Semester TWO, Blog #13 (GOW Final Essay)
Choose from the following, and write a thoughtful, refined essay that uses a variety of direct evidence to thoroughly answer the prompt.
1. How does Jim Casey's moral philosophy guide the novel as a whole?
2. Describe how Steinbeck's description of the characters and setting establish a specific tone for the novel.
3. Describe how the balance between specific stories about the Joad family and broader description of the migration of Dust Bowl farmers impacts the novel as a whole.
Your response will need to have:
1. An answer to the question, as evidenced by a straightforward thesis.
2. Organization, as evidenced by topic sentences that further develop the thesis.
3. Support for your points, as evidenced by thoughtfully selected pieces of direct evidence from the novel.
For those of you in the HONORS program, these are also your prompts for Novel Blog #2 (if you chose GOW as your second HONORS novel).
Please post your complete, revised, and thoughtful response by 11:59:59pm on 3/16/10.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Public Works Administration PWA 1933 Received $3.3 billion appropriation from Congress for public works projects.
Rural Electrification Administration REA 1935 Encouraged farmers to join cooperatives to bring electricity to farms. Despite its efforts, by 1940 only 40% of American farms were electrified.
Securities and Exchange Commission SEC 1934 Regulated stock market and restricted margin buying.
Social Security Act
1935 Response to critics (Dr. Townsend and Huey Long), it provided pensions, unemployment insurance, and aid to blind, deaf, disabled, and dependent children.
Tennessee Valley Authority TVA 1933 Federal government build series of dams to prevent flooding and sell electricity. First public competition with private power industries
Wagner Act NLRB 1935 Allowed workers to join unions and outlawed union-busting tactics by management.
Works Progress Administration WPA 1935 Employed 8.5 million workers in construction and other jobs, but more importantly provided work in arts, theater, and literary projects.
Time has changed, even though we have not really learned anything from our past mistakes from history. I don't think we can use FDR organization because they are already made and most are still here today like welfare and social security. But we can work close with the banks so they don't commit these same mistake again and again.
Rural Electrification Administration REA 1935 Encouraged farmers to join cooperatives to bring electricity to farms. Despite its efforts, by 1940 only 40% of American farms were electrified.
Securities and Exchange Commission SEC 1934 Regulated stock market and restricted margin buying.
Social Security Act
1935 Response to critics (Dr. Townsend and Huey Long), it provided pensions, unemployment insurance, and aid to blind, deaf, disabled, and dependent children.
Tennessee Valley Authority TVA 1933 Federal government build series of dams to prevent flooding and sell electricity. First public competition with private power industries
Wagner Act NLRB 1935 Allowed workers to join unions and outlawed union-busting tactics by management.
Works Progress Administration WPA 1935 Employed 8.5 million workers in construction and other jobs, but more importantly provided work in arts, theater, and literary projects.
Time has changed, even though we have not really learned anything from our past mistakes from history. I don't think we can use FDR organization because they are already made and most are still here today like welfare and social security. But we can work close with the banks so they don't commit these same mistake again and again.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Semester TWO, Blog #12
What were "public works projects"? What famous ones were part of the New Deal? What public works projects would you recommend for our society today?
Public Works Administration PWA 1933 Received $3.3 billion appropriation from Congress for public works projects.
Rural Electrification Administration REA 1935 Encouraged farmers to join cooperatives to bring electricity to farms. Despite its efforts, by 1940 only 40% of American farms were electrified.
Securities and Exchange Commission SEC 1934 Regulated stock market and restricted margin buying.
Social Security Act
1935 Response to critics (Dr. Townsend and Huey Long), it provided pensions, unemployment insurance, and aid to blind, deaf, disabled, and dependent children.
Tennessee Valley Authority TVA 1933 Federal government build series of dams to prevent flooding and sell electricity. First public competition with private power industries
Wagner Act NLRB 1935 Allowed workers to join unions and outlawed union-busting tactics by management.
Works Progress Administration WPA 1935 Employed 8.5 million workers in construction and other jobs, but more importantly provided work in arts, theater, and literary projects.
well i can really recommend any; we are in a depression like 65 years ago but it we have some different needs. But i think the government should work with the banks so this doesn't happen again.
