Journal #4 3rd quarter

Rereading a book a second time is possibly better than reading it the first time. When one reads a book for the second or third time, themes and miniscule details begin to present themselves in ways that might have gone unnoticed before. A book that I have recently begun to read again is, The Great Gatsby. I read this novel a few years back. However, I have decided to pick it up again and refresh myself before the movie appears in theaters. The movie made out of this timeless classic truly seems like it will be another classic such as Titanic. As I began reading the story for a second time a theme appeared to me that I noticed before, but not to the extent that I see it now. The shallowness of the rich upper class is truly permanent in this story. These people are extremely preoccupied with the materialistic aspects of the world. Their mindset is geared towards having the latest and greatest that the market has to offer. They have grand fantastic parties, but only to impress one another and show off their belongings. The West and East Eggs sharply contrast one another. The West Egg seems to present the families that are new to wealth where are the East Egg seems to represent the “old-money” of the times. Gatsby is a person who is very absorbed in how the world views him. He wears a pink suit, drives a Rolls Royce, and lives in a grant mansion all to impress the world around him. The East Egg residents seem to be so caught up in the world of materials, that they have lost their sense of character.   

Journal #3 QUARTER 3

In today’s society bullying comes in many forms. One can physically, mentally, and emotionally bully someone and impact him or her for the rest of his or her lives. Their self-confidence can be slashed along with possible physical injuries. The offenders may not realize to what extent their actions impact the people they are hurting. They may think of their actions as just a joke or something the person should be able to brush off. Meanwhile however, they are unaware of the scares they are leaving the person with for the rest of their lives. The book “Thirteen Reasons Why” digs deeply into the heart of someone who has been victimized by thirteen people in her small all- American town. The bullying had gotten to such an extent that she committed suicide. One reading this book may think that the extent of the bullying and the consequences are being dramatacized. However, there are cases of suicides linked to bullying everyday across the United States of America. In this story there were some situations in which the young girl was being bullied emotionally and mentally intentionally by a classmate, or a neighbor. However, some of the culprits had no knowledge that their actions were hurtful or destructive. This story demonstrates that one must always treat others with respect. Every human being deserves respect regardless of things they may have done, what they look like, what religions they practice, or any other circumstances. Ones actions impact another whether that person realizes it or not. Every person is fighting their own battles and treating someone with respect and kindness can go a mile further than one would have expected

Journal #2 3rd q.

Motifs and themes are commonly used throughout literature. The authors use these writing techniques to expose an underlying meaning or lesson behind their stories. These literary tools help give the story depth and leave the reader interpreting the story to a further extent. One story that is an extremely good example of using themes and motifs in a story is, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. In this novel, there are many different motifs. However, one of the most forthcoming themes in this story is the story of Christ. The setting of this story is placed in a mental institution run by the head nurse, Rached, or better known as “The Big Nurse.” She runs the ward with ultimate control with the help of three Negro boys. The patients of the ward do not have their own opinions, and if they do they do not act upon them. However, the atmosphere of the ward was forever changed when a man pretending to be insane was admitted into the hospital. McMurphy became a figure that all the men in the ward came to admire. He made an entrance into the ward with his booming manly laugh, one that had never echoed through the ward before. From that point on, McMurphy and the Big Nurse became enemies. McMurphy began to lead the men into standing up for themselves against the combine. He associated with the salt of the earth just as Jesus did, leading them into a better place. For example, when the Big Nurse refuses to let the patients watch the World Series, McMurphy has the men sit in front of the television just as it was on, reacting to imaginary events. As the story progresses the similarity to Jesus and the bible grows even further. When the men go on a fishing trip McMurphy is referred to as the fishers of men. In addition, upon returning from the trip McMurphy was subjected to electric shock therapy. He himself referred to this electric shop therapy device as a crown, asking if there were any thorns to go along with it. The bible imagery does not only pertain to McMurphy. Billy Bibbet can be viewed as Judas who betrayed Jesus. When Billy Bibbet is caught sleeping with a prostitute he immediately tells the combine that McMurphy was the cause of it. Finally, just as Jesus was killed upon the cross McMurphy was lobotomized, leaving his followers of inmates to continue his uprising against the combine.