what makes a novel "a classic"?

what makes a novel "a classic?" discuss.

i believe that no one has to formally give a novel the title of being "a classic," it just assumes that title on its own. in my opinion, a classic novel is one that is read over and over again throughout the centuries, and is not one of the "dusty hidden books in the library shelves." classic novels are read so many times by different people, because they have a theme of importance which should be taught to the reader. also, many older novels have lessons which could be of importance in the future, or in our case, the present. shakespeare wrote macbeth in the early 1600s, and it is still being read today. this many be out of respect for shakespeare, or because macbeth teaches lessons of fear and lying. catcher in the rye is another book still read today, and holden in a character mentioned in many other stories today. in conclusion, a novel is a "classic" when it is taught and read years after it is written, and its themes and motifs are lessons that can be applied to life, even if it is 200 years after it was written. 

wuthering heights: my comments

to gab napoli:

gab i completely agree with your view about foster children. although no one in my family is adopted either, my parents do treat my friends just like their own children. when they are in my house, they know to just go get food and things for themselves, and talk to my mom just normally. one of my family friends adopted a baby from china, and they already had a 9 year old daughter and a 1 year old daughter. now, the baby has lived with them for four years, and is just as much a family member as any of the other children. i think that even if a child is adopted, they have the same rights to the family and usually are treated the same way as any other child. 

to talin:

this was one of the statements i considered blogging about, and i really like the perspective you came from. i thought it was really interesting how you stated that "technically, energy can't be created or destroyed. So when we "die", or should I say our bodies die," because i have never thought from that perspective before. i do think that a person comes back somehow, because i know of people that will think their friend or relative is guiding them, or sending them signals. there are many times, even on tv shows, that people try to "talk to" and connect with the deceased. this might be because they had a wise grandmother and they need advice, or they are missing their friend. it would be really cool but probably really scary for a person to "come back to life," but just as you said, it could happen. 

to jamie:

 in order to "not mention this person," i will just say 'he'. i chose the same question from the survey as you did, and i agree completely with what shelby said. i know how hard everything was after you and that person, because the two of you were also my two best friends. even though both of you are still my best friends, everyone has changed. and i can say that i have gone through the exact same thing with another person. you go from talking all the time to just ignoring each other in the hallways, or not talking for 4 months straight. but again, people change, and i think it's up to us to find out if that change is for better or for worse. 

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wuthering heights anticipation

when i was taking the survey, many of the questions i had never thought about were answered by a simple "true" or "false" statement. of course there is background to every scenario, but everything should be able to be answered as simple TRUE or FALSE. 

the statement that i felt the most connected to was a person's childhood friends are usually the most loyal. i think i might have laughed after reading this. although you may meet people when you are a child and just have that bond stay the same forever, that is not the case for everyone. especially as you grow up and meet new people, old flames can die out. i can say that i have lived through this experience, and even though at times it is hard to remember the past, i am more than happy to be in the present. 

the thing about these childhood friends was that there was always an extremely large amount of drama. from lies being told, talking behind backs, and alliances, one cannot stand to live with that forever. although there were countless good times, the shadows of the bad could slip in, ruining the fun. to say that i am not friends with anyone from my childhood would be a completely false statement. but the maturity of my friends today overrides the drama of elementary and beginning of middle school. don't get me wrong, not everyone was like this, of course. i am just trying to point out that these things do happen. 

the thing about being a child and the friends that you have, is that it goes in levels. when you are very young, you are friends with people who your parents are friends with. for example, when your mom and this person's mom get together for coffee, the children play together. as you grow up and enter kindergarten, you still mostly play with everyone in your class, and people around you. but as you grow up, you begin to fall in line with people who are like you, whether you are on the same sports teams, have the same personalities, or are just interested in the same hobbies. as these relationships start to flourish, strong friendships are formed. but once high school and middle school are added into the mix, things can change as people change. so although some might think their friends from childhood are the most loyal, i beg to differ. 

my comments to others.

