Hechinger's Field Guide to Ethic Stereotypes Non Fiction Synthesis Page

"The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" Reading Response

            The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams is a book about the adventures of a group of friends as they travel throughout the universe.  Arthur Dent is a man from Earth, which has recently been destroyed to make way for an inter-galactic highway.  Zaphod Beeblebrox is the ex-president of the universe, who cut himself off from parts of his brain, which now controls his destiny, unbeknownst to himself and others.  Trillian, or Tricia McMillan as she was formally known as, is also from Earth.  Ford Prefect is a writer for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a book which informs people about the innumerable parts of the universe, even though it is not always correct.  The last member of their group is Marvin, a very depressed android.  Through the adventures of the group, Adams teaches the readers about how justice is served in our world.

            Justice, according to Adams, isn't always served.  One example of this is how, in the book, Zaphod Beeblebrox locked off part of his brain, but that part of his brain made plans, and now he has to follow these plans, even though he doesn't want to, and doesn't even know what these plans are and doesn't want to know.  According to the book, Zaphod says, “‘I don’t know what this great thing I’m meant to be doing is, and it looks to me as if I was supposed to not know.  And I resent that, right?  The old me knew.  The old me cared.  Fine, so far so good.  Except that the old me cared so much that he actually got inside his own brain-my own brain- and locked off the bits that knew and cared, because if I knew and cared I wouldn't be able to do it…. But this former self of mine killed himself off, didn't he, by changing my brain.’” The injustice here is that Zaphod has no idea what he must do next, and doesn't know what these “plans” that his brain made are.  You’d think that this injustice would somehow be served with some sort of justice, but, in the book, there is no justice served.  Zaphod is at the whim and mercy of his brain; even though he doesn't know what his brain wants him to do.  Even though his brain brings this injustice, Zaphod himself blocks justice, and is the only one who can bring is.  Justice could be served if Zapod could just unlock the parts of his brain that are locked to him, and discover what he’d been planning.  This injustice pulls the story line along and makes you wonder: what was Zaphod like before he locked his brain off?  Another example of how Adams shows this is through the dying-out of the original Earth species.  According to the book, when Earth was first created, it was inhabited by life-forms that head naturally developed on Earth.  Then, a spaceship full of a different race of fully-developed aliens crash-landed on Earth, which caused Earth’s original inhabitants to start dying out.  You’d think that justice could be served by something terrible happening to the alien race, but no such justice is served.  Instead, no justice is served at all, and the original Earth species continues to die out while the alien one thrives.  This shows that Adams believes that justice is not always served.

            Justice is not always served, if ever, in the way that you expect it to be.  An injustice that shows this is revealed to the reader during a conversation between a man named Roosta, a colleague of the former self of Zaphod Beeblebrox, and Zaphod himself.  According to the book, “‘Beeblebrox,’ he said, sticking his hands behind his head, ‘have you any idea what’s going to happen to you on the Frogstar? … They’re going to feed you’ said Roosta, into the Total Perspective Vortex….You can kill a man, destroy his body, break his spirit, but only the Total Perspective Vortex can annihilate a man’s soul.  The treatment lasts seconds, but the effects last the rest of your life!’… ‘Any idea why these guys want to do this to me?’… ‘They believe that it will be the best way of destroying you for ever.  They know what you’re after… You want to meet the man who rules the Universe.’” The injustice shown in this quote is the fact that “these guys”, whose identity is unknown, want to destroy Zaphod Beeblebrox’s soul just because his former self made plans to find the real person who controls the universe, and now his current self has to follow through with those plans, regardless of whether or not he wants to.  You’d expect that in order for justice to be served here, something bad would have to happen to the people who want Zaphod’s soul destroyed, but this is not how justice is served here.  Instead, justice is served because Zaphod escapes and is taken to see the man who controls the universe.  The people who block justice here are the people who want Zaphod’s soul destroyed, and, surprisingly, it is Zaphod’s former self who brings justice by making the plans for Zaphod to escape and see the man who controls the universe.  Yet, Zaphod’s former self not only brings justice, but blocks it in a way because the current Zaphod had no idea of the plans he’d made and only got into this mess in the first place because of those plans.  Another example of how justice isn't always served in the way that you expect it to be is when Zaphod and the others leave a restaurant without paying by writing someone else’s name on their bill, therefore making someone else pay for their food, and then stealing a spacecraft.  You’d think that the justice served for this wouldn't be very severe.  You’d be wrong.  In an unexpected turn of events, that spacecraft turns out to belong to the same person who had to pay their bill, and is scheduled to crash into a sun.  Even though they will die, the owners of the spacecraft won’t rescue them, forcing them to stay in the spacecraft and die.  This seems very extreme, but it is the justice that gets served to them.  This shows how Adams believes that justice isn't always served in the way that you expect is to be.

