Alligator

One day I had seen an animal in the sky flying from is magical carpet. But once he was so fat that he couldn't stay up in the air long. When Oscar the alligator looks up into the sky all he sees is toast, and that is all he thinks about. The toast is like the king of his world with jelly. So one day he looks up and it rains down toast and out of the toast come droppings of jelly and he gets so fat on that stuff that his magical carpet runs out of magic, so he has to get more magic from the store. Later that day he starts to lose his mind and talk to the toast maker but then he gets shot by the toast ruler, and now he is dead. The End.

Theme and Symbolism

In the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson, there is a wicked kind of lottery taking place. When most of you think of the word Lottery you think of prizes and fame, but that isn't how this lottery takes place. In the story they family's together and each family member gets a card from the black box. If you are the one that has a dot on your card you get killed. They throw rocks at you, and it agonizing and cruel way to die. The theme in this short story is violence and death. Violence symbolism's when the people are throwing rocks at that person. Death symbolism's once they are killed.  

Music Response

Author's Note: This is a response on how music can affect the mood of a poem.

The mood of the poem "Field Below" didn't really change when the poem went on and it seemed to be boring at parts. The person voice of the poem was very dull and scared. Also there was a continues pattern from sentence to sentence. As I could realize in the the poem was a more sad than the song but other than that they both seemed the same. In the mood in the "Big Yellow Taxi" was mainly like something and someone is getting taken away from you. The person voice was like that special thing or person is gone and they want it back. As I could realize in the poem it didn't feel like there was as much emotion as in the song; in the song it felt like the singer was telling a story and its about that special thing.

Lightning Thief

In my novel Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson, a young troubled kid with ADHD, has been having troubles. First of all Percy is about to be kicked out of boarding school again; along with that lately Gods of Mount Olympus seem to be coming out of his mythology textbook and into his life. With all of that Percy has trouble’s with his family because his real dad had left him and his mom and his step-father is an alcoholic. Percy Jackson definitely has a life of struggles. 

 In the book Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan Percy the main character has troubles with his life and many of those problems come with his family. Throughout his life he has to deal with Greek Mythology, with Poseidon being his dad. The story starts out when Percy realizes Poseidon is his real dad. Percy hadn't seen his first dad for a while because he had left them to stay up at Olympus. Also, Percy's step-father has a big problem; his problem is that he has a huge drinking issue. Also his step-father isn't helping out the family in any way.

Greek mythology plays a bigger role in his life than just his dad being a god. When Zeus the master of power accuses Percy of taking his lightning bolt Percy has a limited amount of time to get it back. But Percy keeps on telling Zeus that he didn't take it but Zeus still doesn't believe him at all. So Percy has till summer solstice to return it or else he will pay the price. What I mean by that is, if he doesn't return it before the summer solstice there will be a war between the Greek Gods. So when Percy brings back the Lightning Bolt Zeus now trusts Percy again and there is no battle or war between the Greek Gods.

As Percy struggles in life, his only true friend and family member is his mother. With Percy's ADHD he has problems that he can't control, if his mother wasn't in his life he might not be here today. Also his mother is trying to help him in any way that she can and trying to give him a good life. It is a good thing that he isn't living with his father because he would have probably already been peer pressured into drinking and doing bad things such as alcohol. With all of the stress and dieses on his shoulder he is being dropped out of bordering schools left and right.

In conclusion Percy has a tough life most of the time; with his two dads that don’t pay any attention to Percy and both of the dads have done really bad things too.  Percy deserves a better life than he has been given from his fathers. So as Percy’s journey in life continues, he will hopefully have a better life and live a better with only his mother.

Lightning Thief

In the book Lightning Thief there are many conflicts involving Percy Jackson. While there are many the main conflict is Man v.s Circumstances. The conflict is between Percy and The Greek Gods, not realizing that the Greek Gods alive. The story starts off when Percy and his class go to the museum. When they arrive to the museum he realizes that his Latin teacher and his best friend are slaves of the Greek Gods, after he realizes that he finds out that he two is one of the slaves. Even while that trouble is going on there he has to deal with his family at home. His real father had left them and his step-father is an alcoholic, and Percy has ADHD. Another issue in this story is when Zeus’s Master Lightning Blot gets stolen and its up to Percy, Annabeth and Grover to get it back. With all of that on there shoulders they have to return it before the summer solstice or there will be a battle between the Greek Gods. Percy is trying to get the lightning bolt back because Zeus is accusing Percy of taking it.      

"Woods Runner" V.S "Patriot"

Would you just hate to have a family member that you love to be taken from you or even killed by someone or some group? Well in the book “Woods Runner” by Gary Paulsen and the movie the “The Patriot” this exactly what happens. In the book “Woods Runner” the main character Samuel is trying to save his family. In the movie “The Patriot” the father and his two oldest sons “The Martins” are joining the war with him to try to win it for their country. Even through the dangers of being shot, killed, or taken by their enemies, Samuel helped his family, while the Martins used their time and dedication for their country. 

