10 Items I Would Bring With Me

1) A picture from trip to Disney

2) Ipod
3) Summer Ball- my favorite book
4) My signed baseball
5) My science plaque
6) My basketball trophy
7) A Bible
8) An academic medal I received
9) My favorite jersey
10) My favorite food- Cheez-It

Jane Eyre Project Proposal

My idea for the Jane Eyre project is to write an analytical essay comparing the time Rochester spends with Jane to his life with Bertha Mason.  I will describe the differences between these and which one Rochester liked best.  It will explain how Rochester's life with Jane differs with the one he has with Bertha.

Ch. 15 of Ender's Game and My Opinion

     Chapter 15 of Ender's Game sums up what I thought of was a good book.  This chapter explains Ender's life after the buggers' war.  He is still sorry for what he did to Bonzo, Stilson, and the buggers.  Ender did not want to kill anybody and says that he is not a killer.  Peter, back on Earth, has now completed his goal and has gained a lot of political power.  He, as Locke, came up with the Locke Proposal, which ended a war that could have lasted for awhile.  As Valentine said, "It was the moment he had been waiting for, to use Demosthenes' influence with the mob and Locke's influence with the intelligentsia to accomplish something noteworthy." (Card 311)  I liked how Ender told Valentine that the reason he was going with her was to learn more about the buggers.  He wanted "to repay by seeing what I (he) can learn from their past." (Card 314)  It was interesting that even without books in the bugger world, Ender still found things about them such as they cared for their young.  I was confused a bit by the ending of the chapter.  I did not get how Ender was Speaker for the Dead and what that meant.  It was strange to find out that the buggers had actually created a place that had the Giant's corpse, the playground, and the tower. 
     Ender's Game was an interesting book to read.  It explained how Ender, who was a six-year old boy, transitions from Battle School to Command school, then finally on to commander in which he defeats the buggers.  I enjoyed how this novel was full of action.  The games in the battlerooms and Ender's fights are a few examples.  Also, I liked how Card put in some unexpected twists such as in Ch. 14, when Ender is tricked into fighting the actual buggers instead of just a simulator match.  That really got me off guard.  All in all, Ender's Game was an exciting and fun book to read, which I enjoyed greatly.

Ch. 14 of Ender's Game

      This was, hands down, the best chapter of the entire book.  Chapter fourteen was full of intense and surprising twists.  Like Ender, I was surprised to find out that Mazer Rackham was still alive.  Mazer Rackham is there to train Ender even more and he also told his opinion in how he had defeated the buggers.  His idea was that every ship acted like a part of an organism and that the buggers have a queen.  So, when Mazer attacked and killed the queen, it made all the other buggers go stupid and eventually die.  It was cool when Ender put on the headset for the simulator and all the people he trusted in Battle School were there.  Mazer Rackham is putting Ender through many simulations to prepare him for the real battles.  I thought that Ender' continuous strange dreams were peculiar.  As he said, it was as if, "My whole life keeps playing out as if I were a recorder and someone else wanted to watch the most terrible parts of my life." (Card 286)  He kept seeing Peter, Stilson, and Bonzo's faces in his dreams and in one of them he had seen Valentine as one of the wolves from the playground who mocked him and he drowned her.  At first, I thought it would be impossible for Ender to win in his final examination.  Then he came up with an interesting idea, which was to use the Dr. Device on the planet.  It worked and he had destroyed all the buggers in what he thought was a stimulated game.  Then I was completely astonished to find out that all the simulated battles Ender has fought after Mazer became his enemy were part of the Third Invasion.  All this time Ender had been commanding their fleets and he had no idea.  In his final examination, he had actually destroyed and defeated the buggers and had ended the war.  Ender had won the war.  I liked how they ended the chapter by having Ender's trusted people from Battle School all together in Ender's room.

Ender's Game- Ch. 13

      Chapter 13 of Ender's Game describes Valentine's visit with Ender on Earth and Ender's trip to I.F. Command.  Again, Graff uses Valentine to get Ender to change his mind and go the Command school.  I sort of agree with Graff's idea because they need Ender to defeat the buggers.  Valentine is the only person that can persuade him to do this.  I think Valentine did a good job in getting Ender to go back to his training.  She explains to him that if he tries and loses, it is not his fault.  However, if he does not try and they lose, then it is his fault.  I also disagree with Graff's idea because it is not fair to keep using Valentine and is causing Ender to hate Graff more and more.  It is sad when Ender tells Valentine that he wants Peter to love him.  According to Valentine, "Peter didn't love anybody." (Card 242)  Ender did not have an older brother who loved him, but one who always picked on him.  I liked how Ender asks Graff to explain to him what buggers are so he can understand them better.  This way he can use any of this when he has his battles with the buggers.  I thought that out of all the possible reasons for the war between humans and buggers, Graff's makes the most sense.  His thought was that the war is being fought because the humans and buggers cannot communicate with each other.  This makes it difficult for any treaty to be made for the war or for either group to explain to each other what they are really doing.

