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!