Semester Reflection

The first thing that comes to mind with improvement is strangely enough my writing skill. Not with essays, those still suck, but creatively. Learning about the basics to literary and commercial fiction made me see more clearly what I'm trying to say through my own stories. It's a bit odd that this class has helped me with another. I'd also like to say my analysis skills have improved incredibly. I make the joke that this class has made me pretentious because I've become so accustomed to finding meaning in everything I read or, in some cases, watch. (Side Note: this is a joke. Being able to analyze effectively doesn't make you, in my opinion, pretentious... unless you're using it to make yourself seem better, in which case, you're a total "word").

I reallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreallyreally enjoy English, so this class has been like crack for me; fun, but with its downsides. I'm lazy. Let's just call it what it is. I am an incredibly slothful human being. So when it comes to assignments like MWDS, where they are for the most part easy, yet incredibly tedious, I play the avoidance technique. I didn't do the one for Oedipus Rex. Probably should've. But I didn't. And that's just kind of that. (Pretty sure I can't do it for late credit at this point). But I've dug on the discussions we've had in class. Maybe that's nerdy, but I don't care!

So in conclusion: I like this class a lot. MWDS's are satanic. I love how I've improved drastically on both my reading and writing skills, and I probably should put a bit more effort in next semester, so I can possibly *RIDICULOUS GASP* attempt to get an A.

Post Title (Clever, No?)

I really need to stop with this blogging hiatus. My grade probably hates me for it.

I'm not feeling too creative tonight, so I'll just focus on the satire lesson we had in class yesterday. I never really used to get satire, especially when it was really subtle. I just thought these people were serious, and douche bags because of it. We can leave it at me having been a very... unaware. Quite possibly stupid. Call it what you must. I remember this book I attempted to read (TWICE) my sophomore year called "Naked Lunch" back when I was really into Beatniks, and it apparently was supposed to be a satire of... I don't even know. Society, quite possibly? The author, William S. Burroughs was completely drugged out on heroin when he wrote it, so I have a *slight* excuse for not really understanding.

My main issue with satire is the fact I take the author too seriously, unless it is blatantly running at me in a giant pink boa, screaming "I AM A SATIRICAL PIECE, UNDERSTAND ME!!!". Those headlines we had to make, I just didn't find them very funny. If anything, I'm a fan of the really gritty satire (I honestly don't remember the proper term for it, and it takes too much effort to move the mouse to open a new tab and Google it). Perhaps that makes me cynical, but I've been called worse.

Thoughts on Salem

I may or may not be a huge fan of Dunbar's drama department. Just going to throw that out there. It always seems like I get to see the really terrible productions that everyone hates, but the kick#$@ ones I always end up missing (not sure how Mr. Mullins would feel about that particular swear in a school blog, so I'll just self-censor).

Buuuuuuuuut, this play was actually pretty good! I had zero expectations, which may have helped. The puppets were enjoyable, everyone acted well, and it was only interrupted once! (Why people talk during ANYTHING you have to watch--okay, I was starting to lie, I actually understand sometimes--seriously though, some rude people were with our group). I'm not even sure what made me prefer this over a lot of other productions the drama department's had; perhaps it might have something to do with how there wasn't a huge amount of hype made about it. It was just there, and I was required to attend.

I hope they put more plays on like this, because it's probably the best I've seen of them since I was a freshman.

Make-Up Blog Part Three: Just Gotta Make it Through This One!!!

So I was riding home from work with my friend Danielle on Friday night, and she mentioned something about the blog she'd posted for the class the night before, and, uh, let's just say some school-inappropriate swears escaped from my mouth and echoed loudly throughout her Infiniti... I felt dumb. So, so, dumb.

So I haven't started my second outside reading book, because I'm a procrastinator. I'll get it done, I know that, but right now it's just sitting pensively on my floor. My first book One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was actually pretty good. I'd seen the movie in April or May, and didn't really care for it. So why did I choose the book? No idea. I think the day we had to sign up, I had yet to make a selection, so I picked the first on I recognized. At first it was slow-moving, but past that... SOOO GOOD.

This time, I picked Blood Meridian. My reasoning behind it: the girl who sits in front of me was talking about how gritty and weird it was... And that appeals to me far too much. I like dark stuff. Why should the world be glossed over?

Make-Up Blog Part Two: Closer...

So, gotta think up another English-related topic... I really should have done these on time.

The authorial technique analysis paper (look at me, sounding all smart) peer reviews we had to do were definitely not my favorite assignment. To an extent, I can understand why teachers have students do these, but my answers always feel a bit forced. I don't want to be rude in my critique, but I also would dislike to give them a false sense of perfection. It's even harder when you've never talked to that person; it's like "Hi, I'm Monty, I don't chat much in our class, but your essay was absolutely HORRENDOUS". If I know the person at least, they can know that my honesty is with the best intentions.

