Stand Up For Yourself And Others

Author's Note: This is an essay written to show my knowledge on theme.

If you were on a cliff with your worst enemy and you were given the opportunity to push them off, would you?  Mission (un)Popular by Anna Humphrey teaches readers a phenomenal moral, basically stating that whenever someone is out to get you -- if you get the chance to give them a taste of their own medicine, you should choose not to.  Either karma will come around or the guilt will eat away at you  Margot, Em, and Sarah's acquaintances realize why after they practically send Sarah to her death bed.  Throughout the book there are many themes, but the main theme is courage and bravery. 

There are multiple reasons to as why the theme could be considered; courage and bravery.  The first reason occurs early in the book, but has a lot of influence on the entire plot.  Reason being, Margot and Em bully reported Sarah. When the news is leaked to the school, everyone believes it means you are too weak to deal with it yourself.  Personally I would disagree. I feel that it actually means that they are smart enough not to let it get too out of hand. 

Besides being brave enough to bully report Sarah, they also were also brave enough people to invite their enemy’s acquaintances to have lunch, like they did?  At the time Margot and Em were practically enemies with the acquaintances.  This was a big risk, because the acquaintances potentially could have told Sarah which would lead to her becoming thirsty for more revenge.

The third reason confirms the theme and leaves no other choice. They didn’t invite Sarah to their Anti-Pork Party.  It was very in Sarah’s face because, the name of the party, 'Anti-Pork Party' and Sarah called her party, ‘Pork Party’.  They are technically boycotting her. Additionally during the party they are playing an unreleased song by everyone's favorite band.  Naturally everyone is talking about it on Monday and Sarah is left wondering.  Sarah must have been as mad as the government when the patriots dumped all of the tea into Boston Harbor. 

Another book with the same theme is Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins.  In the beginning, the characters from both books could be described as wallflowers.  Then towards the end of both books, the main characters become known for standing up for themselves, even in the toughest of situations.  Not only do they stand up for themselves, but also for everyone that deserves to be treated better as well. 

Being brave is important to a person’s life experience, because your one and only life shouldn’t be dull.  You need to go on adventures and on those adventures you need to take risks.  Otherwise, you might live in a life full of regret and no one should have to suffer through a drab life.  Role models, such as Margot, Em, and Katniss Everdeen, are full of courage and are looked up to because of it.  It reminds me of a Stephan Hawking quote: “Quiet people have the loudest brains.

Prediction Piece

Author's Note: This entry is a prediction piece on Starters by Lissa Price.  

Introduction:  Starters Is the first book in a sequel written by, Lissa Price. The main character's name is, Callie and she is a unclaimed minor, which means her parents died in the war and she has no grandparents.  In the beginning of the book when she is squatting in an abandoned building  with Tyler and Michael and there is a fire and they are forced to find another "home". Callie knows they can't keep running from the marshals because, of time they aren't going to get so lucky and they will end up being put in an Institution so, Callie uses the secret Body Bank for money and a few mishaps take place.

Predictions: 

1. I predict that, Blake will break up with Callie.  

 2. "I need you to do a favor for me."

He looked at me for a second.  "Whatever you need."  

"Do you have some paper?  And a pen?"

He opened the glove compartment, pulled out a pen and pad, and handed them to me.  I drew the map as best I could from memory.  

"I need you to go here."  I pointed to the building.  

He peered at my drawing.  "What kind of place is this?" 

It's an abandoned office building."

"Are you kidding?"

"Please I have a friend who's had some trouble.  He needs this money."  I emptied my purse of cash.  "When you get there, park on the side street.  Don't get out of the car f you see anyone.  If it's clear, go in this door and go right to the third floor.  As soon as you're on the floor, call out his name--Michael-- and say 'Callie has a message for you.'  Wait for him to come out, don't go into any rooms."

I held out the cash but Blake didn't take it.

You're joking, right?  He gave a nervous laugh.

"I'm serious."

