- "Introduction to Poetry" by Billy Collins
- Mr. P. Goes Global (Website)
- "The Danger of the Single Story" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Global Goals for Sustainable Development
- "The Allegory of a Cave" by Plato
- "The Story of an Hour" by Kate Chopin
- "First Hour" by Sharon Olds
- Anthem by Ayn Rand
- Inequality for All (2013)
- Petrarchean Sonnets
- English Sonnets
- Shakespearean Sonnets
- Metaphysical Poetry and Works of John Donne
- "Where are You Local?" by Taiye Selasi
- Who Am I?
- Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
- "St. Crispin's Day" from Henry V by William Shakespeare
- Romeo and Juliet (1968)
- Romeo and Juliet (1996)
- Lessons from Denice Yao Pomary
- Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
- Oliver! (1968)
- The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
- "Burning a Book" by William Stafford
- "Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold
- Minority Report (2002)
3) Using the bullet list, compose a fat paragraph for each one, using direct evidence from the text and other texts. These paragraphs should look like comprehensive blog responses or body paragraphs for a formal essay. Make personal connections to the characters and your own experiences. What will you do in your life now that you have been touched by these works?
4) Include a conclusion where you describe your overall experience in class. You may even choose a paraphrased quotation from Mr. P. as your heading. What books were your favorites? What were your favorite units? Lessons? Projects?
5) When all five paragraphs and your conclusion are complete, post them to the blog. Make sure to keep the quotations. It will most likely need to be spread out to 2-3 posts, as it will be a lot of words.
6) On exam day, we will spend half the class reading other's responses and responding. The second half we will have our final discussion and say our temporary goodbyes. We will also discuss the summer reading list and some suggestions by Mr. P.
Nick Entner
ReplyDeleteMr.Pellerin goes Global
I have learned a lot this year in english and some of the things that I learned I would have never thought I would learn in english. For example Mr. Pellerin Goes Global, where I learned that giving back can affect someone for the rest of their lives. Traveling to other places and teaching English so that people can learn. That's something that I hope that I can do one day. I hope to impact someone for the good. I also learned that just because they live on the other side of the world doesn't mean they don't get the same education we have. Helping and caring for others is important and I think that those students were able to learn such a great thing from all of the teachers. I think that this is great and should go on for years and years.
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare has a lot of things that you can get out of it. Including, Not getting everything you want, fighting through thick and thin, as well as learning to admit to things before they become worse. Romeo and Juliet meet at a party that Romeo is not even supposed to be at. They fall in love right when they meet. But they were from families that hate each other. If they find out they would both be in tons of trouble. This shows that you don't get everything you want but you have to find a way to make it through. When they meet secretly without anyone knowing also shows that they will fight for their love through thick and thin. The most important thing I learned is to admit to something before it gets worse. You have to tell the truth and hope that what you have done is worth fighting for. It might be hard but it's better that holding on to a secret. Romeo and Juliet die from a secret that could have been resolved very easily. Just tell the truth.
Minority Report
The minority report is a movie about a man on the run for a murder that he is going to commit that was never stopped. It shows that what you do before can affect you later in life without you even knowing. There are many things that can happen because of one bad decision and one mistake. The thing is that he keeps going and tries to solve his problem and clear his name. The future is a crazy thing but just take things one step at a time. Something that you say now many not affect you now but in the long run it might. I have learned from this that things can get messed up but you have to live life and be happy through it all.
Balance the ball-Jacob Moore
DeleteNick Entner
ReplyDeleteOliver Twist
Many things are taught in school and you can become very smart. But I think that the books and just living life can teach you more about people and how to become happy. This book Oliver Twist shows the dark side that no one wanted to go to. Chalres Dickens decided to right about the back and not the good. There are many characters that you can learn from. Like Nancy, she can from a bad place and she has become a better person and cares about Oliver. Just because where she comes from not the greatest past doesn't mean she an awful person and she can do great things to. The streets taught Oliver to become a better person. He learned to live and find people who actually care. He was very lucky in his life. He seems like a person that would do great things in life.
Oliver!
Oliver shows the difference between something that is supposed to be dark and then makes it into a musical. Some stories are told good to children even though they are not what they seem. Not everything you hear is true. You can learn a lot from little thing just like a musical. Oliver shows the contrast of being dark and bad but makes it happier with music. Oliver Twist is one to the best character to learn from. He teaches a lot and I am so happy that I watch this musical as well as read the book Oliver Twist.
Conclusion
I have learned so much this year including multiply life lessons. Everything has a deeper meaning. I have learned that this year. This class was great and I hope to get you as a teacher again. I have had a great time in english this year. I am so happy I learned from this class. I'm over all favorite thing is Probably the minority report. It has taught me many things that I had never known before.
Robbie Mahlebjian
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot of things in English class this year like dualities, protagonist, dramatic irony. What really stuck to me though this year if I had to choose reading/watching: “The Allegory of a Cave”, “Anthem”, “Fahrenheit 451”, “Global Goals for Sustainable Developement”, “Minority Report”. Each of these will have one key I will remember this year.
The Allegory of a Cave: In this passage Plato describes a cave where prisoners are held by chains. They can only look forward at the shadows cast on the wall, each man has there own idea at what the thing is even though it isn’t real. When I kept reading I thought this was boring then I read “Like ourselves, I replied; and they see only their own shadows, or the shadows of one another, which the fire throws on the opposite wall of the cave?” In this sentence I focused on more of what he said at the beginning “Like Ourselves” I like how Plato relates the example back to the real world referring to the ignorance of non-enlightened people. This taught me to take in other ideas about the world and to spread enlightenment.
Anthem: It has been awhile since looking back on “Anthem”. I really liked reading that book because it had an interesting plot even though I did not like the end even it was calming and peaceful end it was not what I expected. The key idea I got out of this book is that people should keep their individuality and not get assimilated into being nothing. One quote that I really liked from Anthem is “Many men in the Homes of the Scholars have had strange new ideas in the past but when the majority of their brother Scholars voted against them, they abandoned their ideas, as all men must.” All the scholars go with the flow of other people's opinions that no actual renovation can go into society. This unit/topic was good because I learned all the choices I can do with my life and to not be assimilated with society.
Fahrenheit 451: Fahrenheit 451 was a short, confusing, but really fascinating read. Once I processed everything I really liked the book and its pretty good prediction of the future and how slowly we might get there. I don’t know about you but I do not think we are going to burn books. Books will always be around but if you think about it’s not bad if we stop publishing on books/paper because people have to read somewhere and if that is from a screen I thinks that's ok. I feel like we won’t get everything from the television because like at the end of the book there are people that are enlightened enough and that will spread.
Global Goals for Sustainable Development: In these articles they talk about key goals the UN have to help people all around the world. I did a blog about Life Below Water which talked about the safety for living creatures in the sea. I said that they wanted to stop polluting due to toxated fish caught by fishermen (to eat). They also said that they wanted to stop overfishing of some species. I really liked this blog because it listed how we can change the world today it also said in the article “The ocean covers three quarters of the Earth’s surface and represents 99 percent of the living space on the planet by volume.” so we must protect the ocean.
Minority Report (2002): This movie will always be a good one to watch due to the thriller and the sci-fi part. This movie was fun to talk about because of a theory if someone was warned or told something would that change the outcome of the future and not make the person a murderer. Also just having Tom Cruise up on the board was awesome. It was a cool chill time watching the movie and I liked it.
I liked this year of English and I will remember these lessons and more once I am an adult in college. Hopefully I get you next year Mr. Pellerin your classes are always unique and kind of feels like philosophy class for some reason. See you guys next year have a good summer.
your blog is good Robert malalabehajiannala
DeleteSuhani Karki
ReplyDeleteFahrenheit 451: “You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.” This quote from Fahrenheit 451 makes me believe that people are beginning to develop into the dystopian futuristic book that Fahrenheit 451 is. Books are slowly starting to lose their value over time, and people are relying more on the internet to obtain information. During the book, Beatty speaks and shows what happens to people when they stop reading, which lets us know that the author is trying to encourage the reader to read. In my experience, my reading stopped around sixth grade because of the flood of social media and entertainment channels. Reading books require a lot of focus and thinking, but viewing social media is simple. Books in general shape our lives, perspectives, and how we pass information and knowledge from one generation to the next, but with the decline of people reading we may not be able to pass this valuable information that books have onto future generations. Reading Fahrenheit 451 makes me uncomfortable on how similar the world in the book is today in our society. Now that I’ve read this book, I would like to change my habits this summer and get to reading more books that I enjoy.
