Stream Consciousness for my essay

     I must fight for my country. i must, i must, i must. I know that it is right but my family. I dont want to leave them and they dont want me to leave  i would really miss them so i dont know. What if, no dont think that. But what if i die. i couldnt see them ever again and i would miss them so i dont know. I want to fight for my beliefs but, what if i never see them again and what if i am left laying on the battlefield? my family will have to pay for my funeral and burial and they just cant afford that right now. But i must help get rid of slavery. It is mean and cruel to the human race and bad so i must fight.

Ideas for historical fiction story

     For my historical fiction, I will be writing about a family who has a family member who is asked to be a soldier and join the civil war. The continental soldier's name is Jack. His family does not want him to go, but he knows that it is the right thing to do.

Selfish

Selfish

Everyone has it

Selfish

Wanting something someone else has

Selfish

Always wanting more

Selfish

Not wanting to share

Selfish

All about me

Selfish

The world revolves around me

Selfish

"It is MINE!"
Selfish

The word(selfish) itself is selfish

It gets used to much

Selfish

Fighting for what you believe in

     There are times that it is justified to fight. I think that you can fight peacefully for what you believe in. You can fight for whatever as long as you aren't being violent and hurting someone. This could be done by hanging up posters or trying to simply persuade someone to change or do something. You could also protest like what was recently done at the capital, but with less violence.

Free Will

     Do you have free will? Of course you do! Every single person in the United States has free will. Everyone has the choice to make their life how they want. Many would say that they don't because they are forced to do things like go to jail. They made the choice to commit the crime which caused them to go to jail. Free will doesn't mean that you can do what ever you want without punishment. Our world would be way to unorganized if this were the case. Everyone simply has the option to shape their life how they want, like what career to go into. Everyone has their own free will.

Japan has a great effect on Apple Inc.

(read the article here)

    Apple Inc. is very famous for its great products today, especially the new iPad 2. Everybody wants this new invention, but can Apple is having trouble supplying enough of their famous products. This is because of the trouble in Japan. Many of the factories were destroyed in the earthquake that manufactured parts that went into Apple products like the iPhone and iPad. These are parts that are critical like the screens, storage, and memory chips.

     I think that Apple should try to find new factories to buy products from as fast as possible. They could ask new companies to start making the parts that they need. It could have negative effects on the company if they don't find some way to meet their needs quickly. I'm sure that Apple will find some way to get through this tragedy.

My Favorite Book

     My favorite book is a fiction story about 6 kids that go on a mission. They find a valuable baseball card and take it to a collecter. The collecter tells them that it is only worth 200 dollars and buys it from them. It is not until later in the story that they find out that he is a criminal who purchased the million dollar baseball card from them for only 200 dollars. The kids must team up and use their skills to steal it back.

     This book is called Swindle, which is a very good title for the book. It is also written by my favorite author, Gordon Korman. Swindle has two other sequals, which are Zoobreak and Jailbreak. These are very good stories as well. I would recomend this series to anyone who likes reading.

Superhuman Power

    If I could have a superhuman power, I would have invisibility. I could walk around without people even knowing. I could go to theme parks and get in for free because the workers couldn't see me. I could go to a movie for free. When I get embarresed, I could just dissapear. I could work for the police and spy on criminals. I could do many great things if I were invisible.

  Who inveneted Poems?

I wonder who invented poems, for I really do not know

Maybe the first one was about the snow

Many people do not think about it, and I wonder who does

Don't ask me why, for I'll say, "Just because."

Essay on Harrison Bergeron

     They were sitting in the living room, staring at the television, the pains of the community gear bugging them as usual. The earpiece in George’s head kept buzzing and beeping. The gear on both of their shoulders was almost too much to bear as well. The community had tried to create laws to make everyone equal in this short story, called “Harrison Bergeron”, by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. The laws had completely changed the world of living. Suddenly, the TV switched to breaking news. Their couple’s son, Harrison, came on. He had broken in to the news studio and was protesting against the laws. Then, the tragedy occurred. It’s too bad that George’s earpiece caused him to forget, before he even knew it happened. Poor Harrison should have gotten more people to team up with him on the protest in the studio. The laws of the community should be changed. There are many problems that do not get resolved in this tragedy.                       

