10th Grade Summer Reading Assignment: Entry Four: Looking For Alaska

The reason I chose Looking For Alaska by John Green had nothing to do with the book itself. Rather, My mother, at the time, was reading The Fault in Our Stars at one of my brother's (Cole) swim meets. I looked down at it and realized the author was also John Green, and at that exact moment a visual image of the book list popped into my head. I remembered that another book, Looking For Alaska, of John Green's was on it. I knew that The Fault in Our Stars was a great book, so I decided to choose his other book for the project.

I don't really have any personal connections that are un-personal enough to where I would be willing to share them, but let's just say that I've been through a period in my life where I was stuck in a labyrinth of my own and couldn't find the way out. Little did I know a that time that the way out was to get help, to let everyone know I was struggling and to admit to myself that I was weak. This connects to Alaska and her labyrinth because every time Pudge would try to ask if she was okay or ask what was wrong or bothering her, she would just say that she wasn't asking who, what, where, when or why questions right now.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that is just different, or a book that is enticing and a page turner, or even someone who is just looking for an enjoyable yet quick afternoon read. This is because the novel is quite different from other books, and centers more around the obstacles of a 'typical' (not to be put stereotypically) high school teenager that they have to face and the decisions, involving love, that they have to make. It is structured in a way without chapters, at times making it difficult to put down, not that you would want to anyway, and the unanswered questions it leaves you with forces you to want to read straight through to the end.

10th Grade Summer Reading Assignment: Entry Three: Looking For Alaska

"'This is going to end poorly,' he said to himself.
And then I was asleep. That deep, can-still-taste-her-in-my-mouth sleep,?'that sleep that is not particularly restful but is difficult to wake up from all the same. And then I heard the phone ring. I think. And I think, although I can't know, that I felt Alaska get up. I think I heard her leave. I think. How long she was gone is impossible to know.
But the Colonel and I both woke up when she returned, whenever that was, because she slammed the door. She was sobbing, like that post-Thanksgiving morning but worse.
'I have to get out of here!' she cried.
'What's wrong?' I asked.
'I forgot! God, how many times can I f*** up?' she said. I didn't even have time to wonder what she forgot before she screamed 'I JUST HAVE TO GO. HELP ME GET OUT OF HERE!'"

This section of the novel occurs after Alaska dare Pudge to make out with her, which obviously, he does. It then goes on to describe the scene, and comes to the selection that I have chosen. This is meant to hook the reader in two ways. The first is that it is highly enticing. The description and the 'I think' and 'I can't know' in the passage make you want to read faster. the more and more you read in this particular piece of the novel, the more and more questions you are bombarded with.

The second way it is meant to hook you goes back to the book structure. This piece is written under the last day, right before it switches over to the After half of the book. it also doesn't tell you what she forgot, forcing you to read on out of sheer curiosity.

10th Grade Summer Reading Assignment: Entry Two: Looking For Alaska

'Pudge', Miles Halter, has come to Culver Creek Preparatory School seeking a 'Great Perhaps'. His father, his uncles, and his uncles' sons have all attended this same boarding school. His obsession with memorizing famous people's last words carries throughout the novel. His greatest wants and desires are reaching that 'Great Perhaps' and becoming Alaska's boyfriend.

'The Colonel', Chip Martin, is now in his third year at this school. He is Pudge's roommate, and one of Alaska's best/closest friends. After his father, an alcoholic whose anger went towards abusing his wife, left, his mother took care of him. His desire later lies in getting back at Kevin and his friends for what they did to Pudge. The Colonel also drinks and smokes cigarettes, and eventually gets Pudge to do so too.

Alaska, the girl and major character for whom the book is named for/after is also in her second year. She seems to have a slightly bipolar nature, being joyful one day, angry the next, sorrowful and depressed another, and playful another, all while acting in a somewhat either smitten, or "suicidal", put lightly, manner. Her mothered died when she was nine. The day after she took her to the zoo, her mother had an aneurism and Alaska just sat there for hours over her dead mother's body instead of calling 911. She now blames herself for her mother's death, which, although it is true she is partially responsible, she was only nine, but that is no excuse for her. I cannot tell exactly what she wants or desires, as she is the character most cloaked in and by mystery. The only obvious answer would be an answer of what the 'Labyrinth' is and how to get out of it.

There are four themes that have already appeared or that have begun to appear. The first is that of the 'Labyrinth'. Alaska is obsessed with and in a search for what the 'Labyrinth' is and how to get out of it. This is later the main driving theme of the novel towards the after section.

The second theme is that of the hatred by Pudge , The Colonel, and Alaska of the 'Weekday Warriors', or the rich kids from Birmingham. there is a continuous cycle of pranking between the Weekday Warriors and Alaska, The Colonel, and Takumi. This cycle is later fueled by revenge, dies down toward the After section or 'half'.

