Great Person

The questions associated with the problem of existence such as, “who am I” also relate to the concept of the Great Person. In part three of C&P Porfiry stated Raskolnikov’s view of the Great Person by establishing the difference between an extraordinary man and an ordinary man, “extraordinary men have a right to commit any crime and to transgress the law in any way, just because they are extraordinary” (241). After reading this I thought of the concept of the Great Man and I began to wonder, what makes one person remarkable and another person average? How does one become a ‘great person?’ These questions also relate the feelings we are currently going through. In high school I feel there is a constant power struggle to be the best, whether this means being the most popular or getting into the best school, we can all relate to this topic of the Great Person. However, Raskolnikov’s extraordinary man justification stuck out to me as being morally unjust. Although I know this justification is mearly fiction, it is still a border that was established to break people up into different classifications.

Sacrifice

This week in class we discussed the presence of sacrifice in Crime and Punishment. We talked about how Sonya, Dounia and Katarina all sacrificed something in order to provide for their family. For instance, Sonya sacrificed her body and dignity for her family. While we were talking about this, I began to realize all the things we will have to sacrifice when we go away next year. We will have to sacrifice the friends we have already made and we will have to sacrifice our own room and homes. However, this sacrifice does not seem so bad especially when all you are thinking about is solely getting into college. Although most of us expect to get rejected from at least one place, it is still a little shocking when you realize you really did get rejected. Personally, I was rejected from a school this week, but I also got into a school, so it all balances out.

What Matters

This week in class we discussed this quote:

"I see no reason to get up in the morning if I don't mean to matter." - Tom Peter

I believe this quote is advocating that we should go about each day with a purpose or a goal in mind. Although this may seem over the top or unnecessary we have to realize that everything you do is for a purpose. Whether you are just relaxing and watching TV all day, you are catching up on your sleep, which is beneficial. Hence, I think everything we do matters. This way of thinking is very optimistic and it sheds light on our individual importance in the world. The difficult part of the day is not achieving the goal or purpose, it is deciding what that goal or purpose is.

Existence Precedes Essence

This week in class we discussed the five themes of existentialism and how they relate to our existential books. While I was writing my reflection, the theme of "existence precedes essence" stuck out to me. I began to question myself and relate my own life to this existential theme. Am I really who I am as a result of my choices? This is an important question and I agree with it, to a certain extent. For instance, I believe your personality shines through as a result of your choices, hence your choices define who you are to the outside world. However, I also believe that we are who we are because of our upbringing and the people we surround ourself with.

Another interesting point this theme brings up is "you are what you make yourself to be." I strongly agree with this phrase and I believe it plays well into everyone's life. To take this case in point, Mersault in "The Stranger" did not make anything of his life, therefore to him life was somewhat meaningless and he did not even care when he died, for he realized it is the same as dying years later. "You are what you make yourself to be" is an important quote for next year because for the most part we are all starting over, making new friends and living in a new place, thus to enjoy your time to its fullest potential, you have to act yourself, and make yourself be who you are.

Mirror

This week we read the poem "Mirror," which focused on self reflection and self discovery. Through the author's use of personification and imagery, we can see that how one view of them self changes and it takes self discovery to accept those changes. The occasion of this poem is growing of age and it is told from the perspective of the women, through the faithful mirror. I think this poem is very relatable because as we age as high school seniors we begin to discover ourselves and realize who we have become. A mirror does not lie, it tells the truth even if we don't want to see it. Similarly, high school also tells the truth. It reveals flaws and hard times, yet with each of these lies or flaws a person grows stronger. Indeed, with time we become more confident and content with our life and the poem, "Mirror," makes one ponder these inevitable thoughts.

Food, INC

This week in Nutrition we are watching a movie titled, "Food, INC." It is a very disturbing, yet powerful movie that gives its viewers a reality check. It reveals the secrets and the reality of our food industry, which has turned into food factories with several companies controlling the business. Personally I was shocked and disgusted with the way we treat the animals and how everything has become so industrialized and inhumane. After watching part of the movie, I am ready to help out the food industry in the little ways I can. For instance, my family buys local grown fruits and vegetables and they are delivered to our house, instead of buying artificially ripened food from huge supermarkets. In addition, I encourage my mom to buy only organic, free range chicken, to support proper treatment of animals. I really hope other people step on board and start making a difference because the reality of food factories is not only hurting our health and animals health, but it is harming the environment.

