The Protagonist:
Self to Text Connections
I have just started to read the book, "Kiki Strike Inside the Shadow City", by Kristen Miller, which started off with Ananka Fishbein discovering an underground city near her house. I infer that she has a strong personality and thinks that girls are no less than boys. She is the protagonist that controls what will happen in the story. Ananka feels that other people always looks down on her, like she's too weak to handle something serious. She takes advantage of being a girl to prove to others that she can do the same, actually more, than what boys can do. I can sort of understand why she feels this way.
First of all, I can connect with Ananka, because I also feel that people often underestimates girls for what they can do. She thinks. "No one takes you seriously? Let people believe what they want to believe, and the element of surprise will always work in your favor." She basically means that girls could surprise others by doing what they least expected. If you're poor at sports, surprise the boys by beating the "crap" out of them. "If they assume you're stupid, you'll out-think them every time." I agree with her, because guys treat girls like weaklings. They have low expectations on them. I know why she thinks this way because people tends to think that girls "couldn't possibly understand" when they say secrets in front of them. Girls should take use of this and surprise them by letting them change their perspectives on them. You can take advantage of staying invisible and collect secrets that could be used against them. I feel that Ananka's strong personality is similar to mines because of what she believes.
Second of all, she feels that girls should take use of their ability to "hide almost anywhere...disappear into any crowd." They could do more than what others could do. Boys aren't necessarily the best. For example, girls could hide in disguise. They could easily change their looks with just a brush. They could quickly hide their flaws with makeups. They could escape and hide into places that others couldn't see. I can connect with Ananka because she says that others refuse to acknowledge girls because of what they think previously. But you could also take advantage of being a girl. We should fight for ourselves and surprise them with our possible strength to change their views.
And finally, I can conclude that both of us thinks the same way. We shouldn't be considered weak just because of our ability to do things. Of course, we can take advantage of this sometimes and out-think them. We could surpass their ability if we try. There are times when people think that girls are "too sweet and innocent" to know anything. But what they don't know is that we can all hear what they say. I believe that people should not underestimate what little girls can do. In conclusion, Our thoughts are alike.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Where's the Spot for "Non-Dreamers"?
Where's the Spot for "Non-Dreamers"?
Opportunities, Goals, and a Better Tomorrow
Quote Interpretation
"There are tons of books about the popular kids and some books about geeks. How many books are there about average kids? Kids that are passing, aren't in clubs and have no clue what they will do after high school"
Wrapping up "Prom", by Laurie Halse Anderson, I feel that sometimes the characters may be more deeper than it looks. Ashley Hannigan as mentioned before is now forced to led the prom committee since Natalia, the original head is stuck in the wheelchair. After many days of hard work, begging, and suffering, the senior prom is finally ready. And yet, Mr. Gilroy banned her from going to the senior activities because of the mistakes she had made before. This made me referred to one of Ashley's old thought. "There are tons of books about the popular kids and some books about geeks. How many books are there about average kids? Kids that are passing, aren't in clubs and have no clue what they will do after high school." It made me feel about how the normal people always gets the least amount of attention, which is why they are always wandering around without a goal to achieve.
Ashley is nothing more than a regular student who attends a regular high school. I think that she feels lonely, like the school had gave up hope on her because of what she used to be, even though she is already starting to change, bit by bit. I'm surprised about the massive amount of books that I've read, which are mainly about popular kids with problems. If a popular kid or a smart geek forget to do his/her homework or fails his/her test, the teachers will always comfort them with nice words and encourage them to try harder next time. On the other hand, when a kid who always gets into troubles faces the same situation, the teacher may criticize them or threaten to call their parents. They basically don't stand a chance because they aren't expected to do more than what they have been doing. I feel that it's unfair because those are the people that actually needs the most attention. Someone popular or smart in the school are able to handle their problems better than the messed-up kids but people, even adults, tend like them smart ones more and give them lots of opportunities. It feels that not everyone is treated equally, even in the modern days.
To add on, I think that Anderson also meant to tell readers about finding a goal. "Kids that are passing, aren't in clubs and have no clue what they will do after high school." I feel that this is also describing myself. I seriously don't know and does not want to even think about my future. I find it difficult to write a letter to my future-self. I can connect with Ashley, because I also feel lost with the directions that I should go. As a student, my job is to learn, study, and take tests. But what happens after that? What would happen when school is all over? Will my life fade along with it? I suppose that Anderson had the intention to tell readers that you should take the opportunities there are to find a goal for yourself. You should make others pay attention to you by paying more attention to yourself first. If you want to do something, do it immediately because you'll never know when the chance will be gone. You should not waste time and think that there is always a tomorrow for you to finish up with what you had to do.
