Love v.s. Youthful Rashness

Romeo’s words in the play convey true love for Juliet.  However, some words convey youthful rashness.  I am still undecided on the this argument because I believe the book was written as Romeo being truly in love with Juliet, but some lines I believe Romeo just thinks he’s in love and only likes Juliet because of her beauty.  Their love is said to be written in the stars, so is Romeo really in love or is it just the thought of love that he is in love with?

            Some of Romeo’s words in the play suggest that he is truly in love with Juliet.  For example, he says, “Come what sorrow can, it cannot countervail the exchange of joy that one short minute gives me in her sight.”  Romeo is saying that it doesn’t matter what sad things happen, when he sees Juliet he is filled with joy.  I think the shows that he is truly in love with her because she makes him so happy no matter what, and I believe that is what love is.  In addition he says, “ Unfold the imagined happiness that both receive in either by this dear encounter.”  He is asking Juliet to imagine the happiness they will have in their marriage.  This proves that he loves Juliet and he can’t stop thinking about the happiness that is to come when they are together.

            On the other hand, some of Romeo’s words show youthful rashness as well.  In the beginning of the play you find out Romeo is in love with a girl named Rosaline and he is constantly mourning about his love for her because she doesn’t love him back.  At the Capulet party the next day he sees Juliet and instantly falls in love with her.  As you can see he switched the person he was in love with so quickly so how could he be truly in love?  Also, Romeo says, “With Rosaline? No. I have forgot that name and that name’s woe.”  If he really loved Rosaline he wouldn’t of completely forgotten about her so quickly so how do we know he isn’t going to do the same thing to Juliet.  Romeo and Juliet are both very young and Romeo believes he really loves her when he just met her.  It can’t be true love if he doesn’t even know her and only likes her because of her looks.

            In conclusion, this is a topic that has been discussed and argued many times but no one can really know if Romeo’s words were conveying true love or youthful rashness.  Were Romeo’s decisions impulsive or was he actually in love with Juliet?  He was willing to die for her but he also said he was in love with Rosaline and then moved on so quickly.  Whether it was love or not we can learn from Romeo’s experiences that love is a powerful emotion and sometimes it can make people blind to what is really going on.  

Every you, Every me

        In the book Every you, Every me by David Levithan the main character doesn't have a relationship with many other people because of his shy personality.  However, the supporting characters have a huge affect on Evan's personality.  Some of his friends, for example, Ariel brought out a great aspect of Evan and really made him show his true colors.  On the other hand, Jack made Evan very jealous and made him a person he did not want to be.  Evan looses Ariel and this also affects a huge part of his life and his personality.  He is always mourning and he becomes even more of an introvert because of the depression he goes through.

        Before Ariel tried to commit suicide she and Evan were the closest of friends.  They loved each other and she brought out the best in him.  He was always very quiet at school and didn't really have any other friends but when he was with Ariel he would tell her stories and talk about his family or problems he had.  He was able to make jokes, run around and discover things with her.  He had a totally different personality, in a good way however.  After Ariel was taken away to be cured Evan became really depressed.  He had to see and experience watching his best friend try to kill her self.  After that Evan had changed forever.  He was always afraid of the smallest things and he started going crazy as well.  When this anonymous person started sending him weird photos of Ariel and himself he couldn't take it anymore.  He started acting like Ariel did before she tried to kill herself.  When Evan lost Ariel he wasn't just going to be upset his whole life but it had an affect on his personality as well.  Ariel shaped who he was as a person, and when she left it was like Evan was ripped apart. 

       I think that who you are friends with is a big part of you are.  Not just because other people know you are friends with them, but because they shape your personality and your characteristics.  If you hang out with someone a lot and you are always having fun and they are really upbeat then you will start acting like that too.  If you hang out with someone that is always really sad or doesn't bring good vibes then that can affect your actions and personality as well.  In this book Evan goes through a really hard, life changing experience at a young age and all of the supporting characters affect how he reacts to this situation.  Evan's personality changes throughout the book because of the different people he interacts with.  

Non-Fiction Response

In the article "Invasion of the Drones" by Patricia Smith it acknowledges the issues of drones.  The author touches three major issues, privacy, safety, and warfare.  Drones have video cameras attached which can take photos and view the people on the streets underneath.  In addition, drones can be dangerous because there are a lot of situations where drones can go out of control and crash.  This could seriously injure people out on the street.  Finally, people are worried that drones will take over war and make it seem like there is no consequence in bombing or shooting someone because it is through a control system.

