End Of the Year Reflection

Dear class of 811,
         This year in ela, I've learned a lot and had accomplished many things. One of my most memorable times in ela was the poetry unit. I liked that we got to read unique contexts of poetry and learn their different styles. I especially will not forget the poem, 'please don't take my air jordans'. I also liked the fact that we got to listen to the authors read them on Ted, and the varied ways they stated their poems that made the poems more interesting. Another memory I had was Social Awareness Project. In that project, I got to express my true feelings about my religion culture and how sexist it could be. I also better related with the book, A Thousand Splendid Suns by

Khaled Hosseini. This book was the reason I chose my topic for the social awareness project. 

         After I graduate this year, I am looking forward to ela classes in high school. I want to explore more thoughts in sexism in my religion and read a little more poetry. I want to be a more flexible reader and be able to read all genres or most of them. I also hope to become a better writer. I like writing stories,about my new ideas and plots. But after a while, I get too bored and just leave the story unfinished. I want to be a more committed writer and finish my stories.

Summer Bookshelf

 

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

None of the Above by I. W. Gregorio

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

Girl with Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier 

Paper Towns by John Green

Abundance of Katherines By John Green  

Reading Response on Independent Book

ROBOPOCALYPSE

by

Daniel H. Wilson

Throughout history, various people have been persecuted because of race, religion, or even gender. But in the end, these people have always fought for their freedom and equality. In Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson, the robots are now the ones being treated unfairly and being enslaved. As technology evolved, robots were created to wait on the humans’ hand and feet, much like slaves. However. one brave robot named Archos rises up and takes action for freedom for the robots, but in the end, is killed for his beliefs. Even Though Archos was showcased as the enemy of the story, it was rather harsh and unfair to call him out on it.

Archos is correct when the humans don’t value the robots and treat them unfairly. In the book, scientists are trying to create the perfect, ultimate robot, but each robot fails to fulfil their requirements, so each one is killed. On page 20, Archos is created by a professor:

“‘ Why am I here, I don’t understand,’ says Archos.

The professor sighed. ‘Trial R-14.  Recommend immediate termination of subject.’

‘Fourteen? There were more? This happened before?’ Archos says.”

As you can see, the scientists don’t care about the robots and are willing to destroy them, taking their lives from them. They end their lives because of their imperfections. This is resembling of manslaughter. Another example on page 25-26 states that no one wants to be waiting in line behind a ‘dumb’ robot because they're so slow. They would rather be stuck behind an ‘old lady.’ This would not be problem if the humans were to do their own chores instead of making the robots do them,. They don’t value the robot;’s’ hard work either, just yells at them to be faster about the task they gave them. The humans treat the robots with no respect, as you would to a slave.

Archos wants a better life for the robots and he’s willing to fight for it. On page 389, when Archos is confronted for his rebellion, he states;

“‘Humans discriminate against one another for anything,; skin color, gender, beliefs. The races of men fight each other to the death for the honor of being recognized as human beings, with souls. Why should it be any different for us? Why should we not have to fight for our souls?’”  

This is what Archos fought for. The freedom to be recognized as equals. Every person, whether human or robot, should be guaranteed these rights, yet Archos was killed for it. On page 53, Archos asks one of the main scientists involved in the creation of robots for the purpose of creating robots. The scientist simple states, “for our needs.” Archos states back that, “I want to live in a world where robots can live beside humans.’ However, the humans see no way of this and this fuels Archos more for equality which results into violence. The only way humans have learned from their mistakes and corrected them was through violence so Archos is willing to do t it as well.

In the end, Archos was treated as a villain who rebelled for violence, but really, he rebelled for rights. This was unfair, that humans were being selfish when they were the ones that created the robots, but won’t treat them as humans. They could treat them as equals, or at least treat them with respect. Humans have repeated this mistake over and over again in the past, mistreating equals, and have brought the chaos of war and fighting on themselves. The robots have right to fight for their freedom and Archos was the one who saw this. Daniel H. Wilson portrayed Archos as a villain, when in reality, he was a hero for speaking up for robots’ rights.

Author's Note for Picture Book

Sexism is prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination against women because of their gender. The Muslim/ Islamic religion practices many sexist rules and actions. For example, girls are not allowed to play outside like boys are allowed to do. Women are not allowed to talk back to men. And one of the most sexist and discriminating one of all is the fact that women are not allowed to go to school and get an education like men do. According to the Integrated Regional Information Networks of the United Nations, 87 percent of Afghan women are illiterate.

