Difficult Topics and their Effect on Characters in "If I Stay"

           The story, “If I Stay” by Gayle Forman tells the heartbreaking story of the main character, Mia, and what happens to her and her family after they get into a severe car crash. Mia soon realizes she is not dead, but she is not alive, she is somewhere in the middle. It is her job to decide whether she will stay present on Earth with her boyfriend, or follow her mother, father and brother in joining the afterlife. With so many difficult decisions to make and pains to endure, Mia and other characters in the story find their own personal way in dealing with the after affects of the car crash. “If I stay” resembles a perfect picture of how friends and families deal with loss, and ultimately, being torn apart.

            When Mia finds herself divided between the afterworld and real world, her family dead and her whereabouts unknown, the immediate way she deals with her confusion is through denial. She tells herself over and over that she is dreaming, that the traumatic experience she just endured is fictional. For example, instantly after the car crash, Mia gets up from the ground to find her mother paralyzed and lifeless. She is shocked, and tells herself that what she is seeing is not real. “I have had nightmares before--falling nightmares, playing-a-cello-recital-without-knowing-the-music nightmares, breakup-Adam nightmares-- but I have always been able to command myself to open my eyes, to lift my head from the pillow, to halt the horror movie playing behind my closed lids. I try again. Wake up! I scream. Wake up!” (Page 18) Mia telling herself that what she is visualizing is not real shows her ability to temporarily comfort herself in sticky situations. Rather than dealing with the problem head on, she shies away from it in fear of what the truth could do to her. This shows her vulnerability, and how distracting herself from her problems rather than dealing with them is her go-to option. I found this form of grief very common within the real world. Often, an individual may experience 5 sections (or stages) of grief. Denial is the first one, followed by anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. This tells me that Mia could be processing what is going on around her without actually realizing it. She may be on a road to recovery, which could be why everything seems so confusing to her right now. The way Mia deals with confusion and death within “If I Stay” is very similar to the way that people handle their problems in the real world.

            Another character who deals with the car crash very differently is Violet’s best friend, Kit. Upon walking into the hospital with her weeping mother, Kit finds herself angry about her mother’s vulnerability. She tells her to suck it up and then proceeds to the hospital’s chapel where she confesses her feelings to Mia. She knows that Mia can hear her, and that is when she lets out her nervousness and confusion. “She opens her eyes and wipes her hands together as if to say enough of that. Then she reconsiders and adds a final appeal. “Please don’t die. I can understand why you’d want to, but think about this: If you die, there’s going to be one of those cheesy Princess Diana memorials at school, where everyone puts flowers and candles and notes next to your locker.” She wipes away a renegade tear with the back of her hand. “I know you’d hate that kind of thing.” (Page 67-68) Kit hiding in her emotions tells the reader about her sensitivity inside. She scorned her mother for being vulnerable because she was scared of being vulnerable herself. Seeing other people frightened frightens her more, as she is very dependent on others, like Mia. The way she talks to Mia almost has a playfully sarcastic tone to it, as if she feels comfort in imagining Mia were there with her, having a one on one conversation. This shows that Kit is afraid of her feelings, and when dealing with grief, she keeps them inside. To compensate for her inner turmoil, she turns to others and their emotion in order to try to process what is going on. Individuals use this method of handling grief in everyday life as well. I found that often, as a situation becomes more severe, the others who are affected by it become more afraid of their own feelings. Being afraid of what could happen makes the situation worse in their own eyes, which thus starts a viscous cycle. Overall there are many emotional connections between characters in “If I Stay” and the real world in terms of processing hardships.

            In conclusion, characters within “If I Stay” deal with the affects of the car crash in their own individual way. The methods they use resemble methods that people in the real world use to deal with grief and confusion. Because of this, individuals facing large situations can use this book as a guide of how to get through their hardship. This book has made me think more about how grief can affect a person, and how their ways with dealing with it can tell us about them as a character. It has also made me think about how things in our life come and go, and how quickly something could dramatically change within an instant.

