Love?

What is Christopher’s definition of love? Do you agree with it? What is your definition of love? How do people experience love, for example between parents and their children? Given Christopher's aversion to being touched, can he experience his parents' love for him, or can he only understand it as a fact, because they tell him they love him? Is there any evidence in the novel that he experiences a sense of attachment to other people?

• Christopher's definition of love is that "loving someone is helping them when they get into trouble, and looking after them, and telling them the truth". 
• My definition for love is that when people love each other, they worry about them all the time, wondering if they are safe, and they want that person they love to be happy even if they are not together.
• I believe that love can be experienced and shown through the actions the people. Like what Christopher said, we help others when they are in trouble. Also, we consider each other's likes and dislikes when we are doing something. For example, Christopher's father considers all of Christopher's likes and dislikes and creates a life easier for Christopher. Another example is parent-children love. The parents help with the children's living and help the children build their future.
• Christopher can only understand his parent's love for him as a fact, because his parents tell him they love him. He is unable to actually feel what love is like.
• In the novel, Christopher is not really attached to anyone. The people in his life are associated with him only because they help him fulfill his daily necessities.

A World with No People

In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher likes the idea of a world with no people in it (p. 2); he contemplates the end of the world when the universe collapses (pp. 10–11); he dreams of being an astronaut, alone in space (pp. 50–51), and that a virus has carried off everyone and the only people left are "special people like me" (pp. 198–200). Christopher often fantasizes about being the only person left in the world. What is comforting about fantasizing about being the only person left in the world? Have you ever thought about being alone in the world? If you were alone in the world, what would you do?

•  When I fantasize about being the only person left in the world, it is comfortable because I don't need to do things according to other people or have to concern what other people think of you and your actions/what you do (can also be said as peer pressure). For example, you can drive all you want even if you're an underaged, scream all you want wherever you are, or do anything thing else you want to do.
• I have thought about being the only person left in the world. I have thought about this because I felt desperation and I wanted to escape a lot of pressure, especially pressure from parents, school, and also peer pressure, as mentioned above. Another reason I thought about being alone in the world is because I am annoyed by life, and I feel like there's no meaning in life (happens sometimes).
• If I really end up being alone in the world, I would get everything I couldn't get before, for example, a new computer or a new cellphone (which probably won't be of any use, anyways), other 3C products, clothes, books/novels, music, and maybe a new house. However, I would feel so lonely after a while that I would feel that maybe dying would be better.

Each Other's Business

In the article "We Are Each Other's Business", Eboo Patel illustrates his ideas with references to art and literature. What point does he make about the Norman Rockwell painting? How does he use a Gwendolyn Brooks poem to support his ideas? Do a Google search for these two works and see what they mean to you. 

•  Eboo Patel's purpose for mentioning the Norman Rockwell painting was to emphasize the ideas of a group of people living in peace with its diversity, but does not explore it and breaks the balance. This means that there are no such things such as people from one group insulting another group or having fights between each other. The diverse groups live peacefully with each other.
• Eboo Patel uses a quote from Gwendolyn Brooks' quote, "We are each other's business; we are each other's harvest; we are each other's magnitude and bond", to show several important ideas. The first idea is that friends and families should support each other because they are an important part of a person's life, and the second idea is that by showing their support for that person, the person who is having difficulties will encouraged and this will help the person overcome his or her obstacle.
• To me, the Norman Rockwell painting means that people can live together peacefully and accept each other's differences and opinions. This is important to me because sometimes people do not accept my differences and opinions, and it makes me really upset. I also agree with Gwendolyn Brooks quote from the poem. If our friends and family don't support us, who will?

Self Definition

In the article “Islam in America,” one of the interviewees says that she can define herself in one word: Muslim. Think about yourself. Can you define yourself in one word? If so, what is it, and why do you think that it captures the essence of who you are? If not, why not? Are there several words that you think define you? Do you think it is a good thing to define oneself narrowly, with only one word, or is it better to base one’s self-concept on a wider range of ideas?

•  For me, there is not single word that can describe me. This is because I am not unique enough to have a word to describe me. However, there are several words that could be used to describe me. They are music, sleepy, lazy, and teenager. Music is a word that describes me quite well because my life revolves around music. I might say, without music, I would suffer. The first reason is that I would die from boredom. Another example relates with waking up in the morning. Each morning, when my alarm goes off, I wake up and close my alarm. At this stage, I am half-conscious. I know that I have to wake up but I still want to continue to sleep. During this time, the half-conscious me would stretch my hand and reach for my MP3 player, on my table behind my bed. I would put it on, turn the volume up, and soon, the blasting music would wake me up. Trust me, it's really affective, so if you ever have trouble waking up, here's a good way. Sleepy and lazy are words to describe me because I am sleepy most of the time, and I am certainly very lazy. If I don't have to do something or am not required to do something, then I would not do it. And lastly, teenager. This is a very obvious word to describe me with because right now, I am a teenager.
• I believe having a wider range of words to describe me is a better thing. Even though this means that I am not unique, I represents that fact that I am a person with many different characteristics.

Author's Attitude

In the article "Islam in America", what does the author assume about readers' knowledge? What is the author's attitude toward the subject? What is the author's attitude toward the readers? Who would be interested in this topic?

