This is the End

This is the end of a fantastic year in AP Language and Composition. I am going to discuss the highs and lows of this enlightening class. So, now, regretfully, I start the beginning of the end.

Hardest Essay- The hardest essay to write, hands down, was the rhetorical analysis essay. The reason being that I could simply never find the devices used when reading the essay for the first time. It takes me a minimum of four tries to finally land on basic rhetoric such as simile or personification. Also, because it doesn't incorporate outside knowledge, it gives me problems. 

Easiest Essay- I throughly enjoy the argumentative essay. This is because it allows me to draw on my reading, history, experiences to use as evidence for my essay. I am usually pretty adept at intergrating the right book or historical event in my essay. I realize, oh , Ender's Game would work great here, or oh, the Battle of Iwo Jima would fit in great.

Best Novel- I thought that In Cold Blood was a phenomenal novel. It was made even better by the fact that it actualy occurred. The uniqueness of making a novel where I felt bad for not only the family but the MURDERERS of an onnocent family was astounding. This was a very well written book that had me interested throughout.

Not the Best Novel- I didn't have total interest in The Things They Carried. While it was very interesting at some points, the book as a whole was too choppy. For example, the story Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong was immensly interesting. However, then when the book keeps shifting away from this, the story loses its interest factor. Sory but this one was just not my favorite.

Anything to Know- This is where I will begin the conclusion to my blog post. It really is unbelieveable that this is the last blog post I will ever write in this class. What is more unbelieveable, sorry for the moment of reflection, is that I am becomming a senior next year. Wow, life really does go by so fast. I remember when I was a freshman who looked up to upperclassmen as Gods. Mr. Thomas, thanks for being honest. It was refreshing. Your class was not only fun but engaging and actually did teach me a lot about English. So, again, in the words of Geoffrey Chaucer, all good things must come to an end, and that is exactly what happened here.

Photo Credit to http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/this_is_the_end/

What I Carry in this Tough Life

Physical Thing- The one object I feel empty without is my computer. I wish I had a symbolic and beautifully meaningful item to say here, but unfortunately I do not. My computer is my portal to the real world. I check my email, listen to music, see the weather, look up the news, and so much more. When I come home, the first thing I will do is hop on the computer and get my daily dose of information. 

Dreams/Goals- My dream or ultimate goal is life is to have a happy family. I would say just for me to be happy, but I don't think I could do that unless I had a family. I want to graduate with honors, go to a nice university with scholarship money, and then go to a medical school. Hopefully, with the money I make and the happiness I should have at my job, I can raise a successful family. 

Relationship- I can not single out one person, so I have to say my parents. They inspire me to do everything. The fact that they came to this country with only a dream after fleeing from a revolution just so I could have an opportunity to succeed is remarkably generous and unselfish of them to me. In all honesty, I'm not sure I could do the same thing. I want to reward them by easing the financial burden of college on them by getting scholarships and graduating high in my class. The reason I work hard is actually for them. 

Personality- Only three words to describe me? That's tough, but I would have to say hardworking, driven, and stubborn. I wanted to pick two good ones and one not so good one in order to balance it out and not seem conceited. I want to be a good guy. Someone that is fun to be with, but serious at work, and a family man. Others believe I am smart and nerdy, but that's okay. I embrace it because by now I have been called this for at least 8 years. I am most proud of my drive and believe it has shaped me the most so far. Raw talent is great, sure, and I am certainly not saying I lack any of it, but working hard just leads to so many great things. 

Memories- This one is a tough one. Memories are so often and so numerous that it is difficult to narrow them down to just a few. However, one I certainly remember is Name That Book in elementary school. In 4th grade I was captain of the Barbara Bush Elementary School Name That Book Team. I remember working every day. I remember reading all of the books. I remember winning the competition. 

For me, that moment really defined what work can do. It was my first taste of what an award truly is. Actually, also literally because we went to McDonald's after the competition. However, it was a turning point in my life I believe. 

                                               

Photo Credit to:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=zM_8O0R8XNkpUM&tbnid=ptTgP4xfQHGLxM:&ved=0CAMQjhw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boolumaster.com%2Fmixes-dj-blog%2Fpositive-quotes-11-9-11-enjoy-your-life%2F&ei=ZrIOU4jSF6S-2QWkxYDgAw&bvm=bv.61965928,d.b2I&psig=AFQjCNEraOEnuaSLOqSB1C54bbMYWygP9g&ust=1393558487549158

http://www.aniotaoftruth.com/a-dream-plus-motivation-becomes-reality/

Options Options

The world is made up of all types of people from all over the world. It is a cultural melting pot that is actually a phenomenon. The problem facing many children today is how to embrace their culture, or where they came from, but also establish their own position. It is important to try to be the third option by combining both.

Personally, this is how I have tried to mix both. Both of my parents were born in Persia and came to the United States for a college education. I love my culture- the food, the tradition, my family, even their dorky rap music. All these things have a part in my life that I hold dear to me. I eat Persian food that my mom makes, celebrate Persian New Year, and talk in Farsi to my family. I in no way want to break away from this part of me. However, there are some traditions that my parents brought over from the old country that I simply do not agree with. For example, my parents do not believe in gambling. I know that gambling is bad and all that, but I tried it for myself and think that if one can control themselves then it can be okay. I think if I go to Las Vegas when I turn twenty one, I will engage in some minor gambling. This is a personal decision that helps me make my own identity.

Anything when taken in extreme can be harmful. It is always important to remember to take things in moderation. To live by this dogma, embracing both sides of yourself, or remembering the past and present, is an important part of being the third option.

Photo Credit to:

http://www.persiahouseofkebabs.com/

http://payvand.com/blog/nowruz-2012-1391/2012/03/10/nowruz-2012-send-persian-new-year-greeting-ecards/

Mr. Poe, The King of Modern Horror

Edgar Allan Poe is one of the greatest and most influential writers of our time. He wrote many literary masterpieces including The Raven, The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Oval Mirror. However, today the focus is one the birth of horror itself, The Fall of the House of Usher. Using this short story, I will find inspiration for my horror story which will be published in 2014.
The first haunted idea that I like from this story is the isolated, gloomy house. a quote, "but, with the first glimpse of the building, a sense of insufferable gloom pervaded my spirit." symbolizes the feelings attributed to this house by itself. What I like about this is the feeling of no help is coming, and that anything that happens is up to you to solve. There would be no horror if at the first sign of something mysterious the person called the police. That would be no fun.
A second idea that I believe I will copy is the long introductory setting description.I really liked Poe's setting description, which, by the way, lasted almost two full pages, because the reader suddenly feels alone and scared. Simply by stating things in a novel, such as, "a singularly dreary tract of country" or "upon the bleak walls—upon the vacant eye-like windows—upon a few rank sedges—and upon a few white trunks of
decayed trees." lends to a tremendously heightened sense of suspense.
The third spooky theme that I found noteworthy was the sickness of the human being and his connection to something abiotic. The main characters friend is very sick which is actually the reason that the author was told to come-in order to help his sickly friend. However, a more sinister connection
 lies in wait. The condition of the man is linked to the condition of the house. This is something that the reader will know is impossible in real life, but is also to apparent to ignore.
Fourth, I absolutely adored the use of the woman "coming back from the dead". In the story, the woman is buried and believed to be dead. However, she comes back later as displayed in this quote. “ 'Madman! I tell you that she now stands without the door!' ” Coming back from the dead is a concept that the reader will find extremely spooky because it is a very unnatural thing that opens the door for even more unusual horrors like zombies or skeletons.
Last but certainly not least, the final impressive scare tactic that Edgar Allan Poe used was the use of a time period that was in the past. Now I know that in Poe's time period, 1850s, things could have been considered being in the past for us present day. So Poe unwittingly did not put in technological advances and modern practices in science. It doesn't matter. Having a setting in a time period without cell phones, without obvious cures for diseases, without artificial lighting, all of these things create a place of mystery and deceive. The story is given credibility by the reader because, really, who knows what happened in the 1700s? There probably were ghosts. The setting lends credibility to the validity of the unnatural.