I think the author is trying to portray that drones are used for many things, even delivering Domino's pizza.  However, some people are concerned because these drones also have many scary flaws.  In the article Patricia Smith says, "But the presence of thousands of these unmanned aerial vehicles in the sky also raises questions."  There is also a  controversy that drones flying around is against the fourth amendment.  The fourth amendment protects Americans from being searched without a reason.  Nevertheless, if hthere is a drone hovering over you and you are unaware it is just like being unreasonably watched and searched.  Drones could be violating our U.S Constitution.

In response to what I read, I feel very unsafe knowing that a drone sent by the police, the government or the military could be watching me or flying around without me knowing.  I think drones can be used for many things like delivering pizza or helping farmers at work, but if there are many risks of them being harmful they are not a good idea.  People should not have to worry about a flying vehicle that is being controlled from somewhere else crashing or invading their privacy.  If drones have so many negative aspects they should be banned from being used.

The Emotional Struggle

In the book “My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult, Kate the older sister is dying of Leukemia.  This is a huge emotional problem for the whole family.  Some members of the family have a really difficult time dealing with this situation.  Others handle it in a better way.  Kate’s sister, Anna handles the situation calmly. However, Sarah, the mom is very chaotic and doesn’t help the situation. 

Anna, even though she is younger than Kate she deals with her sickness very responsibly.  She acts very calm and emotionally stable around Kate.  Having a sister who is dying of a very scary illness can be tough to deal with and I think Anna handles it very well.  Not only does she act responsible, she also makes her sister feel welcome and normal.  When she treats Kate like sisters treat each other, for example, fighting over stuff, it makes Kate feel better and like she belongs.  This helps the situation and doesn’t make it worse than it already is.  Overall, I think Anna deals with this difficult issue very well and understands how to deal with the situation. 

On the other hand, Sarah deals with the situation poorly.  As a mom it must be really difficult to see your child in a lot of pain.  This is why Sarah gets frantic and chaotic when Kate has a relapse or is doing some sort of treatment.  When Sarah has nervous breakdowns this causes Kate to get more nervous.  How Sarah acts during these tough situations affects how everyone else in the family acts as well.  Sarah has a hard time emotionally, dealing with Kate having cancer. 

It is very challenging and upsetting when dealing with a troublesome situation.  In the story Kate has cancer starting at two years old.  I realized that even after having to go through many relapses and seeing the same thing over and over again it is still hard to contain ones self.  When an issue is as severe as Kate’s, it is very hard to act calm and deal with it in the right way.  

The Hunger Games Mockingjay

There are many ideas that come into play in the new movie Mockingjay part 1.  Often we just see what is on the surface when we are watching a movie, but if you look deeper there are many important ideas in the movie.  Some of the ideas I noticed are publicity issues and if being famous for rebelling is a bad thing.  Also the issue of leadership and if we should always listen and obey our leaders.  

Katniss is famous and everyone knows who she is in Panem.  To the people of Panem she is the rebel leader, otherwise known as the Mockingjay.  She didn't obey the capital and throughout all three movies President Snow is after her.  In the first movie, Katniss is known as the girl on fire and she is famous because she wins the hunger games.  I believe that this is good publicity.  People like her and cheer for her.  As she starts to realize that the capital is dangerous, she starts to rebel against President Snow and his laws. She causes chaos in the districts and gets publicity because of this.  I noticed that in this movie everyone still knows who she is because of this publicity and instead of being liked, she is wanted dead.  She gets a lot of publicity from videos that are sent out the districts and the capital but this publicity isn't good because it puts her at risk of being hurt. Also, once the publicity is sent out about her, and what she does, it cannot be changed even if it is false information or not the truth. Many people are talked about in the paper or on television but a lot of the times it is bad publicity.  People are famous for the bad or embarrassing things they did and that is the only reason why they are being talked about.    

In Mockingjay President Snow has a hard time getting people to obey and listen to him.  Many people of Panem don't agree with the capital's rules and they rebel and fight against them.  When a ruler or leader is abusing their power and using it to harm instead of protect people, then it is fair to disobey a leader.  When someone goes against what President Snow says they are killed and murdered. He takes advantage of his power when people don't listen to him.  In Panem, there is a lot of violence, but even in a smaller situation if a leader is not listening to others and not being respectful then followers should not just obey what a leader has to say.  In our everyday lives people rebel against their leaders and stand up for what they believe in because a leader can still be incorrect and abusive.  

In conclusion, these ideas of publicity and rebelling against leaders comes up a lot in the movie and sends a message to people watching.  There are many other ideas hidden  in the movie but they are important questions that we ask ourselves everyday.  The Hunger Games may seem like a totally fictitious world that could never be real, but a lot of the conflicts you find in the movie are conflicts that we are faced with as well.  

