Reflection
(Hooray, no more blog post!!!)
I am currently thinking about my experience blogging about reading this year and about what it means to have an 'online identity'. I can't believe that it's finally the end of the school year and it's even harder to believe that I've actually done like 30 blog posts this year.
As a reader and a writer, I've learned a lot through blogging. This experience helped to make me more confident in what I say. I was able to express the thinkings that I usually would not be able to say through the blog posts. It's different from writing in a notebook because first of all, one is on the computer and the other is on paper, and secondly, I have more to say when I type than when I actually have to write out the words. Something I don't like about writing online is that everyone sees when you are writing, and so sometimes it may limit when you can write about and it also has to be written in a formal way.
I 'm staying neutral about the thought that teenagers abuse the freedom that being online gives you on sites like facebook because they are able to do whatever they want to do. What does "abusing the freedom" means? Does it means that just because you say mean things behind someone's back through online resources that you are abusing the freedom? We often exercise our freedom of thoughts by thinking about mean things behind their backs so does this means that we are abusing our freedom because we aren't being good people who always help one another over obstacles? I get the whole idea about cyber bullying and that people often commit suicide because they are bullied online, but does that means that in order to stop these incidents from happening, the internet should be shut down and the economic pace should be slowed down? I mean, seriously, I often say horrible things behind people's back just to get the conversation going. I think it would be fine as long as you don't go over the board.
Honestly, I can't imagine myself blogging ever again about the books that I'm reading. I only blog because it is a homework assignment, and I've done too much that I'm getting annoyed by it. I feel that I get the point about how blogging can do more benefits than harm and such and such, but blogs are starting to frustrate me. I believe that I shouldn't have to blog just to complete the assignment before the due date.
But overall, I'm proud of myself for the 30 posts (31 including this) that I've done. We should all celebrate the fact that this is finally our last blog post!...But wait now we still have the memoir due...
Friday, June 15, 2012
Friday, June 8, 2012
When is it Right to Feel Guilty?
When is it Right to Feel Guilty?
Ending the Philosophy Unit...? Probably second to last blog post~
According to the book, "Willow", by Julia Hoban, Willow blames herself for the deaths of her parents in a car accident because she was the one driving the car. Even after seven months, she still feels guilty because she believed that she was the root of all the tragedies. She tries to hide her pain by constantly cutting her body. I feel that this is not the right way to solve a long-lasting problem. Why can't people think about the consequences before they make a decision? Why do people, especial young teens, always choose to hide their emotions away and not discuss their issues with someone they trust? Does keeping secrets always result in a good ending? When is it right to feel guilty and when it is right to let it go?
Willow in the story starts cutting herself with a razor after she accidentally caused her parents to die. She believes that it's all fault for everything and that her older brother hates her for what she had done. I don't think this is necessary because like I've mentioned, it was an accident. An accident is "an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss". Willow had no intention in really killing her mom and dad. She could have died too if she wasn't too lucky and so if that did happen, who would then take the blame? Willow blames herself because she was the one driving the car but it was actually the car's problem, not hers. She's not guilty until proven so. The accident occurred naturally, not on purpose. And yet, she chose to cut herself to make herself "stronger". If it was the other way around and her parents were driving while she was sitting in the back seat, then would they have to take the blame if they got into a car accident causing Willow to die?
I feel that she should think about the consequences before she make a choice. Why would she choose to cut herself? There are many other better tortures she could have done to herself like eat a bunch of deserts, run a long marathon, get into a college, or something else that she could do to get her mind off of the accident. Just get over it! Hurting your body only creates more problems, it doesn't do anything to solve it. Really, young teens should try to free their minds by talking to adults that they are comfortable with and discuss their issues and have them make advices. Kids tend to think they know everything which is not true. They still need help with adults because of their lack of experience. Keeping secrets can sometimes lead to bad consequences. If she hadn't talk about her issues to somebody else and continue to take the blame, she might have ended up committing suicide and just die off like her parents.
