The Conclusion

In the beginning of the year, I was just…THERE. My blog reflected how I felt… kind of, and I’m pretty sure it still does now. It’s just really sarcastic and like… rambly. Well all my posts are. Even in the small length that I’ve been typing this, I’ve been rambling. But anyways, my blogs are really how I talk to myself in my head. If I wasn’t so shy I’d probably be like this every day. But I’m not, so I’m just stuck not really talking to myself in a blog. I was always really comfortable with blogs, because no one really commented on mine and I felt like I could just write whatever I want. Which I will NEVER do again, and I haven’t since 7^th grade.  I don’t really know. I’m always embarrassed about my blogs because I’m just so casual about writing them, when other people are super professional and very honors Englishy.

When other people complain about blogs, and whine about having to go on the internet and write something pointless about their lives, I relish it. I don’t have to actually talk and be awkward like I always am, and it gives me an excuse to get on the computer without anyone yelling at me to get out of my ‘cave.’ Bleh. And it also gives me time to think about what I’m going to say instead of just not saying anything after being under the pressure to say something. AKA discussions. Which I HATE, by the way. The blog really lets me show what my personality is without actually having to talk to people.

Before I make myself seem any more anti-social, I say this. I do like doing blogs. I have my own place that only I can put stuff on/in, (unlike my room which is constantly being barged in by my entire family) and I just say what I feel without having to worry about the direct consequences. And I like feeding my fish, Fred and George, on my blog.  :) They are fun to write and fun to read, and fun to subtly make fun of people in without them knowing. It just happens when you write something about someone.

For me, blogs are an easy way to communicate without actually having to communicate. You can write to yourself and the whole entire world(which is basically what blogs are) and you can comment on your blog and everyone else’s. Speaking of which, some random lady commented on a blog. I think it was the earliest memory one about the giant Elmo and me where I had to give it away because I had dust allergies? This lady said my blog was funny and gave me a recommendation to a dust mite website. (Rhyming :D) And it was just really funny. And cool of her.

A quote to describe my blog and my conclusion to my blog would probably have to be “Last night I lay in bed looking up at the stars in the sky and I thought to myself, where the heck is the ceiling.”- Unknown. This relates to me because it’s hard to miss things if there’s something better. But when the better thing is gone you want to go back to the other things but it’s gone. Yep. I did look up quotes on Google, thank you very much. I wanted to do a really derogatory one but I decided not to, and I don’t know why. I don’t really know how this relates to my blog conclusion though. All in all it’s been a great year, and I hope I get better grades on essays next year.

Essay Writing

First of all, I'm finishing up my essay right now, and I'm having a really hard time with it. So that means, no, I don't think I'm an accomplished essayist. I have done a lot better since middle school, but I really don't think I'm accomplished or close to accomplished. 'Accomplished' would be in the A range. And most of my essays this year have been B+ or just Bs. Writing essays is hard you know, especially when the book is Shakespeare and everything is written in sonnet language that is hard to understand. I do get what literary analysis is all about however, it's just that the books have to be more simple for me to understand it 100%.

I'm looking at the rubric now and I notice that I VERY VERY MUCH lack originality. My thesis is basically the prompt, so I'm going to change that a bit so it's less like it. "Repetitive use of 'this shows'." My essay is pretty repetitive, but not in 'this shows'. It's just repetitive in general. But it's hard to find different words or phrases that mean motif. Also, I paraphrase a little bit, instead of actually analyzing it... But that seems like basically it for the 'B or lower' thing. I don't have very many things from the 'A paper' thing either, so don't think I'm calling my essay perfect, because it's basically the opposite of it.

Summer Reading

I don't really read over the summer because I spend most of the time sleeping and complaining of the hot weather. But I'll make it a goal to read at least three books over the summer. The Honors English one, and the AP World one. Sooo I'll have one that I get to choose left. First of all I want to read My Sister's Keeper by ...Jodi Picoult, because I was going to read it for the Outside reading thing and then Lilly stole it from me! So now I want to read it. Another book would have to be The Hobbit and the rest of the The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Because I just want to say I've read them... But knowing me I'll just get the minimum done, which is the honors and AP world book, so just a heads up.

