To Kill a Mockingbird: Redo Week of 10/20

Prompt: What characters have you tended to favor or admire in the Novel? Why?

Like I've said in many previous blogs, there are so many incredible characters in To Kill a Mockingbird, though there are three characters that I absolutely love the most; Calpurnia, Scout, and Tom Robinson.

     To begin, I truly admire Calpurnia. She is an African American woman, and even though most African Americans were discriminated against, she always seems to act proud and confident. Despite the color of her skin, she is a strong woman, who knows how to be polite and courteous at all times. Whether she's at Church, or simply working in the Finch household, she always conducts herself like a proper lady. She is very respected by all of the Finch's and most of the people in the neighborhood, even though she was of color. She is a very hard working lady, as she takes care of the cooking, cleaning, and well being of the Finch's home, and the Finch's themselves. She's always there when someone needs her. She was there when Atticus needed someone to help break the news to Helen Robinson that her husband died. She was there when Jem and Dill were excluding Scout, and she needed someone to talk to and hang out with, so she wasn't so lonely. Though most importantly, she is there to be a mother figure to Jem and Scout. It's very hard for children to live with only one parent, disciplining them, taking care of them, and teaching them. With Calpurnia there to be with the children, she can take care of them and be there for the children when their father can't be there, or in situations where only a woman can really be of assistance. She truly is a wonderful woman, despite her occasional tough love and slightly harsh discipline, and I truly admire her in To Kill a Mockingbird.

     Another character that I admire and have found a love for, is Scout. Scout's very intelligent and aware. Even from a very young age, she could both read and write, something some people in their 30's still were unable to do at this time in History. As time progresses, she is able to understand situations better, and gain stronger insights on events. Her growth is incredible, as I don't think that by the time I was 8 or 9, I was able to put myself in other's shoes and imagine their feelings, something Scout finds herself being able to do around this age. Besides her intelligence and understanding, I also admire how she is subtly but surely able to make the transition from an immature Tomboy, to a Lady. She surely does not make this change overnight, as I don't think anyone could, but you can slowly see the change. She goes from being too outspoken constantly saying the wrong things at the wrong times, to being able to compose herself in a court case, and have tea with her Aunt and neighbors while having appropriate and lady like conversations. She really matures over the course of the book, and that's where we can see her greater understanding of life and people. As at one point, she was completely critical of Boo Radley, believing every rumor she heard about him. Though, towards the end of the novel, we see her able to see things from his point of view, and realizes that the rumors she heard may not be true after all. Scout is an amazing young girl, and is pretty inspirational in her growth in my opinion!

     One last character that I really admire and find myself favoring, is Tom Robinson. Actually, I admire pretty much all African Americans during this time period! People of color were discriminated against, and we can obviously see this during the Trial of Tom Robinson, and how the African Americans are treated and spoken about in the book. Tom Robinson was accused of raping a White Woman, a crime that (once the trial was through) was clear that he didn't commit. Though, he was not found "Not Guilty" the case was appealed to a higher court. It amazes me though, how strong he was, even though he knew the cards were stacked against him. He knew he wasn't going to win the trial, because he was African American, but that didn't stop him from doing his best on the witness stand. He never cracked until the end, when he tried to escape, but he truly did put up the best fight he could. I couldn't imagine knowing that I didn't commit a crime, but being convicted of it anyways, knowing I wouldn't get out of the situation as "Not Guilty". I would be fearing for my life, I wouldn't be able to stay sane, I would be scared, and I wouldn't want to face anyone in court. Even if Tom was feeling any of these things, he really didn't show it! He conducted himself properly, didn't show anyone that he might be nervous or scared, and laid it all out. In the end, it didn't really pay off, as he was killed, but I will always think that he was the bravest, strongest, and frankly one of the most admirable characters in the Novel.

     So, those are some of the characters that I have found my self favoring and admiring in the Novel To Kill a Mockingbird.

