The Bitter Sweet Courage of Sydney Carton

In Book the Second, "The Golden Thread," chapter 13, "The Fellow of No Delicacy," Sydney Carton at last reveals his aching love to Lucie Manette. With courage he professes his love:

"My last supplication of all, is this; and with it, I will relieve you of a visitor with whom I well know you have nothing in unison, and between whom and you there is an impassible space. It is useless to say it, I know, but it rises out of my soul. For you, and for any dear to you, I would do anything. If my career were of that better kind that there was any opportunity or capacity of sacrifice in it, I would embrace any sacrifice for you and for those dear to you. Try to hold me in your mind, at some quiet times, as ardent and sincere in this one thing. The time will come, the time will not be long in coming, when new ties will be formed about you — ties that will bind you yet more tenderly and strongly to the home you so adorn — the dearest ties that will ever grace and gladden you. Oh, Miss Manette, when the little picture of a happy father's face looks up in yours, when you see your own bright beauty springing up anew at your feet, think now and then that there is a man who would give his life to keep a life you love beside you" (Pg. 154).

Reading this I could feel Carton's pain. A pain that brought ache to his heart and peace to his soul. As I read the novel I was constantly waiting for Carton to finally reveal his heart's desires and genuine intentions. With that said, it is inevitable to ignore the way Dickens uses this powerful moment of love and heartache to foreshadow the motivation behind Carton's decision to sacrifice himself to preserve the life of the man who was his rival in earning Lucie's love. The way he would "embrace any sacrifice for [Lucie] and for those dear to [her]." How do you guys feel about this all or nothing moment?

The Golden Thread

Lucie is said to be the golden thread that unites her father to " a past beyond his misery, and to a present beyond his misery" (pg. 8). She is Mr. Manette's life line, reeling him in whenever the agonizing memories of his imprisonment in the Bastille attempt to engulf him. Eighteen years of forced solitude endangered his grasp on humanity. His evanescent state was made apparent by his feeble voice, vacant stares and slow mechanical movements. I like to think of him as a defenseless child who has had a nightmare and must be comforted and slowly caressed into reality. When he is removed from France, the source of his distress, the nurturing is allowed to commence.

Karina Enriquez

The Peasant's Plight

Chapter 5 of Book the First not only foreshadows the savagery of the Revolution, but also identifies its predominant instigator. "Want" plagues the people. They have been continually ground down. Every furrow of oppression on their face bears the sign of hunger.
Dickens use of anaphora in page 30 is very effective. He talks about the prevalence of Hunger in all aspects of the peasants' lives. This singular noun is inseparable from the poor. Their life is steeped in misery because the hunger eats away at their spirit and quality of life. "It's abiding place was in all things fitted to it." The permeation of unfulfilled basic necessities is inescapable. As I read the passage, I could sense the desperation and constriction that residents of Saint Antoine felt. They harbored so much pent-up rage and resentment that when it eventually broke loose, a torrent of bloodshed issued forth. To what extent do you think the grotesque violence of the Revolution could have been avoided? How supportive do you think Charles Dickens is of the peasants' struggle and subsequent actions?

Karina Enriquez

Make it Count!

Congratulations on joining AP English! This is your senior year so I hope you guys will take advantage of all that South Ridge has to offer. I encourage you to take the literature Mrs. Ross will review out of the classroom and into your own life. Here are some tips to help aid in your endeavors in AP English.

·         TAKE NOTES! If Mrs. Ross talks about it, it’s important and should be written down. She shouldn’t have to tell you to write and I encourage you keep your notes organized. They are meant to help you, not make your life hard.

·         KEEP ORGANIZED! Have a planner to keep track of due dates and work that has to get done.

·         READ! Don’t just read what Mrs. Ross assigns. The more you read and review what you have read, the more prompts you’ll be ready for when the AP test comes around.

·         DON’T PROCRASINATE! Don’t wait until the last minute to work on your projects.

·         BACKUP! Things happen, save your work periodically and have duplicates in different places.

Reminders: Get your college stuff done. Hopefully you have all taken the SAT’s and if not, there coming up in October (you’ll have to register by SEPT. 7th by going to the collgeboard.com). Scholarships are miracle workers! Fill out as many scholarships as you can! Don’t forget that colleges have deadlines and it’s a first come first serve basis. Your chances of getting scholarships and getting into colleges will improve if you get involved with your community by joining clubs and collecting community service hours.

            I have faith in you guys! Work hard and always strive for improvement. Remember; make your last year of high school count.

