The story touches on things such as poverty, alcoholism, bullying, abuse, etc. It is an extremely eye-opening, humbling book that shows you that you can change your life around no matter how you were raised. This book is relatable to many people, including children and teenagers who are or may have gone through some of the same things that Jeannette and her siblings did. The theme that most resonated with me while reading the book was alcoholism. It is something that has been a part of my family life for a long time.
This is because within the novel Alice and her friend Chris were selling drugs, but one day they got busted when Alice states, "They raided Chris's house last night while her folks and her aunt were out, but Chris and I played the game"(pg. 45). This is a big eye opener for both the girls because they were doing an illegal task and when the house got raided they put both the girls on probation as their punishment. This may show that there are consequences that do come with actions, but that does not mean that they learned anything at all from that experience. This is because even after Alice was put on probation, she ended up still craving the drug and eventually turning back to them when she states, "Oh, to be stoned, to have someone tie me off and give me a shot of anything. I've heard paregoric is great"(pg. 80).
The main theme of the book, Speak, centers around feelings of isolation. Before beginning her freshman year, the main character, Melinda, attends an end of the summer high school party. For reasons that are not made known until later in the story, Melinda ends up calling the police, which causes the party to get busted and makes everyone hate Melinda. In addition to being an outcast among her friends and peers, Melinda also struggles in her relationships with the adults in her life. Throughout the course, we have discussed how many topics of adolescence can be critiqued through books and movies.
Argumentative Final Paper: Unit 3 The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold has been challenged three times in school libraries. What is the reason that this book has been challenged? The Lovely Bones is a book about a fourteen-year-old girl telling about her life and death.
Its unsteady, roundabout narrative gradually reveals that shortly before the first day of school, Melinda went to a party, where she was raped by a handsome, popular senior, (Interview with Author). Anderson wrote this book because she woke up from a dream and could hear
New York City in the 1970's was a very dangerous and a high crime place. Drugs, murder and prostitutes infested the city. Teenagers getting trapped in this harsh environment at a young age lead to serious issues. In the book, Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Sallinger, Holden Caulfield explores the freedoms of the big city and witnesses the impact of its harsh environment in the 1970s. Drugs affected New York in the 1970s in a negative way.
Everyone should have a place to call home that will provide them with a safe, supportive, and stable environment. However, every household is different and it does not always turn out that way for some people. Unfortunately, based on the memoir Breaking Night: A Memoir of Forgiveness, Survival, and My Journey from Homeless to Harvard, Liz Murray’s life is an example of this. Liz grew up in an impoverished neighborhood in the Bronx, New York. Liz yearned for the parental support and guidance from her parents; however, due to their ongoing battle with substance abuse it prevented them giving her a safe, supportive, and stable environment.
Atwood wrote this novel in order to show readers what the world might become if society continues progressing in the way that it is now. Many people, including kids, are becoming desensitized to tragic events that occur and things that once were looked down upon if done. In the book, for example, Jimmy and Crake watched child pornography and live executions as if they were just another SpongeBob episode but if someone were to do that in today’s society they would be shamed, hated on and there would be legal
It takes place in a typical high school that fits with the target audience of teenagers/young adults. It resonates with the reader through Samantha’s feeling of guilt after socializing with people that aren’t healthy for her and immediately regretting it, as she tells herself multiple times, “I shouldn’t have gone” (Stone 73). It highlights specifically the theme of self awareness, as Samantha slowly realizes that she needs to put her needs before others in order to keep herself safe. Since the setting is in a place so similar to the target audience, the relevance helps prompt the reader to apply life skills and lessons that Samantha used to their own similar situations. In addition to the self awareness theme, the book has many strong messages that Samantha learns along the way.
The consequences of bad choices are loud and clear. The world of drug use is not glamorized in any way. The ending of this book is ultimately hopeful as we see one character transform
Contemporary society is a variety of all things good and bad that one might misinterpret as perfect if glanced upon with a pair of rose colored glasses. While new inventions and scientific breakthroughs, have lead to daily life and communication becoming easier to handle and manage, as a society humanity often times fails to see the adverse effects of these technological pursuits on itself. In the dystopian novel, Brave New World, the author Aldous Huxley focuses a great deal on the idea of technology and control. He does so by grossly exaggerating many of the common technological advances of today and making them seem unrealistic and unbelievable, while in actuality are closer to the truth then far from it. Aldous Huxley showing the reader
In 1987, acclaimed horror author Stephen King published what he referred to as ‘the scariest 310 pages in history.” The book, titled Misery, told the story of novelist Paul Sheldon who gets badly injured in a car accident and is imprisoned by his ‘biggest fan’ Annie Wilkes who had rescued him on the side of the road. For two decades after its publication, Stephen King refused to admit his reasons for publishing the novel. Finally, in 2007, King revealed the true meaning and message of the book; Prescription Drug Addiction. It is clear throughout the novel that Annie Wilkes holding Paul hostage symbolizes King’s past dependence on prescription medications and how desperately he relied on them.
“Over 60% of teens claim drugs are used on school grounds”(Fitzgerald). Over the years, schools have not been doing anything to prevent this. Teens revealed that, “1 in 5 of their classmates either drink, use drugs, or smoke during school hours on school grounds” (Fitzgerald). More studies show that, “17% of high school students use drugs daily.” Kids in schools know someone who either does drugs, or sells drugs on school grounds (“School”).
The following writing will discuss peer pressure and from then show that peer pressure can also good for teenagers, too. Many people, including researchers and psychologists,…when thinking of “pressure”, they believe that peer pressure has negative effects that can lead to devastating consequences. According to a publication on peer pressure by Parent Further(2015), only 10 percent
Almost everyone has experienced peer pressure at least once in their lifetime,either on a small scale or a large one, in a positive or a negative way. Peer pressure is simply when someone gets you to do something. It is quite easy to get influenced by peer pressure (especially in the teenage years) because everyone wants to fit in and not be left out. Teens sometimes give into peer pressure by doing risky things. Correct friends -are more likely to- play more safe decisions in general.
