What I Like About This Class

1. I really like how we are having more discussion in class this year. I way the seats are set up helps with our chances in discussing and debating because we can see each other. The class size is also much smaller that what we had in the beginning of last year. 


2. I also like the journal prompts that we are doing. It gives me a chance to put together something short and just to practice my writing skills. I think writing more often would make us more accustom to doing so. One thing that this writing prompt can be improved is feedback. I feel like I would be able to learn more when there is constructive criticism. I think we should get feedback either from the students or the teachers for at least one every week, which means that one of our post in the whole week would be commented on.


3. One other thing that i like is the novels that we are reading. I have not had the chance to read too many classical novels. I think the novels that we have read and will be reading this year are really god choices of books. 

What I Don't Like About This Class

1. First of all, I'd like to ay that I really enjoy the novel reading that we are reading in class. The thing I dislike about the reading is that I feel like we are moving on too fast. Especially when we were reading the Scarlet Letter. I thought 8 chapters every week was too much to go through.  This has improved in the book we are reading now, so I wish this stays the same. 

2. I think there should be more discussion about the novel in class. I feel like we never talked much about what we read except when we answer the questions for the reading quizzes. I would suggest talking more about the symbolism in the text and some of the deeper meanings that the author is trying to tell us. If we just read on our own, sometimes we will miss these important details or even misinterpret them.

3. Although I understand that it is the main theme of the first unit, I thought reading about Puritans belief is kind of boring. The first few poems and passages were pretty interesting, but I feel like we have stayed in the unit for too long. Maybe we should just do around 3 writings in every unit. This way, there would also be a higher chance that we can look at all the units in the book.

The Unknown Quantity

People often learn more about themselves when they are challenged. When they are driven to their limits some people can do things they never thought they could. In the face of danger, some people would show that they are actually braver or better than they thought while others, sadly, would have to admit that they are not as good as think they are. In extreme situations, people would react in extreme ways. Just a few days ago, a friend had asked me a question that got me thinking. She said, "If there was a major earthquake, and you and one other person is stuck under the crushed building. You are not best friends with that person, but you are acquaintances. You have two choices. One, you get saved with not the slightest scar on you, but you have to watch the other person die in pain as the the building crush on him/her. Or two, both you and the other person get saved, but you have you cut off your legs for the other person to survive. You will have to feel the pain of cutting off your legs, but you will save the other person. Another down side to the situation is that the other person might also be badly damaged. What would you choose?" I'm sure that the very first response that most people would give is to save the other person too. This might not be because they want to "look" like a nice and sympathetic person. They might really feel that way. However, I think we would never know until that day actually comes. Some people just might prove to themselves that they are the sympathetic person they think they are. Others, however, might learn that they have to take a new look at themselves.

Persuade Me

Tests are not the best way to help students learn. Instead of tests, we should play competitive games in class to access our learning abilities and provide us a motivation to review school materials. The competitive games have the same propose as the tests, to make us review and to  see how we are doing in class. Yet, it has a lot more benefits than tests. First of all, the students it provides a more positive attitude for the students. Games are so much more interesting than tests. It provides students with a better motivation to study and work hard because they want to win the games. Also, these games are not pointless at all. Instead of grading boring test papers, teachers can simply look at a student's ability to answer questions correctly to see how well each students are absorbing the materials they are given. It doesn't give pressure for the students, neither does it gives teachers pressure to grade the tests. Its an benefit for both sides. Lastly, competitive games makes classes more interactive and lively. Students get excited when  they get to play games. Students may be more active in the participation of discussions. In conclusion, competitive games should replace tests because it gives the class a more positive attitude towards studying.

Give Me Liberty Or...

In the colonial period, colonists wanted freedom from the English monarchs. People talk about "liberty" and "self-relience" all the time. It shapes the attitude and dreams of most colonists. In the Virginia Convention, a famous lines that Patrick Henry said was "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death." Yes, many people did die for their belief and pride for America as a country, but eventually the United States did get its liberty. 

"Technology", "speed" and "time conserving" are words that are often heard in our society. The modern world is all about quickness and accuracy. Everything is a rush. In the word today, being "slow" means inefficient, which is bad. People do not life to "waste" their time on eating breakfast, so they do it while they work to "save" time. Why not take some time to enjoy the very first energy boost in the morning? Nowadays, people, especially in cities, never take time to slow down and enjoy a slow paced life. There is always an endless to-do list and too many deadlines to be done. They feel like they have no time for slow but pleasant little moment of life.

The words we hear in the modern world and the words that were popular in the colonial period are very different. People still feel pride in their countries when they hear here the words "liberty" and "freedom", but the feelings are not as strong. Instead people are too concerned with the work that has to be done by next Tuesday or the presentation they have to prepare for by Friday. 

My Own Sermon

In every action you take and every decision you make, there are results and consequences. Good choices can will make you a better person and more successful. Bad choices, on the other hand, will lead to bad results. If you sin, it is inevitable that you will get punished. Not only will you feel guilty and mad at yourself, you would be worried about people finding out and dreading the punishments. Eve if you are not punished in your life on Earth, God himself would punish you after you die. You will go to hell and suffer a painful and sad after-life. Yes, you will regret what you did. So, what can you do now to prevent a painful after-life in hell? Do nice thing and make the right decisions in this life! Do not cheat on people, do not steal things, and most importantly, do not do anything that you know you would regret. Think carefully when you take actions. Help and forgive whenever you can. Its not that hard to lead a good life. When you try, you will realized that it actually makes you happy. When you are nice to people, they will remember you as a kind person. They will help you when you are in need. So after you hear this speech, go out there and do whatever you can to lead a happy and good life!

Response to Edwards

Honorable Mr. Edwards,

I understand that you are a respectable man of high rank, however the sermon you preached this past Sunday has caused me muich distress.  I cannot close my eyes without images of burning hell appearing in my mind. I cannot sleep at night because I am afraid of my future. Everything I do seemed to lead me to hell. I do not believe that you have the right to curse and condem people like that. You speak as though you are God himself. Yes, you are a respected pastor, but you are not God and will never be. You do not have the right to scare people in the name of God. The sermon you preasched has casued a large impact in the community. Everyone is on their nerves. The nights have not been peaceful since you sermon. Many children have been scream and crying though the night. You make us feel trapped and we have no way out.

There is a question that have been bugging me for the whole week. How can you describe hell so well? Did you make everything up just to scare the people in the community or have you really visited hell?  If you have never visited, please do not scared innocent villigers like this. I have seen too many viligers this week crying and distressing over their life,

Sincerely,

Devoted villager

Sin

According to the Marrian-Webster dictionary, sin is "1) an offense especially to God 2) a weakened state of human nature in which the self is estranged from God" This word seems to be closely associated with religion. In fact, according to Christians, everyone, from the time of their birth, are sinners. Everyone are sinners because we are all the descendants of Adams and Eve. They have sinned by eating the forbidden fruit. Everyone is a sinner, so the only way out is to believe in Christianity, and by doing so, God will forgive four sins. Sin is a very powerful and very negative word. It is when people distance themselves from God to do something that is morally wrong. I disagree with the Christian idea that every single person, even newborn babies, is sinners.I believe people become sinners when they commit crimes, or do things that are morally degrading. I also disagree with the idea that people can pay money to get out of sin. I think that idea is pretty absurd. I think the only way people are forgiven is when they do something good to make up for their wrongdoings. I do no believe that I have sinned. Of course I have lied and I have done things that are wrong, but i do not believe that is sin. I think sin is too strong a word to be used in my case.

Fear as a Motivator

Many say that fear is a very powerful motivator. Yes, this is most likely to be true, seeing as fear can make our body do things that we never thought we could, for example, outrun a bear. However, I do not think this is a very effective or very moral way of motivation. First of all, it does not motivate people toward something, but rather to stay away something negative. This is not true motivation. Take studying as an example. If a student is motivated my himself/herself to work hard and lead a better life, they would take care to do things more carefully. On the other hand, a student that is motivated to study out of fear from punishment, would try to find the easy way out. They would do all the work, but the quality of the work would not be as good. Another reason why fear is not a good motivation is that when people are in constant fear, they wear out. They would become depressed and scared most of the time, but the motivation would not be as strong. 

