alan goco's blog

Journal #7 chapters 25-28 perspective of Jem

2009-05-31T20:50:00.001-07:00

It was finally September, and I and Scout are outside. I see that Scout is getting awfully tired. What she has been doing for the past hour was watching a roly-poly bug. She finally consented to go to sleep, and she would kill the roly-poly bug. I told her to stop, because it was a inconvenience . She finally stopped, and she started to doze off. All I can remember was the night before when Dill left. I was teaching him how to swim, but then suddenly Atticus picked us up, and took us to the Robinson's house. On the way there Atticus had told us that Tom Robinson had be allegedly killed. Atticus gave Helen and assessment about what had happened to Tom. When she found out that he had died she fainted.

Today is the day that I finally start High School. Me and Scout will be parting ways soon. She will soon be getting let out of school earlier then I do. That day Scout came home and told me that she doesn't like her new teacher Mrs. Gates because she is a hypocrite. She said that it reminded her of the Court House and how the jury had treated Tom. I started to yell at her for no reason. All I felt was that day was the worst day ever. Nobody should ever be persecuted that way for just being a different color then anyone. I really hated that day.

I am appointed in taking Scout to the Halloween pageant. None of the kids are allowed to go trick or treating anymore because of one particular year. So when I and Scout are walking to school for the pageant we hear something rustling in the bushes something finally comes out scares both I and Scout. The person that had scared us was Cecil Jacobs. During the pageant I didn't want to hang out with the little kids so I just sat by myself. If I sat with the little kids I would feel really immature. After a couple of hours the pageant ends, and Scout is terribly embarrassed. We waited another couple of hours in the back to wait till the crowd clears out, and some mysterious person asks if I, an Scout wanted a ride back home, but I told the person no thank you. Were walking home and we hear rustling in the bushes again. I thought it was Cecil again, but it wasn't. The person who was trying to take us was old and not Cecil. The person pushes me down, breaks my arm, and knocks me out. Even if I was unconscious I could still hear the things that were happening around me. I hear Scout screaming and screaming. All that was going through my head at the time was Scout get away.

journal #6 chapters 16-19 perspective of Mayella Ewell

2009-05-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

I have a feeling that my father would win the case. Even if it's not true. I think he's gonna win for sure. Mr. Gilmer is a mighty fine lawyer. In my mind when I knew it was my fault for putting everybody in this position. I feel bad for everybody. Before today I always had a small idea of committing suicide.

The case finally starts today and the first witness that was called to the stand was Mr. Heck Tate. The sheriff of Maycomb. He was called to the stand by Mr. Gilmer. They asked him about what happened, and he had said that Mr. Ewell called him to go rush to our house as fast as possible, because my father said that I was all beat up, and bruised up, and said I was raped by Tom Robinson. The next person called up was my father, Bob Ewell.

They started to ask him questions. They asked him about what had happened that night. He said that he was coming from the woods carrying kindling, and he said he started to hear me yelling. He then said he looked through the window, and saw me in a predicament by Mr. Robinson. He went inside, and saw that I was alright. He then rushed to the sheriff. It was finally Atticus's turn to ask my father some questions. Atticus asked several times if my father called a doctor. My father kept saying no, because a doctor wasn't needed at the moment, and it was to expensive. After that Atticus asked my father to right down his name. He wrote his name, and every found out that my father was left handed, and it was more likely that a left handed man beat me.

Finally it was my turn to go up to the stand. When I got up there all I could think about was about what i would say. I gave under pressure and started to cry. The judge told me that the lawyers wont be subsequent. They asked me what had happened, and i told them that a pauper nigger would always pass by the house, and one day that nigger chocked, and raped me subtlety until my father came, and scared him in a stealthy way.

The next person up was Mr. Robinson himself. They asked him a handful of questions, and most of the questions they asked him, he had said no to. All I could think of now was that I was definantly scared out of my wits, because now I was unsure if my father would win.

journal #5 chap 13-15 perspective of Dill

2009-05-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

I'm Dill. I live in Mobile. I'm Jean Louise Finch's fiance. Over the summer my mom found a new husband, and I couldn't go back to Maycomb until a long time from now. Whenever I go to Maycomb i usually never come with my mom. I always go there and visit for the summer, an stay with my aunt Rachel. Whenever I'm at Maycomb I usually play with Jean Louise, or Scout is her nickname, and her older brother Jem. I've only kissed Scout once when Jem wasn't looking. Sadly now I can never go back to Maycomb for a long time since my mother had just re married a guy. Although I am very happy for my mother she is making me spend the rest of my summer bonding with my new step dad. This is the first summer that I haven't gone to Maycomb, but I promised Scout that I will write to her everyday, and I sent her Pictures of my new Step dad. I hope that she won't take it too seriously. I hope she doesn't get mad at me for not going to Maycomb this summer. I'm really depressed about not going to Maycomb. I'll try to go to Maycomb even if I have to do something bad.

