Analysis of The Tell-Tale Heart

           Now this story is told from a first person perspective so we are limited to one person point of view. Not only that but the narrator seems to be trying to convince the readers that he or she is not crazy which ironically does make us believe that he or she is crazy. So these factors will make it difficult in find the truth behind the story.
           So it comes down to did he or did he not kill the old man? Was it all a hallucination of his disorganized mind or did the narrator truly rid the world of this evil eye? Perhaps it is a bit of both. The narrator probably did commit the actions he or she said yet tried to justify them with this story. In the narrators mind he or she truly believed that this mans eye was evil and must be removed. After committing the crime however the narrator believed to have heard the beating of the old mans heart. Now it is impossible for a dead and dismembered man's heart to continue to beat and nonetheless being loud enough for the narrator to here. There are many interpretations of what could of been the cause of this beating heart. Some say that it was the guilt secretly growing within the narrator of committing the murder that made him or her hear the beating heart. Others such as Henry Thoreau have said that it may have been nothing more than an insect that mimics the sound of a beating heart. The truth behind the beating heart will remain a mystery for we cannot entirely believe the narrator's side of the story.
           In conclusion the narrator did probably murder the old man but only because of a mental insecurity or disability. The narrator did believe that his or her actions were justified but in actuality were not. So the beating heart could of been a figment of the narrator's imagination and could of just been guilt.

Revelation (Rough Draft)

        A man set foot off the train and checked his surroundings. His name was Ryan Miller. He stood there up high on the platform and the train soon set off on its predetermined journey. From the platform he could see a large vacant construction site surrounded by a chain-link fence. The area was once a large factory of a sort but now only rubble and gravel remain to signify its previous existence. Cement blocks littered its floor amongst other collections of bottles, bags, and other items people tend to throw over the fence. From the platform he heads off down the stairs to get the sidewalk. As Ryan takes his usual route home he always gazes upon the construction site as he passes by it. The earlier rains have created large puddles scattered across the area. Many of which could be large enough to resemble a small pond. It was a strange site seeing such large collections of water amongst the wasteland that the construction area resembled.

   

          He walks with a blank stare across his face as if he has no regard for his surroundings. People pass by him and he just looks ahead without giving a single glance.  He reaches an intersection where he takes a left. Along the street is a large assortment of marts, shops, stores, and several other types of businesses. Ryan pays little attention to most of them however the grumble of his stomach caused him to reconsider so he enters one of the many marts. As he walks in he noticed the shelves upon shelves of food and produce. It was a small mart so there was little space to maneuver. Ryan looks around for a something to diminish his hunger when he noticed small kid near the end of the mart. The kid just seemed to walk around looking at all the snacks and foods that are stored on the shelves. Ryan didn't pay much attention to him when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. The kid had grabbed a pair a chocolate bars and stuffed them into his pocket. Ryan pretended not to notice and looked around to see if anyone else had but no one else did. Ryan walks up to kid and crouched down to talk to him.

"Hey there kid isn't the chocolate going to melt in your pockets?" whispered Ryan. The kid then stared at Ryan with widened eyes as he noticed that he had been discovered. "Hey don't worry about it I won't tell anyone but you can't leave the store with those candy bars in your pocket.”  Ryan then reaches into his back pocket and takes out two dollars. "Here, if you want a candy bar you got to make sure you pay for it first." Ryan says with a smirk.

         

"Wow thanks mister!" said the little kid and he reached for the two dollars in a heartbeat.

       

 "Whoa slow down there buddy" Ryan said as he moved the money out of the kids reach. "You got to promise me that you won't be stealing anymore candy bars or anything else for that matter alright?"

         

"Okay okay I promise! I won’t steal anymore."       

"Alright here now run along now it’s getting dark soon." said Ryan.

