Letter To Edith

I can't make up my mind whether John Steinbeck was thanking his beloved teacher or telling her she was wrong about not being able to make it to the bigs. The bigs of writing that is. The ability to make it to a world renowned writer. I still admire Steinbeck's admirance of his teacher. Treating writing as a magical formula sure is an interesting way to approach a couple of words put to gether to create one meaning. I also strongly believe that good writing needs to mean something to be epic. If the writing doe not appeal whatsoever to the reader then there is no point in writing the piece. Sometimes I believe that Steinbeck's attention to detail is a magical formula. His figures of speech are one of a kind; his love for writing apparent; the thirst to write more unmatched. My first impression of Steinbeck was a bored writing who didn't want to make good stories. He just wanted to write incredibly descriptive pieces about.... well nothing significant really. Putting description to the side, take a look what is behind the adjectives. There are worlds of symbols. A myriad of different subjects that apply to the real world. Steinbeck was a product of the magical formula that teacher Edith cooked up in her pot. For Edith to say that making it as a writer was not a walk in the park only made John Steinbeck work harder to make it. "hundreds of rejection bills..." Obviously people didn't like his writing at first, but now it's hard to not want to read furhter in his worlds of magic. Still does he thank Edith or is he trying to prove that he made it as an accomplished writer despite not writing the best short stories in his college classes.

Photo Essay

Photo #1 'I always kept 'em together and kept 'em fed..."

Standing by the door is a woman, hands clasped, almost as if she is hopeful that something will take her out of the life she is living. Her journey through life has been etched on her skin. Grey wiry strands of hair dangle loosely covering the back of her neck, brown from the sun. The eyes have seen much suffering. The lack of food, the absence of a job, and the difficulty of raising kids have made her once optimistic mind cold. Life has no mercy when it sees a struggle. Almost like vultures luring around a dying gazelle in the desert heat. Years of labor have taken their toll on her faded clothes. Her nails are broken with grim under their surfaces. The flowers on her dress pattern all the way down to the bottom; the flowers not as colorful as they used to be. The good life seems vague, and still she keeps her hands clasped... hoping that there will be a change in the years to come. Once the light of a better day chooses to settle upon them, there will be time to change the maggot infested door that has open and closed the days of tussle. If only a door opens to let in the splendor of a new beginning.

Photo #2
"We got to have a house when the rains come..." (Boy's point of view)

Ever since my sister was born, this was the only life she was accustomed to. No toys, no beds. Just dirt and broken car axles like the one I found next to the tent. She loves to play with sand. Every mornin' I'll find her crouched over and twiddling her fingers in the dust. Dreaming of princesses and angles keep her play full of fantasy. No such thing have I ever dreamt of. I know the hard times. I know the easy times. My parents work in the fields for thirteen hours a day. In the evenin' we make some supper out of the small share we get from the boss. Nothin' else to eat. It's terrible.... but still my sis keeps playin' in the sand. Cups and bottles are a common thing to find on the ground close to our dwelling. Hut rather. The pillows lie out in the sun every morning to evaporate the sweat from the night before. The heat never goes. Our table and pans are on the other side, can't you see? They don't work very well, but it's better than nothin'! My clothes have been botherin' me too. They're from ma daddy, and they're torn at the knees. I wonder when we'll ever be able to buy new clothes for our family. They get itchy and sweaty. No matter how much we complain, we won't be seeing much new stuff because we just can't afford it. About the tent. Well we made it out of the bed sheets Boss gave to us. They're torn now because of some thieves comin' along with knives. Sometimes the wind will blow them against the branches behind back there. Nasty. Ma momma and daddy always say though, "We'll see better days. All we need to do is keep a smile on our faces and keep a'workin'. Next thing you know it the world will be a better place." Well, I hope their right because I can't take all this ragged lifestyle no more. Besides, I want my sister be able to play with real toys instead of dirt. (She wipes her dirty hands on my back all the time.) No worries. Nothing can get any dirtier when you live in the middle of nowhere.


Photo #3 "The whole thing's nuts. There's work to do and people to do it."

