I love graphic novels, so when I first picked up Persepolis from the bookstore, I was very interested to know what it would be about. It turns out that it was totally different from any graphic novel I've ever read. I'm used to Japanese and American graphic novels, which have varying topics and styles of their own. This graphic novel was by an Iranian woman and had a strong hint of historical fiction and memoir mixed in with it. The only graphic novel of its kind, I would think. It is definitely very unique.
Much of the story is very believable as it is based on the author's life as she grew up in Iran. The readers are very willing to view through Marjane's eyes and experience what she encounters. She has a very compelling story to tell. Every person she meets in her life is just as valuable to her as they are to the readers. Readers are able to relate to her feelings of hate, anger, rebellion, and amusement as she encounters repression from her government in many aspects of her life. She is a strong character that is a great example of a child who comes of age as she learns more about her government and her country and how they affect the people around her.
Persepolis opens one's eyes to a history of a people most think are terrorists, or something of the like. It gives readers great details of Iranian life during the reign of the Shah, the Islamic Revolution, and the war between Iran and Iraq. The most important aspect of the history of Iran that comes across is the repression the Iranian people experienced. Satrapi explains how woman were made to wear veils to prevent themselves from being raped, how people who opposed the government were placed in jail without judgment or evidence, and how people imposed the governments rules and took advantage of their powers. For adolescents and adults alike, this story would be moving and powerful and very eye opening.
As a graphic novel, Persepolis has many visuals that accompany quite a bit of text. Satrapi's illustrations are powerful at times and give emphasis to the feelings that are shared within the text. The images provide a view of a world many people in America have never seen. The images fill readers with many emotions and even make us laugh. Satrapi's viewpoints are illustrated clearly so we may understand even without words. I'm sure adolescents would definitely enjoy reading a graphic novel rather than a novel titled Persepolis, as many adolescents are visual learners. Satrapi's visual aids are very helpful in comprehending the words that are stated.
Persepolis is a graphic novel of its own kind. I'm sure I may never see another like it for a long time. Though I have a love for graphic novels and may like to create some of my own someday, I don't know if I could grasp the skill of using images to accompany text in such a perfect way. I would love to learn to do that. As a reader, I would recommend this story to any who enjoy graphic novels and would like to learn about a land different from their own.
Works Cited
Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. New York: Pantheon, 2003. Print.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
I don't recall ever reading many historical fiction novels before I set my eyes on A Northern Light. Of the ones I have read--The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman being one of them--I have never cared more for the characters than I have for the characters of A Northern Light. They were very complex characters that had many obstacles to overcome and decisions to make. Mattie, the narrator, has to overcome sexism and her responsibility to her family in order to accomplish her dream of becoming a writer. Weaver, Mattie's friend, has to overcome racism in order for his dream of becoming a lawyer to come true. They have to decide if they must become independent on their own or remain dependent on their families. They must decide to keep promises or break them.
Mattie, her family, her friends, and her neighbors were all very believable characters with complex lives. They each led a difficult life but tried their best to overcome each obstacle. Their problems are a real eye opener for young adult readers. Poverty, familial responsibilities, sexism, and racism--many people experience these aspects of life. This novel gives readers insight into each aspect and helps readers learn how people can be affected by them. The reactions of each character to each difficulty is realistic and makes a reader think of the world we live in now and how it's not all the different from the world in this novel.
A Northern Light definitely provides a great example its genre, historical fiction. It is set in the early 1900s, a time when $25 was an amount of money only rich people could afford to spend freely. Many aspects of the story show distinct details from this distant time in America's past. Details such as the food that was most commonly eaten by people who lived in farm communities, the transportation used in that time, and chores that every member of the family had to do to take care of a farm. Such enriching details help readers imagine with ease the life that Mattie has.
The most interesting aspect that Donnelly added to this historical fiction novel was the true story of Grace Brown, a woman who was murdered by the man who impregnated her. Grace's story was probably what kept me reading the most, even though most of it came from letters she left with Mattie. I desperately wanted to know what happened to Grace and I loved reading Grace's letters along with Mattie. However, I feel bad that Grace's story seemed more important to me than Mattie's. Maybe it was because Grace's story greatly affected the ending of Mattie's story.
