Choose Your Own Adventure: Week of 1/5

     Originally, I was going to pick a theme song for my life before I opted not to. I'd like to think that my life has been eventful enough that it could not be described in just three minutes. And if it hasn't, then I guess we live rather long lives for a reason. I'm not ready to sum it all up just yet.

     The last time I did something for the first time was a very long time ago, I'm sure. I mean like an experience that truly was a first experience. Whatever that real first experience was,  it seems I haven't tried anything new since that time. However, the last time I did something new was take the high school entrance exam but that can be summed up in just one word: ok. So it's not exactly a thrilling topic.

     I guess the last time I did something for the first time was back in November...November 16, if I remember correctly. That time was the first time I asked to go to a concert and was actually able to go. I've gone to my fair share of music festivals and concerts over the years but none of them I've asked to go to. Most of the time it's just a decision that we're going to this concert or this festival-- just no questions asked. One of my favorite bands announced their tour in September and I was just so excited I couldn't not go.

     Eventually, I finally worked up the courage to ask if I could go to the concert. In return, I was given the all expected "We'll see," response. Fast forward to November 16, I didn't think I was going. My parents hadn't said anything about it so I just kind of figured that that was that. That day, conveniently  my dad decided he wanted to spend the day in Chicago. This was one of those days where it was so bitterly cold so I went out wearing my winter boots, a hoodie, and a winter jackets. Winter safety first, kids. Around five, we ended up outside the House of Blues (only one of the best places on Earth) where my parents told my sister and I, "Ok you guys go walk somewhere across the street 'coz we going in for a drink."

What.

     My sister and I just followed them, bewildered at whether or not they were serious. They led us to a line leading into the House. I knew what this line was and I suddenly remembered where the concert was taking place: the House of Blues. To say I was really excited would be an understatement. When I remembered that I was wearing a hoodie and winter boots, saying I was upset with myself would also be an understatement. In the end, we went inside and my sister and I went as far up in the crowd as we could. There we saw Somekindawonderful, Bad Suns, and one of my favorite bands / the headliner, New Politics. It was just a super great experience and I would definitely do it over and over again. I got closer to the stage than I ever thought I'd get (thREE PEOPLE AWAY) so yeah, it was really great. In fact, the singer of New Politics decided to crowd surf. Did I get to touch him? Yep. Was the show great? Do you even need to ask?

                                                            New Politics

TKAM: Week of 12/15

Do you like what you read? Why or why not?

     Personally I thought TKAM was pretty good. It wasn't bad or absolutely amazing, but it was good. One of my favorite things about the book was the fact that it was presented from a child's point of view. Scout at her ages throughout the book had not developed prejudices to match those of the other community members in Maycomb, so we're able to have the events in the book described to us without any bias or prejudice at all. On the same topic, the child's POV also lets you see how the events in the story were interpreted by and affected a child's innocence. That was honestly a really interesting part of the story. You'd have an event occur where Scout didn't understand what was going on but you do, so it's like dramatic irony.

     Another thing about TKAM that I enjoyed was how it went through multiple years of Scout's life. You're able to see how she changes and how the people around her change. For example, we're able to see how she first views Boo Radley as a myth or just a story that fascinates her but then finally sees him as a real person at the end of the book. For Jem, we're able to see how he matures throughout the book as different events affect the way he feels or views things. The most obvious perk of having the story take over multiple years is the fact that the larger time frame allows more events to happen. With the larger time frame we were able to read about Scout's different school years; the trial; and Bob Ewell's death.

     The characters were also pretty enjoyable, if  I may say so myself. They're very realistic (in my opinion) and the author was always able to give them realistic emotions. To me, it seemed as though the characters had been well thought out. None of them seemed to be put in on a whim or anything. They all served a purpose; not just to take up empty space. Even the negative characters (shout out to Mr. Ewell...) were still enjoyable. They were well written and they still had depth to them. As the story is a snippet of Scout's years, the characters can also show you the kind of people you may meet in you life. You might meet someone as bitter as Mr. Ewell or someone as honest as Tom Robinson. You might meet someone with morals as good as Atticus' or as strong and determined as Scout.

     Overall, the story was pretty good. Although it was pretty good, I don't think I would read it again. For me, it's a good book for a one-time read.

TKAM Photo Analysis

Title:  Bradford, near the Bradford mines at Bradford, Alabama. From these towns 

came many of the people living in the Palmerdale Homesteads, Alabama

Observations:

It's not a log cabin but the house is made of wood. The house is elevated on small stilts. The stairs on the house look lopsided or rickety. There appears to be an outhouse in the back. There is a chimney on the roof. The house has a lot of windows and doors. The shrubs and grass look dry along with the dirt road. In the distance you can see a lot of trees like you would see in a forest. They have a swing and two chairs on their porch.

