"What the hell are you talking about...?"

I am currently reading the book Am I Blue?. This book is composed of many short stories that revolve around the issue of homosexuality. In each story, the main character or the person dealing with this issue, is telling the story. The author chooses to limit the voices of many secondary characters such as family, friends, girlfriends and boyfriends.

I think the authors choose to limit those voices because they are not the most important. What the main character is feeling and their actions that they put into play, keep the story going. The supporting characters then respond to what they do by reacting in some way (whether it is good or bad). For example, in "Parents' Night" by Nancy Garden, when Karen admits to her family that she is lesbian. Her father won't except the fact that she likes girls and ignores her for weeks. He wants to pretend he has a "normal" daughter and is ashamed of who she is. Even though the dad has a big impact on Karen, and the book could have been written from his point of view, it is not the most important.

The effects on the stories that have a side, or many sides excluded, is that you don't get the full story. The reality is, a book can't have ALL different points of view. There are main characters and supporting characters. The supporting characters usually cause the problem and/or help the main character get over it. You may need to assume things or infer what a character is feeling. In the short story, "Michel's Little Sister" by C.S. Adler, Michel and his sister are really close. They tell each other everything and look out for each other because that's all they have since their mother is working 24/7. In the beginning, Michel's girlfriend--Wendy--breaks up with him because she thinks he is gay. "Forget it," she told him. "You don't want me, Michel. I don't turn you on." (Pg. 151) Later, Michel's little sister gets in trouble in school. She doesn't tell you why it is, but you can guess that it was something said to her about Michel's sexuality. You can assume this because of two things before that that are said. First, Wendy breaks up with him because she thinks he is gay. Second, a guy comes up to him and asks him out (figuring out before Michel that he is gay). Not having all points of view cause you to have to think more deeply about each of the supporting characters. You have to think about the main character too, but a lot of it isn't a mystery because they give it all away.

In some short stories, the main character's voice stands out because the other are missing. Therefore, you only know one point of view of the story and have to go by what is given to you. Most of the time, this is not the case but in the short story "Three Mondays in July" by James Cross Giblin, it is. The main character David, goes to the beach one day to discover some guy who is later known as Allen undressing himself. He is fascinated by his body and keeps on staring. When Allen realizes this, David runs away. You don't know how Allen is feeling, which only makes what David is feeling stronger. You have to assume that Allen is pretty mad and maybe freaked out. David is feeling confused about his feelings towards the old man and decides to come back the next couple of weeks. He is hoping to see if he can see Allen again, but he doesn't know why he wants to. This is an example of when David's feelings stand out because you don't know what exactly Allen is feeling. 

I think that if you knew what Allen was feeling or if it was his point of view, the story would be completely different. He would probably describe David as a stalker and as a young boy, even though he is 17. You could get in his head although then David's point of view would be fuzzy. I think that the author made the right decision to put it from David's point of view, since this is David's problem. 

Books are interesting because a point of view is always missing. If we knew what everybody was doing, thinking and saying in book, it would be quite boring. The mystery is what I like so much about books. I think that as we grow older, the mystery becomes bigger and bigger in books. I can't wait to read and discover more about characters in depth as I grow and develop more as a reader.

"I was just freein' the noise, and colorin' the world a little..." :)

