Where I Feel I Belong

Where do you "belong"?; Where do you not feel like you "belong," even though it might make sense (geographically, culturally, etc.) for you to do so?; What makes the difference?

I feel like I belong to many different areas, from friends I have met, to my heritage, but, I feel that Indiana, with how boring it may be, is where I belong. I have always lived in Indiana, and most of my family lives here. For me that makes it feel right to be here, makes me feel like I belong. A long time ago, my family got here, Dad's side, all my Mom's side relatives are not on good terms or dead, and settled down. Then, during the time of the Trail of Tears, my several great Cherokee grandmother settled down with my english several great grandfather. Being here for all this time gives me a sense of belonging because it is where my family has been for a long time now. I feel like I belong here, but maybe not so much from where my two several great grandparents are from. If I walked onto a Cherokee reservation, I don't think I would feel like I belong there at this time. I would like to feel that way, and it makes some sense that I would feel like I belong since it is my heritage, but I don't know enough about that culture, my culture, that would give me that sense of belonging. Also, since I don't show any visible characteristics of being Cherokee, I would feel different, and would be treated different. The difference that I believe is the reason for why I feel like I belong to one area and not the other is because I know about one culture and not the other, both of the cultures are mine, but only one is truly mine because of where I have grown up, what I have learned. I hope that someday in the future I will be able to belong to both, but there is no way for me to know if I will be able to or not until that future comes.

Favorite Character

Who was your favorite character in Of Mice and Men and why?

Out of all the characters in Of Mice and Men, I liked George the most and so he is my favorite character from the book.  George is a guy that just wants to settle down and stop traveling, he wants a home. His personality is to protect those he is close to no matter the cost to him. He shows this by always protecting Lennie even though he loses a lot in the process. He has to go from job to job, and run away from the law and angry mobs just to keep Lennie safe. Also, George always tries to do the right thing, which is part of him always protecting Lennie. He always tries to do the right thing for him and Lennie and the others around him. George understands the troubles of these times and wants to make life better, until the end of the book. Also, George shoots Lennie in a way to do the right thing and protect him. He does this to kill him in a quick painless way instead of letting the mob get him and kill him in a painful slow way. That is why George is my favorite character, he always does the right thing no matter the cost it has to him.

Euthanasia

Euthanasia, according to the New Oxford American Dictionary, is the painless killing of a patient (human or animal) suffering from an incurable disease or in an irreversible coma. When it comes to animals, almost everyone in the world can agree it is the right thing to do, you don't want your pet to suffer so you take them to your doctor to be put down. However, when it comes to humans, a lot of people change their minds on this subject. In most countries euthanasia of humans is illegal, which is supported by the majority of the population. We see ourselves as above every other species on this planet, and don't think that suicide or murder should be part of our natures. I say suicide and murder on this subject because that is how we would classify those involved in euthanasia. A lot of people think that the doctor is committing murder when they euthanize a patient because they are killing them. This also causes some moral conflicts with doctors who euthanize patients, they might feel like they are killing someone and feel bad for that. Also, people see the person getting euthanized as committing suicide, because they are. They decided to kill themselves in a painless way so that they don't have to go through years of suffering, pain, and anguish. I think that if a patient wants to get euthanized, then it is their decision to do so, it doesn't matter what others think. Besides, in the past, people who wanted to be euthanized would commit suicide regardless, and now a days we can do it in a more humane way, making it painless. The only requirement I think should be included before a patient can be euthanized is some time with a therapist to see if that is what they truly want to do. 

Why do dreams sometimes fail?