In conclusion, I feel that Willow should try to let everything go and just think about what is happening in the future. Looking back will only may her trip even more. It's no longer alright to blame yourself when you're not the one at fault. Luckily, she gets help at the end and stops cutting herself. In real life, when students face a difficult problem that they cannot fix by themselves, they may choose to talk to their parents, guidance counselor, and their friends. Unfortunately Willow is left without her parents and her dark personality has cost her many friends but she could have still talked to her guidance counselor first before trying to solve her emotional trauma by herself. Finding help can do more good than harm.
Ending the Philosophy Unit...? Probably second to last blog post~
According to the book, "Willow", by Julia Hoban, Willow blames herself for the deaths of her parents in a car accident because she was the one driving the car. Even after seven months, she still feels guilty because she believed that she was the root of all the tragedies. She tries to hide her pain by constantly cutting her body. I feel that this is not the right way to solve a long-lasting problem. Why can't people think about the consequences before they make a decision? Why do people, especial young teens, always choose to hide their emotions away and not discuss their issues with someone they trust? Does keeping secrets always result in a good ending? When is it right to feel guilty and when it is right to let it go?
Willow in the story starts cutting herself with a razor after she accidentally caused her parents to die. She believes that it's all fault for everything and that her older brother hates her for what she had done. I don't think this is necessary because like I've mentioned, it was an accident. An accident is "an undesirable or unfortunate happening that occurs unintentionally and usually results in harm, injury, damage, or loss". Willow had no intention in really killing her mom and dad. She could have died too if she wasn't too lucky and so if that did happen, who would then take the blame? Willow blames herself because she was the one driving the car but it was actually the car's problem, not hers. She's not guilty until proven so. The accident occurred naturally, not on purpose. And yet, she chose to cut herself to make herself "stronger". If it was the other way around and her parents were driving while she was sitting in the back seat, then would they have to take the blame if they got into a car accident causing Willow to die?
I feel that she should think about the consequences before she make a choice. Why would she choose to cut herself? There are many other better tortures she could have done to herself like eat a bunch of deserts, run a long marathon, get into a college, or something else that she could do to get her mind off of the accident. Just get over it! Hurting your body only creates more problems, it doesn't do anything to solve it. Really, young teens should try to free their minds by talking to adults that they are comfortable with and discuss their issues and have them make advices. Kids tend to think they know everything which is not true. They still need help with adults because of their lack of experience. Keeping secrets can sometimes lead to bad consequences. If she hadn't talk about her issues to somebody else and continue to take the blame, she might have ended up committing suicide and just die off like her parents.
In conclusion, I feel that Willow should try to let everything go and just think about what is happening in the future. Looking back will only may her trip even more. It's no longer alright to blame yourself when you're not the one at fault. Luckily, she gets help at the end and stops cutting herself. In real life, when students face a difficult problem that they cannot fix by themselves, they may choose to talk to their parents, guidance counselor, and their friends. Unfortunately Willow is left without her parents and her dark personality has cost her many friends but she could have still talked to her guidance counselor first before trying to solve her emotional trauma by herself. Finding help can do more good than harm.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Social Classes
Persepolis
Social Classes
In the book, "Persepolis" by Marjiane Satrapi, there is a quote, "The reason for my shame and for the Revolution is the same: the difference between social classes" (30). If you reverse the sentence, it basically means that the difference between social classes is the reason for her to be shameful and the reason for the country's revolution.This excerpt is pretty simple to understand and it made me wonder why is this the case. Are we still considered equal when people are not in the same social classes? Why do people in higher social classes get more opportunities? Why are people categorized for their values?
In the story, Marji's friend, a maid, was unable to marry another guy that she loves because he was in a different social class. When that guy found out that she was a maid, he didn't want to be with her anyway. I can't forgive this guy. You love someone for who they are, not based on their values, their job, or their living conditions. Everyone should be given the same chances and the people from the higher social classes should lend a hand and support the poorer ones to improve the economy. But of course, it was a good that that he dumped her because now she knows what a bastard he is.
