Romeo & Juliet Post Performance Reflection

Romeo was the character I portrayed in the class play of Romeo and Juliet. As I read the play at home and in class, I constantly noticed Romeo’s desire and desperateness for a society that accepts his love for Juliet. In my scene: act 5, scene 3, lines 1 through 70, he is on his way to pay his respects to, and die alongside Juliet in the Capulet Tomb. In my performance, I tried to show the unmerciful level of desperation in Romeo because he has lost his entire life or so he thought. He was banished from Verona, and Juliet had died. I feel that I did well myself, the show had a few hiccups from cutting each other off, or forgotten lines. At times it was a bit of a struggle to work with group members but we pushed past it and we had a great show which I enjoyed taking part of. In my performance, I would have liked to improve my emotion and when I get to high angry points, keep it angry instead of bringing it back down to calm talking. Thus making it more authentic and believable. I really enjoyed this Shakespeare unit. It will definitely help me in high school by improving my language maturity. He has used words that I have never even heard of: inexorable, hither, and umbrage, to name a few. This new understanding of words and their origins can teach me the background of a more unique and different set of words. I look forward to learn new words from different titles of his. William Shakespeare

Hiroshima

Hiroshima, written by John Hersey, is a fascinating book forty years in the making. It follows six survivors of the Atomic Bomb dropped by the United States. Some came out good, because they benefitted from the overload of work, and some weren’t so lucky, they came down with sickness’, and much worse. The A-Bomb Had more effects beyond helping America and the Allies win the war.

Here are the stories, before and after the bomb, of the six survivors:

Toshinki Sasaki, was a clerk in the East Asia Tin Works. At the exact moment of the bomb drop, she had turned her head to chat with the girl at the next desk. After the bomb, she nearly lost her right leg after it had been crushed, and then became a nun at the local orphanage. Dr. Masakazu Fujii , a physician, was reading the local newspaper on the porch of his private hospital. He luckily suffered no injuries, and opened many clinics, hospitals, and therapy clinics around Hiroshima to help the “hibakusha”, people affected by the bomb. Hatsuyo Nakamura, A tailor's widow, was watching her neighbor from her kitchen window. She didn’t have very good fortune after the bomb. She was destitute and working long hours while having to deal with radiation sickness and keloids. Father Wilhelm Kleinsorge, a Japanese-German priest, was laying in his cot reading a Jesuit Magazine. After dealing with years of organ and bodily failures, he finally died a peaceful death in his hometown house in Hiroshima. Dr. Terefumi Sasaki, a young surgeon was walking down a corridor of his hospital with a blood specimen ready for a Wassermann Test. He stayed behind in his little hopital alone to help all the hibakusha. Reverend Kiyoshi Tanimoto, Pastor of the Hiroshima Methodist Church, was delivering clothes to a rich mans house as the bomb dropped. He survived and helped many people restore hope as a hibakusha himself, and he resided in a little home with his little woolly dog.

These six were extremely lucky beyond belief, even they are dumbfounded they survived. They were most confused with the question of why they survived, when the other 166,000 didn’t. These are the questions that haunt them every day of their lives.

Author's Note

Treacherous Chocolate Mousse is a story that takes a stance against bullying, and the lonely path it leads to. Bullying is a horrible act of malice that inflicts physical and mental damage to the many kids or teens enduring it. The unfortunate kids that have to face these menacing thugs that take part in these horrific actions have, on occasion, gone on to become bullies themselves. They become awkward non-social people. Some of whom even have killed themselves or others. Kids attack others because of many reasons: skin color, size, or culture. Bullies grow up to become lonely themselves because they earn a negative reputation. This is a horrible problem in schools and it must stop. All people at some point have been a part of a bullying episode, whether you were the victim, the bully, or bystander, it effects everyone. I was once picked on myself, by an older teen that thought he could take my clothes after swimming, and dump my bag.

