Reflection: Fireside

Fireside poetry is very interesting to me. I think that it is very comforting to sit around a fire and if you are relaxed and your brain juices are flowing, why not write a poem? The story "Old Iron side" was very descriptive with and uplifting ending to it. "And give her to the god of storms,; the lighting and the gale!" ("Fireside Poets") This is the very ending of the poem and shows the uplifting spirits of the bad women being given away. The difference between Fireside and Puritan works of literature are gargantuan. You could not read a piece of Puritan writing without feeling like you were in church."Let you not mistake your duty as I mistook my own. I came into this village like a bridegroom to his beloved, bearing gifts of high religion; the very crowns of holy law I brought, and what I touched with my bright confidence, it died; and where I turned the eye of my great faith, blood flowed up."(Miller) That quote is from the crucible and written by a very much Puritan, Arthur Miller. Even reading that took me back to Sunday mass when I was little listening to the sermons of the older priests. But Fireside poem is directed more at the human nature and nature itself which I guess makes a lot of sense. If you are sitting outside experiencing nature at its finest, sitting next to a warm fire I would think that you would want to write about it. I think that out of all the types of poetry, fireside poetry is my favorite because of what it talks about. It does not talk of love or God and it is a lot easier to understand in the literal sense. Fireside is also different than Rationalist writing because of the content of the writing. In the Crisis, logic and thinking are required in the writing."We did not make proper use of last winter; neither could we, while we are in a dependent state." (Paine 135) You do not need to be a genius or logically inclined to understand what the Fireside poets are talking about. You just need a little experience with nature. I can relate to some of the writings and this makes me feel like I do belong reading poetry. I used to despise poetry but now I am beginning to grasp what it means and how to interpret it. All of the writing we have talked about this year have been different in several ways and I think that Fireside is more my style. I do think myself as a religious person but I am not going to become a priest or involve my profession with the church, that I know of right now, so I do not think I am a Puritan enthusiast. I do like the writings of Ben Franklin and how his knowledge and brilliance reflects his writing but it can get difficult to understand. I like Fireside writing because of the literal understanding and the personal interpretation that can be take from it.

"Fireside Poets" Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 210-211. Print.

Miller, Aurthur. The Crucible. New York: Penguin Group, 1976. 132 Print.

Paine, Thomas. The Crisis No. 1. Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., and Douglas Fisher. Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print.

Thanatopsis

I think that the story "Thanatopsis" by William Cullen Bryant is about life and death. I also think that it is not about life and death being bad thing but more being about the inevitability of life and death. "So shalt thou rest; and what if thou withdraw; In silence from the living, and no friend;Take note of thy departure? All that breathe; Will share thy destiny."(Lounsbury) I think that this part of the poem is the best support for why it is not about hating death but about accepting it. "All that breathe; Will share thy destiny." This is meaning that everyone will die one day and that you can not stop it. I also think that this poem is trying to tell us to live our life so that when we die someone will be there for us."So shalt thou rest; and what if thou withdraw; In silence from the living, and no friend;Take note of thy departure?"(Lounsbury) If you are silent from then living and withdraw from friends then I do not think that anyone will "take not of thy departure". I know that when I die I want a lot of people to be there. I know that it may sound selfish of me but I do not want to be alone when I die. I also want it for my remaining family. I have been to funerals of young people and it seems that the more people in attendance the easier it becomes for the family to deal with the grieving process. I am not saying that I will die when I am young, or so I hope not but that when it is my time, someone is there. This poem also instructs us to watch how we live our life or when Death comes for us, the images of our past will be dark, sad and gloomy. "Over thy spirit, and sad images; Of the stern agony and shroud, and pall,; And breathless darkness, and the narrow house,; Make thee to shudder, and grow sick at heart."(Lounsbury) This part of the poem is talking about what I was above. When Death came for them, they grew sick at the images they saw. The darkness and gloom that inhabited their life was projected onto their spirit and it was sad and gloomy also. I think that they wish they could go back and change things but they can't and I do think this is one of the more devious parts of Death. He goes back and shows these poor souls the wrong doing of their lives instead of what they did right. Death wants these spirits to look back and feel bad about what they did and I do not think that is right of him to do. William Cullen Bryant seems like a very intelligent man to me but also seems to be a tad depressing but I am interested in reading some more of his work.

Lounsbury, Thomas R., ed. Yale Book of American Verse. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1912; Bartleby.com, 1999. www.bartleby.com/102/.

Journal 19

Nature has everything to do with the cycle of life. "Naturally" everyone will eventually die because that is the end of the cycle of life. Everything in nature is born and dies and in between serves a purpose that is important to the circle of life. Everything has a purpose and if that purpose is not done then the whole cycle is messed up and I think that the world will end as we know it. We are born by nature and we are returned to nature when we are buried. We must contribute to nature by dying because of the debt we owe nature by living. Humans are slowly destroying the earth and a debt must be paid. Without nature we would not survive very long. Our ancestors always lived off of the land by hunting and growing crops and without nature they would not have eaten. When people became ill, certain remedies and medicines could be made from plants that we ground up but the plants were found in nature. Even the air that we breathe millions of times a day is provided to us by nature. We do not inherit the planet from our parents, it is loaned to us by our children and I think that nature needs to be better preserved or our kids will be pretty disappointed in us because there will not be much left for them. Though nature keeps us alive it is also the spirituality that keeps many alive. Without some kind of passion for life and spiritual uplifting feelings many can go through life in a fog. Spirituality allows many to make sense of their life and give it a true meaning and purpose. When someone feels they have a true purpose for living, it makes life's trials easier to get through because you are more accepting to the fact that it is supposed to happen. Many people believe in the Bible and many would not be able to believe in it if it was not for the miracles that occurred in nature during the time of Jesus.

Journal 18

The perfect autumn day is probably a saturday or Friday afternoon. When you step outside you should smell the fresh air. I love just throwing the ball for the dog and watching him crash into the leaves. It makes me laugh so hard. I can sit outside without a jacket and be very comfortable in my t-shirt and shorts. Autumn is the time for apple cider and apple pie. It is also the time for pumpkin and Halloween and thanksgiving. I love both of those holidays and the weather on those days seems to always be ok. Some years on Halloween it rains but other years it will be gorgeous. Seeing the moonlight and all the people around its just beautiful. Sometimes on thanksgiving we will have perfect weather or a snow storm. It is the gamble that I like the most. I really like to be cold and I do not get cold easily so this season and winter are perfect for me. The feeling I get off stepping outside is so perfect that I wish I could experience it everyday. I am not hot and I am not cold. I can wear shorts all year and still be comfortable. It is also very easy to sleep in during this time because of how comfortable you are yet it still stays dark long enough. Summer time does not have enough nighttime and the winter has too much that you could sleep until 3 p.m. I love autumn time and I do not think that there is a better season. I am kind of running out of reasons as to why it is perfect but it is. Autumn is the time for baseball and football. You can also have backyard games of basketball and wiffle ball. Almost all of my favorite things happen in this time and I cannot wait until it is autumn time again next year.

