Great Gatsby 2

While reading the Great Gatsby today, we learned about Daisy. Daisy is a woman who isn’t mindful of other people’s feelings. She has a 3 year old daughter, who she briefly mentions as if the little girl was nothing. Nick, the narrator, doesn’t seem to like Tom and Daisy but is interested to find out what their life is like living by the bay. While Nick is at their house, the butler interupts with a call from another woman, but nobody wants to say anything about her. Now, if that was me I would think they are being suspicious and hiding something bad, because they don’t want to talk about it.

Down The Rabbit Hole

         In John Steinback’s article ‘ Good and Evil, thr Necessary Contradictions of the Human Nature, and Our Ground for Lucid Hope’ , I clicked on the link the difficult art of the friend breakup. I specifically clicked on this link, because I just went through this whole growing apart from a true friend. My best friend, to be exact. The thing is, yeah I was sad, but I thought I would be more hurt by this because she was my bestest friend. This goes to show that deep down she wasn’t and I knew it. I knew there was other people who I should consider better to me and actually being a friend to me than her. We never hung out. She would get upset when I would hangout with other people, but when she did the same thing I wouldn’t get mad because I’ m not a selfish person. I was ALWAYS there for her no matter what. I then began to notice she wouldn’t do the same for me. The thing that hurt me the most was that when I was going through a rough time physically, just out of surgery, she didn’t ask how I was. I don’t know about you but that hurt me. She made it seem like  she didn’t care about my well being or just about me. It really hurt me. But I didn’t say anything because I thought it was such a stupid reason. Mentally, I wasn’t good either. Thoughts running through my brain, getting me exhausted but I still don’t show it. After a couple months of bit talking, I faced her and told her how I felt about our so called “friendship”. She recognized her mistakes, but I couldn’t take her back as my bestfriend anymore. I didn’t want to, for various reasons.
         Steinback’s article shows a letter that Steinback personally wrote to his old friend George Albee. I can realate very much to it. “When he was most in need of support from his loved ones, he learned that Albee had been speaking ill of him instead of sticking up for him. The disloyalty wounded Steinbeck deeply and he distanced himself from his former friend.” “I’ve needed help and trust and the benefit of the doubt, because I’ve tried to beat the system which destroys every writer, and from you have come only wounds and kicks in the face. And that is the reason and I think you always knew it was the reason.” “People I liked have changed… I’m tired of the struggle against all the forces that this miserable success has brought against me.” These few quotes above hit me hard, to say my eyes started sweating and I kind of got the chills. I learned that just like John it was right to face her and tell her what was on my mind about my friendship. Letting go of her, as my best friend, was hard, but getting rid of the way she treated me was a good thing for me. It taught me that it was okay for me to let go because it wasn’t right for me. That I’m not a bad person for leaving our friendship. That I shouldn’t regret it. We learn and we grow from the good and the bad.

20th Century Writing Styles

Genre- a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter

Naturalism is a style and theory of representation based on accurate depiction of detail 

Realism- (1)attitude or practice of accepting a situation as it is and being prepared to deal with it accordingly

(2) the quality or fact of representing a person, thing, or situation accurately or in a way that is true to life

Moderism - modern character or quality of thought, expression, or technique

How To Get To Graceland

Something like reading, I prefer to do it by myself. I gain more, understand more of the content I’ reading. If I don’t understand something I go back and read it until I know I understand. When reading with others I tend to get more distracted. Math, on the other hand, that is something I can do with others. I don’t always get it completely, so I can use the extra help when doing it with other people. In Paul Simon’s video working together resulted in showing the capability of their art. There talent was shown and they definitely gained something from working together.

F451 Questions

1. Bradbury was connecting the Heart and the Salamander to Montag. In mythology, the salamander is a fire lizard capable of starting and putting out fires. Montag's job is a firemen and he starts the fires to burn the books.
2. The reader can make assumptions about Guy Montag through the first line that he enjoyed burning. It would be understandable if he loved his job of burning and putting things on fire.
3. This is negative imagery. It’s good imagery but it describes something negative. The great python is used to described the fire hose as something fearful and powerful.
4. The number 451 stands for the temperature at which books burn.
5. Clarisse McClellan is described oddly. She didn’t enjoy activities like watching the “parlor walls” or speeding the “beetle” which was very strange for Montag.
6. The name “Guy” is significant because it means sensible just like him. He wants to live and do things. Clarisse is significant because her name means bright or gentle just like her. She’s an optimistic person and fights the rules.
7.  She questions him by asking “Are you happy?” Which makes him question and think about that.
8. We learned that in that society that books are burned, people drive really fast and recognize by colors of the blurs, and that Clarisse’s uncle got stopped by the cops for being a pedestrian.
10. Montag realizes that he truly hasn’t been happy and he has been missing happiness from his life for quite sometime.
11. Seashells are ear devices which are “earbuds”. They bring noise to your ears and Mildred uses them to make her fall asleep.
12. After Montag meets Clarisse, he realizes that his marriage is basically dead and that he knows nothing about his wife. He describes their bedroom as a mausoleum which is building storing tombs. He describes Clarisse as out of the ordinary and optimistic.
13. Mildred needed a special machine to mend her from her overdose. The people used a machine that has an "eye" which they insert into her body to clean her. This machine basically represents the government or people keeping a close eye on you and being able to watch everything you do.
14. He realizes that technology is taking over and there's no way for people to know each other, other than a screen.
15. Montag describes his home as a tomb and dead which doesn't show love that a family should have. Unlike Montag, Clarisse's home was radiant and bright just like the love the family had for each other.

The Right to Read

Dear President,

                        On behalf of the American people, we have questioned your decision to outlaw reading. There is many people in this nation who benefit from reading. Reading can help people through many things. For example, learning the English language, developing new understandings, creating new ideas are some things that come from reading. People also use reading as a therapy and a pass time. Our concern is simply, why? What caused your impulsive mind to decide this for everybody. Reading has been around for a long time and it's a big part of the intelligence of many. Yes, we have technology but that is no where near like the peace you get from reading. We certainly argue you reconsider your idea of outlawing reading.


                                                                                   

F451 and Me

This book so far has shown various connections my life and the world around me:

1. The book has predicted in some way the use of technology today. Televisions, parlor walls in this book, were created and allow people to stay inside causing less interactions with others. I've definitely had experiences where I'd rather stay inside and watch TV than go out with my friends. Seashell Radios are today's headphones or earbuds. In the story, Mildred uses them to help her sleep. I'm always have my earbuds on listening to music. When I'm feeling anxious before sleeping, music helps me fall asleep.

2. Honestly, I can relate to Guy Montag. I relate through the questionable happiness. Some days I'm totally fine and happy, nothing bad on my mind. Others, I'm so down and depressed. One of the worst things I've experienced is definitely faking a smile and happiness. I was so sure I was content with my life so far until things happen I began to realize I'm not.

3. This book is based around burning books. The title "Fahrenheit 451" is the temperature at which books burn. In the book, reading, books, basically knowledge is not 'permitted'. Some sort of connection to modern America is that the amount of people who enjoy books and reading has definitely decreased. Technology has been a huge factor in this. Technology drives people away from the nature of reading and book knowledge.