The Soloist: Final Post

The final chapters of the soloist really put things in perspective for me. You realize that Lopez really cares about Nathaniel and it’s not just for the sake of his writing. Lopez would go to hell and back just to see Nathaniel succeed.

            In these chapters Steve and Nathaniel get into a huge blowout. Ayers’ claims that Lopez is lying to him about the court case. Ayers continues arguing makes threats, uses profanity, and loses all control. This was a scary part for me. I began thinking is he really going to attempt accomplish these threats he’s making? Is he going to try and hurt Lopez? With schizophrenia you never know what that person is capable of.

            Even after all the drama and violent outbursts, Lopez continues to care for Ayers. They make up and Nathaniel realizes he was wrong.  If I were Lopez I would have ended all communications at that moment. But unlike me, Lopez kept with it and made sure that Nathaniel was able to play his music in a safe environment. Lopez has become an inspiration with this selfless act of kindness.

When grading realize that I tried to put myself in the characters shoes.

The Soloist 13-22

In Chapters 13-22 it seems that people nationwide are taking interest in Nathaniel. This is both a good and bad thing. People are offering instruments and apartments to Nathaniel because they feel like they’re helping a struggling musician/homeless man/ man with schizophrenia. Nathaniel turns down these offers because he prefers to live on the streets. He views skid row as his home and would rather not relocate.


What people don’t think about is all these apartments and things that Nathaniel has been turning down could be offered to others living on skid row. I’m sure that many of those people would love getting back on their feet. Unfortunately, these people aren’t Julliard Alumni and didn’t happen to lose their sanity along the way. I think the fact that people are willing to help a person in need is amazing but there are other people around the world less fortunate that are struggling while supporting themselves and their families.


If I were Steve Lopez I would have found an organization that assisted the homeless and mentioned it in my pieces concerning Ayers. That way all the loyal followers of Ayer’s story would be able to help out others who want the help rather then make useless offers that Nathaniel resists.




When grading my blog please keep in mind I'm not schizophrenia basher, I just have little patience for people who won't except help when they definitely need it.

The Soloist 7-12

Things are really starting to pick up in the story in chapters 7-12. Steve Lopez shows his true interest in Nathaniel and telling his story to others. Lopez decides to sleep on skid row with Nathaniel and experience a night in the life of a homeless man. Although he didn’t sleep he just sat there, he still made the attempt. I feel that Lopez just wanted to be there for Nathaniel; he has so much talent and lives in one of the most dangerous places in the country. He just feels better knowing he’s not alone. Lopez goes to a nearby hotel and checks in but soon enough he leaves only to roam the streets until morning. I viewed this section as selfless on Lopez’s part. That would be the day that I went and stayed on skid row with a man with schizophrenia. As the story develops you realize Steve isn’t just in it for the story. He genuinely cares for Ayers in a way that I could never fully understand. He’s one of a kind considering many journalists are just out for themselves, they print the story and move on to a new one. Lopez takes the time to let the story take it’s course.


I don't have any specific ways for you to grade this post. Just do your thing :)

The Soloist 1-6

In chapters 1-6 of the soloist you learn a lot about the personalities of Nathaniel Ayers and Steve Lopez.

Lopez becomes fascinated by the fact that a former student of Julliard ended up on the street playing an instrument with two strings. Through reading some of Lopez’s other pieces I’ve realized it’s not just Ayers he was drawn to. Whenever he spots someone with potential he journeys to the end of the earth just to help him or her out. Lopez is an extremely generous and caring person, even though he doesn’t even know Ayers he still wants to protect him. When Lopez publishes his first piece about Nathaniel he receives a lot of feedback. People are offering to send violins & cellos for Ayers and all Lopez can think about is Nathaniel getting robbed/hurt. The first few chapters really show how Nathaniel is starting to grow on Lopez, despite his problems.

In the beginning of the book, Ayers seems sketchy of everyone especially Steve Lopez. When Lopez sees him playing he immediately walks up to talk to Ayers. Ayers jumps back as if he is scared or nervous. The next couple times Lopez goes to see him he isn’t frightened anymore. He becomes comfortable with him and starts to open up to him. When Lopez mentions the instruments to him, instead of getting excited he first says he can’t accept them nor can he afford them. It just shows the kind of person that Nathaniel is. It’s amazing that even though his life consists of nothing but surviving on the streets, he still doesn’t want to take from people. Although his schizophrenia tends to affect his decision-making, his true persona shines through occasionally.

Overall, I enjoyed reading these chapters. I think they really gave me a feel for the characters. I am now able to relate to some of their traits.



I don't have any specific ways for you to grade this post. Just do your thing :)

The Catcher in the Rye

After reading The Catcher in the Rye I feel a little depressed. The whole book is about a teenager who can't find anyone who truly cares about him. His parents let him go from school to school and could care less when he's coming home.