      This story could be classified in the mode of literature as a tragedy. It begins with the family being in conflict with the world. They have many strange laws in the community, and they are greatly enforced with threats of punishment. The laws are both physically and mentally painful, like having to wear an earpiece if you are elderly. There is a tragic flaw, which is the family realizing that their son, Harrison, is endangering himself on television. The tragic fall is that they soon forget about it, and they don’t have a single clue what happens to Harrison. He ends up dying after being shot, and so they are at a loss.                       

     To begin with, George takes the loss well. There is simply nothing that he can do to know about it, because the earpiece changes his thoughts almost immediately. He doesn’t seem to complain very much about the weird laws, but you can tell that they stress him out. An example is when Hazel tells him to lay down and rest his handicap bag. He said, “I don’t mind it. I don’t notice it any more. It’s just a part of me” (Kennedy and Gioia). George tries to be strong and deal with what he has.                                           

     This story is a science fiction because it takes place in the future. The world hopefully won’t turn out like this in the future. They have all different kinds of peculiar laws. The community wants everyone to be very equal in just about every way. They make everyone wear handicap bags with things in them that weigh the people down, so that everyone will weigh the same. They make the people that are over average in intelligence wear buzzers in their ears, so that they don’t “Take advantage of their brains” (Kennedy and Gioia). This community has many unusual rules, all because of the Handicapper General, Diana Moon Glampers.       

       George and Hazel seem to get along well, although the death of their son is devastating. They take it hard, although it is too bad that George’s buzzer goes off. He barely even knows that his son is gone. The laws are mean, cruel, and overwelming. The government should back off on the laws and trying to make everyone equal. The world would be a whole lot better off if they allowed more diversity. It is also possible that the community is doing the right thing. Maybe it shouldn’t be any different. What do you think should happen?

Essay on To Build a Fire

      “No man should travel alone after fifty below,” were the words of the old-timer on Sulphur Creek. Although he had warned the man, he wasn’t going to listen. The man was simply too arrogant. In this short story, called “To Build a Fire” by Jack London, the man is traveling along the Yukon trail with a dog. There are many conflicts in this story, but the main conflict is that it is incredibly cold. Although the man is well equipped for the extreme weather, he still has doubts in the back of his mind about making it back to the boys. The man simply gets so cold and frostbitten from the weather conditions that his body isn’t able to take it anymore. He should have listened to the old-timer and not gone out in the -75°F weather in this irony.  

     This story is an irony because it begins with chaos. The man and the dog are  traveling in very cold weather conditions and are freezing. The conflict gets very serious, for it is a matter of life and death. The main character, the man, is weak in power. Mother Nature plays the part of the evil, which is the frigid air. Because the man ends up dying, nature is certainly the dominant force. This book can also be classified as an irony because it makes you realize that your life is not so bad.                                                                                                                

     Although the man’s name is never mentioned, you can tell a lot about his personality. He does not act very caring towards the dog, and you can tell that he doesn’t have a “man’s best friend” relationship with it. He seems to be very arrogant, and thinks that he can handle anything. An example from the story is when he is thinking, “Those old-timers were rather womanish, some of them. All a man had to do was to keep his head, and he was alright. Any man who was a man could travel alone” (London). Those thoughts only exist until he actually gets out on the journey. He gets very cold and frostbitten, and soon wonders if he will make it to camp with the boys. Although the man learns his lesson, his stubborness costs him his life.                                                                                         

     In addition to the man being cold, the dog shows need for heat as well. Dispite its fur coat, it gets very uncomforable when it is not by fire. It looks upon the man as the “fire provider” (London), but that is about the only reason that he stays with the man. The man’s voice threatens it to whip lashes, and so it obeys him. The dog does not treat the man like his owner, for the man does not treat the dog well in turn. An example is when the dog gets pushed out by the man onto the ice when the man is testing to see if he would fall through it. This shows that the dog is not well cared about by the man. Although the dog is not treated so well, he is very brave and smart.                                   

     The man in this short story should have listened to the old-timer. He ended up not making it because he was too stubborn to consider the advice. He started hallucinating and died from the cold. The dog was loyal and stayed with him, and eventually started back to camp. Although the man should have listened to the advice, he also could have made the right choice by taking a chance. It was possible that he could have made it if he had been more prepared for the weather. What do you think he should have done?

