Quarter One Reflection

Overall, I did well in this class. I feel like I wrote pretty good papers for just getting back into the swing of things. I learned a lot about writing. Specifically on how to write a meaningful thesis for analyzing novels. I also learned about analyzing photos and videos. Some different camera techniques I learned were low, high, and flat angles. I learned how leading lines can tell a lot about the meaning of the photo. I also didn't realize how much thought is put into photography or film making. Coming into tenth grade I wasn't very confident with wrting my thesis statements but now that a quarter has passed, I feel like I can write a strong thesis easily. I think I'm struggling with the MLA style formatting process. I never seem to know if I'm doing it correctly. Sometimes I make dumb mistakes when citing novels even though I know how to do it. I should try to get it right the first time because I know I can do it. My class environment is a good fit for me. For the most part, I don't feel intimidated by anyone in my class. In small groups I'm fine with talking and dicussing with other classmates. I feel that I get a lot out of my classmates, they are very helpful and have good ideas. To further strengthen our learning community I feel like I can participate more. To expand on that, I can share more of my ideas with others. Often, I don't like my ideas so I don't share but maybe now I can get more feedback if I share. My main goal for quarter two is to bump up my grade from last quarter. I would like to try a little harder and get better grades on my quizzes and such. Hopefully I am able to meet my goal and set a higher one for third quarter.

A Million LIttle Pieces; Post Five

How is this novel similar to other pieces of literature that we have studied in class?

A Million Little Pieces is similar to the few novels we have studied, this memoir deals with struggles or conflict like many other works of art. I think the novel most similar to this memoir is Extremely Loud and Incrediby Close for a variety of reasons one being the major conflicts the main characters struggle with throughout the story. In both novels we are able to see that the characters have many issues to deal with in their daily lives. In Jonathan Safran Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Oskar has to live with the guilt of his father's death everyday. In James Frey's A Million Little Pieces, James has to live with the fact that he is an alcoholic and drug addict. These novels are similar in the sense that Oskar and James deal with their problems in certain ways that which most people wouldn't go about dealing with them.

For example, both characters feel the need to ease their pain by injuring themselves. Oskar's guilt from not answering the phone leads him to give himself bruises. Most people like to take it out on someone else rather than making themselves feel worse. The same goes for James, he does not like his life so he decides he wants to end it. James says before he leaves the dining hall for the last time, "Have a nice life, Leonard" (101). This is the first clue to us that James needs help and isn't dealing with his conflicts properly. Usually people want to fix their life rather than end it immediately when they become frustrated. Another way in which these two books are similar is how both Oskar and James don't feel like talking to anyone about their problems. In Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close near the beginning we find out that Oskar doesn't have a real good relationship with his mom and he doesn't like to open up to her. James is the same way, his parents worry about him and he's not willing to open up and share with them what's going on.
"My mother speaks.
'Are you getting better? '
'I don't know.'
'Do you feel any better?'
'I don't know'
'Are you learning anything'" (135).
We can see the similarities between the two characters from different novels. They aren't willing to "talk it out" and they deal with pain in abnormal ways.