Talk to us about a character or person that you've encountered in your reading life that has changed you in some way. Describe the character or person and the indelible mark he or she left on you.
Hi Mrs. Drance, Out of all of the books that I have read I've come across a few memorable, life-changing characters. One character that really surpasses all of the rest is Bella Swan from TWILIGHT, by Stephenie Meyer. She is one of my favorite novel characters because I feel that I can relate to her more than anyone else. Bella is described as an understanding, caring, serious, shy, and intelligent person, and is noted for being very clumsy, and also stubborn. I feel that my personality is very close to this description of her's. I read TWILIGHT and the rest of the books in the series all based upon my perception of the first few chapters which give the reader a chance to get to know more about Bella before more emphasis of the novel is placed more on her relationship with Edward Cullen. This first "glance" at the novel made me go on to read and absolutely adore the entire TWILIGHT series which I now consider my favorite books so far. -Jenn Granda
Hey Mrs. Drance, A particular character from a book that I have read that seems to stand out in my mind is Andy Sachs from the book THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, by Lauren Weisberger. Andy was an outsider in the magazine world of Elias Clark and most of the other characters in the book looked down upon Andy, especially her boss. Although Andy was forced to face many challenging obstacles, she overcame each one of them. She did not let the negative aspects of her life get the better of her. Andy's character had a beneficial impact on me and has a very positive potential impact to the rest of society. Due to the fact that Andy was constantly degraded for the most part of the novel, I think she kept her head held high and did not let it affect her life. Andy's character is very similar to that of Atticus in TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD, by Harper Lee. Many people in the town said rude comments about Atticus, but he just let it roll off of his back and moved on. I think both of these characters have great personalities with great outlooks on life. ~Linda
Hey Mrs. Drance! The character that has had the most impact on my life is by far Jeannette Walls. She wrote THE GLASS CASTLE, a memoir about her life. In the story, Jeannette reflects about all of the crazy events in her life, such as moving from town to town so her parents could escape the authorities and picking through the trash can for food. Her dad drank all their money away, and her mother constantly neglected the kids saying it would make them "stronger". It often seemed as if the roles of the children and parents were reversed. Jeanette and her siblings would manage the families money so they would have enough money for food they also had to drag their mother out of bed to go and plead with her to go to work. However, Jeanette hardly ever complained. She put on a brave face and kept a positive outlook on life. In the book, it was apparent that Jeanette loved and cared about her parents no matter what happened. Jeanette's story has shown me that even when you think that your life can get no worse, you should be thankful for what you have. There will always be somebody who has a situation worse than your own. Her perseverance, positive attitude, and caring personality have impacted me greatly. I try to keep a positive attitude on life, and have learned that if you work hard enough, your situation will improve.
In Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell tells a remarkable story about the life of a plantation owner's daughter, Scarlett O'Hara. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and isn't described as ultimately gorgeous, but confidence makes her into a very attractive woman for southern men. She lives with her slaves and caretakers in the beginning of the story, and as the novel progresses throughout the Civil war she loses nearly everything she has including her mother, her servants, some friends, her plantation Tara and her love for money, but yet never loses her confidence in hope and faith. This story has had an impact on me because it says that tommorow brings a new, bright future and that even with terrible things happening in your life, you can still go on. "After all, tommorow is another day (Mitchell 1037)".
Mrs. Drance, The character that has had the most impact on my life was Charlie from THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER. I can sometimes relate to him because he is described as shy, an unconventional thinker and is the "wall flower" in the book. A "wall flower" is another name for a someone who is shy and doesn't participate in social events. One of my personalities is being shy and honestly, it's not too fun but other times, it comes in handy. I also think I can be an unconventional thinker when I analyze things or try to use my imagination and think outside of the box. Another way that I can relate to him is that his English teacher always gave him a book to read; no matter how short or how long the book was. This reminds me of our English class and how you give out on-deck reading books to everyone when they need a new book to read. Another reason that Charlie has impacted my life is that while he is growing up, he faces all of these obstacles which send him on an emotional roller coaster filled with ups, downs, flips, twists, and turns. While going through all of this, he tries his hardest to do what is right and doesn't give up right away. He has inspired to never give up and always make the best of everything in our time of life.