The Good Ol' Wine Shop :)

In A Tale of Two Cities, I think that chapter 5, The Wine Shop still remains the most vivid, memorable chapter from the book, and one of my favorites. It gives insight to how "savage like" the French Revolution would become. The chapter depicts the dropping of the wine casket outside of the wine shop, which is ironic because that was where the Defarge's resided and commenced their gatherings of planning the revolt. The red wine is also a symbol of the blood that was shed & how the people of that street desperately desired the wine. The chapter continues on explaining in great detail the drinking of the wine, which I find the most favorable. Dickens describes the "wine game" lasting. The roughness, playfulness, companionship, frolicsome embraces, shaking of hands, and the eagerness to drink the wine was able to create a picture perfect scene in my mind. Not only that, but the way Dickens continued to foreshadow the time when "wine too would be spilled on the street-stones, and when the stain of it would be red upon many there." Anyway, enough of my rambling. I was wondering what other passages or chapters were most favored by you guys? :)

"A wonderful fact to reflect upon..."

In the beginning of chapter three of Book The First in A Tale of Two Cities, the narrator opens the chapter with a thought on the mystery that everyone holds:

“A wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other. A solemn consideration, when I enter a great city by night, that every one of those darkly clustered houses encloses its own secret; that every room in every one of them encloses its own secret; that every beating heart in the hundreds of thousands of breasts there, is, in some of its imaginings, a secret to the heart nearest it! Something of the awfulness, even of Death itself, is referable to this.” 

I have always wondered how it's like in the minds of others and what secrets separate their life to be unique from everyone else’s. Our personal thoughts play part in defining us and I find that to be a bittersweet gift of life. It’s saddening to know that we will never be able to fully know our beloved ones; but that’s exactly what holds it to be beautiful. This quote also reminds me of transcendentalism because Dickens is aware that we are limited to know one another because of our minds. How do you interpret this quote?

-Cinthia Monge

Wuthering Heights

Bronte has chosen a setting reflective of her characters. The area, as Lockwood explains, is subject to "atmospheric tumult."  No doubt its inhabitants will be as volatile as their environment. Descriptions about the house's structure allowed me to make connections to the protagonist. Wuthering Heights was built strong, with narrow deep-set windows to protect it from the ferocious wind. Similarly, Heathcliff's eyes "withdraw suspiciously under their brows'' upon contemplating, not nature's, but human intrusion. His cold, hard exterior and rough "corners" are defenses. Heathcliff is the true misanthropist. Because he does not resist but rather embrace and incite the hostile surroundings, he is able to avoid the fate of the poor stunted firs. What intrigues you about this chapter?

Tone in A Tale of Two Cities

In chapter two of Book The First, Dickens begins to establish a tense and obscure tone. Dickens depicts the tone of this chapter through a detailed description of the treacherous journey on the road to Dover, the fear of highway robbers, and the distrust among the travelers and towards Jerry Cruncher. It seems that this particular tone will become consistent throughout the story not only because of issues that France and England are facing, but also the unexplained answer of Jarvis Lorry that will probably to lead to greater issues. Based on the this tone, A Tale of Two Cities is an example of a Gothic novel. With this in mind, what particular passages do you guys believe depict the tone of this chapter? Did you guys notice any other tones?  

this is a trial

The Destruction of Man (or the psycho)

Last month James McTeigue made an attempt to bring to life horrifying works of Edgar Allen Poe through his film The Raven. Now, this isn’t a film revue, but an inquiry into my love of Poe. When I watched that movie, I admit, I was disappointed. But it is because of that film that I decided to dig up the ol' Poe collection and bury my head into those pages of wickedness.

Throughout many of Poe’s work, I’ve noticed the reoccurring theme of the destruction of man.

In the “The Tell-Tale Heart”, the nameless narrator claims he’s fully sane. He proves to be the exact opposite of that throughout the remainder of the story. “You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. But you should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded…”  The reoccurring image of the old man’s wicked eye is the narrator's indicator of his poor mental condition. "I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye forever." This eye controls him profusely; it gave him a reason to be rid of him altogether. The beating heart of the old man is a symbol of the guilt brought on before and after his murder. Having to listen to the thumping heart, even though no one else but him could hear it, caused his guilt to seep out and brought him to admit to the murder of the old man he so tediously plotted to murder.

Another one of my favorites is “The Black Cat.” This short story conveys the same concept, which is that the narrator at the opening of the play starts off my proclaiming that he too is not mad, saying “Mad indeed would I be to expect it [belief], in a case where my own very senses reject their own evidence. Yet, mad am I not—and very surely do I not dream.” The man telling this story is already conflicted emotionally, being that his only companions are his pets. The two important factors of this story needed to take into account are the narrators alcoholism and the Black Cat that so mischievously haunts him. Like the eye in "The Tell-Tale Heart," the alcohol drunken by the character serves as a catalyst for all the wrong doings done by the narrator, and the Black Cat is the representation of guilt and evil within him. It drives him insane until his ultimate downfall. The cat enrages him to the point of him taking it out on his wife. He kills her and hides her amongst the walls of his own home. His guilt is so strong that he cannot completely hide his suspicious nature and gives away his secret to the police that have come to look for his wife's body. The police storm the wall and dismantle it, discovering the hidden corpse. Upon its head sits the missing cat.

