Beacon

I'm almost there.

Through the darkness, a treacherous journey

Ups and downs, unexpected turns

I found my way before, but I'm lost once more

I'm on the verge of coming to a standstill,

losing all hope.

However, I know

I can keep moving forward

Taking my time, patience till the end

There's no rush.

There's a light at the end of every tunnel.

I can see it.

Jealousy

Jealousy, quite the fiend!

Fickle and infectious, staining like paint blots

Origins of envy, opening to pain,

hate, anger, sadness.

Retaliating violently, hurting others

And so the paint spreads.

-Ethan

Journal #7 - Chapters 26-29 - Perspective: Scout

Scout's Diary

School started again a few weeks ago. A big inconvenience was that I hardly got to see Jem anymore, because I only saw him at mealtime. Every single day before school and after school we would walk by the Radley place, hoping to catch a glimpse of Boo. Anyways, back to school life. It's not all that different, but our teacher, Miss Gates, is such a hypocrite. She says Hitler has been treating Jews badly, but she was persecuting people herself. Back at the courthouse, I overheard her belittling the black people in town. It was really terrible.

However, right when I mentioned the trial to Jem, he burst out in fury. I was really upset by this, because it scared me half to death. I went to Atticus for comfort, and I got a little better over time. Around the middle of October, I heard that Bob Ewell got a job, but was off of it shortly. He's been hating on Atticus a lot, and I can only imagine the fury building up inside of him. He's been trying to get back any way he can. I even heard he tried to wreck Judge Taylor's house by breaking in. Luckily, Judge Taylor was in the house, and Bob was put to a stop.

The next thing I've been hearing, is that he's allegedly been following Tom's wife, Helen, to work. He's been insulting Helen on her way to work. She really didn't like it, so he told Link Deas to put a stop to it. We've been worried about Bob and what he might do, because he's been mad at nearly the whole town. Aunt Alexandra pointed out he's been mad at everyone that had to do with the case, which would explain a whole lot. I think that he just needs to assess the situation and stop being so mad. Revenge is never the answer, and I wish someone would teach Bob that lesson.

A few days later, it's time for the school pageant. I'm dressing up as a ham, which is quite silly if you ask me. However, I consented to wear it. It was unusually warm, and it was even warmer in this ham suit. We passed the big tree, but all of the sudden we got a big scare. Cecil leaped at us, and we were so surprised! “God almighty!”, is what Jem said. We got over it in a matter of minutes, and headed towards the place of the pageant. I had forgotten money, and there were a ton of booths to play at. I was a bit sad at the moment, but Jem soon offered me thirty cents to have fun with. I was really happy Jem was so nice, because I was about to not have fun here. Cecil and I then proceeded to the booths.

Cecil also had thirty cents of his own, which made us even. We first went to the House of Horrors, which wasn't quite scary at all. It was more like a sad attempt to scare us. We entered the room to be greeted by a “ghoul”, and he showed us around and prompted us to touch several things. We were supposed to believe they were organs of a dead human, but I didn't believe it one bit. Two grapes aren't eyes, and a raw liver is not a human heart. So much for scariness on Halloween. We bought a sack of candy and went on with the pageant. I fell asleep and missed my call, but Jem said it was okay. He's getting more like Atticus, and knows just how to cheer me up.

We heard noises again on the way home and thought it was Cecil again, but it turns out it wasn't. We were in for quite a scare, because it turns out it was Bob Ewell. Bob had been looking for a way to get back at Atticus, and he thought he could get away with it. However, at the time, we didn't know it was Bob, so I just ran for my life back to the house. I didn't know where Jem was, but I saw him being carried by a man back to our house.

Dr. Reynolds arrived, and he examined Jem's condition. I found out soon after that Jem has a broken arm and a bump on his head, but the doctor said he would be okay. I hoped so, because Jem was my only brother, and one of my best friends. We then learned that the attacker, Bob, had been killed by someone.

Heck Tate told me I barely got out alive, and that my ham costume saved me. I was now thankful that I had that sweaty costume on. I told the folks how the story went, and then I asked who had saved our lives. For the first time, I looked at the man who had carried Jem back home. He was completely pale, had torn clothes, and colorless eyes. The next thing I knew, I found myself looking at Boo Radley.

~Scout

Journal #6 - Chapters 16-19 - Perspective: Atticus

Atticus' Journal

It all started about a week ago. That morning, at breakfast, Scout was telling me about how Mr. Cunningham wanted to hurt me. She was really worried about it, and her face showed it. She was also interested into why the mob would want to hurt me. She wouldn't understand at that age, but I had to tell her that they're still people. People sometimes lose their minds, and you have to set them right again. That's what Scout did that very night, she made Mr. Cunningham realize what he was doing, and how I felt. Scout's a good kid, and she'll grow up to be a fantastic person one day. I'm just a bit worried about her self control. She said she was gonna beat up Walter, and I really hope that doesn't happen.

In the morning, I had helped picked the jury for the Tom Robinson case. Subsequently, it was time to go to the actual case. I heard murmurs about me defending a black man, but I'm fine with it. If I won't try for this case, no one else will. I hold equality as my highest value, which is why I took this case. In the courthouse, I thought I caught a glimpse of Scout, Dill, and Jem, but it might have just been my imagination.

