What is a Dream Incomplete?

Living with a dream gives life a greater purpose. When the mind posses a dream, there are many possibilities that present themselves to us that make us want to achieve our dream. Whether the dream is to become a doctor or the president or a rock star, dreams are personal.

In "A Raisin in the Sun", everyone in the family has some kind of dream they want to pursue. Walter dreams of investing in a liquor store while Mama wants to live in a nice house and tend to a garden of her own. Dreams create a better place for them to think. They can escape the little house that they live in and become lost in their world of dreams. We see when Mama talks about her dream of buying a house with her husband back when they were younger, her voice becomes airy and out of this world because she is in that state of mind where her dreams become her reality. Walter, he has the strongest dream but most dangerous dream because his relies on money. He wants to invest in a business with the hopes of striking it rich. He becomes greedy over money that isn't his to spend. Why? Because he yearns for his dream to become his reality.

Reading the poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes is closely connected to this play and specifically Walter's Dream. It emphasizes that a dream can shrivel up and die away or BLOW UP in your face, and just like that, your dream is gone. It shows us that it's painful to watch all of the hard thought and strive put into reaching the dream, die as fast as it came.

Now I'm not discouraging you to dream... and neither is Lorraine Hansberry or Langston Hughes...
Dreaming is beautiful because there is always a possibility of it becoming reality.

Giving Thanks

There can be many things to be thankful for. I am thankful for my wonderful, loving, and supportive family; without them I'm not sure where I would be right now. Also, my friends are a big part of my life and I am forever thankful to the amazing friends that have given me so many memories to cherish.

Giving thanks is a big part of what the world does. Tim O'Brien gives thanks to the many courageous souls who risk their own lives for the protection of ours. F. Scott Fitzgerald gives thanks to his family and celebrates his own life story through his works of writing, People throughout the globe have their own ways of giving thanks. They may volunteer at a shelter to help the people who are in need of care. They may plant trees in a community that has suffered terrible destruction from natural disasters. They may just have a good day and walk around and tell you "Thank You" because they know you are capable of kindness and love.

Looking back on the years, we see that Thanksgiving is an obvious day of giving thanks for the things we have in life, whether it's family, food, love, good health or support. It is a day that celebrated peace between two cultures while giving thanks for the things they can share together, as one. We take one day out of every year to reflect on our lives and be genuinely thankful for all of the commodities we possess. It is also a day where people give back. Places run Thanksgiving dinners for those who cannot afford to buy a turkey or let alone have a house to make it in. Our world is full of people willing to give everything they have for the good of someone they have never met. It's amazing how the world runs on giving thanks and receiving it. I hope all or your families had a wonderful Happy Thanksgiving!

The Power of Poetry

     What is POWER? There are many kinds of power. It can make you feel little when it's forcing words down your throat, or lighter than air when it releases its grip from the world. Then what do you get when you give power to a simple thing such as a word? A story, a poem, a song, a text message; they all become something greater than themselves when given the heavy gift of power. Many people write laws with the power of politics in their favor. I personally love when writers create poems with the power of emotion. If you really think about it, everything ever written is living, breathing, eating on the power of words. Poetry itself encompasses a whole world of emotions that intertwines the minds of awesome people who have a passion for poetry. Everyone can relate to a poem in a special way that is close to the heart. If you take the works of Emily Dickinson such as "Because I Could Not Stop for Death", she molds her own sorrow and emptiness into a wonderful work of art that makes you feel what she is feeling. Just like the "I Have a Dream" speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. or the singing of the National Anthem at a baseball game, each one has the power to change a persons mood; whether it be the will to fight for a greater cause or pride for the country that you call home, that is the power of words. A poem's meaning isn't always clear, but after reading it, you know how it made you feel. And that is what the power of poetry is all about.

Our Inner Battles

Why do we torture our minds with our own guilt? I always say "better out than in" but does it really make a difference?

In The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale lives with his own guilt. It slowly drives him crazy because he can't handle the pressure of his faults. The townspeople can see his outer  appearance deteriorate while he becomes sickly with the disease of guilt. It's almost like cancer, it spreads throughout the entire body until is encompasses the mind as a whole. Within Dimmesdale, he yearns to tell people what he has done, but he worries about how the townspeople will react. They think of him as a holy figure because he is the minister of the town, while he views himself as a sinner. It's not healthy to keep such strong emotions bottled up inside. Proof of that statement refers to when we see the devastating toll it has on Mr. Dimmesdale.

