Transcendentalist Con-Pro Essay.

In the Islands of Raw, there are many choices floating around for people to pick and chose from. The maintenance of the islands would be an issue though. The debris could cause too much of a hazard to this earth. The changing of hearts will start to tear people away from the decisions that were made about the place to live. Although many people would say that this society would work because of the free choices, maintenance, debris, and change are the reasons why it would not work.

This transcendentalist society would work because everyone gets to choose a place of liking. There are so many options available for the people to enjoy and feel at home. There are choices from the wonderful city life to the calm and collected rural land. Each island has its own personality that grows on people. In that way, each island can fulfill the needs of the people. It can give the people the dream land that has always been wished for. Someone knows when that place to live is found because one’s heart will beg to stay. There the people can start to build a life of dreams and memories. Even though there are miles between each island, the people can all live together as neighbors with happy lives in a new home. Being able to choose where to live is a great opportunity, but the maintenance would be too much to handle.

The islands of Raw have many islands to attend to. This, however, can be very time consuming.  Even though there are jobs specifically designed for each island, some jobs have to travel to each individual island. Since trash pick-up is not necessarily the first job on everyone’s mind, this can cause a shortage of workers. If there are not many workers, then waste needing to be taken over to the waste islands could back up. This could put too much stress on the workers from having to work long hours and maybe have the people wish to have another occupation elsewhere. Also, the long hours can tear people away from family. This can dwindle down the workers even more which can create an even bigger problem. If this happens, then the waste would start to pile up within the homes of the people or out on the street. This type of maintenance is not fair towards the workers, but the debris is also another issue with this society.

Since the society is a bunch of islands, there is going to be debris coming in from the ocean. This can later end up making the banks of the islands filthy and cluttered. Another bad thing would be the litter coming from the islands. There are waste islands connected to each of the different islands. Most if the waste is biodegradable, however, not all of it is. This can end up getting swept up by the waves and then brought out into the ocean. If this keeps happening, then eventually the ocean near the islands would have a blanket of garbage slowly spreading out into the far ocean ahead. Then the fish could start to eat the garbage and could possibly die. This could cause a shortage of food for other fish as well as the decreasing populations of fish. The debris is very harmful to the planet, but the change in people’s hearts is a reason that can tear the society down.

Change is one thing that makes the society hard to imagine in real life. In the Islands of Raw, there are separate islands purposely made different. The real thing not thought over is that what if people grew out of the environment. What if everyone wants to change and see the different views of life? It would be too expensive to switch homes and move everything that the people had. This could later cause conflict and people to get upset over not knowing what to do to fix that situation. Also, since the islands are in a tropical climate, many people may not want to live in that sort of climate all year round. So people could go somewhere else to buy a home in a less tropical climate. This can cause houses to be unattended and not taken care of. Although the islands carry a wide variety of places and things to do, it can never satisfy someone for too long. Some people wish to see the rest of the world and its wonderful and breathtaking scenery. Some people wish to move on and have a new start in life. Some people may just grow out of the environment that is covered in front of the people’s eyes. No matter how big or small the reason may be, some people still have a change in heart and may move on from the Islands of Raw to another place where the heart calls the people to be. 

This society would work because it is not all based around one type of environment. Taking care of the islands, however, can be a bigger chore than people wish to handle. The debris from the islands can greatly affect the ocean and its life within. The need for change can weaken the people’s heart. Although there are interesting choices available that could make this society work, the maintenance, the ocean and island debris, and the change of people’s hearts are reasons why the society would not work in today’s world.

The Dead Poets Society.

           In the movie, the Dead Poets Society, there is this one class of boys taught by a peculiar English teacher with strange teaching techniques. Mr. Keating showed them that poetry can be more than just words on a piece a paper.  He taught his class to love poetry and to look at it with feeling and deep understanding. He also taught them to be their own person and to do what they believe in. Some of the boys did exactly that and followed their heart. They decided to recreate the Dead Poets Society that Mr. Keating told them about after the boys had asked. However, following your heart was easier said than done. The school was very strict and punishment was far from merciful. Charlie sent a letter asking girls to be let into their high school. This was looked upon as if a disease was being spread through that letter. The punishment caused him to get hit with a wooden paddle. He did not back down and took the punishment like a brave man.