What I did this summer was the worst thing I have ever done. I ran away from home by stealing 30 dollars out of my moms own purse. I ran away from home just to go to Maycomb, and see Scout. I really wanted to Scout. I'm going to be her husband. I even promised her that I will marry her. It took about several hours to get from Mobile to Maycomb. When I finally got to Maycomb. I snuck around town just to get to the neighborhood where Scout lives. I snuck into her house without anybody noticing me. I had to climb up her house, and sneaking into her room through a window. I almost got caught by Ms. Maudie Atkinson. She almost saw me. I went into Scout's room and hid under her bed to surprise her. When they finally got home all I could here was that Scout was antagonizing Aunt Alexandra, and Jem started to lecture her, and she attacked him. Atticus broke up the fight, and sent Scout to her room. When she got in she finally noticed something under her bed. She called Jem, and they finally found me. They were both surprised. I told them i left, because my parents haven't been paying enough attention on me. Jem bolted out of the room and told Atticus.

Journal #4 chpaters 10-12 perspective of Scout

2009-05-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

Today was the weirdest day ever. It felt as if the whole day I was inaudible. The only time people actually talked to me was when me, and Jem were taking a short stroll beyond the Radley Place. It wasn't actually short per say, but to me it felt like we have been walking for centuries, but when I asked Jem how long we have been walking he had said 10 minutes. When we first past the Radley place I felt as I was Inconspicuous. Whenever I passed by the house I always felt a weird presence, but for today there wasn't. When me and Jem Got as far 1 and a half miles away from the Radley place was when we saw the dog named Tim Johnson. We saw Tim Johnson from almost 2 miles away. It had foam coming out of its mouth and it had a limp. Jem said it was a mad dog, and when I thought about it I felt as if I was in great peril. We both ran and told Cal, but she thought we both were pulling her leg. We took where Tim Johnson was, and she started to panic, she told everybody, she even went over to the Radley Place and tried to tell them, but as usual they wouldn't reply. She called and told Atticus, but i remember before and of this happened Cecil Jacobs was making fun of me, and Atticus. When Atticus, and the chief of Police in Maycomb came The police gave Atticus a gun, and from almost 2 miles away he shot Tim Johnson. Suddenly everything I though about Atticus was a lie, but I didn't care, because the next day I asked Ms. Maudie about Atticus, and she had said that when Atticus was young he was called "One shot Finch". From then on I would never contradict Atticus again.

I've always want a brand new baton. Even if I knew it was for girls. Everyday when we would to a certain part of town we would have to pass Mrs. Dubose house. She was the meanist, oldist, and most horrific person I have ever seen in my life. One day when Jem finally got my baton we passe by Mrs. Dubose house. He went crazy, and destroyed all of Mrs. Dubose flowers, and snapped my new baton in half. All I could think of at the time was why would you do that. Later that evening Atticus came, and asked Jem if he ha done that, and Jem said yes, that evening Jem had to go to Mrs. Dubose house and apologies. The next day we had to go to Mrs. Dubose's house and read to her. When we got to her house i saw that she was the nastiest person I've seen ever. After the torture of me and Jem going to her house that night we have found out that she had passed away. We also foun out that she was very ill, she was addicted to morphine. That night I thought about her, and could never forgive myself about the things I had said about her. I'm sorry Mrs. Dubose.

As soon as Jem turned twelve he insisted that I stop pestering him, and act like a girl. From then on I would have to always hang out with Cal. That sunday we went to Cal's church call First Purchase. We went there and found out that Cal has 2 different ways of talking, and I had asked her why she talks like that. She said if she doesn't she would feel out of place. I asked her if someday I can come to her real house, an she said yes, any time. I felt that me and Cal's relationship have been getting better an better.

journal #3 perspective of Ms.Maudie

2009-05-14T17:22:00.000-07:00

It's the first time it snowed ever in Maycomb since 1885. I awoke to the sound of Jem, and Scout debating whether they should make a snowman. They said that it would be hard, because the snow that they had was already melting, because it wasn't enough. The thought of my flowers freezing makes me sad. That morning I did everything I could to make them not freeze. I even asked Jem, and Scout Finch to take the snow that had been adjacent to my flowers. They said that they would take it and try to make a snowman. When they started making the Snowman it was hard for them, because it was too little. I was Ingenuous about leaving my flowers with a furnace. That day I chose to leave my flowers with a furnace so they wont freeze to death.

That night I woke up to the smell of everything burning. I smelt all my flowers burning. All I could think of at that time was, what is happening what is this smell, why is this happening to me. I suddenly hear the rest of the neighbor hood shouting and yelling at me to get out. I was completely isolated in my own piece of mind. I finally got up and went outside. I see the Finch's in front of my house awaiting for my arrival. When i got to them I was completely perplexed. That night something weird happened Scout was acquainted by Boo Radley.

