Romeo and Juliet in Modern Times
Students have been asking me if I believe in love at first sight, or if I believe that teenagers can be so committed to each other that they would defy everyone to be together. They tell me that either they can't trust their fellow teens to be so open and honest with them that they could commit, or too many teens are so fickle and such players that they wouldn't see Romeo and Juliet happening today. Yet, it seems that every year while I am teaching Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet I come across a news story that proves that young romantic love lives and reinforces why this play is still so popular today. Yesterday, while reading the LATimes online, I saw this article, "Young Love, Old Divisions" . Check it out, especially if you read Romiette and Julio. Tell me what you think.
posted by CapEnglish3-4 @ 7:45 PM
20 Comments:
Wow! This story has so much in common with Romeo and Juliet that I had a hard time believing it was true! There was so much fighting, deception, fate, and love!!! I personally think it's ridiculous for the Latinos and Blacks to be fighting that way, because there is no purpose to it. There would be so many separations in the way we do things. It reminds me of the segragation in the South... I personally admire Beatriz and Lionel for their determination in their strong love. They must really love each other if they are willing to go through the risk of Beatriz's mom finding out that they are dating, getting shot by members of their own race as well as by members of the other race. I hope that they do get ahead and I hope that they clear their heads and stay focused and stay on the right paths. I hope that they do not become gangbangers, dealing with drugs and other things of that nature.
the connections with romeo and juliet are so astonishing, i simply can't believe it. it seems to horrible and to similar to be true!!! they must lie to beatriz's mother, just like juliet had to lie to her own. they must meet in secret when they think no one is looking, as did romeo and juliet. the similarities just go on and on!!!!
It's Disappointing to say that I'm not suprised that this kind of violance and racism happens. The article does have a lot in common with Romiette and Julio.I'm not really sure how fate brought them together.I think there is a lot of deception because beatriz is lying but, they seem to love each other so much that they could careless about other people's racist comments,putdowns, and opinions. I really hope one day that they will be able to tell beatrizs' mother that they are together. Although I do think like the feuding in Romeo And Juliet, the fight brought them together. So to get through the fighting and make it in life they stick together.
That artical was really long, but other than that i thought it was really interesting.It was sort of like Son Of The Mob, but only the parts about that their relationship had to be a secret. That whole artical had a lot of Fued in it(which is my topic)and also reminded me a lot of Romeo and Juliet.
Students, Remember you need to be very specific and detailed in your posts. I am looking for critical reading of the article and deep thinking if you want bonus points. The first 2 blogs fit this description. JustinM's blog will not earn credit because it is so general, it could be about any post I have made. Mrs. Henry
this article has alot in common with romiette and julio. the part about beatriz being smart and stubborn reminds me of romiette. also, the fueds between the latinos and african-americans reminds me of romeo and juliet's fueds between the montagues and capulets. i think it is sad how there is tension between the latinos and african-americans. i noticed alot of deception. for example, beatriz lieing to her mom. also, i think that "Fate may have brought Lionel and Beatriz together, but a school reform nudged them along" is a very powerful line because it can be connected to romiette and julio by the fact that the two biracial couples are going through the same things. another connection to romiette and julio could be that only lionel's mother has met beatriz just like only romi's mother had met julio. i think that beatriz and lionel's relationship really is fate and true love because of everything that they are willing to put up with and go through to be together. (:
ok so at the beginning it was disapointing to know that these two different people with two different backrounds cant cooperate together to make their school succesful at the beginning of it all its good to know that linal is a sweet person and doesnt really care about a persons ethnic backround as long as u can be open and honest with that person and he fell inlove with a mexican and that didnt stop him just because their two different races and thats a good thing in his situation because it seems like by him making a difference that he could help make a difference when it comes to a school thats poor and people kneed to share. its a great story and i see how it connect to romeo and juliet to rivals comming together for the greater good but in this story both sides dont find out a little too late.
This article relates to Romeo and Juliet a lot because the two kids want to see each other but society won't let them. The races are like the Capulets and Montegues two rivalling peoples.I agree with justin about the article being like Son of the Mob with the way they seee each other. I think that deception is big with this relationship because they have to hide their feeling for each other from everyone else. Beatriz also has to lie to her parents saying that she doesn't have a boyfriend and talking in secret while she is on the phone. They always have to go to places where there are not a lot of people just show their love for each other. in romeo and Juliet they had to the same thing with hiding their relationship when it first started. They only kissed when they knew that no one would see them. In a way Lionell is like count Paris giving gifts of affection to his lovers heart. Also in a way the school principal is like the Prince in the sense that he wants to restore peace on the streets or at least the campus. I think that the black girl who said "He's the one dating that Mexican girl." is kind of like Murcutio when he was making fun of Romeo for liking Rosalind. I think that this story seems too fake to be real because it is sooo much like Romeo and Juliet.
this story is just like romeo and juliet. i agree with barrett, on how the montagues and capulets are like the two races and so on.there is alot of deception. like again, hiding there relationship, but also the two groups are decieving eachother. you never know, they might like eachohter, but they just assume they act a certain way cause they look like their enemys. i think that the latinas and the african americans fighting is really stupid. everyone is the same on the inside, yet people hate what they see on the outside. it doesnt matter what is on the outside. its like the saying "dont judge a book on its cover". same for people, dont judge people on what they look like. get to know people.having a different ethnical backround shouldnt mean you should hate people who dont have the same views or beliefs as you. its good to know other people outside your race/culture. violence doesnt prove anything or make things better. it only hurts people becuase some cant be happy with themselves due to the fact of bullying and teasing of your identity. but it shows true love, beacuse they go against what there friends and groups say, and get togehter becasue they like eachother for who they are, and thatsx what is important.