If the boys did not come clean and admit who was in the Dead Poets Society, they would no longer be in school. The boys are doing no harm to the school but the administrators did not see that. Mr. Keating taught the boys in his class to follow your dreams and think big. Neil took his advice and tried out for a play. That resulted in his father pulling him out of school and sending him elsewhere. Mr. Keating was a nonconformist himself. He encouraged the kids to follow their hearts and make life the best it can be. He did this by teaching the way he wanted to teach and not how a book tells him to. He got stuck with all blame over what had happened. He eventually was removed from his job and was asked to leave immediately. Being a nonconformist in this school took courage and bravery. Knowing the consequences, the boys still stayed who they were at heart. Todd, who was never the one to be a leader, was the first to stand up and speak out at the end. Even though the consequences for the boys were drastic, the words in their hearts overpowered it and gave them the strength to say what was right.

My T-Shirt.

          There were a couple of things on my shirt that I was most worried about. It would be the Star Wars action figures and the obsession over Pikachu. The main reason for that is that it is not something that someone would honestly admit. I was worried about it at first for being teased but after awhile I realized that there’s nothing I should be worried about. Everyone has things that they do not want others to know and I should be proud for the things I like. That is something that I have achieved gradually. Another minor thing I was worried about on my t-shirt was that I still love stuffed animals. It is not an everyday thing a fifteen year old would say. On my shirt I have put that I have Star Wars action figures, I am a country girl at heart, I was a drummer, I get scared quite easily, camera shy, I like metal music, I am a fisherman, I am also a vegetarian, I am an artist, a singer, a drama kid, I love cartoons and stuffed animals, I am obsessed with Pikachu, I am a computer nerd and I am a tree hugger.

            During the whole entire day I walked through the halls knowing that people were staring at my shirt. I got some snickers and a few looks as if I am weirdo. I also got some questions asking why I liked such and such. I would answer truthfully and admit to what they asked. Not all of the feedback was negative though. There are some people who gave me thumbs up for Star Wars action figures. Another told me that I have guts in order to put that on a shirt because he too has Star Wars action figures. The mockery was sadly greater than the compliments however. In all honesty I am glad that I got negative feedback. It gave me a reason to love myself for who I am and embrace the fact that I am different. Realizing and accepting that, however, is a challenge all by itself.

My Modern Day Transcendentalist: Keenan Cahill.

There are many transcendentalists out there today. I, however, have one that stands out to me more than the rest. Keenan Cahill is famous for his funny lip syncing on You Tube. The reason why I chose Keenan is because of his amazing ability to do what he does without any concern of what people say. On You Tube, people mock him for how he looks, but he just lets it go. His confidence in himself is so strong that he does not care that it makes him different. Sadly, he has this rare genetic disorder called MPS-6. This is not curable and that changes his appearance and growth ever since he was a child. This disorder also requires him to have many surgeries and enzyme infusions. This takes up much of his time on some days, but it does not slow him down. For being as strong and independent as he is, he has many admirers. Some kids in the hospital are friends with him and look up to him. This helps Keenan to motivate himself even more to keep making videos.



Keenan’s videos are not supposed to be good in the sense of what everyone believes that it should be. He incorporates some comedy with it which many people do not understand the point of or find very funny. He makes these videos because he likes what he does and it makes him happy to make them. Keenan does not care about the quality of how perfect his videos are. As long as he is having fun and entertaining some viewers he feels like his job is complete. He knows that he is not like everyone else and he accepts that. Like Emerson said, "To be great is to be misunderstood." These reasons are what make him a transcendentalist to me. Despite the harsh criticism given to him in the comment sections of his videos, he still stays strong. He also shows, in a way or another, that being who you are is okay. By doing what he does, he shows that you can fulfill your dream if you do not let others get in the way or bring you down.

Walden Essay.

                Did Thoreau waste two years at Walden Pond?

In the story of Walden, Thoreau talks about his emotions towards life. Every thought documented was when he was living at Walden Pond for just a little over two years. He found hidden meanings of life in solitude. There he also found his individuality in the world. Thoreau learns many of life’s wonders from being at Walden Pond, but being there for two years was definitely not a waste.

