Would They Fit In?

Author's Note~  This is a piece that me and a partner worked on.  It is about a Greek character and if they would be able to fit into a modern day middle school.

Would a Greek Methodical character fit into a modern day middle school?

This is a scene that happened today at lunch regarding trench ball:

Aidan: My trench ball team is gonna dominate.

Benjie: No they won’t it’s obvious Mikes’ team will win it all, and beat the teachers.

Achilles: I AM IMMORTAL I WILL BEAT EVERYONE

Benjie: Just because you’re immortal, that doesn’t mean you will beat us all in Trench Ball.

Achilles:  I am the strongest warrior ever!

Aidan: Let’s just call you Mr. Arrogant Achilles

Achilles: Its true! I am the strongest man every I AM IMMORTAL

Benjie: Bro……you think your all that when you have never even played trench ball before.

Achilles: True but I AM IMMORTAL

Nick: This has nothing to do with dying Achilles!!!!

Benjie: thank you Fonte!

Achilles: I totally could beat you guys!

Ryan: Whatever Achilles think what you want.

Achilles: You all will be jealous 

Trojan War Remake

I think that Achilles resembles a character from the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  In A parody play Achilles was very narrow minded and assumed he was never gonna die.  This also is like Cato from the Hunger Games, he figured that just because he trained for all of his childhood didn't mean he was going to win.  Achilles actually said that he would take on anyone to beat him.

I thought that Achilles and Cato were arrogant.  That is why they are so similar.   In the remake of the play Achilles always thought that even though he would face the best warriors he figured he was going to win, Cato also thought that he was going to win the Hunger Games. Cato made an alliance with only the best people too, so he would stay safe.  Cato and Achilles were very similar in their personalities throughout each story.

I thought that the remake to make Achilles more arrogant was a good move because he was immortal.  Cato also thought he was immortal and ended up dying just like Achilles.  These too characters were made alike through the remake.


  

Now&Then

Author's Note~ This is a text analysis piece on how the short story After You My Dear Alphonse, stays true to its time as well as how it affects its characters.

Imagine being the one who was assumed to be poor just because of their skin color, or the person who is always being bullied just because of two colors, black and white.  In the story After You My Dear Alphonse, by Shirley Jackson, Boyd, a young African-American boy, is at a friend’s house eating lunch.  Johnny’s mom, Mrs. Wilson, assumes Boyd is poor and offers clothes and then asks personal questions assuming that his family is close to poverty.  Jackson was able to show how there were racial discriminations in the time period and how it affected the characters in the story as well as how it related to its time period.

Mrs. Wilson, she tried proving that her family was so much better than others, especially Boyd’s’.   She figured that they were poor just because they were African-American.  Now look at today our president is African-American, that means that even though they have a different color skin it doesn’t mean that they can’t do what anyone else can do.  Mrs. Wilson thought that her boy shouldn’t be playing with Boyd as well.   She used some snarky comments to make Boyd feel bad.

Mrs. Wilson seemed to say something to Boyd and then Boyd would prove her wrong.  Boyd liked Johnny but you  could tell that he felt kind of unwelcome because of what Mrs. Wilson was saying.   They way Mrs. Wilson was saying things made it defiantly obvious that this story was in the 1940’s.  You could also tell that Johnny was getting mad at his mom for saying the mean things to Boyd. “And he certainly has to be strong to do that—all that lifting and carrying at a factory.”“Boyd’s father doesn’t have to,” Johnny said. “He’s a foreman.”  Here Mrs. Wilson assumes that Boyd’s dad has a factory job that pays little.

Saying mean things to people of different skin color happens all the time.  In the book Chains, by Laurie Halse Anderson, two sisters were forced to do work and chores and if they did something wrong they were harassed by their owners.   This book stayed true to the time period as well as the story with Boyd.  Back then there were many racial discriminations going around, and there still are some today but less.

This story was able to stay true to its time period really well and that is what makes the story so great.  The author was also able to explain how the things Mrs. Wilson said affected Johnny and Boyd.  Jackson was able to show how racial comments affect people and it made readers think about what they say, and what people said back then.

Trojan Horse

Author's Note~ This is a response to the short story Trojan Horse, and the devious attack the Greeks played on the Trojans.

The main conflict in this story was Helen and she was the most beautiful girl in the world.  They believe that she caused the war by leaving for Troy and leaving her husband a Greek king.  The conflict was resolved by the Greeks planning a devious attack to win her back.    This attack was very sneaky.  The main selling point was this, one Greek person telling them to believe that there was nothing in the horse and it was just a gift.  Turns out it was Greek’s chance at winning the war. 

I don’t believe that something like this could happen in today’s modern warfare.  Mainly because we have the use of advanced technology, such as thermal cameras telling us if there were human bodies inside.  This attack would not work today.  I also couldn't see this happening at school because there are so many people moving around everyday someone would see what actually happened.  I have seen this tactic used in Act of Valor, (the movie) there was a point in the movie where they needed a sneak attack.  They hid inside of flat beds with covers and were able to attack surprising the bad people.

Going West

Author's Note~ This is a research essay on Route 66.  I got the idea from reading the book Thou Shall Not Road Trip.

Route 66 goes from the shores of Lake Michigan and ends up at the shores of the Pacific ocean, Chicago to Los Angeles, 2,400 miles and one great journey.   People say that their journey on Route 66 can change lives, and it sure did when it was in its hay day.  The creation of Route 66 revolutionized the way we travel today and the movement of thousands west and created America’s heart and soul, Route 66.

