Winter Wonderland

I pause at the street corner  and admire the frosty city around me.  The rosy cheeks and warm smiles of the people bustling around me melt through the looming layer of cold.  The stores and houses look different in the snow, like little gingerbread buildings, all lined up in their perfect rows.  Admiring the winter world around me, I cautiously walk up the icy steps to my front door. 

As I open the door, a gust of warmth washes over me.  I catch a glimpse of a collage of snow crystals on the windowpane.   Intrigued, I move closer.  I look out at the perfect frozen, white wonderland that reaches out for miles.  The unpenetrated sheet of snow looks as delicate as a soft peak of meringue.  Silhouetted trees reach out to the velvety, light gray blanket of sky.  Rooftops shimmer and sparkle in the fading light.  Anything seems possible in this stunning winter scene.  I turn away as the wind whisks winter wishes trough the wind.  Snowy dreams still drifting through my thoughts.  

Justice

As Martin Luther King Jr. once said: "every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals."  This quote means that even though to achieve justice you need to make sacrafices and struggle, it should still be your ultimate goal.  Despite the struggle, justice is a major theme in The Magic Half and other novels.  

After Miri looks through a mysterious eyeglass lens and gets transported back to 1934, she finds a girl named Molly and decides to bring her back to the present with her. The theme of justice is shown in The Magic Half when Molly's grandma explains to them why they traveled back in time. She says "Magic is just a way of setting things right". She explains to them that they were fixing things so that Molly's life would turn out better.  

Justice is also prevalent when Horst runs away. On the surface, Miri scares Horst away so that he doesn't change anything that would prevent Molly from returning to the present time with Miri. The underlying messae is that Horst got what he deserved.

Even though justice is a major theme in The Magic Half, it is also prominent in other novels, like A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. Scrooge is visited the by three ghosts that show him how what he did in the past affects his future. He is suprisingly alarmed at what happens because of his choices int he past and present. This is because Scrooge believes only in money, not not material things like peace, hope, and justice. This becomes a problem for him when he realises that no matter how much money you have, the end result of you descisions will be what you deserve.

Even though there is the obvious theme of justice in A Christmas Carol, the song "Jar of Hearts", by Christina Perry, also has a less noticeable theme of justice. She says "And who do you think you are, running 'round leaving scars.  Collecting your jar of hearts;tearing love apart,"  She's basically saying that it's not fair that this person is going around and breaking people's hearts. This is reiterated in the line "You're gonna catch a cold from the ice inside your soul.  Don't come back for me.  Who do you think you are?" She is now saying that he isn't above everyone else; he can't just come back and expect her to forget about what happened in the past. She is basically saying that you don't deserve to get me back. For example this line, "Cause you broke all your promises.  And now you're back -- You don't get to get me back."  Throughout the song, Christina Perry is always saying that he doesn't get to get her back. Why shouldn't he get her back? He houldn't get her back because it's not fair. He can't go around breaking peoples hearts, then expecting them to immediately forgive him. He crushed other people's feelings, so she decided to return the favor.

Why is justice such an important theme in these books and songs? It is because people feel that it is important to do what is right and for you to get what you deserve. It is the "tireless exertions and passionate concern" of the characters in these stories that make the theme of justice so prevalent. The characters feel the need to do the right thing, even if it is tireless, because it is important to make you life as just and fair as possible. Everyone should realize this, not just ictional people. People should try to always do the right thing, because it achieves justice. Doing the just thing not only makes you a better person, but it also sets an example for the rest of the world to do the best thing possible and to ultimately achieve justice.

Why Can't You Fly?

Life's one giant circle
And I'm just along for the ride

Life's an ocean
And I'm stuck in the tide

The running and screaming,
the thousands of stampeding feet

I stare without blinking,
watching in awe, can't miss a beat

The wind tugs me along towards the bright blue sky
pushing me, lifting me, telling me I can fly.

How much changes in the Past, Present, and Future?

Author's Note:  This is my essay comparing and contrasting the themes in the differences of the past, present and future.  

Is the past really that different from the present?  It's a question most people would automatically answer yes to, but is it really?  What was so different?  Does the world evolving really change life that much?  I think that the present day, 2012, isn't that different from the past in a lot of ways.

