Kay's+Page

There are many different forces that I can attribute to shaping me into who I am today. One of these forces would be my mother. For as long as I can remember, my mother has been there teaching me morals, manners, and compassion. Growing up with such guidance has truly affected me for the better and has made me the person I am today. Another driving force that has shaped me is my father. My father consistently showed me the importance of humility, determination, and effort. These three characteristics are a huge part of who I am today because I try my best at everything I do and I do not give up. However, if I do not succeed, or if I make a mistake, I accept it and move on. A third force that has shaped who I am is my little sister Ellie. Ellie is a huge contributor to who I am today. One thing Ellie has shown me is the importance of cooperation in order to succeed. There have been many situations in which one of us has tried to take control over the other, but the reality she has shown me is that working together towards a common goal is the best way to approach any given scenario. Other forces that have shaped who I am today include my friends, the neighborhood I grew up in, and books. My friends have taught me trust, kindness, and understanding. It is important to have a friend that is kind to you and that understands you. Trust is the biggest part of friendship because if you do not trust the people you call friends, you cannot really trust anyone or let any walls down. All of these have shaped me into the person I am today because they are lessons I have learned. The neighborhood I grew up in has shaped me greatly by becoming a stable place that I feel comfortable coming home to everyday. Without this sense of security, I would not feel as safe in my own home, which would alter who I am today. Books are a huge force that I can attribute to shaping me into who I am today. The majority of the knowledge I gain on specific topics come from the books I read. Without this knowledge, I would not be the person I am today. Running and band are two more forces that have shaped me into who I am today. Running on both the cross country and track teams has taught me commitment. Every member of the team is important so if someone is slacking, it affects the entire group. Being a committed member is imperative, and I am one hundred percent committed to my team, which is why running has shaped who I am today. Band has shaped me into the person I am today because being a member has taught me discipline. Being a member of such a huge group, there is no room for error or immaturity, and everyone has to be focused for the shows do not go well. My membership in this group has emphasized the need for discipline and has most definitely shaped me as a person. Teachers are also another driving force shaping me into the person I am today. Throughout all of my years as a student, teachers have provided guidance, which I think is highly important to have. Without guidance, one cannot behave well or learn to the best of their ability. The guidance of teachers has most definitely shaped me as a person because it has allowed me to learn so much and be on my best behavior. Finally, a more recent force that has shaped me into who I am today would be earning my driver's license. Attaining my driver's license has taught me responsibility. Being responsible for a car is a huge privilege that I am thankful for. Having responsibilities like driving a car is important in preparing me for the future and has most definitely shaped me into who I am today. It is through all of these examples that I have been shaped into the person I am today.

Kay, I agree that being involved in extracurricular activities like band t=and the performing arts help to teach us things about commitment and discipline. For commitment, as you know, the last two weeks before a musical there are close to 150 students in the auditorium from 6 til 10 every night working; if someone isn't there, things don't happen the way they should. Then for discipline, like you said in marching band, it is imperative that people have the discipline to stay focussed on the task at hand for rehearsal and shows to run smoothly.

-Andrew Hummel

Kay, I definitely agree when it comes to the responsibility of driving, especially having your own car. I did not think of it when writing my list, but seeing you mention it here has reminded me that such a responsibility has forced me to grow up and take charge of my own life. I find it very interesting to hear your opinions on the way running shapes who you are, because I don't share that same connection. It gives me new insight into how you approach your sport, and gives me an outsider's view on exactly what it means to you.

