Social Justice Project

Tay Thi Nguyen and How Her Back Story is Very Unfair For Her

(Citation of the article: Kristof, Nicholas. "Graduate of the Year." The New York Times. The New York Times, 24 May 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/25/opinion/sunday/kristof-graduate-of-the-year.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C%7B%221%22%3A%22RI%3A8%22%7D&_r=0>.)

Tay Thi Nguyen fought to get to middle school, battled her way to high school, conquered her way to college, and is on her journey to getting her masters degree. As a child living in the Mekong Deta, Nguyen had a poor childhood, and had a mother who was persistent that she drop out of school and become a house maid to raise some money. Nguyen’s mother burned her schoolbooks in the eighth grade, and burned them again when Nguyen was a senior in high school. Nguyen borrowed books from others and studied all day and night. She believed that a good education would help her in the future. When Nguyen took her entrance exam for college, her mother told her that she hoped she failed it. Nguyen did fantastic on it and spent all of her free time that wasn’t spent studying earning money for college. She needed everything she could get money wise. Nguyen worked at different stores all day and all night. Nguyen starved herself to save money for college; she spent only $3.50 per week! But, in the long run, college was a great decision for Nguyen and she is going to be an English teacher when she grows up and she will be earning the most money out of everyone in her family!

It is unjust that Nguyen’s parents, specifically her mother, are getting in the way of letting Nguyen have a good education and a better life. This is an example of injustice because Nguyen’s parents aren’t being fair with their daughter and are abusing her and her wants. Education is beneficial and Nguyen’s parents won’t accept that, which is frustrating for Nguyen. Her parents didn’t help her whatsoever; she paid for her own meals and didn’t eat at home! It’s not fair that having different opinions can affect the relationship between two people, and it’s especially unfair that Nguyen’s parents won’t actually listen to Nguyen’s opinions, and they are hating on what she is doing.

This article has made me think a lot about teenagers today. Many of them don’t have a passion to learn in the way that Nguyen does. We don’t encourage ourselves to keep studying all morning and all night, we don’t starve ourselves to pay for school. This shows that someone’s background has a big affect on their education and the way they perceive education. Because most teenagers in Brooklyn don’t have parents holding them back from getting the education they need, kids aren’t begging their parents to go to school, in fact, it’s almost the opposite. Going to school in New York City is a requirement, parents don’t have a say in if there children can miss out on an education because an education here is very important. Also, many of our parents are rather supportive. My mother encourages me to keep playing soccer and to keep doing art. She also encourages me to keep learning, to keep prospering. 

Observing my School/Neighborhood and Seeing What is Unfair

Things that may be unfair to peoples’ human rights that I see when observing my school are…

• People being ignored by their peers, causing them to feel like they aren’t acknowledged.
• More athletic kids hogging the ball in a game of basketball and the less athletic kids not getting a chance to touch the ball.
• People judging others by their external appearance.

Things that may be unfair to peoples’ human rights that I see when observing my neighborhood are…

• People with less money sitting on crates outside, in all types of weather, begging for money.
• Someone robbing another person of their belongings and running away.
• Children yelling rudely to their parents 
• Parents yelling harshly to their children

When I go to school each day, I see clumps of friends, both big and small. On the outskirts of some of those clumps are kids who are listening to the conversation their peers are having, but not being allowed to join it because there peers hardly know they’re there. Making anyone feel as if they are unwanted or unacknowledged in a mean way is unfair towards the person and is against my human rights. 

Every single person deserves to be noticed in a good way. Being ignored hurts people, though some may not show it. It is important to let everyone in a clump of people contribute their ideas to the conversation. Also, small gestures of saying “hi” and asking each person what they want to say, if they have anything to say. But ignoring is inhuman and rude. Every person is human and should be treated like one to. 

Interview with Eileen Rahmey

Me: What are some good things about our world today?

Eileen: Our world has really advanced from how it used to be. We have become a lot more accepting. Gay people are allowed to marry in many states in the U.S., women have so many more job opportunities than they used to, and they are getting paid much better amounts than they were a few decades ago. People with mental illnesses can get a lot more help because there are so many amazing doctors, therapists, and medications available to help them. Also, the technological advancements our world has made are unbelievable. I am able to call, text, and video chat with my cell phone, but when I was a kid all we had are wire phones that didn’t have text or video chat. In addition, the education systems have gotten a lot better and people are learning so much more!

Me: It’s really amazing how far we’ve come! But, not everything is perfect, just like our world isn’t perfect. So, on this note, what are some unfair things about our world today?

Eileen: My least favorite thing about this world is the terrorism. In many countries, there are wars because people are different from each other. I hate how people are thinking, “this person is not the same as me, therefore, I must kill this person.” It’s horrible to know that people can’t respect other people existing beside their own kind. Additionally, there is much disrespect when I go around Brooklyn. Many drivers don’t know what it means to slow down, and many bikers bike very close to where are the cars are driving. There have been multiple accidents in which people are either getting injured or loosing their lives because of the drivers who are not being considerate of the pedestrians. Also, people sometimes accidentally do something wrong to another person, causing an unnecessary, heated argument between the two people. An apology is the answer, not a fight. However, disrespect has been taken to much more inappropriate levels as well. People have posted personal pictures of others, such as Jennifer Lawrence, and invading their privacy. These criminals have abused social media and made a huge deal out of these pictures by focusing what’s on the outside and not about what’s on the inside. Plus, it’s just insulting to make private things public. 

