Individual Reflection #5 - My Choice

[Soapy's Choice]

     The title of this listening text is "Soapy's Choice", which is from the YouTube channel English Stories, based on the novel that O. Henry wrote. The Genre of this book is fiction, comedy, and tragedy, with the level of this story being A2.

 Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxgWHDypgFU

 Brief Summary :

Soapy, wanting to be free from the cold of winter and hunger, planned to go to a prison where he would be provided with warm rooms and food. He tried to commit lots of misdemeanors, but never got arrested because of the fortune that helped him. After avoiding several arrests and, upon arriving at the church, he reminisces about his past and decides to not go to jail but instead, get a job and live a good life, be a new man. But, ironically, not long after making up his mind, he is arrested for doing nothing and ends up serving the three-month prison sentence he had hoped for at the beginning of the story.

Poem: 

Reason:

The first sentence of this poem expresses the whole plot of the story: “life doesn’t go as planned.” Throughout the story, no matter what Soapy wanted or how he set his plans, they always failed. From one perspective, his story seems full of luck, the kind that usually makes people happy, but for Soapy, this kind of luck works against him. “Good luck” prevents him from achieving what he actually wants, that is, to be in jail. Since Soapy is homeless, jail is a better place than the street. In jail, he could get food and a warm place to stay. Ironically, the moments that seem fortunate to others only bring him frustration because they stop him from reaching his goal.

At the end of the story, Soapy finally gets what he had longed for, jail, but it happens just after he found a new hope. That is to change his life, work hard, and live honestly. When he planned to commit crimes to go to jail, he failed every time, but when he finally wished to be free and improve himself, he was arrested, most ironically, that is, when he had done nothing. In my acrostic poem, I started with the main theme of the story, told what happened to Soapy, and ended by repeating the main idea that life doesn’t always go as planned, shown through the irony and tragedy of his situation.

.

[The Happy Prince] 

    The title of the book is The Happy Prince,  written by Oscar Wilde and adapted by Bill Cowler for the graded readers' version published by Oxford University Press. This book is a "starter" level in the graded readers chart. This book has 22 pages of text in total, with a genre of fiction, children's stories, and short stories.

Brief Summary:

The Happy Prince is a touching story about a golden statue of a prince who once lived a happy life inside his palace, without ever seeing sadness or poverty. After he dies, his statue is placed high above the city. From there, he can finally see how many people are poor, hungry, and suffering. Heartbroken, he asks a little Swallow to help him give away all his gold and jewels to those in need. The swallow, which was once on its way to Egypt, sacrifices itself to help and stay by the Prince’s side until the very end. Even though it means losing his beauty and eventually his life, the Prince chooses the kindness and happiness of people over his appearance.

---

Chosen Emoji: 

Reason and Explanation:

I chose this emoji because this story made me feel sad, but amazed at the same time. I was so heartbroken by how the Happy Prince and the Swallow gave up everything for others, yet I was also in awe of their kindness and pure hearts. "After all the sacrifices and kindness that they give to others, I'm glad the Happy Prince and the Swallow ended up in a better, happier place," I thought to myself.

One scene that truly moved me is when the Happy Prince gives his sapphire eyes to help a poor playwright and a little match girl. Even though it means becoming blind, he still chooses to help others, giving them hope and a reason to stay strong. Another emotional moment and the most impactful of all, is when the Swallow decided to stay with the Prince in the freezing cold, whispering goodbye before he dies at the Prince’s feet. That part made me feel both melancholic and deeply touched. It showed what real love and sacrifice look like.

Individual Report #4: The Perfect Song

 

Matilda 

a. Introduction

    The title of the book that I've read is "Matilda". It is written by English author Roald Dahl, and is retold in a graded readers book by John Escott. It is a level 3 book with 1200 words in it. The length of the book is 31 pages, and there are 1200 headwords.

b. Summary 

    Matilda is a smart, brave, and brilliant bookworm who was neglected and disregarded by her parents. Despite their cruelty, she cleverly finds ways to stand up for herself while never giving up her love for reading. When she starts school, she faces the terrifying head teacher, Miss Trunchbull, who mistreats the students. However, Matilda meets Miss Honey, a kind teacher who recognizes her extraordinary talent and cares deeply for her. Together, they support each other, defeat Miss Trunchbull, and eventually become like a real family.

c.  Song

Naughty - Matilda: The Musical

link: https://youtu.be/eGB2AtcM61s

d. Explanation

   The song “Naughty” from Matilda: The Musical highlights Matilda’s realization that she must take control of her own life instead of accepting the unfairness around her. It shows her decision to not let adults, such as her neglectful parents or the cruel head teacher Miss Trunchbull, determine her future. The lyrics, 

“But nobody else is gonna put it right for me 

 Nobody but me is going to change my story,”

    Reflect Matilda’s independent and courageous spirit.

    This song captures Matilda’s cleverness, creativity, and determination to live life on her own terms rather than simply accepting unfairness. From this perspective, “Naughty” really represents Matilda’s personality, beliefs, and way of living, which is why it is the perfect song for her story.

Persephone

a.  Introduction

Title: Persephone: Bringer of Life or Destruction? | Fate & Fabled

Channel: Storied

Video link:

https://youtu.be/1hBkgFGG-cM?si=PXAjuPJLlDEvfT1B

Length: 10 min

b. Summary

    This video retells the popular Greek myth of how Persephone became the queen of the underworld and wife of Hades after he kidnapped her. Because she ate a pomegranate seed from the underworld, she could not fully return to her old life above, where she once lived among flowers and the warmth of spring. While the story may seem like one of loss and darkness, it holds a deeper meaning. Through this event, Persephone gains power over both life and death, creation and destruction, becoming the goddess who governs spring and the underworld. The video explains that her journey between the two worlds brings the seasons. Her return brings spring and life, while her absence brings winter and rest. Persephone is shown as a strong queen who connects life and death, symbolizing balance and renewal in nature.

c.  Song 

 Cosmic Love - Florence + The Machine

link:  https://youtu.be/l8LJ2Cb284M?si=Fv2QTYeE-7bWhUb8

d. Explanation

    When I listen to Cosmic Love by Florence + The Machine, I can find both sides of her. When I focus on the lyrics of this music, I can see Persephone's story. Being left in the dark after being kidnapped, because of the environment of the underworld, trying to get out of the place, but decided to stay in the darkness, which can represent both the actual darkness of the underworld and the deep dark heart of Hades, becoming the wife of Hades and queen of death. Especially, there is a lyric 'I'm always in this twilight', and since 'twilight' can also be used as the border of the world of life and world of death or the time when two worlds are overlapped, this shows the situation that she is in, becoming the one who can control both life and death, standing on its border.