Scarlet Letter Essay

Juliette Daignault 802

            The book the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays the story of a woman named Hester Prynne who commits adultery. The society punishes Hester severely by making her wear a scarlet letter “A” for adultery on her chest. When she wears the A, people are constantly shunning her and looking down upon her. While Hester, choses another way to look at the situation. Instead of believing she has committed a great sin, she chooses to add a new meaning to the scarlet A.

            All through out the book everyone in the small Puritan village disapprove of Hester and the scarlet letter she wears. They give her dirty looks and make it clear that the crime she has committed is unacceptable.  In chapter two, the women in the market place are being especially hateful toward Hester “If the hussy stood up for judgment before us five, that are now here in a knot together, would she come off with such a sentence as the worshipful magistrates have awarded? Marry, I trow not!” The women and people in general in the society, are making assumptions about Hester. They want Hester to feel shame and they may not even think that the punishment is that harsh. The author really tries to show how much the scarlet letter symbolizes when the sunshine is shunning Hester in the forest. “’Mother,’ said little Pearl, ‘the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom…It will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!’” Throughout the book it is made clear that many people criticize and look down on Hester, but the sunshine can represent the society as a whole and maybe her sin as well. The sunshine is afraid of what is on her chest and maybe the villagers are afraid of what Hester has done too. This can possibly explain why the town is so harsh and cruel towards her.

            Even though the town may view the letter as a terrible sin, Hester begins to view the letter in a different way. She wants the people in the town to see the letter as the good things she has done and what she wants the letter to mean. She doesn’t want the town telling her what the A stands for, but she herself wants to decide. “But Hester Prynne, with a mind of native courage and activity… The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread” There is a change in Hester; she does things to benefit the community. She wants peoples vies of the scarlet letter to become something other then adultery. The people of the town begin to see the A as Able instead of Adultery. Hester goes into new places that people in Puritan villages had never seen before, she changes a punishment into something people admire and respect.

            To conclude, the different views of the scarlet letter help to develop the story and provide and understanding to what it was like in a Puritan village. The character Hester shows many that something that can be seen one way can become something different and more positive with work. The devotion and good deeds Hester does proves a point and illustrates courage and perseverance.

Banned Book Argument Essay

Juliette Daignault 802

Dear Ms. Berner,

Schools have been banning books throughout the country. So far, 11 thousand books have been banned in schools, and libraries. These books have been banned because of inappropriate content, language,or violence. I believe this is wrong, because kids should be able to learn about to learn about or relate to situations in some of these books. Books are a good way to feel emotions or relate to and banning them won’t solve anything.

When you read a book, sometimes you just want to relate to someone and know you’re not alone in the world. Taking away books that could provide this comfort or security is injuste. When kids read, it could help them with a problem or situation they need to overcome. for example as it says in “Yes, teen Fiction can be dark- but it Shows teenagers They Aren’t Alone” by Maureen Johnson “If subjects like these are in yA books, it’s to show that they are real, they have happened to others, and they can be survived. For teenagers, there is sometimes no message more critical than: you are not alone.” Books can show kids the problems that they are facing are, and have been problems for many other people. Kids can use reading challenging books as an outlet for their feelings. They need these books to help them and if they are taken away that outlet is gone. In addition, the article “Why the Best Kids Books are Written in Blood” by Sherman Alexie, states that  “And there are millions of teens who read because they are sad and lonely and enraged.” Here Sherman Alexie states that one of the best ways to cope with situations is to read and know that you’re going through this by yourself.

YA books can also inform kids who are unaware of these subjects like, cutting, drugs, alcohol use, rape, etc. and teach them how to prevent or help someone in these situations. For example from the Gaurdian.com it descirbes “Thses stories could be so beneficial to students, while at the same time potentially opening them up to a braoder reading base and helping them discover something in themselves that they didn’t know about before.” Reading banned books can help teens get somewhat of an experience of what these tough situations can be like. If you ban these books you are sheltering kids from experiences that they should know about. In addition, the article “Banned Books Week 2010: Anti-Censorship Manifesto” by Ellen Hopkins, says, “They do explore tough subject matter -- addiction, abuse, thoughts of suicide, teen prostitution. But they bring young adult readers a middle-aged author's broader perspective. They show outcomes to choices, offer understanding. And each is infused with hope.” This can open kids up to experiences and it is also beneficial to have an adults point of view in situations like these.

