R Mason’s Online Journal

Dear Mr Baca,

I am writing to you because i want to know about your childhood and what inspired you to become a poet.

My name is Reuben Mason and i go to London Nautical School in South London. I came across your poetry in my English lesson when my teacher, Mr O’Brien read your poems ”Who understands Me but Me” and also ”Immigrants in our own land.

While learning more about you, i wondered what you had done to get yourself into prison. What were your opinions of being in solitary confinement? I don’t want to sound rude, but I’m interested to know if it is true that you did not know how to read or write when you first went to prison? How did you manage to stay positive during your time in prison?

Reading your poetry, i often wonder what your childhood was like. In class we found out about a bit of your childhood. Is it true that you grew up in an orphanage? Did it impact on the stuff that you write about in your poems? Were there people that you knew or family who were poets as well like you?

One thing that interested me in your poem “Who understands Me but Me” is when you said “They take my life and crush it, so i live without a future’. Did this make you more determined to become a poet? If not, what was it that pushed you to study literature whilst in prison?

I guess there are a lot of people who want to be like you. Who was your inspiration? By writing your poems, did you feel like more and more people found out about you? Is that what made you carry on? I also learnt that you completely changed your life around after your time in prison. What made you do this?

The final thing i would like to find out about you is on the topic of your life today. Do you still write poems? I have read two of your poems so far. Are there any others that you have written? If so, I am very curious what they are called. If you had not gone to prison, do you think you would have become a poet.

I would really appreciate it if you read my letter and answered my questions.

Yours sincerely,

Reuben Mason

In Sherman Alexie’s book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, the author presents Junior, the protagonist as an outsider in many different occasions. Sherman Alexie uses the character of Junior to express events that he experienced when he was younger and to explore the theme of being an outsider. However, this is especially shown when Junior first goes to Reardan high school, during his basketball game against his old school Wellpinit high school and when he goes to have pancakes with his friends from Reardan high school. In this essay, I will talk about five major events: During the basketball game, going to Reardan, the pancake moment, physical problems and his experience of deaths.

One way in which junior is presented as an outsider is through his dual experience of living in Wellpinit whilst studying in Reardan. For example, on the reservation  Junior is looked at as an outsider because he left Wellpinit to gain a better education and future but his friends believe he did this because he was a white lover. In Reardan, however, Junior is also an outsider because he is the only Indian there and all the teachers think he is stupid.

This is shown in the book’s title, ‘The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Here, the metaphor ‘Part-Time Indian has several meanings to it. First, it tells us that Junior is living in two worlds. He lives on the reservation but then studies at Reardan. The quote is also telling us that Junior is red as an apple on the inside and white in Reardan. Finally, it is also telling us that Junior loves white people, even though he is an Indian living on a reservation.

Another way in which Junior is presented as an outsider is through growing up with physical problems. For example, Junior says that he was born with water on the brain. He also has ten extra teeth. Junior also states that his brain is full of grease. He was born with a big head so people said his head was like a globe.

This is shown in the first sentence of the book when Junior says ‘I was born with water on the brain’. Here, the word  ‘ I was born  is explaining how Junior is fighting against his physical problems from a really young age. This quote also shows us how he is different to everyone else, both on the reservation and in Reardan.

A further example in which Junior is presented as an outsider is during the basketball games against his old school on the reservation Wellpinit. For example, in the first game, as soon as Junior got on the pitch, someone in the crowd threw something at him straight away. This shows that even his own Spokane tribe don’t like him anymore because he traited  them all to try and gain a better future at Reardan.

This is shown when he says, ‘Bleeding and angry,I glared at the crowd. Here, the word glared tells us that Junior is angry at the crowd for throwing the quarter at him and feels like the only one in the whole hall that’s the odd one out. It is also  telling us that people treat him differently because he was a traitor for leaving Wellpint and all his friends behind to go to Reardan. It also shows us that he is the only one treated different but all the other white kids are treated much better and more fair.

Another way in which Junior is presented as an outsider is through his life experience of poverty. For example, when Junior goes to have pancakes with his new friends from Reardan. When it is time for them to pay for their meal, Junior realizes that he has not got enough money to pay for his meal. Junior then runs to the bathroom where Roger, very kindly lends him forty bucks. This is also shown when Junior compares himself to a white kid in a picture. He mentions that white kids have a bright future an Indians having a vanishing past meaning they have no chance of being able to have the opportunities that all other white kids have.

This is shown when Penelope asked Junior ‘Are you poor. Here, the word poor shows us that he is fighting against poverty and trying to not tell anyone. It also tells us that Junior is living a life of poverty. The quote also tells us that people now know that Junior is poor and can’t really afford anything. He also can’t hide it from anyone anymore.

The final way in which Junior is presented as an outsider is through living through a life of deaths. For example, Junior’s grandmother passed away. There were still a lot of people at his grandmother’s funeral but it is a thing that other people have not experienced before. Then, his dad’s best friend Eugene got shot and died. Finally, his sister was then burnt in a caravan somewhere else.

This is shown when he says ‘Well, my grandmother has left this world and she’s now roaming around the afterlife. Here, the word left tells us that Junior has a lot of family and friends that have died and left him to struggle in life even more. It is saying that he has experienced many more deaths than everyone else. He is about a one in twenty child who has had bad things happen to him. The worst thing is that it wasn’t only his grandmother that died, it was his dad’s best friend and also his sister.

