Reflection

   Well, it looks like this year has finally come to a close. Laawwwd, it seems like just a few days ago I was just coming into this school for the first day of high school in 2010. I've had a great journey from coming in as an eager and young freshman to getting ready to leave as an advanced and accomplished senior. I've had great times while I was here and I've certainly had terrible experiences as well. I've accomplished being an honor and AP student my whole four years as a high school student and I've made a name for myself as far as being an advanced student, performer and club member. I used to regret being here at this wretched school for a plethora of reasons, but I'm actually glad I did because I probably wouldn't have come up to be as well-rounded and have had as many memorable experiences. I've had bad teachers and good teachers as well. I had one amazing teacher, in particular who was the best teacher I've had since I've been here. She was very helpful and instrumental in helping us AP students learn bigger and better things that would definitely help us in the long run. She was always cool and fashionable, yet very hardworking and on top of her game..oh and I almost forgot, she's CRAZY(in a good way). Of course, I'm talking about Mrs.Day!! She's one of the very few teachers I can truly say I'll miss and not think twice about it. We always had a good time  in her class, but we also would have to work our butts off and we were ok with that. I took her last year and this year and it's been a very intriguing journey coming into her class this year. I've really learned alot about writing prose essays and literary analysis and much more things. I also learned more about archetypes and writing critical analysis also. I'm really going miss this class, honestly. This class was like a big dysfunctional family. We all helped each other out when we needed help, we all got a severe case of senioritis at the same time, we all procrastinated but made sure we all had our work done. We've had crazy talks and discussions as well as serious debates. It was just one of those classes that I enjoyed very much and plus it helped that alot of my friends were in the class as well. I'm really going to miss it. Well overall, my high school experience has been craazzyy, yet great. I can't believe that I've done four years of high school, it's like time just flew. I've come a long way since 9th grade and I'm proud of the ambitious young man I have come today. Even with the accomplishments and education that I have gained throughout these four years, I know I'm going to be questioned and ridiculed because of where I come from here. I also know that I haven't always received the proper education here, however,I can use that same education and accomplishments to get me to where I need to be in order to seek more education and to get more accomplishments done that to help me get to where I'm dreaming to be. Well my time as a high school student has come and gone and I for one am certainly glad it is.!

An Interview with August Wilson

During the interview with David Savran, August Wilson discusses African Americans and how they have come up short. However, he never puts a blame on anyone. He also talks about the society of today. Wilson is stating in the interview that we need to find a way to fix things for black people, and implying that it doesn't matter who's to blame for anything. He mostly speaks on how blacks don't really have a place in society but are mostly being institutionalized. He also talked about how we are products of our parents and that they give us tools to prepare us for the real world. That interested me, because it is very true, though some people don't think so. It also really interested me that he is all about making things better for blacks, instead of trying to blame things on people. He is much more interested in broadening the opportunities and horizons for blacks in society. The whole interview was very intriguing to me.

Tragedy of The Common Man

 In Arthur Miller's passage, "Tragedy and the Common Man," he outlines his ideas on what a tragedy and tragic hero are today. He argues that the tragic hero does not have to be a king or of a noble background, but instead, the common man can be considered a tragic hero. Miller makes the point that the tragic flaw is the idea that the tragic hero is unable to accept anything that may affect their status or self-image. Miller also states that tragedy is not supposed to be pessimistic, but rather an optimistic display of human qualities. In his first argument, Miller states that the tragic hero does not need to be royal or noble, for the common man can fit the role as aptly. Miller explains that this is now obvious through the concepts such as the Oedipus complex, which were originally "enacted by royal beings, but which apply to everyone in similar situations." He believes that if tragedy were to only apply to kings, then it would be impossible for everyone else to cherish and comprehend it. The only quality needed for a character to be a tragic hero, according to Miller, is the readiness to "lay down his life, if need be, to secure one thing-his sense of personal dignity." This concept of the average man being a tragic hero is evident in The Crucible, for it is portrayed through John Proctor, a local farmer. Proctor makes use of the same mental processes as kings in previous tragedies when making his decisions, and he fights to keep his name, which holds his sense of dignity, from being ruined. The common man, according to Miller, is capable of "questioning [...] what has previously been unquestioned," which is the key quality that gives them this tragic flaw and sets them up to work dynamically in a tragedy. John Proctor exhibits this quality throughout the novel when he resists the ideas of the Puritan community around him. In the end of The Crucible, Proctor's tragic flaw is completely exposed when he tears his confession in order to preserve his good name, even at the cost of his life.

On Close Readings

In Peter Rabinowitz's "On Close Readings", he depicts different types of reading and the effects they have on readers. I agree with what he is saying, because he talks about how reading one type of literature won't help your mind grow intellectually and that is true. The piece really speaks to people that should be open minded and start to read other types of literature. It also explains the conflicts readers will have if they don't do that.

On Minimalist Fiction

In John Barth's "On Minimalist Fiction", Barth discusses minimalist fiction and what it is. The piece could easily be found difficult to read. I couldn't really understand what he was saying at first because of all the extra words in parenthesis. Then it hit me and I realized the irony of the piece. It was saying that minimalist fiction was short and to the point, but in the piece it has a lot of extra things in there that was unnecessary. It was strange to see that in a piece where the author is saying minimalist fictions preaches less is more. I understand, however, where Bath is going with this because I do get tired of books putting to much into a story and it starts to take out the significance of a piece.

On the Dangers of Reading Fiction

In "On the Dangers of Reading Fiction" by Thomas Jefferson, Jefferson depicts his deep disgust for fiction. He says statements such as, "When this poison infects your mind, it destroys the tone and revolts it against wholesome reading." He also discussed fiction to be lost time and poor judgment in reading. He also, however, says that reading fiction helps develop a sound morality. He obviously was someone who liked reading more serious pieces instead of fake stories. I respect his opinion on what he's saying, but I have to disagree. I believe fiction helps us with imagination and helps us paint pictures in our heads of what's going on in the literature.

On the Differences between Poetry and Prose

In T.E. Hulme's "On the Differences between Poetry and Prose", he delineates the difference between poetry and prose in an interesting way. He first compares Prose to Algebra and I thought it was riveting how he used that to make his point. He talks about how Algebra/Prose conveys concrete things without any imagery or visualization in the process; basically he's saying that prose really has no flavor or imagination to it. With poetry, however, he talks about how it is more flexible and has more style. He talks about how poetry appeals more to the senses, making it deliver a physical image and decorate the poem. He made very good points with the examples he used to convey them. It really makes me appreciate poetry a little more.