The Vantage Point

The only things visible are what the mind chooses to see. One looks at thousands of things a day, but not every piece is remembered. In "Hawk's Roosting" the hawk can see everything because he chooses to. We tend to only pay attention to what we want to see or hear or touch. We close our minds off to so much because we only notice what we think is important. To succeed in anything, we must open our minds to different views and opinions because our vantage point is not always the best. Perspective is key to everything. We must open our eyes and get to a higher place, so we can see everything, like the hawk because then we will be able to create and do our best which will better more than just ourselves.

Outlets

Sylvia Plath had some extreme issues with her father, and in her poem "Daddy" she expresses her hatred and neglect from him, but I think she has blinded herself to see only what she wants.  He probably was not always authoritarian and demanding towards her, but those are her most prominent memories. She was an incredible poet but none of her poetry had a positive theme. She chose to remember the worst moments in her life rather than the best, but her poetry created an outlet that helped her deal with her issues for at least ten years before her suicide. Her life was sad yes, but I do not think there was only suffering; that was just her outlook on life. Writing can create any situation and it is the author's duty to make it what she wants, and although Sylvia Plath wrote depressing poetry, there was a definite purpose and lesson that came out of it.

Brotherly Love

"A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity."
                                                                              -King Solomon
This quote defines both relationships Heathcliff has with his siblings, Cathy being his friend and Hindley, a brother. Hindley constantly puts stress on Heathcliff's and Cathy's relationship because Cathy wants to show loyalty to her true brother, but it is hard when his heart is so cold towards Heathcliff. Their hatred for each other continues to grow throughout Wuthering Heights over Hindley's and Cathy's father and then over Cathy. Heathcliff becomes a favorite child because he is respectful and grateful; Cathy and her father prefer him, bringing out Hindley's jealousy. He beats him up and gloats about his inheritance, which pushes Heathcliff to rebel. Cathy and Heathcliff go from acquaintances to best friends to lovers. They love each other the entire time, but their love evolves. Hindley attempts many times to tear them apart with little success. Even through that strain, the relationship grows stronger, and Heathcliff continues to love her even once she dies. Hindley acts adequately as an adversary, while Cathy befriends and adores Heathcliff.

Love and Revenge

Wuthering Heights reveals the fine line between love and revenge. Heathcliff's relationship with Cathy goes back and forth on the surface, but does Heathcliff ever stop loving her? With love that deep it is hard to fluctuate between the two. When he is hurting, he seeks revenge, but he still loves Cathy. Love does not die with revenge; in fact it shows how strong the relationship is. One must care for a person an incredible amount to want revenge because revenge means he was damaged. When Heathcliff realizes Cathy has chosen to love Linton, he tries to break her as much as he broke by "loving" Isabella. He wants Cathy to understand the heartbreak she put him through. Their relationship continues to teeter while also growing because love can stand on its own, but revenge requires love.

"The Eagle"

"The Eagle" seems simple at first. It is a short, straightforward poem at first, but it compares an eagle to a human being. The poem explains how humans wish to be free and independent. This is shown by explaining how the eagle is able to soar wherever and whenever. He is alone but tied to his cliff. People wish to be like the eagle; they want to be independent while also having somewhere to return.

Listening vs. Hearing

This weekend I had a horse show, and I went in for my first course and jumped the wrong fence. I had just repeated to my trainer where I was supposed to go, but I still did not do it right. There is a difference between hearing and acknowledging what someone is saying. In "Hills Like White Elephants" the man and girl have a long conversation, but neither one cares to listen to the other, and they completely ignore the subject at hand. They talk about drinks and the scenery instead of the abortion, and when they dance around the subject, they do not have strong communication. They both talk but not in response to each other. Listening and hearing are two different things. One can listen but that does not include comprehending what one is saying. In order to hear someone you have to listen and then understand and realize what the other person is trying to get across.

Loss

People are lost all of the time, and the ones they loved are left to grieve, but the feelings never leave. The relationship still changes and grows even if they are not both here. "The Worn Path" shows us this through Phoenix and her grandson. The readers do not know for sure if he is gone, but it is unlikely he is still with her. She goes to retrieve medicine every week but it has been three years since he swallowed lye, and he is not getting well according to Phoenix. She walks to town every week to remember and show that she still loves him. Another hint that he is gone is that she dances with a scarecrow and longs to have someone. She seems lonely but claims to have her grandson living with her. She continues to love like all of us even if they are not here.

