Semester 1 Reflection

Although it seems that there is no possible way that it can be true, the first semester of this year is just two weeks away from its ending, so that means it's time to look back at blogging throughout this semester. During this semester, I've independently read Life in Motion, Twelve Years a Slave, and 13 Reasons Why. The first book, and also my favorite out of the three, Life in Motion, was a memoir, written by ballet dancer, Misty Copeland about her struggles becoming a ballet dancer many struggles, such as a difficult childhood, lacking money, and having a different "look" than the typical ballerina. I loved that Copeland was so honest throughout the memoir and that the overall message conveyed could apply to things other than ballet. The second book, Twelve Years a Slave, was my least favorite because it was written so formally (since it was written in the 1800's) and that it was very difficult to connect to, which made me lose interest. The last book, 13 Reasons Why, was a very interesting book, from the overall plot, to the structure of the book that really grabbed the reader's attention. The plot was so intriguing that it kept you wanting to know more and more, something that I really love to see in a book because I get impatient with books that don't get to the point. So, overall my reading choices this semester were not too bad in the end.

 During this semester, my blog has changed dramatically, and for the better. When the blog was first started, my "voice" wasn't present and it really wasn't interesting at all. I strictly wrote what I was supposed to write and maybe added a picture of the book cover as a visual. There was no real attention grabber; it just sounded like an "English Robot" had written it. Luckily, however, when Mrs. Bross had read one of my first blog posts, the first thing she said that needed to be improved upon was making it sound more natural. And it was a good thing she said it, because my blog at its start was pretty weak and boring. Once I started to apply this to my blog, there was a drastic difference and it even felt a little easier to write. When I wrote more naturally, I found it simpler to add in things such as figurative language and good diction in order to improve the quality of my blog.  So, I guess I've done something correctly for my blog!

Even though my blog has shown great improvement since the beginning of the year, it still needs a bit of work to become to best it can be. The first thing that could be improved upon is grammar because it has never really been my strength and sometimes that is evident in my blog posts. Another thing that I wish to improve upon is what visuals I use in each of my posts. In most of my posts, there is just a picture of the cover of the book I am reading, which doesn't exactly help the reader with anything other than what to look for in the book store. Lastly, I'd like to improve on making the blog a piece of writing that the readers would actually enjoy reading and for them to feel as though they have gotten something out of reading my posts. From these weaknesses in my blog, my three goals for making a better blog are (1 having perfect grammar in each post
and proofreading it before posting it, (2 having strong visuals that contribute to my posts, and (3 making my blog interesting and effective to those who read it. I plan on reaching each of these goals throughout the next semester in order to help strengthen my blog as a whole.

Romeo and Juliet

So our class just began reading Romeo and Juliet and so far, it's really not as scary as I thought it would be. I was not so sure about what to expect when reading this play by Shakespeare because, well, it was by Shakespeare and that should make any freshman Honors English student want to go cry in the corner. It's not like I thought it would be bad, it was actually quite the opposite. I thought it would be too well-written; so intricate and detailed that I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between lines of dialogue about love and lines about hate. However once we began to read it, I realized that it wasn't as bad as I had imagined and that I can actually read Shakespeare, or at least this certain play. Once I began to really read in depth and think about what it was I was reading, it all started to make sense and could get the gist of what was going on. But what has helped me the most through the adventure of reading this play so far is that you need to really read, not just skim, and that sometimes, reading it over twice will be the most effective.

However, what fourteen year old understands every single word that Shakespeare wrote? Definitely not this one. There are a lot of instances when what the characters are saying makes no sense, and probably more often than not. My strategy for these dilemmas is to reread the trouble spots and then, if I still don't understand, keep reading. If nothing seems to be making sense plot-wise because of not understanding that trouble spot, then I'll go back and analyze further. A lot of times, though, these trouble spots don't even matter and are just put in there for who knows what reason. Another aspect of this writing that gives me issues is syntax. Even though Mrs. Bross specifically told us that sometimes, Shakespeare uses different sentence orders to emphasize importance, it still tends to trick me here and there. A simple example of this is in Act 1 Scene 2, when Paris is speaking to Capulet and says, "Of honourable reckoning are you both;". Even though this line is not of much importance, it simply shows that everything Shakespeare wrote had a specific purpose and in this case, he wanted to show that "honorable reckoning" was the most important part of this sentence. Therefore, he put this first, even though he could have just written, "You are both of honorable reckoning." The fact that he chose to write this entire play like this may bring some confusion, but it altogether shows how great of a writer Shakespeare was.

On to the next book!

