Luke Leslie Reading article reflection

Luke Leslie

Mrs. Molyneaux

English

4-29-15

                                                    Reading Article Reflection

        This article discussed reading methods and styles to interpret texts. It points out what readers should be doing while they read to comprehend work easily. One method that is useful is to annotate your novel or shorter piece of literature you are reading. I began using this method at the beginning of the year. My grade school let us read in whatever way we wanted, we just had to be able to take a quiz for comprehension. Annotating helps a lot when you read vital information in a book and do not want to lose it, like highlighting in a textbook. One thing that the article touches upon that I need to improve on is my focus while reading something. If I am not interested I will put little energy or thought into the book and miss information that creates a snowball of confusion. I believe that I use most of the reading methods while some still need work. This article was a great tool to help me evaluate myself as a reader and notify me what I must improve on.

Blog Post #2 by Jeremy Sharp

An Unbreakable Bond

~Blog Post #2~

Topic C

April 23, 2015

By Jeremy Sharp

Throughout the chapters so far it is clearly seen, that one of Pips first and closest bonds, is with Mr. Joe. They both live similar lives at home under the torment of Mrs. Joe, and have always had each other’s backs. In Chapter 2, Pip describes his relationship with Mr. Joe by saying “In our already-mentioned freemasonry as fellow suffers, and in his good-natured companionship with me, it was our evening habit to compare the way we bit through our slices” (11). As they are having a conversation, Mr. Joe mentions to Pip that he was an ugly baby, but that it didn’t matter, because he was more than willing to take him in as his own. This is a key moment, where Pip gains a deeper appreciation for Mr. Joe. As Pip attends night school, he learns to read and write, and soon discovers that Mr. Joe can’t read at all because he was never able to attend school as a child. When he discovers this, Pip offers to teach him a little bit every night, in secrecy of course from Mrs. Joe. Pip also sees Mr. Joe as someone, and sometimes the only one, whom he can discuss his matters truthfully. After being sent off to Miss Havisham’s house to play with her daughter, Pip is both physically and emotionally abused. He is criticized and viciously mocked for being an uneducated commoner, and is forced to eat his meals outside like an animal. Upon returning, Pip cannot bring himself to tell his sister the truth about what happened that last week, and tells a series of lies, which feed the imaginations of Mrs. Joe and Pumblechook. The only person, whom Pip goes directly to with the truth, is Mr. Joe. As Pip explains what really happened to him over there, Mr. Joe surprises Pip by telling him that lying isn’t right and that they weren’t the key to becoming more than a commoner. Even though he sympathizes with him, Mr. Joe never ceases to instill his wisdom with Pip, because he wants to do everything in his ability to teach him about life and to help him grow as a person. This bond between the two of them is only made stronger day by day, as they experience life’s daily challenges together, and work together to withstand all adversity.

Discussion #3

Discussion 3

Leader: Kevin

Note Taker: Luke

1: why do you think Mr. Jagers washes himself so meticulously? How is this ironic?



Kevin: I feel he washes so often because he is trying to wash away the grime of his work. he is a lawyer and  ALWAYS wins even if his client is a criminal and did the crime. he is trying to rid himself of the bad deeds he does every day. this is ironic because his house is in need of repairs.

Henry: I believe that it is also ironic because he is morally ambiguous in his work as a lawyer but he wants to cleanse himself so meticulously despite being a grimy individual.

Luke: I agree with you two, as a lawyer he is required to do a lot of dirty work that is “moral grime”.

2. What does the state of Jagger’s house tell about the man?

Kevin: The poor state of his house shows that Jagger’s life is in his work, he has no time to focus on his home while he is working.

Henry: I agree. He is too wrapped up into his work to care about anything like his home or other hobbies.

Luke: The poor condition the house is in because his job takes up too much time and energy for him to be able to keep other things together.

3:Why does Pip dread seeing Joe, one of his closest childhood friends?

Kevin: Pip feels he is a gentleman and a person of the upper class. Joe is a common blacksmith. Joe is in Pip’s eyes, not worthy. Also, Estella has convinced Pip that his past life will not suit him and he should avoid Joe.

Henry: Pip is becoming snobbish and prejudiced and he fears judgement from his new upper-class peers if he is going to be seen with a simple blacksmith.

Luke: Pip has lost respect for Joe because Pip now feels superior to him and is embarrassed to be seen with him.

