Journal #6 - Chapters 16-19 - Perspective: Mr. Ewell

Could of killed him, Could have all gotten that Tom, Stupid kids got in the way. Damn black man, now I'm stuck here and stupid Atticus is the dumb defense lawyer. Tom Robinson raped my girl and that's that i saw it. Heck Tate should just say it, its true. I should of had my gun with me to shoot that damn black man for raping her. And Atticus's stupid kids there watching, always worried about their dad. Kept asking me about the bruises and which side they were on and I just answered that i agreed with Mr. Tate. That Mr. Gilmer was no problem he is defending me so i agreed with him. How dare Atticus defend that Tom Robinson and accuse me of beating my own daughter. Stupid lawyer also kept asking if i had called the hospital, i did not because for me my first instinct was to call Heck Tate.

He had high authority, with being the town sheriff and all. And what does me being left handed have to do with anything, huh?! Stupid Atticus trying to trick me? No way, Ill win anyway because the jury of white men go along with the white man's side of the story and not the blacks. But its still cute that his kids are so worried about him when people come to their door. They keep thinking that its a gang but there aren't any here. HA HA i laugh at Tom Robinson's excuse, my daughter is well known and people like her. And why would she go for an ugly cripple black man. Its good that Mr. Gilmer covered him with questions i can sense his nervousness which only means that I WILL WIN!

Journal #5 - Chapters 13-15 - Perspective: Jem

Wow, Aunt Alexandra is here, dang now life is going be hell. Constantly correcting us and annoying us. I can't believe everyone greeted here like that, I should have told them how bad she is. Atticus should have told us she was coming. We do not like her one bit. She can be nice at some times but she can be critical of me and Scout. Now Atticus is just the same telling us that we have to grow and change. They want us to be more gentlemen like and to scout, more lady-like. And I know Scout, it will be hard for her to emerge more like a........ lady and I guess they expect her top be like Aunty. I guess he maybe right because he is so pensive. I just don't like it when he yells at us for antagonizing Aunt Alexandra. She is racist as well, told Atticus to get rid Calpurnia who is like a mother to us, we love her and we don't care if she is black.

Aunty does, she doesn't like blacks. And I continue to see more people who dislike them. HA! i liked how Scout stood up to Aunty, but Atticus yelled at her. But I'm starting to see why we have to act more mature now, what Atticus and Aunty have been saying is infallible. I tried telling Scout but she never listens. My preoccupation over Scout is increasing . Then Dill come out of nowhere, claims to be running away from his family and walked miles and miles. Him being with Scout sort of freaks me out, so young and saying that they will get married. I doubt their attempts. She keeps fighting and her aggressiveness is going over the top, I did not like her beating me up and I'm 12 years old. But it is sort of disturbing that 7 or 8 year olds are sleeping in the same bed.

Journal #4 - Chapters 10-12 - Perspective: Atticus

These have been some upsetting days. Learning how to use guns eventually lead to the killing of animals, which i do not really agree with. I'm getting to old to warn these kids constantly `but i still have my skills in different activities. Checkers and playing the Jew's harp are some things I am good at, but i just don't want Jem and scout to become like me and lots of animals. Back then i was called O'l One Shot because i was the best hunter. I vaguely remembered my hunting days when i raised that rifle at the "mad dog" I didn't think that we were in much peril from that dog he was sad, weak, and was dying. I didn't like it, i had a advantage over it and it didn't feel right. As i control this case it is becoming more of a problem in the neighborhood for Scout. And even if they use the words Nigger-Lover as an insult i take it as compliment, i love everyone and discrimination should be eliminated, everyone should be treated equally because we are all the same.
Jem is having problems with Ms. Dubose but now that is over. From her saying bad things about me or them to Jem cutting up her bushes to him reading to her everyday after school, and finally to her death of morphine. She would go inaudible and space out to the alarm clock. Of course Jem had many reasons to destroy her flowers from racism to her wanting to contradict him constantly, which she did. A very cantankerous old lady who now can stop teasing Jem. I need to teach that now 12 year old boy to ignore the negative comments of other people. I think Jem should have learned from her and Scout too. Me, knowing Calpurnia would probably take them to church which is fine but i just don't want them learning the wrong things from folks who are like Ms Dubose. Calpurnia is nice and i think i can trust her with helping the kids understand the rest of this town and the different people, while im gone

