Blog Reflection

          I believe that the blog post that best exemplifies my ability to analyze complex characters and the development of the theme, is my second post on the book Paper Towns by John Green (http://ranjanisreadingblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/paper-towns-by-john-green-2.html). In my seventh paragraph, I analyze the two main characters, Quentin and Margo. I described how while one character was dynamic and round, the other was static and flat. I also mentioned how the character Margo was a foil to Quentin, which demonstrates a concept we learned in class. In the following paragraph I also analyze the theme and how it developed. I explained how at the beginning of the book, Quentin had set expectations for who his friends were supposed to be. By the end of the book, he realized that one cannot make someone fit a standard, but must instead accept them for who they are. This idea is the theme that the book centers around.

          In the future, I want to expand the genres of books I read. Currently, the majority of the time I read fantasy and some science fiction. I want to broaden this to historical fiction and even non-fiction. I especially want to read some of the classics as well as the older ones such as The Iliad. For writing, I want to improve on my narrative writing skills, as well as my poetry. I also want to work on essay writing, especially in organizing it.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

          Recently I have finished reading the book Where She Went. It is the sequel to If I Stay. The first book is about a cellist named Mia Hall whose family is in a serious car accident. After Mia and her parents and brother are rushed to the hospital, Mia has an out-of-body experience. During this time she learns that the rest of her family had died, and now it's up to her whether she lives or dies. At the urging of her boyfriend, Adam, she ultimately chooses to live, and now the sequel is about "where she went".

          Where She Went mainly centers around Adam. His band is extremely popular, and it is revealed that Mia went to Julliard to study music. I think that this change in perspective is a nice addition to keep the story interesting. Book one let us see Mia's point of view, while book two lets us see Adam's.

          It is revealed early on, that Mia and Adam had broken up. This was a huge shock to me since it definitely wasn't what I predicted. Adam is still devastated, and doesn't find happiness in music anymore. Similar to If I Stay, the story is told through present times, as well as important flashbacks. In fact, most of the plot occurs in the past. This help the story flow better, since with each flashback the reader gets closer and closer to understanding why the characters are in their current situation.

          I won't spoil anything else in this post, so I might as well finish up with my thoughts on the book.

          Overall, Where She Went was fun to read. It was a little too predictable, and parts of it dragged on, but it ends in a way that gives the reader closure (even though it was realllyyy predictable). Forman's writing style is very unique, since there are two different plot lines, one in the past and one in the present. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants something light to read (given that they've read If I Stay).

          Here's the trailer for If I Stay:

Paper Towns by John Green #2

          I have recently finished Paper Towns by John Green. After where I left off, the story had an unexpected surprise: Margo went missing. Quentin explains how it wasn't unusual for Margo to disappear for a few days at a time, but this time it seemed to be different. Her parents had enough. In fact, the Spiegelmans went as far as to change the locks at their house. They've effectively disowned their daughter. The detective even explained how since Margo was now over 18, it was her choice whether she wanted to return.

          Quentin believes that Margo wanted him to find her. He thinks that she left behind clues for him. So, with the help of his friends Ben and Radar (and Ben's new girlfriend Lacey, who happens to be one of Margo's best friends), Q sets off to find Margo.

          The story takes a turn for the worse when Q begins to recall some of the last things Margo told him. He remembers one specific line:

“I can hear Margo that night as we drove around Orlando. I can hear her saying to me, 'I don’t want some kids to find me swarmed with flies on a Saturday morning in Jefferson Park.' Not wanting to be found by some kids in Jefferson Park isn’t the same thing as not wanting to die.”

- John Green (Paper Towns, 121)

          This is the point where Quentin begins to truly wonder whether he really knew Margo. He idolized her and saw her as something almost unattainable, but as all he ever wanted. Q came to the conclusion that Margo may very well be dead, and all of her clues were simply a twisted suicide note.

  

          The crew's detective work leads them to a car ride from Florida to New York. They expect Margo to be there living in Agloe, which was quite literally a paper town. Not a real town; It was only created by the map making company to prevent copyright violations. 

          Sure enough, Margo was in New York. Her friends had ditched their own graduation in order to bring her back, and yet she refuses them. She explains how this is what she wanted for herself, and how her mysterious disappearance was her only chance at leaving without being dragged back. After they all calm down, Margo and Quentin admit their feelings for each other, and then the gang returns to Orlando—without Margo, that is. 

          There was quite a lot of character development within Quentin, but not so much in Margo. Quentin is a dynamic character, while Margo is rather static. Quentin is also round, while Margo is essentially flat. She starts off mysterious, and ends up as even more of a mystery. In more than one way, Margo is a foil to Quentin. She's outgoing and mysterious, while Quentin is more reclusive and straightforward. But while Margo is still never explained, we have access to Q's thoughts, since he's narrating. 

          Quentin starts off having his own perception about everyone. He expects everyone to stay in character. He expects this out of Margo, as well as his best friends Radar and Ben. The problem with that is that his expectations are never who the person really is. As Quentin realizes this, he learns to accept different personalities. Ben will always be out of control, but Q can't change him. Margo will also remain lost and free, yet troubled by herself, and there's nothing Q can do about it. He used to expect people to not be themselves, but by the end of the book he sees people for who they truly are. 