4. How is Pip’s actions towards his servant, the Avenger, ironic?

Kevin: Pip is in serious debt and complains to his servant about it, constantly. He could just fire the boy to save himself some money and pay off his debts.

Henry: The Avenger represents all of the frivolous spending Pip indulges in and when he complains to the Avenger about these money troubles, it creates a funny juxtaposition.

Luke: The Avenger shows how lavish Pip tries to live and how much money he’s wasted and is ironic because Pip was once below the level of that boy and now looks down on him.

Discussion #2

Discussion #2

Note Taker was Henry Sledz

Discussion Leader was Luke Leslie

1.How do you describe pips relationship with Joe?

Kevin: Pip and Joe’s relationship, at first, is like bestfriends, but Joe is still seen by Pip as a father figure. As the story progresses, however, Pip feels more ashamed of Joe, sorry to be connected to a common worker.

Luke: Pip and Joe have a close relationship and enjoy each others company although sometimes Pip feels a little embarrassed for Joe.

Henry: Joe is more of a friend to Joe than a father. Joe doesn’t talk down to Joe ut treats him as an equal and a friend. They both share the burden of dealing with Mrs. Joe’s abuse and I think that that is one of the things that they bond over most.

Jeremy: Well, I think that Joe and Pip really bond because they live under Mrs. Joe’s abuse just like you said Henry.

2.When does Pip feel first he has great expectations?

Kevin: I feel it's when he leaves Joe for Mrs. Havisham, he finds people who are different and he feels he has expectations of him to impress them and become like them.

Luke: Pip first feels great expectations when he is sent to London by Mr. Jaggers and much maturity is expected out of him.

Henry: I think that it is when he first goes to Miss Havisham’s. While there, he gets his first taste of high society and he wants to one day be a part of it.

Jeremy: I think that Pip first feels great expectations in our story when he works in the forge. He loves Joe more than anyone else and he didn’t want to let him down.

3.What did Miss Havisham raise Estella to do?

Luke: Miss Havisham’s goal for Estella was to grow up and have a cold heart and and to never be the dominant in a relationship. She also wanted her to break the hearts of other men.

Kevin: Yeah I agree with Luke. Miss Havisham raises Estella to avenge her broken heart. Miss Havisham molds Estella into who Miss Havisham wants her to be, not who Estella is.

Henry: I think that Miss Havisham rose Estella to be a cold and mean woman just like her. Miss Havisham is bitter after her failed marriage and views Estella as a way to get back at the world.

Jeremy: I agree with you guys. Miss Havisham raised Estella to be a cold woman just like her to spite the world.

4.How do the marshes represent Pip’s life?

Luke: He grew up living a rough life being raised by his tough sister and no parents which is a dark and gloomy life while a marsh, including the one outside his home, are a dark, misty area.

Kevin: I feel the marshes represent danger to Pip. when he goes into the marshes early in the book, he find escaped convicts, who are a threat to his life. Later on, he travels through the marshes to get to London and become a gentleman this is a danger to his character and morality.

Henry:I agree, Kevin. I think that they not only represent danger, but the dangers of the real world to be more specific. The examples you gave are both examples of how this world really works.

Jeremy: I agree more with Luke actually. While the marshes do hold danger, it is the kind of danger that Pip has faced his whole life.

Blog Post #2 by Henry Sledz

Miss Havisham’s Banquet

~Blog Post #2~

Topic E

April 24, 2015

by Henry Sledz

In Chapter 11, we get a very unsettling setting and a strange and depressing look into the world of Miss Havisham. Miss Havisham is a very decrepit and withered old woman, and when we see her “wedding banquet” on her birthday, it is reminiscent of her. The wedding room is frozen in time and stuck in the past just like Miss Havisham, and just like Miss Havisham, that doesn’t mean that time doesn’t take its toll on the wedding room. The room is teeming with pests and is a room that brings unsettling reminders of death, depression, and unfulfillment.

Not only is the room itself odd and saddening but the characters we meet there are just as pathetic. Sarah Pocket, Cousin Raymond, Georgina, and Camilla are the four guests who we meet in the wedding room. They float around Miss Havisham like vultures, waiting for her to die so they can inherit her money; having vultures brings more symbols that represent death into this scene. They are all her relatives and they should care for Miss Havisham the same way Joe and Pip care for each other, but instead, they are all cold and distant towards each other and could care less about each other’s well beings. This is where Pip wants to be one day, living some high society life, but we see a glimpse of what this life is really like, and it doesn’t bode well for Pip’s future.

