My Story vs. Forest Gump

I've made a lot of changes on my story from the last mentor text. After reading Ellen Foster I came up with new ideas about my story. I decided to re-name my story to "Dear Mommy" and write the book in diary entry form. Those changes were made based off of my first mentor text. For my second mentor text I chose to watch the movie Forest Gump.
The main character in my story, Brooke, has just lost her mother to cancer. She’s too young to understand what is going on and is confused about what has happened. Brooke’s mother dies on July 7th 1994 when Brooke is only 7 years old. Each year on July 7th Brooke writes to her mother starting each letter with Dear Mommy. As Brooke grows up she must battle many struggles, dealing with the loss of her mother, supporting her twin brothers while her dad slowly eases into a drinking depression, and trying to find herself. Each year on July 7th, the anniversary of her mother’s death, Brooke writes her mother, explaining what has happened throughout the years. As she ages Brooke falls in love with a man named Adian. She meets him at a very young age and they both become the best of friends. Later on in her early adult hood years Brooke and Adian marry and decide to get full custody of her twin brothers in order to get them away from their bum, abusive father.
In the movie Forest Gump, Forest is a slow thinking man dealing with similar struggles as Brooke. For one thing, Forest also must deal with the death of his mother. After Forest’s mother dies Forest see’s the world differently. As a young boy Forest befriends a girl named Jenny and later on in the movie Forest and Jenny fall in love and get married, just like Brooke and Adian. Jenny is an outgoing girl with dreams far beyond her reach. Jenny lives with her abusive father and is always struggling to find herself, similar to Brooke’s situation. Forest is also trying to find himself throughout the movie. Going from fighting in Vietnam, fishing for shrimp, or running across America Forest is constantly trying to find himself.
There are many similar features between Forest and Brooke, but there are also some differences. Brooke is a shy young girl, always doing what she’s told, terrified of her father. Adian is the one who finally breaks her shell and convinces her to stand up to her father and get custody of her brothers. Forest on the other hand has an ongoing mind of his own. It is shown from the very beginning of the movie that Forest is a very slow thinker, but overall Forest does things that not many people would do. Yes it’s true that Jenny somewhat breaks Forest’s shell, but overall Forest is already shown to be a confident independent human being.

Comments #6

Alex:
Great post Alex! I have a lot of respect for you, not a lot of people would express their views in the form you did. I like how you used examples of other sports, but I think it would have made your post a lot stronger if you showed some examples of why you think cheerleading is a sport, or explain what you as cheerleaders do that makes it a sport. Overall Alex I think this is a great post!
http://alexjosephson.blogspot.com/2011/10/controversy-is-cheerleading-sport.html?showComment=1318645271906#c8913596263229062020

Kathryn:
Kathryn, after reading your post I laughed for a good 5 minutes because I think everyone can relate to this blog. We all have procrastinated on writing a paper or an assignment one way or another, and we all have come up with some sort of excuse. Great post Kathryn!
http://kathrynhoar.blogspot.com/2011/10/actions-speak-louder-than-words.html?showComment=1318645534322#c6300988376861401283

Sydney:
This was very well said Syd! I agree completely with your idea, I think perseverance is very important. Your post had a flow to it and was a great read I wouldn’t change a thing.
http://sydneycochran7.blogspot.com/2011/10/perseverance-key-to-success.html?showComment=1318645705202#c5787962613197566686

Liz:
This post was an interesting read Liz. I was also a bit confused about what you were trying to explain. Are these masks you’re talking about real? Or are you actually talking about real masks?
http://labates.blogspot.com/2011/10/dont-be-fooled.html?showComment=1318645821349#c7826977473875435852

Mariah:
Very clever post Mariah it had a nice flow to it. You really know how to capture a reader’s attention. What inspired you to write a post like this? Do you think it’s weird that procrastination is considered illegal?
http://aperiodenglishmmpshs.blogspot.com/2011/10/art-of-procrastination.html?showComment=1318645911516#c4327599718830531628

