movies...

I am not a huge movie fan, but i know a good movie when I see one. My top 10 favorite movies are as following: The Shawshank Redemption, It's a Wonderful Life, The Boondock Saints, Into the Wild, The Godfather,The Godfather part II, Shutter Island, Brave heart, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Anchorman. I prefer drama or action packed movies to comedies. I also like to watch anything that makes me think beyond what is shown in the picture.

I don't really enjoy watching movies, and I only do when I am extremely bored. I also hate watching movies with friends because all I want to do is criticize it and talk to them, and I think watching movies is an unsocial and boring thing to do with people. I feel that I just lack the focus to watch movies, and I get bored if the plot isn't interesting. I would much rather watch TV shows than movies, as they do not take as long.

I like watching movies with my little brother, because he has a similar personality with me and has a sarcastic view on things. he could talk throughout any movie and it wouldn't bother me at all, in fact I feel that it enhances my movie watching experience. This causes problems, as most people want silence when watching movies, so I would advise that you do not see a movie with me and him.

Themes

Things breaking in death of a salesman are examples of how Willy's life is falling apart. He cannot hold together his family and job, and is going mad. Willy's failing car represents his failing business, for as a salesman his car is his office. The porch shows how the family is being tattered, and it is just a broken remnant of what used to be a good thing. I am interested to see how this theme will carry on into the next acts.

Another theme in the play is Time. When Ben visits, he is in a hurry to leave. This shows the closing window for Willy to be successful, as his brother has little time to spend with him because of his work. Willy's lack of a clock keeps him living in the past, and is causing him to go crazy. Willy's struggle against time is a losing battle, as he cannot stay in the present and does not have a whole lot of time left in his life.

Nostalgia is the most occurring theme in my opinion. Willy i stuck thinking in the past because he had more hope and promise during that time. This was before his sons were failures, and had seemingly unlimited potential. He was still a young man, and he thought his business could only go up. This was a better time for Willy, as he was still on the path to success and thought it would continue. His view of the American Dream was not yet ruined by the harsh reality of life during his past, and that is why his thoughts stay in this time.

Death of a Salesman

1. Willy wants his sons to work hard to make it in life. He is a hard working sales man, and thinks that his sons can achieve success through hard work like he did. This is an important value to be teaching his sons, as they went through high school being very popular and having alot going for them, but now find themselves back at home without work. This concept is very worthwhile to teach young men. Hard work will prevent you from taking your success for granted, and make you work for all that you earn.

2. Willy lives a stressed overworked life. He is getting old, and is beginning to lose his sense. This causes him to have conflicting views, and he thinks too much about unimportant things. His wife Linda plays along with him and supports all that he says. I think that this has two effects, for in the short term it helps Willy and herself, as he won't snap at her and he won't get distressed. However, letting it continue can prevent him from ever stopping. I think she should continue doing what she is doing, as it is not completely harmful to anyone.

The Scarlet Letter movie

This week in class we watched the movie of the novel we've been reading. I found it quite funny, especially the scene with Dimmesdale going crazy and the appearance of the "A" in the sky. I also found the Chillingworth character to be very creepy and was not as I had envisioned him to be. Despite the low quality of the film, it captured the story perfectly and stayed true to the book. I like watching the movie, as it paints a better picture of what is happening in the story.
I found the writing in the book to be difficult to follow. This was because of the time it was written in, and it is more difficult to process the essence of what is happening without thinking twice about what you read. I also disliked the over done descriptions used by the author, as they made simple scenes confusing. This is why I like to read a book, and watch it's movie to get the full effect of it. I am not sure, however, if this is just due to my lack of creativity while reading.
I think I felt like this about the Scarlet Letter because I really didn't like the story. I thought the Crucible was much better, and had a far superior movie. When I read a book that I am truly interested in I do not need a movie to imagine the story in my head. I still find that movies will add to the effect of the book, even though it impossible for them to encompass the entire plot. This does not bother me, as I am not married to the text and both are just mere forms of entertainment in my view.

Whatchu know about having a scarlet letter?

