I am Malala

I really liked this one for no other reason than I am completely in awe of the main character. This is one of those stories that if you didn’t know was actually true you would completely believe was fiction. What’s more is you’d probably think the author was making the characters a little unrealistic. Malala is just incredible! I like the way the work was structured, starting with the moment she was shot and then going back in time to see the series of events, and Malala’s own development that led to that moment. I think it is a great work to structure the work because it shows the development of the main character, while also allowing the reader to stress about the end result for the entire work. It is similar to Romeo and Juliet in that fashion.

I think the themes of bravery and standing up for what you believe are incredibly powerful and important ideas made even more so by the fact that this is a work based in reality. It shows to us that there are good people in the world, strong people, willing to stand up for what is right despite the incredibly costs that it may impose. It is an incredible story of inspiration and it also reminds us as readers of just how strong we can be, even if we don’t think we can be.

This text focuses around Malala who is an adolescent despite the fact that she has more bravery than any adult I have ever met. I think she is a relatable character, she is not a god or some untouchable individual, just someone who stood up for what she knew was right. I think it would help to inspire students to do the same. Additionally, I also think that this novel really illustrate how we take some things for granted such as a free education and a sense of safety. These are important ideas for students to think about when in high school.

On top of this, in the times we live in I think it is important to have a book that looks at the events of the Middle East and illustrates a very very clear distinction between actions taken by Radical Islamic terrorists, the Taliban, and ordinary Muslim citizens. Here is a hero that stood up to the Taliban, and she is a Muslim. Kinda puts the whole assumption about Muslims on pretty shaky ground.

Overall, I really enjoyed the novel and was blown away by Malala herself. The only thing that could possibly hurt it is that the novel is foreign in many ways to students and may not draw them in as much as a traditional YA work set in a high school. I think that this obstacle can and should be overcome however. A- overall on this one.  

English 325: I am J

I’ll be honest here, I really don’t know what to think of this one. I liked it, I thought it was a nice read with interesting characters and a good storyline. The thing is I don’t have much experience dealing with works of literature regarding the issues that this novel focuses on. I don’t really know what a fair portrayal is and what a stereotype is. Because of my own ignorance I felt like I was just floating through this work, buying into the information that was being presented before me as truth and just going with the story from there.

I empathize with J, and his whole ordeal. I think a lot of the work focused on teenage love, a subject that most people can admit is already hard enough. Add on the fact that J is transgender and it just makes the whole thing even more confusing. I think that’s one of the reasons I like this work is because even though I couldn’t relate to the main focus of the work, it makes it very clear that J is dealing with the same issues other guys deal with, just with some added stress tacked on.

The work feels very scatterbrained in many ways, popping between many different character and with those characters perceptions of J and what he’s going through. For this reason I found it somewhat difficult to follow the progression of him throughout the work, because I was constantly barraged with different and contrasting views of the protagonist, whether from J’s parents, Melissa, or the other characters in the work.

I think this text would work well with adolescents. First of all, I think it would do good relating to anybody going through the same sort of thing, but I don’t think this is the only merit. It also presents, at least I think it presents, a fair view of someone who is transgender, and that’s a good lesson for kids in high school. Plus, the book has relatable teenage problems that I think most kids can really connect and relate to whether they are transgender or not. Not being understood is a huge issue for most teens I think, and while this book takes that idea farther than what I think most people experience, it is a very relatable and relevant idea.

Like I said, I enjoyed this work. I didn’t think it was spectacular, it just kind of came and went. I liked it, didn’t love it. Maybe if I had a better understanding of the subject matter I would have liked it more, or perhaps less. What else can I say. Solid B. 

English 325: Wintergirls

This is an interesting one. I think that first and foremost, this is a difficult work to read solely because it address so many uncomfortable and hot issues. Suicide is a tough discussion on its own, but mix that with anorexia, an incredibly strong sense of guilt, and self harm, and this book becomes even more serious.

I know that our class spends a lot of time talking about do whether author’s have “the right” to create these stories if they haven’t experienced them themselves. In the vast majority of cases I role my eyes and say “Of course they do!” If people only wrote about their own experiences chances would never be taken, and many great stories would never be told. You can’t remain silent because you fear what will happen if you speak up. That said, for this novel I think it is very important to either have some firsthand experience or have done some very extensive research. I say this because I’m taking the author’s word on this subject as fact: this is how it is. I’m buying into the idea that this is how people with anorexia feel about themselves and others. I have no knowledge on the subject matter so I’m going to believe this stuff, and students will do the same. When what you are writing is taken as fact on a very hot topic, it is important to know what you’re talking about.

With that out of the way, I think the theme of this novel is good. It is basically a coming of age story in its own unique way. Growing up in this case means understanding that you need to help yourself, identifying a problem and being willing to fix it. Even the title Wintergirls almost hints at this sort of frozen stasis that Lia is in and only at the end does she emerge from this state to grow. Going hand in hand with this is Lia’s growth throughout the novel not only coming to terms with the grief she feels for Cassie’s death but also with her own anorexia. I think it is an interesting way of doing a coming of age story.

