Journal #7 - Chapters 20-24

From the perspective of Aunt Alexandra:

My life in Maycomb was basically the same as it ever was...except for the case that is. I had always been treated wonderfully in that little town that I called home. I never really had a permanent home when I was little. We moved around a lot, so Maycomb was a nice little haven that I secretly adored and wanted to live in.

Ever since my grown little brother wanted me to come, and after I ever so happily agreed, I was never treated the same as I used to be. I was treated kindly, of course, as most everyone was in that welcoming little town. However despite the kindness, I felt a difference in how people looked at me. If I didn't know any better I would think they didn't like my intruding on their tightly knit lives. But I did know better. I knew that Maycomb folks always had reasons for emotions, whether it was their family's name, their race, their being a pauper or being rich, it was always something.

Since I knew better, and since I knew Maycomb people were good, I knew it was my name. Since Atticus had taken on this case—which I didn't know what to think of—I was associated with him. Even though the case was almost completely irrelevant to how I was treated, people related my name as a “nigger lovers”. I didn't know what to think of the case because I loved my brother dearly and wanted him to win, however I never agreed with the concept of blacks being equal to whites. I hoped for Atticus to win, but I secretly wished he wouldn't for the sake of Tom Robinson losing. It was a very complicated predicament for me.

Even though I knew it was highly improbable that he would win, I still wanted to please him somehow. So, I decided to do whatever he told me to and whatever my responsibilities were to his family. I took taking care of the children seriously, not for them but for Atticus.

Subsequently, the one thing I had to do was take care of them well. It was also the one thing I didn't do. I lost the kids. It was a horrible feeling letting him down, but all I could do was send Calpurnia looking for them. I anxiously waited on her, and possibly the verdict of the case. I had no idea what was going on. She returned with them safe, but when she told me that Atticus allowed them to go back, I almost fainted. I didn't want them going back; it was no place for white children to be, but Atticus was who he was.

Journal #6 - Chapters 16-19

From the Perspective of Mayella Violet Ewell:

Today was a very interesting day. It was the day that the town gathered for the trial. I would have to go to the witness stand and give “my” story about what happen. It wasn't exactly the real story, but it would be the one I would have to tell unless I wanted my dad dead or in jail. He was making me tell a story that wasn't the truth, and I am a horrible liar. I had to just play the victim and act like I was telling the truth.

When it came to me being called up, I was a nervous wreck. I tried to repeat the same information that my father had said just a few minutes before, but it was hard to remember it all. I never had a good memory.

The real story of what happened was that I felt very lonely. My family wasn't very loving or supportive of me and I always stayed under the radar. Being poor encumbered me greatly in life, even though I tried to be as amiable as possible. I had no friends, nobody to confide in. I resorted in rebellion. I knew my father would not approve of boys or anything of the sort, so that is what I did. I didn't really want a boyfriend, especially a black boyfriend, but I had to be rebellious, it would save me a lot of loneliness.

The one time I did something rebellious my father caught me. Then the court case. I knew I had to protect my fathers side of the story even though I resented and begrudged him at the same time. He abused me, but I knew I could not reveal that to the jury, not in front of him at least. That would only make it worse. I decided to stay true to his side instead of my side only out of fear that he would beat me later. Anything he did however would probably not dispel of my rebelliousness. I wasn't religious, so the swear to tell the truth meant nothing to me.

My story did not hold up well when it was mixed with the nerves. I stuck true to what my father told me to say at least. When I was questioned however, I didn't have a clue what to say. I was nothing but oblivious to all of the people staring at my apparent lies, but I could do nothing to make it seem more true. I did come up with one clever way to deal with my easily seen lies, play the victim. I was good at that because I was a victim, of a different crime however. I tried hard to make people sorry for me, and at least it was better then telling lies that everyone knew were false. After all of this, at least  I made it through the day without being beaten by my father as much as I expected to be.

Journal #5 - Chapters 13-15

From the perspective of Calpurnia:

Aunt Alexandra came for a visit. I never liked her very much, but she was company and I had to treat her well. I know the children don't like her but they—especially Scout—need her as a motherly figure. She is very proper just like the Finch's are known for being. I continued to treat our guest welcomingly, even though she doesn't deserve that much compensation. I know it was a good choice for Atticus to invite her to help out.

Our new guest didn't seem too happy about me being there. Maybe she didn't think colored people should be in white people's homes, or maybe she thought I was the one who made the children disobedient and improper. When Scout brought up that I took them to my church, she didn't like that idea at all, though Atticus didn't seem to mind. The days went by unchanging, and I continued to treat our visitor nicely, even though it was nearly impossible to extract anything bad about her all around town.