I care a great deal about this topic and have chosen to write about it in picture book form to show the repercussions of bullying. The victim, obviously, experiences the horrible actions of bullies, however, the side effects affect the bully as well. It also goes way beyond the attacker and the attacked, it is crucial to understand how it can effect an entire school, neighborhood, or community. In my short story, the antagonist is a Chocolate Mousse, (a sweet unhealthy dessert food), that attacks a peacefully happy bowl of innocent fruit, (nurturing heathy food). The ending will show how the bully, The Chocolate Mousse, can clean up his act after he realizes he has gotten in too deep with his nasty behavior toward the bowl of fruit who are on the verge of rotting beneath his sticky gooey nastiness. The images of unhealthy food in relation to healthy foods are symbolic to the unhealthy and healthy behaviors of humans.

Readers need understand the impact bullying has on people's lives, especially younger kids. If we teach younger kids the consequences of bullying from both sides, they can make better behavioral decisions in their lifetime. Bullying is a lonely road, so don't follow it.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

In an insane asylum the patients are not always insane, they are often victims of an insane system. In One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, written by Ken Kesey, unfair restrictions and rules, torturous therapies and abusive treatments from staff bring about horrifying experiences to the mentally ill. Patrick McMurphy, the book's protagonist, fights for freedom from the staff's brutality for himself and his fellow patients. They endure a cruel existence in the institution, locked up like fireflies in a jar.

The story is told through the eyes of a former indian chief, Chief Bronson. He admires Patrick McMurphy's attempts to bring the prisoners fair and humane treatment, while also trying to bring little liveliness to their daily lives. The black boys, (workers for the asylum) are instructed by the Head Nurse Ratchet to enforce awful and humiliating treatments; before all patients went to bed, they were to drink a medication that would paralyze them. This would make them urinate themselves in the night leaving them embarrassed and mortified. Unrealistic rules were put in place to keep the in-mates under their control and rule, though they said it was for their safety and protection. This is exemplified during meal times. No one was aloud to leave the cafeteria for any purpose with an exception for medical attention. Even if someone had to go to the bathroom, go to bed, has to go talk with staff members in their offices for specific reasons, they can't without being punished. Only the great Nurse Ratchet knows the reason for this rule and she will not spew it to the public. There are many more ridiculous rules and limitations enforced by the black boys,  for instance,  keeping all toiletries; toothpaste or toilet paper, under lock and key so the patients don't use them as harmful ammunition. "How does anybody use a small plastic tube of toothpaste as a weapon for harming others" said McMurphy in sheer confusion. What is most astonishing is that some of the people locked up in this asylum aren't even mental. Chief Bronson is in their but he's only half mute, unable to express what he is thinking, not emotionally disturbed in any way. Even Patrick McMurphy is not mental, though he is energetic, he has the smarts to bring everyone to realize what the nurses and black boys are doing them. He's exposing the harsh inhumane system.

This is a great book, at some points humorous, but mostly it's frustratingly unfair. It has a vey deep meaning under the surface, and that is that people must be treated fairly despite any disabilities. I enjoy reading the book because it really makes me think about each character  and what is their purpose in each scenario of the story and how it makes the book's argument stronger. Another aspect of the book I really enjoy is how McMurphy is presented with his drastic mood changes from when he first joined the asylum, to becoming the face and vocal leader of the patients. He was happy and humorous, made everyone cheer up in disturbing atmosphere in which they live, " are you the Bull-Goose-Loony" he would ask everyone. Now he is in a state of confusion and unrest, trying to both understand and change the acts of the asylum's owners. McMurphy is a great man and people should understand him and what he trying to make others aware of. Although I have not finished reading the book yet, I foresee a sad ending to Pat McMurphy, I think the Nurse Ratchet will mess with him and drive him so crazy, he will actually become mentally ill and conform rather than to wreak havoc like he once did in his attempts to make a difference, like what Big Brother did to Winston Smith in George Orwell's 1984.

Blinded by the Flag

Many people think of patriotism and God as higher ideals with no flaws, they are considered sacred. To question, or show the downsides or defects of such sacred ideals is controversial. The War Prayer by the great and inspirational Mark Twain touches upon these sensitive topics and questions these in a forceful, violent way. It has led to a debate, should it or should it not be banned from middle school book shelves. The short story is about the Philippine-American War (1899–1902), and takes place in a church as the local townsfolk say a prayer for victory on the nation's behalf. During the prayer, the priest is interrupted by an old cloaked man, who claims to be a messenger from "God" himself. "Is it one prayer?" the stranger asks, "No, it is two", he answers, meaning there is more to what they are praying for than meets the eye. This prayer is a double sided sword, in praying for their own victory they are also praying for the destruction of the other side. This amazingly written short by Twain should not be banned from Middle school shelves. The story sheds light on the negative side of our driving force for pride in our country, and the satisfaction of experiencing victory. Young adult need to be exposed to all sides of an argument.

