The Hurricane: Film Analysis

1) In the movie The Hurricane, the most common theme that reoccurs is the theme of the struggle for justice.  We see the character Rubin Carter being falsely accused of a crime he did not commit because of the racial prejudice in the society.  Later, we are introduced to a small group of people who want to help Rubin prove his innocence and exploit the truth.  Many times while trying to find the truth, they often found dead ends, which adds to the common motif of the struggle for justice.  This motif is not only applicable for Rubin, but also for those harmed int he accident Rubin was accused of, because in the end, justice was never served for those that really committed the crime.

2) Although many symbols appear in the movie, I found the most significant ones to be the mail from Lesera and jail uniform.  I saw the mail as a symbol because it represents the separation Rubin has from the outside world while in prison.  The letters also represent friends and support from Lesera.  The other significant symbol seen in the movie is the jail uniform.  The suit represents guilt, and when Rubin refuses to wear it, it symbolizes his innocence in the involvement in the crime.  The uniform could also show that Rubin refuses to give up on himself and give up hope that true justice will be served.

3) Many similarities can be identified between the novel To Kill a Mockingbird and the movie The Hurricane.  To start, in both stories, an African male was being prosecuted against for a crime falsely accused upon them.  In court, we see both being defended by "white" people that feel the need to have true justice uncovered as well as having a a jury of their peers (ironically all white) judge them on a crime.  In both situations, we also see the accused have a very calm demeanour while in courtroom.  Also, in the end both the novel and the movie, justice is never really served by those actually committing the crime.

4) I think the most identifiable relationship between To Kill a Mockingbird and The Hurricane is the idea of racism.  In both the novel and the movie, a character is falsely accused of a crime not committed by them.  We the readers are also introduced to a society where the Black race is not as respected and is seen as a lower class when compared to the "Whites" in the community, but even though these communities are filled with prejudiced citizens, there are those who wish to stand up to the racism and fight back with the truth (The Finchs and the Canadians).

Globalization and Obasan Post

62) Why can't Reiko play with Naomi anymore?
In Obasan, there are various encounters between Reiko and Naomi.  While in the bathing room, Reiko and Naomi make contact, but Reiko says she is no longer allowed to talk or play with Naomi because of what here mom has told her about Naomi and her family.  She says that Naomi's family is sick and has TB (tuberculosis) because her father is in the hospital and her brother is limping.  Once Naomi goes home, and questions her brother multiple times on this "sickness" ordeal, her uncle says, "For some people it is a shameful matter to be ill.  But it is a matter of misfortune, not shame."

65) Who has returned home?  What is significant about her simile, "I am leaf in the wind restored to its branch?"
The character that has returned home is Naomi's father.  The simile "I am leaf in the wind restored to its branch" is important to the relationship between Naomi and her father because it shows that Naomi trusts her father to be her support just like the branch is the support for the leaf.  The simile also shows her trust in her father and how she feels as if she is with him, she is home.

Obasan Character Sketch

Aunt Emily

Opinions:

• Strong-willed
• Outspoken
• Motivated
• "Wherever the words "Japanese race" appeared, Aunt Emily had crossed them out and written "Canadian citizen"." (page 34)
• "What this country did to us, it did to itself." (page 35)
• "A lot of academic talk just immobilizes the oppressed and maintains oppressors in their positions of power." (page 37)
• "Like that there can be no marriage." (page 37) -Uncle says to Naomi while referring to Aunt Emily.

Actions:

• Attends many conferences and voices her opinions.
• "Even before the supper dishes were cleared away, Aunt Emily was shuffling and sorting documents and conference papers on the kitchen table." (page 37) 
• "I could see that we were in for an evening of marathon talking, whether anyone else felt up to it or not."  (page 37)

Motives:

• "Injustice enrages Aunt Emily." (page 35)
• "The past is the future." (page 45)

          Aunt Emily is quite the bold character in the novel Obasan.  She portrays a woman with very strong opinions and is never afraid to speak her mind.  Although she is loved by her family, they often find her to be very overwhelming.  An example of this is when Naomi says, "I could see that we were in for an evening of marathon talking, whether anyone else felt up to it or not."  In this quote, Naomi expresses how all of Aunt Emily's energy can be very tiring and annoying at times.  Uncle also says, "like that there can be no marriage" when referring to Emily.   He means that she is not the usual woman that would likely get married because of her large mouth.  Aunt Emily is a very distinct character  with very distinct opinions and views.  She will likely continue to be an engaging and compelling character.
        