The next morning Scout came to my house to ask how I was doing. I said I was doing fine. I really didn't care I wanted my house to get smaller anyway. I told her that. I also told her that the outhouse in the back was always bothering me, but the only problem was that all my flowers got burnt down, but who cares its a fresh new start.

journal #2 chapters 4-7 perspective of Jem

2009-05-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

I am Jem, the older brother of scout. I am terribly worried about Scout, she may be very annoying, but I love her. I'm afraid Scout would get captured by Boo Radley. I have the most uncertain feeling that right now she is stealing something, or hiding something from me. So finally I get out of school, and I'm on my way home, and when i finally get home I see Scout chewing a humongous wad of gum. I asked her where she got the gum, but she was being very difficult about telling me where, but when she finally told me where it sounded like she was lying. She kept saying she was telling the truth, she said that she found the gum unwrapped in a tree. We finally got of the topic of her talking about where she found the gum, but out of random we started talking about another topic named Dill. We were talking about when he would get back to Maycomb. Scout said he would come the day after summer would start, but i said nahhh maybe two days after summer started. When the time finally came, and Dill got to Maycomb. We couldn't think of what to do, but we finally decided on imitating the Radleys.

One day when we were playing Scout left, and went to talk to Ms Maugie. I felt bad because we always called her a girl, and she hates it whenever somebody calls her a girls. I, Dill, and Scout were planning to communicate to Boo, but what we thought of to try to communicate to Boo is by making a note saying that if he came out to play with us we would buy him some ice cream. When we were trying to communicate to him Atticus would get us in trouble and say that what we were trying to do isn't appropriate way on trying to communicate with Boo.

On the last day of summer, I and Scout went to Ms. Rachels house to bye to Dill. When we went there we past by the Radley's house, and I got stuck in between the fence to their backyard. How i got out is by taking off my pants, and escaping to their backyard. I felt terrible doing that, because i got scared because i heard a sound that was familiar to a shotgun shot. I had a fight with Scout that evening around 2 Am, because i told her i was going over to the Radley's to get my pants back, she said she would get me in trouble, and tell Atticus on me. When i got to the backyard I saw my pants, but the wierd thing about the pants was that they were folded neatly, and they were soughed nicely like they were brand new.

journal #1 chapter 1-3 persepctive of Burris Ewell

2009-05-10T16:15:00.000-07:00

It was my first day at school, and i was already irked by the fact that the teacher Ms. Caroline was annoying. Today was my first and last day at school. Just by the sound of Ms. Caroline's voice was malevolent, but i decided to act tough, and try to use intimidation on her. There is no way i would go back to school and try to persevere through the rest of the year. I was sure not indigenous to the school area.

When Ms. Caroline first saw me, and said i had cooties. I just wanted to hit her. Who does she think she is telling me to go home and wash my hair with lye soap. I don't even know what lye soap is. After that when i stood up i already knew everybody was thinking i was the most disgusting boy there, because my neck was dark grey, the back of my hands were rusty, and my fingernails were black deep into the quick. All i heard Ms. Caroline say was go bathe yourself. I should've told her to shutup, but after that she made me so mad, she even said when you come back. I just wanted to walk out, but then again i said you ain't sendidn me home missus, i was on the verge of leavin i done done my time this year. I only come to the first day of school because the traunt lady always thereatans me and my family, so I've been coming to the first day of first grade for the past 3 years.

Everybody in that class hates me, and I hate all of them too. When the teacher grabbed me i told her to let go but she just wouldn't listen so little chuck little told the teacher to let go. I woul've killed her, but if it wasn't for little chuck little threatening me with his knife in his pocket then i would've.

Immigration Project Reflection

2009-03-29T21:03:00.001-07:00

The lit circle book that I had an opportunity to read was, A long way gone by Ishmael Beah. I was really happy when I got the book A long way gone, because I really wanted to read this book, because it seemed very interesting, and at the same time cool. I wanted to read this book because I wanted to know what was happening at Sierra Leone at the time. I wanted to learn how the war in Sierra Leone affected the kids that were in the war. While reading the book I learned that everybody should be grateful about everything they have, and that they shouldn’t take their life lightly, because in the book the main character experienced a lot in a couple of years in Sierra Leone, and experienced how war affects everybody and how devastating it is. In the lit circle process I wouldn’t add anything, because in the process it basically had everything in the blog post. I felt that blogging instead of writing down our lit circle paper was much easier, because if you had to write it down you might lose the paper and the next day you don’t have anything, but when you do the blog posts you could do it any time. I really had no problems with the blogging experience. I learned that a lot of people have different views then yourself.

I felt that it was really hard choosing on which painting I should do, because their were a lot of options on what kind of paintings I should do, but it became easier, because it was kind of hard for me to write artist statements on the other art components. I think there was an easily connection made between with my art component to my lit book, because in my book the main characters favorite songs were put into my painting, so it really connected to my painting. I think the final product of my painting turned our really nicely, because it was very colorful, the music notes were perfect, and I didn’t mess up on the cassette tape. I think my final product would’ve been better if I wrote more nicely on the lyrics of the songs that I added in my painting. I learned that a book could easily be changed into an art piece, because in most books there could be a remake of the books cover and in books there has to be at least one scene that struck you in the book, or there ever has to be a cultural component that you could draw of the book.
The interview process was smooth, and it was also difficult at times. The interview was smooth, because I would never disrupt the person while they were talking, but it was also difficult, because the person I interviewed is kind of like a brother in law to me so I disrupted him one, and asked him a random question. I felt that interviewing the person once was hard already, but interviewing the person three times is hard especially in three different methods. I learned that Thailand is so much different then America, because my person said in Thailand it’s never boring, because you could do anything like fishing, but in America you could only stay home, and watch TV, or play video games. Interviewing the person actually really fitted in with the curriculum, because we had to learn the basics of where the person came from, and ask them their experiences.

