Monday, March 14, 2016

The Creation of a Bond

Kira Nikolaides
Mrs. Parkinson
English IIIB
15 March 2016
The Creation of a Bond
In Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, we see an interesting bond form between Lennie and George. Even though George can be quite mean to Lennie, they have a bestfriend-like bond. They are planning to buy their own land eventually. When talking about their dream, George says, “We got a future. We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us” (14). Through this, we can see that they do care about each other. They are friends and they are getting through life during the Dust Bowl together and they are there to help each other. They create a bond like the one that they have because they are facing the struggle of the Dust Bowl together. This can be connected to an experience in my own life. One of my best friends, Juliet, became my friend because of a similar experience and struggle. We were both working towards the same goal, getting our dream job of being a camp counselor, and we became friends through that experience. Whenever we needed someone to talk to about our struggles on the journey, we had each other. It takes a common experience and struggle to create a bestfriend-like bond.

Friday, March 4, 2016

Harlem Renaissance Poetry

Kira Nikolaides
Mrs. Parkinson
English III
7 March 2016
Harlem Renaissance Poetry

It’s important to examine works of the Harlem Renaissance, like those of Claude McKay. By doing so, we can learn about what life was like for blacks in the 1920s. McKay wrote heavily about the life of blacks in America. This is especially shown in his poem, “America.” This poem shows the two views blacks had of America: love and hatred. In the poem, he says, “Stealing my breath of life, I will confess / I love this cultured hell that tests my youth” (McKay 3-4). This shows both his hatred and love for the country. He was referring to the racism blacks faced in America. However, he still loved America because it made him stronger. He said that America is “giving me strength erect against her hate…” (McKay 6). Looking at poems like McKay’s can help us understand racism in America and how racism in the 1920s compares to that of today.