Barn Burning

In William Faulkner's Barn Burning, Abner Snopes is on trial for arson. Originally, the trial seems to point towards Abner's guilt, but when no legitimate proof is provided, Abner is exculpated. However, the impunity had its negatives; he and his son are told to move away and restart their lives. This turns Abner into a malevolent, antisocial pyromaniac. This change in attitude takes its toll on Abner's son, Sarty. He is unsure of whether or not he should remain loyal to his father, or if he should do the right thing and turn him in. Throughout his life, loyalty to the family was seriously preached. However, in a situation such as this one, Sarty didn't know what to do. Sarty's moods were also resilient, as he displayed many different aspects of his personality. Originally, he was set on turning his father in, but later he defends his father when he hears some boys calling him a "barn burner." Throughout the short story, Sarty's mind was all over the place and he struggled deciding where his loyalty should have been directed.

How to Become a Writer

Laurie Moore's satirical short story, How to Become a Writer, presented her humorous, yet entirely serious perspective on becoming a writer. Typically, writing is viewed as a mediocre, sinecure career path. Evidently, the author disagrees with these jejune beliefs. She describes a story that may or may not have been true to her own. The second-person tone she used was very interesting and appealing. First, she describes what it is like to write, starting from the neophyte stage. Moore describes the character being ostracized because of her ridiculous plots and stories. Moore's mockery throughout her short story is extremely evident through the litany of comical incidents she writes about.

Cathedral

At the start of this particular short story, the narrator's wife reveals that she is inviting an old friend to stay at their home. The narrator makes it clear that he knows everything about his wife's friend, but was still discomforted by his presence. When their guest, Robert, arrives, the narrator is shocked. He was expecting the stereotypical blind man, right down to the sunglasses. Before this, he certainly felt malevolent and jealous of the blind man's connection to his wife.

Throughout the story, the narrator makes it evident that he isn't very gregarious. He prefers solitude and doesn't have many friends. Because of this, his encounter with Robert seems awkward and forced. I found it interesting that Robert, a blind man whose lifestyle is limited, is much friendlier and more outward than the narrator, whose life is only limited by his anti-social sentiments and his difficult job. Robert doesn't allow his disability to hinder his social life, seeing as that is one of the few things he can rely on. While Robert is friendly and amicable, the narrator seems to be reluctantly polite and tolerant.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this short story was the narrator's change in attitude. Originally, he was blase towards Robert's presence. He had never met a blind person before and had no idea what to expect. The narrator felt some pique and jealousy when his wife focused all of her attention on her blind friend. He was expecting a noiosome, unpleasant experience. To his surprise, the experience was extremely worthwhile. He was transfixed by Robert's outlook on life; his personality was riveting.

Everyday Use

"She thinks her sister has held life always in the palm of one hand, that 'no' is a word the world never learned to say to her."

Upon reading this quote, I came to the realization that this can be said in reference to virtually any sibling situation. Whether we like to admit it or not, younger & older siblings alike, are envious of their sibling counterparts. We can't help but feel inferior and subjugate to our siblings. Although parents make it tacit & obvious that they revere all of their children equally, subconsciously, we all envy our siblings. This foible is seemingly universal and applicable to every individual with sibling(s).

In Alice Walker's story, Maggie feels inferior to her sister. This is mainly because of her burn scars compared to her sister's beauty. I was extremely shocked when Maggie's own mother said that Maggie paled in comparison to her sister, Dee.

This week..

Unfortunately, this week is bereft of anything interesting and therefore, I lack any and all motivation. When one of my teachers assigned a homework assignment, I thought it was bunkum, and I doubted her seriousness. Typically, I am obsequious to the soporific homework that I have to complete nightly. This week, however, is an entirely different story. It took me approximately three hours to read twenty pages in my history notebook and take notes. Normally, this lilliputian task  would be completed within an hour, but this week seems to be different. Perhaps its the exams that have been so mentally straining for the past few days. Thankfully, those are over. Now, I have a huge workload to complete by tomorrow and I have no excuse as to why I cannot finish them. 

Shakespeare

In class yesterday, an interesting question was posed by a classmate of mine. "Why do we read Shakespeare? Why are his works so prominent and august in our curriculum?" I have though about this question a few times since it was asked, and to this point, I have not come to any straightforward conclusion. Yes, it is true that the language is obsolete and often requires a herculean effort to comprehend. However, it is important to understand various types of literature, included in which, is the rhetoric. For instance, many high schools offer courses in the Latin language. Latin has been a "dead language" for ages, yet it is still reinforced in various schools. Furthermore, the questions asked in Shakespeare's plays are certainly applicable to modern life. The characters, vendettas, and plots can just as easily exist in modern day America as it did in Elizabethan England. However, one of the major issues is that Shakespeare is almost OVER taught in our school systems. Other literary epicures are explored, yes, but never as much as the works of William Shakespeare. Each of these authors are equally erudite in the literary world. Why then, are Shakespeare's works treated with a certain predilection?  

Ode to Bianca.

