Romeo and Juliet Revised Essay

Romeo & Juliet Essay

     Love stories now are a lot different than they were before. Most love stories now don’t show love at all; the only things they show are parties, kissing, drinking, sex, and drugs. Old love stories, such as Romeo and Juliet, were about challenges of true love between two rival families. 

     In love stories before, people wanted to have loving families and children. They wanted to have houses and build farms together. Their love was genuine and true; Romeo and Juliet fell in love in around a week, and they KILLED themselves to be together! Couples were respectable and civil. They stayed in a relationship when they entered it. They grew old together, not having to worry about their partner leaving them at the drop of a dime.

     Love stories now show how reckless and meaningless love is at this time period. People can’t even stay in a relationship for more than a few months! They think dating is like renting books out of a library; you borrow a book, then return it back to the shelf to pick up another one. In the movie  "Friends with Benifits," that behavior is promoted. One quote from that movie is, "No relationship. No emotion. Just sex." These types of people think of love like a game. They don't take it as something you should be cautious and safe with. 

     As you can tell, love and love stories have changed drastically in the last century. It used to be something that people cherished and waited for. Now, it’s something that people take for granted and don’t really take seriously. Kids now don't really care what happens to them, they don't think about consequences. One example of this behavior is the saying "Y.O.L.O." which means "You only live once." People take this saying as an excuse for them to do things that you wouldn't normally do, such as losing your virginity at a young age, or cheating on a boyfriend/ girlfriend. Kids use this saying more and more frequently. 

        These two conflicting images of love can affect the minds of young children. If they see how people act when they “love” each other now, they’re going to grow up even more corrupt than the drunk teenagers that you see on tv today!

Romeo and Juliet Essay

Romeo & Juliet Essay

     Love stories now are a lot different than they were before. Love stories now don’t even show love at all. The only things they show are parties, kissing, drinking, sex, and drugs. Old love stories, such as Romeo and Juliet, were about challenges of true love between two rival families

     In love stories before, people wanted to have loving families and children. They wanted to have houses and build farms together. Their love was genuine and true. They were respectable and civil. People then stayed in a relationship when they entered it. They grew old together, not having to worry about their partner leaving them at the drop of a dime.

     Love stories now show how reckless and meaningless love is at this time period. People can’t even stay in a relationship for more than a few months! They think dating is like renting books out of a library; you borrow a book, then return it back to the shelf to pick up another one. Kids at around the age of 16 through 20 believe that it doesn’t matter what happens to them because they are “young and free.” Love shows and stories now are all about cheating and sex, such as the show Degrassi.

     As you can tell, love and love stories have changed drastically in the last century. It used to be something that people cherished and waited for. Now, it’s something that people take for granted and don’t really take seriously.

        These two conflicting images of love can affect the minds of young children. If they see how people act when they “love” each other now, they’re going to grow up even more corrupt than the drunk teenagers that you see on tv today!

Romeo and Juliet Thesis+ Outline

Thesis:

My topic is topic #1. That one is about the differences and similarities  between Romeo & Juliet, and love stories today. I chose this topic because I think that today's "love" stories don't even show love at all. The only things they show are parties, kissing, drinking, sex, and drugs. I want my essay to show how messed up love stories are today. 

Outline:

Intro- 

Thesis~ Love stories now are a lot different than they were before.

Body P.1-

 Love stories then~ people wanted to have families and children

~Romeo & Juliet was about a couple who's parents didn't wan them to be together.

Body P.2-

Love stories now~ Show how reckless and meaningless love is at this time period

~All about cheating and sex (Degrassi, Friends With Benefits)

Conclusion- 

Restate thesis+ Elaborate on how love stories are different

 

Non-fiction Reading Response (4- HW #1)

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/349594/description/Mental_puzzles_underlie_musics_delight

Part 1- Summary:

     This article is called "Mental Puzzels Underline Music's Delight" and it's written by Meghan Rosen. It is about why people enjoy music. When people listen to music, a clump of neurons deep within their brains bursts into excited activity. The brain also makes predictions about the lyrics of the song. Three regions of the brain judge the song. One region looks for patterns of the song. Another compares new songs to sounds heard before. The third checks for emotional values of the song to the person.