3.  Blake feels like he is being used by Callie. Callie asked him to deliver the money to Michael and Tyler with specific directions, which made it seem to Michael like she didn’t trust him completely but, there is no one else that will do it for her.  Connecting to The Hunger Games when, Peeta feels like he is being used to kill President Snow.  

1. I predict that, Callie will feel guilty about falling in love with Blake and be jealous of Florina and Michael.

2."What are you doing?" I said.  My tone was accusatory.  On purpose.

The girl turned her head to me.  "Just hanging him some water.  Have a problem with that?"  

I recognized her.  Florina.  The girl Michael had introduced me to just as I'd been leaving for the body band.  She looked like she was about to throw that cup at me, but Tyler called my name.

3. When she first meets Florina, she acts like Michael and her were madly in love. She gets defensive and she loses  her self-confidence.  Just like, how Katniss forgot about Gale during the Hunger Games and how Peeta and Katniss's relationship is all made-up and feels guilty towards Gale.

1. I predict that, Callie will find a way to go and see Tyler and Michael.

2. "And you really don't want to do it yourself?  Or come with me?"

And have the bdy bank see me go back home?  "I wish I could, but I really can't go there.  And he really needs this now."

3. Callie is helping Helena out with finding information on Emma's death so, maybe Helena will help her find a way to go and see Tyler and MIchael through her friend that connected their minds. This is sort of like when Katniss wanted to go and see Prim and Gale during the Hunger Games.

1. I predict that, Callie will go back to Prime

2. Listen . . . please . . .

A chill went up my spine.  No.  That Voice again.  IN my head.  If I was imaginging it, I was doing a great jobm because it sounded so very real.  This was all wrong.  I had to get out of here. 

Wherever the Voice was coming from--from my mind or from someone else--the next words stavved at me like needles. 

Listen . . . important . . . Callie . . . do not return to . . . Prime Destinations.  

3. Callie doesn’t want Helena to murder anyone. Especially because, her body will be framed. Since, she is also still in the body bank she doesn’t if she will be stuck forever. Just like how Peeta doesn’t want Katniss to assassinate President Snow.

1. I predict that, Michael sold his body to the body bank.

2. "So how long has Michael been gone?"

He didn't come home last night," Tyler said.

That wasn't like Michael.  I didn't want to ask the obvious in front of Tyler, but Florina and I traded loos.  Had the marshals picked him up?

We had a little spat," she said.  "He stormed out."  

Then maybe he's cooling off somewhere."  There were endless possibilities.  Maybe he ran into someone he knew, maybe he was beaten up and lying in an alley.  Maybe . . .

"What did you guys argue about?"

"Nothing important."

3. It only makes sense because, Michael is no where to be found and Tyler is getting worse and needs medicine to save his life.  Which, relates to when Katniss, in the Hunger Games, volunteered as tribute for Prim.  

Ending: Within what seemed as seconds the sun set and I realized I was supposed to find Tyler tonight.  Not finding him tonight means that the Institution has one more to day to capture him.  If they hadn't already.  My thoughts quickly changed back to Sara and how her death was for Tyler but, not just for him.  It was for me too and I needed to squat  before the Renegades attacked me again.  I quicken my pace but, then came to a stop in front of a five-star restaurant.  The type of restaurant that made your mouth water because, of it's smell.  I was starving but, my money had been confiscated by the evil Mrs. Beatty.  I could afford one of the many hotels I had passed but, it was all a dream.  It was too was comfy of a life.  I missed my old life but, I missed Tyler even more.  And Michael.  Blake crossed my mind and within an instant the thought banished.  It was like a Zaptaser zapping me back to reality.  Dizziness rushed through my veins. Then pain blocked all of my thoughts.  This pain I had felt previously.  The pain was replaced by a more pleasurable feeling.  Faint.  Then, I heard a whisper that seemed as if it were in my ear.  "Callie?"  

Brought to Their Strengths

Author's Note: This is a Character Development essay on Justin Bieber. 

