Response to The Crucible Act I

I find The Crucible to be a really twisted story but also very real in many aspects. From Act 1 I know that Salem has a theocratic government which makes everyone introduced so far seem very crazy to me because you’re punished if you don’t go to church every day when you’re supposed to. Right in the beginning when Rev. Parris is introduced along with Betty to me he seems like he’s not even worried about her, he’s worried about his reputation; what people are going to think of him when they find out his daughter was involved in witchcraft . That relates to how society is today too because people are so afraid of how others perceive them or their families and are too scared to protect who they love for the right reasons. People like Rev. Parris, Tituba, Abigail and those known so far all have their morals messed up. How you going to want to kill someone just because they fired you? People in this story don’t think about the greater good or what “God” really wants from them.

Personally this story is just upsetting me because the environment and the characters are really ignorant and too self-absorbed. They think they’re doing what’s best, but in reality they’re doing the total opposite and they can’t tolerate other people’s views. It’s not even the religious aspect that upsets me, it’s the way people just can’t accept how others express themselves or are into whatever they are into. Like how they dislike the Indians because they didn’t believe in God. That too just ties into how the world is today.  I just want to know why witchcraft is associated with the Devil. 

Word count:283

Sources. Bibliography

1)Chicago Fact Book Consortium, ed. Local Community Fact Book: Chicago Metropolitan Area, 1990. 1995. 
Hamzik, Joseph. “Brighton Park History.” Binders, 1952–1976. Brighton Park Public Library.
Hamzik, Joseph. “Gleanings of Archer Road.” December 1961. Brighton Park Public Library.

The history of the railroads and churches.

2)"Five Holy Martyrs History." Five Holy Martyrs History. Chicago Archdiocese, 2008. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. <http://www.fiveholymartyrs.org/en-us/parishhistory/fiveholymartyrshistory.aspx>.
The national parish for Polish people in Brighton Park.

3)Solomon, Alan. "Brighton Park, McKinley Park." Explore Chicago. N.p., 2010. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. <http://www.explorechicago.org/city/en/neighborhoods/brighton_park___mckinley.html>.
Information on how Brighton Park is now.

4) Pacyga, Dominic A. Polish Immigrants and Industrial Chicago: Workers on the South Side, 1880–1922. 1991.
Parot, Joseph. Polish Catholics in Chicago. 1981.
Poles of Chicago, 1837–1937. 1937.

The history of the Polish community.

5)"St. Pancratius Church History." Polish Genealogical Society of America. Chicago Archdiocese, Feb. 2004. Web. 20 Sept. 2012. <http://www.pgsa.org/ArchChiPolPar/archchicago_descr.php?pageID=46>.

St. Pancratius Church served the Polish families in Brighton Park, that belonged to Five Holy Martyrs parish.

6) "Brighton Park, Chicago." Information, Videos, Pictures and News. RTBOT, n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2012. <http://www.rtbot.net/Brighton_Park,_Chicago> 
The formation of B.p.

7) Dumke, Mick. "Old-School Politician Thrives in a Changed Ward." New York Times [Chicago] 18 12 2010, n. pag. Print.<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/19/us/19cncbrightonpark.html?_r=0>.

The political aspects on the demographic shift.

8) Benefield, Nathan, and Ang Ling Ling. "Bright on Park Community Study 2004." Center for Urban Research and Learning Loyola University Chicago . (2004): 2-24. Print.
Explores the demographic shifts and how it affected business and many other things.

9)Paral, Rob, Timothy Ready, Sung Chun, and Wei Sun. "Latino Demographic Growth in Metropolitan Chicago." Institute for Latino Studies, University of Notre Dame. 2004.2 (2004): 15-21. Print. http://latinostudies.nd.edu/publications/pubs/paral.pdf.


Statistics of the population change through 1990-2000.

