How Do We Define Ourselves?

Lily Tikijian
March 14, 2010
Great Books Period 5
Mr. Priest

How Do We Define Ourselves?

Too often, people are labeled; people put others in to boxes and define who they are. I believe that we don’t define who we are; other people define us for ourselves. Your peers, your family, and friends are the people who define who you are and they shape you to be the kind of person you will always be. For example, you could be this extremely popular cheerleader at one school then you have to move to different state and the only people who talk to you are “goths,” you will change yourself and become one of them to fit in and to feel excepted. Then later you might go back to the old school and people wont recognize you and you will realize how much you have truly changed just by being around different people. I know the people I have been around have affected me and changed me to make me be the person who I am today. We know that by being oneself, people tend to change who they are around others, no matter what the circumstance is. Does anyone really know who they truly are? Or has society and the desire to fit in overcome our true selves? This is one aspect of the Social Me that people will always disagree with. From William James writing we know that he thinks that the longing to fit in and to be accepted has overtaken who we really are as individuals. James notes that, “What may be called “club-opinion” is the one of the very strongest forces of life.” We are driven to be people were not to impress people who we think we need to impress. This is true for Melinda in Laurie Anderson’s novel, Speak. Melinda was once a very popular, fun loving girl, until the night she was raped. She put up this wall and didn’t let anyone in. She became lonely and depressed because everyone, including her parents and her old best friends, were making her feel worthless and like they would be happier if she wasn’t there at all. Melinda gives up trying to impress people and tries to become invisible; Melinda would be considered a “hermit” at this point. A hermit is somebody who chooses to live alone and isolate him or herself from the rest of society. They can’t possibly have a social self since they have completely isolated themselves from any human interaction. Hermits do choose to live alone and not come in contact with other people so they do choose their social self. By being isolated, is it possible to find your true self and define who you really are. I believe its not possible because you wouldn’t have an influences around you so you wouldn’t know who you would and wouldn’t want to be. Its clear from The Social Me by William James and Speak by Laurie Anderson that the way you define who you are is through others. You don’t know yourself until you are around others who shape you to be who you are.

The Dumbest Generation?

Lily Tikijian
December 9, 2009
Great Books Period 5
Mr. Priest

The Dumbest Generation?

According to Mark Baurerlein, author of “The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future,” the teens’ and twentysomethings’ of the twenty-first century are the “dumbest” generation yet. Baurerlein used evidence in his book such as, 47 percent of the grads in 1950 could name the largest lake in North America, compared with the 38 percent in 2002. He also states that a decline in adult literacy “(40 percent of high-school grads had it in 1993; only 31 percent did in 2003.)” But what does Baurerlein have in mind by “dumbest?” If it means, “holding the least knowledge,” then Baurerlein might have a point. But if dumb means “lacking such fundamental cognitive capacities as the ability to thing critically and logically, to analyze and argument, to learn and remember, to see analogies, to distinguishing fact from opinion,” then Baurerlein could be proven wrong. Though Baurerlein is not the first scholar to pin the blame for the younger generation’s intellectual shortcomings on new technology, there is no evidence that instant messaging, texting, iPods, and videogames impairs thinking ability. If anything, I believe that all of this technology doesn’t “dumb” our generation down, it just changes how our brain’s process information. Since this technology changes the way my generation is processing information, this could result in improving our thinking ability. My generation has a different view on knowledge. I believe that we ask questions and question “the truth.” We don’t settle what people have told us to believe, we question and try and find the real “truth.” In Ortega’s essay, On Studying, he distinguishes the difference between a good student and a real student. He says a good student is someone who doesn’t question what already exists; they accept it and are comforted by learning and absorbing that knowledge. A real student searches for evidence and wants to know more and questions what is already considered the truth. My generation will have more people willing to take risks, willing to try new things, and willing to fail. Our generation may not be what society is used too but we are a different kind of smart. We are the generation that will go out into the world and invent new inventions and be willing to try new things. We are capable of so much more then older generations because we want to do more, that’s what we desire to do. We have the ability to think critically, analyze data, and learn and remember. The twenty-first century generation will change the world in our own ways, sure maybe we do hold the least knowledge, but we can learn and remember more then any generation before us and we can put that to good use. We will not jeopardize the future, if anything; we will enhance the future and embrace the challenges that lie ahead.