Part 2- Analysis:

     I think the author wrote this article to show that music doesnt just involve yoir ears. Your brain has a big part in it too. Your brain judges of you like a song or not based on the parts listed previously. In the article, researchers studied the brains of 19 people that listened to short clips of new music in a machine. At the end of each song, the human volunteers ended up buying the songs they liked.

Part 3- Response: 

     This article is very interesting because it is about something that I never new was so scientific. It's cool how the brain detects which song you like best and it's not just your taste in music but that it's much more complex and interesting. The author did a very good job on keeping the readers engaged in the article because it had fun facts about the brain and why we like music.

Reading Response (3- HW #5)

Think of the most boring book you can imagine. Multiply it by 3. That will give you Reached by Ally Condie. This book was really a let down, as well as the second book, Crossed, which is part of the Matched trilogy. 

     The first book was so full of suspense and wonder. "Will Cassia (the main character) get caught by Officials for loving an Anomalie?" and "Who will she choose? Ky (the Anomalie) or Xander?" 

     But the second and third book just mostly consist of the Rising, which is supposed to be a rebellion against the Society and led by the mysterious Pilot.  Once the Rising actually happens, it was all such a let down. 

    The Pilot turned out to be some random guy with no special thing about him. Ally Condie had so many options to choose from to make the Pilot! And I expected the Rising to have so much action, with explosions and guns, but it mainly went like this: "Can we invade your land, please?"-Pilot and the Rising. "Haha alrighty! Would you like a drink, too, sir?"-Society. 

     Ally Condie also added the P.O.V.'s of Ky and Xander to the story. I expected them to hate each other and I kind of wanted them to, too. At least it would have made the story interesting. But no, she made them think about how great the other would be with Cassia. Most of the story consisted of random babble and no suspense or intriguing dialogues at all.

     Overall, I didn't think this book-or rather this series- was great at all. I think if you just need something to read to pass the time, then this is your kind of book. 

           P.S. Sorry this was late, Ms.Galang! I didn't realize we had a reading response due! Sorry! :O 

Nonfiction Reading Response (3- HW #4)

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/348098/description/Supernovas_death_throes_revealed

Part 1- Summary:

     This article is called "Supernova's Death Throes Revealed" and it's written by Andrew Grant. This article is about how scientists predicted the explosion of a supernova. A supernova is the explosion of a star when it's core runs out of fuel and collapses. The scientists predicted the supernova when they were using a program. That program scans the sky and tells you when something suddenly brightens. They realized that when the star blew up, the brightenings were  signs of the supernova. The brightening was the star shedding mass.

Part 2- Analysis: 

     I think that the author wanted to let us know that stars shedding off some material before exploding is very very helpful advice to scientists. Now, they have more evidence to when a star will explode. That can also tell us when the sun will explode, because the sun is a star. 

     If the sun explodes- when the sun explodes- we are all screwed. The sun grows plants, which we need to survive. The animals eat plants, and we need animals to survive. The sun evaporates water, which results in condensation and precipitation. We need water to survive. Without the sun, we won't have the necessities. The sun shedding some mass can tell us if the supernova is near.

Part 3- Conclusion:

     This is a useful piece of information to scientists because now they don't have to really worry about a star exploding spontaneously, unless it is a rare case. In the text, it says some other stars have lived on even when they shed material. Maybe they can find out what the difference was between those kinds of stars. 

