The Fault in Our Stars

I'm choosing to write about The Fault in our Stars by John Green. This book summarizes the life of Hazel, a sixteen year old with lung cancer, who falls in love with Augustus Waters, a boy free of cancer until it reappears about halfway through the story. This book was fiction, but the story of Hazel and Augustus was so realistic and filled with facts that made it extremely fascinating and melancholy. The author made this book so emotional by incorporating tons of metaphors that made you think about not only Hazel and Augustus or cancer, but life in general and how many take it for granted.

John Green shows Augustus putting a cigarette in his mouth, but not lighting it. At first, Hazel is mad at him for using this product that kills so many. But Augustus never once lights the cigarette. I see this as Augustus putting a thing that kills him in his mouth, but not letting it do its damage. In this scenario, Augustus has all the control. I feel like Augustus would want control because with cancer, he has none. Cancer does its harm no matter what; we do not have control over it. John Green uses this metaphor to show that the cigarette does not have control over Augustus. Also, Augustus does not tell Hazel that his cancer has reappeared until after their trip to Amsterdam. On the flight back, they are watching the same movie and Augustus discusses how he is a little bit ahead of her and can tell every time she will laugh or cry. I feel like the author is using this as a metaphor to show that Augustus is a bit ahead of Hazel, and knows how she will react to every event. The author uses these metaphors to help readers think and interpret in our own way.

This book as a whole often discusses the meanings of life and how to cherish every moment. This is a huge life lesson. In society in general, many do not take the time to cherish the simpler things. This reminded me of the saying, "Stop to smell the roses." Such a simple thing, yet it is taken for granted daily. This book summarized the morals in life and to cherish any moment, even if its as small as smelling roses.

Romeo and Juliet-- Friar Lawrence

I'm choosing to write my blog post about Friar Lawrence. Friar Lawrence, although not the main character in Romeo and Juliet, does play an important role in their relationship. Romeo spent a lot of time convincing Friar Lawrence to marry him and Juliet. Friar Lawrence seems kind hearted and as if he has good intentions, although I think that he knows Romeo and Juliet will end somewhat hectically. I don't know yet if this is a smart choice on his behalf, but I do see that he has hidden motives. He wants to put an end to the harsh fighting between the Montagues and the Capulets, and I see this with his actions.

Friar Lawrence gives Romeo very good advice, especially when it comes to need of moderation, and for Romeo to slow down in his actions. We discussed this a little in class and I do believe that Romeo needs to slow down. He says he loves Rosaline, but as soon as he sees Juliet, that love for Rosaline disappears. I think this is solely because Juliet is more beautiful than Rosaline, because he says "has my heart loved until now?" before he has even spoken to her. I don't think that Juliet sees this yet though, and Romeo is content with his love for her. I think that the only person in the plot who sees the faults in their relationship is Friar Lawrence. Friar Lawrence knew Rosaline and insists Romeo take it slower. I think this is because he sees the risks of a Capulet and a Montague in a relationship. The good to come out of it, though, would be the end of the hateful relationship, and a calmer Verona.

I think that Friar Lawrence is an extremely complex character with a lot of knowledge, and I don't know exactly what he plans to do with it. Romeo seems to make decisions without really considering the percussions, and I think Friar Lawrence thinks through each of his actions. This makes him a very wise character in the book, and I think he is very interesting and has a lot of potential to make a lot of important decisions in the plot. This makes me excited to read more about Friar Lawrence. I feel as if he has a lot to uncover, and a lot of his schemes will unfold throughout the pages.

Romeo and Juliet- Love

While reading Romeo and Juliet and focusing on the themes in class, I've noticed a huge connection between love and hate. It seems throughout the plot line that Shakespeare incorporates the two and seems to make his characters mistake love and hate for each other. In the start of Act One, the Montagues and Capulets are known to have a history of hate and violence. They even begin to fight in the streets in the first scene, and even at an attempt to be broken up, can not help but cause violence because of their differences. I found this very interesting because when you think of Romeo and Juliet, you immediately think of romance and love. Already in the story of two lovers I see the element of hate, and how that relates back to love in the end.