Why are Americans often so restless?

Lily Tikijian
October 22, 2009
Great Books Period 5
Mr. Priest

Why are Americans often so restless?
Questions: 2, 5

2. Why does a society devoted to equal opportunity weaken each individual?
A society devoted to equal opportunity often weakens each individual. Tocqueville states, “... the more equal men are, the more insatiable will be their longing for equality. When there is always inequality in a society, the greatest inequalities attack no attention. When everything in a certain society is equal, the slightest variation is noticed. No matter how many people strive for equality, all the conditions in life can never be perfectly equal. When man is in a society that is devoted to equality and equal opportunity, is often makes each individual weaker because they notice each slight variation. When a society is considered not equal, then the individuals tend to me stronger because they know not to expect as much of life and they know that life is not fair. A perfect example of this would be America and Old France. America is all about equal opportunity and that we can accomplish anything. This makes us weak because we notice when things aren’t “fair.” Compared to Old France when they knew their positions in life and they knew it was never going to be fair. They are stronger because they don’t expect to much. They deal with what they have and they accept it.

5. Does Tocqueville think Americans are restless because they don’t know what want or because what they want is not attainable?
Tocqueville thinks that Americans are restless because what we want is not always attainable. Even though in America anything is possible, but we don’t have enough time to attain what we want. We have equal opportunities to work and earn what we want. But we don’t really have enough time in our life to always attain what we want and set our goals on. Tocqueville states that, “Apart from the good he has, he thinks of a thousand others which death will prevent him from tasting if he does not hurry.” Man does have enough time to attain what we want. We always want more and we always work for more. Americans are more like this then any other society. Since we have equal rights and opportunities to work and earn money, we always expect more then we can achieve. This is why Americans are restless because we always want more and more. We are never happy with what we have. We always want what is not attainable.

A Tale of Two Cities

Lily Tikijian
September 22, 2009
Great Books Period 5
Mr. Priest

In book 1, chapter three, “he was on his way to dig someone out of a grave.” Jarvis Lorry having a fake conversation with Mr. Manette.

In this whole chapter, it refers to Jarvis Lorry having a dream about Dr. Manette. Dr. Manette is a ghost and has been in the ground for almost eighteen years. The chapter goes on to talk about how Dr. Manette was recalled to life and if he had lost hope that he was going to be dug out. He had. The importance of the saying, “He was on his way to dig someone out of the grave,” is that it refers to someone being “saved” or recalled to life. This is a foreshadow to what happens in the rest of the chapters. Dr. Manette was never actually dead; he was just missing and was “recalled” to life. When is says he was on his way to dig someone out of a grave, Lorry is going to safe Manette. He is going to help him to remember life and to teach him to try and rejoin the world as if nothing has ever happened. Manette had been “dug out of a grave” when he was released from prison and put up in the room where the winemaker was. Jarvis Lorry and Lucie were “digging” him out of this other grave he was in, the grave where he doesn’t remember anything about his life before these days. There going to help return to his old life and help him remember who he was and what he did. These words hold a lot of meaning in this whole book. This sentence is a foreshadow for what is to come in the next chapters.

Why Do We Care?

Lily Tikijian
September 8, 2009
Great Books Period 5
Mr. Priest

Why is it difficult not to care about what others think of you? Do we control the way other people see and think about us?

