Post your annotated bibliography extended paragraph here. Carefully proofread your paragraph for content and grammar before you publish. Use the following format to compose your paragraph:
Format for composing an Annotated Bibliography Paragraph:
1) Compose a topic sentence that states the author and title of the novel and explains whether you liked or disliked the novel.
2) Compose 6-8 sentences that:
a) detail the main plot events (remember the paragraph should not be entirely plot summary).
b) detail how the author uses one literary device to develop the plot (characterization, theme, conflict, setting, point of view, etc.)
c) include transitions between your detail of the main plot events and your detail of the literary device.
3) Finish you paragraph with a summation sentence that restates the topic sentence by explaining why you liked or disliked the novel.
DO NOT USE "I"PHRASES ANY WHERE IN YOUR PARAGRAPH AND REMEMBER TO ITALICIZE BOOK TITLES AND THE TITLES OF PLAYS.
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Julia Alvarez. In The Time Of The Butterflies. Penguin Group, Penguin Books USA Inc. New York, New York, 1994. In The Time Of The Butterflies by Julia Alvarez is an intriguing novel, suitable for many young adults. This novel is about four sisters, known as the Mirabal Sisters. Every sister had their own life story, and they decided to speak across decades to tell them. Patria, Minerva, Maria Theresa and Dede, tell their tales starting from when they were younger until the grew up. Under the Dominican dictator Trujillo, the girls tell about the tales of boyfriends and crushes, leading to prison torture and everyday horror. The sisters were known as “The Butterflies,” and in this magnificent novel, that meant that they lived a life of freedom. This novel depicts a clear understanding of tragedy, as well as inspiration and tells a story of courageous sisters. Eventually, at the end all of the sisters die but Dede. In The Time Of The Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, shows as much conflict as possible. Minerva portrayed the most conflict throughout the book. As most teenagers do, she fell in love. She began seeing a boy named Lio, but he is a communist. Government police are looking to find him everywhere as he hides and Minerva keeps it secret. Minerva is stuck in a love triangle between a boy and her own safety, and she doesn't know what to do. Lio invites Minerva to leave the country with him, but if she goes her family and herself is at stake. This novel is a very glorious book, and the instant a person picks it up, they will not be able to put it down. In The Time Of The Butterflies is truly an enduring book, and would be recommended for those who wish to read about sisters who are trying to find themselves.
Marissa Mule.
4/3/08
H-Block.
The book Full Moon Rising is written by Keri Authur. It is about a girl named Riley Jenson. Riley is a rare breed of half vampire and half were-wolf. She works as a secretary for Melbourne’s Directorate of Other Races, an organization created to police the supernatural races–and protect humans from their depredations. Her brother Rhoan, also works there as a guardian. When he was on a special mission he was taken hostage. Riley scened something is wrong, and gathers a bunch of information. On her way to gather information and find her brother, she comes home to find a sexy naked vampire. During the time of a full moon coming up it is called moon heat, and it makes it hard for her to control her sexual urges. With this sexy vampire, and other were wolfs around it is hard for her to focus. She comes along many problems find out what is happening in all these factories. Behind all of these disasters are non-humans very close to her. Also along the way she finds out her mates are trying to get her pregnant but they don’t know she is half wolf and half vampire. There is a larger percentage she can’t get pregnant.
Vanessa Cucuzza
A:block
mrs. pervosti
Maus I written by Art Spiegelman is an intriguing novel filled with romance and action, telling a story about a man and his life through WWI. The story is about a mouse characterized with human features and abilities who tells his son, Artie about his World War II experience. As Vladek is telling his story, Art Spiegelman introduces many new characters who are also mice. When Vladek talks about his love Anja, the reader will never put down the book, even to sleep. When these two mice speak of love, the reader will be touched, when they suffer, the reader will weep. This old Eastern European family will catch the reader’s intentions and will also captivate the reader by the language and lifestyle of these mice. The police officers in this novel are not mice, but cats. The reader will automatically know that Spiegelman uses connections to the world to illustrate the novel. The use of Imagery in this novel is nonstop which helps the reader picture in his/her head the plot of the novel. While the flashback of Vladek’s past is still going on, Spiegelman uses imagery to thoroughly express to the reader what is exactly going on in the novel. The setting of this intriguing and captivating novel takes place in Poland. However, Artie on the other hand isn’t interested in his father’s story. Artie just wants to write his own novel about experiences through WWII. After finishing this book, the reader will realize that the only goal for them is to get the sequel.
First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung is a heart breaking autobiography about a child's struggle for survival. Loung Ung was a five year old girl living with her parents, and seven siblings in Phnom Penh. Although she was very young and foolish, she was always curious about everything that happened around the world.All went well, until the Khmer Rouge army stormed into Phnom Penh in April 1975, and Loung's family were forced to flee their homes and hide their previous lives, and identity. Eventually, each member of the family dispersed in order to survive. Loung was trained as a child soldier in a work camp, while her other siblings were sent to labor camps. After a while, Loung loses four of her family members, but her spirit and courage helped her to survive. At last, the Vietnamese destroys the Khmer Rouge, and Loung and her siblings slowly reunite. Loung ung uses symbolism throughout the novel in order to recall her striking, and sorrowful journey. Her character symbolizes power, and the strong love that exists between family. Loung and her family had to experience and bear burdens that no human ever should or is able to, but she fought hard and believed that everything was going to get better. She was only five years old when the terror began, but through her bravery, and love for her family, she stayed strong and took control over her life. This novel should definitely be recommended to anyone that struggles to endure the harshest conditions.
Jisup Kim
B Block
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K Rowling is the best book in the series. This year Harry goes back to Hogwarts only to hear a mysterious voice in the halls. Harry and his friends have to figure out what’s happening in Hogwarts before this voice kills all the students. What really sticks out most in this book is the personification J.K Rowling uses. J.K Rowling gives snakes the ability to talk in this book as well as spiders. This makes the reader feel like Harry has a little less or a little more control in the situation. Using personification also shows off another side of the animals in this book. In one part with the giant spiders in the forest, they explain their friendship with Hagrid. With the use of personification in mind this book gets an 8 out of 10.
Shawn Cybulska
Block- B
4/5/08
The novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi was an outstanding novel. The story is about a young girl (Marjane Satrapi) who is faced with the conflict of growing up in Iran during the war against Iraq. Her family was always in constant danger due to them being against the Shah and the Islamic Republic. The young girl has heard and seen things no child should have to see. For example, her uncle would tell her about the time he spent in prison. Then Marjane had to hear of their neighbors being killed by the Shah. Since she was a child all these conflicts growing up in the Revolution was hard and traumatizing. Therefore, Marjane, when old enough, moved away. Coming back in her older years, she received a better education and making a life and family of her own. This historical novel was a great way to learn of a child’s experience during war.
