thesis and stuff

Thesis: In Perry’s letter home to his brother Kenny the author wants us to understand that the war in Vietnam should have never happened and was pointless in that people were just killing one another because that is what they had to do to stay alive.

Theme: The author wants us to see that the war in Vietnam had no point to it and that it was just people killing people from both sides because that is what they had to do to stay alive.

Body 1.  chaos like when they got in the chopper they shot theyre own guy.  War is chaos.

Body 2.  Forced to kill.  Perry kills his first guy.

Body 3.  inability to fight effectivly in foreign land.  Accidentaly (pg 103) shoot own battalion.

The Battery (1800) Alessandro Volta (Como Italy)

Slinky (invented in 1943) Richard James (Pennsylvania)

It created an industry of slinkys, but was meant to stabilize instruments aboard a ship.  It created a toy that is now used today by many children.  It is a fun toy that you can use both outside and inside. How it works is that for instance when you put it down the steps, it “springs” down each step till it reaches the bottom then recoils itself.  The invention of the slinky made childrens and even adults lives more interesting, and created a fun toy to play with.  Also teachers even use it to simulate the properties of a wave.

Slaughterhouse Blog prewriting!

Please list 10 ways you can improve your essay scores

1. read the book thourghly                      6.make sure to use the P.I.E. structure
2. read the question completly                        7.  partcicipate in the large group discussions
3. find quotes before you write                       8.  when using the E part of PIE dont just restate what the quote said, go in depth
4. have a strong intro/thesis                        9.Take time to prepare writing and be efficent in writing time
5. end conclusion paragraph with a strong ending quote or statement.       10. the P in PIE makes sure to just state the idea and make a point to introduce the following quote!



Please write any 15 thoughts about the book Slaughterhouse-5.  For each thought, please refer to a specific part of the book that generated this thought (for instance, “It was funny” receives no credit; “It was funny when he described the Tralfamadorians” receives full credit).

1.  It was funny when billy had to wear the cinderella boots because thats all he had to wear and they were silver.

2.  it was also funny when the german camp he was taken to gave him a coat that was way to small for him and he looked very funny.

3.There are 3 different things going on: world war 2, tralfamadore, and the mental hospital/current time.

4.there is a lot of sex in the book like when he and montana wildhack do it on tralfamadore

5.it is serious when they are fighting in the war because people can get killed

6.  at the end of the book when Edgar took the teapot and got sentanced to death was wrong because you cant just get arrested for takinga teapot from a dead city right?

7.  I didnt know that they used jew fat to make candles and soap and I thought that ws interesting

8.i learned that an Optometrist was someone who tested defects in peoples vision and prescribed them glasses.

9.I thought that it was interesting when the author used the phrase "so it goes" everytime after someone died.

10.  I thought it was cool how the author made up the world Tralfamadore because it brought the factor of you wanting to read the book more and made it exciting.

11. I thought it was funny Larazzo was was told to get revenge by Weary and and then broke his arm.

12.  It was exciting when the 3 Muskateers were in action and how Weary thought they were gonna be famous.

13. The profane language made the book more modern and interesting to read.

14. I thought it was exciting when Edgar burst in to tears when he was handed a lolly pop out the window because billy never did anything dangerous.

15.  I didnt like it when the british were constantly making fun of the americans because they thought they looked weak and didnt deserve to be in the army, when the british didnt even know what the americans had been through.


State 5 possible themes for the book Slaughterhouse-5.
1.  Time is what you make it out to be

2.There is something after death and that it is not the end

3.  there is another planet outside of ours that humans have been on

4.  War can change how you live your life

5.  There is a fourth dimension


Write a conversation between yourself and Billy Pilgrim in which he tries to teach you a lesson based on his own experiences.  You must explain IN DEPTH at least 3 specific events and details from the book in order to receive full credit.  This conversation should go on as long as it takes to demonstrate YOUR UNDERSTANDING of Billy’s experiences.
EXAMPLE:
Billy: Hello, Mr. Cheng
Mr. Cheng: Hi Billy
Billy: Have you heard about Tralfamadore?
Mr. Cheng: No, what’s that?
Billy: It’s a planet where they... etc.

