Lifes gifts

Marisa White
English
Of mice and men essay
         It is often a debate when it comes to morality. Right and wrong. But really how can one person decide of that? How do you know that what you think is right, is the only right. That sense of justice is very circumstantial and stems from ones background, and beliefs, the society you live in. When George decided to take up that gun and shoot Lenny he was ultimately making a decision from his own idea of right and wrong. I myself do not believe in good or bad, right or wrong. I only put any stock in your actions, and their affects. I cannot say whether Lenny’s death was right or wrong, but George is responsible for making a decision that should never have been made by one sole mind. In “Of Mice and Men”  by  John Steinbeck  the shot fired into Lenny’s head was not that of a mercy kill, but one of false sense of justice.
         Candy’s dog was an old, old dog this is true. Whose  to say it did not enjoy its life and wished to keep fighting for a while? When it came down to it the killing of that dog stemmed from both selfishness and love. Selfishness in the other occupants who simply wanted him gone because he smelled, love in that of Candy for his dog. Although  once Candy conceded to  have his dog killed it was from love, that still does not make the fact it should have been the decision of the dog. Even if you presume the being you are bestowing ‘mercy’ upon cannot make that decision itself, neither can you for you have no way of knowing its feelings and should not pretend you do. It is much the same with Lenny’s end. One could tell just by the way he said “and I-I get to tend the rabbits! Tell it George tell it!” and got all giddy with excitement showed his happiness in life and hope for a future. No matter if the word ‘mercy’ is plastered upon it, these things where still taken from him.
         As with Candy’s dog, Lenny’s death also came about from a bit of selfishness too. Obviously Goerge was mostly thinking about Lenny’s imminent future, but it seemed as though he was thinking of that for himself too. “oh with out you I could have it all.” Goerge often displayed resentment towards bearing Lenny around like a small child, and constantly getting into messes because of Lenny’s lack of intelligence. Could his decision to pull the trigger also been affected by his desire to be free of this burden? It was evident Goerge loved Lenny in a brotherly way, but at the same time Lenny was a constraint to George and at least some of his decision was affected by this fact.
         There was plenty of time to escape from that position like they had before. George and him could possibly have made their escape. George seemed resigned though, he’d pre-made his decision. He then continued to tell Lenny the altogether to familiar story of the future they will never share now. He put the barrel of the gun to the back of his head and ends the life he thinks he is saving  by doing so. Sure lynching was a very possible and horrendous future, and there was a huge chance that escape could have ended futilely, but it was never attempted and furthermore no other possibilities for the future were even considered. George had plenty on time to think and decide. His decision led to the end of a pure and life-loving man who never harmed anyone intentionally. Whether love led to that or not, the fact remains the same, Lenny was dead.
         Therefore it is quite evident decisions like these cannot be tagged with words like ‘mercy’ and ‘good’ they are acts that cause events and names for them are nothing more then excuses for murder. When it comes down to it really when is murder justifiable? In this world so filled with judgment what is the correct way of viewing events? How can we know so defiantly ours is in the right. The answer is you cannot, and George never had to pay the price for that.


