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?

Gone With The Wind Quote

The most important line of Chapter 6, and of the whole book in my opinion is, "'Sir,' she said, 'you are no gentleman!' 'An apt observation,' he answered airily. 'And you, Miss, are no lady.'

This quote is very important because it personifies both Scarlett and Rhett's personalities perfectly and sets the tone of their realationship for the rest of the book. I also find this quote amusing and can picture both of them saying this in my head. This dialog shows characterization because Scarlett and Rhett are not your typical southern gentleman and lady. It also shows character vs character conflict between the two of them disagreeing and also shows a little bit of setting because the way they are talking is very authentic to the 1860s when the story is set. The diction is very important because the word choices such as 'airily' are elevated diction and make this book challenging. The sytax is very important to making the time period seem real. The sentences seem to flow very well together and they are very formal becasue everyone is addressed as 'Miss' or 'Sir'.

Do you believe this line from the text can be used to make future predictions about the story?

Suspense: Nicholas Sparks Style

   In The Last Song Nicholas Sparks builds suspense by foreshadowing events to come. He will put in a sentence or two that will be a little out of place in the story line and make me wonder why the sentence is relevant to what is going on in the chapter. For example, at the end of one of the chapters he talks about how Blaze had to make fireballs for Marcus. Blaze and Marcus are dating and to make a living, Marcus rolls t-shirts into balls and then lights them on fire. During a performance, he will juggle the balls, kick them, and throw them without burning his hands or catching anything else on fire. Blaze and Marcus are ring leaders of a rough crowd, barley surviving and making extra money by stealing. Marcus has always been fascinated by fire and the way it rips through things with so much power and energy.  The last sentence in that chapter said that Blaze didn't realize she was dripping lighter fluid onto the shirt she would wear for the performance later that night. I was wondering why that detail would be put in and inferred that there was a good chance Blaze would catch on fire during the performance.

   Another way Nicholas Sparks builds suspense is by having different people narrate different chapters. Most of the chapters end at a dramatic point in the story, but instead of continuing on in the very next chapter, a different character narrates the next chapter and you have to read two or three more chapters until you pick up the where the previous chapter left off. Ronnie's, the main character, and Will's, her love interest, stories intertwine pretty easily. When Ronnie's dad tells the story his chapters may be every fifth chapter, so you are left waiting to see where his story picks up. This left me trying to guess what was going to happen at the end of each chapter, and made me almost have to keep reading to figure out what was going to happen.

   Both ways of building suspense are cliff hangers and make this book very desirable to read. I read the book in one day because I couldn't put it down. If a book doesn't have any suspense in it, it will not be exciting and no one will read it. Suspense is what makes a book catch you on the edge of your seat and keeps you living in the story. It helps you connect with the characters and creates plot twists. There is no story with out suspense. What other kinds of suspense have you seen in your books?