Molly Rutter Extra Credit

I read Aimee Bender’s “The Case of the Salt and Pepper Shakers.” The story involves the investigation of a mysterious murder of a married couple. The investigator becomes fascinated with the couple’s strange obsession with salt and pepper. I feel that the overall message behind this story is that opposites are a lot more similar than they appear, or, that opposites, although completely unalike, may essentially cancel one another out.

Glimpses of this idea come up throughout the story. The wife and husband thought of salt and pepper as a connotation of their relationship, with she as the one who “intensified the existing flavor,” and he as the one who “added a new kick” (178). Each component, although entirely different, actually complete one another. Plus, every thing as an opposite, and without that opposite the other thing could not exist. This is revealed with the irony of their death and the circumstances surrounding it. Although the wife loved salt, it eventually took a toll on her body just as the pepper did on the husband’s. Oddly enough, the couple ultimately switched places. She was forced to use the pepper that she hated, while the husband would have to use the salt he so ever detested. This may reveal that hatred and love are one in the same, or, that these supposedly opposite emotions are interchangeable.

Perhaps what is most significant though is the chef’s comments about salt and pepper. She states how “a good chef must let go of the salt/ pepper ratios” (180), for an excessive amount of either is not necessary. What is interesting though is that while the chef is saying she mustn’t worry about this too much, her phrase is written as that she “simply Can Not” (181). The expression was most likely written in this way to emphasize the juxtaposition of the word “cannot.” Although the words have opposite meanings while separate, when put together they form a single meaning. This idea also goes back to the couple, because they were initially seen as opposites who completed their relationship, then as opposites who hated one another, yet finally ended up in the same place.

Absolutely loved this story! Aimee never disappoints:)

Jaime Wallace- Extra Credit

For my extra credit assignment I decided to read "Death Watch" by Aimee Bender. I really enjoy reading her stories becasue they are extrememly interesting. In this particular short story there are 10 men that are told that they only have 2 weeks to live. Some of the people get mad, some of the people cry and the rest really don't have an opinion on the situation. Some of the men don't even have to worry because the doctors mixed up their results and they were really healthy. Also when a person would die before their time, the doctor would always say something like you can't account for events like that. It was also very intersting how everyone ended up dieing at the end too!

Jaime Wallace- Extra credit

Bender Extra Credit

Jinx

The short story I chose to write about was Jinx. Within the story there are two best friends. These best friends started out walking together going to stores. Once they went to the record store with the cute guy that was there they had more jinxing moments, their laughing, and flirting techniques almost as if their jinx's were them just mimicking each other. By the end, the one girl went off and made out with the cute boy from the store, and the other friend was left out walking by herself. Although not together, they both thought of the cute bubble skirt at the same time. Completing their cycle of jinxes. After the one girl who ditched her friend to go make out with a dude, and the other walked away by herself their relationship steadily declined till it came a point to graduate where they pretend to be keep in touch.
To me, the tale showed change in life, the change of the past within the seconds. The stability of things can easily just leave. Almost like the double meaning of Jinx. You can jinx yourself or someone else, by purposely making mentioning it, as if you were taking away the luck of the situation. Or you could jinx your best friend as if to say you owe me a soda since you said the same thing at the same time.
Bender writes with magical realism, and in this story it was a institutional story. Not like there was floating bears throughout the story, but a basic high school drama friendship. Its pathetic that that's the simplest thing and then adding the term Jinx in the story can make the meaning of it dramatically change from pathetic high school petty drama to a double sided tale.
Her story was more than just a jinx of two freinds, it was a jinx of a friendship, a friendship that started strong, based on petty conversations ( i.e. about boobs and butts) to an ending friendship of not being able to remember the others phone number.

Nadia Abdallah

Maggie DeMarco extra credit

For extra credit I chose to read Aimee Bender's, "Job's Job's." This story consisted of a man who was forced to go from job to job because of threats from God. Anytime the man was doing something he enjoyed, his life was threatened if he did not discontinue with the job. He tried out many occupations, but every time he was threatened. He kept losing job after job until God finally puts the man in a box where he is unable to do anything. He cannot speak or see, and there are no windows or doors for him to escape. This is where the story ends.

At first after reading this story I was rather confused. I wasn't sure of the message that Bender was trying to portray. Could it be that we never really know what we want in life until it is gone? Maybe God was testing the man to see if he would be able to find something he really did not like. At the end, the man is forced to sit and do nothing. This could be an opportunity for him to see that maybe God was not punishing him, that infact God was trying to show him more to life. It could be that God wanted him not to settle for something that was less than he, and he wanted him to live to his fullest and try out many things.

Leah Villari Extra Credit

I decided to read Aimee Bender's Death Watch. This was about ten men who go to the doctor to find out that they do not have much longer to live. Five cry, three get very mad, one smiles and one is silent. They go around doing things they would not have done if they were not given their “death sentences”. One man goes to Greece to find a lover to be at his deathbed, two actually die and the others cry in the arms of their family members. They all "live like they were dying" until they find out that the doctors made a mistake- only two of the five men are dying. One of the men who gets a call moves his family to the country where they raise goats; the other two go back to their normal lives. The man who goes to Greece meets a lover and has a good time with her until they realize that he isn’t going to die any time soon.  Shortly after, he calls his doctor back and finds out that he’s not actually sick and that his doctor has died. He died in a skiing accident.

The first thing that I got from this is the fact that it takes most people to get a “death sentence” to realize what they want from life. The man who went to Greece to find a lover waited until this point to try and find love. I acquired the feeling that the Greek women and man were together solely because they had the knowledge that he wouldn’t be living to deal with the consequences of their actions.  I also thought that when the doctor told the men that they weren’t going to die, that this was very simply put and blown off by the doctors. “Oops” and “we made a goof” don’t sound very sincere and made me feel like they didn’t really care either way. The fact that the doctor died in a ski accident, is ironic because he carelessly told people who weren’t going to die that they would and then he himself died. Also a ski accident seems like a strange but ordinary way to die compared to for instance a life threatening disease (what the men probably had.) It almost seemed like karma to me. Because the doctor misdiagnosed and then went on to lightly advise them that they were not going to die, he then died. From the story as a whole, I recognized that everyone is going to die eventually, it doesn’t matter if you get diagnosed with something that will kill you, or you die of old age. Regardless of what kills you, it shouldn’t take a death sentence to get you to start living life.

Bobby Stroud Extra Credit

I decided to read the story "Jinx" by Aimee Bender. The story feautured two girls, Cathy and Tina. Bender describes Tina as the more matured of the two friends saying that she had a heart shaped butt and breasts whereas Cathy did not yet have breasts. The two girls walk to a poster store to see a boy who worked there. Tina ends up going out back and kissing the boy, leaving Cathy walking home by herself.

Although this was one of the more confusing stories I've ever read by Bender, I think she wrote it to show how it doesn't take much for people to grow apart. These girls seemed to be really good friends but this one occurrence caused them to never talk again. I think this is something a lot of people can relate to as I'm sure we all lose close friends suddenly. The story seemed pointless after reading it once, but afterwards I started to understand why it was written.

Sean Gregoire

As far as Persepolis I enjoyed reading the book and watching the movie in class. The book changed a lot of views that I had on life in Iran and in foreign countries in general. The fact that it was like a comic book was a nice change from what we are used to and made it a bit easier to read. It made for a more enjoyable reading expirience and made the assigned reading go by much faster.
The movie was a good way to review the book and catch things that I may have missed while reading. I find it much easier to stay focused and pay attention rather than reader where I tend to catch myself day dreaming or zoning out. Over all I enjoyed Marjane's story a lot.

Adam Swift Extra Credit

I chose to read the short story Job’s Jobs by Aimee Bender. The writer in the story is ordered by God that he could never write another word again he will be shot. So he listened to him and decided that the next best thing was to be a painter. But again God threatened his life. He went on to acting and again God would not let him. He tried to be an actor and a cook and God threatened to kill him. The man became very depressed. God showed up this time and told him that he was not allowed to do anything. God ordered him to shut his eyes and not to say a word. The man was tied up and confined to a box. The only thing he could do was let him imagination go where it wanted to.

No matter what or how many times someone takes something away from you, you are always going to find something that you are good at. There will always be options for you because at the end of the story the man still had the ability to dream even though had God taken away everything else, his thoughts were the one thing that couldn't be taken away. Sometimes we need to sacrifice the thing we love doing and I think that this is the main idea that Bender is trying to convey.

