oppression

It is apparent in A Raisin in the Sun that the Youngers, a working class urban black family in Chicago's Southside struggles to escape the lower class because of the social immobility of black people at the time. It is easy to say that this family will not escape from their house in the city which is too small for their family because society is set up to restrict progress and success from black people. However, in my opinion, race is not the factor that is holding this family back. I think that the family is oppressed by the overarching female totalitarianism present in the family. The father, Walter Younger, has very realistic aspirations to get this family out of poverty. He wants to buy a liquor store with his friends and leave his job as a limousine driver. However, his goal is restricted because besides his son, who has little say, the household is dominated by females. His wife, his sister, and his mother all are opposed to the idea and thus, the family will get nowhere in life. This family has a lot of potential, they even have the startup money necessary to put the plan into action. However, everything is cut short because of the female pessimism present in the family. So while it is easy to blame race, that is the obvious answer and there might be an underlying force that holds this family back, that being female dominance.

progress report

As we all know, the school year is approaching the half way mark. Everyone talks about junior year being the hardest year and so far it has lived up to its expectation! Every year I look back at the previous year and think about how easy I had it. When I was in 9th grade, 8th grade seemed like preschool, when I was in 10th grade, nothing was missed more than Human Geography and Bio A, now when I am sitting here in the thick of 11th grade, I miss APUSH, Chemistry, and 10 Honors English. Every year we long for what we once had even though we hated it while we were in it. This year has been consumed by ACT and SAT prep, sports, extracurriculars like stugo and peer mediation, and the endless amounts of homework that come from all 6 angles (6 classes). Even though I am about to self implode, somehow I manage to live another day, write out another essay, and finish another mindless worksheet that I learn nothing from. So to everyone who feels like you would rather be water boarded than go through another week of Junior year, just know that everyone else is going through it, will go through it, or already has and have gotten out with only minor permanent brain damage:)

why are we thankful

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. This is a day where everyone celebrates...well, what is it that we celebrate? Why have we been celebrating Thanksgiving since FDR declared it a national holiday in 1941. But what are we, as Americans, thankful for? We are thankful for the families that we celebrate with, the excessive surplus of food that stresses the legs of the table, the heated houses that shield us from the cold late november flurries, the military that is risking their own well being across the world to ensure our well being domestically, the government that as much as we complain about it, serves us well and is unparalleled worldwide, the football game that comes on every year, the win that the Lions got for the first time in 10 years, and the overall happiness that all of these elements combined give to us. We, as Americans, are THE luckiest people on the earth. We enjoy arguably the highest standard of living in the world, yet we take this for granted. We don't always appreciate why he have all of these luxuries that the rest of the world longs for, we just expect it because its all we know. We need to understand that this country started from a couple ships full of colonists who had faith in the New World, and through generations of hard work and self dependence, this great country became what it is today.

A Chain Reaction

People always wonder why the stock market crashed in 1929. The general consensus is that people were buying stocks when they did not have the money to back up that investment. So many people did this that the market became valueless, thus crashing. But why were so many people buying stock on credit? Why was it acceptable to buy things knowing that you could not afford them? The answer goes back to the attitude of the 1920s, buy buy buy. In the 20s, Consumerism exploded. Companies and marketing agencies were unveiling mass advertising campaigns that were designed to appeal to the whole nation. This along with the newly invented consumer products like the radio, the telephone, and fountain pens were so irresistible to consumers that they had to have them, even though they could not afford them; and this attitude became acceptable in society. It was not that big of a deal to invest in very expensive items knowing you possessed insufficient funds to actually pay for these items. So in summary, the stock market crash of 1929 happened because of the ability for people to purchase stocks on credit because it was an accepted practice of the era because people had been purchasing consumer goods on credit because that was acceptable because mass marketing campaigns targeted the consumer with revolutionary advertising because of the new ability to mass produce goods because of the recent strides in the development of technology.

Punctuation's Role in Modern Literature

Thesis: Punctuation has been present in writing for countless years and develops alongside the style of writing; while it is constantly evolving, the use of punctuation in writing is vital as it helps communicate the author's message, adds a level of style unattainable without said punctuation, and organizes writing in order to make it easier and more clear for the reader.