Me: I certainly agree with your thoughts. Are there any more things you would like to share about our world today?

Eileen: I believe that we can keep improving our world. We can do so by being mindful of how we treat others. There is hope, and we can keep learning how to be more respectful of others. The way we act around others is the key to how our world will continue. The key to a peaceful world is peaceful people.

When interviewing Eileen Rahmey, who is my mother, I found her thoughts very interesting. Firstly, I think what she has to say about our world in general is very true. We have advanced and we continue to advance. Our technology is great and it will only get better. People who need help will get it. However, Eileen is very right about disrespect. Disrespect is a huge issue that we as people have faced since human nature has started to exist. I think that Eileen brings up a very genuine point when she says that peaceful, respectful, and nice people are what will allow our world to flourish. 

The things Eileen said that are unfair about our world mostly have to do with not being kind. If enough people are kind, then the percentage of bad and unfair things in our world will dramatically decrease, which will make our world not only a better place but a happier and more fair one too. Plus, being kind and nice towards others doesn’t mean you have to like them. Every single person dislikes at least one other person, and that’s just human nature! It’s the way we treat that person/people that will shape our world and how it continues to be. Overall, my mother, Eileen, brings up a very good point about our actions towards others, and I agree with what she has to say. I concur that the way we treat others is partially why our world is plummeting in some areas.

The Death in Ferguson and Responding to What Reporters Say About It

On August 9th, 2014, officer Darren Wilson shot and killed 18 year old African-American Michael Brown. Brown and his friend, Dorian Johnson, were walking in the middle of the street in Ferguson, Missouri, when Wilson forced Johnson and Brown off the street and onto the sidewalk. Brown and Johnson refused, as they were close to the destination, but Wilson wouldn’t out up with it, and he fought with Brown. Brown ran away from Wilson, but then ran back for an unknown reason. Then, Wilson shot Brown, killing him. Johnson is still alive.

There have been so many new broadcasts about the shooting at Ferguson. If I was officer Darren Wilson, and the broadcaster was talking about me, this is how I would respond:

(this is me pretending to me Darren Wilson, and I am talking for him in the first person)

After August 9th, 2014, people started riots and marches because I killed Brown. People hate me, and don’t get me wrong, I’m really sorry Brown died, and I’m guilty for it. The thing is, I didn’t feel safe around Brown, I thought something bad would happen to me. People were protesting because they thought I killed him because he was black. They think that if the other person was white then I wouldn’t have fired. I’m being accused of this, and all I can say is that I felt unsafe, I was scared. 

Recently, I resigned from being a police officer. I did this because I thought it would be best for me. I don’t want another person to be hurt from me, I don’t want to hurt anyone else. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life. 

(This is now me talking, and it is not a first person account of Darren Wilson)

Being in the situation Wilson was in, and still is in, must be horrible. The fact that Michael Brown died in the first place is truly devastating, but also the guilt that Wilson feels is really a lot. Wilson is probably thinking about it everyday. The guilt and sadness Wilson is feeling must be unbelievable. If it weren’t for his death, none of the riots would’ve happened, and WIlson wouldn’t have to have resign from being a police officer. 

But, the situation Wilson is in also opens his eyes to a different world. Wilson is now feeling strong emotions he’s probably never felt before, or at least not with these circumstances. Killing someone, no matter who, usually makes the killer feel terrible and remorseful. Wilson now knows what it’s like to kill someone, and it’s heartbreaking for him. But he now feels the pain of other people who have accidentally killed other, innocent people. 

Wilson is feeling a lot of emotions, and the way people are responding to the shooting make it worse for him. Many people aren’t taking into consideration how Wilson feels. It’s definitely important to get the point across that killing Brown was unnecessary, but everyone makes mistakes, and some mistakes are much, much bigger than others. Wilson is getting so much hate, too much. Fighting is not the answer. I agree that is isn’t just that Wilson is getting no punishment because killing someone really crosses the line, but he’s human and he has feelings. Wilson is allowed to feel unsafe at times, he is allowed to feel sad. Killing isn’t the answer, and it especially wasn’t in this case but people don’t know Wilson’s whole story and they should listen to it. Being in Wilson’s situation is probably horrible and scary because some of the emotions he is feeling are probably haunting him and causing him to feel extremely uneasy. 

Interview with Izzy Shamah

Me: Izzy, I think that you change the world everyday for the better. What steps are you taking to make this world a much better place?

Izzy: At my school, there is a club called Students Opposing Starvations, S.O.S. Every week, we have a meeting and we talk about social issues, especially starvation, that are happening in our world today. We have fund raisers that allow us to get money and buy clothing and food that we give out to the homeless in New York City during midnight runs. Every Wednesday, we volunteer at a soup kitchen, and we give out food to the homeless that live in our town, which is Nyack, New York.

Me: That’s awesome! Going to New York City is really a long commute as well! How does it make you feel when you do fantastic deeds for your community and when you help the people around you?

Izzy: It makes me feel like a better person because I am solving smaller fractions of a larger issue, but fractions are still parts of the whole, and each fraction counts.