The classic novel, The Scarlet Letter, displays a theme of labeling and judging people. This goes for many of us, as we are often caught holding a view on a person we hardly know. The whole phrase "don't judge a book by its cover" speaks for this very problem. It is hard to look past one's past, but before a certain extent of wrong doing, people deserve redemption and  a second chance. I believe that it is hard to look past one's flaws, but harder to correct one's own.
Nobody is perfect, and people realize when they have made mistakes, but it is impossible to know the whole story and this makes looking past reputation more difficult. I see mistakes as lessons, and to quote the late rapper Guru: "lessons are blessings you should learn through." People continue to make mistakes, but is learning from them that makes us better people. I believe that a person becomes "bad" if they fail to learn from there mistakes and continue doing wrong. This does not always hold true, as many may not experience the negative side or receive punishment for their wrong actions.
This is why i believe it is unjust to place labels on people too soon. I have made mistakes in my life, as any human does, and I do not feel that i can judge someone who is no worse than me. It is hard tow place opinions on people, because you never know what goes on in their lives. I try to follow the golden rule, to treat others as you have been treated. I feel that anyone who has been labelled in any way would agree with me on this view.

Free Speech

In English class we had a deep discussion about free speech with the display. I believe that it was a good talk, and it was interesting to see other people's point of view on this issue. I believe that Free Speech has some limits, but unwritten ones that retain to decency. Peoples views and opinions can never be silenced, but one must limit the extent in which they express their thoughts in order to not offend anyone unjustly.

Many people try to be kind, but there are many hate groups that abuse free speech. I believe that free speech should not be regulated, but i feel that this gift also bears the burden of dealing with hate. It is legal for them to say it, but I believe that it is not morally right if they abuse the power. This is difficult, because  not every one holds the same moral values, and many of these values will conflict. This causes problems, but the point of our country is to allow the freedom of any citizen.

This topic could bring up arguments, but that is an example of how views often interfere with one another. The problem is, i believe, that people do not always thing before they act. Many make mistakes and offend others, but that is human life. There is no way to set regulations over free speech, but the gift of speaking your mind can cause problems with other people. Nothing in life is free, and the ability to have free speech is not an exception to the rule.

False Accusations

Many of us in our lives have been subject to false accusations. It is difficult to stand up for yourself when people think that they're right. It is a common theme in the Crucible, and it was brought to my attention while watching the movie. I can't help but feel sorry for John Proctor, as he is in a tough situation. False accusations are a terrible problem in life.

I have been the victim of them many times before. Many of these examples happened at school, and I received punishment for no reason. I thought it was a good idea to accept the punishment and not argue out of it, as it would only lead to further trouble. It is hard to sway someone's guilty verdict on you when you have nothing to back it up with. I try not to blame things on other people because of my own personal experience of being falsely accused.

People need to be careful with what they say, because putting blame on others can be harmful. It is almost like lying to ruin their reputation, but not intentional. Even though it is not on purpose, the result is the same as if it were deliberate. It is difficult sometimes not to put blame on or to accuse others, but it is good to try not too. This injustice will never go away, but it can be avoided with effort.

Whatchu know about themes?

In english class this week we have been talking in depth about themes. I find them interesting, because they help me relate literature to reality. The Crucible contains many themes that are relative to our lives. One in particular brought up some thought for me. The most interesting theme I find is the mob mentality and how it clouds our way of thinking.
This theme brought up many things in history, in particular I have been thinking about Nazi Germany. Adolph Hitler used his manipulative ways to brainwash an entire nation that was in distress. With his rallies, he would energize the common man to make them feel as if they were part of a just cause. This was a prime example of how mob mentality can influence people's thinking. It is interesting to look at history, literature, and our lives and see how close that they parallel each other.
I even see this with people that I know. I believe that in life there are leaders, and there are followers. Many  kids become like the people that they associate themselves with. I have seen many friends fall into problems because of the people that the kids that they hang out with, it is an unfortunate part of life.  Social cliques exist because of this life theme. I am glad that we are learning about this English this year and am excited to continue learning about themes and see how they relate to the world.

Puritans, Pilgrims, and us.

 In class the topic of many of our discussions have been the Puritans. I find this to be an interesting topic, especially because it is closely tied with the founding of our state. Most of our roots in Massachusetts come from them and the Pilgrims. They're settlement here started the state we now live in today, and we see many of their affects here today still.

