Journal #1

    My first impression of Othello was a little overwhelming. Shakespeare is always a little tough to understand right when you start reading. It usually takes a little bit to get used to the style and flow of the text. The meanings and side notes really do help me comprehend whats going on. I cant wait to read on and find out what happens the characters.

Moors Research

     The word 'Moor' means dark. Which implies dark skin. Moors fled to Europe from Spain because of religious purposes. It is noteworthy that these Moors were in Europe as conquerors and served as a “civilizing force,” as opposed to being enslaved by the Europeans. The Moors had a tremendously positive impact on European cultural, socio-economic and political institutions.

Berit's Journal- I also found it interesting that Moor meant dark. It's like how negro means black. They connect and make sense.

Haylee's Journal- What did the Europeans do to convert them to Christianity?

Irvin's Journal- What was the negativity in this culture that caused them to constantly be at war?

Alec's Journal- I thought it was interesting how the capital name kept changing.

Journal #8

     The Piano Lesson ends in a way that i did not expect. Sutter's ghost kind of takes control of Boy Willie and madness brakes out. I did think it was rude when Boy Willie took that bowl of water and started throwing it everywhere right as Avery was blessing the house with the holly water, in an attempt to mimic him. That was probably offensive to Avery. As Berniece went and played the piano she asked help from Mama Ola. As she sang and played all the madness ended and Sutter's ghost seemed to be gone. That goes to show the power of music. I liked how the piano was what created the whole conflict in the first place but yet the piano was also what solved everything. Good play!

Journal #7

    In the beginning of Scene 5, we experience some brother-sister bickering. Boy Willie and Berniece argue about almost everything. They even bring Mareatha into all of it, when Boy Willie starts telling Berniece how to talk to her daughter. I did have an Ah Ha moment when Boy Willie explained what the Yellow Doy thing really was. I was confused about that the whole book but it makes sense now. I really found Boy Willie's monologue, about how he isn't afraid of death, very interesting. Also, when he talks about his fathers hands. Those hands become a symbol that represent family history and creation. Boy Willie's dad's creative hands are the whole reason the piano is here. Berniece also threatens Willie with a gun with i think is a little drastic over a piano.

Journal #6

    Act 2, Scene 3: I thought the part when Boy Willie brought Grace back to Doaker's house was so funny. It was a very clever choice that the author made to add romance mixed with humor to draw them in again. It was such a classic thing for Boy Willie to do and when he said, "Let me heist your hood and check your oil. See if your battery needs charged." I'm pretty sure i laughed out loud. That is so cheesy haha.
   Scene 4: When Lymon came to the house after Boy Willie left, we learned a lot about him and what he wants in life. I really like Lymon's character and at this point I started to think that Berniece and Lymon would make a better couple than Berniece and Avery. I wonder who she will choose.

Journal #5

     In Scene 2, Avery shows up right as Berniece was about to take a bath. They talk about their relationship a little but Berniece isn't so sure. In my opinion, i think Avery and Berniece would work out really well if they were to get married. I think it would be good for Mareatha to have a dad again. In this scene you can really tell how strong of a woman Berniece is. That would of been a very interesting character to play in a performance. You would have to be confident and stern with a damaging voice that people cant help but listen to. I think Avery's calm listener personality would complement Berniece's personality very nicely.  

Journal #4

      Moving into Act 2, Scene 1, we become aware that Berniece was not the first to see Sutter's ghost. In fact Doaker saw him playing the piano downstairs three weeks before she saw him. I thought that was an interesting twist and why didn't Doaker tell Berniece? If he would of said something then everyone wouldn't of all thought that Berniece was crazy and seeing things. Wining Boy then gives Lymon a bright blue suit and promises him that it has magical powers with the ladies. This blue suit becomes a symbol not only to help Lymon find a girl, but it also represents hope and Lymon's future by giving him confidence. I think i want a blue suit with magical powers now! I loved how Winning Boy coached Lymon on pick up lines.

Journal #3

     After reading Part ll of Act 1, Scene 2 I really learned about the history of the piano and all that it has gone through. I made me see why Berniece is so connected to the piano and all that it symbolizes. The hobos in the boxcar reminded me of Avery's dream. I wonder if the two different sets of hobos represent the same thing. After Doaker is done telling his story, Boy Willie strongly suggests that all these events are in the past and that his father would have agreed with what he wants to do now. This shows that Boy Willie is a tad bit selfish and only focuses on the future. For some reason a part that really stood out to me was when Berniece said, "Mama Ola polished this piano with her tears for seventeen years. For seventeen years she rubbed on it till her hands bled." That just seems almost unbelievable. Why did Mama Ola love that piano so much?

