"Their Eyes Were Watching God": Janie

Janie, a character in Zora Neale Hurston's novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God", is a woman that I feel like is overshadowed by men. Although she likes being independent from others, there is a fine line between being independent and being lonely. Her loneliness overshadows her independence and forces her to rely on others such as her grandmother, Nanny, Logan Killicks (her first husband), Joe Starks (her second husband) and Tea Cakes (her current lover), because of certain female social standards that women are expected to keep to at that time. From the beginning she has no say in her choices in life. Instead of finding true love, like she hopes, young Janie is forced to marry the older Logan Killicks because Nanny told her so. Even though her grandmother did it out of her love for Janie and for her future well-being, she didn't have a choice.

However as time goes on I feel like Janie gains confidence and is presented as more out going and forward, stating her mind to her then husband Joe Starks right then and their in a shop in front of the entire town, is an example of such a change.

Her hunt for true love hasn't been accomplished yet. The folks in the town that she grew up in told her that love will come with marriage, to just give is a bit of time and to be a bit patient. However a sense of love didn't come in the three months since marrying Logan so she ran away with Joe. Janie realized that after almost 30 years of marriage she didn't love this man. At this time not much is known about Tea Cakes but I can assume that his presence will change Janie for better or worse.

I find that connection that Janie has with nature very interesting. She turns to these natural figures for support, since she herself didn't have much growing up. Her mother and father both abandoned the girl at a young age. Janie is a complex character with many unique characteristics and a certain outlook on life. Her quest for independence and true love show us her true colors.

Thanksgiving

English is undoubtedly one of the funniest classes of the day. Not only do my classmates and teacher make english class that much more enjoyable with constant jokes and funny arguments, but the overall content that Mr. McCarthy teaches is enjoyable and interesting. This Thanksgiving has been a bit less enjoyable, I've been sick for the entire break. However I want to give thanks to Brashana and Nayeli, my closest friends during fifth period english. 

Both are fun to be around. I'm grateful for sitting by them the first day of school. Both are very smart and funny. They encourage me when I tell them of my test in AP next period. They listen to me when I'm having a rough day. The jokes they crack cheer me up when I'm not in the mood. Group work with them both is interesting and exciting. They are great at providing needed insight on the various books and stories we read. I'm glad that I got to know Brashana and Nayeli better this year.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Hemingway; a man praised for his wonderful contributions to American literature; a man haunted from birth; a man with a distinct, unique yet memorable style of writing; a man that experienced many losses throughout his lifetime. This man, although born with a talent for writing, had a troubled life.

From the beginning, Hemingway's mother dressed him as a girl. Although this was particularly (and weirdly) normal for that time, his mother, Grace, took it a bit too far. She always wanted twin girls. Instead she got Marcelline (Hemingway's older sister) and then about a year-and-a-half later, Ernest. Instead of embracing the fact that she had a son, Grace insisted on dressing him up in Marcelline's old clothes. This persisted until Hemingway was about 6 years old. Ultimately, his mother's actions, caused Ernest to perpetuate his masculinity later in life, as seen in his stories. The only way that Ernest could express his masculinity as a young child was when his father took him camping or fishing.

To make up for lost time in expressing his masculinity during his childhood, Ernest enlisted in the army to fight the war in Europe. To his dismay he got rejected because his vision wasn't so great. Nevertheless, Hemingway really wanted to participate in this war any way possible. In the end he joined the Red Cross in Italy. Later he got injured on the Italian front and had to stay in a hospital in Milan. These series of events sparked Hemingway's inspiration for his short-story titled, "In Another Country".

Other events in Hemingway's life that proved his masculinity, include (1) his constant fascination with bull-fighting, which led him to spend time in Spain, observing the running of the bulls in Pamplona, (2) his passion for fishing that led him to the Key West in Florida, as well as Cuba, (3) his journey to Africa to experience a safari, which led to big-game hunting, (5) his alcoholism later in life and lastly (6) his constant habit of jumping around from one women to the next once he got bored. Hemingway was a control-freak, that had to be dominant, the ultimate alpha-male. He once dated Martha, an independent women that put her work in front of Hemingway. This caused Ernest to dump her because she wan't giving him  enough attention. He then met Mary, a very submissive women, that would cater to his needs. In the end, Hemingway married a total of 5 women and had affairs with countless others. 

Hemingway was an extraordinary writer. His influence is still felt to this day. However he fought with many internal demons day after day. In the end, these demons led him to take his own life. 

