Sunday, February 21, 2010

Class Entry

I just wrote my first entry in only like ten minutes which is probably the fastest I have ever written one yet. Unfortunately this one will take longer because I usually don’t have as much to say about class. I enjoy class but I can never remember anything to write about and usually when I do, I don’t have 500 words to say about it. The most memorable thing from this past week was that we started reading two books at the same time. I have never really done this before and now I know why. It isn’t that it is hard, it’s just that there is a lot to remember and keep track of. This week Mr. Glenn made us make character lists with physical and emotional descriptions of each main character from the books. The one for Gatsby was pretty easy but the one for Dying, which I still have to finish, is proving to be a little more difficult. Of the two books we are reading, I am enjoying The Great Gatsby much more than As I Lay Dying. The Great Gatsby is much easier to read and understand. This is probably why I like it better but I also am enjoying the plot and the characters. Gatsby and Nick are both kind of mysterious and I am looking forward to finding out what happens to them. The plot has a lot of drama built into it, with the affairs and other things, and I am excited to find out what happens. My favorite books are books that are about young people and young adults because I really feel like I can relate to them. As I Lay Dying is a whole different story. William Faulkner’s writing style makes it a pretty hard read. Each chapter being from a different character’s perspective can easily create confusion and problems understanding the book. The book was written a long time ago and it is set in the past so the diction is complex and a little complicating. Unlike The Great Gatsby, the plot of As I Lay Dying does not excite me at all. I don’t really see it going anywhere and nothing about it excites me or appeals to me. I am kind of bummed that we don’t get to watch Laguna Beach like the other classes did. I understand why we don’t because it isn’t really AP-level material but I used to love that show and I wouldn’t mind watching it. When I am reading The Great Gatsby I think about the show and how the two relate to each other. They are similar in many ways and I am sure that it helped the regular kids understand the book. Both tell the stories of young people living rich and privileged lives. In Laguna Beach those kids lived in a little bubble filled with lavish parties, nice cars, and designer clothing. I think that the characters in The Great Gatsby are a little more exposed to the real world and not quite as into themselves, but who knows, I could be wrong.

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