On The Waterfront

In On The Waterfront, the characters struggle with the difference between a traitor and a whistle blower. Many want to inform the police of the mob’s activities, but are afraid to be considered a traitor because they might get hurt. Only a few people are strong enough to risk going against the mob. Joey, Doogan, and Terry are a few insiders willing to stand up and tell the truth about the mob. In the beginning, they seem to believe that telling the police anything would label them as a traitor and could result in their deaths, which does happen to Joey and Doogan. By the mob setting the definition of traitor as anyone who spills information on them and punishing traitors with death, the workers do not want to inform the police of the criminal activity that is occurring on the waterfront. As the movie goes on, people like Doogan and Terry learn that the only way to fix the injustice that is occurring is to inform the police and stand up to the mob. Even though it is difficult, these men learn that because they are working for the greater good they are whistle blowers, not traitors. Even though Doogan is killed, Terry is not deterred. He realizes that being a whistle blower is a good thing when it will help him and all of his friends. In the begining, the workers are afraid for their lives and are not willing to be considered "traitors" by the mob's definition. As the movie goes on, a few men such as Doogan and Terry learn that they are not traitors, they are whistle blowers, which is a good thing because they are helping make better lives for all of the workers.

I think that there is a fine line between being a "tattle-tale" and speaking up about improper behavior. However, I basically believe that being a "tattle-tale" is when you purposely point out when someone is doing something wrong just to get that person in trouble. Generally, this occurs when the person's actions are not affecting anyone else but the tattle-tale just wants to get them in trouble. A person who speaks up about improper behavior is someone who looks out for the good of all people involved. They do what they do to keep people safe and make the world a better place, not just to see someone get in trouble. Basically, they are working for the "greater good". I think that whether one is perceived as a tattle-tale or whistle blower depends on the person doing the labeling. People have different opinions and look at motives in different ways. I could speak up against something I think is wrong but I could be seen as being a tattle-tale if the action isn't very extreme. There is no definite line between being a tattle-tale and whistle blower, in my opinion. I think it changes depending on situations and the people involved.

A Million Little Pieces #3

Thus far in A Million Little Pieces, James Frey has woken up on an airplane all beat up. He is a drug addict and alcoholic, and has been since elementary school. He is taken to a treatment center in Minnesota and has been forced to endure a double root canal without any pain medication. He is finding rehab to be very difficult and wants to leave. He stays, however, for his friend Leonard and more-than-a-friend Lilly. Even though male-female relationships are off limits, James realizes that love is worth the risk and continues with his relationship. Also, James has been enrolled in the family program. He has never had a good relationship with his parents, and is furious that they would come. When his parents come, James originally has a hard time but as they go through the program, the family grows closer together. A bump in the road for the family is learning that James has to go to jail. It is difficult, but manages to bring them together and realize how much they need each other. James does experience some tension with the staff by outwardly rejecting the 12 Steps. He sees it as replacing one addiction with another, and does not want to be addicted any longer. The counselors doubt him, but James continues with his journey.

One thing that really struck me about this part of the story is how the tragedy of James having to go to jail brings the family together. I would have thought it would tear them farther apart, but it does the opposite. James describes it saying, “We hold each other. We are a Family. Though I have been their child for twenty-three years, we have never been a Family. We are now” (Frey 285). I think at this point the family realizes they need each other to get through such a hard time. Hopefully the support of his family will help James through his treatment.

Another quote that stuck out to me is said by James after another man in treatment tells him about how his girlfriend, Lilly, was sexually mistreated. He says, “Did it make you feel like you were different from her, even though you know you’re not, or did it make you feel good, even though deep inside you feel like a piece of sh*t?” (Frey 322). I was shocked at how real this is. It is human nature to want to put others down so you can feel better than yourself. I am also happy that James stood up for his girlfriend while not denying her past. It shows how he is getting his life back together.