While some argue that YA books can benefit teens, others disagree that they are harmful to teens. For example in the article “Darkness Too Visible” by Meghan Cox Gurdon, it states that, “If books show us the world, teen fiction can be like a hall of fun-house mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously distorted portrayals of what life is” It is clear that teen fiction has become dark and violent. Many parents want to shelter their children from these types of books, however this will do no good for any teens. For example in the article “Banned Books Week 2010: Anti-Censorship Manifesto” by Ellen Hopkins, it describes, “She saw herself in those pages, and suddenly knew she didn't want to be there. That book turned her around. Today she's been sober two years, is graduating high school and has embarked on a modeling career.” Reading these books can show kids the way to change themselves and make improvements in their life. They can have a positive influence and overall change someones life for the better.

Banning books is something that many schools, libraries, and public bookstores are doing. This will have a negative effect on teens lives and will take away important sources of information from them and outlets for their feelings. Overall, these books serve a purpose in teens reading lives and shouldn’t be taken away.  

Bibliography

Johnson, Maureen. "Yes, Teen Fiction Can Be Dark - but It Shows Teenagers They Aren't Alone." The Guardian. N.p., 8 June 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.

Alexie, Sherman. "Why the Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood." Wall Street Journal. N.p., 9 June 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.   

Hopkins, Ellen. "Banned Books Week 2010: An Anti-Censorship Manifesto."The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 Sept. 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2014.  

Gurdon, Meghan Cox. "Darkness Too Visible." The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 4 June 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2014

Social Injustice Project

Juliette Daignault 802

• Same Love by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Mary Lambert

When I was in the third grade I thought that I was gay,

'Cause I could draw, my uncle was, and I kept my room straight.

I told my mom, tears rushing down my face

She's like "Ben you've loved girls since before pre-k, trippin'."

Yeah, I guess she had a point, didn't she?

Bunch of stereotypes all in my head.

I remember doing the math like, "Yeah, I'm good at little league."

A preconceived idea of what it all meant

For those that liked the same sex

Had the characteristics

The right wing conservatives think it's a decision

And you can be cured with some treatment and religion

Man-made rewiring of a predisposition

Playing God, aw nah here we go

America the brave still fears what we don't know

And "God loves all his children" is somehow forgotten

But we paraphrase a book written thirty-five-hundred years ago

And I can't change

Even if I tried

Even if I wanted to

And I can't change

Even if I tried

Even if I wanted to

If I was gay, I would think hip-hop hates me

Have you read the YouTube comments lately?

"Man, that's gay" gets dropped on the daily

We become so numb to what we're saying

A culture founded from oppression

Yet we don't have acceptance for 'em

Call each other faggots behind the keys of a message board

A word rooted in hate, yet our genre still ignores it

Gay is synonymous with the lesser

It's the same hate that's caused wars from religion

Gender to skin color, the complexion of your pigment

The same fight that led people to walk outs and sit ins

It's human rights for everybody, there is no difference!

Live on and be yourself

When I was at church they taught me something else

If you preach hate at the service those words aren't anointed

That holy water that you soak in has been poisoned

When everyone else is more comfortable remaining voiceless

Rather than fighting for humans that have had their rights stolen

I might not be the same, but that's not important

No freedom 'til we're equal, damn right I support it

And I can't change

Even if I tried

Even if I wanted to

We press play, don't press pause

Progress, march on

With the veil over our eyes

We turn our back on the cause

'Til the day that my uncles can be united by law

When kids are walking 'round the hallway plagued by pain in their heart

A world so hateful some would rather die than be who they are

And a certificate on paper isn't gonna solve it all

But it's a damn good place to start

No law is gonna change us

We have to change us

Whatever God you believe in

We come from the same one

Strip away the fear

Underneath it's all the same love

About time that we raised up

And I can't change

Even if I tried

Even if I wanted to

Analysis

This song deals with the social issue stereotyping. In the beginning of the song it describes how he thinks he is gay because he can draw, keep his room clean, and because his uncle was gay. Then later he thinks he isn’t gay because he was good baseball. Later in the song he looks back on this and realizes that these were examples of stereotyping.

