Cross-book inquiry
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind. —Dr. Suess
I strongly believe that Lia from "Wintergirls" by Laurie Halse Anderson, is similar to Mclean in "What Happened to Goodbye" by Sarah Dessen. They are not dead, but they don't seem alive either. In my opinion, both of them are not being honest to the readers or themselves. Both of them are trying to forgot the past but is facing struggles to accomplish that task. They don't live life like they exist. It's like they are borrowing someone's identity because of fear that their true self would be discovered. In general, I think that there are similarities between Lia and Mclean.
For instance, first, they both suffer because of their past. Lia, on one hand, is troubled with guilt because she felt that she was the reason her former best friend, Cassie, had died. She felt ashamed for not taking Cassie's calls at the times when she needed her the most. On the other hand, Mclean suffers from being stuck in between her mom and dad. They were divorced, and her mother has already remarried to a better, more richer man. These two girls have their past haunting them and is surely affecting their daily lives. They are similar also because they chose to escape the fact that they have problems. I think that Lia relieves herself by cutting her body to manage her stress. Mclean lives by changing her name every time she and her dad moves to a new town because of his job (and they move around many times a year). She does this so that she can leave her past behind and not bring any flaws with her. She does this so that she could be whoever she wants, whenever she moves and not have to face her old memories. I feel that even though both of them don't admit that they are having trouble (like when Lia denies that she has obstacles to her therapist, and when Mclean refuses to allow her dad talk to her about her new changes), the evidence of them struggling is still there. What they have to do is open up their hearts and talk truthfully with someone they trust. They have to face their problems and overcome them. There will still be dust in the floor if you don't clean it well. To conclude, these are the similarities between Lia and Mclean.
Another example is that both of them also say the opposite of what they think. They pretend to be someone else so that their true names won't be involved. This makes me think that they cannot accept themselves for who they are. In "Wintergirls", I've noticed that Lia's original thoughts were usually crossed out, then replaced with words that mean the opposite. I feel that the crossed out words usually shows her real feelings but they are crossed out because she is trying to trick herself into believing that the uncrossed-out words are what she really meant. She's not being honest this way either. Also, in Mclean's case, the fact that she always have a different identity and character whenever she is in a another neighborhood tells me that she isn't being real to herself and the people around her too.
Dr. Suess, the man who best understands kid's feelings, had said. "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind." I like this quote especially because it's like saying you should have the courage to stand up and declare, "this is who I am." People who truly care about you won't be bothered with your past. In another words, Lia and Mclean are connected in some way because of their personality.
All the things considered, I think that they are similar because of how they manage their issues. Unless they clear out the mess they have, they will never become their true self. Worrying and stressing over something that won't exist anymore is nothing but a waste of life. And you'll only have one life to live with too. This is makes me connect "Wintergirls" and "What Happened to Goodbye" because of how alike the characters are.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Wintergirls in Haunt
Wintergirls
Blog Post
Yesterday, I've picked up the book "Wintergirls", by Laurie Halse Anderson, to read because it seems interesting. The story revolves around Lia, who suffers from eating disorders. After knowing that her ex-best friend, Cassie, was found dead in a motel room by herself, she starts to fear the world. That is because Cassie has given her 33 phone calls the night she had died, but Lia purposely ignored them. This makes me think that Cassie is the antagonist because her death pressures her to assume that it was her fault she had commit suicide.
To begin, Lia is "chased after" by Cassie because she keeps on remembering the times they have spent together having fun, and then it ends with the reminder of the 33 missed calls. She feels guilty over the fact that she could have saved her, if she had only picked up the phone. Cassie is like the antagonist that is preventing her from advancing in her journey. She struggles to maintain a normal life, and her obsession with her weight definitely did not do much to help either. Also, she said. "The body of Cassandra Jane Parrish is asleep in a cold silver box. They'll dig a hole in the ground and plant her on Saturday. What about the rest of her, the real Cassie? I think she's coming here." She feels haunted by her, even in her dreams. Everywhere she goes, she senses Cassie following her, revenging her for not picking up the calls, for not caring about her anymore. She feels ashamed because of her death, even though I feel that it is partially not necessarily her fault. She was not the one who had killed her, right?
