The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

    The book The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is about the transformation of a boy named Charlie during his time in high school, in which he experiences drugs, alcohol, new friends, good music and so much more. He conveys this through a series of letters that Charlie writes to a stranger. Through Charlie’s relationships with his friends the author includes that a theme in this novel is friendship.

    In this book, the theme of friendship is conveyed through Charlie having good friends for the first time in his life. For example the book states, “Patrick and Sam didn't just throw around inside jokes and make me struggle to keep up. Not at all. They asked me questions.” This shows how Charlie is experiencing good, true friendship for the first time, and the author makes it clear how Charlie has not had the best experience with it in the past. In addition, the author writes, “Normally I am very shy, but [Patrick] seemed like the kind of guy you could just walk up to at a football game even though you were three years younger and not popular.” This shows how Charlie feels like he can open up to his new friends easily, despite how shy he usually is. 

    In conclusion, the author uses Charlie’s relationships with is new friends, and how they allow him to experience true friendship for the first time to express a theme of friendship.

"China's Cram Schools" by Brook Larmer Essay

    The lives of Chinese students rely solely on the gaokao test. It determines whether they get into a university and basically if they get a good education and career. It sounds similar to a lot of state-wide tests that students in the United States are required to take, right? It is true that these American tests relate in some aspects to the gaokao tests in China, but there are also many differences in the amount of the work that students are required to do.
    There are many similarities to the gaokao and the state-wide exams in the U.S. Mostly, the gaokao determines the educational future of the students who take it, much like the SATs and the ACTs. In addition, the test counts for a grade for the teachers, who teach the students what they need to know for the test. Also, there are rigorous test prep courses that one can take to result in higher scores on the test, much like the available courses for American students. Though the ideas are fairly similar for tests in China and America, the details are extremely different.
    Though the tests share certain aspects, their differences are overwhelming. For example, yes, like the SATs, the gaokao determines the future at a university, but in China, it means so much more. Due to their massive economy, the gap between the rich and the poor has widened greatly. The article, "China's Cram Schools" by Brook Larmer in Upfront Magazine states, "In some ways, the gaokao is like the SAT or ACT, but it's more than twice as long and the takes are much higher... the gaokao offers th epromise of a life beyond the fields and the factories." Also, the test not only counts for the lives, of the students, but also of the careers of the teachers who get graded by the scores that their students receive of the test. So much relies on this one test, while in the U.S., students have multiple opportunities for a good education and career.
    In conclusion, the concepts for both the gaokao in China and tests in the U.S. are similar, the stress level and workload for the gaokao is what sets it apart. Though there are many state-wide exams and preparations that us American students have to go through, I for one feel lucky that my chances for a bright future are higher than many Chinese students.

Sonnet

You’re something like a runaway balloon.

You keep climbing and climbing to the clouds.

You are waiting, for you know you’ll pop soon.

So, you fly for as long as it’s allowed.

You dream of the sun, and the moon, and stars.

You go up, and up, and up in the sky.

But, you know that you won’t make it that far,

so for now, you just continue to fly.

You do not think about what is to come.

About your broken shards on the pavement.

Lying on the ground, from which you come from,

shattered all across the cold, hard cement.

But for now you will fly, up with the birds.

So, please disregard this long string of words.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

      Victims of rape are 3 times more likely to suffer from depression, 6 times more likely to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, 13 times more likely to abuse alcohol, 26 time more likely to abuse drugs, and 4 times more likely to contemplate suicide. So, you can only imagine how Melinda Sordino was feeling after getting raped at a party in the book Speak Laurie Halse Anderson. But, Melinda comes out newer and stronger than ever before. Her transformation is amazing, and there are many factors to it, but one of those factors includes her drawing, especially trees.

      Melinda goes through many important changes, both physical and emotional during this book, and one of the things that helps her get there is her drawing. At the beginning of the book, Melinda is given an assignment in art class to focus on drawing a tree. At first, she thinks that it is simple. But, she struggles with drawing it. This relates to how she is struggling with depression at the time, and expressing herself with drawing. As the year progresses, her trees become stronger, and more detailed, as she herself heals. In the book, Melinda’s art teacher says on the first day of class, “‘This is where you can find your soul, if you dare. Where you can touch that part of you you've never dared look at before.’” I think that this shows how we could see at the beginning of the book the changes that Melinda was going to go through that connected to her drawing. She digs deeper and deeper into herself, and into her depression, but she comes up and she lives, and part of her healing is thanks to her drawing.

      All in all, Melinda goes through an amazing transformation, one of the factors to her transformation is her drawing. One of the things that she draws, trees, is a symbol for her struggles, and her healing when dealing with depression. She has such a hard time, but she comes back, better, and stronger than ever.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    The woeful story of Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is known by many throughout history. After committing adultery with the minister of her Puritan village, she is cursed with two items of shame; A letter ‘A’ embroidered on the chest of her clothes, as well as a child. Not to mention her vengeful husband who manages to finally find her at the exact time when she is being publicly shamed for her sin. But, Hester worked with what she had. She made a better life for herself, and her daughter, Pearl. Through the many hoops she has to jump through, I think that Hester shows a lot of character change throughout the book.

    In this book, Hester Prynne has gone from an impulsive, passionate girl, to a caring, maternal figure. For instance, in the beginning of the book, it is suggested that Hester is quite reckless because she married Roger Chillingworth, of whom she did not love, as well as had to be restricted time to time by her parents, who were described as loving and fair. After Hester moves away to the house in the woods, she becomes more independent and speculative. She helps care for the sick and poor, and raises a daughter. She is thought of more as individualistic and caring. Another example is the ‘A’ on her chest. In the beginning, it stands for its literal term, ‘adultery’. She is impulsive and has an affair with the minister, Arthur Dimmesdale. In the end, it comes to be thought of as ‘able’. For, she has coped with her bad decisions, and has learned from her mistakes. As stated previously, she helps the poor, and the sick, as well as cares for a wonderful daughter, who gives her a reason to get back on her feet. She becomes a symbol of perseverance and strength in the book.

