Revision of "Reading Response on 'Faithful Elephants' by Yukio Tsuchiya!!!"

Underneath the tranquil cherry blossom tree, lies a memorial with a sorrowful and twisted story to tell. In “Faithful Elephants,” by Yukio Tsuchiya, multiple symbols are shown in the form of settings to represent the theme. Tsuchiya takes us to a zoo, amidst a time when Japan is plagued by war. The Government requires all zoo animals to be killed, so that in the event that Tokyo is bombed, they can’t escape and run wild around the city. The zoo employees find it particularly difficult to kill the Elephants (these Elephants were one of the more beloved animals at the Ueno Zoo-frequently performing tricks in front of an adoring audience). The warm, sunny cherry blossom petals depicted in the beginning of the story, the elephants’ cage in the middle, and the dark, cold memorial at the end of the story are three significant settings in this heart-wrenching tale. The brilliant Yukio Tsuchiya uses symbolic settings in this story, to show how even the most basic of things can connect to and/or influence our overall feelings/emotions, and eventually be associated with the main idea or theme of a piece of literature.

First of all, the cherry blossoms shown to us at the very beginning of the story are essential because they symbolize peace-an emotion quite adverse to the overall feeling of a tale mostly focusing around war. The text says, “Their petals are falling in the soft breeze and sparkling in the sun.” Tsuchiya uses words like “soft” and “sparkling” to deliver a pleasant, amiable feeling to his readers. These petals elegantly and delicately descend over a memorial built for the animals that had been killed during this war, and show peace towards the lifeless beings. This emblematic setting connects to the ubiquitous theme of war and strife, because the petals show the eerie peace after a lengthy war. These warm, pulchritudinous cherry blossom petals show union and friendship towards the deceased animals and their memorial.

Second of all, the Elephants’ cold, dreary cage is also an important environment. The cage symbolizes gloom, restraint, and hopelessness. In the text, it is mentioned that, “Whenever a keeper walked by [the Elephants’] cage, they would stand up, tottering, as if to beg, ‘Give us something to eat. Please, give us water!’…The once big, strong elephants had become a sad shape.” Words like “tottering”, “beg”, and “sad” form dismal images in readers’ minds. The keepers cannot do anything to help, for it is illegal to allow them to live. This symbolic setting is used to serve as the theme of war, because the cages represent the gloom and lack of hope that dreaded war brings, showing the dark shadow war casts over its violent path of destruction. Also, cages show that there is no escape from strife. The dark cages are yet another important setting used to symbolize war.

Lastly, the somber cherry blossom petals, collapsing on top of the quiet memorial at the very end of “Faithful Elephants”, forms another incredibly important image. It is said in the text, “He was still patting the tombstone tenderly as the cherry blossoms fell on the grave, like snowflakes.” The image of “snowflakes” is a true turning-point to this quotation. Snowflakes are chilling, yet light and zephyrean. This picture is dark and cold, yet in some ways, sweet. When we think of cherry blossoms, we think of warmth, beauty, and peace. However, Yukio Tsuchiya uses this floral-array to represent an unsettling, gloomy, and dark end of his story. The use of cherry blossom petals also relates to the beginning of the piece, although the tone in which the two are presented to the audience is quite contrasting. The emblematic setting of the gloomy cherry blossom petals in the finale of Tsuchiya’s masterpiece is used to represent war and discord by showing that in the end, all must pay the pernicious price that is war.

Overall, Yukio Tsuchiya uses many important, symbolic settings (such as the warm petals, the Elephants’ cold cages, and the dark and dismal petals at the end) as tools to connect to the overall theme/main idea of his work. In our lives, as readers, we can use these symbolic settings to better understand the theme of pieces of literature that we read, so keep an eye out for symbols in the next book you read!

Read the Original Post Here!!!

"The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green and its Title, Cover, and Back Cover!!!

“Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover.” A phrase I’m sure we’ve all heard on countless occasions. However, this omnipresent statement doesn’t stop the majority of readers from setting down a book if it just doesn’t “feel right.” “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green is an excellent example of the kind of book you just want to dive right into (most likely one of the reasons it’s beloved by many). This Bestseller’s Title, Cover, and Back Cover are more than appealing, and really pull in the reader.

First of all, the title is truly the FIRST thing people see when checking out a book. The Fault in Our Stars’ title holds just the perfect balance between catchiness and mysteriousness. Not to mention the easy to remember acronym: TFIOS. A book’s title has truly achieved excellence when it has an acronym. Acronyms are usually put into use once people consistently say the name of a title, and need a quicker way to address the object.

Second of all, even though an entire phrase was created to battle this concept, the cover truly is the “yay or nay” aspect to book searching. Consumers want something memorable. One great aspect of The Fault in Our Stars’ cover is that many positive reviews from well-known critics are printed all over the front. Also, the coloring is a perfect balance of bold and neutral. Covers are very important to checking out a book.

Lastly, a good Back Cover doesn’t seem as essential as its predecessors, but it’s worth its own paragraph. The Back Cover is really the finale to the Consumer’s Reading Experience. Decorating the Back Cover are words in brightly colored artistic fonts. The medium blue background cools the reader, and reminds them of the hardships in this heart-warming novel. The Back Cover needs to reflect back on the pages it protects.

