Final Reflective Essay

1.Explain one or two ways my writing has improved (or not). Include a few examples from my posts over time, with analysis and links to the original posts, to illustrate how the improvement(s) happened.
5.What's my usual revision/editing process? How do I go from rough to final draft?
10.Where do I get my ideas for blog post topics? What inspires me to write?



After an entire school year of blogging, i am definitely more comfortable with quickly evaluating and organizing my ideas. I feel that with all this practice responding to so many people and books has made me a more efficient writer. I remember when i could never fully decide which person or quote to respond to, but as time went by, I would be able to respond thoughtfully to just about anything I found.

This is a quote from the beginning of the year, where I responded to Alex Noble.
I remember that response took me a long time to thing. My ideas were all scattered, and I did not know where to start talking. I ended up responding with a really short paragraph about what I thought. Even that one paragraph was extremely hard for me. It took nearly an hour to finally decide what I wanted to write about.

Now that I look at my blog posts, and I realize that I have really improved at writing freely. My last blog post was my final book review on The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time.
I remember when I did it, I easily pulled out useful quotes out of the book. I would think about significant parts of the book, and instantly remember different parts of the story that ultimately connected. I talked about the main character, Christopher’s, autism. I remember that when I first responded to the story of the Aquatic Uncle, I had major problems finding quotes. This truly proves how I ultimately improved in responding to my books.

I also noticed that I tried to find posts by people I knew , that also talked about topics i could closely relate to, like when I seconded David when he talked about being nervous and when
like when I countered Wendy when she said siblings are not helpful. I think i got my response ideas

“ I have the same bad habits as David. When I read a paper in front on the class, my leg starts moving around like it has its own mind, and my mind tells me to speed up my reading and get it over with. My whole body gets cold, and I get chills down my spine.”

The second I saw that David was talking about being scared while talking in front of an audience, I was instantly inspired to respond, writing on my blog about my experiences with stage fright.

“They may be annoying sometimes, but it may actually be for a reason if you look through it not only your own eyes. My life would definitely be a life of boredom and a life of always messing up in life without my two brothers’ love and help.”

Again, I responded with my personal experience. I talked briefly about how my brothers have made a positive impact in my life, and how I think siblings are actually not just plain annoying.

Another way I have been inspired to write on my blogs is when I wrote about my desired superpower

”If I had a super power it would be the ability to create an item by visualizing it in your mind.”

I was inspired to talk about this through the movie, Inception. I remembered how the characters in the dreams were allowed to dream up anything they wanted, which was super cool, so I blogged about it. When I was writing about this, I was also thinking about the science behind this superpower, if there is any. The more I thought about this superpower, the more I liked it. I felt more and more connected to it.  

Usually, my editing process starts off with goings over my latest rough draft to find grammar and spelling mistakes. Sometimes, I can even see obvious details I can remove and add, but this does not usually happen until I finish reading my entire draft from top to bottom. This is because I need to remember and think about what i have already said, and if I should move the ideas around to make it flow. After looking at all the grammar and spelling mistakes, I would usually try to add more points if necessary. This usually means more quotes and analyses. In the end, I may even sprinkle the near-finished draft with some transitions or even some stronger verbs.

On one occasion, I even make the mistake of leaving an entire conclusion out. This happened when I was doing my first rough draft of the book review on The Curious Incident of the Dog at Night-time. Luckily, I had a peer point it out, something that is always helpful. I also needed the conclusion because I was panicking about my final draft being under the required count of 1000 words. In my final draft of the book review, I polished it by adding the conclusion and cleaning up the formatting.

I truly believe that blogging is a really good tool to practice writing. It helps people become more comfortable with what they are writing about. I saw major differences in how I wrote my blog posts over time. I started off slow and unsure, but now, I have become more comfortable writing what comes to mind. I have noticed that this extra practice has also helped me in my Writing One course. I find it easier to organize an essay now than it was in the front of the year. This extra practice also helped me realize where I usually make mistakes, allowing me to noticed them more frequently. This leads to me being able to prevent producing the same mistakes in the future. Overall, I think that this new way of teaching is really great, especially when the teacher of those students is you, a considerate, encouraging, and helpful person.

P.S. Thank you for spending this year helping me improve my writing skills, and I wish you the best of luck to your teaching career, no matter if it is at ASTI or somewhere else.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Book Review Final Draft

1.What was the author's purpose(s) in writing this book, and how can you tell? How well was this purpose achieved?

8.Pick a character that interested you and write about them in depth. You can also analyze a relationship between two different characters.