What I find to be quite interesting is that point where the two narrators/characters of these stories need to justify their sanity, when it is blatant enough that they cannot be by the looks of the events unfolded amongst the pages of their gripping stories. Why do you think that Edgar Allen Poe added this detail in?

-Marissa Santos

Graduation Angst

As graduation approaches, so do many other important things. College has been the one thing that has kept most of us busy. Whether it's financial aid, scholarships, or housing, the truth is we are probably all overwhelmed by now. Not to mention the stress we are all feeling this very moment due to our upcoming AP test. What I've been doing to help me study for the test is go over one of the study aids designed for our class. They help tremendously if you take the time to actually work out the tests and study the terms. What I like to do is go over a section that I don't feel very confident in and then after I study it, I'll take a quiz from the book. I have also been taking Mrs. Ross' advice and been going through all the handouts she has given us all year. It's interesting to look at the scores we got in the reading practices she gave us and see what we have improved on. I would strongly recommend everyone to really know all the AP terms or atleast familiarize yourself with them because that is going to be a big part of the test; there are a lot of them so it's best to have them down. In my book, it recommends that you take one full length test a week before the test. We're almost there guys, let's finish strong!

Net Generation Relationships

I wonder what the up and coming generation is going to identify with romantically. Our fast pace culture of vast technology and globalization--of which each generation of phone and music player becomes antediluvian every six months--has affected us in many ways, it's effects permeate through almost every aspect of our lives. One of the implications is that we have an emerging culture of young adults that can contact each other with a mere whim who have an increasingly low capability to delay gratification. This means that peer-pressure can exert itself with a more immense amount of force than ever before. where does this leave conservative and romantic views of chastity and monogamous relationships? The answer is hard to say, but it is clear that these emerging forces are creating a new paradigm of the idea way for the emerging generation to handle themselves concerning their love lifes. With all of this technology young adults have a bigger load of responsibility put upon them. Given this perception, what direction do you guys think we are heading into romantic-wise, and how close does our culture resemble the world state of Brave New World in this sense?

Financial Aid

The most stressful thing when preparing for college is financial aid, well at least for me. I started my long journey with my fasfa form. Although, that went by well its the paper work that I have to file for asu that I struggle with. First because its most of my moms information so its hard for us to find time in between our schedules to just sit down and fill every thing out! But I think when it's all done it will work out for the best.

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Long steps towards college

    College has been a frustrating experience for most of us. Waiting to be admitted, paying enrollment fees, and doing your FASFA are just some obstacles we, as high school seniors have to deal with. My experience has been a long patient one. The first step was getting accepted by the college I wanted to go to, which was ASU. However, having completed my application in early December and being accepted late February was a long painful wait. What would seem like everyday I constantly check my ASU email in order to hear back from them. After a couple months I grow hopeless and started to lose faith. In the end it paid off. The next step was the FASFA, which even more worse than getting accepted. Having to repeatedly tell my mom to file her taxes in order to complete my FASFA was frustrating, she did not get the fact that her not filing soon would affect my future. She finally filed, and I completed my FASFA in late April. Now I am only waiting for my FASFA to be viewed and accepted by ASU, so I can complete the rest of the tasks that I need to do.
           
  -Mario Hernandez

Scholarships and Goodbyes

I have been very busy lately with scolarship essays and recomentations, etc. Mrs. Rivers has been a great help. maybe yo guys can follow up with her if you need advice on what to do with your life, were you want to go, your goals, everything that yo need advice with she'll be there to guide you through. also, you know enrollment fee is about 300? well jobs anyone? because i sure wouldnt be able to manage that on top of everything else! i suggest babysitting or maybe cleaning your neighbors job for a couple bucks, you can also tutor your neighbor (or aunt's) troubled kid for a generous donation( wink wink) :)
I recommend you do something most people feel lazy about doing like cleaning after their dogs or giving them a bath etc. you guys catch my roll? You should also think abut getting a piggy bank in case your tire pops one day on your way to school or in case you NEED a car!
Junk food anyone? cut it out of your diet and see how much money you'll actually save! (trust me, alot!). Back to the money issue, lie to your parents and say the movie tickets increased by a dollar or two, if you go out every weekend then you should see your wallet slowly increase by 2's and if its not, the obviously you are doing something very wrong (lol).
Yes, my post might be a little humerous but take the advice and save up or work for those 300, or 500, or however much it takes for you guys to go to college. its a great opportunity to do it not only for yourselfs but for all the people that immigrate into this country wishing for a better life, do it for them, so that one day, you guys can be great doctors, helping the minority or teachers, educating those who WANT to be educated. Do it for the sake of doing it! Just because you can.
I hope to see all you guys at ASU or something close to that in the fall. I've come to love all of you guys because through these years, we have been like a giant family, helping each other through the path that we have chosen and I really wish the best for all of you, and if for whatever reason, your life is not filled with accomplishment then let it be filled with happines:) (tear).

ps. I know theres still a month of school left, two accodring to darlene (inside joke) but it just so sad sometimes. Sorry you guys :)

The AP curse

Are you guys ready for the AP exam? I know I'm not fully prepared for everything that might be slammed in my face that day. But, I've been practicing the terms a lot lately. It's what I've had the most trouble with and now I've been improving when it comes to identifying the terms. For instance,  while I'm reading my book, Life of Pi, I'll constantly pick out the similes, metaphors, and the few instances of allusions I've seen. It's becoming something that I do whenever I read any form of literature. It's definitely helping, but I can't seem to stop. Sometimes it will ruin my immersion, but it's for the best...