Fate

I was born on July 16th, 1995. This makes me a Cancer, and also very young for my grade. ): It was also  Will Ferrell's birthday, just putting that out there. It says that Cancers are loyal, adaptable, dependable, caring, responsive. I'm pretty sure that I'm most of that stuff. Even though I don't seem responsive, I very much am. And I'm also not so much dependable, or loyal as a matter of fact. So I think that these don't really apply to me. But what really convinced me that I was a Cancer was that the site that I'm reading off of also says that Cancers are moody, clingy, self-pitying, oversensitive, and self-absorbed. Yes, I am most of those things, so that makes me sure I'm a cancer.

Also, according to the site, "Cancer is a mysterious sign, filled with contradictions. They want security and comfort yet seek new adventure. They are very helpful to others yet sometimes can be cranky and indifferent. Cancer has a driving, forceful personality that can be easily hidden beneath a calm, and cool exterior. The crab is Cancer's ruling animal and it suits them well, they can come out of their shell and fight but they can also hide in their shell of skitter away back into the depths of the ocean. They are very unpredictable." So yes, it does seem like that's me, except that I'm not that... descriptive. It also says that Cancers can be good mothers, but I disagree.

My Chinese Zodiac is a Pig, as with most of the people in 9th grade, because everyone who is a Pig/Boar was born in 1995, or should I say that everyone born in 1995 is a Boar. To the Chinese culture, a pig is a sign of fertility. To have children in the year of the pig is apparently very lucky. But that's besides the point. According to this next site, "Boars are self-reliant, very sociable, dependable,and extremely determined. Boars are peace lovers and don't hold grudges. They hate arguments, tense situations, and try to bring both sides together." Which is the complete opposite of me. I am not super self-reliant, I'm not sociable, not super dependable, and not determined at all. I don't choose peace, and I hold grudges FOREVER. I hate arguments that I lose, but not arguments in general. It's actually kind of funny to listen to arguments between people, as long as there's no blood on the floor. 

Culture Shock

In the song, Don't Fear The Reaper by Blue Oyster Cult, obvious references to Romeo and Juliet are made. They are obvious because they mention the names Romeo and Juliet, and the quote: "Valentine is done/ Here but now they're gone/ Romeo and Juliet/ Together in eternity" I found the song because of Rockband. C: Yep, and I remembered they had a song that mentioned Romeo and Juliet so I searched on google, 'song on rockband that mentions romeo and juliet' and I instantly got it without even having to open a website page. And now it sounds like I'm advertising Google. I'm not, okay? But I did get these lyrics from Google:

All our times have come
Here but now they're gone
Seasons don't fear the reaper
Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain..we can be like they are
Come on baby...don't fear the reaper
Baby take my hand...don't fear the reaper
We'll be able to fly...don't fear the reaper
Baby I'm your man...

Valentine is done
Here but now they're gone
Romeo and Juliet
Are together in eternity...Romeo and Juliet
40,000 men and women everyday...Like Romeo and Juliet
40,000 men and women everyday...Redefine happiness
Another 40,000 coming everyday...We can be like they are
Come on baby...don't fear the reaper
Baby take my hand...don't fear the reaper
We'll be able to fly...don't fear the reaper
Baby I'm your man...

Love of two is one
Here but now they're gone
Came the last night of sadness
And it was clear she couldn't go on
Then the door was open and the wind appeared
The candles blew then disappeared
The curtains flew then he appeared...saying don't be afraid
Come on baby...and she had no fear
And she ran to him...then they started to fly
They looked backward and said goodby...she had become like they are
She had taken his hand...she had become like they are
Come on baby...don't fear the reaper

And here is a link to a Youtube video, though I doubt you'll want to watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdXfkkyI1nQ

Skits

So three scenes that would be cool to perform would be; when Miss Havisham catches on fire, the whole boat scene when Compeyson is following Pip and Abel Magwitch, and Pip's first visit to the Satis House and his first visit with Miss Havisham.

First I think it would be really funny to have someone who would play as Miss Havisham act as if they were on fire. With limbs flailing, running around, and screaming. Sure its a little sadistic, but some people would get a kick out of it. It would also be kind of embarrasing running around the classroom like you were on fire, but I'm pretty sure we have people that are willing to do that in our class. The fire was caused because her dress was too close to fire right? Well that's the cause of most bodily fires, but anyways, the person who was Miss Havisham could just stand to close to the fire and start screaming and running around.

