Mitchell K's Site

I wasn’t as committed to this project as I could have been if I had more time, because even when I did do it, it was because I had a lot of homework to do, so it was convenient. I wasn’t able to eliminate technology completely, because I had to use the computer for homework. I was kind of disappointed in the results of this assignment, because I spent almost the whole time doing homework. Emerson or Thoreau would probably be disappointed and tell me to find time to think on my own and get away from the busyness of school life. I am much more productive without the distractions of everyday technology, and I can think clearer when working through homework. When I don’t have the distractions of the tv, computer, or my phone, I feel much more motivated towards homework, because there isn’t much to do otherwise. I also learned that watching a tv show or checking twitter isn’t nearly as important that everyone, including myself, thinks.  I learned about how the world is an interesting place, and there is a lot of things we take for granted, or don’t know about. I noticed too, that human relationships are a lot more important than people realize, and that we thrive off of each other’s presence. Much of the world’s priorities aren’t in the right order. Society focuses on impressing people who don’t matter, fitting in to what is ‘hip’, and being the same. In life, it’s important to enjoy the small things, and make sure not to take things for granted.

I really enjoyed the play of A Raisin In The Sun, compared to the book, because you saw the emotions a lot more, and it felt much more real. I also thought the play was better than the movie, because of the theater atmosphere. Some moments, there were  funny moments in the play, and the audience laughed, compared to the same moments in the movie, and they didn’t nearly have the same effect. I really thought the actors did a good job too in the play, because of the way they captured the audience.

I really liked how Mama was played, because of the way she said things, and how she reacted. Because of the expressions and acting, she really seemed to pull in the audience, in believing the play was real. Whether she tells Travis to do the opposite of what Ruth just told him, or reacting to Walter loosing $6,500 of the insurance money. I also thought Beneatha was played really well in the play. At the beginning, when she ran across the stage the stage to get into the shower, or her dancing to her new tribal music, she really seemed to connect with the audience, and was really entertaining. The whole play seemed to really fit together and be portrayed as a play best, because it was originally written for a play setting.  I’m really glad our class was able to go and see another version of this story.

I am doing my I-Search project on how fantasy novels portray, and show the errors of governments. Through this journey, I am going to first look at the fundamentals of a government, and the different types of ideas there are out there. After I have a good understanding of the foundation of government, I’m going to look at different fantasy novels, and how they interpret government. I’m also going to look at how they show the flaws and problems with government. I find this an interesting topic to study, because of it’s. There is always political problems in the world, and it’s always changing to make it better. Some modern literature shows it in different forms, and has an influence on someone’s perspective.

Overall, I thought Compulsion, by Heidi Ayarbe had some really good moments, and parts where I couldn’t put the book down, however there were some parts that seemed to really drag on and was slow. Compulsion is focused around the main character, named Jake Martin. The part about the book that makes it different than a normal story of a teen is that he has OCD. He can’t stop counting numbers and looking at the time, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing to make a prime number in the end. Ayarbe writes this aspect of the book very well, and the reader gets to really feel what Jake has to go through just to do a normal task like getting to school on time. He also is the star soccer player for his highschool. They have one two strait state championships in a row, and he believes if they win this third, the perfect prime number, championship, this OCD will go away. One of my favorite passages in the book is when he finally thinks the “spiders” will go away, and that he will begin a normal life; “Twenty-two. Two minus two is zero. No numbers. No time. Just the field, the ball, and the magic.” (198-199). At this point, you really find yourself cheering for him, and his accomplishments. He seems to find peace with himself at this point, and overcoming his greatest obstacle.

Overall, Now is The Time For Running was a pretty good book. There weren’t really any dull spots, and was filled with different themes. Even though the main character plays soccer, the book is so much more than a boy in southern Africa who plays soccer with his friends. Deo is fifteen years old, and feels responsible for his older brother, Innocent, who is mentally challenged. In the beginning of the book, it depicts the regular life of Deo, Innocent, and the town boys playing soccer in the fields until dusk. When soldiers storm into the city, Deo and Innocent hide, and run away from the soldiers. They decide to evade to the neighboring country, South Africa. In their journey, Deo is tested to limits, showing who he really is. One of my favorite parts of the book is in the beginning, after the soldiers stop talking to Deo, and take off for the city, he realizes Innocent isn’t to be found. “I must find Innocent. Soldiers make him nervous. And when he’s nervous, he talks too much, and there could be trouble. Blood trouble” (9). This shows his concern and care for Innocent. This attitude carries throughout the whole book.