What are you guys working on for the exam? Is AP leaving it's mark on you?

College Readiness

Has everyone gone through the steps for their pathway to college?
Well, I can definitely speak about ASU.

First, make sure to stay updated with your MyASU, because you never know what scholarships and financial aid you can receive. Also, check your regular email and ASU email to stay updated, because that is the main medium of communication.

Follow the process & quickly! BEcause tomorrow is actually the last day to accept all financial aid packages.

Confirm your major, and pick your dorm rooms before there is no space!
Be sure to sign up for orientations, which start in June! There is a $75 fee if you want to bring someone along with you.

DO NOT be afraid to ask for help. Dr. Rivers is a stupendous help for this sort of thing. Also, don't shy away from chatting with ASU personnel, or calling them. THEY ARE THERE FOR  US!

OMG the Test is Near! What can I do?

So the time for the A.P. English Exam is approaching and we find ourselves scrambling to study. Many of us rely solely upon those A.P. study books but carelessly look through them realizing they are overwhelmed by words that never really state a point. Of course if you enjoy reading it on the side that is your deal but I know only a few days remain for that test and the least you want is an overwhelming feeling. Remember K.I.S.S.? Keep it simple stupid! Well don't overload yourself the night before the test or even a week prior to. Relax and handle it step by step. First review what you know. That includes the information from books read in class and on the side. Don't forget that %45 of the test also includes the multiple choice and if you know you are that person who can't make up their mind (which I can relate) then just remember to move on or choose the most logical answer. Remember K.I.S.S.! Work on quotes as well. Tey can be your last resort if you feel you are going to blow that essay. Also be conceded. What I mean is include yourself. Remember you don't want to bore the reader but interest and engage them into believing what you have to say. I will say this GET A GOOD REST! I don't know how to emphasize it more. It's also recommended you take snacks to keep you energized through those 3 hours. Since (assuming) you have all taken the SAT then you understand how tiresome one can be after the exam. Relax. Try your best and don't cram information the night before. :D GOOD LUCK TESTERS!

Bernard: The Byronic Hero

In the first chapters of Brave New World we are introduced to Bernard, a timid outsider. He being an Alpha Plus is supposed to be the epitome of civilization, the perfect conditioned man. Yet perhaps because of the extra alcohol he exemplifies rather the opposite. His gaunt demeanor, gives much to yearn for, and rather than use kindness to get what he wants Bernard yells at lower caste members to follow his orders. I personally didn't like Bernard when he was first introduced but as the story keeps going like many modern men, he looses himself in the high of pleasure. Bernard's acceptance after he brings the savage, proves to be better than soma and prehaps more addicting. Now Bernard has a girl or even two in bed every night, he has "friends" but at the cost of his identity. Do you find Bernard to be a likeable character, prehaps a byronic hero? Do you feel that Bernard like Siddhartha, will reach a high point of pleasure/alleged acceptance yet feel envious that the void of knowing your different and unhappy will never be filled?

Consumerism, A double edged sword.

One of the things highlighted in Brave New World is Huxley's fear that what we love will bring about our downfall--Consumerism. Unlike 1984 which illuminates many fear tactics and psychologically oppressive stratagies used by Tyranical governments, Huxley focuses more on the governments of developed countries. Consumerism is generally found in capilist countries, the equivalent of socialism in repressive countries. Although capitalist countries generally have great wealth, they have their own flaws. In our country people have given up their political powers for consumer sovereignty--which smartphone we should buy instead of decisions that truely make a difference. This is one of the fears Huxlely warned about consumerism in Brave New World.

Identity vs. Society

For this block's independent reading, I chose to do The Picture of Dorian Gray.
To my surprise, this book has been a pretty fun read. Im not far into the book yet but I get the vive that it has to do with finding your true identity and no matter how many people try to inrfluence you, its better to remain independent from bias and not everybody is looking out for your best interest. Does this sound familiar? Duh!

Block 2, I read the Adventures of Huckleberry Fin and that was relatable because it dealt with knowing yoouself and your limits as well as being free of social bias. Huckk is confronted with either doing what his identity tells him is right (to not turn Tim into to the police) or to do what society expact him to do (turn Tim in).