C: hello there
B: hi, have you heard of the 3 muskateers?
C: no, no i have not
B: well they are the people in WWII that I traveled with, but they are all dead now ):
C: oh im sorry to hear that, ive heard that you can time travel?
B: yes i can ive been to a planet called tralfamadore where I was kept in a cage like a zoo, and shown to their people who look like shafts that point upwards.
C: sounds like a fun expirence?
B: yes it was actually
C: Do you think death is the end?
B: no I do not death is just like the beginning to a new life really.  Life continues to go on even if you "die" as I would say "So It Goes."

Siddhartha theme

Siddhartha learns many important lesson throughout his life and one of the most importantones is that you should follow your own path."Siddhartha was going his own way; his destiny wasa beginning to unfold itself,and with his destiny, his own." (9)  This is when Siddhartha tells Govinda that he is going to join the Samanas and leaving his home.  Siddhartha has realized that he doesnt wanna stay home all his life and has the courage and will to go and learn more about life and even reach his goal of Nirvana.  He also asks his friend Govinda to join him on his quest to learn more about life and of the soul. "That is why I am going on my way-not so seek another and better doctrine, for I know there is none, but to leave all doctrines and all teachers and to reach my goal alone-or die." (34)  This quote shows that even though the buddha teaching are very good Siddhartha must move on because he wants to reach HIS goal, and the buddha cannot teach him how to reach that.  Also that Siddhartha has learned that teachers can only teach you so much and that is why he is leaving them behind. 

Macbeth Manliness

Lady Macbeth
What beast was't, then,
That made you break this enterprise to me?
When you durst do it, then you were a man;
(Act 1 scene 7 lines 53-56)

Context/paraphrase: Lady Macbeth is getting very angry and mad at Macbeth for being afraid to do the deed of killing the King.  She calls him a coward for being afraid to kill the king and then she goes and actually finishes the deed herself because of his cowardliness. 
Interpretation/explanation: In this quote Lady Macbeth cannot believe Macbeth broke the promise to her and is implying that what could stop him from doing this other than a beast which would be very unlikely.  Shakespeare then states that when he finally does the deed then Macbeth will be a man.

Macbeth
I'll go no more
I am afraid to think what I have done
Look on 't again I dare not

Lady Macbeth
Infirm of purpose!
Give me the daggers. The sleeping and the dead
Are but as pictures.  'Tis the eye of childhood
(Act 2 Scene 2 Lines 65-70)

Context/paraphrase: This quote happens after Macbeth kills the king and comes back and talks to his wife.  She asks why he did not leave the daggers with the kings body guards to make it look like they did it.  Macbeth says he cannot go back and do the deed so Lady Macbeth mans up and does it herself.
Interpretation/explanation:  This quite suggests that Macbeth is not much of a man because he cannot go back and finish the deed of smearing blood on the drunk body guards and laying the daggers with them.  Instead since he is such a wussy, Lady Macbeth has to do it which she does and mans up to the task.

Malcolm
What will you do? Let's not consort with them.
 To show an unfelt sorrow is an office
 Which the false man does easy.  I'll to England.

 Donalbain
 To Ireland I.  Our separated fortune.....
 (Act 2 scene 4 Lines 160-163)

 Context/paraphrase:  Malcolm and Donalbain are fleeing and Malcolm is going to England, while Donalbain is going to Ireland.  They are leaving because of their fathers death and are splitting up also.
 Interpretation/explanation:  In this quote the kings sons are fleeing the city and hiding away till when they come back later.  To me this is not manly at all since they are running away and hiding away.  Although it takes some strength of mind to go to separate places away from each other.  All in all the are not manly for running away from the situation where as they should stay and figure out the situation.

Macbeth
 'Tis better thee without than he within.
 Is he dispatched?

 Murderer
 My lord, his throat is cut.  That I did for him.
 (Act 3 scene 4 Lines 16-18)

 Context/paraphrase:  In this quote the murderer is reporting back to Macbeth that he has killed and dispatched Banquo.  The only problem is t hat Fleance Banquo's son escaped which the murderer also reports.
 Interpretation/explanation:  This is manly of the murderer to kill a person that he doesn't really have anything against.  he is just obeying orders from Macbeth.  I know that if I was ordered to kill someone I didn't know, i would not be able to do it because it would not seem right.  So it is very manly of the Murderer to kill Banquo.

 Lady Macbeth
Sit, worthy friends.  My lord if oftern thus
 And hath been from his youth.  Pray you, keep seat.
 The fit is momentary;upon a thought
 he will again be will.  If much you note him
 You shall offend him and extend his passion
 Feed and regard him not {drawing Macbeth aside}
 Are you a man?