Me: I definitely agree. Is there any moment in particular that made you feel very good and shows how you contribute to our world?

Izzy: Once during a midnight run in New York City, a man came up to me and the rest of S.O.S and thanked us for giving out food and clothes and for being such great people by taking the time out of our days to help the less fortunate. In that moment, I realized that the people we are helping are very in need, and what we are doing is truly a good thing. It also made me feel that what we were doing really had an impact, even if it was a small one.

Me: I think it’s great that you’re involved with such a great club at your school!

When interviewing my cousin, Izzy Shamah, I realized that it doesn’t take much to help others and the world. Very small actions, such as recycling plastic and paper, can add up and have a giant impact on our world. Also, Izzy taught me that there are many people who may be less fortunate, but they have very big hearts, and they are so appreciative of the people that help them and treat them like people. Being part of the S.O.S, or any organization that helps people/the world, is such a good deed and really shapes a persons personality. Izzy is a very kind person who puts others before herself in many situations, and I think that her being part of the S.O.S has been part of what has molded her into such a good person. 

Additionally, hearing what Izzy has to say has shown me that even helping people in general, such as your parents or friends, still impacts the world and helps it. For instance, helping my mom with the dishes one night after I have finished my homework is a kind gesture because it gives my mom more times to work on her papers for her job, and it gives her time to relax. When Izzy gave the less fortunate some clothes and food, they got some time to just chill out and not panic about their meal for the night because its right their in front of them. 

Thirdly, I think that what Izzy does is proof that Eileen’s ideas are believable. Izzy said that helping others makes her feel good and makes others feel good. People are constantly thanking Izzy and the rest of S.O.S for their caring deeds and for thinking about them. Eileen believes in being considerate towards others, and that’s exactly what Izzy is doing.

“Pretty Hurts” by Beyoncé and how it Expresses a Significant Issue About Social Issues

Mama said, you're a pretty girl
What's in your head it doesn't matter
Brush your hair, fix your teeth
What you wear is all that matters

Just another stage
Pageant the pain away
This time I'm gonna take the crown
Without falling down, down

Pretty hurts
Shine the light on whatever's worse
Perfection is the disease of a nation
Pretty hurts
Shine the light on whatever's worse
Tryna fix something
But you can't fix what you can't see
It's the soul that needs the surgery

Blonder hair, flat chest
TV says bigger is better
South beach, sugar free
Vogue says
Thinner is better

Just another stage
Pageant the pain away
This time I'm gonna take the crown
Without falling down, down, down

Pretty hurts
Shine the light on whatever's worse
Perfection is the disease of a nation
Pretty hurts
Shine the light on whatever's worse
Tryna fix something
But you can't fix what you can't see
It's the soul that needs the surgery

Ain't no doctor or therapeutic that can take the pain away
The pain's inside
And nobody frees you from your body
It's the soul that needs surgery
It's my soul that needs surgery
Plastic smiles and denial can only take you so far
And you break when the paper signs you in the dark
You left a shattered mirror
And the shards of a beautiful girl

Pretty hurts
Shine the light on whatever's worse
Perfection is the disease of a nation
Pretty hurts
Shine the light on whatever's worse
Tryna fix something
But you can't fix what you can't see
It's the soul that needs the surgery

When you're alone all by yourself
And you're lying in your bed
Reflection stares right into you
Are you happy with yourself
It's just a way to masquerade
The illusion has been shed
Are you happy with yourself
Are you happy with yourself
Yes

The lyrics of “Pretty Hurts”, by Beyoncé, talk about how society tells women that their external appearance is everything, and that what society is telling women is ruining women’s lives, devastating them, and making them destroy themselves in order to conform to what society expects from them. The lines, “ Plastic smiles and denial can only take you so far. And you break when the paper signs you in the dark. You left a shattered mirror. And the shards of a beautiful girl.”, show how women are not only hurting themselves for the approval of society, but they are hiding their feelings and not doing anything about what they feel they need to live up to in order for people to think they are beautiful. 

Later in the song, Beyoncé discussed that, deep down, women are happy with the real them, but this is when no one is around to see them. “When you're alone all by yourself. And you're lying in your bed. Reflection stares right into you. Are you happy with yourself. It's just a way to masquerade. The illusion has been shed. Are you happy with yourself. Are you happy with yourself. Yes.” This stanza illustrates how women really hate society’s message about what they believe is true beauty, but at the same time, they live up to it because they really want to be beautiful, and many don’t know that true beauty is the personality of a person. Makeup is a masquerade, or disguise, for women that cover up their true beauty because society doesn’t believe in a person’s true, beautiful self. The illusion that Beyoncé talks about in her lyrics is what society makes women do to live up to their version of beauty. When the illusion is gone, that means a woman is herself, and she is not doing anything that makes her more beautiful in society’s eyes. 