10) Paral, Rob. "The Polish Community in Metro Chicago." Polish American Association. (2004): 1-17. Print. http://www.robparal.com/downloads/Polish Community in Chicago.pdf.

The needs of Polish immigrants that were formed when they came to Chicago.

11) "Demographics." ChicagoHealth77. Northwestern University, 2011. Web. 11 Oct 2012. <http://chicagohealth77.org/characteristics/demographics/>.
Statistics of race, ethnicity, and primary language. 

12)Goerge, Robert, John Dilts, Duck-Hye Yang, Miriam Wasserman, and Anne Clary. "Chicago Children and Youth 1990-2010." Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. (2007): 8-11. Print. <http://www.chapinhall.org/sites/default/files/old_reports/332.pdf>.
The racial demographic change among children during 1990-2010.

13."About Us." Brighton Park Neighborhood Council. Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, 2011. Web. 11 Oct 2012. <http://www.bpncchicago.org/aboutus/>.
Brighton Park's neighborhood council  and its statistics. 

14. Farr, Marcia. Latino Language and Literacy in Ethnolinguistic Chicago. 279. eBook. <hbooks.google.com/books?isbn=0805843477>.
Brighton's employment changes.

15. Durkin Keating, Anne. Chicago Neighborhoods and Suburbs: A Historical Guide. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008. 116. eBook.
Its ethnic character and the creation of jobs. 


16.Lewis, Robert. Manufacturing Suburbs: Building Work and Home on the Metropolitan Fringe. Temple University Press, 2004. 58-60. eBook.
The impact of railways. 

17. Arrendondo, Gabriela. Mexican Chicago: Race, identity and Nation. University of Illinois Press, 2008. 44-51. eBook.
The Mexican settlement expansion. 

18. Kantowicz, Edward. Polish-American Politics in Chicago. University of Chicago Press, 1975. 25-27. eBook.
Chicago Poles.


19. Koval, John, Larry Bennett, Michael Bennett, Fassil Demissie, Roberta Garner, and Kiljoong Kim. The New Chicago: A Social and Cultural Analysis. Temple University Press, 2006. 105-108. eBook.
The culture and demographic history of Mexicans. 

20.Carger, Chris. Dreams Deferred: Dropping Out and Struggling Forward. IAP, 2009. 50-51. eBook.
The hope for Mexican immigrants migrating to Chicago (Brighton Park).

Post 2: Community Post

The three communities I belong to are: my family, the cross country team, and animal’s rights group.

The cross country team spends a lot of their time at practice or at meets. Our practices are at Skinner Park which is right across the street from Whitney M. Young High School. We run laps around the football field all the way to the playground where Skinner school is at.  Our meets are held at many places, but they all are very similar. They’re very spacious, have a lot of trees and have smooth paths. Throughout the season we see outside so much, breath in a lot of fresh air, and watch the seasons change.

Our coaches set very high but achievable expectations of us.  They’re three different teams: FroshSoph, Junior varsity, and Varsity.  Junior varsity and Varsity run one more mile at the meets than FroshSoph because they’ve had more preparation and stamina for it. For me to be a member of cross country I had to be willing to sacrifice more of my personal time and become dedicated to running.  All of us are expected to do our best everyday no matter what; we push ourselves to become better than what we already are.

I feel comfortable in this community because it’s my second family.  We are more than a team; we’ve made bonds with one another that no one can ever break.  All of us have grown with one another and have dealt with our issues together. I know that I can trust anyone in this family that I’ve made and no one will ever judge me.  Going to the practices and meets and seeing my teammates faces when we accomplish our new goal (like running faster) is priceless. We’re all sisters and we have a dedication to each other. 

