In Shelia Gamberonis story, she talks to Wesley about how she wants to change her name. Wesley explains to her that everyone is different. Every character in this story is different.

Wesley: the first student to read his poetry infront of the class, a poem about Langston Hughes. Although hes not really interested in school, he still attends.

Tyrone: he thinks school is a joke, and is constantly talking about how since hes black, he doesnt have a future. He dreams of being a songwriter. Tyrone really gets into "open mike fridays" and eventually talks infront of the school about how it brought the whole class closer together.

Chankara: she comes to school with a bruise on her face, from her boyfriend. Shes lived with constantly seeing her sister beat up as well. She knows she doesnt deserve to be hit.

Raul: he is a painter, and paints during lunchtime. The first in his family to be an artist. Mr. Ward leaves him watercolor and paper, and he is often painting self portraits.

Diondra: she is also an artist. she isn't as confident as Raul, and doesn't show many people her work. Shes the tallest girl in school, but won't play basketball like her father wishes. Her dad doesn't appriceate her art.

Devon: he is called Jump Shot around school, but doesn't like the nickname. He loves to read, his favorite is The Panther & the Lash. He won't admit that he likes to read to anyone, because its not "cool".

Lupe: her real father left when she was five, and her older siblings have moved out. She lives with her mother and Berto, her step dad. Lupe envies of Gloria, who has a child. Lupe wants a child of her own, because she wants somebody to love.

Gloria: she has a child named Angel, who she loves. Gloria understands the troubles of having a child in a way that Lupe doesnt. She says that life isnt about her anymore, its about her son. She thinks Lupe is lucky.

Janelle: Janelle likes Devon, but is insecure about her weight. She is constantly made fun of about it. She wishes she was prettier, like Tanisha or Gloria. She writes about being beautiful inside.

Leslie: Leslie moved to New York City from Westchester County. She is white, unlike many of the other students. She notices the differences in her music (along with other things), and the rest of the students. Her mother passed away of cancer, and she becomes friends with Porscha, whos mom died too.

Judianne: Judianne hates the way she looks because her step father constantly tells her shes ugly. She makes her own clothes, and it constantly wearing tiny outfits to hide her insecurity.

Tanisha: Tanisha is constantly complimented for her light skin and good hair. She cant stand the attention, and cuts off her hair. Tanisha also convinces Diondra to show people her artwork.

Sterling: Sterling plays the bass guitar, often at "open mike fridays". Around school, he is called Preacher, even though he doesn't intend on becoming a preacher. He is made fun of for talking about Jesus, but doesn't care, because he has seen Jesus help his mother.

Amy: Amy doesn't have many friends at school besises Sterling, who is always giving her advice. Her mother left the family, and her Father won't express emotion. Amy doesn't like either of them. She is jealous of the friendships she sees around school.

Shelia: Shelia wants to change her name to Natalina. She hates her pale skin and light eyes, especially in a school where that is not common. She attempts to change herself, but is conviced by Wesley that everyone is different.

Steve: Steve loves Broadway and wants to be a set designer. His parents are making him move away from New York.

Raynard: Raynard loves music, and says it comes easier than words. He has a saxophone, and plays it when he recites his poems. He tells that class at open mike that he has dyslexia.

Porscha: Porscha hates her name, because of the constant jokes. She is known as a bully, because she lost her temper once. She gets it from her mother, who used to hit her. Her mother died, and Porscha finally forgives her.

At one point, Tyrone says "you never think other people got feelings". People are constantly making fun of others, without caring how it makes them feel. I'll stop and think next time i go to say something about someone else.

I've begun reading Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes. The book is okay, but it's difficult to keep the characters straight. Wesley speaks first, and is the first to read his poetry to Mr.Wards class. His poem is about Langston Hughes, a fellow but more well known poet. We are also introduced to Tyrone, who is constantly questioning his future. In his story, he says "a black mans aint got no chance in this country". I think this statement is proven wrong by men like Barrack Obama. After Wesley and Tyrone recite their poems, "open mike fridays" become a regular deal. People become braver and we are introduced to more characters with more poetry. It seems like everyone has a problem or a secret of their own.

Act III begins sadly, as there is said to be a "sullen light of gloom" in the apartment. Although everyone is distressed over the loss of money at the beginning, things begin to change by the end. Asagai comes and convinces Beneatha that although the money for medical school is gone, she can travel to Africa and practice there with him. This covers both her need to help people, along with her need for african culture. Walter almost sells the new house back to Lindner, but is convinced by the rest of the family that they have pride and give up there home because of there race. I think Walter matures alot, and instead of chasing crazy dreams, is happy with his families new home.

In the beginning of the play, Mama tells how her and Big Walter dreamed of moving out of the apartment after a year. At the end of the play, I realized that although the dreams of Beneatha and Walter were adjourned, Mama finally made it into her new home, her dream came true.

In the beginning of act two, it seems like everyones money "problems" have been taken care of. Ruth is going to be able to live in a new home, Beneatha is getting money to become a doctor, and the rest is put in the hands of Walter.

In scence one, we see Beneatha in Nigerian clothes, doing tribal dances in an effort to reject assimilationism, or the need to join "white" culture. Although she is celebrating her own culture, not feeling the need to change herself to gain a better social status, this is contradicted when she changes into a cocktail dress at Georges request.

By the end of the act, Walter gets a visit from a friend who informs him that Willie has run off with there money for the business. Walter is devestated, as well as Mama. Walter thought he was going to make a good life for the family, and ended up losing the money they finally got.

