Yates



**1) What do you feel your portfolio says about you as a 9th grade English student? What are we as viewers supposed to "get"/understand about you when we see your work?** I think that this portfolio shows that I am a very hardworking student. Throughout the year, I have worked very hard on my pieces, from coming up with a thesis to uploading the revised work here on wikispaces. This portfolio also shows the progression of my writing skills throughout the year. I started off with the basic principle of writing a 5 paragraph essay with a three-point thesis. I then moved onto to a higher level in the memoir unit where I learned how to make my writing more spicy and appealing to the reader by using numerous stylistic devices. The Macbeth unit was next and I further learned how to effectively analyze quotes and writing rhymed poems. The final piece of work that shows my growth is this unit. In this unit, I learned how to organize a large amount of information and combine it into 1 cohesive website that includes text, slides, audio and pictures. I have learned a lot from this portfolio and these skills will be invaluable as I face a much more difficult playing field in 10th grade. I want viewers to see that I am learning and that I am becoming a better English student.

As you may have seen, English is not always about writing a 5 paragraph essay. There is also a hands-on creative aspect. One of my strengths is that I am a very creative person who can communicate the central ideas of my writing by using pictures and poetry. One example of this is my Me Magazine project where my images and advertisements related back to what I was talking about in the text. Another example is my Macbeth Creative Project. It shows how I can use rhymed poetry and images to explain the long quote analysis. Another one of my strengths is that when I read the books, I retained most of the information and I did well on all of my quizzes throughout the year. One of my weaknesses is that I have problems with grammar and punctuation. On all of my benchmarks, I got marked down because I had poor grammar and punctuation. I think that I can still work on making a 1 point thesis. I have grasped a general understanding of what it is but I think that I need a little bit more practice with this. I know from here on out, I will be writing 1 point thesis essays so I will have a lot of practice in 10th grade and beyond.
 * 2) What do you consider to be your strengths in English? What are your weaknesses? What would you still want to work on? **


 * 3) What were your experiences in making this portfolio? What issues did you encounter? How did you resolve them? **

It was really fun and inspiring for me to look back at all the work that I did throughout and everything that I have learned. I did not encounter any major issues while making this portfolio. I worked really hard on the pieces during the year so I did not have to edit much. I just had to check for grammatical errors and typos. Wikispaces was easy to use while uploading my files, editing them and adding photos. The main issue was organizing this wikipage. I did not know that the pieces had to be in a specific order. At first, I placed them in chronological order but then I looked at the handout and I saw the order that they were supposed to be in.


 * 4) What is the piece you are most proud of, and why? **

The piece that I am most proud of is the project on Macbeth. This was the best project of the year. I had so much fun. It also reflected one of my strengths, and this is effectively analyzing quotes. This project also proved to me that I am fairly good at writing rhymed poems and making effective presentations. This project was also very open and you could do whatever you want. For all of the other projects, you had to follow a set criteria but for the Macbeth Creative project, you could have done a podcast, Imovie, Keynote, Powerpoint, photo essay, rap, anything.



This is the Odyssey Essay and it is based on Homer's, __The Odyssey__. This was our first benchmark of the year and it was a written piece in the format of a 5 paragraph essay. There had to be an introduction, 3 body paragraphs and a conclusion which are all centered around a 3-point thesis. My thesis focused on the characteristics that make __The Odyssey__ and excellent story.



Our ancestors have passed down stories from generation to generation since the beginning of time. These range from ancient drawings by cavemen on walls to the soothing bedtime stories that parents read to put their child to sleep to primeval, epic Greek literature such as __The Odyssey.__ This book follows the journey of a fearsome warrior by the name of Odysseus who is held against his will on an island far away in the ocean by the Nymph Calypso. __The Odyssey__ captures his struggles and endeavors to get home to his family and also that of his family as they cope with his disappearance. Some of these stories can be delightful and entertaining but others are atrocious and defective. Stories that do not contain interesting plots to captivate the readers attention or attractive characters that possesses traits that make them unique are not that excellent. Incorporating embroilment, drama and exquisite language of text are the characteristics that make __The Odyssey__ and engaging and unique story.