What were "public works projects"? What famous ones were part of the New Deal? What public works projects would you recommend for our society today?
Public Works Administration PWA 1933 Received $3.3 billion appropriation from Congress for public works projects.
Rural Electrification Administration REA 1935 Encouraged farmers to join cooperatives to bring electricity to farms. Despite its efforts, by 1940 only 40% of American farms were electrified.
Securities and Exchange Commission SEC 1934 Regulated stock market and restricted margin buying.
Social Security Act
1935 Response to critics (Dr. Townsend and Huey Long), it provided pensions, unemployment insurance, and aid to blind, deaf, disabled, and dependent children.
Tennessee Valley Authority TVA 1933 Federal government build series of dams to prevent flooding and sell electricity. First public competition with private power industries
Wagner Act NLRB 1935 Allowed workers to join unions and outlawed union-busting tactics by management.
Works Progress Administration WPA 1935 Employed 8.5 million workers in construction and other jobs, but more importantly provided work in arts, theater, and literary projects.
well i can really recommend any; we are in a depression like 65 years ago but it we have some different needs. But i think the government should work with the banks so this doesn't happen again.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Semester TWO, Blog #11
Dear Mr. President Barrack Obama,
We are facing a great recession that has affected all of us. People are losing hope in your promise of reconstructing our economy, and we need to take action now to help stop this. The sad thing about this is that we have learned nothing from our passed mistakes, demonstrating that History does tend repeat it self. Our country went trough a every similar depression in 1929, but Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s modern ideas and open mind helped recover our economy. We need to act similar to Franklin Roosevelt focusing on what he called the 3 R’s “That is, relief for the unemployed and poor, recovery of the economy to normal levels, and reform of the financial system to prevent a repeat depression”. I think we are wasting a lot of money on trying to “fix’s” México drug war.
In my humble opinion, the best way to “fix” the problem is by legalizing weed this will reduce rapid growth of drug trafficker’s that has sadly become a new fashion style among teenagers. Also legalizing weed could start knew jobs in United States like its starting to do in California. During the prohibition ear in the 1920 some people started taking advantage of the situation that wanted to get money faster by bootlegging. Franklin D Roosevelt released that legalizing alcohol will benefit our country’s economy a lot more. Many new legal jobs were built from manufacturing to export. To recover the economy jobs need to be built, Franklin D Roosevelt started new organizations that built jobs that benefited the people that where affected the most. The REA one of the many organizations he formed during his first term as president “new deal”. This organization gave jobs to the people that put in the electricity in rural parts of United States and it also gave jobs for the farmer because with the new technology they could work more productive. Other organization helped places improve education in these parts of the country.
Today, in our time we can go to rural parts of united states and but electrical because mostly like every one has it know¬– but we still need to build jobs it’s a fundamental step we need to take to get out of this recession 11% percent of more of are population is unemployed and are taxes are going to help them when we can simply save the money by encourage small business owner to grow and offer more jobs.The war in Iraq has only benefited some– but it has affected more. According to warresister.org 36% percent of our taxes goes to the military war, and we have spend billions, when that could spend on education our number one priority. This war needs to end. Most of our country including I don’t really understand what we are doing there. We also need to make sure that the people we are giving welfare to really need it and just making it temporally. This will eventually force people to work instead of being lazy and just depend on the government for money. Mr. President Obama, I have hope in you– I know that either way we will get out of this recession but we need to do it soon not let it fix’s it self like Hoover believed it will.
Sincerely
Magda Aguirre
"The Federal Pie Chart." War Resisters League. Web. 03 Mar. 2010. .
"Franklin D. Roosevelt -." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Mar. 2010. .
Dear Mr. President Barrack Obama,
We are facing a great recession that has affected all of us. People are losing hope in your promise of reconstructing our economy, and we need to take action now to help stop this. The sad thing about this is that we have learned nothing from our passed mistakes, demonstrating that History does tend repeat it self. Our country went trough a every similar depression in 1929, but Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s modern ideas and open mind helped recover our economy. We need to act similar to Franklin Roosevelt focusing on what he called the 3 R’s “That is, relief for the unemployed and poor, recovery of the economy to normal levels, and reform of the financial system to prevent a repeat depression”. I think we are wasting a lot of money on trying to “fix’s” México drug war.
In my humble opinion, the best way to “fix” the problem is by legalizing weed this will reduce rapid growth of drug trafficker’s that has sadly become a new fashion style among teenagers. Also legalizing weed could start knew jobs in United States like its starting to do in California. During the prohibition ear in the 1920 some people started taking advantage of the situation that wanted to get money faster by bootlegging. Franklin D Roosevelt released that legalizing alcohol will benefit our country’s economy a lot more. Many new legal jobs were built from manufacturing to export. To recover the economy jobs need to be built, Franklin D Roosevelt started new organizations that built jobs that benefited the people that where affected the most. The REA one of the many organizations he formed during his first term as president “new deal”. This organization gave jobs to the people that put in the electricity in rural parts of United States and it also gave jobs for the farmer because with the new technology they could work more productive. Other organization helped places improve education in these parts of the country.
Today, in our time we can go to rural parts of united states and but electrical because mostly like every one has it know¬– but we still need to build jobs it’s a fundamental step we need to take to get out of this recession 11% percent of more of are population is unemployed and are taxes are going to help them when we can simply save the money by encourage small business owner to grow and offer more jobs.The war in Iraq has only benefited some– but it has affected more. According to warresister.org 36% percent of our taxes goes to the military war, and we have spend billions, when that could spend on education our number one priority. This war needs to end. Most of our country including I don’t really understand what we are doing there. We also need to make sure that the people we are giving welfare to really need it and just making it temporally. This will eventually force people to work instead of being lazy and just depend on the government for money. Mr. President Obama, I have hope in you– I know that either way we will get out of this recession but we need to do it soon not let it fix’s it self like Hoover believed it will.
Sincerely
Magda Aguirre
"The Federal Pie Chart." War Resisters League. Web. 03 Mar. 2010. .
"Franklin D. Roosevelt -." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 03 Mar. 2010. .
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Semester TWO, HONORS Novel Blog #1
America has always been immigrants’ hope of “succeeding and making it to the top”. Their capitalism system makes it sound like the land of opportunities; wealth and prosperity with the virtuous idea that the hard working is rewarded. Philosopher James Adams states "The American Dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” However, in the novel, “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair tells a story about the troubles immigrant families went trough in a meatpacking town. Upton Sinclair connects the bad and corrupted effects capitalism with different symbols. The Cans of rotten meat symbolize the hidden face of capitalism; the Jungle symbolizes the capitalist idea of survival is for the strong workers and Packingtown and the stockyards symbolize the moral and physical abuse of the workers.
Few have benefited from the free market but more have been taken advantage of it. Free market is a market without any intervention or regulations from the government making the business have the freedom to add and charge whatever they want to their products. The meat packing plants started selling rotten meat in cans. They add different chemical so the meat wouldn’t smell and look good. People were attracted to the cans because it of its shinny pretty surface. According to Sinclair capitalism is present in the same way; attractive surface but later you find the rotten and corrupted insides. Jurgis Rudkus immigrated from Lithuanian with his whole family in search of the American dream. A couple days from living in Packingtown he realized it that it will be hard to succeed in the corrupted and violent community. He was still determined to succeed and give his family a better life, like most immigrants feel when they begin. Real state convinced the family to buy a house. The family signs an agreement thinking that it was going to be great like they had told them, but the agreement is full of hidden costs, and the house is in a bad state.
The title of the novel, “The Jungle” symbolizes the survival of the strongest similar to a real jungle. The king of the jungle has always been the Lion and it will be really hard for a mouse to reach its title. The same thing happens in the book only that we are all the same species and strength is not determined by how hard you work but the level of class you were born in. Capitalism offers the opportunity to change your class level if you work for it. But the immigrant family realized that its not true the higher class level makes sure that no one can get to their place by eating the smaller prays. Upton Sinclair makes those who succeed in the capitalist system sound not the best of humankind but rather the worst and most corrupt of all. After Jurgis Rudkus lost his son and his wife he gave up in succeed and began to numb his pain with alcohol. Jurgis start working for a corrupt politic, Mike Scully who makes buy convincing immigrants to by houses to which the Jurgis’ family became victim of. Jurgis becomes more disappointed with society for his first time he earns a good salary but feels guilty. Marija, Jurgis sister in law, become a prostitute and addicted to morphine to help support her and the children.