Marisa White
History Essay all quiet on the western front



         The movie “All quiet on the western front” was a film based on the book by Enrich Remarque. All the images shown in this movie related to Enrich’s message, a way of portraying war as he sees it, that being a despicable horrendous thing. A young boy, the main character Paul, sets out on his seemingly innocent adventure with his entire class in the misguided thought that they where going into something fun, something wonderful. Misguided by a patriotism they go unknowingly into the clutches of war, only to find that in the end only two survive of a class of 18. The movie ends with the death of Paul, and the title restated. Not a very happy ending.
         The point of this dreary film was one seen many times in history, war is not glory rather only a painful suffering that ends in destitute and no real winner. “it is a horrible thing to say, but I feel like I’m going home now.” words said in a letter written to Paul’s mom as he left to fight yet again. Even when not killed he is not at peace until he returns back to war, the only thing he knows anymore. He talks about how changed he is, like a different person. Death isn’t the only thing to fear of a war, the psychological changes though more often thrown aside, are often more daunting. When one is confronted with constant scenes of death and carnage as shown in the film, your invariably changed. That person may never go back to who they where. They have no place left in a now unfamiliar society. War has left them without a home, yet it is that very home that asked them to go to war. The message remained from start to finish almost a mockery of the hypocrisy of war itself, and its negative affects therein.
         This film was important to what we are studying not only in the fact that we are learning about World war one, which was where the movie took place, but it can be reflected into any war we have ever studied, or even any that has taken place, from now to the farthest of history. Its an idea of war that by showing it threw a different perspective, our own enemies, shows there really isn’t a difference on the side your on, who your allegiance is with, really even who wins in the end. History is a constant cycle of battles, all are fought similarly, leave the same impressions on the people fighting, though weaponry may change, time may change, feelings remain constant and the results are always tallied on the men lost in the war. Death is wars best friend, and goes with it where ever it visits. No war is any different in this way.
         World War 1 was a time of great patriotism. The film starts with a school teacher instilling this into his Germen class, riling them up and preparing for the start of the war. So excited are they with no idea of what’s in store, life in the trenches. Everything was for their country to make their homeland proud. For Paul it seems in the final stretch he looks back on this almost bitterly. Living in the dusty rat infested trenches, filled with the stink of death and blood was apparently less appealing then made out to be. Death of those near by constantly surrounding you, noise of guns and bombs shrieks of those you know dieing. Caught by your own acts of killing. What must be done in order to survive in that brutal  place. Paul laments the death of one he had killed by stating “we could have been brothers.” Life at war was no life at all.
         This film gave an idea of how human nature when unleashed, not constrained by society’s limitations, is that of the ferocity of wild beasts. Reverted back to nature we are naught left but need to kill or be killed, survival at any costs, leave sanity and conscience back at home. When forced to become so, humanity is an ugly thing, and when one has gone to the point where he disregards society’s rules, like that in war, there is no going back, what’s lost is lost and those people are forever scarred with their ordeal, just or unjust as it may be. When right and wrong is cast aside, what’s left is but bear brutality, and if war was to be the only evidence, Hobbs would be right in his ideals of people.
         Message in infused into the film, reality and ideal of war are very different. What is thought and what is seen almost two worlds of their own.  War is a tragic misconstrued concept and the point of this film was to shed some light on its harsh reality. In this, it did a very good job, and accurately displayed its affects on nearly everyone, those at home, those in the battle, and those in charge. Threw characters that could represent anyone, it was more then simple storyline, it was a truth. And those are hard to find.