Journal 17

Bonding with nature is an experience that I think everyone needs. Because of all of the video games and television and technology, I think that our generation is not going outside as much as we should. My dad is always telling me about how they used to live outside when he was little, running around playing baseball and in the streets with his friends and not much of that happens today. We would rather sit inside and play Call of Duty for hours on hours. I like to bond with nature while I am hunting. We sit outside for hours and just wait and listen to what is going on and enjoy nature. My dad and I go outside when it is still dark to have a better chance at a deer but we also get the watch the sunrise and how the wind picks up when the sun comes out. We are warmer when it is dark out then when the sun comes up, which is weird because I think that the sun should make you warmer. I enjoy the cold and just watching nature in its true element. The squirrels running around, the birds chirping, the branches swaying, and the wind whistling. I love spending time outside but other than while I am hunting or playing sports I do not spend an excessive amount of time outside. I also like to fish during the summer so I guess each season I do something different outside. During the winter I hunt and play in snow and stuff. During the spring I play baseball. In the summer I spend a lot of time outside playing with friends or other stuff. In the fall I fish as well as in the spring and summer. When I am older I am going to try and do the same things with my kids outside and try and limit the video gaming but I will probably game it up with them and destroy their lives in Call of Duty which will probably be outdated by then.

Journal 16

It may be difficult to keep in touch with them and exchange information but I think that it is possible thanks to today's technology. We can use Facebook, twitter, even ancient email to communicate so that we can exchange information with the other kids in our group. We will have to rely on technology for our project and if it fails then we are screwed.I think that as technology evolves then it will become easier to talk to people over great distances. It is not necessarily difficult now but I think that some of the kinks will get worked out and the lag will not be as great. This journal is late and by now we have finished the project and communication was our biggest issue. The four people from plains would email and facebook the other people from farmersville and we could not get a response from any of them and that was very disappointing because they did not have a part in our project and it became a plains project instead of a co-op project. I would have liked to talk to the other kids and I am sad that we were not able to get a hold of them because I bet they could have contributed greatly to our project. I would have liked to get to know a kid from another school because I think that this technology will be huge later in my life. There are not that many more meetings in person where you have to fly somewhere. Most of them happen now over a video chat room or something similar to that. I think that I am very good with technology but everyone can always get better because technology is always changing and so our knowledge of it needs to also. Hopefully I will have another opportunity to work with people from another school because I liked the idea and really was looking forward to what the product of our project would look like and what grade it would receive. I think it would have been difficult but fun also.

Journal 15

I think that the main issue with working with someone from a different place will be the communication. It may be difficult to keep in touch with them and exchange information but I think that it is possible thanks to today's technology. We can use Facebook, twitter, even ancient email to communicate so that we can exchange information with the other kids in our group. We will have to rely on technology for our project and if it fails then we are screwed. I still do not really understand the project but I am sure that it will need to be a great group effort and not just one or two kids doing the entire thing. I mean I am not against one or two kids doing the whole thing but if that happens then the others would not get anything out of this project. I think we are not supposed to just learn about Franklin and his virtues but how to communicate with people who are not by us and how we can still have a real connection with them. I think that as technology evolves then it will become easier to talk to people over great distances. It is not necessarily difficult now but I think that some of the kinks will get worked out and the lag will not be as great. Some of the issues to get over will be who is d oing what. I think that it will be hard to make corrections because you have to make a time when everyone is available and when everyone can sit down and listen to what needs to be done. I do not expect this to be a difficult project but like I have said before the communication will be huge. It will be hard to get together with them and talk about it. I also think that it will be hard to get with the other person from plains depending on who it is and if you know them well.

Reflection: Ben's virtues

The definition of Deism varies but with the one I am using for this blog, I strongly think that Ben Franklin's virtues are of the Deism thought process. One of the beliefs or actions of Deists that I have found is that Deists do not actively evangelize the public(Deism: Its). Now I may have had to ask my younger sister what evangelize means but I have never known Ben Franklin to be a person to preach in public. Benjamin Franklin does not even reference God that often in his writings. A Deist is a person who believes that God is the creator but they do not think that he has any involvement in our day to day activities(Deism: Its). They also do not think that a person can communicate with God and some Deist do not even know if God knows that we exist(Deism: Its). I have also read that Deists believe that the only paths towards knowledge are logic and reasoning. In Ben's autobiography that Mr. Langley sent to us it says "This library afforded me the means of improvement by constant study, for which I set apart an hour or two each day, and thus repaired in some degree the loss of the learned education my father once intended for me"(Franklin 143). I think that this quote is important to the ideas of Deists because if the only paths to knowledge are logic and reasoning then what he was doing makes sense. He was not taught correctly at a young age and now he was able to teach himself. He makes it make sense to himself because he was not taught at a young age so why not teach himself since he has the place to study now. One of Ben's virtues was chastity could also be considered a tad religious. Silence also is one of Ben's virtues and this goes with how a Deist may live their life in the fact that they do not actively evangelize the public. He does not talk about business things in public and does not talk about public things when he is conducting business, which I think is a good idea because I do not think that people need to know your personal or work business and I think that you should keep public discussions at work to a minimum so that you can get more work done and be more productive. Benjamin was able to improve his life through his virtues and how he lived his life as well. He did not combine his work with his play and in doing this he could be more productive as well as being a good man to his friends and neighbors. Benjamin also tried to be modern which I also think has a lot to do with Deism. Deists believe more in technology and logic than God. Deists do believe in God but they do not think that he can communicate with us or some of the things that Christians or Jewish people believe. Franklin was able to successfully live his life by his ideals and he was able to not give up on them.

"Deism: Its History, Beliefs and Practices." Religious Tolerance. Web. 26 Oct. 2011.

Franklin, Benjamin. Autobiography. Harvard University, 1895. Print.

Journal 14

My average day as Ben's apprentice would be amazing. I would wake up really early, take a bath, get dressed in my olive green colored tights and purple tutu, and go to wake Mr. Franklin and give him his breakfast. I would then go to work with him. I think that to be his apprentice a person would have to be pretty smart and they could not be a person who makes a lot of mistakes. I would then do some small work for him including delivering some documents to other people of great importance. Then I might have to use the rest room because of the long walk that would have to be made around town. I think that Ben's apprentice would learn a lot and become a better person by seeing how he lives and then trying to make their life like his. I would also be looked up to in the apprentice society because of who my teacher is. Ben was one of the most brilliant men in this time and not many people tried to improve their state of living and state of being as much as he did. I also may have to be security for Mr. Franklin. People would always be coming to talk to him and he would need some time to work alone and I would be the person to tell the people to go away and to come back at a later date when Ben was not busy. I would give him so much more time because I would be able to boss people around like that because I am a bigger boy and I would have my guard dog with me at all times too who is actually a sweet heart. I would serve as his assistant as I learned from the best and I would do anything I could to make him a happy and productive guy. I would help him with whatever he needs help with and I would also be learning at the same time.

