The plot of this passage is that siddhartha has been in this lifestyle/culture for so long and all along he has hated it and finally he has realized that he can leave and be something else. He realizes that all this time he was the only one that truely hated it while everyone else cherished it. It was as if he had started his life over. He didn't know how it would pan out at home though, how things would go with his father or what he would do with his father. He then feels very alone on the path to finding himself and very confused as to what he would do know, what would his new path bring. He was nervouse but ready. But he was finally at ease and finally happy with the decision he had made. He was excited for his new journey and ready to endure his new self.
The tone is overwhelming because for most of the passage siddhartha is unsure what to do with all his freedom and can't handle not having such structure and tradition. The tone then turns to relief, almost like a sigh or the weight of the world has been dropped, because he now has this feeling of freedom and ability to do anything, achieve anything.
Characterization is that siddhartha is in a state of confusion that is because of this major transition. It's almost like how we will be when we go to college, we go through this major change. We don't know if we like it, but we are excited and nervous and scared, but it's a whole new beginning, new freedom. When we look at it this way, it becomes very close to home and what we are all about to experience.
The theme of this excerpt seems to be self realization or taking big steps, making decisions for yourself because siddhartha finally realizes the potential of what he can become and what he can experience. It's almost a theme of growing up and doing things on your own or discovering yourself. Siddhhartha is finally discovering himself even though it seems to be against his tradition, it is who he wants to be.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Hacking My Education
This semester I want to really focus on my masterpiece and expand it in so many ways. The reason that I want to do this is because Special Olympics is very important to me and I have already done so much with it that I can't wait to share my experience with everyone else. I am helping run a youth summit in Los Angeles in late February, which is only one of the many big events I plan to put on to help spread inclusion throughout California. The hardest part will be to get people actually involved and get them to start participating, but as soon as they do it for the first time they will be hooked for life and never want to stop. I want others to see how awesome it is to be around these people and I am truely passionate about this cause. Another thing I really want to focus on this semester is my writing skills and my reading comprehension skills. Going into college I want to have both of these skills mastered and something that I do very well. I believe that will be the key to my success in college. I need to really find my voice and develop it in an academic manner. I need to also become an expert on identifying literary techniques within difficult texts, which sometimes is very difficult for me. These are my goals for the semester and I can't wait to accomplish them.
Monday, January 12, 2015
Networking Conversation #3
My third conversation was with Chrystal. Her masterpiece is to help provide free activities for the kids in Santa Maria, so that they don't turn to drugs and alcohol. She doesn't just want to do this in Santa Maria, but in all small communities where there is not a lot for teens so they turn to gangs and drugs. She wants activities that don't charge money because there is many teenagers that cannot afford to pay for basketball leagues and other things that cost a lot of money. Many teenagers believe that there is nothing better to do in this community so they start to do drugs, which leads to addiction and trouble with law. This makes the community become unsafe and a place where people do not like to go. She is not only helping teenagers by helping to provide these activities, but also the community as a whole because less people will be getting into trouble. She is not entirely sure what kind of things she wants to do, but she knows for sure that she wants to help provide a fun, sober atmosphere. There are programs like this already like the Abel Maldonado Center, but a lot of kids don't utilize these programs, so she wants to make it something that many of the kids participate in. She is thinking of partnering with CJ from fighting back Santa Maria and other programs in the community in order to make these activities popular and something the teenagers actually take part in. This is perfect for Chrystal because she is involved in a lot of extracurricular activities and can hopefully extend those to the rest of the community. Chrystal has a lot of cousins and little kids that she knows; this will motivate her to keep encouraging kids and teenagers to take part in these sober activities and not turn to drugs. I hope she not only influences the children she knows, but so many more throughout the community.
Networking Conversation #2
My second conversation was with Stevie. Her masterpiece is helping spread quality medicare to other parts of the world. She is going to make this happen by talking to several doctors, teachers, professors, and anyone who can get her there. I believe that this is the perfect thing for Stevie because she understands what it feels like to have quality medicare. She has a severe heart condition, but is always cared for by the best doctors, nurses and specialists. Her desire to spread that same experience to others who are suffering around the world is very remarkable. Usually those who already have to the good care don't look at the other countries and think about their experiences, but Stevie is so thankful for her good care that she wants to extend it to others around the world. She is relying on those who have medical experience and technology to get her jump-started. She wants to get the word around through social media and hopefully find people who are on board to make it happen and willing to put a lot of time into it. This is not only a great choice for Stevie because she wants to be a doctor and this can help her so much on her path, but this is also a good choice because she is very good with social media and can get the word out to help her find sponsors and those willing to help. If becoming a doctor was a passion for me, I would definitely be one of those people helping Stevie.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Networking Conversation #1
I had a conversation with Hannah about what her masterpiece was going to be. In the beginning of the year she seemed really set about what she was going to do, so I thought maybe I will talk to her since she seems almost done with strategizing hers. Well, come to find out, she is thinking about changing hers. Her first idea was to put on a clinic at a hospital and help out with patients although she wasn't sure what type of patients. She wasn't really worried about what type of patients, just any that she could help and were willing to be apart of her clinic. She wanted to bring a group of other interested students along with her to fulfill this dream. This idea that she presented came from an interesting concept. She said the deformations and asymmetry were her inspirations because when kids with major diseases have physical or mental issues, people tend to only focus on those ailments. Hannah wants to change that and have the patients real character and true personality be the main focus of those who help her rather than constantly focusing on those ailments. She wants the patients to finally have a memory in which people listened to their words and saw their character rather than the machines around them and the frailty of their bodies. Hannah's second choice was to further research on how people change their own characteristics to be more like the people they hang out with. Although her second choice is very interesting and something I wouldn't mind looking into myself, I think her heart is in the first one because of her lifetime goal of being a doctor. That is her passion and I believe that she would be extremely successful and the perfect person to follow through with the first idea! By the way, after telling her my masterpiece, she told me she is already in and wants to be apart of it!
