Night

Elie’s experiences during the Holocaust change him as a person by the way things were for him. At first, Elie was into his religion and a family person. He looked for a mentor for himself because he wanted to know more. Elie was very pious. Unfortunately, that was taken away when Elie, a little boy, was rushed to a place where people of all ages shouldn't be.

The very first reason as to why he had changed was how everything was falling apart, left to right, for him and others. They weren't ready for anything so severe. They really did think that they were going to work in brick factories. Their temple was gone, their shops were trashed, Jews were being shot, and Jews were basically digging their own graves right when they went to “work.” Once Elie and his family got into the reception center for Auschwitz, they were separated. He only had his father now. People who have already been there told them what was up with it. Those prisoners first hand told them what they needed to say in order to stay “safe”, while others threatened them and actually told them the truth. Little by little, it got worse.

Wiesel had started to change the more it got worse. His father had also gotten worse, to the point where he was very weak. Wiesel had changed his mindset to survive. He was close to losing his humanity. His father had gotten beat right by his side and he was moving away so he won't get hit also. Wiesel then looked after his father when they did their march to Gleiwitz - Buchenwald. His father was dying, Wiesel’s father had told him to leave him at one point, “He half opened his eyes. ‘No advice,’ he said in a faint voice. “I’m tired. Leave me alone. Leave me.” (Wiesel 85). He then realized that his father was dying and there was nothing he could do about it. Any prisoner that came upon him had told him to leave his father, to take his rations, that there is no point. Wiesel knew there was no point, that he should take his rations, that he should leave his father but he didn’t. He didn't because his father was all he had left, time had caught up with his father either way. He was without his father now, “I awoke on January 29 at dawn. In my father's place lay another invalid. They must have taken him away before dawn and carried him to the crematory...There were no prayers at his grave. No candles were lit to his memory. His last word was my name. A summons, to which I did not respond.” (Wiesel 106).
Wiesel had to change his values to survive. After his father’s death, he felt nothing. “I might perhaps have found something like-free at last!” (106).

In the beginning, Wiesel was pious. He believed deeply in Him. When arriving at the camps, his faith had begun to decrease. Moshe the Beadle was willing to teach him but he was taken away for being a foreign Jew. That was the first sign of the Nazis taking over. When they finally did take over Sighet, he was confused. He didn't know what was going to happen but he had hoped that God would do something about it. Going to the reception center of Auschwitz, Madame, a woman who didn't know where they were going was screaming, “Look! Look at it! Fire! A terrible fire! Mercy! Oh, that fire!” (Wiesel 22).

Buna was when he actually was doubting his God. Buna was absolute hell for him. He really struggled with his faith. He would question himself. He would scream at his God. Someone had said behind him, “Where is God now?” - “And I heard a voice within me answer him: “Where is He? Here He is-He is hanging here on this gallows…” (Wiesel 62)

Wiesel had given up on his God when he realized that he would not step in to save him and his people. That was his big transformation from his old life. That is what had changed the most, his faith in God.

Wiesel, Elie . Night. New York: Bantam , 1960. Print.

Butterfly Project

"I Am A Jew"


I am a Jew and will be a Jew forever.
Even if I should die from hunger,
never will I submit.
I will always fight for my people,
on my honor.
I will never be ashamed of them,
I give my word.
I am proud of my people, 
how dignified they are.
Even though I am suppressed, 
I will always come back to life. 

- Franta Bass

I commented on Dena's, Gabe's, Jackson's, Edgar's, Andrew's blog. 

Berlin Memorial Activity

The Berlin Memorial Activity we had done made me feel so empty. The things I've learned from what had happened in those years gave me goosebumps. Jews weren't allowed to have anything. Everything was taken away from them. It's terrible to know that someone so cruel can actually do something because others don't look or believe in a certain way. The fact that all privileges of entertainment, education, and jobs were taken away really broke my heart. Jews were not accepted in society, it's terrifying that it's coming back, just not with Jews.

I believe this monument was built to show that privileges were taken away and now since years have gone by, they would want to remember those who have suffered, lived through it, or passed. They would want those memories to still be alive to show that there will be others who will try to take everything away from you at any given moment, that we should cherish the moments we have now before it disappears.

The number of laws being passed during those specific years were very scattered. The laws were during a specific year, whether it was tons or just one. It seemed as if Hitler planned way before he was granted Chancellor. The laws made the Jews very anxious as to what will happen next, which made Hitler feel very powerful. Until he was under attack because people became woke and went after him.

The restrictions that I would have so much trouble dealing with would be the lost of having animals. I would honestly die if my pets were to be taken away from me. I am a lover of all animals and I can't live without any. I would be very devastated. Animals are like my friends, of course I would be heartbroken. I love animals.

