Camille Franchine
March 30, 2009
Being a Writer
Has blogging been valuable to you as a student, thinker, reader, and writer?
Yes, blogging has been valuable to me as a student, thinker, reader, and writer. I like the way I can comment on other peoples work and they can comment on mine. This lets me see how other students did the same assignment that I did and let’s me see their ideas. It is also good for me to get comments from others. I like to see the different opinions that people have on my writing. Seeing other works and getting comments on mine both help me to be a student and learn how to improve my work. Something that I thought sounded good, might not be as good as I thought it was and I like it when people let me know that. Blogging has helped me to learn how to become a better writer and to see different aspects on the things that I read.
What have you taken away from taking this approach to submitting writing for a class?
Taking this type of approach to submitting work for a class has been beneficial to me. It is teaching me more on how to use the Internet without being overwhelming. It helps me to be able to figure things out if the Internet isn’t working right. So, not only does this improve my writing skills, but also it improves my computer skills and my problem-solving skills.
How do you feel about doing and continuing to do this kind of work?
I feel that it would be a good thing to continue to do this type of work. I feel this way because of al the reasons mentioned above. I also like this type of work because it saves a lot of paper and it eliminates the trouble of having to hand in an actual paper each week.
Is this work different from other experiences that you have had in English classes?
This work is very different from work I’ve had in previous English classes. None of the other English classes that I have taken used and online method of handing in work. All papers were on paper. I have also never really been challenged as much in an English class as I am now. It’s not necessarily difficult; it just requires more thought and effort than any other English class that I have ever taken.
Looking forward, do you have suggestions for how you want to be graded on this writing?
I feel that the writing posted on blogger should be graded just as if the same writing were handed in on paper. I think that if the student follows the prompt and is clear with his/her writing, they should do okay. If the student expresses good ideas through writing and shares that with other students, that person should get a good grade.
Has doing this work changed the community within your own class or between classes (11-1 and 11-2) in any way?
Yes, I feel that using blogger has changed the community within and between the classes. The change isn’t all that significant, but it is still there. Blogger has gotten me to know what people that I don’t normally talk to on a daily basis think, and how they write. It could help students realize what they might have in common with another student that they didn’t think they had anything in common with. Not only does blogger help to improve writing skills and save the trees, it also helps students to make friends.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
Fitzgerald's Quotes
Camille Franchine
English 3
Mr. Fiorini
March 23, 2009
Analysis on Quotes
F. Scott Fitzgerald said some very wise things while writing to his daughter as well as in other writings. His words have deeper meaning than what seems to be the literal meaning. Also, he says things in many words, which can be interpreted in simpler words.
He says, “Often I think writing is a sheer paring away of oneself leaving always something thinner, barer, more meager.” I think that he is saying that in a person’s writing, they include a part of themselves. When a person writes something, they can’t help but to leave a little of themselves in it.
He also says, “Riches have never fascinated me, unless combined with the greatest charm or distinction.” I think that by this he means that money doesn’t mean much to him. He doesn’t care if a person has a lot of money or not. He only cares if the person has a good personality. Whether a poor person, or a rich person has a good personality, he will like that person.
He also says, “A great social success is a pretty girl who plays her cards as carefully as if she were plain.” By this, I think that he means that beauty will only get a person so far. Someone who is pretty may have a little advantage at first, but after getting to know people, they may not be liked. People who are pretty have to be just as careful as people who are not about who they trust.
All in all, Fitzgerald has a lot of great words that inspire his writing. They also inspire me. Although these quotes have simple meanings, they are aspects of life that I find to be true. Fitzgerald was a wise man and had great things to say.
English 3
Mr. Fiorini
March 23, 2009
Analysis on Quotes
F. Scott Fitzgerald said some very wise things while writing to his daughter as well as in other writings. His words have deeper meaning than what seems to be the literal meaning. Also, he says things in many words, which can be interpreted in simpler words.
He says, “Often I think writing is a sheer paring away of oneself leaving always something thinner, barer, more meager.” I think that he is saying that in a person’s writing, they include a part of themselves. When a person writes something, they can’t help but to leave a little of themselves in it.
