End of Year Reflections

    One important thing that I learned this year is that in literature the most normal of things can have deeper meaning. I saw examples of this in Of Mice and Men, such as Lennie's rabbits. The rabbits symbolized hopes and dreams, thus showing a deeper meaning. Another thing that I learned is that a period is the strongest type of punctuation, while a comma is the weakest type of punctuation. The order from weakest to strongest is: comma, semicolon, colon, and period. The final thing that I learned is that there are four different types of poetry. They are: free verse, quatrain, cinquain, and extended metaphor.

    One thing that we did this year that I will remember is the socratic seminars. They really made me think deeply about the different topics brought up. They were also a good way for me to find the different opinions of my classmates. There was also the chance o voice my opinions, and discuss the differences in our opinions. It was truly a great chance to get new views on the same topics that I wouldn't have gotten in a different class.

    The nicest thing someone in this class did for me was when I first started in this class Brimady showed me the ropes. She was seated next to me, and although at first it was strained, we finally became accustomed to each other. She was very kind to me, and didn't get aggravated when i didn't understand. She also did a great job putting up with all the stupid questions I asked her. I am very grateful that she was patient with me or I might not have caught on to the routine until later.

    One thing that I taught the class about was the change in the Barbie line. The company added three body types to the usual. They are: tall, curvy, and petite. I taught this to the class, because I thought it was important for them to know that things are changing. Society has always judged people on their body, this change in Barbie shows that this could change. Our ideals start in our childhood. If we are told that being different is okay from a young age, it could impact our perception on life. I believed that this topic and the things that it leads to may one day effect my classmates.

    I feel that I improved the most in AOW. In the beginning I was a little confused as to what was expected of this, and my work suffered for it. Through observing the work of my classmates i have come to understand what my AOW should look like and I believe that I have been improving. Something that I did that I'm proud of is getting up to read poetry in front of the class. I am very shy and I dislike going in front of an audience. Sometimes it gets to the point where I am shaking! I am proud that I went up, (despite the fact that I was practically forced to.) and I don't think that I sounded too terrified.

    The most challenging part of the year was definitely finding material for my AOW. there was either too many things to choose from or nothing. There was never a middle! Plus on the chance that there were a lot of articles, they were mostly irrelevant topics. They might also be impossible to match to the questions being asked, thus making the task more difficult. While I realize this may not have been an intellectual difficulty, it was very frustrating.

    I think my best piece of writing is my picture poem. I chose this piece, because I feel as though I channeled the emotions of the mourning family and girl very well. I also like this piece because it reminds me of my late grandfather. He was very kind to us and I think we wouldn't be able to watch us mourn hime either. Coincidentally the week that we wrote these poems was the week of the third  anniversary of his death. Perhaps I was channeling my feelings toward him into the poem.

    My favorite book from this year is the Clockwork franchise. For those of you who don't know this book it is a bout a young girl named Tessa. She lives in the Victorian era. In the book she goes to London to live with her brother, after she gets there one thing leads to another and she ends up a pawn in a supernatural war. I like this book, because Tessa believed that she was a normal girl until she left New York. It gives me hope for my future. (Although Tessa was probably not that grateful.)

    One piece of advice I would give to students is, "Don't overthink Mrs. Larson's humor! I know at first you will not be sure if she is joking at times, but give it time. I was quite confused when I first entered her class, but it gets better. If you are unsure do one of two things: 1) take hints from more experienced members of your class, they know best.  2) remain silent, what you don't say can't hurt you! Follow these tips and you will most likely not offend anyone. Good luck!" (I wish someone thought to give me this advice.)

                             

OMAM Movie Blog

   The "incident in Weed" is actually shown to the audience in a flash back. Mean while in the book it is merely talked about, there is no flash back at all to give the audience a better understanding of the incident. I believe that he chose to do this, because it makes it more seem more recent. In the book the incident feels very distant and unimportant; however, the flashback makes you realize that the incident took place just before the beginning of the plot. It changes the story by making the event seem more recent, and finalizing the fact that Lennie often gets himself and George in trouble.

   The director Showed George alone on the train to show that George is having a flashback to the events of the story. We know that the story has already passed, because Lennie is not in the frame with George, and when Lennie was alive the to were inseparable  The director might do this, because he wants to show that George is truly alone. Lennie and George were always together, in fact they said that they were the only people that cared about the other. By showing George alone, the director hammered in the fact that the only person who cared about George was gone.

   I think that the director made a good choice in choosing Sherilyn Fenn as Curley's wife. She is obviously a talented actress, and passionate about her role. She does not look completely different from what I imagined, but some things are different. For one she seems to look younger than I imagined. I know that Curley's wife in probably a teenager, but the way she was described made her sound aged. Another thing is that her voice, described as "nasal" is not as unpleasant as i assumed it would be. I quite honestly would not have chosen a different actress, as she did quite well in her portrayal of a non-main character.

    I honestly feel slightly disappointed at the portrayal of the book. Don't get me wrong, the movie was great. However, the things that were removed took way from the character development. There were things that the characters lacked in the movie, that could have been added with a simple line or phrase. The thing that had the most impact was, the added foreshadowing. Such as, in the beginning when George was alone. It is subtle, but it is very effective. I would recommend this book to my friend Alexis Garcia. She would like the suspense, and it isn't to long so she wouldn't have to wait too long for the ending.

OMAM conflicts

One of the conflicts in Of Mice and Men is the fact that Curley doesn't like Lennie and tries to fight him every chance he gets. This is an example of Man v. Man. For example, "His eyes passed over the new men and he stopped. He glanced coldly at George then at Lennie. His arms gradually bent at the elbows and his hands closed into fists." This shows that even upon just meeting George and Lennie, Curley wanted to fight them. The exact reasons are unknown, but this eventually leads to a fight that Lennie wins. This could lead to more conflict, as Curley was humiliated in front of many people.

Another one of the conflicts is that everyone is surprised and suspicious of the fact that George and Lennie travel together. This is an example of Man v. Society.  As stated in the text, "'Ain't many guys travel around together'" This shows that it is not normal or expected for full grown men to travel together. This causes problems in the beginning as it draws suspicions on George and Lennie. First The Boss questions George's reasons for promoting Lennie, then Slim talking about how unusual it is. Whatever the context this is a frequent topic, which makes it seem as though George and Lennie are the only ones traveling together. 

Dreams of OMAM

what is life without a dream?

Is it a puppet who's string

were long ago cut?

 Or is it like a fallen star

that has lost it's glow?

One thing is sure

the river of fate

cannot move forward without 

a purpose.

And what is a dream

if not the purpose of 

life?

Of Mice and Men

Describe the atmosphere of the ranch and bunkhouse. Be sure to include characteristics of different characters that were formally or informally introduced to us in this chapter. Support your choice with textual evidence and interpretation.

The atmosphere of the ranch and bunkhouse was varying depending on who was present at what time. They ranged from tense and angry, to calm and flirtatious. For example,"George was tense, and motionless." Also," She said playfully" This shows that there was a wide range of emotion in a short time, making the place seem a little hectic.

Why doesn't Curley's wife have a name?   What message, if anything, is John Steinbeck  trying to send by not giving her a first name?  Support your choice with textual evidence and interpretation.


Curley's wife doesn't have a name because John Steinbeck is send the message that back then people thought that women should be obedient and never disobey their husbands. As stated in the text, "' Well I think Curley's married…a tart." this shows that because Curley's wife hangs around the farm people perceive her as a "tart". This may or may not be true, most people now a days wouldn't assume the worst and would probably think that she was interested in what they were doing.