Essay Reflection

In my writing I demonstrate appropriate ideas and content through my quotes and explanations. For example, in my Alchemist essay, I put the quote “‘an army is coming’ said the boy, ‘I had a vision’” and then went on to explain the context and the significance of this quote. In my essay, where I put this quote I was using it as an example of why Santiago was an honest character. I think that to improve my writing I could have been more elaborate with my reasoning and covered more of the context for the quotes to further express my ideas in my writing. Throughout my essay, you can tell that I have appropriate organization because the format of my paragraphs is the same in each because I have the opening statement, quote, explanation, quote, explanation, sentence that leads to next paragraph. To demonstrate superior organization in my writing I think I could have been more specific with my ideas and really just kept it to one point. I think that I should have been more concise in what I was saying, and in some points I think I repeated myself a bit and to improve that I should have just said it, and not dwelled on it. I think I did improve with my essay from Alchemist to Julius Caesar because in Julius Caesar I felt like I was more detailed with what I said and I covered the criteria better. I think it showed, because in the Alchemist I had to re-do the essay to get a B, and in the Julius Caesar essay I got a B on the first time round. (: For my essay I think I used reason critically. I choose this because while constructing my Julius Caesar essay, I knew that we had to write it in class and not at home so I knew that I had to work on it at home in order to do better in class. So at home I wrote out what I thought was a good essay, and then I wrote notes on the planning sheet so that I knew what I was going to write about for the paragraphs. Also with both essays, I planned a lot and I had to reason critically to find the best quotes to support my main ideas in my essays.

JC Essay

Influenced, shaped and killed by Love


“Honor, for his Valor; and death, for his ambition.” Page 130. Brutus is one of the main characters in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. This quote signifies the strength of Brutus’ beliefs. Brutus has a very passionate and undying love for Rome. He is motivated to keep Rome the beautiful city he believes it is and he is not willing to let Caesar destroy it. Brutus is a patriotic, honorable man who believes that Caesar is going to ruin his beloved city of Rome. Brutus conspires against Caesar because he is convinced it is the honorable thing to do for his city.

As the novel progresses, we see that one of Brutus’ main motivators for his actions is honor. Brutus is motivated to protect Rome from the rumors he hears of Caesars ambition getting in the way of the Roman democracy, and Caesar wanting to become king. Believing that he is doing the ethical by the people of Rome and Rome itself, Brutus conspires against Caesar, and plans to take him down before Caesar can take down Rome. “Lets kill him boldly, but not wrathfully; lets carve him as a dish fit for the gods, not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds.” Page 74. In this quote, Brutus is in a meeting with the conspirators and is trying to convince them that, because they are doing the honorable thing by Rome and it’s people, they should do the honorable thing by Caesar as well. In his speech Brutus shows that he believes they are doing the right thing by Rome and are preventing -along with healing- the city from destruction. To further prove that Brutus is motivated by honor, he goes on to say, “Believe me, for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor, to that you may believe.” Page 128. In this quote, Brutus and the conspirators have slain Caesar, and are explaining to the people of Rome, their reasons for the murder of Caesar. This quote means that Brutus is trying to explain to the people, that they have to have faith in his honor, because he did it for honor. In his speech, Brutus truly stresses honor over and over to drive home his main motivation.

Along with honor, Brutus’ patriotism took a big part in his motivation for killing Caesar. Brutus’ deep and passionate love for Rome wouldn’t let anything come in the way of that. It is clearly proven that Brutus is motivated by patriotism when he says, “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” Page 128. This quote is also from Brutus’ speech when he is explaining to the commoners why he killed Caesar. This quote shows that Brutus’ patriotism and love for Rome, over-rode his love for Caesar and that this lead to Caesars death. Brutus’ patriotism is further acknowledged when he says whilst confessing to the people of Rome, “As I slew my best lover for the good of Rome.” Page 130. Another justification of Brutus’ patriotism is when at the end of the murder; Brutus tells the conspirators to bath their hands in Caesars blood and walk around Rome showing the people that they have done the righteous thing by their city. The author exaggerates Brutus’ patriotism to such a degree that he is willing to murder one of his best friends for his city’s protection.

In conclusion Brutus’ actions were heavily shaped by his motivation. Honor and Patriotism created the outcome of Caesars death. These traits can be seen as noble and worthy, but Brutus took them to such a degree that in the end, he created a tragedy. He may have achieved his goal of taking down Caesar, but he was not noble or worthy about it. Caesars death turned out to be a catastrophe to the people of Rome and ended up in a war leaving almost all the conspirators dead.

