and help motivate you to achieve your goal, and in this case, that "goal" is survival.
Maus I and Maus II, both written by Art Spiegelman, are about his father Vladek's experiences in the concentration camps and his journey to freedom while evading execution by the Nazi's. From this is sounds very similar to the book night, both of them being about survival and freedom, but these two books are very different. Maus is written in comic book form, with illustrations and seperate pictures for each short scene. Also, the book is written symbolicly with animals representing different peoples, all of the Jew's are portrayed as mice, and the Nazi soliders as cats. There are even pigs and dogs too. I really enjoyed reading the two Maus books, primarily because they were an interesting story to go along with Wiesel's novel. Like Wiesel's novel, i also believe that a theme was that love and faith will help you through your hardest experiences. Vladeks main motivation for survival was his wife Anja, he loved her very much. I think that these two comic books were a great read to go along with our unit about WWII, and were also very interesting and appealed to me.
For our unit in guys lit, it was worth our time to read both the stories of Maus and Night because they go well together and portray similar themes. It was also nice to have somewhat of a visual aspect to the book, when we read Spiegelman's book, because it gives you less to imagine, besides the fact that the characters aren't actually mice. It went well in hand with the more graphic book, Night. It was really a cool process of reading both of the books, because one book gave you vivid details in text, and the other gave you a sketch of what the scene would look like. I think it is because each book complemented the other so well that a lot of the guys, including myself, liked reading these two books in succession. I highly recommend that people should read both of these books, instead of one or the other, because no matter which one you read first, it goes with the next one very well. I hope that students after me will have the privilege to read both of these books, because i thought they were both really great.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Restrepo Blog Assignment
Pretwriting:
1. The scene in Restrepo when that guy gets shot helped me to make the scene where Brew gets killed, seeing the reaction of the soldiers when the man had been shot helped me visualize what it was like for the squad in Fallen Angels when their fellow squad member was killed.
2. The scene in Restrepo when all the soldiers are getting excited to go home made the scene in Fallen Angels when Peewee and Perry find out they are allowed to go home more real. Seeing the excitemnent of the soldiers packing up to go home made me imagine the kinds of emotions going through Peewee and Perry's minds when they said they could go home.
3. Seeing the first scene in Restrepo where Restrepo is talking about his excitement to go kill the Taliban kind of mirrored Peewee's excitement in the beginning of Fallen Angels to go kill the Vietcong, it made it seem like Peewee's feelings to go into war were more real and believable.
4. The scene in Restrepo when the old man runs away from the soldiers when he see's them kind of compares to the scene when the kid blows up and kills a soldier. It compares to this scene because it shows that ordinary people can be or be associated with the enemy. It made it seem like the lady sacrificing her babies seemed more real.
5. In Restrepo, when the squad takes a lot of effort to kill one Taliban shooting at them from the woods, it made it seem more real that in Fallen Angels, they make a lot of effort to kill just one Cong. It made it seem more realistic that during the war, you spend a lot of energy just to kill one enemy.
6. During Restrepo, seeing the Americans set up an outpost near a town where there were civilians made it seem more logical to me that in Fallen Angels, the squad's outpost was kind of close to a town in Vietnam. It made it seem like more of a logical plan.
7. During the film Restrepo, watching the squad getting ambushed helped me to visualize the squad in Fallen Angels getting ambushed by the Vietnam. It was easier to visualize Perry on the hill getting shot at by the Vietnamese.
8. In the first action scene of Restrepo, when the hummer the camera man is hit by a mine. This helps me relate to the scene in Fallen Angels when Jenkins steps on a land mine and blows up. By watching the film it was easier to visualize the blast and explosion that killed the new recruit.
9. In Restrepo, when that guy is killed in the field, they put a tarp over him and leave him there. This helped me visualize when the squad burned the dead bodies and left them there. It makes me feel sad for the dead people, that instead of getting a proper burial, they are just left there to rot and decompose.
10. In Restrepo, Kearney talked about being able to call his family almost every night or before they went on patrol or into a battle. This connected to the letters that Perry and Peewee received from people back in "The World" it made it more real seeing how excited the soldiers were to get letters.