In the beginning of the book, James had awful ethics. He only cared about getting his next fix; not who he would hurt or abuse in achieving his high. He himself says to his parents, “I f*cked up your life, all of our lives, and I’m truly truly sorry.” (Frey 284). He is talking about his past and he didn’t care about the impacts of his actions. The fact that he even apologizes shows how his morals have improved. Also, as previously quoted, James protects Lilly. He now cares about others and how they feel. He no longer only fixates on feeding his addiction, but on friends and family. Getting off of drugs and alcohol has helped James see life and his morals change for the better to accompany his new world view. It will be interesting to see the improvements in his morals by the end of the story.

Source
Frey, James. A Million Little Pieces. New York: Anchor, 2005.*A Million Little Pieces should be underlined, but BlogSpot won't let me

All My Sons 1

In All My Sons, by Arthur Miller, the characters are consider the decision whether to put family or society first. The book seems to be split up between those who believe family should come first and those who believe society should come first. What is interesting to me is that the older characters, like Joe and Kate, believe that family is the most important thing, while the younger people, like Chris, Larry, and Anne, stress the importance of society first. When Joe first admits to knowingly shipping out faulty engine cylinders, Chris is outraged. To try and explain himself Joe says, "Chris...Chris, I did it for you, it was a chance and I took it for you. I'm sixty-one years old, when would I have another chance to make something for you?" (Miller 70). Joe thinks that because he did it for his family, his actions are justified. He strongly believes that his family and leaving his son with a good future is worth the twenty one lives of the dead pilots. Kate's denial of Joe's guilt displays how she puts her family before society. She is in such strong denial that she gets to the point of shouting, "Because if he's not coming back, then I'll kill myself!" (Miller 22). She tries to deny her husband's connections with her son's disappearance so that she knows the decision to ship out the parts really did help the family, not resulting in the death of a son. She does not seem to deeply care about the twenty-one pilots killed by the cracked airplane parts, but only that her son was not killed with the parts. Even though Joe and Kate are greatly loved by their children and Anne, they share different ideals on the importance of family versus society. The children really believe that society should come first. After Joe admits to selling faulty parts and being responsible for the deaths of twenty-one pilots, Chris bursts out, "What the h*ll do you mean, you did it for me? Don't you have a country? Don't you live in the world?" (Miller 70). Through this exchange and quote, Chris shows how he puts country first. He directly asks, "Don't you have a country?" (Miller 70). He is trying to get across to his father that there is a whole world out there and that it should be thought of along with family. Chris does not seem to completely disregard family, but he definately believes that society should be thought of just as much as family. He himself talks about wanting to have kids and raise a family. Chris thinks that one of the best things his father could have left for him was a good country and world. By thinking of society, Joe would be thinking of his son and creating a better future for his son. The role of impacts to society and to family when making decisions is questioned in All My Sons with parents generally thinking of family while the children (young adults) think of society as a whole.

I am personally a mix between Chris and Joe when it comes to what impacts decisions. I think that family is very important, but one of the best ways to help out children of a family is to create a better world for them to live in. In order for them to have a good world, one must consider society as a whole when they make decisions. Making good decisions for society results in a good society. I think that family should take precedence when the decision does not effect people outside of the family. In Joe Keller's case, he caused the death of twenty-one people trying to help his family. If Joe's decision hadn't effected all of those people, he should have done what was best for his family. I also believe that it is best to put society before family when the choice effects many people. If Joe had chosen to help society, the pilots wouldn't have died. I think when deciding what decision to make one should consider who is impacted by the decision. If the party impacted is the family, then family should take precedence, but when people outside of the family are effected, then society should be thought of before family. In most decisions, a healthy mix of both results in the best decisions.

Source Cited
Miller, Arthur. All My Sons : A Drama in Three Acts. New York: Penguin Classics, 2000.