Embroilment is a strong theme in __The Odyssey__ that stands out to the reader. One such case is the animosity between Odysseus and Poseidon, God of the Sea. These two have crossed each other’s path due to the fact that Odysseus gouged out the eyes of his Cyclops son Polyphemus. This horrific event fueled Poseidon’s seething rage towards Odysseus: “At that, a massive wave came crashing down on his head, a teriffic onslaught spinning his craft round and round- he was thrown clear of the decks” (lines 346-348 on page 162). In this quote, Poseidon being Lord of the Sea, generated a huge storm to bring pain and suffering to Odysseus and destroy his small craft so that he could not reach his destination. This sent shrills and fright down Odysseus’s heart and Poseidon got his vengeance. This also destroyed Odysseus’s craft, throwing him overboard and he had nothing else to do than to swim to shore. Although Poseidon had Odysseus to deal with he also had another enemy to worry about. In __The Odyssey__, Poseidon and Zeus are brothers and they are also gods, Zeus is plotting against his own brother to foil his plans. Book one is where it all began. Poseidon wanted vengeance on Odysseus for blinding his Cyclops son so he drove him far off his course from his native land. Zeus, who admired Odysseus wanted to save him from Poseidon’s wrath. To do this, he formed an alliance with the other gods to force Poseidon to stop what he was doing. While these two immortal gods were rivaling, drama was brewing between Odysseus and Calypso.

Calypso saved Odysseus from a watery grave, as he was casted away into the wine dark sea. From here a relationship sprang with more drama along the way. She loved Odysseus and wanted to keep him as his immortal husband but Odysseus was determined to return home, to his wonderful son Telemachus and his loyal wife Penelope. Calypso kept Odysseus on her wave washed island of Ogygia against his will for years, using him for her own personal needs. She stated, “ Much as you long to see your wife, the one you pine for all your days. I just might claim to be nothing less than she, neither in shape nor figure. Hardly right is it, for mortal women to rival an immortal goddess? How, in build? In beauty?” (lines 231- 236 on page 159). Calypso, determined to make Odysseus her own, tried to charm Odysseus. She thought that Odysseus might change his mind if he understood the bounty her love and power but Odysseus was determined to go home or die trying. In this quote Calypso is trying to comprehend why Odysseus wants to leave her for Penelope. Penelope was a mortal and did not have great power and beauty. Calypso on the other hand had lovely braids, boundless beauty and the power to make Odysseus immortal. She wants to know why Odysseus cannot choose the better life and stay with her because Penelope did not meet her standards. The big picture that Calypso does not get about real love is that no amount of pain and heartache can drown the love that you have for someone. Drama can be more enticing and appealing if figurative language is added to make it more descriptive.

Figurative language is used by Homer throughout __The Odyssey__ to draw the reader into the story and give him/her a more descriptive scene. It gives a special spice to the words that stands out to the reader. Figurative language also makes the text in the book more engaging to the reader as a particular idea is exaggerated. One example of this was when Athena said: “ Think: Not one of the people he ruled remembered Odysseus, how, that godlike man!” (lines 12-13 on page 152). This quote contains a metaphor because it compares Odysseus to a god without using like or as. Odysseus was seen as a god by most people because he possessed such godlike characteristics such as superior wisdom and will. Although he was a superior mortal, this idea is blown out of proportion to the fact that he was called a God. In this quote, Athena is telling his father Zeus that since Odysseus had not returned home, no one that he ruled over in Ithaca remembered him although he was a distinguished man and he held the stature of a God. Other examples of figurative language are also present in The Odyssey. For instance, “When young dawn with her rose red fingers shone,”(line 550 page 123) is an example of personification. Personification is the giving of life to a lifeless object and dawn does not have fingers. This is just more descriptive as Homer wants the reader to picture how magnificent early sunrise with the rays of sunlight across the morning sky looked. Another figurative language is simile and it is seen in the quote -“ The Phaeacians Islands reaching toward him now over the misty breakers __like__ a shield,” (lines 307-308 page 161). While Odysseus was on the misty waters, he finally saw land far away from shore and they were towering high above his head. The Phaeacian's Islands were very huge, broad and long and they looked like a shield. These islands also acted as a shield to protect him because since Poseidon was hot on his trail, he would be safe if he could reach these islands. Poseidon was the God of the Sea and he could not hurt Odysseus while he was on the island. This is a simile because it compares two things using like. So the Phaeacians Islands were compared to that of the shape of a shield. These simple characteristics can make a good epic story.

