Evernote Post

What was a reason you chose not to use Evernote in class? Evernote was a difficult app to use for me.  Things were not labeled and everything was scattered so I didn’t know what was what.  Also, I didn’t like how every time I wanted to use this app I had to sign in and out.  With this came times where the app wouldn’t let me sign out and kept me logged in.  This allowed for the next student to see my notes and access my account.  The layout could have been nicer and more colorful.  For me it was very difficult to maneuver because things weren’t labeled.  The structure of Evernote to me was not stable. Do you have any other feedback or suggestion on making Evernote better? Evernote should make their layout more fun and appealing to users.  They also need to redesign the note screens.  This would make it easier for the users to know what they are clicking instead of just guessing what they are doing.  It would be nice to have new options for attachments such as photos, videos, and music.  Also, if Evernote could somehow incorporate the ability for handwritten notes would be cool.  There needs to be a single logout button instead of having to click so many different things to log out of your account.  In addition, if using this for a foreign language class it would be nice to have access to a Spanish to English dictionary and spell check features.  Evernote seemed like a great application to use, but for me it wasn’t user friendly.  If these suggestions were taken and put into the app, I would consider using it in the future.  

iPad Post

What were the benefits of having a class set of iPads in the classroom? It allowed easy Internet access to research information at the touch of a hand.  We were able to complete projects at school without having to wait until use of this technology at home.  By having multiple iPads, this allowed simultaneous use instead of having to use one group iPad and have to wait to do different types of work.  The ability to take notes quickly was appreciated as well as how legible these notes were instead of a hand written mess.  Exposure to this new technology allowed us to be on the cutting edge of iPad use in an academic setting.  In addition, it was convenient to work on papers utilizing the Word Document on the iPad to then work on papers at home or another workday.  The iPads also allowed us to save paper and therefore decreased the loss of trees.  This benefited the environment and us health wise.  Thus, ease, convenience, accessibility, and saving time were important benefits seen with the utilization of iPads in our classroom. What were the limitations or problems with having a class set of iPads? For those who don’t know how to type in a rapid manner, it was a barrier for effective note taking.  Some people didn’t plug in their iPad when they were done using it so the next person suffered the consequences of not having the iPad available when needed.  Also, the school district had to pay a lot of money for my class to have the use of iPads.  When trying to access files from home, it was challenging to go through multiple steps in order to reach the needed document.  This was cumbersome and time consuming.  It would have been a lot nicer to just take the iPad to and from school.  At other times it would have been nice to print documents from the iPad, which is not part of its functionality.  Also, it would have been nice to have an actual keyboard to type on instead of a touch screen.  Another downside was the fact that the Wi-Fi in the school was down at times we needed to use the Internet so the iPad was of no use.  Due to these disadvantages, these are things that should be considered for possible solutions or corrections in the future. Do you think that the schools district should have more iPad carts for students to use or move to a 1:1 environment where all high school students would have access to an iPad they would be able to take home and use during the schools year? I think that the school should move to a 1:1 environment where all students have access to an iPad that they would be able to take home and use during the school year.  One benefit from this is having online books at hand all the time.  The school would save money and students wouldn’t have to worry about paying a fine for a schoolbook they lost during the year.  This will have benefits down the line with the use of new technology that is being created today.  Our society is so technologically advanced, focused, and depended on such equipment that by utilizing this first hand will benefit us in the long run.  It allows us to have the experience with these tools before reaching college and will be valuable.  In the future it may allow for us to obtain jobs that need such a background and previous experience with these devices will help us.  Thus, one on one iPad use is a necessary tool and medium for all students to assist in their education and further technological advancement.

