Journal 27 End of Quarter

 This is so sad it is the end of the third quarter and that means our senior year is about to end. High school has been an experience I will never forget and never want to forget. I am excited about the future but sad about leaving the past. This year has been amazing everyone has become closer and I have been able to share so many memories I will never forget. 

          In our AP Literature class we have done so much Waiting for Godot, which I will never understand, to being able to see Cylbourne Park at Geva, which was the best thing ever. That play was an eye opener, it was very educational and a wonderful experience, I just loved the play and everything the play taught.  We read A Raisin in the Sun  before we went to see the play which I thought was a very good idea because we were able to see the connections to the  book and the play. We learned about “The language game”, “existentialism”, “post-modernism”, “modernism” and  “Automatics”. We have done so much this year I do not know how to sum it up. There is one thing that I was not a fan  of Waiting for Godot, I did not like this at all because I could not understand it. It was a very educational book with very good lessons and themes but I just did not understand it. I liked everything else so far and I am excited for the next poetry slam this week. It has been a great experience and I loved every second of it.Thanks for letting me have this experience. 

        I am honestly not ready for college, it feels like there is no time until we graduate on June 14, 2014. It is sad and scary that we only have one more quarter left in Bishop Kearney High School, with all these wonderful teachers. I have been here since 7th grade with a large majority of my grade and we have all grown together and have formed relationships that we will never lose. I am ready for a new chapter in my life but I do not want to end this chapter. 

Journal 26 Waiting for Godot

       Waiting for Godot this is a play written by Samuel Beckett that examines the human condition. Nihilism is the belief that traditions, values, ideas or beliefs do not have any value. Absurdity is a state of being ridiculous and absurd. Existentialism is the belief that emphasis the existence of the individual person as a responsible and free spirit, which means they have the ability to determine their fate through their own actions.

            Nihilism is one of the predominate philosophical theories in Waiting for Godot. This theme is seen the different conversations the characters have with each other.  Vladimir and Estragon constantly  talking and keeping conversation to pass the time while they wait for Godot, but all the conversations they have are pointless and meaningless. They never have significant meaning to them. When Estragon makes the comment about hanging themselves this is an act of nihilism because he just said that like it was nothing like thinking about killing themselves was nothing. He was talking like suicide was meaningless and pointless. There are multiple accounts of nihilism throughout this work of literature.

            Absurdity is seen throughout this whole play. The conversations the Vladimir and Estragon are absurd and make no sense. They always make comments about wanting to leave yet they never leave. They always remain in the same spot which is very strange. This play is overall very absurd and strange because of how it does not make sense and is confusing. This is absurd because of the issues this play puts forward.

         Existentialism is seen through Waiting for Godot  through Vladimir. Vladimir began by asking questions about why they are there and why they exist. Then randomly throughout the play Vladimir will realize that they all do have a purpose and it is important. Samuel Beckett wants people to think that there are chances of hope for everyone and everyone does have a purpose. 

        This play shows examples of many different beliefs like Absurdity, Existentialism and Nihilism. 

Journal 25 Literature that mirrors social concerns

           In the play Waiting for Godot there multiple connections to our world and our society even though it is such a strange play. I think of this play as a symbol for these two mean thinking about their lives and contemplating everything while they are physically waiting for “God”ot. This play symbolizes how we are all waiting for Jesus to come back to us for the revelation.  This story relates to how hard life can get and sometimes it causes people to want to end their life. There are many stories in the news where kids cannot deal with being bullied and they end up ending their life. This relates to Estragon when he says they have the ability to hang themselves since they cannot figure out what to do with their time while they wait for Godot. There are many relatable issues in this book.

         The independent novel I am reading is called Alias Grace  this novel deals with multiple social issues. The main character discusses some of the reasons why the woman are in the jail some are in there only so they have a warm place to say for the winter. There are multiple issues in this book and that is why I enjoy it because even though I cannot personally relate to the issue of people being in jail I have the ability to relate to other things. I can relate to the idea of being in a place and feeling scared. When I was going to the cancer center for myself and  for my brother it scared me because I never knew what was going to happen in there or what the outcome was going to be.

Journal 24 What is water- inspirational speech.

