Janie

Janie is the main character of the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, written by Zora Neale Hurston. She is a young girl who is struggling to find true love in a tough world. She bears a lot of the same qualities as the author, and they also share a similar history. Hurston was born in Alabama but moved to Eatonville, Florida when she was very young. She had a happy and healthy childhood until her mother died. Hurston was only 13. Her father remarried and didn't care about her or her siblings anymore, so she got a job and made her way to Baltimore. By now, she was 26, but wanted to finish high school, so she lied and said she was 16, which she could easily pull off. She never added those years back on. In her life, she had a lot of spunk and defied typical gender and racial stereotypes, and was an inspiration to many young African American authors. Janie also had this spunky quality to her, and although she was not as big of a personality as Hurston, she still had a large influence on those in her community and kept her personal life out of business. Overall, they are very similar and I think it's interesting to see the parallels as we continue to read.

Thanksgiving

This thanksgiving has been an interesting one for me. Unfortunately, I have been sick all week with the flu and a possible case of strep throat, and that includes today. That meant no turkey for me, but instead a day of lazing around on the couch watching movies. Somehow, I still managed to do this last out of my little group in our English class,
First off, I am thankful for Evan, because as he said on his blog, we were already friends when we got into class, and you know, our friends were friends so we knew each other relatively well. It was nice to have a familiar face. And then as the year progressed, we got closer in friendship. I realized that he's actually kind of cool, and he has a good sense of humor. Yes, there are plenty of times where he gets on my nerves, but overall, he's a good person, and someone you can rely on, and I'm glad to have him as a friend.
Jan! So after writing Evan's little section I realized that I actually have more history with Jan. We met early in Seventh grade and drifted apart as we made new friends, but it was a friendly drifting. During this class, I remember why I was Jan's friend in the first place. She is a very intelligent, trustworthy person, who is also fun to be around. She is a good leader, which probably comes in handy because who knows what would happen without her in our group. So thanks for all that Jan.
Overall, I'm just thankful to be able to go to a school where we can actually be thankful for each other and care on that level for our classmates. And also thankful for teachers who let us share about each other. Honestly, reading Jan and Evan's blogs made my whole day!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Lauren

Hemingway

Hemingway had a very interesting and full life. His fear of commitment and lack of physical ties allowed him to live recklessly. However, a life like his could not have possibly been normal and I think this led in part to his downfall.
Even with his family, he was never a normal father or husband. He always lived in the moment, but there was still a sense of urgency, like he needed to be doing many things at once. His family members recalled in the documentary about how when you were with him, you were the only one he cared about, but as soon as that was over, he forgot about you. His children say that he was a great father when he was with them, but when he was away, it was like they didn't exist anymore.
This was true with how he spent his time too. When he lived in Havana, he dedicated a specific amount of time to each activity, never going over. For writing, he allowed a couple of hours every morning, and was very religious about it. His writing was really the only thing that remained a constant in his hectic life and I think he clung to that like a rock.
Another part of his life was the women. He needed to have someone by his side reminding him that he was great and that everything would be fine, to compensate for all of his own insecurities which were highlighted by the criticism he was receiving. When he realized something wasn't working with that person, or that she was becoming too independent, he became insecure again and found someone else. However, I don't think he was a womanizer because he didn't want many women at once, he just wanted someone who could fulfill his needs, and not everyone he was with could do that for him.
Overall, I think Hemingway was essentially a good guy, but his popularity corrupted his persona and made him look like a person who was unreliable and reckless.

6 Word Stories

Puppy for sale; No more room.

Why walk when you can run?

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Shelter.

I've learned lipstick stains permanently.

She hurts herself with sharp words.

Today is the last day for submissions.

John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

I definitely don't think John Proctor is a hero, but I'm not sure whether he's a stooge either. He doesn't fit the qualifications for a stooge because he doesn't really do other people's dirty work and he doesn't allow himself to be used, but he does have a certain way of molding himself to fit a situation. For example, instead of being truthful and saying why he doesn't go to church, he blames it on his work as opposed to telling Hale that he doesn't like Parris. He is serving his family by ensuring that they are not ridiculed or that their name is not tarnished. It is the same with the way he acts around Elizabeth. While he is selfish about his own intentions, he still serves her and wants to make her comfortable. When he admits to adultery, he is helping his family by confessing even though it will embarrass him, and probably them too, but he sees the bigger picture and knows that this is the way to go. So you really can't put him in a definite category because it depends on the situation and who he's dealing with.

There Goes the Neighborhood

The Native Americans were completely bewildered when the explorers came. They were wildly disadvantaged in economic, environmental and educational advances, which made them an easy target for the Europeans. They were manipulated and they didn't even know it was happening until it was too late. They also had values which enforced trust and hospitality, which contradicted the settlers, who only cared about money and power. This meant that the natives' attitudes were positive towards the newcomers and were hopeful that they could provide new resources as opposed to regarding them as potential threats. The explorers also used cultural indoctrination to force the natives to adopt their principles.
This situation is similar to modern day adoption. I know, it sounds a little far off, but the concept is the same, just not sinister. Children are taken from their birth parents (who do give consent) and are given a new life with a new family. Often these children come from third world countries who don't hold the modern values of society that we hold. I think that it is a great thing for children who would otherwise not have a good life in their old community, but it has its downsides. A lot of these kids grow up with no idea of their heritage or culture, and since they're brought up by a different family and a different society, are essentially made to conform to that society's standards. These children don't have a choice where they go, and I'm not saying that they should considering that they're usually very young when put up for adoption, but that choice is made for them regardless. The two things are even more similar when it comes to illegal adoptions. Those children's parents don't choose for them to be given to a new family, and often spend their lives trying to find them.

Me

Hi, my name is Lauren and I am a freshman at Whitney Young. I am from Chicago, and live with both of my parents, my younger brother and my two dogs, Zack and Sugar. We also have a hermit crab called Hermie. My favorite things to do are sing, act and dance. I've been in Carmen at the Lyric Opera and I sang in Carmina Burana with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. We also performed that at Carnegie Hall in New York. Speaking of, I want to move to New York as soon as possible; my dream school is NYU. I want to get my degree in either theatre or musical theatre, but I also have a passion for travelling. A couple years ago I went to Italy for a month with my family and that is when I realized how much I want to see the world and experience different cultures. In my free time, I love to look at travel blogs and to find interesting spots in far off places. Even though I want to go everywhere, my favorite place is still New York City. Something about the hustle and bustle is so enticing. But for now, Chicago is my home, and it will always be important for me, especially considering that my brother is 8 years younger than me, so I'll have to come back and visit often even after I leave. Other than the arts, I enjoy playing volleyball and soccer. This year, I hope to improve my non-fiction writing and read more for fun!