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.

Book Review of Insurgent

 

Dauntless- The Brave

Abnegation- The Selfless 

Erudite- The Intelligent 

Amity- The Peaceful 

Candor- The Honest 

     Insurgent is the second book in the Divergent series. The book's main characters are Tris and Four. The beginning of this story starts where Divergent left off. Tris and Four are traveling to the faction Amity to seek refuge from the Erudite forces after them. They are both members of the Dauntless faction. They are being hunted because they were able to stop the simulation Erudite leader Jeanine had put in place to control all of the factions. Tris and Four are Divergent, meaning they could belong to more than one faction, and that is why they were and to stop the simulation and are considered dangerous. Jeanine wants to kill all of the Divergent's, because they will not fall under her control and will ruin her plan of having ultimate power. Tris is specifically dangerous to Jeanine because she could belong to three factions, where most Divergent's only have two they could be part of. Jeanine wants to study Tris and create a simulation that could control all people, Divergent or not.

     Tris and Four have to flee the Amity complex because of Erudite forces that eventually find them. They then run into Four's mother, Evelyn, who is the leader of the Factionless. The Factionless are people who failed to get into their factions and now don't have one. They then head to the Candor headquarters to form an alliance and seek refuge. The sides are now clear. Half of the Dauntless are siding with the Erudite and the other half are siding with the Candor, what's left of Abnegation and the Factionless. Amity is remaining neutral. Through out the book, both sides clash, trying to overthrow the other one and gain control. One side wants complete power and the other wants to restore things to the way they were. The book ends with a surprising finish that leads you into the third book, Allegiant. You will have to read the book to find out what happens!

     If you are a fan of The Hunger Games or any kind of futuristic story, you will enjoy this book. I strongly suggest you follow the order and read the first book first, because if not you will be very confused. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars because it was very action packed and the characters went through a lot of changes, but I had a big amount of time in between reading the first book and the second book, so there were parts I didn't really remember. The writing style was very creative and detailed. There were parts of the story where I thought one thing would happen, and then the opposite did. There was a lot of description and detail and it was very appropriate in a story as complicated as this one. There is a lot of irony in this book, making fun of the futuristic world. One example is when Uriah throws Zeke a "'Hey, you're not a dirty traitor!' celebration"(Roth 228). This is ironic because they are throwing him a party- a happy thing, in the middle of a war for such a small, unusual thing, like not being a traitor. Normally you wouldn't throw a party like this. This line in the book was one of my favorites, because it is an extremely smart detail to add in, and as I was reading this line, I started laughing at its humor. This book was a very fulfilling sequel to the first one and I am excited to read the third book. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!

 Take this quiz to see what faction you would be in!
   

   

Blog Reflection

Over the course of the trimester, I have come to gradually like my blog posts more and more. At the beginning of tri 2 I thought my post were something a 7th grader would be capable of writing, as they were all mainly reflections or focused on very basic ideas about my books. By the last few blogs of trimester 2 I was happy with how they were turning out. They were covering harder topics, digging deeper into the story and asking harder questions. I can definitely tell that I have grown as a writer and a reader over the past 12 weeks. 

My writing during the first few weeks of blogging was very broad, and didn’t focus on just one element from the text. This can be seen in my post Gone With The Wind Vocabulary. In this post I am talking about the vocabulary in the book, and how that affects the theme, the setting and the context of the story. I specifically state, “When vocabulary like this is used in the book, it makes the theme and context of the story make more sense. The setting of the book is in the South during the Civil War.” I go on to talk more about the setting, completely ignoring the theme and setting elements, and then at the end of the post I ask the reader, “Do you think vocabulary is important in a book? If so, what part of the story does it impact the most?” In my post, I didn’t narrow down the topic enough to ask this question. There is no evidence in my writing that vocabulary impacts either theme, the context of the story or the setting.

I really tried to improve my writing by narrowing down my focus and further developing the element that I chose. I think I show a more narrow focus in my post The Fire and The Whip. In this post I focused on only the symbolism of Scarlett and Rhett. I used my knowledge of the characters and evidence I got from the book to prove that Scarlett and Rhett were best fit to be represented by the objects I thought were most like them. In one line from the blog I state, “Rhett Butler is a whip. An item people don't like associating with or using, but they do anyway out of greed and necessity. He is the town scoundrel, disowned by his family and banned from the city of Charleston.” In this line I use my feelings about the character of Rhett and background knowledge to convey that I feel like he is a whip. I tie both elements into one main statement and focus on the idea that Rhett is a whip, instead of throwing in elements randomly and giving no explanation, as I did in the post about the vocabulary of the book. At the end of this post I ask the reader, “Do you believe these symbols are accurate? Do you have any others that would work?” These questions are a great way to get the reader involved because even if they haven’t read the story I have given them enough background knowledge and details in proving my symbols, that they should be able to answer these questions. I narrowed the focus down to symbolism and think I did a great job of digging deep into the text. This is one of my favorite posts! 