Power and Resistance

Power can affect the tension and resistance between relationships.  When someone has power over the other a lot of the times the other person shows resistance either mentally, physically or verbally.  In the book Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, Annabel the main character has many complicated relationships that cause tension between the characters.

Annabel's relationship with Sophie is a relationship where one has power over the other.  In this situation Sophie has power over Annabel.  Sophie being a more outgoing person isn't afraid to call Annabel a slut or curse at her in public.  Sophie has control because she wants to let her anger out.  Annabel's way of showing resistance is in her thoughts.  She always thinks about getting Sophie back and tells herself that Sophie is so mean, but Annabel doesn't take action.  She lets Sophie bully her and bring her confidence down.  Annabel is an introvert and I think this holds her back from telling Sophie how she feels.

On the other hand, Annabel has a fair and even relationship with Owen.  Owen has a little more power than Annabel but it is not used for bad purposes.  Owen helps guide Annabel to become a more outgoing person.  Sometimes he could be a little bossy, but Annabel feels comfortable with him.  Owen doesn't make her feel weak when he uses power over her.  Annabel shows some resistance by holding back and not always telling Owen the truth about her problems.  overall, the relationship that Owen and Annabel have isn't tense and the power is spread out between the two.

I think that Annabel holds back from showing resistance externally because she is so shy.  In the book Annabel even says "I'm not good with confrontations."  she doesn't like to talk to people so she doesn't show resistance when people show power over her.  In a lot of relationships someone has power over the other whether it's a good or bad relationship.  sometimes people show resistance and fight back.  In Annabel's case she just stands back and doesn't try to resist.

Upfront "No Job? Get Lost!" Response

In places all over the world there are many unemployed people. In fact, Greece has an unemployment rate of 27%. However, in a town called Svalbard in Norway, if you are unemployed you cannot live there. In the article, "No Job? Get Lost!" by Andrew Higgins, he explains why this part of Norway has a law stating you have to have a job to be a resident.

First of all, the government argues that Svalbard is one of the safest places because they don't allow people who are unemployed to live there. People are free to leave their keys in their cars and sleep with their front doors open. No one has been put in jail since the summer of 2013. It seems like it would be very difficult to enforce this law, but the government of this territory sends the unemployed away.  Sometimes even people who have retired are sent away as well who cannot support themselves. I understand that they are trying to keep the territory as safe as it can be, but I think that it is extreme to kick people out of their homes just because they are unemployed. In Svalbard, where crime is basically nonexistent, the only thing they have to worry about are polar bears and littering. Svalbard, being a place made almost entirely of ice and snow, argues that they do not allow people to be homeless because they don't want their population to freeze to death. Again, I disagree because kicking the homeless out gives them no place to go and no help at all.  As a territory they should help people instead of telling them it is illegal for them to be there.

In conclusion, this article was very interesting, but also made me think about how they treat the people of their own kind.  Kicking people out just because they want their towns to be a really safe place is the wrong thing to do. People who are unemployed should be helped instead of being pushed out because they are going through a hard time. People who are retired did their job and shouldn't be kicked out when they are to elderly to work anymore.  These are reasons why I believe that Svalbard isn't handling their territory well.

Darkness Too Visible

      Megan Cox Gurdon wrote the article “Darkness Too Visible” to inform people about her opinion on young adult literature.  In the article, she shows her opinion through examples of books written in the past and books that were just published.  She knows her reader how inappropriate and violent some books are, but she also explains that she doesn’t agree that they should be banned.  “How dark is contemporary fiction for teens?  Darker than when you were a child my dear.”  Says Megan Cox Gurdon.

      To show her opinion she comes across sarcastic and sometimes uses a mocking tone. In her article, the author really shows her belief that books should be judged but not banned because people are allowed to read what they want.

      When someone wants to prove a point, they show their opinion through examples but also through personality and the way they write or speak.  The author of he article uses words like “lurid” and “grotesque” to make me feel what she is really trying to say.  She gives examples from young adult books by Lauren Myracle and describes a certain scene where the character was “savagely beaten.”  Examples like these really put an image in my mind of how disturbing these books can really be.  I got to understand and realize that some books are very inappropriate for young adults and should be judged. 

      Furthermore, to reinforce the author’s voice and how it comes across, only her opinion was really shown in the article.  In the article, the only opinion that is voiced is her own.  There are a few minor counterclaims put in, but she always tries to prove how they are wrong.  I think the reason she only really uses her voice in the article is to really prove a point and to have readers only thinking about what she is saying.

      In addition, Megan Cox Gurdon only includes adult opinions in the article and not young adult opinions.  This is to show how adults feel about these books because most adults feel the same way the author does. 

