Post your essay here. Then take some time to read at least two other essays. Comment on something positive that you see the author using from the lessons we had in class.
In “Dumplin’”, Julie Murphy uses background information, flashbacks and suspense to create the overall feeling of joy. Willowdean is an overweight teenager, but she does something that will shock the whole town. She enters Clover City’s beauty pageant! On her way through this journey, she overcomes great obstacles like being teased, not being able to fit in dresses, losing her best friend, and boy trouble/drama. This paper is almost guaranteed to make you feel more self-motivated, because it’s about the book and this book definitely made me feel more self-motivated.
One of the craft moves that Murphy used in the book was background information. Willowdean’s mom was a pageant winner in 1978, so that makes Will motivated to be like her mom: win the next pageant. The problem is, Will is overweight, and she’s afraid she’s not able to do it. She’s using her past against her, along with her family past with obesity. Her aunt was overweight, and Will doesn’t want to be a slug like her aunt and sit there and do nothing. She doesn’t want to mirror her image, so she wants to do this pageant. Dolly Parton is also a huge part of her motivational self, and Dolly motivates Will. Since Willowdean has beauty pageant experience from her past, she feels more comfortable with this journey.
Another craft move that was used by her were flashbacks. Willowdean has had many flashbacks, and lots of them have created joy for me as a reader. When she talks about the fun times she has with her aunt, that brought joy because it made me think of happy times that I’ve had with people. Another group of flashbacks were with El, her best friend. They’ve had many good memories together, and even though they aren’t friends throughout the book, the bestest of friends fight like sisters. One last flashback was when her mom was talking about the pageant and the basic overview of it. These events kept me motivated to keep reading the book.
One last craft move that was used was suspense. I still have a lot of questions about this book and how Murphy made it into a story, but overall I’m just amazed. What I really do wonder at the end of the book is “who does Willowdean end up with, Bo or Mitchell?” That’s a question that I would really like to figure out, but for now I’m just going to keep guessing. I also wonder what it would be like to be overweight and enter something that wouldn’t exactly suit me.
We need to have more books like these in the world: they help with self-motivation. This book has a lot of ways that create joy for me, and I’m sure it would for you too! If there were more people in the world that had self-confidence/self-motivation, would you?
In Never Quit by Jimmy Settle it uses multiple plots to show how people risk their lives to save other peoples' lives. Throughout the book there are different plots to show how they risk their life to save others. Jimmy trains to be a pararescue jumper and he has to go through different classes that he learns from so he can do his job and eventually save people. A lot of people are doing this today signing up for dangerous jobs that will help other people. We can see how people risk their life to save someone else’s life in this story. One of the events in the book that shows this is when jimmy and his team go out to the mountains to save someone that is up there that was stuck with her snowmobile. The people driving the helicopter were trying to find a place to land, but it was hard because there was a snow storm which made it harder to land. They ended up taking a cable down to get her because they could not take their parachutes down or they would die, once they got her inside the cabin they took her to base so the doctors could check on her. Although this sentence could mean bravery it clearly means that they will risk their life to save someone they don’t even know. The second plot that shows this is when they are flying to get some special forces guys from a mountain and they start to get shot at and Jimmy gets shot and the other plane goes down to help the people on the mountain. Jimmy and his team went back to base and they stayed there until things calmed down. at base because of the bullet that was in his forehead, Jimmy stayed at base when his team went back and brought people while he helped the patients that came in from the other helicopters. Eventually Jimmy went back to help his friends with the bullet in his head he feared of being shot again, but he still went out there because of his friend and his job, Jimmy wanted to make sure they were okay. When he was there he quickly found his friend and then started to help the people that were on the ground taking two people with him in the helicopter so the doctors could take care of them. In Never quit the author uses multiple plots to show how people risk their life to save others. This could relate to other people who have relatives who have these kinds of jobs that include risking their life so other people can have another chance. Many people don’t come back after they have completed their task, but they know they died saving someone else’s life. Jimmy showed how he risked his life after being shot and going back so he could save his teammates lives even though he had a bullet in his head.
At one point in your life you have probably felt empathy for another person. In my book “Diary of a part time Indian” Sherman Alexie uses craft moves to show empathy to the readers. My book is about a kid named Arnold on an indian Reservation. He moves to an all white school which completely changes his life in many ways. They is many parts of the book that shows empathy if its a family member dying or Arnold losing his best friend. In a “Diary of a part time Indian” Arnold struggles to find friends at first but later realizes that they are very different from his culture. Sherman Alexi uses Illustrations, revealing actions, and inner thinking to describe how Arnold is feeling and how he manages to get through the hard times. Because of this Arnold's friends realize what he's going through and help him buy food and give him rides home. When reading this book I felt empathy for Arnold when he moved to the all white school and lost his best friend. Because of how the author uses craft moves in this story many readers feel empathy when reading “Diary of a part time Indian.” 6 Arnold and his best friend rowdy were very close friends and did everything together. They played basketball and rowdy protected arnold from many fights. But something very important happened to Arnold when he threw his book at his teacher. His teacher told him that he's never gonna get off the rez if he doesn't try. Arnold thought about this and knew he had to go to the rich white school in reardan. Once he did he was made fun of and most importantly rowdy called him names like white lover and swear words. But this changed when Arnold punched Roger right in the face. Later in the story Arnold knew that he had lost his best friend. He thought about this alot and tried to talk to him but rowdy wouldn't budge. A Lot of Arnolds close family / friends passed away in this book too. When his sister dies he doesn't know what to say and laughs. He is just so sad he doesn't know what to do. He laughed so hard he actually passed out. I think Sherman Alexie included this in the story because he wanted to show the readers just how badly these deaths were affecting Arnold. Because of these actions, Sherman Alexie shows the readers empathy.
