Reflection Blog

Please list 10 ways you can improve your essay scores

1.do rough drafts 6.practice PIE's
2edit papers thoroughly 7.dont just get it done, try to make a good essay
3.re-read things for clarification 8.use a bigger and wider vocabulary
4.follow directions 9.go in after school if i need help
5.ask for help 10.ask parents for help


Please write any 15 thoughts about the book Slaughterhouse-5.  For each thought, please refer to a specific part of the book that generated this thought (for instance, “It was funny” receives no credit; “It was funny when he described the Tralfamadorians” receives full credit).

1.The uniqueness of Billy throughout the book was great.

2. The descriptions of sex were very detailed. I would have a hard time writing them.

3. I thought the torture descriptions went too far into detail.

4. Billy's content with death was very different from anybody else.

5. The characters he met in the hospital had very interesting and strange personalities.

6. The average man he was in the war was different from any other war stories.

7. I thought it was bad how he didn't warn anyone about the plane about to crash. he could have saved people.

8.It was neat how the suffering animals were what bothered him more then anything else he had been through.

9. It was strange how Billy didn't object when people called him crazy.

10. The idea of the fourth dimension was very different from other stories and ideas. It would be very hard to come up with.

11. I think "so it goes" was a sad truth about the world.

12. The peace on tralfamadore was surprising. Whenever I think of aliens i think of violent creatures that want to take over other planets.

13. The interest the tralfamadorians take in human reproduction was interesting and It was neat how they thought of humans as animals or pets.

14. I thought it was strange how he married Valencia but he wasn't attracted to her.

15. The entire book had strange humor where I often thought it was funny but it felt wrong or inappropriate to laugh.


State 5 possible themes for the book Slaughterhouse-5.
1.Death is an unfortunate part of life we must live with.

2. It is important to focus on the happy parts of our lives.

3. Time really doesn't mean anything.

4. Once you die, your soul lives on forever through other people. you never stop having an impact on peoples lives.

5. You can't do anything to change the way the world is and how it functions


Write a conversation between yourself and Billy Pilgrim in which he tries to teach you a lesson based on his own experiences.  You must explain IN DEPTH at least 3 specific events and details from the book in order to receive full credit.  This conversation should go on as long as it takes to demonstrate YOUR UNDERSTANDING of Billy’s experiences.
EXAMPLE:
Billy: Hello, Mr. Cheng
Mr. Cheng: Hi Billy
Billy: Have you heard about Tralfamadore?
Mr. Cheng: No, what’s that?
Billy: It’s a planet where they... etc.

Billy: Hi Ben

Ben: Hi Billy

Billy: do you believe in time?

Ben: yes of course!

Billy: if you lived in the fourth dimension you would know that time doesn't matter.

Ben: what is the fourth dimension?

Billy: the fourth dimension is time

Ben: Who else knows about the fourth dimension?

Billy: The tralfamadorians know about this, they are the aliens who showed it to me

Ben: sounds interesting

Billy: it is very interesting

Macbeth manliness writing assignment

One quote from Macbeth that describes manliness is from Act 1 scene 7 when Lady Macbeth says, "I would, while it was smiling in my face, have plucked my nipple from its boneless gums and dashed the brains out, had I so sworn as you had done to this."She is arguing with Macbeth about not following through with what he says he will do. This means that to be a man you must stay true to your word and not back out of things.

Another quote is from Act 1 scene 5 while Lady Macbeth is enraged because Macbeth did not get awarded prince, and therefore will not be the next king. "unsex me here, and fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty." She says that she wants to be angry and evil so she can kill Duncan because she wants Macbeth to be king. This quote means that to be a true man you must be cruel and brutal.

A third quote from Macbeth is in Act 1 scene 7 when Lady Macbeth says, "and live a coward in thine own esteem". In this quote Lady Macbeth is calling Macbeth a coward for reconsidering the murder of the king. She is saying if he were a real man he would not be scared to kill the king.

A fourth quote from Macbeth is from Act 5 scene 5 " I have almost forgotten the taste of fears." To be a man they are saying means you do not have many fears. this shows that Macbeth is a man because he has not been afraid in a very long time. He is saying he has almost forgotten how to be afraid. It also means that he has matured in manliness from the beginning of the play.

A fifth quote from Macbeth is in Act 4 scene 1 " give to th' edge o' th' sword His wife, his babes, and all unfortunate souls That trace him in his line." This is another example of Macbeth proving to be relentless and brutal. it shows he is not a coward and is willing to destroy anyone who wants to test his power. It is a great example of what the characters think a man should be.

Reacurring Theme

In The Odyssey, there are many different lessons and themes that are taught and told throughout. One of the themes that is carried throughout the book is to remain loyal to the people you love.

