Blog 14: The Macbeths

In the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are very attached and dependent on each other. Persuasion and ambition plays a big role in their relationship. Lady Macbeth questions her husband's manhood and she knows what buttons to push with him. She mocks Macbeth and is hungry for power. She portrays herself as a kind and good person while she's really evil.

Lady Macbeth needs to stop teasing Macbeth and he needs to tell her how he feels about her behavior. Macbeth needs to tell her when she's out of line and being too controlling. They do have a close relationship so they should be able to talk things through. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth should be totally honest with each other and not keep secrets. They need to especially work on their communication with each other.

Blog 13: Why Shakespeare & Why Macbeth

1. My reaction to the documentary is that of happiness that Shakespeare showed men and women in an equal light. This is why women were anxious to be in one of his plays. My question to Shakespeare is how and where did he acquire such an extensive and expansive use of the English language?

2. William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon in 1564. He was the third of eight children and the son of a successful merchant. Shakespeare attended a free grammar school and did not go on to university. Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway when he was eighteen in 1582. Their first child was a daughter named Susanna, and later they had twins Hamnet and Judith. Hamnet died at the age of eleven.

Shakespeare always wanted to be a serious writer and in 1588, he began to prove himself as an actor and playwright. His company was the most successful in London during his day. Shakespeare died in 1616 at the age of fifty two. Shakespeare is the most written about author in Western civilization history. His works include thirty eight plays, one hundred and fifty four sonnets, and two epic narrative poems. The themes in his work are universal, and the characters are extremely vivid, so that they can cut across from generation to generation and are still popular even today. Shakespeare was also successful with poetry and his most widely printed work during his lifetime was his poem Venus and Adonis. This helped him financially and in terms of his reputation. Shakespeare also wrote sonnets, which addressed love, beauty, mortality, and faith.

Shakespeare is most known for his command of the English language. His vocabulary exceeded seventeen thousand words, which is four times that of an average intelligent person. He also introduced at least three thousand words into the English language. Shakespeare wrote most of his plays and poems in iambic pentameter, although some passages were written in prose. He used a rhyming couplet to end scenes and create suspense. An example of this can be found in Macbeth: As Macbeth leaves the stage to murder Duncan, he says, "Here it not Duncan; for it is a knell that summons thee to heaven or to hell." Humor is a key element in all of his plays and his works bring out the complete range of human experiences. His characters are human beings that are complex and bring out emotion in audiences. Shakespeare's work greatly influenced literature, poems, plays, theatre, culture, and film more than any other author in history.

3. The following is a list of the most significant characters in Macbeth. Macbeth is the Scottish General of England and he is a brave and powerful soldier. Lady Macbeth is Macbeth's wife and she is power-hungry and controlling. The Three Witches also called the Three "black and midnight hags," plot against Macbeth using different powers including charms, spells, and prophecies. Banquo is a brave and noble general who is a rival to Macbeth. King Duncan is the good King of Scotland who Macbeth murders for his crown. Malcolm is King Duncan's older son. He is appointed King of Cumberland and later becomes the next King of Scotland.

Blog 12: Magnet Poetry

Looking Out The Window

By: Emily Itskovitch

She always wanted to live in the country,

Being close to nature made her feel happy.

She didn't know why she felt this way,

But it was how she wanted to start everyday.

The large windows would be open to the green,

And immediately her mood would be serene.

A chair by the window to take it all in,

Deep breath of country air was a sure win.

The room was simple with subtle tones,

A dash of white, brown, and pink was shown.

But nothing in the room could compare,

To the beauty of the nature that waited out there.

Blog 11: Poetry

To be honest, I have a hard time interpreting the original poem. It sounds good and it rhymes and has the feel of a song, but I'm unsure of the intent. I realize that this is written by a Scot and therefore contains slang unfamiliar to me. What I'm able to understand is that it is sexual in nature and probably similar to the loss of innocence faced by Holden. Poetry tells a story. It uses language to express emotions and ideas in a condensed format. An example of good poetry is Haunted By: Shel Silverstein.

I dare you all to go into

The Haunted House on Howlin' Hill,

Where squiggly things with yellow eyes

Peek past the wormy window sill.

