Final Reading Response to Speak

Foreward:
 
          Melinda is a 13 year old girl who went through a tragic experience during an end-of-the-summer party, and to top the end of her reputation, ended up losing all of her friends after a phone call to the cops. After this party, she goes into her first year of high school, her freshman year of 9th grade. She doesn't speak. Not to her teacher, classmates, or parents about what happened to her. Onstead she stays inside of her own little world, quiet, as the outcast of the school.
        
         In the book, Melinda goes to an end-of-the-summer party, the party of the year, which is where her reputation is officially ruined after she makes a phone call to the cops. At the party Melinda (who is 13) gets drunk, and wanders into the forest (not far, just outside of the barn, REMINDER: the party is in the barn), when a senior starts to flirt with her. They start to dance, when he started to kiss her, then asked 'Do you want to?'. She didn't give a n answer, she didn't know. Next thing she knew they were on the ground, and she was trying to say no, but her tounge was thick with beer, so nothing came out. Next thing she knew wham! shirt up, shorts down and he hurt her. Next thing she could remember was stumbling into the kitchen for a phone. She dialed 911, as an officer asked her what was her emergency. She couldn't say anything, but the police tracked down the phone, she was crying hard, until someone grabbed the phone and shouted THE COPS!!! Everyone was mad, someone even slapped her, but she crawled out of the room, and walked home where her mom and dad weren't.
         
        But, at the end of the book, Melinda learns that when you open up, and express yourself, or at least start to speak, you can benifit from the outcome.

Reading Response:

            In the book Speak there is alot of talk about having a loss of friends. The main character, Melinda, struggles with mixed emotions about the loss of her friends, the loss of her chance of making any friends (no one liking her/accepting her for who she is), and how she feels that if she speaks about what happened, it would only make matters worse for her. But, when going through the book, and experiencing what is happening to her, you learn that not everything can be solved if you just stay quiet. If you don't say what you have to say, if you don't speak, you won't be able to go on in life as a person, but as a shadow.
           
           In the begining of the book, Melinda only spoke when needed (talking to teachers). She never would open up or just have some small talk with someone. She also had two sides of her. One that wanbted to stay as safe as possible, never staying some where for too long, and always on the lookout for a predator, while the other side was ready to be a teenager, have fun, let lose, and party. These two sides always fought which would confuse, annoy and make Melinda wonder what would happen if they would both just disappear.

           But, towards the end of the book Melinda started to talk. She found ways to make herself feel good, to spread positive energy, and to make the people around a little more confident each day. She started planting, and got into art. By planting, she showed her father and mother that she was capable of making their backyard into something that they will cherish and that the neighbors will envy. In art, Melinda made friends with an old freind who she found out, wasn't that bad of a person. This benefited her because she had someone who she could hang out with, relate too, and talk too.

          With the change that Melinda made, it benifited her because she wasn't scared anymore. She conquered her fear and defeted it without any disappoitnment to herself. This helped her alot because she knew that something ahd to be done, and she done it. She helped everyone in her society but mostly herself. And this all happened because she finally realized that without speaking up, nothing will be done, and you will never be heard.

          In conclusion, Melinda has made it through adolesence with a risk at hand. But, she finally conquered her fears and defeted them at the same time. She has mad herself and confident young lady and has benefited life for her in the future.

Reading Prompt

11. How do people come of age in different parts of the world? How do surroundings and upbringings influence this?

In (some) Spanish parts of the world, girls (or boys, usually girls) that are 14 going on 15 usually (if they want to or because of the tradition) have a Quincenera, or a coming-of-age party. This party symbolizes the transition of a girl (or boy) becoming a woman (or man). During the party (for girls), for this transition to 'happen', during the first half of the party, the girl would wear flats, and in the middle of the party, she would change into heels, symbolizing the change from girl to women.

