Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet

"Youthful rashness skips like a hare over the meshes of good counsel."

                                                    - William Shakespeare

        In the book Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, in act two, scenes three to six, Romeo asks Friar Lawrence to wed him to Juliet. These lines portray Romeo's conversation with Friar Lawrence, and the Friar Lawrence's doubts about Romeo truly being in love. There are many debates as to whether or not Romeo is with Juliet, or if he is only acting out of youthful rashness, which is acting out of impulse, or without a second thought. I believe that there are many reasons as to why Romeo was acting out of youthful rashness.

         

Firstly, Romeo says that he forgot Rosaline’s name and her name's woe (2.3.61-62), which means that Rosaline means nothing to him. However, I find it quite impossible that after immensely mourning for Rosaline, he completely forgot her. I believe the Romeo is not in love but he is in love with the concept of love. Which on the other hand would mean that he is using Juliet to get over Rosaline, because of his grief. In other words, Romeo is blinded by his true emotions, and sometimes that is what love does to people. You can't just forget about someone in 24 hours because they still exist, and somewhere in the back of your mind you know that they're still there. This is why I find it extremely hard to believe that Romeo is over Rosaline after about a day, when he spent so long grieving over her. Also, when Benvolio told Romeo to look for someone else, Romeo said that it was impossible and that Rosaline was basically the only one. Now, after meeting Juliet, he suddenly feels like it's time to move on, and he barely even knows Juliet. Moreover, Romeo might not have been completely in love with Juliet, in fact, Juliet could have been his way to move on.  

       

To add on, many people during the class debate stated that two people (Romeo and Juliet) were destined, by the stars, that they were to fall in love in order to end the feud between their families. However, in the prologue of the story it states, "Do with their death end their parents' strife." This contradicts to the point that many people have made. It was not their love that ended the rivalry, but the death of Romeo and Juliet. A fellow classmate also pointed out that there were two other deaths that occurred before the death of Romeo and Juliet. The death of Mercutio, who is Romeo's best friend, and the death of Tybalt, who is the cousin of Juliet. The classmate stated that after these two deaths, nothing changed to end the rivalry between the two households, so there is no clear statement that Romeo and Juliet's death is what ended it. However, the death of these two people were not as important and tragic to the two families as the death of their own children. For example, if this were to be connected to real life and your best friend or cousin were to die, you would be devastated of course. On the other hand, your parents might show some sympathy, and some sadness, but it is not moving enough for them to completely stop all their duties.  However, if it were you who died, your parents may be moved enough, and emotionally traumatized enough to discard of their duties because of sadness. When that sadness passes, they will decide on any changes, or anything that must be done differently, because they will learn a lesson. In addition, the scene in which Mercutio and Tybalt died was a dark, and more anger-filled scene rather than a sad one. Tension was already building up since the beginning, and in this scene all the tension turned into pure anger. So, no, Mercutio and Tybalt's death could not have led to the end of the feud between the two families of Romeo and Juliet. Instead, the two deaths brought forth more anger, and more tension between the families. Furthermore, I don't think that it was "written in the stars" that Romeo and Juliet were supposed to fall in love. I believe that it was "written in the stars" that the death of Romeo and Juliet is what would have ended the feud, even if they weren't in love.

       

To conclude, I strongly think that Romeo was acting out of youthful rashness when he jumped to the conclusion that he was in love with Juliet. This is because, love made him blind to the fact that Juliet isn't the only person in the world. It also made him blind to all his other emotions. As Romeo said, love is a rough thing, it is not tender, and it does not come with a tender feeling. However, I think that his grief mixed in with his love and clouded his past thoughts about love, and when he met Juliet all he was left with was this surreal image of love, that he would have denied only the day before he met Juliet. In other words, Romeo was never truly in love with Juliet, and maybe if they got to know each other more thoroughly, their beliefs on true love would have changed.  

Our Actions Define Who We Are as People

     "Every action of our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity." 

