final...just backing it all up!

Amanda Russo
June 3, 2008
Period 1
Curriculum Consultant


When the reader can connect with a novel and its message, it is considered a truly valuable book. Students especially need to have the opportunity to relate to what they are reading; it gives them a better understanding of the subject. Jodi Picoult’s novel, My Sister’s Keeper, and Sandra Cisneros’ short collection of vignettes called The House on Mango Street contrast greatly. In both novels, the protagonist is put into a situation where she has to make a difficult decision between what is right and wrong. The main character in My Sister’s Keeper, Anna, is her sister Kate’s lifeline in her battle with Leukemia whenever she needs a stem cell transplant, but she has had enough of her parents making these decisions for her. Now that Kate needs a kidney transplant, Anna’s reluctance toward donating her kidney puts her sister in a life or death situation. Meanwhile, Esperanza, The House on Mango Street’s main character, must decide whether or not to move away from the house that she had lived in since she was twelve. While Picoult’s novel illustrates relationships that are found in most families and covers current moral issues throughout a moving story, Cisneros’ book falls short because it fails to create an emotional hook for a teen reader.
Sister to sister and mother to daughter relationships are the two main themes that are discussed throughout the novel My Sister’s Keeper. Even though Anna and her sister have an inseparable bond, Anna wants to be noticed as an individual person and not just as her sister’s keeper. “Through all the things her family goes through with the trial, Anna still realizes that her bond with her sister is too great to break, and she can't live without her,” (Alanna’s English 10 Blog). Another relationship that is developed in the novel is between Kate and her mother, Sara. No one is able to let go of the children they love, especially a mother. Ever since Kate was two years old, she has been struggling to defeat her illness, and her mother’s unquestionable support is what convinced Kate that it is worthwhile to fight back. Conversely, The House on Mango Street doesn’t discuss any strong ties amongst characters. For instance, the relationship between Esperanza and her sister never develops. Their bond is portrayed as less familial and more causal. During the fourteen years that her daughter has been at war with Leukemia, Sara has stayed positive and helped her daughter be the strongest that she could be even when almost all hope was lost. That relationship exemplifies how one person’s illness effects numerous people in all different ways, which is practical to reality. Themes of interpersonal relationships are easy for high school students to connect to since they are dealt with everyday, making My Sister’s Keeper more intriguing than The House on Mango Street.
My Sister’s Keeper is based on a storyline that many people can relate to. It is sadly commonplace to need to deal with a loved one’s illness and then be willing to sacrifice anything to cure them. The controversial issue of creating perfectly designed babies to help cure someone’s illness is the story’s main focus. As science has improved over the past few years, advances such as the creation of “designer babies” have come about, causing great debate. A current example is that of a British couple who wanted to create a “designer baby”, also known as a “spare parts baby,” to save their oldest son who was suffering with a fatal blood disease. After having this special baby, procedures were carried out to donate his stem cells to his sickly brother. This brought up questions such as, “ how would a child feel, knowing that he was conceived for the sole purpose of saving his sibling’s life,” and “where would a donor’s own rights begin and his responsibility end?” (Arie). The only way to save their child’s life was to treat him with his newborn brother’s stem cells, but if complications arose, who knows what else he would be required to donate to his older brother. This statement relates right back to My Sister’s Keeper. At first, just like in the newborn’s case, Anna was conceived only for the purpose of donating stem cells to her sister, but as time passed, she was in the hospital undergoing procedures almost as often as her sister Kate was. Her responsibility went from donating stem cells, to eventually contemplating a life-saving kidney transplant. Anna explained this when discussing her parents and what it was like to be a donor. She said, "they don't really pay attention to me, except when they need my blood or something. I wouldn't even be alive, if it wasn't for Kate being sick," (Picoult, 33). The honesty of this statement pulls the reader into the novel on a deep emotional level. As much as she loved her sister, there was a part of Kate that wanted to be set free, just as many people who are in her position probably feel but might never admit.
On the contrary, The House on Mango Street lacks a theme that is current and poignant, making it unappealing for students to read and study. Although the collection of vignettes creatively explains the life of a young girl maturing, its only theme is change. Depending on how this theme is explored through the narrative, it can be meaningful or insignificant. In this book however, the theme of change proves itself to be minor compared to what the author could have constructed. The book’s purpose is clearly expressed by the author, but its ideas are not easily discussable like those in My Sister’s Keeper.
Since there are so many issues that people debate about, the curriculum of PHHS should include a book that revolves around a current controversial topic. When comparing the two books, the idea of creating “designer babies” is much more intriguing than that of a person growing up and changing. When one compares the two types of change that these female characters go through in their respective books, it is apparent that My Sister’s Keeper goes well beyond just the idea of the protagonist, Anna, changing. From Anna wanting to change her life, the bigger story evolves. Books do not always have to teach a life lesson, but typically in our school’s curriculum, they tend to discuss significant messages or themes that students can relate to. By reading a book that relates to a problem in the world, students get a better understanding of the issue and are able to relate better to it. From this, it is safe to conclude that The House on Mango Street’s theme is not as fully developed as My Sister’s Keeper, and it should therefore, be removed from the curriculum.
The two books seem so different, but when you really take the subjects apart, My Sister’s Keeper and The House Mango Street have similar ideas, but these themes are not explored with equal strength. Throughout the novel, My Sister’s Keeper illustrates the inseparable bonds connecting a mother to her daughter and also one sister to the other. By just examining the critical issue that the book revolves around, it is apparent that My Sister’s Keeper would, without a doubt, be a strong and worthwhile addition to the English curriculum at Pascack Hills High School or any other high school at this time.

