"Friendship isn't about who you've known the longest, it's about who came and never left your side." -unknown

What is the definition of a true friendship? Some would say that it's two people who share common interests, or spend a great amount of time together. Some would say that it's two people who will support each other no matter what. There are many different types of friendships. The friendship between Steve Lopez and Nathaniel Ayers is probably one of the most unique ever written about. Although they were not on the same level in many ways, they still managed to form a special bond and mutual care for each other.

Since this friendship was so far from ordinary, its authenticity was naturally questioned. There were many who believed that Lopez was simply using Ayers because his story became so popular. When a man came to him with these accusations, Lopez became very defensive, saying "it's none of your business," over and over. His actions made it seem as if the accusations were true, and probably caused more speculation.

Despite the reasons that may cause one to think Lopez was exploiting Nathaniel, his true loyalty shone through in the end. He stood by him throughout his slow but steady steps to recovery. He believed in Nathaniel even when it seemed as if there was nothing to believe in. When Nathaniel lashed out at him, Lopez not only forgave him, but continued to befriend him. He was able to understand that Nathaniel's seemingly hateful outburst was caused by his illness, not because he truly meant the words that he said. These are the qualities of a dedicated friend. A genuine friend is able to see beyond the surface and discover the real reason for the other person's actions. A real friend not only accepts your flaws, but understands them.

The Soloist 13-22

Throughout this story, the most difficult question for Steve Lopez seems to not be whether or not he is able to help Nathaniel, but how. There is no instant cure for people with Nathaniel's disease, and Lopez seems to always be wondering if what he is doing the right thing. These constant doubts lead him to consult many experts, all of them offering different opinions. So which method of treatment really is best?

Of course, there are the psychiatrists who believe that Nathaniel must be on medication. They think that is the only way for him to get well. Nathaniel endured some bad experiences with prescription medications in the past, and understandably does not want to use them again. He claimed that they made him feel like a "zombie." It makes a person wonder, is that really a cure for his disease? Is the best way to handle an overactive mind is to make it not think at all? Then there's Dr. Ragins, who believes in using a more comprehensive approach. He talks with each patient and gets to know their unique personality. A method that works for one person will not necessarily work for someone else.

If there is one thing that all of the doctors seem to agree on, it's that Lopez is helping Nathaniel simply by showing him compassion and friendship. That seems to be the one thing that all of the patients need. Without support and encouragement, no one in Nathaniel's situation could ever really get better.

The Soloist chapters 7-12

The Soloist is definitely a story that becomes more interesting as you read it. One cannot help but be intrigued with Nathaniel's story and its unexpected twists and turns. You try to predict what will happen next, only to be surprised by the outcome. I personally have a feeling that Nathaniel's story will take a turn for the worst before there is a great amount of improvement. The way things are right now seem a little too calm. I also wonder how much longer Lopez will continue to help Nathaniel, or if he will lose patience and abandon him. So far, Lopez has proved to be a devoted friend, but there is only so much one person is able to endure. I am interested in seeing how the rest of this story unfolds.

The Soloist Chapters 1-6

In many ways, Steve Lopez can be considered a pioneer. His decision to write about Nathaniel Ayers for his column was a bold move in his career. His decision to befriend Ayers and take a great interest in him as a person was inspirational. Mental illness is too often considered a taboo subject and swept under the rug. Many people believe that individuals with mental illnesses are incapable of living normal lives and need to be put away from the rest of society. Through his words and actions, Lopez has taken the first step in helping people like Nathaniel; by making the public aware that they are full of potential.

When Lopez and Ayers became friends, two distinct worlds and perspectives collided. One was Nathaniel's world, the inside. Up until that point, Nathaniel lived much of his life trapped in his own head. He would interact with the strangers who appreciated his music, but was afraid of letting anyone too close. He obviously suffered some tragic times in his past and probably did not want to be reminded of them.

The other world was Lopez's, the outside. Lopez probably felt as if Nathaniel was a house with locked doors and he was looking for a window to peer inside. He wanted to help him as much as possible, but was not sure how or who to turn to. Although we are not sure how the story will end, and for people like Nathaniel the struggle is never really over, Lopez has helped to make a brighter future for him and many others in situations like his.

