This past week I have been watching the CBS News. I have tried to find the social issues that they report wand what they think about it. Things like bullying, fighting, etc. It turns out that those issues weren't really mentioned in the news.
One thing that I found out is that they don't stress social issues on the news as much as they do about other topics. For example, there is a issue about how a women got assulted at a tea party when she was protesting. But instead of talking about that for five minutes they decide to talk about how Charlie Sheen was found in the Plaza Hotel drunk and naked again. From my understanding, a women that got brutally attacked is more important than a celebrity who was caught in an embarrassing moment again.
Another thing that I realized is that social issues take place everywhere and anytime. Yes, people do take precotions to stop it but they don't do enough. Like I said before instead of talking about careless things on the news, they could talk about social issues. Talk about how we should try to stop the bad things that happened, get the message across. One person can't do it all, it is a group effort and as of now there hasn't been any talk. I remember when the kid from Rutgers committed suicide because he was videotaped with another man, and it was all over the news. Now its not reported nearly as much. I think the news needs to keep the issue alive, not let it fade away.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Response
The poem Mother to Son by Langston Hughes starts off with a very deep sad tone. As I read on though I noticed that the tone gets a little more uplifting. I'se been a climbin on, and reachin landins, and turnin corners. I think Langston Hghes is talking about how there is hope.
To me this poem is about never giving up. Its about how you shuld always follow your goals and dreams, strive to do your best. Sure you may hit some rough patches like it says in the poem, "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair." But you shouldn't let that stop you, you shouldn't let anything stop you.
Another thing that I got out of this poem is that life will always be bad unless you do something about it. You have got to earn things in life. Things aren't just going to be handed to you, you have to work on them or you will end up with nothing, wishing you had something.
To me this poem is about never giving up. Its about how you shuld always follow your goals and dreams, strive to do your best. Sure you may hit some rough patches like it says in the poem, "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair." But you shouldn't let that stop you, you shouldn't let anything stop you.
Another thing that I got out of this poem is that life will always be bad unless you do something about it. You have got to earn things in life. Things aren't just going to be handed to you, you have to work on them or you will end up with nothing, wishing you had something.
Final Appreciation
The first time I read Bridge to Terabithia was when I was in third grade. It seemed like a good book. There were great characters and great settings. But that was the extent of my thinking. When I finished it that was it. Just threw it in the return bin. It was just another book. I didn’t try to find any themes or do any extensive thinking. But when I read it this time around I tried to do the exact opposite. It turned out to be a completely different book. I got so much more out of it. I dug deeper, trying to find the different themes, not just the obvious ones. I learned so much more about Jess and Leslie’s friendship and how they change each other’s life, how life and death is a big part of Bridge to Terabithia. Maybe I got more out of it because when I first read the book I was so young and now I am thirteen so I can comprehend it easier. This time I would stop in the middle and try to think, what is the author trying to say here? What is this symbolizing?
Jess is just a regular kid. He doesn’t grow up with a lot of wealth. His dad works very long hours, trying to put food on the table for his family. Leslie is the new girl. She doesn’t have that many friends. She keeps to herself, minding her business. But these two create such a wonderful friendship because they get to escape from the pressures they are dealt with in their lives. At first it was just Jess being nice to Leslie. But then it grew so quickly and of course Leslie creates Terabithia for the two of them. By doing this Leslie changes Jess’s life. She gives him a way to imagine, lets him feel like a kid. Also, she shows Jess that it’s okay not to be a boy who’s obsessive with sports and fighting. She lets him be himself and is the only one who does. Let’s face it, Jess lives a dull life. Jess changes Leslie’s life as well. He gives her a friend in himself. Also he makes her feel at home. Leslie just moved and had no one to spend time with. She felt homesick. Jess changed that.