Writing:
From watching Restrepo and reading Fallen Angels in class, i learned a lot about the emotions that soldiers felt while heading to the country they're stationed in, while they're there, and when they are coming home. From watching Restrepo, i connected Dom Restrepo's primary emotions to the war during the opening of the movie with Peewee, while he was on the plane to Vietnam. Both of them were pumped up, ready to kill the enemy. Restrepo even compared himself to a tiger if i remember correctly. Secondly, I made a comparison to the attitudes of the soldiers in the Middle East toward eachother to the attitudes of Perry and Peewee towards one another. From watching the interviews with the soldiers discussing the loss of a soldier, they all seemed to feel like losing a man was "one of the worst feelings ever," which to me really said that they were really close and kind of felt like a brotherly love with each other, which to me connected with the scene in Fallen Angels when Peewee and Richie are sitting in the the spider hole and Perry says that he wants to feel Peewee's touch, to know he was there. Its things like these that really was surprised about and learned about the feelings that grow between squad members while they're fighting in the war. Lastly, I also learned about the feelings that emerge from a soldier when he hears word that he is being sent home. Reading the book, I wasn't exactly able to picture the emotions that Perry and Peewee were feeling, because i couldn't hear their tone of voice and see their actual reactions. Seeing Restrepo, i was better able to understand the feelings and emotions of excitement and joy that the soldiers felt when they were on their way home to their families. Overall, watching and reading these fantastic pieces really helped me learn about the feelings and emotions of a soldier in war.
1. The scene in Restrepo when that guy gets shot helped me to make the scene where Brew gets killed, seeing the reaction of the soldiers when the man had been shot helped me visualize what it was like for the squad in Fallen Angels when their fellow squad member was killed.
2. The scene in Restrepo when all the soldiers are getting excited to go home made the scene in Fallen Angels when Peewee and Perry find out they are allowed to go home more real. Seeing the excitemnent of the soldiers packing up to go home made me imagine the kinds of emotions going through Peewee and Perry's minds when they said they could go home.
3. Seeing the first scene in Restrepo where Restrepo is talking about his excitement to go kill the Taliban kind of mirrored Peewee's excitement in the beginning of Fallen Angels to go kill the Vietcong, it made it seem like Peewee's feelings to go into war were more real and believable.
4. The scene in Restrepo when the old man runs away from the soldiers when he see's them kind of compares to the scene when the kid blows up and kills a soldier. It compares to this scene because it shows that ordinary people can be or be associated with the enemy. It made it seem like the lady sacrificing her babies seemed more real.
5. In Restrepo, when the squad takes a lot of effort to kill one Taliban shooting at them from the woods, it made it seem more real that in Fallen Angels, they make a lot of effort to kill just one Cong. It made it seem more realistic that during the war, you spend a lot of energy just to kill one enemy.
6. During Restrepo, seeing the Americans set up an outpost near a town where there were civilians made it seem more logical to me that in Fallen Angels, the squad's outpost was kind of close to a town in Vietnam. It made it seem like more of a logical plan.
7. During the film Restrepo, watching the squad getting ambushed helped me to visualize the squad in Fallen Angels getting ambushed by the Vietnam. It was easier to visualize Perry on the hill getting shot at by the Vietnamese.
8. In the first action scene of Restrepo, when the hummer the camera man is hit by a mine. This helps me relate to the scene in Fallen Angels when Jenkins steps on a land mine and blows up. By watching the film it was easier to visualize the blast and explosion that killed the new recruit.
9. In Restrepo, when that guy is killed in the field, they put a tarp over him and leave him there. This helped me visualize when the squad burned the dead bodies and left them there. It makes me feel sad for the dead people, that instead of getting a proper burial, they are just left there to rot and decompose.
10. In Restrepo, Kearney talked about being able to call his family almost every night or before they went on patrol or into a battle. This connected to the letters that Perry and Peewee received from people back in "The World" it made it more real seeing how excited the soldiers were to get letters.