          Part of what makes Aunt Emily unique, is her perspective on various issues.  She views the world as a very different place in comparison to other characters such as Naomi and Obasan.  For example, while Naomi believes everyone should move on from the past to build a better future, Aunt Emily believes that, "the past is the future", which goes hand in hand with her view that "what this country [Canada] did to us, it did to itself."  With that being said, it is likely that that is the reason why Aunt Emily feels she must educate Naomi on issues that have involved the injustice towards the Japanese.  Aunt Emily is also a character who in enraged with injustice.  She believes that what the government did to the Japanese in the past was awful.  Even so, she sees herself as a "Canadian citizen".  This idea is supported through quotes such as, "wherever the words "Japanese race" appeared, Aunt Emily had crossed them out and written "Canadian citizen"," and "what this country did to us, it did to itself."

Taming of the Shrew Paragraphs

          Shakespeare chooses to use the idea of a play within a play in his play Taming of the Shrew.  In the induction of this comedy, a drunken man, Christopher Sly, is tricked into thinking he is a lord, and later begins to watch a play set up by the real lord (hence the play within a play).  The purpose of this "play within a play" is likely to create depth between the real audience and the comedy.  This depth is very important because in the play, there are many comedic ideas which are mean't to be funny, but can be taken offensively.  The idea of a play within a play lightens the mood and sets an unlikely setting where the comedy in the play is quite realistic unlike the real world.

          In Act II, Scene 1 of Taming of the Shrew, you get a strong feel for the relationship between sisters Kate and Bianca.  From brief appearances from the 2 sisters previously, you can understand who they are as individuals.  Kate for example is seen as the bitter sister as seen in her diction, and how she is described as by others in Act I when she says to Baptista, "[...] sir, is it your will to make a stale of me amongst these mates?" (57-58), and when Hortensio says to her, "No mates for you, unless you were of gentler, milder mould." (59-60).  Bianca on the other hand is seen as the more likeable sister of the two when compared to Kate.  When these 2 sisters are put together like in Act II, Scene 1, their personalities definitely clash with each others.  There is obviously jealously towards Bianca from Kate likely from the attraction of men to Bianca, and the little attraction to men towards herself.  Kate and Bianca's characters conflict very often and therefore enlarge the differences between their personalities.

          The use of disguises and deception throughout the play reoccurs many times.  Starting from the induction, Christopher Sly believes he is a lord when really he is being deceived by the real lord as a joke.  Following the deception of Christopher Sly, we see various characters in the play use disguises to further themselves in some way.  For example, in order to impress Bianca and be known to her, Hortensio devises a plan to disguise himself as a music instructor, as seen in Act I when he says to Petruchio,
"And offer me disguis'd in sober robes
To old Baptista as a schoolmaster
Well seen in music, to instruct Bianca,
That so I may, by this device at least,
Have leave and leisure to make love to her
And unsuspected court her by herself."
Along with Hortensio, other characters also disguise themselves as others as well to advance themselves.  The use of deception and disguises is a very useful tool in enhancing the humour in this comedy.

Taming of the Shrew Literature Web

Peer Assessment Blog Chapter 15-20

Visual Representation: The idea that the bluejay represents Mr. Ewell was interesting, but the explanation that went with it didn't quite make sense to me at times.  The blogger says, "I thought that a bluejay would be a good metaphor for Mr. Ewell because of the following; when Scout and Jem get their guns, they are told to never shoot a mockingbird, but they can shoot all of the bluejays they like.  How this relates to Mr. Ewell is that when you hear his speech in court, he doesn't sound very sincere and gets quite annoying very quickly."  I found these phrases quite confusing because I didn't understand the connection between shooting bluejays rather than mockingbirds, and Mr. Ewell being annoying and not sincere in his court testimony.

Vocabulary Webs: The word webs were filled out appropriately.

Literature Web: The literature webs was filled out appropriately and showed that thought was put in with creating it.  It was very good of the blogger to talk about Jem and Scout sitting in the "black" balcony in the courtroom in the ideas as well as in the imagery.

Paragraph 1: In this paragraph, there is lots of detail and support to show how Mayella tries to sway the opinions of the jury.  In explaining these ideas, parts in the novel are referred to, but it may have been a good idea to actually quote some of the points you made directly from the novel.  The only part that confused me, was when the blogger says, "Although these chapters don't tell you who wins the trial, it gives you a good idea as to how bias the town really is."  I didn't understand this phrase because the as stated by the blogger, you don't know who wins the trial, so it didn't make sense to me to say that the town is bias without them sharing their verdict on the case.

