My idea of a "classic novel"

What makes a novel "a classic"?

A classic is a book that you can't get through life without reading. A classic novel will usually teach me something of importance when I read it. I believe that a classic novel will teach important life lessons or the value of something. Usually, a classic novel, to me teaches me something or shows me something that I haven't really seen in awhile. I enjoy reading classic novels, not because I necessarily think they are  awesome but because it is something that will makes me see something differently. A classic novel is a must read for everyone because they are usually old classics and are very good books. People have come to appreciate a "classic book" over the years because of the background that they create.

My comments to others-Wuthering Heights

Yuma T

Hey Yuma, I understand what your saying completely. Sometimes when I'm out with my Mom or my Dad and we see a kid doing something stupid like smoking, vandalizing, or paint-balling, my parents will always turn to me and say, "Where are their parents right now?" Usually, we just watch them do whatever stupid act they are doing and my mom goes on and on about how irresponsible parents are in raising their children. It is at this time that I usually point out that sometimes parents have to work and their kid doesn't have much of an example to follow when they are at home all by themselves. It's still the parents fault that they have to work so much, but hey, what can they do?

Alison J

I agree also alison. This was a really good post. There are people out there who help others so much just like Oprah. That was a good connection alison because so many people think that rich people are snobby and uptight but they can't be more wrong. A lot of rich people have worked so hard to earn their money and this is exactly why they aren't selfish and stingy. Also, I watch gossip girl and I feel that it portrays rich people or "upper east-siders" as rich and obnoxious. Society really puts this picture into our heads even though it is really wrong. This question couldn't be more wrong because the majority of rich people are trying to do good in the world!

Josh K

I wrote about the same question because I totally agree. An adopted child can be part of a family. i don't think a family would have adopted a child if they really didn't want one. Why would a family adopt a child and then treat him or her like an outsider? In one of my favorite television shows, the main character is adopted and his parents love him so much and they have such a good relationship. The main character looks up to his parents and loves hanging out with his parents. That's the kind-of relationship all kids should have with their parents. His parents wanted a baby so badly but were incapable of having children, so they adopted him. He was accepted as a "real" member of the family, and all foster children should be.

Foster Child

An adopted or foster child will never be accepted as a "real" member of a family.
True False 

An adopted or foster child will never be accepted as a "real" member of the family is such a lie. I totally disagree with this statement. An adopted child can be accepted and loved by a family just as much as any other kid that isn't adopted. This is crazy that certain families would adopt a child and then treat them differently or like a guest. If a  family adopts a child, it should be for the reason that the family needs or wants a child of their OWN. 

One of my favorite television shows on television is Smallville with the famous Clark Kent aka "Superman." In this show, Clark who is a 16-17 year old guy, is adopted. His parents found him when he was young and they adopted him because they were incapable of having children. The show doesn't really center around this but Clark is from another planet and they love him so much. Clark's parents don't even care that he's basically an alien. This is how it should be because families that want to adopt should want to adopt because they can't have children of their own or because they want to do good for kids who don't have a family. If someone adopts a child, they shouldn't treat the child any different then they would treat their own!

My comments to others

Comment to Yuma T:

Hey,

I feel the same way. In no religion does it say that you should penalize others if they don't believe in the same thing. I'm sure that whoever did commit crimes like 9/11 felt they were doing it to help their religion. They probably didn't realize that the religion that they follow wouldn't want them to commit crimes to make a statement. No where does it say that you should kill other people for not believing in the same things. I really feel that it doesn't matter if you believe in God, Allah, or you don't believe at all. Religion is a personal thing you shouldn't be getting into fights over.

Comment to Josh K:

Josh,

I totally agree that Elijah Muhammad and Malcolm are trying to brain-wash black christians into joining the nation of Islam. They were advertising the fact that only blacks were enslaved, but like the articles says, some white people were enslaved also. I believe they were just saying this to provoke black people to join Islam and partake in fighting for their rights. You have an Interesting view point because now that I think about it this way, it makes sense that they were just using the words "only blacks were slaves" as an advertising tactic.

Don't worry, I'm a hypocrite when it comes to my sister also.