In the book “Woods Runner” by Gary Paulsen, Samuel and his family are in bad times, what I mean by that is that he and his family are in war time. They are in the Revolutionary War Time. One day Samuel was out in the woods hunting for animals to bring back to this family to eat when he saw smoke. Once he had arrived there he was looking through all of the bodies and he couldn’t find his parents. He then assumed that the British had taken his parents somewhere. Now he was committed to finding them and bringing them back out of British hands.  Samuel knows the risks of being killed or taken by the British but he did it anyway. On his journey he had killed one Indian and one British Soldiers. When he arrived in New York he had successfully taken back his parents and a little girl and when he captured them they went off and settled in Philadelphia. His family could now start a new life in a safe environment.

In the movie “The Patriot” directed by Roland Emmerich, The Americans are trying to win the Revolutionary War against the British. This movie consists of ups and downs for both sides, but in the end only one country can win. While the British had a more powerful army, the Americans still wanted to win and claim this land as theirs. In one of the scenes the father had taken his two youngest boys and they brought a few guns and took out about 25 soldiers. Even though it was a big risk of being within 30 feet of the enemy risking being shot and killed, they had to do it to save their older brother and the oldest son of the family. In the scene were you saw all of the Americans starting to give up one person stood up and said “Don’t retreat, don’t retreat” because of that they did that they won the war. Just like the family in Woods Runner they had to keep their family close and protect them with everyone and everything they had 

Even though the movie and the book don’t have much in common, they all have to beat the opponent and do whatever they have to do to save their family. In the book Samuel has to save his family from the British and in the movie they have to keep through family together and fight the war and also while doing that the brothers and father have to keep their family safe. Also when Samuel shoots that one British solider the gentlemen in the movie have to kill many British soldiers to help their country and win the war for their country. 

  

In both of these stories there are many differences that all of the characters have to deal with. While Samuel is by himself going to get his parents without any protection, the gentlemen in the movie have many groups people; even though that a lot of them get shot, they still have an army to defend their country with.  When the gentlemen from the movie are making bullets, the British was getting closer, while Samuel only had a few bullets, so the Americans in the movie had the advantage of having more ammunition. 

In conclusion this story can have their similarities and differences but in the end they both come out with an advantage with Samuel saving his parents and a little girl and the gentlemen and their country winning the war over the British. So even when they are going through tough times, they came out with a win and a victory for themselves and the family they care about.

"Woods Runner" Point of View

What would you do if your son, who you have raised his whole life, was separated from you? Would you think that he would be frighten or come looking for you and try to save you? Even though you may not think he’s brave enough or mature enough you still should have confidence in him. You would like the best for him and hope he brings some self-defense weapon to defend himself. This is exactly what happens in the book called Woods Runner, told through the point of view of Samuel.

The story is set in the American Revolution time period, when the British was taking the Americans and trapping them. One day Samuel the main character returns to his house in the American Wilderness and finds it on fire, he searching the make sure that his parents are still hear and not dead, but he can’t find them. Then he decides to go out “mission” to find his parents and hopefully capture them back to safety. Samuel is aware of the dangers of being captured, shot, or even getting killed by the British. Because the readers see through Samuel’s eyes, we feel that he is urgent and confused.  Afterwards after he finds out that they aren’t there, he is trying to figure out where they would have taken them, and then starts heading north to New York and thinking that they are being kept captive there.  At this point, we as readers we see that he has the courage and bravery to unite his family back together.

Although the first challenge is that he spots a British Soldier, good thing he has a powerful weapon called a gun, the gun was called a Flintlock. He waited till he had a shot and killed the solider. Then an Indian Solider came and he killed him too. Once he got past the two biggest threats of the way, he finally makes it to New York alive. Once he gets there he discovers his parents, and he is going to get them back from the gruesome, horrific, and British. He doesn’t just capture his parents he gets a younger girl out of that misery. When he gets all of them and they get out the site of the British the settle in Philadelphia and there are safe there for now. 

Now you see the point of view of Samuel and how he gets his parents back and safe and happy with his family. As a reader, I was relieved when Samuel killed the two threats, just as I’m sure Samuel felt. I could also feel how tragic his situation was and how restless he was during his journey. Overall the author did a good job of describing in detail how the events affected  Samuel so that readers could relate to him.  