This song shows how people are who they are. As it says “And I can't change, even if I tried, even if I wanted to” it portrays people who know how they are and won’t change. This applies to everyday life and may teach people that they don’t have to be stereotyped and can be who they want.

• Observations of my neighborhood

-Littering

-Smoking

-Racism

-Catcalling

-Homelessness

As a young woman in New York City catcalling has been a part of what I see and experience everyday. This is a very degrading issue to many woman. It is unfair, and quite frankly makes people feel uncomfortable in the situation. It feels as though you are being preyed on by men who think it’s ok to look at woman and comment on them. I, myself have been commented on, and it makes you feel unsafe and minimized around you.

• Interview with Emmeline Vickers Batzdorf

Q: What is good in the world?

A: I think in the world whats good is so many people’s access to health care, food, shelter, a good job, and warmth.

Q: What do you think is unfair in this world?

A: I think a lot of things are unfair in the world, like the fact that not a lot of people have access to the good things in the world. Another thing that I feel very strongly about is that rich people who don’t give to charities aren’t helping those who don’t have enough money to serve dinner to their kids.

My Thoughts

I agree with what Emmeline has to say about what is unfair and fair in this world. They seem to relate to each other and I support what she had to say about how rich people sometimes don’t give to charity that could benefit people who are less fortunate. I think that everyone should be able to have warmth, shelter and food, Which some people don’t have and that is definitely something that is unfair about the world.

• Watching the news about Fergeson

When I was watching the news, it seemed that a big portion was dedicated to the Grand Jury’s decision on whether to prosecute the police officer who killed Mike Brown. The decision was not to prosecute him. I saw that many people in Fergeson were upset and outraged and I tried to imagine what it was like for Mike Brown’s family. I think they must have been extremely disappointed in the decision, but I also saw that they asked to keep the protests peaceful which I thought was a good choice.

• Interview with my Dad, Ron Daignault

Q: Why did you choose to do this pro bono case?

A: Seven years ago, I was working at a firm that really valued pro bono work. One of the areas that they focused on was criminal defense, civil rights, or representing clients who had received the death penalty. As a lawyer I had always wanted to become involved in criminal defense work, even though I was only a patent litigator. So one day  I received a letter from a person named Eric Jenkins who described his situation and stated that he needed a lawyer to represent him for a petition for habeas corpus to vacate his conviction and prove his innocence. Eric had been sentenced to 15 years to life in jail for a murder that he didn't commit. I believed in his story, and I knew he had been wronged because the facts against him didn’t make sense. He needed help and no one else was there for him.

Q: How did this change his life?

A: While I was working on his case I hired private investigators who met with the two leading witnesses and during those meetings the witnesses recanted their stories and said they had lied because the police had pressured them. With this new evidence, I felt i could prove his innocence. Also while I was representing him I got him parole. He never did anything wrong during his 17 years in jail and was a high ranked student at York College before he was convicted. I Presented this to the court and they granted him parole. Today, he is working at the Fortune Society

• Watching the TV show “The Carrie Diaries”

While watching this show I’ve noticed a few key things. The characters our age are portrayed as more perfect than teens in real life. Their family’s are also more perfect than real life family’s are. Besides the loss of a parent, or of a character struggling with a parents divorce the family’s usually don’t have many more problems going on. There are also stereotypes in the show, like an asian character’s goal is going to Harvard. And the general race of the TV show is white. When I watch this show it makes me think about how society wants to view teen’s lives and how actual lives of teens are much different. I feel like teens watching this show who may have deeper problems than the ones shown on TV might feel ashamed or wish their life was like the TV show. This is sending out a bad message to teens and making them feel like their life isn’t as good as the ones shown on TV

• Reading the article Qatar Frees, Then Detains, U.S. Couple Accused of Killing Adopted Daughter  

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/world/middleeast/qatar-frees-us-couple-accused-of-killing-adopted-daughter.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

Citation: Khatri, Shabina S., and Rick Gladstone. "Qatar Frees, Then Detains, U.S. Couple Accused of Killing Adopted Daughter." The New York Times. The New York Times, 30 Nov. 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/01/world/middleeast/qatar-frees-us-couple-accused-of-killing-adopted-daughter.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=first-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0>.

