Thursday, February 9, 2012

Hope


Author's Note: This is a creative piece about a quote in the book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. If you could comment, any feedback would be great.

Arnold lives on a Indian reservation. He was born with many medical issues. All the adults on rez including his parents are drug addict or drunks. He is bullied every day by everyone, I mean adults, teenagers, and kids. But that isn't going to stop Arnold follow his dreams. 

"You've been fighting since you were born. You fought off brain surgery. You fought off those seizures. You fought off all the drunks and drug addicts. You kept your hope. And now, you have to take your hope and go somewhere where other people have hope." -Mr. P   pg. 43

That was what started everything. That was the line that made Arnold think, it lead him off the rez to basically start a new life. Arnold didn't give up unlike everyone on the rez. He had hope and so did the kids at Reardan Middle school.  Though Arnold was still the same kid, he was still Indian, he still medical problems, but that didn't stop him from turning his life around.

 It kind of makes you think if Mr. P hadn't of talked to Arnold what would have happened next. Probably would stay on the rez and there wouldn't be a story to tell. Mary probably wouldn't have died in the book. She only left because Arnold left. Everyone says that it was his fault but I don't think so. It made Mary leave but it was out of her stupidity that she died. If Mr. P didn’t come to Arnold's house would there even be a book?

I think this was an important quote in the book, it completely changed the story and Arnold's life.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Author's Note: This is essay on character development. I am writing about Arnold from the book The Absolutely True Diary of  a Part-Time Indian. I am working on organization. Feedback would be great.

Have you ever had problems at school, in your town, or just your life? Maybe because of bullies, mental/physical issues, or etc. Well, if you think you got it bad just look at Arnold's life. He may have it bad now, but can he turn this all around?

First of all, Arnold's life didn't really start off the best. When he was born his head was filled with water that damaged his brain (That's how he got the nickname Hydro Head). He lives on a Indian reservation. Doesn't really have any friends except for his best friend, Rowdy. Dog died, Father is a drunk, Mother is never there, his sister ran away and they are poor. Seems like a great life, right. But when Mr. P (Teacher) comes over to talk to Arnold, he might be able to change his life forever?

His life started terrible, but will it end that way? After Arnold smashed Mr. P in the face with a geometry book, he came over to Arnold's House to talk to him about leaving the rez. Arnold still has hope unlike anyone at the rez, everyone has given up. Mr. P says Arnold could have a future but can't stay here. He decides to leave and go to Reardan, an all-white school. But the people at the rez don't like that, they think he has betrayed the tribe and when Reardan plays the rez in basketball it's not a pretty sight. He will go to this new school and find that people won't be so quick to judge, unlike the people on the rez and they will give him a chance to really know him. Now he has more friends than ever and something good could finally come from his life.

This book kind of reminds me of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Arnold and Greg both in middle school, having problems trying to fit in. Plus both of the main character's best friend is name is Rowdy. Both lost there best friend, but the Rowdy's are different one will never anyone and one will punch you in the face to get his point across.But the main character are pretty similar.   

His life might not started off so good, but look at it now. He has left the dying hope at the rez and has create some new hope that could last him maybe forever. No matter how bad his life was, you can always turn it around.


Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Thank You Ma'am-From her mind

Author's Note: This is a piece showing what the women was thinking during "Thank You Ma'am", by Langston Hughes. From her mind....


I worked late tonight just ready to get home and eat some dinner. What's that. Hey, my pocketbook! The thief fell down. Good thing it's heavier than this boy. I kick him "right square in his blue-jeaned sitter." He probably not more than 14. I pick him up and now am face to face with this boy. All I am thinking what is wrong with this boy. I am so angry at this boy, people are watching and I don't care. Maybe I should change the way this boy thinks. Yeah, I will take him back to my place right now.


In this piece the lady didn't seem like the victim. She didn't seem scared of the boy. She also didn't the cops, all she did was kick him and turned him into the victim. At most she was angry. Once she started dragging the boy I think that Roger most likely regretted ever take the chance of stealing the pocketbook.