After a while, I find out that Dill has given us a surprise visit. I don't mind too much, it's just one more mouth to feed. One night, however, I overheard Alexandra talking to Atticus about something I don't think I was supposed to hear. I heard her say,”We need to get rid of her,” but the rest I wasn't sure of. If she was meaning they had to get rid of me, I would just have to be as nice as possible to her. For some reason Atticus always listened to her. If she antagonized him with the thought for a long enough period of time, I would be fired. I just kept doing my job and acted oblivious about the whole thing, even though it was very apparent she disliked me.

Most of the while she was visiting, I was preoccupied with housework, as usual. Atticus seemed a lot busier than normal, which worried me. He never seems himself when he's stressed that much because of a case. He explained the case and its importance to me before, but with Aunt Alexandra around, and him being gone all the time, it was difficult to find time to talk about it. I also felt bad for him because he wanted the best for the children I knew that. That fact made me try even harder, and I prayed for him to win the case, even though the odds were almost impossible to beat.

Journal #4 - Chapters 9-12

From the perspective of Mrs. Dubose:

My life was going pretty well. Myself and everyone I knew were getting older and older, but nothing very significant was happening in my life. Occasionally I would get really sick, but overall I was doing fine. Just the other week I started to get real sick. I figured it would be best if I went on pain medication, it would be better for everyone around me. So I did.

I didn't have much to do with my time, so I would sit out on the front porch and talk to anyone that came by. If they got too close to my plants I would teach them a lesson. For the most part, people walked on the other side of the street, trying to stay inconspicuous I believe, which bothered me a lot. I didn't see why they couldn't walk on my side, so I'd speak my mind.

One day, these kids that live down the street from me named Jem and Scout walked by; on my side of the street, just how it was supposed to be. Even though they did that right, the girl didn't even look or act like a lady. She acted like a boy her age, and I knew her mama wouldn't be proud of that. So, I taught her correctly. She was very improper and if no one else was going to teach her then I would have to.  People probably thought of me as cantankerous, which didn't bother me because I was just trying to put things the way they should be.

Another thing was wrong. Why weren't they in school? I though children were supposed to be in school all of the time not lallygagging by my house. Once again, I spoke my mind. They talked back to me, saying what day of the week it was, but why did I care that it was a Saturday? Supposedly they were going to town. This is also very improper; I should talk to their father about this. Actually, Atticus was defending negroes, he didn't deserve to be talked to. No matter how much peril the negro might be in, he didn't deserve to be represented. Once again I spoke my mind about that. The kids got an angry look on their face, and I have no idea why. I wouldn't be angry, they needed to be told the truth.

I kept taking my pain medication. Jessie said I was addicted, but I was not. It made me feel better. I couldn't live without it because the pain was so unbearable. No one knew what I was sick with which frightened me. I could die any day at any time. With nothing left to do in my life, I hoped something interesting would happen.

Indeed something interesting did happen. Jessie came in a little while after the confrontation with the children. He said something about all of my flowers cut down at the stems. I didn't believe him but I couldn't go out and check. I didn't really care who did it as long as they would repay me somehow. A little while after, one of the children named Jem came to me. I had a feeling it was him all along. I scolded him. Then he asked me how he could repay me. I thought for a moment. I wasn't really in need of anything because of my crucial health state. It wouldn't be bad to have someone read to me again. It would remind me of my mother. That would be nice; a simple reminder of my mother. I made him come over everyday for about a month. I'd surely be dead by then.

And so it was. He came everyday with his snot nose sister. She still didn't listen to me about being a proper lady. Maybe she'd realize no one will treat her like a lady if she didn't act like one. He read and I didn't listen. Just the simple pleasure of remembering my mother was good enough. Also the pain medication helped sooth me. These readings were the only significant events going on in my life, even though to my old ears the boys voice was inaudible.

About 3 weeks into the readings, Jessie mentioned making a will. I didn't know anyone or particularly care for anyone in specific. I didn't have any contemporaries especially close to me. My husband had died many years ago, and I didn't care about my will. 

One thing I wanted before I died was to give the children a simple little present. They stuck true to their promise of reading to me, which needed to be repaid. I decided to forgive the boy for chopping down my flowers. I wasn't going to live much longer so the plants didn't mean anything to me. I let it go, and hope he got the significance of the present I gave him. I felt myself at peace at my last moments, nothing left to do or say. I had lived my life long and well, and hopefully tought children things along the way.

Journal #3 - Chapters 8-9

From the perspective of Jem:

After Dill left and school was back in session, we still found things to do around the neighborhood. I figured it would get boring, but we kept busy. For the first few days we kept busy with the snow. I had heard about snow before. I always wanted to see it in person, experience it, but it was really rare, especially for Alabama. I had also heard about snowmen, so I decided to make one with Scout. You would think it took a short while to make, but it fortunately took up some of our time. It turned out looking like Mr. Avery which made me chuckle. I didn't think it was a bad thing to make it look like Mr. Avery, but Atticus thought it was. I guess were not allowed to impersonate anyone in the neighborhood in any way. At least it was fun.