One example in The Odyssey is how Penelope has been waiting for her husband for over 10 years and he has still not shown up, but she still does not remarry. There are suitors at her house every day trying to impress her and become her new husband, but she still waits for Odysseus. She no longer feared the suitors,"But now an inspiration took the discreet Penelope to face her suitors, brutal, reckless men."(page 351 lines 453-454). This quote shows that she was no longer afraid to stand up for herself. she could now face the suitors with confidence.

A second example to stay loyal is when Odysseus slaughters the suitors and the disloyal maids in the hall. He knew they had been disloyal to him so he made them pay. If they had remained loyal to him they wouldn't have been killed. He lets the people who were loyal to him survive,"hes saved you now so you can take it  to heart and tell the next man too: clearly doing good puts the bad to shame."(pages 450-451 lines 395-397). Odysseus lets the singer go because he has remained loyal to him. He also says clearly doing good puts bad to shame, which means it is good you stayed loyal.

A third example is when Odysseus's crew is disloyal to him by going behind his back. This makes Odysseus no longer trust his crew and also lengthens the journey home. "Keep your hands off all these heards or we will pay the price! The cattle, the sleek flocks, belong to an awesome master, Helios, god of sun who sees all, hears all things."(page 281 lines 346-348). If the crew had not eaten the cattle on the island, they would have survived the journey and wouldn't have been punished by Helios. Their mistake leaves Odysseus stranded alone on Calypso's island.

The Odyssey analytical paragraphs redo #3

3. In the story The Odyssey, Telemachus does many great things. However, I would not say he is a hero. One reason he is not a hero is that Telemachus never refuses the call to adventure. Right away in book 1 he shows his confidence in himself and psychologically trains for his journey. He never even considers saying no to this adventure. Heros are supposed to say no at first but then accept the challenge later on, but Telemachus doesn't do this. Another reason Telemachus is not a hero is that he is never given any respect. In book 1 the suitors who are freeloading at his house do not listen to him or consider him important at all. He threatens the suitors by saying they will be massacred if they are in his house when Odysseus arrives, but when he says this the suitors just laugh at him. If Telemachus was a hero, he would receive much more respect from the people around him.
4. Odysseus, The main character in The Odyssey, is a hero. One reason he can be considered a hero is because he leads his soldiers with strong authority. In book 1 when he must leave the island he has been on for many years, his soldiers never complain or disobey him. They listen to his every command.
A second reason why Odysseus can be considered a hero because he has Supernatural guides that help him along the way. in books I and II, Athena helps Odysseus and gives him hope in reaching Athens safely. Also in other parts of the book he is given Ultimate boons such as the bag of wind that help him reach home.

The Odyssey analytical paragraphs

3. In the story The Odyssey, Telemachus does many great things. However, I would not say he is a hero. One reason he is not a hero is that Telemachus never refuses the call to adventure. Heros are supposed to say no at first but then accept the challenge later on, but Telemachus doesn't do this.
Another reason Telemachus is not a hero is that he is never given the freedom to live. In books I and II, Telemachus is not given any respect. The men who are freeloading at his house do not listen to him or consider him important at all. They also make fun of him when he says he wants to go on the journey to find his father. If Telemachus was a hero he would be given a great amount of respect. He would also be encouraged to go on his journey, not made fun of.
4.Odysseus, The main character in The Odyssey, can be considered a hero. One reason he can be considered a hero is because he leads his soldiers with bravery and kindness. His soldiers respect him. They listen to his every command he gives them.
A second reason why Odysseus can be considered a hero because he has Supernatural guides that help him along the way. in books I and II, Athena helps Odysseus and gives him hope in reaching Athens safely. Also in other parts of the book he is given Ultimate boons and other helpful tools that help him reach home.

Analytical paragraph number 3

3. Based on the elements of the Hero's journey and the events that have happened so far in The Odyssey, I do not think that Telemachus is a hero. One reason he is not a hero is that he does not refuse the call to go on the journey to find his father. Most heros refuse the calling at first. Another reason he is not a hero is that he has no supernatural powers given to him. So far in the story he has not ran into any gods that help him along the way. Most heros have some sort of supernatural power or guide that helps them on their journey. Those are two reasons why I do not think Telemachus is a hero.

Editorial: Legal Drinking Age

Everybody knows that in College there is lots of drinking. There is also lots of drinking in high school. to keep young people safe I think it would be very good to lower the legal drinking age to 18. One reason this would be good to do is so when students get offered alcohol while they are in college no matter what year they are in of their college career they do not need to worry about getting a consumption or into other legal trouble. With the Amount of pressure put on students to drink at college parties i do not think its fair to make it illegal to drink. Another reason it would be a good idea to lower the legal drinking age is so senior high school students will be able to expirement with alcohol and know how much they can tolerate before serious damage is done to their bodies. with students knowing how much they can drink before going to college I would assume that there would be a lot less alcohol related deaths. people would not make the fatal mistake of drinking themselves to death because they would previously know how much is ok for them to drink.