Non-Fiction Reading Response (3- HW #3)

http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/348628/description/How_weaver_ants_get_a_grip

Part 1- Summary:

     This article is called "How Weaver Ants Get Their Grip", and it's written by Susan Milius. It's about Asian weaver ants, and how they have a really cool ability. They can stick to surfaces, even if they are hanging upside down, and carry something that weighs more than 100 times that of itself! The author says:  "Asian weaver ants nest in trees, which they hold onto with their moist, expandable foot pads." Scientists have discovered that these food pads expand when they need a better grip. They found this out when they observed their feet when they shook the surface that the ants were on. The article says: "Thomas Endlein of Scotland’s University of Glasgow discovered that the foot pad expansion occurs within a millisecond of the jolt." That is way more fast than the reflexes of a human. 

Part 2- Analysis:

      I think the author wrote this article with a tone that wants the reader to believe this is amazing. I think this because the author says: "An Asian weaver ant boasts not one but two superpowers." Superpowers are, well, super! That gives me the thought that they're extraordinary. 

     Also, another example where the author shows that Asian weaver ants are amazing is when she says: "Its extreme sticking power comes with extraordinarily quick emergency grip protection." This also gives me the feeling that she wants me to believe that Asian weaver ants are amazing because she used multiple positive adjectives for the ants. 

Part 3- Conclusion:

     This article makes me wonder about how it's possible for things to defy gravity. It makes me wonder how many other kinds of miracles in nature there are. It makes me think if modern technology today can replicate these foot pads that the Asian weaver ants have. I know that I would buy it from the stores if they sold it! 

Reading Response (3- HW #2)

     Imagine a world where the only thing you know about yourself is your first name. You wake up and you're in an elevator. You don't have any memories, but you know about how a normal life is. When you exit the elevator, there are a bunch of guys around your age (or what you think is your age) and they explain to you how their world is. No technology, no electricity, none of that stuff. There are four walls that close every night to protect you from monsters called Grievers. The monsters live in a Maze. The Maze is the only way out. You don't know who sent you there, but you know people are watching you- the Creators. This world is the exact world of The Maze Runner by James Dashner. 

     This book totally reminded me of The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. In that book, the government makes 12 districts randomly choose a male and a female from their people, and the government makes them all fight to the death. The government in The Hunger Games reminds me of the Creators. They are similar in the way that they both control what's going on, and can affect peoples actions. They are different because the government in The Hunger Games just wants control. They want to show people that they can do what they want. The Creators in The Maze Runner are just doing a simple experiment. They are testing the will of the people by adding in more and more variables. Either way, both books are great. 

     

Non-fiction Reading Response (3- HW #1)

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2012/12/deadly-virus-ebola-can-spread-through-the-air-from-pigs-to-monkeys/

Part 1-Summary:

This article is called "Ebola in the Air," and it's written by Stephen Ornes. It is about how a group of Canadian scientists did an experiment that shows that the Ebola Virus can spread through the air: "Previously, researchers thought animals had to touch to pass along the virus, which has been blamed for the deaths of more than 1,500 people." (Ornes 1) In the experiment that they conducted, researchers infected six piglets with the Ebola virus. The scientists put the infected pigs in a room with four healthy monkeys that didn’t have the virus. A barrier separated the animals, so they couldn’t touch each other. After around two weeks though, all four monkeys became infected. The author shows us that there may be some proof that the Ebola virus is becoming airborne.


Part 2-Analysis:

The author wrote this article to educate people and other scientists and to warn them that Ebola might be airborne. I think this is a very important and useful piece of information to scientists! The scientists have to warn everyone and tell them that Ebola can now spread through the air, because many people can become infected. The scientists have to find a new vaccine to cure the infected people, because the virus has mutated.
One of the scientists that worked on the experiment says that it is "definitely not an efficient route of transmission" (Ornes 1). I feel like the author should've included anonymous peoples opinions on the news that Ebola might be airborne. That would've given some insight on how people will react. I like how the author kind of "dumbed the article down" enough that the average reader can understand all of the words, and can understand whats going on.


Part 3-Conclusion:

This article has made me think about what would happen if the world did get infected by a disease that went airborne. That would be so horrible! We would have to wear gas masks wherever we went. How would we purify the air and get rid of the disease? This article has made me appreciate science and all of the medicine that scientists have discovered. Without them, we would die from a tiny cold or fever.