This seems like the perfect time to compare The Scarlet Letter to the movie "Easy A". The main character, Olive Penderghast, is socially out casted as being a slut because of a rumor she unintentionally started, spread around that she "got together" with a college guy. For the people that knew the truth, she was open to helping them out. The weight of all the pretending and secrets started to pile up and at one point, she needed to tell someone her problems. She needed help. She couldn't take keeping everything bottled up inside her anymore. It's always better out than in, no matter what you're trying to hide.

The Meaning of the Motto

A motto embodies the beliefs and ideas of an individual. It shows the world insight into the person you are and the person you want to achieve.

When you look at the beliefs of a transcendentalist, their motto's contain things about their love for life and nature and carpe diem. This week, I read the commencement speech from Steve Jobs. He was a big supporter of living the life you want to live; he wants people to be happy with their lives by doing what they love. Using the transcendental themes, he emphasizes going with the flow when he talks about taking the calligraphy class which ends up creating the pretty fonts we have today.

Thinking about a motto, my own involves the things i believe in and care about dearly. "Dream like the world is listening while singing for the world to hear" is my motto because I am in love with music and I will always dream for the world to be able to hear my voice. I can relate to Justin Bieber who tells his fans to believe and "never say never" while Demi Lovato says to stay strong and stand up to bullying. Your motto embodies your entire being. Whatever it may be, "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish."

Does An Equal World Exist?

     Equality should encompass every man, woman, child, and ethnicity; but then the real world sets in, and you realize that equality is not a world-wide accomplishment.

     As stated in The Declaration of Independence, "all men are created equal". The Founding Fathers of our nation set out to create the foundation of our country with this document and they had good intentions. They wanted to set us up for easy success by following their guidelines, but little did they know how our world would stray from traditional values.

     Does this quote have any significance at all anymore? People seem to think of themselves ranked higher than the rest of us, treating people "under" them like dirt while sitting with a gold crown on top of their head. Yes, many have worked hard to be a respected big shot, and I respect their determination. But for those who get everything they want, those are the people who deserve to see how terrible the lower ranks are treated. No so equal, right? Also, in the work force, many women aren't given the same rights as men. Often receiving lower wages for the same job or not enough recognition for the work they do, women have to trudge through many obstacles in order to be praised like the leading business man. It is true that our world today is working towards equality on a grand scale, but behind closed doors, there are the favorites of the office who get special treatment and those fighting to survive under a grudge. Our world is still not equal, no matter how much we'd like to believe it.

The Thing That Causes Craziness Within

     People who are bonded closely together, tend to share the same beliefs and reactions. Mass hysteria occurs when a large group of people exhibit a common state of mind, usually violence and anger are included in the package of craziness.

     In The Crucible, the whole town falls under the curse of mass hysteria. While innocent people are being sentenced to death, the guilty girls roam free, all because the towns people and court believe Abigail's wretched lies. People in the town seem to have no personal opinion. They always go along with what everyone else does. This causes problems because if people think you're a witch, there is no changing their minds about it. The irony is, all of the people in the town of Salem are bewitched (excuse the pun) by Abigail's condescending power. The court also has immense power over the town, adding to the hysterics. As an example, Proctor shows them proof that the girls are, in fact, lying about the ridiculous Witch accusations and they choose to take the names and question John Proctor himself, rather than justify the proof.

     Looking back to our history, The McCarthy Trials are very similar to the Salem Witch Trials in The Crucible. Mainly because Arthur Miller based it on his own experiences in The McCarthy Trials, we see the mass hysteria of the people in Salem relate to the Red Scare. His comparison makes The Crucible seem real because the legacy of false accusations will sadly, never disappear.

The Wizarding World of Salem Witches

     Magic can be one of the most controversial subjects in the world. Some may perceive it as evil, like in The Crucible and others may yearn to be a wizard, like in the Harry Potter series. Whichever way you choose to view magic, it is a part of our lives today in the books and movies you come across. You can't escape magic because it lives within.