• The author of the article "Islam in American" assumes some most basic knowledge such as Islam is a religion, Muslims are the people who believe in Islamic beliefs and who practice the teachings according to Islamic guides, Islam is a religion with many strict laws that teach Muslims how to live their way of life, and the knowledge of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Readers need to have a basic knowledge about these things in order to fully understand what the story is talking about.
• The author's attitude towards the subject, Islam in America, can be described as informative. She is conveying the fact that Islam is changing and blending with American and other cultures, and becoming more and more different that the original Islam. In a way, the author is fascinated with the change, because she states that Islam is definitely changing and becoming "more American", meaning that it is going to have more and more attributes from the American culture.
• The author's attitude towards the reader is most likely a friendly attitude. She wants people to understand how Islam influences a person's way of life, and how the religion is changing. Otherwise, the author's attitude is pretty much neutral. 
• Some people who would be interested in this topic might be people who are extremely religious, or people who care about their culture and other cultures. Also, Muslims are definitely interested in this topic, especially children and teenagers, because they are the ones who are influenced the most.

Living Together

Think about the people you know in school or in your neighborhood who have diverse backgrounds and beliefs. Do you think cultural differences can enrich a community? Why or why not? If so, how do they enrich the community? How do people from different cultures learn to live together?

• Yes, cultural differences can enrich a community a lot. This is a very true fact and is proved by many of the communities we see today.  Why does cultural differences enrich a community, you ask? Well, that's because these different people have different point of views and opinions, and they share different ideas and ways of life. Different point of views allows us to be unbiased about topics when talking or discussing, and it allows us to get a full image of other groups' point of views. The opinions may act as advice and help us during time when we are having difficulties, and the ideas and ways of life help us have a better and easier life both physically and mentally. What does physically and mentally mean? Well, physically means that when there are new inventions from other cultures, they are brought into communities and shared, which is a good thing. When we are talking about mentally, we are talking about the new ways and views of thinking. For example, some people might become more optimistic when they are influenced by their friends or teachers, which may help them lead a better life. I have read a book where a girl who was originally very pessimistic, thought that everyone was against her, and never smiles, turn into a sunshine girl even though she faced many obstacles because of her friends, who were Catholic.

Another Point of View

In “Evacuation Order No. 19” the narrator focuses on Mrs. Hayahsi’s experiences and her responses to the family’s situation. What different experiences and reactions might another character have had in a similar situation? Write a version of a scene from the story from the point of view of another character, such as Mrs. Hayashi’s son or daughter, or even Joe Lundy or Mrs. Greer.

Mrs. Hayashi's daughter's point of view:


     When Mrs. Hayashi's daughter and brother came home from school, Mrs. Hayashi reminded me that early next morning they would be leaving. Tomorrow they were going on a trip. They could only bring with them what they could carry.
     "I already know that," said Mrs. Hayashi's daughter. She knew how to read signs on trees. She tossed her books onto the sofa and told her mother that her teacher Mr. Rutherford had talked for an entire hour about prime numbers and coniferous trees. 
     "Do you know what a coniferous tree is?" the daughter asked. Her mother said no. "Tell me," said the mother, but the daughter just shook her head no.
     "I'll tell you later," she said. Mrs. Hayashi's daughter was ten years old and she knew what she liked. Boys and black licorice and Dorothy Lamour, her favorite star. Her favorite song on the radio was "Don't Fence Me In". She adored her pet macaw. She went to the bookshelf and took down the Birds of America. She balanced the book on her head and walked slowly, her spine held erect, up the stairs to her room.
     A few seconds later there was a loud thump and the book came tumbling back down the stairs. The daughter's brother looked up at his mother. He was seven and a small, black fedora was tilted to one side of his head. "She has to stand up straighter," the daughter heard her brother say softly. He went up to the foot of the stairs and stared at the book. It had landed face open to a picture of a small brown bird. A marshe wren. "You have to stand up straighter," the brother shouted.
    "It's not that," came the daughter's reply. "It's my head."
     "What's wrong with your head?" shouted the brother.
     "Too round. Too round on the top."

Write a Letter

Imagine you were friends with the Hayashis, the family in "Evacuation Order No.19". Write a letter to them in which you express your thoughts on their situation. Also, in you letter, give news from "home" and attempt to soothe and bolster your friends.


Dear Mrs. Hayashi,
     How is life over there? It seems like you have been aways for years even though it has only been a few months. The community feels so empty now, with so many people away and not many people coming to settle down. 
     I don't think that the United States government should be doing this. Isn't it ironic? You have always put so much effort into helping the war for the United States. And look at what they do to reward you! Isn't that extremely unreasonable? Well, I certainly think it is, and that they are not being fair. Shouldn't they respect their citizen's rights more, according to the Constitution? I wonder when there will be another rebellion...
     Anyways, aside from the fact that the community is becoming more and more empty, most of the other things are quite similar as before. Well, the major difference and effects of these unnecessary removal to the internment camps is that some obvious economic declines have occurred. I hope that the government can hurry up and notice this sign of disaster so they can change their foolish policies and give the rights back to the people who have been falsely accused.

Narrator's Persona

The story’s narrator has a significant impact on how we perceive the story’s characters. Describe the persona of the narrator in “Evacuation Order No. 19.” Analyze the effect of the narrator on readers. Use details from the story to explain your answer.

