Theme

   I took a test in the last ARW class. It was about "The Old Man and the Sea", and was difficult for me. But I learned the importance to find themes of a story. This makes me understand the story more easily. In addition, I can notice that there are many interpretation of one story and it can change with each theme. So I think it is interesting to read again and again the same book with different theme.

Zotero!

       Today, we took ARW class at ILC. And we learned how to use Zotero. I think it is very useful because it can make citation which is almost perfect. If I had known the existence of Zotero little earlier, it would have not take such long time to write the citation. But I think it was a good experience to write it by myself.  Also, because Zotero is not perfect, I have to check the citation. So I should be able to do it by myself. I'd like to make full use of it. However, I don't know another function of Zotero. Through using it, I will be able to learn how to use it.
        The deadline of our essay is next Monday, so I have to prepare for it.

"1984"

photo credit: http://goo.gl/26lnX1

         I made or will make five presentations this week...  We made presentations on summer reading in ARW class. I think it was not so bad, but I should learn more about how to make a presentation. I wonder how I can make it more persuasive.  I'll practice it through making and listening presentations from now on. Yesterday, I learned that it is important to speak confidently and prepare some visuals in order to make my opinion clear when I make a presentation. 
         As I said before, I chose "1984". It is a near future story. This is about the story. 
         In 1984, after World war Ⅲ, the world is divided into three big countries. They are called Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. And among them, there is an area in which a lot of disputes happen. The story is set in London in Oceania, where the government controls the citizens in many aspects of their lives. And the authorities always watch all of their actions. There are posters that is written “BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU” everywhere in the town. A man who is a government official begins to suspect the order of the country.
         “1984” was written in 1948, and it was one of the near future story. However, these situations may happen today. Last year, the secret of U.S. spying came to light, and “1984” became the talk again.

          The book has over 350 pages!! So I have to start reading it as early as possible!! Anyway, I have to prepare for the test on Friday and complete my essay by Monday!

Critical Thinking!!

  It is heavy rain today, isn’t it? I could not go out, so I did my homework all day long…

Today, I read an article about a theme of “The Old Man and the Sea”. In the article, “Struggle” is one of the most important themes of this story, and I agree with it. In the story, the old man could not catch fish for eighty-four days. In addition, although a fish take the hook, he cannot get it easily. These struggles will certainly end up his defeating or dying. So, I think these struggles involve a grave risk.

At first, I could not understand why “honor” is so important in this story. But I realized that the old man doesn’t care about his life, and I understand a little. This means that he doesn’t have to struggle to live longer. So, I think he fought against the fish with pride as a fisherman. However, I wonder if he fought only for honor. If he dies, he cannot get the honor. So I think his fighting was for his self-satisfaction.

This way of thinking helps me to think more deeply about the story. So I’d like to do this when I read a book in summer.

photo credit: http://goo.gl/Vhi2Qp

Important Information for Reading

       
       I learned the background, biography and bias of OMS (The Old Man and the Sea) and Hemingway. I noticed that such information is “schema” that a teacher told in LLA lecture and that they are important when I read books. Such information helps me to understand what the author wants to say, and we can read a book more deeply. I think it is fun to read a book with much information about the author or the background. That is because I realized that my interpretation of OMS had changed from before I knew such information. So, I’d like to research it before reading books from now on. And I should do it when I do my homework in summer (summer reading) too. I haven’t decided what I will read during summer vacation yet, so I have to start thinking right now!

photo credit: http://goo.gl/sxIEjz

Who is Hemingway?

  As I said before, I began to read "The Old Man and the Sea", and I learned about Ernest Hemingway by reading an article that my teacher sent to me. This is reaction to it.

 I know that Hemingway was very famous writer in the world, but I didn't know that he committed suicide. Also, I didn't know that "The Old Man and the Sea" was first published in its entirety, in a single issue of LIFE magazine in September 1952.

I could learn a lot about Hemingway from the article.