This trimester, I have read 5 books. Even though I am nowhere close to my goal of 20, I do feel like I have grown as reader. I have been choosing to read more challenging books, and have been analyzing them more closely as I read. While reading Gone With The Wind I have learned some new vocabulary, writing technique and character development that I know I will try to use in future writing. Through the story of Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler, I have learned more about the Civil War. I feel like I have expanded my mind just from reading and blogging and I would like to keep doing that next trimester!

The Many Faces of Scarlett O'Hara

Scarlett O'Hara is a southern belle no more. Throughout the story, she has become more and more similar to a woman of this time period. She runs her own buisness, lies, cheats and takes advantage of anyone that can help her further herself. She has shocked the people of Atlanta to the point of no return and she doesn't care.

At the beginning of the story, Scarlett is the most beautiful girl in the county, charming, fun and full of life. She thinks that the way southern women are supposed to act is ridiculous, as she has to act stupid and only focus on catching a husband. She is taught to act polite, interested and kind towards others and to be a true lady.

By the time Scarlett gets back to Tara after the seige in Atlanta, she has changed. Her only instinct is to survive. She doesn't care who she has to hurt or trick to get her way. After working hard on the fields Tara she swears she will never left her family starve again. During the war her mother died, and her father became almost insane with grief, forcing Scarlett to become the man of the house. When she gets back to Atlanta, she decides that she needs to have a buisness to be able to consistently send money back to Tara. This is strongly looked down upon in the late 1800s, becasue women are taught to not show their men up and to make their men feel as secure as possible in their manly ways.

This relates to today becasue it shows that women can be just as successful, if not more successful than men. Today alot of women are paid less then men for the same jobs. It is become a huge issue in our country, as we are still fighting for equality. Scarlett's story, along with so many others shows us that women are just as strong as men and can take care of themselves. It is almost like Scarlett is in the wrong time period. She is an example of a modern woman in this book and it is very inspiring to read.

The Fire and The Whip

In Gone With The Wind there are two main characters, Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. They both are very similar in personality, which is why they are attracted to each other. But there are some differences that set them apart. I have picked a symbol for each of them to represent their personalities and beliefs.

Scarlett: Fire. This is the first picture that pops into my head when I think of Scarlett O'Hara. Her name literally means red, and boy is that name appropriate for her. Scarlett, like fire, can put on a face of warmth and kindness when she wants. When its cold you want to sit be the fire, right? But she puts on these faces to hide her anger toward other people and her annoyance at people who don't have common sense and don't see reality. She has a quick temper and like fire can flare up any time. She hates people who are kind to her, but doesn't get along with Rhett, the only person who challenges her, making her a complex character to understand. She is hard to tame and burns brighter once she gets going. She does have moments of comfort though, like a fire's warmth, and she has common sense, like any person should have when they are around a fire. She has a big personality and challenges the image women have during her time period. She breaks a lot of stereotypes and doesn't care what others say about her. People respect, love, criticize, and hate her at the same time. She is definitely the perfect character to match with Rhett, as the relationship can get very tense because they are so alike.

Rhett: Rhett Butler is a whip. An item people don't like associating with or using, but they do anyway out of greed and necessity. He is the town scoundrel, disowned by his family and banned from the city of Charleston. During the war, his reputation gets worse, as he deals with the Yankees and makes millions that he is not willing to share with the rest of the South. The southern social life is what made him an outcast, so he has no problem seeing it fall after the war, much to the shock of the Southerners. Like a whip, he is witty, sharp and sarcastic with his tongue and can beat almost any one in a duel. He puts people in their place and speaks only common sense. He is the only man that sees through Scarlett and encourages her to be headstrong and not listen to others. The people of Atlanta still do business with him because they need money, but they hate him and want him gone. When a horse sees a whip, it is fairly content to stay moving and motivated, as it doesn't want the whip to be used. Much like a horse and a whip, Scarlett is motivated by Rhett to do well in business and to have her life together, as she doesn't like being teased by him. Rhett's main soft spot is with children, a point where him and Scarlett differ. Scarlett thinks children are a pain, while Rhett believes they are a joy and has a preference to girls over boys. He loves women and can be demeaning to them, while at the same time believes they are just as sensible as men and loves showering them with gifts.

Again, I will say that I strongly encourage you to read this book. It is long, but well worth it and amazing. I have fallen in love with the characters and I want other to as well. Do you believe these symbols are accurate? Do you have any others that would work? Thanks for reading!

Catching up with Scarlett O'Hare, Romeo and Juliet

What do you do when you're a woman in the 1800s who needs to pay off debts post Civil War? You marry your sister's fiancée and run your own business, as Scarlett O'Hare does in Gone With The Wind.

