The Soloist (Chapters 1-6)

The story opens with the view of a poor many living out of a shopping cart playing an old violin admiring Beethoven. The writing style of Steven Lopez is easy flowing and a series of chronological events explaining the accounts of a true story on the life of Nathaniel Ayers through his eyes.

True stories like the one by Steven Lopez are always of interest to me because I am finding out information at the leisure of reading a book. The first six chapters of “The Soloist” are page turners. So far the information gathered is that Steven Lopez is a local paper journalist seeking a story. Like most things that happen in life he happens upon an even greater discovery. He sees a man playing a two stringed violin living out of a shopping cart. He compliments him and realizes this man is a great story. He later finds the man is Nathaniel Ayers who is only living on the streets because of his diagnosis of schizophrenia that caused him to drop out of Julliard, which explained the violin.

So far the first six chapters have shown great inspiration. Even if I stopped at this point I would have been inspired by Steven Lopez’s ambition to further his meetings with Nathaniel and get his story. I am inspired by the life of Nathaniel. Even though he is living on the street he has a problem. He is not one of those people who takes his problem as a seek for pity by others, but he lives the way he wants playing his music which gives him life. People who live through the music and only need that to be happy inspire me greatly because something so simple can give them joy and that shows such passion.

I am looking forward to reading farther and to see what else happens between Nathaniel and Steven.

Catcher in the Rye

Most of the time in life you encounter people who are smart, talented, kind, and many other things. The people that put their heart into something they care deeply for weather its music or a book or a profession. In “The Catcher and the Rye”, Houlden the main character is not one of these people. He is your typical floater that shows no interest in his future, or the well being of others. He is arrogant and has no motivation once so ever. He was kicked out of numerous schools and still showed no signs of improving.
Throughout the book Houlden narrates his life through day dreams that he reencounters his experiences. As a boy of sixteen having being kicked out of three schools, now four after Pencey, he still didn’t learn. All he cared about was the easy way out and his own enjoyment. There is always one Houlden that you know as you grow up in school and you think to yourself how on earth they are going to make it in life. While reading the book you see the outrageous things he does just to avoid his parents after being disgusted by the talk about his future from his teacher at Pencey. All Houlden did was run from the truth he did not want to face. He ran from things that challenged him and he had an immature way of thinking.
By the end of the book you see that like all of the floaters you knew as you grew up he had that one person that did affect him and for Houlden it was his sister. Houlden upset almost every person he encountered throughout the book. He even annoyed his sister when he told her how he was unsuccessful at Pencey before even seeing his parent. However, by the end when he sees her ride the carousel when he is about to run away from home, he realizes he loves her so much and that he wants to change his future.
The ironic thing about the ending is that he is supposeably at a mental home of some kind narrating the book, but we do not know where or how old he is. So how successful he was with his self change is unknown.

Willy and Gatsby

Reading both The Great Gatsby and The Death of a Salesman taught me a lot about life through the similarities between the main characters. Both Gatsby and Willy Loman die after living a long life through a dream of what they thought should have been. Gatsby lived most of his adult life wondering what it would be like to be with Daisy, the love of his life. When the opportunity to be with her comes, he is thrilled. However, he dies in the novel. In a way, you can say he deserves it because he lived through this dream and acted upon it when it presented itself even though Daisy was married. You cannot always get what you want especially when it involves hurting others. Karma will eventually find its way to get you.
Willy Loman’s story is similar but different. He lived his life in the dream of being a successful salesman because that was the kind of work he knew and did his entire adult life. His problem was that he wished to live more successfully through his sons, no matter the cost. This sons Happy and Biff didn’t quite see the joy in becoming a salesman, but wanted the love and satisfaction of their father. Willy put a lot of pressure on his sons especially the oldest, Biff. As a result Biff grew a feeling of resentment towards him. As Willy grew older and began to have episodes of illusions of the past, his wife and sons grew concerned. Biff did nothing except trying to please his father even though it didn’t work out the way Willy had hoped. Willy ended up committing suicide at the end of the book. I show only a small feeling of pity for Willy because all he knew was the life of a salesman and ultimately wanted success for his boys. However, the way he approached his goal for them was not right. You cannot treat others, especially family bad just because of your wants. Willy should have been supportive with any choice that Biff made with his life even if being a salesman was not one of them.
Both Gatsby and Willy strived for what they wanted. They did not care if it meant hurting people in the process. Or did they? The ultimate question that we face in life when we encounter people like Gatsby and Willy is; are they aware of the way they affect others by the way they act? Do they hurt others on purpose or are they just unable to change the way they push people and loved ones for their own dreams? I like to believe it has something to do with the way they were originally raised by their families. Everything you experience in life affects the person you become, and sometimes not always for the better. I do not believe that Willy and Gatsby were bad people. They let their dreams get the best of them and they unconsciously hurt people along the way. However, everything you do wrong in life catches up to you and in their case it was their very own death.

Blogger Reflections

Blogging has been a real learning experience for me. I enjoyed it because it made writing and presenting my ideas very easy and beneficial by seeing what the other students had to say about my work in both 11-1 and 11-2.

I have taking a new outlook on writing by using blogger. I realized my flaws through the constructive criticism of my peers.

Blogging is very organized and prepares us for college. From what I have been told a lot of classes as we progress through the years are beginning to use tools similar to blogger. I feel that we should continue this approach. I like the way our assignment is on the sight just in case we don’t write it down. I also like the fact that we can read other people’s work and comment on them.

