Senior Memoirs bring bittersweet feelings

The past week and a half we have been working on our senior memoirs in class. It is such a bittersweet feeling reminiscing on all the things I have experienced and all the memories I have made throughout high school. One of the options I picked to include was the Where I'm From  poem because it also allowed me to include childhood memories as well.

Where I’m From

I am from Barney, from Disney movies, and that little brown dog.

I am from that two story house in the corner with a million and two eucalyptus and pine trees in the yard.

I am from the garden of lilies and jasmine plants and the field of ice flowers like a purple ocean

that can be seen from blocks away.

I am from sweet bread in the morning and long legs,

from Gabby and Mando and Chavira but mostly Cortez all together.

I am from the good night kisses, the I love you’s and from being his big “Little-Little”.

From always being tough and strong and the “I call this and I call that!”

I am from never giving up,

from putting all effort in any project

no matter how big or small.

I’m from my ancestors of Mexico and Chino Hills,

from a big family,

and from Grandma’s sopíta that is to die for.

From those memory making Las Vegas trips,

the week long birthday celebrations

and the daily flip flop wearing tans.

I am from the awkward smiles

and of course the funny looking squinty eye in pictures.

-Amanda :)

Who are you?

The novel I chose to read for the AP English research project was Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk. While I do realize it was not on any of the provided lists of critically acclaimed novels, I believe it has had a major impact of literature and society. The novel is often ranked among notable existential novels and has created a significant following among its readers. The novel criticizes aspect present in the lives of everyone living in this society and era. For such reasons, I believe this novel has made a significant contribution to literature.

In our consumerist society, it is easy to lose oneself in the values established by the media. The novel criticizes the importance of materialism in our lives by stating, “...you're not how much money you've got in the bank.  You're not your job.  You're not your family, and you're not who you tell yourself.... You're not your name.... You're not your problems.... You're not your age.... You are not your hopes.”  ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club, Chapter 18. The novel causes one to question one’s true self when what is defined by our ego is disregarded. If it seems incredibly hard to describe oneself without the description of one’s past or one’s surroundings, it shows how attached we are to our ego.

I would recommend the novel to anyone and I think it would be a great choice to be read in an AP English class because of its contemporary value. As seniors, many of us are overwhelmingly concerned with what college we will attend, which will allow us to get the job we want, which will ensure we have enough money to buy things we really don’t need. Its always good to pause and question our goals and whether our plans will end in material wealth or happiness.

~Vanessa S :D

Before It's Too Late

Although I admit that I procrastinated a lot in reading this novel, I can definitely say that it will stay in my list of books to remember. The Poisonwood Bible reminded me of one of the lessons that is, for the most part, overlooked in today's fast-paced lifestyle: cherish what you have, work to keep it with you and be content, before it's too late and you lose it. From seeing others, and being an example myself, I can say that some (if not a lot of) people easily take the things they have for granted.

Sometimes, like Orleanna, they remain passive and act only once that object is compromised or gone. Ruth May's, or even any of the daughters' deaths, was already expected in her mind, but she really did nothing to prevent it until it was too late.

Or sometimes, we can be like Leah. Or in more extreme cases: Nathan. They become too idealistic and and become impatient or selfish when what they see isn't exactly what they envisioned it to be. They try to push it to what they want it to be, even though it is really difficult or sometimes even impossible, and they become blind.

Of course, I am not saying that everyone is like this. This is more of a warning and a chance for a little introspection for any reader. Do not make the same mistakes the characters in the novel made, for it can be extremely difficult to mend. Nevertheless, this is only one of the numerous insights the novel provided, and one that I will most likely carry on through the years.

~Lian C.

Connections

While reading the beginning of the novel, The Poisonwood Bible, to day in class, we were told to relate parts of the text to work we have read this year during class. While most were relating to novels such as Frankenstein because of her uncertainty of herself within society, and Alice in Wonderland, being that she is placed in a strange place, I more closely related it to a novel I read over sprint break, The Glass Castle. From the begging of the reading, I found similarities between the two. Like the relations from Frankenstein and Alice, I felt like the characters in Poisonwood and Glass Castle were looking for their place in society and unhappy with their life. I personally got the impression that the who characters wanted more in life than what they had and felt like they could achieve more if they wanted to. Within Poisonwood there were many biblical illusion used and through out The Glass Castle, the protagonist, Jeannette's, father is seemed to be representing sin of her world, her little sister innocence, and Jeannette herself as the good. If this novel is anything like the Glass Castle, I am excited for another great read!

