The book 1984 by George Orwell depicts a world where the government controls every aspect of their people. They use technology called “telescreens” to watch over their citizens and inflict heavy punishment (like death) if they break strict rules. The government convinces everyone whatever they say is right. They erase all history to hide their mistakes, and to hide the idea of a free life. The government of the apocalyptic London is known as Big Brother, a man described as “...black haired, black moustachio’d, full of power and mysterious calm.” Winston the main character of the novel, disagrees with Big Brother while everyone around him thinks the opposite. The people are brainwashed to agree with the government, and are given no opportunities to think otherwise of the government. The novel 1984, shows a world where the government controls everything.

Winston throughout the book disagrees with the government, but ultimately pays the price at the end of the story. The government kidnaps Winston and tortures him until he abandons his former beliefs. The government uses Winston’s greatest fear (rats) to break him. “They (the rats) are a form of pressure that you can not withstand even if you wished to. You will do what is required of you.” This example shows how government knows exactly how to control and break each one of their people who disobey. Quickly Winston does break and offers his lover to be tortured instead of him. At the end of the story Big Brother has won when“He (Winston) had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.”  The whole story explains how Winston has a natural hatred towards Big Brother and how he will do anything to stop it, however when tortured and faced with his greatest fear he quickly abandons his hatred and he becomes one of the brainwashed people he despised. In this futuristic city where the government controls everything, people have no choice but to believe what the Big Brother wants them to believe, the government manipulates their people emotionally.

The authority in the novel also controls their people physically. They have cameras and spies that are waiting for someone to make one mistake so small as a twitch so they can hand them into the government for punishment. “Your worst enemy, he (Winston) reflected, was your own nervous system. At any moment the tension inside you was liable to translate itself into some visible symptom.” These people of the apocalyptic city are contained in every way possible to avoid an uprise. Even a slight twitch could get you killed. The people are also forced when to wake up and when they do they must tirelessly exercise, when Winston Smith isn’t moving fast enough it get’s quickly noticed. “Smith!” screamed the shrewish voice from the telescreen...Bend lower please! You can do better than that. You’re not trying.” This shows how the government is able to control even the health of their people, and when someone falls out of line they quickly put them in their place.

The book 1984 describes a new kind of world and community where the people have no freedom, and are heavily controlled by their government. The novel shows what it would be like to live in those conditions and how dangerous and difficult it is to do so.

Social Injustice Project

The article “What Happened in Ferguson,” from the New York Times is explaning a topic that infuriates people due to social injustice. The article shows controversy with witnesses, some say Michael Brown charged towards the police officer (Officer Wilson), while others say he did not. I think this article shows social injustice, because the color of Brown’s skin probably affected the outcome of the situation. If Brown (hypothetically) charged towards Wilson, then why would the officer have felt there was no choice but to shoot him dead? Many are convinced it’s because of his skin color. There currently is a strong stereotype for african americans, which probably influenced Wilson and made him shoot out of fear. If there was a white teenage boy charging at the officer would he have felt in the same amount of danger? Would he have fired 12 rounds at the incoming boy? The article makes me realize how we haven’t come as far as we thought we had in terms of racism. There’s footage of protestors in the streets being taken out by tear gas, which looks similar to the protests for voting rights, that occured years ago. We do have a black president which is a major step forward, but seeing people shouting at officers in the streets really makes you wonder how much farther we have to go until we are all equal.

Buchanan, Larry. "What Happened in Ferguson?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 12 Aug. 2014. Web. 25 Nov. 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/08/13/us/ferguson-missouri-town-under-siege-after-police-shooting.html>.

Imagine by John Lennon (excerpt)

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace...

