Thankful for a Classmate(s)

1st period English is my favorite class. Despite the work and discussions, the atmosphere is very relaxed. With thanksgiving coming up, I am thankful for Kristy, Kay Kay and Gabe.

Kristy is by far one of the biggest try-hards when it comes to school. She constantly talks about how tired she is or how she is going to fail her tests later on in the day. Despite her annoyances about school work, Kristy is my ultimate motivator and savior when it comes to academics. Coming home late from practice, I am sure to find Kristy being available on social media to ask questions on assignments ranging from math to science. Without Kristy, I could honestly say that I wouldn't be surviving high school. Thanks bud!

I've known Kay Kay since last year, and it was a thrill being in the same class as her again. Kay Kay has to be one of the most genuine and honest person I've ever met. She never rejects to help anyone, despite how she feels about that person. One of the greatest memories at this school would be making jokes around Kay Kay. Even though she clearly might not get the joke, she would laugh anyways. I am super grateful for knowing her!

Gabe is by far one of the smartest people ever. He would claim to never study, but still pull a 99% on the AP Chemistry test. I am thankful for Gabe because of his friendly personality and for doing the chemistry labs. Gabe is the best!

Have a Happy Thanksgivng!

Then He Is Dead?

After reading Macbeth, I feel that Macbeth's actions were not worthwhile. He did accomplish his goal of becoming king, but his temporary reign defeats the purpose. Also, his sanity, dignity, and morale was hurt from his actions and the others around him. After Macbeth's fortune was told to him, it seemed as though his demeanor was completely altered in a way for the worse. He could have been a good king, but instead, his cockiness and over-assurance of maintaining his throne made his followers suspicious and skeptical about him. 

 Another point I would like the address is how he was always timid and fearful that another person was plotting to kill him. Hence, he decided to kill Banquo, his best friend. In class, we discussed the topic of being good outweighing the bad. Macbeth's actions of killing Duncan could be justified if he turned out to be good and performed good deeds. Instead, Macbeth constantly did bad, one after another. He went crazy, and I feel that his actions really effected him in the long run. It was just not worth it. 

"And fill me, from the crown to the toe, top-full of direst cruelty!"

Lady Macbeth is extremely ambitious in her soliloquy. She basically wants her husband (Macbeth) to take the heir of the throne as quickly as possible, while her husband is rather the opposite. Macbeth doesn't want to partake in her scheme, but wants fate to just happen. Lady Macbeth decides the bet option is to have her husband leave everything to her, and she should just execute the plan of killing the beloved king.

After reading her soliloquy, I find Lady Macbeth to be a greedy and crazy "gold digger." Her husband recent got the promotion of a thane, yet she still wants to take the title of the king for her husband. When I read this section, I felt a good characteristic we can label Lady Macbeth is someone that is extremely wealth and power driven. I don't understand why her plan of killing the king as important when his husband's fate was already decided. He was going to be king in the future. Thus, this leads to another characteristic of Lady Macbeth: impatient. Whats the point of taking actions in your own hands when fate already has your back? Maybe my thinking is a  tad bit ignorant. Oh well. Maybe you do have to take action to achieve fate?

No New Tale to Tell: Greed

Greed can best be defined as excessive desire for something. Honestly, I feel that greed is something we were born with. It can range from wanting money, materialistic things, or people. We are encouraged to be the best in what we do, so when something or someone is ahead of our state, its in our instinct to have jealousy. Greed is displayed in the stories we read, Grendel and The Pardoner. One of the examples of each would be the mention of Cain and Abel. Cain had killed his brother because of jealousy towards his sacrifice compared to his. In The Pardoner, the pardoner sells fake merchandise that claims to be "holy" to peasants. His sole purpose is to get money from people and takes advantage of his audiences lack of knowledge.

Like mentioned before, I feel that greed is something we were all born as. It is our inclination to want things from other people that we can't have. In today's world, we see many examples of greed taking over people. Examples would be big corporations, rich taking advantage of the poor, and government. When one attains something, there would always be a brief period of satisfaction before wanting something else. This causes an endless cycle of greed. We can't always get rid of our need to want things, but we can always attempt to be more satisfactory with the things that are provided and possess. If not, timeless greed would make a person feel miserable, sense of unaccomplished, and the need to want more. We should all be happy with the things we have.

Truth

When the Shaper delivers his song to the king, Grendal is faced with statements he wasn't too necessarily sure about. Truth can be deceiving, for it could have been passed down from generations to generations. The once called "truth" could be manipulated and exaggerated. Former aspects of the truth could be omitted and replaced with versions that can be used to larger the deed of a particular race or person. Similar to the Shaper, his song boasts about the accomplishment of the Danes and King Hrothgar. Personally, I think because the fact that the Shaper is blind, it makes it obviously a person that was told the stories of the Danes. Emphasizing on TOLD, it clearly tells the reader that the Shaper's credibility is flawed, for he didn't witness something actually happening. Instead, he was told a story and he manipulated it in his own telling.

When Grendal was hearing the song of the Shaper, he almost was convinced. However, the dead man that he discovered made him think otherwise. Even though he disregards most of the song, he still believes in some, such as the story of Cain and Abel. Grendal seems as though he understands reality and truth, rather be bulged with unreliable facts the Shaper tells. Another prime example of truth would be king Hrothgar. Even though him and his people didn't know about half the things the Shaper were singing, they still passed it as truth. Rather than interrogating it, they embraced it. The credibility of the Shaper definitely shows the confusion of truth and what or who to believe. 

Modern Day Beowulf

When I think of Beowulf and the character he is, prideful, perfect, and religious are words best to describe him. Compared to modern day, I can't necessarily pinpoint a specific person that shows those specific qualities. However, when I think of commitment, pride, and god-like, the idea of athletics pops up. An athlete that I think most emulates Beowulf would be Tim Tebow (a professional football player). Even though Tim might not be the best quarterback, he gives all his praise to God after a good play he or his team delivers. "Tebowing" might be dead, but it is an action asking for attention. Ever since Tim Tebow started his usual celebration of "tebowing," it quickly became a flashy trend among the media and people. Similar to Beowulf, whom thirsts for attention and appreciation. Even though we might not know if Tim Tebow is actually praising God or seeking for attention, it has caught the attention of the media. Thus, making his celebratory action a hit trend.
As for a modern day Grendal, I feel that Joseph Stalin or any dictator could fit the description. Grendal's excuse for being a monster would be his isolationism and hearing the cheers of warriors. As for dictators, such as Stalin, they strongly believe in expansionism and their viewpoints. Despite their viewpoints, it doesn't justify their right to kill thousands of their own civilians. As for Grendal, just because of isolationism and the comments from the hall, it doesn't seem logical to kill men for 12 years because of that.

Me

My name is Nicolas Lau and I am currently a junior attending Whitney Young High School. At school, I plan on joining key club. Outside of school, I am an avid volleyball player for Sports Performance Volleyball Club located in Aurora, Illinois. Fortunately this past summer, I was selected to USA Volleyball's A1 Select team which participated in international competition. The competition consisted of: New Zealand, Mexico, Chile, Dominican Republic, and China. During my spare time, I usually waste my time on the internet and television. When I have homework that I do not understand, I find it helpful to be able to watch a video about it. As for television, my favorite shows would be "The Walking Dead" and "Breaking Bad." I am fascinated by science fiction and love cartoons with good plots.
Aside from my interests, I describe my self as reserved and quiet. I enjoy hearing people talk and share their opinions, but am usually skeptical to share my own. The fear of saying the wrong things or saying things that I don't necessarily mean usually makes me hesitate. Other than that, I look forward to this class and learning more about British Literature. Thank you and the end.