HaNnAh's PoSt

Dear Mr. Salsich,
I agree with all of the post's below, but the most enjoyable thing for me in English class is freestyle writing. I love that we can bring in songs and simply write what we feel. Something that could be changed in my opinion is English Class notes. I feel sometimes distracted and start drawing random things. Also, I still think it's a little unclear on what we should be writing down. Other than that though, English class is really enjoyable this year!
Fondly,
A serious 9th grade English student (Hannah)

Ceilie's Post

I agree with all of the posts below, between the little things we do and freestyle writing, every English class is unique and enjoyable. One other aspect of English class I really benefit from and enjoy is the lessons we learn. When I think about it, I think I've learned more about life in this one class than I do in the real world. Between analyzing poems about what happiness truly is and writing essays about answering life's tough questions and how to go about answering them, I learn all I really need to know about life in just a forty-eight minute long class once a day. One suggestion I have for improving class would be to not grade our Daily Class Notes. I think the notes that we take and use as helpful reminders as to what we learned in class that day, shouldn't be a grade jotted down and a factor to our overall grade. Our Class Notes our something to assist us and improve quiz grades or help us remember requirements for an essay, not something to assist our average for the semester. (notice my purposeful repetition with assist.) 

Zack's Post

While it's not always the most enjoyable, I have to say that the most helpful aspect of your class is the shere volume of writing that we do.  Always writing essays for you means that we are constantly improving our writing and it is easier to get into the habit of writing the way you teach us.  I would say though that class might be better if when we got into a very intense discussion during class you let the discussion continue instead of herding us to the next point in the lesson plan.  This way we could get deeper into different ideas and cover more than just the superficial stuff we already all knew.

DubMoney's Post

There are several aspects that I enjoy about English class. I agree with Sarah and Caroline that I enjoy all the little things that you do. From the stickers to the jokes in class to you singing how lucky you are, it all adds to the class. One thing that you might want to change is to do is to maybe give us assignments in paper instead of online. Having to go online every night and check the full homework assignment is a little tedious. Also sometimes we have to write essays about stories that we just read and writing an essay over the week and the weekend is sometimes a daunting task. Mr. Salsich your class is wonderful and I am glad to be a part of it.

Kyle's Post

I fully agree with Scarlet about the free writing in class on Fridays. I guess I enjoy free writing so much because you don't have to worry about punctuation, format, or even clarity. You really just have a chance to let the limits of reality melt away in your writing. It doesn't have to make sense, it doesn't have to abide by certain rules, it doesn't even have to be about a certain thing. You just write what you feel. Also for a class enhancer maybe we could have a nice class outside on a blanket. Remind everyone to bring a coat since the weather is getting colder, but it would be a nice change to our already superb english class to be able to sit quietly while sipping hot chocolate, and listening to birds, and smelling the fresh crisp air of autumn as we learn about english.

English Class

What I enjoy the most about English class is probably Freestyle Writing at the end of the week. After a week of hard work we get to listen to a great song and express ourselves through writing. No format or anything just what we believe. One thing that maybe could be adjusted is Class Notes. I often find myself doodling on my class notes folder instead of truly paying attention. I also never really know what to write down. Maybe instead of Class Notes we could just really make sure that we pay attention, like we did last year. Other than that I truly enjoy English class!

Respectfully, your English student Scarlet

Sarahs Post =]

I completly agree with Caroline. Just the simple things such as your daily laugh of the days, or drawings set you apart from most teachers and make class a pleasant environment. One improvement I do admire from last year, is that you converted everything to electronic. This way you save trees, and it is easier for everyone to pay attention. A suggestion for class is just a small note on the class journal. I think it's very difficult to keep up with it every night for one week. I think that if we change it so that the person in charge of the class journal would only have to report weekly, it would lift a lot of weight off of our shoulders. Overall, Mr. Salsich, class has always been fun and unique, and I think you are an amazing teacher.

Caroline's Post

Mr. Salsich, I feel that English class is very enjoyable. Just the simple things you do, such as jokes, pictures, music, and the hook, make the class fun. I think that it is so much easier to learn when you are enjoying what you do, and it is very clear to all of us that you love teaching. We look forward to English class on Fridays for the skit and freestyle writing, and if we’re lucky, a performance from you about how “lucky you are”. One thing that I do not enjoy very much, is the fact that everything is electronic. I love how we are helping the environment, but this can be inconvenient sometimes. I loved having my own copy of the lyrics to the freestyle writing music and not having to go online every night to see what the homework is. I think it is a great idea, but sometimes it can be a bit difficult. Maybe, it just takes some getting used to. Either way, I think English class is a great educational environment, and I love being part of your class.

