angelas ashes

This week I read Angela's Ashes. Even though I have only read about 60 pages I can still tell that it will be a sad book that includes many difficulties of living in poverty. The book started out with Frankie and his family of four living in Brooklyn, NY in the 1930's. He is about 4 years old and has a brother who's 2. His father was born in the northern part of Ireland and is an alcoholic that gets drunk almost every night and doesnt have a job. His mother, Angela is a beautiful young woman also from Ireland who came here and got pregnant with Frankie and was forced to marry his father, Malachy. From the start, Malachy had an "odd manner" (according to Angela's cousins) and was a mean young man, that couldn't have turned into anything good. And Angela's cousins were right, because by the time his second son was born he had turned into a complete drunk. Not long after Malachy was born (their second son) Angela gave birth to 2 twin boys, Eugene and Oliver. The father now had to support 5 other people. Realizing he needs to shape up, Frankies father gets a job, and for about a month, every week on Friday he comes home with wages and Angela is able to finally pay the Italian grocer, and feed her kids. But on the 4th week, he doesnt come home at all. He is out drinking and once again he is back to his old habits.
        For the nest couple weeks Malachy continues to get drunk almost every night and sings Kevin Barry all night. Soon, Angela gives birth to a beautiful baby girl, Margaret and Malachy cannot let go of her. He gets a job again and for about 7 weeks he is sober and instead of singing Kevin Barry every night he sings the Leprechaun Song to Margaret. For those 7 weeks the family is happy again but at the end of the month Margaret passes. Both parents are shocked, their baby girl was the best thing that ever happened to them, and a couple weeks later Angela's cousins come visit again. They see the trouble they are in, and suggest that Angela and her family go back to Ireland. So Angela, Malachy and the 4 boys get on a boat to Ireland and go visit Malachy's parents. However, the poverty in Ireland is just as bad as America and they are forced to go find a place of their own, only to realize that they have no money and are stranded in Ireland.
     Angelas Ashes has been very good so far, and I am excited to see what happens next in the memoir.

lookign for alaska

Today, I continued to read Looking for Alaska by John Green. This week, I got up to the part in the book where it says "after". John Green organizes his book in two sections, after Alaska dies and befire. Every new day, it either says blank days before, or blank days after instead of dates. Green organzied this so the reader can have suspense leading up to a certain point, instead of just having random dates and a big event happening suddenly. In the book, Alaskas death is very sudden, and if the reader didnt already know that something massive was going to happen, it wouldnt be a good idea.

John Green, is known for kiling off his amin characters, which is what he did in Looking For Alaska. The night before it happened, or the night of, a major thing happens for the main character. Miles, or Pudge finally gets together with Alaska. Throughtout most of the book, the reader is waitinf for Pudge and Alaska to get together. Eventually, Pudge goes out with a charming, nice girl named Lara. However, right after they start dating, Alaska and aPudge get together. The whole book, the reader has been waiting for this, however that is when "after" starts.

The next morning, Chip and Pudge awake to the eagle knocking on their door telling them to come to the gym. Instead of being yelled at like they were expecting, they find Mr Barnes with tears in his eyes telling the whoke school that Alaska Young has died in a car crash the night before. So far, Pudge and The Colonel are having a hard time accepting that Alaska, the smart, funny, beautiful girl is dead. I am eager to see how they deal with it, and if they are ever going to accept the truth.

critical analysis- "When Enforcing School Dress Code Turns into Slut Shaming"