Well, now that our multicultural memoir unit is over, I've decided that it's time to take a break from memoirs. I mean, the past three books that I've read were memoirs so this time around, I took a recommendation from my friend who is quite the reader. I'm not that big of a reader, so it wasn't like I had a whole line of books on hold until I finished Twelve Years a Slave. There was one book I was interested in reading- a memoir called, Taking Flight, by Michaela DePrince, war orphan and star ballerina. However, like I said before, I was kind of done with memoirs at the moment and my parents said that the book would have to be a Christmas present. So, when I saw my reading friend the other day, I asked her if I could borrow any book of hers and she told me that she would lend me the book, Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher.

Since I'm not very opinionated when it comes to reading, I just went along with what she said that I would like most, based on the fact that reading is not my favorite hobby. She told me that this book moves pretty quickly, which is something that I really enjoy in a book because once a book begins to move slowly, I immediately put it down and move onto the next one. Anyways, when I got home and began to write this blog, I looked up the book that she was going to lend me and I was pulled in right when I read the synopsis. It's about the relationship between Clay and Hannah, a girl who committed suicide two weeks earlier. When Clay finds a box of cassette tapes of Hannah describing the thirteen reasons why she decided to kill herself on her doorstep, he finds out that he was one of the reasons. It sounds so intense and so interesting that I can't wait for her to give me the book tomorrow. Not only does the plot sound interesting, but from the reviews I've read, it sounds like quite an inspiring book. One review that stood out to me was this, "This book changed my life. Gave me more hope. And I encourage people to read this book. Especially my best friend, because for a while I saw her as Hannah. Without this book I'm not sure Id have the courage to stand up like I can today.” Can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm super excited to get reading.

Twelve Years a Slave

In our multicultural memoir, Twelve Years a Slave, by Solomon Northup, the most important idea that the reader learns throughout Solomon's hardships, is that, even in the darkest times, there is hope and if you maintain that hope, then you will persevere through to a pleasing outcome. Although there were times in the book when Solomon went against this theme through his actions, he always had that hope in the back of his mind that things would turn out right. Since you probably haven't read this book, you're probably wondering why it would be so difficult for Solomon to keep faith in whatever it is that he is doing. Well, the reason is that Solomon lived as a free African-American in New York in the 1850's, a time period very popular for slave owning. However, when he was bribed to play his violin in a circus, traveling to Washington D.C., he soon found that he was being used when he woke up one morning, in chains, waiting to be sold into slavery. After twelve years living in the hardships of slavery, Solomon was finally saved by his friends from back in New York, but those twelve years included life-changing experiences that would never allow Solomon be the same man he was before. Now you can see why it would be so difficult for Solomon to keep faith in his freedom, when years of slavery were lying ahead of him.

This picture of Solomon as a slave shows
how much his life changed as a slave

Solomon as a free man, from the movie

During this time period, it was beyond difficult to escape slavery, almost impossible, even. So why was Solomon able to be sold into slavery when he was legally a free man? Well, just a few days before he had been kidnapped, Solomon obtained papers that legally said that he was a free man, but those were somehow taken from him and, even though he begged and pleaded his freedom, no one would listen to a word he had to say. His masters even threatened his life for claiming that he was a free man, which shows just how much discrimination against African-Americans was happening at the time. Since so many white people felt this way at the time, it clearly explains why escaping wasn't even near reality at the time. According to this article from history.com, on the underground railroad, escaping slavery was something that even the bravest souls feared. The risk of being caught by slave masters was so great that even the most well thought out plans could shrivel at any moment. Abolitionists, like Harriet Tubman, aided many slaves to their freedom through the underground railroad at the time. And although Solomon didn't escape through the underground railroad, this just goes to show how difficult it'd be to help someone out of slavery. These difficulties also show how important it was for Solomon to keep hope because if he didn't believe in his escape, this probability of it happening would be very slim.

The Color of Water

So, reading The Maze Runner kind of got put on hold when our class had to begin reading The Color of Water, but it doesn't really matter because, either way, I'd still be reading a fantastic book. The Color of Water is a very interesting book and I especially love it because it is a memoir. Memoirs are some of my favorite books to read because, even if they are "enhanced" a little to make it more interesting, I always find it fascinating how it was actually someone's life, not just a made-up story coming out of the reader's imagination. Also, I love how the author can share how they feel about certain situations not only at the time that it was happening, but also how they feel about it looking back at it. This allows the author to convey a specific message or lesson that they had learned from all of their amazing experiences. As the reader, I sometimes have to remind myself that what I am reading actually happened to this person because some things that happened are so amazing and life-changing that it seems like they came right out of the author's head.

