Favorite character in Once on this Island

I like the character Daniel even though he plays a bad guy that abandoned Ti Moune in the end. The reason why I like Daniel is because of all these arguments and questions surrounding him for the audiences. Is he truly in love with Ti Moune? Or is he just attracted because of her beauty? Why didn't Daniel choose Ti Moune if as he said in his singing that he loves Ti Moune? It is interesting to think about how Daniel thinks and why didn't he chose Ti Moune in the end of the story. Even though the promise of marriage are made between him and Andrea, if he deeply loves Ti Moune he could had made a decision to fight against his parents. If he didn't want to elope into the villages cause he was originally wealthy and used to his family, he could have brought Ti Moune into his family and live a pretty good life together. Unless he was worrying about how other people might think about him as a rich, higher social level man marrying a poor girl. I like this character because the audiences would have much to comment on him and also have different opinions on Daniel's actions. 

Once On the Island

Marinda Hsu

2016.02.28

Once on this Island is a beautiful story. I especially enjoy musical comparing to normal dramas without singing. I like how the actors sing out what the character's thinking and it's also more interesting to watch a musical. I found that the musical really uses a band on the side while acting and singing despite of using soundtracks that aren't live. This could be difficult and needed many practices I was thinking when I heard the sounds of flutes, clarinets and pianos in the back playing. I especially like the parts of percussion in the background music, it sounded energetic and made a better feeling like we're actually in a natural village environment. I also like the part where Daniel started singing a song comparing Ti Moune and Andrea. First of all the melody was lovely, second of all, I really liked how this song has told the audience the struggle inside Daniel on choosing who to love, who to give up. Although it is cruel and realistic where Daniel had chosen Andrea instead of his true love Ti Moune, it is still a beautiful story but sad. This part also tells how sometimes people might be forced to make a decision between their true feelings inside and realistic situations they must face. I didn't thought that the ending will be Ti Moune dying, it was surprising and unfortunate since she went so far just to be together with Daniel but recieved such a heart breaking ending. This story had reminded me of many kinds of fairy tales and story that people ended up becoming a tree, a river or a star. It is always an amazing idea and ending I thought, even though the person had died as a human. But the most important part is their spirits are preserved and always there in a different form watching people they love. This story has also reminded me of the story—Little Mermaid. When the princess had turned into foam because of her forbidden love for a man that is in another world of hers. This is just like how the lyrics have said in Once on this Island singing that how two different worlds couldn't get along and how they will never be connected. In the story Little Mermaid, the mermaid was originally from a world under the sea and the man living on land; they fell in love just like the way Ti Moune did, saving the boy's life. Their love weren't accepted by their parents nor the world because of their background and because of who they were. It is really unfair and sad how two people couldn't be in love because of who they are and where they came from. It is also important to make a more brave decision in order to protect your true love and be together with him or her. I think what Daniel did wasn't acceptable nor reposonsible to Ti Moune but Ti Moune was also too kind and innocent to go so far for him. 

Writing center

Marinda Hsu

I went to the writing center a few days ago with my draft and received some helpful tips to fix my essay from Ms. Swift. I learned these two vocabulary words—Protagonist, which is the main character and antagonist, which is the opponents, villain. Therefore I could use the word in my thesis or analysis, for example:"In both, Me and You and Like Stars on Earth, the protagonists' lives are changed by the influence of another positive person who enters their lives. Ms. Swift wanted me to read out loud my essay which was helpful because as I read it out, I found a few mistakes in the sentence and a few run-on sentences. As Ms. Swift asked me a few questions as a person that hasn't read Me and You nor watched Like Stars on Earth, I realized that I have to put stronger evidences and details for readers that did not know the plots for both stories in order to understand my concept and argument better. I also leanred a new technique or in another word, a new way to start off an introduction paragraph. The way is to start the introduction with a broad statement then gradually condense them into a specific thesis statement. It should be like an upside down triangle with the pointed side on the bottom as the specific, strong thesis that you're going to argue. We also came up with a short paragraph that I think could be useful in my latter revise and edit on the essay, this is what I wrote: "Sometimes people feel lonely and as if no one understands them. In the book Me and You by Ammaniti and the film Like Stars on Earth by Taare Zameen Par the protagonists, Lorenzo and Ishaan feel misunderstood by the people in their lives until someone reached out and gave them hope." After this paragraph more likely a summary, I'll put a more analysis sentence after it to connect this to my thesis. During the time I spent in the wring center, I had not decided yet what exactly is my thesis and argument. But this is what Ms. Swift and I came up as a temporary thesis that loneliness can be changed because the protagonists have discovered the potential and confidence within themselves and throughout the love they received from people around them. But on the other hand after I visited the writing center, I decided that I didn't want the argument to be too specifically about leaving loneliness behind, but instead, about how love has the power to change a close-minded person into a bright, open-minded person. In conclusion, after visiting the writing center, I received good tips on organizing the introduction paragraph like a upside down triangle, also the most important part is that I brainstormed a lot within that few minutes; moreover, I eventually found my direction on what specific argument I want to make after brainstorming and speaking, answering questions with Ms. Swift. It was a pretty helpful experience again and I will definitely include advices I recieved in the writing center into my next revision on the essay to improve it either grammatically, on the developments on ideas and also the organization that I wanted to improve the most. 

