The Burn Journals, a memoir written by Brent Runyon, leaves a lot of impressions on the readers about having perseverance and determination. At the age of 14, Brent attempted to commit suicide by dousing himself in gasoline. After that, he had to receive treatment through the multiple hospitals he stayed in. Brent Runyon is able to create his real-life experience into an intriguing story that is also able to teach the readers a message to escape hardship.
“We don’t grow when things are easy, we grow when we face challenges” (picturequotes.com). When people overcome challenges in the world they become a better person. They learn skills to help them in the future. This quote relates to Brent because without overcoming his challenges when making the whirligigs he would not be able to transform. In the book Whirligig by Paul Fleischman, he portrays that Brent faces many challenges in the making of the whirligigs which helps him to transform.
In the book, The Other Wes Moore, there are two men having same named Wes Moore. They were born blocks apart within a year of each other. Both grew up fatherless in Baltimore neighborhoods and had difficult childhoods. “Author Wes is an American author, social entrepreneur, producer, political analyst, and decorated US Army officer. He is the author of The Other Wes Moore and The Work, both of which are New York Times Bestsellers.
believe a possible theme would be to always be prepared. Throughout the book, we can see that Columbine was completely unprepared. They did not have a set plan of what to do so students and teachers were running around panicking. This is one of the reasons that there were so many casualties.
The adults in Salem, Oregon in Stephen Karam’s Speech & Debate had good reason to treat the teens as if they were children. If Diwata, Solomon, and Howie were an accurate representation of the other students at the school, it is no wonder that the parents, teachers, and school board sought to exercise an abundance of control and provide too much guidance in their lives. The three teens dealt with “grown-up” issues throughout the play, but they tried to tackle them in characteristically childish ways. In the opening scene of the play, viewers are introduced to Howie, an openly gay 18-year-old.
Children in the age range thirteen to fifteen are often transitioning through a critical time of their lives. They frequently look to others as a cicerone on how they themselves should act. In the novel, Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Melinda Sordino calls the cops on an end-of-summer party at which she was raped. The novel depicts Melinda’s excursion as to how she copes with the heart-wrenching events that have affected her momentously as well as creating “[a] frightening and sobering look at the cruelty and viciousness that pervade much of contemporary high school life.” (Kirkus Reviews, Pointer Review).
Title: Whirligig Setting: Brent lives in Chicago, Illinois, when his life crashes he is sent on a mission across the country to Washington; California; Florida and Maine. Conflict: Brent’s choice to attempt and end his life causes a major conflict when his plan backfires. He is now faced with knowing that he ended 18 year old, Lea Zamoras life. This Internal conflict is apparent throughout the book as Brent tries to restart and put his past life behind him.
3) Susan Already Has What Brent Struggles to Gain In the novel entitled Whirligig, Brent Bishop struggles to acclaim acceptance of oneself as well as others. But throughout the story, Bren gains a great deal of wisdom and learns how to appreciate himself. In the short story Hamadi, the protagonist, Susan, already possesses the wisdom that Brent had struggled to gain in Whirligig. One trait that Susan possesses is that she is appreciative of people, and does not judge a person by the outside appearance.
Mary Tilford is a quick-witted, deceitful fourteen year-old girl. Her introduction depicted how manipulative she was with people’s emotions and how lying was second-natured to her. For instance, Mary explained how she was late for sewing class because she was outside picking flowers for Mrs. Mortar. Mrs. Mortar was flattered and praised Mary for her thoughtfulness until Karen Wright stated she saw those exact flowers in the garbage that morning. Even when Mary’s lies are exposed, she attempted to avoid confrontations by making an excuse.
Speak Journal Response This journal is in response to the novel Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. As a coming-of-age contemporary novel, Speak discusses many sensitive issues that are still prominent even today. In this story, we explore the life of Melinda Sordino, a fourteen-year-old girl who is beginning high school right after experiencing an utterly traumatic event: rape. Melinda is left friendless, with no one to help and support her after what happened.
George Saunders first published The Semplica Girl Diaries in The New Yorker in 2012 and then again in his collection of short stories Tenth of December, in 2013. The main characters are a middle aged, unnamed man and his family (a wife, two daughters and a son). In an interview Saunders admitted that the inspiration for this twisted story came from a dream which explains the origin of a strange concept in it— Semplica girls, women from underdeveloped countries paid to hang in rich people’s gardens, connected to each other by a wire in their brains. However, the main message is a conscious writing choice. This story explores the struggles deprived people go through and choices they make when facing them.
In her short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates gives the internal events of her short story the sense of excitement, suspense, and climax usually associated with external action. This is accomplished by providing the thoughts of Connie to the reader; showing the effects of the setting on Connie; and Connie’s final realization of her fate. She connects this to the idea that Arnold Friend is the demonic adversary who convinces Connie to cross the threshold into adulthood and lose her innocence by shear persuasion and threatening undertones.
A weird, weird concept has been brought to screen by acclaimed Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos in the form of a rather unconventional 'love story', if one can call it that. The film's ruthlessly Dystopian society forces single people to check themselves into 'The Hotel' and find love within 45 days... or else they'd be transformed into animals. The mood is a perfect blend of dark and funny, but leaves a pretty heavy impact on the soul. The idea is sci-fi. The visual?
” Life goes on in the Lee household, and eventually Lydia finds herself a sophomore in high school. Her parents push her to take advanced, rigorous courses, and although her parents are under the impression that Lydia is a happy girl at school with lots of friends and adequate grades, they are wrong. She is actually very lonely, and her friends only use her for homework. Her grades are severely slipping as well. Since Lydia does not share these feelings with her parents, they weigh her down.
In the coming of age story “Where Are You Going Where Have You Been?” Joyce Carol Oates uses symbolism, conflict, and the third person to foreshadow fifteen-year-old Connie’s unfortunate, yet untimely fate. While one may think that the conflict stems from Connie’s promiscuity, it is clear to see her promiscuity is only a result to a much bigger conflict, her mother’s constant nagging and disapproval, alongside the lack of attention from her father. the author paints a vivid picture of what happens when a fifteen-year-old girl such as Connie goes elsewhere to find to find the love, attention, and approval that she lacks at home. All which is vital for her growth and wellbeing as a person.