English Summative

Jessica Tsai

A Roller of Cigarettes

Pg. 27-34

I was a roller of cigarettes. The taste of them I did not love, but the rolling became my passion and guilty pleasure. I painted houses and played the piano accordion, which in the future comforted the people around me, although I am still unaware to that to this day. I made little money through playing in pubs, and many say that I have cheated death once, but it must have been faith that we would eventually met.

When the opportunity of caring for another foster child was presented to us, my wife and I both took it on, as we have straightened out many in the past. It wouldn’t be anything new, and the duration of the stay was undetermined. Yet, to remain unattached to a child is a hard enough task, especially when caring for them, but raising a child is undoubtedly harder. Liesel Meminger came to us on an ordinary day, nothing special about the day. As the car pulled up, I saw a young little girl, tears scarred her young face. A layer of dirt coated her. How she got here? I may never know. I saw her look up. Safe blond hair, but dangerous dark brown eyes that searched the street for a sense of familiarity, yet as the light dimmed, she found none. And still not a slight intention to leave her temporary sanctuary.

“Was ist los mit den Kind? Na, komm. Komm.” Don’t rush her, Rosa, let her come by herself. I tapped the cigarette a couple times and advanced quietly. Put a hand on her Rosa as I signalled her to leave.

“Liesel, would you like to come in?” And so the convincing games began. Nearly fifteen minutes after, she came out the car.

And then there was the gate. A gang of tears trudged down her face as the neighbours starting poking out their heads.

“What are you assholes looking at?” Rosa hollered. Ah, my wife. Finally, I took hold of Liesel’s hand and walked into our house, unconscious to the book hidden in her suitcase that would become a stepping stone to our intertwined lives.  

“Saumensch, du dreckiges!” screeched Rosa. The same layer of dirt covered our foster daughter, dirt from God knows where. “You filthy pig! Why won’t you get undressed?”

“Leave her alone.” She glared at me with the same bright eyes as always. Don’t start with me. “Leave her to me.” She left quietly, but emotions filled her eyes as always. What to say though? The frightened little thing was backed into a corner of our closet like washroom, clutching for nonexistent arms of the wall for some level of support. Taken from her mother, she was left in this estranged world of Molching. I rolled the cigarette between my fingers, looking for an answer. And there I found it, right at my fingertips.

“You know how to roll a cigarette?” She simply looked at me through her thick, dark lashes. No, read her eyes. I retrieved my little box of supplies and showed her my guilty pleasure. Never admired by anyone else, she looks on with great wonder and admiration, tinted with curiosity. And for the next hour or so, we say in a rising pool of darkness, playing with the tobacco and cigarette papers while I smoked them. And at the end of this hour, she could roll a cigarette moderately well.

Pg. 36

In the months to come, I did not know this at first, but I would yet find one night where I slept soundly in my bed and beside my wife. While she slept like a dead log, I was woken up by screaming coming from our only bedroom. I couldn’t bear to hear her screaming and weeping in her bed. Nor could I imagine what could possibly happen if I went into comfort her. Deciding which one I simply could not stand more, I made my decision. Quietly as ever, I stepped into Liesel’s bedroom, knowing she must have had a nightmare, and sat with her. “Shh, I’m here, it’s alright,” I would sometimes say. After a while, I just held her in my arms until she was calm and could drift back to bed. I did not know what possessed me to do such things, but I came in night after night, week after week until she could relax and sleep. With as much gentleness I possessed, I held her in my arms, nodding off as the sun started to shine. Day by day, I felt like she started to trust me, see me as someone that truly cared, for which I did exactly that. I could tell that she was different from the previous children we have taken care of. Thus trust was built.

Pg. 63- 64

Just like any other night, screaming woke me up. As always, I walked quietly into her room. A different atmosphere hung in the air. Or a smell.

“Papa.” It was all she could say. Never did I ask what she dreamt of, but I knew that this nightmare must have been different. I pried her from the wet bedclothes and took her to the washroom.

“We take the sheets off.” I reached under and pulled at the fabric, but something came loose that I stopped and heard a thud. A small black book with silver writing came into appearance, between my feet. I looked at it with a puzzled look and in the darkness, I looked at Liesel. She simply shrugged. I sighed and picked up the book, realizing there was writing on it. I squinted in the dark, trying to make out the foreign letters to my eyes. “The Grave Digger’s Handbook.” I was not a good reader myself, yet I was faced with a young girl, misplaced in the world, looking to me for everything.

“Is this yours?”

“Yes, Papa.”

“Do you want to read it?”

“Yes, Papa.”

“Well, we’d better read it, then.” A smiled a tired smile at her. At that moment, though I did not know it, my teachings would save her one day, but that day had yet to come. Only time could go on to tell us the reaping of our hard work.

Pg. 125-128

A book burning took place in our little town. Riddled with Nazis and Heil Hitlers. As I took my Liesel home, I couldn’t help but wonder the proposition that sat before me. No words could be exchanged nor thoughts shared. The time was crucial and the decision to take on such a task could be a matter of life and death. Danger riddled, but I felt like I needed to do it. Even though I could trust Liesel, would she say anything to anyone? In the corner of my eye, I could see Liesel bend over. What’s happening? From underneath her clothes, she removed a smoking book, hopping it sheepishly from hand to hand. I could only stare at her in disbelief.