He also says, “Riches have never fascinated me, unless combined with the greatest charm or distinction.” I think that by this he means that money doesn’t mean much to him. He doesn’t care if a person has a lot of money or not. He only cares if the person has a good personality. Whether a poor person, or a rich person has a good personality, he will like that person.
He also says, “A great social success is a pretty girl who plays her cards as carefully as if she were plain.” By this, I think that he means that beauty will only get a person so far. Someone who is pretty may have a little advantage at first, but after getting to know people, they may not be liked. People who are pretty have to be just as careful as people who are not about who they trust.
All in all, Fitzgerald has a lot of great words that inspire his writing. They also inspire me. Although these quotes have simple meanings, they are aspects of life that I find to be true. Fitzgerald was a wise man and had great things to say.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Great Gastby
Camille Franchine
The Great Gatsby
Journal
Chapter one
The first chapter of this book begins with Nick Carraway introducing himself. He talks about his judgment of people and what his father taught him. He then talks a little about the main character of the story, Gatsby. He describes Gatsby as a “gorgeous’ person.
Nick then talks about his home in West Egg, New York. West Egg is for people who just became rich and need to get used to it while East Egg is filled with people who have been rich and have rich attitudes. We find out that Gatsby lives next door to Nick in West Egg.
Nick decides to take a trip to East Egg and visit his cousin, Daisy Buchanan, and her husband, Tom, whom Nick went to Yale with. They are very sophisticated people and have a three-year-old daughter. Daisy’s friend, Jordan Baker is visiting with the Buchanans. While they are eating dinner, Tom gets a phone call from a woman in New York. When Daisy follows Tom inside, Jordan tells Nick that the woman is Tom’s girlfreind. After Jordan goes to bed, Tom and Daisy try to convince Nick to ask her out. Nick goes home and sees Gatsby for the first time.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Charles Simic- Fork
Camille Franchine
March 8, 2009
English 3
Mr. Fiorini
Charles Simic- Fork
1. Charles Simic was born on May 9th 1838 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. His childhood was during World War 2. He didn’t speak English until he was fifteen years old. In 1958 he and his family moves to Chicago. He began to make himself noticed in the 70s. He has published over sixty books, twenty of which we wrote himself. “Critics have often referred to Simic poems as ‘tightly constructed Chinese puzzle boxes’”. During his career he wont the MacArthur Fellowship Award, The Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, The Wallace Stevens Award and more.
2. This poem was difficult to understand at first. However, after closely reading it I realized that Simic is comparing a form to a bird. You stab your food with a fork, and a bird that is a cannibal, catches their prey with their claws on their feet. This poem has no rhyme scheme but still flows. This poem is short, but very descriptive. It is confusing to read because at first, you don’t know if Simic is talking about a bird or about a fork. After you realize he is talking about how a fork resembles a bird, it makes a lot more sense.
3. Simic’s poem, “Old Couple” was much easier to understand. It is describing how an older couple feels like it’s the end of the world for them and all they have is each other. They sit at home and wait for something bad to happen to them while they stare out the window. Then they go to sleep for another night, not knowing if it will be their last.
Another poem by Simic is called “The Wooden Toy”. It is separated into five parts. The first part is describing what the wooden toy looks like. It is a horse with a string and four wheels that a child could be pulled on. The second part is about a kid who finds the toy and thinks that it is a great treasure. The third part is about how the toy has hurt someone. The fourth part is about how the toy is missed and the last toy is saying that the toy is sitting there so quietly. This poem was also a little difficult for me to understand.
4. “Fork” can distinctly be an American poem because the bald eagle sounds like the bird that the fork was being compared to. A bald eagle is the bird of America. “Old Couple” is American because a lot of Americans have bad attitudes. The old couple mentioned in the poem is sitting there waiting for something bad to happen to them, instead of just being happy to still be alive and together. “The Wooden Toy” is American because a lot of American children like toys and use them until they get hurt, although this is probably true in other countries as well.