The basic values in the past, present, and literature representing the future all are the same.  For example, family.  In the present, family is a huge part of our daily lives.  Family is what helps us develop our personalities and morals. Even with increasing divorce rates, parents try to bond with their children and "be there for them."  Even in novels set in the present time, like Little women and Me, family is important.  Emily realizes that family wasn't just important back in the 1860's, but in her modern-day family.  She also realizes that family is about not just taking, but also helping out and giving back.  In the past, family also was a huge part of people's lives.  For example, in the book Mr. Death's Blue-eyed girls, a book that was based on a real event, family has an amazing sense of importance in people's lives.  The girls families and friends try to help each other get over the deaths of Cheryl and Bobbi Jo.  The whole neighborhood community is close enough to be a family.  Everyone knew the girls and was affected by their deaths.  Family is also very important in novels taking place in the future.  One particular novel that has a strong theme of family is The Hunger Games.  Even though Katniss' mother is mentally confused and her father is dead, Katniss would do anything to protect her mother and Prim.  Gale is also almost family to Katniss.  They help each other and -at least in the first book- would sacrifice themselves for each other in a heartbeat.  These novels show that no matter what year it is, family is still very important.  

If the theme of family is like the main street of novels, then death is more like a dark alley that no one wants to acknowledge.  In many novels, death tip-toes in and reaches out its brave hand like a little kid trying to sneak a cookie off the plate on the counter.  In Mr. Death's Blue-eyed girls, death is obviously a storng theme.  Everyone's life is altered by the murder except the killer himself.  Nora is probably the most changed by the presence of death.  She starts over thinking how fragile life really is.  Nora is overwhelmed by the power of death in her life.  She lets the thought of death over power and lets it make her question everything in her life.  In the present time, death is also a known theme, but no one wants to think about it.  In Little Women and Me, Emily tries to change the fact that Beth dies.  While she does postpone it for about five years, it eventually has to happen.  You can't stop death, just like you can't stop life.  In The Hunger Games, death is an important theme.  The theme of death in The Hunger Games isn't the actual occurrence of the murdering of 23 fairly innocent adolescents; it's the idea of death the country of Panem is built on.  The country actually approves of kids killing each other for entertainment.  The winner gets a nice little prize that doesn't come close to making up for the lifetime of mental and emtional trauma they've suffered through.  The theme of death also is revealed when Prim is killed.  It is then understood by Katniss that even district 13 isn't above killing 13-year-old girls to make a political point.  In novels and in real life throughout the ages, life and death are like day and night.  After the happiness of day, night will always follow.  

Even though the ideals of family and the realisticness of death are similar no matter when the story occurs, the state of the government is always different.  Back in the 1950's time period of Mr. Death's Blue-eyed girls, the government was still forming and changing.  African-Americans were still entirely segregated without any laws against it.  During these changing times in America, new, uproarious things were happening.  For example, Hawaii was still in the process of becoming a state!  In modern times, it's harder to look at the effects of the government, because we are currently living it.  One positive thing that has happened since the 1950's is that there is way less segregation.  On the other hand, Democrats and Republicans have completely  opposite ideals, refuse to work together and it almost looks like they're trying to burn our country to the ground.  In the future however, these democracy issues are no longer a problem, because we have basically a modified kingship/dictatorship/presidency with digressing districts and social classes.  In The Hunger Games, the only hope for a better government is a compete revolution.  Overall, the differences in government are depressing because while some things improve, the overall situation never really gets better.  

So are the past, present, and future really all that different?  Even though the surrounding world is growing and changing, the basic morals and ideals stay the same.  Family has always been prevalent and life and death have been constant.  No matter what time period we live in, we've always been and always will be people.  People with families and friends and life.  You can always learn form the past and plan for the future, but don't try to live in anything but the present.  That's where you are now, so live it while you can.  The past and the future aren't so different from the present, so why not live the life that's waiting for you right now?

Because of Mr. Death

Author's Note:  This is a piece from the point of view of Mrs.Boyd; the mother of one of the murder victims in Mr. Death's Blue-eyed Girls.  