            As you can see, Douglas Adams had several views on justice.  He believed that justice is not always served, and when it is, it’s not always served in the way that you expected it to be.  We can apply these views to our own lives.  They help us realize that life isn't always fair, and they teach us that life is unpredictable.  This can go a long way in helping people, especially kids, prepare for the world outside.

The Restaurant at the End of the Universe Synthesis Page

The Rise of Nine Inquiry Questions Reading Response

*! Spoiler Alert!*

            The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore is the third book in a series about a group of aliens from the planet Lorien fighting for the survival of their race.  The book starts off just after the second book, and is set on Earth.  The remaining people of the Lorien species, or Garde as they are called, were given the numbers One through Ten, and could only be killed in order of their numbers because of a charm placed over them.  Then, the charm was broken, so that now the other alien race that wants desperately to kill them, the Mogadorians, are hunting them down, more than ever.  The first three Garde were killed and the Garde featured in this book is, Four, also known as John; Six; Seven, also known as Marina; Eight; Nine; and Ten, also known as Ella.  Each of the Garde was given a set of Legacies, or powers, which helps them in their fight against the Mogadorians.  The character Setrakus Ra, the leader of the Mogadorians, Sarah Hart, who is Four’s human girlfriend, and Four’s human friend Sam are also in the book.  In this book, the author uses the text to convey his ideas and feeling about the world around us through the difficult and complex events in the text.

            One way the author uses the text to convey his ideas and feelings about the world around us is through the difficult and complex things that happen in the text.  The main difficult or complex event in the book is the fact that the remaining Loric are being hunted down and killed by the Mogadorians.  According to the text, “After Numbers One, Two, and three died, only six of us remained.  With Ella, we number seven….Setrakus Ra’s arrival was a sign that the Mogadorians understood we were a threat, and we should expect them to step up their campaign to kill us.”  This shows us how close to extinction the Loric race is.  The fact that they are the protagonists of this story, and that it’s told from their point of view, shows the readers that the author wants you to be rooting for them, the Loric.  All of this shows the readers that, with the killing of an entire race, a deep and complex issue of this book is genocide.  To further support this, in a moment of anger when she has been captured, Six yells at one of her captor’s, “Did they tell you what they do when they find other life sustaining planets?  I’ll tell you what they do.  They destroy them,’….”  This shows the readers how the Mogadorian’s blood thirst does not only extent to the Loric, but to every species in existence.  Since genocide, which is murder of an entire race, is the issue here, then the opinion expressed by the author is very clear.  The author, Pittacus Lore, wants to convey to his readers that killing, and all that comes with it, including war, is terrible, and should be avoided and stopped.

            As said before, the author uses the text to convey his feelings and ideas about the world around us through the complex and difficult things that are happening in the text.  It was revealed to us in the first book of the series, that the cause for the Mogadorians killing almost all of the Loric, except for Ten, was the fact that their planet was dying, and so they wanted to use Lorien’s rich resources.  It was further revealed to us that after the Mogadorians kill the remaining Loric, they are going to wipe out Earth’s inhabitants and use the planet as a place to live on.  This reveals the author’s opinions on a new topic, environmental preservation.  Further evidence of the author’s preservation opinions is shown in the quote “‘Eight! What do you think you’re doing?’ I yelled, alarmed. ‘Do you remember where we are? This is a sacred, historic, ancient place! You can’t just kick rocks around! Put them back where they were!’”  This is a quote of Seven yelling at Eight because he was moving stones around in Stonehenge with telekinesis, one of his Legacies, without placing them back in their proper positions.  This shows to the readers that not only does the author have strong opinions about environmental preservation, but he also has strong opinions about historical landmark preservation.  Since environmental issues are at the base of the murder of the Loric, and without this issue it would never have happened, it shows the reader that the author believes that we need to try to help stop the Earth’s environment from deteriorating before it becomes inhabitable.  This also leads us to the author’s opinion on historic landmark preservation.  Based off the evidence, you can see that the author believes that we need to preserve historic landmarks before it’s too late and they get destroyed.  All of this show you the author’s strong opinions expressed through the text of his book.

            As you can see, the author’s strong opinions on killing and preservation are expressed through his book, The Rise of Nine, through the events in the text.  Personally I agree with his opinions and think that we should listen to them.  They are a good model for what we should do in the future.  We need to preserve our history, our home, and protect ourselves by not resorting to violence.

The Power Of Six Synthesis Page

Argument Essay: Should YA Books Be Banned Or Limited?

