I have a question.

When Mr. Jaggers is talking about Orlick to Pip, he says, "he is not the right sort of man, Pip because the man who fills the post of trust is never the right sort of man." (245) What I'm wondering is, what does Mr Jaggers mean by "the man who fills the post of trust"? I'm thinking that it's some sort of metaphor. Overall, I just don't understand what Jaggers was trying to tell Pip.

Great Expectations: Photo Post

This photo symbolizes when Pip leaves his home and heads to London and thinks, "We changed, and yet again, and it was now too late and too far to go back, and I went on. And now the mists had all solemnly risen now, and the world lay spread before me." (160) The butterfly represents Pip's old life; his family, Biddy, his future career as a blacksmith, everything. He's letting go of his old life and leaving it behind. The chains tied around the two hands signify the fact that Pip can't turn back now. He has to leave everything and everyone behind in his old life, start fresh, and become the gentleman he's always wanted to be.

Great Expectations: The First Stage

When Pip is talking about "the long chain of iron or gold, of thorns and flowers, that would never have bound you" (70), he's referring to a specific day in his life that had changed who he was, as a person. This memorable day in Pip's life was when he first went to Miss Havisham's. Pip never really went out of the house until the life-changing experience when he met Miss Havisham and Estella, people of the upper class; people that Pip were never around before. This day was Pip's "chain" that bound him because it was that day that he realized he wanted to become something more than a blacksmith; he wanted to become a gentleman.

I would have to say that the day that bound my life was when I was at the age of 9. It was Christmas, to be exact. I opened my last present and it was an art kit. I remember my face lit up and my smile was as wide as it could get. The kit had just about everything in it; colored pencils, markers, oil pastels, paints, paper, and of course, the number two pencil. Whenever I was unoccupied with anything, I drew or painted. It made me feel good whenever I finished a drawing/painting, mostly because my parents always stuck some of my masterpieces on the refrigerator. To this very day, I still keep painting and drawing. It's something that's a tremendous part of my life. Opening that one present on Christmas was the chain that's bounding my life and makes me the person I am today.

*Group Essay: Madison, Kayla and I

Hey Madison and Kayla. Let me remind you that I'm writing my paragraph about social class in The Importance of Being Earnest, and how social class affects the lives of different people living in the Victorian Era. My first point of my paragraph is going to talk about how Lady Bracknell is astonished when she finds out that Ernest (Jack) was born in a handbag, even though he was part of the upper class; he wasn't exactly "born" into high society. Next, I'll be writing about how Lady Bracknell asks Jack if he smokes, and she says that "A man should always have an occupation of some kind." (24). Basically, Oscar Wilde is making fun of the fact that Jack nor Algernon have occupations, and that leisure acitivites, social gatherings, and the pursuit of pleasure are the only occupations that men of the upper class have. Last but not least, I'll write about how Algernon and Jack don't appreciate money. An example of that is when Lane hands Algernon the bills, and he simply tears them up. This obviously means that Algernon doesn't care, and he takes his inheritance for granted.

*The Importance of Being Earnest/Victorian Research

The research we did on the Victorian Era really has expanded my understanding of the play in many ways. The research helps me know what life was like in back then, and how people lived their everyday lives. There wasn't a wide variety of social classes; only three: the upper class/royalty, the middle class, and the working class. Whatever social class you were born into, you usually kept your whole life. Social class was immensely essential. Typically, marriage depended on what social class you were in. In addition, the role of married women greatly contrasts from that of today.

When Lady Bracknell was "interviewing" Jack about his family and background, she was very surprised to hear that Jack was born inside a handbag in a station. Lady Bracknell then got uneasy about Jack and Gwendolen's marriage. Even though he had lots of money, she thought that since he was born inside a handbag, he wasn't truly "upper class". As well as social class, the role of women is significant to the play. The writing in the play is making the role of women seem like they have no right to state their own opinions, or have a say in whom they marry.

*Animal Farm Project

*Poetry Out Loud

Stanley Jackson did a fantastic job reciting "Sympathy" by Paul Lawrence Dunbar. I think he did the best on his physical presence and voice & articulation. He kept the audience interested by changing the tone in his voice. You could also hear him very clearly and you could understand each word that he said. In addition, I also felt like he did a great job on conveying his evidence of understanding the poem.

My interpretation of the meaning of "Sympathy" is to keep on believing in yourself and never give up. Stanley Jackson recites the poem amazingly well by expressing utmost sadness of the caged bird. Even when the caged bird sings over and over again, it never fails to give up hope, and the author feels sympathy for the bird. You should always carry on singing. (: