Book Review

           The book I finished reading in English class was The Last Song, and I love it! There is a movie about it as well , and I watched it. Though, I think the book has a better description. In this novel, by Nicholas Sparks (a well known author for writing various romance stories) a teenage girl visits her  dad who she has not had much contact with for a while and is not so thrilled about it. Ronnie rejects her dads attempts to try to communicate with her.She wants to go home, but finding her true loves makes her stay. But, later on she has to face  an even harder problem, her fathers death. In the end she stays all the summers with her dad and gets back with Will. Ronnie experianced her first true love, as well as a sudden death.
        This book I would recommend to teenagers. Most of the characters in the story are teenagers, and I don't think that adults or young kids could relate to them since they are not teenagers.The types of conflicts and situations that are in the story also relate more to something that would happen to teenagers. One of the conflicts is dealing with a divorce. Many people can relate to it, but the author has the viewpoint set on a teen. The teenager is Ronnie. She does not want to spend her summer at her dad's house in another state. But, she has not even talked to her dad for three years.

   " Ronnie slouched in front of the seat of the car, wondering why on earth her mom and dad hated her so much. It was the only thing that could  explain why she was her visiting her dad, in this godforsaken southern armpit of a place, instead of spending time with her friends back home in Manhattan."(p1)

The tone in which the writer wrote this book is towards teens. Ronnie who is a teen in the book relates to the hard things she has to face with her parents being separated.Another reason why this book is intended for teens is because of what goes on in the book. It is a bout a TEENAGE girl, who falls in love with a TEENAGE boy, and she has trouble with other TEENAGERS and is basically going through what TEENAGERS go through. Now, I don't think it can get more teenage then that.The thing that really stood out to me though, was how I could relate to how Ronnie dealt things in  the book. She handeld them as I would;  a teen. The book also just has this teenagish (yeah I know not a word,but I couldn't find a better one) voice to it. It has more humor and teen romance. That is why this book goes with the audience for teenagers.
         I also want to discuss question number 8. In this story, The Last Song, there are many relationships. The two major relationships in this story are about love, and I am going to describe both of them. Ronnie is involved in both of these relationships. The first one I want to talk about is with her guy. Ronnie was dreading to go to spend the summer with her dad, and knew that there was nothing for her at the beach. However, this changes when she met a guy by a funny accident. They soon connected and came to understand what each of therm were going through and supported each other throughout the way. Ronnie loves Will, (that's the guys name) and Will. Will is instantly attracted to Ronnie, he noticed how pretty she was, even with all the emo looks she tyred to pass by. Ronnie however, was not interested, until Will started to talk to her and soon she found that he was a okay guy. Their relationship was turned on by how much they understood each other. Will and Ronnie both experienced something tragic  in their lives, and find that this summer brings a lot of trouble. But, the help each other. Towards the end, they have a fight on Will lying and they don't see each other until school starts. Ronnie then notices and finds out how no other guy understands her or wants to be with her more than Will. That is the first relationship.
            The second relationship is about Ronnie and her dad. Ronnie's dad (Steve) and her mom had divorced about 3 or 4 years before she came to spend her summer with her dad. Ronnie did not like that her dad had left them. She did not say anything to him for three years and did not feel guilty. She wanted nothing to do with her dad, especially go spend the summer with him. Although, this changes as she soon finds the truth. Her father knew he was very sick, but he did not want to tell his kids. He knew was going to pass away soon, so he wanted to spend as much time with his kids as he could. In the beginning of the summer Ronnie is mean to her dad and shows her aggressiveness as him. She barley speaks to him and when she does she is mad at him. But, when she finds  out that her dad was sick she changes drastically. She wishes she had not been mean to her dad, and would have got to known him better. she also notices how he was patient with her. He never yelled at her, nor showed any anger to her. Ronnie then tells her dad she is sorry and she spends another summer with him and watches him die. What is a symbol in their realtionhsip is music, this quote," Life, he realized,was much like a song". They both love to play the piano and related in that way.The book does end in a sad way, but also in  a good way. Ronnie gets closer to her dad , and finds love with the guy of her dremas. These are the most interesting and most  complex relationships in the story so that is why I chose them.
         The book overall has a very good message: do not judge a book by its cover. Ronnie had two very difficult relationships that had conflicts but were the bect she could ever experiance. This book is very much for teens that can relate and has intense relationships. I would really recccomend this book.