2009-03-11T20:42:00.000-07:00

Quote 1: by Ishmael Beah, pg 207. "My uncle was sick. One morning we were sitting on the verandah when he complained he wasn't feeling very well. In the evening he developed a fever and he lay inside groaning."

Significance: This quote relates to question 3. It relates to it because its talking about one of the characters hardship. It's also talking about what might happen to the character and how he feels.

Character Judgment: I think the character feels sad knowing that his only family member might die. I think he is crying inside, but not showing it.

Question 1: How do you think the uncle feels about maybe leaving Ishmael?

Quote 2: by Ishmael Beah, ph 210 "We paid the driver and walked across the rusty bridge two at a time, and then had to walk all day to a junction where we waited for another bus that would arrive the next morning."

Significance: This quote relates to question three. It relates to it because it is talking about different situations that is happening to the character. Its also talking about the characters journey to the US.

Character Judgment: The character feels lonely. I think this because the character is all alone, and he's with people he can't trust.

Question 2: Why do you think the people had to cross the bride two at a time?

A Long Way Gone #5

2009-03-05T17:43:00.000-08:00

Quote 1: by Ishmael Beah, page 155 "During the second dry season of my wars years, we were low on food and ammunition. So, as usual, we decided to attack another village. First, I went with my squad to spy on the village."

Significance: This quote relates to question number 3. It relates with it because its talking about one of the characters roles and how they portray the role. Its also talking about what his job involves, and how he does it.

Character Judgment: I think the character isn't sad, but worried because he is low on ammunition. He also has no feeling toward the village that he is gonna rob. He got so used to the job that he doesn't even care anymore.

Question 1: If Ishmael was his old self, how do you think he would feel?

Quote 2: By Ishmael Beah, Page 157 " I do not know what happened, but when i woke up the next day I felt as if I had nails hammered into the bones of my foot and my veins were being chiseled. I felt so much pain that I was unable to cry out loud: tears just fell from my eyes."

Significance: This quote relates to question 3. It relates to it because its talking about how much pain he was in when he was trying to do his life role that he was portraying. It is also talking about how much he wants to go to America because of his suffering.

Character Judgment: I think the character is sad and angry at the same time. I think this because hes mad that he joined the army, and getting hurt because of the army.

Question 2: What do you think would've happened to Ishmael if he didn't join the army?

#4 A Long Way Gone

2009-03-01T20:49:00.000-08:00

Quote 1: by The Corporal, Page 114 "If you are religious, I mean Christian, worship your Lord today, because you might not have another chance. Dismissed."

Significance: This quote relates to question number three, because it is talking about one of the life roles of some of the characters. It also relates to the question because the characters are about go to war so their life roles are soldiers.

Character Judgment: The character is telling some boys from the ages of 13 to 16 about what is happening and what they are going to do about it. I think the character is laughing because he knows that most of the boys are just going to die anyway.

Question 1: How do you think the boys feel when The Corporal said this?

Quote 2: by Ishmael Beah, page 116 " I held my AK-47 with my right hand, its mouth pointing to the ground. I had attached an extra magazine with adhesive tape to the one inside the gun."

Significance: This quote relates to question number 3. It relates to it because its talking about what the characters life role is, and how the character does his life role.

Character Judgment: The character is preparing himself for war. I feel bad for the character because the character had no choice about whether he wanted to join or not.

Question 2: DO you think Ishmael really is used to his gun and killing people?

A Long Way Gone #3

2009-02-25T19:55:00.000-08:00

Quote 1: By Ishmael "Jumah and Moriba lived next to each other. RPGs had destroyed their houses during the attack. They had run toward the wharf to find their parents were nowhere to be found. They ran to the forest where their families had earlier hidden, but they weren't there either." page 79

Significance: This quote relates to question number 2. It relates to it because it talks about how hard the character's journey was getting to America, and why they wanted to go to America. It also talks about how horrible the war was in Sierra Leone.

Character Judgment: The character feels really sad because at first he wasn't trying to think about what happened, and finally he remembers and he starts to feel sad. I feel really bad for these characters because their family left them, and the characters tried to look for their families, but their families just straight up ditched them.

Question 1: Ehat do you think happened to Jumah and Moriba's families?

Quote 2: by Ishmael "As I was going down the hill, I heard gun shots. And dogs barking. And people screaming and crying. We dropped the bananas and began running in order to avoid the open hillside. A thick smoke started rising from the village. At the top of it, sparks of flames leapt into the air." page 93

Significance: This quote relates to question number 2. It relates to it because its talking about the various tasks that the characters go through. It also talks about what might happen to the characters and creates suspense.

Character Judgment: I think that the character feels really upset, because he was actually going to see his family again, but as if it was a nightmare for him his whole hopes came crashing down. I feel really bad for the character because i would like to see my family again after more then a year.

Question 2: Do you think Ishmael's parents are dead now?