What We are Capable of

Today I settle down to finish my homework, so I can head up to Tahoe tomorrow to get one last day of skiing in before lacrosse season starts. As I cherish these last few days of relaxation, I realize how close we are to the end of the semester. On Monday lacrosse begins and my days become longer and I become more tired. I am excited to reunite with my team and I look forward to how our season turns out, yet I cannot help but miss those former, calm, relaxing days. Tomorrow I am heading up to Tahoe for a ski day trip with my brother and dad. I am looking forward to spending time with my family and having an awesome day of skiing.

This week in class we talked about essay topics based on the question, "what are we capable of and under what circumstances?" I have struggled to find a topic, and while I was playing lacrosse with some friends the other day, my topic hit me. I realized no one would be where they are today if it weren't for the setting and surroundings they were placed in. Therefore, our surroundings dictate some of our potential. In Heart of Darkness the setting plays a major role in the plot and the description of the characters emotions.

Diction

This week we focused on the diction present in poetry. I realized diction plays a large role in the tone, theme and perception of each individual poem. Moreover, I began to construct the bridge between poetry and reality. In other words I saw how the lessons we learned through poetry can be transfered to other aspects of life. To take this case in point, a persons word choice, or diction says a lot about their character. It can determine which region ones from, their social background and their values. Although, I personally need to expand my vocabulary, I still believe it is vital to use words that reflect ones intelligence. For instance, I think saying like every few words sounds awful and diminishes ones intelligence level slightly.

Strength

Heart of Darkness explores the Belgian colonization of the Congo and the division of power and strength between the different people. Conrad stated that "your strength is just an accident arising from the weakness of others" (7). Although I agree with this phrase, I think strength is more than an accident. If one desires something, they will work for it with a purpose in their mind. However, I also agree with Conrad because one's strength comes from the comparison to others who are weak. In other words one looks strong in the eyes of someone else and develops their strength through others weakness. In some ways this can be compared to high school. For example, during soccer tryouts a few players may look very good, or strong in comparison to the rest of the players. The strength of those soccer players came from the weakness of the other players.

"The Scream"

We began this semester like we did the last, with a painting. The paintings we have examined have left room for interpretation and they can express numerous feelings. I believe if we looked at this painting, "The Scream" last semester we would have had different thoughts running through our minds. I would've felt lost in the college process, scared, yet excited for what comes next. Although, I still feel excited for the future, I don't feel lost, rather I am content and ready for the next phase in my life. I believe the figure in the painting, "The Scream" is surprised, yet she is being succumbed into the vast, black river. This week in class we also began to discuss the Tragedy of the Belgian Congo and Kind Leopold. I think the inhabitants of the former Democratic Republic of Congo could relate to this painting because their land became the personal property of King Leopold. In a way the inhabitants became swept up into the black river of colonialism and they were shocked at what was occurring.

Another Step on the Football Field

I wonder if I will still sit at the children's table during family dinners? I wonder how my first voting session will go? I wonder if people are going to see me differently?

This week I turned eighteen. This birthday is one of the biggest birthdays. Your responsibilities and privileges are opened up, you can buy a lottery ticket, you can vote, you can do so much more. However, as I turned into an adult I could not help thinking about how old I am and how weird it was that I was officially not a child. Although I do not feel like an adult, it is certainly strange to say I am one. When I turn a year older, I get to step forward onto another dash on the football field. When you look at life from the 18th yard line, it does not seem very different than life from the 17th yard line. However, mentally a step forward means another step in life towards that big unknown goal. This blog is very timely, for it is the last one of the semester. Wow, that is weird to say. Our last blog of the first semester, time really does fly. I'm an adult and senior year is half way over, I am in shock. In the final blog of the semester I want to say something really cool, something that will stand out, yet the simple things like birthdays can be really cool. Instead of pondering on what I should have done I am going to recap the highlights of this semester:

1. I read 7 new books this semester

2. I have finished all my standardized testing and applications

3. I have gotten into 2 colleges

4. I have traveled to Arizona for lacrosse

5. I have met new people

6. I have made the best of the last, first semester of high school

Desire & Love

How does love differ from desire? Do they go hand in hand? This week in class we discussed questions about desire and I began to think about the difference between love and desire. Siddhartha felt a desire and attraction for Kamala, yet it is evident that they are not in love. Although, Siddhartha does not know if he loves Kamala, he knows he desires her. Their relationship is more physical. In Siddhartha's search for desire I feel he endures suffering because he cannot pinpoint exactly what he is looking for. Siddhartha knows his goal, yet he does not know how to reach it. In class I came to the conclusion that one must suffer to realize you have reached desire. Therefore, Siddhartha may have felt desire for Kamala, but he did not truly feel love.