Dear Mr. Salsich, You Good English Teacher You

Mr Salsich, staying with my title, I must complement you as an extraordinary English teacher. In the same 45 minutes, you are able to teach us about literature, remind us of the life lessons we should follow, give a demonstration about a balancing bear, relate this all to English class, and still have time for a break!!!! This truly amazes me. I have to say that one of my favorite aspects of English class are the many poems we read. Be them William Wordsworth, Emily Dickinson, or some other off chance poet with a few words of wisdom,I always enjoy this part of the day. I would love it if we might be able to each bring in some poetry from time to time of our favorite poets. One thing that comes to mind that could be adjusted, is more abruptness in telling us facts that we should record in our daily notes. you often tell miscellaneous facts to the class, but we always assume you are just saying it for our understanding, not for a later quiz. All in All, I must say Mr. Salsich, you are good!


-Kimo Gray 10.27.08

Kimo's thoughts

I realize this may be late, but as they say, never late than never. This ties in with my preferred topic for the speeches this year, The Last Lecture. Agreeing with Anna, Eleanor, Parker, and Tristan, this is the topic that will really let us show the world who we are. If you see yourself as a dying person whose seemingly life of forever was cut short, what would you make sure to leave behind to the world? This topic will allow us to look into the wisdom of our still developing 9th grade minds.

Gabe's Post

A speech topic that isn't on the list the might be interesting to do is "My Brick Wall". Every one of us has experienced some sort of brick wall in the duration of our lives. Also it could be two paragraphs one on the brick wall itself and the final on how we overcame it. Other then that, i liked Tristan's last lecture idea because it would really give us a chance to express things we want people to know that we have never told them as if it was our final chance. Overall, those are the two topics that i liked for our speeches.

lydias post

I liked two of these. The first one is "my brown bag" because i think you could do a lot of different things with this topic. It would be easy  to make every speech different. I also really liked "My Last Lecture." This would also present a lot of options and we all understand what this speech could be like having watched the video in history. I think either of these topics would be great

Anna's post

I think our speech topic should be "My Last Lecture". It is open ended, but still have structure and some guidelines. As ninth graders, most of us have been a member of the pine point community for some time. Now, we look back on our years here and prepare to leave, this topic will allow us to share those things we wish to share with the entire population of our school. They will be our parting words, our last goodbye to PPS.

Eleanor's Post!!

As Tristan and Parker have said, I think out ninth grade speech topic should be, "My Last Lecture" because of all the things you could say. You talk about what you have learned so far in life, what you wanted to or have given back. You could also talk about things you want other people to learn, from experiences past. This would be beneficial for the audience because they could learn some important life lessons.
I also think it would also be a good idea to do, "My Brown Bag" as our topic. It would give an insight to your life, what things mean the most to you, your favorite memories and such. We could also have it so that we bring our own brown bag and take out little things from inside it as we speak. This would give the audience something solid to think about for the rest of the day.

Julie's Post

I think the topic for our 9th grade speeches should be "what makes me happy". This is a great topic to write about because we all have great moments of happiness and it would be fun to share them with the rest of the school. We have also a little bit of experience with this topic as we studied some Happiness poems back in the 8th grade days. It would also be a great experience for the school to hear different opinions about our thoughts on happiness.

Parker's Post

For the speech topic this year, I completely agree with Tristan. Our Last Lecture would be a perfect topic to choose, because I believe it has something for everyone. Randy Pausch's "last lecture" was literally a last lecture for him, but the book did state that most professors actually do a "last lecture" at the end of a school year or term. The topic will definitely stir up something that I don't think has been addressed to often in our lives and that would be; if we were to die what would we want people to remember us for. Furthermore, our speech is already a lecture, since we would be teaching something about ourselves to the audience anyway. Whether we want people to remember us for how well we lived like Professor Pausch, or whatever else you can think of, I'm sure everyone will enjoy writing and coincidentally, lecturing about this topic!

Olivia's post

I can't choose between my definition of success and the purpose of my life for a speech topic. I know we are supposed to choose one but I can't because these are both good topics to make a speech on. I like the success one because we haven't completely gotten fully to the biggest success we can do in our lives. I like the purpose of my life because Ninth grade is the first year of high school when you fist start to think about what you are going to do with the rest of your life and you might have no idea so you think that there isn't a purpose to your life.
~Olivia<3

Hannah's 9th Grade Speech Idea

For our 9th grade speeches we should talk about "What makes you happy." I think that everyone shows happiness in our class and we would all have a lot to say. Plus in 8th grade we read poems about happiness which would help us better understand the topic.