      Many of the points Megan Cox Gurdon uses are very valid and some I disagree with.  Some young adults books should be judged and discussed because of the disturbing topics, but I don’t believe any should be banned.  Some of the books the author mentions, like “Shine” by Lauren Myracle, are very gruesome and I agree that the content could be inappropriate for many people.  On the other hand, books like Judy Blume, like “Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret”, are books that I think young readers should read because the content maybe a little inappropriate or provocative, but it contains messages opinions that people need to learn and know about and form their own opinion on.  

A decision can change your life

Divergent

She cuts her hand open and drips her blood on the dauntless rock.  She made her decision, the decision that changed her life.  In the book "Divergent" by Veronica Roth the characters are put into factions according to their personality and characteristics.  When Beatrice (or Tris) took the test to see which faction she would be in, she got inconclusive results, meaning she was “divergent”.  She didn't belong to any faction, she had too many personalities.  In her society this was very dangerous.  People have to keep secrets and make decisions throughout the book to keep themselves safe. In life everyone has to make decisions and some lead to disastrous things. Even small decisions can have a terrible outcome. When someone has to choose left or right, they don't know where it's going to take them and if they choose the wrong direction they might struggle like Tris does in the book.

In the beginning, when it's time for Tris to choose whether she wants to stay Abnegation or switch factions to Dauntless, she chooses to switch, which causes tension between her and her family.  Her big choice affected everything that happens in the book.  She couldn't see her family and had to live her life without them.  Tris’ father became furious causing him to do poorly at work and also make bad decisions.  He was one of the Abnegation leaders and the fact that his own daughter switched factions caused him to look weak to the other people who started criticizing his job.  While the erudite faction didn't like Abnegation in the first place, Tris switching and being divergent contributed to the outburst of war.  As you can see, one decision can change many things at once and change someone's life.  There are times where I have to decide, do I want to be friends with that person or not?  Should I say yes or no? Everyone has to ask themselves these questions and it all depends on the decision you make.

Also, choosing Dauntless meant having to go through their initiation process.  In order to become Dauntless, Tris had to fight against her enemies, but also against her friends.  Fighting against each other in training started fights outside of training too.  People got competitive and started turning against each other without distinguishing the initiation process from every day life.   Tris and her friends even turned against each other at one point.  This caused deaths and heated arguments.  People were offended when they lost and too proud when they won.  The choices that they made to fight against each other were decisions taken without thinking about the consequences.  Veronica Roth is trying to show that when people start to fight, they become angry and they make poor decisions without thinking before taking action.  When you are angry or upset your feelings take over and you make choices that you might regret after.

In conclusion, the decision to join Dauntless affected Tris’ life and relationship with her family and her friends.  Similarly, small or big, the decisions you make have consequences in your life and in other people’s life. Tris’ decisions might have been right for her, but they led to a war and had an effect on her family and friends.  When I look around I see people making choices everywhere and all the time.  When you make decisions sometimes you end up where you want, but sometimes you end up somewhere you had no clue you would be, and it's hard to get yourself out.  The author wants to show that where you end up in life is all based on the choices you make.

“One choice can transform you.”

“One choice can destroy you.”

“One choice will define you.”

A Family Affected by War

No Man’s Land by: S.T. Underdahl

Dov is an Emo kid who has a hard time at school and making friends.  His brother, Brian, has always been the opposite. He was a star on the football team and he was the town hero.  His family falls apart when Brian leaves for Afghanistan to fight in the war.  His mom is in tears all the time and his dad is always gone and absent from the family.  Throughout the story Dov tries so hard to care for his mom and comfort her about her son who is gone.  However, they didn’t know that soon Brian would be coming back from Afghanistan as a different person.  The family rejoiced and made a huge welcome for their son, but Dov was the only one who saw through all of Brian’s fake smiles.  He saw he had changed and it seemed like he was still back at war where he nearly escaped death and was hurt in an explosion.  Dov saw his brother as tired and confused after returning home. Brian would also yell war commands and sleep with a gun in his hand. No one said anything or realized anything until Brian went to the extreme.

            This book was so inspiring and just kept me on my feet.  It taught me so many new things I didn’t know about and I learned so much about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).  PTSD is when people get anxiety and stress because of an extreme trauma.  In Brian’s case, it was coming home from war after seeing people being killed right in front of his eyes.  I learned this disorder can change someone into another person. The book was a great mix of dealing with family problems but also fitting in at school. Dov’s relationships with his friends are also very inspiring because of their connections and the support they gave each other.  This book was great to also learn about how tough it is for families who have members serving in the military who are fighting and risking their lives for everyone.  It gave a great realistic description of what it’s like in that type of lifestyle.  After reading this book I realized how much a war can scar a person. I really recommend this book for everyone. It was one of my best summer reads and I really learned a lot from it!