Journal #3 - Chapters 8+9 - Perspective: Atticus

These times are too harsh. Many conflicts are appearing, I just don't think i can help out with them and take care of Jem and Scout at the same time all the time. Snow is a first here, a bit of happiness came with that, especially for Jem and Scout with their snowman that looked a bit deformed but not for Ms. Maudie she hated it because her plants would die. Speaking of Ms. Maudie, i can't believe her house (that was adjacent to ours) had burnt down and along with that I also can't believe that Boo had gotten out (it is good though that he isn't isolate much), since pretty much everyone in Maycomb was outside. Christmas wasn't all that bad, my brother Frank came over with his no swearing rule and it was amusing to see Scout try not to.

Scout does need more discipline she feels like she has to fight whenever she feels the need to defend herself or whenever someone else makes fun of her or her family. But you just need to ignore it, if someone calls you a (For Example) nigger-lover it doesn't really mean that you are one. Unless you agree with them, but that would be stupid. I hear from scout constantly that her cousin Francis is ANNOYING. Nigger-Lover also does lead us to my case. I am struggling to keep Tom Robinson, black male accused for raping a white female. I just don't think i can convince people that he is innocent especially during this racist and depressed time. I don't see why people have to be so mean to these people they mean well and they are nice clean people.

Journal #2 - Chapters 4-7 - Perspective: Jem

Oh, Scout will never learn. I always have to correct her and protect her. Like the gum she found the tree, i mean seriously that is DISGUSTING. But I can't blame her for her curiosity, Dill and I are always curious about Boo. Many people are just warning us not to annoy him but the more we get in trouble, the more we talk about him or the more gossip we hear about him; the more we want to do that and it just enhances our curiosity of him. After we were constantly scolded at, we just created a play about the Radleys which didn't turn out so good after Atticus questioned us and asked why I had scissors to cut newspaper. And the reason he questioned is that boo was looked at as a crazy murderer and one day while Boo was cutting up newspaper he stabbed his Dad in the leg. So Miss Maudie's yard was a good place to think of a plan to get Boo out of the

house.

But Dill and I's plans never worked. Such as slapping the wall of the house, trying to stick a letter through the shutters, and sneaking out at night to try and see Boo. Which leads us to to shot gun that they fired to scare us when we had been seen at night, Atticus got deeply mad at me for trying the to get boo out by asking him to come out. Scout and I are always finding things in a tree which is leading us to suspect that the stuff like sculptures and watches are from Boo. But Ms. Maudie won't let us call him that we have to call him Mr. Arthur, well at least Scout does. And what is sort of sad is that Nathan Radley clogged up the tree hole so now we can't communicate with Boo. Boo doesn't seem so scary now but the other Radley's kind or freak me out because they shot a gun and i was super scared when i was trapped by the fence.

But I think the most important thing is to keep this a secret from others and maybe find other ways to communicate with Boo.

Journal #1 - Chapters 1-3 / Dill

Wow, Maycomb is wierder than i expected. And im going to be coming there every summer. I can't be believe i compromised to come here everytime but it is interesting. Those kids, Jem and Scout sure are tall and they can show new stuff over there. But that radley place is so wierd. I want to see that crazy called Boo that they constantly talk about. His story is so eccentric and he is seen as a malevolent man of intimidation. And it doesn't seem as like those kind of people are indigenous.