Despite the the endless wood he needs to cut, the middle aged man always bears a smile on his face. Holding his axe for a little rest, he stares off into the distance looking at the beautiful landscape beyond the little lumber village. His muscles itch, and he boots and scuffed. His gloves no doubt have holes from the hours of timeless labor. "The wood's for the Boss!" he exclaims. "Whatever the Boss needs, we get 'im. That's the way things go." The confidence the man's body language displays is unmatched. A natural leader, and well-built man, and a human who accepts the inhumane working conditions. The sun has his skin browned. There's not escaping it. For him, there's no escaping the lasso that his boss has him caught in; a lasso of control. Dealing with hard times is the best thing to do when there's just no way out.

Imitation

She stands in the crammed kitchen with pots and pans ready to be filled with colorful fruits and vegetables for the scrumptious evening meal. The stove is on expelling flames that flicker and lick the bottoms of the pans. The butter already bubbles and the sound fills the air with what seems to be like water coming out of a shower head. As she has done millions of times she slides the knives out of the holsters and starts mechanically slicing the ingredients of the protein filled meal. The vegetables fall neatly into a pile that she picks up in one swoop of the hand and plops into the suddering fury of the pot. Without looking, she slides the knife into the sink turns on the water for a split second and then lays it back down onto the grey-studded white counter. As the knife found it's sliding stop, it was time to set the table. Sure-footed, she wiped her hands on the green apron and stepped into the dining room. From there, the plates were taken out of their nestled corner in the cupboard. Their glazed surfaces flickered in the light of day and warned everyone in the vicinity that they were about to be placed on the glass dinner table. The plates clanged as they were settled onto the table top. Each one in front of a gentle-curved wooden chair. The chairs seemed ready for the routine setting of people as this was always the time when dinner was served. 6:00 sharp or else phones were ringing all over Shekou to find out where the lost family member was dwelling.



The plates were in place, and now the glasses and the utensils. They had their own designated portions of space in the house. The glasses behind a glass sliding door, the forks and knives in a drawer with compartments purposely chosen. The blue holding rack was filled to the brim with eating tools that always found a way to end up of the table and later on the counter ready to be washed. She selected the rights forks, the right knives and placed them in an orderly fashioned manner next to the previously set plates. She stands next to the table; lets out a sigh, scratches her head, looks at the clock, (5:50) and goes back to the desklike storage closet. The glasses clash against each other as she picks them up. A glassy "ting" reverberated through the house just loud enough to shock you in a doze. A pleasant tone still rings through the house as she walks back to the table and precisely sets the glasses about two inches to the right of the plates. Of course they needed to be filled with water later. Just when you think the table is set, place mats come out of a hidden drawer that could be missed even if intense inspection was instigated. Round-shaped and rainbow colored, they bring the needed color into the room after a hard day of work after school. What was yet to come would do more than any other the well placed utensil or accessory can add to the room.

The food was ready and a split second after the cooking alarm rang in all of it's rackety brassness, the pans were off of the now burning hot cooking pits. She walked carefully as to not trip on the nifty doorstep. Her eyes diverted from the ground to the table. She couldn't keep from letting a droplet of sweat run over her wrinkling skin. She set the pans on the placemats and put both of her ring-covered hands on her hips. She lets out a sigh of relief, wipes the sweat of her breath and slowly turns on one toe-nail painted foot to look at the time. 5:59. "Right on time", her body and slight head nod signals to anybody watching. The food that has taken thirty minutes to cook was gone in ten, and the satisfaction in our stomachs sounded. A deep rumble from inside was inevitable. My mother is the best house cook in the world no matter how many loving mothers there are. An hungry human is an angry human, and nobody is angry after they have eaten at the Riemens' knowing that the best of care was taken to prepare the luscious recipes that we all love. Job well done. As the sun settles into the pocket of the distant land, she knows she needs to go through the routine once more. The setting of the table, and the cooking of the food. No frustration can be found however, because I know she loves to do it.