We can apply the same concept in life today also. Let's just say in a job recruitment, there is a rich guy with a nice suit and clean shoes along with a poor guy wearing torn jeans and flip-flops. Even if the poor guy is slightly smarter than the other one, the manager will mostly likely employ the rich dude because he will give the company a better reputation. This is unjustifiable because he was biased when making his decisions. People shouldn't be classified in certain groups because of how much money they have. Some people may have just been born in a really good family, while some others just aren't too lucky. But, we are all humans. We deserve the same rights as others. We should be viewed a certain way not because of our social class but because of our ability. But sometimes even this wouldn't be as fair because children at richer families tend to have better education.
As you can see, I feel that social classes are sometimes a limiting factor. Personality and ability should be more important than how much money your family earns, which is quite unfair. If I had to employ a worker, I would absolutely select one based on their working ability and not on their values.
Social Classes
In the book, "Persepolis" by Marjiane Satrapi, there is a quote, "The reason for my shame and for the Revolution is the same: the difference between social classes" (30). If you reverse the sentence, it basically means that the difference between social classes is the reason for her to be shameful and the reason for the country's revolution.This excerpt is pretty simple to understand and it made me wonder why is this the case. Are we still considered equal when people are not in the same social classes? Why do people in higher social classes get more opportunities? Why are people categorized for their values?
In the story, Marji's friend, a maid, was unable to marry another guy that she loves because he was in a different social class. When that guy found out that she was a maid, he didn't want to be with her anyway. I can't forgive this guy. You love someone for who they are, not based on their values, their job, or their living conditions. Everyone should be given the same chances and the people from the higher social classes should lend a hand and support the poorer ones to improve the economy. But of course, it was a good that that he dumped her because now she knows what a bastard he is.
We can apply the same concept in life today also. Let's just say in a job recruitment, there is a rich guy with a nice suit and clean shoes along with a poor guy wearing torn jeans and flip-flops. Even if the poor guy is slightly smarter than the other one, the manager will mostly likely employ the rich dude because he will give the company a better reputation. This is unjustifiable because he was biased when making his decisions. People shouldn't be classified in certain groups because of how much money they have. Some people may have just been born in a really good family, while some others just aren't too lucky. But, we are all humans. We deserve the same rights as others. We should be viewed a certain way not because of our social class but because of our ability. But sometimes even this wouldn't be as fair because children at richer families tend to have better education.
As you can see, I feel that social classes are sometimes a limiting factor. Personality and ability should be more important than how much money your family earns, which is quite unfair. If I had to employ a worker, I would absolutely select one based on their working ability and not on their values.
Friday, May 25, 2012
Persepolois
Persepolois
Random Thoughts
I was reading the comic novel, "Persepolis" by Marjiane Satrapi, which about a girl name Marji who faces many obstacles and was in the revolution to overthrow the Shah. She grows up with the new regime and sees how the new Iran ruler was always oppressive and treats his people badly. She is sent to Vienna because the country's at war and it was more safer and better there. I see the connection with the Islamic Revolution. People were controlled as puppets and harshly treated. This leads me to wonder why people want to fight in wars and rebel against their leaders.
According to the book, there is a war between Iran and Iraq. The ruler is extremely religious and only cares about what he wants. In real life, Iran called for a Shia revolution in Iraq which alarmed the Iraqi leaders. This initiated the war. But in general, why do we fight in wars? I think it is because we want freedom, we want to get what we deserve. Like in the Spanish-American war, we wanted independence. But in the book, the war only occurred because of one's selfishness.
I was wondering why countries would still fight in wars when millions of people end up sacrificing themselves and die. Is it justifiable to value the individual's life over the benefits of nation? Should dangerous materials like nuclear weapons be used to kill enemies? Is it necessary to declare war when the problem could be talked out? Is violence even right the first place?