The Giver

            “You have been greatly honored, Jonas”…”It’s not a job, really”… “The training of you requires pain”…“There is only one Receiver” (Lowry) - These phrases kept shooting through Jonas’s mind. He had just been selected to be the Receiver of the Memories. He had no idea what it meant until later. He had been selected to be trained by a man named The Giver. The “training” was The Giver transmiting memories to Jonas by placing his hands on Jonas’s back. The memory would then be transmitted to Jonas’s brain. He would feel like he was actually in the memory, and would from then on have it with him until he transfered it to someone else. There were many happy memories, like rainbows and Christmas. Unfortunately, there were painful memories as well, such as war and extreme hunger. There must be a Reciever, for when the community needs help, the Reciever gives advice. Sometimes, Jonas feels happy about this new adventure. Other times, Jonas wants to apply for release. This is only until he finds out what “release” means. Jonas and The Giver decide to team up against the community and their strange rules in this comedy.                                                               

         

            This story could be categorized as a comedy. To begin with, Jonas is living his normal everyday life. He has good friends and family. The conflict arises, which is that Jonas is selected for the Reciever of the Memories. He doesn’t know what it is, and is afraid because people were saying, “The training requires great pain.” (Lowry) Jonas later fully realizes the conflict, which is the painful memories that are now with him, along with realizing what “release” is. He finds out that it truly means death, and that his father releases babies. Jonas knows that the child that his father has been taking care of a boy named Gabriel who is about to be realesed. Jonas and The Giver make a plan, and this results in the resolution. Jonas and Gabriel run away to a different community on a bike. They probably then live a normal life.                                                                          

          

          Jonas is very brave in this story, for he never quits his new assignment. He truly tries to understand everything that The Giver is teaching him. He is very tough during the painful memories, and joyful during the happy ones. Jonas is very caring for The Giver. An example is when Jonas walks in for his daily training, and sees The Giver in pain. He then asks The Giver to give him the memory, so that The Giver will not be in so much pain. This shows how much he loves the Giver. The word “love” was not used in the community, so it was a new word for Jonas. There were many other things that Jonas had to get used to with the training. To begin with, no one  in the community had been able to see color except for The Giver. Now Jonas was seeing things start to change, of which he could not describe. First the color of red, then more colors. Life had changed greatly for Jonas.                                                                                                                         

         

            The Giver was once selected like Jonas was. This meant he understood how Jonas felt. He was very kind to him, and tried to teach him everything he could. The Giver was also very patient with him, for he always listened. The Giver loves Jonas like a son. For example, The Giver was telling Jonas about how he loved his daughter, and he said, ”I feel it for you too.” (Lowry) Other than talking to Jonas, The Giver mainly keeps to himself in this story. He seems very independent. Jonas and The Giver are also very honest with each other, and seem to trust one another.                                                           

            

            Overall, Jonas tries his hardest to adjust to the new assignment. He has help from The Giver, but they decide it is no use. Something must be done about the memories. Jonas runs away with Gabriel, while suffering from terrible conditions, they reach a new communtity. That is, unless Jonas was hallucinating. Maybe they really did just die from cold and starvation. What do you think happened to them?

Guns for General Washington

                 

                “Yankee Doodle keep it up,

                      Yankee Doodle dandy,

                      Mind the music and the step,

                      And with the girls be handy!”  (Reit)

           

                 The soldiers chanted songs as they trudged on their mission. They had been ordered to deliver the guns from Fort Ticonderoga to Dorchester Heights. There were many strong guns like iron and brass cannons that could majorly help the Continental Army. On the other hand, the British Army was very strong and greatly outnumbered the Patriot side. The British Army was also well equipped, whereas the Continental Army was not. General Washington thought the new weapons could change this, that is, if the soldiers got them delivered in time. The soldiers went through many hardships in this suspenseful romance.                        

             

               Guns for General Washington can be characterized as a romance. This American Revolution story starts out with a conflict, which is the Continental Army lacking supplies, soldiers, weapons, and power. The soldiers bring the guns to Dorchester Heights, and fight the war with them. The new weapons startle the British and this wins the battle for the Americans. This is a new beginning for the Patriots, for they are now separated from Great Britain. It is as well the birth of a new country. In addition to this, it makes the reader escape into the story, which defines this story as a romance.                                                                                              

  

             Henry Knox was a strong, brave leader, and truly believed that the Patriots had a chance in the war. This Patriotic feeling kept the train of guns and soldiers moving along during the many hardships on the journey. There were a few times that most soldiers thought that there was no chance at all of making it, but Henry Knox said, “We won’t know until we try.” (Reit) Henry was also an intelligent soldier in this novel. To begin with, the crew was trying to transport the big guns across the Mohawk River, but the ice was not holding up. It was clever Henry Knox who came up with the idea of plunging holes into the ice, so that water flooded the top of the ice. It then froze over, and was much stronger. Henry was a great role model for his younger brother, Will, during the expedition.          

