Lord Of The Flies

The Lord of The Flies is a great novel for young readers. It stresses the importance of a civilized government system. In the beginning, a group of school boys crash on an uncharted island and they are just glad to be alive, without having to worry about rules from parents. The boys celebrate their freedom, but the festivities don't last long. The boys realize how difficult it is to live on their own and fend for themselves. This causes tension between the different groups of boys and often brings about trouble. It is important to rely on what we have and not take for granted how important out government system and rules are. 

Rumble Fish

After reading this throwback novel from my middle school years, it made me think about how different things are in certain areas of the country as compared to the way they were around 1975, which is when the novel took place. The book Rumble Fish is about a 14 year old boy and his friends who have grown up, learning about nothing more than gangs, drugs and alcohol. The main character, Rusty-James, tends to get himself into a lot of trouble, but he can usually back himself up since he is one of the toughest guys in the neighborhood. Rusty comes from a pretty beat up little town and he plans to be just like his older brother when he grows up. Unfortunately, things don't work out for Rusty the way we would have liked them to. As the story goes on, Rusty begins to find himself and realize who he really is, instead of trying so hard to be like his brother. 

I think the overall message of this story is to never give up on what makes you happy. Although Rusty-James didn't come from the greatest area, he learned a lot as he grew up and this helped him become more of a well rounded man. It is important to be yourself and make a name for yourself and let your legacy live on in those that follow your footsteps and I think this story is a great example of that. 

I Don't Read..

Blogging is fun. I have nothing against it. The only problem I have with it is coming up with solid content to blog about. I've been asked to only blog about literature related topics but I'm not a big fan of reading books, nor am I interested in any type of literature, unless there is more to it than I currently know. I'm not asking for this to be an easy assignment, but it doesn't make sense to grade different people on the same thing because everyone has their own interests. Blogging about Lit may be easy for someone who enjoys it, but it's not for everyone. It would make more sense to allow us to blog about things that are closer and more important in our individual lives. This would also turn out to be a great way to get to know each other better. I have nothing against reading, it's just not my cup of tea. It's like asking a fish and a monkey to climb a tree and grading them both equally. Everyone has their own strengths and weaknesses and it would be more logical that we would be able to work to our own strengths. I'm pretty good at poety, I can make a rhyme any time. I enjoy sports and other outdoor activities and games. Not everyone is into reading and/or has the patience to sit down and read a book and I believe it is unfair to be graded on that. Keep in mind, I have no problem with the act of blogging as an assignment, I just wish we had more freedom to choose what we blog about. Thank you. I hope you take this into consideration. 

Frankenstein

Since I was young, I've always enjoyed the story of Frankenstein. Although I didn't know it too well, I liked what I thought I knew! A big greenish monster that terrorizes cities and puts everyone in fear, yet it's all a misunderstanding. The monster is just looking for some companionship and love. This is something we can all relate to, which can even turn us into monsters of our own once in awhile! After reading the book by Mary Shelley over the summer, I got a better understanding of the full story and a learned a lot about this classic story. 

I recently went to the movies and saw a preview of the new movie, called "Frankenstein" of course. I immediately turned to my friend beside me and said "We have to see that!". Of course, Alex being Alex, she gave me a very firm "No." Well that's alright with me, she can stay home because I plan on seeing the new movie! It looks action packed and very thrilling with tons of interesting creatures. I am eager to see if this new version closely relates to the older, original films of Frankenstein, the book that we recently read for school or maybe it will be all new with twists of it's own! I suppose there is only one way to find out and that is to go see the movie! Hopefully there is some explanation as to why they continue to call the monster Frankenstein when clearly that is the doctor's name, not the monster's! Anyway, I am still excited to see how the new movie plays out and I can't wait to see it and compare to what I already know! 

Of Mice And Men

One of my favorite books that's I've ever read is "Of Mice And Men" by John Steinbeck. I remember reading it for the first time in 6th grade and at the time, I wasn't a big fan of it. I'm not quite sure that I completely understood everything that was going on, including Lenny's condition which has a significant impact on the story line. I'm not exactly sure what kept drawing me back, but I've read the book many times since then and it seems to be the only story I can enjoy. The elements of brotherhood and sadness are brought together in an inspiring story about the journey of two men, just looking for a way to earn money and get a place of their own with nothing more than hard work and the companionship of each other. Although the ending is very upsetting and unexpected, it really adds to the overall affect of the story and makes the reader feel the emotions of both main characters. I think that is one of the biggest reasons I enjoy this book so much. It is easy to feel for the characters and want to help in every situation. The more I read it, the more I notice in the finer details which helps to bring the story together. The story is a very easy read and I highly sugguest it to any level reader. These are among a few of the main reasons that I am such a big fan of this wonderful book! 

Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?

A good way to describe my reaction to this story is by saying that it is very unexpected. It starts off as an ordinary story about a young girl and her friend but it soon takes a turn for the worse. I like the story as a whole and I feel that it is very well constructed although the story line itself is quite strange and even slightly disturbing. I thought the story was very well put together and easy to follow and that always makes something more enjoyable to read. Like I said before, the story line was strange, but I wouldn't say I did not like it. It was very interesting and it really made me want to keep reading to find out what happens next. In the beginning, it was hard to tell where the author was going with the story but it played out well throughout. I found it easy to put myself into Connie's shoes because the situation she is in is one that almost anyone can relate to, specially younger people. It's hard to think what I would have done if I was in her place. I think that Connie handled herself very well in that situation and that impressed me because I could not even imagine what I would do if I were in her place. The title for this story is also very appropriate. Depending on how you think about it, it either sounds a bit creepy or just kind of interesting and innocent which makes the reader wonder if it is going to turn out to be good or bad. Unfortunately for Connie, it is not a good turnout and she finds herself in a sticky situation. Overall, I enjoyed reading this story and I would definitely recommend this story to a friend!

"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" **

In honor of the Halloween season, the classic story of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow comes to mind. The story originated around the 1820s and is still a very popular tale today. I believe that it's popularity has recently risen due to the new television series airing on the Fox Network called Sleepy Hollow. In this series, the main character, Ichabod Crane is put under a spell shortly before his "death" during the American Revolutionary War. The spell causes him to awaken about 250 years later and he finds himself in a 21st century town called Sleepy Hollow. The town is now haunted by the infamous Headless Horseman and it is up to Crane and police lieutenant, Abbie Mills, to find out why this is happening and how they can stop it.
The director of the series does an extremely good job of relating the show to the original story while still adding a 21st century twist to it. I find it much easier to relate to an old story when it is put in modern terms. The series is very appealing to a wide audience although some of the scenes can be quite frightening. The director has a way of making people think throughout the show of how different things are connected which really makes the viewer want to focus on the events that happen. I think this is a great way to learn more about a classic story and I am very pleased with what I have learned about the original story as well as the television series. This makes me want to read more stories similar to The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and learn more about how writers came up with their inspiration for tales like this on.