The Soloist: Final Chapters

The last few chapters in this book ended it off very well in my opinion; it was a good choice to end the year off. That kind of made the book more interesting because it was the last one we had to read honestly lol.
From the beginning of the book when Lopez first heard Ayers play his violin with two strings to where there relationship grew into them having a good friendship. Threwout their one fight that happened in the last couple of chapters, there was one fight that occurred in these final chapters could have been the end. Instead of Lopez walking from the situation and leaving Ayers alone, he looked at the hardship that Ayers was going threw. That showed how much he truly cared for him and the strong feelings he had. For example when Lopez surprised Ayers with his own studio and instruments was the best thing he could have done.
When given him his own space could really be good to keep him motivated in his music. The only thing that Ayers wants to do is play music. No matter how hard or bad things get or how awful people and situations can be music will always be there for you. Being that every time something goes wrong in my life when I play music it soothes my soul and makes everything better.

Chapters 13-22

After reading chapter 13 threw 22 I began to develop many questions in my mind at this point in the book. In these couple of chapters in the book Lopez starts to become a huge factor in Ayers life. Lopez begins to change in character, he also changes in the style of writing. To help Ayers he grabbed various instruments and stored them in a facility where Nathaniel can come anytime to use them. It's like it was all done on purpose. I also think that Nathaniel has grown in character too. He has become willing to let people help him with his disease and to help more period. It seems that he does this because of the grateful things that Ayers has done for him. Many people were trying to put Ayers in an apartment but I think that they shouldn’t try to move him to an unfamiliar place because he is very paranoid. It seems that Ayers is another very creative starving artist who is connected to a pure world and a nomadic life style. He has no distractions, just music which is cool. Nathaniel Ayers gets to play music all day and he has to answers to no one. So i am pretty sure that he wouldn’t want to move nowhere outside of where he is now.

The Soloist: Chapters 7-12

Now after reading and looking more into the book, I can see that things are really progressing. I feel as though Steve Lopez did some more research about Nathaniel Ayers. Being that he is slowly progressing, it's better than no progression at all. I think that once Lopez saw this he immediately felt the need to help him. He shows up late and isn't playing perfectly on stage, but it has been a long time since he has done this. I feel sorry for Nathaniel because he is homeless and lonely. He is still separated from an average homeless person, being that he lives on the street that doesn’t really seem to bother him. From the drug abuse and the heroin addicts, muggers, fights, drugs, and slums, there is an innocent man with nothing but his instrument. He seems really independent and I really admire that confidence in him. He definitely shouldn't be leaving out his family. He could always incorporate them in his ordeals. By putting himself in Nathaniel's shoes, I think Lopez probably feels even worse now. Lopez is totally overwhelmed with Nathaniel and how to get him better.

The Soloist:Chapters 1-6

After reading chapters 1 threw 6, I can really say that The Soloist is starting to be a really good book. Throughout the story Lopez shows his true feelings of Nathaniel, which is something that most people don’t show anymore. Lopez only talked to Nathaniel for a short amount of time, but after that Lopez worried about Nathaniel’s well being. They began to have a unique friendship that develops, mainly because Lopez wants to help bring those talents out in Nathaniel.

 In the story Lopez writes his story as a news reporter just trying to find something new to talk about. He seems to write about people that have overcame stuff throughout their life, which connected him to Nathaniel. He also has been in a similar situation as Nathaniel, which connects to their friendship and connection. Lopez writes about how Nathaniel was a Julliard alumnus who lives on the streets of LA who he stumbles across that plays a two-string violin. After writing about Nathaniel many people were sending in various violins and cellos to give to him. But since he lived on the street Lopez was unsure if he should give them to him due to the surroundings at night.

So far I am really enjoying the book not just because it has something to do with music, but because of the writings of Steve Lopez. In my opinion I believe that Lopez is a simple but creative writer and writes about things directly as he remembers them.

