Honors Blog: Grapes of Wrath

Tom Joad
Tom Joad is of average stature, and working a lot in the fields has made him tan and strong. He is usually very dirty because of all the traveling he does with his family. In the beginning he doesn't have any scars but when he gets in a fight towards the end of the novel, it causes him to have this big scar across the side of his face. His outfits are not necessarily distinguishing because he clothes are the same as every other migrant worker; Dirty, old and slowly falling apart. His speech is the same as his whole family with a heavy southern accent which is hard to understand at times. His roles and in the novel is be a supporter of his family. He doesn't have a job throughout most of the book but when he does get work he makes sure to be as efficient as he can. Even though the Joad family is very religious he doesn't seem to care about it much. He is Ma and Pa Joad's favorite son. Tom is good-natured and thoughtful and makes do with what life hands him. Even though he killed a man and has been separated from his family for four years, he does not waste his time with regrets. He lives fully for the moment, which enables him to be a great source of vitality for the Joad family. As a guide and protector, Tom exhibits a moral certainty throughout the novel that inspires him with strength and resolve: he earns the respect of his family members as well as the workers he later organizes into unions. His whole life is a connection to history because he was immigrating to California with the thousands of others during the Industrial era when jobs were scarce because of all the big corporations and machineries. The character's name doesn't suggest much besides the fact that he is named after his father, and just like his father he takes on the responsible roles of a man. I believe Tom changed a lot throughout the novel because the situation caused him to mature. He stopped living the life as a boy and began to take the consequences for his actions and helping others instead of himself.

Rose A Sharon
The oldest of Ma and Pa Joad's daughters, and Connie's wife, she is an impractical and romantic young woman, Rose of Sharon begins the journey to California pregnant with her first child. She and Connie have grand plans of making a life for themselves in a city. The harsh realities of migrant life however soon throws away Rose of Sharon ideas. Her husband abandons her, and her child is born dead. By the end of the novel, she matures a great amount, and possesses her mother's impossible to defeat spirit and grace. Most of the clothing she wore were dresses that her mother would buy her. Her habit was a worrying habit, and being pregnant brought out the worst in that. It caused her to constantly assume the worst and pity herself. She also has a thick southern accent just like the rest of her family. Her role is society was the role of women and their difficulties when immigrating turns for the worst and breaks families apart. Rose of Sharon is religious and also very superstitious. She believed that the worst was out to get her baby and that because she had “sinned” she would go to hell. Her family loves her very much but with her constant complaining and self pity, it would annoy them as well. Her name is after a flower, and her mother loves the sound of it very much. She changed from the beginning of the novel as a childish and dreamy teenage daughter who develops as the novel progresses to become a mature woman. She symbolizes regrowth when she helps the starving stranger.

Ma Joad
As the mother of the Joad family, Ma is introduced as a woman who knowingly and gladly fulfills her role as “the citadel of the family.” She is the family's healer and the settler of their arguments, and her ability to perform these tasks grows as the novel progresses. Ma is described as being not skinny but not fat either, short of stature, and curly hair. Just like her daughter she mainly wears dresses whenever shes out. Her habits change through the book from at first being the quiet women who let the men do the leading, to the one in charge and making decisions. The whole family love her but her husband is always upset at how he feels like he isn't in charge anymore. Ma Joad emerges as the family's center of strength over the course of the novel as Pa Joad gradually becomes less effective as a leader and provider. She is embedded in history because she was one of the first women who started taking things into their own hands and having a say in the matters instead of only men. Her real name is never revealed in the story she was always referred as Ma. Ma displays a startling capacity to keep herself together, and to keep the family together, in the face of great turmoil. Like the time when the family was crossing the California dessert. Here, Ma suffers privately with the knowledge that Grandma is dead, riding silently alongside her corpse so that the family can complete its treacherous journey. She consistently proves to be the novel's strongest supporter of family and togetherness.

The patterns I notice about the characters is that they all immensely matured throughout the novel. Tom and Rose A Sharon grow up to the adults they become, and Ma begins to stand up for herself. The conclusion that this leads me towards is a better realization of the climax. That there isn't a specific one because the book is about life. Life has its ups and downs but never one single climax. In the book they all mature and grow as the story continues, just like in real life which works perfectly because its true.

My Photo Essay

Modern Dance

The San Diego Dance Theater is where it all takes place. The students inside perfect the art form of the multiple dance styles, specifically Modern dance. Modern dance encourages dancers to use their emotions and moods to design their own steps and routines, which separates modern dancing from other dances such as ballet. Specific techniques for modern dancing have been developed over the past 100 years beginning originally as a rebellion against the poise and formal structure of classical ballet. Ballet is strict, limited and and disciplined, which is why the first modern dancers felt the need to break away and be different. The goal behind modern dance is to interact the viewer through the dances. The dancers have to reflect the world as it is now: urban, edgy, moving towards gender equality, deeply human, and danced by people of varied sizes, colors and backgrounds. Finally these dances help us understand a shift in ourselves: As they perform dances in a way that can breathe life into the people of our region and beyond, they reveal to us something we have not realized before.

