January 20

Hurt, Pain, and Heartbreak

Picture10

Finished up every ounce of dinner in under 10 minutes just so I could rush to bed. I laid out my clothes, said my prayer thanking The Lord for today and praying that tomorrow would be even better, then went to bed. The next morning consisted of me dragging my mother out the door so I could hurry up and start my first day of grade seven. I had just gotten out of elementary school where life was limited to the walls of the school. Now, I was in middle school, things were going to be different. I promised myself that. I worked all summer to create this new, better, more confident version of myself that I was almost one hundred percent certain that people would love. Kissed my mother goodbye and walked through those big front doors. Then, I didn’t know that behind those big front doors were going to be some of the worst years of my life. Foolishly, I walked into my own nightmare.
First day everyone was nice. I was one of the earliest people there so I stood awkwardly until I could find absolutely any face I could possibly recognize. Soon, some of my best friends came and we were ready to take on anything that this next chapter had to offer. But, that ended very quickly when we realized we were all separated into different homerooms, still, I maintained that smile. My morning classes went well but I was waiting for lunch just so I could get back into my comfort zone. While waiting in line for food I came across one of the most beautiful faces I have ever seen. Every feature of his seemed to light up immediately. He was mixed with many races causing him to have the most beautiful bright blue eyes that would light up on their own but against his darker caramel skin tone those blue eyes were everything. Height was no problem for him, he was extremely tall, but to top it all off he had curly brown hair. I was positive I was in love.
I spent the first couple of years of middle school obsessing over him, without saying a word to him. Eventually we began talking and I learned that there was way more to him then I thought. I started to fall hard and quick, him the same. Things went well for the first year, I made it clear that I wasn’t ready to date yet and that I wanted to wait. That seemed like a good plan except for the fact that we had two different definitions of waiting. To me waiting meant getting to know each other until we felt ready. To him, waiting meant he would date as many girls as he could because he knew at the end of the day he had someone and that was the only real thing. I spent years having my worth be defined by his actions. But the common case for every girl was that we would stick with our guy no matter what happened, so I did. I made excuses for him and myself.
Around my last year of middle school we started dating and that was amazing, for the 2 and a half months it lasted. I didn’t know what being a girlfriend was and he for sure didn’t know how to give a girl respect. That mixed together, on top of his extremely judgmental friends, and the mutual friends we did share all resulted in creating the worst next years of my life. I was constantly harassed for that year and even into my first year of high school. Rumors of course became an everyday thing for me. The worst day though, was Valentine’s Day. I didn’t think anything bad was going to happen to me that day, if anything I expected it to be a good day because I thought my ex and his friends would be occupied enough by their own lives to not be bothered with mine. My day was going well, everyone was happy, I still couldn’t say I was happy but I felt something for that I haven’t felt in a while, peace. On top of feeling this rediscovered feeling. Someone actually sent me flowers with a card, on Valentine’s Day. I never felt like boys desired me anymore after I had already been involved with someone, so this event to me was awesome. Being presented the flowers in front of my class also wasn’t too bad. I opened them up proudly because these flowers meant that someone cared for me. With a huge smile I began to read the leader, it was a list, about things that my secret admirer absolutely hated about me. There was no secret about who the person was behind this list. Still, I maintained a smile on my face because I knew people were watching. No matter how big my fake smile was, it couldn’t hide the hurt, pain, and heartbreak that my tears showed. The bell rang after what seemed to be 4 hours. I quickly grabbed my things so I could catch the first bus that came because nothing would make them feel better than waiting for the next bus with me so they could enjoy their masterpiece. Of course, I missed the first bus. I stood there waiting for them to come. They didn’t acknowledge me at first which made me thing for just a second that maybe there was another group of people out there who hated me.

January 20

Living in a Cage with Other Rats

A photo essay for 1984 by George Orwell

Picture1

“Big Brother is watching you.”

Picture2

Protagonist:

This is how I imagine Winston Smith to be like.

We follow him throughout the story as a paranoid man who hides his discontent for the society he lives in.

He is forced to hide all of his emotions and thoughts from society so that he will not be caught by the secret police and be “vaporized.”