Marisa White
History project
          In 1868 a 15 year old prince ascended to the throne in a very much feudal Japan.  He was the 122 emperor of Japan, and as such was referred to by his posthumous name, Meiji. To be called anything other, like his real name, Mutsuhito, was disrespectful to say the least. Meiji was also the era in which he ruled, translated into English it is literally “enlightened rule”.  Enlightened it very well may have been, for during this time Japan underwent a massive transformation. Imperialism, though not directly, sent a wave of westernization and a great transition from Feudal to industrialized. Emperor Meiji was born in a feudal alienated Japan. He left it an industrialized economic power.  Although during Meiji’s reign there were several negatives affects of the westernization and expansion, like the near loss of the entire culture, the benefits of becoming an economically more successful, worldly involved and innovative country was by far a more positive effect.
         Japan took to westernization with an agenda. To them, taking in other cultures and bettering themselves were simply goals to be met, not a question of wrong or right. And they did this rapidly. They wanted to become a modern nation and so sent forth delegates for all fields of science and technology to Europe and the United States to study foreign political, economic, administrational and cultural systems. Not only that but Japanese students where then sent abroad for higher learning and to take it back to Japan. Foreign teachers, philosophers or any person of significance in learning where brought to Japan. Yokohomo prints where made that portrayed foreigners and their technological advances. These where made from wood blocks and sent among the people. These changes where brought in part by the fact China was in a weakened state from imperialism and was largely under control by western forces. China had been a huge influence on Japan in the past and constituted a significant part in the remaking of Japan. Also a drastic change in the view of foreigners occurred. Instead of with anger or even fear, they started looking towards them with reverence.  The thought Sonno joi was replaced by bummei kaika - civilization and enlightenment.
         The Emperor himself wasn’t single handedly responsible for these changes, more so is that he lightly pushed Japan towards them in an almost inscrutable way. Simply by being a figure head with influence over the agricultural parts of Japan did he support the change. He and his wife wore western clothes and made prints of western people events and technology as a form of propaganda. He created a very positive image of western culture and that allowed for people to accept its influence more eagerly. Rural Japan followed the emperors every move with reverence, what ever he took on, so did they and advancement spread. He also introduced the first obligatory school to Japan to further education.  During his reign Japan was permanently changed, militaristically became powerful and won wars against China and even the Russian fleet and army, economically became industrialized, socially more western, and became a great Asian power. The change was such that in the New York Times, his funeral was noted with the thought “ the contrast of that which preceded the funeral car and that which followed it was striking indeed. Before it went old Japan; after it came new Japan."
         That is not to say this rapid change did not go without its negative side. In opening up Japan was brought into wars it would not have been apart of before, and indulged in other culture so much that it nearly lost its own. In fact it was western scholars brought to Japan that wished to preserve Japans heritage and old customs. They where so fired up, taking any western idea, technology, even social things like clothes, that their own culture was being quickly ate up and forgotten. Their ways of thinking totally transformed, feudal customs removed and replaced with industrial advances. So although it way have been a time of “enlightenment” and advancement for Japan, it was also a time of great culture loss and destruction of the old Japan. From that piont, they could never go back.
         The positive affects of westernization that occurred in Emperor Meiji’s reign outweighed that of the negative. Japan grew from isolation to an Asian power that today is still a major force because of it. It grew in all aspects and contributed to part of world war 1’s outcome by overcoming both Chinese wars and Russian with its newly found militaristic technology. The only suffrage that came out of this westernization was the negative affects of its loss of isolation and its culture loss. All together the benefits of the Meiji time was far more beneficial than contrary wise.
            Emperor Meiji and the events that occurred in his rule made Japan a totally new place from where it had been just thirty years before. The Japanese had a new way of thinking, better school systems, technology and other advances that where reaped from westernization.  Had these events not occurred it is likely to think Japan may have stayed feudal and isolated with little power of its own. To restate, because of Emperor Meiji and this time of rapid change, Japan became a better place.



Bibliography;
"Emperor Meiji." Artelino. Web. 13 Dec. 2009.

"Emperor Meiji." Wikipedia. Web. 14 Dec. 2009.




The Secret life of Walter Mitty
Marisa White

            He stood, smoking, the fumes drifting away on a lazy breeze. The far off sound of gunshots resounded threw the air, but Walter Mitty did not so much as blink as he stood, bandana in hand waiting for the irrevocable event. His death.
            Regardless, he stood tall. Proud even, in the face of death. The bullets making their way towards him seemed to have no affect on the brave Walter Mitty…
            WHEEEE Ri Ki Ki Ki.-sirens? Walter looked around, completely shaken from his daze. He turned to see his wife thundering towards him from a smoking drugstore,. She had already started talking, though he could not hear her, just  saw the faint movement of her lips. Then came the boisterous boom of her voice.
              “…it was the strangest thing! I mean how could you ever see that setting fire! Anyways lets get to the car I barely made it out of that place, carry my bag.” She started forward as if she could care less about what happened now that she was out. But Walter looked back, it was the most interesting thing to happen to him that day.
              …. A rather large lady stood on the balcony of the apartment above the now burning store. She carried two rather scruffy looking cats and stepped back and forth on her heels with a panic stricken face.
              “ Get down from there!” the shrill voice called though in the chaos it was hard to see exactly who had called this out.
              The lady looked down desperately, “I can’t! not without my kitties!! Some one! Anyone! Please help my kitties!”
                Mitty was not one to back down to challenges. He was, of course, a hero. And in this situation he knew just what to do. With a secretive smile, one that seemed to have always been meant for his lips, he climbed the fire escape to get to the distressed lady. Once safely onto the balcony the lady grabbed at him desperately. “SAVE MY KITTY!!”
                Walter shook her off softly. “No worries my dear.” He was a gentleman of course.
                The small apartment was cluttered to say the least, and cats ran every this way and that.  It would be harder than he thought, there where so many cats. At the thought of this he just stood taller, wrenched a pillow case from the bed close by and gently placed as many cats as he could in. Then using his ingenuity, he created a harness from rope in the kitchen to slowly lower the pillow case to the ground, to safety.
                He continued this until all the cats where safely to the ground at which point the grabbed the lady around the waist and climbed back down the fire escape right as the flames  began to dance threw the apartment.
                Cheers came from the assembled crowd below. Mrs. Mitty stood there, mouth wide open in what appeared to be shock. Walter grinned foolishly at everyone it was so great…but wait…this had to be a  daydream…that was the only time he was every in control ever anything special…
                  …Walter Mitty realized with a start for the first time in his life it had not been a daydream. He was the hero, and it was in real life.
                 