The second one is when Compeyson is stalking Abel Magwitch, because they apparently have some history and they hate each other. I think they were in a boat, right? Or just got off a boat, so whoever plays Compeyson could have like a stalker-ish vibe and sneak around everywhere and follow whoever plays Pip and Abel. And Herbert was there too, I think.

The last skit that I think would be the most important and meaningful is when Pip pays his first visit to Satis house and Miss Havisham. Pip's first impression was like that of a little castle in a fantasy book, or maybe a scary haunted house on the inside because there were only candle-light. Estella would be involved too, because she was the one who played cards with Pip when he first came. I think Pip visiting Miss Havisham really sets the story up for the future characters and settings. Somehow everyone in the book is related or has a connection in some way. This scene also portrays Pip's innocence and innocent behavior as he was a young child to go play at Miss Havisham's.

Another Question

Another thing I don't get in the book is the whole argument about Compeyson's wife. On page 348, Compeyson, or Abel Magwitch, I can't really tell which one, said "Compeyson's wife and me took him up to bed agen, and he raved most dreadful. 'Why look ay her!' he cries out. 'She's a-shaking the shroud at me! Don't you see her? Look at her eyes! Ain't it awful to see her so mad?' Next, he cries, 'She'll pit it on me, and then I'm done for! Take it away from her, take it away!' And he catched hold of us, and kep on a-talking to her, and answering of her, till I half-believed I see her myself." So, my question is what is it about Compeyson's wife that drives the convict crazy? Also, I'm pretty sure she's dead, because he says, 'I half-believed I see her myself' which means he does not see her very often or at all, so either she has died or is some secluded creature. What is it about her mad eyes that scares the convict?

Questions About A Passage

So looking through my annotations, I realized I didn't have any questions. Actually, I didn't know we could have question annotations. So I kind of just found one that was minor and insignificant, even though I want to know the answer. So excuse me if it's not legit enough. Okay, so in the second page of Chapter 31, page 255 to be exact, there's a play that Pip went to. I don't know what it's called, but it is in Denmark and apparently a lot of Danish was there. He did say the 'whole of the Danish nobility.' Anyways, that's not my question. My question is, during the play, when there was some sort of funeral, people were throwing nuts at the actors? I mean, why? Wait, are the actors throwing nuts at the other actors or are audience members throwing them?

I'm actually really confused about the whole play. Why did they go there? What is the point of putting that they watched a play in the middle of a book? I think it must have some sort of significance to the book as a whole because it's actually long, and a major event. So I hearby declare my question to officially be, "What is the importance of the play that Pip, Herbert, and Mr. Wopsle attend in Chapter 31?"

Great Expectations Photo Post

Yeah, so I know this isn't very creative, but it works, okay? I was looking for other opposite pictures but all I got were pictures of... dinosaurs and something. I chose the colors black and white. They are so different, opposites even, yet they are still the same thing; a color. I chose this to represent the difference between Pip's hometown where he was born and raised and London, where he went with Mr. Jaggers to become a gentleman. He used to live near a marsh, common apparently where he was born. It was just a place for middle-class/common people would live during that time. The 'country.' London, Pip described, was in awe yet grossed-out by how bad it smelled because of how many people were in one spot.

Collaborating Paragraph

In my paragraph about The Importance of Being Earnest, I am writing about the last level of dishonesty, because that's the topic we are doing. Our thesis is basically the prompt, but we changed the words around a little, whoops. (: Anyways, the last level of dishonesty is how Jack lies about himself and what he does, and how he makes another person just to get out of family matters, and dinners and stuff. He lied about his whole life and who he is, and so did Algernon. The irony of it is that he actually was Ernest in the end of the book, and that he actually had a brother. Like the concrete detail that I am going to paraphrase, 'I am Jack in the country and Ernest in the city.' About how he invented a brother just so he could be two different people in two different places. This was the highest level only because he invented a PERSON.

I'm almost 100% sure that none of my group's concrete details will overlap, since our topics are totally different, since they're different levels and all. Keenan's writing about the lowest level, like white lies. But basically it's just about cucumber sandwiches, and how Algernon lied to Jack about not eating them, then he ate them, and lied again to Lady Bracknell about how they didn't have them, even though it was him who ate them. Nicole is writing about the baby issue, about how Miss Prism lost a baby and lied about it sort of, how she forgot. We were going to put this as the top level, but then I brought up a point that Miss Prism didn't mean to lose a baby, she just wasn't paying attention when she was holding the volumes she wrote.

