Blog Reflection: last post of the year!

Although it was challenging, having to blog every other week through the year has taught me to better plan my time and be organized in advance. When everything is in order, everything gets done with no stress needed.

Your identity is something you with hold with pride. You want everyone to know that this is who you are and it's how you're going to stay. Sometimes when you don't have as much confidence, acting like someone else makes it somewhat better. Using social media online helps people achieve this view of not being yourself. By people using social media to show themselves to the world as something that they are not makes them feel powerful eva use if the attention they get. This practice of having an "online identity"; someone who acts a certain way online to cover up their true feelings about themselves, isn't healthy. You get so custom to being that way that you lose yourself on the way. 

Based on my blog posts, I learned that while I read I analyze the parts that pop out towards me. If I believe that it will have some affect on the plot later on, I will try and figure out how or why and connect everything together. Blogging the whole year has helped me become a stronger writer. I've learned how to get straight to the point and leave out the "fluff". 

I have learned so much from blogging and am thankful that I have gotten the opportunity to do this. No matter how annoying it may have been, in the end I learned do much more than I started out with and that was my goal the entire time.

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby is the book that paints the picture of the ideal American dream. It shows how wealth and sociability consumes a person and clouds their minds. Nick the main character is living in a different reality than everyone else in east egg. His views on life are questioned when he observes the vanity of the east egg community.

The people wear invisible masks around the community. Wearing these masks cover up their pasts and their desires. This face is a total different person than what everybody knows, and the reason why it is in hiding is because they're afraid that everyone will look at them differently and they would feel like they've lost power. The less people know about you and your past the more power you have over them but once people know about you, they have the power to destroy you. 

It's a mind game that is fueled by greed and as Nick realized this he became more habitude to this way of living that he had to go back home. East egg was a different world, one that may have exposed the truth about what the American dream verily is and why it has to run off of fear and rapaciousness. How does that make you superior to anyone else?

Synthesis page-

Lock and Key: Post 2

Ruby's life has completely changed from  not having much to being to have whatever. You would think she would take advantage of this, but you're wrong. With all the new luxuries and money her sister has showered her with, willingly or unwillingly, Ruby still yearns for her old life back. 

With every new step into this new world her sister is welcoming her into, she takes a step back by retrieving small parts of her old life. For example, when her sister gives here 200$ to go shopping with she goes to Marshall, an old friend with benefits, house instead. Spending this time with her closer friends gives her more faith in getting her old life back, getting her mother back. 

The fact that Ruby's mother left her is something that she cannot accept and I believe that by her rejecting what her sister tries to do for her, she is trying to recreate the relationship she had with her mother. Soon enough she will have to realize that her mother is really gone.

 But when she does what will happen? Will she be able to hold herself together? Will she be the source of her own destruction without even knowing that she is the only one holding on?

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

     Now that Ruby's mother has abandoned her, she's living with her sister and her sister's husband. We hasn't seen her sister Cora since she left for college. Now Cora is living a new life new experiences and opportunities because of her money and motivation. While Ruby doesn't have very much and his custom to "riding solo". 

     Because their lives are so distinct, their relationship is monitored by Cora's husband Jamie. Jamie asked like a border between them and share both of their similarities and differences. He keeps them on the firm level.

     But my question is without Jamie what will happen between Ruby and Cora? What will hold them relationship together without Jamie? How will this affect both Ruby Jamie and Cora and what will it lead to? 

     I predict that maybe without Jamie being the center to their balance, they can work through their issues and become as close as they used to be. Maybe the key to their relationship growing is Jamie letting the beam tip until it finally balances out.

(Corresponding) Synthesis Page-

Non-Fiction Critical Analysis

The Non-Fiction article "Move or Else..." by Ian Johnson talks about the Chinese government forcing urbanization on his citizens of China. The government is participating in urbanization because they would like their economy to "boost". The reason why the citizens of China cannot fight against this is because the government owns their land and legally have the right to take it away. But In China there are many families Who has lived on that land generation after generation and refuses to give it up. For example in the article it's states that, "In recent years dozens of people have set themselves on fire rather than move". The being attached to your land was insult because the Chinese government only cared about what they have to do you to increase the economy.