            In America, we have many rights, such as freedom of speech and the right to vote, but do we have the right to read what we want to read, regardless of its content?  This question has sparked much debate about what books young adults can and cannot read.  These days, young adult fiction has too much dark content in it, and that it is too grotesque, horrifying, and mature for teenagers.  They even say that these books should be limited, or even banned.  Despite the fact that young adult fiction can be dark and disconcerting, it still should not be limited to anyone.

            People don’t read young adult fiction because it’s dark; they read it for other reasons.  According to the article, “Has young adult fiction become too dark?” by Mary Elizabeth Williams, “We read, as teens do now, to be moved, to fall in love with the characters, and to sometimes just explore the things that scared and fascinated us.”  This quote shows us how when teens read, it might be to look at the scary or interesting things in the world.  But it might also be for the same reasons that others read for, the story line.  People read to immerse themselves in the characters of that book, and its plot, which may so happen to have gruesome details.  Teens want to fall into a different world and be a part of it.  Teens want to read to be pushed, provoked and moved by the book that they’re reading.  According to the article, “Teen fiction plots are darker and starker” by William Porter, “‘Adults are discovering these books…The writing is for more literary.’”  This shows us that YA fiction is read not only so that teens can be immersed in another world, but also because it is good literature.  Teens should be exposed to sophisticated and quality writing and YA fiction allows that to happen.   Adults are even reading YA books because the writing in these books is greater than the writing in adult books.  All of this shows that YA books are not read for their dark content, but they are read because they are good writing and because they are like gateways to other worlds, and this is no reason to ban or limit them.

            The monstrosity in YA fiction is already in many teens lives, so reading about it isn’t bad for them as many claim.  In fact, according to the article “Teen fiction plots are darker and starker” by William Porter, when referring to teens, Shelly Wilhelm, a book seller in Denver, Colorado says, “As kids, they want fantasy, but when they’re teens, they want more realistic and darker books because they’re struggling with those issues and ideas.’”  Teens read these books because they don’t want fluffy books that gloss over real issues any more.  When teens read fantasy as kids, they aren't facing the real world, but as teens, when they read YA fiction, they’re saying that they are ready to face the world that they live in, and that they are acknowledging the real terror that exists in their own lives.  Reading about obscene topics isn't bad for teens, it’s just the opposite, it helps them face the reality of the evil in their own life.  According to the article, “Why the Best Kids Books are Written in Blood” by Sherman Alexie, he said, “I have visited dozens of high schools, rich and poor, private and public, integrated and segregated, absolutely safe and fearfully dangerous – and have heard hundreds of stories that are individually tragic and collectively agonizing.”  This quote shows how teens experience tragic and horrifying things in their lives.  Tragic and horrifying things can also be found in YA books, so why should they be limited when they are already apparent in teens’ lives.  Why should books with violence and other disturbing topics be banned when these topics are already in teens lives?  There’s no point, because they’re already there, so it won’t hurt them.

            The darkness that is in YA fiction lets readers explore is without experiencing it.  In support of this, the article “Teen fiction plots are darker and starker” by William Porter says, “’It takes this fearful thing and makes it approachable’… ‘Teens can explore these themes, and use them to deal with issues in their own lives,’” YA books let teens look at the scary things in life, without coming in contact with them, because they’re not really there, they are in the book.  These horrible situations that can come up in YA books lets the teens learn and grow from them.  YA books can make the scariest things easy to read, so that this way, at least teens know about these horrors and are prepared for them.  It lets teens see the darkness, without letting them go near it.  Also according to “:Teen fiction plots are darker and starker,” by William Porter, “When you feel the world is broken, as an author you create an alternate world to try and fix it’ … ‘it’s a way of grappling with the present but through a different lens.’”  This quote shows that not only are YA books a way for teens to explore the darkness of the world, but they are a way for authors to exploit the world’s horrors.  Through writing about this darkness, it helps authors better understand the world around them.  When teens read this book that was a journey of exploring and dealing with the darkness of the world, it becomes a journey for them as well.  A journey of discovering and dealing with the darkness of YA books.  This is good for teens because it prepares them for the outside world.  Also, YA books are a way for authors to express their opinions about the world and allows readers to explore that view and opinions in depth.