Violence should only be considered when it is necessary and when the problem cannot be peacefully solved. Fighting wastes energy, time, and reputation. There's no point for countries to fight each other because it uses a large amount of money and people. The leader of the nation should consider all the harming factors before declaring a war. The "king" in the book didn't do this.
As you can so, I'm starting to wonder about the world after reading this comic. Harsh consequences often occur because of someone's selfishness. The book is similar to the world and it makes me question how the world is full of flaws.
Random Thoughts
I was reading the comic novel, "Persepolis" by Marjiane Satrapi, which about a girl name Marji who faces many obstacles and was in the revolution to overthrow the Shah. She grows up with the new regime and sees how the new Iran ruler was always oppressive and treats his people badly. She is sent to Vienna because the country's at war and it was more safer and better there. I see the connection with the Islamic Revolution. People were controlled as puppets and harshly treated. This leads me to wonder why people want to fight in wars and rebel against their leaders.
According to the book, there is a war between Iran and Iraq. The ruler is extremely religious and only cares about what he wants. In real life, Iran called for a Shia revolution in Iraq which alarmed the Iraqi leaders. This initiated the war. But in general, why do we fight in wars? I think it is because we want freedom, we want to get what we deserve. Like in the Spanish-American war, we wanted independence. But in the book, the war only occurred because of one's selfishness.
I was wondering why countries would still fight in wars when millions of people end up sacrificing themselves and die. Is it justifiable to value the individual's life over the benefits of nation? Should dangerous materials like nuclear weapons be used to kill enemies? Is it necessary to declare war when the problem could be talked out? Is violence even right the first place?
Violence should only be considered when it is necessary and when the problem cannot be peacefully solved. Fighting wastes energy, time, and reputation. There's no point for countries to fight each other because it uses a large amount of money and people. The leader of the nation should consider all the harming factors before declaring a war. The "king" in the book didn't do this.
As you can so, I'm starting to wonder about the world after reading this comic. Harsh consequences often occur because of someone's selfishness. The book is similar to the world and it makes me question how the world is full of flaws.
Friday, May 18, 2012
When It Happens...Again
When It Happens...Again
In the book, "When It Happens," by Susane Colasanti, Sara, a nerd, finds true love by getting together with Tobey, a slacker. While finishing the book, I'm starting to see how much the characters have changed. I'm starting to wonder how much grades, popularity, and even friends can impact you either in a negative or a positive way. In the real world, it works the same by affecting how others will view you as.
According to the story, because Sara became Dave, popular jock's girlfriend, her life completely changed. People who had once ignored her for being a dorky teacher's pet. starting complimenting of her discount shirts, talking with her in school, and even ate lunch with her. They claimed that they were her friends and she was cool and they should hang out all the time. After she dumps Dave for Tobey because he was always forcing her to do things she didn't wanted to, those so-called friends immediately stopped talking to her. What are friends, really? Just people you take advantage of and leave behind after they become useless? Obviously, people talked to her because she was Dave's girlfriend and being friends with her could get a ticket to become one of the popular kids. I googled up the definition of friends, and it says that it is "a person whom one knows, likes, and trusts". Is that the image I'm seeing from her friends? Someone who would be for you no matter what? Uh, no. In our society, "friendships" often formed for economic or political benefits. People become friends with celebrities to get fame, countries allies with other nations to increase trade, and much more! I think these shouldn't be considered friends, more like beneficial partners. I don't believe that you should take advantage of friends and just throw them away when they are worthless.
I'm also noticing how grades can affect Tobey. In the beginning of the stories, teachers always pick on him and yells at him for slacking. Towards the end when he improves his grade to impress Sara, the teachers would give him smiles and stop being mean to him. Do grades really make people view you differently even though you are just the same as before? Teachers often pick favorites and treat them better than they do with other kids, but is this really right? Is it fair to value someone more than another because of how well they do in school. I think it's quite unjust to pick on the ones that really don't have the talent or skills for school. If this was in a different case where teachers like rich people more than the poor ones because they often donate money to school or such then would it be ethical? I don't think people should be treated differently. All men are equally, well women too, and and we should practice this rule in real life too and not just have it sitting on a paper.