Reading Response to Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

           In the book Speak there is alot of talk about having a loss of friends. The main character, Melinda, struggles with mixed emotions about the loss of her friends, the loss of her chance of making any friends (no one liking her/accepting her for who she is), and how she feels that if she speaks about what happened, it would only make matters worse for her.
           In the book, Melinda goes to an end-of-the-summer party, the party of the year, which is where her reputation is officially ruined after she makes a phone call to the cops. At the party Melinda (who is 13) gets drunk, and wanders into the forest (not far, just outside of the barn, REMINDER: the party is in the barn), when a senior starts to flirt with her. They start to dance, when he started to kiss her, then asked 'Do you want to?'. She didn't give a n answer, she didn't know. Next thing she knew they were on the ground, and she was trying to say no, but her tounge was thick with beer, so nothing came out. Next thing she knew wham! shirt up, shorts down and he hurt her. Next thing she could remember was stumbling into the kitchen for a phone. She dialed 911, as an officer asked her what was her emergency. She couldn't say anything, but the police tracked down the phone, she was crying hard, until someone grabbed the phone and shouted THE COPS!!! Everyone was mad, someone even slapped her, but she crawled out of the room, and walked home where her mom and dad weren't.
          
           Ever since this happened, there has always been two sides of Melinda, one that was always safe, and ready to run, and another that was ready to have fun and explore. Throughout the book, Melinda has alot of conversations in the head (Melinda 1, and Melinda 2) in which she argue's with herself. For example, there is one time where a boy called David invites Melinda to a pizza party at his house after one of there schools basketball games (their school actually won the game!) but Melinda says no because she is scared of what could happen, and argue's with herself on her way home:
                  'I think it's some kind of psychiatric disorder when you have more than one
                  personality in your head. That's what it feels like when i walk home. The two
                  Melindas fight every step of the way. Melinda One is pissed that she couldn't
                  go to the party.

                  Melinda One: "Get a life. It was just pizza. He wasn't going to try anything.
                  His parents were going to be there! You worry too much. You're never
                  going to let us have any fun, are you? You're going to turn into one of those
                  weird old ladies who has a hundred cats and calls the cops when kids cut
                  across her backyard. I can't stand you."

                  Melinda Two waits for One to finish her tnatrum. Two carefully watches the
                  bushes along the sidewalk for any lurking bogeyman or worse.
              
                  Melinda Two: "The world is a dangerous place. You don't know what would
                  have happened. What if he was just saying his parents were gonna be there?
                  He could have been lying. You can never tell when people are lying. Assume
                  the worst. Plan for disaster. Now hurry up and get us home. I don't like it out
                  here. It's too dark."

                  If I kick both of them out of my head, who would be left?'

            With all that Melinda went through (some which she might need some therapy), she uses silence as a keyto prevent stuff from happening, because she doesn't want to tell who won't believe her. For example, when Melinda has a meeting in the Pricipals office with her Mom, her Dad, and the Guidence counselor. (The meeting is about slipping grades, cutting classes, and absences). During the whole meeting, Melinda doesn't speak, instead sits in her chair and listens to the bickering.The whole timeshe sits there, she is constanly provoked to speak, but it doesn't crack her. Instead in her head, she stays wondering if her own parents would believe anything that she would have to say. Onstead, she chose to stay quiet. She wonders:
              
                 'Do they choose to be so dense? Were they born that way?
                 I have no friends. I have nothing. I say nothing. I am nothing.
                 I wonder how long it takes to ride a bus to Arizona.'

            In conclusion, I thought that the book was sad because people dont know what actually happened, and no one thought of actually taking the time to talk to Melinda, or at least be a friend. It wasn't even that big of a deal that she called thecops, its not like there are not going to be any other parties in their lives'. No one understood that for Melinda, it was an instinct for her to call the cops after what happened to her, something that she felt that she needed to do.

