Dylan Harris

English 1 Pre AP

4/24/15

 

Comparison of the Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde Book and Movie

 

As I began reading, I was expecting a boring forensic book, but was surprised by the fact it was actually rather interesting. The movie, although somewhat different from the book, was also very very interesting and is most likely the most eye-gripping black and white movie I’ve ever seen.

 

Negatives:

-The movie does follow the book for most of the story but does not follow the secretness of Dr. Jekyll’s experiments. In the book, Jekyll carries out his experiments in secret, while in the movie he openly talks about his endeavors at a dinner party. I suspect the director did this in order to show the movie as more of a view on Jekyll’s personal life instead of a crime solving or mystery movie.

-In the book, Mr. Utterson was one of the main characters who sought to solve the case between Jekyll and Hyde, so I was alarmed to find out that Utterson wasn’t in the movie. He was instead replaced by a combination of characters that made up Ivy Peterson, who is the young woman who was harassed by Hyde.

-In the book,the death of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde occurred when Utterson and Poole stormed into Jekyll’s office and found the body of Hyde dead on his back. However, in the movie the is a huge commotion in which Hyde is shot by Poole after he runs around, breaks glass, and charges Poole with a knife. Although the scene did add more action to the movie, it still wandered far from what actually happened.

 

Positives:

-Although Utterson was removed from the story, his replacement, Ivy Peterson, gives an accurate representation of the pain inflicted by Mr. Hyde. Not much of the book was from the perspective of Hyde, but because of the addition of Ivy, the movie was allowed to focus more on Hyde’s actions, instead of Jekyll and Utterson.

-The movie also shows more of Jekyll’s life rather than the mystery solving in the book. The movie shows how he lived, how he experimented with elixir, and how he was about to get married.

 

Overall:

-Worth reading the book and watching the movie. The book is short and easy, but good, read while the movie is pleasurable to watch.

Imagine all the large and confusing words used by scientists, doctors, and teachers which can be difficult to understand, or even read. Now imagine if all words were difficult to read. Imagine being unable to read at all. Reading is the cornerstone of all education around the world, but in many countries, someone who can read is like a unicorn – extremely rare and unique. Learning to read is important because it provides us with the materials needed to learn more about the world, and is also used in common forms of communication.

 Many people, like scientists, use their ability of reading every day in order to get their job done. For example, as astronomers work together to discover more stars and other celestial bodies they write their findings down. However, if these astronomers couldn’t read they would have no way of writing down their findings, and their entire program would be a massive disaster. The ability to read is important for scientist because they have to record their research or they would lose their progress as they forget what they’ve learned. In addition to scientists, students at school must also be able to read so that they can have a chance of passing their classes. For example, in English class the teacher assigns her students to read a small book over the weekend. As John opens the book, he looks down at the alien-like hieroglyphics scattered about the page. Because John is illiterate, he will obviously have a difficult time translating the book page by page in order to find out what it says. Reading is not only used in English class, but all classes. Classes such as health, Spanish, and even math would be impossible without knowing how to read. Therefore, the ability to read is crucial for anyone who wishes to learn, no matter the subject.
 Not only does reading affect education, but it also affects the most common form of communication among teenagers – texting. For example, after hearing the familiar ding of his phone, Carl pulls out his iPhone, looks at the screen blankly, and wonders why there are so many confusing little shapes on the screen. Every day, over six-billion text messages are sent in the United States alone, and over eight-trillion texts globally. If no one could read these texts, then the most common form of communication would be completely eradicated. Reading is an important skill because it’s a part of our everyday lives, and not being able to read would destroy our easiest way of communicating.
 Imagine how an entirely illiterate world would be, and look at where we are today. Every day, scientists, students, teachers, and even teenagers sending silly texts back and forth to each other must know how to read or they couldn’t communicate, do their job, or learn. Therefore, because reading is required in every job, school, and most of our communication, it is important to learn how to read.

Dylan Harris

English 1 Pre Ap

April 10, 2015

 

A Name I Wish to Change

 

Dylan was the name I was born with,

And I wish to quickly change it,

but my name is here to stay.

Forever wrapped around my loved ones tongues

as it gags out those elastic words

when they call upon name.

 

I wish I had a name like John,

Maybe Alex, Jack, or Michael.

Or a name somewhat unconventional

that makes everyone shout

as I lift the night off the ocean.

 

I could have a mystical  home

that’s supreme to all the others.

Where my freedom burrows deep in the ground,

or into the fantastic depths of space.

Exploring into the starry sky,

And venturing towards a brilliantly breathtaking black hole

who eats the stars around it.

 

This is what I want.

I wish to be exotic,

Somebody who no one could ever dream of.