Zack Schwartz Extra Credit

Willful Creatures- Job's Jobs

This story by Aime Bender was very interesting to me. A writer who loves his profession is visited by God and demanded to never write again or else he would be killed. He does this and takes up art and falls in love with that, God once again visits him and threatens him to give up the job. This cycle repeats itself many times, and each time the man finds a new passion and has it taken away from him. At the closing of the story, the man is not able to converse with anyone, and is secluded in a small room with only his thoughts to accompany him. At this point, the man cannot find anything else to make him happy because everything he could possibly enjoy had been taken away from him.

I believe there is a very important lesson in this story. Although it seems as though God is punishing this man, in reality he is helping him (until the very end of the story). Had God not prohibited this man to do these things, he would have never discovered any of his other passions. Had he not prohibited him to be a writer, he would have never picked up acting and fell in love with it. The lesson in this story is to expand your horizons and to try new things, because you may discover things about yourself that you never knew. By going out of your comfort zone, you learn about yourself as a person.

Zack Schwartz Post 12

Watching the movie version of Marjane Satrapi's "Persepolis" was very beneficial to me. Although it was very similar to reading the comic book itself, I found it easier to follow the story and understand what was going on better in this medium as opposed to reading. Physically seeing the characters move and hearing sounds that correlate to the story line allowed my brain to process the information much more effectively. I felt it the main benefit to the movie version for the reader was to see Marjane's specific emotions throughout her story. Although her emotions were somewhat demonstrated in the text, one could fully grasp just how awful or angry or happy she was at any given time. The scene where she is on the hospital bed after breaking up with her boyfriend is a great example of this.

I feel as thought I could have gotten even more from the story if it was narrated in English instead of in French. It is a completely different experience, in my opinion, when you are listening to words than when you are reading them. My brain functions much better when I hear things then when I read them. Had the movie been an English version of the film, I would have undoubtedly understood more and had been able to relate more to the story and the characters in it. Nevertheless, this was a great story that exposes the reader to a different world, and teaches a lesson no matter what form of it he or she encounters.

Laura Giunta

Watching the movie of the Complete Persepolis was a great experience. Being able to compare it o the book was interesting. Certaing points of the book i felt were portrayed differently in the movie but i thought it was still great to watch. Like her family life was shown very well with her grandmother especially. I enjoyed how they used the jasmine flowers as an important part in the beginning and end of the movie, because it was something that meant a lot to Marjane. I enjoyed watching the movie very much, and I think it helped clear up the book a lot for me as well. Showing how life was during the war for her family was portrayed very well too. I felt like it was a lot easier to realize how it felt more in the movie than just reading the book. I especially enjoyed how the movie was still in the same cartoon animation too, it worked well with her story.

Bobby Stroud

Watching the movie in class this past week as opposed to reading the book gave me a completely different outlook on the story as a whole. I enjoyed reading a graphic novel primarily because it is an easy read and finishing sections of the book weren't as much of a hassle. The pictures also helped me to better understand what Satrapi was trying to convey. So the addition of the movie made understanding the story even easier.

Although it was in a different language, the movie was not difficult to understand or watch. It was also quite interesting. The fact that someone was able to take the pictures and make them into a movie almost completely the same as the book was a treat. It also helped me understand things that were initially unclear.

adam swift

I really enjoyed watching the Persepolis movie in class this week. I understand the story a little better now. When I heard we were watching a movie version of the graphic novel I thought that the movie was going to be filmed with actual people but it was animated copying the book. I like that it was so much like flipping the pages through the book, but I think we could have related to it even more and had a better understanding of it if real people we in it. This was probably my favorite book of the year and I think the movie was a great way to end the year.

Post #11

The movie Persepolis is matched very well with the actual book. Often, movies that are made based off of books do not meet up to the same standards. This has crippling affects on the book for those who saw the movie before they read the book. Although there were a couple scenes from the book that were left out of the movie, the movie effectively covered all the key parts in a way that emphasized the major themes and emotions of the story. The movie also took on the same style of the book by being made into an animation. Overall, the movie was a very good representation of the book and the story that Marjane Satrapi was trying to tell.

Chelsa Wlodarczyk, Post #11

Jaime Wallace

This week we watched the film version of "The Complete Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi. I really liked watching this graphic novel that we read in a chartoon movie. The events that happended in the book were represented very well in the movie. I really liked how the movie started off a little different than the book. It kept it very interesting to watch. One thing that I did not like about the movie was how the entire thing was in a different language. All of the characters were speaking French. I know that it gave the characters personality and such but it was a little annoying to have to read all the lines that people were saying. Other than that I really enjoyed watching the first part of this graphic novel. It was also very nice to see the characters alive and in action. I feel like when the characters can speak and you can observe their actions it is easier to understand them in general.

Molly Rutter, Post #12

I really enjoyed watching the movie Persepolis. I feel that it was a good interpretation on the book being that it stayed true to the story and the original graphics of the novel. I also think that they accurately depicted Marjane’s character and personality, as well as the humor included throughout. I actually enjoyed the graphics even more than I did in the book; perhaps this is due to the fact that film animation can capture motion as well as image. Because of this, I feel that the movie portrayed more expression. For example, while reading the scene where the police bust the party Marjane is attending, I didn’t immediately understand what happened when the boys were being chased on the roof. It wasn’t until Marjane said the one died that I understood. In the movie though I understood immediately because I found it much easier to see every moment of the scene instead of a few snapshots.

Looking back on the book and movie as a whole, I definitely have found a new perspective on the culture of Iran and its people. However, there were portions of the story that I didn’t enjoy as much. I would always get confused or bored when great detail went into Iran’s history and the war. Although it may have been necessary to inform the reader of that information, I found it distracted from Marjane’s personal life story, which was the most important part in my opinion.

Hannah Lutley

Watching the movie this week in class brought the book to life for me. It gave the book for of a real life feeling by showing us actions rather then just pictures. Marjane, in the story was able to keep the tone serious when needed and then was able to add humor and a lightening mood when also needed. She was able to impact her audience and teach them what was going on during the time period but was also able to show that she lives a normal life as a girl growing up, like a girls typical problems with her mother.
Even though the movie was in a difference language it was still greatly impacted by it. I got to hear the change in voice and expressions and it helped to see what was really going on. I enjoyed it because I enjoy books on tape because i like being read too and hearing the change in tone and voices. Being able to pick up on the bits of humor the Marjane puts into the stories make the whole thing very enjoyable.

Alex Beilman - Blog Post for 4/25/11-4/29/11

This week in class, we watched The Complete Persepolis movie to complement our reading of the book. I thought the movie helped give us a deeper understanding of the book. Even though the book was pretty well illustrated Satrapi's story, I thought the movie made her life story even more relatable. Perhaps the narration plus the animation of her comics made it this way.
Overall, I liked the way Satrapi told her story in both mediums. She injected some comedy in what one would assume is a miserable life story. However, she was able to tell in a colorful manner so it was not all gloom and doom.
Also, I think the movie and the book allowed some of us to gain a better understanding of what exactly is going on in Iran. At one point Satrapi mentions how people simply view all Iranians as bloodthirsty savages. Certainly I never held that thought, but it is a common stereotype. I think the book and movie prove otherwise, as both works portray a modernized city. However, ever since the 70's/80's there has always been a great political unrest and Satrapi is able to show the audience how that happened and why that happened.

Alex Beilman 4/25/11-4/29/11

Pererpolis The Movie

I think watching the movie, compared with the book gives it a new level of meaning. When you read the book you see the tale and can look at the images she is trying to portray. However, when you watch the film, with the sound effects, it adds a new level of understanding. The way the sounds she put were all somber sounds. At times it wasn't that it changed the mood of the scene, yet it was something that was just a flowing peace which help it out.
Also, I think when she had the French speaking throughout it it changed the way I heard the story. When in Iran I kept thinking they would be speaking Farsi or Arabic, didn't expect her to be speaking French. It changes the mood with her tone and the launage she explained the story in.
I thought it was funny and could related to some random parts of her tale because I know how she felt, but watching it animated you can picture yourself in (for instance when she was like I bet you I'll take my scarf off ).

Nadia Abdallah

This week we were watching The Complete Persepolis movie, I was excited to begin because I did enjoy the book and I thought that the movie would add an extra element. While watching I noticed that the movie seemed much more comical than I read the book or that I thought it would have been. Marjane is a young girl who really does not understand everything and her parents don't seem like they want to put up with her, Marji speaks her mind and her being naive makes the mood funny. The music is the movie also added something that I didn't get in the book, it really made serious parts more serious and sad parts very sad. I felt sad watching the part when her uncle was executed and I think it was because the background music.

Overall, the movie was not exactly what I expected but I did like it. I think that it left out a lot of the book which is unexpected considering each part of the book seemed to add an element to the overall feeling. I did enjoy both reading and watching the movie and think that you should continue reading this and watching!