     Currently, I am reading the book "Just Another Hero" by Sharon M. Draper. In this book, kids don't take school seriously. Most students either live in a poverty or crime scene neighborhood. It is much different than in my life or many other people that go to Middle School 51. I think this book was taken place in the south, maybe in the mid 1900's. Both the setting and the way people talk and interact with each other support my theory of this.
     The quote "I was just freein' the noise, and colorin' the world a little..." (pg. 71) is said by a supporting character named Jack. He is loud, outgoing and lives life at it's fullest. He's not afraid to do anything. Sometimes, in the middle of class he pulls the fire alarm even though he knows it's illegal. Everybody knows that he does it too but doesn't want to tell on him because he is has good intentions and is kind to everyone. I believe that Jack uses his bubbly personality to express how he feels, to get people's attention and stand out (whether it's in a good or bad way).
     What I think this line means is that you should "get out there", show people who you are and not be afraid of what others think about you. Jack plays his cymbals loud, clear and proud-filling the hallways with noise. He wants people to recognize that he is there. He also wants to send out the message that yes, he may be different than everybody else but individuality is a good thing in life; it's what makes us, us. Everybody can make a difference in the world, you just have to speak what's on you mind.
     At Jack's school, they do need color. I think that his high spirit does bring some color into the school. You might think that he is annoying, maybe I would think so too if he went to my school. But in such a dull place, he brings light and shows me what it is like to be original and be himself.
     Everything at Jack's school seems dull and uninviting. For the most part, the teachers seem like they don't want to be there, the supplies in each classroom is ancient and they have a student that came out of juvenile attending their school. The one thing that stands out to me in this run down school, is each student's uniqueness. Each person has a different personality and they all seem to get along. Each person fills a gap that another one may have. One is a mom, one is addicted to drugs because of their harsh life at home, one is obese and the main character is rich yet learning the value of each dollar from her step-father. These might all sounds like bad qualities to you, but to me it sounds like a chance to bond. I bet they can all relate to what the others are all going through. It can create stronger relationships and a better society knowing that you are not the only one going through a tough time.

Who are your real friends?

          When rereading the book The Total Tragedy of a Girl Named Hamlet by Erin Dionne, I thought more deeply about the characters. Not only that, but about the problems that each character faced. A theme that I didn’t notice the first time was that many people use others to get what they want. Reading this book again made me realize that in my own life I see this happening everyday. I am starting to relate to Hamlet because when I see that happening, I try to stop it even if they don’t believe me or get mad at me. 

          Hamlet is leading a challenging life. Her parents are over obsessed with Shakespeare and her 7 year old sister, Dezzie, is taking college courses in the afternoon and attending Hamlet’s 8th grade class in the morning. While in her class, Dezzie meets two girls, Mauri and Saber--Hamlet’s enemies-- who instantly want to be her friends. Or do they? Hamlet realizes that they are using Dezzie for grades and don’t really like her. The author is trying to get her audience to realize that you shouldn’t pretend to be someone’s friend to get something you want.

          If you pretend to be someone’s friend to get something you want, it could put you in difficult situations. We see this when Dezzie has to pick between her fake friends who are lying and her sister who is speaking the truth. Hamlet is confused because she feels that she doesn’t know Dezzie anymore. In the beginning of the book Dezzie keeps her feelings inside herself in order to be liked. But by the middle of the book she expresses herself not caring what other people think. All this leads up to a scene where they’re in art class. Mauri tells Hamlet that she is a jerk. After hearing this, the teacher asks them who said it but nobody confesses. The teacher then sends each of them to the principle’s office one at a time. Hamlet knows that Dezzie is one of the principle’s favorites and is worried what her sister will say. Is Dezzie going to blame it on her even though it was Mauri’s fault? Dezzie knew deep inside that it wasn’t Hamlet’s fault but what would she say to keep her friends? How far would she go? “Why wouldn’t Mauri just confess to the mistake? If she and Saber hadn’t started the whole argument by making fun of me in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened ” (pg. 205). Standing up for what you think is right is crucial no matter what your friends say. It isn’t right to blame something on another person unless it’s true. Mauri should have just confessed that she called Hamlet a “jerk” and apologized. Saber should have also told the truth rather than lie in order to keep Mauri as a friend. As a person, you should take responsibility for your actions and not lie just to keep your friends. 