Lucifera's Mask

Gabby DeLoof

March 24, 2012

Lucifera’s Mask

In the deep, dark night of the bustling city of Detroit, there lays a man scantily clothed. His body is strewn about the alley where the fumes of smoke, dirt, grease, and garbage permeate the air. One would think that there is no life left in this pale bony corpse with ribs protruding through the once white t-shirt upon his chest. Many tears can be seen in his shirt which reeks of sweat from not being washed in weeks. He wears some holey jeans that don’t fit right, but sag below his hips. His brown eyes protrude from his deep, sunken and sullen white face. He is so dehydrated and malnourished that no more tears can he cry.  He is just trying to get by like all the other bums on this hot, humid, summer night.

This bum is no ordinary Joe Blow, but the name on his tarnished I.D. tag reads, Benjamin Gold. Next to the I.D. tag on his chest shines a beautiful 18k gold chain fit for a king. Its brilliance is not hard to miss against his dirty white shirt. The chain sticks out like a sore thumb. In addition to the chain, at the end hangs a beautiful 18k gold cross. The cross itself is about 2 inches long with a figure of Christ upon it.  At the top of the cross is embedded a glimmering quarter karat diamond. The story behind the gold necklace is a much happier one, of times when life was better. He received the chain as a gift on the occasion of making his first Penance/Reconciliation from his mother.

Benjamin’s mother played an integral part in his life as his father died when he was only three from cancer. They had a special relationship and the necklace served as a remembrance of his mother since she was no longer living. He treasured his last sole possession and cherished the memories that he and his mother shared. However, someone else too, admired Benjamin’s chain.

On that hot, miserable evening in the motor city, Benjamin was approached by a gypsy woman. She looked like the fortuneteller type with numerous rings, gold hoop earrings dangling from her ears, and tons of bracelets that weighed her arms down. There was something odd about her. She wore a mask upon her face. The mask created a sense of fear within Benjamin. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as she moved closer. Despite the mask, one could tell that she had a large, rather pointy nose with a curved tip. The mask itself was sharply demarcated down the middle. The left hemisphere was a pure white, while the other was butterscotch yellow in color. Around the openings of the eyes were painted elongated diamonds. The right diamond was ruby red and the left was jet black. Single, black dots were noted to be placed directly above and below the diamonds which gave the mask a marionette appearance. The lips were half black and half red to match the diamond eye openings. There were thin black arches placed as eyebrows bilaterally. Also, blue and red ribbons spewed forth from the temples.  Her hair and eyes were as black as the night.  Her skin was wrinkled and body small. She must have been no more than five feet tall. She had long red painted fingernails that stuck out against the black garments she wore. Her voice was low, but with a nasal quality that made it hard to understand her words. They called her Lucifera.

As Lucifera approached Benjamin, his limp body became erect and his ears perked up with curiosity as to what this woman could want. Her voice unwavering, proposed to Benjamin a deal that he couldn’t believe his ears. He even pinched himself to make sure that he was not dreaming.  Lucifera asked for a simple exchange of a winning million dollar lottery ticket for his gold chain and cross.  She explained to Benjamin that she had a good eye for jewelry and would love to been seen in his chain. Lucifera was not able to use the ticket as she was an illegal alien so she could not cash in on the winnings. She had watched him from afar and chose him to be the recipient of this most precious gift.

Benjamin wanted to agree right away, but he needed time to think. He didn’t know what was underneath this woman’s mask. She would not reveal herself. Although this was a great deal for Benjamin, he had second thoughts. This was the scariest woman that he had ever seen. After several minutes of silence, Benjamin agreed to her deal. As he reached behind his neck to unclasp his chain, there was a loud clash of thunder that made the earth move. Rain poured down from the sky. His hand began to tremble. Next, he felt an electric shock go through his hand as he handed his chain over to Lucifera in exchange for the gold ticket. Lucifera grabbed the necklace and quickly disappeared into the smoky mist.

