Non fiction Critical Analysis

      In the very interesting article "Bagging Plastic" by Veronica Majerol the issue is about plastic bags. Their has been a long debate about whether we should continue using plastic bags. Marine biologists and environmentalists all agree that plastic bags are damaging the environment. The main idea of this whole article is whether or not plastic bags should be banned. Some people say yes, others say no for different reasons. The details that Majerol put inside the article helped me understand the main idea more. For example "The idea that we grab for a plastic bag in a grocery store has become a part of our culture" this quote got me thinking about our culture, and how this is true. The stores that I go to always give me a plastic bag, and I have gotten so used to that idea that I wait for the person to hand me my plastic bag. Also when she Majerol mentions that we use about 100 billion plastic bags a year and generate about 32 million tons of plastic waste. This got me thinking about how this is a huge problem. This made me understand why the debate is taking place in the first place, and that's because of all this plastic we are generating. Finally when Majerol mentions that plastic manufacturing uses millions of barrels of oil a year. Which helps me understand the environmentalists point of view more. Our natural resources are getting drained. These details make me see the importance of this issue.
      Majerol wants us to think about how plastic bags are affecting the environment. She wants us to feel bad about the effect of these everyday bags. The author achieves this by interviewing lots of people that are for and against the idea of the ban. "The bans, she says, are about trying to reduce pollution little by little" from a high school junior Zola. This made me feel that this ban will do good. Pollution is an ongoing problem that affects everyone living on this earth. Also Majerol adds lots of facts about how much waste we produce and how much waste travels into the water and affects the marine life. Marine life are extremely affected by plastic bags. Some mistake these bags for food so they eat it and their stomach can't digest it.
      I think that we should we should regulate the number of bags or give a choice of buying cheap reusable bags. I understand both sides of the argument. Many jobs will be lost if we get rid of plastic bags. But on the other hand we save marine life and the earth. I'm in the middle of the argument or undecided.

Romeo and Juliet Literary Essay

      In the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet both of these lovers are the main characters. the story itself is a romantic tragedy that shows that sometimes you don't get that romantic happy ending. This story has a various amount of themes. Such as fate, young love, suicide and death. But there are two themes that stand out the most. These themes are rivalry and deception. These themes are relevant because each theme plays a vital role in many scenes and together these themes are the reason this story is a tragedy. Individually these themes are important and together they are the reason the story is what it is.
      Rivalry is an extremely important theme in Romeo and Juliet. It's how the problems begin. In the prologue it says "Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes" Shakespeare is saying that this "ancient grudge" that these to families have will cause tragedies. So Shakespeare is basically telling us that because of the rivalry bad things are going to happen. We know that the bad things will be the death of Romeo and Juliet. This theme is so important that Shakespeare even points it out in the prologue, before we even begin the play. Rivalry is an important theme because it builds into big issues. For example with Tybalt. Tybalt starts off with a strong hate towards the Montagues. When he finds out Romeo is at the Capulet party he freaks out. He says Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe, A villain that is hither come in spite, To scorn at our solemnity this night. (1.5.69-71) This quote says that he can't stand having a Montague near him, and that the only reason he is their is to mock their family honnor and pride. This leads to Tybalt getting angry and next going to confront Romeo. Romeo refuses to fight so Mercutio fights and Tybalt kills Mercutio. Then Romeo kills Tybalt. All of this sparked because of the family Rivalry. It's an eye for an eye situation. If both of these families didn't have this rivalry then Romeo and Juliet would end up in a happy way. But because of Rivalry it doesn't. 
      Deception is also an important theme in the play. Deception is shown primarily in two events. The first is when Juliet decides to deceive everybody by making a plan to drink the poison and pretend that she is dead. After the argument with her father about marrying Paris Juliet decides to trick them so she goes along with marrying Paris. "I met the youthful lord at Lawrence's cell  And gave him what becomed love I might, Not stepping o'er the bounds of modesty. (4.2.27-29) This quote shows how Juliet tricks her father by pretending to go along with the marriage, but really she is planning to fake her death. Another part where there is deception is when Romeo is about to kill himself. " Here's to my love! [Drinks.] O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. thus with a kiss I die. (5.3.122-123) Juliet's deception led her lover Romeo to kill himself with these final words. 
      These two themes together are the reason why the story is what it is. A tragedy. Rivalry between the families caused important deaths. Mercutio, Tybalt and Prince dies because of this. Both Romeo and Juliet died because of deception. " Yea, noise? then I'll be brief. O happy dagger! This is thy sheath; there rest and let me die." Rivalry led Juliet to have to fake her own death. So then she deceived everyone and made Romeo believe she was dead. But Romeo couldn't live with that so he killed himself. Which led Juliet to kill herself. If there wasn't any deception Romeo and Juliet would still be alive. If there was no family Rivalry then both lovers could get married and live happily.
      All in all, Romeo and Juliet has many themes. Two of the most important themes are rivalry and deception. These two themes individually are important and together the mold the story and make it what it is. If it weren' for these two themes the most famous love story would end in a more happy, and romantic way. But since these two themes were involved they ended up in a sad tragedy.

BLOG POST. RELATIONSHIPS

            In Paul Volponni's Hurricane Song the main character is Miles. Miles is a football loving teenager living in New Orleans. He lives with his father and and his uncle. Everyone is chosing to evacute New Orleans in fear of Hurricane Katrina. Miles and his family chose to evacuate out of the city put then evacuates to the Superdome. Throughtout their horrible time at the Superdome  the relationship between Pops and Miles grew. This led me to believe that relationships grow stronger through hardships.

             The relationship between Miles and Pops grew. For example in the beggining Miles thought that all Pops cared about was his music. Pops would be obsessed with his night club and playing music. music was basically his life. But while in the Superdome Pops proved otherwise. Specifically while a gang started a fire and Pops franctically grabbed Miles and his horn. Usaully when there is a fire you grab the most important things. So this symbolized that Miles was important to pops and pops was starting show it more. Miles finally felt that he mattered to his father. Another example is when Miles distracted the officers so Pops could jump then Miles himself jumped to go with Pops. This showed that Mils loved his father that he would go and follow him and make him happy. He was willing to pay the consequences with the cops for his father. Another example, would be when they find the club his father loved all destroyed by the storm. Miles feels horrible. Even if that club and that music that Miles hated because it took Pops away. He knew that this made his father happy and that he should except that.  The final example would be when Miles is wrestling a thug and Pops uses and breaks his horn saving Miles. Miles now knew that his father truly loved him and Pops showed that love to Miles.

              This connects with teenagers because a lot of them feel like they are against the world. More against their parents. They feel neglected and feel that no one loves them. Just like Miles. This connects to parents aswell because they might not know that they are not showing their child love or that their child is lonely. All in all, relationships grow in hard times. Relations get tested and the true ones prevail.