Comment to Brenda G:

Wow, this article really does put an interesting spin on Malcolm X and how people portrayed him. I feel that this article is very incorrect. Malcolm was a troubled young man, yes, but in the time he spent in jail growing up, he shows so much responsibility. He isn't racist, I don't believe he is. Put yourself in his shoes, he just doesn't want his people of his same culture to suffer and be treated like dirt any longer. Yes, Malcolm did exert a small amount of racism by portraying white people are "blue eyed devils" but this is only because the white people have hurt him so much. Yes, he was a drug dealer and maybe he was homosexual, but so what? He wasn't known for this, he was known for his strong beliefs in Islam. Also, this doesn't say anything about the kind-of person that Malcolm is inside his heart. It only shows that Malcolm was a misguided young man. What really matters is the man that he turned into and the man that he became. The kind-of man that you could be proud of. He spoke of his people, to his people, and with his people in mind just hoping that one day they would be treated as equals.

Comment to Alison J:

I agree. I find it hard to believe that someone can just pop out of the woodwork and say that they were sent by God or Allah to convert people to believe in them. I find it pretty ridiculous because if I said that, who would believe me? Which is exactly why I'm confused at why he's brainwashing others into following him. If Elijah was really sent by Allah, then he shouldn't need to brainwash others. Other people would just know in their heart that it was true. People wouldn't have their decision to follow a certain religion made up for them; they would make it by themselves with no influence from Elijah Muhammad.

Racism (5)

Malcolm has gone through so many things in his life and I am so very proud of him. It is hard to be, yet again, extremely proud of this man. Malcolm has turned from such an irresponsible boy into an extremely responsible man. Of course, you already knew this though. He has been faithfully serving the Nation of Islam and Elijah Muhammad for some time now- 12 years. Everything happens to you for a reason. There is always a reason that something bad or horrible happens to you. In Chapter 16, Malcolm faithfully goes to a press conference after the president has been assassinated and makes one little mistake that shouldn't have costed him his job, but it did. After speaking at the conference and saying, the chickens coming home to roast," Elijah Muhammad silences Malcolm for 90 days (Haley 307). Now, Malcolm is very upset about this, of course. He decides to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca and finally after all this time realizes that the so-called "blue-eyed, blonde haired" white people aren't so bad. Some of them are even Muslim. He socializes with them and I feel that this is the moment that he finally overcomes racism. 

When does one overcome racism? I, being 50% Irish and 50% spanish, am not very racist. I do not find it strange when I see mixed couples and families. I feel that this is because I have a very white 100% Irish father and a tan skinned 100% Spanish and Indian mother. I personally do not see anything wrong with that. To overcome racism, in my book, one needs to forget about skin color and ethnic backgrounds. Everyone is different and to overcome racism, you should only judge a person by what is in their heart, not by what color skin they have. According to the article on http://www.wikihow.com/Overcome-Racism, one can overcome racism when you figure out similarities between yourself and the person from the different background, make friends with other races, and learn about other races. Racism isn't just something that is out there, it is something that is around you everyday. The site says that in order to fight racism, you should encourage others who make racist comments to stop. If you really really think about, we are all the same no matter what color we are We are all human beings even though we may not look exactly alike. "Forget stereotypes; everyone is different."

Bunny of Hope (4)

I had a really great time on the trip to Harlem yesterday. I wasn't really sure what to expect on the trip. I got to hang out with friends and visit places where I got to learn new interesting facts. I was sure that going to the mosque would possibly be boring, but it wasn't. I realize that it wasn't boring because I was learning about aspects of religion through a totally different view-point. So, surprisingly enough, I enjoyed learning about the Islamic Culture at the mosque. I enjoyed the bus tour where we toured around Harlem and passed the famous sculpture of Duke Ellington playing the piano. All in all, it was a great trip that provided a lot of insight on the Islamic culture.