Minority Report: As one of the last movies I would watch in English class, the Minority Report left a lasting impression on my view of freshman year. “There hasn’t been a murder in 6 years. There’s nothing wrong with the system, it is perfect.” The goal of PreCrime is to ensure people’s safety by predicting a person’s crime before committing them, but it all comes down to the relationship between Destiny and Free Will. While some things can be destiny overall, you can make a decision with your own free will. John Anderton believes that what the Precogs see is the truth, but later in the movie he realizes he can also choose his fate and the precogs don’t choose for him. The life lesson in this book for me is that ultimately you can decide your future and the path you want to take. The Minority Report's valuable message will be a lasting lesson that I will take with me through my journey of high school.
Oliver Twist: One of the biggest life lessons that I learned from Oliver Twist was to endure through difficulty. Oliver Twist was a poor orphaned boy who had a miserable childhood, without a mother and proper healthcare or nutrition, but through it all, he still persevered. "What have paupers to do with soul or spirit either? It’s quite enough that we let ’em have bodies." Mr. Bubmle, along with others in the book, treats Oliver with minimal regard and as an object. Reading Oliver Twist, teaches me to not give up on a task even if it is painful and to always endure.
Romeo and Juliet: Romeo and Juliet teach me not to be impulsive and to think decisions through. "Now, Tybalt, take the villain back again, That late thou gavest me; for Mercutio's soul. Is but a little way above our heads, Staying for thine to keep him company: Either thou, or I, or both, must go with him." Romeo's impulsiveness is seen in how fast he changes moods, such as when he is ready to kill Juliet's cousin, Tybalt, over a brawl. Romeo's impulsivity connects to me because I am naturally a very impulsive person, and I always act spontaneously without thinking. Now that I've read Romeo and Juliet, I will think before I do something, to prevent consequences because of my actions.
DeleteAnthem: “I am. I think. I will.” This quote from Ayn Rand's Anthem says a lot in just three words. The word "I" in Anthem is a taboo word because any thought that happens in private is 'evil.' In Anthem, the individual identity isn’t allowed because their society is a collectivist society, which impacts everyone around them because no one is allowed to be higher on the social ladder than anyone else. Most people frequently tell us to 'be ourselves' and to 'not be like everyone else.' This book was a friendly reminder to me to not be like everyone else and was a fantastic book choice for freshman year.
Freshman English was the best class I had so far. Not only did the people in my class help me grow as a person, but I learned many memorable life lessons from our class that I will carry on throughout high school. My favorite book of all was Fahrenheit 451 because of the striking parallels to our (future) world. My favorite project was the Romeo and Juliet project because I got to meet new people and analyze Shakespeare's play further and understand it more by focusing on particular themes. Overall, this class has helped me grow and become more prepared for future English classes to come. Thank you, Mr. Pellerin!
Celia Hoffman
DeleteI thought that Oliver Twist taught me how to endure difficulty of life.
Yasmiin Ali
ReplyDelete"The Allegory of a Cave" by Plato: In Plato's Allegory of the Cave, the prisoners only see shadows and what's in front of them up until they’re let out into the real world. I wasn't let out into the real world till I was told what was true and what was fake. “When he approaches the light his eyes will be dazzled, and he will not be able to see anything at all of what are now called realities.” When we are kids half of the time our parents hide inappropriate or “things that will open their eyes” in the real world. Until we are older and are able to understand what we view as real and fake. Plato describes ignorant people as non-enlightened people. Some people around the world judge what they don't know without learning the truth. From that, I learned not to judge someone or something I don't understand but instead understand and view it differently.
Inequality for All (2013): Robert Reich’s Documentary is on how people in the US are getting paid unfairly. A moment in Inequality For All that really stuck with me was when they talked about how little middle-class people are paid. Inequality becomes a problem when a middle-class person feel less then a “middle class” person should. The economy is not paying these people a lot of money that they deserve/ worked for. I always thought that middle-class people had enough money to hold themselves up, but the reality is that they are struggling like the poor are and that shouldn't be happening. "We make the rules of the economy – and we have the power to change those rules." (Robert Reich) I now know what to do to make sure I’m financially stable so I don't end up on the end of the stick.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury: Fahrenheit 451 focused on the extinction of books. What the future may have been if there were no books and no thinkers. Montag was a firefighter who’s mind was changed on how society took their thinking away by getting rid of books. “It didn’t come from the Government down. There was no dictum, no declaration, no censorship, to start with, no! Technology, mass exploitation, and minority pressure carried the trick, thank God.”(Beatty) This novel was fun to read because the author, Ray Bradbury, got most of what he thought the future had correctly. I can see why he thought the internet and TV would take peoples minds and make them lazy enough to stop reading because that is sort of happening today. Now that I’ve read this novel I will now try to read more again since I haven’t been reading a lot lately.
Yasmiin Ali
DeleteGlobal Goals for Sustainable Development: When we started to search about Global Goals for Sustainable Development I saw that we have a lot to do as a planet to make sure we keep our world safe. “The Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.” I choose ‘Zero Hunger’ because there are many people in this world that can help that don’t. My parents grew up in Africa and had lots of siblings and not that many resources that I have today. What I will be doing now is volunteering and helping others who are less fortunate.
Anthem: Ayn Rand created a story about a place where you are told what to do and where to be at all times. No one questions it or you will get in trouble. “We were born with a curse. It has always driven to us to thoughts which are forbidden,”(page 18) This quote explains how this world viewed people who think too much. Equality is one of the people who think too much. When he gets his job from the council that he is a “Street Sweeper” he realizes that he was caught thinking/ having thoughts. Later in the story, he leaves before the Council catches him and goes out into the real world. This story showed me that it's okay to think outside the box and go against some rules if you know it will benefit someone/something.
In all, these writing have taught me all valuable lesson, but the one that will stick the most is that to not judge someone or something I don't understand but instead understand and view it differently. That to me has a big change to what I see as a person because its hard in this society to not judge or have a hard time understanding. So I think that allowing yourself to understand will open your mind allow you to live life without guilt. My favorite story/book to read was definitely Anthem because of the way Ayn Rand didn't use ‘i’ or ‘me’; it made the book more realistic. This English class definitely made me more confident in writing and its all thanks to you Mr. Pellerin.
Suhani Karki
DeleteI agree I also loved reading Fahrenheit 451, it was such an amazing book with unique parallels to our society today!!
Jacob Moore
ReplyDelete“How could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads?” ― Plato, The Allegory of the Cave. The reason why this quote stuck with me is because its very mind opening once you understand the deeper meaning behind what Plato is actually saying. What Plato is saying is that people who have never been introduced to things other than what they experience on a regular basis won't change because they don't know any different. This quote is just so great in my opinion, because it applies to modern day society more than it did back then. Nowadays, people have so many distractions in their life like technology and they don't take the time to stop and think. I would say that a lot of the people in my school are in the cave just following along with a lot of the nonsense that goes around on the internet and in a society that has no purpose to their lives. But the few people who don't invest Majority of their time in useless entertainment make their lives worth something. I believe that this quote applied to me for more than half of my life because I used to always be a follower and not have any of my own ideas but as I aged, I realized that there is a whole world other than Andover Massachusetts. I'm not saying that this quote doesn't apply to me, sometimes I feel like a lot of people probably feel a sort of comfort being in the cave and that's why they stay but I go in and go back out which is probably what a lot of people do nowadays. This quote just has a really good thought behind and I enjoyed analyzing it in class this year.
