Malala's Mission - Alessandra Potenza

     In many parts of the world, girls are uneducated. Here in the United States females have the luxury of education, but in places like Afghanistan and Pakistan, they don’t. Girls have to fight to go to school. In the article “Malala’s Mission”, Alessandra Potenza informs the reader about Malala Yousafzai, a young Pakistani girl who spoke up for women’s rights. The author demonstrates to the reader that Malala Yousafzai is a person to look up to.

     The message that Malala is a role model for many females is portrayed throughout the article. The article starts with, “Life changed forever for 15- year old Malala Yousafzai on Oct. 9, 2012. On her way home from school that day in Pakistan, two members of the Taliban flagged down her school bus, and one of them shot her in the head.” This paragraph introduces Malala’s character. It shows the reader her importance and strength. She is important because the Taliban bothered searching for her. She is strong because she survived a bullet through her head. These characteristics shaped her into a person to look up to. The author then says that Malala had been speaking out for women’s rights since 2008. This shows that she is persevering and further supports that Malala is a strong and important role model for many.

     To support her claim that Malala is a role model, Alessandra Potenza includes an interview with her. In the interview Potenza asks Malala what she would say to the Taliban who tried to kill her. Malala replies, “‘So I [would] tell them education is important, and the view they have that education is not allowed in Islam is totally wrong. In Islam, it is said that education is not only each child’s right, but it’s compulsory. So [the Taliban] should definitely study Islam because I think they don’t really know it yet.’”     This shows that Malala is not afraid to say what she thinks. The inclusion of Malala’s interview helps the reader understand how great of a role model she is. Her words show that it is important to speak up for your beliefs. Someone who can speak up is a true leader.  

     This article reminds me of Khaled Hosseini’s novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns. Both literary works demonstrate the Taliban’s view on women’s education. Khaled Hosseini and Malala Yousafzai both understand that the Taliban use Islam as a reason to detract as much power as they can from women. Being a Muslim myself, I agree with Malala in that the Islamic religion does not say that women should be deprived of education, but instead that every child’s education comes first. After reading this article, I understand that education is a gift that I should cherish. 

The Museum of The City of New York Trip

Anjum Suchita 811

     The ELA trip on Friday was very engaging. At the museum we learned about social issues and how historical figures fought for their beliefs. We learned about feminism and women's rights. The women protested for suffrage in a nonviolent manner. We also learned about how colored people protested in nonviolent ways to get rid of Jim Crow Laws. They boycotted public transport and schooling to make a difference.  It was depressing and inspiring to learn about the past. Some of these issues are very recent, like gay rights. We learned about how gay people fought for their beliefs. It is sad that these issues still exist somewhere  and that they even existed, but it is inspiring to learn about New York activists who made a mark and a difference.

     This trip opened our minds so we could look at other people’s points of views. It also helped some of us to establish our ideas into goals. For example some people wanted to bring Supersize back, vote for gun protection, and have equal rights for all. We portrayed these ideas and goals onto pins. Overall, this trip helped us think about issues and how New Yorkers like us can make a difference. 



EXTRA CREDIT:

Woman’s Rights

They told us that we didn’t deserve it

They said they didn’t care

Our vote would not make a difference

But we said they have to share

Suffrage should be given to women

Our country says equality for all

But we will fight for our vote

And while we protest, not once will we fall

Gay Rights

No man should love a man

No woman should love a woman

But how does it bother you

If we are in love.

Our country says we are equal

But society does not

We can’t marry the same gender

Even if we want

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

Anjum Suchita 811

The Book Thief – Markus Zusak

    

     A narrator can be an unnamed third person concept, the first person protagonist, or sometimes second person when the narrator is talking directly to you. The novel The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, takes place in the year 1939 during the Holocaust. The book follows Liesel, the protagonist, and her journey through the rough time period. The narrator of the story is Death which is important and very unique because Death has feelings, can predict when people die, and is a unique point of view.

     

     Markus Zusak incorporates personification into the story by making his narrator carry out actions and possess emotions. After a bombing in the town of Molching, Germany, where the story takes place, Death comes to take the souls. On page 530 he expresses his feelings for the dead while capturing their souls, “At the Steiners’, I ran my fingers through Barbara’s lovely combed hair, I took the serious look from Kurt’s serious sleeping face, and one by one, I kissed the smaller ones good night.” In this passage, the narrator is performing actions like kissing and running his fingers through Barbara’s hair. Also, on page 531, Death is talking about his feelings on a character named Rudy, “He steps on my heart. He makes me cry.” These two passages show how Markus Zusak incorporates personification into the story by giving Death feelings and making him execute actions.  

Since the narrator is Death, and the story takes place during the Holocaust, the reader can clearly see the extensive amount of deaths during this time period. This is because when someone dies, Death informs the reader and occasionally predicts it. For example on page 241 Death says, “A small announcement about Rudy Steiner: He didn’t deserve to die the way he did.” This quote shows how Death can predict when characters die. This makes the novel unique because most narrators focus on the present events rather than the future.

     

     Death is unique because he is neither a third person omniscient nor a third person limited narrator. This is because, throughout the story Death can predict what will happen and recite the stories behind certain peoples’ lives, but cannot be sure of how people feel. In third person limited, the narrator understands one character’s feelings, but Death does not understand anyone’s feelings. Instead, Death tells the reader facts about history and events that happened in some characters’ pasts. Death is not a third person omniscient narrator because he does not know all and makes inferences on emotions. For example on page 254 he is inferring Rudy’s feelings, “In truth, I think he was afraid. Rudy Steiner was scared of the book thief’s kiss. He must have longed for it so much. He must have loved her so incredibly hard.” In this part of the story, Death says “I think” and “He must” which indicates that he does not know for sure and is omniscient. Therefore, Death is a complicated point of view and makes the novel more unique.

     

     Markus Zusak picked an interesting narrator. His narrator, Death, fits in the story and makes it a more appealing and provocative novel. The reader can think about the narrator in a new way because in the story Death has feelings. In everyday life we think of Death as a scary idea and we don’t think of Death to have feelings or be able to carry out actions. The novel, “The Book Thief” is very unique, and it demonstrates a new idea to readers about the concept of death, because Markus Zusak makes this concept the point of view.