Friday, January 9, 2015
Literature Analysis
Blink Once By Cylin Busby
1. Exposition: West Spencer is a young boy about seventeen years old and a junior in high school. His girlfriend is Allie and his best friend is Mike. West loves to bike competitively and one day gets in a really bad biking accident that leaves him paralyzed. The book begins with West waking up in the hospital and not realizing what happened to him and no one to ask, until the girl next door comes to talk to him. Olivia, the same age and injury as West, comes to help West through all of his difficulties and helps him to understand why he is in the hospital. Olivia becomes West's spy, helper, supporter and so much more.
Rising Action: At first West did not want to associate with Olivia because he felt that he needed to be out of the hospital and with his normal friends. As time went on and Olivia and West became closer friends, West realized that Olivia was the only person who would truly understand what he was going through and be his on true friend. Allie broke up with West while he was in the hospital and Mike felt very awkward being around West when he was in the hospital. Olivia and West fell in love and would support each other through the journey of their injuries, yet Olivia had been in the hospital for two years and never had visitors, where West had only been there for about three months and had visitors very often. West had nightmares about this girl being brutally beaten and could not figure out what they were and why he was having them, but, of course, Olivia was there to help him through it.
Conflict: West met with a doctor that would be able to perform a surgery on him that could possibly fix him so that he wouldn't be paralyzed anymore. The surgery was very risky, but many of the medical officials said that he would get through it because of his youth and health. Olivia did not want West to do the surgery because she did not want to lose him and knew that he could heal on his own, as he was already showing natural signs of getting better. West had to make this decision whether to get the surgery and go against Olivia, to get back to his normal life, or to stay and heal naturally and spend more time with Olivia. West knew that Olivia was his only true friend and wanted to do the surgery so that he could come back and help Olivia through her injury. West felt the pressure from his parents and old friends to get the surgery done and the pressure from Olivia to not get the surgery done.
Climax: West decided to get the surgery, but would not forget about Olivia. The surgery went well and West was no longer paralyzed, but rather on the road to recovery. His respirator was removed and he only had a week left in the hospital and then would be transferred to rehabilitation. The first thing that West had said when he was out of surgery was to have Mike tell Olivia that he was okay. Mike was very confused and did not understand. When Mike came to visit, West was able to talk and started asking about Olivia, but Mike did not know who he was talking about and neither did anyone else. Everyone kept telling West that there was no way he could have met anyone at the hospital because he was in a Coma and so was everyone else on that floor, but West remembered a lot of things and did not believe that he was in a coma.
Falling Action: West is in rehabilitation, but is able to leave for the first time ever with his mom. They go to lunch and then visit the previous hospital he had been at. West is trying to find Olivia, but when he looks in her room he realizes that she is connected to multiple machines and looks different then the Olivia that he had known. As West is getting ready to leave, he comes across Olivia's mom and talks with her for a little. He asks what happened to Olivia and her mom tells West that she was assaulted, which brings back the nightmares that West was having. It was Olivia that was in the nightmare and it was her that was being beaten by this man.
Resolution: West is finally home and looks up the case of Olivia. He searches for hours before finally finding out who the man was that had beaten Olivia. West asks Mike to take him to the prison where the man is on one of his days off of rehab. West wants to see the man to see if he looks like the man in his dreams and if it is him then West knows that Olivia was real and not fake like everyone had been telling him. He sees the man and realizes that it was the man from his dreams. They don't talk much because West just needed confirmation and he got it. The next day off he goes to visit Olivia and accidentally runs into his favorite nurse. He tells her everything and she is the first person to actually believe him. He visits Olivia, knowing that it will never be the same, but that he kept his promise and came back to her. The nurse calls three days later and tells West that Olivia passed away due to heart failure, but West is at peace because he knew he kept his promise.
The author is able to fulfill his purpose because he shows that true friends will always stick together no matter what the circumstances are, just like West went back for Olivia when everyone told him that she was fake and even when she was a vegetable. The author is also able to show that everyone needs a friend to help them get through difficult times and for both Olivia and West, they were able to help each other through the most life changing things they would experience.