In the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon, an autistic boy named Christopher narrates his perspective of life as he tries to solve a mystery of a murdered dog. As the story plays out, Christopher’s autism is viewed by the readers

“The next day I saw 4 yellow cars in a row on the way to school, which made it a Black Day, so I didn’t eat anything at lunch and I sat in the corner of the room all day… another Black Day too, so I didn’t speak to anyone and for the whole afternoon I sat in the corner of the Library groaning with my head pressed into the join between the two walls and this made me feel calm and safe. But on the third day I kept my eyes closed all the way until we got off the bus because after I have had 2 Black Days in a row I’m allowed to do that.”(53)

This is an example of Haddon allowing the reader to understand how an autistic person thinks and acts to their surroundings. The quote shows Christopher reacting to something someone that isn’t autistic wouldn’t naturally react to.  A person without autism wouldn't normally notice the color of the cars, and even if they did, they would not isolate themselves in a corner and groan at school or work. They might find it weird or even funny, but that would be all they care for that row of same-colored cars. All of this is why I think Haddon’s purpose of this book is so that the reader understands why some autistic people act a way. He wants to show that autistic people don’t really want to do what they do on purpose, and they know their limits and how to control themselves. After two consecutive days of sitting in the corner alone, Christopher gets the willpower to avoid another day of repeating his Black Day ritual.

“And he said, “what’s 251 times 864?” And I thought about this and I said, “216,864… And I said, “Is that right?” And Rhodri said, “I haven’t got a bloody clue…”(66)

This quote also shows how Haddon wants the reader to understand autistic people more. Christopher immediately solves the math problem, but after saying out the answer, he explains to the reader how he got that answer in a step by step method. This shows how autistic people have abilities that “regular” people usually do not have, and that autistic people can be just as smart as “regular” people, if not more since Rhodri, the person asking Christopher the question, didn’t even know the answer himself.

Another impact of his autism towards his life is the relationship he has with his father. His father stays very patient with him even though he is merely impossible to work with.
“Father said, “Promise me you will stop doing these things. Promise that you will give up this ridiculous game right now, OK?” I said, “I promise.”(50)
This shows how Christopher's father tries to give his son the what is best for him through thick and thin. Even though Christopher blankly promised that he would not be nosy and investigate, he still does it. He simply convinces himself inside his mind that his father wasn't clear enough for him to follow the rules.

“I wasn't going to say anything because I didn't want to get into trouble. Then I thought that this was a Super Good Day and something special hadn't happened yet, so it was possible that talking to Mrs. Alexander was the special thing that was going to happen. And I thought that she might tell me something about Wellington or about Mr. Shears without me asking her, so that wouldn't be breaking my promise.”(55)

This part of the story shows just how disobedient Christopher is. He would follow his own mind even though he knew what was right and what was wrong. He simply twisted his father's words into something that was just supposed to be broken and avoided in any way. Though I am a little mad at Christopher for being so ignorant, I am impressed that he found a way to slide through such a promise. It seemed so straightforward and clear, but Christopher's mind found an easy way to avoid the guidelines. Christopher later gets caught and seems to not even care for what his father has to say. What is worse is that the second Christopher finds out that his father killed the dog, he forgets all of the things that his father did because he loved him. All of the times his father stood by his side were immediately erased from Christopher's mind. All he thought about was that his father was evil and untrustworthy, and that he needed to run away from him. This really shows how 
the author wanted the reader to see how an autistic person acts to what is happening around him.


The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time is one of the most intriguing books I have ever read. The autistic point of view of the book really makes the reader think twice when judging someone that is mentally ill. It is also interesting because it introduces a whole new way of thinking of things, from how to do a math problem or just tackling a regular problem. Overall, I really think this is a good book due to it being interesting, funny, and intense all throughout the book.

Peer Review Comments

My peer review comments

Here are the comments I left for my tablemates' rough drafts...

For Karen:

I think that you did a good job so far with the characters, but I think you should really add another question to respond to since you only have about 600 words! Maybe you can write about the author's purpose of the book, like the point she is trying to get across?

For Eric:

I think you might need to add some quotes to add some words since you only have about 800 words. You should also take some summary out of this. It should have way more analysis. Plus, you can maybe add another question that you respond to.

For Devin:

First of all, get a more fitting title, haha. I thought that you saying this book wouldn't appeal to adults should have more evidence. I am sure a lot of adults would read the book not because of the cover. You might need some quotes that show this book is childish or something?