Fork- http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=171686
Old Couple- http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=171688
The Wooden Toy- http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=29294
March 8, 2009
English 3
Mr. Fiorini
Charles Simic- Fork
1. Charles Simic was born on May 9th 1838 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. His childhood was during World War 2. He didn’t speak English until he was fifteen years old. In 1958 he and his family moves to Chicago. He began to make himself noticed in the 70s. He has published over sixty books, twenty of which we wrote himself. “Critics have often referred to Simic poems as ‘tightly constructed Chinese puzzle boxes’”. During his career he wont the MacArthur Fellowship Award, The Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, The Wallace Stevens Award and more.
2. This poem was difficult to understand at first. However, after closely reading it I realized that Simic is comparing a form to a bird. You stab your food with a fork, and a bird that is a cannibal, catches their prey with their claws on their feet. This poem has no rhyme scheme but still flows. This poem is short, but very descriptive. It is confusing to read because at first, you don’t know if Simic is talking about a bird or about a fork. After you realize he is talking about how a fork resembles a bird, it makes a lot more sense.
3. Simic’s poem, “Old Couple” was much easier to understand. It is describing how an older couple feels like it’s the end of the world for them and all they have is each other. They sit at home and wait for something bad to happen to them while they stare out the window. Then they go to sleep for another night, not knowing if it will be their last.
Another poem by Simic is called “The Wooden Toy”. It is separated into five parts. The first part is describing what the wooden toy looks like. It is a horse with a string and four wheels that a child could be pulled on. The second part is about a kid who finds the toy and thinks that it is a great treasure. The third part is about how the toy has hurt someone. The fourth part is about how the toy is missed and the last toy is saying that the toy is sitting there so quietly. This poem was also a little difficult for me to understand.
4. “Fork” can distinctly be an American poem because the bald eagle sounds like the bird that the fork was being compared to. A bald eagle is the bird of America. “Old Couple” is American because a lot of Americans have bad attitudes. The old couple mentioned in the poem is sitting there waiting for something bad to happen to them, instead of just being happy to still be alive and together. “The Wooden Toy” is American because a lot of American children like toys and use them until they get hurt, although this is probably true in other countries as well.
Fork- http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=171686
Old Couple- http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=171688
The Wooden Toy- http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=29294
Fork
This strange thing must have crept
Right out of hell.
It resembles a bird’s foot
Worn around the cannibal’s neck.
As you hold it in your hand,
As you stab with it into a piece of meat,
It is possible to imagine the rest of the bird:
Its head which like your fist
Is large, bald, beakless, and blind.
Old Couple
They’re waiting to be murdered,
Or evicted. Soon
They expect to have nothing to eat.
In the meantime, they sit.
A violent pain is coming, they think.
It will start in the heart
And climb into the mouth.
They’ll be carried off in stretchers, howling.
Tonight they watch the window
Without exchanging a word.
It has rained, and now it looks
Like it’s going to snow a little.
I see him get up to lower the shades.
If their window stays dark,
I know his hand has reached hers
Just as she was about to turn on the lights.
The Wooden Toy
1
The brightly-painted horse
Had a boy’s face,
And four small wheels
Under his feet,
Plus a long string
To pull him by this way and that
Across the floor,
Should you care to.
A string in-waiting
That slipped away
In many wiles
From each and every try.
2
Knock and they’ll answer,
Mother told me.
So I climbed four flights of stairs
And went in unannounced.
And found a small wooden toy
For the taking
In the ensuing emptiness
And the fading daylight
That still gives me a shudder
As if I held the key to mysteries in my hand.
3
Where’s the Lost and Found Department,
And the quiet entry,
The undeveloped film
Of the few clear moments
Of our blurred lives?
Where’s the drop of blood
And the teeny nail
That pricked my finger
As I bent down to touch the toy
And caught its eye?
4
Evening light,
Make me a Sunday
Go-to meeting shadow
For my toy.
My dearest memories are
Steep stair-wells
In dusty buildings
On dead-end streets,
Where I talk to the walls
And closed doors
As if they understood me.
