Red

I found this book to be very interesting. It was nice to read about some things that are very easy to relate to. I particularly liked the story about the girl ending up in Utah. Now, I cannot relate to this story but it was very touching and I could really feel the emotion. I think that in our society we often over look the cry of help from teens. It is often called a “cry for attention” which it is, if someone wants to kill themselves they need someone to talk to or to help them out. I recently found out a boy that I had dated in 8th grade but grew apart from in high school, killed himself last year. There were signs even when I was dating him, but nobody says anything. Here in America so many things are taboo that we just do not like to talk about them or to people about them. A lot of teenage suicide could be prevented if parents, friends, teachers and everyone paid a little bit more attention to the details of people. If someone is acting different than they normally do, if they are more depressed, someone needs to sit down with them seriously and talk about. We make everyday a routine so that nothing can be out of place, not even taking five extra minutes to talk to that person who sat alone at lunch. Samantha did not want to go to that camp in Utah but it is what was best for her. People need to pay closer attention to the little things that change and a lot more lives could be saved.

My Book

I would write my book the same was Alexie writes Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, in first person. I would write it in more of a diary form. I would talk about my life growing up. I have an older brother who is 20, a younger sister who is 13 and a younger brother who is 8, so as you can imagine things around the house were never dull and boring. My book would be about a young girl (me) who is sometimes over shadowed by her perfectionist older brother, shunned for not liking her baby sister and not paid attention to because of the newborn baby. Now, the book would not be this horrible sad story but one of growth and learning to accept and share even when you do not want to. Since my parents are still together in real life I would include that also, because I think many people do not think it is possible for marriages to survive. I would talk about the hardships I went through when my mom cam close to dying from a brain aneurysm, how I was 150 lbs in 6th grade and lost almost 40lbs in one summer, the first boyfriend I brought home, almost losing my best friend of 12 years because of stupid decisions we both made and the stupid fights my parents constantly had. Sort of a diary sort of a memoir but anyone that would read it could probably relate to at least one part. I would want to write a book that kids could read and know that they are not alone in what they are going through. For example, just because my parents are still together does not mean that our household is quiet and perfect, actually it is the complete opposite. Also, just because my dad owns his own business does not make us rich, I can remember my mom telling me I couldn’t go to the dance because we didn’t have the money for that. People assume a lot about others but never really take the time to get to know them on the inside.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

I absolutely loved this book. The book really concentrated on Junior, his feelings and everything that was happening in his life. I felt as though I was walking right next to Junior as things were happening to him. His character went through lots of hardships that many teenagers go through these days. The hurt that he felt when his grandmother and sister passed away is something that so many of us can relate too. Just because Junior is, a Native American does not mean his problems differ from other kids that age. When he meets Penelope, she hurts the same way he does but her hurting is from being bulimic. I have never read a book by a Native American and this book helped me realize that just because someone is a different race or religion we all have the same problems. I think that as a girl some parts were hard to read, regardless the book can be felt the same by a girl or boy. Even though Penelope was not the main character as being a teenage girl I know exactly how she feels. Girls are often under pressure to be skinny, have large breasts and are smart, boys are under pressure to be athletic, muscular, and the best at everything, but nobody wants to see what is on the inside or care about how they feel. Both Penelope and Junior tried to fit these stereotypes, Junior was the star basketball player but on the inside he was dying, some days happy but others very upset. Penelope was the smart, white girl who had it all, but she was also killing herself by throwing up. They needed each other and I think the relationship shows that we all need someone to help us. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian was a great way to show how much people need each other and the struggles that we all deal with.