Word count:301

Community Song Post

The Corner by Common

Memories on corners with the fo’s & the mo’s
Walk to the store for the rose talking straightforward to
Got uncles that smoke it some put blow up they nose
To cope with they lows the wind is cold & it blows
In they socks & they souls holding they rolls
Corners leave souls opened & closed hoping for more
With nowhere to go rolling in droves
They shoot the wrong way cause they ain't knowing they goal
The streets ain't safe cause they ain't knowing the code
By the fours I was told either focus or fold
Got cousins with flows hope they open some doors
So we can cop clothes & roll in a Rolls
Now I roll in a "Olds" with windows that don't roll
Down the roads where cars get broke in & stole
These are the stories told by Stony & Cottage Grove
The world is cold the block is hot as a stove
On the corners

I wish I could give ya this feeling
I wish I could give ya this feeling
On the corners, robbing, killing, dying
Just to make a living 

We underrated, we educated
The corner was our time when times stood still
And gators and snakes gangs and yellow and pink
And colored blue profiles glorifying that

Streetlights & deep nights cats trying to eat right
Riding no seat bikes with work to feed hypes
So they can keep sweet Nikes they head & they feet right
Desires of street life cars & weed types
It's hard to breath nights days are thief like
The beast roam the streets the police is Greek like
Game at it's peak we speak & believe hype
Bang in the streets hats cocked left or deep right
Its steep life coming up where sheep like
Rappers & hoopers we strive to be like
G's with 3 stripes seeds that need light
Cheese & weaves tight needs & thieves strike
The corner where struggle & greed fight
We write songs about wrong cause it's hard to see right
Look to the sky hoping it will bleed light
Reality's and I heard that she bites
The corner

I wish I could give ya this feeling
I wish I could give ya this feeling
On the corners, robbing, killing, dying
Just to make a living 

The corner was our magic, our music, our politics
Fires raised as tribal dancers and
war cries that broke out on different corners
Power to the people, black power, black is beautiful

Black church services, murderers, Arabs serving burger its
Cats with gold permanents move they bags as herbalist
The dirt isn't just fertile its people working & earning this
The curb-getters go where the cash flow & the current is
It's so hot that burn to live the furnace is
Where the money move & the determined live
We talk play lotto & buy german beers
It's so black packed with action that's affirmative
The corners

I wish I could give ya this feeling
I wish I could give ya this feeling
On the corners, robbing, killing, dying
Just to make a living 

The corner was our Rock of Gibraltar, our Stonehenge
Our Taj Mahal, our monument,
Our testimonial to freedom, to peace and to love
Down on the corner...


Analysis

Common’s song The Corner is about where he grew up in Chicago. His approach to his community showed that everyone there was struggling and making wrong decisions because no one ever showed them that there was more to the world. People’s minds were taken over by greed and no one even knew what they truly wanted. All were united by their corner. The Last Poets say “the corner was our magic, our music, our politics,” after the second verse, describing how the corner meant hope, and differences. Every group had their own stories behind their corner, but the wars that were fought there were all the same. 

The aura of it was fearful, loud, lost and tired, but yet hopeful.  The song describes the streets, the poorness of it, how a lot of police are outside, it’s cold and dark out, people are being killed and robbed, basically it’s a dangerous place. Common wanted those who listened to this song to know that he’s from this place and that he got out of it, but it shaped him into who he is today. 

Word Count:183

Response to Crevecoeur 

Crevecoeur saw America as a promise land and a place for equality. I admire his mindset of hope and freedom because the way he saw America was perfect. The way it is now is close to how he described it but it’s not there yet and it’s something we need to work on. Equality is still not present, people are judged by their race, and we take for granted of the things we have and want more. But when looking at what Crevecoeur wrote it made me realize that America is so much more than we give it credit for.

When people came here it was almost so surreal to them that such a place existed and they were grateful for it, now in days on the other hand we overlook a lot of the freedom that we do have.  He explained how all nationalities were put together and created a new race, how it didn’t matter where you came from, you were still accepted no matter what and this was the start of a new beginning.  We forget that yes there still is racism but with time it has decreased and we have made a better living for people. America’s promise has been the same way since then and has held up to it.

Word count: 215