Inferences:

Some houses are on stilts to prevent vermin from getting in the house so that could be the reason they have an elevated house. If the house is lopsided then the ground of even house itself is unstable. An outhouse means they didn't have running water (at least not for toilets). This doesn't suggest they lived in terrible conditions, but maybe not the best. The chimney suggests that they burned fires in their home. We can assume that the fires are where they got most of their heat during the colder seasons. The dry ground and shrubbery means there wasn't a whole ton a rain in this area. The family must have liked nature and sun (they have so many windows!).

Could it be Maycomb?

I think this could definitely be what Maycomb looked like. Scout describes the houses as "rickety", which I think can completely be applied to the home depicted in the picture. Another similarity is that Maycomb has dirt roads and his very hot and dry. In the picture we can see obvious dirt roads and the dry plants can lead us to believe that this place also suffered from heat and dryness/lack of rain. People in Maycomb kept their doors open everyday (unless someone was sick) because they were very welcoming of visitors. The house in the picture has a lot of windows, which remind me of Maycomb. Doors in Maycomb were left open to appear friendly. In the picture, I imagine it could be just the same...but with windows instead. A lot of open windows seems just as welcoming as an open door, in my opinion.

TKAM Found Poetry

Scout

I was being a girl.

People hated them.

Shut your trap.

Go home.

You're gettin' more like a girl everyday...

People hated them.

Hold your head high.

I thought of running away...

Pink cotton penitentiary walls closing in on me,

Girls always imagined things.

People hated them.

Southern womanhood...

Frail ladies.

Heavily powdered,

Cutex Natural,

Just lovely...

People hated them.

Be a lady.

You're gettin' more like a girl everyday.

Be a lady.

Born hypocrites.

To Kill a Mockingbird: Week of 12/1

**Character relationship between Atticus and Aunt Alexandra**
Chapters 9-12

     Since Aunt Alexandra has been introduced into our story we've been able to see how much of a foil she is to Atticus. One of the differences that really show how the two are very different is the way they want Scout to grow up. Aunt Alexandra firmly believes that Scout should be acting like and further learning how to act like a lady (like her dearest Aunty). She believes that Scout's behavior is really uncalled for as a girl and future lady, of course. Atticus, however, does not see Alexandra eye-to-eye on the matter. Atticus's form of teaching his children how to be good people is to have them watch him and just sort of learn the right ways from him. He wants them to play out their own lives and let them see for themselves if the actions they've done are either right or wrong. With that, he wants Scout to be her own individual. Does she want to act the more tomboy-ish way she does? Ok. Does she want to play with Jem instead of other girls? Ok. Is she enjoying herself? Yes, so why force her to be someone she doesn't want to be? To put it simply, Atticus wants Scout to be who she wants to be. Alexandra, however, wants to mold Scout into a "proper" Southern lady.

     The sibling duo, however, does share a similarity. They both want what's best for their Finch family...they just don't share the same views on what is best. Alexandra thinks that shaping Atticus's kids into gentlemen and ladies is the best road for future Finch generations. If you think about it, she could quite possible be right. From the way she acts and the way Atticus acts, can't we infer that the both of them were raised to be proper ladies and polite gentlemen? Perhaps Aunt Alexandra just wants what she and Atticus have for Jem and Scout. To her, this isn't quite so bad. Jem would be a fine gentlemen like Atticus and Scout would be a fine proper lady like Alexandra (in the South's standards, of course). Atticus, like I said before, also wishes the best for his family. Perhaps it's because he chose to be different from the rest of the Finch family and Maycomb citizens and not become an agricultural-related worker, but he wants his kids to be their own individuals. Do what they want, be who they want to be. He feels this is best for their family and themselves. Atticus chose to be his own individual later on in life and he turned out pretty satisfied so wouldn't that be best for his kids? His family?

     Another difference we see between the two is their acceptance. It takes awhile to think about it and to have it come to mind but why does Atticus sort of allow Scout to rebel? We can see from Aunt Alexandra that Scout's behavior is very much not the norm for girls in the South during that time period (and even now). Aunt Alexandra greatly accepts the South's views on women but Atticus seems to simply disregard them. From there, you can go even deeper and question if there was a difference in the way the two were raised. Maybe, Atticus was the Scout growing up. Maybe, as a child, he did not want what was expected of him and he sees that in Scout. If he knows the feeling of not wanting what is forced on you then that could be a reason he chooses to let Scout take the reigns of her life. But, I am quite curious...Why does Aunt Alexandra just accept the boundaries set on women when the person she grew up with doesn't? Now, we can see that children have a greater affect on each other than adults do on them. Adults can yell and bite you, but other children are your pack. If you do not go with the pack, then you'll be left behind. Was that not the same in the South back then?  


                                                                                 

The Rules of Survival: Week of 11/17

**What did you think of what you read?**
Pages: 70-END

     This book was very...OK. Not bad, but not very good either. However. it leans more towards the good side. The Rules of Survival is a first person take on child abuse. I originally just wanted to read this book because it sounded interesting and well...it had a cool cover. After reading it, it turns out I've actually learned a lot about child abuse.

