Anjum Suchita 811

Book: Ms Peregines Home For Peculiar Children

Author: Ransom Riggs

Critical Thinking Question: How does this novel/text affect your mind, how does it go against some readers’ initial beliefs?

What Most Parents Say:

Ghosts, magic, time travel, etc. aren’t real.

What the Book Teaches:

Time Travel & monsters exist and parents try to hide it.

Influence on Readers:

The book may make readers question their religious beliefs (brought onto them by parents). Readers might wonder what they are, normal or peculiar? Also might teach readers to rebel/ runaway from their parents, like the main character. 

Why does the book influence readers &how? Through language?

Ransom Riggs writes the book from a peculiar child’s perspective. This makes readers also want to attend his peculiar adventures. Also, Mr. Riggs makes normal people sound very ignorant, causing readers to want to be peculiar instead.

What the Book is About:

Ms Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children is the magical tale of a peculiar boy. He goes to an island to solve the mystery of his grandfather’s youth and meets other peculiars (the ones his grandfather lived with). The book follows the boy around on his adventure & readers learn a lot about who the peculiar children really are.

QUOTES:

1.”’I knew there was something peculiar about you,’ she said. ‘And I mean that as the highest compliment.’” pg 247. This part makes non-peculiars not as good as peculiars to some.

2. “He could see monsters.” pg 247. This makes some readers hopeful & believing of the peculiars.

3.”’ A trip,… When will you be back?’ ‘I don’t really know.’ … ‘Be careful, okay?’” This conversation between Jake & his dad shows readers that leaving home is painless and does not really affect anyone. For immature readers, this might make them want to leave home. 

Argument Essay

Anjum Suchita                                                      811

The Glass Castle – Jeannette Walls

Children will have to grow up one day. The little girl with two pigtails holding a stuffed bunny will grow up too, and parents need to understand that. If children are sheltered from the faults in society, they will never be able to protect themselves when their parents aren’t there. The teenage years are when children start to take on their own responsibilities. Banning books is one way parents prevent their growing teenagers from learning about worldwide issues.

Jeannette Walls’ memoir, The Glass Castle, has been banned for material that parents did not want their children reading about. Even though the text includes mature matters like rape and alcohol abuse, middle and high school students should have access to it because the incidents in the book happen in the real world.

Every event in The Glass Castle happened to Jeannette Walls at one point and can happen to anyone. Jeannette was very young when she was raped and sexually assaulted. This may be deemed inappropriate by parents, resulting in them not wanting their children to read the material, but any child can suffer in the same way as Jeannette. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, 15% of reported sexual assault and rape victims are under the age of 12. 44% are under the age of 18. These statistics show how many rape victims are adolescents. A reader who was sexually assaulted or raped can find sympathy in reading about Jeannette Walls going through the same things. A victim reading the memoir can learn to open up because they realized how other people suffer in the same ways.

Some parents say that banning books does not go against the constitution, but simply restricts immature children from taking the material the wrong way. However, the 1^st Amendment to the Constitution, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances”, proves that book censorship is unconstitutional. It is depriving a mature enough student from reading what they desire and taking away an author’s right to express their feelings. People have the choice to read what they wish to read, and anyone can always choose not to read a certain book, but they shouldn’t take the right away from a child who is mature enough to handle it. Just because one child isn’t ready to handle the truth, doesn’t mean all of them aren’t. The book has many great qualities and taking them away from another child is unfair.  

The material can be graphic, causing parents to not want their children reading it, but there are many great lessons that shouldn’t be wasted. The book teaches readers about hope, perseverance, forgiveness, and moving on. Jeannette grows up as an impoverished nomad, but doesn’t give up working and becomes a journalist. This shows how even the most far-fetched goals can be accomplished if you work hard enough. The Glass Castle teaches readers what the words family and home mean. Jeannette Walls writes about tolerance for different people, less fortunate people, and even for “mean” people. Throughout the book Jeannette was bullied, but she didn’t let it get to her. This teaches readers to keep being open-minded and how to survive the worst. Jeannette Walls told Dallas Morning News her opinion on banning The Glass Castle. She said, “My book has ugly elements to it, but it’s about hope and resilience, and I don’t know why that wouldn’t be an important message. Sometimes you have to walk through the muck to get to the message. What I worry is that in order to protect [students], we may be taking away the tools they need to protect themselves later on.” 

     Children cannot be protected forever by their parents. As they grow into teenagers, they need to take on their own responsibilities. However, parents prevent their teenagers from learning how to protect themselves by banning books with mature material. Books show teenagers what goes on in the real world. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls teaches readers about redemption, hope, perseverance, and how to survive even the worst times.