Paragraph 2: I really enjoyed this paragraph - especially that last few sentences.  This paragraph discusses an important scene in the novel and was explained wall.  It might have been a good idea to quote a part of the conversation Scout had with Mr. Cunningham.

General Comments: There were some grammatical errors in the writing, but mostly, it was written well. There were many good ideas and opinions shared through the writing as well.  I would suggest adding some quotes in the paragraphs to enhance the writing though.

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 12-20 - Paragraph 1 and 2

          Aunt Alexandra's character in To Kill a Mockingbird is very proud and close minded.  She decides it would be best for her to stay with Atticus, Jem and Scout, as she believes a strong female presence in Scout's life would help in shaping her into a proper young lady in Maycomb's society.  Aunt Alexandra's character is quite the popular woman as seen in chapter 13, when "Miss Maudie Atkinson baked a Lane cake so loaded with shiny it made me tight; Miss Stephanie Crawford had long visits with Aunt Alexandra", "Miss Rachel next door had Aunty over for coffee in the afternoons", and "Mr Nathan Radley went so far as to come up in the front yard and say he was glad to see her".  Considering Aunt Alexandra is a socialite in Maycomb, it is understandable that she would want Scout to be like her in the future.  Scout may think that Aunt Alexandra is this horrible woman, but her intentions are good as she only wants her to a respectable young woman.


          Throughout these chapters, the trial of Tom Robinson takes place, and we learn and understand more of his character.  Before the trial, many opinions are shared about Tom Robinson, but as it commences, you see the true side of Tom Robinson.  During his testimony, you also see that Tom Robinson is also a warmhearted man when he says, "I was just tryin' to help her out, suh."  Even though Tom said many things in his testimony, Mayella Ewell did as well, so in the end its his word against hers. Its very likely that even though Tom's side is the stronger argument, Mayella will win due to the prejudice in the community of black people.

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 12-20 - Visual Representation

http://nohablasespanol.blogspot.com/2011/02/racism.html

The image above represents Scout and her place in the novel with black and white people.  It shows that she is an unbiased character in the novel as she takes in both perspectives in problems before judging.  Being unbiased is very important especially in the chapters in which the trial of Tom Robinson.

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 12-20 - Literature Web

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 12-20 - Vocabulary Web 2

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 12-20 - Vocabulary Web 1

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 9-11 - Paragraph 1 and 2

        "Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.  They don't eat up people's gardens, don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us.  That's why it's a sin to kill a mockingbird."  This quote from chapter 10, said by Miss Maudie, is used after Jem and Scout are given their guns.  In the novel, the mockingbird is a symbol of innocence.  Atticus and Miss Maudie find it very important not to shoot the mockingbirds because they have done nothing wrong, and don't deserve to be punished.  The mockingbird symbol is also represents some of the characters in the novel.  For example, Boo Radley can be seen as a mockingbird, as he has tried many times to prove he is a good person, but is still seen as a bad person for what he may have done in the past.  The mockingbird symbol representing innocence will most likely to continue to be an important theme in the novel.

          Even though Atticus may be perceived as just a man of great intelligence and with a kind heart, he is much more.  In chapter 10 of To Kill a Mockingbird, Atticus is not only seen as what was described earlier, but also as a courageous and brave man.  When Calpurnia sees Tim Johnson, she runs into the house with the 2 children, picks up the telephone and calls Atticus immediately to come home.  This suggests that the community seeks and depends on Atticus for protection and help in difficult situations.  Once the situation is dealt with, Scout's opinion of Atticus changes drastically into a man with much more courage and bravery, even though Atticus believes that courage is gained in other ways, not by having weapons.

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 9-11 - Visual Representation

http://www.flickr.com/photos/fastened_stitched_and_buttoned/3342557760/lightbox/

The image I chose is of a white camellia, which I see to be a metaphoric representation.  The camellia is the flower that Mrs. Dubose gave to Jem after she passed away.  I find it to be metaphoric because it represents the "good" side of Mrs. Dubose that may not have been quite understood by some characters such as Jem.

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 9-11 - Vocabulary Web 2

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 9-11 - Vocabulary Web 1

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 9-11 - Literature Web

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 1-8 - Visual Representation

http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-image-pyramid-of-social-classes-image8096086

The image I chose is of a pyramid of people, which I found to be a symbolic representation of the first 8 chapters.  To me, it symbolizes the social standings in Maycomb where the rich and well-off are at the top, and the poor at the bottom.

