"The Twelve"

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Roles of a Parent

          Paton expressed many themes in the novel, "Cry, The Beloved Country." The most prominent theme in the novel is a parent's role. Stephen Kumalo took a big part in a role of a parent. There are different ways parents tend to raise their children. However, the question is, was Stephen Kumalo a good parent? Personally, I agree and disagree with some of Kumalo's actions.
          While Kumalo was maturing as a person, he faced physical and mental aspects to where he was stressed in the search of his son Absalom in Johannesburg. Kumalo mentions how he does not know where his son is because he has not spoken or written to him. I believe that if he truly was a good father, he would have left to look for him before now. Also, if he was as good as people portrayed him to be, he would have been worried for the sake of his future. By the time that Kumalo and Absalom finally met, they seemed like they were strangers to one another. Kumalo set his standards high for Absalom; however, he was let down when he heard the rumors about Absalom. The rumors that Absalom were faced with is that he shot and killed a man. However, after Kumalo knew that Absalom was a murderer, he still wanted to help him. Kumalo's characteristic traits are then extended because he shows that he truly loves Absalom.
          Kumalo's first down fall was with his daughter, Gertrudis. She was the reason why Kumalo came to Johannesburg. With Kumalo being a priest, he was very hurt to hear that his daughter was a prostitute. She also had a son at the same time of being prostitute. They key characteristic of Kumalo is that he faced all these controversies, but never thought twice about not loving his children. Kumalo stated, "Cry for the broken tribe, for the law and the custom that is gone" (pg. 104-5). His family had turned on him and their custom. Later in the novel, I noticed that Kumalo starts to turn on his customs as well. He starts getting angry a lot easier, and he also does not turn to God as often as he used to. He seems like he is falling into the same steps as his children did when they moved to Johannesburg. I think Paton is showing that the force of peer pressure is really strong. However, it is easy to get off track, but nothing is stronger than the tribe of a family.
          Paton focuses on a role of a parent throughout the novel. This is something that Paton probably takes very serious in his life as well. He relates to Kumalo because he finds out that Jarvis does not know many things about his son either. Jarvis did not realize how much the equality of blacks and whites meant to his son. After reading his sons letters, he noticed how important, and how many people showed a sense of gratitude for his work. Paton includes this in the novel to show that the role of a parent is very influential to everyone's life.

The Power of Determination

I have always been a believer in myself. I often think it runs in my family. I believe in determination.

For as long as I can remember, I have always loved competition and pushing myself to be better. I am determined to be the best I can be at all times. I really would prefer to be better than everyone else. but doesn't everybody?

I remember when I was thirteen years old and decided to go to Memphis and tryout for a competitive volleyball team. The club, Metro, has four different teams for each age. The ages start at ten and go up to eighteen. The best team with the best players is referred to as the elite team. Well, of course, that was the team I wanted to be on. My uncle told me to over and over to not be upset if I did not make the elite team. He said, "Do not expect to make the best team the first year over there, those girls are very good and have been playing for a while." I did not like his negative attitude. I believe in being confident in yourself and making the best out of everything you do. I never have doubts in myself. I may sound cocky at times but cockiness can get you a lot further that being timid.

The night I left the tryouts my uncle was a little nervous. Not me, I was confident that I was just as good as those girls. I was more than confident, I was determined. Two hours later I get a phone call from a coach asking me to be on her elite team! I was so excited! I was not the cockiness I possessed that got me on the team, it was the determination to be better than the competition I was up against. I guarantee that I worked harder than all those girls that were at the tryouts, too.

Next, my uncle wanted to tell me not to get upset if I do not play a lot. This was not acceptable to me. Myself, being the competitive person I am, was a starter, played the entire time, and was the best player on the team. My team went on to getting fifth place at Nationals in Orlando, Florida when we were only fourteen years old. We also received second place at Nationals when we were fifteen.

I believe in determination. I also believe that determination can solve even the toughest problems. I believe in having confidence in yourself and achieving extraordinary things. I am still very much a believer in myself. I often think that I have the power to go anywhere and do anything I want to do in life. That is the power of determination. There are so many possibilities for people who just have the heart to finish what they started.  

Still to this day I continue to achieve new awards for my accomplishments in volleyball. I have learned that I have younger girls that look up to me. It is my job to continue to show them the right way. I will teach them to believe that the power of determination will get you far.

Cake Pops

Ingrediants:

• Red velvet cake mix
• Vanilla icing
• Melting wafers
• Icing pouches
• Piping bag
• Cake pop sticks

Preperation:

To start this delicious desert, you will first put the red velvet cake mix in a large mixing bowl. You will add two eggs and cooking oil to the cake mix. My Aunt Madea says it is best to stir for about two minutes, or until the bumps in the mix are gone.