           

           

The Catcher in the Rye

During this past week or two I’ve been reading The Catcher in The Rye, which is a book based around the main character named Holden Caulfield.

This book starts off with Caulfield standing on a hill watching his schools football game. Being that this was his fourth school he has attended, this was due to him failing out of his first three schools he had attended. Caulfield is now about to be expelled from his current school, Pencey High.  After failing four out of the five classes at his current school its now the second time. I went into the book with an open mind and had a different appeal on things.  Holden was seen as an agitated young man who took the frustrations he had for himself out on those who surrounded him. The frustrations towards people were seen, as Holden would speak of his hatred of phonies and his agitation towards his roommates in Pencey High. I found the author to be successful in portraying how Holden felt in situations throughout the book by making the main character tell the story. He spoke as if he were writing his emotions in a journal, presenting each idea with details.

Something that I have found of Salinger’s writing was that Holden was extremely observant. An event in the book a part in the story that made my thoughts kind of true was when he compared the behaviors of his two roommates Stradlater and Ackley. Holden judged everyone he saw and that’s not a way someone should live through life, it makes your confidence go up sure but it still isn’t right.

Death of a Salesmen

After watching and reading the "Death of a salesmen" i felt bad for Willy's wife Linda Loman. Being that Willy had a mental issue I know that it was really hard for her to loose her husband the way she did. Threw out the story Willy tried to make everyone like him but when he was found cheating by his son Biff. After that incident the respect as a father that Biff had for him was gone. Biff and his brothers also had issues of there own but the constant attempts of there father trying to kill his self was a struggle. Willy had the ideal job of being a salesmen and traveling and selling goods but he thought he could do better. Willy knew of a salesmen named Dave Single men that had the special job that he wanted and was working in his elderly age of eighty-four. But when the salesmen died and many came to his funeral from different cities Willy came to believe that he wanted that life. Being that Willy wanted his sons to live the same life he did they had enough after they dad had pushed them to far. It was to much for them both and they didn't want to do the same as their father, but wanted something way different. 

When the Willy and his two sons had an big argument which was the turn for there relationship occurs later that night Willy gets an accident and dies. The very low amount of people that showed up for the funeral hurt Linda very much. It wasn't long until the house they lived in for years was finally going to be there own property that Willy decides to dream and get in an accident. 

Blogger

Wow! there's tons of great things I could say about the switch from google groups to the blogger. I love the fact that we have a full profile and its like a myspace for my class. Its cool and I think that I will probably keep this even when the year is over. Unlike the google groups the pages are more unique and shows the different styles from each student. I thank Mr. F for picking this site for us and I think that every since using this its an easier way for me to post work. 

Kate Chopin: American Realism

In the writings of Kate Chopin there were both its similarities and differences in comparison to that of the American romantics and the lilacs. The way that she writes show a more of a fantasy fill in the romanticism. She also speaks towards real life situations meanwhile the romantics comes more across as normal. One thing that was common between both Kate and the American romantics were that they both used nature in there writings. Threw out the romantics writing looked to me that nature was symbolized as an expressed look towards the life, and Chopin uses the lilacs to symbolize that. The story it self was kind of confusing but there were many questions I had towards the usage of using the lilac. To me I thought that the lilacs were used to maybe represent the different lifestyles that Adrianne was living with her leaving her convent and stuff. This was because when the lilac was to die would have symbolized he leaving and it starting over and blooming could show her fresh start. Kate Chopin is a wonderful writer and it is shown that she specifically writes her stories for a special group of people. Both stories that i read had a similar background which was that both women had more then one lifestyle. Being that I'm not really a huge fan of reading, I really liked the usage of the lilacs to form a meaning and so far Kate Chopin is one of my favorite writers.

