Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Final reading response :

To kill A Mochingbird is a coming of age book.It shows how Scout's point if view from her childhood age to her adulthood age changes. Throughtout the book Scout faces many troubles and facts that she doesn't understand. That shows a big gap in her learning progress.Scout changes from a innocent five year old child to a near grown-up that learns the truth.

In the beginning if the book Scout is very attached to Jem, where ever Jem goes Scout would follow him. Scout even defended Jem when he got hurt.It was that night when they followed their dad ,to see what was going on. While Atticus was talking with the men,Scout ran up to join them.Then one of the men grabs Jem, and scout kicks him. Scout's solution to everything is fighting . She even beats up Dill her childhood friend when she thinks that he isn't giving her enough attention.

Tom, a negro that was acused of raping a white gril on a case. Atticus, Scout's father is Tom's lawyer. Atticus is trying his best in bringing out the truth , and that Tom is innocent.Everyone in their hearts know that Tom is a nice black guy . But they didn't win the because Tom was black. He still have more chances to redo the case though.Scout and Jem her brother thinks that it is unfair. Tom didn't do anything wrong , why couldn't they just let him win?
"Because of an assumption- the evil assumption-that all negroes lie,that all negroes are basically immoral begins, that all negroes are not to be trusted around our women, an assumption one associates with minds of their caliber." This is what Atticus to them after the case.

Scout sees many things happening in Maycomb Country and she dosen't understand why it is happening.I think that the language in this book also relates to how Scout is growing. As i read the beginning of the book it is really complicated and hard to understand what is going on in the text . As i read on ,the book gets more understandable and i kind of get an idea of what is happening. Just like scout, when she was around the age 9 she didn't understand anything that was happening in Maycomb or why her father was defending a negro ,and it was very complicated for her to understand the situtaion because she hasn't grown yet. But as she gets older she understands what is happening and is more mature .So the language of the book becomes more easier to understand for me as i read.

Scout changes becase of the environment she lives in . Her Aunt is now living in her house to teach Scout how to become a lady since her mother died when she was only two years old. As she gets older Scout recalls memories from when she was young.And she beings to realize many observations .And every lesson Atticus had teached her she has remember it by heart, because of those lessons it also made her mature.And she saids"You never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them". That was also one of the words that Atticus said to her.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

What are the main similarities and differences between childhood and adulthood?

Similarities:

1. I'm still me , the girl that likes to play
2. I still like to eat candy and ice-cream
3. My parents from before are the same as now
4. I still get ok grades in school, never gotten a perfect report before or now
5. Sometimes i can get really lazy
6. Gets mad easily
7. love to listen to calm chinese songs , i hate songs with too much sounds(drums)
8. Have a best friend
9. Still fight with my brother
10. Late for school sometimes , i always have to be .
11. Likes math as a ubject


Differences:

1. i'm taller than before
2. Knows how to wash dishes very good
3. Knows how to clean the house (hard work)
4. I write neater
5. Worry too much about little thingys
6. I'm more mature
7. Don't get into trouble in school, before i use to talk too much and get detention :(
8. Read manga and watch anime
9. Don't watch cartoons anymore , Barely but maybe 1 out of 10 adult movies i watch
10. I know how to use a laptop
11. Read bigger and harder books, Bye bye picture books with color and easy words.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Reading Response On Coming of age book-

My coming of age book is called To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. The topic i'm focusing on in this book is how racism affects the character. Racism is a very big topic and can mean many things ;like it can mean discrimination , or abusive behavior towards members of another race. In my book i'm focusing on the raction and emotions my character has when racism to brought up . I don't think that rasicm is right and it can hurt people's feelings really badly. Racism shouldn't be used to hurt each other but can be used as a way to teach people how we are different from each other in a good way.

The main character is Jean Louise Finch ,usually called by her nickname Scout in the book. She lives in Maycomb with her father ;which they usually just call Atticus and her brother. Her father works as a lawyer and is working on a case ; Atticus is helping to defend Tom Robinson a black male that raped Bob Ewell a white women. That's how the theme of racism is coming to be. Atticus actions made the community he was living in very dissapointed.
In school Cecil Jacobs a student announced in the schoolyard that Scout's dad defended niggers. Scout denied it and asked Jem what did Cecil mean. Scout's reaction towards this announcement was angryment because in the book it described how Scout's fist were clenched and was ready to let fly . But thankfully she held it back; Atticus said he would wear her out .
That evening Scout went home asking her father about the situation.
"Do you defend niggers, Atticus?" I asked him.
"Of course I do. Don't say niggers, Scout. That's common."
I think that Atticus is trying to teach Scout an important lesson , the lesson that is easy to realize ;is that the word nigger isn't very polite, and shouldn't be used to describe someone that is another race.