O.k., girls, you made me cry. Because...you symbolize hope. You understand that it's important not to give up even during the toughest of times, to maintain dignity by not succumbing to hurtful taunts, to continue to have faith that tomorrow can bring a better day (good job using a quote, Kate). It CAN... even when you feel that you've spent too long a time in a pit of despair. I didn't always believe this, but I do now. You give me confidence that the world will not collapse if you all live by these mores and raise children with them as well. Your parents did a great job raising you and you, on your own, are making choices for a positive future. Yay.
A few little teeny sidebars..."hers" doesn't need an apostrophe because, on its own, it's already a possesive pronoun. Also, put the end quotation marks before the parentheses. Don't forget to cap the title.
Thank you for sharing and Becs, your comment about my always giving out books made me feel that I reached one of my professional goals. Thank you for sharing that with me.
Hello Mrs. Drance! I have two memorable characters in mind, Ingrid from WHITE OLEANDER, and Melinda from the book SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson. I couldn't really decide on one, both are quite similiar to each other actually. They are both teenage girls trying to overcome the obstacles put in front of them. But the books aren't light books (and when I say light I mean fun, optomistic books), they tell the story of two girls struggling with serious issues. I find it remarkable that the two girls were so strong. Ingrid sticks out to me though, throughout the course of the book she holds her head up high no matter what came in her way, and overcame the whole battle. If I were in her position, I don't think I would handle the issues the same way, with noone to run to, I would be a mess. I admire the strong qualities both the girls posess and their abilities to face their fears. See you tomorrow! Kaylee
One character that I feel stands out to me is Cory in Robert McCammon's BOY'S LIFE. IT shows how common America pictures the life of a young boy, from his first real bike to his dog. It reminds me of when I was still in the single digits. One example is I remember learning to ride a bike on the dead end across from my house for countless hours, also my excitement of my first dog. It also reminded me of the pain of losing a dog. But most of all Cory also shows us all the things within a small boy's mind, the imagination of a mysterious dinosaur, and the innocence but suspicion of the most innocent of matters. He embodies the characteristics of an average boy.
Pete Hamill's character Rabbi Hirsch in SNOW IN AUGUST has influenced me in a few ways. One of which was not to give up hope. Even though he goes through being discriminated, having his property defaced and being knocked unconscious by Frank McCarthy and his gang, he still manages to keep optimistic thoughts and not lose hope.
Even Mike Devlin kept an optimistic attitude that he may be able to retaliate against Frank McCarthy after what he did to Mr. G, the rabbi and Michael himself. In the end, despite how all things may seem, the rabbi was able to once again dance with his wife...
The character that has had a major impact on my life is Elie Wiesel from NIGHT. Throughout the novel he goes through a tremendous amount of hardships and struggles, but keeps his cool for the most part and learns to cope with them. He is very young at the beginning when all the terrors are thrust upon him and he is forced to understand what is going on and to follow the rules and suffer the consequences. In the beginning he stays as close as possible to his dad and follows his lead. Towards the middle-end he begins to realize what is going on and how crucial it is for him to "man up" in order to survive. He starts becoming more savage and self-efficient rather than relying on his dad. He does go through some bumps in the road where his decisions are a little too selfish but all and all he overcomes many fears and sticks out the battle. This makes me realize that no matter how hard a task may be that unless you try your hardest to complete it you will fail. Also, that when it is a life or death situation you have to learn to put yourself before others but not too much because that leads to lose-lose situations. Lauren!
Ok, this is probably going to sound dumb, but an extremely memorable character to me is Harry form J.K. Rowling's HARRY POTTER series. Harry deals with family issues, such as having no living parents, and neglegence from his living relatives, as well as issues at school, as well as many challenging and life-threatening tasks as a wizard destined to save the wizard world. However, Harry always works as hard as he can to better himself not only as a wizard, but as a family member, a friend, and a person. To me, that is a good way to try and live life, which is why Harry is a memorable character to me.