Victorian Era

The research that we did on the Victorian Era honestly didn't 'enhance my understanding of the play' much. I think that the play didn't include much Victorian culture without explaining it first somehow in the play. Maybe that's just me. But it did slightly help me understand the marriage, classes, and gender roles, even though I for the most part knew them from past history classes in middle school or other books I've read before. The research I did with the questions forced me to learn all I can about the Era, and I do think that helped me at least a little bit.

In my research I found that social class is very important during the era. For example, when Lady Bracknell comes to interrogate Jack on why he should marry Gwendolen. She won't let him marry her daughter just because he wasn't born into a high class. Or so they think. He was found in a purse in a train station or something, so he can't advance Lady Bracknell's family with his social class, even though he is rich. For a concrete detail, on pg. 24, Lady Bracknell says "Fortunately in England, at an rate, education produces no effect whatsoever. If it did, it would prove a serious danger to the upper classes, and probably lead to acts of violence in Grosvenor Square." That proves that education doesn't matter when you get married, it's actually your social class.

I also found that women in the era were separated into very strict, yet blended together, stereotypes. Lady Bracknell was the typical mother of a high class family, and wants the best for her family, not just her daughter. She will do anything to advance her family and cares minimally for feelings and emotions. Cecily is the naive, careless young girl who is overly dramatic when it comes to feelings. Miss Prism is the well educated, teacher-like character who is strict and also doesn't much care about emotions. And Gwendolen kind of the working, obedient daughter who has the qualities to make an excellent wife and mother. Since I did the research before reading the book, I wouldn't really know if it helped me understand or not, but I sure hope it did.

Animal Farm

Full, Non Cut-Off Version

Poetry Out Loud Performances

Okay, so I watched "Sonnet CXXX My Mistress' Eyes Are Nothing Like the Sun", by William Shakespeare, performed by Allison Strong. Her physical presence was really great, but her voice and articulation was amazing. Well, not amazing. How can someone who is reciting poems be amazing? I'll say it's... very good. Yep. She articulated the words crisp and clearly. You could obviously tell she actually got the meaning of the poem/sonnet. She spoke loud and fast at some parts to accentuates some parts of the poem, and soft and slow at others, creating 'texture' for the listener. She also had a lot of confidence. And the poem rhymed, and she didn't do it in a 'sing song'y voice.


For me, the poem was super hard to interpret. I didn't really see so much of a literal meaning, more of a symbolicish meaning. It was kinda about unconditional love, emotion, passion that kind of stuff. I think he's describing his mistress/wife... I think he was comparing his wife to a goddess or something. No, that's the opposite. Even though she is kinda ugly and gross and 'her breath reeks', he still has to love her anyway. In my opinion, the meaning lies in the metaphors and similes Shakespeare applies, even though he doesn’t use them to desribe his mistress, but to describe what she’s not. It's kind of ironic.

Mockingbird Motif

Honestly, in the beginning of the year I thought a motif was a rug you hang on a wall. Like a mural. I guess they sound enough the same to mean the same thing. Actually, when I think of the word motif, I instinctively put a rug on a wall in my mind. Apparently I've mistaken them too long and two and a half months of knowing the correct term. It was explained to me that a motif was a reoccurring symbol. Like a mockingbird in To Kill A Mockingbird. Reading that I now understand the awesome-ness of motifs. Because they're like secret things you have to find. :D And it doesn't directly say it in the book.

In the book the mockingbird was a symbol of pure innocence. Like Scout, Tom Robinson and Boo Radley and stuff/people like that. Maybe not Scout. So mainly Tom Robinson and Boo Radley. Wait, so is his name Boo or Arthur? Is it the kids that call him Boo and Atticus/adults call him Arthur? So that must be his real name. So let's talk about him. Boo Radley. It was 'like killing a mockingbird' to send him to trial for killing Bob Ewell. Well, it was self-defense. If it wasn't for Boo killing Bob, he would've killed Jem and Scout. More innocent people. Then two 'mockingbirds' would be killed, instead of just one... 'bird.' And if Tom Robinson was a 'killed mockingbird' too. Because he didn't commit the crime that people said he did, and he was killed for it. Lesson: you shouldn't kill a mockingbird in Maycomb in the 1930's. I hope that last paragraph made sense.

