Literature Circle Reflection

After our group's first discussion, we found that we all needed to work more on being prepared and having equal participation of all group members. We also needed to work on staying on topic and not getting distracted. We all agreed to solve these problems by doing the work to the best of our ability, participating in the discussion, and keeping to the task at hand. The second discussion was much better than the first. Everyone came to class and completed all of their work. Everyone participated and encouraged each other to answer questions. The one thing we still could have done better was staying on topic, but it can easily be fixed by taking charge and reminding everyone of the task. Our group is really good at having deep conversations about Animal Farm. Once we actually get focused on the discussion, we all participate equally and have  great in-depth discussions about the book.

Tuesday Write #7 Blog Post

In The Lord of the Flies by William Golding, the conch shell symbolizes civilization and unity. The conch shell, throughout the novel, is used to call meetings that unite the boys in a civilized way. The conch is also used as a “talking stick”; the boy who holds it has the right to speak his mind. Piggy says,“‘Hear him, he has the conch’” (89). At the beginning of the book, Ralph blew on the conch and all of the boys gathered around him, ready to hear him speak his mind.  This symbolizes the start of civilization on the island and is the first time the boys are united. At first, the boys followed Ralph and the rules of the conch without question, but as savagery began to settle on the boys, the conch was forgotten. When the conch is destroyed by the boys’ own vicious behavior, Jack says to Ralph,”’See? See? That’s what you’ll get! I mean that! There isn't a tribe for you anymore! The conch is gone-’” (181). When the conch is destroyed, the boys lose all forms of civilization. Savagery takes over the island so completely, Jack’s tribe hunts and tries to kill Ralph, one of their own. Through being used as a form of democracy and being a horn to gather the boys, the conch is a symbol of civilization and unity.  The loss of civilization is one of the main aspects of Lord of the Flies. As the boys rely more on hunting and killing than on Ralph and the conch, civilization starts to decline. The boys are rescued from the island by a naval officer right when civilization finally dissolves completely.

ORB Book Review

Neal Shusterman’s Unwind: A World Where You Have to Run to Survive

Reviewed by Maya Johnson

 

Running, constantly on the lam; if you’re an Unwind like Connor, Risa, and Lev, you are an enemy of the state until you reach your 18th birthday. Neal Shusterman’s Unwind depicts a dystopian future with lifestyles very different from our own. The Second Civil War was fought over the right to life. It was decided that between the ages of 13 and 18, a child may be “unwound”, meaning all of their body parts may be detached and transplanted into people that ordered them. This is the twisted world of Unwind.

The story follows three teenagers by the names of Connor, Risa and Lev. Connor has always been known as the “bad kid”; he picks fights and enjoys living life on the edge. Risa was born a ward of the state. She’s lived in an Ohio state home all of her life. She was sent away to be unwound because music, her subject of choice, was not useful enough in the future, and there was not enough money to take care of her. Lev is a tithe. From even before their conception, tithes are destined to be unwound for God on their 13th birthday. They are the tenth child in their families and are raised their entire lives believing their life is sacred and meant to be given to God. From the moment their stories converge, the rest of the novel tells their experiences of life on the run.

I found Unwind to be a very fast paced, exciting story. It also may be one of the most disturbing books I have ever read. The very concept of Unwinding is horrifying to think about, and it takes awhile to get used to the idea of it; children younger than 13 definitely should not read this book. Overall, Unwind is a gripping tale with many interesting twists and turns that keep the reader wanting more.

            Neal Shusterman’s Unwind is a wonderfully written novel. The third person omniscient point of view allows the characters and their distinctive personalities to come to life. The author manages to pull the reader in from the first few pages with his use of imagery, descriptive language and dialogue. The imagery in this novel is phenomenal, brought to life by beautifully descriptive language that caters to all of the reader’s senses. Shusterman writes, “Trees arch over the street, their branches cut into unnatural angular patterns by the profiles of passing trucks. The street is full of yellow and brown leaves, but enough diehards still cling to the branches to make a shady canopy” (Shusterman 90). One downside to Shusterman’s writing style is the constant switching of narration between characters. Although the reader quickly gets used to his style, it can be slightly confusing and incoherent at parts.

The story also includes many suspenseful cliffhangers, making the reader crave more. These cliffhanger chapter endings are what make the readers sit on the edge of their seats throughout the whole ride. For example, “Roland looks the Juvey-cop in the eye- no shame, no fear- and boldly presents his offer. ‘What if I told you I know where there are more than four hundred AWOL Unwinds? What if I helped you take down a whole smuggling operation? What would that be worth?’ The cop seems to freeze in place, and he regards Roland closely ‘All right,’ he says. ‘You have my attention’” (Shusterman 259).