Punctuation is a lot like apple pie; the all American desert, an iconic part of our culture, delivering happiness and warm memories to people since the birth of our country. Apple pie continues to play an important role in American society regardless of the invention of newer more modern deserts like ice cream cakes, brownies, and cupcakes. No matter how old punctuation may be and how much the style of writing evolves, there is an ever present need for punctuation as a foundation of literature. Americans need punctuation like they need apple pie. Even though certain punctuation marks may not be necessary throughout the course of hundreds of years, "language evolves in conjunction with culture," (Hitchings), and punctuation evolves with language. Just because the recipe of apple pie may have been slightly modified since  the 1700s, the same idea is still there as the foundations for the necessity of punctuation are present because "not for me the dogma of the period preaching order and a sure conclusion and no not for me the prissy..."(Austen) is a continuation of words meaningless without the proper placement of punctuation. Just because one eats raw eggs, butter, white sugar, and a tablespoon of cinnamon at the same time does not make it apple pie, just how reading a mass of words does not make something a literary piece because it lacks proper structure provided through punctuation. Oftentimes the author is writing to portray events or persuade according to his or her point of view, and without the proper use of punctuation, a simple statement could have two totally opposite and contradictory meanings because of the placement or misplacement of a simple comma, leaving the reader wondering what the author actually intended to write because history can be forever changed if one night "we invited the strippers, jfk and stalin." instead of "the strippers, jfk, and stalin." The placement of one comma can manipulate the true meaning of a statement. While this may be a silly example, punctuation is a timeless asset to writing and may be modified as language evolves, but the foundation remains just as apple pie continues to be a favorite and America would not be America without both apple pie and punctuation.

Fatal Guilt

As we read this week in the Scarlet Letter, after formulating a plan to leave to Europe with Hester and Pearl, Reverend Dimmesdale unexpectedly mounts the scaffold, tears off his shirt to reveal his own scarlet letter, and dies immediately after revealing his sins. The guilt of committing adultery with Hester literally killed Dimmesdale. This kind of death can be seen everyday. Many people have extreme guilt about certain things like murder, marital infidelity, or other unspeakable acts. This guilt often causes people to commit suicide in order to escape their extreme guilt. Many people see it as the only way to alleviate their guilt. This can be seen in the murder suicide of famous professional wrestler Chris Benoit. He felt guilt because of his failing marriage with his wife, Nancy, so he decided to take his life as well as hers. Some may argue that guilt is nothing more than some minor personal affliction and that it is not capable of being more than that. On the contrary, guilt can vary from person to person and can most certainly cause people to do extreme, often life changing or life ending acts. The conscience can be very powerful and causes people to do make very powerful decisions that can impact the individual or their family for the rest of their life.

guilt or freedom? pick one

It seems apparent that a person who has done wrong has two options. Either swallow it and try to forget about it, which almost never happens, or admit it, accept the consequences, and move on with life. In The Crucible, Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale are both guilty of adultery. However, Hester admitted it while Dimmesdale did not reveal it. The difference between the two characters could not be more obvious. While Hester is publicly shamed and shunned by the Puritan Society, she can accept the fact that she made a mistake, and move on with life. However, Dimmesdale hides it from everyone and becomes so consumed with his guilt that every day he is getting weaker and weaker. His guilt is literally killing him. And although we have not finished the novel, it seems that Dimmesdale has no choice but to either admit his wrongdoings or die. So what seems better? Admitting your sins and moving on with life, or bottling up all of your sinfulness and let it eat you alive? I bet to most people the choice is obvious, just admit it and move on. However, if you are a public figure like Dimmesdale, I bet it is much easier to reason that a sin such as adultery could not be associated with a Holy figure in the community.

Social contract

What is a government and what purpose do they serve? Governments are meant to serve the people and see that their basic rights are protected. There is an agreement between the people and the government: that being that the people give up some freedoms in exchange for protection from hostile forces. However, as Henry David Thoreau said, when the government doesn't meet it's half of the agreement, it is the responsibility of the people either reform the government or overthrow it and start a new one that serves the needs of the people. Although Thoreau wrote about this Civil Disobedience, and the idea may seem archaic and not relevant to modern society, this neglect of the agreement can be seen today in places like Egypt, Russia, and Syria. The government ignores the demands of the people and the people reform the government to better fit their needs. However, it does not always have to be as extreme
As rebelling and violently changing the government. Everyday people petition the government
To change laws to protect the peoples' rights. The government is never perfect. However, through the active
Involvement and participation of the people, both the government and the people
Can work together to form the best government possible.

early american history: the gateway to the future

Some may say that a book loses its power and the theme becomes meaningless over time. For example. the Holy Bible. Many Christians think its meanings and instructions are outdated, and thus not applicable to them. I do believe, however, that books are just as useful and inspirational as they were two hundred years ago or two thousand years ago! This phenomenon can be easily applied to America history. Much of the early literature today still has the power to teach people and should be taught in schools indefinitely. For example, The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin is a story that is well over a century old but is very important that people read it to understand America's history of slavery, discrimination, inequality, and hatred towards blacks. Imagine if that story was removed from the curriculum of public schools or if it was somehow rejected by society. Americans would suffer and lack in basic history and background in addition to the important themes of the story. Even though these books were boring when I read them, looking back only a few years ago to a few months ago, I realize that these stories have shaped me and I think that people everywhere should read books like Uncle Tom's Cabin, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and The Jungle.

how much has to be done to exist?