I want to be an unpredictable rocket

that could blast off any moment.

 

But I feel I’ve overcome these dreams,

which seem a bit far fetched.

I can already study the science of the stars

with a humongous, flawless, luxurious, telescope

whose great eyes can see the deepness of the heavens.

 

Maybe one day those dreams will come true,

but I’m sure I wouldn’t notice the difference.

Dylan Harris

Pre-AP English 1-5

11-21-14

Assignment: Stylistic Analysis of Elie Wiesel’s Memoir, Night

 

Change Through Diction and Syntax in Night: By Elie Wiesel

 

In the Holocaust memoir Night, Elie Wiesel visualizes his changes from childhood to manhood as he grows up in concentration camps. Wiesel depicts his goal of staying with his father through the struggles of the Holocaust. Wiesel creates a symbolic diction of the Jewish religion which later transitions to a hateful diction, and uses syntax such as juxtaposition and rhetorical devices to describe how Elie changes from the time he entered Birkenau to the time he was liberated.

In chapters one through five, Wiesel describes his deep devotion to the Jewish religion. For example, when Elie is looking for a master, he is upset that he is “not able to find in Sighet a master to teach him the Zohar, the Kabbalistic work, the secrets of Jewish mysticism,” (5). Elie wants to learn the Zohar, but there is no one who can teach him, which indirectly implies that not many people know it well enough to teach it. Also, Wiesel describes how he does “not want to want to learn it by heart but to discover within the very essence of divinity,”(5).By using religious diction, such as Zohar, Jewish mysticism, and Kabbalistic works, Wiesel describes how he educated in the Jewish religion. This implies that before going to the concentration camps, Elie was very dedicated to learn more about God and the Jewish religion. However, in chapters six through nine, Wiesel rarely mentions religion because he had abandoned it. “I shall not describe my life during that period. It no longer mattered,” (113). The only reason his life no longer mattered to him was because he believed that God was not  gracious and kind, and that there was no chance of a saviour. Wiesel discontinues the use of religious and symbolic diction and begins to use a vulgar diction when speaking about religion. If he believed that God was gracious and kind, then he would still have faith in Him, and would continue to praise His name, but his faith in God was no more. Therefore, because of his experience at the concentration camps, Elie Wiesel has changed from a Jew who is eager to learn about God, to a Jew who is awaiting death.

Similarly, Wiesel uses syntax such as juxtaposition and rhetorical devices to express his transformation from eager-to-live to waiting-to-die. For example, throughout the memoir there is a recurring juxtaposition of Elie not wanting to be separated from his father. While the prisoners were taking shelter to avoid being injured from an approaching airstrike, a prisoner announced that the airstrike was to hit the Buna factory. Although  most of the prisoners were in their blocks, there were still some prisoners working in the factory, including Elie’s father. Because Elie knew that his father was still in the factory, he “ was anxious about [his] father,” (60). By saying that he was anxious shows that he loves his father and does not want to lose him.however, this juxtaposition ceases when his father dies. Elie says if he “could have searched the recesses of [his] feeble conscience, [he] might have found something like: Free at last!,” (112). By using juxtaposition to describe a father-son relationship, Wiesel describes how his love for his father changed after his death.

Another way Wiesel uses syntax to describe a change is through rhetorical questions and devices. Before the Jews left Sighet, a decree was placed by the S.S. Officers that required the Jews to wear a yellow star the that they were easily distinguished. As the Sighetans began to get uncomfortable, Elie’s father says: “The yellow star? So what? It’s not lethal,” (11). Afterwards, while Wiesel was remembering the scene, he says: “Poor father! Of what then did you die?” (11). By asking this rhetorical question, Wiesel foreshadows his father’s death. Because Wiesel placed the rhetorical question after the Holocaust, he shows that, at the time, Elie was just as clueless as his father to their upcoming conflict. However, after Elie and his father had reached the point of their conflict, they realized their fate and grew to accept it. While on the train to Buchenwald, Elie’s father was with one of his good friends from Sighet. Meir Katz, a very large man, was becoming weaker and weaker as he grew ill. In great pain he asks: “Why don’t they just shoot us now?” (103). This rhetorical question symbolizes the way the Jews feel about the Holocaust. They solemnly believe that their pain and suffering may only be ceased by death. Thus bringing the conclusion that the concentration camps have altered Elie’s and the other prisoner’s views on their future so that they no longer wish to survive, but would rather die instead.

By examining these scenes it is clear that, because of their life in concentration camps, Elie, his father, and the other  Jews have changed both emotionally, and physically. Everyday, the prisoners, including Elie and his father, come face to face with starvation, sickness, and death, thus changing their faith in God, and their appearance.