I watch with a sinking feeling in my stomach as the two girls go to find out what happened.  Their ponytails bob hypnotically as they run towards the park.  I don't know what's happening, but I have this sickening thought that it's about Bobbi Jo.  Julie grabs tighter on my neck; worried, but not terrified like I am.  I shouldn’t have let Bobbi Jo go to school with Cheryl today. She finished yesterday; why did she need to go see Cheryl's high school?  The thought keeps nagging at me that something has happened to her and it was my fault for letting her go.  I suddenly realize that Ellie and Nora had been gone for over fifteen minutes.  Something terrible has happened.  More than the usual fire or car accident.  They're too horrified to come back and tell me.  I nearly choke on my next breath as I start to grasp why they don't want to tell me what happened.  Bobbi Jo.  She still isn't back and it's after one o'clock in the afternoon.  I don't want to let myself believe it, but the idea is dark and heavy, like a storm cloud.  The wailing sirens drown out any other noise.  I hold my youngest son and daughter closer to me, but I feel completely alone.  The dense summer air nearly suffocates me.  I stand there helpless.

 A solemn police officer walks slowly up to my gate, not wanting to deliver the awful news.  I can't hear more than a word or two of what he's saying, but it still echoes in my head.  Bobbi Jo.  Dead.  Shot.  Path. Woods.  Dead.  Despite the ninety degree weather, a shiver runs up my spine like an icy spider.    I raise my hand to wipe away the tears that I had not realized sliding down my cheek.  I feel frozen in time, in that one moment, for what feels like hours.  I will never see Bobbi Jo again.  Never talk to her.  Never hear her laugh.  Her life is over.  Before it even really began.  Why do the worst things happed to the most undeserving people?  A fragile piece of my heart breaks as I turn away from the park.  I open the front door.  Still stunned.  Still not wanting to believe it.  Still not ready to go on with the rest of my life.  

Escaping 1861

I am reading the book Little Women, and Me.  The main character, Emily, doesn't get along with her siblings, Charlotte and Ann.  She resents them because the guy she likes pays more attention to either of them than her.  In the book, Emily starts reading Little Women for an English assignment.  When she starts thinking about what she wants to change in the book ( her L.A. assignment ) she gets transported in to the story.

My Predictions

Emily will get out of the book.

1. In similar stories like My Unfair Godmother, the main character always returns from the fictional universe.
2. No matter how the story ended, the ending would be inconclusive if she didn't escape the story.  The reader would be left wondering what had happened to cause Emily to enter the story.
3. This book is a romance.  The main character, Emily, is not in control.  She did not choose enter the book, which is a main plot point.  The setting is also a relative utopia.  Nothing majorly bad happens, and for the most part people live happily.  Sad things happen, like Beth dying, but nothing unusual happened to cause that.  

Emily will act differently after she leaves the story

1. Emily changes how she acts because she doesn't want Beth to be upset by what she says.  
2. In 1861 people talked and acted differently.  They had better manners and talked in a more polite tone.  Emily wants to fit in so she starts acting like this.  Since she was there for so long the new mannerisms will start rubbing off on her.  
3. In a sort of modern day adaption of sleeping beauty (I can't remember the exact name,) the girl that used to live during the 1600's starts to act like a modern day person, because that is what is expected in the time that she is in now.
4. This is similar to real life Presidents.  They have to be more careful about their social media pages and how much information they share about their personal life because people care more now that they are in a different social position.  

Emily flopped down on her bed.  The book sat limply on the floor somewhere near her feet.  Emily ran over to her laptop and checked the date.  It was November 26, the same day she had left.  In fact, barely an hour had passed since she had entered the story.  Relaxing, Emily started to realize things she had never noticed before.  Everything seemed louder than usual.  In 1861 there wasn't that underlying electric hum that you never payed attention to until it was gone.  Emily looked out the window.  She watched in horror as Jackson walked up to the door.  She heard the faint ringing of the doorbell from downstairs   She could feel the tension in the air as if the whole house was holding its breath.  She ran to the top of the stairs looking down at the confused faces of the three people.  Emily thought of the March sisters.  She knew she had to say something.  She tried to channel Jo's boldness.  Emily walked down the stairs and said in one huge breath,

"Hi, Jackson.  Sorry for the confusion   Charlotte may like you, but if you really care then you should ask her for yourself.  And as for Ann, she is too young for you.  She's an 8th grader, you're a sophomore;  the age difference is a little weird right now.  If you really like her that much, ask again in a few years.  Now, we clearly have a lot to talk about so why don't you leave now and we'll see you at school on Friday, okay? Great! Bye."

