The End

       Its been a great year in AP Lang and now, its the end. Although it feels like time has passed us by too quickly, it all has to come to a end. As a student, I've grown very much in ways I couldn't believe. Originally, I thought it was going to be some other English class, but I had an awesome time learning on different ways to write essays as well as reading great pieces of literature throughout the school year. It helped me to improve as a student and school in ways like how to keep organized and plan things in a timely manner. Even though sometimes I procrastinate, this class helped to be more efficient when it comes to time.

       As for life, well I got used to having to interact with others more often. In most classes that I have taken, we would have to do individual work and to not talk to others. Although there are some exceptions, this class helped me the most in the aspect of having to work with other individuals if it means for all us achieving something great as a group. So when it comes to the future and I have to work in a public place that means having to work with other people, I'm going to be well prepared due to this class.

       When it comes to the essays that we had to write in class, I found the rhetorical analysis the hardest to write while argumentation was the easiest. With the rhetorical analysis, finding the rhetorical devices and analyzing what the author meant made it difficult for me to formulate an essay that was well worded and explained what I meant to say from what I read beforehand. The argumentation on the other hand is a completely different story. I was able to write and express what I wanted to say without much difficulty.

       The novels that we had to read throughout the school year were all wonderful, but the one that I've enjoyed the most would be The Great Gatsby. Although we barely started reading as of a few weeks ago, I find this novel the most interesting to read since this piece of literature best explains what America is really like. It best portrays the worst and sometimes even best parts of what makes us the way we are in American society. My least favorite novel that we had to read for this class was In Cold Blood. Before reading into the novel, I had difficulty getting into the story and following along while reading. That's why I disliked this novel the most compared to the many others that we've read this year.

       Its been one crazy ride this year, but there's not much left to say. I had fun learning new ways to improve my work, but also, I got to make new friends and I enjoyed going to class each and everyday, so keep doing what you doing Mr. Thomas! You've done a great job with us this year and hope you keep teaching many more years to come!

5 Things That I Carry

          In the last couple of days, we've been reading the novel The Things They Carried and have been looking at what each of the characters carries with them during the time of the war. The 5 things that I carry is what I've had to carry for as long I could remember.

          The physical item that I've carried all these years is the gold necklace that I've had since I was a baby. Even though in the last couple of years I haven't worn it as much as when I little, it still has great value to me. My godparents gave me one of them that has the initial of my name on it as well as the date of when I was baptized. The other one was given to me by a cousin that has passed away 3 years ago and with this necklace, I always remember my family that is miles away and even though they are, I know that they love me no matter the distance.

          The relationship that I hold or at least keep dear to my heart is the one that I have with my dad. My dad has always been there for me and he's been there since day one. He inspires me to be a better person and to dream big. Although at times I just wish he would leave me alone and let me do my own thing, he always does what's best for me. The reason why I chose him is because he's the one that has always pushed me to the limits at school and as an individual, making me believe that I'm capable of doing anything, even when I don't believe so myself. He's been my light in the darkness and a friend and that's why I chose him.

          Personality wise, three words that come to mind that describe me is protective, stubborn, and neat. These words pretty much describes what I'm like and I don't really know what kind of person I am. At times I can be very nice and other times I'm like the wicked witch of the west. The one thing I do know is that I want people to see me as trustworthy and be able to rely on me when they need to. Sometimes keeping a secret is the hardest thing that I have to do, but I know when to keep silent. This impacts me in my everyday life all the time. Many of my friends see me as a blabber mouth, but there are others that can see that I am trustworthy.

          When it's comes to my dreams or goals that drive me, I don't believe I have one. Of course I want to go to college in distant future, but having a dream that most people have since they were children is just something that I've never really had. I just try to get through each and every day with one step at a time, even when sometimes I just want to take a step back. Really, its to keep moving forward is what gets me up and going.

          The final things that I carry are my memories. When I was little, I would get teased because I was different than most of the kids in my class. I looked different than what most people would've liked and because of my name. Yes, I was different, but that's who I am and I'm not ashamed of that. With those memories from when I was little has shaped me to be a strong, independent person as well as made me proud to be Hispanic. Those were 5 things that I carry with me.

Cultural Identity

         In the lastest discussion that we had in class, we talked about the balance that we need to have when it comes to our identity as well as the respect for our families culture. Having a middle ground is a very difficult thing to achieve, especially when your world is completely different from your parents. For that reason, when it comes to keeping things equal, its the hardest thing one can do even when people say otherwise.

          First thing, technology is a big part of our lives now and that's probably not going to change anytime soon. The advancement that's occurred throughout the years is a great one and people are starting to realize that its not going away so it makes it difficult for my family to get used to the idea. They are used to having time with the family that doesn't include distractions like cell phones and television. It was all about the interaction with one another that made the family so strong that now, its becoming a bit difficult to be interactive with each other with technology included in the mix. That's why when it comes to this, its very hard for me to adjust from my lifestyle to the one of my family's. I'm used to having technology with me like my cell phone, tablet, and laptop, and trying to leave it behind is super difficult. 

         

          Another thing that's hard to keep the balance with is the language that I speak. I grew up with speaking Spanish as well as English since my parents wanted me to speak both languages. Growing up, I always had to adjust to speaking Spanish at home and English at school, but at times, I would confuse them both and mix them in with one another. Being a child, I didn't think it was a big deal, but it was. Sometimes, I would be in trouble for just mixing up the two, creating the language of Spanglish. My parents after a while though began to realize that English was a big part of my life that eventually they began to adjust it as well. They knew if I was going to make any progress of what is right or wrong, they would need to actually teach me the differences and that's what happened. It was a long process, but we all found a balance in my family, even if at times we still speak English at home. 