2. The theme of this story is that everyone needs friends to help them get through difficult times. No matter who the friend is or how long you have known each other a true friend will always be there to help you get through your most difficult times. In this story, West thought that his friends were Mike and Allie, but when he was in the hospital Allie just broke up with him and Mike couldn't even bare to look at him. At that point he realized that those were not his true friends. He remained friends with them and did not make a big deal about it, but he confided in Olivia much more than he did in Mike and Allie. Olivia became the friend that West looked to for everything: support, comfort, love, ect. The entire story was West becoming friends with this girl and realizing he wanted to be her best friend as well even though she would never leave the hospital.
3. One tone of this story is matter-of-fact, which is seen through Olivia's character. An example of this tone is seen on pg 84, "' That's the past; it's over.' Her voice had no emotion. She turned her chair to face me. 'This is now; this is where we're at...'"
Another tone in this story is gloomy because of all the injuries and even those that do not make it. This is seen on page 266, "She took a deep breath. 'I learned a hard lesson when I came to work here. When I first started out, I thought I could save everybody. I thought with enough kindness, with enough attention, maybe...' She shook her head. 'But most of these patients, they won't get better. That's hard. It's hard to come to work every day and to know that, to keep going, keep caring, when you know how it will end, every time, that the patients you take care of for years will never get better.'"
Another tone that is seen throughout this book is confusion because the narrator, West, has no idea what is going on. This is seen on page 2 "But my hand couldn't move; there was something across my wrist, holding it down. I couldn't see it by looking down. My other wrist too. What was going on? Who did this to me? Why?"
4. a) "Where is she, the crying girl? I have to find her. Something is wrong, really wrong. I try to sit up, get out of bed, but I can't. My arms are strapped down. My legs are trapped somehow; I'm flat on a bed and I can't move. I can't speak. I can't move my head, can't move my mouth. My heart is racing. I'm falling, I'm falling." Page 1
This is an example of anaphora and repetition, which is used to emphasize that the boy cannot move at all. He is stuck and is very confused why; this literary technique helps to express that in a panicked way.
b) "I could hear some kind of machine running- pumping, swooshing air right next to my head. There was a beeping sound on the other side, very steady. Beep. Pause. Beep. Pause. Beep." Page 2
This is an example of onomatopoeia, which is used to express the depressing sounds of a hospital. It is also used to help West realize where he is even though he can't move or speak.
c) "'Just blink once for yes and twice for no.' she sighed, exasperated. I blinked once, then blinked twice fast." Page 7
This is an example of symbolism in which the blinks symbolize communication. The only way Olivia and West can communicate is through the blinks. The blinks are like the connection to their relationship. This is also the title.
d) "The winter sun is setting and the glare keeps getting in my eyes. I pull down the visor on my helmet and wipe my gloves on my jeans. 'Let's do this!' I hear Mike yell as he zooms by me, his legs pumping the pedals. He's standing up on his bike and hits the wooden ramp going fast, almost too fast." Page 13
This is an example of a flashback. West is having flashbacks to the moment right before and during his accident, which is very scary for him because he is barely realizing where he is.
e) "I look up at the windows, all lit up, a wooden bar running along one wall and mirrors everywhere. Girls doing ballet moves are lined up along one wall. Long bare legs, pink leotards. I watch them for a second, then I look away embarrassed, like I've been caught doing something dirty, and stare down at my boots as I walk. When I look up again, I don't know where I am; I'm lost. the street is no longer the same..." Page 24
This is an example of imagery and juxtaposition. West is describing the area in great detail making the reader feel like they are in the scene. The author uses ballerinas and their innocence and contrasts it with this feeling of being lost and scared to show the turn of the dream.
f) "There was one dream like that, I think, but mostly they were about the street, the guy with the bloody knuckles, the girl he was hurting. I could remember having it at least twice, but it seemed so familiar to me, I think I had it a few more times than that." Page 53
This is an example of foreshadowing. The author is telling the reader that the dream is very important and that is obviously connects with Olivia because she wants to know so much about it and helps him so much with it. The reader later finds out that it was Olivia in his dream being hurt.
g) "Red sky by morning, sailor take warning." Page 177
This is an example of allusion or idiom. This could be an allusion because there is something close to it in the Bible, but the saying may not be exact as it has been transformed over the years. If this is not close enough to what is said in the Bible, then it is an idiom because it is a well known phrase that people use.
h) "They looked terrible, dark brown scabs to the knee, like hamburger had been spread over my legs." Page 67
This is an example of a simile because the author compares the scabs on West's legs to a hamburger.
i) "The next two weeks were awful, maybe the worst of life...But now that I was here, all I wanted to do was go back. Back to a place where Olivia was my only friend, where seeing her face could make my day, where hearing her voice was the only thing keeping me sane." Page 207
This is an example of irony. West had finally gotten the surgery to take him out of a coma and gain all of his feeling back throughout his body and now he wished he was back in a coma and back in the horrible place, condition, he had been in.
j) "'Like, if you were a tree, how this year for you, this ring, would be light, almost invisible, a drought year. It's like a year where you almost weren't here.'" Page 283
This is an example of a metaphor. Allie uses the rings of a tree and how each ring defines the weather the tree experienced that year and compares it to West's life and the journey he experienced that year.