rough draft

When the reader can connect with a novel and what it is trying to say in between the lines it is a truly valuable book. Students especially, need to have the opportunity to relate to what they are reading; it gives them a better understanding of the subject. Jodi Picoult’s novel, My Sister’s Keeper, and Sandra Cisneros’ short book called The House on Mango Street contrast greatly. While Picoult’s novel illustrates relationships that are found in most families and covers the issue of designer babies throughout a moving story, Cisneros falls behind with the development of a minor theme in her book.
Sister to sister and mother to daughter relationships are the two main themes that are discussed throughout the novel My Sister’s Keeper. Anna’s bond with her sister Kate is inseparable, but when her Kate’s illness is at its worst, Anna’s kidney is her only lifeline. Anna’s main purpose is to be her sister’s donor whenever she needs a transplant, but she has had enough of her parents making these decisions for her; Anna wants to be noticed as a single person and not just her sister’s keeper. “Through all the things her family goes through with the trial, Anna still realizes that her bond with her sister is too great to break, and she can't live without her, “ (My Sister’s Keeper). Another relationship that is shown in the novel is that between Kate and her mother, Sara. No one is able to let go of the children they love, especially a mother. Ever since Kate was two years old, she has been struggling to defeat her illness, and her mother’s unquestionable support is what convinced Kate that it is worthwhile to fight back. During the fourteen years that her daughter has been at war with Leukemia, Sara has stayed positive and helped her daughter be the strongest that she could be even when almost all hope was lost. These relationships show how one person’s illness effects numerous people in all different ways, which is practical to reality.
My Sister’s Keeper is based on a storyline that so many people can relate to because everyone deals with a situation where someone you love is sick and you would do anything to cure them. The controversial issue of creating designer babies to help cure someone who is sick is the story’s main focus. As science has improved over the past few years, advances such as creating “designer babies” have come about, causing controversy. A real life example is that of a British couple who wanted to create a designer baby to save their oldest son with a fatal blood disease. After having this designer baby, procedures were done to donate his stem cells to his brother. This then brought up questions such as, “ how would a child feel, knowing that he was conceived for the sole purpose of saving his sibling’s life,” or “where would a donor’s own rights being and his responsibility end?” (Arie). The only way to save their child’s life was to treat him with his newborn brother’s stem cells, but if complications arose, who knows what else he would have to donate to his older brother. The idea of this statement relates right back to My Sister’s Keeper. At first, just like in this newborn’s case, Anna was only conceived for the purpose of donating stem cells to her sister, but as time passed, she was in the hospital getting procedures almost as much as her sister Kate was. It went from donating stem cells, to eventually thinking about a life-saving kidney transplant. As Anna explained when talking about her parents and being a donor she said, "they don't really pay attention to me, except when they need my blood or something. I wouldn't even be alive, if it wasn't for Kate being sick," (Picoult, 33). As much as she loved her sister, there was a part of her that wanted to be set free, just as most people who are in her position probably feel.
On the contrary, The House on Mango Street lacks a main idea that is relevant to today, making it not necessary to study. Although the short story of vignettes creatively explains the life of a young girl maturing, it only theme is change. Depending on how this theme is used in a book and the story that it goes along with, it can be meaningful or insignificant. In this book however, the theme of change proves itself to be minor compared to what the author could have made it into. The book’s purpose is clearly expressed by the author, but its ideas are not easily discussable like those in My Sister’s Keeper. When comparing the two books, the idea of creating designer babies is much more relevant to people than a person growing up and changing. Since there are so many issues that people debate about, it would make the most sense to include a book that is revolved around a controversial topic. When you compare the two types of change that these girls go through in both books, it is apparent that My Sister’s Keeper goes beyond just the idea of the protagonist, Anna, changing. From Anna wanting to change her life, the bigger story evolves. Books do not always have to teach a life lesson, but typically in our school’s curriculum, they tend discuss significant messages or themes that students can relate to. By reading a book that relates to a problem in the world, students get a better understanding of the issue and are able to relate better to it. From this, it is safe to conclude that The House on Mango Street’s theme is not as fully developed as My Sister’s Keeper, and should therefore, be removed from the curriculum.
The two books seem so different, but when you really take the ideas apart, My Sister’s Keeper and The House Mango Street have similar ideas, but they also have ideas that are not equally strong. Throughout the novel, My Sister’s Keeper illustrates the inseparable bonds connecting a mother to her daughter and also one sister to the other. By just examining the critical issue that the book revolves around, it is apparent that My Sister’s Keeper would, without a doubt, be a strong and worthwhile addition to the English curriculum.