Anyways, this is getting irrelevant. We started off with Heck Tate, and Mr. Gilmer started asking the questions. Tate explained the story. He found Mayella on the floor, found out Tom supposedly had committed rape, and took him into custody. I asked if he called a doctor. He replied no, so that would suggest no serious injury. This is a big fraud, because she obviously had bad injuries by Tate's description. She also had her right eye banged up, which led to stealthy clue. Also, there were finger marks all around her throat.

Next up was Bob Ewell. He had testified that her daughter was screaming, and he came to the source of the sound. He also states he found Tom Robinson raping Mayella. Lastly, he stated that the room looked like there could have been a fight there. Right after, I decided to make a cross-examination of my own. I asked again if he had called any doctors, and his reply was no. This caused a predicament. Considering her physical condition, I would think that someone would call a doctor in order to remedy Mayella's injuries.

Next, I asked if he could read or write. Gilmer had objected to irrelevance, but was overruled. This led to a big chance. He signed his name with his LEFT hand! This could easily suggest that Bob Ewell beat up Mayella. However, I still had lots to prove. Next up to the stand was Mayella.

Mayella had disclosed a little information to Mr. Gilmer before she stopped. She was afraid of me, which I perfectly understand. She has the misconception that I'm a bad person. However, shortly afterwards, she resumed. She started talking about how she fought back against Tom without prevail. It was my turn next. I had cross-examined to find out a little bit about her family life. She seemed like a tough girl, and I asked why she didn't put up a better fight, and why the screams didn't bring any of the children. However, I had to point out that Tom was crippled: his left arm was useless, and her right eye was bruised. This was highly improbable, and it was an important fact. I pleaded her to accept that Tom was innocent, but she simply refused to answer any more questions. The prosecution rests, and I call up a single witness.

Tom Robinson is now on the stand. He has agreed with everything so far, but started disagreeing at the day of the incident. Supposedly, Mayella was actually trying to admit her love to Tom. She was hugging Tom and asking for a kiss. However, at that moment, Bob was at the window and started treating Mayella with verbal punishment. Tom had fled the scene, supposedly in fear of punishment. Right after, Link Deas interrupts. He is Tom's white employer, and states that Tom is a good man and hasn't done any wrongs. This helped my side, but Deas was then expelled from the court room. Gilmer proceeded the cross-examination, and discovers that Tom was once arrested for disorderly conduct and that he has enough strength to choke a woman with one hand. He then started bothering Tom by asking about what his motives for working for Mayella were. He states that he felt sorry for her, but it was hardly believable because of all the prejudice.

Anyways, this is only half the case. I still have the rest of the case to fight for. I'm hoping that Tom will be conceived as innocent, because I'd hate for someone to get convicted of a crime that we're not even sure happened. With these clues so far, we have a higher chance of winning. It might not be much, considering that Tom is black, but we just might win.

~Atticus

Journal #5 - Chapters 13-15 - Perspective: Scout

Scout's Diary

What a surprise... Aunt Alexandra is staying with us for “a while”. I'm not sure what she means by a while, because in Maycomb it could be three days to thirty years! Anyways, apparently she came to give us “feminine influence”. I'm not sure if it's a good thing, because I like how I am right now. People keep telling me I need to be more ladylike, to not do things boys should do, and stuff like that. I think it's just a bunch of crap that they tell me. It's sexist! I want to be just the way I am, which is doing whatever I want. Oh, if only Aunt Alexandra would understand that no matter what, I wouldn't change.

Our conversations are terribly painful to me, because she asks all the worst questions. She asks what I've been doing, and I say nothing. It's just a pain to have her think I'm boring. She even told Atticus that I was sluggish! I just don't get how Atticus thinks he's doing us a favor by having her live with us. To me, it's not so much a favor. Still, everyone welcomed her to Maycomb, and she became a normal part of the social life. She talked to us about the Maycomb families and such, but I've never heard of them. Atticus never told us, so he started now. He was pretty serious about it too, so much that he yelled at me and I cried. He went back to normal soon though, and it was alright afterwards.

After that, I asked Atticus what rape was. He asked why I asked, and it was 'cause Cal wouldn't answer at the church. When we brought up the topic, Aunt Alexandra banned me from going to the church, which was just downright ridiculous. She even tried to get rid of Cal! Thank god Atticus refused her, because I would be so lost without Cal. Cal's been there for us whenever we needed her, and she's one of my best friends.

That night, Jem tried to tell me what to do. What a morphodite! He's just so bossy these days, thinks he's all high and mighty. I was fist-fighting him, and eventually we had an all out brawl. At least till Atticus came and broke up the fight.

When we went to sleep, I heard something rustling under my bed. I thought it was a snake! I asked Jem to beat it up, but we found out it was only Dill. How in the sam heck did he get all the way over here?! The next thing we knew, we were hearing his story. He had taken the 9:00 Meridian to Maycomb Junction, and hitched a ride on a cotton wagon. It was a weird story, but I'm glad that I'm able to see Dill again. However, when Atticus came and found out, he begged not to go back to Aunt Rachel. Aunt Rachel found out, but she let him stay here for a night. He came into my bed in the middle of the night so we could talk. He wanted to get a baby, and so did I. We didn't exactly know where they came from though, so I guess I'll find out eventually.

A week later, Heck Tate came over to our house. It was weird, because they were talking outside about some sort of crazy mob with his case. Anyways, at about 10:00, Atticus takes the car over to somewhere. We (Jem, Dill and I) decided to follow him. We snuck out and saw Atticus reading the paper in front of the jail. What was he doing there? Jem, being the bossy morphodite he is, wanted us all to go home so we wouldn't bother Atticus, but I wanted to stay a little longer.