To Kill a Mockingbird- Found Poetry

"What we Have Come to Understand About Atticus Finch"
By: Julia Swicionis

Was the bravest man.

Consider things from his point.

Not a man with a gun,

...a nigger lover.

He believed,

...love everybody.

It's not okay to hate anybody.

Atticus was right!

Hold your head high

...for goodness sake!

Use your mind,

...no matter what.

Try fighting with your head,

...fists down.

...believe firmly in integrity,

see what real courage is...

Real courage is...

Atticus Finch.

To Kill A Mockingbird: Character Relationships

     I have gotten to know and love many characters in To Kill a Mockingbird, but I would have to say that two of my favorites are Calpurnia and Miss Maudie. They both share many similarities and differences, but that's what makes their relationships to Scout even better, because she has both of them with their similarities and differences in her life to help her find her way. One of the greatest and most obvious similarities between these two characters are that they both serve as mother figures to Scout. This leads to most of their other similarities and difference because of their different influences and behaviors towards Scout. Because Scout lost her birth mother at such a young age, she grew up mostly under the influence of Calpurnia and Miss Maudie, and they have both taught her so much. They have helped her along as she is growing up and becoming more curious and intelligent everyday. Scout can really approach them about anything on her mind, and they will be there for her. Like when Dill and Jem were excluding Scout from their games, Miss Maudie was there to talk to her and serve as company. In the novel it says, “But I kept aloof from their more fool-hardy schemes for a while, and on pain of being called a girl, I spent most of the remaining twilights that summer sitting with Miss Maudie Atkinson on her front porch.” Calpurnia shows that Scout can come to her whenever she becomes lonely or needs anything, like Miss Maudie, also. When Jem seems to be growing up, Calpurnia notices that Scout seems to feel lonely as she can't really play or talk to Jem at this point. Calpurnia then says, "He's gonna want to be off by himself a lot now, doin' whatever boys do, so you just come right on in the kitchen when you feel lonesome. We'll find lots of things to do in here." Calpurnia and Miss Maudie surely always do seem to be there when Scout feels desolate or lonely. Another similarity between the two are the fact that they both take pride in the way that they look, and when they are cleaned up, they look quite incredible. We can see this from Calpurnia in the novel when Calpurnia makes sure herself and the children are extra clean and well dressed for church, and when Miss Maudie is described as a "magisterial beauty" once she has cleaned herself up. They both make sure they look exceptional, as they do not want to be misconceived by the way they look.

Now, with the many similarities between Calpurnia and Miss Maudie, there are also many differences. To start off, Scout, though loves them both dearly, views them both with different perspectives. Calpurnia is seen as being more strict, giving tough love, and having great power over the children. Though, Miss Maudie is seen to be more gentle and kind towards the children, showing her love a little more explicitly towards people, unlike Calpurnia, who might be showing love in a way that is not seen by the naked eye. We can see these ideas about these characters through multiple instances, but we know that Scout feels this way about the ladies when she describes Calpurnia as having a "Tyrannical Presence" while she describes Miss Maudie as having a "Benign Presence". Regardless of how they are perceived or show their love and affection for not only Scout but people in general, they are both commonly compassionate women. Another difference between these two characters is that Calpurnia actually lives with the Finch's as their Cook and Maid, while Miss Maudie is simply a close family friend and neighbor. So, Calpurnia has probably been seen as more of a mother figure, as she physically lives in the same house as Scout, and can have more of an influence on her at home than Miss Maudie can. One last difference between these two characters are that Calpurnia is African American, and Miss Maudie is White. Skin color might not seem like a very big difference now a days, but in the 1930's, it showed great diversity. African American's were discriminated against at this time in history, and received a lot of prejudice and racism. So, Miss Maudie was most likely treated with more respect than Calpurnia, because she was White skinned, and did not receive any type of prejudice like Calpurnia might have.