Hi Mrs. Drance, A person that I have encountered during my reading life is Randy Pausch. He was such a strong, loving person that always thought of things in a positive way and had an unbelievably great outlook on life. I think he has changed my perspective on life and tried to make me think of the positive things in life, rather than the negative. While battling cancer, he never thought about dying, just how he could help his children and wife. Although his story may be sad, he makes you feel great and think of things in a wonderful way. Jillian
Hey Mrs. Drance, class So everyone is writing about a character that inspired them to be a better person, or changed them in a good way. I'm daring to be different here, because just because a character really stood out, that doesn't necessarily mean it was a good thing. In the book LONDON BRIDGES, by James Patterson, the main character, along with the FBI, CIA, and all other forms of protective government, are attempting to catch and kill a terrorist responsible for multiple lives and countless damages. Don't get me wrong, I'm not this sick inhumane person or anything, but if you read the book, perhaps you could also almost appreciate the technology and planning that went through "The Wolf"'s head. This character had such an in-depth plan, that if he was not given away by something as stupid as he was, he could have easily overthrown the United States, and a couple countries in Europe. Every bad guy you can think of, Al Quaeda, the Red Mafia, etc. were involved in this plan, and all living and operating unnoticed from New York city! Patterson is such a good writer, that this incredible sequence of events can almost seem believable, and freakishly realistic. This is why that character made such an impression on me.
Hi Mrs. Drance, A character who has influenced me is Anne Frank. I read her diarie in eighth grade and it made me aware of so many horrible things that went on during the holocaust. She was very brave and had to go through a lot at such a young age. Reading her diarie made me realize that most of the time when I feel like the world is going to end it won't because others have been through the same things and worse. For me, she sybolizes strength and courage. Anne Frank did struggle but real courage is being able to overcome your struggles. - Emma
I would say Randy Pausch has influenced my life more than anyone else I have read about. His remarkable story in THE LAST LECTURE definitely will leave you feeling better about your life, and makes appreciate the time you still having living. Pausch,if you're not familiar with him,had pancreatic cancer, and only had less than a year to live. But he actually went on to live 10 months longer than planned. Instead of giving up, he spent his time wisely, and taught others how to live life to the fullest.
By far the most memorable character in my eyes is, The big sister in the book STOP PRETENDING by Sonya Sones. Right off the bat shes crazy, that alone is enought to make her memorable. Other than that the big sister overcomes her insanity and as it states in the end of the book, she leeds a normal health life, with a familly and job. This makes her even more memorable because she overcomes a great adversity.
One of the most memorable characters in a book that i have read would have to be Neely Crenshaw from John Grisham's book BLEACHERS. In high school he had everything. He was the football star in a school all about football and he was popular. Unfortunatly as he begins his college career he suffers a career ending injury in one of his games. He went from having everything to almost nothing. This changed me by making me realize that i should value and enjoy every minute of what i am fortunate enough to have because in the blink of an eye it can all be ripped away from me. I think that everyone can learn a lesson from this story. It shows us how lucky we are that nothing like this has happened and hopefully it would help everyone else to start appreciating the gifts that they were given whether it be an athletic ability, brains, or anything else. We should not complain about the little things and be happy with what we are very fortunate to have.
The most memorable character to me is Ender Wiggin from Orson Scott Card's Ender Quartet. He can be both kind and compassionate and ruthless, though the ruthlessness is born from the subconscious rather than his conscious mind. Ender changes throughout the book, and shows that he is capable of things that few others are. In order to understand more, you would need to read the books, for I don't want to ruin anything here. To conclude, Ender Wiggin's character will always be with me, with all of his fascinating personality traits.
I have to agree with Kaylee, Melinda from SPEAK is by far the most memorable person in my reading life. She is the first character that i could really relate to on some level. She had depth and i believed she was a real person not just someone an author had made up to sell books. When she cried i cried, when she was sad i became sad, and when she hurt it made me hurt. I think every girl should read this book because Melinda is such a powerful character and a good role model. She is also easy to relate to because she is a teenage girl trying to overcome the obstacles in her life, as many of us are.
