Why is this a classic?

What categorizes  a book to be a classic? Is it the style of writing, or the person who writes it? I think for a book to be a classic the book has to have meaning and be unique. If a book is unprecedented and contains well written work then I consider it a classic. I gathered this be reading other books that were considered a classic. For instance, reading Shakespear's books. Shakespeare himself wrote many classic books. Shakespeare book are different than pretty much all the books i ever read. This is because of the way it was written. Its almost like a pom, he uses a special style of writing that no other author uses. His writing caught on, and everyone loved it. This is how it became a classic in my mind. Also, for a book to be a classic, it has to leave a lasting impression on the world. It has to last a long time. So in order for a book to be a classic it has to be acknowledged and loved by the readers, and it must be unique.

My Comments to Others!

 JJ said... To Shayna

Hey shayna, Im not sure about this one. I think committing revenge is just as guilty as the person who committed the task. For example using your bully scenario. If the girl who was getting picked on went back and got revenge on the bully wouldn't she be steeping as low as the bully? I think for the most part taking the high road is the best bet. You show that you can handle things as a mature person and not everything should be put into payback or revenge but sometimes it is unavoidable

 JJ said... To Jen

Jen, yes sadly you are dead on. There are tons of women who date specifically rich men. Some call them gold diggers, i call them lazy. Celebrities that are "looking for love" are pretty much asking...oh hey date me and you can live the luxurious life and have tons of money and fame. I can almost guarantee that half the contestants on the show are not in it for the celebrity but for the money or fame. But i mean you cant answer many of these topics because on the other hand i know there are people out there who don't care about the money they just love the person because they are genuine. I know that many people out there want to live the good life with tons of money but is money worth living a crappy life with someone you don't even love?

 JJ said... To Mike DeCotiis

Hey mike, i must agree with you here. I think pretty much everyone is responsible for their actions. I think its a pretty immature and irresponsible for a parent to blame a child for their mistake. They are too immature to take responsibility for their own actions. Also, mike there are people out there who love people even though they don't have money. There aren't many, but there are some.

Not all rich people are snobby... but sadly most are

To become a wealthy individual, there comes hard work. To be rich you have to earn it and i know many people don't understand that, especially children that were born into rich families. I know many kids who beg their dads and moms for porsche convertible or mercedes for their birthday, or throw huge parties that cost thousands of dollars.  A lot of the times they get what they want. Everything they get is handed to them when most kids have to work hard for a reward. These spoiled children end up turning into stingy and selfish, well, brats. They think they are better than everyone else and they could buy their way out of many situations. But i do know that  there are people who are completely well grounded despite their bulging bank account. I know there are people out there that are extremely wealthy, but you would never know. This is because they understand that money isn't everything. They grew up learning the lesson that through hard-work comes money, but also  you can't buy happiness with money. These people didn't let paper take control of their lives. So i would have to say that, No, not all rich people are stingy and selfish, many are but there are some who are well grounded and perfectly satisfied. 

My Comments to Others

To Mike DeCotiis, 

 JJ said...

Hey mike, I love your connection. It's a funny and modern connection that many kids and in class can understand. I know a lot of people who watched that movie and didn't realize you could connect it to such a influential book. Also, i totally agree with what you are trying to convey. I think that Elijiah shouldn't care whether or not Malcolm is a good speaker, as long as he has NOI he should be at peace. But once again the deadly sin of envy steps in. I agree with your point and love you connection. Good job and nice blog!

To Shayna

 JJ said...

Shayna, this was such an intense post! The connection between your person life and malcolm was extraordinary! I must agree and disagree with your argument. I think for the most part many things are written. For me, religion is a big part of my life and i believe god chooses the life i follow. I think his path for me will be one that i am unable to change but it has a purpose. Yes i'm sure there are going to be tough times in my life but i know there will be a reason for them. Such as a lesson that will give me experience to reach a better life. But in some cases i do think that i can change my life. I believe in certain cases i do have the power to change my future. These instances include getting better grades or preforming well in sports. i can achieve this but only if i have the desire and drive. So it might be that life is written but i believe that its a little bit of both and its all for a reason

To Kimberly 

 JJ said...

I totally agree. I think when most people are reading the beginning chapters of Malcolm X they question his future leadership. How can someone so into illegal behaviors be such a sensational figure in society today.

To Rhina

 JJ said...

Rhina, your two connections in this post was great! I agree with you one hundred percent that the islamic religion had saved his life. His jail time had created a new malcolm. Your article on leading a good life after jail was also perfect. Malcolm, after leaving jail, lead a clean, legal, and beneficial lifestyle in which many people are unable to do. It would be expected that Malcolm would go right back to drugs but he was able to turn his life around. In addition, the connection you make with your family is very intense. Its very personal which i give you a lot of credit for sharing. I believe that the things you love give you responsibility. Good post!

