The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

Take the first 5-7 minutes of this free write to type your initial impressions of Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby.  Then, in a new paragraph take 5-7 minutes to generate and type at least five questions you have about the novel, with at least two of those questions being specific to a passage in the book.  Be sure to include page numbers where appropriate.  Make your questions as specific as possible to reveal what you have understood about the novel thus far.

My initial impressions of The Great Gatsby were that first of all, it was going to be difficult to understand. A lot of the words were words I haven't even seen before, so I know that I will have to circle words I don't understand and look them up. I think that though this story will be more difficult to understand and while it will take longer for me to read that it will be an interesting story. This story is going to be a lot about the connections between the different characters and their social events, which makes for an interesting story. My first impression that the story would include more social gatherings was in Chapter II, when Tom and Nick go to a party, which ends in Tom breaking Myrtle's nose. I think that the story has already begun with an interesting plot and story, and hope that it will continue. 

1. Why are Tom and Daisy interested in, as well as trying to influence Nick, into forming a relationship between Miss Baker and Nick? Tom hints some more to Nick on pages 18-19, "Her family is one aunt about a thousand years old. Besides, Nick's going to look after her, aren't you, Nick? She's going to spend lots of weekends out here this summer. I think the home influence will be very good for her."

2. Why doesn't anyone tell Daisy about Tom's lover? On page 15, Miss Baker is talking to Nick, "Why--" she said hesitantly, "Tom's got some woman in New York." Daisy's friend, Miss Baker, and cousin, Nick, are both now informed of Tom's other woman, yet no one tells Daisy.

3. What is the purpose of the Valley of Ashes between West Egg and New York?

4. Why are people afraid of Gatsby? On page 32, a woman talking to Nick at the party says, "I'm scared of him. I'd hate to have him get anything on me."

5. Why does Tom get so angry when Daisy is brought up? On page 37, Tom breaks Mrs. Wilson's nose because she is chanting Daisy.

Respectability

THEMES: appearance vs. reality

IMAGERY: hands, nature, darkness vs. light, railroads/trains, streets/pathways, seasons, eyes

CONNECTION TO THEME: Men represent innocence while women represent evil and maliciousness in Wash Williams’ comparison of men vs. women in the Respectability.

TEST: Whenever a man is brought into the story, he is brought in to show the maliciousness and evil of a woman. The first time this is shown is on page 121, when describing people’s reaction to the monkey, “…men turn away with an air of disgust, and women linger for a moment, trying perhaps to remember which one of their male acquaintances the thing in some faint way resembles.” This quote is used to show the maliciousness in women, while the men will just let it go. A quote on page 122 further illustrates Wash’s bias towards men over women, “First of all, he hated women. ‘Bitches,’ he called them. His feeling toward men was somewhat different. He pitied them. ‘Does not every man let his life be managed for him by some bitch or another?’ he asked.” This quote shows that Wash is basing his hate for men off men’s innocence and unknowingness of women. In other words, women are the reason men don’t succeed. Backing this up is a quote on page 124, “They (women) are sent to prevent men making the world worth wile.” Wash believes that all men, except him, are foolish when it comes to women. This is shown on page 127, when Wash visits his ex-wife’s home, who had cheated on him, “I thought that if she came in and just touched me with her hand I would perhaps faint away. I ached to forgive and forget.” This quote from before Wash’s hatred towards women and pity for men shows the innocence and foolishness a man displays after the malicious and evil acts of a woman.

CONNECTION TO THEME: The railroad represents the characters understanding of each other.

TEST: When the railroads are brought up in the story, it is always during times when characters are getting a better understanding of one another. The first time they are brought up is when George and Wash go to talk on page 123, “Down the railroad they went and sat on a pile of decaying railroad ties beside the tracks. It was then that the operator told the young reporter his story of hate.” This quote shows how the railroad represent the times of understanding and connection between the characters, as the night before, George and Belle Carpenter had walked by the railroad tracks as well.