Right and Wrong

If i were to make up the rules on right and wrong then I think I would make them how they were in cowboy days. Disputes would be solved with duels and the winning man was right. You would be able to rob a bank but if someone shot you in the act of it that would be okay. Punishments would be more sever depending on the infraction. I would noose em up all the time. You would spend time in jail for something small such as cussing. That is something I would enforce. No cussing. A large amount of cussing would lead to branding of the tongue with the symbols DH because I own your tongue. If Ben were to steal Justin's sister and Justin did not like it then he and Justin would duel over her. Who ever wins keeps the girl. You would not be able to kick a horse. You kick a horse? you die. If a woman farts in public? she dies. If Ben cleans his ears in public? he dies. Private things will be kept private while public things will be open for discussion. No Pornography will be tolerated because that is a private thing. If Casey were to itch his butt while in the presence of woman? he dies. My rules would be strict but fair. You cannot say that you did not know it was against the law or you die. It is your civil duty to know the law and abide by it. You cannot enter a donkey in a horse race or you die do to the fact that it would not be fast and therefore not entertaining. That is the purpose of a race. If Morgan were to eat an ice cream upside down between the hours of 8:37 pm and 8:29 pm? she has to carry a cow down the staircase or she dies. If Abigail reads a book between 6:20 am and 6:12 am? she has to pick a horses' booger and eat it with a side of dingleberry.

The Crisis No. 1

I think that Paine wrote this piece of work to explain why the Americans needed to go to war with the British. Paine talks about many of the things the British are doing to them such as "Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny, has declared that she has a right(not only to tax) but "to bind us in all cases whatsoever"; and if being bound in that manner is not slavery, then there is not such a thing as slavery upon earth"(Paine 134). This is Paine's idea of what kind of situation the Americans are in. Paine thinks that they are enslaved by the British because she can tax them and boss them around and they cannot do anything about it(Paine 134). Paine does not necessarily come out and say it, but I think he wants to go to war and fight for their freedom.

"It is surprising to see how rapidly panic will sometimes run through a country"(Paine 135). I think that Paine has wrote this because he knows that America cannot do panic and still expect to win a war against the British. When people panic, they can get scared and lose control and sight on what is important to the mission at hand. The Americans would need to stay focused and agile to win a war against the strongly built British Army and the enemy. I know that this is piece of writing represents the Rationalism period because this piece of writing is more factual. It explains with facts what the Americans must do to win a war against the British instead of being Puritan and writing about God and that everything they do is in the hands of God. Paine uses a reference to God every once in a while though because of how important God was to the lives of people in this time period(Paine 135).

I like this piece of writing because Paine can support what he is saying and the fact that he wants America to go to war with Britain. "Not all the treasure of the world, so far as I believe, could have induced me to support an offensive war, for I think it murder; but if a thief breaks into my house, burns and destroys my property, and kills or threatens to kill me or those that are in it, and to "bind me in all cases whatsoever" to his absolute will, am I to suffer it?"(Paine 136). This statement makes me smile because of how well written and said it is. Paine means that he would not support a war started for no reason, but then he begins to list the things that the British are doing to them that are not right and it is now a justified war. Paine says that his people should not have to suffer and that they should have the freedom to choose what they do with their lives and how they live them(Paine 136). Paine is able to prove his debate and support his argument which makes it Rationalism writing.

Paine, Thomas. "From The Crisis, No. 1" Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Emotional- Rational

An emotional approach is almost never as effective as a rational approach. When a person lets their emotion get the best of them then they can over react. When a person is rational, they can approach the situation with an open mind and can handle the situation with the most control of the problem. Just recently I tapped Casey Young trying to get his attention and he came back swinging when I was just trying to be friendly. Casey turned hostile in one fraction of a second with rage and turned it loose on my right bicep. If Casey had taken the time to analyze what had just happened to him, then he would have known that I did not hit him hard and that I was just asking for his attention. I think that Casey thought that I was going to hurt him because on many occasions I do harass him , and since he knew that I do this often, he overreacted and was not able to stop the swinging of his fist as it propelled towards my arm. I was able to forgive him and was able to ask him what I needed to ask him. This is an example of when a rational approach is better and smarter than an emotional and instinctive reaction. Another example is when I took Klepzig's pencil and she did not know it. She soon realized her writing utensil was missing and kindly asked me if I had seen it. I gave her back the pencil because she was rational and civil towards me instead of being emotional and getting upset at me. I was happy to give up on my practical prank because of the approach she used towards getting it back. I think that Abigail's approach was much more effective than Casey because it got her the desired effect. If a situation were to approach me like this then I think I would probably be emotional because that is just who I am.

Crucible

Logic and Reasoning

Our vocab should be due on Wednesday instead of today for many reasons. The main one however is that it would give the students more time to catch up on missing work and that it would free up some of our time for other work. Having the homework due on Wednesday would also allow us to make a higher quality assignment because we would have more time to work on the work. Okay now I am tired of making something up that is not in the best interest of me. I want to do the assignment tonight. I will remember to do it and if the class waits until Wednesday then I will forget to do it. If I have to wait until Wednesday then that will throw off our schedule and we will now be behind on vocab and that means that there is a possibility that we will not finish all of the sections. I feel that it would be in the best interest for the class to stay on track so that we can further and better our vocabulary. This class is to prepare us for the future and if we do not learn all that we can, how are we supposed to be prepared. I have heard many people complain of the due date favoring both options but it seems that the people with the stronger opinion also wish to do the assignment tonight. Mallorie just drew a name and it read "Abby Ulrich" and she only has three sentences. She is in favor of doing it on Wednesday but since she does not have that many words written, it is very unlikely that she will be able to reason with Mr. Langley. Ben says that he does not want to do it on Wednesday due to the fact that he will not have much homework today and it makes the most sense to do it today. Ben loves to do homework.

