The Hobbit Blog Post

        The book "The Hobbit", by J.R.R Tolkien, tells the tale of a hobbit named Bilbo Baggins who embarks on a long and dangerous journey with 13 dwarves and a wizard named Gandalf. Their goal is to kill a dragon, Smaug, who long ago destroyed the dwarves' kingdom and now lived inside a mountain with all of the kingdom's riches and treasure. Throughout the book, the crew encounters various creatures, some friends and many enemies. So far I’ve found that as the story moves on, Bilbo’s role in the team and confidence changes and rises, especially shown in a few key events.

            When the story first begins, Bilbo wants nothing of the adventure and simply wants to resume his quiet and peaceful life. The dwarves think he is useless and mock him by calling him a “little fellow” and saying he was “more like a grocer than a burglar”. Calling him these names sets a small fire in him that is enough to make him agree to the adventure, a move he regrets many times later in the journey. I think this event in the story showed that all Bilbo needed to give him some confidence and set his adventurous side free was some motivation and having something to prove.

            The second event that really showed Bilbo taking a further step with his bravery is when he gets separated from his friends in the underground tunnels of the Misty Mountains. Bilbo encounters an evil creature named Gollum, and happens to find Gollum’s invisibility ring, and escapes from him. Bilbo finally achieves something on his own, and this alone makes his bravery rise. He can finally show that he may only be a small hobbit, but he can still survive and do brave things. Also, when he returns to his companions, they congratulate him and praise him, and although he had the help of the ring of invisibility, this makes his confidence skyrocket, showing that all that Bilbo really needed was some recognition and appreciation to kick start his bravery.

            Finally, Bilbo’s bravery and warrior side comes on full display when he must save his companions from a horde of giant spiders in the Mirkwood forest. He fights off dozens of spiders and saves his companions from sure death. This act of bravery shows he can really be of use to the team. After this victory, Bilbo’s confidence skyrockets, as well as his leadership role in the group. This display of bravery boosts his confidence enormously and makes him a valuable asset.

            I think these events showed that sometimes it only takes a few things to completely change a person. Bilbo goes from being a small hobbit with a quiet life fearing adventure, to a giant-spider slaying hero, and mostly all it took was some recognition from his friends, having something to prove, and helping the team in small ways until he finally he really demonstrated bravery with his slaying of spiders. Not only did these things boost his confidence and bravery, they also greatly changed his role in the group. Gandalf the wizard leaves near midway in the journey, and once Bilbo becomes more confident, he slowly becomes the leader and decision maker of the group. This shows that it doesn’t take much to change someone to be a leader who can make their own decisions and change lives.

Revised Blog Post Literary Essay

          The young adult fiction novel "An Abundance of Katherines", by John Green, tells the story of a child prodigy named Colin who, after getting dumped by a girl named Katherine for the 19th time, decides to embark on a road trip with his friend Hassan. He ends up in a rural town in Tennessee named Gutshot, where he discovers new friends and a new life. It's a novel that teaches a lot about what life should be about. These morals defined the book and its storyline, as well as the characters. And although many of the morals were very clichéd, they were truthful and meaningful.
          One moral and theme was a large one, and it was that you don't have to be famous and remembered by thousands to be important. Throughout the book, Colin repeatedly states that he wants to leave his mark on the world and be remembered as important. Colin says "“What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable?”  (page 106, line 8) and this is shown as one of Colin's flaws over and over again. This line shows how the characters change to mold to the morals through the book, as Colin's opinion on what it takes to have a meaningful life changes from start to finish. He thinks that solving an algorithm that would predict a relationship will help him to be remembered, and he spends his time trying to do this instead of actually living life. This starts to change once he develops a relationship with his new "family" he starts living with, mainly Lindsey and her mother, since he realizes that being who he is is important enough, and that he needs to start living life instead of trying to be a prodigy. Colin decides that he doesn't need to leave a permanent mark on the world to be important, and that's what this moral achieves with his character.
          Lindsey is a character who specifically displays changes in behavior constantly represented by the moral that you should only be yourself, instead of trying to pretend being someone else. Again, the character starts the story not fitting this concept, but ends the book by changing to fit this moral. Throughout most of the book, Lindsey constantly acts differently around different people, thinking this will help everybody like her. For example, she acts more Southern and puts on a thick accent around elderly people, acts bubbly and girly around her boyfriend, and tries to act like a "nerd" around Colin and Hassan. She thinks she can please everybody in her life by putting on fake personas for each group of people. She admits her identity issue when she says, "I'm never myself. [...] I'm nothing. The thing about chameleoning your way through life is that it gets to where nothing is real. (page 203, line 12)". She realizes she has lost her true identity by being so many things, but having a relationship with Colin helps her find who she really is. She becomes her own person and discovers that, while she can't please everybody in her life by being herself, it's their problem for not accepting her identity. In the end, she realizes that those who accept her for who she really is are those that are most important to her.
          These are just two examples of clichéd morals in the book, and there are many more. And though many morals of fiction stories are prosaic and dull, the ones in this novel are meaningful and really show how they can change a person's life. This book taught me many valuable lessons and altered the stereotype in my head that clichéd morals and lessons are only boring and repetitive, and that they can instead be important themes to the book that shape the plot and define the characters.
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Blog Post