It is very difficult not to care about what others think of us. It is difficult not to care about what others think of us because humans are social people. We are all extraverted in our own ways. We want people to like us and accept us, and if that means not being yourself, that’s what must be done. People think that being accepted by friends and peers in their lives is one of the most important things. If people don’t accept you for who you are, many people change who they are to please others. Why do we do this? I don’t think we really know why we do this. We feel like we must establish this self-image of ourselves that people like. We do control the way other people see us but we can’t control how they think of us. We can control this by dressing the way we want, looking the way we want, and being the person they want us to be. We can’t control what they think of us, even if we are trying to be someone else, some people can see right through that act and some can’t. Even if we are being the person they want us to be, we have no control over their thought process. We want to be accepted and in some cases, people want to be different and stick out. It depends on the type of person you are and what kind of community you are in. I feel like people at University are more likely to be “themselves” then they would at any other school. We all have to try and be someone were not to fit in with the crowd. We can control the way other people see us, but not the way they think. We want to control the way people think of us, but no matter how hard we try, we can't.

Freedom vs. Survival

Lily Tikijian
August 28, 2009
Great Books Period 5
Mr. Priest

Which is more important - freedom or survival?

Freedom and survival are two extremely different things. Freedom is the ability to act freely or it could mean to be released from captivity or slavery. Freedom is a huge part of being an American; we have freedom of speech, free will, and freedom of press. As Americans we fought long and hard for our freedom. During the American Revolution, we fought for our freedom against the British. We wanted to have our own laws and rule our own nation. We also fought against each other in the Civil War. One half fought for the freedom of slaves and the other fought for the right to own slaves. Americans have been through a lot of fighting and wars to try and keep our country’s freedom, and I believe this to be very important, but not as important as survival.
Survival is more important then freedom because it is the act of staying alive and in some cases, fighting to stay alive. We have to survive in order to live and exist on this planet. Without survival, there wouldn’t even be such a thing as freedom. Mankind has survived through numerous of natural disasters, countless wars, and endless diseases. If men didn’t have such a will to live and survive we might not be in the place we are today. As we have learned from Sigmund Freud’s writing, we have a natural instinct to fight; we also have a natural instinct to survive, For example, if for some reason you are stranded on an Island out in the middle of nowhere with another person and there is only one piece of food left and without eating that food you will die. What would be our natural instinct? It would be to survive and if that meant killing the other person, that’s probably what we would all do. We have such a strong will to live that it would overcome our of our other instincts and believes. I believe survival is more important then freedom because survival is the key to what has been keeping mankind alive for this long. Without survival we wouldn’t have freedom.

Is war ever a good thing?

Lily Tikijian
August 19, 2009
Great Books Period 5
Mr. Priest

Is war ever a good thing? Is there any cause for which you would go to war?

Is war ever a good thing? If I had to immediately respond to that question, I would say of course not. I do believe there is alternatives to a conflict other then war. The world would be such a peaceful place if we could settle our disputes with talking rather then just heading straight to war. I do know that in some cases most countries aren’t willing to talk about the situation or problem, in that case, I believe in war. I think wars need to have more goals and purposes, like take the Iraq war for example. It has been going on for years now and we barely know what were fighting for. We went in with a goal and we are coming out with less people and having not achieved the goal. We should focus on one goal and set our minds to it.
War should have more then one meaning. Of course, it means armed fighting between groups and periods of armed fighting but I think it should mean more then that. I think war could mean a non-violent dispute. War happens because of conflicts and both groups want to put in serious effort to end something. Serious effort doesn’t have to mean killing people; it could mean serious talking or just some kind of non-violent way to handle things. This probably won’t ever happen but this is what I want to happen so that less people suffer and die. Already in Iraq over 4,000 Americans have died and the conflict still isn’t solved.
When you turn on the NBC news at night or any other news cast and they are talking about the Iraq War, we usually hear about all of the civilian causalities. I believe that United States, in particular, needs to focus on less and less civilian casualties. I do know that we try not to purposely hurt anyone but we do need to be more careful. Many people say, “Make love, not war.” I would say I mostly agree with that statement, until I really thought about it. War can be a good thing if it has a purpose and the countries that are fighting are smart about the way they are fighting. By smart, I mean, less civilian casualties and not going over the countries budgets. War might not be the best option in some cases, but mostly, I think war is a good thing.