   "When Enforcing School Dress Code Turns in Slut Shaming" gives reports on several different middle and high schools, where the girls have had enough from the dress code. The author explains through different quotes and stories of girls being slut shamed by their school dress code to create the argument that the way most schools are executing their rules is wrong. In fact, the person writing this article has gone through this herself. For example, the article begins with an example from the authors own life. "I had my leggings on under a dress, which admittedly probably didn’t pass the fingertip rule. My female teacher admonished me in front of the class before sending me home to change."  Using the word admonished gets a cross to the reader that the teacher was very serious with her, almost critical.
        She again gave more quotes from students who experienced the same thing. "Lucy Shapiro, a 12-year-old at Haven, added that when both she and a friend wore the same type of athletic shorts, a teacher disciplined her but not her friend because, she was told, “I had a different body type than my friend…With all the social expectations of being a girl, it’s already hard enough to pick an outfit without adding in the dress code factor.”, she includes about a middle schooler. She also gives examples of girls protesting their right to wear what they want without having to worry about whether or not their bodies will "distract" male students. "Five hundred students signed their petition, and a group of girls wearing leggings and yoga pants (also banned) protested outside the school last week with signs saying, “Are my pants lowering your test scores?” she reports on a group of girls in Illinois. She supplies well, thought out evidence showing that her opinion is obviously the better one. She also gave a good counter argument. She mentioned how many schools would suggest uniforms, but refuted the argument by talking about how most high schoolers (including herslef) would oppose that idea. "Many teens (including myself when I was in high school) would argue that a uniform would prevent them from expressing their identity through their clothing when forging their individuality in middle school and high school is hard enough." However she didn't include much information from the opposing side, even if she had I think her evidence still would've given a better argument.
    Not only does she give strong evidence, but she also compared the situation to much bigger things in the world. "The argument being made by school administrators is not that distant from the arguments made by those who accuse rape victims of asking to be assaulted by dressing a certain way." Again, she countered the argument by comparing it to something that most people are appalled by. Also, by including her own experience in high school to start of the article makes the reader want to hear what she has to say. Overall, I think the author executed the article very well and convinced readers that didn't already share her opinion, to seriously think about it.

A link to the article: http://time.com/36997/when-enforcing-school-dress-codes-turns-into-slut-shaming/

Romeo and Juliet -Literary Essay

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet follows two young teenagers who fall and love, only to both end up dead. William Shakespeare includes various themes in the play, like rivalry, fate, love and marriage. However I think religion is a theme that is particularly under looked and has much more to do with the okay then many may think. Religion completely changed the plot, and even caused the couples deaths. Friar Lawrence’s character represents religion in the story; therefore he is the one to blame for the couples’ death. Not only does he make poor decisions, but he also fails to fix his mistakes.

            Friar Lawrence represents religion in the story. Religion is something people go to for guidance; they ask the leaders of their place of worship and god for advice. Romeo and Juliet ask the same from Friar Lawrence. In act 2 scene 3, Romeo immediately goes to Friar Lawrence after meeting Juliet. After some discussion of Romeos newfound love, he asks him to marry them. “We met, we wooed and made exchange of vow, Ill tell thee as we pass, but this I pray: That thou consent marry us today.” Romeo begs. Friar Lawrence is instantly concerned and asks about Rosaline, Romeos previous beloved. However Romeo protests, “Thou chid’st me off for loving Rosaline.” This means that Friar Lawrence often gave his pupil advice about Rosaline. Already, we are introduced to the close relationship the two shares. Another example of Friar Lawrence giving advice is when Romeo and Juliet are wed. He warns Romeo in act 2 sc. 6 to be careful with his love. “Therefore love moderately” he advises. This is again more guidance given to the teenagers. The biggest advice the Friar gives them of course is when he gives Juliet the potion. When the soon to be wife of Paris has nothing left she can do to prevent the wedding, she asks Friar Lawrence for help. In Act 4 sc. 1 she pleads “Therefore out of thy long experienced time, give me some present counsel…” His advice is to obviously take the vial. This changes the story completely, and contributes to the reason of why he’s responsible for their deaths. After all the guidance Friar Lawrence gives them throughout the play, he obviously represents religion.