Writing:
From watching Restrepo and reading Fallen Angels in class, i learned a lot about the emotions that soldiers felt while heading to the country they're stationed in, while they're there, and when they are coming home. From watching Restrepo, i connected Dom Restrepo's primary emotions to the war during the opening of the movie with Peewee, while he was on the plane to Vietnam. Both of them were pumped up, ready to kill the enemy. Restrepo even compared himself to a tiger if i remember correctly. Secondly, I made a comparison to the attitudes of the soldiers in the Middle East toward eachother to the attitudes of Perry and Peewee towards one another. From watching the interviews with the soldiers discussing the loss of a soldier, they all seemed to feel like losing a man was "one of the worst feelings ever," which to me really said that they were really close and kind of felt like a brotherly love with each other, which to me connected with the scene in Fallen Angels when Peewee and Richie are sitting in the the spider hole and Perry says that he wants to feel Peewee's touch, to know he was there. Its things like these that really was surprised about and learned about the feelings that grow between squad members while they're fighting in the war. Lastly, I also learned about the feelings that emerge from a soldier when he hears word that he is being sent home. Reading the book, I wasn't exactly able to picture the emotions that Perry and Peewee were feeling, because i couldn't hear their tone of voice and see their actual reactions. Seeing Restrepo, i was better able to understand the feelings and emotions of excitement and joy that the soldiers felt when they were on their way home to their families. Overall, watching and reading these fantastic pieces really helped me learn about the feelings and emotions of a soldier in war.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Slaughterhouse Blog
Please list 10 ways you can improve your essay scores
14. I thought it was funny that Billy was an optometrist
1. Read the book more carefully
2. Take a longer time on my essays, instead of rushing through them
3. Use better supporting words and adjectives
4. Have better flow throughout my essay
5. Be able to support my quotes better
6. Have better analysis of my quotes in my essay
7. Study the context of a quote before i put it in my essay
8. Reread the essay after i am finished to correct spelling and gramatical errors
9. Have peers read it and edit it prior to handing the essay in
10. Take time to structure my thesis and topic sentences
7. Study the context of a quote before i put it in my essay
8. Reread the essay after i am finished to correct spelling and gramatical errors
9. Have peers read it and edit it prior to handing the essay in
10. Take time to structure my thesis and topic sentences
Please write any 15 thoughts about the book Slaughterhouse-5. For each thought, please refer to a specific part of the book that generated this thought (for instance, “It was funny” receives no credit; “It was funny when he described the Tralfamadorians” receives full credit).
1. I enjoyed the explanation of the 4th demension by the tralfamadorians
2. I didn't like the first chapter when it wasn't the actual book, but the author's experience
3. I found it confusing sometimes when he traveled in time very quickly throughout the book
4. I thought it was weird how the Tralfamadorians made Billy and Montana live together naked
5. I thought it was cute that Valencia would lose weight for Billy
6. I thought it was strange that Roland Weary thought of him and the scouts as "The Three Musketeers"
7. It was weird to me how the Tralfamadorians were described as how they looked
8. It was baffled when Billy told his wife she didn't need to lose any weight
9. I thought it was odd how when the Germans shot at Billy, he gave them a second chance to kill him
10. It confused me how the Tralfamadorians thought that there were more then 2 different sexes
11. I thought it was a little strange that Billy happened to be the only one to survive the plane crash
12. It was an "aha" moment for me, when Billy say Kilgore Trout's novels that mirrored his experiences on Tralfamadore
13. It was hard for me to understand why the Germans treated the English soldiers nicely.
14. I thought it was funny that Billy was an optometrist
15. It was hard for me to imagine having to live like Billy did on Tralfamadore for how long that he did.
State 5 possible themes for the book Slaughterhouse-5.
1. Life goes on even through death
2. Someone may be gone, but you always have the memories
3. Your life never ends, its just a repeated cycle of memories
4. Maybe humans CAN see in the 4th dimension
5. It is best to remember the good parts of your life and try to skip the bad ones
Write a conversation between yourself and Billy Pilgrim in which he tries to teach you a lesson based on his own experiences. You must explain IN DEPTH at least 3 specific events and details from the book in order to receive full credit. This conversation should go on as long as it takes to demonstrate YOUR UNDERSTANDING of Billy’s experiences.
EXAMPLE:
Billy: Hello, Mr. Cheng
Mr. Cheng: Hi Billy
Billy: Have you heard about Tralfamadore?
Mr. Cheng: No, what’s that?
