I like my little camera. The sound isn’t great, and the video is shaky, but I like turning it on when nobody is looking and doing some candid camera work.
Here are a few scenes from Wednesday’s Senior Exhibition. Congratulations, seniors.
The Panel at the ASM
Ms. Turner’s Instructions
Lunch!
Antonio and Kevin’s Reflection (sound isn’t great)
The End of the Day (plus Rio)
It’s hard to believe that next week is the end. This week is the culmination of all of our efforts and all of our wills. This test will not only test our knowledge and skills, but the value of this class and our won hard work in general. Think of it not as the test or an end to our hard work, but as a gateway to the future. I look forward to passing with all of you. As a wise man once said Thunder thunder thundercats HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations to Antonio, the winner of the last-ever Essay of the Week. I really appreciated this essay because Antonio combines his usual skills (deep analysis and solid grammar) with hard work (putting in specific scenes and details). This essay was on prompt (talking about two places) and included several key pieces of evidence. Read it!
A Tale of Two Houses
The novel, This Boy’s Life: A Memoir by Tobias Wolff, is about a boy who struggles to cope and grow up after his parents divorce. In the book, the author creates meaning by contrasting two households. One is the house of the protagonist’s stepfather, Dwight, and the other is the house of the protagonist’s friend, Chuck. Dwight’s house is harsh and Chuck’s house supportive. Wolff contrasts these two houses in order to show the benefits and consequences of living in a harsh or supportive one and show how they can affect a child trying to mature.
Dwight’s house is not quite a house. It resembles a shack that has a concrete floors and run-down furniture. In the harsh household of his step-father, Toby, the protagonist, is less likely to make bad decisions. Toby is given no breathing room and is forced to take up many responsibilities such as keeping a job, doing chores, keeping up in school, and being a boy scout. With all these things on his plate, Toby does not have enough free time to get himself into trouble. All of the pressures that he experiences at home help mold him into being more studious and upstanding; however, this environment causes him much stress and his sadistic step-father’s ways cause Toby to lose grasp of his childhood and reluctantly become responsible. This is shown in how Toby must husk chestnuts every day until it turns his hands orange and makes them smell foul. This causes him to be teased by his peers at school and learn to cope with the harsh treatment. The harsh environment, though it may be looked down upon, has benefits for Toby.
Chuck’s family is more established and he lives in a nice farm house. It is well furnished and extravagant given the town they live in. Chuck does not stay in the house with his family. Instead he lives a trek away in a barn, isolated from the rest of his family. Chuck’s house, however, is quite supportive of Toby and the isolation at Chuck’s barn offers him much more freedom. This freedom allows Toby to enjoy his life more and spend more time with his friends; however allows him to make more mistakes. This is shown when Toby is caught stealing from an obviously poor family. Though the household may be more supportive, it gives Toby more chances to do wrong. Though it may be the more accepted choice, it still has its flaws.
The two houses represent different lifestyles that people choose. On one hand, people can can be disciplinarians, much like in Dwight’s household. On the other hand, families can be passive like in Chuck’s household. Being a disciplinarian will give the child a rigid sense of right and wrong; however, it will detract from his childhood. This is clearly shown in how Toby systematically does his chores everyday without spending any time with the neighborhood kids. Being permissive may help the child be independent, but will not help the child develop a sense of right and wrong. This is shown when Toby hangs out with his friends all night, having fun, but is driven to drink while underage. Wolff contrasts these two lifestyles to highlight the benefits and weaknesses of the two ways of life.
In the novel, Wolff contrasts two houses in order to show the effects that they have on the inhabitants. One is controlling and lacks opportunities for Toby, while the other is passive and lacks direction, Wolff shows the consequences and benefits of the two.
Hey APers. I finally got around to uploading a little bit of the video from your Hamlet productions.
Take a look at Antonio’s intro and then Hamlet, Act I, Scene 1. Enjoy!
I’m happy to report that I received the most texts last night — 20 — since the beginning of the unit. But the bad news is that David, who was undefeated, forgot to do his text! The only undefeated people now are Antonio, Nathaly, Stephanie, and Pauline. (Yes, three of the four are Isero Advisees!)