Therefore, things like popularity and grades can change so much as to how others think about you. We should all be treated equally. I believe that it's unfair for those factors to determine your personality.
In the book, "When It Happens," by Susane Colasanti, Sara, a nerd, finds true love by getting together with Tobey, a slacker. While finishing the book, I'm starting to see how much the characters have changed. I'm starting to wonder how much grades, popularity, and even friends can impact you either in a negative or a positive way. In the real world, it works the same by affecting how others will view you as.
According to the story, because Sara became Dave, popular jock's girlfriend, her life completely changed. People who had once ignored her for being a dorky teacher's pet. starting complimenting of her discount shirts, talking with her in school, and even ate lunch with her. They claimed that they were her friends and she was cool and they should hang out all the time. After she dumps Dave for Tobey because he was always forcing her to do things she didn't wanted to, those so-called friends immediately stopped talking to her. What are friends, really? Just people you take advantage of and leave behind after they become useless? Obviously, people talked to her because she was Dave's girlfriend and being friends with her could get a ticket to become one of the popular kids. I googled up the definition of friends, and it says that it is "a person whom one knows, likes, and trusts". Is that the image I'm seeing from her friends? Someone who would be for you no matter what? Uh, no. In our society, "friendships" often formed for economic or political benefits. People become friends with celebrities to get fame, countries allies with other nations to increase trade, and much more! I think these shouldn't be considered friends, more like beneficial partners. I don't believe that you should take advantage of friends and just throw them away when they are worthless.
I'm also noticing how grades can affect Tobey. In the beginning of the stories, teachers always pick on him and yells at him for slacking. Towards the end when he improves his grade to impress Sara, the teachers would give him smiles and stop being mean to him. Do grades really make people view you differently even though you are just the same as before? Teachers often pick favorites and treat them better than they do with other kids, but is this really right? Is it fair to value someone more than another because of how well they do in school. I think it's quite unjust to pick on the ones that really don't have the talent or skills for school. If this was in a different case where teachers like rich people more than the poor ones because they often donate money to school or such then would it be ethical? I don't think people should be treated differently. All men are equally, well women too, and and we should practice this rule in real life too and not just have it sitting on a paper.
Therefore, things like popularity and grades can change so much as to how others think about you. We should all be treated equally. I believe that it's unfair for those factors to determine your personality.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
When It Happens
When It Happens
Archetypal Journey
In the fascinating book, "When It Happens," by Susane Colasanti, one of the protagonist Tobey, is going on an archetypal journey, specifically for loss of innocence. He's gets impacted by others around him in a positive and negative ways. Although I am not yet done with the book, I can still predict how different he would be after his journey ended.
Based on the story, Tobey's more like the class slacker, rock-star wannabe until Sara, his crush, gets near him. When he's with other girls, even Cynthia (sexy kind of slut?), it's no big deal to handle them. But once he sees Sara, his eyes would sparkle and he wouldn't even been able to speak. He starts to realize what's true love even though he is lacking the courage to speak it out loud. During his journey, he is starting to loose his innocence but in a he-will-mature way. Sara is the positive person that has affected him the most because it was her that forces him to think back at all the crazy things he had been doing. She is the person that gets him to mature. Dave is probably the negative person that has been constantly impacting him because he asked Sara out before him, but he could also be a positive factor because he forced Tobey to realize that he should step up and not be a wimp.
Later on in the story, like most stories, I can infer that Tobey will start to display more courage to get the girl she wants. He will learn that if he doesn't take the steps now, he will no longer have any to take. His journey will cause him to mature and become more like a hero. Living in the real world, we also have to be brave enough to take the first step or else once the right timing is gone, there will be no other chances.