I’m not sure about this book’s appeal. It deals with a very important issue, but I’m not sure how many kids would be interested in it. It is in a way a ghost story which are always interesting, but beyond that anorexia is not a universally relatable idea. I don’t think this is a reason not to teach it, just because something is not relatable does not make it any less valuable, I just mean to say that I think it lacks the immediate relevance that some other books we’ve read possess.

With all that said, I’ll be honest, I just didn’t really like this one. It wasn’t bad by any means but I just never felt fully invested or engaged. Perhaps it was the lack of relatability or just the uncomfortable nature of the text but I never really enjoyed this novel. Like I said, it wasn’t bad in any way, just not great. I’ll give it a solid B. 

English 326: Final Blog

I have always enjoyed writing stories, it was something that has been close to my heart since a very young age, and I honestly think that most kids have a strong imagination and are not given a change to utilize it very often. Now this is just a concept, but I like the idea of teaching grammar through creative writing. Imagine having an English class where you do the normal everyday high school English class things. Read a novel, pick it apart, and analyze the themes – those sorts of things. Now imagine that same class but every Friday there is a new grammar concept. I teach the class the rules of using whatever that week’s concept is and then give them their task: continue their story, experimenting with this week’s concept.

I like the idea that throughout the course of the semester students write a novel of sorts, piece by piece. Every Monday another page, double spaced, of their story is due. It is a pretty small assignment, but by the end of the year they have a pretty substantial story on their hands. Not only does it get students just to write, never a bad things, and not only does it allow students to utilize a creative side of themselves that schools normally don’t stress, but by asking them to experiment with new grammar concepts it as helps them learn.

Then students can share with the class, if they want to, what is happening in their story and how they used the grammar concept to help them make a more solid sentence. This concept is very similar to how you have us use a new grammar concept every week, but instead of a blog post on a certain subject, it is a running story of the student’s own creation. It makes grammar relevant and its integration hopefully less stressful.

If all that wasn’t enough, it also makes grammar relevant to writing. Instead of being something that is tied to a worksheet or a lesson, students are trying to utilize it within the bounds of their own writing, their own story. I think it creates a bond between grammar and writing that is much stronger than just teaching a lesson on grammar.

I understand that this sort of strategy might not be for everyone, and that not everyone loves to write creative stories, but it is a very small amount of writing on a weekly basis that ingrains concepts in a fun and innovative way.

    

English 325: Whatever blog number this is. I'm really tired right now...

Okay, I’m not a big fan. Normally I really enjoy dystopian novels. I like how they can reflect the darker aspects of our culture, but also provide us with a certain amount of hope. I love how characters come to realize the injustice of their way of life. Books like 1984, Brave New World, and The Giver are among some of my favorite novels of all time. Despite this however, I have not enjoyed this novel so far. I think a major reason for this is that it doesn’t seem reasonable. While the other works I mentioned seem believable in their own right because they allow time for the change to occur or provide a believable explanation for the changed circumstances, this novel provides us with a very foreign world with major, unlikely and unbelievable changes, while still grounding it with modern popular culture references. Perhaps this was an attempt to make it seem like this future is closer than we think, but it just comes off as out of place and strange.

I feel as if the themes of this novel are also forced and over the top. The novel presents a world that is ridiculous, would never come to pass, and is clearly over the top wrong and incompetent. Then the novel proceeds to try and convince us that that world is wrong. No duh! I’m sorry but you’re not clever because you’re telling us that killing off children is a bad idea. It is an oversimplification of a complexed issue and it does nothing to further any sort of point.

Characters at this point in time are okay I suppose. Nothing special here. I don’t dislike any of the characters but feel no sort of real connection with them. The plot for the most part is just the kids getting into and out of bad situations, interwoven with comments about how bad their unrealistic world is.

The main characters are pretty young, but I still feel as if they’re not represented in the best way. It feels like young teens as written by older adults. Kids like Taylor Swift right? We should include Taylor Swift in their conversation! Additionally, I don’t care how weird your world is, I don’t think anybody would be happy to just go off and die, so there’s also that.

It must be pretty sure that I don’t really like this one. It just feels forced to me and additionally it seems like its building up a massive straw man just to feel superior when it beats it down. I could always buy the world of 1984 or other dystopian novels, and this one fails to do that, a critical failure that I can’t overcome. I don’t know what else to say, I’m just not a fan. It’s not terrible, but certainly not something I have enjoyed thus far. C- 

English 325: All American Boys

Where to start with this one? This is going to be more of a stream of consciousness post than my previous posts, simply because I have so much going on in my head and no real way of organizing it. I apologize in advance.