            However, some people believe that YA books are too depraved and grim for teens and should be limited.  According to the article, “Darkness too Visible” by Meghan Cox Gurdon, “If you think it matters what is inside a young person’s mind, surely it is of consequence what he reads…. Adolescence is brief; it comes to each of us only once…”  This shows us how YA books take way a teen’s innocence and turns them into adults too early.  In truth, this innocence that she talks about is harmful to teens.  The longer they are innocent, the less prepared for the real world they are.  Teens need to know that the adult world, and sometimes even their own world, can be ominous and horrifying, just like some YA books.  In fact, some say that the harsh, cruel world of YA books can be an opening for parents to talk with their teens about horrifying topics, both in and out of YA books.  “Darkness too Visible” also quotes several adults, such as “Amy Freeman, a 46-year-old mother of three” and “Veteran children’s bookseller Jewell Stoddard” who say things such as “there was… ‘nothing, not a thing I could imagine giving my daughter.  It was all vampires and suicide and self-mutilation, this dark, dark stuff.’” and “younger publishers… ‘are used to videogames and TV and really violent movies and they love that stuff.  So they think that every 12 year old is going to love that stuff and not be affected by it.  And I don’t think that’s possible.’” These quotes show how even adults, parents too, think that YA books are too menacing for teens.  Also, adults, parents especially, know what’s best for kids and teens, so it they think that if it’s too menacing, then it should be limited or banned.  The problem with this argument is that though out “Darkness too Visible,” the author doesn't quote or show the teen’s perspective.  This leaves out the perspective of the people reading these books.  Adults aren't teens, so how can they know what’s best for or too dark for teens.  Teens are teens, and only they know what’s best for them.

            As you can clearly see, there are many reasons why YA books should not be limited or banned for anyone.  YA books aren't read because they are dark or horrifying; they are read for other reasons.  Many teens already have darkness in their lives, so protecting them from it by not allowing them to read dark YA books is pointless.  Teens can explore this darkness through YA books, without coming in contact with it.  People think that young adult books are just too adult for teenagers, but that’s just not the case.  These are young adults reading these books, and they are adult enough to deal with the dark and terrifying subjects featured in these books.  If you couldn’t read your favorite books that were challenged or banned, how would you have been affected?  All of these moving, life changing books would be gone.  What would you have lost if you had never read one of your favorite books that was banned or challenged?

"I Am Number Four" Reading Response

              Why do we lie? What are the results of these lies? Throughout “I am Number four” by Pitticus Love, many lies are told and revealed. “I am Number Four” is the story of a teenage boy who’s really an alien from the planet Lorien. There was a war on Lorien against the Mogadorins. All of the Lorics were wiped out except for 18 of them, who were organized into 9 pairs, each made up of a mentor and a Loric child who would one day get powers. Each child was given a number, and can only be killed in order of their numbers. The protagonist of the book is number four, and the Mogadorians, who have already killed numbers 1 – 3, are hunting him down. Because of this, number four and his mentor, also called a Cepan, must constantly change identities, and run at the first sign of trouble. For the majority of the book, Four is called John and his Cepan is called Henri. This leads to many lies. In “I am Number Four” the theme of the book is lies.
             Sometimes lies are necessary, and “I Am Number Four” proves that very well. At one point in the book, John, also known as Number Four, has a confrontation with the school’s bully, Mark James, in front of John’s crush and Mark’s Ex, Sarah Hart, ending with John fleeing. The next day, Sarah asks John about why he ran, and, according to the book, he responds, “I have really bad asthma. For some reason I had an attack yesterday.’ I say, and feel regret at having to lie.” This is a perfect example of a necessary lie. In truth, John was developing his first power, also called a legacy, and couldn’t let anyone see lest they find out that he’s an alien. If John had told the truth, Sarah might laugh at him and think he was weird, embarrassing himself in front of her. Or worse, he would get locked in a mental facility or be poked and prodded by scientists. This would be an extreme loss to the survival of the Loric race. Either way, this lie was necessary for John’s survival. During another point in the book, John’s Cepan, Henri, who is posing as John’s dad, gets captured by some crazy conspiracy theorists, who think that as an alien, Henri wants to kill them. John can’t get to Henri by himself, so he asks his only friend, Sam Goode, for help. At the same time, he can’t tell Sam who he really is, so according to the book, he says, “My dad’s been captured Sam. I’m not entirely sure by who, or what is being done to him. But, something has happened, and I think he’s being held prisoner. Or worse.’” By not telling Sam who Henri and John actually are, and by not telling him why Henri was captured, John is lying to Sam, but this lie was necessary, because without it, John wouldn’t have been able to find or rescue Henri. This would have caused Herni to die, leaving John like a sitting duck just waiting for the Mogadonians to kill him. In this way, the lie saved Henri’s life and in turn, John’s life. All of this relates back to lies, and how imperative they can be.
                 Many lies, though, come to no good. “I Am Number Four” shows this very well. In the beginning of the book, John must flee Florida and assume a new identity. In the book, when this happens he thinks, “Another new identity, another new school. I’ve lost track of how many there have been over the years. Twenty?” This quote shows how John has been on the run and had to change identities. John lies to everybody about who he really is. While this lie may be understandable and necessary to his survival, that doesn’t make it right. This is a huge lie that has a big effect in the book. Because of this lie, John’s enemies come to his school and many people, including his friends, get hurt, even killed. Also, in the book, there is a fire, and John, who is impervious to fire, goes into rescue Sarah and jumps out of the window of the burning building. Unfortunately, his actions were videotaped, and he later sees this video. According to the book, when he sees the video, he things, “Her face is just a obvious as mine in that video, which puts her in just as much danger as me.” John had lied to Henri about the fact that he had gone into a burning house to rescue Sarah, just so that he wouldn’t have to leave her and take on a new identity. If he had told Henri, they would both have left the state by now and wouldn’t be there when the Mogadonrians came. But instead, he lied and they stayed there, putting Jon, Henri, Sarah and all of their friends into a tremendous amount of danger, which, ultimately can lead to no good. All in all, no good can come of lying.
                 In conclusion, “I am Number four” centers on lying and its effects. But the book’s reaction to lying is something that you can take away from, and apply to your own life. Remember, that while at the time a little lie, can seem necessary and unavoidable, it may just be the pebble that starts the avalanche.