D-block
Briana Kohm
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory is about the Boleyn sisters and the English court. Mary Boleyn she is one of Queen Catherine’s ladies in waiting, Mary is married to William Carey who is high in the courts favor. She is the younger sister of Ann Boleyn, but when Ann returns to the English court all seems to change. King Henry starts to take an interest in Mary and her entire family pounces on this. She is immediately divorced from her husband and is made to flirt with the King in hopes of becoming his mistress. With a few mistakes and draw backs on Mary’s part and after a long time, she successfully becomes the Kings mistress. Mary becomes pregnant with the kings child and they all pray for a boy, but Mary gives birth to a girl. This is all I have read up to in this book. The main conflict seems to be King Henrys want for a son and how Queen Catherine is no longer able to have a child. As a result of Queen Catherine not having any more children epically a boy, Henry tries to now have a child with Mary. This causes conflict because Queen Catherine does not care for Mary in the least. Also it brings conflict for Mary because she had to give up everything, her husband, her comfortable lifestyle, just so she can be the king’s mistress and give birth to his illegitimate child.
-Katie McSherry
-Block: D
The book Black Boy by Richard Wright is a heart-warming novel. So far from what has been read, the setting of this novel is in Natchez, Mississippi. There’s a little boy as the main character. He lives with his parents and his grandparents. One day while his grandmother was trying to rest he had to stay very quiet. But as all little kids, he had gotten restless. In result to his restlessness he decided to set the curtains on fire to see what the curtains will look like when there burnt. Of course the little boy was afraid and when the fire had gotten bigger, he ran out of the room and hid under the house. He was very afraid on getting in trouble. Which of course he did, his mother had slapped the life out of him, leaving him unconscious. The boy suffered from a fever for days. So far in this novel one major conflict has occurred. The consequences of this conflict are yet to be read. Black Boy by Richard Wright is an eye-catching novel.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a spectacular historical novel. In a poor village in Paris, a wine shop owned by French revolutionaries that refer to themselves as Jaques, dropped a cask of wine, and a mob of people rush to drink the filthy wine off the floor. One peasant dips his fingers in the muddy wine and writes the word “Blood” on the wall. Dicken’s included this scene into the novel so readers can foreshadow the French Revolution. Although this scene takes place years before the war, it pinpoints the poor and horrible conditions people lived in, and “Blood” allows the readers to foreshadow violence in the future. In the next book of A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Darnay has been charged with treason and is now on trial for passing English secrets to France. Darnay is acquitted because of his strong resemblance with Sydney Carton, with the argument that since Darnay and Carton look so similar, the traitor could have been anyone that looked like Darnay. Carton, an unpromising alcoholic, has taken a liking to Lucie, calling her a “golden haired doll.” Dr. Manette’s history is also revealed, and surprisingly, he was a shoemaker while being imprisoned. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a spectacular novel because of its suspense and mysterious characters.
Oscar Lee
B Block
Mrs. Kaplan
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, is an interesting novel about a firefighter named Guy Montag, who is confused and determined to find some meaning in his life. Montag’s job is to burn books, but the ignorance of his society encourages him to break loose and to find some meaning by reading the books he is supposed to be burning. In the beginning of the novel, Montag meets a seventeen year old named Clarisse, who is very innocent, curious and fond of nature and people. Clarisse helps Montag realize the emptiness in his life, and after her tragic death, Montag dislikes and questions life even more. As a result of her death, Montag begins to search for an answer to life in the books he is supposed to burn. Because Montag’s wife is very unsupportive of him and only wants to watch television, Montag visits a retired English professor named Faber. Faber helps Montag with his reading and together they will print books and hand them out to the people in the society. Since literature is seen as a waste of time and as a dangerous thing is his society, he is arrested but he escapes. Montag, along with several people, search for “book-lovers” to rebuild civilization and make life worth while.
Ray Bradbury uses several literary devices to develop the intriguing plot. One of these literary elements is characterization. All the characters in the novel have very diverse and interesting personalities,which help develop and move the plot along. Each person affects Montag, who is the main character. For example, Clarisse shows Montag a whole new meaning of life. Montag compares her to a mirror, which is a symbol of self understanding and how one sees themselves. Without Montag meeting Clarisse, his ideas and his determination to find some meaning in his life and to read books would not have developed so strongly. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury was not only difficult, but also very intense and catchy. The reader will constantly wonder how a life without books would be like and they will finally understand how literature plays a very important role in society and in life.
-Angela Tsetsakos
-D Block
First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung is about a young girl named Loug Ung.Loung Ung was five years old in Cambodia at the start of the Pol Pot Regime. Her father was a rich government worker, and a prime target for the Khmer Rouge. Loung, her parents, and her many siblings had to run away from their home, setting out with no warning and no destination. They had to leave almost everything behind and pretend to be a farming family to avoid being captured, but were eventually sent to a work camp.After many work camps, Loung and her family had almost grown used to the hunger and tiredness, the fear of and separation from every other member of their villages, and to hiding their emotions so they don't appear weak. Soon, Loung’s teenaged brothers, Khouy and Meng and sister, Keav, were sent away to a different work camp. Keav died shortly after her arrival. Then Loung’s father was taken away and killed. Loung’s mother forced Loung, her sister Chou, and her remaining brother Kim to run away, leaving herself and her baby daughter Geak behind. Loung and Chou, too afraid to split up as they had been ordered, arrived at a child work camp where they stayed together until Loung was sent to a different camp to be trained as a child soldier. Soon, Ma and Geak are assumed to be dead, because the soldiers took them away.Eventually, Loung, Meng, and Meng's wife Eang escape to Vietnam, then Thailand, then finally to America.
Angela Soliman
B-Block
The novel Nowhere to hide by Debby Giusti was a heartwrenching story. The novel is about a women who married a phyco killer. Lydia was faced with the conflict of fearing the man she loved most. This made her fearful and hard to leave him. Lydia became close with a police officer and trusted him with her secret but eventually ran away. She had no place to hide or be safe. This heartfelt novel was very tense but many young teens should read it.
Amanda Palladino
B-block
The novel 1984 by George Orwell is set in world not even imagined by humans. It is world ruled by three groups Eastasia, Eurasia, and Oceania. It is a world ruled by totalitarianism. The main part of 1984 is set in Oceania. Winston Smith is a character based on George Orwell himself. The book is based on oligarchy. In this world people are under 24 hour surveillance. The people every thoughts are controlled by the party. This party is ruled by Big Brother which is person who does not exist. The people give their life for Big Brother. Winston job is to change an old newspaper to show the people the facts about the party and about Big Brother. The reason why I liked the novel is because it shows the people under the life of an oligarchy.
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis 1 and Persepolis 2. New York: Pantheon Books USA, 2003. Persepolis is a stimulating graphic novel that portrays the true story of Marjane Satrapi as she reaches adulthood. The story begins during a war between Iraq and Iran. Marjane grows up in Iran as she is raised by communist parents; she later moves to Austria where she spent her highschool years. She returns to Iran again for college; she marries divorces and eventually, moves to France. The themes in both novels reflect how the main character acts during her life. The stories focus on the spiritual, moral, psychological, or social development and growth of Marjane, from girl to woman. This is shown by how she is impacted by Islam, and Marxism. For example, how she views intimidating people, and how she decides to divorce her husband. Also, how she views the war between Iran and Iraq with disdain. These themes depict the transition in Marjane’s life; from being a child ignorant of time, into an individual mature woman. Persepolis 1 and Persepolis 2 were both invigorating novels because they showed realistic stories, that were comprehendible.