Travels With Charley

John, he always worries about me gettin' mauled by a bear! Does he see that I'm trying to protect him? What are companions for anyway? There are just times are want to bark at him because he's one preventing me from protecting him! O well, the travels were amazing! For some reason, John wanted to take a trip through the land. We've seen big cities and we've seen the countryside. We've seen rich and poor. Every night, John sits with his back against a tree, and takes out a white object. Then he takes a piece of wood and starts making weird marks on the white stuff. When dark sets in, he starts talking to me, every once in a while he glances at the gray on the white. His words take me to different lands. Occasionally he gives me a pat on the head. Looks up at the stars and then starts scribbling again. I don't get him sometimes. Why would he just spend his time doing that if he could run through the trees and roll in the mud? Interesting. As we walked through the land for days I noticed that John started to become more humble and less stressed. I think he used to be uptight because of the thingies that are rolling on round thingies. C-A-R-S is what they call them I think. But now, I can tell that the fresh air has done him well because he pays more attention to me and my habits. Sometimes it gets annoying, but he'll look at me and then start scribbling again. I never though that John would be willing to leave the city to make a trip around the land. I guess that I should just go guard John now. I smell another bear, and they really tick me off now. I'm starting to get the feeling that it's the same one! I'll get him someday!

The Turtle; by John Steinbeck

The turtle is a portion of a novel written by John Steinbeck. The turtle in the story is going through a lot of troubles in only a few minutes time. The troubles of slipping and sliding on the sands and gravel of the new highways that interfere with nature are portrayed effortlessly by the intricate description in Steinbeck's writing. Even though on the surface the turtle may just seem like a desperate turtle trying to cross the road. However, if one looks deeply into the writing and compares this portion of the story to the large idea of The Grapes of Wrath, there is a relationship between the turtle and the characters in the story. In The Grapes of Wrath, the family that John Steinbeck bases the story upon is a family of migrant workers. They are constantly on the road in search of a new job. The droughts in the north have forced thousands of jobless workers to roam the western coast in search of secure jobs and incomes.

The turtle wants to go to the other side of the highway. As he does so, a car comes along. OH NO! was my first impression. But then as Steinbeck continued to describe the car, I later found out that it was a woman who was driving the car. For some reason I knew she was going to avoid the turtle. The turtle quickly retreated into its shell. When the danger was over, the old animal crawled along once again. Its nails were slipping on the slick concrete, it's shell chipped. There was nothing I could do but to read on. As I had feared another danger was quickly approaching. A rumbling truck zoomed down the interstate, and the turtle was once again in a life threatening situation. This time a man was operating the vehicle, and immediately it occured to me that the turtle had a good chance of dying. The jerk tried to run the turtle over! The old turtle who just wanted to cross the road this time was clipped at the end of its shell and flipped. (Notice what effect the description had on me.) Still the turtle fought on, adn that is where the symbolism comes in. The family in The Grapes of Wrath was in search of a stable job, and were desperately needing a place where they could settle down. The turtle fought, and I can imagine the family fought. When someone knocked them down, they got back up. John Steinbecks description at times can be overwhelming, but the point is made clear and now I want to read The Grapes of Wrath.

Reader's Response to The Flood

The Flood is probably the most descriptive piece of writing I have read this year. There are so many adverbs and adjectives that make me think of the mood and setting. I feel as though the story is opening a door and I can look into the lives and situations of the characters. There were times that the description got too much for me to bear, however the words made the mood and tone stand out. "Gray, blocked, sucked." Not very bright words to use. No need to use bright words when the point Steinbeck wants to get across isn't bright in itself. The feeling of "death" almost, creeps through the reader. I can picture the mud, the tents, the bodies. The shaking of the people and the starvation thinning their bodies is almost too real. If a writer can make the reader feel what he/she wants them to feel, then they are accomplished and have reached their goal of attracting an audience. The dialogue of the characters is disguised by the lack of using quotation marks. Surprisingly, the tone of the people themselves do not sound totally helpless and depressed. It seems as though they knew that something this cruel would happen, and that they were accustomed to be out of work for the rest of the year or rather 6 months. This "acceptance of circumstances" adds to the readers' depression while reading the story. We feel sympathetic towards them, and wish we could help them through the rough times of joblessness. Nature was the antagonist in the story and there is nothing anyone could have done. Whenever the situation gets out of civilization's hands, nature has won and humans must surrender. For the stealing and the begging part... I feel that the government absolutely must do something to get it's citizens out of the streets. The failure to do so will lead, and has lead, to the killings of innocent people. The social classes have clearly separated and not one fortunate worker has reached out to give a helping hand. I credit Mr. Steinbeck for being able to capture the images of the past, and make us realize that we are fortunate to not have to deal with nature. We now know that we do not need to be at peace with nature to keep our jobs.

