Final Reading Response On Coming of Age Novel

I have finished the book, "Speak" written by Laurie Halse Anderson, and now looking back through the book, I realize that Melinda changed a lot. The reason for this growing up, in my opinion, was finally facing her fears.


In the beginning of the book, Melinda was a quiet girl, who usually kept to herself, not that she really had a choice though. She had to deal with one of the most terrible things that could happen to anyone, rape. Due to being an outcast, and losing all her friends, she had no one to talk to about it. She knew she couldn't say anything, after all who would listen to the most hated girl in the school? Worst of all, her rapist was a student at her school. She saw him almost everyday she went to school, and he sometimes wanted to get near her again. She couldn't face him look at him, or do anything. All she could do was run away. 


At the end of the book, Melinda was a totally different person. Her self-esteem was really high compared to before, and she was more happy. She finally got the courage to confront Andy Evans when he tried to rape her again. After doing this, I guess she got the feeling that if she could do that, she could do anything. She finally opened up and let out everything she kept inside. She was no longer the girl she was before, she was the new Melinda Sordino.


Melinda learned many things after she faced her fears. It wasn't all that easy, but she faced them. One was confronting Andy Evans, and the other was telling someone about the rape. She was scared of Andy, at first, because she thought he would hurt her again. She couldn't even be in the same room as him without having the need to run away, or the having the feeling of being sick. Confronting him was a really hard choice to make. She was also scared of telling someone about the rape. She worried about the reactions, and she worried if anyone would believe her. After all, she was drunk when it happened. 


In conclusion, Melinda came of age due to the rape and facing her fears. It doesn't have to be something as deep as rape to come of age. It can actually be anything.


*Note to Ms. Galang! I forgot my book and folder in my locker so I couldn't add any quotes.*

Daily Writing Prompts # 3

14) What are some questions and concerns you have about growing up and adulthood?
__________________________________________________________

1. What college will I go to?
2. Where am I going to be in ten years?
3. Where am I going to work?
4. Am I going to be successful?
5. Is there going to be a time where I want to be a child again?
6. Am I still going to be the same me?
7. Am I going to see my friends ever again, once we go our separate ways?

Reading Response on Coming of Age Novel

Novel: Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson

Growing up is all about making mistakes. Teenagers often do things without thinking about the consequences. That's exactly what happened with Melinda Sordino. She made the mistake of going to an end-of-summer party. At the party, she got drunk and raped. She called the cops, and due to crashing the party, lost all her friends, people she didn't know hated her, and she was all alone.

In the book, Melinda started the first day of high school without her friends. She lost all her friends due to the party. Rachel, her best friend, was angry at her and wouldn't even speak to her after that day. Their friendship ended, leaving all the precious memories they had together turn to dust. Melinda's other friends did the same, but the fact that her friendship with Rachel ended, hurt her the most. In the book it stated," If I sit in the front, it will make me look like a little kid, but I figure it's the best chance I have to make eye contact with one of my friends, if any of them have decided to talk to me yet." This quote shows that her friends are still mad at her, and that Melinda still has hope that they will forgive her.

Another thing that happened to Melinda, due to the party, was that people she didn't know hated her. For example, while she was at a pep rally, she sat with a group of people she didn't know, but later found out that they hated her guts. One girl yanked Melinda's hair, and called her an asshole because her brother got arrested at the party, and was fired as well. Another girl jammed her knees into her back, during the pep rally, and made her move an inch forward in her seat. The book states," I have worked so hard to forget every second of that stupid party, and here I am in the middle of a hostile crowd that hates me for what I had to do." This quote shows that Melinda is hated and that remembering what happened that night is something she wants to forget. 

Lastly, Melinda was left all alone because of the party. She no longer had friends, and no one wanted to be her friend either. The book states," I close my eyes. This is what I've been dreading. As we leave the last stop, I am the only person sitting alone." This quotes shows that she knew she would be ostracized, but just didn't want to it to be true. She had become an outcast, and a nonentity. I can't imagine being in that situation; everyone needs someone to rely on. If I were in her shoes, I don't think I'd go to school.