Right when he suggested leaving, four cars pulled up to the jail, and a large group of men get out. They told Atticus to move from the door, but he refused. What the heck was going on? Anyways, I dove out of my hiding place to greet them, but after I got there I realized I dove into a pit full of strangers I've never seen before! Jem and Dill followed me into the pit as well. Atticus told us to just go home, but we didn't want to.

The next thing, we got a little scared. One of the men said we had fifteen seconds to go home, and I was freaked out because it looked like he was gonna try something. We didn't leave though, and nothing happened. I saw Mr. Cunningham in the crowd, and I said hi to him. I tried talking to him, but he wouldn't budge. When I mentioned the legal entailments, he flushed red and caved. The next thing, they go ahead and leave. I don't even know what that was about, but it sure looked like the mob wasn't intending to be friendly. After all of that, Mr. Underwood all of the sudden comes out and said he had Atticus covered! Still, I'm glad that he did, because they might have tried something.

~Scout

Journal #4 - Chapters 10-12 - Perspective: Atticus

Atticus' Journal

I'm getting old. Around 50 I am, not sure of the exact age. Too old to play tackle football, anyways. Since my kids got air rifles for Christmas, I told them what not to shoot at. I said they could shoot at tin cans, bluejays, whatever, as long as they don't put a mockingbird in peril. I let them figure out why. It's a great sin to kill a mockingbird, because they've never done anything bad to us. They've never eaten crops, they've never been pests. All they do is “sing their hearts out for us”, as put by Ms. Maudie. I would think it terrible to do such a thing. It's like how they accused Tom Robinson of rape, when they haven't even heard his side of the story. He claims complete innocence, and I believe him. The Ewells are just trying to stir up trouble and blame the negro.

Speaking of negroes, people have been calling me a “nigger-lover” recently. I don't contradict this, however. I love everyone equally, because we're all humans. You're not better than another person just because you have a lighter skin color. Tom Robinson's story deserves to be heard.

Anyways, there was a mad dog in Maycomb a while back. Mr. Tate drove me over to where it was, and I saw it. It was a real threat, and it needed to be taken care of immediately. I wished to find a way to clear it out, when Tate suggested I use my sharpshooting skills to take him out. How could he even suggest that, considering I gave up that skill long ago! He was so cantankerous. However, I was given the rifle. I took off my glasses, and shot as best as I could. It felt good to shoot something again, especially after so many years I've stopped shooting. However, there's a reason why I gave up shooting.

I was the deadest shot in Maycomb County. I could shoot just about anything, in one shot. If I shot 15 bullets and hit 14, I'd complain about wasting a bullet. It seemed something I'd be proud of, but no. I didn't want to be a level above everyone else. I believed everyone should be equal, and I believe I should be as inconspicuous as everyone else.

Anyways, a few days later, Jem got a verbal lashing from Mrs. Dubose. I thought he would be able to stand this, but he couldn't. He took out his anger by stomping out her camellias. Such a vile act, I thought better of Jeremy Finch. I sent him to apologize at once. He came back with his report, almost inaudible . Apparently she was sentenced to read for Mrs. Dubose for an entire month. To think, I was just about to do that too, considering the condition she was in. Every day, Jem and Scout's reading sessions seemed to get longer, and the fits seemed to not happen as often. I suppose this helped Mrs. Dubose get out of her addiction.

Mrs. Dubose had a severe addiction to morphine. Every day, she took it. I was getting extremely worried about it, because it seemed to be getting out of hand. Eventually, she had to stop taking it or else she would die of it. She eventually hired a nurse to help her get better. Through withdrawal, she had many fits and such. She spent most of her months either in fits or insulting the neighbors. She was a mean one on the outside, but she was courageous.

In her final month, she decided to stop the addiction. What did she do? She told Jem to read to her. Jem must have been pretty surprised by this, because he was almost sure that Mrs. Dubose hated his guts. It was pretty intriguing that she would do that, but then again I would have asked Jem to read to her anyways, as I stated before. During the reading sessions, Mrs. Dubose's fits seemed to stop her from interrupting Jem in his reading. At least that's what he told me.

Jem seemed to be catching on to what disease Mrs. Dubose had. Eventually, she told Jem to stop reading to her once and for all. Jem and Scout seemed very relieved, and I was too. This had meant she had gotten rid of the addiction, and could die in peace. A few days passed, and as did Mrs. Dubose. She had died a peaceful death, and I'm sure if she's still conscious in heaven or hell, she's proud of herself.

The next few days I had to go to to the state legislature for some emergency. This meant that Jem and Scout had to spend the whole summer with just Cal. I hope that they'll be okay.

~Atticus

Journal #3 - Chapters 8-9 - Perspective: Ms. Maudie Atkinson

Maudie's Diary

Whoo, what a day. First thing in the mornin', I wake up to a cold rain! By cold rain, I wouldn't at all mean water. I would mean snow! Hasn't been this cold since the winter of 1985. Why, its so cold, I nearly froze to death! Almost everyone did. I also really hate the snow. It's just one of the worst weather conditions there is. For one thing, all of my azaleas will all freeze! I'm just fanatical about my gardening. I needed 'ta keep my azaleas warm with some burlap bags, else they get discomforted.

