The Importance of Being Earnest/Victorian Era Research

Doing research on the Victorian Era before beginning the play The Importance of Being Earnest truly gave me a much higher knowledge of the characters and their lifestyles. Social standings were extremenly importnat back in the 1800s. Higher class aristocrats like Algernon Moncrieff had the ability to be completely in command because they have money and good family backgrounds. If a person didn't have an refined family background, it would change the way they were viewed. Jack Worthing is an absolutly perfect example of this situatin. Jack is a higher class man; lots of money, sensible friends, and a beautiful mansion in the country. When he and his lover, Gwendolen, announce to Lady Bracknell that they are engaged to be married, she finds out the truth about Jack's true place on the social ladder. On page 27 Lady Bracknell voices her true opinion: "You can hardly imagine that I and Lord Bracknell would dream of allowing our only daughter - a girl brought up with the utmost care - to marry into a cloak room, and form an alliance with a parcel? Good Morning, Mr Worthing!"

Lady Bracknell, like most Victorians, had very high expectations. Marrige back then was a buisness - a way to get more money and pass off their daughters to someone else. Love was hardly ever the case of marrige, making Jack and Gwendolen's relationship odd. Algernon has the same views as Lady Bracknell when it comes to relationships. When Jack pays a suprise visit to Algernons manor, Jack says hes in town for pleasure. On page 9, when Algernon learns he plans on proposing to Gwendolen, he comments on the matter: "I thought you had some up for pleasure? ... I call that buisness." Jack, being a hopeless romantic, snaps back: "How utterly unromantic you are!" Romance was definately not related at all to marrige - which was perfectly normal. Women back then dreamed of marrying a rich, sophisticated man in with a high social class, which would help them advance on their own social lives. Jack's ward, Cecily Cardew, fulfills this dream when she meets Algernon Moncrieff. Cecily is a country girl - living a normally boring life. Watering flowers, writing in her diary, and her forced learning of German grammer is her lifestyle. Every. Day. When she meets Algernon, although there is conflict about his name, she immediately loves him. She creates the happily ever after that every Victorian gil dreamed of; marrying a rich and attractive aristocrat. By doing research on the Victorian Era before beginning The Importance of Being Earnest, I was able to gain a more thourouh knowledge of love, marrige, and the social class conflicts that separate the two.

Resolution

As the end of 2009 drew nearer, I began considering various things to change in the new year. The opportunity to make a New Years Resolution only comes around once a year, and I'm determined to stick to my plan throughout the entire year, something that I have never quite acomplished in the past. After much thought, I've decided that my resolution for 2010 is use my money more wisely. I am a huge spender, and if i see something I like, I just have to have it. If I don't buy it, it's all I can think about for the next couple of days. By using my money more wisely and saving, I will have a more stable future.

In addition to my spending self control, I'm also going to open up a bank account. Having wads of money stashed in my room isn't safe (especially around my family members) and isn't gaining any interest either. I have also printed out a plan using percentages. 20% of my income is for spending, 15% is going towards my car fund, 30% is for college, and 35% is saved for the future. By following this plan, I will be able to know where my money is going, and be able to work harder knowing it's going towards important things. Now, my babysitting money will be put to good use, instead of just sitting around. If I am able to stick to this plan, I know that my money will start adding up quickly, and I will have a more sure outlook in the future.

Animal Farm - Poem

There once was a farm like no other.
"Animal Farm" was the name.
This farm was run just by animals,
Though it functioned just the same.

On this farm, all were equal.
The pigs, the hens, the cows...
And everyone worked in harmony
Through songs, commandments, and vows.

But soon the work grew harder
And food was running low.
The animals knew that they needed a leader -
Or they didn't have long to go.

Since pigs are the smartest of animals,
A hog named Snowball stepped up.
His bright ideas gave the animals hope,
From Mare to Donkey to Pup.

Another hog named Napoleon
Hated Snowball for all he was worth.
Their ideas completely differed,
And Naploeon wanted him gone more than anything on earth.

But Napoleon kept quiet,
For he was forming an evil plan.
He wanted to get rid of Snowball,
And take over the power of man.

His plan was put into action
And worked better than he had expected.
He sent his fierce dogs on Snowball,
And he was chased off the land; rejected.

The power was finally his!
And he used it very incorrectly.
The animals were now his control.
And the leadership was his directly.