Cassidy Weeks Post 11

Maggie DeMarco post 12

This week we watched the movie Persepolis. The movie seems to me to be a bit less interesting than the book. I think this is because I am able to use my imagination to make the voices, where as in the movie, the voices provided. Not only this, but it is in a different language. The book had just as many pictures as the movie, so I would just rather read the book. In the movie, it is interesting to hear Marjane's reactions to her mother, her teachers, and any of the other adult figures that discipline her.

Although it is in a different language, it is still possible to hear the emotion and expression in the voice of the actress. The movie is definitely as serious but as funny as times as the book is. For example, when Marjane is chanting "Down with the shaw," she is quite loud and seems to be annoying her parents. This is a very serious matter, as it basically describes what is happening in the entire book, but Marjane puts a funny spin on it by obnoxiously chanting it in her house, and when she is told to stop, she whispers the chant while walking off. As compared to in the book, you cant hear volume differences that provide humor as they do in the movie.

Laura Giunta Extra Credit

From Aimee Bender's Willful Creatures I read the short story, The Case of the Salt and Pepper Shakers. I chose to read this story because it sounded interesting to me. It was about a reporter trying to understand a murder between a husband and wife. The couple had both independently chose the same day and same time to murder each other. The wife stabbed the husband with a knife, and the husband killed her with poison. The way they died was easily found after the coroner examined their bodies, but this was not the story the reporter wanted, he saw more. The true mystery he wanted to solve was why the married couple had fourteen salt and pepper shakers in their house, it was not normal. The couple had a chef that lived with them for the past 25 years of their marriage and luckily she knew them very well. The wife liked salt and the husband liked pepper. The husband and wife believed they completed each other because of this, like their other half. The chef said the reason for the excessive amount of shakers was because they bought a new set for their anniversary every year. The reporter realized there were only fourteen though after being married for 26 years. As the couple grew older the husband could no longer handle spicy food which meant pepper, and the wife acquired high blood pressure which meant no more salt. This problem tore them apart, but in the end as they were lying on the floor together dying they finally had reached the ultimate gesture of compromise. So happily they were able to die together almost happily.

Alex Beilman - Blog for 4/11/11-4/15/11

This week we concluded reading The Complete Persepolis. I personally enjoyed this book. It was a very interesting spin on what is a pretty heavy memoir. Marjane Satrapi chose to make this a graphic novel because, in my opinion, she did not want it to be your run-of-the-mill memoir. The comic book style helped keep my attention in a way and made the story easy to follow.
The other thing I found interesting is that there are still parts in the book that everyone can relate to. We discussed this concept in class. I found that I could relate to her going through a breakup. When we started the book it seemed like Marjane's problems were somewhat unique. I've never had to worry about my house being bombed, or my parents being arrested, or anything like that. However, as the book went on, I found she also experienced "normal" problems that plenty of other people have experienced. It made Satrapi's story seem a little more common and allowed more people in the class to relate to her.

Sean Gregoire

I enjoyed The Complete Persepolis a lot more than I thought I was going to when we first started to read it. It turned out to be much more interesting than I thought, and brought up a few good discussions in class. Marjane Satrapi tells stories of her life that I feel many of us can somewhat relate to, but in reality I think her situation is a very unique and tough one. I could never imagine my parents sending me to another country to live when I was only 14 years old. In one class we had a discussion about whether or not we think Marjane's parents made the right decision by sending her away to Austria when she was only 14. In my opinion I think their decision was a little rash and seemed to be made too quickly. It seemed to come out of no where, ya she was getting into trouble but it did not seem like she was in any real immediate danger. What seemed weird to me was that they did not even talk to her about it, they just randomly told her that she was moving to Austria alone.

Bobby Stroud

The Complete Persepolis ended up being a surprisingly interesting book. It gave me an outlook on Iran and their culture that I had never known. The graphic novel was also a very easy read compared to some of the other books and stories that we have read. The writing was straight-forward and very simple as opposed to complex reading that needs to be interpreted, which was a nice change of pace. I found myself reading the book and not even realizing how far into it I had gotten which was another pleasant surprise.

One of the major topics discussed in class is whether or not Marji's mother should have sent her to Europe. I agree that this was a good idea because I believe that something bad would have happened to Marji if she stayed. Not only was merely being in the area and prone to a bombing dangerous, but the fact that Marji was becoming extremely rebellious was a danger as well. I don't think she would have tolerated by the authority figures much longer. Her parents made the right choice by putting her in a better situation/protecting her.

Post #11

Writers all have a way in which they express themselves in their writings. In Marjane Satrapi's case, she expresses herself by making "Persepolis" a comic book, rather than a novel. By making it a comic book, she shows that she still considers herself as independent as she was when she was younger. Through what she tells us in "Persepolis" it is clear that she has always done things the way she wanted to. Many would have expected her to write a novel instead of a comic book, but by writing the comic book, it is only another example of her strong personality and desire to do things the way she sees best. Chelsa Wlodarczyk, Post #11

Adam Swift Post # 11

In class we talked about whether or not it was the right decision for Marjane’s parents to send her away to Europe. I think that they did do the right decision because it is very dangerous in Iran. Marjane was also a very rebellious and did not conform to the rules. She even took out some anger on her principal. I think that if she had stayed she would have gotten herself or even her family in trouble. Europe was a chance to live a better life and have more opportunities. If I were In this situation I would have wanted to go to Europe because in there you can act your age and have fun. In Iran you are forced to grow up much more quickly.

She ends up facing some difficulties in Europe. She cannot speak the same language and her nationality is holding her back at time and she had to with the stereotypical though of those opposing Iranian way of life. She tries very hard to fit in with the others. One thing she does is cut her hair and where make up. I think that Marjane is being hard on herself because she feels guilty that her family is suffering back home. Last class we summed up Persepolis by going back thought the book looking for a frame that we could relate to our lives. I found I rather difficult to find one that I could relate to. I found one scene where Marjane is studying really hard for an exam and she turns to God for a moment asking for his help. I think that we all can relate to his situation. There are many times when we encounter a difficult situation and just don’t know what to do and rely on God. Over the winter break we traveled Florida for Training. I had never swam as hard and as much in my entire life and there we times where I wanted to quit and I thought “god just get me through this week, please” in the end we always get through it. I enjoyed reading Persepolis and am looking forward to watching the movie sometime in the future.

Leah Villari

I really enjoyed reading The Complete Persepolis. I felt like Marjane is a relatable character in a way because of the experiences she goes through. I thought that a breaking point in the story was when she almost shuts down after she walks in on her boyfriend cheating on her. Although they dated for two years, it almost seemed like they were dating out of convience. I felt like she was so broken up about this because of everything she was going through. She had been through so much with the war in Iran that she never really took the time to just sit and realize everything she's experienced. Everything from being away from her family for so long to feeling alone. This was a breaking point because until this point she dealt with everything that was being thrown at her in a good manner. The boys who denied her and used her didn't effect her for long once she started dating Marcus. She learned to move past things and I think this helped her for a while. But once she did break up with Marcus, all her hardships hit her hard.
I also liked this book because it seemed very real life. The situations she was in with drugs and bad friends are things that some teens go through at certain points in their life and I think Marjane did a good job with showing the paths you can choose to go down. Also I felt like it let teens and adults alike, know that it's okay to break down and go through some tragic times because you can only get stronger from it, and I felt like this was a main point of the story.

Molly Rutter, Post #11

I have a few comments after finishing Persepolis this week. I can definitely walk away from this book knowing I am more knowledgeable than I previously was about life in Iran. However, I feel this newfound awareness is only a slight one. The stereotype of Iran I once had is not too much different than how it is after reading. Perhaps this is because I never felt very emotionally connected to Satrapi’s story.

The abundance of historical facts I found to be distracting, and most of the time difficult to understand. Because of this, I felt the book seemed rather dry and uninteresting most of the way through. There were portions of Persepolis I did enjoy though, like the clever lines of comedy and the fact that it was written with images that were equally important as the words. Having never read a graphic novel before, this book was an interesting one to read and certainly broadened my understanding about this type of literature. I can say with confidence that I enjoyed the book, although I was never able to fully relate and understand the context and storyline.  