I'm just perplexed at how everyone else can enjoy this weather. Scout be sayin' it's beautiful, but I say bull. Beautiful my hind foot! However, I entrusted Scout with the job of coverin' my azaleas with them burlap bags. After all that business was done and done, Scout asked me such a strange question. She wanted to borrow snow! I hated snow, it could be isolated in hell from the rest of the wonderful weather for all I cared. I gave 'em my old peach basked and they hauled it off. What in the sam hill were they debating to do with that much snow? I found out soon enough.

A while later, I found my hat and hedge-clippers had disappeared! “Jem Finch, you devil, bring me back my hat, sir!”, I said. What kids, making such a crazy thing. I was impressed though, but didn't bother showing it. Quite a feat, building such a snowman with just that much snow. It stopped snowing in the afternoon, but it kept freezing cold. How was I supposed to sleep?! I started cooking a little meal before I slept, but I somehow dozed off. Before I knew it, the whole place was on fire.

How the heck did this happen?! This was the exact opposite of the weather, and it was blazing hot. Nearly burned this diary, but God saved it and I thank him greatly. It was really scary. I was as scared as a cat being chased by a bulldog. Fire all adjacent on all sides of me, I almost had no place to go. I barely made it out alive, and the men of the town started hauling out furniture. Atticus saved my favorite rocking chair, one of my most prized possessions. God bless that man, even though he may not be too good at other things, God bless him.

I nearly jumped when Mr. Avery fell. It was very startling, and he fell right into my shrubbery! How dare he, trample my gardens. I suppose there was no other alternative, however, because he wasn't able to get out any other way. Heck, he barely got out through the window. The Abbottsville truck started pumpin' water on the flames, dousing them out. My house burned down though, and I was a bit sad to part with it. Wasn't sad for long though, because this meant more yard room, and this also meant more azaleas! I love them azaleas.

I'll be having the best yard in Alabama in no time. I was a bit worried about the neighborhood though. It could have all gone up in flames. Avery is in no good condition, so I'll bake him one of my famous Lane cakes as fast as I can. Can't let old Crawford see me though, she's been after my recipe for years. No matter how hard she tries, I'll never give in. Scout 'n Jem's snowman had burned down to the ground, but I believe that they might be able to build it back to life. Being the kids they are, I know they could if they set their minds to it. They could do just about any darn thing if they set their minds to it.

Lastly, I heard Scout had a little visitor last night. She didn't even know that he was there. Being the nice guy he was, he kept Scout warm with his blanket. What a good soul, I knew he wasn't all bad. Still, odd that he would come out at all. I'm sure one day him and Scout will be good acquaintances, maybe even something more... Oh, who is this man, you ask? Dear diary, it is the one and only Boo Radley.

~Maudie

Journal #2 - Chapters 4-7 - Perspective: Scout

Scout's Diary

Dewey Decimal System, my bum. It makes no sense, to learn by flashing cards in your face. I could learn more by myself. I'm happy it ended. Summer started, and that meant no more of that flashcard crap. I think it was unanimous that no one liked it. Jem said it gets better as you go, but I wouldn't believe it. Anyways, Summer starting meant Dill was coming back, which we both enjoyed. Strange fellow, really, but he was fun. We started acting out the Radleys, because we had exhausted nearly every other act, and we thought it would be fun to start our own act. We got it nearly perfect, down to the itty bitty details, 'till Atticus came and ruined it all. Asking if this game of ours had anything to do with the Radleys, Jem answered no. Judging by his evasion, we wondered if it was safe to play this game anymore.

Dill 'n Jem have been two peas in a pod. They have been so close together, and I've been feeling a bit left out. I've been visiting my neighbor, Miss Maudie Atkinson, a lot. She's this chameleon lady, who changes to what she's doing. She's real good at gardening, and her cakes are amazing. She was a friend of my pa's bro, Jack. We started talking about Boo, which she insisted I call Arthur. She said she wasn't malignant as a boy, which I find hard to believe. Said it was his foot-washing father. Nonetheless, if he wasn't crazy before, he is now.

Next mornin', Dill and Jem had a plan. They said they would stick a note in the side window of the Radley place. They wouldn't stop callin' me a sissy, so I went along. We got caught by Atticus, though, just like I predicted. Not too good of a plan, I'd say, but they were going to come back for more.

On the last day Dill was going to be here, Jem and Dill had another plan to get a peek of what Boo looked like. I was forced to come again, because they wouldn't stop tormenting me. All of the sudden, we see a man in a hat. We tried to get a closer look, but BAM! A gunshot in the air, and we scattered. Dill and I were home free, but poor Jem was stuck on the fence. He took his pants off and ran. We got punished a bit by the adults, but we got off easy considering our excuse was playing poker. Dill had to go that day, so we waved him goodbye. He kissed me before he left though, because we were apparently engaged. That boy, wonder where he'll end up one day. Anyways, after he left, Jem snuck back out to get his pants back. He looked a little shocked when he came back, but we decided to call it a night.

The next day, I found out why he was so shocked. The pants were mended together, but not like what a woman would do. Something like what a guy might have done. Stirred me up a bit, but we continued on with our day. School started again, and so did the Dewey Decimal System. I'll learn to bear with it eventually. After school had ended, on our way back, Jem and I found some soap carvings in a knothole inside a tree. I decided to take it. After examining them closer, we were shocked to find that they looked just like us. We were spooked by this, and wondered who would do this. We considered our neighbor that could carve soap well, but why would he carve us?

