what makes a novel a classic?

i don't exactly know what the criteria of a classic novel is. does it have to be a so-called "good" novel? does it have to be a bestseller? i don't know. but what i do know about classic novels is that modern day books and movies are based off of them. such as romeo and juliet. almost every love story has to do with them. and wuthering heights sounds similar to it. i know there's death that corresponds with the love that catherine and heathcliff have with one another. 

a classic novel has a very interesting plot and story line, and we are required to read them in school. it's very unique and is respected with admiration. and to be completely honest, hopefully the book Twilight doesn't become a classic. yes, i've read all of the books and i love them. but they are not classic novel material. one of the books has a quote based off of wuthering heights! Twilight... yeah right. no matter what screaming 12-16 year old girls say... it should not be a classic novel.

classic novels are something that i definitely have to read because i want to be an english major in college. i'm exposed to some and they all have different story lines. whether it be pride and prejudice, romeo and juliet, or the adventures of tom sawyer-- they all create different worlds to engulf my interest. 

wuthering heights- comments to others

jamie. said...
hey rakoon (:
just wanted to let you know that i don't believe in ghosts and that yes classic books are important.

i don't believe in ghosts but i believe in spirits. like, people can live in others' memories forever. so i think the spirit of someone after they've died is very important. yet, being a ghost is shady lol.

i think classic books are sooo important to read. some of them are really boring and some are interesting, but they're all essential to the english subject. i, personally, am going into english when i go into college, so i guess i should start reading up.

and to respond to your blog post. i definitely think that an adopted child can be accepted into their family because maybe they don't look the same, but the love there is the same. i also have friends that have been adopted and they live normal lives. happiness can come out of loving parents :D

laterrr, joh (:
(p.s. sorry for the extremely long comment lol)

jamie. said...
hey shayna (thanks for commenting on my blog! :D)
i must say that i do agree with what you're saying. some people who bully do deserve to know what they're doing to others. but i think if you want to take revenge, you'll have to do it in a mature way because then you'll be respected by others by doing so. i, personally, can't say i've been bullied on a daily basis, but when someone needs to be put in their place, they should know what they're doing is wrong. i really like this post, and you're a great writer!

jamie. said...
eric,
i definitely agree when you say that kids shouldn't be blamed for their parents mistakes-- or at least not all of them. parents should be the responsible ones that the children look up to, and if they can't fulfill that responsibility, then they shouldn't blame the child.

and when it comes to rich people only associating with rich people, it's a difficult topic to choose a side. this is because in history, the rich have only been with their own kind, so even today, that social status sticks to them. unfortunately, that isn't the way society should be. hopefully one day people will open their eyes and see that we're all human.

wuthering heights survey

surprisingly enough, i answered false for most of the survey questions. the topic that really sparked my interest is the loyalty of childhood friends. and i must disagree when it comes to childhood friends being the most loyal. 

childhood friends are not always loyal. i had one a few years back and he was my best friend. he was literally the person i told everything and anything to. i told him my secrets (even though he would let one slip every once in a while) and i put all my trust in him. i thought he was going to be there forever for me. but there were disputes and we slowly drifted apart. you'd think that the transition from middle school to high school would make us stronger, but it only pulled us apart. there were misunderstandings and issues that couldn't be resolved. if they were ignored then, i knew they would come back to haunt me. i don't think that a childhood friend can be the most loyal. i think that just anyone who comes in your life at any time and you bond with could be the most loyal. when i look back on those years i had with him, i wouldn't go back to that. it would end one day or another, and i can't endure that suffering any longer.

but people change, and we must come around to accept that. i thought he was the only one who changed, but i'm sure i changed as well. so blame doesn't all fall on him-- i'll take some fault, but i think it affected me more than it affected him. it still makes me cry every now and then, but i think he has forgotten me. he has his group of friends that replace me easily. but i know that no one could replace the best friend he was. time to time i look at him and i wonder, "does he still think about me?" only god knows. but when i look into his eyes, he's not the same person as he was before, and i realize it's time to forgive and forget.