Reflect on Revised Essay

Marinda Hsu

English 

Ms. Guarino

2016.02.24

Reflection on revised essay

  My essay is already starting off to have a shape, direction and I had made a plan what to include in each prographs so the analysis could be clear and equal for both plots. First if all in my revision, I fixed a few grammar errors and ofcourse I included quotes since I didn't have any quotes for the first draft to support my statements. I read over some sentences and changed it because my classmates have told me throughout their revised on my essay that they thought some sounded weird and difficult to understand. I think my classmates' revision and reminder on my paragraphs were really helpful, because it is a little bit more difficult for myself to find errors. Therefore, I took their advice and added a few stronger statements supporting my thesis on the last paragraph for the revision this time. On the other hand, I also need to revise and reorganize my essay more for the final draft. This is how I plan to organize the essay—First paragraph with tan interesting hook, strong thesis and a little bit summary and analysis on the similarities on the novel Me and You and on the film Like Stars on Earth. Second paragraph will be specifically about the analysis with supportive quotes about Like Stars on Earth telling Ishaan (main character)'s situation and change. Third paragraph will be focusing on the analysis of the novel Me and You describing Lorenzo (main character)'s situation and change throughout the events in story. For the fourth paragraph, it will most likely contain a lot if analysis and most of the analysis for the essay comparing and contrasting both characters' change and how, what made them changed.  For the final conclusion paragraph, I want it to be strong with evidences from both stories supporting my opinion that love has the power to change through out its' act of caring and understanding. I think connecting direct quotes from the story is a little bit difficult and it is also difficult for me to write more analysis through out the events, I often start off writing too much summary. Also another weakness I has is that i always accidentally start being repetitive while writing. 

Favorite sentence and why

My favorite sentence in my essay is —"Both relationship from Olivia and Lorenzo to Aamir and Ishaan was about turning someone that was tired of living, disappointed and felt misunderstood into a person that believes in one's own potential and bright future." I like this sentence because it tells the biggest similaritiy I wanted to relate throughout the two relationships in both stories. And I think this is my main analysis and conclusion within a sentence. I also like this sentence because it is telling a really positive change in people. 

Body paragraphs (revised)

Marinda Hsu

2016.02.09

English ll

                                                          Love's Power to Change 

        Have you ever met a person that changed and influenced you positively? No matter if it's someone near beside you or a celebrity you adores. I believe that love has the power to change a person's behavior and notion through out its caring actions that brings warmth. In the movie Like Stars on Earth, After the encouragements Ishaan had received from Aamir Khan by agreeing, supporting his art works, he had realized that being unique isn't wrong, but instead you should be proud of yourself and believes into your own special potential. As Aamir said in the movie—:"There have been such gems amongst us, who changed the course of the world, because they could look at the world differently. Their thinking was unique and not everyone understood them. They were opposed, yet they emerged winners and the world was amazed." This was something Ishaan had never bear being told by his parents. Ishaan was originally a boy losing confidence because of his unique situation that no adults could understand, until he met this art teacher that brought back his confidence and leaded him to start doing what he's truly good at doing—arts. In such a competitive world, most parents wanted their children to act well and be successful in school; Ishaan wasn't, and of course his parents were disappointed. During this point, when his parents did not try their best to understand their son's idea, moreover even blamed him, have caused he's lost of self-confidence and happiness. This reminded me of Lorenzo's situation where he felt like no one understands him, even his closest family did not try understanding and caring about his real feelings deeply inside. All of these sadness and disappointment both main character felt have been fixed and redirected because of another important person they met in life. No matter because of Olivia from Me and You or Aamir from Like Stars On Earth, they both helped changed main character's hopeless attitude towards life into a positive and bright attitude that they both started believing in themselves; after meeting this one special person that gave another hope, no matter in what way—sharing friendships, feeling loved or encouragements by words they've spoken, all of these made a sad person started to believe in a better tomorrow. 