          At the moment, I'm not reading a book in English because I just finished "Flowers for Algernon" recently, so instead I'm reading a French book called "La Gloire de Mon Pere", which means 'the glory of my dad', so I hope it's okay I'm reviewing a book in a different language... The book is written by the famous deceased French actor Marcel Pagnol, and is a story of his childhood. When his family goes to the South of France for the summer, he discovers a whole new world that's almost magical to him, where hunting is the main activity. It's a very fun and enjoyable book to read, and it really brings you into his world when he was a child. I find it interesting how this vacation really seems to change his life and who he is, and how much of an effect hunting, and this part of France, ends up having on him. I also found it interesting how much close he and his father get through the sport of hunting.
          When he in his family first arrive at their summer home, Marcel is a bit reluctant to leave the city behind, but is also intrigued by this new world he's about to enter. Once they arrive, he discovers a magical place of animals, insects, sun and plants. He immediately starts spending his days outside with his little brother, and discovers the millions of amazing things that the countryside has to offer. I found it amazing how much one summer changed him, as he was very reluctant to leave at the end of the summer, and actually considered running away from his family to live as a hermit in the countryside. I think this shows how having the kids of my generation spend maybe just a summer at the countryside, or somewhere where they'd be surrounded by nature, could help them appreciate the outdoors more, and focus less on electronics. This book taught me a lesson and showed me incredible aspects of France and nature.
          I also found it interesting how much of an impact hunting had on Marcel, and his relationship with his father. Midway through the summer, his father and uncle decide to go hunting, and they leave out Marcel from their plans. He sneaks out at dawn and follows them, accidentally disturbing a flock of birds and sending them towards his dad and uncle to be easily shot. Once he reveals himself to them, they decide to have him replace the role of a dog, running in front of them to scare animals and make it easier to hunt. Marcel finds a whole new passion, and he and his father bond over it. He and his father have a strong connection, but his father isn't very good at hunting, which causes Marcel to feel humiliated. Once his father finally kills a large animal, Marcel feels so proud, showing just how much of a connection they had. After that summer, he and his dad's relationship was never the same he says near the end of the book. I think this shows just how much a common passion/interest can change a relationship, and someone's life. Hunting helps Marcel appreciate nature even more, and he discovers a new facet of the wild.
          In conclusion, I loved this book and how descriptive and enjoyable it was. It felt like I was right next to him, running through the grass and seeing a partridge run away, the smell of the countryside around me. I, personally, have been to the South of France, and I think the author really captures the essence of the beautiful place it is. I also liked how well Marcel Pagnol capture the essence of his childhood, and it really allowed me to see how he thought as a child, and what his childhood felt like. All in all, this was a great book, and I'm very happy to have discovered recently that there is a sequel to this chapter of his childhood.

Blog Review

          The blog post I reviewed is Natasha's, and it's titled "Why Ellen Hopkins May've Wanted Readers to Feel Uncomfortable". I find that what she wrote about Ellen Hopkins' choice of disturbing details in the book "Burned" is very accurate and interesting. I too read the book, and whole-heartedly agree that some of the content in the book really stuck in my head. I like how Natasha gave examples of some of the disturbing events to further prove her point, and I think she clearly summarized the main disturbing events that take place throughout the story without going too deep into the summary. I like how she chose the two disturbing events that were wrote about the most and used them to show that the author uses them to promote awareness.
          I like how Natasha went in-depth to try and figure out the reasons behind all the disturbing content, exactly how we analyzed the reasons Meghan Cox Gurdon used disturbing scenes from books in her article about dark young adult fiction earlier in the year. In this case, I think Natasha is absolutely right by saying that part of the reason Hopkins give such explicit detail is to show the reader how Pattyn felt in the situations, and what these horrible situations are like to those who go through them. I find it interesting that she connected this to helping victims of these situations fuel their emotions to stop them. It's a great point, and I think her point that showing the readers exactly how these situations look and feel like, they can dissuade readers from, for example, having unprotected sex or not doing anything about child abuse. This analysis by Natasha into the reasons Hopkins chose to write some of the things she did was very interesting and showed how she thought deeper about the book.
          I also like how in the final paragraphs, Natasha describes a thoughtful idea in just a few sentences. She says that by adding description of disturbing situations, Hopkins makes the reader feel empathy and made the ending more upsetting. Having read the book, I agree that Hopkins' style of writing and use of description of what Pattyn goes through does create a bond with the reader, and that the ending then becomes heartbreaking and very frustrating and disturbing. I like how Natasha summarized this idea in just five sentences, and I think this was a theme for her entire blog post. She had concise, thought-provoking ideas that were not too wordy or complicated, but caused me to really think back to the book and see for myself that it was true. I think her points showed how deeply she analyzed this book, and overall, her blog post was very interesting and well written.
http://natashasbookblog26.blogspot.com/

Non-Fiction Critical Analysis on Upfront Article "The 6th Extinction?"

          The non-fiction article "The Sixth Extinction?" by Elizabeth Kolbert, in Upfront magazine issue #15251292, talks about the fact that we may be headed towards another mass extinction. The main idea of the text is that, in various ways, humans are causing species to disappear at an alarming rate. The many different ways that humans are causing species to disappear helped me understand what was happening and why. For example, Kolbert explains that by, "... inhabiting every corner of the planet, razing forests, and burning fossil fuels..." we are causing the world to change very quickly and in many ways, which is causing thousands of extinctions. The author also helps demonstrate her point by pointing out that moving species around the world is having a huge impact and is a big part of the issue. Finally, I understood her point and the main idea better through her explanation of how deforestation and use of fossil fuels has, "... led to a buildup of carbon dioxide and other gases that trap heat in the atmosphere," and how global warming forces species to, "...adapt to new climates or move to cooler habitats. If neither of those strategies works, they die out." Understanding the different ways that humans are causing species to disappear helped me comprehend the main idea and the topic altogether.

          The author wants me to feel scared and alarmed by letting me know that humans are the ones who are causing history to repeat itself. She does this by using factual evidence that shows the damage humans are causing, such as the fact that extinction rates are 10,000 times higher since humans appeared (Science magazine). The author also uses other intimidating statistics, for example, "within this century, 20 to 50 percent of all living species - from plants to mammals - might be headed towards oblivion." Kolbert also gives data showing how the movement of species caused by humans is causing extinctions, by saying that "Hawaii, for example, is acquiring a new species each month, according to the Center for Invasive Species Research. [...] Hundreds of species that existed only in Hawaii for thousands of years [...] are now gone forever or disappearing because other species have taken over." Not only does the author uses daunting statistics and factual evidence to show the reader just how big the issue is, and how involved humans are, but Kolbert also uses some vocabulary that gives a bit of a sense of 'impending doom'. For example, in the statistic quoted previously, she says that up to 50 percent of all living species might be headed towards 'oblivion'. The word oblivion is very strong and gives off more of a feeling of how serious and important the issue is.

          After reading this text, I know more about how we might be headed towards a mass extinction, and why. I think we have nobody to blame but ourselves, and that we need to fix the mess we made before it's too late. I'd like to know more about ways that we can help salvage our planet and stop the damage we've caused, and perhaps a little more information on what caused the five other mass extinctions. Although my opinion has not been changed, it has been greatly reinforced, and now I know how imperative it is that we start making changes, or we will soon enough be going through a sixth mass extinction.