Could We say that Frankenstein is also about identity? The Monster as well as Victor deal with the need to please society's ideals but are torn with wanting to follow their true nature.

The Brave New World is full of Identity crissis. Can you guys think of any other books that deal with this popular theme?


I know The Brave New World is full of it. If you guys could help me out with examples, it would be great. Thank you.

Will I Ever be an Individual?

How hard is it to completely break free of societal and environmental standards, mentalities, and pressures and follow your own path?

Let the novels and writers speak for themselves:

Victor Frankenstein broke all the rules and did what no being had ever done, recreated human life. However, horrified of the monster's facade, he abandoned it, telling only one soul before his death, afraid of judgement from his peers, and society.

Siddhartha takes a path through life trying to depart from those who follow teachers, determined to find, conquer, and teach himself. Only to find out that it is, in fact, a cycle that many people take in life- going to trials and experiences to find themselves, and create an identity upon it. Having a child that would do the same thing.

Bigger Thomas wanted so badly to free of white oppression, but was too afraid to even talk to them. His surroundings conditioned him to be this way. Not only did he fit the stereotype of a black male in the ghetto, but remained a static character. His idea of free was accepting the fact that he was a murderer. Not repentance, or redemption.

And so we learn that breaking free isn't so easy. The question becomes, can it be completely achieved?

Huxley a time traveler?

Aldous Huxley seemed to have a great sense of what the future had in store for us. His book "A Brave New World" was like a window into 21st century society. It painted a world where consumerism is at the heart of everyone's mind, and no day goes by where people aren't completely lost in their self indulgent lifestyles. Of course not everyone enjoys of the luxuries, but for the most part they've all been "brainwashed" into believing that "happiness" needs to be in the form of instant gratification. Fast forward into the world of 2012, and here you see a part of "brave new world." Most non third world countries live in a state of gratification by convenience. We get what we want when we want it. We've gotten to the point where we don't even have to leave our homes because just about anything can be ordered to our doorsteps. We live an "Alpha" lifestyle & very rarely does the general population care for what is happening to "the savages", third world countries. Do you guys believe we will ever transcend this way of living?

Like Meat

Is it just me, or do women in A Brave New World sound like love crazed objects? Women such as Lenina are described as pneumatic; which is to be of air. That’s making them some sort of inflatable pillow perfect for bed. Plus, they can be seen following men around like Helmholtz pretending to be lovesick puppies. The way the men talk about the women degrade them to food. “I’m surprised you haven’t had her,” Like she’s the specialty of the week. However, does the “every one belongs to everyone,” degrade males as well? Basically, are the two genders dehumanized to the same level or do women bear the brunt of it? If that is so, then why would Huxley degrade them like that?

Crimson: what it might mean in Brave New World

While reading Brave New World, I've noticed that the color crimson is commonly used, specifically in chapter 5, with lines such as, "Crimson at the horizon, the last of the sunset faded," "T shone crimson against the night,"and " crimson twilight of the Embryo store." Furthermore, in chapter 5 we see a glimpse at what the society portrayed in Brave New World worship. The idea that consumerism and materialism, distributed by mass production has replaced God in the religious role of the society additionally exemplifies the use of crimson in this chapter. Doing some research I was able to discover that the color crimson usually symbolizes an individual's status, commonly the upper class, along with power. Additionally in the Elizabethan era, high church officials were seen wearing crimson ropes. It also represents humility and atonement , which are all seen in chapter 5 of the book, with Bernad Marx, "Separate and unatoned, while the others were being fused into the Greater Being; alone even in Morgana's embrace-much more alone indeed, more helplessly himself than he had ever been in his life before." We can infer that Albert Huxley's utilization of the color crimson in chapter 5 exemplifies the meaning of chapter 5 as a whole, the significant role that religion plays in society, however in Brave New World it is conveyed through consumerism, with "Ford" playing the role of god.

Sources: http://www.ehow.com/facts_7172355_crimson-mean-symbolically_.html
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/2166122

-by: Mario Hernandez

This Is the Year of our Ford?

Maybe it's just me but I have noticed certain economical themes that are portrayed in Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. A great example of this is the replacement of the word "Lord" to "Ford" one of America's greatest industries even during the Great Depression which is referenced in the book as "the great Economic Collapse" on page 48.
"In the nurseries, the Elementary Class Consciousness lesson was over, the adapting future demand to future industrial supply. 'I do love flying ,' they whispered, 'I do love flying, I do love having new clothes, I do love...' (Pg. 48)"

This idea of consumption is prominent throughout the book. On chapter 5 part 2 Huxley mentions a place where an immense T is shone. This T could represent the image of a cross, and instead is replaced by T which signifies Ford Model T. Society replaces religion with materialism.
Also, has anyone noticed the sign that represents years, "A.F."? Well to us it would normally be A.D. or B.C. but in the book it probably means "After Ford". My question is, who exactly is this Ford?