shayna, 

i always love reading your blogs because they are always intense and make you think. first of all, i am so happy to hear that your sister is okay and healthy. but i completely agree with you about everything being written. i am a firm believer of how "everything happens for a reason," although i don't always know what the reason may be. for example, why are people who are struggling with money, the ones to lose their jobs, and the wealthier class are the ones who win the lottery or get the promotion. or why in a drunk driving accident, why does it happen that the drunk driver survives, and the people in the other car die? none of these things make sense to me, which is why it is interesting that i still believe that everything is written. however sometimes, when good things happen that lead to other good things, i do believe that there is something that keeps the good things rolling. but, whether or not it is an indescribable force or just "what happens, happens," i think that there is something guiding us through life. 

caylin, 

i really liked your story about the camp because i thought it was amazing that even at such a young age, society has taught us to be so discriminatory. (good for you for standing up for your friend!) but seriously, i am actually disgusted by the amount of segregation that is in america, or even in places as small as our school. no matter where you are, there are a thousand ways that someone can judge you. "your hair is the wrong color, your too tall, your clothes aren't 'in,' your house is too small, your skin is too dark." it is amazing how there are so many things that people can pick apart about each other, that no one spends the time to pick out the good assets anymore. why can't society teach us to go up to someone that you might not usually talk to, and compliment them on their shirt or their new haircut just because you like it? i think these are the lessons we should be taught by our parents and by the surrounding world; not lessons of hatred and bigotry. 

jamie,
my favorite part about all of your blogs is that you are not afraid to state the truth. whatever you are feeling, you just let out, and i saw that in this blog, too. i think my favorite part was how you questioned ignorance, and how it involved your surroundings. in truth, i believe that we are all ignorant of different types of people, religions, and cultures. one of my blogs discussed how it is important to have a background of different religions, just so you know what you are talking about. i also thought it was interesting how you said that you were not comfortable around the korean kids in your church, because you couldn't relate to them. even though this area is predominately caucasian, i think that people still have a hard time fitting in. people are harsh these days, which makes it even harder to fit it, and makes more people ignorant. i really like your opinions!

oh and your link was really interesting + i liked how you tied it into your topic

jill,
i completely agree with you about the reading thing with malcolm ( i have a post about it also ). not to rewrite what i stated in mine, but i truly do believe that reading is what saved malcolm. i also think it is amazing that he became so smart after reading and memorizing a dictionary. even though he had the time, that kind of memory and skill it takes to do that every day shows that malcolm always had the intelligence inside of him, it just needed a match to spark the flame.
also, you mentioned how music can help you relax or deviate stress. i completely agree! music is basically my savior, because there is always a song that can relate to how you are feeling. for me, it is the loud and sing-a-long music for those good moods, and the slower and softer music for times when i am feeling down or upset. music saves the soul and can mend any situation. really good job, i like how you describe malcolm's feelings from different angles.

rachel, 

i thought it was really interesting that you made this connection, because i had thought about how i don't really know anything about hillsdale. i have lived in the same house here for 12 years, and i still don't know any history about it. i mean demarest farms is right down the street, and marsha demarest + her husband live down the street, which tells me that the area used to be all farmland. that is hard to believe though. i did learn some facts from your link, and just like you, i didn't know that Hillsdale used to be part of Washington Township either. i really liked this blog and the connection that you made with malcolm x. 

[to be graded #5] malcolm x post 10: the environment you grow up in

in our small groups today, we had an in depth discussion about the end of malcolm, what everyone's opinions were, and any questions or comments they still had. the topic i decided i would write my last blog about was "how the environment you grow up in affects the type of person you become." this may seem abstract and controversial, but in plain sight it completely makes sense. for instance, look at malcolm's childhood. his dad was a preacher (hmm..foreshadow) who was beaten to death by the white "devils," but essentially died for his cause. his mother was claimed to be crazy, and the whites took her to the mental institution. so his parents' pasts basically shaped his future right off the bat. 

in my case, i believe that the environment you grow up in affects who you are, because of the studies that have been performed. this link connects to an article which discusses how our environment affects happiness. surveys were done, and many people are happy with their lives. however these were also the people who have close relationships with friends and family, may belong to a religious group, and enjoy their jobs. people who are not so happy may not have any of these bonds, or are suffering from low amounts of motivation and self confidence. 

growing up, my parents were always singing, dancing, reading, and playing with my sister and me. i think this is part of what made me grow up as a happy child with a positive outlook on life. my parents always taught me how important school was, and how i always needed to try my best. i was also raised with the idea of the significance and importance of family, religion, and friends- three things i still consider very important. i have come to the conclusion that the statement about the effects of your environment is true, because of all the surveys which have been taken, and my own experience with this idea. 