Tristan's Post!

I think that for our ninth grade speeches, we should have the topic of, "my last lecture" an idea that I snagged from the Randy Posche lecture we've been watching in history class. I think this would be a super-awesome speech topic, because from todays discussion, I realized how very unique this could be for everyone, and how much fun it would be to put ourselves in the dire situation with the inevitability of death so close at hand. This would also help us discover things about ourselves as we look deep inside to come up with different topics under this one topic.

Another brief post from Mr. Salsich:
I placed a new topic on the list today, something I picked up from the last words of our assembly performer today: "My ideas that could change the world".

Hi. This is Mr. Salsich. I'm enjoying all your thoughts about the speech topics. I have one comment about the "what makes me happy topic", which is getting a few votes. One danger I see is that the speeches might be kind of similar. I mean, do you think a lot of kids might want to talk about the same things, like how music makes them happy, or dancing, or playing sports, or hanging out with friends? One thing we always want in the speeches is for each speech to be completely different and unique. That's become kind of a tradition. Each 9th grader is unique, so each speech should be unique. Do you think that could happen with the "what makes me happy" topic? (Also, I want to add that, if we decide on that topic, I probably won't let you repeat what an earlier speaker had said. Like if a student in January talks about how music makes her happy, probably I wouldn't let another student use music, just to make sure each speech is unique. (Is that too harsh??)
Keep the posts coming. I'm loving them.

Scarlet's Post

I agree with Ceilie, I believe that the speech topic should be, "what makes me happy". Happiness is different for everyone, so there are many possibilities. I think it's a great way to show who we are as people. We also reflected on happiness a lot at the end of last year so we really know a lot about it. I really think "what makes me happy" would be a great speech topic for this year. Thanks! -SCARLET=)

Ceilie's Post

I think the topic we should do for our 9th Grade speeches is "What Makes Me Happy". We analyzed quite a few poems on happiness and what it means, what it is and where it comes from. We also wrote a very long essay on it. I think because we are so familiar with the subject and because we have put a lot of thought into what happiness truly is during last year's English classes, it could be really great to finally tell everyone, what makes us happy. 

Kate's Post

I agree with think that the main topic for the speeches should be, "what makes us happy". Last year we did an essay on what makes us happy, so we could look back to that. Also, happiness is different for every person so you can have a lot of different topics.

Timmy's Post

I think that a good topic for our ninth grade speech could be "My life in doughnut form". Maybe not that in particular, but something else that has many different types that still fit under one "umbrella". To clarify, I am saying this in all seriousness because it would allow people to choose a specific type of something that pertains to their life personally. It would really allow people to show their individuality because it would take notice of all the small things in life that are important to you -- they would be represented on your object of choice.

Kyle's Post

I think that "What makes me happy" would be a wonderful topic for our ninth grade speeches. I think it would be a good topic because happiness is such a general term and there are so many things we could talk about so we have basically unlimited material to work with. I also think that since we're graded on our actual public speaking that this topic would be perfect because our own happiness is such an easy and fun thing for us to talk about. This topic seems like it would be more of a fun and challenging project than the others.

Sarah's Post=]

"My winter dreams", or my future dreams, is an excellent Ninth Grade Speech topic. I think letting the school know what you would like to persue and accomplish when your older is a great way of the school getting to know you better before you leave. I also think this is a very simple yet difficult topic, that pretty much everyone can elaborate on. All my childhood I had dreamed of the wildest things, some of them in which im persuing now, and I think that letting the school hear some of my wild dreams could maybe even inspire some kids and let them know that anything is possible.

Caroline's Post

The topic that I would really like to talk about in my ninth grade speech is, “Questions I am living.” I feel like this is a topic that everyone could elaborate on. Maybe if we choose this topic, some people could change it to “Questions that I ask myself,” if they don’t like the original. I really seemed to notice this topic and I really like the idea. I believe that everyone could really make this topic their own, and after twelve years at Pine Point, there are certainly a lot of question that I can think of.

Wendell's Post

The topic that I would enjoy having for our ninth grade speeches is one loss, one victory. This would be a good way to tell the audience about our life while at the same time, reflecting upon the events of our past. I also think that it would be a good choice because we wrote an essay on losses and gains about Sonny's Blues.

Zachary

"She's got a smile that it seems to me\ Reminds me of childhood memories\ Where everything Was as fresh as the bright blue sky" Sweet Child O' Mine Guns 'n' Roses
Our discussions of "Winter Dreams" in English class reminded me of this line when we started talking about what Dexter lost. Although not entirely true to the story, this line relates to what Judy finally became to Dexter. The memory of her smile takes him back to better times, years ago, with Judy, but when he learns that the smile no longer exists there is nothing to bring him back. The verse ends talking the fact that Her face could bring the singer to tears. For Dexter though it's the promise of never seeing that face again that makes him cry.