What has struck me the most interesting about Brave New World is how Aldous Huxley, in creating a Utopian society where people are regulated, does so not through despotic means but through strategical mazing of the human mind (Whether it's reverse psychology or not I'm not one-hundred percent). Endorsing people's natural urges to be sexually active at young ages disintegrates what we today, as a society, look down upon. Where we endorse limited sexual partners, Huxley's Utopia encourages unlimited promiscuity. The act of doing so degenerates love to a meer mockery, freedom an isolated figment of our imagination, and propagates stable efficiency as the metallic road of all truths.

Does the Kite runner compare?

i know its highly known but how many of you saw the kite runner and were utterly dissapointed with the movie? i know i was. very dissapointed. the movie completely left out various important plot details. hassans mom was left out of it, so was the suicude scene which in my opinion should have been included. i probably would have liked it or enjoyed the movie if i hadnt read the book but since i read it, then i cought all of the deviations and i just couldnt be ok with it. how many of you have loved a book and hated the movie? shouldnt the directors be able to get it by now?

Memoir: Discussion

After finishing my memoir for Mrs. Ross, I was left questioning if what I wrote would have any inpact on other people. Also completeing the memoir was rather difficult. It took me a while to finally decide on a memory that I would write about. The problem I faced was that I could remember a certain memory, however I had difficulty remembering the dialouge of that day or how people looked like.
This blog post was designed for students to discuss their thoughts on their memoir as well as interact with other classmates and discuss theirs.

Lurking in the Waters...

Like a sea monster, Amir drowned Hassan in the lake of blaring loyalty. Amir knew that he didn’t deserve the friendship of Hassan and was filled with shame for it. Baba performed a similar sense of betrayal to Ali. Even in the end, Baba took the secret of his treachery to the grave. According to Rahmin Khan, Baba sought redemption by indulging in philanthropy. He became a better individual because of it. However, Amir felt that “Rahim Khan had summoned me here to atone not just for my sins but for Baba’s too.” Amir’s shame brought nothing but pain; pomegranate and moving incident. What’s the correct way to atone for a sin? Do 100 million good deeds erase the one blemish?

Life of Pi

"I know zoos are no longer in people's good graces. Religion faces the same problem. Certain illusions about freedom plague them both" (Martel 14). The main character Pi in Life of Pi, is both a firm believer in zoology and religion. He is Muslim, Christian and Hindu. The book defends the common spirit between all three religions, allowing a duality between a character. It is through Pi that we see harmonious ground not only between different religions but between science and religion, proving that they can coexist together. In the quote above, Pi talks about the safety that a zoo creates for an animal, yet people find them constricting. Likewise religion is seen by people as an inhibitor of freedom and thought. Is religion constricting or like Pi claims religion is the home and hearth of humans and allows people more freedom?

Love in the 21st Century

when it comes to love we live in a generation of not revealing our true feelings because we're afraid of what they might mean. we instead exert them indirectly in menial incrimints as to maintain some sort of veil that keeps us from being exposed. It's become some sort of mass coping mechanism that has materialized a new concept of love. No longer do people give in to one another, this emerging relationship is between two strong willed individuals; this new concept has emanated because women are now more independent than ever. It seems as though romanticism is evolving

A Changed Man

Throughout, the Kite runner Amir and Hassan foil one another. Hassan is portrayed as the valiant, loyal, athletic Hazara. While Amir is the complete opposite he seems to be loyal; yet, he does not stand up for Hassan when he needs it. Also Amir is a cowered as explained throughout, the book. However, despite these differences one sees Amir towards the end starting to Mirror Hassan rather than Foil him. He goes out of his way to find Sorab and upon fighting Aseff he leaves with the boy and takes him back to America. However, Amir also gains a hair lip much like Hassan's and as he runs away he says to Sorab, "for you a thousand times over". This shows how Amir has completely changed into Hassan, he has become loyal to his son. It seems that America is their new beginning because with no class lines Amir is open to say Sorab is my nephew without persecution. Through tha, the roles between Pashtun and Hazara are reversed.

Waiting for My Time.

Have you all noticed that the themes in the novels Siddhartha, The Kite Runner, and Native Son have a connection?

Siddhartha expected to find himself immediately after he left home, to find the answers that couldn't be taught by man, but it was not until he experienced life, fully. Siddhartha had to make mistakes and fail before gaining success.


Amir, from The Kite Runner, spent his entire life in self loathe and hatred for prior mistakes in his life. Seeming to never find an escape from this personal abyss, he plants a life over it to forget the past. However, "the past claws its way out", and Amir was forced to confront it. Similar to Siddhartha, Amir found peace in the end, but only through undergoing and facing his trials.

Bigger Thomas, from Native Son, wasted his life in fear. Fear of the whites, fear failing. This confined fear caused Bigger to make irreversible mistakes and become imprisoned. Although he remained a static character, Bigger was no longer afraid; he accepted his death and became content with the person he was. Furthermore, he found his own tranquilly, able to die in peace.

