Comic < Novel?

PARTIAL SPOILER

As you probably know (because you are probably in my class), we are each studying individual muckrakers.  The one that I was assigned was Jack London, author of "Call of the Wild".   Naturally, I just needed to buy a copy.  Me and my friend Sophie decided to go to my favorite local bookstore, Babbo's Books.  She was looking for Jacob Riis's "How the Other Half Lives," and I was looking for "Call of the Wild".  However, when I could not find a copy, I decided to get the closest thing to it: an old comic version.  I am so glad that I got it.

The main character of the book is Buck, a dog who is sold countless times, going from one owner to the next From a Judge, to a cruel dog seller, to an abusive owner named Françoise, to a kind man named John  Thornton, and finally on his own.  The book is full of emotion and action packed images.  However, compared to the real novel,  it is little more than a pamphlet in size.  I certainly got a story out of it, and a good one at that,  but could it really be just a good as the original? I haven't read the real version, I just bought it from Barnes and Noble today,  But I suppose that I can figure out if compare it to the general, archetypal comics and novels and what they consist of. 

In general, comic books (not including graphic novels), are shorter than novels.  Often the comic book uses the exact words of the novel that it is based on, only it takes out most of the words, therefore not having as much of the store.  (One point for novels) .  However, much of the writing that is taken out is description, which is not necessary in a comic, because most of it is illustrations (one point for comics).  A novel can be read and enjoyed over a very long time, and reread, and it will still be amazing.  A comic, on the other hand, takes about a half hour to read, depending on its size,  and because its hard to miss anything in the text, wouldn't be so great to read again (one point for novels).  In a comic,  the illustrator gives you everything to look at, leaving you no imaginative space, where as a novel gives you at least a little creative legroom (one point for novels).

The scores are three to one, novels winning.  But I got so much out of the comic that I bought!  I thought that it was just as good as any book. But maybe the real book is better.  I've never read the original version of "Call of the Wild".  If it's as good as this comic, I will be pleasantly surprised.  Perhaps comics that are based off of classics are really just aids for reading the original, like if you were having trouble understanding what is going on in the story.  I would love it if there were a comic version of "Great Expectations".  I suppose that a comic is the same idea as going in early to school to ask a teacher a question about something you are having trouble with.   It is a thing to read when you are lost, when you do to understand what is going on.  So I suppose that you really can't compare a novel, because they are totally different things.  its sort of like comparing jello to a jello mold; you don't need a mold to make jello, but if you use it, the jello looks much more impressive.  Novels would be the jello, and comics would be the mold.  there are many other metaphors that I could use, but I would never be able to finish this post.   If you can think of another, I'd love to hear it, so post it as a comment!

Is Love Mutual?

 SPOLER!

Last year, at camp, I remember that I had to tell an eleven year old girl that I didn't have a crush on her. It was probably the hardest thing that I ever did.  The problem was not her age, (although that did factor into it) but that she liked me, but I didn't feel the same way about her.  So that makes me think that love has to be both ways.  Love has to be a mutual thing where both people love each other.

Ms. Havisham and Pip

In the book Great expectations by Charles Dickens, a boy named pip leaves his home every few days because he was hired to play in front of someone named Ms. Havisham.  At Ms. Havisham's house, there is a jaw-droppingly beautiful girl named Estella, who seems only to be there to tease him.  But at almost every visit, Ms. Havisham asks Pip if he thinks she is pretty or if he loves her.  Eventually, Pip leaves Ms. Havisham's, but when he returns, Ms. Havisham says these three quotes to him: "Love her, love her, love her! If she favours you, love her. If she wounds you, love her. If she tears your heart to pieces–and as it gets older and stronger–it will tear deeper–love her, love her, love her!"...  "Hear me, Pip! I adopted her to be loved. I bred her and educated her to be loved. I developed her into what she is, that she might be loved. Love her!"...  "I'll tell you," said she, in the same hurried passionate whisper, "what real love it. It is blind devotion, unquestioning self-humiliation, utter submission, trust and belief against yourself and against the whole world, giving up your whole heart and soul to the smiter–as I did!"

In short, Ms. Havisham is saying that even is Estella breaks his heart, Pip should still love her back.  but how can he if she doesn't love him?  I imagine that It would be tremendously hard  to give up so much fore one person who does not return the favor.  Pip Would probably give up or get bored over Estella.  How much time can you do something with no result before  giving up?  If Pip were to love someone like Estella, he would have  to give up everything in order to please her.  All of this work, strain, and love would way Pip down.  He couldn't last with out something filling him back up, giving him the energy to continue loving her.  That energy Is Estella's love, which is to valuable for her to give up.  Estella has lived with a woman (Ms. Havisham) for her intire life, who hasn't seen the light of day since her love abandoned her.  From the beginning, Estella has been convinced the love is bad, Men in general are bad,  and that she should never love.  But if someone loves her and she doesn't love them back,  does that really constitute as love?