Six Word Stories

• I enter our house, my house
• A black bag, life no more
• Gradually, we fell out of touch
• A whisper from the depths unknown
• A doctors appointment, feeling great  - Cancer
• Bullets flying above, a hit, loss

John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

Every single person on this planet knows what a hero is. We see this term used throughout our life time. From super hero to a tragic hero or an unwilling hero. We are very familiar with this word. Simply put, a hero is "a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities". On the other hand, what is a stooge? This term however, is not so commonly used in our vocabulary. A stooge is "a person who serves merely to support or assist other, particularly in doing unpleasant work". So, is John Proctor a hero or a stooge?

I consider Proctor a hero. He was a man that's portrayed as the rebel of Salem. He didn't baptize one of his children because of his distaste towards the towns reverend in a community that is entirely religion centric; he didn't attend church on a constant weekly basis; he didn't believe in witchcraft even though the city of Salem is going crazy about the presence of witches in their community; and lastly he slept with a girl half his age by the name on Abigail while married. Although he is portrayed as man who sees himself as "above the law", his actions tell a different story.

John Proctor carried his Puritan values all the way to his grave. He valued honesty and integrity. All though he cheated on his wife with a younger woman, Proctor confessed to the deed in the end. I mean, who doesn't make mistakes in their life time? This man would rather die telling the truth than live by lying. His moral ethics surprised me, since at the beginning of "The Crucible" he is portrayed as living without moral ethics. John Proctor sacrificed himself and his life for the greater good; to show the leaders of Salem what kind of foolish mistake they made by listening to the young girls and their lies. This is why I consider John Proctor a hero.

Martyna x

Arrivals; There Goes the Neighborhood

I stand on the rough looking dock. Dark not-so-sturdy planks of wood keep me from falling into the water. The fire that I set up just a couple of hours ago is still strong, the individual flames occasionally crackling. Waiting for my line to tug from a successfully hooked fish, I hum to myself. I watch the horizon where the bright blue water meets the rising sun. At first I thought it was simply my imagination, but after longer examination I saw three ships sailing straight towards the land that I stand on fishing. I've never seen such contraptions, at least not as complex. The boats that we have in my village are small, supporting only a couple of people and trade items at a time. We use wooden oars to travel to islands close by in order to trade and collect resources. In comparison these ships are giant. They have a deck that can support tons of goods as well as a couple hundred people. They also have white fabric that is suspended to high beams made out of wood.

It dawns on me; these people are not our own. Are they sent by god? What should I do? Are we the chosen ones? After much deliberation, I chose to run down to my village, as fast as my legs can take me. I run to my family and tell them about my find. They don't believe me but follow me nevertheless. I also run to the chief of the camp. I tell him that there are three large boats coming towards our island. He brings a couple of friends and also run towards the dock.

It takes me a while to persuade a couple of my village mates to come to the fishing dock. By the time that I get to the oceanside again, the ships are almost anchored. We start to chant. At the bow of the ship I see a man with a black hat. He points to us, all the while speaking to his mates. He tells his men something and a couple disappear. However they reappear only a couple of minutes later. In their hands are a variety of items that I've never seen before. A red hat with a string of jewels hanging down from the top and a string of those jewels arranged in a circle. As they came down from their large ships we greet them. We run up to their ships and give them a variety of trading goods. From live multi-colored parrots, to cotton, to our stone tipped hunting javelins. In exchange they also gave us small see-through circular objects and another circular object that was cool to the touch and created a noise if shaken. More people from my village come to the shore and greet these mystical humans, with plenty more gifts. Who are they?

These gods are kind and considerate. They're giving and amiable. I am intrigued by all these objects that I've never seen before. I hope that we become good trading partners and build a lasting, cooperative relationship with these people from another land...

A Bit About Me...

Hey guys! My name is Martyna Paruch. I'm currently a sophomore at Whitney Young. I'm 15 years old, almost 16. My birthday is on December 21, 1998. I graduated from Beaubien a couple years ago. I live on the north-west side of Chicago, right by Norridge. It takes me forever to get to school :( because I live so far away, however the train rides to school are always entertaining. I used to swim competitively at Shabbona Park. I even won a couple of medals while swimming either freestyle or butterfly. I don't participate in any at school activities because I do karate outside of school (3x a week for two+ hours). However I plan to join soccer this spring (hopefully I get on the team). I was born in Poland and moved to Chicago when I was one-and-a-half years old. I speak Polish and used to go to Polish school every Saturday but I "dropped-out" when I graduated from 8th grade. I enjoy listening to music. Some of my favorite artists are Ellie Goudling, Eminem, Skylar Grey, etc. I used to play the piano for almost 8 years but because I didn't practice I don't remember a thing. This summer I visited the Dominican Republic with my parents. I was a very wonderful experience, the sights were gorgeous. I hope I get to know some of you better this year and to have a memorable sophomore year!

Martyna x