The night we made the snowman, everyone was soundly sleeping. All of a sudden, I hear Atticus telling me to wake up. Groggily, I hear him say,”Jem you have to wake up, there is a fire nearby!” I was lying in bed, still half asleep, thinking how can there be a fire when the weather is below freezing? Well, Atticus—who I thought of as more of an acquaintance more than a father—had never lied to me before, so I just kept my mouth shut and went along with what he said. He told me not to tell Scout but to let her figure it out herself. I agreed, knowing that she might panic or think that our house was on fire.

When we made it outside in the frozen air, I found out that Atticus was indeed telling the truth. Miss Maudie's entire house was blazing. Atticus made us stand over by the Radley's house and watch from afar. I felt like I was old and brave enough to help put the fire out, but I knew I had to stay with Scout. She was so cold, and looked almost sick, it was a sad sight. I did the best I could to comfort her, but soon the fire would be out.

I knew Miss Maudie would not be happy about her house burning down. More important, she wouldn't be happy her garden burnt down. She would recover it and be in a good mood in no time, I knew. That's just the way Miss Maudie is.

When the flames were most of the way out and other houses were out of danger, Atticus, Scout and I went back inside. I looked at Scout to see if she was okay, and I noticed a strange, unfamiliar blanket on her shoulders. Atticus asked where she got it and she looked surprise to see it there. Then she looked at me even though I was just as surprised as she was. Hmm, it couldn't have been Scout or Atticus, and I knew it wasn't me...the only person it could be was Arthur Boo Radley. At first I thought there was no way it was him, but after thinking about it, it could have been. After all, he did give us several other things.

It was weird knowing that he was alive, and then knowing that he was a very nice person. It almost made me feel bad for being so afraid of him. I was still very afraid, but I don't think I would tease him and his house so much anymore. Knowing he was nice was just more of an incentive to get him to come out. I would have to find a way.

The next day was a normal school day again. After school, I overheard Scout talking to Atticus about some sort of a trial. This interested me because normally me and scout would stay out of his business. I debated between jumping into the conversation or not, and finally decided not to. Atticus would tell me when he was ready if I didn't hear someone talk about it otherwise.

Christmas came around the corner and I wasn't really excited. We went to Finch's Landing once again to no surprise. I liked the place, it was just getting repetitive after going there for so long Christmas after Christmas. This time was slightly more different. It seemed as though there was a lot more tension in our family than usual. Something else that was different was Scout's language, and how Atticus let her use it. Typically, Atticus was fanatical about fowl language. I'm sure there was some specific reason as to why he let her, even though I was perplexed about the whole situation. She'd probably get over it, and things might return to normal afterwards. In the meantime, I spent my Christmas most like other Christmas'. Nothing really exciting went on. I did see Scout isolated in the corner later that first day, however I thought nothing much of it. She was probably scolded for cursing. Other than that, the days went by without anything special happening.

Journal #2 - Chapters 4-7

From the perspective of Dill:

School was finally out. I was really excited to go see my girlfriend in Maycomb. Her brother was pretty cool, too, I guess. Anything is better than spending another lonely summer in Mississippi. Since I had no father, I didn't really have a lot to do. There aren't very many kids my age there. I was so excited to spend the whole summer in Alabama, excited enough to propose to my love, Scout.

When I arrived I proposed immediately. It didn't matter what her response was so I figure we are engaged now. I also made up a few lies to go along with my excitement. Whenever I'm nervous or excited I come up with lies. If you ask Jem and Scout, they will say unanimously that my lies are believable. They probably don't even know they're lies. Another reason why I tell them I because they impress people, including Scout, I can tell. Even though were engaged I would still like her to be impressed by me.

After the long trip to Alabama, I saw Jem and Scout. We were a little bit bored in the beginning until Jem had a brilliant idea to play a game called Boo Radley. It was very fun, even though Scout didn't really like it that much. We played for days; there were so many things about the Radley's that were interesting. Even if they were lies, they were convincing, just like mine. Eventually Atticus got suspicious as to what we were playing, so Scout started getting paranoid that we shouldn't be playing.

Me and Jem decided to evade Scout because she was such a girl sometimes and me and Jem wanted to do some of the funner, braver stuff without her. We came up with dangerous plans and gave our biggest plan the most thought. We decided to write a letter to Boo Radley. He was very mysterious. We also came up with the plan because we wanted some excitement; the Boo Radley game was getting boring. Our plan became like a chameleon. It had to be perfect so that if anything went wrong it could still work out some way.

