Thursday, February 5, 2015
2014 Post 1
1) A 2 sentence summary about what is going on in the story
2) A sentence about the main character and your reaction to something your main character did or said and talk about whether you like this character or not.
3) What motivates your character to act the way he/she acts in the beginning of the novel? Use a quote to prove it
4) 1-2 sentences putting yourself in their shoes: write about a connection you have or what you would do if you were a character in the book.
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Marla Metevier
ReplyDeleteDivergent
Writing Piece 1
1.) Beatrice Prior, also known as Tris, is living in the Abnegation faction and nervously waiting for the Choosing Ceremony, which she chooses what faction to live in for the rest of her life. Before this she gets tested for what factions she would most likely fit into and she is told she is Divergent, which means she can fit into more than just one faction but she must not tell anyone else. On the day of the Choosing Ceremony she chooses to go with the faction, Dauntless which means she won’t see her family because they are in the Abnegation faction.
2.) I was surprised when Tris picked the Dauntless faction because I thought she would of wanted to stay with her mom and dad in the Abnegation faction.
3.) The test she takes at school for what faction she should be sorted into really affects Tris’ decision when she picks at the ceremony. The test tells her the factions she is recommended for so it will be easier to choose, usually people just get 1 option that best suits them but since she is Divergent she gets 3 to choose from. When she chooses Dauntless at the ceremony that is one of the factions recommended to her so the test motivated her to pick that. “ ‘Yes and no. My conclusion,’ she explains, ‘is that you display equal aptitude for Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite…” (Roth 22). The test results motivated her to pick from one of these choices which she did.
4.) If I was Tris I would of picked Abnegation to stay with the parents because her brother picked before her and didn’t choose to stay with the parents so I would of felt bad if I left them too if I was Tris.
Mary Muchollari
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
Mrs. Lodge
Anthem by Ayn Rand
In the story, a group of people called Equality 7-2521, are a group of tall people who ask many question and like to learn. Equality 7-2521 were put to a job as a Street Sweeper, and they feel that this will erase all the crimes they’ve committed; while at work, the Equality 7-2521 found this area where they learn about new things, and this place hasn't been brought to the attention of the government. The main character is a man part of Equality 7-2521, and he is a likeable character because he is different from the rest of the society and wants to learn unlike all the other people; the fact that the main character will go against the government to learn was shocking to me because he is risking his life, but I like how much he wants to grow as a learner. My character claims that he has committed many crimes without the government knowing. Nevertheless, the character still begins committing these crimes by stealing things from many in the society and then bringing them to a forbidden place. My character is motivated to become an individual, as he has said in the book, “We wish to speak for once to no ears but our own,” (Rand 18). My character wants to be an individual, and learn more, without having restraints from the government. This book reminds me of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, because in both books, the main character goes against the government to learn more, whether it was from stolen scripts and more stolen materials like in Anthem or from forbidden books in Fahrenheit 451.
Coriana Farinella
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
Mrs. Lodge
Anthem by Ayn Rand
In Equality 7-2521 they wish they could be like everyone else and they feel like their differences are a burden; When they were younger and in school they tried to be as dumb as the other normal kids because they wanted to fit in so badly. After 15 year- olds in this society finish school a council comes and tells them what they are going to pursue as adults, of course Equality 7-2521 wanted to be scholars but they were chosen to be street sweepers. When working Equality 7-2521 found an area that the government was unaware of where they learned new things. The main character is a part of equality 7-2521 which shows that he has been through some struggles but, I think he is a nice guy being able to live with the fact that he is different without getting really upset about it, and I like that he didn't get upset when he wast chosen for the job he wanted. My characters motivation is the idea of being able to be curious and aware. "We looked too long at the stars at night, and the trees and the earth," (Rand 29) My character regrets being observant but he still does it anyways because that is how he lives and has always lived. This book definitely reminds me of the story Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. In these two stories the people of the society are forbidden to notice things but the main character does.
Danielle Gagain
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
2/15/15
Blog #1~ Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
1) Ember is separated from her rebellious mother when the MM solders come to arrest Lori, Ember’s mother, for noncompliance with Article 5; Ember fights back and is arrested. Ember is taken to a strict FBR rehabilitation center where she must learn the Moral Statues and to act like a lady, but she tries to find a way out.
2) I like Ember because she is brave when Ms. Rock publicly beats her for going against the FBR rehabilitation center’s rules, but Ember stays strong and sticks up for what she believes in.
3) Ember is motivated to escape the FBR rehabilitation center she is sent to to find her mother. Ember has always been responsible for keeping her defiant mother under control and now Ember is worried about what she might say or do to the MM that would get the both of them in even more trouble. Once Ember reaches the rehabilitation center, she is constantly looking for the perfect time to run away and find her mother. “The air prickled. I took a slow step back, the grass crunching beneath my newly issued black flats. It was now or never,” (Simmons 50). Even though escaping the FBR rehabilitation center is risky, Ember wants to keep her mother out of harm’s way.
4) If I was Ember, I would not have taken so many risks starting at her house when the solders come to arrest her mother to when she follows Rebecca out the window in the middle of the night. Ember is brave to do these things and sometimes they pay off but other times it just gets her into a lot of trouble, I wouldn't have done those perilous things Ember does so dauntlessly.
Nic Naughton
ReplyDeleteMrs. Lodge
Period 4
15 February 2015
The Hunger Games
Everyone in District 12 is very worried because it was reaping day. Katniss’s sister, Prim was picked and Katniss volunteered as tribute because she felt sick when Prime was picked and couldn’t let Prime get killed. Katniss volunteers as tribute to protect her sister from the Hunger Games and I think this is very brave of Katniss because she would rather risk her life and protect her sister than having herself be safe. The love of her sister motivates Katniss to do everything. Prim is the only person in the world that Katniss truly loves. “How could I leave Prim, who is the only person in the world I’m certain I love” (Collins 18). Katniss volunteered as tribute for her sister, gets food for her sister, and gets water for her sister. Katniss does almost everything for her sister because she loves her so much. If I was in Katniss’s position and Prim was my sister, I would do the same thing. First of all, Prim is only twelve so she doesn’t have much of a chance but Katniss is much older, a very talented archer, and much stronger mentally and physically.