Journal #2

     So now that everything is set up, such as, the conflict, the setting, the characters and the plot; we are able to dig deeper into the context and the dialogue quotes. In Act 1, Scene 2, the author takes about religion. Which adds a new element to the play and helps the reader understand the time period and the other characters. Wining Boy was introduced. I wondered how Wining Boy got his name and why he keeps the letter, that announces his ex-wife's death, in his pocket all the time. We find out about how Crawly died. Sense he was shot by white men, that may create a sensitive tension between whites and Berniece's family.

Journal #1

     As we start reading The Piano Lesson, I  felt very excited because it was a short play! Since I'm in theater, play writes are easier for me to understand. With Act 1, Scene 1, I thought the description of the setting was very clear and easy to visualize. I wonder why the author chose to have Boy Willie and Lymon selling watermelons. Why not apples or potatoes? As for characters, Boy Willie, Lymon, Mareatha, Berniece, Doaker, Sutter, Avery, and Crawly were introduced or explained in this opening scene. I think Berniece is a little dramatic, but maybe its just because brother showed up at 5 o'clock in the morning with a broken truck full of watermelons. I like Boy Willie's character. He is funny and creates conflict that shakes things up. I thought is was very interesting that the blood on the piano was so significant to Berniece and how stubborn she was to not sell it. I like this play so far!

Piano Lesson Project: Body Paragraph

     The constant direction giving by Berniece is preventing Maretha from becoming anything more than a minor character in the story. Berniece keeps her out of the room whenever somebody is talking about the piano or any family history. She feels like Maretha will live the same life she lives due to the history of the piano and her family. When Boy Willie has Maretha play her a song on the piano, Berniece orders her to stop. “Maretha! You get up here and get ready to go so you be on time. Ain’t no need you trying to take advantage of company”(21). Berniece has becomed so paranoid by the piano she won’t let Maretha play it around Boy Willie because she is worried he might say something about where it came from or what it represents. Because Maretha knows nothing about the piano she has no say in what is done with it, causing her to have a small role due to her lack of knowledge about the situation.

Journal #12

    The first part i chose to tab was on page 277. It was the paragraph that described the storm. This dark description contributes to the tone of this whole section. The author paints the picture of this intense storm by using words such as, "dark", "threatening", "all was shadow", "thunder rolling", "no ordinary storm".
    The second thing i tabbed was the quote, "red blood of the earth". I think the red blood signifies death and all the characters that have died in this novel. To me, this connects those characters to the land. As the people suffer, the earth suffers to, it bleeds and feels the pain.

Journal #11

    I have noticed the similarities between the land and the Kumalo family. Their descriptions in the novel are parallel. From the very first page, the beautiful, peaceful, serene setting is painted so passionately. And the Kumalo family is happy and calm as well. As Kumalo's family goes through the pain and the sorrow of their son's trail and death, the land changes also. The setting becomes dark and is described very fearful. Intense storms with lightning and thunder and rain that pound the earth's floor, shows the feelings that the Kumalo family goes through.
 

Journal #10

    Utis Buddhasud Somjai- Organized a child care development (daycare) in Thai villages which offer families a healthier future. Her program gives children a healthy lunch and the teachers teach mothers and children about nutrition.

    Betty Agujiobi- Adopted literacy education program teaching adults in Nigeria essential reading, writing, and arithmetic skills that have to do with practical skills in their own area. She also provides free eye care which is critical because over half of Nigerian adults have vision problems, causing slow reading to none at all.

    Cybele Oliveira Amado- Believes that every child in Brazil deserves a good education. She has created a system that empowers communities to ensure quality education. she sparks debate and gets people involved in community discussions involving education.

Journal #9

     Gertrude's son is one of the characters that Paton chooses not to name. He labels him "little boy" instead of a name because younger children were probably of less importance than adults in this time. This label shows whose opinion and voice really matters in the history of events that are going on. I think this decision is smart because is characterizes the importance of people in the novel. 

