Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Oedipus and Sophocles

What do you know about these? What do you expect from this unit?

I won't lie, I have never heard of this before you mentioned it. All I know is that it is Greek. So I looked it up and read some of the tales. Greek mythology interests me so I think this will be a cool unit to learn about.I've been to Greece so it makes me remember my time there.

The first written version of this myth was in the 5th century. Since the time it was first written some other versions have came out. So it is unclear which one this essay will be about.

My Mother's Blue Bowl Reflection

My essay is "My Mother's Blue Bowl." I selected this essay because it appealed to me when I first read it. It is about the author's connection to her mother. Throughout the essay the Alice Walker's tone gives me the impression that she idolizes her mother. There is never any negativity at any point during the essay towards her mother. My mother and I have a good relationship together so this essay makes me think of her. In the essay Alice Walker relates a blue bowl to her mother.Walker explains this representation as, "she had given me a symbol of what she herself represented in my life." I feel the same way about a doll that my mother had given me. It is a doll that she played with when she was little so this doll allowed me to learn more about her.

I really enjoy this essay because it gives something for me to relate too. Most other things that we read in class do not allow me to relate so I feel that this essay was a really good choice for me.

When I read it for the first time I couldn't visualize the house that her mother died in because I have never heard of the projects. The projects are actually the best housing for poor black people located in the South. So I decided that for my visual presentation I would create the 3 houses described in the essay. This would allow my fellow classmates to visualize the houses, and see the difference between the houses. I will also explain the significance of each house, and its effects on the mother and her belongings.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Nine-Year Olds, Meet Monet Reflection

During this first month of school we've read several different essays. I'd like you to choose one of these essays and post a response to it on your blog. Your response should include your opinions on the essay including whether you liked it or hated it and why. Perhaps you have some questions about the subject of the essay or about the author's central ideas - this would be an ideal place to post these questions so that those reading your blog can post responses.



Nine Year Olds, Meet Monet written by Ellen Goodman is an essay about nine-year olds meeting the famous artist Claude Monet. The essay is written from Goodman's point of view. I personally enjoyed the essay from her point of view, it gave it more feeling and made it seem more interesting to me. Goodman is very passionate about her essay and it gives me a sense of reality about how everyone doesn't always conform to society.

Goodman covers topics like conformity and individuality. The topic of individuality I think is a very important topic since many people are losing themselves because they want to follow others. Conforming to society is a very important topic because people are seen as outcasts or losers if they express themselves different than society expects them to. Art is a form of expression and individuality however many artists are seen as crazy or anti-social when in reality sometimes their art is what makes history. Non-conformists give a lot to society like their art, books and literature.

Goodman also wrote about the school system. I agree with her that students should be marked on more than just their grades since future jobs required more skills than just grades on paper show. She also believes that children start out with a lot of imagination but as their schooling continues their imagination dwindles. I agree with this since I use to love playing house and other imaginative games, but as I got older and more wise I realized that nowadays you need less imagination in many jobs and more facts and numbers. Society trains the kids starting young, so that they can conform to what society wants in the future. When I was little I wanted to be a teacher, but as I grew older the need for teachers decreased. Nowadays doctors and nurses are needed so you see a lot of universities starting medical programs, which makes students feel that they can get into a medical program easier and therefore people want to become doctors.

Overall, I really liked this essay. It was a good choice for our class to read since it provoked a lot of conversation since it is easy to talk about. I would like similiar essays for future readings.