I would recommend these books for others to read, simply because it is a great book. I would recommend this book especially to youth in between the age of 11-18 years of age. I think that is the age group that would enjoy the book the most because most of the characters are around that age as well, but of course I think that other people-younger or older-would enjoy these books as well.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Michael Vey - Why this book?
I chose to read Michael Vey because I have heard a lot about the books from my family, and from reading the summaries I thought that it would be a book that would interest me. After reading this this book, I could make some connections to the main character. He is a teenage boy in high school-with many of the problems that most teenage boys deal with. Of course, he does deal with many more problems that average teenage boys do not have to deal with, but there is still the connection there. An example of a problem that he deals with is deciding who are his real friends, and who are not. I have seen myself dealing with this problem in the past year or so as well.
Michael Vey- Third post
""Have you found the
last two?" The voice on the phone was angry and coarse, like the sound of
car tires over broken glass. "Not yet," the
well-dressed man on the other end of the phone replied. "Not yet. But we
believe we're close-and they still don't know that we're hunting them.” "You believe you're
close?" “They’re two children
among a billion-finding them is like finding a lost chopstick in China.”“Is that what you want
me to tell the board?” “Remind the board that I’ve already found fifteen of the seventeen
children. I’ve put out a million-dollar bounty on the last two, we’ve got
spiders crawling the Web, and we have a whole team of investigators scanning
global records for their whereabouts. It’s just a matter of time before we find
them-or they step into one of our traps.”“Time isn’t on our side,” the voice returned sharply. “Those kids
are already too old. You know how difficult they are to turn at this age.”“I know better than
anyone,” the well-dressed man said, tapping his ruby-capped pen on his desk. “But
I have my ways. And if they don’t turn, there’s always Cell 25.”There was a long pause,
then the voice on the phone replied darkly, “Yes. There’s always Cell 25.""
This quote is from pages 3-4 from the first book of the Michael Vey trilogy by Richard Paul Evans. In this quote, the well-dressed man is Dr.Hatch, who I have described in my previous posts. In this quote, he is explaining the results of his efforts to find the last two electric children-Michael and Taylor. By explaining what is doing to try and find Michael and Taylor, he shows that he is ruthless and willing to do anything to find all of the electric children. When he says, "And if they don't always turn...", the word turn in this phrase is describing the condition of their loyalty to Dr.Hatch. So if they do turn, then they will become loyal to him. But if they don't turn, then they will face Cell 25, which is basically a torture chamber that Dr.Hatch developed for rebellious children that makes them turn.
This quote is from pages 3-4 from the first book of the Michael Vey trilogy by Richard Paul Evans. In this quote, the well-dressed man is Dr.Hatch, who I have described in my previous posts. In this quote, he is explaining the results of his efforts to find the last two electric children-Michael and Taylor. By explaining what is doing to try and find Michael and Taylor, he shows that he is ruthless and willing to do anything to find all of the electric children. When he says, "And if they don't always turn...", the word turn in this phrase is describing the condition of their loyalty to Dr.Hatch. So if they do turn, then they will become loyal to him. But if they don't turn, then they will face Cell 25, which is basically a torture chamber that Dr.Hatch developed for rebellious children that makes them turn.
Michael Vey - Characterization and more
As the book progresses, we see more of the electrical children joining Michael's cause. New characters include: Zeus, Grace, Ian, Abigail, Makenna, Jack, and Wade. They have even made a name for their club/resistance- The Electroclan. The Electroclan is becoming a considerable force to be reckoned with. As Michael and Taylor spend more and more time together, they become very close. There is a feeling of love and affection between them. Taylor makes it clear that no matter where he goes, she will go with him. She wants to follow Michael every step of the way and do everything she can to help him save his mother.
The other members of the Electroclan also want to help Michael save his mother, but they also have other goals in mind. They president of the secret organization that is hunting them- Dr.Hatch- has tried to kill every member of the Electroclan, especially characters like Zeus, Ian, Abigail, and Makenna who left Dr.Hatch to join the Electroclan. They all hate Dr.Hatch a lot.
Zeus was captured by Dr.Hatch when he was just a small child, and was corrupted by him. But he changed his ways and he is now a member of the Electroclan. He wants to help Michael, and has made considerable sacrifices that shows that he is loyal and does not want to go back to Dr.Hatch. He is able to shoot powerful lightning bolts out of his hands. Ian was also captured by Dr.Hatch when he was young, but he has been a rebel for a very long time. He never did any of Dr.Hatch's evil commands, and so joining Michael and his cause was easy for him. He is also blind, but that does not stop him from seeing. His electrical power is being able to see things around him through electrolocation. He can see through walls and can see much more than someone who is not blind. He sees things by detecting the small changes in the electrical field that all objects create.
