ASSIGNMENT

Reading Blogs
**Find one blog that is a “regular” person’s post, but you feel could serve as a college essay. Link to it on your page the wiki and explain why (briefly). **  A college essay, in my opinion, is all about divulging one's identity. Hence, an frankly written essay. To honest, inner thoughts have to be exposed and even the weaknesses. The blog "merry-go-around" truly depicts the identity of the girl writing it. Moreover, it takes the read in a journey through her life and changes throughout her life. Although a casual blog, it gives the reader a lucid idea about her identity and convinces the reader that she is a thoughtful girl. Her questions and comments show her strengths and weaknesses- it molds her into a human being. Such down to earth description about one's self is what the colleges want. Self expression.  **  Find a blog that discusses a topic in-depth in some way that you are interested in. Either comment on their blog, quote them on your blog and link to their blog with a message on theirs that you did so, or some other way of connecting you have. Regardless, link these to your page on the wiki. [|http://globalookout.blogspot. com/]  **Find one more blog post of note, link to it on ning, and briefly explain what makes it “good”. **  This blog is about digital photography, evidently. However, it incorporates numerous philosophies and other aspects in life. It takes photography over and beyond into different categories. For example, there is a blog post about psychology being incorporated into photographs, while there are posts about articles on NY Times that relate to photography. It is intriguing to see digital photography applied to the world as a whole rather than simply art and hobby. Moreover, this certain blog post ([|http://tao-of-digital- photography.blogspot.com/2009/ 08/on-art-of-observing- gallery-viewers.html]) is "good" because it scrutinizes the numerous ways viewers are engaged at art galleries. It is interesting to investigate on how I view the photographs at art galleries and it also broadens my mind on how other people perceive images differently. In addition, it relates to the article mentioned in NY Times, which surprised me. It made me realize that photography has its very own importance in the world. [|http://tao-of-digital- photography.blogspot.com/]
 * [|http://kuannayu.blogspot.com/ 2009/07/merry-go-round.html]

 Book Report: //The Bluest Eye ook Report: //The Bluest Eye //by Toni Morrison//

or other (just not all plot) to the rest of the book.
 * a. identify climax, major conflict, resolution or denoument, what type of plot (see page of literary terms)
 * b. comment about setting
 * c. identify one major symbol and one minor.
 * d. discuss two characters. Label as round or flat, dynamic or static. Are they archetypal or foils?
 * e. Open to the exact middle. What page? Write one paragraph about how this one page relates thematically, symbolically,


 * A:** In the novel, Pecola is a black girl living with her parents and her brother. She is aware that her life isn't the best thing ever, but she isn't extremely unhappy with her life. However, towards the end of the story, her father rapes her twice. Yet, when she tells this to her mom, her mom refuses to listen. Moreover, her parents are constantly fighting. The rape is the climax because it's the point when Pecola starts to hate her life. She starts seeing all aspects in her life negatively and she doesn't know what to do. And it is at this point that Pecola wishes to have blue eyes because she believes that blue eyes will make her life perfect. Therefore, the major conflict evolves as Pecola desires for the blue eyes she never had. Hence, she visits church to pray for blue eyes, but she doesn't get them. Yet, she realizes that eventually, if she lives a moral life, she will receive them as a gift from God. The resolution, however, is tragic. Pecola starts imagining that she has blue eyes and she goes insane. In addition, the baby she had (created when her father raped her) dies and Pecola does as well. The plot in this story is and episodic plot. At times, it is hard to keep up with the events going on in this novel because it goes back and forth in between two settings: Pecola's house and Macteer's house. Therefore, the novel includes events that occur at Macteer's house and at Pecola's house; hence, there are numerous events. Yet, they are not all connected, but they are rather loosely pertinent to one another.


 * B:** The setting includes Macteer and Pecola's house. The Macteer's house is depicted as a normal household. The parents, at times, yell at the children for their misbehaviors and the children plan on doing something silly. Although there are constant quarrels, it is a warm house. Moreover, it is evident that the family is full of love and care. However, Pecola's house is a battlefield. Her mom is always contenting with her father who is constantly drunk and violent. Meanwhile, Pecola's brother, Sammy, runs away from home and leaves Pecola by herself in the midst of chaos. Hence, the two settings foil each other.


 * C:** A major symbol is the "bluest eye." Pecola is eager to change her eye color and receive blue eyes from God. This is the major symbol because it represents the racism occurring at the time. Pecola thinks that having blue eyes will solve the troubles in life because people with blue eyes (the white people) seem to live a happy life. They are wealthy and their families seem loving. Moreover, it shows the rigid definition of beauty at the time. Throughout the book, Pecola is reminded that girls with blue eyes are the pretty ones and she is called ugly by a girl, who was once her friend, because she didn't have blue eyes. A minor theme is Pecola's baby. The baby represents abuse, since Pecola is a young girl, but she's pregnant. Moreover, the baby was created when her own father raped her. More importantly, the baby dies. This shows that babies created by mistake or abuse cannot survive in society. Moreover, it shows that babies born in such situation will be viewed with contempt by society and will never be treated nicely. Hence, it is as if they are dead in society.