The third theme is that of smoking and drinking. Pudge has gotten addicted to both, and Alaska is their source of both alcohol and cigarettes. While Pudge is at first hesitant, remembering his father's advice not to do so, peer pressure quickly sets in.

The fourth theme is that of the unrequited love of Pudge towards Alaska. Pudge only falls deeper in love with Alaska as time goes on. This fact is not helped by Alaska's teasing of calling him cute. This theme is later encouraged by Alaska's sharing with Pudge of things she has never shared with anyone else, not even The Colonel.

The book is structured in a before half, starting off with one hundred thirty-six days before, and continuing to the last day. It then goes into the after section, where the structure is then reversed to one day after and continues to the end of the novel. I personally like this unique structure for a book. This is because instead of dividing it up into chapters, it allows for a human-like timeline of days. Each 'chapter', or day is divvied up by anywhere from half a page to several pages, making room for more to tell, and a quicker satisfaction for the reader, in turn making the reader even more hooked and making them want to read more sense the sections are so short.

10th Grade Summer Reading Assignment: Entry One: Looking For Alaska

For my summer reading assignment I chose Looking For Alaska by John Green. The three major characters in this novel are Miles Halter (Pudge), Chip Martin (The Colonel), and Alaska Young (Alaska). The lesser major characters would be Takumi and Lara. Minor characters include Dr. Hyde, Kevin, The Eagle, and Jake (Alaska's boyfriend). The setting of this book is a present day (2005) boarding school named Culver Creek Preparatory School, just fifteen miles south of Birmingham, Alabama.

There are several main conflicts in this book. The first of which would be Pudge's smitten troubles towards Alaska. Pudge had fallen in love with Alaska early on in the storyline and, and Alaska comments on his "cuteness" several times throughout the before section, or first "half" of the novel, but then immediate always says "too bad I have a boyfriend". Another one of the main conflicts throughout the novel would be Pudge's search for a 'Great Perhaps'. "I go to seek a Great          Perhaps" were Francois Rabelais's last words, and Pudge's reason for going to Culver Creek, seeing as his obsession, like that of coin collecting, is memorizing famous people's last words.

The last main conflict in this novel word be that of 'The Labyrinth'. Alaska, knowing of Pudge's obsession with memorizing last words, asked if he knew Simon Bolivar's last words. When Pudge replied 'no', Alaska proceeded to tell them to him. His last words she read from a book called The General in His Labyrinth by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, were "Damn it, (sigh), how will I ever get out of this Labyrinth?" This 'Labyrinth' seems to be Alaska's equivalent of a 'Great Perhaps'. After a bit more of conversational talking, Alaska proceeded to make a deal with Pudge. If he were to figure out what the Labyrinth is and how to get out of it, she'd get him laid, "(Or at least get him a girlfriend.

At this point, I predicted that Alaska and Pudge would eventually become boyfriend and girlfriend, and with the knowledge of the after "half" of the novel, "After. Nothing is ever the same," straight from the back cover, I predicted that something horrible would happen to one of them. My biggest and most pressing question is "is Pudge Alaska's escape from her 'Labyrinth', whatever the 'Labyrinth may be?"

Looking For Alaska connects more/most closely to Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool first off by the last word of the title being a secondary major character's first name. It also relates in that the main protagonist goes off to a border school, far from the place he calls home. the third way it relates is through the Mathematician named Dr. Stanton, who predicts that the number pi will end, seeing as the number one, pi himself, is no longer appearing in the latest string of discovered digits. This is the equivalent of the 'Great Perhaps'. The equivalent for the search of what the 'Labyrinth was is equivalent to Jack (Jackie) Baker and Early Auden's 'quest' for the searching and finding of 'pi'.

Maze Runner

               I have just started to read the Maze Runner by James Dashner. I have only gotten a couple pages in so far, so I know nothing about it yet other than the main character being Thomas. He woke up in an elevator with no memory of his past other than his name. Once the doors open, he finds himself pulled into a glade with a bunch of other teenage boys. The only thing they know as well are their names. I'm excited for once to see the movie after reading the book. Then I would be able to compare my interpretation of the characters to the movies interpretation.

Jellyfish in Space!...?

               I read an article about why NASA has launched some 60,000 jellyfish into orbit around Earth. The purpose of this is to test the effects of microgravity as they devolop, specifically, their sense of direction.
               Jellyfish have tiny hairs on the tops of their 'heads' that aid in their sense of which way is up, like the ones in our ears meant for balance. The study found that these tiny hairs developed normally in all jellyfish. However, twenty percent of the jellyfish could not tell which way was up when placed in water back on Earth.
               What this study does for us, is that it gives us an idea of how, or if children could be born and raised in space. Of course this is overlooking all the effects of radiation, bone and muscle loss, etc. The fact that 20% of the jellyfish couldn't find which way was up makes us wonder what else could be effected by growing up in a zero gravity world.

http://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2013/10/i-dont-think-youre-ready-jelly/72206/

Blog Reflections

My best blog post was the Fahrenheit 451 Clarrise Sketch. Specific phrases I used were quotes from the book. I also give explinations to my reasoning and oppinion. This demonstrates my personality as a writer as being thorough and backing up my claims . It also shows that I am very oppiniative, but I back them up with logical reasoning.