“I am. I think. I will.” ― Ayn Rand, Anthem. This quote was a very interesting one because not much is said but it has a very good meaning to it. What the poem is saying is that you are the purpose of life for you and you think what you want to and you'll do what you'll want to. This tells the reader to be a nonconformist and not stick to the group similar to the quote “How could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads?” ― Plato, The Allegory of the Cave. I myself am a nonconformist and i do some things different from the rest but this quote enhanced this feeling for me because when you are different from the rest you're experiencing something new from what everyone else is doing, which is a healthy way to live your life in my opinion. This affected my year because it was a good reminder to be yourself and don't let others tell you otherwise.
“Some people are nobody's enemies but their own” ― Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist. This is a very well thought out quote and i think that it is sort of like a reality check. The point that charles dickens is trying to say is that you can be your worst enemy if your not looking out for yourself. This applies to a lot of scenarios during the school year for me because I would sometimes overly stress myself out about something that wasn't as important as I had made it in my head to be. Your imagination can be set wild and make up all sorts of things that aren't true but you perceive them to be which can really slow you down and get you not in the best mindset. You should always make sure that you are okay before others because if you aren't all of that emotion can come out at once and make things even worse than before
Nick Entner
DeleteI agree that the people in the Allegory of A Cave don't know any different but being in enlightened is something that most people experience in there lives. This is an important point made
thanks nick-jacob Moore
DeleteJacob Moore continued
ReplyDelete“Don't waste your love on somebody, who doesn't value it.” ― William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet. What Shakespeare means is that don't put your time and energy into someone that you love unless they return the favor. This applies a lot to the freshman class because we're figuring things out in our lives right now and one of those things is relationships. Throughout the year I saw relationships bloom and fall even with my close friends and I find them to be quite confusing. Me personally did not try to be in a relationship because I just don't want to right now but some people thats all they can think about. People just need to know what they're getting into when they start or try to start a relationship with somebody.
“If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you'll never learn.” ― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451. The point that ray bradbury is trying to make is that If you never try something new and make a mistake you'll never learn from your mistakes and grow. This quote couldn't really affect me that much during the school year because we just recently read this book. But I can see how I it applies to me without the knowledge of the quote. There were several instances where i learned from my mistakes during the school year. Sometimes it would be socially and other times it would be academically but I always learned from my experiences and grew from them.
In conclusion all of these quotes affected me or applied to me during the school year and found it interesting that so many different concepts could apply to my life. Plato, The Allegory of the Cave taught me to look away from brain numbing activities and focus on the important things in my life. “I am. I think. I will.” ― Ayn Rand, Anthem taught me how to be a nonconformist and do what I think is best.“Some people are nobody's enemies but their own” ― Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist This quote taught me to always care for myself before others. “Don't waste your love on somebody, who doesn't value it.” ― William Shakespeare taught me how to be wise with who you commit your time with even though I don't want to at the moment. And lastly “If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you'll never learn.” ― Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451 told me something I already had experienced but made me realize those moments in my life where I had learned something from my mistake. Overall Freshman english was a very informative fun year and I don't think that I will ever have another class quite like it.
Really good blog!
DeleteAnthony Dimuzio
ReplyDeleteThe books that I choose to write about are “The Allegory of the Cave" by Plato, “Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespear, "St. Crispin's Day" from Henry V by William Shakespeare”, “Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury” and .”Anthem by Ayn Rand”.These books all have life lessons in them that I can reflect on after this class and in life.
The allegory of the cave is a book about prisoners that are trapped in a cave since birth and are hid from the real world and are never let out to see anything alive. The only thing that they were able to see were shadows that the people that trapped them made. They would put on shows with the shadows to keep them sane and fed them so they didn't starve to death. One prisoner eventually escapes from his bindings that they are all trapped in to keep them in the cave and he leaves the cave to see the real world. He sees the real world and realizes that everything the people taught him were a lie. He goes back down into the cave to tell the other prisoners and they don't believe him and threaten to kill him. He quickly enlightens them and teaches them about the real world. Then they all escape and see that everything they were taught was a lie.“It is the task of the enlightened not only to ascend to learning and to see the good but to be willing to descend again to those prisoners and to share their troubles and their honors, whether they are worth having or not. And this they must do, even with the prospect of death.” I choose this quote because it is about enlightenment and showing the real meaning. This quote means that it is not only the job of the enlightened person to do good it is also their job to go back down to another person's perspective and help them rise to the top with them. I can relate with this by making sure I always try to do something even when I don't know what is happening just like the prisoner in the story.
St. Crispin’s Day is a book about King Henry V fighting with his small group of men against an army that overpowers them by a lot. All of King Henry Vs men are afraid and think they are going to lose this battle and die. But King Henry V is not going to let that happen by giving them an extremely inspirational speech that makes them win their battle. He tells them this would be a day to become a hero and make today be a holiday. He says this is a chance to become brothers with him and fight for their families. He says this speech and motivates everybody and they win the battle. ‘’And say These wounds I had on Crispin's day.Be in their flowing cups freshly rememb'red. That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.’’ This quote is part of the speech that was said to help them win the battle. This means that the soldiers in the battle could carry on this win to their families and say this was when I fought in the war and won. I can relate to this by always to win or complete something if I know I might not be able to do it.
Romeo and Juliet is a book about two kids in different families that hate each other becasue of a dumb fude their old ancestors had. They meet at a party and Romeo falls in love with Juliet. They keep on meeting after that interaction and their families eventually find out and forbid them from meeting again. They keep on meeting and fights happen between the two families and romeo gets banished. Then he thinks that Juliet kills herself and he buys poison and dies right next to her and she sees him die then she kills herself. “There's an old saying that applies to me: you can't lose a game if you don't play the game’’. This quote means that you can't lose anything if you don't try it. I can relate to this quote by always trying something.
Fahrenheit 451 is a book about a society that forbids reading books and if you are caught reading you will be punished by the firemen that burn down your house. The firemen are feared because they are the punishers of the society. Monaque enjoyed his life as a fireman but as time went on he started to question his life. His wife watches tv all day and he punishes people he started to question his whole life after he met a girl that stood out from everyone she ended up reading books and was burned with them. “Stuff your eyes with wonder, he said, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.” This is one of my favorite quotes in all of the books I read. This quote means live life to the fullest, always look for opportunity live like you are going to die in 10 seconds. It can mean that life is too short for negativity. I can relate and take this quote with me everywhere I go. When I am feeling like I can't do something I will remember this quote and think for an opportunity.
DeleteAnthem is a book about a society that is run by a council that does not allow free thought. Everybody is treated the same but that is not a good thing. They are all treated like brainless humans because that is basically what they are. They are brainwashed everybody into their society. But then somebody named equality 7-52521 he stands out and gets punished and put into a detention center. He escapes with liberty and finds an old house. He finds books in the house and reads them and is enlightened to the word I. Then he discovered electricity and lives with liberty and they don't go back to the society. “At first, man was enslaved by the gods. But he broke their chains. Then he was enslaved by the kings. But he broke their chains. He was enslaved by his birth, by his kin, by his race. But he broke their chains. He declared to all his brothers that a man has rights which neither god nor king nor other men can take away from him, no matter what their number, for his is the right of man, and there is no right on earth above this right. And he stood on the threshold of freedom for which the blood of the centuries behind him had been spilled.” This quote means that for as long as we can remember we were always held down by a stronger power but then we found a way out. This quote is very important because it shows that even if we are held down by a stronger power we can always find a way out and show that we don't have to be in the stronger power and fit in and that we can stand out.
Thank you Mr. Pellrin for teaching us all that you have in this english class. I have really enjoyed this class and I will be carrying out many things I have learned this year into next year. All of these books that we have read have been really interesting. I have never read books like these before and it was a good change of reading. I really enjoyed acting out Romeo and Juliet and when you had that quest speaker come and talk about his school style. I also enjoyed your stories about the school you visited. The most important thing I will be taking out of your class and into classes in the years to come is how I analyze the text in books. These books that we have had a complex writing style but you have helped us with that and now I will be able to read books like these and understand them. Thank you again for teaching me in your class.