The story of Romeo and Juliet is ultimately about love, and although many already know that there's not a happy ending to this story, the book has proven so far that love is very difficult. Love is commonly thought of as sweet, happy and easy. So far the story has taught me that love is far from easy, and can actually be extremely powerful and violent. Romeo says in Act One Scene 3, "Is love a tender thing? It is too rough, too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like a thorn." I took this to mean Romeo questioning if love was dainty and easy, and concluding that it is too hard, too mean, too rowdy and it hurts. This is the kind of love I have seen so far in Romeo and Juliet.

I'm excited to see how the love plays out between Romeo and Juliet and how that may alter their opinions on hate. When they fall in love and begin to question the hate existing between their families, I believe they will see that love is more dominant and can overpower even the deepest hate. Although love can be mean, difficult, and hurt and Romeo doesn't think that it is worth it, I hope that his opinions will change when he does meet Juliet. At this point in the story, though, Romeo does not think much of the Capulets besides that they are terrible people. It is interesting that after so many years of hate, it only took a second for Romeo to fall in love.

Gym Class Just Isn't Fun and Games Anymore

I read the article "Gym Class Just isn't Fun and Games Anymore" by Motoko Rich. The article was about how certains schools are losing the physical aspect to P.E. and rethinking the importance of gym class in a developing child's curriculum. Some schools, the article read, are using their gym class time to study vocabulary words or arithmetic. It seemed as if teachers were trying harder and harder to incorporate testing and academics into every minute of the school day. This article shows what is now a big controversy and the ways we may go about it.

The author of this article made clear that this topic was controversial, and people swung different ways in terms of their opinions. Some stated that academics were the most important aspect of a growing child's life, and that even during gym class, they should be incorporated. Others argued that gym class was a great time during the day to exercise and learn fitness habits, which was equally important. The author includes us both sides to show the initial controversy and how there is not just one right or wrong solution to this growing issue. Although we see the alternative side, I do believe that the author was trying to argue for gym class to gain back its primary purpose, which was in fact to get across this ideal of movement and staying healthy. I think this is especially important now in our country with this issue of childhood obesity increasing to keep up the level of physical activity, even during the school day.

In the end of the article, the author discusses the pros and cons of gym class and whether academics should be incorporated. I, for one, do know that in our school, gym class can be taken very seriously and kids do get very into the sports and games we play. I do think that if the teachers were to turn this period into more of an academic period, kids would be upset. I also recognize the importance of sports in a child's life. By taking away that period of gym, one could do a lot more damage than you would think.

On The Brightside

I chose the song "On the Brightside" to analyze for my blog post. The song is about someone who talks to a man of two feet and then a man of twelve feet. The song seems to contrast the two perspectives in the song, of the giant and the short man, but using repetitive language. I think that the main idea of the song is just what the title portrays, to look on the bright side, but in deeper context. Through the course of the song I believe the speaker does learn that you can't let what the world says impact you so greatly,   and that some people will throw obstacles at you but in the end you will have to move past them and just look on the bright side of the situation.
The first stanza talks about how ambitious the short man is in a "world that is so vicious to us all." The speaker is referring to how someone who may be so harshly judged for being two feet tall, can still strive in that environment and learn to cope with that situation. I interpreted this line as if the speaker is shocked that that man can survive, and through the song the speaker is learning this lesson of being able to disregard the thoughts of other people. The contrast of this line is the giant, saying "he towered like a giant, in a world that was defiant of his height." I think he is using his height as a metaphor. Some people find it hard to "stand tall" when the world can make them feel so much smaller. This is portrayed when the song states that he still towered like a giant, even though he may get judged for being twelve feet tall, just like the two foot tall man. The point of including these two examples in the song was to express that no matter how different you may be from the norm, and no matter what other people's opinions are, you shouldn't let it effect the way you act or think.
The chorus of the song "On the Brightside" says, "You're only as tall as your heart will let you be, and you're only as small as the world may make you seem." The speaker is referring back to the two people in the song. It is saying that you're only as tall as YOUR heart will let you be, meaning it only really matters what you think of yourself, and not what anyone else does because that is irrelevant. "You're only as small as the world may make you seem" is saying that you're only as small as you portray yourself, and whether or whether not you let what the world says get to you. I chose this song because it has a lot of meaning to many people who get bullied, and the message is to not let what bullies say effect you because in the end it only matters how you see yourself.