Church/Temple

Every Chinese New Year, when I stay at my grandmother's place in Ping-Dong, we would always go to the temples. The local temple we go to is always filled with people. The tables are piled with food of all colors in decorative baskets and trays. The smell of burning inscence mingled with a light scent of flowers always make me want to sneeze. Sometimes, there would be two giant candles burning at the very end of the temple, right in front of the figurines. The figurine in the center is the largest and the most lavishly decorated. What fascinates me the most, however, are the two smaller figurines on the two sides. One has a red face with long ears while the other has a green face, both of them very serious-looking. The one with the red face is called "the listener" and the one with the green is called "the searcher". They are said to be able to listen to or see things from miles away. 
Outside of the temple, there is a place where people burn paper money to be sent to the ancestors. My cousins and I have always loved this part of the ritual where we get to burn paper money. I liked to watch as pieces of paper catch on fire, slowly turn black, then into ashes, but I can never stare too long. My eyes get watery and my nose get runny when I watch it for too long.
Although going to temples have now seem to be an ordinary activity, it has been something that excites me when I was young. As I write this, thinking back to the past and re-living what I have seen, these experiences seem a lot more fascinating. 

Motivation

A similarity between "The Burning of My House", "World, in Hounding me" and the Scarlet Letter is that all three of them are written in a puritan's point of view. Puritans have strict religious rules and most are extremely pious, therefore the religion play a major role in the characters' actions and thoughts. When misfortune happens to them, like in "The Burning of My House", they attribute it to God's will. When people commit crimes, like adultery in the Scarlet Letter, the puritans take strong actions to condemn the "sinner" and make a show of the harsh consequences. This is caused by their belief that people are evil by nature. They seem to care little about earthly matters, putting all their hopes in the afterlives that "[lie] above". They believe, to an extreme point, that taking materialistic good too seriously is bad for the soul. For them, to enjoy materials on earth is to "throw [your] life away on vanity". Religion and God is the motivation source and reason to almost everything they do.

I, however, have very different motivations. Right now, I do not believe in any certain religion. My motivation come mainly from my future. I strive to create a future that would allow me to have better opportunities and a better life. Plainly stated, I work hard to go into a good school that would help me lead a better life. In a way, this motivation has some similarities with the Puritan's view. For me, I hope to be successful when I grow up, while for the Puritans they wish to go to heaven, which is also the future. I believe that all motivations come from a desire for a better future.

Compare and Contrast: Bradstreet vs. Sor Juana

The most similar aspect of the two poems are the themes of the poem. In both of the poems, the author believes that materialistic possessions are not important and that people should focus on the spiritual and religious aspects of life and afterlife. Although they have similar themes, the two poems have different topics. Bradstreet's poem is about the burning of her house and her own self reflections and self criticisms. Sor Juana's poem is about her distress toward the society's view toward material possessions. The style of the two poem are also different, which also caused the rhyming of the poems to be different. Bradstreet's poem is a lyric poem and the rhymes go in pairs. Her poem also used the plain style. Her choice of words are vocabularies coming from everyday speech of her time. Sor Juana's poem is a sonnet, so it  follows the sonnet's 14 line rhyme scheme.  

There are some phrases and words in both poems that refers to heaven and God. In Bradstreet's poem, she talks about a "house" built by the "mighty Architect". In this, the house is the heaven that is built by god, the Architect. In Sor Juana's poem, the "treasure in my mind" is a metaphor for knowledge.

A third similarity is that both poems use the word "vanity" and "treasure". In Bradstreet's poem, she wrote "Adieu, Adieu, all's vanity." She is dismissing all the material possessions that is lost in the burning of her house, and anticipates a better future in heaven. She also writes "My hope and treasure lies above". This also shows that she has faith that her life in heaven would be more pleasant than the one on Earth. In Sor Juana's poem, she want to "leave the vanities of life aside, not to throw [her] life away in vanity". The vanities she talks about here is also materialistic precessions. She wants to "[set] treasure in her mind" rather than having a "mind that set on treasure". In this. she compares in importance of knowledge verses materialistic possessions in her view.

In conclusion, there are many ideas in the two poems that are similar, but the ways these topics are discussed differ.