Picture3

Protagonist:

I theorize Julia, Winston’s love interest, to look like this.

She works for the Party, however, she also harbors hatred and contempt for them.

Like Winston, Julia hides her emotions in order to live.

Picture4

Inciting Incident:

Winston Smith started to develop the idea of wanting to overthrow the Party and Big Brother,

fueled by his hatred and strong desire for freedom and individuality.

He is unhappy with how society is being run and questions the purpose of why the Party wants to manipulate history.

Picture5

Climax:

Winston gave into the torture that he received from O’Brien in Room 101.

All his desire for the Party’s and O’Brien’s downfall has been dissipated.

His faithfulness towards Julia was shattered and turned around.

His fear, his phobia of rats, was the last straw that crumbled whatever courage he had of standing up to the brainwashed society.

Just like everyone in the conformist society, they abandoned the people they loved for personal gain.

Picture6

Conflict:

Man vs. Society

Winston constantly feels paranoid about the people living in the society.

Even if a person has less than 1% of a chance to denounce someone to the Thought Police, they’d snatch up that chance instantly.

Whether it is a twitch in the face, having a casual conversation with anyone, or even asking innocent questions,

that earns you a ticket to see the secret police.

Everyone is against you.

Picture7

Setting:

Room 101

This is the dreaded room where victims discovered and caught by the Thought Police are brought to for their torment.

The people here are faced with their biggest phobia. For Winston, it was rats.

O’Brien brought forth large rats, which were said to eat and chew through your flesh, disregarding if you’re alive or dead.

Picture8

Setting:

1. The Secret Room

This is the room that Winston and Julia hide in above Mr. Charrington’s shop. 

The room is their sanctuary and it allows them to be themselves and perform what actions they wish.

Julia also brings in items from the black market such as real coffee, good bread, sugar, make up, and perfume.

This room is more significant as this is where Winston and Julia discussed their love for each other and how their love is a sign of rebellion against the Party.

Picture9

Symbol:

Rats

While rats pose little to no significance in the beginning and middle of the novel, it becomes a huge symbol at the end of the novel.

O’Brien states that unleashing rats on a victim was a common punishment in Imperial China, however I believe it means something even more.

It represents how Winston and all the people in society are stuck in a “rat race;” they expend a huge amount of effort running around, but ultimately achieve nothing.

In this novel’s world, the Outer Party members and Proles (short for Proletariats) all become drones, cogs that are stuck to run only in the Party’s machines.

Winston and the other citizens are rats trapped in Big Brother’s unbreakable, iron cage.

Picture10

Favorite Quotation:

“Sometimes they threaten you with something – something you can’t stand up to, can’t even think about.

And then you say, “Don’t do it to me, do it to somebody else, do it to So-and-so.”

And perhaps you might pretend, afterwards, that it was only a trick and that you just said it to make them stop and didn’t mean it.

But that isn’t true.

At the time when it happens you do mean it.

You think there’s no other way of saving yourself, and you’re quite ready to save yourself that way.

You WANT it to happen to the other person.

You don’t give a damn what they suffer.

All you care is yourself.”

A photo essay for 1984 by George Orwell

 

 

Protagonist:

This is how I imagine Winston Smith to be like. We follow him throughout the story as a paranoid man who hides his discontent for the society he lives in. He is forced to hide all of his emotions and thoughts from society so that he will not be caught by the secret police and be “vaporized.”

 

Protagonist:

I theorize Julia, Winston’s love interest, to look like this. She works for the Party, however, she also harbors hatred and contempt for them. Like Winston, Julia hides her emotions in order to live.

 

 

Inciting Incident:

Winston Smith started to develop the idea of wanting to overthrow the Party and Big Brother, fueled by his hatred and strong desire for freedom and individuality. He is unhappy with how society is being run and questions the purpose of why the Party wants to manipulate history.

 

 

Climax:

Winston gave into the torture that he received from O’Brien in Room 101. All his desire for the Party’s and O’Brien’s downfall has been dissipated. His faithfulness towards Julia, his love interest, was shattered and turned around. His fear, his phobia of rats, was the last straw that crumbled whatever courage he had of standing up to the brainwashed society. Just like everyone in the conformist society, they abandoned the people they loved for personal gain.

