Recent Changes

Chen, Stephanie. "Children of Divorce Vow to Break Cycle, Create Enduring Marriages." CNN. Cable News Network, 22 Sept. 2010. Web. 06 May 2015.
Size, Talia. "Stage 1 English Studies." Prezi.com. N.p., 1 June 2014. Web. 06 Apr. 2015.
Hosseini, Khaled. //The Kite Runner//. New York: Riverhead, 2003. Print.
"Music | Casting Crowns." Casting Crowns. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2015.

Chen, Stephanie. "Children of Divorce Vow to Break Cycle, Create Enduring Marriages." CNN. Cable News Network, 22 Sept. 2010. Web. 06 May 2015.
Hosseini, Khaled. //The Kite Runner//. New York: Riverhead, 2003. Print.
"Music | Casting Crowns." Casting Crowns. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2015.
"Sponsored Links." One Of The Best Feeling In The World Is Knowing Your Presence And Absence Both Mean Something To Someone. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2015.
"Steps To Adoption." Forever Families. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 May 2015.
Wilson, Jacque. "Engaged Couples Fight Divorce Rates." CNN. Cable News Network, 09 Aug. 2010. Web. 06 May 2015.

hello What is a universal truth? A universal truth is a theme that can apply to anyone at anytime. There are many points throughout history and in literature where universal truths are prevalent. Throughout the year I have read books, watched movies, and analyzed current events to help me find my universal truth. I’ve read The Kite Runner and A Long Way Gone, I’ve watched Prayers for Bobby, and I’ve analyzed Divorce. All of these things have one thing in common and that is family. In everything I’ve read, watched, and analyzed I see that an abundance or lack of family presences shapes the way people think and live their lives. This essay will allow you to see how an abundance or lack or family presence in a person’s life shapes the way they think and live their life.
In The Kite Runner, by Hossieni, family play a really big role in Amirs life. Throughout the book his father influenced his thinking and later on the way he lives his life. A good example to help show this would be when Amir asks what sin was and his father tells him. "No matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft. Do you understand that?"(Hosseini 9). This shows how Amir’s father wants to influence Amir’s life by persuading him to think like his father. This allows the reader to see how Amir’s family shaped the way he thinks and lives his life because they want Amir to be like them. Another good example from the passage “Every other sin is a variation of theft. Do you understand that?" "No, Baba jan," I said, desperately wishing I did. I didn't want to disappoint him again.”(Hosseini 9). This quote shows that Amir isn’t wanting his father to be disappointed in his for not understanding that there is only one sin. This allows the reader to see that Amir doesn’t want his father to think less of him because of his lack of knowledge. This supports how an abundance of family shapes the way Amir thinks and will later live his life.
In the film Prayers for Bobby, directed by Russell Mulcahy, the abundance of family presence in Bobby's life shaped the way he thought about the life he was leading and ultimately caused him to kill himself. Throughout this movie Bobby gets told time and time again that being gay is a sin and that he will end up in hell for all eternity. Most of this came from his own family. In the movie Bobby's family plays a big role in his mental state after he comes out of the closet. His mother thinks that religion is the answer and the reason for the lack of support from his family is because his mother will know have a gay son. In one to the films scenes, Bobby comes home after spending 2 months in Seattle with his cousin. When Bobby is in Seattle he finds a male counterpart. Shortly after this his 2 months in Seattle are over and he must head back home to Walnut Creek, California. In the film Mary Griffith says "I won't have a gay son(Mary). Then Mom you don't have a son(Bobby). Fine(Mary)." These quotes said by his mother prove that the abundance of family in a persons life shape the way they think and live their life because its shows how Mary Griffith brainwashed Bobby because he was homosexual. She implanted the fact that he was going to hell and that he would never be accepted for who he was in their household. This will ultimately cause his suicide because he thinks that no one will accept him for who he is. Another great example of how the abundance of family in a persons life shapes the way they think and the way they live their life would be in the scene where a church in Walnut Creek tries to get a gay pride day and Mary gets up to the podium and reflects on Bobby's life. This speech speaks of how Bobby's family didn't accept him and how Bobby's death brought change to his mother's faith and her views on homosexuality. In the speech in says, "Bobby's death was the direct result of his parents ignorance and fear of the word GAY." This quote helps to support the fact that the abundance of family presence in a persons life shapes the way they think because it shows that the reason for Bobby's death was because of his parents and the stance on homosexuality. They believed that Bobby was able to change but he wasn't and was never able to. Bobby's abundance of family presence negatively affected his life so much that he decided to end it.
