Could You Survive?

Authors Note: In this piece I wrote an essay on comparing and contrasting the themes Survival and Sadness throughout both books. I also added a paragraph comparing these themes to slavery

 Imagine yourself dealing with having to survive in the wilderness and finding your own food, or constantly thinking about your family and hoping there somewhere safe. Sadness and Survival are two themes that both main characters in the Hunger Games and Woods Runner  have to experience. Despite Survival and Sadness being two main themes that Hunger Games and Woods Runner  share both main characters are nearly driven to insanity. Survival and Sadness are two main themes that Woods Runner and Hunger Games have, however both themes compare and contrast to each other. In addition both themes really connect to how life was for slaves back in the 1800’s.

Throughout both novels the survival theme was a definite one. In both books the main characters were constantly hunting for food, and watching their back. Each character wasn't alone though they both had an ally to help them out. Regarding similarities these books they did has some differences with the theme. Constantly in Hunger Games there were surprises were being thrown at the contestants whereas in Woods Runner  the survival aspect wasn't as intense as Hunger Games. Back in Revolutionary War times were tough and sometimes your family was captured, throughout Woods Runner the main character has to deal with this where the main character of Hunger Games never had to deal with this.

Despite survival being one theme sadness was also one too. When comparing these two novels to the theme sadness, Samuel and Katniss both families get taken away from them and they always have the thought lingering in their mind. Where each main character lived seemed to back a broken down sad area. Both novels describe how many people saw their family members die and the thought of true sadness is defiantly there. Though these books have the similarities they do have their differences. The main differences between both these book is Katniss has to experience more loss of family members than Samuel  throughout Hunger Games. Whereas in Woods Runner Samuel gets his parents back, but he doesn't have to experience the death of a parent.

Seeing that both books dealt with survival and sadness they both reminded me about salivary. Back when slavery was big children got taken away from their parents and would mostly likely never see them again. The slaves also had the factor of survive the treacherous heat and sometimes having to get their own food. Salves had a tough life not being able to see their family and having almost to survive on their own. Throughout Hunger Games and Woods Runner  the themes survival and sadness related a lot to the lives of slaves , which really shows how hard life was for both main characters.

Throughout both books the themes survival and sadness really played a factor, and comparing these themes to slavery really showed the hard life for both main characters. During both books the main character both had their insanely tough challenges for them, both main characters were able though to accomplished these challenges by showing their mental toughness.

The Drop From 20,000 Feet

Authors Note: In this short piece I wrote a short story about someone with is sky diving and is very nervous to do it. I used Similes(Instantly the air started cutting through me like a knife through butter) Metaphors(I looked back at him with anger hotter than burning fire)Hyperbole(almost fainted seeing that we were 1 million feet in the air)Personification(immediately to see my dad but all I could see was the stars dancing in the sky).

I stood out looking down at the ground as I almost fainted seeing that we were 1 million feet in the air. I looked over to see that my dad was inching back so I could go first. I looked back at him with anger hotter than burning fire. Bang! I looked outside of the plane and saw the lightning dance across the sky. Before I could say a word the instructor hooked me to him cord and jumped out of the plane. Instantly the air started cutting through me like a knife through butter. Almost five seconds after we jumped the air began to feel almost as soft as silk. I tried to scream but instantly the air rushed into my mouth as my scream was as quiet as a dog whistle. The instructor hit the parachute and we glided through the air just like a figure skater glides on ice. When we hit the ground I looked up immediately to see my dad but all I could see was the stars dancing in the sky.

Simeon High

Authors Note: This piece is an informative about a high school in Illinois that has had some of the best basketball players since they started their basketball program. 

It was 88-88 in the fourth quarter with 10 seconds left and Jabri Parker from Simeon held the ball in his hands. He streaked up the court rubbing off two picks and found himself wide open from beyond the three point line. He aimed up his body and shot the ball the ball glided through the air like a plane and sank right into the bottom of the net. “Game over Simeon wins Jabri Parker hits a last second shot for Simeon to win state tournament” the announcer yelled.  Throughout the years, Simeon a big high school in Chicago has always had the great basketball players but Derrick Rose and Ben Wilson got Simeon to a level of greatness where they cannot go back from.

                                                                   

Throughout Derrick Rose career he had always been known as a scorer, leader, competitive person. When Derrick Rose played for Simeon he was a star right out of the gates.  In his Freshmen Year he averaged 18 points a game while getting other players the ball with 6 assists a game. Derrick Rose was such a great force he lead them to two straight state championships when he was there. Derrick Rose has went down as one of the best players at Simeon high school.

Even though Simeon high school had Derrick Rose they also had Ben Wilson. Ben played for Simeon high school in the 1981-1894 season he played junior varsity his 1^st year but was quickly moved up to varsity the next year. In Ben’s junior year he lead them to their first state title ever and was proclaimed the best junior in the country by ESPN. In July Ben attended a invitational only basketball camp where they test your skills to see if your ready for the next level of play. After the camp Ben was declared the best senior in the country and was receiving offers from all over the country. Near the end of Ben’s final year in November he was walking up the street with his girlfriend where he was shot, His aorta was severed and his liver damaged, and he died the next day after surgery at St. Bernard Hospital was unsuccessful. A lot of talent was wasted when Ben Wilson died as many thought he could have possibly been one of the best players ever to play the game.

Throughout the years of basketball of Simeon high school they have had many great players play basketball for them. Derrick Rose and Ben Wilson are two candidates though that helped Simeon achieve the level of greatness of which they stand at right now.   

Fail Mary

Authors Note: this piece is a point of view from the eyes of the replacement refs and Roger Goodell I showed how these point of views differed from each other because everyone who saw this game had a different point of view.

Maybe the most conservational  call ever in professional  football is the Fail Mary. It was Monday Night Football and Quest Field home of the Seahawks was crowed. It was the last play of the game and Russell Wilson heaved up the ball into the air. The ball came down like a rocket right into a Packer players hands and Seahawks. They both fought for the ball in the end zone, both refs ran over and one called a touchdown the other called an interception. The initials call on the field was a touchdown and even after review they still called it a touchdown. Everyone knows the fans response, but nobody knows how Roger Goodell point of view differed from the replacement refs.

From Roger point of view he, he is really furious and wants these refs gone as he does not agree with the refs calls. As I sat down to watch the game I was thinking that this was the third week with replacement refs and I was praying everything would go alright. If the refs blew this game I  thought the players might go on riot for the old refs. As the fourth quarter began it was a close game and  I thought the refs had been doing awful  the whole game. As I watched the final minutes of the game I thought to myself hoping the refs didn’t ruin this game along with all the games they did. The game was down to a final play as I watched it happen I yelled “no touchdown”! Both refs ran over and called it a touchdown game over “what a terrible call” I yelled  as that play ended I began to think that these refs need to be fired.

From the refs perspective they thought they were doing everything alright which shows there are many point of views to this game. The weather was great for a football game and this had been my third week in the league and I thought I had been doing great. It was the fourth quarter and the Seahawks had one last play as I walked over to middle of the field with the other refs I could feel the excitement in the stadium for this last play.“Hey guys watch for pass interference on this last play” said Michael the head ref. We all acknowledge him and walked our positions. The Seahawks snapped the ball and Russell Wilson scrambled in the pocket   he decided to go far for it all and threw the Hail Mary. The ball soared through the air like a rocket and landed into a Packer players hand and Seahawks. I ran over to the play and called it a touchdown! The crowd erupted in cheers and I just stood there listening to all the complaints from the players. The packers coach issued and review on the play but I still thought it was a touchdown Seahawks win!

Throughout the point of views from Roger Goodell and the refs they were always the exact opposite of each other. Considering they had different point of views shows that everybody who watched this game all have their own point of view.