Anthony Dimuzio
DeleteGOOD JOB - Dowol
DeleteI liked all of your quotes, they all have importance and represented how this year went. I liked how you showed why the quote was important for each one - Dowol Lee
DeleteDylan Brenner
ReplyDelete1.“I am. I think. I will.” - Ayn Rand, Anthem. This quote by Ayn Rand shows and teaches us to believe in yourself. There community is collectivist and they are bound and forced to help each other and not worry about themselves as individuals. Since they are a collectivist society they refer to themselves as “we” instead of “I”. People in the society are not aware that they can use the word “I” or that it exists. The word is not allowed to be said or used in their society. For example, Equality realizes he is a person, he doesn’t like it and runs away to try to find more information about his life. Ayn Rand's philosophy is objectivism which is “the belief that certain things, especially moral truths, exist independently of human knowledge or perception of them”, basically to worry about yourself. I think the life lesson from this book is be yourself and care for yourself. In this world today some people try to be someone who they aren’t and it most of the time it backfires and doesn’t turn out right for them. The big takeaway from this book and quote is to be yourself.
2.“Don't waste your love on somebody, who doesn't value it.” - William Skakespeare, Romeo and Juliet. The quote by Shakespeare teaches us don’t show or give your love to someone that doesn’t give the same back or care about you. This may or may not happen in your life, but whether it’s a friendship or relationship stay with those people who love and care for you the same way as you do for them and stay away from those who don’t show it back. Staying with people that don’t care or love for you is big step down south and the wrong direction. On the other hand having strong friendships and even relationships can take you a long way and lead you to the right direction. When times aren’t going well those are always the best times to have that friend that cares about you and help cheer you up. The life lesson from this book and quote is stay close with the ones that love and care for you and leave behind the ones that don’t.
3. “The faith that anyone could move from rags to riches…”- Robert Reich, Inequality For All. This quote by Robert Reich from the movie “Inequality For All” shows us to believe in yourself and fight for what you can get. If you have enough perseverance, guts and heart you can get anywhere. The documentary states that 80% of people born into poverty or a low income neighborhood, stay there for the rest of their life. He explains how the struggle for the poor is real and even had a couple interviews with the people who were struggling. This explained the struggle the less wealthy have to go through everyday, some having to work all day just to keep up with food for there family. The big lesson that we learned is that things are just handed to your you have to strive and work hard for them. I feel like the more you work, the more rewards you get. For example, the more I practice sports or study for a test the better I will do on game day or test day when it really counts. Your future isn’t given to you when your born you have to work and earn it.
Dylan Brenner
ReplyDelete4.“In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king”. - “Minority Report”. The movie Minority Report and Anthem connect and relate because they both have and teach similare life lessons.
This connects to life and society today because “In the land of the blind” they don’t overthink things, there’s no second guessing and they just do what they are told. “... the one-eyed man is king” means that people sometimes people tend to hide themselves from others. They don’t want society knowing who they really are because it could come off bad. In today’s world many people get caught up with “oh he’s popular or he’s cool” and this leads to people not being themselves and trying to be like those other people. The moral of this is be yourself and unique and don’t follow in others footsteps.
5.“But, tears were not the things to find their way to Mr. Bumble soul, his heart was waterproof”. - Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist. This proves overall how motivational and inspiring Dickens novels were. Oliver started in the workhouse with no parents yet he was a very successful boy in his life. Oliver faced many difficulties during the book including sacrificing himself for many people including fagin. It was very difficult to understand how Oliver managed to be a decently happy boy and managed to put a smile on his face when looking back at his past and his future. This book by Dickens is very motivational because it shows throughout the book that you can come from nothing to something if your work hard enough and put forth the effort to do it. Overall the lesson from this is that no matter where you came from you can make something out of your life.
Conclusion: Overall, this year's freshman english class was a great year and a great experience. I like your teaching style and I think it fits perfectly with freshman and your other classes. You give plenty of time to finish the blog assignments and explain everything very clearly so it’s easy to understand. One thing that I really liked about and thought was helpful for upcoming years is all the essays and writing we did. All this got us ready and prepared for all the years ahead of us. I also found watching movies and reading the books fit good together because if you were lost about a scene you had the movie and book to help you as well as Mr. Pellerin. I liked the Romeo and Juliet script and musical because it gave us a different perspective to look at everything because for me it was difficult to keep up with everything.
Dickens novels were very inspiring good job Dylan-Jacob Moore
DeleteI like your idea of sacrifice and all of the risks that Oliver had to take to get to where he was at the end of the book. Oliver Twist was finally with his family and now set for life and will now be able to live a peaceful life with his family.-Griffin L
DeleteGriffin Littlewood
ReplyDelete"St. Crispin's Day" from Henry V by William Shakespeare
At the beginning of the year, we read and learned about "St Crispin's Day". I loved all of the scenes which involved the king motivating his army for battle with a passionate speech. They all feared they were going to die in battle. In their minds, it was like a one in a thousand chance that they would survive. Henry V was infuriated that his soldiers all had their heads hung down and this is why he gave his speech. "Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours, And say 'To-morrow is Saint Crispian:' Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars. And say 'These wounds I had on Crispin's day.' Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot, But he'll remember with advantages What feats he did that day: then shall our names. Familiar in his mouth as household words Harry the king, Bedford and Exeter, Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester, Be in their flowing cups freshly remember'd. This story shall the good man teach his son; And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by, From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remember'd; We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition: And gentlemen in England now a-bed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.". This inspired everyone to fight. They all start cheering in a few minutes and run into battle. This speech about St Crispin's Day emboldens the army to never give up. The meaning of this play is perseverance, strength, and grit for the sake of the greater good.
"Dover Beach" by Matthew Arnold
In my opinion, we used this lyric poem as an approximate summary for Fahrenheit 451. It sets the basic precedent of the new country that the people of Fahrenheit 451 are living in, in this future. There is a constant "threat" of books according to the new government. As a result, the government created destructive firemen. These firemen would start fires instead of extinguishing them. This action served to burn books so people had less access to information. I think the theme of this story is to show the importance of reading books and having free access to information; the ability to learn. The freedom to obtain and read the content provided in books which teaches us history and news enables and empowers people to learn, develop and grow. "Begin, and cease, and then again begin, With tremulous cadence slow, and bring The eternal note of sadness in." Dover Beach is a perfect summary of this new society and without books, we have no information to grow our knowledge. Mr. Pellerin was showing us how books nourish our minds and without them, we don't have the intelligence we need for our future.
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
Oliver Twist details the story of an orphan finding a home. Oliver Twist starts off with nothing and eventually, finds a stable home, rising in society. In my opinion, Oliver Twist demonstrates the power of resilience. While Oliver's life journey is often harsh, he continues to persevere. This book made me think about the extent to which people do struggle across the world and have many obstacles to overcome. "The mother, when the pains of death first came upon her, whispered in my ear that if her babe was born alive, and thrived, the day might come when it would not feel so much disgraced to here it's poor young mother named. whether it be a boy or girl, raise up some friends for it in this troubled world; and take pity upon a lonely and desolate child, abandoned to its mercy.". The old nurse sally told Mrs. Corney when she was dying." Pg. 189-190. This quote demonstrates the struggle and pain of Oliver never meeting his mother and how he was denied of his own freedoms in a way.
Dover beach looks combined but there are three paragraphs-Griffin
DeleteGriffin Littlewood
ReplyDeleteRomeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
This is a love story about Romeo and Juliet who each come from two different enemy families. We see them fight for their love. Despite their best efforts to stay together, they end up both losing their own lives at their own hands. Romeo believes that Juliet had died because he never received the letter from Friar Laurence about their plan to fake Juliet's death with a sleeping potion. Since Romeo never gets the letter, he believes Juliet is dead. He is devastated and kills himself so he can be with her in eternity. When Juliet wakes up and sees in disbelief and sadness that Romeo has died, she kills herself. "How oft when men are at the point of death Have they been merry, which their keepers call A light'ning before death! O, how may I Call this a light'ning?—O my love! my wife, Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty. Thou art not conquered. Beauty's ensign yet Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks, And death's pale flag is not advancèd there.— Tybalt, liest thou there in thy bloody sheet? O, what more favor can I do to thee, Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain To sunder his that was thine enemy? Forgive me, cousin—Ah, dear Juliet, Why art thou yet so fair? Shall I believe That unsubstantial death is amorous, And that the lean abhorred monster keeps Thee here in dark to be his paramour? For fear of that, I still will stay with thee And never from this palace of dim night Depart again. Here, here will I remain With worms that are thy chamber-maids. O, here Will I set up my everlasting rest, And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars From this world-wearied flesh! Eyes, look your last. Arms, take your last embrace. And, lips, O, you The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss A dateless bargain to engrossing death.". I used this quote because these were his last words to Juliet. Learning about this tragedy play of Shakespeare helped in understanding and analyzing literature as well as writing our essays and blogs.