What does Edna think of her pigeon-house? What were the disadvantages and advantages? What does Mr. P think?
Nate: Edna thinks of the house as a place that she enjoys. The disadvantage is that it is small like a house for pigeons and advantages are that it is her place of peace. Mr P accepted the place. The home also gave her a bit of peace by allowing her to understand the meaning of life.
Rashada: I think Edna finds the pigeon house a place where she can be free from Mr.P. She feels like she is free when she’s there and that she can do as she pleases with Robert.
Pauline: Edna thinks that her pigeon-house is amazing and it pleases her. She is fond of her house and it seems as though that is the only thing that keeps her happy. A disadvantage is that she wants to be like the pigeon, free. Something new is awakening inside her that could affect her family and her relationship with her husband.
Nathaly: Edna is pleased with her house. Even though her house is small she is able to find strength and expand spiritually. Mr. p disproves of her moving into the pigeon house.
When Mr. P gets his wife’s letter about the house, what is his attitude? What does he do, and why?
Steph: Mr. P’s attitude about the house is that he is sad that his wife wants to leave the house. After he receives that letter, he begged Edna to reconsider. But he remembers about how Edna’s “whimisical” and lets Edna have her way.
Wendy: When Mr. P gets his wife’s letter about the house, he got angry but not because his wife was leaving him but because he was afraid that his reputation and position in society was going to be damaged. As a consequence, what he decided to do was to remodel the house where they lived so that people could think that is why Edna left. He wants to maintain his good reputation. This clearly demonstrates that Mr. P does not love Edna and all he cares about is a good title and what people think about him.
Sarai: When Edna wrote to her husband about abandoning her home he wrote back dissaproving with her decision. She gave him explinations and he was still not accepting 10:19 PM
When Edna goes to visit her children, what is her reaction? Why do you think she reacts that way?
Mercedes: When Edna visits her children she is happy & thinks about them a lot after the visit. I think she feels this way because she finally has time to herself which is allowing her to grow. Edna is becoming grateful for others around her since she is starting to become happy & free.
Monae: To me it seemed like she was distant from her kids and I think deep down she felt bad that she was lusting away her time thinking it was love and she felt in denial about not really being a mother.
Leo: She hugs them tight. I think the reason is that she is unconsciously concern about her children’s future. Those children could be the last big road block that hinder Edna from seeking freedom. Also I think she feels a little bit guilt to her children because she was not taking good care of them and not being good mother that fits social expectation.
Marco: She is happy to see her children because she hasn’t seen them in a long time. They catch up with what they haven’t experienced together yet.
What does Madame Ratignolle tell Edna? Do you agree with her? Explain.
Dezmond: Madame Ratignolle tells Edna that she’s been acting like a child. Yes I absolutely agree with her because Edna is rash. She does whatever she wants as long as it benefits her.
Chris: Madame ratignolle tells Edna that she has a lonely lifestyle where she is disconnected from others. She also says that alcee’s intentions could ruin her name. In my opinion, she is right because Edna is tempted by other men. This pushes her into a place where she is very alone, due to her inner conflicts of being independent and free.
When Edna asks Robert to stay for dinner, what’s his COMPLEX reaction? And why do you think he reacts that way?
Brenda: Robert hesitated on eating dinner with Edna because he made an excuse about having to see his mother. He had been avoiding her, especially being alone with her. He’s in love with her, but she’s married. Once he saw her sad face, he couldnt bare to see her like that and stayed for dinner.
Carmen: He rejects Edna to come into her house which makes her extremely sad yet later he feels bad and comes in. I think he reacts this way because he is no longer interested, he liked Edna at grand isle not the Edna from New Orleans. He does not truly know that Edna.
Antonio: Robert at first doesnt want to stay but then he sees edna’s pitiful reaction and he is compelled to stay out of concern.
What does Robert think of Arobin, and how do you know?
Kevin: I believe Robert thinks Arobin is a prick and is jealous of him. Robert does not like Arobin because he thinks he is taking Edna. I KNOW because I think so and I read.
Esteffany: Robert is jealous of Arobin, he dislikes the man. He believes that Edna has true feelings for him and he cannot take such thing. He knows that he is charming and all but does not want to see Edna fall in love with him.