My most memorial character would have to be Lindsay Boxer in all of James Patterson's Woman's Murder Mystery series. She is exactly what I strive to be when I'm older. For one, she's an investigator, but better yet, she's the only woman in her line of duty! Boxer is always solving the case with all the help from other woman in her group. She's driven and never stops until shes upheld the truth behind the case. Lindsay Boxer wasn't just another character, I felt connected to her. As if I was either her sister or her best friend. The events that happen to her felt like they were going on in my presence. Patterson does an amazing job by connecting one to each even and making one love the character. She's definitely my role model in my reading life.
My favorite character is probably Raoul Duke, which was actually a pseudonym that Hunter S. Thompson used so he couldn't be convicted for the crimes he commited. He's my favorite character because he lived a life completely against what people would consider normal. He did crazy drugs, stole cars, commited fraud, and was allowed to do it all because he was a genius writer and they couldn't say no to his work. That's amazing to me. I don't think I'll read about a character I like more than that.
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts with me. I'm imagining that writing these posts were fairly easy because you felt the need to share, and you did so honestly. I really, truly appreciate that because honesty makes for better writing. Please correct me if I'm wrong and let me know if there was anything else that motivated you to crystallize these characters as well as you have. I can see why each of you picked who you did.
Cat, I can see you as a future Boxer. No, Lindsey, I don't think you're nuts for finding the villain memorable. I mean, what villain isn't memorable? And, yes, your GUMS are better...way to go! Stephen and Ashley, great job re: sharing, but PUH-LEEZ, for the ZILLIONTH time, capitalize the letter "i." It makes profound writing look immature, which is an undesirable characteristic. Mark, do I have reason to worry about who you find fascinating? I mean, he's recklessness is attractive from a voyeuristic perspective, but living a life like that takes its toll...your life! So, Sean, interesting that you think the older sister more memorable than Alice. I wonder if Alice were alive and well and your age if you would date her? Sorry, a bit personal there. And, Chris...Harry Potter is awesome. I LOVE him! Why would he be stupid? John better job elaborating, Cory is memorable for the reasons about which you wrote. Lauren, Emma, and Lloyd...as a student, I was fascinated by the Holocaust because it horrified me...still does, as a matter of fact. I'm afraid even to go to Germany, which is irrational, but...perhaps I'll get over it. Emma, "diary" is spelled with a "y"; Lauren, NIGHT is a memoir, NOT a novel, which is a work of fiction. Just some minor points. Jillian and Ethan, I wish that I had read Pausch's book when I was your age; perhaps I would have been more grateful for my blessings and less depressed. Charlie, you read the most interesting books...where do you find them? Who recommends them to you? Kaylee, I have to read that book! Too many people love it and the characters so much...no worries, I knew who you meant, but good for you for clarifying. Ashely, I loved SPEAK and I loved, Kaylee, what you said about being strong without support...their situations seem so remote, although, unfortunately, they are more common than we'd like to believe. Stephen, back to you...my college boyfriend got a scholarship to play for Florida State. Then, he suffered an knee injury, and they took the scholarship away from him. He was pretty broken up about that, and I think had a hard time moving on. I hope that he's o.k. now....
O.k., so these are my rambling thoughts. Have to go back to finishing doing my grades.
You don't have to worry, I'm more interested in the fact that he was so talented they allowed him to live this way rather than the fact that he actually did it. Anybody can do drugs and commit crimes. Very few people can get paid for it. It actually didn't take as much a toll on his life as you'd think it would, he said he has no regrets towards his lifestyle because it was interesting and unique. He did end up killing himself, but that's not a bad way to go out considering all of the time's he should have died but walked out alive. You worry too much, I'm not influenced by people anymore. If I were to do crazy things it'd be on my own terms, not copying Hunter S. Thompson.
Thank you, i just feel that he represents the stereotypical-ness of a boy's life. It also makes you think about how you life has wondered off the pre-chosen childhood path.
Hi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteOut of all of the books that I have read I've come across a few memorable, life-changing characters. One character that really surpasses all of the rest is Bella Swan from TWILIGHT, by Stephenie Meyer. She is one of my favorite novel characters because I feel that I can relate to her more than anyone else. Bella is described as an understanding, caring, serious, shy, and intelligent person, and is noted for being very clumsy, and also stubborn. I feel that my personality is very close to this description of her's. I read TWILIGHT and the rest of the books in the series all based upon my perception of the first few chapters which give the reader a chance to get to know more about Bella before more emphasis of the novel is placed more on her relationship with Edward Cullen. This first "glance" at the novel made me go on to read and absolutely adore the entire TWILIGHT series which I now consider my favorite books so far.