Melissa Tremblay
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Lodge
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
In the beginning of Uglies the main character Tally goes to New Pretty Town to visit her best friend Peris who recently turned pretty, there she runs into another ugly, Shay and they help each other escape back into Ugly Town. Tally and Shay find out they have the same birthday and will turn pretty on the same day they end up spending a lot of their time together and at the end of this section go into a part of the city that only students visit for field trips. All Tally wants is to turn pretty and see Peris again so she goes to New Pretty Town to see him I thought this was a risky and foolish decision because if she had gotten caught she may not have been able to turn pretty, Tally doesn’t see the problems of her society which is why at the moment I don’t like her. In the beginning of the novel Tally is motivated to act as she does because she can’t wait to turn pretty so that she can spend time with Peris. When she visits Peris in New Pretty Town he makes her promise him that she will not attempt any more stupid tricks. After that she tries to keep her promise and not do anything that could jeopardize her turning pretty. ‘“Oh look. I don’t know if I want to cross the river again,”’ Tally said, remembering her promise to Peris,”(Westerfeld 46). This is what Tally responded with when Shay asked her if she wanted to take a night ride, every decision she makes is based on if it could get her into trouble. If I were a character in the book I would most likely be like Shay because she doesn’t care about turning pretty or going along with society.
Nikhitha Yelukati
ReplyDeleteMrs.Lodge
Period 4
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Pgs 1-75
Tally's best friend, Peris, just got plastic surgery to be turned into a pretty and is headed towards his new life in Prettyville, however Tally didn't come to age yet to be transformed and is still living in Uglyville. She fears that their friendship will be lost because Peris wouldn't want to talk to someone who still lived in Uglyville. I was surprised when Tally agreed to go to the Rusty Ruins with her new friend Shay because she's never been out of the city before. Ever since Tally and Peris were kids, they would dream about how amazing life would be if they turned pretty together. They always admired how beautiful and symmetrical everyones face looked and wanted to be just like them. When Tally met Shay, she changed her perspective of society. She made her realize that there was more to just waiting to be pretty your whole life. Shay wasn't like the others and she made Tally see the city in her eyes. "This whole game is just designed to make us hate ourselves" (Westerfeld 44). Shay made Tally realize that society wants everyone to looks pretty so there wouldn't be any war against each other based on looks and everyone would be treated equally. Shay motivated Tally to see beyond their society. This is why Tally agreed to go to the Ruins with Shay because she was curious about what life would be like if someone choose not to be pretty. If I was In Tally' position, I would've also been curious about the consequences of not becoming pretty because I wouldn't want to get plastic surgery just to look like everyone else and not being able to express myself.
Bhavana Gunda
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Lena lives in a society where love is a disease and everyone goes through a procedure as a cure. When Lena’s evaluation started she answered all her questions just as she had practiced but she started answering the opposite of what she should have and her evaluation was disrupted when a protest broke in; many people believed that the protest was started by the Invalids, people who live in the Wild. I was surprised when Lena said her favorite color was grey during her evaluation because her aunt told her to say blue, an answer that would please the evaluators. Lena is a likeable character because even though she knows what she is supposed to do, the protest had her thinking about other things that she wasn’t supposed to think about. The evaluation is an important day for Lena so she can have a good future and she is pushed to get a high score by her aunt. When her evaluation starts, Lena feels like she can hear the screams of her mother who was taken by the disease. “And in that moment it’s like I can hear the low growl of the ocean, can hear its distant, insistent murmur, can imagine its weight closing around my mother… There’s a zinging, frigid tension in the air, and I realize I’ve made a big, big mistake,” (Oliver 34). Remembering her mother, Lena starts to change her answers that can ruin her life ahead of her. This book reminds me of Matched by Ally Condie because just like in Delirium, at a certain age the people in the town are required to go through a process to determine their future.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYusra Khan
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
the Maze Runner by James Dashner
Pgs 1-66
Thomas wakes up in the elevator and finds himself getting stared by a bunch of teenage boys. The only thing Thomas could remember was his name and everything else seemed unfamiliar and confusing to him. He starts to ask questions to the people around him about the place and why he had been sent there. The leaders of the place called the Glade, explains Thomas the way of living there, and the only way to escape the place was to survive the maze, which was outside of the Glade. After a couple days living in the maze, Thomas and the other teenage boys discovers another person, who’s a girl, being sent to the Glade. I was curious at the fact that Thomas wanted to be a Runner and go out in the maze after knowing about about all the dangerous creatures out there. I think, the grievers, which are the night monsters in the maze, motivated him to be a Runner. The grievers probably made Thomas to think what’s out in the maze and gave him the desire and the urge to be a runner. “His desire to become a Runner had taken a major blow… especially after what he’d just seen” (Dashner 39). After looking at the grievers, Thomas’ curiosity about the maze increased. If I were in Thomas’ place, I would consider sticking with the people around me and do what they said, instead of worrying about the maze and asking questions.