Minority Report(2002)
In the "Minority Report", John Anderton is a charter who is a cop that is part of a futuristic murder prevention program. These cops have precogs people that can visualize future murders. John's image is featured in one of those visions though so he must go on the run to prevent imprisonment. In my opinion, the stories of Anthem and Fahrenheit 451 demonstrate how corrupt and controlling governments harm people. These governments all force rules upon their people and severely restrict their freedom. "Hello, Lamar. I just wanted to congratulate you. You did it: you created a world without murder. And all you had to do was kill someone to do it ." I like this quote because it represents the corrupt nature of the precrime methodology.
Conclusion
I loved this class throughout the entire year because it covered various types of literature and several different themes. Learning about Shakespearean poetry, or novels, and poems, I began to develop the ability to analyze themes and the text. I loved the projects this year, especially the music. It was very entertaining and fun to create the project as well as appreciate what my classmates presented. My favorite lesson would have to be the Allegory of a Cave because of the philosophy around the enlightenment and the struggle to receive it. I like the idea that enlightenment reveals the truth and broadens your perspective on life. Lastly, my favorite book would have to be Anthem. I loved the complexity of the idea of a utopian world that was not, in fact, peaceful, and the challenges of an alternative future.
"Hello, Lamar. I just wanted to congratulate you. You did it: you created a world without murder. And all you had to do was kill someone to do it ." I really liked your quote for Minority Report I think it ties into your responsive about it well. I agree the governments all force rules upon people and extremely restrict their freedom.
Delete-Mikey
DeleteMichael DiCenzo
ReplyDeleteMinority Report (2002)
Murders can be now be stopped before they even occur, thanks to the complicated techniques of the PreCrime police unit, headquartered in Washington, D.C. The method by which the unit prevents murders is through a mixture of advanced technology and the use of Precogs. But this system is also flawed because Agatha sometimes sees different. I liked how they directed the future even though it was a little cheesy. I really liked Minority Report I thought it was interesting. I really liked that the story’s basis is based on paradoxes allocated by precogs. I like how when John knows the consequence he can change it by accidentally killing the person who was set up.
Romeo and Juliet (1968)
I liked Romeo and Juliet. I thought it kind of hard to read because of all the shake spear writing but it was still good. “Don't waste your love on somebody, who doesn't value it.” William Shakespeare, Romeo, and Juliet. I thought this was a funny quote because Romeo and Juliet both end up dying at the end of the book. I thought the book was a little longer than it needed to be but I really liked the way it ended.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
DeleteGuy Montag is a fireman who burns books in a futuristic American metropolis. In Montag’s society, firefighters start fires rather than putting them out. The people in this society do not read books, appreciate nature, spend time by themselves, think freely, or have significant conversations. Instead, they drive very fast, watch unnecessary amounts of tv on wall-size sets, and listen to the radio on “Seashell Radio”. I liked this book a lot. I thought this book was very interesting and just the little things in the book had a lot of importance to the story. I felt like a was with Montag in the book especially when he burnt down the house with the lady still inside. I thought that was very muddled. I also thought that the wife overdosing was really screwed up as well because the paramedics came in and acted like this happens all the time.
Anthem by Ayn Rand
I thought that Anthem was okay it wasn't my favorite book that we read this year. The world in Anthem is absolutely a dystopian society or one that is opposite of ideal. As Equality 7-2521 tells the main character does what he is not allowed to do. He is currently alone in an underground tunnel writing. In his society, no one is allowed to think on his/her own.
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
I liked The Man Who Invented Christmas I thought it was good a movie. I thought the movie showed the rough life that Charles Dickens went through. Charles Dickens finds himself in financial trouble after writing three unsuccessful novels. I felt I could relate to this because in hockey sometimes it's hard to get a good shot off but after a couple of tries you get it in. I also thought that it was cool that the book “A Christmas Carol” that it forever changed the holiday into what we celebrate today.
In conclusion, my overall experience in my 9th-grade English class was very fun. I always enjoyed coming to this class it was one of my favorites if not my favorite class this year. I loved being surrounded by my fellow classmates. I loved most of the books we read this year and the movies we watched were always amusing. My favorite book this year was Fahrenheit 451 because of how small the book was yet how good the story was. My favorite project was the Romeo and Juliet play we did I thought it was really fun and I'm glad we could all do our own spin-off of it.
i liked the quotes you chose they all hold some significance - Dowol Lee
DeleteI really like your quote in the Romeo and Juliet paragraph “Don't waste your love on somebody, who doesn't value it.”. I think it really sums up the plot very well it shows that the value in the book.-Griffin L
DeleteI enjoyed reading your essay and I liked the quotes you have picked with them. I also liked how you gave your perspective on each of the books you have chose.
Delete-Anthony
DeleteI also used the quote “Don't waste your love on somebody, who doesn't value it.” I like how you found a comedic aspect in the quote-Jacob Moore
DeleteCelia Hoffman
ReplyDeleteAnthem by Ayn Rand
“I am. I think. I will”
Anthem, by Ayn Rand was an interesting book to read. Although it was sometimes difficult to analyze, it taught me how to think of things in a different way and put things together. I think the book about a futuristic society and how things can involve are some of my favorite types of books we’ve read this year. I picked this quote from the book because it is the point in the book where the main character Equality finally realized that he was his an individual, which was the main theme of the book. Rand taught me a lot about a different view of life, like objectivism. Writing about it also helped me understand the main themes of the book. Relating the book to Inequality for All, was a good way to teach about the different views people have.
Inequality for All (2013)
“When Reich said that it was up to us to help fix what's going on, I really believed that.”
This quote is from one of my blogs on Inequality for All. This documentary helped me understand what our country’s economy is like and how we need to fix it. It related to Anthem and presented a view that contrasted Rand’s. The documentary opened my eyes to a collectivist view on life and helped me understand how I can make a difference, it told the truth about the problem that we are facing, when nobody else really was. The documentary was interesting to watch, and being able to write and relate it to Anthem helped me evaluate the concept of collectivism better and become a better writer.
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare
“I can tell you carefully chose a prompt that fit your interest and understanding of the text. There is passion, here!”
This quote is from Mr. Pellerin, regarding my essay on the parallel events in Romeo and Juliet. This book really opened my eyes on how literature can always be applied to life, even when times have greatly changed. Even though Shakespeare was difficult to understand, the theme was made very clear. I enjoyed writing this and I agree that there was passion in my essay. Watching both movies helped me understand the actions and thoughts of the characters better, but I thought the book helped me understand the theme the best. I’m glad we read Romeo and Juliet because I think it is an important book to interpret and understand.
Celia Hoffman
ReplyDeleteOliver Twist by Charles Dickens
“Although Rose tries to help Nancy, society’s cruelty towards criminals and the lower class made Nancy feel like she could not be saved.”
Even though I didn’t do my best work on Oliver Twist, I liked learning about how the poor were treated in London at that time. I thought the book was very good and had a very clear theme so it was easy to analyze and understand. The quote I chose was from my essay on how cruelty was embedded in Oliver Twist and how it impacted the characters and plot. I think this quote directly relates to how the poor felt in London at the time and I was able to see that clearly because the message of the book was very straightforward. Dickens shows the readers how the poor are actually treated and reveals the truth about how orphans are actually taken care of. I thought this was an important book for me to read to understand what happened in London at that dark time and how literature can help people in need.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
“See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. Ask for no guarantees, ask for no security.”