          Another reason why you shouldn’t use someone to get what you want is because it can backfire. If you do something that isn’t right, someone’s going to find out and want to get back at you. In the book, Mauri and Saber had to give a speech about William Shakespeare. They didn’t know that Dezzie found out that they weren’t really her friends and their plan to slack off was followed by disaster. “With each piece of incorrect information, the atmosphere in the room turned even more cold and tense. Saber and Mauri were saying exactly what Dezzie has told them. They hadn’t even double-checked to make sure that her information was accurate!” (pg. 282). Dezzie wrote a speech for Mauri and Saber to read purposely filling it with incorrect facts. If they were smart enough, they would have checked to make sure the fact played out straight. But since they were friends, they relied on Dezzie to do all their work and get them A’s. Laziness will do you nothing in life but pull you a step back from everybody else. I don’t particularly think that what Dezzie and Hamlet planned to do was right. But if it’s the only way that Mauri and Saber would learn that what they did was wrong, it’s worth the embarrassment and the bad grade they deserved. 

          Through out the book the author is sending the message that you shouldn’t pretend to be someone’s friend to get what you want. I have empathy for Dezzie because she is so young and inexperienced in the real world; her life has revolved around her parents and making them happy.  This experience has taught her that there are people who like to take advantage of other peoples’ talents. Hopefully her knowledge will effect the choices and actions she makes for friends next time and to finding who her real friends are. 

“Pain is just a state of mind. You can think your way out of anything, even pain.”

I think what Kevin means by "Pain is just a state of mind. You can think your way out of anything, even pain” is that you can erase or get rid of any pain you have; whether it’s mental or physical pain. In the book, Kevin is an enthusiastic character. He has gone through so much pain his whole life having Morquio Syndrome. According to Wikipedia and the NY Times, Morquio Syndrome causes abnormal development of bones (including the spine), bell-shaped chest with ribs flared out at the bottom, coarse facial features, hypermobile joints, knock-knees, a big head, dwarfism, a short neck, widely spaced teeth, abnormal curvature of the spine, cloudy cornea, large fingers, enlarged heart, enlarged liver, inguinal hernia and thin teeth enamel. Kevin has suffered for fourteen years with this disease and has learned how to manage it. He has also learned to deal with the mental pain of getting teased and made fun of by his peers. 

Currently, bullying is a big issue in society. It has been in many newspapers, TV and online articles. At our school, we have had many assemblies on it. People who are gay, have diseases or may just be different than everybody else get picked on. It is not right to treat people with disrespect just because they might like a certain gender or look different than other people. This book has inspired me to believe that everyone should have tolerance and empathy for others. Not only that, but you should have self confidence in yourself that you can do anything or be anyone you want. 

I think Kevin wants to believe in himself when he says that you can think your way out of pain. He doesn’t know if it’s true, but it’s all he has to believe in. 

Mental agony stems come from your emotions. I believe you can trick your mind into thinking you’re not in pain, but deep down you still are. However for physical pain I believe it’s easier because as times go on, you are immune to the specific feeling of discomfort. For example, the first time I got my tooth pulled my mouth ached terribly but the second time it didn’t hurt as bad. And by the third time, I was used to the feeling.

I believe if you’re in Kevin’s situation, you have to believe and hope everything’s going to be okay. You have to erase pain from your mind (whether it’s mental or physical). I think that having a disease makes you realize how grateful you are for what you do have.

I have not been in much physical pain (except for getting my teeth pulled). But I have been through a lot mentally. I tend to hold on to disappointments for a long time and don’t know how to control all the emotions I’m feeling. But just like Kevin, I have to look on the bright side and appreciate what I have. Maybe one moment a friend is mad at me. I know that not only can I get over it, I can fix it as well. But let’s say a friend is mean to me and it causes me a lot of pain; I wouldn’t want to be their friend anymore. I would still miss them, but I would know that what I chose to do was the right thing to do. In the long run, it would probably cost me less pain. 

In the book Freak the Mighty, Kevin is always thinking positively in the hope that things will get better. He needs to believe in himself and that the best will happen for him. I learned valuable lessons from Kevin that will stick with me as I grow up. Hopefully, I will be able to overcome conflicts and stand strong like Kevin.