Literary Circle Discussion Reflection

I believe that our literary circle needs to do a better job of equally participating. Sometimes, one or two people will talk about their ideas too much and eventually we run out of time to hear the other members' opinions. However, after our first discussion our group was much more successful. We were all much more comfortable speaking to each other, and it was quite evident. There were much fewer awkward pauses in between the questions being asked and the answers from the other members, and there was a better overall flow to our discussion the second time around. Personally, I need to do a better job of getting other members involved instead of talking for the majority of the time. As a group, we need to prepare a little bit better and make sure that there is always something to discuss. We cannot leave people's ideas and opinions out of the conversation, and we must make sure we respect opposing viewpoints. However, I believe that our group is heading in the right direction after our second discussion.

Many connections can be drawn from the television series Lost and the book Lord of the Flies. An important and significant connection can be seen between Jack from Lost and Ralph from Lord of the Flies. The two main characters are both the leaders of their island and have many similarities between their personalities and characteristics.

Jack from the television series Lost

Jack and Ralph are the leaders of their ‘civilizations’, but they rise to the position in different ways. Jack was a doctor or a surgeon, so he was a good decision maker and he knew how to help people with different injuries and ailments which made him a good leader. He naturally became the leader of the stranded group on the island without having a vote or any sort of formal decision. Ralph, on the other hand, was voted by all of the children as the leader towards the beginning of the story. Ralph was more aesthetically pleasing than the other options for leader, and he had the conch shell to show his power and significance.

Ralph from the Lord of the Flies movie

Jack and Ralph are both selfless, good-natured people who try to do what’s best for their friends. They both do not like leaving people behind and try to maintain order and unity on their islands while being stranded. Both leaders are fairly smart, kind and appealing to everyone, too. Jack is a doctor, which is also a large part of him being the natural leader. He can treat injuries and he is very cool under pressure. One trait of Jack is that he always tries to take responsibility for everything that happens, and he tries to do too much sometimes. He tries to fix everything and make sure the situation at hand is always under his control, when sometimes it quite simply cannot be controlled. Being only 12 years old, Ralph obviously does not feel the same responsibility that Jack does. Ralph is also not as knowledgeable as Jack is, but Ralph has his partner, Piggy, to help him with the more intellectual decisions.

Both Jack and Ralph are good leaders, and people mostly listen to what they say. An exception in both cases, however, would be Sawyer from Lost and Jack from Lord of the Flies. Jack is not trusted by every member on the island, but he is not disrespected because he has medical knowledge that can help keep people healthy and well. Both characters have good intentions, so they are also respected because of this. Ralph was voted as leader, so even if some people don’t agree on what he has to say, he was chosen by them so they cannot oppose him and his decisions.

Leadership is a very important role in any society, and this role is taken by Jack and Ralph from Lost and Lord of the Flies. Both characters are amiable, kindhearted people and receive respect from their friends on the islands. Ralph and Jack are the centerpieces of their civilizations, and without them, their islands would crumble into anarchy.

Chris Rudewicz

Ms. Harper

English 10, Period A

23 October 2013

Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a Timeless, American Novel

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, written by Mark Twain, is a story of adventure in the perspective of a young man with the nickname Huck, which is short for Huckleberry.

A picture of young Mark Twain, the author of the masterpiece The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Huck, afraid of his often drunken father, Pap, plans to run away from home with the help of his friend Tom Sawyer. Jim, a black slave who lives with Huck and his family, overheard his owner talk about selling him which would cause him to move away from his family. Huck and Jim escape from their old home together and embark on an journey along the Mississippi River on a raft. After running into some shady con-men, encountering Tom Sawyer’s real family and learning that Pap has died, Huck and Tom’s adventure along with Jim’s escape for freedom become much more complicated than they could have ever imagined.

The Mississippi River

This book was very interesting and caught my attention by the end of the first chapter. There were many plot twists that always kept me wondering what would happen next. I love how Twain really develops each character so that the reader can see their personalities and empathize with them. This is a very hard book to put down because once you are thrown into the crazy exploit, it really puts you into the moment and the adventurous world of Huck takes over your imagination. I highly recommend this book to anyone of any age, it is a must read.

