Good Bye To College Lit.

Memories will last forever and so will friendship, but as we all knew College Lit. had to come to an end, like all of our classes. I have to say College Lit. always made my day, weather it be Cale with his accents, Mary's energetic Jane Eyre impressions, or Kunkle's "kind of" issue.

My two favorite books were Jane Eyre and Persepolis, my least favorite (like everyone else) was The Catcher And The Rye. The first day of class I walked in and saw that a lot of my friends were taking it. A huge sigh of relief that I was not alone.

I have to say thanks for all the good times and good luck to all the Seniors. And lastly thank you Mr. Kunkle for everything you do, you are an amazing teacher. (yes I do realize I'm a teacher's pet, and I like it!!!)

So good bye and good luck. :)

Iran And US, Are We Really That Different?

Iran and the US are two very different countries, socially, culturally, and governmentally.

In government, Iran has a Shah, and a president, who is controlled by the Shah. In the US we have a president, with a vice president and cabinet members. They do have one thing in common other than the president, the people elect the president. But in Iran there was controversy over the new president and the election.

In marriage, Iranians parents choose who their child is going to marry. For American parents they care, but do not usually choose their child's spouse. Also there is an age difference for marriage, Iran you can get married at eight-teen, which for Americans that is considered too young. In the US you can get married at whatever age you please, usually in your twenty's.

For Iranian marriages it is the wife's responsibility to clean and cook, while in the US it is usually split equally between the man and woman. Also for Iranian wives their husbands do clean and help cook when they have guests over.

And last but not least, the clothing difference. In Iran women are supposed to wear veils, nothing showing, no make up, and no hair to be shown. But in the US women can wear whatever we please, execpt in the workplace due to sexual harassment and men's fasination with our bodies.

Well I guess we are truely different from one another. Americans have a lot more freedoms and at times are very vocal about what they stand for. While Iranians still are fighting for their freedoms and are very passionate about their past. Also I can see why the Middle East hates Americans because we have what other countries don't want their citizens to have, freedom. (let alone our semi dumbness to other cultures, languages, fashion, religion, and government.)

Wrongs Of Passage

The rite of passage is considered to be a very important event in most countries and cultures.

I agree with the essay "Wrong of Passage" because Americans tend to go all out when a girl turns sixteen. But there is really no reason why we tend to go all out. For other countries, like African countries they have so little that manhood and womanhood are very, very, very important to their culture.

My rite of passage that I have encountered is my nieghbor who I was very close to died. This passage was a negative passage. I will be changed by her death because I was so close to her and I saw her slowly waste away, mentally. It is always hard to say good bye to some one you care for, some people show no emotions and some people show every emotion they can thing of. The show every emotion is what I would describe myself as.

The Many Spin Offs Of Law and Order Vs. Jane Eyre

In the TV world there are many shows that become so popular that they create another show, a spin off of the original. Some examples are N.C.I.S, Criminal Minds, CSI, and Law and Order.

There also spin offs for movies, an example is Jane Eyre has four teen film versions and nine TV versions.

Why are there so many spin offs of Jane Eyre?

Maybe because different directors cut different scenes or cut them short. But why twenty two versions? After the third or fourth version, won't people just become annoyed by this classic movie with so many versions.

Is Jane Eyre really that popular of a movie to keep remaking? Compared to the 1944 version of Jane Eyre it was seen through Mr.Rochester's eyes, and in the new version it seems more like a horror film? It just might be me, but I am slighty confused by the new version.

Good Bye Jane Eyre

The last 52 pages were heart wrenching and the good old "wow I did not see that coming." The wedding what a crappy turn of events for both Jane and Rochester. The strange "dream" that Jane had with the unknown woman was interesting.

If I was Jane I would stay with Rochester. I would stay with him because he has been through a lot, with his family selling him into a relationship and not telling him about his wife. So I would feel sorry for him.

I guess one of my favorite lines/paragraphs of the book was on page 348, "Gentle reader, may you never feel what I then felt! May your eyes never shed such stormy, scalding, heart-wrung tears as poured from mine. May you never appeal to Heaven in prayers so hopeless and so agonized as in that hour left my lips; for never may you, like me, dread to be the instrument of evil to what you wholly love." The paragraph was so powerful and heartbreaking, that she seemed angery and sad at the same time.

I think Jane Eyre should be taught in College Lit because it is a well writen book and a great girl book.

So good bye Jane Eyre.

Love Is A Strange Thing

Victorian women and today's women have one key thing in common. They both worried/worry about their outer beauty. My question is why?

I can relate to Jane Eyre with her love for Mr. Rochester, but my love is for a guy my age who is taken. I assume Jane wonders why he doesn't love her back. Especially when he is liking another insanly attractive woman. Jane is probably thinking to herself, "Am I not pretty enough for him?" Or " I know I can't sing well, but I can play the paino well."

I can relate because I feel the same way about this guy. "Am I not pretty or good enough for him?" Or "What does she have that I don't?"

So why is media so fascinated by female beauty, true or real beauty comes from within ones self. Who cares if you don't live up to today's female beauty guides, oh wait the media and maybe popular classmates. But why should they care? If your happy with who you are then why should you change and lose yourself expression just because what you do is not in style.