Makenna and Abigail were both captured by Dr.Hatch when they were young. But just as Ian was, they were rebels. They never did any of Dr.Hatch's evil commands, and so they were punished for it. They have more reason than most to hate Dr.Hatch. Makenna is able to create light and heat, and she can heat hereself to almost 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Grace is also an electric child, but her powers are very limited. She is able to extract and store information from a computer.Grace helps Michael once, and then disappears from the books. Jake and Wade are also very important characters in the book, but they are not electric.They are intent on helping Michael save his mother and destroying Dr.Hatch's organization.
A theme that I see appearing in this book is friendship. Friendship is a very powerful thing, and this book shows it a lot. Inside, people have emotions and feelings that are difficult to explain, and friends are there so that we can express them. Because otherwise, those emotions and feelings would just keep building up, and they would never get out. Friendship is something that each one of us needs in our lives, and this book shows that very well.
The other members of the Electroclan also want to help Michael save his mother, but they also have other goals in mind. They president of the secret organization that is hunting them- Dr.Hatch- has tried to kill every member of the Electroclan, especially characters like Zeus, Ian, Abigail, and Makenna who left Dr.Hatch to join the Electroclan. They all hate Dr.Hatch a lot.
Zeus was captured by Dr.Hatch when he was just a small child, and was corrupted by him. But he changed his ways and he is now a member of the Electroclan. He wants to help Michael, and has made considerable sacrifices that shows that he is loyal and does not want to go back to Dr.Hatch. He is able to shoot powerful lightning bolts out of his hands. Ian was also captured by Dr.Hatch when he was young, but he has been a rebel for a very long time. He never did any of Dr.Hatch's evil commands, and so joining Michael and his cause was easy for him. He is also blind, but that does not stop him from seeing. His electrical power is being able to see things around him through electrolocation. He can see through walls and can see much more than someone who is not blind. He sees things by detecting the small changes in the electrical field that all objects create.
Makenna and Abigail were both captured by Dr.Hatch when they were young. But just as Ian was, they were rebels. They never did any of Dr.Hatch's evil commands, and so they were punished for it. They have more reason than most to hate Dr.Hatch. Makenna is able to create light and heat, and she can heat hereself to almost 5,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Grace is also an electric child, but her powers are very limited. She is able to extract and store information from a computer.Grace helps Michael once, and then disappears from the books. Jake and Wade are also very important characters in the book, but they are not electric.They are intent on helping Michael save his mother and destroying Dr.Hatch's organization.
A theme that I see appearing in this book is friendship. Friendship is a very powerful thing, and this book shows it a lot. Inside, people have emotions and feelings that are difficult to explain, and friends are there so that we can express them. Because otherwise, those emotions and feelings would just keep building up, and they would never get out. Friendship is something that each one of us needs in our lives, and this book shows that very well.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Michael Vey-First post
In the book Michael Vey by Richard Paul Evans, a certain boy named Michael Vey, hence the name of the book, has had electrical powers for his entire life. He learned of his unusual powers very young because of accidents that occurred. His mother told him to never tell anybody about his powers, because she fears that his peers would reject him because of it. He never uses his powers around other people. But when he uses his powers on 2 school bullies that are being especially mean to him one day, they discover his powers, as well as another girl who was watching. To make sure that no one else finds out about his powers, he tells the girl, Taylor, to never tell anybody. But really, she is relieved, because she has electrical powers as well. Michael Vey is not alone in his world. Michael also tells his best friend, Ostin. Ostin is not electric, but he is extremely intelligent. He is intrigued by Michael's powers, because he is very smart and is interested in how it is possible that Michael and Taylor have their powers. He helps Michael in his missions.
As Michael and his new friends learn about their powers, they discover that they are being hunted by a secret organization who know about their powers, and wants to use them for immoral purposes. In an effort to capture Michael, those hunting Michael and his friends kidnap Michael's mother, but fail to capture Michael or Taylor. Michael and his friends must use their abilities to save his mother, and meanwhile learn that there are many more children than just themselves that have electrical powers. They learn that when they were born, they were the sole survivors of a freak accident caused by as new piece of experimental technology used to scan newborn babies for health problems. 17 babies survived-the electrical children-but most of the babies exposed to the technology were not so lucky.
