The Book Thief

I loved this book! One of my favorite parts in the book was when after Hans, who I absolutely love, left and Rosa falls asleep holding the accordian. It really touched me the way Leisel thought of Rosa after seeing her that way and decided that night that Rosa was beautiful. Throughout the whole book I could never decide if I liked Rosa or not, she seemed like she would be a pain to live with. After reading that part I realized, along with Leisel, how Rosa had always acted so rough natured because she needed to be due to the war and all that was going on at the time. Rosa needed to be strong to keep her family together during hard times and she did what she had to do to put food on the table. Anyone would be crabby if they had to work so hard.
After this scene I began to love Rosa and respect her. throughout the whole beginning of the book you are never really shown acts of love between Rosa and Hans, her language especially, but that night Rosa truly is beautiful because we see her in such a vulnerable state that we have not seen before.

The Book

Modern Art- Sunrise, Claude Monet

http://centraleasteurope.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/monet_sunrise.jpg

1. When I look at this painting I see a bright sun, a black boat, beautiful orange sky, blue backgroung, other boats and unusual shapes in background, and finally the reflection of the sun in the water.

2.The artist uses mostly straight lines but moving in all different directions especially in the background. The lines are also for the most part short lines. The section on the top left is mostly vertical, the water is mostly horizontal, and the top right section is mostly vertical.

3.The colors in this piece is one of the main reasons I like it. The artist uses great color for the sun that contrasts with the blue water which makes the sun and it's reflection really stand out. The artist also uses many different colors in the water that are very harmonious and pleasing to look at.

4. There are not many shapes in the painting except for in the background there are triangles and the sun of course is a circle, the boats in the foreground also make a rectangular shape but for the most part everything blends together with no defining lines to make shapes.

5. The painting looks fairly flat, there is some dimension because the items on the background look shadowed but there is no vanishing point or other indicator of dimension.

6. The lighting in this painting clearly comes from behind the objects from the beautiful sun. All of the forms in the painting are one solid color making them look shadowed. The reflection of the sun and the other boats in the water really show the lighting as well. The lighting gives this painting a relaxed feel like the sun is setting and the day is ending it is very peaceful, like a sunset.

7. The artist pulls this piece together with color and lines. The colors in this piece I think are so beautiful and are even better together. The colors working well with eachother connects everything. The lines also make this painting look so nice by showing that there is something in the distance but not showing the viewer exactly what it is. The lines in the sky and water work well with eachother and the painting seems to flow with the sky and water both moving in the same direction it seems because of the lines.

8. This painting gives me a relaxing and peaceful mood. The beautiful colors and the bright sun give you a warm relaxing feeling like at a sunset. The apparent motion of the water and the clouds also give a relaxed feeling.

Renaissance Art

http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/admin/tour/17720/17720Primavera.jpg

This painting is called La Primaveria by Sando Bottlecelli made in 1478.

which character from the play Julius Caesar was the most interesting to you and why? on your blog, create a posting that identifies your character and completes the following:


1. Create a clear title that identifies your character.
2. Describe your character by writing a brief character analysis. What was the character's motives (goals or dreams)? How did the character change throughout the play? What was the level of your character's morality. Include key quotes from the play that support your points.
3. Explain why this character was interesting to you.
4. Connect your character to a modern day (popular or political) personality that best exemplifies your character. Link to outside sources for support.

Mark Antony was a very clever and sly character. Mark Antony knew very well how to persuade and lead people and he used his abilities to do so often. Mark Antony's goal throughtout the play was to avenge his friend Julius Caesar by killing those who killed Caesar, Brutus and Cassius and their followers. Mark Antony also wanted to come into power with Augustus and Lepidus and become the new ruler of part of Caesar's land. At the beginning of the play Antony was looked on with pity by the townspeople during his speech at Caesar's funeral. He made himself look like an honorable man who had just lost his dear innocent friend. He repeatidly said how honorable Caesar's murderers were making him seem very gracious and he talked about how he loved Caesar which makes him seem very caring. Mark Antony says about Caesar's murderers, "I should do Brutus wrong, and Cassius wrong, Who, you all know, are honourable men" and about Caesar he says, "He was my friend, faithful and just to me". Because of these two things people followed him. He is very sneaky though in the way that he gets the townspeople on his side. He angers the crowd by saying how good Caesar was and all that he did and was going to do for them. Towards the end of the play he becomes very cruel and nasty. He becomes very greedy and really all he wants is to rule Rome. Antony's morality level is low in the sense that his intentions for his actions are wrong and he goes about things in a cruel way. The face he puts on though in public makes him seem very honorable especially during his speach at Caesar's funeral. He makes the townspeople mad by saying "Good friends, sweet friends, let me not stir you up to such a sudden flood of mutiny." when really that is exactly what he wanted to do.

Mark Antony's character was so interesting to me because he was such a crutial part in defeating Brutus and Cassius and he did it in such a non conventional way. I thought that Antony was brilliant by the way that he twisted the townspeoples opinions to his side. I think that he is pretty mean and deceiving but I was impressed by his tactics and determination. Mark Antony was so important to the story because of his speach. His speach was what sparked the fight against Brutus and ultimately ended up bringing Augustus ito power who ended up being a great player in Rome's history. I liked Mark Antony so much because of the important decisions he made and the way he carried out he decisions really intrueged me.

I think that Mark Antony is similar to many politicians today. Antony could fit into the stereotypical politician today because he doesn't really concentrate on the good things he has going for him but on the negative aspects of his opponent. The speach he made during Caesar's funeral reminds me somewhat of the campaigning race between Al Franken and Norm Coleman earlier this year. Mark Antony mocked Brutus and Cassius in his speach just like Franken and Coleman did in almost all of their t.v. commercials. Franken, Coleman, and Antony all used sarcasism towards their opposition to turn their viewers against them.

What are the "shadows" Plato would tell us we cannot trust as truth? Give several examples of these "shadows" we encounter.

I think "shadows" are lies that we have been told our whole lives that we believe to be true and are accustomed to. Some shadows in our present day lives I think can come from media like standards for how girls should look or how strong or athletic guys should be. Another example of some present day "shadows" could be new science discoveries. People who grew up going to church and taught the creation may find it hard or confusing to learn about evolution in school.


Link to an online source that portrays a "shadow." What makes it a shadow? What is the truth?
How do "shadows" impact society? What danger do we face in trusting the "shadows?"
www.seventeen.com/
This website could make a shadow to youth especially that you have to look and dress a certain way or that you should have a boyfriend/girlfriend. It also portrays that everyone is dressing, look, and behaving that way. The truth is that not everyone is dressed well enough to be in a magazine or as beautiful as all the models. The truth is also that they edit the pictures and photoshop them to perfection. The website and magazine also focus on having a boyfriend/girlfriend and flirting and kissing. This shadow impacts society a lot because it causes self conciousness in girls especially and can pressure kids into things because they think "everyone is doing it."