5 day breakkk!

So, we just got back today from a five day break, which was really fun. Well, on thursday night, after school, I went to the Melting Pot to celebrate my friend's sister's 13th birthday. I've been there like two other times, and I continue to have an amazing time every time I am there. Then on Friday morning around 11:00, I went over to the barn and spent the day there. On Saturday, I did the same thing, but that night I rented Sweeny Todd. I've seen it two other times already, but it's fun to watch. Sunday was a nice change though because my cousins came to visit and we went up to the Bear Mountain Zoo/Park. I haven't seen them in a couple of months, so it was nice to hang out with everyone all day. On Monday morning, I spent time outside playing with my two dogs and finishing an amazing book called My Sister's Keeper. In the afternoon, I went to the barn again to ride, and then my friends came over to swim in my pool at night. Finally, Tuesday came. I didn't really do that much; it was the only day that I had to completely relax and do nothing, so it was nice. Now, it's Wednesday, and I'm back in school, but at least we have a three day week! Summer is almost here :)

Outline

BODY PARAGRAPH 1

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? My Sister’s Keeper should be put into the curriculum and Catcher in the Rye should be dropped.

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. The comparison of My Sister’s Keeper to real life is completely realistic

b. The overall idea of the book is a controversial issue today

c. “Picoult uses the present tense throughout the novel… after all, Kate doesn't have long to live …”

What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Relevance to the ‘real world’. The book revolves around a large issue (designer babies).

b. Shows how everyone is affected by the situation. (Sister-Anna, Mother-Sara, Father-Brian, Lawyer-Campbell)



BODY PARAGRAPH 2

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? Themes of the book (source: alanna’s enlgish blog 10)

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. when you have that certain bond, such as sister to sister, pet to owner, mother to daughter etc, you never want to let that bond go. (sisterhood, loyalty)

b. How far will someone go for the people they love? The book makes a good point that there are certain bonds that no one can understand unless they have them.




What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Sister to Sister: Through all the things her family goes through with the trial, Anna still realizes that her bond with her sister is too great to break and she can't live without her.

b. Mother to Daughter: Sara has a strong motherly instinct. She always
knows when Kate is in pain or needs something.



BODY PARAGRAPH 3

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? Catcher in the Rye should not be included in our curriculum

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. And the idea that you’re a walking organ farm can’t be compatible with the lack of responsibility that childhood should entail. (Showing relevance)


What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Relationships: mother to daughter, sister to sister, man to service dog

b. The issue of “designer babies”

c. The main plot line of Catcher in the Rye is unbelievable and unrealistic.