[to be graded #4] malcolm x post 9: sleeping under the stars

when malcolm talks about his journey on the Hajj, he references numerous times to how the Muslim customs which once seemed uncomfortable to him, were now everyday routines. 

"...and sleeping with eight or ten others on a mat in

the open. I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing

but the sky overhead I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim

brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land-every

color, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike-

all snored in the same language" (Haley 350).

when malcolm talks about sharing food and drinks with all the different men on the pilgrimage, he feels like a part of the "brotherhood." even though everyone were of different races and from different countries, they all found common ground when following Allah. 

when reading this, i realized another similarity between the Jewish and Muslim faiths. malcolm accounts of sleeping under the open sky, while being in the most sacred place in the world. Sukkot begins on the fifth day after Yom Kippur, which is the day of atonement. Sukkot pays tribute to the forty years of exile that the Jews had after escaping from Egypt (What is Sukkot?). on Sukkot, one of the traditions is for Jews to build a sukkah (pictured below).

"the sukkah represents the Clouds of Glory, which are representations of the Shechinah, which means Divine Presence" (Why do we build a Sukkah?). the rules for a sukkah are that it must have at least 2.5 walls, and be created so all or most of the roof shows the sky. this is because only the part under the sky is kosher, so it is more sacred. i have spent the night and had dinner in a sukkah, and i can tell you that it is a purely amazing experience. just like malcolm said it was amazing sleeping under the stars in a place with pure peace and love around him, being under the stars on a Jewish holiday is transforming. it is also amazing to think that all over the country and across the world, even in israel, people are all under the same night sky, full of prayer and hope. one day, i would love to go to israel, and meet those who live in a place so rich with history and tradition. however, for the time being, merely being able to connect because of the sky is just as astonishing. 

works cited:

Ellis-Christensen, Tricia. "What is Sukkot?" WiseGEEK: clear answers for common questions. 10 Mar. 2009 .

"Why do we build a Sukkah? - holidays sukkot the sukkah." Askmoses.com - Torah, Judaism and Jewish Info - Ask the Rabbi. 10 Mar. 2009 .

[to be graded #3] malcolm x post 8: importance of music in the past and present

especially in the mid section of the book, music was a very strong theme which guided malcolm through life in harlem and boston. he worked as a shoe shiner in theaters, and that is where his love of music, jazz, and the lindy hop dance began to grow. musical talents such as duke ellington, sonny greer, cootie williams, and eddie "cleanhead" vinson, inspired malcolm with their music. i think that it was this newfound interest in the musical and instrumental fields that kept malcolm off the streets some nights, and in the theaters to hear the bands peform, and to work. in harlem, the tour guide taught us how a man, charles mingus, was meeting duke ellington in his harlem apartment, and when he had asked for directions, duke told 

him to take the "a" train. by the time mingus had arrived at his apartment, he had potential song lyrics in his head, and when he met ellington, they created the song "Take the A Train." this shows how artists can be inspired by anything in the world surrounding them. for example, will.i.am wrote numerous songs during the election about President Obama, and how change was going to come. now, how does this relate to me?  although i am not a musician, i do write poems, which in a sense is the same roots as music. by writing about things that inspire me, or emotions that i am experiencing, i am just as much a musician as duke ellington or will.i.am. although i don't have the voice, i can "voice" my opinions and express my thoughts, just as any of these artists. 

in general, men's voices are generally heard more than a woman's, especially back then. however, do you think people in the 1960's would rather listen to a white woman's opinion, or a black man's? think about it. women were completely seen as inferior, because the men ruled the household, brought in the income, and was the backbone of the family. however, some people completely disregarded the existence of african americans. sadly, i would think that a woman might be heard more just because she is of the white race. however, since some men didn't even listen to their own wives, i even beg to differ my opinion. 

after coming up with that question, i decided to rese

arch it. i found an article from the boston globe, which actually related directly to the current election. as you can even see in this picture, people were polled as to whether they would rather vote for a black man, or a white woman, and to some, the results may be surprising - black man. think about it...who would you rather vote for? now pretend that you were living in the 1960's in malcolm's time. who do you think you would have voted for then?

[to be graded #2] malcolm x post 7.

the field trip to harlem, ny to visit places that malcolm visited was extremely interesting and touching. we drove into harlem and met our tour guides, Neal Shoemaker and Andi Owens, who gave us a brief background of malcolm's life, and the area of harlem. then we got off the bus and walked around a little, and saw different monuments and buildings where malcolm had walked or visited. we also saw a hotel where fidel castro and others of high importance once stayed. one my my favorite parts of the trip was visiting the Schombeurg Center for Research in Black Culture. it had exhibits of different moments in african american history, and had a great layout of events from Barack Obama's campaign tour. when we were upstairs, there was a group of younger african american children who were also on a field trip. i saw them while we were watching a quick movie of Obama, and i couldn't help but overhear them talking with their teacher. she was asking them if they knew about  Shirley Chisholm, who had been the first african american woman to run for president in 1972. i was astonished to hear these young kids know who she was talking about, and be able to tell her events that this woman witnessed. it proved to me how much culture there was in harlem and in events like the election of an african american president, were even more meaningful to people who never thought it could happen. this part of the tour was one of my favorites because throughout the entire election, my mom and i followed all the campaigning and speeches. every day, whether it was breakfast, dinner, or right after school, the tv in my kitchen was on MSNBC or any other news station that had events from the trail. even though the trip. being in this museum with the ashes of Langston Hughes buried underneath one of his poems in the ground. 

another one 

the Masjid Malcolm Shabazz Mosque was a part of the trip that i felt the most connected to. although i am not a muslim, i thought it was really interesting because i had never been in a mosque before. the man who met us in the mosque was referred to as a brother, and he even called us his "family." (we were referred to as brothers, sisters, and a big family multiple times during the day. i thought it was really nice and showed the hospitality, in the sense that these people don't care who you are, where you are from, or what you look like, they treat you the same as one of their actual family members). anyway, in this mosque, the brother taught us a little about why the interior of the mosque was decorated as it was. for example, no mosques are allowed to having any pictures or drawings on the walls, because it is impossible to depict G-d. we learned that if one person drew a picture of G-d, then everyone who thought they resembled the picture would think they were of a "higher" power, and everyone who didn't look like the depiction would not be as special. this was interesting to me, because in the jewish religion, you are not supposed to depict G-d or write any of G-d's names on a paper that could be thrown away. i realized that as different as many religions are, there are certain bonds that you can find which link their main thoughts together. this brought me to wonder about how important it is to learn about other religions. this article taught me that studying other religions can even make you more secure in what you believe in, because it shows you everything else that you do not believe in and clarifies it. i am not saying that you should just decide tomorrow to go out and learn about every other religion on the planet. i am trying to show that even my experience in the mosque taught me something new, and helped me understand how malcolm became so devoted to the islamic faith. i also realized that americans are not supposed to throw away american flags, you have to bring it somewhere for them to dispose of it properly, because it is un-American and improper to throw something away that has so much respect. i also remembered that if you are jewish and you drop a prayer book on the floor, you are supposed to kiss the corner to show your respect and almost say sorry for dropping something so sacred. you may think its confusing about how i tied all this together, but i am basically trying to show that my experience to harlem taught me about the culture and all the history that was in the area. it also encouraged me to learn more about different religions and understand the faiths of others. 