So, i irked Jem to touch the house. Hah, a nasty dare but it was cool, but i want to see what he looks like so badly. The kids are fun to play different plays with,but they do have problem from what i hear, such as: before when Jem condescended to take scout to school the first day and Scout's teacher sharing stupid pronouncments. The Finches really do have a nice and good cook but i never really understood why she said Mr. Radley was the meanest man the world ever knew. These years have been tough to everyone, so i hear. The kids here are really poor and are all filthy, but they still have to persevere.

Immigration Project Reflection

Julian Pina-Sanz

3/29/09

Immigration Project Reflection

I had an understanding experience with this book. I learned a lot about different people’s life and the book explained it to me in a way that makes your troubles feel insignificant to what is happening in the lives for people in Africa. I had not been given a chance to choose since I was absent and I thought the book was dumb but now that I have read it I say that it is one of the best books I have read. It sucked me in and made me created feelings for the characters.

The other members in my group also showed sentiment for the characters but I believe that anyone would after they read the book. When I read the book I saw it in a small movie in front of me. I imagined it very detailed. The stories in the book were sad but pulled me into them. Their stories looked far worse than people’s lives here. Here they complain about a fire that destroyed their kitchen but in Africa entire people’s homes along with their village and cities are burned down. I couldn’t exactly find what the moral was but the book affected me greatly. I remember staying in at lunch and P.E to read and it was worth it.

I thought blogging was a fine way to do this project, it gave people who still had a little more to read to finish when they got home until 9 o’ clock. I also think it gave more time and space to express feelings about what happened in the pages that you have read instead of Dialectical Journals and their small spaces for writing. There were some technical difficulties with blogging but they could be fixed. I can’t say that we all understood the book in the same way. Everyone has a different understanding of what the book meant to them. I didn’t have any similar understanding of the book with the rest of my group. This book is one of the best stories.

Because of my understanding of the book I chose the type of painting that would let me share what I felt about the book. I believed that the choice of interpretation of the novel would give me that. All the feelings I felt for the book weren’t in the painting. I would not have been able to fit them all on the painting. As soon as the idea of the mirror and the village being pillaged came up in my head I knew that it had a deep meaning.

And when it was complete I looked at it and saw an immediate connection. The moral as I had said before is unclear to me but I can right now only express parts of what I understand of the book. There are some things that I had wanted to add and those were hints to relate to the time the main character had in America like his girlfriends begin murdered and being brutally robbed. I think if I was better at painting it would have turned out better. I only learned how to slowly write a detailed page about my painting.

The interviews were quick and smooth. The answers were answered fine and there wasn’t any nervousness or tension. Since my families are friends with them, it was easy to finish the interviews. I though that the 3 times in 3 different ways was fine. It gave you a chance to establish trust with the interviewee and get more information out of them. Also the 3 different was a very unique way of getting information.

I learned much about immigration from my interviewee, about different life styles and the differences in countries and it makes me wonder “why not help the other countries” which links to my book. I wondered when I read the book the fact of “ why can’t the U.S help the people in Africa.” The calendar I am making for my person is some thing that I believe will explain the person’s life. I thought it was an easy and quick way to explain it. All I had to do was gather different Mexican holidays and important days of the person’s lives. This project was a very good was to learn about immigration.

Lit Circle Final Post #6 / What is the What

Quote 1: I told no one, but I was fairly certain that something would go wrong with this trip. but I could not live in that camp anymore. I had been at Kakuma for almost ten years and would not live out my life there. Any risk, I felt, was acceptable.

Page 518 , Achak Nyibek Arou Deng /Valentino

Response 1: I felt that this part was both sad and happy because it showed how much he wanted to leave although hes going to miss his country. It is good to leave his country during war and death , so it is a happy thought that he is saving himself, but when he sees everyone who has cared for him and are know crying because he's leaving, its sad. I think his choices are well determined. He has become smarter,stronger, and more willed. Its just sad that he has to break hearts to alleviate his own.

Question 1: Have you every felt this way about a place and others? Explain the feelings.

