So a wonderful summer class comes to an end. I initially enrolled in this class because my mother wanted me to take a summer class, and I found one with a teacher I knew from high school. When class started however, I soon learned that this wouldn't be an ordinary college class. Ms. Scott had us do many different activities, from discussing short stories, to writing flash fiction, to preforming poetry in front of the class. Although this was challenging, it was also an enjoyable departure from the usual summer boredom. I learned about nonstandard ways of writing stories, such as The Best Of Betty's magazine column format. I also experimented with various ways of writing poetry. The flash fiction project greatly expanded my creative writing talent, as did the weekly blogs. The blogs allowed me to do what I like to do best; talk about books, movies, and video games that I enjoyed. All in all, this class was worth it. I very much enjoy studying literature, and Ms. Scott is a fun teacher. I had many fun experiences this summer.

Anaylsis of dystopian fiction

Lately, I have gained quite an interest in dystopian fiction, as you may have noticed from my posts about Half-Life-2 and Uglies. For my independent novel, I am reading the dystopian classic Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. It is a story about a future where human reproduction has been industralized: human empryos are grown in labs and processed like an assembly line. Indeed, one person revered by the populace is Henry Ford, who first applied the assembly line concept to cars.

I have noticed that there are two kinds of dystopian settings. One of these is the bleak police state type empire, like in 1984 and the video game Half-Life-2. In these settings the government directly oppresses their citizens. The other type of dystopia, seen in Brave New World and Uglies, is a world that seems like paradise, but but when you think about it, life is rendered pointless. Oftentimes there are sinister secrets behind the happy facade. This type of dystopian literature provokes many interesting questions about humanity and civilization.

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night

Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night by Dylan Thomas is a moving poem about not fearing death. The narrator's father is dying, and the narrator is telling him to face the end and not be afraid. Death is a natural part of life, and you should not fear it. So do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Anaylsis of Star Wars

Star Wars is in many ways a science-fiction themed retelling of an old-fashioned adventure story. Luke Skywalker represents the everyman turned hero, although he yearns for adventure, he is reluctant to leave the life he knows. When his only family is killed by the Empire, his life changes forever.

Obi-Wan represents a wizend mentor type character. He helps Luke train to fight the Empire, then sacrifices himself so that the others can get away. His advice gives Luke the strength he needs to become a hero.

Han Solo is the morally ambigious antihero. Although obstainly one of the good guys, he makes his living doing clearly illegal things like smuggling who-knows-what across the galaxy. Although at first he was only interested in money, he later realized the rebellion needed him. Han's decision to return to the rebellion at the cost of further infurating his crime lord boss represents character development.

Princess Leia at first serves as the cliched damsel-in-distress role, but after being rescued she proves that she is just as capable, if not more so, than the men.

Darth Vader is the iconic Evil Bad Guy. His all-black costume face-concealing mask, and deep, semi-mechanical voice inspires terror in even the bravest of heroes. The moment you see him you realize that he is the embodiment of evil.