Overall, John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars” is the perfect example of a catchy Title, interesting Cover, and reflective Back Cover. If these aspects to this novel weren’t enough, the pages in between are beyond incredible. Good Job, John Green!

The use of Footnotes in John Green's "An Abundance of Katherine's"!!!

Footnotes prove to be a very useful tool in John Green’s “An Abundance of Katherine's.” They clarify things, create humor, and sometimes provide vital information. In this book especially, footnotes are an essential part of the author’s craft.
First of all, footnotes can clean up some confusing areas. Frequently, Colin (the protagonist) uses names or words that are unknown to the majority of readers. For example, There’s a reference to someone named John Locke. The author doesn’t explain who John Locke is, but the footnote attached to it says: “A British philosopher and political scientist who could read and write in Latin and Greek before the rest of us can tie our shoes.” Footnotes explain things that would otherwise leave readers confused.
Second of all, Footnotes can create humor. John Green uses this technique frequently. Most footnotes in “An Abundance of Katherine’s” provide an anecdote of a funny story/event etc. For example, the author writes something in French, and following that is the translation: “My name is Pierre. When I go to the metro, I also make fart music.” As you can see, quite humorous! Footnotes in this book frequently provide funny anecdotes.
Lastly, footnotes provide vital information. Colin constantly references historical events, math equations, etc. Footnotes can delve into what he’s talking about. For example, Colin works on a theorem that he hopes will predict the length of a relationship. He tries to describe what he is working on, but it can prove to be very confusing for the average reader. Therefore, he includes footnotes: “To get this variable, Colin took the two people’s average age and subtracted five.” There are many, many footnotes like this one that help the reader visualize/understand what Colin is talking about.
Overall, it is clear to see how in John Green’s “An Abundance of Katherine’s,” footnotes are used to provide clarity, hilarity, and vital information. Footnotes are an enormous part of the author’s craft in this book, and I don’t think that the book would be the same without them. At least for one thing, a lot of people would be very confused!

Praise for Rafaella's Argument Essay!

            Rafaella’s Argument Essay (“Banning YA Books Argument Essay”) was effective and sophisticated. She achieved this “grown-up” tone in many ways.

            First of all, in order to get her point across effectively, Rafaella used a very sophisticated vocabulary. Some “power words” she used are: “…questionable…worrisome…intricate…daunting…gruesome…” and many others. A strong, mature vocabulary makes the reader look at the author on a whole new level. I never hear words like “daunting” come out of Rafaella’s mouth, and it really caught me off guard for a moment! Rafaella’s vocabulary helped create a sophisticated tone.

            Second of all, Rafaella’s use of statistics in her introduction made her seem professional, and brought our attention right to the text. She writes: “There was a daunting total of 307 challenged books reported in 2013, many of these being very popular and considered extremely touching.” We hang on to every word she writes after this, all the way to the conclusion. Statistics are like an attention grabber. Rafaella’s use of statistics makes her seem very professional.

            Lastly, Rafaella’s unique quote choices give her a personal tone. Rafaella consistently uses quotes that relate back to “the average American”-someone’s daily life. For example, “Mother Amy Freeman from Maryland agrees.” We associate ourselves with “Amy Freeman,” and therefore feel as if this essay relates to us, also. By doing this, Rafaella can secretly push her ideas into our brains without us knowing-a very smart technique. Quote choice can be an effective way to deliver your ideas.

            Overall, Rafaella’s essay was truly incredible. Her use of vocabulary, statistics, and quote choice made her seem very “grown-up.” I’ve noticed this sophisticated tone in lots of her writing, and I think it’s really great. I’m going to try to incorporate some of this maturity in my own writing. Personally, I disagree with Rafaella’s opinion (I believe that YA books should be free of all restraint), but the techniques she used to get her point across really swayed my views. I can easily tell why Rafaella’s argument essay was chosen as one of the “All-Star Argument Essays!” Good job!

Click here to see her Essay!!!

Non-Fiction Critical Analysis!!!

Sometimes, we’re shown someone’s opinion without even realizing it. However, other times, it is clear what the author(s) are trying to say. In “Packaging Boyhood” by Lyn Mikel Brown, Sharon Lamb, and Mark Tappan, and “Packaging Girlhood” by Sharon Lamb and Lyn Mikel Brown, the authors get their points across very clearly. The authors use many techniques to get their points across.

First of all, the authors show statistics to clearly get their points across. Some statistics include: “These [inappropriate] tees account for 20 percent of T-Shirt Hell’s sales,” and “90 percent of sex education classes don’t cover [sex terms that kids soak in through the media],” and many others.  Based solely on these statistics, it’s clear to see that the authors are against the media and the stereotypes it produces. Statistics show that something was proven, and therefore their opinion has valid evidence. Statistics help the authors get their points across.

