Alliteration
"Daddy crunched the cartilage..."
(pg.60)
Simile
"The bartender came and set two margaritas in front of us... I took a sip of mine. It was like a lime SnoKone."
(pg. 109)
Allusion
"Saddam will be dead in a couple of days."
(pg. 155)
Imagery
"I just heard her... short breaths... which she had explained to me were because of [the baby], who was beginning to squash her lungs."
(pg. 154)
Situational Irony
"Mr. Vuoso didn't get called up. I kept waiting for him to leave, but he didnt."
(pg. 234)
*Dramatic Irony
"Were you reading about rape?" "I wasn't."
(pg. 206)
* The audience knows that Jasira was molested, but Melina (the woman who asked the question above) does not know.
Hyperbole
"It was like she was dying or something."
(pg. 19)
Onomatopoeia
"It was supposed to pop."
(pg. 197)
Assonance
"Finally he looked over at me..."
(pg. 196)
Apostrophe
"Jesus Christ."
(pg. 227)
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Dial M for Morality
What drives my morality? I would have to say that it's partly what I've been taught growing up and partly from what I've experienced in life so far.
I believe that parents are a huge factor in how their child behaves and how they comprehend certain things. If a parent smokes, their child will probably start smoking. If a parent teaches their child to be rude to others, chances are that's what will happen. I'm not saying that parents control what their children think and how they express themselves, but they have a big influence over how their lives will turn out. We all went through some stage of rebellion where we think we're right and our parents our wrong and that we can do whatever we please. We end up learning the hard way and that's when we see the bigger picture. We learn from our mistakes, thus, building our character and our morality. At a young age, my parents taught me the basics: be polite, be respectful, and, what probably is the golden rule, is "treat others how I would want to be treated". Also, being Catholic, they told me I would go to heaven if I was good. I do have faith in God, but I think anyone is capable of being nice to others regardless of what religion you are. It's just a matter of how you're raised and what you're shown.
Personally, I enjoy being nice to people. I'm extremely social. I love helping people. It makes me happy knowing that I've made someones day or that I've contributed to helping solve their dilemmas. I don't expect anything in return.
To this day, the golden rule treating others how I want to be treated still appeals to me. I may not follow it one-hundred percent of the time but I strongly believe in it.
I believe that parents are a huge factor in how their child behaves and how they comprehend certain things. If a parent smokes, their child will probably start smoking. If a parent teaches their child to be rude to others, chances are that's what will happen. I'm not saying that parents control what their children think and how they express themselves, but they have a big influence over how their lives will turn out. We all went through some stage of rebellion where we think we're right and our parents our wrong and that we can do whatever we please. We end up learning the hard way and that's when we see the bigger picture. We learn from our mistakes, thus, building our character and our morality. At a young age, my parents taught me the basics: be polite, be respectful, and, what probably is the golden rule, is "treat others how I would want to be treated". Also, being Catholic, they told me I would go to heaven if I was good. I do have faith in God, but I think anyone is capable of being nice to others regardless of what religion you are. It's just a matter of how you're raised and what you're shown.
Personally, I enjoy being nice to people. I'm extremely social. I love helping people. It makes me happy knowing that I've made someones day or that I've contributed to helping solve their dilemmas. I don't expect anything in return.
To this day, the golden rule treating others how I want to be treated still appeals to me. I may not follow it one-hundred percent of the time but I strongly believe in it.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Fears All Wrapped in One with a Ribbon On It.
I have a somewhat big list of fears. The one that comes to mind is spiders. I hate them, they're appalling and they freak me out, but I won't be discussing my arachnophobia.
The fear I'm refering to is something I don't normally think about. I try to not think about it. It's cold, it's frightening, it happens to someone everyday. It's death.
Death in movies doesn't scare me. Hearing about people dying in real life is what scares me the most. I always think about what somebody thinks and feels when someone they know dies. It breaks my heart. I could not bear to have someone close to me die. I don't think anybody would. I have dreams of people I know dying. It feels all too real and I sometimes wake up crying. It's honestly one of the worst feelings in the world.
