Nick

What character traits allowed Frederick Douglass to break free of slavery. Explain your answers. - Frederick Douglass has many strongly shown traits. Some of the traits that allow him to break free of his slavery are, determination, self will, perseverance. The determination trait of Frederick can be strongly shown when he is beaten by his master and still continues to try to do his job, attempting to ignore his obvious pain and bad state. While Frederick Douglass was in slavery he indured so much, and after a while he became determined to break himself of slaverys bonds.
 * __Frederick Douglass__**

__1. Does Amanda seem to be a weak or a strong character? Does she arouse your sympathy, or do you think Williams wants you to dislike her? Explain.__ Amanda seems to be the type of person that builds herself up. She seems like she is a weak person but always talks about her positive times, and exaggerates them to make herself feel better "One Sunday afternoon in Blue Mountain, your mother received seventeen! Gentlemen callers! Why, sometimes there weren't chairs enough to accommodate them all" (1, 1) I don't think that she had 17 callers but she tried to make herself feel better by stating this. It makes her seem weak having to make such a small fact so large. When people state their past to make their present seem better it might not mean they are weak always, but this might be a weak time in their life by referring back to “good times”. Amanda doesn’t make the readers feel sympathetic towards her but towards Laura. Whenever Amanda speaks about Laura it seems to be almost negative in a way. She talks about her past to Laura in an exaggerated tone almost as if she was trying to lessen Laura, but in reality I think she is trying to motivate her. I think she is worried about her future because Tom is about to leave and Laura is doesn’t have gentlemen callers that will take care of her family. So I’m sure a lot of this back and forth arguing is sparked by her stressed, and further fueled by Toms antics. Williams is trying to get you to feel as if Amanda is the nagging mom trying that is worried about her future based on her childrens performances. **//Is a person who depends upon their memories a weak person? I like the way you said having to make so much of a small fact made her seem weak. Is he trying to get people to dislike her or to sense her desperation? Rather than focus on her nagging, try to focus on what she is nagging her children about. Rather than focus on a character's actions, dig deeper for the character's motivations. Look at her present condition. Why would she need to build herself up? Don't forget the analogy with Williams' life. Mrs. S//**
 * __Glass menegerie__**

Nick- I agree with how you said Amanda was weak. Amanda is weak by showing how conceded she is. She is conceded because she is always talking about herself. I also agree with you when you said Amanda is exaggerating her past. Amanda is also just trying to show her daughter that she too can have a lot of gentlemen callers, but I think she does it in the wrong way. I think you did a great job summarizing this question. – Julia White -- **//Is she conceited or is she desperate? When someone lives in the past, what does it say about someone's present? Look at her motivations. Mrs. S//** 

I agree Amanda will do or say anything to build herself up, no matter who she hurts. By her saying she had 17 gentlemen callers in one night and her knowing that Laura hasn’t had any she has no couth toward her own daughter. Kimmy Decker **//I think you misunderstand Amanda's character. Mrs. S//**

__**Krista Parker*** __**Nick, I agree with your response. I think that Amanda is very conceded but does not realize it is not teaching Laura anything. I believe that Amanda thinks she can change Laura, but she cannot.** // Don't you think it would hurt a mother to realize that she cannot do anything to help her daughter. Do you think she is trying to hurt Laura when she tells her stories? Mrs. s //

I agree with you that Amanda is a weak person and tries to build herself up by tearing others down and exaggerating her own life experiences. I also feel the same way in that Amanda attempts to encourage Laura and strengthen her self-esteem. I disagree however, when you say that Amanda is worried about her future based on her childrens' performances. I think she is really only concerned with Tom and Laura's futures and she stresses because she wants them to succeed. -- **JF**

1. I believe that the African Americans are saying these words, because they are not treated as Americans but they are treated as slaves and lesser then the Americans. They were brought into America to do work that Americans did not desire. 2. This one is about imigrants who came to America for a new chance and did not get the opportunity. They were treated unfairly and worked much like lawncare people do in America now adays

Statements || “I Hear America Singing” (words or phrases) || Let America Be America Again || Evidence || Not in either poem – put a check only ||
 * Evidence
 * The poem relates a personal experience.  || No ||  || Yes || He talks of his experiences as a black person || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> ||
 * <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The poem relates common experiences. || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">No || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Yes || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">He talks about the hard times that most Americans were having || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> ||
 * <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The poem explicitly states the message of the poem again. || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Yes || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">He kept talking about how each person does his work. || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">yes || <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">He talks about him wanting the American dream to return <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> ||
 * <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The poem describes a variety of events, many of which could be happening at the same time. || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Yes || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">He talked about how he heard all of the different trades people talking at the same time || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">yes || <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">He was talking about all of the problems going on in American <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> ||
 * <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The poet uses elevated language. || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">No || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">No || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">X ||
 * <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The poem uses the language of the poem’s subjects. || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">No || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">No || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">X ||
 * <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The poem’s tone is optimistic and joyful. || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">No || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">He talks about melodious songs and carols. || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">No || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> ||
 * <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">The poem’s tone begins in a pessimistic way but ends in a positive note. || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">yes || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">yes || <span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">First he talks of the problems and how things were taking toll and how people had to live through them and then he talked about how the American dream returned <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> || <span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> ||