A Raisin in the Sun

I've finished reading Act I
Scence One was a little confusing because it took me awhile to remember the characters and how they were related.
The play seems to be about a family, all living in the same apartment. The main concern of most of the family members is money. Ruth is concerned about money to support the family. Walter wants money to start a liquor business. Beneatha needs money for college to become a doctor. The only person not worried about money is Mama.

An interesting part of scence one was Mama and Beneathas arguement about God. Beneatha doesn't believe it God, but Mama does. Beneatha argues that God gets credit for humans own achievements, which seems like a good point.

In scence two we find out the Ruth is pregnant, and money becomes the focus again. I feel like Walters comment that "money is life" is true. People are constantly concerned with money to get better houses, better clothes, better cars, or in some cases to just get by.

I've finished all seven scences off the Glass Menagerie and I didn't like any of it.
I couldn't stand the mother, Amanda. I felt like she was trying to live through Laura, by constantly insisting on visits from gentlemen callers when Laura didn't want them.
As I mentioned before, this book seems to have alot of symbolism. Two examples I've noticed were the fire escape and Lauras glass menagerie.
The fire escape seemed to represent an escape to reality as well as an escape from reality. For Tom, it was an escape out of the pretend worlds of his sister and mother, and into reality. But for Laura, the fire escape was a way away from reality.
I also think that Lauras glass menagerie was an escape from reality. It was a safe place, away from business school and her mothers gentlemen callers.

The Glass Menagerie

Menagerie: a collection of wild or unusual animals.
The Glass Menagerie: ?

The narrator of the play has pointed out that this story is a memory, leaving it sentimental and exaggerated in some moments, while dimly lighted in others. He also alludes to the symbolism, which seems likely to play a large part in this story.

the ending!

Finishing the Book Thief was not easy! I didn't want the story to be over.



By the end of her story, Liesel realizes the true power of words. Words give people, like Hitler in this case, power. The absolute disgust and hatred for the community of Jewish people stemed from the simple, convincing words of the Fuhrer. A few words that destroyed the lives of millons.



It's hard to describe the loveliness of The Word Shaker. Written by Max, the story uses a tree to represent the friendship between the German girl and the Jewish man. The tree is planted from a tear, taken from the Jewish mans cheek. Constantly, people including the Father are trying to chop down the tree. But it continues to stand until the man returns for the little girl.



The last two chapters were difficult to read, simply because it's so hard to let go of the characters you've become attached too. Rudy, Hans and Rosa ultimately die due to bombs that hit Himmel Street. Liesel is the only one to survive because she is in the basement writing. This tragedy had been alluded to during the previous chapters. Letting go of Rudy, Hans and Rosa is hard not only for Liesel, but for the reader. These characters (Rudy with his lemon hair. Hans with his gentle eyes. Rosa with her unusual ways of expressing love) were hard not to fall in love with. Although the story of the book thief may seem tragic, there are moments of remarkable love that give us hope for Liesel, and humanity.

Max Vandenburg has arrived at 33 Himmel Street and endangered the safe lives of Rosa and Hans Hubermann. Max is the son of Hans Hubermanns oldest friend, Erik Vandenburg, and also a Jew. Possibly the worst "thing" to be at this point in German history.

Earlier in the story, Death describes the Jews on the road of yellow stars as "not humans, but shapes, moving about beneath the lead-colored clouds." Shapes.

Max has a conversation with a friend before he leaves for Himmel Street. The friend explains to Max that he is headed to war, and Max apoligizes. The friend answers "it could be worse, i could be you." Jewish status was the lowest of low, they were considered the enemy. This reminded me of a quote from a movie where the son asks his father what a jew is, and his father replies that it's not human.

I've found alot of foreshadowing, pointing towards tragedy.

New Books:
Faust the Dog
The Lighthouse
The Shoulder Shrug
The Mud Men
The Whisperer (stolen from the mayors wife)
The Standover Man (a beautiful gift from Max)

the colors are making me crazy!

I've begun reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and i'll just say that I'm nothing short of amazed. I'm consuming each page, each word of this story like it's my favorite meal. Where better to start then at the beginning.

"You are going to die". Ominous? Haunting? or maybe it's the fact that the narrator of this story is Death that would have you abandoning the book and choosing a brighter one. I'm still stumbling on his obsession with colors. Chocolate brown (his favorite), thick soupy red, and blinding global white. Maybe a distraction from his aphotic occupation. Black is not a color. I get the feeling that Death is no dark-hooded grim reaper come to rip us from life. He is sympathetic, but as he explains, he is fair. "I am not violent, I am not malicious, I am a result". A result of our actions?

Death tells us the story of Liesel Meminger. The book thief. Eyes are the color brown (Death notes), dangerous in Germany as Hitler casts his dark shadow across the country. The first book stolen, black and rectangular with silver writing, is The Grave Digger's Handbook. "A twelve-step guide to grave-digging sucess". As enjoyable as it sounds, L can't read the book. She is illiterate. L encounters this book, and begins her career, at her brothers funeral. A small boy, collected by Death on a train to Munich. L continues the journey to Munich where she meets her foster parents, Rosa and Hans Hubermann.

Favorite character: Hans Hubermann. His eyes made of silver. There's just something about him...

The Grave Digger's Handbook is hidden under L's mattress. Once Hans finds it, he begins the struggle of teaching Liesel to write. She is described as "a girl with a mountain to climb". Maybe this mountain is more than just words.