 

 

Conflict:

Man vs. Society

Winston constantly feels paranoid about the people living in the society. Even if a person has less than 1% of a chance to denounce someone to the Thought Police, they’d snatch up that chance instantly. Whether it is a twitch in the face, having a casual conversation with anyone, or even asking innocent questions, that earns you a ticket to see the secret police. Everyone is against you.

 

 

Setting:

1. Room 101

This is the dreaded room where victims discovered and caught by the Thought Police are brought to for their torment. The people here are faced with their biggest phobia. For Winston, it was rats. O’Brien brought forth large rats, which were said to eat and chew through your flesh, disregarding if you’re alive or dead.

 

 

Setting:

2. The Secret Room

This is the room that Winston and Julia hide in above Mr. Charrington’s shop. The room is their sanctuary and it allows them to be themselves and perform what actions they wish. Julia also brings in items from the black market such as real coffee, good bread, sugar, make up, and perfume. This room is more significant as this is where Winston and Julia discussed their love for each other and how their love is a sign of rebellion against the Party.

 

Symbol:

Rats

While rats pose little to no significance in the beginning and middle of the novel, it becomes a huge symbol at the end of the novel. O’Brien states that unleashing rats on a victim was a common punishment in Imperial China, however I believe it means something even more. It represents how Winston and all the people in society are stuck in a “rat race;” they expend a huge amount of effort running around, but ultimately achieve nothing. In this novel’s world, the Outer Party members and Proles (short for Proletariats) all become drones, cogs that are stuck to run only in the Party’s machines. Winston and the other citizens are rats trapped in Big Brother’s unbreakable, iron cage.

 

Favorite Quotation:

“Sometimes they threaten you with something – something you can’t stand up to, can’t even think about. And then you say, “Don’t do it to me, do it to somebody else, do it to So-and-so.” And perhaps you might pretend, afterwards, that it was only a trick and that you just said it to make them stop and didn’t mean it. But that isn’t true. At the time when it happens you do mean it. You think there’s no other way of saving yourself, and you’re quite ready to save yourself that way. You WANT it to happen to the other person. You don’t give a damn what they suffer. All you care is yourself.”

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January 20

Life Of Pi Photo Essay

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k0h1lBSccDU/Tbi2dhM8cJI/AAAAAAAAAAQ/hsBxnIfjbHo/s1600/Life+of+Pi.jpg

 

Tittle: This image really shows how Pi had a different life

before meeting Richard Parker, and after meeting Richard

Parker he has a new life.

 

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Giants_of_the_Savanna_Inhabitants.jpg

Setting and characterization:The protagonist, Pi, had spent his

whole childhood in a zoo owned

by his parents, and he developed a

connection with the animals in the zoo.

 

https://blackjacknovel.files.wordpress.com/2013/05/ship-in-storm-at-sea.jpg

Conflict: While the Patel family was

on their to Toronto Canada with the animals, a storm

hit sea and Pi decided to go out to admire the storm.

I chose this picture because it shows how bad the storm was.

 

http://www.liveanimalslist.com/interesting-animals/images/bengal-tiger-gazzing.jpg

Conflict:The protagonist was sent

on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.

 

http://www.sempai.org/~jet/survival/pocket_kit/DSCN1373.JPG

Characterization: Pi found a survival kit in the

lifeboat and made a journal out of the survival book,

and used materials to build a raft connected to the lifeboat.

This picture shows characterization, because Pi is feeling boredom

and talks about everything in his journal.

http://api.ning.com/files/DtcI2O2Ry7BolRBKtMPZYNKdIEJ1p*Quy9bpRxufZz8VwEJarbyyYCDQHhfbyiZuUmqJAFSvIDKWy1nC0ShFuAeeazWKiWbF/1082112178.jpeg

Plot – Rising Action: Pi made a stop at a glowing island,

where the water was fresh during the day, but at night

he realized how this island was acidic and dangerous

for humans.  the glowing island that Pi made a stop at

while at sea. This picture reminds me of the glowing island in the

novel.