Ellie: Robert thinks that Arobin is important to Edna. In their conversation in chapter XXXIII Robert discovers a picture of Arobin and becomes jealous. I know this because Robert questions why she still holds on to it and he asks why she never told him about Arobin. At the end he flings Arobin’s picture to the side, indicating that the picture bothered him especially because it was in her possession.
JC: He thinks Edna is basically “cheating” on him with Arobin and he thinks that because of the photo of Arobin that he finds.
Youth in San Francisco experience a lot of deaths due to gang warfare. This has left a vast number of kids mourning for their dead friends and family. This grief evokes violent reactions from youth because they feel vulnerable as a result of it and want to expel their emotions. The deaths that the youth see numb them to the reality that they can die and causes them to put themselves in dangerous situations. The author says that we need to stop glorifying grief.
I think that the book has started a little slowly, but will soon enough become much more interesting. It has mentioned some symbols, but the use of them is lacking a bit. I think that Edna is somewhere that she doesn’t belong. She is not used to the Creole society, so she should not be pushed into it so suddenly, especially since she doesn’t really love her husband. She will eventually be overwhelmed by her surroundings and shame herself.
A good week! I am really happy that you’re reading (in general) and studying (in general). Keep up this momentum, please!
There were 11 quizzards! Here they are: Chavonni, Brenda, Wendy, David, Monae, Antonio, Esteffany, Sarai, Pauline, Ellie, Carmen.
Congratulations, Quizzards!
Honestly, I feel really confident about the practice AP. I think that I worked fast but carefully and I had time to go back and check my answers and writing. I was able to correct the mistakes that I made and enhance everything overall. I think it was really good practice and that we should continue doing these. The in-class essays help a lot for the test. I think that we should do even more, especially as we get closer to the AP. Then I think we’ll be ready for what may come.
For me, Hamlet has been all over the place. I tried really hard to make sure that I was consistent in reading the book every night; however that was not the case. I’m happy to be able to say that I am completely on track with my reading. Also, I am happy to say that I understand what is happening in the book even without using Sparknotes or the movie. Felling pretty good about this book.
It feels like I’ve been in a daze for a while. It’s like I’m sailing through life watching events unfold. I don’t think this is a good way to feel, at least while I’m this young. I’m too young to be having a mid-life crisis haha. But things are looking up. I’m starting to get closer to a lot of people who I don’t usually talk to and I’m beginning to rekindle old relationships. However, some are starting to slip away. I don’t think I know enough people for the 150 rule to be taking effect. Ok PEACE
Antonio: Kindle Whisperer
Remember how the wonderful Ms. Buono donated a Kindle yesterday? That was really kind. We like Ms. Buono, and she likes us.
Well, there’s a subplot: It turns out that the Shift key had malfunctioned, and as a result, there was no way to type in the password and to access the Kindle.
Forlorn, disappointed, bordering on morose, I called up Amazon last night, and the representative declared the Kindle “defective.” There was no hope.
Until Antonio, the Kindle Whisperer, came to town.
During SSR today in Advisory, I gave Antonio a seemingly impossible mission: Fix this Kindle by Monday.
He cracked the code in less than 10 minutes.
Thank you, Antonio, for your skill. You have just restored all that is beautiful in the world.
Congratulations to Antonio, this week’s Essay of the Week recipient. He is our second two-time winner. Antonio blends solid analysis (particularly in his structure and point of view paragraphs) with sophisticated language. Leave comments about what you like!
Insatiable Desires
In the poem, “A Story” by Li-Young Lee, the author conveys a father’s torment in not being able to provide the stories that his son desires. The son seeks new stories from his father because the son has heard them all. However the father is unable to respond with a new story. This causes the father great anxiety and causes him to imagine a bleak future for him and his son. In order to describe the emotions that the father is feeling toward his son, Lee uses structure, point of view, and tone.
