My  characters name is Murdock. He has problem, he has inane urges to kill. Ever since he was a boy he killed animals for fun and dreamed about what it would be like to kill another human being. This urge grew in him until one day he snapped and killed someone outside a bar who was yelling at him. He cleaned up the mess so he wouldn't get caught but he felt good after. Surely he couldn't keep killing innocent people, what would his family think. He began killing off really bad people, drug lords, pimps, rapists etc. He was a hero to the community known as the white assassin. Little did they know he did just because he liked to kill.

The social issue that gets me going is the Keystone bill. Democrats believe that with the Keystone bill comes environmental hazards and the fact that TransCanada would use eminent domain in the United States to obtain the land needed to build the pipes. Republicans believe that it will create tons of new jobs and stimulate the economy. However, the State Department did a review on it and found that environmentally keystone did very little to harm the environment but it also said that it would only give jobs to one tenth of one percent of the population of the U.S. So really this bill is more symbolic than it is substantive. So why are we debating this issue when it doesn't even matter that much while Homeland security is about to run out of money in the next two weeks leaving our country vulnerable to attack. Clearly our priorities are not straight in this country and thats what gets me upset.

The Stranger Dialogue

Adam Fox

Sasha Taylor

Period 1

The Stranger Dialogue

Adam: So I understand you’re going to be put to death

Meursault: Yes that is correct.

Adam: Do you want to talk about it?

Meursault: What’s there to talk about. The simple fact is that I am going to die.

Adam: Are you okay with dying?

Meursault: No of course I am not, I can't put my finger on why this has happened to me. Its seems as if every action that we as humans take and anything that happens in our world has no reasoning behind it. It is as if the world has a kind of indifference to everything that it is involved with. I don’t blame the universe, in fact I have come to realize that like the universe and I share an indifference to human affairs. We are almost brothers in that regard.

Adam: What have you done to try and find solace with your situation? Is there anything that makes you happy now?

Meursault: Well I have a new appreciation for the human existence and am content with my role in society.

Adam: What do you mean your content with your position in society?

Meursault: I don't mind being a hated criminal but I still wish to feel less alone. I know the closest thing I can get to having companionship though is by having a bunch of angry people at my execution. My execution will be the fulfillment of this new understanding.

(A)Adam: Oh I see, lets talk about the events that led you to this discovery. From the beginning you had felt some sort of loss, a big event must have been your mothers death and funeral yet when you said “Maman died today. Or yesterday maybe, I don’t know. I got a telegram from the home: “Mother deceased. Funeral tomorrow. Faithfully yours.” That doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it was yesterday.” (pg 3) you showed no kind of remorse for your mothers death. Can you explain this?

Meursault: I never payed particular attention to the things that are going on in other peoples lives. Why is it necessary for me to shed tears or show emotion for something I can’t change? My mother died, thats a fact and if i'm being honest it just didn't bother me.

(B)Adam: Interesting, very interesting, I have come to the understanding that you are acquainted with a man named Raymond Sintes, knowing what he had done, you still went along with him and stated that “I didn’t say anything, and he asked me again if I wanted to be pals. I said it was fine with me….” (pg 29), how has this relationship affected you and why would you go along with him?

Meursault: Well Raymond is my neighbor. He stops by my apartment from time to time and we have dinner together sometimes. I don’t mind him and hasn't really affected me in anyway he has just kind of been there. He asked me for help with the situation with his mistress and I don’t really care all too much to think about what he is doing. It seemed logical and simple to me.

(C)Adam: I think I am starting to understand the type of man you are. Since we talked about Raymond, I was reminded that you currently have a girlfriend, her name is Marie if i’m not mistaken. How is this relationship going? Bright future? Dim?

Meursault: Well I have been sentenced to death so our future looks pretty dim to begin with her. But if I wasn't going to die soon then it probably wouldnt go much further anyway. For example, this on scenario kind of sums up everything between us:  "When she laughed I wanted her again. A minute later she asked me if I loved her. I told her it didn't mean anything but that I didn't think so." (Part 1, Chapter 4, pg. 35.) Satisfaction for me comes first. I am only like her in the physical sense. So for me it can never genuinely be more but then again I don’t care so it for her maybe she could make it seem like more.

