Warriors don’t cry presentation ouline

Outline

Background:

Author: Melba Pattillo

• She was born on December 7, 1941 on Little Rock, Arkansas. On that day, a big event happened while her mother giving birth to her that makes her mother overwhelmed. The Japanese troops bombed the Pearl Harbor. There was trouble for delivery Melba outside so the doctor used forceps to deliver her and injured her scalp. Melba feel ill but instead of take a serious exam to check her heath, the doctor said “Just give it time,” because she was African American. Luckily, Melba’s mother spoke to a black janitor who heard a doctor mentioning to use Epsom salts to clean the infection. Melba’s mother got the Epsom salts, and Melba survived.
• The Supreme Court rules said that separate schools for whites are illegal, a ruling called Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas. And a year after, she and sixteen other black students sign up to attend the white school but only nine remain. The adversity started from when Melba and her mother came to Central High School for Melba’s first day of class.

Quotes:

1. Character: Melba

• “I was born on Pearl Harbor Day, December 7, 1941.” (1) “I was busy keeping to myself so I could apply my grown-up makeup. It was an art I had not yet acquired since I wasn’t allowed to wear makeup. Even by the third try I resembled a circus clown. But as I looked in the mirror for a final check, I was proud of the Job I had done. I was a new person.” (49)

2. Secondary character:

• Grandmother: “Without my grandmother, India Anette Peyton, I would not have survived my year at Central” Her grandmother taught a lot of think and gave her a lot of advice that shape Melba life.
• Mother: “My mother, Lois Payton Pattilo, gave me strength and kept me focused in my goal”
• Minnijean Brown: “Best of all, my special friend Minnijean Brown was going. Since she lived only a block away from me, we saw each other almost every day. We had much in common; both of us were tall for our age, and we shared daydreams-our worship of Johnny Mathis and Nat Cole, and our desire to sing.” (26)

3. Setting:

• The book “warriors don’t cry” set time in the early 1950s, in the city of Little Rock, Arkansas

4. Story plot triangle:

• Rising action: “All ears perked up when the announcer started talking about Little Rock. He said seventeen children from my community had been selected to enter the all-white Central High with white people” (22) “In the end, there were nine of us.” (25) The rising action started when they heard the news that Melba and nine other students will attend Central High school, which have only white people.
• Climax: “And then with tears brimming in her eyes, she explained. “they say they’ll give me back my job only if I withdraw Melba from Central High school immediately. They do not want her to finish the year.” (203) “The next day…. Tear streamed down Mana’s cheeks as wrung her hands together to stop their shaking.” (210” The white segregationists force Melba to leave the school by fired Melba’s mon so she would not have money for Melba to go to school. But finally, Melba mother got back her job with the help of Bishop Sherman and the Journalist.
• Falling action: “They were a family of politically conscious Quakers committed to racial equality. When I arrived I was frightened to see that they were white. But they became the loving, nurturing bridge over which I walked to adulthood.” (219) She move away from the Little Rock after Faubus shut down the Central High schools, finish two year of high school and go to a collage in California.
• Resolution: “I always remembered is was the truth told by those reporters who came to little Rock that kept her alive. Later as an NBC television reporter covering stories of riot and protest, I would take special care to look into those unexposed corners where otherwise invisible people are forced to hide as their truth is ignored.” (222) In the end, she finished Collage, got married with John and split up because john wanting a wife who putter the house. Later, she became a journalist who search for the truth for innocent people.

5. Conflict:

• “I was beginning to resign myself to the fact that white people were definitely in charge, and there was nothing we could do about it.” (10) She had a conflict with herself because she was black, she wishes she could be white so she would be free.
• “Niggers, go home! Niggers, go back where you belong!” (35) She is being denied by the society, the white students didn’t want her to be at this school.

