Winter Poem

Winter time is my favorite season
Making snowmen with your siblings is the best
Hot cocoa
Hot cider
Cappuccinos galore
There's nothing like winter time
Big coats, furry hats
Make the perfect attire
Big celebration with your family make it bright
The time full of laughs and cheer
Gifts and presents
Giving back
There's nothing like Winter time ❤
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PHENOMENON of JD Salinger

Hey

I had a very difficult time finding some sort of interview for JD Salinger. Usually when you Google someone famous everything comes up, but not him. I found that sort of surprising especially because he’s such a renowned author.  He had pretty good reason to retreat from society, his personality didn’t seem to be made for the spotlight. One of his quotes give reason to his reason for retreating, "I like to write. I love to write. But I write just for myself and my own pleasure.” His neighbors in Cornish respected his privacy which led to him living a peaceful life.  He also adds, “I'm known as a strange, aloof kind of man. But all I'm doing is trying to protect myself and my work." Which I agree with, no one really wants anyone all into their personal life as people probably did after Catcher In The Rye was published. The views in 1951 were that it was “[A] firestorm for controversy and debate. Critics have argued the moral issues raised by the book and the context in which it is presented. Some have argued that Salinger's tale of the human condition is fascinating and enlightening, yet incredibly depressing. The psychological battles of the novel's main character, Holden Caulfield, serve as the basis for critical argument. Caulfield's self-destruction over a period of days forces one to contemplate society's attitude toward the human condition.” Now it is praised as the “ [a book of a] wonderful language by J. D. Salinger in an unusually brilliant novel.” 

Direction the Class needs

None! It's my favorite Class

Since this isn't enough for Mr. McCarthy I guess I'll go into detail about how great this class is.
I like our class discussions they really help me understand the book we're reading more. This class makes me think about things I wouldn't normally think about which I like. I enjoy coming to this class everyday just to think! Weird? I know. But many classes the teacher tells you what to think about which I cannot stand. Our discussions are usually led by the students with some guidance from the teacher. Although I wish that other people talked instead of the usual group. This is my favorite class though. I love getting people's point of views of the book that we're reading. Although maybe people should give others a chance to talk too.

Holden

Holden Caufield.....he's a pretty weird character. I've gotten pretty far in the book and some stuff he has said Ive been agreeing with. I find myself saying people are "phonies" in my life although mine has a pretty much different meaning than his. The way Holden is sometimes let makes me understand why certain people act cold towards him. He's a pretty rude guy when making conversation he says anything he wants to people and that should not be okay. I think Holden does have some phony in him but he is not a complete phony at all. He sees characteristics in people that could be perceived as them being phony. Although judging people he only knows from the surface is phony. Holden is too quick to judge others and doesnt get to know people well enough in order to make conclusions about them. Like we discussed in class I think it's Holden vs The World. He only knows a couple "real" people but it's that enough for him. It's seems like many dont want to be bothered with him. Why does he have conversations with "phonies" if he's only going to judge them the entire conversation? Seems just plain odd to me. I think he is against hisself as well. He often lies to hisself and contradicts hisself. I wonder is Holden the way he is because he doesn't want to conform to the norm or is this the way society as made him. For someone to think this ways a lot of people must have let him down in order for him just to see one view of "real or phony".Tis all

My Red Hunting Hat

Let me start this blog off by saying that I don't own ANY hats which I find really sad. I don't even have a winter hat! That's how sad my wardrobe is lol.
Okay back to the topic

I think my red hunting hat would be my personality. I wouldn't say I'm loud in particular, but if I'm around people I'm comfortable with....watch out! Lol I would say that with my personality I seem to pick out people who are like me with the same qualities. People who like to have fun, love music, speak their mind, honest, and more. Funness is very important to me and honesty. I know funness is not a word guys but it's okay! It's my blog isn't it? :) (I'm listening to Arcade Fire btw big ups to Mr. McCarthy for putting me on!) Holden seems to judge people from the surface with little to no information about them. I can't say I don't do that but I try really hard not to. I hate when I'm judged or when people judge others in front of me. Like Holden I do feel as though their are a lot of phonies around me, but their always will be unlike him I do not go looking for them.

Well that"s all folks!

Thanks...