        Like Stars on Earth's main character is Ishaan, an eight years old Indian boy going through a change in his childhood. Ishaan wasn't doing well in school, his teacher thought he was naughty, lazy and unreasonable; so did his parents. Ishaan's elder brother was the smartest student in their school, he was also a great tennis player; he was the typical good son most parents wanted. This made Ishaan's parents misunderstood more about Ishaan's attitude being naughty, and felt more disappointed to him comparing to his older brother. Ishaan likes imagining and drawing, but as his parents pressures him and negates his ideas, he lost his confidence eventually. His parents, especially his dad was mad and decided to send him to a boarding school. After Ishaan went to the boarding school, he felt even more sad because of the separation between his family. Untill one day a new art teacher called Aamir Khan started teaching in his school.  He was a open minded and positive young teacher that had found the problem in Ishaan. He was shy and closing himself from the world because of all these people denying his idea in the past. Therefore, Aamir encouraged him and created ways to let Ishaan prove his talented ability on arts. After Aamir's complements and explanation, Ishaan had gradually built his confidence day by day. Aamir also realized that Ishaan has Dyslexia, this problem made Ishaan how he've been acting back in school—he couldn't read properly like normal people could. This story is warm and also showed how society these days caused parents' blindness and careless on their children's real problem and potentions. It also told me as an audience that it is important to find what you're good at, being unique isn't a problem. This movie had came up to my mind to relate it to Me and You. Aamir helped changed Ishaan's life and his attitude towards his own life. Both relationship from Olivia and Lorenzo to Aamir and Ishaan was about turning someone that was tired of living, disappointed and felt misunderstood into a person that believes in one's own potential, bright future. 

      Me and You's main character is Lorenzo, a teenage boy suffering from autism and his loneliness no one else knew. He has anti-social characteristics and had described everyone else as the "others". He was self centralled with parents that were not trying to understand his thoughts and feelings deep down inside him. He had been lying to his mother that he's on a skiing trip but in reality he was staying under the basement for a whole week while he accidentally met this important person that changed his life—Oliva, his half sister. Olivia was a rebellious young women that Lorenzo's parents didn't like mentioning infront of him. She was eventually addicted to drugs and run into Lorenzo when she needed money for more drugs and needed a place to stay. Oliva was suffering because of the symptoms from her withdrawal of Heroin during the time she spent in the basement with Lorenzo, but as Olivia let goes her emotions, Lorenzo felt a connection between himself and his sister. Both of them were lonely with no friends nor an understanding family, both of them were suffering from mental illness and physical illness while no one was taking care of them. Untill they met eachother and Lorenzo felt himself like a hero, no longer useless by trying his best to help heal his sister's pain from the withdrawal. Also untill both of them encouraged each other, gave eachother the feeling of love and friendship. All these events when Olivia danced with Lorenzo and Lorenzo hugging Olivia, giving her shelter, Lorenzo felt warmth that he hadn't felt for such a long time and felt himself no longer as a person that is disconnected to all the others. More importantly, Lorenzo and Olivia felt hope and started believing in a brighter future because they met each other. 

    In most of the story people found plots similar on the relationship between the main characters. Most likely lovers, then from friendships to all kinds of relationships that one person changes another because of what they went through together. Including Me and You as a novel to Like Stars on Earth as a movie, both of these stories were describing the events and outcomes when a person had been changed because of meeting another. It is common to see people change into a better person because they have met someone that was either special, important or inspiring to their situation stucked in. Some people are defensive and stubborn untill they meet someone that is either stronger than them in order to force him change or either soft and nice that made another remove his guard to change into a better person with love. Some people are weak and coward untill they meet someone that is positive and has strong impact in order to build up his confidence again and become a tougher person. No matter using what ways, people changes through out their experiences with people surrounding them. Olivia and Lorenzo were once so disappointed and even giving up on their life, but things have changes within a week they spent together. Love has a lot of different definitions and moreover the actions of loving and caring one person gave another could be unexpectedly inspiring. A positive relationship often gives both person benefits and with those having stronger bonds often receive a huge change into a better person. Sometimes it is needed to have a person that have the ability to  bring you through the darkness and pull you out of the swamp. 

 

Snow day poem

Early in a snowy morning, freezing under a flimsy summer blanket here I lies. 

Outside the window I see these white sugars gently covering the land with a few footprints deeply sinking in. 

I see snowflakes dancing waltz in the sky and naughtily laughing at the bald trees losing their hair as the warmth passes by. 

Latter in a snowy day, the wind begins shouting and punching on my window. 

Outside in the window I see a snowman wearing a blue scarf with an orange carrot nose freezing in the  snow. 

I see snowflakes hiding and huddling in the corner of my window as more and more of them start landing on the rooftop, painting the red buildings into shinny, clear crystal castles. 