6. Adversity:

• Her first day at school: ““We have to find the others,” Mama yelled in my ear. “We’ll be safer with the group.” She grabbed my arm to pull me forward, out of my trance. The look on her face mirrored the terror I felt… happening directly in front of the school.” (36) When she and her mother came to school, there were a crown that stand in front of the school, stopping the Nine student to went to school.
• Her overcoming: “You’ll make this your last cry. You’re a warrior on the battle field for your Lord. God’s warriors don’t cry, cause they trust that he’s always by their side.” (44) She cried because she worried that some people would come to her house and kill her. And then, her grandmother came and told her not to cried.
• When she being bullied by other student: “The nigger’s come to have breakfast. I can tell, she’s wearing eggs,” one boy called. I never said a word back to the group hovering with their ugly-cat-calls. I knew they were just hoping I’d do or say something that would result in my expulsion.” (164)
• “Did you think we were gonna let niggers use our toilets? We’ll burn you alive, girl, a voice shouted through the door. There won’t be enough of you left to worry about.” (119)
• Her overcoming: “Not exactly. Maybe it would defeat their purpose. They win when you respond the way they expect you to. Change the rules of the game, girl, and they might not like it so much.” (165) Her grandmother gave her an advice, that is said thank you to the people who bullied her.
• On her sixteen birthday: “The integration had stolen my sixteenth birthday.” “Please, God, let me learn how to stop being a warrior. Sometimes I just need to be a girl. (147) Her friend feared to go to her birthday because she was being the center of the integration and it was very dangerous.
• She wishes she was dead: “God, please let me be dead until the end of the year.” I was willing to bargain and plead with God. I revised my request; I just wanted to become invisible for a month or two. I clutched the diary to my chest and wept for a long time. “No,” I whispered aloud, “I do wish I were dead.” Then all the pain and hurt would be over.” (160) She wishes she could dead because she was too tired of the integration.
• Golden quotes: “Namasté” (The God in me see and honors the God in you) (222). It means when a person bows with his hands on his heart, he recognizes that the divine spark within him is also in every other person around him.

7. My reaction:

• Through the story, I could see that Melba is a very brave woman who stood up to fight back racism by studied in the white called Central High School. Although she has many adversities to face like being bullied at school, being threat that people going to kill her, and sometimes she even gave up and don’t want to fight back anymore. With the support from family and friend, she finally won and followed her dream, became a journalist who search for the truth for innocent people.

 

8. Theme: Changing power through fighting back

• At the time when Melba was born, white people had power and black people did not. Through the event of nice black student entering an all-white school make such significance change because It threatened the way the white segregationists keep their power. And in the end, Melba story has influence not only the people in Little Rock, but also the people in other cities and the world. So who can we apply this to the modern times? The story had taught me that we are not separate, we share pain through the TV screen, what happen to them effect on us too.

 

Persuasive outline rough draft

Persuasive Speech Outline

Introduction:

• Are you often got stress out from work or waiting something to take care of? There are many ways to solve that problem but having a pet is the perfect ways for you to solve your stress problem and be more responsibility in your life.

Supporting Arguments:

• The fact about pets:
• The Time of India, July 8, 2014, explained it this way “A recent study showed that there are more pets than children in American households.”
• com on Jan 7, 2010, states “Having a pet helps seniors stay invested in life. Particularly if you live alone, pets counter loneliness and help you continue to focus on what’s going on around you.”
• The reason that you should have pets:
• com on Jan 7, 2010, states that “Loneliness can become an unwelcome companion as we age and can lead to depression as well as physical problems. Dogs mold their schedule and personality to you. They are never unavailable or off duty. Smaller dogs, in particular, can easily travel.”
• com on Jan 7, 2010, states “People benefit from regular physical exercise regardless of their age. But it is hard to get into a regular exercise routine, and it’s so very easy to skip it. Having a dog can be a great way to make walking a part of your daily plan.”
• com on Jan 7, 2010, states “A dog can provide significant security. Potential thieves will stay away from a home with a barking dog. Your watchdog may weigh only 8 pounds soaking wet, but the person on the other side of the door doesn’t know that.”
• Pets is good for your health:
• According to Help Guide website, “Dog owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets.
• People with dogs have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets. One study even found that when people with borderline hypertension adopted dogs from a shelter, their blood pressure declined significantly within five months.
• Playing with a dog or cat can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax.
• Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease) than those without pets.
• Heart attack patients with dogs survive longer than those without.
• Pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those without pets.”

Conclusion:

• As you see, people who have pet have been happier in their than other people. And pet also have a lot of benefit that help you in your life, so why not find the pet that is prefect for you and together, you have a friend that is loyal, always listen to you.

Works Cited

Moeller, Philip. “10 Reasons You Need a Pet” 7 Jan 2010. Web. 20 Feb. 2016

“Reasons why you should keep a pet” The Times of India. 8 Jul, 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2016

“The Health Benefits of Dogs (and Cats)” HelpGude.org. Web. 20 Feb. 2016

Adversity paper: A New friend

A new friend

The clock strikes 9:00 am as I wake up and brush my teeth. Today is Saturday, so I don’t have to go to school. After having breakfast, I decide to do nothing. Since today is the prefect to rest after the long week, I am tired from homework. I take the chair and the table along with a cup of juice outside to my small garden. The wind blows and the leaves fall as I sit down on the chair in the garden. I start to think back to the first time I came to America.