Sai Manasani
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Tally lives in a society where up to the age of sixteen everyone is ugly, and on their sixteenth birthday they undergo an operation turning them from an ugly to a pretty. Tally’s friend Peris recently became a pretty and she goes to visit him hoping that he still believes in their friendship. Tally meets Shay, another ugly, while she is trying to sneak back from New Pretty Town back to Uglyville and they instantaneously become friends. I was surprised that Tally was brave enough to go into the party at New Pretty Town just to meet Peris because she could have easily been caught and could have lost her privileges of becoming a pretty. I like her because it shows that Tally is a courageous person who is always ready to take an adventure. At the beginning of the novel, Tally goes to New Pretty Town to go and meet her friend Peris who had recently become a pretty. She goes because she wants to see him and reassure herself that they are still best friends. On page 9, it says, “But she had to see Peris, had to talk to him. She wasn’t quite sure why, exactly, except that she was sick of imagining a thousand conversations with him every night before she fell asleep.” Tally acts vulnerable because she is not sure if Peris was the same after he had turned into a pretty because they didn’t talk or write to each other much anymore. If I lived in that society then I think that when Shay asked Tally about going to the Rusty Ruins I would immediately agree to go with her because I would be curious about what is past the town I live in. Of course they always take school field trips there but when Shay asked it seemed like there was a lot more to it so I would go with her.
Layla Alvarado
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
Pgs.(1-66)
Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Blog Post #1
The book , Red Rising, by Pierce Brown is about a color-coded society ruled by Golds in the future. The book is from the main character, Darrow, who is a red which is the lowest class in society ,that are basically slaves, that mine helium3 which will make Mars habitable for the future generations. Darrow is a helldriver, one of the most dangerous jobs a red can have, he seems happy with his life but his wife Eo tells him he needs to live for more, he dismisses her words but realizes she is right, possibly too late. Darrow is a likeable character from the start with first his relatable age, 16, and the fierceness in which he loves his family and Eo. In the beginning of the book Darrow is first motivated by getting the Laurel which would give his "tribe" enough food for them to not be hungry but when he they aren't awarded the Laurel, he is upset and Eo comforts him and they got to a forbidden area that only Grays can go to. They are soon caught and are sent to be lashed for their crimes, Darrow is lashed first but when Eo is lashed she starts singing a song forbidden to reds, she is hanged for her crimes in front of the mighty Golds. Darrow takes down her body even though he isn't supposed to and is also hanged for his crimes, but he awakens in his own grave and is taken by the Sons of Ares, a rebel group of reds who are out to change society, Darrow is now motivated by Eo's death to live. " I ache to just jump from the tumblr into the path of a utility vehicle. Death is easy when you've already tried to find it. But I don't jump...Eo wanted more for me,"(Brown 63). If I were Darrow I would try to find out what the Sons of Ares wanted from me and try to make Eo proud in death and live for more than just myself but for society.
Andy Vu
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
Divergent by Veronica Roth
1) Beatrice Prior is a girl living with her family in the Abnegation faction waiting for the Choosing Ceremony in which she chooses which faction she would like to join for the rest of her life but, before that she has to take an aptitude test which will tell her which faction she best fits in. When she finishes the aptitude test she is told she is Divergent, meaning that she can fit into more than one faction and with this, she is not allowed to tell anyone and it creates more difficulty for her choosing at the Choosing Ceremony in which she chooses to join the Dauntless faction and is welcomed into their hideout.
2) Beatrice is a Divergent and had to choose between Erudite, Dauntless, and Abnegation at the choosing ceremony in which she chooses Dauntless which surprised me because I thought that she would want to stick with her family.
3) Beatrice’s aptitude test is one of the main motivators to her choosing of Dauntless but, since she was Divergent, she had to choose between three factions. She had a lot going through her mind between the aptitude test and the Choosing Ceremony. She quickly eliminates Erudite as a choice because they are attacking Abnegation with reports because they want power. She then has to choose between Dauntless and Abnegation and it is a tough decision. She then realizes that she can’t be fit out for Abnegation because Caleb who is better at being part of Abnegation has left them to join Erudite. “If Caleb wasn’t fit for Abnegation, how can I be? But what choice do I have, now that he left us and I’m the only one who remains? He left me no other option,” (Roth 47).
4) If I were Caleb, I wouldn’t have hidden the fact that at the Choosing Ceremony that I would choose Erudite. I would make it quite obvious but not allow anyone to change my thoughts.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSeth Marks
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
1) In the book the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen lives in a society that consists of 12 Districts and a ruling Capitol. Every year, one male tribute and one female tribute is chosen from each District to participate in the Hunger Games in the Capitol. Each tribute is to battle in the arena until death, and the last tribute standing is crowned victor. During the reaping of the 74th Hunger Games, Katniss' sister Prim is chosen as the female tribute, so she decides to volunteer to take her place. Katniss is then sent to the Capitol, and is being prepared for the dreadful games.
2) Katniss is a likeable character, as she volunteered to risk her life to save her younger sister who was too young and fearful to face the games. It is very rare for someone to volunteer in District 12 where Katniss lives, showing her true bravery.
3) Katniss is motivated most by her responsibility to care for and protect her younger sister and sick mother. After the death of her father in a mining accident, Katniss was faced with the task of providing for her family, as her mother had become ill and depressed. This character trait is shown while she constantly hunts in the forests surrounding District 12, and when she volunteered to participate in the Hunger Games to shield Prim from harm. "District 12 hasn't had a volunteer in decades and the protocol has become rusty." (Collins 5%). As you can see, because of the absence of the care of Katniss' parents, she has proven herself through bravery and providing for her family.
4) If I were Katniss, I would have made the same decision to volunteer, as family should come before everything. If my sibling was reaped for the Hunger Games, then I would definitely volunteer for them.
Katie Cole
ReplyDeletePeriod 4
The Program by Suzanne Young
!. The first section of the book introduces the deeply depressed society that the main character, Sloane, lives in with her boyfriend, friends and family. In Sloane’s society there is a suicidal epidemic that has claimed the life of her brother, Brady. The section ends with Sloane’s close friend, Miller, trying to commit suicide by taking a drug called QuikDeath.
