Friday, November 20, 2009
Why Crucible?
Arthur Miller the author of the play The Crucible titled his play with a word "Crucible" that demonstrated what the village had to go through during the time of Salem witchcraft accusations. The word crucible means a severe test. In my opinion the author chose this word for the play because as we read the play the characters had to go through a series of tests regarding who to judge for doing witchcraft and or figuring out who to trust in the end. These tests showed peoples true personalities in regards to what they will do to save their lives or put others at risks.
Monday, November 2, 2009
The Piano
The play The Piano Lesson by August Willson had an important piece of instrument that was passed down from generation to generation from the Sutter’s to the Charles’s family. The musical instrument was a piano that is cherished by a few individuals in the Charles family. Boy Willie a character in the play is an example of someone who takes the piano for granted and would rather sell the piano to buy land. In my opinion the piano should be cherished by everyone because of how it first began in the family and what Berniece's father went through in order to get it back in their hands. Throughout the play my attitude does not change simply because I understand why Berniece does not want to sell the piano and doesn't let anyone change her mind to do so as well.
As a member in the audience I consider the piano a character in the play because it took a major role in the story even though it was not a living creature. The definition of a character is a role in a play, film, or any type of story. In this case the piano had a major role in the play as a object of their family's history. Since the piano was a character in the play it contributed with the Charles family dilemma, the dilemma dealt with family members who wanted to sell the piano and others who wanted to keep the piano in the family.
The conflict was compelling because it had to deal with members of a family who were fighting over different views to sell or not to sell the piano. The piano was not just a object it was a symbol of their history that had to deal with past ancestors. Personally I would not want to sell the piano because of all the hard work that was put into it and the meaning it possess.
As a member in the audience I consider the piano a character in the play because it took a major role in the story even though it was not a living creature. The definition of a character is a role in a play, film, or any type of story. In this case the piano had a major role in the play as a object of their family's history. Since the piano was a character in the play it contributed with the Charles family dilemma, the dilemma dealt with family members who wanted to sell the piano and others who wanted to keep the piano in the family.
The conflict was compelling because it had to deal with members of a family who were fighting over different views to sell or not to sell the piano. The piano was not just a object it was a symbol of their history that had to deal with past ancestors. Personally I would not want to sell the piano because of all the hard work that was put into it and the meaning it possess.
Memories that Will Last a Lifetime
Our memories that we develop over the years become meaningful stories that are engraved in our hearts forever. These memories can help us get a better understanding about the type of person we have become and or be a vivid memory that we have experienced at one point in our lives. There are a lot of memories that I have that mean the world to me, but three stood out the most. The three memories that are important to me dealt with the home coming of my grandpa after being in the hospital, my 18th birthday and lastly when I got accepted to Mount Saint Marys College.
My first important memory was about nine years ago when I was a 5th grader at St. John the Baptist school. School would be out by 2:30 pm and my grandpa would usually pick me up on time, but this time it was different because he was hospitalized for having a stroke. While he was in the hospital I did not know who was going to pick me up it ranged from a variety of people. One day when school had ended no one was there at the gate, it was starting to get late so I called the house to see if anything happened and why no one was here. When I least expected it my grandpa had answered the phone no words can explain the feeling that I had when I heard his voice. I fell to the floor and started to cry, no words were exchanged only tears. My uncle ended up picking me up from school that day. When I got to my house the first thing I did was run and open the back gate, there he was with my aunt doing some yard work. I dropped my things on the floor and ran to him and gave him the biggest hug, it was a relieve having my grandpa back at home and healthy once again. This memory was very important because he was like my father, I was afraid that I was going to lose him, but when I heard his voice and saw him again I was thankful that he was home with the family.
The second memory that was important for me was the celebration of my 18th birthday. It was a two day celebration that nothing or no one was able to ruin and it was full of excitement. December 26, 2007 the day before my birthday, I had a get together with my close friends and family. It was very special for me because I was able to spend quality time with those I loved especially when we had recently lost a family member a few months before. As the family gathering was coming to an end my uncle had surprised me with a car. I was ecstatic because I did not expect a car as a gift. Then the day was finally here, my 18th birthday! I did not celebrate it like any other teenager who went clubbing for the first time instead I went to Disneyland for the first time with a group of my closest friends. This memory was important because I spent it with those I loved and was able to experience new things.