What is mostly at debate in this parable is patriotism. Pride for your country, in this case America, is great, but too much can blind us to certain realities and humanity. During a time of war, we are all so confident and energetic and full of pride that we don't take a moment to step back and see what is really going on. War kills civilization and innocent people, on both sides of the conflict. Twain makes the case: "When you have prayed for victory you have prayed for many unmentioned results which follow victory." This includes gruesome murders, savage injuries, rapes, and many more horribly unmentionable acts. While soldiers are shipped to the front lines and other stations, family and friends back home pray for them, not realizing the damage their praying can cause. They wish for victory, but without meaning to do so they wish upon destruction of life, of civilization, of friendship and innocence. Patriotism leads them to have this blind insatiable need for victory.

In addition to this controversial warning about too much patriotism, The War Prayer also brings to question the stature of God. When the old cloaked man disrupts the prayer and says, "O Lord our God, help us tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded writhing in pain…” , the old man is brutally graphic, and honest about what they are praying to their God for. He continues and is relentless in showing the horribly bloody cost of war and their prayers, “...help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire, turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended in the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst...” He speaks continuously, strenuously making his point, in an attempt to open the eyes and minds of the locals. One should be skeptical of a God with a point of view so biased he would murder hundreds, and thousands of people for the sake of one side’s survival over the other’s. This is a very deep and profound concept, produced by Mr.Twain. It is a manner of thinking that should not be censored to anyone, it may even bring peace to this generation if we are willing to question our so called sacred ways of living.

Some may say that The War Prayer is a short story full of nonsense and backward thinking ideas. One of the local worshipping patriots in the church says: "It was believed afterward that the man was a lunatic, because there was no sense in what he said." During the time of Mark Twain's authoring of this story, his family and friends begged him to not publish it, for fear of bad publicity as well as their safety. Multiple publishers that he visited refused to publish it for fear that it would taint his career. Twain caved in and decided to have it published after his death. He said his wisest words: "None but the dead are permitted to tell the truth." I disagree with the mentality disapproving of his ideals during times of war. People need to understand that there's more to praying for their nation’s victory than meets the eye. War tears apart limbs, lives and love. Most people could not accept Mark Twain and what he wrote in this short at the time. Back then, the United States was not as diverse. We were a nation that believed, for the most part, there was only one God and he was a white Christian man. However, there is more to this world than us and our self-pride, there are billions of more people in world with their own beliefs and ideals. It is time to respect and understand them. It is time to be tolerant of others. Allow children to read this material, allow them to question, and don’t censor it.

This short story’s old cloaked man comes to us with a message, he warns us to keep an open mind, and not be so consumed by patriotic passions. To be careful for what we pray for. Most importantly, Twain helps us understand the results of our actions, and what the other side experiences as a result. If we listen to the message, it can help us accept the other side for who they are. Why would such a book be banned, it is about peacefulness, saving the lives of others through tolerance, thus eliminating bloodshed. It is simply written beautifully. It is amazing that anyone would consider this book controversial, it is about peace. No one will be worse off by reading it. To ban this book would be unpatriotic, to censor it and ignore freedom of speech and freedom of the press would be wrong. The War Prayer teaches an important lesson.


Bibliography

Drum, Kevin. "The Washington Monthly." The Washington Monthly. The Washington Monthly, n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2014.

Twain, Mark, and John Groth. The War Prayer. New York: Published in Association with Harper & Row, 1968. Print.