In conclusion, Melinda's life changed due to the mistake of going to an end-of-summer party. She didn't expect to lose her friends, have people she didn't know hate her, and to be all alone. Like many teens, she didn't think about the consequences for her actions.  

Daily Writing Prompts # 2

7) What are the main similarities and differences between childhood and adulthood?
____________________________________________________________


Childhood:

1. You do not have a lot of freedom.
2. You do not have a lot of responsibility.
3. You do not have a lot to worry about.
4. You are still dependent on parent(s).
5. You haven't been exposed to the "real world."
6. Generally a time to play, have fun, and be carefree. 

Adulthood:

1. You are now "on your own."
2. You have a lot of responsibility.
3. You are more mature.
4. Are now in the "real world."
5. You have your freedom.
6. Generally a time to work, and not to play.

Similarities:

1. You learn new things.
2. You can explore the new phase.
3. You still have your parents and/ or the people who care about you.

Daily Writing Prompts # 1

15) Some aspects of coming of age are pain, loss, disappointment, and disillusionment. Write about 1 experience you have had that relates to one of these aspects. 
___________________________________________________________

Dear Fudge,

How is it like in Heaven? Are you alone? I am writing to you because I miss you very much. I wish I could go back in time to prevent your death. I knew it was a bad idea to put you and Bebe in the same tank. I’m sorry for all those times I forgot to wash your tank, and the time I forgot to feed you .

Love,

Jasmine

P.S.  I am mad at Bebe. 

***

Dear Fudge,

                I hope you’re happy, up there in heaven. I’m just writing to let you to let you know that I have forgiven Bebe. I have realized that she didn’t mean to step on your neck.  I shouldn’t have been mad at her in the first place.

Love,

Jasmine

              ***

Dear Fudge,

                It has been the longest since I have written to you, and so, I’m sorry. I just wanted to say that I have not forgotten you; in fact I remember the day you were given to me, January 03, 2008. Mom was waiting for me outside, holding something. I didn’t think much of it, and I was surprised when I learned it was a gift for me. When I opened the bag, I saw you. You almost seemed to smile at me. You were my first pet. And now, although you are not here, and years have passed, you are still as special to me.

Love forever,

Jasmine

Final Response on My Papa's Waltz

My Papa's Waltz

By Theodore Roethke

The whiskey on your breath

Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.

In the poem, "My Papa's Waltz", the narrator is reliving an experience of his past that includes his father. Some people say that his father is abusing him, and others may say they are just dancing. Both ideas can be proven with lines from the poem. I don't think the father is abusing his son, even though throughout the poem it gives you the impression of that.

In the poem, there are lines that give the impression that the boy is being abused, but if you read it carefully, he actually isn't. In the first stanza, lines 1-3, it gives you the feeling that the last thing he wants to be doing is dancing with his father. The words whiskey, dizzy, and death gives the whole stanza a negative tone to it. Because of that, most people don't bother to think that the lines can possibly mean he is just afraid to fall while enjoying a dance with his father.

Another line that you can misinterpret is line 12. Here you may think that the boy is getting hit because he is not dancing well, but the line is actually trying to create a different image. What the line is trying to say is that the boy was small at that time, and so due to his height, whenever his father missed a step, his ear was brushed against his father's belt.

Lastly, line 13 can be misinterpreted. In this line, people may think that the father is hurting him, but his father is actually tapping beats on his head to help him dance the waltz. 

This poem reminded me of the book Angela's Ashes. Sometimes Frank's father would come home drunk and wake up Frank and his brothers just to make them promise to die for Ireland. Sleepily, they would all promise to die for Ireland, and if they were lucky, they'd get a penny. As you can see, both fathers did things they believed were harmless, yet they were memorable.

Overall, I think the poem was written to relive a memorable experience, rather than a bad one. I don't think that the poem has a hidden message of abuse like other people argue. The narrator's father did not mean any harm. In fact, I think the waltz was all meant to symbolize love.

Another Revised Response on My Papa's Waltz

My Papa's Waltz

By Theodore Roethke

The whiskey on your breath

Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.