     When reading The Crucible, religion is the main point of view of the people. They rely on their religion to say that all magic is the Devil's work. A person high in the Church is the one who always has the answers to every ones troubles. Reverend Hale is a very knowledgeable man and specializes in everything about witchery and magic. The people of Salem call upon him to find the witches of the town so they can live peacefully, but the power is taken away from him. Abigail confesses her involvement about the night around the fire and she is considered blessed by God to help them rid the town of the evil witches. It is rubbish but nevertheless, the townspeople lock up every name that comes out of her mouth, showing no reasoning because God has given her knowledge. They believe that magic is evil yet feed off of a genuinely evil girl who's conjuring up her spell to get the man she wants, all blinded by religion...

    
     When the Harry Potter series came out, religious views did not believe that these books were fit for children to read because of the ideas they put in their heads. Many thought that it was terrible to let children read about such dreadful subjects because they have the same beliefs of the people of Salem. They believe that all magic is in fact, the Devil. What they did not know however, was that the magic portrayed in the books is not focused on evil. It's about the good in people defeating the dark within ourselves. It shows bravery and intellect that many can relate and learn from. I for one, am a "Potterhead" and pray that I will one day receive my letter to Hogwarts. When i first received my copy of The Sorcerers Stone, my grandmother could not figure out my fascination with the books and it worried her because of her strong Christian beliefs. I can never live my life without believing in magic... J.K. Rowling taught me better than that.

Don't Be Afraid to Take a Stand

What is the difference between knowing something is wrong and letting it happen verses viewing a situation while stating it's wrong and doing what's right? It's the ability to be your own person. YOU are capable of controlling situations that seem unfair.

At the assembly this week, Michael Fowley was our guest speaker and he played a character that stood by and laughed at a disrespectful comment his friend made towards a pretty girl. She made it clear that she wasn't interested and didn't get upset at the comment but his laugh sparked her anger. When we are around our friends, it seems natural to agree or laugh at whatever they are talking about. It takes a lot of courage and self respect to stand up to your friends. A lot of times in life, we think too fast and act on impulse, especially when we want to seem cool around our friends. This doesn't make it the right thing to do and he realized his mistake. He should have stood up for what he thought was right, but instead, he ended up sparking more emotions rather than soothing open wounds.

In the movie, "Mean Girls" Cady Heron and her friends manipulate Regina George because of all the nasty things she has said behind people's backs. Eventually, Cady becomes just like Regina and everyone wants to be like her. Cady represents the sweet and innocent girl who becomes a beauty on the outside but a hideous "Mean Girl" on the inside. She becomes the evil they were trying to defeat in the first place. When they are forced to face the accusations of the Burn Book, one of Cady's friends, Janice, finally comes clean about all of the hilariously terrible things they did to Regina. Thanks to Janice for coming clean, her own reputation from Regina is demolished and she frees Cady from the Plastic life. Most of the time, doing what's right may hurt not only you, but the people around you. It's worth sticking up for your beliefs and don't let anyone tell you different. And I hope none of you have been personally victimized by Regina George, or else I will have to take a stand and tell her to sort out her priorities!

Mythical History or Historical Myth?

Myth can be defined as a traditional story that explains a natural phenomenon in comparison to history, which is all of the past events usually recorded to be shared for later generations. Both can act as helpful tools to reveal a deeper meaning to any story.

In "The Way to Rainy Mountain" by N. Scott Momaday, he uses Myth to relive his grandmothers life and keep her stories alive. After he recited the legend, he says, "...and so long as the legend lives, the Kiowas have kinsmen in the night sky (Momaday 56)." Momaday cherished his grandmother and her stories and by mentioning that there will stars in the sky for his people, he knows that there is a spot up in the night sky for his grandmother and she will always be there to guide him. He uses historical references when he mentions his ancestry and how "they never understood the grim, unrelenting advance of the U.S. Calvary (Momaday 54)." His historical reference shows how much he knows about his ancestry and how much he wants us to be able to associate things he tells us. The way he uses both of these tools helps the story make sense, even if you have to slow down and reread certain parts. Since history is also about learning about the past, he wants to teach the future generations about his own family and tribe so that their spirits will never die.

Have you heard of the show "Mythbusters"? They take common myths such as: can an actual shark do the things portrayed in the movie Jaws? Can being dragged on the ground fast enough cause a pair of pants to catch on fire? They take myths and test them with science and history while giving us  insight into the insane experiments they undergo in order to prove if in fact the crazy myths are true of false. Which is exactly what we do everyday! We test the limits to learn new things and become curious about our past and how they managed to figure out so much for us to have throughout their years. It's crazy to think how myth and history become apart of us. Don't you think?

I Did It!

I finally figured it out! I can blog!!