Outside Reading

Well, I’m not sure if we will have school tomorrow or not, but I thought I’d share my opinion about my first outside reading book. I read Anyone Can Dream: From Mud Hut In Kenya to Ranch House on San Francisco Bay by Philip M. Makau. Honestly, this book was not what I expected at all. I think it was trying way too hard to help the reader create an image of what is going on in that specific chapter. It was so descriptive. It didn't take that long for me to lose interest in it. For example, I’m pretty sure it took about two pages just to explain what kind of clothes he wears every day. To top it off, the book isn't even that long. It’s only 195 pages.

This was not the best novel that I have read. But the good news is that I got it over with. Now I’m excited to read my second book: Not Without Laughter by Langston Hughes. I’m a fan of his poetry, so I was really glad that I chose the topic of racial inequality because I get to his first and only novel. I am certain that I will enjoy this book as well as my third book better than my first one.

The B-Word :(

So I’m going to talk about the word “bitch” and how I feel about it. After reading the article that was given to us as a topic, I couldn’t help but think to myself that this article was 100 percent true. In the past, it was an insult for a woman to be called a bitch. Then as the years went by, it developed another meaning: someone who is strong, independent, and speaks her mind. I have a feeling that I know where it came from. A few years ago, hip-hop icon Trina was one of the best female rappers out there. As her career grew, she began to develop an image. She started referring to herself as a “bad bitch” and everyone else just hopped on the bandwagon. Soon, girls all over the country started acting hard and tough because they’re supposedly “bad bitches,” but when a guy uses the word as an insult, they start getting upset and defensive. Why? What makes it right to call yourself a bitch instead of others? It’s the same word with the same meaning, but girls act like the word “bitch” is separated into two completely different categories. Well, it’s not!! I do not refer to myself as a bitch. It doesn’t even belong in my dictionary. If someone used that word one on me, I am not going to leave without letting that person know how I feel. No woman should ever refer to herself as a bitch; whether it’s a compliment or not.

The Road/Poetry Section

Well, we are almost to the end of The Road and I have to say that I’m enjoying the book a little bit more. I don’t exactly love it, but at least I don’t hate it. The assignment that we just did today in class was very helpful for me to understand Cormac McCarthy’s writing style. Honestly, McCarthy’s writing style was my least favorite part about this book. Almost everything he did in the book was wrong in my eyes because I was taught differently, along with all my other classmates. It just didn’t seem right when he typed it on paper. It was very annoying.

I’m really glad that we’re almost done with the book. Even though I didn’t hate, I don’t see myself reading it again in the future. It’s not a typical book that I read. It’s like an emotional rollercoaster, but it has way more depressing moments. In fact, almost the entire novel is depressing. If anyone knows me, they know that I’m not too fond of things that seem depressing to me.

This has nothing to do with the book, but I am extremely excited about the poetry section. I’ve had a small interest in poetry since sophomore year. It’s best part about English to me. J

Inquiry Project

For my inquiry project, my topic will be about racial inequality because I love learning about African American history. It’s a part of what makes me... ME!! If it wasn’t for those historical events, I wouldn’t have the opportunities that I have now. Life would still be segregated.

This first book I’m reading right now is Anyone Can Dream: From Mud Hut In Kenya to Ranch House on San Francisco Bay. I was unsure whether or not this book was answering my inquiry questions because I didn’t know if it took place during segregation. Once I started reading it, I realized that it did fit with my topic. It just took place in a different location. The story starts off in Kenya but I’m pretty sure that it ends up in the United States.

The book is about a young African boy who is trying to make his parents proud by reaching his professional goals. The problem is that he has to face the racism of his home to accomplish them. I am really interested in this book. Almost every page I read makes me realize how good my life is right now. It may not be perfect, but it’s definitely better than nothing. 

Final Post (Late)

This semester was a difficult one for. I didn’t think I was going to have that much trouble in this class, but I was wrong. Honestly I’ve never really been that good at English. After freshman year, it just got more and more difficult for to hold onto a decent grade. I think the problem was the tests. I’ve always had trouble on tests and those reading and vocabulary tests really dropped my grade in the beginning of the school year. Then I realized that the vocabulary quizzes can be easy if I try a little harder. It worked! With the help of my mom, I aced my last two quizzes. The vocabulary quizzes are my favorite part of this class now because they help my grade a lot. Also, I love how you extended the time to get ready for the quiz, so I can study longer.

But there are also things that I REALLY need to improve in this class, such as my writing skills. Obviously, I am not the best at writing essays, so my scores are usually a little low. I did start going to tutoring and received extra assistance on my last essay, and because of that, I scored better than any other essay I’ve written. I do plan to continue asking for extra help when I need it. Next semester, I will definitely pay more attention to my work and study more on my tests.

The Rover

So we went to go see our drama students perform the Rover on Thursday and, to be honest, it was kind of interesting. I had no idea what it was about until I got to the auditorium. The day before I saw the play, one of my friends gave me her perspective of the play. She said it wasn’t worth the 5 dollars at all and that everyone was speaking in Shakespeare languageJ. I’m sure she was referring to Old English. We all know that Shakespeare did not create a language. Plus, William Shakespeare did not write this play. The Rover was written by Aphra Behn.

I think I enjoyed the play a little bit more than my friend did, even though it was difficult for me to understand what they were saying. I still somewhat understood what was going on in each scene. The play was basically about prostitutes and players. We still see situations like this in the world today. May favorite part was that “masquerade” party. The girls wore masks so the guys couldn’t figure out who they were. Then, if they knew that guy was the one, they would reveal their identity. It was a way to know the guys were right for them.

There were other scenes I enjoyed but that one just stood out the most. J

Done with Hamlet

Well, we are officially done reading Hamlet by William Shakespeare and I have to say that I didn't think it was as great as people make it seem. One of the possible reasons for that is because it was tragedy filled with people plotting revenge on one another. I’m used to seeing that situation in almost any movie or television show. But I guess I have to realize that it was more popular back in the Elizabethan Age. Another reason why I didn't really like is that I thought it was too sad. I thought the entire play was sad because people kept dying. Also, I had trouble following the play because of the old English language, like most people I’m sure. I've been told there were a few, not many, humorous parts, but I could never tell which part was supposed to be funny. If I didn't use the No Fear Shakespeare link on Spark notes  I would definitely have trouble working on assignments. I did learn something from Hamlet, though. After reading this play, I learned that revenge is not always the answer. Almost everyone in Hamlet was seeking revenge, including Hamlet. He accomplished his goal, but it cost the lives of the people he knew and loved as well as his own. Overall, Hamlet was a decent play to me, but it was not as interesting as I thought.