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Book Review Rough Draft

In the novel “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” by Mark Haddon, an autistic boy named Christopher narrates his perspective of life as he tries to solve a mystery of a murdered dog. As the story plays out, Christopher’s autism is viewed by the readers
“The next day I saw 4 yellow cars in a row on the way to school, which made it a Black Day, so I didn’t eat anything at lunch and I sat in the corner of the room all day… another Black Day too, so I didn’t speak to anyone and for the whole afternoon I sat in the corner of the Library groaning with my head pressed into the join between the two walls and this made me feel calm and safe. But on the third day I kept my eyes closed all the way until we got off the bus because after I have had 2 Black Days in a row I’m allowed to do that.”(53)
This is an example of Haddon allowing the reader to understand how an autistic person thinks and acts to their surroundings. The quote shows Christopher reacting to something someone that isn’t autistic wouldn’t naturally react to.  A person without autism wouldn't normally notice the color of the cars, and even if they did, they would not isolate themselves in a corner and groan at school or work. They might find it weird or even funny, but that would be all they care for that row of same-colored cars. All of this is why I think Haddon’s purpose of this book is so that the reader understands why some autistic people act a way. He wants to show that autistic people don’t really want to do what they do on purpose, and they know their limits and how to control themselves. After two consecutive days of sitting in the corner alone, Christopher gets the willpower to avoid another day of repeating his Black Day ritual.
“And he said, “what’s 251 times 864?” And I thought about this and I said, “216,864… And I said, “Is that right?” And Rhodri said, “I haven’t got a bloody clue…”(66)
This quote also shows how Haddon wants the reader to understand autistic people more. Christopher immediately solves the math problem, but after saying out the answer, he explains to the reader how he got that answer in a step by step method. This shows how autistic people have abilities that “regular” people usually do not have, and that autistic people can be just as smart as “regular” people, if not more since Rhodri, the person asking Christopher the question, didn’t even know the answer himself.
Another impact of his autism towards his life is the relationship he has with his father. His father stays very patient with him even though he is merely impossible to work with.
“Father said, “Promise me you will stop doing these things. Promise that you will give up this ridiculous game right now, OK?” I said, “I promise.”(50)
This shows how Christopher's father tries to give his son the what is best for him through thick and thin. Even though Christopher blankly promised that he would not be nosy and investigate, he still does it. He simply convinces himself inside his mind that his father wasn't clear enough for him to follow the rules.
“I wasn't going to say anything because I didn't want to get into trouble. Then I thought that this was a Super Good Day and something special hadn't happened yet, so it was possible that talking to Mrs. Alexander was the special thing that was going to happen. And I thought that she might tell me something about Wellington or about Mr. Shears without me asking her, so that wouldn't be breaking my promise.”(55)
This part of the story shows just how disobedient Christopher is. He would follow his own mind even though he knew what was right and what was wrong. He simply twisted his father's words into something that was just supposed to be broken and avoided in any way. Though I am a little mad at Christopher for being so ignorant, I am impressed that he found a way to slide through such a promise. It seemed so straightforward and clear, but Christopher's mind found an easy way to avoid the guidelines.
Christopher later gets caught and seems to not even care for what his father has to say. What is worse is that the second Christopher finds out that his father killed the dog, he forgets all of the things that his father did because he loved him. All of the times his father stood by his side were immediately erased from Christopher's mind. All he thought about was that his father was evil and untrustworthy, and that he needed to run away from him. This really shows how the author wanted the reader to see how an autistic person acts to what is happening around him.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Mini Book Review 2

In the novel “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” by Mark Haddon, an autistic boy named Christopher narrates his perspective of life with his father. His father stays very patient with him even though he is merely impossible ti work with.

“Father said, “Promise me you will stop doing these things. Promise that you will give up this ridiculous game right now, OK?” I said, “I promise.”(50)

This shows how Christopher's father tries to give his son the what is best for him through thick and thin. Even though Christopher blankly promised that he would not be nosy and investigate, he still does it. He simply convinces himself inside his mind that his father wasn't clear enough for him to follow the rules.

“I wasn't going to say anything because I didn't want to get into trouble. Then I thought that this was a Super Good Day and something special hadn't happened yet, so it was possible that talking to Mrs. Alexander was the special thing that was going to happen. And I thought that she might tell me something about Wellington or about Mr. Shears without me asking her, so that wouldn't be breaking my promise.”(55)

This part of the story shows just how disobedient Christopher is. He would follow his own mind even though he knew what was right and what was wrong. He simply twisted his father's words into something that was just supposed to be broken and avoided in any way. Though I am a little mad at Christopher for being so ignorant, I am impressed that he found a way to slide through such a promise. It seemed so straightforward and clear, but Christopher's mind found an easy way to avoid the guidelines.

Christopher later gets caught and seems to not even care for what his father has to say. What is worse is that the second Christopher finds out that his father killed the dog, he forgets all of the things that his father did because he loved him. All of the times his father stood by his side were immediately erased from Christopher's mind. All he thought about was that his father was evil and untrustworthy, and that he needed to run away from him. This really shows how the author wanted the reader to see how an autistic person acts to what is happening around him. 

