~John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?~

Frankly, I think that John Proctor was neither a hero nor a stooge. He didn't do anything that had a huge effect on what was going on in Salem during the witch trials and he didn't have the courage to stand out as much as Rebecca Nurse. He was more of a gray area than either on one side or the other. Plus, he wanted to live in the end so he was willing to say that he had indeed seen the devil and had done his bidding. But it ultimately didn't matter, because he wanted his pride in the end which still lead to him being hanged since he wouldn't hand over the paper he signed.
Proctor was a character who was there to try to rationalize with the people of Salem and make them see the fallacies the girls were speaking. But at the same time, he still admitted to having had an affair with Abigail back when she used to work in his house for him and his wife Elizabeth, who eventually kicked Abigail out because she had known about the affair but had kept quiet about it because she trusted Proctor to see his faults in the end and realize what he had done was wrong. So this also proves that Proctor wasn't all the good and pure that these people were supposed to be. And later, he told Abigail that their affair had never happened and that he never loved her, as she claims. This only adds insult to injury and makes Abigail want Elizabeth out of the picture once and for all.
That's mostly why I don't identify Proctor as one or the other. He wasn't fully willing to sign a paper and hand it over because he didn't want his name "dragged through the mud" so to speak. But he wasn't willing to die for what he had been charged with either. He just went along with it because he realized that people were still going to believe the girls and they would always end up going back to them, as Mary had done. So in the end, he still died.

~Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God~

In my opinion, the Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God is just plain weird. I could never imagine having to live the way these people do. To me, these beliefs are so outrageous that I question how someone can believe them. I’ve never been one for religion much, so I guess my point might seem a little biased, but it’s still hard for me to understand why there needs to be fear forced into people’s lives so they follow the rules of a religion. So when I first read this story, I felt like I always feel when religion comes up: confused.

The view of “God”, so to speak, in this excerpt is one of total domination. He has the power to allow you into Heaven, but at the same time, he can crush you like the “spider or some loathsome insect” that you are. By bringing fear into religion, we are able to force people to believe in what the religious rules state. Or at least what we make the rules out to be.

But I think it’s wrong to force people to bow down and submit themselves the way the people do in the excerpt. I could never imagine living in a religion where you have such strict rules and if you make one little mistake, you’re damned for all eternity. It’s a warped idea of religion when you feel the need to make people believe. And it’s even harder to imagine people who lived and still live this way. But I guess if it’s all you’ve ever know, it can be understandable. I would say I feel sorry for those people, but they aren’t sorry they live the way they do because they chose that religion. So you have to respect people’s wishes and opinions just like you would want people to value your own.

So we have to scare people into behaving properly and then the world will be a better place for us all. Just so long as we wholly give ourselves up to “God” and his teachings. Yeah, right.

~There Goes the Neighborhood~

This story actually is my mother’s.  She grew up in NYC in the 1950s/60s.  During 1965-70, there was an influx of Puerto Rican immigrants to her racially but not linguistically diverse neighborhood.  In eighth grade in 1968, a Puerto Rican girl, Marlene, joined my mother’s homeroom.  The nun in charge decided that my mother, who was smart, bored, and talked a lot in class (and got slapped for “being noisy”), should teach Marlene how to read, speak, and write English.  My mother was eager to help Marlene.  She felt bad that the white kids made fun of Marlene’s shoes and the nuns didn’t know how smart Marlene really was, due to her limited English.  My mother soon learned how to help Marlene.  She would sit next to Marlene at the very back of the room, explaining what the teacher was saying.  They figured out that since Marlene could read English better than she could understand it when spoken (or speak it herself), my mother would write out the main ideas of what each teacher said on paper during the lesson, then show Marlene how to do the activity.  Marlene was quick to do her work—oftentimes finishing before my mother did.  By February, she and Marlene decided that they’d tell the nuns Marlene was ready to work on her own.  The nuns agreed—though my mother continued to sit next to Marlene for the rest of the year, since they were friends and liked being together.

My mother says she learned a lot from Marlene, probably more than Marlene learned from her.  Marlene’s family invited my mother over their house every now and then to eat Puerto Rican food, and Marlene’s mother taught mine how to make rice and beans.   My mother’s friends used to make fun of her when she said she was Marlene’s friend.  Their parents asked my grandparents why they allowed my mother to “go to the Ricans’ house” so often.  My grandparents told my mother to ignore these people for being racist.  Before Marlene and her family moved to my mother’s neighborhood, my mother’s family didn’t think much about what diversity really meant.  Knowing Marlene’s family, they learned that while some people might not be just like you, they’re more like you than you think—once you get to know them.

All About Me~Introduction

My name is Shiloh Psujek. I'm fifteen years old and currently a sophomore at Whitney Young. I'm probably just like you. I go to school, hang out with friends, and I enjoy most things students do. But I have my own unique quirks. My passions, activities, style, and attitude might not be your typical female ones, but I don't mind. Better to all be different than to live your life each day exactly the same.

I've always been adventurous. I never played with dolls, just stuffed animals. I'd be outside playing instead of inside. I'm still like that today. Any time it's nice outside, you can find me at a local park or on tennis courts.

As I mentioned before, I play tennis. I'm currently on the Whitney Young varsity tennis team and so far it's been great. But tennis isn't the only sport I do. I also run, play baseball, and go ice-skating. I plan on taking up hockey someday as well. I love playing a competitive sport where I have fun too.

Personality wise, I guess I'm a real shy person at first. Ask some of my friends just how long it took them to get me to have a full conversation! But once you get to know me, you might say I'm your average tomboy. I dislike anything pink, I can't imagine wearing anything other than jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers, I don't mind dirt, I love video games, and I have no clue how to apply makeup, nor do I care to know.

I really value my family and friends too. If someone has a problem, I'm right there to listen and try to give my best advice. My family might not be big (I'm an only child) but we still have a great connection and both my parents encourage me to explore my various interests.

One day, I hope to become a wildlife rehabilitator, a wolf biologist, or a forensic anthropologist. Kind of an odd choice of jobs, but it's what I want to do. Shows like Bones and House always inspire me and ever since I was young, wolves have been my favorite animals. That's probably why I want to pursue a career with them.

So I guess that's me in a nutshell. But if there's anything else you want to know, just come find me. Hope we can have a great year together!