Journal #13 - American Dream

The American Dream. Each person’s view of the American dream is a little different. In my opinion, the dream life for any American would be based on the necessities.  I feel a person should be happy knowing they work hard eveyday to provide what their family needs, no matter how much money you have left over. I don’t know the exact percentage of Americans that are in poverty standards, but I know it’s a lot more than what people think. If people could just be grateful for what they have instead of feeling the need to one up their friends and neighbors, America wouldn't be in the financial crisis they are in. It also explains the spell that the media and luxuries have on us these days. So here it is: My Opinion of the American dream. It would start with a positive childhood, one that might have its flaws, but provides a stable and comfortable home. A proper education would also be a part of the American dream. This would include elementary through college education. The only exception to this point would be if trade school was your preference. After you receive an education, finding a nice job would be definitely a dream. These days, it can be very difficult to find a job right out of school. A job, no matter what the pay, would be involved in the American dream. One that has you working hard for the nest promotion is preferred. After you get a job, meeting the right person, settling down, and starting a family would all be the next steps of the American dream. Buying a house and being able to support your family's needs would be the final step. After all of these things are accomplished, one can sit back and enjoy his or her time on earth and be thankful for all that they have. A major point to make, however, is that several of these steps have exceptions. Some people might not want to go to college, or get married, or even start a family. That's another reason why it's hard to describe the American dream because it is different for everybody.

Comparisons: Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin is remembered for being a man of many trades and having invented a number of today’s necessities. He is easily considered one of the greatest, most iconic man in American history. However, our English book taught me one thing about this iconic man that I was very surprised to hear. According to the Before You Read section in our work book, Benjamin Franklin was opposed to American Independence in the beginning. It wasn’t until he advised the British Government and was ignored before he sided with the colonists. In fact, he was quick to move to Philadelphia to participate in the writing of The Declaration of Independence. Who would have thought that the man, who has written some of America’s most important documents, was once opposed to their own freedom? The section from The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin that is in our novel begins when Benjamin is leaving Britain and on his way to Philadelphia. Similar to the Mary Rowlandson story we read awhile back, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is documenting a journey that the narrator is taking. This is, however, one of the very few similarities that I found between Franklin’s writings and those of Puritan style. He tends to use a broader vocabulary compared to Rowlandson and even Anne Bradstreet. He is also much more descriptive in his writing style because he gives great detail when describing himself and the places he visits. Franklin even admits, “I have been the more particular in this description of my journey, and shall be so of my first entry into that city, that you may in your mind compare such unlikely beginnings with the figure I have since made there” (Franklin 108). Another example of Benjamin’s style that differs from Puritan’s is the use of complex and compound. Puritan writing tends to be simple, straight to the point sentences, which The Autobiography was not. Another form of similarity between the writing styles of Ben Franklin and the Puritans was the importance of a moral in the story. Puritan’s always made a point to teach a lesson in their writings, and, although it wasn’t necessarily the main focus in Franklin’s piece, he did make the effort to teach a lesson. He states, “Man is sometimes more generous when he has little money than when he has plenty; perhaps to prevent his being thought to have but little”(Franklin 108). I would even consider that statement to be an example of an aphorism.

Puritan writing focused largely on religion. People during this time period lived their lives according to the Bible and what they thought God expected of them. Their lessons and ideas had a lot to do with religion. This was different than what was seen in The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin. He spoke very little about church or God, until he reached Philadelphia. He explains how he followed a group into a Quaker church, but intended up falling asleep for most of the service. Franklin wasn’t even a Quaker. I can’t imagine the idea of going to a church that you don’t belong to going over well in the Puritan era.

Franklin, Benjamin. "The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 106-108. Print.

Rationalism: Thomas Paine

A change was happening at this time amongst the new settlers in America. Change happens often in time, and in this particular case, it was a change for the better. This change was seen in the ideas and actions of the colonists, and it became known as the Rationalism Period. People began to stand up for what they believed in, make their own decisions, and fight their own wars (literally). This time period was also referred to as Enlightenment or The Age of Reason because people were thinking logically instead of religiously. Instead of focusing on an after life, people used the power of reason and science to further self-fulfillment and human life. In class, we often refer to the idea of God being the ‘clock maker’. He set up the pieces of the world, but then stood back to allow the people to decide for themselves, while he watched. The Rationalism Period was very much a time where reason was valued over faith. One man who seemed to lead the way for the Rationalism Period along with many other was Thomas Paine. He even states, “My own line of reasoning is to myself as straight and clear as a ray of light” (Paine 136). Although he was taken out of grammar school at a young age to work as an apprentice, Paine worked hard to build an education for himself. He felt very strongly towards the Revolutionary War and made many speeches and held rallies against Britain. Paine wrote The Crisis, No. 1 to encourage settlers that the Revolutionary War was very much necessary. He often compared to the British government as the mother, and that she was suffocating her kids, which were the colonists The Crisis, No. 1 was also used to rally up the colonists to want to fight for their freedom against the British. He says, “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph” (Paine 134). In fact, The Crisis, No. 1 was read the men in the military I order to, for a lack of better words, pump them up to fight. Like I mentioned before, Thomas Paine was a large part of the Rationalism Period, but even he looked to God in times of need. He admits, “I have as little superstition in me as any man living; but my secret opinion has ever been and still is, that God Almighty will not give up a people to military destruction, or leave them unsupported to perish, who have so earnestly and so repeatedly sought to avoid the calamities of war, by every decent method which wisdom could invent” (Paine 135). He even encourages the colonists the praise God and to fight in his honor. “Say not that the thousands are gone--turn your tens of thousands; throw not the burden of the day upon Providence, but show your faith by your works, that God may bless you” (Paine 136).