*all of the "All My Sons" should be underlined

A Million Little Pieces #2

As I get farther and farther into A Million Little Pieces, I develop mixed feelings for James Frey. I am annoyed that he does not seem to want to make his life better, and yet I really like the progress he is making and his personality when he is not threatened by others. This book looks so deep into the mind and heart of an addict and it really is making me think. So far in this book, James Frey has woken up on an airplane with no idea where he is. His parents take him to a treatment center in Minnesota in the hopes that he can get over his extreme addiction to drugs and alcohol. At first, James does not want to be there at all and has a really hard time adjusting. He visits a doctor and learns that if he continues using, he will die within a few days. James goes to a dentist to fix his teeth from when he fell down two stories while drunk and high. At the dentist, James has a cavity filled and a double root canal, all without any pain medication. It is a very disturbing scene to read about because James Frey does an excellent job of retelling his pain. Through it all, one is able to see James' view of rehab changing slowly but surely, and it is very reassuring to the reader who can only hope that James changes the way his life is going.

One thing that really stood out to me in this section is James' desire to look into his own eyes. It is commonly said that eyes are the windows to one's soul, and James wants to see his soul. He says, "I want to see my eyes. I want to look beneath the surface of the pale green and see what is inside of me, what's within me, what I'm hiding. I start to look up but I turn away. I try to force myself again," (Frey 32). Through this section, I felt James' suffering. I think he wants to see what is in him, but he is so afraid of the horror he will find he cannot force himself to look. I feel so sorry that someone has had such a hard and difficult life they are unable to look back at it. I really hope that James is able to make ammends with his previous life and can be proud of the person he is. Not only does James have a hard time loving himself, he has a hard time believing that anyone else loves him. After talking to his parents, James writes, "I hang up the phone and I stare at the floor and I think about my Mother and my Father in a Hotel Room in Chicago and I wonder why they still love me and why I can't love them back and how two mormal stable people could have created something like me..." (Frey 44). I felt so bad for James after I read this. To think that one does not deserve love shows how far a person has fallen. Through this quote the reader sees how much James hates himself if he thinks that he is not lovable, even to his own parents. Maybe his feelings that he doesn't deserve love leads play a part in his addiction. I think he hates himself so much that he doesn't care if he dies, he just wants to feel the high from the drugs and alcohol. I am so sorry that James hates himself. I think that one of the important parts of James' recovery will be him seeing himself as loveable which will give him a reason to keep living and stop using.

James Frey writes so passionately about his experience in rehab, that I cannot help but feel attatched to him. He writes about all of his inner fears and doubts, and I hope he can get over these things and recover. I cannot help but cheer him on in his fight against addiction.

Source
Frey, James. A Million Little Pieces. New York: Anchor, 2005.
*A Million Little Pieces should be underlined, but BlogSpot won't let me

A Million Little Pieces

James Frey's controversial "memoir" A Million Little Pieces (should be underlined but Blogspot won't let me) is his recount of his journey through rehab for his drug and alcohol addiction. So far, James has woken up aboard a plane with broken front teeth and blood covered clothes and he does not know how he got there. He is greeted at the gate by his mom and dad, who he does not have good relationships with. In the car, they have to stop at a gas station so that James can buy wine. His drinking continues throughout his trip to the clinic. At the clinic, James is given some pills to help diminish his urges to use. He recounts his use of drugs and alcohol and it is shocking. He uses a plethora of drugs and alcohol and is a hard core addict. He also gets into some scuffles with other patients and has a hard time adjusting to life at the rehab clinic.

This book is very shocking to me. I am the first to admit I live in a protected bubble, and I am made further aware of the bubble by reading A Million Little Pieces. Granted, this memoir is known to be extremely exaggerated so I have to read it knowing it is not 100% true. However, drug and alcohol addiction is a big problem for modern society, so learning anything I can about it is very important. Even reading just a few pages into the book, I realized how large an effect an addiction can make on a life. To wake up on a plane with no clue where you are going and why you have blood all over you shows that life has gotten pretty out of hand. I hope that reading this book reminds me and drives home the idea that drugs and alcohol are bad and that they can destroy everything I have going for me right now. I am also struck by James lack of relationship with his parents. I am personally very close to my parents and I think if I was battling something as extreme as an addiction, I would want them by me. Thinking about it, James probably didn't have a great relationship with his parents and that is probably one of the reasons he turned to drug and alcohol abuse. After just reading a few pages of A Million Little Pieces, I know it is going to be a very intense book that explores how to pull oneself up out of the gutter.

Are Polls Accurate in Presidential Race?

With the presidential election in less than a week, Barack Obama seems to have a lead over John McCain in the polls. However, these polls have been known to be false and inaccurate. For example, in 1948 all polls pointed to Thomas Dewey being elected but Harry Truman was the true victor. Polls are subject to change and are based off of the small percentage of Americans who were actually polled. Also, a large reason for polls not being 100% accurate is how many people actually show up to vote. A large amount of people may say they will vote for Candidate A when they are polled, but because none of these people actually show up to vote, Candidate B will end up winning. This especially pertains to the 2008 election. Most polls show Barack Obama ahead, but does this truely represent Americans as a whole or is this just the small amount of people who were actually polled talking? Will the people polled actually show up to vote? Many of these questions surround this week's election and we should not solely rely on polls for predictions on winners and loosers.

I found this article very interesting. As a John McCain supporter, I had almost given up hope with "Barack the Vote" sweeping the nation and influencing polls. Reading this article reminded me that we don't know what is going to happen until it actually happens. People may say they support a certain candidate, but when they are actually casting their vote, they can change their minds. This could be an advantage for either candidate. It is really easy to get caught up in the media, but when actually voting, a serious voter rethinks their decision and considers the actual issues. History has proven polls to be wrong, so I think both candidates should be nervous about the election. I don't think that Obama should assume he has won or that McCain should give up and stop campaigning just because of polls. With all elections, the position of President of the United States is not decided by polls, it is decided by the voters. Polls may lean one way, but it is the actual votes that count and decide our country's leader.

Source
Sullivan, Andy. "Are Polls Accurate in Presidential Race?" Comcast.net News. 30 Oct. 2008. 30 Oct. 2008 .

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

For outside reading this week, I looked up some old film reviews and found one on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, one of my childhood favorites. Craig Butler, the author of the review, claims the, "mixture fails to gel". He says the movie is sweet and the adult actors are good, but the children are over the top, the movie is too long, and is too frightening for children. He goes on to say the movie is not very inventive and the dialogue doesn't work. Butler appreciates the movie and enjoyed watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, but thinks the movie missed its chance at being a huge hit among families.
I disagree with Craig Butler's take on Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. As a child I fell in love with the songs, the dancing, the flying car, and how the movie incorporates a bit of fantasy into real life. Being a scardy cat when it comes to horror movies, I was surprised that Butler claims the movie is too scary when it never even gave me nightmares. Granted, I did always glance around to make sure an adult was near by when approaching the ice cream truck so I didn't get stolen away like all the little kids in the movie, but I actually enjoyed being a little scared. I was, and still am, mesmerized by the zany inventions and all of the crazy characters. I would give the movie five starts for the memorable characters, the fun props, a catchy plot, and wonderful songs!
www.starpulse.com/movies/chitty_chitty_bang_bang/reviews
Source
Butler, Craig. "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Movie Review." Starpulse.com. 23 Oct. 2008 .
*Starpulse.com should be underlined but BlogSpot won't let me

The Call of Music

The Show

When I first listened to the song “The Show” by Lenka, I was struck by how much it relates to my life as a high school student. Sure the catchy tune and sweet voice were nice to listen too, but the lyrics really popped out at me.

The Show - Lenka
I'm just a little bit caught in the middleLife is a maze and love is a riddle
I don't know where to go, can't do it alone
I've tried, and I don't know why...
Slow it down, make it stop
Or else my heart is going to pop
'Cause it's too much, yeah it's a lot
To be something I’m not
I'm a fool out of love
'Cause I just can't get enough...