In this article you read about an American couple who lives in Qatar who are accused of murdering their child. The trial has been going on for about two years and when the judge finally said they were innocent and that the child died because of an eating disorder the couple were relieved and tried to go back to the U.S where there two other adopted children were. At the airport the Qatar officials wouldn’t allow them to leave even though the charges had been taken away. I believe this is an example of injustice because first, the couple had been wrongly accused and second, not being allowed to leave the country even though they were innocent is unfair. Not letting them leave is taking away their rights as innocent people, and the charges were dropped so they should be allowed to leave. They haven’t seen their other two children in about two years. This is something that I feel very strongly about and i definitely view this as injustice.    

Reading Response

Juliette Daignault 802

             Maintaining friendships in high school can be a challenging thing. The book Ttyl by Lauren Myracle deals with the struggle of high school drama, and friendship. The three friends Maddie, Angela, and Zoe are beginning their sophomore oh high school. Fresh with great memories from their summer together they promise each other to stick together during the year. But besides this the book is also a banned or challenged book. As I read this book one question that I had was why it was banned? I did not read anything that I didn’t think could be happening in real life or was wildly inappropriate. So why was this book banned? Some reasons may have been because there was alcohol use or inappropriate relationships with teachers.

            During the book the character Maddie goes to a party and gets drunk, and dances without a shirt on. This was one of the few scenes that could be seen as inappropriate for teens to read. But this kind of thing can happen in real life and be something to be aware of. If you are aware of these things then you can try to prevent them from happening, but if you are sheltered you may be more likely to do something like this because you are oblivious to these subjects. Another scene that may be seen as inappropriate is when the three best friends are in the hot tub with the teacher Mr. H. The character Zoe is invited to go hot tubing with her teacher and she feels obliged to say yes. So her friends have to interfere and they come into the hot tub with Zoe and Mr. H and get Zoe to leave with them. This is another example of an inappropriate scene but something that could happen in real life.

            These are probably the only two inappropriate scenes in the book besides the use of bad language, and talking about sex. Theses are all things that do happen in teen’s lives and should be exposed to teens to learn more about the subject. Reading about these subjects doesn’t mean it will make teens want to do things like this, it just means they will be aware of the consequences that doing things like this will happen. Teens should feel free to read what they want even if it may seem inappropriate.

            Reading Ttyl has given me a glimpse of a banned book and why people may think it should be banned. I now know that I disagree with why these books are banned because things should be exposed to teens who want to learn about things that happen around them in their lives.

Reading Response  Juliette Daignault 802

In the book Rules by Cynthia Lord the main character Catharine has an autistic brother named David. It is summer time and Catharine is hoping to make friends with a girl named Kristi who just moved in across the street. Catharine tries to befriend Kristi without letting Kristi know too much about her difference from other families. She never brings her to her house when David is around, and never mentions him to Kristi. She is faced with the trouble of whether Kristi could ever be a true friend when she conceals thing from her. By looking at Catharine's relationship with Kristi throughout the book we can see how they aren’t actually true friends. In our own lives we can apply this to how we distinguish true friends from fake friends by how we feel around them.

In the book Catharine feels embarrassed about having an autistic brother, and tries to conceal it from Kristi. Catharine thinks that if she tells Kristi about David too early she wont want to be friends with Catharine. "I peek over, but the girl isn't glancing now; she's staring right at us." In this scene Catharine has just seen Kristi for the first time. She wants to make a good impression on her, but David is outside as well and is drawing attention to him and Catharine. Catharine doesn’t want Kristi to think that her family is strange, that's why she was peeking over at Kristi to see if she was looking at them. When Kristi looks over at her and David, Catharine feels self-conscious. By looking at this the reader can instantaneously see that they would not become that close of friends. Even though they had just met, they should feel comfortable with each other, which Catharine clearly does not. 