The author Ian Johnson used strong words and imagery to explain the emotional distress the families being kicked off of their property were feeling. For example it says, "imagine government officials showing up at your house and ordering your family to move you don't get any say about where you go".  Johnson helps paint a picture and connect how you would feel and with the  families feelings. I think that by using "any" or "ordering" gives off a strong sense of stern or seriousness. Which emphasizes that the families are moved out of there will. I noticed that the author left out the side of the Chinese government. I think Johnson did this because he was on the side of the farming families and wanted to give the stronger claim to their side and make the governments side look weaker, while trying convincing the readers to agree with him. One way Johnson did this was by directly quoting more families then the government.

Although the article was obviously bias,  the authors to convince me even more that the government side was wrong and that the families don't deserve any of the treatment they are receiving. But still think about how both sides were beneficial from this large change in China.

A Wish After Midnight✨

  In the book "A Wish After Midnight" by Zetta Elliott Genna is a hard working 15 teen year old whose problem is that she has too much responsibility. Genna grows up the routine of picking her almost 3 year-old brother afterschool and taking care of him and the house, plus keeping up with her school work and doing homework. This is not just a chore it's her life, her way of contributing to her family. Her family lives in a shabby apartment building and they are struggling with money. Her siblings beside her little brother are both older than her and are sucked in to the bad ways of the people of the neighborhood. Genna is the child that got lucky and chose to follow a different path. 

  Genna knows where she wants to go in life and her hard work pays off but the extra load she pulls around everyday is too draining for a teenager. She goes through with every last bit of it because she is about her family. It's all that she has so she tries her best to keep it together. She babysits for a woman and her mother said not to just to get some money. She even tried to look for a house that was for rent for her family to live in but it didn't quite work out. The owner was racist and didn't want a black family living in her house. As you can see she's always routing for her family and although it is nice, it's too much. With everything she has to do plus this extra job while she's in school and she's trying to run the family. 

  Maybe it's because she is used to it and she's trying to step up her game but what's the problem. Why she putting herself in her mothers place, like a replacement? There is definitely lack of motherly love and attention for her and her older siblings because, they have stopped caring about what their mother thinks and just done what they've wanted  and turned into cold people who don't even realize they have a family until they get home and still don't care. Why hasn't Genna? She isn't the same as them of course because she has a goal and a drive but why is she now taking it upon herself to do tasks not even asked for, things that the adult of the family should be doing. It leaves me to think how does the mother not see this? Or does she see it and not think of it as a very big deal? When it is "Genna's mothers turn" to be the mother, how will this affect Genna, what is their for her to do if her life evolves around being the one always in charge?

Literary Essay: Response to Stick Figure

In the time between middle school and high school there are special expectations, especially for girls, to be considered cool. These expectations create an image that if most girls don't follow them they are bullied or judged because of it. Although popularity should be about who you are, is it really? Not everyone is going to except you for you, but should you deal with that?

Girls are vain when it comes to their skin or body. Take it from me, I freak out every time there is a blemish on my face. If you have acne it plays a huge part on your appearance and what you do with it. Using make up like cover up or foundation to hide your real appearance is a trick most girls use. In the book stick figure, the main character Lori was made fun of because she wouldn't wear make up and that she was still a little kid.

Looking older is  a key component to what most attention seeking girls want. It gives them power. Like they have a choice to do what they want because they look old enough so they're mature enough to. In stick figure, Lori was told that she was "still a child" because her parents still treated her like one. They never listened to what she said so she never got what she wanted. Therefore she wasn't mature enough to just do want she wants, and not be afraid of the consequences.

Weight is a problem many people struggle with. Mostly girls have disorders where no matter what they just feel like they need to lose more weight. This is a way to change yourself and make yourself seem apart of the mix. Or maybe to make yourself feel wanted or be noticed. Lori became anorexic because she wanted to look slim for a guy she liked. She wanted him to compare her and the "mean girl(s)" and let him be able to choose her because she had everything the other girl had. In the end she was hurt because it wasn't herself.