Standing alone, gazing at the ticket and wondering what was underneath the mask of the mysterious woman, Benjamin felt stiff and frozen. Little did he know that there was a curse placed upon the ticket by the evil gypsy. In a few minutes, Benjamin came back to life and sauntered his way to the local corner drug store. There were a lot of people buying booze, food, and making all kind of commotion as he approached the counter around midnight. He handed the clerk the ticket, and the clerk congratulated him on his winnings. The clock struck twelve. Again, a loud thunder clap resonated outside that shook the building as if the heavens were trying to say something.

As quickly as Lucifera came and left, so did Donald’s life change. In a matter of days he was seen living in a mansion on Lakeshore in Grosse Pointe with a black Mercedes GL550 in the drive. In addition to his amenities, there was delicious food and many women. However, no one could compare to the beautiful Aida.  Her eyes were a pale blue with fair skin. Her blonde hair had gorgeous tendrils that highlighted her face. Aida’s lips were ruby red. She was the fairest in the land.

Benjamin fell in love with Aida and soon the two were married. He spoiled her and she cast a spell over him. One night Benjamin had a dream wherein his mother appeared to him and questioned what he had become. She told Benjamin that he needed to donate his money to charities and help the poor. Benjamin awoke the next day perplexed with what had happened in his dream, but he sought to do what his mother had instructed. He got out of bed and had noticed something different in his room. There was a mask on Aida’s dresser. The mask looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he had seen it before. As his eyes glazed over the mask, it hit him all of a sudden that the mask was the one worn by the gypsy woman during that hot summer night in Detroit.  Immediately, Benjamin screamed for Aida and she came running into the room. When Benjamin inquired about the mask and how it came to be, Aida had remarked that it belonged to her mother who gifted it to her when she was younger. Thoughts were running wild within Benjamin’s mind. He didn’t know what to say. He felt that he couldn’t share his secret about his horrible past and the incident with the gypsy woman who had the exact same mask. Instead, Benjamin chose to forget about the mask and proceeded to do what his mother had instructed in his dream. However, when Aida got wind of what Benjamin planned to do she drugged him and got him hooked on heroin. She stole the majority of his money and none made it to help any charities. Benjamin became a junkie and soon his health started to deteriorate. His name was slandered and no one wanted anything to do with him.

Again in a dream his mother tried to talk some sense into Benjamin. She told him to change his ways. His mother begged him to stop the drugs and give to the poor, but above all get rid of Miss Aida. Suddenly the loud sound of thunder was heard and woke Benjamin from his sleep.  He was so frightened that he tried to make amends and seek help. However, it was too late. He did not have any money to give away because Aida had taken it all and skipped town. There was a note he had found. In it Aida wrote, “Thanks for all the good times. Lucifera sends her best. I leave you with something so that you will never forget me.”  Benjamin was heart-broken, devastated and once again all alone. Without his chain he had nothing. Benjamin hadn’t the strength to go on.  He became sick with many infections and rashes. He lay in bed all day as the mask of Lucifera stared him in the face.  Benjamin soon learned what Aida meant by her note. He had contracted AIDS and Aida’s mother was the gypsy woman he had seen that one summer night. Lucifera had always been with him, watching his every move through the mask. Lucifera watched Benjamin’s slow, painful death. Each day brought a new affliction as if being tormented by the devil or should one say Lucifera.

Poe's Obsession with Death

Gabrielle DeLoof

Honors American Literature 1

16 March 2012

Poe’s Obsession with Death

“Men have called me mad” (Poe, “Eleonora) are the words written by Edgar Allen Poe in his short story, “Eleonora.” These are also a fitting description for Poe himself. He was a man who suffered mental illness as a result of a troubled childhood. His illness led Poe to write about insane people, fear, anxiety and death. This gloom and death permeates his poems and stories consistently.   His preoccupation with death and loss can be seen in five of Poe’s writings, “The Black Cat,” “The Premature Burial,” “The Masque of the Red Death,” “The Fall of the House of Usher,” and “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar.” Thus, Poe’s persistent obsession with death is the central theme in his literary works.

