The Long Gray Line

     Moving. Breathtaking. Revolutionary. I am only 41 pages into The Long Gray Line: From West Point to Vietnam and After-The Turbulent Odyssey of the Class of 1966 and the book has already pulled me in. To read this book you need to have background about what is going on in our country and our military in this time period. Hopefully the quick facts I give you will help. 

     The Long Gray Line refers to the men in our military and the traditions they uphold. General Douglas MacArthur referred to this in his last, and most famous speech at West Point, 'The Long Gray Line has never failed us. Were you to do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses thundering those magic words - Duty - Honor - Country." The cadets in the book arrive in '62 and graduate in '66, becoming the first class out of West Point to feel the full force of the Vietnam War. My grandfather was at West Point during this time. 

     My Papa is awesome. He graduated with the class of '66 and served in Vietnam at the end of the war. When the cheating scandal involving the class of '77 broke, he was appointed attorney to represent some of the accused cadets and defend them. He strongly felt as though West Point wasn't owning up the flaws of their system. He became a controversial figure on campus for defending them, and he and my grandmother were quickly uninvited to events, and shunned by fellow military officers that thought he was betraying the school and its ways. While at West Point, he was able to witness General MacArthur's speech. He is an amazing grandfather and I love knowing that he had an important part in history. 

     Page 509. Paragraph 2. I'm not there yet but I have already read it a million times, "Lincoln was now the most controversial figure at the academy for his public insistence that West Point had turned a blind eye to the full scope of the scandal." This is followed by a paragraph about my grandfather, Arthur F. Lincoln Jr. My grandfather is mentioned in the book only briefly, but plays an important role to the story. If he had not defended the cadets, they would have had a much harsher punishment. He gained respect from the cadets, but upset the academy for shedding a bad light on their ways. The light needed to be shed. I am proud. 

     This book follows the cadets of '66 through the academy, through the war, and into the years after. They have played such a huge role in our history and should still be respected and revered today. I am so grateful for the service they have given to our country. I am so grateful for the code they have held themselves to. I am so grateful that my grandfather has done what he felt was right.

 

Most Important Line from Allegiant

     I am now about a quarter of the way through Allegiant by Veronica Roth and I am in shock. SPOILER ALERT. There was a twist. Not just any twist, but a twist that puts all other twists to shame. The story has changed completely. It's like a different book. The characters emulated my feeling of disbelief. Everyone was hit hard by this secret.

     Page 124, "They would wait for the passage of time-for the generations to pass, for each one to produce more genetically healed humans. Or, as you currently know them...the Divergent."

     So that's the secret. The mystery has been solved. The Divergent aren't superhuman. Just normal. They are the closest to being complete genetic human beings. Every person who is not Divergent, is incomplete. They only have genes that make them one way. For example, Erudite members are smart, but incapable of compassion. Those NOT Divergent are damaged. Oh, how the tables have turned.

     Tris is special becasue she is whole. Pure. Exactly how any human should be. She is genetically "correct." This is not only a shock to her, but almost a let down. she expected Divergent to explain everything that she was and everything that she could be. She is also shocked to find that outside of the city, there is a compound of scientists who have been managing an experiment with those who are genetically unwhole in the city. This organization works for the US Government and has been watching the people of the city the whole time. The city has been used for containment.

     When I find out this information, I feel a stronger connection to the book becasue of the proper noun "The United Sates of America" that is used. This is a word familiar to me and changes my whole mindset of the story. The line above is very important becasue it finally reveals some of the truth to the reader and the characters. It is nice to know that the characters don't know anymore than the reader and that we are in this together.

     The picture below is of the compound where the genetic experiments are monitered. It is suppossed to be in the old Chicago O'Hare Airport.

Ben's Wish List

     I recently read the article "Texas boy, 9, starts 'bucket list' before blindness comes" from USA Today. The article is about a 9 year old boy named Ben from Texas who was born more than four months early and weighed only 1 pound 6 ounces at birth. He was born so early that his eyelids were still fused together. After many eye surgeries, Ben has been told that he will go blind soon. His parents have been encouraging him to learn how to read braille and to take in everything around him before he loses his sight completely.