#2 A Long Way Gone

2009-02-20T19:31:00.000-08:00

Quote 1: by Ishmael "We did, and my father put his arm around us. The gathering clapped and a photographer took a few snapshots. I pressed my fingers on my eyelids to hold back my tears and wished that I could have my family together again." page 45.

SIgnificance: This quote relates to the question number 2, because its talking about how hard the journey was traveling through Sierra Leone during a war. Also it talks about how hard a journey it was traveling alone, and how hard it was too survive alone. Also talking about how hard it hurts someone getting separated from your only family member in SIerra Leone.

Character Judgement: The character is only 13 and he got separated from his brother. His actions are always crying and he keeps moving. My feelings towards him is that I feel bad for him because him and his brother got separated, but he wasn't alone he was with his friend, but his friend got scared and didn't want to come with him.

Question: How do you think Junior feels about being separated?

Quote 2: by Ishmael "I walked for two days straight without sleeping. I stopped only at streams to drink water. I felt as if somebody was after me. Often, my shadow would scare me and cause me to run for miles. Everything felt awkwardly brutal. Even the air seemed to want to attack me and break my neck." page 49

Significance: This quote relates to question number 2. it relates to it because its talking about the characters journey to get to America. It says that the character is so paranoid about being found, or being killed. He thinks that everything is after him even the wind.

Personal Connection: I can relate to this, but except not being killed. One time me and my friends were skating around my neighbor hood and we found a 3 stair, and we accidently broke somebody's jar on their lawn, and we got paranoid because the owner came out and started to chase us. We got to our friends house to hide and we were paranoid of getting caught by the police or something.

Question: Do you think there's at least one village that was spared in the war? why?

1:A Long Way Gone

2009-02-16T19:24:00.000-08:00

1st Quote by Gibrilla "Gibrilla explained that the teachers had told them that the rebels had attacked Mogbwembo, our home. School had been canceled until further notice. We stopped what we were doing." page 9

Significance: This quote relates to the question number 1 because it kind of talks about why some of the multiple characters had left their home village to go to America. It also shows how harsh it was trying to leave their home and how it felt to be not there when their home had been ambushed by rebels. It also shows how serious on what happens to 1 village and what would happen to other villages.

Character Judgment: When the main character heard what had happened to his village, family, and friends he felt sad, but he didn't cry all that happened is his fear of the rebels coming to the next village for him all that happened to him was that his knees and legs started trembling.

Question: What do you think happened to Ishmael and Junior's parents?

2nd Quote by Ishmael "A shudder racked my body, and i tried to think about my new life in New York City, where i had been for over a month. But my mind wandered across the Atlantic Ocean back to Sierra Leone. I saw myself holding and AK-47 and walking through a coffee farm with a squad that consisted of many boys and few adults. page 19

Significance: This quote relates to the question number 5 because its talking about a new life in America. It also connects to number 5 because the hardships that the character is enduring is always remembering the pass and what he has done and never forgiving himself for what he has done in the past. The character is always shuddering as he thinks of himself crossing the ocean back to Sierra Leone.

Character Judgment: What the character is doing is thing about his past judgment. He's shuddering as he thinks of himself holding a AK-47. My feelings toward the character is that I feel bad for him because he can;t even stop thinking about the horrible things he's done.

Question: In this chapter the author went from writing about him in Sierra Leone to NYC to Sierra Leone again. Why does he do that?

Immigration reflection

2009-02-12T20:02:00.000-08:00

Part 1:
The purpose of the field trip was to learn about the religion of Jews. We were supposed to learn how it started, what they do, and how it migrated to America. In 1654 twenty three Jews landed in New Amsterdam. They couldn’t be religious in public. They couldn’t even own land. During that time Jews were looked down on. The Jewish people fought for America in the American Revolution. During the war a man whose Jewish was first to give his own life for patriotism. His name is Francis Salvador of South Carolina. In this time period there was such thing called a Jew bill. The Jew bill allowed Jews to substitute a declaration of belief. Jews were ever involved with the decision of slavery. The Jews in the north opposed slavery, but the Jews in the south sided with their fellow white citizens. In the civil war 9,000 Jews fought for union while 3,000 for the confederacy. Judah Benjamin is a secretary, but not only a secretary he is also the first Jew in the presidential cabinet. In the 1880’s millions of Yiddish speaking Jews came to America from Russia, Romania, and Austria-Hungary. Some Americans considered the Passover “The Jewish Thanksgiving”. Isacha Zachary is Abraham Lincoln’s foot doctor hew was Jewish. He helped Abraham Lincoln secure the votes of many Jews. I learned about some important Jewish people in history. The first Jewish baseball player is Hank Greenberg. In the 1930’s Jews adored him because he was the first Jew in baseball. In 1938 Hank Greenberg hit 58 homeruns. He came so close to breaking the world record of Babe Ruth’s 60 homeruns. Albert Einstein was also a Jewish mathematician. He was the first person to create E= MC2. Also the first people who created the Barbie dolls were also Jewish.

Part 2:
Photograph: This photo had a picture of a mother and a daughter who are immigrants from Thailand. I chose this picture because it shows a family who sticks together. In the picture you can see the girl is scared and her mother is comforting her. In the photo you can how much immigrants were scared coming to a new country and forgetting about their home country.