Divorce supports how an abundance or lack of family presence in a person's life shapes their character and the way they live their life because divorce can split a family in half. This current event really speaks true to me because my parents are divorced and I know what it is like to be torn from one of your parents and it's not very fun. Divorce is a scary word to children now day because it means that they will have to pick and choose who they will live with and they don't want to hurt either parent. In my articles children of divorced parents are standing up to divorce and defeating it forever. In one article is say "I figured I can get married," says Zulema Green, now a 31-year-old attorney. "I can do it right." This shows a lack of family presence in her life because she had come from a divorced home. However, coming from a divorced home changed the way she saw divorce. She vowed that she would never get a divorce with anyone, she would try to solve the problems that her and her spouse were having. Also, its shows how the divorce of her mom and dad shaped the way she thought about herself and her spouse. Another good example as to how divorce supports the claim that an abundance or lack of family presence in a person life shapes their character and the way the live their life would be in the New York Times article. In the article it says that the divorce rate is slowly decreasing and that eventually it will come to an end. A great quote from the article says “It’s just love now,” Mr. Wolfers said. “We marry to find our soul mate, rather than a good homemaker or a good earner.” This shows how people from broken homes and people from unbroken homes are standing up to the idea of divorce. It shows how an abundance and a lack of family presence in a persons life shapes the way they think in a positive way. The lack of family is changing the way they think and the way they live their life. This is how divorce supports the abundance or lack of family in a persons life shaping the way they think and live their life.
In my life I have both and abundance and lack of family presence. When I was in the 4th grade my parents got divorced and it was a very very tough time for me. This shows a lack of family presence in my life literally because I only get to see one of my parents every 3 months. This experience has definitely shaped the way I think and live my life in both a negative and positive way. The negative is that I didn’t really have a motherly figure in my life so I never was able to experience a mothers love for example. She wasn’t there to help me learn how to be in touch with my emotions. Another sort of lack I have in my life is that my father is gay. He finally told my siblings and I back when I was in 8th grade. This shows a lack of family presence in my life because he isn’t very open to us kids about that part of his life. However, he is the one who has taught me that family is the most important thing in the world. He has helped me to understand that yes I have a lack of family but I also have an abundance. He supports me in everything I do and he teaches how to love people for who they are. Both this abundance and lack of family presence in my life have shaped me for better. For example, when it comes to divorce I will never let that happen to me or my children because I know what I went through and I don’t want them to go through the same thing. Another good example as to how the abundance of family in my life has shaped me for the better would be because they support me in whatever I do. This is how an abundance and lack of family presence in my life sames the way I think and the way I live my life.
Throughout literature, history, and social life family plays a pretty big role for humanity as a whole. Without family where would any of us be. We would be lost and have no path in which to follow and live our lives. Family most definitely plays a huge role in shaping our lives. No matter what anyone says family will always be the reason for the way we think and live our lives.
Bibliography:
Chen, Stephanie. "Children of Divorce Vow to Break Cycle, Create Enduring Marriages." CNN. Cable News Network, 22 Sept. 2010. Web. 06 May 2015.
Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead, 2004. Print.
"Prayers For Bobby 2009 - "A Child Is Listening" Speech." YouTube. YouTube, n.d. Web. 04 May 2015.
Wilson, Jacque. "Engaged Couples Fight Divorce Rates." CNN. Cable News Network, 09 Aug. 2010. Web. 06 May 2015.

I did this already!