Shad's Post

"Tell me how you feel lets get up on this floor and do this thing for real"
Freeze by T-Pain (Ft. Chris Brown)

This line makes me think about Dexter and Judy when they were at the dance. Judy approaches Dexter and tells him straight up that she wants to marry him. You could tell She was not kidding by the way F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote this part of the story. She was for real but Dexter could not say yes because he was already engaged for marriage.

Ty's post

Line from song: "Calling to the night, to dream, again in the light, waiting for a storm to rise"
Song title: Calling To The Night

I believe that this part of the song "Calling To The Night" relates to Winter Dreams because Dexter is almost as if he is in a dream being happier than ever. When it's just something to Keep him busy and happy when an unexpected evil rises that destroys him. His dream in the light is Judy and how she loves him and he loves her but then the storm comes and his love of Judy is shattered like a fragile mirror as well as his image of the Judy she loved.

In "Sonny's Dreams" I feel that when Sonny found his place in the club everything was about him at that moment. I think his brother just kind of sat back and let him enjoy the moment. The lyrics that remind me of this are "Just like the moon, I'll stand behind, and let the sun shine while I follow behind." from the song Angel by Natasha Bedingfield. These lyrics clearly explain "let me give you the spotlight for a chance."

Gabe's Post

What I've felt
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown
Never be
Never see
Won't see what might have been

Unforgiven - Metallica

Those lyrics remind me of Dexter and Irene's relationship. The first three lines could be related to Dexter's relationship with Judy. He's felt and known what its like to be with Judy but he's never followed through with it. The last three could describe his relationship with Irene. They will never be together again and he will never see what it would have been if the were together.

"If you change your mind, I'm the first in line
Honey I'm still free
Take a chance on me
If you need me, let me know, gonna be around
If you've got no place to go, if you're feeling down"
- Abba
The song Take A Chance On Me reminds me of Winter Dreams. When Judy comes back to Dexter he is taking a chance on Judy. He never stopped loving Judy and even after she left he just let her back in to his life.

Eleanor's Post

If I just lay here

Would you lie with me

and just forget the world?

These lines from Chasing Cars, by Snow Patrol make me think of Sonny in Sonny's Blues. When he played the piano at the bar, he was just lying down and forgetting the world with all it's worries. He wanted his brother to join him in this experience, 'would you lie with me'. This way, they could later take a deep breath and make their way into the crazy place that is life.

Olivia's post

This is surrender
To a war-torn life I've lived
Scars and stripes forever
In need of change I can't resist

No need to hide anything anymore
Can't return to who I was before

I can finally breathe
Suddenly alive
I can finally move
The world feels revived

This long of a struggle
Finally opened up my eyes
Revolution's not easy
With a Civil War on the inside

No need to hide anything anymore
Can't return to who I was before

I can finally breathe
Suddenly alive
I can finally move
Cause I realize

I can finally breathe
Suddenly alive
I can finally move
The world feels revived
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The song "Breathe", By Anberlin reminds me of Sonny and his struggle for people to see who he really was. When he is talking to his brother about his heroin addiction and how he loves music and wants to be a professional Jazz pianist. His brother does not understand and he asks Sonny if he has ever thought about suicide and he says yes sometimes. The line, "no need to hide anything any more" reminds me of this whole situation with his brother because I think Sonny finally realizes that hiding things from his brother isn't a good thing to do even though it hurts him when he talks about it. And When his brother finally sees how good he is at the piano and that he is in his own element, I think the line, "the world feels revived", explains how Sonny is feeling about his brother understanding him.

Anna's Post

"I do not have a fortune to buy you pretty things, But I can weave you moonbeams for necklaces and rings, And I can show you morning on a thousand hills, And kiss you and give you seven daffodils."
-Unknown

Years ago, I attended a summer camp. We would sing song after song after wholehearted song, but when I look back one those long days spent in the sun, these are the only lyrics that come to mind. When I heard Emily Dickinson's poem, "It's all I have to bring today", I remembered this song. Both of these works, for me, define love. They both address that fact that while conventional gain is lovely, to give oneself is the greatest gift of all. Emily Dickinson can bring "This, and (her) heart, and all the fields, and all the meadows wide", while my camp song will "weave you moonbeams for necklaces and rings." The meaning is the same. To give love is not to give gifts and fortune. To give love is to give oneself.

