A response to A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Death is something that has occured in my life, leaving many challenges, yet new opportunities. Yet, even with the sadness, I learned that something good will always come out of something bad. Life goes on, sadness will not stay, and love will last forever.
It swallows you whole, leaving nothing but sorrow, deception, and hate. You’re in a hole, unable to get out, crawling, scraping, clinging to life by a thread. Clinging to that thread, knowing that they, your loved one, your own father, had his thread snap above him while he was desperately grabbing the air. The loss of our own kin is experienced by many as we grow wiser and stronger, closing the gap between innocence and experienced.
As Francie is physically growing older, so is her mind and experiences. Parents try so hard to protect there children from the Truth, that when it is experienced, it hits you harder than you can imagine. That one final night of innocent sleep before the Truth of Johnny is revealed, her last before those memories and thoughts are there forever,creates a sorrow unlike any other. A memory as black as the mourning clothes, draped upon her shoulders, a shield from the world’s evil, and a sign of what the world’s evil has done for her, become her indelible memories of that faithful night.
People who have never experienced the weight of a death, do not understand the feeling of life. The need, the pull, to live is taken away, it is grabbed from them, leaving them cold, alone. The feeling of loss with turns to a feeling of betrayal, never learning how to deal with this quagmire. Francie comes to learn the need of family, that they are there for you when you need them, always there. Without the love and support of her family, Francie would never be able to contain the weight of this loss.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Life
Life is a gift, given to many, lived by few. People take life for granted, never realizing what a gift they have with food, clothing, and shelter. Money isn't the only thing in life, ans each person has something worth living for.
The choice of the life you will live, lays in your hands, in the choices you make as a human being. Scarred by your own intentions of evil and good, you can only do so much to live a happy life. Everyone has a silver lining in their few years of living, a gold thread among the bare. But everyone also has a black curtain, a shadowing of their own troubled years. With the needed balance of evil and good, people must decide if they are going to turn that weight more towards one side.
Living in a life of poverty and hunger, Francie’s mother, Katie, does what she can to educate her children to live a less scarred life. But Katie cannot hide her from everything, the ugliness of life cannot be avoided. There is a scene where Francie wants to help her mother in her time of hardship and pregnancy. She is about to reach into a bucket of water to help clean when her mother stops her. “No, don’t put your hands in that water. It is made of soda and lye. Look what it has done to my hands. I don’t want your hands to get like that.” As water is a symbol of life, and hands are what you have done, Katie doesn’t want Francie’s life to be ruined by the evil and cruelty. Katie wants to save Francie.
As the choice of life lays in your hands, many people wish you well in those choices, while others try to deceive you. Francie is learning to stand strong against life, just as we all should. The choice you make will either weaken you to your knees and strengthen you for harder times yet to come.
Life is a gift, given to many, lived by few. People take life for granted, never realizing what a gift they have with food, clothing, and shelter. Money isn't the only thing in life, ans each person has something worth living for.
The choice of the life you will live, lays in your hands, in the choices you make as a human being. Scarred by your own intentions of evil and good, you can only do so much to live a happy life. Everyone has a silver lining in their few years of living, a gold thread among the bare. But everyone also has a black curtain, a shadowing of their own troubled years. With the needed balance of evil and good, people must decide if they are going to turn that weight more towards one side.
Living in a life of poverty and hunger, Francie’s mother, Katie, does what she can to educate her children to live a less scarred life. But Katie cannot hide her from everything, the ugliness of life cannot be avoided. There is a scene where Francie wants to help her mother in her time of hardship and pregnancy. She is about to reach into a bucket of water to help clean when her mother stops her. “No, don’t put your hands in that water. It is made of soda and lye. Look what it has done to my hands. I don’t want your hands to get like that.” As water is a symbol of life, and hands are what you have done, Katie doesn’t want Francie’s life to be ruined by the evil and cruelty. Katie wants to save Francie.
As the choice of life lays in your hands, many people wish you well in those choices, while others try to deceive you. Francie is learning to stand strong against life, just as we all should. The choice you make will either weaken you to your knees and strengthen you for harder times yet to come.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Veterens Essay
Veterans Essay
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
With everyone's busy schedules, when should we make time to celebrate those who fought for our freedom? Every day, people forget those friends and family who fought for our country, and those who might have been wounded, or even those who lost their lives. If we continue to remember them only a handful of times a year, they will begin to fade from us. As long as we don't forget them, those friends and family will stay alive.
Out of 365 days a year, only three of those days are dedicated to commemorating those who fought for our country. On May 25, our nation celebrates Memorial Day. Our nation remembers those who fought for our country and died. July fourth is also Independence Day. This is the day meant for us to remember the Revolutionary War, and our separation from England. November eleventh could also be called be called Veterans Day. We remember all those soldiers, dead or alive, and commemorate them for their help to keep this country safe.