          Overall, I really enjoyed Paper Towns. It was a quick read that had some very interesting characters. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. I look forward to seeing the movie. 

Paper Towns by John Green #1

          Recently I have started to read Paper Towns by John Green. Last year I had read another one of Green's book, the ever so popular, The Fault in Our Stars. Although I liked it, I wasn't as enthused about it as many others were. I've heard great reviews about Paper Towns, and after the first few chapters, I can see why.

          The main character Q (short for Quentin) is quiet and I perceive as a bit of a wallflower. Meanwhile, his lifelong crush and childhood best friend, Margo Roth Spiegelman is the exact opposite. She's insanely outgoing, and extremely popular. When the two of them find a dead man in the park, they begin to grow distant, and part ways. Q has heard everything about Margo, but nothing from her, yet he still admires her from a distance.

          Margo suddenly comes back into Q's life at midnight on a school night, through the window she once left him through (quite literally). It's the last week of senior year, and she finally acknowledges the friend she had all but forgotten. She recruits him to help her on her eleven-part plan to get revenge on her enemies. At around 4 AM, Q and Margo's adventure is finally over, and Q is left wondering whether anything has changed between the two of them.

“Here’s what’s not beautiful about it: from here, you can’t see the rust or the cracked paint or whatever, but you can tell what the place really is. You see how fake it all is. It’s not even hard enough to be made out of plastic. It’s a paper town.” 

- John Green, Paper Towns

          So far, I find Margo to be the most complex and interesting character. She's the most popular girl in her school, and has good grades and a bright future, yet there's a mysterious nature about her. She has an almost distant nature to herself. Margo always speaks poetically, her dialogue once even described as a soliloquy. She also disappears often, only to come back with stories of her exploits. From sneaking into concerts to breaking into places, there's nothing she hasn't done. Margo herself is described as very beautiful, yet she finds that beauty is only true from afar, and that everything including herself, is ugly up close.

          As I continue reading, I hope to find out more about Margo's mysterious nature. Hopefully the plot will deepen in the next few chapters, as currently only the characters and setting have been established.

Satire

          The cartoon above is an example of Horatian Satire. Its purpose is to criticize how scientific research is often manipulated before being released. It's satirical because it uses exaggerations to ridicule an aspect of society, in this case scientific research. It's Horatian because it's meant to be witty, not angry. It also ridicules mistakes in humans/society, instead of criticizing moral issues, making it Horatian. The cartoon contains the satirical element of a hyperbole, since it exaggerates the amount of censoring in scientific research. 

Columns by Krista Ramsey

          Today I read the column 'Song writer helps kids summon courage to stop bullies' by Krista Ramsey. Ramsey describes the new project of a Cincinnati recording artist, Keenan West: To partner with P&G and travel to different high schools and encourage the students to stand up against bullying. 

          I believe that the best written line in this column is: "Now the gym has become as quite and still as an SAT testing site," (Ramsey). This line follows a brief paragraph where Keenan West is quoted as he asks the students to put themselves in a bullying victims shoes. The simile Ramsey used effectively carries the message that the students truly understood what West was saying. It allows the reader to picture a gymnasium of students putting all joking aside, and ardently paying attention to what West had to say. Also, the syntax of this sentence should also be noted. Instead of hiding it away in a paragraph, Ramsey purposely made it stand out on its own, which gives it a greater importance. 

          Krista Ramsey's writing style mainly consists of long observational paragraphs that help the reader set the scene, or short impactful sentences that draw the reader's attention. In the article 'For better vision, kids need time outdoors', an observational paragraph was effective: "The kid who used to walk home from school looking at houses and trees now rides home staring at a screen not much bigger than his hand," (Ramsey). This line allows to reader to easily picture a student focusing their attention on their electronics, instead of their surrounding. This imagery creates the right setting for the topic of the article. In Ramsey's article 'Super Bowl QBs score points for great style' there is another example of a descriptive paragraph: "It's a hopeful sign in a nation that now accepts flip-flops and jeans as appropriate wear for weddings, graduations, awards banquets and funerals," (Ramsey). The article is about how dressing well is becoming more and more scarce, and the quote describes how casual attire is becoming more and more common at formal events by describing situations we all have probably seen but not paid any attention to. A third example of this style of writing is found in the article column I read today about summoning courage to stop bullies: "Keenan West... warms up the crowd by calling for volunteers, including teachers, to join him on the gym floor and show off their dance moves... The fact that the exercise ends – with West's guidance -- with cheers and applause for the participants instead of jeers and snickers, feels like a minor miracle," (Ramsey). In this example found at the beginning of the article, Ramsey allows the reading to mentally visualize the students being able to summon courage and do something that they'd normally be embarrassed about. Similar to the other two articles, this style of writing effectively sets the atmosphere for the rest of the piece. 

          If I were given the opportunity to meet Krista Ramsey, I would ask her how she herself would describe her writing style. I would also ask her how she decides what is worth writing about. A third question would be how she took up journalism as a career.