Class Reflection

Most english classes I really hate going to the class but in your class I really enjoyed going to. Even though the class was fun we did a lot. We got a chance to learn about a local writer, John Steinbeck, and some of the events that inspired him to write the books. In most classes I go the whole semester and hardly know anyone but  this class is very group oriented and that we have to interact with the people around us.

Thank You for an other fun English semester

Peer Review Feedback

I didnt get to do a peer review because i didn't have my essay ready. Instead we grouped up and picked a passage in the book that we thought was very important. We ended up picking the park where Mac helps gives birth. This set the mood of the story, do whatever it takes for the greater cause.

Character analysis of Jim

Jim at the beginning of the book feels like he is not doing much with life and that he has no purpose in life. So Jim decides to move out of his place and joins the radicals. At first he would just type letters all day for Mac and have them but even then he was satisfied just because it was he was a part of something bigger. Later Jim wants to be more involved so they go out to the country and they meet with some apple pickers. Jim soon learns from Mac that you have to do whatever it takes to help the bigger cause. As soon as they get there, there’s a lady, Lisa, giving birth and Mac lies about have past experience with delivering baby. But all goes well and gains the trust of all the men there. As the novel progresses Jim as well becomes accustomed to doing whatever it takes to do it for the greater cause. It is unclear if Jim was doing it just to help out the picker or is it just to make himself feel like he is going something meaningful. 

play

This is what i have so far. Any changes or suggestions just let me know.While I was writing it i found it hard to make humorous so ill need suggestions on that and when laura goes to the zoo i was wondering if there should be some dialog or just actions.

Scene II: Going To School

(LAURA is sleeping

AMANDA enters)

AMANDA

Rise and shine, rise and shine. Amanda hurry up and get ready for school.

LAURA

Yes mother.

AManda

Oh, go wake up your brother so he can get ready for work.

Laura

(LAURA walks into the leaving room to wake TOM)                                                                                              Come one Tom get up before mom gets mad.

TOM

Five more minutes.

(TOM goes back to sleep

LAURA leaves gets ready for school by the mirror)

AMANDA

          (AMANDA walks to LAURA)

Laura you ready for school yet. Here’s some coffee too keep you awake.(AMANDA hands the thermos to LAURA)

LAURA

Thank you mother. Okay im leaving now bye.

(LAURA instead of going to school head over to the ZOO)

random guy

(As LAURA walks to the ZOO)

Nice weather today isn’t it?

(LAURA speeds up and walks away without saying anything)

LAURA

(LAURa walks up to the penguin cage)

????????

          (LAURA enters the apartments, no one is home)

LAURA

Mom’s not home yet, I guess I’ll put some music.
          (LAURA goes to her laptop and play some music and              starts playing with her glass menagerie)

AMANDA

(AMANDA walks in and LAURA rushes to turn off the music and starts typing)

How was school?

Laura

Ahhh school, school was good.

AMANDA

Really, what did you do today?

                        LAURA

Today weeeeee learned a new format.

AMANDA

(AMANDA walks up to the laptop and takes it)

I went to the business school and ask your teacher how you were doing. And she didn’t know who you were. But that there was this very shy girl that got sick during the first test and never came back. What have you been doing?

LAURA

Im so sorry I just didn’t want to disappoint you and see that look on your face. As for what I did, I just walked most of the time.

AMANDA

You walked for 10 hours every day.

LAURA

Well sometimes I would go to the mall and today I went to the zoo to see the penguins.

AMANDA

Laura now a day everyone needs some sort of education. Without an education you don’t have many choices. Have you thought of marrying anyone Laura?

laura

You know I can’t talk to people. I get nervous trying to talk to anybody.

amanda

Well have you tried finding someone online like on Facebook. This way you don’t have to talk to anybody.

Laura

Since you mention online there is this guy I met in this game I play. He seems nice but I don’t he lives around here.

Amanda

Those people are probably weirdos in real life, I’ll just ask your brother to see if he knows anyone single for you.

THE END

Rough Draft

Manuel Portela

Mrs. Knapp

English 1B

Oct 21, 2011

Title?

           The clash between the old and the new in a developing country affects different people in diverse ways. The majority time the beliefs in these views cause revolutions within the country. The people that end affected the most are the children, and sometime generations are lost in war. The graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi takes place during the Iran revolution and invasion by Iraq. The book is told through the eyes of a little girl growing up in Iran in the 1980’s. Throughout the book you see the main Character Marjane changes from and a girl who believes and does everything she is told, to a rebel as she witnesses social and class inequalities.

