Speak; Character Archetypes

     The book I recently finished reading is Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. This book was a 1999 National Book Award Finalist.

   
     Speak has many characters who stand out but Melinda Sordino being the main character stands out more. I believe that the character Melinda Sordino in this story is a shapeshifter. Melinda was in grade eight and had the perfect life, she had a whole bunch of friends and was considered what we like to call, popular. Her and her friends went to a party one night, after lots of lying and convincing to their parents. The party was going well until Melinda went outside and something happened to her. She called the police because she was scared, and traumatized. Someone found out it was her. Everyone was told. She's in grade nine now, no one talks to her and she doesn't talk to them. Melinda is keeping something inside from that night, she's so traumatized, it's to the point where her parents and her communicate with notes. “When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time.” (Anderson 121) She's failing her classes, and has no friends. The safest place for her is is in her own head. She needs to find a way to tell her parents what happened that night, so she can move on with her life.

     She resembles a shapeshifter because she went from being a popular, nice, well known girl, too being a nobody with no friends.

Classic

     I would say a classic is some piece of work that was once made and in it's time period very popular to the point where it is still well know to this day. Take the book Pride & Prejudice for an example, it was first published in 1813 by Jane Austen and is still well known to the point where they have websites, that you can read the book on. 201 years later and it's still well know by people from this generation.

     The novel I am currently reading is After by Anna Todd published in 2014. After is a novel about love, struggles, school, and becoming an adult. It's a novel about making decisions and living your life in the moment. Tessa makes many decisions throughout her few years in college. She has to chose who to believe, where to work, where to live, how to pay for things, many decisions are being made. I would say this novel is a romance novel, which is also why I think it may just become a classic. Another reason is because it was first written on a website that many people know about. Wattpad a place where people can go and write books, poems, or even expressing there feelings to the world, anything they want. That's where Anna Todd first wrote the novel After, it was first discovered by directioners, fans of one direction. Mainly because it was a One Direction fanfiction, so the only people who really read it were directioners. Which brings me to another reason why it may become a classic novel, it was first written based on One Direction. As you may know there is billions of directioners out there and many more to come, it is a novel that will always be remembered. It is a romance novel and every girl loves romance novels. It is a novel about growing up and making hard decisions in life.

     In summary, I think this novel will become a classic novel, and will always be remembered.

 

   

After ~ Anna Todd

"My life before him was so simple and decided, now after him it's just... After." (Todd, After 83)

     This quote means many things, before Hardin came into Tessa's life, Tessa had everything planned out right down to the last second of the day. She was prepared for college and knew what she needed to do, and what she needed to do didn't involve meeting boys. She already had a boyfriend, they were together for many years, but she cheated on him. As soon as that happened her whole life took a turn, but not for the worst. Meeting Hardin was one of the best things that ever happened to her.

     Hardin's family loved her and did many things for her. Now that Tessa's with Hardin her life is just a play it by year kind of life. Nothing is certain anymore. No more setting alarms for twenty-minute cat naps. No more depending on her mother for things, she's on her own because her mum doesn't approve of her decisions anymore. Tessa's life has changed, a lot. The life she's living now, is After.

     I think throughout the rest of the book she's going to realize that there is no going back to what will now be called before, she now needs to live in the moment and cherish it.

     I think the song All Of Me by John Legend is a perfect song to represent this book and the quote, but the book in more ways. It's a song that John Legend wrote for his wife saying that she's beautiful no matter what and he loves her just the way she is. No one should need to change for anyone, the way you look doesn't and never will define who you are inside. This song portray's a very strong and great message, and I think it suit's this book a lot. Hardin's always telling her she's beautiful and he loves her but she tends to not listen at first but after, the words sink in and she accepts herself for the way she is, because there is no changing it.

Eleanor & Park; Review

     I have recently finished reading, Eleanor & Park. Where do I begin. This book in my mind rated as a 5 star. It's time period is back in 1986. It's an amazing book and is a perfect example of many things such as, bullying, because Eleanor gets bullied for dressing the way she does and the way she looks. It is also a good example of friendship's and love. Park was just the boy that Eleanor sat beside on the bus, but once they started to make small talk, well that is where it all pretty much began. Park would bring his comics onto the bus to read and Eleanor would sneak glances and read along. Park began to bring her comics to take home and read, but Eleanor's life at home wasn't as nice as any one else's. She had a drunken step father, and they were always in need of money. Her life at home was a struggle. They didn't own any shower products, nice clothes, or even a toothbrush. Eleanor's family was poor. Everything was smooth sailing after that, Eleanor would go to Parks house for dinner and to hang out after school, then go home. Wake up and do it again, Eleanor and Park were unbreakable, if Eleanor got bullied Park was always right there sticking up for her and picking a fight. Park fell in love and he told Eleanor, but she never said it back. Eleanor was Park's everything he didn't and couldn't live without her, but something happened. Eleanor and Park went for a drive one night and didn't come home until late that night, she then realized her step-father found her things Park gave her, and he was mad. Eleanor had to do something unexpected, and that left Park all alone. Eleanor promised to call the next day. She never called. Park went months without hearing from her, and having no way to contact her. Until one day he got a letter. It was just three words long.


{Quotes from the book}

George RR Martin's Quote Relation's

The quote "A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, the man who never reads lives only one." by George RR Martin relates to me in many different ways. When I read I get taken to a whole other world, and it feels really good to be able to escape reality for the hours on end I spend reading, and go into the character's lives. Sometimes our lives aren't always as fun as they should be and when you have endless opportunities to change that, you should. Why would you want to only live one normal life, when you could live thousands in your years? Life isn't given to be wasted, it's given to be lived.