Advice Column Assignment

Dear Advice Column,
A close friend of my family recently got convicted of a murder and was sentenced to death. His defense attorney could not get him off for the crime, and he actually ended up changing the guy's perspective of himself. Because of this, his grandmother has asked me to visit him in jail and help him "become a man". But I don't know how to really do that and if I eventually figure out how to I don't see the point in doing it. This guy is going to be killed and know one knows exactly when yet. Should I try to help the guy even though his death is inevitable?

A Lesson Before Dying: Chapters 5-6

Review Questions
Chapter 3:
1. The church is the meeting place for what?
The church was used as a school by Grant and his students.
2. Why does the school only meet for 5 and a half months?
The school only meets for 5 and a half months because the children are needed in the field the rest of the year.
3. Why does Grant go into such detail about the process by which Jefferson will be killed?
Grant goes into detail because he is very upset about the situation and because it is the main thing on his mind he decides to vent to his students to cause them grief similar to his.
4. What news does Mr. Farrell bring to the class?
Mr. Farrell tells Grant that Mr. Pichot wanted to speak to him that evening.

Chapter 6:
1. Where has Grant gone?
Grant has gone to Henri Pichot's house to meet with him about Jefferson.
2. Where does he wait?
Grant stands in the kitchen waiting for Mr. Pichot for 2 and a half hours.
3. Why does Edna make Grant reach in order to shake hands?
Edna probably is afraid to get too close to Grant so she tries to be polite from a distance.
4. Why was Grant's behavior insulting to the white man?
Grant spoke with intelligence showing that he was not as dumb as the white man expected him to be.

Quotation Assignment:
Chapter 5, Pg. 39
"I could see how painful it was for most of them to hear this, but I did not stop."
   Grant is very aggravated by the situation with Jefferson so to make himself feel better he lashes out on his students. The students are being punished for being in a situation they did not choose to be in just like Jefferson.
Chapter 5, Pg. 40
"He had known me all my life, and he knew my aunt and all my people before me, but since I had gone off to the university and returned as a teacher, he treated me with great respect."
   During this time is was not normal for a black man, or any black person, to attend college and get a job other than working in the fields or as a house servant. Because Grant was one of the few who did, he was highly respected by many. He was looked on as one of the wiser black men.
Chapter 6, Pg. 47
"To show too much intelligence would be an insult to them. To show lack of intelligence would have been a greater insult to me."
Grant had to monitor the way he spoke to the white men because they were believed to be above him. However, Grant knows that he is just as intelligent as them so he does not let them degrade him in any type of way.

A Lesson Before Dying: Chapters 3-4

Discussion Questions
Chapter 3
1. The original plot narrative portrays Jefferson as innocent, however Henri Pichot's insistence that Jefferson is guilty could lead the reader to believe that he did indeed commit the crime.
2. Miss Emma was exhausted from Jefferson's trial and conviction. Grant knew that Miss Emma wanted his help, however he also knew that her mind was isolated and she did not have the energy to beg him for help so she just kept stating that he didn't have to do it.
3. Henri Pichot's back door is used by his workers. Because Grant's aunt used to work for the Pichot's, using the back door symbolizes being less than him. Grant was rankled by using the back door because he knew what message it portrayed.
4. Miss Emma persuaded Henri Pichot to speak to the sheriff on her behalf by emphasizing that she had done a lot for his family. She feels as though Mr. Pichot owes her in some form.

Chapter 4
1. The statement shows that Jefferson's defence attorney tried to portray him as a hog because hogs were carelessly killed frequently.
2. Grant wants to flee town because the way he lives his life is limited there. He is forced to do things he does not want to do. Yet, he stays because he knows that he is needed there.

Quotation Assignment
Chapter 2, Page 15
" But she had not heard me before, and I knew that no matter how loud I screamed, she would not here me now."
2. This quotation characterizes Grant as confined. His personal feelings and opinions are not important to his aunt. He could not refuse to go see Jefferson no matter how much he wished to because his aunt was forcing him to do so.
3. This quote connects to a contemporary issue dealing with the relationship between parents and their children. Parents tend to force their children to do things they do not wish to do. Children are forced to get involved in things they dislike with no objections. The children in those type of situations most likely feel the way Grant did.