Justin Bieber was born with a phenomenal talent, but he lived in a small town where he wasn’t recognized.  Soon with the help of his family he created a YouTube account and started uploading videos of himself singing. Justin and his mom thought only a few family members and friends would view the video, but within one night there were one million views.  One of the viewers happened to be a music manager, who later guided him into the music industry.  Throughout the titanic change in his life a few smaller changes were made. 

For one, his lyrics in his first album, My World I were about his "baby", with the appeal of  crushing.  When he wrote the album he was only thirteen years old.  On the complete opposite hand, the lyrics in his Believe Album are about his girlfriend.  He has grown up.  He is now nineteen and if he hadn't made this change he would have lost older fans.  His younger fans think music is music, he didn't lose any of those fans.  To people like me, every lyric he voices places my heart in a new place in my chest or creates a new beat.  Along with his lyrics his voice has additionally changed.  Before his voice was more soprano and now it is drastically differed.  It has grown much lower.  The adjustment in his lyrics, he could help but, his voice changing wasn’t something he could prevent from happening. He has made some drastic changes all because, he just wants to be him. I went to his concert on October 21st, at the Bradley Center and during the performance he made it clear to each and every fan out there, he just wanted to be him. 

Justin Bieber reminds me of Katniss Everdeen, the main character in the trilogy, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, which is a vastly popular book.  When you are reading the book a ritual starts to develop, continual pages being turned.  In the beginning of the Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen is a normal citizen of District 12.  Her one goal in life was to keep Prim alive through the simplest things, starvation to, the most difficult things, their father’s death.  Prim is an emotional wreck and the Hunger Games strike her nerve because, Prim is chosen as tribute and Katniss has no other choice, but to volunteer.  Her survival during the 74^th annual Hunger Games is vital to Prim.  Justin Bieber may have lost his competition but, even they still went in the same direction and became the people on top of the world.  She stays strong with the strength within her she never knew she had, through the dragging and tough experience, which crowns her, a victor.  Her goal transforms into something greater, destroying the capitol and with her mindset she persuaded the districts to boycott the Capitol.  Throughout both of their journeys they learned how to persuade people with ease.  She set her mind to it and she made it happen, just like Justin Bieber.  He set his mind to sharing his god given talents with the world and he made it happen.

A few smaller changes have been made throughout the titanic alter in his life.  Justin Bieber and Katniss Everdeen were brought to their strengths through competitions.  Both make big decisions, for the better of others.  Helping us become stronger and to have more believe in ourselves and the world.  

What I Would Tell Ameria's Founding Fathers

Author’s Note: I wrote this essay in the form of a letter, answering the question, What would you tell America’s Founding Fathers?  This essay will be submitted into a contest.

Dear America’s Founding Fathers,

            Hysteria in the streets, citizens setting anything within sight on fire, almost every citizen screaming, rocks being thrown from every angle.  All settled by the laws you established.  If it weren’t for the commandments you signed, the population would come to a minimum within two weeks at most.

If The Women’s Rights Law wasn’t signed, I may not have my rights today, as the woman I am.  When I turn eighteen I have the right to vote.  I have my say in whom I want to run me and my neighbors and I would like to thank you for that.  I cannot imagine having no say in how I would like my following four years to turn out.  In addition if it weren’t for this law being created, more laws for women’s rights would not have been formed and I would not be treated as I would like to be.   

     Considering The Women’s Rights Law, if not signed, would change my rights today, The Equal Rights Law, if not signed, would also change my life.  One of my best friends and I weren’t born anywhere near each other but, since she moved here and is living here, we are friends, who are able to hear each other and look at each other, but we wouldn’t be able to be if you didn’t acknowledge the fact that it was not right, and change it.  Not being able to hang-out or talk with her would be extremely painful.  I would like to again thank you for your great job of the shaping of our country.

     The population would come to a minimum within two weeks at most, if it weren’t for the commandments you signed.  The Women’s Rights Law and The Equal Rights Law may be most important to my life but, the other laws that you, the founding fathers, established would also change my life if not given your signature of approval.   