If Michael and his friends continue on their current route and continue their search for Michael's mother, I think that they will eventually find their answer, except it will not be easy. I think that they will be met with extreme hostility and danger. The secret organization committed to capturing all of the electrical children has shown in the past that they are willing to do anything in order to accomplish their goal, and so I think that Michael and his friends will suffer hardships and trials in order to save Michael's mother I wonder if any lives will be lost in the cause to save Michael's mother and destroy the secret organization. I wonder if any of the other electrical children will join Michael in his mission.
While reading this book, I noticed that the powers that Michael have are very similar to a character in a video game called Infamous. In the game Infamous, the main character-Coal- gained electrical powers very similar to Michael Vey in a freak accident, just like in Michael Vey.
As Michael and his new friends learn about their powers, they discover that they are being hunted by a secret organization who know about their powers, and wants to use them for immoral purposes. In an effort to capture Michael, those hunting Michael and his friends kidnap Michael's mother, but fail to capture Michael or Taylor. Michael and his friends must use their abilities to save his mother, and meanwhile learn that there are many more children than just themselves that have electrical powers. They learn that when they were born, they were the sole survivors of a freak accident caused by as new piece of experimental technology used to scan newborn babies for health problems. 17 babies survived-the electrical children-but most of the babies exposed to the technology were not so lucky.
If Michael and his friends continue on their current route and continue their search for Michael's mother, I think that they will eventually find their answer, except it will not be easy. I think that they will be met with extreme hostility and danger. The secret organization committed to capturing all of the electrical children has shown in the past that they are willing to do anything in order to accomplish their goal, and so I think that Michael and his friends will suffer hardships and trials in order to save Michael's mother I wonder if any lives will be lost in the cause to save Michael's mother and destroy the secret organization. I wonder if any of the other electrical children will join Michael in his mission.
While reading this book, I noticed that the powers that Michael have are very similar to a character in a video game called Infamous. In the game Infamous, the main character-Coal- gained electrical powers very similar to Michael Vey in a freak accident, just like in Michael Vey.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Divergent- Conflict
Tris and her big Dauntless friend, Al have a relationship. Except it's one way. And it's really awkward. Al has a crush on Tris, and he tells her. But she doesn't have a crush on him. In fact, there's more that Al tells her. He tells her how he wants to protect people, and how his parents wanted him to join Dauntless. Al is from Candor, which are the people who strive to be honest. So it is normal with Al to share all of his heart with others, because he is very honest. But he can also tell when people are bluffing. So can Tris's other Candor friend, Christina. So when Tris and her Candor friends are talking about their aptitude tests, she tries to lie about her results, but remember? Candor can tell.
Four reveals the rankings for the first round. And Tris scores 6 out of 9. Average. She listened to her mother. Peter comes in 2nd, and Molly (an enemy of Tris) scored 5th. Later that night, the #1 ranked initiate (Edward) gets stabbed in the eye, which ruins his ability to fight. And coincidentally, Peter and his little friend Drew, aren't around. Hmmmm. Sabotoge? Tris later learns that Edward and his girlfriend Myra both dropped out. They're factionless now. That means that Peter is #1. Oh joy.
Four reveals the rankings for the first round. And Tris scores 6 out of 9. Average. She listened to her mother. Peter comes in 2nd, and Molly (an enemy of Tris) scored 5th. Later that night, the #1 ranked initiate (Edward) gets stabbed in the eye, which ruins his ability to fight. And coincidentally, Peter and his little friend Drew, aren't around. Hmmmm. Sabotoge? Tris later learns that Edward and his girlfriend Myra both dropped out. They're factionless now. That means that Peter is #1. Oh joy.
Divergent- Visiting day
It is Visiting day. Visiting day is when the parents of the new transfers have the opportunity to come and see their child. Tris honestly isn't expecting to see Mom or Dad, but to her surprise, her mom does arrive. In fact, Tris's mom is actually pretty comfortable with the whole new "Dauntless" thing, and we find out that her mom was actually born in Dauntless. Surprise, surprise! She is pretty comfortable with the tattoos, the Pit, and all of the injuries. And somehow, Tris's mom also knows that Tris is divergent somehow.
Tris's mom gives Tris some good advice. To hide who Tris really is, she tells her to not rank exceptionally high. She advises her to score average, as to not give any clues that she might be something special (hint hint: that Tris is divergent). Tris's mom gives her one final piece of advice. She tells her to find her brother in the Erudite compound. She tells Tris to ask him to research the simulation serum. She tells her to do this because what the Erudite people strive to do is to be intelligent. So this would be a perfect thing to ask of her brother, because he is an Erudite transfer. Visiting day, is a big day.