Aunt Madea always prefered a spoon instead of a mixer. Or maybe that is just what she told me because she does not trust me to use a mixer anymore after the accident I had with one. When I was younger, I decided to use a mixer instead of a spoon. Well me being the little kid I was, I did not know you were not suppose to bring the mixer out of the bowl before you turned it off. Now it seems like common sense, but back then I did not any better. As soon as I took the mixer out of the bowl, that thing went spinning like wheels on a truck. Red velvet cake mix went everywhere!

All I heard for weeks was my Aunt Madea saying, "I told you to always use a spoon!"

After the cake mix is good and stirred, put it in the over for about twenty to thirty minutes. While this is cooking, you can start making the vanilla icing. You can use any icing you would like. My grandmaw swears up and down that vanilla is the only icing that is good with cake pops. Heat the icing in the microwave until it is good and melted.

My aunt Madea always brings cake pops to every family occasion. Her name is Delores, but I have called her Madea ever since I watched the show, "Madea's Family Reunion." She likes to make red velvet cake pops instead of chocolate or vanilla. My aunt Diane, who I live with, always complained about Aunt Madea always bringing cake pops instead of any kind of food. My uncle Woody does not care, red velvet is his favorite. The only thing you will ever hear come out of his mouth is politics. Grandmaw likes to talk to him about politics. We think it is just because it gives her something to talk about since Uncle Woody will listen to her.


I like to decorate my cake pops according to what holiday it is. Right now it is around Halloween. I use wafers to decorate the cake pops. You can melt them and decorate them anyway you like. Melt the wafers in the miccrowave and use it to put an eye on the cake pops. This makes them look scary for Halloween.

My little cousins like to grab them and put them over their eyes and run around the house with them.

They will scream and yell, "I am coming for you Diane!"

Their foot steps were like a train coming through the house. This caused Aunt Diane to come in the kitchen and tell them to go play outsided.

When you get everything done, put the cake in the refridgerator until it cools down. Then, make them into balls and dip in the icing. Next, you will put the wafers on the the balls and place back in the refriderator. You can then put them on a stick so it is easier to eat. Now you have a tasty and quick treat!

A Picture's Worth How Many Words?

Who am I?                      So athletic, never wants to stop.
Who am I as a reader?     I am left dissatisfied and pained.
Who am I as a writer?     My extraordinary writing leaves you interested.

Beautiful Man

“The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World”

            The story, “The Handsomest Drowned Man In The World” is a very interesting story. It takes your imagination to the extreme. I would of never looked at the drowned man like the women looked at him. The story made me look much further into the man. I could picture how the man looked in my head. The women in the village gave the drowned man the name Esteban.

            The drowned man was very large for a human being. The man was taller than any man they have ever seen. I could picture a very tall man having to duck while walking into the house. There were no clothes they could find for the man to wear. I picture this man as a giant. I wonder where he came from?

            I do not understand why they called the man Esteban. The women said Esteban matched his very handsome face. The men did not seem to like the fact that the women loved this man so much. The men were trying to get rid of the man as fast as they could; therefore, the women would do everything they could to slow down the process. The women finally showed to men the man’s face. The men could not believe what they saw.

            Esteban’s memory will forever be eternal to the men and women of the village. They did not put an anchor on him wishing he would float back. They now have flowers that shine so bright so that people know that it is Esteban’s village. 

Britain Legalizes Gay Marriage

           Many states have refused to allow same sex marriages. There have only been a few that have legalized it. Britain decided to legalize gay marriage on July 17, 2013. I am sure there will be many people very thankful for this. I am also sure there will be many people very angry and do not agree with this decision. This is why this is such a big deal to so many people.

            In today’s society you can never please everyone. If you are overweight people call you fat. If you are underweight people call you anorexic. If you are quite you are accused as being rude. If you are very talkative people think you are annoying. The same sex marriage fits in this category. Some people believe you should do what makes you happy. Others believe that the bible says you are to marry the opposite sex.

            Queen Elizabeth II approval of gay marriage will be legal next summer. The bill allows gay couples to get married in both civil and religious ceremonies in England and Wales. I do not believe people are considering the situation very carefully. Some people just go with what the media talks about. In my opinion, I think this is a great thing for all countries to do.       

            I wonder if all countries will eventually legalize gay marriage. I think other countries should follow the footsteps of Britain. United States has been battling for years on whether to legalize same sex marriage. Britain has legalized gay marriage after Queen Elizabeth II gave her loyal stamp of approval.