The Catcher in the Rye

Who is Holden Caulfield? The narrator of The Catcher in the Rye has become one of the most infamous characters in American literature. Some view him as a symbol of the angst and emotions that teenagers experience. Others believe he is a spoiled brat. So who is Holden, a figure of adolescent tribulations, or a self-absorded droppout?

In several ways, Holden posseses the viewpoint of someone much older and more experienced than he is. He believes that there is almost no kindness in people. He can easily identify people's alterior motives, often calling them "phonies." He also seems to not want to have strong personal ties to anyone, not even his own family. He feels he can't rely on anyone but himself. This outlook on life is shared by many individuals who are Holden's age.

As mature as his persepective might make him seem, Holden is actually quite immature. When we meet him, he is flunking out of a school for the third time. This is not because he is not intellegent, but because he doesn't give any effort. Many teens have emotional issues, but it is not a good excuse to fail school. Holden is also a self-proclaimed compulsive liar. His belief that no one is genuine could simply be a reflection of his own personality and the front that he puts on. He acts tough, but cannot handle himself when he gets in fights.

The supreme example of his immaturity is the fact that by the end of the story he learns nothing from is experiences. So is Holden Caulfield some kind of culture hero? He seems more like your average loser.

**I would like my writing to be read for organization and originality. Other than that, anything else you think of is up to you =).**

The Death of a Salesman

" I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody." - Bill Cosby

People of Willy Loman's type are truly a dying breed. Today, many people view success as becoming rich, obtaining the things they desire, and ultimately satisfying themselves. Willy Loman's view of success was quite different. While he worked very hard to make money, his greatest goal seemed to be to gain the respect and approval of all others around him. He needed to feel important and accepted in order to have peace of mind. When Willy began to feel like he was not wanted or respected, he began to self destruct. In his desire to constantly please others, he destroyed himself and greatly hurt his family.

Willy had a somewhat strange relationship with the members of his family, especially with his son, Biff. Willy's desire for success was prevalent in every aspect of his life. Biff was thirty-four years old and still did not have a respectable career. Willy most likely saw this as a reflection upon himself. He was very hard in Biff because in his eyes, his son's failure was his own failure. As if their relationship wasn't shakey enough, it took a turn for the worst when Biff discovered that Willy was having an affair. Biff could not understand why his father would do such a thing. I believe that this goes back to Willy's obsessive need to be wanted. Being desired by a young woman gave him a boost of self-esteem.

Willy also seemed to be somewhat controlling over his wife, Linda. At times it seemed as if he was listening to her, but in the end he got the final say. This unhealthy relationship seems to be the reason why Linda did not confront her husband when she discovered that he was trying to kill himself. If they had had a more equal and open relationship, she could have helped him overcome his need to please everyone. Maybe the death of this salesman would not have come in such a tragic way.

Opinions on blogging

To my surprise, I found blogging to be a really great experience overall. I'd never done anything like it before and I think it's an easy and productive way to submit assignments. It's great for all of us to be able to share our writing because we get to hear different opinions on the literature that we read and we are able to see things from different perspectives. I also think that having your own blog makes your writing a lot more personal and original. I feel that it's a unique type of community. I hope we can continue to do this throughout the rest of the year.

F. Scott Fitzgerald Quotes

Throughout his lifetime, F. Scott Fitzgerald made many interesting and original quotes. Many of these quotes relate to his novel, The Great Gatsby, and many of his views about life are expressed through the characters in his novel.

"That was always my experience—a poor boy in a rich town; a poor boy in a rich boy's school; a poor boy in a rich man's club at Princeton…I have never been able to forgive the rich for being rich, and it has colored my entire life and works."
I believe that this quote is represented in the novel through the narrator Nick. Although Nick is not poor by any means, his affluence pales in comparison to those living around him, especially Gatsby. In West Egg, Nick is just a man trying to get by selling bonds. West Egg is the "poorer" of the two islands, and Nick always seems to be watching the luxurious lives of the inhabitants of East Egg from the outside looking in.

“All good writing is swimming under water and holding your breath.”
I think that in this quote Fitzgerald is trying to say that all success in life comes from taking a chance, even if that chance could potentially lead to danger. He expresses this belief through his character Gatsby. What Gatsby does for a living is illegal, and he knows that he could get caught. He takes this risk because he wants to be successful and he believes in the American dream that anyone can gain fame and fortune if they work hard enough. In Gatsby's opinion, the riches outweigh the danger.