CONNECTION TO THEME: The monkey in the story represents Wash, and the way he is seen in the town.

TEST: When the monkey is first brought up on page 121, he is described as “a huge, grotesque kind of monkey, a creature with ugly, sagging, hairless skin below his eyes and a bright purple underbody. This monkey is a true monster.” Further down the page on 121, Wash Williams is described as, “the ugliest thing in town. His girth was immense, his neck thin, his legs feeble. He was dirty.” The physical appearances are just one way that the monkey represents Wash. Back at the top of page 121, they talk about the townspeople’s reaction to the monkey, “Children stopping before the cage are fascinated, men turn away with an air of disgust, and women linger for a moment…” This represents how the town views Wash Williams. The first quote that shows this is on page 124, when Wash and George are talking, “Half frightened and yet fascinated by the light burning in the eyes of the hideous old man, George Willard listened, afire with curiosity.” This quote showing George’s, not yet a man, reaction to Wash is similar to the reaction of children to the monkey.

Mother

THEMES: miscommunication

IMAGERY: hands, light vs. dark, windows, streets, trees

CONNECTION TO THEME: The hands in the story “Mother” represent the communication between the characters.

TEST: Hands in the story represent the communication between Elizabeth and her family. An example of this is when the story is talking about Elizabeth Willard walking with the men on page 46, “On the side streets in the village, in the darkness under the trees, they took hold of her hand…” This quote represents the communication between Elizabeth and Tom, as well last the other men that used to understand her. Hands are also used to symbolize communication between Tom and George on page 44, “In the light that streamed out of the door he stood with the knob in his hand and talked.” This quote was the beginning to his talk to George working harder. Another time this is shown is when Elizabeth is looking out of her window at the baker and the cat on page 41, “At the back door of his shop appeared Abner Groff with a stick or an empty milk bottle in his hand.” This is the first time that anger is shown with hands. 

The Teacher

THEMES: appearance vs. reality

IMAGERY: beds, fire/stove, hands, snow, alley, stairs

CONNECTION TO THEME: The fires in the story represent the characters in the story time to think and reflect, as well as solitude.

TEST: Every time there is a fire in the story, it represents George Willard or Hop Higgins’ time to reflect. The first time that we see this is when George Willard goes to the woods and has a fire. “There he built a fire against the side of a log and sat down at the end of the log to think.” (page 157). This quote on the first page of the story just opens up to the symbolism of the fire in the stories. The next time it is shown is when George goes home. “In his own room in the New Willard House he built a fire in the stove an lay down on top of the bed. Be began to have lustful thoughts…” (page 158). The paragraph goes onto say that George dreams of the teacher, imagining the pillow in his arms as her. This quote shows the reflection and time to think every time there is a fire in the story. The fires in the story also represent the characters time to reflect in solitude and think to their selves. An example of this is when Hop Higgins, the night watchman, watches the fire alone at night. “Hop Higgins sat down by the stove and took off his shoes. When the boy had gone to sleep he began to think of his own affairs.” (page 159).

Paper Pills

THEMES: miscommunication, lonliness

IMAGERY: nature, crops, religion, windows, white, hands, balls/shape, seasons, black vs. white, paper

CONNECTION TO THEME: The windows in the story represent the doctor’s acceptance to his wife’s death and his own loneliness.

TEST: The doctor in the story had only been married to his wife for one year, and the windows in the story show the doctor’s acceptance to her death. The doctor is a lonely man who “sat all day in his empty office close by a window that was covered in cobwebs.” (page 35). Outside of the window, there is a world that has forgotten about the doctor. However, the doctor sits inside all day next to a window with cobwebs. The cobwebs symbolize the town’s recognition of the doctor, as they cover the outside world. “He never opened the window. Once on a hot day in August he tried but found it stuck fast and after that he forgot all about it.” (page 35). This quote goes with the quote on page 36, “For ten years he had but one friend, another old man named John Spaniard,” (page 36). The connection to this is that the doctor had given up on trying on the outside world, after the death of his wife. He had forgotten all about the outside world and didn’t feel he needed to become a part of it anymore. The windows show his ignorance to Winesburg and acceptance in his own loneliness.