So Napoleon got what he wanted,
To the expense of others he ran.
A failing farm,
Where there was much alarm,
His power was like unto man....

Both of my parents have given me plenty of advice over the years, but one of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten was from my mom. I was in about second or third grade and my group of friends was having some troubles. Everyone was spreading rumors about everyone and it felt like whenever I got home from school, I was always close to tears. Finally, I couldnt take it anymore, so I decided to talk to my Mom about it. She listened while I vented everything that had been happening over the course of the week, and when I was finished, she told me this: "If you're nice to everyone, you are never going to give anyone a reason not to like you." Soon after the talk with my mom, the fight among my friends ended.

I think the advice that my my mother gave me that one afternoon was some of the best advice she has ever given. I still use that advice to this day, and I think it's a really important lesson that everyone should follow. With all of the gossip and judging going on today, its really important to realize that you would definately not feel good if you knew people were talking about you. That's why I try to be nice to everyone and focus on a person through a positive perspective, not a negative one. Everyone seems to judge people as soon as they meet them, and I'm glad that my mom taught me at a young age that that isnt ok.

My Best Friend

My Best Friend... I really don't like the sound of that. By choosing one friends as the "best" it automatically excludes every other friend. Instead of writing about a best friend, I'm going to write about one of my best friends. My BFF Naomi has many talents, including playing the violin. She's always been an orchestra geek :). She also does rowing, and although I've never actually seen her do it, I'm guessing she's pretty good. One thing Naomi and I do together in the summer is take sailing classes at the OYC, which is a lot of fun. We also enjoy playing The Legends of Zelda: The Wind Waker and feeling like total nerds, embarrassing ourselves in public, riding scooters around town, watching Phineas and Ferb, and laughing at inside jokes!

Naomi and I have been friends since the 1st grade, when we were both new at our elementary school and didn't have any other friends. We became best friends from the start, always having play dates and playing together at recess. Naomi has always been there; through the the Pokemon stage, the Kim Possible stage, the Dog-loving stage, the art-freak stage, and many more. No matter where our interests drifted, we always drifted there together.

My Earliest Memory

My earliest memory is very clear to me. At the time my family was living in our house in Shelton, Washington, before we moved here to Olympia. I must have been around two-years-old because I was still sleeping in a crib. When I was little, I never wanted to go to sleep without holding onto my mom or dad's hand and rubbing their fingers. It sounds weird now, but it was a huge comfort to me. In fact, my sleeping habits got so bad that my parents would keep a pillow under my bed. Every night one of my parents would lay on the floor with their pillow and stick one of their hands through the bars of my crib until I fell asleep.

I can remember my very first memory like it was yesterday. I am laying in my crib. The crib was white and had small blue and pink teddy bears on the sheets. I sat up and looked through the bars of the crib and saw my mom on the ground sleeping. This is the earliest memory of mine, and it is very special to me because it shows how much my parents love me, even if that means staying up late holding my hand and sleeping on the ground. I'm glad that I have this as my earliest memory because at least my parents will know that all that time staying up with me has been remembered and appreciated.

The Bean Trees: Motif

Throughout The Bean Trees, by Brabara Kingsolver, motif is overwhelmingly used. The entire book focuses on one main symbol: Motherhood. The entire book is based on difficult family situations and the strives that these women have to make while trying to protect their children. Without this strong motif, the book would have no purpose. Even though it was just only a story, the characters and their feelings towards each other amazed me.

Although not one character had an easy life, they all found ways to love their lives and be grateful for what they had. One of the characters, a women named Esperanza, had her baby taken by a neighboring country during war. Through these tough times, although she was scarred forever, she still found ways to love life and be thankful for what she had. Another women named Taylor was unexpectenly given a Indian child while on the Cherrokee Indian Reservation. Her astonishment was something completely expected. To my suprise, Taylor cared for the baby like she was her own, and even though having the baby changed her life forever, she remained positive and happy. One other women who had mothering troubles was LouAnn. Her husband left her right after she had her baby, and although she was always hurt by this, she ended up becoming a wonderful mother and became happier than she had ever been.

I believe that the stongest element in the story is definately motif. Although there is some imagery, motif is used much more often. I love the motif in this story because I love books that have to do with motherhood and children. This book was definately a fun read and was very easy to get attached to the characters and their lives. I was upset when I finished this wonderful book!