The Trojan Horse

In class we read the story "The Trojan Horse" out load. It was about the Greeks fighting for Troy. The conflict in this story was that the Greek couldn’t leave Troy, without the gods getting angry and setting a type of storm to keep them on Troy. The conflict was resolved with them receiving a horse, and kept the horse for god luck! Something I that was devious, was that they received a mysterious horse.

These situations can relate to some people. Say if you were sucking up to a teacher to have them like you better, or even a friend. Maybe, if you are trying to suck up to someone, or if you want someone to like you in a specific way you would tell them nice things, or usually not be yourself, but better around them. I personally haven't experienced  anything like this.

The Striped People

Author's Note: In these upcoming paragraphs you will read about my text analysis on "The Boy in the Striped pajamas" written by John Boyne

"The Boy in the Striped pajamas" written by John Boyne is a very touching book. . Back then, people weren't treated the way they should have been. Jewish people were not treated with respect and were kept in concentration camps. It's about two young boys, Bruno, a German, and Shmuel, a Polish Jew, who don't exactly understand the whole situation of the fence that separates them. Throughout the course of the book, Bruno seems to treat Shmuel how everyone should be treated.

A concentration camp is a camp in which people are detained or confined and have kept Jews and treated them harshly. There were many different kinds of camps. These started in about 1933 in Germany and ended around 1939. Some types of camps were Hostage camps and POW camps. Basically, a Hostage camp is where hostages were held. A POW camp is where prisoners of war were held after capture.

After all, life has changed a lot since the 1930s. Also, camps are nowhere to be found and everyone is treated equally. A similar thing from back then to now is racism. Most people are treated equally, but some people just can’t except that everyone’s human. They have the need to make fun of, tease, or bully people about how they look, or act.

When Bruno and Shmuel ignore their rules, they gained a fantastic friendship. Also, they kept it a secret so no one could find Bruno when he went to visit Shmuel. After one day Bruno entered the camp, through a small hole in the fence, to help Shmuel find his missing father.  He felt like a helping friend. As the timing is bad, they go on a march, and never return. A year goes by and Bruno’s disappearance remains a mystery. Until one day when a solider found Bruno’s clothes at the spot Shmuel and him met every day. Suddenly, they find a hole in the fence big enough for Bruno to fit through and his father realizes, his son was killed along with everyone else in the camp. The tone of the father had gone from confident, to depressed from his loss.

As you have heard, concentration camps were awful. People had died everyday for being who they were. After I had seen the movie, I wanted to read the book. The two are very alike and you can understand more. Finally, these camps have stopped and people can be who they are. Not even being able to talk without being beaten, these people were treated horrible.

Ribbons

It's different here than in China from what they do. In the story, the family bowed to the grandmother, while Stacy gave her a hug. The grandmother didn't appreciate the hug, because it could be different in China. Another difference is with the grandmothers binded feet. I never even would think that they do that anywhere, but they used to do that in China. 

Somethings we do that are similar to feet binding is plastic surgery. Some people go to the doctor and have their face, and or bodies changed from surgery. I think it's a bad thing because everyone's beautiful in their own way. If it causes physical pain then I would say no, but if you have a different opinion, and are really confident in these ideas, then yes. I thought that the title and the story really blended towards the end of the story with the ribbons of the foot binding.

Johnny's Mother

In the story, "After you my Dear Alphonse" is a stereotypical mom. She thinks that her son's friend, Boyd, is a poor black boy who is starving and has nothing. When he really has as much wealth as she does!  In the end he made her upset, because he proved her wrong and didn't accept her "gifts". Pewaukee isn't a very racist place like many others. We accept each and every person here. Some other schools aren't as nice. Back then people who were a different color wouldn't be treated right because they looked different. Most people don't think that’s very right because everyone's human.

Fitness and Health Essay

Author’s Note: In these 5 upcoming paragraphs you will read about my opinion on a couple questions about fitness and health.

Fitness and health are very important for a person. It not only keeps you alive, but it keeps you looking great! If you really think about it, the answers to these two questions can say a lot. These questions are, what value does physical activity provide you?  Does physical activity provide you with health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, social interaction, or something else?

The first question is, what value does physical activity provide you?  Physical activity provides you strength, energy, and a better health. Physical activity can really help you gain strength in not only your body, but in self confidence, because it will help you look fantastic! It also gains energy for you in the day by having a great health.

Lastly, the second question, does physical activity provide you with health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, social interaction, or something else? Yes, physical activity does provide you with these things, but not just physical activity. Health takes a lot more than just exercise. You need to watch what you eat and not only watch, but to eat healthy!

Some people, not all, get enjoyment from physical activity. If you just like to jog, or even play your favorite sport, and it challenges you to try your best. You could also express yourself by showing who you are while playing a sport. I think social interaction is a big part in physical activity. You can find someone who has the same pace as you do, so you don’t need to be alone!

Health and fitness is actually very important to a person. It keeps you away from medication, and the doctor’s office. Like the saying, “one apple a day, keeps the doctor away!” With a great health you can actually live a longer life, but too much exercise can be harmful.

A Clean, Well-lighted Place

Author's Note: In these upcoming paragraphs you will read, are about how  the short story, A Clean, Well-lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway, and a short movie of the story are different!

A Clean, Well-lighted Place, is mainly about an old man, a middle-aged man and a younger man at a café. Since they are all different ages, they act different. The younger man is a little more rude than the other two. The old man is always just minding his business and just going along with his drinks. Lastly, the middle-aged man is nice, but curious! The short story is mainly just dialog with a little bit of summary! Well, of course the short movie is all dialog because they're talking!

After I read the story, I noticed is that the movie made more sense from the music. You could tell what kind of a mood everything was! It was also easier because you could tell who was talking and saying what they were saying! The movie put more of an understanding plot in my head. It made a lot more sense because in the story you could accidently picture the wrong thing. 

Re- Dreams and Goals

Author's Note: In this essay I will be explaining the quote, "Life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly" from the poem, "dreams" by Langston Hughes and I will be talking about his life.

Langston Hughes was born in the time period when racism was a big thing. He was born in Joplin, Missouri. He was a second child to Carrie Mercer Langston and James Nathaniel Hughes. He grew up in different small towns until his Father left the family, and divorced Carrie. Langston didn't have a very strong relationship with his father. Langston's mother was looking for a job after his parents spilt, he was raised by his grandmother. After his grandmother's death, Langston went to live with family friends for a while.

In the well known poem, dreams by Langston Hughes is mainly about holding onto your dreams at tough times. It's not a very happy situation. The stanza, "Life is a broken-winged bird that cannot fly" is mainly about how life isn't fair at times, but you just have to let those hard times heal. Dreams is mainly about Langston saying, don't let go of your dreams because when life is rough, all you have are your dreams and goals.

On May 22, 1967, Hughes died from complications after abdominal surgery. His ashes are  beneath a floor medallion in the middle of the Arthur Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. He died when he was about 65. Langston only lived for a short time. Nobody deserves to die at such a young age.

Even though Langston Hughes had a short life, he put a lot of work into it and also put a lot in his pieces. After he died his pieces still are around today and are great hits! It didn’t matter what race he was, he was a fantastic writer and made a clear statement in each piece of his. The poem Dreams is mainly about not letting go and even though it's such a short poem I caught on very fast to the meaning.