Ch. 11 and 12 of Ender's Game

     Chapters eleven and twelve cover the success of Ender's army, the attempts by the teachers to break Ender, and his fight with Bonzo.  I like the small connection between the title of chapter 11 and what happens in the chapter.  Veni Vidi Vici, the title, is Latin for "I came, I saw, I conquered", which is foreshadowing Ender's conquest of the other armies in the battles.  In chapter 11, the Dragon army has their first battle and wins it easily.  I found it rude how the other commanders ignored him when he first entered the commanders' mess hall.  The administrators keep changing the game, which is why Ender dislikes them.  They are creating rules to make things harder for Ender and his army, but they still find ways to win.  For instance, the administrators are making Ender's army have battles for two days in a row.  They also, during one battle, make him fight two armies and later on, have Dragon army fight two battles in one day.  I do not see how this is at all fair and I do not think the administrators are just in what they are doing.  I understand they want to make him the best, but all they are really doing it seems, is trying to break him.  I found it interesting how Ender used the First and Second Invasion videos to learn strategy from the buggers.  I agree, again, with Ender that Bean "...can think better and faster..." (Card 198) than anyone else.  I think Ender places a lot of trust in Bean to come up with solutions for problems they have not seen yet.  Ender put him in charge of a squad in order for him to do this. 
      In chapter 12, Dragon army remains undefeated and the teachers are doing everything possible to change it.  Many people obviously hate Ender because of the great deal of success he is having and that he has not suffered one loss.  During this chapter, Ender fights with Bonzo in the bathroom and Ender ends up beating him.  Again, Ender feels sorry for what he has done.  He did the same thing he had done to Stilson, which was to make sure that it would never happen again.  I like how Bean came up with the idea to use the deadline to maneuver quickly without having to rebound against walls.  It is strange that at the beginning, Ender really wants to go back home.  However, when he finally does he says, "He wanted to go back home, back to the Battle School, the only place in the universe where he belonged." (Card 225)  Colonel Graff and Major Anderson tell Ender that he has graduated. He is leaving Battle School with only four years, not with the necessary six.  Also, he is sent to Command School without three years of Pre-command in Tactical or Support.  I was shocked when I found out at the end of chapter 12 that Ender had actually killed Stilson and Bonzo.  I did not think of Ender as the type of person who would kill someone.

Ch. 10- Ender's Game

     Chapter ten of Ender's Game focuses on Ender's transition from toon leader to commander.  He is now leading the Dragon army, a team of young and inexperienced soldiers.  Major Anderson and Colonel Graff are doing everything possible to make things harder for Ender.  It seems impossible that Ender's army is ever going to win a battle due to all the rule changes and inexperience of his soldiers.  For instance, they did not allow Ender to trade soldiers and they did not give him any top-notch veterans.  Similar to Ender, I dislike the teachers because of how unfair they are treating him.  However, strangely enough, Ender uses the same technique Graff used on him.  Just like how Graff isolated him, he is isolating Bean, one of his soldiers.  He believes that the teachers did what they did to him to make him a better soldier.  This is why he is doing the same thing to Bean.  I agree with Ender in that Bean is the brightest kid he has and that he shows the most promise.  After practice, Ender realizes he is doing everything he hated in a commander, which was bullying people like Bonzo had done.  I like how Ender explains that Alai is his friend in a memory so intense that they cannot tear him out.  I think that Ender, in the end, will prevail against these teachers and produce a great army.  At the end, he says, "And with that anger, he decided he was strong enough to defeat them-the teachers, his enemies." (Card 172)