In my book, “Diary of a part time Indian” sherman alexie also uses revealing actions to show the readers empathy when reading this story. Once Arnold moves school and starts to go to reardan he just doesn't fit in because everybody is white and he is very poor. He does his best to hide it but after so many close calls he can't. He almost revealed his secret when wearing his dad's suit to the dance but his girlfriend Penelope thought it was classy and liked it. After the dance penelope's dad is very rude to Arnold which just makes him feel bad for penelope. Later after the dance all arnold and his friends go out to eat but he has no money. He orders about 40 dollars worth of food. When he was in the bathroom crying his friends notice and ask what's wrong? He says he left his wallet at home and thankfully they paid for him. But on his way home he doesn't have a ride and penelope asks, “Arnold, are you poor?” He tells her that he is but she doesn't mind and gives him a kiss on the check. This passage in the book shows readers empathy because, Sherman Aexie uses revealing actions to show how Arnold is poor. Because of this many readers like me feel empathy.
In my book, “Diary of a part time Indian” there are many illustrations used to show the readers how Arnold feels when certain events happen in the book. In about the middle of the book when Arnold has made some friends and he's starting to enjoy school he goes to basketball tryouts. He tried his best to get on the team and went up against Roger who was huge and Arnold was very scared. At first roger destroyed him getting the ball really quickly and dunking it but Arnold got up again fouled him and raced for the basket. This is when he realized that there are no fouls in a one on one. Roger quickly caught up to him and knocked the ball to the stands. Arnold got up, took the ball and went for a three. Coach saw Arnolds determination and he made the university as a freshman. Coach told him that he was one the best shooters he's ever had. This is explained with a picture of Arnold dressed in native american close him screaming and sweating a lot. Sherman Alexie uses this picture to describe how Arnold's culture was and how his tribe was ruthless, how they hunted for food angry full of energy.
In my book “Diary of a part time Indian” my author uses many craft moves to show the readers empathy. Those craft moves are Illustrations, revealing actions and inner thinking. This book personally connected to me because I know what it is like to lose a best friend. It can connect to other readers too. For example; some people have gone through the same thing Arnold did at the all white school like how that has happened in real life to many people. At the end of my story Arnold finally gets to hang out with his best friend Rowdy again. They both really missed each other even though Rowdy was a strong guy and didn't want to show it. In the end they played basketball for hours leaving the readers wondering if they would be best friends again. In the final passage of the book the author of “Diary of a part time Indian” leaves the readers many emotions like sadness, happiness, and empathy.
Everyone needs love in their life but some never really know what it's like to fall in love without touch. In the book Five Feet Apart Rachel Lippincott tells a story about a girl named Stella and Will. Will and Stella both have Cystic Fibrosis or CF which is a deadly lung disease. They have to do treatments all of the time and basically live in the hospital because of CF. Stella and Will fall in love with each other, but it's hard when they can’t touch.Throughout this story Rachel uses multiple characters' perspectives to have an overall effect of empathy and sadness. The effect from this book is important because CF is a real world problem and many people struggle with it today. Rachel used the effect to make us feel sympathy for both Will and Stella.
Throughout this story Stella had a best friend named Poe. He was at the hospital in the play section the first time Stella found out she had CF. When Poe died from also having CF, Stella was ruined. Before he died Stella and him had an argument about Will because she loved him. Poe made up for the argument by giving Stella black truffles. The truffles were the last thing that Poe gave to Stella. Stella destroying the truffles shows how hurt and upset she was when Poe died.Stella having all of that pain and emotion gives an effect of sadness.
When the author switches to Will’s perspective things get a little calmer. Will hardly knew Poe except for the past couple of weeks. When Will found out about his death his first instinct was to comfort Stella. Since Stella has CF and Will has B. Cepacia which is a worse kind of CF, they can only be five feet apart from each other. Will was so concerned for Stella that he completely ignored the fact that they can’t touch. The author switching between the perspectives of Will and Stella shows the two different effects that this story had on me. In this instance Will’s perspective showed empathy because everyone knows what it’s like to care for a friend.
After this event in the story another event happens. Stella and Will go for a walk outside. At this point in the story they have blown off the fact of being five feet apart. They still aren’t touching each other skin to skin, but Stella still holds Will’s hand with a glove. On their walk they go to a frozen pond. Eventually Stella falls through the pond from finding out that the hospital has new lungs for her.
When the author uses Stella’s perspective in this part of the story the effect is empathy. Stella meets her dead sister because of the water going into her lungs, she thinks that she is in heaven. Most people know what it is like to have a loved one lost. Once the author switched the perspective to Will the effect was a lot of sadness. Will was trying to pull Stella out of the water to save her life. Once he finally did do that he had to give her mouth to mouth and CPR. Will risked his life giving mouth to mouth to Stella. He could have made both him and Stella way worse but Will didn’t care because he was so deeply in love.The effect at this point in the book was sadness because Will gave his life for the person he loved.
Later in the story both Will and Stella were at the hospital to get Stella’s new lungs. Some may argue that in this point of the story the effect is joyfulness because Stella is getting a way better chance to live. However the effect is empathy and sadness because Stella didn’t want to take the lungs, because she knew Will would still be really sick. Stella did finally take the lungs but that’s only because Will made her.
Once Will made Stella take the lungs the author switched the perspective to Will. When Stella was getting surgery Will decided to leave because he was putting the person he loves life in danger. This also proves my point of the theme is empathy and sadness because he is leaving the person he loves to save her life.
Throughout this entire story the author puts in different events to make you feel sad and empathy for the characters. With Poe dying, Stella falling through the ice, and Stella getting new lungs, it all makes you feel this overwhelming sense of empathy. The author used her tone of empathy and sadness to make an impact on one in today’s society. Stella said,“we need the touch of the one we love the most, just like we need air to breathe.” That’s what the author is telling us, to have more compassion towards others and to always live in the moment because we need to feel how other people feel. Without that our world would be an emotionless place. We wouldn’t seize our moments and feel compassion towards others. It would be like five feet apart from living to the fullest.
I know that at some point in our lives we have felt helpless to something, and that it’s out of control. George Orwell author of 1984 wanted to leave you feeling these emotions. In the book, the main character Winston lives in a society completely suppressed and controlled by the government. All the people are kept under the watch of thought police, and Winston wants to rebel. The author shows helplessness by things that winton says and thinks, from the setting, and by showing it through a 1st person perspective.
