John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

After reading Act I of The Crucible and having a discussion in class, I see John Proctor as a hero (at least for now). Like Rebecca Nurse, John Proctor doesn't believe in the existence of witches and witchcraft. In his opinion, he does not support the idea of having another reverend to come and "search for spirits" and have girls confess to witchery. He sees that by doing so, it is the same as saying "There's witchcraft going on right in Reverend Parris' house." That would cause a lot of chaos, trouble for Parris, and a lot of un-needed confusion and attention would be created. With John Proctor trying to prevent people from believing that there is witchcraft helps save innocent lives, reduce corruptness, and keep Parris' current place in the town of Salem. Once the word gets out, all Hell will break loose. So, in a way, John Proctor is a hero by disagree with Parris and the Putnams. He may be going against what Parris wants to do just to irritate him, but it's kind of saving him and others from a lot of hassle that will happen in the near future.

Sinners In the Hands of an Angry God

Jonathon Edwards's "Sinner In the Hands of An Angry God" is informing people of how dangerous God can be. In a way, he is also trying to manipulate the fact that there is a God in our life. From his writing, I really tried to believe in that fact, but I am not convinced. Edwards says that God can destroy us at any moment and do whatever he pleases to the human kind. On top of that, God is also instoppable.

In my opinion, God cannot destroy us and whatever misfortune that occurs to us is not God's responsibility. This is because we ourselves can see a chain of cause and effect everyday. We were the ones that did such things, not God. People die from illnesses because they were not careful of their diet and living style, not because God pounded his fist on our hearts so whoever it may be stopped breathing and died. Edwards talks a lot about the consequences of angering the God. But who is God, really? Who is he to say that somebody will get hurt, and nothing can prevent that? I dislike this piece because of how it creates this imaginary fear in people's minds. Because where's the evidence that such a beast like God exists?

There Goes The Neighborhood...

As you can probably tell from the first time you saw me, I am an Asian. Yes, I am one of the 1.4 billion Chinese people that are walking the face of the Earth every day. (: I love being Chinese, and I love China's culture. Though my opinions on certain traditions may differ at times, but I do not look down on it. I do not make fun of it. And I definitely am not ashamed of it.

About four years ago before I moved from 28th/Normal street into Chinatown, I didn't feel that my neighbors welcomed me. On 28th/Normal, most people were Asians. There were Asians that just came from their home country and couldn't speak or understand English. There were young Asian children that attended schools around that area. There were gangster Asians that came out at night and partied. You would think that the Asians living on this street would be living in peace and joy. Haha funny idea and I wish that was the case.

People from the neighboring streets weren't Asians. They were mainly Caucasions or Latinos. So, you have this group of Asians surrounded by people that could speak perfect English in America. Already, things sound like they could be complicated. And they did get complicated.

For as far as my memory can stretch, I can recall that there were times when  kids from a few streets down came and spray painted my garage door with "Fre$h Off Da Boat." I remember walking down the street with my Grandpa and two adults would say "Ching Chong Chingyyy, Gung Hay Fat Choy. Hahaha!" Strange isn't it? Because, if they were trying to speak Chinese, I'm pretty damn sure they failed miserably at doing so.

But I was sure as hell they were making fun of the Chinese language. They were looking down on the Asians that spoke broken English. Sometimes, it's not all about being EXACTLY the same. It's okay to step out, share your uniqueness and not be picked on for being who you are. Being away from your home country doesn't mean you lose who you are, lose your history, and the pride of your past. That's the concept that those people who picked on us did not get. They are ignorant. And no, ignorant is not bliss in this case.

Introduction

Hey there! Nice to meet you, 2nd period American Literature class! :D My name is Loren Hou. I'm usually a really quiet person, unless I've known you for a while. Sometimes, people often think that I'm in a bad mood because I don't talk much, but that's not true (for the most part!). 

I enjoy reading, writing (songs, stories, etc), playing the piano, cooking, biking, and spending time with family/friends. I'm also interested in track running and forensics science (not just forensics...I love all types of science).  Later this year if my schedule allows, I am looking forward to be a part of Whitney Young's girl's track team. And as for my interest in forensics science, there's nothing major that I can do as of now. But, I am planning to major in forensics, law, and get some sort of medical degree after at least eight years of college. After all of that, I'll be on my way to become a coroner. (:

Based on my career goal, one can assume that overall, I am a serious person. Other than that, I also have high expectations of myself. I wasn't always like this, but because of my family background (Haha, yeahh, you know how Asian parents are!), I slowly fell into the habit of having high standards as well. Though at times I may feel extremely stressed, on the flip-side, it's definitely worth the work and trouble. 

Even though my hobbies and interests may sound boring to some people, I'm not THAT "boring" and nor am I that much different from the other teens (a lot of people think that I'm extremely different from the other teens just because I want to be a coroner...). Just like any other teenager out there, I like electronics, music, and amusement parks (6 Flags...WoooHooo!). Some of the music artists that I adore are: Marilyn Manson, Coldplay, Jay Chou, JJ Lin, Evanescence, Gorillaz, Eminem, Beethoven, Chopin....and a lot more. I also like to listen to techno, trance, or just remixes of classical music. 

Of course, these four paragraphs cannot tell who I am. But, there's a good amount of me that's exposed here. I am looking forward to having a merry and meaningful year. (: