Ideas and Content

• My writing shows fine demonstration of appropriate and content. They are usually related to the topic I'm writing about. But, sometimes, I go off the trail and write something not related what I'm writing about. An example was from my Julius Caesar essay : trying to explain the reason for Cassius' action in front of Caesar when everyone knows that it is because Caesar is more powerful than him.
• I could keep reading over the passage every paragraph in order to check that my essay makes sense and links well. Also, I should keep checking that I don't go off trail and become repetitive in describing my ideas.
  

Organization

• I did fairly good in organization because I did divide my paragraphs and talked about different evidences in each of them. Also, from my Alchemist essay, I had appropriate links between paragraphs and divided each paragraph well.
• Afterwards, I should plan more for my essays before writing them and don't just write down random ideas in my essay. Also, I should always stick to my topic and express my ideas more effectively.
  

Personal Growth

• I could see some improvement in expressing my ideas from head to sheet (Actually screen for JC essay..). However, I still couldn't improve much because the ideas I expressed were after all just rephrasing the JC play and too repetitive. So, I should try to improve myself more without repetitive languages.

SLR Reflection

• Reason Critically : I succeeded in reasoning Cassius' actions and Santiago's actions in my Alchemist and Julius Caesar. Also, I used fine organization and wording to express my ideas.

Power & Freedom

Caius Cassius – A man hungry for power and freedom

“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings.”(Act 1 Scene 2 Line 138~139). Cassius, in this play, performs as cunning and power hungry figure at first. However, as the play reaches the back, he starts to become a poor image than an evil one. Cassius is mostly inspired by power in the beginning and freedom at last. This leads to Caesar’s death and his death also. The end of this man is justified because he kills a tyrant (in his thought) but has been revenged on it. Also, he might not have died if Brutus had listened to Cassius more and not ignore him. Cassius’ death serves as an example that it was Brutus’ fault for not being careful enough.

Cassius’ motivator’s are different as he goes through the play. At first, he is driven by power. He was hungry for power and wanted it so much. This leads to his hatred towards Caesar and gives him a manipulative image. From the quote, “ and Cassius is a wretched creature, and must bend his body If Caesar carelessly nod on him.” ( Act 1 Scene 2 Line 115 ~ 117), he is describing himself as a creature who was once the same as Caesar but now is inferior than him. This calls for his greed for power and how much he is upset for Caesar being more powerful than him. Another quote, “ Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus, and we petty men Walk about his huge legs, and peep about,” (Act 1 Scene 2 Line 133 ~ 135) which is similar to the first one also shows how much Cassius wants power. By saying Caesar is a Colossus and we petty men, he shows how much Caesar is superior to themselves. This is because he wants to emphasize his mind and motivate himself and Brutus to think that we are inferior to Caesar. Many might think that this action is dropping them into a lower level. However, by saying this Cassius is showing that he wants to be like him and wants power. Normally, if everyone knows that one is powerful, they don’t usually say out that that person is powerful and superior to us. This is because everyone knows that and they have no reason to repeat that fact. They do this when they are trying to flatter a powerful person and gain something they want. However, in this situation, Cassius is talking to a completely different person. In this case, it must mean something else than flattering that person. So, it shows that Cassius wants to be like Caesar and wants power like him. This leads to conjuring up a conspiracy and getting rid of Caesar. He justifies it by saying that every man are equal and there’s nothing special in that Caesar. This is also a bit ironical because he and his friends also think the commoners as dirty things and he’s saying that there’s nothing different from him and Caesar. If there’s no difference between them, there should be no difference between them and the commoners, too. So, Cassius makes up a conspiracy and gathers people who are worried about Caesar gaining power. Also, he convinces Brutus to make him join him. This was because he needed someone with a noble and honorable image to show upon the people. So, Cassius thought that Brutus will become that person and there he will justify their action. However, Brutus isn’t as reliable as Cassius thought.

Between Act 2 and Act 3, Cassius seems to appear less and take little parts of the play. However, as it goes to Act 4 and 5, he reappears and we can see many changes in his aspects and behaviors toward Brutus and himself. After the conspirators killed Caesar, Brutus tried to justify their means to the citizens. However, Mark Antony comes by and gives his speech that makes the people be mad at the conspirators. So, all of them are killed except for Brutus and Cassius who causes a war and fights Mark Antony who becomes stronger with his friend Octavius. In this part, Cassius has many conflicts. These conflicts are in himself, between Brutus and the fight with Mark Antony and his troop. Of course, Brutus and Cassius is laid in jeopardy because Antony had succeeded to get people on his side and the two starts to argue each other while they should help each other and fight against their enemies. Due to fights, Cassius becomes irritated and starts to regret why he had started this. When he was arguing with Brutus, he becomes so angry and says, “ Oh ye god, ye gods! Must I endure all this?” (Act 4 Scene 2 Line 41). This shows that Cassius is sick and tired of the mess he had made up and looking for gods to rely on and ask them whether he has to come over this. Although it’s because of Brutus’ insult, Cassius’ quote also shows how much he is tired of it. So, he wishes freedom from that disaster in some way. As the play goes on, Cassius loses his hunger for power which mostly influenced him in his behavior at first. Instead, he starts to regret what he had done. Another quote shows how much he wants to be freed from this burden. “Now be a freeman and with this good sword, That ran through Caesar’s bowls, search this bosom”(Act 5 Scene 3 Line 41 ~ 42) This shows that Cassius is not even afraid to die if he could get out of the situation. There are many ways that he can come over the nightmare. To end the war, he might run away or collect more people and win the war. Or, he could have surrendered and hope that Antony will spare him like Caesar did for Pompey. However, he knows that none of those will work and even if he runs away, they’ll send trackers to hunt him down and kill him. So, Cassius eventually asks his servant to kill him. His hunger for power is seen nowhere in this part and he becomes a wretched creature like he described himself as. In the end, he dies and is freed from the burden he had suffered from.