Because of the antagonist, it makes me feel that instead of thinking about what she could have done to prevent her death, she should think about what she should do now. She's wasting her time scaring herself when she could have something nicer to Cassie. She has low self-esteem which is why she chose to cut herself in order to lose weight. It's not like she could rewrite the past to change the future anyways, and so that's why I think that she should stop feeling guilty for what she have done. Sure, it's hard not to feel responsible for her death because she could have done something to avoid the tragedies, but it's too late to blame now. Time won't stop to help you regain yourself. The number 33 keeps on appearing in her mind because she feels guilty of crime for Cassie's death. This is why I can tell that she is the antagonist who is opposing the main character in the story.
Therefore, I believe that Cassie is like Lia's enemy because her nonexistent slows her down from having a healthy lifestyle. It makes me think that another reason why she chooses to cut herself is because she is trying to punish herself. When Cassie was still alive, they often compete to be the skinniest. She is pretending not to feel haunted even though she is. In conclusion, I can tell that Cassie is the antagonist because she gives a negative impact to Lia in the story.
Blog Post
Yesterday, I've picked up the book "Wintergirls", by Laurie Halse Anderson, to read because it seems interesting. The story revolves around Lia, who suffers from eating disorders. After knowing that her ex-best friend, Cassie, was found dead in a motel room by herself, she starts to fear the world. That is because Cassie has given her 33 phone calls the night she had died, but Lia purposely ignored them. This makes me think that Cassie is the antagonist because her death pressures her to assume that it was her fault she had commit suicide.
To begin, Lia is "chased after" by Cassie because she keeps on remembering the times they have spent together having fun, and then it ends with the reminder of the 33 missed calls. She feels guilty over the fact that she could have saved her, if she had only picked up the phone. Cassie is like the antagonist that is preventing her from advancing in her journey. She struggles to maintain a normal life, and her obsession with her weight definitely did not do much to help either. Also, she said. "The body of Cassandra Jane Parrish is asleep in a cold silver box. They'll dig a hole in the ground and plant her on Saturday. What about the rest of her, the real Cassie? I think she's coming here." She feels haunted by her, even in her dreams. Everywhere she goes, she senses Cassie following her, revenging her for not picking up the calls, for not caring about her anymore. She feels ashamed because of her death, even though I feel that it is partially not necessarily her fault. She was not the one who had killed her, right?
Because of the antagonist, it makes me feel that instead of thinking about what she could have done to prevent her death, she should think about what she should do now. She's wasting her time scaring herself when she could have something nicer to Cassie. She has low self-esteem which is why she chose to cut herself in order to lose weight. It's not like she could rewrite the past to change the future anyways, and so that's why I think that she should stop feeling guilty for what she have done. Sure, it's hard not to feel responsible for her death because she could have done something to avoid the tragedies, but it's too late to blame now. Time won't stop to help you regain yourself. The number 33 keeps on appearing in her mind because she feels guilty of crime for Cassie's death. This is why I can tell that she is the antagonist who is opposing the main character in the story.
Therefore, I believe that Cassie is like Lia's enemy because her nonexistent slows her down from having a healthy lifestyle. It makes me think that another reason why she chooses to cut herself is because she is trying to punish herself. When Cassie was still alive, they often compete to be the skinniest. She is pretending not to feel haunted even though she is. In conclusion, I can tell that Cassie is the antagonist because she gives a negative impact to Lia in the story.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The Theory of Common Sense
Blog Post
Common Sense
In the book, “When You Reach Me,” by Rebecca Stead, a youngster named Miranda loses her best friend Sal after a random dude called Marcus, punched him hard in his belly. Then, she starts receiving mysterious notes, remarks about her future. Her life begins to load up with matters that make no sense to her. Questions that don’t have any answers to it. When she meets Marcus another time, they got into a debate about the existence of time travel. He said to her, “Einstein says common sense is just a habit of thought. It's how we're used to thinking about things, but a lot of time it just gets in the way of what's true" (51). I agree with this statement because a lot of time we let common sense hide the truth. The author, Rebecca, seems to be giving a message through this excerpt.