“A great social success is a pretty girl who plays her cards as carefully as if she were plain.”
In this quote, Fitzgerald instructing his daughter about a quality that he believes women should have. He is saying that a woman who knows she's beautiful shouldn't act like she knows she's beautiful. This quality is best displayed through the character Daisy. Daisy knows she is a pretty woman and she is aware that men are attracted to her, but she never flat out speaks of her beauty and never comes across as too wise. She knows that there is a certain way that women of her social class are expected to behave.

The Great Gatsby Journal

In his novel The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald creates some very interesting characters. Quotes from these characters often reveal a lot about their personalities and the roles that they play in the book.

"I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known." -Nick Carraway
I believe that Nick's assessment of himself is accurate to an extent. For the most part, he is indeed honest. He's a very good narrator because he doesn't twist the details of the story to try to make himself or anyone else seem like something they are not. He simply states the things that he observes, the events that he witnesses, and the emotions that he feels. However, the flaw in Nick's statement is shown exactly at the time when he makes it. He has a relationship with a girl back home, whom he is no longer interested in, and is afraid to break it off. This makes the reader wonder just how honest he really is. Is he actually a coward for not being up front about the issue?

"So I turned my head away and wept and said 'All right, I'm glad it's a girl and I hope she'll be a fool'--that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."- Daisy
This quote raises a few issues. First, it seems to suggest that even in the 1920s, when the United States was becoming more modern, it was still seen as "better" or "more honorable" to have a boy. However, to make such a statement is a little overly dramatic, as is Daisy's character. It seems as if she's telling this to Nick because she wants him to feel sorry for her, but I don't believe that she has anything to feel sorry about. Many people would be happy to have a healthy baby girl. Daisy tries to make her life seem more tragic and difficult than it really is.

"This idea is that were Nordics...and we've produced all the things that go to make civilization, science and art and all that."- Tom Buchanan
Tom is definately the most stereotypical character that Fitzgerald creates. He is a proud, arrogant man who gets most of his pride from his great physical strength. Like many men of his time, he believes in white superiority, so much that he reads books about it. I found this a little strange because Tom does not seem like the kind of person who really reads much at all. Any educated person knows that his statement is untrue, science and art come from all over the world. It makes a reader wonder why fitgerald chose to put this type of character in his story and what he will represent later.

Link to my wordle http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/657726/Untitled

Julia Ward Howe

A Wild Night
http://books.google.com/books?id=Af4EAAAAYAAJ&dq=later%2Blyrics%2Bhowe&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=a4FCdWRefT&sig=JI8C5IkIq2yCDb-ToO3e0YFGTIQ#PPA256,M1

1. Julia Ward Howe was a writer, activist, and abolitionist. She was born in 1819 and died in 1910. She composed many of her writings during the time of abolition and the Civil War. In her poem A Wild Night, Howe creates a battle scene not with guns and cannons, but with the forces of nature. It seems as if the land itself is being affected by the war, as the sea, sky, wind, and clouds are all in a state of chaos. I think that Howe chose to write her poem this way to show how the war influences everyone, not just the soldiers who are fighting on the front.

2. The rhythm and rhyme of the poem help to make it more powerful. Howe uses a lot of imagery and makes the reader feel like the are experiencing the scene themselves. The feeling that I believe the reader feels the most is despair. In the poem, God is just looking down at all of the dark events that are happening and seems to be almost powerless to stop any of it. The speaker prays for protection, but is not certain that their prayer will be heard.

3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother%27s_Day_Proclamation
Howe's Mothers Day Proclamation was a speech against violence, especially the two wars which had recently occurred, the Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War. Howe believed that women had an obligation to society to maintain peace. She says that women should not praise men who love war or glorify their actions. Her message is very different from those who view soldiers as brave and heroic. As a reader, I found this viewpoint very interesting and unique.

4. Julia Ward Howe's works are very American because they strongly reflect the social and political issues of her time. Abolition, pacifism, and equal rights for women were very common themes in the period when most of Howe's works were written. The imagery she uses is also very American because it describes the land of the nation.