2nd Synthesis Page: I Am Number Four

Critical Analysis 1

                In “Has young adult fiction become too dark?” by Mary Elizabeth Williams, Williams wants readers to know that the article “Darkness Too Visible” by Meghan Cox Gurdon was a unsupported article, that YA books are good for teens, and therefore should not be filtered.  One example she gives is how Gurdon does not acknowledge teens view of YA books, and, as a result, Gurdon does not give readers a full view of how YA books are seen.  Also, Williams examines and picks apart Gurdon’s argument.  For example, she says how readers have yet of the horrible things that characters in some YA fiction books do, unlike Gurdon, who says that readers are influenced by these characters.  Finally, she quotes teens to show how much they love YA fiction.  All of these examples show how Gurdon’s argument is flimsy and how YA books shouldn’t be banned.

                Williams want readers to think that Gurdon’s argument was stupid, and wants readers to feel proud of teens, who read and deal with the darkness that is apparently in YA fiction every day.  One way Williams does this is by using language that makes Gurdon’s argument seem petty.  For example, in the article, when Williams is talking about the “darkness” in YA books, she says, “Is there really a problem here, besides, perhaps, the offence to Gurdon’s sensibilities?”  This makes the readers think that Gurdon is just this sensitive little lady, who just wants to argue about something.  Williams also shows examples of how teens feel about YA fiction.  For example, Williams quotes a teen blogger who, when responding to Gurdon about her article, and talking about YA books says that, “ ‘ Good literature rips open all the private parts of us-the parts people like you have deemed too dark, inappropriate, grotesque or abnormal for teens to be feeling…”  This quote makes readers feel proud of this teen for standing up and defending YA literature.  It also makes readers feel proud of all teens because they deal, feel, and read all of this dark stuff.

                After reading Williams article, I agree with her that YA books should not be censored, and that Gurdon’s argument made no sense.   Williams picks apart Gurdon’s argument, showing me its flaws.  This showed me that Gurdon’s argument had no support, and that it didn’t make sense.  Also, Williams quotes teens, which is something that Gurdon does not do, and uses this to show us how YA books are loved by those who read them.  This fully convinced me that YA books should not be limited or banned in any way.

Non Fiction Synthesis Page 1

"Lirael" Reading Response

          What changes you and drives you to do things?  Over the course of Lireal, by Garth Nix, the characters are changed.  Lirael is about a girl, named Lirael, who is one of the Clayr, and who goes on a journey with her friend, the Disreputable Dog.  The Clayr are a society, made up mostly of women, who can see into the future.  Those who come of age get the Sight, which lets them see the future.  Lirael is the only one who still doesn’t have the Sight even 4 years after she’s come of age.  This book is one of a trilogy about the world of the Abhorsen, a person who lays the Dead to rest.  In Lirael, loneliness and friendship change her and are her driving forces.