When I read a book I try to look for a deeper meaning in the story. What I found is that Holden seems to get himself kicked out of each school just because he wants attention from his family.
Unfortunately, each time he's just shipped off to another school. Holden just wants to be noticed and appreciated for who he is. His grandmother sends him money constantly, not because she wants to but because she forgets how much she sends and when his birthday actually is. All the money he has doesn't mean anything to him; it's just dead cash.

Throughout the story he talks about having someone and being lonely. This problem roots from his home life. Holden goes from schoolmate's mothers, to prostitutes, to random women just searching for someone to care, or at least pretend to. This all just adds to his angst. The only people he seems to have a real connection to are Jane and Phoebe. They are the only people that he has nothing but good words to say about them.

In closing, this book but it shows how vulnerable teenagers are and that a little attention goes a long way.

Death of a Salesman

After reading "Death of a Saleman" I've realized how money affects people's personalities and the decisions that they make. Money can make or break a person. When you become obsessed with money it starts to control your life and drive you to make decisions you normally wouldn't even consider. Willy Loman let money drive him into the ground.


Willy worked his whole life to achieve his idea of success. He wanted to be known by the people he worked for and one day be able to work in his robe and slippers. Loman was so upset that he hadn't reached his goal that he started attempting to take his own life. Loman just gave up on the dream and his family had to pay the price. His whole life he acted as though once he was older he would be well known and that his sons would be very successful. When Biff comes home and doesn't have the kind of life that Willy planned, it starts to bother Willy. Another thing that contributes to the Biffs choice of lifestyle was when he found out about Willy's affair. After this event Biff resented his father and began to steal his way out of every oppurtinity for a life as a salesman. You can see tell Willy knows that he is the reason that Biff isn't successful but he doesn't want to admit it to himself.


Part of Willy's problem was he always thought that his life would just work out. If you don't go out and be the best at what you do, then no one will consider you the best. If Willy just realized that no one owed him anything just for being alive then his story would have had a happy ending. Willy's ego got in the way of his success and led to his downfall. He put up this facade and managed to fool his friends and family. The truth comes out at Willy's funeral. Willy always said there would be tons of people when he was laid to rest, but there was no one.


Overall, many amercians have this vision of being rich and famous but not everyone can get there. Sometimes, along the way people lose themselves and their minds.

Blogger

During these seven weeks, I've felt like I've been in a college class. The idea of blogger has definitely made me eager to do homework. Since most of our assignments are being posted to the internet it's easy to get it done and look back at past assignments. I am definitely a fan of blogger. I like the fact that we can do participation by responding to each others work by posting a comment. This has helped me a lot considering I don't like to verbally comment on people's work. I used to watch my cousin do her college classes on University of Phoenix's Axia and thought, "how cool would it be to do school online?" With blogger I've been able to have that experience. Also with blogger its 99% excuse free. No one can say they didn't know what the assignment was because they didn't write it down, forgot, or didn't hear what it was. Most of the English classes I've had consisted of bookwork, definitions, and tons of reading. With this class, we've been allowed to have a voice and with that voice we put our opinions out there. We get to just talk about what we do in class. Until this year, 11-1 had no idea what we talked about in our class. With blogger they have front row seats to our discussions. I like blogger, it's like myspace for school.

The Great Gatsby

I really loved reading the Great Gatsby. As odd and twisted as some of it was, there was a touching love story that definitely stood out for me. Gatsby's determination to get Daisy back completely melted my heart.


Gatsby molded the person he became according to the person he thought Daisy wanted him to be. He tried every way possible to get Daisy back into his life. Finally it came down to one, Nick. Gatsby threw huge parties all the time just hoping to catch a glimpse of Daisy wandering around, but he never did. He skimmed the paper everyday hoping to wander across her name, but never did. Finally, Daisy's cousin Nick pops into the picture. At last, a glimmer of hope.
At Gatsby's request, Nick invites both Gatsby and Daisy over for tea. Not knowing that Gatsby is attending Daisy comes into the house and out of the rain. What she is presented with is completely unexpected.


This is my favorite part of the book. Probably because I'm a hopeless romantic. I live for a dramatic reunion. After this I was hooked, when I think about the emotions and thoughts going through their heads I cringe.

Chapter 3 Journal

In Chapter 3, Nick describes the life of his partying neighbor, Gatsby. The house is equipped with bars, buffets, maids, butlers, and more. Gatsby orders musicians that play throughout the night at his wild parties. Nick is invited to Gatsby’s party one night and actually decides to attend. I found this a little odd considering Nick doesn’t seem like the “partying” type. Nick wouldn’t be one of the people you’d expect to run into there. At the party, Nick spots his cousin Daisy’s good friend Jordan Baker and stays with her for the rest of the night. It seems as though Gatsby is an urban legend, everyone knows of him but hasn’t seen him. I’m Interested in why he’s so low key. What is he hiding? A couple hours into the party Nick finally meets the famous Gatsby. It just so happens that they were in the Third Division in the war together. As usual, Gatsby disappears and Nick finally decides to leave the party. Days later Nick starts to think about his feelings for Jordan. He might love her.

