The HitchHiking game

The Hitchhiking game is an exciting story about a woman finding her inner confidence. The most memorable line to me in the story was, "I only kiss girls that I'm in love with." This line seems so degrading towards women, as she still follows through with the sexual endeavors. The fact that he does not love her, but in essence they 'made love' is belittling to me.

The Tao Te Ching

21. Using Emptiness

Harmony is only in following the Way.

The Way is without form or quality,
But expresses all forms and qualities;
The Way is hidden and implicate,
But expresses all of nature;
The Way is unchanging,
But expresses all motion.

Beneath sensation and memory
The Way is the source of all the world.
How can I understand the source of the world?
By accepting.

This chapter of the Tao Te Ching states that the only way of understanding the source of the world, is to accept it. The Tao illustrates that in order for something to have an outstanding characteristic, there must be an opposing characteristic that makes it stand out. The Tao is a simple book, that alludes to very complex thoughts and morals, in regards to life and the world around us.

The Little Prince Quotes

1. "Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them."

This quote is especially ironic to me, because I believe this is the way adults feel when dealing with children. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry used this line to contrast the feelings of a child to an adult, with an adult to a child. This is a funny comparison that I think is well used.

2. "Well, I must endure the presence of two or three caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies. It seems that they are very beautiful."

This quote applies to my life in a special way. It tells me that you must start at the bottom in order to succeed and see the 'beauty' you are aiming for.

3. "To forget a friend is sad. Not every one has had a friend. And if I forget him, I may become like the grown-ups who are no longer interested in anything but figures…"

This quote brings attention to the fact that humans often get so caught up in the hunt for money, and means of survival, that we forget to enjoy ourselves and have fun. I believe this is true, and will help me remember to relax a bit sometimes.

4. "That is the hardest thing of all. It is much harder to judge yourself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself, it's because you're truly a wise man."

Humans are so very quick to judge someone for anything; such as deeds, wrongdoings, appearance, etc. However Exupery calls for humans to attempt to judge themselves first, and that if you succeed in this endeavor you are truly wise. I completely agree with this quote, because I believe when you point a finger, there is always four fingers pointing back at you.

5. "If I were to command a general to turn into a seagull, and if the general did not obey, that would not be the general's fault. It would be mine."

This quote is humorous to me, as a little prince is alluding to commanding a general. However, this quote really makes me think; respect is not a given, it must be earned.

Narrative Blog

1st Person:
My parents always told me I would have an opportunity to make it big. I slowly walked towards the stadium, with my heart in my stomach, and nerves taking hold of emotions. The starting blocks looked desolate but inviting to me, and I was ready. The gun sounded, and we were off. I felt ever muscle in my body twitch, aching, as I tried to explosively win the race. The finsh line was near, and I lunged with ever ounce of power I had toward it. The race was close, but I was gloriously declared the winner. Finally, I had made it, my dreams had come true, I was the reigning olympic 100 meter dash champion.

3rd Person (Limited):
Thomas Driver entered the karaoke competition on the third day of March in Atlanta, Georgia. All of the singers stood on stage, awaiting the random assignment of words to be sung. Thomas walked to the microphone and politely asked for his song. The judges gave him the exciting song, "she bang, she bang." Thomas sang the song with a certain sense of enthusiasm toward the judges. The judges awarded him first place, and Thomas walked off the stage holding his trophy with a smirk on his face.

3rd Person (Omniscent):
Lucy felt unusually skeptical about moving to Minnesota for a new job in a law firm. She stepped onto the unflattering propeller jet, sadly leaving behind her husband and two young children. Suddenly the loudspeaker boisterously sounded with the pilot's voice echoed by mild screams. "Brace yourselves, we are encountering an unexpected engine failure." Lucy's heart fell into the deepest pits of her stomach, her head was seemingly about to explode, because her mind was racing through several sentimental moments with her family. The pilot spoke over the loudspeaker one more time, warning that they were about to undergo the landing. Lucy felt uneasy and overly anxious about the situation, until 'Thump!' The plane had landed safely in an open field, Lucy quickly called her husband and told him of the wild events. Lucy made it home unharmed, and easily made the decision that she would never attempt a trip to Minnesota again.

The Cat?

I believe Marquez intentionally made the answer to the question unclear, 'is Eva in the cat?' I personally believe that Eva does not physically get into the cat, and this is why she eternally fiends for an orange. Eva vividly remembers the orange being above 'the boy.' This boy represents a sexual desire from Eva that she is unable to obtain. This is why the selection of an orange is significant, an orange takes additional order in order to eat and enjoy. Overall, the story is intentionally ambiguous, which adds to the mystery of the story and the overall enjoyability of the read.

