The Catcher in the Rye

This block I chose to read The Catcher in the Rye. If you have not read it, I encourage you to do so. A coming of age story, it primarily speaks of a teenager's struggles with external as well as internal conflicts. Is society "phony?" It may well be but this book allows us to enfocus our determination to rectify its malstructure. "We're taking over the world", am I right? Well why not start by learning a few things about yourself, through Holden Caulfield's experiences? We can all sympathize with his struggles to understand man's logic, and a teenager's grasp on reality.

Presentations and Music

I really liked the Idea's everyone discussed in their presentations, it really brought some perspective to all of the intricate themes that are explored in Shakespeare. i had some questions on Mario's presentation though: (if you're reading this Mario) I didn't understand how you said supernatural forces didn't pick sides and how that statement could be made in the case of Hamlet's fathers ghost, and also you said that the witches used Macbeth's ambition just to cause trouble and I was wondering what they had to gain from doing that. I really liked your use of the diagram though, it was really insightful. on another note, APE has made me start appreciating music on a whole new level, the amount of literary devices that go into some of the lyrics and I'm not just talking about similies and metaphors commonly found in rap and hip hop, but consonance, aphorisms, asyndeton, epiteth, imagery, periphrasis, puns, syllepsis, and more! i smile when i recognize some of these and am able to understand how the artist uses these to make the song more meaningful.

Presentations

I think the presentations were really insightful on themes and perspectives in which I had never perceived Shakespeare's tragedies from. Jose's presentation was especially insightful though in stirring up a topic that I thought I knew a lot about, Hamlet. What I found most interesting about his presentation was that, he quoting a scholar, said that Gertrude married Uncle Claudius merely to not fall more deeply in love with Hamlet. Before this I had always seen the incestuous love as one sided coming only from Hamlet towards his mother. But as I continued thinking about this inference it does seem that her hasty marriage was not because she was 'whore' but because her desire to avoid beginning a relationship with Hamlet, her son. My question is though, if Hamlet motives were based upon jealousy towards the Uncle more than through the death of his father, did he ever really love Ophelia as a lover or was it limited to a strong friendship?

The Invisible Man

This block for my independent reading book, I read The Invisible Man By Ralph Ellison. As a young man, in the late 1920s or early 1930s, the narrator lived in the South. Because he is a gifted public speaker, he is invited to give a speech to a group of important white men in his town. The men give him a suitcase containing a scholarship to a black college but only after humiliating him by forcing him to fight in a battle. With this, he begins his painful journey through life recieving endless rejection. This character reminds me a lot of Bigger Thomas because they undergo very similar struggles. I don't want to give away much but I really recommend everyone to read this book!

The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin

So for my independent reading book, i chose to read the Adventures of Huckleberry fin and frankly, im loving it. Huckleberry is just the kind of boy that doesnt know any better about his actions and is just very naive, mostly due to the fact that he used to have no home or education, or manners. This book would have been a great addition for us to have read in class because along with Native son, it ties into racism, discrimination and dissaproval toward Huckleberry and his household's black servant Jim. Since huckleberry doesnt know the rules of society, he is unaware that befriending Jim is frowned uppon and even after Jim tells him that their friendship can't be, huckleberry doesnt care.