A Northern Light seems to be a massive story that involves the lives of many characters. I'm not sure many adolescents would be interested in reading it, unless they are interested in murder mysteries and life in the early 1900s. I think my first thoughts of it was that I liked the characters, but I disliked how long the novel was. As a writer, I think what I would take from this novel is the realistic aspects of life and how there are always obstacles to overcome in one's life.
Works Cited
Donnelly, Jennifer. A Northern Light. Orlando: Harcourt, 2004. Print.
Mattie, her family, her friends, and her neighbors were all very believable characters with complex lives. They each led a difficult life but tried their best to overcome each obstacle. Their problems are a real eye opener for young adult readers. Poverty, familial responsibilities, sexism, and racism--many people experience these aspects of life. This novel gives readers insight into each aspect and helps readers learn how people can be affected by them. The reactions of each character to each difficulty is realistic and makes a reader think of the world we live in now and how it's not all the different from the world in this novel.
A Northern Light definitely provides a great example its genre, historical fiction. It is set in the early 1900s, a time when $25 was an amount of money only rich people could afford to spend freely. Many aspects of the story show distinct details from this distant time in America's past. Details such as the food that was most commonly eaten by people who lived in farm communities, the transportation used in that time, and chores that every member of the family had to do to take care of a farm. Such enriching details help readers imagine with ease the life that Mattie has.
The most interesting aspect that Donnelly added to this historical fiction novel was the true story of Grace Brown, a woman who was murdered by the man who impregnated her. Grace's story was probably what kept me reading the most, even though most of it came from letters she left with Mattie. I desperately wanted to know what happened to Grace and I loved reading Grace's letters along with Mattie. However, I feel bad that Grace's story seemed more important to me than Mattie's. Maybe it was because Grace's story greatly affected the ending of Mattie's story.
A Northern Light seems to be a massive story that involves the lives of many characters. I'm not sure many adolescents would be interested in reading it, unless they are interested in murder mysteries and life in the early 1900s. I think my first thoughts of it was that I liked the characters, but I disliked how long the novel was. As a writer, I think what I would take from this novel is the realistic aspects of life and how there are always obstacles to overcome in one's life.
Works Cited
Donnelly, Jennifer. A Northern Light. Orlando: Harcourt, 2004. Print.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Feed by M. T. Anderson
When I first opened Feed, while wondering if I should buy or rent it from my college bookstore, I was intrigued by the words the narrator used and how they were used. Words such as youch and shit-all and null. I wanted to learn what they meant in the context of the book and was happy to do so once my literature class started to read and discuss the book. I urged myself to discover the meaning of each word that wasn't commonly used in the world outside of the book. But as I continued reading, I found myself fascinated with the idea of the feed, a microchip that was implanted into everyone's brains with which they could access the internet and programs. They had everything before them right inside their head. The narrator, Titus, acted as if that was all he needed in the world and did not like it at all when he was disconnected from the "Feednet." I thought it was such a silly thought he had, but as I continued to read, I realized that in that future America they lived in, the feed was connected to vital parts of the brain, and if the feed broke, their bodies would be negatively affected. Violet, the girl that Titus meets on the moon, learns this the hard way. The feed, as the title would suggest, is a very important part of this novel.
The main theme of Feed is relevant to today's world and how many view the world. The theme that the media controls what people think of the world around them is strongly prevalent in how all the teens only want to have the most popular things. They only wore clothes and hairstyles that were "in" at the time, which constantly changed every week. They don't seem to care how it's disgusting or ugly, like when the lesions on their skin were made into a trend. What was most important to them was how others viewed them from the outside, from their appearance. Teenagers of today can definitely relate to that view.