Jean Isaacs' San Diego Dance Theater

One day walking down the hall I complimented Jean by saying her students Minaqua McPherson and Blythe Barton were extraordinary dancers. She replied by saying, “Its because they dance every single day. Dancing is who they are.”
Dancing has been Jean Isaacs whole life as well; from her first dance classes as a little girl to beginning 3's Company with Patrick Nollet and Betzi Roe, to Isaacs, McCaleb and Dancers to the San Diego Dance Theater. She has created Cabaret Dances which performs annually at the San Diego Museum of Art, and her work has been commissioned by the San Diego Opera, The La Jolla Playhouse, various theaters, and for the "New Wave" Festival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. She now uses her experience and talent to teach new generations of dancers to excel in the art form. Jean Isaacs has inspired thousands of people around the world for the last couple decades to pursue their goals. “I've had a lot of students... and they often say that have no support for this. They'd say 'My parents expect me to be a doctor or lawyer and if I decide to major in dance they will stop paying for my tuition.'” Jean has helped her students realize that success can be defined by either wealth or happiness and if dance is what they love, they only have one life to go for it. “As a dance leader and inspiration, Jean Isaacs ranks among the finest of San Diego choreographers...always trying out 'new ideas' and urging the dancers around her to do their best!” (Bravo San Diego, Rob Appel, 2008). Jean Isaacs is a modern example of a dancer who loves what she does. Even when chasing a dance career after college was looked down upon by society and her families' expectations, she followed her dreams.

Minaqua McPherson

“I started out by doing ballet as a young girl, but I was too much of a wild child... the only part I liked were the tutus. I thought those were the coolest things ever.” ~ Minaqua McPherson. From a young age, Minaqua realized that the structure and limits of ballet couldn't compare to the freedom that came with modern dancing. Working as a teacher and student at Jean Isaacs' San Diego Dance Theater, Minaqua gets the chance to live out her dream and be happy with what she does. “Dancing is my release and the out of reality experience is my happiness.”
While California is not the most lucrative supporter of the arts, Minaqua realized that it's difficult to live off a dancer's wage. Her addiction to dance has pushed her to become crafty in life taking on various full or part time jobs in order to pay for her classes and realize that it's not impossible to make it. Dance has impacted her life because it has changed her physically and mentally. She finds dance important because she is capable of taking all the challenges that come with it to continuously shape her “In all of life's situations both professionally and personally.”

Blythe Barton

“Dance is not a hobby for me, or even a lifestyle, it is my whole life.” ~ Blythe Barton. Blythe began to take dancing seriously when she was about ten and hasn't stopped since. Blythe's motivation of teaching dance comes from her love for it. She sees the beauty in dancing because it is “An art form that is gone the moment it is viewed, ephemeral.” Dance gives Blythe the opportunity to create emotion with motion which every dancer strives to achieve. As a student and teacher at Jean Isaacs' San Diego Dance Theater, she's pursuing her dreams of one day becoming a dance teacher and professional dancer. She yearns to perform with the professional dance companies in San Diego, and even present her own choreography in a professional setting. “I would love to share with others the passion I feel for dance.” She loves how words can't always express the way she feels, and sometimes only actions can satisfy what she tries to convey. True art makes the viewer think or feel in a new way, which is something that she hopes to accomplish with her performances.

Generations of Future Dancers

Down the long corridor are all the different classes and styles of dance held at the San Diego Dance Theater. From all ages, genders, race and levels, students all dance at their own pace. Through all the challenging classes and practices, students begin to discover the importance behind the art form for themselves through first hand experience. Each dance artist, performer, choreographer and teacher have their own way of moving. “In a given situation, the body must adjust quality, alignment and effort to match the movement presented. I enjoy the challenge of manipulating my own body to conform to infinite personal standards.” ~ Blythe Barton. Dancing is a physical and mental challenge that the dancers have to overcome, which is why the satisfaction in the end is worth so much more in the end. The passion comes from the ability to control and take charge of your body, and to accomplish what at first you believed you couldn't do. The generations of children, male and female growing up as the next performers for the stage have the chance to experience what dancers feel now. The life changes that comes when dance becomes a part of who you are.

Internship Magazine Ideas

Contributions

• Articles I could include to write for my portion of the magazine could be an excerpt from my photo essay caption with a photo.
  
• I am also including a picture of a painting I'll be doing for my honors component. 
  
• I could also write an article about how my internship is a non-profit organization and how they help contribute to the community. 
  

Magazine Titles

• HTHMA: The Real Highschool Work Experience
  

Article Topic

• I know I'd be mostly interested in reading articles of really funny moments that occurred during immersion or internship.
  

What I Learned Throughout Immersion!

There are many things I learned during my two week experience of immersion. Something really important was that I had to get familiar with the program Excel, and I wasn't good at it. However, my internship project had a lot to do with Excel and I had to be open to using it even though I came across many problems. I learned a lot about the program and I got a good chance to play around with it to see what it could do.

My mentor wanted me to take dance classes so that I could become really familiar with what they do. They said that through dancing I'd have the opportunity to experience what they do first hand. By taking all the dance classes I've learned a lot about the techniques and culture about modern dance. I'm even getting better at dancing it myself.

I learned what its like back stage by going to shows and performances, and then being allowed to go back stage. I even got the chance to meet all the dancers/actors, play with their props, and look around the stage. That being the glamourous part of internship, I was also introduced to the not so glamourous. As part of the “real experience” I got to also help out with cleaning the dance studio, which was very dirty.

I also attended a business meeting, “Selling San Diego Without Selling Out”. I learned meetings are very boring unless you like their really bad jokes about cooking shows.

Other things I learned was how to use my time and resources. When doing my project, going through all the piles of newspapers drained me fast. It was so tedious and time consuming that my short attention span would fade so fast. What I'd end up trying to do is to mix up my days so that I'm not doing one thing for such a long amount of time. Like I would go through a stack of papers, then try to do something active like run an errand, put away costumes, or go check the mail. Then go back to the newspapers, and repeat. Time went by faster that way, and I was more productive.

Honors Blog : Of Mice and Men

Lennie Small

Lennie is a huge, strong man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders; he walks heavily dragging his feet a little. Ironically named Lennie Small when he is of large stature and immense strength. He regularly wears a denim coat, and denim trousers with brass buttons, and black hat. Lennie has limited intelligence, so he relies on George to look after him. He copies George in everything he does and trusts him completely. Lennie’s personality is like a child. He is innocent and mentally handicapped with no ability to understand abstract matters like death. Lennie’s greatest feeling of security comes from petting soft things. When the rest of the world gets complicated and scary, petting soft things helps Lennie feel safe. In petting dead mice, Lennie is doing something that makes him feel safe. Society as a whole would disapprove of what he is doing, but Lennie sees nothing wrong with it. When they have their farm, as George tells him at the end, Lennie will not need to be scared of bad things any more, and he can tend the rabbits and pet them. He is a
migrant field workers in California's Salinas Valley during the Great Depression. He hopes that with the money they make, George and him can have a place of their own where he can raise rabbits. Often he is described in terms of animals. He lumbers like a bear and has the strength of a bear, but his actions are often described like those of a dog because of his loyalty towards George. Throughout the novel he struggles to prove to George that he is a great friend and that he can remember. He strives to do well and stay out of trouble so that he can get rabbits to tend.

George Milton

A quick-witted, intelligent and cynical man man who is friends with Lennie. He looks after Lennie and dreams of a better life. He is small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him is defined: small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose. He wears the same cloths that Lennie wears, the denim coat and jeans, and black hat. He is also a migrant field workers in California's Salinas Valley during the Great Depression. Milton is the last name of the author of one of Steinbeck’s favorite works, Paradise Lost. In that epic poem, Adam and Eve fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. Because of their fall, mankind is doomed to be alone and walk the earth as a lonely being. Some critics believe George represents that doomed man who longs to return to Eden. His one chance to avoid that fate is his relationship with Lennie, which makes them different from the other lonely men. But despite this companionship, at the end of the book, George is fated to be once again alone. George’s personality often reflects both anger and understanding. Of the two men, he is the one who thinks things through and considers how their goals can be reached. During the beginning of the novel George has a love hate relationship with Lennie because he feels as though Lennie holds him back. But by the end of the book he loves Lennie and sees him as his loyal friend.

Curley's Wife

Curley’s wife, like the other players in the drama, is simply a character type and the only woman in the book. The other characters refer to her only as "Curley's wife," which makes her the only significant character in the novel without a name. This lack of individual identity defines her purpose in the story: Steinbeck explained that she is "not a person, she's a symbol. She has no function, except to be a foil – and a danger to Lennie.” She wears too much makeup and dresses like a “whore” with red fingernails and red shoes with ostrich feathers. Curley’s wife knows her beauty is her power, and she uses it to flirt with the ranch hands and make her husband jealous. She is alone on the ranch, and her husband has seen to it that no one will talk to her without fearing a beating. She is used to symbolize Eve from the Garden of Eden, because she tempted Adam to eat from the fruit of the tree of knowledge, such as she is a temptation to Lennie. Her death at Lennie’s hands means the end of George and Lennie’s companionship and their dream. By the end of the novel she reveals to Lennie her dreams, her “best laid plans” of becoming a famous actress. She tells Lennie that she only married Curley when she didn't receive a letter she was promised to get into Hollywood. Through her death, the discontentment and ache for attention left her face, turning her beautiful instead of how in the beginning she was only lonely and miserable.

The patterns noted between those three characters is that they all had dreams that failed in the end. Curley's wife and Lennie died while George was left alone and without his companion.