What You Are and What You're Not

It is hard to live a truly honest life, though most people would prefer to ignore that fact. We all want to think we are loving, caring people who do more for others than ourselves, but we are humans, and it is not in our nature to protect and give things to others before ourselves. We all have images that we try to hold ourselves to and some of us reach too far. For example, in All the Pretty Horses Blevins tries to be more mature and brave than he really is so that he can prove himself to John Grady and Rawlins. In Araby the narrator only sees the outside of the girl he "loves." We do not always have an honest image of ourselves or others because we manipulate things, so they are what we desire them to be.

Everything Is Under Control... Sort of

We (teenagers) all say it at least once a week. "Mom, I have it under control," or "I can handle this on my own," but do we really? No. We would like to think we can handle everything ourselves because in less than a year, we will hopefully be going to college or moving out on our own, and we should be able to juggle our own schedule and work out our issues. If only growing up were that easy, but it makes for a lot of good books such as All the Pretty Horses. Coming of age stories are pretty common in this era because we have become so dependent and cannot just marry at fourteen and stand on our own. In American culture, we are slowly woven into society by going to college and then getting a secure job and renting an apartment. But for example in All the Pretty Horses, John Grady leaves his father at sixteen to go to an entirely different country with no plan or income. Over the years so much has changed regarding "growing up." It used to be when you became old enough you got a job to support your family or went off on your own; now, we all go to high school then graduate and have our parents pay outrageous amounts of money for further education so we can have assured success. John Grady did struggle and had to sleep in the middle of a field sometimes, but he was able to really mature and become his own person. We need to be more like John Grady because how are we expected to be independent when we do not pay for anything or truly understand how to struggle? "Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." -Winston Churchill

True Intentions

          In books people seem to view the good and the bad. They do not as often visualize a person as good and bad, but rather good or bad. Readers generalize the characters into different groups. In All The Pretty Horses John Grady as seen as the protagonist and is considered a hero, but is he really. He shows cowardice right from the beginning. Instead of staying with his family in their time of need, he decides to travel to Mexico because he is mad at his mom. Part of this has to do with his young age, but can someone be really called a hero if when times get tough, he packs up and leaves. Yes, he has strong values, but is that what makes a hero? Readers choose to ignore his weaknesses and only remember the amazing things he did. He does not sacrifice himself for Blevins when he is arrested or admit to his flaws, but as readers we overlook that and say well, he did not do that many bad things so he is good. Where as the sheriff for example seems much worse because he killed a man but so does Grady. Readers should acknowledge the good AND the bad so they can judge the book and it's characters fairly.

That Never-Ending Feeling

There is always a purpose to the journey; that is why our parents let us make mistakes and why we have feeling of accomplishment after finishing something even if it was not considered success. There is more to the adventure than the destination. Do you notice more of the landscape on a plane ride or a road trip? If the task were able to be completed so quickly, there was no challenge or learning curve. The person would have gained nothing. Also, once the task is completed, there is nothing to work for. In my personal experience, the journey is always more enjoyable than the reward at the end. For example, I had zone finals a few weeks ago to qualify me for nationals. I had to receive first or second in order to continue, and I got neither but I was okay with it. Four weeks prior to this, I had shattered my arm and gotten surgery. I was only able to ride two weeks before zones, and I needed to regain all my strength and flexibility back to succeed. Zones gave me reason to ride every day for two weeks straight, and there was definitely improvement by the time zones came around. I drew challenging horses the morning of zones, and my rounds were not perfect, but I still felt much accomplishment walking out of the ring. My trainers were impressed with how far I had come in a week. I realized that even though I had no ribbons to brag about, I had still done something incredible in a short period of time. I enjoyed seeing my improvement in such a short period of time due to my dedication. Going to nationals would have been an extra sprinkle on my sundae, but the most valuable lessons were learned on the way.