                                                - Edwin Hubbel Chapin  

           

            Our actions can determine who we are as people. It can also determine our relationship with others. However, many people use their words to either show or conceal their true feelings, even when actions can hold a greater value. Words can be covers for lies, but action will always hold the truth.

            In the book, “The Blood of Olympus” by Rick Riordan is the fast paced finale in the Heroes of Olympus series. In the book, the demi god team is finally up to the last battle, where they will fight the mother earth, and they know that in order to succeed one of them must pass on. Though every person in this book is completely capable of being independent they still depend on each other in many ways. Also, like most people they need someone to watch their backs. Throughout the book, each demi god relies on each other for help, and their actions either help to start a beautiful relationship or end one that had little chance of lasting.

            One relationship that sparks within this book is the friendship of Reyna and Nico. In page 57 of the book, Reyna states “Strangely, that made Reyna trust Nico more… Nico had proven himself in other ways… he carried so much sadness and loneliness, so much heartache. Yet he put his mission first. He preserved. Reyna respected that. She understood that.” Nico is someone Reyna can connect through pain and loss. She’s been alone for most of her missions, and she understands what it is like to feel alone. Reyna has the power to give her energy to others, however with such a great power comes a consequence. Not only can she feel the energy flowing inside the person she is aiding, but she can also feel the pain they go through each time they take a step, and fall. His actions of hiding his true feelings and keeping secrets that he knows can destroy the loyalty of two sides have brought her closer to him. She understands why he always puts his mission first, to appeal to those around him o he will get noticed, even if it is for a little while. Additionally and most importantly, his strong perseverance makes Reyna respect Nico, and it is said that respect is the hardest yet most wonderful thing to gain in the world.

            On the other hand, Annabeth’s simpler actions has brought her closer two people who have worked hard for almost all their lives. Both Piper and Nico feel reassured when Annabeth is around that they are not alone, nor will they ever be alone. For example, in page 156 Nico states, “He wanted to hate Annabeth, but he just couldn’t. She’d gone out of her way to thank him in Epirus. She was genuine and sincere. She never overlooked him like most people did. Why couldn't she be a horrible person? That would have made it easier.” Annabeth is normally the type of person that is kind and wise. She knows when someone deserves to be thanked and she knows that no one deserves to be avoided like Nico is by others. Many people just avoid Nico because he is different, and because he is the son of Hades. However, Annabeth takes any chance she gets to include Nico in the rewards he deserves. Another example of Annabeth’s kind actions was written in Jason’s perspective. In the book he states, “Annabeth’s fingers trembled. After all the things she’d been through, Jason found it odd that she’d freak out while Piper acted so calm. Then it occurred to him- Annabeth could afford to be scared for him. Piper couldn't. She was completely focused on trying to save him.” (39) Annabeth is always patting Piper on the back, and reassuring her with many kind gestures that everything will be all right. This is why piper feels strong whenever they are in a tough situation, although she wants to be scared she knows she can’t, but she knows that Annabeth will always have her back. In this scene, Piper “entrusted” Annabeth with the job to reveal Piper’s feelings as her own. In other words, she knew that she could trust Annabeth to express what she was feeling. Furthermore, although Annabeth’s actions are small and simple, they hold a great amount of meaning in them.

            Lastly, Jason has been most strongly affected by his mother’s actions. When someone breaks their promise to you, you may feel torn and lost; however Jason used a broken promise as a moral for his life. In the book it states, “His mother’s unkept promise was at the core of who he was. He’d built his whole life around the irritation of her words, like the grain of sand at the center of a pearl. People lie. Promises are broken. That was why, as much as it chafed him, Jason followed his rules. He kept his promises. He never wanted to abandon anyone the way he’d been abandoned and lied to.” As you can see your actions can affect a person greatly. Whether it is thanking someone for their hard work, or completely abandoning someone, it will always hold an effect, and sometimes the affect of those actions may not last forever, but the feeling the person can get from it may. When Jason’s mother abandoned him he felt torn and broken, and since then he worked hard to always be loyal to those who care about him. Moreover, his mother’s actions are the core for who he is as a person.