The use of blogger is different than the traditional writing of a paper and turning it in. It allows us to work at our own speed while still meeting deadlines. We are able to relate to each other’s work, and display our own work nicely organized.

I feel that as a teacher you are doing a great job with the blogger site. I find that it is confusing for you to tell who comments on other people’s work because everyone does that at different times and we are supposed to get credit for that so maybe that can be improved. Other than that I think it is a perfect way to do English.

I always interacted between 11-1 and 11-2 I enjoyed the fact that we are all connected in blogger. I think this is a nicer way for the people who are not used to seeing work from the other class to finally have that option.

Scott Fitzgerald

“Riches have never fascinated me, unless combined with the greatest charm or distinction.”
–Letter, Aug. 1936, to Ernest Hemingway
People with high moral standards will be the ones to appreciate this quote by Fitzgerald. It is relating to the saying that money cannot buy you everything. In this part of the letter he is stating that money and riches are not important to him. The only way that money and riches held interest to him was if it held and brought something with greatness attached. Fitzgerald could also be implying the idea that riches can change people. The way that people behave and carry themselves is crucial. In most cases, riches and everything that comes with it change people for the worst. He wants people to know that in his eyes, if the riches do not bring good character to you then it’s worth nothing and people need to see that.
This quote can be related to The Great Gatsby. Gatsby was a rich man that lived in a mansion. He had plenty of money and lived the way any person would only dream. He had the fortune and the great lifestyle; however he was not entirely happy. He didn’t have the charm like the quote, or the distinction of his character and true love. His past true love Daisy was married to someone else and he longed to be with her again. This hole in his heart proves the quote true. All the money in the world, the big houses or the fame cannot buy your happiness. The only way that it can buy you happiness is if there is something more meaningful attached.

The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby
Chapter 2

This chapter discussed the affair that Tom Buchanan had with Myrtle Wilson. It took place in the Valley that was in between New York City and West Egg. Fitzgerald makes the setting of chapter two here to define the desolation and gloom that the characters’ are experiencing. Nick starts by talking about his experience with his walk through the Valley of Ashes.
This darker place made it easy for him to notice the business of Dr. Eckleburg. Tom led Nick there after the train ride there. Tom then meets Myrtle Wilson who he has been having the affair with. These events of Chapter two are showing the types of people both Nick and Tom are. Tom is careless while Nick cares more than he probably should.

“Above the gray land and the spasms of bleak dust which drift endlessly over it.” This quote is the author trying to show the vast differences of the grayness of the valley and the vision Nick then sees. Fitzgerald used a lot of figurative language here and throughout the book so far.

http://www.wordle.net/create

Monica Argenzio
March 8, 2009
English 11 – 1

Denise Levertov

Denise Levertov was born in England in 1923. She was home-schooled and became interested in writing as early as age five. She began to strive for success with her writings by sending her work to be reviewed by professionals at the age of twelve. By the time she was seventeen, she published her first poem and did nothing but publishing and writing afterwards.
When she started as a writer, she wrote in English dialect. When she married and moved to the united states where she continued to write, she became interested in the way that American dialect was written and accustomed herself and her writing to that. The very first book that she wrote in American dialect was Here and Now. By reading poems from this book and comparing them to the ones before, you can notice the transition that she made with her new American Lifestyle.
It is interesting to see that this author wished to change her English way of writing to American style because so many other kept their own English writing dialect. The year that Denise moved to America with her husband was 1948. Times were changing and so was she. Her way of writing was more modern now in the American way.
The poem “In Mind” (http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/in-mind/) by Denise Levertov incorporates a lot of figurative language. For instance, she uses descriptive adjectives comparing the smell and features of the woman in the poem to apples and grass. The meter of this poem is not traditional. She doesn’t use end rhyme or a specific rhyme scheme. She tells a story about a girl who is troubled. She uses few words, but they are all symbols and very descriptive. For example in the sixth stanza, she says; “And there's a turbulent moon-ridden girl.” That is Denise using a great adjective to describe that the girl in the poem who remains anonymous is troubled and confused about life. Based on the first stanza, I can guess that Denise is creating this woman in her poem to be her troubles within herself. She says in the first stanza “There's in my mind a woman of innocence, unadorned but.” She is saying that in her mind there is a woman that is so kind and innocent but as the poem progresses she explains the problems. I believe that she is talking about her own self.
Denise Lovertov wrote a lot of other works that express her American Style as well as her talent to so briefly get a point about herself or others across. The poem she wrote entitled “Celebration” (http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/celebration/ ) This poem was about the simplicity of celebration. Denise compares all the glorious things and feelings that associate with a celebration or party of any kind of important event to beautiful things of nature.
There are things about the works of this poet that makes her distinctly American. Denise Lervertov began her writing career in her homeland of England. When she moved to America she learned and accustomed herself to their way of writing based on her experiences and observations of America. Most of her poems that I read are about the simple American things. She describes them is such a way that the simplicity of it all is enriched with beautiful adjatives and comparisons and symbolism. She is not big on rhyme, but she writes more in a free verse type way. They are the kind of poems that should be read by readers so that they can appricate the little things in life and see them for what they are and have their own take on them as well. Also, her poems show that you should be able to self evaluate yourself based on how you are as a person.