I convinced Jem to tell Scout about the plan because she looked lonely sitting outside with Miss Maudie all day. We told her about it and made her go through with it. We would slip the note into the shutters asking if Boo would come out and talk to us. We were so bored any little excitement would give us a thrill. As Jem started putting the note into the shutters on the window, his hand teetered back and forth in the air. I could tell he was nervous. I was only slightly nervous because I would be leaving by the end of summer...if I made it out alive. There goes my braveness, but I still had to act like I wasn't scared. At the same time I didn't want to die, but the plan was perfect and there was no going back.

Jem's hand never made it close enough to stick the note on. After a couple of minutes of trying, however, Mr. Finch came and got Jem and Scout in trouble. I acted like I wasn't part of it. Then he found out about the game and I knew my mom would find out, too. I still thought the game was fun, and we would find something else to do for the rest of the summer if we couldn't play it anymore.

Sure enough we found other things to do. We eventually came up with another plan involving the Radley house. Even though the idea of that spooky house tormented me, I had to act brave for Scout. Also, I was very curious is Boo was even still alive. We decided to go peek in the house. Once again Scout was scared. I didn't really care anymore, my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to go look inside the house. We peeked in. I could see a dark figure and a tiny light, but other than that I couldn't see much. My mom said I had to be home right after we were done playing, so I decided I would stay alive, and I let my curiosity die down. I wouldn't come back for an entire year. I could always check out the house next year...see if Boo was still alive...alive enough to kill me. I had to stop thinking about it. I had to be brave. When I said goodbye to Scout, who I was still engaged to, I was brave enough to kiss her. I was excited for next year, but most of all I was happy with what I accomplished that summer. Between the Radley's place and my relationship with Scout, I was indeed very brave, and can't wait for next summer.

Journal #1 - Chapters 1-3

Not completed yet.

Immigration Project Reflection

Literature Circle Books/Blogs:

            I was really happy with how I did in my literature circle.  I think I did well because I got all of the blog posts done on time.  I put my full effort into each blog post, as well.  I think I did well on the comments, even though I forgot to complete one of them.  In order to make sure I complete all of them next time, I will write it down somewhere where it can remind me.

            I was relatively happy with my book.  It was more interesting to the other books that I read in the other literature circles we have done.  One thing that I didn’t like about the book I chose was that it was really long.  It took me forever to read it all, and I ended up having to catch up at the end.  Next time when I’m researching the books, I definitely won’t forget to check the page number.  It was a good book, but I think if I picked a shorter book there wouldn’t be as many slow, boring parts.  Overall, I was happy with my book, but I wished I picked a shorter one so that the workload wouldn’t be as difficult.

            Something significant that I learned while reading this book and blogging about it was simply more about how immigrants feel.  I learned that a lot of immigrants want people to know what they’ve been through; that is why there are a lot of books about people’s immigration stories.

            Overall, the literature circle process was pretty efficient.  If the length of the books were a little bit more similar between the groups, I think it would be better.  If the total page numbers were more equal, I think it would be better for each group because the workload would be more equal.  Also, I think the directions for the comments should be slightly more specific because it was kind of sketchy on how to comment about the quote and the significance and all of that.  The questions that were given were hard to understand sometimes, too, so that could be a little bit clearer in the directions.

            I like the concept of blogging because it’s more interesting than just turning in papers.  Also, I like how we can comment.  It’s kind of difficult for me to get the blog posts done by 9:00 however because me along with a lot of other people don’t get home until really late sometimes.  It would be really helpful if we had until 10:00, but I understand why you set the time to 9:00.  I do like how we all get to give our input on the book though, and how we get to see what others think about it.

Art & Literature:

            I am extremely proud of my art piece that was based off of my literature circle book.  At first, I was just trying to get the drafts done, so I didn’t really think hard about what I was putting into it.  Then, as I thought more about it, I realized that in order to make it a good piece of art, I would have to put a lot on it.  I wasn’t really sure what I was going to have it be, for example the book cover, a scene from the book, the theme of the book, etc.  I finally decided on making it the book cover, so that I could represent the book really well and give people an idea of what it was about.

I decided to put the huts because it’s a major part of the book.  Then I put the main characters face because I thought the cover should have the most important parts.  Then I still had a lot of space, so I decided to put the Sudanese Flag over his face.  In the end, I decided to have only part of his face showing, and have it covering his face because he will always be Sudanese and he will always remember his life there.  There was still room, so since I had a picture about the book in general and a part about the beginning of the book when he was in Sudan, I wanted to put something about when he was in America to make it more well-rounded and well-represented.  This is why I decided to put the church that helped him out in America.  I think that was a large part of how his lifestyle was in America because without the church life would be a lot harder for him.  This is why I thought it was important.  The space was taken up perfectly like I wanted it to, and so I wouldn’t change any part of my painting.

In addition, I like my art piece because it correlates to the novel extremely well.  In the beginning, I really wanted my painting to show a lot about the book without giving away too much, and I think I captured that idea.  I represented the book well by putting different major arts of the book that would be easily found in the novel, making the cover easier to decipher for the reader.