2. In the middle of a suicide epidemic, Sloane left one of her closest friends, Miller, alone after he suffered through a traumatic week of seeing the girl he loves forget him completely and I don’t know how Sloane thought it would be a good idea to leave her depressed friend alone. Furthermore, I don’t know how a smart character like Sloane wouldn't be able to anticipate his attempted suicide because she’s seen people in her own family kill themselves.
3. The thing that motivates Sloane to do mostly everything, including live, is her boyfriend, James. In the first section of the book, Sloane overtly and subliminally shows her deep, long-time affection for James. Through what appears to be early stages of depression, the thing that keeps Sloane going and makes her feel better is the promise from James that he will keep her safe. Sloane constantly tells James that she needs him and that he is the only reason she is still alive. “‘Everything will be okay Sloane. Everything will be fine,’” (Young 34). The quote is one of the many times James has reassured Sloane and these reassurances are what keeps Sloane going through such tough times.
4. If I was Sloane, I would not have left Miller alone to go camping with James. Miller was obviously having a tough time after Lacey went through the Program and forgot about Miller and leaving him alone was a lapse in good judgement. Sloane is a smart character in that she has adopted the knowledge of how to act in her depressed society but even me, as a person who doesn't live in a society like Sloane’s could figure out that Miller would try to kill himself if left alone without his supportive friends.
Winston Smith is a 39 year old man who lives in a society controlled by the Party which is made up of four ministries; the Ministry of Peace, Ministry of Love, Ministry of Plenty, and the Ministry of Truth. Winston works for the Ministry of Truth and is starting to question everything the party says to him, but he is nervous because Big Brother, the leader of the Party, is always watching. Winston starts keeping a journal, which is not necessarily illegal but can still get you killed, and writes, “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER,” in his own way of rebellion. I like Winston because he seems like a very innocent man. Winston is motivated to write this journal so that future generations might be able to find it someday and see what is going on in this time period. He knows that most likely he will be caught and killed and the book will get destroyed but he still wants to do it. He wants to write in the journal as an act of rebellion and. I think he does it because he is tired of not being able to act out or talk to someone about how he feels. If I were Winston I would not write in the journal because I wouldn't want to get killed without accomplishing anything.
ReplyDeleteIn the book, The Program, by Suzanne Young, Sloane is trying to live a normal life without depression, despite her brothers death and the loss of many of her friends, as The Program is watching their every move. Sloane, her boyfriend, and her friend cannot be flagged for depression, because if they do, they will be sent to The Program, and have their memories erased; when Miller, Sloane’s friend, messes up, he kills himself so that he doesn’t have to endure The Program. Sloane doesn’t like to take any risks, as she does not want to be put into The Program. When she decides to go with Miller to the rehab facility, she is nervous, but does it for her friend. Sloane is a strong willed character who is scared for her and her friends’ lives, but she will do a lot to protect them. Sloane is motivated by the many things that go on around her, and the deaths and losses to The Program of her friends and brother. Sloane is pressured into some things by her friends; when she went to see Miller’s ex at the rehab facility, she hadn’t wanted to go, but her boyfriend, James, and Miller wanted her to. Sloane is very scared the The Program will come after her of the people she loves, and she becomes even more worried when there is a handler from The Program watching her. Her friends motivate her to do the things she wouldn’t normally do.”He reaches out his hand to clasp mine. ‘I know the risk, but what if she’s still there somehow? Miller has to try, Sloane,’” (Young 19). They (James and Miller) are going to take the risk, and Sloane doesn’t want them to. If I was Sloane, I wouldn’t want my friends to go, because in the book, it states that they can get arrested.
ReplyDeleteIn Safekeeping by Karen Hesse, Radley is a 17 year old girl coming back from Haiti to the U.S. after finding out that the president was assassinated. When she gets back she learns that the American People’s Party has taken over and her parents are nowhere to be found so she heads north to Canada for safety and in hopes that her parents were doing the same. Radley has always relied on her parents to fix things for her so when she came back from Haiti and realized her phone was dead and she left her charger there and gave them all her money so she couldn’t contact her parents even through a payphone or get any food for herself, she realized she has to be smarter and I admire her for that. She has a strong will to survive and find her parents no matter what, and that’s what motivates her to do what she does. She can’t find transportation because the new law requires travel request forms and all she has is a passport and a credit card so she starts walking. She hunts for food in dumpsters and sleeps in forests, or abandoned sheds, and risks being put in jail or shot by the military for breaking curfew. She does all of this because she wants to be with her parents again. Being in her shoes, I would have listened Monsieur Bellamy in Haiti when he warned Radley not to go back because it was too dangerous. I would have stayed with the children because they didn't want her to leave anyway and she would have been safer too because she wouldn't have had to go through all of this.
ReplyDeleteRachel Helmke
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
The Maze Runner
1) Thomas is the newest addition to the boys living at the Glade, and thus knows pretty much nothing except that he might’ve been there before. Although new people come about once a month, a new girl, and the only girl, arrives the day after Thomas did.
2) I like Thomas because of the way he knows how to control himself, like when Gally is being rude to him and he doesn’t try to add to the flames that are already between them.
3) In the beginning of The Maze Runner, Thomas really just wants to know why he is where he is, so he ends of asking a lot of questions. For example, “‘Who are those guys and what are they doing? What’s in that building?’ He wheeled around and pointed out the East Door. ‘And why do you live inside a freaking maze?’” (Dashner 27). All of these questions were asked by Thomas, and there were many more about all types of different subjects that came up when he was conversing with either Chuck, or Newt, or even Alby. Thomas acts curious and scared because he was plucked from his home, and literally put inside a maze that he must find his way out of.
4) I think Thomas should be more aggressive when people try to put off some question Thomas is asking. If I were in Thomas’ shoes, I would push further to get my questions answered and not be satisfied with anything less than the truth.
