Kristina, a straight-A honor student, decides to visit her dad in Albuquerque for 3 weeks. Her father is rarely home, leaving her alone most of the time. Because of this, she meets Adam.
She introduces herself to Adam by the name "Bree", another identity that Kristina's been longing for.
He persuades Kristina to try 'crank' (the drug methamphetamine). She quickly gets addicted and spends her days with Adam and unleashing "the monster", which is her name for the drug and what it does to her.
After the three weeks have passed, Kristina returns to live with her mother in Reno, Nevada, and tries to carry on with normality without the crank helping her.
Throughout the book, Kristina contrasts her feelings with Bree's and tries to figure out what she really wants. I feel like a lot of people can relate to Kristina for this and also for wanting this other life and wanting to be this other person.
Although I'm barely halfway through the book, I feel myself relating to Kristina on certain levels and am wondering how she'll develop even further into the story. I think this book is about wanting a new identity and it really shows how different someone can be around certain people, or how you won't feel yourself so you'll want to make this whole new life to fit in.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Revised Reading Response (1/6)
In the book "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", I feel like the main character Charlie distances himself from other people. He's very reserved in general and doesn't really branch out as much as the other kids.
Charlie eventually meets Sam and Patrick who also seem very different from the common crowd and he starts hanging out with them. Charlie's new friends have also brought new experiences for him. That's one of the reasons I find this book so interesting, because it includes a lot of first exposures and Charlie's reactions along with them. It seems as though, to me, that how different Charlie is to the rest of his school is very much accepted by everyone and especially by his new group of friends, seeing as though they're pretty different too. A 'wallflower' is what Sam and Patrick used to describe him.
"You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand." I think that this shows a lot about Charlie's personality and that other people kind of don't really mind that he's so quiet because they know he's comprehending everything, just not in an outspoken way. I also think this has a lot to do with how the people are grouped in the book because Charlie’s new group of friends seem to mostly observe, whereas other people would want to be outgoing and put themselves out there like a lot of people normally would.
I also notice that this book is written a lot like if you were to just put all your thoughts on paper, or as if you were saying them out-loud; That you're telling it as you would in a conversation with someone else, rather than formally putting it on paper. I suppose this is Charlie's way of actually getting his thoughts out, considering he doesn't talk much when he's around people. This is probably his way of just being comfortable with what he does.
I think that being different and trying or learning about new things is a big topic in the book. The way that Charlie's character develops throughout the story, with the help of Sam and Patrick is really great. Friends are definitely a big symbol in this book and it shows that they would always be there. It kind of also teaches a lesson about how friends can change you in a good way.
Charlie eventually meets Sam and Patrick who also seem very different from the common crowd and he starts hanging out with them. Charlie's new friends have also brought new experiences for him. That's one of the reasons I find this book so interesting, because it includes a lot of first exposures and Charlie's reactions along with them. It seems as though, to me, that how different Charlie is to the rest of his school is very much accepted by everyone and especially by his new group of friends, seeing as though they're pretty different too. A 'wallflower' is what Sam and Patrick used to describe him.
"You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand." I think that this shows a lot about Charlie's personality and that other people kind of don't really mind that he's so quiet because they know he's comprehending everything, just not in an outspoken way. I also think this has a lot to do with how the people are grouped in the book because Charlie’s new group of friends seem to mostly observe, whereas other people would want to be outgoing and put themselves out there like a lot of people normally would.
I also notice that this book is written a lot like if you were to just put all your thoughts on paper, or as if you were saying them out-loud; That you're telling it as you would in a conversation with someone else, rather than formally putting it on paper. I suppose this is Charlie's way of actually getting his thoughts out, considering he doesn't talk much when he's around people. This is probably his way of just being comfortable with what he does.
I think that being different and trying or learning about new things is a big topic in the book. The way that Charlie's character develops throughout the story, with the help of Sam and Patrick is really great. Friends are definitely a big symbol in this book and it shows that they would always be there. It kind of also teaches a lesson about how friends can change you in a good way.
Argument Essay Final (Banning Books 12/2)
I think certain books should be banned from classrooms of younger age groups if it has content that's too mature. One such book, for example, is The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part-Time Indian. I read this book with inquiry group and I do think it has come content that might make readers uncomfortable. Also, some parents/adults may not want their kids to be reading such books and to be exposed so come of this content at a young age.
