Beyond The Line
What do you think was the main purpose of writing “Of Mice & Men”, and can you relate the book to man vs. man, man vs. self, and man vs. world?
In my opinion, I feel as though that the main purpose of writing “Of Mice & Men” was to show the readers how being mentally challenged or lost while traveling with one of you close friends can get you a long way on your journey. In the story you have two friends Lenny, and George who plans a trip to a ranch. If you have read this story then you can probably infer that Lenny is mentally unstable and George is like the drill sergeant from hell. This book definitely has the three m’s. Man vs. man, man vs. self, and man vs. world.
First, man vs. man plays a big role in the story. Lenny is kind of like the loose, not caring type that wants to play with pups, and rabbits, and not taking their journey as serious as he should, while George on the other hand wants to complete their journey focused and “by the book”. Anytime George spots Lenny off task or doing something inappropriate like drinking water too quickly from the lake then he will anxiously correct his partner so that he is following his rules. Pretty much the entire story is basically Lenny vs. George or in other words man vs. man.
Secondly, Lenny is a big boy. Certain things he does affects the lives of other people or animals. To him he thinks he is just being himself but to the “average” normal human he is harming the lives of other living creatures. For example, as you should already know that Lenny likes to play with pups and rabbits. George would give him an animal to play with and some how the animal would end up dead or suffocated in his pocket. Another example of Lenny’s shocking accidents was when George told him to stay in the barn. Surprisingly he did but then Curly’s wife eased her way in the barn to talk to Lenny. To make a long story short she ended up dead laying in the hay. Lenny only wanted her to be quiet because she was screaming, but ended up snapping her neck. Several problems occurred regarding Lenny and his careless acts, that’s why man vs. man definitely would fall under those accidents. After Lenny realize what he had done he ran away to hide because he knew what he had done was wrong, which lead him to think about the men coming after him.
Furthermore, man vs. society or world would be appropriate for George and Lenny’s adventure because each place thy ended at caused nothing but problems for them. On example that can prove my assumption is when the two men got on the bus to began their journey. The bus driver did not approve of George’s attitude so he let the two off the bus and told them that the ranch is only “a stretch down the road”. He knew what he was doing when he let them off but the two didn’t realize it until they read a sign that said fives miles until their destination. (Not sure of the mileage) Arriving at the ranch put a load on their shoulders because; a man known as Curly that didn’t favor tall men so apparently he hated Lenny due to his height greeted the two men. Lenny and Curly ended up scuffling, which causes Lenny to break Curly’s knuckles.
To sum up, what was the main purpose of writing “Of Mice & Men” I would like to say to engage the readers in a journey they will never forget.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Exam
On The Line
•Who are the two main characters? (protagonist)
The two main characters in the story are Lenny and George.
• Who is the more ignorant of knowledge of the two?
Lenny is the more ignorant of the two because he is being analyzed as a little “slow”.
• What are George and Lenny wearing?
They are wearing a hat and blue jeans.
• Is George a nice or straight forward kind of person?
He seems in between because some parts of the story he is fond of Lenny’s feeling and other times he is more sarcastic with Lenny.
• Is Lenny tall or short?
Lenny is tall.
• Where is the location in the story?
Lenny and George are a few miles south of Solidad near the Salinas river.
• How does George feel about the environment they are in? George is in a hurry state of mind because he wants to get where he needs to be quick.
• What does George take away from Lenny?
George took away Lenny’s mouse.
• What is the name of the book? O f Mice & Men
• What did George and Lenny eat the first day of their journey? The both ate beans.
In Between The Line
Do you think George would have been a little more successful on his journey if Lenny was not with him?
• Yes, I feel as though that George would have been a little more focused and successful on his journey because Lenny is kind of like a distraction. He is in George’s way regarding the mouse situation, and if Lenny is hungry then that means whatever food George finds then he has to share or find for Lenny, and that goes for shelter too. Wherever George sleep then Lenny has to occupany him so therefore George has to make room for his friend
What interpretations give you the assumption that Lenny is having mental issues?
• Throughout the entire story I have noticed that Lenny has come across a little slow. Lenny had a dead mouse in his pocket. He may have thought it was sleep or something until George told him the bad news. He killed him by rubbing the mouse too hard and possibly suffocating the little animal.
•Who are the two main characters? (protagonist)
The two main characters in the story are Lenny and George.
• Who is the more ignorant of knowledge of the two?
Lenny is the more ignorant of the two because he is being analyzed as a little “slow”.