    

With pleasure,

A grateful young woman

A Child Called "It" Cause/Effect

 Author's Note: This writing piece is reflecting on the book, A Child Called "It", cause and effect.  The book is written by, Dave Pelzer, who happens to be a fanominal author.  I would recommend this book to anyone, in the end no matter if you relate to the child or not, it makes you notice how lucky you truly are.  

Through the adventure of reading, A Child Called "It", you will cry and feel the pain of the poor abused boy and I promise you will want to jump right into the book and help the poor boy.  Dave goes through abuse from his always intoxicated mother.  Some ways she abused him in the story are by, putting his body on the stove and burning it, making him eat inedible objects, stabbing him with a knife, and some other extremely irresponsible methods. The abuse method I chose as my cause is, when she locked her son into a bathroom full of toxic cleaning materials, for a very long period of time.

The major effect was, Dave becoming nauseated.  Dave also started to get a headache and his vision blurred but, he didn't die, unfortunately because, his mother got aggravated and found even more abusive ways.  If this cause hadn't occurred during the story would change a lot.  His mother would not have done tried the method a second time.  The school's administration would not have questioned him as much.  The doctor wouldn't have expected abuse as well and most importantly he would not have had as many struggles in life.

Richard

Author’s Note:  This is a personal narrative.  I wrote about this specific familiarity because, I felt that since, I was the person that made everything happen, I could easily write about the occurrence, with vivid language and voice.

"Oh my gosh, Allison you saved our butts, thanks," those were the first nine words that flowed from my mouth after I had one of  spookiest experiences of my life.  I'm sure for at least one of my other three dorm mates, it was the most alarming encounter of their lives too.  Or maybe even the teenager from the dorm neighboring ours, that was breaking one of the rules by being there (since, you had to be in your own room by eleven and it was twelve).  It may have been my fault but, I didn't influence myself to make the lousy decision of screaming out the window to a person out on a leisurely stroll.  Which was also another rule broken, this time by me.  It had all started with a biker.  

"Molly, Molly, come quick, there's a biker outside our window," Jenna screeched to Molly.  As Molly was rushing into our dorm, Jenna just couldn't contain herself and had to bellow, "Hi biker dude," to the innocent man.  "I like your bike," Molly added.  Jenna went on, "I like your helmet."  Once again Molly just had to compete, "I like your shirt."  Jenna had to win the battle ending with, well let's just stop straightaway.  As soon as Jenna and Molly finished telling Allison and I their hysterical story, I thought to myself, that’s it, there will be no more rule breaking for anyone in my room.  Turns out it wasn't the end.  That afternoon after wishing and hoping the biker dude would come back, I was peering out the window and spotted a man or woman.  It was too dark that I couldn't quite tell what the persons' gender was.  The next words that I shrieked were almost uncontrollable and at the time seemed not harming, "HI RICHARD!" Richard was the name we gave the biker. Abby quickly added, "DUCK FACE," with a giggle.  I knew something was wrong when the undetermined man or woman stopped and slowly walked backwards.  So that, he or she was no longer blocked by a tree that would potentially be in the way of his or her flashlight beam.  "HIT THE FLOOR," I screamed at the top of my lungs.  

            When fifteen seconds had passed, we assumed the citizen was gone.  We had some quick choices to make, everyone in their head knew but, didn't say aloud, the security guard would be knocking on our door at any second.  Immediately Allison ordered someone, anyone, to shut the shades.  Afterward we turned off all of the lights.  As I chucked the sleeping bag over my whole body, I stopped breathing, was that?  Oh no!  Yes it is, the elevators' ding.  Within a literal five seconds, there was knocking at our door.  Abby practically flew to a hiding place.  We all laid silently, not moving a muscle.  Maybe he'll go away, that was not the case.  Allison tripped into a suitcase on her way to bravely peer out the peep hole, what she saw was, atrocious, the master key was half way into the key hole, Allison pushed the door open.  "Sorry I tripped over a suitcase," Allison offered.  Getting his job done he causally questioned, "Was there any yelling out your windows tonight girls?"  "No, we were just eating," Allison courageously admitted, not even lying, we were truly snacking.  The following question came out of nowhere, “Was there anyone else in your room within the past ten minutes?”  “No,” Allison fibbed but, we all silently vowed to make up for it as soon as the man left.  “You girls look fine to me, sorry to scare you,” the manager said in a somewhat annoyed voice.  All of us almost in unison claimed, “Oh it’s fine.” He left with a slam of a door and we all let out the breathes we’d been holding since, we apprehended the elevators’ ding. 

