Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen

Currently being read, analyzed, and loved by me, Rhia Jimenez. From this book I intend to broaden my vocabulary. I also want to learn what happens to all the daughters in the story. I want to see just how life was when everything was a bit more simple. I want to know exactly why the book is called Pride and Prejudice. I look forward to jump in the book and be absorbed into another story from a extremely different time.

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

Currently being read, amazed, and analyzed by me, Kazzandra Ruaro.
Unlike this cover shot of Brave New World, my copy has "The Enduring Classic Masterwork of an All-Too-Possible Future" printed below the title. I expect to gain a whole new perspective on a world far into the future that Aldous Huxley has imagined. Having first been published in the 1930's, it may be similar to those stories I've hear about psychic men who create clear depictions of modern society that almost seem too real that it becomes scary. Because this book is in the mainstream nearly 100 years later, I'm sure it holds a story that has already happened, if not yet. Researching a little on Mr. Huxley, I found that he was a humanist and a pacifist; therefore, the book just may offer insight on the human values and settled disputes of a Brave New World. Each page leaves me curious and wanting for more!

Currently being read, entertained, and analyzed by me, Joshua Ilustre.
From reading this book, I expect to learn a little more about Mark Twain's style of writing. I did some research about his style and found some things to look out for: dialect, use of irony, and humor. I know this book will be a fun one to read. I recall reading the prequel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, back in middle school. It was definitely one of my favorite stories we read in the sixth grade reading mastery book for D.I.

The Awakening by Kate Chopin!

Currently being read, annotated, and analyzed by me, Alana Chargualaf.
      From this book, I expect to gain the knowledge of different cultures and interactions  between people back in the late 1800s. I believe I will become well enlightened on Kate Chopin's style, and recognize a truer and deeper appreciation for literature itself. Because Mrs. Griffin seems fond of Kate Chopin's works, I know it will be a really wonderous story with much to learn from and enjoy! One thing for sure is that, The Awakening is the first book I've chosen that stretches far from my personal literary genre. Therefore, this will be one interesting journey.

The Ins and Outs of friendship

Responding to Rhia’s post about friendship:

Friendship is like a coin. You can gain a new relationship, learn the aspects of love, and maybe find self-meaning throughout the whole friendship experience. Sadly, there exists a flipside on every coin. Friendship can cause hurt, anger, and depression. Why do we feel worse when a close friend betrays us? I would feel terrible. Seeing as you trusted the person, revealed more of yourself, and disclosed secrets to this person, of course you’d be hurt. We give a lot, and we expect a lot in return. I guess the toss is all we have to be careful with. Which side will it land on? Will it be heads or tails? I guess friendship is worth the risk.
There are all kinds of friendships. I have friends I only see at school. There are friends I hang out with in and out of school. I also have friends that touch and go. Depending on what you do with this friend, that’s what defines what kind of friendship exists between the two of you. How strong is a friendship? Now that’s a different question. Over time, trial, and hardships will you realize how strong and how much stronger your friendship is and could be. You can relate this last statement with Lennie and George. Obviously, Lennie and George share quite a strong relationship with each other. Built on trust, love, and time, Lennie and George have cultivated a relationship that can go through many trials. And it has, in the story. Curly’s wife has tried severing the relationship between Lennie and George, but Lennie’s strength of trust, determination, and sheer stubbornness, has allowed him to stay faithful to George’s word. This part in the story touched my heart because here’s a man/child who has a mental condition, but can still find the courage to defend his friend. This love is extremely beautiful and rare. I have found myself wishing and hoping that someday, I too will develop a relationship as mighty as the friendship Lennie and George share.
I agree with Mrs. Griffin, when she says, “Many times immature (and I'm not referring to the young, only) people blurt out the title of "friend" without even thinking about what they are really implying.” I strongly believe that people unwisely use the word “friend” to describe a person. Knowing better than my peers, I refrain from using the word too loosely because friend is a very strong word. Moreover, I choose my friends wisely because what good is having many “friends” when not one is trustworthy, loyal, and brings you joy? I may have a few real friends, but I can bet my bottom that all of them will speak to defend me, care about my feelings, and ask for me when my lack of presence has been noticed. And yes, I too blame America’s lack of “language control” (nice way of putting this, Mrs. Griffin.).

