Jim

Skim through chapters 1-7 of Huckleberry Finn. How is Jim portrayed by Huck?


Jim is very superstitious.  He believes that witches came for him but it was really a prank.  The characters in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn uses the word "nigger" and it's demeaning to black people.  Mark Twain describes Jim in a racist way. 

Watch two examples of film versions of the novel. How is Jim portrayed in the dvd version and the VHS version? How do you account for the differences in the portrayal of Jim?

In the first  DVD version, Jim is some kind of voodoo man.  I thought he'd be in rags and dirty but he wasn't.

In the second DVD version, they show him more family-oriented.  He is sad because he is leaving his family and they show him actually leaving instead of just showing up on Jackson Island.  

In the VHS version,  

Shrek Satire.

Watch the clips from Skrek 2 and identify examples of the following characteristics:

Exaggeration- george bush in the mirror, E! News, pepper spray, catnip=drugs, there's a starbucks everywhere, skim milk to defeat Mongo, Pinocchio turns into a real boy then turns back,

Incongruity- the furniture come alive

Reversal- the fairy godmother is suppose to be good and caring but she's evil and conniving.

Parody- how the mice make the dress and how a princess of made, joan rivers, Cops, wheel of fortune, james bond, starbucks, ghostbusters, Far Far away Idol

Slavery in America

Slavery is never a good thing.  I think that slavery has made America look bad.  Slavery also contributed to racism and the belief that a race is superior to another.  Slavery was also the spark of the Civil War in America.  People are still racist in society today.  I've watch on the news recently that a cop shot a black man and everyone thinks its racist and because he's black.  America will carry a bad connotation for the rest of history.  

Satire

Satire is the use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people's stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.


In my sophomore year I read Animal Farm by George Orwell.  The book makes fun of the Russian Revolution and replaces the real characters with farm animals.  I sometimes watch Saturday Night Live and they make fun of currents media and people.  Kind of like parodies.  So I think satire is basically sugarcoating something.  Instead of using bad language criticizing something, you use humor to make it less offensive.

Dear Christine Lan T Nguyen,

Dear  Christine,

I would like to persuade that abortion should be legal in America.

The greatest obstacles to this happening seem to be the people who are pro-life.

I am also worried about how most of the pro-life supporters think that it's morally wrong and murdering.  

What do you think of abortion?  Should it be legal or illegal?

Thanks for your help.

Sincerely,

Jasmine Sage <3

Survey!

How do you feel about the environmental situation of the world today?

_I don't care  XSort of concerned _Very concerned. 


What do you do when you see someone littering? 

_Pick it up  XSay something to the person         _Do Nothing. 


What do you do when you have a used paper napkin in your hand on the street? 

_Throw it on the ground  XWait until I find a trashcan. 


Do you use biodegradable products? 
_I don't know what they are     _Never      _Always    XSometimes 


Are you conscious of the world's environmental problems today? 
_Yes     XMore or less      _No, not at all 


Do you think that your habits or way of living negatively affect the environment? 
_Yes      _A little      XNo 


Have you ever helped in an environmental program? 
_Yes      _No, because I didn't want to.      XNo, because I never had the chance. 


Which of these do you usually do? 
XTurn off the lights when I leave a room.
    _Take a shower for less than five minutes.
    _Don't leave the water running when I am brushing my teeth
    _None of them. 


Which of these activities would you like to do to help nature? 
_Plant trees
    _Be involved in a recycling project
    Xconserve water
Xconserve electricity
_walk, public transit, or bike to places
  _nothing at all

What is your stance on Prop 21? (Should the state levy an additional annual $18 vehicle license surcharge to provide funds to operate and maintain California's state parks and wildlife protection programs?)
_yes Xno


What is your stance on Prop 23?(SUSPENDS IMPLEMENTATION OF AIR POLLUTION CONTROL LAW (AB 32) REQUIRING MAJOR SOURCES OF EMISSIONS TO REPORT AND REDUCE GREENHOUSE GASEMISSIONS THAT CAUSE GLOBAL WARMING, UNTIL UNEMPLOYMENT DROPS TO 5.5 PERCENT OR LESS FOR FULL YEAR. INITIATIVE STATUTE.)
     Xyes _no

Do you think that global warming will have a negative impact on you in the near future?