{http://www.bryangould.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/split-in-the-road.jpg}
Size, Talia. "Stage 1 English Studies." Prezi.com. N.p., 1 June 2014. Web. 06 Apr. 2015.
life shapes their character and the way they think and live their
Dear Reader,
I chose this universal truth because it shows both positive and negative views of the presence and lack of family presence in a persons life. Try to remember back to your childhood. Think about, "how did my family help me become the person I am today?" Either positively or negatively, your family has impacted your life. For instance, in my life, my family has supported me in whatever I wanted to do or whatever I wanted to become. This has helped me to grow by. However, I also have a lack of family presence because my parents are divorced. This affects me in a negative way because I feel as if I live in a broken home. This has impacted my life in a negative way because I will never know what it is like to have a mother and a father who love each other and who love you at the same time. However this rift between homes has also helped me to grow as an individual because it allows me to make my own decisions and grow as my own person. This influenced the way I live my life because it allows me to see both sides to every situation. I feel that my universal truth is in everything from books, movies, current events, etc. This project is about choosing a universal truth and using to synthesize multiple sources and develop a meaningful project and essay centered on the universal truth. Throughout this project I will be quoting literary sources and connecting them back to my universal truth. The project will include passage close readings of two different works, observing one current issue in society, analyzing a film, analyzing a single work at a museum, a universal truth Prezi, and putting it all into one final synthesis essay.I chose this picture because it reflects my universal truth very well. I show how the abundance of family presence in your life can affect you both negatively and positively, and it shows how the lack of family presence will affect the way you live you life.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/08/09/premarital.counseling/
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/upshot/the-divorce-surge-is-over-but-the-myth-lives-on.html?_r=0&abt=0002&abg=0
Analysis
This
This current event their life becuasebecause divorce can

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/08/09/premarital.counseling/
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/upshot/the-divorce-surge-is-over-but-the-myth-lives-on.html?_r=0&abt=0002&abg=0
Analysis
This current event supports how an abundance or lack of family presence in a person's life shapes their character and the way they live their life becuase divorce can split a family in half. This current event really speaks true to me because my parents are divorced and I know what it is like to be torn from one of your parents and it's not very fun. Divorce is a scary word to children now day because it means that they will have to pick in choose who they will live with and they don't want to hurt either parent. In my articles children of divorced parents are standing up to divorce and defeating it forever. In one article is say "I figured I can get married," says Zulema Green, now a 31-year-old attorney. "I can do it right." This shows a lack of family presence in her life because she had come from a divorced home. However, coming from a divorced home changed the way she saw divorce. She vowed that she would never get a divorce with anyone, she would try to solve the problems that her and her spouse were having. Also, its shows how the divorce of her mom and dad shaped the way she thought about herself and her spouse. Another good example as to how divorce supports the claim that an abundance or lack of family presence in a person life shapes their character and the way the live their life would be in the New York Times article. In the article it says that the divorce rate is slowly decreasing and that eventually it will come to an end. A great quote from the article says “It’s just love now,” Mr. Wolfers said. “We marry to find our soul mate, rather than a good homemaker or a good earner.” This shows how people from broken homes and people from unbroken homes are standing up to the idea of divorce. It shows how an abundance and a lack of family presence in a persons life shapes the way they think in a positive way. The lack of family is changing the way they think and the way they live their life. This is how divorce supports the abundance or lack of family in a persons life shaping the way they think and live their life.