Paine, Thomas. "The Crisis, No.1." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 134-136. Print.

Journal #12- Rules

Making up my own rules, let's see... I would start by changing up the school's rules. The Cardinal Code would be thrown in the trash. Tank tops and short shorts would be allowed. Heck, girls could wear pajamas to school every day if they wanted to. I would also make new rules aside from the dress code. Of course, purses would be back allowed. That rule is so dumb, and I don't understand why they even made it. The next rule is that homework would be optional! I don't actually mind homework that much unless I have a busy schedule and can't get to it. If I forgot homework I should be able to get a pass on it. I find that to be totally fair. Another rule for the dress code that I forgot before: I think that it would be alright if the guys didn't wear shirts to school. I don't think there would be anything greater than spending my chemistry class focusing on a nice set of abs instead of taking boring notes on Stoichiometry. If no shirt isn't your style, feel free to wear cut offs. They give a preview with sharing the entire thing, so they are acceptable. Haha Oh my gosh, I am the weirdest person. Please, if you are reading this.. I'm really not this creepy in person. I will create one final rule that will make you see that I am a semi-normal human being. The school should have a no tolerance for disrespect. Whether it's between a student or teacher or student to student, disrespect needs to be unacceptable. Bullying is a major issue in today's society, and nothing is more annoying than sitting in class when a teacher is continually interrupted by some stupid student. Whenever acts of disrespect occur the student needs to be sent straight to the office and given a detention.Nothing makes me more aggravated than watching a student harass another person. It is so degrading and needs to be changed at PPHS.  

Journal #11- Aphorism

Misery Loves Company.

- ancient writer, Sophocles (c. 408 B.C.)

I honestly believe that no one can understand this quote better than a teenage girl. Our lives revolve around drama. One day it’s a fight with this girl and the next it’s a rumor about another. I admit, being constantly surrounded with drama is no way to live, but there are just people out there who can’t help but start it. And it just so happens to be that I am friends with quite a few of them. I know, I’m great at picking friends, but that’s another topic/another blog/another day. This aphorism isn’t to confusing. It deals with those who feel the need to bring others down with them when they aren’t in the best of moods. I can come up with a number of instances when friends aren’t having the best of days, and they have to make a rude comment to bring me down to their level. There used to be one girl in my group of friends who we called ‘The Tornado’ because whenever she was in an unhappy mood, she would come through and destroy the attitudes of all the girls in the group. Let me tell you! This girl had a talent for doing this. It was scary how much drama she could create between us when really she was just having guy troubles and wanted all of us to feel as bad as she did. Thankfully, ‘The Tornado’ is no longer in my group of friends. After she left, all the girls took a sigh of relief because we were able to relax and not have to worry about what tornado’s next freak out would be. I don’t understand why people feel the need to do this. I would much rather get advice or comfort from a friend instead of making them feel as bad as I do. It’s a sick way to act, and thanks to ‘The Tornado’, I know not to surround myself with people that act this way anymore.