5
The wooden toy sitting pretty.
No, quieter than that.
Like the sound of eyebrows
Raised by a villain
In a silent movie.
Psst, someone said behind my back.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Journal on Willa Cather
Camille Franchine
March 2, 2009
English 3
Mr. Fiorini
Journal on Willa Cather
1. These stories differ from stories of American romantics stories. American Romantic stories are about the achievements of misunderstood heroic people. Romanticism is the opposite of Realism. These Realism stories are about misfortune. “A Wagner Matinee” is about a woman who spent her whole life working and when she finally gets enjoy something; it has to end so quickly. “Consequences” is about a man who has a friend that no one else sees who makes his past seem so dark until he commits suicide. These stories aren’t happy or sweet or about the hero saving the day. The progression that has come from Romanticism to Realism is that writers became more realistic and started to write stories that people can relate to when they read them.
2. A social topic that was taken up in “A Wagner Matinee” is about how the aunt spent her whole life working and never got to experience life. She was so happy just to see the show because she spent way too much of her time working on her farm, which I don’t think is healthy for any person. This is maybe telling us that Cather didn’t get out much and enjoyed the simple things in life instead. “Consequences” is about a man who got out very often. However, although he had a wide range of a social life, he was still unhappy and psychologically unstable. This is maybe showing Cather’s opinion on people. She might feel that No matter how happy a person’s life may seem, everyone may be battling some kind of internal and personal conflict.
3. I feel like in both of Willa Cather’s pieces that I have read, she is writing to anyone who is interested. She is writing for herself and for anyone who feels the same way that she does. She is trying to voice her opinion and show people how people from different walks of life are all still people. Everyone has their own problems and has their own way of dealing with them. She is trying to show society this through her writing. She does this for everyone who feels the same way, and for everyone who is dealing with an inner problem and needs to know that there are a number of people who can relate.
4. “A Wagner Matinee” is relevant to me because I can relate to Aunt Georgina. I would like to have a life with routine and order, but then I would also want to travel the world and experience new things. She was so caught up in her work that forgot about the things in life that she enjoyed. This story is a reminder to me to not let that happen. Life will pass a person by without the person realizing it. This story helped me to remember to live life first, before settling down and working all the time.
“Consequences” wasn’t really relevant to me, although I enjoyed the story. I don’t have a carefree life or imaginary friends. I can’t personally relate to it, however it did put things into perspective. It showed me that although some people seem to have the perfect life without a care in the world, they might have bigger problems than I could imagine. They might not always be internal, they could be family related or love related, etc. This story just showed me that although some people seem to be happy, they could always be hiding something drastic. In a way, then, I guess I could relate to this story because I hardly show my emotions and a lot of times no one can tell when something is wrong, however, I never have something that is extremely troublesome.
5. “Eastman went into Cavenaugh’s sleeping-room. When he came back to the sitting-room, he looked over the writing table; railway folders, time-tables, receipted bills, nothing else. He looked up for the photograph of Cavenaugh’s twin brother. There it was, turned to the wall. Eastman took it down and looked at it; a boy in track clothes, half lying in the air, going over the string shoulders first, above the heads of a crowd of lads who were running and cheering. The face was somewhat blurred by the motion and the bright sunlight. Eastman put the picture back as he found it. Had Cavenaugh entertained his visitor last night, and had the old man been more convincing than usual? ‘Well, at any rate, he’s seen to it that the old man can’t establish identity. What a soft lot they are, fellows like poor Cavenaugh!’ Eastman though of his office as a delightful place.”
This is the last paragraph of “Consequences”. I felt like this ending was very confusing. Eastman is in a room where Cavenaugh has shot himself and is looking at the picture of his twin brother who died at the age of sixteen, yet he find his work to be a delightful place. The type of language that is used throughout the story is very different than the modern day English that I’m used to. However, this story was very entertaining and was very descriptive as well as “A Wagner Matinee”.