The 1st way the author tries showing you helplessness in the book is through things Winston says. Throughout the book he says that he is helpless, here are some of those times. “Once again the sense of helplessness assailed him. He knew, or he could imagine, the arguments which proved his own nonexistence; But they were nonsense, they were only a play on words. Did not the statement, ‘You do not exist’, contain a logical absurdity? , but what use was it to say so? His mind shrivelled as he thought of the unanswerable” This is when he is in prison and is being brought to think the way that the government wants them to. “The circle of the mask was large enough now to shut out the vision of anything else. The wire door was a couple of hand-spans from his face. The rats knew what was coming now. One of them was leaping up and down, the other, an old scaly grandfather of the sewers, stood up, with his pink hands against the bars, and fiercely sniffed the air. Winston could see the whiskers and the yellow teeth. Again the black panic took hold of him. He was blind, helpless, mindless.” This is happening when his worst fear is coming true. (rats)
The 2nd way the author shows you helplessness is from the setting. The setting takes place in a city where all of the people are made to be one way, and that way only. They are made to be simple and easy to control. Wars are constantly going on throughout the whole book and the book was written right after WWI in a time when people were depressed. You may also argue from this that he might have wanted to show us sadness or maybe fear , but, it is clear that he meant to show helplessness All this and the way he describes it really instills this sense of helplessness.
The 3rd way he made you feel helplessness was by having it told from a 1st person perspective. It makes it easier to help you feel how the character is feeling and lets you write a lot easier about what you want to show your readers. It helps describe the world from actual eyes instead of it getting described through a narrator. It makes the book feel more alive and makes the feeling of helplessness stronger.
George Orwell used descriptive writing, the settings, and a 1st person narrative to help you feel the emotions of winston and feel the sense of helplessness he wanted you to take from it. This book shows you what actually being helpless looks and feels like. So the next time you may feel helpless, be thankful that you’re not in a situation like winston.
When Mysti Murphy turns twelve and 7th grade is beginning she is starting to have a lot of tough times. Ever since Mysti was little her mom never left the house and her dad was the only one to ever drive or leave the house. When her dad falls out of a tree he has to go to the hospital for a long time leaving Mysti trying to take care of her family, with her who has a tough time accepting change, a mom who refuses to leave the house and a 9 year old sister. In Courage for beginners by Karen Harrington, the author uses the craft moves symbolism, dialogue, and inner thinking to show the effect that in order to get through difficult times one will have to change no matter how much courage it will take. This Novel makes the readers realize that change is a big aspect of one's life. When something happens in a person's life it may change their whole thought process of life, causing them to have to change how they are and how they work so that they can get through that big event. Change may take a lot of courage and time but it is something everyone will do.
One of the craft moves that was obvious is symbolism. In the middle of the story, Mysti runs outside in the early morning saying how at this time, on this day, every year a bunch of hot air balloons come floating past her neighborhood. Mysti tells us how the hot air balloons are like a quiet surprise. Change does the same thing, it will slowly come for everyone and change wouldn’t be noticed until it is completely needed. The hot air balloon symbolizes the change that is coming, the evidence to show this is how the author explains how one balloon began to drift down towards the intersection near a grocery store. This event makes Mysti realize that if a hot air balloon can safely land in the middle of a highway, she can be capable of walking 20 miles to a store to get food. The hot air balloon showing Mysti that she will have to start changing so that she can make sure she can take care of her family. One other sign of symbolism found in this book is from the Women who go somewhere. The author uses her as a symbol of finding the courage to finally face a change will be easier than expected. Everyday Mysti watched as a lady would go by her house in the same direction. Misty would always want to know why but everyday she wouldn’t ever ask. However one day Mysti finally decided to see what she was up to and learned it was way more boring and surprising than she thought. Mysti didn’t expect how easy asking the lady what she did every day was. The women who goes somewhere could be seen as symbolizing doing something needed even if you don't want to, it shows how Mysti had to change into having courage to ask The women who goes somewhere what she was doing. Although the author makes symbolism very noticeable there are a few other craft moves the author uses.
Harrington uses dialogue throughout the entire story and there are a lot that will show the effect. In the beginning Mysti talks with her dad about how she doesn’t like change because it messes with so many things in her life, her dad just tells her, “Change is coming for you.” What her dad says affects Mysti throughout the whole story. She uses what her dad says to help her get through the change that needs to be done while her dad heals. In the end Mysti finally accepts change. She uses the same quote her dad tells her when her friend says that she has to be a doctor and nothing will change that. The author uses this quote to show that we can not avoid change whether we like it or not. When something happens in life lots of people will want to avoid it because they don’t want to have to worry about changing but one can deal with any problem, it will just take time to change into the thing you want to become. Misty's teacher, Ms. Overstreet, taught her about the Texas Alamo and how they were able to win their battle. The teacher talked about one person in particular who had to face a lot more than others to help his state. Ms. Overstreet says, “ Can you imagine the feeling? The fear? The courage…. He is braver five minutes longer.” The author uses this to show that you don’t have to change so quick you can take some time to get through change. Throughout the story this quote was used a lot. When Mysti had to go to the store she was very scared but contoured walking 5 minutes at a time. The quote helps show that you can do a lot and you don’t have to do it right away even if it takes a day at a time. Dialogue is very important in this story, however there is still one more craft move that is important about the effect.
The last craft move, very noticeable throughout the entire novel is inner-thinking. In Courage for beginners, the author shows change mostly through Misty's thoughts. For example when the author writes what Mysti creates as stories. Mysti sometimes believes that her life is a story and in her thoughts she says what it would be about. At the end of the story one of the stories she comes up with is, “here is a girl trying to change her story.'' Harrington's goal is to help show that you can change because in the beginning of the story all Mysti could think about was not wanting to change and having everything be the same always. Even though she had a mom who wouldn’t leave the house, she likes how her life was. However when 7th grade arrived everything started to change, her dad got stuck in the hospital causing her to have to change and get the courage to do everything her dad did. This thought Mysti had shows that finally at the end Mysti was able to change when she had to which really helped her family. Although this could be seen as everybody grows to become someone better it clearly shows that you will have to have courage to change in order to get through rough times because Misty's thought and the beginning of the story shows how much courage Mysti has gone through to be able to change when she has to take care of her family.