Three years ago, my parents, my brother and I went to a hospital in Calgary to visit my mom's friend whose family had gotten into a terrible car accident. The father and daughter were in bad shape. The mother, surprisingly, wasn't harmed; just a few minor bumps and bruises. Later on that same day, my dad and I were discussing how lucky the family was to have survived. I remember I started crying. To think that that family was an inch away from death. It's a complete miracle.
To this day, hospitals give me more anxiety than before. I connect hospitals to sick people, and sick people to dying. I despise going to hospitals or even doctors for that matter.
Another story is when my and my family were in Miami, Florida back in 2009. Everyone was getting ready to go out. I was getting ready in the bathroom when I heard somebody wailing very loudly. I opened the door to see my distraught, teary mother sitting on the couch with my dad and brother and sister. Of course, I was confused and I asked my sister what happened. Those words still haunt me: "Mom's cousin, Myra, died." She died. She died. I was in shock. Myra and my mom were ever so close. They grew up together; they were like sisters. Such an unbreakable bond. I've heard my mom cry before, but that was just frightening. It broke my heart to see her like that. Myra was sick with cancer, so in a way, I suppose, it was a relief. But still, nobody wants their loved ones to die.
Death scares me, plain and simple. If I had to choose that or spiders, I would probably choose.... spiders. Gross. I try and supress the thought of someone close to me dying, but I always end up thinking about it. I know that everyone is going to die eventually; it's what nature intended, but there are times when I wish that we didn't have to.
The fear I'm refering to is something I don't normally think about. I try to not think about it. It's cold, it's frightening, it happens to someone everyday. It's death.
Death in movies doesn't scare me. Hearing about people dying in real life is what scares me the most. I always think about what somebody thinks and feels when someone they know dies. It breaks my heart. I could not bear to have someone close to me die. I don't think anybody would. I have dreams of people I know dying. It feels all too real and I sometimes wake up crying. It's honestly one of the worst feelings in the world.
Three years ago, my parents, my brother and I went to a hospital in Calgary to visit my mom's friend whose family had gotten into a terrible car accident. The father and daughter were in bad shape. The mother, surprisingly, wasn't harmed; just a few minor bumps and bruises. Later on that same day, my dad and I were discussing how lucky the family was to have survived. I remember I started crying. To think that that family was an inch away from death. It's a complete miracle.
To this day, hospitals give me more anxiety than before. I connect hospitals to sick people, and sick people to dying. I despise going to hospitals or even doctors for that matter.
Another story is when my and my family were in Miami, Florida back in 2009. Everyone was getting ready to go out. I was getting ready in the bathroom when I heard somebody wailing very loudly. I opened the door to see my distraught, teary mother sitting on the couch with my dad and brother and sister. Of course, I was confused and I asked my sister what happened. Those words still haunt me: "Mom's cousin, Myra, died." She died. She died. I was in shock. Myra and my mom were ever so close. They grew up together; they were like sisters. Such an unbreakable bond. I've heard my mom cry before, but that was just frightening. It broke my heart to see her like that. Myra was sick with cancer, so in a way, I suppose, it was a relief. But still, nobody wants their loved ones to die.
Death scares me, plain and simple. If I had to choose that or spiders, I would probably choose.... spiders. Gross. I try and supress the thought of someone close to me dying, but I always end up thinking about it. I know that everyone is going to die eventually; it's what nature intended, but there are times when I wish that we didn't have to.
Friday, October 22, 2010
One, Two, Three
The novel "Towelhead" holds many important quotes that are so significant to the story. It was difficult to choose just three quotes.
The first quote is when the main character, Jasira, is visiting her next door neighbour, Melina. She recalls her other next door neighbour, Mr.Vuoso, touching her inappropiately the day before. She also describes how it felt nice and that "[she believes] that [her] body [knows] best (pg. 62)." Melina knows that there is something going on with how Mr. Vuoso acts around Jasira and warns Jasira not to be around him. This quote is significant because growing up with overly strict parents has a negative impact on Jasira. She doesn't know how to cope with puberty and how her hormones work. She can't comprehend what's right and wrong with the way she feels about Mr. Vuoso. Therefore, she feels that it's okay for an older man to touch her in such a way because that's the only way she can get love and attention, since she certainly doesn't get that from her parents.
"The faces said that they both thought I was being a baby, that I was making things up...(pg 145)."