            To add on, our words can be lies, and you can always go back on your word. However, once you have done something (whether it’s good or bad) you can never erase its existence. That is why people need to learn that their actions can affect those around them, and it is important to remember that our actions can affect our relationships with others. Kind actions that have been thought about multiple times before it has been done can have more of a positive effect on people. Also, small gestures and having courtesy (like Annabeth) can bring you closer to a person. Words can be meaningless if the actions behind those words hold a negative or no effect, actions hold the truth behind the lies of spoken words from notorious people. After all, actions speak louder than words.

           

           

                                                                                                                                               

"Invasion of the Drones" By Patricia Smith

           Drones have been increasingly used in wars for years. In fact, they've been used so much for warfare that it seems like drones make war easier. The Upfront article, "Invasion of the Drones" by Patricia Smith is about the ubiquitous use of drones, not only in wars, but also for delivering pizza and taking pictures of homes for real estate companies. In the article, Patricia Smith talks about the three main concerns for the use of drones in society. Privacy, safety, and warfare are three concerning topics that pop out when the usage of drones seemed to have too far. Additionally, there is evidence that these three problems can affect normal people. Moreover, I do not believe that drones should be used for things like deliveries, pictures, etc. 

          Drones have been posed as a threat to a person's privacy. These drones can be made with built in cameras, and can take pictures of unsuspecting people that mind their own business. For example, in the article Patricia Smith stated that drones were used by almost everyone, from farmers, to scientists, and police, the use of drones is increasing all around the world. This provides a great deal of concerns with the Fourteenth Amendment, which offers protection from "unreasonable searches and seizures." In this case, many people do not know when or where a drone may be hovering above them, which raises the question, "Does that constitute an 'unreasonable search'?" Secondly, safety has also been a widely varied concern. There has been many issues with drones getting "out of control" of their operators. "Flyaways" are drones that escape through their operators control and may crash due to software glitches, operator errors, and wind gusts. According to the article, these drones are likely to crash into buildings and trees. In another scenario, there have been dozens of incidents where drone and planes have "near misses", several where at airports in New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. This can put many people on the planes in harm's way. Lastly, drones have been used in wars very easily. In fact, the president can use a drone for attacking enemy locations without Congressional approval. It is said in the Constitution that the president is in charge of the military, but only Congress can declare war. Many fear that drones have made war seem more like a video game than a life-or-death situation. To add on, the usage of drones has been an upbringing of many concerns for the society's privacy, safety, and the ruling of the Constitution. 

          I believe that drones have been misused in public, and the experimental usage of drones in jobs like pizza delivery and real estate should be put to a stop. This is because, when drones are used for jobs like delivery and more, it decreases the number of jobs for a person. Someone who has been working as a delivery man may not be needed because he can be replaced by a drone. Also, the thought of drones flying around, unseen, makes people feel uncomfortable, and I don't think I would be comfortable in the situation either. However, I disagree that drones make war seem too easy. I think drones should still be used for attacking very dangerous terrorist locations, and they should be used for war. I think this because I realized that by using drones as a replacement for soldiers, and actual people in war, can actually save lives while also destroying the enemy. Furthermore, I feel as though the usage of drones in wars should continue, however I believe that usage of drones for simple jobs, like taking pictures of a house, should end.

  

The Book Thief

            "Your beliefs either pave your way to success or block you."

                                                                       - Marsha Sinetar

           

            People have many different beliefs. Some believe in God, others don't, and others believe in many. Truth is, we all have something we believe in. Whether it's freedom of speech, or racial freedom, we have our own way interpreting things. "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak is a searing and haunting book set in the period of the Nazis when Jews were considered discrimination among others. A little girl, Liesel Meminger, discovered "The Grave Diggers Handbook" soon after she lost her younger brother, and shortly afterwards, her mother. Since then, she has had to start her life over with completely new people where she battles against her rights and her wants. Throughout the story, there are certain events that change Liesel's beliefs on various things, and throughout the story I have come to a realization that those changes are good and meaningful.