Mocking Jay Part 1 Response

            Last Friday, my class and I saw the showing of “Mocking Jay Part 1”, the third movie of the Hunger Game Series. The story mainly revolves around Katniss as a symbol of uprising against the dictatorship-like capitol. Many times throughout the movie Katniss creates riots and fuels uprising. She stays obscured within the underground quells of District 13, a district that was believed to be destroyed many years prior. Through her illusive ways, Katniss manages to provoke the rest of the Panem districts without getting killed or captured. Recurring themes appear many times in the movie, and many of which relate to present day life. Through dissecting Katniss and her actions, I’ve found that “Mocking Jay Part 1” holds a message beyond a fictional story.

           Something that appeared many times within the movie is the theme of always questioning authority and making sure the law is actually, in a sense, lawful. For example, before Katniss rallied the other Districts to rise up against the capitol, Panem was a country with unfair rights and unfair consequences. Rulers held total power while those who weren’t rulers held no power. Katniss saw something wrong with this, and trusted her instinct to further rebel. She took an act upon herself in which she noticed the authority was obtaining too much power and she did something about it. I find this present in everyday life, with more riots and rebellions against government by the day. For example, during the recent Eric Garner case, many people have taken action in protecting justice and equal rights. Officer Pantaleo’s not being indicted has sparked many individual’s anger and fueled their motivation to make sure our system of leadership is fair. In their opinion, the law should not just be enforced on citizens, it should be enforced upon the government leaders and protectors too. Their action of noticing a problem against high authority and doing something about it is very similar to Katniss’s, which is why I believe “Mocking Jay Part 1” holds themes present in the real world.
          Secondly, within the story a theme I noticed is the theme of change requiring time. For example, Katniss doesn’t just rebel against the capitol and grant the districts with freedom and justice right away. Instead, each step she takes is put into a chronological order in which she gets closer to reaching her goal. It takes three books for Katniss to finally get her say within the capitol and defeat their strict ruler, President Snow. This theme is present today and in our history. For example, women’s right to vote weren’t fully acknowledged until 1919. Prior to that date, it took more than half a century of activism and hard work for women to finally hold elective office and vote within the U.S. The woman’s suffrage movement was a long lasting trail to women’s political rights, riddled with challenges and hardships. However, women persevered and got authority within Congress. The change took a substantial period of time, more than 50 years, however, they persisted and reached their goal. This is very similar to Katniss and her rebellion against the Capitol. Progress takes time, and this is shown as a theme within “The Hunger Games” and in real life.

           In conclusion, in “Mocking Jay Part 1” there are many underlying themes. These themes not only add to the story, but relate to present day life. I have learned that authority should be questioned (responsibly) and that in terms of change, slow and steady wins the race. From this movie, I’ve realized how similar a fiction movie with regular motives and contexts can be to the world we live in today.    

Power's Affect on Relationships- Reading Response

  “The key to successful leadership today is influence, not authority” – Ken Blanchard

          In the story, “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” the main character, Junior, faces many challenges about power and how it affects his relationships with others. Junior is an Indian boy who goes to school at the “Reservation”, a place where all of his ancestors have grown up. To beat the chain of unfortunate events within the tight-knit Indian community, Junior ventures out to Reardan, a prominently white school in which Junior is not easily welcomed. Many times throughout the story, Junior is put face to face with power and how it can affect the resistance and tension of his relationships with other individuals. Not only does Junior recognize what authority does on a relation, he also grasps the qualities and social identities that determine one’s power. Overall, Junior’s relationship with others is influenced by the lack of power that comes from his race and his social class.