As an illustration, the story entitled, “The Black Cat” by Poe is a case in point about his infatuation with death. It is in this piece he depicts a perverse human being who is the narrator awaiting execution. He has killed his wife over a cat he once loved. The title itself foreshadows the superstition of ill fortune or in this case death.  Not only does the narrator have one black cat, but it appears that his second cat is a reincarnation of the first as it looks just like the first with a missing eye to boot. Pluto was the name of the narrator’s first cat.  Pluto symbolizes death as this is also the name of the Roman God of the Underworld. The story invokes some gruesome acts such as gouging the cat’s eye out, killing Pluto by hanging it from a tree, and axing his wife in the brain. Also, the narrator describes the hole in the wall where he has concealed his wife’s body as follows: “a wailing shriek, half of horror and half of triumph, such as might have arisen only out of hell, conjointly from the throats of the dammed in their agony and of the demons that exult in the damnation…The corpse, already greatly decayed and clotted with gore, stood erect before the eyes of the spectators” (Poe, “The Black Cat”). Given these points, “The Black Cat” is a story which exemplifies Poe’s obsession with death.

By the same token, “The Premature Burial” further illustrates Poe’s death fascination. This story deals with the frightening experiences of people who have undergone premature burial. Ultimately, it is the narrator who is overcome with the fear and anxiety of being buried alive due to his condition of catalepsy. To begin the story, Poe mentions horrific events such as “the Earthquake at Lisbon, the Plague at London and the Massacre of St. Bartholomew” (Poe, “The Premature Burial”). However, there is no comparison of the pain and suffering of groups to that of a single individual being buried alive. The story then in a very detailed manner discusses the death of a congressman’s wife who was buried alive and had a fight with her coffin which ultimately killed her. Also, he reports a case in France of Mademoiselle Victorine Lafourcade in which “vitality had not altogether departed, and she was aroused by the caresses of her lover” (Poe, “The Premature Burial”).  If these stories were not enough, Poe then reiterates another buried alive example of an artillery man who was thrown off his horse, but buried alive only to die latter due to a medical experiment using a galvanic battery. In all of these there is the lack of air, darkness, and fear of death during these traumatic events. As Poe so elegantly describes the fear and doom in being buried alive as follows:

The unendurable oppression of the lungs—the stifling fumes from the damp

            earth—the cling to the death garments—the rigid embrace of the narrow house—

            the blackness of the absolute Night—the silence like a sea that overwhelms—that

            our hopeless portion is that of the really dead—a degree of appalling and intolerable

            horror. (Poe, “The Premature Burial”)

Poe’s obsession continues in the story as the narrator talks about, “worms, tombs, and epitaphs” (Poe, “The Premature Burial”).  The narrator then goes on to ensure that he will not be buried alive by making arrangements so as to be able to open his tomb from the inside, having receptacles for food and water as well as light and air. The narrator is preoccupied about his impending death until finally, he realizes that it is akin to a premature burial. Death, death, and more death are the themes in this story.  

In the same fashion, “The Masque of the Red Death” has as its central theme that no one can escape death. This includes all men and women even the very rich such as, Prince Prospero. Death is omnipresent in Poe’s story about the Black Plague. Only in this case the plague is red, or the result of humans bleeding. They lose the very sustenance of life. The story begins and ends talking about death. For example, in the first paragraph it describes the “Red Death” as “No pestilence has ever been so fatal, or so hideous. Blood was its Avatar and its seal—the redness and the horror of blood. There were sharp pains, and sudden dizziness, and then profuse bleeding at the pores, with dissolution. And the whole seizure, progress and termination of the disease, were the incidents of half an hour” (Poe, “The Masque of the Red Death”). The closing line speaks to death’s dominion, “And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all” (Poe, “The Masque of the Red Death”).  Also, within the story there are many images and symbols of death which remind the reader that death is inevitable such as, how the seven rooms are arranged from east to west consistent with the life cycle of the day and hence, night symbolizing death. This could also symbolize the human journey from life to death. The ebony clock ticks loudly to remind the guest that their demise draws near. Everything stops when the clock chimes as a painful reminder that there is no escape. The image of the seventh room is one of death as it was “shrouded in black velvet tapestries that hung all over the ceiling and down the walls, falling in heavy folds upon a carpet of the same material and hue. The panes here were scarlet—a deep blood color. There was no light of any kind emanating from lamp or candle” (Poe, “The Masque of the Red Death”).  Despite trying to avoid death, it shows up at the party as the midnight guest. His garments were a “funeral shroud with a mask like a corpse” (Poe, “The Masque of the Red Death”).  Ultimately, the Prince and all in attendance die. Again, this is another story wherein Poe is preoccupied with death.

