Uncovering It All

    Maus,  the comic book series written by Art Spiegelman, is a rollercoaster of emotions. From laughter to horror, the series deep dives into the truly terrifying story of Spiegelman's father, Vladek. The story doesn't spare any details, instead showing the world what really happened behind the gates of Auschwitz. The books contain small details that showcase Spiegelman's intelligence, and overall, is an educational and engaging book that deserves to be shared with the world. So, imagine my surprise when I find out via my English teacher that the book is banned in some parts of the U.S. and Russia. The reason why the books are banned in Russia is because of the swastika on the cover page and how it violates a law against Nazi propaganda. In the United States, the book is banned in a Tennessee school district and in schools in Florida. The reasons behind this action? Nudity, violence and profanity. Let's go over these reasons one by one, shall we?     The first...

       You know the saying, "the eyes are the windows to the soul?” Well, it seems that Art Spiegelman, author of Maus, did, and he used it to convey all of what words could not.      The artist's graphic novel portrays his father's life, who lived through and survived World War II. Drawn in black and white, the comic uses a cat-and-mouse concept to share all of the horrors of what was faced by Jews during the Holocaust. His father, Vladek, spares no details in the recount of his life, and Spiegelman uses this to his advantage when he shades the pages darker and darker as you move through the fast-paced novel. Throughout it all, there are many multiple depictions shown, but the one that stands out the most is the eyes. The eyes of mice—who are used to represent Jews— are apparent in the story, with the lack of emotion and the endless suffering portrayed perfectly despite the eyes just being two little dots, while cats, who represent...

  4. How do the characters' relationships impact their ability to fulfill their dreams and reach their goals? When do the characters support one another and when do they obstruct one another? When friends and family members become barriers to achieving goals, why do you think this happens?       In the play of Sweat , by Lynn Nottage, the relatable and common characters face the harsh realities that come with working in factories. Pay cuts, stress and the physical toll on their bodies are only a few of the issues faced by the protagonists of the play. Unfortunately, these conditions foster negative relationships that carry out of the workplace, and the relationship specific to Tracey and Cynthia is no different. In the beginning of the play, we see two long-time friends who have made it through difficult times in their lives together have an admirable connection that many aspire to possess, but as the play progresses, their once lively and trusting relationship ...

     Dreaming is not easy. Worrying about whether your perfect future is worth the time, effort, and money can be especially stressful when all you want to do is sit back, relax, and watch your favorite movie or TV show all cozied up on your couch with friends and family. Most people's goal in life is to get a good job, live a good life, and be happy, but that's difficult to achieve when you're surrounded by people who aspire to have the same things. While they're not obstacles, the people working towards your collective dreams can impact you in so many ways, whether it be comparing yourselves to them or giving up completely. It's hard for sure to keep your motivation high when all you're feeling is down, and easily, you push your dream aside. (Trust me, I know. Being surrounded by so many tryhards daily is very much demotivating.) This feeling is felt by many, and even the great poet Langston Hughes wrote about this in his 11-sentence poem, Harlem. In it, he t...

A bit of context: due to my insanely close grade to a B+ in my AP Lang class, I have decided to do the extra credit blog post that my teacher has graciously granted my fellow classmates and me. The prompt is to write a FanFic with The Great Gatsby characters in it. Yes, you read that right. A FanFic. This will be cringy as hell, so please bear with me as I try my hardest not to jump off of a cliff.          Gatsby's party was in full swing, and guests moved about in his house with illegal alcoholic drinks and fancy yet distasteful food in their hands. With the chandelier bright and the place decorated with colorful ornaments, the mansion looked different than it usually did. Nick stood on the steps with Jordan drinking champagne when all of a sudden, a butler handed them both small papers addressed to them. Nick and Jordan looked at each other questionably as they opened up their notes. Inside was a sentence with scribbled handwriting.       ...

         In my last blog post, I talked about a few of my issues with "The Great Gatsby." When I wrote the piece, I only intended to leave it at that, but as I reach the beautiful end of the traumatizing story, I realize that my anger runs deeper than just hate for the white rich characters in the story. No, my main issue isn't with these people (although they are quite insufferable), but with the narrator, Nick Carraway. Yes, the main point of view is quite literally the most disgusting and loathed person in my book. In this post, I will list a few reasons on why I despise him so much, and why that anger led to my ultimate hatred of "The Great Gatsby."                  1.  He is actually such a bad narrator:      Genuinely, Nick's perspective annoys me so much in this story due to his unreliability as the narrator. He claims that he is an honest character, yet not even two chapters in, he sit...

        To the immense joy of my AP English teacher, my class has finally entered the "The Great Gatsby" era, where we talk about rich people, white people, and to no one's surprise, rich white people. In all honesty, I don't really understand the hype around the book. Sure, the book cover with the eyes is pretty, but I'm only two chapters in and already want to gauge my eyes out. The only fun thing about this otherwise sad, sad period is the fact that my teacher allows us to openly criticize and judge the characters in the story. Of course, it would be hard not  to judge the cast when all they do is break laws, be racist, and spend money like they have trees of it in their backyards. I mean, come on, you're seriously telling me two people in the 1920s spent over $1,200 in two days? In 2023, that's equivalent to $18,421.56! Over 18 freaking thousand dollars! Divided equally, that's a little more than $9,000 a day. I may not know a lot, but $9,000 dolla...