[to be graded #1] malcolm x post 6: benefits of reading as a hobby

i will admit that in my earlier posts, i have been very annoyed with the life that Malcolm was living. i did know that eventually he would turn his life around, and head towards a more positive setting, but for the time being, i was left confused about how someone who became so influential, had lived such an illegal and disrupted life before. i did say that i knew malcolm would eventually turn his life around, and the chapters about his life in jail proved that this was true. when malcolm talks about reading and his new hobby, i realized how much finding something that interests you can save your life. 

i felt an instant connection to this idea when malcolm started talking about his new love of reading. he quotes, "Let me tell you something: from then until I left that prison, in every free moment I had, if I was not reading in the library, I was reading on my bunk. You couldn't have gotten me out of books with a wedge" (Haley 176). this idea of being immersed in such a good book that you cannot even put it down, is one of the best feelings. over thanksgiving break, my family and i drove up to buffalo, ny, to visit my grandparents. the entire car ride there, i sat in the dark car, holding a flashlight over The Pact by Jodi Picoult. i would not let anyone turn on the radio and i wouldn't even talk to my family, because all i wanted to do was read this amazing book. 

after reading, i wondered if reading in places like prison could help change a person for the better, so i went online and found a website which helped explain the importance of reading as a hobby.  i read about how reading for pleasure can transform people. you can read for 5 minutes or 50 minutes, and still, with a good book, you can feel yourself stepping into Cinderella's shoes, living in Shakespearean times, or in the courtroom of a book such as The Pact. the article also taught me that reading can mentally calm someone from the fears and dangers of reality.  i know that especially when i am stressed, the two things i turn to are a good book and music. time flies when you are immersed in a hobby, and can give you a feeling of reaching new heights. as malcolm quotes, "In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life" (Haley 176). 

malcolm x post 5.

"Looking back, I think I really was at least slightly out of my mind. I viewed narcotics as most people regard food. I wore my guns as today I wear my neckties. Deep down, I actually believed that after living as fully as humanly possible, one should then die violently. I expected then, as I still expect today, to die at any time. But then, I think I deliberately invited death in many, sometimes insane, ways" (Haley 141). 

Malcolm is retelling his story in this autobiography, so it is interesting to see how he later realizes that he was crazy. Even though we have not yet reached the end of the book, I think that all of the experiences Malcolm encountered in his life may have shaped him into the individual who made such an impact on the world. In jail, he says that the men in his cell began to call him "Satan," because he was so against any religious beliefs. Many things in Malcolm's life contradict, because when he is still living with his mother, she becomes extremely religious. 

"People are always speculating--why am I as I am? To understand that of any person, his whole life, from birth, must be reviewed. All of our experiences fuse into our personality. Everything that ever happened to us is an ingredient" (Haley 153). 

The above quote backs my idea of all the events in Malcolm's life leading to who he eventually becomes. Currently, Malcolm is in jail, but I think that once he is released, his entire life will be different. His brothers and sisters are visiting him in jail and writing him letters, and teaching him about Allah and Elijah. This marks the beginning of a new Malcolm. He even states that he would later remember these words from his brothers and sisters, and use them in future speeches. 

malcolm x post 4.

"Have you ever been so sure you did something that you never would have thought of it again--unless it was brought up again? Then you start trying to mentally confirm--and you're only about half-sure?" (Haley 131).

     The reading over break brought me even deeper into Malcolm's life. There were many instances throughout the chapters where Malcolm's words shocked me, and I was even angry at how he was living his life. As shown in this quote, Malcolm also starts showing signs of himself turning crazy. Malcolm started robbing houses, gambling more than ever, and working with prostitutes just to earn money. Anyone who saw how Malcolm started out, a young child scared about his mother's condition and his family falling apart, would have to look twice at his life now. 

     I am angered by the fact that someone who ended up having such an impact on America, lived like this before. It's not the idea of Harlem, or even the moving around and coming and going into people's lives. I was seriously surprised to see how much marijuana, cocaine, and alcohol Malcolm consumed. I am hoping to find that as I read more of the story, Malcolm will become a better person. 

malcolm x post 3: movie + in class debate

in class today we had an extremely intense debate about racism and white privileges. i was so aggravated leaving class, and even continued the discussion with jen and jill while walking to gym. the article that we read opened my eyes even more to the idea of the "white privilege." i felt horrible after reading it, because i had never realized that things as small as a band-aid were made in flesh color, which is the color of white skin. things like that amaze me, because i can't imagine my life being on the other side of this circle. i agree with everyone that many people do not realize this sheet of white privilege, but unlike some people who think that if people just didn't think about racism and say it, then it wouldn't be there, i know that of course it would still be there. whoever thinks that having an african american president for the first time isn't that big of a deal is wrong; these people came from living these lives in the 1700-1800s where they were slaves for caucasian landowners, to running the United States of America. these people from minorities have come so far, so it should be recognized all the opportunity that white people may have, but others should receive. i also think that those that have the white privilege should be putting it to good use. we have the opportunity to help so many others who are less fortunate, so we should be using our advantages to help those with disadvantages. i am also shocked to know that there are still people (even classmates) that don't think discrimination is a big deal. it is especially easy for the white men to say this, because look at them. you're caucasian and a male, so your life should be pretty easy compared to others. i can't say that i have been discriminated against in such great detail as people of other races, cultures, and minorities, but i can say that i have experienced it. even being a jewish girl in a primarily christian country makes you face challenges. there are people that make "jew jokes," and there are times when people assume that you are christian because "isn't everyone?" these kinds of blind-spots in people's lives are part of the problem that we saw in the movie from wednesday. if everyone realized that there were so many types of people with different feelings and different needs, i think the whole "white privileges" thing would be reexamined. 

malcolm x post 1.

"These Negroes walked along the sidewalks looking haughty and dignified, on their way to work, to shop, to visit, to church.  I know now, of course, that what I was really seeing was only a big-city version of those "successful" Negro bootblacks and janitors back in Lansing. The only difference was that the ones in Boston had been brainwashed even more thoroughly" (Haley 42). 

This quote from Chapter 3 describes the differences in people that Malcolm finds in Boston. Earlier in the book, he says that the "upper class" Negroes worked as janitors, and in fields that most would not describe as upper class jobs. I thought that it was really interesting to see the differences in people from his hometown, versus Boston.  I had not realized that there were different types of workers within the same class; just as Malcolm said that the people in the ghetto in Boston differed from those in Lansing. I also noticed that Malcolm seems to enjoy staying with his half-sister Ella more than his family. This may be because now he has a stable home with food, money, and protection. 

He also foreshadows later events multiple times during these chapters. For example, Malcolm comments about how beautiful Harvard University is, and references that later in his life he would give a speech in front of the Harvard Law School Forum. 

malcolm x post 2.

I was really happy when reading chapter 3 to find out that Malcolm finally made a friend in Boston. Shorty calls Malcolm his "homeboy," which is where the title for chapter 3 comes from. Shorty immediately accepts Malcolm and brings him all around the ghetto parts of the neighborhood. It was nice to see that Shorty actually helped Malcolm, by finding him a job at the Roseland State Ballroom as a shoeshine boy. Freddie, the original shoeshine boy taught Malcolm all the skills of the trade, and how to get the most out of tips. He taught Malcolm to run up to the men after they used the restroom and offer them a hand towel, and to make a sound with the rags when cleaning the shoes, so the men thought you were working really hard. 

Shorty also conked Malcolm's hair, and helped him endure all the pain of the process. Malcolm was extremely happy with the results, and even stated that he would wear his hair like that every day for years. When we did the web quest as the pre-reading assignment, my topic was African American Culture Fashion Trends. When researching this topic, I learned about the importance of the exterior body to the African Americans. Men and women were extremely self conscious about their skin color, and wanted to look like the Whites. Malcolm states, "This was my first really big step toward self-degradation: when I endured all of that pain, literally burning my flesh to have it look like a white man's hair. I had joined that multitude of Negro men and women in America who are brainwashed into believing that the black people are "inferior," - and white people "superior"..." (Haley 56). My research taught me that Black women and men tried really hard to fit the "white standard." This quote from Malcolm shows how he tried to do the same. Although he wears the conk for years, he is unhappy with the pain he suffered, just to look like a man of a different race. I hope that Malcolm learns to accept who he is and his background, and hopefully, he will not degrade himself like this at further points in the book.