Billy: It’s a planet where they... etc.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Siddhartha Blogging Assignment
In the book Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, a theme that relates to my life found in the book is the journey to knowledge cannot be obtained not just by being taught, a large part of knowledge comes from doing. This reflects one of my beliefs on life because i believe that one can learn in the classroom, but learning outside of the classroom is also very important too. I truly believe that knowledge doesn't end in a classroom. This theme relates to the book because Siddhartha wants to find knowledge to reach Nirvana. "You have done so by your own seeking, in your own way, through thought, through meditation, through enlightenment. You have learned nothing through teachings, and so I think, O Illustrious One, that nobody finds salvation through teachings." (33-34). From this quote, you see Govinda telling Siddhartha teaching comes not from learning in classroom, but from doing his own things. This relates to my life by my understanding because although i have learned a lot in the classrooms of Edina, i also think that encountering experiences and learning from them has accounted for a lot of my knowledge as well. "You can learn more outside of school having fun then you think you ever would, so make sure you don't spend all your time sitting on your ass in class," my father once told me. I think that also throughout his life, he has believed and still does believe that classroom knowledge is only half of knowledge that is out there in this world to discover.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Macbeth "be a man"
Quote 1:(Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 48-50)
"That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty."
The Context: In this scene, Lady Macbeth is saying to "unsex" her so that she may be a man to kill the King, Duncan.
The Explanation: This quote helps show that usually men had the ability to kill easily and that it was part of being a man. They do not generally have enough of a conscious to remorse after doing bad things.
Quote 2: (Act 1, Scene 7, Lines 56-56)
"When you durst do it, then you were a man; and to be more than what you were, you would be so much more the man."
The Context: This is Lady Macbeth speaking to Macbeth when he is planning to kill the King. Lady Macbeth said that Macbeth was dared to kill him and therefore he must.
The Explanation: Lady Macbeth says that he was dared, and therefore he must. This shows us that Shakespeare thought that a man must do whatever he is dared to do, and he can't back down.
Quote 3: (Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 68-70)
"Infirm of purpose! Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead are but as pictures."
The Context: When Macbeth emerges from the king's layer, he has bloody daggers in his hands. When he refuses to go back. Lady Macbeth has to do it herself.
The Explanation: After Macbeth kills the King, he has a conscious to not go back into the chamber and see what he had done. Lady Macbeth has to bring them back in there herself, but I have inferred that Shakespeare would have expected a man to go and do that himself. But Macbeth cannot.
Quote 4: (Act 3, Scene 4, Lines 69-70)
"Feel and regard him not. [Drawing Macbeth aside.] Are you a man?"
The Context:When Macbeth is freaking out when the ghost of Banquo is at dinner, Lady Macbeth is telling the guests lies about how he has had this happen for a long time.
The Explanation: Lady Macbeth asks Macbeth if he is a man, because he was seeing the ghost of Banquo at diner. She says that as if to ask is he okay. If he were a man, he obviously wouldn't be seeing apparitions and yelling uncontrollably. Which gives Lady Macbeth the right to ask if he is a man or not.
Quote 5:(Act 5, Scene 5, Lines 18-20)
Macbeth:"Wherefore was that cry?"
Seyton:"The Queen, my lord, is dead."
Macbeth:"She should have died hereafter."
The Context: Seyton comes to Macbeth to tell him that his wife has committed suicide.
The Explanation: Although Macbeth probably was very sad at the death of his wife, as a man, and a king. He is obligated to take care of things of more importance. For instance, his power, which was in danger at this moment during the play.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Odyssey Thematic Analysis Writing Assignment
Throughout the story of Odysseus in The Odyssey, there is a recurring theme throughout several of the books. The ability to be patient can give you assurance can be considered a theme for most of these books.
This theme can be used as an example if you think of Penelope's point of view. Although she was unsure if her husband was alive or not, she was patient and did not remarry. Through patience, she was able to see the return of her beloved husband, Odysseus. Choosing to not remarry any of the suitors rewarded her patience with the arrival of her husband so that they could be together again.
Odysseus's journey back home can also be an example of the theme the ability to be patient can give you assurance. Throughout the 10 years of being stuck on Calypso's island, Odysseus was unsure of his wife's ability to stay faithful to him. But through his patience through his travels to get home to Ithica, he was able to discover that his wife had not remarried and was still waiting for his return.
Odysseus also showed that patience has it's virtues by not revealing himself to his wife and servants at first. This was a good idea, because Odysseus figured that he would test everyone's loyalty and faithfulness. He was able to discover that some of the slave women were unfaithful and were having intercourse with the suitors. Being patient and keeping himself hidden was also a good way to reveal himself to the suitors as well as kill all of them.