 

http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/e8/b2/97/beach-at-coronado-island.jpg

Setting: After spending 227 days in a lifeboat on the

Pacific Ocean, the lifeboat finally reaches the

shore of Mexico. This picture shows the shore of Mexico,

just like in the novel the lifeboat reaches Mexico.

 

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3267/3221604918_642afa429d.jpg

Plot – Climax: Getting of the lifeboat, Richard Parker heads

towards the jungle while Pi is lying on the wet sand,

but before going into the jungle Richard Parker stops,

and this symbolizes how the two of them have developed

a bond of friendship. This is also symbolism, because the tiger

is what helped Pi survive on the lifeboat. This picture

shows how Richard Parker left Pi alone.

 

https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2355/2351548685_99096cd905_b.jpg

Plot- Falling Action: Pi was taken to the hospital and he was

interviewed there by two men who were part

of the ship company.

 

http://www.greenbookblog.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/instagram-storytelling.jpg

Plot- Falling Action: At the hospital pi tells the gentlemen the

story of what happened in the lifeboat with Richard parker, but no one

believed him so he decided to make up a story

using people instead of animals. This picture shows

how Pi had to make up a story to tell the interviewers.

 

http://fc03.deviantart.net/images/large/wallpaper/wscenery/A_Plant-New_Life.jpg

Plot – Resolution: After everything Pi went through,

he has started a new life, with not many people knowing

that he has survived 227 days with a tiger on the lifeboat.

This image shows how even though Pi went through so much,

and lost everything, he still started a new life.

 

 

 

 

January 20

Big Brother is watching you! 1984

Title: The protagonist in “1984” is Winston Smith. A character who is against society’s norms and against the overall power of the society. Winston and all other citizens are trapped within the forced structure and are forced to be a part of a controlled and ordered lifestyle. This image is a strong representation of the novel because of people being trapped and forced to act in such a way that isn’t what they feel.

Plot – Rising action: This room indicates the rising action of the novel, where the events begin to become more suspenseful. Winston is watched day and night as is everyone else in society. This room gives Winston the freedom to do as he pleases without the fear of being watched. I chose this visual because the room itself is simple and not something that would draw attention to the higher authority therefore giving Winston that privilege of being able to be in hiding.  “If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself.”

Plot-Climax: In the setting there is a point reached where it is the end all be all, the climax. This room indicates room 101, a torture chamber in the ministry of love where individuals such as Winston are forced into to face their consequences of committing a thought crime. I chose this imagine because the way the room is portrayed is through the thought of torture and fear which this room gives the feeling of.  “Anything but room 101!”

Conflict: Man vs Society. The idea of Man vs Society is shown throw the book in the idea that you are never left alone and you are always being watch no matter how hard you try to hind from it. I chose this image because in the reality of the novel you can’t trust the government but as well you can’t trust anyone or anything else because you know that no secret is ever safe unless it is never told or mentioned.

Characterization: this image is shown through the idea of people being unique. Winston is a unique character in the novel because he stands out from all the rest by not following the rules and wanting a change in the world and society.

Characterization: I chose the image of the word revolution and love to describe Winston because he is a character who shows his passion for wanting to have that idea of a revolution with the initial thought of “down with big brother”. I also chose the word love because the way Winston rebels against the party is by making love and loving another character named Julia. His passion for her and his passion for rebelling gets intertwined with one another, giving it the idea of killing two birds with one stone.

Setting: Room 101 is a torture chamber in the Ministry of Love in which a prisoner is forced to face his or her own worst nightmare and/or fear. i.e. Winston’s fear of rats and having to be tortured with them. “By its self” he said “Pain is not always enough. There are occasions when a human being will stand out against pain, even to the point of death, but for everyone there is something unendurable-something that cannot be contemplated.” I chose this particular type of photo again because the room itself is a huge contribution to the idea of setting it is portrayed as something that is the worst thing imaginable.

Setting:  The room that Winston Smith hides in day by day is a symbol of Winston no longer conforming to the norms of society and now creating his own way of life. Being free of all the order and control and breaking free from what society thinks is the true meaning of life.  I chose the idea of the secret room to define setting because a lot of the novel’s suspenseful moments happen in this secret room therefor giving it a reason to be a crucial contribution to the setting and novel.