Reading Response (2- HW #6)

So I recently re-read Catching Fire (Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins...

11. Who has "power" in this text? How does that power get shown?

     I think we can all answer that question. The government has excessive power. The government is in the Capitol. The people in the Capitol are so snobby and ignorant that they don't care that the people in the other 12 districts are swimming in poverty and on the brink of starvation. The government also makes the districts randomly choose a male and a female from their people, and the government makes them all fight to the death. The government does this to remind the districts of how weak they are. During the games, the government controls anything and everything that happens in the arena. They can make people explode, make forest fires, send attack dogs, anything.
    Another thing that shows the governments power is that when someone becomes a traitor (tries to rebel), they cut their tongue out and make them into a servant. They want to control everyone, and someone doing something wrong is the perfect excuse for them to experiment the limits of their control.

Reading Response- Critical Thinking (2- HW #5)

6. How does money figure in this text?

     I am reading First Light by Rebecca Stead. It is about a boy, Peter, who's dad studies global warming. A man donates a lot of money to the science network where Peter's dad goes for him to do a hands on study about global warming and glaciers. This money sends Peter and his mom and dad to Greenland to stay there for a month and study. While they're away in Greenland, they have a ton of adventures, I think, anyways. I'm only about 20 pages in. The whole reason while they're going to Greenland in the first place is because of money!

Social Awareness Reading Response (2- HW #4)

5. How does this text deal with individuals and groups? Are the people acting alone and in competition with one another, or does the text help us imagine people working together?

I am only around 20 pages into my new book, Divergent by Veronica Roth, but I can answer this question. In the book, the world is consisted of Factions. These factions are how (and where) you will live for the rest of your life. This Faction is also how you act. 

There are 5 Factions:

DAUNTLESS: fearless
ABNEGATION: selfless
ERUDITE: knowledgeable
CANDOR: truthful
AMITY: friendly/peaceful

There is also a rare case:

DIVERGENT: different

     This grouping kind of reminds me of the Upper class, Middle class, and Lower class. It is similar because they are groups, and it sort of determines how you are living- poor, rich, or average. These groups also kind of remind me of school, how there are certain "cliques," and certain people who always hang out with each other. 
     I don't know yet if these groups work together in the book, because I'm not that far into it to know if they do. I do know that these groups are the society, and that they are allowed to have contact with each other.

Social Awareness Writing Project- Assignment 2 (2- HW #3)

2. Observe your surroundings (school, home, neighborhood, media).

List

• Garbage in the streets (litter)
• Homeless People
• People being excluded from groups/activities
• People being made fun of

Response
Sometimes, people aren’t invited to some events, and some aren’t called over to talk. Some of those people are even bullied, too. They can be picked on and called names. Pushed around and hurt. That’s not really fair. Those people may even cry, or feel depressed. That can lead to fights, name-calling, or even suicide.
One possible solution for someone who is being bullied or excluded from things is that they can get help from a teacher or counselor. If you are being hurt in any way, tell someone. Stand up for yourself. Don’t let anyone take advantage of you like that. Another possible solution, is to make friends. Find someone else like you, who feels left out sometimes.

Social Awareness Writing Project- Assignment 4 (2- HW #2)

4. Write a reading response on a social issue in a literary work. (Your IRB, short story, essay, poem/song.)

I wrote about global warming. I was reading the newspaper, and there was an issue about who can do better on protecting the environment. This is my side of the argument.
 
Global warming. Two words that we hear all the time- it's everywhere. Most of the time, we just wave it away like it's nothing. Now, it's starting to creep back up on us, because it's getting real. There is always some person saying, "Oh, global warming is hurting the Earth," etc. etc. We are only realizing now that this is unfortunately true. We recently had a huge hurricane, named Hurricane Sandy. She was a category 1 hurricane. It was also a full moon, which meant there were going to be high tides. The water levels were raised, and then the hurricane was bringing in more water. There were many floods, and houses were destroyed. There were also black outs, and some people died.