I'm just a little bit caught in the middle
Life is a maze and love is a riddle
I don't know where to go, can't do it alone
I've tried, and I don't know why

I'm just a little girl lost in the moment
I'm so scared but I don't show it
I can't figure it out, it's bringing me down
I know I’ve got to let it go...
And just enjoy the show

The sun is hot in the sky
Just like a giant spotlight
The people follow the signs
And synchronize in time
It's a joke, nobody knows
They've got a ticket to the show....
(I want my money back, just enjoy the show).

Lenka sings about being a girl thrown into a crazy world that she cannot comprehend so she puts on a happy face and goes with the flow even though she is scared. She says that life is confusing and she does not know what to do about love. After awhile, all of the chaos in the world catches up, and Lenka just wants time to stand still so that she has a chance to catch up. “The Show” is a song about life and how it can be crazy, fun, overwhelming, and wild at times, but we can all get through it.

I can really relate to this song. I feel like with school, sports, and other extracurriculars, life just gets going to fast and I need it to slow down. Or I will not know what is going on and end up just floating through life and “following the signs”. I really love how, at the end, Lenka sings that life is just a joke and a show. When I get overwhelmed or stressed out about something, I’ll take a step back and see how ridiculous the thing I am stressing out about is. Also, I agree that life is so much easier to get through when you have a friend by your side. A friend can help you find your way and keep you grounded when things get out of control. After first listening to this song as a free download from iTunes, I was amazed at how much this song relates to the chaotic lives of most students.

Source Cited
Lenka. "The Show." Lenka. John Alagia; Mike Elizondo; Pierre Marchand; Stuart Brawley; Jason Lader. 2008.

Question #1

Odysseus was considered a great hero back in ancient Greece, but I do not consider him a modern day hero. To me, a hero is someone who works hard to achieve a worthwile goal and achieves it humbly. Each person has their own definition of hero, but this is how I would define a modern day hero. Odysseus is not a hero because he does not remain focused on returning home. When he finds himself on Calypso's island, Ogygia, at first he is in no hurry to return home. He enjoys having a beautiful woman so enraptured by him. He completely looses sight of returning home to his wife and son. After about a year, he remembers his quest and leaves the island. This shows that Odysseus is not that passionate about returning home and reaching his goal. If he is willing to throw that goal away, or at least put it off to the side, just for a beautiful woman, I do not think he is very hero-like. After leaving Calypso, Odysseus later finds himself on another island with the beautiful witch-goddess Circe. She turns his crew into pigs, but when Odysseus is able to outsmart her and is not effected by her spell, she falls in love with him. Once again, Odysseus is willing to throw away his goal of getting home for a beautiful woman. At this point, Odysseus' return home seems like it will maybe occur on accident in fourty years. By my definition, a real hero would remember their goal and stop at nothing to achieve it. Odysseus' constant delaying of his trip home shows that he does not really care about his goal and living a virtuous life does not matter to him, and is therefore not a hero by my definition.

Along with his lack of focus, Odysseus does not live according to good morals on his return trip. Odysseus breaks his wedding vow that he will remain faithful to his wife, Penelope, when he has sexual relationships with both Calypso and Circe. A hero should not just be someone who accomplishes great things, but a person who accomplishes these things while maintaining their morals. Cheating on one's wife who waits at home, still faithful after fifteen years, is a very shallow thing to do. A hero should look out for all people, not just for himself and what he wants at that very moment. Odysseus does not think about his loving family and abandons his morals for two beautiful women. A hero should not brag about their accomplishments. After escaping from Polyphemus' cave, Odysseus yells back to the cyclops, "Cyclops - if any man on the face of the earth should ask you who blinded you, shamed you so - say Odysseus, raider of cities, he gouged out your eye, Laertes' son who makes his home in Ithaca!" (227). Odysseus is not content that he just beat one of the greatest giants, so he goes and rubs salt on the wound by bragging. A hero should be humble, and Odyssues is most definately not humble. He abandons this moral just so that he can rub it in that he blinded Polyphemus. Odysseus loses focus on his goal and abandons his morals so that he can have a few minutes of fun. His story is very exciting, but in the end, I do not consider Odysseus a hero.