Characterization:
1. "' What? Who cares? It's not like any of them can HEAR ME!' He yelled out the last two words." Page 131
This is an example of indirect characterization because it shows that Mike cannot handle situations that are serious and make him feel very uncomfortable.
"'You know, I almost didn't tell you this, but...if the tables were turned, if you knew something like this about me, I would want to know.' She paused to meet my eyes. 'So I decided to tell you. You're the only person who really gets it in here, so we've got to look out for each other.'" Page 116
This is an example of indirect characterization because it shows how Olivia was lonely and desperately needed a friend. She was willing to be West's friend even though she had just met him.
"'That one's mother is a real piece of work,' she whispered, shaking her head. 'Nothing's ever good enough for her Olivia. Piece of work,' she said again, pulling up a clear plastic tube." Page 11
This is an example of direct characterization because the nurse explains Olivia's mother as someone who is very difficult to please and never seems to be happy with what the nurses are doing.
"Mike always told you exactly how he felt; sometimes that was great, sometimes it sucked." Page 102
This is an example of direct characterization because West explains how Mike is really down to earth and tells you how it is rather than beating around the bush.
The author uses both strategies in order to show the perceived characteristics of someone by others and compares them to what their actions say about their characteristics.
2. The author uses mostly the same diction and syntax throughout the story. But when the narrator is speaking, many more questions are asked due to his state of confusion that lasts through the entire story. An example of this is seen on page 115 "It was coming back, but how much would return, and how quickly? And what if it didn't?" All throughout the story the narrator, West, is asking questions because he cannot speak and find out for himself, which is why he is confused for most of the story.
3. The protagonist, which is West, is a dynamic character because he changes immensely throughout the story. When he first realizes that he is in the hospital all he can think about is getting out and returning to his normal life and normal friends. As he develops in the story, he realizes that maybe his friends are really true friends like the ones he has in the hospital. West's only wish was to be out of the hospital, but when he is finally out of the hospital all he wishes for is to be back in there and back with his real best friend, Olivia. West is a round character because he is very complicated and confused. He not only has to deal with the transition of being a teenager and going through high school, but he also has to go through this horrible accident and being in the hospital for three months. He is very turmoiled about wanting to leave and who is real friends are, which is why he is round because it takes a lot to explain the point he is in his life.
4. After reading this story, I feel as if I met Olivia and West and was there with them in the hospital going through the same experience. I felt as if it was a dream that we were all these patients and we were meeting together to be friends and be there for each other. We would help each other through this experience and make it out together. This quote felt like we were having another meeting to help us get through another rough patch in our experience, "'I'm having a shitty day,' Olivia explained. 'Alot of doubt, a lof of thinking.'" Page 144
1. Exposition: West Spencer is a young boy about seventeen years old and a junior in high school. His girlfriend is Allie and his best friend is Mike. West loves to bike competitively and one day gets in a really bad biking accident that leaves him paralyzed. The book begins with West waking up in the hospital and not realizing what happened to him and no one to ask, until the girl next door comes to talk to him. Olivia, the same age and injury as West, comes to help West through all of his difficulties and helps him to understand why he is in the hospital. Olivia becomes West's spy, helper, supporter and so much more.
Rising Action: At first West did not want to associate with Olivia because he felt that he needed to be out of the hospital and with his normal friends. As time went on and Olivia and West became closer friends, West realized that Olivia was the only person who would truly understand what he was going through and be his on true friend. Allie broke up with West while he was in the hospital and Mike felt very awkward being around West when he was in the hospital. Olivia and West fell in love and would support each other through the journey of their injuries, yet Olivia had been in the hospital for two years and never had visitors, where West had only been there for about three months and had visitors very often. West had nightmares about this girl being brutally beaten and could not figure out what they were and why he was having them, but, of course, Olivia was there to help him through it.
Conflict: West met with a doctor that would be able to perform a surgery on him that could possibly fix him so that he wouldn't be paralyzed anymore. The surgery was very risky, but many of the medical officials said that he would get through it because of his youth and health. Olivia did not want West to do the surgery because she did not want to lose him and knew that he could heal on his own, as he was already showing natural signs of getting better. West had to make this decision whether to get the surgery and go against Olivia, to get back to his normal life, or to stay and heal naturally and spend more time with Olivia. West knew that Olivia was his only true friend and wanted to do the surgery so that he could come back and help Olivia through her injury. West felt the pressure from his parents and old friends to get the surgery done and the pressure from Olivia to not get the surgery done.
