Landry's English 1 Blog

After reading Harrison Bergeron I was left very perplexed and with many questions. This story is set in the future with a strict government. The government has decided everyone has to become equal to the most average person. This means anyone who is above average or with great talent, will be tortured into becoming lesser. The story focuses on a couple, George and Hazel Bergeron whose son has been taken away. This seems tragic but with Hazel's average intelligence and George's handicap radio in his ear, neither remember. Harrison Bergeron  follows a very common dystopian plot. This story reminds me very much of Divergent or The Giver in the sense that the government is trying to change or get rid of people in their community that are different. I have many questions regarding this story. Some level one questions are where is it set and what is the purpose of handicapping the people? A level two question would be what is the purpose or significance of the ballerinas? Lastly,

Martha: Dialogue Emma: Personal Narrative

“Mrs. Miles, your son is very young, 18, correct?” “17,” Mrs. Miles said. “Ah, yes, right. 17. Wow, and to think he’d have to spend the rest of his life in jail, since he’s too young for the death penalty. Mhmm,” Detective Tom said, walking around the interrogation table, “If only there was a way to cut his sentence in half.” Detective Tom grinned, rested his hands on the table and nodded. “Oh, I know, and I think you do too, Mrs. Miles. All we need is a confession from him, and the two others who broke into the store.” Mrs. Miles looked uncomfortable. “You know he can’t do that,” she said in a quiet voice. “He made a pact with his friends.” “And wouldn’t you agree that if his father was still alive, he’d want his son to tell the truth?” Mrs. Miles jumped out of her chair, her face tense, her lips pursed…. “Don’t bring my dead husband into this, you fool,” she said with an intense fierceness in her voice.   “Listen” he said in a calm, soothing voice, “All I want is the bes

The world renowned poet, Naomi Shihab Nye visited my school and inspired me to look into more of her poems. Her poems focus on one moment in time but how that small moment connects to large issues or themes we, as the audience, should be aware of. The poem I chose, Gate A-4 , focuses on how our world should come together as a shared community. The theme–through the chaos and confusion, people should become united and comfortable with one another– is demonstrated through a moment when she helps a woman in an airport with a language barrier. The author hears of a woman who speaks Arabic and needs help in Gate A-4. She helps the woman understand that her flight is delayed, not cancelled and relaxes and waits with the woman. The author demonstrates kindness through her actions of calling the woman's family and calling her own family to pass the time. Other people at the gate all come together and pass the time, no one reluctant to share–food, memories. Nye ends the poem with "Th

Dylan: Dear ___ year old Katherine: Reading Response: Us and Them

Dear 9 year old, I know you think school is hard, but trust me, its not as bad as you think. After school, do your homework and study so you can get it out of the way and have time to do other things. Stop complaining to your older siblings about how hard your work is. They have enough to worry about and your school work is at the bottom of their agenda. They have tons of homework and drama so don't whine about how hard your life is because they don't want to hear it. Dear 9 year old, enjoy! Enjoy not having exams. Enjoy being able to run and play all day long. Enjoy the big sleepovers and big groups of friends. Enjoy being weird and crazy. Enjoy making mistakes. Enjoy school. And most importantly, enjoy being nine. Because none of those things last long.

One of the personal narratives was  Mint Snowball by Naomi Shihab Nye. This narrative focused on something she felt was the missing piece in her life, her great-grandfather's mint snowball recipe. She is so descriptive with her background information and focus on the mint snowball that it feels as if the reader is experiencing the moments firsthand. To do this, she uses complex word choice such as "flamboyant elixir" and "lasting solace" which draws the reader in and makes the essay richer. The author also uses short, expressive fragments to illustrate the scenery of the diner and the taste of the mint snowball. The essay has an abrupt pause after the last sentence in the third paragraph; "Now she has lost the paper." After that pause, the narrative moves from the past to present day and specifically the author's personality. She reveals how she feels lost and that a part of her is missing. She credits the mint snowball to be this missing part o

Zoe M: 9/11: Stories in Fragments- documentary Thomas G: On 9/11: What Hate Will Do

Before watching the documentary, 9/11: Stories in Fragments , I thought I knew a lot of information about 9/11. But I was wrong. Little did I know how long the event took, that there were more than two planes, and that not only the twin towers were hit. Watching the documentary and having a personal experience toward the event- my great-grandfather having jumped from tower one while his floor was up in flames- made the experience much more intense and emotional. September 11, 2001 is a date most Americans could never forget. As much as we say "Never forget" and other phrases related to this event, historians ponder the question, what if we forget? Artifacts from the twin towers and the pentagon, ordinary, everyday objects have been collected and stored in the Smithsonian Museum. The generous owners of these objects donated them so that we, as Americans, will officially never forget.

I am currently reading the book Violent Ends. This book is written by 17 different authors, the main one being Shaun David Hutchinson. In the story, Kirby Matheson marches onto his school grounds and opens fire, killing six and injuring five people. What's different about this school shooter story is that its not about the shooting itself. Its about how Kirby went from a boy who had friends and was in the school band, to a monster capable of killing his classmates. The book being written by multiple authors gives the book a differing quality throughout each chapter. Since each chapter is written by a different author, it is written differently. Some chapters are random, some are dark, and some are sweet. In each chapter, a different character somehow related to Kirby is telling a story about themselves and most importantly, their moment with Kirby and how they are connected. Violent Ends  is about perspectives and how one character and one event bring them all together.