Reading Log #6
Text title: The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Text type: Novella
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson
'The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' is a novella which was published in 1886. It tells the story of well known Dr Jekyll and an evil, sinister person named Mr Hyde. But actually, they're both the same person. Because of the extreme shame and guilt Jekyll felt about things which he had done earlier in life, he decides to create a potion. This potion enables him to live life as himself, Henry Jekyll but also live life as a beast named Mr Hyde.
An important part in this novella is when Jekyll begins experimenting with the supernatural. "He became wrong, wrong in the mind" us readers are now aware of the major impact this had on Jekyll himself. Another quote used in this novella which is very important is "Man is not truly one, but truly two" I think what Stevenson is trying to say is that there’s good and bad within us all. A bad side in which people usually want to hide. People sometimes turn to awful things just to find an escape, like how Jekyll turned to his potion.
Using the potion soon gave Jekyll a strong feeling of satisfaction and he becomes addicted. Stevenson wants us to realise the power of addiction and what it can do to one. For Jekyll, this potion eventually takes over his entire life. I was quite shocked to see how overpowering Jekyll’s evil side was compared to his good side. It shows us the monster that lurks within us all, especially the monster inside of Jekyll. I think the novella does a great job in portraying the battle between good vs evil, which can be seen when Dr Jekyll struggles to keep balance between both identities. It soon becomes too much for Jekyll. "Here then, as I lay down the pen and proceed to seal up my confessions, I bring to you the life of that unhappy Henry Jekyll to an end" - Jekyll cannot escape Hyde.
Friday, 29 September 2017
Wednesday, 27 September 2017
English
Reading log #5
Text title: The White Helmets
Text type: Documentary
The white helmets are a volunteer organisation that operates in certain parts of Syria. When airstrikes drop over Syria, the 3,000 civilian volunteers rush to help the lives of others.The group have saved more than 60,000 people in Syria and the documentary is a academy award winner. Their motto is "To save a life is to save all humanity"
The documentary begins with Abu Omar speaking to us about what the group does and what they have to go through everyday. He says "we are always ready to respond to incidents" As soon as there is an airstrike that hits Apello (city in Syria) the white helmets immediately stop what they're doing and rush to where people have been seriously injured. This shows us not only how dedicated they are to the job, but also how brave these men are. 191 White Helmets volunteers have been killed while trying to save lives. Everyday they would leave their homes to go out and save others, not knowing whether they would even make it home later that night. So a great amount of bravery can be seen throughout the film. I think what's happening in Syria right now is total madness.
The white helmets are making a difference everyday, and they're doing what most of the world have refused to do, and that is to save the lives of Syrians. Innocent people are being murdered, beaten and tortured for no particular reason and a lot of people seem to neglect the fact that there's an ongoing problem in Syria.
I'm extremely fortunate to be living in a country that isn't at war or to be in a country where the people are not living in constant fear. Knowing that there are people out there like the White Helmets shows me that there really are people who are willing to formulate change. A certain part in the film which made me emotional was when one of the rescue members, Khaled Omar was killed by an airstrike just days after saving a 10 day year old baby buried for over 16 hours trapped beneath rubble. Omar was well known for rescuing many civilians during this civil war. This baby is known as the 'miracle baby' for having survived for so long while being trapped. The mother could be seen sobbing near the building until the white helmets rush to help. They had searched for hours and were prepared to give up, until Khaled Omar found and pulled the baby out. They did not lose hope while trying to search for this child.
Overall, while watching the documentary, it has made me feel great sympathy for all Syrians during this terrible time. It has taught me to appreciate the little things and just to be more grateful. The White Helmets certainly brings tears to your eyes but also captures the courage of a rescue group.
Text title: The White Helmets
Text type: Documentary
The white helmets are a volunteer organisation that operates in certain parts of Syria. When airstrikes drop over Syria, the 3,000 civilian volunteers rush to help the lives of others.The group have saved more than 60,000 people in Syria and the documentary is a academy award winner. Their motto is "To save a life is to save all humanity"
The documentary begins with Abu Omar speaking to us about what the group does and what they have to go through everyday. He says "we are always ready to respond to incidents" As soon as there is an airstrike that hits Apello (city in Syria) the white helmets immediately stop what they're doing and rush to where people have been seriously injured. This shows us not only how dedicated they are to the job, but also how brave these men are. 191 White Helmets volunteers have been killed while trying to save lives. Everyday they would leave their homes to go out and save others, not knowing whether they would even make it home later that night. So a great amount of bravery can be seen throughout the film. I think what's happening in Syria right now is total madness.
The white helmets are making a difference everyday, and they're doing what most of the world have refused to do, and that is to save the lives of Syrians. Innocent people are being murdered, beaten and tortured for no particular reason and a lot of people seem to neglect the fact that there's an ongoing problem in Syria.
I'm extremely fortunate to be living in a country that isn't at war or to be in a country where the people are not living in constant fear. Knowing that there are people out there like the White Helmets shows me that there really are people who are willing to formulate change. A certain part in the film which made me emotional was when one of the rescue members, Khaled Omar was killed by an airstrike just days after saving a 10 day year old baby buried for over 16 hours trapped beneath rubble. Omar was well known for rescuing many civilians during this civil war. This baby is known as the 'miracle baby' for having survived for so long while being trapped. The mother could be seen sobbing near the building until the white helmets rush to help. They had searched for hours and were prepared to give up, until Khaled Omar found and pulled the baby out. They did not lose hope while trying to search for this child.