------

p.s. i hate the way the book is spelled "wuthering heights" because we say it like "withering heights." lol.

one more comment-- yeah i'm talking to you.

on our trip to harlem--

don't even know where to start. i can't believe that the thing you remembered from our trip to harlem is what those guys yelled at us. ...seriously? you didn't remember the great things the Brother told us at the mosque? and no, we weren't a bunch of rich white kids walking in Harlem. you know why? it's because uh.. i'm not white. we happen to be privileged, and when you categorize us as "rich white kids," you're just insulting yourself. i appreciate that i can live in this kind of environment growing up and i feel extremely lucky, but by calling us "rich white kids," i don't know if you are. you are a christian white male growing up in bergen county-- can you ask for more? you don't know what situations minorities are in, whether it be race or religion. most people have to struggle with boundaries, jokes, and prejudice, but you don't have to deal with that as much, or at all.

on malcolm integrating--

this i agree with and don't agree with. you say that you wouldn't wanna integrate with people who hate you (the blacks integrating with the whites), but you don't understand how much the black people want to be accepted by the whites. being in your position at school and in life, you don't have to face the struggles of trying to be respected by society. these blacks want to be accepted by the whites because they haven't been accepted--EVER. i understand Malcolm's decision, and it was a wise one, but you don't understand why the blacks would want to do that, and you never will.

me, myself, i've faced these prejudices. i've tried to be something i'm not to gain respect-- just like the blacks did. i feel sorry for you that you will never face this and that you'll never be able to build up the strength to be able to overcome these types of things.

okay. that's all i have to say. 

my comments to others

jamie. said...
hey gabriela (:
i can really connect to this blog post because i wrote a blog post about malcolm going downhill and prostitution as well. i agree that there should be a different way he could handle life, but i guess this is the path he went on. we'll see how he turns out at the end of the book

jamie. said...
hey connor (:
i like this blog post and the way you related malcolm's life to quicksand. it's really interesting :D he did fall into a lot of bad things such as drugs, hustling, and prostitution, but further chapters prove that he might change for the better. i think the Islam religion will help him see he can live a better life

jamie. said...
hey angel :D
i really like this blog post because it gives an insight on what you think of religion and i learned how it came to be. i liked the map that mattessich showed us in class too (: i'm christian too, so i guess we're the majority in the religion aspect, but when it comes to race, we're not! and i'm a proud asian XD

love, jamie!

jamie. said...
hey alyssa (:
aw that is such a good story! although i can't relate personally, that is so great that you grew up having that kind of relationship with that family. and i can't agree more, that food was gooood.

love, Jamie

jamie. said...
hey maj! :D
omg i totally agree with everything you said. from the second to last paragraph on, i couldn't have said it any better. all of these big religious figures are expected to execute their jobs perfectly, but we have to accept the fact that they are human. yes, they do have a lot of expectations and responsibilities, but we can't hold those against them.

looove,
jamie

Malcolm X #5

When Malcolm was on the way to Mecca, his thoughts fascinated me. 

"Packed in the plane were white, black, brown, red, and yellow people, blue eyes and blond hair, and my kinky red hair-- all together, brothers! All honoring the same God Allah, all in turn giving equal honor to each other" (Haley 330). 

I don't even know what to say. This shows how much Malcolm has changed since his "white devil" tirade times. He was just as shocked as I was. I think that he's come to learn that when people are all congregated for one cause, that looks don't matter because they're united. They have come together for the worshipping of Allah, and their mission is to fulfill their religion by taking the trip to Mecca.

I don't know if I've ever felt united with so many races before. I guess I haven't been around a lot of races growing up. I live in a predominantly white town, and I'm barely exposed to the korean community. You could call me ignorant, you could call me inexperienced, but you have your reasons. I'm sure you're ignorant in some ways too. Ignorant in different ways of course. But all the same-- ignorant. You or I aren't ignorant in the way where we scream racial slurs on the street, but we're unaware of some things around us. We are all vulnerable to something. I happen to be vulnerable in being exposed to many different races. I'm open to them-- but I haven't received the opportunity yet.

To be completely honest, I've been sort of vulnerable to my own race and community. I used to attend a korean church in Demarest. I didn't like the kids there, I couldn't relate to them. They were living to the full extent of the korean community, and i haven't even started. I felt uncomfortable so I asked my mom if I could stop attending and she agreed. She was talking to me about how she should've exposed me to my community more and made me feel comfortable about it. I don't blame my mom for this-- I don't blame anything or anyone. It's just the environment I grew up in and that's who I am. 

This article shows racial ignorance in a middle school. This shows that the child has either a) not be taught by their parents to respect other races, or b) they haven't been exposed to different races. I can't believe kids as young as 13 go through these situations.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2006/12/racial_ignoranc.html

Malcolm X #4

So yesterday, we took a trip to Harlem with the Honors English classes. The Apollo Theater was such a pretty theater! Billy was hilarious and I thought all those famous people on that wall were such inspirations. Having the opportunity to walk across the stage that many famous people have was such an honor. We also discovered that Mike had some great singing talent :) The whole trip was such a wonderful experience.