“What the hell do you call that?” I couldn’t censor my feelings inside. Stolen? I took hold of the smoking book. The Shoulder Shrug. Hot, wet, blue and red, and obviously stolen from the book burning. “Another one?” She rubbed her ribs. Yes, another one. I scanned the book, moved my old fingers across the cover and the edges as pieces of paper fell away from my fingertips. Then it dawned on me. This could be the answer. Not directly within my hands. “Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.” How could I not have figured this out before? The perfect utility for what I needed.

“What, Papa? What is it?”

“Of course.” How could I not have realized that this is what the answer was?

“Come on, Papa, what is it?” This was absolutely perfect!

“Are you going to tell?”

“Sorry?” Tell what?

“You know. Are you going to tell Mama?” She was making absolutely no sense. She grabbed onto my sleeves with her eyes wide with despair.

“About what?”

“This.” She raised the book. What?

“Why would I?” Seriously confused. Her face scrunched up, not wanting to admit what she had done.

“Because I stole again.” Ah, my sweet girl. I crouched down, rose again and placed my hand on her head. I stroke her hair with tenderness.

“Of course not, Liesel. You are safe.”

“So what are you going to do?” What a question. Could I trust her? Should I? She is still but a child. Will she understand? What could happen now, doesn’t not only concern the lives of our little family, but more than that.

“Listen, Liesel.” I placed my arm around her and walked along. “This is our secret, this book. We’ll read it at night or in the basement, just like the others-but you have to promise me something.” A compromise for what I have to offer her.

“Anything, Papa.” I knew this was an offer that she could not refuse. Hungry for any story, whether to escape the reality of our time, or rather to make a world of her own.

“If I ever ask you to keep a secret for me, you will do it.” It was not a question, but a statement.

“I promise.”

We headed home. What Liesel wouldn’t know was that I carried some cigarettes down to the Nazi Party Office in Molching and exchanged for with loose change for the Mein Kampf. Written by the Fuhrer himself, the safest weapon that could ever be used. No way to doubt such a trusted book.

“Thank you.” With no hint of what is to happen with this specific book, he left the Nazis behind and ventured on. A key taped inside the cover of the book, sent off to a distant address and to end up in the hands of Jewish fist fighter.

Pg. 394-395

The parade was in town. No, not the kind of parade you would think to happen on any other day in a small town. But on this day, a day in World War II, the parade marched through a small German town. The parade of Jews. Why I took Liesel and Rudy there, I do not know. Why I didn’t protect their naive youth from such a sight, I can never say. Chains echoed through the street. Ugly shouts of German commands fill our ears. Feet shuffled as they carried the barely there weight of their owner. Holding onto the small, delicate hand of Liesel, I couldn’t help but feel a little more grateful at the moment. How could they treat each other in such a way? Treat other humans as if they were below each other. Some must be done. Some had to be done before one of them drop onto the ground, and never to rise again. I dropped Liesel’s hand, and reached for the paint cart that I had carried with me. Reaching into it, I pulled at the object and headed towards the parade. I locked my sight on the first participant I saw and revealed the object. A piece of bread. Although maybe stale, it was food nonetheless. He took it and slid down to his knees and held my shins. He buried his face between them and thanked me. Gratuity filled his voice as only of a desperate man. What caused me to do this, I do not know. Maybe the Jew hidden in my basement and the proof that a human is a human. Grateful and self sacrificing. All the other Jews streamed by as like a streaming pool. All too unaware of the soldier wading through the crowd. Without a second of thought more, he took out his whip. Six whips onto the Jew. Four for me. I could only imagine the sight it looked like to Liesel. Blood dripped onto the sidewalk as I dropped to the ground. The elderly Jew in front of me and climbed back up, with one last glace, he walked on with burning lines of fire on his back. I sat up, kneeling on the ground and watched the procession. Call me what you want, at least I can say I did something human in this lifetime. In these hard times of war.

Pg. 423-425

Two hours left until goodbye, I sat in the kitchen. The kitchen is said to be the heart of the house. To stay in the heart of our home a little longer before I am sent off to cold, dark roads with families screaming and gunshots filling the air.

“Don’t go, Papa. Please.” Liesel pleaded with every fibre of her being. “First we lost Max. I can’t lose you now, too.” I couldn’t even face her at the moment. Everything had been my doing. The line of events that had happened was all my doing.

“You’re half a woman now, Liesel.” Unable to look at my grown girl, I push back the tears that were bridging on the borders of my eyes. “Look after Mama, will you?” I finally looked up and saw her nod through the pain in her eyes.

“Yes. Papa.”

No time is left. No more goodbyes as the train has pulled up to the platform. I hold her little frame in my arms. Say something, say anything. Pushing the thoughts of ‘the last time’ away from my heart, I pushed through.

“Could you look after my accordion, Liesel? I decided not to take it.” A cover up of thoughts. I can only ask her one final thing. The one thing might just be able to keep the rest of them sane. “And if there are more raids, keep reading in the shelter.” Be that little shining of light in the dark times of a warm, my dear.

“Yes, Papa.” My diligent and faithful daughter. Sweet and precious. I reached out to my wife and my daughter. Held them both for as long as I could, and then watched them grow smaller, and smaller, and smaller until they were no bigger than pin heads and finally, faded from view.

These filled my life and until the unseen, yet predicted end of my life, the little girl that I cherished and watched grow up left her mark in the world, even if it’s only evident to so many people. The decisions I’ve made have determined her path, for the better or for the worse. Even as I lie eternally here, I leave with no regrets and leave a trail of accordion notes and cigarette paper.

Essential Questions chosen:

1) How does the environment affect one’s decision?

2) Are decisions part of human nature?”

Thesis: Every step of action we chose to take, every thought that passes our mind is an offspring of what and who is around us, and without the ability to weigh and chose the actions we chose to take in our lives, we cannot be called human beings.

Hans Huberman would have only needed to make such decisions in a time of war and in a time where desperation is everywhere. Without experiences of gunfire, he would have never accepted the request to hide a Jew in his basement, and without the interaction with such a refuge, he would have never decided to give bread to the prisoners walking by his town

Accompanied Music. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBfrJk1tjTE

Summative Journal #2

As the book finally came to an end, the reader can't help but reflect at how the authoress has portrayed her characters. Although she has all the power, the characters seem to have taken a route of her own as well. The book ended nicely, the antagonist died rather peacefully, despite his turbulent life and everyone's lives were finally at peace, for once. At the end, Heathcliff loses all sensibility of reality as he started picturing Catherine wherever he goes and eventually starts conversing with her as if she was there as he "muttered detached words, also; the only one, I could catch, was the name of Catherine, coupled with some wild term of endearment" (pg. 379). Meanwhile, young Catherine and Hareton go through a series of up and downs as their friendship and relationship develops. Teaching Hareton how to read was the biggest factor to their growing relationship as it brought them closer and knitted the relationship together. By a miracle of numerous events, everything arranges itself just for everything to be right in order for the book to come to an end. When looking back at how everything magically reorganized itself for the book to end, it seemed like a greater force was trying to make everything right for the name of Catherine. Whether it was for young Catherine or for her mother, Catherine, everything came to an end peacefully.

As I personally reflected on the end of the novel, I truly wondered Heathcliff's death. It was all so human of a death while his living recounted one of something inhumane. How he was such a monster in his living and how he was portrayed with such a hunger of revenge made him look near inhumane, which also made him seem no where near to ever possibly behaving like a human. But near his death, Heathcliff gives away to this overpowering desire of revenge and the need to be invincible as he finally realizes that his time was near. "He gazed at something within two yards distance" and "-communicated, apparently, both pleasure and pain, in exquisite extremes, at least, the anguished, yet raptured expression of his countenance suggested that idea" (pg. 378) while he lost his mind, pretending that Catherine was still there. How he was able to submit himself to being actually decent and human was a full rotation turn, which confuses many, but yet again we see the matter of humanity. Thus showing us that even the most unbearable of the humans are capable and able to find peace with themselves and become someone completely unknown. Very much like Darth Vader. He turns into the most feared villain of all the galaxies, as if he was more than human, but simply like how Heathcliff died from insanity, Darth Vader gave his life away to the lack of oxygen. Something that seems so unlikely in a world fill with this crucial, but abundant gas that we need, yet the way that ended his life could be so easily avoided. Both villains succumbed to a human way of ending their villain careers, and their life which continues to astonish me because of how the authoress had decided to portray both characters as anything but human.

Through discussion, we also explored how revolved the storyline was around Heathcliff. The moment he died, the world came to peace and everything was settled. He was the one and only source of conflict throughout the whole novel. Catherine can finally be at peace and marry the one that she loves, Nelly doesn't have to keep such a watchful eye on her mistress and everything is as it should be in a quiet, countryside life. One also has to wonder at how dramatic a person has to be in order to cause so much trouble between the people he knows. Credit has to be given to Emily Bronte for creating such a character and helping it become alive as this novel thrives to be a classic.


Although our discussion about the book is nearing a close, we still could probe the subject of why Heathcliff had this urgent need to ruin everything around him and how he was, in the end, the centre of all conflict in this specific novel. The goal for our coming discussion would be to find more connections in our every day lives that we can relate to the novel, although it was set in such a different time and situation. 

Summative Mind Map

http://www.mindomo.com/view.htm?m=74575fa748b94dc3aa45bc7ade489de6

This mind map was to explore the denotation and connotation of conflict, how it came about and what it brings. I also included evidence from the text to prove that what is proposed is true, as well as connections from myself, other texts and the world which we live in.

Journal # 4

As the book finally came to an end, the reader can't help but reflect at how the authoress has portrayed her characters. Although she has all the power, the characters seem to have taken a route of her own as well. The book ended nicely, the antagonist died rather peacefully, despite his turbulent life and everyone's lives were finally at peace, for once. At the end, Heathcliff loses all sensibility of reality as he started picturing Catherine wherever he goes and eventually starts conversing with her as if she was there. Meanwhile, young Catherine and Hareton go through a series of up and downs as their friendship and relationship develops. Teaching Hareton how to read was the biggest factor to their growing relationship as it brought them closer and knitted the relationship together. By a miracle of numerous events, everything arranges itself just for everything to be right in order for the book to come to an end. When looking back at how everything magically reorganized itself for the book to end, it seemed like a greater force was trying to make everything right for the name of Catherine. Whether it was for young Catherine or for her mother, Catherine, everything came to an end peacefully.

As I personally reflected on the end of the novel, I truly wondered Heathcliff's death. It was all so human of a death while his living recounted one of something inhumane. How he was such a monster in his living and how he was portrayed with such a hunger of revenge made him look near inhumane, which also made him seem no where near to ever possibly behaving like a human. But near his death, Heathcliff gives away to this overpowering desire of revenge and the need to be invincible as he finally realizes that his time was near. "He gazed at something within two yards distance" and "-communicated, apparently, both pleasure and pain, in exquisite extremes, at least, the anguished, yet raptured expression of his countenance suggested that idea" while he lost his mind, pretending that Catherine was still there. How he was able to submit himself to being actually decent and human was a full rotation turn, which confuses many, but yet again we see the matter of humanity. Thus showing us that even the most unbearable of the humans are capable and able to find peace with themselves and become someone completely unknown. Very much like Darth Vader. He turns into the most feared villain of all the galaxies, as if he was more than human, but simply like how Heathcliff died from insanity, Darth Vader gave his life away to the lack of oxygen. Something that seems so unlikely in a world fill with this crucial, but abundant gas that we need, yet the way that ended his life could be so easily avoided. Both villains succumbed to a human way of ending their villain careers, and their life which continues to astonish me because of how the authoress had decided to portray both characters as anything but human.