Book Reveiw #2

         In this book reveiw I want to discuss question number 8. In this story, The Last Song, there are many realrionships. The two major relationships in this story are about love, and I am going to describe both of them.
         Ronnie is involved in both of these relationships. The first one I want to talk about is with her guy. Ronnie was dreading to go to spend the summer with her dad, and knew that there was nothing for her at the beach. However, this changes when she met a guy by a funny accident. They soon connected and came to understand what each of therm were going throug and supported each other throughout the way. Ronnie loves Will, (thats the guys name) and Will. Wil is instanlty attracted to Ronnie, he noticed how pretty she was, even with all the emo looks she tryed to pass by. Ronnie however, was not intrested, until Will startted to talk to her and soon she found that he was a okay guy. Their relationship was turned on by how much they understood each other. Will and Ronnie both experianced something tragic  in their lives, adn find that this summer brings a lot of trouble. But, the help each other. Towards the end, they have a fight on Will lying and they don't see each other until school starts. Ronnie then notices and finds out how no other guy understands her or wants to be with her more than Will. That is the first relationship.


            The second relationship is about Ronnie and her dad. Ronnie's dad (Steve) and her mom had divorced about 3 or 4 years before she came to spend her summer with her dad. Ronnie did not like that her dad had left them. She did not say anything to him for three years and did not feel guilty. She wanted nothing to do with her dad, especiall go spend the summer with him. Although, this changes as she soon finds the truth. Her father knew he was very sick, but he did not want to tell his kids. He knew was going to pass away soon, so he wanted to spend as much time with his kids as he could. In the beginnig of the summer Ronnie is mean to her dad and shows her agresvieness as him. SHe barley speaks to him and when she does she is mad at him. But, whne she finds  out that her dad was sick she chandes drasticly. She wishes she had not been mean to her dad, and would have got to known him better. she also notices how he was pacient with her. He never yelled at her, nor showed any anger to her. Ronnie then tells her dad she is sorry and she spenda anothetr summer with him and watches him die. What is a symbol in their realtionhsip is musiic, this quote," Life, he realized,was much like a song". They both love to play the piano and related in that way.

         The book does end in a sad way, but also in  agood way. Ronnie gets closer to her dad , and finds love with the guy of her fremas. Thsese are the most intresting and most  complex relationships in the story so that is why I chose them. I really likes this book, you guys should read it!

Book Post

          So far my book has been great. Oh yeah, the book I am reading is The Last Song, and I love it! There is a movie about it as well , and I watched it. Though, I think the book has a better descriprion. In this novel, by Nicholas Sparks (a well known author for writing various romance stories) a teenage girl visits her  dad who she has not had much contact with for a while and is not so thrilled about it.
        This book I would recomend to teenagers. Most of the characters in the story are teenagers, and I don't think that adults or young kids could relate to them since they are not teenagers.
       The types of conflicts and situations that are in the story also relate more to somthing that would happeen to teenagers. One of the conflicts is dealing with a divorce. Many people can relate to it, but the author has the veiwpoint set on a teen. The teenager is Ronnie. She does not want to spend her summer at her dad's house in another state. But, she has not even talked to her dad for three years.