When I read Bridge to Terabithia for the second time, it really gave me a lot of things that I could connect to. For example, Jess is described as a very ambitious and determined person. He would get up early everyday in the summer to practice for a big race. I think that I can really relate to Jess. When we want something we do whatever it takes to get it. It we set a goal we strive to reach it. Jess wanted to be the fastest runner in fifth grade so he ran every morning. I wanted to make the school basketball team so I kept practicing and practicing. There’s nothing better then when you work so hard for something and it ends up paying off. Another thing that I noticed is that Jess and Leslie are much like Charlotte and Wilbur from Charlottes Web. All of them are in a relationship with trust. Also, both relationships started by just lending a hand. Charlotte loaned a hand to Wilbur to save his life for no entire reason but to do a good thing. Jess gave a hand to Leslie by talking to her and being a friend to her for no entire reason but to do a good thing. Another thing is that theme of life and death. Charlotte is faced with it and so it Leslie. It takes a big toll out on Wilbur and Jess to face the fact that they won’t have them in their life anymore. Wilbur won’t be able to share the barn with Charlotte anymore and Jess won’t be able to share Terabithia with Leslie anymore.
Another thing that I really appreciated about Bridge to Terabithia is all the different themes and symbols that don’t pop out. IA theme that I don’t think pops out is fitting in. His classmates expect him to be a type of person, someone who watches baseball or plays sports. But he Jess isn’t like that and I don’t think will ever be. He’s someone who likes the arts but he can’t even enjoy that freely. Jess’s father hates the fact that he is into art and he calls it a girl’s pastime. Also, I think that the rope over the creek represents how Terabithia will be no more because Leslie isn’t there. To sum this all up, I think Bridge to Terabithia is a great book. You might think it’s only a child’s book but as soon as you open it to the first page you begin to realize that it’s far from it. Not only does Jess and Leslie get taken on a journey, but you do as well. I know I was.
Jess is just a regular kid. He doesn’t grow up with a lot of wealth. His dad works very long hours, trying to put food on the table for his family. Leslie is the new girl. She doesn’t have that many friends. She keeps to herself, minding her business. But these two create such a wonderful friendship because they get to escape from the pressures they are dealt with in their lives. At first it was just Jess being nice to Leslie. But then it grew so quickly and of course Leslie creates Terabithia for the two of them. By doing this Leslie changes Jess’s life. She gives him a way to imagine, lets him feel like a kid. Also, she shows Jess that it’s okay not to be a boy who’s obsessive with sports and fighting. She lets him be himself and is the only one who does. Let’s face it, Jess lives a dull life. Jess changes Leslie’s life as well. He gives her a friend in himself. Also he makes her feel at home. Leslie just moved and had no one to spend time with. She felt homesick. Jess changed that.
When I read Bridge to Terabithia for the second time, it really gave me a lot of things that I could connect to. For example, Jess is described as a very ambitious and determined person. He would get up early everyday in the summer to practice for a big race. I think that I can really relate to Jess. When we want something we do whatever it takes to get it. It we set a goal we strive to reach it. Jess wanted to be the fastest runner in fifth grade so he ran every morning. I wanted to make the school basketball team so I kept practicing and practicing. There’s nothing better then when you work so hard for something and it ends up paying off. Another thing that I noticed is that Jess and Leslie are much like Charlotte and Wilbur from Charlottes Web. All of them are in a relationship with trust. Also, both relationships started by just lending a hand. Charlotte loaned a hand to Wilbur to save his life for no entire reason but to do a good thing. Jess gave a hand to Leslie by talking to her and being a friend to her for no entire reason but to do a good thing. Another thing is that theme of life and death. Charlotte is faced with it and so it Leslie. It takes a big toll out on Wilbur and Jess to face the fact that they won’t have them in their life anymore. Wilbur won’t be able to share the barn with Charlotte anymore and Jess won’t be able to share Terabithia with Leslie anymore.
Another thing that I really appreciated about Bridge to Terabithia is all the different themes and symbols that don’t pop out. IA theme that I don’t think pops out is fitting in. His classmates expect him to be a type of person, someone who watches baseball or plays sports. But he Jess isn’t like that and I don’t think will ever be. He’s someone who likes the arts but he can’t even enjoy that freely. Jess’s father hates the fact that he is into art and he calls it a girl’s pastime. Also, I think that the rope over the creek represents how Terabithia will be no more because Leslie isn’t there. To sum this all up, I think Bridge to Terabithia is a great book. You might think it’s only a child’s book but as soon as you open it to the first page you begin to realize that it’s far from it. Not only does Jess and Leslie get taken on a journey, but you do as well. I know I was.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Bridge to Terabithia Research
When I started writing my thoughts about Bridge to Terabithia for the project, I tried to find all the different themes. Things about friendship and life and death. I also related the book to Charlottes Web. How the characters are very similiar in a way.