Tyler:
Very interesting post Tyler! I can really relate to how you feel. I too sometimes feel happy when my thoughts push me to be angry. I think every high school senior experiences the feeling of being angry and tired because there is so much for us to do and overcome. Great job Tyler!
http://tscags.blogspot.com/2011/10/anger-stress.html?showComment=1318646004503#c7137559495243791145

The man in the black top hat

I was alone. It was dark, so dark that I couldn’t see my shaking hands. I heard soft footsteps, then a ‘pat pat, pat pat.’ A low voice then said, “There you are, I’ve been waiting for you.” I forced my dry lips together, but no sound escaped. “Come with me” the man then said. His wrinkly fingers wrapped around mine, forcing them to stop shaking. “This way” the man whispered. Without hesitation my feet floated in his direction. I still could not see anything, not the man, not my feet, nor even right in front of me. Then there was a light, a light so beautiful and white as if angels created it. As we got closer to the light my eyes captured the image of the man holding my hand. He was tall, with a black top hat, and tethered clothing. His face was as white as his hair. His wrinkly skin and black eyes made me cringe. The further we went into the light the man began to change. His top hat and tethered clothing began to fix themselves, almost looking brand new. His pale skin began to fade into a golden tan and the man’s white hair dyed itself into a shiny blonde color. His wrinkles disappeared and his black eyes transformed into a baby blue. The old man that was once holding my shaking hands was now young, beautiful, and perfect. “You look confused my dear! Don’t you recognize me?” the man shouted with surprise. I tried to reply, but my lips could not move. I began to notice that my bare feet were being tickled by long blades of grass. The light turned into a meadow, a meadow that went on for miles and miles. The baby blue sky was accompanied by only two white fluffy clouds and one amazingly bright sun. As we walked on I noticed the temperature rising. A small bead of sweat escaped my forehead and slid its way down to my nose. The man handed me his handkerchief to wipe my face, “Come on my dear, there’s still much more to see.” We reached a tall hill and the meadow suddenly stopped. All that was in front of the man and I was another light. This light however was not like the one I saw before. This light was not white, but blue, a dark blue. As my feet tiptoed into the light all I could see was blue, I felt as if I were entering the bottom of the ocean. No longer were my bare feet floating on tall blades of grass, but they were now trudging through thick snow. My body felt frozen, and my teeth chattered causing fresh blood to escape from my tongue. I looked up at the man questionably and noticed he looked like the old wrinkly man I met before. “Almost there!” the man said through his rotting teeth. The snow began to melt, reveling warm rough sand. I heard crashing noises then a seagull yelping up ahead. A few feet in front of us was a roaring ocean, crashing against the rocks, washing away the innocent beach. I jerked my head up at the old man holding my hand in excitement, but notice he was not an old man anymore, he was young and beautiful again. “You made it” he said. The man let go of my once shaking hand and smiled at me. He gave me a small wave then little by little the man started disintegrating in front of me. As the wind whisked him away I reached my arms out, trying to grab him. Then I woke up.