Photo Credit to: http://www.pbh2.com/wtf/scariest-gifs/attachment/scariest-gifs-mirror/\
http://grandcentralbakery.com/scary-chicken-ours/

Paranoia

The history of American politics is one marked by personal attacks, unreasonable scrutiny, and the absolute lack of privacy. While the American  voter may have  right to know as much as they possibly can about their Commander in Chief, somtimes this can become excessive and lead to our leaders in failing to do their best. President George Bush was one such president.

President George Bush declared war on Iraq in 2003. This moment was met with at first a decent approval rating. Many people still remembered and felt the raw pain of the September 11 tragedies and as a result believed that going to war was a good move. However, the left soon saw an opening. When they realized that Iraq did not, in fact, have WMD they began to call President Bush a war mongerer and idiot. They attacks became so numerous and harsh that many people actually began to believe the claims. They called out President Bush for killing our troops for "no reason" and wondered why he wouldn't stop the war if what we came there for never existed. These attacks on Bush foreign policy shaped his Presidency and legacy.

A second example of the villification of Bush came during his supposed economic depression that he casused. During his second term, many believed that President Bush caused the economic collapse (one that was even worse than the Great Depression). He cut the income tax on almost every American (Bush Era Tax Cuts which are still continued today) while waging to wars the liberals said. How can our economy get better. This was the point of view of Bush opponets at this time. However misfounded, they believed that his policies were the reason for the economic depression, not becuase of actual evidence, but becuase od the notion that the two HAD to cause a depression. This was a second many vilinification of the George Bush Era Presidency.

Finally, knowing that Bush was constantly scrutinized and criticizied, how could his presidency have changed? For one, his war policy and targeting would have been much more aggressive. In his second term, Bush was forced to back down from many important engagements that could have led to the capture of suspects such as Osama Bin Laden in order to focus on the country of Iraq. This was done solely for political reasons and to keep favor within the House. Another important change could have been the Medicare Act Bush introduced in his first term. In order to appease both sides of the table, Preseident Bush had to sign this act which led to improved prescription medication for seniors. Before this bill, Democrats had shoot down Bush take on Medicare which was a blow to his credentials for his second term. These are major changes that could have embarked from a more accepting American public.





Photo Credit to http://www.tafinn.com/andyfinn-us/bush_league/bushisms2_malapropisms.htm

The character I am choosing is one from one of my personal favorite shows of all time, Breaking Bad. I am choosing none other than Heisenberg himself. I will be comparing him to another classic anti hero, Ichabod Crane. 
The first characteristic that the two share is a strong aptitude for discipline and teaching. In Breaking Bad, Walter White is constantly reprimanding Jesse and trying to make some order in a chaotic drug world. Even in his own classroom, is it apparent that he is in control and calls all the shots. Ichabod Crane, in his classroom, is known for using the rod when needed and also instilling discipline into his students. It is clear that his students respect him and believe he is the king of the class. 
A second major characteristic that the two fictional characters share is a love for a certain women. Ichabod Crane is famously in love with Katrina Van Tassel. His love for her causes him to go at great lengths to impress her and hopefully win her infatuation back. It is her that is his great undoing, as his depression at her refusal at a proposal (or whatever may have happened that fateful night), is what happened to make his hallucination so real. In Breaking Bad, Walter White is definitely in love with Skylar. He loves her, seemingly no matter what, and went to great lengths in order to keep his family together, often at the risk of his life and even theirs. In fact, the whole drug empire began when Walter White wanted money to support his family after he was going to die. This trait of loving a woman to a very high extent makes the major characters' lives difficult. 
A third and final characteristic that is shared between the heroes of Breaking Bad and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is their very apparent poverty. Walter White is in a very tough financial situation. He has a very low paying job as a teacher (no offense) and it is not nearly enough to cover his skyrocketing medical bills. He is in a rut. In order to remedy the situation, he turns to drugs. Ichabod Crane is similar. He is poor. He sleeps and eats is his own students' houses, rotating through them throughout the year. He constantly needs to eat, and his teacher salary doesn't quite cover those costs. As a result, his sole goal in life is to marry a rich woman who will let him eat all he wants. 
These three characteristics show that the progression of the antihero from the classics to even modern day television has not changed as much as expected. They still share the same underlying traits: the traits that make one wonder: Am I for him or against him?




Photo Credit to: http://www.writeraccess.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/heisenberg.jpeg