Lying

I think that lying can be both justified and unjustified depending on the situation at hand. In some situations lying is harmless while in others it can be harmful. For example, when you lie to not hurt someone's feelings or cause them pain, it's not a bad thing. I believe in that case it is morally right. The other side of lying can be ethically unstable. For example, lying to someone to make them feel bad or just to be mean is not moral. Lies can cause issues either way and should be used carefully. Therefore, in my opinion, lying can be positive and negative depending on the situation.

In the play "Much Ado About Nothing", William Shakespeare uses both types of lies. Both morally justified and not morally justified lies are used to show the effects. For example, a morally ethic lie is said when Don Pedro explains, "I will assume thy part in some disguise / And tell far Hero I am Claudio" (I.I.259-260). Don Pedro is going to lie to Hero and pretends to be Claudio, only to woo her for him. In this case, lying is harmless because there is no effect in a negative way. No one is getting hurt or punished. Another example is from a real life situation is from the Holocaust. People would lie to keep thier family members safe. This is a moral lie because the people who told these lies to the Nazis were protecting their families by sacraficing themselves. An example of lying unethically is when Don John says, "I, with your two helps, will so practice on Benedick that, in despite of his quick wit and his queasy stomach, he shall fall in love with Beatrice. If we can do this, Cupid is no longer an archer; his glory shall be ours, for we are the only love gods" (II.1.321-25). In this case, lying is unethical because Don John is trying to lie in a way that will mess everything up. The effect is huge and can change the rest of their lives. Also, Don John is trying to take advantage of them. In the end, lying can be classified as being both ethically justified and not.

The Gift Of Knowing You

There are gifts of many treasures
For both the young and old,
From the tiniest little trinkets
To great boxes filled with gold.

But, put them all together
And they could not stand in lieu,
Of the greatest gift of all
The gift of knowing you.

When your times are filled with troubles
Sadness, grief, or even doubt,
When all those things you planned on
Just aren't turning out.

Just turn and look behind you
From the place at which you stand,
And look for me through the shadows
And reach out for my hand.

I will lift from you your burden
And cry for you your tears,
Bear the pain of all your sorrows
Though it may be for a thousand years.

For in the end I would be happy
To have helped you start anew,
It's a small price to pay
For the gift of knowing you.

- Dave Stout -

In this poem, Dave Stout uses figurative language to compare a gift, to a friend. Dave explains how friendship is a system that uses support for each other. He expresses this by saying, "I will lift you from your burden," (scout 17). Because of this, we are lead to believe that friends help each other out by lifting their load and help them recover. This leads to when Dave explains that when things aren't turning out the way they were planned, friends will always be there. He shows this when he says, "And look for me through the shadows and reach out for my hand," (stout 15/16). This explains that no matter where you are, your friend will always be there for your support. Because of this comparison, we are able to see that Dave is tying to make society realize that when you need help, or someone to make you feel better, you have the gift of friendship to take your sorrows away.

This poem shares information that is irresistible to overlook. It is compelling due to the explanation of what friendship is, and what it means. Dave Stout looks at friendship as a gift. The gift of having someone as a friend gives you the opportunity to be there for them. He explains that when situations are not turning out the way they were planned and you are feeling grief and sadness, your friend is always there to comfort you. They can lift from your load, cry for you, hold up and support your pain and sorrows. Also, Stout explains that being a friend will make you happy because you helped someone start over new. He believes it is not a difficult task to help a friend, and it makes you feel better.

End of Quarter 1 Blog

In enriched English 10 this quarter I did average in the class. I learned that hard work and determination can help you achieve your goals. Also, I learned to strive for exellence, not for perfection. So far in this class I have managed to improve my writing skills. Also, I have learned to be more responsible with my homework. Unfortunately, I am still struggling to adjust to the curriculum and the tough grading. I am also struggling with procrastination. I leave assignment to the last minute and forget to turn them in. The class environment is very good for focusing on what we need to do in class. There are words of encouragement all over the room, which help me stay on task. Also, the desk angles are put so that we can have class discussions. This makes it easier to hear everyone and to see people when they are speaking. What I can do to further the learning community in our classroom is to help others when they need it.

