Kyle Smith

Mrs.parkinson

English 3

5 April 2016

Dumpster Diving Q1

Lars Eighner tells us a lot about being homeless in his article "On Dumpster Diving". In this article he talks about his story and it made me realize a thing or two regarding the stigma of homelessness. For starters, I accepted this stereotype that all homeless people were just high school dropouts and were just from urban areas where they didn’t get many opportunity. Upon reading this article, I figured out that this stereotype is false. Eighner was a 3 year college student at the University of Texas where he later dropped out, later taking a job at a state mental hospital. Sometime after taking the job, he was laid off. Upon reading this it made me think that I was not thinking about the big picture that people of all ages, education levels and, races can get cut by their business. Another stereotype that I picked up on as being false was that people that are homeless weren’t that smart. But after reading this article, I figured that was also invalid. I learned that many of these dumpster divers had their trade down to a science. Just from doing a little digging they could find out where and when they could find food or other supplies and if they would impact their health. It was truly fascenating to find this information out.

Kyle Smith                                                                                                                           Smith 1

Mrs. Parkinson

English 3

14 march 2016

How can we help those with disabilities learn better?

     In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, one of the most predominant elements is lennie. Through reading you can infer lennie is a rather large but appears to have some sort of mental handicap. So the question is how can we as society help these people out who are just a little bit behind mentally compared to us? I think the solution gets portrayed in the story. My stance on the matter is that people with mental disabilities should have teachers or people coaching them through how to do things. We see in the book George acts as that type of life coach towards Lennie in a book that has a strong message of isolation. Kind of like in the scene with George getting them the job on the ranch, “George Milton.” “And what is yours?” George said “His name is Lennie Small” The boss pointed a playful finger at Lennie, “he ain't much of a talker is he?” “No he ain't, but he sure a heck of a good worker.”(“Steinbeck”). So my solution is people with mental disorders get paired with with a willing helper to help guide them through and

Kyle Smith
English 3
Mrs. Parkinson
7 March 2016

I think that we as an advanced society can still learn a lot from the Harlem renaissance as a result of some of the poetry that came with it. In the poem "Tableau" by Countee Collins, it does a great job of showing and not telling to depict the scene of a 1920`s event that made everyone around it stop what they're doing to watch it. in the poem, it talks about a black and a white boy walking together down the street. "Indignant that these two should dare in unison walk." During this time period, something so open and so bold that defied the social and traditional norms could have been severely punished back then. i think the reason for the title is because a tableau is a historical event acted out on a stage without sound, and whether the boys in the street even knew that what they were doing is something that will end up symbolizing a major area of american history.

Five aspects of writing voice assignment

Catcher in the Rye

Kyle Smith

They offer surprising information and observations

Salinger uses this scene on page 182-185 to display an argument that is brewing between Holden and his disappointed sister. During this argument you hear Holdens sister repeatedly mention how their father if going to kill Holden.  In response to this Holden says how he’s going to be fine and how his dad won’t do anything to him. But his sister is not convinced. Holden surprises the audience when he reveals his big plans to leave new York and work far away in a Colorado ranch to avoid the wrath of his father. “ I What i may do, I may get a job on a ranch or something for awhile. I know this guy whose grandfather’s got a ranch in Colorado.” (Salinger 183)

They often employ techniques of narrative

While the scene is happening you see multiple parts of imagery, especially when you see Holdens sister Phoebe covering her face with a pillow in disgust towards Holden getting kicked out of his school. “ Then she flopped on her stomach on the bed and put the goddam pillow over her head.”(Salinger 182) Or when Holden leaves to get cigarettes.

A very powerful example of a vignette in chapter 15 is Holden and his stance on suitcases. In Holdens eyes, its hard to be friends with people when their suitcase isn't as nice as yours. "The thing is, its really hard to be roommates with people if your suitcases are much better than theirs-if yours are really good ones and theirs are not." It kind of envokes this feeling of separation or superiority from Holdens perspective. He references Stradlater when he expresses his opinions about people with lesser suitcases and feels that they're just not as good or worthy as him.

Blog option 2

Kyle Smith

In chapter 10 of Catcher in the Rye Holden shows even more complexity than shown in chapters prior to this one.  Holdens character shows this in instances such as when he shows his intelligence not necessarily in a school smart type way but more of a street smart when he goes into the hotel bar and talks about his seat. “… but they gave me a lousy table anyway-way in the back. I should’ve waved a buck under the head waiter’s nose. In New York, boy, money really talks-I’m not kidding.” Holden is all alone and knows how to survive and what he needs to do in order to do so. Also Holden does not let his sensitivity get the better of him, but he shows  an exceptional amount of patience, like when he dances with the first of the 3 girls and he’s constantly asking her all these questions and he gets ignored by her entirely. “She wasn’t listening to me, even. Her mind was all over the place.” Thoreau talked about living a deliberate life and one with purpose and that’s what Holden does, he dances with strangers to a live band, treats himself like a man, lives on his own, and lives a simple life.   

Summer post 1

  Midwinter blood       


This book is a bit different than others that i read. The main characters in the book are Eric and Merle.this book is structured differently compared to most books. its split up into 8 different stories that all tie together through Eric and Merle. In all the stories so far they have been on an island called i the first 2 stories blessed island and in the 3rd and 4th story called blest island but its the same island.
           one conflict that might come about for the audience is understanding that the book at the beginning and into the transition into the second story. I think this because its very tricky to figure out whats happening and why the people on this island are so different. My prediction on why they are so different is because there is a little mysterious island in the North part of the world and its a nuisance  to get there. A connection i made to another book was about the people because there so different just like the people in Gregor the Overlander.