CONCLUSION

What should we now understand after reading your paper?
Where idea(s) does your paper lead to?

My Sister’s Keeper should be put into the curriculum and Catcher in the Rye should be taken out.

a. The ideas and themes of My Sister’s Keeper are much more relevant to people today than those of Catcher in the Rye.


b. Although both books have their strengths and weaknesses, more people are able to connect with My Sister’s Keeper because it is about a controversial issue all over the world.

Outline

BODY PARAGRAPH 1

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? My Sister’s Keeper should be put into the curriculum and Catcher in the Rye should be dropped.

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. The comparison of My Sister’s Keeper to real life is completely realistic

b. The overall idea of the book is a controversial issue today

c. “Picoult uses the present tense throughout the novel… after all, Kate doesn't have long to live …”

What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Relevance to the ‘real world’. The book revolves around a large issue (designer babies).

b. Shows how everyone is affected by the situation. (Sister-Anna, Mother-Sara, Father-Brian, Lawyer-Campbell)



BODY PARAGRAPH 2

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? Themes of the book (source: alanna’s enlgish blog 10)

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. when you have that certain bond, such as sister to sister, pet to owner, mother to daughter etc, you never want to let that bond go. (sisterhood, loyalty)

b. How far will someone go for the people they love? The book makes a good point that there are certain bonds that no one can understand unless they have them.




What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Sister to Sister: Through all the things her family goes through with the trial, Anna still realizes that her bond with her sister is too great to break and she can't live without her.

b. Mother to Daughter: Sara has a strong motherly instinct. She always
knows when Kate is in pain or needs something.



BODY PARAGRAPH 3

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? Catcher in the Rye should not be included in our curriculum

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. And the idea that you’re a walking organ farm can’t be compatible with the lack of responsibility that childhood should entail. (Showing relevance)


What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Relationships: mother to daughter, sister to sister, man to service dog

b. The issue of “designer babies”

c. The main plot line of Catcher in the Rye is unbelievable and unrealistic.


CONCLUSION

What should we now understand after reading your paper?
Where idea(s) does your paper lead to?

My Sister’s Keeper should be put into the curriculum and Catcher in the Rye should be taken out.

a. The ideas and themes of My Sister’s Keeper are much more relevant to people today than those of Catcher in the Rye.


b. Although both books have their strengths and weaknesses, more people are able to connect with My Sister’s Keeper because it is about a controversial issue all over the world.

Outline

BODY PARAGRAPH 1

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? My Sister’s Keeper should be put into the curriculum and Catcher in the Rye should be dropped.

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. The comparison of My Sister’s Keeper to real life is completely realistic

b. The overall idea of the book is a controversial issue today

c. “Picoult uses the present tense throughout the novel… after all, Kate doesn't have long to live …”

What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Relevance to the ‘real world’. The book revolves around a large issue (designer babies).

b. Shows how everyone is affected by the situation. (Sister-Anna, Mother-Sara, Father-Brian, Lawyer-Campbell)



BODY PARAGRAPH 2

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? Themes of the book (source: alanna’s enlgish blog 10)

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. when you have that certain bond, such as sister to sister, pet to owner, mother to daughter etc, you never want to let that bond go. (sisterhood, loyalty)

b. How far will someone go for the people they love? The book makes a good point that there are certain bonds that no one can understand unless they have them.




What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Sister to Sister: Through all the things her family goes through with the trial, Anna still realizes that her bond with her sister is too great to break and she can't live without her.

b. Mother to Daughter: Sara has a strong motherly instinct. She always
knows when Kate is in pain or needs something.



BODY PARAGRAPH 3

What is the topic/idea of this paragraph? Catcher in the Rye should not be included in our curriculum

What quote(s) ideas from research will you use to help prove your points?

a. And the idea that you’re a walking organ farm can’t be compatible with the lack of responsibility that childhood should entail. (Showing relevance)


What example(s) from the book(s) will you use to help prove your points?

a. Relationships: mother to daughter, sister to sister, man to service dog

b. The issue of “designer babies”

c. The main plot line of Catcher in the Rye is unbelievable and unrealistic.


CONCLUSION

What should we now understand after reading your paper?
Where idea(s) does your paper lead to?

