Non-Fiction Blog Post

I recently read an article about animal-rights activists releasing animals that were used for scientific testing. The main idea of the article was the releasing of the animals, and people's reaction to the releasing. Some details are how the activist have planned this attack on Facebook, and posted pictures of themselves. The animal-right activists made a siege on the lab, where they camped out there and stated they would not leave without animals. Meanwhile, several people protested outside. In the end, they left with 100 animals out of 800, which are mostly genetically modified mice and rabbits. Some of the mice removed were "delicate mutants", and would die easily outside of a laboratory. The reaction of many people was bad too. The activists had switched the animals in the cages, so the experiments were ruined. One person said they saw,"some research students crying in the disrupted facility." The people who had been working there had lost almost three years of their work learning about psychiatric diseases. These connect to the main idea because it shows how the activists worked, and it showed the devastating affect it had on the people working there.
I think the author wants us to feel bad for the people working in the lab. All their work was destroyed, and this was their total job. Many important things could have been found out because of the research done there, and now it is all destroyed. One main example is in the very title of the article itself. It says,"Animal-Rights activists wreak havoc in Milan laboratory". The words wreak and havoc show that the author wants us to be feel bad. She also included the example of the people crying over their wrecked work, and not so much information on the activist's reasons for what they did. These all combine to show how the author, Alison Abbot, wanted us to feel bad for the people working in the laboratory's.
My thinking has been changed because I have always thought most animals in testing were treated cruelly. I was not completely against the idea of animal testing, since I did not know much about it. Now I realize that animal testing like this may not be completely ethical, but it is necessary and helpful for finding out diseases. Research like this could find us cures to otherwise incurable diseases, and could also let us find more about ourselves. For all the people working in the facility when the activists destroyed it, I feel really bad. Some of these experiments were very important, not only to them but to the world. The activists were too extreme, and by taking the animals out of their environment they are endangering their lives. Even thought I don't 100% agree with all the motives of animal testing, I do believe that the activist were wrong in what they did.
This is the link to the article: Animal-Rights Activists wreak havoc in Milan laboratory

Blog Post on Tess of the D'Urbevilles

I am reading Tess of the D'Urbevilles, which so far I think is a very interesting book. My mother wanted me to read this, because she named me after the protagonist of the the book, Tess. So far in the book nothing much has happened, but there has been a lot of description of the characters. Three characters I want to describe are Mr. Durbeyville, Tess's father, Mrs. Durbeyville Tess's mother, and Tess herself.
Mr. Durbeyville Tess's father wants the best for himself and his family. So far in the book he was worked very hard to keep his struggling family well, because they have many children. He is shown planting and farming, and working very hard. He wants to he best for his family, but he is a very simple and honest man. However, he sometimes lets his benefits get the best of him, when he decided to go to a pub instead of going home. This shows that he sometimes forgets about his duty as a father. But, I think he is sorry for his mistakes. One sign that shows Mr. Durbeyville wants the best for everyone is when he finds out that his family is related to an ancient bloodline, the D'Ubervilles, who were once very rich and famous. Once he hears this news he is very excited, and immediately urges Tess to visit one of the survivors of the D'Urbeville family. I think this shows that he is overacting a bit, and not thinking about the concerns of Tess. If I were Tess, I would be pretty scared of going to an ancient relative, especially one that once held a lot of power. Even though Mr. Durbeyville means well, he sometimes misses the big picture of these situations.
Mrs. Durbeyville is also described as a loving mother, who cares all in the world for her children.  She is always working hard, and is very forgiving. All she has in the world are her children, and that is why she has such a strong bond with them. She knows that they will continue her family and care for her when she is sick and old. She also connects with her family more than her husband, and she understands Tess's anxiety about moving to a new place. Mrs. Durbeyville is full of wisdom, and I think she will continue mentoring Tess throughout the book.
Tess, the final character to describe, is loving and kind. At many times is she described as pretty in comparison to her other country friends.  She is said to go far, and I thinks he will considered she is the main character in the book. I can connect to Tess in more ways than we share the same way, she is sensitive and caring to humans and animals alike. When she accidentally crashed the families carriage and injures their horse, Tess is sad for a long time and deeply regrets her choice. She is nervous about moving to a new place, but she will still do it. Despite all her fears, Tess knows what is right for her family, and she will do what is right for them, and not just for her.
In all, all three of the Dubeyvilles are kind characters, who both receive and give their kindness in different manners. They all are poor country folk, but with dreams and ideas as full as the rich. The author is trying to tell us that it doesn't matter your social class, everyone is kind.

Blog Post on Uglies Series

I am at the very end of Specials, a book that I read quite a long time ago. It is the story of Tally, and her life as a special, and her saving the world, well again. I think that Specials differs from the previous two books in the serious because for the first time Tally is confident with herself, and no longer feels weaker than everyone else. I thought the author, Scott Westefield did a good job describing Tally through her life. In the first book, Uglies, Tally is very innocent and blinded. She knows not about Special Circumstances, who she will later become, and she is convinced that being Pretty is the right thing to do. In the second book, Pretties Tally is pretty-minded through part of the book, and in the other part she is trying to save her friends while at the same time trying to figure out who she is.
But in Specials, she knows who she is and that person is someone strong, and knows what is right and wrong. She has strong beliefs of her own now and can maker choices and plans for herself. In the other books she was always confused whether the choice she was making was the right one, and what the consequences were going to be. In Specials she knows that every choice she will make will have consequences, and that waiting for someone to make the right choice with sometimes make it too late. When she decides to go into Special Circumstances, she is not only risking her life but the future of everyone else. She could have made someone else make the choice for her, but she did it herself choosing she has become a stronger character,
Tally has also clearly developed in her thoughts as well. As an ugly, her brain is "normal"and no machines have tampered with het thoughts. Yet in that society anyone who has not had the operation to become pretty is seen as ugly, so Tally sees herself as worthless. When she meets her friends Shay, and they travel to the Smoke, her mind is changed and she realizes how horrible the city is. As a Pretty, her mind is again tampered with and she forgets everything that happened to her, so she is almost a different person. Yet through it all, Tally carried her beliefs and ideals no matter what the doctors did with her brain.

Romeo and Juliet Essay

Romeo and Juliet Essay

In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet aren’t the luckiest characters. Despite being “star-crossed lovers” (Prologue.6), they are on opposite sides of their world. Separated by a family feud, they are the last people the families think will be together. But their love for each other has no bounds, even with the hate from their families driving them apart. In Romeo and Juliet, rivalry causes Romeo and Juliet to be separated, but yet is the force and end of their love.

            Romeo and Juliet are born into two different households, who have hated each other for many years. The Capulet’s and Montagues are similar, as said in the prologue. “Two households, both alike in dignity”(Prologue.1) and yet they are blazing with fury at each other almost every time they meet. Their reason is not clear-cut too, and is only mentioned twice in the play, the prologue and the Prince’s first speech. The Prince says,” Three civil brawls bred of an airy word.” (1.1.91). This means their feud started over an insult, which turned into an everlasting grudge. The character Tybalt shows this grudge more strongly than any other character. I pictured him as a match; you just need a little spark to set him alight. Tybalt, who is a kinsman to the Capulets, who might not have been involved in the feud since the beginning, is the angriest of them all. Tybalt says,” What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word/ As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee!” (1.1.71-72) The fact that Tybalt hates peace so strongly is extreme, he is a violent character and it seems to me he could never love the Montagues, even after the feud is over. A character like that involved in Romeo and Juliet’s love, a character who hates Montagues and loves death, is someone who will be out to kill Romeo.

            Romeo and Juliet throughout the play make unreasonable decisions that lead to the end of their love. Romeo would rather die than be separated, and he was thinking impulsively.  Love at that young age usually does not last long, young people are less calm and focused in their lives, and often don’t act reasonably to the benefit of others.  Romeo and Juliet being unreasonable can be seen in Act 2 Scene 2, also known as the “Balcony Scene.” Romeo says,” And, but thou love me, let them find me here/My life were better ended by their hate” (2.2.81-82).  I interpreted that as Romeo saying he doesn’t want this love to be a secret if it means they cannot be together. He doesn’t want Juliet to have to hide him. Again, the rivalry between the families is clear in Juliet’s mind, when she begins doubting their love when Romeo first arrives. Juliet starts out with wisdom, and she might have had firsthand experience of feeling or seeing Tybalt’s hate. Juliet becomes unreasonable as the play goes on, and becomes at some points even more desperate than Romeo. This is shown when Juliet is at Friar Lawrence’s cell, and says she would rather die than marry Paris.