This excerpt from Imagine by John Lennon is about how much conflict there is in the world. It tells what the world could be if there wasn’t war, and tells the reader to imagine that. It traces war back to the division of the world by asking the reader to imagine no countries, and how that could mean “living life in peace”. The excerpt demonstreates injustice, because some of the army members are people who have no choice, because they really need the money.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

One day when I was walking down the street, I heard a man whistle to a woman. She was simply strolling down the street in jeans and a low hanging shirt, and hadn’t done anything to provoke this man. I watched in disgust as his eyes went up and down her body, and he shouted things at her. This is unfair to human rights, beacause you don’t see women whistling at men in tight shirts, or shouting for their number. This woman was only seen for her body, which is an example of something happening in this soceity that’s cruel and unfair.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

While watching popular TV shows my younger sister would watch on Disney Channel, I saw reocurring patterns. For starters, teens my age are generally white. They are skinny, wear flashy clothing, and never wear glasses (only “nerds” would wear those). They are portrayed as sneaky and are always hiding things from their parents. In every current Disney show there will be one episode where a main character breaks an object, or looses something. They will lie to their parents, and try to avoid any consequence. Eventually, they will get caught and are forced to fix their mess. Most of the teenagers live in big cities like Chicago or New York, and have loose parents who are willing to let them run around freely. These TV shows, give kids a strict image of how they should look, or what “pretty” should look like. Plus, there are many gender stereotypes. A typical girl character would buy shoes instead of studying, or a guy would play with trucks and throw dirt at his sisters. Looking back on the shows I used to watch on Disney, there are similarities and differences. For starters, there were actual african americans on the shows I watched. On Disney now, the only black person you will see is an extra in the background. Also, all the actors weren’t a size 0, which made kids love their bodies as they are. In addition, some of the episodes in shows would be relatable and would serve as advice, to educate and help kids watching. There would be episodes focusing on bullying, or even puberty. However, shows now and then have things in common. For instance, some of the older shows did include sneaky characters who would manipulate parents. Overall, the portrayal of teenagers is unrealistic and negative.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

One of my moms, named Jen, used to work at a law firm for many years of her life. During her time there, she worked on many cases involving social injustice, one of which being racism. Low income black families were being cheated out of their money by the owner of their house, and Jen worked hard to prove this was happening and ended up winning her case. She was able to get money back to the people who really need it. Because the families were black, the predatory lender took the little money they had.

Q: Did you always know you wanted to be a lawyer?

A: Nope, not until late collage.

Q: Why did you want to be a lawyer?

A: In collage I learned a lot about civil rights movement and womans right movements and I felt that some things in the world are really awful, and unfair, and I felt like it would be great to try to do something about it.

Q: What do you think the greatest social injustice problem is facing the world?

A: I would say racial and ethnic stereotypes, and the distructive actions people take due to these assumptions that the stereotypes are true.

Q: What do you do to try to fix these problems?

A: For 16 years I represented poor people in court for free, and I tried to educate people in community groups about their rights and now I run a program for City Collage students from low income backgrounds who want to become lawyers.

Q: What was your biggest case to help these people?

A: In 2011, I and four other attorney attorneyrepresented six families against a predatory lender and who also fraudulent developer of homes. We won 10 million dollars for our clients and created the first case law regarding this particular type of loan, which will help other lawyers help other families who were victims of preditory lending.

Q: Would you say you change the world?

A: I feel like during my times at legal services I represented 2500 people or families, and won almost all of those cases so I feel like I changed a lot of individual peoples worlds, but on a global level I don’t think the work I did made a humongous change except fighting the fight against injustice.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

I asked my mom named Lisa, about her opninions on social justice:

Q: How do you think we can fix social injustice problems?

A: I really don’t know, there’s just such a history in our country of salvery and anti-immagration.

Q: What do you think the biggest issues are?

A: One of them is definitely racism, I think everyone is somewhat racist today, but its not that simple because they deny it. Every white person has had at least one racist thought because of our history, and how we were rasied.

Q: What do you think is fair in the world?

A: Democaracy is the main prefered gov in the world i think this is a much better gover than kings and dictators and also there is all this social revolutions of the 60s: gay rights, womans rights, black luebration its open the door for people to disucss things like difference and acceptance of difference.

Q: What do you think is unfair about the world?

A: Biggest issue is economic difference rather than racial difference, the difference having money is of such high value in our culture.  