Three attributes that make __The Odyssey__ a very rich and exceptional story are embroilment, drama and exquisite language of text. When embroilment is present, it gives the reader a chance to see how people can be can be dreadful, faulty and can turn against their own family and their own friends that they have been with all their life. Embroilment also makes the story more interesting and fun to read as it draws the readers into the story and make them more engaged. Secondly, there is drama and who does not love a great story filled with drama at every twist and turn. Readers are kept on their toes and, they don’t know what is going to happen next. It thrills and overwhelms the reader when elements of drama bring a completely different and unknown side to a character in a story. Finally, the author of books use exquisite language of text such as figurative language to spice up the story and make it more descriptive but the author may also use it to compare what he is writing about in the book to the real world outside that book. It is also exciting because they can also use it to exaggerate. All of these stories that have been passed down from generation to generation may not have all of these qualities but you maybe lucky to find one that have it all. You are in luck because __The Odyssey__ has it all. Just remember that all stories are unique and keep an open mind about all the different varieties that expose the reader to different types of literature.



This memoir unit was the 2nd unit of the year. In this unit, we read __The Freedom Writer's Diary__, __Funny in Farsi__, excerpts from __House o____n__ __Mango Street__ among other pieces of memoir. After reading these memoirs and analyzing the different types of stylistic devices, we had to create our own memoir about an important, defining moment in our lives thus far. We had to include different types of stylistic devices. My whole essay is color coded and a key is provided so that you can know which stylistic device I used. After we finished this, we had to then record our vignette in Garageband or Imovie. My entire project is below, enjoy!!!!

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__**KEY**__

** Magic 3 ** ** Repetition for effect ** ** Opener ** ** Simile ** ** Personification ** ** Foreshadowing ** ** Hyperbole ** ** Humor ** ** Irony ** ** Metaphor ** ** Dialogue **

=__ Yo tengo un acento __=

** I did not always know how to speak proper English. ** This is because in Jamaica, we speak Creole. This is a form of English but the words are shortened and are of a different pronunciation. We also have this accent (maybe you have heard it). Everywhere you go, some people (not all), will make fun of you and pick on you because you are different. Just like how in the Freedom Writer’s Diary, some of the children from different ethnic groups were treated horribly and discriminated against because they were different. At my middle school, ** I got laughed at, picked on and mocked ** just because I had an accent. They did this just because I sounded different and because I did not talk like the rest of the kids. ** Freak! ** ** Weirdo! ** ** Go learn how to speak English before you get up to answer that question. Jamaica Mon. ** ** Dialogue ** ** Magic 3 ** They would say this as I attempted to answer a question in class. I would then stand up and say:** You know what just …! ** I did not have the courage to finish that sentence, fearing they would just tease me more. I sat down, steaming with rage. ** The anger inside me bubbled over ** ** like a pot of hot soup **. As my grandmother use to say, **I was angry as a bull**. As I sat there, I began asking myself. ** How **long will this go on? ** How ** will I be treated when I go off to high school? ** How ** will I stand up to these rascals? ** How ** will I feel at the end of all this crap? What am I going to do, tell the teachers? Not only will I be known as the funny kid with the weird accent but also as a ** chicken, a snitch and a cry baby **. After all, what would the teacher do? ** They would just talk to them about respect and then I would arrive at school to find out that I am still living in the same nightmare. Ha ha ha, that is the last thing I will do. The funny thing is that here are these kids that are lecturing me about my English while I got a better grade than them in English class. See the irony? **

There would be all of these outbursts and snickers. Come on, nothing was funny. I just did not want to get into any fights. Or that was what I thought. One day, I got into a huge fight with one of the kids who were always calling me names. I was just not feeling good that day and I was not going to tolerate these kids tormenting me while I was not feeling happy.** I was a bomb ready to go off. ** So this was how it all happened. I was at lunch eating and then this boy walked up to me and said: ** Do you want some jerk chicken or curry goat with that? ** I replied: ** No thanks! **