The author of courage for Beginners uses symbolism, dialogue, and inner thinking to help the readers feel that when they are going through hard times, you will have to try and find the courage to change. A lot of people will go through bad and good times, however when you are facing a new challenge it will be hard to get through if you don’t change a little about yourself whether it is a big change or even just a small change. It may take a while to realize it but we all go through change and it is a big part of our everyday lives.
Everyone needs to have friends in life and needs to have the feeling of friendship. Especially teenagers that are going through rough times. This is relevant because we all need to make more friends and we are sometimes mean to people and don’t know their backstory In “Looking for Alaska” by John Green, Miles Halter is switching schools. At Miles highschool he has no friends, when he switches schools he fits right into this group of friends. He starts to like this girl in the group, Alaska, right when he sees her he likes her. Alaska has a boyfriend already but Alaska starts to like Miles too. Alaska and Miles start to hangout more and they do some naughty things. One night Alaska is going to see her boyfriend and something terrible happens.
One of the biggest craft moves is symbolism. The author uses three main symbols in the story. He uses two characters and one animal. He uses Alaska, a goose and the eagle. He uses the eagle to represent a friend that knows to do the right things but nobody listens to them. The eagle is the school supervisor. He goes around and makes sure that kids aren’t smoking, drinking or doing sexual things. I know that he is a symbol because he comes around during important parts of the story. He uses Alaska to represent the bad friend that encourages you to do those things. I know that Alaska is a symbol because she is a very important part of the story. John Green uses the goose to represent the bad choices and how to stay away. I know that the goose is a symbol because he only brings it up a couple of times throughout the story.
John Green uses suspense because at the start of the story, Miles’s parents ask Miles why he is going to switch school and Miles says it is because “I’m going to find a great perhaps”. This line makes the reader wonder if he is ever going to find his great perhaps. John Green never lets us know if he does find his great perhaps, but he leads on that Alaska may have been his great perhaps. When Miles is leaving his parents throw a going away party and only two people show up. When Miles goes to his new school he fits into a little group of misfits. His group of friends might have been his great perhaps but nobody will know.
Another craft move that John Green uses is, introduce a character. John Green introduces a lot of characters. He introduces the Colonel, Alaska and Takumi. “I’m Chip Martin.” This little part of dialogue is right when Miles is at his new school. Chip is part of Miles’s new friend groups. “Oh right, Alaska, this is Pudge.” Pudge is a nickname that Chip gave to Miles. Right away Miles fits right into the group of friends. This is how you know that Miles was meant to go here.
The main thing that John Green uses is symbolism. He also introduces new characters and suspense to show friendship. Having a little friend group is just like having a family. These 4 people that didn’t have any friends came together and created a very strong bond. Throughout the whole story Miles shows friendship.
I WAS HERE In the book I Was Here, Gayle Forman created an overwhelming sense of sadness using events, dialogue, and inner thoughts. Overall, this book was a combination of sadness and joy; from Meg’s death to Cody’s romance with ben. Cody’s best friend, Meg commits suicide because of her depression; and since Meg was her best friend, she digs deeper into her death. This leads to a man that helped Meg along with the process. Cody eventually finds something that she shouldn't have, this just makes her feel worse. However, there was a good part to all this, Cody met an amazing guy that she ended up falling in love with.
One craft move used to show sadness was events. One of the many sad events that occurred in I Was Here was when Meg committed suicide. Another sad event was when she meets the guy that played a part in Meg’s death. The last example I will use is a happy ending; key word on ending. The last part of the book was when Ben goes to Cody’s house and tells her that he is in love with her. One may think this book has many good qualities, it makes the reader feel sad and then happy. One may even say This book totally pulls at the heartstrings.
Another craft move used was dialogue, the words said in the book that makes it what it is. “I’m ready. I want to take the next steps. Will you help me?” This is what Cody said to the man who helped Meg take her life. This shows sadness because of the similarity between Meg and Cody, Cody feels a little bit of how Meg felt during this time. Cody feels empathy for Meg; but at the same time betrayal. This shows sadness because of Meg leaving all her friends and family because of depression.
The last craft move I used was inner thoughts, the thoughts of the character in a book that no one else can hear. One of Cody’s inner thoughts was “I invited you to help me die, and you're shutting the door in my face.” This may make the reader sad and but may also make the reader to be more curtious of suicide and how serious it is. Going back to the claim, saying that this book gives a sense of overwhelming sadness. I chose to include this in my theme because that was the overall theme I felt in the book.
Gayle Forman created an overwhelming sense of sadness, however by doing this it makes people realize just how serious suicide is. She tried to show this by using Cody’s inner thoughts, but also using dialogue and serious events in the book. “I Was Here” is a way of saying I was here, but now i’m not; this can be a sign of suicide. After all this, my message is to remember everyone has problems and emotions they are struggling with; no matter how good they are at showing them.
Everyone needs a family, no matter how much you’ve lost or how messed up it is, families can come together or protect each other. In the book The Enemy by Charles Higson, it is set up in a post-apocalyptic London where everyone over 16 is either dead or basically a zombie. During the book, the kids are pushing each other to safety and protecting each other. Throughout the story, it keeps switching perspectives of the characters showing how they see their situations and how they deal with it inside their head. The author also uses multiple plot lines showing the character’s separate problems that they face.
During the story, Charles Higson uses multiple plot lines. An example of that is a little boy named Sam trying to catch up with the rest of the group and his sister. Throughout his adventure, he faced a lot of hardships but he kept pushing on because he wanted to be there to protect his sister Ella. That could be about making predictions but it is family because he considers all of his friends his family. A quote that shows this is “He would find his sister and his friends and walk to safety”. Which shows how he wants to stick with his friends and his sister which is basically his family and all he has left. Another is when Maxie was asked to step up as a leader when Arran dies. Because they needed a leader to get them to Buckingham Palace where it’s safe.
Charles Higson also uses multiple perspectives to show what was rolling through each kid’s head during all the dangerous events that happened to them. He also showed the thoughts that all of them had about each other because sometimes in the story there were a couple of disagreements. A quote that shows this from the story is “Arran I’m not going I’m staying here this is our home”. That was from when Callam didn’t want to go with the rest of the kids to the Buckingham Palace.
In “Dumplin’”, Julie Murphy uses background information, flashbacks and suspense to create the overall feeling of joy. Willowdean is an overweight teenager, but she does something that will shock the whole town. She enters Clover City’s beauty pageant! On her way through this journey, she overcomes great obstacles like being teased, not being able to fit in dresses, losing her best friend, and boy trouble/drama. This paper is almost guaranteed to make you feel more self-motivated, because it’s about the book and this book definitely made me feel more self-motivated.
ReplyDeleteOne of the craft moves that Murphy used in the book was background information. Willowdean’s mom was a pageant winner in 1978, so that makes Will motivated to be like her mom: win the next pageant. The problem is, Will is overweight, and she’s afraid she’s not able to do it. She’s using her past against her, along with her family past with obesity. Her aunt was overweight, and Will doesn’t want to be a slug like her aunt and sit there and do nothing. She doesn’t want to mirror her image, so she wants to do this pageant. Dolly Parton is also a huge part of her motivational self, and Dolly motivates Will. Since Willowdean has beauty pageant experience from her past, she feels more comfortable with this journey.
Another craft move that was used by her were flashbacks. Willowdean has had many flashbacks, and lots of them have created joy for me as a reader. When she talks about the fun times she has with her aunt, that brought joy because it made me think of happy times that I’ve had with people. Another group of flashbacks were with El, her best friend. They’ve had many good memories together, and even though they aren’t friends throughout the book, the bestest of friends fight like sisters. One last flashback was when her mom was talking about the pageant and the basic overview of it. These events kept me motivated to keep reading the book.
One last craft move that was used was suspense. I still have a lot of questions about this book and how Murphy made it into a story, but overall I’m just amazed. What I really do wonder at the end of the book is “who does Willowdean end up with, Bo or Mitchell?” That’s a question that I would really like to figure out, but for now I’m just going to keep guessing. I also wonder what it would be like to be overweight and enter something that wouldn’t exactly suit me.
We need to have more books like these in the world: they help with self-motivation. This book has a lot of ways that create joy for me, and I’m sure it would for you too! If there were more people in the world that had self-confidence/self-motivation, would you?
In Never Quit by Jimmy Settle it uses multiple plots to show how people risk their lives to save other peoples' lives. Throughout the book there are different plots to show how they risk their life to save others. Jimmy trains to be a pararescue jumper and he has to go through different classes that he learns from so he can do his job and eventually save people. A lot of people are doing this today signing up for dangerous jobs that will help other people.
ReplyDeleteWe can see how people risk their life to save someone else’s life in this story. One of the events in the book that shows this is when jimmy and his team go out to the mountains to save someone that is up there that was stuck with her snowmobile. The people driving the helicopter were trying to find a place to land, but it was hard because there was a snow storm which made it harder to land. They ended up taking a cable down to get her because they could not take their parachutes down or they would die, once they got her inside the cabin they took her to base so the doctors could check on her. Although this sentence could mean bravery it clearly means that they will risk their life to save someone they don’t even know. The second plot that shows this is when they are flying to get some special forces guys from a mountain and they start to get shot at and Jimmy gets shot and the other plane goes down to help the people on the mountain. Jimmy and his team went back to base and they stayed there until things calmed down. at base because of the bullet that was in his forehead, Jimmy stayed at base when his team went back and brought people while he helped the patients that came in from the other helicopters. Eventually Jimmy went back to help his friends with the bullet in his head he feared of being shot again, but he still went out there because of his friend and his job, Jimmy wanted to make sure they were okay. When he was there he quickly found his friend and then started to help the people that were on the ground taking two people with him in the helicopter so the doctors could take care of them.
In Never quit the author uses multiple plots to show how people risk their life to save others. This could relate to other people who have relatives who have these kinds of jobs that include risking their life so other people can have another chance. Many people don’t come back after they have completed their task, but they know they died saving someone else’s life. Jimmy showed how he risked his life after being shot and going back so he could save his teammates lives even though he had a bullet in his head.
At one point in your life you have probably felt empathy for another person. In my book “Diary of a part time Indian” Sherman Alexie uses craft moves to show empathy to the readers. My book is about a kid named Arnold on an indian Reservation. He moves to an all white school which completely changes his life in many ways. They is many parts of the book that shows empathy if its a family member dying or Arnold losing his best friend. In a “Diary of a part time Indian” Arnold struggles to find friends at first but later realizes that they are very different from his culture. Sherman Alexi uses Illustrations, revealing actions, and inner thinking to describe how Arnold is feeling and how he manages to get through the hard times. Because of this Arnold's friends realize what he's going through and help him buy food and give him rides home. When reading this book I felt empathy for Arnold when he moved to the all white school and lost his best friend. Because of how the author uses craft moves in this story many readers feel empathy when reading “Diary of a part time Indian.”
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Arnold and his best friend rowdy were very close friends and did everything together. They played basketball and rowdy protected arnold from many fights. But something very important happened to Arnold when he threw his book at his teacher. His teacher told him that he's never gonna get off the rez if he doesn't try. Arnold thought about this and knew he had to go to the rich white school in reardan. Once he did he was made fun of and most importantly rowdy called him names like white lover and swear words. But this changed when Arnold punched Roger right in the face. Later in the story Arnold knew that he had lost his best friend. He thought about this alot and tried to talk to him but rowdy wouldn't budge. A Lot of Arnolds close family / friends passed away in this book too. When his sister dies he doesn't know what to say and laughs. He is just so sad he doesn't know what to do. He laughed so hard he actually passed out. I think Sherman Alexie included this in the story because he wanted to show the readers just how badly these deaths were affecting Arnold. Because of these actions, Sherman Alexie shows the readers empathy.
In my book, “Diary of a part time Indian” sherman alexie also uses revealing actions to show the readers empathy when reading this story. Once Arnold moves school and starts to go to reardan he just doesn't fit in because everybody is white and he is very poor. He does his best to hide it but after so many close calls he can't. He almost revealed his secret when wearing his dad's suit to the dance but his girlfriend Penelope thought it was classy and liked it. After the dance penelope's dad is very rude to Arnold which just makes him feel bad for penelope. Later after the dance all arnold and his friends go out to eat but he has no money. He orders about 40 dollars worth of food. When he was in the bathroom crying his friends notice and ask what's wrong? He says he left his wallet at home and thankfully they paid for him. But on his way home he doesn't have a ride and penelope asks, “Arnold, are you poor?” He tells her that he is but she doesn't mind and gives him a kiss on the check. This passage in the book shows readers empathy because, Sherman Aexie uses revealing actions to show how Arnold is poor. Because of this many readers like me feel empathy.