Kate Chopin and American Realsism

The author who I chose to read about for this assignment is Kate Chopin. Chopin's writings came about in a very pivotal time in American literature. Romanticism was ending and Realism was beginning. While the Romantics created almost fantasy-like worlds in which they could slip away from reality, Realists used writing to expose the cruelties and injustices of the world for what they were. As I read Kate Chopin's works, I saw that she used elements from both of these styles of writing.

In A Pair of Silk Stockings, a woman suddenly finds herself in what is practically a fairy tale. She has enough money to buy what she needs and also things that she simply desires. As she gives in to each temptation, she falls more and more into a dream-like state that she wishes would never end. The feeling that the story gives readers is similar to that of the stories of the Romantics. However, there is a fundamental difference. The woman in the story is not really wealthy. She is not really one of the women who can regularly indulge in the luxuries she has been allowed to experience for one day. This is where the reality sets in. Chopin describes the world that every woman of her time longed to live in, and then shows just how few got to actually experience it.

Lilacs, another short story by Chopin, is an example of the harsh ways in which the women of her time were judged. The main character, Adrienne, almost has two identities. One is the kind, respectable woman that she is seen as by everyone at the convent she visits every year. The other is the eccentric mistress she is viewed as by her servant Sophie. Adrienne does not tell Sophie why she leaves every year, most likely because she knows the nuns would never approve of her seeing a man who is not her husband. When they discover her secret, she is forbidden to return to the convent. Some may say that she was living a life of sin, but I believe that she was simply a woman living in a society with a very strict moral code. Chopin shows the harsh punishments given to whoever broke that code. This was the reality of the world in which she lived.

Writing and Social Change

I am a firm believer that writing definately has the power to enact social change. You may not realize it on a day to day basis, but some of the most famous pieces of writings in history have dramatically changed the course of our world. Political writings such as the Declaration of Independence have shaped nations and affected each and every person living in them. Religious writings such as the Bible and the Koran became the foundations of cultures around the world. They have created feelings of peace among people, but have also started many wars.

June Jordan's "The Bombing of Baghdad" is an excellent example of writing for social change. She speaks out against a war that she firmly believes is wrong. The poem is full of emotions and Jordan creates vivid images of the chaos of battle and the people being affected by it. She makes the reader feel the pain and the loss that war causes. She makes the reader see that there was no reason for so many lives to be so violently ended. I think that we need to pay more attention to writings like this. Some people may think that writers like Jordan are just "hippies" or that poems like "The Bombing of Baghdad" are just a waste of time, but people can greatly benefit from reading these things. We need to pay attention to writers because, for better or for worse, their words have the power to cause great changes.

The Price of a Child Assignment

Mia DeSimone
January 30, 2009
Mr. Fiorini
English III
Dear Tyree,
I feel that writing this letter to you is nothing short of my obligation to you as a person and a friend. I will never be able to fully express my gratitude toward you and your family. You helped my children and I through some very difficult and frightening times. You always made us feel welcome. You gave my children the family they never had. Most importantly, you saved Bennie's life.
I was well aware that Pryor would never sell Bennie to me. I never even considered the idea. After much searching, I was lucky enough to find a very kind white man who is against slavery to go to Pryor and buy him for me. I was so afraid that the plan wouldn't work, but by some miracle it did. We are now a true family again. I am thankful every single day because I never imagined this could happen. Although so many good things have happened, I still feel heartbroken in a way. All of us felt this when we had to leave your family. Etta and Mattie miss having someone their own age to play with. Africana and Cyrus were like cousins to them. And most of all, I miss you.
We both know very well that because of our situation, you and I couldn't be what we wanted to be. I cared for you very much, and I know you cared for me. Even though we couldn't be together, you brought a new life to me. You restored a hope in me that died when Etta's father was killed. I thought it was gone forever. You will always be the person who made me believe in love again. Thank you.
There are still difficulties in our lives. Life as a free black woman isn’t exactly what I thought it would be. We are now renting a small apartment in New York until we can afford a little place of our own. I found a job at a bakery, but it isn't much.
Sometimes everything becomes very overwhelming. Sometimes I want to break down and run back to you and your home. But I know that's not possible, and I know that I am stronger than that. I now know that I am strong enough to get through anything. You are the one who showed me that and I will never forget it.
Hopefully, we will be able to visit you all again one day. Until then, please send my best wishes and eternal thanks to your family.
Sincerely,
Mercer Gray