Works Cited:

“Banned Books Awareness: The Glass Castle” Publish. Dec 9, 2012. Web. November 21, 2014.

Constitution of United States. US Constitution: Amendment 1. Print. December 15, 1791.

Herman, Barbara. “Banned Books Week: Jeannette Walls The Glass Castle Among Dallas School Ban; Author is Literary Festival Keynote” Publish. 2014. Web. November 21, 2014.

Walls, Jeannette. The Glass Castle. Print. 2005. Publish. Scribner. 

Social Awareness Post

This project shows why women should be educated through an essay and a poem. The essay is based mostly off of “Malala’s Mission” by Alessandra Potenza. The poem also incorporates a book with the article. This project also shows the perspective of a person with an eating disorder. The poem and the diary entries are not necessarily the same perspective, but are both based on eating disorders.

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.

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Potenza, Alessandra. "Malala's Mission." Upfront Magazine 17 Nov. 2014: 1-24. Print.

Women's Education 

Many don’t embrace the luxury

Of attending school for free

There are places where education is rare

But in America, it’s everywhere

    

Pakistan takes this privilege away

At home, is where the girls have to stay

Education is only for boys

The girls do not get a choice.

In Afghanistan it is the same

At home, the women remain.

The Taliban believe this is right

So girls have to speak up and fight.  

My women’s education poem was inspired by two literary works. One work was an article about Malala Yousafzai and the other, A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Both talk about women’s education in the Taliban’s perspective. I believe strongly in this issue because I am a Muslim myself and disagree with the Taliban’s ideas just like Malala and the characters in Khaled Hosseini’s novel. After reading the book, I researched further and found the article. Malala’s interview portion clearly expresses my thoughts and therefore I decided to write a poem on it.

The Plate

When the plate remained the same

A warm feeling reached my heart

When the plate remained the same

It slowly started to fade

When the plate remained the same

I saw the pitiful looks

When the plate remained the same

I felt the hurtful glare

When the plate remained the same

The guilt spread through my body

When the plate remained the same

I looked for my reflection

But nothing was to be seen.

I once read the memoir, Stick-figure by Lori Gottlieb. It was the diary of a young girl going through an eating disorder. Before reading this book I didn’t understand why someone suffering anorexia or bulimia for example, couldn’t just eat. The diary opened my mind and really made me empathize for patients with an eating disorder. I decided to write a poem in the perspective of an anorexic patient to help readers empathize for the people suffering. 

Excerpts from my journal:

Dear Reader,

            I think I have to eat less… Even my schoolmates have noticed the extra flab on my body. I just don’t understand why I’m so much fatter than everyone else! I exercise and try to eat healthy, but it doesn’t work. I guess I just have to cut down on how much food I eat.

Dear Reader,

            I was running late and the bus was about to leave so I skipped breakfast. Okay, well… that isn’t really why. I haven’t been eating breakfast for the past week, but I’m not losing any weight. I guess it’s because I get way too hungry at lunch and eat even more than usual. How do these kids keep it up?

Dear Reader,

            I didn’t eat breakfast nor lunch today! Mother didn’t notice because she had to leave for work early and was in a rush, thank the lord. I wonder what she would think if she knew I had given my lunch to my schoolmates. Between me and you, I wanted them to get fat so I wouldn’t be lonely.

Dear Reader,

            Mother has noticed that I haven’t been eating lately. She shouted at me to finish my food today at dinner, it was hard because I didn’t even start. Finishing the food made me sick, I barely ever ate anymore. It’s getting much easier to skip my meals. At breakfast, Mother is usually too much in a rush to notice if I ate or not. Sometimes when she doesn’t have work though, I have to make something up. Lunch is the easiest meal to skip. I save my lunch money on books and spend the period reading or catching up on homework instead of eating. Dinner… is the trickiest. The past week I skipped dinner, I was sick, I had a headache, I was tired, and sometimes I had too much homework. Every excuse was followed with, “I’ll eat later!” but that promise never came true.

Dear Reader,

            I am finally kind of skinny. Most of my flab is gone and I feel better than ever. Everyone in school sees it too! They’ve been asking me things like, “Have you been eating?” or “You lost a lot of weight… you alright?” I’ve never been more proud of myself.

Dear Reader,

            I failed a test. In my whole life, I’ve never gotten below an 80. Mother threatened to take me to a doctor if I don’t start eating again because in her mind, my test grades and my eating habits have a connection. Hah! What a fool. I’m so not going to eat, especially if it means I’ll be fat again.

Dear Reader,

            I weighed myself today. In two months I lost half of my body weight. I never even exercised; all I did was skip meals. Well yeah… I got a little hungry sometimes, but for these results, I’ll do anything.