Even though Calpurnia, Miss Maudie, and Scout are all very kind, intelligent, well spoken people, I wouldn't say any of them are direct alter egos of each other. Scout reflects Calpurnia and Miss Maudie more in this aspect, than they reflect Scout. This is because they were the two women that helped Scout to achieve these qualities. So, I don't think that Miss Maudie or Calpurnia are exactly alter egos of Scout, but I do think that Calpurnia serves as a foil to Scout. Calpurnia is pretty stern and proper. She's not obnoxious in this way, but she makes sure that she acts correctly at all times, and has a stricter way of living life. Though, Scout seems to be very outspoken, and doesn't always make sure she has a filter. She occasionally says things that could offend another, and Calpurnia would never allow things to be said without a filter. So when Scout does say something offensive, it's very obvious by the way Calpurnia reacts that she in fact shows to be opposite of this trait of Scout's. We can see this come out in one instance when Walter Cunningham comes over for lunch, and Scout questions the fact that he pours syrup all over his meal. The novel says, "Walter lured Syrup on his vegetables and meat with a generous hand. He would probably have poured it into his milk glass if had not I asked what the Sam Hill he was doing. The silver saucer clattered when he returned the pitcher, and he quickly put his hands in his lap. Then he ducked his head. Atticus shook his head at me again. 'But he's gone and drowned his dinner in syrup,' I protested. 'He's poured it all over.'" Then Calpurnia pulls Scout aside and says, "There's some folks who don't eat like us," she whispered fiercely, "but you ain't called on to contradict 'em at the table when they don't. That boy's yo' comp'ny and if he wants to eat up the table cloth you let him, ya hear?" Then Scout responds, "He ain't company Cal. He's just a Cunningham." Finally, Calpurnia says, "Hush your mouth! Don't matter who they are, anybody sets foot in this house's yo' comp'ny, and don't you let me catch you remarkin' on their ways like you was so high and mighty!" From this predicament, we can clearly see that Cal and Scout are Foils of each other due to the fact that Scout is very outspoken and opinionated; not having a filter, while Cal acts more polite and filtered, and would never say something disrespectful to someone it might offend.

To Kill A Mockingbird: Photo Analysis

Store with false front. Vicinity of Selma, Alabama

• Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, DC 20540 http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print

     When I first look at this photograph, I see a ramshackle building that is very run down. I see a lone gas pump, that doesn't look like it's been used in a while. I see just a few people standing around, but for the most part, it's vacant and empty. This building seems to be standing in the middle of a field with other farmhouses in the background. There are a couple of trees, and the ground mainly consists of dry, tufts of grass in disarray. There's a bunch of litter/trash around the porch of this building, and it doesn't look like anybody has worried about keeping this area in order. From all of this, I can infer that this may be a small place where people meet to possibly hang out, and relax. It may be a convenience store, and a place where people can come to get gas, and little things they may need (food, water, cigarettes, etc.). Though, it doesn't really look like anyone's buying anything. It's right in the middle of fields and a few other farmhouses, so it's most likely a common area for this area of land. Though, because there are very few people around, we can assume that it's pretty tired and vacant. It's not very crowded, or busy. With all of the trash also, it looks like it hasn't been well taken care of. After, looking at this photo, I am wondering, Who took this picture? What importance did they see in taking this photograph? Is this building actually something along the lines of a convenience store? I ask this because there's really nothing to prove that it is one, I am simply assuming. Also, why is it in the middle of fields and other houses? I would think it would be a little but more separated. I am wondering as well if it was common for buildings like the one pictured to be vacant and tired. You would think more people would be there to get necessities and such, or to just get a break from work. One final thing I would want to know would be, is this considered a common area for the residents of this area? I mean, you would think because it looks like it's a place where people could go to get gas, food, water, etc. and chill out, out of the hot sun. Though, it doesn't look like many people are there to get these things and or take a break and relax. That's what I could see from this photo, what I can infer, and what I'm still wondering

