J Hills' Online Journal

1. 02/02/2017

Dear Mr Baca,

    I am writing to you because I want to know about your story and how you got through the pain of prison.

My name is James hills, I am thirteen years old, I go to a school in south London called London Nautical School also near where I live. I came across your poem when our teacher, Mr O'Brien, gave us your poem. I was inspired about your life and how you were so determined to learn to read and write in a hard challenging environment.Personally I think I need to follow your footsteps and be more determined to try to accomplish my dream wherever I maybe.

Reading your poem, I have numerous questions which came to my mind. Frist, I was confused on your childhood life and the start of being arrested and what lead to the you going into prison. In class we have learned about your life but sadly not too much in detail. What made you run away from the orphange?If you didn't run away would you career be better now today? Lastly, why was you arrested? Did you find the guards oppressive towards you or a person who were close to in the prison?

I know that being arrested is a very hard and challenging life of someone's life, you were also put through isolation which makes you go crazy as you only see the guards every now and then. How did you find the courage and determination to write and learn English? At some point you must have wanted to give up what made you to continue your dream?

Before being isolated, you must have seen a lot of bad people and some who were victims of injustice. Did you see anyone who inspired you to be the person you were or today? I also know that prison or any kind of excluding place gives you a lot of time to recap on your past, giving you thought of reflection on a moment of your life which may you regret Was there anything bad that you regret doing? And what is it?

Reading your poem, I get the feeling that you studied English a lot through the gramma and thought which you apply to all your work. I would like to know what, who why you are so obsessed with English? Was this your dream job when you were little or was there an other activity? We know that English is your strong point and passion but was there anything else you liked to besides English?

Living on from prison, you have worked on books and poetry. But you would have had no one to turn to for help. So where did you go? Who took you in? After prison many people go back to the thing that put them there. So what didn't make you go back on the street and do what you do before prison? In class we have focused on a main topic, being an outsider. Have you ever been treated as a outisder in any situation and what is it? I asked that question because I can relate to being a outisder in one of your poem's, who know's me but me.

My favourite poem is 'who knows me but me, because it explains how hard being in prison or being an outsider really is from your experience. We can also learn from this poem that you can always find out who you are but you just have to dig a little bit deeper. Finally we can also know from your poem that not all natural things are needed to live a good life also knowing that know one can take your soul away from you but only the small things around it. I have one finally question what is your most embarrassing moment of your life?

James Hills

In the novel ‘The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian’ written by Sherman Alexie, Junior, arguably the main character, goes through very hard times which are related to the author’s childhood life. Sherman expresses how he was bullied when he was younger and explores how similar his life is to Junior. Alexie presents Junior as a outsider in several different times in the book. We will explore the theme of Junior being an outsider through the moments of his life such as when he is born and how he looks, leaving the reservation, going to Readan and leaving Wellpinit, the basketball game and finally the pancake diner.

Junior is presented as an outsider when he is born. Even from birth he is bullied and isolated because he looks different and acts different to other people.The fact that he has ten teeth more than usual, has seizures, wears glasses and has water in the brain tells us the reasons why he is discriminated. We can tell this when Alexie writes,” And they called me a globe.” This suggest that he is bullied because his head is big and he stands out to differently to others.

Another way Junior is presented as an outsider is when he decides to more to Readan (a white school) from Wellpinit (native American school). As time passed it is Halloween and he decides to collect money for the poor with his friend ‘Penelope’. When he collects the money sometimes they ignore him, praise him or call him names. His is an outsider because he is not accepted most times, we can tell this when Alexie writes, “But there were a lot of people who just called me names and slammed the door in my face.” This suggest that even when Junior is trying to help out someone or do something good for the reservation he is discriminated. This shows he is hated in the reservation because he moved to all white school for a better future and have a bigger chance to for fill his dream. 

Another way in which Junior is presented as a outsider is when Junior is at his new school and he is bullied because he is the odd one out in terms of race, culture and poverty. We can tell this when Alexie writes,” They stared at me like a bigfoot or a ufo.” The word ‘stared’ suggest that they stared at him as if he wasn’t human and they were judging him. Furthermore the word ‘ufo’ suggest that in their eyes he is radically different. Alexie describes Junior as a ‘bigfoot’ as it suggest that Native Americans are very rare in Readan. The language of text in these quotes suggest that he is not like any mythical creatures( ufo or bigfoot) but they might as well see him in their eyes and views.

Also Junior is presented as an outsider when in the basketball match against his old school (Wellpinit). When they arrive he is booed and chanted bad things. They fact that time has passed since he has left old school, he is still discriminated  for moving to a different school. We can tell this when they chant “Arnold sucks” the language of the repetition of the phrase  reenforeces the idea that the crowd wants to put Arnold under pressure and to show how much hate they think of him. We can also tell that the crowd want to throw and distract Junior off his game.