Simit Christian
D block
4/7/08
The Red Badge of Courage written by Stephen Crane is a motivating story about a young man's struggle of survival during the Civil War. Henry Fleming faces many difficult situations on the battlefront and his view of war varies. Before entering the war, Fleming believed people would honor and respect him for being a devoted hero to society. However, the author uses internal conflict to demonstrate how anxiety and the realities of war cause destruction to Fleming's self-confidence. After facing series of battles and continuous fighting, Henry Fleming realizes serving in war is a dedicated job full of commitment. Struggling with his character, Fleming finds it difficult to make it through a day's journey at war and understands that even soldiers fall at times. The Red Badge of Courage is an admirable story for those interested in reading about how to find one’s inner strength when weaknesses try to control.
Racquel Wood D-Block
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. spans the life of a man who has "come unstuck in time." It is the story of Billy Pilgrim experiencing different time periods of his life, most notably his experience in World War II and his relationship with his family. The book is a series of seemingly random happenings that, in combination, present the thematic elements of the novel in an unraveling order. The story opens with the narrator describing his connections with the Dresden bombing, and his reasons for writing the book. He describes himself, his book, and the fact that he believes it to be a desperate attempt at scholarly work. He then flows this into Billy Pilgrim's story, as he starts Billy's story as, "Listen: Billy Pilgrim has become unstuck in time." This serves as a transition from Vonnegut's point of view to the true third person. As the author, Vonnegut appears here and there in the story. In the wartime sequences, Billy Pilgrim overhears him occasionally. Although the character Kilgore Trout, whom Billy Pilgrim meets while the former runs a newspaper delivery business, may also be seen as a part of the author, in appearance and attitude he has little in common with Vonnegut. His limited career as a novelist, cheated by publishers and not even aware that he has a readership, does not reflect Vonnegut's own.
Bryan Rivell
A Block
4/9/08
The novel Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers describes life as a American solider in Vietnam. The main character Perry, is an African-American man from Philadelphia. He enlists in the army to support his mom and little brother. Myers uses imagery in this novel. The way he describes the scenes is outstanding. He puts a picture of what it was like to be in the Vietnamese war. You can see through Perry's eyes throughout the whole story. His reactions, feelings and actions are all used through imagery. I would recommend this book to anyone who finds war interesting and exciting.
The Shining by Stephen King is about Jack Torrance, a writer with a short fuse who is trying to rebuild the lives of his family and himself after his alcohol abuse caused him to break his three-year-old son Danny's arm, and then caused him to assault a pupil at a Vermont prep school, causing him to lose his job. After giving up drinking, he accepts a job as a winter caretaker at a large, abandoned Colorado resort hotel with a horrific history. Hoping to prove that he has recovered from his alcohol abuse, and is now a responsible person, Jack moves into the Overlook Hotel with his wife, Wendy, and young son, Danny, who is telepathic and sensitive to supernatural forces. King uses the literary devices to instill fear within the reader by explaining with extreme detail the horrifying experiences that go on in the hotel.
Bryan Rivell
A Block
4/9/08
The novel, The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks is an intriguing and captivating novel about two people’s love standing the test of time. The story takes place mostly in a small North Carolina town. The main character is Noah Calhoun, an old man living in a nursing home. We soon learn that he is living there with his wife Allie who has Alzheimer’s disease. Everyday Noah reads Allie the story of their life together: how they met, were separated and found each other again. Sometimes Allie would remember Noah and their story but sometimes she wouldn’t. But Noah would continue everyday without fail. However even when Allie would remember, she just as quickly forget in a matter of moments. One day, Noah has a stroke and everything changes. Allie does worse and can’t remember anything from one moment to the next and is separated from everyone else. When Noah gets better, he can’t stay away from Allie even though it is the rules. He sneaks into her room at night and something magical happens. With one little kiss, Allie knows who Noah is and that they love each other more than life it’s self. They stay in that room and hold each other until the very last breath. The main theme in this novel is love. All throughout the novel the underlying emotion is love and the author uses it to build up the story and to make the characters seem more human and relatable. Another literary device the author uses is metaphor. The use of metaphors is a big part of this novel because the author’s language is very poetic. This helps the reader to understand what is going on in the novel and to move it along. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks is a novel that will touch your heart in everyway.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding has been a greatly judged book of the past century. In it, a small airplane evacuating boys from Britain in the midst of war crashes on an island. The boys are left stranded there with no parental supervision nor any form of authority over them. A leader among the boys appears, Ralph, who uses a conch to bring order to the others. For the first few weeks, the boys enjoy their time on their island. They hunt and play and take advantage of their unpromising situation. Eventually, the fear of a monster and the greed of power leads to bloodshed and cruelty. The boys turn on each other as a result of fear and a growing suspicion that they were never going to be found and rescued. "Ralph wept for the end of innocence, the darkness of man’s heart, and the fall through the air of a true, wise friend called Piggy," (Golding 158) is a clear portrayal of the boys' blindness during their imprisonment on the island. Only when they saw rescue coming for them, they began to feel remorse and guilt for all that they had done. More than anything, Lord of the Flies is an allegorical novel, and many of its characters signify important ideas or themes. Ralph, for example, represents order, leadership, and civilization. Piggy represents the scientific and intellectual aspects of civilization. Roger, a quite terrible figure, represents brutality and blood lust at their most extreme.To the extent that the boys’ society resembles a political state, the "littluns" (younger children) might be seen as the common people, while the older boys represent the ruling classes and political leaders. Overall, the allegory and symbolism of the book make it an interesting read, though a quite disturbing one as well.
Aleksandra Makowska
Block B
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is an outstanding novel about a child's life growing up in Iran. Marjane Satrapi grew up in Iran during the beginning of the Iranian revolution. Marjane grows up in Iran thinking that she can be the next prophet. One night Marjane Satrapi's parents were talking about a demonstration and Marjane over hears. She begs her parents to go telling them how G-d came and told her that she must be there. Laughing at the situation Marjane's parents tells her how she can't go to the demonstration because it will be dangerous, and something she shouldn't attend. Within the novel there seems to be a lot of conflict. Marjane Satrapi uses conflict to explain how when she grew up that it was tough and not easy. Marjane didn't always get what she wanted. The novel Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi is an excellent novel because of the detail and the illustrtaion the author uses.
Laurel Haim
H Block
4-9-08
First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung is a true, outstanding life story. This life story is a part of a child’s struggle through survival. The child, Loung Ung, lived with her parents and her seven other siblings. Loung was only five years old being foolish and young. The reason was for being foolish was because she was very curious of her surroundings. Loung Ung lived in Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. Loung, her parents, and her lots of siblings had to leave their home. There was no warning or destination. The family had to leave about everything behind and act as if they were a farming family so that they couldn’t be caught. Later on, the family was sent to a work camp. This was the literary device, conflict, used in First They Killed My Father. The family had to worry about being separated and the constant feeling of being tired and hungry. Eventually, the family was split up and some of Loung’s family was killed. Loung was separated from everyone. She was sent to a special camp in which she was trained into a child soldier. The family went through a great ordeal.
