Critical Thinking Question: Who Has the “power” in Your Text? How Does That Power Get Shown?

Critical Thinking Question: Who Has the “power” in Your Text? How Does That Power Get Shown?

 "Just Listen" by Sarah Dessen

“Power,” such an odd expression. There’s electrical power, solar power, and then there’s power. This imaginary sense of energy everyone talks about, where it comes from no one knows.

The irony was that even though I’d seen Will and Sophie go through their drama enough times to know it by heart, i was still completely surprised when I suddenly found myself a part of it. One bad move on one night, and the next thing I knew it was me she was after-me who was the s***, the w****-and me cut out, not only of her life, but one I’d come to know as my own, as well. Pg 125

I believe in the book i’m reading, “Just Listen” by Sarah Dessen Sophie, Annabel’s ex-best friend has the “power” in the text.

Sophie and Annabel were really close in their friendship, but Annabel gave up a lot for Sophie. She ignored people, she made fun of people, she basically became a bystander, and that’s not saying she liked it. Point is, once SOPHIE ended their friendship Annabel’s world was turned upside-down, inside out in every which way possible. All because SOPHIE ended the friendship that SOPHIE initiated Annabel was kicked to way below the bottom of the popularity pyramid.

How does that power get shown… I think the question should be how does the power not get shown… if that’s grammatically correct at all. Sophie has control of Annabel’s life without even meaning to. She just does. When their friendship ended, all of Annabel’s other friendships did too. If Sophie’s mean to her everyone else is too, if she calls her a name everyone else does too, if she even gives her the slightest dirty look everyone is mimicking the exact same look. Sophie is like the nucleus in a cell, she tells everyone what to do and everyone just does it, just because.

Critical Thinking Question #8 - "Just Listen" by Sarah Dessen

 "What really hard things are happening in this text? Are they happening in the world now? Where?" 

On page 4, of the book Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, one character says to another, "Bitch." obviously this is very inappropriate language. On the same page, it says, "I saw a girl from my English class the year before narrows her eyes, while another girl laughs out loud." The two girls in this books were friends for 6 years but then last year they had a fall out (it has not been explained yet.) It's insane how quickly things can change between
 Bullying is a very serious problem, it causes people to do terrible things, and it can reach extreme measures with just a few words. Children take it really far for no reason. They don't have to say all the things that they do. But for what ever reason, they say it. Nowadays, there are laws, one is if you tell another to kill themselves you can be fined $10,000 but if you do, they do commit suicide you can be charged with Manslaughter. But that doesn't necessarily stop them.

 In my book there are also eating disorders. The main character's sister has anorexia. Yet it's not explained in full detail currently, it is already a very important part in the book.
 Anorexia, sometimes caused by bullying, stereotypes, or just by someones personal opinion. Like bullying, it's a very serious issue in the world. Anorexia is when people stop eating to lose weight, without food you won't be able to get the nutrients that you you need so you end up starving yourself to death. Many models have this disease, some by choice or because of what people say. A lot o people have this disease, too many to be honest and it's not okay, you should love yourself you shouldn't try to change yourself for someone else. 

Monday Muses- 2nd Prompt

"Happiness is a mood, it's a condition, it's not a destination. It's like being tired or hungry, it's not permanent. It comes and goes and that's okay. And I think if people thought about it that way, they'd find happiness a lot more often."

  I find myself always searching for things to get me happy, through songs or books, or quotes, or just something to brighten my day for just a little while. But then i read this, it felt as if my month brightened. And I just felt as If I could be happy for the rest of my life just because of that quote. 

 If you think about it, every emotion is like that. you can't always be upset, or vulnerable, or happy. You just have to be patient, life will take the wheel, and then you'll find your happiness. But just remember that it isn't permanent. It won't always be there and like it says in the quote, "...it comes and it goes and that's okay..."

2nd Argument Essay Draft

            The youth of America has always pushed boundaries. There are hundreds of books written about death and violence, and the majority of them are best sellers. For example, World War Z by Max Brooks, a book about, you guessed it, a war. As any war, it tells a story about one that is very gruesome. World War Z is a fictional story about a Zombie war, it is one man traveling the world after it’s over, listening to different peoples stories of their experiences. All of them either very tragic, or very gruesome, and all of which very detailed. Certain books like World War Z should be banned from libraries in the sixth grade.