     I've always liked reading books where the narrator, in first person, has something that separates them from most other people (in the most not-offensive way possible). Books where the narrator suffers from depression are interesting because if it's not something you experience  reading the book allows you to get a better understanding of what depression feels like. Books told in first-person where the narrator has autism or Aspergers are really interesting to read because you get this totally different view on normal life. Those are the kinds of books I read to get an understanding of what something that I don't experience feels like. I wasn't expecting it, but I got that same experience with The Rules of Survival.

     I wasn't expecting to actually learn anything about child abuse. At first glance, it seems like such a simple topic. The parent or guardian or whoever it is is simply abusing their child. It's a bad thing but it seems so simple to understand. This book helped me understand that it's not very simple. It's especially not very simple for the children involved. The author did a great job of describing through Matthew what being in an abusive home feels like. She describes it as constantly living in fear because you never know when your abuser is suddenly going to explode on you. You never know what going to happen. You never know if today is the last day you'll live. When the author said that it feels like you're "living with fear all the time," it was a very sort of straightforward way to say what it feels like. My favorite way she described the feeling of living in that kind of home was when she described it as living in a constant play. She says,

"I was the director of our theater, arranging the stage set, telling you and Callie to take your places, prompting you to do or say this or that, whisper-feeding you lines of dialogue and bits of businness. "Don't forget to hug her!" "Go get her some Advil and a glass of water, fast." "Ask her if she'll help you with your homework later, she likes that."

And all the while I was directing, and acting, I also had to gauge the reaction of our audience of one--Nikki--and make adjustments to our play so it would suit her mood. Her picture of who she was. I knew every move, every motion in every possible scenario, and all the plays melted together onto an endless onstage nightmare, all  of them beginning with the sound of the downstairs door slamming open and her high heels clacking on the stairs. "

     The trio of siblings in this story, I learned, are one of the lucky families. In the end, they end up leaving their abusive mother and travel into the safe hands of other guardians without being separated. The narrator tells us how many siblings are separated when they're saved, so he was really grateful he and his siblings were able to stick together. With a whole trio of kids being abused by their mother, I wondered why they never told anyone about it. The narrator eventually tells us that he wanted help--he wanted to get his siblings out of there. He was worried that no one would believe them, people would make matters worse, or he and his siblings would be split up into foster care. This immediately reminded me of why kids don't want to tell adults that they're being bullied. However, in child abuse cases, the person that has been around raising the child is the one hurting them.

     Overall, I think I would recommend this book to someone who doesn't know much about child abuse. If you don't know much (or anything), then this book seriously teaches you. However, I'd give it a 7/10. Not bad, but not too great. There were somethings that could be improved in the book, I think. It's not like the book is unreadable or anything but it doesn't really make you not want to put the book down. There are books that you simple cannot put down because they're that great. This is not one of those books. It's an OK book with a terrible little twist near the end but twists and turns doesn't make a good book. It helps, but it doesn't automatically make a book memorable. The Rules of Survival was good, but it's definitely not one of my top books.

Twisted: Week of 11/3

**Draw a picture for what you just read. 
Pages: 0-END

Tyler, the main character, thinks his life is falling apart. He's being accused of committing a crime he had nothing to do with, his father isn't the best, his mother is upset, and he might just be losing his best friend. I wanted to draw an interpretation of his life falling apart, because that was a big part of this book. I shaded the entire page dark gray to sort of represent how his life was already pretty dark before anything started happening. I thought of his life like a piece of cloth. Every time something bad happened, the cloth tore and fell apart. Eventually, you can see what's underneath the cloth -- you can see all the badness that caused it to tear. 

In the tears in the cloth, I wrote quotes from the book that show the different events causing his life to suck. "Migraine," represents Tyler's mother. His mom is very upset, I guess is the best way to phrase it. She resents her husband because of the things he does. She ends up arguing with him so much she drinks and gets migraines. Tyler knows why she gets them and it makes him hate his father even more. The tears in the lower left corner say, "Don't help." Tyler's best friend was trying to help him get through his problems. Tyler tells him not to help him because he'll just make everything worse in the end. I made that corner of the cloth not completely torn. You can see their are small fragments left. I did that to show that even though Tyler had hurt his friend, his friend still wanted to be there for him when Tyler needed it.

One of the larger sections says "I didn't do it. I didn't do it." Tyler is being accused of a crime he did not commit but it seems all he can say is that he didn't do it. There's no evidence to prove he didn't do it. It's all he can say in his defense. I made that section really big because it one of the things really tearing him  apart. He's being accused of hurting someone he genuinely loved and cared about, but no one believes him. The other large section has multiple quotes in it. They're all quotes from when Tyler had spurts of violent thoughts or actions. A lot of those quotes came from moments where Tyler was fighting or when he was having thoughts of violence against his father. His father, who was in one way or another, connected to all the events. 

On another note, this was a really good book and you should totally read it because it was such a really good book. Like really good.

Good book.

Like really good.