In conclusion, these interpretation shows Tobey's emotional journey. He is starting to mature because of the negative factors and is motivated by the positive factors. He's becoming more like a different man and will become so after his journey is accomplished.
Archetypal Journey
In the fascinating book, "When It Happens," by Susane Colasanti, one of the protagonist Tobey, is going on an archetypal journey, specifically for loss of innocence. He's gets impacted by others around him in a positive and negative ways. Although I am not yet done with the book, I can still predict how different he would be after his journey ended.
Based on the story, Tobey's more like the class slacker, rock-star wannabe until Sara, his crush, gets near him. When he's with other girls, even Cynthia (sexy kind of slut?), it's no big deal to handle them. But once he sees Sara, his eyes would sparkle and he wouldn't even been able to speak. He starts to realize what's true love even though he is lacking the courage to speak it out loud. During his journey, he is starting to loose his innocence but in a he-will-mature way. Sara is the positive person that has affected him the most because it was her that forces him to think back at all the crazy things he had been doing. She is the person that gets him to mature. Dave is probably the negative person that has been constantly impacting him because he asked Sara out before him, but he could also be a positive factor because he forced Tobey to realize that he should step up and not be a wimp.
Later on in the story, like most stories, I can infer that Tobey will start to display more courage to get the girl she wants. He will learn that if he doesn't take the steps now, he will no longer have any to take. His journey will cause him to mature and become more like a hero. Living in the real world, we also have to be brave enough to take the first step or else once the right timing is gone, there will be no other chances.
In conclusion, these interpretation shows Tobey's emotional journey. He is starting to mature because of the negative factors and is motivated by the positive factors. He's becoming more like a different man and will become so after his journey is accomplished.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Blog Post
At the beginning of the story, Margaret from the book "The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place" by E.L. Konigsburg, is forced to stay at Camp Talequa while her parents are away. During this time, she isolates herself from the others and refuses to participate in any of the activities. I believe that she chose to act this way because she wanted attention. But, if I were to be in her shoes, I would have done things differently.
Firstly, I can infer that she refuses to cooperate with the teachers because she wanted her family to be more concerned over her. Her parents left her to go to Peru and her uncles didn't invited her to come over to their house. Since she had no other options, she must spend the four summer weeks in the camp until her parents come back. To me, it seems that she has been abandoned. She described herself as "an only child" with "excellent traveling companion", who "never required extra bathroom stops" and "never demanded special foods". Additionally, she also said "regardless of how endless the car ride was, I never asked, 'Are we there yet?'". But at the end, no one wanted her to come along with them. In the camp, whenever the teachers tell her to do something, she always says "I prefer not to". I think that she just wanted the teachers to call her family or relatives so that she could get the attention she wants. She feels that her pride has been wounded and her heart has been bruised over the decisions her family made regarding to where she should stay so she chose to "scare" them by getting into troubles. To sum it up, she rebels since she wants to be noticed and cared by others.
My next point is that no matter how desperate she was in try to get attention I think it's better if she chose to have a great time in the camp and have her parents feel proud over her. If she pretended like she had a fantastic month there, then her family would also regret not being able to join her to have the "fun". Refusing to do what she should do only makes herself look bad. Her parents may only feel more stressful because of her actions and get angry at her for ruining their vacation. If she wanted attention, then she could get it by being a good kid and having the teachers praise her performance to her parents. That's indeed better than having them mad at her.
In conclusion, I believe that she decided to act in a rebelling way to get people to be concerned over her. In my shoes, I would have done the opposite thing of what she did to get positive attention instead of negative ones. Especially since she's an only child, she didn't had to compete with other siblings so that parents would care more for her. Yet, she lacks the care she wants. Making decisions can be easy but making the right decisions may be way harder.