            No one spoke up.  If we happened to be loud enough for our dance coach to hear us, (the windows were open because, there was no air-conditioning in any of the dorms and our coach was rooming in the dorm directly to the left of ours) we wouldn’t be able to perform tomorrow at evaluations.  As soon as the manager checked all the rooms on our level and was on floor six, Abby quickly skedaddled to her room with Jenna on her heels.  Everyone got so, frustrated with Jenna, for breaking another regulation but, the disturbance was banished by the fact that we had just created a huge dilemma with the manager of this building.   I was the first person to break the silence with my unstoppable hyperventilating.  With Molly close to tears she recommended praying which, we all decided was a marvelous idea but, once our prayer was over our nerves were still tense.  Molly then called her dad and told him our whole predicament and asked for advice.  I couldn't acknowledge his wisdom at the time because, of my fright.  Molly hung up and we all started whispering about what just happened and attempted to find a loop hole.  Just then we heard a soft pound on the door, Allison tip-toed to the door and took a peek out of the peep hole.  Had we not heard the elevators coming back down from the sixth floor?  Jenna came in cracking herself up at our faces, not cool Jenna.  Now Jenna gave her opinions on the situation.  After Jenna finished, I blurted, “What if the manager comes back?”  That’s when I started to go out of my way to scare the poor manager away.  After an hour or two of me trying to analyse the best way to scare the manager and get him off our case.  I had heard enough what ifs. and announced, “We should all just go to bed.”  With that everyone said, their goodnights and dozed into a short rest. 

            It had all started with a biker.  The shaky voiced conversations and the nail biting stopped later that night I happened to overhear screaming, Jenna rushed to tell the security guard and also ask for some more toilet paper.  That assured that the manager was off our case.  From then and on nothing could have been better, we got to perform the next day in the dance recital and our dance coach wasn't upset or furious with us.  I can’t wait until High School reunion, when we all look back and laugh at this perfect memory.

Perfect Conflict/Resolution

Author's Note: This writing piece, is reflecting on, Perfects', conflict and resolution.  The book is written by Natasha Friend, and I would recommend the book to girls especially if you know someone with an eating disorder, which is what the whole book is about, it has a lot of wonderful tips to overcome eating disorders, finding the right kind of help, loving yourself once again, and helping others.  

In the novel, Perfect by Natasha Friend, the main character's name is, Isabelle.  Isabelle has an eating disorder which is called bulimia.  When Isabelle's sister ('Ape Face'), tells their mother that Isabelle was throwing up in the toilet after dinner, her mother immediately enrolls her for a special therapy class.  This is the main conflict.  Analyzing the conflict, bulimia is a serious thing, a few minor effects would include depression, fear of gaining weight, anxiety, dizziness, shame, and low self-esteem.  Bulimia is very serious, and until 'Ape Face' told on her, no one had even the slightness clue this is what she was up to, which I feel is very sad.  

            The resolution would be that Isabelle goes to the class and  the therapy class,which just happens to have Ashley Burnum in it, the most popular girl in school.  Once they bond through the class, Isabelle is being invited to have lunch with her and sleepover at her house.  Isabelle eats lunch with her and sleepovers at her house, and becomes best friends with her but, is starting to get grossed out with her always puking after they eat, which pushes Isabelle to stop being bulimic.  She tries to get Ashley to stop but, she won't and that ends their friendship.  Afterwards Isabelle didn't feel like she was losing anything but, she did feel bad that she couldn't help Ashley.