Blog Reflection!!!

I am so glad that throughout this year we were able to use blogs to show our feelings about what we read and what others had written.

One of the ways that I really benefited from this experience is how we were asked to comment on other people’s posts. Looking at others’ work helped give me more ideas as to what to do with my reading. For example, book recommendations, ways to look at a nonfiction article, etc.

I think it is really neat that we could use blogs instead of the classic “looseleaf and notebook” approach. Oftentimes, teenagers seem to abuse technological privileges. They say things they would never say aloud while texting and commenting.

Using blog form instead of looseleaf gave us a lot of responsibility-perhaps not as much as belonging to Instagram, Snapchat, and other social media, but still requires a mature outlook on technology/media. Using blogs gave us a significant “technological footprint,” and we had to be careful not to abuse it.

This is a good and bad thing. It means we can learn how not to abuse the power we were given, but there are always the people who purposefully choose to do the wrong thing. I think that (for the most part) throughout this process, we all learned how not to abuse the freedom we were given when it came to the media.

There are many occasions where online, people tend to show forms of themselves that they wish they were. They only post the pictures where they feel they look the “best” while doing the “coolest” thing. It’s almost like showing off. In general, I tried to show how I truly felt about what I was reading on this blog, and I hope my readers could see that.

Wow-this feels much more eventful than I thought it would. I’m having flashbacks to creating our blogs in the computer lab, when I used to use the font that nobody could read, and sitting down at the computer every Saturday or Sunday to write these posts. The combination of thinking about this year (and my time at this school) ending while listening to somewhat sad piano music is getting me quite wistful. I’ve had a fantastic time in this ELA class, and I’m sure that I’m going to use all of the experiences and techniques that I’ve soaked up from class 804 ELA to help me in English and more once I’ve gotten to High School and beyond. Au revoir, Ms. Rear, 804, and MS 51… :(

Non-Fiction Critical Analysis on "Maus" by Art Spiegelman!!!

Authors always find many ways to get their points across-be it flyers, articles, or in this case: graphic novel form. There are many positives to graphic novel form. In “Maus,” Art Spiegelman uses this form very, very well.

First of all, graphic novel form is great because it makes it much more fun for readers to read. No matter how much we deny it, a part of us sighs very quietly when we are forced to sit down and read some sort of educational non-fiction article-I know I’ve done it, and I’m sure that you have too. A book with tons and tons of loud, gory, powerful pictures that really show you a glimpse of what life was like back then is much more entertaining. This is definitely one of the reasons why this book has become such a success. Everyone loves graphic novels!

Second of all, this is a spectacular form because it gives readers a more clear visual. When we read (or at least when I do…), we envision what is going on in the book almost as if there is a little television in our minds that is playing the story through our heads. Sometimes, the way we picture the characters, what they’re wearing, etc., we picture them the way we want to see them. In this form, we can ONLY see things the way Mr. Spiegelman wants us too. We are then awarded with a much clearer visual.

Lastly, this form is very important because the images that we see Pand feelings that we feel stick with us for much longer. I can’t recall pivoting points from the last non-fiction article I read, but I can clearly picture what went on in “Maus” yesterday. The images Spiegelman chooses to show us are incredible. They’re eye-popping, heart-wrenching, and incredibly compelling. Images leave a much stronger, and more lasting impression.

Overall, it is clear to see that graphic novel form is almost one hundred percent positive. The only negative I can think of is that not everyone can draw! Anyway, it is more than clear to see why “Maus” is an incredibly important book, and I think part of that credit deserves to go to the form it was written in.

An action packed beginning in "The Virgin Suicides" by Jeffrey Eugenides!!!!!

I usually find myself at a loss when it comes to starting to write something-even this took me a while to figure out how I wanted to begin! Many authors have different ways that they like to begin, and from what I can tell from “The Virgin Suicides,” Jeffrey Eugenides likes to start off with a big bang! We’re instantly brought into a scene of a young girl sitting in a blood-filled bathtub with slashed wrists, holding on to a picture of the Virgin Mary with all of the small amount of strength left in her. This is not a very warm welcome…

One of the reasons why I think Eugenides uses this technique to begin his book is because he wants to show us fear and build suspense. I like to think of suspense as an escalator-you start at the bottom, and you keep going up, but you can’t back down! We all know that if you try to walk in the opposite direction that the escalator wants to bring you in, you’re just going to look pretty silly. Eugenides wants us to ride his death-marked escalator to the top, until we get there, where the entire story will be presented right in front of us.

Also, I think Eugenides does this because this kind of introduction hits the reader abruptly in the face and says “WAKE UP!!!” For example, if I had started this Blog Post with “There was blood splattered on the floor…” I would have a much more attentive audience than if I had began with “It was 3500 B.C. and the wheel had just been…”. People subconsciously want thrill and action, and that’s exactly what Eugenides gives his readers. it’s hard to look away!

Overall, Eugenides most likely begins his book this way, because it builds suspense and startles readers into attention. Almost as if I said “BOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!”-But prolonged, so as to build suspense…

Varying Points of View in "The Blood of Olympus"!!!

I’ve found that in the past, I’ve read books in the completely wrong order. For instance, just last year I started the Harry Potter series. Therefore, it doesn’t seem unordinary to me that I’m currently reading “The Blood of Olympus” by Rick Riordan. Actually, I’m glad that I am reading these books now, because I feel that I have a more mature outlook on the texts. For example, in “The Blood of Olympus,” I now notice all the advantages of Varying Points of View.

Varying Points of View can be very helpful for many reasons, but I think Riordan uses this technique mostly so that there can be many different storylines that the reader has the ability to see. For instance, currently, Reyna, Hedge, and Nico are in Pompeii, whereas Percy, Hazel, Leo, and Frank are in Olympia. If Riordan hadn’t used multiple Points of View, we would have no idea what was going on in other countries!