            I believe that dreams often fail for many different reasons, but mainly because for the fault of the person whose dream it is. Sometimes people dream for the impossible dream, something that is not possible in this world. These people live for their sleep, where they can live the life they want in their sleep dreams. Another reason we as humans make our dreams fail, are because we fail to plan for the dream after making it. A counter-example to this cause of failure is in our book Of Mice and Men. George and Lennie have this dream of buying their own ranch with rabbits and living off the fat of the land. They are constantly working to try to save up enough money for this dream, but can finally make it happen after meeting Candy. Candy says, after hearing the dream of George and Lennie, that he would like to help them get their dream into reality and will give them the money he has saved up to buy the ranch. Lennie agree to this and together, they plan to quit work the next month and use the 500 or so dollars they have saved up to buy the ranch to live off of. That is why I think dreams can fail, but if you really put aside time to try and make your dream a reality, they can become true and be the future you want for yourself. 

Belonging

How important is it for human beings to have a place where they "belong" where there are people who know and love them?

I think that it is extremely important for people to have a place where they "belong" because it gives them a sense of who they are. One of the things that you should know is who you are. If you do not know who you are, then how can you know where you are going in the future. Without having a place to belong, people can not move on with their life. Also, being with people who you can trust and who love you is something every needs when they are having a hard time. Being able to talk about things to other people and having others there to help you when you need them is something every human being needs in order to live a healthy life. That is why i think it is extremely important for everyone to have a place to belong.

Friends

What makes a friend and why do we have them?

A friend is something different to different individuals. I think that for most people, a friend is someone you can associate yourself with and trust to always be there for you when you need them. Friends can come easily or rarely depending on who you are and why you feel you need them. Part of the reason that we, as humans, have friends is because it is instinct for us to be in groups. But, it is more because we need people to talk to, confess to, or be there for whatever reason they need us. No matter who anyone is, no matter their lifestyle, everyone needs friends if they want to be able to live life without regretting it.

In Today's World...

In today's world, men treat women more as equals than as objects.

I thought that this one was true because I think men have gotten over the idea that we own women like it was in the past. Today, a man doesn't go to the father of the bride and offer him something in exchange for his daughter, as if they were trading. Also, even though some people thought that when we used woman in commercials they are being treated like objects, this is true, but just as many woman producers do this as men producers do. In toady's world,  I do believe that men treat women more as equals than as objects.

Romeo and Juliet Reflection

Why does Juliet kill herself when she could be free?

I think Juliet kills herself when she could be free, because in her mind she wouldn't be free. Without Romeo, her Lord as she calls him, she feels that she is nothing and could never be free with all the grief she would feel for him. So, instead of living without Romeo in the world, she kills herself to be with Romeo for an eternity.

What do you think of Capulet’s orders that Juliet marry Paris? Was he correct to do so? Why or why not?

I think that the Capulet's orders that Juliet marry Paris was something he should not have done. However that is me coming from a modern standpoint, and I know it was natural for an arranged marriage to happen back then, especially among the upper class. So, coming from the modern standpoint I do not think that it was right of him to do this because it goes against everything i have learned and my country is about, but I am able to appreciate the fact that it was a natural occurrence that happened back then and that I should not be able to judge the Capulet because of it.

Who was ultimately responsible for all of the death that occurred in the play? Why?

I think that Shakespeare was ultimately responsible for all of the deaths that occurred in the play because he was the one who wrote it with all the deaths in it. However, if I had to choose a character in the play, I would have to say that it was ultimately a string of bad events caused by many characters that caused all the deaths in the play. I think this because there were many things, each of which could have gone slightly differently, that caused each death in the play, and in Romeo and Juliet's case, a few events that led up to it. 

Romeo and Juliet Act I

When Romeo first started talking about his love and how he is so sad and depressed without her, I thought he was talking about Juliet. When I found out it was about someone else, Rosaline, i was confused because I never knew about that part. I never knew that Romeo was so deeply in love with another girl before I read that in the book. Act I did a good job of introducing the characters and how each of their personalities are different. Also, the transitions from messing around and being funny to being serious and angry are nearly flawless and done thinking of what the audience would like. The word play that Shakespeare uses is genius and shows how great of an author he was. He is able to make the scene funny while still keeping the scene on track. Shakespeare was a master at this and has done it in all of his plays, and I believe it is why he is so popular.