     While Ben is upset about his impending vision loss, he is trying to make the most out of the time that he has left. He has created a wish list of things to see before he goes blind. Somethings on his list include: going to the Apple Store, seeing the Northern Lights, visiting London, Paris and Legoland. He wants to be able to experience things normal people would in their life time, in only a few months. Ben comes from a family of 8, so money is tight. To help pay for all of these trips, Ben's siblings have started selling baked goods and friends and family have pitched in with expenses. Occasionally, free tickets will show up on their doorstep from people who have heard their story, or museums and stores will open early and let them in free to give Ben the best experience possible.

     This story has a moral, miracles do happen, cliche, yet effective and very meaningful. A line from the article that represents this moral is, "'But when we look how far he's come and how many odds he's overcome and how amazing it is that he's even here, it gives us hope that maybe we'll pull off a few more miracles.'" This is Ben's mother talking about how many miracles have happened to them already, and how lucky they have been, considering the situation they are in. This story also shows how kind and generous people can be, as it states, "Friends and strangers have pitched in. On one occasion, tickets to an event showed up on the Pierces' doorstep." This quote from the article shows that people do care and are willing to take action. It also makes the reader of the article want to take action and help either Ben's family, or another family that is in need. 

Click here to read Ben's story.

Veronica Roth Biography

     Veronica Roth is the writer of Divergent, Insurgent and Allegiant, the three books in the Divergent book series and the books behind the movie Divergent. At 25, she is a very young author and has already had so much success. Roth was born in New York City, but is from Chicago. She graduated from Northwestern University with a bachelors degree in creative writing. Her maternal grandparents were concentration camp survivors during World War Two, but their religious convictions pushed Roth's mother away from it. Roth is now Christian. In 2011, Roth married photographer Nelson Fitch and they now reside in the Chicago area. 

     Divergent was written during winter break of Roth's senior year of college. By the end of her college career, the movie rights to the movie were already sold. Roth did not intend for the setting to be in a futuristic Chicago, but states: "I wrote the rough draft and I felt like it needed a more grounded sense of place, and I looked at the city I had described, which is all these trains constantly moving, and this lake marsh, and these rivers. And I realized that it was Chicago already, and it was just because that's the city I've known and loved the longest." Many critics have described the book as having a fast pace for the reader to follow, with Susan Dominus from The New York Times stating, "brisk pacing, lavish flights of imagination and writing that occasionally startles with fine detail." Divergent won Favorite book of 2011 in 2011's Goodreads Choice Awards. The sequel to the Divergent movie, Insurgent is set to be released on March 20, 2015.

The video below is Veronica Roth talking about the Divergent movie:

Column by Krista Ramsey

     In this column by Krista Ramsey, we are told the miraculous story of a young couple and their amazing, different family. Ryan Craig and his wife, Megan Annis, decided to adopt Ryan's shy, poorly cared for twin half sisters after his mother passed away. Click here to read Ryan and Megan's amazing story!

     The column is very informative, but there was one line that definitely elevated the piece to the next level. "Then the smooth path got rough." This line stands out while reading the column not only because it is a line all to itself and is not part of a paragraph, but also because it is a relatable line that readers can connect to. Everyone inevitably will have a point in their lives where things aren't going like they had planned. This line is also important because it changes the tone of the story from happy to dreadful, and is a gateway into the heart of the story. Because the line is placed by itself it creates suspense and intrigues the reader, making them more likely to keep reading. This line is a great example of a metaphor, comparing life to a path that can be changed and broken along the way. The diction is very simple, but effective, as this article is meant to connect to everyone.

