extra credit #1

During our last class discussion, we talked about what it means to be a boy or a girl in today's society and what our roles are as male or female.  I understand how all of this related to our book Middlesex, with how Cal isn't sure what is right and wrong for her and all that fun stuff.  I am going to admit that I don't know how any of this really relates to the book Speak.  I really like the book and I'm having fun reading it, but I don't see how it relates to what we've been talking about this unit. Throughout the whole book I was thinking maybe she might realize that she is a lesbian, or bi-sexual or something like that, but I'm almost at the end of the book, and it hasn't happened.  I do think that a lot of people can relate to Melinda in Speak because she is in a new school and she doesn't have any friends and a lot of people changed.  I can relate to this because i have many friends that completely changed once we got to high school and I would never want to be their friend, just like Melinda.  I really did like both of these books in this unit though. =)

Blog #6

I found Middlesex to be a very interesting novel.  It was very different.  You do not really think about how someone like Cal would fit into a society until something like this is brought to your attention.  It is a very bizzare novel but the more you think about it, it didnt happen that long ago and its not like its not happening now.  Gross to think about, but it happens.  The Westboro Church people really made me angry.  I mean yes they have a right to speak their mind and all that kind of good stuff but it doesnt really even seem like they are doing it to benefit anyone but themselves.  They get a high in making people mad and that seems to be their goal when they go out to the corners like in the video we watched.  I just dont think they should be able to do that, even though I agree with everyone should be able to have freedom of speech.  These people arent doing anyone any good at all.  I found the Heterosexual Quiz interesting because it made me feel like the minority.  Like I was being pushed into a corner and being drill for my beliefs.  So I kind of see a little better now on how homosexuals feel in their everyday lives.

American Born Chinese vs. The Bluest Eye

The books American Born Chinese and The Bluest Eye both taked about the issue of race.  The Bluest Eye was aimed more toward African Americans, while American Born Chinese was aimed at Chinese. I think American Born Chinese does a really good job at showing how many people look at different races.  I like how it took 3 different stories and in the end brought them all together. It shows how some people can be so rude and hate a different race.  While at the same time other people love them.  Like take Chinkee, for instance,  his own cousin dispises him and hates when he comes to visit every year.  While when all his class mates love him.  Instead of finding him embarrassing they find him hilarious.  Both books for the most part share the theme of racism.  Its very broad but they both share it. 

Unit 2 =)

I really liked the video about the blue eyes and brown eyes.  I like how she was brave enough to put such young children into the positions they were in.  I definately agree that all teachers who are in a program or a curriculum where they would teach this in their classroom should be trained.  It wouldn't take much at all to mess up this lesson and lose the meaning and focus of it.  It takes a brave teacher to start this and do such an amazing job and being a true success at it.  I also really liked the book American Born Chinese.  I read it last year and I found it comical.  I don't know if that is the way it is supposed to be portrayed but that is how I see it.  I like how in the end all the individual stories in the book become one and you can finally see why they are set up the way they are.  The way the book is written makes it very interesting and very easy and fun to read.  I found the Bluest Eye a very hard read.  I found it very confusing and a little hard to keep all the characters straight.  I had to reread several parts of the book because it was very hard to follow.  My favorite part of this unit was American Born Chinese and also the Class Divided Video. 

Death

I decided to focus on the character, Death.  He isnt actually a character in the novel but he narrates the whole story. Death has a never ending job.  It depresses him and he really doesnt like his job.  When he talks about the colors he does so because maybe he is just trying to see a brighter side of his job.  Knowing what color everything will be when he gets there is always different.  Probably the only thing that is different in his job.  We may see him as being human but there are a few ways we can tell he isn't.  First, we really don't know if it is a he or a she, i just decided to go with he because it fits better.  Second, he says he's haunted by humans so he will never be one of us.  Death isn't the reason we die he is the reason we are able to get into the after life.  He also isn't the typical grim reaper we all think of, he is more like a mirror, every one of us will die and be Death one day so he in a way looks like all of us.

Maus I

While I was reading Maus I, I noticed Vladik's relationship with all of the other characters in the novel.  One that was really puzzling was his relationship with Mala.  If they don't get along why are they together?  i eventually came to realize that for Mala it was about the money.  But that still leaves Vladik, he really has no reason whatsoever to be in the marriage he is in with her.  Personally, I found his realtionship with Lucia was sort of comical.  It reminded me of like a high school crush or something where she didn't want to leave him and she thought it was the end of the world.  Vladik's relationship with Artie seemed to grow throughout the novel.  At the beginning they didn't seem to be very close.  Vladik even says it has been two years since they saw each other last.  Once Vladik starts telling Artie his story, Artie is very intrigued and eager to come back more often to hear it.  At the very end of the novel Artie considers his father a murderer and I believe that their relationship is not going to go anywhere anymore and it will be just like it was before.  I love Vladik and Anja's relationship.  It reminds me of that perfect marriage that everyone wants, except not during the Holocaust.  He would do anything for Anja and you can truely tell that he is in love with her and that nothing can separate them, even what they are going through during the book. 

Taylor Jenkins (Intro)

Hi! I'm Taylor Jenkins and I am a sophomore this year.  My major is pre-k to 4th grade.  I am planning on being an elementary teacher.  I like to play softball but I haven't had the chance to in several years.  I am interested in meeting new friends in this class, not so much the work we'll have to do!  The last book I read was Yoga For People Who Cant Be Bothered To Do It  for WIFYS last semester.  Cultural diversity is when there is a variety of people in a group such as ethnicity, gender and racial values.  I want to get out of this class a better understanding of different types and styles of reading.