         

The kid then let out a wide smile and ran to go pay for his candy bar. Ryan just watches the kid as he rushes out of the store with a candy bar in hand. Ryan sighs and under his breath he says "He might come back tomorrow and be back at it again but who knows maybe he'll learn from this." Ryan then pays for a candy bar himself and walks outside the store. He nibbles away at his snack as he walks. The sun had become dawn and the afternoon winds created an unfriendly chill yet it doesn’t bother Ryan. He just walked on and whistled a merry tune.

Shadow On The Sun - AudioSlave | Interpretation

Once upon a time
I was of the mind
To lay your burden down
Leave you where you stood
You believed I could
You'd seen it done before
I could read your thoughts
And tell you what you saw
And never say a word
But now all that is gone
Over with and done
Never to return

And I can tell you why
people die alone
I can tell you I'm
A shadow on the sun

Staring at the loss
Looking for the cause
And never really sure
Nothing but a hole
To live without a soul
And nothing to be learned

And I can tell you why
People go insane
I can show you how
You could do the same
I can tell you why
The end will never come
I can tell you I'm
A shadow on the sun

Shapes of every size
Move behind my eyes
Doors inside my head
Bolted from within
Every drop of flame
Lights a candle in
Memory of the one
Who lived inside my skin

I can tell you why
People go insane
I can show you how
You could do the same
I can tell you why
The end will never come
I can tell you I'm
A shadow on the sun

Shadow on the sun
Shadow on the sun
Shadow on the sun
Shadow on the sun
Shadow on the sun
Shadow on the sun
Shadow on the sun
Shadow on the sun
Sun
Sun

        Now to begin my interpretation it will mostly be revolved around "Shadow On The Sun." Now what is a shadow? To many it is just something that the sun can't reach. Now lets revolve around that idea. A shadow is a darker portion of its true self. Some place that light can not reach or a lost world. Shadows are to some even considered evil. Now what about the sun? The giver of light that represents the opposite of a shadow. It represents purity or good. Knowing these interpretations I can more easily explain the meaning of this song. 

        I believe that this song is about someone who has lost their hope of the world. A pessimist or someone who is down on their luck. Possibly someone who is depressed. To support this assumption is the stanza that begins with "Staring at the loss." This stanza basically explains that the narrator is hollow shell of their formal self. They try to find a reason for all the wrong that has happened yet they continue to live a shallow life or "To live without a soul."

       Now sometimes the cause a depression may be that they are possibly haunted by their memories. To support this is the fifth stanza. I interpret this stanza as if the narrator looks upon the world with a blank stare finding it difficult to interpret the outside world. As if his mind refuses to understand the things that happen around him. Much like the stanza says " Doors inside my head, Bolted from within."  Now as the narrator looks upon the world there are some things that spark the memories that first plagued him "Every drop of flame, Lights a candle in memory of the one who lived inside my skin." From this I can say its not the memory of an event that plagues him but maybe the loss of someone he cared about.

       So in all I believe that this song is telling the story of the loss of a loved one and from that loss has caused them to question the world around them. Such as how could such bad things happen for no good reason. The narrator also says that he has become "The Shadow On The Sun" which means that he was once a good or happy person but now has become the shadow of his formal self. Therefore shadow of the sun or a shadow of his old self.

Life on the Reservation

                 Life is certainly less prosperous on the reservation. It isn't exactly horrible but it isn't great either. Much of the Reservation is in poverty.  By reading off of Montana 1948 it states "On the western edge of the county and extending into two other counties was the Fort Warren Indian Reservation, the rockiest, sandiest, least arable parcel of land in the region". The county itself isn't that great but they still got the worst part of it. The people of the reservation are still allowed to interact with the rest of society however are seen as lesser beings to many. They are also denied opportunities due to their heritage. Much like Young Bear in Montana 1948. He was very athletic and would make a great member to any sport team but however he is Indian so he is never offered a position of scholarship.
                Despite the fact that their culture is shunned and scorned by others many of them still stick with their traditional ways of life. Many of them take true pride in their heritage. Yet their culture is one reason why they don't assimilate so easily into modern society.
              The Indian people do not deserve this form of treatment. It was their land to begin with so we have no right in telling them that their ways of life are savage or wrong. Yet time should heal all wounds and life on the reservation has gotten better. The movie we are watching in class "Smoke Signals" shows that life on the reservation isn't that bad. Its seems quiet and calm and many seem to enjoy themselves with what they have. So life on the Reservation has its ups and downs.

