Graphic Novels Are Books?!

    When I heard that we were going to read Persepolis in class, I wasn't too excited.  I don't know why, but I have never thought of graphic novels as being books.  I'm a pretty traditional reader, so I never thought that a classic book could be one made up of words and pictures.  I guess I've always figured that a book is meant for you to be able to picture and create a world in your imagination, not draw the pictures out for you!  Plus, with all of the pictures, doesn't it waste more paper?
    As I got my book and started flipping through the pages, I was thinking, "God, we've read some good books this quarter, why does Mr. Kunkle have to go and ruin it with this one?"  In short, I was a pretty negative-nelly about the whole situation, and I was really reluctant to open my book the first night.  I was surprised though when I actually got the courage to read the first page; it was kind of interesting!
    I can proudly say that I no longer hate graphic novels; they're actually kind of fun to read!  The pictures are really entertaining and the books read fast.  Plus, with all of the pictures, it helps keep my focus more.  I'm glad that Mr. Kunkle made us read a graphic novel because it makes people who are more "narrow-minded", like me in this case, to read something out of their "comfort zone".  (I was at loss for some better words there).
    To be honest, I really like the story of Persepolis, it's really interesting!  I love how this is pretty much an autobiography of the author's childhood.  It was such a creative idea to make it a graphic novel!  I like this book so much, that I'm not sure I want it to end.  Great choice Mr. Kunkle!

Jane and Rochester Heat Things Up ;)

    
     A major motif I noticed throughout Jane Eyre was fire!  Jane and Mr. Rochester's relationship seemed to be centered around fire.  When Mr. Rochester and Jane were first talking, they were sitting by a fireplace.  When Mr. Rochester’s bed was set on fire, which Jane helped put him out, is kind of where he realized that Jane was something special.  His eyes were “ablaze” when he was talking to her in the garden the night that he asked her to marry him, and soon after the chestnut tree they were standing next to was struck by lighting (or fire) and was burnt into two.  Then, Thornfield burnt down (with fire) and permanently harmed Rochester, but also freed him of his crazy wife; him and Jane could finally be together.  Lastly, the only thing that Rochester could see for two years of their marriage was the glow of the fireplace and the candle.  I don’t know, I just think that it is so cool that Charlotte Brontë kept this motif of fire all throughout their relationship…it’s too awesome!  Plus, Mr. Rochester is a very passionate and emotional man, so it is fitting for them to have fire as a motif for their relationship.

The "Wrongs and Rights" of Passage

    I totally agree with Sydney Cook's view on the American rites of passage.  Kids today are really materialistic and only define themselves as adults when they get that new car or are able to drink liquor.  It's kind of sad because teenagers in other countries have found sentimental and spiritual meaning in their transitions to adulthood, whereas Americans only care about the physical aspects.

    A typical rite of passage is marriage.  In other countries marriages are a big deal!  Every family and friend shows up to the reception and the party will sometimes last for days.  That is so amazing compared to wimpy American weddings.  In America people can legally be married at the courthouse or in a chapel in Las Vegas without their family or friends.  People here also complain A LOT about having to go to their aunt or uncle's wedding -- hello!  It's a happy celebration!  Marriages in other countries are also held a lot more sacred, meaning that they can't as easily get out of a marriage.  In America almost fifty percent of marriages fail.  There's something wrong with that in my opinion.

    A rite of passage that I believe I have almost completed is being able to make my own opinions and beliefs.  I have always been good at looking at both sides of the story and figuring out what I believe is right, but one thing that I haven't always been good at is sticking to my opinion.  I kind of let people talk over me and influence what I think.  Within the last year though, I have noticed how I tend to stick to what I think is right, and how I've actually started standing up for it too.  I think being able to form and keep your opinions shows mental and social maturity, and that it is also an essential skill to have while entering adulthood.

Blogs.

    Every week we're supposed to write a "free blog" or a "choice blog".  Well, I'm having a hard time coming up with a topic, so I decided to blog about...blogs!
    I understand why we're doing this; it's to help us with our writing skills right?!  Well, in my opinion, this whole things seems a bit tedious.  I just want to know why, in every class we take now, we have to do all of this extra writing.  In gym we even have do extra writing!  Were our standardized testing scores really that low?
    Well, whatever the reason is, I guess it's not really a bad thing to have us write more, it can only help us.  We need to be good writers for college so this is a pretty good idea I suppose.
    To be honest, I actually don't mind blogging.  I like the different blogs that my classmates write, and it's fun to see the pictures and videos they chose to add.  I just wish I had a better imagination because that would make blogging a lot easier!