This book includes many controversial topics/issues such as bullying, racism, harsh language/cursing, and more. For example, Junior is a Native American living on a reservation, also known as ‘the Rez’, and decided to go to an Reardan, an all-white school. This created a few problems for him, like having people pick on him for being the only colored kid in the school, and how he has betrayed the tribe by leaving their school. One kid at Reardan, Roger, was bullying Junior with a few of his friends and said, "Did you know that Indians are living proof that niggers fuck buffalo?” (Sherman 64). This includes stuff that I know a lot of parents wouldn't want kids reading. Racism is a huge issue in the book and I know that it could be offensive to some people. Some kids may even feel uncomfortable reading such content.
Everyone should have a say in what the get to read without being criticized, especially in a time like this where we have access to such educational freedom. “And just because one person finds something objectionable, doesn't mean they have the right to restrict access to that item that other people - other parents and other children should have access to” says Roy. One problem with banning books is that usually, if only a few people want it to be banned , then there is a chance that it might be. I find this very unfair and I agree with this completely. Another thing about banning books is that it sometimes does just the opposite of what some people want. It sometimes becomes more popular. Suzanne Collins says:
‘Usually they provide good publicity.’ Comparably, The Hunger Games’ Suzanne Collins seems unaffected by the criticisms of the censorship contingent: According to the daily beast, Collins says she’s fully aware “people were concerned about the level of violence in the books. That’s not unreasonable. They are violent. It’s a war trilogy.’
I can imagine a lot of parents being frustrated, trying to limit what their kids can or cannot read and this shows that banning books may not always help the case and that despite the fact that they are banned, it may spark others curiosity and that the authors know about it.
I feel that the word 'hope' also plays a pretty big role in this book. On page 43, Junior is talking to Mr. P, his teacher. He's telling Junior that he has to leave the Rez forever. After this part in the book, it shows something that Junior has drawn that has two signs pointing one way saying “REZ” and “HOME”, then two signs pointing the other way that say “HOPE” and “???” (Sherman 43). There’s also another drawing of Junior’s face drowning in ants on an anthill with a thought bubble that says “Hope?!!??” (Sherman 47). This shows that the Rez is the only place Junior could ever call home and that he had no idea what he would do or where he would go if he had to leave. This shows that the book does teach valuable lessons, one being about hope.
The book makes Junior have to deal with alcoholism in his family. He says that his dad is an alcoholic, and also that his sister and a family friend, Eugene, died because of alcohol. These topics might give kids the wrong impressions about these harsh topics, and might even scare them. There's also other mature content such as masturbation. Junior has been open about it and says it helps him cope with everything. Again, many parents do not want their kid finding out about such content until they are at least in 8th grade or high school. I think that if a book, like this one, contains mature content should be banned from at least 6th grade classrooms and below. I think that when kids think they are mature enough to decide what books they should or shouldn’t be reading, they would be smart enough to just put it down. I remember reading books meant for kids that were older than my age group when I was younger, in the 4th or 5th grade or so, and feeling uncomfortable when presented with the content. I can imagine parents and other adults not wanting this for their kids, so they should be banned
This book includes many controversial topics/issues such as bullying, racism, harsh language/cursing, and more. For example, Junior is a Native American living on a reservation, also known as ‘the Rez’, and decided to go to an Reardan, an all-white school. This created a few problems for him, like having people pick on him for being the only colored kid in the school, and how he has betrayed the tribe by leaving their school. One kid at Reardan, Roger, was bullying Junior with a few of his friends and said, "Did you know that Indians are living proof that niggers fuck buffalo?” (Sherman 64). This includes stuff that I know a lot of parents wouldn't want kids reading. Racism is a huge issue in the book and I know that it could be offensive to some people. Some kids may even feel uncomfortable reading such content.
Everyone should have a say in what the get to read without being criticized, especially in a time like this where we have access to such educational freedom. “And just because one person finds something objectionable, doesn't mean they have the right to restrict access to that item that other people - other parents and other children should have access to” says Roy. One problem with banning books is that usually, if only a few people want it to be banned , then there is a chance that it might be. I find this very unfair and I agree with this completely. Another thing about banning books is that it sometimes does just the opposite of what some people want. It sometimes becomes more popular. Suzanne Collins says:
‘Usually they provide good publicity.’ Comparably, The Hunger Games’ Suzanne Collins seems unaffected by the criticisms of the censorship contingent: According to the daily beast, Collins says she’s fully aware “people were concerned about the level of violence in the books. That’s not unreasonable. They are violent. It’s a war trilogy.’