Ender's Game- Ch. 9

      In Ender's Game, chapter nine describes Peter and Valentine's plan as well as Ender figuring out that the administrators are the real enemy.  I like how the book switches back to Peter and Valentine.  Their plan is to win the support of the people in their debates and columns, so they can gain some political power.  In order to do this, they have to use fake names, which they chose to be Demosthenes and Locke, and write as if they were adults.  It is interesting when their dad starts quoting some of Demosthenes' passages, not knowing that his daughter had wrote them.  Slowly, I believe, their plan is working and Valentine has gained some support in the international relations net.  Some of the most important people of the day were defending Demosthenes (Valentine) in the debate over her work.  Back at Battle School, Ender is moving along quickly, now becoming a toon leader in Phoenix army.  He is also gaining a lot of respect from everyone.  Everything seems to be going perfectly for Ender until he realizes something that changes everything.  In the Fairyland game, Ender continuously gets stuck in the castle at the End of the World, dying every time.  He also always sees Peter's face in the mirror.  To solve this issue, colonel Graff goes back to Earth to try to get help from Valentine.  It is surprising that by how much they have monitored Ender, they cannot solve the problem.  I still find it rude how they isolate Ender, not letting him receive Valentine's letters.  However, they feel it is going to help Ender with creativity.  When Ender receives Valentine's forced letter, he realizes that the administrators are controlling his life.  He absolutely hates them now and feels that they have taken the only real thing he had, his memory of Valentine.  This is what turns things from good to bad for Ender.  It is sad to see how unhappy Ender is becoming and how he has no control of his life.

Ch.8- Ender's Game

      In this chapter, Ender finally gets his chance to fight in an actual battle and does not have to just stand there and watch.  Ender is a classic example of how hard work does indeed pay off.  Dink Meeker, a toon leader for the Rat army, has watched Ender practicing with the Launchies and then asked Rose to get Ender for him.  Also, Ender's feet-first attack position is new to Dink's toon, but they soon realize how advantageous it is.  Dink was the one who asked Ender to show this to his toon and made sure they kept practicing it.  I think that Ender should be happy and I find it impressive that Dink likes Ender's idea this much.  In Ender's first battle, Rose forces him to commit suicide by just running towards the enemy door once the battle begins.  However, I found it interesting how Ender turned that from horrible to actually be a great move.  He was able to surprise the opponents and shoot about ten of them, freezing three.  Later in the chapter, Dink and Ender have a pretty intriguing conversation about the teachers and Dink turning down the chance to become commander.  Again, Ender, even though he does not seem to like it, is becoming more like Peter.  Ender thinks that he is a killer and hates this.  In his fantasy game, when Ender looks in the mirror, it shows Peter with blood on his chin and a snake hanging out of the corner of his mouth.  Beforehand, he had caused some older boys a broken nose and a torn ear.  However, looking at this differently, Ender did show some skill when he defeated a few of the older boys on his own.

Ender's Game- Chapter 7

     Chapter seven of Ender's Game explains Ender's transfer to Salamander Army and how he deals with Bonzo Madrid and the soldiers.  Ender is very upset that this has happened to him and it is right when "things were finally coming together." (Card 69)  When Ender goes back to playing Giant's Drink, at one point he is at a playground and the children are laughing at him.  Also, further in the game he is attacked by wolves with human faces.  This symbolizes how things are going to be with the Salamander army.  He is going to feel like an outcast and not be treated seriously.  When he enters the army barrack, he pictures the laughing soldiers as the wolves with "...teeth pointed for tearing." (Card 76)  However, I like how Ender takes it upon himself to get better since Bonzo does not let him participate in the practices.  He also receives help from Petra, who is the only Salamander soldier to act kindly towards Ender.  I agree with his idea to practice with the Launchies on his own time so that he can improve and still spend time with his former friends.  Clearly, Ender is not happy that Bonzo does not include him, but he does agree with Bonzo in that he is not ready.  However, he has already learned new things he can do in the battleroom.  Also, he figured out ways to disrupt Bonzo's formation, which make perfect sense.  I do not understand why the administrators chose the time when all the Launchies were getting along to transfer Ender.  It is surprising when Bonzo does not thank Ender for saving his team in the battle against the Leopard Army.  Instead he beats up Ender and gets mad at him.  It seems that the people in the Salamander barracks realize this and say that Bonzo is destroying discipline.  I especially like what Ender says at the end of the chapter, "He didn't plan to get vengeance on Bonzo for hitting him.  But he did intend that no one would be able to do that to him again." (Card 96)  He is showing that he will not take any rude statements made to him and will not let anyone beat him up anymore.