Journal #8

     I think the reason Cry, The Beloved Country is separated into different books, is because Paton wanted the readers to see different perspectives. The different books make it interesting and easier to follow. It also shows the different feelings and opinions a person may have on something. It gives the reader a different side to the events that are taking place, as well as drawing them in again. Its like a fresh start only through someone else  eyes.

Journal #7

     Here are two links of articles that deal with oppression. One talks about Muslim woman and there rights in the US, and the other one talks about the holocaust and the things the people went through.
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/june142010/muslim-women-ni.php
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007312

Journal #6

     Throughout Cry, The Beloved Country, Paton uses a lot of repetition to show the importance of the subject. Such as:
- rolling hills
- "our young men"
- concept of fear
- "all roads lead to Johannesberg"
- "have you a room that you could let?"
These few examples are key concepts or subjects of the novel. The rolling hills really add to the setting and are described over and over again  to remind the readers of the beautiful landscape that this story takes place in. It has a contrasting mood to the difficulties and struggles that the characters are experiencing. The concept of fear is also repeated often. The feelings of fear and the unknown of whether or not there will be shelter or food for these families is very apparent through the dialect. The quote, "all roads lead to Johannesberg," is said many times between different characters which may foreshadow a huge upcoming event that will take place there or it may just be an important place that contributes to the outcome of the story.

Journal #5

     In Cry, The Beloved Country, Paton characterizes men to be the powerful leaders. Men are the ones who are correct and make the choices. Such as Kumalo's brother who is a very good politician. Woman however are characterized to be the mothers, and to take care of the house. Or Kumalo's sister who is a prostitute and a liquor seller. It seems like woman will do anything for money, whether be prostitution or selling liquor. Msimangu told Kumalo, "I sent for you firstly because she is a woman alone" (53). This shows that woman are dependent on men, and need them for protect them

Journal #4

    One quote that i think may contribute to the theme of Cry, The Beloved Country, is "If there is mist here, you will see nothing of the great valley. The mist will swirl about and below you, and the train and the people make a small world of their own" (41). This quote points out how strong the culture is from the people and how the emotional effect that the setting has on someone. It adds to the tone of the book with the mysterious adjectives that describe the mist. Another quote that stood out to me was, "Kumalo's voice rose a little, as does the noise of a child, or indeed of a grown person, who wants others to hear" (43). This expresses that Kumbalo is an important character that has something important to say that might have a big part with the conflict or outcome of the novel. I also noticed that Paton repeats "the small child" throughout chapters 1-4 instead of using a name for the child. This decision creates an unknown about this character which makes the reader intrigued.

Journal #3

    The theme that I identified in Lord of the Flies was: fear as a form of coercion creates a survival instinct, especially in children. This theme is developed throughout the whole book, beginning with when the boys found themselves on an unpopulated island full of mysteries. The doubt of survival created fear in everyone, especially the younguns. Golding continued to introduce fear as a major topic with the introduction of the nightmares about monsters and dangerous creatures on the island. When the boys actually saw some sort of beast, the fear grew into epic proportions. Coercion occurred when Jack divided the tribe. He threatened to kill the boys if they didn't follow him. Separating the camps, the war paint, and Rodger's twisted violence all contributed to the oncoming mayhem.

Journal #2

     I think the novel would have been very different with female characters because it would have brought in a  lot more issues. Many of the decisions would have been judged upon gender which would of changed the whole meaning or purpose of the book. There also would have been more distractions and drama between characters. With teen girls and boys on an island with no supervision, there would have been relationships and romance that would have totally changed Lord of the Flies. 

Journal #1

    From the first page in Lord of the Flies, there were many observations made that really made sense with the rest of the book. One was the alliteration of the letter S. Golding uses the sound of S throughout this whole passage as he described the setting and characters. The sound of S rolls of the tongue easily and  flows with the rest of the text. The sound is calming and soft. I think Golding chose to repeat the letter S to create a mood right away. Even before he begins writing he shows importance in the letter with the title of the chapter, "The Sound of the Shell". This letter could also be a way of foreshadowing. Piggy's spectacles are very important in the book and they to begin with the letter S. 
    Another part that stood out was when Golding was describing the bird; "a vision of red and yellow, flashed upwards with a witch-like cry". Not only does this help describe the setting but this image of the tropical bird also connects with the image of fire. That foreshadows the huge island fire at the end of the book. I think Golding chose to foreshadow that event because it is the climax of the book. Its the reason they get rescued and its also the effect of their madness.