The kid came back and said: ** Do you want some jerk chicken or curry goat with that? You Jamaican freak. ** I just got up and started flinging ** punches, kicks and slaps ** all over the kid. I was so fired up. The lunch ladies then dragged me off of him and took me to the principal’s office. I sat there with a blank stare in my eye. I felt ** as scared as a buffalo stepping into crocodile infested waters. ** I knew that my mom would be angry with me because she always said that there is no excuse for getting into a fight at school. ** Will she say: Shamarlon, Shamarlon, you have been at this school for six months and you have already gotten into a fight. What kind of behavior is that? **

Maybe I would even be suspended. I felt ashamed and stupid because I have gotten myself in all this trouble just because of one ignorant person. At the same time, it was a good thing because it must have showed the other kids that I did not like what they were doing and that they should stop. I had to go to a parent teacher conference with my mom and that was where we talked about the problem. I wish that I did not have an accent and that I was like everyone else. To me, my accent was the cause of all my problems. ** My accent was ** ** the reason why ** ** I got into a fight **, ** the reason why ** ** I was laughed at and ** ** the reason why ** ** Middle School was a living nightmare **. I hated Middle School and I was glad when graduation came. Well, the hated middle school part was muy corecto but I was definitely not happy when graduation came. This was because I was the valedictorian. You see the big problem? I had to go up and speak in front of ** millions of parents and guests **. The big problem was that I had and accent. I got home that evening and said to my mom: ** Mom, guess what? I am valedictorian but I do not want to go up and speak with my bad accent. ** She replied: ** Don’t say that. No matter what you say you still have to do it. So it is better if you just get started and stop whining. **

On graduation day, ** I manned up, gave an electrifying speech and got a standing ovation. ** Apart from graduation day, I hated all of middle school. Back home, coming to school in the U.S is supposed to be wonderful and fun but that was the opposite of what I experienced.** I ** knew one thing for sure; ** I ** did not make a few possessed kids break my spirit. ** I ** was very determined and ** I ** was a survivor. ** I ** thought, **“Would I go through the same situation in high school?” If this happens, it would be** ** living in hell where every move you make, you get burned. “Wow, those would be four long years!” **

When I came to SLA, I was glad that what I thought did not become a reality. I knew that SLA would be different because Summer Institute was really engaging and I got along with everybody. Here, no one asked me anything negative about my accent. They actually wished they themselves h ad an accent just like mine. They would say: ** “That is such a cool accent?” ** I replied: ** “I know right, I am lucky.” ** ** I could feel my ** ** spirit make an enormous smile but this then changed to a depressing sad face. ** This is because I had wished that I did not have an accent just because of some middle school kids. Now I felt different, I loved my accent because people accepted me for who I was**. I was as graceful as a peacock **and ** joy weighed me down **. One day while I was in Spanish class, I opened up Google Translate and typed, “I have an accent” in the English section. I then pressed translate and then saw, “Yo tengo un acento”. So this is the Spanish translation for “I have an accent”. My accent made me unique. ** This whole experience have made me realized that you have to accept yourself for who you are, you don’t have to change yourself just because someone doesn’t like you and you are always going to have a characteristic that makes you different from other people **. Being different is a good thing and you should embrace it and not despise it. My accent is apart of me and it will stay with me for the rest of my life. Yo tengo un acento.



This essay was our 3rd quarter benchmark and it was completed after reading Octavia Butler's __Kindred.__ Since this was our second 5 paragraph essay of the year, Miss Dunn had higher expectations because she expected us to learn from all the mistakes we made during the Odyssey Essay and improve our writing skills. Although this essay was a 5 paragraph essay, it had to be in a 1 point thesis format. I had some problems formulating a thesis but I got some assistance from Jasmine Thomas, the assistant teacher. Once I had my thesis done, it was smooth sailing the rest of the way.



Everyone has formed beliefs and ideas from their experiences and the actions of the people around them. These beliefs and ideas can be passed on to them from previous generations or they can be the rights they are entitled to. In the book __Kindred__, the main character Dana has specific beliefs and ideas that she brought with her from her original time period to the Antebellum South. Here, Dana has no rights and the type of environment she is living in contradicts her own beliefs and ideas. Due to Dana’s modernism, her experiences as a woman in the Antebellum South challenges her beliefs and ideas.