I personally agree with what Lisa was saying, there is definitly a problem with racism, and there are so many people who are racist because of our history. I think preventing racism will be a challenge for the US, because while we have come far, there’s still a lot of racism today.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

On the news there are many heartbreaking events, and one I saw was about a fire. The newscaster explains how a fire taking over 40 homes forced people to evacuate, and some people had merely moments to escape. The building was left demolished, and all belongings were destroyed. It would be tragic to be in their situation, because they would have lost almost everything. To have to escape from your home before your burned alive, and then having to watch your home go down in flames would be heartbreaking. You keep photo albums, electronics, toys, and so much more in your house, and I can’t imagine all of that being gone in a second. And now the evacuees are left searching for a place to stay, and then a new home.

Is Banning Books Necessary?

Emma Malcolm 802

Dear Ms Berner,

Potter Stewart, a past member of the Supreme Court once said, “Censorship reflects a society's lack of confidence in itself.” In the United States today, over 11,300 books have been banned due to censorship. All over the country, libraries and schools pull books away from students in fear of the content being inappropriate. There’s a lot controversy over how much a teen can handle when it comes to gruesome topics like murder, rape, suicide, and others. However, constricting book access to teenagers is impractical, because dark and depressing topics can expose kids to the world, and can help them withstand it. Schools shouldn’t limit students access to certain books, because grim young adult novels can be beneficial to teens when applied to life.

“If subjects like these [depression, self harm, etc] are in YA books, it’s to show that they are real, they have happened to others, and they can be survived.” Says the article, “Yes, teen fiction can be dark-but it shows teenagers they aren’t alone,” by Maureen Johnson. Growing up as a teenager is challenging, and there are many difficult situations one must endure. A woman struggling through a methamphetamine addiction, for example, was saved by the YA novel Crank. “Banned Books Week 2010: An Anti-Censorship Manifesto,” by Ellen Hopkins explains how a woman, “...saw herself in those pages, and suddenly knew she didn't want to be there. That book turned her around.” The depressing and dark novel was able to guide a woman from her addiction. Think of how many other people could be saved daily by these novels. For instance, if a self harming teenager reads about another teen in the same situation, she would know she’s not the only one struggling. Maureen Johnson says, “For teenagers there is sometimes no message more critical than: you are not alone,” and proposes, “If the character overcomes her complication, a kid reading could get the courage to do the same.” Sherman Alexie the author of, “Why the Best Kids Books are Written in Blood,” explains “Now I write books for teenagers because I vividly remember what it felt like to be a teen facing everyday and epic dangers...I write to give them weapons–in the form of words and ideas-that will help them fight their monsters.” Those who have survived gruesome events can use their experiences to assist others.

        Grim young adult novel plots tend to be based off real life situations and, “Fiction is a safe way for kids to explore these issues,” as described in “Books Bring Dark Issues To Light For Teen Readers”. These YA books can help a teenager learn about their world through a character's eyes, instead of living it firsthand. YA novels “make [teens] ask questions about the world they live in and the choices they make.” Through books, teenagers are able to see different perspectives of a known issue, and the world itself. Many young adult novels are raw, and don't sugarcoat the problems described, this way teenagers are able to see their environment in a realistic way, even if it can be gloomy and frightening. They are able to fully understand issues in the world. “Are Teen Novels Dark and Depraved- or Saving Lives,” brings up the idea that, “Books...deal with millions of subjects that are sometimes uncomfortable to deal with. It’s the way we deal with and introduce subjects into the consciousness.... We can use those resources in art and literature as ways of understanding them.” Dark novels can bring difficult topics into discussion, and cause awareness.

There are many people against the idea of topics like depression, or child abuse, in the minds of teens. Many worry the popular YA novels will normalize intense problems facing the country, and could even encourage teenagers to try them out. It’s been said that it’s "also possible...that books focusing on pathologies help normalize them, and in the case of self harm, may even spread the plausibility and likelihood to young people who might otherwise never have imagined such extreme measures," explains the article, “Should Young Adult Books Explore Difficult Issues”. However there are many accounts of teens showing the opposite effects that were accused. In the article, “Banned Books Week 2010: An Anti-Censorship Manifesto,” Ellen Hopkins exclaims, "I have received tens of thousands of messages from readers, thanking me for turning them around, giving much needed insight, and even literally saving their lives”. YA books encourage teens to avoid the situation described in the book, because most novels show the terrible outcome these situations have on the character. Young adult books do not convince kids to follow the footsteps into a terrible addiction for example, they convince kids to avoid the addiction entirely, or to get themselves out of it.