Flowers for Algernon Social Issues Response

          The book Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes, tells the fictional story of a mentally disabled man named Charlie, who goes through a surgery that has been tested on a mouse named Algernon to raise his IQ. In it, a large social issue is the way that Charlie is treated when he is mentally disabled. Of course, Charlie doesn't understand what's going on and doesn't know he's being made fun of, and he only realizes that people have been laughing at him, and using him, through flashbacks after the surgery. What's horrible about the situation is that the ones making fun of him and using him the most were the people he thought were his friends at the bakery where he worked.
          In the days where Charlie was mentally disabled, he thought that those that he worked with at Donner's Bakery were his friends (his only friends). Little did he know, they were making fun of him all along, and he had been the source of mockery since he had first started his job there. During a flashback, he shows us just how much they mocked him, and how innocent he was. "He's a scream", one of the girls said. Everybody was laughing. 'Oh you were right, Frank,' choked Ellen. 'He's a one man side show.' Then she said, 'Here, Charlie, have a fruit.' She gave me an apple, but when I bit into it, it was fake." One of the bakers also used Charlie to make a profit for himself, making him deliver cakes and pastries to customers who he gave discounts to in exchange of a side payment for himself. Of course, Charlie was clueless and simply did what he was told. The bakers weren't the only ones making fun of him, as boys on the street laughed at him and threw garbage at him, when all he wanted to do was play with them.
          I think that the bakers' perspectives are left out because it leaves the reader thinking about why they treated Charlie this way. It first seems like Charlie couldn't have possibly done anything wrong to them, but he could have possibly threatened their job security. We are given insight into why they treated him this way though once he returns to the bakery after the surgery. Since he's now smarter than them, they despise him. They made fun of him to feel superior, and since they weren't the most intelligent people, he was the only one they could use to make fun of, the only person below them. I think not giving this perspective actually shows us more of what these people are like than if their perspective was shown: if their perspective was shown the reader might feel sympathy for them if they had a tough life and Charlie was the only person they could mock, when actually that would be no excuse for them to laugh at a disabled and innocent man.
          The situations in this book show the social issues of how disabled people may be treated, and how hard it is for someone who is mentally disabled to live a normal life. Charlie thinks he has friend, but they are his enemies, and once he starts living his dream and becoming more intelligent, they reject him because he makes them feel less superior. Charlie's situation shows that people are sometimes not what they seem like, and can hide a dark side when you think they are your friends, not your foes. This book shows how horrible society can be, and how innocent people like Charlie can wind up facing it alone.

YA fiction argument essay

            Young adult fiction has been the center of a large debate over the past years, and cases of schools or libraries banning or removing books keep popping up. For example, a school in Stockton banned the controversial book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie, because of themes such as sexual abuse and because “the book would create controversy in the classroom.” Even though YA fiction can be dark or offensive to some, inspiring books help suffering teens and teaches other ones about what the world is really like. Teens should have the choice of what they read, and their access to books should not be limited.

            “Dark” YA fiction doesn’t scare or hurt teens, because they are aware of these dark subjects. Many teens have been victim to or seen cases of domestic violence, and according to the U.S. Department of Justice, 1.8 million teens in the U.S. have been victims of sexual assault (2014). Teens are not as innocent and ignorant as many adults may think they are, and trying to shield them from what the real world is like, even if it can be a dark place, is a futile approach to the matter. Sherman Alexie, the author of the aforementioned young adult book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, says in a Wall Street article of his, “[would-be saviors] wanted to protect me from sex when I had already been raped. They wanted to protect me from evil though a future serial killer had already abused me.” This quote shows that shielding teens from horrible things they are already experiencing is pointless, and that adults should stop trying to protect teens from the real world.

            These YA books not only don't harm most teens, they actually help many and inspire them. Teens that have suffered hardships, from drug abuse to anorexia, can relate to characters experiencing the same things. Sherman Alexie once again tells of teens he met who had suffered various hardships and told him that his book was the only one they had read entirely. This book that many adults had deemed threatening to teens helped teens who went through the same controversial topics in the book! Mr Alexie himself said that he would have loved to read his own book when he was suffering as a child, because he could have related to it and it would have helped him face the monsters of his world.

            Those opposing YA fiction say it shocks and hurts readers, and causes them to lose their innocence to horrible things too early in their life. Meghan Cox Gurdon says in her article Darkness Too Visible, "If books show us the world, teen fiction can be like a fall of fun-house mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously portrayals of what life is." Although young adult books can indeed give a very dark and sometimes depressing view on life, it is not a distorted view on the world. These dark topics may not always occur in everyday life, and some may be fictional, but many are very real to millions of people. These books are not meant to show what life is for every normal person on the Earth, they instead show the individual struggles of some teens.

            Although many may disagree, YA fiction helps teens more than it hurts them. Banning books only has negative effects xXZS as it stops teens from observing a view on the world they should be informed about, if they aren’t already. Sometimes adults do more horrible things to teens than books ever will, and such was the case of a boy from an Ivy League school Sherman Alexie met, who explained to him that his father was forcing him to join the army instead of letting him follow his dream of being a writer. Even the most privileged teens go through horrible things, and as Mr. Alexie says, “he was old enough to die and kill for his country. And old enough to experience the infinite horrors of war,” but according to some adults, he was too young to read disturbing material? Young adult books are meant to be read by young adults, and adults need to stop trying to change that.