This quotes is very important is the story. Both of Jasira's parents think that she does certain things for attention. She said this when she starting tearing up from a hot pepper she ate. Instead of comforting her and helping her, Jasira's parents just tell her to pull it together and to stop making a scene. Her parents don't give her the proper love and support one would expect from their parents. Not being loved and having false information given to you can really screw up a child's mentality.
"He said he wasn't going to do it with me again until i told him the truth about why I wasn't a virgin (pg 210)."
Jasira's boyfriend (Thomas) knew that she lost her virginity to someone else when they first got intimate with each other. Unfortunately, Jasira is too ashamed to tell her boyfriend that her next door neighbour, Mr. Vuoso, raped her. She describes the event as horrific but she still has love for Mr. Vuoso anyway. She doesn't know how to deal with her rape and she doesn't know how to process her feelings for her boyfriend and for Mr. Vuoso. She prefers to keep it to herself because even though she loves Mr. Vuoso, she knows that what happened was wrong.
These three quotes are so powerful and contribute to so much of what happens in Jasira's life. It's very depressing that this girl is so naive to what the world is really about.
The first quote is when the main character, Jasira, is visiting her next door neighbour, Melina. She recalls her other next door neighbour, Mr.Vuoso, touching her inappropiately the day before. She also describes how it felt nice and that "[she believes] that [her] body [knows] best (pg. 62)." Melina knows that there is something going on with how Mr. Vuoso acts around Jasira and warns Jasira not to be around him. This quote is significant because growing up with overly strict parents has a negative impact on Jasira. She doesn't know how to cope with puberty and how her hormones work. She can't comprehend what's right and wrong with the way she feels about Mr. Vuoso. Therefore, she feels that it's okay for an older man to touch her in such a way because that's the only way she can get love and attention, since she certainly doesn't get that from her parents.
"The faces said that they both thought I was being a baby, that I was making things up...(pg 145)."
This quotes is very important is the story. Both of Jasira's parents think that she does certain things for attention. She said this when she starting tearing up from a hot pepper she ate. Instead of comforting her and helping her, Jasira's parents just tell her to pull it together and to stop making a scene. Her parents don't give her the proper love and support one would expect from their parents. Not being loved and having false information given to you can really screw up a child's mentality.
"He said he wasn't going to do it with me again until i told him the truth about why I wasn't a virgin (pg 210)."
Jasira's boyfriend (Thomas) knew that she lost her virginity to someone else when they first got intimate with each other. Unfortunately, Jasira is too ashamed to tell her boyfriend that her next door neighbour, Mr. Vuoso, raped her. She describes the event as horrific but she still has love for Mr. Vuoso anyway. She doesn't know how to deal with her rape and she doesn't know how to process her feelings for her boyfriend and for Mr. Vuoso. She prefers to keep it to herself because even though she loves Mr. Vuoso, she knows that what happened was wrong.
These three quotes are so powerful and contribute to so much of what happens in Jasira's life. It's very depressing that this girl is so naive to what the world is really about.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Computer Language/ Abbreviations vs. The English Language
"LOL". ":D" "ttyl". These are just a couple examples of abbreviations found in the language of computer and SMS text users of mainstream society. Teenagers, gamers or people who talk online are usually the ones who use these abbreviations and symbols to talk to others. We use these made up words to simplify what we want to say. For example, the term "what's up?" has been simplified to just "sup." Society probably did get lazier and that's why words are simplified. But there are words in a typical English dictionary that are found under their abbreviations. Abbreviations are done in lieu of writing out an entire word.
This trend should just be accepted rather than frowned upon. The English language has gone through so many changes throught many centuries. Therefore, why should this time be any different? If you think about it, it's no different from when the Scandinavians used the symbol "æ" and then it got changed to the letter "a". But then again, speaking in this manner probably won't last very long since slang words and abbreviations are constantly changing. Many abbreviations such as "2morrow" or "2nite" aren't even used that often anymore.