Citizens of this nation should remember those soldiers who fought 365 days a year. We should express our thanks each day, so as they will not be taken for granted. Whether a friend, family member, or stranger, each day someone is in the armed forces, protecting our country. Whether they are in harms way, or home safe, they still have said they will fight and protect us. Thanks to all of the soldiers, we are safe.
Heritage is what should truly shine in a person. Everyday we should stop and think about those people who fought for our country and our heritage. The people who died, died for our safety, whether they knew us or not. Without them, we might not have had the freedom and safety we have today.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
With everyone's busy schedules, when should we make time to celebrate those who fought for our freedom? Every day, people forget those friends and family who fought for our country, and those who might have been wounded, or even those who lost their lives. If we continue to remember them only a handful of times a year, they will begin to fade from us. As long as we don't forget them, those friends and family will stay alive.
Out of 365 days a year, only three of those days are dedicated to commemorating those who fought for our country. On May 25, our nation celebrates Memorial Day. Our nation remembers those who fought for our country and died. July fourth is also Independence Day. This is the day meant for us to remember the Revolutionary War, and our separation from England. November eleventh could also be called be called Veterans Day. We remember all those soldiers, dead or alive, and commemorate them for their help to keep this country safe.
Citizens of this nation should remember those soldiers who fought 365 days a year. We should express our thanks each day, so as they will not be taken for granted. Whether a friend, family member, or stranger, each day someone is in the armed forces, protecting our country. Whether they are in harms way, or home safe, they still have said they will fight and protect us. Thanks to all of the soldiers, we are safe.
Heritage is what should truly shine in a person. Everyday we should stop and think about those people who fought for our country and our heritage. The people who died, died for our safety, whether they knew us or not. Without them, we might not have had the freedom and safety we have today.
Friday, December 4, 2009
College Bound Brother
College Bound Brother:
It was an incredibly cold, windy day as I trudged down the sidewalk. I could barely suppress the tears as I when I opened the door. It felt like just yesterday that my brother had been accepted to Marquette University on a full-paid scholarship. The look on my dad’s face said he couldn’t be more proud. My mom’s face revealed how happy and sad she was at the same time. Personally, I felt neither emotion. All I could concentrate on was holding back the waterfall of tears. Alex, my older brother, my best friend, the one who held me for an hour straight at the hospital when I was born. Now he was leaving me just when I was going into eighth grade then high school! For the moment I felt pure anger at him, then realized that college was going to be extremely hard for him. At least harder than high school would be for me. Except for the fact that he wouldn’t be here anymore. Just when he is leaving, I realize how much I truly need and depend on him. Because I need him so much, I knew I would miss him more than anything.
Today we will be moving Alex into his dorm. His roommate, Sean, is a good friend from high school. It’s good that he’ll have someone at college that he knows. I gave a heartfelt gift to Alex as a going away present. Even though he was against it, he allowed me to organize, design, and decorate their dorm. Of course, they did all the heavy work. Very slowly, I began to have fun with them in their dorm, and even began to forget that three hours from now, I would be home without my caring brother beside me.
On the ride home, I sat silently, staring out the window, listening to my ipod. I focused on the words and the beat of the song, avoiding anything that might remind me of Alex. When we arrived home, I ran upstairs, and enclosed myself in my room. Suddenly my cell phone rang on my bed stand. I leaned over and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hi Kelsey, it’s Alex," a familiar voice whispered. "I just wanted to say ‘I love you."
It was an incredibly cold, windy day as I trudged down the sidewalk. I could barely suppress the tears as I when I opened the door. It felt like just yesterday that my brother had been accepted to Marquette University on a full-paid scholarship. The look on my dad’s face said he couldn’t be more proud. My mom’s face revealed how happy and sad she was at the same time. Personally, I felt neither emotion. All I could concentrate on was holding back the waterfall of tears. Alex, my older brother, my best friend, the one who held me for an hour straight at the hospital when I was born. Now he was leaving me just when I was going into eighth grade then high school! For the moment I felt pure anger at him, then realized that college was going to be extremely hard for him. At least harder than high school would be for me. Except for the fact that he wouldn’t be here anymore. Just when he is leaving, I realize how much I truly need and depend on him. Because I need him so much, I knew I would miss him more than anything.
Today we will be moving Alex into his dorm. His roommate, Sean, is a good friend from high school. It’s good that he’ll have someone at college that he knows. I gave a heartfelt gift to Alex as a going away present. Even though he was against it, he allowed me to organize, design, and decorate their dorm. Of course, they did all the heavy work. Very slowly, I began to have fun with them in their dorm, and even began to forget that three hours from now, I would be home without my caring brother beside me.
