New Directions by Maya Angelou

Task 1

What made life so hard for Mrs. Annie Johnson in 1903?
- She couldn’t read and add simple numbers and she was also very dissatisfied with the marriage. Her husband left her with the house and the boys but no money.

How did her husband react when she told him that she was unhappy in their marriage?
- He found the marriage to be less than expected, and was hoping to leave to marry a younger woman and study religion.

What did Annie mean when she said: “I looked up the road I was going and back the way I come, and since I wasn’t satisfied, I decided to step off the road and cut me a new path”?
- She wasn’t satisfied with the life that she had, so she decided to change her life to the better, make her own and not everyone else’s.

How did she prepare for her new job?
- She worked into the early hours boiling chicken and frying ham. She made dough and filled the rolled-out pastry with meat. And then she went to sleep.

What did she do to succeed?
- She made the workers depend on her, so they could come to her instead of her coming to them every day. And that saved her from a lot of work.

Task 2

How does Annie fit into the American Dream?
- Because she managed to succeed according to ability and achievement.

In what ways do you think a person’s definition of the American Dream is affected by their ethnic background?
- I think that it is important to bring a little of your past life like religion and such into the American way of life, so that you bring your ethnic background with you.

Do you think the American Dream is attainable for everybody?
- No, I don’t think so. It is not attainable for people who are not on the run. They can come in to America as refugees/fugitives if they’ll be killed if they go back. It’s not as simple as going to America and start a life there. You have to be in contact with the government and they have to approve your application and that is a long process.

Which groups of people have had trouble attaining “The American Dream”?
- I believe the black people have had trouble attaining The American Dream and might still have trouble. There’s a lot of racism in America and the fact that they were slaves for the American people for several years hasn’t made it any easier.
- I also believe that Muslims has had a lot of problems trying to reach “The American Dream” because of the 11th of September. They get seen on as terrorists as a stereotype.

A Year at an American High School

Task 1

Find out:
1. Where Ketil went to school
- Rowland High School in California

2. How he got to know people
- The teachers had him to talk about himself in front of classes and the other students became curious and began to ask questions about Norway. That is how he made friends.

3. The subjects he studied
- One of his subjects was “Getting Around”, where he learnt to handle bank and money matters, and even to organize a wedding. The point of this subject was to prepare the students for life.

4. What he did in leisure time
- He played soccer at the school’s soccer team
- He also went to the dessert with his family, and they let him drive a dune buggy and a dirt bike.
- He also went shooting with his hostfather who was a gun freak, and he visited both Disneyland and Disney World.

5. What made Tonje’s school somewhat special
- She went to Fallbrook High School. There were 2400 students there, including a lot of Mexicans and a few Blacks. It was an outdoor school with no corridors; the classroom doors lead straight out into the open. Even the lockers, where they kept all their vooks and other belongings, were outside.

6. How big the classes were at her school
- In most classes there were 25-35 students, so you could only talk to the teachers if you really had a problem.

7. What kind of food they had for lunch
- It doesn’t say, but some brought lunch from home, others bought lunch in the school cafeteria.

8. How the students were informed about daily events at the school
- Every morning at 8 you could watch school news on TV screens in every classroom. I think the students were informed about the daily events there.


Task 2

True or False

1. There is a national school system in the USA.
- False. In the USA there is no national school system. Each state decides how its schools are to be organized.

2. Schools are run on a local level.
- True

3. There is homogenous grouping in some American schools, which means that young people with all sorts of ability are mixed in each subject class.
- False. A homogenous grouping in some American Schools does not mean that young people with all sorts of ability are mixed in each subject class.

1. After-school activities are an important part of life in American schools.
- True.

2. Southern California has a hot, dry desert climate.
- True.

3. Students from poor families often go hungry during the school day.
- True. Their lunch is not free.

4. Class sizes in the USA are about the same as in Norwegian schools.
- True. We are 29 students in my class.

5. The school day begins with morning prayer.
- False. They say the Pledge of Allegiance.

6. Most states in the USA guarantee students 12 years of schooling.
- True.

7. Most schools do not care whether students feel much school spirit or not. Students come and go as they please.
- False. They have to come to school every morning at 8 and go home 3 in the afternoon.

In The Name Of The Father

Today, we watched the movie "In The Name Of The Father" in our english class. The film is based on the true life story of the Guildford Four, four people falsely convicted of the IRA's Guildford pub bombing which killed 4 off-duty British soldiers and a civilian.

The Guildford Four were charged with direct involvement with the IRA attacks. They were:

• Paul Michael Hill, aged 21 at the time of the trial, convicted of the Guildford pup bombings.


• Gerard "Gerry" Conlon, 21, convicted of the Guildford bombings.


• Patrick "Paddy" Armstrong, convicted of the one Woolwich and two Guildford bombings.


• Carole Richardson, 18, covicted of the Guildford bombings.

5/10-1974
A bombe exploded at the Guildford pub in England which the IRA had planted because it used to be british soldiers there. Five people were killed and sixtyfive were hurt. Around this time the situation in the British society was tense. The parlament adopted an antiterrorist law where the suspects could be kept in jail for seven days without being charged. The police were under huge pressure and short time after was Gerry Conlon and Paul Hill from Belfast, Northern Ireland, arrested and accused for the bombing. Two friends of them, Paddy Armstrong and Carole Richardson, which they had lived with in an occupied house, was arrested for participating. The four of them refused they had anything to do with it but it didn't take long until the police presented written confessions from all of them. Under the trial in 1976 they all claimed the evidence had been fixed on and that they were innocent. The court didnt believe them and gave all of them a lifetime in jail. At the same time, Gerry's father, Guiseppe Conlon, an aunt and some other relatives were accused for helping the terrorists and they gave all of them long time in jail.