     Ms. Ramsey's writing style is very simple, down to earth and relatable. In the article "For Better Vision, Kids Need Time Outdoors" Krista starts her column off by saying,"You see it all the time. Your teenager at the dinner table, waiting for his checkup at the orthodontist’s office, sauntering to his car – continually hunched over his smartphone or iPad." This line is very relatable because we see happening everyday and as a teenager,we hear our parents say this all the time. Again, she doesn't use elevated diction, but her articles are still very well planned out and enjoyable to ready. In her article "Super Bowl QBs Score Points for Great Style" Ramsey adds in a quote that really makes the audience connect to the story. She quotes Russell Wilson's mother saying, “My husband always told the boys if there’s any kind of business situation, wear a suit and wear a tie.” Many families can relate to a story of a child getting advice from an important adult in their life. This quote adds a personal touch to the piece and also shows another side of an important sports figure, such as Russell Wilson. It makes Russell seem more approachable. In the article about Ryan and Megan, Krista adds in this quote from Megan, "We realized we're a lot stronger than we thought, and that you can make it through anything – that's our family motto." This quote also helps the audience connect to the story. Every person goes through a period of hard times and comes out stronger. It's just human nature to fight back and try to make the best with what we have.

     If I had the opportunity to ask Ms. Ramsey some questions I would definitely have a list of them. Just a few are: Where do you find your stories? What is the craziest place you have ever had to be to get information for an article? What do you like best about being a reporter? Where did you go to college? How do you make sure all of your articles are relatable?

The Most Important Line From Chapter 10: Allegiant

     The most important line from chapter ten in Allegiant is, "...and the city disappears into the darkness." This line is at the end of the chapter and is very important becasue it signals the journey that is about to begin, and the one that is ending. Tris and Four are leaving the city to go outside of the walls and try to find out what's out there and why the people of the factions have always been stuck in the city. The city fading behind them signals their departure and a new adventure that is about to begin outside of the walls and the safety of the city. This line also signals the end of their journey in the city. They don't know if they will ever be coming back and they have accomplished so much already. They have defeated Jeanine and been able to stay together and save alot of divergent in the process. The darkness the city fades into represents how in the dark they are about what is ahead of them in the world outside.

     From this line on, I predict that Tris and Four will face many obstacles, but will be happy to leave behind all of the bad memories they have from the city. They try to start new outside of the city and will help each other survive many different ordeals. Ultimately, I think they will have to return to the city at some point to deal with Evelyn, but that they will love it so much outside of the city, they will end up living there. I am excited to keep reading and to see the characters out of their elements in a whole new setting.

A picture of a potential map of Chicago in the Divergent book.

    

Text to Text, Self and World in Allegiant

     I just started reading Allegiant, the last book in the Divergent series, and so far it has been really enjoyable. As I have been reading I have made some connections to the text that have helped me understand the story better and become more involved in the storyline.

     Text to Text Connection: Allegiant is very similar to Hunger Games because it is set in a dystopian, futuristic society, where its citizens are separated from each other. The districts in Hunger Games all contribute to the society in different ways (coal, fish, lumber). The factions in Allegiant all contribute something different as well. Dauntless are predominately soldiers, Erudite are teachers, researchers and doctors, Amity are mainly farmers, Abnegation are usually government leaders and Candor are judges. Both societies also have cruel leaders and decision makers, making life difficult for the main characters.

     Text to Self Connection: In this book I see some of myself in Tris. She feels as though she needs to do everything and try to help everyone. She is usually seen very stressed out because of the pressure she is under. She is different from me though because she has a hard time trusting people and she can make very hasty, unwise decisions. I also see myself in Christina, who is very caring and strong. She is quick to trust people, but can hold grudges. She will eventually forgive though and she is honesty, although not brutally honest like her Candor family.

     Text to World Connection: The people of the factions recently overthrew Jeanine Matthews, the dictator who had taken over. The people in the Ukraine also recently overthrew their government because they weren't happy with how the responsibilities of the country were being handled. People revolting against their unfit governments is a common thing to see through out history.

     I hope as I continue to read I can make more connections. I encourage everyone to read this book series!

Ukraine president arrest warrant issued.