            In the beginning of the story Marjane is a 6 year old girl who believes she could become whatever she want to be. Every night she would have conversation with god and desires to become a prophet. One day in school her teacher asks her “What do you want to when you grow up.” she responds “I’ll be a prophet” (8). Everyone in the class laughed causing her to be a little more particular of who she told. Nevertheless Marjane tells god “I want to be justice, love and the wrath of god all in one” (9). Showing Marjanes feeling of not having anything hold back. But all that changes when the revolution comes.

              Marjanes first experience that shaped her childhood was when her parents were going to a protest and she had just finished reading up on revolutionary leaders and Karl Marx. She walks up to her parent’s room and demands “I want to with you tomorrow! ...To demonstrate on the streets” (16-17). She’s told no by her parents. With this she is left feeling as if she can’t do anything and calls out “God, where are you” (17).  God doesn’t end up showing up that night and is kind forgotten about for the most part in the story. God not presenting himself that night meant she lost interest in becoming a prophet and religion became less important in her life. Instead she wanted to become a revolutionist.

             Next was the rebellion against her parent’s beliefs. Even though being a very modern family Marjane’s parents still believed in marring within social classes. Mehir was a little girl who was few years older than Marjane they took in to help out a lower class family. Mehir falls in love with neighbor boy. Marjane would writes letters for Mehri because Mehir doesn’t know how to read or write. Marjane’s father finds out and goes to tell thier neighbor Mehri is not his and is of the lower class. At this point Marjane is pretty mad ask her dad “Are you really for or against social injustice” (37). After this event she decides to disobey hers parent’s words and go to the protest, now have a reason why she should protest. Her parents think that “For once she didn’t insist on going” (38) with them. That very same day many people got killed during protest.

               As her rebellious attitude develops Marjane start to take matters into her own had. When she finds out that Ramin’s father killed millions from other children she says “In the name of the dead million, we’ll teach Ramin a good lesson” (45). She walks down the street with nails between there knuckles ready to attack but is stop by her mother. Signifying that sense of right or wrong is starting to emerge, even though it might not always be right.

              The biggest impact Marjane had was her uncle Anoosh got executed by her own government. Anoosh was the one hero in her family she looked up to and cared very much. His death causes her to think “And so I was lost without bearing…What can be worse than that?” (71). Losing trust in her government and abandoning god she is left not knowing what to do.

              One day she is with her friends and they decide to skip class. They decide to go to Jordan Ave. where the teenagers hug out. When she gets home Marjanes mom confronts her about getting a call from school saying she skipped class. At first she tries to say that it was only religion that she skipped, knowing her parents don’t care much for religion, but is caught in her lie. Marjanes storms out saying “Dictator! You are the revolution of this hold” (113). Making it apparent that she rebelling and doesn’t care of what her mom thinks. As an act of rebellion against her mother and final act of childhood she smokes a cigarette in the basement.

              Throughout the graphic novel Marjane grow and build her own opinion of what is going on around her. With war and violence everywhere Marjane could have become another victim of war. But thanks to her family and friends she learned to become a bit rebellious and let her opinion be heard by others.

Persepolis Theme

One major theme in Persepolis is the loss of religion. At first Marjane see's her self being a prophet. With this Marjane wants to stop all the suffering, injustices and social inequalities. Marjane wishes Mehri could marry there there next door neighbor because Marhri is of a different class she is not seen as an equal. She would see god at night and talk to him about all her problems. Marjane begins to read more on politics and becomes more interested in the revolution. As the story progresses she talk with god less and starts imagining about revolutionary leaders. She loses all hope in religion when her uncle Anoosh dies. This leaves her feeling alone and mad at god for letting this happen. After this point religion is mentioned much in the book.

Dealing with Authority

Marjane deals with authority by lying to them to try to get her way even though it doesn't always work. Like when her mother found out that she skipped class and tried telling her that it was religion that she shipped. Not sure what experiences have created my way of dealing with authority but since I was little I was always very respectful to authority. Well at the beginning, I always give the benefit of the doubt. I'll give the person my full respect but if show that they disrespectful then I lose respect for them. Also if they are closed minded I tend become close minded towards what they have to say. I know it seems a bit hypocritical but I'm a strong believer in "Treat others the way you want to be Treated." So as long as the authority figure is respectful I most likely won't have a problem with them.