End of the Year Reflection and Bookshelf

End of the Year Reflection and Bookshelf:

                The beginning of the year wasn’t easy, walking into an unfamiliar classroom with a new class and a new teacher, but Ms. Galang, you made it entertaining and fun while still keeping it challenging. ELA has always been one of my favorite classes and this year there were a couple of lessons and units that really interested me.

                The first was the poetry unit. Poetry is a really great topic because there are so many different poems and so many topics. Listening to my classmates’ poems was my favorite part. There were funny and silly poems, but also serious and dramatic ones. Hearing all the things that went on in other kids’ heads was very interesting. My second favorite unit was writing children’s books. To my classmates this unit might not have been as fun as it was for me. Writing for children just has a different feeling than writing for an adult or teenagers. There’s a certain simplicity about it that let me feel I could write anything I wanted. Reading to children was a great time and it surprised me how smart some of these kids were!

                I hope that in the future, all of my classmates will enjoy ELA class just as much we did in middle school. I don’t know what high school has for us, but I know that we will all excel, try, and do our best. I wish good luck to each and every single one of you!

Books to Finish:

- Sammy Keyes and the Killer Cruise

- Crazy

Books to Read:

- Fangirl

- Wonder

- Love and Other Foreign Words

- Brown Girl Dreaming

- The Girl With a Pearl Earring

- The Bell Jar

- The Maze Runner Series

- Catcher in the Rye

POETRY CHAPBOOK

I originally started writing this poem using “Hanging Fire” by Audre Lorde as a mentor text. In the end, it really didn’t have much in common except for the narrator expressing their feelings. I wrote the poem in free verse because like the narrator’s feelings and thoughts, the structure isn’t strict and kind of goes on randomly. I also used enjambment to slow down the pace of the poem and alliteration in “familiar footsteps”.

Lost – Anjum Suchita 811

Why are you hiding?

Why.

It’s my birthday

I’m lighting the candle

and my only wish

is that next year

I won’t be alone.

Why did you leave?

Why.

Was I just too much to handle?

Why didn’t you give me a chance?

Why.

Was it something I did?

Were you disappointed?

Even from the beginning-

was it obvious?

that I was useless.

Everyday I listen

for those familiar foot steps

or the rustling of keys

unlocking the door.

Everyday I look

for an envelope

for an email

for a voicemail.

anything

from you.

when you left.

Why did you take

Everything?

Along with you.

I originally started writing this poem using “Hanging Fire” by Audre Lorde as a mentor text. In the end, it really didn’t have much in common except for the narrator expressing their feelings. I wrote the poem in free verse because like the narrator’s feelings and thoughts, the structure isn’t strict and kind of goes on randomly. I also used enjambment to slow down the pace of the poem and alliteration in “familiar footsteps”.  

When I was writing my haikus, memories flooded my mind, many of them having to do with my younger sister. So, I decided to write a short series dedicated to her. In the first snowfall of last winter, we saw a tangerine on top of a small pile of snow. We decided to bury it in the pile and when all the snow melts by spring, we would see it again. This moment is clear in my head because it makes me think of the theme, you can bury your problems, but they will come back to you, somehow. My second and third haikus have more of a carefree tone and show certain times of our life. When my family teases her and compares her footsteps to those of an elephant, metaphor, and when we laugh at how tight our pants can be. In all three of my haikus, I used enjambment.

Haikus for my Sister – Anjum Suchita

A tangerine

Buried in

the snow.

A heavy elephant

thuds through

my house.

How will I ever

be able to get out of

these pants?

Sonnet

The Confession – Anjum Suchita

I never wanted to confess this way

to you but I can’t hold it in one more

minute. When you say “Hi” everyday,

I look at you and know that I am sure

about the way I feel. So now I’ve made

a decision to tell you the full truth.

I tell myself that I can’t be afraid

because I am told by my best friend Ruth

that you have a crush on me. So now I

have to make my move; it’s the perfect time

to tell you that I can no longer lie

about how I feel to be by you. I’m

honestly so disgusted by your smell,

but I figured it would be mean to tell. 

Writing a sonnet was probably the hardest from the other poems in this chapbook. When I began, I started with typical love stories, but cliché isn’t my style. I decided that I wanted something different, even if it didn’t follow traditional guidelines, something that would make the reader be a little surprised at the ending. I used irony to fool the reader, enjambment to keep the iambic pentameter consistent, and of course, rhyme. Even though I didn’t write about love, I kept it traditional by following the structure rules of a traditional Shakespearean sonnet.

My ♥ Poem – Hanging Fire by Audre Lorde

I was reading through the poems in our poetry packet, waiting for the right one to catch my eye, when my friend walked over to me. “Which one are you picking?” she asked me. I shook my head and replied with “I haven’t found one yet…” She excitedly pointed out “Hanging Fire” by Audre Lorde. After reading it over, I sat there for a moment in silence, it was great. “I know, it’s really cool,” she said, leaving me to ponder over this new and amazing poem on my own.