Dana is a strong black woman from the time period of 1976 whose modern beliefs and ideas contradict those of Rufus. During the Antebellum South time period, slaves were considered as just property and 3/5 human. One example where Dana’s modernism comes into play was when she visits Rufus for the third time and brings her white husband with her. Dana introduces Kevin to Rufus, telling him that Kevin was her husband. With a punitive tone in his voice, Rufus said, “Niggers can’t marry white people!” (Pg. 60) Dana is from a time period where blacks and whites can be a couple. She thinks that she has a choice to decide who she wants to be with, whether black or white due to her modernism. Rufus on the other hand grew up in the Antebellum South where it is against the law for whites and blacks to be husband and wife. If she was going to survive in the Antebellum South, she would have to discard this piece of her identity. Another occasion where Dana’s modern ideas contradict Rufus’s own beliefs that he has gathered from his environment was when Rufus referred to Dana as a nigger. With deep concern in her voice, Dana replied, “About niggers… I don’t like that word remember? Try calling me black or Negro or even colored… Rufe, how’d you like people to call you white trash when they talk to you?” (Pg. 61) In this quote, Dana’s beliefs and ideas that she brings from 1976 is being challenged by Rufus who is using the word “nigger”. Since she is from a time period where blacks and whites are seen as equals, she does not think that she should be referred to as a nigger. Meanwhile Rufus has grown up using the word nigger and use it to relate to blacks around him. He learned this word from his parents and this is what blacks are called during The Antebellum South. This is not the only time where Dana’s modern beliefs were challenged. Alice’s relationship with Rufus also challenged Dana’s modern beliefs and thoughts.

Dana also believes that Alice, although she is in a repressed position due to her color and gender, has the right to make her own decisions. Rufus loves Alice although it is shameful for a white man to love a black woman. The sad part is that Alice did not love Rufus and marries another slave by the name of Isaac. Enraged, Rufus said, “How dare she choose her own husband? She must have thought she was a free woman or something.” “She had the right to say no!” (Pg. 123) Dana replied. Rufus is telling Dana that Alice did not have the right to choose a husband and she should have picked him over Isaac just because he said so. This is so demoralizing; it is like telling a cat or dog to sit or stand. Dana told Rufus that Alice has the right to say no. Dana sees Alice as a person and not property; she thinks that she should decide who she wants to be her lover. The reason why Dana has these beliefs is because she is from a future where women have these rights. Dana is married to Kevin, who is a white man and she has the right to do so. This is not the only time where Dana thought that Alice has the right to make her own decisions. Another example was when Dana told Alice that she should be the one to decide whether or not to go to Rufus. In a deep nurturing voice Dana said, “I can’t advise you. It’s your body.” (Pg. 167) Dana thinks that she should not be the one to make such an important decision for Alice. She lays out all the facts and possibilities for her but Alice should be the one to “pull the trigger.” Dana is a strong, independent woman who decided to marry Kevin although her aunt and uncle were against it. She thinks that Alice should be a courageous and independent woman also. Dana did not only challenge the customs, ideas and beliefs regarding black women in the south, but she also tried to change Rufus.

Throughout __Kindred____,__ Dana tries to prevent Rufus from growing up into another “white man” from the Antebellum South. Dana wants to prevent him from becoming just like his father. Tom Weylin is the master of the plantation and he never shrinks from his duties as master because he sold slaves away from their families and whipped others. Wanting to change Rufus, Dana said to Kevin, “Let me help you with Rufus as much as I can. Let’s see what we can do to keep him from growing up into a red- haired version of his father.”(Pg. 81) Dana saw that Rufus and his father had similar characteristics and decided that she had to do something to prevent him from following in his father’s footsteps. If Dana managed to complete this task, slaves could live a better life and more families could stay together. Dana is from the future and she knows how to control Rufus by using threats. Since Dana is a writer, she is exposed to the idea of change and she can also relate it back to her life. Another instance where Dana tries to change Rufus when Alice hang herself. After she untied Alice from the barn, she tried to persuade him into freeing Hagar and Joe and let them grow up free. Angry at Alice’s death, Dana said to Rufus, “two certificates of freedom… you owe them that at least. You’ve deprived them of their mother.” (Pg. 251) Dana was enraged about Alice’s death. She thought that she could use her anger to force Rufus into freeing his children. Rufus also felt guilty so she thought that it was the perfect time to lobby for the freedom of Joe and Hagar. Dana wanted to break the cycle because Rufus grew up watching his father sell his own children into slavery. The problem is, how can someone can change another person if he/she is so impacted and molded by his/her environment. Tom Weylin knew that someday Rufus would take over the plantation. Dana is just a newcomer to the Antebellum South and she wants to change someone who has spent all of his life living there. Rufus is a man of his time. Dana has challenged the beliefs and ideas of the Antebellum South because her beliefs contradicted the ones she found there. However, Dana was met with some frustration along the way.