The way both Titus and Violet viewed the world made them believable characters that teenage readers could relate to. The author convinces us of the values of many of the people of this futuristic world through Titus's perspective. Teenage readers can relate to him because he is a teenager who listens to music, goes to school, and hangs out with friends like any other teenager of our world. Many adolescent readers probably also have the same mentality as him--that they don't care to know about the complications of the world around them. Violet's perspective is the opposite of Titus's. She wants to know the reasons why everything is the way it is, and why she should go along with what the media and everyone else around her says. She wants to learn about the world through first-hand experience, not through some machine that tells her what it's like. However, she still yearns to fit in with the kids around her.
Feed clearly identifies itself as a science fiction novel set in the future. A reader can tell it is set in the future because Titus refers to the times when computers were objects you carried outside of the body, instead of it being implanted in your brain. Titus also mentions upcars, which are cars that hover in the air. He also talks about artificial weather that has become a natural part of his world. Feed is one of few novels that involves a futuristic society that puts twists on the aspects of today's society. It shows how consumerism can go too far in that it can control the value of a person, depending on how marketable they are. The world of the novel is controlled by corporations and education has been devalued. Schools have become institutions where kids learned how to use their feed to its full capabilities, rather than a place of learning about the world. This future society shines a light on how we should feel about today's society.
I think Feed is an excellent novel for teenagers and makes you really think about the world around you. As a writer, I would love to write about worlds that parallel the world one lives in and makes you think about the values of the world. As a reader, I would recommend this novel to those who love to learn about new worlds, their vernacular, and their values.
Works Cited
The main theme of Feed is relevant to today's world and how many view the world. The theme that the media controls what people think of the world around them is strongly prevalent in how all the teens only want to have the most popular things. They only wore clothes and hairstyles that were "in" at the time, which constantly changed every week. They don't seem to care how it's disgusting or ugly, like when the lesions on their skin were made into a trend. What was most important to them was how others viewed them from the outside, from their appearance. Teenagers of today can definitely relate to that view.
The way both Titus and Violet viewed the world made them believable characters that teenage readers could relate to. The author convinces us of the values of many of the people of this futuristic world through Titus's perspective. Teenage readers can relate to him because he is a teenager who listens to music, goes to school, and hangs out with friends like any other teenager of our world. Many adolescent readers probably also have the same mentality as him--that they don't care to know about the complications of the world around them. Violet's perspective is the opposite of Titus's. She wants to know the reasons why everything is the way it is, and why she should go along with what the media and everyone else around her says. She wants to learn about the world through first-hand experience, not through some machine that tells her what it's like. However, she still yearns to fit in with the kids around her.
Feed clearly identifies itself as a science fiction novel set in the future. A reader can tell it is set in the future because Titus refers to the times when computers were objects you carried outside of the body, instead of it being implanted in your brain. Titus also mentions upcars, which are cars that hover in the air. He also talks about artificial weather that has become a natural part of his world. Feed is one of few novels that involves a futuristic society that puts twists on the aspects of today's society. It shows how consumerism can go too far in that it can control the value of a person, depending on how marketable they are. The world of the novel is controlled by corporations and education has been devalued. Schools have become institutions where kids learned how to use their feed to its full capabilities, rather than a place of learning about the world. This future society shines a light on how we should feel about today's society.
I think Feed is an excellent novel for teenagers and makes you really think about the world around you. As a writer, I would love to write about worlds that parallel the world one lives in and makes you think about the values of the world. As a reader, I would recommend this novel to those who love to learn about new worlds, their vernacular, and their values.
Works Cited
Anderson, M. T. Feed. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick, 2004. Print.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
I remember reading A Wizard of Earthsea when I was in high school (or was it middle school?). The scene that stayed with me the most was the one atop the hill near Roke in which Ged tried to summon the dead and in the process brought into the world a shadow beast. I do not remember if I read the book in its entirety but I do remember having the feeling that the shadow beast was a part of Ged in some way. This scene that stayed in my mind was what made me want to read it again. As it did when I first read it, Le Guin's style of writing and the way she began the tale of Ged from his childhood made me want to continue reading. I wanted to learn more about Ged and his lifestyle and about the place he lived. The geography in his world seemed to be a very important aspect of the story. Le Guin connects each place Ged visits to a lesson he learns. Though I am afraid the deeper meanings behind the story may be lost to most who read it during adolescence, I believe the main theme of the story remains with the reader: learning how to keep balanced the good and evil in oneself, which in turn keeps the world in balance.
