To Build a Fire

"Later, the dog whined loudly. And Still later it crept close to the man and caught the scent of death. This made the animal bristle and back away. A little longer it delayed, howling under the stars that leaped and danced and shone brightly in the cold sky. Then it turned and trotted up the trail in the direction of the camp it knew, where were the other food-providers and fire-providers."



The end of this book, I find somewhat humorous. I think it's amusing because the old man wanders and wanders, until he finally dies. The dog knew where he was, but it's not like he could say anything about it. The man never fed the dog while on their journey, or tried to warm him up. The dog suffered just as he did. After the man died, the dog was like, "Okay, I'll go find someone else right up the way." It wasn't that hard for the dog to find a place, but the man croaked, so what was the dog to do?

America's Next Top Model Winner Has a Message for Taunted Teens

Original article:
"After being taunted while growing up for being unusually tall and ultra skinny, Ann Ward was crowned of America's Next Top Model this week.

The 6-ft, 2-in.-tall 19 year old from Dallas spoke with PEOPLE about dealing with the backlash over her shockingly small waist, how she wants to inspire other girls to feel comfortable in their own skin, and what's next for the formerly painfully shy Texas girl."


My Response:
I don't watch Tv much, but when I do, it's certainly not America's Next Top Model. I think that show sends a bad message to girls who think they are big, short, too tall, too skinny, ugly, or pretty. Even Ann said she was self conscious of her height and size before she entered to be a contestant. Even though she was bullied and hurt by people who made fun of her, she made it known that everyone is beautiful and should be happy with themselves. I personally don't think that by entering into America's Next Top Model, I'll feel less self conscious about my body and height. Why? Because I'd HAVE to be tall and skinny to do so in the first place! The message to the girls who watch that show or even consider entering it, are fed lies by hypocrites. Ann won because she was tall and skinny, not average in both weight and height. If I entered right now, I'd have to make known my height and weight, which would certainly not get me in. Am I comfortable in my own skin? Yes, I am, because I have a mom who helps me through times where I think I'm not beautiful in the slightest. I talk to my sister about it, as well as my boyfriend, his sister too, who I'm good friends with, and other girls I know from church. I think that people aren't defined by their bodies, faces, or any other physical features. I think the real beauty of a person is their heart, and personality, and not how tiny their waist is.

Comparison and Contrast

  

Created just five years apart, these works relate in time as well as subject. On top, the painting American Gothic, by the Iowan Grant Wood (1892-1942), depicts farmers in 1930, before the Great Depression was fully under way. On the bottom, the photograph Rural Rehabilitation Client, by the Lithuanian-born New Jerseyan Ben Shahn (1899-1969),  depicts recipients of a federal aid program in Arkansas in 1935, at the Depression's low point. Closely examine the people in each image (clothes, postures, expressions) and their settings. What striking and not-so-striking similarities do you notice? What is the most obvious difference? What are some more subtle differences? What does the medium of each work (painting versus photography) contribute to the differences? How would you summarize the visions of rural folk conveyed by Wood and Shahn?

Some of the things I notice in both of these visuals, is that the top painting is in great shape before the Depression, and the bottom one, not so much. Their clothes are nice, neat, and clean in the top painting, and the bottom photo is grungy. They look depressed in the bottom, hence the Great Depression. The older couple stands proud and tall, whereas the younger couple slouch. They obviously have suffered way more than the old man and woman. The colors of the top panting are bright and alive. The other, is dark and dirty. I think Wood wanted to show that some had it good, whereas Shahn wanted to show how badly others had it.

Edward and his rules

"Do you really have any idea how important you are to me? Any concept at all of how much I love you?"   He pulled me tighter against his hard chest, tucking my head under his chin.
I pressed me lips against his now snow-cold neck. "I know how much I love you," I answered.
"You compare one small tree to the entire forest ."
I rolled my eyes, but he couldn't see . "Impossible."
 He kissed the top of my head and sighed.
"No werewolves."
"I'm not going along with that. I have to see Jacob."
"Then I'll have to stop you."
He sounded utterly confident that this wouldn't be a problem. I was sure he was right.
"We'll see about that," I bluffed anyway. "He's still my friend."
I could feel Jacob's note in my pocket, like it suddenly weighed ten pounds. I could hear the words in his voice, and he seemed to be agreeing with Edward--something that would never happen in reality.
Doesn't change anything. Sorry.






