Final Blogger Reflection

Click here to view my best blog post.

 

My theme and summary post for Looking for Alaska was the best because it meets all the requirements, the theme is appilicable to other texts as well as life and it was well recieved in comments. The theme was that nothing will ever truely be gone. The requirements for the post are to determine a theme or central idea of atext and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text. In the post, I say, " Miles Halters who loses a dear friend (not saying who, how or why). So Miles and his friends have to cope with their disapearance. For most of the second half, Miles is very sad and at many points angry that his friend was gone mostly because of how he wanted questions answered that could only be answered by the person they could not find. But once Miles came to grips with his friend being gone was when the theme was realized." That meets that requirement. The theme (according to comments) was a touching theme worded well which is applicable to other texts which I point out about the end of Romeo and Juliet, or just applicable to life. 

 

My goals for next tri involving reading are to finish An Abundance of Katherines and read (or at least start reading) The Fault In Our Stars because I cannot read more than one or two books at a time. I want to read The Fault In Our Stars because 1) everyone says it is great 2) I really like the author and what I read of his and 3) it is being made into a movie and I want to read the book first. My goal for writing is to attempt to participate in NANOREMO (National Novel Writing Month) but I am almost certain I will not complete that task. But my trimester goal is to brainstorm and start writing a new novel or screenplay as a new project. My other goal with my writing is that I want it not to only be entertaining but helpful in others lives with relatable characters and situations.

Analysis of An Abundance of Katherines

"' Because of the whole genius thing...is nothing. That's just about wanting to be famous'
'No it's not. I want to matter' he said" (Green 11).

I think this is an interesting concept. Being famous and mattering seem like two different things to me but I can't put my finger on why. This is a problem that I (and many other people I presume) face. But is it just a euphemism for simple lust for fame. I think the arguement can go both ways. Collin goes to Gunshot, Tennesee to see the body of Archduke Franz Ferbinard. He meets a nice mother and daughter who give them jobs and housing. But Collin spends most of his time thinking about the most recent Katherine or battling the idea that he might just want to be famous. You can argue that they are the same thing that fame is a result of work that you have done that matters to people. And thats true. Many people revolutionized the world we live in like Albert Einstien or George Washington. But sometimes you either get one or the other. For example many people don't know who Martin Cooper is. But he invented the first version of an invention practically everyone has now (try to guess what he made and don't use google) and I think that mattering means someone who has found a way to positively impact your life or the human experience. The Kardashians are famous but they don't really do anything to positively impact society. From what I know, all they do is walk around, be rich and get divorced every once in a while. But they are well known...somehow.Sometimes the concept of fame confuses me. Should all people that matter be famous or do all famous people matter. What do you think makes someone famous and or matter? Do you think fame builds or destroys human culture and why? These aren't retorical questions and I would like to wrap up with this: fame and mattering is all about perspective. Someone can matter and/or be famous to a lot of people but not everyone.

New Book!

After reading Looking for Alaska, I grew an apreciation for John Green as not only a youtuber and a human being but now as a writer. So I started reading An Abundance of Katherines, his second novel. Everyone tells me to read The Fault in Our Stars (which I will read once I read this and maybe some of his other books). That got me wondering what made his books so good? As a child I loved the concept of magic, I would always pretend that I was a wizard because it is protrayed that there is a spell for everything in the universe of Harry Potter for example (which again, I still have to read. So contrasts between Green's work and Harry Potter will be based on the movies. Sorry) but I digress. Harry Potter is so imaginative in the universe it creates but I couldn't find the main conflict relatable. But that doesn't mean it isn't a compelling conflict. One of the goals I find in liturature is basically why we look for theme statements. When characters are put in relatable situations, we turn to them to see how they handled it. In An Abundance of Katherines, the main character Collin is a child protegy who has only dated girls named Katherine and has been dumped by a Katherine 19 times. But his main struggle in the beginning of the book is not his relationship problems (as much) but how he wants to matter. I can relate to that. So in conclusion books can serve as guides, warnings or just an escape from this world to enter another.

Wrapping up Looking for Alaska

I have just finished Looking for Alaska and FRENCH THE LLAMA it was awesome! (Comment below if you got the refference). So I will try to keep this as spoiler free as possible. The climax was somewhat predictable but it was still impactful. But what I thought was really well done was how the protagonist didn't have the same reactions to the climax throughout the book. It wasn't just sadness; it was anger, curiousity, happiness and at one point they said they felt pure. It followed the thoughts of the speaker very well and I could relate very much to some of the lines (to the point where I almost wanted to highlight my book). Check it out if you ever get a chance and what book should I read next if you have any suggestions.

A final word to the John Green fans out there (and everyone for that matter)
DFTBA

Theme and Summary of Looking for Alaska

The book Looking for Alaska is about a boy named Miles Halters who loses a dear friend (not saying who, how or why). So Miles and his friends have to cope with their disapearance. For most of the second half, Miles is very sad and at many points angry that his friend was gone mostly because of how he wanted questions answered that could only be answered by the person they could not find. But once Miles came to grips with his friend being gone was when the theme was realized. Even if something is lost to the naked eye, almost nothing is ever completely gone. Miles wrote in his final paper that, "Those awful things are survivalable, because we are as indestructable as we believe ourselves to be" (Green 220). Miles also mentions in the paper that energy is never created or destroyed. It only changes shape, size, etc. People (including myself) that in story telling (but mostly TV) characters never actually stay dead. This is more of a literal sense but in writing that is very true in a deeper meaning. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet commit suicide which eventually results in the families making up. In conclusion whatever you may have lost, may it be as insignificant as your pencil, or as meaningful as a loved one. Nothing will ever truely be gone.

Looking for Alaska tone and mood.
The tone of Looking for Alaska changes as does the mood (this isn't necesarily spoilers but Alaska is a pretty moody character). Sometimes the tone is sweet and innocent, like when Alaska and Miles have their first conversation. So the mood is happy and optimistic. Sometimes the tone is for a "more adult pg-13 esc" and that makes the mood uncomfortable. I believe the mood/tone of the book always depends on the mood Alaska is in because she is the main subject/focus of the story.  The Colonel convinced Miles to take up smoking unintentionally because he was going to smoke anyway and it is apart of his lifestyle.Miles said, "The Colonel neglected to ask whether 4. I smoked, which 5. I didn't" (Green 14). But since he is trying to fit in and he just met Alaska (who he is obsessed with) it didn't take much to get him to start. He is not a good role model, what makes this absolutely halairous is his justification of his actions was three words, "when in Rome..."(Green 16) the only tone picked up from the Colonel is casual but the mood is awkward because the reader and Miles are trying to adjust to his lifestyle. But as Miles says, "when in Rome..." (Green 16) apparently it is ok going against your personal beliefs.

5 links about Looking for Alaska





The Author of Looking for Alaska is a youtuber so here are some of the videos he posted about the book
this link will bring you to a video about the setting of Looking for Alaska and the author's experience at his high school

The book is about a character named Miles who memorizes the last words of many famous people. These are 50 famous people's last words

These are the last words of every (deceased) president.
                                                                                                                                            www.helensbookblog.com 
                                                                                                                    

www.npr.org