The last line of the song, which is the word “yes”, actually determines what the song is about and how people react to it. If the “yes” was replaced with a “no”, then it would be much more upsetting because it would show that society has took over all chance of a woman loving her true self. The word “yes” shows just the opposite. It shows how women do love themselves for who they are, not for their masquerade made of makeup and their illusion full of society’s beliefs. If Beyoncé asked me if I would change that last word to “no”, “maybe” or leave it blank, I would say neither of those things. I think that the word “yes” shows that women are more than what society says we they are. Women are delighted to be themselves, but it’s society that tells them otherwise, and society says to women that there are requirements that they need to live up to. However, women would only need to live up to those standards if they cared what other people thought of them. Clearly, society is butting into a women’s chances of loving herself by destroying her vision of beauty. The lines “Perfection is the disease of a nation. Pretty hurts.”, portrays how society wants perfection and how even just being pretty hurts because of the abundance of things women need to live up to. Another stanza, which is, “Blonder hair, flat chest. TV says bigger is better South beach, sugar free. Vogue says. Thinner is better.”, talks about how reading magazines and watching TV depict women who do what society tells them, and that this makes other women feel bad about how TV and magazines are also giving this message because they are under society’s detrimental spell. 

Defining a women for her looks is not okay, and Beyoncé is telling us this through her lyrics of “Pretty Hurts”. A women who lives up to society’s standards of looking beautiful is in actual pain, both physical and mental, to a women. The things society tells a women to do to look beautiful really hurt. Instead of making a women listen to society, Beyoncé is telling us to let each woman be themselves, for every woman will learn to love themselves. The title “Pretty Hurts” is true and accurate to how society is telling a woman what beauty is to them. Being pretty wouldn’t actually hurt if society wasn’t involved in affecting how a woman presents herself. A woman’s real self isn’t just pretty, it’s beautiful, and it doesn’t hurt, either. 

“Awkward” and How Hollywood Portrays Each Character in the Movie

“Awkward”, which is a TV series aired by MTV, is about a teenager named Jenna Hamilton who lives a very rocky life coming in contact with all these awkward situations. Her life is very complicated as she had a secret relationship with Matty Mckibbin, who is a very popular and athletic guy in Jenna’s grade, and then a public relationship with Matty’s best friend, Jack Rosatti. Jenna relies on her best friends, Tamara and Ming, and her guidance counselor, Val,  to help her through her crisis’s and guide her towards a fresh start.

By watching “Awkward”, more specifically season 1 of “Awkward”, it is evident that Hollywood portrays the “perfect” female teenager as someone who is popular, pretty, fashionable, and has a good reputation. By looking at the way Jenna progresses through the season, we can see that she is not Hollywood’s dream girl because of how she always runs into bad situations with her enemy, Sadie Saxton, and how she puts herself into bad situations. Additionally, Jenna’s mother is always criticizing the way Jenna presents herself with her clothes and her hairstyles. She is constantly giving Jenna advice and offering her to go to the mall to get new clothes. Sadie’s best friend, Lissa Miller, however, meets Hollywood’s representation of the “perfect” female very closely. She has a genuinely good reputation as a nice person, she dresses very fashionably, she is a blond Christian, and many guys like her. The only standard that Lissa doesn’t meet is the smartness level the “perfect” Hollywood girl needs to meet. Lissa is rather dumb and catches onto things very slowly. Hollywood’s “perfect” male is similar to the female. He must be popular, buff, attractive, clean, and nice. The character Matty meets all of these standards, and this is why he privately dated Jenna, so that he wouldn’t ruin his reputation by being seen with someone who already doesn’t have a good reputation. The way Hollywood presents their “perfect” males and females are what they expect to be “normal” in the real world. Hollywood expects there to be a world of Matty’s and Jake’s flooding the U.S. They don’t want any Jenna’s, rather they want Lissa’s to be the population of the girls in the U.S. 

In addition, every single one of Hollywood’s dream characters is white, including people like Jenna who aren’t Hollywood’s dream characters. Hollywood expects there to be a world of white people, and that all cool kids and popular kids are white. The ones who aren’t as popular are still white, however. This shows how Hollywood isn’t very open to diversity. The most diverse they have gotten in season 1 of “Awkward” is by creating the character of Ming, who is Chinese, but the rest of the cast is white. Also, Awkward takes place in Palos Hills, California, so the characters are living in nice houses, surrounded by Palm Trees, and almost all characters have their own cars, and just a lot of money in general. The way Jenna’s mom pampers her, by re-doing her entire room and getting her a flat screen TV for her birthday, shows how much money each of the characters has. 

Each of the teenage characters on “Awkward” have a mother AND a father, but they don’t seem to have siblings. At no point does it show any of the main, teenage characters with a sibling(s). Hollywood’s perfect family makes it so that the child will be spoiled, and they will be the only one to be spoiled by both of their parents. 

The way “Awkward” portrays the characters are not accurate to people in the real world. It makes me feel sad that Hollywood doesn’t appreciate characters like Jenna and Tamara as much because they have amazing personalities, but they don’t get as treated as Lissa, even though Lissa is a very good person as well. Plus, there aren’t a bunch of Lissa’s in the world to begin with because every single person is different, and this is a fact Hollywood needs to accept. Every teenager has a different back story. I think that Hollywood does a fantastic job of showing this, but what makes it all terrible is the way they treat the character throughout the TV show. Lissa is constantly being rewarded for being Lissa while someone such as Tamara doesn’t get as many happy things in her life. Hollywood needs to respect that everyone is different and that our differences shouldn’t determine how people are treated. 