The next few days, we found chewing gum, a spelling bee medal, and a pocket watch. We decided from then on out, anything in there was ours. We had a jolly good time collecting these things and putting them in Jem's trunk, but we wondered where they came from. No one dare walked by the Radley place besides us, so it wasn't anyone from school. Could it possibly be from Boo Radley himself?! The thought sends shivers down my spine, but Boo doesn't seem as much of a beast as he was. He seems more human. Anyways, the knothole got sealed up by Boo's brother, and we were a bit glum. He said the tree was dying, but it looked perfectly fine. What's up with that?

Journal #1- Chapters 1-3 from the perspective of Jem

Jem's Journal~

This week stood out from the monotone summer. On the first day, we met this kid named Dill. Glad he had a nickname that fit his size, unlike his oversized “Charles Baker Harris”. Boasting about how he knew how to read, but my sis Scout one-upped him. Still, he became one of us. He had a few eccentric things to tell and do. Later that day, we talked about the Radleys. That house of theirs was the malevolent house no one dared get near. All sorts of stories were going about them.

No one knew about the ma and pa of the family, but they had two sons. However, Boo Radley... he was one scary kid. He and his gang got arrested once, and Boo was sentenced to an industrial school. His father declined, however. A while after, Boo tried to kill all of his family. That's just how crazy he was- he was even locked in the courthouse basement. Dill dared me to knock on the front door. I was scared of course, but I never back down. He changed it to just touch the house to make it a bit easier. It was pretty scary, but it was only a minute of my life. I did see a little movement in the house though. Was it my imagination?

The next day, I condescended to take Scout to school. I was paid, though, so it was all good. I don't want her embarrassing me though, so I told her not to bother me at all. School went by like a breeze, and I was out in no time. Scout irked me about her day with Mrs. Caroline, but I couldn't care less. She didn't seem like a very good teacher from what I heard. Newcomers to Maycomb almost never get anything right.

The day after that, Scout and I came to school as usual. I saw her rubbing Walter Cunningham's nose in the dirt. Why was she doing this? Maybe it was something from her school experience yesterday... was it the fact that he supposedly got Scout in trouble? I wouldn't know, but maybe it was. Walter looked like a twig; he probably wasn't fed very well. I'm surprised he's still alive, after being in this condition. Still, being the nice guy I am, I invited him over to dinner. “Why not?”, I thought. He couldn't be that bad.

On the way home, having them two by my side gave me comfort. I didn't worry about Boo Radley nearly as much. In fact, I even told them my courageous story of how I went all the way up to the house once. Scout made fun of me as usual, but I persevered in my joyfulness. We continued our trek home, and shortly we reached the front steps of our house.

Walter started pouring molasses on his food like crazy! What the heck was he doing?! I didn't want to say anything though, because that would be rude. It's not smart to get into trouble you don't need to be in. Scout doesn't understand this, however, and goes ahead and asks what the sam hill he was doing. She was in for a long Calpurnia-style lecture. I overheard, and it seemed like Cal lost her temper.

The next day, Walter and I started for school. Scout followed after, and I heard her mumbling about how Cal liked me better. After school breezed by, Scout and I ran to meet Atticus. We returned home, and we saw Cal with a smile on her face. Evidently she was in a good mood, because she had a surprise for us. Crackling bread! She said she missed us, and I was glad to be back.

I spent the Saturday in the treehouse. I would have stayed there for a while, until Scout and Atticus started ignoring me and I had to come down to eat. It was a fun week, one more interesting than all the others. My best hopes go to having a fun time tomorrow. Maybe one without as much trouble.

Immigration Reflection - End of Project

Ethan Chan

03/28/09

Immigration Project Reflection

In this project, the New Americans/Immigration project, we had to do three things: read an immigration-related book, create an art piece about the book, and interview an immigrant. Throughout this process, we learned all about immigrants and what they go through, such as Angel/Ellis Island. It was an interesting learning experience, because we got to personally know an actual immigrant. I feel like I got a lot out from this project.

The first thing we did was the Literature Circles. We had to read a book and post responses on our blogs. My book, A Long Way Gone, was about a boy who was forced to be a soldier. I didn't learn much about immigration from this book, mostly because it didn't say anything about it until the very end, but I was happy I chose this book; it was very emotionally moving. However, I did learn how tough it was to have your home destroyed, forcing yourself to move to another place. It was fun learning about this with my group, through commenting on blogs.

I think that the LC process is very good, because I have a lot of time to think about the quote itself. The only thing I would like to add is some comments about the book's plot, like predictions. I think that using blogging to respond to quotes is an excellent way to do so, because it's easy and you don't have to do it at a certain time. I didn't have many problems with blogging, besides the fact that some people did their blog posts late. I learned a lot from my group's blogs, like how they perceive the book and some important things that I may have missed.

The second thing we did was paint a piece of art relating to our book. I chose the option of redoing the book cover. I made this decision because I felt that the current book cover wasn't descriptive enough, and I already had the perfect idea in mind. My idea, representing the amount of change the main character goes through, makes a big connection between the art and the book. Through the process, I had to do several drafts to ensure the final product was perfect. I actually PhotoShopped the final sketch so it would be clearer which color goes where, and where the lines are.