Quote: “When I left my country Vietnam I didn’t know that I would probably never com back again. I was just ten years old. I knew my life would begin from this moment.” -Ngoe Nguyen, Vietnam.
I chose this quote because I thought the girl is pretty smart because she knew that it’s a fresh start for her, and that she knew that she should forget about Vietnam. What spoke to me in this quote would be “I knew my life would begin from this moment.” Because it was kind of a cool way to end the quote it sounded like she really meant what she said.

Immigration

2009-02-08T19:07:00.000-08:00

Immigration means an immigrant who left there home country to go to another country where they weren’t originally born at. Some purposes for why immigrants would want to leave would be to live another life they could never live while in there country, the country the originated from might be going through a state of poverty, or there might be a war going on and they don’t want to be involved. Another reason is because in America they have freedom and rights. They have different rights such as freedom of speech, and religion. The U.S. has a much easier way of living, because some countries you have to grow, and fight for your own food.

The U.S. has been affected by immigration so much that even different towns or cities have a specific part of such as China town. U.S. has a variety of foods from Mexican to Chinese. In the U.S. because of the freedom of religion many different religions have started because of it. Since the U.S. is so free a lot of illegal immigrants try to pass into the U.S., but since they go in illegally the government starts to get strict about immigration that they make different laws that have to do with immigration. Since there are lot immigrants there has been a variety a foreign language. Many high schools give you a choice from Tagalong, Spanish, to even Japanese.

My connection to immigration is that most of my family members have immigrated to America from the Philippines. My mom and dad came from the Philippines to America, because of that opportunity I even have become a U.S. citizen. I know so many immigrants that it’s not even funny. My oldest brother is even an immigrant since he was 7. My grandma is an immigrant. She came here to live a better life with my mother and father.

Book Review: The Other Side of the River

2008-12-14T00:44:00.001-08:00

Alan Goco
Book Review: The Other Side of the River
Separation of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor Are two Michigan towns so close, but yet so different from each other. While St. Joseph is a Prosperous community by a lakeshore infested with 95 percent of people that are white, and Benton Harbor is a impecunious small town with no lakeshore crawling with 92 percent of people who are black. The separation of the town is caused by the St. Joseph lake. One day a young adult’s body was found floating on the lake of St. Joseph it was the dead body of Eric McGinnis, and yet a black boy from Benton Harbor. As the 2 communities grow farther apart emotions start to increase. Family, Friends, and Police official struggle to uncover who, what, when, and how Eric’s death had occurred.
The writing style of the author Alex Kotlowitz is very hard to apprehend. He goes back and forth from past to present. You really have to keep thinking on what is happening, or keep flipping back pages, but at the same time to me once I found out he was going back and forth I though it was pretty cool, but still hard to understand. He would also switch from different cases to different events that are happening in the book. Sometimes I would get lost in what was happening in the chapter that I was reading. His writing in the book had very mature and fowl content in it. The way he also described characters were very stereotypical.
There are 3 main characters in the book. There is Eric McGinnis, Ruth McGinnis, and Officer Reeves. I think that the author didn’t describe each of the characters very well. He would just show some emotions that the character felt, and not a lot about how they looked. In my opinion I though the only person the author really described was Eric, because he showed different times of when Eric was alive and when he was not. He wrote how Eric’s face was when the police pulled him out of the water, or the time they said what he wore or how he would stand out from the other kids in school, or what his emotions were from kind and gentle at times to mean and vicious.
The plot of the book was to try to find out what happened to Eric. During the book you find out many interesting things from how different the towns are, and how emotions start to rise, and how it effects each of the characters. The book shows how willing kids are to do what they must even when it involves hurting kids who are equally alike, but also different. It shows what kids must do to people who they don’t even know. It shows how one life affects 2 different towns.
So if you are around the ages of 14 to 40 I think this book would be a great choice for you. I don’t think this is meant for kids younger because it has fowl language and the book gets confusing at times. So if you like a boring book about 2 towns, death, investigating, and a lot of going back and forth in the book then I think this a very exciting book for you.

chapter 9

2008-10-07T19:26:00.000-07:00

Chapter 9
Lord Of the Flies "A View of Death"

Murders

Before this feast i killed a sow. The sow was screaming in agony. Everyone of my hunters had stabbed it with our spears. After that i asked roger. my right hand man to go to. I told him to sharpen a stick at both ends. Then i decapitated the pig and stuck the pigs head on one of the ends of the stick. I told my hunters that this pig is a gift for the beastie. I finally leave and go to ralph's tribe and steal one of his fire sticks. I told them that if they wanted to come they can go to the feast. Later that night Ralph and his tribe came. They ate, we talked, we fought. Suddenly it starts to rain very hard. Somebody came to the middle of the circle, and it looked like the beastie. Everybody started to stab it. Even piggy, and ralph. Then a great wind comes and knocks over a body, and it was a dead parachutist. the person in the middle that everybody killed was simon.

chapter 8

2008-09-29T22:25:00.000-07:00

Lord of the Flies

Chapter 8 "Gift for the Darkness"

“You’re a coward!” Jack said fiercely. Jack thinks I’m not being a fit leader, but he thinks he would be a better leader. He’s saying this because I didn’t kill that boar we saw, but I would give him props fro trying to turn the group against me. Oh! He’s also being mad because he got injured by the boar.