The first article I read was by Emily Bazelon on Slate.com http://www.slate.com/id/2160370/. I tried to find out why the author wrote the book. What was the authors intentions. Maybe it was about a relationship or just something she dreamed about. But I found out that the reason that Katherine Patterson wrote this book was beacuse her sons best friend died. Thats probably why the book has such great craft and shows great feelings and emotions. I feel like its easier to write something when you have a personal experience with it. When it has happened to you its easier to show how it feels.
After I read this article http://brothersjudd.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/reviews.detail/book_id/457 I noticed all the different themes in Bridge to Terabithia. I know a lesson is to live life to the fullest. Now after reading the article I found that you shouldn't be afraid to take risks. Don't be a the one on the sideline. Take action in what you are doing. You shouldn't be afraid of what everyone thinks about you because if you end up keeping your mouth shut you will end up regretting it.
The first article I read was by Emily Bazelon on Slate.com http://www.slate.com/id/2160370/. I tried to find out why the author wrote the book. What was the authors intentions. Maybe it was about a relationship or just something she dreamed about. But I found out that the reason that Katherine Patterson wrote this book was beacuse her sons best friend died. Thats probably why the book has such great craft and shows great feelings and emotions. I feel like its easier to write something when you have a personal experience with it. When it has happened to you its easier to show how it feels.
After I read this article http://brothersjudd.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/reviews.detail/book_id/457 I noticed all the different themes in Bridge to Terabithia. I know a lesson is to live life to the fullest. Now after reading the article I found that you shouldn't be afraid to take risks. Don't be a the one on the sideline. Take action in what you are doing. You shouldn't be afraid of what everyone thinks about you because if you end up keeping your mouth shut you will end up regretting it.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Bridge to Terabithia
One thing that I have noticed in Bridge to Terabithia is that Jesse and I are very similiar.
Jesse is a very ambitous person. If he wants something, he will do whatever he can to get it. For example, right in the beginning of the book it says how he wants to become the fastest kid in fifth grade. It says that all summer he would wake up very early and just start running. He would pretend like he was racing. By doing this I could tell he was a very determined person. In a way that reminds me of myself. Some who doesn't give. Someone who does not quit.
I am on a basketball team and we practice a lot to become better players. We entered a tournament and figured, since we are pretty good, maybe we can go all the way. But when we started to play other teams, we noticed that we probably weren't leaving with a smile on our faces. That reminds me of Jesse, when he felt short of winning his big race. Like us Jesse felt confident that he would end up on top, but when he found out that he wasn't even close it devastated him. The same way it devastated me at the tournament. You practice all the time for this. Your put all you can into it so that you can end up becoming a champion. It really takes a lot out of you when you find out that all that practice didn't pay off.
Jesse is a very ambitous person. If he wants something, he will do whatever he can to get it. For example, right in the beginning of the book it says how he wants to become the fastest kid in fifth grade. It says that all summer he would wake up very early and just start running. He would pretend like he was racing. By doing this I could tell he was a very determined person. In a way that reminds me of myself. Some who doesn't give. Someone who does not quit.
I am on a basketball team and we practice a lot to become better players. We entered a tournament and figured, since we are pretty good, maybe we can go all the way. But when we started to play other teams, we noticed that we probably weren't leaving with a smile on our faces. That reminds me of Jesse, when he felt short of winning his big race. Like us Jesse felt confident that he would end up on top, but when he found out that he wasn't even close it devastated him. The same way it devastated me at the tournament. You practice all the time for this. Your put all you can into it so that you can end up becoming a champion. It really takes a lot out of you when you find out that all that practice didn't pay off.
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