Marisa White
History outline 456-465



1.           A world of progress and reason
                2.      scientific rev, 1500-1600’s
                            3.          Expanded European knowledge
                            3.          Copernicus and Newton
                            3.          Confidence in reason
 
              2.        Social, political, and economic problems could be solved with reason
1.          Two views of the social contract
         2.          Thomas Hobbes-1600’s
                   3.               “nasty brutish and short”-life
                   3.              Wrote Leviathan
                   3                 absolute government
                   3.               Control
                            3.               People basically evil
                   3.                 Social contract: give up state of nature for an organized society
         2.            John Locke-1600’s
                   3.                 People born good
                   3.               Slowly where corrupted by society
                            3.               Institutions shape human personality
                            3.               Tabula resa-blank tablets
                   3.                Government meant to protect human rights
1.          Other enlightenment thinkers.
              2.          Montesquieu
                   3.          From France
                   3.          Criticism of absolute monarchy
                   3.          Separation of powers
                             4.          Legislative
                             4.          Executive
                             4.          Judicial
                   3.          Liberty
                   3.          Checks and balances
         2.          Rousseau
                   3.          Everyone was born good-corrupted by the evils of society
                   3.          Unequal distribution of  property-wrong
                   3.          The social contract-society controls how to behave
                   3.          Common good over self interest
                   3.          General will
         2.          Adam Smith
                   3.          From Britain          
                   3.          Physiocrat
                   3.          Government to administer justice, protect society, and provide public works.
                   3.          Laissez faire-free market
         2.          Diderot
                   3.          Edited encyclopedia
                   3.          Tried to change the general way of thinking
                   3.          Slavery-wrong, and praised freedom of expression
         2.          Wohlstoncraft
                   3.          From England
                   3.          Critic of social contract-doesn’t include women
                   
                   3.          First duty of woman-motherhood, but should be able to decide what is in own                                                     interest and should not be completely dependant on husband
                   3.          Education for girls
1.          Salons
         2.          Gathering of enlightenment thinkers
         2.          Debate ideas
         2.          “woman ruled then”-said when woman where in charge of salon.          








Marisa White

Research section;

1.  And 2. Research and References:
"Project three: the Egg Drop Experiment." Project based learning experience. Web. 12 Dec. 2009.

Notes; website creates a clear summary of the experiment.

“Project Overview

The Classic "Egg-Drop" experiment has been a standard in science instruction for many years. Essentially, students are asked to construct some type of container that will keep a raw egg from cracking when dropped from ever-increasing elevations. But with some further thought, this activity can be both engaging and completely in accordance with the National Science Education Standards developed by the National Research Council in 1995.”

“In the Egg-Drop project, benchmarks may include the interrelationships between free-fall, force, and gravity.” -relates science

“The problem (or, more appropriately, the challenge) in this scenario is to drop an egg from a specified height (usually in increasing incremental steps from 1 story to 3 stories) and ensure that it remains unharmed.”



Leung, Julie. "Egg drop Experiment." JulieLeung.com: a life told in tidepools. Web. 12 Dec. 2009.

Notes; example of an egg drop experiment done at home from a railing. Results coincided with my hypothesis and set a direct procedure for doing the procedure as well as included speed and height of the fall of the eggs and the materials that worked and which did not. Gave ideals and visuals. Showed how the different objects affected how the eggs either remained in their shape or broke on impact.