I picked this quote from Fahrenheit 451 because it really demonstrates what the main character, Montag, is facing and how society had become the opposite of what this quote explains. I think this book is very similar to Anthem because both have societies where people aren't able to think for themselves and don’t have access to the true past, which is the real knowledge. Both main characters struggle with their identity and cause change in their society. I thought that Fahrenheit 451 was a good book to end the year with because it was easy yet impactful. I was able to use the skills I have been taught to interpret the theme and understand the book.
In conclusion, I think we have learned a lot of great skills that we will be able to use for the rest of our lives. Even though we did not read the same books as many other classes, I thought these works had a better impact on me as a student and as a reader. I was able to write passionately about each of these works and the many in class discussions we had taught me how to analyze a plot, put it together and understand a theme. I thought this year I learned a lot about literature and how it can be very impactful to everyone at anytime.
Suhani Karki
DeleteI also loved reading Oliver Twist and I liked learning about how the poor were treated in London at that time too!
ReplyDeleteOver the entirety of the year, I have drastically changed in the way I think, and view things. Whether it when I am concentrating on my school work out running as fast as I can on the basketball court, this year has changed me for the best.
We began the school year off reading Allegory Of A Cave, a classic book about how Plato believed that knowledge gained through the senses is no more than opinion and that, in order to have real knowledge, you must find your inner self. Through this story, we learned that in order to have a successful running city or area there is one common factor that is a necessity for anyone, enlightenment. The idea of enlightenment began in the late 17thand early 18thcentury primarily in North America and was thought of as a way to get rid of any ideas they still had from the Dark Ages. Ever since enlightenment has been a driving factor for any human being and the genius of an Arthur Plato, accurately demonstrates this in his story. His philosophies would go on to connect to many other stories we read this year, from Fahrenheit 451 to Anthem all three of these arthurs believe that we need to be able to think on our own and I'm going to stand with them on their indirect statements. In Fahrenheit 451, we are introduced to a society that has lost all sense of humanity. The people fail to think on their own and due to this rely on their surrounding, and ignorant, peers to help get them through the next day, over and over again.
“My heart is set, as firmly as ever heart of man was set on woman. I have no thought, no view, no hope, in life beyond her; and if you oppose me in this great stake, you take my peace and happiness in your hands, and cast them to the wind.” This is one of the most important quotes in the whole story, we get introduced to a whole side of this character that we never knew he felt so deeply about. Charles Dickens will go down as one of the greatest writers to ever live, and after I read this novel I can understand why. He adds such depth of feelings with words, making you feel as if Oliver may be real and pick-pocketing you on the streets of London one day. This is such a warm yet dark tale about a young innocent boy who falls into the hands of a rotten gang while being constantly told to pick-pocket and to take money, he still manages to keep his smiley innocence that has caught the hearts of so many over the years. The book is full of surprising scenes and twists which ironically is the name of our favorite character. You often hear the saying, ‘the book is always better,’ and I would be more than happy to back this statement up, the book captured more emotions than any other movie could.
Anthem is the epitome of what it means to be in a team. Very rarely do we see the letter ‘I’ and instead replaced with a much more inspiring word, ‘we’. Although the idea of this book is very smart you'll have to go backstage to further understand. The people behind this book had the idea that if they could remove peoples ability to think, then they would have to resort to finally again becoming a society that it based off of teamwork and companionship. The writers idea of this idea was based off his philosophy that if he could remove an individuals ability to think on their own then they would have no choice to resort to being part of a community further ending all conflict. Equality 7-2521 had realized this and decided that the best thing for him to do was to run away to the tunnels, and start to build, start to understand that to really survive on your own, you have to be able to understand when its just you and the elements, all odds against you, and this is what he demonstrated.
Freshman English has really pushed me in ways I've never thought I could. I am very happy I took this class and look back at the year and realize just how much I have actually accomplished.
Olivia Dionisio
DeleteShruthi Saravanan
ReplyDelete“First Hour” by Sharon Olds:
This was one of the first pieces of writing we read in this class and it was also one that stood out to me as well. It was about a newborn baby being introduced into the world and what it would think of. It walks us through the experience of being born, something we all have gone through but doesn’t remember at all. She states how they don’t know anyone, especially someone who loves them. My favorite part of this was “I was not very human”, which would make sense since there are so many human-like things that aren’t happening only because this baby has just been brought into the world. It shows that we only become humans when we get influenced and enlightened by others.
Anthem:
The overall setting of the book was people referring to people as a whole and not as a singular person. Instead was saying “I” and “Me” they say “We” and “Us”. Though Equality seems to think differently from the rest, the council never liked him just because of that making him be seen more like an outlier. They found Equality train of thought wasn’t good at all, they believed everyone should be the same in this society. “It is not good to be different from our brothers (21)”. This stuck out to me because I have seen similar situations related to this in the world we live in, people saying sticking out from the crowd isn’t a good idea. People believing they can only get something if they stick in with the rest of the people. It showed me how this bizarre form of society in Anthem could actually be considered to be similar to our real world society which was very shocking to realize.
Sonnet 104:
DeleteThroughout the whole year, sonnets were one of my top favorite subjects we that we learned about. There many different subjects, styles, and stories in sonnets which gave me a lot of freedom and choices to choose something I could understand. The main one seemed to like a lot was sonnet 104. This sonnet was about someone describing how they see someone else, specifically the beauty they see in them. Though the main reason I liked this sonnet so much were the metaphors, similes, personification, etc used throughout the whole writing piece. “Three April perfumes in three hot Junes burned” was a part of the sonnet I found most creative. Instead of just stating the weather that each month tends to have they said it through a different way, one which still makes sense. Instead of saying April is during the season of spring they take a symbol which usually represents spring such as flowers and described it with that. Without saying summer is when the heat is at its peak, it talks about how it burns the month June itself.
Oliver Twist:
A huge pattern that I recognized through the whole Oliver Twist Novel was the role of cruelty always being played by an event that takes place or by a character. My favorite character from Oliver Twist was Nancy, mainly due to how she reacted to the people who were treating her with so much cruelty. Instead of showing any negative actions back she continues going through and hanging on to her difficult life. "The worst of these women is, that a very little thing serves to call up some long-forgotten feeling; and the best of them is, that it never lasts. Ha! Ha! (103)". Even the people that she helps and lives with doesn’t even have the manners to give her the respect she deserves. Though near the end of the novel her sweetness and confidence to keep going came to an end when she is brutally murdered by the one and only cruel Bill Sikes. This teaches me that in reality, it could just be luck that allows you to escape the fatal ending whether if you’re the good guy or the bad guy, both personalities could result in death.
I like Nancy too, I was so sad when she died. I think she is one of the most important character in the book but sadly she didn't have a happy ending.
DeleteRomeo and Juliet:
ReplyDeleteRomeo and Juliet was a typical romance story where a girl and a boy fall in complete love for each other, though throughout this story were few other twists and turns making a really good book. Though one thing I noticed and was able to relate to was the amount of power the adults have over the kid compared to the amount of power the kid had over the adults. Overall you could be the parents of each houses being the reason of why something goes wrong throughout Romeo and Juliet’s life. “Out, you green-sickness carrion! Out, you baggage! You tallow-face (III.v.175-176)”. Respect was something neither child received through the novel. Juliet, a sweet girl who the parents were ready to willingly send her off to a man could stop to allow Juliet to make one decision about the sudden upcoming wedding that for her, they didn’t let her get the word out before calling her terrible things, scolding her and leaving her behind as if she wasn’t even her child. This shows how even if Juliet is mature enough to be married she is still not mature enough to be able to change a few decisions that imply to her. This is relatable to us kids in the real world do to us having chores, responsibilities, and expectation though still not being able to receive the other duties and rights from our parents.
Conclusion:
Over Freshman English in Mr. Pellerin’s class was an entertaining educational class. I really enjoyed the different book choices we had compared to the other book that the other classes read. Mr. Pellrin helped give me a different view on how to intake a novel, play or poem. Also, one main thing that was very helpful to learn about in this class was understanding the concept of enlightenment which was the subject that was started since the beginning of the year. My favorite books from this year were Romeo and Juliet and Oliver Twist, they both had a different and unique plot and wrapped up many important subjects that relate to everyday life in general. I also enjoyed the poetry unit because poetry was something I enjoyed learning and writing about a lot personally. My favorite project from this year would be the Romeo and Juliet play that was conducted in small groups (and as a whole), was fun to see the book being reenacted in front of me. One thing I also liked a lot in this class were the movies we watched, every single movie even if it was a movie about the book we were reading it still had a similar tie to it which helped me grasp the overall plot and meaning of both the movie and book better, this was something no other English teacher has done before throughout my past school years.