The Breadwinner

The Breadwinner is a book suitable for anyone who loves to read a book. It's not complicated, but it's touching. The first time I read this book was when I was ten, and it was hard. I re-read the book on the internet and found a deeper meaning than just the words. The book is about a girl who disguises herself as a boy to help her family survive in hard times of war. She sees the cold world through a boy's eyes, and knows that there must be something done to stop the war. Her family is in hiding in a small apartment is a partially ruined building. They are scared to death that the soldiers might come to arrest them and possible send them to different jails. The book has a great story line, and it's a read-in-one-sit kind of novel. The characters are created for the reader to visualize, and every time the character says something, you sit and think... would I look at it this way. Deborah Ellis has made the story flow with amazing word choice, and keeps sentences flowing with little interruptions of digressed topics. If you want to read a heart-wrenching book, pick up The Breadwinner and discover what it's like to live in a war devastated area, but in the perspective of an innocent citizen. 

Attitude Towards Betrayal

Betrayal is a form of breaking a bond between two people. I think that the trust that has been established over the years is broken, and the two people usually aren't friends after one of them has been betrayed by the other. Whenever there are times that people don't tell the truth, or act in a way that affects the other friend, anger spreads through every vein in my body. I feel like punching something or someone. After that stage, I start to get angry at myself for confiding in that person, and start treating them hostile in a way that you couldn't imagine. I have had instances where long friends betrayed me and I was sad. Feeling used isn't the way I usually like to feel, and I am fairly sure that others do not like to be used as well. Don't expect me to forgive that person, because they are not to be trusted. If there is a punching bag around, I'll use it. If not, I won't inflict any pain on anybody. I'll bottle it up and the next person to betray me will get an earfull. Betrayal is something that shouldn't happen. Friends are there for a reason. They are people you can talk to when times get hard, and they are people you can hang around with and tell anything to. You play with them, and feel for them. Whenever all that is thrust to the side, and friends are made fun of or betrayed; for me the friendship goes out the window and a time of hostility has dawned....

Ralph and the Chivalric codes

Ralph is a character from "The Lord of the Flies." We read this novel about 3-4 months ago and it displayed many heroic qualities in each of its characters. I chose Ralph because he was the leader for most of the time the boys were on the island. The traits Ralph mostly displays are honour, and loyalty. Ralph has an interesting type of honor. He tries to stay true to where he came from (the modern world) and he tries to bring the human qualities to the island. Ralph is loyal to the group of kids on the island, trying to provide leadership and food. Even though Ralph is fairly honorable and loyal. He does is not that courageous and courteous. He's honest, but not all the time, and that deprives him of the quality. For Ralph to be a true hero in this story and in the literature world, I would say he needed at least two more qualities and possibly a third. It does not matter which other ones he possesses because they are all so close in definition. One reason why Ralph could be considered a hero is because he took charge of a group of boys of all different ages, and he immediately was liked by all except one. Jack. Even though Jack blackmailed him and taunted him, Ralph was still able to keep the island a peaceful place until several deaths occured. I still think Ralph deserves some heroic recognition.