Jaime Wallace, Post #11

It has been a great experience reading The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. I have only read one other book like this and it was very enjoyable. Reading this graphic novel changed my perspective of Iran greatly. In class we talked about Marji and how she over came war and hardship but the break up with her boyfriend drove her crazy and put her over the edge. I feel like it wasn't just her break up but it was many evens in her life that just built up until this last thing pushed her over the edge for sure. She is away from her family and that was the only person she thought she could trust and went it fell through it changed her life completely. It was also really great trying to connect our lives to the life of the main character in this graphic novel. I chose the one frame on page 35 of Marji's made falling love with the boy next door. I really liked the frame where she is sitting on the ground in her nice dress thinking of him with hearts all around her head. This frame reminded me of my first crush. That is how it related to my life. She looked so excited in the frame and that is the same way I felt with my first crush! Jaime Wallace Post #11

Zack Schwartz Post 11

Reading "The Complete Persepolis" has been a great experience these past few weeks. Stylistically speaking, I have never actually read anything similar to it before. I have read the comics in the newspaper before, but never an entire book in this format. It made the reading go by much less painfully and quickly, as well as making it much easier to understand. Seeing visual evidence of how the characters were feeling made the story flow and allowed me to fully connect with the characters of the story. I felt as though reading this book was a combination of reading and watching a movie, as elements of both were utilized in learning Marjane's story.

The story itself was one of the most compelling that I had ever read. Before reading, I had a very different view of Iran as a country. I looked at it as a merely a country comprised of people all with the same attitude. I believed everyone hated America, agreed on a backwards system of government and individuals did not have similar problems that exist in America. I now realize that Iran is a country of individuals, much like any other country in the world. Everyone has different views, and both good people and bad people exist. Marjane experienced a very trying life, and had the problems most Americans had as well as much more. This book has helped me not to judge someone until I am fully aware of their situation.

Laura Giunta Post 11

Reading Marjane Satrapi's The Complete Persepolis was a great learning experience. I have actually learned a lot more about Iran and its Islamic culture than i knew. It was sad to see all the hardships Marjane went through, but her making it into a novel was a great idea. The world should see how people have had to suffer because of their culture. In the United States we are lucky to have our freedom to live and dress as we please, but other countries do not, and reading about that was a wake up call to me. In class on Friday we had to relate a part of Satrapi's novel to our lives. It is very interesting to see how what she went through was very similar to what we have encountered in our lives. In life we all make mistakes, but like Marjane we learn from them and move on.
I am very happy that this was one of the novels we read in class this semester. We saved the best story for last. Unlike the other stories we read i found this one the most interesting and easy to follow. It could have been because it was in the style of a comic book, and the picutres made it more enjoyable but also enjoyed how she added humor to it as well. The pictures helped depict the story very well.

maggie demarco post 11

I found it very interesting how Marjane and her family were against being conservative and wearing the full covering outfit. When we went into discussion about the veils, and how they are banned in France, it was brought up that not allowing the women to wear the veils is just as oppressive as making them mandatory. We shared the opinion of Marjane, who is very against wearing the veils, however she feels that it should be up to the decision and choice of the women. I agree in this case, because either way the government is making the decision for the women, so either way it is wrong.

This week we discussed Marjane and the how her life is very similar to ours. She has faced many things in her life that are similar to what we have. Today, by drawing the comic strips, we were able to see that although they may have been a bit different, we had situations that were relatable. I found it interesting that each person related in some way, even though from a first look, it could be said that we are much different from Marjane and her way of life. She is in fact a normal girl who happened to survive much in her life, and was fortunate enough to tell her story.

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi had many different elements all involved in one book. As I researched and found out from my critical presentation this week, many people found that all these different elements together made the book memerable. Everyone can relate to the book in some way whether it is because of the culture, the family atmosphere, or just the part of growing up and developing your "self." When we first began reading I was not very interested one, because it was a graphic novel, I was never really into comic books, and second because I did not know much about Iran other that what was seen on the news. Once we began reading I ended up really enjoying the story and especially the way it was written. It being a graphic novel the story went very smoothly and was easily understood. I could also relate to Marji. Although I do not know how it feels to be in the middle of the revolution or have bombs going off in my yard, I do know about growing up. We have all disagreed with our parents, been broken up with, wanted and acted like a rebel, and had a party and got caught. In most cases the punishments were never as harsh or as threatening as Marji's but we all know how she would feel which allowed the book to be enjoyable. Cassidy Weeks, Post 11

Allison Shubert Post # 10

This week I feel like the focus on what we were reading was surrounded around being an outcast. In the graphic novel The Complete Persepolis the main character named Marji faces very serious problems going around around her very calm and simple which at the time is not very realistic. She comes off as very naive and not understanding of the chaos going on around her. Her perspective on what's going on makes her viewed as an outcast because she is not reacting like others around her, which ultimately makes her feel alone.

The other story we read called "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch" by Neil Gaiman in the main character seemed allienated and outcasted by society. This is because of her intelligence and her attitude towards society which comes off as misunderstood. She can't seem to get along with society and seems to be distant towards everyone due to her lack of communicating.

Kaitlyn Dickey, Post 10

The graphic novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is one of my favorite things we have read in class so far. I love reading it because it's so much different from anything I have ever read in school. I like Satrapi's style because she tells the story very well but doesn't make it as heavy as she possibly could. She uses a lot of humor and the pictures are fun to look at and portray the frame extremely well. I like that it's easy to read the story and you can cover a lot of it in a short period of time.

It's surprised me how much I've enjoyed reading this novel. Because she is Muslim I didn't think that I could ever relate to her as much as I've realized I can. Although my lifestyle differs from hers, the things we go through and the emotions we feel seem to be extremely similar. This novel has made me have a new respect for the Islamic culture.

Leah Villari Post 10

In this week's reading of The Facts In The Case Of The Departure Of Miss Finch, Miss Finch seems to be an outcast in the sense that she is socially akward. She corrects the people around her and comes off as if she is much more knowledgable then everyone else. This may be the case but because of her attitude, she could be considered a social outcast. The fact that in the end of the story the group doesn't wait to see where Miss Finch is seems to mean that they really don't care where she ends up. It seemed like they were almost trying to get rid of her the whole time, especially when they call the narrator to accompany them.

Miss Finch is an outcast because of her over the top "matter of fact" attitude. The other characters can't relate her and possibly are not as knowledgable as Miss Finch. Miss Finch seems to be filled with facts that can't relate to what young adults normally have discussions about. This is relatable to Marjane because she is also very smart and takes an interest in what's going on around her. She seems to understand what's going on more then her classmates do. Because of this, others may be intimidated by her intelligence. Marjane had her own set of views and knew what she believed in and wanted for her country. She knows what she wants and this fact can be seen as a turnoff to others around her. This may be why she is viewed as in outcast in society.

Bobby Stroud

Once again we see the idea of an outcast within society portrayed in the two stories that we read this week. One which was "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch" by Neil Gaiman in which the main character is misunderstood and alienated. Miss Finch, who is characterized as somewhat of a "know-it-all" scientist is not well liked by those who surround her simply because of the way shes acts. Her lack of communication skills and and arrogance cause many to keep their distance.

The other story was "The Complete Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi. In this the main character Marji, is a native of Iran and we view her life as she goes through different tribulations in this country. However for a child, she behaves very maturely and handles her situations in an adult manner. Despite this she still feels alone and misunderstood which in my eyes classifies her as somewhat of an outcast.

Ashlyn Zgoda Post 10

Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel Persepolis is by far my favorite thing we've read in class, and not just because it is in comic book style. I really enjoy Satrapi's writing style and how she tells the story. And the pictures just add to the story. Its very interesting watching the girl as time progresses in the book from revolts to the war and so on. In the beginning she does not know much and just takes in what she is told by others. Then we see her progressively begin to form her own ideas on the topics of what is happening in her country. How aware she is of everything that is going on makes me reflect on how I didn't know much of anything that was going on in my country when I was younger. I still don't to this day. I don't even remember what I was doing on the day of 9/11 which is a very catastrophic event in our history. so to see how much she knew of what was going on really impacted me, and made the book more interesting.

Brittany Coppinger Post 10(?)

I was a little apprehensive when we started ready Persepolis this week. I wasn't sure if i was going to like reading a graphic novel. I didn't know if it would keep my interest or be as good of a read as another standard novel. I'm am happy to say i was wrong. I am way more interested then i originally thought i would be. In fact, I can't wait until I can get home every day and read a little more of the book. It's funny, which is what i wasnt expected. I think that the humor is needed because the issue of the revolution in Iran is very serious and i think viewing it from the perspective allows us to take a step back and take a look at the whole picture without putting our own feelings into it. The book is full of so much emotion (and not just negative, angsty emotion) that it doesnt need any of ours. Its really easy to emerse yourself into the character, which I really like. I love getting lost in a book, and i think the fact that this is a graphic novel makes it that much easier. There is a lot you can get from the text, but the images just add to their meaning. So far, Persepolis gets an A+ in my book

Adam Swift Post # 10

I really enjoyed reading Persepolis this week. The comic makes for a very easy read. I have learned a few things regarding the Islamic revolution in Iran as well. The main character Marjane is brought up in a family that is somewhat less religious than most of the others in the community. It was made mandatory for the woman to cover their hair at this time. Marjane and her mother wore less conservative veils in order to show their opposition to the new regime. The frame on page 125 is a great example of what Marjane and her family think of the new dress code. They are looking out at their neighbors while the mother says look just last year those beefy thighs were out for everyone to see and now she is covered head to toe in a chador. This scene also exemplifies Marjane’s role as an outcast in Iranian society. Marjane also wears a different patterned veil at times to show her opposition. Marjane’s parents at one point explain to her how she needs to lie about how many times a day she prays. This is probably an attempt for her to blend into the general public. This story also reminds me of the movie called Not Without My Daughter. An American family visits Iran and ends up getting stuck in the country during the revolution. After reading this comic I plan on looking for some more graphic novels because they are enjoyable to read and at the same time the graphics help illustrate a clear meaning of the passage also they eliminate the burden of reading a lengthy novel.