• The narrator has a significant impact on the story because of their descriptions of the character's traits shape how we think about the character. For example, if story is told by a narrator who is a friend of a character, then we will get a impression that the character is a good character. On the other hand, if the story is told by a narrator who is an enemy of the character, then the impression we get is a negative impression of the character. So overall, the impression would be biased. 
• The narrator in "Evacuation Order No. 19" is a quite neutral narrator in my opinion. This is because he or she does not give us (or more specifically, me) any good or bad impression of Mr. Hayashi nor of her actions. The narrator, I believe, is simply stating a series of actions and facts. Also, there is no hint of the story, narration, or plot being biased.
• I believe that having a neutral tone when writing the story "Evacuation Order No.19" is the best way to convey the "true" feeling of the story - the feeling that the author wants to convey. If the story is biased in any way, the feeling would be completely different.

School and Community Characteristics

• What are the social characteristics that make up your school? These can include family relationships, as well as interaction between students and teachers. 
• What are the political characteristics that make up your school? How is it governed? Who is in control? Are students able to participate in the school’s government or decision-making process? 
• What are the economic characteristics that make up your community? 
• What cultural groups make up your community? How have these groups influenced your community?

•  Social characteristics that make up my school include relationships such as family relations, friendship, and teacher-student relations. I have a older brother who is currently a senior, and who is someone I barely talk to when I am in school. I have a large population of friends, including many of the high school students. There are many various types of teacher-student relations. Some examples may be strictly just teachers and students, while others may be friends who poke each other. 
• The school's center is mainly the office. Most of the commands and changes that is related to school is mainly decided there, made by our head of school and our principal. Our school, like most other schools, include a student council that communicates the student's wishes to the head of the school, in this case, the office. 
• The economic conditions of our community are in pretty good condition. After all, this American school is quite expensive, and only parents with the financial ability will send their children here, so their financial conditions must be quite well, if not above average.
• The main cultural group that mkes up my community is the overall group of Asians. There are only a few foreigners in the student body: two Japanese,  one Korean, and one American. The main group I hang out with is all made up of Asians. More precisely Taiwanese. They influence me in many ways such as how I think and how I behave.

Life-Changing Events

What events in history or in the present have forced people to change their lives completely? How do people cope with hardships that require enormous changes in their lives? Have you ever experienced an event that made a sudden and significant change in your life? If so, describe the even and how it changed your life. If not, imagine how you might react to such an event?

• There are several events that have forced people to change their lives completely before in history. For example, the situation of the Nazis forcing the Jews to certain places and making them work until they die. These Jews have to cope with their situation and try to survive with their families. Another example involves the people with Japanese or even Asian ancestry. During World War II, these people have been moved to camps in certain areas because the United States government fears that there are spies within the population of Americans with Japanese ancestry. This is what the story "Evacuation No.19" is talking about. People cope in these extreme situations by working together with either their family, friends, or with other people that are in the same situation as them.
• I have not been through such an extreme, significant, and important situation before, or at least I believe I have not and do not consider anything (any event) as significant yet. I believe that when I face one of these events, I would be in shock, and that I will try my best in order to overcome this shock with the help of the people around me.

Satire in "The Storyteller"

What aspects of "The Storyteller make it a satire? What is Saki poking fun at with this story? How does he use humor and exaggeration to make his points? Support your answers with details and exampled from the story.

•  In the story "The Storyteller", Saki pokes fun at two things. The first thing he pokes at is people who are like the aunt. These people think that they are bringing justice to the world, and that their ways and views are always correct. The second thing that Saki pokes fun at is the ideas that state that if you are very good and well behaved, you will always be rewarded because of your good moral character. Saki uses several elements to make his points - humor and exaggeration. One of the most obvious examples is the story told by the bachelor. In the bachelor's story, Bertha being good is not a good thing, because in the end, she was eaten by a wolf because she was good. It was her goodness (and her rewards) that caused her death. In the story, the humor can be found when the bachelor is describing the garden with the pigs that are of various colors. This also includes part of the exaggeration.
• I agree with the satirical situation described by Saki. Sometimes, people who think that they are justice are not always doing the best things. This is because they sometimes force other people to do the things they think are right, which might cause a lot of chaos. This is because this way of doing things make the forced people angry, and want to rebel. This is why the children are rebelling against the aunt. They have been forced to learn proper manners for too long, so now, all they want is to be improper.

Motivation for Telling a Story

In "The Storyteller", what is the aunt's motivation for telling the children a story? What is the bachelor's motivation? How are their motivations similar? How are they different? How does the aunt react at the end of the bachelor's story?

• The aunt's motivation to tell her story is because she wants to quiet the children down, and she also wants to teach the children to be proper and behaved good children. The bachelor also wants to quiet the children down, but on the other hand, he also wants to give the aunt a hard time by telling the children an improper story so they would ask and annoy the aunt for improper stories for a long time. The content of the two stories told by the adults teaches the children different things. The aunt's story intended to teach the children that being good is a good thing because you will be rewarded. The bachelor's story, however, is trying to convey the idea that sometimes when you are too good and too nice, people will take advantage of you. After the aunt hears the story, she reacts in a very emotional way. She is very upset that the bachelor told the children such an improper story. She thinks that the story has made the children think in an improper way, and because of the improper story, she is going to have to deal with these troublesome children for about the next six months or so.