Before

In 1857 congress commissioned Lieutenant Edward Fitzgerald Beale to chart a wagon trail from Fort Defiance to the border of New Mexico and The Colorado river.  This turned out to be a big asset in war down south.   Thoughts about creating this coast to coast highway became purposed in 1912 and it was thought to go from Washington D.C. and end up in San Diego.

Plans changed and entrepreneurs John Woodruf and Cyrus Avery receive most credit for the creation of a road linking L.A. and Chicago together.  By the summer of 1926 Route 66 became one of America’s east-west highways.  The road planners planned for route 66 to connect rural towns and to have route 66 be the main connection between this rural cities and their access to main cities.  This also gave these rural cities more income as people were traveling through them.

First 20 Years

First launched in 1926 it actually took 12 more years for every part of Route 66 to be paved.  The lodging and food industries expanded significantly in the first years and gave an outside revenue to some small rural communities that needed it.  The road also served as a way for farmers to transport grain and move their goods.  This road also moved truckers onto it primarily because of the better climate and weather than the northern east-west roads.

From 1933-1938 there were thousands of unemployed men working on the road and they worked really hard so by 1938 every part of the road was paved.  As the depression kept on hitting America the small restaurants on the highway or small little shops turned out to make a decent profit and the shops farther away on less traveled roads were hurting.  You can see how the road affected the lives of small business owners and their businesses.

Right before World War 2 the U.S. government had built air force and army bases right of the road.  This helped us fight because we had an easy fast link out and we could attack or move soldiers around quicker using the highway instead of back roads.  Also this helped us if people wanted to go west and see someone they knew in the army they could have easy access to the base for quicker travel.

The creation of this road also helped us create one of the best mobilization methods in the world.  We were able to have trucks move all around moving tons of equipment to the coasts during the Pearl Harbor attacks.

After The War

One of the most common things that come up to mind when you think about Route 66 are, “Get your kicks on Route 66”.  This was actually part of a lyrical map created by Robert William Troup, Jr.  This became a catch phrase for motorists traveling on the road from Chicago to Los Angeles.   

Population out west expanded by 25% over the first 25 years and most of California’s population was to come in the next 30 years.  Now the road was used by more tourists and store owners also noticed that even the poorest travelers still needed the necessities.   The war provided income but once travelers were the main customers shops we able to modernize and guarantee long term financial stability.

As travelers headed west or east they were treated to great views and many small town atmosp-

hers.  You also knew that each gas station or motel you saw on your drive you knew each one had

great caring people there.

A Quick Downfall

Starting in 1941 the need for a new highway system was obvious.  The wear and tear the war had on the road was obvious and the road needed major improvements.    Thomas MacDonald, (director of Public Roads Administration) said that about 78,000 miles of road needed to be repaired after the war.  MacDonald had suggested an east-west highway connecting all the major cities.

With the need of a east-west highway, Interstate 40 west, would go from the Oklahoma City through the Texas panhandle and all the way to western California.  This replaced a major, famous stretch of route 66 and led to its demise.  Each state would put anywhere from 14 to 20 million dollars to their chunk of the highway.

1985 was the official year, Route 66 was decommissioned.  Many people who understood how significant Route 66 was to our country’s history, wanted to commemorate and preserve the highway.  As a result of the push to remember Route 66 many states put historic signs remembering people where the highway was, or they would make a scenic bypass for travelers to see the old restaurants and gas stations.

In 1990 the National Park Service issued a study to tell us how significant Route 66 was to us and our countries growth.  As we look back on Route 66 we will get a flashback of history.   America’s heart and soul, Route 66, revolutionized they way we travel today as well as the movement of thousands west. 

Bibliography

"Route 66 Overview--Route 66: A Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary." U.S. National Park Service - Experience Your America. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2013. <http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/route66/Rou

Response to Ribbons

Author's Note~ This is a response to Ribbons.

The shoes in this story were a big sign of the different cultures between China and America.  The grandmother thought that the shoes would be bad for her feet, but the girl wanted to dance.  America is also a lot less strict than China is.  China is  very strict in their traditions, when America isn’t as strict in traditions.

One thing that Chinese do to symbolize beauty is bind their feet back. They believed that if they had small feet it symbolizes beauty.   In America girls wear makeup to look more pretty.  In the story there were stereotypes going around.  At the end the girl was able to dance in her ballet shoes, with the grandma agreeing.

Who Am I

Author's Note~ This is a who am I piece, try to guess who it is.

I am around a golf club all day every day.  I love the game.  I was bullied on my first day of school for being African-American.  As a kid I practiced every day, on national television at 3.  I have brown eyes and I live in Nike clothes.  I am surrounded in money, own a mansion in Florida.  I’d say I live in paradise, with my two kids and an awesome game to keep me amused.

I’ve changed the sport that I play by immeasurable amounts.  I went to Stanford learned everything I needed to.  I don’t have a dependent income, it all depends on how I do.  I am considered as the best ever and I won’t to be known as that.  I live a tough life with the media all over me, I have encountered heartbreaking events like divorce and my father passing.

From all of this I have learned that even though I’ve made mistakes I can preserve through them.  I was considered as the best athlete year after year.  In 2008 I played one of the most amazing final rounds  ever with a knee injury.  I came back and have amazed people this year, and I am now chasing one amazing record that has never even been close to meeting, and I could.