The way Hollywood presents their dream characters really makes me thinks about who meets their standards. The answer is no one. No one can be exactly who Hollywood wants them to be because Hollywood expects perfection, but not even Hollywood can get perfection. That’s why they love popular, beautiful girls like Lissa and attractive, athletic jocks like Matty and Jake, because they are as close to Hollywood perfection as possible. 

As “Awkward” keeps airing, they keep perpetuating the stereotypes. In season 2, Matty starts going out with a girl who looks like Lissa, but she is also smart. If anything, the stereotypes get worse because Hollywood keeps thinking of a more perfect person to use as someone everyone should be like. In season 4, a new girl, named Eva, moves to Palos Hills and joins Palos Hills High School. She is blond, extremely in style, nice, and she becomes popular. In the middle of the 4th season, she begins to date Matty, which shows how the stereotypes keep perpetuating. Hollywood even creates their dream couple, and they want a bunch of Eva and Matty’s to exist as well.

Reading Response #4 SHINE

Evy Rahmey 802   11/20/14

Reading Response #4 Shine

Some people live their lives with a frown on their face and the belief that everything is worthless. Other explore the world optimistically and make the best out of what they have. The book Shine, by Lauren Myracle is about a sixteen year old girl named Cat who lives in a small town of North Carolina called Black Creek. Her views on the world have dramatically shifted, and now she's just lost. Cat's former best friend, Patrick, who is gay, was just attacked by an unknown subject and strung to a gas nozzle because of his homosexuality. While unconscious at the gas station, Patrick was discovered and brought to the hospital, leaving all of Black Creek wondering who attacked him and what his physical and mental states are looking like. When Cat found out about the situation, she was determined to find out who ambushed Patrick, and she visits many people to find where they were during the attack. Throughout Shine, we get to know Cat as a curious, nervous, and lonely person who misses her past. We see how she takes on her life asking many questions. By getting to know Cat as a character, we see that people may not instantaneously know what they miss until they realized the impact it had on them.

In the eighth grade, Cat felt she had bad vibes around her all the time, so she stopped being friends with all of her friends, and she let her former happy go lucky personality go. Cat thought that isolating herself would help, but it didn't. However, three years later, it is evident that Cat longs to have her friends back and be that happy go lucky girl. For example, after finding out about Patricks attack, Cat realizes how much she misses spending time with Patrick and having picnics in their special hideout. “Today, all I saw was  an endless blue sky shimmering above the trees at the edge of Patrick’s yard. I pressed the back of my head against the house. My fingers found the grass, and at its roots, the cool soil. I would have been content to sit here for hours, but I needed to get up.” Here, it shows how much Cat misses Patrick and how she regrets parting form him. Additionally, this shows Cat misses her childhood in general because she used to go to Patrick’s house when she was little, and it was like a second home to her. She misses the days when she was happier and she spent time with Patrick, and she especially misses them now because of Patrick being close to death, and her wanting to go back to those careless days.

In the process of letting go her relationship with her friends, the way Cat interacts with her brother dramatically changes as well. Cat brother, Christian, protected Cat and told her what was right and what was wrong. For instance, three years ago, when Christian walked in on his friend, Tommy, sexually harassing Cat, he decided to destroy something that really mattered to Tommy. “Male voices washed over me: Tommy’s furious; Beef’s sympathetic, but not overly so; my brother’s just plain flat. Shaking, I stood and buttoned my shorts. I  moved silently to the edge of the window, where I crossed my arms tight and took it in. Pieces of chrome. A fender blown several feet away when the gas tank exploded. The rubber grip of the accelerator. The smoldering remains of the smokehouse blanketing the bones of Tommy’s BMW. ‘Told you not to park there,’ Christian said.” This quote shows that though Christian took a different approach at protecting her sister, he still destroyed the motorcycle because he wanted to protect her. Three years ago, their relationship was very strong and they were close siblings. Looking back on those days, Cat misses Beef and wants their close relationship back. “In the months to come, in the moments of loneliness so deep it hurt to breathe, I tried to put aside my fury and betrayal and humiliation and forgive him. That’s how much I missed him.” Then, when Cat and her friend, Jason, were going to find Beef, Christian came again to the rescue. Though they were not as close anymore, Christian still took a brotherly role by helping her sister, which he hadn’t done for a while because they hardly interacted. When Cat and Christian found Beef, who was really high, with Robert, Cat eleven year old friend, Cat climbed up to help Robert while Christian hid from view. After Cat saved Robert from Beef, Beef began shooting at them, but Christian put a stop to that. “Behind Beef, I saw Christian wrestling to get the gun. he was arguing with him, and his voice seemed to alternate from loud to not loud as it bounced off the rock.” Here, were are shown the protective and caring Christian who will save his sister and look out for her. Additionally, Cat realizes how much she missed Christian and she is thrilled to have him back as a loyal and close brother.

By looking at Cat’s behaviors both in the past and in the present, we can see that Cat wants things to be like how they were when she was a child. Cat wants her friends back, especially Patrick, and she wants her bond with her brother to be strong again. The feeling of missing someone or something is a very powerful feeling that takes over an individual. We can see this by the way Cat stays at Patricks while she should be at church. People today miss many others and it is difficult coping with the feeling. Cat doesn’t realize what she misses until it’s late, and we don’t realize what we miss until it’s too  late either.