            The play quickly turns dark in Act 3, when Romeo’s banishment and Tybalt’s death angers everyone, and is the downfall of the story. When Lord and Lady Capulet see that Tybalt is dead, they are furious and hate Romeo. If not for the Prince, Romeo might have been slaughtered. Now Romeo and Juliet’s love is on the brink of an abyss, and they are doomed. When Juliet hears this news, she has mixed feelings. She at first hates Romeo, saying “A damned Saint, an honorable villain” (3.2.85). She clearly sees how Romeo’s actions have hurt everyone. I thought the words Juliet used to describe Romeo were interesting; she did not call him all evil things, but instead said how he was a good thing, but “damned.” I think this shows Juliet does not fully hate him. The Capulet’s feud with the Montagues has flared up again, and the fact that Romeo is not dead is making the feud even deeper. However, Juliet soon changes her mind, now saying, “Romeo is banished. To speak that word/is father, mother, Tybolt, Romeo, Juliet/All slain, all dead” (3.2.133-135). I thought this line was crazy, the idea that in Juliet’s mind Romeo banished is the equivalent of five people dead! Romeo has similar reactions when he is in Friar Lawrence’s cell when he hears the news. “Tis torture and not mercy. Heaven is here/ where Juliet lives, and every cat and dog/ and little mouse, every unworthy thing/ Live here in heaven and may look on her/ But Romeo cannot” (3.3.31-35). Romeo is again reminded of the feud and rivalry that exists between the families, that everything but a Montague can look on Juliet.

In conclusion, Romeo and Juliet’s love had a high chance that it would not end well. With their family feud, and the impulsiveness of youth, their love was proven to be not successful. Yet, the moments when they were together were the happiest moments in the play. The rivalry between their families made their love strong. In movies and such when people say, “it’s a Romeo and Juliet love story,” I think it’s not always true. Romeo and Juliet’s love was not going to last, as mentioned in the prologue. But because of its end, Romeo and Juliet’s love is known as one of the strongest in history.            

Blog Post on Emma

I am just recently starting Emma by Jane Austen, and so far not much has happened. I noticed that Emma's character is already very prominent and I think that is what the author intended. Even from the first line of the book,"Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition, seemed to unite the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her." From the very first line of the book, I can already tell what kind of character. Usually characters that are described as "rich" and pretty are usually the shallow characters. This narrator is casting her into a great light, almost as if she is someone we should look up on. And this is clearly an opinionated statement, because we the reader don't even know what Emma looks like, or what her personality is.
So far in the book Emma has been sad because her governess, Miss Taylor has recently gotten married and has moved out. I find this to be a little childish on Emma's part, because at twenty years old you should not have to depend on people that much. People have lives of their own, and Emma shouldn't hold someone back. I think this relates to the quote I mentioned because it say Emma has very little to distress her. If someone has had a very calm life, and has been protected from the outside world, then it would make sense that little things would distress them. So, because Emma hasn't been exposed to the dangers in life, she might be naive about many things.
Even though Emma might be childish about some things, she is a very clever person. She makes "matches" with people whom she thinks they might marry. Her father scolds her for doing this saying,"it's not right to meddle in other peoples affairs." I think her father is right, and this might be a moment where Emma is being too clever. It is not fair to predict things about people that are that extreme, and she might be hurting people unknowingly. Again, this relates to my idea that Emma is unconscious of other people, and their feelings because she has been living a pretty happy life. Without many people around her, she might not be that empathetic.
Overall, Emma is a complicated character. She is smart and bright, yet is sometimes unknowingly of people's thoughts and feelings. Even though she has rich, and lives all alone expect for her father, she is  still a nice person. I think as the book goes on, I will be able to see deeper into Emma's personality and her reason for "meddling" with other people.