Wuthering HEights post

What makes a novel "a classic"? Discuss

I think that one could consider a novel a classic, when it changes the way people think about life. If you look into some of the world's "classic novels", you ca see they are referenced in many ways years after it is written. For example, Wuthering Heights was written in 1849, and was just referenced in the Twilight movie. That is a 160 year time span. HOLY COW!!! When a book is passed on from generation to generation, that book should be called a classic. If a book can last longer than a human being, the writer must have done something right. It is not everyday that a book can last over 50 years and still be read in class rooms today. Even 20 years is amazing. Overall, i think that when a book changes the world, or helps write a new movie or book, i think it should be considered a classic!

Posts to others

Mike  (post 3)

Michael Robert, I happen to love your descriptions of Harlem. The way you describe this trip I can tell you really enjoyed this trip. I was wondering how seriously you took the comments that the lady said to our group. Did it hurt you? Also, I'm guessing you really enjoyed Mike singing in the Apollo. Maybe you should buy Mike's first CD!!! Overall, I thought this was a very informative post. 

Hari (post 4) 

Hari, I don't really understand how you can say Malcolm is brainwashed. If you can expand on that a little bit more, i think this post would be amazing. I also wrote about his love for reading and I am very happy you wrote about this too. I also agree with you about your racist claim. Malcolm does start to think that every white person is "the white devil". I feel your points are very valid and you defiantly thinking outside the box. GREAT JOB!!!

Jennifer (post 4)

Jen, I like post number 4 a lot. Now, normally i'd be mean to you and say this was a terrible post, but today, i shall tell you this post was awesome! I love the comparison you showed, even though we did discuss it in class :), but you described it great. I also love your connection. As everyone does know, the world resolves around me! I like how you compare your parents and the sun. I find this comparison great because they are both the "figure" the looks over you. Keep up the good work Jen!

Gab G (post 2)

Gab, i found this a very deep and touching post. I like the topic you chose and found it very informative. That post you have is very sad. It is a great comparison though. Unless i'm missing it, i would have liked if you compared it to yourself a little bit more. Also, comparing it to the economic crisis was a very intellectual connection. I did not understand it at first, but the second time through i realized how you came to the connection. Overall, i think you did a great job!

Malcolm Post # 5

After John F. Kennedy, one of America's most popular presidents was assassinated, Malcolm X was quoted as saying that the murder in Dallas is an example of "the chickens coming home to roost" (Malcolm X). In effect he was trying to reason that there was some sort of justice in this horrific act. This brings to mind our nation's most devastating tragedy, the 9/11 attacks. If anyone tried to justify these attacks against America, I could easily see how that person's life would be in danger. The attacks happened nearly 8 years ago, and i can remember the feeling of despair as if it were yesterday, I remember feeling nervous every time I heard a plane flu overhead. I'm not alone in mu concerns. According to a study by Mount Sinai School of Medicine, "children that have experienced the attacks... were 21 times more likely to have emotional problems or to e anxious or depressed" (http://www.healthcentral.com/anxiety/news-201964-31.html). As i read Malcolm X's quote regarding Kennedy, it angered me to think someone could actuall feel anyone's assassination would be justifies, and that's when i made the connection to the assassinations of the victims of 9/11. 

Malcolm Post # 4

When I first began reading this book, I really knew close to nothing about Malcolm X. I thought he was some sort of role model, at least, perhaps, for the black race. As i continued through the book, i realized how much i disliked this man and basically everything he stood for. He made white people out to be truly evil, just because of their race and a certain few individuals he had the displeasure of meeting, a discrimination he himself would be fighting against if he were white. The only connections I made with Malcolm X was in Chapter 11, he began his quest to expand his vocabulary by writing words out of the dictionary, This increased his hunger for reading. I, too, am a voracious reader and according to an article published on Seattlepi.com, presently teens are in the "most fertile periods in the history of young adult literature" (http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/books/306531_teenlit08.html). Apart from this connection to better himself through reading, i can truly say Malcolm X wouldn't see eye-to-eye on most every topic of discussion we'd encounter if i ever had the displeasure of meeting him.

P.S. If anyone was offended by this i am truly sorry, but i found him to be to critical when talking about the white race in general. 