Furthermore, “The Fall of the House of Usher” possesses elements of death. The landscape is death-like as it is described as, “dull, dark, and soundless,” (Poe, “The Fall of the House of Usher”) with the “clouds hung oppressively low” (Poe, “The Fall of the House of Usher”).  Both the inside and outside of the house are deteriorated. “The atmosphere reeked up from decayed trees, and the gray wall, and the silent tarn-a pestilent and mystic vapor, dull, sluggish. Its principal feature seemed to be that of an excessive antiquity” (Poe, “The Fall of the House of Usher”).  Hence, the Usher home is one of evil and doom. The inhabitants whose names are Roderick and Madeline Usher have a “ghostly pallor” (Poe, “The Fall of the House of Usher”) which forebodes a sense of death. Hence, Madeline dies and the narrator and Roderick bury her alive. She does revenge her brother and escapes from her tomb only to then kill her brother. As a result, the darkness, decay, and mental death of the family and house create the centerpiece of the story which namely, is Poe’s obsession with death.

Moreover, in “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar” this is no different. Poe once again shows that death is inevitable despite human science. This story focuses upon Valdemar, who has tuberculosis. He is dying a slow and painful death. A mesmerist tries to prolong his death, but is unable. Poe gives a terrifying description of Valdemar’s dying body, “pus-filled nodes and the turning of lung tissue into cartilage and bone” (Poe, “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar”).  However, the most grotesque details are at the end of the story as Valdemar is transformed into putrefying material,

For what really occurred, however, it is quite impossible that any human

being could have been prepared. As I rapidly made the mesmeric passes,

amid ejaculations of 'dead! dead!' absolutely bursting from the tongue and

not from the lips of the sufferer, his whole frame at once -- within the space of a

single minute, or even less, shrunk -- crumbled -- absolutely rotted away beneath my

hands. Upon the bed, before that whole company, there lay a nearly liquid mass of

loathsome -- of detestable putridity. (Poe, “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar”).

Poe’s choice of words, “shrunk, crumbled, rotted, and putridity” are very graphic images of an unpleasant death. Also, when Valdemar continues to scream “dead! dead!” throughout the story this invokes fear in the postponement of the death process. Accordingly, Poe puts forth another story filled with gloom, darkness, and decay as his theme of death is brought to fruition once again.

            Given these points, it is Poe’s preoccupation with death that resonates throughout his literary works. Usually something appalling happens which pulls the reader into the suspenseful story. Invariably some kind of death was seen; a hanging and ax murder in “The Black Cat,” a plague in “The Masque of the Red Death,” people being buried alive in “The Premature Burial” and “The Fall of the House of Usher” and the postponement of death in an already dead man in his story, “The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar.” There was darkness, gloom, disease, decay, blood, and gore. He had tombs where corpses stood erect. The characters suffered from catalepsy, nerves, and madness. Decaying houses with dreary landscapes, castles filled with black interiors and a massive ebony clock. "The unendurable oppression of the lungs - the stifling fumes of the damp earth - the clinging of the death garments - the rigid embrace of the narrow house - the blackness of the absolute Night - the silence like a sea that overwhelms” (Poe, “The Premature Burial”). From room to room, interior to exterior, and ultimately tomb or grave, there were sleeping, dreaming, and mesmerizing deaths. Certainly, without a doubt, Poe had an obsession with the theme of death.