Back to my example at camp,  When that girl had a crush on me,  I didn't like her as much as she did to me.  there's no problem with liking people, But there are times when you just don't.  I truly hate to be called the Estella in this situation,  but I'm afraid that I was. and yet, we have very differing opinions. I'm okay with love, where as Estella detests it.  I tried to tell the eleven year old that I didn't like her in a way that wouldn't be so cruel,  but Estella would have snapped Pips heart in two before blinking.  But back to my original question,  Is love mutual?  I really think that it is.  If you were explaining to a little kid why people get married, you wouldn't say "because he loves her".  You would say "because they both love each other".  Love is a two way thing,  and I don't think that it's love until both people think of each other in exactly the same way. 

So in general,  people can't just say that it is love when one person likes another. I guess you can sort of make a simplified chart, if that makes it easier:

HATE

LOVE

<-----------------------------------------•----------------------------------------->

<-----------------------------------------•----------------------------------------->

In order for it to be real love,  each person should be placed on a line in accordance to how much they love (or hate) the other person.  If they line up,  it is truly love, but if they do not, the love is not real.  I suppose that this also has to be the same for hate too.  The problem with two people thinking differently about each other is that one person gives up more than the other.  That would be like trading a golden ring for a a piece of tin foil.  Pip and Estella can never truly love each other.  To answer my question, love is mutual.  Probably...

Pride and Foolishness, Revised

People always say that you should “look before you leap”, Think something over before you really do it, But honestly, is it really that terrible to act without thinking?

A little earlier this year, Mr. Gozzo, the band teacher, was handing out the new song that we were going to learn, a West Side Story compilation.  When the paper was placed on my music stand, a big smile came across my face.  The song looked like a piece of cake!  I didn’t even try to think the song over in my head before I started playing it, or begin to try it out like the rest of the band was doing.  So when Mr. Gozzo told us to try the song out together, I finally tried.  But as soon as I put my trumpet up to my lips, I realized just how challenging the song actually was!  I couldn’t play a bit of it!

The book that I wrote this post about originally was The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, a book that I am long done with.  It is set in Germany during world war two.  The main character is named Liesel, and she is a young girl who is well behind her class in reading.  One Day, the teacher in Liesel’s school Tests everyone in Liesel’s class on their reading, that is, everyone but Liesel.  Liesel, because of her pride, decides to go in front of the class and read aloud anyway, to prove that she can.  But when she gets there, she can’t read a word!  This gets here into a load of trouble. 

Just like when I thought that I could play that piece of music and I couldn’t, Liesel thought she could read, but totally unable to.  We both had too much pride.   Liesel was rash and acted to protect herself, not realizing the consequences of her actions.  Now that I think of it, any human-caused problem in this entire world could have been prevented if only the person who caused the problem thought about what it might do.  Think about it:  fights, arguments, even wars could have been prevented if only we could just think about what might happen afterwards.  So why don’t we just run things through our heads before something awful happens?

But I had only told half the story.  After Liesel had been punished, she was teased by her schoolmate, which led up to her having a fistfight with a boy in her school, with her as the champion.  This made her feared, but also respected. She was no longer the weak little girl who couldn’t read.  And back to my example, it’s been a little while since I got that West Side Story piece from Mr. Gozzo.  Now, I think that it is the easiest piece in my entire folder!  You see, sometimes it pays to be proud.  I suppose there can be a good proud and a bad proud.  What would have happened if Liesel hadn’t been so rash?  She would have staid the week little girl who cant read for the rest of her life, or at least the rest of her school life.  But me, that was the bad kind of proud.  Sure, I now think that the song is easy, but is that because I was so heedless when I first received the song?  No!  It is because I practiced. 

So I guess that you could say that good pride is when your foolhardy but your actions benefit you in some way or another.  There may still be other options than doing something reckless to get what you want, but when you have to act in a second’s notice, like Liesel did, there’s really no other option.  Bad pride, on the other hand, is when you do something impulsive that has no positive affects towards you or anyone else.  Its as if everything that we do is somehow rated on how it will affect us in the future.  If things get better as time progresses, it’s going to be good pride.  If things get worse, its bad pride.  But there are just so many variables in the problem!  What it you act on impulse, doing what you can before its too late. I guess sometimes you just have to judge for yourself.  
 

As the book goes on, Liesel grows as a character, and her pride seems to grow with her.  She begins to steal books (hence the title of the book).  No shy little girl without pride would be able to do that.  She may have had doubts, but she knew that she would be able to do it one way or another.  Pride is what pushed her through the pages of the book, what made her endure the war and everything that happened to her.  Judging by what Liesel did, I would say that if someone thinks they can’t do something, they can never do it, but if they have pride and know that they are able, they will do whatever they wanted to do.  So next time there is something that you need to do and you’re having doubt, just be proud (but not rash) and you will get it done. 

