O l i v e r T w i s t

As we have seen in class, progress is the main topic for all the discussions based on the changes that society has lived. This topic is also related to modernity through industrialization.
According to what we have studied in class, the increase in population suffered in London was just the beginning of all the consequences which progress brought.

Charles Dickens in his story points out so important issues which deal mainly with society. For example, many children were alone in the streets; there were crowded places, etc. His main character Oliver represents the sacrifice that many people experienced in those times. He was raised in an orphanage under the care of different people because his mother died.
While he was living there, he was punished because of differente reasons.
His friends were young thieves who tried to find a better life. Oliver’s innocence was corrupted.
This is a serious problem that we still are living. Why do children become delinquents?
There is a lack of love and care which is really important to overcome poverty.

At the end of the movie Oliver was adopted by Mr. Brownlow and he found a better life.

“La palabra progreso no tiene ningún sentido mientras haya niños infelices”.

The signal man!

I really enjoyed reading this story. I had a great time interpretating this terrific narrative which contains social issues like the way life is influenced by modernity.
The signal man was in charge of avoiding accidents. He worked alone without company. This is why he became mentally sick. He was opressed in this kind of box in which he was not participating for his improvement. On the contrary, as a result of his hard work he started to observe a spectre in the railway.
Charles Dickens wanted to confirmate that modernity is a concept that brings benefits for some people but at the same time represents a lack of growth for others.

I think that this story is a mirror for our society. We are just working or studying, living by ourselves and just that. So, what is our purpose in life?
Individuality is the reason which demonstrates that our manner of living is not being the appropriate. We do not care about others. For instance, empathy is not considered part of us.

So, as teachers we have the mission to educate children to care about others, to respect what others think in order to build a society in which we can benefit from the relationships among people.

F r a n k e n s t e i n !

At the beginning of this course I thought incorrect things in relation to Literature. For example, I had never thought that writers could note down such wonderful ideas beyond their stories. Those ideas are mainly related to social issues like discrimination, self- esteem, happiness and so other things.

Honestly, my way of seeing life has suffered changes and the image of “the monster” I had in mind about Frankenstein is totally unlike.
I really enjoyed the story reflecting on the issues presented on it. The most relevant for me is the way in which all the things that enclose us have an influence in our life. Why do we assume what others believe about us is right? In this way we lose our authenticity. So, we must not let that differences affect the way we think or damage our feelings, as Frankie Jr. lived thinking he was a monster, a stain upon the earth from which all men fled and whom all men disowned.

In my opinion, Frankie Jr. was just the creation of Victor and he represented the desire of power. Frankie Jr. was not bad; on the contrary he just wanted to find his identity in order to reach his happiness. While I was reading the story, I felt very emphatic with him. I mean, every thought he had, made me reflect on how unfair life is.



To conclude, Frankie Jr. suffered discrimination, unhappiness, loneliness, emptiness, low self-esteem and rejection. This is the way poor people feel living in a society in which they can not be part of the progress.
This poem would be very useful to teach students to put themselves into someone else’s shoes.

I wandered lonely as a cloud by Wordsworth

It is evident that Wordsworth belongs to the category in which poets work collectively with nature, reason and emotions as in this case happiness. For instance, it can be seen through the poem that nature becomes the main subject of their work.

According to my interpretation of the poem, I relate the concept daffodils with human beings. For example, when the author says I saw a crowd, a host, of golden daffodils; beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in the breez. I think this phrase means that we, as human beings are always surrounded by wonderful things that most of the time we can not see. So, we continue living without taking into account how beautiful life is. Now, thinking on the stanza "A poet could not but be gay, In such a jocund company" it comes to mind the use of irony. He demonstrates that he can write showing to the world wonderful feelings and the lack of love existing between us. He seems to be very receptive and this poem really motivates me to continue writing.

I really enjoyed listening to the poem because it is narrated in such way that your attention is totally directed to the verse. The images are a good element for showing in general terms what this piece of writing is about.