Why I chose my book

For my book report I chose The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The main reason I chose this book was because I'm reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer in my regular, seventh grade English class, so doing this for the book report in this class is the perfect complement. Also, this book is perfect for our class's reading level. I had both of those ideas in mind for choosing this book before I even looked at the reading list, and I was glad I saw it there and looked up the number of pages. I'll post thoughts on Tuesday!

TEOGROMITMM vs. Capulets

(three full paragraphs!? What?! Well, here we go. . .)

      Tillie's family is similar to the Capulets because they're preventing their daughter from doing what she wants to do because it's the way their family currently is. Tillie/Juliet still try their best to get what they want, and it takes their families a while to figure out what they're doing. Their parent(s) get angry for their sneaking away. But the story still revolves around their sneaking to get what they want, whether academic or romantic.
      Tillie's family is different from the Capulets because her family isn't nearly as rich as the Capulets. This makes Tillie's situation more easy to see both sides. Tillie needs to stay home from school in order to live, but the Capulets' situation is just a pesky quarrel that has went on for centuries. For this reason, I like TEOGROMITMM better, and a much more interesting and likeable story. Romeo and Juliet is just an annoying story about a family fight that ends because a bunch of people die.
      Another reason the two families are similar is that they both have teachers that are motivating them. Juliet has Friar Laurence and Tillie has Mr. Goodman. Both of those people help the families start to realize that they should realize their daughters' desires. Both the teachers are not only the best motivators, but the first motivators. Although Mr. Goodman never appears as a talking part, you can feel his presence in the story from phone calls. However, Friar Laurence's plan fails and Mr. Goodman's plan succeeds - in the sense that Tillie wins the science fair.

TEOGROMITMM Act I

Really, it's very hard for me to relate to this play. But I guess if I had to choose something, it would be my persistent interest in school like Tillie. If I was in an extremely poor situation and I had to stay home many days of the week, I would still have an interest in science and other school topics and my grades. I would want to go to school even if it was hard to get food on the table every day. I guess I would also be slightly like Beatrice, looking at better things and slightly wish I had them, and then immediately go back to reality. I can't see myself at all in Ruth. And although Nanny's my favorite character, I can't see myself in her either.

Classic tragedy from Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet

How does Shakespeare incorporate classic tragedy?

After reading Act I: It is clear so far that this is a negative environment. It starts out with a public Capulet-Montague fight, Romeo is sad because Rosaline does not love him, and Juliet may be forced to marry County Paris. Although Juliet and Romeo fall in love, which is a happy thing, their love is destined to fail with such intolerant families.

            After reading Act II, Scene I: This was a short scene, but it is still clear Romeo is desperate for Juliet and there’s no turning back, and Mercutio and Benvolio question Romeo’s choice.

            After reading Act II, Scene II: This is a very classic scene. It is tragic because you can see how much Romeo and Juliet love each other, yet they must speak to each other in the night from different places so Romeo is not killed. There is also a desperate feeling from both of them that there is a possible chance they will be allowed to stay together.

            After reading Act II, Scene III: This scene’s tragic element is the fact that Friar Laurence is reluctant in letting Romeo and Juliet marry. Friar Laurence tries to sway Romeo, but Romeo’s tragic desire to love gets in the way.

            After reading Act II, Scene IV: This scene is sad because Benvolio and Mercutio are discussing how dangerous Tybalt is, and that Romeo stands no chance against him. After that, you can see that the nurse doesn’t fully approve of Romeo, which is also a bit sad.

            After reading Act II, Scene V: This scene is tragic because the nurse seems to be hurt or tired out or something along those lines, and she also tells Juliet that he’s not the best man she could have. It’s also a little bit sad in the beginning when Juliet is waiting impatiently for the nurse.

            After reading Act II, Scene VI: There wasn’t really anything tragic in this scene, but the fact that everything leading up to it have screwed up one way or another, you get an eerie feeling that something bad is going to happen sooner or later.

            After reading Act III, Scene I: Mercutio dies! He’s a great friend of Romeo, the main character! That angers and saddens Romeo. So then he kills Tybalt! Tybalt is Juliet’s cousin, and Juliet is saddened by this. Eventually the prince clears things up a bit.

            After reading Act III, Scene II: Juliet figures out Romeo is banished and Tybalt is dead from the nurse. Juliet is devastated and wants him to be found. Juliet is a main character becoming unhappy at the end of the scene.

            After reading Act III, Scene III: This scene is mainly tragic because you delve even deeper into Romeo’s woe. He feels that he’d almost rather die than be banished, or it is the exact same thing to him if he is leaving Juliet.

            After reading Act III, Scene IV: This scene is tragic because you know that Paris’s wedding to Juliet is coming up, which Juliet dreads happening because she loves Romeo, not Paris.

            After reading Act III, Scene V: This scene is tragic because Romeo is getting his last glimpse of Juliet before he must leave Verona to Mantua, and they are both very saddened by this. Neither of them wants Romeo to leave, but they know it is inevitable. Also, Juliet’s parents figure out who Juliet truly loves and they are furious. This raises the chances of Juliet marrying Paris.

            After reading Act IV, Scene I: This is tragic because there is culmination of a desperate plan that, as we find out later, is doomed to fail. Also, Juliet is very heartbroken right now at Romeo’s banishment.

            After reading Act IV, Scene II: This scene is only tragic because you can see how close Juliet is to marrying County Paris, and also the fact she’s about to commit her plan by faking her death to escape to Romeo.

            After reading Act IV, Scene III: This scene evokes tragedy by Juliet giving a long monologue about her heartbreak and then taking the poison that turns her asleep.

            After reading Act IV, Scene IV: This scene is just barely tragic because you know the nurse is about to find Juliet, very likely thinking she is dead, given that only Friar Laurence knows about the plan.

            After reading Act IV, Scene V: This scene is tragic because everyone thinks Juliet is dead and is mourning her “death” very heavily. Even Paris doesn’t know what to do and quite how to react, just to keep talking about how terrible it is that Juliet is dead and that it is a “woful, woful day.” If I understood the musician conversation more I would probably figure out that that conversation evoked tragedy as well.

            After reading Act V, Scene I: This is the point where you know it’s going to fall apart. Benvolio tells Romeo that Juliet’s dead, and Romeo buys poison. Romeo is going to kill himself, and there’s nothing that can stop him. Only one scene in the whole play can top the tragedy of that.

            After reading Act V, Scene II: All this short scene does is explain why the plan tragically failed – Friar John, for a reason I couldn’t exactly understand from the text, couldn’t send the important letter to Romeo, and now Romeo is about to kill himself. Friar Laurence is also saddened by this.

            After finishing: People died – many people. The unnecessary death of County Paris came first, after Romeo inevitably had to fight in order to die next to Juliet. Although this was sad, I was angrier that Romeo didn’t just surrender the fight and die like he wanted to, but the story was written 400 years ago, so I’ll have to deal with it. After that, Romeo died after taking poison right next to Juliet in her tomb. Juliet wakes, and despite Friar Laurence’s instructions, she kills herself with Romeo’s dagger. Then news spreads about their deaths, and both Montagues and Capulet come to the tomb. Lord Montague gives news about Lady Montague’s unnecessary death. We also figure out the tragic truth that it takes both their children to die for each other in order to make up for past quarrels.

Romeo and Juliet

I don't like the way Shakespeare writes. I understand just enough to know what's going on in the story. The old english just feels like it should be updated or something.
I like the characters except for Tybalt and Romeo. I don't like Tybalt because he's Tybalt. That's just the way the play makes you feel. I don't like Romeo because he sulks all the time with really annoying quotes that I don't understand. I would feel bad for Romeo, but he just sulks too much.
The plot is interesting and a lot more in-depth than I thought it would be. I think it's pretty interesting and I'm definitely interested in reading act II.

Act II of TNTSIJ

• I know this is a terrible answer, but I've always had trouble with the word "ironic". It's always been hard for me to define, and therefore I couldn't pinpoint any specific ironic conversations in the play, although if I could understand the word more I could probably find many ironic conversations.
• Of course, the main character would be Henry Thoreau. I'd cast this as Nicholas Cage - they both can yell things like they're meaningful, they both can have a wild, weird look about them and they look a lot alike. The second most important character would probably be Waldo Emerson. After looking at images of him on Google, I'd have to say that I would give it to Jim Carrey. He wants a more serious role, or at least from what I've heard, and he looks like Mr. Emerson. After thinking for a little bit, I'd have to say John Thoreau, even though he died mid-story, is the third most important character in the story. I couldn't any legitimate looking photos on him, but I guess I'd cast the role to Ben Stiller. He looks like he could be brothers with Nicholas Cage and he is used to some serious roles. The only problem is Nicholas Cage looks older and I'm sure he's taller than Ben Stiller.
• No - Aunt Louisa had to pay the taxes and Henry actually sort of gave in at the end. He decided to go back to the society because it was the only way to live for him, and this was, in a way, giving up his protest.

APDfB & TNTSIJ

In APDfB, Seymour reminded of Holden - they were both a little bit odd in the mind and they didn't really see the positive side in really anything. Muriel reminded me of Jane Gallagher because she liked Seymour/Holden despite his issues. This is a weak connection, but I had a weird feeling that those two characters were alike. Sybil reminded me of Phoebe because of Seymour/Holden's strong relationship with her despite her age. However, Seymour's relation with Sybil may be a connection to Salinger's love of all children, not just of his younger sister.
In TNTSIJ, the quote from Henry "Our own school, John. No buildings. Break out of the classroom prison. All we need is the sky!" stood out reflecting transcendentalism more than the other two quotes after looking at dictionary.com. It reflects the fact that knowledge is learned through thought and thinking about things through spiritual and natural values and your own beliefs, not following what everyone else says or thinks unless it's coincidental. Every moral and scientific value can easily be obtained with thought and observation if you pay attention and stop and sniff the roses, no matter what "the man" says.