Omniscient Point of View

In “The Storyteller,” what do we learn about each character through the omniscient point of view? How does this choice of narrator affect the plot? How would the story be different if told by either the aunt or the bachelor from the first person point of view? What would be lost? Write a paragraph or more to explain your answer, and support your ideas with details from the story.

• We are able to understand what every character is thinking and feeling about certain things or other characters when the story is told in an omniscient point of view. This choice of narrator, an omniscient point of view, affects the plot because one, we have an unbiased view about the overall story, and two, we know that the things told and that are occurring are true, so we do not have to make inferences about everything. This story would be different if told by the either the aunt or the bachelor. When the bachelor tells the story, he will be biased into the idea that the aunt is boring and makes fun of the aunt more because of her "righteousness", and when the aunt tells the story, she will be biased into the idea that the bachelor is arrogant, and that he is being an unsuccessful adult for telling the children improper stories. If the story was told either by the aunt or the bachelor, the truth or moral the story is trying to convey by comparing the two versions of the story would be lost. Also, we do not know what the children thinks about the stories, which is a factor that helps us identify the truth or moral.

Satire

Satire generates laughter at the expense of others in the hopes of changing their behavior. Make a list of your "pet peeves", or behaviors that annoy you. Create a character who has one or more of these traits, and write a satirical paragraph poking fun at this character.

• My "pet peeves":
• repeating the same thing over and over again without stopping
• speaking with unreasonable reasons, and still thinking that he or she is right
• bothering with useless information that is completely irrelevant to what I am doing
• screaming all the time (little children)
• being dirty or having poor hygiene
• being extremely lazy and telling others to do all your work (pushing your responsibilities onto others
• bossy

• The character that I am going to create is going to be someone who is a bossy and thinks that they are the best and more superior than others. This person believes that whatever he or she does is always right, and think that other people should obey him or her. This character has most of my pet peeves, whether it is being like a broken radio, or being extremely lazy.
• Satirical paragraph: Adeline is the most popular and well liked girl in high school. People liked her no matter what she did. They liked it when she's bossy. They liked it when she tells them to do her work for her. They like it when she gossips about things they don't actually care.

Goodness

Is goodness always rewarded? In "The Storyteller", whose version of life - the bachelor's or the aunt's - do you think is true to life? Why? Can you think of examples from your own life or experiences to back up your opinion?

• No, goodness is not always rewarded. This is because there is always evil in people. I believe that the bachelor's version of life is more true to life than the aunt's version. I believe that this is true because even when you are good, kind, and nice to people all the time, some people will take advantage of your goodness. Also, goodness may sometimes make you end up in an unchangeable, horrible situation, and sometimes, the situation may even be very depressing. Here is one example: some people may pretend to be friends with you and ask you to help him or her with a certain thing, but in reality, this person is just trying to gain something from you; when he or she reaches his or her goals, you will just be thrown out and ignored like they never met you before. One of the examples in my experiences is that a boy tried to be friends with me in order to gain information about my cousin. Fortunately, this is not a really big issue, so it is alright. But how about the time when you actually meet somebody who will use you just for his or her own purpose?

Saki's Purpose

In "The Storyteller", the author gives us some clues about his purpose might be. Reading the following clues. How might they illustrate his purpose?

• The aunt's story is "deploringly uninteresting".
• The aunt keeps saying "don't" and the children keep asking "why?".
• The children think the bachelor's story is beautiful, but the aunt think it's improper.

• These clues above illustrate the author's different purposes by telling us several things that represent several different ideas that, in the end, create a whole idea, a whole picture that tells us something else. The first one told is that the proper stories are very disliked by the children - they have heard similar stories many times and are tired of it. These children want something new. The second thing is that the clues inform us is that the children are curious and will not be satisfied by just the aunt's proper stories. The third thing is that the clues let us know that the children need something new, something that's completely different than what they are familiar with, and not something that keeps on repeating. 
• The author's main point or purpose he is trying to convey to both adults other people is that the children in the world cannot be contained by only the same repeating boring, proper stories because they are curious about the world, and no matter what you tell them, unless you give them a really good and clever answer, they will not be satisfied and keep on asking you questions until you are very annoyed.

Influence of Childhood

How might a writer's childhood experiences influence his or her writing? Do you think your unique experiences in life would be a good source of inspiration for a story or book?

• The experiences of a writer when he or she was still a child are one of the main factors that influences his or her writing. Different types of experiences, either positive or negative experiences, influence different parts or areas of a writer's writing. Some parts of a writer's writing that may be influenced are the genre of the story (whether it's a novel, long story, short story, poem, etc), the mood, the tone, the style and in what kind of point of view is the story told in, and how the story is structured.
• Yes, I wholeheartedly believe that my unique experiences in life would be a good source of inspiration for a story or book, and it does not matter whether the influence is a positive one or a negative one. These stories will then be real life based, and I might even become famous because of these moving experiences! (Ok, I'm just kidding, so you can just ignore me and continue on.) Unique experiences and events that influence my personality can also be used to influence a character's personality. It can also create a whole, new, original and not yet thought of plot that will attract many readers.

Point of No Return

How do people react when they are in a situation they cannot change? Have you ever found yourself in such a situation? If so, how did you react? If not, how do you think you would react?