• What are George and Lenny wearing?
They are wearing a hat and blue jeans.
• Is George a nice or straight forward kind of person?
He seems in between because some parts of the story he is fond of Lenny’s feeling and other times he is more sarcastic with Lenny.
• Is Lenny tall or short?
Lenny is tall.
• Where is the location in the story?
Lenny and George are a few miles south of Solidad near the Salinas river.
• How does George feel about the environment they are in? George is in a hurry state of mind because he wants to get where he needs to be quick.
• What does George take away from Lenny?
George took away Lenny’s mouse.
• What is the name of the book? O f Mice & Men
• What did George and Lenny eat the first day of their journey? The both ate beans.
In Between The Line
Do you think George would have been a little more successful on his journey if Lenny was not with him?
• Yes, I feel as though that George would have been a little more focused and successful on his journey because Lenny is kind of like a distraction. He is in George’s way regarding the mouse situation, and if Lenny is hungry then that means whatever food George finds then he has to share or find for Lenny, and that goes for shelter too. Wherever George sleep then Lenny has to occupany him so therefore George has to make room for his friend
What interpretations give you the assumption that Lenny is having mental issues?
• Throughout the entire story I have noticed that Lenny has come across a little slow. Lenny had a dead mouse in his pocket. He may have thought it was sleep or something until George told him the bad news. He killed him by rubbing the mouse too hard and possibly suffocating the little animal.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
“Coca Cola Shape & Voluptuous Waist”
"Flirting For Dummies"
It’s third period. You’re in biology. The teacher is teaching, the kids are learning. You want to learn but your steady worried about Candy who is steady blowing kisses at you, which has you mesmerized by her astonishing lips and, the way they crinkle up to make the perfect kissing face. After watching Candy blow her last kiss this wide load of a teacher slams a book down on the table which instantly snaps you out of your daydreaming state of mind to hear your teacher yell furiously in you face, “Get The Fuck Out Of My Class". Was one incident that occurred at Constitution High School in the Delaware County section.
Flirting is natural growing up in an environment when jumping hormones are usually the case. Often flirting starts around the age of thirteen. That’s when girls and boys began to notice each other more than they used to before they were young and naïve. Some may call it harmless but harmless flirting can lead to sexual intercourse and sexual intercourse can lead to pregnancy. A study shows that males tend to flirt more then females because of the estrogen and testosterone level which encourages males to act in such an inappropriate manners.
The way teenagers dress also plays a major role in their flirtatious ways. I asked the question, “Do you feel as though that girls wear their clothes to impress other females more than they do for boys?” and three out of five girls said that “ I think girls wear their clothes to impress other females not for attraction, but for competitive reasons, and we also wear our clothes a certain way to get boys attention” said an anonymous student at Constitution High. Flirting is not just based on the way you walk or act, but is also about the way that certain individual dress and carry themselves. Majority of the flirting occurs in High and Elementary school. Walking in the hallway, standing by the lockers, and eating lunch. Flirting is like the next thing in for all teenagers and young adults.
It’s third period. You’re in biology. The teacher is teaching, the kids are learning. You want to learn but your steady worried about Candy who is steady blowing kisses at you, which has you mesmerized by her astonishing lips and, the way they crinkle up to make the perfect kissing face. After watching Candy blow her last kiss this wide load of a teacher slams a book down on the table which instantly snaps you out of your daydreaming state of mind to hear your teacher yell furiously in you face, “Get The Fuck Out Of My Class". Was one incident that occurred at Constitution High School in the Delaware County section.