Quote 2: We're men. Now we can stand and decide. this is our first chance to choose our unknown. I'm so proud of everything we've done , my brothers , and if we're fortunate enough to fly and land again in a new place we must continue.
Page 531, Achak Nyibek Arou Deng /Valentino

Response 2: I chose this one because it shows how much hes grown. Before i remember the little kid who had been listening to Deng's story about how he pooped his pants. Or the part where he had been wrestling with William K. then Moses. And now in this part he is comforting another kid named Benjamin. He wants others to feel safe with friends and to feel comforted by the love of others, even if they are people you haven't seen before. When i read this part i remembered the part where he was with the group led by Dut walking through that dark, while lions devoured others, they gave them selves comfort.

Question 2: Have you had the memory of you before and you growing up? Explain how it felt.

Lit Circle Post #5 / What is the What

Quote 1: And yet, with this news, as we drove, I found myself distancing myself from God. I have friends who I decided were not good friends, were people who brought more trouble than happiness, and thus I have found ways to create more distance between us. Now I have the same thoughts about God, my faith, that I had for these friends. God is in my life but i do not depend on him. My God is not a reliable God.
Page 358, Achak Nyibek Arou Deng

Response 1: When people say things like this it annoys me because God was the person who saved Achak throughout his journey. You don't expect to bring the people back from the dead like Achak expected God to bring back Tabitha. It is your own actions that bring your distance or your path the to an end or an extension. God, himself cannot undo what you've decided would happen. He just gives you the many paths, the destinys and the rewards that will come at the end of your journey. I think Achak's ways and thoughts are the kind of thoughts that I see in suicidal people. When I look at people who blame God for many things, I think and will at some points tell them " Don't you realize what he has given you and what you've done to it, you merely thinking that God sabotaged you when YOUR desicions have allied it self with Devil.

Question 1: What do you think when you see people blaming God? Why?


Quote 2: They knew now that the Sudanese in America were capable of murder, of suicide, and so what, they wondered, might Valentino do?
Page 367, Achak Nyibek Arou Deng, knowing that his friends are thinking this.

Response 2: This part shocked me because it was what I have been thinking about for a very long time. I had been thinking " The fact that immigrants come here looking for freedom away from the destruction and barbarity that might be overrunning their countries is absolutely fine, But what if they brought that death and cruelty here. I see more and more gangs, drugs, and shooting. I see their the kindness and friendliness leave the actions they do. I've seen kids who are nice and well behaved become mean and trouble making.

Question 2: Have you seen anything like this or can relate? What or How?

Lit Circle Post #4 / What is the What

Quote 1: I told Commander Beltbuckle that i preferred not to bury infants and thereafter i did not have to bury babies.
Page 268, Achak Nyibek Arou Deng

Response 1: It is very sad to know that they were burying infants and i chose this one because it was a big shock to me and affected me in the sense that, if the infants were just born and were angels given by God. It was sad to read this part. I guess that I'm sort of linked to this because i feel bad when i have to yell at my little sister when she doesn't listen. It feels tearful when you hear stuff like that.

Question 1: Have you ever done something that you regret doing? If so, give an example


Quote 2: "Valentino! It's Ajing! Call CNN and tell them that the war is on again"
He's out of breath. I beg him to slow down.
"A bomb just went off. Or mortar. They just bombed us. Huge explosion. Call CNN and tell them to send a camera. The world needs to know. Bashir is attacking us again. The war has returned! I'll call you back- call CNN!"
It was a false alarm, he says. There was an explosion within the barracks, but it was an accident from within, a mistake, a nothing.
Page 289, Achak Nyibek Arou Deng

Response 2: I think its a good thing and bad thing. The good part is that they are aware of different dangers and are smart in making the decision of calling a friend to call CNN. The bad thing is that it is sad to see them expecting the worse because of all the death in the countries. I see the Africans in the poor conditions that they are in, and I feel like I should do something and before in the book it was good to read that the white people are helping out by freeing them.