Autumn

I think that autumn is the most beautiful time of the year. When the leaves change and we see all the different shades of red, orange, and yellow, it is just beautiful. The temperature of autumn is also perfect. A person can stay comfortable by being not too hot and not too cold. Maybe a light jacket and you can stay comfortable. I also love sitting on the couch on a sunday watching a good college or NFL football game. These games can relax me after a stressful week at school and help me to get ready for my week again because I know that after I watch my game I have to do any homework that I do not yet have done. I love sipping on hot chocolate while reading a book. It also seems like everyone is in a better mood during this time. It is possible that people seem to be in a better mood because they do and enjoy some of the things that I listed above. I know that I am not the only person who loves this time of the year. In the summer, I get really hot and the outdoors seem to all be the same color, green. During the winter, I get really cold, having to lay my hands on the vents in my car to get warm before a day out. It also seems like the color of this time is white and dull. All of the plants have died and have left and dull, sad color. Some of the animals go away for a while and nature seems to get lonely during this time. The winter season is just so sad other than having one of the best holidays ever. During autumn we get to experience Thanksgiving. I love this holiday because it is a wonderful reason for the whole family to get together and to share a wonderful meal. I love to cook and I love to eat and this holiday is perfect for me.

Bullying and its effects on both the Bully and the victim

Bullying is hard on many people, especially the victim. If someone is being bullied at school often then why would that person want to come to school. Their grades could begin to suffer as well as their social life. I think that a bully is a person who does feel that good about themselves and they are a person who needs some closer friends. I think that it is possible that they do not have many close friends and try to interact with other kids by being cruel to them. It also effects the bully. If a person thinks that they can get away with anything then they will try to get away with the sky. I think that if you give them the opportunity, then they will take advantage of you and they will continue to bully. Which is not the right thing to do.

I know that bullying is wrong and we should do everything we can to not do it, but I also think that sometimes we do it without knowing it. One remark can make a person feel awful about them self and it may have been a remark that you did not feel was wrong or out of line. I think that this happens to a lot of people and when and if you realize what you have said or done, you feel awful about it because you did not mean to hurt that person. I also think that bullying can be brought out of mood. If you are in a sour, bad mood then I think that it is easier to say things that you do not mean than if you are in a happy mood. I do not think that a lot of people mean to bully someone and for the people who do bully on purpose are not happy with themselves. Many people will bully and will be bullied in their lifetime and I think that it is normal for human nature to be made upset.

Journal 6: Repercussions of blaming someone for sometihng he or she did not do

When blaming someone for something they did not do, there are many repercussions that could occur. If person comes to know who had told false information about them falsely, then they could falsely accuse you of something and then you would be in a world of trouble. In the book we are reading, many people are being falsely accused of things that they have not done and it seems like the person doing some blaming always gets blamed from something also. Other people may also see you as a liar and when you "cry wolf" again, it is very likely that they will not believe you even if what you are saying is true. All of that is tied into integrity and the pride of a person and if other people think that you are a big liar then you will not have much integrity. Many people care what others think of them and you could feel hurt if someone will not believe what you are telling them. If you were to tell false things of one of your friends, then it is very likely that you will lose their friendship, and trust is easier lost than it is gained. If the falsely blamed person were to get in trouble then it would be very hard to feel guilty. It is human nature to feel bad for doing something wrong. In this book people are going to be hung. Putting someone to death for something that they did not do is awful and I do not think that I could do it. Although the characters in this book all hate someone for something they did in the past and now have a way to get back at them. Like one time Kirsten blamed me for stealing her lollipop and it was not me. She got mad at me and to this day we are not friends. She says that we can be friends until I buy her a new one, but I am not going to do it because I did not steal it in the first place.

21st Century Punishments

I think that many parents do not punish their children enough. In school we hear rumors of kids who were caught growing or smoking marijuana that were grounded for a week or two and that was the end of their sentence. What does that teach a kid? I think that the child will go and do the same thing again because they know that they will not be punished very severly. If I had to punish my child I think that I would do many of the examples that were given to us. I believe that I would take away their cellular device because I know that many kids cannot live without their phones. I would also ground them from facebook because I know how much time I spend on it. I also think that a kid should be grounded from driving depending on how serious the offense was. Even if it was something small, I think that the keys should be taken from them for the weekend or something. I have been punished and my keys were taken from me and that affected me the most of all. I have been grounded, facebook taken, phone taken, Ipod taken, and keys taken and I know that I will try my hardest to behave better because I know that I do not want that to ever happen to me again because I was miserable and I felt like i had nothing to do all the time. I feel like my parents were very effective in how they punished me and I feel like it was a fair and just punishment. If I were to have kids, I think that I would do about the same because of the effect that it had on me. Technology is so important to us in today's world and most kids could not live without it, or so they say. Punishment is neccesary for kids to learn from their mistakes.

Long Trips

Traveling is something that many people dread, but is something is that I enjoy. This summer we went to Madrid, Spain and that is definitely the longest time I have ever been on an airplane. We were in the air for almost nine hours but it was still fun. I am able to fall asleep well on a plane which I think is weird. The longest time I have ever actually been traveling is when we were in Phoenix, Arizona. I flew there with my grandmother and my aunt and the rest of my family drove there to watch my brother play in Spring Training. I did not fly back, I rode with my parents in the Suburban. The total time we spent driving was close to twenty four hours and it still did not bother me. I had bought a few seasons of the Simpsons and all we did was watch that, eat McDonald's, and sleep. We did stay in a five star hotel on the way back which was fun, even though it was not as nice as the resort we had stayed at while in Phoenix. The impact that I always experience is the feeling of tiredness the second I step into my home. Even if I am not tired while on the plane or while in the car, even while in the car on the way home from the airport I will not be tired, but as soon I walk into the house a wall hits me and I am usually out for five to six hours. I also seem to be greatly affected by the food that one consumes while on vacation. It is usually so unhealthy because we usually go for what is fast, not healthy. The last few days of vacation I will try to eat better because I know that when I go home to more healthy food I will not feel well for a while. I do like traveling though because of the experience we can get from it, seeing how the environment and living style differ from our own.