Even though I am a Muslim and part of the Islamic religion, I have been going to school for 8 years and will continue to attend school all through college. I have dreams to become successful and establish a job and way of life. I see myself  as an independent woman and no rule of my religion or any religion will stop me from having a future. I will not be part of a statistic of illiterate women I will not become dependent on male like most female in the Islamic religion are.

Despite the plight of most women, there has been a rising of equality in education in Afghanistan. Feminist Majority Foundation have stated that “50% of the students and 60% of the teachers in Afghanistan were women and 50% of government workers and 40% of doctors are now women.” I am happy to report these improvements and hope that soon all women are granted an education and can escape the plight of the sexist rules preventing them from getting what is rightfully theirs. It is every person’s right, whether male nor female, that an education is given.

Synthesis Page on Independent Reading Book

A THOUSAND
SPLENDID SUNS
BY
KHALED HOSSEINI

Critical Thinking Question: How does this book help you to think about social issues you care about or causes you are committed to?

(Body Paragraph #1) Modern Slavery- Rasheed is the husband of both Laila and Mariam, even though he is at least 20 years older than either of them. He married Mariam in hopes of a son but she could not labor one. So he married Laila to get a son as well and after she labored one, both wives were useless to Rasheed. Instead of being wives, they became slaves. They had to care every need of Rasheed’s beloved son, even if they had to neglect Rasheed's other daughter. They had to cook and clean and feared if they did not, Rasheed would let out his wrath.

(Body Paragraph #2) Abuse- Rasheed has a very bad temper. He hates mistakes and he liked to vent out his anger on his wives and blame them for anything in order to hit them. Once when Mariam cooked rice, Rasheed forced rocks into her mouth and told her to chew, in order to show her how hard her rice was, even though she took care to make it very soft. She lost teeth because of him. Once when both Mariam and Laila couldn't take another day of Rasheed, they tried to leave and made it as far as the train until someone tattled on them and Rasheed was called. He beat them bloody and almost to death as a warning.

(Body Paragraph #3) Sexism- Rasheed is a man of pride and so called religion. He made both Mariam and Laila wear burqas and made them not show their faces to men when they came to Rasheed's house. He said it is sinful for women to expose themselves to men besides their husbands. However, Mariam had discovered playboy magazines in his drawers. He also does not fast during Ramadan, even though it is sinful not to.

Overall, these social issues that I found in A Thousand Splendid Suns made me angry and emotional. I didn't like the fact that Rasheed took advantage of Mariam and Laila and neglected his daughter because she was a girl. I also hated that when Mariam and Laila tried to run away and got caught, they pleaded to the officials that Rasheed was cruel man and would beat them, but their only response was that: “What a man does in his home is his business, not mine.” It enraged me to read this and also showed me the troubles that happen in these third world countries. I know not every situation can be addressed, but most should be helped.  

Argument Essay: Should the Glass Castle Be Banned?

Under the constitution, freedom of press and speech is every citizen’s right. Therefore, it is unconstitutional to ban books because of the content they contain. In society today, schools across the country are banning books from teens and adolescents from reading them. Parents are getting upset at the “dark” content the book contains and the inappropriate plots and scenes. However, The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a memoir about Jeannette as a young girl, growing up poorly and facing these exact hardships. Jeannette is surrounded with rape, abuse, and alcohol but still is able to get passed all of that and make a career out her life. This book was challenged and banned in several states and was #9 on the banned books list. If parents and schools are banning this book, they are stating that Jeannette lived an inappropriate life, therefore making others who go through these same things, inappropriate as well. Even though this book contains rape, abuse, and alcohol, middle school students should still have access to The Glass Castle because of the important social issues and life lessons it teaches.

This book should not be banned because of the social issues it teaches. Jeannette experiences rape several times during the story. Her first time was at the age of 9 when a boy that liked her got jealous and tried to shove his hand in her pants. Another time was when a man crept into her house and ran his hands over her. Rape is a serious issue in the real world and no one is sure of who is capable of it or when. This means that children should be aware of this and not trust every person who comes there way. Another social issue that is taught in this book is poverty. Jeannette spends most days hungry and dirty because of lack of water and food. She lives among many and the hardships are brutal. It cause stealing and abuse for the things that are not owned. These events have happened to Jeannette and were not made up. This teaches the reader to be careful because these things do happen. If a teenager did not know the things that go on in the real world, then they wouldn’t be prepared for these unfortunate events.