This motivational speech was very different than other speeches, I really enjoyed it because it was full of passion and creativity.  This man describes many different things from the tough white collar job lifestyle to the simply task of going shopping for groceries that can end up being the worse job ever. I really enjoyed how he first explained the automatic response to certain situations like waiting in traffic or a long line at the grocery store but then he took a moment and told us how we could see things. We could see things in a different light meaning we could visualize different scenarios that may not be true but are not Impossible. I think this man has the right idea that sometimes we need to take a step back and think about others, no one truly knows what another person is going through in their life they only see what is portrayed on the outside.  Take a step back and think about all the different life situations those people could be facing from a loved one dying to a child being born, you never know. This was a very good inspirational speech and it was not a typical speech which is why I truly enjoyed it. 

      The way the man said the speech was relatable and understanding. I was able to grasp what he meant and fully get what he meant when he was saying these wise sayings.  My favorite part was when he said " You get to consciously decide what has meaning and what doesn't". I feel like this has so much meaning because everyone can relate to this. Everyone has the power to decide is important and what is not. I really enjoyed this and took a lot from this speech. 

Journal 23 Samuel Beckett Human Condition

         Multiple works of literature revolve around the same theme that Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot play which is the examination “the human condition”. I think that the “human condition” means that the story is examining the feelings and emotions that people have. Also I think that an examination of the human condition could also mean that the story is expressing how people act and why they act that way . I think that every book deals with some type of emotion or feeling that humans have and the story plays on that emotion. I think that this play is going to be about the emotions and actions that some has for another person while they are waiting for someone else.  I feel like this book will be about the  emotions and dialogs between these characters as they wait for this person. I am not sure what is going to happen but it seems like Samuel Beckett is going to make this play all about what he feels like people think about when they hear the words human condition. 

   To be honest I am not really sure if I am correct about the meaning of the human condition or about Waiting For Godot, I could be way off but this is what makes the best sense to me so that is what I feel like it is and what is going to happen in the play. I hope that this play is interesting and easy to understand.

Journal 22 Quotes from Novel

The novel I choose is Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood, this book is very interesting and strange at the same time. At some points I didn’t understand it so I had to reread it but when I took the time to think about it , then it made sense to me. For example I did not understand what she meant by saying the governor of the prison but I realized it must be the warrant. So far it is interesting and I want to keep reading to learn more. The novel opens with this quotation “ Out of the gravel there are peonies growing, they come up through the loose grey pebbles, their buds testing the air like snail’s eyes, then swelling and opening , huge dark- red flowers all shining and glossy like satin. Then they burst and fall to the ground.”(Page 5)  I really liked this quote because the beginning it uplifting and delightful but the end is depressing. I feel like this quote foreshadows the book, which means there are going to be uplifting parts of the movie then it is going to end with the tragic moment which could be that she  ended up in jail or a different ending, we will just have to read to find out more.  

The next quote I thought was important was “ It’s 1851. I’ll be twenty- four years  old next birthday. I’ve been shut up in here since the age of sixteen. I am a model prisoner and give no trouble. That’s what the governor’s wife says, I have overheard her saying it.”(page 5) I think this quote is very insightful. This is the beginning of the novel and this quote explains a little about our protagonist. We learn that she will be turning 24 so that means she is 23 and that she has been in prison since she was 16 years old.  Also we learn that she is a prison who is a model citizen for the rest of the prisoners. She does everything she is told and does not give them attitude about it.  I really think this novel is going to get more intriguing and captivating.  Like all other novels I am in the beginning exposition phase where they have to explain a few things so the readers understand and can follow the story line more clearly. Once I get past this it is going to be interesting to see how this story line plays out. This book is very interesting and intriguing and it makes me want to read more and continue to read. I am excited for the rest of the book. 

Journal 21- Pressure from the outside world

Karl Linder is a character that shows that outside forces push them to do things they might not normally would have done. He was pressured by the other members of the “welcoming committee” in Cylbourne park to confront the  Younger’s  and  attempt to convince them to think about relocating their living situation. I think that he would never had the courage or thought to go to their apartment and attempt to persuade them to change their mind if his neighbors did not urge him. The other people living in Cylbourne park must have had a huge influence on Karl Linder since he has the nerve to try to buy a house off of the Younger’s because they do not want a black family living in their neighborhood. He attempted to make them feel good about themselves and then he struck them with the news. Karl was forced to attempt to make the Younger’s feel uncomfortable with their soon to be new living arrangements in hope to make them sell the house to the white community to keep the community a white community.