 

Dylan Harris

English 1 Pre-AP

November 4, 2014

My Future Career

Although I am too young to have a professional job, it is still important that I consider my possible jobs in the future. I only have four years to figure out what I want to do with my life, so it’s crucial to be one-hundred percent positive of my career choice. After careful research, I found that the jobs that suit me best would be a long distance U.S. Olympian, a computer programmer, or an astrophysicist.

After gathering resources based on the careers salary, level of education required, abilities or talents needed, opportunities for advancement, and the workday schedule possibilities, I’ve made the decision of because of the special talents I have, such as my problem solving skills, math skills, and my curiosity, which are all key components of being a successful astrophysicist.

Below is the comparison chart I used in considering my career choice.

 

Job:	Salary:	Level of Education Required:	Abilities/ Talents Needed:	Opportunities for Advancement	Workday Schedule Possibilities
U.S. Olympian	$40,060	High School Diploma	Speed and Endurance, Athleticism,	Advance in level of Superior Performance	40 hours per week, including some weekends, and most holidays
Computer Programmer	$112,000+	Bachelor’s Degree, Occasionally Associate’s Degree	Analytical Skills, Concentration, Detail Oriented, Troubleshooting Skills	May become a Computer Systems Analyst, or a Software Developer	Full time 35-40+ hours per week
Astrophysicist	$106,360	Doctoral or Professional Degree Ph. D in Astronomy	Analytical Skills, Critical Thinking Skills, Math Skills	Begin Career at post doctoral research position, and advance into higher levels of research	Full time 35-40+ hours per week

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics http://www.bls.gov/

By examining the chart and its illustration of income, being an Olympian may not be the best decision. Although making $40,060 per year is a decent income it does not have the same advantages as other careers. One benefit of being an Olympian is the level of education required is very simple to achieve. All education that is needed to be available for the spot is a high school diploma and extensive knowledge of the sport to be competing in. Even though there are some benefits to this job, such as the level of education required and the victory conditions, long term benefits, such as salary, are not reliable to help make a living. I have many of the talents required for this job, such as speed and endurance, but to get the job I have to be one of the best in the world. Also, because of the great difficulties such as the large amount of training it takes to achieve the Olympic title, I would most likely have to work another job aside from running, which would be very difficult since most runners already work full time. Overall, this job would be the most difficult to achieve and the least beneficial.

On the other hand, many benefits can come from being a computer programmer. Unlike the U.S. Olympian, computer programmers receive an extraordinarily high pay which starts at $112,000 per year and higher depending on what job they are on. Most computer programmers do not work for one company at a time, but instead are hired by multiple companies to help them with their technology needs. These computer programmers receive up to $400 dollars per hour working for multiple companies such as Wearable Computing Company, the Future of the Mind Company, and the Crowd Economics on the Rise Company. Computer programmers who do work for one large company at a time receive a minimum of $112,000 per year. To earn the maximum an associates degree is required, but all computer programmers must have a bachelors degree. Similar to the U.S. Olympian, working hours leave a decent amount of time for extracurricular activities, for hours may just exceed 35 hours. Most people who go into the computer programming business end up as a computer systems analyst, but those who are more advanced in this field might become a software developer. Although I would be thrilled to go into this field, I feel like some of the skills needed don’t fit me. I have most of the skills needed, which include: analytical skills, concentration, and detail oriented skills, but I feel like i need to be much better at troubleshooting computers, which is the main ingredient in the computer programming field.

Even though I would rather be a U.S. Olympian, I choose to be an astrophysicist because of the effect it would have in the long-run.

To explain why I wish to pursue this career I must go back into my childhood years. I have always been fascinated with space and its great mysteries. While most people look at the Moon like it’s no big deal, I used to find myself staring at the Moon for minutes before I realized how much time had gone by. Even though the salary of a computer programmer might be much higher, I feel that my desire to learn about space overpowers any of the benefits of earning more money.

If I were to become an astrophysicist, which takes a doctoral or a professional degree and a Ph. D in Astronomy, I could make much more than the average salary of $106,360 per year because of my desire to learn more about the subject. I believe that I could make it past a natural sciences manager because of my curiosity, math skills, problem solving skills, and self-discipline. Although working hours may exceed 40 hours per week, I will do my best during every one of those hours.

All the careers I researched can describe me in some way. Whether it be that I’m a talented runner, my computer skills, or my interest in space, they are all a piece of who I might be in the future. All careers also require dedication because of the rough road of either knowledge or running. However, the career that best fits me is an astrophysicist — looking out into the wonders of space, discovering new stars, and finding new solar systems. Back when i first saw the Moon through a telescope and seeing craters clearly on its rough, silver surface left a lasting mental picture of my possible future.