Cassius was a man of ambition and hungry for power. His motivators were power and freedom. These made him kill Caesar but fail to clean up the mess he had made up. In my point of view, he had partially achieved his goals. He managed to assassinate Caesar but failed to gain power, as he had wanted. However, in the end he succeeds to get out of the situation, which was a pain in the neck for him. So, his goals are achieved but not as a whole. Caius Cassius’ actions were fair enough for himself but not noble for everyone. It was fair of him wanting power because everyone does when they go into the field of politics. However, he slips out of the burden of being responsible for what he had done. His actions were more for his good than others. This justifies for himself but not for everyone his actions.

America ≠ Heaven

We’ve been learning about the lost boys of Sudan recently. This is my collage I made based on it. My memoir was “Our land destroyed, our souls lost.” I wanted to express their despair and sadness about losing their home and lost. Also, even though they go to a refugee camp and become a migrant to America, their souls are lost because they aren’t at their real home.

In my memoir, I used some picture of the animals that inhabit Sudan. I did this in order to express how they interacted with the wild and lived off livestocks such as their cattle.

Also, I included some people smiling in order to show how they overcame their hard environment and became successful. Also, it expresses how they are going through that catastrophe but still smiling.

Some of the pictures in my memoir are burnt or torn. I used this effect to describe destruction and disaster. Also, the background picture, which was a drawing of the lost boys crossing the Gillo River in Ethiopia and get shot by soldiers from both sides, I gave a cracked effect. I used this to inform their despair and people trying to get rid of them.

My texts tell what happened generally happened to the Dinka boys from their home to America and success. By short words, I tried to tell briefly how the story flows. First, there was the Dinka tribe living peacefully. Then there was genocide and 20,000 Dinka boys were displaced. After 3months of journey, they get to Kakuma refugee camp. From their, some are chosen to go to America. When they get there, America was a different place then they had thought. They faced many conflicts such as racism and lack of education. However, they overcome that heaven like hell and eventually taste success.

Although not all of my text match with my images, some do.

On the left side, I used the text Dinka tribe with some pictures of the actual Dinka people. It just shows that a tribe like that exists. It evokes awareness of those people.

On the left bottom side of my collage, with the text 20,000 Dinka boys displaced, I got it along with a picture of a village burning and the logo of a boy suffering. I wanted to express that they had lost their homes and suffered.

On the top right side, it says success. Although success doesn’t go along with what I’m trying to express, I inserted it in order to tell that there are some of them who actually did success and are living happily.

The general message I want to tell through my collage is the despair and agonies the lost boys face. Also, I mostly composed the collage with images of destruction, suffocation and lost of hope. Also, most of the images that have a smiling face or happy scenes are torn or burnt. This effect shows that their hope is lost and impossible to achieve.

Think creatively

My collage has many creative features in it. In order to show the lost boys tragic past and war, I have used burnt images and burnt part of my six-word memoir. Also, in order to symbolize the Dinka tribes life interacting with the wild , I used images of animals inhabiting Sudan such as ostriches and elephants and the cattles the people raise.

Reason critically

In my collage, the text blends in fairly well with the images and shows the plight of the lost boys. Words such as heaven like hell shows the lost boys thought about America when they face it. Before, they had thought America was heaven. However, as they fit into it, they feel that it is not heaven at all. In order to give the story a flow, the texts are aligned around my collage counter-clockwise.

Communicate effectively

I have increased the awareness of the lost boys plight by using people starving in Sudan and their villages getting destroyed. By using destroyed villages and burning houses I have shown that the Sudanese people are still in danger in many aspects. Also, I have shown by ripping most smiling faces that their dreams and land have been lost.

Live ethically

My collage shows empathy for the lost boys by using images of them depressed and this also enables the viewers to feel empathy for them. Also, some sites for online fund raising and donations are listed in my collage.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1AjPr8UXFk
(This is the Youtube page to my collage: I used it because blogger won't let me upload my video)

His life in America

The lost boys of Sudan is a movie showing the refugee boys and their lives in America. Especially, it is more focused on two Dinka boys named Santino and Peter. The two ran from their houses, which were originally in Sudan and attacked by soldiers from the north. They arrived at a refugge camp in Kenya.