American Poetry Supermarket

To a Poor Old Woman
William Carlos Williams

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15813

William Carlos Williams was born in Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1883. He began writing poetry while a student at Horace Mann High School, it was there that he decided to become a writer and doctor. He attended the University of Pennsylvania, where he met Ezra Pound. Pound became a huge influence in Williams' writing. Like Pound, he was a leader in the Imagist movement but over time disagreed more and more with that ideas that came across in Pound's writing. He thought that the poetry was too attached to the european culture. He came up with a way of writing that talked about everyday life and situations, "American Writing". His work took off at a slow but steady pace, but he started recieving attention in the 1950's. Some of his major works include Kora in Hell (1920), Spring and All (1923), Pictures from Brueghel and Other Poems (1962), the five-volume epic Paterson (1963, 1992), and Imaginations (1970). Williams' continued writing until his death in 1963.

In To a Poor Old Woman, I can see how Williams liked to elaborate on everyday situations. The woman in the poem is simply in the street eating plums. When you look further into it you notice the way he plays with the way it's written.

For example,

They taste good to her

They taste good

to her. They taste

good to her.

With each repetition, you are forced to speak it in a different way. Each way has a different effect on how you veiw this woman. It's almost like all of her happiness revolves around eating this plum. You feel as though you are outside watching this event take place.

This Is Just To Say by William Carlos Williams

http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/william_carlos_williams/poems/16997

In reading this poem, you can see how Williams takes a typical american situation and transforms it into a poem. This is Just to Say is a poetic apology for eating something out of the icebox that wasn't his. It's simple ideas such as this that comes across in many of Williams' poems, it's his trademark.

Cather Writing Piece

Recently, I read Cather’s “Consequences.” Her writing comes across as non-fiction; it’s almost as though you are reading about a real person life and daily activities. You began to get into the person’s routine as if you’re a friend or observer. When writing comes off that way, it’s doing its job. Writing allows you to show others how you view certain subjects and give your opinion. The topic of suicide is a very touchy subject to elaborate on. It affects so many people adults, children, and seniors. It’s very emotional and really makes you feel for that person. You can almost feel all the pain they are experiencing and it begins to hurt you personally.
Cather doesn’t elaborate much on suicide, The man in the story pretty much just kills himself. You don’t know why. It just happens. In a way this goes back to how realistic the story is. In most suicide cases, you don’t see it coming. The person seems stable and okay. You don’t see the pain that the person is experiencing and in a flash they’re gone.
In closing, Cather’s writing is excellent. It captures you in this story and just ends it. It keeps you wanting more.

Does writing have the power to enact social change?

After reading Jordan’s piece I feel a little depressed. The poem is like a huge run on sentence. She goes on and on about all the pain, suffering, and dying she witnessed. It makes you realize how gruesome the situation is regardless of how heroic they make it seem. If others read this poem and took some time to let it really sink in I think it could change many peoples opinions about the war.

Writing definitely has the power to enact social change. One thing you write down can completely change how people think of you, others, and themselves. For example, The Bible, This piece of writing has changed the world forever. This book has been the focal point of hundreds of religions, beliefs, and debates. This important piece of literature has affected the everyday lives of every human being.

Writing that is not as popular as the bible can also enact social change. If I post something about someone in a bulletin on Myspace™, all of my friends would know and talk about it the following day. Writing has the power to change people’s lives, I could affect someone’s reputation with one sentence. There is a huge difference between what you say and what you write. What you write is documented and you can’t undo it.

Overall, writing can affect one person, a small group, or the world. There’s never a case when no one is affected, it’s too powerful.

Price of a Child

Nicole VanDerzee
English III, 11²
Mr. Fiorini
1/24/09

The book The Price of a Child by Lorene Cary really touched me as a female. Having to cope with losing a child is no easy task especially when the decision is losing a child or gaining freedom. Although this may sound cruel, the main character Ginnie/Mercer had two other children to take under consideration.
It all begins when Ginnie is sent with two of her three children to Philadelphia with her Master, Jackson Pryor. Pryor is taking a boat to Nicaragua and Ginnie and her children are along for the ride. Pryor goes out for dinner and leaves Ginnie and the children in the room of the hotel they are staying at. While he’s away Ginnie tries to get the attention of a maid. A man named Nig nag overhears and goes to a friend that will help her escape. Although it was extremely difficult Ginnie realizes that this is her chance and she needs to be willing to take it.
After this part in the book you begin to realize how strong she really is. While reading this I started to think to myself "what would I do if I were in that situation" or"what if my mother had to pick?" The saddest day in a mother’s life is losing her child and under these circumstances it’s no better. I felt for her in a way you would be sympathetic to a real person. The idea that affected me the most is that people did go through these types of situations. Real women had to choose their freedom over their babies.
Having read this novel it’s made me more appreciative to the freedom and family I’ve been blessed with. Sometimes when you fight for so hard the right to choose, you don’t want it so much anymore. It often makes things more difficult. Ginnie figures out the price of a child in the end; freedom.