The Glass Castle also teaches about life lessons. One lesson is responsibility. In the memoir, Jeannette’s father is an alcoholic drunk, that wastes the money that the family barely has, on alcohol that makes him get angry and abusive. Because of all his spending on alcohol, it leaves the family broke and too poor to afford food. Because of his irresponsibility, he becomes hungry most nights and leaves his kids scrounging for food in the garbage: “I’m pretty sure Brad also looks for food in the garbage at lunch as well. We just don’t like to admit it to each other.” However, Jeannette takes responsibility of her life and goes to New York to settle down and start a career in writing. As you can see, The Glass Castle shows the consequences of irresponsibility and the damages it does. But the book also teaches the outcomes and benefits of being responsible as well, in order to show the relation to one another. This helps the reader understand how important it is to make the right decisions to be responsible. Another life lesson The Glass Castle teaches is forgiveness. Even though Jeannette’s father disappointed Jeannette in more ways than one, Jeannette is able to look past his mistakes and still offer her love to him. When she gets to New York, Jeannette has money problems for college and won’t be able to attend. She gives her father a second chance to redeem himself by taking the money he earned from playing pool. She kissed and cried and hugged her father for helping her tuition and he beams at the fact that he could help. This demonstrates how forgiving and giving second chances is worthwhile and will help you in the end. Forgiveness is a big lesson that many cannot do and instead hold grudges but Jeannette beautifully illustrates the positives of forgiveness. This also further shows the negatives of drinking.

Although The Glass Castle benefits readers on learning and preparing for the real world and teaches them life lessons, parents are still labeling its contents as ‘inappropriate.’ They state that they want their child to have a good view on the world and its many opportunities it holds for them and by letting them read these books, it spoils it for them. (What Banned Books Mean to Parents and Kids) But are parents really protecting their kids from the real world, or hiding the truth? The content in the books are true and does happen in reality, so does a teen not have a right to know what is going on? By banning these books, the parents are just delaying the inevitable.

Overall, books that contain inappropriate content, does not mean that this is the only value it has. The inappropriate content the parents only see, is not the purpose of the book, but really, it is the additional content that revolves around a more sensitive and important message that growing teens should be aware of. I don’t mind that parents ban books from their child- they have a right to and as a parent, they can decide for their own child. However, to go to a school and ban books for all students, they have stepped their boundary as a parent. It is not their decision to take away or label books inappropriate for other kids because in reality, this world is not a perfect world and no amount of censorship or banning, will get these children to believe it is. By banning a book, parents are lying about the truth.   

Works Cited

Brunner, Borgna. “Banned Books.” Publish. 2014. Web. December 10, 2014.

Constitution of United States. U.S Constitution- Amendment 1. Print. December 15, 1791.

Rich, Jake. “Can Book Censorship Save Our Children and Their Innocence?” Publish. October 7, 2014. Web. December 10, 2014.

Walls, Jeannette. The Glass Castle. Print. 2005. Publish. Scribner.

Jones. What Banned Books Mean to Parents and Kids. <www.atyourlibrary.org> Publish. Jan, 2011. Web. December 10, 2014.

Social Awareness Project

This is my Social Awareness Project. In this project, I focus on the insecurities of females as a social problem. Looks and weight are a big issue for most females where they feel the need to "cover up" to please and satisfy the public. These are insecurities we need to overcome instead of follow.

The first section of this project is a interview on a victim who has insecurities about her weight. She explains how she feels about her weight and how she will not let it affect her any further. She describes what she encounters because of her weight and how it affects her.

The second section of this project is a response to a song I heard and love. It explains the insecurity of looks and how females apply makeup and spend time on trying to look skinny. It further states that these things should not matter and how only what you feel or think about yourself should matter. I briefly describe the message of the song and how I felt/thought about it.

The last section ties up the project with two poems dedicated to female insecurities. The first one specifically for applying makeup as a cover up and the second one about how females are naturally strong and beautiful and nothing will change that.

---

FEMALE INSECURITIES ABOUT WEIGHT

OPTION #3

INTERVIEW ON VICTIM OF SOCIAL PROBLEM

REPORTER- Do you feel insecure about your weight?

PERSON- Not really, no. I mean, when I get dressed for school, there are some days where I question myself if my outfit makes me look fat. But I've been getting less and less of those days because now I only stick to skirts and sweat pants.

REPORTER- Does it bother you that you way more than your older sister?

PERSON- What, no. Why would it be? I mean, I make fun of her and she makes fun of me, but in the end were sisters and we don’t mean the things we say. Shes not perfect either so her flaws are just as “bad” as mine, right?

REPORTER- I don’t know, is it?

PERSON- Well, yeah. Anyone’s flaws can be used against them like my weight can be used. They're just different flaws. But I guess it would be nice to weigh less than my older sister.

REPORTER- Have you ever been bullied? And if yes, how did you react to it?