 Macbeth
 Ay, and a bold one,that dare look on that
 Which might appall the devil
 (Act 3 scene 4 Lines 64-72)

 Context/paraphrase:  In this quote Macbeth sees the ghost of Banquo and starts to freak out.  Lady Macbeth pulls him aside and questions if he is a man and Macbeth replies that he is a bold one at that.
 Interpretation/explanation:  Lady Macbeth is questioning her husbands manliness because of his disruption at the dinner table with all their guest there.  Macbeth replies that yes he is a man, and he calling Banquo a devil.  No one else can see Banquo's ghost other than Macbeth so everyone thinks he is crazy.

The Odysseys themes

The recurring theme in the Odyssey is that you must always stay loyal to your leader or king because they will get you through anything and if you are disloyal it will come back to haunt you or even kill you.

               In book 12 of The Odyssey odysseus and his crew must make it through some tough passages and without the help of Odysseus their leader they will all perish and die.  Without the leadership of Odysseus who knows about all of the obstacles they are about to face in the sea, and how to get past them with some of the crew left they must listen to him.  To get past the Sirens Odysseus told his crew to tie him to the mast and then plug there ears with wax so they will not hear the sirens.  "and I stopped the ears of my comrades one by one.  They bound me hand and foot in the tight ship-erect at the mast-block lashed by ropes to the mast." (pg.276 Lines 192-194)  By doing this Odysseus cannot steer the ship into the rocks and kill them because even if he did plug his ears he would still be able to hear them because he wanted to.  Since the crew plugged their ears they could not hear the sirens and that saved them thanks to Odysseus.  Thanks to the leadership of Odysseus it saved the crew from distruction and helped them pass the sirens on the quest to get back home.

                In book 19 of The Odyssey Odysseus trusts the loyalty of his wife to see if he wants to return to her and remain married to her.  When Odysseus returns to Ithacea, he sees if his wife has been loyal to him while he has been gone.  In fact she has not married any of the suitors that were trying to marry her, but deep down in her heart she believed that Odysseus was still alive.  "I yearn for Odysseus always, my heart pines away.  They rush the marriage on, and I spin out my wiles.." (pg.394. Lines 151-152)  This quote shows that she hopes Odysseus comes back because she is his true love.  If she must she will marry one of the suitors but she will never love them like she does Odysseus, and when she finds out that he might be coming back she cries for joy but doesnt know if she believes it.  Penelope stays loyal to Odysseus by not marrying any of the suitors and wishing and hoping that he will come back to be with her.

            In Book 22 of The Odyssey there are some people that have not stayed loyal to Odysseus and they will pay for that.  All of the suitors have not stayed loyal to him and they will all die for that.  "You dogs! you never imagined I'd return from Troy- so cocksure that you bled my house to death,..." (pg.440 Lines36-39)  Odyseeus unleashes his wrath on the suitors for trying to take away his wife from him and hurt his serving women.  Odysseus gets back at them and kills every last one of them with his son Telemachus at his side.  By not staying loyal to Odysseus the suitors pay the price with their lives, which is not a nice way to die.

            


          

Opinion column on Joe Mauer

According to most fans and teammates, Joe Mauer is the teams hero and MVP this year.  Some other people seem to think differently.  He has been productive this year, but not as great as in years before.  Not as many home runs, RBI, batting average and many other statistics.  Also in key situations like with two outs and men on base he always seems to choke under the pressure and can not perform.  Since Justin Morneau out with a concussion since July 7th and not coming back for the playoffs in big situations the twins really turn to Mauer.  During the postseason I believe as well as many other Twins fans hope that he will perform this postseason when the Twins need him most.  For instance game five against the yankees if we get there I believe he will come up with a clutch hit.  Although, hitting is only half of the game.  Players must also play defense and Mauer plays the most important position on the team, catcher.  He must call the game no matter what happens and is depended on to bail out the pitchers if they make a bad pitch.  People really do not appreciate just how important the catching position is if you do not have an outstanding catcher then it is hard to win if the catcher and the pitcher are not on the same page.  Also so far this postseason in only six at-bats(as I am writing this) he has struck out in three of them and only has one hit.  This is not looking like what I expected and how the fans think our hometown hero will play.  Hopefully he will break out of this slump and be able to produce gits and runs in this years postseason, otherwise the twins have no chance at all of beating the yankees.