Belgrad, Dr. Susan. "The Amazing Egg Drop." The Amazing Egg Drop. Web. 12 Dec. 2009.

Notes; more f a lesson on how a group goes about this experiment but helpful in laying out  procedure, and advice on how to go about the experiment though doesn’t actually go into the experiment itself.


3. Summary Notes:

Hypothesis;  The eggs will not break at a lower height into and object such as a box of cereal but as the height increases so does the chance the egg will break.

I decided to change the idea up a bit and keep the item constant- same box of cereal each time but use height as the changing factor-the independent variable. With speed and objects as control variables. By recording the result of each drop on the egg height will either be shown to have or not have an effect on the eggs landing.


Planning section:
5 Variables;

Independent variable: Height. In meters.
Dependant variable: Egg shell/ Egg itself-cm of cracked shell
Control variables: Speed in mps

6. Procedural Plan of Action;

Procedure- place box on ground. Control speed. Measure redesigned height. Drop egg. Record. Increase height-constant in change-control speed, drop, record results. Repeat however many times necessary.

My control group is speed and the object I’m using.

My experimental group is the height.

Dependant-Egg shell    Independent-height

Location, stairs or area of gradual height change necessary.

Materials; eggs, cereal box half empty. Clean up materials. Pen. Pencil.

Costs: carton of eggs.

7.Task List;

Get carton of eggs;  12/13

Gather all necessary items; 12/13

Pick out experimental area; 12/14

Try out experiment without recording; 12/15

Actual Experiment Day; 12/15

Record information; 12/15

Compile Findings; 12/ 15

Fit hypothesis into findings; 12/ 16

Evaluate; 12/16

Finish/ polish up all experiment and findings; 12/16














































Marisa White
History outline: American Revolution.



1.          American Revolution
         2.          French-Indian war-7 years war.
                   3.          British fought to gain control of Mississippi 
                   3.          Won; gained all of Canada and huge amounts of land
                   3.          Huge debt because of wars expense
         2.          New sense of nationalism
                   3.          Instead of being British colonists felt the where apart of the state they are in,                                        like Massachusetts-Bostonians etc.
                   3.          Connection to mainland was slowly being forgotten
         2.          Britain started taxing the colonies-sugar act 1764
                   3.          Outrage from colonists
                   3.          Thought taxes where unfair
                   3.          ‘no taxation without representation”-with no one to represent the how could                                        Britain make the decision to tax them
                   3.          Boycott-let tea rot in boats-boston tea party
                   3.          Act repealed, though not entirely.
         2.          More taxes placed on colonies and restrictions stamp act
                   3.          Violent responses.-sons of liberty
                   3.          Attacks on the tax collectors.
                   3.          Tarred and feathered
         2.          British troops sent to keep peace-Townshend act-tea act
                   3.          March 5, 1770-Boston massacre-riotous colonists shot by troops 6 men killed.
                   3.          Paul Reveres print-possible first ever political cartoon.
                   3.          Outrage
         2.          Tea act figure of control for the colonies
                   3.          Committee of correspondence
                   3.          Revolutionary ideas spread
         2.          Intolerable acts
                   3.          didn’t subdue colonists outraged them
                   3.           First continental congress
         2.          Battle of Lexington
         2.          War begins
         2.          Treaty of Paris
         2.          Declaration of independance





Marisa White
Social Studies
                                  Les Miserables Essay