In my book, “Diary of a part time Indian” there are many illustrations used to show the readers how Arnold feels when certain events happen in the book. In about the middle of the book when Arnold has made some friends and he's starting to enjoy school he goes to basketball tryouts. He tried his best to get on the team and went up against Roger who was huge and Arnold was very scared. At first roger destroyed him getting the ball really quickly and dunking it but Arnold got up again fouled him and raced for the basket. This is when he realized that there are no fouls in a one on one. Roger quickly caught up to him and knocked the ball to the stands. Arnold got up, took the ball and went for a three. Coach saw Arnolds determination and he made the university as a freshman. Coach told him that he was one the best shooters he's ever had. This is explained with a picture of Arnold dressed in native american close him screaming and sweating a lot. Sherman Alexie uses this picture to describe how Arnold's culture was and how his tribe was ruthless, how they hunted for food angry full of energy.
ReplyDeleteIn my book “Diary of a part time Indian” my author uses many craft moves to show the readers empathy. Those craft moves are Illustrations, revealing actions and inner thinking. This book personally connected to me because I know what it is like to lose a best friend. It can connect to other readers too. For example; some people have gone through the same thing Arnold did at the all white school like how that has happened in real life to many people. At the end of my story Arnold finally gets to hang out with his best friend Rowdy again. They both really missed each other even though Rowdy was a strong guy and didn't want to show it. In the end they played basketball for hours leaving the readers wondering if they would be best friends again. In the final passage of the book the author of “Diary of a part time Indian” leaves the readers many emotions like sadness, happiness, and empathy.
Everyone needs love in their life but some never really know what it's like to fall in love without touch. In the book Five Feet Apart Rachel Lippincott tells a story about a girl named Stella and Will. Will and Stella both have Cystic Fibrosis or CF which is a deadly lung disease. They have to do treatments all of the time and basically live in the hospital because of CF. Stella and Will fall in love with each other, but it's hard when they can’t touch.Throughout this story Rachel uses multiple characters' perspectives to have an overall effect of empathy and sadness. The effect from this book is important because CF is a real world problem and many people struggle with it today. Rachel used the effect to make us feel sympathy for both Will and Stella.
ReplyDeleteThroughout this story Stella had a best friend named Poe. He was at the hospital in the play section the first time Stella found out she had CF. When Poe died from also having CF, Stella was ruined. Before he died Stella and him had an argument about Will because she loved him. Poe made up for the argument by giving Stella black truffles. The truffles were the last thing that Poe gave to Stella. Stella destroying the truffles shows how hurt and upset she was when Poe died.Stella having all of that pain and emotion gives an effect of sadness.
When the author switches to Will’s perspective things get a little calmer. Will hardly knew Poe except for the past couple of weeks. When Will found out about his death his first instinct was to comfort Stella. Since Stella has CF and Will has B. Cepacia which is a worse kind of CF, they can only be five feet apart from each other. Will was so concerned for Stella that he completely ignored the fact that they can’t touch. The author switching between the perspectives of Will and Stella shows the two different effects that this story had on me. In this instance Will’s perspective showed empathy because everyone knows what it’s like to care for a friend.
After this event in the story another event happens. Stella and Will go for a walk outside. At this point in the story they have blown off the fact of being five feet apart. They still aren’t touching each other skin to skin, but Stella still holds Will’s hand with a glove. On their walk they go to a frozen pond. Eventually Stella falls through the pond from finding out that the hospital has new lungs for her.
When the author uses Stella’s perspective in this part of the story the effect is empathy. Stella meets her dead sister because of the water going into her lungs, she thinks that she is in heaven. Most people know what it is like to have a loved one lost. Once the author switched the perspective to Will the effect was a lot of sadness. Will was trying to pull Stella out of the water to save her life. Once he finally did do that he had to give her mouth to mouth and CPR. Will risked his life giving mouth to mouth to Stella. He could have made both him and Stella way worse but Will didn’t care because he was so deeply in love.The effect at this point in the book was sadness because Will gave his life for the person he loved.
Later in the story both Will and Stella were at the hospital to get Stella’s new lungs. Some may argue that in this point of the story the effect is joyfulness because Stella is getting a way better chance to live. However the effect is empathy and sadness because Stella didn’t want to take the lungs, because she knew Will would still be really sick. Stella did finally take the lungs but that’s only because Will made her.
ReplyDeleteOnce Will made Stella take the lungs the author switched the perspective to Will. When Stella was getting surgery Will decided to leave because he was putting the person he loves life in danger. This also proves my point of the theme is empathy and sadness because he is leaving the person he loves to save her life.
Throughout this entire story the author puts in different events to make you feel sad and empathy for the characters. With Poe dying, Stella falling through the ice, and Stella getting new lungs, it all makes you feel this overwhelming sense of empathy. The author used her tone of empathy and sadness to make an impact on one in today’s society. Stella said,“we need the touch of the one we love the most, just like we need air to breathe.” That’s what the author is telling us, to have more compassion towards others and to always live in the moment because we need to feel how other people feel. Without that our world would be an emotionless place. We wouldn’t seize our moments and feel compassion towards others. It would be like five feet apart from living to the fullest.
I like how you used quotes. Good job!
DeleteI like how you used different quotes and it really helped me understand the book better. Great job!
DeleteI know that at some point in our lives we have felt helpless to something, and that it’s out of control. George Orwell author of 1984 wanted to leave you feeling these emotions. In the book, the main character Winston lives in a society completely suppressed and controlled by the government. All the people are kept under the watch of thought police, and Winston wants to rebel. The author shows helplessness by things that winton says and thinks, from the setting, and by showing it through a 1st person perspective.