Sopa & Pipa


Author's Note: This piece is to tell you that this not a good bill and we should do whatever we can to rebel against it. I am working on Sentence Fluency. Please leave comments below to tell me what you think should with Sopa & Pipa.

Have you heard of the Sopa & Pipa bill that the government is trying to pass. Basically they are trying to censor the internet.  There are so many reasons that we should deny this bill. This is why the Sopa & Pipa should not be passed.

Sopa and Pipa are acts that are trying to censor the internet. Sopa stands for Stop Online Piracy Act and Pipa stands for Protect IP act. They want control over websites and will shut down any website with illegal videos, music, and etc. on them. It might seem good but the government will most likely go to far and end up shutting down most of the Internet.

The Internet is huge source of information, but if this bill passes big websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube will be shutdown. For example if someone were to post a video on Youtube that breaks any piracy laws, that means movie clips, songs, and video games, the government will shut down all of Youtube and blame it as Youtube's problem. Even if this bill does pass it will not stop websites from overseas, so it could end up failing anyways.

Overall, the Internet is a giant source for information and if they shut it down they country will takes a major step back in technology. They are not good bills and will end up failing anyways. So when you have a chance to help rebel this bill, do your part and save the Internet.

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Dead-Man's Path


Author's Note: I am writing a Cause & Effect piece for "Dead-man's path". Feedback would be great.

26 year-old, Michael Obi, just became the new headmaster of Ndume Central School in the story "Dead-Man's Path." He wants to make the school more modern. All the village people have this superstition of Dead-man's path and it's right in front of the school. For thousands of years people have been walking across this path. He didn't think that should happen so he blocked it off. This event was the climax of the story.

Why did Michael Obi feel the need to block the path? Well, he thinks that he is the smart one and the village people are dumb for believing in this superstition.

 There were harsh consequences for blocking the path.  The priest came to say that he still has a chance to remove the fence. He refused and  kept it up. Someone died right after he refused to take it down. The next day the villagers trashed the school. Everything that happened wouldn't have ever happen as long as he didn't put up the fence.

SS Comparison Essay


Author's Note: I just read The Fighting Ground and watched “The Patriot”. I am comparing Jonathan (Main character in The Fighting Ground) and Gabriel (One of the main characters of “The Patriot”). 

What would it be like to live in the time of the Revolutionary War? Would you want to fight for freedom or just sit back and wait till the war was over? Well, Jonathan and Gabriel were tired of waiting and wanted to get into the war. They disobeyed their fathers and joined the continental army. In a way these two are very much alike.

There were many similarities between The Patriot and The Fighting Ground. Just like Jonathan, Gabriel went to war even though his father didn’t want him to. Both of their fathers had been in war so they knew what it was like and didn't want their son to go through that; both of the fathers had been heroes in the French & Indian war. Also Jonathan and Gabriel both ended up getting captured; Jonathan by Hessians, Gabriel by the Red Coats. These two seem very similar, but have some differences too. 

There were many differences between the two, like luckily for Gabriel when he was captured his father came to save him unlike Jonathan who had to escape himself. Jonathan's father had a leg problem so he couldn't do anything about it. Gabriel was older than Jonathan; he was trained to ride a horse and was able to reload a musket quickly. Unlike Jonathan who was 14 and couldn't even carry the gun on his back.

Back in that time every boy want to help out in the continental army mostly likely because they don't know it will be like. There were some tough times back then, and it think Jonathan and Gabriel found out the hard way. Though Gabriel died in the end, if he had of lived, it would have something they would never forget.  

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Moments during Winter Break

Author's Note: I am explain a funny time during my winter break.

During winter break I was playing Kinect Sports 2 with my friend. We were playing football and he was ready to punt it away. He kicks but while he does that his other leg flies up to and he falls on his back. It looked liked a cartoon character slipping on a banana peel. It was a perfect punt.