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time Mini Book Review

In the novel “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time” by Mark Haddon, an autistic boy named Christopher narrates his perspective of life as he tries to solve a mystery of a murdered dog. As the story plays out, Christopher’s autism is viewed by the readers

“The next day I saw 4 yellow cars in a row on the way to school, which made it a Black Day, so I didn’t eat anything at lunch and I sat in the corner of the room all day… another Black Day too, so I didn’t speak to anyone and for the whole afternoon I sat in the corner of the Library groaning with my head pressed into the join between the two walls and this made me feel calm and safe. But on the third day I kept my eyes closed all the way until we got off the bus because after I have had 2 Black Days in a row I’m allowed to do that.”(53)

This is an example of Haddon allowing the reader to understand how an autistic person thinks and acts to their surroundings. The quote shows Christopher reacting to something someone that isn’t autistic wouldn’t naturally react to.  A person without autism wouldn't normally notice the color of the cars, and even if they did, they would not isolate themselves in a corner and groan at school or work. They might find it weird or even funny, but that would be all they care for that row of same-colored cars. All of this is why I think Haddon’s purpose of this book is so that the reader understands why some autistic people act a way. He wants to show that autistic people don’t really want to do what they do on purpose, and they know their limits and how to control themselves. After two consecutive days of sitting in the corner alone, Christopher gets the willpower to avoid another day of repeating his Black Day ritual.

“And he said, “what’s 251 times 864?” And I thought about this and I said, “216,864… And I said, “Is that right?” And Rhodri said, “I haven’t got a bloody clue…”(66)

This quote also shows how Haddon wants the reader to understand autistic people more. Christopher immediately solves the math problem, but after saying out the answer, he explains to the reader how he got that answer in a step by step method. This shows how autistic people have abilities that “regular” people usually do not have, and that autistic people can be just as smart as “regular” people, if not more since Rhodri, the person asking Christopher the question, didn’t even know the answer himself.

Response to Vignettes

After reading many vignettes, I have decided to respond to the ones Devin, Mercedes, and Sam did because they all have a vignette that relates to how teachers affect their school lives. I found that Devin was a little bit mad, Mercedes was happy, and Sam was upset. 

A teacher sees this conversation and comes over.“Both of you are getting another detention,” he says.

In Devin's situation, the teacher is punishing Devin for something that was not Devin's fault. It was Devin's friend who kept talking, and it should have only been him that should have gotten in trouble. Devin is wronged by the teacher, and has to pay the price for the teacher's mistake.

On top of that, the teacher was in-comforting.  He would literally have temper tantrums and throw instruments against the wall.  I, as a trumpet player had to empty the water build up in my instrument that after a few songs would appear.  To do this I had to open a little valve and blow through the instrument.  When the teacher grew angry, I still had to use this same process.  When he heard someone emptying the water, he would scream at them, so I had to blow out of my trumpet as quietly as possible.  I slowly would allow the clear water to leave the instrument, the water of the trumpet mixing with the sweat dripping from my for head.  I wanted nothing more then for the period to end.  When it did, I just went home scared not relieved.

Sam seems to be pressured by the band teacher. This is shameful towards the band teacher for an obvious reason, teachers are at school to guide students to success, not scare them from trying to reach it. The band teacher has no reason to get angry at a student for releasing their puddle of spit when he does it himself too. In fact, every brass player has to do this, so becoming angry at a student for doing what they are supposed to do is unreasonable and unbelievable. Sam should not have to be scared of school. The whole point of a public school in an environment like Alameda is so that students could feel safe everyday they step onto campus. Sam's mental abuse by the band teacher must have changed his perspective of school. Sam probably did not like going to school as much.

 I was in the advanced core class. The supposed "GATE" class, though no one really cared. Thankfully, I had a good teacher. Making things somewhat better.

Unlike Devin and Sam, Mercedes' mentioned teacher was supportive. This lead to Mercedes liking school more even with her being the school's alien. This shows how a great teacher leaves a student feeling better about themselves and what they are doing.

In the end, my point is that teachers should be more considerate towards their students since helping students succeed and feel safe is the main reason of being a teacher.

Beta Reading

1.    I think that the abundance of dialogue contributes to this story because it allows the reader to follow on better. It helps the reader feel like they are part of the story. since it makes it easier for them to visualize what is happening. However, I thought that the dialogue where Adrian talked about Filipino folklore became a little bit lifeless. The dialogue went back and forth, and got a little bland. I think that section needs a little bit more emotion, especially from Dorothy.
2.    I thought that the in-depth details about Filipino folklore was pretty interesting. I felt like I learned something new, but I do not think it is really significant in the story. I thought it was kind of excessive, and weird for a teenager to talk about. I find that pretty unfitting seeing how a regular teenager at a lively party would not normally talk about folklore. They would be talking about something less dull like their feelings.
3.    As I said before, I thought that Dorothy needed a little bit more emotion in the story when Adrian talked about Filipino folklore. She sounded bored, which makes sense considering she is a teenager, but she also seemed interested in the details, which contradicts her being uninterested. I think it would be more appropriate if she acted more attentive, or just completely disinterested.
4.    The cultural elements didn’t feel forced at first when Adrian talked about his family in the Philippines, but when he got to talking about the moon, it felt a little bit unnatural especially since it was tied in due to the corny idea of gazing at the moon by the lake.
6.    I don’t think Adrian is too compelling. He isn’t overloading Dorothy with his background information. Just enough so that she is included in the conversation. Plus, he did not seem very demanding. He was a gentleman when he respected what Dorothy said and when he helped her in and out of the car to her door.
In the end, I think that this story is pretty interesting and modern. I think that the problems, like the Filipino folklore conversation, I saw would be resolved if I knew more about the overall story.
 