We'll creep in to the moonlit yard,

Where weeds each out like fingers,

And through the rotted old front door

A-squeakin' on its hinges,

Down the dark and whisperin' hall,

Past the musty study,

Up the windin' staircase-

Don't step on the step that's bloody-

Through the secret panel

To the bedroom where we'll slide in

To the ragged cobweb dusty bed

Ten people must have died in.

And the bats will screech,

And the spirits will scream,

And the thunder will crash

Like a horrible dream,

And we'll sing with the zombies

And dance with the dead,

And howl at the ghost

With the axe in his head,

And- come to think of it what do you say

We go get some ice cream instead?

Blog 10: Call to the Author

If I were to call J.D Salinger and ask him a question, I would want to know what inspired him to write The Catcher in the Rye. Did he personally experience depression at any time in his life? After reading the book, I still found myself thinking about Holden, and what would become of him. I would like to ask J.D. Salinger how he envisions Holden in his twenties and thirties, and the rest of his adult life. Does Holden find some peace and happiness? Does Holden see Jane Gallagher again and what becomes the the relationship? Why weren't Holden's parents alerted to the fact that he left school early? How does J.D. Salinger see the turn of events differently if they were able to locate Holden Sunday or Monday? Would he have only suffered through the same depth of depression later with different circumstances and settings? Does J.D. Salinger view Mr. Antolini as a pedophile? He was a question mark for me. I would like Mr. Salinger to know how much I enjoyed reading the book, and how taken I was with Holden. I could not put the book down until I knew he was getting help. I think the book was ahead of its time.

Blog 9: Holden's Internal Conflicts

The two health issues that Holden imagines are a bullet wound in his guts, and later on having caught an pneumonia. Holden is obviously depressed, and has thoughts of dying. He wonders how people might feel if he dies, for instance, "I started thinking how old Phoebe would feel if I got pneumonia and died." He really thought he might die of an pneumonia, or maybe he wanted to die of an pneumonia. Holden has lost sense of reality and is lost.

Chapter 19: Catcher, The Wicker Bar

Luce amused Holden. Holden found him interesting and he enjoyed talking to him even though there was a lot he didn't like about him. I think Holden liked him intellectually. But above all, Holden was lonely and didn't want him to leave because he would then be alone again. At this point, Holden didn't have plans with anything else.

Blog 7: Ch. 12, Catcher: Conversation with Horowitz

Holden is seeking conversation again. This time, the cab driver Horowitz seems less patient with Holden's questions. Holden brings up the ducks in Central Park again. "Hey Horowitz, "You ever pass by the lagoon in Central Park? Down by Central Park South?" "The what?" "The lagoon. That little lake, like there. Where the ducks are. You know." "Yeah what about it?" "Well, you know the ducks that swim around in it? In the springtime and all? Do you happen to know where they go in the wintertime, by any chance? "Where who goes?" "The ducks. Do you know, by any chance? I mean does somebody come around in a truck or something and take them away, or do they fly away by themselves- go south or something?" "How the hell should I know?" "How the hell should I know a stupid thing like that?" (Salinger 81-82). Horowitz keeps bringing up the fish in the winter, they are not talking about the same thing. Holden should just end the conversation with Horowitz since he sees how impatient he is. Holden found it all amusing however. He even asked him to go have a drink with him.

Blog 6: Catch Her in the Oatmeal

When I moved to Woodcliff Lake six years ago, I was so excited about all of the new people and experiences I would enjoy. Woodcliff Lake is a little bit to far for me to have seen my old friends frequently and our schedules became so different. However, soon after moving here, I sensed that making new friends in fourth grade was not going to be as easy as I thought. Most of the people knew each other since preschool and all of the families were quite close. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised because I was close will all my friends for a long time before I moved here. It was only difficult for me. Both my mom and brother had a hard time settling in as well. The only person that seemed unaffected was my father, and that's because he still went to work in the same place everyday.

