Quickwrite #15

I believe that it is better to tell the truth in any situation, even if it incriminates a friend or family member. Lies are easy to get caught up in, and it's better to be honest and let the situation play out naturally. Although it is much easier said than done, being honest and truthful gives everybody the option to do the right thing. Also, it is worse to get yourself in trouble with the person if you lie.

Quickwrite #14

When people around me speak a language, I am often indifferent. There is some aspect of wondering if they are talked about me, or further more talking about me in a negative light, but I know that that is more often not the case. Also, I suppose I am curious to hear what they are saying, but I know that's nosey. In general, I think it's cool to hear other languages in average conversation because it's interesting to hear how it flows and how things are pronounced.

Quickwrite #13

I think that the situation is somewhat accurate in the sense that social movements surrounding the Hispanic/Latino community are often ignored. That community is a largely influential part of American society, but most issues faced by them are not dealt with or misunderstood. However, this analogy seems quite oversimplified. Yes the Hispanic/Latino voice is suppressed, but the issues that black Americans face are not to be dismissed either. Often the focus of racial injustice has been aimed towards issues facing black Americans rather than other racial minorities, however the progress and focus was largely needed.

Quick write #12

The Crucible exemplifies a historical outlook on what mass hysteria looks like historically, but it can also be applied to modern life. It allowed readers to understand how the events of the Salem witch trials played out in 1962 and the possible motivations for the accusations. This is a common aspect of human society, and mass hysteria becomes a problem every so often as new social issues rise. In the puritan society of 1692, the idea of witchcraft was a way for people to manipulate the public eye. When Arthur Miller wrote the play in the 50's, it could be related to the fear of communism post-WWII. There are many instances of mass hysteria since 1692 and the manipulation of fears and The Crucible gives a glimpse at one of those instances, while the author relates the elements of the play to events of the modern world

Quickwrite #11

In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, certain characters aid the progression and growth if the mass hysteria in Salem. Abigail Williams in a key figure in the acceleration of the hysteria, she is the leader of the girls who claim to know of witchcraft. She leads the surge of conviction. Mary Warren, who was once one of the girls with Abigail on the stand, changes her position and accuses the girls, mainly Abigail, of lying in the court. Abigail immediately retaliated and further ignited the fear among the people of Salem. Either they feared the presence of witch craft, they feared being accused and killed, or both. Tituba serves as the scapegoat, Abigail blames her instantly, and because she is a slave with little social status and recognition, she is immediately convicted. She then later does not fight the conviction, maybe realizing that there was no way out of the accusation and the gravity of it. These characters each have unique roles in the progression of mass hysteria in Salem.

Quick write #10

I believe that lying to protect someone is fair only if what they did is just. Protecting someone from being arrested if they really do deserve to be punished for a crime is not just because they have done something unjust and should be responsible for that, even if that means getting in trouble. However if you are lying to protect someone innocent from harm, I believe that is fair. I think that telling a lie is right if there are circumstances in which you are protecting yourself or others from an unjust person or action. If you feel like telling the truth would harm you and that you have not done anything wrong, lying is acceptable. For example, if someone is invading your privacy by asking personal questions and you are uncomfortable and lie in response to a certain question, that is fair. The same goes if someone asks a personal question about someone else and you are protecting their privacy. It is always better to try to explain that you would rather not talk about that, but in some situations lying may be easier. However, if someone you know has done something and lying is protecting them from justice, it is unacceptable because nobody is innocent in that situation.

Quick write #9

The only time where I can remember being falsely accused in a larger sense. My siblings usually were the culprits and I mostly just tried to best to convince my parents of the truth. This method didn't always work and was usually relative to the situation and how guilty I appeared. Now, most commonly, it's just misunderstandings that get resolved with conversation. Now that my sister is out if the house, I usually don't get blamed for her mistakes. If I were falsely accused now, I would hope that I could maintain a calm composure and try to solve the situation with ease instead of getting frustrating and making the situation worse. I would probably talk directly to the person that accused me and try to find a motive and resolve the situation directly. If that didn't work, I would go to the authority figure and explain my side.

Quick write #8

What does a writer/film maker do to create tension?
 A writer created tension with pauses and language, however a film maker can create tension with more visual or audio influences. In the crucible, Arthur Miller creates tension by having short and monosyllabic conversations between characters so that there is more to read into between the lines. This invisible tension, such as between Elizabeth and John Proctor, emulates a silent issue that the reader can pick up on. As these conversations escalate, the reader can see the mood and tone unfold. Words and arguments are repeated in an increasingly more serious matter. Ina film adaptation, a film maker can use this escalation and use of pause to create tension, but also they may use use of light and music.

Quick write #7

I have been falsely accused before. Having two siblings, it is really a common practice. Either my older sister would want to shift the blame from her to me, or just because she would be mad and want to get me in trouble. For my younger brother, it was mostly the same. Except he was not smart enough about it and it would be soon discovered that he was lying. I am no angel in the family either so I have found myself falsely accusing my siblings before. Although, at least from my perception, they do it much more that me. Usually these false accusations were of minor offenses, such as who left the dishes out, etc. Nonetheless these things bothered me quite a bit. Sometimes they would be bigger things. One time, my sister told my parents that I had stolen money from them when I knew that she did. She even did it in front of me, but when they asked us she blamed me. I had to frantically try to clear my name and tell the truth without seeming like a liar. Eventually these things would get cleared up, or not. Either way, the ordeals are often unnecessary, but I understand the motives. In this situation, I felt angry and frustrated that they would not believe me. I felt trapped because I knew the truth but nobody would take me seriously. Although knowing what the feeling is like, I will not lie and say I haven't done it to her.

Quickwrite #6

I could understand what the social experiment was trying to highlight, and the idea was in the right place, and I could see how it would work. However, we were mostly caught up in the logistics of the idea of cheating. Like how it was possible, and how it didn't seem real, or what could be another explanation for the same test scores without cheating. I think that, given enough time, we would have probably start to question each other. I don't think that anyone would have sacrificed themselves because the punishment was not laid out. If the teacher has said "if I don't get a few names, everybody fails" before leaving, I think that the experiment would have worked better. Also, if we didn't see that he was listening in. Like I said before, as time went on and we were given an ultimatum, I think tension would grow and people would become more motivated to get a result.