For example, common sense is like the judgments we think that are logical. As stated in the text, “it is just a habit of thought”. We often let what we think is reasonable, blind us. Something is only common sense because no one questions about it. Back then, people thought that it was a common sense for black people to be slaves, or that women didn’t need education because their job as females was just to take care of the household. We only thought that way before because no one stepped up to say no and that this is wrong. This “theory” was fixed through a bunch of hard work. What we think is obvious, does “gets in the way of what’s true.” It’s not really fair to the others too because then it is like “common sense” had already planned their whole entire life for them like pigs could be killed for food but cats couldn’t be. This does not indicate that cats should be killed for food though. That’s not the point. The thing is that we should stay unbiased and make a possibility out of everything. “I don't know. I just feel stuck, like I'm afraid to take any steps, in case they're the wrong ones,” said Miranda. It’s like saying that people fear to change their opinions on what everybody think is true because they don’t want to be criticized or rejected. Common sense changes along with the time though. How would cavemen know that now we could rely on the internet to shop for clothing when they had to actually hunt the animals to make them before? That sure did not sound like a common sense back then, right?
Relating this to “A Wrinkle in Time,” by Madeline L'Engle, which was a book that was often mentioned in the story because of Miranda’s passion in it, time travel is actually possible. The author wants to remind us not to let what we’re used to knowing, influence what could happen. Although time travel seems to be impossible in the 21st century, who knows what could happen after 1000 years later. No one would know what would happen now because we won’t be living around anymore. The world is always improving. We shouldn’t just deny the existence of time traveling because we think that it’s common sense that it is fake, just something people in the movies made up to attract more viewers. We should look ahead in the future to explore the world of unknown. Marcus had also said, “…it used to be common sense that the world was flat and the sun revolved around it. But at some point, someone had to reject that assumption, or at least question it.” We changed our judgments because evidences have been discovered to bolster the statement. I can tell that the author wants us to make everything in life possible, even if it seems far too bizarre, because if we don’t think something can happen, then it will never occur.
To wrap up, I believe that Rebecca is telling readers to not let common sense camouflage the fact behind it. Nothing should be impossible until verified, and even after, corrections could still be made. It’s like the saying “no hypothesis is wrong until proven incorrect”. I would rather have the ability to see the hidden truth that others can’t see than be smart and have many common sense that aren’t entirely correct. Rebecca Stead’s “When You Reach Me”, makes me believe that “we're used to thinking about things, but a lot of time it just gets in the way of what's true”.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Blog Review
Blog Review
After reading Francesca Woodbridge's post on the book "It's Kind of a Funny Story" written by Ned Vizzini, I was able to understand more about "people" in general. According to the text, the main character Craig lives through a harsh life that forces him to want to commit suicide. I've seen many blog posts on the same book and I feel that this one stands out most from others because she elaborated deeply on the author's messages. She also made me want to read the book even though the ending was already spoiled, because of her passion in writing it. In all, I strongly believe that Francesca did well on her post because it was outstandingly detailed with supporting evidences to back up her point.
To start off, I think she did a remarkable job because instead of just writing summaries, she included the story's lessons and what should be right to do. I like how she said "to not bottle up our feelings, and don’t try to live with a problem, try to solve it". It's like how if you fill a bottle with too much water, then it would explode and spill all over the place. That's why you should stop before things get worse. She makes me think that you shouldn't keep your feelings inside of you. Covering it up with laughter and jokes won't help to save you from depression. When you're troubled, you should express your thoughts with someone you are comfortable with. People are creatures who always hide themselves from the rest of the world, which should be prevented. Francesca made a point about how telling the truth can make you feel better, therefore can avoid depression.
Second of all, the post made me want to read the book because I feel that Craig is facing troubles deciding between life or death, which many people can relate to it. We always escape from our problem and pretend that they don't exist to look strong in front of everyone else. But that's not right because these problems will pile up and eventually become visible. Leaving it unsolved won't make a change.
She brought up the point that "Craig’s parents said if he told them that he really wanted to kill himself, they could have done something about it. I, myself, did not understand why Craig did not tell his parents that he wanted to commit suicide, because you could tell that he didn’t want to keep feeling what he was feeling". I disagree because I might have done what Craig did at first too. Talking to my parents about a serious matter makes me nervous and I know that they don't think the same way as I do. I am the type of person that don't want my parents to be tied up too close to my life. But thinking now, I feel that talking to your parents should be your first option. What's the point of worrying every day when it could be solved by spending some time with someone you know well and sharing your thoughts with them?
Briefly, I think Francesca's post is strong and structured clearly. She did well in putting details together with the author's message. It made me think more deeply about life and changed my opinions on what is right. It seems like an interesting book that should be good to read. I like the voice she puts into it and overall, I believe that the post was written meaningfully with passion.