In the book, Prodigy, by Marie Lu, Day, the Republic's most wanted criminal and June, the Republic's former prodigy, have just escaped from Batalla Hall in Las Angeles and travel to Las Vegas seeking aid from the Patriots. Day and June come up with a plan to contact the Patriots, but are almost arrested when Day's bad leg causes him to collapse. Kaede, their old friend in the Patriots leads them to a officer's room where they meet the leader of the Patriots and join. I am a little surprised by Day's hesitation to join. This is because the patriots are fighting the Republic and the Republic has taken everything from Day. I like day because he never acts selfish. He always tries to help the poor and maltreated, yet never kills to do so. All his actions are from the heart; he is just a innocent person trying to do good in a corrupt world. His loved ones motivate Day in the beginning of the novel. "I'm not just going to leave Tess behind without knowing she's okay," (Lu 26). Day found Tess when she was a little girl scrounging on the streets and since then they have become family. When he was arrested, she joined the Patriots. Now that he has gotten out, he is going to the patriots, even at the risk of rejection or worse, to make sure she is okay. His family always comes ahead of himself. If I were Day, I would be a little cautious around June. Even though June has given everything up for him, she was still one of the Republic's best soldiers less than a week ago. I would watch for signs of unrest or thoughts about rejoining the Republic.
ReplyDeleteNick Kinsella Period 3
ReplyDelete1) In the beginning of The Hunger Games, Katniss lives with her sister, Prim and their Mother in District 12 of Panem. Each year, one boy and one girl from each of the twelve districts from age twelve to eighteen are chosen to compete to the death in the annual hunger games.
2) During the reaping, Katniss’ younger sister was chosen. Katniss then volunteered as tribute to take her place and compete for her. I was partially shocked by this because I would think Katniss doesn’t want to die. However, Katniss loves her sister too much to watch her die and knows that she won’t survive. I like Katniss because she is willing to sacrifice her own life to save her sisters.
3) I think Katniss’ love for her family is what motivated her to act the way she did in the beginning of the book. I also think that her poverty is another reason why she volunteered. She felt she had a better chance than her sister to win and receive all of the wealth that comes with surviving. “I volunteer! I gasp. “I volunteer as tribute!” (Collins 22). This was when Prim was selected and Katniss volunteered to take her place because she didn’t want to lose her.
4) If I was in Katniss’ shoe’s I think I would have done the same thing as her. I wouldn’t want to lose a family member, and I would want a chance at winning if it meant my family would live a better life.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLuke St. Amand
ReplyDeleteMockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Writing Piece 1
Katniss Everdeen has escaped from the Quarter Quell arena and is hiding with other survivors of district 12 and people that live in District 13. Also, she is discussing whether to help lead the rebels that helped her escape or help her friend that saved her life, Peeta. Katniss believes that she has the privilege to demand whatever she wants, but I think she deserves most of it because of what she has been through to get to this. Katniss acts like she's in charge mostly because the Rebels need her to complete this rebellion and she knows they do." I think you could demand almost anything and they'd have to agree to it,"(Collins 34). Also, she feels bad about the people in district 12 that were killed. "I killed you, I think as I pass a pile. And you. And you,"(Collins 5).Other things are bothering her like Peeta not being with her and her prep team being tortured. If I were in Katniss' shoes, I would've shown a lot more respect to Coin(leader of the rebellion) and asked for things that I wanted, not demand because he hasn't done anything bad to her you have to respect people that are in charge of you.
Rachel Violette
ReplyDeletePeriod: 3
Matched by Ally Condie
Pgs. 1-54
1. Cassia has her matching ceremony where her match is revealed to be her good friend Xander but when she is watching his background video, it glitches and another boy, Ky Markham, who she also knows and is an aberration appears on the screen. An official tells her that it was just a mistake and she has nothing to worry about.
2. Cassia seems very unsure of herself and her decisions and even though she said she was relieved that Xander was her true match, I think she really wants to know more about Ky and why he was on her microchip.
3. I believe that her motivation is her curiosity. Everything in this society is so perfect and organized, so when a mistake is made she wonders how that could’ve happened and why. On page 36 Cassia thinks, “I have no idea what it means now. I’ve never heard of this happening. I don’t understand. The society doesn’t make mistakes. But what else could this be? No one has two matches.” The curiosity of this happening is what motivates her to find answers and start thinking more about Ky and the matching system.
4. If I was put in the characters shoes I would’ve asked the official more questions because if Ky is unable to even have a match, why would a matchmaker have his information? If this is causing her to be unsure about her relationship with Xander, she should try to find more answers.
Gabby Inkel
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2/16/15
Blog #1- Pretties by Scott Westerfeld pgs. 1-55
1) Tally has turned 16 and is now a pretty living in New Pretty Town. Tally attends a costume party at the Valentino Mansion with her best friends Shay, Peris, and Fausto. Tally wants to become a Crim, but is afraid that she doesn’t have what it takes to be one. Shay is a former Crim and as Tally’s best friend, she comforts Tally by telling her that she is Crim material and as long as she is bubbly, she’ll get voted in. Tally notices once she gets to the party that she is being followed by a Special Circumstance and is terrified. Later that night, Tally gets a ping telling her that she was voted to be a Crim.
2) At the party, Tally discovers a person in grey following her and decides to start following him. The boy leads her to the stairs and waits there. Tally decides to follow him to the stairs which is surprising because in their society, that could mean something very bad. This shows that Tally is brave and is not afraid to face her fears.
3) Tally acts very scared and calms herself by drinking in the beginning of the story because she wants to become a Crim. It is a huge deal for her because Tally has always wanted to be a Crim since she was ugly. Tally is supposed to act bubbly so win over the other Crims’ votes but instead, Tally becomes very nervous and shy and isn’t acting herself which is weird for Tally to be acting that way because Tally is a very brave and adventurous person. Shay says to Tally, “Anyone who used to hang out with Special Circumstances is a natural Crim.” (Westerfeld 11) This should have calmed Tally because she was around Special Circumstances quite a bit.