Anyways, back to The Color of Water. This book is so greatly written, in a way that is realistic, yet unbelievable. All of the events that have happened so far in his life are eye-opening to what a black person with a white mom had to go through in this time period. But James' life is not the only one with obstacles to jump over and surprises at every turn. His mother, Ruth has an even more shaky and unstable back story, that is revealed from her point of view every other chapter. The idea of, little by little, unraveling Ruth's past in between James' is extraordinary. It is so helpful to get to know Ruth from her own point of view because it helps you to understand why Ruth does the things she does now because her past has impacted her in every aspect. Also, it is much more interesting for the reader to get another perspective throughout the book, rather than just listening to James the whole time. This book is a great read so far and I think it may be the first book we have to read for school that I actually enjoy reading!

The Maze Runner

Over the weekend, my friends and I wanted to go see a movie, and the only one that wasn't rated R, a little kid movie, or a sappy love movie was the Maze Runner. So, we went to go see the movie and at first, I wasn't so sure about it, but as it went on, I began to find it more and more interesting. By the end, I loved it, which inspired me to go buy the book. During the movie, I kept thinking about how amazing that story would have been in book form and how much more detail there would be in this book. Although the movie was great, I was a little confused about what was going on during certain parts. I figured that it would probably be much easier to understand in the book because you can go back and reread anything until you do understand it. I can't wait to read the book, even if I already know what happens in the end.

I had been looking for something to read, now that I'm done with Life In Motion, and this was the perfect opportunity to read a great book. Not only did I want to learn more about this story in greater detail than the movie, but I wanted to know what happened next. The movie left you at such a cliff hanger that even I, who is not a big fan of reading, was inspired to read this entire series, which I hope to do. I also really hope it doesn't end up like the Divergent series, where I got halfway through the second book, but got so bored with the same old dystopian story that was in the Hunger Games. Maybe it was just me who thought that, but either way, I was getting pretty tired of all these dystopian books, but The Maze Runner seemed to be different. It was a much more intricate and interesting story line that grabbed my attention. Like I said, even though I sometimes can't stand reading, I am so excited to read this!

Conclusion

I have just recently finished the book, Life in Motion, by Misty Copeland and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is not only interested in ballet, but to anyone who is looking for a very inspirational story. Throughout this entire story, Misty is constantly being told that there is no way that she will ever be a ballerina because of her body and her race. But that, nor the struggles with her family, ever held her back, since she was determined to become something great. As a result of all her hard work and dedication, Misty was able to be where she is today; a soloist at the American Ballet Theater, a dream of thousands of dancers.

Throughout the book, a very important message is conveyed; fight for what you love, and enjoy every part of it. At the end of the book, Misty's last words are, "I have made my mark in history and ballet. I will forever fight, performing as if it's my last show. And I will love every minute of it." These words are the perfect way to end this book since they leave a lasting impression on the reader. They sum up every part of her life that she shared into one meaningful and overall theme. This theme can apply to anyone's life, even if you aren't dreaming of becoming a professional ballerina. Misty hints that, if you forget about what everyone else tells you you can and can't do, you can reach your dreams. Now, Misty is finding plenty of ways to show this message to everyone, through not only her book, but speeches, advertisements, donations, and plenty others. For example, a recent Under Armour advertisement she did shows that even if everyone else tells you otherwise, you can achieve whatever you set your heart and mind to.

Characterization of Misty Copeland

I haven't read very much in my book lately, but I would like to write about the characterization of the main character of the book, Misty Copeland. I've already written a lot about how inspirational Misty is and about her childhood, but I what I haven't written about is what others think of Misty and how they react to her words and actions. So far, she has been a very likable person, who always tries as hard as she can to please everyone around her and to be liked by everyone who surrounds her. For example, one of her mother's boyfriends was always very stern and strict, but, since Misty always did everything she could to try to please everyone, she became his favorite out of the six children. Misty wrote, "I began to spend more time with him than my brothers and sisters did. since I was a people pleaser, I'd volunteer to accompany him when he ran errands, picking up tool or wax to buff his beloved jeep. After a while, Robert would some looking for me." (Copeland, 47). This quote shows that she was constantly trying to please everyone, even her mother's stern boyfriend, Robert, who the other children were afraid of.
Outside of home, nothing was much different. Although Misty really had no interest in ballet at first, her teacher, Miss Cindy, wanted her to try it so badly. In order to make her happy, Misty forced herself to take those first few classes, just to please Miss Cindy. In Misty's first few days, she attempted to avoid Cindy because she had no interest in ballet, "But Cindy wasn't giving up. About a week after I'd decided I had no interest in continuing, she spotted me... trapped, I reluctantly followed her to the front of her class," (Copeland, 34). Luckily, Misty gave in and agreed to take a few more ballet classes to make Cindy happy. Both Misty and Cindy found that she had a true talent for ballet, so it was a very good thing that she tried to please Cindy.