CONNECTION TO THEME: The crops in the story represent the rejection in the story.

TEST: The crops in the story, such as the trees and apples show rejection in the story through the doctor and John Spaniard, the doctor’s friend. John Spaniard is the doctor’s only friend, and owns a tree nursery. The fact that he owns a tree nursery and is the doctor’s only friend shows the rejection between the doctor and the rest of Winesburg. “On the trees are only a few gnarled apples the pickers have rejected…One nibbles at them and they are delicious…Only few know the sweetness of the twisted apples.” (page 36). This quote shows the rejection from the rest of Winesburg into the twisted apples, which Doctor Reefy collects into his pockets. Doctor Reefy is connected with picking the apples, the tree nursery, and the orchards because he is rejected from Winesburg, which we know from page 35, “Winesburg had forgotten the old man,”.

CONNECTION TO THEME: The black vs. white is shown in the story as white means innocence and black means loss of innocence.

TEST: White is seen throughout the story as innocence by the doctor’s white beard, white horse, as well as the two men who were interested in the tall, dark girl who married the doctor. However, the dark symbolizes evil and the loss of innocence. “One of them, a slender young man with white hands, the son of a jeweler in Winesburg, talked continually of virginity…The other, a black-haired boy with large ears, said nothing at all but always managed to get her into the darkness, where he began to kiss her.” (page 37). The man had white hands and talked continually of virginity, which symbolizes his innocence. However, the man with black-hair never talked and pulled her into the darkness to kiss her, which showed his lack of innocence and his desire of using her.

Hands

THEMES: Man vs. himself

IMAGERY: boys, berries, animals, fields, hands, white, dreams

CONNECTION TO THEME: The boys in the story represent innocence and carelessness in “Hands”.

TEST: Boys are the story’s connection to innocence, playfulness, and carelessness. Like seen on page 27, “A boy clad in a blue shirt leaped from the wagon and attempted to drag after him one of the maidens, who screamed and protested shrilly. The feet of the boy in the road kicked up a cloud of dust that floated across the face of the departing sun.” (page 27). This quote shows the playfulness in the boy, as well as his carelessness. Boys also show the lack of care and concern in the story. This is shown many times, one on page 31, when George Willard says, “There is something wrong, but I don’t want to know what it is. His hands have something to do with his fear of me and everyone.” (page 31). Another example is on page 32, when there is speculation on Wing Biddlebaum’s motives. “He put his arms about me,’ said one. ‘His fingers were always playing in my hair,’ said another.” (page 32). This shows the boys innocence and lack of concern, as they were not alarmed about Wing Biddlebaum’s motives until their fathers (men) had brought it to their attention.

CONNECTION TO THEME: The hands in the story represent change and fear.

TEST: Hands shows the change throughout the story, and the fear within that change. Back in Wing Biddlebaum’s youth, the days where he was Adolph Myers, he was known for being a natural-born schoolteacher. His hands are what changed all of that. His hands that touched the boys, and those words that still remained with him, “Keep your hands to yourself”. From his hands brought change and brought him to Winesburg, where the hands “became his distinguishing feature, his source of his fame.” (page 29). With his hands, he was no longer the man known as the excellent schoolteacher, but as the man with the hands who “had picked as high as a hundred and forty quarts of strawberries in a day.” (page 29). This change also brought fear, which is shown in almost every sentence in the story. The fear was that his story would get out, the fear of his own hands, the hands that are to blame for the story. “The hands alarmed their owner. He wanted to keep them hidden away.” (page 28). Throughout the story, he is trying to hide his hands, like how he is trying to hide himself. As Wing says earlier, the only person he has ever come close to in town is George Willard. George says on page 31, “His hands have something to do with his fear of me and everyone.”