Reading Prompts

7. What are the main similarities and differences between childhood and adulthood?

A difference between childhood and adulthood is school. School is different because the work is harder, and the schedule for classes gets more difficult (TEACHERS ALSO). The work is alot harder now than before (like when your little brother or sister asks for help, and you look at them like they are type stupid because their homework is a little TOO easy). It can just be hard, but it can also be harder when a teacher gives you an assignment, but doesn't explain how to do it, (or you get bored and dont pay attention) and you get a 65, barely passing or learning anything new from the whole process. A similarity (so far) are the friends that you've had from pre-k, and still hang out with now.

8. What inner and external conflicts arise in the transition from childhood to adulthood?

A conflict that may arise between me and my mom is when i ask for something. I might ask for something or want something but might not be able to get it because i 'have to earn it'. It is different from when i was younger because when i was a child i used to get whatever i wanted whenever i asked for it, not have to 'earn' it.

Reading Response: The Lovely Bones

The Lovely Bones is a great book. I like how Alice Sebold puts detail into all of the commotion in the book. She is a great writer, and has artistic skill, because it is like when reading the book, you can almost visualize it as a movie, while reading it. I like the Lovely Bones because it is a mixture of genres. It is a mixture of suspense, horror, (has a poetic touch), romance, etc. This book expresses how one life, can affect everyone around something, that used to be.

When reading the book The Lovely Bones, just from the first page you can feel the suspense come in as the beginning sentences state, “My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6^th, 1973” I like how the author structured this because she just came right out with the point, instead of the reader having to wait for what the topic of the book was.

This book is very descriptive on the feelings of all of the characters. On how the mother cracks and leave’s her kids on their own, how Buckley, once a cheerful little boy who hid to become a rock, hard as stone and Susie’s father who hangs on to her, as if she is still there, knowing, deep down that she is gone. In the book I think that the strongest connection that Susie has to earth is with her father. This is because when she is alone with him, or she is standing there, he says things out loud because he can sense her, and he talks to her (the most out of some of the other characters in the book).

            When reading the book, you begin to notice that everyone has a connection with Susie. Ruth and Ray are old school friends, Ray who became Susie’s first love, and Ruth who Susie’s never really talked to, but became an impact on Ruth. These two people became Susie’s almost imaginary friends, both talking to Susie. But, they hadn’t known that Susie’s was listening, and was trying to speak back, but since she wasn’t alive, wasn’t real anymore, she couldn’t.

The Lovely Bones also has a mood of mystery throughout the whole book, since Susie’s death has affected everybody, her father being most affected by it. The mystery lingers with every page wondering when Mr. Harvey will be caught, how her mother’s love will turn into rage, when her father will come to realization that she is gone, and nothing can bring her back, when Buckley will crack, when Len Fernerman will solve the gruesome murder, and when Susie will give up on hoping to be alive once again.

Final Draft of Reading Response

The Lovely Bones is a great book. I like how Alice Sebold puts detail into all of the commotion in the book. She is a great writer, and has artistic skill, because it is like when reading the book, you can almost visualize it as a movie, while reading it. I like the Lovely Bones because it is a mixture of genres. It is a mixture of suspense, horror, (has a poetic touch), romance, etc. This book expresses how one life, can affect everyone around something, that used to be.

When reading the book The Lovely Bones, just from the first page you can feel the suspense come in as the beginning sentences state, “My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6^th, 1973” I like how the author structured this because she just came right out with the point, instead of the reader having to wait for what the topic of the book was.

This book is very descriptive on the feelings of all of the characters. On how the mother cracks and leave’s her kids on their own, how Buckley, once a cheerful little boy who hid to become a rock, hard as stone and Susie’s father who hangs on to her, as if she is still there, knowing, deep down that she is gone. In the book I think that the strongest connection that Susie has to earth is with her father. This is because when she is alone with him, or she is standing there, he says things out loud because he can sense her, and he talks to her (the most out of some of the other characters in the book).

The Lovely Bones also has a mood of mystery throughout the whole book, since Susie’s death has affected everybody, her father being most affected by it. The mystery lingers with every page wondering when Mr. Harvey will be caught, how her mother’s love will turn into rage, when her father will come to realization that she is gone, and nothing can bring her back, when Buckley will crack, when Len Fernerman will solve the gruesome murder, and when Susie will give up on hoping to be alive once again.

Shakespeare Extra Credit

           The play that I went to see (with the classes) was As You Like It. This play is about a girl named Rosland. Rosland father was banished form the land by his evil brother Duke Fedrerick. Duke Fedreick was an evil man or cared about being king. Later in the play, Rosland falls in love with a man named Oliver. (Oliver won a wrestling match, and Rosland witnessed his strengh and devotion to win). Rosland gave Oliver her necklace, to show her appreciation, of courage.
          Then Rosland is banished from the land (just like her dad), by Duke Fedrerick, who daughter Celia, beggs to keep Rosland with her, and claims that they are im-seperable. But, Duke Fedrerick doesn't change his mind, and tells Rosland that if she does not leave the next day, she will be killed. Soon, Rosland and Celia make a plan to leave, into the woods as different people, in new identities (Rosland turn into Gurtimude ???, and Celia turned into Aileen). They set off their journey into the woods where sparks are flying everywhere. A sheperdist named Audrey falls in love with Touchstone. Aileen (Celia) falls in love with Oliver's brother. And a man is in love with Fibi who is in love with Gurtimude (Rosland), who is in love with Oliver, who is in love with Rosland.
         In the woods, Oliver posts love notes all over the trunks of tree's for Rosland, hoping that he will soon find her. Rosland soon finds one of these letters and swears that her heart is swooning with love for Oliver. Soon Oliver meets Gurtimude (Rosland), and tells him (her) about his love and devotion for Rosaland. Gurtimude tells him that he should not worry, Rosland will be ready tommorrow to get married with Oliver, and along will be Fibi and (????forgot the name), Audrey and Touchstone, and Aileen and Oliver's brother.
        At the wedding, Fibi waits to be married with Gurtimude (Rosland) who soon shows up with a surprise for everyone. He is a WOMAN!!! This woman turned out to be Rosland, Oliver's one true love. After Rosland is unmasked, everyone gets married, and Federick, ( Duke Fedrerick's borther) iz given back his crown. (Happily Ever After). The End.
       When i went to go see this play (with the classes) i was kind of shocked with the actor's becausde they took things very literally. They acted as if they were these people in real life, and did things that disgusted me, and are shocking to do to another person (spit in another person's face.......). But i liked it because it showed (almost) like the actors had true emotion. Each of the actor's showed that they were enjoying what they did too.
       I also liked this play because it shows the story of love in a different way (besides the Hapilly Ever After part). It shows that for love, you would do things that you would have never thought of doing before, and never regret a thing.

           The three blog's that I liked were Fatima's blog, Kate's blog, and Kayla's blog. I liked Fatima's blog because when she write's her responses, she is very open-minded, making her writing very interesting to her reader's. I also liked her blog because she shows emotion in everything that she writes. It is almost like experiencing what happening firsthand.

           I liked Kate's blog because when she write's she sort of commits to it, because all of her responses have length. I also liked her blog because when she write's, she explain's everything in sheer detail, making sure that while reading her response, you are able to understand what she is talking about, all while just writing.

           I also liked Kayla's blog. I liked her blog because it shows emotion. For example, her poem. In her peom she describes a girl in pain, hurting, after she broke up with her boyfriend. She describes her memories of how she felt calm, and then scared of what may happen next. In her blog she describes the emotion that people go through in life.

Darft of Reading Response

The Lovely Bones is a great book. I like how Alice Sebold puts detail into all of the commotion in the book. She is a great writer, and has artistic skill, because it is like when reading the book, you can almost visualize it as a movie, while reading it. I like the Lovely Bones because it is a mixture of genres. It is a mixture of suspense, horror, (has a poetic touch), romance, etc. This book expresses how one life, can affect everyone around something, that used to be.

