BLOG #10 
Always Running 
In Chapter 10,  Luis decides its time to move on and leave his childhood home and way of life behind (gangbanging, drugs, violence, etc.) after some "friends" shot at him for trying to make a change. He moves to Chicago and although has gangs like back home, he acknowledges the world beyond South San Gabriel.On page 244, Luis is grown with a family of his own, while at a quince he is approached by a man named Chava. While this encounter all Chava wants is revenge for what Lomas did to him but Luis knows that that will not give him the peace that he hopes to get. At that moment Luis holds him and Chava begins to break down in tears. Luis says how it was the "final tempo of the crazy life leave his body" by writing this last line he is pretty much saying how that was the end of his old life. He will never return to it that part of him was dead and will only be a memory to him now.

BLOG #9 
Always Running
In chapter 9 of Always Running, Luis has a turning point in his life. He makes life choices that turns his life from living in the streets to making his path straight again. Luis first step is deciding to go back to High School to get his Diploma, which leads to getting a contract with Quinto Sol and attends Cal State LA. Throughout the chapter, Luis states " I danced for all  the little people who ever tried to make it and were crushed." this moment was probably the proudest moment that Luis ever had. He had finally made it his life was changing and he wanted to become someone better. Luis focused more on his career than on his gang life. For once in his life he was where he wanted to be and he didn't want anyone to get in the way of his success and achievements. But he soon realizes that his success only last a while. Luis life turns around when he gets a girl pregnant, she disappears and Luis ends up in jail again for "assaulting a police officer" when he was only trying to help a woman who was being brutalized by the police. After not being able to make bail, Luis and the woman, Licha, made a pact to visit each other once they were released. Luis's only chance was to plead guilty, when out tensions have built between the two and Licha tells Luis it won't work because he's too young for her.

Blog # 8
Always Running
In chapter of Always Running by Luis Rodriguez, begins with Luis in jail for, non-fatally, shooting a man. Again, conflicting influences have Luis in a precarious situation, but he has established a support system through his community involvement, and begrudged legalities keep him from long-term incarceration. After his release, Chente offers Luis an opportunity to oversee mural paintings, and Luis becomes a significant figure in establishing and maintaining peace between the area’s rival gangs. As he is juggling mediation among rival gangs, bifurcated student populations, and his own loyalties/emotions, Luis gains recognition for his writing.   Mrs. Baez, the teacher who oversees the Hispanic club at Luis’s school, offers him an opportunity to be published. She edited Luis’s work and submitted it to several contests. Luis won scholarship money for his writing and painting, and was put in charge of painting and writing projects. 

Blog #7 
Always Running 
In chapter 7 Always Running by Luis Rodriguez, shows diction to demonstrate the significant events of the actions he makes in life, the police and his family.  Luis almost is arrested for running out on a check at a restaurant, and he explains, with the authority of personal experience, the realities of being incarcerated to the owner of the restaurant who decides against pressing charges. Luis also finds himself in jail for participation in “The National Chicano Moratorium March” against the Viet Nam War. At the same time, Luis immerses himself in involvement with the “John Fabela Youth Center” where Chente is a community organizer, and Luis, at Chente’s request, returns to high school where he becomes deeply involved in an Hispanic student organization. Luis, somewhat emulating Chente while following his own passions, begins organizing school walk-outs, demanding classes that deal with Hispanic issues at the school, and realizes a sense of identity among a community cause. 

Blog # 6
Always Running
In chapter 6 Always Running by Luis Rodriguez, starts off with a dream. The another uses positive and negative connotation to describe the dream of Luis. "This dream creeps beyond others of sinuous ordeals, beyond demons throwing side-glances, beyond falling out of bed and into an abyss of molten stone..." In the dream he's in this Gothic style house and how in one of the rooms is a crib with his long sister Lisa who is dead already. Its shows imagery when he states that Lisa opens one eye and its black but when she opens her mouth a horrendous scream comes out. The author uses "deathbed and "bliss" which this words contradict each Throughout this dream Luis shows fear by using the word "deadbed".

Blog #5
Always Running
In chapter 5 Always Running by Luis Rodriguez shapes emotional and passionate diction that demonstrates the peek of the violence of what the gang was making. This led to the the tribe falling apart, leader died or went to jail. Then as Luis not having no one to be with, not finding his place, he eventually ended up in a gang called Lomas. "Flirt with the depths of his mind"  Sex was the escape of reality. Which led for Luis falling in love with this girl named Roberta. She ended up being a prostitute which led for Luis to feel insecure and discomfort towards their relationship. He did not like her being sold to other guys and having sexual relationships with them. In this chapter it also shows how is homies and him take advantage if girls. Luis only being 15 years old and going through all this. In today society, many can relate to Luis life story. Many young men are now in streets and with their homeboys doing the same things as Luis and his homies. Also young girls who are as well doing what Roberta is being, prostitutes. Not because they want to but poorness has not so many choices and opportunity's

Always Running 

BLOG #1- Chapter 1 

In chapter 1 of the book "Always Running" by Luis J. Rodriguez, starts off introducing where the relationship between Rodriguez family stands. Its shown that there is machismo and separation in Rodriguez family. His father is described as an unfeeling, unmoved intellectual who did as he pleases, as for his mom a women full of pain, love, and giving. demonstrating that the mom had no control over the relationship of marriage. She sacrificed her wants to please her husband, as for him he did nothing to please her. You could see now a days not many women are like this, society's mentality has changed towards where the women stand.  Also, flashbacks are shown to described the living hell Rodriguez went through. It uses imagery to demonstrate the abuse his own brother Rano would do to him and how his mother would mistreat him. Grillo explains how Rano was put into "special ed" classes for not speaking English, and how the system in the schools would work. If you could not speak English, they would put you in a class that would not interfere with the education level of the other piers. But in reality it wasn't that, schools believed Rano and Grillo were an obstacle or a problem that can not be solved or taken time to fix. Segregation exited, train racks splitting the races, no able to go on the other side without getting beaten up by whites who believed they had the power. At the end of the chapter Grillo compares himself as a ball, bouncing everywhere not able to stay in one place. which relates to the title, always moving houses, school, crossing borders never staying in one place they can actually call home.  