            To start, one thing that gives Junior a low position of authority within his relationships is his identity (race). This problem wasn’t as easily noticeable when Junior lived in the
“Reservation” with other Indian families. However, as soon as he transferred to Reardan, his nationality and ethnic background suddenly became more of a problem than Junior had ever anticipated. For example, when Junior first entered the new school, he was immediately targeted for the pigment of his skin. “And yeah, those were bad enough names. But I could handle them, especially when some huge monster boy was insulting me. But I knew I’d have to put a stop to it eventually or I’d always be known as “Chief” or “Tonto” or “Squaw Boy”. (Page 65) Junior being called derogatory names in relation to his race shows how little authority he had in this situation. Because of the extreme racial segregation within the Reardan community, Junior is viewed as almost worthless and powerless. This shows the tension that arises from Junior’s lack of influence. To add on, at another point in the story, Junior challenges a geology teacher in Reardan who is making an inaccurate statement. Junior is correct, but the teacher refuses to believe him because of his ethnicity. Only after a Caucasian boy agrees with Junior does the teacher believe the point. (Page 75) The teacher not believing Junior’s point shows the authority he has over Junior. Identifying Junior’s answer as wrong, even though he knows otherwise, shows the pure racism and segregation that determines an individual’s power at Reardan. This shows the large effect ethnic background plays in identifying one’s force.

            Secondly, another factor that promotes Junior’s low ranking of authority is his social class and wealth. Junior grows up in a very poor family, where his dad is usually unstable and his mom can’t seem to hold a job. Despite not being able to afford extra unnecessary items, Junior doesn’t think too much of his families low income because of how common his living conditions are within the “Reservation”. However, when Junior transfers to Reardan and is exposed to wealthy families, he learns how little power he has in terms of money and financial stability. For example, multiple times throughout the story, Junior hitch hikes a car to school because his dad doesn’t have enough gas money to drive him. He becomes accustomed to this idea and ritual, but it is only when the Reardan kids find out about this routine that he feels must vulnerable. “And then I’d wave everybody goodbye as they drove away. And then I’d wait in the parking lot until everybody was gone. And then I’d start the walk home in the dark.” (Page 123) Junior waiting thirty minutes for other kids at Reardan to leave just so he could preserve his title of middle-class shows how desperate he is for power. His low social class has made him not only become embarrassed about his wealth, but also about who he is. This shows the tension put onto Junior because of his low ranking of finances. Additionally, Junior is constantly making up excuses for why he doesn’t’ have money in attempts to show kids at Reardan that he is somewhat wealthy. He creates a whole list of excuses explaining why he can’t participate in events that revolve around money. “Field Trip? School Dance? I can’t make it… yeah, I’m really sick… cough cough…” (Page 120) This shows the lengths Junior is willing to go to in order to obtain power. He feels very different from other students, and it makes him feel odd and not meant to be. Because of this, he feels resistant towards other Reardan students to tell the truth about his social class in fear that they will scrutinize him. Whoever holds power of wealth within Reardan is often viewed as a higher class, making relationships Junior puts out to be very resistant.

 
           In conclusion, power is a large factor that affects the resistance and tension of relationships within the story. Junior is forced to face many challenges dealing with his lack of power and accepting his low ranking within Reardan. These events make Junior’s relationships at Reardan to be very tense and hesitant. However, Junior grows as an individual in realizing that his race and his social class are things that he should not be ashamed of, as they are part of his identity. This book made me think about how power within our world is often extremely prejudice. Many who lack authority often don’t deserve it, and many who hold authority often don’t deserve it either. This made me think about the rulers in our world, and question the structure in which society, and our world, is philosophically built.

           

"No Job? Get Lost!" Non-fiction Response

         The article, “No Job? Get Lost!” by Andrew Higgins talks about the northernmost part of Norway, called Svalbard. The territory is described as being a small quiet community, in which unemployment amongst citizens is illegal. To live in the association, individuals must obtain and fulfill a job that can well support them and their family. If a member of the town does not have a profession, or cannot support themselves, it is considered a crime, and they are thrown out. The author takes a biased approach to this topic, stating his beliefs that these enforced laws in Svalbard are what cause such courteous conduct. Higgins seems to believe that ruling out citizens without jobs and incomes is the correct way to prohibit crimes and lawlessness.

