Reflecting on the book and thinking about the many themes we have written about this semester, which theme you did enjoy thinking and writing about the most and why, or which theme intrigued you the most and why. Did this book spark a curiosity in you that encouraged you to read other texts on the same subject? Di you enjoy the book? Why or Why not?
Harman Dhaliwal
5/16/2016 02:02:17 pm
The theme I found most interesting to write/talk about was the concern of violence in the lives of the youth. Throughout the text, stories are expressed of individuals that experienced real trauma leading to their eventual sentencing. Also, I was intrigued by how law enforcement handles young offenders and crimes. Most importantly, Bates did a great job channeling the racism and homophobia that continues to run rampant behind bars. These themes seemed to resonate with me because of how relevant they are. Everyday, we see new crimes committed; we see the names and faces but never the stories. I have always been especially interested in studying the brain of criminals. Bates did this without ever explicating stating it. She used Shakespeare as a way to communicate with the convicts. It allowed them to open up and express themselves. I would not necessarily read a similar book in the future, because this is not my preferred genre in books. Overall, the book was neither terrible or great. It was sort of middle of the ground, honestly. I would still recommend the text to anyone that craves a new read. Ultimately, "Shakespeare Saved My Life" is not my cup of tea, but still a great piece of literature for fans of this genre. 5/16/2016 06:00:10 pm
The theme I enjoyed most this semester was probably our personal “prisons.” The reason why is because we do not normally take a few moments to do some self-reflecting. I am totally guilty of this, I do not think about what is holding me back until I am in that moment of being held back or I “have to” think about it. I think it is always good to know where you stand within your own mind. Being ignorant to all your fears and “walls” will only create bigger problems in my opinion.
Shang Yang
5/18/2016 10:21:29 am
Laura Bates did an excellent job on portraying Newton's story in a different point of view. She did not assume and judge what Newtons did accordingly to his past crimes and past mistake. Instead, she quietly listens to his side of the story and understood his opinion wholeheartedly. The one theme that I enjoyed the most or the theme that intrigued me is to learn how to give other second chances. I learned that second chances are hard to give out and are easy to take advantage of. This theme really hit me in the heart because I really have an issue distributing second chances to others. Once someone, who is close to me, has broken my dearest trust it is hard to rebuild that bond back. I have to isolate myself and rethink of the option: should I give them another chance? Do I really care for them? Will I believe that they will change for good if I give them another chance? Who knows! Whenever I give second chances, I always end up doubting myself. Asking myself if I will be taken advantage of. Although this book is an amazing book I would not look forward to reading similar books. This genre is not the type of genre that will give me interest yet. Maybe it will in the future but for now no. I did enjoy this book a lot. It actually opened up my mind about inmates and their decisions. As Shakespeare saved Newton's life it can save anyone's life as well. Thank you, Bate and Newtons, for evaluating this awesome story to let other close-minded people understand the struggles that most minority of the inmates experiences.
Mikayla Lockard
5/19/2016 06:34:59 pm
Literature can change your life. It's that simple you read and you write and as you're doing that you're actually critically thinking. Thinking about what the underlying meaning in the book is and thinking about why that matters. You're thinking about how it relates to you and your life which makes you think about your life. That's what this book taught not only Newton but myself as well. As I was reading this book and doing the discussions back it all helped m reflect on something different that was important. Stuff such as my past mistakes and why I did them, or why them mattered, and why people deserve second chances, but most importantly that everything in the past got us to where we are today. Everything happens for a reason, mistakes and all. I used to look back on my past and regret a lot but throughout this semester I have been able to accept and now come to enjoy my past. I'm proud of every single moment because it's what has gotten me to where I am today. Pick up a book because like Newton and myself it could change your life.
Jacksan Lee
5/23/2016 11:17:51 am
The only things that I like about this book is that she is very brave to have done what she did. It takes a lot of guts to go and teach prisoners and try to give them a education too. If I was in her situation I would really be scared. Also, this book is very good to read because it really makes you think a lot about second chances. Everyone deserves to have a second chances when they really need it. I know that second chances is something that you earn but sometimes you must be the better one and give it. Another one is that at the beginning of this book really connected to me because she was not able to gain support from people around her. I know and understand that first hand. She took and did everything herself. I am glad to have picked this book, I think that this book is worth talking in class because it has a lot of things to talk about.
Alicia Torres
5/24/2016 04:00:23 pm
The theme that intrigued me the most and the one I enjoyed writing about was how everyone has a boat in their life which can cause us to put ourselves in our own “prisons”. I enjoyed it because we talked about how fears can hold us back sometimes. I think the reason I was intrigued by it was because I can relate to this topic the most. I tend to let fear hold me back from achieving some things and writing about it really helped me realize that I shouldn't let it be that way. That weeks topic reminded me of a book I read by Rachel Van Dyken and a quote from the book stood out the most. The quote says “Fear is what makes us feel alive. Fear causes our blood vessels to constrict, and then the amygdala, a tiny almond shaped part of our brain, sends signals to our nervous system. The signal says run or fight” (163). Every time I'm close to letting fear prevent me from letting me do things I think of this quote and I choose to fight. I fight the fear because I believe that sometimes fear can be a good thing when it challenges you to face your fear.
Danielle Izaguirre
5/27/2016 06:24:06 pm
I personally did enjoy the book. The book gives an awesome perspective on how it is in prison from an inmates point of view. One of my favorite themes was youth violence. Probably for the fact that I'm pursuing to have a career in criminal justice to help juveniles go on a better path and not to end up in prison or the juvenile judicial system. Comments are closed.
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