In the poem, My Papa's Waltz, the narrator is reliving an experience of his past, that includes his father. Some people say that his father is abusing him, and others may say they are just dancing. Both ideas can be proven with lines from the poem. I don't think the father is abusing his son, even though throughout the poem it gives you the impression of that.

In the poem, there are at least three lines that give the impression that the boy is being abused, but if you read it carefully, he actually isn't. When you first read line 3, “but I hung on like death”, it gives you the feeling that the last thing he wants do be doing is dancing with his father. I think that he is clinging on "like death" because he is afraid to fall while enjoying a dance with his father.  Another line that you can misinterpret are lines 11 and 12. Here you may think that he is getting hit because he is not dancing well, but it is actually trying to say that he was very small at that time, so his ear was brushed against his fathers buckle every once in a while. The last line is line 13. Here, people may think that his father is hurting him, but he is actually tapping beats on his head to dance the waltz. 

This poem reminded me of the book Angela's Ashes. Sometimes Frank's father would come home drunk and wake up Frank and his brothers just to make them all promise to die for Ireland. Sleepily, they would all promise to die for Ireland, and if they were lucky, they'd get a penny. This poem reminded me of the book Angela's Ashes because, both fathers did things they believed were harmless. One father danced with his son and the other made them promise to die for Ireland. What I find a coincidence is that both sons ended up writing about the experience. Theodore Roethke wrote My Papa's Waltz, and Frank McCourt wrote his memoir, Angela's Ashes.

Overall, I think the poem was written to relive a memorable experience, rather than a bad one. The narrator's father did not mean any harm. In fact, I think it was all meant to symbolize love.  

Revised Response on My Papa's Waltz

My Papa's Waltz

By Theodore Roethke

The whiskey on your breath

Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.

In the poem, My Papa's Waltz, the narrator is reliving an experience of his past, that includes his father. Some people say that his father is abusing him, and others say they are just dancing. Both ideas can be proven with lines from the poem. I don't think the father is abusing his son, even though throughout the poem it gives you the impression of that.

In the poem, there are at least three lines that give the impression that the boy is being abused, but if you read it carefully, he actually isn't. When you first read line 3, “but I hung on like death”, it gives you the feeling that the last thing he wants do be doing is dancing with his father. I think that he is clinging on "like death" because he is afraid to fall while enjoying a dance with his father. Another line that you can misinterpret are lines 11 and 12. Here you may think that he is getting hit because he is not dancing well. It is actually trying to say that he was very small so his ear was brushing against his fathers buckle every once in a while. The last line is line 13. Here, people may think that his father is hurting him, but he is actually tapping beats on his head to dance the waltz. 

This poem reminded me of the book Angela's Ashes. Sometimes Frank's father would come home drunk and wake up Frank and his brothers just to make them all promise to die for Ireland. Sleepily, they would all promise to die for Ireland, and if they were lucky, they'd get a penny.  

Overall, I think the poem was written to relive a memorable experience, rather than a bad one. The narrator's father did not mean any harm. In fact, I think it was all meant to symbolize love.  

Reading Response on Independent Reading Book

I have currently finished rereading the book Memoirs of a Geisha, written by Arthur Golden. This book has become one of my favorite books. It has such an interesting conflict, many themes, characters you can connect to, and is very interesting. To tell you the truth, I didn't even want to read it in the first place. When I first read it, all I wanted to do was close the book and put it back on the book shelf. I was so close to actually putting it back, but decided to give it a chance.


The book is about a girl named Chiyo, who at first lived and grew up in the poor fishing village of Yoroido. She was taken, along with her sister, to an okiya in kyoto. Chiyo stayed at the okiya for future geisha training, but her sister was rejected and became a prostitute. Chiyo was to be a maid for Mother and Auntie, two older women who ran the okiya, before actually preparing to be a geisha. Being a maid was just one of the obstacles Chiyo had to overcome to become the geisha she dreamed to be. 