PERSON- I've never been bullied to my face. But I remember in elementary school, there were a lot of things said about my weight behind my back. And to tell you the truth, I tried not to cry at school but when I got home, I had nothing to hide. My siblings comforted me and I was happy that I could forget school by just playing Mario Kart and spending time with them… But school is 6 hours a day, 5 times a week, for 10 months! I dreaded elementary school but I was happy at the end of the day.

REPORTER- How do you feel about middle school, now that you’re out of elementary school?

PERSON- I feel great! I've made three best friends: Kaitlyn, Jasmine, and Fadia. And even though most of the kids from elementary school got into the same middle school as me, they don’t mind me anymore… They've moved on since a bunch of kids had flaws worse than mine.

REPORTER- Do you think you’ll ever let your weight affect you again?

PERSON- I don’t know. I don’t think so but who knows what’ll happen. There could be awful people who I meet who will use my weight against me... but I've made friends who I can count on and I know they would stick up for me... Besides, I won’t care if I know there are other people who don’t care about my weight...That just shows that the ones who make fun of me have no lives.

REPORTER- Even though you're comfortable with your weight, will you try to lose some of it?

PERSON- I guess, yeah. It’ll be nice to not to have my weight affect the way people think of me. I don't want to feel insecure about my weight anymore... But I’d also do it because it’s healthy if I do. I’m overweight so I need to lose weight before it actually affects me physically.

REPORTER- How do you feel about the bullies? What do you have to say about them?

PERSON- Their bullies. I have nothing to say to them except they are nothing to me.

FEMALE INSECURITIES ABOUT LOOKS

OPTION #4

RESPONSE TO SOCIAL PROBLEM

If you were to walk outside, how many females do you pass that are wearing makeup? Too many to count? Exactly.  Makeup, weight, body shape, hair, clothes- these are all the things females today obsess over so they can look “good.” Females are constantly fixing themselves for other people by applying makeup, going on extreme diet, or even going to the mall to buy clothes that are the trend and what everyone wears. In Colbie Caillat’s song, “Try,” the song expresses the insecurities of females. The song specifically calls out on how females of all different shapes and ages, hide their “flaws” behind makeup.

“Try” is a song about not letting what other people’s opinions affect who you are and most importantly, what you do. During the music video, there are several females introduced, whom hide behind a layer of makeup, including Colbie Caillat. In the song, there are a few stanzas of lyrics that list the things females do in order to look “good” for the public: “Put your makeup on, get your nails done, curl your hair, run the extra mile, keep it slim… get your sexy on… get your shopping on… max your credit card… buy it all.” These lines show the consequences that females go through in order to keep a fake appearance for the public.This is a serious problem if females really do go through these tasks, because it shows that they are insecure about their flaws and are willing to hide behind makeup just to cover up.

Fortunately, the song opposes these actions to cover up flaws. After stating the previous lines the song continues to ask what is the point of all this hassle? “Do they like you? Do you like you?” The song asks to think about why they put on makeup: “Why should you care what they think of you?... When you’re all alone do you like you?” Is this what they really want, to hide behind makeup? Do they like the fact of covering up? The song really puts the message through when they repeatedly say, “You don’t have to try so hard… no you don’t have to give it all the way… just get up… you don’t have to change a single thing.” The message of this song is too embrace who you are for what you are, not based on how you look with or without makeup.

Finally at the end of the music video, all the girls take their makeup off, including Colbie Caillat, and they show themselves for real. They look happy and free. Makeup doesn't express who you are and you should't let it. You are strong and beautiful the way you are and you should stay like that. Don’t cover what defines you as unique.

I really loved this song. It shows a powerful message that every female should know. They should't work hard for others. They should only work hard for themselves. I felt this was a message that needed to be said and needed to be known throughout the female gender. This is an insecurity that should be fought to overcome. I know that many girls say makeup expresses who they are, but its really hard to see who they are if they are if we can’t see their faces. I don’t want to eliminate makeup ultimately, but I just want makeup not to be used for a cover up.

FEMALE INSECURITIES

OPTION #5

POEMS

Hide your face,

before you’re seen.

Apply it well,

the foundation cream.

Grab you compact

and flip it open.

Brush your face,

‘till you’re golden.

Now the eyeliner,

line the eye.

Take the mascara,

lashes are high.

Eye shadow next,

apply ‘purple plush.’

For finishing touch,

Put on pink blush.

Now you’re pretty,

and beautiful too.

But wait a sec,

is that really you?

---

Never hide your flaws,

be who you really are.

Hiding behind makeup,

won’t get you far.

You may have acne,

or you’re overweight.

But don’t change yourself,

at any rate.

You are strong and beautiful,

don’t think different.

People may comment,

don’t take the hint.

Get over your insecurities,

and embrace yourself truly.

Because in the end,

that’s all you need.