Reading Response #3 DIVERGENT

Evy Rahmey 802 ELA           Divergent Reading Response                           11/6/14

Many people live their lives taking baby steps, and that is a detrimental problem. The book Divergent, by Veronica Roth, demonstrates a life where the protagonist is put in situations where taking risks and trying new things are essential in order to proceed in life. Divergent is about a sixteen-year-old girl named Tris who is living in a dystopian society where there are five factions to enhabit; Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Erudite, and Dauntless. Tris is living with her family in Abnegation. At age sixteen, she is given the aptitude test which determines what faction is recommended for her to switch to. Only one result is supposed to be given, but, if more than one result is given, you are deemed Divergent. This means that you don’t fit into one single faction. According to this society, being Divergent is a bad thing to be, and one must keep their Divergent identity a secret. At the choosing ceremony, which is when you choose which faction you want to continue living in for the rest of your life, Tris chooses Dauntless, not knowing what would happen in that faction. Throughout the book, the reader gets a good look at both the protagonists life changes in the Dauntless faction and the lifestyles of other factions. By looking at the way Tris advances in the book, we can see that sometimes it’s better to take risks and step out of your comfort zone.

In the beginning of the book, Tris is smacked in the face with a huge decision and a tough problem. After taking the aptitude test, Tris is categorized as Divergent because she fits into Abnegation, Erudite, and Dauntless. Subsequently, she has to decide which faction she wants to live the rest of her life in. However, Tris has a lot of trouble deciding which faction would be best for her. For instance, during the choosing ceremony, Tris says, “In the last circle are five metal bowls so large they could hold my entire body, if I curled up. Each one contains a substance that represents each faction: gray stones for Abnegation, water for Erudite, earth for Amity, lit coals for Dauntless, and glass for Candor. When Marcus calls my name, I will walk to the center of the three circles. I will not speak. He will offer me a knife. I will cut into my hand and sprinkle my blood into the bowl of the faction that I choose. My blood on the stones. My blood sizzling on the coals.” This quote portrays Tris’s hardships when picking the faction she will live in because she can’t perfectly fit into one faction. Additionally, I think that by looking at this scene, it is evident that Tris has a lot of trouble embracing her Divergence because she wants to be normal and she doesn’t want to have more weight on her shoulders by secretly being an outcast. But, throughout the time she has deciding which faction to go to, Tris always comes back to the realization that Abnegation is better for her because she’s familiar to it. In contrast to this behavior, Tris ends up choosing Dauntless, which she knows hardly anything of. Later on in the same scene of the choosing ceremony, Tris says, “I hold the knife in my right hand and touch the blade to my palm. Gritting my teeth, I drag the blade down. It stings, but I barely notice. I hold both hands to my chest, and my next breath shudders on the way out. I open my eyes and thrust my arm out. My blood drips onto the carpet between the two bowls. Then, with a gasp I can’t contain, I shift my hand forward, and my blood sizzles on the coals. I am selfish. I am brave.” It is here that we’re first introduced to the Tris that experiments with new ideas and begins to take risks that will shape her life for the better. Having Tris pick Dauntless not only shows how she’s willing to take risks, but also how it almost seems as if she may be ready for stuff that may come out of the blue. By analyzing this quote, we can see how once Tris submits her decision to be Dauntless, she instantaneously accepts it and she seems okay with taking an enormous risk by jumping into a life in which she has no prior knowledge of.

Towards the middle of the book, Tris begins to settle into her new faction and has met new people, both friends and enemies. At one point, Tris and the rest of the Dauntless initiates play a game of capture the flag on a large stretch of land. While her team argues about their plan, Tris sees a good opportunity to get a look at the whole terrain and look for the other teams flag. “I grab a rung. It’s rusty and thin and feels like it might crumble in my hands. I put my weight on the lowest rung to test it and jump to make sure it will hold me up. The movement hurts my ribs, and I wince.” Here, it shows how Tris is taking a risk to guide her team to victory. She is enduring the pain and trying something that may hurt her, but she knows that in the end, it will help both her and her team. This makes me think that trying new things is a beneficial thing to do because it teaches you how to overcome fears, which will help later in life. Tris continues to take risks when she and the Dauntless initiates are throwing knives against a target. After one of the initiates, Al sloppily throws his knives, he is forced to stand in front of a target and not flinch as knives are thrown near him. Tris decided to take his place. “‘An idiot can stand in front of a target,’ I say. ‘It doesn’t prove anything except that you’re bullying us (the initiates). Which, as I recall, is a sign of cowardice.’ ‘Then it should be easy for you,’ Eric says. ‘If you’re willing to take his (Al’s) place.’ The last thing I want to do is stand in front of a target, but I can’t back down now. I didn’t leave myself the option.” This quote shows how Tris is risking herself in order to protect her friend Al. By looking at this scenario, I can see that this is a beneficial risk to take because it, firstly, teaches her more about selflessness and protecting others, and, secondly, it helps Tris prepare for if a situation as violent and scary as that were to ever happen again.