The man in the black top hat

I was alone. It was dark, so dark that I couldn’t see my shaking hands. I heard soft footsteps, then a ‘pat pat, pat pat.’ A low voice then said, “There you are, I’ve been waiting for you.” I forced my dry lips together, but no sound escaped. “Come with me” the man then said. His wrinkly fingers wrapped around mine, forcing them to stop shaking. “This way” the man whispered. Without hesitation my feet floated in his direction. I still could not see anything, not the man, not my feet, nor even right in front of me. Then there was a light, a light so beautiful and white as if angels created it. As we got closer to the light my eyes captured the image of the man holding my hand. He was tall, with a black top hat, and tethered clothing. His face was as white as his hair. His wrinkly skin and black eyes made me cringe. The further we went into the light the man began to change. His top hat and tethered clothing began to fix themselves, almost looking brand new. His pale skin began to fade into a golden tan and the man’s white hair dyed itself into a shiny blonde color. His wrinkles disappeared and his black eyes transformed into a baby blue. The old man that was once holding my shaking hands was now young, beautiful, and perfect. “You look confused my dear! Don’t you recognize me?” the man shouted with surprise. I tried to reply, but my lips could not move. I began to notice that my bare feet were being tickled by long blades of grass. The light turned into a meadow, a meadow that went on for miles and miles. The baby blue sky was accompanied by only two white fluffy clouds and one amazingly bright sun. As we walked on I noticed the temperature rising. I small bead of sweat escaped my forehead and slid its way down to my nose. The man handed me his handkerchief to wipe my face, “Come on my dear, there’s still much more to see.” We reached a tall hill and the meadow suddenly stopped. All that was in front of the man and I was another light. This light however was not like the one I saw before. This light was not white, but blue, a dark blue. As my feet tiptoed into the light all I could see was blue, I felt as if I were entering the bottom of the ocean. No longer were my bare feet floating on tall blades of grass, but they were now trudging through thick snow. My body felt frozen, and my teeth chattered causing fresh blood to escape from my tongue. I looked up at the man questionably and noticed he looked like the old wrinkly man I met before. “Almost there!” the man said through his rotting teeth. The snow began to melt, reveling warm rough sand. I heard crashing noises then a seagull yelping up ahead. A few feet in front of us was a roaring ocean, crashing against the rocks, washing away the innocent beach. I jerked my head up at the old man holding my hand in excitement, but notice he was not an old man anymore, he was young and beautiful again. “You made it” he said. The man let go of my once shaking hand and smiled at me. He gave me a small wave then little by little the man started disintegrating in front of me. As the wind whisked him away I reached my arms out, trying to grab him. Then I woke up.

Comments on blogs #5

http://kaileymazzillimorality.blogspot.com/2011/10/personal-narrative.html?showComment=1318281477511#c1070976670743985022

http://sally-girouard.blogspot.com/2011/10/width148-height44-namemovie-value.html?showComment=1318281552543#c7557052688179076302

http://alexjosephson.blogspot.com/2011/10/impacting-my-community-my-college-essay.html?showComment=1318281623410#c5395026802658124844

http://sydneycochran7.blogspot.com/2011/10/personal-narrative-shifting.html?showComment=1318281692705#c8420273554862225771

http://007themoraldilema.blogspot.com/2011/10/this-is-what-i-believe.html?showComment=1318287822777#c9085345783407798392

http://morality-hmatthews.blogspot.com/2011/10/dream-dreaming-dreamt.html?showComment=1318288285552#c2369847194041923870

http://tscags.blogspot.com/2011/10/legend-of-tyler.html?showComment=1318288585415#c7065133403239072825

When Water Caught Fire vs. Ellen Foster

The title of my story is When Water Caught Fire, a story of romance between a boy and a girl both overcoming obstacles in their lives. The story will be told by the main character Brooke through her diary entrees. Brook e will tell the story of her life, her obstacles, and her lover Adian. Brooke will start her diary after the death of her mother. Brooke is now left with her twin brothers and unemployed father. As the years pass Brooke’s father begins to drink intensely and takes his anger and sexual frustrations out on Brooke. Brooke is forced to quit school and work full time as a waitress in a small dinner in order to support her twin brothers. Brooke’s father is out of work on injury, but still receives money for his unemployment. He uses that money for booze and cigarettes and his late night outings at the local bar. Brooke first meets Adian at the dinner where she works and instantly the two are inseparable. Working at his father’s lumber yard since he was young makes Adian a strong, hardworking character. Adian’s father wants Adian to one day take over the family business, but Adian has another idea. Adian wants to be a writer. As years pass Brooke and Adian marry and Brooke has saved enough money to hire a lawyer in order to get custody of her twin brothers. This is where the climax of the story will be created.