I can imagine a lot of parents being frustrated, trying to limit what their kids can or cannot read and this shows that banning books may not always help the case and that despite the fact that they are banned, it may spark others curiosity and that the authors know about it.
I feel that the word 'hope' also plays a pretty big role in this book. On page 43, Junior is talking to Mr. P, his teacher. He's telling Junior that he has to leave the Rez forever. After this part in the book, it shows something that Junior has drawn that has two signs pointing one way saying “REZ” and “HOME”, then two signs pointing the other way that say “HOPE” and “???” (Sherman 43). There’s also another drawing of Junior’s face drowning in ants on an anthill with a thought bubble that says “Hope?!!??” (Sherman 47). This shows that the Rez is the only place Junior could ever call home and that he had no idea what he would do or where he would go if he had to leave. This shows that the book does teach valuable lessons, one being about hope.
The book makes Junior have to deal with alcoholism in his family. He says that his dad is an alcoholic, and also that his sister and a family friend, Eugene, died because of alcohol. These topics might give kids the wrong impressions about these harsh topics, and might even scare them. There's also other mature content such as masturbation. Junior has been open about it and says it helps him cope with everything. Again, many parents do not want their kid finding out about such content until they are at least in 8th grade or high school. I think that if a book, like this one, contains mature content should be banned from at least 6th grade classrooms and below. I think that when kids think they are mature enough to decide what books they should or shouldn’t be reading, they would be smart enough to just put it down. I remember reading books meant for kids that were older than my age group when I was younger, in the 4th or 5th grade or so, and feeling uncomfortable when presented with the content. I can imagine parents and other adults not wanting this for their kids, so they should be banned
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Monday Muses: Non Fiction Article Reading Response
I was reading upfront magazine when I came across an article. It made me think a lot about commitment and knowledge, and what it really means to put dedication into your work. And not just a job that you get hired into, but also just anything that requires hard work. This really stood out to me because I felt I could learn from it and take in what it was like to have to be something that requires your judgement and commitment.
There was one section of the article that was subtitled ‘Does the Court ever change its mind?’ I read it, and it’s about this one case in 1954, the Brown v. Board of Education that’s probably the most famous of them all. This case was about racial segregation and how that should play a role in schools or not. “The Court unanimously overturned a decision from 1896, Plessy v. Ferguson, that permitted government-imposed racial segregation as long as the facilities offered to blacks and whites were equal.” And, four years later after public school segregation was now also constitutional, the judges decided to change their minds about the case.
I thought that overall, what this article did was really show how much work and effort and thought is put into the title of ‘Supreme Court Justice’ and how much it means, because they do get their jobs for life after all. Not only that, but I feel that I’ve really reflected off this article about how much commitment I put into each task that I do. Recently I’ve been struggling to keep up with certain things and mostly because I haven’t been putting all of my effort into them. A lot of the time it’s hard to even have motivation to doing something that requires all of your effort and attention, but that’s something I want to get used to doing from here on out, and this article has helped me realize that.
There was one section of the article that was subtitled ‘Does the Court ever change its mind?’ I read it, and it’s about this one case in 1954, the Brown v. Board of Education that’s probably the most famous of them all. This case was about racial segregation and how that should play a role in schools or not. “The Court unanimously overturned a decision from 1896, Plessy v. Ferguson, that permitted government-imposed racial segregation as long as the facilities offered to blacks and whites were equal.” And, four years later after public school segregation was now also constitutional, the judges decided to change their minds about the case.
I thought that overall, what this article did was really show how much work and effort and thought is put into the title of ‘Supreme Court Justice’ and how much it means, because they do get their jobs for life after all. Not only that, but I feel that I’ve really reflected off this article about how much commitment I put into each task that I do. Recently I’ve been struggling to keep up with certain things and mostly because I haven’t been putting all of my effort into them. A lot of the time it’s hard to even have motivation to doing something that requires all of your effort and attention, but that’s something I want to get used to doing from here on out, and this article has helped me realize that.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Critical Thinking Question: How different are people allowed to be in this text?
In the book "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", I feel like the main character Charlie distances himself from other people. He mostly stays silent and just thinks to himself a lot. A 'wallflower' is a term that one of the other characters used to describe him.
Charlie eventually meets Sam and Patrick who also seem very different, and Charlie starts hanging out with them. He seems to be very excited by having new friends and experiencing new things with them. It seems as though, to me, that how different Charlie is to the rest of his school is very much accepted by everyone and especially his new group of friends, seeing as though they're pretty different too. "You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand." I think that this shows a lot about Charlie as a person, and I also think this has a lot to do with how the people are grouped in the book because Charlie’s group or kind of people seem to just observe and take in whereas other people would want to be outgoing and put themselves out there.