Quarter 2 Reflections

    Quarter 2 has made me make very great progress in all of my schoolwork. Especially in ELA.
Ever since quarter 2 had started, I began to read way more for the 20 book challenge, I've read about 22 books. I've made the greatest improvements in this class ever. I am on top of everything now. I rarely have homework to do because I actually focus in this class. I accomplished being able to finish a book within a week or so since the new year. I also accomplished getting my IXLs done in 25 minutes or less. The most challenging thing in 2nd quarter for me in ELA would be learning new words for our vocabulary tests. I've learned how to overcome it by reading the dictionary, almost everyday, writing down every word and definition from A to Z (my mom recommended me to).

My research skill somewhat increased. I look up the topic I need information on, and I click on the sites that seem legit. Usually, the ones that are legit are half of the sites, therefore I would have 6 or more tabs open. The blogs have progressed so much from August it's wild. I wasn't a good writer, I was decent. I would only write enough to get the point across, I would get a 2 or 3. Now, if I'm lucky I'd only get 3's, since I put so much information to go above and beyond. I will strive for 4's only next quarter for sure.

I read a lot of books this quarter. I guess my recent favorites would be, A Child Called It and Darkness Before Dawn. A Child Called It, the reason I love it is because it's so emotional and the author's actual life. This actually happened, meaning it can happen to anyone. Anyone can be saved if they were to speak up, that is the message. The victim will never be at fault for being abused in a family or relationship. Darkness Before Dawn, Dena recommended it to me, I finished it in a week. It has a strong message, that just because someone's appearance is clean and neat, doesn't mean that their personality/mentality is also. I would literally recommend that book to everyone in the world. This world needs to read it. Police need to read. Judges need to read it. I only say that because apparently just because someone is white and has a great education means that they made a mistake(murder, rape, etc.) because they're human and that it won't happen again, even though they had done it way before. Anyways, I really enjoyed that book very much. I learned a lot from it. This was the best quarter, hopefully 3rd and 4th will be too.  

  

Book Talk

The nonfiction book I'm currently reading is called, "A Child Called It" by Dave Pelzer.

The book is about a little boy who grows up in a home where he was loved, cared for, and happy with his family. In a matter of seconds, that all went down the drain when his mother had a change of heart. She abused him. She would starve him. She did all these things to a little boy, who was her own. This all took place in their home, in which it became, HER home.
David is the main character, the author is the main character.
A struggle he had to overcome was everything. He had to overcome anything his mother did, he had to show nothing about what he felt because she wouldn't care. He had to overcome his fear, his starvation, his suffering. This book is saddening - it hurts my heart, I dislike it. I would say the theme of the book is patience that just because you're suffering now doesn't mean you're going to suffer forever - there will be a time where an "angel" will be sent to you and save you. David, he was thrown all these obstacles and he found out things about himself that he never knew he was capable of doing.

Even though this book hurts a my heart, I love this book. It is now in my top 5 favorite books. I like this book due to it being real and having a before/after thing coming up. I would literally recommend this book to anyone who has been abused or anyone that is abusing others. The reason for showing someone who abuses others is for them to look on how it destroys someone emotionally, physically, and mentally. If they still had humanity in them, they would rethink their choices of hurting others. The reason of showing those who have been abused is for them having some hope.

Vulnerable Measures: Sexism

Our society today is provoking something that needs fixing. Sexism is getting out of hand. Feminists of both genders are fighting for equal rights. Feminism is not just for women, it is also for men. It is for anyone that believes that equal rights are for everyone and not just men. Making it clear, feminists aren't women or men that hate men themselves.

Most problems that contain sexism would be in the working industry. Everyone knows so well that women who are working the same job as men, are paid less. Many women aren’t okay with this but, they don't do anything about it because they don't want to lose their job. To back this up, another incident would be that most female roles in the working industry aren't taken seriously. There was a book by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, We Should All Be Feminists, she talks about her experience and what other people around her experienced. In her book, page 28, she had asked, “Why should a woman's success be a threat to a man?” Now thinking about it, there are facts about how men were once leaders and currently still are - somewhat. They were and still are the physically strongest. Now, it isn't like that anymore. It doesn't matter whether or not you're physically strong, it is based on whether or not you're mentally strong. Any man or woman can be intelligent, creative, and original. Men and women are equal, we are just blind to it because of how it is portrayed.

