Tangled

Author's note: This is a response to the movie Tangled. As a class we voted on a movie to watch and somehow it won. So, this is my response to the mode that it is. 

Disney has around 50 animated films. That is way too many if you ask me, seeing as most of them are annoying little kid movies. 'Tangled' fits into this category, and as usual was not very good. It was romance mode, quite obviously, and there were tons of symbols. The romantic theme was at times amusing but mostly annoying, because a romance movie is really only good for young children. The movie was just like most Disney animated movie, with a boring and predictable romantic plot.

First of all, the plot, which was very romantic. Starting out with the fact that Repunzel's dream is to leave the tower to watch floating lights on her birthday. That seems like a pretty lame dream, and also the minor conflict at the start. It also was very predictable, when they seemed to be stuck between a rock and a hard place, they would always find some way out. The evil in the story was the evil mom who wanted Repunzel because her hair made her stay young. That is a pretty romantic evil, then add the two big lumbering brutes who were quite comical. The movie as a whole is very unrealistic. Magical hair, floating lanterns, not exactly every day life. And at the end, Repunzel gets married, which is the symbol of life at the end the romantic plot.

Along with the plot, it also came with symbols. There was bright green grass every where, the forests brimming with flowers and life. The sky was blue and there were big white clouds. The night sky was starry. Every where you turned there were romantic symbols. And Repunzel's hair was gold, a romantic color. Almost everything in the movie had some sort of romantic symbolism to it. The movie was obviously romance, the symbols are all there.

The movie was just a usual romance film. The plot follows almost perfectly along with the plotline of the romance mode. The symbols are everywhere, be it grass, sky, animals, whatever. Everything about the story was romantic. It had nothing special to it, and just was meant for kids. So, it was quite boring at times, and extremely predictable. The movie was just any old animated romance movie.

 

Magical Magic Land of Magicness

Author's note: This was a journal entry where another person told us say an adjective starting with d. Then we would have a couple minutes to add to our story and include the word. It got kind of weird, so be warned... 

Felipe and I drive across a bridge into the Unibrow regions of Magical Magic Land of Magicness. We drive up and the city looks to be abandoned. That's because the people there live underground now because of the great flood of '92 and never got around to moving back above ground. Anyways, we drive to the Anteater Train Station and board the train parked on the track of licorice. We drive along and get to out campsite. We unpack our stuff, and go to sleep.

 I had a nightmare where I was sitting on a giant piece of pie and then it blew up. Then, a cantaloupe came and told me to get to the chopper. Then he transformed into Arnold Schwarzenegger and ate me. Inside his stomach, I met a fish named Bill. He said he was swallowed twenty years ago, and there was no way out. I was really sad and started to cry. Then, Arnold Schwarzenegger blew up, and I went flying out of his stomach. Me and Bill the fish went to get to the chopper like the cantaloupe had told us. We rode it but then it crashed into a tree. Then I died, and I was sad.

But then, I woke up, and I was really relieved. I was in Magical Magic Land of Magicness, with my best bud Felipe. Today we were going to Cheeseburger Mountain, I couldn't wait. We had to cross the sea of potato chips, walk through the woods of Popcorn Trees, go through the Pineapple Cave, then climb to the top of Cheeseburger Mountain. At the top was the mythical banana of justice. We started off. We were in a camping site near Soda Lake. Reminds me of Super Mario World 2, but that's beside the point.

We got to the sea of the potato chips. Then Felipe started growing. He became a giant! "Dude! That's awesome!" I yelled up to him.

"I know!" He yelled back down.

See, that's what I like about Magical Magic Land of Migicness, you never know what's going to happen, because it's magic! Then, an evil llama soaked in pickle juice came down from the cotton candy cloud above us. It was the most evil creature in all of Magical Magic Land of Magicness, Bob the Evil Llama Soaked in Pickle Juice, and he's soaked in pickle juice because that's the most evil substance known to man, just FYI.

"Ha Ha Ha, I'll just ruin your fun." He said as he shrunk down Felipe. "HAHAHA!" He yelled as he left.