Sir Launcelot Compare Contrast

The first story that we read was one that I could not take seriously. When I was reading "Sir Launcelot" I kept thinking about Monty Python and the holy grail. All the funny events that happened in the story were ironic, and overly dramatic. Poking a guy in the shoulder, carrying him off the horse, and throwing him in jail? Who thinks of that? The other tale that we read was a little more serious. It was more of a story of betrayal and something friends need to understand.  People were more serious, and the themes were more grown up. I enjoyed reading the story more, as it related to more modern stories I have read. Arthur pulling the sword out of the stone marked that he was the next ruler. Merlin was the wizard that brought the Queen together with the King, and the new son was destined to be the heir to the throne. there were all these occurrances that made the story fun to read. More so than Sir Launcelot. Overall, I liked reading the two stories, however I never felt that they would be something I could keep reading. The one I liked more was the second one we read. King Arthur.

Sir Launcelot Compare Contrast

Conscientious Objectors

Not burying Polyneices was just pure cruelty. Antigone thought so too. Just like me, she spoke her mind and demanded that her brother would be taken good care of even though he was dead. Doing something or persuading something to happen that is right is always a good thing to do. However it may not always be good for everyone involved. Antigone knew from the beginning that there would be restraining forces trying to prevent her from even touching her brother after the battle. BUT HE'S HER BROTHER! Even though he may have been pissed that Eteocles was unwilling to give up his throne, there was an agreement that needed to be kept. Polyneices had the right to be angry and force was the only thing he could apply to attempt gaining power of Thebes. Because Antigone thought highly of both of her brothers and loved them equally, she felt each one needed to be respected no matter what they may have done that was un-loyal to the kingdom. To show her undying love for her siblings she states: "There is no guilt in reverence for the dead." (Antigone 2. 106) This quote shows that she doesn't care about the rules Creon has made. It wasn't right to just let a loved one rot at the setting where he tried to gain respect and rule. 

The Role of Government

Creon is a stubborn man, arrogant and has a high self esteem. The government category he would fit in would either be an absolute monarchy or tyranny. He wants everything to be in his control. He believes that Thebes needs a strong ruler, and one the can make his own laws to keep order in the city. On the other hand, his son Haemon disagrees. He leans heavily towards a democracy. A government where the people can decide what they want in life. Haemon is a young adult who starts out having a lot of respect for his father. No matter what his father did, he would politely disagree until Creon determined Antigone’s fate. Haemon was awestruck by the bold decision his father decided to carry out. The decision to send Antigone into exile did not sit well with Haemon and the respect he once had slipped away. After all, Antigone is Haemon’s fiancé. Because Creon’s word is law, Haemon has no power to change Antigone’s fate and surely no good could come from this. To prove this Creon declares: “My voice is the one voice giving orders in this city!” (Antigone 3. 105) This obviously sends the message Creon is not in the mood to negotiate. If only Creon would have allowed the burial of Antigone’s brother this conflict would not have been initiated and the family feud would not have started. I believe that Haemon’s view of a democratic Thebes was humanly right. Yet Thebes was not in a state to have its people running the government. Creon’s rule was stiff and kept everything in line which was needed in those times. The belief that he could overrule the God’s (they were big at the time) gave Creon a bad reputation amongst the citizens of Thebes. Haemon also was not in favor of the disobedience his father displayed towards the gods. Haemon enforced the citizens by saying: “I have heard the citizens muttering and whispering in the dark about this girl/ She covered her brother’s body. Is this indecent?” (Antigone 3 61-65) This shows that the citizens do not think Antigone has committed a malicious crime. Creon’s error in judgment and unpopularity amongst the citizens led to Creon’s demise. 

Final In-class Essay Caesar Upgrade

In Julius Caesar, the diversity of characteristics in the characters all combine to create a theme. The conflicts created by the characters bring forth the themes that Shakespeare wanted to present, and do it in a very effective way. Conflicts such as Portia trying to convince Brutus form clashes of different beliefs thus creating the theme of honesty and loyalty. Another major conflict that occurs in the story is the disagreement between Brutus and Cassius. These two men have different beliefs, other expectations, and diverse values that bring forth the themes trust and obedience. Throughout the story, more conflicts are introduced, each one adding more to an integrated theme. Writing devices also keep the story flowing adding more disputes and arguments. Rhetorical devices and figures of speech all add more emotion to the dialogue creating a liable position in each conversation. 