William Bradford: Of Plymouth Plantation

In this passage of this story there are many pieces of the writing that lead me to believe that William Bradford was a puritan writer. The most obvious thing I notice of his writing is that he talks about the "province of God" many times, "...; but it pleased God that he caught hold of the topsail halyards which hung overboard and ran out at length"(Bradford 64-65). He is displaying his faith in God in this sentence. This portion of the story tells me that William thinks that God has a hand in everything. He does not believe in fate, he thinks that God is fate. He also says that the young man that God saved "became a profitable member both in church and commonwealth."(Bradford 64-65). I think that a profitable member of the church may mean that he took part in church often perhaps doing the readings or it is possible that it means that he attends church every week. There are many examples of the men of this ship praising God. "Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their kneees an blessed the God of Heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean"(Bradford 64-65). William Bradford is a strong believer in God and his writing in the style of a Puritan is obvious because of the great amount of religious references that he makes. He believes that God is the reason things happen and when something goes good he knows that it is because that is what God has willed and the same goes for when something has gone wrong. I think that it would be very risky to write like this today because of all of the different opinions that people have the write to. William Bradford's story of Plymouth is not completely religious. He also tells us of the great journey that the English made and the meetings with the Indians. William tells the reader of Squanto and the other Indian leaders and of those who could speak English. The Indians and English get along and they make a peace treaty with each other and they become friends. William also writes of the first Thanksgiving and the meal that was shared between the two opposite peoples. William says that the Indian that could speak English was "a special instrument sent of God"(Bradford 66-67). I think that he says this because of how useful the Indian was to them. He showed them how to make their corn better and he showed the English many things of this new land that would have taken them a long time to figure otherwise. The references made to God seems to be very common in these stories that we have been reading in class as of late. They think that God is everything and that if you wrong God he will wrong you. William Bradford was a strong writer and his stories will most likely be read for a long time.

Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., Douglas Fisher, Beverly Ann. Chin, and Jacqueline Jones. Royster. Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print.

Held Hostage- Journal 3

To be held hostage would be awful. Not knowing of where you were and the feeling of being so helpless would definitely not be comfortable. My kidnappers name is Kristen. She dragged me by my fat down to her cellar and tied me to her stripper pole. As soon as I was tied up she went back upstairs and turned the lights off. I was so scared worried about my life and I was not sure if I would survive this whole ordeal. The next morning she came down stairs and threw a moldy muffin at me and said "Eat it you piece of feces". I struggled to swallow the muffin because I got more mole taste than muffin. After my suffering, I never ate another muffin ever again. After I threw up, she forced my clothing from my body, sicked her rabid mice on me, and I was left for dead. As I bled out and was going in and out of conscientiousness, I saw another kid sitting on the ground about ten yards from me. Why I had not noticed him before is beside me, but he sat up as soon as I made eye contact with him. He said that his name is Kasey and that him and Kristen stole a bunch of money and after they went to Atlantis she brought him back here and poisoned him. I happen to be a poison doctor and was able to save the young lad's life. He seemed like a nice enough kid but he has turned sour with all of the misery of being a hostage. Kristen came down and actually gave us some fresh meat, and after we ate it she told us that we had just eaten fresh dog. Kristen is not a very nice person and the next time she came down the stairs would be her last. We have devised a plan to escape and we have found a gun of water. She came down the stairs and we hit her right in the face with the water gun. She freaked out and we were able to wiggle free from her crazy clutch. We ran out the front door and became best friends.

Young Panda goes to Gretchen Gator's house

Gretchen Gator lives in the swamp and her house is very muddy. She is not affected by its appearance and she has gotten used to its appearance. On Saturday, Gretchen Gator decided to have Young Panda over to her house to play Hungry Hungry Hippos. When he got to her house, Young Panda decided that he not park directly in front of the garage so that if someone had to come or go from the house, then they would not be blocked from getting into the garage. He walked up to the front door to her muddy abode and saw that the door was slightly ajar. Young Panda did not want to be rude to his good friend and decided to knock on the door and ring the door bell before he entered. Gretchen Gator came to the door and invited him inside. Panda took off his shoes and took a seat on her log that she uses as a couch. Panda was very uncomfortable but he did not say anything about because he did not want to make her feel bad. She asked him if he would like a drink and he said that a water would be great because he did not want to hurt her feelings but he did not want to be a burden either. The two of them sat down to a friendly game of Hungry Hungry Hippos, which soon became very competitive and violent. Young Panda thought "This is not my house, I will let her win". After he did this she was a very soar winner and Young Panda had his feelings hurt. Young Panda asked to get excused and he went home because he thought that she was not being a very good friend, even though he had been very polite. Gretchen Gator knew that she had done wrong by him and she apologized. Young Panda is a very good friend and he forgave her right away but he still felt like going home and so he did.

Journal 1 Native American Creation Story: How the Panda got his Bamboo

Young Panda was walking down the trail. All of a sudden Slithery Snake pulled his tail. Panda turned to see who had pulled his tail in a fury and he was going to hit Slithery Snake for pulling his tail. Slithery Snake apologized right away for what he had done and he said that it was an accident. Young Panda did not believe that the snake did not do it on purpose and he was still mad. Then Papa Panda came out of the woods and said "Young Panda, do not do anything that you will regret and feel sorry for. Do what you know is right." Young Panda then thought about what Papa Panda had said and he turned to Slithery Snake and said "I forgive you for pulling my tail, but can you please try to not do it again?" Slithery Snake is the Jungle's bully and he said "I can not promise you that because I have a reputation to keep." Papa Panda took his son for a walk and he told him that he was proud of his son. He said that Young Panda had handled the situation correctly and he rewarded his son with BAMBOO!!! Young Panda got his bamboo for doing what was right. Young Panda avoided a confrontation with a mean animal by not overreacting and he forgave Slithery Snake for hurting his feelings. Young Panda is still immature though because if Papa Panda had not shown up to make him stop and think about what he was doing then Young Panda may have done something unkind and hurtful towards Slithery Snake and he would not be any better than Slithery Snake. After the incident Slithery Snake went on his way and one day he pulled Young Panda's tail again. Young Panda did not need Papa Panda to tell him to stop and think and he was able to handle the situation rationally and he got more BAMBOO!!! Young Panda got full and slept the rest of the day.

Importance of the Characters

I think that these three books are the best that I have had to read for my summer work. I fell in love with the characters and their personalities. Each of them was different in many ways. Holden is an immature rich kid who has a dirty mouth and I loved to read what he was saying because he was always saying something bad about someone that he would never have said to their face. Actually Holden may have not been afraid to tell them what he thought of you to your face. Tom is an ex-convict who cares for his family deeply. He protects them and tries to provide for them and he takes friendship very seriously. Tom watched one of his friends get murdered and he avenged him right away without even think twice about it. He loves his mother and father more than anything in the world and he is not sorry that he had to go to jail. He went to jail for something that he believed in. I find Tom a very respectable man because he does what his heart tells him to, not what someone else says to do. I loved Santiago because he is that little old man that everyone thinks is cute but he is able to bring in a thousand pound marlin all by himself. He is a remarkable man in the fact that he fishes alone. I also feel bad for him because he loses his best friend and he is made fun of because the other villagers think that he is a bad fisherman. Santiago catches the biggest marlin ever caught in the town though and I think that they will respect him for a long time now. These characters were so easy to love because of each minor detail that made them unique and I can not wait to read the books again when I am older, to fall in love with them again.

Rating: The Old Man and the Sea

Whenever we do a book project in school we are required to rate the book. For example a book could be four out of five stars or something like that. After you rated it, you have to explain why you gave that book a certain rating and I think that this is an appropriate blog subject for this book.

