Second Semester Reflection

Second Semester Reflection | Create infographics

Historical Fiction

If I were to write a historical fiction novel, it would take place in ancient China during the Han Dynasty. I know that I would be able to really get into the research becasue I'd be learning about my heritage and culture. I'd include Mulan in my story, and I'd definitely enjoy doing in depth research into the true story of Mulan. Research backs up that Mulan did exist, but due to many conflicting accounts, I'd  have to pick and choose wisely. She wouldn't be the main character because I would be scared of dishonoring her character (or turning the story into some weird version of fanfiction). However, she would probably have a major influence on the storyline.

Dickens' London

I did not get to Dickens on the first try. One time I got sent to jail as I was pickpocketing. Another time I caught cholera as I was trying to retrieve bodies from the river. However, I had redemption. It felt so good to pickpocket five people without getting caught and retrieve five bodies without being infected. Also, I was so glad that the ticket collecter was merciful. Through all of the frustration and encounters with sketchy people, I realized that Dickens grew up in a pretty tough environment. It's really sad that children either died very early in life or were overworked to death. It was interesting to find out random facts about Dickens such as his success with the "Pickwick Papers" and his lack of success with A Christmas Carol. Overall, it was a fun and informative experience.

Dickens

           Matthew Davis brings up great points about Dickens’ writing. Right from the start of the article, I was reminded of the power of good storytelling. Dickens' skilled and artful storytelling drove Davis to devote a year to his works. That alone is impressive.  To think that Dickens’ writing has been affecting people like this since 1836 is all the more amazing.

            Claire Tomalin made a really great point about why Dickens’ books are so engaging. The more I thought about it, I couldn’t quite agree with her statement. The engaging storytelling techniques and inclusion of universal themes are deeply connected—not “separate questions.” The “amazing characters” wouldn’t have been quite as amazing if they weren’t relevant or relatable. I get drawn to characters when I see bits of myself or others that I know reflected in them. The quotes from the article are great examples of this. Even though the outward appearances of people have changed, emotions and will have not. Dickens has a way of cutting to the grittiness of humanity.

            Although the major issues such as “recession” and “unemployment” are often displayed in situations that are external to a character, the character must still react to those situations internally. You can’t separate the magnetism of a character from the relevancy. The universal theme that needs to be a part of a good story is displayed through characters. Just as the author pointed out, even though Dickens’ stories took place in a totally different society, timeless issues draw us in. With the added beautiful metaphors and eloquent descriptions in Dickens’ novels, it’s not hard to see why they have been so impactful.

1800s: The Tiers of Education

The mentioned passages can be found on pages 487, 491-4, and 508. The screen cast kinds of cuts off, so I just want to add that it's sad that, despite the laws, it took a long time for there to be equal opportunities in education. Segregation was prominent long after slavery was abolished and public school was available to everyone. It's great that institutions like the Penn Center were there to initially help the blacks, but I'm glad that education has changed to invite diversity. When I hear about people in other countries who are risking their lives to have an education, I appreciate American freedom (and the risks taken to obtain it) more.

1788: Race, Gender and Property—the U.S. Constitution

The mentioned passages can be found on pages 394-396, 402, 406, and 411.

1682: Christian Parentage (Virginia Slave Act)

Sorry for saying "um" so many times, speaking grammatically incorrect sentences, and having long random pauses where I lost my train of thought. I started to pressure myself out as I tried to say everything that I wanted to say during a small, rare time of quiet in my house. In case the pronouns are confusing, the "they" around 2:16 refers to slaves--not Christians. The section from Uncle Tom's Cabin that I mentioned in the video can be found on page 348. While I didn't mention this in the video, the article also made me think of Simon Legree. Twisted logic that justified this slave law lived on in owners similar to Simon Legree.

Stowe 18-22

“Mixed reformation” was included because several characters wanted others to reform. I used “mixed” to indicate different intent and outcomes. Tom wanted St. Clare and Prue to stop drinking—a very selfless request. Miss Ophelia on the other hand wanted Dinah to change her cooking methods—not totally for selfless reasons. St. Clare was very open to the advice while the others were more set in their ways. There was a lot of “recollection” in the conversations. Of all of the recollections, Prue’s sad story and St. Clare’s back-story stood out to me the most. “Affection” refers to Eva’s seemingly endless kindness and care for everyone amidst all of the tension and heated situations. Many of the characters were given chances to change certain aspects of their lives through “new opportunities.” Miss Ophelia and Topsy being paired together caused many problems; overcoming those problems could cause huge external and internal changes. Chloe is given an amazing opportunity in being able to raise money to bring back Tom. As time goes by, Tom and Eva "grow" continually close together. Also, as St. Clare increasingly realizes Tom’s potential, he gives trusts Tom with more tasks. There is a lot of “tension” between characters. In some cases it is more outright as with Dinah and Ophelia. Other times, there are more subtle signs as you can see in the way Marie addresses Eva.