Wendell's Post

I'm here without you baby
But you're still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
And I dream about you all the time
I'm here without you baby
But you're still with me in my dreams
Here Without You-3 Doors Down

These lines from the song Here Without You by 3 Doors Down reminds me of Dexter Green. He thought and dreamed about Judy all the time. She would be in his dreams but he couldn't have her for she was out of his league. His lonely mind was filled with images of her and he could not get rid of them.

Kimo's Post

"One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do....." this quote from the song One, says it all- that with loneliness comes nothing but despair and sadness. In Sonny's Blues, Sonny was on his own for a while. Because his brother kept pushing him out, Sonny channeled his sadness by finding a new group of friends, the other musicians, even though his loneliness wasn't entirely relinquished until he retied bonds with his brother. In Winter Dreams, Dexter Green seems to be the most successful young man that you'd ever meet-unless you did meet him, and then you would see the loneliness that consumes him. Because Dexter was not able to find a loving relationship with Judy Jones, instead he filled the void in his mind with an imaginary one with the old Judy Jones. Once the subject of her came up and his picture of her was destroyed, Dexter finally crumbled to the loneliness that even would hold him for the rest of his life. Though loneliness might seem like an uncontrollable force, there will always be someone there that can help you through the hardest of times.

Tristan's Post!!

"How I wish, how I wish you were here. We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year, running over the same old ground. What have we found? The same old fears, wish you were here." -Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here

These few lines from Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd are so packed with emotion, that when I hear them sung, I feel like the sheer weight of David Gilmour's words are pressing down on me like miles of dark, heavy water, and at the same time, lifting a burden off of my shoulders. The song Wish You Were Here was dedicated to Sid Beret, an ex-keyboardist for Pink Floyd. I think that Sid Beret's death acted as a catalyst to help Pink Floyd pour emotion into their music. This makes me think about "What It Feels Like to Be Colored Me", by Zora Neale Hurston. I think that Wish You Were Here is all about dwelling on the past, and pulling back all of those memories to preserve, and What It Feels Like to Be Colored Me is mostly about remembering those memories, but not thinking about them as if they determined your life. These two conflicting ideas bring up the important point: should we live according to the past. I think that in this instance, both Pink Floyd, and Zora Neale Hurston are right, because while Ms. Hurston does not want to drown in a pool of her ancestor's blood, Pink Floyd wants to weave Sid Beret's memories into a strong fabric of emotion, to be worn proudly. Both of these paths are separate, and in a way, both Pink Floyd, and Ms. Hurston are doing both, but just speaking about one.

Timmy's Post

"I need to be bold, need to jump in the cold water" from the song "I'd Rather Be With You" by Joshua Radin

This line from the song reminds me of the beginning of Sonny's Blues. He is using heroin and gets thrown in jail for it. He then realizes that he "need[s] to jump in the cold water" and change his life style. He needs to come clean, find a hobby, and get his life back on track, which he does by music. He becomes "bold" and takes the reins in the song at the end of the book, which signifies that he has gone swimming in the frigid water, woken up, and is ready to start fresh.

Scarlet's Post

The song "Something To Talk About" by Badly Drawn Boy reminds me very much of the story line in Sonny's Blues. The bands sings that "the joy is not the same way without the pain" just as Sonny had said "their is now way not to suffer". In other words happiness wouldn't exist with out suffering. Another part in the song relates to Sonny's Blues when the singer sings, "you've got to let me in or let me out" sort of like when Sonny's brother wants to help him and sometimes he doesn't want him to.

I've been dreaming
Of the things I've learnt
About a boy who's bleeding
celebrate to elevate
The joy is not the same without the pain
Oooh

Ipso facto
Using up your oxygen
You know I'm shallow
Calling out for extra help
You've got to let me in
Or let me out

Oooh something to talk about
Oooh something to talk about
Oooh Oooh Oooh

I've been dreaming
Of the things I learnt
About a boy who's leaving
Nothing else to chance again
You've got to let me in
Or let me out
Oooh something to talk about
Yeah something to talk about
Oooh Oooh Oooh

Ceilie's Post

"She made herself a bed of nails, and she's planning on putting it to use, but she had diamonds on the inside..." from Diamonds on the Inside-Ben Harper. 