Malcolm X post #3

When Malcolm X leaves for his Hajj to Mecca, he is leaving all of the problems and troubles he had in the U.S. He left amongst all the death threats and controversies he had created and went to a place were he knew he could become more happy. This reminds me of when my father left his home town and moved away to start anew. 

My dad growing up did not have an easy home life. His mother passed away when he was around the age of ten, and his father did not care about him whatsoever. He was always moving around from house to house, and his family could sometimes not afford the bare necessities one needs in everyday life. He had three sisters, but all of them were they were 10, 12, and 14 years older then him, so he never had the guidance a child needs from an elder. The moment he graduated high school, he moved from Bergenfield, New Jersey to Huntington Beach, California. He knew he had to get away from his father and start a new life on his own. After living two years in Cali, he came back a different more mature man. He realized he had to become more mature to make it in this world, and by living by himself, with almost no income, he figured out how to survive and become a better man. He moved back to Bergenfield, met my mother, and the rest is history.

To me, I find this comparison very similar. Both men left the place they knew best for a place where they hoped to achieve "nirvana". I feel that without this move, my father would have not become the man he is today. To me, he is a great role model and a hell of a father. Would he had been the same man, had he not moved, i would say no probably no, but with that move he was able to leave all of the ill-treatment he suffered in his old town, just like Malcolm, and was able to go to a place where he could get his life back on track. 

Below is a post of what a Hajj exactly is. It is a sacred event for all people of the Muslim religion. It is celebrated once a year and about 2.5 million people a year attend it. It is truely amazing to me how so many people can gather in the same place at one time, and all be their in unison. Every single person is there for one thing, to worship their god Allah.  

Malcolm X post #2 religious life changes

After reading up to chapter 17 in Malcolm X autobiography, it amazes me how much religion changed Malcom's life. Growing up in today's society, it is hard for me to realize how much religion can affect one decisions. To me, many people don't follow the beliefs of their religion as closely as people use to. In today's world, where pop culture seems to rule everything, i enjoy being able to look at a different perspective, were religion rules ones' life. The events that Malcolm goes through for his religion makes me wonder how my life would change if I would base my life solely on religion. What if I was a priest or a bishop? I would have to throw out the option of being married and would be forced to become chastised (in other words, no baby Connor Jr). Even if i wasn't a priest, just a prominent member of the Catholic church, my life would still be different then it was today. I would have to live everyday by the actions of Jesus. Also the Christian religion does not support homosexuals, so those who are would not be able to follow the religion with support from your church. Trying not to delve too much into the restrictions of the Christian religion, but it just amazes me how much one's life could change just based on the religion one chooses to follow. That is why the whole story of Malcolm X really enamors me. He went from being a bad boy drug dealer, to a debating religious fiend all because of his conversion to religion. This conversion may be the one topic that amazes me the post about this story. 

below i attached a link of how to become a catholic priest and the things you must change/give up to become one. 

Harlem Trip Malcolm post #1

Yesterday our class and Mrs. Crane's class went on a field trip to Harlem. This trip was a great learning experience for me. I got to see the town the Malcolm X once lived in and how it has changed to what it is today. To start things off, both of the tour guides were great people. Andi Owens and Neal Shoemaker were both creative characters who kept the tour enjoyable by  using their intellectual humor, and past experiences. 

To me, this field trip was a fun and intellectual experience to me at the same time. It was great to get out of the suburbs for the day and adventure into the jungle that many like to call New York.  While there, I was able to visit many historic landmarks and able to see some of the places where Malcolm X use to go. I really enjoyed the museum that we went to, mostly because of the Barack exhibit that they had on display. To me, that exhibit showed just how much he truly meant to every minority in this country.

As I went on throughout the day, I started to realize i was no longer in Jersey. To tell you the truth, i actually enjoyed it a lot. It was so different to see people walking to work, and outside food vendors, it was like a completely different world to me. I've been to the city a bunch of times, but walking around a predominately black community was very surprising, especially due to the fact of what Harlem use to be. It amazed me how much the city was able to pick up it's act and clean up. I defiantly enjoyed just looking around and observing all the buildings and people the most on my trip to Harlem

Below is a link of the tour we took. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone who is interested in seeing the streets Malcolm use to strut across. Even if you are not interseted in Malcolm, it's a great expierence on how much different the city could be. I happened to love this trip and I would love to go on it again.