Cause and Effect

     Johnny is Caroine's brother and he is in injured and is in need of great help. Caroline and her grandmother,  Miz Melody, have to go out and find him so he can get better and come home. The events that happen prior to this are cause this probblem of Johnny being in bad condition.

     Caroline just knew of her brother being injured and in bad condition, as a loving sister she reports back to her family. Her family finally decides to send Caroline on a little journey to go and find him. A colonial, Rawdon, said yes to this idea but she needed to bring Miz Melody. Caroline and her grandmother start their trip but you have to remeber it's very dangeropus because this happened during the Revolutionary War. When they first set out they waste their time helping a starving family. Yes, this was very kind of them but the effect was that they were behind on their trip to go find their loved one. As night starts approachign Caroline and Miz Melody stop at a stream to get some water and cool down their body's. While they were getting water Caroline here's a very loud yell back at the wagon ehich they were traveling with. Caroline ran as fast as the wind only to find that a woman was holding a musket to her grandmothers head. The woman took both Caroline and Miz Melody back to her house where she was going to decide what she was going to do with them from there. I'm not sure what will happen to Johnny but I can imagine he's suffereing great pain right now. In tough times like this people can get very crazy and do stupid things like the woman who captured Caroline and her grandmother.

     Overall there can be many effects to problems you just assume something quickly about. right now things are left unpredictable for what will happened to Johnny, but many things have happened to go along with Caroline and Miz Melody's journey.

  

Point of View

Cast Two Shadows is being told by Caroline who is a fourteen year old living during the American Revolutionary War. Caroline is facing some hardships in her life because she witnessed both of her friends being killed by the Red Coats. You could tell when Caroline was discussing this event in the book many emotions were passing through her. You could definetly sence the pain in her that she had just seen a horrific thing. Furthermore another event that happened was when Caroline went and met up with her "secret" grandmother. You could tell Caroline was very scared because she didn't really know what to say. Also how she was teling it in the book you could sence that she was experiencing difficulties talking to her since they haven't seen each other in awhile and Carline just felt in a uncomfortable place.

Short Story

Heart Break

Sheila was unusually quiet on the phone as she listened to her boyfriend Mason going on about how she flirts with other guys. As he was talking Sheila processed these thoughts and quietly whispered, “What a jerk, I haven’t done anything.” Mason replied in a stern tone “What did you say?” There was an awkward silence between the two. “I didn’t say anything Mason,” Sheila said. As Sheila heard nothing on the other line she said “Hello.  Ummm Hello are you there?” Sheila had figured Mason had hung up on her. Many thoughts raced through her mind and Sheila was helplessly confused.

The next morning Sheila walked into school going the long way so she didn’t have to pass Mason’s locker and make any contact with him. Sheila quickly hurried because the one minute bell was quickly approaching. She raced down the hall and made it just in time before she would have been marked tardy. Sheila looked around and met eyes with Mason. She had totally forgotten that her 1^st hour class was with him. Sheila just reminded herself to keep a positive attitude and not think about what had happened last night.

Finally the bell rang and Sheila briskly walked to her locker with her best friend Ally. “Is something going on with you and Mason? You guys didn’t talk at all and were acting very strange,” Ally asked Sheila in a generous tone. “How about I’ll explain it to you during lunch because we have to get to class,” she replied. “Alright,” Ally shook her head slowly as she agreed. They both made their way down the hall as Sheila’s phone went vibrated. Completely thrilled, Sheila pulled out her phone to share the news that Mason had texted. “Alright I got to go. I’ll see you at lunch Sheila,” Ally told Sheila as she walked down the hall. Sheila looked at phone for this was a big surprise considering they just got into a fight last night about Sheila flirting with other guys. As she read the text her eyes started getting watery and a crying emotion started coming over her. The text read “Sheila I want you to know that you deserve the best your beautiful, but I can’t continue this way. I can’t keep seeing you flirt and mingle with other guys it breaks my heart. I guess this is goodbye for now.” Sheila quickly ran down the hall and went out the back doors of the school as she had tears streaming down her face.

