The Crucible Post 1

In the Crucible, the power in the city of Salem shifts in the first act. In the beginning, all of the power lies in the hands of Parris, the town reverend. He is relatively hated in Salem, though, and has many enemies. This makes him paranoid and he tries at all costs to maintain his grip on the power of the town. His control over the town remains mainly in the fact that he controls their religious life, which, at the time, was basically their whole world. By controlling their religious life, Parris virtually had a realm of control over almost everyone in the town. But, in the end of act 1, that power begins to shift.

At the end of the act, the influence over Salem instead fell to the girls Mercy, Mary, Betty, and Abigail. They gained this by calling witchcraft on Tituba (and eventually many others). By saying that witchcraft was alive in Salem, they took advantage of the townspeople’s fear and piety and gained control through pure lies. The control was like Parris’s in the way that it controlled their religious life too; mainly because the Gospel says that there are witches. The girls gained control through capitalizing on the townsfolk’s superstitions and greatest fears, and basically had power over the entire village.

'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God' follow up post.

I think that if people were exposed in the same way to “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” today, the reaction, while being different, might have some of the same characteristics. While it’s obvious that the world is a totally different place from when this sermon was first introduced, many people who are religious still have a substantial fear of not going to heaven and going to hell. God is portrayed more as a kind and loving God, though, so the reaction wouldn’t be as severe, but I think it would probably encourage good behavior and going to church more. A lot of people would dismiss it entirely though, whether they’re an atheist or just think the speech is stupid, mainly because the world is such a different place. Atheism is a very common practice now, and a good majority of people who do participate in religion don’t do so nearly as intensely as it used to be practiced. The sermon re-introduced today would probably cause a small reaction among the religious communities of the world.

"Sinners in the hands of an angry God" Post

In the video, it's stated that the sermon was delivered by John Edwards, July eighth, 1741.

It’s the most famous speech in American history.  New England never forgave Edwards, because his famous sermon started the Great Awakening. The Great Awakening was the colonists’ Christianity becoming less detached and impersonal and more passionate and involved, as well as becoming more aware of the need for salvation.  Edwards was known to be stern and loveless, but he is apparently a warm person and a good friend. He believed in hell, and spent his life trying to convince his people to be awakened to sin and to not take the gospel for granted.  

It seems like the sermon is going to be passionate and intense, and I expect a lot of metaphors. It will probably be about the path to salvation and about everyday sins that people commit, and Edwards saying to avoid them.  From the video, I kind of think that Edwards is going to be pretty dramatic about things and may even be overdramatic. He’s probably going to scare the colonists a lot, because back then their only goal in life was to get to heaven, and he’s there telling them that it’s really hard to get there. Overall, it seems like the sermon is going to be about salvation and the path that Christians can take to get there. It must have been pretty powerful to spark the Great Awakening.

Descriptive Post

This photo is an image of an almost entirely blue rectangular box. There are four visible frosted windows, each with two vertical lines and one horizontal. There's one door that is clearly labeled, "pull to open" on a square piece of beige paper attached to the panel next to the door. There is a small, sky blue square on the very top, with tinted glass, so you can just see the light bulb in there that looks like it would start flashing if you pushed the right button. Below the pointed top of the box, there is a narrow black strip that says in white letters, "police public call box". There are (obviously) four walls to this box, each with six panels, three on each side, below a window. The door to enter this box is on the same side as the sign that says pull to open, and has a golden key slot below a blue handle.

What is expected in an honors English class

When working in an honors class, certain traits are expected, such as: maturity, the ability to retain information and time management.

Maturity is a key part of an honors English student because of the advanced reading material they are expected to comprehend. In many novels that a student is going to read, mature content is presented. The ability to not be phased or distracted by such material is important. A student should not find such contest funny. Another kind of maturity necessary is the ability to respect the teacher and not be talking constantly. This allows work to be done more quickly and efficiently. While kids in lower grades and non-honors classes talk to their neighbors throughout the whole class, honors English students should be able to restrain themselves. In an honors environment, both types of maturity is important.