My Sister’s Keeper should be put into the curriculum and Catcher in the Rye should be taken out.

a. The ideas and themes of My Sister’s Keeper are much more relevant to people today than those of Catcher in the Rye.


b. Although both books have their strengths and weaknesses, more people are able to connect with My Sister’s Keeper because it is about a controversial issue all over the world.

Cornell Notes 3

Title: My Sister’s Keeper
Author: Schaffner
Year Published: 2008

Main Idea #1:

Summary: A consistent blogger gives their input on the book as a whole. Overall, the critique says that My Sister’s Keeper is a captivating book with a message, which is true in so many ways. The book has a good story line, but the main idea of the book is relative to a major controversy in the US.

Quote: For me, ten minutes is enough to get me hooked in just enough that I don’t want to stop reading.

Question: Other than the ending, is there anything else that you would change in the book?

How will this source help you write your paper?: This blog is not only informative, but it gives an outsider’s opinion on the book, which I can later on use to compare to one of the books in our school’s curriculum.

Cornell Notes 2

Title: Born with a Mission
Author: (unknown)
Year Published: 2004

Main Idea #1:

Summary: Adam Nash was born for one purpose that was to save his sister’s life. Children who are born with this purpose are faced with a long life ahead of them because they are going to be suffering almost as much as their sick brother or sister. People make the decision of having a child for the sake of another too quickly without much thought because they are thinking of the well=being of their sick child. Maybe before they make this decision, they should think about the long-term effect it will have on their healthy child.

Quote: And the idea that you’re a walking organ farm can’t be compatible with the lack of responsibility that childhood should entail.

Question: How will this child feel that he/she was only born to save their sibling’s life?

How will this source help you write your paper?: This article specifically covers one particular story that relates to the book. I am able to make a comparison between the book and this article because they are so alike. This source shows how relevant the book is to peoples' lives.

Cornell Notes 1

Cornell Notes for Sources

TITLE: Spare Parts
AUTHOR: (unknown)
YEAR PUBLISHED: 2004

Main Idea #1:

Summary: A few years ago, a British couple wanted to create the first “designer baby” in the United Kingdom to treat their son who had an aggressive blood disease. This caused great controversy and questioning throughout the whole United Kingdom. This event is then compared to the book, My Sister’s Keeper.


Quote: “Picoult uses the present tense throughout the novel… after all, Kate doesn't have long to live …”


Question: Where would a donor's own rights begin and his/her responsibility end?

How will this source help you write your paper?: This source shows how the main idea of the book relates to people’s lives. My Sister’s Keeper is a story about one family that is similar to so many other families.

My Sources for Final

Works Cited
G, Alanna. "My Sister's Keeper." Alanna's English 10 Blog. 27 Mar. 2008. 7 May 2008 .
Alanna’s blog gives an in depth analysis of the book as she gets through each section. The blog is comprised on important quotes, summaries, themes, and vocabulary. I will use this source for quotes that I will put into my project.

Oransky, Ivan. "Born with a Mission." Rev. of My Sister‰Keeper. Biomedical Reference Collection 22 May 2004.
Born with a Mission compares My Sister's Keeper to a real world scenario. I will be able to relate this source to my paper because it shows how important the ideas of this book are. I am going to use this source specifically to back up my reasons for why we should get rid of one book and add this one.

"My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult." Book and Reading Forum. 18 Mar. 2007. 7 May 2008 .
The forum, My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult, is a reference to numerous reviews of the book from many different people. It gives numerous inputs from people all over that I can compare my feelings with on the book.

"My Sister's Keeper." Glenview Book Blogger. 6 May 2008. 7 May 2008 .
This blog is written by someone who reviews many different books of all genres, and shares their thoughts. This review, in particular, gives a small summary of the book, and the reader’s thoughts on the book as a whole, as well as their input on the author.

"Spare Parts." Washington Post 4 Apr. 2004. 7 May 2008 .

The article, Spare Parts, is a review, analysis, and real-world relation to the book. The main subject of the book seems so rare, but in reality, there are more people in the world who are involved in “designer babies” than you might think. It shows how real the main theme of the book is.

What are major themes in Montana 1948?