CONNECTION TO THEME: The dreams in the story represent the desire to restart life.

TEST: Every time that dreams are brought into the story, they paint a picture of what Wing Biddlebaum desires. These dreams are often about the way life could restart, or be completely different. “Out of the dream Wing Biddlebaum made a picture for George Willard. In the picture men lived again in a kind of pastoral golden age. Across a green open country came clean-limbed young men, some afoot, some mounted upon horses. In crowds the young men came to gather about the feet of an old man who sat beneath a tree in a tiny garden and who talked to them.” (page 30). This is symbolic to schoolchildren listening to their teacher, Wing Biddlebaum’s old life as Aldolf Myers. 

The Book of Grotesque Imagery Blog

THEMES: fear of death, age doesn’t determine youthfulness

IMAGERY: bed, windows, trees, smoker, youth, age, pregnancy

CONNECTION TO THEME: The bed in the story represent the writer’s reflection in the story.

TEST: The bed in The Book of The Grotesque represents the place where the writer can let his mind unwind and have thoughts race through his head. Page 21 tells us that the writer was a smoker and was concerned about his heart. On page 22, “The idea had got to his mind that he would some time die unexpectedly and always when he got into bed he thought of that.” This goes back on page 21, where it tells us that he had some difficulty getting into bed, the place where his thoughts were let out and he thought about death, something he feared. The bed is also the place where he lets his mind dream, until he gets out of bed and begins to write again. “It made him more alive, there in that bed, than any other time” (Page 22). This shows the pleasure that he had sitting in bed by letting his mind go and just think.

CONNECTION TO THEME: The windows in the story represent the writer’s connection to the outside world.

TEST: The writer is very cut off from the world, as all he does is stay inside and write, waiting to pass away. The want the writer desires to have the bed closer to the windows shows the writer’s want to be closer to the outside world. One might also view the windows as the writer’s connection to youthfulness and being reborn. “The windows of the house in which he lived were high and he wanted to look at the trees when he awoke in the morning” (page 21). Trees represent rebirth and growing up. On page 22, he talks about the youth growing inside of him, and makes many other connections to his youth as well as others’ youth. The writer wants the bed, where the youth grows inside of him, to be up next to the window, where the youth is happening right outside the window in the form of trees. 

Truths

What were your truths as a child? Which truths did you "lose"/"give  up" as you grew older? Why was this important?

What truths do you grapple with or see others around you grapple with?

As a child, my truth was that after you died, you come back as into life as a new person. I lost this truth when I grew up when I realized there was also heaven and hell. This wasn't very important, because there are still no solid evidence that what I believed as a child and what I believe now is right or wrong. Growing up, I also realized there wasn't a Santa Clause or Tooth Fairy, a truth I believed as a child. This was important because I realized that my parents must have gone through a lot of hard work to pretend there was a Santa, especially to have presents from Santa and my parents.

Others grapple with the truths of religion. Some people after an unfortunate event lose their trust in their truth that there is a god, while some other people may feel stronger that there is a god. Other people, such as the older kids in elementary school grapple with the truth of Santa Clause. There is that one year of elementary school where half of the class believes in Santa and the other half does not. During this time, you have people giving reasons why they believe there is a Santa or why there isn't a Santa.

Eyes and Teeth

The short story called "Eyes and Teeth" is from the book "Coming of Age in America" by Wanda Coleman. The story is told by a girl who is playing with her cousin, Buzz. They are both the oldest of their family, and their mothers are sisters. They are playing hide and go seek, when Buzz hears his mom talking to his aunt in the kitchen. She says that she loves her new baby, and his color. She goes on to say how ugly Buzz is, and how she can't stand to look at him. When he hears this, he starts crying and runs out of the room. His mother then notices that Buzz had been listening the whole time, and runs to try and apologize. What I didn't like is that the story wasn't very clear on what happened. I did like that the story was dramatic. I don't think this would be a very good story to use later on because it was so short.