After reading Francesca Woodbridge's post on the book "It's Kind of a Funny Story" written by Ned Vizzini, I was able to understand more about "people" in general. According to the text, the main character Craig lives through a harsh life that forces him to want to commit suicide. I've seen many blog posts on the same book and I feel that this one stands out most from others because she elaborated deeply on the author's messages. She also made me want to read the book even though the ending was already spoiled, because of her passion in writing it. In all, I strongly believe that Francesca did well on her post because it was outstandingly detailed with supporting evidences to back up her point.
To start off, I think she did a remarkable job because instead of just writing summaries, she included the story's lessons and what should be right to do. I like how she said "to not bottle up our feelings, and don’t try to live with a problem, try to solve it". It's like how if you fill a bottle with too much water, then it would explode and spill all over the place. That's why you should stop before things get worse. She makes me think that you shouldn't keep your feelings inside of you. Covering it up with laughter and jokes won't help to save you from depression. When you're troubled, you should express your thoughts with someone you are comfortable with. People are creatures who always hide themselves from the rest of the world, which should be prevented. Francesca made a point about how telling the truth can make you feel better, therefore can avoid depression.
Second of all, the post made me want to read the book because I feel that Craig is facing troubles deciding between life or death, which many people can relate to it. We always escape from our problem and pretend that they don't exist to look strong in front of everyone else. But that's not right because these problems will pile up and eventually become visible. Leaving it unsolved won't make a change.
She brought up the point that "Craig’s parents said if he told them that he really wanted to kill himself, they could have done something about it. I, myself, did not understand why Craig did not tell his parents that he wanted to commit suicide, because you could tell that he didn’t want to keep feeling what he was feeling". I disagree because I might have done what Craig did at first too. Talking to my parents about a serious matter makes me nervous and I know that they don't think the same way as I do. I am the type of person that don't want my parents to be tied up too close to my life. But thinking now, I feel that talking to your parents should be your first option. What's the point of worrying every day when it could be solved by spending some time with someone you know well and sharing your thoughts with them?
Briefly, I think Francesca's post is strong and structured clearly. She did well in putting details together with the author's message. It made me think more deeply about life and changed my opinions on what is right. It seems like an interesting book that should be good to read. I like the voice she puts into it and overall, I believe that the post was written meaningfully with passion.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Parents' Pressure
Parents' Pressure
Empathy
Continuing "Paper Town" by John Green, I realized that Margo's parents sort of expect her to be an ideal student. Based on the story, she disappears after the night she had completed a series of revengeful attacks with Quentin Jacobsen. Margo's parents went crazy after discovering that she is gone (even though this was her 5th time). They made sure that Margo goes to a good college, which is the last time she would even want to talk about. I suppose that her parents seem to have more expectations on her school performance, rather than care about how she truly feels. I feel that if I were to be in her parents' shoes, then instead of being mad at her, I would learn to understand why she chose to leave.
A routine is something that is done on a daily basis. I feel that Margo is stressed from the routine her parents want her to have. Getting good grades, being popular, and going to a great college means nothing to her. I can tell that it's not the life she wants. That same routine gave her no freedom. If I were to be in her parents shoes, I would have allowed her to follow her dreams. Furthermore, she is a grown adult now. She can live without them. "The town was paper, but the memories were not," Quentin had said. Parents who really want the best of their kids should permit them to create their own wonderful memories and let them be who they want to be. Those who only pressures their children are selfish creatures who cares only about themselves. Quentin had said, "what a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person." Someone who you see as popular may just be someone like you in reality. Margo's parents has to understand that she is a human too. She also want to have a social life without the pressure from them. And to sum up, I believe that i would have tried to learn and comprehend why she chose to leave home instead of being grumpy at her disappearance since that won't solve any problems.
In addition, I guess rebelling is her way of telling her parents what she wants to do, to live in a word where she doesn't have to be what her parents expect her to be. She wants to tell them that she also have a world to chase, a dream to follow, a life to maintain. Of course grades are also essential, but you can still allow some freedom for her to have. Margo's parents doesn't seem to show any interest with what she is doing on a regular basis, except when it involves with her disappearing. They gave no concerns for what she desires. If I were to be her parents, then I would talk to her with diplomacy. And that's not something that is similar to what they had done for now.