What drew me to this author were the plot summaries that were given before we got a chance to pick our author. These stories both sounded very interesting. Also, when I was reading through them, I liked the descriptive language, which gave me a good image of what was going on and made me want to read more of it.
March 2, 2009
English 3
Mr. Fiorini
Journal on Willa Cather
1. These stories differ from stories of American romantics stories. American Romantic stories are about the achievements of misunderstood heroic people. Romanticism is the opposite of Realism. These Realism stories are about misfortune. “A Wagner Matinee” is about a woman who spent her whole life working and when she finally gets enjoy something; it has to end so quickly. “Consequences” is about a man who has a friend that no one else sees who makes his past seem so dark until he commits suicide. These stories aren’t happy or sweet or about the hero saving the day. The progression that has come from Romanticism to Realism is that writers became more realistic and started to write stories that people can relate to when they read them.
2. A social topic that was taken up in “A Wagner Matinee” is about how the aunt spent her whole life working and never got to experience life. She was so happy just to see the show because she spent way too much of her time working on her farm, which I don’t think is healthy for any person. This is maybe telling us that Cather didn’t get out much and enjoyed the simple things in life instead. “Consequences” is about a man who got out very often. However, although he had a wide range of a social life, he was still unhappy and psychologically unstable. This is maybe showing Cather’s opinion on people. She might feel that No matter how happy a person’s life may seem, everyone may be battling some kind of internal and personal conflict.
3. I feel like in both of Willa Cather’s pieces that I have read, she is writing to anyone who is interested. She is writing for herself and for anyone who feels the same way that she does. She is trying to voice her opinion and show people how people from different walks of life are all still people. Everyone has their own problems and has their own way of dealing with them. She is trying to show society this through her writing. She does this for everyone who feels the same way, and for everyone who is dealing with an inner problem and needs to know that there are a number of people who can relate.
4. “A Wagner Matinee” is relevant to me because I can relate to Aunt Georgina. I would like to have a life with routine and order, but then I would also want to travel the world and experience new things. She was so caught up in her work that forgot about the things in life that she enjoyed. This story is a reminder to me to not let that happen. Life will pass a person by without the person realizing it. This story helped me to remember to live life first, before settling down and working all the time.
“Consequences” wasn’t really relevant to me, although I enjoyed the story. I don’t have a carefree life or imaginary friends. I can’t personally relate to it, however it did put things into perspective. It showed me that although some people seem to have the perfect life without a care in the world, they might have bigger problems than I could imagine. They might not always be internal, they could be family related or love related, etc. This story just showed me that although some people seem to be happy, they could always be hiding something drastic. In a way, then, I guess I could relate to this story because I hardly show my emotions and a lot of times no one can tell when something is wrong, however, I never have something that is extremely troublesome.
5. “Eastman went into Cavenaugh’s sleeping-room. When he came back to the sitting-room, he looked over the writing table; railway folders, time-tables, receipted bills, nothing else. He looked up for the photograph of Cavenaugh’s twin brother. There it was, turned to the wall. Eastman took it down and looked at it; a boy in track clothes, half lying in the air, going over the string shoulders first, above the heads of a crowd of lads who were running and cheering. The face was somewhat blurred by the motion and the bright sunlight. Eastman put the picture back as he found it. Had Cavenaugh entertained his visitor last night, and had the old man been more convincing than usual? ‘Well, at any rate, he’s seen to it that the old man can’t establish identity. What a soft lot they are, fellows like poor Cavenaugh!’ Eastman though of his office as a delightful place.”
This is the last paragraph of “Consequences”. I felt like this ending was very confusing. Eastman is in a room where Cavenaugh has shot himself and is looking at the picture of his twin brother who died at the age of sixteen, yet he find his work to be a delightful place. The type of language that is used throughout the story is very different than the modern day English that I’m used to. However, this story was very entertaining and was very descriptive as well as “A Wagner Matinee”.
What drew me to this author were the plot summaries that were given before we got a chance to pick our author. These stories both sounded very interesting. Also, when I was reading through them, I liked the descriptive language, which gave me a good image of what was going on and made me want to read more of it.
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