ELA part 4 Critical Lens

Task: Write a critical essay in which you discuss two works of literature you have read that particular perspective of the statement that is provided for you in the Critical Lens. In your essay, provide a valid interpretation of the statement, agree or disagree with the statement as you have interpreted it, and support you opinion using specific references to appropriate literary elements from the two works. You may use scrap paper to plan your response.

Martin Luther King Jr once said that "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." This quote means that a person is not acknowledge for their actions in a moment of comfort, rather they are acknowledge for their actions in a moment of struggle. I mus agree with this quote. How one reacts during times of struggle, defines them more then the way they react in times of comfort. Two books that relate to this quote are Incidents in the life of a slave girl by Harriet Jacobs and Ambush by Tim O'Brien. In these stories the protagonists have to face challenges in their life that would define who they are.
In the autobiography/novel Incidents in the life of a slave girl, the protagonist, Linda Brent lived during slavery in North Carolina. She was mistreated by her masters and suffered the constant harassment of her master, Dr, Flint. Linda escapes from her masters. As a result of her escape she had to live seven years in a small attic, where she could not even stand. She had to resist the temptation of calling out to her kids as she saw them play in the yard. When she finally reached the North, Linda had to face racism. Through all of her struggle she kept strong. She kept fighting for her freedom. When she was faced with a challenge she sought out a way to solve it.
In Ambush, by Tim O'Brien, the protagonist was faced with the challenges of war. He was fighting in the war and had to deal with the fact that to save himself he had to kill another. When he was on watch duty he saw a young man walking with a gun in his hand. He "automatically" threw a grenade he had, which hit the young man and killed him. In that time of challenge O'Brien acted upon his instincts. He did not think before throwing the grenade. It shows that O'Brien is defined as a man that does not think of his actions. He reacts to a situation upon instincts rather then thinking twice.
Both Incidents in a life of a slave girl and Ambush, show how the protagonist respond when under challenges, therefore defining them. The protagonist had different situation but when seeing how they acted in their situation it shows the reader, how they might act in the others situation. Linda fought for her freedom while O'Brien acted on his instincts, which is not always great.
Both of the literature prove the quote by Martin Luther King Jr that said "The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." The quote is as important to apply to these literature and its characters, as it is to apply to life. This quote can help many people see who they really are. They can note how they act in times of challenges and can define themselves.

What is part 4 Critical lens

Task: For the ELA regents part that you think is the hardest write what it is about. Include why you think this is the hardest part of the ELA regents.

What is part 4
Part 4 of the ELA regents is the Critical Lens. In the Critical Lens there would be a quote in which I have to intrepret and agree or disagree with the quote. This essay requires for me to relate the quote to two different lituature work. I have to give detail for the literature work to help support whether I agree or disagree with the quote.

My weakness
1. It is hard for me to remember the name of the authors for the books.
2. Also I have a hard time to remember the titile of the book itself.
3. I seem to not complete my thoughts when I write.
4. Sometimes it is very hard to remember specific details in the book that may relate to the quote.

How to improve
1. I can try to make an outline before starting the essay so I can have some thoughts and details written down.

ELA Regents session one part B graph and text

Task: Write an article for the community health newsletter. Using relevant information from the text graphs, discuss the factors that influence teenage smoking and the implications of those factors for reducing teenage smoking.

It is known that many teenagers have smoked or are smoking. There seems to be a few factors that have led to teenage smoking. Some of these factors are the tobacco industries and the media. However there are also things being done so that teenagers may not be able to get cigarettes.
The tobacco industries has a huge impact on those teenagers who smoke. As said in the article the tobacco industries spend 4.83 billion dollars in 1994 to promote and advertise their cigarettes. Many teenagers are attracted to some of the characters used to for the cigarette packet, such as Joe Camel, as mentioned in the eighth paragraph, lines 4-7 in Feder's article. Also the tobacco industries got attention from the teenagers when they began given away item in return for coupons. As read in the article one high school student, David Bernt, said that this type of advertisement helped decide which type of cigarette he would buy. He said "If I buy anything else but camel it feels like I wasted money because I collect camel cash."
Not only does the tobacco industries play a factor in getting teenagers hooked on cigarettes so does the media. Many movies have there actors/ actress appear smoking cigarette. According to the text some actors that appear smoking in movies are Whoopi Goldberg in the Associate, Humphrey Bogart, Bette Davis and James Dean. As while as John Travolta and Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction. The teenagers watching these movies or shows may think that person as their hero and they think it would be fine to do so. Some teenagers believe that if they see it's all right to do the same.
As shown in graph one the amount of eighth, tenth and twelfth graders that have smoked half a pack of cigarettes a day has increase from 1991 through 1996. In graph 2 it shows how many twelve graders have smoked in the last 30 days or smoked half a pack or more a day. The amount increased from 1975 to 1995. Now the government have been coming up ways to prevent teenagers from getting their hands on cigarettes, such as increasing the taxes of cigarettes, which as a result would increase the price of the cigarettes. This makes teenager avoid buying them. The tobacco industries are making there models look and be over 25 years old.
To conclude teenagers are being influenced to smoke by the tobacco industries and the media. Though the government and the tobacco industries try to make ways to prevent teenage smoking however the amount of teenagers smoking has increased over the years. Kids as young as eighth graders are smoking. It is said that kids younger than 18 would eventually die of tobacco related illnesses.