When reading the book The Lovely Bones, just from the first page you can feel the suspense come in as the beginning sentences state, “My name is Salmon, like the fish; first name Susie. I was 14 when I was murdered on December 6^th, 1971.” I like how the author structured this because she just came right out with the point, instead of the reader having to wait for what the topic of the book was.

The Lovely Bones also has a mood of mystery throughout the whole book, since Susie’s death has affected everybody, her father being most affected by it. The mystery lingers with every page wondering when Mr. Harvey will be caught, how her mother’s love will turn into rage, when her father will come to realization that she is gone, and nothing can bring her back, when Buckley will crack, when Len Fernerman will solve the gruesome murder, and when Susie will give up on hoping to be alive once again.

Reading Response to The Lovely Bones

         The Lovely Bones is a great book. I like how Alice Sebold puts detail into all of the commotion in the book. She is a great writer, and has artistic skill, because it is like when reading the book,you can almost visualize it as a movie, while reading it. I like the Lovely Bones because it is a mixture of genres. It is a mixture of suspense, horror, (has a poetic touch), romance, etc. This book expresses how one life, can effect everyone around something, that used to be. That's why I like the book, The Lovely Bones.

        The three blogs' that I liked were Noa's blog, Olivia's blog, and Erin's blog. I liked Noa's blog beacause of her poem's. My favorite poem was her incident poem. I liked it because i can relate to it. The fact that the teddy bear was lost and never found again, some where, where you weren't and some place that you won't be able to find it. I also liked this poem because it create's a feeling of mystery, and wonder because even though you are yearning to find what was once your's, you know that you will never find this once so precious object again.

        I also liked Olivia's blog because of her sonnet. Her sonnet shows how you can be trapped in time by something's beauty. i liked how she used the rose as an example, and how she described it as one by one the petals' were slowly falling off, and how the each time this happened, the rose was slowly dying more and more. I also liked it because it shows that just by doing one thing, and getting lost in something's beauty, can slowly make you realize what is actually happening, and how it could be over in as quick as a flash.

       I also liked Erin's blog because of her sonnet. Her sonnet to me describe's how love can break and slowly mend your heart. It does this because it includes dreams and devils which are complete opposites. To me dream in her sonnet stands for love and the devils stand for hatred. I also liked hoe at the end of her poem its like a battle for something better, but the person that you truly love will slow your time down, while making your heart race.

Sonnet

I looked upon the brown hair on his head
His serious, pale face showed no regret
Everyone stated that he might be dead
But, it happened 'cause the table was set

The silver forks', spoons', and knives', were aline
As he turned off the T.V he heard a bang
We all sat as we got ready to dine
And we all listened as the little birds' sang

He opened the door to see who was there
But we all stood in shock as he fell to the floor
He ly so still as we ran fast and stared
Then I hastily ran to shut the door

For the colors and sweet smells' of roses red
My heart will still know that he is not dead.

Response to 'My Papa's Waltz'

My Papa's Waltz

The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.

Response to the poem 'My Papa's Waltz':

     This poem shows alot about how something so easy, but fan and dangerous at the same time. It shows that you can have fun doing anything, but that it can also be dangerous. He shows that it can be dangerous when he wrote, about how when his father was waltzing, he hung on tight, and about how at every step the father missed, his ear hit his father's belt buckle. This shows that his father's waltzing can be dangerous because, the small boy can smell the whiskey in his father's breath, and even though his father may not be drunk, he father might be a little dizzy, or even a little clumbsy.

Narrative Poem

‘There are many ways to lie.’

She thought, as she walked through the heavy metal doors

Of his office

‘I already said that I just witnessed it.’

She thought as sorrow and shame came over

Her

‘How will anybody ever understand if I tell the truth?’

She thought, as she walked through the empty halls of the school

And turned the corner

‘Nothing will ever be the same.’

She thought as she exited,

And left the scene as a victum.