4) Ever since Tally was ugly, she has always wanted to be a Crim. One she became pretty, that’s all she has worked for and she finally has been voted to be a Crim. If I were in Tally's shoes, I wouldn't have acted the way she did. Even through she got voted to be a Crim, I still would have acted differently. In nerve racking situations like that, you just have to be yourself and keep calm. I can connect this to me because ever since I was in 4th grade, field hockey has been a huge hobby in my life and ever since I started playing it, I have dreamed to make the varsity team here at SWHS. As tryouts came around the corner, I was getting very nervous, but I just calmed myself down, made sure I was ready for them, and did the best I could. Just like Tally was very happy to become a Crim, I am very happy that I was a full starting varsity field hockey player here at SWHS.
Abby Bourdon
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Life as We Knew It
An asteroid hits the moon changing the ways of life for Miranda. Her family prepares for the worst and the whole country becomes frantic. When Miranda went to the store during the storm she wasn’t taking the whole thing seriously, but she saw how concerned her mother was that she too became concerned and wanted to help her mother. I admired this about her because she took initiaitve and wanted to help.The character relationship that I find interesting is how she interacts with her mom. Her mom was worried about what was going to happen with the asteroid and Miranda didn’t think much of it. She was learning that she needed to respect her mother’s worries and help her prepare. If I was in Mirandas shoes I think that I would be as concerned as her mother is. I would be trying to make sure that everything is in control and that they would survive if there was truly going to be the problem that everyone had made it sound like.
Chris Morse
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The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
1. Each year in order to prevent defiance among the people, the Capitol organizes a competition in which two people from each of the 12 districts, one boy and one girl, are selected to compete to the death. This year from district 12, Peeta Mellark and Primrose Everdeen are chosen but Prim’s older sister Katniss volunteers to take Prims place and so she will compete.
2. The main character, Katniss Everdeen, is one of the bravest people ever because she volunteered to go into the Hunger Games in place of her little sister where she will likely die and this took me by surprise but I thought that it was very bold.
3. Katniss is motivated by the love she has for her family and the responsibility she feels to protect them. This is show when she volunteers for her sister Prim; “Prim! The strangled cry comes out of my throat, and my muscles begin to move again. Prim…With one sweep of my arm, I push her behind me. I volunteer! I gasp. I volunteer as tribute (Collins 25). Prim is young and Katniss is sure she loves her because earlier she said “How could I leave Prim, who is the only person in the world I’m certain I love (Collins 11). As you can see, Katniss is motivated by her sister because she loves her so much and cant bare to see her go into the Hunger Games.
4. If I were Katniss, I’m not sure what I would be doing because I love my family more than anything and can connect to wanting to do anything to protect them but what she is doing is basically putting herself up for certain death and I’m not sure if I could do that. Also, if I were Katniss I would take Gale’s proposition to run away because it seems a better option than living in a world of hunger, danger, and cruelty.
Patrick Bell
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The Kill Order
In the book, The Kill Order, by James Dashner, the Earth has been ravaged by intense solar flares causing the global temperature to sharply increase. Alec, Mark, and Trina are three survivors who are living in the western Appalachian Mountains. Mark is constantly thinking about the past and what led them to where they are now. I like Mark because his flashbacks help to fully understand the backstory. His relationship with his friends motivates Mark to be as selfless as he is. “They might’ve jeopardized their own lives to save someone who had no chance in the first place.”(Dashner 25) Mark risked his life to save his friend who had been shot. Even in the chaos, he went out of his way to try to help his friends. If I was in his position, I would probably have tries to save myself and left my friends behind.
Justin Gough
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The Maze Runner by James Dashner
1. Thomas is the newest member of the Glade int the book the maze runner. Gally another boy from the Glade has many suspicions about Thomas, especially when a girl shows up (which has never happened) a day after Thomas' arrival.
2. I was impressed at how curios Thomas is, he is always asking questions and wants the most information he can possibly get.
3. Thomas asks so many questions in the begining The Maze Runner because he us simply plopped in a completely unfamiliar environment. "'Greivers?' Thomas was only getting more and more confused," (Dashner 22). When Thomas was first at the glade he had no clue what was going on so he asked a million questions. Even when he started to understand things Thomas still had question because one thing led to another.
4. If I were in Thomas' shies I would be so concerned. Whenever Thomas aked questions either they weren't answered or the weren't answered completely. For me I need to know what's going on and I need to be able to trust people. So if people can't even answer my questions how am I supposed to trust them.
Payton Garcia
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2/16/15
Summary: The beginning of the book it starts off with the main character, Thalia, confused by the weird noises and pains her belly is making because she lives in a world with no hunger and no food. Her generations life is surrounded by technology and games and is so absorbed in them that they rarely talk to each other but Thalia is the exception.
The main character is very unique. She is her own person and does not follow everyone else in her generation. She likes "old school" things and does not agree with the growth of technology in her world. She is very adventurous and when other teens are in clubs on their gadgets, she is out exploring. I love this character because she sees the flaws in her society.
Question 1: The thing that motivated Thalia to act the way she did in the beginning of the novel was the fact that she was feeling hungry in a world that has no food and knows no hunger. She is confused and embarrassed by the gurgling noises her stomach makes and has no clue what it is at first. In the book it says " That yawning in my stomach growls. The gnawing gets more intense. I feel it bubbling up," Thalia is talking about her stomach growling in public (Swain 71).
The character and i feel the same way about society and have the same outlooks on life. I feel i can connect with her very well because we are similar in personality. if i were in her shoes i would have done the exact same things as her and acted the same way.