In brief, I think her parents are pushing her to do something that she isn't comfortable in doing. Instead of being peer pressure, it is like parent pressure. In my case, my parents let me off easily. They aren't as strict as Margo's parents and they leave me accountable, making it less likely that I would rebel. Her parents need to set a limit at how much they can mind her life. After all, she is 18 already. She is an adult and so she can take care of herself. She won't learn anything when her parents babysitting her. Therefore, if I'm her parents, then I would have done things differently.
Empathy
Continuing "Paper Town" by John Green, I realized that Margo's parents sort of expect her to be an ideal student. Based on the story, she disappears after the night she had completed a series of revengeful attacks with Quentin Jacobsen. Margo's parents went crazy after discovering that she is gone (even though this was her 5th time). They made sure that Margo goes to a good college, which is the last time she would even want to talk about. I suppose that her parents seem to have more expectations on her school performance, rather than care about how she truly feels. I feel that if I were to be in her parents' shoes, then instead of being mad at her, I would learn to understand why she chose to leave.
A routine is something that is done on a daily basis. I feel that Margo is stressed from the routine her parents want her to have. Getting good grades, being popular, and going to a great college means nothing to her. I can tell that it's not the life she wants. That same routine gave her no freedom. If I were to be in her parents shoes, I would have allowed her to follow her dreams. Furthermore, she is a grown adult now. She can live without them. "The town was paper, but the memories were not," Quentin had said. Parents who really want the best of their kids should permit them to create their own wonderful memories and let them be who they want to be. Those who only pressures their children are selfish creatures who cares only about themselves. Quentin had said, "what a treacherous thing to believe that a person is more than a person." Someone who you see as popular may just be someone like you in reality. Margo's parents has to understand that she is a human too. She also want to have a social life without the pressure from them. And to sum up, I believe that i would have tried to learn and comprehend why she chose to leave home instead of being grumpy at her disappearance since that won't solve any problems.
In addition, I guess rebelling is her way of telling her parents what she wants to do, to live in a word where she doesn't have to be what her parents expect her to be. She wants to tell them that she also have a world to chase, a dream to follow, a life to maintain. Of course grades are also essential, but you can still allow some freedom for her to have. Margo's parents doesn't seem to show any interest with what she is doing on a regular basis, except when it involves with her disappearing. They gave no concerns for what she desires. If I were to be her parents, then I would talk to her with diplomacy. And that's not something that is similar to what they had done for now.
In brief, I think her parents are pushing her to do something that she isn't comfortable in doing. Instead of being peer pressure, it is like parent pressure. In my case, my parents let me off easily. They aren't as strict as Margo's parents and they leave me accountable, making it less likely that I would rebel. Her parents need to set a limit at how much they can mind her life. After all, she is 18 already. She is an adult and so she can take care of herself. She won't learn anything when her parents babysitting her. Therefore, if I'm her parents, then I would have done things differently.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Paper Town: The "Fake" Self
Paper Town
Author's Intrusion
How can you tell between something real and something fake? I've began to read John Green's "Paper Town" a few days ago, which is about a teenager named Quentin Jacobsen who secretly watches the life of Margo Roth Spiegelman, until the real person climbs into his room and demanded for him to participate in her revengeful plans. The excerpt, "from here, you can't see the rust or the cracked paint or whatever, but you can tell what the place really is. You can see how fake it all is" (57). I think this quote shows a lot about the author's message. Therefore, I believe that the extract shows an author's intrusion.
Firstly, I can tell that it means how nothing is as it seems. Something that could look beautiful may actually be "uglier close up" said Margo, page 57. When you look from far away, everything seems to be simplified. The weaknesses are like hidden by a human's eyes when you look from a distance. But up close, you can see all the imperfections. There are scratches, cracks, and stains. It can't be buried forever. In this case, Quentin, who seems to think he knows Margo really well, is completely surprised to find that she may be more realistic than he had thought she was, after the night he had completed the quest with her. "The rust or the cracked paint or whatever" seems to represent everything in our lives. Anything. Margo was not how Quentin had thought she was. Nothing is as you think. You may live your entire life with someone and never understand anything about that person exactly. I suggest that Green wants to tell readers that something that may look beautiful on the outside could just be hidden, to mask the uglier layer underneath. Nothing can be trusted because there isn't anything in the universe that is exactly how you see it as.