Climax: West decided to get the surgery, but would not forget about Olivia. The surgery went well and West was no longer paralyzed, but rather on the road to recovery. His respirator was removed and he only had a week left in the hospital and then would be transferred to rehabilitation. The first thing that West had said when he was out of surgery was to have Mike tell Olivia that he was okay. Mike was very confused and did not understand. When Mike came to visit, West was able to talk and started asking about Olivia, but Mike did not know who he was talking about and neither did anyone else. Everyone kept telling West that there was no way he could have met anyone at the hospital because he was in a Coma and so was everyone else on that floor, but West remembered a lot of things and did not believe that he was in a coma.
Falling Action: West is in rehabilitation, but is able to leave for the first time ever with his mom. They go to lunch and then visit the previous hospital he had been at. West is trying to find Olivia, but when he looks in her room he realizes that she is connected to multiple machines and looks different then the Olivia that he had known. As West is getting ready to leave, he comes across Olivia's mom and talks with her for a little. He asks what happened to Olivia and her mom tells West that she was assaulted, which brings back the nightmares that West was having. It was Olivia that was in the nightmare and it was her that was being beaten by this man.
Resolution: West is finally home and looks up the case of Olivia. He searches for hours before finally finding out who the man was that had beaten Olivia. West asks Mike to take him to the prison where the man is on one of his days off of rehab. West wants to see the man to see if he looks like the man in his dreams and if it is him then West knows that Olivia was real and not fake like everyone had been telling him. He sees the man and realizes that it was the man from his dreams. They don't talk much because West just needed confirmation and he got it. The next day off he goes to visit Olivia and accidentally runs into his favorite nurse. He tells her everything and she is the first person to actually believe him. He visits Olivia, knowing that it will never be the same, but that he kept his promise and came back to her. The nurse calls three days later and tells West that Olivia passed away due to heart failure, but West is at peace because he knew he kept his promise.
The author is able to fulfill his purpose because he shows that true friends will always stick together no matter what the circumstances are, just like West went back for Olivia when everyone told him that she was fake and even when she was a vegetable. The author is also able to show that everyone needs a friend to help them get through difficult times and for both Olivia and West, they were able to help each other through the most life changing things they would experience.
2. The theme of this story is that everyone needs friends to help them get through difficult times. No matter who the friend is or how long you have known each other a true friend will always be there to help you get through your most difficult times. In this story, West thought that his friends were Mike and Allie, but when he was in the hospital Allie just broke up with him and Mike couldn't even bare to look at him. At that point he realized that those were not his true friends. He remained friends with them and did not make a big deal about it, but he confided in Olivia much more than he did in Mike and Allie. Olivia became the friend that West looked to for everything: support, comfort, love, ect. The entire story was West becoming friends with this girl and realizing he wanted to be her best friend as well even though she would never leave the hospital.
3. One tone of this story is matter-of-fact, which is seen through Olivia's character. An example of this tone is seen on pg 84, "' That's the past; it's over.' Her voice had no emotion. She turned her chair to face me. 'This is now; this is where we're at...'"
Another tone in this story is gloomy because of all the injuries and even those that do not make it. This is seen on page 266, "She took a deep breath. 'I learned a hard lesson when I came to work here. When I first started out, I thought I could save everybody. I thought with enough kindness, with enough attention, maybe...' She shook her head. 'But most of these patients, they won't get better. That's hard. It's hard to come to work every day and to know that, to keep going, keep caring, when you know how it will end, every time, that the patients you take care of for years will never get better.'"
Another tone that is seen throughout this book is confusion because the narrator, West, has no idea what is going on. This is seen on page 2 "But my hand couldn't move; there was something across my wrist, holding it down. I couldn't see it by looking down. My other wrist too. What was going on? Who did this to me? Why?"
4. a) "Where is she, the crying girl? I have to find her. Something is wrong, really wrong. I try to sit up, get out of bed, but I can't. My arms are strapped down. My legs are trapped somehow; I'm flat on a bed and I can't move. I can't speak. I can't move my head, can't move my mouth. My heart is racing. I'm falling, I'm falling." Page 1
This is an example of anaphora and repetition, which is used to emphasize that the boy cannot move at all. He is stuck and is very confused why; this literary technique helps to express that in a panicked way.
b) "I could hear some kind of machine running- pumping, swooshing air right next to my head. There was a beeping sound on the other side, very steady. Beep. Pause. Beep. Pause. Beep." Page 2
This is an example of onomatopoeia, which is used to express the depressing sounds of a hospital. It is also used to help West realize where he is even though he can't move or speak.
c) "'Just blink once for yes and twice for no.' she sighed, exasperated. I blinked once, then blinked twice fast." Page 7
This is an example of symbolism in which the blinks symbolize communication. The only way Olivia and West can communicate is through the blinks. The blinks are like the connection to their relationship. This is also the title.