Flirting is natural growing up in an environment when jumping hormones are usually the case. Often flirting starts around the age of thirteen. That’s when girls and boys began to notice each other more than they used to before they were young and naïve. Some may call it harmless but harmless flirting can lead to sexual intercourse and sexual intercourse can lead to pregnancy. A study shows that males tend to flirt more then females because of the estrogen and testosterone level which encourages males to act in such an inappropriate manners. The way teenagers dress also plays a major role in their flirtatious ways. I asked the question, “Do you feel as though that girls wear their clothes to impress other females more than they do for boys?” and three out of five girls said that “ I think girls wear their clothes to impress other females not for attraction, but for competitive reasons, and we also wear our clothes a certain way to get boys attention” said an anonymous student at Constitution High. Flirting is not just based on the way you walk or act, but is also about the way that certain individual dress and carry themselves. Majority of the flirting occurs in High and Elementary school. Walking in the hallway, standing by the lockers, and eating lunch. Flirting is like the next thing in for all teenagers and young adults.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Shaquille Davenport 2/20/09
Devotion, dedication, entrepenaurship, determination, these four words to me shows the qualities of maturity. Not only that but it also expresses our strengths towards society. Maturity is the key to life. Without it then there’s basically no hope in the job industry. How are you going to be able to handle a serious job like a teacher or a surgeon? You can’t! People are going to walk all over you, thinking you’re just all fun and games. Either way no one wants to be around an arrogant person everyday that thinks they’re better than everyone because they consider himself to be mature. It’s kind of like a fifty fifty deal. Half mature, half immature, because just the right amount of both could make a great outcome. If I were to describe my maturity through the different types of seasons, I would have to say that I’m in the beginning of summer. Five months to be exact because being as though I just turned sixteen, I’m ready to act like a mature adult and get my permit and start preparing for when I get my house. Three examples that can prove my steps to maturity are babysitting, my voice, and also I “man-up” to certain situations, and that I have mature voice.
Watching my little brother and sister took a big toll on my life because I used to be scared knowing that one day my mother would ask me to watch over them while she handle her motherly duties. Your probably thinking, ‘’okay who doesn’t watch their younger siblings” but I look at it as if I’m responsible enough to look after two human beings that needs to be fed, washed, or even a little attention. Feeding them was no joke. While my brother would eat Fruity Pebbles my sister would want to eat the opposite of what he’s eating which is bacon, flat eggs with no salt nor pepper with the edges cut off, grits and toast. My mom could’ve easily gone to get another baby-sitter but instead she knew what I was capable of and watching them was like a walk through the park. You may not understand but small things like that make me into the young adult I am today.
Another reason that could prove my growth into a young man is I “man-up” (as my mom call it) to certain situations that used to make want to decapitate my ears off so that I could not hear her voice. Arguing with my little sister Shaquon makes me entirely upset. Since she is female, I was always told not to hit a girl but she drove me to the point where hitting was not an obligation, arguing was the only thing I could do. Some say I have an anger problem but I just think that I get ticked off easily so me not hitting her was very, very, very hard. Of course I popped her a few times but I never took it overboard and punch her in her face like I wanted too. Looking back at the past I have made a tremendous change. Now arguing with her is not even in my vocabulary anymore because I feel that I’m too far ahead in maturity to be concerned about what she says or does. That was the hardest change on my part because like I said she got to me BADLY.
Furthermore, my final reason why I know I’m becoming more mature is I have a strong mature voice. When I say “strong voice”, I don’t necessarily mean my voice getting deeper, which it is but I’m actually talking about my use of vocabulary. In Elementary School and somewhat of Middle my word was repetitive and childish. “I was happy when I woke up this morning,” was something I would say back then but now since I learned more then I did in the past I would say “ Waking up to what seems like heaven I realized my attitude was overshadowed by the glowing sun, which made me smile.” I even learned a few new words like flabbergasted, overwhelmed, discombobulated, and so forth. That’s a drastic change to the words I used to be using.
To sum up my stages to maturity, I would like to say that maturity plays a key role in life. You have to be professional in the right time and place and your career path could go a long way in life
Watching my little brother and sister took a big toll on my life because I used to be scared knowing that one day my mother would ask me to watch over them while she handle her motherly duties. Your probably thinking, ‘’okay who doesn’t watch their younger siblings” but I look at it as if I’m responsible enough to look after two human beings that needs to be fed, washed, or even a little attention. Feeding them was no joke. While my brother would eat Fruity Pebbles my sister would want to eat the opposite of what he’s eating which is bacon, flat eggs with no salt nor pepper with the edges cut off, grits and toast. My mom could’ve easily gone to get another baby-sitter but instead she knew what I was capable of and watching them was like a walk through the park. You may not understand but small things like that make me into the young adult I am today.
Another reason that could prove my growth into a young man is I “man-up” (as my mom call it) to certain situations that used to make want to decapitate my ears off so that I could not hear her voice. Arguing with my little sister Shaquon makes me entirely upset. Since she is female, I was always told not to hit a girl but she drove me to the point where hitting was not an obligation, arguing was the only thing I could do. Some say I have an anger problem but I just think that I get ticked off easily so me not hitting her was very, very, very hard. Of course I popped her a few times but I never took it overboard and punch her in her face like I wanted too. Looking back at the past I have made a tremendous change. Now arguing with her is not even in my vocabulary anymore because I feel that I’m too far ahead in maturity to be concerned about what she says or does. That was the hardest change on my part because like I said she got to me BADLY.