Overall, while watching the documentary, it has made me feel great sympathy for all Syrians during this terrible time. It has taught me to appreciate the little things and just to be more grateful. The White Helmets certainly brings tears to your eyes but also captures the courage of a rescue group.
Sunday, 17 September 2017
English
Reading log #4
Text title: Baby father
Text type: Short text
This book is a fast reads so is basically just a short piece of writing. 'Baby father' is written by Joanna Kendrick. It tells the story of a 15 year old couple, who are going to become parents. Joanna tries to tell us throughout the text what impact this has on both girls and boys.
Mickey, who is a 15 year old teen begins dating Emma. Not long after they begin dating, Emma becomes pregnant. Emma doesn't tell Mickey in person, she rings instead. He couldn't believe the news that he had just received, he thought she was speaking absolute nonsense and starts laughing. Emma gets emotional due to his lack of support and aggressively slams down the phone. I was annoyed at the fact that he laughed but was also confused as to why Emma didn't confront Mickey in person. The news immediately spread around their school which results into Mickey having an appointment with the school counsellor. The counsellor explains to Mickey how he is going to grow up very fast and should quit behaving like a child.
I don't think Mickey was quite aware of the situation he was now in because he made out as if it was a joke. Reality had not yet hit Mickey, for instance, when he spoke with the school counsellor he said "This was still such a weird idea that I laughed" which gave me the impression that he didn't really care at the moment. But the truth of the matter was that Mickey was going to be a father, whether he liked it or not. Mickey still didn't want to accept the fact, so he begins to isolate himself. I think Mickey had to realise that he was not the only one hurting during the situation. During this time, it's important for both Mickey and Emma to support one another.
This text made me feel sympathetic towards Emma because people were talking behind her back and giving her looks of disgust when she would walk pass. I am curious as to how Emma managed to cope with people like that, but she didn't let it get to her. She didn't waste her energy on the little things she knew she couldn't control. People were going to talk whether they knew her story or not. This made me admire Emma because it shows how strong of a person she is mentally. I think this is an important message for many young girls because despite all of the negative comments, Emma still stays true to herself no matter what. It reminds us of how strong us young girls really can be if we don't let the negativity get to us, and we have a positive mindset.
Teenage pregnancy is on the rise according to New Zealand statistics. For myself, I cannot relate to this text in anyway. But my mother, she was very young when she had me. She had to take on a major responsibility at a young age, just like Emma.
In conclusion the short text gave me more of an understanding on teen pregnancy. Although, it does make me feel a bit sad that others feel the need to bring down teen mothers because of the decision they've made, but also upsetting to see mothers abandoning children. Overall the text is something I do recommend to others.
Text title: Baby father
Text type: Short text
This book is a fast reads so is basically just a short piece of writing. 'Baby father' is written by Joanna Kendrick. It tells the story of a 15 year old couple, who are going to become parents. Joanna tries to tell us throughout the text what impact this has on both girls and boys.
Mickey, who is a 15 year old teen begins dating Emma. Not long after they begin dating, Emma becomes pregnant. Emma doesn't tell Mickey in person, she rings instead. He couldn't believe the news that he had just received, he thought she was speaking absolute nonsense and starts laughing. Emma gets emotional due to his lack of support and aggressively slams down the phone. I was annoyed at the fact that he laughed but was also confused as to why Emma didn't confront Mickey in person. The news immediately spread around their school which results into Mickey having an appointment with the school counsellor. The counsellor explains to Mickey how he is going to grow up very fast and should quit behaving like a child.
I don't think Mickey was quite aware of the situation he was now in because he made out as if it was a joke. Reality had not yet hit Mickey, for instance, when he spoke with the school counsellor he said "This was still such a weird idea that I laughed" which gave me the impression that he didn't really care at the moment. But the truth of the matter was that Mickey was going to be a father, whether he liked it or not. Mickey still didn't want to accept the fact, so he begins to isolate himself. I think Mickey had to realise that he was not the only one hurting during the situation. During this time, it's important for both Mickey and Emma to support one another.
This text made me feel sympathetic towards Emma because people were talking behind her back and giving her looks of disgust when she would walk pass. I am curious as to how Emma managed to cope with people like that, but she didn't let it get to her. She didn't waste her energy on the little things she knew she couldn't control. People were going to talk whether they knew her story or not. This made me admire Emma because it shows how strong of a person she is mentally. I think this is an important message for many young girls because despite all of the negative comments, Emma still stays true to herself no matter what. It reminds us of how strong us young girls really can be if we don't let the negativity get to us, and we have a positive mindset.
Teenage pregnancy is on the rise according to New Zealand statistics. For myself, I cannot relate to this text in anyway. But my mother, she was very young when she had me. She had to take on a major responsibility at a young age, just like Emma.
In conclusion the short text gave me more of an understanding on teen pregnancy. Although, it does make me feel a bit sad that others feel the need to bring down teen mothers because of the decision they've made, but also upsetting to see mothers abandoning children. Overall the text is something I do recommend to others.
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