Influenced, shaped and killed by Love

“Honor, for his Valor; and death, for his ambition.” Page 130. Brutus is one of the main characters in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. This quote signifies the strength of Brutus’ beliefs. Brutus has a very passionate and undying love for Rome. He is motivated to keep Rome the beautiful city he believes it is and he is not willing to let Caesar destroy it. Brutus is a patriotic, honorable man who believes that Caesar is going to ruin his beloved city of Rome. Brutus conspires against Caesar because he is convinced it is the honorable thing to do for his city.

As the novel progresses, we see that one of Brutus’ main motivators for his actions is honor. Brutus is motivated to protect Rome from the rumors he hears of Caesars ambition getting in the way of the Roman democracy, and Caesar wanting to become king. Believing that he is doing the ethical by the people of Rome and Rome itself, Brutus conspires against Caesar, and plans to take him down before Caesar can take down Rome. “Lets kill him boldly, but not wrathfully; lets carve him as a dish fit for the gods, not hew him as a carcass fit for hounds.” Page 74. In this quote, Brutus is in a meeting with the conspirators and is trying to convince them that, because they are doing the honorable thing by Rome and it’s people, they should do the honorable thing by Caesar as well. In his speech Brutus shows that he believes they are doing the right thing by Rome and are preventing -along with healing- the city from destruction. To further prove that Brutus is motivated by honor, he goes on to say, “Believe me, for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor, to that you may believe.” Page 128. In this quote, Brutus and the conspirators have slain Caesar, and are explaining to the people of Rome, their reasons for the murder of Caesar. This quote means that Brutus is trying to explain to the people, that they have to have faith in his honor, because he did it for honor. In his speech, Brutus truly stresses honor over and over to drive home his main motivation.

Along with honor, Brutus’ patriotism took a big part in his motivation for killing Caesar. Brutus’ deep and passionate love for Rome wouldn’t let anything come in the way of that. It is clearly proven that Brutus is motivated by patriotism when he says, “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.” Page 128. This quote is also from Brutus’ speech when he is explaining to the commoners why he killed Caesar. This quote shows that Brutus’ patriotism and love for Rome, over-rode his love for Caesar and that this lead to Caesars death. Brutus’ patriotism is further acknowledged when he says whilst confessing to the people of Rome, “As I slew my best lover for the good of Rome.” Page 130. Another justification of Brutus’ patriotism is when at the end of the murder; Brutus tells the conspirators to bath their hands in Caesars blood and walk around Rome showing the people that they have done the righteous thing by their city. The author exaggerates Brutus’ patriotism to such a degree that he is willing to murder one of his best friends for his city’s protection.

In conclusion Brutus’ actions were heavily shaped by his motivation. Honor and Patriotism created the outcome of Caesars death. These traits can be seen as noble and worthy, but Brutus took them to such a degree that in the end, he created a tragedy. He may have achieved his goal of taking down Caesar, but he was not noble or worthy about it. Caesars death turned out to be a catastrophe to the people of Rome and ended up in a war leaving almost all the conspirators dead.

Collage reflection.

-Think Creatively! Identify and discuss some of the creative elements of your collage.
-> In my collage, I thought creativley with the layout and the design of my work. For my 6 word memoir I used string to outline and I used different colours, sizes and different fonts. For the theme in my collage, I think that I had a creative design because I had the bottom of the collage being the worst, and the top of the collage as the best of the 'lost boys' plight. I think this was creative, because as another element I had every bit of the 6 word memoir outlining the different sections of their journey.

-Reason Critically! How did you use the images and text that you selected to highlight your understanding of the Lost Boy’s situation?
-> I used my images to suit the theme of my collage, and the sections of the 'lost boys' journey. For instance, at the top of the collage, I have the part of my 6 word memoir 'hope rising' and I chose pictures of the 'lost boys' in America to represent their new life and how it got better.

-Communicate Effectively! Explain how your collage creates awareness for the Lost Boys’ plight.
->In my collage, I think I communicated by showing the stages of the boys stepped migration along with some of the things they went through by putting in my 6 word memoir and through the theme I created.


-Live Ethically! Explain how you think your collage demonstrated empathy and might evoke an emotional response from your viewers and/or incite them to act.
->In my collage, I put an organization for helping the lost boys to rebuild Sudan. I think that the pictures I put on evoke empathy because there are alot of sad pictures that truley demonstrate the despair and the trauma that they went through. I also think that the writing I put in may envoke people to act for the organization that I added.