Betsey Brown Blog 7

I loved this book. While reading it I could only think of the book "Are you There God its me Margaret" by Judy Blume. Blume’s book was more on the mild side though. The book also deals with growing up as a young female and wondering why all these things are happening as they go through puberty. The general idea of the plot is the same, but they big thing in that book is when the girls get their periods. I think these two books relate to each other very well. I like the idea that Betsey is naïve at the beginning of the book and grows up throughout. I would not say that she is completely mature but her wiliness to learn makes her so easy to relate to. I think so many children want to grow up quickly and when they finally get there they want to go back to being naïve and innocent. To me, Betsey grows up very fast, within the first 50 pages they talk about comparing boobs and she also wonders what it is like to be kissed. She wants to know everything and anything before it even happens. I also liked the Grandma; she made me think of my own grandma in ways. When the Grandma yelled at Carrie for kissing her beau, I laughed, I grew up in a household where you show no affection to your significant other in front of someone who is older. I think she yelled at her because she was disrespecting the place she worked and she was showing children something that they did not need to see. There are so many things in this book that people can relate to now that it makes it an easy read but it also has the emotion so you can get a feel about how they felt during those times.

Blog #6 Outline of Paper

THESIS: Although most parents want their children to have free will, many influence and push them in the way they want them to live.
I. Parents sometimes want to live vicariously through their children.
A. Each adolescent has the right to try something new and be themselves.
B. It is not fair for adolescents when they are not able to do something that they like.

II. The book Charlotte Temple is a perfect example of how parents tried to make their child perfect and she ends up in a bad situation.
A. In some cases it does not matter how hard you try to keep your kids the way you want them, they will act out and do what they want.
B. Charlotte’s parents raised her to be a prim and proper girl but in the end she ended up pregnant and dies.
C. Even though she was taken against her will she still flirted with Montraville and put herself in a bad place.
D. It does not matter how much you tell adolescents what to do they really need to experience and not be led onto live just like their parents did.
III. In today’s time it is happening more and more, with sports, academics, and even colleges and careers.
A. It is seen all the time when teenagers play football because their dad made them or all of their family was national wrestling champions.
B. Parents push children to go to college where they want them to go because it is their alma mater or they just like the school.
C. Toddlers in Tiaras is a show on TV where girls as young as two years old compete in beauty pageants. There is no way those little girls decided to do that themselves.
IV. Making anyone do what you want them to do makes them less of an individual and can make them unhappy.
A. Children and adolescents want to do what makes them happy not what is going to make everyone else happy.
B. It makes a lot of parents hypocrites when they say that their child has loved it for years when it is all they have know.

Huckleberry Finn Blog #5

This was the third time that I have read Huckleberry Finn, and each time I have read it I learn something new. I remember when I first saw it on the list of books we had to read for class I was not excited but as I started reading I picked up on a lot of things I had not in the past. When I read it before I never read the book out loud, but as I was reading when Jim spoke I read it aloud and could semi understand what he was saying. I really liked that Huck went against the norm of things and accepted Jim as a person. Even though, he did not talk like everyone else, look like everyone else and a lot of people did not like him, Huck did. I think an underlying theme of the book could be accepting others no matter what. Since it was written during the time period of slavery, maybe Twain was an abolitionist who really just wanted to accept everyone. I also think that the times when Huck went back to treating Jim like a slave shows that everyone can make mistakes. It also shows that even when people change they can still revert back to what they have grown up knowing. I believe that Huck really does try to be a good gentleman but he is often influenced by what others are doing. Tom Sawyer is a big influence on him and it shows another theme of peer pressure. I don’t believe Huck would have done some of the things he did if Tom would not have egged him on. Overall, I think the book sends a great message that people need to be accepted for who they are not just what you want them to be.