The first thing I remember is that the sun was shining that warm Monday afternoon when I came to America.  It was an hour trip from the Omaha Airport to Lincoln. After I put all my stuff in the closet, I was exhausted and took a 12-hour nap. I ended up missing dinner. Normally, new students have one day off when they come but I was an exception. I had to go to school that first day, because I arrived a week after school started. That morning, I woke up at 6:00 to prepare to go school. I was both nervous and excited. The instant that I walked into the school, I was amazed by how beautiful the school is. It was bigger than my old school and it also has two large gyms and a very huge soccer field behind the school. Next to the school was a magnificent tree line with trees that are 40 to 45 feet tall. I never see many trees the height before and it was a new experience. But behind all of these amazing things, there are a number of adversities that I have had to face since the moment I came to school.

So what is adversity? Adversity is the difficulties you have in your life. One of my bigger obstacles that keep me from having good grades in class was the poor communication I had with other people. The first class I was in was the religion class. When I came in, the teacher lightly showed me to my seat. The smile on my face began to fade as I heard the teacher explain the lesson; For the entire 1 hour 30 minutes, I could not understand anything. Then the same thing happened to me in math, chemistry, and English and throughout the rest of my day. On the way home, I felt like I was going to cry. For the first time in my life I could not understand anything that I had learned that day. I started to worry about the homework; if I didn’t understand anything, how could I do my assignments?

For the next three weeks, I was stressed out from the coursework and the classes in school. My head kept thinking about failing school and it made me tired every time I tried to do my homework. My grades started to go down with no sign of stopping. When I was in Vietnam, whenever I got stuck on something, I could ask my friend anytime and they would show me an example of how to do the homework so I could understand it. But in my new school, I did not have any friends at all. I usually worked alone when the class was working in group. In some situations, where we have to be in a group, I always got stuck with the left over person and we didn’t talk much to each other when we had a group conversation. I would feel lonely for the rest of my day at school. If I had a friend, it would be so much better because I could have someone to talk to. That would make half of my worry go away. Whenever I am sad or happy, I could have someone to share my feelings, to laugh with me. I was always thinking that I could not make it through these next 6 months and I would fail my mom.

The semester continued like this until one day that changed my life forever. That day, I was eating lunch on the last table where no one was seating. Suddenly, a boy came right opposite me and sat down. He held out his hand for me to shake. I looked at him, for a moment and then I shyly took my hand and shook his. The boy smiled and introduced himself. I was surprised because no one had ever actively talked to me. We had a little conversation before the bell rang and we had to get back to class. He said to me that If I have any questions, I could ask him and he stood up, grabbed his tray and said goodbye to me. That night I could not sleep because I was thinking about him; my first friend since I came here.

Since then, anytime I have something that I don’t understand, I always ask him. He then answers my question in a simple way so that I can understand. Thanks to him, my grades started to go up, I started to know who Jesus is and what he had done. I also learned who we really are.

There was a time when I was studying in Geography class when, suddenly, a bunch of boys who often misbehave in class came to me and teased me. I didn’t know what they said but after they said it, they said he won’t understand and just laughed at me because I didn’t understand what they said and they thought that was funny. That hurt my feelings a lot but I couldn’t do anything. All of a sudden, my friend stood straight up from the chair he was sitting in and came to my table.

“That is just not nice, guys,” he said,” go pick on someone your own size!”

As the teacher came in, she asked the class why it was so loud and my friend told her about everything he witnessed in the class. In the end, those boys were being punished and after that none of this happened again. From that moment, I knew that I could count on my friend.

Now I’m more confident and I can understand the lessons in class. I have joined the Lincoln Lutheran Soccer team and I am very proud of my team. I have a lot of friends now but there is only one that is my true friend. Without him, I may have gone back to Vietnam. Overcoming my adversity helped me to be more confident in life, and to go through the difficulties of language and commutation.

Persuasive speech outline: The benefit of having a dog

 

Introduction:

• Are you often stressed out from work or waiting for something to take care of? There are many ways to solve that problem, but having a pet, especially a dog, is the perfect way for you to solve your stress problem and to be more responsible in your life. According to Harvard Medical School (Ethos), “There are many reason why dogs are called humans’ best friends: not only do they offer unparalleled companionship, but a growing body of research shows they also boost human health.”