Stowe, Chapters 5-8

This is one of the first times I've tried out this type of an accent. I've definitely never experimented with this accent this extensively. That said, I apologize for the breaks in the accent. Also, I had a weird allergic reaction tonight, so my nasal passages were really messed up as I recorded. Ch 5-p. 38; Ch 6-p. 50; Ch 7-p. 67-8; Ch 8-p. 83

Philosophy on Objectionable Elements

            It is very valuable to read books with objectionable elements. Reading about the nitty-gritty gray areas sparks thought and helps to strengthen my stances on tough issues. 

            When reading books with objectionable elements, everyone should be able to draw a line somewhere (the line might be different for each person). I try to draw my line where I think God wants it to be. While there aren't any explicit commandments to limit entertainment practices, I use general Biblical principles to guide me. For example, I like to refer to Philippians 4:8, which reminds me to avoid putting situations into my head that will cause me to constantly want to think wrong thoughts.
            A lot of the conflict comes down to how an individual responds to the objectionable elements. It's vital to be discerning--not readily accepting--when reading. Examining the purpose of an objectionable element is a good starting point. I try to avoid objectionable elements that are simply there to amuse, grab attention, or appeal to the desire for evil (e.g. lust). However, if the objectionable element is there to serve a helpful and positively meaningful purpose, I am generally OK with it. When I don't know the intent of the objectionable parts until after I've read them, I have to decide between continuing reading or stopping right there.
            Having a positive purpose isn't always enough to keep me reading. An objectionable element with a good purpose can still corrupt minds. Each person has a different threshold, so what made one person stronger could easily corrupt another person. One time, I stopped reading a book because the immorality and crassness was too much for me. It was really hard for me to get past the corruption to see the redeeming value in the book. In that situation, prayer really did make a difference. I kept telling myself that I could handle it, but later I felt God guiding me to stop reading it.
            If I'm ever required to read something that goes against my standards, the main problem would probably be my personal threshold because I don't think I would be forced to read a book that didn't have some type of redeeming value. I would pray about it and try to use my own discernment. If I do end up reading an objectionable book, I would make sure I keep the ethical perspective in mind so that I never justify evil.
            These principles about literature could definitely be applied to other forms of media. Books can be just as alive and powerful as music and videos. I can't unread books. I can't unhear music. I can't unsee videos. With every type of media, I really have to be careful to guard my heart.

Dracula Free Writing Response

           13 February.--Before I started reading Dracula, I was already kind of nervous. I try to avoid creepy books and horror movies because I can take something that really isn't that creepy and blow it totally out of proportion. When I watched Insidious, I couldn't get the image of a red and black devilish creature with horse hooves out of my mind. Even though I know that stories are made up, I somehow manage to create fears that seem so real and present.
           Knowing that I have this type of a mindset, I started my reading warily. The beginning really wasn't that scary, though. However, I could tell it was building up to more creepiness. In general, it seems like Harker takes longer to realize the gravity of the situation. Before Harker suspected it, I already figured that the driver was Dracula. When Harker finally acknowledged that he was a prisoner, I was just thinking, "Wow, only now you realize." I guess I can cut him some slack, though. I approached the situation with the mindset that Dracula was going to terrorize all that he could, but Harker approached the situation with the mindset that he was going to carry out a great business transaction.
           14 February.--So far, the three creepiest and tense parts were with the mirror, the ladies, and the coffin (when Harker struck Dracula). Those three parts were so gripping, and I really wanted to find out what happened next. After I read the part about the mirror and went up to a mirror in my bathroom, I glanced behind me just to make sure that no one (Dracula in particular) was there. I knew that it was a really dumb thing to do and that I wouldn't see anything, but I just let my paranoia control me. At least, I don't have any locked rooms or coffins in my house to encourage more fears.
           Because I liked the build-up of the coffin part so much, I was kind of disappointed when the next chapter cut to other letters and diary entries. I'm not quite sure what to think of the Lucy situation, but something definitely seems wrong with Lucy. I'm starting to think that Dracula has something to do with it. I don't think that Stoker would just throw in that part of the story if it didn't connect.

Austen Storyboard

Key:
CU- close up
MS- medium shot
WS- wide shot
VO- voiceover

Austen Gifts

Mrs. Baniaga

I know that she is really germ-concious. One time she mentioned that using hand sanitizer all the time creates super germs. This soap will allow her to fight germs without creating supers germs.

