R & J Character

Interesting Character

        In Romeo and Juliet, the main characters are Romeo, Juliet, and sometimes Mercutio, who is now dead, and Benvolio.  Each one played a significant role in the play, but they are not what I am most interested in.  There's one character that I'm not sure of.  Are they bad, or good?  That character is the nurse.  I chose the nurse because I'm not sure what role exactly she takes on.  Is she a peacemaker, like Benvolio, or is she a troublemaker like Tybalt.  Which side is she on?

        In the play, the nurse is clearly in the Capulet household.  But she's just a nurse, right?  Maybe not.  She's always talking to Juliet and she even tried to help her get Romeo to her.  However, that's just what we've seen her do.  Right now, she's good if you are on the young love team.  Maybe she's secretly trying to break them apart.  She might be telling the Capulet parents about everything that Juliet tells her.

        Another reason I think that she is more significant than she seems is because she's so concealed into Juliet's thoughts, and not her own.  We never knew what she was doing with her own thoughts, on her own time.  We've only seen her with Juliet.  But who knows?  Maybe she's not significant, and she just does whatever Juliet tells her to do.  I just think that she could possibly be hidden from us for a reason.

        So is the nurse bad or good?  We'll find out.  But for now, she's just concealed in Juliet's thoughts and demands.  And she may never come out.

Love

Love

    

    The concept of love is very controversial.  Some people think it's amazing and it brings hapiness to the world, and some think it's foolish.  For example, Romeo in Romeo And Juliet by William Shakespeare believes that love is powerful.  He thinks that it can take over your mind.  And for him, it does in the play on several occasions.  But is he exaggerating on love?

    Also in the play, Romeo's friend, Mercutio, has a perspective on love.  And it's far different from Romeo's.  He continuously tells Romeo that he's getting himself worked up about love, when it's really unnecessary.  He says love is foolish, especially at age 14.  So who is right?  I believe that neither of them are completely wrong nor are they completely right.

    In my opinion, love isn't foolish at all.  But since 14 year olds are not fully mature, they may believe they're in love when they're really not.  For adults, I believe love is when you and someone else want to spend the rest of your life together.  Basically, marriage.  But 14 year olds don't have the maturity to decide that they want to spend the rest of their lives with someone.  However, in the play, Romeo believes love can take over your life.  And I have to admit, it did because him and his lover showed their love by committing suicide together.  That shows true love.

Song Response

Unwritten

I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, oh, oh

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten

        The song "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield has many ideas that relate to self confidence, being who you are, and embracing everything about you.  It also includes themes that relate to life decisions.  I think the song is mostly about the power you have over your own life.  She wanted to leave the listener thinking about their life, and how they can change it, using what the song was about.  That's exactly what it did for me.
        In the song, there is a theme about how you make the decisions in your life, and no one else.  She says, "Feel the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you."  I think the rain represents your feelings, good or bad.  No one can feel your feelings for you.  Also, I think she's trying to say you should accept your feelings, and be proud of them, whether they're negative or positive.  That also goes for being who you are.  You should embrace all your traits, and everything about you.
        Also in the song, she tries to say that the rest of your life is depending on you.  She says, "Today is where your book begins, the rest is still unwritten."  That could mean two things.  First, it can mean that you are the author of your book.  The book represents your life.  She's trying to say that everything you do is your decision.  Sure, people may tell you to do things, and you may listen to them, but it's your decision to do it.  Maybe she's also trying to say that you have to be careful when making decisions, since it's all your choice.  The other thing she could be trying to get across is that every day is a new day, and you can start over.  I used that to improve myself.  Every day, I forget all the bad things that happen, and try to succeed.
        All in all, everyone can see this song from a different angle.  The lyrics can provoke new ideas and themes.  What I got out of it was that I make the decisions in my life, and I have to be careful about the ones I make.  I also learned that I should embrace myself, and everything about me.  It makes me more self confident.  

Non-Fiction New

Israel And Gaza Bombing 2012

        "Israel Gaza Attacks Intensify Despite Truce Talk" by Josef Federman is mostly about the fighting that took place on the border of the Gaza Strip and Israel, in November of 2012.  Directly on the border, Israeli tanks and gunboats eliminated targets in Gaza.  Meanwhile, 200 rockets were being fired into Israel.  Israeli and Hamas officials were hoping to reach a truce deal soon, but it was far from definite.  Israel will have to take any actions necessary to defend their people."Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a meeting with Hillary Rodham Clinton.
        A deal was going to be worked out between the enemies, but it took almost a month.  Israel wanted to keep bombing, for a little longer.  They wanted to show Gaza that they were not afraid.  And that's exactly what happened.  Gaza held back, and the truce was made.  This could mean that there will be no bombings ever again between them, or it could mean that there is just a short cease fire, because the enemies both need to keep an eye on each other.
        In my opinion, Gaza was being cheap and cruel to Israel.  They were accusing Israel of doing nothing but being who they are.  Israel didn't start the war.  Also, Israel has been through enough war, hate, and killings.  They don't need to be cheated into being accused of doing nothing to harm anyone at all.  If someone tried to fight me, I would fight back, no matter what kind of foolishness the fight is about.  The Israel and Gaza War wasn't a misunderstanding, it was an act of tomfoolery.