A Spell of Kona Weather

A Spell of Kona Weather is a story from the book Coming of Age in America. The story is told by Annie, a girl who is living with her grandma and sister, Lulu. They live with their grandma because when their father died, their mom went insane and left them. Lulu has just gotten out of the hospital, as she drove off a cliff after hearing news that her lover, Jimmy, had died in Vietnam. Lulu has been acting strange ever since then, swimming alone and far, stealing things from her grandmother. One day, Annie and her grandmother are getting in a fight because Lulu had told Annie that she got a letter from their mom asking her to come visit her in Oregon. The grandmother says that this is just one of Lulu's made up stories, as their mom was in a mental institution in California. She said that a few years ago her brain "got zapped", and ever since then she hasn't been doing much writing. Lulu overhears the conversation and sprints out of the house towards the beach, and once arriving, starts swimming. Annie hates swimming in the ocean more than anything, but when she saw Lulu swimming away from her, she had to follow her out and catch her. She catches her and they go back to sit on the beach. Later that night, the grandmother decides that it is best for Lulu to go away for a while, like their mom. The theme of this story was that the post effects of a death can drive you insane, like it did for both the mother and the daughter. I liked this story because I thought it was interesting to hear about all the stories that Lulu made up, and then to learn about all the secrets hidden from the two sisters. I think that this would be a good story to analyze because of the theme.

Bastard out of Carolina

"Bastard out of Carolina" was a short story from the book Coming of Age in America by Dorothy Allison. The characters in this book are the mom, the cousins, Grey and Garvey, and the daughter. The story is told by the daughter, who has just been caught stealing candy from the local stores with her cousins. The mom is reprimanding her, and says she never wants to catch her stealing ever again. The mom says this because she doesn't want her daughter to end up like her nephew, who now can't stop stealing things. The mom makes the daughter go downtown to the store where she stole the candy and confess to her crime. She is then banned from visiting the store by the owner until her mom thinks that she is ready to go back. The theme of this story is to do the right thing, even when no one is watching. I liked this story because it gave you a good background on what was happening, and they went into detail to explain the family and their struggles. There wasn't much that I didn't like of this story. This was on of my favorite stories that I read of the seven, because it was the most interesting. Even though the story is very short, I think that it would be a good story to read for the future, because a lot happens.

The Jacket

The Jacket is a short story in the book "Coming of Age in America" by Gary Soto. The story is told by a Mexican-American, who's mother bought him an ugly green jacket. The story talks about the ugly green jacket he had to to wear for two years, his fifth and sixth grade year. The story tells the tale about the jacket the boy had to live with for years, and the embarrassment and teasing he had to endure because of it. There were many times in the book where the boy tried to throw the jacket away, but it kept coming back. The boy kept the jacket to please his mother, even though he cried over it, because he wanted a leather jacket. He was always upset because his mother had such a bad taste in jacket. There wasn't much that I didn't like from the book, because it was so short. Because it was so short, only four pages, I don't think that it would be a very good story to use later on. 

My Son the Murderer

My Son the Murderer is  a short story by Bernard Malamud. The story takes place in New York, as one of the characters often takes the trolleybus to Coney Island. The characters in the story are the father, Leo, the mother, the daughter (who is older and raising children of her own), and the son, Harry. Harry has just graduated college and is 22. He is quiet and keeps to himself, and yells at his parents most of the time. His mother is gone most of the day, as she is helping her pregnant daughter with her kids. The father, Leo, has taken time off of work because he is worried about his son. His son stays at home during the day and doesn't work, keeps to himself, is clearly unhappy, and often takes walks by himself. The theme of the story is failed communication between the family. The brother and sister never talk to each other, as the sister says he doesn't respect her as a sister, but as another mother. There is also very little communication between the mom and dad. Like The Girl with the Pimply Face, this story also didn't use quotation marks, which made it hard to follow. Though it was hard to understand at first, I liked how the story would switch rolls between the father and son. However, I don't think think this would be a good story to choose, because it is so short.