Through discussion, we also explored how revolved the storyline was around Heathcliff. The moment he died, the world came to peace and everything was settled. He was the one and only source of conflict throughout the whole novel. Catherine can finally be at peace and marry the one that she loves, Nelly doesn't have to keep such a watchful eye on her mistress and everything is as it should be in a quiet, countryside life. One also has to wonder at how dramatic a person has to be in order to cause so much trouble between the people he knows. Credit has to be given to Emily Bronte for creating such a character and helping it become alive as this novel thrives to be a classic.

Response

Thanks for your input. It is often very informativen and enlightening when reading your peers wrok. I suggest you continue and give feed back for the remaining formative journals.

Summative Journal

I have decided to submit my second formative journal as my summative journal.
Through reading the journals of my fellow group members, I learned that we share very similar connections and viewed the book in similar views, but we all had our perspective input in it. I learned that Heathcliff is very much like an animal in all his actions. He even had the thoughts of an animal, when he is in rage or desperation. This was something I never saw myself as I just took him for a tortured soul. I feel like sharing journals greatly widen our perspectives and understandings and develops our skills for future use. 




As the classic novel of Wuthering Heights proceeds and dives deeper into its own tale, the characters reveal more than before and we, as the readers, realize that not all the characters have true intentions to do the best for others and themselves.
The story continues as Mrs Catherine Linton falls ill due to the sudden enlightenment of Heathcliff and Isabella's so called love. She is beside herself and bed stricken from grief while Mr. Linton doesn't know what to do and seeks books for comfort and security. Because of Heathcliff's abandonment, Catherine seeks attention from everyone she can get it from, especially the husband that is suppose to love her so much. On page 138, Catherine exclaims her disbelief for her husband. "'Among his books!' she cried, confounded. 'And I dying! I on the brink of the grave! My God!does he know how I'm altered?'" This is just one of the many examples of how Catherine, although she seems like a reasonable adult, is an irrational child at heart that will become upset at every little thing that does not go her way. As well, due to this, Catherine is feared to have "permanent alienation of intellect" (pg.150). This is also solid evidence of how easily Catherine is influenced by her surroundings and her, like every one of us, is so easily influenced from our surroundings and the environment around us. A connection that could be made through this experience and behaviour of others depending on their situation and the environment around can be linked directly to the philosophy of Thomas Hobbes. Because he grew up in a time of war and toil, he saw the humankind in need of a higher power to govern them or else all would end in disaster. If Hobbes did not grow up in such an age, and he could live a quiet life full of peace, he might not have come up with such a theory and commenced the age long debate of Nature vs Nurture.
As a group, we discussed what kind of love existed between Heathcliff and Catherine. It started off as a childish friend sort of love, but as the years progressed, as they were lengthened from each other, the love itself became very different from that which it started from. When Catherine decided to marry Edgar Linton, she revealed that her soul and the soul of Heathcliff was the same, but she could not express herself as Heathcliff freely did. She was also constricted by her gender and the stereotypes of the time. During that time, women had to live by the unwritten rule of living like a lady and acting like one to attain a certain position in society, to gain respect. She is similar to Madam Curie, who was constricted by her gender and the lack of respect from the science community. Unlike Madam Curie, who reached beyond the expectations of others, Catherine immersed herself in these expectations and lost who she truly is.
Previously confounded by this strange love that flowers between Heathcliff and Catherine, the later chapters reveal that it indeed was more than just a family and friendly love between them. She earned and needed him as he did everything he could to make her miserable for abandoning him. I brought up the concept that it was a love that was undeniable, but they could not live without each other, nor could they live with each other. Others mentioned that it was yet to be determined because Heathcliff played the whole hot and cold game with Catherine; visiting her every day at the Grange, marrying Isabella to make her miserable, returning to Wuthering Heights to be in proximity with her, and the list goes on.
In my group, I see myself using post-its more to pinpoint interesting points in the novel as well as being able to see deeper layers due to the different understandings of my fellow group members. It has become a fairly easy novel to understand, yet, like how others mentioned, like a soap opera throughout all these conflicts and relationships that flourish.

Wuthering Heights

This glogster focuses on pain and the effects of it. Although it is an element in life that can throw you down and the ground and trample all over you, it is an essential part of life. Without experiencing how life can be when it goes wrong, we'll never know not to do that again or to do things differently. Pain, like happiness, is an emotion that causes growth in every single person around us. Whether it's a scrape on the knee, or the loss of someone dear, pain is there, not to catch us, but to teach us a hard lesson and let our inner self develop to who we truly are. It has nothing to do with how different emotional pain and physical pain is different, but simply the effects of it are the same. I chose the song Tighten Up by The Black Keys because its lyrics described the pain and fear of love whereas the video sent a different message, yet the message got through. Am I afraid of pain? Hell yeah! But I have come to realize that without it, I wouldn't be able to be the person I am today.

http://jtizzle21.glogster.com/wuthering-heights/

Response

Ilike the connections that you have brought in. Can you see how this journal is much more insghtful then your other one. Well done. Good detail and good support. I like how you are seeing the layers and the levels of ocmplication that are in this novel. Keep up the good work.