Molly Rutter, Post #10

In “The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch”, Miss Finch is shown to be an awkward character that others struggle to relate to. In Persepolis, Marjane is depicted as a curious girl who is abnormally intuitive for her young age. Both of these characters can be considered outcasts, and for similar reasoning: They are misunderstood by those that surround them.

Miss Finch is outcasted due to her peculiar knowledge and interest in science. It can be seen throughout the story that while interacting with Miss Finch, the other characters struggle to relate to, let alone understand her topics of conversation. Similarly, Marjane is outcasted by her abnormal interest in the war in Iran. She stands out among her classmates in that she possesses such a strong understanding of the details and history of the rebellion. Essentially, these characters are different from the outcasts we have previously read about, for they are unique due to their internal mindsets, and not their external appearances.

Post #10

Miss. Finch from Neil Gaiman's "The Facts In the Case of the Departure of Miss. Finch" could be considered an outcast. The other characters in the story, Jonathan, Jane, and the narrator do not seem to be fond of Miss. Finch's company. Miss. Finch doesn't exactly have a great grasp on social interaction with other people. She often appears to be very passionate about her work as a "biogeologist." This can be seen by the numerous facts she brings up in conversation about parasites found in raw meat or about the last appearances of the Smilodon, a prehistoric saber-tooth cat. Miss. Finch's lack of people skills often leaves her at distance from forming proper friendships and relationships. She is often described in a way which makes her seem snobbish and strict, and as a result of this, people interact with her only out of obligation. Miss. Finch seems to be misunderstood because of her lack of social etiquette. When she is speaking of the Smilodons, the narrator catches a glimpse beyond the barricades she has built around herself, and he finds that he is genuinely interested in what she has to say. She too has dreams and passions, her ways of expressing these are just a bit more rough than other people's expressions of their desires. Chelsa Wlodarczyk, Post #10

Laura Giunta Post 10

This week we discussed a novel by Marjane Satrapi called "The Complete Persepolis." It is a novel length comic book she wrote to show others her life during the Islamic Revolution. Life was very difficult for everyone in Iran at this time. Women began to have to wear veils to cover themselves so they would be different to men. As a young girl, Marjane was very smart. She had her own thoughts about what was going on in her world, and she stood by them. It was very hard for her though, because her parents would tend to think differently.
Marjane is an outcast in this story, not because of how she looks, but because she wants to be. She could change her ways and conform with the rest of society but she does not want to. In class we had discussed how she wears a different colored veil in order to stand out from the rest of the people. Marjane is a person who wants to be heard and not put in the corner. I found it very sad that during this time when children's fathers were being put in jail because of their beliefs, Marjane was upset that her father was not. She wanted to have an exciting family story about being tortured or suffering. It is sad to think of such young children having to grow up in a time of war and thinking that way.

Post .... Persepolis!

Sorry, totally lost on these post numbers. This weeks (week of 4/4-4/8) post is about Persepolis . A book I have read and admired for years. This book explains the story of a young girl growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. I love this book. I am pretty sure I chose this class based on that book. I had read it previous and had an English discussion about it back then. Its kind of ironic that the points we bring up are the same point that's had been brought up in my English class. The books style, which is to me why the book is a huge hit with people, is comic book style. Its form is serious yet in a image heavy book. Its nothing like Superman comics I have or the Manga stories of love and romance. It is a tale of a life, during a hard time. Spoken from her own experience almost. Its like an nonficiton novel, told through a kids perspective, so some one the truth is twisted into a plot of relations, power, and oppression. Its funny, cause reading the story you don't think one would take it seriously, like its not the first thing that popped into my head when I grabbed the book for the first time. Yet reading the story, as some parts seem ridiculous, its tale is scary. The fact the little kids played shot the other people in as if it was like playing tag. When you read the story, there is a dry humor no one except those who lived it understand, yet it comes off as slightly disturbing because we would never want to see kids that game outside!

Nadia Post something

This week most of our time was spent discussing "The Complete Persepolis" about Marjane Satrapi and her life growing up in Iran. It seems like it was a hard time growing up in theis area because there were many demonstrations and new ideas floating around which made it difficult to Marjane to understand and fully grasp things. Marjane tries very hard to try and understand everything that is going on and tries to form her own opinions about things. Sometimes when she does this she is disregarded and ignored, when she brings up her thoughts in the classroom she usually does not agree with the teacher therefore is punished for speaking against the revolution. Many people in class seemed to believe that Marjane was an outcast and to a degree I would agree, all the points that were brought up in class about how she was made complete sense. Although she is an outcast I think that she is trying very hard to understand and because of that it is not as badly outcasted as in other stories that we read. In the past stories the people usually have a physical deformity or a mental illness of some sort. This is not the case with Marjane, and in some cases I do not think it is her fault she is an outcast because she is trying very hard to know things but the government and people's ideas keep changing not allowing her to keep up. Cassidy Weeks, Post 10

Zack Schwartz Post 10

In "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch" by Neil Gaiman, Miss Finch is the outcast of the story. The reasons that she is cut off, however, are self inflicted. The attitude of Finch is very unappealing and she does not make any effort into assimilating into society. She is very hard to talk to as she is an intellectual and socially awkward. She feels she is always right and must constantly prove her intellectual superiority to others. If she would make an effort to get along with others better, she could undoubtedly be accepted into society. Instead, her arrogance prevailed and at the end of the story, no one even made an effort to look for her when she went missing. With a simple adjustment of attitude, she could have had many great friends.

In the book, "Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi, Marjane was the outcast. The reasons that she became a pariah, however, are not some than can easily be adjusted. Her and her family have specific political beliefs that go against that of the mainstream government. She behaves and acts differently than much of society, so she feels very alone. She cannot just succumb to the beliefs of others like Finch could have, because the right thing to do is to stand up for what you believe in. Marjane is doing the right thing, but an effect of doing the right thing is being looked upon as an outcast. She wears different clothes and does not pray every day unlike the rest of society, but at least she is doing what she believes is right.

Jaime Wallace Post #10

This week we mainly focused on the graphic novel "The Complete Persepolis", by Marjane Satrapi. I learned in class that a graphic novel is a novel length comic book. Comic's include words or writing , pictures, and it also is a narrative, which is a story. This type or graphic novel that we are reading is an Art Comic, which shows the world in the perspective of the author. An activity we did for the first section of pages was describe our perception of Iran and if it was the same as in the graphic novel. Before reading any of this novel I thought that Iran was full of desert and sand, and i also thought that people walked everywhere becasue there was no other way of transportation. After reading the first 60 pages I realized that my perception of Iran was way different. In the graphic novel Iran is described as a modern place. The people there have nice houses and they also have cars too. My perception of Iran was very different than what was described in the novel. The next day of class we chose a frame a described how the main character was an out cast. I chose the seventh frame on page 125. The girl in this picture has a differnet design on her vail than all of the other women in the frame. Also her face is way more defined than the other people in the frame. She has big sad eyes and her eyebrows are depressing as well. Lastly I noticed that she was walking all by herself. Everyone else is in a group together and she all by herself. Jaime Wallace, Post #10

Hannah Lutley #10

This week we have talked about "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch" by Neil Gaiman where we saw Miss Finch as an outcast and we also read the "The Complete Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi where Marji can be seen as an outcast. For Miss Finch she was seen as different and abnormal to her society and we see this by how they treat her. When she is kidnapped by the underground circus, her friends do nothing to try and save her. From this we can see that people find her annoying and different and do not like having her around so they are not concerned about what happened to her.
In reading "The Complete Persepolis" by Marjane Satrapi we first learn that a graphic novel is a comic book in novel length. In this novel we see the young girl Marji as an outcast. In class we made many valid points to where we see her as an outcast, but in my view she is different but not necessarily an outcast. She is living in a world fill with issues and she is just a young girl trying to make her way through it. Yes she is different from many children in school because she knows so much about the war but I wouldn't say that, that makes her an outcast.

maggie demarco post 10

While reading Neil Gaiman's, "The Facts in the Case of the Departure of Miss Finch," it is clear that Miss Finch is an outcast of society. She is socially awkward and she has a sense of almost being rude at times. The people that interact with her dislike her character because she is a know-it-all and very quick to recite facts. When she disappears at the end of the story, people do not overly care or look for her. This could be because of her odd characteristics that ultimately contribute to her being an outcast.