Emily practically shoved him out the door.  Her sisters stared at her in awe.  Then, they burst out laughing.  

"That was hilarious!" Charlotte exclaimed.

Ann could barely breathe.  When she could finally talk again she choked out "And the ironic-est thing is that he came here to talk to you," she laughed as Emily's face turned bright pink.  

Emily and her sisters giggled through the next fifteen minutes.  Whenever they started to calm down someone would quote Emily's monologue and they would all end up laughing so hard they were nearly crying.  Emily thought about how she was going to miss the March sisters.  It was going to be weird without them, but maybe her sisters in the present weren't so bad.  She knew one thing for sure, no matter what happened in life she would always remember what she had learned living in Little Women.  

Poor Unfortunate Souls

Author's Note:  I wrote most of this during the workshops, but I wrote the last two paragraphs after going to the WASC Fall Summit JAM Student Council Conference.  Sorry.  That is why the last two paragraphs kind of turn in to an inspirational speech. 

Have you ever noticed how certain books and stories parallel our world -- maybe even a little more than we'd like to admit?  Certain aspects from novels like Animal Farm have obvious similarities.   One story that I have noticed has many real life parallels is Disney's The Little Mermaid. 

Let's start at the main character.  Ariel.  She's a king's daughter.  A girl that has everything that she could possibly want in the world, but she's still unhappy.  She even says that much in one of her songs "...How many wonders can one cavern hold?  Looking around here you think, sure, she's got everything. I've got gadgets and gizmos a-plenty. I've got whozits and whatzits galore. You want thingamabobs? I've got twenty! But who cares? No big deal, I want more!"  She really just wants one thing.  Like almost everyone in America, her kingdom thinks that you can make up for all the empty holes with things.  The only thing Ariel wants is legs.  They aren't just legs, though.  This is similar to people in other countries versus Americans.  The people from other countries just want simple things, like freedom.  Americans have a sense of entitlement.  Above that, they put too much value in materialistic objects, not the things that really matter.  The only thing that Ariel wants is legs.  She would give up everything for them-- her family, her friends, even her voice.  They're her symbol of freedom.  This is the one thing that Ariel wants -- to be free of her kingdom that doesn't understand her.  They don't get what she wants.  They don't get why she would be happier somewhere else.  They don't get who she is.  She is having this emotional struggle that makes her a better person, while the American teenagers are begging for the latest iPhone.  Americans need to appreciate the big things before they put all their value in material objects. 

Even though you can easily compare Ariel to our society, how about her dad?  Triton is king of the ocean.  The whole sea is under his command.  This would be great if he didn't have that nagging little problem --  he is disapproving of what his daughter wants.   He is like most real life dads -- his goal is to have what's best for his daughter.  What he doesn't realize though is that he is just pushing her away.  All of his problems could have been resolved if he had just asked himself Where is this getting me; will it solve my problem?  His world would be perfect if he - like most real life dads - could come to the realization that his daughter will make the right choices and she can handle her own life. 

With all the suppressive elements around her, Ariel needs some support.   This comes from her two friends, Sebastian and Flounder.  They provide her the encouragement that she needs to rebel against her family and society.  I think that this is either really similar or depressingly far away from real life.  In my opinion, I really think that people need support in their lives.  It doesn't matter if this comes from fiends, family or other things; it's harder to accomplish things alone.   Without her friends, Ariel would have given up.  Her story would have been incomplete.  Even when everyone else doubted her, her friends believed in her to the end and made getting what she wanted possible. 

Stories like The Little Mermaid provide strong similarities to real life.  We saw the same wish for freedom in Ariel and the people from most other countries.  We saw the same desire for the best possible life for their daughters in Triton and real life dads.  We saw the same need of supporting friends   in the story and in real life.  We saw the similarities, but who cares?  Why does it matter?  This whole essay means nothing if you read it, then never think about any of it ever again.  You have to try to put more value in things like family; and less in the latest iPhone.  You have to try to let your kids, or siblings,  or friends grow and make decisions for themselves.  You have to not only have supporting friends, but you also have to be one!  As Ghandi said "You must be the change you wish to see."  Look at books and movies that have some sort of message and actually do something about it!  Don't just stand there and play the part of the poor unfortunate souls; make a difference!  Change the world!  Start small -- just one fish in the sea.  Then get bigger --  change the whole ocean.