Scout was too young at that time to understand why her father was defending a negro . So this is what Atticus explained to her daughter.
"I'm simply defending a Negro...For a number of reasons ; The main one is, if i don't I couldn't hold up my head in town , I couldn't represent this country in the legislature, I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do something again."
Atticus Knows that they won't win the case because Tom is black . Totally unfair. People shouldn't be judged by their skin color or where their are from. I'm sure Atticus is helping him for a reason. Maybe he is innocent . I'm sure Atticus is not the type of person that helps a black if he raped the white girl on purpose.

Chirstmas finally is arriving in Maycomb bringing disaters with it along the way. Francis , Scout's cousin was annoying her in the dinner room . This is what happened...
"I ain't botherin' you," I said
Francis concluded that I had been sufficiently subdued, and crooned softly, "Nigger-Lover.."
I guess Scout was tired of all this nigger stuff and couldn't hold back her anger. "This time, I split my knuckle to the bone on his front teeth.My left impaired , I sailed in with my right, but not for long." Scout still dosen't know what Nigger- lover meant but by the aditude Francis had , she knew he was saying something bad about her father. An important conversation that Scout and her dad had after the fight was :
"You aren't really a nigger-lover,then,are you?"(scout)
"I certainly am.I do my best to love everybody...I'm hard put,sometimes-baby, It's never an insult to be called what somebody thinks is a bad name.It just shows you how poor that person is, it doesn't hurt you."(Atticus). Atticus is confindent in what he is doing, and i think when he says i do my best to love everybody , he means that you can love anyone ,and it wouldn't matter what skin or culture that person is from.

Rasicm can cause injury and hate. It's simple when you just say Nigger but if you consider what the person receiving feels; it's more than that. Not simple but confused and hurt. The term Nigger is the most offensive word in english as of now. Also a big part of Rasicm , it is used to discriminate black people or people that are dark colored skin. So far, what i read in To Kill A Mockingbird ; People or neighbors that made fun of Scout's dad used Nigger . Life is not about hurting people is about loving and learning to appreicate diversity .

Friday, May 20, 2011

Coming of Age Writing:

Commands that my parents have for me , that i agree or disagree:

-everyday when my mom comes home from work , and i didn't finish cleaning up the house or the dishes she would get mad. *Disagree, I don't want to do the chores because i have my own things to do like my homework or read my books. i think it is REALLY unfair becuae my brother that is one year younger than my has NEVER touch the dishes before. He is mostly the person that makes the house very dorty and i have to clean after him.

-When i ask my parents too many questions are when i have too many comments to make they tell me get out if here(room). *Disagree, What if i had something important to discuss with them about, they shouldn't ignore me like that . Makes me feel unwanted.

-My parents yell at me when i yell at my other little brother that is like 8 years old . * Disagree , they shouldn't yell at me , they should yell at him. I only yell at my little brother because of the stupid things he do and troubles he causes me . Not fair.

Coming of Age Writing:

14. What are some questions and concerns you have about growing up and adulthood ?

* A concern i have about growing up is that , my mom told me that when i am 18 years old i have to move out and work to take care of myself. And it is one of my concerns because i am scared of begin alone.

*Another concern i have about growing up is on cooking food for myself. As of right now i only know how to boil water , cook eggs and noddles. I don't want to just eat those everyday when i grow up so , i want to learn how to cook more delilious food for myself . It's too bad my parents are always too busy with their work to teach me. So that is a concern i have about my health when i am grwoing up.

* A question i have to go with my first concern is that , Is working very tiring? From my point of view i think working is easy (kind of ... i think) but my parents are always saying it is very tiring.

* Question: What type of reponsiblites do i have when i am grwoing up? Will it be something hard , and i can't handle it?

* Question: why do alot of adults want to be kids again ?