This way of speaking, as many people should know, is not at all considered to be formal. Everyone knows that you would never write "ROFL" in a formal essay or in a resumé. There is a time and a place for everything and slang words and abbreviations are best meant for when you're socializing with your friends or people who actually understand computer language. You would never see anyone talking like this with, say for example, a teacher. What people need to realize is that computer language is not a way to speak formally. There is absolutely nothing wrong with talking in such a manner, but one should use it on their own time and not when you're doing formal writing. That's the main issue a lot of people are concerned with; the attempt to merge the computer language with the English language.
Who are we to know if computer language won't become a formal way of speaking in the future? But for the time being, everyone should know the fine line between slang and formal writing. It all comes down to common sense.
This trend should just be accepted rather than frowned upon. The English language has gone through so many changes throught many centuries. Therefore, why should this time be any different? If you think about it, it's no different from when the Scandinavians used the symbol "æ" and then it got changed to the letter "a". But then again, speaking in this manner probably won't last very long since slang words and abbreviations are constantly changing. Many abbreviations such as "2morrow" or "2nite" aren't even used that often anymore.
This way of speaking, as many people should know, is not at all considered to be formal. Everyone knows that you would never write "ROFL" in a formal essay or in a resumé. There is a time and a place for everything and slang words and abbreviations are best meant for when you're socializing with your friends or people who actually understand computer language. You would never see anyone talking like this with, say for example, a teacher. What people need to realize is that computer language is not a way to speak formally. There is absolutely nothing wrong with talking in such a manner, but one should use it on their own time and not when you're doing formal writing. That's the main issue a lot of people are concerned with; the attempt to merge the computer language with the English language.
Who are we to know if computer language won't become a formal way of speaking in the future? But for the time being, everyone should know the fine line between slang and formal writing. It all comes down to common sense.
Friday, October 1, 2010
It's Tough Being a Teenager
The protagonist, who's name is Jasira, in the novel "Towelhead" is a perfect example of a young teenaged girl struggling with the aspects of teeenage life. She also struggles with her divorced, overly-strict parents who make her think that everything she does is wrong.
Jasira's way of thinking is a bit mature for a girl of thirteen years, not to mention, depressing. A given example is when she is on plane being sent to live with her father: "I really and truly [hope] we [will] crash (pg 2)."
The reason she is sent to live with her father is because her mother's boyfriend has an inappropriate infatuation with Jasira. Jasira insists she can't control who likes her. Although that may be true, there probably is a part of her that actually enjoys the love and attention. She most likely feels this way to fill an emotional void. Her parents don't seem to give Jasira the love and emotional support she needs, so of course she'd feel the need to get it elsewhere. This character can be relatable. A lot of young women go through life having dictating parents. Religious matters and even culture can be huge factors. Jasira recalls having spilled juice on her father's rug and he tells her that "[she] will never find a husband ( pg 1)." Putting that kind of mentality into a child's head doesn't seem age appropriate.
Jasira's coping mechanisms will progressively get worse as the story goes on. She has repressed her problems for a long time and dealing with such matters while growing into a young woman doesn't help, either.
Jasira's way of thinking is a bit mature for a girl of thirteen years, not to mention, depressing. A given example is when she is on plane being sent to live with her father: "I really and truly [hope] we [will] crash (pg 2)."
The reason she is sent to live with her father is because her mother's boyfriend has an inappropriate infatuation with Jasira. Jasira insists she can't control who likes her. Although that may be true, there probably is a part of her that actually enjoys the love and attention. She most likely feels this way to fill an emotional void. Her parents don't seem to give Jasira the love and emotional support she needs, so of course she'd feel the need to get it elsewhere. This character can be relatable. A lot of young women go through life having dictating parents. Religious matters and even culture can be huge factors. Jasira recalls having spilled juice on her father's rug and he tells her that "[she] will never find a husband ( pg 1)." Putting that kind of mentality into a child's head doesn't seem age appropriate.
Jasira's coping mechanisms will progressively get worse as the story goes on. She has repressed her problems for a long time and dealing with such matters while growing into a young woman doesn't help, either.