ReplyDeleteThe 1st way the author tries showing you helplessness in the book is through things Winston says. Throughout the book he says that he is helpless, here are some of those times. “Once again the sense of helplessness assailed him. He knew, or he could imagine, the arguments which proved his own nonexistence; But they were nonsense, they were only a play on words. Did not the statement, ‘You do not exist’, contain a logical absurdity? , but what use was it to say so? His mind shrivelled as he thought of the unanswerable” This is when he is in prison and is being brought to think the way that the government wants them to. “The circle of the mask was large enough now to shut out the vision of anything else. The wire door was a couple of hand-spans from his face. The rats knew what was coming now. One of them was leaping up and down, the other, an old scaly grandfather of the sewers, stood up, with his pink hands against the bars, and fiercely sniffed the air. Winston could see the whiskers and the yellow teeth. Again the black panic took hold of him. He was blind, helpless, mindless.” This is happening when his worst fear is coming true. (rats)
The 2nd way the author shows you helplessness is from the setting. The setting takes place in a city where all of the people are made to be one way, and that way only. They are made to be simple and easy to control. Wars are constantly going on throughout the whole book and the book was written right after WWI in a time when people were depressed. You may also argue from this that he might have wanted to show us sadness or maybe fear , but, it is clear that he meant to show helplessness All this and the way he describes it really instills this sense of helplessness.
The 3rd way he made you feel helplessness was by having it told from a 1st person perspective. It makes it easier to help you feel how the character is feeling and lets you write a lot easier about what you want to show your readers. It helps describe the world from actual eyes instead of it getting described through a narrator. It makes the book feel more alive and makes the feeling of helplessness stronger.
George Orwell used descriptive writing, the settings, and a 1st person narrative to help you feel the emotions of winston and feel the sense of helplessness he wanted you to take from it. This book shows you what actually being helpless looks and feels like. So the next time you may feel helpless, be thankful that you’re not in a situation like winston.
I like how you used your opinion, and how you explained the book really well. Good job!
ReplyDeleteWhen Mysti Murphy turns twelve and 7th grade is beginning she is starting to have a lot of tough times. Ever since Mysti was little her mom never left the house and her dad was the only one to ever drive or leave the house. When her dad falls out of a tree he has to go to the hospital for a long time leaving Mysti trying to take care of her family, with her who has a tough time accepting change, a mom who refuses to leave the house and a 9 year old sister. In Courage for beginners by Karen Harrington, the author uses the craft moves symbolism, dialogue, and inner thinking to show the effect that in order to get through difficult times one will have to change no matter how much courage it will take. This Novel makes the readers realize that change is a big aspect of one's life. When something happens in a person's life it may change their whole thought process of life, causing them to have to change how they are and how they work so that they can get through that big event. Change may take a lot of courage and time but it is something everyone will do.
ReplyDeleteOne of the craft moves that was obvious is symbolism. In the middle of the story, Mysti runs outside in the early morning saying how at this time, on this day, every year a bunch of hot air balloons come floating past her neighborhood. Mysti tells us how the hot air balloons are like a quiet surprise. Change does the same thing, it will slowly come for everyone and change wouldn’t be noticed until it is completely needed. The hot air balloon symbolizes the change that is coming, the evidence to show this is how the author explains how one balloon began to drift down towards the intersection near a grocery store. This event makes Mysti realize that if a hot air balloon can safely land in the middle of a highway, she can be capable of walking 20 miles to a store to get food. The hot air balloon showing Mysti that she will have to start changing so that she can make sure she can take care of her family.
One other sign of symbolism found in this book is from the Women who go somewhere. The author uses her as a symbol of finding the courage to finally face a change will be easier than expected. Everyday Mysti watched as a lady would go by her house in the same direction. Misty would always want to know why but everyday she wouldn’t ever ask. However one day Mysti finally decided to see what she was up to and learned it was way more boring and surprising than she thought. Mysti didn’t expect how easy asking the lady what she did every day was. The women who goes somewhere could be seen as symbolizing doing something needed even if you don't want to, it shows how Mysti had to change into having courage to ask The women who goes somewhere what she was doing. Although the author makes symbolism very noticeable there are a few other craft moves the author uses.
Harrington uses dialogue throughout the entire story and there are a lot that will show the effect.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning Mysti talks with her dad about how she doesn’t like change because it messes with so many things in her life, her dad just tells her, “Change is coming for you.” What her dad says affects Mysti throughout the whole story. She uses what her dad says to help her get through the change that needs to be done while her dad heals. In the end Mysti finally accepts change. She uses the same quote her dad tells her when her friend says that she has to be a doctor and nothing will change that. The author uses this quote to show that we can not avoid change whether we like it or not.
When something happens in life lots of people will want to avoid it because they don’t want to have to worry about changing but one can deal with any problem, it will just take time to change into the thing you want to become. Misty's teacher, Ms. Overstreet, taught her about the Texas Alamo and how they were able to win their battle. The teacher talked about one person in particular who had to face a lot more than others to help his state. Ms. Overstreet says, “ Can you imagine the feeling? The fear? The courage…. He is braver five minutes longer.” The author uses this to show that you don’t have to change so quick you can take some time to get through change. Throughout the story this quote was used a lot. When Mysti had to go to the store she was very scared but contoured walking 5 minutes at a time. The quote helps show that you can do a lot and you don’t have to do it right away even if it takes a day at a time. Dialogue is very important in this story, however there is still one more craft move that is important about the effect.
The last craft move, very noticeable throughout the entire novel is inner-thinking. In Courage for beginners, the author shows change mostly through Misty's thoughts. For example when the author writes what Mysti creates as stories. Mysti sometimes believes that her life is a story and in her thoughts she says what it would be about. At the end of the story one of the stories she comes up with is, “here is a girl trying to change her story.'' Harrington's goal is to help show that you can change because in the beginning of the story all Mysti could think about was not wanting to change and having everything be the same always. Even though she had a mom who wouldn’t leave the house, she likes how her life was. However when 7th grade arrived everything started to change, her dad got stuck in the hospital causing her to have to change and get the courage to do everything her dad did. This thought Mysti had shows that finally at the end Mysti was able to change when she had to which really helped her family. Although this could be seen as everybody grows to become someone better it clearly shows that you will have to have courage to change in order to get through rough times because Misty's thought and the beginning of the story shows how much courage Mysti has gone through to be able to change when she has to take care of her family.