            Lirael’s loneliness is her driving force, and it changes her.  In the beginning of the book, Lirael is so lonely that she decides to kill herself.  According to the book, “If she killed herself, Lirael reasoned, she wouldn’t have to watch girls increasingly younger than herself gaining the Sight…And she wouldn’t have to put up with the Clayr who looked at her with pity.  The ones who always stopped and asked how she was.  As if mere words could describe how she felt.  Or as if even if she had the works, Lirael could tell them what it was like to be fourteen and without the sight.”  At this point in the story, Lirael is so lonely that it is driving her to suicide.  She doesn’t feel accepted, she feels like an outsider, all alone, and so she is driven to try to commit suicide.  Lirael does not succeed in killing herself, but she is still so lonely and feels so unaccepted that five years later when she’s nineteen, she hardly speaks.  According to Lirael, “In the last few years, she had rarely said more than ten words in a row, and often she would not speak to other humans for days at a time….All she knew was that talking to the Clayr reminded her of all the things she couldn’t talk about.  The Clayr’s conversations would always return to the Sight, the central focus of their lives.  By not speaking, Lirael was simply protecting herself from pain….” Lirael has been changed by her loneliness by becoming more and more cut-off from other people, and more and more lonely.  She has become more and more silent, a sign of how loneliness changed her.  Both of these quotes show how much Lirael has been driven and changed by her loneliness.

            Lirael’s friendship with the Disreputable Dog changes her and is a driving force in her life.  Lirael accidently creates the Disreputable Dog, or, as she is sometimes called, the Dog, from a statuette that she finds.  While Liral’s loneliness amongst the Clayr causes her not to speak around them, her friendship with the Dog causes the opposite.  According to the book, “Of course the Clayr didn’t know that Lirael’s silence was more than made up for in her conversations with the Dog, with whom she would talk for hours.”  This shows how Lirael’s friendship has changed her from being non-talkative and cut-off from others to someone who will talk without end to her friend, the Dog.  The Dog’s friendship has opened Lirael up and made her see why life is worth living.  This connects with the next quote, which talks about how Lirael is exploring a secret room in the Clayr’s vast library and she feels like giving up. They come across an inanimate guard who tests Lirael to see if she’s a Clayr and almost kills her.  According to the book, “‘Am I a Daughter of the Clayr?’ whispered Lirael, tears starting in her eyes…. ‘…It knew I’m not a Clayr, and it was going to kill me.’ ‘But it didn’t, because you are a Clayr, idiot,’ said the Dog, quite gently.  ‘You’ve seen the hunting dogs, how every now and then one will be born with floppy ears or have a brown back instead of gold.  They’re still part of the pack.  You’re just a floppy ear.’”  Spoken like a true friend.  The Dog is comforting Lirael, and telling her that she does belong, that she is a Clayr.  If Lirael was alone, she wouldn’t have even made it this far.  But her friend, the Dog, encouraged and supported her, and because of this Lirael doesn’t give up, but instead, perseveres.  Her friendship with the Dog drives her on.  Both of these quotes connect back to the claim.  They show how because of the Dog’s friendship with Lirael, she becomes more open and talkative towards the Dog, instead of continuing with her closed ways.  Lirael’s friendship with the Dog drives her to become more courageous and to persevere.

            As you can see, Lirael’s friendship and loneliness are what change her and are a driving force in her life.  But, friendship and loneliness are not only a driving and changing force for fictional characters, but for real people as well.  Whether or not you have friends, and who your friends are is a defining point in your life.  They affect you and who you will be in the future.

1st Synthesis Page: Lirael

Baseline Argumentative Essay

             Be careful what you post online, because it’s there to stay.  According to “Guess Who’s Looking at Your Facebook Page?” by Alessandra Potenza,  more and more often as we head into an age where most things are digitized, bosses and schools now look up current and potential applicants online, especially on social media.  Some people say that employers and schools should be allowed to do this because it lets schools and jobs vet out applicants who wouldn't be good for their program, and it also is your own fault if they see something they don’t like.  Others say that when schools and jobs do this it’s unfair because things that you have done years ago can come back up online.  Over the course of this essay you will see why potential and current schools and jobs should be allowed to look up current or potential students or employees online.

            In the internet age on most social networks there are privacy settings so that only certain people can see what you do or don’t post.  This is important because you have control over who sees what, so if a prospective employer or school happens to look you up on Facebook or Twitter, it’s your own fault if they see something that they don’t like.  Some argue that colleges and businesses don’t have time to look up everyone who applies online, but according to Upfront magazine, “Nevertheless, many guidance counselors are urging students to… review their social media profiles, remove inappropriate photos, and boost privacy settings.”  This shows that you and only you have the ability to control what people see of you online.  Also, many people don’t control what others get to see, so if jobs or schools see something they don’t like, don’t complain.  They did nothing wrong, so it is not unfair if you don’t get the job or school.  It’s your fault for not boosting you privacy settings.  This connects with what Emma Sullivan, a woman who was punished for tweeting offensively about a governor.  Ms. Sullivan said, “Your tweets and your Facebook posts and whatever other social media you have is really out there…. It’s out there permanently, it’s out there for everyone to see.”  This really brings home the idea that everything is public.  There’s no privacy, so be careful what you do online.  Taken as a whole, all of this evidence connects back to the fact that it is not ethically wrong for prospective employers or college to look you up online.