I also notice that this book is written a lot like if you were to just put all your thoughts on paper, or as if you were saying them out-loud. I suppose this is Charlie's way of actually getting his thoughts out, not really having the format matter since he doesn't talk much when he's around people.
I think that being different and trying or learning about new things is a big topic in the book. And the way that Charlie's character develops through the story with Sam and Patrick's help is really great. It kind of also teaches a lesson about how friends can change you in a good way.
Charlie eventually meets Sam and Patrick who also seem very different, and Charlie starts hanging out with them. He seems to be very excited by having new friends and experiencing new things with them. It seems as though, to me, that how different Charlie is to the rest of his school is very much accepted by everyone and especially his new group of friends, seeing as though they're pretty different too. "You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand." I think that this shows a lot about Charlie as a person, and I also think this has a lot to do with how the people are grouped in the book because Charlie’s group or kind of people seem to just observe and take in whereas other people would want to be outgoing and put themselves out there.
I also notice that this book is written a lot like if you were to just put all your thoughts on paper, or as if you were saying them out-loud. I suppose this is Charlie's way of actually getting his thoughts out, not really having the format matter since he doesn't talk much when he's around people.
I think that being different and trying or learning about new things is a big topic in the book. And the way that Charlie's character develops through the story with Sam and Patrick's help is really great. It kind of also teaches a lesson about how friends can change you in a good way.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Argument Essay Draft #2
I think certain books should be banned from classrooms of younger age groups if it has content that's too mature. A book, for example, is The Absolutely True Diary Of A Part Time Indian. I read this book with inquiry group and I do think it has come content that might make readers uncomfortable. Also, come parents/adults may not want their kids to be reading such books and to be exposed so come of this content at a young age.
This book includes many controversial topics/issues such as bullying, racism, harsh language/cursing, and more. For example, Junior is a Native American living on a reservation and decides to go to an all-white school. This creates a few problems for him, like having people pick on him for being the only colored kid in the school, and how he's betrayed the tribe by leaving their school. One kid at the white school, Roger, was bullying Junior and said "Did you know that Indians are living proof that niggers fuck buffalo?". This includes stuff that I know a lot of parents wouldn't want kids reading. There's a lot of other cursing in this book, too.
I feel that the word 'hope' also plays a pretty big role in this book. On page 43, Junior is talking to Mr. P, his teacher. He's telling Junior that he has to leave the Rez forever. After this part in the book, it shows something that Junior has drawn that has two signs pointing one way saying “REZ” and “HOME”, then two signs pointing the other way that say “HOPE” and “???”. There’s also another drawing on page 47 of Junior’s face drowning in ants on an anthill with a thought bubble that says “Hope?!!??”. This shows that the Rez is the only place Junior could ever call home and that he had no idea what he would do or where he would go if he had to leave. This shows that the book does teach valuable lessons, one being about hope.
The book makes Junior have to deal with alcoholism in his family. He says that his dad's an alcoholic, and also, his sister and a family friend named Eugene died because of alcohol. I think these topics might give kids the wrong impressions about these harsh topics, and might even scare them. There's also mature content such as masturbation. Junior has been open about it and says it helps him cope with everything. Again, many parent's don't want their kid finding out about such content until they're at least a bit older (like in 8th grade or high school).
I think that if certain books really do contain topics that young kids shouldn't read about, then it should be banned from their classrooms. Maybe from 6th grade classes and below. I remember reading books in 4th and 5th grade that weren't meant for my age group/had some harsh content and made me feel uncomfortable. I don't think other kids should be doing that and I know their parents probably wouldn't want them to either.
This book includes many controversial topics/issues such as bullying, racism, harsh language/cursing, and more. For example, Junior is a Native American living on a reservation and decides to go to an all-white school. This creates a few problems for him, like having people pick on him for being the only colored kid in the school, and how he's betrayed the tribe by leaving their school. One kid at the white school, Roger, was bullying Junior and said "Did you know that Indians are living proof that niggers fuck buffalo?". This includes stuff that I know a lot of parents wouldn't want kids reading. There's a lot of other cursing in this book, too.