The Girl with a Pimply Face

As we discussed in class, you need to write a well-developed paragraph about each of the 7-10 short stories you read.  You may post them all at once or as separate posts.  Each paragraph should address the following: a) the story's author and title, b) what the story is about (plot based), c) what the story is about (thematically), d) what you liked (elements of fiction, etc.) e) what you didn't like, f) why the story is/is not a contender for you to ultimately write your essay on.  Please remember that these are talking points NOT a formula for paragraph organization that you must follow.  Your paragraph should be reflective, well-developed, and demonstrate real thought about the story read.  This said, it may be less formal than an essay as this is your blog and contains your active thoughts.


The Girl with a Pimply Face is a short story written by William Carlos Williams. The story takes place in New York and is told by the doctor who is doing a house call on a very sick baby. The characters in the story are the doctor, the sick baby, the mother (who can't speak English well), the father, and the 15-year-old daughter. The doctor comes to the house expecting the parents of the sick baby, however the 15-year-old girl opens the door. She brings him to the baby, but tells him to come back around 5, when her father will be home. She also asks him what she can do for her pimples. He says that she has acne, and writes a prescription for her. Later on when he comes back to the house, he discovers that the baby has a severe cognitional heart problem.  The mother begs him to save her baby, and that she will pay him however much to save her baby. In one of the doctor's later visits to the house, he realizes that the mother is an alcoholic. I liked that this story was sort of mysterious, and you wanted to know  more. However, this story was extremely painful to read because the author did not use quotation marks when people were speaking. This made it hard to understand what was happening during the entire story. I think this story could be good to use in the future, because of the doctors motives behind helping the family that he never received a penny from. I think that the theme of this story was to try and help anyone the best you can, even if you aren't getting anything in return.

The Kind of Light That Shines in Texas

 what you liked (elements of fiction, etc.) e) what you didn't like, 


One of the stories I read was in the book "Coming of Age in America". It was called "The Kind of Light That Shines in Texas" by Reginald McKnight. The story is told by Clint, an African-American boy living in Waco, Texas. There are only three black kids in Clint's school; a girl, a boy, Marvin, whom Clint hates because he brings nothing to the classroom, and Clint. The story focuses on Clint's struggle in the school because of his skin color. I liked this story because it was well detailed, easy to understand and read, and wasn't boring. The theme of the story is to stand up for what you believe in, no matter what the consequences may be. I think that this might be a good story to write the essay on, because it is a long story that is interesting, but is not too long. I liked this story because it was interesting and you wanted to keep reading it. The only thing that I didn't like was the ending of the story, because it just ended abruptly and left you wanting to know what happened. Besides the ending, I think that "The Kind of Light That Shines in Texas" was one of my favorite stories I read of the seven.

Think about the title of the story you will be reading soon: “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Then think about conversations you’ve had with your parents that have sounded very similar to the title. Recount a story or two of when you and your parents have had a conversation, either a good or bad, where they have been very involved, either appropriately so or overly so, according to your view. How did the conversation go? What made the conversation good and/or bad? What was the tone like? What language (think diction) was used? When did the conversation take place? In short, constructively evaluate your parents’ parenting as it relates to the title of this short story. I recommend that you blog before you read the story. This should be 3+ well-developed paragraphs or the equivalent of at least one page double-spaced. (DUE: Y: 9/17 B,G,R,P: 9/20)

My parents and I get in fights a lot about where I am going, and the next day, where I have been. Usually, I tell the truth about where I am, and where I have been, but we do get in fights a lot about it. I think because of recent times, I've learned to know to tell the truth on where I went and where I have been. Especially since my parents are going to find out the truth one day or another.