-Jenn Granda
Hey Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteA particular character from a book that I have read that seems to stand out in my mind is Andy Sachs from the book THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, by Lauren Weisberger. Andy was an outsider in the magazine world of Elias Clark and most of the other characters in the book looked down upon Andy, especially her boss. Although Andy was forced to face many challenging obstacles, she overcame each one of them. She did not let the negative aspects of her life get the better of her. Andy's character had a beneficial impact on me and has a very positive potential impact to the rest of society. Due to the fact that Andy was constantly degraded for the most part of the novel, I think she kept her head held high and did not let it affect her life. Andy's character is very similar to that of Atticus in TO KILL A MOCKING BIRD, by Harper Lee. Many people in the town said rude comments about Atticus, but he just let it roll off of his back and moved on. I think both of these characters have great personalities with great outlooks on life.
~Linda
Hey Mrs. Drance! The character that has had the most impact on my life is by far Jeannette Walls. She wrote THE GLASS CASTLE, a memoir about her life. In the story, Jeannette reflects about all of the crazy events in her life, such as moving from town to town so her parents could escape the authorities and picking through the trash can for food. Her dad drank all their money away, and her mother constantly neglected the kids saying it would make them "stronger". It often seemed as if the roles of the children and parents were reversed. Jeanette and her siblings would manage the families money so they would have enough money for food they also had to drag their mother out of bed to go and plead with her to go to work. However, Jeanette hardly ever complained. She put on a brave face and kept a positive outlook on life. In the book, it was apparent that Jeanette loved and cared about her parents no matter what happened. Jeanette's story has shown me that even when you think that your life can get no worse, you should be thankful for what you have. There will always be somebody who has a situation worse than your own. Her perseverance, positive attitude, and caring personality have impacted me greatly. I try to keep a positive attitude on life, and have learned that if you work hard enough, your situation will improve.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. Drance!
ReplyDeleteIn Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell tells a remarkable story about the life of a plantation owner's daughter, Scarlett O'Hara. She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth and isn't described as ultimately gorgeous, but confidence makes her into a very attractive woman for southern men. She lives with her slaves and caretakers in the beginning of the story, and as the novel progresses throughout the Civil war she loses nearly everything she has including her mother, her servants, some friends, her plantation Tara and her love for money, but yet never loses her confidence in hope and faith. This story has had an impact on me because it says that tommorow brings a new, bright future and that even with terrible things happening in your life, you can still go on. "After all, tommorow is another day (Mitchell 1037)".
-Kate
Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteThe character that has had the most impact on my life was Charlie from THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER. I can sometimes relate to him because he is described as shy, an unconventional thinker and is the "wall flower" in the book. A "wall flower" is another name for a someone who is shy and doesn't participate in social events. One of my personalities is being shy and honestly, it's not too fun but other times, it comes in handy. I also think I can be an unconventional thinker when I analyze things or try to use my imagination and think outside of the box. Another way that I can relate to him is that his English teacher always gave him a book to read; no matter how short or how long the book was. This reminds me of our English class and how you give out on-deck reading books to everyone when they need a new book to read. Another reason that Charlie has impacted my life is that while he is growing up, he faces all of these obstacles which send him on an emotional roller coaster filled with ups, downs, flips, twists, and turns. While going through all of this, he tries his hardest to do what is right and doesn't give up right away. He has inspired to never give up and always make the best of everything in our time of life.
O.k., girls, you made me cry. Because...you symbolize hope. You understand that it's important not to give up even during the toughest of times, to maintain dignity by not succumbing to hurtful taunts, to continue to have faith that tomorrow can bring a better day (good job using a quote, Kate). It CAN... even when you feel that you've spent too long a time in a pit of despair. I didn't always believe this, but I do now. You give me confidence that the world will not collapse if you all live by these mores and raise children with them as well. Your parents did a great job raising you and you, on your own, are making choices for a positive future. Yay.