Creative Metamorphosis

Part 1



Like most African-american athletes in the late 1900's, a baseball player named Drew struggled to make ends meet. During this hard economic time, Drew had to work three jobs, due to his rejection from the MLB because of his dark skin tone. Drew was a talented baseball player with a big heart, and unseen intelligence, but was often too shy to rebel against the awful cultural norms of that time. Drew had three adopted kids, two girls and a boy. Their names were Wendy (who was called We), Will, and the youngest Flourish. They lived in borderline poverty, and Drew was unable to provide a traditional education for his childeren. Nonetheless, Drew continued to suceed in the Negro baseball leagues, as the reigning MVP and national champion 4 years consecutively.

Part 2
The local grocery store was hosting a public African-American speaker one weekend. The topic was minority empowerment; Drew pondered weather he should go or not because of the enticing topic. His decision was made when he heard the sobering words of his daughter Wendy, "Daddy life just isn't good for us colored people." The speaker was the Reverend John Wall; he energetically pounded the thought of self empowerment. Drew clearly remembered the line "Don't ever allow someone to tell you what you can't do, and you believe it." Drew decided that this would be the driving force in his life and career, and dedicated himself to breaking through into the big leagues. Drew vocalized his issues in court, and stated the not only was the segregation of African-Americans in the MLB was unjust, but that it was not constitutional. Unbelievably, the judge ruled that Drew was able to participate professionally in Major League Baseball, but only to a manager willing to accept and pay him. After months of waiting in anticipation for a contract offer, Drew had given up all hope. When one day the beeper rang; Drew angrily told his son Will to read it. Will read the words, "this is the manager of the Dodgers Branch Ricky, come to my office a little later...," Drew quickly took the beeper from his son's hands, and rejoiced.

Part 3

Drew anxiously walked into manager Ricky's office, trying hard to contain his smile. Manager Ricky solemnly said "Drew, I been hearin' about your heroics in the Negro league. I'm willing to go out on a limb and say your pretty good. Now I've got a preposition for you, I'm offerin' you a contract for 2 years, a little bit above minimum MLB wage, to come play left field for me. The fact that your the first Negro in this thing, is gonna bring you alot of controversy, are you up for it?" Drew cried tears of joy, as he knew his lifelong dream had become a reality. Drew slowly picked up the pen with his right hand, while drying his eye with his left hand, and said "sorry I don't want to cry in front of you." Manager Ricky replied "I understand man, this means a lot." Drew gloriously signed the contract, and rejoiced by reciting the names of his beloved children "We Will Flourish!"

Constructivism

Constructivism originated in 1919 in Russia, and was practiced until about 1934. The main idea behind constructivism was the disagreement with the statement "art for art's sake." Therefore, constructivism was used for soocial purposes; such as posters and any communitive portrait. The style incorporated extremely loud colors and symbols, along with very explicit slogans. These objects were used to quickly capture the attention of anyone that glanced it. El Lissitzky was a big user of the constructivist style, as seen in beat the white man with the red wedge(pictured below.)Mayakovsky was also a huge user of the style, creating portraits such as agitrop (pictured above.)

Art Deco

Avant-Garde refers to the term vanguard or advanced guard. The avan-garde movement began in 1950 in France, and it refers to anyone whose works are exceotionally innovative or experimental, particularly to art and music.

Art Deco refers to the french term Art Décoratifs. The style originated in Paris in the 1920's. Art Deco was a style of painting, architecture, and design that incorporated bold shapes and strong colors. The founding fathers of Art Deco are Hector Guimard, Eugène Grasset, Raoul Lachenal, Paul Bellot, Maurice Dufrêne, and Emile Decoeur. Notable designs that follow the Art Deco theme are the New India insurance building in Mumbai (pictured above), and the Quarr Abbey in England.

National Eating Disorder

The term National Eating Disorder refers to Michael Pollan's view of American society. Pollan believes that Americans suffer from an eating disorder based on super-sized, corn fed meals. I agree, I am from another country that also has fast food companies, and in my view the rate at which Americans consume junk food is astonishing. He illustrates vividly that Americans are increasingly becoming addicted to the luxuries of a fast food diet, such as Burger King and the infamous McDonald's. This fat and oil infested diet, is what Pollan believes is the root of America's rising obesity rate and many poor-health related diseases. I believe that the reason for America's national eating disorder is due to the struggle to obtain healty foods. An unhealthy fast food meal is alot 'easier' to possess than having to cook your own vegetables and rice, and this is why many busy Americans choose this unhealty option.