This week we discussed that quote about how to make an impact in the world and how to stand out and say you did something to better society. the quote said that in order to exist, you must die. I disagree with this quote because many people have achieved greatness during their lifetime and make an impact during their tenure on earth like Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Bill Clinton, just to name a few people. These humanitarians gave up their being to serve others and make the world a better place, yet they were recognized for these achievements during their respective lives. Society has the capability of recognizing greatness and proper existence during the lifetime of the person and it does not require their death to be properly recognized and credited for their great works. I am not sure how the demise of a great figure makes them any better then when they were alive. However, I can understand that a person gets thought and recognition at the news of their death but that is only due to the greatness they had achieved while they were alive. People die all the time, but only the great ones continue to exist after their death.

witch hunts: not necessarily a thing of the past

I bet a lot of people read "The Crucible" and just laugh and the senselessness of witch hunts. Most people think that these issues have been resolved and no one in their right minds accuses another person of practicing witchcraft. This is in fact, wrong. Witch hunts still happen today. Not necessarily in America, but in less developed countries like Africa and Tanzania. Thousands of people, mostly women, are being killed for their supposed connection to the devil through sorcery. The article we read this week about how global warming directly affects thousands of women said it best. Whenever there is civil disobedience, climate change, bad harvest, or anything negative, people in less developed countries look for a scapegoat and blame certain women for cursing the community and are immediately killed with no proof of witchcraft. I would have assumed we as a global community, would have moved beyond this in the past 60 years, even in the world's most underdeveloped areas, because the thought of senselessly killing people is totally crazy. Somehow the world should come together, recognize this issue, and eliminate it because it is hard to believe in a world that has become so sophisticated and advanced in some areas, is still practically in the dark ages in other areas. Most people did not even know witch hunting still occurred and it should be recognized and dealt with because the mass killing of innocent people is never okay.

puritanism:missing the point

Before I get into this, I just want to say that I am a Christian too. Now to begin, like I said, I am all about pleasing God and living a good life that pleases him. However, the whole puritan idea of predestination and the elect is totally mind boggling to me. One of the basis's of Christianity is the salvation for all believing sinners no matter how much wrong is done in the earthly life. The idea of working tirelessly and still unable to get into heaven seems crazy. I would have thought that a people who study the bible that much and base their whole life on their religion would have at least a good idea what their scripture said! Like for example, in Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, it does not matter how good you are, you are at the mercy of an angry God who reveres punishing all people. That is not the image of God found in the Bible. He is a happy God who wants to see everyone go to heaven. So I cannot see where the Puritans came up with an image of an angry God with a goal to ban all sinners to hell. Even though the people were genuinely devoted to God and puritanism, I think that they got so wrapped up in principle that they missed the big message, salvation and eternal life for all.

Sherman Alexie: The Truth Hurts

I commend Sherman Alexie's writing. First off, Alexie is a Native American writer who is aware of the social position of his people. He understands that Native Americans are looked down upon from society because they have a bad reputation to be unsuccessful, alcoholic, and stagnant as a reservation. Very few make it out of the desolate reservation to go to college and make a life for themselves. However, just because it is expected that Alexie did not do anything with his life, that did not stop him from defying the norm and finding himself through writing. His writing is, in my opinion, very commendable because he is honest to the reader. He could write stories about the Indians and leave out all of the negative sides of the culture, however, he decides that if he is going to write about his people , he is going to cover all aspects of them, including the alcohol problem and depression associated with Reservation life. I also appreciate how Alexie is willing to confront the stereotypes of his people and admit whether some are true or just nonsense. He does not try to avoid all the stereotypes, and some of them he even embraces as a proud part of his culture. For example, his braid. It is a stereotype that all Indians have thick, long, black braids. Instead of being embarrassed about it because it is a known stereotype, he embraces it and is so proud of it that he grows it as long as it has ever been in his senior year. So in general, Alexie is an honest writer who is not afraid to speak the harsh truth.

Heritage: Face Paint but Nothing Else

Heritage is said to be one of the biggest characterizations of people. People are classified according to where they come from. It is said to even classify you as an individual person. I however, disagree. Every human is different, no two humans are the same. Just because you came from a similar background or ethnicity, does not make you the same as another person. Each individual is unique and has a different personality and emotions. For example, in The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, Jeanette and her siblings grew up in destitute dealing with an alcoholic father and a bipolar mother. Even though Jeanette and her siblings grew up in the same situation as her parents, that did not identify them as people. They were different from their parents; they wanted to escape poverty and be successful in life. Another example from literature would be in Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare. Both Romeo and Juliet come from sparring families who should hate each other, however, they soon fall in love even though their heritage forbids it. Their heritage did not determine who they were as humans because it is little more than a name or a background. Instead of looking at the last name of a person or their family history, it is better to look at their heart and their personality because in reality, heritage means nothing.