ReplyDeleteA few little teeny sidebars..."hers" doesn't need an apostrophe because, on its own, it's already a possesive pronoun. Also, put the end quotation marks before the parentheses. Don't forget to cap the title.
Thank you for sharing and Becs, your comment about my always giving out books made me feel that I reached one of my professional goals. Thank you for sharing that with me.
Peace and love,
Mrs. Drance
Hello Mrs. Drance!
ReplyDeleteI have two memorable characters in mind, Ingrid from WHITE OLEANDER, and Melinda from the book SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson. I couldn't really decide on one, both are quite similiar to each other actually. They are both teenage girls trying to overcome the obstacles put in front of them. But the books aren't light books (and when I say light I mean fun, optomistic books), they tell the story of two girls struggling with serious issues. I find it remarkable that the two girls were so strong. Ingrid sticks out to me though, throughout the course of the book she holds her head up high no matter what came in her way, and overcame the whole battle. If I were in her position, I don't think I would handle the issues the same way, with noone to run to, I would be a mess. I admire the strong qualities both the girls posess and their abilities to face their fears.
See you tomorrow!
Kaylee
OH MY GOODNESS! I TOTALLY MEAN ASTRID FROM WHITE OLEANDER! NOT INGRID!
ReplyDeletenever Ingrid.
One character that I feel stands out to me is Cory in Robert McCammon's BOY'S LIFE. IT shows how common America pictures the life of a young boy, from his first real bike to his dog. It reminds me of when I was still in the single digits. One example is I remember learning to ride a bike on the dead end across from my house for countless hours, also my excitement of my first dog. It also reminded me of the pain of losing a dog. But most of all Cory also shows us all the things within a small boy's mind, the imagination of a mysterious dinosaur, and the innocence but suspicion of the most innocent of matters. He embodies the characteristics of an average boy.
ReplyDeletePete Hamill's character Rabbi Hirsch in SNOW IN AUGUST has influenced me in a few ways. One of which was not to give up hope. Even though he goes through being discriminated, having his property defaced and being knocked unconscious by Frank McCarthy and his gang, he still manages to keep optimistic thoughts and not lose hope.
ReplyDeleteEven Mike Devlin kept an optimistic attitude that he may be able to retaliate against Frank McCarthy after what he did to Mr. G, the rabbi and Michael himself. In the end, despite how all things may seem, the rabbi was able to once again dance with his wife...
-Lloyd Ippolito
The character that has had a major impact on my life is Elie Wiesel from NIGHT. Throughout the novel he goes through a tremendous amount of hardships and struggles, but keeps his cool for the most part and learns to cope with them. He is very young at the beginning when all the terrors are thrust upon him and he is forced to understand what is going on and to follow the rules and suffer the consequences. In the beginning he stays as close as possible to his dad and follows his lead. Towards the middle-end he begins to realize what is going on and how crucial it is for him to "man up" in order to survive. He starts becoming more savage and self-efficient rather than relying on his dad. He does go through some bumps in the road where his decisions are a little too selfish but all and all he overcomes many fears and sticks out the battle. This makes me realize that no matter how hard a task may be that unless you try your hardest to complete it you will fail. Also, that when it is a life or death situation you have to learn to put yourself before others but not too much because that leads to lose-lose situations.
ReplyDeleteLauren!
Ok, this is probably going to sound dumb, but an extremely memorable character to me is Harry form J.K. Rowling's HARRY POTTER series. Harry deals with family issues, such as having no living parents, and neglegence from his living relatives, as well as issues at school, as well as many challenging and life-threatening tasks as a wizard destined to save the wizard world. However, Harry always works as hard as he can to better himself not only as a wizard, but as a family member, a friend, and a person. To me, that is a good way to try and live life, which is why Harry is a memorable character to me.
ReplyDeleteHi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteA person that I have encountered during my reading life is Randy Pausch. He was such a strong, loving person that always thought of things in a positive way and had an unbelievably great outlook on life. I think he has changed my perspective on life and tried to make me think of the positive things in life, rather than the negative. While battling cancer, he never thought about dying, just how he could help his children and wife. Although his story may be sad, he makes you feel great and think of things in a wonderful way.