As the first conflict, we have Brutus versus Cassius. In the earlier stages of the story, Cassius had pure hatred and disgust on the thought of Caesar's rule. Brutus knew that Caesar was not helping rome, and he needed to be dethroned. Here we have the theme of right and wrong, including justice. Brutus wants to keep the assassination honorable, and Shakespeare had made it clear it was a dear value of Brutus. On the other hand, cassius and in all his loathing kept urging Brutus to murder Caesar and annihilate all his values. Get rid of what he established and forget he ever existed. There are more conflicts that are born from this main external conflict, which by itself creates another theme. 

After a meeting with his followers, Brutus paces through his gardens thinking. Portia, his wife, walks out of the house and wants to understand what is bothering Brutus. She knows Brutus very well, and with her qualities of speech, she tries to convince Brutus into telling her what is going on. Brutus has to make a choice now to whom he must be loyal to. After all, Portia is his wife and they have a strong relationship. However, telling Portia what he and the conspirators have been plotting would break the word he was bound to keep. Despite all the nagging and persuading, Brutus was able to keep the upcoming murder a secret. Honor and loyalty were the themes presented in this conflict, and the qualities of the characters obviously showed during the intense conversation. Making the each speech and conversation more interesting, William Shakespeare uses conventions and diction to his advantage. 

Using rhetoric and specifically chosen diction we can understand the position each character takes in a conflict. The writing helps create the conflicts which then radiate the themes. Integrating ethos, the appeal to right and wrong, make readers think about a situation. Making use of pathos grabs readers by appealing to their emotions. All of these tactics help elevate the importance of a conflict, and make sure the readers receive a clear message. The words are just as important as the system they are put into. Each word has its own meaning yet using a word that truly works can help the reader understand so much more. 

In some way all the characters in Julius Caesar create the climax of the story built up by separate internal and external conflicts. Everything plays a part in showing highs and lows of relationship and rules. The characters themselves, the devices used, the words chosen, all contribute to making a story intense and deep. Involving the audience in the play is key for them to understand new values and ideas. William Shakespeare makes everything count and the outcome is a timeless classic. 

Paragraph Analysis #2

“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!”

 As Antony is speaking to the citizens of Rome, he tries to convince them that Caesar’s death is not something that can just slip by. The love they used to have for Caesar has to be a reason for revenge against the conspirators. His convincing speech has enough rhetorical devices to make the crowd a rowdy one. Pathos, parallelism, and counterarguments all contribute to overpower Brutus' earlier speech. To prove that Antony uses pathos, he states: "I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. / The good is oft interred with their bones; / So let it be with Caesar..."(Caesar 3.2    ) This proves that Antony did love Caesar and his love for him will not die. This maintains Antony's view of Caesar being great and the citizens reflect on all the things that Caesar has provided for them. Once Antony has captured his audience's emotions, he includes counterarguments proving that Brutus was wrong about Caesar. "When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept;/ Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:/ Yet Brutus says he was ambitious." (Caesar 3.2    ) This counterargument demonstrates the modesty and compassion Caesar had for his people, and Brutus is a liar in saying he was an ambitious man. Together with the counterarguments, Antony integrates parallelism to emphasize the "bad" Brutus. "For Brutus is an honorable man; / And Brutus is an honorable man, / And Brutus is an honorable man." (Caesar 3.2    ) At this point, the crowd is convinced that Brutus was a traitor and a murderer. Over the course of the speech, the diction and repetition used in Antony’s allows him to win the Romans over, and a civil war is going to occur.