<----  This is super cheesy, but I like it (:

Reactions to Jane Eyre

    So far I actually really like this book.  It's a pain to read but I like the challenge of it!

    If I were in Jane's shoes, I would still have left Rochester.  I know that it was hard for her to do that, but it was the right thing to do.  Rochester was already married so it would have been really frowned upon in those days if she stayed with him, and Jane may have even been sent to death.

    I really like the complex story lines and how risky they were in those days.  The thing that I don't like about the book is how long the descriptions are.  I know that that adds a lot to the story and helps "set the mood", but reading them just got really tedious after a while.  Another thing that doesn't really work for me is how long Rochester talks.  He talks so much, it's annoying!

    I think that this book should be taught in College Lit.  The overall theme of all the works that we have been reading has been Coming of Age, and this book, in my opinion, totally fits in.  We get to experience what life is like for a plain, little orphan and how she makes the best of it as she grows older.  Plus, it is more of an advanced read and gets us ready for college level literature.  I think it is a good choice!

Inner Beauty vs. Outer Beauty

Requirements for Outer Beauty Today:
- spray tan
- long, straight, blonde/dark brown hair
- size zero, Hollister jeans
- a low cut shirt to show off your boobies (or lack there of)
- ditsy personality
- crude language

Requirements for Inner Beauty Today:
- show compassion and niceness towards everyone
- open your mind to different ideas

    Today in class we were talking about physical beauty and how women are different now than they were in the Victorian times.  To be honest, I really hated that powerpoint activity, but it actually got me thinking.  I started thinking about what we, as Americans, view as beautiful and what little girls model themselves after.  Is it bad that my mind immediately thought of Jersey Shore?  I mean, any one of those women can fit those stereotypes stated above in the outer beauty column. 
    It makes me sad how much we value looks over morals now.  Most of the celebrities that the little or pre-teen girls pay attention to are terrible rolemodels (and kind of terrible people).  I mean look at Miley Cyrus, Paris Hilton, and for god's sake look at Snooki!  These are some of the most popular women in our country and all of them aren't worth looking at twice.
    My challenge is for anyone who reads this, granted not many people will, is to look at and think about yourself...are you materialistic and petty, or are you willing to open your mind to others and be a friend to your peers.  I know I've made my choice, what's yours?

Harry: a New Version of Jane

    As I was reading the first few chapters of Jane Eyre, I couldn't help but notice the similarities between Jane and Harry Potter.  For instance; both of them have unloving families, both of their parents are deceased, and both of them don't have any other family...that they know of.

    In Jane Eyre John, her cousin, is constantly physically and mentally abusing Jane.  At one point John had said,  "You have no business to take our books; you are a dependant, mamma says, you have no money; your father left you none; you ought to beg, and not to live here with gentlemen's children like us, and eat the same meals we do, and wear clothes at our mamma's expense."  John continues on to throw a book at Jane which cut her forehead open.  In Harry's life Dudley is basically doing the same thing.  Dudley is always talking and acting like he is superior to Harry.  (Dudley is also quite whiny and tempermental like John)  Plus, Dudley and his gang of hooligans always beat up on Harry at school or at the Dursley's house.

    Second, Aunt Petunia and Mrs. Reed are almost identical.  They both believe that their children are angels, they are very bossy and snotty, and they both treat their niece or nephew like garbage.  They are just all around terrible women.

    Another, very obvious comparison between Jane Eyre and Harry Potter is that they are both orphans.  Sure, Jane's parents weren't blasted apart by the most evil wizard in the world, but they too had pretty nasty deaths.

    Lastly, both Jane and Harry are sent off to some sort of boarding school; Jane went to a plain, religious school, and Harry attended Hogwarts where he learned how to brew potions and cast spells -- not much of a difference right?!

    Over the last few days of reading, I could not believe how many similarities there were between these two books!  It's almost overwhelming!  I think I know where J.K. Rowling got her inspiration...