Exit project

 Just so you know, I did my R + J post, its below this one. 

Okay. So, for exit projects, we need to test 30 people, right? well, so far I've tested 21. So, I've decided to make you an AMAZING OFFER! If you take this test which I will put below, and take it how I want you to take it, you can choose one option of each of the two categories below:

Category 1:
• I will come into school on Monday in a large pink shirt.
• I will come into school in my mime costume and only speak in sign language.
• I will only talk in a REALLY loud voice, like almost screaming.
• I will only talk in a British and/or Chinese accent.

Category 2:
• I will buy you a chocolate cupcake.
• I will give you a free Palm, Tarot, or Geomantic divination (fortune telling).
• I will write you a sonnet
• I will be a subject in your exit project.

Category one, I'll do the one that more people vote for, but category two I will do what ever you say.
THE TEST:
I want you to take this test ion complete silence, no music. allow yourself eight minutes to take the test, and once you've got an answer to a question: DON'T CHECK IT OVER! Leave it be. Write your answers in comment form, as well as your votes. Here's the test:

Name: _________________ Classical ☐| Metal ☐| No Music ☑






1: In a foreign language, “nyeer cog joch” means “Bid Yellow Taxi.” “Shaw joch” means “Big House,” and “nyeer deniro” means “Taxi Driver.”


What word means “yellow”?


Ⓐ nyeer
Ⓑ deniro
Ⓒ shaw
Ⓓ cog
Ⓔ joch


2: In the code below, each letter represents one syllable. The letters are not necessarily listed in the correct order.


BGZ = “leverage”
OMD = “extracting”
TF = “lighten”
CDT = “engraving”
GHP = “levitate”


Which letters are needed to write the code for “gravitate”?


Ⓕ PCH
Ⓖ FOD
Ⓗ CDG
Ⓙ DPH
Ⓚ GPC


3: All scuba divers are experienced swimmers.


Some experienced swimmers swim every day.


No businessman swims every day.


If the above statements are true, which of the following must also be true?


Ⓐ No businessman is an experienced swimmer.
ⒷSome scuba divers are not businessmen.
ⒸAll of those who swim every day are scuba divers.
Ⓓ Some scuba divers swim every day.
Ⓔ Some experienced swimmers are scuba divers.


4: All actors are Democrats.


Some writers are actors.


No doctor is a writer.


If the above statements are true, which of the following must also be true?


ⒻSome doctors are not Democrats.
ⒼNo Doctor is an actor.
ⒽAll writers are Democrats.
ⒿAll actors are writers.
ⓀSome Democrats are writers.


5: In the code below, each letter represents the same word in each of the four sentences. Each word is represented by one letter only. Letters may or may not appear in the correct order.
H C G M D
Appu watches Basketball on TV.
G E B C F
Jay watches movies on cable.
I L G C H
Kyra Watches gymnastics on TV.
C K F H G
carolyn watches movies on TV.


Which letter represents “cable”?


ⒶG
ⒷB
ⒸE
ⒹF
ⒺCannot be determined from the information given.


Test from: Kaplan. Kaplan New York City Specialized High Schools Admissions Test. New York: Kaplan Publishing, 2008.
THANK YOU SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


And please:  read this blog: http://bloginforest.blogspot.com/ 

Romeo and Juliet: The Bridge Between Montague and Capulet

We have just finished watching Baz Luhrman's interpretation of William Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet".  I realize that what I am posting about could just as well be about the book, so I'll try and make it as specific to the movie as possible.  The basic plot of Romeo and Juliet is that the two main characters,Romeo and Juliet, are  "starcross'd lovers" as Shakespeare put it.  They could not be together because of a family grudge, sometimes resulting in fights to the death.  I feel that Romeo and Juliet, both reaching over to the other ones House, form a bridge, in a way, between Montague and Capulet.

I've noticed that in most scenes, The Capulet and the Montague representative, although both major parts in the scene, are not normally in the shot together.  When they are in  the shot together,  there is some sort of bridge or barrier between them.  For example,  when they are at a trial of some sort,  (Captain) Prince is between them,  and in the shot with both of there buildings,  a giant monolithic statue of Jesus with his arms stretched out, representing their bone in religion.  Other than this, when regular Montagues and Capulets are in a shot together, there is some sort of hostility between them (not that there isn't any other time), or they are in church.  But when Romeo and Juliet are in a scene together, it is a happy, loving scene.