My favorite part of the trip was the apollo theatre. The gentleman who showed us around was funny and interesting. The apollo theatre was beautiful and truly spectacular. The guide mentioned something in passing about the luck of the tree of hope. He briefly told us about it and let us touch it to get some luck as we walked across the stage. I looked up some articles on the tree of hope because i always think of my lucky charm when someone mentions something like this. The tree of hope was more than just a tree that was lucky according to the article on http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_newsroom/press_releases/press_releases.php?id=19913. The tree of hope symbolized the promise that Harlem held for African American people. The history of the tree of hope dates back to the Harlem Renaissance when musicians didn't have much hope and the tree was something that gave them hope. I think that the people, specifically blacks, felt that the tree of luck was imperative. IT was imperative because the tree held a promise, a promise that performing would be the way to success for them. The tree was cut down in 1934 but the luck continues through to this day. As people approach amateur night, in hopes of getting discovered, they rub the stump of this very old tree for good luck! I have my own good luck charm. It isn't as old as this tree stump is and I never chopped off pieces of my good luck charm. My good luck charm was warm and fuzzy. Her name was Snowy. Snowy was the luckiest bunny I know. Before playing games or going to track meets, I would rub her lucky feet. 

 

Snowy has passed on, although, but her luck is still alive. For each time I seek luck, I go outside and arrive. It is at her grave sight that her luck will always thrive. 

Saved! (3)

Have you ever felt saved by someone or something that changed your life forever?

Malcolm lead an early life of drugs, shootings, and burglaries. He had sunk so low that I'm sure he didn't think that anyone could have saved him. When Malcolm went to prison, something happened to him; to his soul. He was forgiven by Allah, god of Islam, and given a second chance in life. Not many people get that second chance, but Malcolm did. From the moment he walked through those prison doors, he was a better person because they kept him disciplined. When he actually transformed into a better person is when he started believing and praying to Allah. After leaving and reflecting on his "savior," he recounted, "Awareness came surging up in me--how deeply the religion of Islam had reached down in the mud to lift me up, to save me from what I inevitably would have been: a dead criminal in a grave, or, if still alive, a flint-hard, bitter, thirty-seven year old in some convict penitentiary, or insane asylum" (Haley 293). Malcolm was saved from this fait by Islam.

There has been many times that I have felt someone or something has saved my life. One instant I can really remember that I felt saved was when my sister stepped in and took the blame for something I had done. It was about five years ago when I was clowning around in the house that the accident took place. My sister was watching television in the basement, my parents were out shopping,  and I was supposed to be doing my homework so I could go to my friends party later, but I wasn't. I was making myself a snack in the kitchen. I reached up in the plate cabinet and accidently knocked over a vase in my attempt to grab a plate. It felt as though it happened in slow motion, the vase slipped from the cabinet and smashed into a million pieces on the floor. I stared at it horror struck realizing that it was my mom's favorite vase and that she would be so angry with me. My sister came running up the stairs asking what had happened. We cleaned up the mess together and put it in the garbage. I knew I had to tell my mom. When she came home, I ran down the stairs and proceeded to tell her. My sister got there first and told her that she did it and that it was all her fault. Mother was so upset that she took away my sister's cellphone. Later I asked her why she had taken the blame for me. She had simply responded, "I know you really wanted to go to the party later and it's not a big deal. I don't have anywhere to go, I just wanted you to be able to go to your party." My sister had saved me from getting in trouble. Don't worry, we eventually told my mom that I broke it a year later. A year later, she really didn't care though. All I know is that I was so grateful that my sister helped me get out of trouble like that.

On January 15, 2009, a jetliner with 155 people landed on the Hudson river after loosing power in both engines.  I'm sure the people on this plane were very scared about what was going to happen to them. Something like this happens so rarely that people aboard the plane probably didn't think they would make it home to their loved ones. Little did they know, that they had an expert captain, Chelsey B. Sullenberger. He landed the plane on the Hudson River after deciding that they wouldn't be able to make it back to La Guardia airport. Every single person inside that airplane made it out alive because of the captain, Mr. Sullenberger. He saved them all with his quick thinking and is now a hero. (Link to article I talked about in this paragraph- click http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/16/nyregion/16crash.html?scp=2&sq=plane%20crash%20on%20hudson&st=cse )

Malcolm was saved by Islam, I was saved by my sister, and the people on Airbus A320 were saved by captain Sullenberger. It's amazing to think that you can still be saved in your worst moment by someone or something who really cares about you!