Similar to this, Marjane Satrapi is also an outcast in her story for many reasons. She sets herself apart from other girls her age because she really believes she wants to be a prophet. She is advanced beyond her years, and has a true attitudinal difference then others. Not only this, but she also sets herself apart physically, by wearing a checkered veil at times, and not dressing overly conservatively.

Kaitlyn Dickey, Post 9

The episode of Glee that we watched in class this week about disabilities had many different elements to it. One of the main characters, Arty is in a wheelchair. Because of this on the way to sectionals he will have to drive with his dad instead of with the rest of Glee club because the bus cannot accomodate him and his disability. Mr. Schuester suggests that the club hold's a bake sale to raise money for a bus so Arty can join them but all the students are hesitant. They don't want to put forth the effort and they don't understand why it's a big deal. After this behavior, Mr. Schuester has all the students spend time in a wheel chair so they can understadn where Arty is coming from. I felt this was very important and effective because they finally could "take a walk in Arty's shoes". This showed them what it's like to have a disability and how Arty has to live each day. I think by the end of the episode each student had a lot more respect for what Arty has to go through.

Another discussion we had in class is whether or not people with disabilities should be treated differently then everyone else. One argument is yes, they should not be treated as harshly because they are at a big disadvantage. Another argument is no, they should be treated the same because they want to feel as normal as possible. My personal opinion is that you need to meet somewhere in the middle. It depends a lot on the situation. On one hand you should treat that person the same as everyone else, they're just different in a different way than others are, but on the other hand you should still take into account that that person is at a disadvantage. If they need help it's okay to give it, just remember to let them have some independence.

Leah Villari

In Eli Clare's The Mountain, Clare talks about her life with cerebal palsy. She talks about her struggles and the things that enjoys. One of her hobbies is planning trips to climb mountains and trails with her friend. Her friend doesn't have a disablity and this poses to be a minor setback for Clare. Because of her disease she doesn't have alot of balance and her movements are not as sturdy and certain as a normal person's might. During her climb, she talks about how her muscles burn, calves ache and the fear that is inside her as her every step is uncertain. She also talks about her love for climbing and the fact that she can even walk is what drives her every day of her life. She talks about how she makes a list of people who can walk freely and would never have the desire or the willpower to want to climb a mountain like she does. Clare seems to really appreciate and love the fact that she can do what she loves, even if it means physically only being able to go half way.

In the episode of Glee that we watched, Arty is in a wheelchair. Mr. Schuster suggests they raise money for a special bus that Arty can be wheeled into it. At first the kids are hesitant and ignorant of Arty. But when Mr. Schuster makes everyone get in a wheelchair and experience what Arty deals with everyday, they realize that he deserves more respect then what they were giving him. When Arty confronts the girl that tells him she had faked a studder to relate to him, he is clearly hurt and makes it clear that at the end of the day he's still in a wheelchair. As it is for Clare, it must be frustrating to see people take for grant what they have. For people who can walk but choose not to appreciate this seems to be wasteful in this case. This relates to the Glee episode because I think the lesson the group learned from being in wheelchairs made them realize how grateful they should be.

Hannah Lutley #9

This week we read two stories, The Transformation of Silence Into... by Audre Lorde and The Mountain by Eli Clare. Both of these stories show woman with difference in their lives that makes them outcasts in their society. Comparing with these two stories we watched an episode of the show Glee where we saw how a boy in a wheelchair was treated by the people around him. We also saw a young girl with disabilities try to make it as a cheerleader.

In my opinion Clare wanted us to see that even though people are different from others doesn't mean that they don't have the same or close to the same abilities. She shows us that all these people want is to be treated equally and to be given the same chances that others are given. The producers of Glee also have an outlook like Clare. They want the viewers to see that disabilities may not limit us to the standards that can be met. The way society views people who are "different" is wrong and both Clare and the producer of Glee want society to change their mind set.

Bobby Stroud

This week in class we discussed disabilities in both of the stories written by Eli Clare and in the episode of "Glee." I found it interesting that the episode and the stories both sent very similar messages. For example, in the episode we they discussed Artie's disability and how some way overlook how difficult it may be to function in a wheelchair. We seen the disabled cheerleader trying to find a way onto the team.

I think that what Clare and the producers of Glee were trying to convey is that people with disabilities deserve the same rights and treatment as all others. The way society tends to look down upon these people is unfair and that is something that needs to change. Although a disability may hinder the pace at which someone can accomplish something, it does stop necessarily stop them from being able to do it. The episode and stories were messages being to out to society to make us come to this realization.

Laura Giunta Post 9

In Eli Clare's essay The Mountain a girl discusses her life with cerebral palsy. All her life she just wants to be treated equally. She enjoys running very much and even participates in her schools track team. Whenever she runs she wears a shirt that says "Piss on Pity" on the back of it. She may have a disability and may not be able to do everything the same and as quickly, but she works hard. She talks about how after every meet people look up to her for her hard work and determination, and she just wants to be noticed as any regular person. Another time she went running up a steep mountain and she had to realize how her body just could not handle it, it was very upsetting for her having to accept the limitations of her disability.
By comparing this story to the episode of Glee we watched in class, we notice how people with disabilities are treated from different perspectives. One being that they should be treated like any other student, or the other that they should have special treatment because of their disability. I believe they should be treated like anyone else. People with disabilities know what they can and cannot do, so treating them equally should not be a problem.

Molly Rutter, Post #9

In Audre Lorde’s “The Transformation of Silence Into Matter and Action,” she encourages the individual will to speak out. She emphasizes that what is important “must be spoken, shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood” (19). When Lorde mentioned how her silence was not going to keep her alive, it reminded me of Aimee Bender’s story “Ironhead.”

The ironhead boy struggled to fit in due to his physical abnormality. Because of this, he never found his voice, and ultimately past away. Similarly, after Lorde’s cancer scare, she realized that by being invisible, she was not truly alive. If the ironhead boy was to have spoken out about his troubles, perhaps someone would have been able to help, and possibly saved him. Thankfully though, Lorde found the perspective to live a life without silence, and realized how necessary it is to make herself heard.

Ashlyn Zgoda Post 9

In the beginning of Eli Clare's essay "The Mountain" he talks about how we all choose to climb this theoretical mountain because it is seen that life is better from up there. And at one part he talks about how we love the wrong people. This made me think of the Glee episode we watched in class and Finn and Quinn's relationship. In the episode we learn that Quinn is pregnant and she has told Finn it is his baby even though they never had sex, when really she had cheated on him with Puck. So Finn is trying to get a job to support this child he is "having" with Quinn. Loving the wrong people made me think of their relationship because clearly Finn loves Quinn, enough to raise a child with her, but she treats him terribly throughout the episode.

In his essay "Freaks and Queers" Clare discusses the definitions of words to describe people not like us. One word that he describes as bothering him greatly is freak. He talks a great deal about the freak shows of the past, and how they are still in our society just seen in different places. It is normally seen that most people are trying to escape this singling out, yet in the Glee episode we learn that Tina does not actually have a stutter and has been hiding behind a fake disability because she is shy. This is interesting for the fact that she was trying to run to this thing that other so much despised, and eventually realizes she does also. Yet Artie is very upset that she did this and pushes her away when he finds out.

Brittany Coppinger

I loved "Mountain" by Eli Clare. From the very beginning, this story was very strong. I love that it started out with a metaphor. I feel like that really gave the story a creative beginning and made me want to read more. There are a lot of topics that i think are important to talk or read about, but most people don't because they feel like they have heard it before or it just isn't interesting, or it is too painful to talk/read about. But i think that "breaking the ice" with a metaphor is a great way to ease people into the topic of disabilities. For people without them, its hard to put ourselves in their shoes. We think we are, but we will never know the pain and the frustration and the embarrassment that Clare describes in her short story. You think you know, and then you read a story like Clare's and you realize you have no idea. I think that the worst possible thing we can do in life is to think that we know what people are going through because we know about their condition, or we think we know them. Because we never will truly know and we cause the most pain when we pretend that we do.