            Throughout the article, a craft choice the author used was loaded words. To drill his central point that the way of life in Svalbard, Norway is good and should be mentored, Higgins uses exaggerated words to positively display this community. For example, at one point in the passage, Andrew states, “In total, the police in Svalbard handle about 100 cases a year, most of which involve infractions like reckless driving on snowmobiles and shoplifting.” The author’s use of the word infraction demonstrates his misrepresentation of the topic. He is depicting the crimes in Svalbard to be extremely miniscule and irrelevant in attempts to upgrade the status and laws of the society. To add on, later in the article, Higgins states, “The county (the rest of Norway) prides itself on being a “welfare state”, in which the government provides cradle-to-grave-support.” The term “cradle-to-grave-support” is used to portray the rest of the country, the part that does not follow Svalbard’s regulations, to be weak and feeble. Higgins is refuting the other side of this argument by exaggerating their position to be almost childish. This shows the authors use of loaded words to better establish his opinion on the town of Svalbard.

            Overall, I believe there are many positives and negatives to the town of Svalbard. The behavior of the town is very orderly, and it seems like a safe place to live. However, the laws seem very restricted, and they could be taken too far. To constantly keep your profession running and always watch your income could eventually become very stressful. More attention could be focused around jobs, and the community sense and livelihood could be taken away. Although their locality may be different from the one I live in, Svalbard seems like a great place to get started with a profession and pursue your work life, just like the people who inhabit it.

10/22/14                                         Darkness Too Visible Response

“Darkness too Visible” by Megan Cox Gurdon talks about young adult literature and it’s suitability towards teenagers. The author takes a strong stance on this debate, stating throughout the article that the books young adults are reading today are inappropriate for their age group. Overall, Megan Cox Gurdon heavily states her opinion on young adult books and their affects on teenagers.

              Megan Cox Gurdon uses different forms of craft to influence the readers in seeing her position. For example, she uses loaded words to turn “inappropriate” books into “harmful” books. She manipulates the readers to become more inclined to see the young adult books as negative for teens by describing them with larger vocabulary, such as changing words from “bad”, to “traumatic”. Additionally, Megan uses narrative from parent’s perspectives to offer first hand evidence to support her claim. Exhibited in the story of Amy Freeman, a 46 year old mother of three who leaves local bookstore Barnes and Nobles empty handed after finding the young adult books unsuitable for her teens. “Nothing, not a thing, I could imagine giving my daughter. It was all vampires and suicide and self-mutilation this dark, dark stuff.”

           After reading this article, it is evident that the author holds a very strong opinion towards young adult literature and if teens should be reading these books. In terms of my own personal opinion, I believe teenagers should be allowed to read and venture within these young adult books. I believe there is nothing in these books that kids aren’t already exposed to in their own lives and experiences. Megan Cox Gurdon may not have changed my position on this debate, however, she used many great craft tools that made me think about the other perspectives on this topic, and, what young adult literature could subliminally be doing to me.

Troubling Themes Within "Thirteen Reasons Why"

         “Suicide- The act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally especially by a person of years of discretion and of sound mind. The individual is in control of their fate.”

In suicide, it is often thought, as this definition says, that the person who is considering taking their own life has the power to give up or go through with their plan. Others around them have no influence in their decision when the moment actually comes. But for Hannah Baker in “Thirteen Reasons Why” the decision to kill herself was correlated far beyond her inner emotions. CloseStyle: MLA APA Chicago

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The story, “Thirteen Reasons Why” by Jay Asher introduces and elaborates on many topics that are troubling to read. Through the main character, Hannah Baker, the author illustrates the ongoing struggles of depression and suicide that the book deals with. The author depicts this best through quotes in the tapes that Hannah has left behind for certain individuals to discover after she has taken her own life. Hannah sends out 13 tapes to people who were involved in her suicide, and it is in these tapes that the quotes riddled with trouble and confusion are most present. Through the point of view of Clay, a boy who received a tape, we are exposed into the Hannah’s world and what was going through her mind when she thought about killing herself. We are given a point of view on how characters like Clay and others who’ve received the tapes are dealing with the grief and guilt that comes through these messages. Overall, there are many things troubling to read within “Thirteen Reasons Why”, and the author shows this most through quotes of Hannah Baker.