d) "The winter sun is setting and the glare keeps getting in my eyes. I pull down the visor on my helmet and wipe my gloves on my jeans. 'Let's do this!' I hear Mike yell as he zooms by me, his legs pumping the pedals. He's standing up on his bike and hits the wooden ramp going fast, almost too fast." Page 13
This is an example of a flashback. West is having flashbacks to the moment right before and during his accident, which is very scary for him because he is barely realizing where he is.
e) "I look up at the windows, all lit up, a wooden bar running along one wall and mirrors everywhere. Girls doing ballet moves are lined up along one wall. Long bare legs, pink leotards. I watch them for a second, then I look away embarrassed, like I've been caught doing something dirty, and stare down at my boots as I walk. When I look up again, I don't know where I am; I'm lost. the street is no longer the same..." Page 24
This is an example of imagery and juxtaposition. West is describing the area in great detail making the reader feel like they are in the scene. The author uses ballerinas and their innocence and contrasts it with this feeling of being lost and scared to show the turn of the dream.
f) "There was one dream like that, I think, but mostly they were about the street, the guy with the bloody knuckles, the girl he was hurting. I could remember having it at least twice, but it seemed so familiar to me, I think I had it a few more times than that." Page 53
This is an example of foreshadowing. The author is telling the reader that the dream is very important and that is obviously connects with Olivia because she wants to know so much about it and helps him so much with it. The reader later finds out that it was Olivia in his dream being hurt.
g) "Red sky by morning, sailor take warning." Page 177
This is an example of allusion or idiom. This could be an allusion because there is something close to it in the Bible, but the saying may not be exact as it has been transformed over the years. If this is not close enough to what is said in the Bible, then it is an idiom because it is a well known phrase that people use.
h) "They looked terrible, dark brown scabs to the knee, like hamburger had been spread over my legs." Page 67
This is an example of a simile because the author compares the scabs on West's legs to a hamburger.
i) "The next two weeks were awful, maybe the worst of life...But now that I was here, all I wanted to do was go back. Back to a place where Olivia was my only friend, where seeing her face could make my day, where hearing her voice was the only thing keeping me sane." Page 207
This is an example of irony. West had finally gotten the surgery to take him out of a coma and gain all of his feeling back throughout his body and now he wished he was back in a coma and back in the horrible place, condition, he had been in.
j) "'Like, if you were a tree, how this year for you, this ring, would be light, almost invisible, a drought year. It's like a year where you almost weren't here.'" Page 283
This is an example of a metaphor. Allie uses the rings of a tree and how each ring defines the weather the tree experienced that year and compares it to West's life and the journey he experienced that year.
Characterization:
1. "' What? Who cares? It's not like any of them can HEAR ME!' He yelled out the last two words." Page 131
This is an example of indirect characterization because it shows that Mike cannot handle situations that are serious and make him feel very uncomfortable.
"'You know, I almost didn't tell you this, but...if the tables were turned, if you knew something like this about me, I would want to know.' She paused to meet my eyes. 'So I decided to tell you. You're the only person who really gets it in here, so we've got to look out for each other.'" Page 116
This is an example of indirect characterization because it shows how Olivia was lonely and desperately needed a friend. She was willing to be West's friend even though she had just met him.
"'That one's mother is a real piece of work,' she whispered, shaking her head. 'Nothing's ever good enough for her Olivia. Piece of work,' she said again, pulling up a clear plastic tube." Page 11
This is an example of direct characterization because the nurse explains Olivia's mother as someone who is very difficult to please and never seems to be happy with what the nurses are doing.
"Mike always told you exactly how he felt; sometimes that was great, sometimes it sucked." Page 102
This is an example of direct characterization because West explains how Mike is really down to earth and tells you how it is rather than beating around the bush.
The author uses both strategies in order to show the perceived characteristics of someone by others and compares them to what their actions say about their characteristics.
2. The author uses mostly the same diction and syntax throughout the story. But when the narrator is speaking, many more questions are asked due to his state of confusion that lasts through the entire story. An example of this is seen on page 115 "It was coming back, but how much would return, and how quickly? And what if it didn't?" All throughout the story the narrator, West, is asking questions because he cannot speak and find out for himself, which is why he is confused for most of the story.
3. The protagonist, which is West, is a dynamic character because he changes immensely throughout the story. When he first realizes that he is in the hospital all he can think about is getting out and returning to his normal life and normal friends. As he develops in the story, he realizes that maybe his friends are really true friends like the ones he has in the hospital. West's only wish was to be out of the hospital, but when he is finally out of the hospital all he wishes for is to be back in there and back with his real best friend, Olivia. West is a round character because he is very complicated and confused. He not only has to deal with the transition of being a teenager and going through high school, but he also has to go through this horrible accident and being in the hospital for three months. He is very turmoiled about wanting to leave and who is real friends are, which is why he is round because it takes a lot to explain the point he is in his life.