Due to Dana’s modernism, her experiences as a woman in the Antebellum South challenges her beliefs and ideas. In __Kindred__**,** Dana has specific beliefs and ideas that she brings from her own time period to the Antebellum South. The beliefs and ideas that we have help to shape who we are and how we interact with our environment. In the Antebellum South slaves had no rights but this did not stop Dana from standing up for herself and for what she believed in. She defied all odds and survived in an environment where she was not considered a “full human” and her courage and determination should be respected.



For this project, we had to find at least 5 quotes from __Macbeth__ that shows the growth of either Macbeth or Lady Macbeth and analyze them. I decided to do Macbeth because he was the main character and a very complex individual. He was at the center stage of the whole plot, from beginning to end. I chose quotes from each act of the book. After I was finished with the quotes and analysis, I had to make some kind visual representation for the quotes. I made a Keynote which contains a photos and poems (rhymed) that explained the journey of Macbeth throughout the play. I also added the song Viva La Vida (Coldplay) because of its lyrics, "I use to rule the world" since Macbeth was a great king until he was killed by Macduff. Below you will find a zip copy of my Keynote document so you can download it but it you don't have a mac, you can just view it as a photo album. Everything is below so go take a look....!!



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= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = __** Quotes and Analysis- Macbeth **__ =

====This is a quote that was taken from the beginning of the play. I picked this because I wanted to start off with a quote where Macbeth was not seen as an antagonist. Macbeth said this right after he heard the witches’ prophecy about him becoming the Thane of Cawdor and king and that Banquo will be the father of many kings to come. Immediately after he said this, Banquo replied “You shall be king.” He said this in a sarcastic way because he did not believe that Banquo’s children would ever become kings. After all, Banquo was just a general serving in the army and he had no direct ties with the royal family of Duncan. Macbeth was like, oh please, Banquo’s sons will be kings, that is not possible. Macbeth also thinks that all of the other prophecies that the weird sisters made will not come true. The ones about him becoming the Thane of Cawdor and king.====

====Macbeth has finally murdered King Duncan for the throne. As he descended the stairs, he saw his wife, Lady Macbeth and he told her that he has completed the murder. He also asks her if she had heard when Duncan shrieked. I think that at this point in the play, Macbeth has secured his role as an an antagonist. Also, I think that this is where the paranoia begins. He is so full of guilt and fear that every little noise petrifies him. From here, he starts to see ghosts and this drives him crazy. Macbeth’s character has changed because in the 1st quote, he thought that the the witches were crazy and did not believe in the prophecies that they had made. As you can see here, this has all changed. Macbeth now believes the witches and murdered one of his closest friends to make this prophecy come true. At first, he did not trust the witches but now he does. He have become a cold-blooded murderer.====


 * 3rd Quote_Act 3_Scene 4 (pg. 55): “Say’st thou, that Macduff denies his person at our great bidding… there’s not a one of them but in his house I keep a servant feed”- Macbeth **

====Macduff has now caught up to Macbeth because he knew that he was the one who was responsible for the murder of King Duncan so he did not attend Macbeth’s dinner although he was invited. This surprised Macbeth and now his antenna is raised. He told Lady Macbeth that he has a servant in Macduff’s house who is a spy. Macbeth’s character has changed because he has become paranoid. At first, he was only focused on the people who stand in the way of his prophecies (King Duncan, Banquo and Fleance) but now he is going after Macduff. Macbeth wants control over everything. This is because he murdered two of his closest friends and Macduff is on the verge of finding out.====