Propaganda, Hidden Amongst us in Disguise?

            Does propaganda still exist you may ask? Yes it does but it hides in plain sight and remains invisible but to only the untrained eye. Now first off let us discover what propaganda is.


Propaganda:
• information that is spread for the purpose of promoting some cause.
Now where does this exist you may ask? Its actually all around us but it subliminal. Lets take McDonald's as an example. They take famous athletes or celebrities to star in their commercials to promote their food to the younger generation when we all know that the food is bad for you. 
             Now how about another example. Lets say terrorism? After 9/11 the word "Terrorism" has been tossed around quite often when we talk about the war in the middle east. At first many people would of not supported the invasion of Iraq but after 9/11 that changed drastically. Many people wanted to feel safe after 9/11 so when politics talk about "fighting terrorism" people don't really seem to understand the situation but would continue to support it to have this sense of security. Fear can be a essential tool to propaganda.
             A silly but not so different example of this would be episode 17, season 5 of Family Guy where Lois runs for mayor. In order to win the election she resorted to propaganda on terrorism. She started saying these idiotic things about terrorist plans and such so the people of the town said: "How much money do you need until we can feel safe again?" After that they blindly started throwing money in. So basically she was spreading information (that is not necessarily true) for the purpose of some cause. 
            Now there are countless more examples of propaganda but thats all for now. 

Free Response On Black Boy

                         Compared to todays society it seems hard to believe the stories in this book are true. Richard has experienced so much in his childhood that not of us could compare. Nowadays I hardly believe any of us have been beaten to near death circumstances by our parents (at least I hope not). I don't understand why family would do that to one and another. I get the idea of punishment but this seems like they just want to hurt him. I couldn't stand the idea of me hurting any of my family members to such a circumstance. Yet Richard lived in a violent time where strict rules would seem just. I don't however agree with it.
                        The thing that I find really annoying though that at any time Richard gets in trouble he hardly understands why. More like beat now and answer questions later. We must remember that Richard was really young during these events. He hardly understands why he does the actions he does. Sadly whenever he gets into trouble its always one sided. He can never get any support and he would always be branded as the wrong one. So I was glad to see when he stood up for himself against his aunt for wrongly accusing him of making a mess. He now understands that he has to be strong and aggressive to survive in this world of his.
                        So far the book has been great. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Hungry for Attention (Is young Richard alone in his cravings? )

                 Richard seems to be always looking for attention. . He didn't like the feeling of being ignored. Yet isn't it just natural that children crave the attention of adults? Don't you ever have that one child that walks up to you and wants to show you how well they can count for over an hour? Richard is not alone for he is not much different from many other children.
                  Despite the fact that Richard set his house on fire and killed a kitten for attention he isn't much different then any other child. In our reading you can see that Richard loves playing 20 questions. He constantly asks his mom what does this or what does that mean to the point where he becomes a nuisance. I myself have had a little brother that loved to play that game. The fun was one sided. Richard just wants a little attention. With his father gone and his mom constantly at work he just needs someone to show him a sense of purpose. Sense his mother is always at work she most likely ignores him while shes busy. He wants his presence to be seen and not go unnoticed. Even I as a child would just walk up to my mom and constantly call out her name until she finally responded. This was very annoying to her but it does end up getting her attention.
                So Richard isn't alone. He's just like every other child seeking the attention of their parents. Children are kind of like sponges. They'll keep with them anything you say and they are always anxious to hear more.