Supporting Arguments:

• So now, I’m going to talk about, the reason why you should have dog as a pet, dogs are good for your health and the fact about pets
• The reason why you should have dog as a pet: (Logos)
• According to Help Guide website “Studies have shown that dog owners are far more likely to meet their daily exercise requirements.” People with dog is more active
• Help Guide website has shown that “Companionship can help prevent illness and even add years to your life, while isolation and loneliness can trigger symptoms of depression. Caring for a living animal can help make you feel needed and wanted, and take the focus away from your problems, especially if you live alone.”
• S news website, also says “A dog can provide significant security. Potential thieves will stay away from a home with a barking dog. Your watchdog may weigh only 8 pounds soaking wet, but the person on the other side of the door doesn’t know that.” Thieves is very dangerous and they could kill just to take money, is must safer to have a dog with you (logical fallacy)
• Help Guide website states that “Touch and movement are two healthy ways to quickly manage stress. Stroking a dog lowers blood pressure and can help you quickly feel calmer and less stressed.”
• According to the Help Guide website, “Dogs can be a great social lubricant for their owners, helping you start and maintain new friendships. Dog owners frequently stop and talk to each other on walks, hikes, or in a dog park. Dog owners also meet new people in pet stores, clubs, and training classes.”

Rebuttal:

• Although people often say that having a dog is inconvenient, but having a dog gives the person who owns it happiness and health too. (Rebuttal) Many people are happier when they are with dog. (Logical fallacy)
• Pets are good for your health:
• According to Help Guide website, “Dog owners are less likely to suffer from depression than those without pets.
• People with dogs have lower blood pressure in stressful situations than those without pets. One study even found that when people with borderline hypertension adopted dogs from a shelter, their blood pressure declined significantly within five months.
• Playing with a dog or cat can elevate levels of serotonin and dopamine, which calm and relax.
• Pet owners have lower triglyceride and cholesterol levels (indicators of heart disease) than those without pets.
• Heart attack patients with dogs survive longer than those without.
• Pet owners over age 65 make 30 percent fewer visits to their doctors than those without pets.”

(Pathos): Picture on the slide

• Here is the picture of my dog, his name is Po and he is 3 years old now. I love him so much and I enjoy spending time playing with him. My life is better because he taught me to be more responsible. (logical fallacy)
• The fact about pets:
• The Time of India, July 8, 2014, explained it this way “A recent study showed that there are more pets than children in American households.”
• S news website on Jan 7, 2010, states “Having a pet helps seniors stay invested in life. Particularly if you live alone, pets counter loneliness and help you continue to focus on what’s going on around you.”

Conclusion:

• As you see, people who have dogs are happier than people who don’t have dogs. Dogs also have a lot of benefits that help you in your life, so why not find the dog that is prefect for you? Together, you will have a friend that is loyal and that will always listen to you when you are sad or happy.

Works Cited

Moeller, Philip. “10 Reasons You Need a Pet” 7 Jan 2010. Web. 20 Feb. 2016

“Reasons why you should keep a pet” The Times of India. 8 Jul, 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2016

“The Health Benefits of Dogs (and Cats)” HelpGude.org. Web. 20 Feb. 2016

Creative writing: The legend of Po

The legend of Po

The sun is shining brightly and Po is preparing to head down to the river near his house to go fishing. He starts to pack up the things he will need: A fishing rod, a small box full of worms, a chair, and some snacks to eat. With an electrifying spirit, he leaves the house, making his way toward the river. As he goes, he sings, and the birds join him. Life is so much fun.

He walks through the woods full trees; the wind flows through the trees to make them look like they are waving to welcome him. As he continues, he hears the sound of rushing water and he knows the river is just a few steps away. He comes to the river bank and he pauses to take in his surroundings. The river appears to be more beautiful than he could image. The surface of the river sparkles under the bright sun. The water is so clear that he can see the fish swimming in the water. He is proud of himself for making such a great decision to go fishing today. yes, it was a great decision… He starts to set up his chair, his small box filled with worms, and he sits down and begins to pull the fishing rod back. Using all of his strength, he throws the rod full speed ahead so that it goes as far as possible. The bait creates a small plop sound when it hits the water’s surface. The only thing left to do is to wait for the fish to take the bait. One hour passes and not a single nibble. He starts to become bored and sleep takes over him. Suddenly, he feels cold and as he wakes up, he is surrounded by water. and there is an enormous whirlpool that pulls him in. It is so deep, Po cannot even see the bottom of it. He fights the current, but eventually his arms give out. Little by little he is swallowed into the darkness.

When Po regain consciousness, he is both amazed and terrified by the thing he is seeing. The world had changed; he was teleported to a different world. It takes him a moment to realize that. The view around him is not the river he was fishing at anymore. It had changed into a village in the early 1800s. The things that surprise him the most are the monsters. Before, he never saw monsters, but now, he sees them everywhere. Amazingly, they seem to live and work with humans. He can see dragons, werewolves, the Lizard men and many more… Po runs away and hides in the corner of the alley, trying to hide from the truth that he is trapped in this strange world. Unexpectedly, a group of monsters come near to him and speak in the language that he can understand.

“Hey, you look like you are not from around here, so you must have a lot of money. Give us all you have,” says the Lizard man

“Leave me alone!” Po shouts aloud

“We will leave you alone if you give us what we need!” the Lizard man says impatiently

“I do not have any money; I’m being trapped here, so leave me alone,” Po replies angrily.

“You’re a liar, we will beat you until you give us your money,” retorts the Lizard man while running towards Po with two other Lizard men.

Po is struck repeatedly by the Lizard man and he curls up on the ground to protect himself, hoping someone will help him. He realizes that it does not matter which world he is in, there are always good and bad people. This world is no exception. Blood runs down out of his mouth as Po’s shoulders and his belly are bruised. The lizard man can hear the sound of the bones cracking like a breaking a stick. All of a sudden, three fire balls shoot toward the Lizard men and knock them away. After being knocked, the Lizard man become terrified and run away. Po was amazed by what he had seen, magic. He uses all his strength to look up who has saved him.  It is a woman with white blooming hair, a white dress and beautiful blue eyes. She is gorgeous. She comes near him. She waves her magic staff that glows with warm light and suddenly Po does not feel pain anymore. Soon, Po is fully recovered. With a beat up face, he says thank you to the woman.

“You don’t need to thank me; I was just doing the right thing” says the woman while looking at Po clothes

“You are not from here, are you?” the woman asks.

“Yes, I don’t think you will believe me, but I’m from a different world” answers Po.

“Really!!!??” The woman replies enthusiastically

“Wait, you believe me?” responds Po with surprise

“Yeah, I believe that other worlds do exist,” says the woman with a knowing smile. Her smile warms Po heart. He is overjoyed because he finally has someone who understands him.

“What is your name?” the woman suddenly asks

“My name is Po.” Po answers with a loud voice

“Po, what a funny name” The woman grins to Po and Po blushes because he his slightly embarrassed.

“My name is Lisa.” She smiles as she holds out her hand for him to shake. Po looks at her for a moment and then he sheepishly shakes her hand. Lisa then begins to tell Po about this world. She says this world used to live in peace. All the humans and monsters lived happily together. But one day, the sky turned dark, ocean rose, and lighting enveloped the sky. A dark cloud appeared which turned into a five headed dragon. It turned good monsters into bad ones who then began to follow the dragon. This village is the only village where humans live with monsters. Unfortunately, the five headed dragon is going to destroy this place soon and there will be nothing left. “I’m going to defeat the five headed dragon no matter what” Lisa proclaims with an angry voice. “In this case, I think I will go with you because I owe you for saving my life,” whispers Po fearfully. “It is very dangerous, and you are too weak to fight back against the dragon” Lisa says. “Then, I will practice until I become stronger; besides, maybe if I defeat the dragon, I might find a way home” says Po with more confidence and with a fire in his eyes. Finally, Lisa agrees to let him go with her and they begin their journey to the Golem mountain where the master Shifu can teach Po everything he will need to know. Po learns very quickly, quicker than any student Shifu has ever had. Normally it takes people 3 years to learn everything, but Po takes only 3 weeks to finish his training. The reason for this is Po’s undefeatable will to become strong enough to defeat the dragon and protect Lisa.

The time has come, Po is well prepared and master Shifu gives to him the legendary sword, “Excaliburn.” It is unbreakable and can cut through stone. This sword had two different forms, a fire sword and an ice sword. Additionally, it will never hit its owner. Po and Lisa then make their way to the castle where the dragon is hiding. As the step into the castle, the ground starts to shake heavily, and from the dark, a dragon with five heads slowly step out. It is 30m tall with razor sharp teeth and claws. As it was said in the legend, each head of the dragon uses one element of nature; fire, water, wind, earth, and metal. The battle begins as the dragon starts to shoot a fire ball toward Lisa and Po. Lisa creates a large ice wall to defend herself and Po turns his sword to ice to block the fire ball. Then, the dragon uses all of its heads to create a giant energy ball and shoots toward Lisa. She uses all of her strength to construct a great a massive ice walls but the energy ball is too strong. It destroys the wall of ice, knocking her back. Lisa hits the wall of the castle and slides down to the floor unconscious. Po screams aloud “Lisa!” and runs toward the dragon, his face contorted with rage. With a single slash, he successfully cuts one of the dragon’s heads. He then immediately jumps back to Lisa to protect her. He stands between the dragon and Lisa.  Po whistles the magic tune. Suddenly, his sword begins to emit a beautiful yellow light as he shouts “Excaliburn!” The sword becomes massive, and he runs toward the dragon. The reptile creature, with all 8 of its remaining red eyes, stare at Po like he is its prey. The scaly beast points its sharp teeth, like a thousand steel swords, toward Po, its greatest enemy. The creature’s spines turn a dark red, the air around it, once moist, now turn into a dry hot air that is unbreathable. It creates a massive lava ball that is big enough to swallow the whole castle. “This is my final chance to defeat the dragon” Po reflects to himself as he sprints toward the dragon without regard. He swings his magic sword at the dragon, the dragon strikes back with the lava sphere. The sword collides with the lava sphere; Po hide his tears as he can feel the heat burn every part of his body. The blade’s power increases, cutting through the lava sphere, aiming right for the dragon. It splits the creature in half with and explosion that blows Po away. The dragon lays on the ground dead, a sign of victory for Po. He tumbles to his knees and then falls unconscious, the background fading to darkness. He is woken up by Lisa’s voice. She is holding his hand, crying and calling his name. “Po, Po, you are bleeding!” she exclaims.

“Bleeding?” Po wonders, looking at his belly, which is covered in blood.

He could not avoid the lava sphere; it had injured him severely. He knows he will not survive but he smiles anyway; knowing that he had successfully defeated the dragon and protected Lisa. He is satisfied. Po’s hand slowly slips form Lisa’s hand and falls on the ground. The hero has died.

Tracking my thinking day 3 on “Warriors don’t cry”

I used to think that Melba could not do anything about the white students bullying her, but now I think she did a very good job to solve that problem when she got the advise by her grandmother; “Not exactly. Maybe it would defeat their purpose. They win when you respond the way they expect you to. Change the rules of the game, girl, and they might not like it so much.” (165) Her grandmother asked her to smile and say thank back to the people who bullying her. This passage show me that anything can solve by understanding not by fist. When she apply her grandmother teaching, people think she was crazy at first, but after a few week, she got lest bullying from other people.

A big event happen that has a big impact on Melba, that was when her mother lost her job. She lost her job not because she did a bad job, but because they want her to force Melba to leave Central High school. That is only way to get back her job. Through the long fight, finally Melba mother got back her job with the help of Bishop Sherman and the Journalist. In the end, she couldn’t go to Central High because of the bounty on her head. She finished university, got married with John and split up because john wanting a wife who putter the house. Later, she became a journalist who search for the truth for innocent people.

Tracking my thinking day 2 on “Warriors don’t cry”

In the chapter I was reading, Melba got protect from the 101st Airborne. And the soldier who protected her from the angry white students, was called Danny. But the word “protect” it isn’t the right word to described because the governor just allowed the soldiers who was watching the nine students to keep them alive and not to attend any fight with student. Although he could not protected her from the fight, but he help her to become stronger, like a warriors. This passage makes me think feel happy for her because she finally meet someone who is nice to her.

I used to think that being with Danny make her safer but it turned out that she still being bullied by white people, they throw flaming papers to her in the restroom. At the time when she need Danny the most, it was when he and the 101st being gone for good. When Danny left, he broke the rules again and came and has some last word with Melba. He told her talk care of herself and don’t bend to pick up any books or walk in the dark corners, that is very emotional. At her sixteen birthday, she feel that the integration has stolen her freedom.

