Thankful for Classmates

Altogether, I am very thankful for every single person in my whole American Literature class. We have a wonderful teacher that we should all be very thankful for his deep teachings and his humorous intellects. I'm not too familiar with this class even though I been in this class for over 12 weeks. Being thankful on Thanksgiving is all that you can ever ask for on such a holiday. There are several people that I would like to especially thank:

Sam Chu (he's not in our class but he also have Mr. McCarthy): You are a great friend with a big and kind heart and too bad that we aren't in the same American Lit. class. Without your assistance and reminders about homework for many classes, I wouldn't be able to survive high school. So, thank you! :)

Jia Jia: We had fun in our freshmen years in PE and I'm glad that we have became good buddies. You would always start extraordinary discussions. I'm very thankful for your help in all of the classes we have in common. XD

Clark: You are an awesome friend but sometimes you can be a bit annoying. Well, sometimes I can also be a bit bothersome. Having two literature classes together for two consecutive years, you helped me with a lot of my ridiculous questions. I am truly very thankful for your advices and being there as a friend. :]

To those who are reading my blog: May all of you have a fun and happy holiday season! I'm very thankful that you are taking your time to read this post. I will be even more thankful if you leave a comment. :D

I am a Plow

I am a plow that once had its glory on the field in the years of the 1800s. Before, I was able to plow over 10 acres of land in a day. I was used by many people and was traded around several neighborhoods. Back in the days, I was a very popular tool and my abilities were praised by the whole community. Humans ran me through their fields and used me for initial cultivation of soil in preparation for planting seeds. Now, I would just sit in a museum and display my glorious stains. Half the times, museum visitors would barely notice me in the corner of the agriculture display. I am no longer able to help humans cultivate with my rusty and old form. The next generation has already replaced me with their large tractors. Now, they are able to plow about ten times faster than me. I haven't been outside for decades. I would always reminisce over my young years of working on the field and the happiness I brought to humans. Unlike now, almost everyone depended on agriculture back then. Products from plants were the main source of trade and income of every nation, and that wouldn't be possible without the existence of us.

A Direction the Class Needs

I was very glad that I am in such an open minded and fun class with a humorous and interesting teacher. In my opinion, I don't think this class needs too many "directions" or advices. We get a lot done in a period, and discussion are very interesting and analytical.

A important piece of advice for the future is to keep away from procrastination. This is the act of putting aside tasks to a later time. Everyone should always have the habit of completing all their work and notes on the day it is assigned and before they are due. Managing your time wisely and avoiding distractions such as Facebook, video games, and etc. can help you stay focus on your tasks. Note-taking can be very problematic for certain people like me. Sometimes, I would forget to take notes on a chapter of a book and try to set it aside for days. I am trying my best to break this bad habit of delaying notes. Another reason is the endless amounts of work assigned by certain teachers of my classes, and I never get enough time to complete all the tasks that I hope to finish for that day. Also, using your weekends wisely will highly benefit you when you have projects and papers due.

Modern Slavery

Even though slavery is highly prohibited in most parts of the world, we still see this inhumane practice of slavery in South Asia and Africa. There are still currently about 27 million slaves in our modern world. They are forced to work without pay and in harsh environments. Modern slaves are consider servants in Sudan, carpet slaves in India, and cane cutter in Pakistan. Dinkas tribes in southern Sudan are invaded by Arab militants and, women and children are taken away from their home. Arab believe that it is traditional and justified to own Southern Sudan slaves as properties. In my opinion, that is a highly unjust and shocking custom. All human beings are suppose to be treated equally. The location and ethnic background of Northern Arabs does not make them any more different from the rest of the country. In India, children would be kidnapped from their homes and held captive in distant locations. They forced to work in order to survive. Many cane cutters in Pakistan are shackled in leg irons to prevent escaping. Surprised and astounded, I personally didn't know that slavery still existed in our 21st century, and didn't know that so many people are currently suffering from this. Even though this is now a minor and secretive issue, these shameful methods of labor should be eliminated as soon as possible.

Puritans in America

Coming to America in the 1600s, Puritans fled England for reasons of religious persecution. Migrating as a family, they brought many important values of unity, family, strictness, and love. Puritans were able to marry for love instead of having arranged marriages. Parents took strict consideration for their children.The parent's consent determines the child's faith. The names of children had to be named after great Bibical figures. They also banned the celebration of Christmas and despised other religious affiliations such as the Quakers. Adultery was consider as a major crime and the punishments are extremely severe. This still exist in some states of our modern day nation as a morality crime even though it goes against the Constitution. Over 30% of Americans believe in enforcing this law. I personally believe that it is unnecessary to enforce this law because everyone has to right to be with whom they want to. People should have a pursuit for their happiness as stated in our rights, but I was taught to be loyal and grateful to what you have. A person shouldn't get marry if they know that they will commit adultery and wouldn't love their spouse in the future. I don't support the laws of adultery but I don't support the idea of adultery.

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in Salem, Massachusetts with Puritan backgrounds. His literary works focus on dark romanticism. All his novels suggest that guilt, sin, and evil are natural aspects of humanity. In the Scarlet Letter, it depicts Hester Prynne of being punished by adulterous affairs and her attempts to starting a new life. Throughout the book, themes of legalism, sin, and guilt were expressed.

The Moment I Knew I was an American

The definition of an American is a person who incorporate his/her own culture with the cultures of the diversity in America and given the rights of the Constitution. The moment I knew I was an American was when I went back to China and realized how I differ from my Chinese cousins. In their eyes, I was a foreigner who lived a life of free rights and diversity. In my whole life, I have only made two trips to China. I understood that I differed from them in language, cultures, and nationality. They were all taught formal Chinese and lived in China absorbing all the heritage. Their opinions couldn't be expressed easily and they experiences a strict, competitive education. Comparing to me, I lived in America and had no sense of the real Chinese culture. Even though my parents are Chinese immigrants, I was born as an American in the USA. I resemble a "spring roll" which was thought to be an Americanized Chinese dish. I have a mixed culture of Chinese heritage and American education celebrating Chinese New Year and Christmas at the same time. Even though I am not truly Chinese, my nationality will always be American with a hint of Chinese culture.

Us vs. Them ... Us and Them

The causes of conflicts that lead to death conclusions are seen throughout the story of The Crucible and can be found in our current world. Not everyone agree and share similar ideas on economical, political, and religious issues. People's belief of resolving conflicts by sending their enemies to death is seen widely throughout history. Causes of wars are a prime example in our modern-day society. People's greed for more lust, wealth, and power can cause tremendous conflicts within and against nations. This will bring out wars that will try to rid opposing forces.
Controversial topics of religion are a huge cause of death in The Crucible. The belief of the Christianity and the pure works of God are consider to be of the norm and law. Those who try to sway away from the majority will be considered sinful and processed by the devil. The society's unwillingness to change and strictness of the authorities made it so that those who are not following the implanted set of rules will be punished to the extreme. Some believe that ending others lives will create a solution for their conflict but I think this is a very inhumane way of resolving a conflict. Extreme consequences are not necessary for those who don't deserve it.