This article has a lot of the themes that we are studying about. It has love, fate, deception, time, and even tragic flaws. The love is involving the two kids, the fate is involving their future together or even their future of staying alive, the deception when they have to try to keep the secret of their relationship from the students, teachers, and even their parents, the time because it involves different times throughout the year, and the tragic flaw is the biggest theme in this story. It is a tragic flaw that the Latino and African American people are always fighting. I think that the two cultures have a lot in common and if they are always living in the same environments and the same parts of the cities, they should be use to eachother and they should be forced to get along. All the racism and discrimination needs to stop, because that is what sparks all the violence in inner city places where they aren't as lucky as some of us. If their was no racism, there wouldn't be any gang fights or any of that stuff. I also admire what the dream of one of the kids was, to become president and help people from the bad parts of the cities.
If none of the racism, racist name calling, and discrimination to races ever happened, the world would definetely be a better place. there would be no "ghetto's" because the city would do something about the bad parts of the cities. But they don't do that because they figure that they shouldn't have to help bad people. If there was no racism or any of that stuff, there would be a lot less gangs, murders, fights, and a lot of other crimes because most of the crimes today have to do with racism. There would be more security in bad neighborhoods, therefore, making it safer for students. There should also be programs because that kind of outside stuff will keep kids busy and off the streets. In a way, it brings people closer together, as in the article because people watch over eachother and care about eachother a lot more. People have to watch eachother's backs when you live in bad areas, because every breath can be your last, and you have to be cautious, watching yourself, your actions, and your friends and enemies around you. That is what Beatriz and Lionel do and that is what keeps them alive.
Once again, be careful with your comments. Kassie probably read the article, yet her response could have been written just by reading the other posts. She hasn't used any truly specific concrete details from the article to prove she read it. So, remember, I'm not just looking for long entries, I'm also looking for critical reading and connecting.
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This artical shows that ethnicity doesnt matter in a relationship. This was indeed similar to romeo and juliet for the fact that they were to star crossed lovers in two fueding families. The tradigy in romeo and juliet were their deaths that brought their famillies together, the tradigy in this artical was the possibility that they would be seperated by the school, where they have the chance to show their effection towards one another. lionel's P.E. teacher, Linda St. John, has had an impact in this story, she encouraged lionel to stop hagging out with a trouble maker because she cared about what would happen if he continued on the route he has chosen for himself. i think racism has taken over to many lives as in the story where lionel was called the N-word by his neighbors, these types of actions still exsist in our society today, some problems wont go away unless action is being taken. In romeo and juliet situations like lionel's took place with the fueding famillies, no association other than violence took place, violence and racism are related in a sense where racism leads to violence and when violence occurs racial slurs may be said.
Eventually the parents will find out about the relationship, but i think that they will approve of it. they seem like nice, caring, loving, supporting parents that know what is best for their kids, and if they want the kids to stay together, they will let them. If more people were like Beatriz and Lionel, maybe people would see that the world doesn't have to be segregated and it would come to an end or at least cease a little bit. The parents have had some bad experiences with the opposite race, but they have to see past that. they have to see that not everyone is the same and everyone has their own personality. If they were able to see that, everyone in the neighborhood would be affected, and they would change for the better.
9:06 PM
I hope that Lionel stopped hanging out with that trouble making kid that wanted to ditch class and tag up the school because he will definitely lead Lionel in the wrong direction, which could be the cause of a downfall, and it could send the rest of his life downhill. I think that without the P.E. teacher's motivational sentence, he probably would've became a gangbanging drug dealer and eventually would've ended up in prison. He owes his P.E. teacher a thank you, because she just might have saved his life from going in the wrong path
wow! this article was really interesting it's like the story romiette and julio and like romio and julio. it had all the themes that we went over in class like deception love and fate.i never knew that this happened in Los Angeles i was really surprised that this happened.
wow that article was so amazing that you can identify the ethical backgrounds in LA but one single idea that the editor wrote that Lional and Beatriz would always hug each other as the loves contniues thats sweet.
when i started reading this, right from the bat i noticed it was just like Romeo and Juliet. Its so sad how the montagues vs the capulets, and the Africans and Lations had so much hate and were fighting for probably a reason that wasnt a reason, if that makes sence. Its so amazing how love is that powerful. for beatiz and lionel to hide a huge part of their feelings at school, home and everywhere else, but they were so determind like gabby said and perservered as romeo and juliet did.
This Post is now closed for bonus points. Mrs. Henry
I know that this is kinda late, but I just wanted to say how touching the story of the two high school students were. Romeo and Juliet does not only happen in a book written by an old guy, but is continually happening to this day. It is a part of everyday life. I bet you that there are couples just like Beatriz and Lionel. This article not only connects with the actual story of Romeo and Juliet but also with the lives of many young people.
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