A plague o' both your houses!

While reading Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, in class, the character Mercutio stands out to me. To me, Mercutio can sometimes act like the character's sub-conscience, and at others, can be playful and funny. Mercutio is also very loyal to his friends, namely Romeo. Mercutio gives good advice, and supports Romeo whenever he is being rash or doing things blindly. I also like Mercutio because he is a character that isn't from one of the houses, but is involved.

Mercutio is a good friend to Romeo, and he shows it in many different ways. On 1.4.58-110, Mercutio is good-naturedly teasing Romeo about an ominous dream he had. Mercutio stays upbeat and energetic, while telling Romeo not to worry. Mercutio is trying to calm Romeo down. On 2.4 Mercutio also shows his friendship with Romeo by looking for him while he is with Juliet, and by distracting Romeo when they find him. Another time and the last time Mercutio shows his loyalty and friendship is on 3.1, when Romeo takes up the battle meant for Romeo. Mercutio gets killed in the process, but he is trying to save Romeo from a impending battle between him and Tybalt.

Mercutio also gives very good advice to Romeo and others. He also can afford to give insight on the two house's quarrels because he is involved but not related. "Thy head is full of quarrels as an egg is full of meat, and yet thy head hath been beaten as addle as an egg for quarreling." Mercutio said this on 3.1.23-25. He is talking to Benvolio, and I think he is saying their heads were wired to fight, but after so much fighting, they have become helpless, and dependent on fighting. I say they have become dependent on fighting meaning that is all they know at this point. Mercutio also says on 1.4.17-18 "You are a lover. Borrow Cupid's wings and soar with them above a common bound." Mercutio is telling Romeo that he should follow his heart, and fly.

Am I Blue?

In the short story "Am I Blue?" by Bruce Coville the main character, Vincent, gets beat up because he might be homosexual. Vincent meets his fairy godfather, Marvin, after being pushed into a mud puddle and gets three wishes. He uses one on the "Gay Fantasy #3", which exposes every gay person, turning them blue for a day. Vincent has trouble deciding and admitting whether or not he is gay, and he is afraid of the consequences. A big concept of this story is accepting others and accepting who you are. It's also about being able to control how you think of yourself.

One part in the story that shows control is when Melvin tells Vincent his story. Melvin called Vincent a faggot casually.When Vincent asked him about it, Marvin replied that he and his friends called each other that to "take the words away from the people who want to use them to hurt us." Melvin and his friends were stepping up and taking control of what people could call them, and how much it would hurt them. By taking the word 'faggot' and using it as a casual term they were less offended by it when people tried to hurt them with it.

 Another part where Vincent learns about recognition is when Marvin gives Vincent "gaydar", the ability to see gay people blue. Marvin talks to Vincent about how many gays there are, and how no one knows about them because they are afraid of getting beat up. Marvin says gays want the Gay Fantasy #3 "so all the straights would have to stop imagining that they don't know any gay people. They would find out that they have been surrounded by gays all the time, and survived the experience... The hiding would finally have to stop." This quote also shows how not only are gay people afraid of being beat up, straight people are afraid to admit that they know gay people. If they would both accept each other there would be no reason to hide. In the end of the story, the guy who had bullied Vincent also turns out to be gay. So, this story is about how everyone is afraid to show who they really are. 

Two of my mom's closest friends are lesbian, and they live together. I love going over to their house and seeing them. They don't act different than anyone else I know. They are so happy together, it's sad to think of the people like Vincent and Marvin who had trouble coming out. One of my cousins on my mom's side, who is around my sister's age, also discovered she was a lesbian. We all still love her, and accepted her decision easily and quickly. She even found a girlfriend at college. If only more people were accepting and understanding, gay people like Vincent would be able to live happily and safely, with a boyfriend, maybe. 

The Drummer Boy of Shiloh

In the short story "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" by Ray Bradbury, the main character, Joby, receives help from the General of the troop. The General helps Joby find self-confidence and purpose through an item of resentment. The General makes Joby feel better by making him feel wanted. For example, on page 53 the General tells Joby that in order to make the army battle worthy, he needs Joby to beat his drum. Joby sits there, listening to his speech about how Joby is important and needed. Also, when the General first finds Joby, Joby is crying. Instead of scolding him about being weak, he encourages him, saying it's ok to cry before the war. It might even be better. The General also doesn't seem so surprised to see Joby there. As if the General was once a little boy who was looked down on; as if he was once a drummer boy who wanted to be a soldier.

The General also helps teach and comfort Joby by finding something that Joby can do well, and creates something new out of it. It's like the General took Joby's drum away, turned it into a secret weapon, then returned it to Joby with a new sense of importance. Everyone has probably has, or had done something they don't like, so they try to push it out of their minds. If you could just look at this thing, or event in a different light it might change into something wonderful, unless you are like Joby, and need someone else to shape it for you, and point out the opportunity.

I have been volunteering at ATN (All Together Now), which is a non-profit organization that lets adoptees mentor and take care of other adopted children, while their parents learn about taking care of adopted children. I have been taking care of a three year old girl named Tirha. Sometimes, during the day she misses her mom, and I have to do my best to distract her, and comfort her. I connect this to "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" because the General talked to Joby, and said the things he needed to hear. The General made Joby feel better, to the best of his abilities. When I talk to Tirha and try to comfort her I tell her that she'll see her mom really soon, and that she should color a picture, or make something for or of her mom. It's not like I'm preparing her for war or anything, but I still feel a sense of responsibility when Tirha feels bad, and it makes me feel proud when she feels comfortable. I feel like I'm preparing her for a time when she'll have to spend the day without her mom around, like when she starts school. By doing this I feel assertive and commanding like the General, and important like Joby.