     I believe this could be Maycomb County, Alabama because they describe the town square in the novel, very similarly to how this picture appears. In the book it says, "People moved slowly then. They ambled across the square, shuffled in and out of the stores around it. A day was twenty-four hours long but seemed longer. There was no hurry, for there was nowhere to go, nothing to buy and no money to buy it with, nothing to see outside the boundaries of Maycomb County." This small description sounds like it could be describing something similar to the photograph above. The building looks like it could be a shop or store in a small town square in the middle of Maycomb County. The people around look like they are in no hurry to go anywhere, and though are near the shop, aren't buying anything. Also, the book says that outside of the town square, there was really nowhere else to go, which is what it seems like in this photo. Outside the shop, there are only fields and a couple houses, there really doesn't seem like there's anything or anywhere else to go where people could possibly enjoy themselves or simply go just to hang out. The photo just looks like it could be the slow moving town square described in To Kill A Mockingbird. It's in a central area where I would assume most town squares are, there are few people walking around and don't seem to be in a hurry or buying anything, just like the book describes the people in the town square and the town square itself. 

The Outsiders: Week of 11/17/14

Pages: 1-118
Prompt: Can you relate yourself or the World to any of the characters in the book you are reading? If so, how?

     I just started reading The Outsiders this week, and I'm actually surprised by how much I'm really enjoying it! The characters are all very different and distinct, but they're all real and genuine; a quality pretty hard to create in fictional characters. There have been a few instances where I have found myself relating to certain characters, but maybe not the character themselves. This meaning, I could relate to one of their actions or something they said, not the character as a whole! There have also been a few instances where I found myself relating something a character said to the real World! I could apply a lot of what was said to real life, as a lot of the quotes really give us insight on how our World and the people in it, really work!

     The first character that I can find relation to is Cherry Valance. In the book, Cherry and Ponyboy were having a conversation about the Socs beating up his friend Johnny, a Greaser (two rival groups who refer to each other under these names). After that, Ponyboy and Cherry are talking to each other about how not all Socs and Greasers are the same, and may not all have the reputation that people believe. It says, "'I'll bet you think the Socs have it made. Rich kids, the West-side Socs. I'll tell you something, Ponyboy, and it may come as a surprise. We have troubles you've never even heard of. You want to know something?' She looked me straight in the eye. 'Things are rough all over.'" I think that a lot of people, don't realize this whole idea that everyone has problems! Just because things may seem perfect for someone, doesn't mean they are. I feel like I am someone who may be looked at like I don't have any problems. I'm a pretty nice kid, who gets really good grades, is a great dancer, gets to travel all over the World, has a tight knit family, is living above the poverty line, always has food on the table, and a bed to sleep in. I should have nothing to complain about, right? What else could I want? Well, I don't need anything else. I'm content with the life I live. I'm actually unbelievably grateful! Though, aside from having an amazing family, and food and water and shelter, I have a lot of stress. Keeping the grades I have and staying at the level I am in dance can be difficult and stressful sometimes. Actually, all of the time! Everything may look okay, or maybe you can see that I struggle sometimes. Though, I usually try not to show if I'm too out of sorts. I have problems just like everyone else, and I can really relate to what Cherry said at this part in the novel.

     The second character that I can find relation to is Ponyboy. In the novel Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally are walking home with Cherry and Marcia. Being from different "social classes" it wasn't very common for them to be hanging out together. As Ponyboy it thinking about this, it says, "Maybe the two different Worlds we lived in weren't so different. We saw the same sunset." I think it's hard for people to look at the bigger picture of things in the World, because we are all so focused in our own little worlds. We tend to forget that we are not so different from everyone else in the World, no matter who or what they are. Yes, there is a difference in where you live, and how much money you have, and your gender, and your thoughts. Though in the end, we all see the same sunset (kind of; the sun doesn't set at the same time everywhere) we all see the same moon rise in the sky. There are little things in the World that bring us all together, and remind us that the differences that separate everyone, only reach a certain extent before we find all of the similarities! We all eat three meals a day, we all go shopping, and sleep, and read, and go swimming, and go to school; generally. Obviously people in countries that are not as fortunate and advanced as the U.S. don't have the opportunity to go to school, or go shopping regularly. Though, like it says in the book, we all see the sunrise. In the end we are not that different after all.