    This hurricane had to do with global warming, which is a constant problem going on with the Earth. It is the constant warming of the Earth’s average temperature, which can destroy many habitats of animals that survive in the cold. Global warming is caused by many factors. One of them, is carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels, such as coal or gasoline. Can our next President help to prevent more disasters caused by global warming? Obama is trying to help prevent global warming by funding research for renewable energy. He invested 150 billion in clean-energy research and development. Mitt Romney, Obama’s opponent in the Presidential campaign, is also trying to help with global warming. He said that he would try to put a tax on fossil fuel pollution. That way, if you pollute, you would get taxed. He changed sides on his view though, so now he believes that “we don’t know what is causing global warming.” That can be bad then, if he becomes President, because he won’t know the problem, so he won’t find a solution. He also hasn’t acted on his plans yet. He hasn't been very explanatory on his plan, and what he will do to stop global warming, he only brushed on it.

    So, now you’ve seen both sides of the argument. Which President do you think can do the best on protecting the environment? Oh, you want to ask me?  Well, I think that both candidates have done something good, and something bad for the environment. I think that President Obama can protect the environment better, because he is funding and creating ideas to help the planet. Mitt Romney only wants to tax the people, which would more likely create damage, such as riots, instead of doing good. What do you think?

Social Awareness Writing Project- Assignment 5

5. Write an original literary piece (poem, song, short dramatic scene, personal narrative, etc.) responding to a specific social problem/issue.

Poem:

Swirling, a great mass.

Raising hell from the ocean.

Lives, homes, people. Gone.

This was a haiku on Hurricane Sandy. I wrote a haiku on this topic, because Hurricane Sandy was a natural disaster that has affected us all in the tri-state area, whether it's caused us damage or not. This was a hurricane that devastated many people in the city. Subways were flooded, and many houses too. Some people even died.

Poem:

My heart, beating loud.

I was crying, alone. Dark.

Dragged away, bleeding.

This was a haiku on child soldiers. I wrote a haiku on this topic because we were learning about this issue in class. We read articles and watched videos about this, and it kind of feels like no one is really doing anything to help child soldiers. These are kids we're talking about here. Kids.

Hurricane Sandy (2nd Marking Period: HW #1)

     This article is about how Hurricane Sandy paved the way for the Nor'Easter that just arrived. Hurricane Sandy was a hurricane that occurred in the tri-state area. That area includes Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. Hurricanes start over an ocean or large body of water.  Hurricanes get their energy from warm and wet air. This hurricane was a category 1 out of 5. Many people lost their homes, and are out in the cold. Some took refuge in community shelters. Many houses are without power as well. And that's the perfect recipe for disaster, because the Nor'Easter is "expected to drop temperatures into the 20's, and flooding may occur," says Shelia O'connor's article on Examiner.com. 


     I never thought hurricanes were that destructive or important. I always thought it was just wind and rain, baby stuff. Then, we were hit by a HUGE hurricane, named Hurricane Sandy. On top of this hurricane, it was a full moon, which means high tides. The water levels were raised, and then the hurricane was bringing in more water. There were SO many floods, and houses were completely washed over. There was even a roller coaster that was push far into the ocean! There were also many power outages, and deaths. 
     And now, we are expecting a Nor'Easter, which is sort of like a hurricane, but with very low temperatures. This Nor'Easter is going to be in the 20's. That's below the freezing point! Thousand's of people still don't have homes, and there are hundreds of thousands of people who still don't have any power! No power means no heat, no hot water, no warm meals, and no light. And with these temperatures coming through, many people will be cold and freezing. 


     This string of events is one that will not be forgotten. This has printed a mark in the history of the United States. This hurricane has left many people without homes, without money, and without gas. Is this hurricane only the beginning of a series of natural disasters?