Already in the novel, Montana 1948, a variety of themes are shown, but there is one major theme that is definitely going to be shown throughout the remainder of the novel. One of the more important themes is going to be crime and punishment. Dr. Hayden is David’s uncle, and it is quite apparent that he is guilty of raping his Native American patients. At the beginning of the book, David’s father, also the brother of Dr. Hayden would not admit to the fact that his brother did these awful things, but it is now obvious that he realizes his brother’s crime. David’s father said, “My father knew him as well as any man or woman. And my father knew he was guilty (Watson, 54).” Without a doubt, David’s father knows exactly what is going on, which will lead up to the main problem in the story. The next problem will be how to punish Dr. Hayden for the crime he has committed several times. Montana 1948 has numerous themes, but the theme of crime and punishment will be a large portion of the novel.

What are tactics to stop sibling rivalry? Are those tactics seen in our literature?

Sibling rivalry occurs between brothers and sisters everywhere, and it is at its worst during teenage years. Although this is true, there are steps that you can take to eliminate some of the tension between you and your sibling. When you have a sibling, you are always competing with them, whether you realize it or not. This “competition” that you are in is usually the main cause of other problems. When an argument breaks out, the best thing to do is just walk away before someone does something that they will regret (Henry, 2008). Having an adult’s guidance can also be beneficial, but, when you ask for a parent’s assistance, be prepared to compromise (Henry, 2008). Sibling relationships are unlike any other type of relationship, and creating a healthy one is vital (as stated in Henry, 2008). Although sibling rivalry seems like it will last forever, everything evens out as you grow older.
Towards the end of Part One, David’s father begins to admit to the fact that his brother has been raping Native American girls. For a while now, he has tried to avoid the whole situation by denying it ever happened, but now there is not escaping reality. IN order to avoid all rivalry and arguments with his brother, he has not confronted anyone about the crime Dr. Hayden has been committing. He is trying to avoid having a sibling rivalry with his brother, which is fine except that his brother is guilty of a crime. This is when having a sibling rivalry is not a big deal. When situations become as serious as this, you have to put everything else aside, and deal with the problem. As much as David’s father may not want accuse his brother of anything, it is the right thing to do.

Annotated Bibliography

"Native Americans of North America," Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2007
http://encarta.msn.com © 1997-2007 Microsoft Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

“Native Americans of North America”, created by Microsoft Corporation, discusses various topics that relate to the life of
Native Americans today and in the past. Today, many Native American tribes have either disappeared or stayed in
existence by forming themselves into a more modern civilization. By doing this, they have learned to adapt to modern
society without losing their true identity. Unfortunately, at the start of the twenty first century, many of these Native
Americans encountered many problems in economics, education, and health. The rates of school dropouts, suicide,
poverty, and alcoholism had all risen to its highest point at this time. However, these statistics are all becoming part of
history because of the Native Americans' successful advancement in our society today.

Macbeth Sound Effects

Heyy everyone, here's the sound effect video we had to make for our english project...ENJOY! :)

Guilt!

Guilt. Almost everyone experiences it. I can’t imagine there being a person who has not done something that they regret, making them feel guilt. Even sometimes the smallest things cause us to feel guilty. Has anyone ever seen the show, Moment of Truth, on channel five? Well, I have seen a few episodes, and it is a perfect example of people feeling guilt. Here’s what the show is about. Basically, a person is on a lie detector and they are asked pretty revealing questions about personal things, and each time they tell the truth, they get money. How guilty do you think these contestants are feeling on that show? Their personal secrets and lives are being broadcasted on one of the most popular channels in the country. There is absolutely a monstrous amount of guilt felt on that show when the contestants tell the difficult truth.
As for me, I have absolutely felt guilty before. I am not going to write a long story about how I made a mistake that caused me to feel guilty because I would probably go into too much detail and go on and on, so I’ll just keep it very broad. All that I will specifically say is that what I did was when I was younger, and I made a mistake. It wasn’t that big of a deal, but at the time, it caused me to feel guilty. Guilt can be a difficult thing to handle because it makes you feel uncomfortable since you realize that what you previously did was wrong. If you are going to feel guilty about something, it is usually directly after whatever you did. As soon as you realize that what you did was wrong, guilt takes over, just like it did for me. Making a mistake is a major cause of guilt. Have you ever done anything, big or small, and felt guilty about it later on? I can almost guarantee that you probably have because everyone does at some time.
As for our play, Lady Macbeth is a victim of guilt. In the beginning of the play she was just being power hungry and convinced her husband to kill anyone in his way of gaining the throne. Eventually, after Macbeth killed more people, Lady Macbeth realized that she was wrong. Over time, this guilt built up and ultimately led to her death (possible suicide). Now, look at Macbeth. He was a perfectly good man who made some terrible decisions causing him to change into a completely different person. It may take a while, but when Macbeth looks back at what he did, he will probably be overwhelmed with guilt. If you did something wrong in your past and have not fixed the mistake, it will eventually catch back up to you. If Macbeth doesn’t realize that what he did was wrong, who knows…someone may try to get revenge and kill him.