Wuthering Heights Journal #2

As the classic novel of Wuthering Heights proceeds and dives deeper into its own tale, the characters reveal more than before and we, as the readers, realize that not all the characters have true intentions to do the best for others and themselves.
The story continues as Mrs Catherine Linton falls ill due to the sudden enlightenment of Heathcliff and Isabella's so called love. She is beside herself and bed stricken from grief while Mr. Linton doesn't know what to do and seeks books for comfort and security. Because of Heathcliff's abandonment, Catherine seeks attention from everyone she can get it from, especially the husband that is suppose to love her so much. On page 138, Catherine exclaims her disbelief for her husband. "'Among his books!' she cried, confounded. 'And I dying! I on the brink of the grave! My God!does he know how I'm altered?'" This is just one of the many examples of how Catherine, although she seems like a reasonable adult, is an irrational child at heart that will become upset at every little thing that does not go her way. As well, due to this, Catherine is feared to have "permanent alienation of intellect" (pg.150). This is also solid evidence of how easily Catherine is influenced by her surroundings and her, like every one of us, is so easily influenced from our surroundings and the environment around us. A connection that could be made through this experience and behaviour of others depending on their situation and the environment around can be linked directly to the philosophy of Thomas Hobbes. Because he grew up in a time of war and toil, he saw the humankind in need of a higher power to govern them or else all would end in disaster. If Hobbes did not grow up in such an age, and he could live a quiet life full of peace, he might not have come up with such a theory and commenced the age long debate of Nature vs Nurture.
As a group, we discussed what kind of love existed between Heathcliff and Catherine. It started off as a childish friend sort of love, but as the years progressed, as they were lengthened from each other, the love itself became very different from that which it started from. When Catherine decided to marry Edgar Linton, she revealed that her soul and the soul of Heathcliff was the same, but she could not express herself as Heathcliff freely did. She was also constricted by her gender and the stereotypes of the time. During that time, women had to live by the unwritten rule of living like a lady and acting like one to attain a certain position in society, to gain respect. She is similar to Madam Curie, who was constricted by her gender and the lack of respect from the science community. Unlike Madam Curie, who reached beyond the expectations of others, Catherine immersed herself in these expectations and lost who she truly is.
Previously confounded by this strange love that flowers between Heathcliff and Catherine, the later chapters reveal that it indeed was more than just a family and friendly love between them. She earned and needed him as he did everything he could to make her miserable for abandoning him. I brought up the concept that it was a love that was undeniable, but they could not live without each other, nor could they live with each other. Others mentioned that it was yet to be determined because Heathcliff played the whole hot and cold game with Catherine; visiting her every day at the Grange, marrying Isabella to make her miserable, returning to Wuthering Heights to be in proximity with her, and the list goes on.
In my group, I see myself using post-its more to pinpoint interesting points in the novel as well as being able to see deeper layers due to the different understandings of my fellow group members. It has become a fairly easy novel to understand, yet, like how others mentioned, like a soap opera throughout all these conflicts and relationships that flourish.

response

It is interesting how you describe Heatcliff developping a "gloomy" appearance. How does the author portray Wuthering Heights. Do you think the environment is shaping the person as well as what the character has experienced and is experiencing. He is definitely an outsider when atfirst he so much wanted to be an insider. YOU have good insight inot what is happening.
I mentioned that the novel would be a challenge at the start, but then it would become much easier. To further enrich your reading how do you see this connecting to anything in society or other works etc... also can you bring in any quotes to support some your points, not all writing should be indirect references, some should be direct. Then tell me how you see yourself growing in the group. I am glad that you mentioned how through discussions you have come to better understand the novel.

Wuthering Heights Journal #1

In the past week, we ventured through the classic novel of Wuthering Heights to reveal more than just the classical love story, but the history of the character of Heathcliff. As a group, Heathcliff revealed to us the why to his actions and the how to his ways. Ontop of that, the discussion led to how a person was regarded in a society and how others treat them directly influences the character of that person.
Wuthering Heights begins with a very hard beginning and leaves the reader confused. Mr. Lockwood visits the Earnshaw home at Wuthering Heights and experiences more than the typical visit. The hostile hosts react aggressively to his new presence. Not only does Mr. Lockwood experience a failure of an escape, but he is captured by the dream of the mistress of the house, Catherine, which he stayed in for the night. This dream and the reaction of Heathcliff raises questions within Mr. Lockwood. Soon, he turns to the Nelly, the trusted maid of the household to recount the details of her time at the residence.
Although not even half into the book, a lot of the characteristics of Heathcliff is revealed. He started off as an abandoned boy which was taken in the by Earnshaw family. Although many members did not warm up to them at first, he was eventually accepted by the immediate family of Wuthering Heights, almost all the members. Hindley, his adopted older brother had other thoughts while Catherine cuddled up to Heathcliff.
One of the things we discussed about the book was how a child can easily be influenced. Because Hindley referred to Heathcliff as the "gipsy child" and as the "imp of Satan", Heathcliff saw how others viewed him and that gave him almost an approval in his subconscious to his actions being less than pleasant to others. After Hindley got married, Catherine, Heathcliff's best friend and adopted sister, went to live at their aunt and uncle's residence for five weeks, which changed her from a girl to more of a lady. When she returned, Heathcliff saw an instant change as she grew up and matured while he did not have such opportunities or learnings as he was despised by other relatives and Hindley. Because Catherine had 'forsaken' him, he subconsciously gave up on even trying to present himself favourable to others, thus giving up on daily necessities such as baths and grooming habits. His "personal appearance sympathised with mental deterioration" thus he developed an overall gloomy appearance.
Due to his reliance on Catherine for companionship, he gave himself to the complete submission of her judgement. Once that was taken away from him, he abandoned all hope for himself ever to be an important part of society, or a member at all as he slipped into gloom. The unknown love from Catherine to Heathcliff hints to play an important role as the book progresses, but all we know at the moment that Heathcliff did not have a healthy childhood which led directly to his present character.