            Children are children; at least they’re supposed to be. So many of their minds are spoiled with inappropriate thoughts or full of things they really aren’t supposed to worry about like economy or what everyone else thinks about them. I think many parents try really hard to censor their children’s minds but because they don’t always monitor what they are reading they seem to grow up so fast BECAUSE of what they are reading in school, like World War Z, “…we all heard her skull crack…” (insert page number Brooks) How many thoughts can that provoke? What will that cause a child to do? Considering how easy it is to access, they could probably look up what it sounds like. Or what it looks like. Maybe even in some cases; find out that it could actually happen.

            Some may say that banning children’s books could restrict them from what they actually need to know. For example, in “The Banned Books We Have Loved,” by Jen Doll, she says in the very famous book, “Bridge to Terabithia,” “…we learned the importance of friendships…” and in the book, “Go ask Alice,” “…we learned that a life can go off the rails all too quickly…” But, in all honesty that doesn’t relieve the authors from the spotlight because some of them take it too far when writing about such maybe meaningful, but accelerated topics.

            Many children are impressionable, for some, it is gullibility or for others, monkey see- monkey do. For example, in an article named, “The ‘sick-lit’ books aimed at children: It’s a disturbing phenomenon. Tales of teenage cancer, self-harm and suicide…” by Tanith Carey writes about a children’s book expert named Amanda Craig who was concerned about the children’s ‘best sellers’. She says that one book spread like “wild fire” in a twelve year old girl’s class and many began to harm themselves as it was done in the book. There is also another book Carey wrote about a book that included the most effective ways to commit suicide. This all seems to be very frightening for me considering as I said before, how gullible and impressionable children are.

            I believe authors and parents need to take into consideration that though it is “regular “ or “normal” nowadays, certain themes, main ideas, or topics of books are becoming more and more realistic by the letter. Parents need to regularly check what books are in the hands of their children, for all they know it may be too advanced for their minds and they may not understand the concept yet. I think we should all think about what we’re reading or about to read. Even now, when I’m thirteen years old I still feel a bit discomfort when I’m reading about war, terrorism, and self harm. Now more than ever that’s what the world is about right now. When I read and begin a book with those topics, it’s a little all too real for me. I believe authors should take a very large step back and observe the entire picture of what they writing about, but not of what is selling but what will be read comfortably.

1st Draft- Argument Essay

             Do you ever realize what exactly the youth of America is reading? There are hundreds of books written about death and violence, and the majority of them are best sellers. For example, World War Z by Max Brooks, a book about, you guessed it, a war. As any war, it tells a story about one that is very gruesome. World War Z is a fictional story about a Zombie war, it is one man traveling the world after it’s over, listening to different peoples stories of their experiences. All of them either very tragic, or very gruesome, and all of which very detailed. I believe there certain books like World War Z should be banned from children in elementary school.

            Children are children; at least they’re supposed to be. So many of their minds are spoiled with inappropriate thoughts or full of things they really aren’t supposed to worry about like economy or what everyone else thinks about them. I think many parents try really hard to censor their children’s minds but because they don’t always monitor what they are reading they seem to grow up so fast BECAUSE of what they are reading in school, like World War Z, “…we all her skull crack…” how many thoughts can that provoke? What will that cause a child to do? Considering how easy it is to access, they could probably look up what a skull cracking sounds like. Or what it looks like. Or even in some cases find out that it could actually happen.

            Some may say that banning children’s books could restrict them from what they actually need to know. For example, in “The Banned Books We Have Loved,” by Jen Doll, she says that in the very famous book, “Bridge to Terabithia,” “…we learned the importance of friendships…” and in the book, “Go ask Alice,” “…we learned that a life can go off the rails all too quickly…” But, in all honesty that doesn’t relieve the authors from the spotlight because some of them take it too far when writing about such maybe meaningful, but accelerated topics.

            Many children are impressionable, for some, it is monkey see- monkey do, or very gullible. For example, in an article named, “The ‘sick-lit’ books aimed at children: It’s a disturbing phenomenon. Tales of teenage cancer, self-harm and suicide…” by Tanith Carey writes about a children’s book expert named Amanda Craig who was concerned about the children’s ‘best sellers’. She says that one book spread like “wild fire” in a twelve year old girl’s class and many began to harm themselves as it was done in the book. There is also another book Carey wrote about a book that included the most effective ways to commit suicide. This all seems to be very frightening for me considering as I said before, how gullible and impressionable children are.