The Great Gasby Journal

After reading the first couple of chapters of The Great Gatsby, in the story we meet a character named Nick Carraway who is the narrator. After moving to a island part of New York called the West Egg which is where most of the people there have become wealthy only recently, mostly from investing in the stock market. There aren't many nice houses but there is this one in particular that stands next to Nick apartment, and thats Jay Gasby.  On the other side there is a town called the East Egg which it is filled with people who have inherited wealth through their families. To attend a dinner party that one of his friends the Buchanans, Nick has to travel to the East Egg. Nick and his friend Tom Buchanan had been friends for a while being that they both attended Yale University. While sitting at the dinner table Tom recommends this book called, "The Rise of the Colored Empires," this book promotes mainly white supremacy.  In this Tom believes that all of the whites make up the dominant race are true, and that proves and shows how much of a racist Tom is. Towards the end of the chapter, Nick meets the man who lives next to him in the mansion named Jay Gatsby for the first time by the water. He suddenly looks back but comes to notice that Gasby is gone. After reading the chapter it left me wondering what was really going on. But that was one reason why I wanted to keep on going to figure out and answer my wondering questions.

Legacy: Amari Baraka

Link to Legacy Poem
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=171264

The poem I chose to read was written by a poet named  Amari Baraka. His studies in philosophy and religious studies at Rutgers and Howard University proves why his audience and critics respond objectivity to his work. When using vivid dialect and images to make the reader picture and imaging how he feels as he writes is very intelligent. Without writing huge words to explain what he is saying he draws out what goes on by using simple slang. That is one of the reasons why I chose to pick this poet for this weekends assignment. When I read this poem I was almost at the edge of my seat. Only because I thought there should have been more with the structure of the poem and the tone. I felt like I was there during the time period which he speaks about. 

The poem that Amari Baraka writes clearly makes him distinctly an American in many ways. There were many stories that my great grandmother and my grand parents told me that connected to the writings of this poet. From the lives of a southerner to the ways they had to survive with no money or places to sleep or use the bathroom. The fact that he is American poet but the fact that he can write what actually went on during that long hard period of time down south makes him a distinct American. 

Social Change.

Writing does have the power to enact social change. A form of writing I think that has the power are speeches. When many speeches are given in churches, schools, or a work setting it empacts many. For example, our new President Barrack Obama gave his victory speech on November 4th impacted my life and many other children my age and older. On that day when he was elected his speech was something to remember as an African American today. Obama's speech proved to many that change is coming and no matter the color or race anything good can happen. From his famous saying,"Yes We Can!" shows that all things things are possible if you put your mind to it.
Another form of writing that has the power to enact social change are poems. Song lyrics, raps, and some speeches most of the time include poems of some kind. A poem is a form of writing that shows feelings and emotion and can really make someone feel better about themselves. Also when you hear a poem or read one can make your day better or can help you get threw many struggles.Most rap songs talk about the lives of the street or family struggles which connects others because we all go threw the same trials. Not everyone can go see a speaker but can put a cd or tape into a car or home stereo and listen to the words of a rapper or poet. There are many songs that I can connect to that impacts me in may ways, for example " Champion" by Kanye West.
In conclusion, writing is a big part of many lives and can impact many and it has the power to enact social change.

The Price of a Child

The Price of a Child
This picture shows the first place where Mercer goes when she speaks on behalf of slavery. I chose this scene because it shows that everyone is not the same but one person can bring a whole group of people together. This was one of my favorite scenes in the story because of the struggle she goes threw to tell the people her story. She is relieved at the end of the chapter how the group of people reacted towards her speech. In this drawing, Mercer is speaking to a congregation at a Methodist church in Massachusetts to kick off her speaking tour. She spoke in front of only about twenty-four people and about three happen to be blacks who came to support and listen to Mercer. Mercer was scared of the fact that what she was planning to say would be taking as being arrogant. She was very nervous of the way people were going to react to her speech. Her knees and her hands were shaking, as she was getting ready to speak for the first time about a serious time in her life. She talks about the freedom and “the misery of millions of people”, and the mayhem and murders in many countries. She later comes to realize towards the end of her speech the congregation enjoyed what she had to say.