For quarter two, I intend to do much better. One goal for the class is to get an A this quarter. Also, I want to be less of a procrastinator and be ahead of the homework that is due. This will allow me to better understand what we are learning in class and I will get more time on my essays. I also want to learn how to improve my essay writing and my reading skills. I will try to improve by putting my goals into action and putting more effort into the class. I think that using these goals will help me be more successful in enriched English this quarter. Also, I believe that these goals can help others by example. I plan on doing much better second quarter compared to first quarter.

Outside Reading Q1, LAST POST!!

Body Image and How it Can Take Over Your Life

Throughout the memoir Wasted, by Marya Hornbacher, body image is what creates more problems for the main character Marya. Her disease causes many effects to what she sees. She becomes unable to stay at home alone because she doesn't trust herself. She reveals this thought when she thinks, "She wants her mother and father to save her. She says this, and Dad asks in earnest: From what? From myself, " (87). She is afraid of her self and hints that she needs help. Also, she has her father lock all of the doors and windows so that the man with the razor doesn't come in. She sits and waits for him every night in her bed. These illnesses also make her see her life happening through someone else's eyes. She remembers this saying, "I remember the whole thing as if I were watching myself: I see me being spanked from across the room, I see me hiding in the hamper from above," (13). She believed that she saw things like this so that she could keep an eye on her body at all times. She lets her eating disorders take over her life. They make her see things that no one else sees and do things that no one else does.

A positive body image is very important. The negative body image that Marya has makes her go insane. She looks in the mirror and calls herself a fat piglet. With eating disorders, one thing leads to another. Marya acknowledges, "At least 30% and perhaps as many as 50% of patients with bulimia nervosa also have a history of current or prior substance abuse....Substance abuse often is not restricted to street drugs," (72). She allows her body image to take control of her and she ends up using drugs. It is important to view your self in a positive outlook and admire what features you have.

Outside Reading Q1 blog 4

About the Book

Marya Hornbacher’s book is not new, but it is not one that will easily be forgotten. She wrote it in 1998 when she was twenty three. The memoir describes her fourteen years of tug-of-war with her eating disorders. Wasted is a mind-twisting reminder that obsession with weight can kill. It is difficult to read the heart-wrenching conflicts and her disturbing behavior. Her weight “has ranged from 135 pounds to 52, inching up and then plummeting down,” (2). This shows how destructive these diseases can be to your body. Overall, what amazing readers is her insightful mind. “Hospitalized six times, institutionalized once with endless hours of therapy,” (196). She digs into topics that are so personal, that she is an inspiration to all.

In this book, Marya's voice is astounding and really creates visuals for the reader. She doesn't waste time getting to her painful and tramatizing experiances. I feel inspired to help the millions out there suffering with anorexia, bulimia, and other illnesses. It has made me aware of these illesses and the effects they can have on people. I highly suggest reading this book, it was difficult to put down.

Outside Reading Q1, blog 3

Wasted & The 400 Blows

This book can be related to many pieces of literature that we have studied in class. One piece that is most similar is The 400 Blows. The 400 Blows and Wasted are alike when it comes to their main characters. In the movie, Antoine asks his mom if he can not go to school, and just make a living on his own. Marya experiences this same drive, but its when she wants to go to boarding school and never come back. She shares this by saying, "I imagined calling my parents from school, casually telling them of my grand accomplishments," (88). This reveals that the two main characters both want to prove themselves to their families, and to themselves.

Also, Marya and Antoine are similar because they both do drugs and drink alcohol. Antoine does drugs twice in the movie The 400 Blows, once when he is with his friend Renee and another time when he was in the jail cell. Also, Antoine drinks when he is with Renee. Marya gets into drinking and drugs in high school. She comes clean when she says, "I'd stumbled high and drunk through and out of ninth grade." (88). This shows how similar these two characters are. They both want control over their lives, and want their parents to stay out of it a majority of it. Also, they both go to drugs and alcohol even though they are underage because it can solve their problems for that moment.