There is no real reason to ban books. Banning books would make it more difficult to get the book, but not impossible teens can access censored books on the internet, or from friends.  The world can be a scary and dark place, and YA books are the survival guide. They don’t exaggerate the dark parts to life, they simply don’t try to hide it. Teens deserve to learn about problems they could face in the future, or may already be suffering through.        

        

Give a Boy a Gun- Reading Response

According to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, in the year 2010 guns slaughtered 31,076 American citizens in homicides, suicides and unintentional shootings. “Give a Boy a Gun” a novel by Todd Strasser, addresses the disagreements towards gun control laws due to all the deaths caused my guns. The story takes place at Middletown High school where two boys are victims of continuous bullying, and one day seek revenge by trapping their peers at a school dance with the help of guns and bombs. The young adult novel makes readers question who is to blame for gun incidents; the bullies, gun laws, or the kids using guns against others.

The book is focused around two boys named Brendan and Gary, and is told through quotes from acquaintances. Through these quotes you are able to gain an understanding of the emotional and physical torture the two boys suffer. Ranging from punches to exclusion, Brendan and Gary are in pain everyday at school and quickly become angry and suicidal. One teenager, a friend of the two boys, described the bullying they face everyday by explaining when someone calls him a faggot, “to him [the bully] it’s nothing...but it’s burned in your brain. It’s a permanent scar.” The words from the teenage boy give the reader a sense of how crude nicknames can affect a person forever. After a year of bullying from football players it’s described Gary doesn’t “...really care. He was the past the point of caring. He wanted them to die.” Quickly after the bullying begins, Gary and Brendan become tired, and search for a way to make their bullies feel pain like they do. Additionally, another teenager in the book describes an event where a football player attacked Brendan including “Sam was definitely going for Brendans face”. The same kid even adds “...If I’d had a gun…, I would have shot Sam myself.” This teenager proves how terrible the bully is, because even though he isn’t the target of the attack he feels rage like Brendan and Gary do. If it wasn’t for the teasing and pushing in the hallways the two boys suffer, they wouldn’t have had the depression or rage they deal with throughout the novel. If they hadn’t been wounded by words or fists, they wouldn’t have had the rage that led them straight to guns.

The terror in the Middletown gym was caused by guns, and the gun manufacturers could be at fault for that reason. Gary and Brendan wouldn’t have been able to disable a peer permanently, or hold their grade hostage if they hadn’t gotten their hands on guns. The gun laws in the US are very lenient. A fact in the book states, “more than 50% of male youths say it would be easy to obtain a gun.” Brendan was able to buy a gun for $100 from “...this kid in school.” These proves any person (even a child) with cash could obtain a real gun with real bullets, that could cause real damage. Someone could kill others or themselves, because they don’t know how to property use a gun. Or some people could purposely kill or harm others (like Brendan and Gary) due to personal problems. A quote in the book supports this by saying, “I’ve heard the argument that it’s okay to give guns to kids as long as you make sure they’re trained on how to use them safely. I have to disagree. These are children, and they can be extremely emotional or impulsive and not always completely in touch with reality…” Lastly, many people have guns to hunt animals, or to protect their family (which doesn’t always come to use). But, the book explains how the guns Brendan and Gary got their hands on “...are pretty much the same thing the army uses. They’re not made for hunting or target practice. They’re just made to kill people…” This fact makes the reader wonder why stores would be allowed to sell these guns, or why they could even be obtained by the public. If military weapons couldn’t be given to hands of any age with a few hundred dollars (like they are now), the tragic accidents events occurring all over the Nation could be prevented. If Gary and Brendan couldn’t have gotten the right weapons for their plan, they wouldn’t have made newspaper headlines.