 * 4th Quote_Act 4_Scene 1 (pg. 66): “Sweet bodements, good. Rebellious dead rise never till the Wood Of Birnam rise, and our high-placed Macbeth shall live the lease of nature, pay his breath to time and mortal custom”- Macbeth **

====Here, Macbeth’s character is very confident. He has heard the prophesies of the three apparitions and he likes what he hears. In the above quote, he say that he will never be vanquished because no-one can impress the forest. The forest can never be unrooted and come to Dunsinane. He compares this to people rising from the dead. It is just as impossible. He is also talking about nature while everything in nature has gone topsy-turvy ever since he killed Duncan. Owls are shrieking, people are having restless nights and the horses are going crazy. From these prophecies, he thinks that Macduff, Malcolm and their army cannot kill him so he has nothing to be afraid of. Macbeth thinks that he can only die of old age and his own customs (suicide, drinking) and he cannot be killed by a man born of a woman. Macbeth’s character has changed because in the first part of the play, he did not show a lot of confidence in what he was doing. Lady Macbeth was always taking charge of what is supposed to be a “man’s” job. He was always seeing ghosts and feeling guilty. Now he feels invincible. So his mood has changed and this says a lot about his character and the decisions that he has made.====


 * 5th Quote_Act 5_Scene 8 (pg. 96): “Accursed be that tongue that tells me so, for it hath cow'd my better part of man! and be these juggling fiends no more believed, that palter with us in a double sense, that keep the word of promise to our ear, and break it to our hope. I'll not fight with thee”- Macbeth **

====This is the end of the play where Macbeth and Macduff have a conversation before their epic battle. Macbeth warms Macduff that he lives a charmed life and no man born of a woman can hurt him. Macduff replies saying that he was born of a caesarean. This quote shows Macbeth’s response when he heard this terrible news. Macbeth said that this really shocks him and he does not feel invincible anymore. He then goes on to blame the witches. Macbeth states that these witches are not trustworthy because they tricked him with double meanings. All the prophecies that they gave him were contradicted. Here you can see that Macbeth’s character has changed. In the analysis of quote #4, he was really confident and he had high hopes but now all of his prophecies did not hold true. Now he know that his little game is finally over. Time has caught up to him and it is time for him to pay for all of his wrongdoings. Although he knows this, he still stays on until the very last end. Birnam Wood came to Dunsinane and Macduff was not born of a woman. In the analysis of quote #4, he was confident but now he was depressed and unhappy. So that is how his character changed.====



At the beginning of the year, Miss Dunn told us that we needed a journal. A typical journal setting is that we would walk into the classroom and see a prompt on the board. We would then sit quietly, read the prompt and begin writing. One thing that make writing in my journal unique is that Miss. Dunn would dim the lights and put on some soft music. This created a serene setting that was just perfect for writing. We would then write for about 15 minutes and those who want to share with class would volunteer. Another one of traditions is that we would always "snap it up" after everyone read their journal entry. I thoroughly enjoyed writing in my journal. For me, it was a place where I could express my feelings and write about my life.

__** November 30, 2009 **__ __**1) Why do people write?**__

Different people write for different reasons. People write to express their feelings, for entertainment and fun and also because they have to. Some people just write because it is an assignment by a teacher. I write because it is very entertaining and fun and it helps me to clear my mind and to express my feelings. People can also write in a variety of ways. Some people like to do poems while others write essays. When I write, it makes me proud to be the author of my own work and to say that I did this. This is when my best does into my writing but at other times, I just like to free write. Through writing, you can just be yourself. Just like how the Freedom Writers be themselves through writing and used it to change themselves and the world around them.

__** December 1, 2009 **__ __** 2) What is the power of writing? **__

To me, the power of writing is a way through which you can become one with a piece of paper and a pen and use them to express your thoughts and feelings. The power of writing is when you write and it is as if the paper is another person who listens and absorbs it all. It is how writing can be there for you and how you can be yourself through it. This is how you can deal with everyday problems. Finally, the power of writhing is how you can use writing to change yourself, others and the world as a whole. Just like how in the Freedom Writers used the power of writing as a way for them to just get out all of their frustrations. They use it to express their feelings because they were just surrounded by violence, guns, gangs and murder. First, they used the power of writing to change and accept themselves. They knew that they were not rejects and they were human beings just like the rest of the students and they should be treated as such. Secondly, they used it to change their fellow classmates and the rest of the children in their school. The power of their writing have really opened my eyes to see what life was like back then and the experiences of the students living in that time. I am sure that the power in their writing will continue to open my eyes and change me while I continue to read this book.