     Hester Prynne had many challenges in her life, and she handled them all, with the help of her daughter, Pearl, who gave her a reason to continue living, and to continue fighting. But, the townspeople never truly forgot about her sin, no matter how much she had changed. In the end, during the installation of the new governor, all of the townspeople turn around and look at Hester while Dimmesdale is giving his speech. They stare at the ‘A’ on Hester’s chest, and she realizes it is not really over, it would never be over. The wound had healed, but there was still a scar.

Banned Books Letter Essay

Dear Ms. Berner,
    Authors are finding that they can write more freely about dark situations, and kids are eating it up. One by one, parents and teachers are pulling young adult (or YA) books off the shelves of places where kids can reach them, and for all different kinds of reasons. Some think kids will follow the example of characters doing nasty things, some think the books are poisoning the minds of kids with inaccurate portrayals of life. But, I think that the minds of kids who are reading these books are being underestimated. Banning books keeps kids from learning and growing, and relating to characters that can help them understand situations in their own lives, which is why I believe that banning books is wrong.

    Firstly, banning books is wrong because kids need to understand situations like in these books in order for their minds and imaginations to grow and develop. One example of this is, in the article “Reading fiction ‘improves empathy’, study finds” by Alison Flood in the Guardian, Keith Oatley, a published novelist and professor at the University of Toronto in human development and applied psychology, says, “‘If I read genetics or astronomy, I get more expert at genetics or astronomy. If I read fiction, this kind of social thinking is what I would get better at.’” This helps me to know how these books and characters affect kids. They grow to become more empathetic and socially pleasurable through the examples and situations of these characters. Another example is, Oatley says in the same article, “‘It’s a result that shows that reading fiction improves understanding of others, and this has a very basic importance in society, not just in the general way making the world a better place by improving interpersonal understanding, but in specific areas such as politics, business, and education.’” This really made me think about the different uses there are for empathy and social adeptness, not just in a social life, but in a career. It is an important part in succeeding in any career path someone takes, including in school, and without it, kids would be lost. 

    Secondly, banning books is wrong because kids can easily relate to these characters, and they make them feel like they are not alone. For instance, Maureen Johnson, in the article from The Guardian “Yes, teen fiction can be dark, but it shows teenagers they are not alone” writes, “If subjects like these are real, they have happened to others, and they can be survived.” This makes me think about people who commit self-mutilation, or have suicidal thoughts, and how these books have characters that might have saved lives because teenagers see examples of how they can get through their issues. Furthermore, Maureen Johnson writes in the same article, “For teenagers, there is sometimes no message more critical that: you are not alone.” Like stated previously, this makes me think about how many lives books might have, and continue to, save. Or, just how much better kids feel about themselves when they know their situation is a known one, and that other people have felt what they have felt.

    On the other hand, I can understand how some people would think that these books are maybe to frightening or sophisticated for some kids. For instance, the book “Go Ask Alice” by an anonymous girl about her life for a few months, and her struggle with drugs, does include some parts in which some people might think that she is glorifying drugs. She describes her “trips” as wonderful things. I can see how people would think that this book encourages kids to follow her path, and do drugs. But, this book is also very informative on the effects of drugs. The girl in this book runs away from home, becomes a victim of theft and rape, and eventually dies of a drug overdose. Overall, books like this one helps to give kids life lessons and inform them on different situations so that they don’t have the desire to go out and try it for themselves.

    Everyone has their own reason for banning books. Some ban them for religious reasons, some because they want to protect their children, or maybe they just don’t believe in what the book has to say. All in all, I believe that banning books is wrong because these books help to educate kids about real world situations. And, yes, they are dark, but that is what is in the real world, and banning these books is almost like shielding children from what they are eventually bound to see. The adults are calling the shots, but the kids are taking the bullet.

Reading and Writing for Social Justice: Looking at the World Through a Lens of Justice and Fairness 4

      I recently watched a news story on television about the Ferguson shooting and the protests caused by it. I then watched an interview with the parents of Michael Brown, the person who had been shot by the police officer in the shooting. I thought about what it would be like to be in their situation and I thought about how hard this must be for them. If my child died, not only would I be devastated just as the parents of Michael Brown are, but I would be furious. And then, these parents who are mourning the loss of their child have to go on nationwide television and talk about their son dying. I can’t imagine how hard that must be. And, not only did he just die, but he was murdered. And, he was murdered by someone of authority who was supposed to be protecting him. I remember seeing another interview with Officer Darren Wilson, the killer of Michael Brown, and he said he had a “clear conscience.” This would make me extremely angry because how can someone have a clear conscience after the killed someone, even if it was by accident, or to protect themselves? They still committed murder, and took someone’s life. 

This really made me think about how the protests started. I understand how this has angered people, and made them think that Michael Brown was shot because of Officer Wilson’s racism, thinking that because he was black, he would hurt him. It is unclear to me what really happened, because I feel as though I cannot trust the story of Officer Wilson, since eyewitness accounts have contradicted his story. This made me feel like it is unfair how people are mourning their losses, and are shattered by the recent events, and its impossible to tell what really happened during this incident. Overall, I think that the parents of Michael Brown must be having a tremendously challenging experience, and they deserve to know what really happened when their son was murdered.