 * D:** Pecola and Claudia are dynamic characters in this novel. At the beginning of the story, both of the girls seem innocent and unknowing of the dangers in the world. They simply seem like a typical young girl. However, as the story goes and both girls face difficulties and become cognizant of the uncertainties in life, they seem to mature. Therefore, it is subtly evident that the girls become more aware and mature. For example, Pecola didn't know that her family could have so much conflict all over again after the incident of her father trying to burn down the house until her father rapes her. Moreover, he comes home drunk all the time and shows no sign of remorse. In addition, Claudia matures as she realizes the definition of "white beauty" in society. She comes to hate it. More importantly, when she hears that Pecola is pregnant, she uses her money to help Pecola.


 * E:** The middle of the book is page 102. " Pecola lived on the other side of Broadway. We had never been in her house, but we knew where it was. A two-story grey building that had been a store downstairs and had an apartment upstairs" (102).

In this paragraph, Claudia and her sister decide to visit Pecola on the other side of town without their mom's permission. It is a short paragraph, but it symbolizes the close relationship the three girls create throughout the novel. Although they started off as two sister and a new boarder (Pecola), the girls have all evolved as sisters. Moreover, it shows that Claudia and her sister truly care for Pecola, which foreshadows the help they will provide later on in the novel when Pecola goes through painful family issues. **Could take this and some of the other letters a little deeper in analysis. Why is it important that it is a grey building? How does this relate to the larger theme? How does this contrast to the settings of both places. How do the sisters try to emulate this greyness?

10/12**

1. Which of the following doesn't work? Why. a. **Bill played a musical number by Bach; Joan, Beethoven. This one doesn't work because the two parts of the sentences are no parallel. ** b. Lou Williams was in for adultery; John Jones for gambling. c. His mother told him to rent a car; his sister, to pack the suitcases.

2. Write your own original example. I went to the mall; Jessica, to the grocery store. 3. Find one from something you have read (this may take a couple of weeks).

EXERCISE -- Copy and paste this entire exercise into your own page. Write your answers in a different color or font. We will chose two people's in class to go over. 1. Look carefully at the following sentence. Does it work? If so, why? If not, where can the sentence be broken into two or shorter ones that are not overwhelming. Robert Mondavi's father, Cesare, came from Sassafarento near Ancona, on the Adriatic coast of the Marches -- not a particularly rich or fertile part of Italy even now, nor except for Verdicchio, much of a wine-growing region, and a good deal less so, no doubt, in 1883, when Cesare was born, the son of a large, simple family and possibly the first member of it I have read somewhere, to be able to sign his name. -- by Cyril Ray "Robert Mondavi of the Napa Valley"
 * 12/1**

I think the sentence works because it is organized by using dashes. The part before and after make up the main point of the sentence. However, the part in between the dashes are more detailed explanation, which is written in a confusing way. However, when read a few times, it does make sense as the use of commas and conjunctions make the sector grammatically correct.

2. Does this sentence work? If so, why? If not, please correct. The typical teenage user of snuff is white, active, and athletic, and subjected to very heavy peer pressure. The typical teenage user of snuff is white, active, athletic, and subjected to very heavy peer pressure.

3. Same instructions -- The children gathered around the clown wishing for a balloon, angling for a smile, bowing before the childhood consumerism. The children,wishing for a balloon, gathered around the clown angling for a smile, bowing before the childhood consumerism.

1. Both of the books take place in a location where the African Americans and white people are disintegrated. Moreover, they provide an image of how society was then. Both books reveal severe racism and the way the white people and blacks interacted with another. 2. In both books, there are African Americans wanting more than they have. They want to be like the white people who have more respect and more power. 3. In the A Mercy, Vaark survives hardships just like Pecola tries to fight hardship when her family starts to fall apart. 4. In both books, there are several narratives. More than one character describes their life; therefore, there are scene changes from one person's narrative to another's. For example, in //A Mercy//, the voice changes from Florens to Lina. 5. Although it's subtle, there are scenes where the white people help the blacks. For example, in //The Bluest Eye// the two sisters help out Pecola when she's troubled and help her feel better. In //A Mercy//, Vaark accepts Florens from a debtor, although he didn't have to

//1. starting a gasoline fueled lawn mower takes three simple steps opening the choke the tarter cord is pulled and close the choke once the engine is running.// Starting a gasoline-fueled lawn mower takes three simple steps: opening the choke, pulling the tarter cord, and closing the choke once the engine is running. //2. as a result of his first riding lesson at the Sage ranch jason learned one thing about horses when they are hungery they stop to eat// As a result of his first riding lesson at the Sage Ranch, Jason learned one thing about horses-- when they are hungry, they stop to eat.
 * 1/08/10 Grammar**

"She is a jocund girl, which is why she is a cheerleader," exclaimed the coach. 1/13/10 In // Frankenstein // ,the first four letters and the preface I read weren't mainly about the story--it covered the intention of the writing and background of the narrator the book starts with an exploration of the narrator and covers a lot of topics through his letters. For example, loneliness risks taken by discovery of new knowledge, and etc.-- it seems like the letters are foreshadowing what's coming up in the future of this book. **
 * 1/11/10