Response to "On being a Mexican American"

               I have a lot in common with the author. Not only am I Mexican American but my last name is Mendoza like his :). Well besides the obvious I had similar experiences growing up. I, like the author, was born in the U.S but born a Mexican. 
             My childhood experience was very similar to the authors. As a child I didn't see the differences of me and other people. I was always around my family and I always thought everyone else must be like us. The way I spoke is the way I thought most people spoke. At that point I thought being Mexican was no different from being American. It was not until school when I began to realize we are not all so alike. 
            According to the article and my own experiences, school is one of the first places you begin to notice being different. You see that not all the kids around you look like you, some children begin to tease you for being different, the things around you begin to unfold. In many cases you begin to become the thing your not.
           My father is very proud of his heritage and he strongly believes in maintaining it. My little brother and father would sometimes get into little quarrels where my brother says "I'm not Mexican dad I'm American" and my dad would just lecture him on how wrong he is and how he should be proud of being Mexican. So my little brother was being "Anglocized" as the author would put it.
       Knowing how much my dad does to maintain our heritage comes the question from the author "DO WE Mexicans ever totally integrate?". In my opinion I will never truly be "Anglocized". Despite how much I have changed to better fit this new society I will never forget my culture. I am proud to be Mexican but also an American. That is why I am Mexican-American.

King Still King?

         Martin Luther King Jr. was a great man then but what about now? As we all know he was a man who fought for his people. No, for all people, to live amongst each other in peace and harmony. Not to be distinguished by the color of their skin but by the actions they have committed. MLK fought with the belief in his mind : All men are created equal.
         From the very day he began fighting for civil rights to the day of his death, his actions will forever echo in eternity. His actions will be passed down from years to come serving as a great example of human accomplishment. To this day his words live on to inspire future generations to fight for what they think is right. Such as Cesar Chavez, a civil rights inspired by MLK's words, to fight for his rights. So MLK's voice has not faltered over the years. Do we not study the past to improve the future?
         Not only has he inspired the future but improved it as well. To this day we can see examples of his success by simple going to school. Our school is so ethnically diverse and we could thank MLK for that. He allowed us to all be under one roof where no one is inferior then the other. Instead we can see each others as equals.
        So King is still King. He shall remain a role hero to many and a role model to all. His words and actions will never go unnoticed and will forever be a part of our lives.

"The Sacred Soil" by Chief Seattle Response

             After reading this I feel a sense of respect for the author. He doesn't try to refuse that fact that his people will be gone soon. He accepts it. Yet he doesn't say it as a bad thing. More of an eventuality. He explains how all people in time will fade away in time so instead of blaming the white men of his peoples leavings he sees it as nature taking its course. The author stated "Tribe follow tribe, and nation follows nation, like the waves of the sea. It is the order of nature, and regret is useless."
             Yet he does feel some remorse over their land becoming desecrated. However his people will truly never be gone after they have left the land. Much like the author has said "There is no death, only change of worlds." So there "spirits" remain to roam the land they once inhabited. So despite the fact that the white men have cleared the land of their people, the white men will never be "alone."
            It is really sad though how the author and his people never really had a choice to go to the reservations or not. His people are few but the white men are many. So the author states "The white Chief says that Big Chief at Washington sends up greetings of friendship and goodwill. That is kind of him for we know he has little need of our friendship in return." So it was not much of an option.
            I wonder if "the white men" ever thought of the possibility of not taking the land that didn't belong to them. The author's people have been theres for hundreds of years so whats gives these foreign people the right to commandeer it? So none the less this story was a good read.
                          

ZOMG Robotz Are Taking Ovar Teh Worldz! Oh Never Mind its Just Daft Punk (Music Review)

          Look at the music you listen to, now back to mine. Now back at your music, now back to mine. Sadly it isn’t mine, but if you listen to Daft Punk it could sound like mine. Look down, back up, where are you? You’re searching through their album, listening to the music  your music couldn't sound like. What did you hear? Back at mine, it’s an album playing something you want to hear. Look again the album is now diamonds. Anything is possible when you listen to something new.
         