The relationship between desire and love can also relate to the book I am reading titled "The Pickup." In this book two people, Julie and Abdu are attracted to each other and they form and intimate relationship. It is not clear the individual motives in the relationship, which is a characteristic that Julie and Abdu share with Kamala and Siddhartha. It is easy to infer that both of the characters from "The Pickup" desire the other. However, it is not evident at the point I am at that they love each other. Hence, it is difficult to conclude if desire and love go hand in hand.

Football Field Activity

This week we took a trip out to the track and stood on the 17th yard line and took some time to reflect on our life. As I stood there seventeen dashes away from the end-zone I put my life in perspective. Currently it seems like going to the perfect college is the ultimate goal, yet as I stood on the football field I realized that college is not even half of my life. Rather it is a landmark, for the rest of your life. It is the first step toward independence and there are many things to look forward to after college. However, being a senior, it is hard to imagine life after college, for the past four years we have been working for the moment when we do venture off into the next stage of life. Humans life expectancy is 78 so even though senior year may feel like your reaching your peak, we still have about 60 more years to go.

This week we began reading Siddartha, which is a novel that we can all relate to in one way or another. Siddartha grew up in a sheltered world and at one point in his life he decided he wanted to experience the world and achieve Nirvana. Siddartha left his parents and began his journey. I can relate to Siddartha because next year I will be leaving my parents and despite where they want me to go to college, I am going to go where I want.

Traveling with lacrosse

This weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Arizona for lacrosse. Traveling without parents helped me get a feel for life after high school. I learned of the responsibilities that come from not being taken care of all the time, or having an adult watching over you. Rather I got to feel how independent college students feel and how much responsibility comes from completing taking care of yourself. In the summer I also traveled to Maryland, Pennsylvania and Colorado without my parents for lacrosse. Initially the trips are exciting and it feels adventurous being hundreds of miles away from home. However, as the trips progress I learned and grew from the responsibilities that come with not being completely taken care of. The trip this weekend especially held a lot of responsibility, for I am a senior and there are freshman, sophomores, and juniors on our team that look up to the upperclassmen for advice and leadership. As I traveled by myself to Arizona this weekend, I got a little peak into what college life may be like and through my experiences I have gained responsibilities that will help me in the next part of my life.

Hamlet

This past week I have been contemplating about what to blog about. Currently there are a million thoughts swirling around my head, from college applications, to lacrosse practice, so it was difficult to choose a topic to blog about.

Nevertheless, this week I personally learned to love everything in your life and not take anything for advantage. Our family friend passed away from cancer on Saturday, and although it has been tough, it has made me realize how privileged I am for my friends and family. They are the constant in my life and I know whenever I need them, they will be there.

As I was searching postsecret.com I came across this secret and I thought it was very relevant in light of Saturday and for the rest of mine and everyones life. Keeping this thought in mind, I tried to relate this blog to Hamlet. I believe if Hamlet had someone in his life that he could trust and rely on he could have turned to them for advice and solved his confusions in a way that didn't lead to his death and others. I think in a way Claudius was a scape goat for all of Hamlets problems, and maybe all Hamlet needed was a friend or family member to help him with his problems and set him back on the correct path.

Too Much Madness

This week in class we read the poem “Much Madness is Divinest Sense” by Emily Dickinson. The poem’s main message is having madness in life will keep one sane, while constant sanity will drive one mad. While reading this poem, people in our class could relate to going mad because we are at a very stressful, crucial, scary point in our lives. As we hit those big submit buttons and as we venture off into our next journeys, we will experience many new emotions. Currently, most people in our English class are experiencing madness. Whether that madness comes from trying to pass AP physics or tying to push our parents limits, we are all experiencing madness. Needless to say this madness does not make us mad, but rather as Emily Dickinson stated the assent to madness will help maintain sanity in your life. For if we did not have college applications, papers in English and struggles at home, our life would be far too boring and as Dickinson says, many people would be driven to madness by their sanity.

Likewise, this week’s poem can also be related to Hamlet. Many people think Hamlet has lost his mind completely and has already descended into madness. However, as we have seen recently, Claudius is truly the outlandish character and as seen through his outburst during “The Mousetrap,” he has become mad. Emily Dickinson was crazy as well and she defends the eccentric. She explains that if you accept your madness you will maintain sanity in your life, but if you shun it, your sanity will drive you crazed. Claudius shunned his madness and kept his secrets quiet, therefore his guilt and unfaithfulness lead him to madness.