The solitude helped Thoreau understand the situations of this world. Not being around people also strengthened his ability to hear nature as well. “I go and come with a strange liberty in Nature, a part of herself. As I walk along the stony shore of the pond in my shirt sleeves, though it is cool as well as cloudy and windy, and I see nothing special to attract me, all the elements are usually congenial to me”  (Thoreau 386). By saying the elements are congenial Thoreau means that the elements are suited from one’s needs. By being in solitude, Thoreau began to open his eyes to what nature offers man.  He saw that nature has a life of its own. It helped Thoreau see that the lives of the people cause destruction and chaos. He saw that man takes nature for granted. Man is blind enough to not see that nature gives us the essentials to live.  Not only did Thoreau see realizations in solitude, he also saw that his intentions are different from many.

At Walden Pond, he learned some of the things about life many others wouldn’t even care to realize. Being in solitude for as long as he was, it had opened his eyes and made him a different person. “If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he heard a different drummer. Let him step to the music when he hears however measured or far away” (Thoreau 390). Thoreau followed his own lead regardless of the mockery from others. Thoreau’s idea of nature and life were more compassionate compared to other’s opinion. Therefore, many people thought his purpose for doing what he is doing will never be of any success. Also his writings will be of no interest of value to others. Considering that, Thoreau followed his own calling and kept up with the pace of his own drummer.

Thoreau unfortunately left Walden Pond, but he kept his journals.  He died fourteen years later and his writings were soon published after that. Thoreau was a man who thought highly of his surroundings and the many wonders it provided.  He found his purpose along with who he was through solitude. It also helped him to find out his purpose in life.  People thought that Thoreau’s stay at Walden Pond was not valuable, but his stay was more valuable than the people could imagine.

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The Declaration of Independence.

As students, we have the right to have a full education being in a public school. As students, we have the right to have free expression that shall not hurt others. As students we have the right to defend our privacy.  We have the right to talk to our teachers about work that we missed. We have the right to attend school daily on time except when we are sick. We have the right to succeed in our courses. We have the right to be careful of our language in anything publicly viewed. We should become involved with making decisions. We have the right to wear whatever we would like considering the school dress code. We have the right to make this school the best it can be. We make this school a better place by respecting the property. We have to except the fact that all rules are not null-and-void. The students have their own rights and abilities that should be accounted for. An ISS should be made so that the student is still learning instead of missing the classes. Going home sick should not be taken as an unexcused absence. There should be some exceptions to the dress code. Since we are in a public school, students shouldn’t have to pay for some school supplies. If students are allowed to eat by their car, they should be able to eat inside their car. Students should also not have to pay for activities or clubs that are not sport related. The cell phones of students should not be taken away for a long time. Self-defense should also be allowed to some extent. School should start and end later. The reasons as to why are as followed:

I. When kids misbehave they are given an ISS or if what they did were more severe they would be suspended.   We are aware that the children of Grosse Pointe South should be punished when they are at fault, but if it means that being absent from class and missing school work then the staff should find a new solution.  Yes, they are received their assignments that they would have been given if they were at school but since they were unable to learn the material that is used in the assignment there is no point. The school should be giving out more detentions, so they can serve their punishment when there aren’t any of their classes going on.  Another solution could be a few hours of their Saturday spent in school, basically like a detention. 

II. Many absences of a student at Grosse Pointe South are spent sick in bed.  Although their parents call the school early in the morning, it really doesn’t do the student any good because their absence may be excused and they are still marked down for missing a day of school.  A note from a doctor, orthodontist, dermatologist, dentist, etc. is not only excused but they are marked down as if they attended school the whole day.  One can only miss one class period 10 times before they will have to retake the whole class over again.  So why would that be fair if missing ten days of school for a sick related reason could set a student back a semester?

III. Another issue we have at Grosse Pointe South is the dress code.  Yes, there is a line being drawn when skirts are too short, or when a top is to low cut but some of the rules are a little strict.  Students have the right of Freedom of Expression so it is not fair for a school to tell them what they can and cannot wear.  The school says some shirts are to obscene or give off an inappropriate vibe, but many of the time the attire is harmless.  For an example, a tank top.  When the months of May or June come around the school reaches scorching temperatures, and since we don’t have any air conditioning in parts of the school students can become very uncomfortable.  So sometimes fingertip length shorts and the no tank top rules are very unfair. 