            Jay Asher shows Hannah’s sorrows and depression, and therefore most troubling moments, through quotes. To start off, in the beginning of the story, we are introduced to Hannah’s life at home. She talks about how she began to feel unsafe even in her own home. “We all know the sound a camera makes when it snaps a picture. Even some of the digitals do it for nostalgias sake. And I always keep my window open, about an inch or two, to let in fresh air. Which is how I knew someone was standing outside.” Without even thinking deeper about this quote it is obvious to why this scene is very troubling. The idea of the main character being stalked within her own home is very creepy and scary to read, but this becomes even more troubling when figuring out there is a correlation between this moment and Hannah’s suicide. This quote allows readers to be connected to the main character in seeing her in her most vulnerable state of mind through her first hand quotes. The author uses quotes as a technique to better establish the main character’s interior and exterior troubles.

            Additionally, towards the middle of the story, we learn about Hannah’s biggest fears and insecurities through quotes the author provides. At this part of the story, Hannah is sharing a traumatic experience she underwent after a regular day at her school. She sets the scene at a local candy store she would always go to. “Wally’s eyes were focused down, just beyond the edge of the counter, near my waist, and I knew what was coming. A cupped hand smacked my ass. And then he said it. “Best ass in the freshman class Wally. Standing right in your store!” This is troubling to read in multiple ways. I found the harsh language very unnerving to read and is troubling to read in multiple ways. I found the harsh language very unnerving to read and comprehend, making this a scene that was hard for me to read. The main character being sexually harassed is difficult to understand and acknowledge within itself. Seeing Hannah be negatively objectified for her body parts is even more upsetting to read. However, I believe reading about traumatic experiences like Hannah’s is important because of the readers exposure to occurrences that they may not be familiar with. Even though understanding this information is challenging, readers who did not know about sexual assaults before can be offered a glimpse at what they are and how they affect individuals like Hannah. The author chose quotes from Hannah to present disturbance throughout the story.

            Lastly, towards the end of the book, Hannah introduces a class she attended at her school before her suicide. She talks about the class ritual, everyone had a bag where others could drop positive notes into. The teacher had one, where people could drop notes into saying what they wanted to discuss in class.  She explains the class’s significance, and how it was a positive influence in her life until one day where it became a correlation to her death. “In the past, Mrs. Bradley had notes dropped in her bag suggesting group discussions on boyfriends, girlfriends, abortion, family violence, cheating, and tests. No one insisted on knowing who wrote those topics. But for some reason, they refused to have a discussion on suicide without knowing who wrote the note.” This line is most troubling to read when finding out the consequences from Hannah not being able to talk about her thoughts of suicide. After knowing Hannah did commit suicide, it makes the quote all the more troubling. Questions are created as to if the absence of the talk about suicide could’ve factored into her death. It also surfaces ideas as to if Hannah would still be alive if the discussion was held. Relating this back to my own life and opinions, I believe conferences about depression and suicide should be held in schools and communities. From reading about what happened to Hannah, it makes me believe that the attention and help suicidal children need should be mandatory to have in public school systems. Overall, the quote creates many troubling ideas and questions, providing as the authors way to use quotes to express turbulence throughout the story.

            In conclusion, the author, Jay Asher, of “Thirteen Reasons Why” uses quotes throughout the book to illustrate troubling moments and scenes. These quotes make readers reflect and think deeper as to what they really mean and what we can learn from them. This is important because everyone has felt a surge of sorrow in their life at some point, and these quotes can offer a way to cope and deal with these emotions. Reading this book can also spread suicide awareness, creating prevention and allowing discussion about dark topics like suicide to become more accessible. Overall, this book has many scenes that are very difficult to read, and they are best illustrated through quotes the author provides through the main character, Hannah. “Thirteen Reasons Why” is an outstanding story that shows that things may not be how they seem, and ultimately, the beauty in letting go, but never forgetting.

