Weblog #3

Writing Prompt:

"But I put it all happily away because it happened to a girl named Cynthia and I was never particularly interested in her".

               Honestly, I am pretty convinced of this last statement that the author says here. Normally I wouldn't be, but from all the other events that happened throughout the text, I am convinced. Earlier in the story, she talks about how they both got new names. Even though she was given a new name, when she had to introduce herself to the class, she didn't say her name was "Cynthia". She could have said it was, but I think she didn't believe that was her name, so she didn't want to tell the class that it was. Also, for multiple times, she talked about how she just wanted to go home, because she misses the ways her school life used to be. This means that she actually didn't really care about school, and just wanted to go back to the homeschooling with her mom. This helps me to believe that she really didn't care about the "Cynthia" name, that she was given. Considering the title, which was an allusion from Shakespeare, I am convinced of her last statement. The title goes against what Shakespeare said. Shakespeare thought that even though someone was given another name, they would stay just the same. Santha Rau clearly, disagreed strongly about that, and so she wrote a memoir talking about it as well. Not only does she disagree with what she is saying though, but she also must not like him because he is British, and her family raised her letting her know what the British did to them. Some might say that reason right there, is why her last statement would be invalid. Although I think not. She really thinks that if a young one's name is changed, they develop a "dual personality". She mentions how she didn't really like the things that Cynthia had to do, and that being her wasn't very fun. That was kind of her foreshadow moment, leading up to this.

Weblog #2: Romeo and Juliette

What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. (II.ii.47-51)

Prompt: Would you say that you agree with Shakespeare? Is a name ineffectual in that the thing does not change? Or perhaps you'd say that you disagree? Can the quality of something change if it is given a new name?

I do not agree here with what Shakespeare is saying. He is saying if someone had any other name, they'd be just as sweet, and that basically they would be the same. For example, if my name is Irissa, and my name was changed to "Loser", I really don't think that I would be able to stay the same way I am right now. Being called a "Loser" for your actual name, would give anyone insecurity issues. I wouldn't be happy all the time, having to respond to whoever says "Loser". I'd most likely be angry, unthankful, and just not the same as I am now. I'm not really sure why he would say something like this, that isn't even true, but maybe he wasn't referring to something at that extent? If instead of being called "Loser" for my new name, and it was something like "Suzzie", maybe I would stay the same. It really isn't offensive, it's just a new name on the outside. Although maybe if this were to happen, my personality would change. My name "Irissa" has such uniqueness, and is stands out, just like my personality. If I were to be given a new name, I think my personality would change in order to suit the new name. I wouldn't be the same person I am right now. I'm really unsure why Shakespeare would say something like this, maybe he hasn't just really thought about the facts our outcomes that go along with it. Some people in this world, even change their names, to represent a new identity. They're getting rid of their old one, and changing to the new one. They become an entire new person, and that goes directly against what Shakespeare is saying in this quote. The quality of a person can very much change, from their name. 

Word count: 305

Weblog Entry #1

Irissa Rim

Mrs. Lee

Gr. 10 Language & Literature

7 September 2012

Weblog Entry #1

              This memoir is about a true story that has happened, to a boy named "Ishmael Beah". Ishmael

Beah is also the author of this story. It's about how this little boy becomes forced to be a child soldier 

during a civil war that was going on. Many unfortunate events lead him to have to be on his own with

his little brother, and they struggle to survive. I haven't gotten too far into the book yet to really fully 

understand the exposition, but that is the main concept of this book. So far, just the story line really, 

really, interests me. That is why I chose to read this book. It's rare to find stories like these, especially 

when it's all based off of a true story. Those types of stories are the most exciting, and real, to read. This

is such a vivid explanation of what it was like for him. The readers, like me, can really take a sense of

what kinds of hardships he went through, and how it's changed his life forever. The fact that he was at 

such a young age when all of this occurred, and that he actually managed to survive, is really a miracle.

So far, lots of characterization is happening. The characters are being developed, and the reader is 

starting to understand what the characters are like. He goes into detail on the setting of the day, the 

people he was with, and what they were doing that day. He describes it like the day is going very well

so far, nothing out of the ordinary. From what I have read so far, I would like the characterization to be

more further developed, because I want to know what type of boy Ishmael was. I'd like to know more

about his personality because knowing the outcome of this story, he must have been one extremely

brace boy. He hasn't really gotten much to describing himself yet, so I really am looking forward to 

read on, and see what this real life boy, was like!