The author of courage for Beginners uses symbolism, dialogue, and inner thinking to help the readers feel that when they are going through hard times, you will have to try and find the courage to change. A lot of people will go through bad and good times, however when you are facing a new challenge it will be hard to get through if you don’t change a little about yourself whether it is a big change or even just a small change. It may take a while to realize it but we all go through change and it is a big part of our everyday lives.
Everyone needs to have friends in life and needs to have the feeling of friendship. Especially teenagers that are going through rough times. This is relevant because we all need to make more friends and we are sometimes mean to people and don’t know their backstory In “Looking for Alaska” by John Green, Miles Halter is switching schools. At Miles highschool he has no friends, when he switches schools he fits right into this group of friends. He starts to like this girl in the group, Alaska, right when he sees her he likes her. Alaska has a boyfriend already but Alaska starts to like Miles too. Alaska and Miles start to hangout more and they do some naughty things. One night Alaska is going to see her boyfriend and something terrible happens.
ReplyDeleteOne of the biggest craft moves is symbolism. The author uses three main symbols in the story. He uses two characters and one animal. He uses Alaska, a goose and the eagle. He uses the eagle to represent a friend that knows to do the right things but nobody listens to them. The eagle is the school supervisor. He goes around and makes sure that kids aren’t smoking, drinking or doing sexual things. I know that he is a symbol because he comes around during important parts of the story. He uses Alaska to represent the bad friend that encourages you to do those things. I know that Alaska is a symbol because she is a very important part of the story. John Green uses the goose to represent the bad choices and how to stay away. I know that the goose is a symbol because he only brings it up a couple of times throughout the story.
John Green uses suspense because at the start of the story, Miles’s parents ask Miles why he is going to switch school and Miles says it is because “I’m going to find a great perhaps”. This line makes the reader wonder if he is ever going to find his great perhaps. John Green never lets us know if he does find his great perhaps, but he leads on that Alaska may have been his great perhaps. When Miles is leaving his parents throw a going away party and only two people show up. When Miles goes to his new school he fits into a little group of misfits. His group of friends might have been his great perhaps but nobody will know.
Another craft move that John Green uses is, introduce a character. John Green introduces a lot of characters. He introduces the Colonel, Alaska and Takumi. “I’m Chip Martin.” This little part of dialogue is right when Miles is at his new school. Chip is part of Miles’s new friend groups. “Oh right, Alaska, this is Pudge.” Pudge is a nickname that Chip gave to Miles. Right away Miles fits right into the group of friends. This is how you know that Miles was meant to go here.
The main thing that John Green uses is symbolism. He also introduces new characters and suspense to show friendship. Having a little friend group is just like having a family. These 4 people that didn’t have any friends came together and created a very strong bond. Throughout the whole story Miles shows friendship.
I WAS HERE
ReplyDeleteIn the book I Was Here, Gayle Forman created an overwhelming sense of sadness using events, dialogue, and inner thoughts. Overall, this book was a combination of sadness and joy; from Meg’s death to Cody’s romance with ben. Cody’s best friend, Meg commits suicide because of her depression; and since Meg was her best friend, she digs deeper into her death. This leads to a man that helped Meg along with the process. Cody eventually finds something that she shouldn't have, this just makes her feel worse. However, there was a good part to all this, Cody met an amazing guy that she ended up falling in love with.
One craft move used to show sadness was events. One of the many sad events that occurred in I Was Here was when Meg committed suicide. Another sad event was when she meets the guy that played a part in Meg’s death. The last example I will use is a happy ending; key word on ending. The last part of the book was when Ben goes to Cody’s house and tells her that he is in love with her. One may think this book has many good qualities, it makes the reader feel sad and then happy. One may even say This book totally pulls at the heartstrings.
Another craft move used was dialogue, the words said in the book that makes it what it is. “I’m ready. I want to take the next steps. Will you help me?” This is what Cody said to the man who helped Meg take her life. This shows sadness because of the similarity between Meg and Cody, Cody feels a little bit of how Meg felt during this time. Cody feels empathy for Meg; but at the same time betrayal. This shows sadness because of Meg leaving all her friends and family because of depression.
The last craft move I used was inner thoughts, the thoughts of the character in a book that no one else can hear. One of Cody’s inner thoughts was “I invited you to help me die, and you're shutting the door in my face.” This may make the reader sad and but may also make the reader to be more curtious of suicide and how serious it is. Going back to the claim, saying that this book gives a sense of overwhelming sadness. I chose to include this in my theme because that was the overall theme I felt in the book.
Gayle Forman created an overwhelming sense of sadness, however by doing this it makes people realize just how serious suicide is. She tried to show this by using Cody’s inner thoughts, but also using dialogue and serious events in the book. “I Was Here” is a way of saying I was here, but now i’m not; this can be a sign of suicide. After all this, my message is to remember everyone has problems and emotions they are struggling with; no matter how good they are at showing them.
Everyone needs a family, no matter how much you’ve lost or how messed up it is, families can come together or protect each other. In the book The Enemy by Charles Higson, it is set up in a post-apocalyptic London where everyone over 16 is either dead or basically a zombie. During the book, the kids are pushing each other to safety and protecting each other. Throughout the story, it keeps switching perspectives of the characters showing how they see their situations and how they deal with it inside their head. The author also uses multiple plot lines showing the character’s separate problems that they face.
ReplyDeleteDuring the story, Charles Higson uses multiple plot lines. An example of that is a little boy named Sam trying to catch up with the rest of the group and his sister. Throughout his adventure, he faced a lot of hardships but he kept pushing on because he wanted to be there to protect his sister Ella. That could be about making predictions but it is family because he considers all of his friends his family. A quote that shows this is “He would find his sister and his friends and walk to safety”. Which shows how he wants to stick with his friends and his sister which is basically his family and all he has left. Another is when Maxie was asked to step up as a leader when Arran dies. Because they needed a leader to get them to Buckingham Palace where it’s safe.
Charles Higson also uses multiple perspectives to show what was rolling through each kid’s head during all the dangerous events that happened to them. He also showed the thoughts that all of them had about each other because sometimes in the story there were a couple of disagreements. A quote that shows this from the story is “Arran I’m not going I’m staying here this is our home”. That was from when Callam didn’t want to go with the rest of the kids to the Buckingham Palace.