This line in the song reminds me of Judy Jones. She is a young girl, beautiful as can be and uses her exuding confidence and natural allure to confuse every man that falls for her, including Dexter Green. And although these games seem misleading and cruel, Judy means well and displays her more sincere side to Dexter when she confesses her true love for him. After years of jerking Dexter around with her mixed emotions, he gets fed up with her act. But one night when they see each other after years of separation and she pleads her affection for him and that he is the only man for her, he realizes how genuine she is and although she may be shallow at times, she "has diamonds on the inside" that nobody ever really sees. 

parkers post

"Dream on [...] dream until your dream comes true."-"Dream On" by Aerosmith

This quote is telling us to just keep dreaming. In addition, it relates to Dexter's turmoils and struggles; he had to keep dreaming until he got Judy to truly love him. But that was all he was doing, just dreaming, so much so that he had trouble in distinguishing his "Winter Dreams" from reality. However he kept on dreaming, but once he lost Judy all he could do was "Dream on".

Lydias Post

"Pulls her hair back as she screams, I don't really wanna live this life"-Train

This quote reminds me a lot of both Sonny's Blues and Winter Dreams. In Sonny's Blues, Sonny was addicted to heroin and when he was in this state, he didn't want to live the life he was leading. That's why when he stopped using heroin, he changed into a person with a more livable life. Oppositely, Dexter had a great life before Judy, but after she was gone he lost everything. He was stuck with an empty life that he didn't even want to live.

Carolines post

"Don’t stop believing... hold on to that feeling"-Journey

This line from the song “Don’t Stop Believing,” reminds me of the Wordsworth poem. That little girl from the “We Are Seven” poem couldn’t let go of her dead siblings. She still believes in them and counts them as part of the family. This song is all about believing and remembering. She just has to “hold on to that feeling”. 

Hannah's Post :)

The song "lovebug" by the Jonas Brothers has many connections to the poem "It's all I have to bring today" by Emily Dickenson. When the Jonas Brothers sing "hopeless head over heals in the moment," it definitly defines what Emily's love intrest might be feeling. Emily in the poem seems to be pulling away from the relationship and in a way while the Jonas Brothers are trying to make it work.

Sarah's Post =]

"I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while even though going on with you gone still upsets me, there are days every now and again I pretend I'm ok" - Rascal Flatts

This quote from the song, "What Hurts the Most" by Rascal Flatts, relates to Wordsworth poem, "We Are Seven". Rascal Flatts is saying that he is not afraid to cry, and maybe the child in Wordworth's poem shouldn't be afraid to cry. Instead of bottling up his/her emotions and just simply saying 'I know of death', maybe they should just cry. "[G]oing on with on with [them] gone still upsets," the child, and the child shouldn't just "pretend they're ok" but let out their true emotions. 

Julie's Post

I chose the line "I will never let you fall/ I'll stand up with you forever" from the song Your Guardian Angel by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. This line relates to Dexter in Winter Dreams because he is so dedicated to Judy that when she decides to leave, he wants to be able to love her forever. Judy Jones is such an important character in Dexter's life that his love and passion for her would never be able to go away. These lyrics, in a way, describe Dexter's feelings and how far he would go to get Judy back.

Sarah's Post about Winter Dreams

One of my favorite lines from Winter Dreams is, "Later in the afternoon the sun went down with a riotous swirl of gold and varying blues and scarlets, and left the dry, rustling night of Western summer." This line has such vivid imagery, that it brings me back to the summer days when I would watch the sunset with my cousins. Fitzgerald's imagery is one of his key strengths and uses it a lot through out his writing, but this one line really stood out to me.

parkers post

"[It is all gone. It is all gone.]"
This quote seems redundant at first, but is some of the most powerful parallelism that I have ever read. Dexter was talking about the images that he knew when he was a child, and how he can't picture them anymore; he had lost his "Winter Dreams". The one particular image he had forgotten was of Judy Jones. After Devlin told him about how she looks now and refers to her as "Ms. Lud Simms", Dexter could not recollect Judy Jones the way he knew her. Dexter finally realizes his most loved "winter dream"-Judy Jones- "[is all gone. is all gone.]"

Hannah's Post

A sentence that really stood out to me in the short story "Winter Dreams" is "And then there are some who just live, really, in hell, and they know it and they see whats happening and they go right on." I think that this sentence is critical in the story because at times Dexter felt like he was "in hell" while dealing with Judy and life. But toward the end of the book he realizes that while Judy was a tough situation, it wasn't as bad as he thought and he got through it.

Gabe's Post

Much like Kyle, the sentence that spoke to me in the short story Winter Dreams was "There are some who just live, really, in hell, and they know it and they see whats happening and they go right on." Fitzgerald sounds like he was saying that there are people who know how horrible their lives, yet they still keep on living. I chose this quote because when you know some one who lives a very difficult life and they don't let it bother them, it shows an incredible amount of courage. For example, a friend of mine's mom has cancer but she doesn't let it get to her. She doesn't let the deadly disease dampen her mood because every time i see her she is chipper and perky. 