The Old Man and the Sea was a very engaging book. It had the thrill of a hunt and the feeling of victory. I loved this book, but I think that it was too short. I would give this book a four out of five. The story of the old man was depressing yet you knew it was going to be ok for him so the reader was not sad all the time like in The Grapes of Wrath. When Santiago caught that fish I felt so good for him. He will not be ridiculed anymore for being a poor fisherman. I did feel bad for him though. He was out in a boat all day long by himself(Salinger, 35). He would have to talk to himself and this was depressing also because he used to fish with his favorite person in the world, the boy, but his parents forbid him to fish with the not prosperous old man. The book had quite a bit of action and character. All of the characters were different and as the reader, we fell in love with all of them. Even the poor fish was very unique and you can not help but feel bad for him because he will never be the same even if he does escape from Santiago's hook. The book was an easy read because of its length and content and I do plan on reading this book again in the future. It has a message that we can live by, never give up and you will be prosperous. Santiago fought this fish for many days and he never gave up and ended up catching the fish.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Rating: The Grapes of Wrath

Whenever we do a book project in school we are required to rate the book. For example a book could be four out of five stars or something like that. After you rated it, you have to explain why you gave that book a certain rating and I think that this is an appropriate blog subject for this book.

The Grapes of Wrath is a very depressing book. I think that is a good book but not the kind of story that I am into. I would give it a three out of five. I hate books that make me feel sad because the people in the story are struggling to just survive. We have so much and I think that most people take it for granted and this really makes me sad. I think that the worst part of this book, for me, was when the family is at the gas station begging for gas and they watch their dog get hit by a car (Steinbeck, Chapter 13). Number thirteen is an unlucky number and I find it interesting that the dog is killed in this chapter. I do not like to hear about animals being harmed because I have a dog. The story of this book is good though. A struggling family is able to dig itself out of the hole of poverty and I feel good for them when they find the barn in the rain because I know that they will be safe for another night. I also liked when Rose of Sharon cared for the hungry man with a gift that she was not able to use on her own child because it died. I found that part very sad too. A dead baby is not ever a happy subject and especially since she had done everything to protect him from what was going on around her. It was a good book even though it was very depressing but I am happy with the rating I gave it.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print.

Evaluation: The Catcher in the Rye

Whenever we do a book project in school we are required to rate the book. For example a could be four out of five stars or something like that. After you rated it, you have to explain why you gave that book a certain rating and I think that this is an appropriate blog subject for this book.

The Catcher in the Rye was a very entertaining book for me. If I had to rate it I would give it a five out of five stars. There is not much that I did not like about this book. I liked how Holden stood up for himself and he kind of did whatever he wanted to do. I wish that I could just decide to leave school and do it, but if that happens today then the police are notified and it becomes a big deal. I also like the language used in this book. Most books do not use swear words in the dialogue. I think that when they don't the book is not very realistic. Everyone uses swear words and when the author completely strips the book of them, I can just not believe that none of the characters in that book ever said a swear word. Holden says what is on his mind and I think that I probably saw at least one swear word on every page and there was usually more than one(Salinger, 88).

I also liked Phoebe's character a lot. She seems like a very bright and funny little girl. Phoebe is also much more mature than Holden and I find this funny too. Holden is a kid who does not like many things and you would think that he would be somewhat mature, but his little sister puts him to shame when it comes to maturity. The message of this book was very important to. I think that the message of this book is to not fear changes. Especially changes that are bound to come like adulthood.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print

The Catcher in the Rye, The Grapes of Wrath, The Old Man and the Sea similar book?

Over the summer I had to read these three books for english. They were all good books that I was able to take a message away from and a message that I think I will be able to apply to my everyday life. I do think that some of the books were similar though. The Old Man and the Sea can be compared to The Grapes of Wrath. Both of them deal with struggles. Santiago cannot seem to be able to catch a fish and the entire village makes fun of him for it(Hemingway, 23). In The Grapes of Wrath, the family struggles to survive. None of them have a job and they begin to rapidly run out of money, they have to beg for gas and they have to figure out a money situation quickly so that they can keep eating and stay alive(Steinbeck, Chapter 13). A similar struggle is dealt with in The Catcher in the Rye. Holden begins to run out of money and he must be thrifty with it. He ends up getting money from his little sister though and he does not have to be as thrifty anymore(Salinger, 232). All of the stories also have some victory and good moments for the characters. In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago catches a enormous marlin and his fishing drought is over and if he can get it back to shore then perhaps the villagers will stop making fun of him. In The Grapes of Wrath, the family is able to get jobs and they make enough money to keep on living and they are able to buy food and necessary supplies. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden is able to get to a new school at the end of the book and probably went on to become a successful adult. They were all very well written books and I think that when I get older I may read them over again to see if I can get a different meaning or a better understanding of the books.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print

The Catcher in the Rye: Phoebe's Maturity

Phoebe is Holden's younger sister and even though she is six years younger than him, it is obvious that Phoebe is more mature than Holden. Some people say that woman mature faster than guys do, but by six years? I think that some of the decisions that Holden has made in his life has affected her also. It is possible that seeing him get kicked out of school has made her more mature because she knows not to disappoint her parents or they get mad. She may have also learned that making bad choices does not help you in life. She exhibits great maturity and even chastises Holden for his immaturity. Like Mr. Antolini, Phoebe seems to recognize that Holden is his own worst enemy. It is remarkable that a girl of such young age is able to recognize her older brother's level of immaturity.

Phoebe knows that everyone has to grow up someday and she is not afraid of adulthood like Holden is. She already realizes the natural course of life and she helps Holden to grow up and to stop his immature demeanor. Phoebe is a foil character in this book because she makes Holden seem that much more immature because of her level of maturity at such a young age. She is more mature than Holden and he is six years older than her. Phoebe also knows how to save her brother at some points in the story. When her parents come home she tells her mom that she was the one smoking(Salinger, 230). She lied to her mother's face t0 protect Holden. Phoebe is mature for the reason of Holden being immature. She makes him a better person. She does have some problems though. She wants to leave her whole life to go and run away with Holden and I think that this is immature of her. Phoebe should have a bright future because of her early development into a mature young girl.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print

The Old Man and the Sea: The Marlin

I am not sure if you can call the fish an important character because he is just that, a fish. But the story seems to develop itself around him and Santiago so I will consider him an important character. The Marlin is a good guy and a bad guy because of many reasons. If Santiago loses the battle then he will return to his village after many days without a fish, and since the Marlin is in conflict with the main character that makes him the antagonist of this story. The Marlin is also a magnificent creature of such beauty and grace that the old man begins to feel bad about hooking him and he wishes that he could just let him go(Hemingway, 84). The Marlin is also a good guy because of that reason. As the reader, we want the old man to catch the fish so that he can feel good about himself again and so that people will not make jokes about him, but we also feel bad for the Marlin. His life and his future has been snatched from him in the blink of an eye or the open and close of his mouth and this can be sad for the reader.