I think the final product turned out great. It represents the book, and the concept is easily understood. I think it is descriptive enough, yet it is simple. However, it could have been more detailed. I think that I could have maybe added more details to the background, like grass and more buildings. Through this process of making art from the book, I have clarified my understanding of the book. This portion of the project has been my favorite, because I got to express my creativity and just have fun with it.

The final portion of our project was to interview an immigrant. Using the information collected from the interviews, we created a final product based on the immigrant's life. The interview process was very smooth, because my questions were straightforward and to the point. I also asked very detailed questions, and I was able to use most of the answers in my final product. My three interviews were easy, and I didn't feel very nervous about doing them. I only felt a little nervous about the in-person interview, and I quickly got over it when the interview started.

Through my three interviews, I learned various information. In the first two, I learned basic cultural information, like food and important people. In the third interview, however, I learned more details about how my interviewee came to America, and more of his personal life. This helped me understand more about immigration because I got to listen to a personal experience, rather than read one from a textbook. I think this method is much more effective because I get to learn about specific hardships or experiences.

The gift I made, which was a children's story, was difficult and time-consuming to make. A lot of effort went into making it, and it took a while to think of the story. I also did several thoughts for each of the illustrations, to make sure each one goes along with the story. I think my interviewee will be very happy to receive this gift, and I will be happy to give it to him.

A Long Way Gone - LC#6

Ethan Chan

Blog Post #6 – A Long Way Gone

Quote #1

“I didn't think much about the interview except that I still wondered why the man who had interviewed me smiled. I meant what I said and it was not a funny matter.”

-Ishmael, Page 187

I think this quote relates to how the Americans treat Ishmael and the other children. The Americans don't know the half of what happened back in the Sierra Leone. I think that this quote shows how ignorant we can be, as well as how different the environment is from the Sierra Leone to America.

I can connect to this quote when I have a one-of-a-kind experience, as well as when I do something that others haven't. Sometimes I may feel that these experiences are very important or terrifying, but all the others don't think it's a big deal. Even I have been like this, and this means you can't talk about what you haven't done accurately.

Would you get mad if you were in Ishmael's position, having faced a man who smiled about your bloody past life?

Quote #2

“I've come to learn that if I am going to take revenge, in that process I will kill another person whose family will want revenge; then revenge and revenge and revenge will never come to an end.”

-Ishmael, Page 199

I think this quote explains what he had learned from his experience in the Sierra Leone. He had learned that revenge will start a chain reaction, and it won't end beneficially. I think that this is the main moral of the story, and that Ishmael had experienced a lot throughout the book.

I can connect to this because sometimes I want revenge, but I get in trouble if I do it. I think that this holds true for everything, that revenge will only make things worse.

Have you ever had experiences where you used revenge, but got in trouble?

A Long Way Gone - LC#5

Ethan Chan

Blog Post #5 – A Long Way Gone

Quote #1

“At the end of our handshake, Alhaji stepped back, saluted me, and whispered, “Goodbye, squad leader.” I tapped him on the shoulder again; I couldn't salute him in return.

-Alhaji and Ishmael, Page 180

I think this quote relates to adjusting to the new life, without war. Ishmael receives a salute from Alhaji, but he cannot return it. This shows how even though Alhaji is fond of these memories, Ishmael wants to forget some of his memories. He doesn't want to live in the past; he wants to move on with life. This quote struck me because it was a goodbye, and he probably wanted both of them to live a happy new life.

I can relate to this quote pretty easily. There have been times I have seen old acquaintances in random places. I wave hi, but I usually don't talk to them anymore. There is something holding me back, and that probably is the same thing as Ishmael: moving on with life.

If you saw an old friend, would you like to talk with him, or simply wave hi?

Quote #2

“They wanted to know about me, and I wasn't ready to tell them. It was okay. I liked being alone.”

-Ishmael, Page 184

I think this quote also relates to Ishmael adjusting to his new life. He hasn't completely converted over to city life, in which it is peaceful and there is no immediate danger. He still has some trust issues, but I think that's normal.

I think that I can relate to this because sometimes I'm not comfortable with telling people secrets that I've been keeping for a long time. I think that all people are like this, and they like keeping comfortable and not telling them their past experiences.

If you were Ishmael, would you be able to tell everyone about the war immediately?

A Long Way Gone - LC#4

Ethan Chan

Blog Post #4 – A Long Way Gone

Quote #1

““The rebels are responsible for everything that has happened to you.” I imagined capturing several rebels at once, locking them inside a house, sprinkling gasoline on it, and tossing a match. We watch it burn and I laugh.”

-Ishmael, Page 113

This quote shows how much Ishmael has changed since the start of the book. It's hard to imagine that Ishmael was once a peaceful boy who wanted to escape war. It now seems he became what he hated; he was sort of a rebel, because he killed others for enjoyment. I feel that laughing while killing someone is something only a psycho would do, and perhaps it's what Ishmael has become.

I think that Ishmael has become a completely different person since the start of the book. He used to be a hater of war, and now he doesn't care who dies. Even when some of his friends died, he just didn't care.

If you had become this insane and changed back, what would you think of yourself?

Quote #2

“Whenever I turned on the tap water, all I could see was blood gushing out.”

-Ishmael, Page 145

This quote shows how brainwashed Ishmael, as well as all the other child soldiers, had become. It's hard to believe that to Ishmael, all liquids remind him of blood. He has spent so much time on the battlefield, the only thing he's seen in months is blood. It just shows how hard it is to adjust to the new life in the city, when he's spent such a long time in the army.