IV. Students should not have to pay for school supplies. Students have to pay for their education and the books that they need for classes. The students should not have to pay for the supplies they need. If the students’ textbooks are paid for, then the supplies should not. This is fair for the students and for the Board of Education. They should not have to pay a high amount for supplies the school should provide for them.

V. Students should not have to take gym to graduate. There are many classes that students need to take to graduate, but gym should not be one of them. Students ought to decide if they want to take the gym class or not. This should not have to be required. Students must not be forced into a class they do not want to take. Gym ought to be a class for students who want it and not for those who do not.

VI. Students should be able to eat in their car. Students are allowed to go to their car during lunch, but they cannot eat in their car. Students should be able to eat in their car during lunch if they are allowed to go to their car. If students can leave the school during lunch to go get food, they should have the right to eat in their car as well. As long as students do not have any alcohol or drugs on them, then it should be ok for students to eat to their car.

VII. Students should not have to pay for non-athletic clubs/activities. Many students want to join clubs, but do not have the money to pay for it. Several students would, most likely, join clubs if they did not have to pay. If the money is needed for the club, then the club can do a fundraiser. Fundraisers not only raise money for the club, but bring people together. Is that not what clubs do?

VIII. Students’ cell phone should not be taken away for long. Teachers sometimes keep the cell phones over the weekend. If the students’ cell phones are taken away during that time period, then important calls could be missed. Students should also be able to shut the phone off or take the battery out if concerned about privacy. The cell phones, however, should be immediately taken down to the office or given to the student at the end of day.

IX. Students, when necessary, should be able to use self-defense. If there is not a teacher around at that given time, the student should defend themselves. That should only apply if the student cannot get help when needed. There is a strict no fighting policy within school but that should be an exception in some cases. It is simply defending rather than just fighting to fight.

X. School should start and end later. According to the health teacher, students who sleep in longer and go to school at a later time perform at a higher level. Sleeping in can give the students enough time to wake up and not feel tired. Not feeling tired can keep the students thinking early in the morning. Ending school later can help balance out the loss the time in the morning. 

These are the demands of the students. These reasonable and necessary points must be adhered to. If they are not, then we will file a complaint to the school board. The needs of the students must be met. Each and every student is registered into the school with certain unalienable liberties. These include being allowed to eat in cars, no detentions, and longer lunch times. These rights are to not only make school a better, more enjoyable place, but to preserve the limited freedom of the student body. Refusal to comply to the points of the declaration will also result in a strike by the students and a protest. When people walk through the doors of the school, they should know they have rights. All people should be able to walk throughout the school without having to worry about persecution.

Rachel Quinn
Brooke Quinn
Carly Walkowiak
Nick Gilbert
Andrew Cullen

The Crucible Epilogue.

It was the end of 1692 when Parris was kicked out of office and went out on the highroad. He had absolutely no where to go with inevitable trails far ahead and far behind him. He has been alone for almost two days now, knowing what hides in the shadows of the trees, framing the long and narrow trail he was on. Tired and thirsty with no sense of direction, he walks like a wounded animal; unsure of where to go. The horizon is closing in on Parris now as the sky turns deathly reddish. Shadows are starting to lurk behind Parris and there is an eerie silence developing. The night creeps faster upon Parris, but just before his vision becomes blackened by the night, he spots something off into the distance. He runs towards figure slowly blending in with darkness among it. Stumbling upon rocks and fallen braches, he still makes his way along the path. Losing his breath, Parris nears the end of his destination and comes to a small, quiet town. Blackness now completely covers the town and sky like a blanket.

Getting nervous, he spots a dim light in a window of a small house. He slowly walks up to the house and hesitates to proceed. After a moment of thinking, he decides to walk. He steps on the rickety old steps to the house and pauses with every creek there is. He knocks on the door and no one answers. Growing impatient, he knocks on the door harder, yelling louder with every knock. Feet are heard shuffling in the house and coming to the door. An old man opens the door and looks at Parris and smiles a small smile. As he goes to greet Parris, Parris pushes past the old man and goes into the house. The old man stands and stares at Parris questionably.  Pacing around the house with regret in his eyes, Parris mumbles to himself. The old man sits in his small little chair by the corner of the room and watches Parris now with concern. Parris stops in his tracks, turns to the old man with wide eyes, and directly asks the old man if he had any money. The old man stares blankly at Parris and says that he has very little money. Parris was upset with how little the man had and still asked if he can have half of his amount. The old man smiles shyly and kindly, asking Parris why he needed it. Parris put his hands up on his head in frustration. All Parris can think about is how he could possibly have been kicked out of town and out of office and ending up putting himself in this kind of situation. Parris looks at the old man and says with a bit if a temper that he needs the money to buy a house and make a living here. The old man sadly admits that he hardly has enough to provide for himself. Processing this information, Parris looks around the room they are in. He spots nothing but a small table with an uncomfortable looking chair, a tattered old curtain that hangs lifelessly in front of the pitch black window, a small wooden cabinet, and a small wooden chair the old man was currently sitting in. Unfazed by this true statement, Parris again asks the old man for a good amount of his money. 

Parris, only thinking of himself, grows even more furious with the unresponsive old man. Remembering that he has no where else to go, Parris asks at the old man if he can sleep here. The old man kindly nods and gets up from his small wooden chair slowly, as if he could break with one false move. The old man heads to the small cabinet mounted on the wall on the opposite side of the room and takes out an old faded blue blanket. He turns to Parris and holds his hand out with the blanket in it. Parris looks at the blanket with discuss and asks if he had any other blankets. The old man frowns slightly and shakes his head. Sighing as if nothing could ever get worse, Parris takes the blanket and then goes to sit in the old man’s chair. Parris closes his eyes and sleeps. The old man shuffles over to the candle sitting on the window sill and blows it out. The room is now being surrounded by the pure blackness of the night.

The sun shining through the window is illuminating the room with a faded glow. What was once a cold and dark Saturday night, now turns into a warm Sunday afternoon. Startled by a loud bang on the door, Parris wakes up startled and looks around. He yells for the old man to tell him that he has visitors. There was no answer, just silence. After a moment, Parris decides to get up and open the door. There was a middle aged, rugged looking priest standing there with a thin book in his hand and a pen in the other hand. Staring at Parris with question, he asks if Mr. Richards was there. Parris is overwhelmed with confusion then asks who Mr. Richards was. The priest repeats himself and asks if Mr. Richards was there. Parris asked if that was the poor old man who lives here. The priest nods his head and tries to look passed Parris into the room. Seeing a figure seated in a chair and slumped over the table, the man barges passed Parris into the house. The priest runs over to the old man, sees his pale and icy skin, and then checks the old man’s pulse. Seeing the facial expression on the priest and realizing that the old man had died, Parris tries to escape out the door. However, Parris turns into three people blocking the doorway. Parris stands there in front of the door uneasy. The priest turns to Parris and asks if he killed the old man. Panicking and starting to sweat, Parris says that it must have been someone else. The priest questions Parris asking who else was here. Searching for an answer, Parris quickly blurts out that the old man must have been playing a trick. The priest looks into Parris’s eyes for a moment and says that this old man is kind and would not skip church on a Sunday for a prank. The priest, now yelling, points his finger at Parris and accuses him of being a witch for murdering the old man.  Parris belts out that he is a good man and he would never hurt or lie to anyone. Not believing this, the priest looks at the three men by the door and says in a demanding voice to take Parris away. Interrupting the priest, Parris falls to the floor on his knees and looks up at the ceiling. He holds his hands high and says that the devil made him kill the old man. In shock, the priest asks who else was with him in this scheme. Not wondering what to say, Parris looks out the window and sees some random people walking along the path within the town. Parris screams and points to those people and says that they were with the devil too. Seeing the four men rushing out of the house, Parris feels relieved and then goes to run out the door but then stops. He is remembering that he needs money for his journey. He searches the small room and then finds some money hiding underneath a plate in the cabinet. Putting the money in his pocket, he runs out of the door trying to avoid the four men. As he is running, he looks back and sees the priest and the three other men arresting an old woman, a young teenage boy and another man. Unfazed by this, Parris is happy that he had not been arrested and runs along the path leading out of the small little town. Once again alone, he is running through unknown land with unknown troubles. The sun sets again in the West making the shadows around Parris creep upon him. The sky turns deathly reddish with inevitable trails far ahead and far behind him.

The Crucible Essay.

In “The Crucible”, people were very religious. The people were very concerned with witchcraft and very serious about certain acts that the people forbid. There are many people who caused the witch trials in this story. Abby is responsible because of her insane acts to get what she wants. Parris is partially responsible because he is conceited. John is at fault for not confessing about the truth which Abby told him. John is also to blame due to his sin of adultery. The three people most responsible for the Salem witch trials were Abby, Parris, and John.

Abby is responsible because of selfish content. She was the one, along with Tituba, to make the very first accusations against people. Abby then realized that if she started to confess with Tituba, then all of the glory would shine on her. Abby probably then discovered that she can use the accusations to get what she wants. Due to this feeling, Abby is constantly looking for ways to get rid of Elizabeth. In the story, Abby confuses sex with love which made her believe that John loves her. Abby is obsessed with John and would do anything to be with him. The more Abby yearned for John, the more pretense Abby had the other girls’ play along to. Abby even attempted to kill Elizabeth three times but in the end, none of the tricks worked.

“The girl, the Williams girl, Abigail Williams sir. She sat to dinner in ReverendParris’s house tonight, and without word nor warnin’ she falls to the floor.Like a struck beast, he says, and screamed a scream that a bull would weep to hear. And he goes to save her, and stuck two inches in the flesh of her belly, he draw a needle out. And demandin’ of her how she come to be so stabbed, she testify it were your wife’s familiar spirit pushed it in” (Miller 74).

Abby is insane enough to go through pain in order to make Elizabeth look guilty in the witch trials. This stunt put Elizabeth in jail for witchery. Abby’s insane mind caused trouble, but Parris was also to blame.

Parris is one person responsible for the Salem witch trials. He is supposed to be a leader in the town and instead he is a coward. “Thomas, Thomas, I pray you, leap not to witchcraft. I know that you- you least of all, Thomas, would ever wish to disastrous a charge laid upon me. We cannot leap to witchcraft. They will howl me out of Salem for such corruption in my house” (Miller 14). In the town, Parris is not the most appreciated person. When people were crying “witch” in the town, he immediately called Reverend Hale. Parris was too weak to do anything about the situation. He also tries to convince John to confess because Parris wanted to prevent rebellion. All Parris ever cared about was his job and his power within the town. During the witch trials, Parris wanted everyone to confess to make the people think that Parris has been right. Parris refused to let anyone believe the truth about what people were saying. “Excellency, you surely cannot think to let so vile a lie be spread in open court” (Miller 89)! As the judges started to consider what the people were trying to say, Parris would try to change the judges’ minds. Parris knew that if the town knew that dealing with the devil was taking place in his house, then he would be kicked out of town. Parris’s greedy and selfish acts served the town nothing, but John was at fault as well.

John Proctor is responsible due to the lack of ability to tell the truth. Abby confessed to John that the dancing was just pretend and that seeing the devil was not true. However, John remains silent until a certain point. “I never knew until tonight that the world is gone dark with this nonsense” (Miller 68). John had no idea that Abby and the other girls’ would have taken these accusations as far as the girls’ had. John also did not know how naïve the people were being. If John would have told the truth earlier though, then the witch trials could have been proven false. By the time John had confessed to Hale, however, too much damage had been done for anything to be erased. The town had gone into further chaos causing many people to be accused and held in custody. Little did John know that keeping that secret was not only going to put Elizabeth in danger, but himself as well. John was to blame because of his questioning mind, but John was also at fault for his inability of self-control.

 John is also responsible because of temptation. Elizabeth was sick and had not hooked up with John in quite some time. John lost all of his self-control oneday and he hooked up with Abby. “Then how do you charge me with such a promise? The promise that a stallion gives a mare I gave that girl” (Miller 62)! Even though John hooked up with Abby, John did not mean any feelings about it. John had led Abby on which was not a smart thing to do. John did not hide any looks of having feelings very well which made Abby’s feelings deepen putting everyone else in danger. Since John had made Abby believe something that was not there, Abby tried to get them together by getting rid of Elizabeth. If John had not given into Abby, then the witch trials might not have even taken place.