Life in Motion Part 2

Copeland's first time wearing pointe shoes, at age 13

I have continued to read Life In Motion by Misty Copeland and I have enjoyed every single page of it. Misty's writing is so deep and reflects the highs and lows of her life in such a realistic, yet intriguing, way. Throughout reading this book, I have a new found appreciation for her as not only a dancer, but a normal human-being. Misty's life was never easy for her, but she still found a way to get through her unsteady and never stable life through her love and passion for dance and her much loved siblings. Her mother had created a tough life for the Copeland children, with many different husbands and boyfriends, living in fear of one thing or another. In Misty's life, almost every good thing came with something horrible. For example, for about four years, her mother was with a man who had a job, a nice house, and money to support them. However, this man was overly strict, caused violence in the household, and made everyone constantly live in fear of what was to happen to them.

Young Copeland as Clara in The Nutcracker

Though her life at home was unpredictable and even devastating at times, there was one thing that was almost always steady in Copeland's life - ballet. Since she began dancing at age 13 at her local Boys and Girls Club, Misty's ballet teacher, Cindy Bradley, saw much potential in her dancing and took her under her wing at her own dance studio at the other end of town. Cindy persuaded Misty to come to her studio by offering Misty a full scholarship and even providing a ride from school to the studio everyday. Although Misty had thought that all she would ever do was be the captain of the drill team, she began to find a new love of ballet that she never would have thought would come to her. Ballet came naturally to her, even though she had started very late for a regular ballet dancer, and she was able to improve more and more, becoming an amazing dancer, very quickly.

Life in Motion

I recently began reading the autobiography, Life in Motion, by the famous ballet dancer, Misty Copeland. Although I'm only about forty pages into the book, I am already enjoying the book very much because the author has a very interesting story to tell about herself and she knows how to tell the story in an interesting way. I've been interested in Misty Copeland for a while now, and when she published her first book in early 2014, I knew I had to read it because she is such an amazing and inspirational dancer. As only the second African-American soloist at the American Ballet Theater, one of the world's most prestigious ballet companies, Copeland's story about her struggles of becoming a ballet dancer through a rough childhood are very inspirational. Since I already have an idea of this story, I am ecstatic the be able to read about it in depth, and from Copeland's point of view. Not only did my previous knowledge about the author pull me into this book, but also recommendations from friends who have read the book and the book itself. Many of my friends from ballet have read this book, because Misty Copeland is quite a popular figure in ballet, and they have all loved this book. The book itself pulled me in because, on the cover, it says, "My Story of Adversity and Grace," and "an unlikely ballerina," which makes me want to learn more about how she was an unlikely ballerina.

As I am beginning to read this novel, I am hoping that Misty's writing is as beautiful as her dancing. I believe that Copeland has a very inspiring story for dancers or anyone interested in ballet and it was very intelligent of her to publish it as a book. Although the first forty pages of this book have already been very enjoyable to read, I can't wait to read more. In this beginning, it seems like young Copeland would never have any chance of becoming a ballet dancer, under all of the rough circumstances, so I want to find out how she does manage to come out as one of the world's most 

beautiful dancers.

Summer Reading

In my summer reading book, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, the characters contribute to the plot of the book in a very important way because of how complex they are. Over the course of the text, the three main characters, Greg, Earl, and Rachel, develop and change very much because of what they go through throughout the story. Over time, the reader learns a lot about the characters of the book by the way in which they respond to one another's actions and to what happens to them. For example, when Rachel is diagnosed with cancer, Greg and Earl respond in a way that shows that they are concerned for Rachel, but don't care very much because they don't know her very well. However, since Greg's mother forces him and Earl to spend time with Rachel, whose health is deteriorating, Greg and Earl begin to realize that Rachel won't be around for much longer, and take matters more seriously by spending more and more time with her. At first, Rachel believes that there is a chance that she could survive throughout the battle, but, even though Greg and Earl attempt to make her life better, Rachel begins to lose hope and accept the reality that she won't be around for much longer. These characters develop the theme because they show that nothing lasts forever, so one must enjoy and make the most out of what they have, while they have it. They show this because Greg and Earl have to make the most out of what is left of Rachel's life and enjoy her presence while it is still available to them, even they don't realize it before Rachel is gone.

In this article, the author reviews the book and discusses how this book is nothing like the stereotypical cancer book, where the characters fall in love and it is all a romance novel. This article discusses how this novel shows the true reality of the situation and the difference between it and, for example, The Fault In Our Stars. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl article