Post-Performance Reflection -- Romeo and Juliet Project

My character is Romeo, the son of one of the most powerful men in Verona, he falls in love with the daughter of his family’s rivals, and a drastic chain of events after causes many deaths. I have never played Romeo before and knew it was a hard part, but I was ready for the challenge. I wanted to show his love for Juliet through my eyes and movements around her, and when I spoke about her apparent death, I tried to make it so you could hear the sadness in my voice.

            The performance went well for me, even though it was hard to hear without any microphones. I feel that I accurately represented Romeo’s sadness, and that he had given up on life in his last speech. However, if I could change anything, I would have wanted to speak a little louder so the audience could hear me clearer.

            Although I have recently done a performance of Macbeth, I feel that I have learned even more about Shakespeare in this unit, through the language and the particular way of speaking it. This will be very helpful in future ELA classes that I might have, because I will have a better way of understanding the rhythm of words and making that rhythm count in any piece of text I write.    

Reading Response -- "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare

          Humans biggest weakness is strength has always been ambition, as it is with Macbeth, who's ambition starts and ends this play. In the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, McBeth is a fame in Scotland pick kills the king after being told by three which is that he will be king.The one thing that drives Macbeth to do this this terrible deed is ambition, but he didn't reach his reign of terror without a little pushing. Other characters in this place had their own part in this tragedy.
          For Macbeth was even persuaded to kill the King (Duncan), he had a raging ambition for greatness, and he wanted to be King more than anything.we see this throughout the play, but especially at the end when he does not deal to Macduff, who has a sword to his throat. His ambition is shown in his pride, he will not yield to anyone.
          At the beginning of the play the three witches ignite his and fission by predicting him to be king, "All hail, McBeth, thou shalt to be king hereafter!" All he's ever wanted was to be king, but prophecy does not take him over the edge, yet. Macbeth is loyal to the king and doesn't want to kill, because he states, "We will not proceed in this business; He hath honor'd me of late."
          When Macbeth tells of the witches to his wife, Lady Macbeth, she doesn't hesitate to push him over the edge. In the speeches, "Was the hope drunk..." And, "What beast was't..." She accuses him of being cowardly and unmanly, and Macbeth can't hold back anymore. Macbeth proves again that he is very noble and can't take being cowardly.
          Macbeth eventually kills Duncan, but then has to face his friends in a battle to maintain his innocence. But he goes insane and loses himself in the process. The greatest leaders in the world all had ambition, Napoleon, Abraham Lincoln, and even Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. But in every human there is a limit, and if you cross it, it could ruin you forever.
         

Picture Book Authors Note -- First Draft

          Racism has been a big part of this country's history, and there is still work to be done. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement have started this immense change in the US in the 60s, but there are still many racial problems left to solve. For example, the police department has been accused many times of extreme actions against black supposed "criminals", even killing some. It   also has a big majority of Caucasian cops. Although the Police Department is not the only problem, it is the most defined and blown up out of them.

          I strived to write this children's book, because i believe that young kids should learn that the fight fall equality for all isn't over. When Polly the Pigeon, from the story, goes to tell other not colorful birds her story, it represents the kids passing this belief on, throughout their lives. Learning this at a young age will stick with them for a lifetime. 

          Although, when I'm writing this it may be a small unpublished book, i hope it's little fire warms all the kids that hear it, and makes them pass on that little flame, until we might create a bigger more ambitious one. So then, African American kids in Selma, Alabama won't be afraid to become friends with white kids, and so they can go to the same school as them, live the desegregated lives they deserve. That is a future I hope for, and try to create for the next generation.

"Brown Girl Dreaming" by Jaqueline Woodson -- Synthesis Page

Note Taking Question: Who has the power in the book?

Archetypes

Power Holder: The Mom -- She has the power because her kids and her parents respect her judgement and will do what she says because they all believe that what she says it right. This is why she has the power, someone who has power, also has power over others. She overtake the grandmother and the dad, because the kids will trust her over the others, that is true power.

Scapegoat/Outcast: The Dad -- When the Mom takes the kids away from Ohio and away from the Dad because he hates the South and she lived in the South and wanted to go back. Now the kids all believe that he is worse that anyone else because they believe that the Dad hates them and abandoned them. So when there is a problem they blame it on the Dad.

Outside Influence: The Grandmother -- She is a Jehovah's Witness, and wants so desperately for her grandchildren to be one too, which they do become. The Mom, however, does not want them to only have access to that religion. She wants the kids to choose their own.

Hope of the Family: Roman -- The family baby is the family's one hope for a new life. The baby gives the family happiness, they believe everything will be fine if the baby is alive and well. So when Roman gets led poisoning from eating paint, he gets very sick, leaving the family distraught. When he gets better, their whole mentality changes.

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Notes

Negro was a normal thing to say and a correct term for black people in the 1960s, do white people have the power?

The Dad, for now, has the power to influence the kids, but not the Mom.

The Dad has no power over the children anymore. He is an outcast, they all despise him.

The children have faith in the Mom more than anyone else.

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Analysis

Why is the Mom so fixated on going to live in New York?

The Mom split up with the Dad, because she wanted to go to the South, and now she wants to leave and go to New York. I believe this is because, the Mom wants her children to have a better childhood and not grow up being a lower class. She think that they are safe in NY and that is most important to her.

Why does the whole aspect of the family change when the Grandfather dies?

The Grandfather was the fun part of the kid's childhood, but now it seems that without him people moved from place to place because the are unsettled without his joyful presence around them. The family have to learn how to find another source of joy.

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Connection

          Although this book is about one family in the US, it tells an outside story by explain the difference in environments, and how the country's opinion changes over racism and accepts the civil rights movement. The story connects a small, real family and their struggles, to a bigger reality surrounding them. Now, because of families and friends, just like in this story, and years of protest after, this country has improve equality between races. But, the battle is not done yet, we have to keep on fighting or racism will win.

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Claims/Interpretations

-On a bigger perspective the white people have the power, but are slowly losing it to the civil right moment.

-On a smaller perspective the Mom has the power, because the children only trust in her judgement.

-The Grandfather is the joy of the family, their one consistent happiness, and when he dies, no one can settle.

This text is significant because young readers will read this and understand it's simple verse. They will learn about the civil rights movement and realized war people have do to create the equal world around them.

This text was written because the author wanted people to see the struggle of a normal family, surrounded by a bigger fight for equality. She felt that if she wrote this they would realize how much of an effect the civil rights movements had on families around the US.