4. After reading this story, I feel as if I met Olivia and West and was there with them in the hospital going through the same experience. I felt as if it was a dream that we were all these patients and we were meeting together to be friends and be there for each other. We would help each other through this experience and make it out together. This quote felt like we were having another meeting to help us get through another rough patch in our experience, "'I'm having a shitty day,' Olivia explained. 'Alot of doubt, a lof of thinking.'" Page 144
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Big Question/Masterpiece More in Depth
The topic that I want to work on and develop is inclusion. In this world, so many people are misjudged and misinterpreted. I want this to change, but I am going to focus on one specific group that I want this to change for. I am going to focus on those with special needs because it is a big part of my life and really has changed the person that I am becoming. Growing up, I always wanted to be the popular kid and only focused on having the most friends. As I grew up, I realized that it's not about being popular or having the most friends, but rather having true friends and staying true to yourself. When I got involved with Special Olympics, this idea of being popular completely faded away. All I wanted to do was be around people that were true friends and those with special needs seemed to want the same thing, just people who would treat them like a normal person. I took it upon myself to make those with special needs feel welcome and to help lead the rest of the community to accept these truly amazing human beings. My goal this year is to expand this goal and get more people to include those with special needs and acknowledge them as normal people.
This topic became so intriguing to me because my mom worked with those with special needs in her job. As a young child, I was going to events where I would see those with special needs and watch my mom walk about to them hug them, high five them, and treat them like she treated me. At first, I was scared to be around them as I was young and didn't fully understand what was happening and why it was happening, but as I got older I followed in my moms footsteps. I started seeing these kids at my school and saw how my friends wouldn't talk to them or even made fun of them at times and I wanted to change this. I would always go out of my way to talk to those with special needs and show them that I cared about them. I care so much about this because I know that these people are truly amazing and people that everyone should want to be surrounded by and I feel like it needs to be spread to everyone else in the world that is missing out on such a wonderful experience. I am now taking bigger steps in making this goal become reality and to help change the lives of those with special needs. Making those with special needs feel welcomed and cared about is very important to me.
Learning about this even more then I already have will help me to not take things for granted and truly appreciate everything I have. Many people don't realize how good of a life they live in comparison to those with special needs. Of course, everyone has their own problems, but compared to the problems that those with special needs face everyday, our problems mean nothing. Although they may face worse problems then we do, its not about the problems people face, but rather how you overcome those problems. Those with special needs face so many difficulties and never give up on anything. They keeping going no matter how many time they get knocked down. Learning about how special needs people overcome their difficulties will help us, as a society, overcome our little and big problems. This will be an enriching experience because our society can realize to appreciate the things and opportunities they have and how to overcome the many obstacles they will face throughout life by the inspiration from those with special needs.
This topic requires an understanding of psychology in that people need to understand what is going on inside those with special needs and people also need to respect what they are going through. Although we are trying to promote inclusion and interaction with these people, respecting their space and wishes is very important. Another important thing to understand is organizing and planning. In order for this inclusion to take place and work in a successful manner, people must get together to plan events in which those with special needs and the other students can interact. Reading literature can also help in that literature presents the thoughts that are happening in peoples minds. With reading a lot of literature, one can more easily understand what is happening in the minds of those with special needs. Patience is also very important because many people aren't going to be on board right away, it is going to take some time and patience to successfully get this done.
The way that I will learn about this topic is to continue in the programs that I am already in. Right now I am the president of the Special Olympics club and work with these people a good majority of the time. This helps me to realize how I can help them and how I can successfully get other people involved and on board with my plan. Another program I am involved with is the Youth Activation Committee for Southern California. This is a program that works to spread inclusion all throughout California. I am learning so much about this process and about my topic by being apart of this process. One last thing that will really help me with learning more about this topic is spending time with my cousin. Although he is not mentally retarded, he was recently in a horrible accident and is paralyzed from the waste down. Going through the process and helping him adjust to a new lifestyle will truly help me in understanding and helping others who are in worse or more severe situations.
My goal is to have a dance in which the "normal" students ask someone with special needs to the dance. For this I would need a facility to put on the dance, decorations to make the dance the best it can be, and finally students who are willing to participate. Another thing that I want to do is put on a big game where special needs athletes and Righetti athletes make two teams (intermixed) and compete against each other. Another possibility is to have Righetti athletes and Righetti special needs athletes make one team and compete against another local high school. For this, I would need a facility for the game, uniforms, coaches, fans, referees, food stands, and anything that would be at a normal soccer game, so that the athletes all feel very welcomed and accepted. Finally, my last goal, which may be quite a stretch, is to have a group of kids that really enjoyed this learning lesson, join me at the World Games this summer in Los Angeles. For this, I would need a bus or van for transportation, hotel rooms so we can stay for a few days, chaperones, and many volunteers. As far as meeting people, I want the Righetti Students to meet the Special Olympic athletes from around the world.