Malcolm's Supervising Driver (2)

In the teenage years of Malcolm's life, he is living alone and without parents or family around. He's relying on his friends and getting involved with dealing drugs, experimenting with guns, smoking, taking drugs, partying all night, and working at many different places. Malcolm has so much freedom that he is just too young to know what to do with it. Malcolm's life starts on an extremely rocky road that is headed no where. It is at age 20 that Malcolm is sent to prison for partaking in burglaries. Malcolm was on his own personal fast track to death until law stepped in and threw him in prison. This may sound harsh, but at this point in the book, I was like happy that he went to jail. He seriously needed to spend some time growing up; and he did. The transformation that he went through in jail was so amazing; he went from a crime-committing boy to a responsible young man in the ten years that he was forced to live by discipline. From before he went to jail to when he was put in jail, Malcolm never had to follow any rules or listen to anyone but himself. Jail and Islam really helped him kick his bad habits and whip him into a man.

Malcolm grew up so fast that he didn't take the time to be responsible. He was so focused on what he wanted that his destiny was pushed to the side. He was so young, yet he looked older than he really was. In this manner, people believed he was older, and Malcolm started doing more grown up things and hanging out with older people such as Shorty. Malcolm recounted: "I never told Shorty-- and he never suspected--that he was about ten years older that I. He took us to be about the same age. At first I would have been embarrassed to tell him, later I just never bothered" (Haley 46). Malcolm really took advantage of the fact that people thought he was older than he really was. 

All young adults, such as myself, just can't wait to grow up so that they can do whatever they want. I can't wait until I get my license because my sister seemed to have the time of her life when she started driving. I just can't wait to drive without my nagging father in the front seat saying, "Watch this, watch that, slow down. SLOW DOWN! Or your driving slower too slow." Every time I get in the car with my dad, I can't wait till I get my license. Now, I think about this and I'm kind-of glad that I have parents, nagging as they may be, to help me through life and to help me learn how to drive. I think of Malcolm as driving a car that he started driving at too young of an age without the supervising driver that I have. I have my dad to supervise my driving and help me learn and grow accustomed to the rules of the road. Malcolm, although, doesn't get his supervising driver until he has made all the wrong turns, that my father wouldn't have allowed to happen, and ends up in jail. It is in jail that Malcolm finally gets his supervising driver--the religion of Islam and the rules of prison.

In conclusion, Malcolm grows up too fast without the right people influencing his life. Just as in society today, kids are growing up faster than you can imagine. In the political cartoon I found, at  there is a kid who is in the card store and he is looking at the Fake ID cards and the Birthday cards contemplating which to get.  http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/mba/lowres/mban317l.jpg This cartoon really shows that society puts an unbearable amount of pressure on kids to grow up at an unnecessary young age.  Kids these days are just blooming so fast that they aren't really getting the full use of their supervising driver. I have mine, Malcolm eventually got his, and society will hopefully give kids the inspiration they need to be become great responsible people! 

Malcolm Changes (1)

Throughout the book, Malcolm has gone through many small and large changes. Some of the earlier changes in his life would be when his father died and his mother went crazy causing him and his siblings to move to different homes all over the place. The most significant change that Malcolm goes through so far, is prison. Malcolm had been a hustler, a drug dealer, and a druggie himself. Going to prison, as harsh as it may sound, was probably a very good thing for Malcolm at this point in his life. Malcolm stops the drugs after talking to his brother Reginald and starts believing in Islam. He had gone so low in society that the only way he could go was up. He thought, "...I had sunk to the very bottom of the American white man's society when-- soon now, in prison--I found Allah and the religion of Islam and it completely transformed my life" (Haley 153). This is the turning point in Malcolm's life because he had taken a giant step towards Allah and a giant step back from drugs. When Malcolm leaves prison, I know he is going to be a changed man because of all positive things he has been doing in prison like writing, studying language/s, praying, reading, and learning about Islam.