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Final Reading Response

Susan Zheng 810

The book I'm writing my reading response on is called This is Me From now on by Barbara Dee. I'm writing about this book because it has many real life topics to discuss. And I can connect to these topics because I have friends too. The main character in this book is Evie ,and she faces many friendship trouble along the way. I think everyone might have gone through some issues if you have friends. Evie has two best friends Nisha and Lily. They spent most of their afternoon times in Lily's bedroom eating Pringles , and taking personality quizzes from enormous stacks of magazines that Lily borrowed from her cousin. I think that's one of the problems that Evie has with her friends, she doesn't even like eating Pringles in Lily's house. I think Evie should speak up for herself and not follow them to please them. That's what friends are for , they can listen to your ideas on how to spent the rest of afternoon and give you some suggestions.

Friends share secrets like Evie does with her friends . They all know that Evie has a crush on Zane a boy in her class for 3 years.Like me and my friends always tell each other secrets like problems in our family , and test grades. We always would have something to tell each other so that we know everything about each other. Their friendship connection is strong or else I wouldn't think Evie would share anything personal to them . But friendship relationships can get really complicated when a new neighborhood moves in next door to Evie's house.

The new girl that just moved in is sitting in Evie's kitchen table chatting with her mom. The second thought that comes to Evie's mine when she see's her is "Whoa. That girl looks incredible. I wish my hair was long and all wavy like that, and my eyes were that smoky sort of green. And I bet SHE doesn't have trouble finding a bathing suit" , her third though was "she's crazy." That's when her mom suggest Evie to show Francesca around the neighborhood. Evie finds Francesaca weird because of her clothes , it looks like she is going to a costume party. But as Evie' s relationship with Francesaca grows closer and closer she learns that she is wild and funny and the only rules she follows are the ones that she invents herself.

On the other hand as Nisha and Lily meet Francesca they dislike her . So now Evie's relationship with them are very complicated . On a history project you can only have two partners in a group , and since there are three of them Nisha and Lily paired up. Leaving Evie only one choice , Francesca . At first Evie doesn't trust Francesca because she was a liar and wore weird costumes. But she decided to give her a try and work with her in the history project. That's when things go wrong, Nisha tries to rescue Evie from Francesca because she thinks that they actually don't want to work together.

This is the point of view from Evie in the book : I stared back at her. "Oh, yeah ," I muttered.

"The doctor appointment. Actually , Nisha , I rescheduled that."

"Are you sure you should have?"

"Uh-huh. Definitely."

"Because you were feeling so sick before . Weren't you?"

Okay, this was going way too far. Obviously, I knew I should have been grateful of her helping me. But was she going to stand here and insist that I dump Francesca in front of everyone? And also act like I couldn't make a decision for myself?

"Well , I'm fine now."

I think what Evie did was correct , ever since she meet Francesca I think she changed. In the beginning of the book Evie usually doesn't say anything that's why Nisha thinks that Evie can't make the decision for herself. Which also isn’t wrong because she was trying to help her friend out. But now Evie is speaking up for herself which is a nice change. Because Evie is deciding to make friends with Francesca her feelings are hurt by her friends. "I went upstairs , surprised and hurt that my best friends were refusing to wait for me, even if Francesca would be tagging along." In school Nisha avoided eye contact with Evie when she was trying to smile back at her because Evie noticed that Nisha was peeking at her. I think Evie tried her best . If Nisha is ignoring her I think the best thing to do is explain what her feelings are. Now Evie's relationship with Nisha and Lily are growing farther and farther apart.

Evie made a right choice in the beginning of the book , choosing to be friends with Francesca. Francesca is not a selfish person and when she sees Evie very sad, she convince Evie to be friends with Nisha and Lily. That way Evie now has three best friends. Except the relationship between Nisha/Lily and Francesca needs to get closer. And the book ends with a very happy ending . I grabbed my cell phone and my bubble gum, and checked to make sure my amber necklace was clasped tightly around my neck. Then all four of us ran down the steps and out the door into the freezing sunshine.To make friends you shouldn't judge people by the way they dress. or force your friend to make a decision which friends they want to be with. There will always be a way to figure things out . Friendship should last a long time , it's about trust and sharing .

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Sonnet-

The plane greatly slides through the blue yonder,
and the dense big gray clouds float in the air,
millions, thousands of happy wonders,
on the way to the biggest dare,
 The season summer is vacation time
faces of relatives,and grandparents
Passing through the history in a dime
The big walls, my big bedroom and my aunt.
So dark, quiet and always depending
Few cars, old buildings like the ancient days
Dark ocean flowing never quite ending
No high technology and big payments.
The things in my hometown is what i see,
Summer is time to be a happy spree.