Me

I was born in the Bahamas on October 15, 1993. My favorite thing to do is play sports. Any sport, I just feel invigorated and ready to do anything. My favorites are baseball and soccer; and I hope to play college baseball next year. In the future, I aspire to be an accountant or doctor. The most fulfilling feeling I have felt in a while, was to play on my country's national baseball team for the 3rd straight year. This summer we went to Puerto Rico and placed third in the Caribbean zone tournament. Also, World Literature has sparked my interests thus far, and I hope to continue this trend as the year progresses!

ee cummings

The poem 'i carry your heart with me' by ee cummings, is a touching love letter to a significant other. Personally, I was surprised to see cummings writing so in depth about emotions, after reading the confusing 'snow.' The line "i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart" lets readers know that he is madly in love with someone, and the bright memory of them burns in his heart eternally. The poem touches me in a deeply emotional way, it makes me feel the true passion he has for this person, by saying that "i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)." I liked this poem alot, and it inspires me to want to read more of cummings works.

William Carlos Williams

I particularly have mixed emotions about William Carlos Willams, because I find his poetry vague and unengaging on the surface, but their always seems to be an underlying meaning. In many of his poems, we simply see him describing his surroundings plainly but vividly. I can understand why many readers would seem to turn away from his works, because at first glance you gain nothing from it. For example, in the poem " blizzard," he is simply describing a snowstorm that left people stranded and lonely. However, this poem must be studied to have any moral understanding. I interpreted that the poem was about life and the obstacles while enduring it.

The Hollow Men

"The Hollow Men" by T.S. Eliot is an intriguing poem that perfectly exemplifies modernist thought. I believe the poem is about men during the 20th century post war era. The author explicitly shows the thought of men during the time, by referring to the men as hollow and violent. I think the writer refers to the men as violent because of their agressive role in the war, and that's how they will forever be remembered by the community. However, the men do no want to retain this image is the idea that I get in the line "." The speaker of this poem seems to be addressing the readers from hell. This poem illustrates the thoughts of post world war 1 veterans well, and clearly relates these thoughts to religion and modernism.

The Yellow Wallpaper

"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, is a grievous story about an insane woman imprisoned by her husband. The story begins by illustrating the woman was on vacation with her husband, John, in a lavish home. Throughout the story, John seems to be very controlling and harsh toward the woman. I think it is obsurd how he locked the woman into a room for days, despite her efforts to get out; no matter what the doctor says. Writing is the activity that fuels this woman's being, she feels as if she is set free and becomes relaxed when she writes, and she is forced to sneak and do this because of her overprotective husband. I think her inability to write is what drove her more insane, she was then forced to stare at walls and partake in know acticity whatsoever. 'The Yellow Wallpaper' in her room becomes vaguely important, she describes it so vividly, not missing a single detail. In the end, John breaks into the room where his wife is imprisoned, and finds that she has gone madly insane and he quickly faints. I believe it is John's fault, and that asll he did was make his wife's mental condition even worse, by locking her up in a room by herself.

My Research Experience

Transcendentalism was an enlightening research topic for me. The lives and works of great thinkers such as Emerson and Thoreau, encouraged me to expand my mental outlook on nineteenth century America. During this time period, the majority of Americans were bound to organized religion, which transcendentalists are basically against. As I was introduced to transcendentalism earlier in the year in class, I always pondered on the question, 'what central thought makes a transcendentalist?' I was pleased to come up with the answer, transcendentalists acknowledge and are humble towards a divine figure, but do not know who this figure is, and this divine mystery is what guided the transcendentalists.
I think I spent far too much time researching the topic, and waited too long to begin the writing process. This late start is what I believe lead to simple mistakes and stress. Developing a thesis was most definitely the most tedious part of the writing process for me, and absorbed the most time. In the future, I believe I should ask for assistance early in the writing process, or attack the thesis first.
My research definitely helped me better understand transcendentalism, and the people that participated in it. Studying transcendentalism also helped to better understand the necessary isms, such as individualism and realism. Seeing that we studied transcendentalism in class and it will probably be on the final, I certainly see this research experience as a plus.