Packingtown and the stockyards symbolize the exploitation of workers. For the factory owners, the workers are nothing more then a piece of meat in the meatpacking plants. The crowed animal stockyards symbolize the Packingtown’s crowed living, with no personal space or privacy, similar to animals in the stockyards. One day Ona, Jurgis wife doesn’t come back from work, and Jurgis discovers that Phil Connor, her boss, forced her to sleep with him. Jurgis with anger attacks Connor and is arrested, after the corrupted trials; Jurgis is sentenced for a month in prison. Her testimonial was worth nothing less then a piece of meat.
In conclusions The Jungle, has many symbols the compare the life of animals to the worth less life’s of the people in Packingtown. The American dream is cover by the words opportunities; wealth prosperity and capitalism, making people feel that the dream is reachable. Sinclair symbolizes the rotten cans of meat in the same way the american dream is covered by its shiny surface. The Jungle symbolized the true capitalist idea that big animal eat the smallest and Packingtown and the stockyards symbolize the moral and physical abuse of the workers.
America has always been immigrants’ hope of “succeeding and making it to the top”. Their capitalism system makes it sound like the land of opportunities; wealth and prosperity with the virtuous idea that the hard working is rewarded. Philosopher James Adams states "The American Dream is "that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” However, in the novel, “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair tells a story about the troubles immigrant families went trough in a meatpacking town. Upton Sinclair connects the bad and corrupted effects capitalism with different symbols. The Cans of rotten meat symbolize the hidden face of capitalism; the Jungle symbolizes the capitalist idea of survival is for the strong workers and Packingtown and the stockyards symbolize the moral and physical abuse of the workers.
Few have benefited from the free market but more have been taken advantage of it. Free market is a market without any intervention or regulations from the government making the business have the freedom to add and charge whatever they want to their products. The meat packing plants started selling rotten meat in cans. They add different chemical so the meat wouldn’t smell and look good. People were attracted to the cans because it of its shinny pretty surface. According to Sinclair capitalism is present in the same way; attractive surface but later you find the rotten and corrupted insides. Jurgis Rudkus immigrated from Lithuanian with his whole family in search of the American dream. A couple days from living in Packingtown he realized it that it will be hard to succeed in the corrupted and violent community. He was still determined to succeed and give his family a better life, like most immigrants feel when they begin. Real state convinced the family to buy a house. The family signs an agreement thinking that it was going to be great like they had told them, but the agreement is full of hidden costs, and the house is in a bad state.
The title of the novel, “The Jungle” symbolizes the survival of the strongest similar to a real jungle. The king of the jungle has always been the Lion and it will be really hard for a mouse to reach its title. The same thing happens in the book only that we are all the same species and strength is not determined by how hard you work but the level of class you were born in. Capitalism offers the opportunity to change your class level if you work for it. But the immigrant family realized that its not true the higher class level makes sure that no one can get to their place by eating the smaller prays. Upton Sinclair makes those who succeed in the capitalist system sound not the best of humankind but rather the worst and most corrupt of all. After Jurgis Rudkus lost his son and his wife he gave up in succeed and began to numb his pain with alcohol. Jurgis start working for a corrupt politic, Mike Scully who makes buy convincing immigrants to by houses to which the Jurgis’ family became victim of. Jurgis becomes more disappointed with society for his first time he earns a good salary but feels guilty. Marija, Jurgis sister in law, become a prostitute and addicted to morphine to help support her and the children.
Packingtown and the stockyards symbolize the exploitation of workers. For the factory owners, the workers are nothing more then a piece of meat in the meatpacking plants. The crowed animal stockyards symbolize the Packingtown’s crowed living, with no personal space or privacy, similar to animals in the stockyards. One day Ona, Jurgis wife doesn’t come back from work, and Jurgis discovers that Phil Connor, her boss, forced her to sleep with him. Jurgis with anger attacks Connor and is arrested, after the corrupted trials; Jurgis is sentenced for a month in prison. Her testimonial was worth nothing less then a piece of meat.
In conclusions The Jungle, has many symbols the compare the life of animals to the worth less life’s of the people in Packingtown. The American dream is cover by the words opportunities; wealth prosperity and capitalism, making people feel that the dream is reachable. Sinclair symbolizes the rotten cans of meat in the same way the american dream is covered by its shiny surface. The Jungle symbolized the true capitalist idea that big animal eat the smallest and Packingtown and the stockyards symbolize the moral and physical abuse of the workers.
grapes of wrath
“In the souls of the people, the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage.”
Jim Casy
Steinbeck employs Jim Casy to articulate some of the novel’s major themes. Most notably, the ex-preacher redefines the concept of holiness, suggesting that the most divine aspect of human experience is to be found on earth, among one’s fellow humans, rather than amid the clouds. As a radical philosopher, a motivator and unifier of men, and a martyr, Casy assumes a role akin to that of Jesus Christ—with whom he also shares his initials. Casy begins the novel uncertain of how to use his talents as a speaker and spiritual healer if not as the leader of a religious congregation. By the end of the novel, he has learned to apply them to his task of organizing the migrant workers. Indeed, Casy comes to believe so strongly in his mission to save the suffering laborers that he willingly gives his life for it. Casy’s teachings prompt the novel’s most dramatic character development, by catalyzing Tom Joad’s transformation into a social activist and man of the people.
Jim Casy
Steinbeck employs Jim Casy to articulate some of the novel’s major themes. Most notably, the ex-preacher redefines the concept of holiness, suggesting that the most divine aspect of human experience is to be found on earth, among one’s fellow humans, rather than amid the clouds. As a radical philosopher, a motivator and unifier of men, and a martyr, Casy assumes a role akin to that of Jesus Christ—with whom he also shares his initials. Casy begins the novel uncertain of how to use his talents as a speaker and spiritual healer if not as the leader of a religious congregation. By the end of the novel, he has learned to apply them to his task of organizing the migrant workers. Indeed, Casy comes to believe so strongly in his mission to save the suffering laborers that he willingly gives his life for it. Casy’s teachings prompt the novel’s most dramatic character development, by catalyzing Tom Joad’s transformation into a social activist and man of the people.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Semester TWO, Blog #10
Do you believe that the Grapes of Wrath successfully establishes sympathy for the plight of Dust Bowl farmers? Why or why not?
I think it has successfully establish some type of sympathy, i feel and connect to what people were leaving trough the great depression; but more then sympathy i feel anger against the same mistakes we keep on creating in history. But overall a great depression or any financial problems were you end up homeless and not knowing if you will eat tomorrow or where you will sleep is a feeling that people would prefer not going trough.
Do you believe that the Grapes of Wrath successfully establishes sympathy for the plight of Dust Bowl farmers? Why or why not?
I think it has successfully establish some type of sympathy, i feel and connect to what people were leaving trough the great depression; but more then sympathy i feel anger against the same mistakes we keep on creating in history. But overall a great depression or any financial problems were you end up homeless and not knowing if you will eat tomorrow or where you will sleep is a feeling that people would prefer not going trough.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Semester TWO, Blog #9
Reflection on Freedom and Structure
Post a thoughtful reflection on how you have performed within the numerous freedoms associated with Ampersand. Then post a thoughtful reflection on how you have performed within the numerous structures associated with Ampersand.
It takes me a long time to concentrate, so I have always had problems working in school with all of the distractions. I think I am doing well so far. I have been brainstormed and thought about what I could write and i also started writing too. But because its free time I really don't know if what I'm doing is find because i don't we haven't really come up with a strong structure of ampersand yet. For honors i am making this short "talk show" about ampersand and the writers. I been looking in youtube of different examples and started getting ideas about how its going to look and how i will be editing.
Reflection on Freedom and Structure
Post a thoughtful reflection on how you have performed within the numerous freedoms associated with Ampersand. Then post a thoughtful reflection on how you have performed within the numerous structures associated with Ampersand.
It takes me a long time to concentrate, so I have always had problems working in school with all of the distractions. I think I am doing well so far. I have been brainstormed and thought about what I could write and i also started writing too. But because its free time I really don't know if what I'm doing is find because i don't we haven't really come up with a strong structure of ampersand yet. For honors i am making this short "talk show" about ampersand and the writers. I been looking in youtube of different examples and started getting ideas about how its going to look and how i will be editing.
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