Tris's mom gives Tris some good advice. To hide who Tris really is, she tells her to not rank exceptionally high. She advises her to score average, as to not give any clues that she might be something special (hint hint: that Tris is divergent). Tris's mom gives her one final piece of advice. She tells her to find her brother in the Erudite compound. She tells Tris to ask him to research the simulation serum. She tells her to do this because what the Erudite people strive to do is to be intelligent. So this would be a perfect thing to ask of her brother, because he is an Erudite transfer. Visiting day, is a big day.
Divergent- Field trips
The day after Tris gets knocked unconscious by some fighting with Peter (the mean bully guy) in the boxing ring, she finds out that they all of the initiates get to take a field trip to the fence around Chicago. They take the train to fence, and meanwhile, Tris stares Four's muscles the whole ride there. Since this book is in first person, we get a lot of feelings and emotions from the main character, or Tris. She has a crush on Four, but she doesn't want to admit it.
The fence around Chicago is guarded by Dauntless with guns, but no one really knows what they're defending them from. As they continue to take a look at the fence around Chicago, a truck full of Amity farmers comes through. There is someone on the bus, Robert. Robert was an Abnegation neighbor of the old Beatrice. Robert seems sad by the fact that there are so many Dauntless jerks around Tris. He tells her to be happy. But Tris says that happiness isn't her goal. After that, Four gives Tris some advice about fighting. He says to attack first. This sounds like a normal typical field trip, right?
Two days later, the initiates have to wake up to go to another field trip. This time, they'll be playing paintball. Extreme paintball, with capture the flag. There are two teams, and Tris is on Fours' team. Tris enjoys this. During this game of paintball, it's nighttime in Chicago, which is just perfect. Four has the great idea to turn on the famous Ferris wheel, except it's not what it used to be. It's old and rusty, REALLY rusty. They climb the Ferris wheel to get a look at where the other team hid their flag, and to get down, Four turns on the Ferris wheel. Simple, and flattering.
After Tris gets to safety, she tells her team where the other team's flag is, and they get to work. Tris comes up with a plan to capture the flag, and in short, they win. There is a little dispute about who gets to grab the flag, and Christina (one of Tris's team members) grabs the flag, and they win. Tris is gaining friends, because of her success in being so, Dauntless.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Divergent-Dauntless
After the choosing ceremony, Beatrice jumps on a train to get to the Dauntless headquarters. She barely makes it on, and another person actually helps her on. She then has to jump from a train onto the roof of a building, and some don't make the jump. One girl refuses to jump, saying that she would rather be factionless than be dead, and becomes factionless. All Beatrice gets are some scraps, but one girl attempts the jump but falls and dies.Once they are on the roof of the building, a Dauntless leader, Max, says that they must jump into a hole into a building. Of the many tests so far, this is the most trying. Many questions are asked, but none are answered.
Beatrice is the first to jump, and instead of hitting the ground, she falls into a net (of course or else this would be a very short book) and meets a boy named Four on the bottom. He is a very important person in Dauntless, and congratulates her for being brave enough to be the first one to jump. Also, at the bottom when they ask Beatrice what her name is, she realizes that she has the opportunity to change her name, and she does. Her new name is Tris.
The Dauntless headquarters is underground, and it is called "The Pit". It's a big, well, pit. At the bottom there is a chasm with rushing water which is a good reminder that being too brave can easily get you killed. At the bunkroom where the new transfers are staying, a man named Eric which is a rival of Four explains how Dauntless initiation works: it's a big competition, and only the top-ranked people get in. Yay?
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Best blog post
I think that my blog post that best demonstrates my strongest, most distinct voice is my post called Divergent- The Beginning.
In my blog post I wrote, "Those who are found to be divergent are killed because being different is not okay in their society. If you do not belong to one, and only one faction, then you don't belong in their society." I thought that this represented the voice of author of Divergent very well because even though that leaders in the society do not admit that being different is okay, inside that is what they believe. The author tried very hard to show the reader this in the book from what the main character experiences. I think that this also showcases my personality as a writer because I like to tell the reader exactly how the author intends for the reader to interpret their writing, even if everyone does not interpret it that way. I like to write in a way that is practical and it accomplishes the intended purpose efficiently.
Some diction and syntax choices that I made to enhance the writer's voice was when I said, "When Beatrice took her test, she had very contradicting results and they were inconclusive." In this sentence, I used words like 'inconclusive' and 'contradicting' to describe the results of the test. Although these words to not come directly form the book, I used them to better describe the results in a way that was clear and understandable. I used higher level words, and even though these words can be more difficult to read and comprehend, they describe the test results very well. If I used words that were not as specific or of lower-level interpretation, then I would not have properly described the test results. A syntax technique that I used is that I used comma's properly, and I also didn't use too many. Sometimes in a sentence, the writer can use too many comma's and therefore create an overuse of it and it degrades the effect of the comma.