Next, Varying Points of View create a sort of mystical quality. This technique makes it seem like we can sort of zoom in on the book and see whatever scenes we’d like to see. This makes us seem like we’re in charge, which is sort of like an illusion, because clearly, Riordan is in charge. He will show us what scenes/scenarios he would like to show us-no exceptions. Varying Points of View create a sort of magical illusion, making readers feel like they are in charge.

Lastly, Varying Points of View just let the reader experience more of the story. The entire “Heroes of Olympus” series seems like it takes place in about two weeks, but Riordan has stretched the story out into five different books, each with dozens of chapters each told from the Point of View of a different character-Brilliant!

Overall, an author might use Varying Points of View to allow different storylines, to create a mystical quality, and to let the reader experience more of the story. Seeing things through many different lenses can help you view much more!

The Effect of Images in Foreign Books!!!

Having written my last synthesis page (the basis to this blog post) on Flight 45 from Charles de Gaulle to JFK, my writing was heavily influenced by my trip. During my time in Paris, I picked up quite a few foreign books. I speak some French, but different tenses and extensive vocabulary can be very confusing. Images really help!

“Le Petit Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is widely considered an incredible French book for children-except it’s actually quite sophisticated. Not only is it incredibly difficult for ME to read word-wise (I can only read it for about ten minutes at a time because it drains so much of my energy), from what little I’ve gotten through, I could really tell that it dwells into some more grown-up themes. For now, my thirteen-year-old (fourteen tomorrow…) self with three years of French under my belt is incredibly thankful for the surplus of images found on virtually every page. In “Le Petit Prince” images help the reader understand major plot points.

“Les Mythes Grecs Illustrés” was a book I thankfully came across searching for Greek Mythology in French. This book was clearly geared for a younger audience (Thank God), so I could read it much better. It also helps that I have a minor obsession with Greek Mythology, so I already knew the stories in the book by heart. One thing that interested me, however, is that the French changed all the names to French-sounding names. Ex: Perseus becomes Persée. Because I already knew the stories, images helped me figure out the minor details.

“Autrefois l’Olympe [Mythes en haïku]” is a book of twenty or so myths, each represented by a single haiku. If you thought reading poetic English was difficult, try poetic FRENCH!!! Reading this, I began to question if I actually spoke any French at all! If it weren’t for the images in this book, I would have had no clue as to what I was reading! In this book, images help readers know what the heck is going on (don’t let that make you not want to read this book it’s really incredible).

Overall, when reading foreign books, images play a vital role in comprehension. I want to go back to Paris now!!!

Non-Fiction Critical Analysis!!! (The Effect of who is Quoted!)

When reading non-fiction, the average reader expects the author to be a completely unbiased blank slate. However, there are many small windows into the author's mind that most readers overlook. One of these windows is who the author chooses to quote. Thomas Sumner chooses to quote the creator of the experiment the article is focused on, and someone whose studies were greatly affected by the experiment. The experiment’s results claim that the decrease in size of the ancient Tethys ocean caused the formation of the Atlantic ocean. Sumner’s choice of sources for his article clearly show his standpoint on the Tethys theory.

First of all, the author quotes Fraser Keppie. Keppie created the experiment. Obviously, Keppie is for the idea that the decrease in size of the Tethys ocean caused the formation of the Atlantic. Keppie’s quotes make up a large portion of the text, which leads the analytical reader to one conclusion. Sumner probably agrees with the Tethys theory as well.

Second of all, the author also quotes Stephen Johnston. Johnston is a geologist at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, Canada. He works with the idea of Pangea a lot, so he was clearly affected by the results of Keppie’s experiment. He says “‘Everything we think we know about Pangea is up in the air now.’” Showing how others were affected by this scientific break-through strengthens the idea that Sumner agrees with the Tethys theory.

Overall, it is possible to find some bias when we analyze who the author quotes. Maybe if we analyze more in our lives, we can find what we are looking for!

Character Relationships in "Looking For Alaska"!!!

Everyone knows the feeling of loneliness, and that is exactly what Miles is feeling when he first enters Culver Creek Boarding School. Miles is starting to worry that his social status will be similar to that of his previous school-until he meets Chip (The Colonel). Through The Colonel, Miles (now nicknamed “Pudge”-ironic because Miles is notably skinny) meets Alaska and Takumi. Throughout the book, Miles creates very specific and unique relationships with each of his new friends.

First of all, Miles meets his new roommate: The Colonel. It is more than clear to see that Miles is eternally thankful for The Colonel. The Colonel was Miles’ first friend at Culver Creek, and more-or-less served as Miles’ ticket onto the rollercoaster that is Friendship. Without The Colonel, Miles probably would never have been introduced to Alaska or Takumi, and could very easily be friendless at the Creek! The Colonel serves as a key part of Miles’ life at Boarding School.

Later on, Miles meets Takumi through The Colonel when they are eating dinner together (Bufriedos-yum). Miles spends a pretty normal amount of time with Takumi-at the Smoking Hole, lighting the Firecrackers, etc. However, after the Tragedy, the two start to slip away from each other. This may be because Miles met Takumi last, or because of their omnipresent grief. Miles becomes very estranged from Takumi.

Then comes Alaska. Alaska was introduced to Miles by the Colonel as well, and takes Miles by surprise. Alaska is constantly pessimistic, and always optimistic. Overall, she’s incredibly mystifying. Miles is attracted to her loving side, but with Alaska, you can’t have just one. Alaska confuses everyone, but that’s one of the reasons we just want to read more and more.

Overall, Miles’ interactions with The Colonel, Takumi, and Alaska define him as a character throughout the novel. This comes to show how we as people are shaped by the people around us.