Second of all, persuasive language/loaded words help the authors get their points across. The authors use persuasive language such as: “questionable”, “phony”, and “unfair” to sway the readers’ opinions of the quotes or statistics towards their point of view. Words like “questionable” put us under the illusion that the source isn’t credible or doesn’t have truthful evidence. Words like “phony” and “unfair” just bluntly show us the authors’ opinions, which can still be an effective persuasion technique.

Lastly, the authors effectively use punctuation and text formatting (italicizing etc.) to their benefit. Examples of this include: “the way they choose contestants,” (“they” meaning the media) and “boys and girls are seen as “types” and often cruelly judged.” These techniques clearly show how the authors doubt or dislike the formatted/punctuated terms. They also let the reader in on the authors’ crafts, showing us their opinions. Punctuation and text formatting isolate key topics.

Overall, In “Packaging Boyhood” and “Packaging Girlhood,” the authors use many techniques to help get their points across. If we paid more attention to how we state our arguments, then maybe we’ll win our next disagreements!

Analysis of Perspective in "The Da Vinci Code"

As we read, it is vital to pay close attention to perspective. In Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code,” perspective plays an essential role in uncovering the mysteries of the text. In this book, the reader uncovers a mystery along with the characters, and you can find many clues if you pay close attention to perspective. Three main aspects of perspective that one may be interested in, are whose perspective is missing, the author’s purpose in excluding this perspective, and the possibility of one perspective overshadowing another. Perspective is very important in “The Da Vinci Code.”

First of all, in “The Da Vinci Code,” the point-of-view of the Teacher is excluded. All, we know about the infamous Teacher is that s/he sent Silas to find the Brotherhood’s hidden treasure, and that they don’t seem like the friendliest of people. It’s interesting that the author excluded the Teacher because many of the main events so far have more-or-less revolved around this Opus Dei V.I.P.  What does Opus Dei have against the brotherhood? I definitely hope to find this out and more about the mysterious Teacher in the future.

Second of all, it is obvious that Dan Brown excluded the Teacher’s perspective for a reason. By omitting this point-of-view, the author creates an overall suspicious and dark aura to the text. Brown always wants to keep us on the edge of our seats. Personally, I find it very disorienting to have the main villain of this mystery novel remain voiceless. Who knows what they might do next? By creating a suspicious aura, Dan Brown makes us want to keep on reading, and influences us to constantly stay vigilant.

The present point-of-views would definitely be overshadowed if the Teacher’s perspective was present. The Teacher is most likely one of the leaders of Opus Dei, and therefore probably has a somewhat religious perspective (like that of Silas and others). This book is split between the religious side and the historical side, and if one of the main religious leaders was given a voice, we would naturally focus more on Opus Dei rather than the Langdon/Neveu side. At the moment, we’re more or less at a balance between sides. We’re still in the fog about what goes on in Opus Dei, and I think Dan Brown wants to keep it that way…

Overall, it is clear that perspective plays a large role in uncovering the mysteries of “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown. There are many different aspects of perspective, and they’re important for discovering different things. Maybe if we payed more attention to some of the overshadowed point-of-views in our world, we could unravel some real-life mysteries.

Reading "The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint" through a Social Action Lens!!!

There are many topics that can seem quite elementary when first read, but when delved further into, we can see the true depths of the topic itself. “The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint” by Brady Udall is full of these social action problems. When noticing these topics for the first time, we see them as “little kid” topics. However, when reread, we see them on a much more mature level. This book also includes an allegory. Brady Udall’s book is full of social action issues.

When we first notice social action issues, we read them on an elementary level. Here are three of the “little kid” social action issues in “The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint.” Homelessness: Edgar never has a permanent place where he is staying. He moves from hostel to hostel. Racism: Many people are afraid of Edgar or think he is strange looking because he is mixed-racial. Drug abuse: Lots of people at St. Divine’s, Willie Sherman, and other places abuse drugs, and it proves a huge obstacle for Edgar. Now let’s look a little deeper…
When rereading these social action issues, we delve deeper into the text and uncover the feeling behind these issues. Here are some of the roots of Edgar’s motives. Edgar yearns for a real family: Edgar just wants a stable, loving environment. Loneliness: Though he tries not to show it, Edgar’s only true friend was the late Cecil-since he died, Edgar is alone. Fear of reality: Edgar continuously bottles up his fear of the real world-it proves to be one of his main weaknesses. If we, as readers, look further into a text, we can uncover more mature topics.

Lastly, in Udall’s book, there is a prominent allegory. An allegory is when characters or events symbolize real-life events, people, and abstract ideas. The character of the mailman in “The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint” represents the Hope Of Forgiveness. Throughout the entire novel, Edgar searches for this mailman who ran him over when Edgar was a child, and goes through thick and thin to find him to forgive him. When Edgar does find him, however, he learns that he has passed away. This shows Edgar’s loss of Hope. Edgar goes to live in Rosa’s house, and stays quite introverted for the rest of the story.

Overall, it’s clear that in “The Miracle Life of Edgar Mint,” we notice “little kid” social action issues when reading for the first time, but when rereading, we delve deeper into the text, and find more mature, “grown-up” issues, that can spark the motivations for many of the characters in the book. Maybe if we “reread” our own motivations, we would have a more mature understanding of ourselves.