In 1989 the case came up again, and the 19th of October the same year they were released and their case was dismissed. Under this trial it came up that a homelessperson could give Gerry Conlon an alibi for not being close to the bombing. This man, Charlie Burke was interrigated by the police, but the police kept this information from the court. The case could also have been taken up again in 1977, when a group of IRA-people confessed to the bombing at the Guildford pub. In the mean while the innocent people sat fifteen years in prison and Gerry's dad, Guiseppe Conlon died.

The four of them later got componsation, but there is no excuse from the responsible ones.

The movie "In The Name Of The Father", tells us what really happened seen through Gerry Conlon's eyes. But the director of the film, Jim Sheridan, took the freedom to do some changes like, that the father and the son shared the same celle, which in real life they didn't. Or that Gerry Conlon and Paul Hill were not in the park at the same time, or that the decisive proof with the homeless guy wasn't found like the movie shows. And the last trial didn't go like the movie showed us it did. But either wat, the movie has the same story and the same message. The most important thing is that the movie was about a miscarriage of justice. "In The Name Of The Father" tells us about british policeofficers torturing and manipulating to get confessions. About a system that follows up on lies and commit miscarriage of justice, and what coincidences that made the four of them free men after being judged for a lifetime in prison.

This was one of the strongest movies I have ever seen. I have to say it was awful and to see how everybody can be wrong is scary. Because they could actually been doomed to hanging, and it is a miracle that didn't happen. I will definetly recomand this movie to everybody that is interrested in something else than horror and comedy. This film brings out a true and awful story which has a good ending.

The trailer of the movie:

Nothing Compares 2U

Me and Maiken had a multimodal poetry presentation.
We chose the poem, Nothing Compares 2U by Prince. We decided to do a twist, because we wanted the song by Seaned O'Connor in the boackground, but the text in the song was a bit different from the poem by Prince. So we chose to use the songtext instead.

And here is the resault:

• Do you like this way of working with poetry?
  Yes, I do. I think it makes the whole poetry-thing much more exiting, 'cause the whole thing about poetry is pretty much not so exiting. So this was really a good way to work with poetry!
  


• What did you learn from these poetry sessions?
  That poetry actually can be interesting. I was really sceptical to the whole subject, but now I'm actually a bit more interested in poetry and that was not to be expected from me. I also learned that it's not a specific answer when you're analyzing a poem. Everyone has they're own oppinion on what the poem is about, and no one can tell you what's right and wrong.
  


• Is there anything that could have been done differently either by yourself, your classmates, the teacher?
  By my self? Not that I can come up with here and now. I think we did really good and personally I think that our presentation was the best when it comes to pictures, and timing in the movie with song and lyrics. I also got the feeling that the others thought our presentation was interesting and they paid attention to us and our movie.
  Some of the classmates could've done a little more out of it, but they were all good! Of course I made a favourite, I can't quite remember who had the presentation but it was the presentation about "strange fruit".
  Our teacher did very well when she gave us this assignment. I'm pretty sure that if it was a different assignment, we wouldn't think it was interesting at all. So I am pleased with the assignment, very pleased.
  
  
• Anything else you want to say?
  Not really. I am very happy with the assignment and I think we did good. The whole class, really.

Enoch's Two Letters

Today we read the text Enoch's Two Letters. It was an interesting story about two parents who leaves their son on the same day without their partner knowing it. They send a letter to each other about the fact that they’ve left.

Task 2

What do you think is the main reason why Enoch’s parents decide to part?

Because they are both fed up with each other, and they can’t live together anymore. None of them cares for the other and they hardly talk.

What strategies do they have for the actual parting?

They decide to leave, without the other one knowing it. Both mother and father leaves and plans to send a letter to explain why they leave. But none of the parents get the other ones letter because they both left at the same day.

What are their feelings when they finally act on their decisions?

They are both sick and tired of their life, and want to start another life without their current family.

Why do you think Jack has a “dull toothache of a conscience”?

I think he might be a bit insecure in his decision. He definitely feels bad for leaving Enoch. But he tries to comfort himself with the thought that his mother will take good care of him.

Why do you think Edna turns the clock to the wall?

That, I don’t really know. But I am going to say what I think so I believe that she turns the clock on the wall to get a new start, or she turn the clock to the direction she’s going.

How do you think Enoch will feel when he gets home?

I believe he feels a bit alone. But he takes good care of himself, and he is kind of happy and he feels like an adult when he sleeps at the couch.

Task 3

Use the words below to describe how Enoch feels:

At first Enoch is excited and happy to be home alone and can to exactly what he wants. He doesn’t care so much if his parents are ever coming home. He enjoys himself when he is alone. But when the night comes he feels kind of lonely and anxious.
His feelings change from excited and happy to lonely and anxious when the night comes.

What do you think he’ll do the next morning?

Well, I have read the story now. So I’m going to say what he did the next morning instead: Enoch goes to his grandmother in Netherfield.

What impression do you have of Edna and Jack as parents?

I think they have failed as parents. No one is ever, going to leave their kid behind.

What impression do you have of Enoch’s grandmother?

She seems like a good person. I got the impression that she’s going to take care of Enoch and that’s a good thing. She’s a real grandmother.

What impression do you have of Enoch himself?

It’s sad that he ones in this story wants his parents to be dead. But he totally regrets this and that’s good. He seems like a good boy, and wants to brag about the fact that he has been alone in his house for a whole night and that might give him some status at school.