In the poem, Audre Lorde repeats lines 10-11, “and momma’s in the bedroom with the door closed.” These lines show that the narrator feels her mother is not paying attention to her, or doesn’t care about her. The repetition of these lines might mean that the speaker wants her mother to care and listen, so the thought that she isn’t listening to her keeps coming after all her other thoughts. This can also show an underlying problem with their relationship. The speaker might wish for a close mother daughter relationship, but only gets a closed-off, quiet one instead. And since she wants this, the thought is always in her head in the end. The speaker also thinks about how life will go on if she suddenly dies three times. Instead of these thoughts being suicidal, I think they are quite normal. She is a little tired of working and thinks that life isn’t fair, so if she wasn’t there, would it really be that different? The speaker, like many teenagers, doesn’t want to do anything, even though there is so much to do. This line is very relatable and especially shows her lack of motivation to pursue in life.

“That was really… amazing. Thanks.” Audre Lorde expresses the thoughts of many different teenagers in one poem. This might be from the perspective of one girl, or one boy, or different thoughts of many different people. That’s the interesting part, even though I don’t know who is speaking, I put myself in their shoes and imagine everything they are going through, because being a teenager myself, I am going through similar struggles and thinking alike thoughts. As expressed earlier, some of the lines really jumped out and made me feel strongly connected to the narrator and whoever reading this feels the same thing. “Yeah, no problem.” 

Revised Argument Essay

Anjum Suchita                                                      811

The Glass Castle – Jeannette Walls

Children will have to grow up one day. The little girl with two pigtails holding a stuffed bunny will grow up too, and parents need to understand that. If children are sheltered from the faults in society, they will never be able to protect themselves when their parents aren’t there. The teenage years are when children start to take on their own responsibilities. Banning books is one way parents prevent their growing teenagers from learning about worldwide issues.

Jeannette Walls’ memoir, The Glass Castle, has been banned for material that parents did not want their children reading about. Even though the text includes mature matters like rape and alcohol abuse, middle and high school students should have access to it because the incidents in the book happen in the real world.

Every event in The Glass Castle happened to Jeannette Walls at one point and can happen to anyone. Jeannette was very young when she was raped and sexually assaulted. This may be deemed inappropriate by parents, resulting in them not wanting their children to read the material, but any child can suffer in the same way as Jeannette. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, 15% of reported sexual assault and rape victims are under the age of 12. 44% are under the age of 18. These statistics show how many rape victims are adolescents. A reader who was sexually assaulted or raped can find sympathy in reading about Jeannette Walls going through the same things. A victim reading the memoir can learn to open up because they realized how other people suffer in the same ways.

Some parents say that banning books does not go against the Constitution, but simply restricts immature children from taking the material the wrong way. However, the 1^st Amendment to the Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances”, proves that book censorship is unconstitutional. It is depriving a mature enough student from reading what they desire. People have the choice to read what they wish to read, and anyone can always choose not to read a certain book, but they shouldn’t take the right away from a child who is mature enough to handle it. Just because one child isn’t ready to handle the truth, doesn’t mean all of them aren’t. The book has many great qualities and taking them away from another child is unfair.  

The material can be graphic, causing parents to not want their children reading it, but there are many great lessons that shouldn’t be wasted. The book teaches readers about hope, perseverance, forgiveness, and moving on. Jeannette grows up as an impoverished nomad, but doesn’t give up working and becomes a journalist. This shows how even the most far-fetched goals can be accomplished if you work hard enough. The Glass Castle teaches readers what the words family and home mean. Jeannette Walls writes about tolerance for different people, less fortunate people, and even for “mean” people. Throughout the book Jeannette was bullied, but she didn’t let it get to her. This teaches readers to keep being open-minded and how to survive the worst. Jeannette Walls told Dallas Morning News her opinion on banning The Glass Castle. She said, “My book has ugly elements to it, but it’s about hope and resilience, and I don’t know why that wouldn’t be an important message. Sometimes you have to walk through the muck to get to the message. What I worry is that in order to protect [students], we may be taking away the tools they need to protect themselves later on.” Parents cannot shelter their children forever, they need to grow up and learn on their own.

     Children cannot be protected forever by their parents. As the little girl with two pigtails grows into a teenager, she needs to take on her own responsibilities. Her parents cannot prevent her from learning how to protect herself by banning books with mature material. Books show teenagers what goes on in the real world. Jeannette Walls teaches readers of The Glass Castle about redemption, hope, perseverance, and how to survive even the worst times.

The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho

     Many people are stuck in a life that is boring to them, but they do not want to keep trying after they face obstacles. Santiago in Paulo Coelho’s, The Alchemist is not one of these people. He left his homeland of Spain to find a treasure he had dreamt of in the Pyramids of Egypt. In his journey, he gets robbed of all his gold and money three times, but shakes it off and continues. Throughout the story the theme, perseverance results in success, is presented through proverbs & character thoughts.