An Incident Poem

It happened so fast

We didn’t even know

That she was standing there screaming

It was a surprise that we didn’t know

She started to cry

As we paniced inside

We searched for help, as 1 guy came

He saw what had happened, and looked around

For a telephone!

Everyone rushed as the panic set in and we carefully watched as rescue came in!

They pried and pulled at the elevator door, and set her fingers free

At last!

No more pain,

The deed was done, to set her fingers free from the elevator door.

Incident
By Countee Cullen

Once riding in old Baltimore,
Heart-filled, head-filled with glee;
I saw a Baltimorean
Keep looking straight at me.

Now I was eight and very small,
And he was no whit bigger,
And so I smiled, but he poked out
His tongue, and called me, "Nigger."

I saw the whole of Balimore
From May until December;
Of all the things that happened there
That's all that I remember.

Response to Poem:

This poem tells almost a sstory of an incident of an eight year old who went to Baltimore and was called a "Nigger". I think that the Baltimorean was  kind lof wrong for caling an eight year old a "Nigger" espeacially since its a kid. Also since the Baltimorean did that, the eight yeaar old's trip was ruined, since that's all that he can remember.

The Starry Night

by Anne Sexton

Anne Sexton

That does not keep me from having a terrible need of—shall I say the word—religion. Then I go out at night to paint the stars.Vincent Van Gogh in a letter to his brother

The town does not exist

except where one black-haired tree slips

up like a drowned woman into the hot sky.

The town is silent. The night boils with eleven stars.   

Oh starry starry night! This is how

I want to die.

It moves. They are all alive.

Even the moon bulges in its orange irons   

to push children, like a god, from its eye.

The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars.   

Oh starry starry night! This is how   

I want to die:

into that rushing beast of the night,   

sucked up by that great dragon, to split   

from my life with no flag,

no belly,

no cry.

 

Response:

 

    The author of this poem, sounds like she is under a period of stress in the second stanza when she says:

 

Even the moon bulges in its orange irons   

to push children, like a god, from its eye.

The old unseen serpent swallows up the stars.   

Oh starry starry night! This is how   

I want to die:

 

    I think that she was trying to say that on such a night that she was looking up into the sky, on one of those nights, was a night when she wanted to die. But when she starts off the poem, and suddenly says:

 

Oh starry starry night! This is how

I want to die.

 

It makes her seem like she is wanting, and almost willing to die at that very second.

But, it is also beautiful when she writes her third stanza stating:

 

into that rushing beast of the night,   

sucked up by that great dragon, to split   

from my life with no flag,

no belly,

no cry.

 

    The descritive sentences in that stanza have action, that soon turns into its own painting, that is full of bright, vibrant colors.

 

Observations:

• The tree is really big
• It has many different colors in the picture
• There is a small house in the corner
• There is a big lake
• The willow tree seems to be the main focus

Inferences:

• The tree seems to be almost like  symbol of peace, and calmness
• The tree shows longevity, because of how big it is
• The house in the corner seems to have been there for a long time, like the tree
• The whole scene of the picture is very natural, and shows peace in it

Interpertations:

• The picture shows how long something can live
• The pictures focus is really big, and its surrounding define it in a bigger way
• The willow tree shows hope, of something bigger

 A willow tree  shows a great big space of peace and hope

It shows longevity

Because of how big

How beautiful

 And how different it is

 There is a house in the corner

 Showing how the tree is blocking it from the sun

 Providing shade

 A space for kids to play

The tree to me represents how nature has its own ways of showing its beauty

 Nature can have the ugliest of all things

 But those things are what show the most beauty of all.

I envy birds for having wings

Birds have wings  to fly where they want

to go,

They have the power to be free and explore
The unknown

Birds are lucky to have no worries, but to

Live Life as time goes by

I envy birds for having wings

Why should man have no wings?

Those wings  are long gone, the wings  that

We have tired out

The wings we, will never have again

I envy birds for having wings,

because when you want to run away

its only  them who can fly away.