Many people were killed and accused during these trials. It was a lose-lose situation for everyone being accused as a witch. To confess and still lose your land or not confess to dealing with the devil and be hung. Abby helped along with the accusations in her own selfish way. Parris was too much of a coward to be of any use. John made a huge mistake and did not tell a single soul of what Abby told him. John also was at fault for giving into lechery. The people who were most at fault for the witch trials were Abby, Parris, and John.

The Crucible Post II.

In all honesty, in some cases I would lie to protect myself. We all can't but feel harmed when we know that something could be hurtful to us. We also feel secretive and want to keep those secrets to ourselves. I know that in hard times I have lied and I am not proud of it. Looking back, however, they were such silly things to avoid. It was a big deal to many others though which drove me to lie in the first place. If I was looking at how I am living my life today, I would not lie as much to do so. It is almost pointless now to lie and protect myself. I am who I am and I should not be afraid of what other people think of me. Deep down, even though I do not like to admit it, I still do care but not as much. In the Crucible, the people had no other choice but to lie. It was either lie to save yourself or die trying to defend yourself.

Back in middle school, I wasn't the most popular kid so it was hard to defend myself. I had a speech problem also which many people teased me for. To make myself seem less of a target for people, I also did tease along with other people. It was not a good feeling to have to see the face of the person being laughed at. It was almost heartbreaking because I knew that the more people teased someone, the weaker that person got.  I didn't take that into account back then because all I cared about was myself not being made fun of. Now I have realized that many people make fun of others to feel better about themselves. I don't mind as much now if people constantly make fun of me.  It is just a cry for attention and to satisfy their hunger of power over someone, so why give in?  All I know is that if they are making fun of me, then they are leaving someone else alone.

The Crucible Post 1

At the beginning of Act 1, Parris had the power. At the end of the act, however, the girls were the people who the power had shifted to. Girls back then were basically just there to have a baby and take care of some things. Children, too, were nothing but little specks wandering throughout the town. Considering that Parris is the leader of the town, people would think that he is the one who would have the power. Parris, however, is a conceited leader and weak-willed. Abby is the exact opposite of Parris. Abby had threatened the other girls that if a word got out about what happened, Abby would do terrible things. Abby says,

"Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a point reckoning that will shudder you. And you know I can do it; I saw Indians smash my dear parents' heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down!" (20).

Abby is a strong leader of the other girls. All of the other girls follow Abby and the things she tells them to do.  Towards the end of the act, Tituba confesses to Reverend Hale about that night and is forgiven. Then out of no where, Betty woke up suddenly and started accusing people, along with Abby. The two girls were telling Reverend Hale, and everyone else who was there, whom the girls had seen with the devil that night. Women were supposed to be the ones who let the man take charge. Children especially were even thankful to be aloud to speak. Despite all of that, the power at the end of act 1 had shifted to the girls. The girls held the power over everyone at this point because of their accusations.

Sinners Follow Up Post.

The people today who are still very religious would be affected by the sermon. People, however,  have very different beliefs from one another. In some religions, having only one god doesn't even exist. Having said that, then many people wouldn't be affected. The opinions about God today vary greatly from how it was back then. Some people don't even believe in God and the things He did. In result of that, hearing the sermon wouldn't change one's beliefs at all. Possibly because they don't go to church or weren't taught about God. Which also brings the people to believe that He is not capable of doing such a thing as Edwards had said. One has an opinion about God and the facts of life. Those who believe will be affected by the sermon and the others who do not believe in God shall not be.

" Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God " Post.

In 1741, there was a sermon named Edwards who was known as the greatest sermon ever spoken on American soil. In anthology, he was the only sermon included in it. Edwards talked about God and the terror he has spoken. Everything Edwards said changed life throughout many people and lands. It created a great spiritual revival called the “Great Awakening.” This pulled colonies away from the old ceremonial rituals that European’s had. The European’s then saw that they yearned for an understanding of salvation. The people created an image of Edwards as a stern, loveless man. Although the people close to him think that he is a thoughtful and caring person towards others. Edwards believe that Hell is a real place and he tries to convince people to avoid it at all cost. He also tells that they should not take the gospel of Jesus Christ for granted.