I am so proud of my art piece.  I think using the tape helped me, and so overall the neatness was very good and the pictures that I put on it were well representing the book.  If I could enhance my book cover, I would have made the letters in the author’s name a lot easier to read.  It kind of got smeared at the end, and the font wasn’t that easy to read anyways.  Little things like that I would like to change, but I am still very proud about how it turned out.

I liked how we related the literature into the art. I think it really helped us think more about the book and it helped us analyze what really happened more than the blogs did.  I also liked it because it was different than what we normally do, so that made it even more interesting and less boring.  I hope that we get to relate art with other subjects later on as well.

Interview Process with Participant & Gift:

            I think I did a good job on the interview process, however I think communication between my interviewee and I was poor.  We should have set up the date for the interviews earlier so that we didn’t have to rush in the end to get it done.  Also, I think I should have told her to email me back because I think she didn’t know she had to email me back since she did the phone interview.

            It wasn’t necessarily better to interview her three times in three different methods because after the first two it got repetitive.  Also, I think I was just trying to come up with questions at that point because we had to ask so many.  If we had to do less questions or one less type of interview it would have been easier and I think I might have gotten more information and less “I’m not sure”’s.

            From doing all three however, I learned that you should ask all different types of questions because they might not have an answer for some of them, and so it’s better to not get stuck on one topic that they never even experienced or that they may not know.  I also learned that it’s important to explain things really well in each of them, just so that the communication is better.

            Interviewing an immigrant helped me understand a lot more about what they go through.  I am really glad to have had my interviewee because she struggled a lot with her childhood here, and finding an identity.  Interviewing immigrants helped me know more about what they experienced on a more personal level than just learning about it in class, and it helped back up the curriculum that we learned in class.

            I made my interviewee a calendar.  I like the idea of having to make them a gift because I know my interviewee had to go out of her way to help me interview her.  I made a calendar because I think it would be good for her individually because she is really busy, and another calendar will probably help her.  Also, it will remind her of this experience and about her childhood as well.  I think she will be happy to receive it, and I’m glad we got to make them.

            

Immigration Project Reflection

Literature Circle Books/Blogs:

            I was really happy with how I did in my literature circle.  I think I did well because I got all of the blog posts done on time.  I put my full effort into each blog post, as well.  I think I did well on the comments, even though I forgot to complete one of them.  In order to make sure I complete all of them next time, I will write it down somewhere where it can remind me.

            I was relatively happy with my book.  It was more interesting to the other books that I read in the other literature circles we have done.  One thing that I didn’t like about the book I chose was that it was really long.  It took me forever to read it all, and I ended up having to catch up at the end.  Next time when I’m researching the books, I definitely won’t forget to check the page number.  It was a good book, but I think if I picked a shorter book there wouldn’t be as many slow, boring parts.  Overall, I was happy with my book, but I wished I picked a shorter one so that the workload wouldn’t be as difficult.

            Something significant that I learned while reading this book and blogging about it was simply more about how immigrants feel.  I learned that a lot of immigrants want people to know what they’ve been through; that is why there are a lot of books about people’s immigration stories.

            Overall, the literature circle process was pretty efficient.  If the length of the books were a little bit more similar between the groups, I think it would be better.  If the total page numbers were more equal, I think it would be better for each group because the workload would be more equal.  Also, I think the directions for the comments should be slightly more specific because it was kind of sketchy on how to comment about the quote and the significance and all of that.  The questions that were given were hard to understand sometimes, too, so that could be a little bit clearer in the directions.

            I like the concept of blogging because it’s more interesting than just turning in papers.  Also, I like how we can comment.  It’s kind of difficult for me to get the blog posts done by 9:00 however because me along with a lot of other people don’t get home until really late sometimes.  It would be really helpful if we had until 10:00, but I understand why you set the time to 9:00.  I do like how we all get to give our input on the book though, and how we get to see what others think about it.

Art & Literature:

            I am extremely proud of my art piece that was based off of my literature circle book.  At first, I was just trying to get the drafts done, so I didn’t really think hard about what I was putting into it.  Then, as I thought more about it, I realized that in order to make it a good piece of art, I would have to put a lot on it.  I wasn’t really sure what I was going to have it be, for example the book cover, a scene from the book, the theme of the book, etc.  I finally decided on making it the book cover, so that I could represent the book really well and give people an idea of what it was about.

I decided to put the huts because it’s a major part of the book.  Then I put the main characters face because I thought the cover should have the most important parts.  Then I still had a lot of space, so I decided to put the Sudanese Flag over his face.  In the end, I decided to have only part of his face showing, and have it covering his face because he will always be Sudanese and he will always remember his life there.  There was still room, so since I had a picture about the book in general and a part about the beginning of the book when he was in Sudan, I wanted to put something about when he was in America to make it more well-rounded and well-represented.  This is why I decided to put the church that helped him out in America.  I think that was a large part of how his lifestyle was in America because without the church life would be a lot harder for him.  This is why I thought it was important.  The space was taken up perfectly like I wanted it to, and so I wouldn’t change any part of my painting.