Kimo and his Oodles of Wisdom

"It was a mood of intense appreciation, a sense that, for once, he was magnificently attune to life and that everything about him was radiating a brightness and a glamour he might never know again. " -Winter Dreams

This phrase really stood out to me, in the sense that appreciation is a rare emotion in our modern world, and is often confused with greed and the demand for more and more. I myself don't appreciate life as much as I can; everyday when I eat, I don't take the time to contemplate what that meal means to me, and to thank the universe for my comfortable life. But when we do experience true appreciation, it is the most marvelous and fulfilling emotion of them all.

Julie's Post

"he was living what was reserved only for the strong". (Fitzgerald) This sentence was very meaningful in a way because it showed that Dexter was living more than pain, he was living the things that only strong people could handle. The fact that Judy Jones left him was one thing, but when she decided to show up into his life again, it was even harder for Dexter. On the other hand, I don't think this quote means anything at all because strength is not reserved for one. I think Fiztgerald meant that by living through these tough times, Dexter could feel pain and become stronger than someone else might ever be.

Olivia's post

One of my favorite quotes from Winter Dreams is, "He did not care about mouth and eyes and moving hands. He wanted to care, and he could not care." This is when Devlin tells him about what happened to Judy, and when the words sink in it hits him that it is the end for his love for Judy Jones. All of the images of her that he had before would have never been gone if this man Devlin didn't come in and tell him in the first place.I chose this because just an image kept Dexter happy and sometimes that all you need and no words to explain it.

Wendell's Post

"There was a fish jumping and a star shining and the lights around the lake were gleaming." This sentence is an example of perfect imagery; something that Fitzgerald did with the utmost care. When I read this sentence I can literally picture these three events taking place; a jumping fish, a shining star and lights gleaming. He then repeats this same line on the next page at the beginning of another paragraph. It is all very interesting....

Kyle's Post

"And then there are some who just live, really, in hell, and they know it and they see whats happening and they go right on." We have been taught since birth that hurting others is bad and we should know right from wrong. However, many people have a tendency to inflict hurt onto themselves and know perfectly well that its wrong. There are smokers, drinkers, and drug abusers that tell you not to do what they do because they don't want you to hurt yourself, but yet her they sit doing exactly that to themselves. So if its not ok to hurt other people than it must be ok to hurt ourselves right? We should hurt ourselves for our problems instead of dealing with them. What kind of logic is that? We are a species who has basically dominated our planet, but yet we hurt ourselves and know perfectly well we're doing it? Sometimes I find the human race to be utterly fatuous.

Timmy's Post

In the short story "Winter Dreams", I was confused by the line, "Eighteen months after he first met Judy Jones he became engaged to another girl". It was really perplexing because, even though it seemed as though he was very much invested in Judy, he actually didn't care that much about her. Before that line, I thought that he was completely infatuated with Judy, whereas he does not seem to be. Although later in the book his emotional dreams are completely crushed when he learns of Judy's loss of spirit. So he seems to go back on his word.

Tristan's Post!

"She had inflicted on him the innumerable little slights and indignities possible in such a case-as if in revenge for having ever cared for him at all."(Fitzgerald,183) After reading this sentence, something deep within me stirred, as memories from previous schools came bubbling up within me as if I would burst if I didn't succumb to thinking about them. This sentence had this effect on me because I have been treated before, as Dexter was treated by Judy, with cruelty by a girl. To know this pain, and to understand how he must have felt really brings me to a whole new level of understanding. As I am sure, I have yet to experience the full suffering that Dexter has experienced, but having experienced a lower level of the same hurt Dexter felt, I am sure that Mr. Fitzgerald must have had a similar experience to have written so accurately about Dexter's pain.

Caroline's Post

One sentence that truly stood out to me in the short story Winter Dreams, was, “For Dexter, the melody drifting over the water fuses the past and the present, the years of struggle just behind and the fulfillment just beginning.” This sentence, to me, ties the whole story of Dexter and Judy together. It is also very interesting, because I had forgotten about the music on the water, and now, after thinking about it, I completely agree. The music was what brought Judy and him together, and there was also music when she came back at the dance.

Anna's Post :)

Sonny's Blues was not pessimistic, but uplifting. Sonny's life, like all lives, had its ups and downs, and although there were time's when Sonny felt he had hit rock bottom, he never failed to come out from his blue's with a smile on his face. This is a story of self-discovery, of finding a place where you belong in this world. That quest will always have its low point, but when you step back and look at the big picture, that spot of darkness only adds to the beautiful whole.

Tristan's Post!