Another crucial aspect of an honors English student is the ability to complete the work assigned on time and neatly. This goes hand in hand with maturity, as it takes a certain amount of maturity to do so. In other classes, work can have extended deadlines and half-credit opportunities, but in Honors English it is critical to have work in on time. Neatness is another important factor, especially in English, as the writing can’t be graded if it’s illegible. It’s also much easier to communicate the message with neat writing. By the time a student is in 10^th grade honors, they are expected to be able to write neatly. Neatness and on time work are clear indicators of focus and good time management.

Another important concept is the retaining of all the knowledge gained throughout the years of school. An
honors English student should be a culmination of ten years of language. This would include a wide
vocabulary, grammar skills, and reading comprehension. This is needed to understand the material. These
skills are also helpful when writing essays. Generally, all English classes expect you to retain knowledge from
previous years, but especially in an honors class. It is essential to use those previously gained tools.

About Me

Hey, I'm Nicole! I'm 15, I'm in 10th grade, and my BESTEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD is Shivangi S... She also has a blog on here. Look her up. Oh, and Allison S. But she's not in our class because she's lame.

I have one sister, Erika, who's 17, super athletic and short and basically the opposite of me. My dog's name is Bailey and she's a white lab who's legitimately cazy. Jazzy is my sister's horse, and she's also nuerotic, but in the bucking off sort of way, not in a terrified of thunder sort of way. My parents' names are Scott and Eileen, and... I mean. They're kind of boring, as parents tend to be. I'm Irish and, as is stereotypically correct, I have a HUGE family. I think I have twenty two cousins and about fifteen aunts and uncles on my mom's side, and about the same on my dad's side.

I'm ridiculously addicted to TV, and get way too emotionally invested in the storylines. Some of my favorites are: Doctor Who (ultimate favorite), Gilmore Girls, How I Met Your Mother (which, by the way, I just read a theory on tumblr about how he never says he's the father of the kids he's talking to... Mind = blown), The Big Bang Theory, Torchwood, Community, The Office, 30 Rock, Parks and Recreation, House, Fringe... Yeah, you get the picture. It's a bit of a problem. I also kind of watch Degrassi, but that's more of a guilty pleasure for me, as I realize it's completely trash. Harry Potter. I like can't even talk about it. I have a super unhealthy obsession with it. I think that's all I can say without getting carried away.

I'm in a ton of clubs this year at South, including: yearbook, the Looking Glass, GSA, Pointe Players, and the choir cult (it doesn't officially count as a club, but it takes up way more time than any club ever would). In Pointe Players, we're doing Anne Franke right now, and I'm Margot. She's basically the perfect sister, and it's super awkward for me to play her, as she's supposed to be a fabulous dancer, ridiculously pretty, and polite. None of which I am. It's a blast. It actually is really fun, though, just because I love to act. The downside is, I get really nervous around the upperclassmen and freeze up and don't talk, and so they all think I'm a part-time mute.

I'm really into technological stuff, and I love anything to do with computers. I think this is derived from my dad's uber techiness, because he runs a computer company and is cray cray good with computers. I especially love to edit (don't ask), and figure out little tricks to do on computers. I spend a ridiculous amount of time on tumblr and youtube, basically procrastinating actually doing anything productive. My blog on tumblr is primarily filled with my dorky obsession with TV shows and movies and such. Also, music. Oooh, next paragraph time.

Music. It's pretty much my life. I play guitar, I sing, and I can kind of play the piano. Mind you, not very well, but the basic skill is there. I listen to a huge variety, from show tunes to hardcore alternative, but my favorite is a kind of light-rock-alternative thing. Basically, Mat Kearney, Train, Straylight Run, Kate Nash, Noah and the Whale... Eh, kind of edging into the indie section, but still. Those are my favorites. Also, Taking Back Sunday, especially their new album. New Again was kind of emo for my taste, but I am in LOVE with Faith (When I Let You Down). It's an unhealthy obsession. Oh god, how could I forget, I've been on a MAJOR OneRepublic kick lately. Not their super popular stuff, but the entire album Waking Up is freaking genius. I can't even contain myself. ALSO (sorry, I kind of get carried away with music) that one 30 Second to Mars song, This is War. I thought I wouldn't like it, and the first bit I don't, but ugh... That bridge. It gets to me. Sorry. I need to wrap this part up.

So, that's basically me... I mean, not much else to tell. I like spaghetti. If that's important. It's my favorite food. Oooh, and orange pop. That's my real weakness.

Yupp. That's pretty much it. Bye!