memoir blog

My favorite memoir from this website is called Death's Lesson.  It was written by Mitchell W. a fourteen year old from Oregon.  He wrote his memoir about his grandpa dying.  I liked this memoir for a variety of reasons.  For one thing he uses very detailed writing to describe what is going on.  Whether it is using detailed writing to describe the hospital or adding small details such as how he tucked in his shirt.  He is always pointing out the small things.  Second I like the tone of the memoir, it is very reflective and you can tell that the writer is looking back on an event.  While The Chase had a quick exciting pace this is slower and sadder.  The writer does a great job mixing the actual story with the reflection on it.  It all happens together and it really pulled me in as a reader.  The last reason I choose this memoir is that I can relate to it.  It made me think a lot about when my grandma died a few years ago.  In the end the writer talks about the lessons that he learned from the death of his grandpa.  I like this and see it as a good final reflection on the entire piece.

Vietnam blog

The Vietnam war was, in the eyes of the American government was a war against communism. The North Koreans were communists and they wanted to take over the south and make a unified communist country. On the other hand the South Koreans wanted to be a Democratic nation separate from the communist north. China and Russia backed the north and the united states backed the south. Then north Korea invaded the south. The Vietnam war is the longest war in American history. It spanned through three different prsidents.
One of the things that made the Vietnam war so difficult for the Americans to win was the environment that the war was fought in. There was a lot of disease and It was hard for the American soldiers to fight in the area. Also the North Vietnamese army used guirelle tactics. Rather then just facing the American army they used a ton of hit and run attacks. Anouther problem for us was that the North was willing to lose just about anything to win and we were not.
I have a personal involvement with the Vietnam war. My grandpa was a full colonel in the army and was an airborne ranger. He deployed twice to the war.

Two Americas

Hughes’ poem “Let America Be America Again” talks about two different perspectives of America.  There is the real America and theAmerica that Hughes is wanting.  He is writing from the view of the oppressed people in the real America.  Hughes says that America has never really been the free land that many people try to make it seem like.  The oppressed are the poor, the Native Americans, the Africans, and the immigrants and he says that no matter how much people oppress them their will stays strong.  Hughes wants everyone to be equal in America.  He wants people to see others for who they are not just for what they do or do not have.  In the poem Hughes sounds kind of angry.  He is almost angry that everyone else does not have the same views as he does.  In the Great Gatsby the rich all seem to look down on the less wealthy.  This is exactly what Hughes is talking about in his poem.  He thinks that regardless of status people should all be equal.  I think that the American Dream has become very hard to achieve if you are born poor.  It costs so much to go to college and an education is now essential for a successful life.  The American Dream used to be accessible with out an education.  However now education is the most important thing.  Class mobility has almost completely disappeared in the United States now. 

If the Great Gatsby was Narrated by Nick

            So this was a weird blog because I am in the Nick group I rewrote the scene on pages 57-59.       

            Jordan Baker was a horrible person, and she avoided smart and observant men to hide what she really was.  Not only was she a liar and a cheat but she used the ignorance of others to make sure that no one thought of her in that way.

           

            She was unable to be at a disadvantage.  She was willing to do anything to be ahead of other people.  Suddenly I remembered, she had been accused of moving her ball in a semi-final round of a golf tournament.  The accusers probably cracked and died away with all the attention.  But not Jordan, she had probably been lying and cheating her entire life so she did it like it was no big deal.  She could keep that calm insolent smile flashing towards the world, all the while lying and cheating to satisfy the demands of her hard, jaunty body,

            It made no difference to me.  Dishonesty in a woman is a thing you never blame deeply- I was casually sorry, and then I forgot.  It was on that same house party that we started talking about driving a car.  It had started when we came so close to some workers that our fender hit a man's button.

            "You're a rotten driver" I protested "Either you ought to be more carful or you oughtn't to drive at all".  I was totally serious she was going to kill someone but she just laughed and said "I am careful".

            What!! I was completely right about her; she cared for no one but herself.  "No you're not"

            "Well other people are" she said calmly.

            "What's that got to do with it".

            "They'll stay out of my way; it takes two for an accident".

            "Suppose you met someone as careless as yourself what'll happen then?"  

            "I hope I never will, I hate careless people".

It was just disgusting, she realized that she would hurt others and really did not care.  I pride myself on being one of the few honest people I know so why was I interested in this careless liar.

American Dream

I read this article http://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2012/01/17/american-dream-may-be-missing-point-teen-speaker-says/.  It is about the American dream being totally wrong.  There are two parts of the American dream.  For some they want to be rich and live easy and fun filled lives.  Others however just wanted to be treated as equals to other people they only want to survive and make a better future for their families.  Unfortunately people often focus on the more self centered point of view and name that the American Dream.  However is that what we should think?  I think that the American Dream should not be defined as having great power and material wealth.  Rather the American Dream is much more intellectual.  It is about freedom of speech and the opportunity to rise from nothing to something.  People are often envious of the rich because they think wealth will fulfill their American Dream and make them happy.  However that is not needed for happiness.  The American Dream should focus on improving what you have and setting yourself up for success rather than being comparatively greater or lesser then someone else.  The American Dream is a competition only against yourself no one else.