           

            Death has been a big influence on Liesel and her beliefs on life. As a child she lost her brother and her mother and soon she loses many other loved ones. In the story Liesel states “It kills me sometimes, how people die.” (464) She was reflecting on her brother and her mother (who has not died but is practically dead to her). Throughout the story, the narrator reflects on Liesel’s thoughts. To this he replied “You see, to me, for just a moment, despite all of the colors that touch and grapple with what I see in this world, I often catch an eclipse when a human dies. I've seen millions of them. I've seen more eclipse than I can remember.” (11) The narrator implies to have seen Liesel’s brother slowly die, and her mother fade away from her side. He implies to have witnessed many deaths. Her brother’s death changed Liesel to recognize that no matter what, life moves on. She decided that she had no choice to move on with it. This was really surprising to me because Liesel was only 9 years old when this occurred, yet she had the will power to start over in her life. In another scenario, Liesel witnessed the death of her best friend, Rudy. That one moment made Liesel realize how much she loved him, and how she should have told him when she had the chance. It made her realize that in life, she has no one but herself. It changed her belief of depending on others for things that were important to her. She grew strength and courage to move on. The narrator, who was a witness, stated “It amazes me what people can do, even when streams are flowing down their faces and they stagger on, coughing, and searching, and finding.” (535) Liesel showed me how strong people can be, she realized, and helped me realize, that death can have a strong influence on people. To conclude, I believe Liesel has been through a lot, and it amazes me how she can be strong enough to start over.

            “The Grave Diggers Handbook” is also a big reason for Liesel’s changes in beliefs. The book holds a deeper meaning, it held the memories of her brother and her mother, and the last time they saw each other. Because of the book her life changed deeply. Firstly, it gave her the motivation to learn. She did not care much for it at first, but after she found the book, she longed to learn and read every single word in it. Secondly, the book drew her closer to her foster father, Hans. He taught her how to read and write, and soon their memories were stored in that one book. In the story, Markus Zusak states, “The book. The words. Her fingers were bleeding, just like they had on her arrival here.” (534) Although, it is pretty clear on Zusak’s intentions on these three sentences; I believe it is referring to the first time Liesel found the book. Her fingers were bleeding (from digging for her brother in the cold snow) and she discovered the book only moments later. The book holds her aspiration for education and her growth in it too. Moreover, I believe the “Grave Diggers Handbook” has great significance in her changes in beliefs in education.

            Moreover, throughout the story Liesel’s beliefs on life and education changed, and the narrator reacted in very astonishing ways. As life goes on, Liesel helped me realize that, we will not have time to look back unless we feel it is the right thing to do. Sometimes we just have to move forward in life no matter what happens. She also taught me that education and knowledge are powerful things that can come to many uses in the future. Sometimes, knowledge can be the care taker of all your memories. Moreover, I have learned that in life, when seeking education you are sealing away the past and gradually working towards the future, as did Liesel in “The Book Thief”.

            

"The City of Ashes" by Cassandra Clare

           "The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new."  - Socrates. 

            Change doesn't always have to be a bad thing. In fact, whether or not the change you seek is deemed good or bad is based entirely on yourself and how you build on the change. The book "The City of Ashes" by Cassandra Clare is the second book in the Mortal Instruments series. The book is based solely on the shadow hunters Clary, Jace and Clary's friend Simon. Throughout the book the characters Clary and Jace fight through a battle with them selves, the people they love most, and those they wished they didn't care so much about. They meet new people, and discover more hidden secrets about there past life, and all throughout this book, every single important event changes them in some way.