Ender's game- Ch. 6

         This chapter was great in explaining the battleroom and how the kids responded to being in it.  Ender was the first person to leave the handholds and start soaring through the air.  All the other boys stayed holding onto the handholds until some eventually did leave.  Except for the boys who left after Ender, the other boys did not work on controlling their drifting.  Ender was able to figure out before everyone how to use his feet to control the rebound angle.  The only other boy that showed good maneuvering skills in the battleroom was Alai, Bernard's best friend.  Basically, this is showing again how Ender can quickly realize how to do things.  Another example was when he learned by himself what the two buttons on the gun near his thumb were used for.  I liked how Ender becomes friends with Alai even though he knows Alai is best friends with Bernard.  Also, I liked when Ender said that Alai was the bridge between Bernard and Ender's different groups.  As we have already learned, Ender continuously shows his intelligence at the Battle School.  He does it again in chapter six when he defeats the Giant in Giant's Drink, which is extremely difficult to defeat, almost impossible.  At the end, I'm not sure if Ender is mad that he killed the giant.  He also says, "Peter would be proud of me," (Card 65) which I do not know if he is saying this as a good or bad thing.  In my opinion, he says this to be a bad thing because Ender "...hadn't meant to kill the Giant," and he states, "I'm a murderer, even when I play." (Card 65)

Ch. 5 of Ender's Game

     Chapter five of this novel includes Ender's settlement into Battle School and how he handles the beginning struggles of it.  Ender once again exhibits his intelligence by beating a bigger kid at one of the games as well as hacking the security and sending false messages.  I also found it interesting how quickly and easily Ender was able to figure out the game, which the older kids played and he knew nothing about.  I believe this manifests Ender's future success in Battle School.  With his intelligence and ability to comprehend things he has not learned yet on his own, he will prove to be very successful in this school.  One major problem Ender faces is the bullying from Bernard and his group.  Bernard can be considered as the Peter or Stilson of Battle School.  However, I feel Ender came up with a smart way of handling this problem with Bernard.  He used the idea of sending false messages to everyone in their dormitory to hurt Bernard.  This way he gets rid of the problem without physically injuring Bernard.  Also, what Ender does will end his isolation at the end of the chapter.  Another issue that Ender experiences is the sadness of being away from home.  I found it interesting that even though Ender dislikes Peter, he thanks him at the Battle School.  This is because from all the cruelty Peter has given Ender, he has been able to hide his tears and what he feels.  Thus, Ender says, "more than ever, I need that now." (Card 45)  I also liked how Ender is able to beat the isolation that was sort of forced upon him by the administrators.

Ch. 3 and 4

      Chapters three and four focus on Ender's decision to go to Battle School and what happens on the shuttle, including the launch.  Peter again shows his jealousy towards Ender in chapter three.  When Colonel Graff comes to the Wiggins' house, Valentine looks at Ender, thinking Graff came for Ender.  This hurts Peter's feelings and thus, he acts rudely.  Also, I think it is strange that they call Ender, who is a third child, a Third.  I felt that is was sad when Graff told Ender that no one wants a Third and his parents will not miss him long.  By saying this, I think he was trying to force Ender to come with him.  Ender thinks he is becoming more like Peter and definitely does not want to be like him.  After Ender hurts the boy on the shuttle, he says, "I am Peter.  I'm just like him." (Card 33)  He "...hated himself," (Card 33) for acting like his older brother.  I found it interesting that Graff keeps on favoring Ender, even after he knows that the boy hit Ender on the head several times before.  It is almost as if he wants the boys to hate Ender.  Ender's character is pretty awesome.  I like how he is able to manage his own problems.  I also like Graff's character because he acts nicely towards Ender.  Also, I find it interesting how he purposely puts Ender into difficult situations.  I am not sure if this is good or bad for Ender, but I'm leaning towards it being good.

Ender's Game- Ch. 1 and 2

       Chapters one and two of Ender's Game were interesting.  These chapters consisted mainly of how Ender copes with losing his monitor.  Peter, Ender's older brother, seems jealous that Ender kept his monitor longer.  Also, I feel, he is sort of a weird character because of how he beats up his little brother and then laughs and says it was just a game.  At first, the reader thinks he is a cruel person.  However, towards the end, he tells Ender that he is sorry, he knows how it feels, and that he loves him.  This shows a compassionate side to Peter.  I found it strange that the government had to put monitors on kids and by doing this could feel their expressions.  They could tell if Ender felt pain, could see what Peter did to him, and listen to what Peter says to Ender.  The government can see how Ender acts as well.  For instance, they saw Ender beating up Stilson who was bullying him.  They are also going see how Ender acts when he faces Peter.  Even though this takes place several years in the future, there are some similarities to today.  For example, as Mr. Calvin explained, the desks are similar to iPads.  After hurting Stilson, Ender states he is just like his brother.  I could tell he is ashamed of this because he is crying as he says it.  I think it can also show that Ender feels bad after he beats up someone.