Blog Post
At the beginning of the story, Margaret from the book "The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place" by E.L. Konigsburg, is forced to stay at Camp Talequa while her parents are away. During this time, she isolates herself from the others and refuses to participate in any of the activities. I believe that she chose to act this way because she wanted attention. But, if I were to be in her shoes, I would have done things differently.
Firstly, I can infer that she refuses to cooperate with the teachers because she wanted her family to be more concerned over her. Her parents left her to go to Peru and her uncles didn't invited her to come over to their house. Since she had no other options, she must spend the four summer weeks in the camp until her parents come back. To me, it seems that she has been abandoned. She described herself as "an only child" with "excellent traveling companion", who "never required extra bathroom stops" and "never demanded special foods". Additionally, she also said "regardless of how endless the car ride was, I never asked, 'Are we there yet?'". But at the end, no one wanted her to come along with them. In the camp, whenever the teachers tell her to do something, she always says "I prefer not to". I think that she just wanted the teachers to call her family or relatives so that she could get the attention she wants. She feels that her pride has been wounded and her heart has been bruised over the decisions her family made regarding to where she should stay so she chose to "scare" them by getting into troubles. To sum it up, she rebels since she wants to be noticed and cared by others.
My next point is that no matter how desperate she was in try to get attention I think it's better if she chose to have a great time in the camp and have her parents feel proud over her. If she pretended like she had a fantastic month there, then her family would also regret not being able to join her to have the "fun". Refusing to do what she should do only makes herself look bad. Her parents may only feel more stressful because of her actions and get angry at her for ruining their vacation. If she wanted attention, then she could get it by being a good kid and having the teachers praise her performance to her parents. That's indeed better than having them mad at her.
In conclusion, I believe that she decided to act in a rebelling way to get people to be concerned over her. In my shoes, I would have done the opposite thing of what she did to get positive attention instead of negative ones. Especially since she's an only child, she didn't had to compete with other siblings so that parents would care more for her. Yet, she lacks the care she wants. Making decisions can be easy but making the right decisions may be way harder.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Tangled Together
Tangled
Different Point of Views: Skye and Jena
According to the story “Tangled” written by Carolyn Mackler, there are many perspectives rotating around it. The ones that I find the most appealing are Skye’s and Jena’s. Since they live under different conditions, they tend to think things in different ways. It’s fascinating because I’ve realized how unlike people can view the same things.
To begin, Jena views Skye as a perfect, rich goddess that everyone admires. She has a cute boyfriend, goes to a classy private school, and has a mother who lives off of her grandpa’s oil trust fund that could last for decades. Not just that, Skye is also an actress that has been on numerous of films and commercials. She has a nice body and knows celebrities. Jena basically thinks that Skye is gorgeous and lives a wealthy life. She could get anything she wants before she even wanted it. She often desires to become like Skye because she is plain and thinks that she has no appeals to males.
On the other side, Skye compares herself to a day without sunlight. She feels that she can’t do anything the way she wants it to be. Unlike what Jena had thought at the beginning, she broke up with her awesome boyfriend who immediately found a new girl. Because she got so miserable seeing them together hugging and kissing the whole time she was at school, she decided to drop out and be home-schooled. She doesn’t really even have friends because she’s always practicing her lines or preparing for an audition. Sure, she’s been in many films but she mostly got the small parts. She went to tons of auditions but there’s probably only a few that actually gave her callbacks. And when she finally got the role she wanted, she’s forced to decide whether or not it was worth the consequences. She also often compares herself to other girls that went to the same auditions as her so that she can calculate her chances of getting a part. Her dad has died before she was born which she was told was because of a motorcycle accident, but she’s starting to learn some secrets behind it that her mother failed to inform her about.