-Sean Curtis
ReplyDeleteMr.Pellerin goes global
During this course I have learned many things. Many things thatt inspired me to do new things and think of new ideas. One of those things were Mr.Pellerin goes global. While reading this I learned that being kind and generous impacts the people around you significantly. This course tought me that you should always share ideas and teach people what they might not have access to knowing. Traveling around the world and teaching kids about english and stories will last a lifetime and I hope that I can achieve that I will someday have the oppertutity to do as Mr. Pellerin did.
The Allegory of a cave
The Allegory of the cave showed me many things. One of the things that stuck out to me the most was how people's beleives can be so difficult to change. As shown in the Allegory when people see or hear about something they tend to beilve that it is correct, but changing their belief on that one thing is difficult because it's hard to change people's minds. This was an important life lesson because it taught me to be open to new ideas and express peoples opinions instead of teasing them or dissagreeing.
Anthem by Ayn Rand
Anthem by Ayn Rand was my favorite story this year. I thought it connected with me the most and I enjoyed reading the enitre book. It was an incredible story and had me reading even to this day. Anthem showed me that it's ok to be yourself. I beleive it did that throughout the entire book. I feel like it connects with many people today. When we are in a group we tend to think as a group. It's hard for single people to come up with ideas and everyone thinks as a collective whole. Anthem demonstrated self by Equality fleeing his society to create new things and discover wonders. But he is rejected by his society for doing this which is a big problem I see today. But even though he becomes rejected he still keeps doing the thing he loves.
Sean Curtis-
ReplyDeleteThe Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
I really enjoyed The Man Who Invented Christmas. This movie really showed Charles Dickens hard life and how these characters helped him shape the story. Even when he was by himself he imagend these characters to help him. I feel like this relates to me because somtimes when someone close to you passes away you need someone to be there for you and whether that person be real of fake they help you through the tough times.
Minority Report (2002)
This was my favorite movie we watched this year. I love Tom Cruise and I loved the story the movie told. It was action packed and fun to watch. This story really showed me that you can change the future and it only takes one choice. I heard the word Choice lot in the film and it connected with me. During everyday life you have to make choices that will impact your future. Some choices will be harder than others and you will have to choose.
Conclusion
This was one of my favorite classes this year. I loved the ability ro talk with my friends about the books and movies we read and watched. My favorite book this year was definetly Anthem and my favorite movie was the Minority Report. I had alot of fun and my teacher Mr.Pellerin was amazing. Everytime i walk into his class he always has a smile on his face and brightens up your day and I hope to see him again in the future. This year was truly amazing and i will never forget it.
Evan Lin
ReplyDeleteAnthem
The book takes place in a world where "I" is forbidden. The reason for this is the extinction of the last society, which these new people believe is caused by individualism. This new society is a extreme collectivist one, where the only people with power are the council. Not only is "I" banned, but unique names cannot be chosen, only given. Names like "Equality 7-2521". Equality escapes a renames himself to "Prometheus", after the Greek myth. He starts to read books, and finds out about individual pronouns."My hands... My spirit... My sky... My forest... This earth of mine.... What must I say besides?"
Allegory of a Cave
How do we know if the things we see are real? Have we already seen everything, and if not, what happens when we do? the Allegory of a Cave is a great representation of how man becomes enlightened. "And if he is compelled to look straight at the light, will he not have a pain in his eyes which will make him turn away to take and take in the objects of vision which he can see, and which he will conceive to be in reality clearer than the things which are now being shown to him?
Fahrenheit 451
We often take the things we have for granted. Books, for example, are one of these objects that we underestimate. There are so many books in the world that cover so many topics, but due to the creation of the internet, books have started to disappear from our view. Fahrenheit 451 takes place in a dystopian future where books are illegal. Even thought books were made illegal, nobody seems to care. Books have phased out already that banning books had no effect on society. Beatty thinks society is like this because "Nineteenth-century man with his horses, dogs, carts, slow motion. Then, in the twentieth century, speed up your camera. Books cut shorter. Condensations, Digests. Tabloids. Everything boils down to the gag, the snap ending...Classics cut to fit fifteen-minute radio shows, then cut again to fill a two-minute book column, winding up at last as a ten- or twelve-line dictionary resume." There are also characters that demonstrate this lack of attention to the surroundings, like Guy's wife, Mildred. Mildred always has seashells in her ears in the book, "And in her ears the little Seashells, the thimble radios tamped tight, and an electronic ocean of sound, of music and talk and music and talk coming in...Every night the waves came in and bore her off on their great tides of sound, floating her, wide-eyed, toward morning. There had been no night in the last two years that Mildred had not swum that sea, had not gladly gone down in it for the third time". Fahrenheit 451 taught me about the importance of books, and how the world would be terrible if there were no freedom of speech, or opinions.
Minority Report
DeleteThis movie is about fate, and how whatever a person does, fate always catches up to them. John Anderton sees his future, and tries to stop the outcome, but Leo Crow dies anyways. If you see into the future, and try to stop it, the future will happen anyways. If you do nothing about it, the future happens too. It expands on the concept of free will and predestination.
Oliver Twist
This book shows the discrimination against the poor that Dickens witnessed during his life. He has experience working in a workhouse, and he uses that in the book. There are many characters that show this cruelty towards Oliver and other poor people, like Mr. Bumble, Mrs. Mann, and Monks. Monks really hates Oliver because of his illegitimate birth, calling him bad names during the distribution of the will. Mr. Brownlow and his friends show sympathy for Oliver, and treat him like a normal person. It is a nice book that gives information on how society worked during the Industrial Revolution.
Conclusion
This year was a great improvement for me in reading and writing. I liked how we read the book and watched the movies to see how the movies interpret the books. Fahrenheit 451 was the best book because it wasn't too long and it was easy to take in. I like how there are different prompts for each essay so there is more freedom when writing. This class gives me a great impression of High School English.
Dowol Lee
ReplyDelete“How could they see anything but the shadows if they were never allowed to move their heads?”. This quote from Allegory of the Cave by Plato has a deeper meaning than it sounds. This whole school year in English Class we studied and learned about Enlightenment and new knowledge. Allegory of the Cave was one of the first things we learned about for this big unit. This quote has a deeper meaning. It is talking about how trapped and hopeless they are. They are living in ignorance because all they have ever seen and known was their own shadow. They were trapped in a bubble with no understanding of the outside world. “If they were never allowed to move their heads” The more in depth meaning of this quote is that the people in the cave were never allowed to move like people in our society not being able to see another perspective and only seeing one outcome or result, tunnel vision. In society and the books we read this year directly relate to this quote. In some of the books we read the protagonist is an enlightened individual in a dead society that doesn’t have a mind of their own. One of the authors of Allegory of A Cave, Socrates was sentenced to death after exposing the truth to the world of philosophy. That is why this quote is significant that I found from this year.
“I am. I think. I will.” was a quote from Anthem by Ayn Rand. It also has to do with Enlightenment. In this book the main character did not have his own identity at the start just like everyone else in society. This quote shows his character change because he uses the word “I” and not “We” which was what he was using before. He finds his individuality and goes against his own society. I liked this quote a lot because individuality is very important to me and most people. Most of the books we read the protagonists were different in their own way and was not conformed to the rest of the world they lived in. That is what made them the main character in the book. If the main character or protagonist was just a normal individual who was like the rest of the world, the story and plot would not be interesting. That is why individuality is very important not only in books and stories but in our world. Nothing will progress in society without an individual willing to speak up and change the world in any way possible.
Yasmiin Ali
DeleteI agree that most of what we read this year has to do with enlightenment.