In order to share my journey, I will continue to post on my blog as much as I can to update those interested. I will also share my journey through the social media coordinator of my Youth Activation Committee. This will be shared with the national Youth Activation Committee and hopefully be spread all through out the United States. It will be put on twitter, Instagram, and Facebook on the actual Special Olympics of Santa Barbara County page. This journey may also be shared on a radio show, as I have spoken about part of the journey on the radio before. I want my journey to be spread anywhere and everywhere that it can be, not to get me known, but to help spread this idea of inclusion all around the world and promote it to people who don't know about it. As I create this masterpiece, it will help me to promote it in other regions and schools. I can share my journey and inspire people to do the same in their community. With this masterpiece, I can continue my journey throughout college and make an even bigger impact then I do as a high school student.
MY MASTERPIECE IS AWESOME!
This topic became so intriguing to me because my mom worked with those with special needs in her job. As a young child, I was going to events where I would see those with special needs and watch my mom walk about to them hug them, high five them, and treat them like she treated me. At first, I was scared to be around them as I was young and didn't fully understand what was happening and why it was happening, but as I got older I followed in my moms footsteps. I started seeing these kids at my school and saw how my friends wouldn't talk to them or even made fun of them at times and I wanted to change this. I would always go out of my way to talk to those with special needs and show them that I cared about them. I care so much about this because I know that these people are truly amazing and people that everyone should want to be surrounded by and I feel like it needs to be spread to everyone else in the world that is missing out on such a wonderful experience. I am now taking bigger steps in making this goal become reality and to help change the lives of those with special needs. Making those with special needs feel welcomed and cared about is very important to me.
Learning about this even more then I already have will help me to not take things for granted and truly appreciate everything I have. Many people don't realize how good of a life they live in comparison to those with special needs. Of course, everyone has their own problems, but compared to the problems that those with special needs face everyday, our problems mean nothing. Although they may face worse problems then we do, its not about the problems people face, but rather how you overcome those problems. Those with special needs face so many difficulties and never give up on anything. They keeping going no matter how many time they get knocked down. Learning about how special needs people overcome their difficulties will help us, as a society, overcome our little and big problems. This will be an enriching experience because our society can realize to appreciate the things and opportunities they have and how to overcome the many obstacles they will face throughout life by the inspiration from those with special needs.
This topic requires an understanding of psychology in that people need to understand what is going on inside those with special needs and people also need to respect what they are going through. Although we are trying to promote inclusion and interaction with these people, respecting their space and wishes is very important. Another important thing to understand is organizing and planning. In order for this inclusion to take place and work in a successful manner, people must get together to plan events in which those with special needs and the other students can interact. Reading literature can also help in that literature presents the thoughts that are happening in peoples minds. With reading a lot of literature, one can more easily understand what is happening in the minds of those with special needs. Patience is also very important because many people aren't going to be on board right away, it is going to take some time and patience to successfully get this done.
The way that I will learn about this topic is to continue in the programs that I am already in. Right now I am the president of the Special Olympics club and work with these people a good majority of the time. This helps me to realize how I can help them and how I can successfully get other people involved and on board with my plan. Another program I am involved with is the Youth Activation Committee for Southern California. This is a program that works to spread inclusion all throughout California. I am learning so much about this process and about my topic by being apart of this process. One last thing that will really help me with learning more about this topic is spending time with my cousin. Although he is not mentally retarded, he was recently in a horrible accident and is paralyzed from the waste down. Going through the process and helping him adjust to a new lifestyle will truly help me in understanding and helping others who are in worse or more severe situations.
My goal is to have a dance in which the "normal" students ask someone with special needs to the dance. For this I would need a facility to put on the dance, decorations to make the dance the best it can be, and finally students who are willing to participate. Another thing that I want to do is put on a big game where special needs athletes and Righetti athletes make two teams (intermixed) and compete against each other. Another possibility is to have Righetti athletes and Righetti special needs athletes make one team and compete against another local high school. For this, I would need a facility for the game, uniforms, coaches, fans, referees, food stands, and anything that would be at a normal soccer game, so that the athletes all feel very welcomed and accepted. Finally, my last goal, which may be quite a stretch, is to have a group of kids that really enjoyed this learning lesson, join me at the World Games this summer in Los Angeles. For this, I would need a bus or van for transportation, hotel rooms so we can stay for a few days, chaperones, and many volunteers. As far as meeting people, I want the Righetti Students to meet the Special Olympic athletes from around the world.
In order to share my journey, I will continue to post on my blog as much as I can to update those interested. I will also share my journey through the social media coordinator of my Youth Activation Committee. This will be shared with the national Youth Activation Committee and hopefully be spread all through out the United States. It will be put on twitter, Instagram, and Facebook on the actual Special Olympics of Santa Barbara County page. This journey may also be shared on a radio show, as I have spoken about part of the journey on the radio before. I want my journey to be spread anywhere and everywhere that it can be, not to get me known, but to help spread this idea of inclusion all around the world and promote it to people who don't know about it. As I create this masterpiece, it will help me to promote it in other regions and schools. I can share my journey and inspire people to do the same in their community. With this masterpiece, I can continue my journey throughout college and make an even bigger impact then I do as a high school student.
MY MASTERPIECE IS AWESOME!
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