     One last character I can find relation to is Two Bit. Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally were recognized in the paper for saving the children from the burning church, and they were described as heroes. Two Bit then says, “Y'all were heroes from the beginning. You just didn't 'turn' all of a sudden” I very much agree with this idea that you don't just turn into a hero all of a sudden, even if you show one amazing act of bravery and kindness. Becoming known as a hero, in my opinion, is a build up of all of the courageous and amazing things you've done in your life, to be able to earn that title. You could actually be a terrible kid, who is in gangs and commits crimes, but saves an elder from being hit by a car and is magically known as this "hero". He doesn't show any other heroic qualities. If it hadn't been for that single act of if bravery and kindness, he wouldn't be known a  hero. I think what Two Bit is trying to say, is that even though Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally were in the paper for doing one courageous act of kindness, they were already heroes and kind people in the past. They just were able to show this for the first time in front of cameras. I think that a lot of people in the World see someone who has done something great that gets them publicity, so they think this person is "all that and a bag of chips," when really, they just got lucky that this act was caught on camera and shared. Ponyboy, Johnny, and Dally had already been great people, they didn't just get this title all of a sudden. They were just finally recognized.

Nightjohn: Week of 11/10/14

Pages: 1-92 (Finished)
Prompt: Analyze the impact word choice has on the meaning or tone of the text. Analyze how dialogue or specific incidents reveal information about characters. Make sure to include textual evidence.

*WARNING* This is a very long blog, because I had so much to say! 

     This week, for Social Studies class, we were required to read the book Nightjohn. Nightjohn is Historical Fiction, written by Gary Paulson. It's about a young girl's (Sarny) experience with Slavery. She comes in counter with a new Slave, John, which is why the title is Nightjohn. The book gives very vivid descriptions of Slave life on a plantation, and shows the extreme brutality Slaves faced.

     Word choice, has a huge impact on Nightjohn. I mean, Gary Paulson, really had no other choice. If he didn't choose to include strong, descriptive words, for how the Slaves were treated, or how the Slaves looked, then we wouldn't be able to see the full picture. The harsh ways the Slaves were treated, wouldn't be portrayed as well. Some of the words he uses aren't very complex either. They just have a very powerful affect with the context they are written in. For example, when a new Slave comes to the Plantation (John) his physical state is described when Sarny says, “His back was all over scars from old whippings. The skin across his shoulders and down was raised in ripples, thick as my hand, up and down his back and onto his rear end and down his legs some more." When Sarny describes John's back as having ripples from all of the whipping, you can visualize it so much better. You can picture it, and almost feel it. I know that when I read this part of the novel, my skin rose, and I could practically feel what had happened to John! Paulson uses better word choice, to help evoke the sorrowful and harsh tone of the book. Though, this quote can be used to help evoke the tone as well. Through this, we can see that Gary is showing how terribly the Slaves were treated, and you could tell, just based on how they looked. Because Paulson does not not hold back on the descriptions of the Slaves, we can really feel that unpleasant tone in the atmosphere. 

     Another place in the story where word choice has an impact on the novel is when Mammy is talking to Sarny about learning. It was technically against the law for Slaves to learn to read or write, or to learn any letters or numbers. If they were caught doing one of these things, they could face extreme punishment. In the story, Mammy says, "Don’t. They catch you doing that and they’ll think you’re learning to read. You learn to read, and they’ll whip you till your skin hangs.” This description, of someone's skin hanging off, is absolutely disgusting. Slaves were given punishments this unbelievable, and Paulson is really able to show that, through how he describes what happens to the Slaves if they break even the stupidest of rules! The two examples I gave, were not the only in the story used to describe the abominable "wounds" of the Slaves. Gary Paulson did an excellent job showing us how gruesomely Slaves were treated through every single one of his descriptions. This quote, again, shows the unpleasant tone, because Gary is describing a terrible consequence Slave's faced. It is disgusting, and leaves that harsh feeling in the room as we hear that the Slave's skin could literally hang off of their bodies! It also gives the novel a more stern tone, as Mammy is very serious about not wanting Sarny to read. It becomes more serious, as Sarny has to realize that her actions could have major consequences.

