Although sometimes I forgot the animals were suppose to represent an actual event involving humans, Orwell's use of animals as characters was very effective. While reading the book, the animals kept the story more interesting and easier to stay focused on. If the characters had been regular people, the book might have seemed more like reading a history lesson. This would cause the book to be harder for the readers to focus on reading.
The use of animals as characters also causes you to compare each animal character of the story to the human character of the actual event. The animals, in my mind, represented each character very well by the characteristics of the humans compared to the characteristics of the animals.
Friday, April 30, 2010
The Giver
The Giver by Lois Lowery is one of the most interesting books I have ever read.
The Giver is a story about a Utopian society where everyone lives the same lives. The only thing unique about each person is the job the government-type decides for them. Jonas, a boy living in this community, is about the turn twelve. When each child turns twelve, a job is chosen for them and their training begins. All of Jonas' friends seem excited about what job they're going to be given because each think they know about which field will be chosen for them. Jonas, on the other hand, has no idea. He is clueless. He volunteers in all the different houses, but has never been very interested in just one. When the assembly comes and Jonas receives the job as the memory keeper, his word immediately changes. All the strict rules he's followed throughout is life no longer apply to him. The new things he learns and receives from The Giver will completely change his way of thinking. He begins realizing all the things, good and bad, that are hidden from this society.
Many argue that Lois Lowery should have made a more concrete ending or should have written a sequel. I thought the ending was very appropriate because it gives each reader a new ending, good or bad, whichever satisfies them. If there was a sequel, I would read it because I enjoyed the first so much, but I would hope Lowery would still leave the reader to decide the ending.
I enjoyed reading this book because of all the details and way of living of this Utopian society. It's interesting to think about if there really was a society where people were completely convinced there was no emotions or feelings. Would they choose the life of pain, suffering, and hate but also happiness and love or the life of no emotion where no hardships occurred, but also no happiness was present?
The Giver is a story about a Utopian society where everyone lives the same lives. The only thing unique about each person is the job the government-type decides for them. Jonas, a boy living in this community, is about the turn twelve. When each child turns twelve, a job is chosen for them and their training begins. All of Jonas' friends seem excited about what job they're going to be given because each think they know about which field will be chosen for them. Jonas, on the other hand, has no idea. He is clueless. He volunteers in all the different houses, but has never been very interested in just one. When the assembly comes and Jonas receives the job as the memory keeper, his word immediately changes. All the strict rules he's followed throughout is life no longer apply to him. The new things he learns and receives from The Giver will completely change his way of thinking. He begins realizing all the things, good and bad, that are hidden from this society.
Many argue that Lois Lowery should have made a more concrete ending or should have written a sequel. I thought the ending was very appropriate because it gives each reader a new ending, good or bad, whichever satisfies them. If there was a sequel, I would read it because I enjoyed the first so much, but I would hope Lowery would still leave the reader to decide the ending.
I enjoyed reading this book because of all the details and way of living of this Utopian society. It's interesting to think about if there really was a society where people were completely convinced there was no emotions or feelings. Would they choose the life of pain, suffering, and hate but also happiness and love or the life of no emotion where no hardships occurred, but also no happiness was present?
Cross-Examination
I could be cross-examined over many different things including my closet, the random papers in my room, and my passwords.
The most likely thing someone might cross-examine me on is my choice of passwords. Before I had over 6 accounts for school use, I had a different password for every e-mail and different accounts I had. When setting a password, you cannot use your first or last name, so some creativity is required. Most might use passwords of favorite animals, sport teams, middle names, and many other reasonable names or words, but the majority of my different passwords are very random and not relevant to my life at all.
Someone might also cross-examine my choice of clothing hanging up and folded in my closet. I have too many shirts that have never been worn, never even had the tags taken off. It's not that I don't like these shirts, I just haven't had an occasion to wear them. Sometimes, I get "attached" to old clothes that I'm use to wearing and that fit good, so there's no need to wear the new outfits yet.
The most likely thing someone might cross-examine me on is my choice of passwords. Before I had over 6 accounts for school use, I had a different password for every e-mail and different accounts I had. When setting a password, you cannot use your first or last name, so some creativity is required. Most might use passwords of favorite animals, sport teams, middle names, and many other reasonable names or words, but the majority of my different passwords are very random and not relevant to my life at all.
Someone might also cross-examine my choice of clothing hanging up and folded in my closet. I have too many shirts that have never been worn, never even had the tags taken off. It's not that I don't like these shirts, I just haven't had an occasion to wear them. Sometimes, I get "attached" to old clothes that I'm use to wearing and that fit good, so there's no need to wear the new outfits yet.
Red Wheelbarrow Poem
Broken glass laying in the way.
Glue and tape cannot fix.
Antique vase, aged, but strong.
Ideal dependence.
Glue and tape cannot fix.
Antique vase, aged, but strong.
Ideal dependence.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
A Cause for Celebration
There are so many occasions
on which to have a celebration.
One in particular is summer,
My favorite time for me and my best friend, Kaylie, to ride in her Hummer.
Finally school has come to an end.
everyday is now the weekend.
Suntans are becoming very perceptible,
except for mine which is very, very dull.
Counting down the days is almost unbearable.
No one can wait for the last day of school!
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