While reading this book, it was frustrating when Chiyo made stupid mistakes. One of these mistakes was deciding to run away. Mother and Auntie specifically told Chiyo that by running away she would kiss goodbye the fact that she would one day become a geisha. Although knowing what she would risk, Chiyo made plans with her sister to run away. At the end, not only did Chiyo get caught, but she also broke her arm while falling off the roof. The medical cost, and the fact that she tried to run away made the debts that she owed the Okiya skyrocket.


At the end, Chiyo managed to become a successful geisha.(No thanks to Auntie, Mother, and Hatsumomo, but to Mameha.) I was really glad when her life finally became perfect. Her bad luck finally seemed to run out, and she was at peace.     

Three Best Reading Responses

1) Alberta Devor

Alberta's reading response to the poem My Papa's Waltz, is a good example of a good reading response.One thing that I liked, was that she took the time to analyze each stanza. After each stanza, she wrote a small paragraph on what it made her think and feel. By the end of the response, with help from each analyzed stanza, it was clear what she believed the poem was really about. Although I don't think that the poem was about the father abusing his son, Alberta's response was really good.

2) Solana Schlau-Appenzeller 
Solana's reading response to the poem My Papa's Waltz, is another good example of a good reading response. I like her introduction because not only did she include her thoughts, but she also included things we discussed in class. I also liked how she referred back to parts of the poem to prove her ideas. Lastly, I like how she did a self-to-self connection.


3) Ruby Walsh
Ruby's reading response to the poem My Papa's Waltz, was really good. I liked how she wrote a paragraph from each perspective. She included things we said in class and wrote how it made her feel. She did a very good job elaborating and referred back to the poem. One thing I found interesting, was that she did a before and after idea thinking. ( If that makes sense.)

Sonnet 1000

You came to me when I least expected.
Changed my life with just a look and smile.
Had no one to lean on, felt rejected
Now have the feeling of being worth while.
As the time goes by, that's when I realize
Only you can bring out the best in me.
I know it's true when I look in your eyes
that in our love's paradise I feel free.
My love for you grows more each passing day
The simplest feelings began to grow,

Like a white dove I was flying away

But such love was so, as pure falling snow.

My god, amazinq how we got this far
There is nothing left to wish on a star

Reading Response/ Reflection

My Papa's Waltz
By Theodore Roethke


The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.



I think this poem can be seen from different perspectives. Some may say that the father is abusive and others may say that he is not. I think that the father is not abusing his son, he just gets carried away and shows his love for his son in a different way.


If you read the poem, it does not say that the father beats him.( I can see why some people would think that though.) When you read the lines: At every step you missed, my right ear scraped a buckle, you may think that the little boy is getting hurt, but he really isn't. The poet was trying to explain that he was small when this was happening and that he was small enough to get brushed by his father's belt once in a while. The other line is: You beat time on my head, with a palm caked hard with dirt. Here, the poet was trying to say that the father was tapping beats on to his head to dance the waltz. It never said softly or hard, so that will remain a mystery. The father did not mean harm and you can tell by the way the little boy reacted. He clinged on to  and danced with his dad, even when he was a little drunk. I think it was all meant to symbolize love.


This poem reminded me of the book Angela's Ashes. Sometimes Frank's father would come home drunk and wake up Frank and his brothers just to make them all promise to die for Ireland. Sleepily, they would all promise to die for Ireland, and if they were lucky, they'd get a penny. 

She Ran Away

On a cold night she ran away
She could not bear to stand another day
You told her lies, you caused her pain
You made her wander alone in the rain
You made her cry, you made her feel small
Now you're the one who has to pay for all

Now you wish you could take it all back
Take the worst memories to send away in a sack
But it's much to late now
There's nothing more you can do
Just one thing left to say
She stopped loving you

Poem on an important moment

Cayla
It was just yesterday when I saw you
Your brown eyes and brown curls
You were fine, you were okay
You were laughing
Nothing seemed wrong

It was a summer day
When you left and never came back
You went to a better place

I still remember you
I always will
It was just yesterday when I saw you

Poem based off of a photo

(Poem is based off of the painting, Venice Twilight, painted by, Claude Monet)