Symbol: The symbol of the eye in the sky indicates the idea of a superior being that is continuously watching each individual like a hawk staking pray. This symbol is powerful and significant because no one is ever granted privacy or aloud to be able to thinking what they truly feel.

Quotation: “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.”  Ignorance is Strength is saying keep the people dumb and you will be more powerful and less likely to be overthrown.
War is Peace: in order to have any peace you have to have war, all countries disagree and many times the disagreements are fixed by sending young men and women to war. War= Peace whether it be now or 20 years down the road. Freedom is slavery Big Brother is trying to sway his citizens away from complete freedom. Although they have no laws in Oceania Big Brother is saying if you’re completely free you have many responsibilities. If you’re a slave all you have to do is follow my directions and there is no trouble. The reason for this photo is that I includes the quote as well shows a sense of entrapment around society, giving people less ability to become something greater than they are intended for.

January 20

Taylor’s Road to Happiness ( The Bean Trees)

Exposition:

“When I drove the Pittman line I made two promises. One I kept, the other I did not. The first was that I would get a new name.”

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eJmUmB_i52o/T6bEi75Ax3I/AAAAAAAAEYw/HQbCXLpMjnk/s1600/LeavingOntario.jpg

Inciting Incident:

“She put her hands where the child’s shoulders might be, under all the blanket, and pushed it gently back into the seat…”

http://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.1380944!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_620/image.jpg

Rising Action:

“… But the problem is that you have no legitimate claim. A verbal agreement with a relative isn’t good enough.. It wasn’t an official adoption.”

http://cf.foreveryoungadult.com/_uploads/images/adoption.jpg

Climax:

“ … I’m going to see if I can find any of Turtles relatives… So they can sign her over to me.”

http://researchroots.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Missing-relatives.jpg

Falling Action:

“That rights, April Turtle Greer. “

https://jaleschinsky.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/indian-colors-indian-child-photography-17.jpg

Denouement:

“At four o clock we went to the Oklahoma County Courthouse to pick up the adoption papers.”

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQa1Lgx3Ilw8iKnQg6pwFGKPypKj6mPDVBtNHHOu1clo6E7MyjTUQ

Conflict:

Taylor as the protagonist has internal conflict, as well as external.

Self v self:

Taylor has the internal conflict of maturing faster than she needs, so she can take care of her family.

http://unwind-neal-shusterman.wikispaces.com/file/view/connor_vs_connor.jpg/230108462/254x240/connor_vs_connor.jpg

Self v. Society:

Taylor struggles to get the adoption papers for turtle, but eventually she gets it.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/engrade-myfiles/4015611671039733/society.jpg

Characterization:

Taylor is portrayed as a strong willed and brave. She risks her life not only to help Estevan and Esperanza get to the safe, but to secure Turtle as her own.

http://gevoeligheidgrootbrengen.nl/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Hooggevoelig-strong-willed.jpg

I also imagine her as a brunette with brown eyes. She also as country clothing.

          http://thebeantress.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/20130103-204101.jpg

Setting:

  1. Kentucky- The beginning of the novel starts off as here. This is when we start to understand who she is and her motives.

https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTLunCqa6lNBktB4HkhTHw7hde-YgDAH32VWfwnpGLaJ6shK_sxtw

  1. Tucson, Arizona- This is where the majority of the setting is. She finds a job at the tire shop, finds a house and starts her new life.

http://www.cs.arizona.edu/~kobourov/IMAGES/Tucson_Images/tucson3.jpg

  1. Oklahoma- This is where the last part of the novel is set before going back to Arizona. This is where she gets Turtles adoption papers.

 

Symbols:

Beans

“Mattie’s purple’s bean vines hung from the fence like long strips of beef jerky drying in the sun.”

https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT-xIKUrM-qKUxQehSsAXFSiCQguepQRuVCYCFq4tWNSNd92Wer7Q

The growing of the beans signifies how Taylor has grown throughout the book.

Favorite Quote:

“Is that you? Bless your heart, it is you.”

This quote resonated with me because it gives the impression that your family still loves you especially after you leave home.