In brief, I can tell that Anderson wanted to say that you should get a "life". Every step you take to reach your goal may be difficult, because others don't pay much attention to you but as long as you work your way up, you will get what you get. Your success in the future will surely cover up the mistakes in the past. It changes everything by having something you would want to do. This does not mean that you have to be like Martin Luther King though. Just be someone who can dream and achieve.
Opportunities, Goals, and a Better Tomorrow
Quote Interpretation
"There are tons of books about the popular kids and some books about geeks. How many books are there about average kids? Kids that are passing, aren't in clubs and have no clue what they will do after high school"
Wrapping up "Prom", by Laurie Halse Anderson, I feel that sometimes the characters may be more deeper than it looks. Ashley Hannigan as mentioned before is now forced to led the prom committee since Natalia, the original head is stuck in the wheelchair. After many days of hard work, begging, and suffering, the senior prom is finally ready. And yet, Mr. Gilroy banned her from going to the senior activities because of the mistakes she had made before. This made me referred to one of Ashley's old thought. "There are tons of books about the popular kids and some books about geeks. How many books are there about average kids? Kids that are passing, aren't in clubs and have no clue what they will do after high school." It made me feel about how the normal people always gets the least amount of attention, which is why they are always wandering around without a goal to achieve.
Ashley is nothing more than a regular student who attends a regular high school. I think that she feels lonely, like the school had gave up hope on her because of what she used to be, even though she is already starting to change, bit by bit. I'm surprised about the massive amount of books that I've read, which are mainly about popular kids with problems. If a popular kid or a smart geek forget to do his/her homework or fails his/her test, the teachers will always comfort them with nice words and encourage them to try harder next time. On the other hand, when a kid who always gets into troubles faces the same situation, the teacher may criticize them or threaten to call their parents. They basically don't stand a chance because they aren't expected to do more than what they have been doing. I feel that it's unfair because those are the people that actually needs the most attention. Someone popular or smart in the school are able to handle their problems better than the messed-up kids but people, even adults, tend like them smart ones more and give them lots of opportunities. It feels that not everyone is treated equally, even in the modern days.
To add on, I think that Anderson also meant to tell readers about finding a goal. "Kids that are passing, aren't in clubs and have no clue what they will do after high school." I feel that this is also describing myself. I seriously don't know and does not want to even think about my future. I find it difficult to write a letter to my future-self. I can connect with Ashley, because I also feel lost with the directions that I should go. As a student, my job is to learn, study, and take tests. But what happens after that? What would happen when school is all over? Will my life fade along with it? I suppose that Anderson had the intention to tell readers that you should take the opportunities there are to find a goal for yourself. You should make others pay attention to you by paying more attention to yourself first. If you want to do something, do it immediately because you'll never know when the chance will be gone. You should not waste time and think that there is always a tomorrow for you to finish up with what you had to do.
In brief, I can tell that Anderson wanted to say that you should get a "life". Every step you take to reach your goal may be difficult, because others don't pay much attention to you but as long as you work your way up, you will get what you get. Your success in the future will surely cover up the mistakes in the past. It changes everything by having something you would want to do. This does not mean that you have to be like Martin Luther King though. Just be someone who can dream and achieve.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
A Cinderella Story...
A Cinderella Story...
Prom
Topic: What hard things occur in text? Whose perspective is being used?
I've been reading the book "Prom" by Laurie Halse Anderson, which is about Ashley Hannigan, a girl who declares herself as average, because it's normal for students who attend Carceras High School to get into trouble all day long. In the story, the end of school is approaching, which means that prom is coming soon. Ashley is not the type of classy, girly girl that is bothered by the dress she should wear or the guys she should go with to the prom. Well, at least not like how the other girls are. Strangely, Natalia, also know as Ashley's best friend, is the leader of the prom committee. And right at the time people had least expected it to happen, the prom money collected was stolen and it from the math teacher too. I feel that the author chose to use Ashley's perspective in the book because even though she wasn't affected by the fact that the prom may be canceled, her friends around her sure were. She was also facing hard things besides struggling to comfort her friend, who had been ignoring her ever since. In all, Ashley is having a hard time organizing her life, which is why her perspective was used.
In the book, Ashley has many difficulties to deal with, and prom is basically her least concern. For example, Natalia is too upset to talk to her. Her small house is overcrowded with four naughty kids, another one in her mom's belly, and a unusable washer taking up a large space. On top of that, she is working with a job that she hates, which requires her to serve pizza to customers while wearing a rat costume. Additionally, her library fines are climbing up to the top of her table, and the detentions that she owes to the teachers are never really served. And most annoyingly, it's her dishonest slash lazy slash horrible boyfriend that cares about nothing. Ashley has too much things to worry about to even think about prom possibly being gone forever. I feel that she should use this opportunity to reorganize her life. If she study hard and get to a good college, then she could find a suitable job for her and leave the overcrowded house. If she return or replace the books, then she wouldn't be fined anymore. If she join the prom committee, then she won't have to serve detentions. If she have no more detentions, she can actually graduate. And plus, this way, Natalia won't be mad at her for not caring anymore. The solutions are here, it just depends on Ashley to decide whether or not she should do it.