In addition, I like my art piece because it correlates to the novel extremely well.  In the beginning, I really wanted my painting to show a lot about the book without giving away too much, and I think I captured that idea.  I represented the book well by putting different major arts of the book that would be easily found in the novel, making the cover easier to decipher for the reader.

I am so proud of my art piece.  I think using the tape helped me, and so overall the neatness was very good and the pictures that I put on it were well representing the book.  If I could enhance my book cover, I would have made the letters in the author’s name a lot easier to read.  It kind of got smeared at the end, and the font wasn’t that easy to read anyways.  Little things like that I would like to change, but I am still very proud about how it turned out.

I liked how we related the literature into the art. I think it really helped us think more about the book and it helped us analyze what really happened more than the blogs did.  I also liked it because it was different than what we normally do, so that made it even more interesting and less boring.  I hope that we get to relate art with other subjects later on as well.

Interview Process with Participant & Gift:

            I think I did a good job on the interview process, however I think communication between my interviewee and I was poor.  We should have set up the date for the interviews earlier so that we didn’t have to rush in the end to get it done.  Also, I think I should have told her to email me back because I think she didn’t know she had to email me back since she did the phone interview.

            It wasn’t necessarily better to interview her three times in three different methods because after the first two it got repetitive.  Also, I think I was just trying to come up with questions at that point because we had to ask so many.  If we had to do less questions or one less type of interview it would have been easier and I think I might have gotten more information and less “I’m not sure”’s.

            From doing all three however, I learned that you should ask all different types of questions because they might not have an answer for some of them, and so it’s better to not get stuck on one topic that they never even experienced or that they may not know.  I also learned that it’s important to explain things really well in each of them, just so that the communication is better.

            Interviewing an immigrant helped me understand a lot more about what they go through.  I am really glad to have had my interviewee because she struggled a lot with her childhood here, and finding an identity.  Interviewing immigrants helped me know more about what they experienced on a more personal level than just learning about it in class, and it helped back up the curriculum that we learned in class.

            I made my interviewee a calendar.  I like the idea of having to make them a gift because I know my interviewee had to go out of her way to help me interview her.  I made a calendar because I think it would be good for her individually because she is really busy, and another calendar will probably help her.  Also, it will remind her of this experience and about her childhood as well.  I think she will be happy to receive it, and I’m glad we got to make them.

            

What is the What Post #6

Quote #1: "This program has been a part of my life for so long, since Pinyudo, when the SPLA commanders would blast its reports from Africa across the camp."

This quote was said by the narrator, Achal, or page 417.

Quote #1 Significance: I chose this quote because I think it shows how Achak is trying to keep his Sudanese traditions. Also, I think it really shows how his experiences are a large part of who he is, and he can never forget any of his experiences, no matter how small. Although it isn't a main part in the book, I think this quote shows how his experiences are part of him.

Quote #1 Personal Connection: I connect to this quote because I have done something before that reminds me of other experiences. Major experiences in your childhood you will never forget, and they will become part of you. Also, I think this quote can directly relate to anyone because everyone has a different custom that they are used to.

Question #1: What do you think this quote shows about Achaks current and past life?

Quote #2: "Dorsetta, I pretend that I know who I am now but i simply don't. I'm not an American and it seems difficult now to call myseld Sudanese."..."We have been weakened by our time in America, perhaps."

Quote #2 Significance: I chose this quote because I think it shows a lot about the common immigrants story.  It shows how they are caught in between two different culutre. They have been Americanized, yet they keep some cultural ties, but they probably feel like they are neither American or their home country anymore.

Quote #2 Personal Connection: The person who I interviewed explained this in her answers as well. She said that she is caught on a "periphery" between two cultures. I think that is exactly what this quote is saying, that a lot of immigrants face the struggle of identity, and that is a part of almost every immigrants struggle in America.

Question #2: How do you think Achak feel being in between two cultures? Do you think he likes embracing both, or do you think he would perfer his home country?

What is the What Post #5

Quote #1: "I had not begun to think of marriage.  I needed to graduate from college first, and to graduate from college, I needed to save money while I attended English classes at the community college."

This quote was said by the narrator (Valentino) on page 225.

Quote #1 Significance: I chose this quote because I think it shows how his experiences are like in America.  I think it shows how he is really focused on living in America for a while, and getting educated.  I think there is also a little bit of boredom in this quote because I think that since he has to focus on school so much, he might get bored, when he thought it wouldn't take as long.

Quote #1 Personal Connection: I can relate to this because I am really busy as well. I am also trying to focus on school and extra curricular activities, and I think that it can get a little bit boring, too.