Faulty Logic: Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson’s speech to Congress was most likely the greatest piece of propaganda that I have ever read. He shares his knowledge in hopes of receiving action to support his ideas. Jefferson is undoubtedly a talented speaker, but that’s not to say the forms of faulty logic were used in his speech. His speech is made up of his complaints on the British control that is over the colonies. He shares his, mostly negative, opinions of the British government, which he constantly refers to as the pronoun ‘he’. The amount of opinion and emotion that is involved in the speech is his first mistake of faulty logic. He should have given one opinion and then a fact to support it, but instead Jefferson let out all of his feelings before giving a single source to back them up. It was a lazy opener for the speech because it made him appear unprofessional. Besides the single perspective opener, the speech was actually very well prepared and conducted. Jefferson had plenty of facts to support his opinions. He claimed that the British government made the colony leaders uncomfortable for discussions, which resulted in the leaders just agreeing with whatever they said because they were unprepared. The British also ignored the complaints from the colonists, cut off their trade, and gave them obscene taxes (Jefferson 123). From what I have learned in history class, all of these statements sound about right. The British government eventually came unconcerned with the colonists and really only used them to make a profit. They would use their raw materials and crops to make money. When the country became deep in debt, they ordered the American colonists to pay taxes to help relieve them. Jefferson even says, “He [the British government] has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people” (Jefferson 124). It was very unfair, so Thomas Jefferson took a stand to make things right for the colonists. At the time, Jefferson would have been considered the perfect example of a renaissance man. He was an inventor, lawyer, and a botanist among many other titles. In fact, he is considered the writer of the Declaration of Independence. Although it was edited by others, the ideas were mostly his own. His words have proven to stand the test of time. His speech in front of Congress, however, still holds one piece of faulty logic. Jefferson’s words and actions proved to be contradictory towards each other. During his speech, Jefferson says, “We hold the truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” (Jefferson 122). He firmly states that all men are created equal, but, during this time, all that really means is that all white men are created equal. The “Before You Read” section on Thomas Jefferson shares and interesting fact with readers. It talks about how Jefferson disagreed with the idea of slavery, yet he had slaves of his own. Again, I understand that slavery was very common at this time in American colonies, but one would think that Thomas Jefferson, a highly respected and intelligent man, would live life by the statements he makes.

Jefferson, Thomas. "Declaration of Independence." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 122-125. Print.

Journal #10- Vocab

No! We should absolutely not have to do Vocabulary Unit Three Day One today! Please, please just one day off Mr. Langley! I have come up with a (pretty bias) list of why we shouldn't do them.
Reason One: I don't know about all the other students in this English 332 class, but I am pretty behind on my work. I have several journals and reflections that still need to be done. A catch up day would be a lot more beneficial than moving onto another vocabulary section.
Reason Two: Let's be honest, we never get through the day's work anyways. On Mr. Langley's site he has a list for what we need to get through each class day. Usually, we only get through about half of the work, and then the rest is assigned for homework. By skipping vocab today, we will have a better chance of getting through all of the day's work. That way I won't be stacked with even more homework. Heck, I probably won't even get this journal done before class is over today, let alone vocab definitions.
Reason Three: Vocab, really? It's such a fifth grade thing. We have only done two units of vocab in this class so far, and I honestly couldn't tell you the definition of any of the words we have done. Heck, I probably couldn't even name a word we have done. Vocab is one of those things that I do what I have to, but I don't really take in the information.  I find the definition online, create a derivative, and put the word in a sentence for two weeks, but ask me a definition a day after that test and I would be clueless on what you're talking about. Maybe there are people who enjoy vocab and adding new words to their daily jargon, but let's be real, I'm not about to have a conversation with one of my friends that involves the terms seminal or unobtrusive. So, not only should we not have vocab today, but lets not have vocab for the rest of the year. Sounds like a great plan to me!

Rationalism: Patrick Henry

Patrick Henry’s speech, given at the Second Virginia Convention, was anything but dull. He proudly spoke his opinion throughout the piece as a way to engage his audience. His main reasons for this speech were to engage and persuade the officials that the colonists need to go to war. Although most of Henry’s speech is opinion and emotion, he is able to explain his case respectfully. He prefaces his speech by saying, “But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen, if, entertaining, as I do, opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve” (Henry 116). Most importantly, Patrick Henry was able to back up his information. He explained how the petition the colonists created was disregarded and their protests were ignored. This speech was the final way to share the way he felt. He tried his hardest to explain to listeners that if they didn’t prepare for war now, the English would be quick to attack. He claims, “Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason toward my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven” (Henry 117). Although God is discussed in the last quote, Patrick Henry really doesn’t talk about God in his speech. Religion was no longer the basis for the colonists’ actions. Because he is taking control of a situation and trying to change things himself, Henry’s speech is more of an example of Rationalism instead of Puritan. He is making his own decisions and not focusing so much on what the Bible would have wanted. His sentence structure is also a lot more compound than would have used by the Puritans. 


Another source of pure emotion and opinion is John Edwards’ sermon, Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Both men try to threaten their audiences into getting what they want. Edwards says, 

But here you are in the land of the living, and in the house of God, and have a opportunity to obtain salvation. What would not those poor damned, helpless souls give for one day’s such opportunity as you know enjoy. (Edwards 99)

The statement shows that the message Edwards was sending was great, but his approach came off as threatening. In most cases, however, the statements made by John Edwards were opinioned and threatening. Sometimes an angry approach works when you are trying to get your way, but in Edwards’ case, I believe more people would have been more apprehensive than persuaded. His sermon tries to literally “put the fear of God” into the church members. This approach would scare me away much faster than it would resonate in me. John Edwards also manages to use faulty logic in his sermon. He uses harsh humor and name calling which were supposed to support his opinion, but instead they just made his speech look very unprofessional and disrespectful. 


Henry, Patrick. "Speech to the Second Virginia Convention." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 116-118. Print.


Edwards, Jonathan. "From Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.