The diction I use is very formal. For example, " The most important quote said by Clarisse is not "Are you happy?"(Bradbury 10), but rather "If it rubs off, it means I'm in love, has it?" (Bradbury 22). This is because this is what gets Montag not just questioning her, and whether he is in love with his wife, but he also begins questioning the world around him." My sentence structure is very long and stretched out. Polysyndeton is one form of (advanced) diction that I tend to use a lot. I also tend to repeat words in consecutive sentences or conjunctions. For example, "I believe had it not been for her involvement in the story, as well as the involvement of the operators, which made him question society, he would not be headed down the path he is now. The biggest influence in the book so far however has been Montags own thoughts when he is thinking about or questioning Clarisse or Mildred."

Divergent Summary

               Divergent, taking place in a future Chicago society, is about a girl named Beatrice (Tris), and her fight against society. She is trying to make society more fair via revolution towards the end. In her society, you are placed into one of five factions or you choose for your self. This is based on a test that tells you your personality. Tris, and Four, want to be capable of expressing all five factions. They want to be kind, intelligent, honest, selfless, and fearless.

               After choosing Dauntless, or the fearless, she meets four, who is divergent as well. She ends up fighting her way through the rankings of Dauntless. After a plan is revealed to rid the society of the Amity faction, they are the only ones able to stop it.

Setting of Divergent

                 Divergent is set in a future "utopian" Chicago society after a war has destriyed most of the outside world. In this society people are divided into 5 factions. The factions are Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peacful), Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), and Erudite (the intellegent). There is also the factionless, who have failed to complete the initiation to whatever faction they chose. You have the choice to choose your faction against the faction you recieved from your test, but you can never go back.

                Tris, the main character of the novel, is what is called divergent, or in other words the test did not work on her. In this future society it is not acceptible to display or act on the personalities of a faction not of your choosing. The brave cannot be selfless, the honest cannot be intelligent, etc. This is the very reason divergents are considered to be "dangerous", as by displaying multiple factions' personalities makes them a threat to society or to the good of the people.

Setting of Divergent

               Divergent is set in a future "utopian" Chicago society after a war has destriyed most of the outside world. In this society people are divided into 5 factions. The factions are Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peacful), Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), and Erudite (the intellegent). There is also the factionless, who have failed to complete the initiation to whatever faction they chose. You have the choice to choose your faction against the faction you recieved from your test, but you can never go back.

               Tris, the main character of the novel, is what is called divergent, or in other words the test did not work on her. In this future society it is not acceptible to display or act on the personalities of a faction not of your choosing. The brave cannot be selfless, the honest cannot be intelligent, etc. This is the very reason divergents are considered to be "dangerous", as by displaying multiple factions' personalities makes them a threat to society or to the good of the people.

Divergent

               I read and saw Divergent last week in theaters. I was sort of surprised in the beginning when she chose dauntless over abnegation, and how her brother chose a seperate path as well. The best moral I can take from the book and the movie is that fear your best friend, and your worst enemy. Even when they new what they were experiencing wasn't real, it still controlled them. It is obvious a utopian society is impossible, because you can't make everyone happy. and in trying to create a utopian society, you destroy the bad which makes us want a perfect world in the forst place. Without the bad, you no longer have reason to strive for the good, and even less to appreciate it.

Fahrenheit 451 Clarisse Sketch

            So far in the book Clarisse has been a mager influence on the main character Montag. I have pictured her as slightly skinny, blond with hair down to her mid back, and bright blue clear eyes. She has a long and thin face, and she is about 5' 8" tall. I always picture her as wearing a white sweater blouse with a diaginal rhoombus hole pattern. She is more curious than most people and tends to think and try things a lot more. She also seems to know a lot that others are not supposed to know.

              The most important quote said by Clarisse is not "Are you happy?"(Bradbury 10), but rather "If it rubs off, it means I'm in love, has it?" (Bradbury 22). This is because this is what gets Montag not just questioning her, and whether he is in love with his wife, but he also begins questioning the world around him. "You sound so very old." (Bradbury 30) is the most important quote said about or to Clarisse. This is because it is true. I believe she sounds so old because she knows things she isn't supposed to (hint the nightly "uncle" conversation). I believe she did not disappear or die by accident but because someone started to question her, or she knew too much.
     
So far, she has been the reason Montag has been questioning things, such as why he burns books that he realizes someone had to write and put their thoughts into. I believe had it not been for her involvement in the story, as well as the involvement of the operators, which made him question society, he would not be headed down the path he is now. The biggest influence in the book so far however has been Montags own thoughts when he is thinking about or questioning Clarisse or Mildred. This is because the deeper he digs into why, the more answers he needs.