Tracking my thinking day 1 on “Warriors don’t cry”

I used to think that racism between black and white people is not that awful, but now I know that it is even worse than awful. Some questions I have are why white people hated black so much, I mean that black people didn’t do anything to make white people mad? Melba was main character and also the author of the book. She was born on December 7, 1841, in little Rock, Arkansa, one the day that Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The author when she was twelve was ingenuous, who alway think about the unfairness between the black people and the white people,  “When will we get our turn to be in charge?” In chapter 2, a terrible thing happened, she was nearly being raped by a white man. This make me feel that life is just unfair to her, she don’t even know what “rape” means.

Her adversity started in chapter 4 when she is being transfer to the Central High School to force integration with nine other black students to study. When she first came to the school, the school was full of angry white people, then some of them chased Melba and her mom and tried to killed them. Luckily, they successfully escaped. Her second adversity started in chapter 7 when got in the school and being bullied by her classmate, they called her “nigger”. On the playing field, she being hit really hard with the ball. And then they tried to catch her and kicked her. I feel so sad about this.

Reflections on Adversity

 

 

Adversity

Through the class discussions, in my group discussions, and the novel “Warriors Don’t Cry” by Melba Pattillo Beals, I have come to accept an overall idea about how to define adversity. Adversity is the difficulties you have in your life. It has both good and bad sides; the good side is it makes the person who passes the adversity and challenge become stronger in life, and the bad side of adversity is if a person who meets adversity cannot pass it, then it will make that person become stressed and eventually give up.

In the novel I read, the main character, which is Melba, faces a lot of adversity through her life. The adversity of Melba started when she and nine other students went to Central High school to study. On her first day at school, when she and her mother came to school, there were a crown standing in front of the school. They came to stop Melba and the nine students from coming into the school. Melba and her mother were too afraid, so they went back home and were chased by a bunch of angry white people who threatened to kill Melba and her mother. The second adversity was when she was being bullied by other students. The students hated her because she was black. She was being called bad words, and being hit nearly every day. With her, almost every day at school was like being in hell and she just wanted to finish school as fast as she could. The third adversity overwhelmed Melba on her sixteen birthday. When she invited her friends to her sixteen birthday, her friends was afraid to go to her birthday party because they feared what was happening to Melba, they feared the danger of Melba being the center of the integration. Melba wished she could be only a normal girl. Once, because of the stress and the fight for integration, she wrote in the diary that she wished she could die. But finally, she overcame the adversity and became stronger in life.

Through the group discussions with other people who read different novels about adversity, I have more ideas about people who have experienced different adversity in their lives. The novel “Eleanor and Park” by Rainbow Rowell is a very romantic and a sad story about Eleanor and Park. Both of the characters Eleanor and Park have to face a lot of adversity. Eleanor had to face a lot of adversity, such as being bullied for race, poverty, hatred, and abandonment. Park has his own adversity with his sports-loving father and his younger brother, and he doesn’t know if his dad really accepts him. The novel “Touch the Top of the World” by Erik Weihenmayer, tells the story about Erik and the adversity that he faced. Erik was blind when he was 13. Because he was blind, he wasn’t able to get a job and felt excluded from “normal” people. He had to use the stick for the blind and use a trained dog to guide his way. But in the end, he overcome his adversity and became the first blind person to climb the highest mountain in the world, Mt. Everest.  Finally, in the novel “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime” by Mark Haddon, we learn about Christopher who has an extraordinary brain, who can remember every detailed thing. Christopher likes to investigate things. His adversity was related to his feelings, and his father lied to him that his mother died but the truth is she was still alive and living in London.

As you can see, adversity is the difficulties you have in your life. The authors through the novels prove that overcoming adversity is not impossible, but you need to be strong and never give up on yourself.

Brutus, “Peace, freedom, and liberty!”

Part 1: Speech

“I am Brutus, A well-regarded Roman nobleman. It is an honor to talk with you today. This is an opportunity for me to tell you why I would be best leader to lead Rome to become even more prosperous.

“I have brought a lot of success to Rome and have made it more wonderful. I’m a senator so I know a lot of things about its government works. And I can see that the government is making people suffer and I want to change that. That is why I want to be Rome’s leader so that I can work with the other senators in order to solve this problem and bring equality back to every single Roman citizen! Many people have seen me as an honorable man; I will work as hard as possible to make each Roman citizen happy.

“I put Rome above everything, even my best friend, Caesar. I had no choice but to kill him because I saw that he was a person who would do anything for power. If Caesar were to reach to where he wants, he would turn his back on his people who helped him to get to where he was. Caesar was my best friend but he was dreaming about his ambition rather than caring for his people.  That is why I had to kill him; because it is the best for the people of Rome. I’m willing to die for Rome if Rome needs me to.