Jillian
Hey Mrs. Drance, class
ReplyDeleteSo everyone is writing about a character that inspired them to be a better person, or changed them in a good way. I'm daring to be different here, because just because a character really stood out, that doesn't necessarily mean it was a good thing. In the book LONDON BRIDGES, by James Patterson, the main character, along with the FBI, CIA, and all other forms of protective government, are attempting to catch and kill a terrorist responsible for multiple lives and countless damages. Don't get me wrong, I'm not this sick inhumane person or anything, but if you read the book, perhaps you could also almost appreciate the technology and planning that went through "The Wolf"'s head. This character had such an in-depth plan, that if he was not given away by something as stupid as he was, he could have easily overthrown the United States, and a couple countries in Europe. Every bad guy you can think of, Al Quaeda, the Red Mafia, etc. were involved in this plan, and all living and operating unnoticed from New York city! Patterson is such a good writer, that this incredible sequence of events can almost seem believable, and freakishly realistic. This is why that character made such an impression on me.
Hi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteA character who has influenced me is Anne Frank. I read her diarie in eighth grade and it made me aware of so many horrible things that went on during the holocaust. She was very brave and had to go through a lot at such a young age. Reading her diarie made me realize that most of the time when I feel like the world is going to end it won't because others have been through the same things and worse. For me, she sybolizes strength and courage. Anne Frank did struggle but real courage is being able to overcome your struggles.
- Emma
I would say Randy Pausch has influenced my life more than anyone else I have read about. His remarkable story in THE LAST LECTURE definitely will leave you feeling better about your life, and makes appreciate the time you still having living.
ReplyDeletePausch,if you're not familiar with him,had pancreatic cancer, and only had less than a year to live. But he actually went on to live 10 months longer than planned. Instead of giving up, he spent his time wisely, and taught others how to live life to the fullest.
Awesome job with the play Mrs. Drance!(As usual)
Again...how's the grammer?
ReplyDeleteLet me know if anything can be improved!thanks
[=
kelsey
By far the most memorable character in my eyes is, The big sister in the book STOP PRETENDING by Sonya Sones. Right off the bat shes crazy, that alone is enought to make her memorable. Other than that the big sister overcomes her insanity and as it states in the end of the book, she leeds a normal health life, with a familly and job. This makes her even more memorable because she overcomes a great adversity.
ReplyDeleteOne of the most memorable characters in a book that i have read would have to be Neely Crenshaw from John Grisham's book BLEACHERS. In high school he had everything. He was the football star in a school all about football and he was popular. Unfortunatly as he begins his college career he suffers a career ending injury in one of his games. He went from having everything to almost nothing. This changed me by making me realize that i should value and enjoy every minute of what i am fortunate enough to have because in the blink of an eye it can all be ripped away from me. I think that everyone can learn a lesson from this story. It shows us how lucky we are that nothing like this has happened and hopefully it would help everyone else to start appreciating the gifts that they were given whether it be an athletic ability, brains, or anything else. We should not complain about the little things and be happy with what we are very fortunate to have.
ReplyDeleteThe most memorable character to me is Ender Wiggin from Orson Scott Card's Ender Quartet. He can be both kind and compassionate and ruthless, though the ruthlessness is born from the subconscious rather than his conscious mind. Ender changes throughout the book, and shows that he is capable of things that few others are. In order to understand more, you would need to read the books, for I don't want to ruin anything here. To conclude, Ender Wiggin's character will always be with me, with all of his fascinating personality traits.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with Kaylee, Melinda from SPEAK is by far the most memorable person in my reading life. She is the first character that i could really relate to on some level. She had depth and i believed she was a real person not just someone an author had made up to sell books. When she cried i cried, when she was sad i became sad, and when she hurt it made me hurt. I think every girl should read this book because Melinda is such a powerful character and a good role model. She is also easy to relate to because she is a teenage girl trying to overcome the obstacles in her life, as many of us are.
