Personal Philosophy!

            Growing up the two things I heard the most were “don’t depend on anyone because eventually they leave” or “there is always a end to friends.” I never really understood what this meant as a kid because I always thought that the people in my life would always be here for me no matter what and that they will always be in my life. But I was wrong. Throughout my life I realized that the two sayings that were said to me a lot were completely true. People enter and leave your life all the time but that’s just the way life is. Nobody stays forever no matter what you do to keep them.

            As a kid every time I made a friend or anything I always thought that they were going to be in my life forever and that we will grow old together like they do in the movies. I thought I could trust them with everything and that they would keep it a secret and help me get through it but I was wrong. I had this friend that I met in Kindergarten and thought she was my best friend and that nothing could break us apart. I told her everything that was going on in my life and we just talked about everything possible. Talking to her was just the easiest thing ever. I didn’t feel like I had to hide anything when I was around her. I could just be myself. But after a couple years of not having time to hangout with each other and having different classes we eventually drifted and we barely talked. Then she was just another stranger around the neighborhood. After this I never really wanted to get close with anyone knowing that eventually the person will leave and I’ll be all by myself again fighting everything alone.

            Then freshman year came around and I made the same mistake of getting close with another person that eventually became my “best friend.” After all those years of telling myself to not trust anyone or get close with anyone I didn’t listen. I remember the day I made a mistake like it was yesterday. We were on the bus talking about the basketball banquet and how we were cracking lame jokes that made us laugh for the longest time ever. We exchanged numbers and started texting every day and that’s when I knew it was happening all over again. I told myself that I wouldn’t get close to another person again with what happened before. But I didn’t listen. I got close with this person and eventually she became my best friend. I trusted her with everything that I couldn’t tell anyone. I told her about every single problem going on in my life. She was the first person I ever called and cried too. I depended on this person too much.  I assumed that she would be there for me 24/7 anytime I needed her and that was my mistake there. She always did her best to be there for me but eventually she was done hearing about my problems and me complaining. Eventually we became distance and barely talked. After a couple days of noticing this that’s when I knew I had repeated the same mistake I made a while ago of depending on people too much.

            What I heard growing up was exactly how friendships worked out and I should have believed it. Today I learned that people eventually leave no matter what they say so don’t depend on them. Like people say there is always an end to friends. There’s not a friendship that last no matter how hard you try to keep it together. It’s always you against the world. Today I no longer believe in getting close with anyone because I realize that I’m just setting myself up to get hurt again because ill end up depending on them and then eventually they’ll leave. Even though all of this runs through my head every day I still live my life and have friends but I just remember to not become close enough to someone that I’ll eventually trust and depend on because they will eventually leave and I will still have to face the world by myself.

            

The Grapes of Wrath (16-19 D) *

The Joads family at the beginning before the trip to California was much different. They depended on each other and cared about each other.The gender role was also different.

When Rose decides to leave the family when they get to California Ma gets worried and says "aint you gona stay with us-the family...We dont want you to go'way from us..It ain't good for folk to break up." She believes that separating from the family will be a bad idea because they dont know how California is like and it might be dangerous if shes alone. Ma just wants the family to stay together and do everything together. She knows that if the family breaks up it would be bad for everyone because she believed family should always stick together no matter so that they can deal and face every problem together. 

What changes is the gender roles in the family. Ma begans to wear the pants in the family by what she says goes. She takes away pa's authority in the family and controls the whole group.At first the family would do something after pa tells them to do it but ma then takes over and takes control of the family. She takes over and gives pa a hard time because she said that if the man worries too much it will eat him alive. Ma doing this was for the best so that pa would not go crazy or anything. 

The Grapes of Wrath (16-19 C)

Fear.The people fear for their lives and whats gonna happen to them and how they will survive. They fear that California will not be as good as people say or the rumors about California being true.

My poem is written in migrants perspective. Its what they're thinking about California and if its worth it or not.