I think I could slightly connect to this quote, but not very much. Whenever I do something for a long time, it becomes hard to get out of it. Even though it's the same concept, it's not even on the same scale as Ishmael's hardships.

If you were forced to kill people for many months without end, how would you feel after you stopped?

A Long Way Gone - LC#3

Ethan Chan

Blog Post #3 – A Long Way Gone

Quote #1

“I went to the river, dove into the water, and sat at the bottom, but my thoughts followed me.”

-Ishmael, Page 72

I thought this quote was very powerful because it has a strong metaphor. Even without the wording, I think this is very significant, because it shows how thoughts will follow you everywhere. His thoughts are very sad, and it's hard to let go of sad thoughts. I would never be able to let go of a sad memory of family if they had died.

I think this quote connects to me very well because sometimes, some sad things happen in my life and it's hard to let go. For example, one time, I had a nightmare 3 years ago, and I haven't forgotten. When you face something important in your life, it's very hard to forget.

Quote #2

“To this day, I carry the pain that my sisters and parents felt. When I climbed down after the rebels were gone, I couldn't stand and my tears froze in my eyes. I felt like my veins were being harshly pulled out of my body. I still feel like that all the time, as AI can't stop thinking about that day. What did my sisters do to anyone?”

-Saidu, Page 80

I think this quote tells us how terrible the rebels are. To have the pain of watching your sisters be raped and not be able to do anything, to not see them again, is a very saddening experience. It's hard to believe Saidu could put up with this. You simply can't forget things like that.

I think Saidu has had a lot of worries. I feel sorry for him, having to carry all of those painful memories. I think that Saidu should have lived longer, because through all the hardships he has suffered he deserves a break.

A Long Way Gone - LC#2

Ethan Chan

Blog Post #2 – A Long Way Gone

Quote #1

“Even a twelve-year-old couldn't be trusted anymore.”

-Ishmael, page 48

This quote really surprised me, because I had no idea how bad times had become. I was shocked that boys my age, even maybe a bit less, could not be trusted. It just shows how far a war can take a country, and the madness that overcomes the country in the process. Even children could not be trusted, and in fact, they were feared by many adults. War by children is quite possibly the worst thing to happen to this world.

Ishmael, a twelve year old boy, just tries to survive his daily life. He is on the brink of death, and could be killed any second. I really feel sorry for this boy, because even though he tries to make peace, he is rarely trusted due to the fear of rebels.

How do you think life would be if children your age weren't trusted, and were branded as traitors?

Quote #2

"How many more times do we have to come to terms with death before we find safety?"

-Saidu, page 70

I think this quote that Saidu said had a big impact on me. I didn't realize how many times these boys, and many others, had faced death and survived. This quote is significant because it reminds us of how cruel a country can be when you are marked as a traitor, and how difficult it is to struggle with death every other day.

I think this quote links to me because sometimes when I do something, I am at risk most of the time. It's a bit like Russian Roulette: either you live or you die. I can see how hard it is to live every time, but have part of life taken away from you each time you face death.

How would you feel if you almost died every day? Would you be able to find peace?

A Long Way Gone - LC#1

Ethan Chan

Blog Post #1 – A Long Way Gone

Quote #1

“But what kind of liberation movement shoots innocent civilians, children, and that little girl?”

-Ishmael, page 14

This quote struck me because at first, I had thought the rebels were the good side of the war. It turns out that the rebels were actually evil, because in their quest for liberation, they had destroyed what they were fighting for. This made life for the narrator very tough in his home country because everywhere he stepped, he would be in constant danger. I can only imagine how difficult life would be if every second there was a possibility of death.

I think that this quote connects to the things I do in life, only not as drastic. Sometimes when I try to accomplish something, it has to be perfect because if I make one mistake, the whole thing basically dies. Like a game of minesweeper, caution is first priority.

Why do you think the rebels kill the innocent?

Quote #2

“A shudder racked my body, and I tried to think about my new life in New York City, where I had been for over a month. But my mind wandered across the Atlantic Ocean back to Sierra Leone.”

-Ishmael, page 19

In Ishmael's new life in America, he has trouble forgetting his bloodstained past. One of the many hardships one faces when immigrating is when the past comes rushing back. Even though Ishmael has a new life in New York, his mind is still in the Sierra Leone, where it was eat or be eaten. It becomes hard to forget your past if it is important.

This quote connects to me because there have been bad things that have happened in my life, and I sometimes don't want to remember them. However, no matter how hard I try, these events still come back to memory. I think that these events have been a big enough part of my life to never go away.

In relation to other events in the narrator's life, how important do you think the war is to him?

Field Trip Reflection

Ethan Chan

Part I – From Haven to Home

From Haven to Home was a very interesting exhibit. The main reason we went to this exhibit was because we are doing the immigration unit, and this would be a great way to learn about immigration, and how it has affected America. In this particular exhibit, we learned about the lives of Jewish people in America. I have learned that Jewish people have played a big part in the making of America. For example, Ruth Handler, who was a Jewish woman, had invented the Barbie doll. However, that's not all. Another example is Benjamin Siegel. He was one of the first gangsters in America, and he invented casinos. Most importantly, he founded Las Vegas. Not only did we learn about major people, we also learned about how they lived their lives. An interesting thing I learned was that Martin Luther King did not only help African-Americans, but Jewish as well. I learned that even though the Jewish beliefs stayed the same, their lifestyle changed. I learned that Jewish don't eat regular meat, but they eat kosher meat, in which the animal is killed painlessly. I learned so many interesting facts about Jewish life in America. Even though at first, Americans did not like Jews immigrating to America, they have played a big role in shaping the United States into what it is.