Johnny Cade

                                                                   Johnny Cade

          Johnny Cade is a troubled teenager with much abuse in his life. Beaten by his father and ignored by his alcoholic mother, Johnny leads a troubled some life. Johnny is misjudged by people and has a caring and loving side to him especially with his dear friend Ponyboy. Johnny doesn’t really have a family he’s raised mostly by his gang members.   Johnny is part of a gang called the Greasers which are poor people and the working class in the novel The Outsiders. As Johnny develops throughout the course of the story, he realizes that life may give you the best at first, but it may not always stay that way.    

Johnny has a really rough life. According to Ponyboy, sixteen-year-old Johnny looks like "a little dark puppy that has been kicked too many times and is lost in a crowd of strangers.” Johnny has been jumped by Socs and brutally beaten.  Since this Johnny has been very jumpy and would carry a switchblade with him around. This behavior of Johnny shows that he’s very timid.

During the novel Johnny runs away with Ponyboy and they both hide out in an abandoned church. During their short stay at the church Johnny gets closer to Ponyboy and begins to appreciate nature more deeply. For example on page 69 after Ponyboy and him witness a beautiful sunrise Johnny says, “The mist was what was pretty.” Furthermore he also comments on page 70 saying to Johnny, “I never noticed colors and clouds and stuff until you kept reminding me about them.” This shows that Johnny has a sensitive and respectful side to him because he’s appreciating nature.
Finally Johnny and Ponyboy get picked up by one of their gang members Dallas and he takes them to eat. Johnny though returns because he decides to turn himself in for something wrong he did to a Socs. Ponyboy runs after him of course. While on their way back they notice that the church they stayed in is burning. Both of them immediately enter the building and start rescuing the children who are stuck inside. This proves Johnny has a very big heart and is doing something very brave because he’s risking his life for others. In the process a burning timber falls on his back and he’s admitted to the hospital as well as Ponyboy. As time goes on Ponyboy is okay but Johnny is in the hospital still suffering. Pony goes back and sees how Johnny is. While there, Ponyboy explains how Johnny is all over the paper on how he’s a hero for saving the kids at the church. Johnny’s eyes glow because that’s all he ever wanted since he never got that attention around his parents. As Johnny comes to an end his lasts words to Pony were “Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold…”

In the story Johnny shows he was a brave, timid and a heartwarming guy, but most of all he was an amazing friend to Ponyboy. He left Ponyboy with the exact words Pony recited to him in the poem when they were watching the sunset: “Nothing gold can stay." He wants to make sure that Ponyboy stays good and true to himself for as long as he can.        

           

Nothing Gold Can Stay

     Nothing gold can stay is that something may start out perfect but it won't last forever or it will be dull at the end of its time.

Darry from "The Outsiders"

Author's Note: I choose to describe the character Darry from The Outsiders. I would like feedback on if you thought I described him well enough or if I missed anything important.

     Darry in the book plays the fatherly part. He's the oldest of his two brothers which are Ponyboy and Sodapop. Darry has sandy brown red hair, blue and green eyes, and is a tall guy. I believe Darry is a good person overall because he's responsible, cares for his brothers, and works very hard to keep the family going.

Cause and Effect

The main conflicts are that Jhonny kills Bob,  police treat the Greasers poorly, and Ponyboy likes Cherry. The main reason why conflicts are caused is because one part is Greasers and the other is Soc's. None of them agree on anything and they come from different gangs. Effects are that Bob dies, Greasers are never respected, and Ponyboy and Cherry won't work becasue Ponyboy is a Greaser and Cherry is a Soc.

Is He Insane?

I believe that the man is very insane. This was a man of destruction and someone with a very cold heart. The actions this man did are not things everyday humans do. In this story “The Tell-Tale Heart,” by Edgar Allen Poe this man has an evil thing that bothers him so he decides to get rid of it…. forever. Poe shows how insane a single person can get and the guilt you have of that one action you take in life.  

