Final Blog

It's crazy to think that this is my last blog. This semester has gone by so fast!
When I walked into class for the first time I was nervous, but excited. I wasn't sure how things were going to go and who my teacher would be.
I met some new friends and was glad I had an awesome teacher. The literacy narrative paper was a great paper to start off the semester. It let us express ourselves in our own way with a personal memory.
I probably didn't put as much time into each paper as I should've but I do feel like I have made a dramastic improvement in my writing.
From the first paper to the last, the instructors feedback has really helped me in revising my drafts.
Overall, this was a great class and I feel like a made a lot of progress from it since the beginning of the year.

My Thanksgiving

My Thanksgiving was absolutely wonderful. Aside from being surround by family and friends, I got to stuff my face with over 15 different foods! Now, that is something very difficult to complain about. Although, needless to say, I know exactly where all that food went.
Even though I am now suffering from the several pound weight gain, I would have to say that my break was a complete success. However, I do not recommend waking up at 8 AM on Thanksgiving morning and not going to bed until 42 hours later because it will put you in a very uneasy mood.
After all the wonderful happenings of my break, I was sad to see it go. Then, when I reached Vermillion on Monday morning only to realize I had to walk to class in a blizzard, sad was an understatement.

PG #224: The Most Dangerous Game

First off, I think a particular part of this story that really says more than it actually says is the title. The Most Dangerous Game.I have always thought that the meaning of "game" in the title could go beyond the double meaning to maybe include a third?  At first, Rainsford clearly 

states that he thinks hunting is the greatest game in all the world.  But once he becomes the hunted, he sees that this is not a "game" at all.  That word just has such a light definition, it doesnt really capture the violence and terror in the hunt.  It is not until Rainsford becomes the hunted that he sees this and realizes that the "game" is really a fight for survival. 

As far as symbols go, there are a few that I have considered to be significant.

1. Darkness- it gives off the scary feelings. Like boats passing by for instance, they look at the island as "scary" because it is surrounded by darkness.

2. Red- The story hints several times that the color red has much significance to death and violence. At the beginning of the story when Rainsford falls off the boat he falls into the 'blood warm waters' which could mean potential danger. Then, when he actually gets to the island he sees weeds 'stained crimson (red)'. Throughout the story he also makes references about Zaroff's 'red-lipped' smile. Rainsford becomes more and more aware of the color red as he realizes Zaroff's 'bloody' game. In addition to that, Ivan wears a crimson colored sash and even the soup that Zaroff feeds Rainsford is red. So, as you can see, there are a ton of references toward the color red that hint danger.

3. the Jungle- We all know the jungles are chaos and full of wild animals and plants. In this story, the symbol of the jungle refers to what is happening within the island. It could also be seen as Rainsford being restricted and losing control because when he reaches the island, he is now playing Zaroff's game and under his control.

Young Goodman Brown

My first thought about this story was the title. It is likely symbolizing a man who is obviously young and 'good' as in a follower of God and who is true to his faith.
Reading the first part of the story was a little bit confusing because I really wondered why he had to go on this journey.
I think the moral of this story is that everyone, no matter who they are, makes mistakes.
It gives the scenario of a guy who is very faithful to God but turns on his wife (who is a symbol of his faith) to meet the Devil. And this is where he realizes that all the other members of the community are 'sinners' as you could say.
But all in all, its a story about people making mistakes and learning to realize that not everyone is perfect.. and thats the beauty of life.

A Rose for Emily

   First off, I would like to point out that the title of this short story really makes the reader ponder what the story will be about first, before reading it. Questions like "Is there a character named Emily who may be receiving a rose for a reward?" or "What does this certain 'rose' symbolize for Emily?" Needless to say, I do not think anyone could have guessed what the story is about before reading it.
 
   The story is somewhat typical for a small town. There is always that one old woman or man who seems to be the 'odd' person around and in addition to that, the town stays away but continues to gossip and wonder.
   As we continue through the story we learn that Emily has lost her father, who was a significant figure in her life. I believe this was when Emily started to isolate herself from the others in the community. However, when she finds someone she does not want to let them go. I think the town was very skeptical of Emily and her life and what was going on inside of her house. This raised many questions from the people of the town that went unanswered.
   Needless to say, Emily turned out to be a complete weirdo in my book. Its really creepy to think about her sleeping next to a dead person. I was extremely shocked about that discovery. I mean, really? Somebody get this lady a therapist.

The Most Dangerous Game

I enjoyed reading this story, especially because it wasn't as long as the first story we read.
What stood out to me the most about this story were the similarities between Rainsford and the Zaroff. First, they were both very smart when it came to hunting and this showed throughout the whole story. At first, it's all about killing animals or so you think, but then Zaroff turns out to be a total nut? This is where the story starts to get a little weird and twisted. Before Rainsford arrives at Zaroff's he only hunts to kill animals but when he realizes that Zaroff has switched up the game, he starts to change too. So when these two start their challenge, its a totally different game. My question is, do they both want to be better than the other? Or, is Rainsford really just trying to survive? It's difficult to say, all I know is that Zaroff must have been a pretty messed up guy to want to hunt people.

Katrina Van Tassle

My teacher? Well, he was a different man. He always sang and had this weird shaped nose that stuck out. Oh but the way he looked at me; it made me feel great. When I noticed this, it had to be around the time that I had my sights set on Brom Bones. Brom was everything I wanted but what could I do? I couldn't ignore my teacher. But now that Ichabod is gone forever, I will never have to looked at in class and Brom and I can live together in peace.

Katrina Van Tassle