            I believe authors and parents need to take into consideration that though it is “regular “ or “normal” nowadays, certain themes, main ideas, or topics of books are becoming more and more realistic by the letter. Parents need to regularly check what books are in the hands of their children because it may be too advanced for their minds and they may not understand the concept yet. I think we should all think about what we’re reading or about to read because even now when I’m thirteen years old I still feel a bit discomfort reading about war, and terrorism, and self harm. Because now more than ever that’s what the world is about right now. And in the rare times that I do read when I’m not forced to, and I begin a book with those topics, it’s a little all too real for me. I believe authors should take a very large step back and observe the entire picture of what they writing about, but not of what is selling but what  will be read comfortably.

MISSING- Adia's childhood

 Dust.
What is left behind the steel gates
Of my memory from ages 1 to 4.

At times in full of regret for this 
Others i'm thankful.

What I do remember is not 
what I would like to
But I guess it's better than nothing.

Then I remember walking down the street
I remember getting dressed in the morning for the baby sitters
While everyone else goes to school and work
And I guess I stay there.

Then I remember kindergarten
What a leap
I remember the first day of school
I remember "graduation" 
But I guess I there was something in between.

Then I remember in the fourth grade
Broadway Junior.
The massacre of my shell
Though it was a small part
I guess it was better then no part at all.

I don't know what happened.

I don't understand what happened.

But know that something did happen.

And I'm grateful for that.

Lets talk about theme..

World. War. Z.

Lets all take a wild guess and think about what the theme is... Violence.

There is nothing else to this book. It consists of multiple people, many of whom are famous scientists or just regular bystanders who've made it through some of the worst parts of the world during the war. In every story there are very detailed fights or murders or attacks, and those are violent words aswell. In case you don't know World War Z was a fictional zombie war. The concept of what it is called gives away right away the basic line of what the story is going to tell.

On another note, I am aware that my response is very short, but with my sisters weddin approaching I have not been home for a solid hour unless I am doin something in relation to this hectic event.

I am aware this is late. i typed this, this morning and I guess I forgot to press publish. I am at fault.

"The perks of being a wallflower" Character Relationship Portrayal vs Real life

Why do authors falsely portray relationships and friendship in their books? It's very frustrating to read about these friendships that last forever, then when i look at my sisters and my parents and my friendships... they mess up all the time. I am almost postive that the majority of authors just write to give us hope but really all they're really doing is setting us up for disapointment, noting lasts forever except maybe marriages but even then its inevitable. So why write about these amazing relationships? 

In "Perks of being a wallflower," Charlie, the protagonist, makes friends on the first day of school see, I find that really unrealistic, especially if you're new to the school and you hardly know anybody. Their names are Sam and Patrick and they are both seniors. Charlie is immediatly invited to one of their parties after the first week. In real life that usually takes about a month, in the beginning of an actual friendship it's really awkward and quiet, usually you are still getting to know eachother.
Later in the book, when Charlie falls in love with Sam and she tells him not to. She introduces him to a friend of hers, Mary Elizabeth. He begins to talk to her and noticing that they get along he asks her out on a date about tree days later. I am sorry, but unless you have an ENORMOUS amount of confidence, it will not be that easy to do that. Usually in reality, there are like these weird phases you go through, it's not just some type of spontaneous love at first sight like people describe in movies. Though many people describe it to their friends and then their kids, its probably more like a "woah" more than a "wow i'm totally going to marry her one day.

I guess now I understand why authors use these false portrayals. I guess sometimes readers do need some false hope, because maybe after a long chain of bad breakups and rude people they just need to believe for some odd reason that they might just have a spontaneous love at first sight moment or the best friend you can tell anything to in just a week becuase you are THAT comfortable around them. I guess it isn't so frustrating because I am one of those readers who "awws" at romantic moments in my books and movies. So now I say thank you to authors for false hope because in more ways than one you've given me a lot more than a fairy tale to believe in, you gave me the will to believe in anything.

Grapes of Wrath - John Steinback - Sacrifices

In John Steinback's book "Grapes Of Wrath" the main character Tom Joad is a man who has just been released from prison and has come to find that his family is not at their house but on their way to california in search of jobs. He then finds his family and joins them for the rest of the trip. The Joad family faces many issues during their time of their search for employment their stay in California. 
Later, a man named Jim Casy is murdered and in retaliation Tom murders the men who killed his friend. his angry brother later tells someone that Tom has killed two men and his mother then tells him to go hide. Tom then is forced to sacrifice his home with his family and leave, in order to keep them safe.