The Dip

Once I pressed that big submit button, there was nothing more I could do. Last Thursday as I submitted one of my first college applications, a million thoughts rushed to my head. However, I knew that once I pressed submit, I reached my limit and there is nothing else I could do. Today in class we read, "The Biggest Mistake They Made in School" by Seth Godin. In this article Godin used an image of a dip to show the cycle humans go through in parts of their life. I think at this point in my life I am climbing out of a dip. I have just submitted my application for my next phase of life and after four years, I will be concluding High School. High School itself acts as a dip for it shows the paths of life students are taking. Some students may think High School is too overwhelming and may struggle to pass, while others may have discovered their passion. Regardless of the situation a student is in people can agree that it is easy to graduate, yet getting there is challenging. As I know from personal experience there are many aspects of High School other than actual school, that are challenging, such as making friends or making a sport team. Needless to say, as I graduate High School I think I will be concluding on dip and entering another dip, world of college.

Understanding Shakespeare & Family Names

It is proven that Shakespeare’s Language is difficult. He uses complex language that we may never have used in that context before. As we read in “Reading Shakespeare’s Language,” “reading Shakespeare’s language can be a problem-but it is a problem that can be solved.” In reading the excerpts on Shakespeare’s language, my fears in reading Shakespearean works was spelled out. However, unlike freshman year when I used to hate to read Romeo and Juliet, I feel that if I take the time to try and understand what Shakespeare is saying, I actually find it enjoyable to read. So far we have read Act 1. At first it was difficult to follow because of Shakespeare’s use of words, sentence structure and references to historical content. However, as I read more and more of Hamlet, I began to adjust to his style of writing and it has become more enjoyable to read.

In class we discussed the origins of our own name and what responsibilities one carries if they hold a family name because in Hamlet Hamlet carries his family's name. Personally, if I were a boy I would have been named Merrick, which is a family name. I would have felt honored to have that name because it is in honor of my grandpa and in memory of my uncle. However, I am a girl, obviously, so I was named Rebecca, which does not have any family significance. I personally would feel proud to have my family name, but carrying a family name also requires responsibility and there is a certain expectation to live up to it as well.

Leaders vs. Laws

This week as I was beginning to write my essay on Antigone and Oedipus the King, I was struggling to find a topic to write about. I kept going back and forth between writing about the law and then writing about leadership. It took me five separate introduction paragraphs, and lots of notes to realize I wanted to write about the relationship between the law and leaders. Combining these two topics opened up a lot of room for discussion. For my blog today I wanted to write about the difference between law and leadership.

The two paralell, yet contrasting topics of law and leadership can be used hand in hand to help guide citizens. Laws are straight foreword guidelines that set the standards and rules, while leaders are more in depth characters that lead by example. There is only one set of written laws, and there are thousands of different types of leaders. There are those who are elected, those who silently lead others, those who are elected through god and there are leaders who simply provide guidance to ordinary people in their life. Although there are different types of law, artificial-made by people and natural- made by god, laws are set in stone and straight forward. I think it is easier to break a law, than to stop following a leader because leaders are more than words. They are personal and human, so they are easier to relate to and fore connections with. As I conclude my thoughts, I want to leave my readers thinking, how do they decide who guides their life? Is it the laws or rules? Or is it the people, their values and morals that guide them?

The Morality of Leaders

This week in class we explored the qualifications of a good leader. We looked at an obvious example of a leader, Martin Luther King, and we looked at Goodwins "Secrets of Great Presidents", which outlined the top ten qualifications of a good president and leader. After gaining all this information on leaders, I thought, so now is there a sole definition of the word leader? The answer is no. I think peoples backgrounds, views of life and morals help them decide what constitutes a leader. For instance, one who is highly religious might view a person different than a person who gains most of their views from the mass media or school.

In our big discussion groups in class this week, we talked about this topic of morals constituting a leader and several different points came up. Some people thought that a leader should lead based on his own personal morals, yet some believed personal morals should not get in the way of leadership. This question regarding morality and leaders is difficult to address. I feel that the only way one can get an accurate answer is to use examples from history and literature. I believe Creon did not really incorporate his own personal morals in Antigone because he had a strong desire for power and strength and left behind his morals instilled by friendship and family to achieve that. However, I believe in some parts of Oedipus the King Oedipus used some of his morals to guide his leadership. For instance, at the end he thought about the fate of himself and impact on his family, and thought the best way to go about this was to gauge his eyes out, so he can bring about a better life for the future for his family.