The story of Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons is very similar to my story. The story is told by Ellen, a young girl struggling with the death of her mother and abusive drunk father. Ellen tells both the past and present of her life. Ellen describes her new life as if it’s a dream come true, but describes her past as a nightmare. She first informs us how her mother dies and how after her death her father becomes more aggressive and evil. After that she mainly talks about the many different homes she is placed in. The most surprising home she is placed in is her grandmothers. Ellen’s grandmother owns a cotton picking business and all of her employees are African American workers. Ellen’s grandmother can’t stand looking at Ellen because she looks so much like her mother, so in order to keep Ellen away from her she forces Ellen to work in the fields with the other workers. Throughout her story Ellen expresses her thoughts and opinions in a very unique way creating a sense of compassion for the reader.

My story of When Water Caught Fire and the story of Ellen Foster are similar in many different ways. Brooke and Ellen share many similarities. They are both strong, independent female characters and they both have the same villain, their fathers. Both of these characters have had to go through the loss of their mothers and the journey of finding who they are as individuals. Both of these stories are told through their perspectives and the only person that can help them overcome their obstacles is themselves.

Life is a prize so live it to the fullest

I’ve been on this earth for only seventeen years and during those seventeen years I have learned a lot about myself. The environment I’ve grown up in and the friends that I have surrounded myself with have influenced me in many different ways. My family however has shaped me to be the person I am today.

I come from a big family. Having my parents’ divorce then both remarrying has created a large and loving family for me. Each family member has taught me something different, whether its manners, right and wrong or even simple tips. However, no one has taught me more about life than my step mother, Amy.

Amy has been in my life for only ten years, but throughout those ten years she has taught me that life is a prize and that every moment should be lived like it is your last. As I aged our personalities clashed and our opinions shifted in different directions. Having another mother figure in my life was confusing, especially having them both parent me in completely different ways. I felt trapped.

About a year ago I had a falling out with my Dad and Step mom. They weren’t giving me what I wanted and were treating me in a way I did not like, so I took the easy way out. I left. I decided to stay with my Mom and Step Dad full time. Not only did i leave my Dad and Step Mom, but I left my three year old sister behind. I knew I took the easy way out. I knew I was hurting them, but I didn’t care. I was getting what I wanted, I had won. Or so I thought…

It was a week before Easter and our annual family gathering at grandma’s house was finally here. But this year was going to be different. My Dad and Step Mom decided to meet early at my grandma’s house in order to talk. All that was going through my head was ‘I don’t want to do this’ ‘This is going to be a waste of time.’ My thoughts quickly changed after my dad told me the news, “Amy has breast cancer.”

No words could escape my mouth, my heart gave up beating, and my stomach turned causing me to wince. I couldn’t believe the words that had just flowed through my ears. I started to hate myself. I had left them. A few days after I left them Amy had received this horrible news while I was at home feeling like I had won. I am selfish.

Over the next year things changed. I became closer to My Dad and Amy, especially Amy. I watched as her body thinned, as her hair came out in clumps, and as Amy, my step mom, changed completely. Her attitude was inspirational. Her smile was contagious. Her bravery was heroic. I have never been so proud of anyone in my life. Amy took this challenge as if it were just another obstacle to overcome.

Amy is my hero. Because of her I now see life as a prize. I now live every moment like it is my last. And I now try and see the world through everyone else’s perspective. I have seen how selfish I can be, and I now see that life isn’t all about me. Life is about the people you love the most, your family. I love my life, I love my friends and family, I love my Amy.

When Water Caught Fire vs. Ellen Foster

The title of my story is When Water Caught Fire, a story of romance between a boy and a girl both overcoming obstacles in their lives. The story will be told by the main character Brooke through her diary entrees. Brook e will tell the story of her life, her obstacles, and her lover Adian. Brooke will start her diary after the death of her mother. Brooke is now left with her twin brothers and unemployed father. As the years pass Brooke’s father begins to drink intensely and takes his anger and sexual frustrations out on Brooke. Brooke is forced to quit school and work full time as a waitress in a small dinner in order to support her twin brothers. Brooke’s father is out of work on injury, but still receives money for his unemployment. He uses that money for booze and cigarettes and his late night outings at the local bar. Brooke first meets Adian at the dinner where she works and instantly the two are inseparable. Working at his father’s lumber yard since he was young makes Adian a strong, hardworking character. Adian’s father wants Adian to one day take over the family business, but Adian has another idea. Adian wants to be a writer. As years pass Brooke and Adian marry and Brooke has saved enough money to hire a lawyer in order to get custody of her twin brothers. This is where the climax of the story will be created.