     Paulo Coelho incorporates deep messages about sticking to your dreams in proverbs. Santiago comes across many challenges, but learns to keep going; “the darkest hour of the night came just before the dawn.” (132). This proverb explains that before good there is bad. The greatest obstacle will be faced before getting to the treasure. When a person follows their heart, they cannot expect to have a struggle free journey. Santiago learns from his experiences that to find his treasure he has to face hardships.

     Coelho intertwines the theme of the story through Santiago’s thoughts. At one point in the story, Santiago was taking a caravan with many people through the desert. As they came across obstacles he thought, “… no matter how many detours and adjustments it made, the caravan moved toward the same compass point. Once obstacles were overcome, it returned to its course, sighting on a star that indicated the location of the oasis.” (75). When Santiago thought this, he was thinking about a caravan that was taking him to Egypt, but the deeper meaning is similar to the proverb; no matter how many obstacles you face, remember your destination and there will be something bright to look forward to.

Santiago and the reader learn that on a journey, there are many stops. Just like when traveling on a public bus or train, there will be stoppages, but if you stay on the bus or train you will get to your destination in the end. Throughout the story Santiago faces many challenges, and even though it might seem like his journey came to an end without him discovering his treasure, he will persevere until he gets there. Paulo Coelho wants readers of “The Alchemist” to understand that perseverance results in success. 

Foreword

     Genders are nothing but male and female. Society has confused our genders with our personalities. Girls can find themselves not wanting to play with dolls or paint their nails and that is perfectly fine. These girls who act like “boys” are called tomboys, but what about boys who act like “girls”? These boys are called weird or gay. Parents are shamed upon if they allow their son to wear a pink dress or rainbow backpack. In the article “‘Men are Stuck’ in gender roles, data suggest”, Emily Albert Reyes quotes two parents who allow their six year old son to do generally “girly” things. Matt Duron, their father, said, “‘If a little girl is running around on the baseball team with her mitt, people think, ‘that’s a strong girl’, but when my six year old [son]is running around in a dress, people think there’s something wrong with him.” This explains how society has made girls who do “boyish” things strong and ambitious and boys who do “girly” things weird. A part of my inspiration was a children’s story by Charlotte Zolotow, William’s Doll. In a note she wrote on that book Zolotow stated, “… there was a little boy who wanted a rag – doll. I overheard the father say, ‘oh get him a gun instead.’… It all came together: how men missed out on the pleasure of being with very young children, and how, because they missed it and because they had never had it with their fathers, they had no concept that war and harshness and so much unpleasantness came out of playing with guns as children, and growing up thinking it was unmanly to play with a doll or stuffed toy bear or lion.” This made me think about why stereotypically males are more violent. Is it because they were raised to play physically rather than take care of a doll? If so, we need to change this and allow boys, men, girls, and women of all ages to be themselves.

     At school, at home, and outside I see males that aren’t comfortable with who they are or are afraid to act feminine. It is especially important that younger boys are allowed to explore who they are. When parents forbid their children to do things that usually don’t fit their genders, they are making them form into a character they don’t want to be. At first I thought about writing this story about a young girl who wants to do normally “masculine” things, but after thinking about it, I decided to write about a boy. Even though tomboys are not fully accepted by some people in society, boys who are feminine are far less accepted. I wanted to write a story for children so they could see that they can be themselves. 

Anjum Suchita 811

Book: Ms Peregines Home For Peculiar Children

Author: Ransom Riggs

Critical Thinking Question: How does this novel/text affect your mind, how does it go against some readers’ initial beliefs?

What Most Parents Say:

Ghosts, magic, time travel, etc. aren’t real.

What the Book Teaches:

Time Travel & monsters exist and parents try to hide it.

Influence on Readers:

The book may make readers question their religious beliefs (brought onto them by parents). Readers might wonder what they are, normal or peculiar? Also might teach readers to rebel/ runaway from their parents, like the main character. 

Why does the book influence readers &how? Through language?

Ransom Riggs writes the book from a peculiar child’s perspective. This makes readers also want to attend his peculiar adventures. Also, Mr. Riggs makes normal people sound very ignorant, causing readers to want to be peculiar instead.

What the Book is About:

Ms Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children is the magical tale of a peculiar boy. He goes to an island to solve the mystery of his grandfather’s youth and meets other peculiars (the ones his grandfather lived with). The book follows the boy around on his adventure & readers learn a lot about who the peculiar children really are.

QUOTES:

1.”’I knew there was something peculiar about you,’ she said. ‘And I mean that as the highest compliment.’” pg 247. This part makes non-peculiars not as good as peculiars to some.

2. “He could see monsters.” pg 247. This makes some readers hopeful & believing of the peculiars.

3.”’ A trip,… When will you be back?’ ‘I don’t really know.’ … ‘Be careful, okay?’” This conversation between Jake & his dad shows readers that leaving home is painless and does not really affect anyone. For immature readers, this might make them want to leave home.