The Road: Point of View of the father and son (pgs 161-175)

Event: When the father and the son encountered an old man "Ely", on the road. The son wanted to give the old man something to eat and wanted to comfort him  however the father didn't want the old man to come with them.

The boy gave the old man a fruit cocktail tin

The Son:

 The old man looked terribly frail, filthy and in very poor shape. He could barely walk and he looked like he was starving from his weak physique. I felt really bad for him, he had nothing whereas Papa and I, had each other. We also had a whole collection of canned foods, it would have been great if  Papa allowed me to give the old man more than just that one tin of fruit cocktail.

 I really wanted to help him more than I did. We are the good guys after all, and so its our responsibility to help. I don't understand why Papa didn't help the old man, sometimes I tend to question myself; are we even the good guys? It was brilliant how fast the old man ate all the fruit from the tin and drank all the juice that was in it, in mere seconds.I really wanted to keep him, I knew that I would take good care of him and make his face glow and look bright like when he got the fruit cocktail tin. However Papa refused but we luckily managed to compromise by having dinner with the old man and by giving him a few vegetable and fruit cans in the morning before we departed in our separate ways.

The road is a dangerous place and no one can be trusted

The Father:

The road is a dangerous place and no one can be trusted. My son has the innocence of a young child and a heart full of warmth always on the go, consistently wanting to help people in need. He does not realize that we, ourselves are struggling to eat and so it is quite difficult to help someone else. Trusting someone is a risk out here. Anyone can easily go against you for survival that's why you can't characterize who is good or who is bad.



No one should be trusted even someone like the old man who might look frail on the outside but could be devious and cunning from the inside. That is why I sternly refused my son from keeping the old man. I want to teach my son the difference between thinking and feeling. He needs to think smart and not get caught up in emotions. That is what will keep us safe around here and if I do not survive, at least my son will know how to survive on his own.

Inquiry Project

In Cormac McCarthy's The Road  a father and son are roaming alone through burned America.  This  post-apocalyptic novel, displays a future where no hope remains. Nonetheless this father and son duo triumph through their love and support. In this novel, the character's identities are progressing and changing due to the horrific surroundings they are in.

This is Cormac McCarthy's novel The Road

A link to the novel on Google books: 

http://books.google.ca/books?id=hoTU7NliHCwC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

A video link to the trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94KcI0gLq1A

This is why I have chosen to revolve my inquiry question around identity. I am interested in identity because it is never constant and due to various factors, is always changing. I also really enjoy travel and all the perks that come with it like learning new languages, experiencing several unique cultures, understanding different types of cultural beliefs, tasting unfamiliar cuisines, and meeting people with contrasting backgrounds. My inquiry question is:

 

       " How does the affect of travel and new cultures shape one's identity?"

Personality Profile

1) Multiple Intelligence Quiz: http://literacynet.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html

My top three multiple intelligence ranked from logic/ math being the highest at 3.71, then being spatial at 3.43 and being intrapersonal at 3.14.

 These results do make sense since I really enjoy solving problems in math which makes me a problem solver. I am spatial because I am a visual learner and learn from sources such as the internet, watching videos, diagrams, etc. I use my intrapersonal intelligence by self reflecting and thinking about the choices I shoould make.

2)Jung & Meyers Briggs Personality Quiz: http://humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp

In this quiz, I resulted in having a strong preference of introversion, a moderate preference of intuition over sensing, a moderate preference of feeling over thinking , and a slight preference of perceiving over judging.

This is quite accurate since I am not always the loud one in public surroundings. When I need to do something and I am unsure, I usually go with my gut feeling. I am also emotional therefore I like to give a preference to feeling over thinking. When meeting with new people for instance, I like to understand them before making any conclusions about them.

3) Visual Personality Quiz: http://personality.visualdna.com/?c=us#quiz

My result was that I am a harmonizer who puts others needs before myself. It also stated that I am  a reflective and a more reserved individual who likes to be structured through clear rules.

I think the word harmonizer, is a perfect word to describe my personality. I really do like to see everyone happy and not only myself. For instance, if one of my friends is struggling with something, I do my best to help them.

This displays my personality since I am always there
to help my friends or family when they need it.

Getting To Know You

     The chill in the air sent shivers down my spine. It was a cold but glistening snowy day in the middle of December. I was in  grade three and recess seemed to be too short, to do all the things I wanted. There were so many possibilities; creating snow angels, making snowmen, sledding on the big hill, making snow forts, and even  secretly having a snowball fight without any of the teachers knowing. I spend most of my time admiring the bright, white snow and having a last few laughs with my friends. I saw my mom coming out of her vintage, emerald green car to pick me up early, from school. I said my final goodbyes to my friends and headed off in the direction where my mom was standing. I couldn't believe that from today onwards, I would be at a different school. Moving was something, that I was completely unaware of. I already had my ideal friends and perfect school. I didn't want to leave.As my mom and I left the school grounds, I was in a state where tears were flooding down my rosy red cheeks. Even though I tried to hide them, from my peers. Being away from my friends and being at a new school was unbearable for me. This new change seemed like an absolute catastrophe!

      High school has made me experience numerous changes and transitions. Having different teachers and students in my classes has made me comfortable with change. I've learned a lot from people that I thought I would never meet. I am also able to easily accept people for who they are. Hearing everyone's stories and experiences has given me a broadened prospective on life. I don't necessarily enjoy change all the time however it is an important aspect in my life that has taught me a lot. At school, I am a part of the Community Volunteer Club and the Global Issues Club. I really love volunteering and through that I make many new friends. Moving to a new school, has given me a variety of assorted skills that I incorporate in my daily life. I am easily able to fit in with others, start a conversation, and just be friendly! I am very grateful for all of the changes in my life because without them, I wouldn't be the person who I am, today.

After I graduate, My goal is to be successful
and to be ready for the adult world.

         By the end of the school year near graduation, I hope to be a determined young adult ready for post secondary. My goal is to develop countless skills that will prepare me for the adult world. Like everyone else, I also wish to be successful. I want to accomplish my goals by working hard, staying focused, and by keeping an open mind to new things. Another dream of mine besides going to post secondary is travelling the world. I would love to meet new people and encounter their peculiar cultures! I have learned to embrace change rather than hide from it. As I grow older, I hope to continue to embrace change and keep learning from it.

About Me

I am a dedicated and hard working student who not only loves to learn but also enjoys helping or teaching my peers. My hobbies include playing sports like basketball or badminton, listening to music, reflecting on my life, and my favourite, volunteering! I really love to volunteer all over the city regarding various events like youth programs, children's day camps, Canada day and more! I love making new friends and learning about their backgrounds. I love to travel and experience new cultures. If I had one wish, that would be to travel to as many countries as possible. I feel that travelling is a medium where learning never stops because there are so many interesting things for us to learn from all parts of the world.When I find the "perfect" book to read, reading is all I will do! My favourite book is an intriguing, modern dystopian novel called The Hunger Games. My favourite genres of movies and books are mystery. romance, adventure and comedy. I just like anything that keeps me continually engaged and doesn't bore me halfway through.  In school, my favourite subjects are Math because I enjoy problem solving and English since there is so much freedom of what one can do or write about. My favourite aspect of English is creative writing since the detailed descriptions help one to imagine those characters and places making them come to life, in ones mind. Three learning goals, I have for English 12 are increasing my vocabulary, being able to engage the reader throughout my text and working faster a story or essay doesn't take so long.

My goals are to improve my vocab, make the reader engaged in my writing and to work faster/efficiently.