Zack Schwartz Post 9

In class, we watched an episode of the show Glee. During this show, an interesting question was raised, "Should disabled people be treated like people who are not disabled?" I believe they should be treated like everyone else, with slight exceptions. I believe that deep down, disabled people do not like when they are talked down to, and different rules are made for them, and anything that makes them feel different. They do not want to take the easy path, but the path that everyone else takes. I do believe, however, that in some situations they must be treated differently. Sometimes they simply to not have the capability to do the things others can, such as physically or mentally strenuous tasks.
I support the female gym teacher's decision to add the girl with Downs Syndrome to the cheer leading roster. I also support her decision to treat her like the other girls on the team, and demand a lot from her. This is most likely all the girl ever wanted; to be a member of a team and to be a part of something alongside her peers. I also trust the gym teacher made the right decision because she has an older sister with the same disease. She is undoubtedly well versed in dealing with people with Downs and she knows what they truly want and desire. She is in a good position to do the best thing possible for this young girl.

Nadia i dont remember the number

This week was when we read about disabilities. Not only did we read, but we watch an appropiate episode of glee. I think the most impactful part was when comparing Glee and how Artie wasn't really in a wheel chair. I think when learning about people with disabilities, and reading about how conquering the mountain meant more than just climbing it but the attempting so that it can be done. It was just awkward to find out he was not in a wheelchair regularly. I think it is cool that he is portraying those who are in a positive way, and that he almost represents them through the glee episodes. I also think that (using Becky) this episode showed how those who have disabilities what to be treated the same. They want to be on the cheer leading team, hell they want to be able to jump rope with the rest of the group and keep up. We don't realize it until you have a disability or know someone who does. I think that when reading the stories we see that, although someone is disabled, they still can bat a .456 or whatever that means. They still can dominate in whatever they put their mind to. And that's the lesson that I took away from this weeks classes.

Nadia A

Zack Schwartz Post 8

In Octavia Butler's story, Speech Sounds, she describes a world in which human beings suffer from an epidemic that takes away their ability to speak. This piece made me realize how vital speaking and communicating in general in every day life. Human beings are a very social species, and communicating with other human beings is something that comes natural to us. Every day, we are in hundreds of situations where we communicate with others for various reasons; it is merely how we live our lives. Had this epidemic struck a different species such as an owl, not much change in lifestyle would occur. On the contrary, if it stuck ants, the species would undoubtedly become extinct. This story explores which path the human race would follow.

As a class, we discussed if we would prefer to have the ability to read and write, but not talk, or have the ability to talk and not read and right. I would much rather retain the ability to speak. If i was deprived of this, it would be virtually impossible for me to assimilate and be accepted into society. If I could still speak, I could have friends and great relationships and continue a similar lifestyle to the one I am leading now. I would, however still feel a little inept.

Maggie DeMarco Post 9

In the episode of Glee that we watched in class, the sensitive topic of disabilities was addressed. Similar to this, in Eli Clare's "The Mountain", we saw a similar theme. Stereotypes of handicapped are discussed in that many people feel that people with disabilities should get special treatment, and they often treat them different then others. Eli Clare discusses this in detail, and says she does not agree with it. Speicically, the term "supercrip," or someone who is handicapped and does something that a normal person could do with no problem, is what Clare does not agree with.

In Glee, even Mr. Shuster treats Artie and Becky, two students with disabilities, different. It is not that he wants to single them out, I think it is the fact that he feels bad and that he should give them sympathy to try to compensate for their disabilities. Opposite of Mr. Shuster, Sue Sylvester treats Becky like an average student, pushing her to her limits and not giving her an easy time. This is interesting because we find out that Sue has a disabled sister, and that maybe all she wants to do is make Becky feel normal. The students are not sensitive to Arties handicap, and until they are forced to see how hard is life is, they take advantage of simple things in life. Things such as walking up stairs, getting food, and wheel chair dancing, are all things that the students are forced to learn.

Post #9

The topic of this week's classes dealt a lot with disabilities, as could be seen in Eli Clare's writings and the episode of Glee that focused on Artie and his hardships. People often don't know how to treat someone with a disability, whether to treat them no differently than a non-disabled person, or treat them in accommodation to their needs. Despite being determined not to treat someone differently, we often find that we alter something in our mannerisms when dealing with a person with a disability. This may not be done intentionally, but it can still be considered as giving a person special treatment when all they want is to be treated the way everyone else is treated. In the episode of Glee we watched, Artie wanted to be treated the way everyone else was. He didn't want people to see is disability as a hindrance. After trying to live their lives in wheelchairs, Artie's friends soon realized what kind of struggles Artie had to go through on a daily basis and they admired how capable he was in preforming tasks that they themselves couldn't. Another example from this episode was Becky's wish to be a cheerleader. Becky, like Sue's older sister had Downs Syndrome. After allowing her on the team, Sue pushed Becky as hard as she would any of her other cheerleaders. Upon seeing this, Mr. Shuester questioned whether Sue was being to harsh and she said that all Becky wanted was to be treated like everyone else. Although its not exactly right to treat those with disabilities differently, it is sometimes required to take their handicaps into perspective, but there are still ways in which to do this without treating the person differently. Chelsa Wlodarczyk, post #9

Jaime Wallace Post #9

This week we compared a glee episode to a couple of Eli Clare's essays from the book "Exile and Pride". Artie is a character from glee and he is a parapalegic manual wheelchair user. In this episode Artie has a tough time fitting in with the rest of glee club because of his disability. So in order for his classmates to understand what Artie has to deal with at a day to day basis they are force to stay in a wheelchair for an entire week. All of the glee club members realize how hard Artie's life truely is becasue of his disabilty, they are put at the same level as Artie and figure out it is very difficult. In one of Eli Clare's essays, "The Moutain", the main character goes through much difficulty living her life with a disability as well. She tries to climb a mountain with very poor legs. Every step she takes she throws off her balance and that makes in very difficult for her to reach her goal, meaning the top of the mountain. She later realizes that even though she can not make it to the top she still suceeded because she isn't like normal people becasue of her disability.

This week in class we watched an episode of Glee, since I have never seen the show I didn't know what to expect. It was a good show and in this specific episode Artie was in a wheelchair and therefore different from everyone else because of his disability. Although I think that this episode was suppose to relate more to the Eli Clare pieces but I related it to Lourde. In Lourde's essay it talks about speaking your mind and standing up for what you believe in. That although some may ridicule you and not agree with what you have to say, you will suffer if you do not say it, inside you will begin to grow angry and upset. Artie never said anything and then when he finally said something everyone could tell that he had been holding it in and becoming upset. Also, Lourde talks about being a warrior because she fought breast cancer, Artie is also like a warrior in a sense. He had to be in a wheelchair unlike everyone else so he had nobody to relate to, and also the school was not very handicap accessible which made things even more difficult. I think that watching Glee put the lessons from this week's classes into a better perspective and something we could really enjoy. Cassidy Weeks Post 9

Allison Shubert Post # 9

This week we watched an episode of the TV show Glee. The episode focused on discrimination both physical and mental. It made me think of whether treating someone different because of their disability is the right thing to do, or if it's wrong because it is out of pity for the individual. This episode was focused around a student who previously had gotten to an accident when he was younger, which led him to be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

In the beginning of the episode the group of kids in glee club get to go and preform at an event, yet Artie faces an obstacle when Will, the director of the glee club announces that the bus they will be taking is not wheel chair accessible. Will brought up the idea of a bake sale to support Artie and raise enough money for him to be able to travel with the club. The rest of his club mates seemed to not be so thrilled about this idea and thought of the bake sale as being a hassle. This enraged Will, therefore he made it mandatory for all the kids in the club to be in a wheelchair during school throughout the rest of the week. This really showed the children what it was like to be in Artie's shoes and truly taught them a valuable lesson about what they take for granted every day. Even though Artie was physically different, he just wanted to be treated as if he could walk. After his club mates were put in wheel chairs, I think they appreciated Artie a significant amount more and truly saw how talented he was.

Brittany Coppinger - Extra Credit

For extra credit I read "Job's Jobs". In this story, every time the man starts to enjoy something God threatens that he will kill the man if the man continues. So the man is forced to stop doing what he loves immediately and find something else to do instead. He goes from being a writer to being an artist to being an actor and so on and so forth, but every time he starts to enjoy what he does, God threatens him again. It goes on like this for some time until God has told the man no to speak, or open his eyes to move. At the end, God binds and gags the man and places him in a box with no windows or doors, and the man is forced to sit there and do nothing.

I really enjoyed this story. I think that it carries a very powerful message. Every time the man excels at something and enjoys it, he is forced to stop, until all he has left is what is inside his head. The story ends where the man is sitting in the box, thinking about all the things that he had enjoyed over the course of his life, and God does not come this time. I think that Bender is trying to tell us that even if we have nothing in our lives, we still have our memories of good times that no one, not even God, can take away from us. And it is these memories and thoughts that will help us through the darkest of times.