Question #1: Why do you think Achak is focusing so hard on school?

Quote #2: "It was not long, though, before more white people, and aid workers from all over Africa, began to descend upon Pinyudo. From a distance I could see the delegations walking through the camp briskly, always guided carefully by one of the Sudanese elders."..."The visitors never made it deep into the camp, and usually left the same day they arrived."

This quote was said by the narrator (Valentino) on page 257.

Quote #2 Significance: I chose this quote because I think that it shows how some of his experiences were before he immigrated. I think if the people left the day they came, then they were either killed, or they did not want to stay.  I think that it is really sad how they were kept in the camps, even though they were safe.

Quote #2 Character Judgement: I think that Achak is a really nice person, and I think that his experiences are a part of him.  I think that his experiences make up him because he didn't even have a childhood, and he grew up in war. I also think that his experiences are really sad, as well.

Question #2: Why do you think that people left the same day they came?  How do you think he felt in the camp?

What is the What Post #4

Quote #1: "We were simply friends who lived in a village together and expected to always be boys and friends in our village. But in these past months, we had traveled so far from our families, and we had no homes, and we had become so weak and  no longer looked as we had before. And now, William K's life had ended and his body lay at my feet."

This quote was said by the narrater, Achak, on page 198.

Quote #1 Significance: I chose this quote because I thought t had summed up what they have been through really well.  I think this part is really disturbing, but it is what really happened.  Also, I think its extremely sad how his best friend died, and he didn't even get time to say goodbye.

Quote #1 Character Analysis: I think that William K was really nice, and I can see why Achak and William K were best friends.  Also, I think William K would probably have done the same thing to Achak if he died, and buried him, even if it meant loosing the group.  I think that Achak will probably blame himself for William K's death, even though it wasn't.

Question #1: Do you think that William K's death will/has affected Achaks attitude?

Quote #2: "Are we the future of Sudan? This seems unlikely. Not with the way we attract trouble, not with how often we are victims of calamity. We bring it upon ourselves. Our peripheral vision is poor, I think; in the U.S., we do not see trouble coming."

This quote was said by the narrator, Achak, on page 215.

Quote #2 Significance: I chose this quote because I think it explains how a lot of immigrants feel, and what Achak is feeling now that he has made it to the US. I think that he wants to do something with his life, and tell his story.  Also, I think he is saying that America should be more aware of what is happening in places like Sudan, because, like him, we don't see danger coming.

Quote #2 Personal Connection: I think that this quote is what my poem in my America Through My Eyes is saying.  I think that they really connected, and that we should be doing more for people in places like Sudan.

Question #2: Do you think that Achak will try to move somewhere else to start a new new life?

What is the What Post #3

Quote #1: " 'Come in, come in!' Phil said.

...I turned to Achor Ahor, to give him a look that would urge him to leave, but he was too busy marvelling at the house.  It was obvious that Achor Achor and Piol and Dau had already forgotten about whatever meeting they had planned. They were staying for dinner."

This was said by Phil, Achak's mentor, and the narrator on page 160.

Quote #1 Significance: I think that this reflects the positive side on how they've been treated in America.  I think it shows how the people who know what they've been through, and the people who respect their experiences treat them with kindness and respect.  Also, it shows how hospitable Phil and Stacey are, and how they don't really care about them being immigrants.

Quote #1 Character Judgement: I think that Phil is a nice man, and I think that he does a lot for the Lost Boys.  I think that he does it for them because maybe he feels like he has a lot, and that he should try to help them out.  Also, since he's heard their stories, he understands their experiences, and that they deserve a better life than what they're getting.

Question #1: So far, what do you think about how Achak feels about Phil's contributions?

Quote #2: *After the helicopter comes close, but doesn't fire: "Sometimes we were worht their bulletts and bombs, and other times we were not." 

Quote #2 Significance: I chose this quote because I think it shows part of their journey, and how their lives weren't easy.  It shows how they were always being hunted, but they never knew what was really going on.  Also, I think that they are in survival mode, instead of an everyday mode because they're constantly trying to live just to stay alive.

Quote #2 Character Judgement: I think that since Achak has had so many experiences, he probably doesn't get upset over a lot of small things.  He has gone through a lot of pain, violence, and overall, some really unforgettable experiences. Also, I think that he knows so much about the survival way of living, that he doesn't know very much because he lost his childhood because of the war.

Question #2: Do you think that some of them just give up trying to hide, or do you think that they still have energy left to try to live as much as possible?

What is the What Post #2

Quote #1: “...Drain a pond to catch a fish? They are draining the pond in which the rebels might be born or supported. They are ruining Dinkaland so that no rebels can ever again rise from this region...They win on many levels. They have our cattle. They have our land. They have our people to mind the cattle they have stolen from us.” This was said by Dut, who lead the large group of boys on page 126.