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ReplyDeleteHey Mrs Drance,
ReplyDeleteMy most memorial character would have to be Lindsay Boxer in all of James Patterson's Woman's Murder Mystery series. She is exactly what I strive to be when I'm older. For one, she's an investigator, but better yet, she's the only woman in her line of duty! Boxer is always solving the case with all the help from other woman in her group. She's driven and never stops until shes upheld the truth behind the case. Lindsay Boxer wasn't just another character, I felt connected to her. As if I was either her sister or her best friend. The events that happen to her felt like they were going on in my presence. Patterson does an amazing job by connecting one to each even and making one love the character.
She's definitely my role model in my reading life.
-Catherine =]
My favorite character is probably Raoul Duke, which was actually a pseudonym that Hunter S. Thompson used so he couldn't be convicted for the crimes he commited. He's my favorite character because he lived a life completely against what people would consider normal. He did crazy drugs, stole cars, commited fraud, and was allowed to do it all because he was a genius writer and they couldn't say no to his work. That's amazing to me. I don't think I'll read about a character I like more than that.
ReplyDelete-Mark
Thank you all for sharing your thoughts with me. I'm imagining that writing these posts were fairly easy because you felt the need to share, and you did so honestly. I really, truly appreciate that because honesty makes for better writing. Please correct me if I'm wrong and let me know if there was anything else that motivated you to crystallize these characters as well as you have. I can see why each of you picked who you did.
ReplyDeleteCat, I can see you as a future Boxer. No, Lindsey, I don't think you're nuts for finding the villain memorable. I mean, what villain isn't memorable? And, yes, your GUMS are better...way to go! Stephen and Ashley, great job re: sharing, but PUH-LEEZ, for the ZILLIONTH time, capitalize the letter "i." It makes profound writing look immature, which is an undesirable characteristic. Mark, do I have reason to worry about who you find fascinating? I mean, he's recklessness is attractive from a voyeuristic perspective, but living a life like that takes its toll...your life! So, Sean, interesting that you think the older sister more memorable than Alice. I wonder if Alice were alive and well and your age if you would date her? Sorry, a bit personal there. And, Chris...Harry Potter is awesome. I LOVE him! Why would he be stupid? John better job elaborating, Cory is memorable for the reasons about which you wrote. Lauren, Emma, and Lloyd...as a student, I was fascinated by the Holocaust because it horrified me...still does, as a matter of fact. I'm afraid even to go to Germany, which is irrational, but...perhaps I'll get over it. Emma, "diary" is spelled with a "y"; Lauren, NIGHT is a memoir, NOT a novel, which is a work of fiction. Just some minor points. Jillian and Ethan, I wish that I had read Pausch's book when I was your age; perhaps I would have been more grateful for my blessings and less depressed. Charlie, you read the most interesting books...where do you find them? Who recommends them to you? Kaylee, I have to read that book! Too many people love it and the characters so much...no worries, I knew who you meant, but good for you for clarifying. Ashely, I loved SPEAK and I loved, Kaylee, what you said about being strong without support...their situations seem so remote, although, unfortunately, they are more common than we'd like to believe. Stephen, back to you...my college boyfriend got a scholarship to play for Florida State. Then, he suffered an knee injury, and they took the scholarship away from him. He was pretty broken up about that, and I think had a hard time moving on. I hope that he's o.k. now....
O.k., so these are my rambling thoughts. Have to go back to finishing doing my grades.
Love,
Mrs. Drance
Mrs. Drance-
ReplyDeleteYou don't have to worry, I'm more interested in the fact that he was so talented they allowed him to live this way rather than the fact that he actually did it. Anybody can do drugs and commit crimes. Very few people can get paid for it. It actually didn't take as much a toll on his life as you'd think it would, he said he has no regrets towards his lifestyle because it was interesting and unique. He did end up killing himself, but that's not a bad way to go out considering all of the time's he should have died but walked out alive. You worry too much, I'm not influenced by people anymore. If I were to do crazy things it'd be on my own terms, not copying Hunter S. Thompson.
That's unoriginal
-Mark
Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteThank you, i just feel that he represents the stereotypical-ness of a boy's life. It also makes you think about how you life has wondered off the pre-chosen childhood path.
Hi Mrs. Drance,
ReplyDeleteSorry about that spelling mistake.
- Emma