"I Have A Dream"

     The use of the metaphors throughout Dr. King's speech help to express the theme of it. They help the readers and listeners relate to the feelings of him. For example, Dr. King said, "Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred,". This metaphor gets across Dr. King's wish for civilized protest in an entertaining way. The use of metaphors causes people to evaluate his sentences, furthermore causing them to remember his words. Because of the unique way he expressed his wishes, people will most likely listen to them. With the many creative and motivational metaphors throughout this speech, it is understandable why the speech is very memorable.
     Dr. King also uses repetition many times which helps point out key points in his speech. By using repetition with certain words, such as, "Now is the time," and, "Let freedom ring," Dr. King is motivating his supporters to believe in him. The use of repetition causes words to seem more powerful and be remembered afterwards. It also causes certain portions of the speech to seem more urgent than others. Dr. King's goal to start an uprising is expressed through his statements involving repetition. The use of the rhetorical device creates emphasis which in return improves the speech. The use of every rhetorical device helps improve Dr. King's speech in a extraordinary way.

Blog Post Assignment 7

1. What caused Kien to begin writing about war rapidly?

2. On page 87, the author states "His lost youth, before the sorrow of war". Are the words "sorrow of war" being used the same way as in the title of the book? Explain how or how not.

3. Page 89 gives very descriptive details throughout the section. How do the descriptions help set the mood for that section of the book?

4. What type of stories did the MIA team tell about former soldiers? Give an example.

5. What unusual event did Kien and his platoon witness in the Mo Rai valley?

6. What was the memory that haunted Phan?

7. How do you think the sorrow of war is similar to the sorrow of love?

8. Why did Quang kill himself with a grenade?

9. What did the soldiers believe caused Tung to go crazy?

10. What do you believe the hairy figures were? Why?

Blog Post Assignment 6

1. Parents tend to pressure their children because they want them to have a good future.  Most parents expect their children to have a better life than they did, and because of this they end up putting a lot of pressure on their children without realizing the true effect of it. Parents believe that by applying pressure on their children, their children will put in more effort.
2. Parents and children have conflicts that mostly relate to the child's life or opinions. Many children disagree with what their parents want out of them which causes a lot of anger and disagreements. Conflicts such as the child's grades, curfew, and friends can be an example.
3. People can be anything they want to be as long as they are focused and believe that it is possible. There are many possibilities and ways for a person to do whatever they want to do or become the person they want to be.  However, their are some characteristics that could prevent people from doing what they want, such as peer pressure, self doubt, and lack of necessities.
4. There is no winner in conflicts because everyone involved either got angry or hurt. Conflicts always start from anger and disagreements and end with someone's feelings getting hurt. For example, if two people who care about each other end up having a conflict there is no winner in the situation because both people most likely got hurt in some type of form because they care about each other.
5. My parents expect a lot out of me and expect me to be someone important in the future just like many Chinese cultured parents expect their children to be. They also believe in strict parenting and punishment as well. However, even though Chinese parents are strict they tend to have a close relationship with their children. In my household we are close to an extent. Chinese cultured families have parents that are just as strict as mine yet more engaged with them.

Blog Post Assignment 5: Quotations Assignment

Chapter 16 Quotation 1: " I no longer had the feeling that I was perched above looking down on everything, and it felt odd not to be able to see across the terrain."
3. Does the quotation indicate a conflict? If so what conflict?
- The quotation indicates the changes Cheryl experienced while being on the trial. The different climates, environments, surroundings, and weather. It was difficult for Cheryl to alter her needs and functions that much.
4. Does the quotation provide detail about the setting? If so, what detail does it provide? How does the setting description classify the time period?
- The quotation explains how Cheryl felt about her environment when she began hiking in Ashland. She began to mostly hike in forests that had obscured views. She described the setting as a "green tunnel". Hiking in Ashland resulted in her gaining back her close-up vision. They setting classifies the time period because it shows how much closer is she to The Bridge of Gods.

Chapter 16 Quotation 2: " The music made it feel like my mother was right there with me, standing in the room- only she wasn't and would never be again."
1. Does the quotation relate to a theme? If so, which theme and how does it relate?
- The quotation relates to the theme of acceptance. Cheryl realizes that her mom will never be there to celebrate a birthday again. This causes Cheryl to become angry and hateful towards her mother. Once she calms down, she learns to accept that fact that her mother is dead and there was nothing she could do about that.
3. Does the quotation indicate a conflict? If so what conflict?
- This quotation shows the fued Cheryl has with herself in her mind. She wants to let her mother rest in peace, but she cannot do that because she has not learned how to cope with her not being there. Cheryl wanted her mother to still be alive and able to turn 50, however that was no longer possible and that caused Cheryl to over think it to the point where she became angry at her mom and then herself.