Photo Blog

This log represents the obstacles the Joads had to overcome in order to make it to California, but even if they got to the other side of the log, there would still be debris covering the road. When the Joads made it to California, their life was still hard. The promised work and opportunity was not there, neither was the prosperous farm land. The "debris" the Joads encountered was all of the turned down migrants who wanted to get back home because it was no better there even though the migrants had gotten past traveling and selling all of their belongings. There are ways to get past the log, but there is no promise that it will be better on the other side. For all they know, there could be a cliff or dead end after the tree. This road block is similar to the journey the Joads had to face on the way to California. There is something on the other side, but they cannot be sure what, and it might end up poorly.

Pop Culture

Things like social networking and reality TV are seen as distractions and bad influences on today's society, but they can be useful on occasion. The internet keeps us informed on current events, political issues, etc. The first way most people find out about news is via the television or the internet.  When SkyView was evacuated, the first way my parents knew was through me texting them. The rest of the community found out through the news. The downside with things like the internet is that they do not always get the full story, or they twist it so it is more exciting. Everyone interprets it differently and then talks about it. After the Arapahoe shooting, some people were claiming two students had been shot, when there was truly just one. Versions with slight truth become the story depending on popularity. The information we can gain from pop culture is good to get a vague idea, but social media is not always completely honest. Pop culture has turned us into the Information Age and will continue to do so, hopefully with more truth in the near future.

Little Moments

Every moment shapes and alters your life. Prior to two weeks ago, I did not realize how everything can change in less than second, but it is all for a reason. Prior to two weeks ago, I was looking at universities in Texas. Prior to two weeks ago, I was preparing for one of the most important competitions in my riding career. Prior to two weeks ago, I was riding my horse four days a week. One second and everything shattered and reversed. That one moment when I was talking to my friend quickly turned upside down (literally). I was on the ground, and as of now I cannot ride on a college team, compete at Zones, or ride my horse. That little moment wiped me off my feet, but it is only a road bump in my life. It might have challenged me and stretched my limits, but it did not stop me. I plan to be back on my horse by the end of this week and will be going into maximum training to prepare for Zones, so I can ride on a collegiate equestrian team. Little moments lead us down paths that we cannot see, but the smaller paths always lead back to the main road. Enjoy the scenery while you wander and do not worry about the time. You will get there eventually when life is ready to fall into place.

The Renewed SAT

The SAT is the second most taken test in the nation, under the ACT... and that is the reason they are making changes. The economic success of an academic company should not be the only reason for modifying a standardized test. Are the improvements truly beneficial though? They want it to be more similar to the ACT, so they are making the writing optional. "Many never figured the score into the admission decision and looked at the actual essays only rarely." Are admission offices the only opinions that are honest? Even though their decisions are the ones that affect our futures, it is always helpful to get feedback on a student's writing from multiple people. Also, writing is a main focus in the business world. Professionals constantly send emails, create proposals, and talk (a verbal essay).  It will always stay a top priority to be able to communicate on paper, so taking it away is doing nothing but hurting the future generation. David Coleman, College Board president, insists too that wealthy students can more easily succeed on standardized tests because they can afford classes to learn tricks on how to quicker answer questions; however, this is not the case. Taking classes is not the only way to prepare oneself better. There are free websites, apps, and numerous books to aid in a student's success. It only takes effort and desire to do well on these national tests. Although there are positive alterations being made to the SAT such as choosing more commonly used vocabulary and adding a science passage in the reading, not all of their transformations will benefit the students.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/06/education/major-changes-in-sat-announced-by-college-board.html?_r=0

Rhetorical Analysis

Steinbeck uses both syntax and metaphors to show the evolution from farmers when they took land from Mexico to when the Okies were taking land from the new "farmer." He uses antithesis to talk about the weak, but fed Mexicans and the strong, starving Americans. Then the author uses parallelism to continue the story. Steinbeck continually uses anaphora and the same words to enforce the similarities as the farmers change. By constantly repeating himself, the audience can tell that the story is the same but the characters have different names. The Mexicans become the storekeepers, and the Americans become the Okies. The parallelism throughout allows to understand the differences that do not really matter in the long run; it is all just a cycle. The simile of ants and Okies helps to show how many people were migrating to California and the rest of the west, looking for food and money. Ants travel, searching for food in multitudes as well. Steinbeck's different rhetorical strategies develop his thesis of how the even though the farms are evolving, the ones making it happen are the same.