Bibliography

Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Black Cat" Poestories.com. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. <http://poestories.com/read/blackcat>.

Poe, Edgar Allan. "Eleonora" Poestories.com. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. <http://poestories.com/read/eleonora>.

Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar" Poestories.com. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. <http://poestories.com/read/facts>.

Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Fall of the House of Usher" Poestories.com. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. <http://poestories.com/read/houseofusher>.

Poe, Edgar Allan. "The Masque of the Red Death" Poestories.com. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. <http://poestories.com/read/masque>.

Poe, Edgar Allan. ""The Premature Burial"" Poestories.com. Web. 10 Mar. 2012. <http://poestories.com/read/premature>.

" Edgar Allan Poe." Biography.com Web. 10 Mar. 2012. <http://www.biography.com/people/edgar-allan-poe-9443160>

Faust Legend

Gabby DeLoof

March 2, 2012

1^st Hour- Faust Legend

A Desperate Housewife and Jack

In a small, suburb of Detroit lived a woman named, Mary and her seven children. Mary was a single-parent due to a previous divorce.  Despite the latter, Mary still had a pretty nice life as her ex-husband was a millionaire. One would say that she married for money and somehow ended up with not only the money, but a house full of kids. There were 4 older boys aged 11, 9, 7, and 6.  The girls were 5, 3, and 1.  Her home accommodated the family nicely.

Inside the house, Mary’s bedroom was the largest with a jacuzzi, workout area and small library with a fireplace. It was nicely decorated with a contemporary flare, and painted in bold black and white colors. There was no expense spared to make this the most inviting, comfortable, and luxurious room in the house. The boys’ room had two sets of brown, wooden bunk beds that were half falling apart with nails and splinters protruding from the frames. The mattresses were hard, bumpy and made it miserable to sleep. The room itself was so cramped that no matter how they moved it was inevitable that someone would always hit the other.  It was painted in a pale pink and there were many chips and dents in the walls and woodwork.  In the girls’ room were one twin bed and a mattress on the floor for the baby. The two other girls fought for their space each night in the twin bed. There were no curtains or shades, but only a small five inch by five inch glass block window. No daylight ever permeated through, but the faded yellow paint was the only brightness seen.  On the walls were placed wooden crosses and pictures of the Holy Family from happier times when the children’s’ father had hung them. Also, there were bibles and religious books in every room as if this were a deeply, devout religious family in a previous time.

Mary had it all. She made sure that she came first when the alimony and child support checks came. Those days were especially delightful for Mary as she went on a shopping spree to the closest designer mall. Mary was always nicely dressed in the most expensive clothes, jewelry and shoes. Let’s not forget the weekly trips to the spa for her massage, nails, and hair appointments. While Mary tended to her needs, the boys were responsible to take care of the girls and the house. Even when Mary was home, she made sure that the boys cooked, cleaned, and did the yard work. The girls weren’t spared from chores as they had to wash and fold clothes. There was never nothing new for the children. They wore torn and ill-fitted clothes, while their hair was disheveled and made them look like hippies. Toys were unheard of and they were lucky if there was food in the house for them to eat.

In addition, Mary had a temper. If things were not done to her liking, or if the children fought or when the baby cried then you wouldn’t want to be around. It was a pitiful sight as Mary physically hit and beat the children. If one of them looked at her the wrong way, she would poke them in the eyes. The beatings were almost daily. The children endured not only physical but emotional abuse. Mary constantly yelled and degraded the children just because she felt like it.