BLOG #5

In the book “A Tale of Two Cities” by Charles Dickson, dramatizes the horrors of mob violence, but this time with a twist: Doctor Manette is able influence the mob to do some good. Describing the scene at the grindstone as a vision of hell, Dickens depicts the mob members as savages and demons who work in a "wicked atmosphere” of "gore and fire.” Their bloody, sweaty faces are "horrible and cruel,” and the red of blood and fire is reflected "in their frenzied eyes.” The sight terrifies Mr. Lorry, but Doctor Manette, whom the reader has seen when lost and demented, simply smiles "a cool bold smile” and goes down to the crowd. With his white hair and calm demeanor, the Doctor is god-like in his ability to walk through the mob unharmed, "put [ting] the weapons aside like water.” His years as a prisoner have become a source of strength rather than weakness. As a former prisoner, he is a hero, and as a hero, he can rescue his daughter's husband from a living death, just as she rescued him.

BLOG #4 

In the book “A tale of Two Tales” by Charles Dickson, in chapter 10 it tales about the Doctor’s response to Darnay's declaration of love for Lucie indicates that the Evrémonde family ties may yet have the power to disrupt his life. Additionally, Dickens has dropped hints that Darnay or his family has something to do with the Doctor's secret. The Doctor has looked at Darnay with dislike, distrust, and fear on occasion, even though Darnay has done nothing to cause offense. Similarly, the secret smile that the Marquis wore when questioning Darnay about Doctor Manette strongly suggests that he knows something about the Doctor's history. Also in chapter 11, the title of the chapter ("A Companion Picture") suggests, the scene between Stryver and Carton mirrors the scene between Darnay and Doctor Manette. Whereas Darnay was respectful, humble, and sincere in his discussion with the Doctor, Stryver is pompous, self-absorbed, and obnoxious. Stryver's views of marriage represent the traditional Victorian view of marriage, as something done for practical reasons. Darnay's desire to wed Lucie stems from a more idealized, romantic viewpoint. He loves Lucie and only wants her to marry him if she loves him as well. 

BLOG #3

In the novel "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens, in book 2, chapter 2, demonstrates a courtroom scene to criticize the British legal system, with the Old Bailey embodying the uncompromising harshness of the law. Charles Darnay’s case it particular states the bloody nature of criminal sentences. If found guilty, he will be drawn, half hanged, deprive while still alive, beheaded, and cut into pieces. While such a sentence is horrible in itself, more disturbing is the avid interest the courtroom spectators take in Darnay's fate. The man who describes the sentence to Jerry speaks “with a relish” and the “eager faces” of the crowd stare at Darnay with an “Ogreish” fascination. Dickens points out that such an interest in a condemned man is “not the sort that elevated humanity.” As Dickens shows repeatedly throughout the novel, crowds can bring out the basest natures of people. Interestingly, the one thing capable of elevating the sensitivities of the crowd is the sight of Lucie Manette’s concern and pity for the prisoner.

BLOG #2

In the novel "A Tale of Two Cities" by Charles Dickens, describes a character named Lucie as being gorgeous physically and spiritually, and she owns a gift of bringing out best qualities of the ones who are around her. Lucie is symbolized as “the golden thread “that binds many of the characters' lives together. Many may criticize Lucie by her actions and influences on other characters, which tends to be overdramatic and full of sentimentality. In addition, Dickens portrays her as a compassionate, virtuous woman who inspires great love and loyalty in the other characters. For example, Darnay, Carton, and Stryver all court her and envision their futures being made brighter with her as their wife. Additionally, both Mr. Lorry and Miss Pross, who are without families, love Lucie as if she were their daughter and do everything they can to keep her safe. Although Lucie is a plane character, she is an important one. She represents unconditional love and compassion, and Dickens uses her to demonstrate how powerful these qualities can be, even in the face of violence and hatred.

BLOG #1

In the novel A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, in the first chapter it demonstrates the full setting of forces and events that later on forms the lives of the novel's characters. On the first paragraph, Dickens begins developing the central theme of division. The combinations of contrasting concepts such as the "best “and "worst “of times, "Light “and "Darkness, “and "hope “and "despair “reflect the mirror images of good and evil that will recur in characters and situations throughout the novel. In addition, the book takes place in England and France in 1775, both countries are concurrently suffering very alike and very different situations. The differences between the two countries become more distinct when Dickens compares the ideas of spirituality and justice in each country. In England, people are absorbed with the supernatural, especially with prophets and ghosts that communicate spiritual messages. However, in France, people pay attention to religious leaders out of fear rather than interest. Dickens contrasts France's strict justice system to England's careless one. Criminals overrun England: Highwaymen rob seemingly at will, prisoner’s revolt against their jailers, and violence is answered with more violence. When the courts serve justice in England, they serve it indiscriminately, with murderers and petty thieves alike receiving the death penalty.