During their battle, the Marlin is in the same position as Santiago. They must outlast the other and not lose the fight. To lose this fight means death. The Marlin does all that he can do to ensure that he does not go easily. It is not like the Marlin thought he was going to die, he very much believed that he could get this hook out of his mouth somehow or that he was strong enough to just pull that boat floating above him forever. We are happy for Santiago because he catches the great fish and that he can return to the village a true fisherman but we also feel bad for the graceful yet powerful fish. He was the perfect opponent for Santiago and he fought valiantly.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Santiago and the Boy: The Old Man and the Sea

The relationship between Santiago and the boy is introduced early in the story. They are unlikely companions; one is old and the other young, yet they share an awesome amount of respect and loyalty for each other. Santiago does not treat Manolin as a young boy but rather as an equal. Age is not a factor in their relationship. Manolin does not even act as a young boy; he is mature and sensitive to Santiago's feelings. He even offers to disobey his parents and accompany Santiago on his fishing trips instead of the more prosperous boat. Santiago is viewed as an outcast in his village because he has not caught any fish for more than eighty-four days and is therefore unlucky. Manolin is loyal to Santiago and even when his parents forbid him, he wants to help his friend. Their conversations are comfortable, like that of two friends who have known each other for a long time. When they speak it is usually about baseball or fishing, the two things they have most in common. Their favorite team is the Yankees and Santiago never loses faith in them even when the star player, Joe DiMaggio is injured with a heel spur(Hemingway, 21). In this way Santiago not only teaches Manolin about fishing but also about important characteristics such as faith. They help each other to become more understanding and better people.

These two are the best of friends. Even though the boy is not aloud to fish with Santiago, he brings him coffee and fresh bait in the hope that he will catch fish so that Manolin can rejoin him in his boat. The boy loves Santiago, and Santiago loves the boy. Manolin cares for the old man even though he does not have to. He knows that his friend is struggling to make money and he knows that he is not eating that much. So what does he do? He brings the old man some food. In the end though Manolin rejoins the old man's boat and they are able to sail the seas together again, even though it goes against what his parents had told him to do.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Relationship of Ma and Pa Joad

Ma is the superglue that prevents the entire Joad family from cracking into a thousand tiny pieces. Whenever a family member considers leaving the family, Ma tries her hardest to convince them to stay. Although the men are supposedly the leaders of Dust Bowl era families, in the toughest of situations, Ma is in charge of decision-making. Ma is a strong, loving caretaker for the Joad family. She will do anything to protect her family even if that means going against what her husband is saying.

Pa has an extremely hard time adjusting to his situation after leaving the farm. This is mostly due to the fact that he no longer has to fulfill his role as the sole provider of the family. He is extremely hard working and continues to search for a job even when the search seems hopeless. When Rose of Sharon was having her baby, the rain threatened to flood the Joad’s temporary home in a boxcar. Pa got all the nearby men to help him build a dam to stop the rising water(Steinbeck, Chapter 30). Through his disheartenment, Pa continues to show his commitment to his family. He slowly began to lose his role of group leader as the journey went on. He began having trouble making decisions and Ma stepped in when he froze or needed help. Ma stood against him when it came to Tom having to leave the family. He usually would have hit her for talking back to him but she was holding a weapon and the position of power, and he made the wise decision of agreeing with her.

Ma and Pa are happily married and seem to work well together. They used to clash in fights, but both of them know their place and it works as a very good support system for the family. They provide for their family in a time of great need and do whatever they can to ensure the survival of the people they care for, even if that means less food for themselves.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print.

Reverend Casy

Jim Casy is a reverend that has given up preaching. After leaving his hometown, which he also preached in, he develops a new belief and insight into his life and the well being of his soul. Everyone wants to get to heaven, which means taking care of your soul. Jim Casy thinks that everyone' s soul is thrown into one pot and his collected as one soul. As people act in a way that would not allow them into heaven their soul is taken from the whole soul that contains everyone's soul. He is still a religious man but he just does not believe the same things he did when he first became a preacher. Throughout the story Granma wants him to pray for dinner and other times in the day when people pray and he really does not want to do. In the end though Granma gets her way and he does an old fashion prayer for their sake even though he may not believe the same thing they do. Jim does guide them though into a better spiritual life and I think that they become better people because of him.

One night in the peach field, tragedy strikes Jim Casy. Tom and Jim are having a conversation because the old friends have not seen each other for some time when they are caught by guards in a place that is currently restricted. Jim pleas for the lives of the children and all of the people suffering outside of the farm, trying to get a job or just some food for him, and one of the guards strikes him in the head with a pick handle(Steinbeck, 527). He dies at this point and it was all because he was doing what was right. Jim was a great help and a great friend to the family and it enraged Tom so much that he killed the guard as soon as he killed Jim. Jim Casy was a man who always did the right thing and the family is hit pretty hard by the news of his death.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print.

Was the journey to California worth it?

The Joads have decided that there are jobs in California and they leave everything they know and love behind for the chance of survival and their future in this country. Chance is the keyword in that last sentence and that is exactly what it is. Some people are fortunate in California to have a steady job that pays them enough to feed their family, but on the way to California the Joads experience some of the consequences of their decision. People stop and tell them that there is no work there and that they should turn back to where they came from. The Joads do not want to believe this because of the promise and hope that they have for this far off land. On their way to California though they use quite a bit of gasoline and of the money they had. They get to the point of begging for gasoline so that they can continue their journey, and at this point their dog is hit by a roadster and their misfortune continues from there(Steinbeck, Chapter 13). On this journey, the Joads lose both Granma and Granpa. They are sadden by the elders' death, but the rest of the family knows that they must have them buried and continue on unless they want to end up like their recently deceased. After troubles of food, money, and gas on the trip they finally arrive in California. They have to wait many days after looking for jobs until they finally land a job that is paying them barely enough to keep on living and they end up making just enough to make dinner each day and this is even after everyone is working the entire day. I am not sure if the trip was worth it or not. They lose their dog, grandparents, and quite a bit of money. In the end they do get jobs and a barn for a home, but was their original home and state in this bad of shape? They are working for food. They cannot buy new clothes for a while after saving their money for a very long time and I think that this is very sad. I hope that in the end they think that they made the right decision and I guess that this is all that matters.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print.