I think that Sonny's Blues is inspiring rather than pessimistic. Not only is the story about a man who solves his problems through music, but it also has such profound ideology that it can really make one think about the characters and how they solve their problems. Through this thinking process, Sonny's Blues can inspire one to use sonny's blues to compare with their own blues, and in so doing, better themselves.

Eleanor's Post

For me, it was quite hard to decide whether Sonny's Blues was inspiring or just pessimistic. It could be pessimistic because of the setting, a lonely New York road, or because of Sonny's heroin addiction. However I believe it is inspiring. One of the theme's, 'if you stick with what you love everything will eventually work out' just makes me want to jump up and go. It's also inspiring because of the way it has been written. A sort of a hill. The story starts off all sad and depressing at the bottem of the hill. Although, when the brothers realize that they have each other, and that they can work together, the story starts climbing up. Then when Sonny is in the bar doing what he does best, the story makes it to the top.

Inspiring

I believe that "Sonny's Blues" is an inspiring story. I think this because no matter how you live -by doing drugs etc.- you can pull through your hard times and still do something amazing. Sonny though a major drug addict was able to do something he loved and do it spectacularly. Though it may be hard to change lifestyles many people have done it and the outcome has been superb.

Ty's Post

I believe that Sonny's Blues is an inspiring story because it shows that even if you are in trouble you can still look to what bakes you feel comfortable. An example of this would be Sonny; even though he was messing up his life with drugs, he still liked to play the piano and that is what keeps him feeling normal. A inspirational lesson that i learned from this is that even if knee deep in trouble whether it may be drugs or something else, just do what you enjoy doing and you will feel at ease like everyone else around you; like Sonny and his piano.

Timmy's Post

If I had to choose either "pessimistic" or "inspiring" to describe the short story "Sonny's Blues" by James Baldwin, I would call it inspiring. Throughout the course of the story, we learn of Sonny's mishaps and their fathers death, which are most definitely pessimistic, but near the end of the story Sonny begins to see hope at the end of the tunnel. He uses music as an outlet to all his hopes and dreams and fears and sorrows. He shows his brother that he truly is capable of being a good person. Most of all, he inspires us and shows us that no matter how bad your life is, you can turn it around with a little hard work.

Zachary

I could not help but get the feeling that "Sonny's Blues" was more of a pessimistic story. I understand what everyone was saying about how Sonny was recovering and that he had found a life in his music. The last few pages though struck me as heading in a very different direction. So he's trying to get out of heroin use and is a talented musician, but his seems to continue to be tortured while at the piano. It was in the way he looked out the window at the people in the street. He seemed to talk to the narrator with a sort of maturity, as though he had been to the gates of hell and stared down the devil himself. It seemed almost as though only by being scarred such that he had truly awakened to the world and all of the happy little people in the world are still asleep. His music is just his vehicle for conveying that idea.

Gabe's Post

Upon reflection, the story "Sonny's Blues" struck me as an inspiring story. For example, for a convicted drug addict finding solace in something other then drugs is inspiring to begin with, but to actually be excellent at what he tried is phenomenal. Recovering from a drug like heroin is incredibly difficult and to learn a difficult instrument like the piano well is just as hard, so when combined, not only was Sonny's step in the right direction excellent but inspiring that he could accomplish two near impossible tasks.

parker's post

I would have to say that Sonny's Blues was more of a pessimistic story for me. The story itself is set in the slums of New York City which is already a, "gloomy view [at] life". It's even more gloomier adding the aspect of drugs and how Sonny really doesn't have a place in this world. The story takes a more happier turn when he finally does find that place; the music club where he plays the piano. Also, he turns out be a skilled pianist, but it's still not enough to be an inspiring story. I think its more of a story of what it's like to live in the slums, and endure what Sonny had to endure, than a happy story to inspire you.

Ceilie's Post

I think "Sonny's Blues" was more inspiring than pessimistic. Although the struggles the main characters went through in life and their lacking of a real relationship between the two brothers was saddening to readers, the underlying message of the story was inspiring. Sonny lives his life day-to-day, not knowing if he's going to wake up the next morning and be okay, and yet, he lives right through it in hopes of a better tomorrow. He has a pure passion for his music and courageously strives to succeed with it, even if that means not being able to have food or pay for a roof over his head, which to me is truly inspiring. 

Sonny's Blue inspiring?

The short story Sonny's Blues was inspiring to me because even though Sonny had an addiction to Heroin he had something to believe in, and that was his music. I think people who read this book should be inspired by how Sonny comes back and plays his music and is "part of the family again. " Sonny doesn't let what people think of him get to him and he just keeps on going.

~Olivia<3