            This relates to the next point of the essay.  If you are not a good fit or responsible enough for this prospective job or college, why should you get in over someone else who’s more deserving?  Prospective employers and schools could use social media to vet prospective employees or students.  According to “Guess Who’s Looking at Your Facebook Page?” by Alessandra Potenza, not many students get looked up online, but those who do have good reason to , and those “Web searches have turned up cases of plagiarism…. And even accusations of assaults that counselors and teachers didn't feel comfortable talking about to admissions officers….”  This shows that not everything about people is told, so a search on social media can turn up a lot, and can also be very helpful to vet out the undesirables who shouldn't get the job or acceptance into the college.  Not only what you do, but also how you present yourself on the internet makes a big impact and effect on people when they look you up online.  According to the article, “ ‘It’s important to make sure that you present yourself in a professional manner on your social networking site if you’re looking for a job.’ ” If you aren’t professional online, how will potential employers know if you’ll be professional offline and in a workplace.  They won’t.  All in all, this connects back to the claim because if potential schools or bosses can’t look you up online, they can’t vet people to see who would work best in their school or work environment, and if they do, part of social networks is acting professional online so that potential colleges and bosses see you at your best.

            Despite all of this, some argue it is unfair for potential bosses or schools to look at their profiles or look them up online because things that they posted or did years ago could come up and give them a gad image.  This happened to one girl names Emma Sullivan.  According to the article, “a tweet she wrote regarding then-Governor Sam Brownback of Kansas almost got her a disciplinary action because her principal deemed it offensive.  Two years later, the incident is still all over the Internet if you Google her name. And she worries it might affect her chances of getting a job.”  People who say that it isn’t right for bosses or schools to look at them online say that this shows how one small comment can ruin your chances if bosses or schools look you up online.  To this, there is only one thing to say and that, according to the article, is “ ‘Think first, tweet later.’ ”  This effective quote shows and tells people that if you think there might be repercussions for what you post, always think before posting, and years later, you won’t have anything bad online that could ruin your chances at getting a job or getting into a school.

            As you have seen over the course of this essay, schools and jobs do have the right and reason to look up potential and current students and employees.  If they didn't do this, jobs and schools could be accepting even the most unqualified person.  Would you rather have your banker be someone who is irresponsible and gets too drunk on the weekend or is responsible and knows how to act properly?  If jobs and schools don’t look people up online, they couldn't know how responsible that person was or what they were like personally and don’t you need to know that before accepting someone?

            

"Faithful Elephants" Reading Response

Have you ever wondered what different story settings symbolized?  In “Faithful Elephants” the symbolism of the settings is a big part of the story.  “Faithful Elephants” by Yukio Tsuchiya is a story set in present day Japan at Ueno Zoo.  A zoo employee is telling the author a story of how once, during a war, the Japanese army forced the Ueno Zoo to kill all of their dangerous animals so they wouldn't escape and kill people.  In the employee’s story, just the elephants are left to kill.  Their names were John, Tonky and Wanly.  In the story the zoo employees must starve these three elephants.  In the end, the elephants die of starvation and the zoo keepers weep with sadness.  In “Faithful Elephants” by Yukio Tsuchiya, setting and what it symbolizes plays an important part in the author’s story and in the zoo keeper’s story.

The quotes about cherry blossoms in “Faithful Elephants” symbolize the moods of the different time periods in “Faithful Elephants.”  According to the beginning of the story, “The cherry blossoms are in full bloom at Ueno Zoo.  Their petals are falling in the soft breeze and sparkling in the sun.”  Here, the cherry blossoms symbolize the hope and happiness of the present.  On the other hand, in the end of the story, “He was still patting the tombstone tenderly as the cherry blossoms fell on the grave, like snowflakes.”  Here, the cherry blossoms symbolize and reflect the desolation and despair of the story just told, because the blossoms are compared to snowflakes, which are cold, and the monument is referred to as a tombstone, which makes it grimmer. The difference in how the cherry blossom petals are falling show a difference in mood from the beginning of the story to the end.  In the beginning, the cherry blossom petals “are falling in the soft breeze and sparkling in the sun.”  This gives the feeling of warmth and happiness, which is a strong contrast from the end, where “the cherry blossoms fall on the grave, like snowflakes.”  This on the other hand, gives the feeling of coldness and loneliness.  All of this reveals through the setting, the moods of the past and the present.