Text Structure Piece "Woods Runner"

In the book “Woods Runner” there is these people that Samuel is trying to save. What lead him up to doing this is because to British had taken his parents and he is trying to rescue them. Samuel had to travel to New York just to try to capture them, don’t even mention that every step he takes he could be seen or someone could be following him and they would kill him. He had almost been shot twice during and while he is trying to rescue his parents. When he had finally got there he had rescued his parents and a girl named Annie. Samuel was very lucky that he wasn’t shot or even taken by the British himself. In the end he had rescued three people from New York and all of them went back and settled in Philadelphia.

The Outsiders Final Essay

Have you ever been judged by the way you look or your personality? Don’t you just hate it? In the book “The Outsiders” there are too different kinds of groups the Greasers and the Soc’s. The Greasers are poor and wild. The Soc’s are the middle class and richer than the Greasers. If you actually got to know the Greasers they are nice, kind, and caring people. They loved to hang out in and with their gangs, but the gangs were a group of friends and their families. The Greasers gangs were always there for them while they had each other’s backs. While they are doing all that they loved to go to the drive-in movies. Although, the Greasers are a unique group the Soc’s don’t compare to what they are.

All of the Greasers have their own unique thing or two about themselves.  Ponyboy Curtis the youngest greaser of them all at the age of fourteen years old is the narrator of the story. Ponyboy’s literary interests and academic accomplishments set him apart from the rest of his gang. He has had a hard life with his parents dying in a car accident and he has to live with his two brothers Darry and Sodapop. While all of these things are happening Ponyboy struggles with class division, violence, innocence, and familial love. He has to and does mature over the course of the novel and he finally realizes the importance of strength in the face of class bias.

Darrel, Darrel is known as “Darry” in the novel, he is twenty-year-old greaser who has the raise Ponyboy because the parents had died in a terrible car accident. Darry is a very strong, athletic, and intelligente man that has to drop out of school to support his family. He has to work two jobs to keep his family together. As the unofficial leader of the greasers he becomes an authority figure for his brother Ponyboy. He also makes a great little snack for his family called Chocolate Cake, and him and his two brothers eat that every single morning for their breakfast. Also while he is dealing with he has a nick name from the greasers called “Superman”.   

Another one of Ponyboy’s brother is Sodapop, would be like your happy-go-lucky, handsome brother of Ponyboy. He is the middle child of the Curtis family. Ponyboy envies Sodapop’s good looks and charm. Sodapop plans to marry a girl named Sandy, a greaser girl. His plans don’t go as planned when Sandy gets pregnant with another man’s child and moves away to live some were else.

Two-Bit Matthews whose real name is Keith, is a wisecracking greaser who regularly shoplifts. He is also a joker of Ponyboy’s group. He prizes to sleek black-handled switchblade. Keith instigates the hospitalities between the Soc’s and the Greasers by flirting with Marcia, the girl friend of a Soc.

Steve Randle would be the guy that knows everything about cars and also knows how the steal hubcaps. He is Sodapop’s best friend since grade school; he is a seventeen year old greaser who works at a gas station with Sodapop. He can be very cocky most of the time and intelligente, tall and lean.  He is tough-once he held off four opponents in a fight with a broken soda bottle. He wears thick hair and he arranges it with swirls. While he hates Sodapop’s annoying brother Ponyboy and he wishes that he would stop tagging him along.

Dallas Winston, he is toughest person in the greasers group. Dallas is known as “Dally”, and he is known for running with gangs in New York. He has an elfin face and icy blue eyes and, unlike his friends he doesn’t put grease in his hair. Dally’s violent tendencies make him more dangerous than any other greaser in the group. He doesn’t care about his criminal record; he actually takes pride in his record. Dally is protective of Johnny. 

Johnny Cade, my most favorite character in the book. He is a sixteen-year old greaser with black hair and large fearful eyes. Although Johnny doesn’t succeed in school, he approaches intellectual matters with steady concentration. Unfortunately for Johnny the alcohol and abuse of his parents, he is nervous and sensitive. Since his parents don’t care for him at all Johnny sees the greasers as his true family, so he can rely on them and they will in turn help him. For his good the older boys mainly Dally are protective of him.  

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Authors Note: In the story "Outsiders" there is a poem called "Nothing Gold Can Stay". This is a response to the story about how nothing good can last.


I believe that the meaning "Nothing Gold Can Stay" relates to the characters because in the book "Outsiders" nothing good can ever last. The kids parents don't care about them so they are considerably independent. Also the kids get over excited in things that happen in there life. When their church burns down Johnny and Pony Boy 
loses hope and realizes that they have to go home. After that when they pulled in to a drive in movie, they realized that the soc's were there, then they realized that the soc's are every where.