Changing yourself for someone else's approval is horrible. If they don't like you for who you are they aren't the right people to be around. Although half of the problem is their fault, the other half is yours. If you cannot accept yourself as you are then no one else will. You must depend on yourself first before anyone else.

Non-fiction Critical Analysis Post

The article I read was called "Spread a Rumor, go to Jail" in Upfront Magazine. In my article it spoke about how in China there is a new law that if you say something that isn't true online than you can be thrown in jail. There is also a small story of a teenage boy that this happened to there. While telling this story the author hints at the fact that the Chinese Government is spreading the rumors themselves or even creating them. I thought this was a very interesting thing to say because the Chinese government is the one searching all of the social medias to make sure this law is followed. The author even says, "The communist government already sensors Facebook and Twitter, arrests dissenting bloggers, and blocks for the websites with what known as the great firewall". And the government is serious, the law is if you post a false statement online and it is seen more than 5000 times and reposted with 500 times then you will be arrested or charged with death. This really proves to me that the Chinese government must have something to hide if they are making a law so detailed and they are so strict about that the smallest thing that could be said could land you in jail. The author leaves me very inquisitive to the plans of the Chinese Government and where they will take it's people.

Synthesis Page:

The Mermaid Chair🐚🌾

Insanity, what does it truly mean. Well technically the definition is "a deranged state of the mindusually occurring as a specific disorder". They say that some of the smartest people in the world have been called insane but to get specific they really aren't. I think people confuse  and think that when you're brave enough to explore what you're curious about as being insane. Instead of  having a mental or physical disability that deprives you of functioning correctly. That is what Jessie is struggling with truly understanding what is going up with her mother, whether it is emotionally or actually mentally or physically.

When Jessie is told that her mother cut off two of her fingers on purpose, and that she needed to come visit her mother before anything got too serious. Jessie doesn't understand why her mother would do this. She makes up her mind that she is insane but she really isn't convinced with that statement. There is something more, and although she doesn't think it was a symptom of trauma from her father's death years before but, it really maybe that she is not ready to deal with her mother breaking down because if her father. It would be like losing them both and Jessie isn't ready for that either.

Praise on Alexandra's post: Unjustice in "The Tenth Circle"

   In Alexandra's post about "The Tenth Circle" I loved how each point that Alex made was broken down.When explaining the emotional reactions of the characters on the topic; rape, she showed the top layer and what was deep within each of the characters emotions.  One example of this is is when she talks about how her dad felt when he found out. "Those actions show how riled-up Daniel can get, and how he still has his former self buried deep within him". The phrasing and meaning if the phrase is very strong. It attacks another flaw or problem in the main characters life that the unjust brought back towards her family.

    In some of her points she rebuttled her main opinion on rape and experienced different reasons to how this could happen to the main character. One example of this bus when she talks about the party where the main character was supposively raped. Alex says "Yes, Trixie did not tell Jason to rape her, and yes, he didn't listen when she said stop. But still, I can't help but wonder if through the drugs and alcohol made her memories became clouded, and she might have invited Jason to do more than she remembered". Although it was against her main opinion she still acknowledged that there could be a possibility she was incorrect about her rape. 

   Alex's posts in general are very enjoyable to read. She uses a toolbox of writing utensils to build up a strong opinion with evidence. This post was just one of my favorites. Keep up the great work!!!

Monsoon Summer ☔️☔️☔️

   Jasmine or Jazz as her family and close childhood friend Steve call her goes to India for the summer. So far In her time there she feels uncomfortable because of her encounter with a homeless lady she tried to help backfired and the reason they were in India was to help an orphanage. She wants nothing to do with it because she can't face everyone being angry again. 

   This withheld anger that she has with her parents for making her feel that all she does is ruin things is carried on to her college life in California, where Steve her secret lover is. He doesn't notice that she's in love with him so he doesn't realize when he points out her flaws that he hates she takes it personally, she honestly cares. 

   In India I think she is searching for a way through that anger and to forgiveness from herself as well as everyone else. Then and only then will she be able to get over her fear of not being good enough and think about the orphanage and the things her mom want to do to bring her family together even closer.