On one particular cold and rainy night in order to escape from her children, Mary decided to relax in her jacuzzi. She unwound with the fireplace aglow and quiet music playing in the background. She started to doze off and was in a dreamlike state wishing that she was married to a successful, handsome man without any children in her life. Just then, something startled her. It was a figure in the fireplace. She couldn’t make it out too clearly, but it looked like a donkey. However, this one was colored red with two small pointed horns upon its head. It wore a coat similar to that of a zebra with black and white stripes which matched the walls in her room. In a low voice he introduced himself as Jack, and told Mary that he could make her dream come true. “Just sign on the bottom line that you will be the best wife in town,” neighed Jack. Mary was so elated she couldn’t believe her ears, and quickly grabbed a pen and signed the document. In a flicker of the flame, Jack had disappeared with the paper into the fire.

Soon Mary awoke to find herself married to a man named Joseph. He spoiled her rotten with daily roses, kisses, and diamond jewelry. You name it, she got it. Any woman would have been happy to be with Joseph. Despite the luxuries and love that her devoted husband provided, Mary was not a moral and worthy wife.  At least once a week Mary cheated on Joseph, and would go out with other men. She never lifted a finger to cook, clean the house or wash clothes. Moreover, she would not consent to giving Joseph the children he so desperately wanted.

Shortly into their marriage, Jack had reappeared from the fireplace as Mary lay asleep. An intense warmth filled Mary’s body as she awoke to find Jack hovering over the bed. She started to sweat bullets as he spewed forth flames and the words, “I am here to take your soul!” Perplexed by his message she questioned what he meant.

“You signed the contract to give me your soul if you did not live up to being the perfect housewife. You failed to uphold your end of the deal.”

Mary quickly thought about what she had done and her mind ran wild as to how to make amends. She jumped out of bed, searching for a bible, promising to read it, and swearing to be a subservient wife. She was grabbing for everything, trying to hold on to the bed and her husband as flames soon engulfed her body. In a second she was whisked up to live the rest of her life in the fires of hell with Jack.

Mock Trial Thoughts

The process involved as being part of the prosecuting attorney team was one which included a lot of time, thought, preparation and hard work. One needed to thoroughly prepare an opening statement that summarized the evidence in a concise way which presented the theme of racism.  Not only did it present the theme of racism, but it also included a short overview of the case in order to orient the jurors to aid their understanding of the facts that followed. It included an organization of important points that the prosecution wanted to make and then concluded with a statement asking the jury to consider only the evidence with finding favor upon the prosecution. In addition, there was development of questions we used to directly examine our witnesses. These questions had to support our theory of Twain being a racist. Also, these questions were reviewed with our witnesses in order that they were thoroughly familiar with their witness statements so that their testimony would not be inconsistent. These were not leading questions.  In order to cross examine the defense witnesses we developed some questions based upon research of their characters as to how the defense might present their case. During the defense presentation we had to be actively listening and thinking about how we could suggest that the testimony of the defense witnesses was inconsistent. In other words, we tried to tear apart their defense and make them look less credible.  Finally, we put together our closing statement which had to be somewhat flexible based upon what information was presented. This closing argument reviewed our side of the case as well as tried to point out the inconsistencies in the defense which were brought forth during the trial.

Overall, it was felt that our preparation, presentation, and questioning went well. However, if only there was a better way to “get into the jurors’ ” head or emphasize the fact that they were only to consider the evidence and not utilize their preconceived notions, thoughts and prejudices it would have been most helpful. Also, it would have benefited the prosecution if the class had not discussed the week prior to this trial how Mark Twain was not racist. Not only did the latter help in the preparation for the defense, but these arguments or ideas were fresh in the minds of the jurors which probably gave them some bias in their decision. It appeared that not only did the jurors have preconceived ideas, but they didn’t want to fully listen to the case or evidence that was presented. The jurors were only referring to the book, and not the evidence that was presented. It was as if we were living out the book, To Kill A Mockingbird. The jury had made their decision before the case was ever heard.