Religion and Friar Lawrence play such a big role in the story, they are responsible for the couples’ deaths. First off, Friar Lawrence gives Juliet the liquid that makes her appear dead, putting her in a situation that results in her and her husbands suicides. “Take thou this vial, being then in bed and this distilled liquor drink thou off,” Friar tells Juliet. By trusting a 13-year-old girl with such a big responsibility was an ignorant decision; and this ignorant decision cost Romeo and Juliet their lives. Another terrible decision Friar Lawrence made was not giving Romeo his letter on time. Friar Lawrence trusted Friar John with a huge piece of information. He failed to even tell Friar John how critical it was for Romeo to receive the letter with information about Juliet taking the potion. In act 4 sc. 2 Friar John returns with the same letter. “I could not send it-here it is again-(gives Friar Lawrence a letter) Nor get a message to bring it to thee, so fearful were they of infection.” Friar John explains. Lawrence then makes an effort to go to the tomb where Juliet resides and save her, but obviously fails. After Romeo kills Paris in act 5 sc. 3, and says his final words “And so I die with a kiss”, Juliet awakes to find Lawrence. However as soon as he hears something outside, he leaves Juliet with her dead husband, fearful that the watch will discover him. “Stay not to question, for the watch is coming. Come, go, good Juliet, I dare not longer stay”, He tells Juliet right before running away. The widow then left alone, takes a dagger to her heart and kills herself. By leaving Juliet alone and not giving Romeo the correct information, Friar Lawrence completely changes the direction of the play. And because of his poor guidance, he causes the couple to die. 

Friar Lawrence could've easily avoided Romeo and Juliet's deaths. Friar Lawrence should not have so immediately married the to young teenagers, especially knowing that it was in secrecy. In act 2 sc. 6, Friar Lawrence warns Romeo about the marriage. "These violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which, as they kiss, consume. The sweetest honey is loathsome in his own deliciousness and in the taste confounds the appetite", he says. This obviously shows that Friar Lawrence has a bad feeling about the marriage. Not only does he not stop the marriage, but he actually marries them himself. And again, in Act 3 sc. 3, he admits to Romeo that marrying Juliet was a disaster. He says, "Romeo, come forth, Come forth, thou fearful man. Affliction is enamoured of thy parts, and thou art wedded to calamity." This also reveals that Friar Lawrence was hypocritical. He marries the two but then admits to it being a bad idea. This also shows that Friar Lawrence is unaccountable and sort of has bad character. He stood by watching the teenagers die, even though he could've prevented it.

 Friar Lawrence is a symbol for religion in the story, and because he fails Romeo and Juliet, so does religion. He makes cowardly, ignorant decisions that were easily avoided. Overall, Friar Lawrence completely changes the fate of the teenagers and the plot of the play.

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

    This week, I began to read Kitchen, by Banana Yoshimoto.The book follows Mikage, a young woman trying to juggle adulthood, her love for cooking, and the endless amounts of deaths that seem to haunt her.
 The story takes place in Tokyo during the 1980s. Mikage, after losing her last blood relative, her grandmother, moves in with Yuichi and his mother, Eriko (who was once his father), a kind family that also seems to be haunted by death. Over the summer, Mikage pursues her love of cooking, finds a part time job where she can exercise her devotion to kitchens, and moves out in the fall. A few months pass when suddenly on a night in january, she gets a call from Yuichi telling her Eriko died, 3 months ago. Mikage and Yuichi seem to come to the conclusion that everywhere they go, they're followed by death. They even make jokes about becoming hit men. Although Yuchi and Mikage still make jokes and laugh with each other, the inevitable fact is that, they have nobody but themselves.
    I think that the author is trying to have death represent something. I think the overall message of the story is that death can't be avoided, which is okay. Death is something that happens to everyone and is apart of nature. And that even people like Mikage or Yuichi, who are always surrounded by death, can still be okay.