Peter - One of Sudans "lost boys"

"It was terrible. People shouting, screaming: 'Run, swim, go, go!' Where was my friend? He was taken by the river. Nobody was anybody's friend. How can you be a friend when people are shooting at you and the river is going whoosh — and you have to go in that river? The bang, bang and the whoosh, whoosh made my mind go dead and I don't remember who was there, who dies, what happened." http://www.pbs.org/pov/lostboysofsudan/photo_gallery_photogallery.php?photo=3#gallery-top

When Peter's home village in Sudan raged with war threataning the lives of not only himself, but his family and his loved ones aswell, he had no other option but to escape. Along with 20,000 other Sudanese boys (known as the lost boys) Peter wound up in a refugee camp in Kenya.

Spending 9 years of his life there, Peter and some other boys got the chance to go to America to make a living, get an education, and help their family back in Kenya. Peter thought he was going to be on heavan on earth, have all the opurtunities he never thought he would have, he thought he was going to live the dream. When he got to America, he realised there is no Heavan on earth.

Trying to get settled in America was hard for Peter. People looked at him differently, and he wasn't used to it. He noticed that men couldn't touch other men in America or they would be called homo-sexuals. In Kenya, and in the dinka culture, it was normal for the men to show affection towards one another, so for peter to adjust was difficult. Trying to adjust, Peter wore different clothes to fit in with the "black americans", he ate all of the fast food and he didn't show affection to his friends in public. Peter was strugling with money also, he got paid minimum weige, and some of the other people wouldn't pay their rent, and Peter found himself having to pay for them. Driving was something that Peter was never taught in his refugee camp, and when he had to take a driving test and failed he was very dissapointed.

A few months into his stay at Houston, Peter called a friend in Kansas and talked to him about what life was like for him, because he was struggling in Houston. His friend in Kansas really liked it there, and invited Peter to come and stay. Peter decided to go, leaving his heart-broken best friend Santiago behind. Once he got in Kansas, Peter got a birth cetificat and enrolled in one of the high schools. Being very different to the people at school and in his neighbourhood, Peter tried to join in by trying out for the basketball team, and attending religious gatherings he didn't follow.

Life in general was hard for Peter, being in a different land, trying to make it in a different society. Even though he did the best he could, he was always missing his friends and family back home, always had people staring at him, and always being different.

Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 72-107

Saskia and I are doing this part of the script because it is a very important time for Caesar. It shows a lot of characterization in Caesar's private and public self and it is the time where he decides to go to the Capitol rather than staying home on the Ides of March after Culpurnia's dream. This is a very important change because his decision here leads to his own death. In this scene, Caesar has decided to stay home rather than going to the Capitol to be crowned king because his beloved wife Culpurnia has a horrid dream of Caesar's death and begged him to stay home, however Decius flattered Caesar into believing the dream was nothing of the sort. Caesar was easily flattered, and he thought Culpurnia was being ridiculous and he made the decision that ended his life. I will be playing the role of Decuis, with Saskia playing Caesar.

William Cowper’s slavery poem

Still in thought as free as ever,
What are England's rights, I ask,
Me from my delights to sever,
Me to torture, me to task?
Fleecy locks and black complexion
Cannot forfeit nature's claim;
Skins may differ, but affection
Dwells in white and black the same.

“What ideas and themes transcend time and culture?”The ideas and themes transcend time and culture in this poem, are the way black people are treated and what people think of them. This poem was about the times of slavery when black people were taken from their homes and sold to other people and were treated very poorly. It has changed, in the fact that, people have their own rights, no matter what complexion they have. There is no more slavery in out time, and people are treated fairly.

Lead to Love.

Lead to Love

Love entwines his heart,
Shredding all the bitterness
After only one look in her eyes.

In Paul Coelho’s The Alchemist Santiago is lead to love. That is the theme I am portraying here. Santiago’s destiny leads him to Egypt, where he believes his treasure is, but finds out that his treasure is where he started. Santiago never says that it was a waste of time, or that he shouldn't have left. He never says this because he knows that if he didn’t embarked on his journey; he wouldn’t have met Fatima. Everything in life happens for a reason, and Fatima was Santiago’s reason for travelling further than he would have imagined

Where the cirle connects

Where the Circle Connects.


“‘Thank you’, the boy said, ‘You have taught me to speak the Language of the World’.” (Coelho 146)This quote shows that throughout the Alchemist, Santiago develops in many ways. He is taught lessons by the best teachers, and his result is that he gets led to his destiny and learns to speak the language of the world. Santiago dreams of traveling. He leaves his hometown in Andalusia to become a shepherd because for him, it is the only way to travel. Santiago ends up embarking on a journey to the Egyptian Pyramids where he learns to speak the Language of the World, recognize Omens, and became a part of the Soul of the World. Santiago uses his intelligence, bravery and honesty to overcome the obstacles that he encounters on his journey, thus leading him to his destiny.