I guess I'm thankful for have Sohrob in this class. He gives something to the class that without it I don't think I'd think as much as I do now. His vocabulary is immaculate. I think that his input on a lot of things we talk about is greatly appreciated especially for me. I also could say I'm thankful for Kirkland. I have him in another of my classes and he also knows some information to share with the class. He is like a walking encyclopedia, he knows a lot about everything! It seems like sometimes he's teaching my World Studies class. Sohrob and Kirkland both make this class special. Who could forget Mr.McCarthy though? I find myself thinking more deeply from this class. Grrrr. Is this 200 words yet? Shall I finish this by talking about my Thanksgiving? Yes I shall. This Thanksgiving I did not want soul food at all since I eat it all the time. We visit my grandma's house then my cousin or aunt's house every year. I can never say no to my grandma's food because it is so delicious! She makes the best dressing and pineapple coconut cake in the world! It's so scrumptious! Then over my cousins house they had yummy gumbo :) so me being the seafood lover that I am that's all I ate. Is that 200 words? I think so. Thanks for reading! <33

Cormac McCarthy

McCarthy

Looking online searching for interviews I began to wonder and make assumptions for myself to why he made this book. Almost wondering will the book still have the same interest to me after I know where the authors inspiration came from. It still does......

I came to find the interview with Oprah which I watched and was surprised at how old he was, I had no clue! Back to the topic....I found it surprising that, that interview was the first TV one he had done. With the interview I found out that the idea of the book just came from him being in a small town in an old hotel. What came up in the interview was the question "Is this a long story to your son" , I found this intriguing because I never really got that feel from the book until then. The story is basically about father and son traveling looking for a better life in hopeless surroundings. It never clicked for me that this is basically a love story. 

In another interview I found this statement, "whereas "The Road" is about human goodness. It wasn't until I had my own son that I realized a personality was just innate in a person. You can see it forming. In "The Road," the boy has been born into a world where morals and ethics are out the window, almost like a science experiment. But he is the most moral character. Do you think people start as innately good?" This statement was from the interviewer but the Cormac answered saying that " I don't think goodness is something that you learn. If you're left adrift in the world to learn goodness from it, you would be in trouble. But people tell me from time to time that my son John is just a wonderful kid. I tell people that he is so morally superior to me that I feel foolish correcting him about things, but I've got to do something--I'm his father. There's not much you can do to try to make a child into something that he's not." I also found that many conversations he had in the Road were conversations he had with his son John. I found the things I found gave me a more analytical look at the book, I feel now that I can understand it more. 

The THEME Cormac talked about was Human Goodness I believe that everyone is born with some goodness in them no matter what. This theme is ever present in the Road, Cormac seems to characterize the "bad guys" as having no human goodness. 

Kay, Bai

Open Letter

Your letter left me with a very uneasy feeling. I could not possibly fathom that our world could end up like the world in you book. It seems as though you have no hope in human culture. I think we will prevail hopefully. For our world to end up like The Road and your poem would be heart breaking. I dont think the government will leave us although you never know what their capable of and what they know. There are many things that could happen for the world to be in this state but I hope and pray that, that will never happen. I think that with the many "good" people we have in the human culture we will prevail. I just hope to never see a day where the world is in that state, I hope that rhe generations after me won't either. I kind of love the world right now and I hope or never changes although I do hope that peace will come to world. Your view on how the world will be was very well written but I wished you wouldve had a little more faith in the human culture :)

Father to Son

The father to son relationship in The Road is very powerful. The father is basically living for his son, just in order for his son to survive. I think it is beautiful how much the father loves his son. My father and I don't necessarily have the close bond that the father and son in the book have. The way he cares for his son is the way that a good father should care; he does everything for his son. Nowadays you don’t see too many relationships like this one. There are many fathers who are out of the picture and don’t care for their child enough to pick up the phone. There are too many times where fathers don’t understand the place they hold in their child’s life. Such as, in this story the boy needs his father in order to survive. Without his father there he would’ve been dead immediately. There are times where I take my father for granted but just like the father in The Road he is always there. I think every father should strive to be like the father in the book. EVERY expecting father should be required to read this book! ♥

The Moment I Knew I Was An American

This blog topic is a pretty tricky for me but honestly I have always felt I was American. I was born and raised in the USA right in Chicago. So why wouldn't I be an American? I think I possess qualities that a good American should have so I think I am an American. I think when I really began to appreciate my country was when I became interested in politics. I never really cared much about American till like the 7th grade when we began debating topics. America the beautiful, till 7th grade I never really knew what that meant. I now know that America is a wonderful and amazing place, it's a place that everyone can come to to have a great life. I think if someone older wrote this blog they would talk about how September 11th made them an American but I don't really remember that day because I was 6 years old. I think if I was older, that would've been my moment that I knew I was an American. When I watch documentaries about that day I am sad and upset at the disaster. I wish I could've been older to help, maybe the victims family. I hope to go to New York soon to see ground zero and get better look on our history.

John Proctor, Hero or Stooge?

The Crucible has been a very good book so far but I find many things absurd. I am truly grateful that today isn't like how it was then otherwise I would be a very unpleasant person. Through the book i have found many characters I like such as Rebecca but I've also found villains like Abby. I characterize Abby as a mean spirited evil girl who doesn't care for other at all. In many parts of the book it seems like she is the devil. I also have lost faith in John Proctor through out the book. I find him becoming more cowardly when he should stick up for his wife. The events that happen in this book are almost unthinkable. I find it crazy that they are tearing a town upside down from what some children are saying. To have women being hanged and in prison because of what children are saying is crazy. haven't they ever heard of the boy who cried wolf? I also find the preacher a unholy man who believes the children even though he saw what happened. To put others lives on the line just to save his reputation is wrong as he's a preacher! I think John Proctor right now is a stooge at this point of the book. He needs to step up and be a man and tell the entire truth to get crazy Abby out of that town.

Sinners in The Hands of an Angry God

Sinners in the hands of an Angry God.....Hmmm What an interesting topic. This topic is very close to be seeing as though I practice my religion a lot. I am a christian and believe in God and Jesus, although I don't really believe God is angry. I think no one really knows if God is upset, but they try to put their spin on natural causes in the world to say that because that happened God is mad.  No one really has the power to say that unless God "spoke to them". The concept of Religion is pretty hard to grasp, but I truly believe in it. I do think us sinners are in the hands of God, not an angry God though. The characters in the Crucible way of religion was very strict and they believed this, I don't though.

There Goes The Neighborhood

I guess if I told someone where I lived and they didn't know me, they probably would think I was ghetto and hood and things of that nature. Some people think that people who live in the Westside are ghetto and loud, which isn't necessarily true. I haven't lived on my block for that long but I know isn't the particularly best neighborhood although it is usually pretty quiet. I have lived in about four different neighborhoods. I was born on the south east side and lived there till I was about 10. From there I moved to the South Westside and lived in there for about 6 months. I then moved to the suburbs and lived there for 4 years, then moved back to the city. i kind of liked suburban life, but I love the city much more. In the suburbs the neighborhood was pretty diverse, My neighborhood now has mostly African American and Latinos. That's kind of how Christopher Columbus "neighborhood" in America then there we mostly Europeans and Native Americans. I like that Whitney Young is very diverse because I'm surrounded by so many different cultures unlike my neighborhood really. So there goes my neighborhood.

Introductions

I guess this is my first blog post! Hello Mr. McCarthy, fellow classmates, and whoever else who's reading  :). I've never had a real blog, I made one but didn't use it because I found it dull. I however know a lot about blogs though. I've learned through my blog browsing that typically on your first blog post you should introduce yourself so people can get to know you, so that's what I'll do.

I'm Alexis or Lexi, a sophomore at Whitney Young Magnet High School (the best school ever). I am a cheerleader at school and a part of Concert Choir. I really enjoy singing, acting, dancing, talking, texting, tweeting, etc. My list could go on forever really but those are the main things I like to do. I love musical theater! (isn't it amazing?) I also am a HUGE music fan I'll basically listen to anything once. My favorite artist is Beyonce (Isn't she amazing?), everything she does inspires me to work harder at my singing ability. 

I'm a pretty energetic and outspoken individual. I have 5 siblings, two older and two younger. I'm the middle child :). Both of my older sister attended Whitney Young before me and were also cheerleaders here. I also followed their footsteps and went to Skinner for half of grammar school as they did. I pretty much grew up at Whitney Young from kindergarten-4th grade. My sisters used to pick me up from Skinner and I'd have to sit through their practices which I loved! I knew when I was in kindergarten that I wanted to go to Whitney Young, and here I am :).

I have extremely high goals for my life which I plan to reach. I'm not positive what career path I want to go into but I do have some ideas. I want to attend a University in California, hopefully USC or Stanford. Although New York would be nice, I am positive I will not be staying in Illinois. With everything I am trying to achieve I understand that my grades in high school are essential in helping further my academic success and future success. I hope that this post wasn't a total bore, but that was a little bit about me! :)