Xyes _no

Do you think further destruction of global warming can be stopped by humans?

_yes Xno

Are you willing to pay extra in taxes to halt global warming?

_yes Xno

Are you willing to give up some of your leisures(activities you enjoy in your free time) to reduce global warming?

_yes Xno

Do you believe that global warming is a natural phase that occurs in the cycle of earth?

_yes Xno

Do you believe that we, humans are the primary cause of global warming?

_yes Xno

Do you think that we should utilize nuclear energy?
Advantage:Nuclear power generation does emit relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). The emissions of green house gases and therefore the contribution of nuclear power plants to global warming is therefore relatively little.
Disadvantage:The problem of radioactive waste is still an unsolved one. The waste from nuclear energy is extremely dangerous and it has to be carefully looked after for several thousand years (10'000 years according to United States Environmental Protection Agency standards).

_yes Xno


_yes _no

19.

Thoreau's Walden

Why did Thoreau move to Walden?
- Cultivate through
- "To know" beans
- Connect with nature
- To find peace an quiet to write his book about his brother that died
- To use only the necessities that was a simple lifestyle.
What was his life like there?
- The industrialization was happening behind his cabin, which was a train.
- More difficult to thrive because he has to do


What did Thoreau criticized in modern life?
- The industrialization behind him constantly reminded him of how the world is consuming and not appreciating the world
- The wave of change economically
- He would rather walk than go on a train.  You see things, but if you were walking, then you'd take in the scenery more and appreciate it more.


Do you agree or disagree with his critique? 
- I sort of do because over the few centuries, the world has grown and consumed a lot of resources and this changes the economy.  Either going up or down.

Transcendentalist Song

The song I chose was No Such Thing by John Mayer.  John Mayer sings about non conformity, being an individual and rebelling in this song.

"Welcome to the real world", she said to me

Condescendingly

Take a seat

Take your life

Plot it out in black and white

Well I never lived the dreams of the prom kings

And the drama queens

I'd like to think the best of me

Is still hiding

Up my sleeve

They love to tell you

Stay inside the lines

That something's better

On the other side

I wanna run through the halls of my high school

I wanna scream at the

Top of my lungs

I just found out there's no such thing as the real world

just a lie you've got to rise above

So the good boys and girls take the so called right track

Faded white hats

Grabbing credits

Maybe transfers

They read all the books but they can't find the answers

And all of our parents

They're getting older

I wonder if they've wished for anything better

While in their memories

Tiny tragedies

They love to tell you

Stay inside the lines

But something's better

On the other side

I wanna run through the halls of my high school

I wanna scream at the

Top of my lungs

I just found out there's no such thing as the real world

Just a lie you got to rise above

I am invincible (x3)

As long as I'm alive

I wanna run through the halls of my high school

I wanna scream at the

Top of my lungs

I just found out there's no such thing as the real world

Just a lie you've got to rise above

I just can't wait til my 10 year reunion

I'm gonna bust down the double doors

And when I stand on these tables before you

You will know what all this time was for

Transcendentalist Comic Strips

This shows transcendentalism because Calvin ask Hobbes what he would wish for, and instead of riches and power, Hobbes wishes for a big, sunny field to lay in.  This shows the simplicity of life.

This comic strip shows transcendental idea because instead of going through a lot of trouble finding the girl-beagle that he loves, Snoopy chose the simple lifestyle and "be happy with what you have" life and continued on with his life.

American Literary Periods

The colonial period, in my opinion, is all about religion.  There were the Puritans who though that everything was sinful and were hardcore religious people.  I wouldn't want to live in the Colonial period myself.  You can't do anything without it being a sin or being called a witch for it.  When I hear "Romantic Period", I think of Greeks and toga parties.  Different from the Colonial period, this period deals with individuality, emotions, and freedom of imagination.  I would love to live in the Romantic period.  The colonial period is all about conformity and the romantic period is expressing one's individuality and emotions.