Okay, I officially give up trying to incorporate links into my post. It doesn't work on my laptop now :(
So...here they are:

how to deal with guilt and the difference between guilt and shame: http://www.trans4mind.com/personal_development/1stSelfDevelopment/I%20feel%20so%20guilty.htm

heres a link to try out the "moment of truth" online: http://www.fox.com/momentoftruth/game/

Feminism

For the most part, in the United States, feminism has been accepted, but in other places around the world, it is still progressing. Women can now have almost any job that a man can have if they really want it. But, until recently this was not the case. Although, women are now granted many more rights than they were in the past, some aspects have not yet changed. For instance, men receive a larger salary than women do in the workplace, which is unfair. Today, a woman makes seventy-five cents to a man’s dollar. If a woman can do the same job as a man and as well, why should they be paid any less? It doesn’t make sense. Even though some people may not see this being of great importance, progress has also been made in athletics. Not so long ago, men only played sports, but look where we are today. The Olympics now include both male and female athletes, unlike in the past. Just a little less than 100 years ago, women could not even vote, but look how far we have come. Not only can we vote now, but we can run for presidential office. If that is not saying something, then I don’t know what is. Gradually, if feel that women will continue to make more progress in obtaining completely equal rights. Just as with anything, there are positive and negative examples of female role models. For example, look at Anna Nicole Smith. She was a successful model and actress, but she cut her life short. After abusing large amounts of prescription drugs, she died of an overdose. Anna Nicole Smith had everything in life, but by taking medicine that was prescribed to other people she knew, at the young age of 40, one drastic mistake led to her death. This is someone who young girls should obviously not look up to. Although we don’t know if her death was intentional or not, we do know that abusing any medicine is deadly. In any case, her mistake was fatal and that should not be looked up to. Plenty of people make mistakes, but many are irreversible, like Anna Nicole Smith’s.




Now, we have to talk about Macbeth and the question is: Is Lady Macbeth a woman displaying positive characteristics for women?

For me, this is a difficult question to answer because she has some positive and negative qualities. But, if I had to choose, I think I would say that she is displaying more negative characteristics than positive ones. I feel that Lady Macbeth goes a little beyond trying to show feminism. She is a little too overpowering, which is one of her more negative qualities. Although she does prove herself to be a strong woman, Lady Macbeth chooses negative ways to show it. For example, instead of allowing her husband to gain power in a more “civil” way, she put pressure on him to kill Duncan. She has a more violent way of looking at things, from my perspective. I think she only displays positive characteristics to a point, and then she goes over the top trying to prove her strength. Lady Macbeth shows an extreme amount of power. Women should understand that they need power, but not an excessive amount of it.

here we go again...my links won't work, so here they are:

an article on anna nicole smith:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17050167/

an article on feminism:
http://2facts.com/ICOF/temp/28388tempib501230.asp?DBType=ICOF

Socratic Seminar

Today we had another Socratic Seminar, and it was definitely one of the better ones. Some questions that were asked include (but there are many others):

Is Paris Hilton empowering to young girls, or does she do them harm?
Who are role models for women and girls today?
Focusing on Lady Macbeth, does she help or harm the idea of feminism today?

Most people made many interesting points that were good discussion topics. For instance when asked if Paris Hilton is harmful to young girls, someone said that she is expressing negative power. A good quote that someone said was “any publicity is good publicity”. I completely agreed with this statement. Paris Hilton does not really care what type of publicity she receives, as long as she gets it. It does not matter to her if the publicity is negative or positive. The discussion on Paris Hilton became interesting because it brought out many different opinions. Someone mentioned that Terry Irwin is a good role model for girls, and now thinking back on the seminar, I can absolutely see what they mean. Terry has lost her husband in a completely unexpected way, she has two children to look after, and is still working hard and running a household. This goes to show how strong she is. She has learned to overcome a tragic event in her life. Overall, this seminar was probably one of the best we have had because it was on such a controversial topic.