Reading Response Revision (HW #6)

     I literally just finished the famous (or infamous, depending on you) Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, and OMG it was soooooo amazing! I couldn't put it down! I downloaded it on my iPod too. I only stopped reading it when I was in school, or when I was eating. It had a great plot, and intense theme. The theme was about how love conquers all. And I know, "OMG Hannah, that's sooo cliche," but that's not how Stephanie Meyer made the theme seem. I'm pretty sure you know how the book goes, but if you don't *rolls eyes* this book is about a girl named Bella Swan. She moves to a town called Forks to live with her dad while her mom is travelling with her step-dad. When Bella gets to Forks, she meets a group of people and they are genetically perfect. She ends up dating one of them, whose name is Edward Cullen. He is a vampire, and so are the others. They fall deeply in love, and a whole sha-bang happens, you'll just have to read the book.

     The theme is represented as love conquers all. It is shown in many places, and I mean many. The whole book is pretty much revolved around that matter. Let's see... 
                       ****SPOILER-ALERRRRRT (for the rest of the essay)****
     For example, at one point of the book, Bella was about to get hit by a car that was skidding on ice. She saw Edward at the other side of the parking lot that they were in. Since Vampires can run so freaking fast (and are so strong), he decided he didn't want her guts spilled all over the pavement. He ran super fast to her side, and slammed into the car. He lifted the car so she could move out of the way. He risked being seen by humans! He risked leaking the secret of non-humans in this world. He almost- almost- messed up everything for all the Vampires; he did it all for Bella. That is true feelings to me, when someone saves your life, risking their own. Especially when they risk all the other lives of vampires.

   Another example of where the theme being love conquers all is shown, is at the end of the book. Bella falls into the trap of an evil Vampire, and beats her up. He throws her around and breaks her bones. Then, he bites her hand. The Cullen's come to rescue Bella while the evil Vampire is sucking her hand. The only way to stop the venom from spreading, was to suck her blood. Edward had to do it. He bent over, and started sucking her blood. He almost didn't stop- he could've easily killed her- but he didn't. Especially since Edward loves Bella's smell, it was much harder for him to stop. After, Bella healed, she asked him why he stopped himself from sucking all of her blood. What made him keep her alive. The answer- love. He said he couldn't live without her if she died. He would kill himself just to be with her. That reminded me of Romeo and Juliet, because Juliet pretended she died. Romeo saw her, and really thought she died, so he killed himself to be with her. When she woke up and saw him dead, she killed herself too., just to be with each other.

  Overall, Bella loves Edward, and the same goes the other way. They would do anything for each other, and they sincerely mean it. Love really does conquer all. Love is really powerful, and I'm sure if you asked Bella or Edward that, they would say the same thing.
  


                                                                                      P.S. I'm hungry...

IRB Reading Response (HW #5)

    

     I literally just finished the famous (or infamous, depending on you) Twilight by Stephanie Meyer, and OMG it was soooooo amazing! I couldn't put it down! I downloaded it on my iPod too. I only stopped reading it when I was in school, or when I was eating. It had a great plot, and intense theme. The theme was about how love conquers all. And I know, "OMG Hannah, that's sooo cliche," but that's not how Stephanie Meyer made the theme seem. I'm pretty sure you know how the book goes, but if you don't *rolls eyes* this book is about a girl named Bella Swan. She moves to a town called Forks to live with her dad while her mom is travelling with her step-dad. When Bella gets to Forks, she meets a group of people and they are genetically perfect. She ends up dating one of them, whose name is Edward Cullen. He is a vampire, and so are the others. They fall deeply in love, and a whole sha-bang happens, you'll just have to read the book.

     The theme is represented as love conquers all. It is shown in many places, and I mean many. The whole book is pretty much revolved around that matter. Let's see... 
                       ****SPOILER-ALERRRRRT (for the rest of the essay)****
     For example, at one point of the book, Bella was about to get hit by a car that was skidding on ice. She saw Edward at the other side of the parking lot that they were in. Since Vampires can run so freaking fast (and are so strong), he decided he didn't want her guts spilled all over the pavement. He ran super fast to her side, and slammed into the car. He lifted the car so she could move out of the way. He risked being seen by humans! He risked leaking the secret of non-humans in this world. He almost- almost- messed up everything for all the Vampires; he did it all for Bella.