School Laptops

At our middle school we have these very high tech, efficient laptops that are very useful to all the teachers and students. We had just got these brand new lap tops for seventh and eighth grade students to make it easier to work. For our laptops there is an option to put it in tablet mode. Tablet mode is where you flip the laptop screen down and it would be like writing on a piece of paper. Unfortunately, there have been many students that have left them in tablet mode while they are in the hallway and while walking in the hall all of their laptop screens have cracked. IT, our technology department, has come up with a solution which states that we should carry the laptop by its handle so that the teachers can monitor your laptop while the students are walking in the halls. However, if you would bump into a person or a wall your laptop would have less protection and a greater chance of breaking, without in your laptop bag. Therefore we need to carry our laptops in their bags.

Fifteen laptops screens have broken in the bags, while they are in tablet mode. IT feels that we need to carry our laptops by the handles. For the first week of trying this new technique three laptop screens have cracked from bumping into people and dropping them. While carrying the laptops the rubber handle that connects the handle to laptop is slowing wearing off. When you are holding the laptop in the hall, it sways from side to side. While doing that it’s very easy for it to hit an object and be damaged. In addition it’s not safe because there’s no protection or barrier to protect your laptop from any hard surface your laptop would or could hit. Also if you would have your laptop while you are holding by the handle and it would fall it would stand a greater chance of breaking more than just your screen. However, if you would have your laptop in its bag it would stand a greater chance of not breaking.  

Obviously, our laptop bags are for storage and protection. We should be able to carry our laptops in there bag for safe keeping and for extra hands for supplies. Also there will be less of a threat of cracking or breaking because the bag is padded. If the teachers would check the laptops before they leave for their next class the students would be able to take their laptops in the bag. In addition would have more of an ability to have more space to carry your books and utensils. Unlike holding it by its handle in the bag there is a thicker barrier and more protected if it would have to fall off of your desk or table.

Since IT made the new rule that you have to carry your laptop by the handle many people are just ignoring that and they are still carrying it in their bag, so now the new rule is you can’t bring your laptop bag to classes. Now that we don’t have the option of our laptop bags, we can’t carry useful things like laptop charger and stylus. IT wouldn’t let us use our laptop bags then we couldn’t bring our charger to class in fifth hour and resource when your battery is low or dead, and it’s just another thing that you have to carry if you wouldn’t have your bag. Your stylus is important in most classes to draw and take notes and your bag would be useful in that situation.  In the first place you should just be able to take your laptop bag even if you would be holding the laptop by the handle. If they would let us carry the laptop bag it would be easy and more efficient way of doing things.

Now you see why you should carry your laptop in its bag; it’s safer, more efficient, more protected, and more useful way of carrying your laptop around school. Carrying it by the handle will cause it to wear and eventually break off. Putting the laptop in the bag will prevented damage and bigger expenses of damage. Having your laptop bag on you at all time will give you access to the charger and stylus. In the end it would be better and more efficient way to put your laptop in the bag and take your laptop bag where ever you go.

Outsiders

In the story outsider there is a kid named Johnny which is week and shy, he is also growing up in a gang. He is now as a dog in his gang and he had dropped out of high school. While he is getting beat up by his parents and the Soc's. I seems like Johnny is a good person and he always has Pony Boy's back, with all of those things on his back he doesn't complain at all. Yes I do think Johnny is misjudged. I think that Johnny will get hurt because he is getting beat up by his parents and he often gets beat up by people.

Tell-Tale Heart Essay Response

In the tell-tale heart story there is this man that takes several nights just to kill one person. The old man was the one person that he was going to kill and he has done no harm to him, but he had the eye of a vulture – a pale blue eye, with a film over it. So continually came every night before he killed him and shinned a light on the old man’s eye.   He said “I love the old man”, then why would he be killing him, it’s only an eye just deal with it.

Upon the eighth night he had came into the condo as normal but this time he was more cautiously than normal. Hopefully the old man won’t hear, but his fear had happened the old man got up and out of bed and said “Who’s there”. I think that he can’t see me, but he waited there for an hour. When I came into his room I could hear him groaning so I knew that was still awake. So I turned on the lantern and I saw it, the big dull blue eye’s is what I saw. I was so nervous that I throw the lantern and leaped into the room, he shrieked once only once, then I dragged him to the floor and dropped the heavy bed right on top of him. Next the old man was dead. I dragged him into the bathtub and let the blood go out in there.

In my conclusion, yes I do think that this man is crazy because why would you kill that you have nothing against him. I can’t really relate to this because this so crazy that I don’t know anyone that do that.  

Patriot's Pen

Are you proud of your country? Yes I am proud of my country in ways and not proud of our country in other ways. While our country has hit some down falls it has been slowly starting to turn around. My opinion is that I think that our president has not been making good decisions while he has been in office, and has put in debt by trillions of dollars that weren’t suppose to be spent. Our country has battled through some hard times such as 9/11. During 911 no other countries had helped our country as one had made it through all the destructive and horrible incidents that happened that day. Are country has come and saying “We can rebuild come at us again”. Even we have had trouble times there is always light in the sky for a new day.