Believable characters are what make a story most imprinted in one's mind. Ged is a very believable character, whose emotions were clear to see. The reader almost seems to grow up with him. The reader experiences along with him the wonder of magic and the words that are used along with enchantment. The reader wants to learn all the words, hoping to control everything around them as Ged seems to be able to, thinking that magic may help Ged be able to do whatever he wants. However, as Ged grows and lives with Ogion, a renowned wizard, and experiences life at the school of wizardry at Roke Isle, the reader learns that knowledge of these words isn't the only thing that makes wizards powerful, it is knowing when to use these words.
The main theme of A Wizard of Earthsea was evident in many of the scenes of the story. Such as within the scene in which the Master Hand, one of the teachers in the school for wizards, tells Ged of the balance of the world: "The world is in balance, in Equilibrium. A wizard's power ... can shake the balance of the world. It is dangerous, that power. It is most perilous. It must follow knowledge, and serve need. To light a candle is to cast a shadow..." (44). The balance of the world was very important in the world of Earthsea and wizards were important players in keeping the world balanced, which Ged learned the hard way. What appeared to be most important in the end was accepting the part of oneself that has "evil" emotions, such as pride and envy, in it. I think this aspect of the story would help adolescents come to terms with themselves and who they are. It helps the reader learn that one must accept oneself before trying to help bring peace to the world around them.
Le Guin writes a fantasy book with, I believe, the most important apects of its genre: magic and escapism. Every chapter of the book involves one character or another using magic, and furthers Ged's journey of learning about magic. Le Guin shows the reader that magic is a deep source of power that comes with consequences. Magic must be used appropriately and never wasted. With magic, a wizard may learn of the history of his world and its language. The power of magic helps the reader escape into the world of Earthsea and travel with Ged along the many seas of Earthsea.
Although I believe A Wizard of Earthsea is most appropriate for those who like to view the word in a very mature and deep way, there are parts of the book that make it perfect for a young adult audience, such as the wonder of magic. As a writer, what I would love to take away from this wonderful work of literature is they style of writing and how Le Guin makes the fictional world's geography an important part of the main character's life. As a reader of young adult fiction, I would love to recommend it to anyone who loves wizards and magic.
Works Cited
Le Guin, Ursula K. A Wizard of Earthsea. New York, NY: Bantam Dell, 2004. Print.
Believable characters are what make a story most imprinted in one's mind. Ged is a very believable character, whose emotions were clear to see. The reader almost seems to grow up with him. The reader experiences along with him the wonder of magic and the words that are used along with enchantment. The reader wants to learn all the words, hoping to control everything around them as Ged seems to be able to, thinking that magic may help Ged be able to do whatever he wants. However, as Ged grows and lives with Ogion, a renowned wizard, and experiences life at the school of wizardry at Roke Isle, the reader learns that knowledge of these words isn't the only thing that makes wizards powerful, it is knowing when to use these words.
The main theme of A Wizard of Earthsea was evident in many of the scenes of the story. Such as within the scene in which the Master Hand, one of the teachers in the school for wizards, tells Ged of the balance of the world: "The world is in balance, in Equilibrium. A wizard's power ... can shake the balance of the world. It is dangerous, that power. It is most perilous. It must follow knowledge, and serve need. To light a candle is to cast a shadow..." (44). The balance of the world was very important in the world of Earthsea and wizards were important players in keeping the world balanced, which Ged learned the hard way. What appeared to be most important in the end was accepting the part of oneself that has "evil" emotions, such as pride and envy, in it. I think this aspect of the story would help adolescents come to terms with themselves and who they are. It helps the reader learn that one must accept oneself before trying to help bring peace to the world around them.
Le Guin writes a fantasy book with, I believe, the most important apects of its genre: magic and escapism. Every chapter of the book involves one character or another using magic, and furthers Ged's journey of learning about magic. Le Guin shows the reader that magic is a deep source of power that comes with consequences. Magic must be used appropriately and never wasted. With magic, a wizard may learn of the history of his world and its language. The power of magic helps the reader escape into the world of Earthsea and travel with Ged along the many seas of Earthsea.