Symbolism

In the play, I was Atticus. I think Atticus is like a bird somehow. Note that somehow is different than 'for whatever reason.' First of all, this is a Bull Finch. I know this isn't really a symbol, but Bull Finch, Atticus Finch? HAHA I'M SO FUNNY. Anyway, I chose this bird because I told my brother just to list animals until I heard one that reminded me of Atticus. Birds are quiet until when they want to be. Then they chirp and annoy the noodles out of you. Unless you like birds. Then they are insightful, kind, and meaningful. Like Atticus. Because he is just polite and gentlemanly to everyone except when he is defending someone. Then he gets serious and talks. You don't really pay attention to birds until they make noise. People didn't really mind Atticus or labeled him as an extensively important person. Until he 'makes noise' meaning talking all important-like during a case. So there.

Life Lesson

Okay. This isn't much of a life lesson, more of an assurance. But whenever I am having a rough time in life, my dad's quote always cheers me up. It may not be the nicest thing to say, but hey, it works. Here it is, "Someone always has it worse." For instance, if someone breaks a bone. Hey, someone in Africa is dying of AIDS. Someone just got into a car crash. Someone has cancer. Someone has a brain tumor. Someone's wife died. You don't really think about others when you get hurt, or sick, or depressed. You only think of yourself. But if you actually do pay attention to things like that, you'll probably be grateful. Well, at least more grateful it isn't something worse. Like you have 24 hours to live. Better yet, be grateful your doctor doesn't call you and says, 'Hey, you have 24 hours to live. But I forgot to call you yesterday.'

My dad has actually been saying this all my life, but I haven't really thought about it until recently. Maybe a few months ago? Because as a child, like every child, I would only think about myself. How I tripped over a piece of wood and fell face flat on the cement, or I jumped off the monkey bars and twisted my ankle, or anything where you got hurt. In elementary school I would cry. In middle school I would scream. Now in high school, I'll just hold it in. And maybe if it's bad enough, I'll think about someone dying, and be glad I'm not dead. Yes, that may be a bad way to put it, but it's too easy to lie when you're typing. So I don't. :) Anyways, so that's my life lesson blog.

My Best Friend

My best friend has dark brown hair, brown eyes, freckles, and contacts. She is, in a way, like me, except that I'm all sorts of stuff, and she's just caucasian. [Not to be racist or anything.] We always say that we are creepily similar, considering we have basically the same interests, basically the same experiences, and even basically the same schedule! I met her the first day of fifth grade when she moved from Tacoma to Olympia, ending up in Mrs. Nelson's class sitting next to me. We became friends right away. We did all the same things. She got glasses, then I got glasses. It was basically like that for the whole 4 years we've known each other. Even though four years isn't that many in comparison to other people and their friends, some people[WYATT >:D] call us a bickering old couple. All we could do was laugh when we heard that. We knew it was true. Sad, but true.

She's the type of person who thinks about everything. One day at lunch, she picked up a Frito and said, "I wonder how they make them curly. Do they just go like that, or are they pre-made curly?" Another day at lunch, she has a Sunchip. "I wonder how they get wavy?" Now, whenever she has Sunchips or Fritos, I tease her about that day in sixth grade. All she can say is, "I still want to know!" She always says whats on her mind. Or at least it seems like it. I always complain about how she complains to me about cold. She's always cold. Like, always. We're on our way to science in the 700 building, and as soon as we step outside I hear a loud "BRRRRR." When go into the gym from the locker room, I heard another "BRRRRRR!" I sigh just as loud back.

I'd say she is an ambivert. She's not normal. But she's not weird. That's all I can say about that.

Earliest Memory

I don't have so much of my earliest memory. But I do remember a ginormous stuffed Elmo that I loved to shreds. I think I was two or three. And we still lived in California. The house with the dark brown, grease-sticky floors that my dad covered with those foam blocks with letters on them. And then we come back to the Elmo. Since I was a little kid, the thing seemed a bajillion feet tall. I don't exactly remember everything. But I know that it had a huge head with hard plastic eyes and a orange nose. I think it was a plush orange nose. But it had lanky arms and legs, and a pretty egg-ish body. But it was red and had long hair. As all little kids do, I probably spilled some stuff on it. Or got it all sticky.