Another way these two characters are similar is because they both do continuous rebellious acts to get themselves into trouble and corrupt their families. Antoine does this when he runs away from home and tries to steal the typewriter. This causes his parents to fight, and they don't want anything to do with him anymore. Marya does this when she gets involved into bad things (drugs, alcohol, and sex). Her parents get exhausted with her wrong doings, and it makes the family fight. In conclusion, these two main characters have many aspects in common.

Outside Reading Q1, 2nd post!

The three main characters from the novel Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia & Bulimia, have many struggles and conflicts as a family concerning Marya. Marya has been suffering from anorexia and bulimia since the age of nine. Her symptoms to these illnesses became realized by her family in her early teens. Her parents didn’t enforce any regulations or rules with their discovery. Therefore, she wasn’t put into treatment until her twenties. She was diagnosed with Bulimia Nervosa with Anorectic features, substance abuse, and major depression. When Marya was being checked at the Teenage Medical Services Clinic (TMSC) with her father, the nurse said that she was going to check her into hospital treatment at Methodist Hospital. When Marya heard this news, she went insane and out of control. She admits to her behavior, “I lost it. I started screaming,” (142). Being sent into a clinic broke her family apart. Her parents continued to bicker and fight over her, and who was the blame for her actions.

Another conflict that arose in the memoir was when she was in high school. During her struggles with anorexia and bulimia, Marya decided that drugs wouldn’t be such a bad idea either. She would rebelliously sneak out of her house at night. When her parents found out about the foul acts, they were very curious as to where she got the illegal substances. Marya explained her annoyance of her parents, “My parents wondered later, where I got the drugs. They wondered who, and how. They wanted to know when,” (74). This incident added extra trips to therapy and added many more arguments. Her parents would yet again fight over whose fault it was that she was doing drugs and who was supplying her. Throughout the memoir, Marya’s acts seem cause the characters to blame others. Marya learns that she is causing trouble in her family. Her parents learn that their competition over her has created monsters out of them. They begin to notice that they have been selfish and they try to focus more on Marya’s troubles.

Outside Reading Q1, 1st blog

In the novel Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia & Bulimia, there are three main characters. Marya is a thirteen year old girl that lives in Edina. Her personality is very grim and depressing. This is because she is suffering from anorexia and bulimia. She is very serious when it comes to her habit of living, making her dull and stressed. The things that keep her motivated are to make her parents happy. Because she is an only child, her parents fight over her. When she is not obligated to making her parents happy, she is determined to keep her weight off. She focuses on eating only healthy foods, and little of them because she is worried about blowing up like a balloon.
Another main character from this book is Marya's mother. She is very stiff and unnatural. Also, she can be very quiet and uneasy. Marya's mother is a very unrelaxed person, especially when it comes to Marya's father. When Marya's father is feeding her excessively, Marya's mother tries to win her over by buying her objects. For example, Marya shares "Mom thinks Dad is shoving her out of the family, so Mom buys Marya new books", (24). She gets very depressed over not being her daughters favorite parent, but is motivated to keep trying.
Marya's father is another main character in the book. He is very fun and outgoing. Because of his approachability, he is very entertaining to Marya. This is explained when Marya states, "Dad thinks Mom is being cruel to him, so Dad takes Marya for ice cream. Marya is greatful and lovey-dovey, so Dad is happy and Mom is jealous", (24).This helps him become the favorite parent. He would go the extra mile to make her happy. This is his motivation so far in the book. These characters are vitally important to Marya's personality and how she looks at herself.

Here is my picture!