   " Ronnie slouched in front of the seat of the car, wondering why on earth her mom and dad hated her so much. It was the only thing that could  explain why she was her visiting her dad, in this godforsaken southern armpit of a place, instead of spending time with her friends back home in Manhattan."(p1)

The tone in which the writer wrote this book is towards teens. Ronnie who is a teen in the book relates to the hard things she has to face with her parents being separated.
     Another reason why this bookj is intended for teens is because of what goes on in the book. It is a bout a TEENAGE girl, who falls in love with a TEENAGE boy, and she has trouble with other TEENAGERS and is basiclly going through what TEENAGERS go through. Now, I don't think it can get more teenage then that.
    The thing that really stood out to me though, was how I could relate to how Ronnie delt things in  the book. She delt with them like a teen. THe book also just has this teenagish (yeah I know not a word,but I couldn't find a better one) voice to it. It has more humor and teen romanace. That is why this book goes with the audience for teenagers.

Windows

In the series of vignettes that are listed: My name, No Speak English, Rafaela, and Sally, there are many explanations of windows. Esperanza  is the girl who describes the windows in the story's. The significance goes to what it means to her.
     In the vignette My Name, there is a sad description of windows. Esperanza describes the life of her grandmother and how it was made into sadness when her "husband" made her his wife.

"She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow." (p.11)

Her grandmother was kidnapped and her whole life was spent with a man she did not love. This also shows how women were treated. They really had no choice in who they could marry and because they are women people(men) think they cant do anything. That is what windows represents in this vignette. The longing and redemption of what could have been a better life for people.
    In the vignette No Speak English,Esperanza talks about a lady who misses her hometown and never comes out of her apartment.

."She sits all day  by the window and plays the Spanish radio and and sings all the homesick songs about her country in a voice that songs like a seagull."

The lady is sad about not being in her country and comforts herself by singing. The window in this situation is significant because it shows the loss of someone or something. The woman in the story has lost her country  and longs to go back. The window is a way of people to see what they are missing in their life.
     In Sally, Esperanza describes a girl named Sally who has a very hard life. She was pretty at first and all the guys like her. But, to others and her parents it was dangerous for her to be that beautiful. She seemed to have a problem that made her life change. She was not the same person after a while. It is described here, what sally wanted,

"And if you opened the little window latch and gave it  it a shove , the windows would swing open, all the sky would come in." (p.82)

Here, the window is the significance of what is the future. The girl, sally is having a really hard time in her life, but Esperanza imagines what she wants. The window is like a different path or life that someone can take and make it their own . It gives people a chance from their old life to have a better one, like the one in their dreams.
These are the vignettes that had significance in windows.

Color Purple Essay

In the epistolary novel, The Color Purple There are many differences between the characters Celie and Nettie. They are both sisters who share a really close bond and help each other throughout their live problems. This is a story of two sisters who seem to have a strong connection to each other while one is on a missionary trip to Africa and the other is a young wife in the south. Celie and Nettie were together for a while when Nettie left home, but Mr. (Celie's husband) told her she had to leave. Nettie then went to Africa and worked on a missionary trip. Both sisters said they would write to each other, but Mr. took the letters that Nettie had written to Celie. The sisters had no communication, but Shug (one of Celie's good friends) helped Celie grab a hold of the letters and soon Celie got to read what Nettie had been trying to tell her for years. After a long period of time away from each other, Celie and Nettie are rejoined and are happy to see each other. As the story progresses, we can see that there are differences between the sisters in their faith in religion, character, and sexual discrimination; seeing that Nettie has achieved more in life from being a more strong willed girl, but Celie has been stuck in her life's problems from the torture she received as a young girl.

 Celie and Nettie have both been very much exposed to religion all their life. However, as they go into their separate lives, we reveal that there are some differences between the relation each sister has with religion. Celie writes all the letters to God in the story. Her reason for doing this is because she is dependent on the “image of God” that she has. Celie has been through a terrible life of rape, mistrust, death, and torture. “Dear God, I am fourteen years old, I am I have always been a good girl. Maybe you can give me a sign letting me know what is happening to me... But I say I’ll take care of you. With God help” (p 1 and 3). Her only hope from where she can get love and comfort is writing letters to God. This is her dependency on which she describes her thoughts, actions, and worries to God, and thinks of him as a tool to help her through her life. Celie has little support if not any from her family, only from Nettie. Celie doesn’t think really know the “real image” of God.