Ugh, now that I think of it, the Elmo was probably all gross and matted. Like a dog that hasn't had a bath in all its life. But that isn't what I was supposed to write about. Soooo, back to Elmo. It was gross. Yeah, straight and to the point. My dad told me that I loved it so much I didn't want to get rid of it. But sadly, I had horrible dust allergies when I was a little kid. Well I still do. But I deal with it. Yeah. I think I had the Elmo all my life, so I hung around it all the time. Since dust mites, the creator of dust, eat dead skin and crap out dust. Excuse my French. So my dad got rid of it. Poor Elmo. May he rest in peace.

Rebecca ~ Imagery

Ugh, this blog post thing is so confusing. How am I supposed to know why the author used imagery so much? It just makes things less boring. But whatever. If you read my previous blog you would see I read Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. I already finished it. The ending is horrible. Ur. But now that I know the whole book, I can say that Rebbeca is now my role model. She just learns about a person and does whatever they like around them to get them to like her, then she mooches stuff off them. Heh, they, for the most part, just go along with it.

So, the reason I think the author used imagery so heavily is to help people figure out the setting. It's a mansion by the bay in Kerrith, somewhere in Europe. The first two or three chapters were all about describing the house and why she didn't want to go back. Again, I never heard the main girl's name in the whole entire book. I'll just call her 'Girl.' But I probably won't mention her much, since this blog post is about imagery, not Girl. Anyways, there's a bunch of imagery. It enriches descriptions of places, people, and things. Instead of 'there were rhodedendrons on the windowsill', she says 'Yes, there they were, blood-red and luscious, as I had seen them the evening before, great bushes of them, massed beneath the open window, encroaching on to the sweep of drive itself.' Now, doesn't that make a picture in your head? That is what imagery does to you.

I also think that Daphne Du Maurier used a lot of imagery is beacause the book would really be nothing without it. Just talking. A lot of her imagery also describes people like Girl 'moving' to a different place. Without it, they would just teleport. And you'd be like, "OMG SHE'S HERE NOW SHE'S THERE." And your mouth would be gaping open. Whatever. So, like I was saying, the book would just be dialogue and vague descriptions on where they were. The gist of it. And that is why the author used 'this literary element so heavily.' Err. My blogs are getting shorter and shorter.

Outside Reading

I'm reading Rebecca. Yeah, by Daphne Du Maurier or something. I'm too lazy to get my book right in front of me. Actually I'm not. And yes, I spelled it right. So anyways, I'm reading Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier. The book is actually pretty good. It was super hard to get into and was boring in the beginning like most books are to me, but because it was a required read, I forced myself to read it more and eventually I got to a good part. When whats-her-face gets married to the rich dude. It never mentions her name in the book. I keep on thinking it's Rebecca because its always mentioned. But Rebecca is creepy 'cause she went out to this boat thing and drowned because the water was choppy. Choppy isn't exactly enough to toss you off the boat. Whatever. After the main girl got married the book started to actually make me want to read.

There's tons of imagery in the book. There's so much that sometimes when I'm reading I don't even notice it to mark it with those little sticky notes. I don't really mark much other stuff because its not poppish enough for me to see it. Poppish, you say? I make up words when I can't think of one to use. This one for instance, means something that is very noticeable. Yeah. I'm very sure that imagery is the one that is most obvious and dominant. The author is obviously just trying to make everything seem more detailed with all that imagery. That's why she was using all of it. It enriches the text and forms a picture in your mind. But that's why some people like books; it puts them into a world unlike their own. You could be jealous of this, or lucky from this, or any other emotion from the pictures that form in your head from imagery.

The tone. Erm... I can't really find a tone. Its basically like the author is impartial about the situation. I think she's trying to say that she felt that Rebecca was way more important that the main girl could ever be. She made Rebecca loved by everyone, made her beautiful, made her just overall awesome. And the main person's just like, 'bleh' and drab and simple and shy and not caring and stuff. Actually, now that I think about it, the tone isn't exactly impartial like I said, its more of nostalgic. Everyone is longing for Rebecca. Since nostalgia is when you desire for the past. And everyone is always "Rebecca always did things like this, Rebecca always ate this, Rebecca always went here at this time of the day, You should be like Rebecca, You are nothing like I thought your would be, I don't know why Maxim chose you after Rebecca, blah blah blah and such. And no, the tone doesn't shift with each chapter. Well, at least I don't think it does.