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 1-8 - Paragraph 1 and 2

          Daughter of Atticus Finch, Jean Louise, also known as Scout, portrays a very amusing and interesting character in Harper Lee's "To Kill a Mockingbird".  In the first 8 chapters, Scout appear to be a smart, innocent, tough, and curious little girl who is not like many in the small town of Maycomb.  She was brought up to have much individuality and to be herself without following all of the unwritten rules the society of Maycomb has.  Not like other girls, Scout is a tomboy that prefers to hang out with her brother and friend Dill over playing dress-up and dolls like most young girls.  In being the youngest of the 3, she gets influenced into doing things she would normally not do such as going over to the Radley's house, which suggests that Scout is quite vulnerable in situations.


          It is evident from early in the novel that social status is a very important value to many in the community.  Clearly from the beginning, the Finch family is positioned at the top of the social pyramid, followed by majority of the population of Maycomb.  Below the townspeople, are many lower class families such as the Cunninghams which make a living off of farming, followed by the Ewells.  Although it is not explicitly revealed that the Cunninghams and Ewells are near the bottom of the pyramid, it can be inferred by they way characters such as Walter Cunningham presents himself physically as well as with his diction in chapter 2.  For example, narrated by Scout, "Walter poured syrup on his vegetables and meat with a generous hand", later followed by Calpurnia saying, "There's some folks who don't eat like us".  Social status is important in the society and will most likely continue to be an important theme throughout the rest of the novel.

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 1-8 - Literature Web

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 1-8 - Vocabulary Web 2

To Kill a Mockingbird Chapter 1-8 - Vocabulary Web 1

The Loons Paragraph 1 and 2

          In the short story, The Loons, diction is used to convey different characters.  The main reasons for the diction is to create specific distinction between certain characters, which in this short story, are Piquette and Vanessa.  From the beginning of the story, Vanessa has been judgemental about many things including who Piquette is, even before knowing her, for example, she refers to Piquette and her family as "halfbreeds".  Vanessa's diction is almost as if she were talking down to Piquette.  ON the other hand, Piquette's diction is very improper, as suggested, when she says things like, "I don't know what in hell you're talkin' about" or "You nuts of somethin'?".  This suggests that she was brought up in a very different family with very different views.  The diction in this story is very important in creating contrasting characters.


          Throughout the short story The Loons, foreshadowing occurred.  Specifically, the loons foreshadowed what would eventually happen not only to Piquette, but also to the Metis people.  When Vanessa first introduced the loons, she says, "There's loons here, on this lake. ...my dad says we should listen and try to remember how they sound, because in a few years when more cottages are built at Diamond Lake and more people come in, the loons will go away."  This is foreshadowing, because later in the story, Piquette ends up dying, which was foreshadowing when Vanessa said, "...the loons will go away".  This quote from the story could also be referring the the Metis' culture being lost as it is represented in Piquette with her change in diction after she met the man she later wedded.  The use of foreshadowing in The Loons is utilized well and is an effective way of warning the readers of future events.

The Loons Literature Web

The Loons Vocabulary Web 2

The Loons Vocabulary Web 1

The Loons Visual Representation

The image I chose was a symbolic representation.  It is a photograph of a red feather floating away in the wind; where the feather represents the Metis people.  In my opinion, the image represents the Metis people and how their culture is disappearing as they get assimilated into the modern Americanized world.

http://www.pxlshots.com/photo/12006/Red-Feather-.html

Blog Entry 1 - A Little About Myself

          Hi!  My name is Kristen, and in this first blog entry, I will discuss many of my interests/hobbies, goals for this year of English, and why I like and dislike English.  To start, one of my favourite activities to do is dance.  I am currently taking tap and ballet.  In addition to these regular dance classes, I am also involved in the competitive dance program at my studio - this means that I get to compete in various competitions around Alberta against other competitive dancers.  This year, I am also taking part in a trip with my dance studio to perform in Disneyland over Spring Break.  Another interest of mine is hanging out with my friends.  When we are together we always laugh and have tons of fun no matter what we do together (often shopping, seeing movies, baking, etc).  My friends and I always tell each other EVERYTHING, and we know that our secrets are safe with each other no matter what.  

          I enjoy English because I love to read, (but not aloud!)  I also enjoy examining poetry and doing creative projects.  The only part of English I don't like is reading literature in Old English (mainly because I find it difficult to understand sometimes) and reading aloud.  

          My goals for English 10 this year are to pass the class with a mark over 90% and to increase my ability to comprehend literature.  I will achieve my goal of receiving a mark over 90% by working hard on projects/assignments and really focusing on concepts we learn in class.  I will also achieve my goal of being able to comprehend literature better by practicing in class and at home, using techniques learned in class and communicating with others and discussing elements of the literature that are unclear.