Civil Disobedience

Our group members are Honghanh, Dominic, Christine and myself.


• The economy is failing more and more these years.
• Fast food companies are becoming more disgusting and they have taken little attempts to change it.
• Discrimination in many work industries.  For ever dollar a man makes, a woman makes 25 cents less.  That is totally not fair.




1996, By. "The Ethics of Fast Food." Santa Clara University : School of Engineering Home Page. Web. 18 Oct. 2010. <http://cseserv.engr.scu.edu/nquinn/ENGR019_299Fall2000/StudentWebSites/Papasin/images/ResearchPaper.htm>.


Cooney, By Elizabeth. "Equally Qualified Women Paid Less than Men, Academic Life Sciences Study Finds - White Coat Notes." Boston.com. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. <http://www.boston.com/news/health/blog/2010/03/equally_qualifi.html>.


"Will California Become America's First Failed State? | World News | The Observer." Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian.co.uk. Web. 19 Oct. 2010. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/04/california-failing-state-debt>.

Teenage Suicide.

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among teens and young adults.  I think the reasons people commit suicide is because they don't feel accepted.  I also feel that teens think the only way to escape a problem they face is to kill themselves.  They don't think that anyone understands and feels, again, unaccepted.  In the movie, Neil's father wanted to control every aspect of his life.  I think he felt that everything he wants to do on his own will never be accepted by his father.  That's maybe a reason why he killed himself.  


http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/healthcare_services/mental_health/mental_health_about/children/suicide/Pages/index.aspx

My Favorite Presentation.

After watching the presentations today, which one was your favorite? Why?

How do you think your Crucible Project turned out? What could you improve on for next time?

After viewing most of the presentations, I'd have to say that my favorite presentation would have to be Irving, Mailei, Cindy and Rahel's presentation.  Their keynote had good information on the characters and they analyzed them well.  I also liked how Mailei compared Puritan girls back in the day to the girls from this generation.  It added humor to the keynote.  My Crucible project turned out pretty good.  We work really hard on it and and I made it look pleasing to the eye.  I had a fun time working on this project.

Crazy in Love.

The Puritans wanted a fresh start,

to purify themselves;

Moved to America in the olden days.

The Crucible is a play,

about misunderstanding and crazy love.

About a girl and a man.

One fighting for love,

One fighting for his life.

Abigail Williams was just seventeen;

obsessed with love and crazy in the mind.

Some say she's a whore,

But she just ignores

Dancing in the woods with her kin

People would think this is a sin.

John Proctor was a farmer minding his own business.

Tempted by lust,

seduced by sin.

He eventually gave in.

Abigail and John had an affair.

He denies it while she threatens.

She starts to go crazy in the brain.

Trying to frame everyone in her way.

Elizabeth one of the victims, 

And John Proctor's wife.

Abigail "...thinks to dance with [John] on [his] wife’s grave!"

She is evil, manipulative and conniving.

Makes everyone believe her lies.

Her love, John Proctor becomes a victim in this trail.

Along with nineteen other people.


Seeing spirits and the devil is her game.
Accusing other people with their names.
Look, a spirit!
Look, the devil!


Some might say Abigail's reasons are just.
That she is so young.
This lead to people being hung.


Her guilt she saved to the very end.
Stopping only when her love dies.
Moving to a new place,
And making a fresh start.


Some say she became a whore.
Working the streets.
But it's ambiguous whether she did,
Or didn't.


All those lives lost in a lie.
It was like a fire,
which grew and grew,
Until it consumed.

Our Choices.

"Most of us do not have the choices we think we have. We are responsible for our behavior, but men don't have limitless choices. Given our characters, maybe fewer choices than we think."-Arthur Miller 
Do you agree or disagree with this idea? Free write about it.

I've grown up all my life in the United States.  And we've been told that we are born free, but I think that that's true to an extent.  Technically we can do whatever we want but most of us think about the consequences and that stops us from pursuing own hopes and dreams.  The United States say we are free yet we have a set of rules to follow.  Contradicting? Maybe.