But I must say my favorite part was the Masjid Malcolm Shabazz (mosque.) The Brother who spoke to us gave us so much insight on the religion and it really opened up my eyes. I really liked what he said about keeping a relationship with someone, whether it be a friendship, or with family. He said to look out for these things- make sure you have something in common with them and make sure you can talk about what makes you feel uncomfortable with them. That made me realize the healthy friendships and relationships I keep with the people around me. I think the lecture really made me respect the Islam religion and that God views us as equal. Being a Christian myself, I guess men are at a higher respect level than women are. I loved how the Islam religion viewed everyone as equal and that God created everyone equally. 

The Christian religion definitely puts men over power of women. Jesus is a man and he is worshipped by the believers of the religion. I don't know how I feel about having the men in a higher position. I guess I grew up with that so it doesn't bother me that much. Although, in society, we are changing and women are taking a stand. I wouldn't call myself a strong feminist, but I would like to be treated as equal as men are. 

This chart shows all of the various religions and how they differ from one another. I thought it was interesting to find so many religions and what people believe. In comparison to my religion, there are so many different rituals and whatnot.

http://religionfacts.com/big_religion_chart.htm

Malcolm X #3

During class we had a discussion about the chapters we recently read. What really sparked my interest was the fact that Malcolm says that black people have to start building their own programs and start their own establishments.

"The black man in the ghettoes, for instance, has to start self-correcting his own material, moral, and spiritual defects and evils. The black man needs to start his own program to get rid of drunkenness, drug addiction, prostitution. The black man in America has to lift up his own sense of values" (Haley 281).

I think it's good that Malcolm is admitting that his people have to be stronger. My dad tells me the same thing. He says that my people have to start coming out stronger and whatnot. I agree with him. My people have to come out stronger and start gaining the same respect as whites do. I think Barack Obama has definitely broken down some of those barriers. He is considered as one of my greatest heroes. I respect him for taking the risk in becoming the president, and he definitely sets a model for generations to come.

Hopefully I can follow in Obama's footsteps and break down some barriers as well. But compared to Malcolm's times, today there are so many barriers broken down already. Women are slowly rising to the top and races are coming together. To see these changes right before my eyes gives me hope and a sense of confidence that I can make changes as well. 

An article from the New York Times states that Obama has broken down barriers in becoming the first black President of the United States.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/05/us/politics/05elect.html?_r=1

Malcolm #2

Okay, so in these last few chapters, Malcolm sure shows his feelings for whites, hence him referring to them as the "white devils." These thoughts could have derived from the fact that Elijah Muhammad told the story of Mr. Yacub-- which I thought had no solidity. Like Yacub making everyone whites that were black? Um.. okay. I understand that they need a reason to believe that whites were "bad" and whatnot, but they could do much better than this story. 

When Malcolm conveys his feelings towards whites, it makes me wonder how racial slurs came to be. I've experienced being called names my whole life. The only place I felt accepted was when I was with my cousins because they loved me for who I was. But when I was younger, being who I was wasn't enough. Being a child, I was vulnerable to the remarks but now I get it. But to be completely honest (no offense to anyone), whites won't dominate America anymore. Have you ever heard that the US is the "melting pot" of the world (My dad told me that)? There are different races that are flooding the country and one day maybe these minorities will be treated the same or with higher respect than of whites. 

Things have changed since Malcolm's time. I don't know how he survived with all of the racism and prejudice going. I know he found faith in the Islam religion, which was so beneficial to him. He found an escape and kept running. After a period of time, Malcolm received a lot of respect from the community and gained followers and believers. I think if half this world was as determined as Malcolm was, we could make this society a better place.

Okay, so this is an article that relates to racism in young people. There was a black and white student in UMass and the white student was racist against a black student. This shows how ignorant people can be. The ignorance can be referred to the black student as well.. because he faced murder charges for attempting to murder the white student. 

http://articles.latimes.com/2008/mar/13/nation/na-attack13

Malcolm X #1

Malcolm X certainly reaches rock bottom when he is in prison. Fortunately for him, he's found faith in the Islam religion. I think in Malcolm's situation, being able to live life with such a strong religion is very beneficial. But when living my life, religion doesn't take over my life. Yes, I have strong Catholic views, but they don't control everything I do in life. I respect the people who allow religion to guide them through life, but I don't respect when they try to convert others. Mattessich says that it's an American view-- respecting other religions. I guess it is because I'm living in such a free country and being able to believe in what I choose reflects what I think of this situation.