1. How far should a person go in the name of friendship?
A person should go as far as is comfortable. It really depends on what kind of friendship a person has with another.

2. Should someone break the law to protect a friend?
If that person who is in trouble needs their “friend” to break the law, then what kind of friend is that? I know I’m being blunt because there are certain “circumstances” that do question the statement preceding this. In turn, I ask: Does the means justify the ends? Would a real friend ask you to put yourself in jeopardy? Being the person I am, I would never ask my friends for this; especially when what I ask would risk my friend’s life, safety, and happiness. I believe that this act of selflessness defines true friendship. I may yet perfect this bold statement. Being still young and naïve, it’s hard for me to stay selfless.

3. How far should someone cover up for a friend?
I ask you to read the answer for question number two. I have had times where I covered up for my friends and my sister just because their begging and puppy-dog eyes got to me. If covering my friend up doesn’t risk anyone else’s safety or health, then it’s ok.

4. What makes and breaks relationships?
Getting to know and understand a person is the start of making a friendship. After doing this, accepting is the next step. Acceptance is usually one of the hardest tasks to overcome in a friendship. After acceptance, some trial, some ordeal, will come along to try to ruin a friendship and it’s just a matter of getting through it. Staying strong or giving in? The question is: Is the friendship you have with a person worth going through a milestone in life? Is pain and suffering worth it? One thing you have to remember is, you can’t have everything in life. More than half of the time, you must give up one thing to keep another. Again, is it worth it?

Independent Reading #1

Please click on GW Reads!  IR #1 for instructions.
Happy reading!

What is friendship made of?

Rhia wrote, "....I love how close Lennie and George are. I'm pretty sure by now the whole class knows that George would be the farmer and Lennie would be the mouse. We see in the very beginning how Lennie acts like a child. I am glad that George is always looking out for his friend. I think that a sign of a great friendship is when someone will stick with you through the toughest times and always have your back. I believe that is the friendship that George and Lennie share." How many kinds of friendships are there? When we decide to call someone a friend, we suggest that we have embraced the responsibilities that come with it.  Otherwise, they are our colleagues, school mates, classmates, play mates, neighbors, acquaintances, relatives, team mates, etc. Many times immature (and I'm not referring to the young, only) people blurt out the title of "friend" without even thinking about what they are really implying.  I blame that on the lack of language control and the moral superficiality/lassitude mainstream America seems to be showing through and through.  Having said that, I beg to ask,  how far should a person go in the name of friendship?  Should someone break the law to protect a friend?  How far should someone cover up for a friend?  What makes and breaks relationships?

Frankenstien by Mary Shelley Comparision

For those who have read Frankenstein should know that its not about a monster that has to destroy things but a creature that is trying to do good and make it in life. Since I just got my book, Of Mice and Men in the mail, I started reading it. It's a really interesting book and I'm almost done with it. In the beginning is a great example to a comparision to the book Frankenstein. Both books attain a character that people look at as "different or special"(Lenny & The Monster) In addition, both books have someone who cares for the "different" character no matter what he/it does(George & Victor Frankenstein). Reading Frankenstein and studying it also makes it easier for me to understand the book Of Mice and Men. Lastly, both books have a strong relationship between Man and Nature. Am I the only one that notices a comparision between this book, OMM and Frankenstein by Mary Shelley? If you like/love OMM, I encourage you to read Frankenstein!

SPOILER ALERT! Did you spot the extended metaphors as well? PART II

I’m so excited, I can hardly contain myself!

FIRST OFF…THIS IS A SPOILER!

Referring to the post I recently put up about an extended metaphor entitled, “Did you spot the extended metaphors as well,” I opened up a discussion on a comparison between how Candy’s dog and Lennie were killed.

After re-reading Mrs. Griffin’s post on “Follow the LOGOS ;)”, rereading my post, and linking the comments together, I had an incredible epiphany!

I made a connection between the posts that Mrs. Griffin and I post up.