My last important memory was when I had an on campus interview at my high school Bishop Amat with a Mount Saint Mary's representative on November 27, 2007. I was very nervous and afraid that I was not going to get accepted to my dream school that I've always wanted to go to since a little girl. My life had changed on this Tuesday morning, when the Mount Saint Mary's representative called me into the room and started to review my application. As she finished reviewing my application, essay, and SAT scores she looked at me and said “ Congratulations, you have been accepted to the Mount!” I smiled with excitement and said, “thank you so much!” As soon as I stepped out of the room I called my family and friends to tell them the good news. This was an important memory because it was the school I have been wanting to go as a child and because I knew it was only going to be the beginning of my educational journey.
Therefore, these three memories that were accumulated over the years were very important to me because of the meanings they had behind them. Theses memories helped me to become the person I am today, because it taught me to be thankful for what I have in life. From seeing my grandpa after getting out of the hospital to getting accepted to my dream school will last a lifetime in my heart.
My first important memory was about nine years ago when I was a 5th grader at St. John the Baptist school. School would be out by 2:30 pm and my grandpa would usually pick me up on time, but this time it was different because he was hospitalized for having a stroke. While he was in the hospital I did not know who was going to pick me up it ranged from a variety of people. One day when school had ended no one was there at the gate, it was starting to get late so I called the house to see if anything happened and why no one was here. When I least expected it my grandpa had answered the phone no words can explain the feeling that I had when I heard his voice. I fell to the floor and started to cry, no words were exchanged only tears. My uncle ended up picking me up from school that day. When I got to my house the first thing I did was run and open the back gate, there he was with my aunt doing some yard work. I dropped my things on the floor and ran to him and gave him the biggest hug, it was a relieve having my grandpa back at home and healthy once again. This memory was very important because he was like my father, I was afraid that I was going to lose him, but when I heard his voice and saw him again I was thankful that he was home with the family.
The second memory that was important for me was the celebration of my 18th birthday. It was a two day celebration that nothing or no one was able to ruin and it was full of excitement. December 26, 2007 the day before my birthday, I had a get together with my close friends and family. It was very special for me because I was able to spend quality time with those I loved especially when we had recently lost a family member a few months before. As the family gathering was coming to an end my uncle had surprised me with a car. I was ecstatic because I did not expect a car as a gift. Then the day was finally here, my 18th birthday! I did not celebrate it like any other teenager who went clubbing for the first time instead I went to Disneyland for the first time with a group of my closest friends. This memory was important because I spent it with those I loved and was able to experience new things.
My last important memory was when I had an on campus interview at my high school Bishop Amat with a Mount Saint Mary's representative on November 27, 2007. I was very nervous and afraid that I was not going to get accepted to my dream school that I've always wanted to go to since a little girl. My life had changed on this Tuesday morning, when the Mount Saint Mary's representative called me into the room and started to review my application. As she finished reviewing my application, essay, and SAT scores she looked at me and said “ Congratulations, you have been accepted to the Mount!” I smiled with excitement and said, “thank you so much!” As soon as I stepped out of the room I called my family and friends to tell them the good news. This was an important memory because it was the school I have been wanting to go as a child and because I knew it was only going to be the beginning of my educational journey.
Therefore, these three memories that were accumulated over the years were very important to me because of the meanings they had behind them. Theses memories helped me to become the person I am today, because it taught me to be thankful for what I have in life. From seeing my grandpa after getting out of the hospital to getting accepted to my dream school will last a lifetime in my heart.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Boy Willie
Boy Willie is a character from the play The Piano Lesson by August Wilson, he is a thirty year old man who happens to be very talkative and is considered to be blunt with his speech and manners. Boy Willie is Berniece’s brother and Doaker’s nephew. Unlike them, he has remained in the South, farming the land that their family worked for generations. He dreams of raising enough cash to buy land from the diminished Sutter family so that he can become an independent farmer rather than a debt-ridden share-cropper. Boy Willie plans to raise the cash by selling a load of watermelons which he brought up from Mississippi with his friend Lymon and the family piano, which he part owns with Berniece. Boy Willie seems like the type of person that is willing to do anything in his power to achieve and/or get want he desires in life.