Paige Knapp

September 25, 2011 Summary
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The Three Musketeers, by Alexander Dumas, starts with Gascon d'Artagnan leaving his home for Paris to make a fortune with the Musketeers, a group of soldiers who act as personal bodyguards to the King and Queen. At his first stop on his journey to Paris, the town of Meung, d'Artagnan gets into a fight with a man over his horse. He is knocked unconscious and when he comes to, finds that the letter to M. de Treville, the head of the Musketeers, has been stolen. D'Artagnan rides on to Paris to the home of M. de Treville and is introduced to three of the King's musketeers: Aramis, Athos, and Porthos. D'Artagnan explains to M. de Treville that he lost the letter. M. de Treville suspects d'Artagnan may be working for the Cardinal, the King's enemy, and tests him, but before the interview is over, d'Artagnan sees the man from Meung who stole his letter and attempts to catch him. D'Artagnan carelessly runs into Athos during his pursuit and the man gets away. D'Artagnan is outraged by this and challenges Athos to a duel at noon. D'Artagnan then proceeds to mock Porthos after running into him, and the two schedule a duel for one o'clock. As if these two duels weren't enough, a duel with Aramis is set for two o'clock after d'Artagnan accidentally exposes the affair Aramis was trying to hide, by picking up the handkerchief of his lover. D'Artagnan realizes his stupidity in having three consecutive duels with the Musketeers and is convinced he will be killed. Athos meets d'Artagnan at noon for the duel, with Porthos and Aramis as seconds. Before the duel can begin, d'Artagnan apologizes to Porthos and Aramis for his foolishness because he does not think he will survive the first duel. All of a sudden, a group of the Cardinal's guards turn the corner and attempt to arrest the Musketeers for dueling. D'Artagnan fights along side the three Musketeers and helps defeat the guards. The three Musketeers and d'Artagnan start to become friends after this event. King Louis XIII commends the Musketeers for their loyalty and gives d'Artagnan a large sum of money for killing one of the Cardinal's greatest guards. The Musketeers spend the money on dinner and a servant for d'Artagnan.

Time goes by normally until one day, d'Artagnan finds Monsieur Bonacieux, his landlord, in his house begging him to help him find his wife, a lady-in-waiting to the Queen, who had been kidnapped. Monsieur Bonacieux goes on to explain that his wife's kidnapping might have something to do with the Queen's affair with the Duke of Buckingham. D'Artagnan agrees to help him find Madame Bonacieux and discusses the plan of action with the three Musketeers. Monsieur Bonacieux returns briefly to ask d'Artagnan to save him from a group of the Cardinal's guards who have come to arrest him. D'Artagnan knows that in order to save Madame Bonacieux, he and the Musketeers cannot get arrested, so they do nothing to help Monsieur Bonacieux. The four friends listen through the wall to the police interrogations being conducted. They hear Madame Bonacieux being brought in for interrogation and d'Artagnan rushes into the room, surprising the guards, and rescues her. He drops Madame Bonacieux off at the Queen's palace and then proceeds to visit M. de Treville to secure an alibi for the evening so he is not arrested. Through all of this, d'Artagnan falls in love with Madame Bonacieux. The next day, d'Artagnan is walking down the streets of Paris when he spots Madame Bonacieux exchanging handkerchiefs at Aramis's house. He approaches her about the strange activity and she tells him it is for a secret mission and to not follow her anymore. Later, d'Artagnan finds out Athos has been arrested because the police thought he was d'Artagnan. D'Artagnan heads to the Louvre to tell M. de Treville about Athos's arrest. At the Louvre, he sees the Duke of Buckingham declare his undying love to the Queen. Meanwhile, the police have interrogated Monsieur Bonacieux for days, and he is brought in front of the Cardinal. The Cardinal proceeds to convince Monsieur Bonacieux to spy on his wife for him.

Analysis I found this part of the book very interesting to read because it was full of action and mystery. The reading allows you to question yet understand certain parts of the book. For example, the reader understands that the King and Queen are enemies to the Cardinal, but the book does not explain why they are enemies. Another example is Madame Bonacieux's secret mission. The entire situation surrounding her exchange of the handkerchief was not explained in great detail. Also, the Queen's affair with the Duke of Buckingham is stated but not explained. I presume all of these things will be explained later on in the book. Regardless of the mystery, I enjoyed reading the fight scenes and seeing how much trouble the Musketeers would get themselves into and how they would solve a problem they were faced with. I also found this part of the book very informative, setting the stage for later events in the book. It is important to make sure the reader understands the background information about certain things before diving into the plot, and I feel as though Alexander Dumas does that well.