 The Tara Plantation is facing foreclosure, and after seeing the horrors of war, Scarlett can't bring herself to let the planation go, as it was once a safe place and is full of memories of her charming, southern life pre-war. She decides to head to Atlanta to pay Rhett Butler a visit, hoping that the rumors that he has a fortune hidden from the Confederate government are true. When she arrives, she finds Rhett in jail (allegedly for killing a man) and is told he has no money she can borrow. She is humiliated by him and vows to find some other way to get the money. Outside the jail, she runs into Frank Kennedy, her sisters fiancée, and learns that he is one of the few wealthy men left in the town, as he owns his own store. She quickly develops a plan to charm Frank into marrying her the take some of his money to give to the farm. Scarlett is a beautiful woman, and she and Frank are soon married. The debts for Tara are paid off for the year, but Scarlett is still uneasy about having enough money to pay it off for years to come. She pays a visit to Frank's store and discovers that he is a horrible business man, as he hasn't collect debts owed to him by many family friends because he feels bad. Scarlett is visited by Rhett in the store and finds out that he wasn't hanged because he blackmailed a high government official. She has had her eye on an old saw mill for months but doesn't have the money to buy it. Rhett then tells her he lied and has millions hidden away in England and he will loan her some to get the mill if she pays him back with some of the money she earns. She agrees, and much to Frank's dismay, buys the saw mill. Just as she is starting to feel more secure, the Ku Klux Klan emerges and she realizes that her world will never be stable again.

This section of the story is a little over half way through the book. So far, based on my blogs, who do you think your favorite character would be and why?  To find out what happens to Scarlett, read the book!

Now, onto another epic love story. Romeo and Juliet is a classic, and for good reason. The story is beautifully crafted and the characters so deliciously detailed, its hard not to get lost in the romance. I have enjoyed reading the script in class, because I feel even though the story is almost ridiculously romantic, it is funny in its own way and still uses lessons and figurative language relatable to now. One thing I am concerned about after reading through Act 1 and part of Act 2 is Tybalt. He is vicious by nature and has been provoked by the Montagues one too many times for me to believe that he wont hold a grudge. I am also concerned about Romeo and Juliet. They fell in love so quickly and don't seem to have thought of the consequences yet. They are from opposing families and even today we know that when families don't get along, it always spells disaster in the end. I cant wait to see where young love and revenge will take this story, and I think things are about to get interesting!

Can You Write About Cancer?

The book The Fault In Our Stars by John Green is a fantastic book. That can not be debated. The book is funny, smart, sarcastic, and makes light of dark situations. The book is about cancer. It is told from the point of a sixteen year old terminally ill girl who has accepted her fate. The story itself has an interesting concept and uses literary elements I havent seen before. It's not overly hard in terms of vocabulary or characterization, but it makes you think on a whole other level. It makes you think about mortality. This leads to a certain debate between readers. Does John Green have the right to write a story about cancer? I will present both sides to you in my opinion and tell you what I think.

Why he can write this story: The arguement for this side is simple. He is the writer. He is the person creating the book, therefore can write whatever he wants. The book may reflect his views on the disease, and though not everyone may agree with his views, they are his views for a reason. You also have to take into account that the narrater of the story is 16 and probably has a different idea of this disease than others. She is the one going through the painful process and has gone through many different stages of grief and pain to finally come to acceptance. Her circumsatnce is very usual and different from most people. John Green has also done volunteer work in children's hospitals and drew on alot of ideas for the story from there, so it can not be said that he has no expeirence with cancer or sickness first hand.  In the end though, it comes down to his perspective. Everyone's perspective is different.

Why he can't write this story: Some of the bluntness and sarcasm in the book about cancer can be taken the wrong way by those affect by the disease. The characters attitudes and references to their condition could be seen as offensive by some. People who have commented on the book on Goodreads.com have had no problem stating that this is a great 4-5 star book. Many have criticized Mr. Green for making a story that has an issue so personal to them and trying to convey the feelings to other readers who have not experienced this pain. And a few readers who haven't experienced this situation in their lifetime hated the book for making them laugh about a situation such as cancer. They loved the book and reading it but hated their reactions to it.

How I fall: I believe that John Green had ever right to write this book. He has stated that when working at the hospital he got the idea to write a book about a child with cancer. He didn't want to make this child a huge poster child for cancer or a hero, but rather a normal child learning dealing with growing up and then having cancer thrown onto them. This book exemplifies this idea perfectly and is a very enjoyable story to read. Being a teenager, I am not offended by the book at all because if I was in the same situation as the characters, I feel like I would have a lot of the same feelings. I can understand why others may be offended though. At the end of the day I believe that as a writer, John Green can write whatever he wants. This argument is all about the perspective of the person reading it.  What side of this debate would you take and why? Why do you think perspective is so important?