One way in which Junior is an outsider is when he doesn’t have enough money to pay the bill for the pancake diner when he is with his white friends. This shows that he is an outsider as out of all his friends he is much poorer, which he has to hide from his them as they may think of him differently or treat him weirdly. Sherman shows this when he writes,” I figured out it would be my last meal before my execution, and I was going to have a feast. Thew two words ‘ last meal’ suggests that it is his last piece of food before they find out about his poverty. Another word that stands out is ‘execution’ which suggest that if they find out about his secret, this also suggest that he has high standards for them so they will think and treat him as if they were similar and ignoring the race and culture part.

From this essay we can tell that Junior overcome the fact that Readan was pulling Junior down and preventing him from for filling his own pertentail. In the book Junior is a outsider in lots of different times but later on they accept him and others are inspired to do follow their own path. He is now friends with Rowdy and Junior is and will be remembered in the reservation.

The End

Another another part is where Stacy is Chasing T.g and  chases  him and goes into the shop and the children peer through the shop window. White  people put music on and the children watch them dance .The white people say,”Niger Niger come to watch us dance!”This is hugely wrong and down putting as at that time black people were accused even when they didn’t do anything .

From this essay we learn still after slavery ,racism and discrimination was still about this was unfair and for black people it was like they really never had a life .It is disgraceful and it was hard to fight for your right and to get there voice heard.

In my essay I will write about many key things about discrimination in the book Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry, written by Mildred D.Taylor in 1976. It was set in Mississippi (where she was born but moved to Ohio ) where blacks were treated unfairly but the main character, Cassie, isn’t going down easily. In the book being black is hard, blacks are segregated, have less privileges and are poorer. In this essay I will have five paragraphs telling you the main points of racism and discrimination in the book.

The first part of discrimination in the book is when the family were getting splashed by the Jefferson Davis. The bus was full of white children. Little man finally lost control by throwing mud balls and stones at the bus but the other children laughed and shouted,”Mud Eater, Nigger Nigger”. Little Man falls to the floor and covers his dirty hands in his face.This tells us that it was still an emotional time after slavery .It affected everyone from old ones to young ones.

Another example in the novel is when the children are given books but Little Man refuses them, as the book had been reused a lot of times and black people don’t get the privilege to have fresh new ones. After he tells the teacher, he stamps all over it, so Miss Crocker goes to whip him but Cassie demands,” See what they call us. Nigger.” Miss reacts saying,”That’s what you are and go sit down!” This shows that they are not equal and black people call themselves each over this disgraceful word.

Another main part in the book, is when discrimination is shown is when, Cassie loses her patience in the shop, where they have been waiting for a long time but the white people have pushed in. Cassie tugs the shopkeeper to tell him to help them. He says ,”Go get your black self over there …Who’s little Nigger is this !”As Cassie was going to say something bad Stacey pulls her out. This shows that white people can say what they think but blacks are scared.

Another part is where Stacy is chasing Tg and goes into the shop meanwhile the children peer through the shop window. White people put music on and the children watch them dance. The white people say,”Niger Niger come to watch us dance!” This is hugely wrong and racist also down putting as at that time black people were accused of anything like this incident a couple of kids just look through a window and they are accused of doing something wrong.

From this essay we have learnt still after slavery white people were mean, racist and discriminated to black people. This was unfair and for black people it was like they really never had a life. It is disgraceful and it was hard to fight for your right and to get your voice heard. Still today discrimination and racism leaks in some parts of the countries from England and Europe to America.

In my essay I will write about the many key thing about discrimination in the book Roll Of Thunder Hear My Cry written by Mildred D.Taylor in 1976. It was set in Mississippi wear blacks were treated unfairly but the main character , Cassie is it going down there easy. In the novel it always shows hard life for being black as they were segregated,less privileges and blacks where poorer etc. however there are people who don’t like black people and hurt them this is a gang who harm others.In the essay I will have 5 paragraphs telling you The main points of racism and discrimination in the book.

1. In chapter 4 it start with Tg telling them a story where a gang our beating and doing horrible things to black peopl .ie tarring them and covering them with feathers.Leaving tg takes the notes for the test so he can cheat so at school Stacey rips it up however tgwrites new ones up but in the test Stacey is caught with them so he gets whipped by his own mum.Later on he chases after tg but the kids end up by the Morris shop where they are not aloud to go but Stacey catches tg .At home mama knows they were they but doesn’t tell them off but they hear the Mr berry was badly hurt in a fire sky his newphew and one of them didn’t make it .