Thank You Ma'am

 Author's Note

This response to "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes is explaining my belief on if Mrs. Luella and the boy would stay in touch and if the boys attitude would change after they met.

"Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes is an excellent short story based on a teenage boy who tries to steal Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones pocket book and she takes him back to her home for him to eat and wash his face. The story ends when he leaves so you don’t know if him and Mrs. Luella stay in touch. Or if the boy changes his attitude.

    I personally think that the boys attitude will change because he can see that people can be kind and if he wants something reasonable he can ask a friend or now he knows he can talk to Mrs. Luella. Since she took him to her home and had him wash his face and feed him I think that that is someone the boy can trust so I believe that they would stay in touch.

Swim Team? Yes. No. Yes

Author’s Note.

This essay is an expository essay about whether or not I should join the swim team next year in High School.

            I remember the first time I learned how to swim. We were in Florida visiting my Grandparents. I saw my uncle swimming in their pool and I wanted to be able to do that too. My dad showed me how, helped me for a little and before you knew it I was swimming all on my own. Ever since then I would go to the beach and try and beat my dad across the deep end. Sometimes he let me win. Now I can actually come close to really beating him. Ever since last summer I have been considering joining the swim team because I feel that I would really enjoy it for many reasons. Although there are things that I would enjoy there are some reasons that are holding me back.

            A reason that I want to join the team is because I have tried basketball, soccer, cheerleading, and dance. But I can never find anything that I enjoy and am good at. With swimming I have done it a majority of my life and I have found that I am fairly good at it and I enjoy it.

            For another example of why I want to join is that I want to be a part of a team. I can say I am a part of something. That I participate at school, and I’m part of a team that goes and wins trophies to show school spirit.

            Although there are many reasons why I want to join there are definitely reasons that are keeping me back. I have tried piano, soccer, basketball, cheerleading, and dance. In the end I wind up quitting because I don’t like practicing or going to practice. This has wasted a lot of my parents’ money. The first couple times I quit it wasn’t that big of a deal but lately I have been seeing a pattern that I cannot find anything that I can dedicate myself to. With that pattern I don’t want to start swimming and quit half way through. This is one of my weaknesses that I am working on so hopefully I’ll be able to join.

            Like said before with not wanting to go to practice leads to another, disadvantage. Practice is every day after school which means I will have to make sure to get all my homework done right after practice and be able to get to bed at a reasonable time so I am fresh for the next day. having the practice every day will definitely make it more difficult to stay on task at home.

            In conclusion, if I work past the pattern of quitting, and really get focused on homework right when I get home I can most definitely join the team. During that I can also gain great characteristics such as, not giving up, and good studying strategies. Which helps my College and Career Readiness.

Katniss and Hannah

Author’s Note

This comparative essay is about Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games and Hannah Pritchard from The Revolutionary Pirate.

Are there differences between Hannah and Katniss?  Hannah Pritchard in the historical fiction, The Revolutionary Pirate, by Bonnie Pryor and Katniss Everdeen from the bestseller The Hunger games, by Suzanne Collins are both very different and similar.

            The similarities between these two characters are that they were both separated from their family. Hannah was separated because of the Red Coats murdering her father, mother, and brother. Katniss was separated because of the hunger games when she volunteered herself to save her little sister. Since they are both separated they both have a longing to see their family again.

Also, they are both risking their lives in this book. Hannah is on a pirate ship pretending to be a boy and if she is discovered they could hang her. Katniss is in the games so she either comes out the only one alive or dead. This is a lot to have on your plate when you are a teenager.

            There are differences between these two girls, even though they are both teenagers they are living in two completely different generations. Hannah is living during the Revolutionary war which was in the late 1700’s. Katniss is living in the future.   

They are always risking their lives in different ways. Hannah is hiding her identity on a ship, which could get her hanged if someone discovered who she was. Katniss is literally in a completion where only one person lives in the end. She is hunting, hiding, and killing. Hannah is cooking, cleaning, and hiding her identity.

            In conclusion, Hannah and Katniss are both very similar and different characters. Same for the books, both great books that hard to stop reading. But also two different topics. There are many more differences and similarities that can be found.

Response

I have the seen the movie "The Blind Side" about 'Big Mike' and so reading this is like the sequal. I enjoyed reading it. Obie is trying to make a difference. Like he did in the Movie. Not everyone is ok with it though. But he sticks up for what he believes in and that is the message he is trying to get across. the wife was also a great part of it .

Pirate of the Revolution

     Author's Note

I wrote this because of the universal theme 'Role Playing' because Hannah Pritchard is playing the role of her brother who got murdered by the enemies in the Revolutionary War. So she is dressing up and getting on a ship for revenge. I also wrote this because of the women that are suspected to do all the house work in the late 1700's. they weren't allowed to do what they wanted with their life which is unfair.

            Hannah Pritchard by Bonnie Pryor is a book based of a teenage girl living in the late 1700’s during the Revolutionary War. Her parents were murdered so she was left all by herself. First, working at an Inn, she found herself dressing up like her brother, Jack Pritchard, and going onto Sea Hawk to get revenge on the enemies who killed her family. While trying to cover up as a boy, someone uncovers her secret and she trusts one man with the secret. Hannah Pritchard is not like any other teenage girl in the late 1700’s she wants more than being a stay at home mom; she wants revenge, and an adventure.