Sula by Toni Morrison

   This week, i continued to read "Sula" by Nobel prize winner, Toni Morrison. Sula is similar to "The Bluest Eye", the other novel i've read by her recently. It focuses on the struggles of black people in America duting the 20th century. It follows Sula and her friend Nel Wright living in a town known to most people as "The Bottom", an area right past the rich white part of town. Sula is much more about the characters themselves then the message, contradictive to the bluest eye. Sula is sort of an odd little girl growing up with her grandma, Eva, a strong, sort of manipulative black woman with one leg, and her mother, hannah. Hannah and Eva are sort of opposites however they love eachother. Hannah is similar to her mother in the way that she can get most men to do what she wants, however i wouldnt say as brutal as eva. Even though Hannah has admitted to not liking her kids, Eva on the other hand set hers on fire. Fire actually plays a big role in the book.
    Not one, but two of Evas children are burned to death. One day, Eva witnesses a series of "strange things". It starts out with Hannah asking her mother, "Mamma, did you ever love us?" Eva answers a truthful no, but angrily explains how she clothed her and fed her and kept her alive. Next, Hannah asks about Plum, evas sons death. Eva's explanation is sort of odd however. She explains how difficult Plums birth was, and when he came back, Eva felt as if she wanted to crawl back up her womb. She couldnt allow that, so she set him on fire. The nect event is a dream Hannah had about a red wedding dress, which we later realize means death and fire. However the dream is forgotten because of Sula acting up. Next, the day Hannah dies, Eva cant find her comb. Which is unusual because "Nobody moved stuff in Eva's room except to clean and then they put everything right back". Shortly after, she sees Hannah running around on fire from her window. In an effort to out the fire out, she tries to fall 12 feet onto Hannah. This attempt at saving her doesnt work. Finally by the time the fire is out, its too late and she dies on the way to the hospital, however Eva survives. The last "strange thing" eva remembers is sula. She recalls when Hannah was running around trying to put her fire out, and she was lying there, bleeding she saw sula. Staring there watching her mother burn and her grandmother suffer.
   After that, we fast forward to Sula and Nel grown up. Sula suddenly disappears for to where we find out was college, to just return 10 years later and sleep with Nels husband. So far, I'm stilling trying to figure out what Sula's oddness really means and what the whole book symbolizes.

Literary Essay: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

             The bluest eye is an experimental novel by Toni Morrison, a noble prizewinner and a very respected American author. It tells the tale of Pecola Breedlove and her family. The story’s narrators jump around from chapter to chapter, from Claudia, a friend of Pecola’s, to the third person. Its centered on the struggles of a being black woman in America at that time, Pecola’s desire to be beautiful, and racism, specifically within their own race faced by African Americans in Ohio. 

          A very present theme in “The Bluest Eye” by Toni Morrison is the desire to be considered beautiful, specifically Pecola’s. Pecola Breedlove comes from a poor family that nobody really likes, and is infamously ugly. The author also made it very clear that everyone, including the Breedloves knew it. “No one could have convinced them that they were not relentlessly and aggressively ugly.” Morrison says as she introduces the family. She almost describes their hideousness like an object, explaining how each member of the family handles their faces. “Mrs. Breedlove handled her as an actor would a prop.” “Sammy used his a weapon to caused others pain.” “And Pecola. She hid behind hers.” She made their ugliness so obvious to show how important it is for the time period. Specifically the word ugly, it was always being said in the story. Being so terrible looking is a big disadvantage in Pecola’s life. She was practically immobilized by her crooked nose, high cheekbones, forward turned ears, and shapely lips that drew attention to her whole disaster of a face. “As long as she looked the way she did, as long as she was ugly, she would have to stay with these people.” The narrator explains. Her teachers would refuse to call on her, or even look her way; her ugliness was too much of a discomfort. Not only does Pecola want to be pretty, but also she specifically has a need for blue eyes. In fact, her goal throughout the whole book is to have bright blue eyes like Mary Jane, the girl on the wrapper of her favorite candy. She has this illusion that if she had eyes like her, all her problems will disappear. Her parents would say, “Why look at pretty eyed Pecola. We mustn’t do bad things in front of those pretty eyes.” However the reality of it is quite the contrary. At the end of the story, after having endured a pregnancy from her father and going crazy, she believes she has blue eyes. Her self torment has gotten to the point where she cant take it anymore, she makes talks herself into believing she has reached her goal. She has a whole dialogue with herself asking if she has the bluest, prettiest eyes in Medallion. “Bluer then Joanna’s?” she asks “Much bluer than Joanna’s”, the voice inside her head answers. However at the end of the day, She still has brown eyes, and is still considered ugly, therefore practically useless.