H-Block
April 9, 2008
The novel First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung, written in first-person narative, is a eloquent story about a 5 year old girl and her struggling through conflict and for survival. Living with her parents and seven siblings in the capital of Cambodia where Khmer Rouge took over, Loung ,the narrator of the story, was not allowed to speak of her past.A war was about to take place and without and warning the fmaily had to leave, leaving all belonging behind. Her dad worked for the old government and if they soldiers found this out Loung and her whole family would have been killed. Everyone around Loung and her family were begining to get diseases and die of starvation. The Ung family then started to worry about loosing each other to diseases. They stuck together and held on to food by eating small portions of certain things. Unfortunately the family eventually falls apart. Loung's oldest brothers and sister were sent away. The boys live while the oldest daughter dies. The goverment eventually caught on to the Ung family and all the migration that they had been doing and eventually captured Loungs father. Things for the family began falling downhill. As a result of this, Loung's mother could not support them, she sent three of her remaining four children away. Loung and her sister Chou travel to a girls work camp where they lied and told the leader they were orphans. Loung was sent away from her sister to a different camp to become a soldier even though she was young. She was able to pay visits to her mom or her sister Chou while she was at the camp. On one visit to her mom Loung discovers her mom and younger sister were killed. The author uses imagery throughout the story to discribe the different living styles that the Ung family was in being that they were constantly moving around to different places. Loung Ung makes readers feel as if they were livin this stuggle that she had once expierenced. First they Killed My Father was a greatly enjoyed book that would come recommended to thoose who want to better their knowledge of the Cambodian civil war and the impact it had on families.
Rosa Carucci
D-Block
4/9/08
The novel The Oedipus Plays of Sophocles written by Paul Roche has many different topics and I enjoyed this book very much. The part of this novel that I am reading is mainly about the conversation between two sisters. The conversation was about their two brothers who both died while fighting each other. Ismene and Antigone’s brothers were fighting over who should be king now that their father has stepped down. The government stated that one of the brothers would receive an honorable funeral and the other would be left to rot in front of the city. Antigone who is the kind hearted one wants to bury her brother and she was asking for the assistance of her sister Ismene. Ismene though she cares about her brother does not want to disobey the law so she refuses to help. Antigone then continues asking for Ismene’s help. This novel has specifically used setting as a literary device. By the wording of the novel the reader can tell that the conversation between the two sisters happened in a setting a long time ago. The novel uses a type of old English. In one part of the novel Antigone says “To rest by him whom I have loved.” If the setting was modern day it would have sounded like “ I am going to die next to the one I love.” I enjoyed the novel The Oedipus Plays of Sophocles because it radiated drama and it had the undivided attention of the reader.
Kristin Martin
April 9,2008
D- Block
Dawn by Elie Wiesel is an intense yet intriguing novel about a young Holocaust survivor named Elisha who is an Israeli freedom fighter who is part of a Jewish terrorist group. This terrorist group's main mission is to drive out the British forces in Palestine by any means necessary. Elisha is commanded to kill a captured English officer by the name of John Dawson due to the execution of a fellow freedom fighter by the British government. The night before Elisha is to assassinate John Dawson, he experiences extreme internal struggle. Elisha had believed in the beginning of the plot that his life would be simple after the Nazi concentration camps, but this was not the case. Elisha battles the horrors of his past and his current problems as a freedom fighter. Elisha is forced to fight and struggle with his personal guilt and with G-d due to his utter apprehension, dread, and shame in becoming a murderer. Elisa was ashamed that he was no longer a pure man anymore due to the Jewish terrorist group's operations against the British. Despite the fact that Elisha felt much compassion for the English officer, he still ended up killing him. The main highlight of the plot was not the execution, but the internal struggle of the protagonist. Elisha's internal struggle is the theme of the novel and truly expresses the point of view a person with no experience in killing people may have in real life. The novel truly reflected the point of view of the protagonist which made the plot extremely intense and interesting to read. Dawn is truly a gripping book that is good for those who enjoy the topic of the Holocaust.
Julia Alvarez.In the Time of the Butterflies.Penguin Group, Penguin Books USA Inc. New York, New York, 1994.In the Time of the Butterfliesby Julia Alvarez is a captivating story of defiant hope in a country shadowed by dictatorship and despair. The novel is basically about four beautiful sisters, known as the Butterflies. Throughout the whole novel, Patria, Minerva, Dede, and Maria Teresa speak across the decades to tell their own stories. From tales of hair ribbons and secret crushes to gunrunning and prison torture, they express the everyday horrors of life under the Dominican dictator Trujillo. Through out it all, the martyred Butterflies come to vibrant dramatic life in a heartbreaking story that makes a haunting statement about the human cost of political oppression. One of the literary devices clearly depicted in this novel is conflict. In the novel, Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa where all plotting to overthrow the dictator. This plot was the cause of many tragedies. A law was passed down stating that if you where involved in the plot or knew about it, you would be jailed and tortured. Dede was the only sister who refused to take part in the plot because she did not want to put her marriage on the line. Eventually the SIM‘s, who are secret spies working under Trujillo, heard about the plot. The SIM’s arrested Minerva, Maria Teresa, Patrias’ son and her husband. This creates a lot of conflict because Trujillo plans to kill Minerva and torture the others. Little do the Mirabel sisters know that this is just the beginning of their horrible outcome. Julia Alvarez gives us lessons about: the courage and vitality of the female spirit, the webs and tangles that bind families, piety and activism, loyalty and fear, faith and love. No one who reads it will be able to forget the butterflies who dared to challenge the beast.
Ashley Suechee
H block
The book I Robot by Issac Asimov was a very creative and futuristic story. In the story robots are created and are used to do everyday tasks. So far in the book robots aren't trusted by humans,and and the people aren't sure of how reliable the robots are.The Author uses setting to mke the story realistic. In early years the robots are not trusted by many,but as time goes on people begin to see how they are useful to society.The time elapse in the story shows how technology advanced in as little as ten years. Overall I found this book to be interestingand creative because it was different then other books I have read.
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is very stimulating historical novel. It is actually a novel that strongly concerned with themes of guilt, shame, liberation and nationalism. In the novel, the event happens during the French revolution. It’s a story about two men who named Charles Darney and Sydney Carton. Charles Darney was an aristocrat but he was unsatisfied and disagreed with the way his family treated the workers. Therefore, he moved to London and lives by himself. Sydney Carton is an excellent lawyer. They both fall in love with the same person who called Lucie Manette at the same time. But then Lucie Manette married to Charles Darney afterward. After the French Revolution had began, Darney had to go back to Paris in order to save his family member. Meanwhile, Dickens used sensory details and imagery to describe how was the situation in Paris when Darney went back there during the French revolution. Afterward, Darney got caught and put into jail due to his family background. But luckily, Darney was saved by Lucie’s father. However, he got caught again after a while by a women who helped Lucie’s father to save Darney before. The story basically was an example of a family that suffered through the French revolution. It shows us that how cruel and dreadful the revolution was and Dickens used many narrations to describe how did the revolution in French has influenced Darney and his family. A Tale of Two Cities is a really exciting and appealing story which could lead the readers back to the French revolution and examine the feeling of being in the French revolution.