A Parent's Attitude Towards Different Genders

In the novel “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros, Esperanza lives in a neighborhood filled with different types of families. These families have different ways to raise their kids, but I have two in particular that have caught my eye, the Vargas family and Sally’s family. These two families show that both boys and girls need a lot of attention from their parents, but girls need a little bit more of it.

“But Sally doesn’t tell about that time he hit her with his hands just like a dog, she said, like if I was an animal. He thinks I’m going to run away like his sisters who made the family ashamed. Just because I’m a daughter, and then she doesn’t say. Sally was going to get permission to stay with us a little... Until one day Sally’s father catches her talking to a bad and the next day she doesn’t come to school. And the next. Until the way Sally tells it, he just went crazy... (93-94).

This quote shows how girls generally need more attention than boys. Especially girls like Sally, are prone to trouble, so a parent of a girl like this should keep a watch on them even more attentively than Sally’s dad did. Also, the parent needs to show more love and support towards their daughter since girls are usually the ones that are pressured more in tough situations. This is mostly because girls are put as the lower gender in society, and have a harder time becoming more strong and independent as men do. With the necessary love and support a parent could give to their daughter, she will have more pride in herself, therefore reducing her chances of being in unacceptable situations like skipping school.

“The kids bend trees and bounce between cars and dangle upside down from knees and almost break like fancy museum vases you can’t replace. They think it’s funny. They are without respect for all things living, including themselves” (29).

Though girls may need a little bit more attention, both boys and girls still need an ample supply of it altogether. They need their parents because it is through them that they learn how to act properly not only at home, but also anywhere else in the world. Without it, the kids would turn out like the Vargases, rude and destructive.

Esperanza Giving Back to Mango Street

In the novel “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros, Esperanza is told to come back to Mango Street even though she is finally leaving. Esperanza really hates Mango Street and want nothing to do with it, but hints show me that in the future, she will try to help out Mango Street.

“No, Alicia says. Like it or not you are Mango Street, and one day you’ll come back too. Not me. Not until somebody makes it better. Who’s going to do it? The mayor? And the though of the mayor coming to Mango Street makes me laugh out loud. Who’s going to do it? Not the mayor” (107).

Esperanza knows no one will come to help make Mango Street better, so when she ever comes back, she would be that person that helps Mango Street become better. I think that she will want to help make Mango Street better because she does not want anyone else live the life she lived, a life of loneliness and insecurity. She knows how left out a person can feel in an unwelcoming environment, so she will want the next person who moves into Mango Street feeling less isolated.

By the end of the book, she gets what she wanted, a house, which hints that what she does next might be what I think is how she is helping make Mango Street better.

“I make a story for my life... I like to tell stories. I am going to tell you a story about a girl who didn’t want to belong” (109).

This shows the next step to her plan. She is writing “The House on Mango Street” to show other children that are unfortunate like her, are not alone. This story of a lonely, left out girl would boost the moral of kids living in rough neighborhoods like the one on Mango Street. This is her way to give back to the place she grew up at, a present of a story to comfort the unlucky and isolated children of the streets.

Born as an Aussie

Table of Contents:

1. Victor Tao Liang
2. Street Dancers
3. Meow Meow
4. California

Victor Tao Liang

My first name, Victor, was given to be by my father. It means “winner”, something my father wants me to be. My middle name, Tao, means large waves. It is also my Chinese name, and is pronounced tou in Cantonese. There isn't much behind my father giving it to me for he gave it to me just as randomly as he gave my first name to me. He was stuck on it like a fly is stuck on a spider's web since it had a nice tone to it. My last name, Liang, was passed down to me by my father. I am not really proud of it since every Liang above my generation has a problem of being overly stubborn.

All of my father's siblings are different in many ways, yet the same as a whole with each other. My father, the oldest sibling, has as much pride as a lion does. He will never back down no matter how wrong he is. He does not take medication for his high blood pressure all because he doesn't want to rely on medication like other people do. The second uncle has a problem of blurting out everything on his mind. He would continue to defend determinedly whatever offensive things he says, even when he might realize how wrong he is. No matter how much anger is directed to what he says, he will not change or fix what he did wrong in the first place, just like the fly that persistently runs into the glass window, hoping to get through. Next up is my third uncle, who is so careless about everything stretching from his family's feelings to his money. He would fly back and forth from California back to his wife and daughter in China whenever he wants even though he barely has enough money to feed himself. When he flies back to America, he begs for food and shelter without apologizing to my next topic, my aunt. She is a single mother that works really hard. She has a lot of money saved under her bed, but the only thing she will spend it on is food. She will be so generous towards what she buys to eat, but will never spend another penny on her trash can that is broken and is so contaminated, it looks like a blob covered with layers of gunk from an old garbage container.