Reading Response due Friday, the 12th (9/12/14)

Reading Response

Looking For Alaska
           
             In the story, “Looking for Alaska” by John Green, a boy named Miles Halter, also known as Pudge, is willingly sent off to a boarding school called Culver Creek, looking for a lifestyle different from his previous dull one back at home. Expecting to only meet a few new people and faculty, Miles is pleasantly surprised when he finds a group of close friends whom he becomes very fond of. In this group of individuals is a girl named Alaska, who is crazy, fun, and daring, everything Pudge is not yet everything he wants to be. She teaches him what living really is, and pulls him in to her innocent yet destructive life. A surprising end comes when Alaska dies in a car crash, leaving Pudge and his friends lost and clueless. Throughout the book, Pudge’s new thoughts and new experiences offer a perspective of a coming of age, teenage boy, and promote a theme carried along in the story. Overall, a large theme that is very present in this book is to always persevere even at the worst of times, and this is shown throughout the story in many different ways.

            To begin with, one way John Green teaches the readers to never give up is by showing the character’s previous backgrounds compared to their current day situations. With this, he teaches the readers that even though one’s history may be rough, as long as you persevere, your present doesn’t have to follow in the same direction. For example, at one point in the story, we learn about Alaska’s past life at home. We find out her mother died when she was eight, a memory that haunts her and makes her feel very guilty, thinking she could have prevented her mother’s death. “I should have called 911 , but I just started screaming and crying until she stopped jerking, and I thought she had fallen asleep and whatever hurt didn’t hurt anymore.” This shows Alaska feels very guilty for her mother’s death. Even though it was hard for her, she pushed through the sadness and persevered, coming to a better state of mind. This is emphasized by just learning about Alaska as a character. From the outside, you could never guess that she came from a very hard background, knowing her loving, lively personality. To add on, another character who is a friend of Miles called “The Colonel” also is shown as a figure who has overcome a lot from his personal background. We learn that his father left him at a very young age, leaving his mother to raise him alone on a single income. However, the Colonel transforms a negative aspect of his past into something positive, showing a way of overcoming hard situations. He says he wouldn’t have been able to grow up or become independent as quickly as he did, and branch out, if his dad hadn’t left. Overall, one very obvious way the author shows the theme of perseverance is through the characters overcoming some of their hard backgrounds.

            To add on, the most obvious way the author shows the importance of determination and never giving up is by illustrating how the characters overcome Alaska’s death. To start, Pudge, after grieving for many days, takes a questioning approach to her death. He is left with many unsolved questions, and he wants to find a specific reason as to how and why her death happened. Whether this is a form of denial, or just plain confusion, Pudge turns this into an almost investigation type thing, as a way to try to persevere in comprehending what went wrong. “And maybe it was only because Alaska couldn’t hit the breaks and I couldn’t hit the accelerator. Maybe she just had an odd kind of courage that I lacked.” In addition, another way the characters perseverance is shown is in remembering Alaska through a prank she had planned and wanted to do. In honor of her, Pudge, the Colonel, and Alaska’s other close friends organize what Alaska would have wanted to happen at the junior prank. In the end, it turns out successful, and comes as a remembrance and glimpse back at Alaska before she died. The author thoroughly shows that perseverance in a hard time of death can be met by distractions or memorials, and even more so, by trying to find an answer to your unsolved questions.

            Overall, “Looking for Alaska” has taught me that when a time may be hard or difficult, you always need to persevere. This has been represented through characters overcoming their rough backgrounds, or overcoming the loss of a very close friend and love. I find myself connecting this back to my personal life having been in challenging situations before. This book has taught me that I am not alone in going through tough times, and that there are many things I can do to persevere and keep going. “Looking for Alaska” has been a great summer read and I recommend it to anyone looking for some advice on determination, a romantic yet very heartfelt comedy, or just a quick view into what it’s like to finally come of age.