Secondly, "you can see how fake it all is" sort of reminds me of the title of the book, "Paper Town". I think John Green is saying that you can't decide that something is what you had imagined by referring that the world is fake like a paper town. No matter how strong you may think the paper-made houses and buildings is on the outside, with a gust of wind, the entire place could easily collapse onto one another. Margo has more struggles than her parents think she has. She, a straight A popular student, is tired of the "college: getting in or not getting in. Trouble: getting in or not getting in. School: getting A's or getting D's. Career: having or not having. House: big or small, owning or renting. Money: having or not having" (33). Humans are difficult to understand because we're not animals. We can't be "explained" by someone else. You can't say how someone is something else without being them. Margo said, "those streets that turn in on themselves, all the houses that we built to fall apart" (57). Nothing is how you had thought it was. Overall, I assume that the author has intruded into Margo's voice to explain to readers that there will be times when you just won't "get it" because something once described as perfect may not also be the same forever.
Lastly, I feel that the John Green, a very influential author, has intruded into the story to give people a message. It's like saying how you can't trust something as how it is. People may camouflage themselves to stay in the society in order to get accepted. Someone who you thought you knew very well may actually not be the "real" them. That's why everything is fake. In other words, I believe that John Green has the intention to make people realize that even though we may think that we can see through people in our lives, sometimes it may just be a camouflage of their true self.
Author's Intrusion
How can you tell between something real and something fake? I've began to read John Green's "Paper Town" a few days ago, which is about a teenager named Quentin Jacobsen who secretly watches the life of Margo Roth Spiegelman, until the real person climbs into his room and demanded for him to participate in her revengeful plans. The excerpt, "from here, you can't see the rust or the cracked paint or whatever, but you can tell what the place really is. You can see how fake it all is" (57). I think this quote shows a lot about the author's message. Therefore, I believe that the extract shows an author's intrusion.
Firstly, I can tell that it means how nothing is as it seems. Something that could look beautiful may actually be "uglier close up" said Margo, page 57. When you look from far away, everything seems to be simplified. The weaknesses are like hidden by a human's eyes when you look from a distance. But up close, you can see all the imperfections. There are scratches, cracks, and stains. It can't be buried forever. In this case, Quentin, who seems to think he knows Margo really well, is completely surprised to find that she may be more realistic than he had thought she was, after the night he had completed the quest with her. "The rust or the cracked paint or whatever" seems to represent everything in our lives. Anything. Margo was not how Quentin had thought she was. Nothing is as you think. You may live your entire life with someone and never understand anything about that person exactly. I suggest that Green wants to tell readers that something that may look beautiful on the outside could just be hidden, to mask the uglier layer underneath. Nothing can be trusted because there isn't anything in the universe that is exactly how you see it as.
Secondly, "you can see how fake it all is" sort of reminds me of the title of the book, "Paper Town". I think John Green is saying that you can't decide that something is what you had imagined by referring that the world is fake like a paper town. No matter how strong you may think the paper-made houses and buildings is on the outside, with a gust of wind, the entire place could easily collapse onto one another. Margo has more struggles than her parents think she has. She, a straight A popular student, is tired of the "college: getting in or not getting in. Trouble: getting in or not getting in. School: getting A's or getting D's. Career: having or not having. House: big or small, owning or renting. Money: having or not having" (33). Humans are difficult to understand because we're not animals. We can't be "explained" by someone else. You can't say how someone is something else without being them. Margo said, "those streets that turn in on themselves, all the houses that we built to fall apart" (57). Nothing is how you had thought it was. Overall, I assume that the author has intruded into Margo's voice to explain to readers that there will be times when you just won't "get it" because something once described as perfect may not also be the same forever.
Lastly, I feel that the John Green, a very influential author, has intruded into the story to give people a message. It's like saying how you can't trust something as how it is. People may camouflage themselves to stay in the society in order to get accepted. Someone who you thought you knew very well may actually not be the "real" them. That's why everything is fake. In other words, I believe that John Green has the intention to make people realize that even though we may think that we can see through people in our lives, sometimes it may just be a camouflage of their true self.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
The Mask
The Mask
Symbol & Theme
Everyone has something they want to change in their lives. No one is always satisfied with everything. Sarah's "What Happened to Goodbye", is about how Mclean Sweet chooses to become someone else every time she and her dad move to a new town. She is capable of casually becoming anything from a cheer leader to the school's president and just "shred her skin" after she moves to another place. I believe that every different identities she had made represents how she wants to leave her past behind because she can't accept who she originally is, even though she should be honest and accept what she is.