__** December 4, 2009 **__ __** 3) Me and change **__

When I was really small, around 12 years old, I did not live with my mom. My grandmother raised me from I was a baby. My mom use to work overseas in the United States and while she was working, I had to say with my grandma. I did not get to see my mom often, only when she came to visit. We usually talk over the phone and that was it. The closest person to me was my grandmother. She loves me and I love her too. She took care of me and I just want to thank her for everything that she has done. I even got accustomed to calling her mom and I just called my mother Vivine. Everyone thought that it was weird, but I thought it was awesome. That is just how I grew up. I never had a very close personal relationship with my mom until I moved here two years ago. This was the first time fully living with my mom. Since I have been living with her, I really think that she got to know me better and I got to know here better too. Now I call her mom (not Vivine) but I also call my grandmother mom too. So I have too moms. It is really funny how life can change. I love my two moms.

__** December 8, 2009 **__ __** 4) Self reliance **__

To me self reliance means that you are independent and you rely on your own capabilities, judgment and resources. I think that sometimes in my life, I match this definition while at othe r times, I do not. This is because sometimes in my life, I am very self reliant and independent when making my own decisions. One example was deciding if I wanted to come to SLA. This was up to me and me only because this was what I wanted to do and it was my responsibility to choose. This was a huge decision and when there is a big choice to make, you should decide for yourself. Another example of when I am going to be self reliant is when I am going to choose my profession. It is up to me to decide what I want to do with the rest of my life. A huge decision should be made by me only. When you are independent and self-reliant, it makes you feel good because you are making your own choices and decisions and you trust yourself. It does not feel like you are going to be stabbed in the back by someone you trusted. One example of when I would not fit my description is if I had an addiction. If I had an addiction, it would be hard for me to stop. If I was self reliant, I would just keep it to myself and continue doing it. If you are not so self reliant, you would go to someone for help in solving the problem. They can share insignts that can be useful. So instead of keeping things bottled up inside me, I can share them with someone. I am self reliant by not too self reliant.

__** January 1, 2010 **__ __** 5) How do our family relationships shape us? **__

Our family relationships shape us due tot he fact that these relationships can determine how much information we share with the rest of the family and the amount of information we keep to ourselves. If we have a good family relationship, we feel comfortable to share certain information with our parents. But if we don't have a good family relationship, we would just keep everything to ourselves and not seek help when something is wrong. Good family relationships can help us to open up to other family members. Family relationships can also influence your behavior. It can also determine how much respect we have for other family members and how much we trust them.

It was the beginning of our Freshman year at Science Leadership Academy and our English teacher Miss. Dunn wanted us to teach the class a little about ourselves. The answer was this Me Mag assignment. We had to design a magazine with a cover page, an editor's letter, at least three articles about about topics that influence our lives and two advertisements. After we finished our magazines, we had to present them to the whole class. For me this was nerve-racking because it was the beginning of the year and I hardly knew anyone. To put my work on wiki spaces, I had to scan the pages of the magazine, put them into a pdf format and upload that pdf to slide-share. Below you will also find my first journal entry of the year, titled: Experiences with my Me Mag.

__** Friday, September 9, 2009 **__ __** 6) Experiences with my Me Mag **__

To me, the Me Magazine project was fun and interesting. Most of the time I write, I hardly write about myself, so it was really hard for me writing about myself and my life because I had to think about my feelings and thoughts and quickly put them down on paper before the slipped away. Overall, it was extremely fun and entertaining putting the whole magazine together. From cutting and pasting, to writing my articles. One of the main problems was that I could not get started with my first article. This made me very upset because I did not want to fall behind on my schedule. So when I went home that night, I cleared my mind and began to write whatever came to my mind about the topic. I did not worry about spelling, grammar or punctuation. From here on, it was a smooth journey. Everyday I built on what I had to make it better. I am proud to say that today I have handed in a piece of work that I am proud of and I am confident that I have done my best.

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