One of Tris’s largest risks is at the end of the book. During a war in which Erudite uses themselves and puts Dauntless soldiers under stimulation, Tobias, who is Tris’s advisor in Dauntless, is also Divergent, and is now Tris’s boyfriend as well, is brainwashed and controls the stimulations themselves. Tris makes her way into the control room, after taking many smaller risks and fighting her way to get to this room, and she is faced with the confused and mostly angry Tobias. But, she doesn’t move out of the room. Instead, she tries to get him out of his stimulation. “I set my gun down at my feet. ‘Drop your weapon!’ shouts Tobias. ‘I did’, I say. A little voice sings that he can’t hear me, he can’t see me, he doesn’t know me”….”I can’t beat Tobias in a fight, I know that already. But I have to destroy the computer. I dive for the gun, but before I can touch it, he grabs me and wrenches me to the side.” This scene shows not only the risk Tris is taking by not giving up and walking out of the room to save herself, but it shows that some risks feed off of determination, and that in order for someone to take a leap of faith, they must be determined to experience the end result. Tris trying to save Tobias is an example of a healthy risk because she believes she can save him and she needs him in her life; it shows how much she loves him. If Tris gave up, it would show her as a person who had no faith in herself, which would be unhealthy for her. Overall, Tris’s decision to remain with Tobias was helpful to both Tobias and her.

In Divergent by Veronica Roth, the protagonist gets through many complicated situations by 

taking risks and giving new things a try. By taking a close look at the risks Tris takes, we can see that trying new things and taking risks feed off of a desire or determination to either want or conquer something, or they feed off of love. Tris’s courage, bravery, and the way she takes risks show the reader that stepping out of your comfort zone is a very good thing to do. Also, by looking at the plot of the book, it shows how taking that huge jump is extremely beneficial because there may be an obstacle that pops into your life that is hard to overcome by taking baby steps. Risk taking is preparation for things that may pop up in the future. In our lives today, we are forced to take many risks, just as Tris has to. Though we don’t live in a dystopian society, we do have some bad aspects, as well as good, in our lives and trying new things is the key to moving on in life. Trying new things is crucial in our lives. The adjustment to having to try in life is a huge one, but a beneficial and important one. In conclusion, Taking risks can be a beneficial thing, and the way Tris progresses in Divergent proves this.

Reading Response #2 "ASHES"

Divorce is a complex issue that many families struggle with. The short story “Ashes”, by Susan Beth Pfeffer, is about a young teenager named Ashes, who is facing troubles in her life involving her divorced mother and father. In the story, we are introduced to both parents; the providing, affectionate father, and the responsible, prepared mother. Then, when Ashes and her father take a trip to a diner, Ashes father tries to coax her into taking her mother's emergency money, which consists of two hundred dollars. During this situation, Ashes is torn between which parents she should benefit, and she is also realizes that there are sides to both her parents that she hasn't noticed before. Through Ashes’ relationships with each of her parents, we see how complicated it is for teenagers and parents to maintain healthy relationships.

The bond Ashes has with her father changes throughout the story. At the very beginning of the story, Ashes describes their relationship as strong and positive. “That winter, it felt like every time I saw my father, the sun cast off just a little more warmth than it had the day before. I don’t remember a gray day when I saw him.” This quote shows how the symbol of the warm sun portrays the positivity and comfort in the relationship Ashes has with her father. The quote also shows how Ashes feels jubilant when she’s with her father. However, later in the story, Ashes’ realizes that there is another side to her father that she doesn’t like. In the diner when Ashes' father asks her to steal her mother's emergency money for him, Ashes knows that stealing the money is an awful thing to do. In contrast, she also doesn’t want to let her father down. When Ashes father drops her off to get the money, the text says, “I looked out the window and saw only ash gray sky. In the cold stillness of the night, I could hear my father’s car keening in the distance. ‘You’re one in a million,’ it cried.” Here, the story shows that when Ashes’ father told her that she’s “one in a million,” he was manipulating Ashes, by reassuring her that she’s an amazing daughter, in order to get the money. Also, because the gray sky and keening car are take on a gloomy feel to them, they represent how Ashes is discovering that, sadly, her father isn’t the parent that will always make her feel so cheerful and carefree.

On the other hand, the relationship Ashes has with her mom isn’t as affectionate as the one Ashes has with her dad. Ashes’ mother is very efficient, practical, and prepared for any obstacle that might come her way. Nevertheless, Ashes feels that her mother doesn’t admire her in the way that her dad does, but, if she does, she doesn't show it in the same way. Ashes says, “Mom might never be caught without batteries or tissues, but she just called me Ashleigh---a name she didn’t even like---and never promised me anything.” This quote demonstrates how Ashes’ relationship with her mom is less warmhearted and a bit distant. But, although Ashes’ mom has some flaws to her, she is a good mom because she is smart, and she provides for Ashes. The fact that she’s always prepared depicts that Ashes’ mom is responsible and wants Ashes to be responsible as well. Not only does Ashes’ mom take on the important role of being a good, nourishing mother, but she gives Ashes a sense of protection. For instance, when Ashes’ enters her mother’s apartment after her father dropped her off to get the money, Ashes says, “I got out of the car and ran over to the apartment. I took the elevator to the tenth floor and unlocked the door. The apartment was quiet. It always felt a little colder when Mom wasn’t there. Even with the lights turned on, it always seemed a little darker.” When reading this quote, is it seen that when Ashes is with her mother, she feels safe and as if she is in good hands. Here, it is evident that Ashes really sees how much of a positive impact her mother has had on her. Ashes’ transformation of feelings for her mother happened specifically when Ashes and her father are at the diner, and Ashes realizes that her father has been manipulating her to get the money. Because Ashes detected this side to her father, Ashes really beings to feel definite that her mother has been a good parent. Ashes’ mom looks out for her and makes sure that she is okay while her father thinks more for himself. We know the father is a bit selfish because he sometimes uses Ashes to get what he wants, as shown in the case of wanting the money. Overall, Ashes realizes that her and her mother are closer than how their bond was described at the beginning of the story.