Everyone has something they want to change in their lives. No one is always satisfied with everything. Sarah's "What Happened to Goodbye", is about how Mclean Sweet chooses to become someone else every time she and her dad move to a new town. She is capable of casually becoming anything from a cheer leader to the school's president and just "shred her skin" after she moves to another place. I believe that every different identities she had made represents how she wants to leave her past behind because she can't accept who she originally is, even though she should be honest and accept what she is.
Whether it's Liz, Eliza, Lizbet, or Beth, they are all just one person. And that is Mclean. She creates a new profile on Ume.com (similar to facebook) every time she moves to someplace new. I think that those profiles symbolize changes for a new self so that she can forgot her old past. But what happens is that, “we make such messes in this life, both accidently and on purpose. But wiping the surface clean doesn't really make anything any neater. It just masks what is below. It's only when you really dig down deep, go underground, that you can see who you really are," she said. I think those identities are like the mess that she had left behind because she abandons everything behind, so that she can start over to perfect her life furthermore. "Accepting all the good and bad about someone. It's a great thing to aspire to. The hard part is actually doing it," she had also said. And that is true because you should be your true-self and accept your flaws, because no one's life is as pure and clear as crystals and so you're in good company.
I suppose that she chose to create a new character for herself because she is tired of having to deal with her parent's broken marriage and her mom's new life...without her dad. She wants to avoid her old life in order to reinvent herself in a place where no one knows much about her, but "your past is always your past. Even if you forget it, it remembers you.” And the thing is that I feel that it is irresponsible for her to want to escape from her life and other people that had loved her. Her different identities symbolizes change and how she lacks confidence to manage her stress. "I mean, it's impossible to fake anything if you've already seen the other person in a way they'd never choose for you to. You can't go back from that," she said. I feel the same way because you can't be someone you aren't destined to be. You can't just hide your true personality. You have to accept yourself for who you are so that others can do the same. I would encourage her to keep her original self and maintain that way. Just be yourself. All the other identities just makes me realize how she should remain as who she was before, even if it means having to living tirelessly again.
Hence, I believe that instead of pretending to be someone to escape from pain, she should face it honestly without any "make ups" to hide her flaws. Her fake characters seems to show how she wants change desperately, but she's just trying too hard. Therefore, she should accept herself rather than being a "fake" person to face her past.
I suppose that she chose to create a new character for herself because she is tired of having to deal with her parent's broken marriage and her mom's new life...without her dad. She wants to avoid her old life in order to reinvent herself in a place where no one knows much about her, but "your past is always your past. Even if you forget it, it remembers you.” And the thing is that I feel that it is irresponsible for her to want to escape from her life and other people that had loved her. Her different identities symbolizes change and how she lacks confidence to manage her stress. "I mean, it's impossible to fake anything if you've already seen the other person in a way they'd never choose for you to. You can't go back from that," she said. I feel the same way because you can't be someone you aren't destined to be. You can't just hide your true personality. You have to accept yourself for who you are so that others can do the same. I would encourage her to keep her original self and maintain that way. Just be yourself. All the other identities just makes me realize how she should remain as who she was before, even if it means having to living tirelessly again.
Hence, I believe that instead of pretending to be someone to escape from pain, she should face it honestly without any "make ups" to hide her flaws. Her fake characters seems to show how she wants change desperately, but she's just trying too hard. Therefore, she should accept herself rather than being a "fake" person to face her past.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Think Before You Act: It's too late for regrets
Think Before You Act: It's too late for regrets
Theme
I have began to read the book, "So Much Closer," by Susane Colasanti, which is about a girl named Brooke, who is so obsessed with the kid Scott Abrams that she moved over to New York City after hearing the news of him transferring there. She stubbornly decided that they were meant to be together even though they've never talked more than ten sentences. If there was a limit to admiring idols, then the limit for liking a crush must be justified, because I feel that Brooke had just went over the board. A lot of my disappointments are popping out because of her selfishness. “Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around.” I feel that Susane may want us to think twice when making decisions.