Question 2: Why do you think he said the it is back, did all the killing stop?

Lit Circle Post #3 / What is the What

Quote 1: The water was so cold. So fantastically cold. I could not close my eyes, I could barely swallow. I drank from the cool water and felt it flow down my throat, wetting me just under my skin, and then inside my chest and my arms and legs. It was the coldest water I had ever taster
Page 204, Achak Nyibek Arou Deng

Response 1: This was one of the happy moments I've read in the book. Achak was shocked about how good the water was to him. It's sad to see him drink it but at the same time happy. He who has gone for so long without drinking anything healthy or eaten anything healthy. I can relate to this in the sense of being hungry. I thought it was a stupid way to relate to it but it was the first thing that came to mind. Also reminded me of when the immigrants on Ellis Island said that the bread tasted like cake. Some times when I'm hungry and I eat something simple I am shocked at how good it is.

Question 1: What come to your mind when you try to connect yourself to this?

Quote 2: While I was gone, the life in William K fell away and his flesh returned to the earth
Page 217, Achak Nyibek Arou Deng

Response 2: I chose this because its one of many sad moments in the large number of pages that we had to read. And it seems to be said in the way that Achak knew it would happen sooner or later. It sort of shows that the deaths of many of Achak's closest friends has grown on him and he's gotten used to it. Achak has grown weaker than before, his hope is dying and I see actions hapless and without peacefulness. I feel like he is dying inside. but like the immigrants I think he will survive long enough to be reborn at the sight or opportunity and joy.

Question: What do you think he meant by saying " his flesh returned to the earth"

Lit Circle Post #2 / What is the What

Quote 1: " You are safe here boy, you are safe now," and I would sleep there and know I was not safe. The horses and guns and helicopters always came. I could not get out of this ring, this circle that was squeezing us within, and no one knew when the end would come.
Page 107, Achak Nyibek Arou Deng

Response: I chose this because it shows that Achak's hope is dying away with the hatred that the death of the people closest to him is creating for him. Achak is killing his joy of escaping and the death, slavery, and torture is destroying his hope. The way I think this links to me it’s that sometimes when I'm stressed out about homework or something the work that I forget always come back to beat me down. Once I think I'm in the clear there is always that assignment that my mind's grasp had slipped on.
Question: How do you think that you are connected to this?

Quote 2: These boys seemed sure that their families had been killed, despite what the old man and the nursing woman had said in the light of the fire, I convinced myself that this had not happened to me.
Page 117, Achak Nyibek Arou Deng

Response: I thought this had a lot of meaning because its telling us once again that all the death, slavery, and torture is rotting the love, hope and faith that these boys have. But Achak isn't letting all the cruelty that the devil pours into the souls of feeble men and the cruelty that they then spread get to him. Achak will keep on believing that his family is still alive with the faith that God has given him. I think that the quote connects to me in the sense that I fail to see that it’s possible for me to do or complete a project. And if I have failed in many things before or how Achak has seen what they've done to many closest to him, I believe that further on I will do better.
Question: Do you think that you in any sense would fail in believing something. Why or Why Not?

Field Trip Reflection

From Haven to Home: I thought the purpose was to learn about how much immigration has affected everyone in many ways. And also showed how all of it meant to the immigrants. I learned that the Jewish people had a huge effect with political history and the way. A thing that i found interesting was that Albert Einstein was I think a Jew and he was a genius. But there is always the sad fact that the Holocaust happened and the KKK who made many violent crimes towards people of religion and race.

Children Of Immigrants:
Photo: I chose a photo of many children of many different races and religion smiling in 1998 Walt Disney Magnet School of Chicago. And the reason i chose this one is that all these children together with no racism or discrimination is how it should always be. Instead of the racism and violence
Quote: "The greatest thing i hope for in my life is to become a successful person and to have a family and friends to support me, not to be looked at by just the color of my skin but who I am inside"
I chose this because this is what many of the discriminated people have hoped for and is a slow granted wish. And the reason of that is because of people who don't wish to change and deny the fact that we are all the same. And it spoke to me because it shows how all the immigrants are still wishing for that sign of hope.