   Another example of where the theme being love conquers all is shown, is at the end of the book. Bella falls into the trap of an evil Vampire, and beats her up. He throws her around and breaks her bones. Then, he bites her hand. The Cullens come to rescue Bella while the evil Vampire is sucking her hand. The only way to stop the venom from spreading, was to suck her blood. Edward had to do it. He bent over, and started sucking her blood. He almost didn't stop- he could've easily killed her- but he did. Especially since Edward loves Bella's smell, and always stresses that. After, Bella asks him why he stopped. What made him keep her alive. The answer- love.

  Overall, Bella loves Edward, and the same goes the other way. They would do anything for each other, and they sincerely mean it. Love really does conquer all. Love is really powerful, and I'm sure if you asked Bella or Edward that, they would say the same thing.
  


                                                                                      P.S. I'm hungry...

The Drummer Boy of Shiloh (HW #4)

     There aren't that many characters in the "Drummer Boy of Shiloh," by Ray Bradbury, but the General of the army still holds major significance. He leads and guides the main character, Joby. Joby is a drummer boy in the Generals army.
     
     In the beginning of the story, Joby is sleeping by a peach tree. He wakes up, startled by a ripe peach falling onto his drum, which lays beside him. He starts crying. He says to himself in his head, "Me, I'm just a boy. I'm just a boy with a drum, and two sticks to beat it.I ain't even got a shield."  His confidence is at rock bottom. He believes he is pointless, just an extra. He feels useless, like no one needs him.

     This is where the General comes in. He sees Joby crying, and he starts talking to the young boy. He realizes that Joby is insecure about himself, and his position in the army. The general is sincerely listening. My mom listened to me like that once. She was listening to me complain about my body and about myself, gently wiping my tears away. She told me that I am perfect. The General tells Joby that he needs him to make real army men out  of those soldiers. "You boy," the General spoke to Joby softly. "You are the heart of the army. Think about that. You are the heart of the army, listen to me now." He tells Joby that he pretty much controls the army. If he beats his drum slowly, the men would be sluggish and tired. If he beats fast, the men would fight with vigor. That boosts up Joby's confidence greatly, and Joby is listening, letting it sink in.

     The General finally gets through to Joby, and he makes sure that Joby knows how important he is. He makes him understand his significance. The General has changed Joby from a boy, to a real man. That is the importance of the General- life changing.


                                                                                      P.S. I'm hungry...

Independent Reading Book Theme (HW #3)

    *SPOILER ALERT* 


     There are multiple themes in the book Extras, by Scott Westerfield. One of those themes are that you need to be careful of what you wish for. The book is set in Japan, in the future. People are genetically beautiful, and they can change their bodies however they want. There are city "feed's" and that's pretty much a blog that the whole world uses. It's not like Facebook, where some people use it. Everyone uses it. 
     The main character, Aya, wants to be famous on the city feeds. She wishes and does anything to become a higher "face-rank."  She remembers that she saw a group of strange girls "mag-lev" riding. A mag-lev is a train, and it goes super fast. She ends up following them, and joining their group under cover. While she is with the girls, she sees these inhuman things, but ignores them. She then rats the girls out on the feeds, and becomes the 12th famous person in the world. 
     "Great, the last thing I need is to arrive at the mansion with 100 hover-cams in tow." When she's famous, she ends up being swarmed with paparazzi and by hover-cams, which are video cameras that fly. She also gets attacked by the inhuman beings, and her life becomes in jeopardy. "Suddenly, there were too many people that knew her name, instead of not enough."
    I think this is showing that you have to be careful of what you wish for, because she was begging for people, and now she's begging them to leave her alone. Sometimes, what you want can bite you back.
     
     
                                                                                                                 P.S. I'm hungry...