Goodbye High School

This year has definitely been the best one yet. I want to thank you, Dr. Forman, for such an incredible year in English. From the interesting essays to creative videos and blogs, I hve never been bored or disappointed with your class. Although I will miss your class and all of my friends and teachers, I really do feel as though we are all ready to depart and start this new chapter of our lives. It's obviously a little scary and obviously exciting, but I know that we are well prepared. So again, thank you for everything, it was a pleasure getting to know you Dr. Forman.

Last creative blog

So I'm in Philadelphia right now for my sisters graduation from UPenn and just thought I should keep you updated. The weathers been pretty bad so far, scattered showers, lightening storms AND humidity...recipe for a great time right? We've been dinning at great restaurants and shopping at some great stores. I've attended three long commencement ceremonies and today Denzel Washington spoke at the huge graduation. It was cool. See ya.

THE SUBLIMINAL MESSAGE IN THE "FEDEX" LOGO

So everybody knows "FEDEX" as America's number one mail company. They get you those new Prada shoes from Ebay shipped overnight express. They get you your new golf clubs expressed to Palm Springs before your tournament at PGA West. Life is good...because of Fedex. But what some people DON'T realize is the hidden arrow in between the "E" and the "X."....What DOES this hidden arrow mean? Well it subconsioucly encourages people to use their company for shipping packages and mail throughout the US. GOTTA LOVE IT.
CHECK THIS NEAT STUFF OUT...

Royal Wedding!!!

The Royal Wedding was soooo beautiful. Although I didn't watch it live, I did watch it the next day from my tivo. It was really long but I didn't watch the whole thing. A few things I learned that different from our customs were that William did not have Kate give him a ring, and they did not kiss. Kinda weird but cool. I think its crazy how much their marriage is and will be covered on the news and celebrity magazines.

Teen Mom/16 and Pregnant Review

So I just starting watching teen mom and 16 and pregnant and I can't believe how hard the lives of these teenagers are. As if the moms-to-be don't already have enough worries concerning their babies' health and safety before yet are born, they also have to deal with their usually rude boyfriends, concerned parents and also have to keep up with school. Very sad stuff but the show really exposes the clear hardships and sacrifices that teen moms really do go through (while still spreading a great awareness about pregnancy prevention and birth control.) I give it an A+!

VERY Rough Draft of my Bucket List :)

Bucket List:
1. Graduate from College
2. Study abroad in Barcelona
3. Visit the 7 wonders of the world
4. Go skydiving
5. Go scuba diving
6. Have a dog once I have a family
7. Find true happiness
8. Ride an elephant
9. Learn how to be an amazing chef
10. Give back to others

Creative Blog

I was watching the news last week and came across a great way to save some money and have a great time! I was informed that airplane tickets round trip from LA to NYC from Sunday-Sunday are $700, but if you fly on a Wednesday-Wednesday, the tickets are about $300. HOW AMAZING!!! So, if you're ever debating between going to New York and cost seems to be an issue, just miss a extra/early few days of school or work to save about $400!!! How informative? Hope ya'll think twice before you purchase those round trip tickets.
ALSO, buying these weekday tickets will save you from additionally conforming to the typical trips and vacations that begin on weekends.

Creative Blog #2

Tupperware-the idea of tupperware not only reflects the role of a woman as a houswive cooking for her family, but it also deals with the idea of being confined in a space. She feels very sheltered and resents her husband for keeping her from experiencing the real world and does not want to be stuck in a contained society anymore. The tupperware, again, serves to symbolize her containment and her cookie-cutter image that she is automatically given because of her gender.

Creative Blog #1

Conformity has presented itself in both Pride and Prejudice and Metamorphosis. The two stories deal with the expectations that society has on its citizens, and explore their ramifications on those who do not necessarily want to follow the social norms. Elizabeth Bennet, for example, goes through her life different than her sisters. She does not look for love or base her life upon having a husband and a family, but rather, she lives her life by doing what makes her happy. Metamorphosis, however, deals with the opposite outlook on conformity. Gregor Samsa is obsessed with his work and providing for his family, which, inevitably causes him to solely revolve his life around completing his everyday routines. He is consumed by society's expectations and does not know how else to live his life even when he is transformed into a vermin, which therefore accurately portrays the affects that conformity has on society.

Introductory Paragraph

Conformity has not only become a prevalent part of ones everyday life, but it has also provided many as a way of life. As much as we all may convince ourselves that we have the power to make our own choices and life decisions, we are all somehow controlled by society's expectations of us as human beings. Whether our outcomes are successful or not, we have all conformed to one way of thinking. Authors such as Kafka aid in proving this through his main character, Gregor's, unimaginable predicament in which he has been transformed into a "vermin." Just like any other middle class working man, Gregor has been so consumed by his work and completing his given tasks that even as a giant bug, he is determined and convinced to go to work and live his day as normally as possible. But who is to blame for this unexplainable obsession?

Conformity

I think that conformity in education is somewhat necessary in the earlier years of one's education, but is less prevalent in later years of school. In order for students to succeed in the educational standards, they must solely memorize and later take tests on specific material that is given in class. Although I do understand the significance of memorizing and training oneself in order to succeed, I do think that a more free method of learning can be introduced as one gets older and more independent in terms of studying and thinking. It is necessary to be pushed in order to have success, but it is also necessary to encourage free-thinking in order to grow as a person.