Like Stars on Earth:: tentative outline and thesis statement

    

   After the encouragements Ishaan had received from Aamir Khan by agreeing, supporting his art works, he had realized that being unique isn't wrong, but instead you should be proud of yourself and believes into your own special potential. Ishaan was originally a boy losing confidence because of his unique situation that no adults could understand, until he met this art teacher that brought back his confidence and leaded him to start doing what he's truly good at doing—arts. In such a competitive world, most parents wanted their children to act well and be successful in school; Ishaan wasn't, and of course his parents were disappointed. During this point, when his parents did not try their best to understand their son's idea, moreover even blamed him, have caused he's lost of self-confidence and happiness. This reminded me of Lorenzo's situation where he felt like no one understands him, even his closest family did not try understanding and caring about his real feelings deeply inside. All of these sadness and disappointment both main character felt have been fixed and redirected because of another important person they met in life. No matter because of Olivia from Me and You or Aamir from Like Stars On Earth, they both helped changed main character's hopeless attitude towards life into a positive and bright attitude that they both started believing in themselves; after meeting this one special person that gave another hope, no matter in what way—sharing friendships, feeling loved or encouragements by words they've spoken, all of these made a sad person started to believe in a better tomorrow. 

Like Stars on Earth :: analysis

    

   After the encouragements Ishaan had received from Aamir Khan by agreeing, supporting his art works, he had realized that being unique isn't wrong, but instead you should be proud of yourself and believes into your own special potential. 

Like Stars on Earth:: Summary

          This story's main character is Ishaan, an eight years old Indian boy going through a change in his childhood. Ishaan wasn't doing well in school, his teacher thought he was naughty, lazy and unreasonable; so did his parents. Ishaan's elder brother was the smartest student in their school, he was also a great tennis player; he was the typical good son most parents wanted. This made Ishaan's parents misunderstood more about Ishaan's attitude being naughty, and felt more disappointed to him comparing to his older brother. Ishaan likes imagining and drawing, but as his parents pressures him and negates his ideas, he lost his confidence eventually. His parents, especially his dad was mad and decided to send him to a boarding school. After Ishaan went to the boarding school, he felt even more sad because of the separation between his family. Untill one day a new art teacher called Aamir Khan started teaching in his school.  He was a open minded and positive young teacher that had found the problem in Ishaan. He was shy and closing himself from the world because of all these people denying his idea in the past. Therefore, Aamir encouraged him and created ways to let Ishaan prove his talented ability on arts. After Aamir's complements and explanation, Ishaan had gradually built his confidence day by day. Aamir also realized that Ishaan has Dyslexia, this problem made Ishaan how he've been acting back in school—he couldn't read properly like normal people could. 

      This story is warm and also showed how society these days caused parents' blindness and careless on their children's real problem and potentions. It also told me as an audience that it is important to find what you're good at, being unique isn't a problem. This movie had came up to my mind to relate it to Me and You. Aamir helped changed Ishaan's life and his attitude towards his own life. Both relationship from Olivia and Lorenzo to Aamir and Ishaan was about turning someone that was tired of living, disappointed and felt misunderstood into a person that believes in one's own potential, bright future. 

Like Stars on Earth

Main character: 

Ishaan. 

Character have connection with: 

 Ishaan's new art teacher—Ram Shankar. Ishaan's parents. 

Change:

After Ishaan met Ram Shanakr he found out his own potential in arts and was feeling supported. Ram Shankar tried hard to persuade and show Ishaan that he wasn't useless nor stupid. So at the end, Ishaan started realized his hobbit wasn't a wrong thing and then proved it to his parents. 

Three possible choices of movie

1. The Blind Side

Michael was a back teenager that was homeless untill Leigh Anne and her husband brought him as their son. Gradually Michael had changed by learning manners and had found his own path. He became a great football player and his new family had been encouraging him. 

2. Vitus 

Vitus was a genius and his parents was pushing him since young for him to be a musician. He played piano really well when he's five years old. But Vitus felt pressured and wanted to be a normal kid. Latter on Vitus met his grandfather that was pretty open minded and supported him to rebel to his parents in order to fulfill his own dream—becoming a pilot. 

3. The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas 

The story happened during the World War when the Jews were held in concentration camp. Bruno was a boy from a wealthy family and his father was a commander of the camp that had brought his family to move down a countryside beside one of the camps. Bruno had met another Jewish boy inside the camp but they could only talk to each other through out a electrified fence. Bruno was too young and protective by his family so he doesn't know about how his father was working in a place that treated his new friend badly. Through out the story, Bruno found out some unfair treatments his maid was treated and how he started learning, knowing more realistic, negative sides of the society after he met this weak and young boy behind the fence, inside the camp. 

4. Like stars on earth 

This is a very optimistic story about a open minded teacher encouraging a talented but misunderstood boy. In India where competitions are intense and good grades are viewed as the most important to define a child, the main character's parents were exactly like this. They were angry and unsatisfied because of his behavior, imaging everyday and writing improperly. As his parents decided to send him to a boarding school, he met this new art teacher that inspired, encouraged and helped him out. Making him believe that he wasn't stupid, he's special and is a talented artist.