Emerson not a Transcendentalist? (Research)

For months, I have labeled Ralph Waldo Emerson as one of the fathers of the transcendentalist movement. However, I have just recently read an article called "Emerson's Transcendentalism" by Regis Michaud, that totally refutes this. Michaud boldly claims that Emerson is not a true tanscendentalist because he had no system, and was more a philosopher than a poet. He also relates the origin of transcendentalism to Channing, and not Emerson. I feel that this article is invalid because of its lack of adequate examples. However, it did raise questions in my mind that could heavily influence my paper, such as, Who is the originator of transcendentalism?

Test Continuation Blog (Andre Turnquest)

14. Pearl Prynne- Pearl is a mischievous young child, that is wise beyond her years. Throughout the story, Pearl is rebellious to authority and comprehends situations in ways that others do not. For example, Pearl is able to detect the relationship between Hester and Dimmesdale before the community does. Pearl is viewed as unhuman by the community, they go as far as saying that her unknown father is the devil. Pearl struggles with authority throughout the book. I think this is due to her lack of a father, and this is why she refuses to kiss Dimmesdale when they are in the forest.

15. Yes, the book definitely qualifies as an allegory. Nathanial Hawthorne uses 'The Scarlet Letter' to portray many religious ideas and views he possessed. He uses Arthur Dimmesdale to illustrate the flaws of puritanical society. Dimmesdale is a highly respected priest in the faith, and even he commits sin; proving that the human race can never be perfect. Hawthorne also uses Pearl as an allegory to Christianity. Pearl is referred to as "a pearl of great price," which is seen in the Bible as a reference to Jesus.

16. Penance is punishment for your sins, and penitence is feeling sorrow for your sins. When Arthur Dimmesdale says, "I have had plenty of penance but no penitence," he means that he has punished himself relentlessly for his sin. However, he has had to hide his feelings and keep them concealed. This is why he went to Hester in the forest and outpoured his emotion and threatened to kill himself.

17. When Hester Prynne returned to Boston, people stared at her in awe and some even revered her presence. Hester continued to wear the "A" on her chest; she lived in the same cottage and occasionally received mail from Pearl. I think Hester did find penitence because the townspeople eventually forgave her for her severe sin.

18. Pearl's kiss to Dimmesdale on the scaffold is notably significant. Throughout the book, Pearl refuses to love or accept Dimmesdale into her life. Meanwhile, Dimmesdale's mind conscience is being tormented by the thought of his adultery and child. Arthur Dimmesdale outpoured his emotions and confessed his sin to society on the scaffold, and he died shortly after Pearl kissed him. This is symbolic because it shows readers that Dimmesdale had been relieved of all of his worldly worries; he confessed to society, and he was accepted by his daughter.

19. Explanations have been earlier stated:
Enlightenment- Chillingsworth
Transcendentalism- Hester Prynne
Romanticism- Arthur Dimmesdale
Puritanism- Arthur Dimmesdale

20. One of the most important symbols in "the Scarlet Letter" is Pearl. Pearl is conveyed as a consequence of sexual sin, and a reminder of the dreaded scarlet letter. However, Hawthorne also uses Pearl to represent a blessing (the opposite of sin). The name "Pearl," conveys a thought of great value and Pearl is literally Hester's reason to live, being her only 'treasure.'

21. I can prove that Hawthorne is fascinated with the metaphysical by his use of scenery. He places Hester and Dimmesdale in a mystical forest to reunite for the last time. This proves that he is amazed with things that cannot be proved or disproved by science.

22. The central theme of the book has to be sin. Hawthorne uses sin as a focal point for everything that occurs in the book. He uses Hester and Dimmesdale to show different ways sin can affect a person. Hester's sin is acknowledged by society and is shunned, and Dimmesdale's sin is hidden but it torments him inside. Hawthorne also uses sin as a good thing in Pearl. She is a blessing to Hester although she became as a result of sin.

Chapter 8

I find this chapter to be very significant to the story. Pearl is considered to be a 'demon child,' because of her lack of religious knowledge and teachings. Bellingham asks Pearl several religious questions to test her knowledge, however, Pearl responds in disgust and dislike. This does'nt please Governor Bellingham, Chillingsworth and Wilson, and they find it necessary to take Pearl away from Hester for 'Hester's sake.' Apalled, Hester turns to Dimmesdale for help, begging him to tell the men to allow her to keep her child. Dimmesdale says that 'God sent Pearl as a gift and a curse,' and the men agree to not separate mother and daughter. Hester is incredibly thankful to Dimmesdale for this act and places his hand on her cheek. I think this is significant, because once again Dimmesdale and Hester are reunited, however, this time in front of Chillingsworth.