Rwandan Genocide Summative

Dear Writers,

             As you might expect, my daughter has recently informed me that you are in need of personal information concerning the Rwandan Genocide. Although the memories are hard to relive, they are forever engraved in my memory. Many have suggested two already made films, Hotel Rwanda and Shake Hands with the Devil, trying to recapture the events and now I can testify it is no worse than it was portrayed in the media. As well, to my surprise, my family and I found ourselves in a similar situation as those of the refugees forced to seek aid at the hotel.

            As you know, I am a surviving Tutsi living comfortably in North America. At the time of the genocide, I was but a mere teenager. Everything had happened abruptly and before I knew what was happening, my parents rushed us to a hotel to seek protection. They never told me and my siblings why, but only that we needed to. Many years later, I had found out that our beloved neighbours were partaking in the activities of Hutu Power. Like the portrayal of the event in Hotel Rwanda, there were constant radio broadcasts to encourage the Hutu Power. It was not broadcasted in the hotel, but we have all heard pieces here and there. Every day was a struggle to survive and a constant, but finite countdown was on our subconscious, waiting for the day they would realize that this hotel had become a refugee camp.

          Fear struck everywhere, whether it was the rumours of the number of Tutsis being killed or the advances of the Hutu military-wise. As both the features portrayed, the UN was not helping and constantly withdrawing men. Pardon me, the West was constantly withdrawing men. The village became a nightmare and the roads graveyards for the deceased. Saying many died would be an understatement.

         Something I couldn't help noticing in the films was how different they are. Shake Hands with the Devil was completely from the view of General Romeo Dallaire and the UN. It emphasized on Dallaire single-handedly trying to save the Tutsis even if he had to going against the orders of those more powerful than him. Dallaire showed how he gave away everything in hope to save those that were utterly helpless. The creator of the movie used every way possible to describe the mood of the situation, even from the view of the UN. It made me realize, as a survivor of the situation, that the UN did try to help, or General Dallaire, who did everything he could to get aid from the rest of the world, even when no help is being presented. It showed me a new perspective of what the UN tried to do for us, but it also presented a bias that emphasized how everyone decided to abandon Dallaire in Rwanda for their gain. No one was willing to lose more than they would gain which was the reason why they retreated all the troops there to help the UN. Something that I could see as a contradiction in the movie included how although the world was in search of peace, many people of power were demanding of lowering costs and retrieving troops from Rwanda. As well as how the government was shown was surprising, because we all know that the government is known to protect its people, was standing back and watching the killing, if not secretly contributing to the Hutu forces. Another factor that was noticed was how the guards chosen to guard the building the UN resided in could barely hold guns. This showed how the UN was truly for peace and not in search of war, but then their safety was put in the hands of these 'guards.' An ironic factor that really affected me personally was how little social differenced there was between the Hutus and the Tutsis, even as a survivor of this ordeal. Another factor that affected the situation is how the West decided to retrieve troops as the situation proceeded and the death count grew. The logic and quality of the evidence is there and comprehendible and it also helps with understanding the situation so overall, this film really opened my eyes.

        Hotel Rwanda is another case, as I can personally relate to it much more than Shake Hands with the Devil. As I was in a similar situation, this movie really touched something within me that I did not realized before. As well, having watched the two movies, it opened my eyes to new light of exactly what was happening within the beautiful country of Rwanda. The movie starts and remains in a light warm setting that is filled with sun and beautiful vegetation like that of my home, even when all these horrible things were happening. How the evidence was chosen to be represented contradicted with the evidence itself as it was on two on of the same spectre. The fact was that innocent people, including children were being killed just for the fact of who they were and yet the sun is still shining and the trees are still green. The mood of the movie did not reflect what was happening. Yes, I do remember the sun always shining and the flowers blooming with beauty, but the mood of the people around me was nowhere to the one shown in the movie. The perspective of this one personally affected me strongly as I was put in a similar situation, the situation that of a citizen inside the rebellion itself even though this movie emphasizes strongly on a Hutu trying to protect his family and his wife, who is a Tutsi. A contradiction that showed itself was how Paul, the manager of the hotel, had to bribe the government in order have someone to protect them, which also connects to the role of the government in Shake Hands with the Devil. Another contradiction presented how General Dallaire, even though he was fighting for the cause of keeping the Tutsis safe, told Paul that he was dirt. Even though he was the one that people looked to for hope, he was the one revealing the reality of what others thought about the whole situation. Exaggerations and likely distortions presented may include how rashly the Hutus acted and how ruthless they were in their decisions.  The social factors present include the ever going broadcasting of encouragement of Hutu power that truly empowered the Hutus and gave them indirect orders as well, but apart from that, both movies share similar factors. I couldn’t help but notice how in this movie, even when the perspective is different, they still showed how Rwanda seemed abandoned by the outside world as it does in the other movie. Romeo Dallaire is present in both and plays a crucial role in both, but his position did not change at all and the position of the West did not change at all. It felt like the media was trying to tell everyone that the world did not bother to send men to initiate peace but rather, they looked at it as “another African mess.”