            The contrast in the tone of setting descriptions symbolizes to the readers how people feel.  In the beginning, according to the story, “Two elephants are outside performing their tricks for a lively audience.”  Here, the elephants and their lively audience in the present symbolize the happiness and excitement of the environment and its people.  This suggests that most people have forgotten the deaths at Ueno Zoo.  In contrast, according to the story, “Not far from the cheerful square, there stands a tombstone.  Not many notice this monument for the animals that have died at Ueno Zoo.  It is quiet and peaceful here, and the sun warms every corner.”  Here, the deserted monument referred to as a tombstone symbolizes how the animals that died here are mostly at peace, and supports the fact that most people have forgotten about their deaths at the zoo.  This sets the tone for the rest of the story.  The contrast here is so great, partly because the change in mood is so rapid.  First, the elephants are “performing their trick for a lively audience.”  The word “lively” suggests that there are many people here, and that they are excited and happy.  This is very different from the next scene, where it is “quiet and peaceful,” suggesting that there are not many people, and the tone is decidedly sad because the story refers to the monument as tombstone.  Overall, this reflects the feelings of people and their environment.

            The quotes in the story about the private and public settings of the zoo director’s office and the elephants’ cage symbolize and convey their social status.  In the elephants’ case, according to the story, “Over two weeks later, Tonky and Wanly were dead.  Both died leaning against the bars of their cage with their trunks stretched high in the air still trying to do their banzi trick for the people who once fed them.”  Here, the elephants’ cage symbolizes the prison where they are killed.  Yet, as their “trucks stretched high in the air” it represents the elephants attaining their freedom in death.  The cage symbolizes how the elephants are low on the totem pole.  The director of the zoo, however, works in a very different environment.  According to the story, “The director of the zoo just sat very still, biting his lip and gazing at the top of his desk.”  Here, the zoo director is sitting in an office.  This symbolizes comfort and a high status.  Yet, he is nervous, and this shows that he feels guilty about his comfort while the elephants are dying in a cage.  There is a great difference in the environment of the zoo director compared to that of the elephants.  The zoo director’s desk shows his comfort and high status in his life.  The elephants, however, live and die in a cage, which is probably very uncomfortable and prison like.  Also, the cage makes the elephant’s death very public, while a desk and office is a very private setting.  All in all, the different environments of the zoo director and the elephants show their comfort and social levels.

            As you can see in “Faithful Elephants,” setting plays a very important role.  The symbolism and contrast in the different settings show that even cherry blossoms have a different meaning.  This shows that even the smallest things in life often have a deeper meaning.  Most of the symbolism's in the setting have to do with the happiness in of the present and the sadness of the past.  This shows us that while the past may not always be pleasant, there is always hope for the future.

Summer Reading Response

                

                Code Name Pauline by Pearl Witherington Cornioley is an autobiographical account of one woman’s life.  The book centers on Pearl’s life as a secret agent in France during WWII.  Code Name Pauline was constructed from interviews with Pearl.  Code Name Pauline is about the unsung heroes of World War II.  These unsung heroes are firstly, women who, like Pearl, worked undercover in France, which had been invaded by Germany and the Nazis.  Secondly, some other unsung heroes are the Frenchmen who were part of the French resistance.

                Women who worked undercover in France during WWII were unsung heroes.  During WWII France was basically the battle ground for all of the fighting.  Women risked their lives going undercover in France to fight the Nazis.  And yet, women weren't given the awards or recognition that men took for granted.  For example, in the book in order to get into France, you had to parachute in.  Women practiced twice before parachuting in, while men practiced parachute jumping three times.  At the end of the war, all of those who parachuted got medals.  You got wings with your medal if you parachuted, at minimum, four times.  This was done on purpose so that men got a level of honor that women couldn't achieve.

                Not only did women not get fully recognized for their contributions to WWII, but resistance fighters didn't either.  Resistance fighters were French men and women who weren't in the French army, but they were essential in the fight against the Nazis.  Because the resistance fighters weren't in the army, they didn't get the recognition they deserved.  An example of this is the fact that the army didn't recognize the resistance fighters as a real force that fought the Nazis.  According to Pearl, because of this at the end of the war, the resistance fighters got barely any money for their efforts, even though some of them lost everything they had because of what they did.  Pearl had to fight to get them money, and even then, she only got a little bit more money for a small portion of resistance fighters.

                In conclusion, Code Name Pearl is about the unsung heroes in France during WWII.  Some of these unsung heroes were, women who went undercover in the invaded France and risked their lives, yet because of their gender, they weren't respected.  Some other of these unsung heroes were the resistance fighters in France, who fought for their country, but weren't recognized by the army.  All in all, there were many unsung heroes in WWII.