 “Well, us talk and talk bout God, but I’m still adrift. Trying to chase that old white man out of my head. I been so busy thinking bout him I never truly notice nothing God make. Not a blade of corn (how it do that?) not the color purple (where it come from?). Not the little wildflowers. Nothing.”(p192)

She relies on God, she just thinks of him as a representation of a obliging person. Another image that she has is a white man, which is influenced by other people who she attends church with. Overall, Celie is a person I need of help and the only way of getting console is God.

Nettie is a very different person towards her relation to religion in the book. She left Celie after Mr. said she had to go, and went to Africa. There she worked as a missionary.

"The reason I am in Africa is because one of the missionaries that was supposed to go with Corrine and Samuel to help with the children and with setting up a school suddenly married a man who was afraid to let her go, and refused to come to Africa with her. So, there they were, all set to go, with a ticket suddenly available and no missionary to give it to… But I have never dreamed of going to Africa! … People who need Christ and good medical advice." (p133)       

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          This shows that Nettie is more into her obligation of religion than Celie and that it is also very important to her.  Her work as a person is very much involved with the whole missionary job. Nettie has her own purpose that she made to go out and help with the people (dominantly children) of Africa. Her work is all supported by the missionary team and she is a part of it.

          The character of Celie and her personality is very different compared to Nettie. Celie is very quiet and timid. This is caused by her childhood and distress she was facing. Celie does not have enough courage in herself to stand up or even talk. Celie is also very kind. For having bratty kids to look after, (that some weren’t even hers) and having to look after her bossy and obnoxious husband. Nettie during her childhood spent with Celie, she is sort of the same. She and Celie would both listen and were good mannered. But, as they grew up Nettie started to stand up for herself. She left her home, because it was too much for her and it was not a place that she wanted to be in She had enough integrity and courage to fightt Mr. when he tried to rape her.
Nettie also gave Celie some advice on how to stand up for herself. Nettie was not afraid of doing this because she knew how to fight. Her sense of mind was being a strong woman who would not let anyone make her feel down.

"After a while I had to rest, and that's when he got down from his horse and started to tro to kiss me,and drag me back to the woods. Well, I started to fight him, and with God's help, I hurt him bad enough to make hime let me alone. Be he was some mad. (p.126 )

           The sisters also experiance a lot of sexual discrimination throughout the story. Celie was seen as "property" to her husband Mr. He treated her bad, like she wasn't worth anything, and always took advantage of her.

"Harpo ask his daddy why he beat me, Mr. say, Cause she my wife. Plus, she stubborn. All women, good for-he don't finish. He just tuck his chin over the paper like he do. Remind me of Pa... He beat me like he beat the children"(p22)

Celie has been througha lot with her dad already,  (rape, torture, and taking her out of school. Mr. is no better than her dad. Celie is taken over becasue she is too shy and would never say anything. Her hard work is always taken advantage of or credit. Mr. never appreciated that celie did all the hard work of cleaning the house and looking after him and the kids; even after the way he treated her.
      Nettie has also had experiance with sexual descrimination. Although, not as much as Celie. Nettie experiances more of a devestaion of having to go away from places, and it makes her sad. She aslo experiances some with her own family

." Nettie liver here with us. She run away from home. She say she hate to leave out stpma, but she had to git out, maybe fine help for the other little ones. The boys be alright, she say. They can stay out his way. When they get big they gon fight him." (p16)

 Nettie had a similar experiance as Celie did. But, Nettie actually ran away from her home and sought help. Nettie also almost got raped my Mr. He took advantage of her knowing that he already had a wife, and Nettie was married. Throughout the whole story though, we reveal that women are not treated right. They are taken over becasue of gender and men are the dominant ones. This effects the lives of the charaters relationships.
      In the end, the two sisters are rejoined. They have been so sad that they haven’t seen each other and feel better. Their lives now seem complete and the sisters both make a happy ending. With the difficulties throughout their lives, and similar situations they have gone through; they have made them both strong.