Is California the right place?
Is it what people really say it is?
Will it actually change things?
Will I no longer starve?
Can I finally support my family?
California
Claimed to be everything you want
Everything you need.
From supporting your family
To a great life
It's the key to freedom
That everybody is searching for

The Grapes of Wrath (11-15 D)

"It's too much-livin too many lives.Up ahead theys' a thousan' lives we might live,but when it comes,it'll on'y be one.If I go ahead on all of 'em,it's too much.You got to live ahead ' cause you're so young,but-it's jus' the road goin' by for me..."(124)

This quote really stuck out to me because I feel like it connects with our society today. Its like how people live this double life or something to fit in with the crowd. People would do something they don't actually like just because its the trend or its what the cool kids are doing nowadays. Sometimes people would do something they completely disagree with just so that somebody else would accept them and want to hangout with them. I see the part "Up ahead theys' a thousan' lives we might live,but when it comes,it'll on'y be one" as like you can act like a thousand different people but in reality you'll always end up being yourself and no one else. This quote is telling you to be yourself and not try to impress anyone because being you should be enough for that person or else they really aren't your true friend. I also took away from this quote that you should live your life to the fullest because you are only young for a point of your life and then eventually you have to grow up and face the real responsibilities in life.

The Grapes of Wrath (11-15 B)

Route 66 was known as the "Mother Road" by John Steinbeck in The Grapes of Wrath. This route went all the way from Chicago, Illinois to Los Angeles,California creating a bunch of connections between small towns. This route helped hundreds of thousands during the Great Depression to migrant from the Midwest to go to California to look for jobs and find a better life. This route was also a very popular one for trucks because the it was mainly flat. During World War II Route 66 was also used to move military equipment.
The route is significant to the Joads and all migrants because it was there entrance to freedom. They believed that it would take them to California which means they will have a better life and get a job.
http://amhistory.si.edu/onthemove/exhibition/exhibition_10_2.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66#Route_facts






        http://amhistory.si.edu/onthemove/exhibition/exhibition_10_2.html

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ug02/carney/map.html

The Grapes of Wrath (1-10 H)

"He done a little bad thing an' they hurt 'im, caught 'im an' hurt him so he was mad, an' the nex' bad thing he done was mad, an' they hurt 'im again. An' purty soon he was mean-mad. They shot at him like a varmint, an' he shot back, an' then they run him like a coyote, an' him a-snappin' an' a-snarlin',mean as a lobo. And he was mad. He wasn't no boy or no man no more, he was jus' a walkin' chunk a mean-mad" (76).


The repetition is used to explain the cruel actions and the effect of violence. Mad is repeated to express the emotions he has against his family. Hurt him being repeated is to say how he hurts his family in the process and then he gets mad at them. He uses these words to express his emotions and to describe how he feels towards his family. He constantly repeats those words to emphasize how much he really means it. Its to help us understand him and imagine how he feels. 

The Grapes of Wrath (1-10 D) *

Even though in the 1930s the Great Depression was happening this time period was when car designs had the most significant new feature to the automobiles.The designs of the car were artistic and sophisticated. They developed automatic transmissions and different power for the engines like the V-8,V-12, and the V-16.This time period was when they began to add automatic chocks,gearshifts on the sheering column,smoothly shifting transmissions,trunks that were built into the car and hydraulic brakes. The cars appeared with rounded edges,headlights that were built within the chassis of the car and they were also make more comfortable to drive.The radiator grille and shell were also changed a little in order to make the car look more speedier.Low pressure inner tube tires and wind shield wipers were also added to the car in order for it to be safer. GM,Ford and Chrysler were known as the "big 3 auto makers." The cars had to catch the peoples attention the most mostly because during this time period barely anybody was buying cars due to the lack of money.
http://www.thefinertimes.com/The-1930s/1930s-cars-great-innovation-despite-tough-times.html
http://www.anythingaboutcars.com/1930scars.html

1930s was one the best years for the automobile industry. They improved on everything to make people want to buy the cars more even though they didn't really have money to spare. They added things to the car to make it look better and safer which made the people want it even more. Even though the Depression was happening during this time they still managed to do a lot of good things with automobiles that effect them today.

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/classic-cars8.htm

http://www.anythingaboutcars.com/1930scars.html