I feel that the word 'hope' also plays a pretty big role in this book. On page 43, Junior is talking to Mr. P, his teacher. He's telling Junior that he has to leave the Rez forever. After this part in the book, it shows something that Junior has drawn that has two signs pointing one way saying “REZ” and “HOME”, then two signs pointing the other way that say “HOPE” and “???”. There’s also another drawing on page 47 of Junior’s face drowning in ants on an anthill with a thought bubble that says “Hope?!!??”. This shows that the Rez is the only place Junior could ever call home and that he had no idea what he would do or where he would go if he had to leave. This shows that the book does teach valuable lessons, one being about hope.
The book makes Junior have to deal with alcoholism in his family. He says that his dad's an alcoholic, and also, his sister and a family friend named Eugene died because of alcohol. I think these topics might give kids the wrong impressions about these harsh topics, and might even scare them. There's also mature content such as masturbation. Junior has been open about it and says it helps him cope with everything. Again, many parent's don't want their kid finding out about such content until they're at least a bit older (like in 8th grade or high school).
I think that if certain books really do contain topics that young kids shouldn't read about, then it should be banned from their classrooms. Maybe from 6th grade classes and below. I remember reading books in 4th and 5th grade that weren't meant for my age group/had some harsh content and made me feel uncomfortable. I don't think other kids should be doing that and I know their parents probably wouldn't want them to either.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Monday Muses
When I was younger, my favorite book was by far The Sneetches by Dr. Suess. In the book, the 'Starbellies' had stars on their bellies and the 'Plainbellies' didn't. The Starbellies would brag and think they were better. They seemed to rank themselves higher than all the other Plainbellies. They would exclude and wanted nothing to do with them because they thought they were better.
Then one day, someone by the name of "Sylvester McMonkey McBean" came up to the Plainbellies and said that he knew why they were unhappy, and that he could fix it. He went to his car and turned it into a huge machine was meant for putting stars on bellies. Everyone was thrilled, to finally have something that made them feel accepted. They went in the machine one by one with nothing on their stomaches and all came out with stars.
The original Starbellies grew furious, and were saying how they were still better than the new ones. They were almost giving up on ideas to tell each group part when the same Sylvester McMonkey McBean comes up and says he can fix their problem. He shows them another machine, but something is different. This one removes stars. Each of the original Starbellies went through the machine and were happy something now separated the two groups, but this time, the new Plainbellies were higher than the new Starbellies.
From here on out, all the Sneetches go crazy and through the machine at least a dozen times each, just to have a distinct difference in appearances, something to prove that one group is higher than the other. But they each ran through so many times that all the Sneetches got confused! None of them knew who was an original Starbelly or Plainbelly. In all this mess, Sylvester McMonkey McBean decided to pack up his machines and venture off, leaving all the mixed and matched Sneetches to wonder who was who. They suddenly started not to care if one had a star and the other didn't, and made friends.
I think this book teaches a very valuable lesson about not judging someone by appearances or what they might have/might not have. It also shows that sometimes, people will do anything to be happy and to fit in. I think the moral of this story is to treat everyone equally, because really, we're all the same. And just because one of us may have something you or I don't, (in this case, a star) doesn't mean you shouldn't get respected or be ignored.
Then one day, someone by the name of "Sylvester McMonkey McBean" came up to the Plainbellies and said that he knew why they were unhappy, and that he could fix it. He went to his car and turned it into a huge machine was meant for putting stars on bellies. Everyone was thrilled, to finally have something that made them feel accepted. They went in the machine one by one with nothing on their stomaches and all came out with stars.
The original Starbellies grew furious, and were saying how they were still better than the new ones. They were almost giving up on ideas to tell each group part when the same Sylvester McMonkey McBean comes up and says he can fix their problem. He shows them another machine, but something is different. This one removes stars. Each of the original Starbellies went through the machine and were happy something now separated the two groups, but this time, the new Plainbellies were higher than the new Starbellies.
From here on out, all the Sneetches go crazy and through the machine at least a dozen times each, just to have a distinct difference in appearances, something to prove that one group is higher than the other. But they each ran through so many times that all the Sneetches got confused! None of them knew who was an original Starbelly or Plainbelly. In all this mess, Sylvester McMonkey McBean decided to pack up his machines and venture off, leaving all the mixed and matched Sneetches to wonder who was who. They suddenly started not to care if one had a star and the other didn't, and made friends.
I think this book teaches a very valuable lesson about not judging someone by appearances or what they might have/might not have. It also shows that sometimes, people will do anything to be happy and to fit in. I think the moral of this story is to treat everyone equally, because really, we're all the same. And just because one of us may have something you or I don't, (in this case, a star) doesn't mean you shouldn't get respected or be ignored.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)