In 'The lost boys of Sudan', two boys Peter and Santino are facing a great cultural shock and racial discriminations as they assimilate into America. I'd say that Peter has adapted into it more successfully than Santino. When they first came, Santino already got a job and Peter wasn't really doing much. So, he thought that he was becoming a burden to his friends and leaves Houston for Kansas. He goes into a high school. It seems really hard for Peter to fit in at first.
I think that the biggest reason was the language barrier. Peter couldn't even speak English properly at first which lead to the discrimination of the counselor towards Peter. When Peter wanted enroll for a 4-year university, the couselor says that you need a biography and in a way that he doesn't expect it from Peter. This also links with racism of the principal that Peter faces. In a way, Peter seems to be disappointed but soon shows how much work he has done Not only that, he didn't get along well with other students at the school because he couldn't speak English well. However, he comes over it by studying really hard and even participating in ESL classes at high school senior.

Another problem Peter faced was racism. Many different racists are shown in this video and at other sites, too. As an example, the counselor of the school Peter attends in would be a good example of racism in the movie. Just because Peter was from Africa and wasn’t educated well, he considers that Peter won’t get a good degree at his school and doesn’t expect much from him. This was because the streotype of African Americans were dumb and stupid. So, when Peter goes to him to have a conversation about taking the SATs, his counselor says that those tests are only needed if you are registering for a 4-year university. From this, it’s shown that Peter's counselor has a preconception that Peter won’t be able to go to such a university. However, Peter overcomes this by showing his letter from National Honor Society and biography and shocks him. Also, at work place Peter faces racism. Peter’s boss, who is a white woman, tells him and his colleagues to work at the outside in the hot sun. The reason was because they were brought up in Africa and are used to the hot sun. This also shows the conflict that Peter faces. No one likes to work in the hot sun sweating and tired. However, the woman doesn’t care about this and just determines that they should work in the sun because they are used to it. Peter, in order to come over this conflict couldn’t do really much because he would’ve been fired if he were to disobey his boss. Also, he would have heard even more swearing words considering his race. So, he just works hard to get the work done.

The last conflict he faces would be his social class and religion along with the choice between Africa and America. Peter attends a church and believes in Christianity unlike Santino.However, he feels left alone and pushed aside as he gets along in his life. This can be seen from him staying at the back side and not speaking when having a meeting with his church members. Also, when he plays basketball and tries to enjoy it, he keeps failing due to pressure. He feels that all his other friends know skills and stuff but he doesn't. So, he feels pressure and in a way feels left behind as he can't follow the steps as exactly as his peers do.Lastly, compared to Santino, Peter tries to fit into the American culture. Santino attends whrer the Sudanese people in America come around and pray to their god. Also, they support the SPLM which is an act demanding the independence of southern Sudan. However, Peter attends a Christian church and tries to fit into the American culture.

It is always a tough challenge to assimilate new culture into oneself. However, Peter successfully fulfils that dream of his and earn a scholarship for the Green mountain university in Vermont.

Julius Caesar(Duet Acting)

Matthew & Danny

ACT 2 SCENE 2 LINE 65 ~ 107

1. This is the part where Caesar is trying to go to the Capitol and Calpurnia tries to stop him. The part we are going to act out the part where Decius flatters Caesar into going to the Capitol instead of staying at his house.

2. This part is important because it characterizes Caesar as a gullible person who is easily flattered. Also, it causes tension because it is the Scene right before Caesar is killed.

3. This quotation is on Act 2 Scene 2 Line 65 ~ 107


4. CAESAR: Shall Caesar send a lie?
Have I in conquest stretch'd mind arm so far,
To be afeard to tell greybeards the truth?
Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come.

DECIUS: Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause,
Lest I be laugh'd at when I tell them so.

CAESAR: The cause is at my will: I will not come;
That is enough to satisfy the Senate.
But for your private satisfation,
Because I love you, I will let you know:
Calpurnia here, my wife, stays me at home.
She dreamt tonight she saw my statue,
Which like a fountain with an hundred spouts
Did run pure blood; and many lusty Romans
Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it.
And these does she apply for warnings and portents
And evils imminent; and on her knee
Hath begg'd that I will stay at home today.

DECIUS: This dream is all amiss interpreted;
It was a vision fair and fortunate:
Your statue sputing blood in many pipes,
In which so many smiling Romans bath'd,
Signifies that from your great Rome shall suck
Reviving blood, and that great men shall press
For tintures, stains, relics, and cognizance.
This by Calpurnia's dream is signified.

CAESAR: And this way have you well expounded it.

DECIUS: I have, when you have heard what I can say:
And know it now. The Senate have concluded
To give this day a crown to mighty Caesar.
If you shall send them word you will not come,
Their minds may change. Besides, it were a mock
Apt to be render'd, for some one to say,
'Break up the Senate till another time,
When Caesar's wife shall meet with better dreams.'
If Caesar hide himself, shall they not whisper,
'Lo, Caesar is afraid'?
Pardon em, Caesar; for my dear dear love
To your proceeding bids me tell you this,
And reason to my love is liable.

CAESAR: How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia!
I am ashamed I did yield to them.
Give me my robe, for I will go.

5. I'm in a duet with Danny.