Kady Farrell
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Divergent
1.) Beatrice is a 16 year old girl born into the faction known as Abnegation, but when the time comes for her to take her altitude test her entire life changes. Beatrice gets told she is Divergent and therefor she must choose a faction and keep her secret, out of the five Tris chooses the daring faction known as Dauntless.
2.) I do like Beatrice because she is calm and daring, she decides to make the brave decision in choosing the toughest faction while knowing shes "different".
3.) I believe what motivated Beatrice to choose the faction she did was the fact that she needs to show her bravery, being who she is. Beatrice is in danger being divergent, because this is very wrong in her society. This is different. I don’t mean you shouldn't share them now; I mean you should NEVER share them with anyone, ever, no matter what happens. Divergence is extremely dangerous. You understand?” (Roth, 20). By choosing Dauntless she chooses to help further the protection of her secret and possibly her life.
4.) If I was Beatrice I would as well have chosen the faction Dauntless, I would need to strengthen my bravery knowing my life is possibly on the line.
Braden Goodale
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The War of the Worlds
Note: I don’t find out what my main characters name is
1) The War of the Worlds begins with a streak of green light soaring from the sky into the crust of the earth, At first nobody makes a big deal about it but when the next morning rolls around and the investigations start, all of a sudden, everybody is interested in the capsule that fell from space. After a few days of excavating the capsule, aliens suddenly emerge and start terrorizing the town.
2) I was surprised when my character decided to run for his life instead of help the townsmen, so I believe he will not be the heroic type of character but instead do anything to survive.
3) I believe my characters actions were based purely on curiosity. For instance, I learned that he always wants to know what is going on around him, this is why he is one of the very first people to investigate and inspect the newfound capsule. Also, when the aliens emerged, instead of focusing on running away, his attention was split between escaping and inspecting/looking at the aliens. “I could not avert my face from these things,” (Wells 140). Clearly, unless there is a reason that I have not noticed, nearly everything he does is based on his own curiosity.
4) I think that the main character is too risky in this situation. If I were him, and aliens were chasing me, all of my focus would be on escaping. Also, I would not approach the capsule the way he did if a UFO crashed on earth. I would have kept my distance and not gotten involved.
Zachary Pelikan
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2/16/14
War of the Worlds
1. So far large cylinder shaped objects took off from mars and are landing in earth. One of which landed in England by the main character that is only known as the narrator. Large machines came with long arm like tentacles. They started blasting people to ash with rays of heat.
2. The main character was at the crash site and has been often observing the cylinder. In the big whole the cylinder created the creatures cam out but couldn’t get out of the whole. There was a man who fell in but was holding on the ledge. He decided not to help the man because his fear level was too high. That person ended up falling and dying. I can’t decide if I like him or not because I don’t know too much about him. All I know is he has a wife and that’s it.
3. Fear is what motivates this character. While people are being blasted to ash the thing that makes him continue to run and try not to be killed is fear. He said, “I had a momentary impulse to go back an help him that my fears overruled.” Instead of making to right decisions fear caused him to think and act for himself.
4. If I were in this mans shoes I would run home first. I wouldn’t sit around by the alien wondering what’s going to happen next or if they are evil. I would sprint home grab my family and get out of the city. I would like to find a discrete location and hideout until it all blows over.
Lauren Rankin
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Insurgent by Veronica Roth
In the sequel to the recently popular book Divergent, a lot has already happened. Due to the recent conflict between three of the five factions, the main characters Tris, Caleb, and Tobias (a.k.a Four) have been forced to take shelter in the faction Amity. As things start to become more and more tense the trio is forced to leave their new shelter and are now running from the soldiers looking to capture them. The main character in this book is Tris who is a very emotional and unique kind of girl. At one point she destroyed a hard drive that held the last memory of her parents which surprised me since she was very close to them and even lashed out on someone who attempted to take it. My character is motivated by two things in this part of the book: The death of her parents and the event where she killed a friend. "But this hard drive also contains the surveillance footage from the attack.The record of our losses. Of my parents' deaths. The only piece of them i have left." (Roth 73) This proves that she is having second thoughts about destroying something that holds a lot of importance because of the death of her parents. Also because she killed her friend she became very coward like. She froze at the face of a gun as she couldn't bear to pull the trigger on a gun again. Honestly if i was in her place i would be the exact same way. The trauma of killing my own friend and the trauma of a parents death would make me question everything.
Dayanne Carvalho
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The Scorch Trials
In the book The Scorch Trials, by James Dashner, Thomas and the other gladers are onto phase 2 of WICKED's experiment. Teresa has vanished and is missing and in her room there was a new shank named Aris. Thomas and the gladers are told by WICKED that they have two weeks to make it through the scorch trial without being turned into a crank, which is a virus cause people to go completely insane and have no emotion such as empathy. They are also told that if they make it through they will get a cure for the virus.
Thomas is the main character and he's very caring but also intelligent and makes the gladers stay on track and work together. I like this character because he cares about his friends so much, for example when Tersea went missing his main focus was to find her and make sure she was safe.
In the first section of my book Thomas wanted to find Tersea but she wasn't responding back with him using his telepathy and when she did she didn't know who he was, so he got really frustrated because he wanted to keep her safe."but the same emptiness he'd felt since that morning returned, her presence having vanished" He was motivated because he cares and misses her
If I was a character in this book I would be freaking out a lot because so much chaos is going on, and theses characters are fighting to survive when they are only teenagers. They have places in the group there's a leader and a person that just them together, I think I would be the person who would get turned into a crank first.
Molly Carroll
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Gone
Ch. 1-8
1. In the beginning of Gone suddenly all the people above the age of fourteen disappear. The teenagers and children start to come together and some discover they have special abilities.
2. Sam, the main character, ran into a fire to save a little girl when nobody else would take charge. I like this character because he is brave and a natural leader.