I find the book attention-grabbing because the author puts several perspectives onto one book to show how different people would react to the same things. They are all somehow tangled together. I get to see both sides of the story, and I find it really interesting how Skye’s life is completely different from how Jena describes it. Without Skye’s story, I would have thought like Jena that she has a flawless life. This makes me think that how readers feel about the situation in a book also directly relates to how the characters feel about the situation because we see the scenes through their minds, their voices. These different points of views made me realize how reality could be totally unlike how you may have imaged it as. Through their perspectives, I can also conclude that money can’t buy happiness and that you can’t judge things solely by their covers and how you interpret it. Both sides give a different feel to the readers too. With Jena’s side, there is an envious, jealous mood to it, while on Skye’s side; it has this depressing and heartbreaking mood to it. It’s important to have these points of views to furthermore understand the story and dig deeper.
All in all, I get to see different sides of a character through different perspectives. Skye’s life is actually more ripped than Jena views it. To add on, the rotation of different point of views from this book is also similar to “Heartbeat” by Loretta Ellsworth. In reality, parents often lie to their children so that they only have to bare the pain by themselves. They don’t want to share their stress with the kids. We may think that they are happy but they may not be. If we knew their perspectives then we would also be able to understand the situation more. Too bad our lives aren’t like books.
Different Point of Views: Skye and Jena
According to the story “Tangled” written by Carolyn Mackler, there are many perspectives rotating around it. The ones that I find the most appealing are Skye’s and Jena’s. Since they live under different conditions, they tend to think things in different ways. It’s fascinating because I’ve realized how unlike people can view the same things.
To begin, Jena views Skye as a perfect, rich goddess that everyone admires. She has a cute boyfriend, goes to a classy private school, and has a mother who lives off of her grandpa’s oil trust fund that could last for decades. Not just that, Skye is also an actress that has been on numerous of films and commercials. She has a nice body and knows celebrities. Jena basically thinks that Skye is gorgeous and lives a wealthy life. She could get anything she wants before she even wanted it. She often desires to become like Skye because she is plain and thinks that she has no appeals to males.
On the other side, Skye compares herself to a day without sunlight. She feels that she can’t do anything the way she wants it to be. Unlike what Jena had thought at the beginning, she broke up with her awesome boyfriend who immediately found a new girl. Because she got so miserable seeing them together hugging and kissing the whole time she was at school, she decided to drop out and be home-schooled. She doesn’t really even have friends because she’s always practicing her lines or preparing for an audition. Sure, she’s been in many films but she mostly got the small parts. She went to tons of auditions but there’s probably only a few that actually gave her callbacks. And when she finally got the role she wanted, she’s forced to decide whether or not it was worth the consequences. She also often compares herself to other girls that went to the same auditions as her so that she can calculate her chances of getting a part. Her dad has died before she was born which she was told was because of a motorcycle accident, but she’s starting to learn some secrets behind it that her mother failed to inform her about.
I find the book attention-grabbing because the author puts several perspectives onto one book to show how different people would react to the same things. They are all somehow tangled together. I get to see both sides of the story, and I find it really interesting how Skye’s life is completely different from how Jena describes it. Without Skye’s story, I would have thought like Jena that she has a flawless life. This makes me think that how readers feel about the situation in a book also directly relates to how the characters feel about the situation because we see the scenes through their minds, their voices. These different points of views made me realize how reality could be totally unlike how you may have imaged it as. Through their perspectives, I can also conclude that money can’t buy happiness and that you can’t judge things solely by their covers and how you interpret it. Both sides give a different feel to the readers too. With Jena’s side, there is an envious, jealous mood to it, while on Skye’s side; it has this depressing and heartbreaking mood to it. It’s important to have these points of views to furthermore understand the story and dig deeper.
All in all, I get to see different sides of a character through different perspectives. Skye’s life is actually more ripped than Jena views it. To add on, the rotation of different point of views from this book is also similar to “Heartbeat” by Loretta Ellsworth. In reality, parents often lie to their children so that they only have to bare the pain by themselves. They don’t want to share their stress with the kids. We may think that they are happy but they may not be. If we knew their perspectives then we would also be able to understand the situation more. Too bad our lives aren’t like books.
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