The use of structure in this poem shows the complex relationship that the father has with his son and how the father feels about his inability to satisfy his son’s desires. The author separates the poems into three distinct units, each highlighting a different stage of the boy’s feelings toward his father. The stages of the boy’s love are separated by the different stanzas in the poem. The beginning of the poem shows the boy’s love for his father; the boy sits on his father’s lap, eagerly waiting for a story. This is shown in the second stanza where it says, “His five-year-old son waits in his lap” (3). In the middle, the boy’s attitude toward his father dramatically shifts as he is packing up so he can leave his father. This is shown when it says, “but the boy is packing his shirts” (15). The shift in the boy’s feelings toward his father is shown when the father tries to tell stories to convince his son to stay, while the son remains unfazed by his father’s efforts. Finally, in the last stanza, the boy’s feelings go back to normal and he is back to loving and depending on his father when the setting returns to the present and the father is still unable to tell a new story. This is shown when it says. “but the boy is here” (19). The author’s use of structure shows the relationship that the father has with his son.
The author’s use of point of view further displays the complex relationship that the father has with his son. The author uses third-person (limited) point of view in order to describe the feelings of the father. It is third-person (limited) point of view, because the poem only uses the father’s point of view and does not allow the reader into the thoughts of the son. The author initially displays the father’s point of view when his son asks for him to tell a new story. The father feels that even amongst all the knowledge that surrounds them, he is unable to do anything for his son. This is explicitly described when it says, “In a room full of books in a world of stories, he can recall not one” (5-8). The father is feels that even if he has all the resources around him, he is unable to provide what his son wants. The father’s point of view is further shown when the son is packing his belongings and the father tries to persuade him to stay. The father is shown as desperate in his attempts to persuade his son into staying. The father’s point of view in this situation is best described when he exclaims “don’t go” (11). Through the author’s use of point of view, the relationship between the father and son is clearly shown.
Finally, the author uses a desperate tone in order to explain the relationship between the father and his son. The tone of the words used in the poem reveals the father as a desperate man, struggling to please his son. The rash tone is specifically shown when the father is trying to stop his son from leaving. The father exclaims, “don’t go”, a venturesome attempt at making his son stay once his attempts at story-telling have failed. The father has failed in persuading his son to stay using normal means and had to resort to begging. The act of the father begging his son to stay show the father’s desperation and this act of rashness further shows the complex relationship that the father has with his son.
Through the author’s use of literary devices, Lee succeeds in showing a father’s relationship with his son. She uses structure to illustrates the change in the the son’s feelings toward his father. The point of view shows how the father feels about not being able to satisfy the desires of his son and the use of tone illustrates the father’s feelings of desperation in not being able to get his son to stay.
I really like the Scarlet Letter. It is by far my favorite book. It is the most interesting book so far and the easiest to get into. I think there’s something about the writing style; it’s just beautiful and poetic.
My favorite character is Roger Chillingworth. I like his style and how he approaches situations. He’s like a smooth operator, just someone that one could aspire to be. It would be nice to have his calmness and insight in any situation.
As for predictions, I believe that Reverend Dimmesdale is the baby’s daddy. I feel like I either heard something about it or that how he tried to get the magistrates to cease their arguments, while interrogating Hester, might have given it away to me. I’m excited for the truth to be revealed.
Antonio was recently on The Kindle Chronicles, a weekly podcast dedicated to lovers of the Kindle.
I chose Antonio because he’s read on the Kindle in both Advisory and in AP English.
He had lukewarm comments about the Kindle — some positive, some negative. (This is because he hasn’t figured out how great it is yet! 
)
Check out the interview below. It begins at 16:08.
Update: I’m happy to announce that I received two more Kindles, bringing up the total to seven Kindles. I will be focusing them on my Advisory to promote independent reading before my advisees graduate, but they will also be available to any student who’s interested. Please see me.
I feel that as we grow into our maturity, we start to forget our youth. You know, we start to lose touch with the things that kept us happy as kids, the things that made every day an adventure. I believe that if we never lose sight of our youth, we will never lose our happiness. So for all who rush head-first into responsibility and stress themselves out, remember the little person inside you and rejoice. This has been a public service announcement by Antonio Beasley. CIAOOOOOO!!!!!
I want to do my theme study on coming of age. The three books that I choose are The Kite Runner (best book ever), Lord of the Flies (I’ve heard amazing things about it) and Catcher in the Rye (mehhhhhh). My first book will be Lord of the Flies.
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