• People react differently when they are in a situation they cannot change, or several different situations. It wholly and solely depends on that specific person. Some people panic and don't know what to do, some try their best to solve the situation, and finally, some stay calm and act like they don't have a care in the world. 
• I do not remember any significant situations similar to the one described above, where I am suck in a situation I cannot change. I do not know how I will react to a certain situation, and it may vary depending on what the situation is, or who I am with when the situation occurs. Sometimes, I think that I will be extremely calm, but sometimes, I believe that I will panic so much that my life span might even be shortened for quite a bit just because I'm so worried about what might happen because I didn't do what I was supposed to do. That's just me and my personality, I guess. I think that the times when I am calm is when I think that it does not matter too much to me because the event will not influence me a lot.

My Favorite Stories

List several of your favorite stories or books, especially from when you were younger. Why did they capture your interest? Write about why these stories appeal to you.

• Right now, I have a favorite series of stories. Unfortunately, this is a Chinese series, and therefore does not have an English name. Anyways, the Chinese name of the series is called "五星級金龜婿". It consists of eight books, which starts from the love stories of three pairs of parents, described in three books. The rest of the five books consists of the love stories of the children of the three pairs of parents.Their main lesson (or moral) is that when there is love, people overcome their hardships just so they can be with each other.
• These stories appeal to me because of many different reasons - for every book, there is a fresh, fascinating, unique, and interesting plot. Also, every character is brought to life, and the author successfully conveys the feelings and emotions of the character. Another thing I like about this series is the author's tone and voice - there is a certain feeling to it that makes me want to finish the whole series of books, or else I will not be satisfied. I would feel anxious, and cannot anticipate what will the book show or tell me. The last and final two things I like about the book is that I can clearly create an image of the character's appearance and facial expressions, and that this is an extremely funny and humorous series of stories!

What I Like About This Class

Now you've had the chance to explain what you don't like about High School English 2 Honors class, try to think of things you do like. There must be something. The view?

• Yes, I indeed do like the view from the classroom very much. I am also very happy that there are these big windows in the classroom because they help circulate the air in the room and also provide us either cold or warm air. Ok, now, back to the "seriousness" we are supposed to have. I believe that High School English 2 Honors class is able to efficiently teach the students the techniques and skills that will be needed, the techniques and skills that will help the students when they have to apply for college, or when the students graduate from college and are applying to get a good job. Also, I especially like the environment and mood that this class provides. It is light and comfortable, which creates a good learning environment. Also, I believe that the homework amounts given every week are pretty reasonable and that the tests are also given in reasonable amounts, and that they are told to the students a good amount of time beforehand. Another thing that I like is that the subject matter is taught to us in a very interesting way - we laugh and smile a lot from the jokes made, and also from things that are very funny and humorous.

What I Don't Like About This Class

Here is your chance. Try to think of all the things you don't like about High School English 2 Honors class. Try putting them in order by what you like least. Then, explain why you don't like it. Try to be specific and give advice on how things could be better.

• High School English 2 Honors is a very organized and well structured class - we can actually learn techniques and skills that are important and useful for us when we go to college or to the real world in efficient ways. However, I believe that there is just one thing that could be changed in the course. The thing that could be changed it that the students should be able to retake the tests that they believe they did terrible on. This is because there are times when students make mistakes, or times when they accidentally do bad on a test because they are tired or uncomfortable. Everyone makes mistakes, so this should not be counted against the students. Therefore, I propose that the students who did poorly on their tests have the chance to retake the small tests that will affect their grade if accumulated (this doesn't include big tests such as midterms). Another proposed method or way to help this problem is that, at the end of each quarter or semester, a student's worse grade can be eliminated in order to bring up said student's grades.

Buddhist Doctrine

"Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse

Siddhartha does not follow this doctrine, but he experiences it.
1. Life is suffering.
2. Suffering is caused by ignorance and attachment.
3. Suffering is ended by overcoming ignorance and attachment.
4. The path to the suppression of suffering is The Noble Eightfold Path which is made up of right: views, intentions, speech, actions, livelihood, effort, mindedness, and contemplation.

What are your views on the Buddhist doctrines? Do you think they are correct? Would they be useful to apply to your own life? What other doctrines have you heard of?

• My family believes in Buddhism. However, I am do not belief in any religion. So, I follow my family traditions, and it can be said that I am basically not a strict person when it comes to religion and I am someone who would not devote his or her whole life to complete a religious doctrine. 
• Looking at these Buddhist doctrines, I agree with the first two doctrines, the life is suffering, and the cause of suffering is ignorance and attachment. However, I do not agree with the rest two doctrines. They are both true statements, but I do not believe that people should become ignorant of others and not attached to anyone just to end suffering. Suffering is a part of life. What is the meaning of life, if people are ignorant and do not feel attached to anyone? Also, another reason why I disagree with doctrine three and four is because it is rare, or even impossible, for people to accomplish the goals. How many people you know have overcome and suppressed suffering? Most likely, none. I believe that even though the majority of people are good in heart, there is always a bit of evil residing in a person's heart no matter how good and innocent they look on the outside.

Why Be a Prodigy?

In the story "Two Kinds", what are the mother's reasons for wanting her daughter to excel?

• The mother has many hopes in America, and she believes that anything could be accomplished there. She is trying to look forward, and not backwards to the time when she lost everything, because it would be too painful. She does not want her daughter to live the same terrible life as her, so she wishes that her daughter can live a good life.

What motivates Jing-mei to try to become the prodigy her mother wants?