Finally, the blame could fall down onto the two boys holding the guns, Brendan and Gary. A gun’s trigger needs been pushed by a human hand to fire the bullet, a person fires a gun. In the story Brendan says, “Gun[s] don’t kill people. People kill people.” A gun is only a tool used in Brendan and Gary’s “revenge”. The two teenagers are the ones who created the plan, held the guns to students heads, and hit three people with bullets. “At lunch [Brendan would] put his arm on the table and plant his chin behind it so it looked like he was peeking over a wall...he’d stick his thumb and point his finger at the kids he hated. He’d go “Point and click, point and click. Die suckas.” Like he was picking them off one by one.” A girl describes how Brendan would practice shooting a gun at classmates around him. This portrays how Brendan was ultimately the one pointing and shooting the gun to harm people, and he had the motive behind it to make it an easy task. The two teenage boys were the ones who ultimately set the plan into action, and if they hadn’t created the hostage plan, or even set it into action, the events at Middletown High could have never happened.

Bullies, gun laws, and the teenagers, all contribute to the tragic story of what happened at Middletown High. Each side of the story has compelling reasoning for being the cause of the incident, and leaves the reader wondering who to blame. Are the people giving Brendan and Gary the anger and sadness, the reason why the high school class was taken hostage? Did a teenage boy become disabled, because Brendan and Gary were able to shoot military type bullets into his knee? Or were the actual people behind the idea of the attack, the ones who should be punished? The choice is yours. Is there anyway to actually punish whoever is behind the violence? Is there anyway to stop the innocent shootings? It’s up to us. We have to take charge and do what we can to preserve the innocent lives that could be taken in gun violence.

Young Adult Essay

The Giver Book Response

In our society today, being unique is what makes us human. Our personality is what separate us from the billion of others around us. However in the young adult novel, “The Giver” , the government, known as Community of Elders, in a dystopian future prides themselves in making sure no one is different. The story is told through the life of a boy named Jonas, and his interactions with the rules of the  government. They make their choices for everyone in the city, which makes it nearly impossible to have a personality. The government in “The Giver” has complete control over every aspect of their citizens.

The Community of Elders decides when and how you grow up. For instance, the protagonist Jonas explains how he was given a “comfort object” or a stuffed animal, until the Community of Elders decided he didn’t need it. In the story Jonas’ sister, Lily, wanted her stuffed animal and her mom explains how, "you're very close to being an Eight, and when you're an Eight, your comfort object will be taken away. It will be recycled to the younger children. You should be starting to go off to sleep without it." Children may still need their comfort object for psychological reasons, but it will be taken from them anyway. The kids are forced to grow up, instead of doing it at their own pace. Also, the kids are not allowed to go onto a bike until they reach a certain age and are presented with bikes of their own. The text says, “The children all received their bicycles at Nine; they were not allowed to ride bicycles before then.” The children do not get to decide when they feel they are ready to ride a bike, or whether they even want a bike, the decision is already made for them. These examples prove that the authority shapes the lives of their citizens, instead of letting them create their own.

Also The Community of Elders decides who you would spend the rest of your life with through a process called, “The Matching of the Spouses”.  In the novel a character explains, “...sometimes an adult who applied to receive a spouse waited months or even years before a Match was approved and announced. All of the factors--disposition, energy level, intelligence, and interests--had to correspond and to interact perfectly.” Jonas explains how his parents balance each other out and “match perfectly.” The government of the futuristic society give the people being paired no say in who they will have to share their life with.

Finally the leaders of the future society control the details involving a couple’s children. The couple (that is paired) is only allowed “Two children--one male, one female--to each family unit. It was written very clearly in the rules.” The children are also not blood related to the parents, the children are birthed by an assigned “birthmother”.  At a ceremony ,the family is given a random child already named, nurtured, and some children are even already walking. Jonas tells the time of when his “family unit” received another kid, “...he remembered his mother taking the newchild, his sister, into her arms, while the document was read to the assembled family units. "Newchild Twenty-three," the Namer had read. "Lily.” This demonstrates that the citizens in this near future world are given a family by the government instead of making their own.

In our lives we are faced with decisions everyday, and some affect our entire lives. We choose our afterschool activities, schools, occupations, every detail that can shape our life.  The young adult novel “The Giver” shows a world where none of these decisions exist, and shows how miserable these citizens are. The government thinks they’re protecting them by controling them completly, but most people in this future socieity don’t know happiness, and never will.