I'm not a fan of offending others, which is ironic, because I seem to do that more often than I'd like on accident. And, although I have the mentality of not really caring what the peer critiques I'll receive say (which is, in some ways, a wee bit of a lie), I'm convinced that whoever I'm reviewing for will be hurt deeply. I highly doubt this is actually true of anybody in our class, but something in my head instinctively tells me otherwise.

Thankfully though, the pieces I critiqued didn't suck.

Make-Up Blog Part One: Because I Suck

The past three Thursdays, I have completely forgotten to blog. And then I've just told myself I'll get to in on the next night they're do, thus creating a vicious circle. So I'm going to kill that and post them now!

I'm not sure I'm digging on Oedipus Rex so far. I'm having a difficult time remembering names, something I tend to be really good with in reading material, and it really doesn't interest me. If I could explain my reasoning, I would, but in this case it seems a bit difficult. There isn't one part that annoys me, it's just not holding my attention as much as it could. I'm probably just going to read more of it, then draw a full conclusion.

Truth is, though, I thought I would enjoy it a little more. I'd heard the basis of the story beforehand, and Greek mythology is really fascinating to me. Plus the psychological factors... It's just really, really weird. And I enjoy that. Perhaps it's because it's written in verse, and I developed an aversion for that when being forced to read Romeo and Juliet freshman year (note: I have no issue with Shakespeare, just that particular play). It kind of killed that writing style for me.

Okie dokes, next blog!

Yeah, No Title, Gotta Submit Right Now

So I just thought, fish are cute, why not?

I wasn't a giant fan of "The Guest" at first... But I could tell there was some sort of meaning behind it... Basically I was texting my good buddy Danielle before she picked me up for work on Sunday, and she said it was weird. So I read it, and agreed. The weird factor was both off-putting and intriguing however.

Rather than go on about how we learned about existentialism in class and it was sooo cool and cause me to understand the story sooo much better (because Mr. Mullins said that's obnoxious, and what's the point in pissing off my English teacher?), I'll just focus on the topic itself; I think it's pretty cool.

So I'd heard the word existentialism before, but it was something I didn't know the actual definition of. Maybe I'm slow, who knows. But since we talked about it in class, it's fascinated me to no end. Thinking about it, we all are a bit selfish, aren't we? You can apply it to most anything! It really bothered me at first since I've grown up in a culture where it's socially unacceptable to be an openly selfish person (I even talked to one of my friends about this lesson, and she got rather annoyed, since she sees herself as a very selfless person), but I see how we embrace it everyday. Of course, like many theories about how we are and why we do what we do, there are some holes, but the basis is extremely interesting.

Being selfish though: why do we consider it so bad? What about it makes people so offended when they're labeled it? Do we as a society give it such strong meaning because of our outward distaste? I think I'm going to look into this much more, just because it's something that's been stuck in my mind for DAYS.

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been

This is my favorite story we've read in class so far, for many reasons. First off, it was interesting the entire time, and I didn't have to push myself to stay up and finish it. I chose to do so. And secondly, I really liked the feminism undertones. I actually saw those from the first time I read it, and it's what made me appreciate it the most.

When we were having a discussion over this story in class, one group said that they felt Connie almost deserved what happened, and that bothered me enough to speak up. (Though you all probably know it, I'm not very comfortable talking in this class). I in no way felt that was the intention of the story. How can we as people, who do not know all one can about another, say they deserve a horrible thing, just because of their actions? Shouldn't we be allowed to make our own choices? Yes, Connie isn't what we'd call a role model of what society expects a teenage girl to be like, but she was herself, which is far better. No one should be abducted and most-likely raped because of that.

I also disagreed with this because of how the story made me feel once I was done reading it. The last thought to cross my mind was "Oh, I should be less like myself, so I don't attract creepy people". I hate to say this (and scare the crap out of many) but we all have probably been watched by someone less than desirable. Someone who could hurt us if they wanted to. The most innocent people are hurt everyday, and no one ever says they deserved it. Reading this story made me want to be more of an individual, and not be scared. It really tapped into my borderline feminism beliefs (if you couldn't tell). I see Arnold Friend as a representation of the notion women are weak and therefore should have no major role or rights in society. This story made me want to fight that, because it is in some ways still very much alive.

HEMINGWAY!

Ernest Hemingway is awesome. I'm just going to start off with that. My household's a bit nerdy, and my mother and I occasionally have a habit of speaking about our day the same way that he wrote... Rereading that, we're kind of pathetic. I don't care though, I read "The Sun Also Rises" summer before Junior year, and feel in love with him completely. No idea why.

So, in my nerdy way, I was completely jazzed that we'd be reading a story by him.

And then I read it, and I was very confused. It was good, but I couldn't figure out what the actual topic was. I had an assumption it was marriage, but that didn't make for a truly interesting story.

Being told the topic was abortion made me feel a bit dumb. It was so obvious once I figured it out, why hadn't I caught it? Probably because I don't get 1920's abortion references, and I wasn't paying too close of attention when I first read it. No individual detail of the story said "HI, I'M ERNEST HEMINGWAY, AND TODAY I'M GOING TO WRITE ABOUT ABORTION". But put all together, that's really the only thing that could have made it more obvious.