Now perhaps it is because I knew I was going to teach this book, but I really enjoyed this novel. “Enjoyed” isn’t the right word, “enjoyed” implies that I found pleasure in it for pleasure’s sake. Don’t get me wrong, I did find myself smiling from time to time when reading, but the real joy I obtained from this novel was looking at it from the lens of how I would teach it. I really wish I could teach this work, chapter by chapter rather than simply pushing it into one lesson. There is so much I want to talk about, so many lines to dissect and reassemble, so many themes to dive into, so many analogies to interpret! I want to rip this book apart, chapter by chapter, line by line, word by word, and reconstruct it. There is so much here that I’m just overwhelmed. I need more time with this one, I need to read it again, and then again. I need to write notes in the margins, I need to spend an hour or so thinking about what “We are not the same,” or “leave it at the door” could mean and what ramifications those ideologies could have. This work just feels like its dripping with meaning, and I’ve only been able to squeeze it once.

The characters are great. Not only do I feel like both of the many characters are real teenagers, with their language, their topics for discussion, and their lives, but the way in which they deal with the tough issues of the work seem very authentic as well. Additionally, I think all the characters represent certain types of people in the real world. Whether it’s the political activist, the silent bystander, the protective parent, or a collection of other personality types, I feel as if this work reflects back on us in the real world very well.

Now the work touches on a lot of big issues: police brutality, race, bystander mentality, religion, the uncertainty of the future, doing what is right vs. easy, etc. I think these are all very important issues that teens can not only relate to, but should also become very aware of. This isn’t an easy book to read, and it shouldn’t be. It makes you feel uncomfortable. It makes you think and rethink your position on issues that are not always easy to talk about. This is a hard book, but a necessary one. It is relevant to teenager’s lives in the most difficult way. Welcome to the real world kiddos.

So yeah, I really liked this novel, but I liked it because I want to teach it. I want to pick it apart, and come to understand it better, but I also want the challenge of making students confront this work. It is not an easy book to teach, in many ways it is a minefield of sensitivity and deeply held convictions. This work is dangerous, and it is I for that very reason that I love it so much. I want to push the envelope, I want to skate the line.

I’m now going to go on a lengthy and likely unnecessary rant. I’m kind of a space nerd. Now I say this because there is this movie, based on true event, that I really love, called The Right Stuff, and it’s about the Mercury astronauts. Long story short, all these astronauts were test pilots, insanely talented (and perhaps stupid) adrenaline junkies that pushed the limits of what their aircraft and their own bodies could handle. They had a knack for this stuff, a talent that other people didn’t possess, a skill that allowed them to push the boundaries a little further than anyone else: they had the right stuff. That’s what I want to do, not with planes or rockets, but with my teaching. I want to see if I can push those boundaries: see if I have the right stuff. This book allows me to do that.

Anyway, I apologize for my ranting, time to wrap this up. I have only one complaint with the novel: it’s a little obvious sometimes. There were a couple of moments where I went, “No don’t explain how it’s like racism, we already understand!” You can leave some things unsaid. It’s like how explaining a joke will never make it funnier. This is my only complaint and the only reason I am giving the work a flat A instead of an A+.

This was a good one. This one’s going to stick.  

English 326: Early draft

When looking at the Roman Empire and the role language played in the assimilation of the people conquered by the Romans throughout their long and expansive history, on might originally presume that Latin, the language of Rome, would play a role similar to how English was utilized when colonizing large portions of the world. However (pointing back to the previous sentence, thereby connecting original presumption and actual conclusion),  Latin was not a major aspect of Roman assimilation, in fact the process of Roman assimilation almost worked counter to what we traditionally see with Empires and conquest. Instead of enforcing Roman culture unto those people conquered by Rome, many of the cultures of the native people were incorporated into Roman culture. Obviously there is a give and take between cultures, but the Roman Empire is curiously characterized with a surprisingly large amount of “take”, especially when it comes to language. By looking at how Roman cultural, language included, shifted in order to adapt to the people and culture, it can be concluded that the longevity and success of Rome was at least in part due to its acceptance and inclusion of those that they conquered.  

While this paper’s primary focus is to look at language, it is first important to have a firm understanding of what the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire where, their growth, their culture, and their success. Rome was a major power for nearly six centuries, from around 200 BC to 400 AD. While we traditionally talk about the fall of Rome, it is important to remember that this culture lasted an incredibly long time, especially considering how large of an area Rome controlled. By comparison, the British Empire really only lasted 400 years, and that is generous. Rome changed to incorporate the people it conquered. It bent where other Empires broke. Yes, the great Roman Empire would eventually fall, but because of how it did not overtly push its culture unto those people it conquered, it managed to prevail for a long period of time.     

Religion for example illustrates this idea well. Take Christianity, a foreign religion that, despite being fought for an extended period of time, actually replaced the official religion of the state. The Egyptian pantheon of Gods was also incorporated into the Roman religion long before Christianity came to be. The very belief system of this great state morphed and changed with the people of time.

More interestingly, this reverse flow of influence also relates to language. At the height of the Roman Empire, Greek was almost as common a language, and just as accepted, as Latin. Image the language of a defeated foe not only being free from persecution, but accepted as an equal to the language of the Roman state! I thought that Rome would use language as a way to oppress, but rather it has shown itself to be a way to include.

Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion to Tim’s research paper…