                So I ask myself, why I felt that these two movies were ever so important to tell you my own story.  The answer concerns more than just an individual. It is for culture that I will tell you my story. It is for my children and their children that I share this information. Why? Because it is a hardship that we, as a people, overcame. It is a hardship that is forever engraved in history, if not our hearts. And it will not be forgotten or ever overlooked because it is an event that showed our weakness, the weakness of human beings. Experts look back at it and humanitarians and mothers and fathers as well. It will be looked back a dark time in our history as a species, but it is nonetheless part of history. So I tell this story for the legacy, for the experience, not to relive the pain, sorrow and suffering of others.

Angelique Mugisha

Non Fiction Write

EQ of choosing : What allows some individuals to take a stand against prejudice/oppression while others choose to participate in it?
Article read: The Rwandan Girl Who Refused To Die

As we grow up, our authority figures always tell us not just to be a bystander, but be a leader instead and make a difference. The same principle applies the other way around. The genocide in Rwanda is a perfect example of such a teaching. The Hutu tribe saw a threat to their culture against the Tutsi tribe therefore they took things into their own hands and started to eliminate the Tutsi to assure their survival in Rwanda. Those that refused to kill or take part of the killing were eliminated, therefore for those that did not believe in the cause, they found difficulty in refusing such an order. The Hutus can be compared and likened to many groups and gangs in history, some identical to them, some with rarely any similarities, but the factor of challenging a majority is within every single one.
Fergal Keane was the journalist who chose to write about this Rwandan girl, Valentina, who refused to let go of her life. In this article, it not only talks about Valentina's own experiences, but also that of one of the killers that murdered the rest of her family. Denis Bagaruka, one of the gang of men that were responsible for the killing at the local church, spoke of his experience to Keane. He explained how although he was taken care of by a Tutsi man, he still took part of the killing at the church. Keane was very forward with his questions, so Bagaruka was forward with his answers. He not only recounted an experience of of him witnessing his Tutsi guardian being blown up by a grenade, but he also explained why he partook of the massacre. According the the 56 year old grandfather, he took apart of the killing to save himself from the firing squad. He could not take apart of the injustice and oppression that the officiating Hutus applied to the citizens, therefore he could only give in and do what he needed to keep him and his family safe.
Valentina, a 13 year old girl was the one to take a stand. Having witnessed the killing of her parents, her neighbours and many more, Valentina proved that she was destined to live rather than give up on life. Although her stand was not as obvious as the children who refused to submit to the Hutus, she took a stand against death. Even with a deep wound on her head and many fingers chopped off, she fought to live. Everyone that saw her expected her to die, even by just looking at her situation. Both her parents and her siblings were killed and she was stuck inside a church with dozens of decomposing bodies and there was little food or water. On top of that, she had no medical attention. She could have easily lost the will to live and given up her chance on life, but she refused. Medical help came, and the rest was history. Keane saw her three years later and saw a healthy 16 year old teenager...

Movie Analysis Summative

Heathers


In this specific movie, a clique of girls who dominate the school experience a different sort of friendship. Out of the four girls, three of the girls' names are Heather while the other girl is Veronica. Being the most popular girls at school comes with a lot of pressure, which is why Veronica wants out. Soon, her interest in a new boy, J.D. spikes as she sees potential in his bad boy rep to help her out of the group. Soon, she realizes that JD pushes her to the extremes, such to as killing her best friend and other acts she never thought she would have done.

The first layer of the story is what is obvious, Veronica being tricked to kill her friends, but then taking on a new persona with this new desire and letting it grow by itself. By going out with JD, this new desire and hunger settles as her relationship with him helps that desire and hunger grow and take a life on its own.


The next layer would be why Veronica wanted out of the clique and why Veronica wants JD to be the one to help her as she seeks for a response. This layer will include not only her own opinions, but the opinions of other people around her, who have an influencing factor on her. Such as having JD, such a dark character that does not look at the bright side of things beside her, will strongly influence her decisions. Besides, it isn't just any kind of relationship, but it is a girlfriend/boyfriend scenario where they are likely to listen to one another more than a casual friendship.


The third and final layer includes her history, how she was brought up and her place in society which has serious influence on Veronica and how she grew up. It seems that Veronica has had a normal childhood, but what is untold can say a lot. Maybe in her past, there were some events that led her down this path. As well, choosing JD as her love interest is also another influencing factor since she has never been into his type. Why she chose him and why she had such a change in taste greatly influence her in every way.


Even if none of these layers show any sign of darkness, darkness can always be conveyed through the characters. When Veronica use the fire of the explosion to light her cigarette, it revealed the dark nature of her as having the guts to cause an explosion that cost a life and using it to light her cigarette which revealed her cruel nature. Such an event perfectly conveys darkness in the movie.


A character is able to represent darkness by how they choose to express themselves as in what kind of clothes they wear or what their taste in music is. A story or the writer is able to convey darkness through the setting as well because it sets the mood and tone of that scene or the whole story. Such as in Harry Potter, the whole movie seems eerie and gloomy because the movie is about the fight between the good and the evil. 


A text to world connection can be made to every girl, or even guy, that wanted to leave the group they are currently attending and trying to find different ways to do that. Although the measures taken will definitely be less extreme than those that Veronica took, it can still relate as the desperateness to be anything but a part of something that is happening at the moment. 