- Amanda C.

Philosophy and Religion

These past weeks we have been exploring our own philosophical perspectives, and how religious views may fall into that. One thing that I would like to talk about, is what Mrs. Elliott and I talked about, how Mormonism was in Polytheism, which I did not see how that could ever fit, considering that Mormons are Christians. Looking at the beliefs with polytheism, There were some similarities, such as we believe that mankind is good, and that there are different levels of punishment after this life. However, one of the main beliefs of Polytheists is that there are multiple Gods that have created this Universe, and that govern it; but that is not true with our religion. We may believe that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are separate beings, But we believe that God is the supreme creator, and architect for our universe, and for our lives. He is the Supreme being that governs our daily lives. So with this being a major belief, I feel that Mormonism should have been grouped with Theists. But in fact, there were many things that stood out as differences and similarities in ALL of the groups that were displayed on the chart given to us in class, So it would be a mixture of many of them, which might be true for many of the religions that were on the list also, but I do not know the deep doctorines of them, so I cannot  say that I would know where to exactly put them. This is my rational for why the author of the chart put Mormonism where it is, he definantly does not know the true beliefs of Mormons, so was thus misled to where to place Mormonism on the chart.

- David Bell

The Invisible Man

Invisible Man deals with racism and finding one's place in society. An idea I find interesting is that the author doesn't name his main character. I think he does this to show that the Invisible Man could be anybody and that anyone can relate to him. It also shows the readers that the author is talking about the black race as a whole rather than one specific identity.
-Karissa C.

“Before God we are equally wise and equally foolish.”

Last month in our AP literature class we were able to choose between two books to read as an outside reading novel. I chose to read Jane Eyer. It discussed issues present during the 17th century like gender inequality and the importance of social class. Such values are still appart today; However, we have made great strides towards equality. I consider myself to be extremely lucky for the oportunities that I have.

In the novel Jane faces many barriers due to her social and economic situation. Jane significantly stuggles because of the ambiguity of her social standing. While she is well educated and mannered, she is an orphan with no wealth of her own. She begins working for Rochester as his inferior. As she begins to develop feelings for him she faces a great internal struggle as she understands her economic sitution and for such reasons doubts Rochester could ever be involved with her. Even after Rochester admitts his love to her, she is unable to accept his commitment until she is able to recieve her uncles inheritance in order to be on the the same economic and social level as he.

In the US today, more woman attend college than men, students are given equal opportunities, and our current president was once significantly economically disadvantaged. I feel blessed to live in a nation where I can be regarded for what I am capable of achieving and not limited to the situation I was born into. I only hope that we, as well as other nations, continue to work towards equality.

~Vanessa S

Intelligence vs. Education

In Jane Eyre, there is a theme of poverty vs. intelligence and education. Although Jane is naturally very smart and works hard to educate herself, she is in a lowly class because she doesn't have money. Because she can't pay for fancy schooling and has no one to rely on, her intelligence doesn't do her any good. this domonstrates one of the many boundaries in England regarding social classes. Today, education is required for everyone, even those without money which allows everyone a chance to succeed. This wasn't true at all in the time of Jane.
-Karissa C.

$$$$

Does money make the world go round? To the romantic, it would be the most repulsive idea, but realistically, it kind of does. As exemplified in Jane Eyre, and even in today's society, personal material wealth is part of what defines a person at first glance, no matter how much one denies it. A harsher reality met Jane during the Victorian period of her novel, where she, as both a woman and a low-class orphan, is oppressed and meets little equality from her peers. Her intellect and academic proficiency is overshadowed by the fact that she is penniless and without parents, and is scorned by her foster family. This carries on through her adulthood and even in her love life, where she must carefully seek a balance of financial and statutory  independence, and romantic love from her would-be husband. Going back to modern times, even though the stigma is somewhat removed, there is still an unspoken stereotype of rich vs. poor.
Personally, I don't think money is evil. It's good, just as the saying goes "Greed is good." It is how we choose to utilize money and greed that gives them their respective value judgments.

-Lian C.