Best Friend.

Think about your best friend and the things that make him/her unique. Write a paragraph of indirect characterization - details about his/her physical appearance, things he/she does, opinions or thoughts, things he/she says, or how other people perceive him/her. Write about things that show his/her personality.

Then write a paragraph of direct chacterization - tell specifically what type of person he/she is. This paragraph should be a reflection of the previous - for example I might write that my best friend built her own bed and doesn't own a t.v. in the first paragraph and then write that she is creative and a non-conformist in the second.

Each paragraph should be well-written, well-developed, descriptive, thoughtful, and interesting. If your best friend is not very interesting you can write about someone else!

Post and comment on a classmate's blog by Friday, October 30.
Extra credit! Use words from Word Power, Session 1. You must embolden or underline the words to receive extra credit and use them correctly in context.

My best friend has short brown hair and I don't think she has ever looked in a mirror. She's interested in almost everything, and that sometimes gets her into trouble. She quite enthusiastic and loves everyone she meets. Sports are her life and she can run faster than anyone I've ever met. Everyday, she trains, practicing, getting better and better. She always lives in the moment and doesn't dwell on things that have passed. Another thing she likes to do is be outside. Her favorite season is summer because there is more time to lay in the sun and truly appreciate nature.

My best friend is a total extrovert. But she is also can altruist because she cares deeply about other people. She's adventurous and unpredictable. She doesn't care what people think of her and has her own unique style. One quick glance, and you know she is loving life. My best friend is my dog.

Earliest Memory

In this week's blog, tell the story of one of your earliest memories - try to think back ten or more years. Vary your narrative voice between that of tiny-you and that of the more sophisticated freshman in high school that you are now. Your story should be at least two paragraphs in length. Extra Credit Opportunity! 5 points. Include a photo in your blog that enhances the story you are telling.

I remember the day we got our cats. My two older brothers and I were really excited! We went to the animal shelter to find two kittens to bring home. There were so many cats, how could we choose just two? Eventually, we found a gray cat that looked perfect. He looked so tiny in my two-year old hands; I wanted to hold him forever. But we had another cat to find. After what felt like hours of looking, we found a gorgeous tabby kitten. I knew she would be the next addition to our family. One the way home, we took turns peaking into the cardboard box. Looking at those two kittens, curled up next to each other, I couldn't wait to show them the new life they would have.
I think this day is so clear to me because I was so excited. I'd never had a real pet before! I mean, a few fish but they died pretty quickly. My parents had finally agreed to let us try cats.
After a few weeks, the kittens grew and we decided to name them. One of our favorite characters was Peter Pan, so we decided that name would be fitting for the boy. My brothers and I were in preschool, and everyday at snack time, everyone (I dont know why) would say "tastes like chicken" as we nibbled our graham crackers. So...we decided to name the other cat that. After a few days, my mom abbreviated it to TLC.
Over the years, I've had a lot of good times with those cats. From when I used to dress them up to the day we introduced them to the new dog. They haven't changed much, over those 13 years, TLC is still as grumpy as usual and Peter kills birds on a regular basis. But they're my cats, and I'll love them forever.

The Joy Luck Club: Point of View

Discuss the question, "why did the author use this literary element so heavily?" Write at least two paragraphs. Your response will not be graded as part of your project, but should help you hash out your ideas in order to do address the idea more clearly on the actual project.

In The Joy Luck Club, each chapter is narrated by one of the eight main characters. I think the author chose to do so the she could show the similarities and differences of the characters. Each character grew up in a different family and has a different outlook on life. Although they all see the world uniquely, they all have many of the same problems and struggles. The reader gets to hear the thoughts and feelings of every character rather than just a few. Since the book is narrated in first person, you get to hear the narrators take on each event that happens in the story. The authors uses this to show the relationship between each mother-daughter pair in the book.

Outside Reading

• How are you enjoying the book so far? Is it the type of book that immediately grabs your attention? Is it hard to get into? Why?
• Which of the five literary elements from the assignment seem to be dominant at this point? Are you unsure or is it obvious?
• Begin thinking about why the author may be using these literary elements. Write some ideas as to why the book may have been written in this manner.
• What is the tone of the novel? Does the tone shift from chapter to chapter? Explain.

When I first started reading The Joy Luck Club, I wasn't too impressed. It was pretty boring and I wasn't really sure where the author was going with the book. But after I finally got through the first chapter I really started to get in to it. I think it was hard to get in to because I was so focused on annotating the book, I forgot to pay attention to the storyline. The dominant literary element in my book is point of view because each of the chapters is narrated by one of the eight main characters. I think the dominant element is pretty obvious but I wasn't sure until I finished the first chapter. I think that the author chose to do this to show the point of view of all the characters. I think this works well because the reader gets to know how each character is feeling and how they react to events throughout the book. The tone obviously shifts from chapter to chapter because each character has a different outlook on life. It's interesting to hear how each character is unique with their own ideas and beliefs.