On the ride home, I sat silently, staring out the window, listening to my ipod. I focused on the words and the beat of the song, avoiding anything that might remind me of Alex. When we arrived home, I ran upstairs, and enclosed myself in my room. Suddenly my cell phone rang on my bed stand. I leaned over and answered it.
"Hello?"
"Hi Kelsey, it’s Alex," a familiar voice whispered. "I just wanted to say ‘I love you."
English Room Renovation essay
English Room Renovation Essay:
Des Cartes once said, " I think therefore I am," but it is very difficult to think with uncomfortable environment of the English room. Without a change to the English rooms structure, students will have difficulty feeling passion and creativity. The school should put forth the effort to help make the English room a place where kids can work hard and still relax. While other rooms require work, this English room needs to allow students to relax in order to do their best possible work.
Inside the English room, the students know to expect a cold area with colorless walls held together by hospital-like, tile flooring. As they walk through the room to their seat, the rows upon rows of the cages school calls desks, are set up in straight lines in order to keep things organized. While the students sit uncomfortably in the desks, all they can do is sit and listen to their teacher’s voice. Nothing can really catch their eye or give them something to listen to as a background noise. Instead of promoting creativity and knowledge, the school sees the need for everything to be neat and orderly.
Warmth, beauty, and nature should all be incorporated in a classroom. The first floor of the English room should be a place where students walk in and immediately feel warmth. A stone-lined fire pit in the center of the room adds warmth, decoration, and a soothing sound. Surrounded by a border of stones, a waterfall cascades from the ceiling into a miniature pond. Leather armchairs allow students to relax in an ideal spot for reading or studying place. Navy blue walls and a grass green carpet give a soothing sensation to the room. Two oak wood bookcases tower over the room, supplying students with a surplus of books for enjoyment, resources, and laptops. Alone in a corner, a spiral staircase leads students up to the second floor.
As warmth, beauty, and nature are important pieces of a classroom, these pieces have a potential to create a usable classroom on the second floor. A circle of armchairs allow student to see and hear other peers. At the center of the circle, a fire pit lined with stones adds warmth and beauty. Complimenting the fire pit, a dark brown carpet and navy blue walls tie the classroom together. Off to the side, a stainless steel fridge holds food and drinks for students and the teacher, and beside the fridge is a row of oak wood cabinets with a green granite countertop. In a corner of the room, a door leads to a tranquil atrium. This atrium holds many flower and bush hedges. For decoration there is a decorative well, a waterfall, and a koi pond. Many students would think this an ideal place for reading, talking, or studying because of the many benches. Students are given the opportunity to proceed to the third and final floor.
Instead of a having a classroom outside, students should be able to bring the outside in. When students enter the third floor room, they are walking on a clear floor with a river below holding fish. A waterfall softly cascades in a corner, while in the opposite corner; a koi pond lined with stones sits, showing students the beauty of nature. Large, white, leather couches are placed against separate walls giving the room a sophisticated and serene atmosphere. Three bookcases hold an excess of books for enjoyment, helpful resources, and laptops. Complimenting all the water is a plush white carpet, along with sky blue walls. This room should inspire students with natural and modern beauty.
With its uncomfortable interior, the English room does not allow students to be inspired or creative. Without a legitimate learning environment, students cannot succeed at showing their passion and true selves. By changing the furniture, color, and design of this room, teachers will detect a tremendous change in their student’s behavior. Passion, encouragement, and creativity will be expressed to it’s fullest, because of these few changes. Fixing the many issues of the English rooms should be one of the schools top priorities in order to increase the knowledge of their students.
Des Cartes once said, " I think therefore I am," but it is very difficult to think with uncomfortable environment of the English room. Without a change to the English rooms structure, students will have difficulty feeling passion and creativity. The school should put forth the effort to help make the English room a place where kids can work hard and still relax. While other rooms require work, this English room needs to allow students to relax in order to do their best possible work.
Inside the English room, the students know to expect a cold area with colorless walls held together by hospital-like, tile flooring. As they walk through the room to their seat, the rows upon rows of the cages school calls desks, are set up in straight lines in order to keep things organized. While the students sit uncomfortably in the desks, all they can do is sit and listen to their teacher’s voice. Nothing can really catch their eye or give them something to listen to as a background noise. Instead of promoting creativity and knowledge, the school sees the need for everything to be neat and orderly.
Warmth, beauty, and nature should all be incorporated in a classroom. The first floor of the English room should be a place where students walk in and immediately feel warmth. A stone-lined fire pit in the center of the room adds warmth, decoration, and a soothing sound. Surrounded by a border of stones, a waterfall cascades from the ceiling into a miniature pond. Leather armchairs allow students to relax in an ideal spot for reading or studying place. Navy blue walls and a grass green carpet give a soothing sensation to the room. Two oak wood bookcases tower over the room, supplying students with a surplus of books for enjoyment, resources, and laptops. Alone in a corner, a spiral staircase leads students up to the second floor.
As warmth, beauty, and nature are important pieces of a classroom, these pieces have a potential to create a usable classroom on the second floor. A circle of armchairs allow student to see and hear other peers. At the center of the circle, a fire pit lined with stones adds warmth and beauty. Complimenting the fire pit, a dark brown carpet and navy blue walls tie the classroom together. Off to the side, a stainless steel fridge holds food and drinks for students and the teacher, and beside the fridge is a row of oak wood cabinets with a green granite countertop. In a corner of the room, a door leads to a tranquil atrium. This atrium holds many flower and bush hedges. For decoration there is a decorative well, a waterfall, and a koi pond. Many students would think this an ideal place for reading, talking, or studying because of the many benches. Students are given the opportunity to proceed to the third and final floor.
Instead of a having a classroom outside, students should be able to bring the outside in. When students enter the third floor room, they are walking on a clear floor with a river below holding fish. A waterfall softly cascades in a corner, while in the opposite corner; a koi pond lined with stones sits, showing students the beauty of nature. Large, white, leather couches are placed against separate walls giving the room a sophisticated and serene atmosphere. Three bookcases hold an excess of books for enjoyment, helpful resources, and laptops. Complimenting all the water is a plush white carpet, along with sky blue walls. This room should inspire students with natural and modern beauty.
With its uncomfortable interior, the English room does not allow students to be inspired or creative. Without a legitimate learning environment, students cannot succeed at showing their passion and true selves. By changing the furniture, color, and design of this room, teachers will detect a tremendous change in their student’s behavior. Passion, encouragement, and creativity will be expressed to it’s fullest, because of these few changes. Fixing the many issues of the English rooms should be one of the schools top priorities in order to increase the knowledge of their students.
response to 'All Summer in a Day'
‘All Summer in a Day’
You are forced into this place, a place where sights of the sun are rare, a rareness the drives you insane and fearful, insane enough to a quagmire inside yourself between life and death. You fear yourself, for you put yourself in this situation of solemn separation. Margot fears herself, though she may not know it, for she secludes herself in a way the other children cannot. She brings upon herself, the loss of friends. A loss that cannot be forgotten or forgiven. A person's fear is theirs and only theirs, making it a part of them, forcing them to fear themselves.
Margot is stuck in a world of tragedy. Forced to move from the place where the sun shines frequently, to a world of darkness and rain, where depression devours her until she is nothing but a girl of death-looking appearance among children of life. She has an absence that steers children away. Finally, something other than the sun brings her out of death, the only thing that could, Truth and the sun, as she states in her frequent talks and poems about the sun, her only hope. Her only obstacle, the wall she put up between herself and the children, one that cannot be broken. This one mistake, like ours, can be strong enough to keep us from our hopes and desires. A person’s past will come back to haunt them, almost like karma, forcing them on a chain, allowing little leash for life.
Without the sun, Margot is the living dead. Her past won’t allow her to come back from depression. It is the leash of her life, giving her happiness sparingly. Only she can control that leash though, for she chose her past, present, and future. She is her own quagmire, stuck in herself, between life and death. Separate from others, because of herself, her fear, her enemy, her life.
You are forced into this place, a place where sights of the sun are rare, a rareness the drives you insane and fearful, insane enough to a quagmire inside yourself between life and death. You fear yourself, for you put yourself in this situation of solemn separation. Margot fears herself, though she may not know it, for she secludes herself in a way the other children cannot. She brings upon herself, the loss of friends. A loss that cannot be forgotten or forgiven. A person's fear is theirs and only theirs, making it a part of them, forcing them to fear themselves.
Margot is stuck in a world of tragedy. Forced to move from the place where the sun shines frequently, to a world of darkness and rain, where depression devours her until she is nothing but a girl of death-looking appearance among children of life. She has an absence that steers children away. Finally, something other than the sun brings her out of death, the only thing that could, Truth and the sun, as she states in her frequent talks and poems about the sun, her only hope. Her only obstacle, the wall she put up between herself and the children, one that cannot be broken. This one mistake, like ours, can be strong enough to keep us from our hopes and desires. A person’s past will come back to haunt them, almost like karma, forcing them on a chain, allowing little leash for life.
Without the sun, Margot is the living dead. Her past won’t allow her to come back from depression. It is the leash of her life, giving her happiness sparingly. Only she can control that leash though, for she chose her past, present, and future. She is her own quagmire, stuck in herself, between life and death. Separate from others, because of herself, her fear, her enemy, her life.
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