By nature, I am not a very outgoing person. I like to be around people and make new friends, but I am very cautious. Maybe the other kids felt that characteristic about me. I also enjoy time alone with myself to read and listen to music and be with my family. In time, my situation improved, but deep in my heart, I am not sure the move was best for me socially. Last week, I went to a college fair with hundreds of colleges represented and I bumped into so many of my friends from the old neighborhood. It was so good to see them. I can't believe how much we've all grown. Once I start driving, I know it will be easier to get together with some of my old friends more frequently.

I know I attend a fabulous high school, the groups that were close in fourth grade when I moved in are still together. I guess cliques are apart of every society, which includes schools. It is quite interesting to sit back and see all of the dynamics over time.

Blog 5: Caulfield's Lasting Voice

After reading the article critiquing Catcher in the Rye, I am looking forward to reading the book. Anytime there is controversy, there is usually interest and passion involved. The article discusses the emotions, behaviors, profanity, and language depicted in the book, which makes it controversial. The author seems as interesting as the story he writes. I don't think he will disappoint me and I will be as captivated as thousands before me.

The girl quoted in the last paragraph of the article is correct about people dealing with situations differently, especially during the coming of age years. We can try to learn from other people's experiences, either how to handle or how to not handle a situation. Last year, The Taming of the Shrew brought out divided opinions. We were divided in Shakespeare's role of women in the novel.

Blog 4: National Day on Writing PVRHS Gallery

Hemmingway Piece

By: Alecia Christiano

The author was depicting the situation well. The conversations flowed well and kept my interest. This was intended for anyone. It was a sad family situation, which was somewhat suspenseful. I would recommend that she proofread and spellcheck before submitting the document. I caught two very blatant typos. Overall, I thought it was enjoyable reading and I was anxious yet saddened to read the ending.

Blog 3: Family vs. Law

I agree with Wes that everyone has to pay for their crimes no matter who they are. Wes retells a story to David from when he was a young boy, which makes it more difficult to arrest Frank. Frank recalls that he and his friend were being chased by the Blackfoot brothers who were known to hurt people. As the brothers got closer, Wes saw his brother Frank and friends who saved him from an inevitable beating. Frank and his friends tried to catch the Indian brothers, but didn't. Frank was in the right place at the right time when Wes needed him the most. Wes could get Frank out of the mess that he is presently in, but he can't go against his convictions to do so. These are obviously more serious crimes and Wes is the sheriff.

Blog 2: Character Analysis

David Hayden is both the narrator and a main character in the book Montana 1948. By way of eavesdropping, David learns some horrible news about his Uncle Frank's inappropriate behavior. There is a lot of tension and talk in his house, but David's parents don't include him in the conversations. David understands that they do not include him because of his age and the subject matter, but he wants to know everything that's going on and wishes he could be directly involved. As much as David is unhappy with the turn of events in his life, until his parents have no choice but to include him, David seeks information in any way that he can.

Thank goodness I have never been in David's predicament, or anything like it. I always enjoy being part of family conversations and getting updated on what's new. I always ask my mom who she spoke with on the phone, and what's new, or what's going on, and she almost always shares with me. I think this need to be a part of family interactions becomes natural during the teenage years. I, like David, want to be included in the good and bad.

Blog 1: Montana 1948, Part I, pgs. 33-38

According to David, his father Wes did not necessarily dislike Indians, however he felt that they were inferior and less intelligent. When David was seven years old and given a pair of moccasins as a gift, his father said " He wears those and soon he'll be as flat-footed and lazy as an Indian" (Watson 34). David and his mother Gail did not behave in a racist manner. Gail went out of her way to take care of Marie and be sensitive to her needs. David was very worried about Marie when she became ill. David admitted in the beginning of the story to love Marie. He wouldn't say that about someone whom he thought was inferior. What we learn about Frank from Gail via Marie is quite disturbing. We get a sense of Frank's racist feelings before and after he treats Marie. He felt they were backwards and probably wouldn't make it through the end of the century. However, what Gail describes is a man who feels he can take privileges with the Indian women, which is horribly degrading and criminal. He's not just a racist. He molests and feels that he is justified according to what we learn from Gail and Marie. At this point of the story, we are not sure what his brother Wes will do.