In Malcolm's situation, he found light in the religion of Islam. Through personal experiences, I've found light in music. I'm not gonna sit here and go off about how music changed my life and omg music is my LIFE and blah blah blah-- but it's a big part of it. I've been exposed to music ever since I was born and started creating music at the age of three. My mom handed me my first violin and I played up until seventh grade. I was the concertmaster of the Bergen Youth Orchestra at 12 years old-- something completely remarkable. Then, for some stupid reason I don't remember, I quit after that year. I thought I felt liberated and carefree after quitting violin. But now I realize that creating music was always a part of my life and I couldn't live without it. I've started playing violin again in November and I'm on my way to achieve greater things.

Maybe I didn't feel as crappy as Malcolm did when he was in prison, but I've never been in prison (and hopefully not in the future), so this is the way I can relate to Malcolm's situation. Again, I don't let music take over my life like Malcolm allows the religion of Islam guide him through life. Instead, music is just a factor that makes me the person I am.

In this article, a woman found how to get back on track with her life through music and through God. Being a Catholic myself, I really liked this article. It inspired me in a couple ways. It brought me to realize that if you stick your mind to something, you can always achieve it. And finally, it allowed me to relate to this woman.  

http://helium.com/items/606911-reflections-how-music-can-change-lives

Malcolm X #5

As I read the chapters we were assigned to read over break, I realized that there was a lot of prostitution going on. I saw that Malcolm really changed as the chapters went on. I know he did drugs and whatnot, but it seemed as if he was high-- all the time. In chapters 6-7, every other word was prostitute or prostitution.

"In all my time in Harlem, I never saw a white prostitute touched by a white man" (Haley 123).

I thought this quote was interesting because it seemed that African-American men attracted white prostitutes more than the white man would. I thought this was ironic because back then, white men would make more money than black men would which meant that the prostitutes would be paid more.

Another aspect I thought was interesting was that Malcolm pointed out that white men had lower morals than black men did. It would seem that it would be the other way around, but I have to agree with Malcolm when he says that black men are more ethical.

"I have also read recently about groups of young white couples who get together, the husbands throw their house keys into a hat, then, blindfolded, the husbands draw out a key and spend the night with the wife that the house key matches. I have never heard of anything like that being done by Negroes, even Negroes who live in the worst ghettoes and alleys and gutters" (Haley 125).

I really liked this quote because it showed that Malcolm's people were good people compared to white men. I think it proves that even though white men are treated as elites, that they don't have their heads on straight like black men do. Black men might be in the worst situations and live in the worst environments, but they still abide to their morals and doing the right thing.

Last, when Malcolm went to go see Ella, it was interesting how he would use the slang that he picked up when he was in Harlem and growing up.

"Ella couldn't believe how atheist, how uncouth I had become. I believed that a man should do anything that he was slick enough, or bad and bold enough, to do and that a woman was nothing but another commodity. Every word I spoke was hip or profane. I would bet that my working vocabulary wasn't two hundred words" (Haley 137).

At least Malcolm came to realize that he had changed over time. He got high most of the time and his vocabulary wasn't exactly the best. If Malcolm keeps going down this path, I don't know if he can be considered a hero because he is just falling into the things that we shouldn't be falling into as good people. Drugs, prostitution, hustling. That's not the way that people should live, but I guess it was different back then.

Malcolm X #4 (discussion in class)

During class, we had one heated discussion. Opinions ricocheting off one another made my head spin around, but I loved it. I think that since everyone had their own opinion, it made the discussion (or argument) more interesting. I think if I was white, I'd most definitely take my privileges for granted. But since I'm not white, and I never will be, the situations are different. I've been degraded for my race my entire life. I guess I could put myself in Malcolm's shoes to a certain extent. I don't face as harsh prejudice as he did, but I do face prejudice. I guess not only for my race, but for other things as well.

I think that everyone should accept themselves for who they are and not try to change. I think I have a different perspective than others on this subject because I'm a minority. In this generation, I think most whites don't discriminate as much against other races, but there is still racism out there today. Is being a minority a disadvantage for me? Absolutely. Do I let it get in my way of achieving things I want to? No. I try my hardest to reach the goals that I want to reach. People who make remarks are so ignorant, I cannot even put it in words. I don't know how they came to be that way. I don't know whether it's the way their parents raised them or the friends they've become acquainted with. 

I don't have the same privileges as white people do, of course not, but one day there will be a turn for the better and minorities will be viewed the same way whites are. That's why I was such a strong advocate for Barack Obama during the 2008 Presidential election. He does not only represent blacks, but he represents all minorities. He proves that it doesn't matter what the color of your skin is but the value of your mind. I was more than thrilled when he won because it shed a light on minorities and the opportunities they have. 