This isn't exactly word choice, more of the way Gary Paulson wrote the book. So, if you want to skip this paragraph it would be okay, because it does not exactly fit with the prompt. Though, Gary Paulson wrote the book where he made all of the Slave's dialogue a certain way. He used incorrect grammar, to actually show us how Slave's spoke, because they weren't educated. As you saw in the last paragraph, if they were caught learning, they could face punishments that would really hurt their bodies! It's decently subtle, but extremely obvious at the same time! He's able to only take out one word in sentence that sounds like it should be there, or write a instead of an in places. For example, in the story when Sarny is speaking, she says, "A big hand grabbed the back of my shirtdress and dragged me up off my feet so I be hanging there." We would most likely say this statement as, "A big had grabbed the back of my shirtdress, and dragged me up off of my feet so that I was hanging there." We know it's incorrect, but most Slave's did not because they did not receive proper education, if even the slightest education at all! I just think that this is important to bring up because, if Gary Paulson didn't have the Slave's talk this certain way, then the story wouldn't be the same. The Slaves wouldn't be as easily distinguished from the other people, and it wouldn't really set the tone and mood as well. It also wouldn't be as accurate, because I'm sure one of the goals in writing this book, was to make it as realistic as possible.

Now, there's one specific event that I feel reveals a lot about two certain characters. This is shown by both the word choice, and the actions the characters make. We are really able to see their true colors! I'm going to include an excerpt from the Novel to show what I mean.

"What are you doing?"
A big hand grabbed the back of my shirtdress and dragged me up off my feet so that I be hanging there.
"Tell me what you're doing." He was ugly. Pale white maggot ugly and I could smell his ugliness on him-white ugly. Stink of bad sweat and whiskey and smoke and fat food. I didn't say nothing.
     He shook me like a dog shaking a rat.
     
     ....
     
     "Don't know nothing about writing."
     He hit me then. Be holding me with both hands, one on each shoulder so I'm facing him, and he quick drops one hand and hits me with his fist alongside the head as I fall.
     I saw lights. Exploding colors.
     "Don't lie to me. You tell me the the truth of it and I'll let you off. Where did you learn to write?"
     "Don't know nothing about writing," I said again. I had dropped all the way down and was sitting in the dirt looking up at him but it put me in a bad place.

As you can see, there's a lot going on in this excerpt! We can surely see a lot about the characters Sarny (the Slave who is denying learning to write) and Clel Waller (the Slave owner who is beating Sarny). What we learn about Sarny, is that first, she is very brave. She continually denies learning to write, even though she continues to get beaten every time she lies. From the word choice of Paulson, we can see that what Waller is doing, is pretty disgusting and terrible! Sarny was hit so hard, that she saw colors! She was also being shaken like (as said in the story) a dog shaking a rat! This is alluding to the fact that Slaves are treated like animals! Though Sarny perseveres through all of the pain! The things that Clel Waller is doing to Sarny, really show us that he is a monstrous! He is really a sickening man! A large man, beating a small child is just outrageous! Though, because Sarny continues to receive the beatings and keeps her mouth shut, we can see that she values friendship. This may not be obvious by looking just at this excerpt from the story, but it does make sense. Sarny learned to write from John. As she is being shaken or hit, she could just easily let Clel Waller know that John taught her to write. All of her misery could simply end. Though, she takes the pain, to save the pain of her friend, John. She does it to protect him, showing that she values their friendship. One last thing we can see about Sarny from this excerpt, is that she thinks of her Owner as a very nasty person. She is not blind to the fact that what he is doing is unjust. We get to see what she personally thinks of Clel. Gary Paulson's word choice helps us to really see what Sarny thinks, as well. She describes Waller as ugly (we can assume not only on the outside, but on the inside), and like a maggot, and stinks of disgusting cigarettes and whisky. We don't always get to know exactly how Slaves would describe their owners, and how Sarny describes Waller, shows that she clearly dislikes him very much!