Later in the story Catharine realizes she cant always worry about her brother, and if someone really wants to be her friend, they would understand her families differences. Catharine finally understands the importance of true friends, and how her brother needs her. "Tomorrow I'm going to tell Mom she has a point about David needing his own words, but other things matter, too. Like sharing something small and special, just my brother and me." Catharine wants to share things with her brother, and begins to understand him better. She knows that being with her brother is important, and that it's good to have quality time with him. She appreciates that her parents were right and that people will understand that her family is different. She learns that a true friend will accept these things without judgment, and that if you don’t feel comfortable with someone and try to evade them, then they are not a true friend.

Overall Catharine was embarrassed by her brother, but she learns to get over it. Catharine realizes that if a person really cares, you don’t need to cover things up. She begins to see that it's not worth it to get frustrated at someone just because you feel self-conscious about something. I recognized that every one feels embarrassed sometimes, and the hard part is understanding that you shouldn't feel bad about things. Catharine has moved on from feeling humiliated and understands the importance of being honest. She knows she can be herself when she's around someone who really cares.

Finished Booklist

Stolen by: Lucy Christopher
Perks of Being a Wallflower by: Stephen Chbosky
Sold by: Patricia McCormick
Gone Girl by: Gillian Flynn

“Ashes” Reading Response                               Juliette Daignault 802

             Divorce is a major difficulty that many teens face in their life. In the short story “Ashes” by Susan Beth Pfeffer, the reader is brought into the life of a girl named Ashes who is affected by the challenges of divorce. During this time Ashes feels the weight of being torn between her very different parents. Her father who makes promises he cannot keep and her mother who is grounded and realistic. In the story, we can see how complicated relationships affect the choices we make.

            In the story the character Ashes talks about her father in a kind, caring way, making him sound like a special person in Ashes’ life. He gives her what she thinks she wants, and she loves him for it.  For example, Ashes says, “That winter, it felt like every time I saw my father, the sun cast off just a little more warmth than it had the day before.” We can compare this quote to how winters are cold and bland, like what her life could be like. But then, it explains when she’s with her father its seems to be warmer, meaning her father makes her feel happy. Ashes describes her father as wonderful person to be around, and someone she feels comfortable with. As the story progresses her father asks her a deeper question that may change opinions on whether he is truly a good person. Ashes’ father asks her to take money from her mother’s “safe jar.” “I looked out the window and saw only ash gray sky. In the cold stillness of the night, I could hear my fathers car keening in the distance.” At this moment Ashes is deciding whether to take the money. When she looks out she describes the sky as gray and dark, unlike how she had mentioned him before. This leads us to believe that her father in the end was not the parent who provided for Ashes.

            Not only is Ashes’ relationship with her father complicated, but she also has a complex relationship with her mother as well. She never portrays her mother as being a unique or impactful person. “With Mom, there are a lot of rainy days and she takes a grim sort of pleasure in being ready for them.” This quote is also a metaphor in saying her mother isn’t the parent who makes things necessarily fun or gives Ashes what she thinks she wants. We can see that there is a drastic difference in how Ashes describes her mother from her father in the beginning of the story. Ashes makes her father seem like the better parent and her mother less important. Yet, after Ashes dad asks her to take the money from her mother we question who the better parent is. “The apartment was quiet. It always felt a little colder when mom wasn’t there. Even with the lights on, it seemed a little darker.” This is where Ashes’ feelings towards her mother shift. This is after Ashes’ dad asks her to take the money. Ashes is now describing what it feels like without the mother and is now mentioning the mother as the one who provides the warmth and light in her life. Now, we see how Ashes might be realizing that the mother has been the one who has been giving her what she needs.

            This story shows us how people can be more complicated then they show themselves to be. The story on the whole might be teaching us a lesson on how relationships can complicate even the simplest things. Taking money from someone is wrong in many senses, but yet for Ashes it is something she really has to think about. This may be the result of how her own relationships complicated making decisions of wrong from right hard. This can be a real life lesson as well, and should be something to learn from. The complications of others around us can influence how we make our own choices. All teens can apply this to themselves when making decisions and take into account who has affected the choices we make.