A great song that describes this is "Who I Am" by Jessica Andrews. The lyrics are below.

If I live to be a hundred
And never see the seven wonders
That'll be alright
If I don't make it to the big leagues
If I never win a Grammy
I'm gonna be just fine
'Cause I know exactly who I am

I am Rosemary's granddaughter
The spitting image of my father
And when the day is done
My momma's still my biggest fan
Sometimes I'm clueless and I'm clumsy
But I've got friends who love me
And they know just where I stand
It's all a part of me
And that's who I am

So when I make big mistake
When I fall flat on my face
I know I'll be alright
Should my tender heart be broken
I will cry those teardrops knowin'
I will be just fine
'Cause nothin' changes who I am

I am Rosemary's granddaughter
The spitting image of my father
And when the day is done
My momma's still my biggest fan
Sometimes I'm clueless and I'm clumsy
But I've got friends who love me
And they know just where I stand
It's all a part of me
And that's who I am

I'm a saint and I'm a sinner
I'm a loser, I'm a winner
I'm am steady and unstable
I am young but I'm able

I am Rosemary's granddaughter
The spitting image of my father
And when the day is done
My momma's still my biggest fan
Sometimes I'm clueless and I'm clumsy
But I've got friends who love me
And they know just where I stand
It's all a part of me
And that's who I am

I am Rosemary's granddaughter
The spitting image of my father
And when the day is done
My momma's still my biggest fan
Sometimes I'm clueless and I'm clumsy
But I've got friends who love me
And they know just where I stand
It's all a part of me
And that's who I am

Why Is Grace Poole So Nuts ?

Grace Poole is a very odd, strange, and crazy woman. Her laugh is a combination of a cackle and a giggle. When Jane first hears Grace, Jane is in the secret hallway following Mrs. Fairfax. Jane was startled and confused about what she had just heard. Grace is an odd seamstress maid, who might have lit Mr. Rochester's bed on fire and she might have bitten Mr. Mason.

So why is she nuts? Well if she did the things listed above then I would conclusively call her nuts, so someone please call the loony bin because I think they are missing a patient.

Confused About The Catcher and the Rye

When I first started reading The Catcher and the Rye I was confused (and I still am!). The story jumps around way too much and at times J.D. Salinger goes on random tangents or non-useful information. For example on page 17-18 he starts talking about how the dorm that Holden lives in. And why do we need to know how the dorm got its name?

At times I feel lost and baffled by this book. I am trying to like this book, but I am finding that hard to do. And another thing what is with the horse and city on the cover? The horse looks freaked out about something and why is it the biggest thing on the book cover?

So many questions and not enough answers.

Visions of Childhood

I enjoyed the four short stories we read at times.

The first story depicts the young childhood of a boy trying to impress his dad, yet he is too young to understand what is happening with his parents and their relationship.

The second story depicts the childhood of an nine year boy, whose parents were having a New Year's Eve party. The young boy is confused about why his uncles are fighting, and where his parents are? He finally finds his parents on their bed passed out. He then decides to lie down with them and listen to their heartbeats.

The third story depicts the childhood of a teenage girl, who has lots of family issues.

The fourth story depicts the childhood of a girl, who has a relationship. The story was many letters.

The movie I think that has a great depiction of childhood is "The Land Before Time" Series. The movie is about five dinosuars and how they play and grow up together.

Eight Ways To Look At A Cat

One:

My Feline inspiration, Martin! :)

The TV is on, mom is cooking.          

Sitting on the sofa is a brown

fuzz ball. Where is all this fine

fluff coming from?

Two:
Fat, playful, takes up half the
bed, and a big mamma's boy.
Why is this feline not mine?
Random toys scatter the floor.

Three:
They eat, sleep, take baths,
and play. What more could
cats want? Maybe they would
like their privacy when taking
their twentieth bath of the day?

Four:
It's three in the morning. What
does he want now maybe food
or playtime, who knows?

Five:
Why is catnip so addicting to
cats? He rubs it in his face. Is
it a weird natural high? Or is it
in their minds?

Six:
Singing or crying, I can't tell.
To him it's his masterpiece,
to me it's annoying at times.
Some times it can be cute.

Seven:

It's ten at night and all we

hear is the frantic, psychotic

episode of the cat. "Martin,

go to bed", we scream.

Eight:

Peace has finally fallen over

the fat, sleepy cat. Sleep well

my friend and sweet dreams.

My Favorite Childhood Memory

My favorite childhood memory is when I would go over to my friends house, who I consider to be my sisters. Their dad is my godfather and my mom is the youngest girls godmother. I call him my uncle, and he calls me nerd (well he would call the three of us nerds). We used to play house, vet, pretend we were famous, swimming in their pool, going to the park by their house and swinging on their play set.

About five years ago their mom got into a fight with my mom and now we've seen each other maybe two or three times. They are both growing up so fast and I miss going to their house at least every weekend. Sometimes they would come to our house, but mainly we would go to their house.

All the random, fun, priceless memories will always be with me and I hope with them I miss them both so much.



My Favorite Movies

My favorite movies are The Ultimate Gift, Rainman, Sleeping Beauty, and The Wizard of Oz.