          See them two robots robots over there? -->

Their actually two French musicians called Daft Punk who happen to be an electronic music duo. And yes they do go everywhere wearing those helmets (They like light up and everything but are $65,000 a piece, ouch). Now back to the music. 

        

    Now if your into lets say techno or electronica,then your right at home. If not then bear with me or they'll find you(look they even have a map out). Just kidding (or am I?). Now does music need lyrics in order to be music? No because many of Daft Punk's songs don't really have any lyrics. You just sit their and enjoy their musical creations. Did you know that Daft Punk had created a animated movie based entirely on their Discovery Album? There is literally no dialogue. Its all music thats been perfectly blended into a story.  If you wanna get the most out the album then I recommend  watching the film ( heres the link, Full Length Movie( Don't Worry its just Google Video))

         
         I do however find some of the songs to be a bit repetitive at times. Like as if some parts drag on longer then necessary. A good way to cope with this is to treat it like background music. These songs are good to have in the background or listen to while your busy. You can listen to it while walking, on the train, doing work, or just waiting to pass the time. Sooner or later you won't notice the small details in the song and you might even notice that you were moving to the rhythm of the music.
      
        One of the main reason I find Daft Punk's  music so amusing is that its unique. Compared to todays music theres nothing that stands out above the rest. Daft Punk though seems to keep a variety from one song to another.

         Yet its not up to me to say whether or not their music is "good". I think its great but thats my opinion. So you have to listen yourself so you can find out yourself. You've might of already heard of them before. They were featured in Kayne West's song "Stronger" and even provided the sound track for the upcoming film "Tron Legacy" ( You could notice them in a few scenes). So give a try won't ya? ;) wink. Also a fun song try try to sing along to is Technologic :P

Jay & Nick

                  Jay & Nick are our two main character in The Great Gatsby. Though they are neighbors they seem to live two completely different lifestyles. Jay lives a life of luxury due to his vast amount of wealth while Nick is more of a loner who only goes to where he is wanted. Yet despite that fact I actually find them to be quite similar. They both seem to try to stay out of trouble if you may have noticed. Nick is always feeling like he has to apologize for his every action while Jay sees to throw money at his problems to fix them. They are also very unsocial. Jay may throw these huge parties but he doesn't really get to know anyone. Same goes for Nick who just seem to be there.
                 Now not until recently in the story have the two gotten  to know each other. Yet I feel that Jay is really using Nick to get to Daisy. Yet he tries desperately not to show it. Much like how in Chapter five where he asks Nick to invite Daisy. He clearly want Nick to do it but tries to hide it by saying " I don't want to put you to any trouble". Yet besides Jay's purpose in befriending Nick for Daisy they don't seem to be like a bad match. I haven't read enough to see if they become true friends or not but it seems like a start. They both seem like kind gentlemen and would gladly enjoy helping each other.
              

~~Winter Poem~~

Although the cold of the winter stings,

Be aware of the arrival of other things.

Children like up with glee,

As they start their letters with" Santa, this is what I would like from thee".

This is a time of Harmony & peace,

Where families gather in their warm sweaters of fleece.

Some get up and do their holiday jig,

While others indulge themselves like little pigs.

Some say its all about the presents,

Which I find very pleasant.

Yet spending time with the people we love is precious,

Which affects a person's mind deep within their conscious.

As the children gather around the Christmas tree,

They can only  imagine what they will see.

Go find that Christmas sweater that lies dormant in your attic,

But be careful because I've heard that they can cause static.

So goodbye and goodnight,

Maybe you'll here the arrival of Santa's sled tonight...