What I'm getting at is, that topic made me love the story. Why, I do not know. The dynamic of the couple was fascinating. They seem to love each other, but with the pregnancy, no matter what they do, everything is going to change. It almost shows us that eventually the fun stops and real life is going to slap you in the face. How you choose to deal with it is your choice, but you won't be the same afterwards. It's sad, but it true, which is what I like.

So far we haven't read a happy story in this class, come to think of it. Does literary fiction just tend to be depressing?

Cornell Notes

I think I'm going to blog about Cornell notes tonight. It's the one thing from class that I can actually think of at the moment.

I didn't actually do the first Cornell notes assignment (probably should hope to it soon). They just seemed so daunting. I took AP U.S. last year, where we had to transcribe down every important detail we found in our nightly readings of rather boring passages. I avoided it until the very last minute. Once summer hit, the concept of any form of note taking was murdered for me. MURDERED. So getting assigned this made me a wee annoyed.

But then we had to use this same form once again, this time for two different topics. My grade really doesn't need a bunch of neglected Cornell notes, so I swallowed my distaste and went for it. And actually, I enjoyed it. Weird to say about an assignment, but I did. It was really effective in helping me understand what I was reading, and remembering it. Also, it didn't take up too much time, which I was a bit worried about. Each side was seriously about twenty minutes.

So I'm pretty good with this form of note-taking. We should stick with it. Pretty please?

Screwed Up Children and Their Desire to Destroy

I will admit, I didn't read "The Destructors" until lunchtime the day we were supposed to have it finished. I'm not sure why I even neglected it in the first place, but for some reason I was. Combination of being sleepy the night before and a general laziness during the three day week? Who knows.

That's not my point though. Usually, I'd just read what I can during lunch (pinky promise I don't do this too often), then BS my way through class discussion. But I really was drawn into this entire story. Something about how monstrous these kids are is utterly fascinating. I'm pretty sure we've all done terrible things during our childhood that we look back at now with much contempt and regret. I know I have quite a few (though none are as bad as destroying an entire house just for the sake of destruction). I have a strange love of analyzing really messed up actions. What makes people want to do that? What's the motivation to knock down an old man's house, basically ruin his life and everything he has?

A girl at my table made a comment on how this reminded her of "A Clockwork Orange", and I freaked out a bit; partially because I love that book (and movie) just a little too much, and partially because she's TOTALLY RIGHT. It's violence for the sake of violence. The characters receive pleasure from it, they crave it. They don't necessarily have a reason for it, but they do it nonetheless. On a side note, that book is on our list of what we can read for outside reading; it's soo good, if you can make it through the first chapter. I highly recommend it!

But back to the short story: the entire idea they had, there was no reasoning for it. And I think that's really the scariest part. Sure, they can make an entire building rubble in two days with simple tools. But their numbness to the emotional damage they will be causing is too disturbing. They do not care. Not only about the house, about everything. They see it all as disposable, just to be rebuilt. That's kind of how it went in London after WWII, and since they were all exposed to that at such young ages, they assume that's life.

I really hope that's not life.

College Talk

I seriously almost went to bed about five minutes ago, but then I remembered I have to make a post within the next thirty-six minutes, so I'd better hop to it. But since I am rather sleepy, this is going to be shorter.

What's most on my mind right now that concerns English class would be when Ms. Long came to talk to us about college. I'm not sure if I'm the only person who became terrified from the combination of confusing information, the haste in which it was delivered, and the papers where we had to basically sell how amazing but still human we are, but it really got to me. I want to go to college definitely, yet I didn't realize it was all so ... difficult to apply. Maybe I just took it that way, I wasn't having the best day in the first place. It just seemed like a lot that I was not prepared to hear.

I'm going with the hope I'm being a little dumb about it. But as for now, I'm going to get some sleep so I don't pass out during class tomorrow, because I still really do like it and would prefer not to miss it. Goodnight, whoever is reading this!

Reading and Such

Okie dokies, so this is about two days late on this blog... I kind of forgot to do this Thursday night, then could not think of a thing to write about yesterday. But here I am now, late, but at least posting something.

So far I like this class a lot. I know that it usually takes time to fully form an opinion on classes, so I may end up hating it at some point, but as of now, it's pretty cool. I like reading quite a bit, and writing so very much, so the fact that this class centers around those makes me happy. The first summer reading book I read, Swamplandia!, actually got me back into enjoying reading. I used to read around three or four books a week in eighth grade, but once I started high school, that number slowly dwindled down to around one every two weeks. By the beginning of summer, I'd be lucky if I read one book a month. But after finishing it, I remembered how I used to love reading.

I've made a goal for myself to stay on this book high. Even though my workload at school can get ridiculous at times, I still do have time that I waste that I could be using to read something. I also think that will probably help out quite a bit with this class.

So yeah, first post complete!