Quote #1 Significance: This quote sums up why they had to leave their homes, and their families, because they didn't even know if they had families anymore. Also, it shows what was really going on in the war. For me, it explained a lot about what was really happening in the war, and why their towns were being burned down, and why their people and their things were being stolen.

Quote #1 Personal Connection: I have never really been stolen from before, but one of my best friends was stolen from before. After they were stolen from, they decided to make changes, for example, they locked all of their doors everyday. That situation wasn't very major, but in the book, their lives were stolen from, so they had to flee from where they were if they could.

Question #1: How do you think they feel after being taken away from their home towns and their family, and everything they grew up knowing?  How do you think it affects them?

Quote #2: “-- We're the target, Achak. Look at us. Too many boys. Everyone wants us dead. God wants us dead. He's trying to kill us.”

Quote #2 Significance: I chose this quote because its part of their journey to America. I think it shows some of the major hardships that they had to go through while on their journey away from the war. Also, I think it shows how hard it is for them not knowing when they're going to die, or how long the war will be.

Quote #2 Personal Connection: I have never felt like I was being hunted down before, but I ave been chased by animals before (my dog :D). I think it is similar in a way knowing that you are being persecuted, but not knowing if, when, or how they would catch you. His condition was much more severe than my connection, but I think it shows how it is not a good feeling to be chased after and hunted.

Questions #2:  Have you ever had a near death experience before? If not, have you ever had a critical injury before (i.e. broken bones, fracture)?  What was it like, and how does it relate to their experiences?

Field Trip Reflection

Part I.  From Haven to Home

The purpose of this exhibit about jews coming to America is so inform people about how important different cultures are to America.  I think it was also there to educate people on the history of jews in America and the hard times that they over came in history.

From going to this exhibit, I learned a lot about the history of Jews in America in general.  I learned that under a well-known synagogue, the Touro Synagogue, was the underground railroads.  It was originally there for the jews from the 17-18 century, but was later used for slaves.  I also learned that a lot of famous jews have contributed to the American Society such as Albert Einstein, Mary Antin, and Levi Strauss.  9,000 jews fought for the Union, and 3,000 American jews fought for the Confederacy.  General Ulysses S. Grant created a bill that would eliminate all jew from territory, until, as requested, Abraham Lincoln acted upon stopping the bill.

Part II.  Children of Immigrants

1.  The picture that I chose was of a little Mexican girl looking up at the American Flag in the middle of a big city.  This picture struck me because you never think about how young or how old immigrants are, and how children don't help their parents decide to immigrate to the US.

2.  "If we stayed in Bosnia we would have been killed.  Although no one can predict he future, just imagine a 7 year-old child wondering if he would be killed the next day or spared in this world we call home." -Denis Tuzinori, Bosnia,        from between cultures

I chose this quote because, like the picture i chose, it shows how children are deprived of their childhoods and forced to go into survival mode in order to stay alive.  This quote shows how the US should be a haven for immigrants, and how a lot of immigrants don't just move to the US without a reason.

3.  The personal essay that I chose shows how a lot of immigrants have escaped war and violence that has come to their doorsteps.  They escape to the US looking for freedom, opportunities, and a lot of immigrants are trying to start a new, peaceful  life.

What is the What Post #1

Quote #1: "'Just sit down, Africa,' he says, nodding to my couch.

I stand. 'What is she doing in my bedroom?'

'Just sit your ass down,' he says, now with venom.

I sit and now he shows me the handle of the gun."

The quote was said by first the burglar named Powder, then Achak ("Valentino"), then the narrator on page 10.

When this event happens in the book, Achak has been living in America for a few years with several other people from Sudan.  His family had been stolen from before, but he hadn't.  Other people in America did not treat him or the other Lost Boys the same as American citizen's.  They were treated bad because of their race, because they had accents, and because they were immigrants.

Powder is the accomplice of the other burglar, who raided Achak's and his roommate's house.  He is really intense, and not very considerate of other people.  He doesn't seem like he wants to be her accomplice, but he seems to have walked into the wrong situation, and it looks like she's the one in charge.

Question #1:  Why do you think he was treated badly only because he was an immigrant?

Quote #2:  " We wanted it all immediately--homes, families, college, the ability to send money home, advanced degrees, and finally some influence."

This quote was written by the narrator, from the point of view of Achak, on page 13.

I think that they are having a hard time achieving all of these things simply because they are not citizens.  Also, it seems that he is having a hard time in America because he was expecting a lot, and compared to his peaceful life, his life in America isn't meeting his expectations.

Before, I have expected a lot, and things have not met my expectations before.  Also, sometimes you think something will happen faster than you think, for example homework.  Even though his situation is much more extreme, it is easily relatable, feeling like you should be accomplishing much more than you are.

Question #2:  What are some of the reasons why you think he has not accomplished some of the things he wanted to?