Well Jack said he’s leaving the group, and he said that anyone who wants to go with him. Most of the majority of the boys stayed with me. They said that “Jack wouldn’t be a good leader because he only wants to kill he doesn’t want to be rescued”.

Piggy is enjoying this moment because piggy and Jack hated each other, but I would hate piggy also because always acts like a school prefect. Simon said “Ralph I think you would be a way more appropriate leader then Jack because you’re actually trying to get us rescued”. I told Simon that he is being way too demure.

While Jack went of with his group to go hunt. Piggy was very ecstatic about jack that piggy asks if they would use his glasses to start another signal fire down at the beach. I just knew somehow piggy was trying to cheer me up. Simon has left to go to his hiding spot while everybody else is left down at the beach.

Jack and his hunters got back and told me that the hunted a pig and killed it. They told me every detail. They said they paunched the pig. They told me all sorts of demoniac things. The things they told me are taboo. They came to steal some burnt wood to light a fire for them to cook their pig. They said that everybody is welcomed to go have a feast with them, but I have a feeling that I do not trust them.

chapter 7

2008-09-28T13:22:00.000-07:00

Lord of the Flies

Chapter 7 "Shadows and Tall Trees"

I’m all alone watching the littluns. The littluns are just jumping around as if the were dun. Ralph and the others are somewhere on the island doing god knows what, but before that I heard that Simon said that the beastie could be in all of us, but for sure I think its jack. Simon said sagely that the beastie could be a person who was once heroic, but now sick and twisted. Ralph and the others are of looking for the beastie, bur before they left all of them were covered in brine from sweating all day. Why does Jack always pick on me? He never picks on Ralph as if Ralph was impervious. I fell asleep and I was daydreaming of me in old Britain playing rugger on some moors. I remember I always had to pull out my inhaler because of my asthma. When I was a yougin back in the day I was always bravado, but now because of that asthma I do nothing. I’m a fat little boy that everybody calls piggy. Suddenly Roger runs to me, and tells me he heard Ralph scream out of no where. I think they finally found the beastie.

chapter 6

2008-09-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Lord of the Flies
Chapter 6 "Beast from air"

I hear little Percival shriek. I and Ralph tend to carry Percival back to the shelters, but as we carry him back there are fighter jets from World War 2 flailing around the sky. The noise they made sounded like a big leviathan in the sky. One of the fighter jets attacked diffidently. The explosion of the fighter jets sounded very blatant. The part flew around like a couple of guano. I finally go into the shelter and sleep, but I hear a sudden waxy noise coming from Sam and Eric. They were screaming and yelling to Ralph saying we saw the beastie. They told Ralph that as they were lighting the fire they saw the beastie on a tree by the signal fire. They said that it has sharp claws, and unbearable teeth, and wings, but the next morning Ralph called a meeting with the shell, but I think the shell is turning into not a very good tool. Nobody is following it anymore. Ralph says that we should split up into groups to go search for the beastie. He said that piggy should stay there with the littluns, but piggy screamed with mutinously. We split up the older kids went to a part of the island where jack and the hunters have never been to. We went to a spot where there was a small ledge that led to a bunch of small caves. Jack and Ralph left me and the other hunters down while they went up, but Ralph specifically said Simon go stay with the other hunters. I could see in Ralph’s eyes that he was angry at the hunters, because they were throwing rocks into the ocean, but the only thing I was thinking what if the beastie is a human that is once heroic, but now sick and twisted.

chapter 5

2008-09-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

Lord of the Flies
Chapter 5 "Beast from Water"

Ralph has called a meeting. He called the meeting for the first time in the dark. All I cans see is the dim of the night. Ralph made a discursive discussion about some decorum. He said that nobody was following the decorum because nobody had been helping to set up the shelters, nobody is getting the designated water, everybody is neglecting the signal fire, and nobody is going pooh in the designated area, but right now I think that he is stepping up to be a leader. I don’t really like that. I think I should be leader me. The person who hunts the food that everybody eats. ME! Still Ralph is talking. I’m jeeringly about him in my head. Then someone brought up the subject about the beastie. One of the kids asked then where does the beastie hide during the day? Jack and the Hunters hunt all over the island, but suddenly one of the boys who first saw the beastie said it could possibly live in the water. Finally I and Ralph both said that it is impossible for it to live hear. Then Piggy rose up and said something. I knew what he was going to say is stupid. So I started to mock him. I know I always pick on him because he is in second command to Ralph. I can’t pick on Ralph so I will pick on the second best person to pick on. I finally say if there is a beastie on the island I will hunt it down and trap him. I will personally beat it, beat it, and beat it. I finally shove piggy out of the way and run off. All of the littluns followed me and started to chant “Jack! Jack! Jack!” but suddenly I hear a lamentation of Percival. The lamentation of Percival was ludicrous as if some old hag put and incantation on him.

chapter 4

2008-09-21T20:59:00.000-07:00

Chapter 4 "Painted faces and long hair"