Salem End rd. here in Framingham gets its name from the people that fled during the witch trials. The Salem Witch trials were started over religious zealotry and the faulty trials sent people away from Salem and its past. I find it interesting that our town was founded by Thomas Danforth, a Puritan from Salem during the same time of the trials. Our entire town can trace its roots back to the Puritans.

Massachusetts as a whole keeps the history of its settlers close. The practice of Thanksgiving was originally started by the pilgrims at the site of Plymouth Plantation. Even the rock that the Pilgrims supposedly landed on is remembered as a tourist trap here in Massachusetts. New England culture as a whole was defined by the Pilgrims and Puritans, and i am glad that we are learning more about them this year in English. I am glad to live here in Framingham, so I feel glad that the English settlers made it possible, and created the way of life that we still keep as a base of our New England heritage.

Whatchu know about Puritans?

      Throughout American history the Puritans have held a bad reputation of being unpleasant people. This was due to their abuse of many people because of their self righteous ways. Although their goal was to start anew in America to practice their own faith, their tyrannical and brutal methods of government and society proved to be a negative impact on the American dream, as they were more focused on their own "Puritan dream". Historical events, such as the Salem witchcraft trials, show that the Puritanical rule stripped citizens of their freedom, which I believe to be counter active to the American dream. The Puritans negative reputation is well merited in American history, as their new society was no better than the one many fled in coming to America.

      Upon settling in Massachusetts and forming the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the puritans, headed by John Winthrop, created a new society based upon their own beliefs. Unlike other immigrants coming to America the Puritans and Pilgrims were well educated people who were not desperately seeking a better life. They benefited from the American Dream by becoming masters of their own destiny, but had no contribution to it. Their strict laws prevented sinners from becoming successful in America, and instead shunned them from society with no correctional programs other than unjust prisoning and public humiliation. This, alongside with their complete lack of toleration for any of the Old World faiths, and anything that was in contrast to their own, do not coincide with the American dream that we know today.

     The Puritans simply wanted to establish a new community based on their own beliefs. However, because of their intolerable ways and arrogant mentality, they receive a poor reputation in our history. They believed that freedom caused men to become evil, which is a possibility, but not true in many case. They were also hypocritical, as they went against their beliefs of following authority by illegally purchasing land from Indians. They were no better than anyone else of the time, but their pompous self righteousness attaches them to the bitter reputation in which they rightfully hold today.

The American Dream and the Trady family.

     Millions of families across this great nation have experienced the American dream in some way. My parents are living the freedom of home ownership and I too am benefiting from their work by having a suitable place to live. However, without the help of my grandparents fulfilling the American Dream I am not sure if my situation would be as good as it is today. As immigrants coming from poverty and rising to the middle class, I see both my grandfathers as inspirations to me. Their hard work and determination throughout their lives acts as a perfect exampling of working towards the American Dream for my family.


     My father's father, Tom Brady, lived in the Bronx as an orphaned Irish immigrant during the early part of the 20th century. I have heard countless stories from him about his experiences in the city, and about his aunt and uncle who raised him as their son. He worked his way into college, graduated, but as World War II came around he had no choice but to join the armed forces. He enlisted in the Navy and reached the rank of captain. On one event his ship was torpedoed by a German submarine and was adrift in the Atlantic for days until being rescued by Portuguese fishermen. This, along with other amazing experiences, showed to him to keep living his life to the fullest. At the war's end he later married my grandmother and raised a family. His life was a perfect example of the American Dream, as he came from the slums of New York to raising a middleclass family in Framingham, MA.

     My mother's father, Ron Buttarazzi, grew up in Rochester, New York with his brother and mother. His father was incredibly abusive and ended up going to prison, and because his mother could not afford a house, he lived in a Catholic Church rectory while his mother worked as a maid and his uncle (who acted as a father figure) was a priest there. His brother and he knew very little English, and they were considered by many richer people as urchins or beggars. He was, and still is, a firm believer in educational opportunities. He worked his way into Le Moyne College, and later became valedictorian from Syracuse Law School. He became an attorney and later a town judge. His hard work set the path for his family into success and I am very grateful for his achievement of the dream.

Those are just two examples of how the American dream affects my family, and my grandmother's too have interesting stories about their lives, but I am not as familiar with them. My family acts as an inspiration to work hard and follow the dream.