The ending to New Moon really upsets me, because Edward treats Bella like she's his child. He won't allow her to do anything that might possibly endanger her, such as seeing Jacob, even though seeing him would be safe. Half the time she's not even in danger, so Edward exaggerates the point, and adds a ton of more drama that makes me want to turn the Twilight series into a soap opera. The title of the soap opera would be just how the book portrays Edward, and with good reason. 'The vampire watching out for his girlfriend, was a stalker.' He's really controlling, and Bella seems to be okay with it, except for the fact she says that she find a way around Edward to get to Jacob. I will not read anymore of that! it's just ridiculous! my boyfriend doesn't tell me what I can and can't do, and if he did, he'd end up getting a talking to. Edward needs to back off, and stop practicing for parenthood at so young an age.

Paris

"Jake pressed his warm cheek against the top of my hair. If I turned my face to the side--if I pressed my lips to his bare shoulder . . . I knew without any doubt exactly what would follow. It would be very easy. There would be no need for explanations tonight.
But Could  do it? Could I betray my absent heart to save my pathetic life?
Butterflies assaulted my stomach as I thought about turning my head. And then, as clearly as if I were in immediate danger, Edward's velvet voice whispered in my ear.
'Be happy,' he told me."



My Response:
Ahhh! I hate this part of the book because Jacob, in my mind, is the right guy for her, and Edward had to butt in at the time where Bella might discover just how much she loves Jacob, not only as a friend, but also as a partner. Edward left her, so he shouldn't be in her head, telling her what to do, and interrupting her thoughts. It makes me so mad that he's still with her when he dumped her, then left. Jacob saved her from depression, and herself. He's Bella's "Personal sun", as she states several times, plus he wouldn't drain her of all the blood she has. I wish so much that Bella and Jacob were together, but like always, Edward will always be the bigger picture.

Jacob and Bella

"I don't know . . . " he muttered.
"I've got some college money saved. College fund, you know."
College, schmollege, I though to myself. It wasn't like I'd saved up enough to go anywhere special--and besides, I had no desire to  leave Forks anyway. What difference would it make if I skimmed a little off the top?
Jacob just nodded. This all made perfect sense to him.
As we skulked back to the makeshift garage, I contemplated my luck. Only a teenage boy would agree to doing this: deceiving both our parents while repairing dangerous vehicles using money meant for my college education. He didn't see anything wrong with that picture. Jacob was a gift from the gods."


My Response:

I think this part in the book is a light through the clouds kind of paragraph.  Bella is finally staring to be herself again and getting out of the house, instead of sulking all day. Sometimes she likes to do absolutely nothing all day. Now, she's finally opening up. Edward left her, so now she's leaving Edward. She's leaving him in the past. She's moving on to spend time with Jacob, and later on in the book, she'll be back to normal. But when Edward tries to kill himself, she'll go after him. So, she won't really have moved on. The love of her life Edward, will once again be in her life. Jacob who entered Bella's life, but Edward, who was always in it, will be take place of Jacob.

The Rain Before the Storm

"The kiss began much the same as usual--Edward was as careful as ever, and my heart began to overreact like it always did. And then something seemed to change. Suddenly his lips became much more urgent, his free hand twisted in my hair and held my face securely to his. And, though my hands tangled in his hair too, and though I was clearly beginning to cross his cautious lines, for once he didn't stop me. His body was cold through the thin quilt, but I crushed myself against him eagerly.
When he stopped it was abrupt; he pushed me away with gentle, firm hands.
I collapsed back onto my pillow, gasping, my head spinning. Something tugged at my memory, elusive, on the edges."


My Response:
Yesterday was just like any other normal day, except yesterday consisted of hurt, worry, and aloneness. I was starting to overreact like I always do, when suddenly, something changed and hit me in the face. My tears stopped, my hammering heart slowed down, and my then clouded mind opened up. I stood up from my bed, and got my journal out to write about you. I wrote that I need to stop worrying because I'll always have you to run to, no matter what I'm going through.
When I stopped writing I put my journal away, got into bed, asked God for strength. I asked that he'd help me be strong through the rest of this year and all of next. I'll need it when you're gone, and can't get by without it. When I finished praying, I remembered something you said to me. You said, "Be optimistic.'"

New Moon

Chapter 3:
The End

"The album Renee had given me sat on the floor beside the bed, just where I'd put it last. I lifted the cover with a shaking hand. 

I didn't have to flip any further than the first page. The little metal corners no longer held a picture in place. The page was blank except for my own handwriting scrawled across the bottom: Edward Cullen, Charlie's  kitchen, Sept. 13th.

I stopped there. I was sure that he would have been very thorough.

It will be as if I'd never existed, he'd promised me. 