"Ashes" Essay Response

Many teens face the issue of divorce, and being divided between parents. Susan Beth Pfeffer’s short story, “Ashes” descibes a teenage girl named Ashes who struggles with the complication of divorce. The protagonist is put in a situation where she is forced to choose between her idealistic father and her pragmatic mother. Through Ashes relationship with her parents, the story demonstrates the concept that it’s hard to choose between what you want and what you need.

Ashes’ father fills her with promises, and tells her to dream big. She looks forward to seeing him and describes it as, “the sun cast[ing] off a little more warmth than the day before.” However, she quickly learns her father cannot carry out the commitments he makes. For instance, Ashes’ father tells her he goes to sleep every night wondering, “Is the world a better place because I exist?” He tells her of times he helped someone fix a tire, or helped a lost person find their way. These experiences show how Ashes’ father is a dreamer who wishes to make an impact on the world. But, Ashes explains that the “child support checks don’t always show up on time,” and “no one ever got rich helping blind people cross the street.” Ashes’ father doesn’t factor reality into his dreams. This causes the responsibility to fall onto Ashes’ shoulders. When Ashes gets to her father’s house she folds his laundry as if she’s taking care of him. Ashes does “the mental arithmetic of diner verses pizza,” when her father suggests going somewhere different for their annual dinner, proving she concentrates more on her father’s budget than he does himself. When Ashes is with her father she enjoys being with him, because he focuses on what he wishes to accomplish instead of focusing on what he is likely to accomplish. He avoids his problems, while Ashes’ mom does all she can to stop them.

Ashes’ mother focuses on being ready for anything. Ashes describes her by saying “there are a lot of rainy days and she takes a grim sort pleasure being prepared for them.” Ashes mother would "never be caught without batteries or tissues..." However, being ready for anything leaves little space for dreaming. Ashes continues by saying, "she [Ashes’ mother] never promises me anything".  Ashes mom is a responsible adult who knows how to take care of Ashes. But she isn't the most lively parent, and doesn't encourage Ashes to dream big, like Ashes’ father does.

        When Ashes' father asks her to steal her moms money for him, Ashes is inevitably forced to choose between her parents.  In our own life we deal with smiliar situations to Ashes. Whether it’s choosing between a healthy carrot or a sugary candy bar. Or deciding to watch TV versus starting your homework. Eventually everyone is faced with this complication, choosing between what you want, and what you need. The short story “Ashes” accurately displays how family issues relate to choosing your desires, which is Ashes’ father, or choosing what is best for you, which is Ashes’ mother.

Response to "The Maze Runner" by James Dasner

I read The Maze Runner by James Dashner recently. The novel follows a teenage boy named Thomas who wakes up with his memory erased (except for his name) inside "the Glade", a village run by teenage boys (who call themselves Gladers surrounded by a gigantic maze of stone. Inside the maze, deadly mechanical creatures known as "Grievers" hunt the teens. Even though the Gladers  are forced to deal with a lot of problems they stay strong because of friendship. 

For example, Thomas wakes up in an unknown place full of strangers with nothing but his name, and a group of boys help him. He is terrified and confused, but a few boys help him understand what's going on.  They guys could have worried about themselves and left him scared and alone to figure things out like had been, but they decided to explain everything and make sure he is comfortable in his new home. Thomas' new friends helped him keep calm in a time full of madness.

Also, when a boy attacks Thomas, he is saved by a new friend. A crazed boy accuses Thomas of being a "traitor" and tackles him to the ground with a knife. One of the leaders shoots the kid with an arrow without hesitation because Thomas was in danger. Thomas' new friend saved Thomas from possible death, even if it meant hurting one of the Gladers.

Finally, at the end of the book Thomas must go through a group of Greivers to disarm the maze. A group of boys volunteer to fight off the deadly machines to get Thomas to where he can destroy the maze. They are all willing to fight to save Thomas and Gladers who survive the battle in the end, even though they know to many will survive. Many are willing to sacrifice themselves for their friends.

As you can see in the Glade friendship was very important to the boys. They were all loyal to each other and they were the closest thing to family. They would risk their life for the other.