In my blog post I wrote, "Those who are found to be divergent are killed because being different is not okay in their society. If you do not belong to one, and only one faction, then you don't belong in their society." I thought that this represented the voice of author of Divergent very well because even though that leaders in the society do not admit that being different is okay, inside that is what they believe. The author tried very hard to show the reader this in the book from what the main character experiences. I think that this also showcases my personality as a writer because I like to tell the reader exactly how the author intends for the reader to interpret their writing, even if everyone does not interpret it that way. I like to write in a way that is practical and it accomplishes the intended purpose efficiently.
Some diction and syntax choices that I made to enhance the writer's voice was when I said, "When Beatrice took her test, she had very contradicting results and they were inconclusive." In this sentence, I used words like 'inconclusive' and 'contradicting' to describe the results of the test. Although these words to not come directly form the book, I used them to better describe the results in a way that was clear and understandable. I used higher level words, and even though these words can be more difficult to read and comprehend, they describe the test results very well. If I used words that were not as specific or of lower-level interpretation, then I would not have properly described the test results. A syntax technique that I used is that I used comma's properly, and I also didn't use too many. Sometimes in a sentence, the writer can use too many comma's and therefore create an overuse of it and it degrades the effect of the comma.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Divergent-The Choosing
Beatrice and her brother Caleb aren't more than a year apart, so they will go to the choosing ceremony together. At the choosing ceremony, there are five groups of teenagers from the five factions: Abnegation, Dauntless, Erudite, Amity, and Condor. Before they go into the ceremony room, Beatrice is a nervous wreck beceause she is so unsure of what faction she will choose. But Caleb, her brother, is calm and sure of what faction he wants to be in. She doesn't think that she wants to stay in Dauntless, but she still has the desire to stay with her family in Abnegation. She is so sure that her bother will choose to stay in Abnegation because he always acts with such selflessness.
Before Beatrice walks into the choosing ceremony, her mother hugs her tight and says, "I love you no matter what,"which makes Beatrice think that her mother knows that she won't stay in Abnegation. At the front of the room there are five bowls, which all have objects in them which represent each faction.
Before Beatrice walks into the choosing ceremony, her mother hugs her tight and says, "I love you no matter what,"which makes Beatrice think that her mother knows that she won't stay in Abnegation. At the front of the room there are five bowls, which all have objects in them which represent each faction.
- Abnegation- stones
- Candor- glass
- Erudite- water
- Dauntless- coals set on fire
- Amity- earth
Divergent- Beginning
As I began to read Divergent, I noticed that the society that the main character, Beatrice lives in is a book with a society with a government that predetermines many decisions in people's lives. In the fictional Chicago where Beatrice lives, the city is divided into five factions: Dauntless, Abnegation, Erudite, Amity, and Candor. Dauntless represents bravery, Abnegation represents selflessness, Erudite represents intelligence, Amnity represents kindness, and Candor represents honesty. Every child that is born into a faction has the choice to either stay in their current faction they live in, or to change to another faction when they become of age. Whatever virtue they have the most strength in, they are urged to join that faction.
When each child becomes of age, they take a test. The test is an assessment of themselves in an effort to better help the child understand which faction that they belong in. When Beatrice took her test, she had very contridicting results and they were inconclusive. The administrator told her that she was what they called, divergent. She wasn't sure which faction she belonged in, and she had strengths and in Abnegation, Dauntless and Erudite. She was equally qualified to be in all 3 factions, and this is what made her divergent. Those who are found to be divergent are killed because being different is not okay in their society. If you do not belong to one, and only one faction, then you don't belong in their society. I think that this is very harsh just for being different, but that is the society that she lives in.
When each child becomes of age, they take a test. The test is an assessment of themselves in an effort to better help the child understand which faction that they belong in. When Beatrice took her test, she had very contridicting results and they were inconclusive. The administrator told her that she was what they called, divergent. She wasn't sure which faction she belonged in, and she had strengths and in Abnegation, Dauntless and Erudite. She was equally qualified to be in all 3 factions, and this is what made her divergent. Those who are found to be divergent are killed because being different is not okay in their society. If you do not belong to one, and only one faction, then you don't belong in their society. I think that this is very harsh just for being different, but that is the society that she lives in.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Krista Ramsey-The very poor case for arming teachers
In this article, Krista Ramsey tells us about how certain teachers and students are wanting to arm school staff with weapons, or firearms in case a shooter enters the school and threatens anyone inside the school. Krista says that this is an unwise decision because of many reasons, many of which are valid concerns.