New day Charlotte temple

In my new day version of Charlotte Temple, the new title would be Charlie Temple; it would be set in a small town in Montana where the population is no more than 500 people. The main character Charlie would go to a private school for boys. His headmaster Christine is the one to introduce him to Charlotte, the temptress of the book. Charlotte would constantly try to seduce Charlie but he always ignores her because he has a girlfriend back home. However, as the novel goes on Charlotte writes him poems, letters and love stories about what their life together could be, these paper documents get to him through e-mail and text. After months and months of Christine taking Charlie to see Charlotte, he finally gives into her lust. Charlotte ends up taking him to Las Vegas and they get married at one of the 24-hour chapels. After their marriage, Charlie finds out that his girlfriend back home that he never broke up with his pregnant with his child. After many arguments, he finds out that the child is not his and that she cheated on him, but he no longer cares because he has fallen in love Charlotte. Although, Charlotte appears to be the antagonist, she is a very caring person after she is married to Charlie. Charlotte and Charlie end up moving back to the town in Montana but she is banned because people consider her to be promiscuous and a temptress. Temple and Charlotte move to Las Vegas and open up a casino and live happily ever after.

Charlotte Temple

When I first started this book I found it very dull and boring, but by the middle I wanted to keep reading because it had caught my attention. I think Rowson does a great job of leading the reader on and giving them a glimpse of hope. When Montraville stole Charlotte away I had this hopeful feeling that he would take care of her. Although, as the chapters went on I feel as though he became (what most girls consider) the "typical" guy.
I am sure that a lot of girls have had the feeling of being betrayed, left or in general being hurt. I believe that is why it is so easy to relate to this book as an adolescent. We all know the feeling of being let down but everyone has the hope that things will turn out well. This is exactly what Rowson did in the book. At one point Montraville realizes that he is wrong and I had hope that he was going to go back and realize his true love but he didn’t. Sadly, most women probably think this is all Montraville’s fault but I think differently. Charlotte is at fault just as much as Montraville. She is naive and is fooled by Montraville’s front of being a worthy gentleman. I think that if she would have had heartache in the past or had been more aware of what some men can be like, that she would not have gone. It also, did not help that she had no voice, she could have avoided going with La Rue if she had spoken out against it.
This book shows a lot of struggles that many teenagers face today, peer pressure, being naïve and heartache. There is no doubt in my mind that this book is going to be very popular for a very long time.

Topic for Essay

I am not exactly sure what I want to write my essay on but a few topics that have skimmed my mind have been "Why some books become banned?" and "Why do adults view adolescents the way that they do?" I feel that both topics can be discussed with the books that we are going to read in class.
I want to know why some books are banned and who decides that they are put on the banned book list. It amazes me that some schools ban books based on "too sexual" of context and witchcraft. The fact that adults in a school setting think that they can choose what children read is ludicrous. Parents should be the ones choosing or if a adolescent is old enough they should be able to choose what they want to read. Books are meant to be read and not banned.
The other topic that I am thinking about is why do adults view adolescents the way that they do? Some adults think that adolescents are dangerous, crazy and wild, even though just a few years back they were the same way. Just because one adolescent does something bad it puts a bad name out there for everyone. I want to know why they are portrayed in such a bad way in some books and why authors think it is okay to portray them as such bad people.

Chapter 9

In my opinion chapter nine was one of the best chapters in the book. Although most of the information was askew from what was really happening it was extremely interesting to see the viewpoint of someone from many years ago.

Granville Stanley Hall's perception of why adolescence acted the way they did was extremely sexist, racist and rude. I do think that the way you act reflects on the way you were brought up, where you were raised and the people you hung out with. Although, assuming that every person that isn’t white is going to cause trouble is wrong.

He also “argued that the contemporary city and its temptations had made the petty crime of young people a matter for broad social concern, rather than a matter an individual family could control.” (pg 161) This is assuming that the family cannot do anything and based on where they live is going to shape how their children act. Hall seemed to favor any person who was white upper class, the only time he seemed to mention the lower class or a person of a different race was when he was degrading them or assuming that they were going to cause trouble.

It really surprised me when I read “…Hall’s work was welcomed, especially by educators and youth workers, is that is provided a theory for many of their own efforts.” (pg 163) I understand the time period that he was writing but they were teaching children all the wrong ideas.

Hall presented valid reasons for that time period; he wanted people who were reading his work to feel good about themselves. I would like to believe that most people would think that type of book would be out of line in today’s time, but sadly I know that some people probably still agree with him.