Good People, Terrible Crimes

I cannot not mention any specific person because illegal immigration effects millions, which makes the topic very broad, but they are an example of good people committing bad crimes. Illegal immigrants are a rising concern in the United States as our population continuously increases. For an estimate of the number of immigrants in the USA now click this link. They are trying to start a better life for themselves. Many of them are perfectly respectable people who made an extremely risky choice. By immigrating into the United States, they have committed a great crime. Anyone could make the assumption that their reason for committing this crime was to start a new life for themselves and their families. They were probably perfectly good law-abiding citizens of their country, but by making this one difficult life-changing decision, they have put themselves in danger of being accused of committing a terrible crime. Hope is what created such a change in these people; they have hope that by illegally coming into the United States, a better life is waiting for them. And yes, they do have a good reason for committing this crime, but it is, at the same time, wrong. The people who live in these countries are struggling to get through life, barely making a living, so they feel that sneaking into the US is their best bet. We probably can’t even imagine what type of conditions they are living in, but that is not an excuse to commit a crime. To read more about illegal immigrants click here.

As for Macbeth…He seems to be easily persuaded because of intimidation. His wife, Lady Macbeth, is a powerful character in the play. Meanwhile, during that time, women were not considered the stronger sex; men looked down upon them. But now Lady Macbeth has proven herself to possibly be even stronger than her husband. I do not believe at all that Macbeth is a bad person, but his wife intimidated him, causing him to make this poor decision. This is why his morals changed. People are often pressured into doing things that they would normally not do. This shows how Macbeth was influenced by his wife to kill King Duncan. In the end he will probably regret his actions because he was just being power-hungry due to the witches “foreseeing of the future”. But was this a good enough reason for killing someone? Just from reading, you can probably tell my position on that question; he did not have a justifiable reason. What do you think?

Since one of my links is not easily visible, you can copy and paste this into your address bar: http://www.immigrationcounters.com/ (it is an updated count of illegal immigrants and other statistics)

Movies, Books, and Macbeth

Starting a book or a movie in a captivating way is, without a doubt, probably the most important thing you can do. There are so many books that I have picked up in the past that cause me to struggle through reading the first ten pages. Some movies have done the same thing as well. Sometimes I will be watching a movie, and it will only be about 30 minutes in, and the next thing I know is that I am asleep on the couch. This proves that having a strong opening, no matter if it’s a movie or a book is critical. Without even thinking about it, when someone asks me what my favorite movie is, I can immediately answer, She’s the Man. I have to say that there was not one part of that movie that I will not watch over and over again. The movie starts off with a teenage girl named Viola. She is the star of the girl’s soccer team, but the school is going to cut the team. When she plans on bringing all of the girls to try out for the boy’s team, her boyfriend plays it “cool” in front of his friends, but ends up doing the wrong thing. I will just say that their relationship was over that instant. That same day, she finds out that her brother, Sebastian, is going to sneak away to pursue a career in music for a few weeks instead of being in college. All that I will tell you from that point on, is that she “plays” the role of her brother in college for two weeks to prove herself good enough to play with the boys. The introduction to this movie could not have been any better because it made you want to continue to watch the whole movie. Without a strong opening, the person watching the movie or reading the book will lose all interest. It is the same as writing an essay; if you don’t have a strong hook/topic sentence, the reader feels no inclination to finish reading.

Well, I guess I should start talking about Macbeth now, so here it goes…So, we have just finished Act 1, Scene 5 in Macbeth, and it has been a shaky start for me, but it’s alright. To tell you the truth, Shakespeare is not my favorite thing to read, but I’m not going to make any strong judgments on the book until I get a little further into it. So far, I can tell, even just reading a few pages, that most of the book’s mood will be dark because of Lady Macbeth’s hopeful plan for her husband to take the throne and she will do ANYTHING to become queen. The only thing that I can tell you right now is that when she puts her plan into action, it will not be pretty.