The verdict came as a surprise especially after all the hard work undertaken to support our case for racism. Thus, it was somewhat disappointing. However, it was very challenging to play the role of the prosecution despite my own beliefs that I felt Mark Twain really wasn’t a racist based upon my research. It made me think about how real life defense attorneys must feel to defend cases in which they truly know or feel that the person is guilty. This raises questions about morality and doing what is right and just. Is our legal system/structure appropriate? Also, if effective counsel is not present this can determine the outcome for defendants which may adversarial. Is it even ethical for attorneys to play the numbers game and prosecute if they think they can convict?

Huck Finn Post 3

In Twain’s novel, “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” he uses the Grangerfords to humorously condemn those of a civilized aristocratic society. Huck comes to know the Grangerfords after an accident wherein he meets Buck Grangerford who is similar in age. This family has a ton of land and each member has a personal servant. It soon becomes apparent to Huck that the Grangerfords are feuding with their neighbors, the Shepherdsons. However, despite all the education and money they have it seems what they lack is common sense. This feud in which they are involved has been ongoing for over thirty years and no one knows how or why it even started, but yet the fighting persists which is somewhat ironic as well. Also, Twain humorously states that civilized behavior would involve, “I don’t like that shooting from behind a bush.  Why didn’t you step into the road, my boy (Twain 109)? It is also seen that the Grangerfords are hypocrites and something that the reader is amused by. For example, the Grangerfords were noted to be church goers “The men took their guns along, so did Buck, and kept them between their knees or stood them handy against the wall. The Shepherdsons done the same. It was pretty ornery preaching-all about brotherly love, and such-like tiresomeness” (Twain 111). How can someone know anything about brotherly love and continue feuding with their neighbor about a reason they don’t even recall?

In addition to humor, Twain also uses the element of sadness in the Grangerfords. Huck comes to know of Emmeline Grangerford through all her unfinished paintings and bad poetry. Huck wonders about her and even prays for her soul. It makes the reader sad to know that there was a loss of such a young child in the family, but one questions if this child was even loved and did anyone even care about her because of such atrocious paintings and poems.“Poor Emmeline made poetry about all the dead people when she was alive, and it didn’t seem right that there warn’t nobody to make some about her now she was gone; so I tried to sweat out a verse or two myself, but I couldn’t seem to make it go somehow” (Twain 106). Huck tries to write a poem about the death of Emmeline but couldn’t. He feels bad that she has written all these poems about people who have already died, and no one has made one about her death. In the Grangerford house, they kept Emmeline’s room in perfect condition. Emmeline is greatly missed by the family and her room is kept this way to keep her memory alive.  This also represents an element of sadness in the story. Also, Buck explains the feud going on between the Grangerford’s and the Shepherdson’s. No one remembers how or why the feud started, but it has led to several deaths. Buck is later killed in a gunfight and this point in the book turns serious and shows what it is like the live in the Grangerford household.

            Not only does the feud represent sadness but it also alludes to Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet.”  The conflict of the Grangerfords and Shepherdsons is similar to the forbidden young love of Romeo and Juliet.  

“O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?
Deny thy father and refuse thy name; 
And I'll no longer be a Capulet” (2. 2. 37-40).

The Capulet’s and Montague’s in “Romeo and Juliet” and the Shepherdson’s and Grangerford’s both lost site of the origin of their debate. “It started thirty years ago, or som’ers along there. There was trouble ‘bout something, and then a lawsuit to settle it; and the suit went agin one of the men, and so he up and shot the man that won the suit-which he would naturally do, of course. Anybody would” (Twain 110). They blindly fight and kill each other. Family fighting gets in the way of what should be true love without any conflicts. In “Romeo and Juliet” the lovers die, whereas Sophia Grangerford and Harney Shepherdson run off with each other. Great people met a tragic end that was unnecessary because they followed traditional codes of honor. In “Romeo and Juliet” it was seen as romantic chivalry. Twain’s twist in the book was the lovers were the only ones who survived and the families were destroyed.  This was contrary to “Romeo and Juliet.”