In my opinion, Edwards had spoken to the people about how terrifying Hell is. He mentioned that the people should avoid sin and not take the gospels for granted. If the people sinned then they would go to the firey gates of Hell. At the gates there would be devils, grabbing you by the feet and dragging you through as you struggle to get out of the grips of the devils. He also might have mentioned that Hell would be torture. You would be sitting and burning within Hell, scared and frightened, with absolutely no way out. All you would feel is severe pain and despair. Once you're in Hell, then God will never accept you into eternal peace and harmony. Everything that you have lived for on this earth will mean nothing if you do not respect the man who created it for you.

Descriptive Post

http://www.redbubble.com/people/jchanders/art/589054-in-the-enchanted-forest

Dark brown trees as tall as giants cover the landscape. Darkness covers the bodies of the giants like a blanket, keeping out the cold in the icy chill of a winter night. Peaking through the top of the trees, near the end of pathway, shines a bright light through the trees that brings out the dark shadows within. A pathway of leaves as dark as blood scatter among the giants at their feet. Some leaves on the arms of the giants are just a soft, warm green touched by the sunlight. Whereas other leaves are dark as the shadows that are cast upon them. The giants are spread apart into a narrow pathway as if awaiting for their next visitor. There they stand as soldiers on gaurd. At the end of the blood red path, there appears to be a gate camouflaged by an army of leaves and bushes. Beyond that gate is a very faint image of another unknown forest.

My Expectations.

A student in American Lit is expected to be very attentive, have good work habits, and to be respectful. If a student does not pay attention in class then it could wreck the chances of passing the class. Being attentive is also very important for class work. The homework can maybe prepare a student later on in the school year. Understanding the material is always an important thing. Being able to understand would make the class work and homework much easier. Writing everything the teacher has on the board is a good thing to do. The information can be used to help with many of the class assignments or on tests.

Having good work habits is also important. Always finishing the homework cannot affect your grade as not doing the homework can. Also trying to actually get all of the requested work done before the day it is due will help also with the student’s grade. Another thing to do is to not wait until late hours to start the homework. If the student does not start until late then it may not get finished. Staying focused can also help a student to become less distracted which can help with studying. Studying many days prior to a test or quiz can help one ace the exam. Studying the night before will do the exact opposite. Being organized can help because things could not get lost and keep everything up to date. Not being organized can affect a certain thing being taught because that information that is needed is not there.

Being respectful for other students and the teacher are other things to achieve as an American Lit student. If the student is being disrespectful to the other students then those students would not get some information the teacher says. Not being respectful to the teacher can waste time in class along with other student’s time. Wasting class time can cause less time to learn the material. If a student is constantly being disrespectful then people would start to look down on that person. If one distracts another student by talking, it can hurt both of the students’ ability to get caught up. That can cause the students to start to fall behind in the class which can result in a bad grade for the semester or even the year.

About Me

I am a very outgoing person and I love do doodle on almost everything. I mostly like to doodle little cartoon figures or hearts and bumble bees. I mostly like to draw still lifes ,  do pictures with charcoal , and a few water color paintings here and there. I also like to write poetry on my free time. There's just something about it that relaxes me. I've had poems submitted into an issue of young poets in my middle school. I also like to write stories also. I usually like to do somewhat happy and yet sad stories. My favorite colors are black and crimson.

I like to listen to a lot of metal to be completely honest. I also like to listen to calmer songs by artist such as Secondhand Serenade. Once in awhile I like to listen to arabic songs or spanish songs. I don't know what they're saying half the time , but it's interesting to listen to how they all say their words. I listen to music constantly whenever I can. I also randomly burst out saying things like "rawr" or any kind of dinosaur related sound. Don't ask me why because I don't even know.

I have a twin sister named Brooke. I have two cats who are really kind of lazy. They sit there and watch while we get the bugs in the house. I get distracted very easily and sometimes take hours to do just one little thing that could be done in about 10 minutes. My favorite flower would have to be the lilies. They just look so calm and inviting and smell so pretty. I'm not a big fan of meat but if I had to eat meat for any sort of reason I would live with it. I like to sing on my free time or when I'm alone but rarely in front of anyone. I've always been in love with animals and I want to become a marine biologist or a forensic scientist.
That's all for now folks ! :D