With the style that Twain writes with, it almost feels like you are reading Huck’s personal journal of his wild adventure. Twain writing from the perspective of Huck talking about his father’s abuse, “But by-and-by pap got too handy with his hick'ry, and I could't stand it. I was all over with welts. He got to going away so much, too, and locking me in. Once he locked me in and was gone three days. It was dreadful lonesome” (Twain 6). Yes, there are some grammar and spelling mistakes, but these errors are letting the reader grasp a tone of voice that Huck would speak in and how he would pronounce certain words, being from the South. I find this accent in Twain’s writing very interesting and I believe that it adds another piece or dimension in the reader’s envisionment of Huckleberry Finn and the character’s development. Another example of this accent in Twain's writing, “‘Quick, Jim, it ain't no time for fooling around and moaning; there's a gang of murderers in yonder, and if we don't hunt up their boat and set her drifting down the river so these fellows can't get away from the wreck, there's one of 'em going to be in a bad fix’” (Twain 77). The story is easy to follow while maintaining excitement and adding surprise twists in the plot, and Twain does a great job developing personalities and emotion.

A drawing of Huckleberry Finn.

Some may say that the novel is racist and is not appropriate for younger people to read. In my opinion, this novel is an accurate depiction of how things were in the South during this time period and that readers must accept the society for what it was back then. Yes, the book does use the ‘n’ word from time to time, but remember, this book is written from Huck’s perspective and voice so why change the genuine tone that adds to the entertainment?

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published over 120 years ago, which really puts into perspective how great of a novel it is. This thrilling journey around the Mississippi will always be one of my favorite stories, and I believe that every person must read this book at least once during their lives. This timeless classic by Mark Twain is a true masterpiece of American literature and is a wild adventure that everyone should take a part in.

Twain, Mark. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. New York: Random House,  1996. Print.

Malcom Gladwell and IAT Test Response

What stood out to me in the chapter was the true story of Warren Harding and how that story relates to the IAT testing. I find it very interesting how he actually became president although he was not the smartest, or the best leader in the running. A take away message that one can draw from this chapter is that a first impression may not always be the right one. Even though first impressions go a long way, you cannot always trust them and getting to know the person is always a good idea before you judge them.

This chapter should be taken under consideration for our discussion on leadership. It can contribute to the discussion because it is a good example of why people have first impressions and it includes the fact that many people act upon these impressions. Undoing an unconscious bias must be pretty close to impossible because our choices do not effect what our unconscious thinks. Some other leadership qualities other than physical appearance are how a person talks or how smart they are (IQ test scores or GPA in college/high school).

After taking the Asian-American test, the results said that I view European-Americans as more 'American' than Asian-Americans. I was not aware of my unconscious bias, and yes, it did surprise me. Being Asian-American myself, I did not know that this bias would have existed within my mind. I also took the race test between Black people and White people and I was surprised by the results of that test also. I do not prefer one or another, yet for some reason my subconscious prefers White people over Black people according to the results of my testing. I was surprised because I treat all people equally yet my mind has seen and interpreted images in the world that say White people are 'better' or more easily linked to 'good' things rather than Black people.

Tuesday Write

Late Mondays are much better than late Tuesdays. One reason is that with the new system, there is less traffic in the mornings because not everyone comes to school at the same time. This reason benefits both people with A periods and those without one. Also, everyone, A period or not, arrives at school one hour later than on a normal start day. This allows all students to get an extra hour of sleep to help them get through the day. Late Mondays are an easier transition into the week rather than having Tuesday be the shorter day. After having a long, fun weekend, people can have a later start of the week giving them a little encouragement to start the week off positively. Another reason is that on late Tuesdays, it is harder for teachers to help students after school who have A periods when the teacher does not have one. The new Monday schedule also starts at 8:40, instead of 8:30 on Tuesdays, which helps parents who have to drop off multiple children at different schools and helps make sure all of their children arrive on time. From personal experience, I can say that this has helped my family a lot. My little brother goes to elementary school which starts at 8:30, so my mother can drop him off before me to make sure we both get there on time. 

Some may say that late Tuesdays  are actually better than late Mondays. If you do not have an A period, you do get out at 2:20 which is much earlier than the normal 3:10. Traffic is also better going home from school. However, I believe that waking up later is much more beneficial to your health rather than going home a little earlier. Yes, traffic may be better going home, but you get home maybe 5 minutes earlier. These minutes are not as crucial when going home compared to going to school with 5 minutes to spare.

Late Mondays are much better than late Tuesdays for many reasons. You have less traffic in the mornings, it is an easier transition into the long week, it is easier to get help after school, and the extra sleep that all students get is very beneficial. With all of these reasons, students should be much happier with the change from late Tuesdays to late Mondays.

Introduction

Hi my name is Chris Rudewicz. I am 15  years old and I am a sophomore. I was born in New Jersey in 1998, and then I moved across the country to California when I was 7. My interests and hobbies include basketball, science and wiffle ball. My favorite book is The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. A writing goal I have for this year is to improve my depth. A quote I like is "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." -Martin Luther King, Jr.