The EQ of choice that I chose to answer is : Are we implicated in injustice and what can we do about it? This specific EQ relates very well with the character of Veronica as she finds herself in the middle of injustice against her best friends and instead of stopping it, she goes along with it. JD is the root of the problem along with her desperate need to escape the group, but as her relationship with JD grows, she finds that he feeds her desperate need with his knowledge of things that are beyond her expertise. What Veronica could have done was put her foot down and decide that this was not the way that she wanted to carry out her plan, but instead, she was taken over the desperate need and heavily influenced by JD's knowledge of darkness. 


I improved my piece by adding onto each idea and really identifying it as well as putting in more examples to justify myself. I also expanded the piece and full developed each idea. 

The Cask of Amontillado Response

EQ 1: What are the layers of context/setting in this film?
The first layer is the obvious layer. On the surface, this story seems like a quest between to friends for the quest of the rare sherry, Amontillado, in a deserted catacomb, which may ray suspicions. However, the creepy, dark setting brings us into the next level, which is the meaning of the story. As the story comes the a conclusion, it is realized that Fortunado had fallen in the trap of his companion, chaining himself to his death. The narrator knew how to tug onto Fortunado's heartstrings by tempting him with the rare Amontillado. Because of Fortunado's desire for Amontillado, he blindly follows his companion to wherever he leads him. Once inside the catacomb, his companion turns on him and reveals his true intentions. He led Fortunado to the catacombs for revenge, to chain him to the wall so he cannot escape. Finally, in examining the third layer of the story, we ask ourselves what is the true nature of our narrator. Has Fortunado done something so bad that he deserves to be locked alive in a catacomb, doomed for death? The narrator's nature is truly questioned due to his way to execute his revenge. We also see how Fortunado's lust for Amontillado, desire for it, to lead him to his death, unknowingly. By creating the setting, a dark, gloomy, catacomb, Poe created the perfect setting for the unexpected act of the narrator chaining his victim to the wall, ceasing all hopes or ways of attempted escape or anything else.

EQ 2: How does the author/poet convey evil or darkness? Is it through the plot, imagery, characters, setting? What expressions of darkness had the most impact on you and why?
The poet/author conveyed darkness by making the setting a place of darkness and death to set the mood of the story. Although the carnival at the beginning seems like a happy and friendly place, Poe chose to take the story to a totally different mood. The characters did not give much information about what is to happen, other than the introduction of the beginning as the narrator talks of revenge. The setting does make an impact in this story, but I prefer a more direct approach, an approach through the portrayal of characters to see what they are thinking, which gives a more personal feel towards the story.

EQ 3: How can a character represent darkness? Who or what is evil in this film? From whose perspective or in what context?
A character is able to represent darkness by what they say, how they say it, what they wear as well as the places they choose to go to. In this story, in the very end, the narrator, the one that led Fortunado to his death was the "evil" one. Even though Fortunado seems like the pessimistic character in the story as it progresses, but in the end, the narrator is the one that does the deed to prove his suspected nature. The perspective is from that of the audience, that of the reader in the context of the this story. Although it is a dark story, it questions the human nature and what a normal person may be thinking, of how we judge, it is still a story that explores the character and what is within them.

EQ 4: What factors contribute to the character's evil actions? What patterns in society or context help and/or hinder and/or change in his behaviour?
Factors that may contribute to the evil actions of our character include the time, what is happening in the society, politically as well as economically. It might also come in the form of the people he is surrounded by and their influencing factor on his decisions. The pattern in society may also change his behaviour as a sign of the survival instinct.

EQ 5: What are the roots of this person's choices/evil/dark behaviour? What are the choices he/she makes or could have done differently?
The roots of Montresor choices and behaviour in this specific story is revenge. It is because of his desire and the temptation of revenge on Fortunado. The choices that he could have done differently include choosing not to take revenge on Fortunado and be a good person by forgiving and forgetting. Also, he could have made different decisions on how to execute this dreadful act, maybe a more humane way of doing things.

EQ 6: How does this character/plot/setting symbolize the darkness in all of us? In humanity?
The character himself symbolized darkness by his choice of executing his revenge on Fortunado. The plot itself lead the story to a place of darkness, but at first glance, it does not to be going down the path of darkness. As the story wraps itself up, the plot reveals its true nature and that of the character as well. By choosing the lead the characters to a dark, somber catacombs This directly links us to the setting. By choosing a dark, deserted, somber catacomb, the author portrays a setting that is filled with death, resembles the terminations of life and casts the air of suspicion to both characters, although one of them realize what is going to happen. In humanity, there are always things that happen, especially the moment you turn on the news. People, events and setting may also symbolize darkness by casting the eery atmosphere, the choices people make, and the situations people find themselves in.

response

How true that we do need a balance. Unfortunatley that is what are society since the beginning of time has created the need for. That is all we know. We have never known a society that is all pure. How "evily" put. to be reeled and spit out! What a harsh world we do live. Do you not think we can survive it and overcome the darkness? Can one not change their morals? Do we go back to the nature/ nuture theory?
You have raised many valid issues in your well written piece. Great diction.

Why darkness exists in society

The depressing term of darkness is able to make a name for itself, survive, and thrive in a society based upon good morals and good intentions. Why? It is the same principle as black on white. You will never know the how pure and simple white is until you see the hideous looming black behind it, creating that contrast, that attention the black craves for. Therefore, darkness is able to exist in our society due to the need of a contrast to the good morals and good intentions. Without the darkness looming behind, the good morals and actions will never be noticed and will never shine through the dark. Remember, a hero would not exist is there was a villain. The two need each other to survive, to thrive in the monster of society that will reel you in and spit you out. Their nature are forever entwined and their paths inseparable.