• She has two reasons for wanting to be the best. First, she wants to be the best so she does not have to always sulk about life. The second reason is because she wants to be adored by her parents. 

Do your parents ever push you to work hard at something? If so, how do you react? Do you try to please them, or do you resist? How does it make you feel?

• My parents, like any other typical parents, pushes me to work hard and study a lot to get good grades. I, like any other typical rebellious teenager, resist against them. Who would want to always be doing homework and not even getting a little bit of rest time? Well, not me, of course. I know that my parents are pushing me for my own good, but when they continue to say the same things over and over again like a broken radio, my patience is sometimes broken, and I end up yelling at them (actually, that's what happens almost every day...). I get really annoyed and wish that they would just SHUT UP.

The Influence of Others

  I have received both positive and negative influences from my classmates. However, they are two completely different groups of classmates. The group of classmates I met first in my life was when I was in sixth and seventh grade. I was bullied by them, and it left a huge scar in my heart, which never fade away. Being bullied resulted in both positive and negative influences for me. The negative one is that now, I have a hard time talking to people about my thoughts and feelings and opening myself to them, even my closest friends. The scar (or mark) has made me fear what will happen if I let my emotions known to others, even though I know that I can trust my friends. The positive outcome, though, is that this experience taught me how to be tough and how to protect myself against people who like to bully others. The other group of classmates – my current friends – taught me how to enjoy my life instead of always sulking, so now, I always cherish the time when I am truly happy – when I am with my friends. For me, I believe that the positive influence has a bigger impact in my life and a bigger impact shaping my personality.

Can Bad be Good?

Can a negative experience ever be a good thing? How might it influence who we become?

• A bad or negative experience may seem terrible and dreadful when it happens to a person. But sometimes, a person gets something out of that unpleasant experience - he or she learns something from it. For example, if a person was speeding down the road, or not paying attention to the road while walking, they might get into car accidents. After they do get in the car accidents, they will learn to be more careful and cautious about their surroundings when driving or walking down the road. Big events leave big marks - good or bad - on our hearts, especially the negative ones. For example, we can refer back to Maggie in "Everyday Use". She wasn't always the shy and timid girl she is now. But after the big fire that burned her house down, she lost her confidence from before because of her burnt appearance she got when the fire licked her. She is always cowering because she believes that her sister is better than her. Even though she was burnt, she will slowly learn how to appreciate herself, which is an important lesson that everyone has to lean in life.

Character Traits and Conflict

"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker

Name a few of Mama's character traits. Cite details from the text to support your answer.

• Mama's main character trait is that she is tough. As the story says, Mama can "kill and clean a hog a mercilessly as a man", from which we can infer that she is a tough person who has to be tough in order to survive on the farms, since farmers are the ones who have to "cut up the meat first" before they enter the supermarket, and the meat also has to be cut up as food.
• Mama is also a caring and loving person. She cares a lot about her daughters, and wishes to have a better relationship with Dee, and she can communicate with Dee. Another example for her caring personality is that she protects the quilts for Maggie when Dee tries to take them away.

The driving forces of any story is conflict. Explain the conflicts Mama faces in the story. How are these conflicts resolved?

• One of the main conflicts is Mama's bad relationship with Dee. This is one of the conflicts that is not resolved; Dee's relationship with Mama did not improve. However, at the end of the story, Mama has a better relationship with Maggie.
• The other conflict is that Dee wants the quilts, but Mama refuses to give Dee the quilts because she realizes that it is Maggie who should have them, so Maggie gets them. Dee is upset, but Maggie is glad that she got the quilts, and Mama and Maggie's relationship improves.

Literary Analysis

"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker

What can you conclude about each character (Maggie and Dee) based on her feeling towards the quilts?

• Maggie can be described as a shy and nice person, and she is also someone who is afraid of Dee, similiar to Mama's feelings towards Dee. We can conclude these because first, she does not say things to Dee and Mama confidently, and hides herself all the time. Also, she even agreed to give up both the quilts, because she's nice. Another reason why Maggie gave up the quilt was because she is kind of afraid of Dee, afraid of her confident, stylish, and unique personality. Dee, however, wants the quilts only as a display object, not as an object that she would actually use in everyday life. We can conclude that she is very mean. This is because she says that Maggie would not appreciate the quilts even if she got them, just because she was the one who couldn't get the quilts.

Dee has left behind her rural Southern life and reinvented herself. Why, then, does she want to have the churn and the quilts?

• Even though Dee left her rural Southern life and reinvented, or urbanized, herself, she still wants the quilts because she wants an object (or many objects) to prove her heritage in the city, and that she also has an origin.

Read With A Purpose

The story "Everyday Use" focuses on the idea of family heritage. What is the conflict between the two visions of that heritage? Why does Dee accuse Mama of not understanding her heritage?

• Mama and Maggie differ from Dee because they live within, and with their heritage. For example, they are still a farming family living in a farmhouse, and they still use things that were passed down from previous generations (from people such as Grandma Dee, Big Dee, and Stash). They still sit on the benches from their old burned house, and also the churn and, most important of all, the quilts. The quilts are not used, but Mama was already planning to give Maggie the quilts, who will surely use them. Dee, on the other hand, has abandoned her heritage and become urbanized as she recieved eduction in the city. She now only view heritage as something to be displayed, as something to be proud of - her origin. But she never turned back and started to live her heritage again; she's still a city girl. 
• Dee accuses Mama of not understanding her heritage because she has a completely different point of view on the term "heritage" compared to Mama and Maggie after she was urbanized.