Any outsider would have trouble comprehending our personal argot. Typically, we maintain a sang-froid, and often, we are very sarcastic. Many people think we are disparaging them, however, it is simply the way we banter. We have extremely good luck, as our past experiences in debate show, and consequently, people think that we win by doing something surreptitiously. Truthfully, this is not the case. Bad luck follows us, but in each situation, we come out victorious, parvenus, if you will. Due to this constant bad luck, she and I are typically scruple before heading into a debate. Our sense of humor is often misunderstood, as it is based upon things that only we understand. The cornucopia of inside jokes we share is humorous, but other people do not appreciate the underlying humor. Now I know this was not a very maudlin ode to my best friend, as far as you [reader] are concerned, but I'm confident that, as always, she will understand the truthful humor I have presented. 

Classical Conditioning.

In psychology today, we learned about Pavlov's theories of classical conditioning. The concept itself beguiled me, seeing as it was very fascinating and deep. Prior to the class, I had never really thought about why I prefer certain clothing stores, supermarkets, or clothing brands. Certainly, I'd like to think that the things I purchase are not tawdry, but other than that--I don't really know exactly why I prefer these things as opposed to others. Truthfully, there is no cachet or eminence in the clothing I purchase-so why do I feel such a strong attachment to these brands. After contemplating this for a good 25 minutes, I realized that there is, essentially, no reason. Sure, I think it looks good.. but that doesn't explain why I remain loyal to those stores/brands and not to others. I don't mean to disparage the concept, I just thought it was very thought-provoking, and thought that I would share. If anyone does figure out some sort of cryptic reason for these salient tendencies, I would be extremely credulous in learning the reasons.

Building Rome in One Day.

Today was absolutely miserable. First of all, it snowed. Alot. Additionally, my mother was an absolute lunatic today and decided to, essentially, build Rome in one day. If I had to count how many boxes I transported from my old house to my new one, I would have lost count hours ago. My mom was extremely quixotic in thinking that we could move everything in to our new house today. Because of her desperate desire to do so, my father pulled his back, and therefore, my grandmother and I had to be burdened with the task of moving, while my mother stood around and ordered us around superciliously. I felt almost like a sycophant and feared that if I stopped carrying the boxes, my mother would go absolutely berserk.

After running up & down the stairs so many times, I feel weak and maladroit, especially since I can no longer stand on my own two feet without leaning on something. Finally, I am home and have been exonerated from the responsibilities at the new house. However, my mom will not allow me to go to sleep. Why? I don't know. According to her, my room has not yet been packed. As far as I can see [and I am currently sitting in my room] my room is empty. In essence, my mother has usurped my right to a good night's sleep. I fear that if I do go to sleep, I will be castigated upon her return for being a perfidy.

Sick, Miserable, Lovely.

Unfortunately, this weekend was not a relaxing one. Starting on Friday night, I became very sick. My stomach was hurting me, and I had a fever of 102 degrees. For two days, I couldn't eat anything other than toast and ginger ale, which were supposed to allay the pain in my stomach. While cooped up in my bedroom, I could smell the scents of delicious food coming up from my kitchen and I became invidious of my family. In essence, they were deriding me by eating all sorts of delicacies that I was not allowed to enjoy. I felt like an anathema, especially since I wasn't allowed to leave my room for a full 36 hours. My mother gave me an indefinite moratorium on walking around the house. The next morning, I woke up feeling perfectly normal and healthy. I felt like a parvenu once I was finally allowed to consume food that wasn't a variation of plain bread.

Home, Sweet Home.

I finally saw my new house today. The last time I saw it was months ago, and seeing it again was a good reminder. Seeing as it was entirely empty, it was almost ethereal and peaceful. However, my mother is so anxious about the construction that she is absolutely implacable. My sister threw a tantrum because she is unwilling to cede our old house. Unfortunately for her, she has to switch to the WL school district, whereas I can stay at PV. In order to prove this to my mom, she sat on the couch the entire time with her arms folded across her chest, a pout on her face, displaying constant ennui. She says that moving will be the nadir of her life because she won't be able to see all of her old friends from ABS. My grandfather deprecated her by saying that she could stay at our old house and live with the people who are moving in. However, he didn't realize he was dealing with a credulous little girl, and soon after she began begging my mom for her imprimatur. Obviously, my mother excoriated her pleads, and thus crushed my sister's dreams. For the remainder of the night, my sister's stigma was her saturnine disposition.

Thanksgiving Break.

Thursday:

I have never been so full in my life. Thank God Thanksgiving is ephemeral- otherwise I would never stop eating. Never in my life have I seen a table so abundant with comestibles. This year, Thanksgiving took place at my grandparents' house for the first time. My entire family was engaged in colloquial conversations throughout the evening. By the end of the night, not one person was malcontent with the delicious food my grandmother had prepared.

Friday:

Initially, today's plans were amorphous. However, once my friends and I gathered in Washington Township, the rest of the day flowed well. Many of my friends from college came home for the weekend, so seeing them was amongst my top priorities. Once I saw them, it was as if we only saw each other yesterday. Everyone was garrulous, and not a moment passed where someone was laconic.