Where I Belong.

Lily Tikijian
April 22, 2009
Literature Period 6
Mrs. Pfanschmidt

“Where I Belong”

My whole life, I have felt like I have belonged everywhere I have been. I felt like I belonged at my middle school, in my family, and with my friends, and in Zionsville. I was very worried about choosing a high school cause I was worried about not feeling like that’s where I belonged. I had to choose between University or Brebeuf and it was probably the hardest decision I have ever made. I was so nervous about not fitting in somewhere or having no friends. I was worried about going to high school where I wasn’t with all of the people I grew up with. I picked University because lots of my friends were going here and because when I walked into the building, I felt like I belonged. It felt like Orchard and that’s exactly where I belonged and felt comfortable. People ask me if I think I belong in my family because I am adopted and I really do. Maybe, if my brother and sister weren’t adopted then I would feel differently but I do feel like I belong. Feeling like I belong is a common feeling for me. I don’t go new places or try new things because I am afraid that feeling won’t be there. It’s a constant feeling in my life and maybe I need to try some risks to get out of my comfort zone but right now, I am happy where I am.

Of Mice and Men Character

Lily Tikijian
April 8, 2009
Literature Period 6
Mrs. Pfanschmidt

Favorite Character in Of Mice and Men

My favorite character in Of Mice and Men would have to be George. I consider George to be the hero in the book. He is the most admirable and talked about character. I admire George for the way that he takes care of Lennie. George could have easily left Lennie on his own when his Aunt Clara died but he didn’t, he took over full responsibility for Lennie. Without Lennie, Georges life would be a whole lot easier. He could keep a job, have a stable income, and not have to worry about if Lennie is getting into trouble or worry about what Lennie is going to next. Yet, George makes it his job to protect Lennie and take care of him. I also think George is the most realistic character, this makes him very relatable. George might tell Lennie about their “future” or owning the little farm where he can tend the rabbits but George knows that it is never going to happen. He accepts reality and tries to live with it. Since he is the most real character it makes him more likable then some of the others. Lastly George is my favorite character because he takes matters into his own hands with Lennie. He knows that when Curley gets his hands on Lennie he is going to make him pay for what he did to his wife. George tries to make everything easier for Lennie by telling him a story and comforting him then killing him. It was a much less painful way to go and even though it was hard for George, it was the right thing to do for Lennie.

Euthanasia

Lily Tikijian
April 8, 2009
Literature Period 6
Mrs. Pfanschmidt

Euthanasia

Euthanasia is the painless killing of a patient suffering from an incurable and painful disease or in an irreversible coma. There are two kinds of euthanasia, human and animal euthanasia. Personally, I don’t think that this practice should be illegal in most countries. Of course though, it should be illegal if it is not done properly and under the right circumstances. For one, before a doctor pulls the plug on a coma patient, he or she must have contacted a family member or guardian to get permission. The doctor can’t legally just pull the plug. This is why I think it should be legal because the people have signed off on it. In lots of people’s will or before they are submitted to a hospital they are required to sign something about their opinions on artificial life (being fed oxygen through a tube.) They give you a certain time frame and ask if you would want to die or stay a vegetable. Another reason why it should be legal, they ask your opinions. I don’t think animal euthanasia should be legal but that’s mostly because I can’t stand to think of an animal dying. In all honesty, it is up to the owners. But I do think euthanasia should be legal because for the most part it is your decision.

Why do dreams sometimes fail?

Lily Tikijian
March 25, 2009
Literature Period 6
Mrs. Pfanschmidt

Why do dreams sometimes fail?