Friday, September 17, 2010
Censoring Everyday Life
Thousands of books and works of literature are banned each year because of the gritty and raw reality that they portray. People have the right to freedom of speech and thought, even if their topic may seem unorthodox or obscene to others. Some authors write books based on real life scenarios such as gang violence, rape, and even murder and a lot of people tend to forget that that's what happens in real life. News reports, documentaries and exposés address a lot of these sensitive topics as well. I believe that if you do not like something you see, read, or hear, then simply do not pay attention to it. In my opinion, the topics mentioned earlier are a part of everyday life and need to be exposed to the general public. People need to be mature enough to be able to understand the graphic nature of real life. If society refuses to associate itself with these subjects, so be it, but don't censor it for those who actually take a real interest and understanding to these types of things. The book I am currently reading for my novel study is a perfect example of a book that would probably be banned in a library or a bookstore, due to the explicit content, but it has a deeper meaning than what is shown in the text.
"Towelhead", which is the book I picked out for my novel study, looked like any other book. I read the synopsis at the back and I thought that it was good enough to read. The book caught me by surprise as soon as I read the first 25 pages. Already there was coarse language, disturbing descriptions and sexual references. I thought to myself, "Wow, this is really intense. What kind of book am I reading?" As abrasive as it was, I continued to read, only to be shocked to find that the content would only get harsher and grittier. The main character (Jasira, 13 years old) is dealing with the overly strict rules enforced by her parents. Every other young girl has strict parents, but imagine being taught to be ashamed of your body and not being able to express yourself. One is supposed to be comfortable with talking to their parents, but Jasira feels the need to be be extra careful with what she says. Her dad seems to hit her over the littlest things, like coming to the breakfast table in just her pyjama shirt. Being declined the knowledge of growing up can have a real impact on a person. In Jasira's case, when she asked if she could use tampons, she gets the wrong information from her father: "Tampons are for married ladies." Not having the proper information about growing up can be pretty dangerous. Not having love and support from your parents can also affect a child's perspective of life. I can infer that Jasira does not know what it is like to feel loved and accepted, which leads her to be sexually obsessed with her much older next-door neighbour, who treats her kindly and shows her love. This puts her in a very bad position. Because she has no knowledge of what is right and wrong, her neighbour exploits her and she does nothing about it. As disturbing as this sounds, there is much more written in the book and sadly, these kinds of scenarios do happen in real life.
The book itself is far more explicit than what is told here and this situation and others similar to it occur in our society. If people want these types of books censored, it seems like they want to censor reality. Books like these are written to provide the public with a general understanding of what goes on with violence, murder, etc. We cannot make these sensitive topics go away. They happen in our schools, they happen down the street from where we live. It can happen anywhere. All we can do is learn to comprehend it.
"Towelhead", which is the book I picked out for my novel study, looked like any other book. I read the synopsis at the back and I thought that it was good enough to read. The book caught me by surprise as soon as I read the first 25 pages. Already there was coarse language, disturbing descriptions and sexual references. I thought to myself, "Wow, this is really intense. What kind of book am I reading?" As abrasive as it was, I continued to read, only to be shocked to find that the content would only get harsher and grittier. The main character (Jasira, 13 years old) is dealing with the overly strict rules enforced by her parents. Every other young girl has strict parents, but imagine being taught to be ashamed of your body and not being able to express yourself. One is supposed to be comfortable with talking to their parents, but Jasira feels the need to be be extra careful with what she says. Her dad seems to hit her over the littlest things, like coming to the breakfast table in just her pyjama shirt. Being declined the knowledge of growing up can have a real impact on a person. In Jasira's case, when she asked if she could use tampons, she gets the wrong information from her father: "Tampons are for married ladies." Not having the proper information about growing up can be pretty dangerous. Not having love and support from your parents can also affect a child's perspective of life. I can infer that Jasira does not know what it is like to feel loved and accepted, which leads her to be sexually obsessed with her much older next-door neighbour, who treats her kindly and shows her love. This puts her in a very bad position. Because she has no knowledge of what is right and wrong, her neighbour exploits her and she does nothing about it. As disturbing as this sounds, there is much more written in the book and sadly, these kinds of scenarios do happen in real life.
The book itself is far more explicit than what is told here and this situation and others similar to it occur in our society. If people want these types of books censored, it seems like they want to censor reality. Books like these are written to provide the public with a general understanding of what goes on with violence, murder, etc. We cannot make these sensitive topics go away. They happen in our schools, they happen down the street from where we live. It can happen anywhere. All we can do is learn to comprehend it.
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