Two households, both alike in dignity
ReplyDelete(In fair Verona, where we lay our scene),
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life;
This is quote from Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. This quote is about fate and how Romeo and Juliet took fate and changed it. Romeo and Juliet cannot get married because they are bound to family names and fates. They cannot end up together because of their families won’t allow it. But they go against their already chosen fate. This shows that you are not bound by anything in life and you have control over your own life and a free will. Another story to back this up is Minority Report in which the main character John Anderton. He is bound by fate because one of the precogs saw him killing a man. Although he did kill the guy, it was still way different than how he was supposed to. I liked this quote because I feel like everyone can change their fate and change in their own way. Someone who has been bad can be good. People can change and you can’t judge someone off first glance.
“‘Not Aunt," cried Oliver, throwing his arms about her neck: 'I'll never call her aunt -sister, my own dear, sister, that something taught my heart to love so dearly from the first! Rose, dear, darling Rose!'" Oliver's joy at finally having a loving family member who will love him comes through, because his story is all about his search for a family and love.”’ This quote from Oliver Twist’s meaning is that Oliver was yearning to find love and affection from a family. Despite his background he finally found a family that shows love and affection to him. This shows that even though Oliver went through many classes of society, from a worker in the workhouse to being a part of a rich and wealthy family. It doesn’t matter what your background is, all it matters is what your actions and morals are. I liked this quote because many people judge people based on what they have when everyone is equal in society. Money and power don’t change who or what you are.
“If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you'll never learn.” This final quote is from Farenheit 541 by Ray Bradbury. This quote’s meaning is that you should not shelter your ignorance away or else you will never be enlightened with new knowledge. You have to accept the fact that you have a lack of knowledge in something to grow and learn. You have to weed out your mistakes to overcome them. I am pretty sure everyone does not want to accept and be aware of their own flaws, but you have to know them to create a strategy to overcome them as well. I have experienced this is all types of ways from sports to school. It is a very important life lesson to use in the rest of your life as well. Also the part where it says “no one wil hit you” it is referring to another person also noticing your flaws and helping you overcome them. That’s what close friends and family are for.
This class was very fun and light hearted. We got to interact with our classmates and Mr.P more with the blog. Getting to see other people’s responses and being able to respond to them added way more enjoyable class. I think I learned a lot this year from the books we read, blogs, essays, and even insight from Mr.Pellerin. Freshman English will always be memorable. My favorite books were probably Fahrenheit 451 and Oliver Twist. My favorite project was the Romeo and Juliet project when we were able to reenact some scenes. I liked the class also because I thought
Continued
DeleteDowol Lee
I like the books you have picked and the quotes you have picked with them. I like how you went in dephth with these quotes and how you said you could reflect off of these quotes. I also enjoyed reading your conclusion on how you enjoyed this class.
DeleteDowol I really liked your response on Fahrenheit 451. I especially liked the quote you used “If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you'll never learn.” I think it sums up your blog response -Mikey
Delete-Above Mikeys response was Anthony's
DeleteHanna Saad
ReplyDelete"Fahrenheit 451" was one of the only books i was interested in. it incorporate the "allegory of the cave" the "minority report 2002", "Romeo and Juliet" had many duelalilities as well as for-shadowing. the "anthem had both of those"
Fahrenheit 451 tells a story about a place in time were no one is creative nobody is allowed to read. in this book there are many parrels to this life from people not reading as much as they used to. People are not expressing creative ideas mostly political. people want more things like mildred wanting another wall of screens like people in this life wanting more material things like the newest phone wanting the coolest looking car. you can say that Fahrenheit 451 is a direct parrel to this world but reading is not illegal no one wants to do it.
allegory of the cave is like living a life in a bunker during an apocalypse like the movie MOTHER a Netflix original the robot "mother" hid her daughter from the truth until another living person told her the truth so she did not know what to do. its like a person seeing a shadow of cat then actually seeing a cat there realties conflict.
minority report is explaining how the criminal justice system has flaws. but most flaws are human. thats mostly what i can say about that movie.
But just watching a movie in class without having to take notes is the best (can we just agree on that).
conclusion i like this class
I like your conclusion Hanna it really sums up this class well -Mikey
DeleteHanna I really like your response to minority report it really summarizes how it has so many flaws and how corrupt it is in this department of precrime.-Griffin Lw
DeleteJacqueline Magner
ReplyDelete“We strive to be like all our brother men, for all men must be alike” Ayn Rand.
In this book all men were permitted to be the same. To think and act the same way. It was forbidden to have your own thought process or write down opinions. In class I thought about the similarities and differences from this book to our modern world. Even though it is not forbidden to do these things now, it can be highly judged. It is difficult to come out and say your ideas, in this class, or anytime. I also think that now many people are grouped by their thought process, weather it be politics, social class, or culture/nation.
I was free, not yet in love, I did not belong to anyone…” Sharon Olds
When you are born, for only a few moments, have you are an unbiased clean slate. You have no opinions or thoughts . No one is pouring ideas into you and clouding your judgment. That changes overtime as you are brought up by whoever who believes whatever. In class you are a clean slate, no one knows your views yet. As time goes on you fall into your place and your group. It usually lasts the whole year once you figure out who you fit in with.
“ You can choose.” Agatha
In the movie “Minority Report” Agatha can see the future and in this case sees John’s future. She sees him murder a man he does not know, Leo Crow. It turns out John was set up to kill this man so he would get arrested. She says “you can choose” meaning even though he has so much anger for this man who thinks killed his son.
Even though he has so much hate and fury in him he has the choice to pull back. I’ve realized that even though it’s hard to make the right choices, or the choices you think will make you feel good is not always the best one.
“A book is a loaded gun in the house next door...Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man?”
Fahrenheit 451 is similar to Ayn Rand's “Anthem” and allegory of the cave where you are not supposed to think your own thoughts. You are just a clone of everyone else like an assembly line your head is filled with vague topics and harsh rules. In this book like the others overtime the fireman comes to a point of enlightenment where he realizes his modern world is extremely insane.
Jillian Boyer
ReplyDelete“Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?” (Romeo and Juliet, Act I)
This quote, in itself isn’t very meaningful, its an islt, and it doesn't really show much about the play. But from my personal experience of this quote, it means a lot. Romeo and Juliet has a lot of funny insults, but this one is exceptionally in my friend group. Whenever we are angry with each other or even just having fun, we ask,”do you it our thumb at me sir?” and laugh. Those moments have occurred countless times, in English, in MAth, and especially in history. As basic of a quote as this may seem, it has a meaning to me personally and represents to me my friends and the fun we have goofing around with literature.
"There is a passion for hunting something deeply implanted in the human breast." (Oliver Twist, ch 10)
Like everyone else, I have gone through phases. Some kids go through lego phases, or horse phases or goth phases. As I have gone through life, I have had clear cut times in my life where I enjoy different hobbies that I become obsessed with at the time. I have a cycle, that I often see in myself. One of my ‘steps’ in that cycle is the time when I'm slipping out of one hobby and have yet to find a new thing. That feeling leads to constant searching for something during that time. This quote touches on that feeling, that there is something fundamentally missing that all humans are looking for. My personal analogy with hobbies, is a mild flavor of this, as the quote itself inferences big ideas, such as love, purpose and meaning. It is a feeling that I can identify with, and have a hard time putting into words, which is why I love this quote and it really resonated with me. If anyone is curious, my current hobbies/phase is watercolor and online graphic novels called ‘Webtoons’.
Something that I love to do is write. I'm lucky, and it has always come easily to me. Maybe because I have so many thoughts running through my head or maybe its because there is so little running through my head, but I could write about nonsense for days. My favorite writing style is narrative, as I believe it to be the most imaginative and personal. Quotes that have a good, creative writing style are some of the most enjoyable things in life. The fact that an author is able to take completely unrelated objects and scenes to help reinforce a visual or an emotion is amazing to me. Most writings for me are like a canvas of my mind when I am about to write, as an artist looks at a blank paper with awe. To me, quotes that show the message or show how a character is feeling is not nearly as exciting as a quote that can perfectly describe an image with words. So my quote is, “The sky is like a black sieve pierced by silver drops that tremble, ready to burst trough.”