Luke Leslie Post 2

Luke Leslie
4/24/24
Topic H

Pip is still a young boy growing up and maturing in his pre-teens. He has not had it quite easy with the fact that he’s being raised by his abusive sister and her husband. A character that shared similar experiences that we've read about this year is Liesel Meminger, the main character of the novel Book Thief. She was a young girl who had also lost both her parents and had to live during the tough times of WW2. She was adopted by two foster parents and had no remaining siblings to live with. If I had to argue who had a worse childhood, I would say that Pip has because he was not adopted by loving foster parents and has not been able to make as many friends as Liesel Meminger managed. The connection between the two books is the lack of blood family in either of the main character’s lives. Instead, they are both left to grow up more independently and learn life lessons with and through others. Another relationship between the two novels are the mother figures of both families both behave similarly. Although Liesel is not physically punished by her mother like Pip is by his sister, both Mom’s seem to angry and frustrated with life more often than not. Both parents love their child and try to do what is right for them, but both families are going through tough times, especially with Hitler, and both parents unintentionally find in outlet in their household. While both novels share those similarities, they are both different and exciting reads.   

Blog Post 1 by Kevin

An Uncommon Relationship
blog post 1
topic c
April 24, 2015
By Kevin Hogan

After the dinner party, an officer arrives at the door to have his handcuffs repaired. He and his crew are hunting the escaped convicts and Joe and Pip get to join them. The posse quickly find the convicts, including the one Pip stole food for. "Pip's" convict blows his chance at escape to bring another convict. He also confesses to stealing food from Joe's house, which saves Pip a beating from Mrs. Joe.
    The convict is thankful for Pip risking a beating to bring him food and a file. He was starving and chained and Pip relieved him. He, in turn, repays Pip by risking a heavier sentence to relieve Pip of punishment
   

Discussion #1

Discussion was led by Henry Sledz
Note Taker: Jeremy Sharp


Question 1: Pip lives a very hard life, do you think his sister makes his life harder or do you think Pip is being an unreliable narrator?

Kevin: Yes his sister does make his life difficult, but at the same time she doesn't mean to be as harsh since she sometimes feels obligated to be a parent which comes out in a mean way.

Henry: Pip is a little bit too harsh on his sister, because she's been through even more hardships, and has been forced to raise him without any choice.

Mrs. Joe has it very hard because of her forced role as a parent at her young age. She had to grow up and become the adult of the household in the only way she knew how, this just happened to include strict discipline and harsh punishments.

Question 2: Why do you think the author made Joe the most compassionate character?

Jeremy: The author was trying to show that just because he was older, it didn't have to mean that he couldn't see things from the same point of view as Pip. They both share similar lifestyles, and are for the most part, in the same boat. I think he sees a lot of similarities between himself and Pip, which makes him more understanding of his actions and behavior.

Henry: Just because he's illiterate and poor, it doesn't mean that he's a worse or more bitter person than any other wealthy person.

Kevin: Mr. Joe sees a lot of potential in Pip, thinking that he just needs the right upbringing and influences to make something of himself.

Luke: Joe is older and has experienced many of the same things which help him to sympathize with Pip's harsh life at home. He seems to be the only true friend in Pip's life right now.

Question 3: Why do you think we were introduced to Pip in a morbid place like a cemetery?

Luke: he setting is meant to represent what Pip's life has been up to this point, which is gloominess and sadness.

Jeremy: I agree with Luke, but at the same time i think the fact that he visualizes his parents appearance solely from their tombstones shows a side of innocence and child like imagination.  I think that even with all of the hardship he's forced to deal with at his young age, he still has that little part of him that is still innocent and uncorrupted.

Blog Post 1 by Luke Leslie

Pip's Early Maturity

Topic B

April 17

Blog Post 1 by Luke Leslie

In Charles Dicken’s, Great Expectations, we are introduced to a young orphan named Philip Pirrip. He goes by the name of Pip due to his inability to pronounce both his first and last Christian names.

Pip has never seen his parents before which is a tragedy for most kids growing up only being able to derive what they look like through their tombstone. He concludes that his mother was freckled and sickly while his dad was square and stout. Pip also had five brothers in his family who all too had passed away. While Pip was sadly staring at the graves of his family a large man threatens to cut Pip’s throat if he doesn't stop crying. The man, in a prison uniform and shackles, threatens Pip to bring him food from his home and a file for the shackles unless Pip wishes to die. Pip agrees to meet next morning and the prisoner leaves back to the marsh where he was hiding. When Pip runs home to his abusive sister and the next morning returns to the prisoner to give him his wants. One night Pip eats dinner with his sister and three guests when soldiers interrupt them because they are looking for two escaped convicts. They find the two wrestling and take them back to Jail.