Dreams can be anything from ideas, to thoughts, to a sequence of mental imagines when you sleep. Dreams can be what you dream of doing or becoming in the future or they can be little things like hoping you get a good dream on a test. Of course all dreams fail, if they all came true we would have many more millionaires or everyone would be president. I think Lennie’s and George’s dream is the easiest to use as an example of failing. I think there dream is one that could easily fail. There dream is to own a farm, this could fail in many ways. Maybe they can’t save enough money, someone could possibly get sick or die and they can’t do it, anything could happen. I believe dreams fail because some have too. There is no way they can all come true. If you work hard enough and really spend a lot of effort on making the dream come due, I believe it can come true. For example, if I really wanted to become a doctor. I would have to work my butt off to do it but if I did I could do it. If I just dreamed it and didn’t really work towards it might or might not come true. I think we are in control of our dreams and if they come true or not.

"Belonging.."

Lily Tikijian
March 18, 2009
Literature Period 6
Mrs. Pfanschmidt

Is it Important for Humans to have a place where they “belong?”

Human beings are generally very structured people. They want to be in a place where they feel like they fit in and where they belong. They want to have people around them who know them and love them. I believe this is human nature. People want to people who they know and feel comfortable all of the time, this especially apply to girls who are in high school. Probably more then half the time you don’t see girls going to the bathroom alone, walking in the hall ways without anyone, and going anywhere without a someone with them. I feel like girls feel more comfortable and normal in an environment they know and around people they know. Also I think it is more important to girl then it is for guys for girls to have a place where they feel like they belong. All together though I feel like it is very important for human beings to have a place where they “belong.” Whether this place is home, school, or work, everyone needs and deserves that sense of security.

What is a Friend?

Lily Tikijian
March 17, 2009
Literature Period 6
Mrs. Pfanschmidt

What is a Friend?

A friend is somebody who you emotionally connected with. I believe that everyone needs friends whether your friends are in the form of people or animals everyone needs someone they are emotionally connected with that aren’t your parents. We have friends to tell people are inter-most thoughts and feelings. Friends are supposed to be there to help you through your problems and be there for you when you need them. They are supposed to be the people you trust the most and spend lots of your time with. Friends, to me, are one of the most important things in my life. Without my friends I wouldn’t be the person I am today. Each one of my friends have taught me something different and new and I appreciate them more then anyone could ever know. I think the most important qualities you can find in a friend is trust, honesty, and compassion. These are three most important qualities each friend should have.

A True Friend...

Lily Tikijian
March 16, 2009
Literature Period 6
Mrs. Pfanschmidt

A True Friend…

A true friend will tell you the truth, even when you don’t want to hear it. I think trust is one of the most important qualities you can find in a friend. To go along with that, a friend telling you the truth is another important trait. I know most of the time people don’t want to hear the truth about themselves or someone else but a true friend will tell you the truth no matter what. One of the truest statements I have ever heard is, “ A good friend will sit with you in the bathroom when everyone else is swimming and a true friend will come in and give u a tampon and tell you to suck it up.” I think this statement is so true. You want a friend who is going to stand up and make you do things you don’t want to do sometime but that’s what makes them such a true friend. Personally, I know I don’t want to know the truth from my friends all the time but I have good enough friends who will tell me the truth about everything no matter what. Sometimes it makes me mad but at the end of the day I usually realize that they told me because they love me and care about me.

ROMAYOO and Juliet Reflection Blog

Lily Tikijian
March 4, 2009
Literature Period 6
Mrs. Pfanschmidt

Romeo and Juliet Reflection

1. Was it right for Romeo and Juliet to run off and get married? Or was it foolish? Or both? Explain your response.
I think it was very foolish for Romeo and Juliet to run off and get married. I am all for young love and wanting to get married but actually going through with it was crazy especially since they have so many things going against them. For one, they had only known each other for not even a day. Second, there families are enemies. And lastly, they are just to young to be in love let along get married. Juliet is about to turn fourteen and Romeo is only a year or two older then that.