So yeah, I'm asian. I'm Korean and I'm damn proud. My parents had to go through a lot to get in their place today. My dad moved here from Korea when he was younger and had to face a lot of prejudice when he was my age. But it all paid off because he is respected in his work field and the people he associates with. People have made remarks about my culture and my family, and to be completely honest, it hurts sometimes. It's not like a paper cut, which goes away after a day. It's like when you were little and you were riding your bike down the street the fastest you could go. The wind was blowing all around your face and you felt as if you were on the top of the world, but your wheel hits a bump in the road and you fall over. The scabs you get on your knees are huge. And after the scab heals, you still have that constant reminder that you fell that one day Racial marks do that to me. Those scars are still there. They are etched in my mind. Growing up, I cope with it easier than when I was younger. I now know the possible reasons behind those comments. Back in first grade, of course I didn't know why people made fun of me, I thought I was the same as everyone else. But now, I realize that being a minority can be a disadvantage, but I'll prove that I can work five times as hard to get the same respect as whites. 

Malcolm #3 (video)

I thought this video focused on the most degrading part of African-American history without sugarcoating it. It cut deep to the core and showed the awful reality that took place years ago and some still exist today. The thing that most affected me was the way they portrayed blacks when drawing them in cartoons and caricatures. They exaggerated traits that not all African-Americans had and they made them seem worse people than they were. I bet the blacks were better people than the whites were back then. 

Some of these stereotypes still exist today, but some have disappeared. In the "pickaninny" stereotype, they portrayed children as things and not people. There were greeting cards where there were alligators underneath the children ready to eat them. How terrible is that? I couldn't even process the idea in my head. How are people's minds so cruel? How do they think these thoughts? Whites thought they were superior and hurt the African-American population greatly. These acts are just unacceptable.

I'm not directly affected by this because I'm not African-American, but I've definitely faced prejudice. I guess everyone has, but I've been a victim. Not as much anymore, but when I was younger, I had to endure the pain. I don't know because back then I used to be angry at those people, but now I just accept their comments. I think that people who make racist and prejudice remarks are ignorant and that's their loss. If they want to make those remarks, then that's their decision and the way they want to live life. That's certainly not the way I want to life my life, but people will make poor choices. Those poor choices will be their responsibility and I hope one day they will learn their lesson.

Malcolm X #2

In Chapter 3, Malcolm meets Shorty. Shorty and Malcolm have an instant connection. 

"He asked what kind of work I had done. I told him that I'd washed restaurant dishes in Mason, Michigan. He nearly dropped the powder can. 'My homeboy! Man, gimme some skin! I'm from Lansing!'" (Haley 46). 

Shorty gave Malcolm a job-- shoe shining. Malcolm did it for some time, but decided he loved to dance more than shining shoes so he went to pursue with his love of dancing. He would go to socials every week and dance. Interestingly enough, wherever Malcolm went, his connection with Shorty worked out to his benefit. My favorite part of this chapter was when Malcolm was getting his hair straightened by Shorty by using chemicals that burned the scalp on Malcolm's head. 

"And the top of my head was this thick, smooth sheen of shining red hair--real red-- as straight as any white man's" (Haley 56).

I thought it was interesting how Malcolm would go through all of this pain to look more "white." He should've accepted himself for who he was, but because of society, it was almost impossible to. I think this chapter exposes the prejudice that not only lives in society but also in the African-American community's minds as well. Malcolm then said that he would never straighten his hair again because he wouldn't be able to endure the pain and he thought he looked ridiculous. He realized the pain wasn't worth the result.

Malcolm X #1

So chapter 1 in a nutshell is pretty much being introduced into Malcolm's family and finding out his father gets killed after his mother has some sort of weird prediction. Afterwards, she gets put into a mental hospital because of the trauma of Malcolm's father's death. What I found out was sad was that Malcolm's mother didn't even recognize him after nurturing him for all these years.

"I can't describe how I felt. The woman who had brought me into the world, and nursed me, and advised me, and chastised me, and loved me, didn't know me. It was as if I was trying to walk up the side of a hill of feathers. I looked at her. I listened to her 'talk.' But there was nothing i could do" (Haley 22).

He visited his mother from time to time but I can't imagine the pain that he had to go through to look at the empty eyes of his mother. If I was in this situation, I definitely wouldn't be as brave as Malcolm was, and face his mother's insanity.