According to the text, I believe that you should value the importance of something before making a choice that you'll soon regret. I think Brooke is too self-centered because she doesn't care about what others feel. She left her hometown, along with her best friend April, just to follow a guy she hardly knows. And then she went ahead to make new friends, leaving April behind. “You can never completely know anyone, no matter how well you think you do. There will always be some truth about them you don’t ever get to know," she'd said. It's unbelievable how she would rather choose to exchange a friend that has always been by her side since childhood for a dude who is nothing but a piece of shit (not sure if this word should be used). Making right decisions is really important because sometimes it will scar you forever, and it's nothing that can be redone. I suppose that there's nothing you can do but regret. Almost all the people that smoked had wished that they didn't start at first because now, they are suffering just to quit. I can tell that the author wants to say that it's important to take the right actions now to prevent bad ones in the future.
Similarly, I assume that she had also hurt her mother's feelings when moving to New York City. Since Brooke's parents are divorced, It feels that she had picked her dad over her mother. Even though she didn't necessary moved there for her dad, who lives in New York, her mom doesn't know that. "What’s the point of digging up a lot of stuff that’s better off staying buried?...He gave me a reason to leave my whole world behind," she said. And as expected, "...maybe one day you’ll find out their truth. And you’ll wish you never had." There are communication problems that they should work on together, but if Brooke weren't so selfish, then maybe her life won't get so messed up. I suppose that she's the one to blame for all the troubles. If she would have made judgments that were based on the significance of the things in her life she might not regret too much. "Did I really think that everything would turn out the way I hoped it would? Life doesn’t work that way." Of course, and that's why you should always put others in consideration when doing something that may harm them--physically and emotionally.
I can tell that Susane wants to tell us that making appropriate decisions are an essential part of life. It's easier to make things right the first time around then to correct your mistake because like eraser marks, things would never go back the way you had before. This is why you should think twice before doing something. "No one can be everything you want them to be, " and so you have to count on yourself to create the life you want. The life that best suits you. You should careful with what you are doing because you'll never know when will that become a memory of yours that you will remember forever.
Theme
I have began to read the book, "So Much Closer," by Susane Colasanti, which is about a girl named Brooke, who is so obsessed with the kid Scott Abrams that she moved over to New York City after hearing the news of him transferring there. She stubbornly decided that they were meant to be together even though they've never talked more than ten sentences. If there was a limit to admiring idols, then the limit for liking a crush must be justified, because I feel that Brooke had just went over the board. A lot of my disappointments are popping out because of her selfishness. “Every passing minute is another chance to turn it all around.” I feel that Susane may want us to think twice when making decisions.
According to the text, I believe that you should value the importance of something before making a choice that you'll soon regret. I think Brooke is too self-centered because she doesn't care about what others feel. She left her hometown, along with her best friend April, just to follow a guy she hardly knows. And then she went ahead to make new friends, leaving April behind. “You can never completely know anyone, no matter how well you think you do. There will always be some truth about them you don’t ever get to know," she'd said. It's unbelievable how she would rather choose to exchange a friend that has always been by her side since childhood for a dude who is nothing but a piece of shit (not sure if this word should be used). Making right decisions is really important because sometimes it will scar you forever, and it's nothing that can be redone. I suppose that there's nothing you can do but regret. Almost all the people that smoked had wished that they didn't start at first because now, they are suffering just to quit. I can tell that the author wants to say that it's important to take the right actions now to prevent bad ones in the future.
Similarly, I assume that she had also hurt her mother's feelings when moving to New York City. Since Brooke's parents are divorced, It feels that she had picked her dad over her mother. Even though she didn't necessary moved there for her dad, who lives in New York, her mom doesn't know that. "What’s the point of digging up a lot of stuff that’s better off staying buried?...He gave me a reason to leave my whole world behind," she said. And as expected, "...maybe one day you’ll find out their truth. And you’ll wish you never had." There are communication problems that they should work on together, but if Brooke weren't so selfish, then maybe her life won't get so messed up. I suppose that she's the one to blame for all the troubles. If she would have made judgments that were based on the significance of the things in her life she might not regret too much. "Did I really think that everything would turn out the way I hoped it would? Life doesn’t work that way." Of course, and that's why you should always put others in consideration when doing something that may harm them--physically and emotionally.
I can tell that Susane wants to tell us that making appropriate decisions are an essential part of life. It's easier to make things right the first time around then to correct your mistake because like eraser marks, things would never go back the way you had before. This is why you should think twice before doing something. "No one can be everything you want them to be, " and so you have to count on yourself to create the life you want. The life that best suits you. You should careful with what you are doing because you'll never know when will that become a memory of yours that you will remember forever.
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