Unwind covers many controversial topics and themes with ease, including: consciousness, the value of life, abortion, religion, death, and hope. All are major parts of the book and are built upon as the story progresses. Discussing these kind of themes draws in and captivates readers because they can connect on a personal level. These topics bring a level of depth to the novel and add to the wonderful story that is Unwind.

Shusterman, Neal. Unwind. New York: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 2007. Print.

 

Malcolm Gladwell Blog Response

After reading the chapter on the Warren Harding Error, I have realized that unconscious prejudices have a huge impact on everyday life. The main point that stood out to me was the fact that our entire nation chose a president just based on his physical appearance. We assumed from Warren Harding's physical attributes of being tall, dark, handsome, and confident that he would be a good leader. He turned out to be one of the worst presidents in American history. In my opinion, the takeaway message of this chapter was to inform the readers about unconscious biases and have them comprehend the large affect they have on life.  This chapter definitely pertains to the discussion of leadership we have been having in class. Just like the election of Warren Harding, leaders should never be chosen based entirely on physical appearance. It is proven that most people unconsciously associate height with the ability to lead.  58% of the CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are over six feet tall. Only ten are under five foot six. It is actually possible to reverse our unconscious biases. If you spend a lot of time around the race you are biased against and become completely comfortable with them, it is entirely possible for your bias to change. When electing a president, they should have a specific set of leadership qualities that define them as a good captain.  Leaders should be: experienced, responsible, trustworthy, determined, decisive, and intelligent. I decided to take the Race IAT. I found the test relatively easy, and my evaluation in the end was that I did not have any unconscious prejudices against white or black people. This made perfect sense to me, considering I am a quarter African American. I grew up with a half black father and a grandfather that was 100% African American. My mother and her whole side of the family are all Caucasian.  Because of this,  I am very familiar with the cultures of both African American and Caucasian heritages and my result of no biases did not surprise me.

Tuesday Write Blog Post: Good Writing

Good writing immediately captures the interest of the reader. A great piece of interesting writing will be based on a subject that engages and hooks the reader, uses a lot of imagery, and is creative.  The best kind of writing is based on an intriguing subject. When you read something that really interests and engages you, reading becomes much more enjoyable. If something doesn't interest you, you would have no desire to read it! Good writing also uses a lot of imagery.  It should use so much, that you can clearly picture the scene in the story.  For example, the author touches all of your senses while describing a lush forest, and they describe it so well you actually feel like you're there. Good writing is creative. If it was constantly the same, reading would be very mundane.  Creativity allows for variation in writing and helps readers select what stories and books they would like to read. These elements help create a well put together piece of writing.

I chose an excerpt from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins as my example of good writing.  It is a well written paragraph because of the amount of imagery and creativity put into it.  An excellent example of imagery from the excerpt is, "The day is glorious,with a blue sky and a soft breeze. The food's wonderful, with the cheese seeping into the warm bread and the berries bursting in our mouths. We settle back into a nook in the rocks. From this place, we are invisible but have a clear view of the valley, which is teaming with summer life, greens to gather, roots to dig, fish iridescent in the sunlight." This quote shows emotion and has great diction. It uses the proper action verbs and has no spelling or grammar errors. In addition, this small quote succeeds in touching all of our senses through its use of imagery, drawing us in as readers. This example of wonderful writing captures the reader's interest right from the start by creating a pleasant and warm image of a beautiful, sunny afternoon. However, some may disagree.


Some may argue that capturing the interest of the reader is not the most important part of good writing. They might say that proper diction and structure should be the most significant piece. Using good diction and vocabulary are definitely important parts of writing. They help stories become less redundant by reusing the same words. Having great structure is also very influential on how the story comes together. Without it, stories would be hard to understand because of the poor flow of the writing. Nonetheless, if no writing was interesting, then why would anyone want to read at all? Although it may have good structure and use good diction, if it doesn't intrigue the reader and make them want to continue reading, it will not be an example of good writing.

Introduction

Hello, and welcome to my blog! My name is Maya Johnson and this is my blog for Mrs. Harper's English class.  Some of my hobbies are playing lacrosse and singing. I've played lacrosse for three years now, and I'm enjoying every second of it. I've sang ever since I was a little kid! When I was three I would sing with my mom in the car whenever Michael Jackson came on the radio.  My favorite book is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, because it had me hooked from the very first page.  My writing goal for the year is to write better, more structured essays. My favorite quote is "You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, Love like you'll never be hurt, Sing like there's nobody listening, And live like it's heaven on earth." By William Purkey