Wing Sum Cheung
4/10/08
H block
First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung is an amazing novel about her life growing up. Loung Ung was five years old in Cambodia when the Pol Pot Regime started. Her father was a government worker for the Khmer Rouge. Loung Ung uses conflict when One day Ung, her parents, and her siblings had to run away from their home with no warning. They had to leave almost everything behind and pretend to be a farming family to avoid being captured, but were eventually sent to a work camp. After many work camps, Loung and her family had grown used to the fear of separation from every other member of their villages, and to hiding their emotions so they don't appear weak. Soon, Loung’s teenage brothers, Khouy and Meng and sister, Keav, were sent away to a different work camp and Keav died shortly after her arrival. Then Loung’s father was taken away and killed. Loung’s mother forced Loung, her sister Chou, and her remaining brother Kim to run away, leaving herself and her baby daughter Geak behind. Loung and Chou, too afraid to split up as they had been ordered, arrived at a work camp where they stayed together until Loung was sent to a different camp to be trained as a child soldier. Eventually, Loung, Meng, and Meng's wife Eang escape to Vietnam, then Thailand, then finally to America. This novel is a good story to read because there is a mystery to what will happen next.
Cory Moser
H-Block
The novel, Animal Farm: A Fairy Story by George Orwell, was a very odd book. It is a statement about the Russian Revolution. The setting of Animal Farm is an imaginary farm in England in the 1900s. There are a number of conflicts in Animal Farm. The animals are in conflict with Mr. Jones. Snowball is paired against Napoleon. There is the dictatorial pig that tells everyone what to do. Then there are the common animals against the pigs. Animal Farm is in contrast with the neighboring humans. All of them are expressions of the underlying tension between the exploited and exploiting classes and between the hopeful ideas and harsh realities of socialism. The animals are a metaphor for the social classes in Russia. The human farmer is a metaphor for the Czar of Russia, the animals are the people of Russia, and the pig, Napoleon, is a metaphor for Lenin. At one point in the book, the animals revolt against the human farmer. The novel does have strong themes though. The theme is the corruption of socialist ideals in the Soviet Union; the tendency in society toward class stratification; the danger of a naive working class; and the abuse of language as instrumental to the abuse of power. These are very thought provoking ideas that have made me think more about government and the way people react to power. All in all, Animal Farm: A Fairy Story was definitely different and unlike any book I had ever read previously.
Louis Ferrara
H-block 4/10/08
lord of the Flies by William Golding is a smashing novel of survival, and instinct. Two young men named Ralph and piggy along with other students, have their escape plane shot down retreating from Britain. The students end up on a deserted tropical island, and take advantage of the rule less terrain. After a while of fun and games the boys decide to build a signal fire to alert planes, or boats. Ralph is voted the leader of the students, after the discovery of a conch shell along with piggy. Ralph designates a boy named Jack as the leader of the hunting pack, after a while of failure; finally they get their first catch. The Author William Golding uses the sensory detail suspense to a great degree in the novel. An example of suspense is when the boys are fast asleep one night. An immense attack emerges above them, massive bombing occurs, men’s corpses fall from the sky, and a man hits the signal fire set up by the children. When the children awake a stunning, scary, bewilderment astonishes them. They see an enormous silhouette of a parachute, hear an unsteady flapping sound, and suspect that a monster living on the island is attacking them. The students run back to camp with ghostly facial expressions, pleading to go home.
Anthony Nival
H Block
4-11-08
In the time of the butterflies by Julia Alvarez takes place in the Dominican Republic.It is about for sisters living on htere own. There parents were with the under ground system, and fled to america before they could be arrested. The sisters names are Patria, Minerva, Dede, and María Teresa. Unfortunatly all but one sister dies. That sisters name is Dede. She is in great pain because she lost not one, not two, but three of her sisters. Its also about government and its role in society. This book is written in first and third person rule by the four sisters.
Samantha Grasso
Block B
Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens is a very intriguing book that has many twists and turns that is satisfying to any reader. Mr. James lorry, a victim of a plot was imprisoned in the prison of Bastille for 18 years. He brings Lucie Manette from London to Paris to find her father. Mr. James lives with M. Darge until he gets an opportunity to go back to London. Back in London Lucie is engaged to Charles Darnay. Charles Darnay is the son of a French aristocrat who is hated by the French revolutionaries. When Charles returns to France to save an old family friend he is seized by the revolutionaries and brought to trial. The revolutionaries seized this opportunity to get back at Charles father and gave him the death sentence at the guillotine. Sydney Carton a friend of Charles who looks strongly like Charles, chooses to sacrifice his life to for the safety of his friends. Tale of Two Cities managed to capture my attention and keep it as I read through the fast moving but complex plot.
Reuben Gunasingh
H-Block
4/12/08
A Hustler’s Wife by Nikki Turner is about a young girl named Yarni who is caught up in a complicated situation. Yarni is a 16 years old girl who still lived at home with her mother. Later, Yarni meets not only an older person who is a well-known drug dealer. While their relationship expanded, she slowly moved in with him and they made a life together. The author uses conflict to illustrate why Yarni put herself in this situation. Living life on the edge Yarni struggles to keep herself together. Nikki Turner’s A Hustler’s Wife is an outstanding read for those interested in drastic real life situations.
By: Dana Lizak B- Block
Richard Wright in Black Boy Chapeters 9-11
Chapter 9
Richard is an unpredictable bundle of contradictions: he is timid yet assured, tough yet compassionate, enormously intelligent yet ultimately modest. Passive-aggressive as a young boy, Richard either says very little or becomes melodramatic and says too much. Growing up in an abusive family environment in the racially segregated and violent American South, Richard finds his salvation in reading, writing, and thinking. He grows up feeling insecure about his inability to meet anyone’s expectations, particularly his family’s wish that he accept religion. Even though he remains isolated from his environment and peers, at the autobiography’s end Richard has come to accept himself. Black Boy testifies to his gifted observational powers and his ability to reflect upon the psychological struggles facing black Americans.
Chapter 10
Richard drifts from job to job, so exhausted and dispirited by the constant threat of racism that he frequently makes mistakes that get him fired. When the summer ends and many of the other boys return to school, jobs become plentiful. Richard takes a job at the same hotel where his classmate’s brother had worked until he was murdered for consorting with a white prostitute. At the hotel, Richard mops hallways with a group of young black men, including one who amuses Richard because he takes pride in having gonorrhea, which he claims is a mark of manhood. One day, a white security guard fondles one of the black maids, and Richard’s obvious displeasure leads the guard to threaten him with a gun.
Richard hesitates to engage in the thievery rampant among the hotel workers because he does not consider it worth the risk of being caught. He acknowledges, however, that racism encourages such theft, as whites would rather have a dishonest, uneducated black worker than an honest, educated one.
Eventually, Richard changes his mind and decides to steal so that he can raise money to move North, reasoning that living honestly would merely prolong his stay in the South. He leaves his job at the hotel and takes one at a movie theater, where he helps his coworkers steal two hundred dollars by reselling tickets. Burning to leave the South, he steals a gun from a neighbor and pawns it for money. He then resells some fruit preserves that he has stolen from a nearby black college. With this money, Richard goes to Memphis. His stealing pains him, and he vows never to do it again.