Although I believe A Wizard of Earthsea is most appropriate for those who like to view the word in a very mature and deep way, there are parts of the book that make it perfect for a young adult audience, such as the wonder of magic. As a writer, what I would love to take away from this wonderful work of literature is they style of writing and how Le Guin makes the fictional world's geography an important part of the main character's life. As a reader of young adult fiction, I would love to recommend it to anyone who loves wizards and magic.
Works Cited
Le Guin, Ursula K. A Wizard of Earthsea. New York, NY: Bantam Dell, 2004. Print.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Literacy History
I don't remember when I first learned to read, but my mother has told me about a time during kindergarten when I constantly wanted to read stories to everyone around me. She made it sound as if I was very enthusiastic about reading. It makes me smile to hear her say that, because I'm still very enthusiastic about it. Not for the same reasons as when I was a child, I'm sure. When I was young, I think I had a hard time learning how to read because my premature birth affected my speaking and--the doctors thought--my comprehension. When I finally learned how to read on my own, I'm sure I was eager to share words with other people through reading them out loud and writing them.
Throughout elementary school, I don't remember if I went to the library often, but I do remember reading any book that was given to me. I enjoyed reading books a lot. I think that was the period of time in which I was subscribed to a reading list(?) for The Boxcar Children and Goosebumps. After reading many of The Boxcar Children books (I unsubscribed after about 20 or 30), I found myself reading The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books from the local library. The mystery genre was definitely my favorite genre at the time. Though I've only read a few books from each of those mystery series, they imparted a sense of adventure in me. I wanted to be able to travel to different places and discover amazing things, find clues and solve problems, just like the main characters did. Mystery books led me to fantasy adventure books.
During middle school, Lloyd Alexander's fantasy series The Chronicles of Prydain made me want to read more of his works. So far, I've read about half of his books. All of his works have such memorable characters that one would love to be friends with. I also discovered Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events during that time and fell in love with the voice of the narrator. Japanese comics, called manga, also popped into my life. The visuals and stories drew me in instantly. Now these graphic novels have become a major part of my little library.
During middle school, Lloyd Alexander's fantasy series The Chronicles of Prydain made me want to read more of his works. So far, I've read about half of his books. All of his works have such memorable characters that one would love to be friends with. I also discovered Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events during that time and fell in love with the voice of the narrator. Japanese comics, called manga, also popped into my life. The visuals and stories drew me in instantly. Now these graphic novels have become a major part of my little library.
Though I dabbled in mystery, my high school years were mostly filled with books of fantasy, and yaoi and shonenai manga, which consist of stories about homosexual male couples. For some reason, reading about gay male couples really interests me. While fantasy novels let me explore other worlds, which inspired me to write my own worlds. One day, I came across The Wizard of Earthsea at the local library. I loved the beautiful language used by Ursula K. Le Guin, however, I did not take an interest in reading The Tombs of Atuan, the sequel to The Wizard of Earthsea. There was a phase during high school in which I read adult fantasy books. I guess romance and battles really interested me at that time, since that's what adult fantasy novels tend to have in them. They were also bulkier than juvenile and young adult fiction and made me look smarter, not that I really cared about that. Near the end of my high school career, I started to look toward more realistic fiction, as my life was becoming a bit scarier, you could say.
My interest in yaoi and shonenai manga has caused me to venture into the realm of LGBT fiction. It really opens up my mind to the world around me. One book that really affected my views of humans as a whole is David Levithan's Love is the Higher Law, a novel about three teens who live in New York and their response to the events after 9/11. This story really touched my heart. I've grown into an adult (I guess you could say that I'm still a young adult according to some of the readings) that very much loves reading and writing young adult literature. Books help me learn so many things I don't think I could have learned as I walked my path in life, or probably would have learned way later in my life. I would love to share my mind, as my favorite authors have, to those who are willing to read my work. I would love to share my enthusiasm.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)