Blog # 3: memoirs

I think people write memoirs because they are able to express themselves and their feelings. Usually writers bottle up their life experiences and then share them to let out their emotions. People write memoirs to teach others from thier experiences and give insight on how they dealt with them. Also, writers are able to tell their side of the story and inform others that these situations do occur. For example, in the book Black Boy, Richard focuses on racism and how it was a part of his everyday life. He told the affects and shows how he dealt with it. It helps the readers imagine what life was like back then and gives new insight on life as a whole. Memoirs also prove to the reader that they have gone through the same thing and doesn't make the reader seem alone. I have learned so much through memoirs about the tragedys and obstacles that they have had to overcome.
There is a lot of power in telling your own stories. When you tell your own story, you are telling the truth to readers. When you tell your own stories about your life, you are expressing your feelings and the situations that have scared your life. Memoirs are powerful because they can teach readers that they are not alone. Also, it can teach readers about what really goes on in other peoples lives that they have never imagined was possible. In the book, Black Boy, Richard Wright shares his experiences with racism and family issues. The book is so intense and powerful, that it made me think about my life and how different they are. Writing your own stories makes you more powerful by giving insight to others and sharing what you have been through.

Richard's hunger's

In this book, Black Boy, I think Richard hungers for a lot of things. One detail in particular is his hunger for knowledge. Richard is a smart boy, but strives for more. He wants to read literature and books. We know this because when he had the opportunity to learn to count to a hundred, he didn't let anything stand in the way of his learning at that moment. Also, when Richard was a young child, he was very curious and yearned to know everything he could take in. I think Richards hunger for knowledge is positive. He is determined to learn and become successful in his future. He is in a good mind set and will achieve anything in school that comes his way. He is motivated to reach his goals and make himself into something more. There are also negative effects of Richards hunger. When Richard steals Ella's books, he learns horrible words that he repeats to his grandmother. He received severe consequences for his actions. Another negative aspect of Richard's hunger is when he sells the newpapers that are by the teachings of the KKK. Although it wasn't Richards fault, he used his hunger for knowledge in a negative way. Overall, I believe that the outcome of Richard's hunger is more of a positvie and will allow him to reach his dreams.

Another hunger of Richard's is food. Richard battles the amount of food everyday. He knows there is not enough and slides by on the food that is offered to him. Richard believes that hunger will always be lingering in his life and he cannot control it. When he lives with his aunt and uncle, Richard is shocked at the amount of food. Even though there was enough food for him to eat every meal of everyday, he stole biscuits and kept them to make sure there was enough for later. I think Richard's hunger for food has mostly negative affects. First, his lack of food isn't healthy for his body and can cause him to become weak and brittle. Sometimes his hunger overtakes his mind, so that he cannot focus on school or work. Richard has developed a little habit of stealing as well. One positive of his hunger is that he is forced to work in order to eat. At work he will learn how to maintain a job and can learn valuable lessons for his future.

In the book, Black Boy, I don't believe that Richard is a bad child. I think Richard is more of a trouble maker opposed to a bad boy. When you look at the kids that beat him up, they in my opinion would be considered bad boys. Richard is young and hasn't completely learned the difference between right and wrong. Also, half of the situations he gets stuck in are because of his parents being so strict and not letting him explore childhood. Therefore, he becomes curious and bends the rules against his parents wishes. Richard stirs things up occasionally, but he is learning from his mistakes. Although, Richard wasn't the cause of some of his beatings, he was defiantly the cause of others. The ones that Richard cannot control should not be blamed on him. An example of this is when Richard went to school and learned all of those bad words. It wasn't his fault, it was the environment he was placed in. Also, when those kids stole his money, it wasn't his fault that it happened. In both of those events, I think it was based on the environment and Richard should not have been beaten. When Richard set the curtains on fire, he was one hundred percent responsible for those actions and deserved a consequence. In my opinion, Richard is a young boy that is still learning and is not the cause of everything horrible that seems to be his fault.

My Blog!

I am Mackenzie R and welcome to my blog! I am excited to start blogging with our Enriched English class. This year should be a lot of fun. Anyways, I hope you write on my blog! Enjoy your blogging!