Dimmesdale and Hester? Again?

I am definitely 100% behind Hester and Dimmesdale reunited. They both have endured many struggles and tribulations throughout the years, and are viewed as outcasts to society. We can tell that Dimmesdale is hurt by all of the events, and is deeply saddened by his actions, as seen in the line "And, mother, he has his hand over his heart! Is it because, when the minister wrote his name in the book, the Black Man set his mark in that place?" Dimmesdale never removed his hand from his heart, I believe this is because he is still emotionally unstable from all the past events.

Hester has been publicly shamed and has been out casted, however nobody knows about Dimmesdale's wrongdoings, and he seems to be the one most affected. The first time we see Hester emotionally disturbed is when we see Dimmesdale outpouring his sad story to her. I believe Hawthorne does this to illustrate human emotion, that humans feel more for each other more than any situation can.

Transcendentalism

I was inspired to research transcendentalism because of its central theme of rebellion! There are many transcendentalist writers, such as, Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson (Which we have studied). All of these writers, were rebelling against the general state of culture and society. Ralph Waldo Emerson expressed the thoughts of Transcendentalism in the essay 'Nature.' Emerson broke away from the beliefs of his predecessors by stating, 'He sees the world as it really is. He looks on the temporal in the light of the Eternal. "So he comes to look on the world with new eyes." So he learns the high truths which nature teaches.' The 'he' Emerson talks about, refers to society as a people, and he is pushing society to be open-minded and subtle. Ralph Waldo Emerson also advocated transcendentalism by capturing crowds with his captivating speeches, such as 'The American Scholar.' In this speech he compares the relationship between an 'American Scholar,' and 'Nature.' Emerson heavily stresses 'man thinking,' not thinking man. Man thinking is the belief that man should see the world clearly for himself, rather than be biased from another man or group's thinking. Man must come to an understanding of the world through fresh eyes, and make decisions based upon these views. The movement of transcendentalism fills me with enthsiasm, I feel that further researching this topic will be a life lesson for me, as well as a great opportunity to better understand American Literature.

Chapter 4

In chapter 4, Chillingworth gets into Hester's cell by pretending to be a doctor. Hester realizes who he is and is compelled to shudder in his presence. Chillingsworth gave Hester the guilt trip by saying that he was not goot enough for her and calling himself a 'misshapen soul.' This lead Hester to say, 'I have greatly wronged thee.' Chillingworth was trying to persuade Hester to tell him who is the father of the child. However, she was strnog in her thought, and refused to tell him. I believe she did this in an attempt to save Dimmesdale from the wrath of Chillingsworth. Chillingsworth then asks her not to reveal his identity. This is because he is ashamed of his wife, and is filled with hate and revenge.

Chapter 3

Chapter 3 is an influential chapter, in that it introduces Roger Chillingsworth and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale as characters. Chillingsworth is Hester's husband that has finally returned from europe, to meet his wife being publicly shamed. I think that Chillingsworth was also ashamed of the event, because he told the stranger in the crowd that Hester's husband must have bin foolish for thinking he could keep a young woman happy. Roger Chillingsworth seemed very interested in learning about Hester. This is because he realised the way he neglected her, and he now regrets all the awful things he has done to her.

TSL Chapter 2- Publicly Shamed!

Chapter 2 of 'The Scarlet Letter' introduces a young woman named Hester Prynne. Hester emerges from the iron studded prison doors into a crowd of harsh, jeering people. Hester has a baby in her arm. The line ""Mercy on us, goodwife," is there no virtue in woman," leads me to believe that Hester has had an affair and has born an illegitimate child. This was seen as an unforgivable sin in those days, and this would be a logical reason for she was being humiliated. When the beadle called upon Hester, she visualizes her early life in her mind.She remembered marrying and older man, and following him to Europe. The image of her marriage is a clear-cut symbol in this chapter. This shows us that for some reason they have separated, and she is now undergoing sever humiliation for committing adultery.

The Scarlet Letter - Chapter 1

As an introductory paragraph to a famed book, this chapter seemed surprisingly boring. Not many activities and actions took place. However, I think this chapter did an adequate job of pointing out a major theme, the prison door. A crowd of somber-looking people congregate outside a large, secure prison. The door of the prison is said to have iron studs, which leads me to believe that the prison was made for excessively dangerous criminals. I believe this prison will be a major theme throughout the book, because it can symbolizes a lack of freedom, which can possible be the reason for the writing of a letter.