 

Speech Analysis #1

                                                            “No, Not an Oath”

            As Brutus talks to his new followers, he is trying to make up his mind how to get rid of Caesar in an honorable way. In the process of convincing his new followers, Brutus incorporates rhetorical devices as a method of persuasion. Pathos and ethos are used. To show emotional attachment Brutus says: “The sufferance of our souls and time’s abuse-/ If these be motives weak, break off betimes.” (Caesar 2.1. 115-116) What this quote brings is belief in the upcoming task and a reason to follow Brutus. This was an example of pathos. The audience can now understand that the murder will be difficult emotionally and they start to feel uncomfortable( I did. ). The next rhetorical device used is ethos. As Brutus tries to convince his new fellows (and himself) that this gruesome killing will be for the better he states: “To think our cause, did need an oath… if he do break the smallest particle/ of any promise that hat pass’d from him.” (Caesar 2.1. 134-140) What this brings to the table is a realization of how serious the situation is. If the situation they are in now (under the rule of Caesar) is not enough to fuel their passion for righteousness, then they might as well not try to kill Caesar. We as readers give credit to Brutus to still find the good in bad, and know that the killing of Caesar will be for the better. Through these two rhetorical devices, Brutus not only convinces his new followers to believe in their motives, but he also assures himself that this is the right thing to do. Emotionally, Brutus goes through a hard time making the decision to get rid of such a “great” ruler, however he still finds a way to do the murder in an honorable way.

Friends, Romans, Countrymen, lend me your ears!

I chose this speech because well… I like it. In this particular speech, Antony convinces his audience that what Brutus has done was crude and evil. He also wanted to prove the Brutus was trying to demean Caesar and take away all the glory that he has earned. This speech is spoken right after Brutus’ speech during Caesar’s burial. Rhetorical devices were effective and made Antony believable. Pathos, ethos and rhetorical questions were all the types of rhetorical devices that Antony used, and each helped to further get the audience on Antony’s side. The effect of this speech? Civil war, and political turmoil. The city goes crazy, and Antony’s new followers are out to kill the Caesar’s life-enders… 

Motion Picture vs. Words

To me, Shakespeare's script for the play Julius Caesar is much better than the movie. One reason for this may be because of the evolution in movies over the years. Today, movies are filmed better and teenagers today.. well, we like stuff done the new way. The play itself has the power to be analyzed and an internal meaning can be found. The movie is based on the play (word for word) and basically plays what is written in the book. I believe that all great scriptures need to be read and not watched because they capture the essence of the past, and no movie can truly recapture the true past. This play was an extremely good choice for our persuasive unit because the speeches spoken all applied certain devices to persuade. The use of pathos, ethos, and rhetorical questions all forced the readers to interact with the story. This connection was never really established in the movie, and that is what definitely made the script better than the movie. 

Eragon By Christopher Paolini

Eragon is hunting for game in the Spine. His family is desperately in need of food before the harsh winter season approaches. He sees a deer, draws and arrow... "boom!" The eerie blasts sends Eragon scattering to the floor, and the deer is shocked away. It was a blue mystical object, and little did Eragon know that it would turn out to be his new dragon.

I thought this book would be one that you read on a lazy Sunday with nothing else to do. "It's about dragons, how good can it be?" I asked myself. My sister was obsessed with it and was drawn into the mystical world Christopher Paolinin creates every minute of every day until she was finished reading it. "O well, I guess I'll read it." Probably the best book I have read this year! I could not put this book down, and if I had to go to bed, my parents had to pry the book out of my hands just to make me get enough sleep. Great adventure book, and suitable for all ages! READ THIS BOOK!

"What I think about Shakespeare..."

Shakespeare to me is a writer who creates portals back into time. Every once in a while, as we read on in Caesar, I can picture the scenes he describes, and the asides tell me more about the characters. He is an accomplished writer, who by many, is recognized as an old person who uses weird language. Although this may be so, if we do not have Shakespeare, we have lost part of history. His writing reflects the times he lived in, and gives the new era of writers more ideas of what to write about. His other piece of writing, Romeo and Juliet, was long (all his writing is) yet it is the basis of most love stories today. When people hear William Shakespeare, they immediately think of long meaningless lines that only would have been spectacular in the times it was written. I believe that all his writing needs to be disected piece by piece to attain the true understanding of his works. I have grown to like Shakespeare, however sometimes lines and scenes turn out to be extremely cheesey. (The movie isn't any better) However, it has taught me a lot about literature. Shakespeare needs to be kept in all classrooms around the world so that new age writers experience literature to the fullest.