Dear Reader,

            I’ve been feeling a little nauseated lately. I haven’t told Mother because like everything else, she would blame it on my lack of eating just like how she blamed my fatigue.  I’m slightly embarrassed to write this, but I’ve been constipated too. Maybe I should drink some more water and rest.

Dear Reader,

            I woke up this afternoon in an unfamiliar room. The smell of floor cleaner greeted my nose. When I opened my eyes, I saw Mother sitting in the corner of the room. Her eyes were somewhere far away, they were puffy and red and tears stained her cheeks. What have I done?

Dear Reader,

            I’ve been in the hospital a few days and Mother hasn’t said a word to me the whole time. She just stares out the window, with those distant eyes. I asked her what happened over and over, but she didn’t reply. The nurse was the one who told me that I wouldn’t wake up the morning I was sent to the hospital. Apparently, my mother was freaking out when she called the ambulance. While the nurse gave me a tray of food she told me that I had to eat, or else the same thing would happen again. I didn’t know what was wrong with skipping my meals, but seeing my broken mother made me eat every last bit of food on the tray. It was the hardest thing I ever did. I didn’t feel any better after, actually worse, but the nurse assured me that it would be like this in the beginning. She also told me that I might throw up a lot and feel miserable, but to keep eating because in the end it would be the best for everyone.

Dear Reader,

            That day I got to look in the mirror. I didn’t recognize my reflection. I looked like a person in a five year old’s drawing…a stick figure.  I started to cry, how could have I been that stupid? My schoolmates were not complimenting my weight loss. My mother wasn’t the fool, I was. I must have said my thoughts out loud because the nurse reassured me that I was a very smart person who just made a wrong choice. Everyone makes mistakes; it’s a part of life.  

                                                                       

                                                                                                From,

                                                                                                       Alex          

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. 

The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

Markus Zusak has written a very unique and well thought out book that takes place during World War 2, “The Book Thief”. In this book, there are many eccentric characters. One of these characters is Rosa Hubermann. Rosa and her husband took in a foster girl named Liesel.

Rosa expresses her love for the other characters with derogatory German terms. She isn’t a mean or bad person because of her attitude and her heart is in the right place. She is a very interesting character.

ROSA HUBERMANN

·         Rosa is constantly calling Liesel, the protagonist, a “Saumensch” which means female pig, and she also hits her with a wooden spoon. Although this sounds like abuse, this is Rosa’s way of showing love. It might show that something traumatizing happened in her past.

·         Liesel told Rosa to come to her class if the Jewish man they hid in their basement woke up. He was greatly fatigued and slept for a long amount of time. But, as Liesel said, Rosa came to her class and called Liesel out pretending to scold her for misplacing her hairbrush when he woke up. This shows how Rosa really loves Liesel and doesn’t mean anything by the harsh terms she uses.

“Her face was severe but it was smiling. ‘What the hell did you do with my hairbrush, you stupid Saumensch, you little thief? I’ve told you a hundred times to leave that thing alone, but do you listen? Of course not!’” pg 332

·         Rosa and Hans, her husband, have an interesting relationship. They aren’t affectionate or loving but they don’t fight. In real life, people have relationships like this too. They also seem to know each other very well. Rosa refers to her husband as a “Saukerl” male pig, and he refers to her occasionally as “Saumensch”. But their words do not mean they do not love each other. There is probably more of a story that will come up later about the two of them.

“...and the day he met mama. He said she was beautiful once, and actually very quiet spoken. ‘Hard to believe, I know, but absolutely true.’”  

·         Rosa makes Liesel do Rosa’s job of delivering clothing to people around their town, and Liesel does not deny it. Liesel compared to me and other children these days is not lazy, but very obedient, grateful, and appreciative. But after the War began, their customers stopped giving clothes one by one. The only person left was the mayor’s wife who laid them off one day when Liesel went to drop and pick up clothing. Liesel had a connection and a more complicated relationship with the mayor’s wife. She was tremendously fearing telling Rosa that their last customer and money for flour was now gone. When she went home she lied and told Rosa that it was her fault and she deserved a spoon-beating. But Rosa didn’t believe her and made the truth come out. This shows that Rosa doesn’t hit her or call her names for real reasons because when she was allowed a reason to hit her, she chose not to. Maybe if she is given a real reason, she doesn’t want to believe it because it makes her feel bad. Something must have happened in Rosa’s past that makes her attitude and actions the way it is.

Overall, Rosa Hubermann is one of the many complex characters of the novel “The Book Thief”. She has complicated relationships but is a good person. While the story unravels so will Rosa’s. Her personality and why her attitude is the way it is will also be further explained.