Thankful for a Classmate

                        Thanks Giving has come and gone yet as it passed it reminded us to be thankful. Not only to be thankful for the food(which I say was quite delicious) but to the people around us.  Yet must we be truly thankful for only one person? I can't decide for who to be thankful for. I am equally thankful for the class as I would be for each person. I'm not saying it to just be cheesy but it's true.
                        We all know that we would probably be most thankful for those we sit next too but what about the people across the room? They could be just as great as the people on our side without us knowing. So I am thankful for the class as a whole. If i can't choose one then why not all of the above? Also by the whole class that includes Mr. McCarthy too. So enjoy the holidays!

Am I a Plow?

        Lets start of by defining what a plow is.
               
             -The plough (American spelling: plow; both ) is a tool used in farming for initial  
              cultivation of soil in preparation for sowing seed or planting. It has been a basic 
              instrument for most of recorded history, and represents one of the major 
              advances in agriculture. ...


        It seems to me that I can very much relate to a plow(though not physically). I may not plant seeds wherever I pass but I do plant something. To every person I meet, no matter how brief the moment, I always leave behind a memory. In time that memory may eventually fade but in some cases that memory will grow and be forever permanent in a persons mind. It may be a good memory or a bad one, nonetheless my encounters with any person I meet will leave a memory.
       
         I'm pretty sure I myself am not a major advance in agriculture yet I am a major advance from previous generations. I'm not trying to brag but its true. Compared to previous generations I have been pretty successful. Not just me but almost everyone. Today many people have had a superb education if you compare it to education 20 years ago.
          
         Saying that we could be considered as instruments. Every actions we do has some effect for the future. Whether it be large or small but we always leave something behind for the future. Some say the the purpose for the present is to improve our future. A bit ironic ain't it? Much like how a plow cultivates the land to prepare for the seeds that will be planted in the near future. So a plow and I have some things in common.
           
         

A Direction the Class Needs( Maybe that way ---> or that way <-----)

                 Our class start 2nd period meaning for many of us, the start of the day. Yet I don't seem to mind. American Lit is a great way to start up the day. When we start up with our journals it allows us to slowly but surely get our minds into gear. It's like breakfast for our minds because it stimulates our minds. Plus there no big rush in the class. When we arrive everything is mellow and calm with music in the background as an added benefit. Also I find the weekend stories enjoyable.
                Then we get into our class disscussion. I love that everyone has the oppurtunity to speak there mind. Few agreements and disagreements but it adds to the conversation. You get everyones opinion and not just the teachers. I also enjoy how our teacher adds humor into the discussion which gives everyone a chuckle here and there.
                I personally find the class fine as it is. I don't really see any need for improvement. It's a great way to start the morning and it's enjoyable too. So keep up the great work!
               

I Sentence You to 26 Hours of Work, 9 Days a Week! No Overtime...

                        Does slavery truly exist nowadays or is it in terms in which we cannot see?
Definitions of slavery on the Web:

• bondage: the state of being under the control of another person
• the practice of owning slaves
• work done under harsh conditions for little or no pay

            Now lets see this definition "bondage: the state of being under the control of another person". We can still see this today but instead of just one person, it is several. Many U.S citizens are in dept through credit cards, tuition, bills, payments, and much more. So what do they do? They work days and night trying to pay off such depts and hardly make enough profit to sustain themselves. There is no choice of whether or not to pay those dept, they have to.
           If they decide not to pay , they'll lose everything they have including personal possessions. The credit card companies don't care whether you only get 4 hours of sleep or if you become homeless, they only care if you pay them what you owe. So these companies or dept collecters don't directly have slaves but in a sense they do. They have people working throughout their lives to make money for them, whether or not the person working for them is making a living or not.
          So is slavery truly gone or it has just taken a new form?


(Continued)


     I am aware that there is "real" slavery in the world but i'm really focusing on a version of slavery that is considered to be overlooked. It may not be life threatening but certainly could be devastating. Also you don't have to use credit cards but some people have no choice but to. Either use a credit card now so your family has something to eat or cut into what little savings they have. Yet there comes the question of "why borrow money you're not sure you can pay back?". Easier said then done. Doesn't the United States alone owe trillions of dollars to other countries which it hasn't paid back? 