Movie Reflection 3- TKAM

      The entire movie was very well done.  We watched the final scenes of it today, which were intriguing.  I felt when Mr. Ewell spits in Atticus's face, it seemed like it was just thrown in.  Nothing really led up to it, such as Mr. Ewell threatening Atticus and saying rude things to him.  However, Atticus's response to Ewell's action was awesome.  By just wiping his face, not saying anything, and then walking away proves further the goodness of this man.  Also, he shows that he is not the kind of person to retaliate when someone does something disrespectful to him.  Regarding Boo Radley, I agree with the perception they show off him.  I could tell how he still is a child inside.  For instance, Arthur (Boo) Radley holds onto Scout's hand when walking to the front porch.
      Reflecting on the movie as a whole, it did well in describing the major events of To Kill A Mockingbird.  I liked the way the trial was portrayed.  I knew exactly how the people were feeling based on their reactions and by the way they acted.  Of course I think some parts should have been added.  However, a movie cannot include everything from the book.  Thus, I feel the movie did a good job in keeping the events that were most important and removing the ones not needed.  Throughout the movie we see Arthur Radley's kindness toward the Finches.  He gave Jem and Scout little gifts, such as soap dolls and a broken watch and chain, that he had put in the hole of an oak tree.  Also, he saves Scout and Jem's lives when the kids are attacked by Mr. Ewell.  I think it was nice to see how someone can be so compassionate to people that he is not really acquainted with.

Movie Reflection 2- TKAM

       The part of the movie that we saw today was mainly about the trial of Tom Robinson.  I agreed with how this scene was portrayed in the movie, exactly how I would picture it.  Based on their actions and posture, I could tell how the witnesses were feeling.  For instance, Mr. Ewell seemed calm and relaxed on the stand, quite the opposite of the way Mayella acted.  Mayella looked nervous and at times unsure of her testimony.  When asked if Mr. Robinson hit her in the face, she seemed uncertain if Tom ever hit her at all.  Tom Robinson's actions, such as his crying, proves his testimony was truthful.  I could tell he meant it unlike Mayella.  Also, he seemed like he was a nice person since he helped Mayella previous times and said "suh" after his answers.  This shows that possibly Mayella and Mr. Ewell made up their testimonies.  I found it interesting that Bob Ewell never really sat close to Mayella during the trial, especially during Tom Robinson's testimony.  It was as if he was ashamed of her.  Some characters were left out in this portion of the movie.  For instance, Aunt Alexandra, Dolphus Raymond, and Link Deas were not included.  However, not incorporating these people did not hurt the movie or ruin it because these were not important roles.  The way they explained Tom Robinson's injured left arm was different from the book, but was still interesting.  Even though there was lack of evidence towards Tom as well as his contradicting testimony to Mayella's and Mr. Ewell's, he was still found guilty.  Also, the man who did beat up Mayella was most likely left handed since her right side of the face was beaten up.  Tom Robinson could not use his left arm due to his injury.  I think this further shows the racism that was going on during this time period.  The facts show Tom Robinson did not hurt Mayella, but being an African American living at this time, his testimony would not stand a chance of beating a white person's.

Movie Reflection- To Kill A Mockingbird

           The portion of the movie we watched today had interesting as well as confusing parts to it.  I did not understand clearly the reason why the scene of Atticus visiting Helen Robinson was placed in the movie.  This is also when Bob Ewell sneaks around Atticus's car with Jem and Scout in it.  I felt that there was not a real significance to this part except for what Mr. Ewell says to Atticus.  Mr Ewell's derogatory comment toward Atticus could be easily placed in another scene.  For example, it could have been added to the part when Atticus encounters Bob Ewell during the first courtroom scene.  Thus, there was no need for that scene with Helen Robinson.  I liked how the connections to the book were, for the most part, similar.  For instance, the mob scene outside the jail Tom Robinson is in was exactly like the book.  I think that a couple parts could have been added to the movie.  The scene when Aunt Alexandra comes to live with the Finches should, if possible, have been included.  It is important to know that Aunt Alexandra wants Scout to become more lady-like.  This is one of the major topics discussed in the book, not the most important, but important nonetheless.  Otherwise, the movie did well in keeping the unnecessary information out and including the significant scenes.  Overall, I agreed with how the movie portrayed the important scenes of the book.  I felt the characters in the movie were pretty much how I pictured them to be from reading the book.