Hero or just influential? (#5)

I knew before reading Malcolm X that Malcolm is a big figure in the African American community especially in Harlem. When I first received his autobiography I expected it to be a book all about his high points in life and all of his successful moments but i was terrible wrong. It exposed Malcolm's true life, depicting the hard life he struggled with.  Malcolm had to consistently overcome obstacles in his life some tougher than others. These included drugs,  stealing, and most importantly he had to overcome his black skin. But are all of these enough to be considered a hero? Well malcolm didn't just overcome these obstacles, he also helped others overcome them as well. Malcolm preached to blacks and also sets a good example to them. He convey that they can achieve anything. But some can argue that Malcolm was not heroic as compared to others of the time. For instance some people believe that he did not withhold up to Martin Luthers accomplishments of that time.  "His legacy did not add up to inspiring one important piece of legislation, leading one important march or actually getting anything done that had objective significance." (Crouch 1). I found an article that expresses ones opinion on Malcolm X. For instance, their opinion on Malcolm X expressed that he was nothing but a "charismatic heckler". They believed that Martin was a greater leader. One of the greatest differences between these two important African Americans is that one accepted violence as a way to convey their point while the other believes in peaceful persuasion. Malcolm X choose the path of violence as a way to convey his message. This might be a reason to consider him less of a hero compared to Martin Luther's peaceful teachings. I believe that Malcolm was an influential person of that time to blacks but i believe he can be a hero to certain people. The definition of hero states "A person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities." (New Oxford American Dictionary) Whether Malcolm falls under that definition depends entirely on who you ask. So it still leaves the question, is he a hero or just an influence African American of the time? Its up to you to decide. 

Jealousy (#4)

The progression between Malcolm's and Elijah relationship has started to break apart. Elijah's reasoning for this hatred would be the result of Malcolm's great ability to communicate with the people. These skills were born, not from books or teaching but through life experiences. Elijiah, the original leader of the Nation of Islam, is enraged at the overwhelming popularity of Malcolm. Elijah's hatred is so overwhelming that it is even to the point where he wants Malcolm dead. I disagree with Elijiah's decision to hate Malcolm. I think if Elijah appreciates and truly loves the Nation of Islam he shouldn't care that Malcolm is the most popular leader of the Nation of Islam. I believe that jealousy is the cause of  a lot of hatred in the world, the newest being our president, Barack Obama. Barack Obama is a well qualified president and he has the capability to take control of the United States and lead us into well being but many will disagree. I discovered from an article that there are many people posting racial and threatening comments on the internet about Barack Obama. I see this as an act of envy. So many people,  mostly caucasians, are jealous of Barack's presidential status considering he is black. Elijah was angered and jealous by Malcolm's popularity to the people of NOI, just like the white people are jealous of Baracks ability to be president. People who believe in white supremacy don't want African Americas to have a seat of power, they want blacks to support the whites not rise above them. This I must disagree with. Blacks should have an equal opportunity that whites have. I believe that Barack should be accepted as our president despite his skin color. As long as you love America, and the president is doing good for the United States why should it matter who is our president?

Harlem Field trip (#3)

Yesterdays field trip was such a great learning experience. The tour through harlem showed us many historical landmarks that are present in harlem. Out tour guide was a good spirited, harlem born and raised, native. He taught us all we needed to know about harlem. The changes of harlem that he was telling the class really caught my attention. Harlem has changed both for good and for bad. For instance Harlem has grown to be a safer place to live. I remember him saying,  "there has been a 60 percent crime decrease in Harlem". That is a huge decrease in crime! Not only did violent crimes and death decrease but also the drug dealing and the prostitution had slowed down. The mosque, Masjid Malcolm Shabazz, in which we visited had also explained to us this change in violence. One of the preachers at the mosque told us that they don't lock or gate their building. This is because they trust the people of Harlem, and trust that no one would ruin this sacred and holy historical place. But along with the good transformation of Harlem came the bad. Neal Shoemaker, our wonderful tour guide, was telling us the uprising of the wealthy people. Some of Harlem is becoming too expensive for some people to live and this might cause trouble. For instance, one of the newly constructed buildings in Harlem, was bought by Jay-Z and Beyonce for millions of dollars. This is causing trouble because many Harlem citizens can't even afford certain houses. This is called the process of gentrification. During the gentrification process A certain place is flooded with money and good investments. This causes the place to raise to an upper class of wealth. In the article, What is gentrification,  it explains the causes and reasons for gentrification. In addition to that, I notice that the new buildings architecture relates nothing to the old architecture. This might not seem like a big influence but I believe it changes the environment of Harlem. These modern buildings have a totally different style then what is already in Harlem. I think the old buildings style and designed contributes to make Harlem what it is today. It gives it more of a historical feel. Another interesting aspect in our field trip to Harlem was the Apollo theater. First off, our tour guide for the Apollo theater, Billy, was amazing. He had such energy and was able to convey the huge significance of this theater. It was amazing to know I was able to go on stage where so many famous African American people were born into stardom. Harlem has come along way from what I read in Malcolms autobiography. It is so fascinated to see how fast Harlem has changed over a short period of time. At this rate I wonder how Harlem will be for the next generation of children.