THE FIRE

I’m watching over the littluns at the beach. I see that Roger one of the older kids are showing belligerence towards the other littluns with Maurice. Their stepping on the littluns sandcastles and trying to peg the kids. Most of the kids are swarthiness of there skin. The littluns are mostly eating berries from the jungle. They would usually get some kind of stomach ache, and they would also get diarrhea. Some of the littluns would learn from the older kid’s how to bully other littluns. Most of the hunters are out hunting for pigs. The last time I saw Jack was when one of the littluns brought him some clay. Jack put the clay on his face one, but he didn’t like it so he washed it off. Then he went to put some other clay on his face the colors of the clay is white, and red. Then Jack went of hunting with the hunters. That was last when I saw him. After that I and piggy were just chilling by the pool, but piggy didn’t want to swim because he only liked the pool with different rocks. Suddenly I hear calling my name he was saying “Ralph! Ralph! I see a SHIP!” Then suddenly I Ralph got up, and saw some smoke coming from the ship. I started to get excited that I was impalpable. I suddenly look at the signal fire, and the signal fire was dieing down. I don’t think the ship would see us. I run through the creepers, and I got cuts all over my bear body, but I was impalpable. The sudden pain was nothing compared to my fear of I not getting rescued. I suddenly look at the signal fire, and look at piggy. Piggy is climbing the mountain to go to the signal fire, but he would never make it on time. I have a hard decision to go to the signal fire or to go to piggy, but what if I don’t make it to the signal fire on time. Where are the hunters? They’re the ones who are supposed to keep the fire on, but there on the dangerous side of the island. I dash for the signal fire, but when I got to the signal fire the ship has passed. I am so angry. Finally piggy gets to the top of the mountain, but when he got hear the hunters came carrying a pig. They were chanting words, and being do blatant. The pig’s throat is dropping gouts of blood, but all I could think about is the ship. When Jack go to the top I said “why didn’t you light the signal fire”, but Jack didn’t listen. I kept repeating myself, but then Jack replied saying “We could always light it up again” Then Piggy stooped in, and said “why didn’t you light up the fire? Its all your fault we could’ve went back home, but you were too dumb to light then fire” Jack got angry with malevolently. Jack started to mimic piggy. Jack hit piggy by hitting his glasses off, and breaking one of the lenses. I said “cheap trick” I should’ve stepped in, but I didn’t.

chapter 3

2008-09-16T22:28:00.000-07:00

Chapeter 3 "Huts on the Beach"

It has been over 4 days, and I piggy is getting a little tendril. Ralph told me that he id very contrite on what he did with my glasses, but he also told me he’s enduring some vicissitudes because of Jack. He told me that Jack is rapt. He is completely absorbed on killing a pig for meat. Ralph told me whenever Jack talked about killing a pig a opaque light gleamed in his eye. Ralph asked Jack if he wants to be rescued, but all Jack did was get a compulsion because he still wants to kill a pig. Sometimes I hear Simon in the back susurration. Also Jack said he followed some footprints that were huffs, and he saw a slight creature fly through the tress making a short castanet sound, and still the question that comes to Ralph’s mind is do you want to be rescued Jack

chapter 2

2008-09-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

Chapter 2 "Fire on the Mountain"

I Simon have now been induced to be one of the hunters with the following people and group, Jack, and the rest of the choir. Right now Ralph is the leader. He is an ebullience leader. He has selected a crop of the younglings around the ages of 6 to 8 to go capering around the jungle to find some wood so we can finally make a fire. When Ralph first talked about the fire all the kids started to get a little officious about the fire. They started to go capering around the jungle to search for wood. We finally got enough wood to start a fire we used the lens of piggy’s glasses to reflect the sunlight of the sun to hit the wood so it would start a fire. The fires go to ebullience it started to get bigger. It gets to big that it started to travel around the jungle, and finally it went into the jungle, and it killed the boy that said there was a bunch of beasties.

chapter 1

2008-09-14T21:53:00.003-07:00

Chapter 1 “The Sound of the Shell”

Is this what I see? A group of different boys. Well at least I have my choir. There is a faired hair boy with a fat and yet intellectual boy. The faired hair boy calls upon the other younger boys with different ages from 6 to 12 with a pink conch. “Were you the one who called upon my group” Jack said. “Well I guess since I’m the oldest I think I should be the groups leader.” Jack said. “No wait I think we should vote who the leader should be.” Piggy said. “Who is this fat boy?” Jack said. “This is PIGGY” Ralph said. “PIGGY, PIGGY, PIGGY” Ralph said. “HAHAHAHA” the group of boys sniggered. “Who thinks Ralph should be the leader or who thinks Jack?” Piggy asked. Jack’s choir all voted for Jack, but the rest of the kids voted for Ralph. Ralph thinks this is really stupid. I should be the person whose leader not that dumb fair haired boy Ralph. How dare Ralph ask me to lead my choirs or so called hunters leaders. Although I get to lead a bunch of strong boys. Then Ralph asks me to lead my choir and Simon one of my most valuable choir members to search around the island. We search around the island and we find a pig trapped in some vines. Jack draws his knife, but suddenly I hesitate and stop not to kill the pig. I swore to myself I will never stop on an action of killing.