Question #4, page 1018

I think that Kuper is the most sympathetic toward Gregor because he not only characterizes Gregor as a helpless and scared creature, but he also emphasizes the father's cruel attitude, Grete's concern, and his mother's worries very vividly. Although Kafka's words and descriptions are very beautifully constructed, his ideas are much easier to understand through Kuper's visuals. On page 1003, Kuper illustrates Gregor's struggle to talk to his parents through his bedroom door. Kuper's illustrations depict Gregor in a great struggle and really convince the reader of his hardships in attempting to get up or even speak to his family. Kuper's depiction of Gregor's wiggling legs and frustrated facial expressions show how desperate he truly is, and ultimately proves that Kuper is, indeed, the most sympathetic toward Gregor.

Question #1, page 1014

I think that Kuper's illustrations are both humorous and frightening. They are so overly exaggerated that they completely aid in understanding the humor and almost unreal aspect of the situation, yet they also manage to capture each person's reaction very accurately. This definitely confirms my interpretation of The Metamorphosis and I think that anyone who is reading it should also take a glance at the illustrations for visual help. I think that Kuper chose to illustrate this all in black and white rather than in color to capture the nitty-gritty feel of the whole story as well as set the reader in an older time frame.

In Class Discussion

I personally loved our in class discussions on Monday. Although it is usually very helpful and informative when the teacher is solely addressing and lecturing the class, I really enjoyed this type of discussion. I think that it allowed many people to explore what they truly thought about the novel and also allowed me to consider new ideas about Metamorphosis. I think that these kind of active discussions are extremely helpful in understanding the material in an in depth analysis, but I feel as though they can only succeed if the class knows a good portion of the material as well. If this type of discussion were to be introduced when we first started the novel, I don't think that the level of involvement and understanding would even compare to that on Monday. Overall, I can't wait to continue our discussions on Metamorphosis and hope that this type of learning can be used later in the novel as well.

Introductory Paragraph

Conrad's Heart of Darkness proves how societal standards and norms shelter the ones who live in it. From Marlow's journey to meet and save the idealized Kurtz to his slow transformation to using his subconscious both reveal the effects that the untamed Congo has on him. Conrad utilizes symbols such as the river to represent Marlow's upward struggle to reach Kurtz and to inevitably find his own personal heart of darkness. The significance of Marlow's intense curiosity towards the Congo, and further Kurtz, is that he deeply desires the darkness since he does not ever experience that side of life in his uptight society in Brussles, Belgium; thus critics such as Frederick Karl aid in uncovering Marlow's twisted and disconnected journey towards his true heart of darkness.

Heart of Darkness Worksheet Blog

Although Marlow's society in Brussles sets a standard of living and way of life for its citizens, his strenuous trip to the Congo has altered his perception of what is important in life. Having just arrived from a place where there are no rules, law, or police to regulate behavior, Marlow's return to his organized life style comes as a shock to him. He finds everything to be pointless and purposeless. Everything he once knew has now been tainted by his traumatic experiences in the untamed jungle and he will, therefore, never appreciate or respect the way of life that our society has established.

Essay Idea

My essay idea for Heart of Darkness deals with Marlow's psychological journey into his subconscious. I plan to utilize symbols such as the river and the jungle to further reveal his hypnosis and ultimate obsession of Kurtz. Like Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby who puts Gatsby on a pedestal, Marlow also idealizes Kurtz to the point where he sees no flaws or mistakes made by Kurtz. I want to use all of these aspects of Conrad's Heart of Darkness to fully capture Marlow's inability to control his subconscious when put into such a foreign, chaotic, and wild land.

Marlow's Psychological Journey

Although Marlow is physically taking a journey through the Congo to reach its hear of darkness, his mind and unconscious are undergoing much more than his physical being. As he gets closer to the heart of darkness, Marlow's thought process and ability to complete his assignment are put in jeopardy. His choppy and lengthy sentences show how the jungle and untamed society is affecting his unconscious, so he is therefore experiencing more of a psychological journey than a physical journey. If the opportunity were presented to me, I would probably go on this journey because of its adventure and mystery.

"A woman, draped and blindfolded, carrying a lighted torch"

Marlow's description of Kurtz's painting reveals its somewhat odd character. The woman in the painting is holding a torch-light as a sign of hope and a promising future, yet she is blindfolded and completely unaware of her surroundings. This is obviously ironic and shows the repetitive injustice that is present in Africa at that time. Her blindness as well as the somber and black background of the painting create an ominous feel about the meaning of the illustration. Lastly, the painting is a bit discouraging because it portrays the land as unchartered and unfamiliar; nobody has ever seen or been through this land, and that is why it is such an ominous-looking painting. I think that Marlow would agree with the painting's meaning because he is well aware of the fact that many have not made it this far and that what lies ahead truly is, indeed, darkness.

Heart of Darkness, Question # 2

Marlow describes London in "very old times, when the Romans first came here" to compare the mysteries and potential discoveries that are also left to be found in Africa. He is claiming that England, too, used to be a disgusting, dirty, and poor place, but with Roman's power, it became a beautiful and organized place to live. Marlow keeps his views optimistic by convincing himself and the reader that maybe there is some good that is undiscovered in Africa. He believes that in the heart of darkness, there is also a potential good and beauty.