Chapter 11
In Memphis, Richard rents a room from a black woman named Mrs. Moss. She delights Richard with her kindness and generosity. It immediately becomes clear that, although she has just met him, she wants him to marry her daughter, Bess. Unaccustomed to trusting people, Richard feels stunned and slightly disgusted that Mrs. Moss can so wholeheartedly accept and trust someone she barely knows. Moreover, Bess is not attractive to him; he finds her childish and dull.
The next morning, Richard meets another young black man while sitting on the waterfront. They find some bootleg liquor hidden in a patch of weeds and decide to sell it. A white man says he will give them five dollars for the liquor if they will move it to his car. Richard feels uneasy, but the young black man appears more than willing, and Richard assists. The black man leaves Richard to get change for the five-dollar bill so they can split it, but he does not come back. Richard is annoyed with himself for not realizing that the black man and the white man had been working together and had used Richard to help them move the illegal liquor.
My conclusion
Everyone was racial profiling him.
Darren Shan the author of 'tunnels of blood'. A well written, and marvelous book for all, to read. The author's purpose in writing the story was to show the strive for success for any indivdual like the main character Darren Shan. Darren is a regular boy who never looks for trouble. Until one day he found it led to a freak show with his friends. A journey begins to a dark world of vampires. The author darren shan uses vivid detail, that keeps the readers thinking. A compelling story for all ages to read, also a suspenseful novel to keep the reader hungry for more
Walter Dean Myers in the book of Fallen Angeles were alot of action i must say because for me i dont really like acting book.This book is mostly about fighting to survie on jungle.its really an ingaging book because it has alot of hooks in the story and it keeps and tight storyline.I dont understand how people could live in the jungle if that was me it would be very diffcult to live somewhere where theres no computer or cellphones.
Maus II And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman was a very realistic and entertaining graphic graphic novel that described the events of the Holocaust after the first novel. In the end of the first novel, Vladek told his son, Art, about when he entered Auschwitz and was separated from his wife, Anja. Subsequently, in the second novel, Vladek uses his quick thinking to save his skin in various deadly predicaments. He also helped his friends in the containment camps get food and slightly better living conditions. Other than the story of Vladek's experiences during the war, the novel also illustrates the relationship between Vladek and his son decades after the war. With the story detailing Art's and Vladek's relationship, the novel feels a little more human(emotional and easy to relate to), despite the fact that the characters are portrayed as mice, cats, and many other animals. In the same way as Art Spiegelman did in Maus I My Father Bleeds History, he used personification in Maus II to represent different ethnic groups and people from different countries. Using personification in a graphic novel makes it more entertaining to read about Vladek's life. Therefore, Maus II And Here My Troubles Began is a great novel for its use of personification.
Michael Appelgate
H block
Robert Keller
Block H
The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara is an exciting story. The story is about Ernesto and his friend Alberto Granado traveling across South America on an unreliable motorcycle. Along their journey Ernesto and Alberto had many life changing experiences. They witnessed mistreatment of mine workers, extreme poverty, and worked at a leper colony. One literary device used throughout the entire story is visualization. As you read the book, you can easily picture yourself going on the journey with Ernesto and Alberto. The Motorcycle Diaries by Ernesto Che Guevara is a compelling and inspiring story.
Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen is the captivating story of self discovery of an extremely lost teenage girl. The story starts off with seventeen year old Ruby Cooper getting caught by social services living alone in the yellow house she's called home for almost two years. Dragged to court and with nowhere to go, her estranged sister and her husband decide to take Ruby in. Extremely wealthy they offer Ruby things that most teenage girls can only dream of. Admission to the elite private school; Perkins Day, endless shopping sprees and all the food she could ever want. Ruby however doesn't take to any of it, knowing in her mind the situation is "only temporary" and that as soon as she turns eighteen she's out of there. However, over time Nate, a boy always showering Ruby in his endless friendliness and optimism, seems to begin to warm up her heart to the possibility of maybe it being okay to open up to others. Other friends along the way include Ruby's independent boss, her ever opinionated friend Olivia and even her sister Cora and her husband Jamie become an important part of everything in Ruby's world. Soon enough in the end Ruby finds herself completely changed from that day she ended up on Cora and Jamie's front foyer, lost, alone and afraid to let anyone in. She's finally happy and discovered the truth of what happened with her family all those years ago. She has friends and even a boyfriend (Nate) and for once her life everything seems really wonderful. A literary device that Sarah Dessen uses in Lock and Key would have to be symbolism. An example of this is the key the protagonist, Ruby, wears around her neck at all times. The key (which also happens to be the key to the yellow house where Ruby used to live) also represents the key to Ruby's heart and her past. It's her comfort object, always there around her neck and locking away that part of her that she never allows anyone to see. At the end of the book, when Ruby sits at the edge of the pond in her brother-in-laws backyard and drops the key in the water watching it sink, it represents Ruby letting go of her past once and for all and allowing that locked part of herself to finally open up. As well as her opening up to her future.
Amanda Cipollone
April 27, 2008
Block D
Loung Ung,First They Killed My Father,is a sad novel about a child's fight for life. when she was five years old girl she lived with her parents and her seven brothers and sisters in Phnom Penh. on April 1975 Khmer Rouge army stormed into Phnom Penh and Loung's family were forced to leave everything behind. Loung was sent to a work camp and was trained as a child soldier and her other siblings were sent to work in labor camps.Loung ung uses slot of symbolism in her novel to make it sound more setailed about the struggle she had to go through and the seperation between her and her family.
A block
Samantha Wong
The novel Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden is an extremely breath taking novel. This chapter of the novel describes the training a geisha must go through in order to become successful. Mameha is now Chiyos older sister. An older sister, especially one as amazing as Mameha, is a trained geisha who trains younger geishas. Mameha explains that in order to be a successful geisha you must gain your independence. In order for a geisha to gain her independence she must find herself a danna, also known as a boyfriend. The danna spoils his geisha with extravagant riches. Chiyo is going through much training at her academy. Dance is the most revered of the geisha’s arts. Very few geisha’s are asked to specialize in dance. A geisha is an entertainer; they are pampered by their maids and can barely take care of themselves. Mother who is the owner of the okiyo Chiyo lives in used an extremely god metaphor, “A mouse who wishes to fool the cat doesn’t simply scamper out of its hole”. The author also uses a good form of simile, “A geisha without a danna is like a stray cat”. Both of those literary devices are used to describe a geisha and how a geisha must get things the way that they prefer. This novel is very captivating, many literary devices are being used and the main theme of the book hooks the reader to the rest of the novel.
Jackie King
H-Block
The novel Batman: No man's land by Greg Rucka is about the No Man's Land time period based on the comics. The novel is mostly based around The Joker, The Penguin, Two-Face, Bane, Lex Luthor, and other villains, and the Gotham City Police Department along with the Batman himself. The novel addresses the relationship between Cassandra and her father David Cain, the infamous assassin. It also describes the various people left in the Gotham City Police Department, including the militant cop Petit who is constantly complaining about Gordon's orders and calls them "too soft". The book does, however, leave out Azrael and Superman, who were present throughout the story in the comics. All in all the book is good so far and I can't wait to finish it.