          Victor Hugo wrote a novel that evoked emotion, both in the time he wrote it and even continuing on to present day, Les Miserables. Later in 1998 a film was made of it. Clearly the events and the people portrayed in this movie where a representation of the life lived in Revolutionary France. It also subtly put into light the flaws of the society they lived in and even society today. Everything put into the movie held meaning carried from the novel. Les Miserables is a film that held a message to carry with you, themes that force one to view society as it really is, and as a whole it was decently filmed and acted out.
         The book had been a hit to say the least, when it had first been published in France and Belgium in 1862. Mobs of admirers and critics alike flocked outside of shops in wait for it. [Reading] this was partly because of a growing fan base but more over it was because of the message it possessed and the affect it had on the people who read it. “The book which the reader now holds in his hands, from one end to the other…treats the advance from evil to good, from injustice to justice, from falsity to truth, from darkness to daylight, from blind appetite to conscience from decay to life, from stability to duty, from heaven to hell, from Limbo to God. Matter itself is the starting point and the arrival is the soul.” [Hugo] Strong words that came from that very novel. Their message is clear though, he was going to show what was wrong and how it needed to be fixed. The advance from ‘evil to good’. “True to Hugo’s political stance, he had written a book about the people that was for the people, a book that demanded a change in society’s judgment of its citizens.” [reading] In parts of the film it seemed as though there was clear mockery of what was right in society when shown next to true morality. For instance when Fantine was being locked up for being abused by the two men on the streets, you can clearly see why society was wrong for locking her up, and when one of true morality shows up, Jean Valjean, to keep her from being locked up the line between the two becomes all the more clear. What was held to be in right, was clearly wrong. By showing the stark difference between society and what was right, Victor Hugo wrote a book made into a film with a clear cut message on just how flawed Frances society was.
         Each character put into this film holds themes coinciding with enlightenment ideas of human nature. They also represent much of what is ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Jean Valjean as stated above a character representing true morality. Starting off he was a criminal-forced by the uncaring streets of France to steal the bread that was to keep him alive.  Later he is redeemed by the Bishop Digne and continues on to become very wealthy and powerful yet retained a generosity and kindness. He is the epitome of Rousseau’s  idea that people where born good, they where just corrupted by the evils in society. Jean was a good man who was simply forced to do bad. He is the example that people can change from bad to good.  Javert is the character that represents society’s unforgiving and unchanging view on what is good and what is bad. It seemed that at the end of the film when he kills himself instead of Jean, it seemed to signify needing to throw away that harsh and rigid view society had. His ideas are very similar to those of Thomas Hobbes, if you where born bad you remained bad no matter what. There was no way to redeem yourself, it was an unchanging thing. The only way the preen out the bad was to find and discipline those who have done bad, no matter how long ago the crime was and regardless to the reason. A crime in his eyes was a crime, and that was that. The only right was his right. Fantine is a women who, by a harsh turn of events is forced  into prostitution. After she is left to care for her daughter by herself and she lost her job, she can only get the money needed to care for her child this way. She is undeniably a good person, she is just forced into ‘sin’ by the cruelty of the world. And eventually it gets to be to much and she dies of the consumption. John Locke said everyone was at first a blank Tablet. That without outside forces, human nature would be generally good. It is only when the wrong forces act on a person that they turn bad and do the wrong thing. Fantine had to do wrong for the right reason, to survive and to care for her daughter in the only way she could.  Her daughter is Cossette, and she is a representation of innocence, she is the blank tablet before anything has gotten the chance to affect it yet. Maruis is the character calling for change in the government. He is the romantic hero [] and displays John Locke’s idea that when the government no longer served the people, no longer protected their natural rights it must be overthrown. All the characters coincided with enlightenment ideas as a whole, they showed a desperate need for change and the difference in thoughts of human nature.
         The film itself I thought was okay. The acting was a bit off in the beginning. When Jean hit Digne you could see that his hand never touched him. When he fell to the ground it was very fake looking and the sounds didn’t quite feel authentic to me. But the lighting on set was good and gave a good atmosphere. Eventually the acting picked up and got a lot better. Jean seemed like more real a character and less flat and two dimensional. Everyone’s personality was shown a bit more clearly. The plot was shown very nicely and in relatively good time not to fast or to slow. It was kind of a pleasant medium, wasn’t amazing, I wouldn’t watch it again, but it wasn’t unentertaining to watch either. The concept was good, and they showed foreshadowing nicely, not to bluntly but not to faded either. The themes in victor Hugo’s novel seemed to be present as well.
         Les Miserables made you think. Of the message it was conveying, and how that was connected to society then and even now. How the characters where used to effectively portray different aspects of humanity. How the movie itself was put together and what could it be improved with. If one paid attention to details, every piece of imagery used was a clue to how life was back then. It is good to make the comparison between then and now and see, has society changed all that much? The book and the film, as well as thoughts of enlightenment ideas makes one think, maybe there are ways we could still improve.