Why did John Steinbeck purposefully repeat the sudden deaths of animals that all later led to the sudden death of Lennie? John Steinbeck wanted to make a very clear comparison. He wanted to show that Lennie views the world just like an animal. His mental condition renders him impaired in many things that humans are capable of. Yes, he does act childlike. We conclude this because of our experiences, right? What do we know about children? Children are pure, naïve, and helpless because of their lack of experience. Children tend to mimic. Children tend to forget. Children tend to be irresponsible because they forget because of how unimportant it all seems, but as a child grows older, he/she breaks through that mental block and develops into maturity. Why is this? It is because, they remember through trial-and-error. (which, by the way, is one of the best ways to learn. Even though, I must admit, that it is also one of the hardest hurdles to overcome.) They have all of these experiences locked into their brain, so that they can always refer back to it like a memory bank.

Knowing this, let us go back to Lennie, who is an adult with a brain that functions like a child’s. He is in a perpetual state of memory loss; therefore, he cannot go through life like an average adult. In essence, Lennie is a child because he has a mind of a child.

Extended metaphors throughout OMM are interrelated.Let’s take it a step deeper. Delve into the comparison and you will see that Lennie not only acts childlike, but he also contains a few characteristics that can be compared to animals in general. This proves my point when Mrs. Griffin’s post on logos says, “…animals live only in the moment/present,” and when I realized that Lennie is also bounded to only the present because of his mental condition.

I also made two diagrams about the metaphors, but I can't seem to be able to put it up. If you want to see it, just ask me. Thank you.

Did you spot the extended metaphors as well?

Assuming everyone already has read the book, I want to discuss a particular extended metaphor that I feel is critical in the novel, “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck. I’m back-tracking a bit here when I ask, what is an extended metaphor? An extended metaphor is a metaphor that is developed at great length, occurring frequently in or throughout a work.
The extended metaphor which I think is vital in this story is the metaphor between how Candy’s old dog was killed (put to sleep), and how Lennie was killed. They were both killed the same way and the circumstances are similar. What is the significance of this comparison? How can Lennie be compared to the dog? Why do you think John Steinbeck made this extended metaphor clear?

Think about ETHOS

Alanac wrote, "Nowadays-and also with the economy-it is becoming a little simpler to differentiate the classes in the society we live in--whether it be the elite, middle class, and poor. In times like these, we can think about our government and how far governments have come in accommodating the people. Gov't officials (being the elite) extend their hands and service to us ( the people) to provide for us because it's their job [and responsibility]. This can be one example...Together, we do share our personal and individual hardships." Good comment as we start thinking about how credible this story is. Granted, the credibility of John Steinbeck as a writer is undeniable; however, the credibility of a story is another thing altogether.  

George and Lennie

A three-day weekend now comes to an end, and I'm sure most of us has already read the beginning (0-30 pages at least) of "Of Mice and Men." Well, we're supposed to be done with the book by our next meeting. I'm interested to know what my fellow classmates think of the two main characters, George and Lennie. (Trying to get another conversation up and going)

To blog or not to blog, that is the question--Important Notification!

Dear students,
Time's running out! If you don't contribute to the discussions/conversations by Tuesday, 9/8, 7:00 P.M., you will not have access to this blog, even if you accepted the invitation to be part of it.

Have a great Labor Day!
Mrs. Griffin

Follow the L O G O S ;)

Let's think deductively for a moment.  The argument presented by Robert Burns, by means of his speaker, could be easily broken down, as the following syllogism shows in relation to OMM:
MAJOR PREMISE:  Humans are bound to be haunted by their hindsight (what happened in the past) and foresight (the ability to project what is going to happen in the future) while animals live only in the moment/present.
Minor Premise: The protagonists of OMM are two men.
CONCLUSION: Therefore, they are bound to be haunted by their past actions and their perspective of the future.
Follow this logic as you read, analyze the piece, and comment on the argument Steinbeck wanted to make via this work.

Speaking of Pathos...

"What I like about the poem is the way the speaker (the farmer) talks throughout the poem. It's like as if he himself went through what the mouse went through. The way he talks is like he empathizes the poor mouse.. poooor mouse :)" [Josh's talking about the speaker in the poem].  Do you expect John Steinbeck's narrator to relate to his characters the same way the farmer does in the poem vis-a-vis the mouse?

What say you? Agree, disagree, qualify...with an explanation.

"...This poem shows how the least fortunate are viewed in society. This book could be about the least fortunate in society helping each other, and the hardships they go through to prevail in life"  [taken from one of Alanaj's comments].