The book I’m reading is Now is the Time for Running, by Michael Williams. The genre of the book is realistic fiction. I’ve only read two chapters, up to page 18. It started with a bunch of boys in South Africa playing soccer like any other day. Deo is the main character, and he has an older brother named Innocent, who is mentally disabled. During their soccer game, soldiers start to march into their town. Everyone runs and scatters, including Innocent. So far it’s been a pretty good book, and I want to know what’s going to happen to them. I think the rest of the book will be about their struggles to survive and possibly get their city back from the soldiers.

So far in the movie To Kill a Mockingbird, Jem is portrayed to best. When I was reading, the book, and then watching a part of the movie, he was the one who really stood out to me. He fit almost perfectly on what I pictured. I think he portrays him so well, because he looks a lot like how the author described him as. On the other hand, I don’t think Atticus was what I pictured.  I pictured him with the same type of character as him in the movie, but I didn’t picture him to be dressed so finely. He doesn’t have a southern accent in to movie, which surprised me.

My favorite scene in the movie was when Boo saves Jem and Scout are saved from Mr. Ewell. It made things more clearly during that part, and it was accurate. It was pretty much just as I pictured it in my head and I think they did a very good job illustrating this. I also liked how Mr. Tate covers Boo by saying that Mr. Ewell falls on his own knife killing himself. This shows how people who know Boo respect him, and that he has a reason for things he does.

I was disappointed in the movie on how it ended. In the movie, Tom Robinson doesn’t die. After the trial, you don’t really know what happens to him. The ending in the movie is too sudden and abrupt. It doesn’t really seem to end with anything, if I would have watched just to movie; I would have thought it was completely pointless. If it was up to me, I would have made it more accurate, and have Tom die. It doesn’t really matter that Tom is convicted otherwise, because he will just go to jail for a while. When he dies in the book, it shows how cruel and unfair people can be. I would have focused more on that for the ending, than just ending it awkwardly, like the movie did.

Like Mrs. Dubose, it seems like there are always a couple of crazy or strange people of the town. There also seems like there is always that person who does wrong, but don’t get caught, but instead you get the blame, because you do something to either get them back, or you try to fix things. When Scout and Jem get in trouble by Atticus, but they are frustrated, because Mrs. Dubose gets away from harassing them. I’ve felt that frustration and can really relate to it. They also have to go to Mrs. Dubose’s house to keep her company as punishment. This has somewhat of the same idea as in the book Shakespeare’s Secret. Hero in Shakespeare’s Secret spends a lot of time with Mrs. Roth, and old lady of the neighbor hood. There is one big difference between the two. Hero goes to Mrs. Roth’s house because she wants to, and Scout and Jem have to go to Mrs. Dubose for a punishment. A connection that I made that no one else made was how Scout felt when she held back from beating up Cecil. I connected, because I also have some people in my life that I just want teach them a lesson, but I know that I have to hold back. What I learned about humans, is that we are all very similar, and that we have similar problems and experiences. It makes me better understand other people, and our natural ways.

A really important event that symbolizes innocence in this section is when Scout goes by Atticus when the lynch mob is threatening Atticus. Scout doesn’t know any of the strangers at first, but after searching through them, she recognizes Mr. Cunningham. When she says “hey” he refuses to acknowledge her, and instead looks away and hangs his head low. She thinks that he doesn’t recognize her, so she goes on about how Atticus has helped him through hard times and that she know his son, Walter. She says to say “hey” to Walter for her. He starts to feel guilty, and tells the mob to stop, and they head out. This shows how much of an impact a innocent child can be on things, and how innocent children are. 

 There are a couple of tones in this section. When the lynching mob comes, there is a lot of suspense during this. But when Scout comes and recognizes Mr. Cunningham, she creates a sense of innocence and childhood. When the trial of Tom Robinson begins, there is a very distinct tone. There is a sense of intensity and hostile, for everyone was against Tom since he is black. Atticus tries to calmly follow through with his attempt at defending him, but has not chance. All of the evidence is against Bob Ewell, Melinda’s father. This doesn’t even seem to help, for a black man against a white jury doesn’t have a chance, no matter what.

If I Tom was in our literary circle, I think he would describe how unfair and tense the court trial was. To have everyone hate you for a crime that you didn’t do. He would be a very interesting character to have in our literary circle. I would want to hear about his side of the story, and what all really happened.

I was disappointed in the movie on how it ended. In the movie, Tom Robinson doesn’t die. After the trial, you don’t really know what happens to him. The ending in the movie is too sudden and abrupt. It doesn’t really seem to end with anything, if I would have watched just to movie; I would have thought it was completely pointless. If it was up to me, I would have made it more accurate, and have Tom die. It doesn’t really matter that Tom is convicted otherwise, because he will just go to jail for a while. When he dies in the book, it shows how cruel and unfair people can be. I would have focused more on that for the ending, than just ending it awkwardly, like the movie did.