There are more severe incidents but an incident that isn't really brought up would be when a woman is blamed for her own rape. In 2014, Judge Robin Camp had asked the victim why she couldn't “prevent her rape by skewing her pelvis to avoid penetration.” Basically, what he had asked was why couldn't she just her rapist or not open her legs. Later on during the case, he had apologized. Although, those who thought or think just like Camp, know that in order to prevent a rape is to simply not be born a girl. We can’t control that. In order for rape not to happen is for men to have decency to not take advantage of a woman. Men shouldn't be able to do whatever they please because they think that women are brought into this world to be used for their body. In society, the finger is still being pointed to young girls who get raped due to the way they talk or the way they dress. Our society is making little girls, young girls, women, to be dressed a certain way to fit into society. Everyone now needs something in order to be categorized into a group. Women shouldn't be put down nor should be taken advantage of for what organs we have that are “appealing” to satisfy men's needs.

Last quarter, I had witnessed something referring to sexism in one of my classes. In my social justice class, we were learning about sexism. While we were arguing about some topics that are included within the bigger topic, boys were becoming uncomfortable when us, girls, said, “Periods.” The boys had said, “You don’t need to talk about that” or “That isn't important.” We, girls, responded with, “But, it’s life.” We kept going back and forth. I then included that the boys talk about their personal things but we don’t mind because it’s normal, it’s part of life. I didn't see anything wrong with men/boys talking about what they experience and I never will. Men shouldn't be disgusted when it comes to feminine products and what females produce from their body. Men act like they aren't capable for women products or women in general. Men just aren't normalized in a woman's environment. Another problem that had happened in that same class was that boys and girls always sat opposite sides of the room from each other. We wouldn't collide. We would stay within our gender or “group.” Those two problems that I mentioned are problems that occur everywhere and we think it's okay because the way it is portrayed.

Two quotes by Tyler Blanski, interprets them with the word of God, 'Then God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.' So out of the ground God had formed every kind of animal and brought them to the man to see what he would call them.”
This quote gives information about Adam and animals, but it gives an idea on how God chooses to help him. Therefore He made Eve, “Whatever the man called the animals, that was their name. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and took one of his ribs and made it into a woman and brought her to the man.”

This quote is saying that God made Eve for Adam to help him. In society now, men take advantage of the women because they believe that they are only there to please them. They may even think that women are useless but it is more than that. It will always be more than that. We, as a union, must teach one another in order for problems in the future to be mellow.
“God made Eve for Adam, NOT Adam for Eve.” - anonymous

Nonfiction Book Response

The nonfiction book that I'm currently reading is, Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom, I've only read a small section and it is about having a good marriage. Basically what the section is talking about is how you know you have a good marrriage and when you don't. It also connects with any religion you are in that it will/can help you overcome the thing that is destroying you and your significant other. In the 'Good Marriage' section of the book, it gives a problem and solution type of vibe to it.

A passage that I had seen that was interesting to me would be, "I think people expect too much from marriage today. They expect perfection. Every moment should be bliss. That's TV or movies. But that is not the human experience..-Like Sarah says, twenty good minutes here, forty good minutes there, it adds up to something beautiful. The trick is when things aren't so great, you don't junk the whole thing. It's okay to have an argument, It's okay that the other one nudges you a little, bothers you a little. It's part of being close to someone." The reason I chose this passage is because it is so true. This passage shows part of your life that you will receive soon enough. It is basically saying that just because someone you love annoys you or bothers you, doesn't mean you have to let it all(love, memories, laughter, happiness) go just because of that. We should hold on to someone like that because that's how you know they truly love you. Another passage I saw was, "...the joy you get from the same closeness - when you watch your children, when you wake up and smile at each other - that, as our tradition teaches us, is a blessing. People forget that...- Because the word 'commitment' has lost its meaning. I'm old enough to remember when it used to be a positive. A committed person was someone to be admired. He was loyal and steady. Now a commitment is something you avoid. You don't want to tie yourself down. - It's the same with faith, by the way. We don't want to get stuck having to go to services all the time, or having to follow all the rules. We don't want to commit to God. We'll take Him when we need Him, or when thing are going good. But real commitment? That requires staying power - in faith and in marriage." I chose this passage also to the fact that commitment isn't a scary thing, and that is what the passage is trying to say. Society all around us is stuck trying to be on our own and not be faithful/loyal. Our society now is lost and that is why so many of us believe that we cannot be saved.

After reading my nonfiction book, I know I won't forget most of the things I read within the section and within the entire book. When I was reading the section, 'Good Marriage', it gave a little nudge on marriage with religion. It taught me that our religion shouldn't hold us back from who we love or what we love. In the book, it basically said that our mind changes through the years we experience new things. The things we experience, whether good or bad will always have an effect. The effect then will give us the chance to grow. Being able to go through something so drastic and having the chance to grow is something I will not forget.

I commented on Dena's blog.
I commented on Vanessa's blog.
I commented on America's blog.