Reading Focus - Quick Check

From "Everyday Use" by Alice Walker

1. According to Mama, how is Dee different from her and Maggie?

• Dee is different from Mama and Maggie due to her unique and characterized personality and also her unique style that she developed. She is also confident, not afraid to look in the eyes of white people, unlike Mama and Maggie. Another factor that changed Dee is that she received an education in the city, which shapes how she thinks, and also urbanizing her. Another thing that differs between Mama/Maggie and Dee is that Dee has lost her heritage - the way she lives, how she acts, and many of her family traditions, while Mama and Maggie still retain them. For example, Maggie knew how to quilt.

2. What different uses would Maggie and Dee have for the quilts?

• If Dee were to get the quilts, she would not have used them at all. Instead, she will hang it up as a decoration, as she implied in the story. Maggie, however, would actually use the quilts, and not waste them as mere decoration.

3. What is the significance of the story's title?

• It is saying that Dee wouldn't use the quilts at all (just hang it on the wall), but Maggie would actually put the quilts to work and use them everyday, as an everyday item.

Character Traits and Making Inferences

"Everyday Use" by Alice Walker

"She thinks her sister has held life always in the palm of one hand, that "no" is a word the world never learned to say to her."

What word could you use to describe one of Maggie's character traits revealed in this sentence?

• There are many words you can use to describe Maggie's character traits. Envy and awe is an example. Because of her burnt scars, she envies her sister's beautiful skin, her hair, and her nice figure. She is also awed by her sister's own personal style. Another two words are shy and timid. Due to the fact that she envies her sister, she is shy and timid, and also afraid that she will be compared to her "perfect" sister. Therefore, she is ashamed of herself, and believes that she is homely compared to her sister.

Based on this passage, what can you infer about the narrator's relationship with Dee?

• From the passage, we can infer that Mama and Dee does not have a really good relationship. Mama, however, wants to be able to have a good relationship with her daughter, and to be the kind of mother that her daughter wants. She wishes that one day she and Dee will be able to love each other a lot and be able to appreciate each other. She also wishes that Dee is able to appreciate her good old Mama who brought her up and even saved enough money with the church to send her to school for an education.

How Does Heritage Contribute to Character?

These are the elements that can be a part of a person's heritage:

• culture
• tradition
• religion
• type of food
• language

• genes (DNA)
• education

  I believe that the most important part of a person's heritage is their culture, or social background. Although it is a broad category, I believe that it is the one that creates who I am now: what I like to eat, what celebrations I celebrate, what my point of view on something is, what types of languages I speak, and the most important is, what I believe is right and how I behave, which complements my beliefs and my point of views. Education is also another very important factor that influences my heritage, and it is partially influenced by culture, for example, what languages I speak.
  Having a unique heritage is not always a good thing, though. In kindegarten, I was at a New Zealand school. I was one of the only foreigners there, and it was made more obvious because I was an Asian. I was bullied due to my unique heritage, and look upon as an outcast. However, I am still proud of my heritage, and also my background.

Analyze a Folk Tale

  In "Coyote Kills the Giant", Coyote saves the people who are trapped in the Giant's stomach from starving and from being digested by the Giant. First, he walks in the cave to find a starving woman, and then he meets a bunch of starving people. He is very smart, and can immediately adapt to the situation, and he saves the woman and bunch of people who are about to starve by carving the meat and flesh off the Giant's stomach. He knew that they could eat the Giant's meat and flesh, so it was Coyote's ability to adapt that helped him and the people. Next are his observation skills and his courage. He knew that the volcano was the Giant’s heart, and he bravely went and attacked the heart, and told the others to run out. He also knew that when the Giant dies, he will only open his mouth one more time, and then close it forever.
  This teaches us that people need all these traits to become a successful person. This is the moral of the story. They need to be able to quickly adapt to their surroundings and situation, and also courage to do things that others aren’t able to do.

Compare and Contrast

Here are 2 questions comparing and contrasting the two stories "By the Waters of Babylon" and "Coyote Kills the Giant":

• What purpose does John and Coyote, the two main characters from the two stories, have for going on their journey?

•  Both John and Coyote went on their journey to accomplish something big and important. For John, he went to the Place of the Gods because of his strong dream and his identity as the son of a priest, and also because of the signs shown to him that tells him to travel to the Place of the Gods during his journey. On the other hand, Coyote went on his journey to kill the Giant, because he believes that the Giant is not a big threat to him, and that he should help other people by killing the Giant.

• What similarities and differences can you find between the settings of the two stories?

•  First, both stories have settings that include geographical features. In "By the Waters of Babylon", there are "caves" and forests, and in "Coyote Kills the Giant", there is also a "cave", and a volcano. However, both "caves" are created with different purposes. The first cave was created by humans who lived before John, us, while the second cave was created by the Giant, who wants to eat. A main difference between the two is that in "By the Waters of Babylon", there are many man-made features, while in "Coyote Kills the Giant", it is the inside of the Giant's body, and there are no man-made features.