"Stupid Bob the Evil Llama Soaked in Pickle Juice, he always ruins the fun. We should put a stop to him once and for all!" I was not happy.

To stop him, we needed to dip him in the Cheese Waters of Justice, found under the chocolate waterfall near the Rainbow of Happiness. Sometimes, I feel like our world is somehow really messed up. So we started off, first we needed to rent a Unicorn from Blockbuster so we could fly along rainbow road, a huge network of rainbow highways, and connect to the Rainbow of Happiness. There, we would put our Unicorn in a warp pipe back to Blockbuster, and slide down the Rainbow of Happiness. Then, we would have to float down the river of chocolate on a hungry hungry hippo, and fall down the chocolate water fall and go behind it into the cave of sponges. There, about a mile in, would we find the pool of the Cheese Waters of Justice. So we started on our way.

There was a Blockbuster, but they were sold out of Unicorns. So, we had to rent a Flying Sausage instead, it doesn't get as many miles per gallon as a Unicorn, and its top speed is only 309.4 miles per hour versus 497.6 of a Unicorn. Oh, well, it will do, I guess. So, we flew on rainbow road, and eventually found the Rainbow of Happiness, although our GPS was broke so we took a wrong turn and ended up at the Rainbow of Not Happiness. We turned around and eventually found the Rainbow of Happiness. We tried to put the Flying Sausage in the portal back to Blockbuster, but it wouldn't work so we just ate it. We slid down the Rainbow of Happiness. After a couple minutes, we found a hungry hungry hippo and road it down the river of chocolate, and down the chocolate waterfall. We went behind it, and found the cave of sponges. It was really bouncy. We even saw Spongebob taking a vacation there. We found the Cheese Waters of Justice, and put it in the Goblet of Fire that Felipe had in his backpack. I'm not going to describe how we got to Bob the Evil Llama Soaked In Pickle Juice, because many gummy bears lost their lives, and recounts of the battle may psychologically scar you. But I'll do it anyways, because I can if I say this warning: "Warning, graphic and violent content unsuitable for children. Do not read this section is you are under the age of 34 or squeamish." So here goes:

CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED CENSORED

See what I mean, a pretty intense and epic battle, huh? Well, so that's how we triumphed over Bob the Evil Llama Soaked in Pickle Juice and his army of 10,000 gummy bears. So, we finally got to go to Cheeseburger Mountain, and found The Magical Banana of Justice. We got to ask it any question. So, we asked it: "We're we good to defeat Bob the Evil Llama Soaked in Pickle Juice?" and it's response was: "No, because that wasn't the real Bob the Evil Llama Soaked in Pickle Juice, it was his not so evil twin brother, named Twin Brother of Bob the Evil Llama Soaked in Pickle Juice and Has an Army Of 10,000 Gummy Bears but Isn't Nearly as Evil as His Brother, Bob the Evil Llama Soaked In Pickle Juice, or T.B.O.B.T.E.L.S.I.P.J.A.H.A.A.O.1.G.B.B.I.N.A.E.A.H.B.,.B.T.E.L.S.I.P.J for short." Darn, we got the wrong guy, and that means he actually wasn't dead, and we had to go back to get the Cheese Waters of Justice back. Hopefully there were no hard feelings, you know, with us destroying his army of 10,000 gummy bears and pouring cheese on his head, but he'll hopefully see it was an honest mistake. You know, I've never seen a name with a number and a comma in it before. Well, anyways, I don't really feel like writing anymore because it gets really complicated and violent and stuff, so I guess I'll just end it here. But that would be kind of lame and stuff, so instead I'll say: To Be Continued…

Satire

Author's Note: This is our own Satire that we made as a response after reading the book Animal Farm  by George Orwell. We tried to stay up to date on the real-life issues, seeing as we were creating it as it was happening.

(Link to project)

Man vs. Machine

author's note: this is a response to the short story "The Fun They Had," and how some technology can be good, but can be bad if taken too far. 

Imagine a world with nothing but technology. The books are on screens instead of paper. The teachers are robots instead of people. Well, this world is real, in the story "The Fun They Had." In the story, they find a real book, and are amazed that it is printed with ink on paper. Such a thing is unheard of in the year 2157. Technology can be a good thing, but in some cases it can be taken too far.

At a glance, it would seem amazing, not having books, not having teachers, not having school. But I think in reality, it wouldn't be so. Technology can enhance learning, I believe that. But when they start replacing teachers with robots, it is taking things too far. They could only give you the information, they couldn't actually communicate with you or give you advice. It is also my opinion that school should remain as it is, with a physical teacher there to teach you. Learning is more than memorizing facts, it's learning how to think, draw conclusions,  and make inferences. A robot cannot teach you how to do those things, only present the facts.

In the year 2157, not only are the teachers robots, but there are no schools. All the kids have their own robots to teach them. The kids have heard of a time when the children from a whole neighborhood all went to the same school together, and all had the same teachers. This seems like it would be incredibly fun to them, and if you think about it, it makes sense. At school, you can talk and be with your friends. If there wasn't any school, a lot of social time would be lost. Technology can be a good thing, but if it's taking away our time with friends and teachers, then maybe it's not so great anymore.

Communication with other people is a necessity. When Technology starts to isolate us from real experiences, it is no longer a tool. It is starting to rule over us, keeping us from real life and friends. Some technology is good, for enhancing learning and fun, but it can be taken too far. We should be able to draw the line between technology and the real world, getting some of each. If we were unable to communicate with anybody in person, it wouldn't be good. Technology is good for some things, but we need to experience other things in person.

Animal Farm Essay

Author's Note: This is a response to the book Animal Farm by George Orwell. The prompt was to discuss the change the pigs went through since the start of the book, and what you think Orwell was saying about the real leaders in Russia. 


At Animal Farm, one of the biggest rules is that all animals are equal. It was agreed upon when the animals first rebelled against the humans. But over time, the rules were changed when three pigs emerged as leaders. Napoleon and Squealer actually rewrote their rules to better suit their desires. The pigs violated their own rule that all animals are equal. 

The pigs have made a change over time, and it hasn't been good. Snowball was mostly fair, but it wasn't for long. He was driven out by Napoleon, who then rose to power. It is now that the pigs are clearly in a higher rank than the rest of the animals. They are the ones that are calling the shots, and making their own rules. Napoleon seems anything but fair, and is forcing the animals to work and have less food. He is clearly a leader, and not only that but him, Squealer, and all the other pigs get to sleep in the beds inside the house. This does not seem very equal.

In Russia, it was Trotsky, Lenin, and Stalin. In Animal Farm, it's Snowball, Squealer, and Napoleon. I think that in the book Orwell is symbolizing the unequal rule of the three. It is true that without a leader, it wouldn't last very long. It is practically impossible for everyone be perfectly equal, because eventually human greed would win out. It does in Russia and in Animal Farm, and Stalin and Napoleon both become selfish and take all the power.

The pigs became power hungry and took over the farm. This also happened in Russia. What Orwell is trying to say is eventually people will get tired of being equal and become unsatisfied. Then they will get greedy and start trying to get more wealth than others. Communism, or in the book's case, Animalism, would work if you took out the human variable, but people will always want more. So this happened to the pigs, and caused them to rewrite the rules to accommodate their desires.

Sherlock Holmes Final Essay

Sherlock holmes

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Creative Piece

Author's Note: This was a stream of consciousness journal entry where the concrete image was a clearing in the woods. 

It is a warm summer day as I trudge through the woods. Small little patches of light shine in through the few breaks in the dense foliage. My feet follow a narrow, dusty, path, the only one in the large forest. I follow the path, not exactly sure why am here. I guess I came here for peace, but now my heart strives for adventure. So, I eventually stray from the path.

That's why I am now in this predicament. I stumble over the fallen logs and step over the many plants that crowd the moss-covered forest floor. Why did I stray from the path? Now I can't find my way out, and I've been here for hours. When I first realized I was lost, I told my self that I would eventually find my way out if I went in one direction. Now I am not so sure. In fact, the only thought in my head is of despair, and I wonder how big this forest could possibly be. I guess I wanted adventure, and I got some.

Suddenly, I break out of the confines of the forest, and into a small clearing. The light streams in from above, unlike it was back in the forest. I look up and the clouds are floating effortlessly by. The patch of blue sky reminds me that there is a world outside this forest, but at the same time taunts me, so close to that world, and yet, so far. I can't resist, and I lay down in the soft grass. As I watch the clouds, the sunlight warms me, and I  begin to feel sleepy. If only I could lie here longer, but I must find my way out. So I get up, and disappear back into the darkness and cool of the woods, and continue on my way.

Sherlock Holmes and the K.K.K.

 Author's Note: Most of the stories in Sherlock Holmes are fiction. The case holds true in The Five Orange Pips, but the conflict feels more real. This is because the K.K.K is in this story, and they were all too real. And to minimize confusion, a pip is a seed.

A mysterious five orange seeds arrive in the mail, and a note asking for papers. What papers, who's sending this, why me? For answers, none other than the famous Sherlock Holmes is contacted. It is all figured out, but it is too late. The man is dead. This is the story of The Five Orange Pips. In the story, the man is killed, by none other than the infamous Ku Klux Klan. This I connected to real life, because it is something I actually knew existed. The majority of the book I felt was some sort of made up fantasy, but with this story, it actually felt like something real.

The whole book is dealing with made up characters, and for what I know, made up mysteries. However, in The Five Orange Pips, it's all too real. In a sense. I feel it is actually unlikely for this to be a real story. The plot may have been made up, but the antagonist of the story was not. We learned about the Ku Klux Klan once in school, so I know a little background of them, and this made the story more exciting to read. It also made me realize the seriousness of the story, that the K.K.K. is not to mess around with. Knowing about the general evil in the story made me feel more connected to it.

Of the stories, this one felt the most connected. The other stories were hard to connect to, seeing as they are set a hundred years ago in a different country. Not only that, as a whole nothing really happened that made me think of a connection. The Five Orange Pips was the outlier of the stories, I felt it took a break from the usual romantic fantasy of the book over to a more serious and  real life situation. This story seemed like a real life matter with real life people, and that made me connect to it.

221 B, Baker Street

Author's Note: The famous Sherlock Holmes lives on Baker Street. Although it is not just a house. It speaks of the past between Watson and Holmes, and gives ideas of Holmes's personality.

The door holds memories of great times, the light of the well-lit interior streams out the windows and into the night. The fire washes the home in a clean warmth, the books lining the wall speak of knowledge. The man who takes residence here is the renowned Sherlock Holmes,  with his long coat, double-brimmed hat, and clay pipe. Dr. Watson used to live with Sherlock, back in the "old days." This apartment is important to the book as it is Sherlock Holmes's  headquarters, and sometimes where he solves his iconic mysteries.

In the story, Watson sometimes remembers the unforgettable times he spent at the apartment. Him and Sherlock used to be partners in crime, or partners against crime, so to say.  They lived together as friends and companions, solving crime after crime together. Eventually, Watson got married and moved out to live with his wife. It is at this time when the stories in the book take place. He still helps Holmes, just not as avid as he used to. It helps make a sense of the history between Sherlock and Watson. It makes it so you can understand Holmes's and Watson's past better.

Not only holding memories of the past, it is where lots of the story takes place. When Holmes is not traveling to the scene of the crime, he works out of his comfortable domain on Baker Street. So many things are found inside the apartment. Records of everyone, an encyclopedia set, a fireplace, tons of stuff. It creates a vivid image of the probably neat but almost crowded interior of his home. Holmes will sit down in a chair beside the fire and smoke his pipe, eyes closed, and solve a mystery. It makes you understand Sherlock Holmes's personality, as what I believe is casual and laid back, intelligent and knowledgeable. His home creates part of a personality, and holds part of the plot.

The apartment is a very relevant part of the story. It gives an image of the past between Holmes and Watson. The two are good friends, and their history shows through the house. The home  gives hints about the personality of the great Sherlock Holmes, and his quiet and intelligent ways of reasoning. It is also, of course, where many parts of the book take place. The apartment holds memories of the past, and of adventure. It is certainly an important and influential part to the story.

 

Sherlock Homles: The Setting

Author's note: The importance of the setting in the Sherlock Holmes stories.

Sherlock Holmes’s stories, written by Arthur Conan Doyle, take place in the late nineteenth century, around 1890. Sherlock Holmes (and sometimes Watson) lives in apartment 221B on Baker Street. The city and place may not prove to be as significant, but the time does. The time it takes place is very important because of the lack of technology.

 First off, Sherlock Holmes has to do everything by hand. He has to write things down, and keep his own files on people. Instead of just quickly looking some fact up online, he has to use his books. Also, he can’t look people up; he has to figure things out about them for himself. It’s true that it may not be possible to find everyone, but if someone has a Facebook these days, one would be able too. Sherlock Holmes is not able to rely on the Internet to solve a case.

Another thing comes to my mind after reading A Scandal in Bohemia. Sherlock Holmes finds his own way into Irene Adler’s house to steal a picture she can use for blackmail. With modern technology, a stunt of those sort would prove a little less complicated. But instead, he had to whip up an act to get in, then fake a fire so he could find out where she kept what was most important to her (which was the picture). Surly not using any technology would slow Holmes down.

The amazing part though, is that it doesn’t slow him down. After you consider that, Sherlock Holmes has to be even smarter. It is true, though; that they didn’t know what technology they were missing back then. But still, it would seem even more amazing in the nineteenth century, because no one was ever that smart,and Holmes would seem to be superhuman. In today’s world, someone not as smart as him could possibly pull something similar off, with the help of technology. Without technology, however, it still seems astounding in today's world. Because of the lack of technology, the setting makes a significant impact on the story.

 

The King of Bohemia

Author's Note: Writing response to the short story A Scandal In Bohemia by Arthur Conan Doyle


A Scandal in Bohemia is a short story written by Arthur Conan Doyle. The story is told from the perspective of Sherlock Holmes’s accomplice, Dr Watson. Watson walks past Baker Street where Holmes is residence, and sees him pacing back and forth in front of the window, and knows he is on a case. He goes up, and Sherlock Holmes and Watson talk. Sherlock shows him a mysterious letter saying someone will call at eight o’clock. He does, and eventually he tells them he is the King of Bohemia. The King tells them what he wants done. There is a woman who he once loved but no longer does that has a picture of them. The King is getting married soon, and is afraid the woman will blackmail him in anger. This is the conflict.

So Holmes sets out. He wait by her house until he sees her come out and is about to walk into a carriage. All the men loafing around come to fight to open the door for her to earn a tip. Sherlock Holmes runs in to “protect” her, and pretends to get hurt. They take him in. He pretends he wants air, so someone opens the window, and Watson tosses a smoke bomb in. Everyone thinks it’s a fire, but Holmes explains it’s not real and leaves.

He tells Watson he now knows where the picture is. He says he knows that because since the picture is important to her, a woman will go to the thing most important to her during a fire. He says it’s hidden in the wall But when he goes the next day, everything is gone, and a note is left where the picture is. The letter says she knew Holmes was trying to steal the picture. It also says she is getting married, so she’s no longer is going to blackmail the king. In almost a weird way, this is the resolution.

Sherlock Holmes has the power of intellect. He always is capable of using his mind to figure things out. He can. Sherlock Holmes is a very intelligent man. He is also is really good at deducing things and drawing conclusions, and also very observant. However, he is not emotional at all, and in the book it says he cannot afford to have emotion in his type of business. It is different how Arthur Conan Doyle has separated the two. The story was comedy, and there was a normalcy, conflict, and resolution. I think the return to normalcy was actually at the beginning, because Watson notices he is back to solving cases, just like old times.

Tom Sawyer Essay

Danger!!!

An essay on danger in Tom Sawyer


In chapter nine in Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Tom sneaks out of bed to meet his friend Huck in a grave yard. They do this to remove warts by swinging a dead cat above their head and saying an incantation. It reminded me of how superstitious kids can be. Although this is romantic in my mind, they are unaware of the imminent dangers lurking in the graveyard. I feel the book would be very boring and unrealistic if nothing bad ever happened. To make it more interesting, Tom and Huck encounter some dangers along the course of the story.

The first real danger they come upon is that night in the graveyard. They find Muff Potter, Injun Joe, and Doc. Robinson grave robbing. They proceed to rob the grave, Huck and Tom watching from their hiding place behind the trees. Injun Joe takes Muff Potter’s knife, and kills Doc. Robinson. The two boys are bewildered, and run as fast as they can from the scene. This enhanced the story’s plot, now adding a sub-theme to the story, and a secret Tom and Huck have to deal with.

The story pretty much returns to romance after that, but more bad things happen. The other one that comes to mind is the part when Becky and Tom get lost in the cave. The two venture into a cave as part of a picnic, but soon stray from the pack. They eventually find themselves lost, with very little food. They are hungry and almost out of candles. It says in the book that Tom thinks they have been lost for days and days, and even though it may have not been that long, they are after all stuck in a cave, which is very bad. They are “raging with hunger,” as it says in the book. Eventually they find their way out, and all’s well again. The cave is another part in which Tom encounters danger.

The story as a whole is romance, but there are many times in which bad things happen to steepen the plot. These two are probably the worst of them, and almost feel out of place in a romance book. It seems to me, though, that the book has bad parts that make it more realistic and more like comedy. As a whole, nothing serious happens to Tom, so the book is still romance, along with some bad things. They make the book more interesting, and definitely more fun to read.

Robin Hood

A while ago I watched the movie Robin Hood. I was trying to figure out what mode of literature it was. It was really hard. I came to the conclusion that it was an irony, but took a loop at the end to end good. One thing is that the main character, Robin Hood is not weak and stupid. Unexpected things do happen, like people get killed that seem like they shouldn't. It starts out the world is in chaos with war. Then the King of England dies. This really evil guy gathers an army of French and invades and destroys city after city. Right about when they should have destroyed another city, Robin Hood and an army stopped them. Then there was a huge battle with Robin Hood's army and the French. The French should have won if it was an Irony, but Robin Hood's army won. Robin Hood was tossed out of England for doing crimes but he and his new wife lived with these outcast people and with her narration at the end it seems like it was okay because she said everyone was equal and there weren't any laws with the outcasts. So I think it should have been an irony but ended good.

Veteran's Essay Contest

Veteran’s Essay Contest
America's Real Heroes


What are veterans? The word is defined as a person who has served in the military. That is true, but they serve for a reason. They do it because they love their country. They are the reason our country is free like it is today. They have courage that it driven by the love of us and the country. Since veterans are leaders to our freedom, we should honor them.

The American flag stands, stoic and graceful. It reminds me of our freedom that we enjoy every day, not knowing what it really means. We can say what we want. We can believe what we want. We can do what we want. We have freedom established by the sweat and blood of our veterans, who gave themselves for the good fortune that is America. Maybe you now realize what it means to be American, and we shall thank none other than the United States Veterans. But what can we do?

We need to do something for them, because they are responsible for our freedom. One thing is I think Veteran's Day should be taken more seriously. It is a day to honor and remember the veterans of our country, and a lot of people don't notice. We need to thank them for what they've done. Just taking time once in a while to think of what they've accomplished for us, we'd realize what heroes they really are. Remember, thank, and honor, those are all things that we should do to veterans.

So now maybe you have a grasp on what veterans are. Could you ever go into battle and fight in the name of your country? Most of you won’t, but they have. Just acknowledge their real patriotism. Thank them, and honor them, and remember them, for the deeds they have done to make our country America.

Steaming Soup

Author's note~ This was a stream of consciousness where the concrete image was a bowl of steaming soup.

The first thing I notice when I come in is the bowl of steaming soup waiting for me on the table. I hang up my coat and sit down, looking into the bowl of soup. The steam rising up thaws my face, and I can't wait to start eating. I was just outside in the cold, snowy weather, and as I take the first spoonful it warms me up from the inside. I feel refreshed, and I take my next slurp, and the next, until the bowl is empty.