In this article, the line that I thought was best written was when she said, "It's unrealistic and, in fact, insulting to think people who entered the profession of education should be turned into teacher-law enforcement hybrids." This sentence is important, and has a large effect on the reader. It effects the reader because it makes them think of teachers turning into a law enforcer, which is abstract. That can be scary to many students because most kids are slightly afraid of police officers, and to think of our teachers turning into them or anything like them is scary to most students. Also when Krista says that it is "unrealistic" for teachers to be armed, I think that she is suggesting that people will not allow for it to happen because it simply isn't the right thing to do.
Krista Ramsey's writing is successful at catching the reader's attention, and making them think about what she is writing. I can tell that she likes to start off some of her columns by saying things like, everybody knows, or, as you are aware of. She begins by saying something, assuming that the reader already has previous knowledge of the topic. She displays this in her writing. She also tends to integrate bias into her writing, which is okay in my opinion as long as she has evidence to back it up.
If I could ask Krista Ramsey questions about her writing, I would ask three. they would be:
In this article, the line that I thought was best written was when she said, "It's unrealistic and, in fact, insulting to think people who entered the profession of education should be turned into teacher-law enforcement hybrids." This sentence is important, and has a large effect on the reader. It effects the reader because it makes them think of teachers turning into a law enforcer, which is abstract. That can be scary to many students because most kids are slightly afraid of police officers, and to think of our teachers turning into them or anything like them is scary to most students. Also when Krista says that it is "unrealistic" for teachers to be armed, I think that she is suggesting that people will not allow for it to happen because it simply isn't the right thing to do.
Krista Ramsey's writing is successful at catching the reader's attention, and making them think about what she is writing. I can tell that she likes to start off some of her columns by saying things like, everybody knows, or, as you are aware of. She begins by saying something, assuming that the reader already has previous knowledge of the topic. She displays this in her writing. She also tends to integrate bias into her writing, which is okay in my opinion as long as she has evidence to back it up.
If I could ask Krista Ramsey questions about her writing, I would ask three. they would be:
- Do you think that integrating bias into writing is acceptable, even if you do not have all the evidence to back it up?
- Do you think that it is worth the risk of putting allusions into writing and risking the reader not understanding the allusion, and therefore not comprehending the writing the way the writer intended because of their lack of knowledge?
- In your opinion, do you think that you write representing your opinion, or do you write for the people and the majority opinion, and not so much for yourself?
News column from:
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/krista-ramsey/2014/02/22/krista-the-very-poor-case-for-arming-teachers/5744065/
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/columnists/krista-ramsey/2014/02/22/krista-the-very-poor-case-for-arming-teachers/5744065/
Monday, April 7, 2014
Fahrenheit 451-Characterization
The character that I chose to characterize in Fahrenheit 451 is Montag. To me, Montag is a mysterious character. Although he may be a fireman, which are feared most everywhere, he does have a meaningful life beyond being a fireman. And he is one among very, very few people that actually realize that the way things are now, is not happiness. Montag is not happy, and he is searching for it. Since he is searching and does not know any better, he turns to books because he has been burning them for his whole adult life, and so naturally he will be curious to know more about them, and his search for happiness only supports that and pushes him more. So he begins to bring books home, hide them, and read them secretly.
Since Montag is in the search of happiness, he has more tolerance for new and abstract ideas and concepts. He understands them more than some people, but he still has a long way to go. He is not a common fireman, and he is unique because he is more intellectually advanced than most. When Clarisse, a very mysterious character, who likes to think a lot approaches him and tells him about herself, he is not as threatening as other people she has approached were, and he is much more friendly to her. He is more accepting of her ideas, who she is, and she even makes him to come to really realize that he is not happy. That is when he really starts to take action.
Since Montag is in the search of happiness, he has more tolerance for new and abstract ideas and concepts. He understands them more than some people, but he still has a long way to go. He is not a common fireman, and he is unique because he is more intellectually advanced than most. When Clarisse, a very mysterious character, who likes to think a lot approaches him and tells him about herself, he is not as threatening as other people she has approached were, and he is much more friendly to her. He is more accepting of her ideas, who she is, and she even makes him to come to really realize that he is not happy. That is when he really starts to take action.