These are a few ways that patience can give you assurance is illustrated throughout the book The Odyssey by Homer. There are other examples throughout the book, as well as many other themes.
This theme can be used as an example if you think of Penelope's point of view. Although she was unsure if her husband was alive or not, she was patient and did not remarry. Through patience, she was able to see the return of her beloved husband, Odysseus. Choosing to not remarry any of the suitors rewarded her patience with the arrival of her husband so that they could be together again.
Odysseus's journey back home can also be an example of the theme the ability to be patient can give you assurance. Throughout the 10 years of being stuck on Calypso's island, Odysseus was unsure of his wife's ability to stay faithful to him. But through his patience through his travels to get home to Ithica, he was able to discover that his wife had not remarried and was still waiting for his return.
Odysseus also showed that patience has it's virtues by not revealing himself to his wife and servants at first. This was a good idea, because Odysseus figured that he would test everyone's loyalty and faithfulness. He was able to discover that some of the slave women were unfaithful and were having intercourse with the suitors. Being patient and keeping himself hidden was also a good way to reveal himself to the suitors as well as kill all of them.
These are a few ways that patience can give you assurance is illustrated throughout the book The Odyssey by Homer. There are other examples throughout the book, as well as many other themes.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Curtis James Jackson III's Real Life Hero's Journey
1. Special Birth - at an early age, Curtis Jackson's father left him and his mother was shot.
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1265067/bio
2. Supernatural Guide - in his early career, young 50 Cent was introduced to Jam Master Jay
http://www.50centfanforum.com/bio.html
3. Crossing the Threshold - 50 Cent released his commercial debut album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" in February, 2003
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/50-Cent/biography/
4. Hero Partners - 50 Cent was befriended by fellow rapper Eminem, who signed him to his label, Shady
http://www.answers.com/topic/curtis-jackson
5. Tests/Ordeals/Hero Deeds - 50 Cent encountered a test to survive, when he was shot 9 times outside of his grandmother's house in 2000
http://www.50centfanforum.com/bio.html
6. Journey to the Underworld - 50 Cent spent over 6 weeks in the hospital and took about 5 months to fully recover from his injuries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Jackson_III
7. Apothesosis/Deification - 50 Cent emerged successful after recovering from his injuries and even started his own label, G-Unit
http://www.50centfanforum.com/bio.html
8. Death of the Hero - After recovering from his injuries, he moved to Canada looking for somewhere to record songs, as he couldn't find anywhere to record in the US
http://www.50centfanforum.com/bio.html
9. Master of Two Worlds - 50 Cent was a leader in the music industry as well as in shoe design and television shows - http://www.50centfanforum.com/bio.html
10. Freedom to Live - Now 50 Cent produces music openly, without much fear of being shot. And still does music appearances with other artists like Jeremih
http://www.50centfanforum.com/bio.html
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1265067/bio
2. Supernatural Guide - in his early career, young 50 Cent was introduced to Jam Master Jay
http://www.50centfanforum.com/bio.html
3. Crossing the Threshold - 50 Cent released his commercial debut album "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" in February, 2003
http://www.monstersandcritics.com/people/50-Cent/biography/
4. Hero Partners - 50 Cent was befriended by fellow rapper Eminem, who signed him to his label, Shady
http://www.answers.com/topic/curtis-jackson
5. Tests/Ordeals/Hero Deeds - 50 Cent encountered a test to survive, when he was shot 9 times outside of his grandmother's house in 2000
http://www.50centfanforum.com/bio.html
6. Journey to the Underworld - 50 Cent spent over 6 weeks in the hospital and took about 5 months to fully recover from his injuries.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curtis_Jackson_III
7. Apothesosis/Deification - 50 Cent emerged successful after recovering from his injuries and even started his own label, G-Unit
http://www.50centfanforum.com/bio.html
8. Death of the Hero - After recovering from his injuries, he moved to Canada looking for somewhere to record songs, as he couldn't find anywhere to record in the US
http://www.50centfanforum.com/bio.html
9. Master of Two Worlds - 50 Cent was a leader in the music industry as well as in shoe design and television shows - http://www.50centfanforum.com/bio.html
10. Freedom to Live - Now 50 Cent produces music openly, without much fear of being shot. And still does music appearances with other artists like Jeremih
http://www.50centfanforum.com/bio.html
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