Walter Lee is another character that is an example of an outside influence exerting the force onto them.   I believe that he would never have thought about using the money to make an investment in a liquor store if people did not convince him that it would be a good idea. Willy is the outside influence. He persuaded Bobo and Walter to invest their money but in the end he ended up running away with both of their money. Walter was used and forced into using his father’s insurance money to pay for a dream that never occurred. Walter wanted to make a better life for his family so he thought the best way to do that is to invest, but it ended up being a mistake.

Both of these characters show that they were forced by the atmosphere they live in to do something stupid they probably would never have done if they did not feel like they had to because of the people around them.

Journal 20 loneliness

In the play a Raisin in the Sun, Ruth who is Walter Lee’s wife has experience loneliness. At the moment in the play she revealed that she is a few months pregnant.  Mama is excited and everyone seems very happy except her. They find out Ruth has put a down payment for an abortion.  Ruth has seemed distance lately because of the circumstance she is in. She feels that there is no room for a baby and that she will not be able to provide for the child. Ruth does not have anyone to talk to who will truly understand what she is feeling or what she is going through. She is alone in a house full of everyone related to each other who all are interested in the money except Bennie. She deals with the issue of not having money to adequately support her child and family. Ruth is feeling stressed out with the economic issues and now since the idea of having a baby has fallen into her hands it has made issues worst. She has grown farther from her loved ones because she feels like no one will understand her reasons. No one will get what her reasons for having the abortion. Loneliness is not only being physical alone it includes mentally or spiritually. In Ruth’s case she is mentally alone, she has no one to understand her ideas and feelings. Ruth is in a position where no one else understands what she is going through because no one is pregnant and living in those circumstances. She feels that she is doing the best for her family and is benefiting everyone. She feels that is would be wrong if she brought another child into this world living in those conditions. Ruth is one of the characters in this play that truly are lonely.  There are other characters in this play that were also lonely like Walter and Bennie.

Journal 19-- Quote on Oppression

“ I don’t think there is anything more universal in the world than man’s oppression of man. This is what most great dramas have been about no matter what the device of telling it is. We tend to think because it is so immediate with us in the US that this is a unique human question where white people do not like black people…. But the fact of the matter is wherever there is are men there are oppressed people and to the extent that my work is successful piece of drama it makes it a reality of this oppression.” 

I agree that many works of drama relates to the oppression of man. In the two super bowl commercial clearly shows how in our society today people are still being oppressed. The one commercial states the issue of the Native Americans being disrespected by the  Red Skins Indians football team because of their name choice. The native Americans have been oppressed on many occasions but they are finally attempting to stand up for themselves and this ad shows that they want their respect and honor back and do not want be treated with disrespect.  The other super bowl commercial is about America and the issue of immigration. This ad shows that Coca Cola approves and supports the idea of immigration into the United States. Many people that have come to America to escape poverty, war or just to have a better life have been disrespected because they were not born in America or raised in America. It is instances like these that show that  Lorraine Hansberry is correct when she states that all successful pieces of drama are  based on or relates to man’s oppression.  Man’s oppression is an issue that many people face with it is a race issue, gender issue, ethnic issue or political issue it affects everyone. Oppression is a huge problem in our society and it has not improved that much from recent times. I agree that oppression is still a contemporary issue in our society today, because I can see that people are treated differently because of their heritage or ethnicity, it is clear that everyone is not on the same level with respect for everyone and it is sad. Lorraine Hansberry is correct when she says man’s oppression is many people’s issue and it is clear through these super bowl ads. 

Journal 18- What unsettles you?

When I tell someone that I go to Bishop Kearney the immediate response I get is “you must be rich then”, then I response “no  my parents have sent six children through catholic schools from preschool to twelfth grade they do not have money after that”. Then they roll their eyes at you and say that your life must be so much better than theirs and in a way I cannot argue because I feel 100% safe at Bishop Kearney if I was at West Irondequoit I would be scared because of all the issues they have there. The immediate assumption that children who go to catholic schools are always snotty and rude and it offends me because I believe that we have more respect because of our strict rules. We do not stick our nose up to other people because they go to public school like we are better than them. I cannot stand the assumptions and false accusations that other students and parents give catholic school students. It makes me sick to my stomach to be disrespected like that , having people make assumptions about a huge group of people that you have never met in your life is wrong, but there is nothing I can truly do about it. I have to accept that people are going to treat me differently or act different towards me because I have the privilege of going to a well known catholic school. Honestly I believe that they say these mean and cruel things because they are either jealous or are not happy with themselves so they have to take it out on others. People need to learn that making assumptions are wrong. It unsettles me that people make assumptions and are rude when they make those assumptions.