Just Listen to Yourself

In the book I'm reading, Just Listen by Sarah Dessen, the main character, Annabel, is having trouble communicating with everyone she meets. There's her mom, who wants her to continue modeling when it's not in her best interest. There's her sister Whitney, who's eating disorder is adding weight on the whole family, and she just doesn't know that. There's Sophie, her ex-best friend, who doesn't really know the full truth about the night she fought with Annabel. And then there's Owen, a quiet boy at their school. Owen and Annabel barely know each other, but Owen has already taught Annabel to be honest, be courageous, and really listen to other people. The book is called Just Listen meaning just listen to others, but I think the title really has a deeper meaning.

Reading this book has taught me a lot about opening up to other people in your life. There are so many people worth getting to know around you that you wouldn't be exposed to otherwise. At my point in the story, you are starting to really get to know Annabel's character, and I'm seeing the way that she interacts with others. To me, I see that Annabel is a very good listener. She always listens to what her sisters and parents have to say, and of course what Owen tells her. Although she finds it easy to listen to other people, I feel like Annabel has a harder time listening to herself.

Annabel always tries to please others and tell them exactly what they want to her. I feel as if Annabel isn't listening to herself or her needs. Owen is always telling her to just listen, and Annabel always listens to Owen. I think that if Annabel really listened to herself, she would tell her Mom that she didn't want to model. She would tell her sister Whitney that she needed to take care of herself, and explain what a weight she was putting on the family. She would tell Sophie that it was never really like that and she didn't know the true story. And she would tell Owen what she really thought about him, and how she was planning to go about it.

I think that everyone can definitely relate with Annabel. I'm pretty sure there has most likely been a point in everyone's life when they didn't listen to what they wanted, and instead went the easy way out and put someone else's priorities before their own. Obviously, it's okay to put someone else before yourself. What most people don’t realize is it’s not selfish to address your own needs. There comes a point in everyone's life when it's important to show what you want and listen to yourself. 

Disabled Athletes Rights

The article I read, As Disabled Athletes Compete, Questions of Logistics by Mary Pilon, discussed the abilities of disabled kids and adults, and whether they should or should not compete in sports. This article talked a lot about physically disabled students participating in afterschool activities, and whether or not it should be allowed. It gave examples of children who were denied the right to compete in swim meets, track competitions, or tennis matches. This article really stuck out to me because soccer is extremely important to me, and I don't really know how I would go about being without it. I know tons of people whose sports mean so much to them, and it seems unfair that someone would take away such a big part of someone's life because of a disability they could not prevent.

I have strong feelings about this article. I've been playing soccer since I was six years old, and it has become routine for me. Every weekend I play a game, and I feel as if every weekend I get better. I love having something that I personally, and not my friends, am good at. A sport can be a lifestyle. To me, it seems unjust to take away something like that. The author discussed how they did not allow a deaf girl in high school to compete on the tennis time, even though she was equally skilled, if not better, then the rest of the team. Although they might encounter some problems if she played on the team, I believe that they honestly could try to make that work. Although I do agree that disabled people should be allowed to compete on teams, I do see the alternative side. It could be dangerous in some situations for them to participate, and the coaches and advisors are probably not as much discriminating as looking out for the safety of these students.

There are so many kids who play sports, and to some of those kids, a sport can mean everything to them. It is not fair to take away something that means so much. I believe that every kid, disabled or not, should receive that same chance to play on a sports team. Everybody should get the opportunity to participate in a sport, whether you're deaf, missing a limb, or in a wheelchair.