Puritan Society Vs American Society ( Siblings or Distant relatives?)

                Nowadays Americans see puritans as a harsh, aggressive, strict, and overly dramitic people. They feared anything that would change the ideas of their society and had a strong sense of holy justice. Those who are considered to be witches or those who disagree with their way of life are executed or brutily punished. When we see that from an American stand point it seems completely barbarish. Yet is it really succh outlandish behavior?
                To this day Puritanism has played some role socially, politically, and culturally in our society. Their ideas have only been shifted or modified to go along with modern society. Such as the sense of justice and fair trial. Usually if someone was convicted of a crime or witchcraft, they are subject to a trial where they can try to prove their innocence. That is now also available in todays American society but modified to remove the witchcraft portion of it.
               Puritan society may also appear to be grusome yet it worked. People behaved and society went on with little crime or destruction. This slightly shifted into American society since is not really the wrath of god the people fear but fear of breaking the laws in America. So instead of using gods wrath and  testaments to be the peoples rule, America has created laws similer to those testiments or of based of the testaments to create their laws. Whether people know it or not but American laws have some slighly connection to religion. Such as people who believe that stealing is wrong because of their religion so it becomes an international law.
             
(continued)

             I do agree with that the legal system has their flaws and is taken advantage of. Yet its not exactly the Puritans fault. Puritans have left behind a legal system that I say was beneficial. Yet its flaws can't be entirely their fault. Over the years people should have added reforms to the system. The Puritans basically left behind the frame and over the years society should of built upon it. So the legal system of our country do have some flaws yet I don't feel that they are entirely outrageous.

            

The Moment i Knew I was An American

                    American is such a vague term. There is no single explanation on what an American is. Ask any two people on what an American is and you'll get two different responses. Yet the moment I knew I was an American was the day I was born in Chicago. Just living in the United States and becoming one with  community I knew I was an American. The moment I went to school with everyone else I knew I was an American. The first time i said the pledge of Allegiance, I knew I was an American.
                   To me being an American doesn't come down to silly papers and identification. To be an American you must of assimilated into society where you accept all others and others accept you. I knew I was an American when the people around me saw me as a person. I know I'm an American when i'm not known as a foreigner but as an equal. When people in America see me as Luis and nothing else, I know i'm an American.
                   So I've always been an American. I know because I was born and raised here. Raised among every other culture that lives within the U.S and I didn't see them as Asian, African, or Middle Eastern. I saw them as Americans because we are all part of the society in America. Sure people may separate you from others but they can't say your not an American. So any really can become an American, it just takes longer for them to realize it themselves.

Us vs. Them... Us and Them

                   Which side would truly win in " Us vs Them". They have the law on there side, but we do whats best for the people. So is doing the right thing over following the rules truly the right decision? This situation come up several times across the Crucible. Mary can't decide to be with them (Abby & the girls) or us(Proctor & the innocent). She could either follow authority but it may result in the loss of innocent lives. She could always do whats right and testify against Abby and save the people but it may fail and she may lose her life. So kill lives and live with it on your conscience or save lives and die trying. In my opinion it might seem better that you died trying to help others by doing the right thing compared to living a lie that will follow you forever. Decisions, decisions....
                  This event exists beyond the Crucible in everyday life. Many times at school itself. Such as peer pressure. Would you be with them (Do everything that "cool" people do) or with us ( Do what you feel is right and let no one decide for you) or vise versa. There is always a decision between that group or this group in life and sometimes it seems impossible to decide. Yet sometime neither group is correct. It really depends on the person that decides.
                 Yet honestly can't Them and Us just get along at time? Just arguments and arguments trying to dispute which group is right. For once can't both actually look into what the other has to say before shunning their opinion? Can Us vs Them = together? People should just get along. Yet it is a natural reaction to feel that your beliefs are considered true compared to others. Yet people have to be open minded in order to get along with others. A positive and  a negative may be opposites but remember that they attract.