Theme and Motif: Fate

Since I was born on March 6th 1995, my Astrology sign is Pisces. According to Astrology my good traits are being imaginative, sensitive, compassionate, kind, selfless, unworldly, intuitive, and sympathetic. It also implies my negative traits as being an escapist, idealistic, secretive, vague, weak-willed, and easily led on. Almost all of these traits are accurate about me, but one or two aren't really right about me.

I check my horoscope every once in a while to see what could or might be happening.. Sometimes it's accurate and other times it's not. But I'm not the type of person who ties every happening in their life with Astrology, horoscopes, or the heavens. I believe that everything happens for a reason, and that life happenings could have something to do with those, but who knows. In the play Romeo and Juliet, all the characters fore see life events, or believe certain events will lead up to another important event in their life. For example, in the beginning of act three, Benvolio tells Mercutio to calm down, and to not go looking for a fight; He says that people become hot-blooded and ill-tempered when it's hot outside. In this, he's already predicting a fight will break out between them and the Capulets. Another example, is when Juliet tells Romeo, "Methinks I see thee, now thou art so low, As one dead in the bottom of a tomb." She is saying to Romeo he looks as though he is dead - She's predicting his death to be soon.

Culture Shock

"Oh, he's such a Romeo."
Romeo

1) An ardent lover
2) A man who is devoted to love-making, or the pursuit of love

People sometimes describe a man as a "Romeo" - It can negative, as in a man who always surrounds himself with women or is always in the pursuit of women. It can also be positive, as in a man who is very romantic and passionate about the person he loves. I wonder why no one ever says, "She's such a Juliet." ?

Extra credit Blog - English

My 9th grade Honors English class so far this year, has been much different than I had expected. I took the class hoping for it to be more of a challenge than my previous years of English. It was slightly harder than I had expected it to be, but it has been a positive influence on me and has driven me to work harder. I like the independence we have in the class; We don't always need to have someone else guide us the entire time. When I think back to all of the things we have done in the class this year, I'm really surprised with how much work I've done. I really like some of the things we do in class, certain essays and such. With Mrs. Gilman's class there is always something going on but you never really know what to expect. We do things such as horrible assignments (cough, cough - Great Expectations!...) to more interesting assignments such as annotating To Kill a Mockingbird, etc. I usually find myself having fun in this class. Some of my friends are in the class and there's always something to laugh about. I feel entertained (Great Expectations skits?) Overall, English has always been one of my favorite subjects in school and I feel like this years honors English class has encouraged me to push myself to do good in my following years of English and to finish off this year strong.

Skit Ideas

1) One scene from Great Expectations that I think would make a good skit, is the scene when Pip comes across Abel Magwitch for the very first time in the grave yard. The skit should be from when the convict first speaks to Pip, to the time he pushes Pip on the grave stone and demands that he brings food and a file to him the very next day. The skit should also include the quotes in which Magwitch tells Pip that if he does not return with the food and file, that there is another crazy man around, who will eat Pip. This was one of the only good scenes in the book.

2) Another scene that would make a good skit would be when Pip first see's Miss Havisham in her dark and isolated room. The skit should include what Miss Havisham's room look's like (the clock's timing, the worn down wedding dress, Miss Havisham - pale, etc.), and everything Miss Havisham tells Pip and has him play. This was another interesting part of the book.


3) One other scene that would make a good skit would be when Miss Havisham catches on fire in her own home. It shows bad karma. The skit should include her catching on fire, and when Pip runs up to her room and saves her. This part of the book got my attention. I think it would make a good skit because of it's meaning.

Another Question.

In chapter 40, on pages 330 and 331, Magwitch is admiring his making of Pip into a gentleman. And he says that he's going to show"them" something. He wants to show someone that Pip is a gentleman. "And blast you all!... Blast every one, from the judge in his wig to the colonist a-stir-ring up on the dust, I'll show a better gentleman than the whole kit on you together!"(331)

It seems like Magwitch is trying to prove something or make a point to someone, but who and why?

Great Expectations: Question about a passage

Chapter 30, pages 246 through 247:

The passage on these pages were about Mr. Trabb's boy's behavior towards Pip. I do not understand why he first acts terrified of Pip, and then he makes fun of Pip by saying, "Don't know ya, don't know ya, 'pon my soul, don't know ya!" I don't understand why he is making fun of Pip, and what the relationship between them is.

Question: Exactly why was Mr. Trabb's boy making fun of Pip, and what is Pip's and Trabb's boy connection in the story?

Great Expectations photo...

I chose this image to represent this week's reading because it shows the long road Pip has chosen to take to make the life he wants. Pip has left everything behind - his family, Biddy, Joe, becoming a Blacksmith, and everything else he is accustomed to, so that he can come into good fortune and learn to be a gentleman with Mr. Jaggers in London. Pip has already come a long way, and I'm sure he still has a long road ahead in order to complete his goals.