Allison Shubert Post # 7

In class last week we read the stories "Ironhead" and "Motherfucker" by Aimee Bender. Both of these stories dealt with characters who were outcasted because of who they were, and what they looked like. Ironhead was about a small boy who was born into a pumpkin head family, with an iron head. No one really liked ironhead and included him into anything because of his physical differences. It was a rather depressing story because even though Ironhead looked much different than the other kids on the outside, he was still a little boy on the inside. Unforuntaely this disappointment and rejection led him to "burning out" and dying at the end of the story. I found that to be extremely symbolic. Literally he died because the weight of his head was too big for such a little body to support, but metaphorically I think everything was so overwhelming for him and the sadness within him was so great he ultimately gave up trying to support his head.

In the story "Motherfucker" the title basically is the gist of the story, it's about a man that likes to have sex with mothers. To him having sex isn't really an emotional thing and he just does it for self pleasure. He preys on the single mothers because he believes they are easier to get with and take advantage of. Ultimately he does develop feelings for a one woman named Starlet, but ends up losing her due to his lack of having real emotions for someone. Although he seems incapable of falling for someone, it did seem like he genuinely liked her but in the end he just couldn't sustain the relationship.

Allison Shubert Post # 8

I found that Ocatavia Butlers writing was a style I haven't really ever seen before. She comes off to me as extremely metaphorical. She likes to you use strange themes and scenarios to tell her stories, and I think that makes them more captivating.

The one story we read The Evening, the Morning, and the Night was my favorite. She used illness and conflict in life to share the story about the main characters struggle. The main character Lynn was plagued with an unfortunate disease called DGD, which ultimately ended the life of her two parents. This disease makes people violent and spin out of control. This disease seemed to outcast her in society, and she seemed to be very alone. She found happiness though when she found others with the same disease as her and they all lived under one roof. I think this story by Butler was very metaphorical because she used illness as the major theme of the story and what an individual has to go through while trying to blend in with society.

Hannah Lutley

Octavia Butler wrote the stories; The Morning the Evening and the Night and Speech Sound both having to deal with illness and distraction of life. In the first stories we see these people who have caught this illness being treated like absolute crazies. The second story we got a glimpse of what life might be like if we either lost our ability to speak and understand language or the ability to read and write.

In both of these stories we see Butler comparing these to real life events and problems that we have in our world. Butler seems to be trying to show us that diseases can be overcome with faith and hope. If we continue to run away from problems and people with "issues" then the problems in the world will never be fixed and overcome. Like in Speech Sounds , if we learn to talk about our problems then things could be resolved faster then if we don't talk.

Adam Swift Post # 8

I found both of Octavia Butler’s science fiction novels very unique this week. Speech Sounds was about a world where a pandemic limited the ability for people to communicate. The majority can neither read or write nor speak. By reading this short story we learn how difficult life would be without communication. The woman Rye in the story can speak but she barely does it because she is one of the few who can. The main means of communication is body language. Just simple gestures are universal and have become a vital way for people to communicate with one another.

We also discussed whether you would rather be able to read and write and not talk, or be able to talk and not read or write. I would rather have the ability to verbally communicate with others and understand spoken language. Everything we do is based around talking. I couldn’t imagine not being able to understand music. Also not being able to understand language is kind of like when you’re listening to a conversation in a different language which can be really frustrating. I would feel so lonely and isolated not being able to talk to others.

Ashlyn Zgoda Post 8

In the Leading Man the boy with the keys for fingers at the end of the story ends up saving a little kid from suffocating in a metal shed. There was a debate in class over whether this mad him a hero or not. Many people in the class said that he wasn't a hero because it was sort of his duty to use his last key finger to save the boy. Yet I believe that the boy with the key fingers was a hero because he did have the choice not to open the shed, not to take that chance. Every day there are firefighters that save people ad they are considered heroes even though this is their job.

In The Evening and the Morning and the Night I believe that the people with DGD are heroes in their own way. They have learned to come to terms with the disease and make their lives productive anyway. Also the people at Dilg are helping people everyday and they also understand what their patients are going through. They help them keep their sanity and in this they are heroes. They are saving them from their fate for just a little longer. In reality I believe that you don't have to do something dramatic and glamorous to be a hero. All you have to do is go out of your way to help someone, and in a small way this makes you a hero.

Bobby Stroud

In class this week we read the stories by Octavia Butler. One of which was called "The Evening and The Morning and The Night." In this story the society is conflicted by a disease called DGD, which is caused when people take cancer-curing medicine. The main character, Lynn, had two parents who had the disease. This disease causes affected people to lose control and make very irrational decisions. For example, DGD caused Lynn's father to kill her mother and then himself.

Similarly, the other story, "Speech Sounds" is also about an unheard of disease that is affecting a society. The diseases deprive people of the ability to read or write. For this reason, characters cannot communicate because not all of them have the same capabilities. However the disease eventually fades. The significance of each story is that Butler seems to be trying to show that diseases can be overcome with faith and hope.

3/19/11 Andrew Mernan

Two stories that we have recently read that are quite similar are "Ironhead" by Aimee Bender and "The Leading Man" by Aimee Bender. "Ironhead" is about a boy who is born with an iron for his head. He tries to fit in with the other kids, but they do not accept his iron head. "The Leading Man" is about a boy who is born with keys for fingers and he tries his whole life to try and find out what the keys open. In both of these stories, we see how these two outcasts are different than the other people of the society, and we see how they try and find there place in society.

They are both searching for a acceptance in their stories, and they want to try to fit in with the rest of society. However, because of their physical differences, they are not accepted by everyone as they wish to be. The boy in "Ironhead" has sisters who are very good at sports, which put even more pressure on him to try to fit in with everyone else, but he is unable to because of his Iron head. The boy in "The Leading Man" the main character searches for decades trying to find out which doors the keys on his hand open. Both of these characters are in search of something very important because of the physical differences they were born with.

Post #8

Octavia Butler seems to write about science fition situations that are not completly impossible. The Evening, th Morning, and the Night and Speech Sounds are both stories in which daily life is changed due to illnesses and diseases that people have been exposed to. In The Evening, the morning, and the Night a cure for cancer had been developed, but this cure also came with some side effects. Those who got this cure would produce children that had Duryea Gode or "DGD". DGD is a disease which in time causes a person to "drift" and in an attempt to get out of their own body they try and mutilate themselves. Those who have DGD stick to a special diet that helps prolong their lifespan. Although they have not found a cure for DGD, they discovered that females born of two DGD infected people produce a pheromone that allows them to make other DGD's listen. This helps to calm them and if used properly, it allows DGD patients to focus on art or research instead of trying to bring harm to themselves.

In Speech Sounds, due to radiation poisoning, people are not able to communicate as well. The illness targeted things such as speech, the ability to read or write, and the ability to comprehend other's speech. This reduced people to a more primitive level, communicating through gestures and incomprehensible sounds. Due to this lack of communication, people became less trusting of others, and often people would be harmed due to jealousy of the abilities they might still have possessed. The main character, Rye, is doubtful of people's ability to move past this lack of understanding and she considers killing herself, but after she meets two children who can speak and understand, she is given a purpose to live for.

Chelsa Wlodarczyk Post #8

Leah Villari Post 8

The Evening and the morning and the night by Butler talks about a disease called "Duryea Gode."(DGD) The disease is known to have started due to a parent taking a cancer curing drug before the person with the disease is born. The main character, Lynn happened to have two parents with the disease. After her father kills her mother and he then commits suicide, Lynn goes to college on a DGD funded scholarship and lives with others that have the same disease. At a certain point in this disease people start to "drift." This meaning that people effected lose all control and start to mutilate themselves and even others. Lynn has controlled herself this far and when she meets Beatrice at the ward, she becomes frightened for what may become of herself. She sees Alan's mother who is blinded because she literally scratched her eyes out and she sees people almost acting like animals. This sight would be scary to anyone. Seeing how people act with the same disease that Lynn had made her scared for her own future.

When Lynn meets Beatrice she immediately doesn't like her. Beatrice explains to her that eventually everyone drifts and tells her that she wants Lynn to take her place one day. Lynn clearly knows what happens to someone when they drift because of what happened to her parents so she is hesistant about the topic in general. When Lynn talks about Beatrice's offer she isn't very keen of the idea of spending her life in a ward. Beatrice explains that they help people and keep them from harming themselves further. I feel that in this whole exchange between characters, Butler is trying to get the point across that Lynn should take the job to help herself and others with DGD. Although this means personal sacrifice on Lynn's behalf, she realizes by the end that this is what she needs to do.