The Umbrella Revolution

Since the beginning of fall, the streets of Hong Kong have been bustling with student protesters fighting for the right to have a democratic government. Led by a skinny 18 year old with black glasses,  Joshua Wong has "whipped up crowds with fiery speeches" into action against the current communist ruling party. The protests began in September when Mr. Wong rounded up two hundred Hong Kong students and blocked the entrance to a government building, unhappy with the lack of a democratic process promised to the people of Hong Kong. Police countered with force, blinding people with tear gas and pepper spray, and arresting Mr. Wong and his fellow rebels. This had the opposite affect it intended to have. Word spread on social media and thousands more joined the movement. Since then, many have been beaten ruthlessly by police officials, as well as the Chinese Mafia working for the government.  "To shield themselves from the pepper spray, they've use umbrellas, which have given  the movement a symbol and a name: The Umbrella Revolution."

To understand the Umbrella Revolution, it helps to understand Hong Kong's history. In 1842, China lost Hong Kong to Great Britain in the First Opium War. The small colony eventually experienced democracy for the first time under British rule. However, in 1997, due to the Treaty of Nanking, the British government handed Hong Kong back to communist China, depriving them of democracy, and other rights. The "One Country Two Systems" treaty signed in 1984 was a promise that Hong Kong for the next fifty years would have freedom of speech and other basic rights that the mainland does not have. Still this worried many Hong Kong citizens. They knew they would be deprived of their rights. And they were, the Umbrella Revolution is the fight for what was theirs and should be today.

History repeats itself. In 1989, the Tiananmen Square protests ended in gruesome cold blood. Police officials were unsuccessful in breaking up a peaceful protest, the government brought in the Army and murdered, arrested, or disposed of hundreds possibly thousands of innocent citizens. One of which was 'Tank Man', an unidentified person that stood his ground in front of a convoy of tanks issued to destroy those that protested. Amazingly, China's inter web bans this sort of information that may make them look bad in their need to protect their communist power. This filter and censorship of these facts have been effective, barely anyone in the mainland knows about Tiananmen Square, and Tank Man and what happened that horrible day. This lack of freedom to know a people's own history is not acceptable, and Joshua Wong and his raging followers are fighting to end secrecy and earn democratic freedom for Hong Kong.

Nobody knows what will happen in the near future to Hong Kong, these courageous protesting students, China, or even my mother's home country, Taiwan. China claims Taiwan is theirs, however, Taiwan has their own president, language, culture, currency, democracy and has never been under communist rule. Based off what they are seeing in Hong Kong, Taiwan is getting nervous as well. As China gains power, and cracks down on human rights, brave people of Hong Kong and their Umbrella Revolution must stand up and fight for their freedom.

The Museum of the City of New York

During last week's class trip to the Museum of the City of New York, class 811 visited the Activism Exhibit. We learned about the history of activism in New York City, as well as many ways to act against a cause. There were many examples of people standing against authority or the wrong doings of others. Some were fairly new protests with recent impacts on the city, and others old. I myself, learned many new facts, some on topics that I had prior knowledge of,  and some topics that were totally new to me. I found the exhibit interesting and intriguing.

What I found to be the most interesting was how protests first started four-hundred years ago when New York was New Amsterdam. As a Dutch Colony,  only Christianity was allowed to be practiced in public. People, such as the Quakers, were not allowed to openly express their religion. The city's citizens didn't agree with Peter Stuyvesant and the government and this regulation. Why was the government treating respectful law abiding people who were not hurting anyone so disrespectfully?  As a result of this mistreatment, thirty one non-Quaker citizens signed a petition arguing and questioning the law and  its effects. Through this, the first protesting activists in New York arose. A more recent intriguing fact I learned of was the Stonewall Riots on June 28, 1969. Being gay was not allowed and homosexuals were discriminated against and were labeled as wusses for never having the guts to fight back against the bigoted society. For years, even being in the Stonewall Bar (a gay bar) was punishable by jail time. However, on this night, June 28, 1969, they did fight back. They were joined in this battle with many other activist groups such as the Black Panthers who had their own battles against police brutality just  as the  gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transvestite community did. This was the beginning of gay rights and equality.

I enjoyed the visit to the Museum of the City of New York. It was interesting to learn more about the history of our diverse city. Without this history of activism we would be living in more blind, scary, and unjust times. These activists were right for what they did, they were brave and our city is safer and more complete because of them.