             Identity, or in other words, discovering who you are and what you want are events that can change anyone. Many times the people around you can help reveal a part of yourself that was hidden, however, sometimes no matter how much the people around you reveal, your true self remains hidden from you. For example, in "The City of Ashes" it states, "Somebody's girlfriend," she said. "Somebody's sister, somebody's daughter. All these things I never knew I was before, and I still don't know who I am." (83) In this sentence, Clary is looking back at the two major secrets that were relieved to her. To add on, this event changed Clary in a good way. It helped Clary realize that no matter how much is revealed to her, she still knows less. She realizes that no one knows her inner self, not even herself. Moreover, I believe that we all get days where we feel as if we are drifting away from ourselves. As if no matter how much we thought we knew about ourselves in the past, as times goes on and such events come that changes us and opens our eyes, we actually don't know what we are capable of and who we are as human beings. 

          To understand yourself, you need to accept reality. Many people deny reality when they want something they know they can never have. Like Jace, in "The City of Ashes", many people believe that if they deny something long enough, it will disappear. However, the fact is, in reality things don't work like that. So the best things to do is accept its existence. For example, in a conversation between Jace and Clary, Jace stated “When I was a little kid, I realized that if you say any word over and over fast enough, it will lose its meaning. I’d lie awake saying the words over and over to myself-” to this Clary replied, “It doesn't matter how many times you say it. It’ll still be true.”(200) additionally, as you can see, reality is something that is underestimated by even the strongest of people.

           Sometimes, discovering who your real family members are can change you. It can break your heart, and open your eyes to clearly see the relationship you have with others. Because of this book, I learned that the people I hold close to me are my family, it doesn't matter that we don’t have a blood connection that ties us together. As Clary said “Family is more than blood. Valentine isn't my father. Luke is. Just like Alec and Max and Isabelle are Jace’s family. If you try to tear him out of your family, you’ll leave a wound that won’t ever heal.” (62) When you are separated by those who are you hold close, or your close relationship with them is threatened in any way, that is when you begin to realize that those people are your family. It is at such a moment that you realize the strong bonds you created with others. It changes you to fight for all those bonds, to tie all those stray ends, and to make sure that the wound of loosing “family” is vanquished. In other words, family does indeed change people. They influence you, they motivate you, they anger you, and many times they break you. However, if the scar they leave behind does eventually heal, it is because along with changing you, your family changed itself.

            
         Along with family comes trust and love. To love someone you be able to trust them with all your heart. To be loved by someone, you need to be trustworthy. In the book Simon states, “You know what the worst thing I can imagine is?”… “Not trusting someone I love.” (245) this is a fear that many people may have. To add on, many people may feel as if the person they love most is hiding something from them. It can feel horrible to think that you can’t even trust the one you hold dear. Losing trust can change someone’s perspective of another person. However, love can change perspectives in an entirely different way. For example, in a conversation between Luke and Clary on page 211, Cassandra Clare wrote “Everyone has choices to make; no one has the right to take those choices away from us. Not even out of love.” – Luke. “But that’s just it,” Clary said. “When you love someone you don’t have a choice”…“Love takes your choices away.” Not only can love take your choices away, but love can also influence your choices and completely change them. Love is tied in with reality; sometimes you love someone so much that you completely erase all of your past choices to make new ones. When you’re in love, you create your own reality. It changes you to feel things you have probably never felt before and it makes you see things in a completely different way. Furthermore, love can create a huge change in someone’s life, but all this can also be changed because of false honesty (trust).

            Furthermore, “The City of Ashes” is compelling book where many events change the characters. Many of those events, to add on, are revolved around specific themes of identity, trust, pain, and love. These themes revolve around our life too; in fact these events are similar to what happens in real life. In other words, such events can change people in our world too. While reading “The City of Ashes” I felt as if I could connect to many of those life changing events. Every single one of us may be changed in some way because of our friends, family, and the general public, just like the characters in Cassandra Clare’s book “The City of Ashes.” To conclude, I have learned many things while reading this book, and reading this book also opened my eyes to see beyond my reality, what I know about myself, and the people I call family. 

               

No Job? GET LOST! (upfront article)

           The Upfront article "No Job? GET LOST!" by Andrew Higgins revolves around a conflict of unemployment in a part of Norway. In Norway, the governor states that, unemployment is illegal. As quiet as Norway's "law-abiding" society is, there were no reports of serious crimes. Moreover, the article is revolved around Norway's quiet northernmost territory, Svalbard, and the law against unemployment.