New book
Over the past few months, I have been hearing a lot about a new book, called Divergent written by Veronica Roth. Also, since the official movie has been released, there has been even more talk of it going around. It seems like it is a really popular book. I've been invited to go see the movie, but I think that I'm going to read the book before I watch the movie. I really like to compare the two, see how well the movie follows the book and so that I can understand what the purpose of the movie is, and also so that I can know what elements that the movie missed that is in the book.
It seems that movie producers now days are a lot more concerned about making movies look good visually, even if the movies don't reflect the book as the author intended. Like in the movie Lightning Thief, which was based off of the book The Lightning Thief, the movie didn't follow the book at all! The movie contained very few original elements that were in the book. So before I watch a movie, I like to read the book first so that I can have a better understanding of the real meaning. So I started reading Divergent, and it starts out very well, and it interests me. I think that I am really going to like reading this book, and I hope to continue the series.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Finale
The post that I thought best exemplified my ability to analyze complex characters was in my post 'The Ranger's Apprentice-characterization'. I thought that this post demonstrated my ability to analyse complex characters because I talked about all of the traits that the character had, and how all of those traits were essential for him to occupy his role in the story. I gave examples from the book of how the character strongly demonstraited these particular traits I talked about, and how they were neccesary for him to have his role he had in the story.
Next trimester, I would like to instead of reading just one book and almost finish another one, to read one book, but not as quickly as I read my first book, so that I can better analyze the writing within it, and to take a deeper understanding of things like the theme, and better understand the setting as well. But I would like to finish a second book as well. My goals for writing for next trimester consist of me using more complex writing techniques, like personification, using more comparisons to help the reader better understand what I am trying to convey, and also to simply write more than I did this trimester, because I know that I should have written more, and written things that more engage the mind and makes the reader think about society and the world around him, and also about themselves, and how they might need to change their perspective on a certain idea or concept.
Next trimester, I would like to instead of reading just one book and almost finish another one, to read one book, but not as quickly as I read my first book, so that I can better analyze the writing within it, and to take a deeper understanding of things like the theme, and better understand the setting as well. But I would like to finish a second book as well. My goals for writing for next trimester consist of me using more complex writing techniques, like personification, using more comparisons to help the reader better understand what I am trying to convey, and also to simply write more than I did this trimester, because I know that I should have written more, and written things that more engage the mind and makes the reader think about society and the world around him, and also about themselves, and how they might need to change their perspective on a certain idea or concept.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
About the author
John Flanagan, the author of The Ranger's Apprentice started writing a series of weekly short stories to encourage his son Michael to read. Will, the main character was actually based off of his son. He has a lot of the same qualities as his son, and does the sort of things that his son likes to do: climbing, archery, throwing knives at trees. He doesn't try to pretend to be Halt, Will's apprentice master, but a lot of the conversations that go on between Halt and Will are based on exchanges between him and Mike when he was a teenager. He even incorporated some of the short stories that he wrote into the first book of the series. He now has written a total of 12 books in The Ranger's Apprentice series.
Theme of The Ranger's Apprentice
While I was reading The Ruins of Gorlon, the first book of The Ranger's Apprentice series, I noticed that there wasn't very much of a moral to the story. Overall, I thought the book predominantly was written for entertainment, and not so much for any other reason. But I thought that there was still a theme to the story.
Near the end of the book, Will's master, Halt, was in deep trouble and had already done everything he could to stay alive. He was being chased a troll-like creatures, the Karkala. All who have ever fought such monsters say they literally emanate fear, and if you look at one of them in the eye, you would be instantly paralyzed by fear.
Will and his company of 2 other knights had finally found where the Kalkara had chased Halt to, and could see one of the Kalkara in the open. The two knights had started to engage this humongous monster in combat, when Will remembered something he had heard, that they were vulnerable to fire. He reacted quickly, because even two fully armored knights didn't stand up to the Kalkara. He pulled out one of his fire arrows, lit it and aimed for the Kalkara. Right when it touched it, it spread like it had touched gasoline, and it burned up within a matter of seconds. His bravery and quick thinking had saved his master and the two knights.
Near the end of the book, Will's master, Halt, was in deep trouble and had already done everything he could to stay alive. He was being chased a troll-like creatures, the Karkala. All who have ever fought such monsters say they literally emanate fear, and if you look at one of them in the eye, you would be instantly paralyzed by fear.
Will and his company of 2 other knights had finally found where the Kalkara had chased Halt to, and could see one of the Kalkara in the open. The two knights had started to engage this humongous monster in combat, when Will remembered something he had heard, that they were vulnerable to fire. He reacted quickly, because even two fully armored knights didn't stand up to the Kalkara. He pulled out one of his fire arrows, lit it and aimed for the Kalkara. Right when it touched it, it spread like it had touched gasoline, and it burned up within a matter of seconds. His bravery and quick thinking had saved his master and the two knights.