After I became ungrounded this summer, my parents let me drive to Grace's house. They asked where I was going, and I told them Grace's. They over reacted by writing down the mileage on my car. The conversation went fine, after I told them that when I got to Grace's, I would give her parents my keys. The tone was me talking shyly and trying to leave, and my parents talking sternly. The conversation took place a few weeks ago, outside on the patio. I think my parents probably said the exact words to the title of this story. Even though my parents figured out by Grace’s mom that I had stopped somewhere first on my way to Grace’s, my family trusted me enough to not go outside and look at my mileage. I’m rebuilding the trust with my parents that I lost over the summer, and I think I’ve learned my lesson now.

Now that it has been a month or so since last getting in trouble, I don't think I will be lying about where I am anytime soon. I've learned that I should just go to the right place, and don't lie about it. If something comes up, and I have to stay somewhere I wasn't told to stay, I should call my parents and tell the truth.

Unfinished Blog

1.What were your initial reactions to the story? What emotions do you think the author is trying to evoke from the reader AND why? Use at least two direct quotes as textual support for your opinions.

My initial reaction to this story was that this woman would be talking about her daughter who must be out of control. I thought this because on the first page someone says, "She's a youngster who needs help and whom I'm deeply interested in  helping." But as you read on, the narrater goes back talking to how beautiful her daughter was as a child. "She was a beautiful baby." -page 172. Because she repeats this exact same line right now the page, I thought she might be another crazy like The Yellow Wallpaper. However, that turned out not to be the case. The author is trying to evoke sadness and grief for the narrator and her family. "She was a miracle to me, but when she was eight months old I had to leave her daytimes with the woman downstairs to whom she was no miracle at all, for I worked or looked for work and for Emily's fathers, who "could no longer endure" (he wrote in his good-bye note) "sharing want with us." This sentence makes you feel sorrow towards the family, as the daughter is left with a nanny at such a young age because her father's left and her mother is trying to find work.

2.What message is our narrator trying to communicate through the last line of the story? Explain your interpretation in as much detail as possible.

The narrator is trying to communicate that this is the end of the story. What happened to Emily, her rough childhood, happened and there is no more that can be done. The last line is trying to say that Emily has overcome the obstacles in her life, and she is not hopeless. She has the ability to go out and change and lead a better life.

august 27

People can trap their selves by restricting their selves to just one identity for the rest of their life. If a person who has always spent their life in the library reading, socializing with people who like the do the same, he or she is going to feel it's impossible for he or she to reach out of that bubble they've trapped their selves in. People also trap their selves because once they reach a level of comfort, they don't feel the need to branch out, try new things, or go out of their way to do much else. I think stereotypes and confidence levels trap teenagers. A teenager might want to try a new sport, but is concerned everyone will think, "oh, they can't do that, they've never done it before, they can't start now." People can be trapped when they are scared to try new things. A person becomes trapped when they want to branch out from the norm, but is too scared to do so. The feeling of being trapped is a feeling of nervousness, but a wish to try something new. Sometimes, you just feel too comfortable where you are to try something new, leading you to be trapped. You feel if you "untrap" yourself, you may loose that level of comfort and never be able to regain it.

a) JUNIOR YEAR: 

My expectations about junior year is that it will be the hardest year to balance. I think I will find most success in English. I think my biggest challenge will be completing all my work on time and to the best of my ability while juggling other things outside of school. I would like to make a difference in the Whitfield community by making it a more relaxed community, where people aren't nervous to talk to each other and can feel comforable at school. I will lead by making an effort to talk to more people during field hockey and get to know them better. 

b) ENGLISH 11: 

I expect English 11 to be a class where I work hard and take lots of time on my work. I think you can help me by being clear on the projects and assignments. I think my greatest strength in English is my writing. I think my biggest challenge will be completing all my work on time. 

c) YOUR SECTION OF ENGLISH 11: 

This section is a section where most of us have been in the same class before, so I feel like we will work well together. I feel like I can add proofreading over my piers work to the section. I think the aspect of my self that well be accentuated is that I habitually add comma's and fix grammar errors such as they're/there/their in peoples' work that I'm proofreading for different reasons. I think this section will work well together because everyone knows each other well and are good friends.