2. Was it right for Romeo and Juliet to kill themselves because of their love for each other? Why or why not?
I have many mixed feelings about Romeo and Juliet killing themselves. I think that in a way it was the right thing to do because if people found out they were married and in love, they both might have been banished or killed. I thought that Juliet had more of a reason to kill herself then Romeo. She was getting married to Paris and her dad was threatening her. If I were her I would have been beyond scared to tell her family that she was married to Romeo. Her dad probably would have kicked her out on the street and refused to talk to her ever again. Romeo on the other hand was banished but I don’t think he had as much of a right to kill himself. I guess over all it was right for them to die because of their love for each other. I just wish they could have stayed alive and either run away together or told their families and maybe brought peace the Montague and Capulet households.


3. Would you have lied to your whole family if you were in Juliet’s position? Why or why not?
I would have lied to my family if I was in Juliet’s position. There is no way she could tell her dad that she was married to a Montague. For not wanting to marry Paris, Lord Capulet wanted to kick her out, imagine if he knew she was already married to his worst enemy. It would be very bad.

4. Should Romeo have been punished for killing Tybalt? How should he have been punished? Explain why you think this.
I think Romeo should have been punished for killing Tybalt but banishment was little strong considering the circumstances. The only reason he killed Tybalt was because Tybalt killed Mercutio. Romeo was just doing to Tybalt what he did to his best friend. I think maybe he should have gotten a couple months in jail, but not banishment.

5. How would you feel if you were one of the parents in one of these families after all this happened?
If I was one of the parents in one of these families I would feel responsible for the death of my son or daughter. I would take full responsibility for everything. Thinking that they couldn’t come and tell me the truth would kill me. Knowing that my own child killed themselves over something that could be prevented you just do me in. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.

Romeo & Juliet: Act I

Lily Tikijian
February 6, 2009
Literature Period 6
Mrs. Pfanschmidt

Romeo and Juliet: Act I

I thought when I heard that we were going to be reading Romeo and Juliet that I was going to be screwed. We used to have to read Shakespeare when I took drama in middle school. I never really understood what was going on in the plays. I just never understood how to comprehend Shakespeare’s language. I mean, he could say ugly and he would mean beautiful, it just never made a lot of sense to me. I like how we are reading it now though. I think it is a great idea to read it in class then have us read the cliffnotes for homework. I understand so much more because we can ask questions and discuss it in class then go over it again for homework. I really like having different people read the parts, it just process better in my head. Watching the movie clip also helped me picture the scene differently. So far I think the story is pretty good. I am really understanding it and getting the key concepts, which I never thought would happen. I don’t think Mrs. Pfanschmidt could be doing a better job with teaching us this book. I really can’t wait to watch the whole movie and finish the book.

Go Ask Alice (Pages 146- The End)

Lily Tikijian
December 6, 2008
Literature Period 6
Mrs. Pfanschmidt

Go Ask Alice (Pages 146-213)