The story of Ellen Foster by Kaye Gibbons is very similar to my story. The story is told by Ellen, a young girl struggling with the death of her mother and abusive drunk father. Ellen tells both the past and present of her life. Ellen describes her new life as if it’s a dream come true, but describes her past as a nightmare. She first informs us how her mother dies and how after her death her father becomes more aggressive and evil. After that she mainly talks about the many different homes she is placed in. The most surprising home she is placed in is her grandmothers. Ellen’s grandmother owns a cotton picking business and all of her employees are African American workers. Ellen’s grandmother can’t stand looking at Ellen because she looks so much like her mother, so in order to keep Ellen away from her she forces Ellen to work in the fields with the other workers. Throughout her story Ellen expresses her thoughts and opinions in a very unique way creating a sense of compassion for the reader.

My story of When Water Caught Fire and the story of Ellen Foster are similar in many different ways. Brooke and Ellen share many similarities. They are both strong, independent female characters and they both have the same villain, their fathers. Both of these characters have had to go through the loss of their mothers and the journey of finding who they are as individuals. Both of these stories are told through their perspectives and the only person that can help them overcome their obstacles is themselves.

Life is a prize, Live every moment like it's your last.

I’ve been on this earth for only seventeen years and during those seventeen years I have learned a lot about myself. The environment I’ve grown up in and the friends that I have surrounded myself with have influenced me in many different ways. My family however has shaped me to be the person I am today.

I come from a big family. Having my parents’ divorce then both remarrying has created a large and loving family for me. Each family member has taught me something different, whether its manners, right and wrong or even simple tips. However, no one has taught me more about life than my step mother, Amy.

Amy has been in my life for only ten years, but throughout those ten years she has taught me that life is a prize and that every moment should be lived like it is your last. As I aged our personalities clashed and our opinions shifted in different directions. Having another mother figure in my life was confusing, especially having them both parent me in completely different ways. I felt trapped.

About a year ago I had a falling out with my Dad and Step mom. They weren’t giving me what I wanted and were treating me in a way I did not like, so I took the easy way out. I left. I decided to stay with my Mom and Step Dad full time. Not only did I leave my Dad and Step Mom, but I left my three year old sister behind. I knew I took the easy way out. I knew I was hurting them, but I didn’t care. I was getting what I wanted, I had won. Or so I thought…

It was a week before Easter and our annual family gathering at grandma’s house was finally here. But this year was going to be different. My Dad and Step Mom wanted to meet early at my grandma’s house in order to talk. All that was going through my head was ‘I don’t want to do this’ ‘This is going to be a waste of time.’ My thoughts quickly changed after my dad told me the news, “Amy has breast cancer.”

No words could escape my mouth, my heart gave up beating, and my stomach turned causing me to wince. I couldn’t believe the words that had just flowed through my ears. I started to hate myself. I had left them. A few days after I left them Amy had received this horrible news while I was at home feeling like I had won. I am selfish.

Over the next year things changed. I became closer to My Dad and Amy, especially Amy. I watched as her body thinned, as her hair came out in clumps, and as Amy, my step mom, changed completely. Her attitude was inspirational. Her smile was contagious. Her bravery was heroic. I have never been so proud of anyone in my life. Amy took this challenge as if it were just another obstacle to overcome.

Amy is my hero. Because of her I now see life as a prize. I now live every moment like it is my last. And I now try and see the world through everyone else’s perspective. I have seen how selfish I can be, and I now see that life isn’t all about me. Life is about the people you love the most, your family. I love my life, I love my friends and family, I love my Amy.