     

           In addition to being a good role model for his brother, Henry was also a good one for J.P. Although J.P. was only twelve years old, he was a very brave soldier. He had asked to come along on the journey with Becker, his father. After Becker was injured, J.P. bravely took over managing the horses. Although he was courageous, J.P. was startled when they came to Bloody Pond. He screamed, “It’s the ha’nts, pa!” “Bloody Pond! The horses can see ‘em!” (Reit). It was easy to tell that he knew about the rumors of the ghosts at the pond. Even then J.P., with a little help from his father, was able to keep the snorting and bucking horses under control. This was extreme bravery and definitely something to be proud of.                                                 

           The extreme challenges that the troopers went through were unbearable. There were also many injuries along the way. Overall, the soldiers knew that they were doing this for their country. They didn’t say “No I won’t help fight the war.” They just took their problems and got over them. Many people today couldn’t stand the challenges back then. What would you say if you were asked to join the militia?

Bibliography

Reit, Seymour. "Guns for General Washington." Reit, Seymour. Guns for General Washington. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc., 1990. 1-190.

The Rocking Donkey

            “How is your little girl?” people would ask. “Is she at home or at boarding school?” “Oh, she is at home,” was what Mrs. Mitching would say. Although, people had no idea what poor Esmeralda was going through. She was simply mistreated by Mrs. Mitching. She basically had the necessities of life, but that was it. She was like a neglected pet to Mrs. Mitching, getting the same food everyday; bread, margarine, boiled fish, and prunes. In addition to this, she wore an old, brown dress and torn up shoes. Mrs. Mitching was wealthy, although she was always spending her money on organizing events and opening public places, so she had little money for Esmeralda and couldn’t afford school for her. Mrs. Mitching cared more about her work than her own daughter. Worst of all, Esmeralda had a big “playroom” but absolutely nothing to do in this irony.

         
             This story is an irony because Mrs. Mitching is the strong, dominant force, and Esmeralda, the main character, is weak in power. It begins with Esmeralda being poor, and the conflict is very serious; she has nothing to do. She gets a rocking donkey, and falls in love with it. When Mrs. Mitching donates it to the museum, she goes insane. Esmeralda starts thinking that she sneaks into the museum, and starts talking to the donkey. She must be insane, because this part is very fictional. Then, she thinks that she gets on it, and starts flying away. This is even more unrealistic.

        
               Esmeralda is a good, strong person in this story, for you never once hear her complain. She is badly taken care of, but she takes her problems and tries to make the best of them. To begin with, she doesn’t have her dress to wear to the rummage sale event, so she says, “I’ll have to go as I am.” Another example is when it talks about that in the past; someone had given Esmeralda a piece of twine. She was smart enough to know that she could use it to jump rope. Equally important, Esmeralda is very thankful for what she has, but wishes for more. Her wishes come true when a man gives her a shilling at the rummage sale. Esmeralda decides on a rocking donkey, which she treats like a real pet. She is heartbroken when Mrs. Mitching makes her donate the donkey to a museum. Although her friend is gone, you somehow know, at this point, that things will turn out well in the end.

      
              Mrs. Mitching is the type of person that really enjoys her work, for she was away from home a lot. She was rich, but spent most of her money on opening things and organizing events. Sadly, she didn’t seem to care very much about Esmeralda. Mrs. Mitching didn’t seem to feel bad for Esmeralda either, because in the story there was an event that showed this. As soon as Mrs. Mitching saw that Esmeralda had the rocking donkey, she made Esmeralda scrub it clean, like she was her maid or something. Then Mrs. Mitching took it and donated it to a museum, not even bothering to think about Esmeralda. This is Mrs. Mitching’s wicked personality.

         
            Overall, work seemed more important than Esmeralda to Mrs. Mitching. Mrs. Mitching was the mean, rich stepmother, and Esmeralda was the poor, hopeless, little girl whose only friend was taken away. Esmeralda probably went on living her neglected life. That is, if she really did go insane. Maybe she did ride off into the night on the donkey. What do you think happened to Esmeralda?