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.