Let us melt under the remaining rays of the sun

Let the thoughts and worries blow away with the wind

Hand in hand we will leave

We will be part of the sky

Part of the colors

Part of the beauty

The Starry Night Response

When I first read the poem, I though that it should have been the caption of the painting. It was describing everything in Vincent Van Gogh's painting. From the tree all the way to the wind. When I reread it, I saw it through a different lens. It was no longer a caption, it was a poem written through her eyes. Everything she felt at that moment went to her pen which then went onto paper. Her poem was filled with many things that include metaphors and figurative language.( It even left you with many questions.) I wonder why she wrote her poem the way she did. Was it meant to sound as creepy as it did? Was it her suicide letter? or did she simply see the night sky as beautiful?

Overall, I found this poem really interesting. It was mysterious and it left me thinking. (It was a poem like no other, it was unique.) I never really though about the the might sky and I liked how it went deep into the topic. Anne was able to show her emotions and feelings through her poem and I wonder if my class and I got the message she tried to give the readers.

Painting Analysis

Jusko, Donald. PAINTING ON LOCATION FINE ART TEACHING GALLERY V. 10 Dec. 2006. 7 Jan. 2011 http://realcolorwheel.com/78.htm.

Observations: The painting is made up of very bright colors. There are flowers, trees, and grass in the background. The flowers are the the things that stand out in the painting. There is a peacock in the corner of the picture. It's feathers are camouflaged with the rest of the flowers. There is not much going on behind the tree. There are a few details scattered here and there such as the grass.

Inferences: The bright colors may symbolize beauty or creativity. Since there is not much in the background the main attention are the bright colored flowers and the peacock.The peacock and flowers are brightly colored, does that symbolize importance? The details in the background are simple compared to the foreground.

Interpretation: According to feng-shui, “Peacocks are a symbol of beauty reminding us to take pleasure in the finer things in life. The artist Donald D. Jusko probably thought that Maui Hawaii was also a thing of beauty. (From pictures on the Internet also think it's beautiful.) Flowers and the peacock are just the his way of saying it.

December Reading Challenge

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

If you were to ask me whether the movie was better or the book, I would definitely say the book. In my opinion, the movie was based off another book, not The Outsiders I read. It was I who complained that the movie was ruining the book this time around rather than my one of my sisters. Characters, appearances and many other things were changed. I could not believe it!

Before I saw the movie I had a sense of what the actors would look like, but my predictions were not correct.When I thought of the Socs, I thought of rich, nice shirts, and tough looking. They got the rich and nice shirt part right ,but they did not look tough. The same thing happened with the Greasers. The gang did look tough, but they were missing their long, silky, and greasy hair. In the book, it said:

"Our hair was tuff- we didn't have to use much grease on it. Our hair labeled us greasers, too- it was our    trademark. The one thing we were proud of. Maybe we couldn't have Corvairs or madras shirts, but we could have hair." (71)

I wonder why they couldn't add this important detail in the movie. There is one thing I appreciate about the movie. They did not take away the special connection between Soda and Pony. There were so many aw moment in the book and the movie. I glad the filmmakers didn't change that.

Overall, the movie wasn't the worst, but it disappointed me.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

When books are turned into movies, things are changed, removed, and added in, so when The Lovely Bones became a movie it wasn't much of a surprise. Filmmakers this time around did a very good job. All the actors chosen fit the characters in the book. Mr. Harvey even gave me the skeevies!

The reason I think it all worked out well is because Saoirse Ronan (Susie) connected so well with the actors. The special connection between Susie and her father was so believable. When she was in the underground room with Mr. Harvey your heart was beating so fast that you wondered if you were in the room instead. When she was annoyed at her mother for making her wear the knitted hat, it was such a mother-daughter thing. I wonder how the movie would've turned out if they did not choose these actors.

While watching the movie I had a few complaints, but by the end I forgot all about them. The book wasn't really messed with, which is a good thing. Overall, the movie was really great. If you enjoyed the book then you will love the movie. It might even leave you crying!