            Women in the late 1700’s are known for just being the house wives who clean, cook, and do laundry. Hannah did not want that to be her future. She wanted to do the dirty work that he father and brother would do outside. Once she found out all the different jobs you could get if she were boy she hopped on that ship and pretended to be her brother. The other pirates on the ship found that ‘Jack’ was not a half bad pirate. Once Dobbs discovers that ‘Jack’ is a girl, he doesn’t really mind all that much because Hannah has already proven herself a good worker. As for her friend Daniel on the ship she confessed to him on herself because she thought that he deserved to know. Same as Dobbs, Daniel does not find that the quality of work will decrease it was just a shock to him. Once everyone on the ship discovered her they did not mind because they have seen that Hannah knows how to work hard and get the job done.

            Even though today we do not only expect women to do all the house work some men still think of women as the stay at home moms. Yet, some of the men are stay at home dads. Society has changed since those times but some people have not. Hannah wanted adventure. But her mom wanted to have a stable home with a happy family. One might sound better than the other or you want both. Every man or women is different and everyone wants different things. Hannah’s mom just did not see that. The down side to all of this is that her mom will never get to see what will become of Hannah. Either if she is a stay at home mom with her maybe soon to be husband Daniel or out on the Sea having more adventures.

            In conclusion Hannah Pritchard got her adventure and now she might be starting an new one with going to the farm with Daniel and starting a family. Hannah has proven that no matter what gender if you put forth a good effort and you want to be different you can. It may have a bad conclusion but trying is better than never doing anything at all.

When You Lose Everything You Love, You Fight

Author's Note

This essay is about how the climax in Hannah Pritchard affects the rest of the book and the rest of her life. Also how different things are for her after she became a pirate.   

    Hannah Pritchard is a young girl who went from a wonderful, loving family, to being an orphan with nowhere to go but work. Once she found a job at the inn, she started discovering all the different jobs she could get… if she was a boy. One of the jobs that they were saying she could do was being a pirate on a ship. Next thing you know, Hannah is trying on her brothers clothes and hopping onto a ship playing as a boy, Jack Pritchard. Stepping on that ship is when everything changes for Hannah Pritchard.

     The climax of this book is when Hannah goes on the ship pretending to be her brother because from there on out she must become her brother, talk like him, walk like him, and not act like a girl. What caused this to happen is that the Red Coats murdered her family while she was in the forest getting berries. After that she went and decided that she wanted revenge on the Red Coats and became a pirate.

            For getting on that ship Hannah has to face some consequences. First of all she didn’t have a job that changed from what she was already doing at home. She was still doing the dishes and making dinner for the crew. Also, she had a love interest in a boy named Daniel who was also working there and she couldn’t tell him the truth about her until later.

            Although there were consequences she had life changes experiences from going on the ship, once everyone knew she was a girl they let her stay because she works so hard and does a good job at it. So she got to keep fighting against the Red Coats for revenge. Lastly, Daniel and Hannah then planned to finish the war and get married.

In conclusion The Revolutionary Pirate had a happy ending but also a start of a new beginning for Hannah and Daniel. The Climax had consequences and rewards that affected her whole life after the war. And hopefully, Hannah got the adventure she wanted.

           

Mother, Daughter Bonding

Author’s Note

You never know when things are going to completely change for you. You will be fighting with your mom and go to bed without fixing the problem. You come home from school the next day and she got in a car accident during the day. Hannah’s last conversation with her mother wasn’t the best. She leaves for a while and her mom is dead. No goodbyes. I wrote this because it is showing what her moms point of view is.  

     Hannah Pritchard is not the typical girl you would talk to. She doesn’t like to follow all the rules that are made for her and other girls her age. In the late 1700’s you find girls wearing long dresses, not, wearing pants and high socks like the boys do. Hannah Pritchard is the kind of girl that wants to do manual labor like her father and brother, she doesn’t want to follow the typical things that girls are taught to do. For example, dishes, laundry, cleaning. Hannah said “Have you ever noticed that whatever work women do is always waiting to be done again? You will just have to wash those clothes again next month. Dinner will have to be cooked again tomorrow. When father and Jack are done today, the field will be done.” That showed a big part of what Hannah wants in life, an adventure.

            The mom was not aware that that would be the last conversation with her daughter so she saw this as any other day. Hannah was not doing the things that her mom wanted her to do. Like, learning to clean, do the laundry, wearing dresses, and other things typical women would do. Her mother just wanted her to take after her and learn to run a house, because she too would be running her own someday.

            Not knowing that it would be the last conversation they didn’t show their emotions to each other and say their goodbyes. If you were in the situation where you knew it would be the last time you would ever talk to your mom wouldn’t you also tell her you loved her, and give her a big hug? I would. The mom was annoyed with her daughter that she forgot why she loved Hannah so much. Leaving the house on the sour note did not help that it was their last conversation. If they had the point of view of the mother it would show more of a sensitive side and the love for her daughter she has.

            If the book was written in her point of view different emotions would show and make you look at their dilemma differently. It would bring out a sadder side of the story not just a normal day conversation with your mom. The reader is also not aware of the future that is held for Hannah’s mother so you don’t see the conversation as a big deal but if the reader saw it in the mother’s point of view the reader may have a different theory.