Immigration Reflection

Julian Pina-Sanz

2/9/08

Immigration Reflection

I think that a immigrant in my sense is someone who moved from one country to another to live there. I can think of many reasons why someone would want to leave their homeland to go to another country. For example, they could be moving for more job opportunities or they could be moving because there could be gangs that are killing, drug problems, poor economy or a poor guided society. I would say that the US has more well paying jobs and a safer environment than some other places, like some parts in Africa were there is killing, child soldiers, and drugs.

Much of the US has been affected by immigration in bad ways and good ways. For example there are more cultural restaurants that a lot of people like very much and people can learn more languages in school and be able to communicate with other people who only speak that language. The bad side is that some of the immigrants move over here and spread some of the bad things that are happening in their countries.

I think that I connect to immigration a lot because I was born in London, England and the rest of my family is from Venezuela in South America except for my sister. So I can get to learn about Venezuelan culture, and American culture and even more from friends who are either immigrants themselves or have a immigrant family. And I think that immigration helps learning in that way. I have many friends and family members from different places, like some of my friends are from Mexico, Asia, Central America, and even Europe

Book Review #2

Julian Pina-Sanz

1/15/09

Book Review: Fahrenheit 451

I just finished Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and I would like to say a couple words about it. The book Fahrenheit 451 takes place in a futuristic U.S city. This time in place a law has been placed that books are illegal. The main character is a fireman named Guy Montag, But don't take his job as something you already know like a firefighter, his job is searching houses and burning any books inside. But when he meets a girl of the street his entire life changes.

He starts to wonder and question himself. And all the thoughtfulness that starts up in him flares up and his curiosity “sky rockets”. In this period of time, no one really cares about books anymore they talk to each other, go shopping, or have their same old boring routine day and have no time for anything else. Books are being burned “ for the good of humanity” as they think. It also becomes clear that the government took advantage of the people since all they were paying attention to was the televisions and magazines.

The writing style that Ray used was in the Third- person so he kept referring to the characters as he, she, and them etc. Speaking of characters, there are few in this story. Guy Montag has a wife called Mildred who has a big role, there is the girl called Clarisse who is pretty much the start of Guy Montag's adventures and conflicts, Faber who guides Mr. Montag, and the Antagonist, the manipulative and cruel Captain Beatty.

To me this book was a confusing one. There would be sometimes things that I haven't heard before in the book, and they would just bring it up out nowhere. But it might of just been something that I had missed before. This book had 165 pages which for me was good. I like a exciting, suspenseful short book. If I had to rate this book from 1 to 10, I would give it a 8 because I really like the way the author incorporated some suspense into it and some puzzles and/or riddles into it. The quotes in this book which gave it a lot of meaning, along with a lot of details that helped me imagine the places or things that Guy sees.

To me this book was average because it was sort of wise in a way. Much of the book was true but parts can be confusing for me but only when they are overfilled with details and riddles. It was sort of a twist book because Guy Montag does things that you wouldn't do or even things that you wouldn't think Guy would do, because you start to understand him more as you read the book. There is one part in the book where Montag is sitting with his wife and her friends, and knowing that book are illegal, he pulls one out and reads a poem to the friends.

It has many unexpected turns and really confusing writing detailed moments of Guy's thoughts. And Ray Bradbury didn't just say that the people were happy he detailed the character's emotions and comparing it to other things that could possibly link to that certain emotion deeply. As I read the book, I believe that the theme could be something like “thought destroys force” because in the book many of Guy's actions were without thinking so it became a routine until the girl came and encouraged him to wonder. And so he overcame his fears and overcame the dangers that came at him. So if you would like a detailed, twist, complex and conflicted book then I think its the one for you. I mean to me, it was just okay but I think I like a different kind of book style.