Another connection is in the costume.  In the sheet that we got with notes from the director, Baz Luhrman, he says: "The Capulets became Hispanic, adorned with very Catholic Cultural icons.  For the Montagues they wanted something far more Anglo; hence the "GI Joe imagery" of the Hawaiian shirts."  When I read this, I suddenly remembered the costume that Romeo adopted right after meeting Juliet and consulting Friar Lawrence.  It was a Hawaiian shirt, representing the Montague that he is,  and the Catholic Icon of the Sacred Heart,  Representing the Capulets, one of whom he wishes to marry. 

To Conclude, I feel that Romeo and Juliet, mostly Romeo,  are a sort of bridge between the houses of Montague and Capulet.  There are many other creative 'bridge' related shots in the movie,  like the fish tank through which Romeo first sees Juliet having yellow fish (the color of Montague),  blue fish (the color of Capulet), and iridescent yellow-blue fish all within the same tank.  I realize now that many of the "bridge connections" as I call them, are a bit religious in nature,which in its own way represents passion.  In short, Romeo and Juliet connected the two houses in ways no other could.

Also, PLEASE read, comment on,  and follow this blog here: http://bloginforest.blogspot.com/ ! I write for it as Guy Noël Futterhorn.  (see my last post for details)   But PLEASE read it and comment!  You are awesome!

R ♡✟♡ J

I just needed to add this link: http://www.etsy.com/listing/62399505/sterling-silver-romeo-and-juliet-ring

My other blog:

Hola! I just wanted everyone to know this, there is this other blog that I write on called "If  Blog Falls In The Forest".  It is shared blog, so I'm not the only author.  It's a funny, happy, depressing, enthusiastic, and just random blog where we post just for he fun of posting.  I'm writing under the pseudonym Guy (pronounced GEE) Noël Futterhorn (the name I use in french class). 

Currently, Blog in forest is having a vary serious problem.  Of the seven followers that we have, six of them are writing for the blog, and the other one doesn't even read it (at least as far as I'm aware).  that means we have no real followers!  We need you to read this blog, and  follow it too.  I couldn't stand to have out hard work and honest writing do down the failed blog drain! So please, just please read and follow this blog.

HERE IS THE BLOG: http://bloginforest.blogspot.com/

PSPS: if you do read the blog, the little enigmas that I write at the bottoms will be explained to you and only you if you follow it too!

PPSPS: PSPS stands for pre-signature-post-script and PPSPS stands for postpresignaturepostscript.

FOLLOW THE BLOG PLEASE!
the so-called Guy Noël Futterhorn,
Also known as Benjamin Futterman

PS: READ AND FOLLOW THE BLOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PPS: this is a cat: =^,^=

8 + 9 - 8 = 9

You need to give something up in order to get something.  I remember when I was younger watching an episode of Spongebob where Mr. Krabs, a money obsessed restaurant owner, buys a claw machine and puts it into the restaurant.  Everyone was surprised that he would spend his precious money on a seemingly worthless device. Eventually, Mr, Krabs explains his reasoning by saying something like "You've got to spend money to make money." 


In the book I am reading, Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, The main character, Pip, Tells his close friend Biddy that He wishes to become a gentleman.  Biddy responds very seriously and calmly that although she would love for him to be a gentleman,  it could never happen.  Very shortly afterwords, A man comes to tell Pip and his Brother-in-law/ Father figure Joe the blacksmith, that Pip can go to london to become a gentleman, for he has "great expectations".  Only later does he realize that this requires him to leave Joe, Mrs. Joe (his sister), Biddy, and nearly everyone else that he loved.  


In order to pursue his dream, Pip needed to give up something very important to him.  Pip needed to give up seeing his family so that he could become what he had always wanted to become, Just like Mr. Krabs giving up his beloved money in order to get more money.  I guess that in order to get something that you want, you have to get rid of something.  Its sort of like a math problem.  Say you have the equation 9 = 9, and you want an eight in there.  So you add an eight to the nine in the front, but 8 + 9 ≠ 9.  You realize that  you need to take away something, so now 8 + 9 - 8 = 9.  The only problem with this math analogy is that you could add to both sides, which you can't do with a real world problem. If you find some exception to this (adding to the result without taking from the equation), than leave it as a comment.  

And although What Pip wanted after all was to become a gentleman, was it really worth it to leave his family?  I'm sure on some peoples opinions that would be like 8 + 9 - 10  ≠ 9.  Pip Is most likely not going to see 'his family for at least a year, if not longer.  Now back to the Mr. Krabs analogy, imagine he payed in cash.  Chances are that he will never see those couple hundreds worth of dollar bills ever again. Now back to Pip,  if he gets money to send back to his family and/or gets to visit them often, I think that, although it would probably be painful,  Would be worth it.  


From what I've gathered of Charles Dickens and Spongebob,  In order to get something that you want, you need to give up something that matters just as much, if not more.  If you need something,  there is now way for you not to give something up.  But sometimes, usually when there is nothing else to give, you can give too much.  Everyone wants something, but we need to think if we are giving to much to get it.