Application This part of the book applies to both the course essential question and the objectives. The inherent human characteristics that span time and culture that I pulled from my reading were that of bravery and humility. In the book, d'Artagnan challenges as many people as he can to due l as a way of showing his bravery and that he is not afraid of dying or being hurt. D'Artagnan also shows us humility in the book when he apologizes to Porthos and Aramis for being foolish and rude before he duels Athos. Human nature, human roles and behavior, and human ideals are all objectives that apply to the part of the book I have read. Human nature can be seen in this part of the book through all of the duels d'Artagnan gets into. Self-defense is a basic part of human nature. Everyone feels the need to defend him or herself when they feel threatened. D'Artagnan is a good example of this because whenever he feels insulted or in danger, he defends himself and his name the only way he knows how, challenging his opponent. This is basically instinctual to him, therefore exemplifying human nature. Human roles and behavior can be seen in this part of the book by the Musketeers. The Musketeers are the bodyguards for the King and Queen of France. Each member is responsible for keeping them safe and defeating the Cardinal's guards. Their role in society is to defend nobility. However, each Musketeer is different, they do not act exactly the same. For example, d'Artagnan is much more short-tempered, defensive, and willing to fight than Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. This defines his role within the Musketeers as a leader, whereas another member of the group could be considered a follower, or someone who goes along and fights but does not start or lead any conflict. Human ideals are seen in this part of the book through the Musketeers. The Musketeers main goal is to achieve justice and keep the King and Queen safe from their enemies. Although they do fight and create conflict, the goal remains the same and each member works to perfect himself so that goal is achieved. It is in these ways this part of the book applies to the course essential question and the objectives.

October 9, 2011

Summary

M. de Treville hears about Athos’s arrest and goes to meet the King about his release. The Cardinal arrives and tries to prevent the release of Athos from jail, however is unsuccessful. After M. de Treville leaves, the Cardinal tells the King about the Queen’s affair with the Duke of Buckingham, mentioning the political conspiracy with Spain and Austria. The King is outraged and demands that the Queen’s quarters and person be searched. Letters regarding the political conspiracy are found, however, nothing about the affair with the Duke of Buckingham is found. The King decides to hold a ball as an apology to the Queen. The Cardinal suggests that the King asks the Queen to wear her diamond brooch, knowing that she gave it to the Duke of Buckingham, and having stolen a piece of it. The Queen discovers that the Cardinal knows about the brooch before the King asks her, and with the help of Madame Bonacieux, arranges to have it picked up from the Duke of Buckingham. She writes a letter to the Duke, explaining the situation. Madame Bonaceiux attempts to give the letter to Monsieur Bonacieux, who has recently been released, to deliver it, but Monsieur Bonacieux refuses due to his loyalties with the Cardinal. The couple figh ts about the letter and Monsieur Bonacieux leaves to tell the Cardinal about the situation. D’Artagnan, having overheard the entire argument, approaches Madame Bonacieux and offers to deliver the letter himself, saying his love would be a guarantee of his reliability. Madame Bonacieux is beginning to fall in love with d’Artagnan and agrees to let him deliver the letter.

D’Artagnan goes to M. de Treville to explain the situation and get permission to travel to Britain with Porthos, Athos, and Aramis. The four friends run into many difficulties on the way to Britain, such as duels and ambushes, but d’Artagnan is able to deliver the letter in time. As the Duke of Buckingham is handing d’Artagnan the brooch in exchange for the letter, he realizes a portion of it is missing and calls a blockade on all of the ships leaving England, which is a declaration of war with France. The Duke has the brooch repaired and d’Artagnan takes it to Madame Bonacieux in Paris just in time for the ball. The Cardinal, unaware of the fact that the brooch has been repaired, makes a fool of himself by offering the piece of the brooch to the Queen at the ball. After the ball, the Queen gives d’Artagnan a ring to show her gratitude.

When d’Artagnan gets home, he finds a letter asking him to meet the Queen for a rendezvous the following evening. D’Artagnan proceeds to meet M. de Treville, who has found out about his involvement with the King, Queen, and the Cardinal at the ball. M. de Treville warns d’Artagnan to avoid further involvement and advises him to sell the ring the Queen gave him. D’Artagnan refuses to sell the ring but promises to be cautious. The following night, d’Artagnan leaves to meet the Queen. When he arrives at the spot, she is not there. After an hour of waiting, he takes notice that there has been a struggle in the house they were to meet in, and a peasant informs him that a group of men have kidnapped Madame Bonacieux. D’Artagnan rushes back to Paris to tell M. de T reville, who is convinced that it is a Cardinal conspiracy. M. de Treville tells d’Artagnan to find his friends while he figures out what happened to Madame Bonacieux. After leaving Paris, d’Artagnan finds Porthos, who has been injured by one of the Cardinal’s men. D’Artagnan goes on to find Aramis with two churchmen. Aramis is depressed, thinking his mistress has left him. D’Artagnan gives Aramis a letter he found at his house from his mistress, completely changing his attitude. After making sure Aramis is well, d’Artagnan goes to find Athos.