Bryan Rivell
A Block
5/5/08
Julia Alvarez. In The Time of the Butterflies. Penguin Group, Penguin Books USA Inc. New York, New York, 1994. In The Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez is an exquisite novel is about four sisters, Patria, Minerva, Maria Theresa and Dede Mirabal. The girls went off on their own ways in life, or at least tried to. In this novel the Mirabal father is a little stern, and does not want all of his daughter going off to a convent. This causes a conflict in the family because he wants one of his daughters to stay home with him. This is not good because they all want to go and now one of them will have to miss out and they have to decide who it will be. Dede said that she would stay home with her father and help out for a while and then go to the convent in a couple of months. Then Minerva falls in love with a boy named Lio who is hiding from the police because he is a communist. Minerva hides him from the police at the expense of her own life. This cause conflict for Minerva because she has to decide if she wants to protect her life or the life of her loved one, Lio. The novel also tells more stories about each of the girl’s lives, and what they went through. This novel is a great read for teenagers to read, and also just for people with sisters. The novel In The Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez lets sisters around the world see how other people react with there sisters.
Brianne Hannafey
A Block
Mrs. Prevosti
May 5, 2008
Keri Arthur, Tempting Evil.
In Tempting Evil, Riley Jenson is working for an organization created to police the supernatural races. She goes under cover to find out what is happening in underground labs. These labs are run by Deshon Starr, who is a madman-scientist who has been messing around with many gene pools for decades. She must discover where the other hidden lab is, and along the way makes promises to many people. She must fight for her life and keeps up with her promises. In Tempting evil, Keri Arthur uses many literary devices. Keri Arthur includes characterization; she is very good at giving a full description of a character. Her descriptions can give you chills. Another literary device she uses is Climax. Every one of her stories has so many turning points, you just can’t believe it. It makes it so that you never want to put the book down. There is also a lot of conflict in her stories, this helps with the climax and keeps you wanting to read.
Vanessa Cucuzza
5/5/08
Ms. Pervosti
A:block
Stephen Crane, The Red Badge of Courage.
The red badge of courage was about a young, 19-year-old boy named Henry Fleming. Henry was a recruit in the civil war. The stories message was courage, bravery. Henry enlisted because he wanted to be a hero, yet his mother didn’t want anything to do with it. In this book, Stephen Crane uses some literary devices. He used Characterization; he described many characters within the story. The way he described them gave me an image in my mind of what they looked like and how they acted. Stephen also used Allegory within the book. This whole book was based on a historical event, the American civil war. Also in the story he has added Imagery. This set the right tone and a complete image in your head. He was very descriptive and worded things in a great way.
Corinne Mueller
Ms. Provosti
A:block
5/5/08
Shabanu Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples is a novel that is a satisfying book to read. Shabanu is the main character whom lives in a desert preparing her sister’s, Phulan, wedding. While living in the desert, Shabanu and her family raise camels to sell and to use for a source of travel. In this novel, Staples uses a considerable amount of imagery. One example, “We spend all day inside our round mud house, birds chirping in the snug thatched roof” (Staples 7), tells what happens in great detail. “As he trots beside me, his feet make no sound in the wind-fluffed sand. The other camels move in syncopation, their loads swaying side to side and back and forth (Staples 123) is another instance of how the author uses imagery to show the reader what the character sees. By specifying in detail the reader can almost feel as if they were there right beside the characters. This book is superb to read if the reader enjoys attention to the smaller things and has a vivid imagination.
Allison Lee
A Block
5-6-08
Ms. Prevosti
In the book Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers, is a very interesting book. In the book I am up to when Perry and Peewee started meeting new guys and learning about their backrounds, like who was religious, who wasn`t and where they came from. Perry still couldn`t get over Jenkins death. Peewee had a conversation with someone he didn`t know, was a VC, until the VC guy tried to get Peewee`s gun. A captain punched the guy and took him to the intelligence unit. Peewee got yelled at for giving the VC some information to the enemy. Mail started coming in for the guys as they talked about going to Hawaii. Perry got a letterfrom his mom. Peewee got one from his girlfriend but threw it in the garbage. Perry`s mom told him to watch what he eat`s so he don`t get the runs.Then Perry and Peewee were talking about their moms and church.
Chris Gallo
B-Block
Black Boy by Richard Wright is a compelling book about his life growing up in the Jim Crow south and the challenges he faces with rascism. The book's main literary device is conflict and its highly detailed in plot events in which pull the reader in. It is a very good book in which is high in drama and is good for people who like to read autobiographies.
Shabanu: Daughter of the Wind by Suzanne Fisher Staples is the story of a Muslim girl named Shabanu, growing up in the Cholistan Desert in Pakistan. Shabanu is eleven years old and is faced with many internal and external conflicts. Internally, she struggles with the girl vs. the woman who is fighting for control. Externally, she is struggling to be what everyone wants her to be. She has to be a dutiful and obedient Muslim daughter. Shabanu is a girl on the verge of becoming a woman. She knows that she is changing, but doesn't want to face those changes yet. She doesn't want things to change. She wants to stay in the desert with her mother and father and Phulan. Basically, she doesn't want to grow up. Unfortunatly, everyone has to at one point. Shabanu faces difficult situations and not only physical challenges but emotional ones too. She begins to understand those are the obstacles of growing up and the only way to cope with them is to conquer and accept life as it comes good or bad. The Theme's are the roots of gender, the individual's struggle against society, and the unpredictability of life. Climax is when Shabanu's parents decide that Phulan will marry Shabanu's fiancé. Which is the landowner's wealthy and respected older brother who has fallen in love with Shabanu, and, in order to ensure peace between the families, Shabanu's parents agree to let him marry her. Setting is also used to describe time and place. Shabanu is wonderful book about growing up and accepsting it with no complaints. It is very moving and should be read by all young adults.
Kristine Munoz
B Block
Julia Alvarez. In The Time Of The Butterflies. This novel is about four sisters, known as the Mirabal Sisters. Every sister had their own life story, and they decided to speak across decades to tell them. Patria, Minerva, Maria Theresa and Dede, tell their tales starting from when they were younger until the grew up. The sister were known as the "Butterflies" was kind of deperssin/happy.As some teenagers do, she fell in love. She started seening a guy named Lio, but he is a communist.police went looking to find him everywhere as he hides and Minerva keeps it secret. In The Time Of The Butterflies is truly an great book, and would be recommended for those who wish to read about sisters who are trying to find themselves.
Tremika Kirk
d-block
5-20-07
In the novel Black Boy by Richard Wright currently richard family is tring to bring him closer to god. One day in church a men told richard that he is worried about him because he's not saved but richard didn't respond. Richard really doesn't know if he believes in god or not. He told his grandma that he needed proof before he could believe or commit himself to something he couldn't feel or see. He told her he would believe in god if he saw him. He promised to pray everyday but when he tried it didn't work. In school he was getting picked on because he had a straw hat. Then he started to fight the boy and the boys brother came but he beat both of them up with bricks. Then the teacher came and broke it up and took him to the office. He really didn't get in trouble, but he some how got promoted to the sixth grade in just two weeks of school. One day he didn't come straight home from school and he wasn't allowed to eat for twelve hours. The next day he started to sell newspapers and he started reading them and that made him more interested in reading. The same day he was delivering them he went to a white mens house and he showed richard something in it. The man told him that the paper was a doctrine from the KKK. Then he stopped selling the paper after he read it and saw all the racist things said about african american peolpe. At home one day his grandma was tring to hit him and he ducked and she fell down the stairs and got hurt. When his aunt found out what happened she chased him into the kitchen and, he again grabbed a knife and told her he will kill her if she touch him. Then he found another job working on a plantation filling out insurance applications. He later learned his grandpa was in the civil war and he never recieved his disability pension, but he never got the full story because they said he is to young to understand.