While Southern artist created this through the study of anatomy, perspective, while northern artists achieved it by developing and mastering oil paint and paying precise attention to detail. This painting is rich with detail and symbols that have been lost in present day but were recognizable by viewers when the painting was created. Every object in this painting has a specific meaning. Van Eyck has created an excellent sense of realism that is only possible with the use of Oil paint. Because oil paint draws slowly and can be applied in many thin layers of paint. He also used his finger tips and rags to eliminate any signs of brush marks.
How well crafted is it? How can you tell?
to detail.
What can you tell me about the artist? (There should be a printed sheet on the wall or ask gallery staff.)
This work is a portrait of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, but is not intended as a record of their wedding. His wife is not pregnant, as is often thought, but holding up her full-skirted dress in the contemporary fashion. Arnolfini was a member of a merchant family from Lucca living in Bruges. The couple are shown in a well-appointed interior. [-The ornate Latin signature translates as 'Jan van Eyck was here 1434'. The similarity to modern graffiti is not accidental. Van Eyck often inscribed his pictures in a witty way. The mirror reflects two figures in the doorway. One may be the painter himself. Arnolfini raises his right hand as he faces them, perhaps as a greeting.
Personally I think that Jan van Eyke's intent was to show off his skill in painting. I think this because throughout the painting he shows just how skilled he is. For example, on the mirror you will see scenes from when Jesus was being crucified (otherwise known as the passion of christ). Another good example of him showing off would be above the mirror when he writes in Latin "Jan Van Eyke was here."
How do the art works you discovered correlate to your universal truth?
her suitor.
What ideas or new information did you learn from this museum visit? How might that information be helpful in the future?
I learned to accept art for is natural beauty and not to judge something before I take a second look at it. This will help me in the future to think before I act.
Analysis
The portrait of the Arnolfini Marriage supports how and abundance or lack of family presence shapes the way a person lives their life because of the history behind the painting. This portrait is of an arranged marriage and you can tell this because of the way her hand is in his. Her family were the ones benefiting from this marriage not herself. The only reason she married him was for her family. This shows an abundance and a lock of family presence in Costanza Trenta's life (the woman in the painting). If you look at the painting you see that Costanza's hand isn't really in the hand of the mans. This shows how Costanza had a lack of family in her life because all that her family wanted was money from the marriage and not for their own daughter to be happy. Another great example in the painting that there was a lack of family presence in Costanza's life is the look on the mans face. He looks kind of disgusted by her and he obviously doesn't want to marry her. This again shows how Costanza's family wasn't really looking out for her happiness in the marriage and the rest of her life. This helps to support how an abundance or lack of family presence in a person life affects the way they live their life.

Object type, size, and materials/finish: Oil Painting, 82.2 cm × 60 cm (32.4 in × 23.6 in);panel 84.5 cm × 62.5 cm (33.3 in × 24.6 in), Oil on 3 oak panels
What design elements/principles are used?
While Southern artist created this through the study of anatomy, perspective, while northern artists achieved it by developing and mastering oil paint and paying precise attention to detail. This painting is rich with detail and symbols that have been lost in present day but were recognizable by viewers when the painting was created. Every object in this painting has a specific meaning. Van Eyck has created an excellent sense of realism that is only possible with the use of Oil paint. Because oil paint draws slowly and can be applied in many thin layers of paint. He also used his finger tips and rags to eliminate any signs of brush marks.
How well crafted is it? How can you tell?
This piece of work is very well crafted especially for the time in which is was done(which is the early part of Northern Renaissance). I can tell because is you look closely enough at the painting on the mirror you can see the back of Arnolfini and his wife. This shows that Van Eyke is very attentive to detail.
What can you tell me about the artist? (There should be a printed sheet on the wall or ask gallery staff.)
This work is a portrait of Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, but is not intended as a record of their wedding. His wife is not pregnant, as is often thought, but holding up her full-skirted dress in the contemporary fashion. Arnolfini was a member of a merchant family from Lucca living in Bruges. The couple are shown in a well-appointed interior. [-The ornate Latin signature translates as 'Jan van Eyck was here 1434'. The similarity to modern graffiti is not accidental. Van Eyck often inscribed his pictures in a witty way. The mirror reflects two figures in the doorway. One may be the painter himself. Arnolfini raises his right hand as he faces them, perhaps as a greeting.
What do you think the artist’s intent was? Why do you think that?
Personally I think that Jan van Eyke's intent was to show off his skill in painting. I think this because throughout the painting he shows just how skilled he is. For example, on the mirror you will see scenes from when Jesus was being crucified (otherwise known as the passion of christ). Another good example of him showing off would be above the mirror when he writes in Latin "Jan Van Eyke was here."
How do the art works you discovered correlate to your universal truth?
This artwork correlates to my universal truth because this wedding actually happened and it was an arranged marriage. This shows a lack of family presence in Costanza Trenta's life because she was forced to marry someone she didn't even love. All the parents wanted was money from her suitor.
What ideas or new information did you learn from this museum visit? How might that information be helpful in the future?
I learned to accept art for is natural beauty and not to judge something before I take a second look at it. This will help me in the future to think before I act.