Analysis

I enjoyed reading this part of the book because of the affairs going on and the different storylines coming together. The Queen is having an affair with the Duke of Buckingham; however, she called d’Artagnan to a rendezvous. This makes me question where her love lies and how the situation will play out later in the book. I also wonder where d’Artagnan’s feeling lie. He seems to be in love with Madame Bonacieux, yet he doesn’t hesitate to impress the Queen. This entire situation is very involved and could go in any direction, which is why I enjoyed this part of the book so much. I am excited to see where the storylines go and how things play out.

Application

This part of the book applies to both the essential question and the objectives. The inherent human characteristic spanning both time and culture I got from this part of the book would be perseverance. Throughout the entire portion of the book, d’Artagnan works his hardest to help the Queen and win over Madame Bonacieux. He runs into many obstacles along the way, such as ambushes from the Cardinal’s men, yet works through it and achieves his goals. This perseverance is a characteristic that can be seen in people throughout time and within many different cultures. Human nature can be seen in this portion of the book through love. D’Artagnan is head over heels in love with Madame Bonacieux and regardless of what may be standing in his way, he goes out of his way to profess his love to her and prove himself to her. This display of love and affection is a part of human nature. Human roles and behaviors can be seen in this portion of the book through M. de Treville. He is head of the Musketeers and d’Artagnan, Aramis, Athos, and Porthos answer to him. However, he also plays the role of an advisor or father figure to the four friends, by guiding them through difficult situations they have to face. Finally, human ideals can be seen in this portion of the book through the desire to achieve love. D’Artagnan loves Madame Bonacieux and wants to be loved in return. Throughout the entire portion of the book, d’Artagnan does all he can to impress and win over Madame Bonacieux, therefore achieving love. It is through these examples that the essential question and course objectives apply to this part of the book.

This is my final wiki posting....it wouldn't link :( sorry for the inconvenience.

Summary

Back in England, Lady de Winter is frantically attempting to plot an escape after Lord de Winter shows her the order for her banishment. Lady de Winter pretends to be a Protestant so that John Felton, Lord de Winter's right hand man who is a Protestant, will let his guard down. Lady de Winter pretends to become ill and begs John Felton to let her commit suicide, playing the role of a martyr. Felton has become sympathetic of Lady de Winter, and Lady de Winter continues to manipulate him. On the fifth night of her captivity, Lady de Winter tells Felton a false story of why Lord de Winter hates her. She tells him that the Duke of Buckingham captured and raped her repeatedly so she would be his mistress. Since she refused to join him due to her religious convictions, Buckingham branded her so that no one would believe her story. She continues the lie, saying that she married Lord de Winter's brother and told him of Buckingham's crimes, but Buckingham killed her husband so she fled to France. Upon arrival in France, she was forced to return to England which is when Lord de Winter captured her. Felton believes every word of Lady de Winter's story, putting her in control of the situation. Lord de Winter comes into the room, and in order to prove to Felton her religious beliefs and convictions, Lady de Winter grabs a knife and, careful not to cause too much damage, stabs herself. Suspecting that Lady de Winter has won Felton over, he sends him away, however the day before her banishment, Felton rescues her. Felton tells Lady de Winter that he intends on killing the Duke of Buckingham and wants to go to France with her. Lady de Winter is thrilled that her manipulation worked so well. Upon arrival, Felton goes to the Duke's headquarters where he gains admittance by claiming to have an urgent message from Lord de Winter. Felton tries to convince Buckingham to sign Lady de Winter's release. Buckingham refuses and Felton stabs him to death. However, before Buckingham dies, a messenger arrives with a letter from the Queen, begging Buckingham to call off the war with France and telling him that she loves him. Back in La Rochelle, M. de Treville gives the Musketeers five days of leave to do what is necessary to save Madame Bonacieux. On their way to rescue Madame Bonacieux, they brawl with the Man from Meung whom d'Artagnan has dueled with many times before. He escapes yet drops a note with the name of a town, Armentieres, scrawled on it. Lady de Winter has beaten the Musketeers to the place where Madame Bonacieux is being held. She befriends Madame Bonacieux, pretending to be a good friend of d'Artagnan's who is also being persecuted by the Cardinal. Madame Bonacieux, now fully trusting Lady de Winter, shows her the letter telling her that d'Artagnan is coming to get her. The Man from Meung comes and visits Lady de Winter, and turns out to be the Cardinal's spy. Lady de Winter tells him to prepare a carriage for her and Madame Bonacieux that will take them to Armentieres, which she writes on a note for him. The carriage arrives and the ladies prepare to leave when d'Artagnan and the Musketeers ride up. Lady de Winter tells Madame Bonacieux that the Cardinalist agents have come for her. Completely trusting her, Madame Bonacieux does not look out the window. Lady de Winter tries to hurry Madame Bonacieux into the carriage but she refuses to move because she is so afraid. Lady de Winter proceeds to poison a glass of wine which she gives Madame Bonacieux, and escapes alone. D'Artagnan arrives just as the poison begins to take effect. Madame Bonacieux explains that Lady de Winter has just left and the Musketeers realize she has been poisoned. Madame Bonacieux dies in d'Artagnan's arms. Lord de Winter arrives from England in pursuit of Lady de Winter. Athos tells him that he was Lady de Winter's first husband and the men agree to track down the murderer. Athos sends four servants to Armentieres to find out Lady de Winter's exact location while he, Lord de Winter, d'Artagnan, and the rest of the Musketeers attend Madame Bonacieux's funeral. Athos then goes by himself briefly and enlists another individual into their party. One of the servants return with news that they have found Lady de Winter and that the other three servants remained in Armentieres to keep an eye on her. Finally, the men set out on their journey. The stranger, Lord de Winter, and the Musketeers find Lady de Winter right before she is able to leave France, and capture her. The men list off the charges set against her. The mysterious stranger steps forward and tells everyone that Lady de Winter was a nun who seduced a young priest. They stole the Communion plate and the priest was captured while Lady de Winter was able to escape. Both the priest and Lady de Winter were branded. Porthos and Aramis sentence Lady de Winter to death for her crimes and she is beheaded and thrown into the river. On their way back to La Rochelle, d'Artagnan is arrested in the Cardinal's name. D'Artagnan tells the Cardinal all about Lady de Winter and the crimes that she committed and that she is the woman who brought the charges against him. D'Artagnan then shows the Cardinal his own letter of absolution, freeing him from accountability for Lady de Winter's murder. The Cardinal proceeds to promote d'Artagnan to lieutenant in the Musketeers and counts him as a friend. D'Artagnan went on to become a distinguished lieutenant of the Musketeers, Athos remained a Musketeer under the leadership of d'Artagnan for a few years before retiring, Porthos became rich and led a luxurious life with his new wife, and Aramis joined the priesthood.

Analysis

I thought this was a phenomenal ending to the book because it was incredibly interesting and in depth and tied up all of the loose ends. I thought it was odd that Dumas did not go as in depth or add very much detail to the part where Athos brings the stranger into their party to capture Lady de Winter. Perhaps it was to build suspense, however, I would have liked more explanation. I think it is sad that the Duke of Buckingham dies, yet it is nice that he dies a happy man, knowing that the Queen loves him. Also, I am glad that Lady de Winter was executed for her actions. She was a very interesting and crafty character that made the book interesting and suspenseful, however it was important that she die for her crimes. Overall I found this book to be very entertaining and fun to read even though it was quite lengthy and sometimes difficult to understand.

Application

This part of the book applies to both the essential question and the objectives. The inherent human characteristic spanning both time and culture I got from this part of the book would be faith. Throughout this portion of the book, d'Artagnan had faith in himself and his friends that he would be able to successfully save Madame Bonacieux from the grasp of the Cardinal. Human nature can be seen in this portion of the book through self-preservation. Lady de Winter always seemed to tune in to the primal instinct to save yourself or survival of the fittest. This was especially evident when she poisoned Madame Bonacieux and escaped alone on the carriage. Human roles and behaviors can be seen in this portion of the book through d'Artagnan. Throughout the entire book, d'Artagnan has acted with leadership in all of the endeavors and journeys he has taken. His leadership skills finally pay off in this portion of the book with his promotion to lieutenant of the Musketeers. Finally, human ideals can be seen in this portion of the book through the necessity of a purpose. D'Artagnan is incredibly dedicated to saving Madame Bonacieux throughout the book because this challenge gives him a purpose, which is important to him. It seems as though he will accept any challenge that will give him a purpose. It is through these examples that the essential question and course objectives apply to this part of the book.

//The Three Musketeers// Postings October 23, 2011 - Kay Shue Summary 2 ( this is my third wiki posting).