           Another theme very obviously present in the book is racism. Not only white people discriminating black people and vice versa, but also racism within a race. Light skinned black people were even considered better then someone with a darker completion. Someone who symbolized this is Maureen Peal. Or “Maginot Pie” the nickname our narrator Claudia and her sister Frieda call her to make fun of her light skin. Not because they thought it was bad, but because they secretly envied her. Everyone did, she was the “high yellow dream child with long brown hair,” who “enchanted the entire school.” One day, a bunch of boys were making fun Pecola’s brown skin (even though they were also black) when Maureen steps up. The boys immediately disperse. “Maureen appeared at my elbow, and they boys seemed reluctant to continue under her springtime eyes…” Claudia says. Not only do the boys treat Maureen better, but also so does everyone, which was made very clear by the author. It was very obvious that her family was richer and more respected then Claudia or Pecola’s. She knew all the latest movies, something you can infer Pecola and Claudia don't get to see much. Overall “Maginot Pie” just knew more things in general then Pecola and Claudia. Pecola also faces discrimination from a white candy storeowner. However, she as well as every black person in Medallion faces discrimination from more then Maureen Peals and candy stores owners, but everybody. Being judged by the color of her skin was just the way of life that she dealt with without even thinking twice. Every time Pecola wants to go get candy, she has to deal with by Mr. Yacobowski. Mr. Yacobowski sees Pecola as this piece of disgusting garbage, or doesn't really see her at all. “How can a 52 year old white immigrant store keeper with the taste of potatoes and beer in his mouth his mind on the doe-eyed Virgin Mary, his sensibilities blunted by permanent awareness of cost, see a little black girl?” The author says. In fact, when Pecola reached to give him the money, he hesitated, not wanting to touch her hand, almost as if he’d get sick if he touched a black girls dirty hand. However things like this occur throughout the whole novel, because it was that normal for the citizens of Medallion.

         Another big part of “The Bluest Eye” is how women are treated. Specifically black women. Throughout the whole story, Morrison mentions how husband all beat their wives, as if it can be assumed. A marriage she specifically zooms in on is Pauline and Cholly Breedloves. Cholly has this hatred for his wife and women and the author tells the story of how it began. Even though Cholly is definitely not the first of men to hate women, and his views are not unique, his story is. The day of his caretaker’s funeral, Cholly meets Darlene, and they go for a walk in the woods. Eventually Cholly and Darlene end up having sex behind one of the trees when they get interrupted. Two white men appeared, snickering, and yes “there was no mistake about them being white, he could smell it.” They embarrassed Cholly to the point where he felt extremely deep hatred, except not towards the white men. "For now he hated the one who created the situation, the one who bore witness to his failure, his impotence. The one whom he had not been able to protect, to spare, to cover from the round moon glow of the flashlight." He hated Darlene, but not just Darlene, but all women. This story perfectly represents the way a lot a men probably felt at the time about women and why.

       The bluest eye has tons of great examples on how messed up America once was and sometimes still is. Its represents sexism, racism and the desire to beautiful, that was faced by Pecola and thousands of other women in Medallion, and still is being faced by everybody today. Overall, I think Toni Morrison delivered a good story but also a powerful novel that poses questions about society.  

blog post that inspired this essay: http://margojohnston805.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-bluest-eye-by-toni-morrison.html