These pages of reading were by far the most interesting of the whole book. They were just she moved, she did more drugs, she went back home. There was more of a story to it. In the beginning of the reading, Alice is starting to like Joel a lot. She really thinks he is a great guy and maybe he could be the guy for her that could help her face her fears and get over her past. I think he could be that guy for her. While Alice is babysitting, the girl that is giving Alice a lot of trouble, Jan, came by and said she needed to babysit because she needed some money. Alice stepped it up and called her parents because Jan was completely stoned. Jan was really mad at Alice and said she would get her back for calling her parents and letting them find out she does drugs. Jan starts telling people rumors about Alice and now Alice can’t even walk down the hallway without getting laughed at or talked about. Not only is Alice having a hard school life, one night her grandma gets sick. Alice thinks she doesn’t want to go on with out her husband anymore. Someone put a burning roach in Alice’s locker and she got called into the principles office anymore and doesn’t tell him who she thinks it was. I don’t know why she doesn’t tell him, I would defiantly tell him if I was her because I would want them to get suspended or get in trouble. Alice’s grandma died. Not only has she lost all of her friends, now she has lost her grandpa and her grandma. All Alice can think about is her grandma getting eaten by worms, I still don’t understand what is with Alice and this whole worm thing. Joel was there for Alice and he called her and came over and helped her get through it. I really think he is a great guy. Jan is really hurting Alice. She keeps blaming her for things she didn’t do. Today Alice was stopped by a guy on the street her pulled her into the bushes and tried to kiss her, things just couldn’t get any worse for her. Things start looking up the closer her and Joel get. On July 7th, Alice was babysitting and the her diary goes back to the (?) dates. It turns out that someone put acid in chocolate covered peanuts that Alice ate while she was babysitting. Alice says she remembers getting dizzy and trying to call her mom but she couldn’t dial the numbers. She says she doesn’t really remember what happened next but she remember her grandpa trying to help her but he was a skeleton and covered in maggots and worms. She says she was trying to kill them by smacking them with her hands and jumping on them but they just kept multiplying. Then they came to her and they started climbing up. This is when Alice started ripping off her skin and huge chunks of her hair. Alice parents believe her that someone tripped her. Alice parents did decide she needed to go to a mental hospital to try and get passed this. Alice finally learns the whole story about what happened. The neighbor heard her screaming and ran over and she thought that Alice had gone insane so she locked her in the closet and ran to check on the baby, who was fine. By the time she got back, Alice had hurt herself very badly. She has a brain concussion and a fractured skull. Alice is scared out of her mind when she goes to the mental institution. She is locked in a little room and has to earn the right to go to school. She makes a friend Babbie who has an even worse story then Alice. Alice was only in the institution from July 23- August 8th so she didn’t suffer as much as the other kids in the institution. Alice is so pleased to be home. Because of all that has happened, Alice parents decided to pack up and move. In the new town, Alice starts making friends and she is a lot happier. This whole time, even when she was in the hospital and in the mental hospital, Joel has been writing her every single day. When Alice’s birthday roles around, her parents surprise her by having Joel come visit her. He gives her a ring as a present, and Alice swears she is never going to take it off. Alice is so happy. She is going to parties, she has friends, and she has Joel along with a loving and caring family. Her life is going so well she decides that she doesn’t have to start a new diary. She thinks that diary’s are great when you are young but when you get older you should be able to discuss your problems with other people. “I hope so, for you are my dearest friend and I shall always thank you for sharing my tears, my heartache, and my struggles and strife’s and my joys and happiness. Its all been good in its own special way, I guess. See ya.” She wrote this on September 21st. That is the last thing we ever hear from Alice. Her parents came home three weeks later from a movie, to find Alice dead. They called the police and the hospital but there was nothing they could do. I thought Alice would have died earlier in the book, not when she was happy and loving life. This was huge surprise to me and I feel terrible for her family and friends.

Go Ask Alice (Pages 101-146)

Lily Tikijian
December 2, 2008
Literature Period 6
Mrs. Pfanschmidt

Go Ask Alice (Pages 101-146)

Alice has become so addicted to drugs that now she is even taking them in the middle of class. It says she was popping pills in the middle of her English class. That is just screwed up, that someone is so addicted to something that they have to take them during a class. I can’t even imagine being that addicted to something. She is also now getting high by herself in her room at night, what is the point of all of it? All of a sudden the diary stops and Alice ends up in Denver sleeping on a park bench at night. For like most of the entries they aren’t recorded very well. There aren’t any dates and the writing is quick a brief. This makes us believe she was on more drugs then ever and couldn’t concentrate enough to write. She is becoming more and more bipolar. One minute she hates Denver and she wants to go home and then two sentences later she is loving it. She attends a “rally” where there are drugs and alcohol everywhere. Alice meets a girl named Doris at a shelter and Doris becomes her new “roommate.” Doris gets really upset and sad all the time when they run out of drugs. The rest of the entries in this section are just like about how she has run out of drugs then she is back on them and “Oh, how wonderful it is to be stoned.” Its insane, I can’t stand reading about it. Alice goes back to a church and gets the priest to call her parents. Even after she calls them she spends a couple more weeks out on the streets. Alice decides that she is either going to commit suicide or she is going to devote her life to helping others that have been in her same situation. Alice runs out of pages in her old diary and starts a new one. It begins when she has decided to return home. She is so happy to be home and excited to get started with a new chapter in her life. She has decided to devote her life to helping kids just like her. Once again, Alice has started school. She is starting to focus more on her schoolwork and family and less on drugs and her past. Everyone at her school has become mean and nasty towards her and I don’t understand why. I mean, she is trying to stay off drugs, is that a good thing? Alice is so terribly lonely and she has no friends and to make matters worse, he grandpa has a stroke. Then he dies within the next couple days. When things start to look really bad, Alice makes a new friend Joel. I think Joel is really going to help her through her problems.