Moderator’s Planned Book Becomes a Topic of Debate

It has recently come out that the moderator, Gwen Ifill, of the vice-presidential debate is writing a book in support of Obama. With the debate fast approaching, it is arguable whether she is really nonpartisan. As moderator, Ifill’s job is to ask the candidates questions and not use her power to turn the debate in favor of one candidate. Many McCain and Palin supporters disagree that the book will be bad for Sarah Palin at the debate. Many think that with all of the media attention Ifill has been getting for her book, she will be extremely careful to not use her position to help Joe Biden. Even with all of the controversy regarding the moderator, this article urges people to closely watch the candidates and their replies, not just the moderator.

Being a republican myself, I know that my opinion is biased on this article, but I am trying to look at it as a nonpartisan observer. I think that Gwen Ifill should not be allowed to moderate this debate. Whether she disregards the media attention and favors the Obama – Biden team or plays it safe and is cautious not to do anything “biased” toward Sarah Palin, the audience will not receive a nonpartisan debate. As much as Ifill claims that she will be nonpartisan, it is easier said than done. I think that the debate should be moderated by someone who truly is undecided on how to vote this November. This way we would hear about the issues that really matter, not just the ones that make a certain candidate sound good. I doubt that Ifill will moderate in a nonpartisan way, but I hope that she does so that Americans have the facts needed to cast their votes this fall.

Link to Article: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/us/politics/02debate.html?ref=politics

Work Cited
Rutenberg, Jim. "Moderator’s Planned Book Becomes a Topic of Debate." New York Times
2 Oct. 2008: 27.

*Blogspot will not allow me to underline New York Times, but it should be underlined.

Bypassing the Roadblocks of Autism

1.5 million Americans are diagnosed with autism. Unfortunately, many families allow a child’s autism to keep them from experiencing family vacations. Luckily, times are changing Many hotels, cruise lines, and travel destinations are offering programs specifically designed for families with autistic children. They have structured programs so that the autistic child is never left guessing about what is going to happen, which is often times very disturbing to them. Even in unstructured environments like airports, parents and doctors are more inventive with methods for keeping the experiences in these places going well. Doctors are able to issue a form for autistic children allowing them to move directly to the front of the line while going through airport security so that it is over quickly. At home before the trip, some families act out scenes from the airport so their child feels more comfortable when they are there. Overall, our society is becoming more aware of the challenges presented to autistics and is working hard to allow these people to enjoy vacations.

I am so pleased that our society is making improvements in travel so that people with autism are able to have the same experiences that I do when I travel. My cousin is autistic, and he does have difficulty adjusting to a new schedule while on vacations. I think that these new programs will allow him to be more comfortable and confident while traveling. One can learn so much through travel, so travel should not be limited to people without autism. I would like to applaud the companies who are starting programs so that people like my cousin are able to experience travel relaxed and safe. I would also like to ask that when one sees an autistic child poorly reacting to travel, please do not judge the child or the parents for not being able to control their child. People with autism are prone to being set off or upset by little things out of anyone’s control. The parents are accepting a lot of responsibility in taking an autistic child on vacation. I am so proud of the companies and organizations that are giving autistic children and adults the opportunity to experience travel.

Original Source
Margolies, Jane. "Bypassing the Roadblocks of Autism." The New York Times. 14 Sept. 2008.The New York Times Company.22 Sept. 2008 .

HOLA/GUTENTAG/BONJOUR/HELLO

Hello everyone and welcome to the first entry of Hannah's English Blog! This will be used for outside reading and writing literature reviews for my Enriched English class. This quarter I will be updating this blog at least once a week with reviews of short stories, poems, song lyrics, etc. I will be dishing out my opinions on the things that I read here, so sorry if you do not agree with my thoughts. Keep checking back for the latest reviews!

Adios!