Keora
Gardening is something that Keora really enjoys. In ecolab, it took a long time to harvest and sort through the lettuce seeds, so I know that seed collecting can be really tedious. This seed collecting kit will help Keora to harvest her seeds (yay for sustainability) more quickly and avoid the frustration of sorting through the seeds and chaff purely by hand.


Amy
I know that Amy likes chocolate and is really open to trying different types of food. I think she'd enjoy the combination of the fruit with chocolate, and there's a nice variety of flavors for her to sample. I can imagine her daintily snacking on these chocolates as she reads the rest of Pride and Prejudice.

Hannah
I think I've overheard Hannah recount relaxing with a nice cup of tea (I hope I didn't hear wrong). However, I do know for sure that she really loves to read. Tea is a great reading companion. I can imagine her curling up on a cool, breezy day with a book on her lap as she sips at soothing and warm tea (or coffee or cocoa depending on her mood).

Kacie
Kacie's told me that Pride and Prejudice is one of her most favorite books. I have a suspicion that Mr. Darcy and his development throughout the story is one of the major reasons that she likes it. So, I dare to pick out this Darcy charm for her. I know that if she ever has jewelry, it's nice and simple. She's worn a heart necklace and heart ring, so a Darcy heart charm seems just right. Even if she doesn't want to wear it, she can attach the charm to one of her bags as a sign of her love for Pride and Prejudice.


Shannon
Shannon is one of the best seamstresses I know. She's sewn so many amazing outfits. This dress E-pattern is totally customizable, so even if she doesn't like how the dress in the picture looks, she can always alter to pattern to make it exactly how she wants it to look. The dress might come out looking totally different from this sample picture because of alterations that she decides on. I know that, whatever she decides to do, the dress will look beautifully elegant.





Cricket
I know that Cricket is really artistic and is a huge proponent of our school's art program, so she could make good use of this pen, pencil, and ink set. She's worked with a bunch of different mediums, so it would be cool for her to try this out. I'm sure that she could draw some really amazing things with this.



*click each person's name for the link to the item

"'How Fiction Can Change Reality - Jessica Wise' Response"

Give an example of how a book really challenged the way you thought about an issue, society, an individual, or a group of people.

           Fahrenheit 451 really impacted my view of censorship. If you asked me if I supported censorship before reading the book, I probably would've said something like "Censorship? Yeah, I'm for it." Then I probably would've rambled on about how we need to protect ourselves. Blotting out the bad and only displaying the good seemed like such a great idea. Fahrenheit 451 showed me the darker side of censorship. It presented a future world where the government "protected" society from what it really needed and crushed anyone who didn't comply. 

           In many cases, censorship just a nicer term for brainwashing or manipulation.The conflict is not just a matter of not showing what should be seen--it's also a matter of showing too much of what shouldn't be seen. Censorship sets standards that are socially accepted, and has become a threatening game of stretching limits as far out as possible. As long as flawed humans are creating their own standards for what's appropriate, censorship will never truly protect. When I really stopped to consider it, I realized that censorship is a hugely flawed concept--largely due to how people twist it to fit their agendas. 

           I probably would've retained my extremely ignorant view of censorship if I hadn't read Fahrenheit 451. If you asked me if I support censorship now that I've read Fahrenheit 451, I'd say, "Censorship? Not quite."  Do I want limits? Yes--actually, I need them. Do I want people to be protected? That would be another huge "yes." However, I'd choose Bible mixed with prayer over skewed human-made guidelines.

(That last statement is a lot easier to say than to live.)

Austen Thoughts

Would you like to have lived during this time period? Why or why not?

            I would definitely not want to live during the time of Pride and Prejudice. I’d be miserable living with the expectation that a woman’s success is measured by her marriage. It was a general understanding that the desirable women “must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, all the modern languages…and possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions” (32). I would have struggled with all of those expectations. Instead of being able to focus on my passions and nurture my natural talents, I’d be forced into other activities for the sake of marriage and social acceptance.

            Also, in depending on marriage, I’d be placing my hopes on a man that might never come along. The ideal man was one of power and privilege. Character and beliefs, which I care more about, were less of a priority. I might’ve ended up as an old maid because I held onto hopes of love and a sense of completion in marriage.

            On a more shallow level, I wouldn’t have liked wearing dresses all the time—the spring banquet is enough. In general, I’m just not really into girly things. I like having the freedom to dress and appear however I want. In addition, I generally dress for comfort, and they seemed to dress for appearance. Although Elizabeth’s trek to reach Jane did show that there was room for breaking out of the mold, social norms tended to stifle freedom. For these reasons and probably many more that I will realize as I continue reading the book, I would not want to live during that time period.