I truly think this man is insane and way out of his mind. He goes into this old man’s room every night when he’s sleeping just to see his “vulture” eye and how it bothers him. He opens it and examines it every night at midnight exactly. After weeks and weeks of preparation the man decides to get rid of the eye himself because it was driving him crazy. He walks in the old man’s room one night and kills him with his own hands. He then chops up his body and hides it in the floor boards. Now who in their right mind would do that? This man clearly had something wrong with his mind. In the meantime the police arrive because neighbors heard yells from the old man’s house. Of course that was the old man when he was dying. Once the police get there the man covers up that the old man wasn’t there and that nothing happened. The man had so much guilt that he kept thinking that he could hear the old man’s heart still beating when he was dead. Now this is crazy because once someone is dead you can’t hear their heart ever again. Eventually the guilt kills the man inside and he confesses to the officers, but he thinks maybe this isn’t so bad. The man wants everyone to know his plan and how a genius he thought he was.

Overall this man was very foolish; he kills an innocent man just because of his eye. Furthermore he got his wish and the “vulture” eye was gone, but he was okay with that because people would know his master plan worked. In whole this short story is something people can learn from that don’t let little things get to you and definitely don’t take it to the extremes of murdering, how the man did.     

Are You Proud of your Country?

I am proud of my country. We stand strong and independently. Each and every one of us living in the United States has freedom. That's something that's very important because there are people out in the world that don't have that privilege. Furthermore we help other countries in need. For example Haiti when they had a big earthquake and China’s big earthquake devastation. As well we have freedom of religion. People who live in the U.S. aren’t judged on what religion they are or what they practice. Overall I think anyone who lives here is very lucky and should be proud of what their country has done.  

Hero of the Century

Juana looked up at the sky as she saw the next terrorist coming her way. She was in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with her crew as they all died from bombs coming their way. Juana knew she had to save her partner though. He’s always been there for her, but if Juana went in she would die and that would be the end for her.      

Everyone gathered in this luxurious theater to see who would win The Hero of the Century Award. You could tell everyone had that nervous feeling on their faces. This award was the most precious thing because it showed you did something heroic that many people would remember for a very long time. The presenter stepped up on stage as he cleared his throat and adjusted his tie. “We’ve gathered here today to give out a special award. This certifies that you have done something that was remarkable valuable. You all deserve this award, but only one has prevailed. Without further ado our Hero of the Century is Juana.” The presenter took a big gulp. “Yes we all know Juana has passed, but she put forth her passion to save her best friend’s life. That’s the most special thing you have in the world, a friend.” The presenter stepped off the stage as everyone was in complete shock. He took the award with him and gave it to Joey, Juana’s friend who she saved. That night Joey took the award and proudly set it on Juana’s grave as he said a prayer to himself and started crying.

Years and years went by, but no one remembered what Juana did except for Joey. Joey had to see Juana’s grave everyday because he lived right across the street from the cemetery. The thought of Juana never left Joey’s mind especially because she was always in his heart and was always his lover.

Song Lyrics

Baby by Justin Bieber

You know you love me, I know you care (you care about that special someone)
Just shout whenever, and I'll be there (he/she is always there for you)
You are my love, you are my heart (you mean the world to that special someone)
And we will never, ever, ever be apart (we're always going to be together)

Are we an item? Girl, quit playin' (stop playin with his/her heart)
"We're just friends," what are you sayin'? (were nothing more than friends)
Said "there's another," and looked right in my eyes (there’s other people out there for me to love)
My first love broke my heart for the first time (my love broke my heart)

And I was like baby, baby, baby, oh
Like baby, baby, baby, no
Like baby, baby, baby, oh
I thought you'd always be mine, mine (thought we were always going to be together)

Baby, baby, baby, oh
Like baby, baby, baby, no
Like baby, baby, baby, oh
I thought you'd always be mine, mine (thought we were always going to be together)

For you, I would have done whatever (I’ll do anything for you)
And I just can't believe we're here together (can’t believe were still friends)
And I wanna play it cool, but I'm losin' you (you keep drifting away)
I'll buy you anything, I'll buy you any ring (get you anything to make you happy)

And I'm in pieces, baby fix me (fix my broken heart)
And just shake me 'til you wake me from this bad dream (don’t let it turn out this way)
I'm goin' down, down, down, down
And I just can't believe my first love won't be around (can’t believe you won’t be here)

And I'm like baby, baby, baby, oh
Like baby, baby, baby, no
Like baby, baby, baby, oh
I thought you'd always be mine, mine (thought we were always going to be together)

Baby, baby, baby, oh
Like baby, baby, baby, no
Like baby, baby, baby, oh
I thought you'd always be mine, mine (thought we were always going to be together)

When I was 13, I had my first love
There was nobody that compared to my baby (nobody compares to my love)
And nobody came between us who could ever come above (nothing kept us apart)
She had me going crazy, oh I was starstruck (you had my running circles)
She woke me up daily, don't need no Starbucks (always had me going)

She made my heart pound (he/she is beautiful)
I skip a beat when I see her in the street (I get nervous around you)
And at school on the playground
But I really wanna see her on a weekend (always want to see you)
She know she got me dazin' 'cause she was so amazin' (you are perfect to me)
And now my heart is breakin' but I just keep on sayin' (my heart is breaking)

Baby, baby, baby, oh
Like baby, baby, baby, no
Like baby, baby, baby, oh
I thought you'd always be mine, mine (thought we were always going to be together)

Baby, baby, baby, oh
Like baby, baby, baby, no
Like baby, baby, baby, oh
I thought you'd always be mine, mine (thought we were always going to be together)

I'm all gone (I’m leaving)
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Now I'm all gone
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Now I'm all gone
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Now I'm all gone, gone, gone, gone
I'm gone (I’m leaving)

Deep Water

Have you ever felt like you couldn’t face you’re biggest fear? That your heart tells you to be brave and you can do this, but you never have the courage to. You feel so frightened and afraid to face your biggest fear in the world. These are the feelings and many fragile emotions readers will experience in the story “Deep Water,” by William Douglas. Readers will come to realize that facing fears is a precious thing and so hard to do, but afterwards you have this sensation that leaves you feeling blissful and superb.

In the story Deep Water the author William is the character who is terrified to go in the water and to face his biggest fear which is swimming. This connects to many things I’ve read, experienced, and even seen. From William eventually facing his fear and going swimming reminds me of this show “The Bachelor.” I can connect to this because one of the women on the show, Jackie, had a fear of heights. Then Brad, the Bachelor surprised the women with going down a 310 foot waterfall. As the women went down the waterfall it slowly became Jackie’s turn. When Jackie was up she was deadly afraid to go, but Brad her lover promised it would be ok. Eventually Jackie faced her dreadful fear just how William did in the story Deep Water.

When William finally decided to take swimming lessons when he was older he ended up concurring his fear. This bonded to my personal life because my worst fear was going out in the ocean. Until one day when we were vacationing in Italy it was time to go out on the water and enjoy the view. I was terrified my hands were trembling and I had the most worried look on my face ever in my life. My dad finally persuaded me by throwing me in the water. I knew how to swim, but my fear was just of sharks and all those little crawly creatures. Once I finally settled down I came to conclusion that it wasn’t so bad. Furthermore I was always so fearful of the one thing that I actually enjoy now in my life. 

Finally William, Jackie, and I got over our fears by facing them. In addition we all came to understand that what we all feared was actually not bad and it’s better if you concur your fears then to have them bottled up inside you.

If you don’t Stand for Something, you will Fall for Anything

            For my quote I choose “If you don’t stand for something, you will fall far anything” a wonderful saying by Malcom X. I believe that people can be inspired by this quote and live by it. It may come off very strong and bold to people depending on how they take it. I infer this means if you don’t stand up for anything you believe in, then you’ll end up following everybody else’s opinion.   

            Malcom X wrote this quote while on strike for black people’s rights. All he wanted to do is to have white people understand that blacks were just as equal and deserve the same rights as white people. He also wanted to inspire others to be them self’s and that it was ok to be unique and different. Furthermore all Malcom wanted was for people to believe in what they want and to stand up for what was right.

            This quote connects to my life because I had conflicts with friends in the past and who’s side to choose. At first I would pick a side, but as I thought things through I knew deep down it wasn’t right. Yes my friends would get mad and it’s sad to think back now that when someone you know becomes someone you knew because of little conflicts like this. Furthermore my decision that I made every time little conflicts came around was to stay strong and believe in what I felt was right to do. This is exactly what Malcom X meant by his quote. You have to stand for something or else it is very true that you’ll fall for anything.

            Overall I consider that people should take this quote into consideration. Don’t let others take you down, don’t let racism get in between you, and believe in what you feel is right even though others may not agree. Malcom X told the public this touching quote to live on in the hearts of others and to have people live by it each and every day.

Patriotism

                                                                   Patriotism

Patriotism is something that will live in the hearts of people for ever. If we didn’t have patriotism what would our country be? What would we all become? Without patriotism everything that our ancestors and people that belong to our country have fought for would just be a total waste. Like our rights and voice. Having patriotism shows that you have love and respect for our country that we stand on today. Maybe some people don’t think patriotism matters, but have these people every thought that if we didn’t have patriotism that they might not even be here today.         

                Why does Patriotism still matter? Patriotism still matters because no matter what race or religion people are from patriotism helps keep us together as a country and as people. Patriotism isn’t just being proud of your country but being proud of sharing it with others. A patriot is someone who loves, supports, and is prepared to serve their country. This means that no matter what’s going on they’re always standing by to serve their beloved country. A country without patriots is about to fall and crash. Or even has and the people don’t even yet know themselves. Furthermore patriotism is a very powerful word to say. If you just waste it on nothing it’s actually giving up on all our rights we have that make us a country and who we are. Many kids these days are starting to think that patriotism isn’t that important. Some kids don’t even know what patriotism is. This is because of schools reporting all the negative things about our country. Our country stands strong and we as people should be proud of our long history of patriotism.

            Overall patriotism is something we should all be swollen with pride with. The people that make up our country are all patriots that help in some way even if it’s the tiniest, but it still makes a huge impact. Everyone in our country should thank those who came before us for making this happen.

Coming Home

                                       Coming Home

       In the passage I read there were many emotions about moving to a new home. Maud Martha, Helen, and her brother might have to move because they will lose their house. I had     to move from my home in Sicily to the United States of America. I don’t exactly remember moving because I was such a young age when I did, but I do know the many stories my parents have told me of our move. The short story I read really touched me because I had to go through a similar situation that the main characters had to go through in this eye opening passage “Home,” by Gwendolyn Brooks.  

            Moving was a big challenge because I had to leave my family. All my aunt and uncles, grandparents, cousins, and dear friends close to my heart. At first I wasn’t thrilled about moving because I had to let go of a big part of my life. That was actually also the first time I boarded a airplane. One thing I remember is when our whole family was at the airport waving goodbye and I was balling my eyes out. That was when it all hit me that this may be the last time I step on my home country. I still remember hugging my grandpa for the last time that has passed away now. These are the precious moments in life I’ll never forget for leaving my family.

             When I finally arrived in the U.S. it was a big difference. The U.S. was much bigger than I expected it to be and had many skyscrapers. Also having a different language made it very difficult for me to speak and interact with people, but luckily I had my parents to guide me through that one. Furthermore the people were very different how they cooperated, their mentality, and actions.  To this day I’ve never really asked my parents why we moved to the U.S., but I’m positive it has to do with them giving my brother and I a more positive future. In my opinion do I think my parents made a well choice to move here, no. I understand it was to have a better life, but I’d rather suffer and be by my family then be far away and heartbreaking with no one to turn to. Moreover it breaks my heart to know that my family is thousands and thousands of miles away, but I know that I’ll always have them close to my heart and only a phone call away.