Furthermore, my final reason why I know I’m becoming more mature is I have a strong mature voice. When I say “strong voice”, I don’t necessarily mean my voice getting deeper, which it is but I’m actually talking about my use of vocabulary. In Elementary School and somewhat of Middle my word was repetitive and childish. “I was happy when I woke up this morning,” was something I would say back then but now since I learned more then I did in the past I would say “ Waking up to what seems like heaven I realized my attitude was overshadowed by the glowing sun, which made me smile.” I even learned a few new words like flabbergasted, overwhelmed, discombobulated, and so forth. That’s a drastic change to the words I used to be using.
To sum up my stages to maturity, I would like to say that maturity plays a key role in life. You have to be professional in the right time and place and your career path could go a long way in life
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Voice-Poem
Shaquille Davenport
2|11|09
Voice
Why are you so quiet ? Do you not Have a voice ? I have a voice. I have a decent voice. I have a strong voice. My voice got me where I am today. I use my voice to make people laugh because that’s me. STOP! YOU SHOT! SO DROP! WHY NOT! IT’S HOT! THEY LEARNING! SHE HURTING! THEY BURNING! Because I’m decent! I use my voice to get me something to eat when I’m hungry, or buy me the next pair of shoes on my feet because my voice is powerful. I used my voice to change history. Not mentally but physically by wearing a button, and since I can’t vote I used my voice to persuade the next person that OBAMA is the way to go, yo. I’m very impatient but I try not to be so when I’m at Mcdonalds and I see a nigga bussing in line, I use my voice to tell him to get the fuck back for you get the fucked smack !
2|11|09
Voice
Why are you so quiet ? Do you not Have a voice ? I have a voice. I have a decent voice. I have a strong voice. My voice got me where I am today. I use my voice to make people laugh because that’s me. STOP! YOU SHOT! SO DROP! WHY NOT! IT’S HOT! THEY LEARNING! SHE HURTING! THEY BURNING! Because I’m decent! I use my voice to get me something to eat when I’m hungry, or buy me the next pair of shoes on my feet because my voice is powerful. I used my voice to change history. Not mentally but physically by wearing a button, and since I can’t vote I used my voice to persuade the next person that OBAMA is the way to go, yo. I’m very impatient but I try not to be so when I’m at Mcdonalds and I see a nigga bussing in line, I use my voice to tell him to get the fuck back for you get the fucked smack !
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Essay On "We Real Cool"
Shaquille 2/3/09
Davenport
Essay
Teenagers this time around are concerned about material things and not taking the time to look at the bigger picture in life which are college, work, or their career path. We steady worried about parties and shit, fucking bitches, and our appearance that we don’t realize time is not on our side and it’s our job to jump on the right path and focus on what we need to do. My point exactly, what teenager you know reads poems let alone a book? I’m not the type to sit down and read a poem but when it comes down to it there’s a poet that can relate to what we’re going through. She expresses how she feels by thinking outside the box and not just by saying how she feels like any other person. Three reasons why I am blown away by this poet are, the poem says a lot in a short amount of time, the poem’s funny, and it consistently rhymes throughout the entire passage. This particular poem talks about how you could either go all out and live your life to the fullest and die young, or you could just easily go through life not having any fun fading through. One poem in particular that grabbed my attention and glued my eyes to the paper is, “We Real Cool”. Gwendolyn Brooks expresses powerful messages and real life situations in just literally one paragraph.
One reason why I like this poem is because the author says a lot but only in a few words. That right there draws my attention because the poem’s short. One quote from the poem which is actually the title is, “We Real Cool”. When you hear that quote immediately your probably thinking about two close friends but if you think outside the box like Gwendolyn Brooks then you could probably guess that there are two close friends that has each others back through thick and thin, that will always be there when you need them, that’s honest, and cares about you from the bottom of their heart, then you could start to see where she’s coming from when she says “We Real Cool’’.
Another reason why I am overwhelmed by this poem is because the poem constantly rhymes at the beginning or end of a sentence. I’ve come across poems that rhymes but none of them continues the whole way through the poem. Just the rhyming part alone draws my attention, because if the poem rhymes then I could remember what was said by the author. Another quote from the story that can help prove my analysis is, ‘’We real cool. We left school. We lurk late. We strike straight.’’ Flawless. Nothing but rhyming and that’s just the intro.