I felt the smooth wooden floor beneath my knees, and then the palms of my hands, and then it was pressed against the skin of my cheek. I hoped that I was fainting, but to my disappointment, I didn't lose consciousness. The waves of pain that had only lapped at me before now reared high up and washed over my head, pulling me under.

I did not resurface. "

My Rewrite:

The album my mom had given me, sat next to my bed on the floor. I was shaking as I lifted the top cover. 

I didn't have to see any more of the book. The tabs that held the pictures, were holding nothing. Only my handwriting was left. Charlie's house, Sept. 13th, Edward. 

I didn't have to look for anything else he might have given me, because I was sure he wouldn't have forgotten anything. 

It will be as if I had never existed, he'd sworn.

My knees hit the floor, then my hands, and suddenly, I was lying on the side of my face. I hoped that I might be blacking out, but unfortunately, I never lost consciousness. The pain of that first day was coming back, only in a bigger quantity, that eventually drowned me. 

I did not come back up.

The Scarlet Letter

16

A Forest Walk

"When her elf-child had departed, Hester Prynne made a step or two towards the track that led through the forest, but still remained under the deep shadow of the trees. She beheld the minister advancing along the path, entirely alone, and leaning on a staff which he had cut by the way-side. He looked haggard and feeble, and betrayed a nerveless despondency in his air, which had never so remarkably characterized him in his walks about the settlement, nor in any other situation where he deemed himself liable to notice. Here it was wofully visible, in this intense seclusion of the forest, which of itself would have been a heavy trial to the spirits. There was a listlessness in his gait; as as if he saw no reason for taking one step farther, nor felt any desire to do so, but would have been glad, could he be glad of any thing, to fling himself down at the root of the nearest tree, and lie there passive for evermore."

My response:

I think this passage was very sad because, when the minister and Hester weren't involved immorally, I'm sure he was very healthy in regards to his emotional state. Now that it's been years since he and Hester committed adultery, it's slowly degrading his heart, because it's been kept secret for 7 or more years. I think his description is what really tells of how he's not fairing health wise, because he looks "haggard" as Hester described, and worn down like he stopped taking care of himself. I think this book is just depressing, but interesting in the sense one wants to know what happens at the end, so one MUST keep reading. :)

Edward's Experiment

A passage from Twilight:
"Edward hesitated to test himself, to see if this was safe, to make sure he was still in control of his need.
And then his cold, marble lips pressed very softly against mine.
Blood boiled under my skin, burned in my lips. My breath came in a wild gasp. My fingers knotted in his hair, clutching him to me. My lips parted as I breathed in his heady scent.
Immediately I felt him turn to unresponsive stone beneath my lips. His hands gently, but with irresistible force, pushed my face back. I opened my eyes and saw his guarded expression."


So, the subject of this passage is that of Edward's and Bella's first kiss. The purpose is to show how much Bella already loves him, and also that she loses her marbles and self-control because of it. The audience of this book, especially this passage, is directed at teenagers. Duh. What teen doesn't love a good steamy, dramatic, and adventurous book? I know this part of the chapter is about their kiss, because it's the most exciting, or in other words, the climax. When Bella loses control and attacks Edward, that shows she's passionately already in love with the Vampire (blood sucking, capable of murder quicker than a blink of the eye, Edward). Also, teens love romance books. Ha.

The Brief Bedford Reader

Disability - Nancy Mairs
"Take it from me, physical disability looms pretty large in one's life. But it doesn't devour one wholly. I'm not, for instance, Ms. MS, a walking, talking embodiment of a chronic incurable degenerative disease. In most ways I'm just like every other woman of my age, nationality, and socioeconomic background. I menstruate, so I have to buy tampons. I worry about smoker's breath, so I buy mouthwash. I smear my wrinkling skin with lotions. I put bleach in the washer so my family's undies won't be dingy. I drive a car, talk on the telephone, get runs in my pantyhose, eat pizza. In most ways, that is, I'm the advertiser's dream: Ms. Great American Consumer. And yet the advertisers, who determine nowadays who will get represented publicly and who will not, deny the existence of me and my kind absolutely."


My Response:
I love this paragraph, because she's standing up for the fact she has a disability! She's saying to the world exactly what happens to her and people around that are also disabled. She's not afraid to say what's on her mind, because she's right for one thing, and we as a people have a freedom to speak freely. She's saying all kinds of things she does that shows she's really no different. The same goes for African Americans. Just because they're of a different color, they're different? NO! They are the same as any white, red, black, or brown person. I think this paragraph is what most people don't get to see from the other side of things. I feel differently and I think a lot of people who might see this, do too. And if they don't, then they should.