Many people go through the change in their life and aren't even aware that they have changed. Like Malcolm, many go though changes every single day. They may not be as intense as Malcolm's transformation from a hustler into a worshipper but I know one person who has made a great change in their life. My mother used to be on the fatter side and I'm sure she would agree with me when i say this and now she looks great for her age. She made all these changes in her life starting with eating healthier and going to the gym. I am very proud of her because she did this because she was not healthy before, at all. All of my mother's changes, as far as I am concerned started with her reading Robin Mcgraw's Inside My Heart.  http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews2/078521836X.asp I really feel that this book is responsible for the changes that my mother made in her life and I'm happy that she read it. It's a small change in her life that is going to make a big difference in 20 years!

Ethnic Notions

During Class, I watched an interesting video called Ethnic Notions and it was all about African American culture and how white people depicted African Americans. There were many stereotypes covered in the video such as a "Sambo, The Pickaninny, Urban Coon," and "Zip Coon." There were many more and the one that stood out to me most was "Mammy." The "Mammy" was like the maid of the house and there were so many things covered by the video such as if the Master of the house would develop desire and want the "Mammy" and how this would interrupt the Mistress and her family. When talking about this in the video, I basically visualized a nanny as they now have in current times. It is true that now sometimes, the Master or father of the house starts to desire the nanny. I find it very interesting that they had a "Mammy" who is almost the same as a nanny along with the same problems such as desire.

While watching the video, I found the "The Brute" a very disturbing character. The made this black person like wild looking and crazy, basically a savage who would try and rape a virgin white girl. In the movie, they showed the black man as crazy and savagely running after the white girl. The white girl jumps over the cliff and dies just so that she doesn't get raped by "the brute." The other image that was very disturbing was the part of the video where they showed the postcards where black children are naked, unkempt, and dirty as an alligator has his mouth open waiting for the black child to fall from the tree. In the time that this movie is in, they clearly had very negative opinions of black people and didn't think very much of them. African Americans were thought to be crazy, dirty, and black.

Now we know that this isn't true because an African American is just as much of a person as white people are. It's amazing to see how much the depiction of African Americans has changed over the years.

Malcolm X, Laura and Sophia

I'm not exactly sure why Malcolm had the sudden urge to be with Sophia. She's a white girl, most unlike himself, and she isn't as good of a dancer as Laura is. I liked Laura because she is eager and young and exactly what Malcolm X is looking for. Laura is also more Malcolm's age as opposed to Sophia who is much older. Malcolm drops Laura who spent time at dances with him, lied to her grandmother for him, and spent lots of time getting to know him. I feel that Malcolm, as we all know is trying to be white, wants to be with Sophia because of the fact that she is white. I think that he feels that people will look at him differently if he has a white girl and he parades her around. "[Malcolm] paraded her. The negro men loved her"( Haley 71). After all, he was already changing his style of fashion and conking his hair. If he has a white girl, he thinks that he will be seen as more white with his conk and his white girlfriend who wasn't a prostitute. He thought to himself, "Now at that time, in Roxbury, in any black ghetto in America, to have a white woman who wasn't a known common whore was--for the average black man, at least-- a status symbol of the first order" (Haley 70). He definitely saw her skin color as more than just white. He saw it as a way to become white and gain a higher social status.

Malcolm X, "The Conk"

As a child, Malcolm's father was very active in the African American freedom movements and he was eventually murdered by white men that didn't like what he was thinking and preaching. Malcolm's father was a true civil rights person and completely believed in black freedom whereas Malcolm didn't really care about any of this. Obviously he still had his problems with being the mascot of the show dog of his old school but now he's also trying to be white. Instead of fighting for his heritage like his father did, he tries to fit in with the white people and become more white. In chapter 3, Malcolm receives a conk from his friend Shorty. People then and people now believes that this was his way of trying to fit in more with the white people like he was trying to make himself whiter by getting a strait hairstyle. He had thought, "But I don't see on earth any black woman with any race pride could walk down the street with any black man wearing a conk--the emblem of his shame that he is black" (Haley 57). He thinks that getting a conk is the symbol of his shame of being black and it pretty much is.

I think that Malcolm isn't the kind of person who doesn't care about racism and skin color. I really think that he cares deep down that he was a show dog in his old and school and I think that he cares that white people felt that they could parade him around showing off that he was the only black person in the school. One day, Malcolm is not going to have a conk. He is just going to put his foot down and stop playing it all cool because it really does bother him that he's black and not accepted as an equal.