Class Reflection

         This English class sure was an experience. Although it was stressful because I couldn't use my phone, it was fun. It was very relaxing but yet educational, and I got to learn about something that really interested me, Gothic literature. Other than that, I liked the group presentation because it helped me meet nice people that I probably wouldn't have met otherwise.

          Aside from these thing, I wanted to critique the class as a whole. To do this I need to cover important things like the other students the professor, and the class itself.

          For starters, I wish the rest of the class had made a better effort to read the assigned tests. Maybe a way to better punish the students when they don't read could be effective. Of course I would suggest this after I'm done with the class, I don't want to get a bad grade. 

           Second, I really appreciated the professors understanding nature, and her tips will probably help me a lot. 

            In the end, the class was entertaining, relaxing and educational. I do appreciate the time in the classroom and the stories we read.

Very Old Angel Pictures

The Preist: The priest didn't care for the angel, in fact, he was disgusted by it and denied it had any connection to God. He shows no good in his heart.

The Crowd: The crowd worried more about their own problems and even hurt the angel for their own selfish needs

The Greed: Elisenda saw an opportunity to gain money out of the situation the angel was in instead of helping him.

Essay Bowling to find a Lost Father

Bowling to find a lost father

Questions

1.       What was it that caused Her’s father to go bowling a second time?

To my understanding, they went to bowl a second time because that was their way to regain their lost relationships. They also enjoyed it very much and Her’s father wanted to teach the younger kids.

2.        Do you agree with Her’s dad being frightened because of his children’s Americanization?

In all honesty I do think it would be scary. Culture is something that brings a group of people together. With it gone, it was hard for him to find a way to interact with his children.

3.       Why does the author feel odd teaching her father to bowl? Have you ever taught something to an elder?

I imagine that it’s because she was usually the one that learned things from her dad.

The only thing I’ve tried to teach my parents was how to play videogames. It hasn’t worked out. It was a bit frustrating.

Essay:

Getting girls

              I met a girl at a little party a friend threw that really caught my eye. She was dressed in a 

nice blouse and some dark tight pants. She was very pretty. I didn’t know her and we didn’t talk 

much, but at the end of the day, when she was about to leave, she said she liked my shirt. Ever since 

we’ve talked a little each time my friend hosted activities at his house. Each time I wanted to know 

her better, but I never gathered enough courage, no matter how much I wanted to.

              I could’ve talked to her more, maybe try harder to keep conversations going. I had her 

number, maybe I could’ve called her. I had heard that phone calls could do a number on these girls 

these days. I wouldn't know. In all honesty, if I had the guts, maybe I could’ve asked her out. I had 

been on dates before, it wasn't impossible for me to do it. In fact, some friends even said that I had 

chances with her because they had heard from someone else that maybe she had liked me a little.

              We could’ve been great friends or even a couple. I would’ve done anything if I could go 

back and right my wrongs, or at least make them a little better. Looking at things now, it seems like 

it's just a memory and it will remain that way. Unfortunately, now she’s got a significant other. I have 

wasted my opportunities once again. I’m used to it by now. It always feels like a "what if" and that 

bugs me more than anything in the world. Nonetheless, theres nothing I can do, other than wait for 

another opportunity in the future.

Essay Poe

Similarities

The House of Usher and A Rose for Emily

The House of Usher and A Rose for Emily have many similarities, even though they have almost a century between their original publishing. This is clearly due to the stylistic choice of both authors. Gothic horror is a very popular genre in writing. In both of these stories, some themes are recurring, so much so it can be hard to tell them apart. With themes like death, psychological trauma and suspense, these stories can send a shiver down your spine.

Undoubtedly, death is something that is clearly visible in both stories. The Ushers face death when they wrongfully bury Madeline, and she comes back to haunt the characters in her story. On the other hand, A Rose for Emily is riddled with death from beginning to end, from the death of Emily shown at the start to the death of her father, and lover soon after. Both display gruesome realistic scenes with either blood or disgusting decaying bodies scattered about.

Additionally, both stories tread into the scary topic of mental illness, which is especially terrifying to me. There’s something noticeably wrong with Emily as soon as her father dies in her story, and Roderick is also clearly going mad due to his disease. This is an important aspect to the development of the stories, because they could never be as crazy or scary otherwise. It might be because of their unpredictability.

Finally, a defining feature of these stories is their suspense. Perfect timing in each of the narrations keep readers on the edge of their seats as they try to guess the outcome of a mystery. The sounds Roderick hears as he listens to the story, later to find it was his sister all along. Emily buying high amounts of poison at the store without wanting to reveal her motives, and to much later find out she kept corpses in her home. The reveal of these conclusion are always surprising, and this is why Gothic horror is so beloved among authors and readers alike.

In conclusion, these stories are very similar, not only in the way they were written, but in other aspects too, like the fact that they both take place in a large old home with descriptive imagery of horrific details. Another thing that is similar between these two pieces of literature is that they are amazingly good. Old or new, these stories can hold the test of time and fascinate me and other readers for centuries to come. I would definitely recommend them.

Essay Fish

To marry thyself.

The story of The Man Who Married Himself is a strange one. A man that couldn't find the ideal

partner decides that he will marry himself. To me it sounds very bizarre and unusual that

someone would come to a conclusion like that. Even then, I do still believe that his decisions

were justified. I believe the words of the reverend that married him to himself summarize it

 pretty well: "Why not?"

In this day and age, it's actually very rare for a person to say that they love themselves.

It is clear that it is very important. I believe this was the key to the time he spent being

married to himself. He also helped other people become more conscious of themselves

as a potential mate, as stated in second to last paragraph of the text. This means that

the decision he made to marry himself didn't just help his bettering, but also helped

others, in a way.

              In conclusion, even though it was an odd way to learn something important, it became

useful in the end. Because of this, it was very much a well-made decision. People should be able

to do whatever they want as long as they don't hurt or truly inconvenience anyone. It is

important to respect others and their decisions, no matter how strange they may seem. I wouldn't marry myself though.

Introduction

biography

Ryan Román Chirino
Birth: August 6, 1997, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Currently live in San Juan
College Student, Natural Sciences
Gamer