What is Great Writing?

< Harry Potter was a highly unusual boy in many ways. For one thing, he hated the summer holidays more than any other time of the year. For another, he really wanted to do his homework but was forced to do it in secret, in the dead of night. And he also happened to be a wizard.
~ Narrator

 "HELLO? HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME? I - WANT - TO - TALK - TO - HARRY - POTTER -"
< "THERE IS NO HARRY POTTER HERE! I DON'T KNOW WHAT SCHOOL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT! NEVER CONTACT ME AGAIN! DON'T YOU COME NEAR MY FAMILY!"
~ Ron Weasley, Vernon Dursley; conversation on the telephon

< Sirius Black, possibly the most infamous prisoner ever to be held in Azkaban fortress, is still eluding capture, the Ministy of Magic confirmed today.
< "We are doing all we can to recapture Black," said the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, this morning, "and we beg the magical community to remain calm."
< Fudge has been criticized by some members of the International Federation of Warlocks for informing the Muggle Prime Minister of the crisis.
< "Well, really, I had to, don't you know," said an irritable Fudge. "Black is mad. He's a danger to anyone who crosses him, magic or Muggle. I have the Prime Minister's assurance that he will not breathe a word of Black's true identity to anyone. And let's face it - who'd believe him if he did?"
< While Muggles have been told that Black is carrying a gun (a kind of metal wand Muggles use to kill each other), the magical community lives in fear of a massacre like that of twelve years ago, when Black murdered thirteen people with a single curse.
~ Daily Prophet article

"You are protected, in short, by your ability to love! The only protection that can possibly work against the lure of power likeVoldemort's! In spite of all the temptation you have endured, all the suffering, you remain pure of heart, just as pure as you were at the age of eleven, when you stared into a mirror that reflected your heart's desire, and it showed you only the way to thwartLord Voldemort, and not immortality or riches."

—Albus Dumbledore and Harry.^[src]

I chose the Harry Potter series to represent good writing. I couldn't find a whole passage, and the quotes above are not necessarily the best in the series, they are just examples of what I mean by great writing. I thing J.K. Rowling is very versatile in her writing and she shows that in this series. She talks with the voice of a narrator, she talks as Harry, and as all the many characters in the books. The amazing thing though, is that she puts so much thought and description into everything; the personalities of all characters are very complex and in depth. Her writing is so descriptive that a reader should have no problem picturing everything in their minds. I know that while I was reading these books, it was like I was at Hogwarts, or the Burrow. I think great writing has a lot to do with the readers reaction; if they feel like they can picture/experience everything she is writing about,while reading, I think that the book is a success. 

Reflection Proposal

Jillian Lynch

English 15

23 March 2012

Reflection Proposal

            When I was in high school I was President of Peer Mentoring, a program that helped the incoming freshmen with anything they needed, whether it be finding classes or bigger issues. One of the bigger issues that this program dealt with a lot was bullying, cyber-bullying being the most common. Bullying has always been common in the high school age, but with technology being what it is today, cyber-bullying- bullying someone via technology, has become the bigger issue. Why is that? Is society actually initiating this form of bullying?

            Social networking is the biggest thing for kids to connect with each other outside of school. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Formspring are all enablers of cyber-bullying, some being worse than others. I agree that Facebook is a great way to keep in touch with distant friends, and display photos, but when it is taken to the next level things can get out of hand. Luckily with Facebook anything you comment is linked to your name. This doesn’t mean that bullying can’t occur, it just isn’t anonymous. Twitter is similar, anything you tweet is linked to your name, but you can tweet about someone without directly “tagging” or mentioning them. Tumblr is a blogging site where people can post pictures of themselves or anything that “self-expresses” them, and they can also write whatever they want. Along with writing about themselves, people can comment with their usernames or anonymously. And lastly, Formspring, is a question and answer website, where anyone can ask questions or comments about someone anonymously.  I believe that the anonymity pushes cyber-bullying even further.

            When names are linked to comments or posts, people are extra careful about what they say; they are more afraid of getting in trouble. But, behind the anonymity of a computer, people are harsh; they say things they would be afraid to say otherwise. I know many friends who have received formspring comments from people they thought were friends, saying awful things.

            Is society giving us too many opportunities to cyber bully?

Logical Fallacy

This is a bandwagon appeal. It is saying that it is everyone in America's favorite mascara, so it should be yours too!