“I can see exactly what the government needs to change to help to people have a better standard of living and what is needed for Rome to be more developed. As you can see, my love for Rome is greater than anything else in the world, deeper than the deepest ocean. Nothing in the world can stop my love for Rome. You can reciprocate my love by vote for me as the leader Rome and I promise to you that I will not let you down.”

Part 2: Significant Quotes:

Act 1, scene 2, page 5: Brutus: “If it’s for the good of all Romans, I’d do it even if it meant my death. Let the gods give me good luck only as long as I love honor more than I fear death.” He is willing to die for the good of Rome and for the Roman people. A good leader thinks about his country and his people, and Brutus did a very good job of that.

 

Act 2, scene 1, page 2: Brutus: “Rulers abuse their power when they separate it from compassion. To be honest, I’ve never known Caesar to let his emotions get the better of his reason. But everyone knows that an ambitious young man uses humility to advance himself, but when he reaches the top, he turns his back on his supporters and reaches for the skies while scorning those who helped him get where he is.” Brutus saw that Caesar is dangerous when he gets too powerful. He will betray the people who supported and helped him to be more powerful, and Brutus will stop Caesar from doing that.

 

Act 3, scene 1, page 9: Brutus: “They are full of pity for Caesar. But a stronger pity, for the wrongs committed against Rome, drove out our pity for Caesar, as fire drives out fire, and so we killed him.” Brutus and the people that killed Caesar felt pity for him, but had a stronger pity for Rome. Rome was more important than Caesar.

 

Act 3, scene 2, page 2: Brutus: “With these words I leave. Just as I killed my best friend for the good of Rome, so will I kill myself when my country requires my death.” He killed his best friend for the good of Rome, and he would kill himself if Rome needed him dead. That showed that Rome is more important than his own life.

Act 3, scene 2, page 1: Brutus: “It’s not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.”

 

Brutus cared for Rome the most; he would rather kill Caesar then let Rome fall.

 

Part 3: Explanation of Poster

 

In my poster, I decided to put red background represent as blood behind the phrase “Peace, freedom, and liberty!” and the sword in order to show that to make Rome better, Brutus has to kill Caesar, his best friend because he only care about power, not the good for the people of Rome. I have the image of a big heart to show that Brutus is very kind and friendly, He let his friend and his soldier sleep in his own tent with him. I chose to put the image of the city of Rome in his big heart to show his big love for Rome that never die for. Behind the image of Brutus, there is a picture of the dark forest, showing his dark future where he died in the battle in the forest.

Part 4: Attack Ads

Antony – See—I’ve sealed his fate with this mark next to his name. But, Lepidus, go to Caesar’s house. Bring his will here, and we’ll figure out a way to reduce his bequests to the people. By saying this, Antony showed that he had lied to the people of Rome about Caesar’s will. He asked Lepidus went to Caesar’s house to took the will and Antony will change it. Antony would be a terrible leader of Rome because he had lied to the people of Rome for his own benefit.

Caesar – “Caesar said to me, “Cassius, I dare you to jump into this rough water with me and swim to that point there.” As soon as he spoke, though I was fully dressed, I plunged in and called for him to follow. And he did. The water roared, and we fought against it with vigorous arms. And, thanks to our fierce competitiveness, we made progress. But before we reached the end point, Caesar cried, “Help me, Cassius, or I will sink!” And just as Aeneas, the hero who founded Rome, emerged from the fires of Troy with his elderly father Anchises on his shoulder, so I emerged from the Tiber carrying the tired Caesar.” Through the story that Cassius told to Brutus, I can see that Caesar is too arrogant when he challenges Cassius to swim to the other side of the river. Before they reached to the river, Caesar sink and he has to asked for help. Caesar is very arrogant; he thinks he is the God who can do everything. Caesar put himself above other people. And he would therefore be a weak leader of Rome.

Lepidus – “Lepidus is just like that. He has to be taught and trained and told to go forward. He’s an empty man, who pays attention to fashions and tastes that other men took up and got tired of long ago.” “He’s an unremarkable man, fit only to be sent on errands. Does it really make sense, once we divide the world into three parts, that he should be one of the three rulers?” Through Antony words, I can see that Lepidus does not have a virtue of a leader. He just fit only to be sent on errands and he doesn’t understand what he need in order to be a good leader. Lepidus only pays attention to fashion and tastes. Therefore, he could not carry out political work and he doesn’t know anything about leadership.