          The author, Andrew Higgins, uses loaded words like infractions, unusual, and permanent to show that unemployment is intolerable at Svalbard. In fact, retirees (those who have retired) have to prove that they are eligible to support themselves in order to continue living in the society. He also used the perspective the governor who was a former police officer who thinks highly of Svalbard . The author also used the more opposing perspective of a crime reporter who thinks of Svalbard as a very dull and unenjoyable place/job. "If you don't have a job, you can't live here," Governor Odd Olsen Ingero stated. In fact, unemployment is so intolerable that many crimes are rallied on reckless driving on snow mobiles and shop lifting! Although, many polar bear attacks also make front page of news papers. Too add on, Governor Ingero seems rather proud of the outcomes of Svalbard's society. "The demographics here are rather unique," he states.

         

      Something that struck a cord in me was the fact that unemployment is illegal and homelessness is banned in Svalbard, Norway. This is because in the U.S. 3.5 million people experience homelessness each year. I realized that if homelessness and unemployment were both banned in our country as well, many people could be supposedly saved from the sufferings of hunger or having no shelter.Furthermore, although Mark Sabbatini, the editor of Icepeople, states that if someone were wanting to live in Svalbard, there would have to be something slightly warped about that person, I believe that the law against unemployment and homelessness really helped the Norway become a less crime involved region.

"Darkness Too Visible" Megan Cox Gurdon

              The article "Darkness Too Visible" by Megan Cox Gurdon is a very intriguing article based on one view of the "darkness" in young adult literature today. The author Megan Cox Gurdon is very biased when she explains that young adult books, these days, have a high level of dark content and should not be exposed to teen readers. She gives explicit detail on how parents feel about their children reading such horrendous books filled with dark topics no parent can ever imagine giving to their teen. Additionally, Megan feels that is inappropriate for young readers to be reading books about suicide, self mutilation, and more lurid topics.

              In the article Megan used loaded words like despoliation, ugliness, smut, and crude to get out her points to parents world-wide. These words make you feel as if young adult books are filled with horrible topics that are not appropriate for young readers. Megan states "...a careless young reader - or one. Who seeks out depravity - will find himself surrounded by images not of joy or beauty but damage, brutality and losses of the most horrendous kinds." Clearly, Megan has made her point.She wants you to understand that books like "Scars" or "Diary of a Part Time Indian" are not right for teens age 12 through 18. Megan includes the prospective of parents who go unnoticed to these lurid books, stacked in every book store, and on the shelves of your local library. Megan C. Gurdon speaks for the parents of teens who do not want their child exposed to the dark side of reality. She rarely uses words like 'happiness, purity, or virtue' to describe young adult books of these topics. Furthermore, Megan C. Gurdon believes, and  makes others believe, that young adult literature is darker that it has ever been before. 

            Megan C. Gurdon talks about the brutality and horrendous sides of young adult books. However, I disagree with her. As a young adult reader I know that there is more to these "dark" and "brutal" sides in books. Megan uses the perspectives of parents and of course no parent wants there child to be affected by such horrendous things. Even so, I think whether or not a book affects or changes a young reader depends completely on the the reader. If readers interpret the "dark" sides of books in negative ways, of course the impact the book had on the reader will also be negative. Books like "Scars" by Cheryl Rainfield are books that can teach a lesson. It can teach that self harm is erroneous, the same goes for books that teach lessons about the consequences of taking drugs, or suicide. It shows teen that they aren't alone and gives them an insight on the reality that is hidden from them by their parents and by people like Megan Cox Gurdon. Furthermore, taking away young adult literature from teen readers is like taking away their source of hope, maybe even there savior. Also, when taking away such books from young readers you are trapping them in a indestructible bubble, keeping them from viewing the world how it actually is; your trapping them from reality. It's like taking away candy from a baby: It's easy to do, but the consequence is a long period of crying nagging at you, and it is only natural to feel guilty.