Unlike the old generations of Liangs, my siblings, my cousins, and I all realize our parent's flaws and have learned to behave unlike them. The main reason I am positive and caring towards others is because my father, a lot of times, isn't like that towards me, which I know makes me unhappy and left out in the world.

Street Dancers

It was a day on sunshine where my father, mother, brother, and I went to visit the Sydney Opera House. As we were looking at the glistening water near the Opera House, we saw a colossal crowd of people gathering behind us. My family went to see what was happening together. As we walked closer, we saw that it was a group of street dancers doing their amazing moves. I was memorized by their awesome tricks and flips that I crawled closer and closer to them. After they were finished with their routine, I looked around to find my family. To my shock, they had walked away some time ago, leaving me behind. My whole body froze as my eyes widened. I got tense and I started to panic. I ran around the area searching for my family. There were so many people that resembled skyscrapers that I couldn't break free from the crowd. My eyes started to water as I felt the need to collapse. I thought that my whole life would end right then and there. I picked myself up from the ground, and started yelling out to my parents. I cried and cried while I started to lose hope. Not one adult bothered to help me. They just glanced at me in a sorry way, and just walked by. A few more seconds of me weeping went by until I finally saw my worried parents running towards me. The second I wiped my eyes to see them, my whole body relaxed. It felt like I was finally at peace after being tortured. This whole sequence happened in about a few minutes, but it felt like a lifetime to me. This little event has changed my life in that I have learned the value of never being in an unknown place without someone who does know the area, and for the rest of that day, I held onto my mother leg or hand to feel secure.

Meow Meow

I lived on Sheffield Street, a street crawling with cats a dogs. A street where every single cat lived outdoors in daylight, sneaking outside the fences of the house. There were also many stray cats living on the street. One day, I was jumping around, pretending to be a swordsman equipped with a branch of a sword in my backyard when I spot a stray black cat sitting under my house's rain water tank that was made to save rain water to feed the plants. Frightened, I quickly ran inside my house, calling for my brother Raymond. As my brother comes out of his room, so does my cousin Adrian who has lived with my family ever since he moved from Hong Kong. They ask me what is the problem, and I tell him about the cat. They are surprised, and quickly follow me to look at the cat. It sat silently under the tank, staring at us with its sparkling eyes. We called for it by saying, “meow meow, meow meow”, like the cat actually spoke meow. It didn't move an inch, so we went to Plan B. My father loves to fish, so he always has fish bait inside the refrigerator. We quickly took a fish, and ran back to offer it to the cat. We continued to call for it, “meow meow, meow meow”. It slowly crept towards us. We knew he wanted the fish, so we dropped it close to it. It slowly ate it while we watched it as if we were watching the last seconds of a tied basketball game. When it was finished, it crawled back under the water tank like a turtle climbing back into its shell. We quickly got a few more fish, and fed the cat them. It ate it happily, and politely left after it was full. Adrian, Raymond, and I felt accomplished. The next day, I was in the backyard again, helping my mom shovel soil in her garden. I glanced under the tank, and to my surprise, the same stray cat was there. We fed it fish as usual, and when it was finished, it left as usual. We would still call to it, “meow meow, meow meow”. It came every day after that, eating all of the fish we offered it. Every single time, the cat would become more confident with us.

After all of the fish my father had stocked was gone, we fed it milk. We took a metal dish, and poured pure and white milk into it. The cat would drink it just as happily. As it was drinking, we would go near it to pet it. At first, it would hesitate and stare at us with a look of warning, but it got used to us walking up and petting it. It got used to us to the point where it would come inside the house. Raymond and I would ask our parents if we could keep the pet, and they would hesitantly agree. It was officially our pet after it met everyone in the family. We put a collar on it, but it still didn't have a name. We fathomed it for a long time, but we couldn't think of anything but “Meow Meow”. It was short, easy, and most importantly, the cat responded to it.

California

Ever since I was in primary school in Australia, I have always been surrounded by immature, but catchy phrases. One of them being a rude answer to a question of where something is. It is “up your butt around the corner, all the way to California”, and it would be said all the inside and outside of school. I didn't know much about the Earth until I studied geography in the United States. I always thought that the Earth was just a ball that had patches of land that were separated by which color of the rainbow it was since the closest thing I saw of the Earth was a rainbow-colored globe that had tiny words that told the country and capitals. I never knew what California was. I imagined it to be one of those words that is made up to rhyme stuff with. It was either that or it was a made up land that was talked about, like Fairyland. When I found out that I was moving there, I was completely confused. My father was the one to tell me that we were moving there, and I found it weird for him to joke around since he was always rigid and serious. I later talked to my brother, Raymond, about the land of California.

“I thought California was made up!”

“No. Haha. It is in America, and we are moving there.”

“I know that, but I thought it was made up in the “up your butt around the corner, all the way to California”.” He just laughs and ends our conversation right there.