Go Ask Alice (Pages 51-101)

Lily Tikijian
November 25, 2008
Literature Period 6
Mrs. Pfanschmidt

Go Ask Alice (Pages 51- 101)

Alice has defiantly hit an all time low in the beginning of this section. She is now going to see a doctor to get drugs. She wants sleeping pills so she tells the doctor that she can’t sleep. That is about the lowest thing I think someone can do. She says, “I guess I’ll have to waste one of my good sleeping pills to stop it. That’s life.” Life isn’t about sleeping pills or drugs. Alice’s friend, Chris, gets Alice a job and Alice thinks she is on top of the world. I think this a perfect time for Alice to start turning her life around. She is one of the most popular girls at school, she has a job, and she has a loving and supporting family. She doesn’t realize how good she has it. Instead of taking a turn for the better, Alice takes a turn for the worst. She now has to take Dexies just to get through the school day and work and now she is using tranquilizers to deal with her home life. To make matters worse, she tries pot for the first time and she says it was even greater then she expected. Alice even starts to think about quitting her job because she “doesn’t have time to do the things she wants to do.” Like hang out with her drug dealing boyfriend and doing more drugs. She is apparently so in love Richie that she can’t see straight. Alice and Chris start drug pushing to earn extra money. Just when Alice is madly in love with Richie, she walks in on Richie and his roommate having sex and she is crushed. She and Chris decide that they are going to run away to San Francisco. They run away at 4:30am to board a bus to take them to San Francisco. When they arrive they buy a crappy apartment and go job hunting. Alice takes a job at a lingerie store and Chris finally finds a job at a great little shop. Alice gets more and more homesick with each passing day. She eventually quits her job and tries to find a more interesting one. She takes a job in a hotel selling jewelry. Her boss, Mr. Mellani, becomes more like a father figure to her then a boss. Chris and Alice even go and eat dinner and spend time with him and his family. Both girls are now eighteen and they start getting invited to fancy parties where they do drugs. They both get so trapped up in the scene of the party life. They decide they must leave. They find a new apartment close to Berkeley. By December 23rd both girls decide that they have to go home. Life starts to look a little brighter for Alice. At least she is home with a caring family, food on the table, and a roof over her head. Alice and Chris both return back to school and Alice gets pressure from a guy named Joe about her old “drug pushing” life style and it drives her crazy. She starts connecting with Lane and he gets her connected with more drugs. This is all her life is: drugs, drugs, and more drugs.

Go Ask Alice (Pages 21-50)

Lily Tikijian
November 18, 2008
Literature Period 6
Mrs. Pfanschmidt

Go Ask Alice (Pages 21- 50)

Alice is even worse then she was in the earlier reading. She has become more addicted to drugs and now she is drinking and having sex. Her life has taken a turn for the worse and she doesn’t even know it. She came back from her grandparent’s house and now she has a new best friend named Chris. Chris is a little bit older then Alice and is on drugs as well. Chris is able to get a job Alice a job and Alice is happy. She tried pot for the first time and now she is so addicted all she wants to do is have sex with her new college boyfriend and do drugs. She even thinks about quitting her job because she feels like that she doesn’t have time to do the things she wants too. Her life is just very messed up and she needs to take a turn for the better. Her parents are very worried about her because she has changed. She is now the most popular girl at school and is no longer an outcast or reject. Alice just needs to find a way to clean up her life and start hanging out with the right people, but I highly doubt that is going to happen.