It took a process for the characters to find themselves. If anything, these novels teach us to let time take it's course.

Living in America town?

"You've always been a tourist here, you just didn't know it". (Hosseini 232) In chapter 19 of The Kite Runner, Amir returns to the home he never truly knew, Afghanistan. As a child, he had lived a sheltered life away from the merciless grip of the violent streets in Afghanistan. He had never known life outside of his gated home or even the community. Amir had lived an americanized lifestyle. When the cab driver very bluntly described this to him, Amir felt irritated but knew it was the truth. He found his home unrecognizable because he had never truly lived in what Afghanistan was; a country torn up by the constant bickering between old religious clans. Despite being born in the country, Amir felt like a stranger. A person who had no right to claim Afghanistan as his home. Have you guys ever been somewhere you thought you knew but realized it wasn't at all what you remembered?

Rain drops are falling on my head...

"I was afraid I'd change my mind. I was afraid I'd deliberate, ruminate, agonize, rationalize, and talk myself into not going. I was afraid the appeal of my life in America would draw me back, that I would wade back into that great, big river and let myself forget, let the things I had learned these last few sink to the bottom. I was afraid that I'd let the waters carry me away from what I had to do. From Hassan. From the past that had come calling. And from this one last chance at redemption." (Hosseini, 2003)
I really like this quote. It embodies many of the topics which we talked about in class today. For example, the culture which Amir is ingrained in. Much like Hermann Hesse, Khaled Hosseini also embraces the imagery of water. Hosseini presents the water cycle as a change that has overtaken the character and the fact of the matter is Amir's life is a cycle in which, eastern philosophy states, what leaves, inevitably comes back--balance. However, Amir also portrays mans resistance to change: self-doubting, selfish, and restrained we subconsciously weigh the options (is the profit higher than the cost? Economic "common sense" right?). Yet blood succumbs profit.

There is also a theme of cleasing that occupies the motif of water. Has Amir's stay in America "cleansed" him of his culture?

Lets take a look at something much more close to home here--The "DREAMers". Most undocumented students, or DREAMers, have lived most, if not all, their lives in America. Their one pursuit--acceptance and embrace of who they are, not who they should be. Neither wholly American or Mexican (foreign), DREAMers live in the gray in utter limbo. These are exemplary people who are outcasts simply because they are not the warranted desire but rather foreigners in their only known home. My question here is, What defines culture and how does it affect the individual?

Is Courage an Illusion?

Ok, this blog is going to pertain to that one question, "is Amir a sympathetic character?"
Although in my mind I wished he wasn't, Amir does impose a severity to which humans accustom themselves to--fear. Therefore, I believe Amir is a sympathetic character (even if he is a coward). More often than not, humans act out of selfishness and only think about and for themselves. The whole topic brings to mind the show "What would you do?", and it is evident that people, unless having gone through the same or a similar experience, find helping a threat unlike those who who find it as a challenge. A challenge to rectify the injustices and stop these type of occurrences. I completely understand, though. Amir should have done something to help Hassan. However, I wouldn't know what to do. I wish I would be courageous enough to do something at the sight of something as horrific as that, but I just don't know. It sounds plain and simple in writing and words but actions speak louder than words. This is the only way I could see Amir as a sympathetic character--do first, regret later. What do you guys think?

Big Brother is Watching!

For my independent reading, 1984 by George Orwell caught my attention. Since I picked up the book, I have not been able to stop reading. It is ridiculously good. The book details a dystopia where the world has been divided into 3 large powers known as Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. Oceania is a combination of the Americas along with the British Isles. Amongst the population, there are few who know of this past world, and even fewer who know the truth. Everyone is oppressed and manipulated into believing every single detail spewed from their leader, Big Brother. The population is under constant surveillance by the "ThoughtPolice" who punish anyone for "ThoughCrime" by erasing them from existence. Basically, Liberty has been crushed, and human rights were completely decimated in favor of a more controlled society. The Government's role is to manipulate your thoughts as well as your actions. It's a very sterile world with little to no progress. What really irks me is the thought of absolutely no free will. No moment is private. It's a totalitarian style government gone beyond mad. The most chilling thing lies within the message imprinted in the minds of every soul in Oceania. "War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength." 1984 really makes you think about the common phrase, "History is written by the victor". This world presents itself as ideal, but every congenital human right is obliterated. Do you guys think rendering a population into mindless drones is the only way to ever achieve a "efficient" society?