As we crept closer and closer to moving, I would be constantly asked by my friends, “Where are you moving to?”.

“America”

“Which state in America?”

“Um, I don't know. What is a state?”

Even when I lived in California, I didn't understand what California really is, what a state is, why California is a state, and what is the United States of America. All I knew was that I was from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

The House on Mango Street

In the novel “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros, Esperanza narrates important events in her life that have changed her views. She does this through many symbols, and one of them is trees. Trees are constantly seen throughout the book as being forced to stay in one spot.

“The kids bend trees and bounce between cars and dangle upside down from knees and almost break like fancy museum vases u can’t replace. They think it’s funny. They are without respect for all things living, including themselves” (Page 29)

This quote shows how the Vargases are bad kids and break the rules. They do not follow the enforced rules, and do whatever they want, including bending trees. Bending trees in this case symbolize breaking free from the rules that have been set. These kids do not care what society says.

“Four skinny trees... who do not belong here but are here. Four raggedy excuses planted by the city” (Page 74).

This is another quote that directly exemplifies that trees represent being stuck in one spot. Esperanza compares herself to a tree by saying that she was planted in Chicago. This furthermore proves how trees represents being suppressed. Esperanza thinks that she is forced into Chicago, and is being restricted from leaving even though she doesn’t feel like she belongs there.

“And then I don’t know why but I had to run away. I had to hide myself at the other end of the garden, in the jungle part, under a tree that wouldn’t mind if I lay down and cried a long time” (Page 97).

This quote continues to demonstrate that trees are used when a character feels trapped. Esperanza felt left out, but still felt the need to stay in the monkey garden. She felt that she didn’t belong in Chicago, but can’t leave because she is binded there. She does not feel like she belongs in Chicago because she acts completely different from the people there. She is sad and confused at the same time, so all she can do is cry to herself.

The House on Mango Street

I think that windows in “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros represent the escape to freedom.

“She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow. I wonder if she made the best with what she got...”(Page 11). 

This quote shows evidence to how windows symbolize a free way of life. This is because of how she looks out of her window her whole life. This also means that she followed her dreams her whole life, which is also proved when Esperanza says that she got the most of what she could get. Also, it proves that her grandma was a free and independent woman that did whatever she wanted to do.

“She sits all day by the window and plays the Spanish radio show and sings all the homesick songs about her country...”(Page 77). 

This quote also exemplifies how the window symbolizes a door to being independent while looking through it means experiencing independence first hand. This is because of how she is sad and longing something she misses, but even though she misses it a lot, she is stuck living inside her house.

“And then Rafaela, who is still young but getting old from leaning out the window so much, gets locked indoors because her husband is afraid Rafaela will run away since she is too beautiful to look at”(Page 79). 

This quote shows how the window is a doorway to freedom. Rafaela leans out too much of it, which means that she abuses her freedom too much. This is seen when Esperanza says that Rafaela’s husband is scared she will run away because she is leaning out of the window too much. He is also locking Rafaela because she is leaning out of the window all the time, which also helps explain how the window is her gateway to freedom. Plus, this quote says that Rafaela is growing old because of leaning out of the window so much. This means that Rafaela is growing up and maturing more when she explores the outside world.

The Color Purple

In the novel, The Color Purple by Alice Walker, a girl named Celie is constantly abused by the men in her life while her sister Nettie succeeds through her sacrifices. Though Celie nearly tells her whole story through God, there is evidence that she does not talk to him as he is holy and almighty. There is also events all throughout the book that show how Celie is treated terribly mainly because she is a woman. She and Nettie live in completely different environments, therefore they obviously have different views in life. They look at god differently, while also reacting to the abusive men in their lives differently.

A noticeable difference that both Celie and Nettie have is how far they believe in God. “He a big and old and tall and graybearded and white... I know white people never listen to colored, period. If they do, they only listen long enough to be able to tell you what to do” (Page 194-195). This shows that Celie’s letters to God are not really religious. She constantly writes to God, but it seems like she is only writing to him like he is a friend. She talks to God about her problems, but never asks for anything to help her. She knows he won’t listen because she thinks he is a white man, but that doesn’t explain why she even bothers to write to someone she knows ignores her. “You better not never tell nobody but God” (Page 1). This proves that the only reason Celie bothers to write to the name God is because she is told to. She is told ever since the front of the book to talk to God, and only God, about her problems. This means that her letters to God aren’t really religious, they are just sent to the name of God as if God was a friend.
Nettie actually thinks of God as holy and powerful, and not just a person to share stories with. “I will write more when things start looking up. I trust God they will” (Page 171). This quote shows that Nettie actually believes God can help her. She trusts that God is real, and can guide her through her troubles which is opposite of how Celie just tells God her problems, knowing he won’t help. “…besides, they spoke of all the good things they could do for the downtrodden people from whom they sprang. People who need Christ and good medical advice.” This also shows how Celie thinks that she must allow others to have God to help them. She places confidence in God to help people in need, which shows a lot about how deeply bonded Nettie is with God.
Celie is always put down and forced to do things by men. “You gonna do what your mammy wouldn’t... He start to choke me, saying You better shut up and git used to it” (Page 1) and “Harpo ast his daddy why he beat me. Mr. ______ say, Cause she my wife. Plus, she stubborn. All women good for-he don’t finish” (Page 22). This show how Celie had to deal with men in his life constantly abusing her like she is a doll. Men beat and rape her, but she does not have the courage to fight back. All Celie does is let these men abuse her, and wait until she gets abused again the next day. “But she’ll make the better wife. She ain’t smart either...” (Page 8). Even though she is constantly beaten and raped by Albert and Pa, she does not even fight back. This may be because she is not educated. She does not have the mind to think of ways to fight back, let alone execute them.
Nettie, unlike Celie, isn’t forced to marry. “We love each other dearly, Samuel told them, with his arm around me. We intend to marry” (Page 238) She married Samuel willingfully and when she was ready while Celie was forced to marry Albert just so Albert could have someone to cook, clean, and work the fields. “Nettie here with us. She run way from home” (Page 16). This quote shows how Nettie knows how to fight for herself unlike Celie. Nettie runs away knowing it is the only escape to her not being abused. This intelligent decision that Celie has not truly considered may be the result of Nettie being more educated than Celie.

Celie allows Pa and Albert to abuse her by doing nothing while Nettie just simply runs away. Celie choses to write to God because of how she was told to as Nettie believes in God for his holy superiority. In the end, Alice Walker's main point in the story is that the path of life is chosen only by the one picking the directions. Celie proves that she can live her own life when she left to live with Shug. After that, Albert actually treats her with respect which shows that Celie not only changes her direction of life, but also Albert's too.

Rebuttal to Ebone

Though I agree that child actors should be more disciplines so they can create a positive impact to their watchers, but it is not really their fault for being curious as a human is. I found these quotes off of Ebone’s blog.

“If you make the decision to be an entertainer on a children's show, you cannot be caught in the news smoking a bong and getting high like this very famous young child actress, with millions of fans did recently. The things that children/teenagers see on TV influences and affects their behavior in real life. For instance, if a child admires someone like Batman and he/she sees Batman doing bad things, they are going to think it's okay because their role model is doing it and do it themselves. “

Even though I agree that what Miley Cyrus did was terrible and unforgettable, the blame should not be all on her. She is just a human being, and she is just as curious as the rest of us. I am not really surprised that she would have enough curiosity to go ahead and smoke something illegal. She just wants to have fun like the rest of us. Smoking a bong is definitely unforgivable, but there are plenty of worse crimes out in the world that people have absolutely no idea about. A lot of people just like to hate on whatever they can hate on. “They just feel more powerful when they put someone down, which is also disgraceful.

"If a child actor does something wrong parents are going to freak out and completely flip out about it to protect their children. Once again, Miley Cyrus got into more trouble with her new video where she is seen rolling around in a bed in her underwear.”

I believe that Miley Cyrus should have every right to wear whatever she wants. It is not like she is going to change how she wants to live her life just because a bunch of angry and overprotective parents want their children to live an innocent life. In the end, no child will ever live a life without knowing about natural things like sex. They may seem dirty, but it is here for a reason, to create new life. It is not like Miley Cyrus is going to spend her whole life looking and dressing like a child. She should be able to live and enjoy her blessed life without the nagging of unsatisfied parents.

The Color Purple

I think that Celie’s letters to god show that she is very desperate for someone to express her feelings to. She talks to god as if god was a friend of hers that listens to her stories while feeling sorry for her.

“I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me” (Walker, Page 1).

This quote shows that she is writing to god out of confusion. She doesn’t know what is happening to her, so she is writing these entries to god so that he could help her. This also shows how lonely she is.

“When that hurt, I cry. He start to choke me, saying You better shut up and git used to it” (Walker, Page 1).

This shows how Celie is a strong individual. She has to live through her abusive father raping her and controlling her all the time. Her father even kills and sells her babies while she lies about them to her dieing mother.

“All I thought about was Nettie. How she could come to me if I marry him and he be so love struck with her I could figure out a way for us to run away” (Walker, Page 9).

This quote shows how caring Celie is. She cares about Nettie so much that she would even run away with her just so Nettie would be safe. This quote also shows how messed up Celie’s father is. He is practically giving away his daughter even though she does not love the person she is marrying. Plus, this quote shows how weak Celie is. She is letting herself being given and abused like a toy. She doesn’t do anything about the horrible things that are happening to her.

“I pray for strength, bite the insides of my jaws” (Walker, Page 26).

This line that Celie writes to god exemplifies how she is writing to god because she needs someone to hear her and help her. She is trusting god with her life because he is the only one she thinks can save her from her miserable and cowardly life.