From this essay we can tell that Junior is an outsider but has moved onwards to try and fulfill his full potential. Other kids and adults have now followed in his path and have also tried to reach their full potential as well. Junior is an inspiration because of tough life in the past which a lot of people have realised and have done something about it. Now not as many people fight against poverty and are cured for any illnesses.

The End
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My essay will be about how King Lear is slowly crawling towards death and then sets a challenge for his three daughters called Regan, Goneril and Cordelia. The challenge set by King Lear was for his daughters to explain to him who loves him the most. The winner would receive the largest piece of the land once King Lear died. They would each take turns to speak and would have to impress there father if they wanted any land at all. King Lear was excited to hear his daughters tell him how much they love him not knowing Regan and Goneril do not actually love him and are just being sarcastic.

I believe that Shakespeare presents Goneril as false and manipulative because she says ‘Dearer than eye-sight, space and liberty’. She is saying this because she knows how much she wants the land so she starts being sarcastic by over exaggerating how much she loves her father. All she wants is the land. her love is from her mouth and not her heart. This on the other hand is the same as Regan who also does not actually love King Lear. They are lucky because King Lear thinks they do love him.

I believe that Shakespeare presents Regan as a liar and leading king Lear into a trap because she mentions that she is made of the same metal that her sister is. She basically means that she agrees with her sister so she knows that she expresses her love from her mouth and not her heart. All she wants is to beat her sisters and win the land.

King Lear was a fierce man. He had two sons and a daughter. They lived in a mansion in Streatham. The children were always bored as their father was shouting at them all the time. The oldest was one of his sons called Reggie, then came Gon Gon. The youngest was the daughter called Cordelio. King Lear asked them to tell him whom loves him the most. The winner would win a billion pounds from their father.

King Lear: Which one of my finest daughters doth love us the most?

Reggie: Well my fine lord, you know how much I love you. I have not even got any words to describe my love. You have and always been my finest love sir. Sir you do not understand how much I love you. But after all I know I do.

King Lear: You must make me understand you to get the prize.

Reggie: But sir, I thought my words would sell you.

King Lear: MORE!!!!!!! How can you say that. You must release your words from your heart, not your mouth.

Reggie: Sir I can not even find words to explain my love. I DO LOVE YOU!!!

King Lear: Well then. It looks like we will have to move on to our second daughter. Gon Gon, speak.

Gon Gon: Sir, my brain is full of words to say. I am not sure what to say now. Actually, wait. Sir a love is burning through my heart trying to catch you.

King Lear: Are you sure you are full of words in your brain or are you just talking rubbish because you have absolutely nothing to say because you do not love me so you make this up?

Gon Gon: Well………

King Lear: Typical. Cordelio, speak!

Cordelio: Well father. My love can be expressed anyway you love?

King Lear: Well my finest daughter, tell me why you love me. How much would you love to have that billion pound.

Cordelio: Sir, I love you way more than my sisters do. they do not care about you. All they care about is having a billion pounds to spend. But me, I would rather have you than the money.

King Lear: Well Cordelio, you have definitely sold me. Looks like you have won the billion pounds.

Cordelio: Yey

My essay will be about how King Lear is dying and sets a challenge for Regan,Goneril and Cordelia [his three daughters]. The challenge is for the three daughters to explain to King Lear about how much they love him. Cordelia is the nicest of the bunch and is expected to win. Regan and Goneril on the

other hand are just saying these nice things to him even though they do not really mean it. they just want the land. They each take turns to speak and give different opinions about why they love him.

In my opinion Shakespeare presents Goneril as false and manipulative. My evidence is that she says ‘Dearer than eye-sight, space and liberty’. Goneril is saying things that she does not actually mean to say. I know this because she is exaggerating how much she loves her father. She is exaggerating by using a triplet to show her love. If she really loved her father she would keep it nice and short. Therefore, that is why she does not really love her father. She is only saying these nice words to get most of the land.

In my opinion Shakespeare presents Regan as false as well. My evidence is that she says ‘Sir, I am made of the self-same metal that my sister is’. She is saying that she agrees with her sister. This means that they are both evil and are telling lies to their father. She is saying that she thinks her sister is right but she loves her father even more. Herself and Goneril are talking from their mouth and not their heart. They are both playing a game because they are greedy. They are trying to act charming and loving to get most of the land from their father.

In my opinion Shakespeare presents Cordelia as crazy and surprising. She feels she does not need to express her love for her father with hundreds of words because her true love comes straight from her heart. King Lear is surprised as he thought she would easily win by far, as being the nicest of the bunch. She says ‘I am sure, my love’s more richer than my tongue’. She means she is not blabbering lies with her tongue unlike her mean and horrible sisters.

In my opinion Shakespeare presents King Lear as old and crawling towards death. My evidence is that he says ‘crawl towards death’. As he is dying he sets a challenge for his three daughters. They must explain how much they love their father. King Lear thinks Cordelia will obviously win as being the nicest of the bunch. He is then surprised when she comes up with ‘nothing’. King Lear will give the largest piece of the kingdom to whom can come up with the best speech.

In my opinion I think that Cordelia should get most of the land because Regan and Goneril will just take everything they said back if they got their hands on the largest piece of land from their father. Cordelia on the other hand is polite and does actually loves her father more than anything else unlike her sisters. Cordelia would use the land for good, not bad. Goneril and Regan do not deserve the land because they do not mean anything that they have said to their father. Therefore, that is why I think that Cordelia deserves the most land.