          The equilibrium that people look for when it comes to our identity and our family's culture is a great challenge, but its what makes us who we are. Being a Hispanic girl as well as an American girl is a balance that is very difficult to attain, even when your family is constantly reminding you by calling you a gringa, but its just who I am. I'm not ashamed of being both and no one should ever be either. That's why when it comes to achieving that equal, we shouldn't be afraid of being both. Being like Dee and embracing one side and not the other is what made her be the way she was, a bit rude. Maggie is the same way. Being loyal to her mother made her lose herself in the process so that balance that we all look for, is what we need to find if we don't want to end up like those two characters.

What Makes Up A Haunted House Story

 

      There are many different kinds of stories that were told to us when we were children of superheroes and villians, but what I'm going to talk about are the ones that are dark and spooky. The ones that are haunting and unexplainable like The Fall of the House of Usher. Edgar Allan Poe's short story has many characteristics that I would probably use if I were ever to write a story like his. 

     
      The first thing that I would copy that Poe did was create a creepy house. Many would agree that stories like these always needs a creepy house. Although in The House of Usher the main character didn't seem to notice how creepy the house was, there seems to be an interest of which the character always wants to go to the dark and lonely house of which I would use in my story. Using a characteristic such as this one, a reader would be intrigued to keep reading to find out what's inside.

      Another characteristic that I'd use would be the usage of diction. The words that Poe uses in his stories always captures a readers attention and makes them create a mental picture of what he wants you to see and feel. Being able to create that sort of image in someone's mind is something very powerful. For that reason, diction would be the second thing I would copy from Poe.

      The third thing that I would use if I ever were to write a story would be the suspense created for the reader. When Poe wrote The House of Usher, the story always had a suspense in which made readers wanting more. Creating that effect makes things more interesting and bringing about the unexpected ending. That's why I would copy Poe in the aspect of creating suspense in a story.

      The fourth charcteristic would be the way he ends his story. Many writers give the readers an ending that they want which is that the characters have a happy ending, but Poe has a different idea. He wrote this short story leaving us with an ending that can have many different outcomes to it. That's why when it comes to writing a story, I would copy that idea of which leaves the reader to create their own ending even though I would hate that kind of ending left for me to ponder as well.

      The final thing that I'd copy from Poe would be the crazy character. There always needs to be that one character that stands out, even if it means that they're crazy. You got to admit, they do keep us engaged and wanting to know what they'd do next. For that reason, the crazy character is one that I'd use in a story, even if that story doesn't exist.

      Those were some characteristics of what Poe used in his short story of The Fall of the House of Usher that I would copy if I ever were to write a story like his.

The Way Superstitions Changed Us

        There are many ways in where we show how the supernatural play a role in our everyday lives, like in literature and television. We like to use the unknown in ways that can lead us to believe that they do exist, even though most things like witches and werewolves really don't. That's how its so easy for us to create a world in where they do exist due to all the superstitions we have created over the years.

        For example, the author of the Vampire Academy series Richelle Mead was able to create novels in where vampires can coexist with humans without ever having to hurt them. This is a good example in how we use those ideas to create stories that we can read all the time off of our fascination that the supernatural might actually exist.

        That's why American culture is different from most cultures due to the fact that America is very multicultural, but that doesn't mean its a bad thing. We are able to write stories that is completely out there through a basis that we already have. For that reason, we have so many great novels and TV shows from ideas like those and that's how we set ourselves to be completely different from other cultures.

Anti-Heroes: People with Double Personalities

        Anti-heroes are usually the protagonists of a story that have some kind of flaw to them, but at the same time, they can have some heroic qualities as well. Washington Irving's Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow, is a well-known anti-hero that is famous in literature. In the show of Once Upon A Time, the character of Regina Mills, known as the Evil Queen, is another perfect example of an anti-hero. Both Ichabod and Regina have the qualities of being narcissistic, greedy, and manipulative in which are completely different from the usual hero character.

        Ichabod Crane from the beginning had wanted Katrina Van Tassel for the wealth and land that belongs to her father and with an extra bonus, she was beautiful. With that kind of benefits, he would be able to be fully supported by her father without having to work ever again. Regina on the other hand, just wanted to be superior over all the other people in the town of Storybrooke and she never cared about how she would get there. The people would suffer if anyone got in her way, proving that she was too self-absorbed to even notice the kind of pain that she created. That is why Ichabod and Regina can be so selfish as to getting what they want making them all the more narcissistic.


        Another thing that they have in common is the greed that can sometimes over take them both. Regina's main purpose in life was to take down Snow White and Prince Charming in every way possible. Although it might not seem so greedy, the way she is dedicated to taking them down, can even be looked as an obsession in making their lives miserable, can lead to a hunger of greed that can never be fully obtained until they're completely destroyed. For that reason, Regina never took a chance with either of Snow and Charming when fighting with them. Ichabod is a different story. He just wanted money, but isn't that what most people want? Having some sort of security when it comes to financially. That's why Ichabod's kind of greed is different from Regina's greed, but its still greed after all.

        Being manipulative is the other characteristic that make Ichabod and Regina the anti-heroes that they are. Ichabod uses his charm on his students and their families to gain something like food for example. By using his charming quality, he is able to easily manipulate whoever he wants. Regina just fully manipulates everyone to get what she wants. She basically blackmails anyone to do her bidding or changes the situation to go in her favor. With that sort of power over any person, she's able to manipulate things to the point in where she would end up on top. For that reason, manipulation was such a big quality in where both characters were one and the same.


        The characteristics of being narcissistic, greedy, and manipulative is what makes Ichabod Crane from Sleepy Hollow and Regina Mills from Once Upon A Time great examples of anti-heroes in literature and on television.