(D)Adam: Oh right, I got so caught up in this interview that I had completely forgot about your death sentence, I am so sorry.  It seems you have no remorse or sympathy or emotions at all, so is that the same case for killing the Arab?

Meursault: Well when you put it like that i guess so. A lot of times the presence of other people in my life has absolutely no bearing on me. It really came down to me being in the right place in the right time or I guess the wrong place at the wrong time. I could have been anywhere else but it just happened by coincidence. It had so little affect on me that I constantly had to remind myself that I committed the crime. I noticed this when "On my way out, I was even going to shake his [the policeman's] hand, but just in time, I remembered that I had killed a man." Part 2, Chapter 1, pg. 64.

(G)Adam: Ok, well, No matter how you got to where you are you will need to find a way to deal with your looming death. I know you have talked to magistrate. Most people being put to death find peace with him and God. But the magistrate has had a difficult time with you I have heard. He even questioned “Have you no hope at all? And do you really live with the thought that when you die, you die , and nothing remains?”Pg 117. What was your response? What do you think about this coping method?

Meursault: There is no God. So I responded with a simple yes that is what I believe. People use religion as a crutch to avoid the living with the hard things in life, but really it doesn't help at all because it doesn’t do anything. The only thing I can do I face the absurdity of death instead of focusing on concepts that are abstract and not likely to happen.

Adam: I think throughout the course of this Interview I have learned a new side of you. I have come to the conclusion that you are right in many aspects. The universe is uncontrollable and some of the events that happen have no rationale behind them. As much as we would like to seek understanding about events that can happen in our lives we sometimes simply cannot. You truly have a different approach to dealing with your circumstance and through talking about your past experiences I can see how you came to be like this. I can sympathize with you however the fact does remain that you killed a man, maybe a death sentence is not the correct punishment for you but one consequences were needed. Thank you so much for you time and I wish you a peaceful death.

Meursault: Thank you for talking to me. All I can do is be the most honest I can.

What song and literature will you teach in January? Why did you choose this song and literature? How do you plan to teach these? (two to three paragraphs)

I plan on teaching Gimmie Shelter by The Rolling Stones. This song really demonstrates the time period around the Vietnam War. Since I will be teaching about chapter 7 from The Things They Carry or How To Tell A True War Story. The reason I choose this literature is because to me, it was the most powerful thing I read in this class. To put something so unbelievable as war into war is one of the toughest things to do with our language. It also gave me an idea of what I would see if I was in war. Its not like what I imagined there is no heroism, just the confusion of war. I feel that this song represents that time period and the human effort to take shelter from the all consuming thing called War,

To teach this I would want to use a class discussion and Video. To me discussing and talking about literature is the only way to understand something really. The video is of Tim O'Brien talking about this chapter and him telling a war story. He ends with an overall talk about literature that I think this a great way to rap up our first semester of school. The importance of literature cannot be stressed enough and O'Brien's word on this couldn't be more perfect.

"If your dreams don't scare you then you're not dreaming big enough." This is a quotation that I have basically

adopted as something that I live by. As I transition in to an adult I can see that having high hopes and aspiration

is something that will guide my life. When thinking of what influenced me to be like this I look back to my

parents. My mother is the idealist in the family and she always tells me I can do whatever I want. She still says I

could be a professional basketball player even though I lack the skill, height and ability to jump. My father is the

realist of the family. Even though he believes that I can do anything I want to in life he is quick to point

out exactly what it requires to achieve it. Sticking with the basketball example he would say I need to practice

everyday for hours, strengthen my jumping muscles and start looking for college teams that would let me walk

on. Although I don't hoop dreams, this kind of support with optimism and realism is a great balance that allowed

me to form my dreams that I will succeed.

Your first posting:

Hello my name is Sasha. I have one brother. My favorite T.V. show is probably House of Cards. I am reading a book right now that is about the Culper spy ring during the revolutionary war. Its a perfect book for me because I love history and espionage and these people were the original spies. I recently went to Paris France and saw the Elfie tower. My French is horrible but learned how to say toilet in french. To say toilet in french you just need to say toilet with a really french accent and add Le in front of it. Anyway that's me.

I feel like I can use this blog to vent or just let my thoughts out all in one place. Its really fun to just type whatever comes to mind and that can be used as a stress reliever. I can also get opinions from people on something that i have a problem with or I can start a debate about a certain issue.

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