The novel “Lord of the Flies”, by William Golding is a very violent, tragic, and unsparing book. The book starts off with boys from a school in britan being evacuated out of a plane and are forced to live in barbaric conditions on a deserted tropical island. There is no supervision and no adult figures. This leads us to meet our main characters Ralph, Jack, Simon, and Piggy. Free from the rules that adult society formerly imposed on them, the boys marooned on the island struggle with the conflicting human instincts that exist within each of them—the instinct to work toward civilization and order and the instinct to descend into savagery, violence, and chaos. The boys assemble on the beach. In the election for leader, Ralph defeats Jack, who is furious when he loses. As the boys explore the island, tension grows between Jack, who is interested only in hunting, and Ralph, who believes most of the boys’ efforts should go toward building shelters and maintaining a signal fire. When rumors surface that there is some sort of beast living on the island, the boys grow fearful, and the group begins to divide into two camps supporting Ralph and Jack, respectively. Ultimately, Jack forms a new tribe altogether, fully immersing himself in the savagery of the hunt. Virtually all the boys on the island abandon Jack and Piggy and descend further into savagery and chaos. When the other boys kill Piggy and destroy the conch shell, Ralph flees from Jack’s tribe and encounters the naval officer on the beach. At this time, the boys are saved and return home with new morals and outlooks on life. In this book there was an exeptional amount of imagry, personification,mataphors, and simlies.
The play Antigone By Sophocles tells a gripping story of the war with morality and order. The play starts out when Antigone, the protagonist, stands up against an unjust law, and buries her brother Polyneices against King Creon’s law. Creon set this law because he feels Polyniecies had betrayed Thebes by fighting against them. Creon clearly ignores a higher law (the law of the Gods) by demanding that no one must bury the traitor, Polynieces. Unlike everyone else Antigone responds to this “Higher Law.” Later the sentry brings Antigone and explains to Creon what crime she has committed by stating when questioned, “I did. I deny not a thing” (Sophocles 209). Antigone is looked upon as a threat in Creon’s eyes, being the one of the main reasons as to why he has condemned Antigone to death. Creon feels strongly about the oppression against women in society, this being one of his weakest points in his arguments. The theme present over and over again throughout the play is definitely power. Power is presented as the ultimate thing you can obtain, driving Creon to be power-hungry, delusional, insane, and paranoid. But eventually this power is overthrown by the higher law that is mentioned in the play.
-Alexandra Crimmins
Firt they killed my father by Loung Ung is a sorrowful novel about a five year old girl named Loung Ung.This book is a autobiography of Loung Ung's life and struggles for survial. Loung lived with her parents and seven other siblings in Phnom Penh. On april 1975 Khmer Rouge army came into Phnom Penh, focing Loung's family to flee their home and leave everything behind.During this time her and her family went through hard labor. while her sibilings were sent to labor camps she was sent to a camp to be trained as a child soldier. After awhile Loung and her family almost became use to their force living conditions such as hungry, separation from the othe village people, hard labor etc. Soon after the soldiers took her father away and killed him then 3 other sibilings as well. Through all this Loung stayed strong. Finally vitnamese destroys the khmer Rouge army and her and her sibilings unite! The literary device that Loung Ung uses is conflict. Throughout the novel she is faced withe mournful struggles. From leaving her home to losing her father and 3 other sibings she still remained courageous to survive.
Ashley Jones
block H
The suspensful book Harry Potter and the Chambr of Secrets by J.K Rowling which is preferable for most children who enjoy to read a lot. This book is about a young teenager named Harry who is a wizard with magical powers. This book is the second of the series of seven books. Harry has to go back to his magical school of Hogwarts, but many different omens show bad signs of impending doom awaiting him there. Harry decides to go, but many mysterious things begin to happen, and everybody at school saw that Harry was to blame. Harry knew he was not doing anything, so he begins to do reasearch on a legend of the first founders of the school. Harry and his friends discover that the school used to have an arrogant founder named Salazar Slytherin, which may be connected to the mysteriuos things happening in Hogwarts. Harry discovers that Salazar Slytherin has a heir that will take his place to rule Hogwarts forever. So Harry discovers a secret chamber, defeats the Heir of Slytheirin, and returns Hogwarts back to normal. J.K Rowling uses plenty of personification to express the magical feeling in the school, but to also give the sense of a dangerous magic where anything goes. For example, in Harry's magical world, a snake can talk, centuri's, and even ghosts can talk. Such a magical effect give the reader a sense of upcoming insecurity. The author uses similies, as well as metaphors to make her point clear to the reader. Also, the author portrays(verbally) the main charecter, Harry Potter, as a noble kid who is courageous, quick-witted, and loyal to the headmaster. The book Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets is a very suspenseful plot that will have anyone on the edge of their seats, attempting to continue to read, even though it's two in the morning. This novel is a perfect book for imaginitive people who love to read, and are also fans of fiction books.
Vincent Arcello H-Block
In First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung it describes the struggle for survival from a child’s perspective. Loung Ung lived with her parents and seven other siblings. Foolish and young, at the age of five years old, she was curious about her environment. The setting is in the capital city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh. Ung’s parents and siblings were forced to leave their home. They had no warning or destination. They left everything behind and pretended to be a farming family so they would not get caught. Sadly, this did not work and the family was sent to a work camp. The main literary device used in First They Killed My Father was conflict. The family continuously worried about being separated. All of the time they felt hungry and tired. Later on, the family separated and some of Ungʼs family was killed. Loung was split up from the rest of her family. She was trained to be a child soldier in a special camp. Her family went through a tough experience that impacted their lives. First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung is a true, outstanding life story.
Memoirs of a Geisha is an interesting novel by Arthur Golden that describes the life of a young geisha. The novel, told in first-person view, tells the story of a geisha working in Kyoto, Japan, before World War II. The novel is told beautifully with a lot of details and imagery. You can almost see through the main character’s eyes, due to the descriptive details she provides the reader with. She mentions how her father reminds her of “an egg” that has many wrinkles; she describes her father as though he has suffered many worries and that those worries are shown in the creases and folds of his body. Also, for example this quote"You should have told me sooner what a pretty girl you brought with you. Her eyes...they're the color of a mirror!"(Golden, 60), you can just imagine how a mirror looks like, thus you can really connect with the text. Again her first point of view really allows you see through her eyes and understand her point, feelings and ideas. The book allows you to understand the hardships of a girl being sold into prostitution, allows you to feel the gentle silk of the kimonos. It allows you to analyze on the ideas presented in the book. This book is a perfect way to lose yourself, and enter the world of Japan in the 1930s-1940s.
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