When reading “Ashes”, it’s clear that Ashes doesn’t manage a very healthy relationship with either of her parents. At the beginning of the story, we saw how Ashes dad gave off a good, optimistic vibe, and we were shown that the two have a very strong and positive relationship. But, later in the story, Ashes notices a side to her father that makes her feel gray and makes their bond weaker and dishonest. This causes Ashes to feel this way because she identifies that when her father brings out his worse side, he manipulates Ashes in order to get something, like in the diner. When we were first introduced to the mother, she seemed like she didn’t make Ashes feel so vibrant and warm because she doesn’t show much verbal affection. Their relationship almost seemed undefined. However, we see that under all her readiness and realness, she does give Ashes protection and warmth We discover that their bond has been stronger and more positive when Ashes' father is driving Ashes home to take the money. Ashes realizes that her mom doesn't put her in uncomfortable situations and always makes sure Ashes is okay and has what she needs. Additionally, by taking a closer look at how Ashes interacts with both of her parents, we see that teenagers and parents have trouble managing a healthy relationship. With Ashes and her father, we are shown a relationship that completely morphs itself into something that makes Ashes feel uncomfortable around her father. With Ashes and her mother, the relationship starts off distant but changes into something that makes Ashes feel better and closer to her mother. Although one bond may have turned into something better, both ways of communicating show how hard it is to keep a healthy and stable relationship with a parent. The fact that both relationships went through major changes portrays how unstable they were. This is something many teenagers are facing, because, like Ashes and her parents, their families could be coping with something difficult to manage as well. Through all of this, it is arduous for them and their parents to preserve a healthy relationship. To conclude, reading “Ashes,” by Susan Beth Pfeffer, shows that teenagers and parents face many complications when trying to sustain a sturdy, healthy, and happy relationship.

                                                                       

Reading Response #1 TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE

Evy Rahmey 802                                                                                                                9/16/14

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, by Jenny Han, is a book about a girl named Lara Jean, who is entering her junior year of high school. Since a while ago, Lara Jean has been writing love letters to all the boys that she has loved. She sealed them, addressed them, but never sent them, and, instead, put them in a teal hatbox kept in her room. One day, these letters are sent out, causing Lara Jean’s life to turn upside down once the first boy told her about the love letter he got from her. 

When Peter Kavinsky, a guy in Lara Jean’s grade, gets his love letter, Lara Jean says it was from eighth grade. He laughs at the letter and doesn’t really think it’s a big deal. Then, when Lara Jean’s close family friend and neighbor, Josh, gets his letter, Lara Jean panics and says that the letter is from eighth grade, even though it was recently written. Then, to cover up that she doesn’t still like him, (even though she does) Lara Jean spots Peter in the hallway and kisses him. He kisses back and everyone is stunned. After this, Lara Jean asks Peter if they can fake date, meaning that they would act like a couple in public and at school, but not actually like each other. Peter agrees to the fake relationship, and they begin to fake date. Throughout To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, the author portrays how Lara Jean’s personality changes once Peter came back into her life.

One way in which Lara Jean’s personality changes after Peter comes back into her life is that she begins to stop hanging out with Josh. Before Peter, Josh drives her to school and hangs out with with her and her little sister, Kitty, after school. Once Lara Jean and Peter begin to fake date, Peter picks her up from school, and even takes Kitty to school, and he also comes over after school to hang out with her and Kitty. Josh beings to notice this different vibe between him and Lara Jean, and he’s sad that they’ve become so distant and they don’t have the same friendship anymore. Lara Jean doesn’t notice this as much as Josh because she has a lot of fun around Peter after she gets used to spending a lot of time with him. This infuriates Josh because he feels that Peter will eventually replace him for good as the person who is tightly knit with Lara Jean and her family. Josh also gets mad at Lara Jean for not even making an effort in hanging out with him. 

A second difference in Lara Jean’s personality after Peter comes back into her life is how she acts around people in general. Before Peter, Lara Jean isn’t as out there and she’s not as social with people that she isn’t already friendly with. After Lara Jean and Peter hang out a lot because of their fake dating, Lara Jean is introduced to Peter’s huge amount of friends and gets to know them better. Because Peter is the most popular boy in the grade, and probably the school, Lara Jean is also brought to a party and learns what is going on in her grade that she used to not be apart of. This really changes her because she becomes someone who has developed better social skills that will ultimately help her in her high school life. 

In conclusion, Lara Jean’s personality changes when Peter comes back into her life. By using this example of shifting someone’s personality, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before has really opened up my eyes to the world and make me notice that many people’s personalities have changed when even one individual enters their life. This book teaches me that we need to be open to new people and we need to be aware about how they impact us. All in all, To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before, by Jenny Han, shows the transition in Lara Jean’s personality as Peter Kavinsky enters her life once again.