Reading Log Question Answers

Tim Belicose
March 29th, 2016
Prof. Young
English 1101
                                                                         Questions
1.  What is the meaning of the good lord bird? What does it represent?  How does it connect to the title of the book?
The meaning of "The Good Lord Bird" is  that when an individual sees a beautiful looking bird, they say "Good Lord". Also that a feather from this bird will bring you understanding that will last your whole life. I think it connects to the title of the book because I feel that towards the end of the story, Henry will finally realize that being himself will be the most beneficial for him. I also believe that Henry will see or do something that will change his life for the good of his future.

2.  What is Henry’s nickname?  How did he earn it?
Henry's nickname is "Onion" and he earned this when John Brown gave him his "luck charm" which ended up being a dusty onion from his back pocket. Henry thought he was giving him food so he hesitantly ate it which leaded to Brown being surprised that he ate his luck charm. From then on, Brown decided to call him Onion because of this situation. 

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3.    What was Henry’s rationale for continuing to live a lie?  Was it justifiable?
Henry continued to live his life as a lie because simply, he was very scared of the situation happening around him. To my interpretation, Henry was living a somewhat decent life as a slave until this crazy, rebellious man named John Brown escorted him out of his old life. Henry was also very young so he didn't really know what to exactly do when Brown confronted him. Also, living your slave life as a girl in this time period resulted in less "manly treatment" which could lead to a better overall life for Henry. With all of these facts considered, I think it is justifiable that Henry lied about his gender. He was forced into this life by Brown and pretending to be a girl might actually save his young life in the end. 

Is a Good Lie a White Lie?

Tim Belicose

2/1/16

ENGW_1101_34

Prof. Young

                Everyones commits a white lie from time to time, and some people even do it without knowing for the advantage of them or the people surrounding them. A lie is an action in which an individual does not tell the truth of a certain happening or event in which a white lie is a lie that is told for the benefit of an individual or to conceal information. The real question that people wonder though is: "When is it okay to lie?"

               When I was in middle school, the most common "white lie" I would commit is telling my parents I already did my homework. Of course I didn't have my homework completed at the time they asked me, but I knew I would finish my homework later. The reason I did this is because I didn't want them yelling at me to finish my homework. This classifies as not a harmful lie because even though I didn't do my homework at that moment, I would always(almost always) finish it later. A harmful lie would involve a truth that should definitely be revealed for the benefit of other people. An example of a harmful lie would be telling someone that you didn't steal their item. This would result in the declination of a relationship with friends. If someone really needs to lie, it should be a white lie that will not directly negatively affect other people. Acceptable lies do happen and sometimes can not be avoided. Although, respect should always be taken in consideration when straying from the absolute truth.

Getting to Know Me

1. I used to play baseball and basketball in high school but I did not continue this into college.

2. I am most passionate in the winter about snowboarding because I love the snow and I enjoy riding the slopes.

3. The most ridiculous lie I have ever told was when I told my parents I was sleeping over my friends house in town but I was actually sleeping at a friends house that was 40 minutes away. I told this lie because I knew they wouldn't let me go if I told them I was sleeping over a friends house they didn't even know.

4. When I write, I allow the words to flow right on to the paper or word document.

5. My writing experience over the past year has been very influential and it has brought me to the conclusion that I need to express more of my own writing style in my works.

6. The most recent book I read was Divergent; it was about a totalitarian society in which people get forced into certain working groups. This lead to a rebellion that was commanded by "Divergent People"

7. I am on all types of social media for a total of about 4 hours a day.

8. The most important thing for me to learn over this semester is to accurately and fluently express my thoughts onto my work.

9. My definition of a hero is an individual that goes out of their way to make others happy and more content about their lives.

10. The last time I failed at something was last semester when I went to the complete wrong classroom the first day of class. I learned that I should gain more prior knowledge of things before committing actions.

11. I rate myself as a B writer if I really work hard and concentrate.