Part II – Children of Immigrants

1- This photograph depicts a woman at the St. Lucia celebration in the Swedish American Cultural Center, Chicago 1987. The woman has candles on her head, and is celebrating. This photograph struck me because of the candles on her head. I had no idea that some traditions required this, and I think that she has a large amount of dedication to be able to balance candles on her head. She goes far to represent her culture, and I respect that. I myself wouldn't be motivated enough to do this, and I admire her for her effort.

2- “The greatest thing I hope for in my life is to become a successful person and to have a family and friends to support me, not to be looked at by the color of my skin but who I am inside.”

-Samira Durakovic, Yogoslavia

From Between Cultures

I think this quote is really the biggest desire of not only immigrants, but many people. Discrimination by skin color is wrong, and what's inside is what really counts. The wording is also very powerful, and I was blown back by the power in this quote. Samira makes a good point, and I think this is a very meaningful quote.

Immigration Reflection - Start of Project

What is an immigrant? I would say an immigrant is a person who has moved from their country to another, whether it be for family, the better, or the worse. Many people want to move, because they think that their country is not the best place to live. Making the move may be a smart decision, or not, depending on what is believed. For example, the Chinese believed America was paved with gold, but all they got was manual labor. These obscene myths are why some people choose to immigrate. However, sometimes the are not myths, and it's for the better.

Many people choose to immigrate to the United States of America. A very big benefit is people can get jobs here. Many choose to leave their homes and go to America, whether it be legal or illegal, to make a living. Another reason to leave for America is for freedom. Some countries don't have the privileges of freedom, and they have to live by dictatorship. They come to America for democracy.

Throughout the years, the US has changed drastically because of immigration. We are not full Americans anymore. Some of us are Chinese-American. Some of us are Mexican-American. There is an unbelievable amount of cultural diversity. As a result, this has brought about many languages and traditions. Just look at HTM, we have Spanish class! Also there's so much more diversity in food. Some people may eat sushi, and some people may eat hot dogs. Because of immigrants, we all can be satisfied. My life has changed unbelievably because of immigration. If it weren't for this, I would be in Hong Kong! I love eating American food like pizza, and love the freedom we have as Americans. I wouldn't want my life any other way.

-Ethan

Book review: The Great Gatsby (Book by: F. Scott Fitzgerald)

Ethan Chan ☺

Book review: The Great Gatsby

Book by: F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby is a fictional tale of love, lust, and jealousy. The story takes place in Long Island. It is the 1920s, and “gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession”. Narrated by Nick Carraway, it goes into the details of the love of Daisy and Gatsby. Daisy, however, is reluctantly wed to Tom, because at the moment when she had to make the choice, Gatsby was in a financial slump. However, Daisy knew she loved Gatsby, and the same went for Gatsby.

The theme of this book is obviously love. When characters love one another, sometimes jealousy and anger occur. In this case, Daisy had loved Gatsby, and Tom was very mad at Gatsby. There are many confusing moments in this book when you read it, because it may not be immediately obvious. I did not realize who Nick had loved until one of the two had said “I love you”. It's really hard to understand up to mid-way, but from there on it's a bit easier.

The main characters in this book have quite a bit of depth. It probably could have been a bit better, but I think that it's satisfactory. However, I think that some of the other characters could have been given a bit more description. In one part, you see a criminal who crashed his car into a wall. However, this had nothing to do with the story, and could have been left out entirely. In fact, we never see this man again. I feel that there were sometimes too many characters, and it was not necessary to have so many. The author should have left out some characters, using the extra space to flesh out the main characters more.

This book's writing style is really hard to understand sometimes. Sometimes I cannot tell what the author is trying to convey. It all gets confusing, since you really have to pay attention to what happens in the story in order to actually understand it. I was half asleep when I was reading one part, and I learned the consequences when I did not understand most of the next part. It makes it so you almost have to be paying attention at all times when you read it.

The wording in this book is absolutely astounding. It amazes me that the author barely ever uses the same word in each paragraph. I don't think that he has ever used the same adjective in this book more than ten times. I would think that this book is a great way to find out new words. This may be an exaggeration, but I think it would be impossible to read this without a dictionary.

However, I have yet to get to the most important part. I really mean this when I say this: only hardcore readers should read this. It may sound ridiculous, but it's really hard to keep up with the story. You really have to have read a lot of books to understand this one. Sometimes it switches scenes without warning, and I am left wondering what happened. You can never be forgetful, and have to keep track of the story.

To conclude, this book is okay. I think that the story was pretty interesting, but sometimes it gets boring reading it, since you don't know whats going on. It's hard to keep track of what's going on, but it all makes sense at the end. The ending was also very tragic, and it turns for the worse for Gatsby. So as a result, I recommend it for only those who can take sad endings, and those who are hardcore readers. Readers 18+ will probably enjoy it more than younger readers. It's simply too much confusion for me to bear, so I can only give it 2.5/5. Cold love is really the best way to describe this book.

-Ethan ★★½