On top of that, this makes me feel that the reason Anderson chose to use Ashley's voice to explain the story is because she started to do what she normally would not do. I believe that prom have became a symbol of making impossible things in her life happen. She's different from the other girls. If we view through the eyes of Natalia, the story gets pretty lame because the plot will be changed to how she was anticipating everyday for the prom and then cried over it because there may not be enough money to run the event. Ashley's role has a wise personality, who is stubborn and has a strong-will to save the day. That's the image of a heroin. Seeing through her mind is more interesting than seeing than a prom-freak girl's because they have nothing to worry about in there lives. They are like pretty, little barbie girls who don't even know where the kitchen is. I feel that the author used Ashley's perspective to write the story because of the contrast of her personality traits with the other people's.
To wrap it up, Ashley is facing an ongoing series of troubles that does not seems to have an end. Hard things are hitting her whenever she least expects it. She's different from the other cheesy friends, which made her perspective special. I think that prom is a symbol of hope, and how you can make anything possible, because it was difficult to have the event with the low amount of money available but by the end, Ashley and the others came to put something great together. She is like Cinderella making the transition from being imperfect to perfect in order to go to the ballroom party. Her mean sister's perspective weren't used, because they do nothing more than be mean to someone who doesn't deserves it at all. In all, her obstacles differed from other people, which was why her viewpoint was used in the story.
Prom
Topic: What hard things occur in text? Whose perspective is being used?
I've been reading the book "Prom" by Laurie Halse Anderson, which is about Ashley Hannigan, a girl who declares herself as average, because it's normal for students who attend Carceras High School to get into trouble all day long. In the story, the end of school is approaching, which means that prom is coming soon. Ashley is not the type of classy, girly girl that is bothered by the dress she should wear or the guys she should go with to the prom. Well, at least not like how the other girls are. Strangely, Natalia, also know as Ashley's best friend, is the leader of the prom committee. And right at the time people had least expected it to happen, the prom money collected was stolen and it from the math teacher too. I feel that the author chose to use Ashley's perspective in the book because even though she wasn't affected by the fact that the prom may be canceled, her friends around her sure were. She was also facing hard things besides struggling to comfort her friend, who had been ignoring her ever since. In all, Ashley is having a hard time organizing her life, which is why her perspective was used.
In the book, Ashley has many difficulties to deal with, and prom is basically her least concern. For example, Natalia is too upset to talk to her. Her small house is overcrowded with four naughty kids, another one in her mom's belly, and a unusable washer taking up a large space. On top of that, she is working with a job that she hates, which requires her to serve pizza to customers while wearing a rat costume. Additionally, her library fines are climbing up to the top of her table, and the detentions that she owes to the teachers are never really served. And most annoyingly, it's her dishonest slash lazy slash horrible boyfriend that cares about nothing. Ashley has too much things to worry about to even think about prom possibly being gone forever. I feel that she should use this opportunity to reorganize her life. If she study hard and get to a good college, then she could find a suitable job for her and leave the overcrowded house. If she return or replace the books, then she wouldn't be fined anymore. If she join the prom committee, then she won't have to serve detentions. If she have no more detentions, she can actually graduate. And plus, this way, Natalia won't be mad at her for not caring anymore. The solutions are here, it just depends on Ashley to decide whether or not she should do it.
On top of that, this makes me feel that the reason Anderson chose to use Ashley's voice to explain the story is because she started to do what she normally would not do. I believe that prom have became a symbol of making impossible things in her life happen. She's different from the other girls. If we view through the eyes of Natalia, the story gets pretty lame because the plot will be changed to how she was anticipating everyday for the prom and then cried over it because there may not be enough money to run the event. Ashley's role has a wise personality, who is stubborn and has a strong-will to save the day. That's the image of a heroin. Seeing through her mind is more interesting than seeing than a prom-freak girl's because they have nothing to worry about in there lives. They are like pretty, little barbie girls who don't even know where the kitchen is. I feel that the author used Ashley's perspective to write the story because of the contrast of her personality traits with the other people's.
To wrap it up, Ashley is facing an ongoing series of troubles that does not seems to have an end. Hard things are hitting her whenever she least expects it. She's different from the other cheesy friends, which made her perspective special. I think that prom is a symbol of hope, and how you can make anything possible, because it was difficult to have the event with the low amount of money available but by the end, Ashley and the others came to put something great together. She is like Cinderella making the transition from being imperfect to perfect in order to go to the ballroom party. Her mean sister's perspective weren't used, because they do nothing more than be mean to someone who doesn't deserves it at all. In all, her obstacles differed from other people, which was why her viewpoint was used in the story.
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