Anticipation & Examination.

Today started off just great- if you consider chaos to be great that is. As soon as our math teacher announced our quiz tomorrow, one of my classmates asked, "Do we get to use the note sheet you gave us?" Unfortunately, the answer we were given was not one we were willing to accept. Many students began accusing our teacher of equivocating that our quizzes AND tests would be open-note. The class coalesced to prove the teacher wrong, and attempted to get her to abrogate he quiz. However, the teacher was unwilling to succumb, and the quiz will take place as planned- tomorrow.

As if that wasn't enough, every single one of my teachers decided that we will have either a quiz or some large-scale assignment due tomorrow. It seemed almost capricious, since some of them only warned us of these assignments the day before they were due. Many teachers handed out dossiers full of study materials, while others barely gave us a clue as to what we needed to study.

I am extremely grateful for the upcoming weekend. Although, I am grounded, and thus in a very choler mood, I know that it will give me the perfect opportunity to catch up on my much-needed sleep. My sister, however, is ebullient for Thanksgiving, her "fourth favorite holiday" [after her birthday, Hanukkah, Halloween, and New Years]. For the first time since I can remember, Thanksgiving isn't taking place at my house this year. My house is currently as far from baroque as possible, as it is filled with boxes from floor to ceiling in preparation for December 20th, the day we move.

Debate.

Tomorrow, I am going to watch the Varsity debaters compete. Although I am not on varsity, it is interesting to observe their talent. Hopefully, after observing them, my debate skills will burgeon. In debate, there are two teams - the affirmative and the negative. The affirmative team has the responsibility of creating a plan that suits the resolved topic. This year, the resolve states "the United States federal government should substantially increase alternate energy incentives in the United States." The affirmative team has the burden of proving their plan to be feasible, desirable, and attainable. The negative team, on the other hand, needs to disparage the plan by deprecating it. Each team is equipped with multiple dossiers, called "squirrel killers." These collections are filled with arguments for and against any plan imaginable. It is important to maintain a sang-froid throughout the debate. Otherwise, you look vulnerable and maladroit. If the negative team can successfully castigate the affirmative plan, then the affirmative team should go back and edit there plan. This helps to avoid future hectoring.

Ever since the results of the elections were publicized, I have been on the brink of a breakdown. I am extremely disappointed that John McCain didn't win the presidential title. It seems that one of the reasons Barack Obama was elected is because of his eloquent bombast that exhorted people to vote for him. If this is the case, then any good speaker is qualified to be the President of the US. This is obviously not the case. Also, people say that Obama has something new to bring to the table and that he is experienced; an "epicure of politics" perhaps. John McCain has had experience in the army as well as a senatorial position. He is therefore more qualified to be the President. 

After Barack Obama's church sermons were revealed, my respect level for him was drastically lowered. He is a minion of a church that speaks out against Caucasian people. After Bush's presidency, people claimed that his Republican views precluded McCain's election. I feel strongly that if Obama does something wrong, people will wish that they could abjure their votes. 

This weekend was very eventful for me. On Sunday, I went to the Giants/Cowboys game. The environment at the stadium was incredible. It seemed like an enormous bacchanal. The amount of brio amongst the spectators was invigorating and awe-inspiring. Each time the Giants scored, there was a sudden paroxysm throughout the stadium, as most of the spectators were Giants fans. Because of this, it  almost seemed that any Dallas fan was a pariah at the stadium. The two groups of enthusiasts were extremely gregarious and typically associated with fans of the same team. After the Giants' victory, Dallas fans were maudlin and grief-stricken. Even when I am watching football from my halcyon home, it is still an aberration from the normal daily stresses. Instead of doing chores and homework, I can sit down and admire the eminence of my favorite football team from my living room couch. 

After school today, my extracurricular activities practically commandeered my life. First, Academic Decathlon came my way. I had to make a brief 15-minute cameo and then had to rush off to debate practice. I had to remain chary of my time and was constantly glancing back and forth between the clock and the topic at hand. As if managing my time wasn't difficult enough, my debate partner was extremely hard to tolerate. Although she was my debate partner last year, she is acting like an ingenue. She claims that she doesn't remember anything from last year, and her efforts are not helpful at all. I'm hoping that eventually, something will imbue her to make a greater effort. After both of the practices were over, I went with my mother and uncle to buy my sister a new cell phone for her birthday. Although my sister and I are practically antipodes, I enjoy spoiling her with gifts on her birthday.

This week has definitely been the most stress-filled week thus far. Teachers have been piling on excessive homework assignments and importuning us with an unreasonable amount of work.  In physics, we started learning a new topic, and I find it extremely enigmatic, not that I ever understand what's going on in that class. To me, it seems that everything is being taught to us in a desultory manner, and nothing has any correlation with anything else we've already learned. I would really like to exhort my physics teacher to explain things better in class, and THEN assign homework. To exacerbate things even more, I haven't been able to get any sleep at all for the past week. It's been practically impossible to wake up at 6:00 every morning, and for the past few days, I've been in a constant state of abeyance.