The Ranger's Apprentice-Charactarization
Will, the main character in The Ranger's Apprentice is a pretty weird kid, but he has a lot of the things that is perfect for a ranger. He is very curious, sneaky, very good at not being seen, brave, quick to react to things, and a hard worker. The author purposely gave a strong amount of these characteristics to Will because it would be essential for him to have these things to be a ranger of Araluen.
When Halt, the ranger's master of Redmont fief gave a note to the Baron, which contained information about Will, except Will did not get to see what was written on the note. Will was naturally very curious to see what Halt had wrote, so that night he snuck into the Baron's quarters in an attempt to catch a glance to see what about him was written on the note. But Halt was expecting this and caught Will red-handed sneaking into the Baron's quarters. But this only made Halt want to make Will his apprentice, because it showed him how he had the qualities of a ranger; curious, sneaky, and also a very good climber.
When Halt, the ranger's master of Redmont fief gave a note to the Baron, which contained information about Will, except Will did not get to see what was written on the note. Will was naturally very curious to see what Halt had wrote, so that night he snuck into the Baron's quarters in an attempt to catch a glance to see what about him was written on the note. But Halt was expecting this and caught Will red-handed sneaking into the Baron's quarters. But this only made Halt want to make Will his apprentice, because it showed him how he had the qualities of a ranger; curious, sneaky, and also a very good climber.
The Ranger's Apprentice-Setting
In the Ranger's Apprentice, the setting is constantly changing and shifting. At the beginning, the setting was in a wooded fief, with a castle surrounded by the town, which also contained many farms. But later on in the story, the main character had to travel on a dirt trail to his destination by horse, which was heavily surrounded by trees. When he arrived at his destination, he then had to travel through an enormous plain to his next destination. The book ended when he returned back to his homeland, Redmont fief, and he attended a huge dinner dedicated to him because he saved his master's life. Near the end of the book, winter had began and there was lots of snow throughout the entire kingdom covering the ground.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
The Rangers of Araluen
Since Will wasn't accepted to any other master, one master stepped up to recruit him. He was the ranger of the Redmont fief. He had been paying attention to Will, noticing how well he was at sneaking, and not getting caught, how he was fast, and light on his feet. He had been hoping that no other master would accept him, because he wanted him as his apprentice. The Rangers of Araluen are the eyes and ears of the kingdom. They spy on the kingdoms' enemies, eliminate possible threats, and in result of their constant lookout for threats to the kingdom, they saved Araluen in battle and throughout history many times. The ranger of Redmont fief, Halt, has taken an interest in Will and hopes to apprentice him.
The Ruins of Gorlon-Continued
In my book The Ruins of Gorlon, Will is expected to be accepted as an apprentice to one of the masters of the arts when he reaches the age of 15. He is 14, and his 15th birthday is coming up. He isn't exactly on the master's good side. To them, he is known as a sneak, and some of the masters say they have even caught him climbing onto their windows and stealing things.
While Will doesn't deny these things, he is still anxious to get an apprenticeship to the battlemaster. He has dreamed of joining battle school his whole life, and when the battlemaster didn't accept him, he didn't know what to do. Working in one of Redmont's fields was never what he wanted to do, and now he desperately needs an apprenticeship to another master.
While Will doesn't deny these things, he is still anxious to get an apprenticeship to the battlemaster. He has dreamed of joining battle school his whole life, and when the battlemaster didn't accept him, he didn't know what to do. Working in one of Redmont's fields was never what he wanted to do, and now he desperately needs an apprenticeship to another master.
The Ruins of Gorlon
My book, The Ruins of Gorlon by John Flanagan, is the first book to the Ranger's Apprentice series. There are many, many more books to the series, and so I am just getting started. It's about this orphan, named Will, who lives in Redmont fief which belongs to a kingdom made up of 50 fiefs, and was united under one king a long time ago. The kingdom is called Araluen. As an orphan, when he reaches the age of 15, he is expected to become an apprentice of one of the masters of the arts of Redmont fief. A few of the arts include the baron's cook, the battlemaster, and the ranger. And when Will reaches the age of 15, if he is not accepted by one of the masters, then he will become a farmer in one of the fields of Redmont. Not a really great job that everyone wants. So before he reaches the age of 15, he must keep working hard to impress the masters so he may one day be accepted. And right now, he's not really on their good side.
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