Throughout his journey, Santiago uses his intelligence to become aware and to figure out, where, and who he is. At the start, Santiago is torn between two worlds, being a shepherd, which allowed him to travel, or going to a strange, foreign country to go on a journey that he never planned on embarking on, to find treasure. Along the way, Santiago meets Melchizidek -the king of Salem- who is a very strong character who encourages Santiago to the best of his ability, and Santiago decides he is right, and thus the journey began! Melchizidek’s strong words have Santiago selling his sheep and on a boat to Egypt, where he works for a crystal merchant, that just like Melchizidek, helps Santiago go further into finding his destiny. The crystal merchant tells Santiago about his dreams of going to Mecca, but if he goes, he is worried there will not be anything to live for anymore. He encourages Santiago, because he tells him, he doesn’t want to have Santiago end up like himself! Santiago crosses the vast, scorching desert, where he stops at the Oasis. “There was a time for when, for me, a camels whinnying was nothing more than a camels whinnying. Then it became a signal of danger. And finally, it became just a whinny again.” (131) This quote shows how Santiago’s senses are developing to what is around him. Santiago uses his intelligence to figure out, and know what is happening around him. He almost seems as if he is adjusting to his surroundings, and adapting to know what is just a whinny, and what is a sign of danger is. This intelligence leads him to warning the guards of the Oasis, telling nothing but the truth, and saving many lives, bringing him closer to his destiny.


Santiago is truthful and his honesty is a virtue well appreciated on his journey, to himself and to the alchemist because when the truth is told, nothing is holding them back. “ ‘An army is coming’ said the boy, ‘I had a vision’.” In this part of the novel, Santiago sees two birds fighting and he portrays it as an army coming. Santiago didn’t know if there would be consequences if he were to tell the chieftains, but he knew if he didn’t tell the chieftains peoples lives would be lost. This shows he is truthful because, even when Santiago could have been made to look like a fool, or possibly punished - not knowing what might happen in the oasis- but Santiago was still willing to do the right thing and he tells the truth about the image he saw, because it is right by others in the oasis. In his decisions, Santiago always went straight a head, and was clear on what he had to do. He didn't ponder on the thought for a few days, or let things slip. When Santiago thought he new something that could help someone, he acted on it and was never dishonest. Santiago was told that if he was wrong, he would be prosecuted, yet he still stuck to his word. This shows that Santiago not only does what is best for the safety of others, but also shows courage in the process by not backing down, even though the guard warned Santiago about the consequences. "Allah created the armies, he also created the hawks. Allah taught me the language of the birds. Everything has been written by the same hand" (106) when Santiago says this, he is talking to a stranger holding a knife, yet he is being honest, and saying what he believes. Santiago isn't a dishonest character, he says what he thinks and he tells the truth. However, the honesty that Santiago brings to the table is not always enough. Santiago must be brave in order to come closer to his destiny.


Santiago’s journey is filled with dilemmas that he uses his bravery to triumph over. “Love is the Falcon's flight over your sands. Because for him, you are a green field, from which he always returns with game. He knows your rocks, your dunes, and your mountains, and you are generous to him.” (138) At this point of the novel, Santiago has to change himself into the wind, in order keep his life. This shows his bravery, because even though his life is at risk, there is no fright in his words. He doesn't run away from the danger, he stays and he does everything he can in his ability to learn how to turn himself into the wind, knowing it will be another step toward his destiny. Throughout his journey, Santiago shows bravery in many ways. At one point Santiago gets beaten by three men, when he crosses the wrong part of the desert. They take everything he has but Santiago shows no sign of weakness and learns from the experience, which leads him to his destiny. Santiago is a very unique character; he is honest, brave and intelligent and throughout his journey you can see him grow in all of these traits and become a part of the Soul of the World, and when his life is in danger, he uses what he has learnt. He can speak the Language of the Word to overcome whatever danger there is. Santiago's bravery helps him and gets him through what he needs to, to overcome the obstacles and achieve his destiny.

Your destiny is not something you can stop, but it is something you can help yourself to achieve. Santiago achieved his destiny and he grew in intelligence learning to speak the language of the world. He was brace and honest, putting his life in danger for others yet showed no sign of being afraid. He became a part of the Soul of the World. Santiago was a participant in his destiny because he was willing to learn, and he tried hard. Destiny is what you are meant to do, what is meant to happen with or in your life. Life is a cycle, when you emerge from the circle, the person you once were has wasted away.