Daddy issues: insigh to the relationship between Amir and Baba

Like any child, Amir grew up looking up to his father admiring everything everything about him. He loves him dearly, however he struggles with the acceptance of him. So far in the book we see numerous instances of Amir trying to prove himself to Baba in order to receive his affection. Baba struggles to relate to Baba, he expects to be a certain way and when he isn't, he becomes a little disappointed. " He signed me up for soccer teams to stir the same passion in me. But I was pathetic, a blundering liability to my own team, always in the way of an opportune pass or unwittingly blocking an open lane," states Amir. Baba hoped that his son would grew up to be like him. Amir in the process of trying to be accepted would do anything for it. We see this with the blue kite, as Hassan gets violated, Amir does not protect him and only wishes to present the blue kite to his father, which he ends up doing and finally gets a glimpse of the acceptance he wanted. As the novel continues I can infer that the relationship between Baba and Amir continues along the same path, with the struggle of acceptance.

POSTED BY: Mario Hernandez

The Sultans of Kabul: insight to their relationship

In The Kite Runner Amir and Hassan expose things about each other others character that we otherwise wouldn't percieve; they're a great example of duel foil characters. Their relationship provides perspective into the internal conflict each faces; Amir with the struggle to seek redemption from his father and Hassans guilessness which blinds him from the true nature of Amir and leaves him susceptible to pain in the form of betrayal. to think though that Amir would be a more noble person because of his status knowlegde and upbringing and Hassan would be more callous and selfish but in their relationship these traits are switched, in this way they feed off of each other are in a grotesque sense of equanimity; Amir ostricizes Hassan yet seeks validation from him and Hassan claims he would do anything "a thousand times over" for Amir yet he doesn't need amir, he can handle himself and become a great person if he really wanted to. There's many ways to interpret their relationship, how do you guys perscieve it?

The Kite Runner and the persistance of the past

In the first chapter of the book, we see that the narrator takes us to a flashback of the days of his youth. In the first page Amir says that the past can never be buried. “That was a long time ago, but it’s wrong what they say about the past, I’ve learned, about how you can bury it. Because the past claws its way out. Looking back now, I realize I have been peeking into that deserted alley for the last twenty-six years.” Almost all the characters in the novel feel the influence of the past somehow intertwined in their lives. Sohrab for example, has been so traumatized so much by his past experiences that it affects all his behavior. The prolonged physical and sexual abuse he endured makes him flinch anytime Amir touches him or makes a motion towards him. Amir also does not let go of the past because he constantly is reminding the reader of it. He acknowledges that the myriad of experiences that most of the characters have had, shaped who they became.

Smile! Very few do.

Out of the several characters we meet, in Siddhartha, only three of them smile! The first to smile was Gotama; on page 27, Hesse writes, "With a secret smile, not unlike that of a healthy child, he walked along, peacefully, quietly." The second character to use his facial muscles was Vasudeva, "Vasudeva's smile was radient; it hovered brightly in all the wrinkles of his old face" (page 136). Lastly, the third character to smile was, indeed, Siddhartha. Hesse writes, "And Govinda saw that this mask-like smile, this smile of unity over the flowing forms, this smile of simultaneousness over the thousands of births and deaths-this smile of Siddhartha- was exactly the same as the calm, delicate, impenetrable, perhaps gracious, perhaps mocking, wise, thousand-fold smile of Gotama, the Buddha, as he perceived it with awe a hundred times" (page 151). We see the smile used as a symbolism of enlightenment; therefore, any character that did not have a revalation of perfection or equanimity did not smile! Well Hesse did not write about it in order to bring great significance to these wise individuals.

You've come this far...

I could not have read a better a book as Siddartha and for this (I dare say) Hermann Hesse is truly a man worthy of winning the Nobel Prize in literature in 1946. What I loved most about this novel was Siddartha's shaping of his personal ideals and his struggle to acquiesce with humanity. We can all agree that we ourselves are in Siddartha's shoes, in one way or other, in the sense that our adolescent and emergent adulthood is a time in our lives that asks a lot from us. How so? Well, for one, we must now realize that this year will be our first step to "self-realization": a time where we hold ourselves accountable for every single (if not most) aspects of our lives, and secondly we will be tested on our practice of them. The phrase "take the good with the bad" has been ever-prevalent in our lives, and now, as our latched hands unlock we are ever so tempted by what we need and what we want but we must never in any case forget that the future is not set in stone and how we face the brunt of reality is only one train of thought in the big scheme of things.

Life is What You Make It.

"Awareness is the quintessential teaching of the Buddha--from the awareness of cool air as you breath in and then out, to the profound awareness of natural perfection. And with boundless compassion and courage, the sole purpose and activity of all the buddhas it is to ring the alarm bell that brings us to this awareness." From the reading of Siddhartha, I gained a certain cognizance and perspective on my past,present and most importantly my future. Like Siddhartha, I wish to acheive a catharsis--where I can make sense of all the hurt, happiness, frustrating, confusion, pettiness that festers in myself (at times) and that surrounds me. Buddhism beleives that with every decision there is a lesson awaiting, whether that lesson is wanted or not is irrelevant; whether you learn from it and gain a sense of awareness is what really matters. That said, what was it that you all gained from the reading of Siddhartha? I know the obvious answer may be perspective, and if so, what perspective focally?