Finally, the last and final reason why I enjoyed this poem is because it’s funny. Nine times out of ten you would have a poem that is serious to the bone and talks about your feelings and death before incorporating the humor side of things. I was just blown away when I read the part about leaving school and dying soon. I thought that was funny and brave because it talks about cutting school and dying which occurs everyday and on the cutting school part she probably was a little taking back because by her saying that she could be persuading people to cut school.
Inconclusion, if you’re looking for a poem that can relate to what’s going on in your life then I would advise you to read Gwendolyn Brooks poems because a little sense of humor and relating to real life situations go together like peanut butter and jelly in my book and the outcome would be tremendous for a poem.
Davenport
Essay
Teenagers this time around are concerned about material things and not taking the time to look at the bigger picture in life which are college, work, or their career path. We steady worried about parties and shit, fucking bitches, and our appearance that we don’t realize time is not on our side and it’s our job to jump on the right path and focus on what we need to do. My point exactly, what teenager you know reads poems let alone a book? I’m not the type to sit down and read a poem but when it comes down to it there’s a poet that can relate to what we’re going through. She expresses how she feels by thinking outside the box and not just by saying how she feels like any other person. Three reasons why I am blown away by this poet are, the poem says a lot in a short amount of time, the poem’s funny, and it consistently rhymes throughout the entire passage. This particular poem talks about how you could either go all out and live your life to the fullest and die young, or you could just easily go through life not having any fun fading through. One poem in particular that grabbed my attention and glued my eyes to the paper is, “We Real Cool”. Gwendolyn Brooks expresses powerful messages and real life situations in just literally one paragraph.
One reason why I like this poem is because the author says a lot but only in a few words. That right there draws my attention because the poem’s short. One quote from the poem which is actually the title is, “We Real Cool”. When you hear that quote immediately your probably thinking about two close friends but if you think outside the box like Gwendolyn Brooks then you could probably guess that there are two close friends that has each others back through thick and thin, that will always be there when you need them, that’s honest, and cares about you from the bottom of their heart, then you could start to see where she’s coming from when she says “We Real Cool’’.
Another reason why I am overwhelmed by this poem is because the poem constantly rhymes at the beginning or end of a sentence. I’ve come across poems that rhymes but none of them continues the whole way through the poem. Just the rhyming part alone draws my attention, because if the poem rhymes then I could remember what was said by the author. Another quote from the story that can help prove my analysis is, ‘’We real cool. We left school. We lurk late. We strike straight.’’ Flawless. Nothing but rhyming and that’s just the intro.
Finally, the last and final reason why I enjoyed this poem is because it’s funny. Nine times out of ten you would have a poem that is serious to the bone and talks about your feelings and death before incorporating the humor side of things. I was just blown away when I read the part about leaving school and dying soon. I thought that was funny and brave because it talks about cutting school and dying which occurs everyday and on the cutting school part she probably was a little taking back because by her saying that she could be persuading people to cut school.
Inconclusion, if you’re looking for a poem that can relate to what’s going on in your life then I would advise you to read Gwendolyn Brooks poems because a little sense of humor and relating to real life situations go together like peanut butter and jelly in my book and the outcome would be tremendous for a poem.
Monday, January 26, 2009
NHD Reflective
This year I thought NHD went better then last years because I am more experienced and I know what to and not to do when choosing a partner and researching your topic! The theme this year was Actions & Legacies, which I thought was easier because all you have to do is explain what the person did and what were they famous for. Me and Briana chose do an exhibit on Elizabeth Eckford because Mr. Ackerman talked about The Little Rock Nine and we were both curious to learn more about what she accomplished which was desegregating schools.
When the judges came to judge us, I was a little nervous because they looked intimidating and mean, but once they came over to our station I was ready to explain what we have accomplished and the nervousness simply turned into confidence. I thought we did well but then our tape recorder was coming off right in the midst of us explaining our board.
Overall I enjoyed NHD more than I did in ninth grade because I thought the theme was not as hard as I thought it would be and I felt confident in what we accomplished as a team.
When the judges came to judge us, I was a little nervous because they looked intimidating and mean, but once they came over to our station I was ready to explain what we have accomplished and the nervousness simply turned into confidence. I thought we did well but then our tape recorder was coming off right in the midst of us explaining our board.
Overall I enjoyed NHD more than I did in ninth grade because I thought the theme was not as hard as I thought it would be and I felt confident in what we accomplished as a team.
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