Tourette Syndrome: Week of 11/3/14

Pages: 1-End
Prompt: Describe the topic that you learned about in your Non-fiction piece. Can you relate what you've learned about to your own life?

This week, I decided to branch out a little bit. I wanted to try something new. So, I decided to read a Non-fiction piece of writing. Normally, I don't really go for Non-fiction pieces. I find them very boring to read. I would much rather lose myself in Fantasy or Fiction; genres that bring more life and interest to myself. So, I decided to pick a topic I knew nothing about. Maybe because I had no knowledge on the subject, I would find it more interesting to learn about. This showed to be true, because I learned so much factual information on Tourette Syndrome. I'm guessing very few people in our school know about Tourette Syndrome as well! It will be interesting if I start talking to someone about it, or someone reads my blog! I would love to know if they were interested in the topic because they knew nothing about it! After reading this book, I definitely think I'm going to start reading more Non-fiction. Learning about new topics and important figures and such, will really broaden my horizons to new knowledge! I've never heard of Tourette Syndrome before, and now, I can actually have an educated conversation about it! I hope to gain so much more insight on anything that I can read about, that I didn't previously know!

I've learned a lot about Tourette Syndrome through reading Tourette Syndrome By: Marlene Targ Brill. Tourette Syndrome is a condition where a person will constantly repeat a certain movement or sound, which they have no control over. The physical disorder is estimated to affect 100,000 people in the U.S. alone. The repeated sounds and movements the people make, are referred to as Tics. Tics come suddenly, and quickly, at very irregular and inappropriate times. They can be simple or complex; motor or vocal. Though they will repeat for very long periods of time. Some tics include eye blinking, shoulder shrugging, muscle tensing, grunting, sniffing, coughing, belching, barking, scratching, smelling objects, repeating others actions and words, and many more. The main trigger of a tic, is emotion. When a person with Tourette Syndrome gets very angry, or excited, or upset, the tics will begin to occur. Currently, there is no real diagnosis. Dr. Gille de la Tourette, believed that it just ran in the family. in 1960, people believed that it was a mental illness that people were born with. Even though the cause is unclear, it is definitely not contagious. To control Tourette Syndrome, you can take medication. Most parents of kids with the condition tend to opt for something different, but it's an option. Non-medication options are going on a diet. Making sure you get all of your vitamins and nutrients. Even going to therapy or getting surgery are possibilities. That's just the basics I learned about Tourette Syndrome, and it was actually much more intriguing than I originally thought it would be!

What I've learned about Tourette Syndrome can definitely relate to my own life. I learned that OCD (Obsessive Compulsion Disorder) though is not the same as Tourette Syndrome, shares a similar behavior pattern. I have never been diagnosed by a doctor as having OCD, but I can tell I have a mild form of it (to say the least). I always want everything to be perfect. I want perfect grades, I want to be perfectly organized. I'm obsessed with just being on track and, well, perfect (even if I don't always end up "on track"). What takes place of the tic, in the context of OCD is compulsion. I will randomly have the urge to organize my room, or redo an assignment. This is because I'll be stressed out about the un-organization. Then I will feel relief, but go back to the need for perfection. This is like how Tourette Syndrome works. You start off with a trigger (most likely something to cause you to feel great emotion) and then you get the tic. You start uncontrollably barking or scratching, or whatever your tic brings. Then, you are able to feel relief, but the cycle continues. So, I guess you can say I can kind of relate to Tourette Syndrome. I go through a similar "cycle" just with OCD. It's very interesting the the two disorders actually relate to each other! I found out that I have a connection to Tourette Syndrome, and I'd never even heard about it before this week!