Storymap for Fences

Task: Make a storymap of Fences
ITHS
Ana Ledesma
English pd 6
December 31, 2007
Fences August Wilson
Troy Maxson Protagonist and Antagonist
In Fences Troy Maxson is both the protagonist and the antagonist. Through out the play the reader finds out that Troy has a hard childhood. He was mistreated by his father but he was strong to fight for what he thought right. As a grown man Troy’s dreams of playing in Major League Baseball got shuddered due to the fact that he was to old to play baseball. Troy believed that the reason for him not being able to play in the Major League was because they were racist against black people and would never give him the chance no matter how good he tried. When Troy’s son Cory wanted to be recruited to play college football Troy did not allow his son to pursue his dreams because he said the black people would not be given the chance to play.
Troy hurts his wife, Rose, by cheating on her with another woman. Troy gets the other woman pregnant. Even though he had his own family he would not allow his daughter to grow up with out a father. After the mother died at birth, Troy took his daughter with him to take care of her.
Setting Time
Fences took place from 1957-1965. During that time black athletes were getting more chances to play as professional athletes.
Setting place- Fences took place in the yard of the Maxson’s house. In the yard there is a fence that is being made. During the play Troy and Cory were building the fence. At the end of the play the fence is completely built. Through out the play Rose tells Troy to fix the fence.
Vocabulary
Aristocrats (Introduction)- A member of a ruling class or of the nobility
Tenacious (the play)- holding fast; characterized by keeping a firm hold
Destitute (the play)- without means of subsistence
Burlap (Act one scene 1 pg 1)- a lightweight fabric made in imitation of this
Bales (Act one scene 4 pg 51)- A large package of raw or finished material tightly bound with twine or wire and often wrapped.
Plot
Fences tells the story of Troy Maxson and his family. When the play opens Troy and his friend Bono are doing their Friday routine of drinking and talking in the steps of Troy’s house. Troy protested in his job because the black people at his job were the ones that had to pick up the garbage, while the white people were just driving the truck. Due the his protest Troy got a promotion to drive the garbage truck. Troy’s older son would allows go to Troy to ask for money. Troy’s wife was always by his side no matter what happened. Troy has a younger brother, Gabriel that was in the war and got shot in the head and got a metal plate in his head. With the money the government gave Gabriel, Troy used it to pay for his house. Troy’s youngest son, Cory, was given the chance to be recruited to play college football. Troy would not allow his son to go through with playing football because he believed that black people were never going to have the chance to play.
During the beginning of the play Bono tells Troy that he should not flirt with a woman named Alberta. Troy denies his relationship with Alberta saying that they were just friends and he laughed and talked to everyone like he talked with Alberta. Later in the play Troy confesses to Rose that he had an affair with Alberta and that she was going to have his baby. Rose was hurt with the news, but when Troy’s baby girl was born and her mother dies at her daughters birth, Rose chooses to take care of the baby as if she was her daughter because the baby was innocent of her fathers sins. At the end of the play Troy is being buried and his son Cory comes back from the marines.
Quote
“Some people built fences to keep people out and other people build fences to keep people in. Rose wants to hold on to you all. She loves you.”
This quote means that the reason that some people have to build a fence around there house is so that they can either keep unwanted people away or keep people in there house. Bono, the person saying the quote, say the Rose wants Troy to build a fence so that she can have the ones she loves with her.
“You can‘t visit the sins of the father upon the child”
This quote means that a child should not be punished for the sins that their father did. This was said by Rose when Troy asked if she could take care of his baby girl when she was left motherless.
Conflict
Troy has to deal with his dreams being shuddered. His family had to deal with his stubborn ways. He would not allow his son to pursue his dreams because of his thoughts. His wife has to deal with his unfaithfulness.
Theme
I think that the theme to this story is that the ones someone loves can do them wrong. Troy did his family wrong with his cheating and his actions. For one thing he did his wife wrong by cheating on her. Rose was always beside Troy, she was always there when he needed her but he couldn’t be faithful. Troy also did his son, Cory, wrong. Troy ruined his sons dreams just because of his stubborn ways. Troy did his family wrong even though they loved him the way they did.
Literary Elements
There is personification on the first page of the play section. The personification is “the destitute of Europe sprang on the city with tenacious claws and an honest and solid dream. The city devoured them.” This personification gave Europe the characteristic of being able to overpower a city.
There is foreshadowing in the section of the play titled setting. The foreshadow is “The yard is a small dirt yard, partially fenced, except for the last scene…” This foreshadow shows the at one point in the play the fence gets completed.
There is characterization in Act one page one where is says “Troy is usually the most talkative and at times he can be crude and almost vulgar, though he is capable of rising to profound heights of expression.” This shows that Troy is a man that likes to talk and that sometimes what he says can be rude.
Annotated Bibliography
Wilson, August. Fences.375 Hudson street, New York, The Penguin Group1986
In Fences August Wilson tells the story of Troy Maxson. He takes the reader to 1957 where black people were being excepted to play professional sports. August shows how Troy, even with all the love his family had for him, let them down. He shows how with Troy’s stubborn ways he ruined his son’s dream. Also he shows how Troy betrayed his wife by cheating on her.
I found that in one website the writer believed that the theme of Fences was in the title. This person believed that the word fence summed up the play. This person said that he or she thought of boundaries when reading the play. In another website I read that the person thought that Troy could not control his life and the life of those around him.