3. Sam is motivated to take charge and become the leader in the beginning of the novel by wanting to help the younger children. They are scared and confused and he helps in time of extreme stress. In the story when the building is on fire and there are children inside he says, "Hey, listen up, this isn't the Disney Channel. We can't just watch this happen. There are no adults. There's no fire department. We are the fire department," (Grant 36). This shows that Sam is a leader who just wants to keep the younger children safe.
4. If I was Sam in the book when he faced going into the fire I would most likely not be as brave as him. I would not be able to take charge and run right into the fire to save the girl because I would be concerned with my own safety and be too scared.
Demi Roy
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Divergent by Veronica Roth
1. Beatrice, later known as Tris, is born into a faction called Abnegation that revolves around selflessness. She takes a test along with all the other 16 year olds to determine which faction they will spend in for the rest of their lives, where Tris discovers she is divergent, and chose to become a member of Dauntless, the faction that revolves around bravery.
2. Tris is a mixture of different factions, meaning she has more than just one quality to her personality. When she chose the faction she was going to spend the rest of her life in, she ended up picking Dauntless, although aptitude test said she was Dauntless, Abnegation, and Erudite. I was surprised she picked Dauntless, because at the choosing ceremony, she said she could picture her life growing up in Abnegation. She also continued to say she had to be the child that stayed, and she must be there for her family. I like Tris because she is able to make her own decisions based on what she truly wants, instead of thinking about her family before herself when it comes to her future.
3. When all the initiates get to the Dauntless headquarters, they want them to jump off the roof down into a hole, not knowing what's there. Tris decides to jump off of the building first when no one else was willing to. She was motivated because she was the only transfer from Abnegation, and everyone considered them “stiffs.” She wanted to prove she was just as brave as them. “I can’t back down now. Not with all the people betting I’ll fail behind me,” (Roth 58).
4. If i were in Tris’ shoes, I would make the same decision she did. She would always watch and admire Dauntless, and she knew she didn’t belong in Abnegation due to her lack of selflessness, so choosing Dauntless was a decision I would’ve made as well.
1) In the story “2012”, the president is preparing the United States of America for a war. It is not clear what or who the war will involve yet.
ReplyDelete2) The main character, Wiley, likes to write books about futuristic scenarios that could happen. My reaction to the main character was amazed because he has such a great relationship with his kids and uses their names in his books for characters.
3) What motivates my character to act the way he she acts in the beginning of the novel is the fact that there is no hard evidence that another country is trying to start a war with the United States of America. The president tells Tom to go to DEFCON 1 and issue a War Warning to all commands worldwide. Tom says, “We have no evidence of that, Sir,” (Strieber 28). The president thinks that the United States is under attack, but Tom is not so sure that it is one hundred percent accurate.
4) I have a connection with Tom in the book because he doesn’t want to issue a war warning for the United States of America. I would do the same thing if I was in Tom’s shoes because if you do not have hard evidence about another country declaring war with you, you should issue a war warning for no reason at all.
Matt Chambers
ReplyDelete2/16/15
Period 3
The Maze Runner
Thomas finds himself in a section of land surrounded by giant walls and a maze past the wall with out his memory. He is with many other boys around his age who are trying to survive in the glade when a girl comes up the lift unconscious.
I was surprised when thomas said he wanted to be a runner even though he knew the dangers of the grievers he could encounter because most people wouldn't want to run to where the grievers lived. I like this character because he wanted to do what most people would be very scared of doing.
Thomas is motivated by the urge to be a runner. Though he doesn't know what a runner really does. “‘I want to be a Runner.’... A Runner, Thomas thought. I don't even Know what that means (Dashner 35).” Thomas does what he can to prove that he can be a runner.
If I was in Thomas’ shoes I probably would have wanted to be a runner too to figure out a way out of the maze. I wouldn't like to have a problem that i couldn't help with especially if it involved my life.
Jeremy Glick
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Catching Fire by Suzanna Collins, Chapter 1-3
Writing #1
Katniss and Peeta are back in District 12, when President Snow visits Katniss and tells her she needs to convince everyone Peeta and her are in love. Then Katniss and Peeta start their victor’s tour around districts. Katniss hunts for her friend’s family because he can’t while he is working in the mines. I think this very noble because she is risking her life to hunt for his family. I like this character and what she did because she is a good friend and is very self-sufficient. At the beginning of the book she is motivated with protecting her friends and family. She is worried that President Snow might try to hurt them to attack her (psychologically). Katniss tries to explain her actions by saying, “’All I was doing was trying to keep Peeta and myself alive. Any act of rebellion was purely coincidental,’” (Collins). This shows that she is not trying to anger the Capital and was just trying to keep herself and her friends alive. If I was in Katniss’s position I too would have just tried to protect myself and my friends but I probably would have been more focused on myself.
Ben Armstrong
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2-16-15
The Eleventh Plague
By Jeff Hirsch Blog 1
Stephen is a 15-year-old boy that survived a deadly virus and a devastating world war. Now Stephen is left in a barren world with his injured Dad fighting for both of their lives. I like Stephen because he helps others even if it means putting his own life in danger. During a violent storm Stephen and his Dad freed some slaves even though it meant risking being caught by the sleeping slave traders. Stephen is able to survive in this hostile world because of advice from his late Grandfather. For instance when Stephen isn’t focused while fixing his shirt he thinks of one of his grandfathers old sayings. ‘“Pay attention to what you’re doing, Stephan. It doesn’t take a genius to concentrate,’ Echoed Stephen’s Grandfather” (Hirsch11). Stephen regained focus and finished stitching his shirt. Later on Stephen and his Dad don’t follow his Grandpa’s rule of not talking or approaching anyone new and this ultimately results in Stephen’s Dad being seriously injured from being chased by slave traders. If I was Stephen when the Dad decided to not follow Grandpa’s advice I would hold the Dad back and follow Grandpa’s advice because he had a lot more experience surviving in the world.