On pages 81-82 in the play The Piano Lesson he took the initiative to find the man who wanted to buy the piano for eleven hundred and fifty dollars. Personally, we do not like or agree with Boy Willie's point of view because it just seems he is a hard headed, stubborn man who just wants it to be his way and nothing else. For example when he is trying to sell the piano, he is just thinking about himself and is not considering Berniece's and Winning Boy's advice. Saying this, we do not find him interesting simply because all he thinks about is himself. Another factor that we learned about Boy Willie is that he respects his families past in a different way compared to Berniece. He would rather educate his niece Maretha, about her background, having pride of their past will help her hold her head high.
We believe Boy Willie seems like the person you can trust, but the only motive he has in life would be what he benefits from and that can bring on problems. For instance if someone were to ask Boy Willie to do something and if it is something he does not agree with, he can easily change his mind and do something completely different. Boy Willie is different compare to Wining boy's personality. Wining boy gambles, broke, but he honors the piano for what is worth with the family and agrees with Berniece on not selling it. Even though Doaker at a point in the play agrees with Boy Willie on selling the piano, he is different from him. Simply Doaker seems to care for his families past and history. Yet, he also believes that the piano only brings trouble to Berniece and agrees with Boy Willie to sell it. For example, when saw the Ghost of Sutter, Doaker believes that all these paranormal activities will go away if they were to sell the piano since Sutter’s family once owned it.
Therefore, Boy Willie is a character that is selfish and only cares for himself and the success he has in his life. He wants to get rid of a precious belonging of the family so he can be equal to a white man and have power like they do. He believes that he should be equal to a white man regarding how they re treated and how they should be able to own land like the white folks. Boy Willie can be trusted but only with things that interest him on doing because if he doesn’t get anything out of what he is doing he doesn’t do it at all and finds a way to get out of it
On pages 81-82 in the play The Piano Lesson he took the initiative to find the man who wanted to buy the piano for eleven hundred and fifty dollars. Personally, we do not like or agree with Boy Willie's point of view because it just seems he is a hard headed, stubborn man who just wants it to be his way and nothing else. For example when he is trying to sell the piano, he is just thinking about himself and is not considering Berniece's and Winning Boy's advice. Saying this, we do not find him interesting simply because all he thinks about is himself. Another factor that we learned about Boy Willie is that he respects his families past in a different way compared to Berniece. He would rather educate his niece Maretha, about her background, having pride of their past will help her hold her head high.
We believe Boy Willie seems like the person you can trust, but the only motive he has in life would be what he benefits from and that can bring on problems. For instance if someone were to ask Boy Willie to do something and if it is something he does not agree with, he can easily change his mind and do something completely different. Boy Willie is different compare to Wining boy's personality. Wining boy gambles, broke, but he honors the piano for what is worth with the family and agrees with Berniece on not selling it. Even though Doaker at a point in the play agrees with Boy Willie on selling the piano, he is different from him. Simply Doaker seems to care for his families past and history. Yet, he also believes that the piano only brings trouble to Berniece and agrees with Boy Willie to sell it. For example, when saw the Ghost of Sutter, Doaker believes that all these paranormal activities will go away if they were to sell the piano since Sutter’s family once owned it.
Therefore, Boy Willie is a character that is selfish and only cares for himself and the success he has in his life. He wants to get rid of a precious belonging of the family so he can be equal to a white man and have power like they do. He believes that he should be equal to a white man regarding how they re treated and how they should be able to own land like the white folks. Boy Willie can be trusted but only with things that interest him on doing because if he doesn’t get anything out of what he is doing he doesn’t do it at all and finds a way to get out of it
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
The Bully
I thought my first year of kindergarten would be great because I was going to meet new friends and be able to go to the same school as my older sister Lupe. The year was 1995 when I started at Orangewood, but little did I know there was going to be someone to bring me down and change everything. I was in kindergarten when a girl named Maria first bullied me. Maria was known as the class bully and did not have a lot of friends. She was tall compared to her friends and our classmates.
Maria never had a direct reason why she would taunt me, but one day she took it too far. While I was playing on the bikes at recess Maria stopped right in front of me until I got off the bike. Her purpose was so I would not be able to play with my friends. As I was getting off the bike she decided to trip me and made me fall on the cement floor. But she did not stop there; she then grabbed my arm and left several dark bruises.