Conflicts - Internal and External

  In "By the Waters of Babylon", the main character, John, faces many conflicts as he went on his journey to the Place of the Gods. He is afraid of the place, and also the sacred river. He is afraid that the spirits and demons that reside in the Place of the Gods will pull his soul away and eat him up. This is his main internal conflict. John has to try to face and overcome his fears - being afraid of going into the Place of the Gods and their tall towers. Many other outside events forces him to go into the buildings of the gods. These are the external conflicts he faces. The first external conflict is that he needs a place to sleep - he needs a shelter against nature. Therefore, this is a conflict against nature. The second external conflict that forces John to enter the house of the gods is because of the dogs that are waiting to hunt him. The dogs threaten to eat him up, but John, being the smart person he was, slipped into the house and slammed the door in the dog's face. After John overcomes both his internal and external conflicts, there will be a resolution to the story.

Unfamiliar Place

  The first time I went outside around my school, I was afraid. But the funny thing was that, I wasn't afraid of the environment around me. Instead, I was afraid that I would get lost and not be able to walk back to school. I followed closely behind my friends. Sounds of sellers and merchants shouting and talking resonated through my ears. Adults and kids walking through the crowded streets holding food and drinks that looked so appealling to my mouth. The smell of fried chicken slowly entered my nose as we entered a small, narrow shop that was also crowded with seas of people. There were green walls around me, I noticed, as I sat on one of the small, white, tall stools. As I waited for my order, I heard the TV blasting behind me, and I listened intently to my friends talking. When I placed the French fries into my mouth, I tasted a salty, spicy taste. And I loved it.
  Now, I am all familiar with the noisy environment everytime I walk around the block, and I'm not afraid anymore. Now, the familiar smells of food being baked and fried tempts me to buy them to eat. I always savor the taste that triggers my taste buds. Now, the block feels even more like my home...

Quickwrite - By the Waters of Babylon

  "Meet Me Halfway" is a story written by "inkjacque", and anonymous fanfiction writer. It's a story that features two couples from Bleach, Hitsugaya Toushiro x Kurosaki Karin and Kurosaki Ichigo x Inoue Orihime. The main character is Karin. She is a tough, strong girl, and also the captain of her football team. But one day, an incident changed her life. She was beaten up badly and almost raped. Fortunately, her father saved her before the incident happened. When she turned the criminals in, people had wanted to interview her because there were also previous cases. To escape from the mess at her town, she transferred to her brother, Ichigo's school. There, she met Toushiro, and she slowly changed from a fierce girl to a soft, caring girl.
  The other person who changed is Orihime. She's just another girl on the road going to the same school as Karin and Ichigo, but her cab broke down at the middle of the night and she has two wait for 2 hours until help comes. Fortunately, Karin's car passed by and offered her a ride since they were going to the same school. When she met Ichigo and his friends, she slowly opened herself up. She changed from a closed, friendless, and always person to a cheerful, happy person with lots of friends.

  What types of changes do you wish to happen to you?

Making Time Move Slowly

  Time passes by without us knowing. Even if we say "now", another second has already passed. Time is something that depends on your mood and what you do. When you are happy and enjoying something, time always seem to fly by. But when you are anxious for time to pass, it tortures you by going so slowly that every minute feels like 10 minutes, and you feel bored. So how can a writer make time pass slowly in their story? A few factors are suspense, anxiousness, and anticipation for something. When people feel these three emotions, the author usually add more descriptive details, trying to help us portray a picture and letting us understand what and how the character is feeling.

  By the way, I hate it when time passes slowly...

Values

  Everyone values somthing in their life. Here are some important values that most people would agree to:

• time
• self
• family
• money

  Everyone's values are different. For many people, family is often more important than friendship. However, for me, friendship is more valuable than my family. Here is my list of my values:

• time
• friends
• self
• money
• family

  For me, time is most valuable. This is because without time, nothing can be accomplished. Secondly, friends are more valuable than myself. In my early childhood, I didn't have any friends, so now I value friends a lot. Next on, of course, is myself. I should show myself respect and live the way I want to live, comfortably. Money is another important value. Without money, we cannot live in a comfortable environment with food and shelter. The last is my family. No matter how much I dislike my family life, family is essential to everyone. I hope that one day I will be able to appreciate my family life.

Picture Description

  Have you ever seen the movie House of Flying Daggers by Zhang Yimou? If you have, then you might remember that there was a scene where a woman was standing in a bamboo forest that was illuminated by the sun. In the trees, there are 4 men who were holding daggers in their hands, falling vertically, upside down, from the trees. The picture appeared to be very vertical because of the bamboo, with the ground acting as the horizon. The green color of the scene gives us the feeling of "action", along with the Bo (a staff used in come martial arts, made of bamboo in this scene) the woman was holding. The fog at the background in the forest blocks us from the view beyond the forest, creating a quite mysterious atmosphere, and also the feeling of suspense.

Collection I - Human Stories

  "There are only two or three human stories, and they go on repeating themselves as fiercely as if they had never happened before"
                                                                - Willa Cather

  Common stories of all people - these are stories that every person experience and go through during the course of their life. Some examples of these common stories are birth, death, experiences of love, and experiences of hate. They continue to repeat themselves. As one story ends, another new story begins - this is a never-ending cycle. Reading the quote above from Willa Cather once again, I believe that she is referring to the stories of birth and death. A life begins from a single cell, and it ends as a fully grown and aged adult. Death is something that is inevitable for all living organisms. It is nothing but a matter of time. People die young or die old.

What do you think Willa Cather is referring to?