Pa Joad

Pa is the leader of this family, but he sure is a quiet one. Having fathered six children and having lived in Sallisaw, Oklahoma for all of his life, farming the land, Pa Joad has his hands full. He isn't always the best at staying calm or at making decisions, but he does the best that he can. Marrying Ma Joad might have been the smartest move he's ever made. In the last blog I talked about how Ma slowly inherits the status of group leader from Pa because he struggles to make the difficult decisions. They are happily married though and never fight; except for on some occasions they disagree about what is best for the family and go to the edge of violence. We notice that Pa Joad gets quieter and quieter as the journey goes on. Here and there, we catch glimpses of how he might be changing. For example, when Ma Joad demands that the family not leave Tom behind with the broken touring car, she has to arm herself with a weapon. In the old days, Pa Joad would have beaten Ma Joad for talking back or for disagreeing with his decision(Steinbeck, Chapter 16). But times have changed, and Pa, who has lost almost everything, is more shocked by the change he sees in his wife than he is angered by it. In fact, as the novel unfolds, Pa grows more and more bewildered by just about everything he sees. He is not sure what is going on around him sometimes, which is the point when Ma steps in to make a decision for him so that the family can continue on their way. Pa does want the best for the family, but I think that he does not know what the best for the family is sometimes. He just needs some help sometimes. He also probably feels guilty about what has happened to them. He is the man of the house and was not able to keep a job and I bet this makes him feel really lousy about himself.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print.

Ma Joad

Ma Joad is the heart of this caravanning family. She stays at Pa's side for the duration of the book, but she also develops into the leader of this family when Pa begins to be unable to make decisions. Ma is also hesitant of going to California because she is not sure if there will be work there or not and it turns out that her intuition is partially right(Steinbeck, Chapter 10). She believes in "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." and this serves her very well. Ma knows that California is a sketchy situation but she goes anyway because this is before she began to influence decisions made by the family. Ma sees right through the California dream. Maybe Ma Joad has such a strong intuition because she's experienced so much in her life. She dreams of having a little white house surrounded by orange trees and of reaching out and grabbing as many oranges as her hands can carry, but she is also afraid of nice things because she does not think that they can happen so easily. Ma Joad is a strong-hearted woman and she is very tough. She is like the watcher of her flock and she will not let anything happen to them. Although she is an older woman, she has the strength and will of a bull. When she wants something to happen that is what is going to happen. Ma Joad does not have an easy life. However, she remains cool, calm, and collected, even when she's lost her house, her land, and has to burn her earthly possessions. She has to be solid as a rock, so that her family doesn't fall apart. Without her, the Joads would not be the Joads.

Even though she loses some of her family on the road and she is sad about them, she is able to keep control and do what is best for her family and that is what made her Ma in this book.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print.

Cases of the Bible in Grapes of Wrath

There can be many references to the Bible in Grapes of Wrath. One example is when Tom Joad returns from prison. Once disgraced, he returns to lead his family through their ordeal. Tom becomes a symbol of a simple man trying to do the right thing; he wants to redeem himself in a world that does not play by the rules. In the Bible this can be compared to the "Prodigal Son". He wants to do the right way and the way he thinks would make him a better person after his decision, not a worse or immorally poor man. He is a good man even though he does do things that you would not think a good man would do such as murder another man and go to prison, or hit a man in the head with a stick and kill him out of vengeance.

Another example of a Bible reference in this book is in Chapter 30 when Rose of Sharon milks the man back to health(Steinbeck, Chapter 30). She takes care of this man who is in need and she uses one of her motherly attributes on him even though he is not related to her and she does not even know this dying man. She does what she knows is the right thing, like Mary did by birthing a child that was not really hers because she was a virgin. She cares for him just the same because she knows that it was a miracle that he was born, just like Rose of Sharon knowing that it is a miracle that she can save this poor man. The Virgin Mary birthed a baby in a barn also and in some sense this is what Rose of Sharon is doing by suckling this man. She is giving him another chance, a new life to start over with, and she acts saintly and calm about an ordeal that could make her afraid to do. She does feed the man though and that is all that matters.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print.

Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon is not a character that you would expect to save a man when he is under dire circumstances. Rose of Sharon is very close to the family but she is partial to the life that is in her womb. She is afraid of things that could hurt her baby and little does she know what the fate of that baby will be. In Chapter 13, when the truck has to stop for gas, they see the family's dog get hit by a new roadster and she is afraid that seeing something so gruesome and inhumane will somehow hurt her baby (Steinbeck, Chapter 13). I think that this is a ridiculous. I know that she is just worried about her child being healthy and strong but there is no way that something that the mother sees could affect the child's outcome. She is a nice enough woman and all but she is too protective and almost strange.

Even though her child is stillborn, she still keeps her motherly abilities when it matters most. She is crushed by the outcome of her child's birth, but when they have to flee to the barn and discover the starving man and his boy, she does what any mother would do for her child. She suckles him, allowing him to suck her nipple for milk, because he has not eaten for so long he cannot digest solid food. She saves this man and he is very grateful to her for it. This scene is a ray of sunshine in the world of darkness. This scene illustrates to us that there is still kindness and sacrifice left in a world of thieves and people doing anything to survive. I am very glad that she did this for the man and proved her worth to the world. Rose of Sharon went through a lot before her courageous act and she did not deserve what happened to her child, but when push came to shove she did the right thing for a person in need. She was quiet and mysterious when she was pregnant but now she can be her lively self again because she feels good about what she did, even though the book may not say this.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print.

Symbolism of the dog's death

After the Joads sell all of their possessions and buy a truck to make the great trip to California, they are unaware of the tragic problems ahead of them. They set out for their new lives and they encounter the constant setback of their fuel situation. With all of the items they have and all of the family in one truck, it is much heavier and with it being a truck it does not get very good gas mileage in the first place, but with so many people they are using gas very quickly and are having to stop and use money on it. At one point they stop and as they are begging for gas their dog is killed by a new roadster(Steinbeck, Chapter 13), which symbolizes the misery of what is to come to the family and who it is brought upon them by, the wealthy.

The dog's death is symbolism and foreshadowing of the events that are to come on the journey. They lose some of the family to disease and age and the dog's death was a symbol of what was to come. They lose Grandma and Grandpa very early in the trip and do everything they can to give them a respectful funeral, but at some points the money is just to tight to afford it and they leave Grandma at the coroner's office. This makes some of them upset, but it is what they had to do to ensure that they survive the trip. They also lose a baby that never got to experience the world. It may be best for the child to have not lived too long because being born into a world and country of poverty would not be the way for any child to first see the world. It is born still and Rose of Sharon and the whole family is saddened by this because a face of occasional laughter may have lifted their spirit greatly. The dog's death is the sign of doom for some of the family members.

Steinbeck, John, and Robert J. DeMott. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 1992. Print.