I didn’t know what to do because I didn’t want to be a tattle tale, and tell our teacher Mrs. Lopez. When I went home that day, my mom saw the bruises Maria had left on me. My mom yelled at me and told me, That she would kick my butt if I let her do that to me again. She told me to go back to school and defend myself in any way I could, and I did. The next day Maria tried to grab my arm again, but I remembered what my mom had told me which was to defend myself.
As she was going to grab my arm I moved away, but as persistent as she was she would not let go of me. I decided to defend myself for once. We got into this huge fight and were surrounded by the rest of our classmates. The playground monitor Margarita struggled to pass the crowd of children, but when she did She pulled us apart and took us to the principals office. We sat in the school's office until he spoke with us and called our parents.
When my mom arrived she was not angry simply because she knew what exactly was going on between Maria and me. We were not allowed to go the school the next day, but it was worth it in the end. Maria never bullied me again. I felt a sense of relief because I knew she was going to stop bullying me and I was able to enjoy the rest of my kindergarten year. Neither of us won the fight that day, but what I did win was the fact that I stood up for myself and she stopped bullying me.
Maria never had a direct reason why she would taunt me, but one day she took it too far. While I was playing on the bikes at recess Maria stopped right in front of me until I got off the bike. Her purpose was so I would not be able to play with my friends. As I was getting off the bike she decided to trip me and made me fall on the cement floor. But she did not stop there; she then grabbed my arm and left several dark bruises.
I didn’t know what to do because I didn’t want to be a tattle tale, and tell our teacher Mrs. Lopez. When I went home that day, my mom saw the bruises Maria had left on me. My mom yelled at me and told me, That she would kick my butt if I let her do that to me again. She told me to go back to school and defend myself in any way I could, and I did. The next day Maria tried to grab my arm again, but I remembered what my mom had told me which was to defend myself.
As she was going to grab my arm I moved away, but as persistent as she was she would not let go of me. I decided to defend myself for once. We got into this huge fight and were surrounded by the rest of our classmates. The playground monitor Margarita struggled to pass the crowd of children, but when she did She pulled us apart and took us to the principals office. We sat in the school's office until he spoke with us and called our parents.
When my mom arrived she was not angry simply because she knew what exactly was going on between Maria and me. We were not allowed to go the school the next day, but it was worth it in the end. Maria never bullied me again. I felt a sense of relief because I knew she was going to stop bullying me and I was able to enjoy the rest of my kindergarten year. Neither of us won the fight that day, but what I did win was the fact that I stood up for myself and she stopped bullying me.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Taking it Day by Day
School is back in session and my first week of college has just begun. This week has had its ups, downs, and has given me many emotions. Being Happy to see my friends from last year to working at the Child Development Center again. I thought my second year at Mount Saint Mary's College would go smoothly and I did not anticipate any problems to occur during the first week of college. The problem that arose my first week of college was the way my classes were set up for fall semester 2009.
My first week was overwhelming because on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I have four to five classes back to back. The first three classes end at 12:30, then with only an hour break I continue with the other two classes. Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays I only have one class but work at the Child Development Center for five hours. At the end of the day I am completely drained of having such a hectic schedule. The solution for my busy schedule is by not stressing out and by not making things more complicated and just simply taking it day by day.
As the week came to an end my schedule started to stabilize itself and I started to get use to my every day routine. I realized that I should not be worrying over the little things and taking it one day at a time. Second year of college is coming out better that what I expected. Maybe it was the beginning that scared me a little, but at the end of the day I need to relax and know that everything will be okay.
My first week was overwhelming because on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I have four to five classes back to back. The first three classes end at 12:30, then with only an hour break I continue with the other two classes. Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays I only have one class but work at the Child Development Center for five hours. At the end of the day I am completely drained of having such a hectic schedule. The solution for my busy schedule is by not stressing out and by not making things more complicated and just simply taking it day by day.
As the week came to an end my schedule started to stabilize itself and I started to get use to my every day routine. I realized that I should not be worrying over the little things and taking it one day at a time. Second year of college is coming out better that what I expected. Maybe it was the beginning that scared me a little, but at the end of the day I need to relax and know that everything will be okay.
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