3rd quarter review

I feel blogging has helped me a lot in my work and advanced me as a writer.  In the beginning I hated doing writing assignments but with this its so easy and actually fun to write and not worry about the length of it or ant nonsense because u understand our writing and you know how to read it without your own biases that every human has. What I have taken away from this experience is that my old English teachers were very archaic in their ways and it didn’t really sink in with me, this class did and always will. I feel continuing to do this will be a great approach and an asset to me and my work ethic. I say as an English teacher u should continue this for future classes and especially for our class next year.  I feel you should grade the way u have been, on the content based on what it’s saying not how long you can say the same point over and over. This hasn’t really changed how my community works  but it has kept me enjoying this class and making me happy. Over all I feel this was a great addition  and process to the classroom.

the great gatsby 2

This book The Great Gatsby was an interesting book but what I find more fascinating is how Fitzgerald represents and captures the time he lived in. His work reflected what he lived through and how he saw it all. His whole purpose for writing he once said was to “reach his generation”. He wanted to summarize his whole life experience and the view of the world in his writing and books. He grew up poor and yet lived in a rich town, this great irony is reflected in The Great Gatsby. He felt his fictional writing would “appeal to the lingering aftereffects in the readers mind”.  Fitzgerald in my opinion was a great writer years ahead of his time he had a great grasp of the things happening around him and knew how to capture its very essence on paper. You can feel the envy he has about the rich in how negatively there represented in this book.  He shows the realism that even when people have everything it may not be enough to make you truly happy, or a simpler way to say it is money cant buy you happiness. Overall I feel Fitzgerald was a great writer that still grabs a reader’s attention today and will continue to do so for generations to come.

the great gatsby

“Whenever you feel like criticizing any one,' he told me, 'just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.'"

I find this quote to be a very interesting beginning to the story and a strong statement. It sets a tone of how Nick was raised and how he decides to act as a human being.  This is also a great message to live by as a reader. I find books often don’t give such clear messages like this and they should.  This also shows what kind of a father Nick had which was likely the man he is a reflection of today. The idea of Gatsby himself raises many questions and a lot of question. This story barely has Gatsby in it thus far he is a brief shadow in the scene or not even mentioned. Overall I find this book very interesting so far.

langston hughes part 2

Langston Hughes grew up during the early 1900’s which had a lot of racism and hate towards African Americans.  He also lived in the south, which was a dangerous place for African Americans. This poem has no rhyme but a certain rhythm and meter. The feeling behind the words are what draws me to this poem, you can feel the pain and suffering of the time. The other poem I read was http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/freedom-s-plow/ in this poem he uses much more description and powerful words to describe freedom and the fight for it.  What makes his work so American is his writing of slavery and freedom for those slaves. This shows a clear vision that only an American could write.  He has a style that changes with each poem. He does not stick to one kind of poem which gives the poems more appeal. Langston Hughes was a great American poet and still inspires us to this day. His words still move me and gives me a great vision of the past struggle and triumph of African americans.

langston hughes: the negro speaks of rivers

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15722

mark twain journal

I think that Mark Twain is trying to say that being good is not always the answer. He has a common theme of mischevious boys that always win in the end. Huckle berry fin is a great example of this. I wonder if Mark was a good or bad boy in his life. This must have been written for adults because it has a long and complicated story with a pretty violent ending.  The relevance of Mark Twain to me is his nostalgic writing, to me this is classic American literature.  Here is a great quote to sum up his writing theme. “ This Jim bore a charmed life – that must have been the way of it. Nothing could hurt him” this was how Mark Twain felt about evil or troublesome boys. I feel this is an interesting and different point of view on life growing up. Over all I think Mark twain was an interesting writer of the American realism era.