The opening chapters of this book introduce us to the main character, Pip. The meeting between Pip and the escaped convict shows a significant change in the main character even though it feels like I've hardly read about him. He is a innocent young orphan who is just trying to picture his family at the beginning but is now helping an escaped convict. After the convict finishes the food Pip steals, Pip shows no regret for helping a convict but rather feels proud saying, “I am glad you enjoyed it.” Pip matures greatly throughout the meetings and forms a bond with the man which could result in a longer relationship throughout the story.

The life and fears of Pip ~Blog Post #1~ Topic H, April 17, 2015, by Jeremy Sharp

Pip is beaten and abused in many ways by Mrs. Joe, his older sister. While she takes care of her little brother Pip, she also beats and demeans her husband, Joe. There are a variety of punishments in her strict household, which include getting beaten with “Tickler”, Mrs. Joe’s cane, and being forced to drink tar water. After attempting to hide a piece of bread and butter down his pants for the escaped convict, whom he met in the churchyard, he is caught and severely punished. This household reminds me a lot of Okonkwo’s, in the novel Things Fall Apart. There are strict rules enforced by those in charge of each home, and punishments result from an inability to meet these standards. Okonkwo beat everyone from his wife to his children, just like Mrs. Joe, who has no time for nonsense or to be questioned. Both Pip and Okonkwo’a child, Nwoye, fear their authorities at home and must resort to hiding things and keeping secrets.

Blog Post 1 by Henry Sledz

Pip and Joe’s Wild Friendship

~Blog Post #1~

Topic C

April 17, 2015

by Henry Sledz

The relationship between Pip and Joe is much more like that of two brothers than an adoptive father and his son. Joe and Pip are equals under “Mrs. Joe” who commands them both around like they are her children.

Part of why Joe and Pip have such a good relationship is because they treat each other as ;equals and friends. Joe is not the most sophisticated or intelligent or wealthy man, he can’t even read or write, but he is the most caring and compassionate person in Pip’s life. Being an orphan from a young age, Pip is lacking in role models but the simple blacksmith Joe can be just what the little orphan boy needs in his life.

They can also bond through dealing with the same obstacles that Mrs. Joe deals them. She is a very demanding and bitter woman who holds things over the heads of Pip and Joe, giving them another way to relate to each other and form a bond. Mrs. Joe treats Joe more like her child than her husband and Pip more like her child than her brother. Joe comforts Pip and is one of Pip’s only escapes from Mrs. Joe’s mean-spiritedness, and cruelness. Joe is Pip’s biggest support from Mrs. Joe, so Pip and Joe naturally become close.

The relationship between Joe and Pip is the most developed one at this point in the books and is very heartwarming to read. In a world with the pompous, cruel, and conniving all around them, Joe and Pip are able to form a respectful and healthy relationship.

Henry Sledz's Reading Article Reflection

Henry Sledz

Ms. Molyneaux

English Honors Period D

16 April 2015

Reading Article Reflection

After reading the article about reading and filling out the reading evaluation, i have a better understanding of my reading style and strategies. I believe I am a good reader and these documents helped me realize the areas I need to improve in and the areas I am good in.

I think that I demonstrate all of the forms of literacy demonstrated in the article. I make connections between texts, consider what I am reading as I am reading, and reflect on what I’ve read. I read differently when I am reading a fictional story or a non-fiction article. When I am reading non-fiction, I try to notice all of the details and keep track of them, while when I am reading fiction, I look for the meaning behind details and actions in the story. One strategy I should take away is sustaining focus. I sometimes have trouble focusing when I am reading, and I stop without realizing.

Annotating came up a lot this year and was pretty helpful. It was not a new experience for me, I had first started annotating in 8th grade for school and I had been doing it for school since then. Sometimes I didn’t think that there was anything worth annotating, and I would not know what to do. Overall I thought annotating was helpful and helped me comprehend the book better, and I enjoyed it. I think that annotating will make me a more perceptive reader and I will notice smaller details that I wouldn’t have before.

The article and evaluation helped me understand my reading process and how it can be improved. I will use this information to help e become a better reader and critical thinker in the future.