Loosing Your Family

Authors Note: This writing analyses  the theme from  the book Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen. I really focused on getting the theme across to the reader easily.

Imagine you being gone from your house then coming back in a hour or so and everything is burned down and everyone is dead. Tragically your parents are captured by the redcoats and are being held in New York city. This is what Samuel experiences when he finds his whole town in fire and everyone but his parents are dead. Living without your parents is one of the most difficult things somebody could ever experience and Samuel learns that throughout the book. In the novel Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen the main character has to survive and find his parents in the time of the Revolutionary. Throughout the book the main theme that Samuel has to experience several times is loss of family.

Throughout the book Woods Runner there are many occasions when Samuel has to experience people losing their family.  During the novel the author writes about times when Samuel experiences people he knew die, for example “Caleb and Ma were immediately gunned then four soldiers jumped to the porch and bayoneted them”. Samuel had to experience this as he watched his family die right in front of him in the book. As the book progressed Samuel experienced many things kids should not experience in their life and as you can clearly see loss of family is definitely the main theme.

Like Woods Runner, the Book Hunger Games by Susanne Collins also deals with the theme loss of family. At the begging of the Hunger Games Katniss volunteers for the Hunger Games and is taken away from her family, where then in the Hunger Games she finds out that surviving without your family is so easy.

As Samuel found out throughout the novel just like Katniss did that living without you is very hard, for example to author stated “He had no idea what to except to follow his parents as he saw their tracks now and then”.

Despite loss of family being the main theme, Samuel finds out how hard it really is to live without your family being beside you. Considering loss of family being the main theme Samuel experiences some scenes that many kids should never observe, as you can see loss of family is defiantly one tragic theme.

My New Mom

Authors Note: This piece is prediction to the Short Story Thank you Ma'ma. I used text evidence from the story to support my prediction on the short story.

The boy wanted to do something in return for Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones so before she closed the door on him he asked her “is there anything I can do to make up for this”. Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones replied in a shocked voice and said “yeah I got some things for you to do, be here tomorrow at 7”. Roger helped Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones a lot over the summer and when Mrs. Bates found out he really had no legally guardian she decided to adopt him.

When Roger received this intervention from Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones he really felt like he wanted to do something in return for her as he thought when he said ”The boy wanted to say something else other that "Thank you, ma’am" to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones". So I predicted that Roger would go back to Mrs. Luella Bates and help her with everyday stuff. Despite Roger helping her I predicted that she would adopt him, but another thing that helped me make that prediction was when she did this in the book “she led him down the hall to the front door and opened it. "Goodnight!" Behave yourself, boy”. Near the end of the book Langston Hughes left the end of book hanging leaving a lot of room for anything to happen. Using the text support from the book my prediction can be considered accurate.   

Taken Hostage!

Authors note: this piece is a character analysis of the book Zach Lie by Roland Smith. I focused on closely on analyzing  the main character throughout the  book. I wrote about how Zach changed throughout the book and how other characters changes him.

At the beginning of the book Zach’s Lie by Rolland Smith, Zach is just a normal kid who has normal friends, but he experiences one thing not many people want to experience in their lifetime . As the book begins to progress three men take Zach and his family hostage and tell them they are not allowed to tell anyone about what happened. This totally changes Zach because before he was a social kid and now he a shy kid. Zach and his family are forced to go to the Witness Protection Program and located in a new town. When Zach is in the Witness Protection Program Caitlin(his new best friend) shows him the true meaning of friends and life. Throughout the whole book of Zach’s Lie many characters cause him to change many times, which results with Zach finding the true meaning of friends and Life

Throughout the book Zach changed various times. At the beginning of the book Zach’s life is affected in huge way as the men take his family hostage. This affects Zach because he basically becomes petrified he never talked to anybody or made eye contact. As the book begins to develop Zach becomes friends with a girl called Caitlin. Caitlin totally changed Zach’s life as she made Zach become more of a social person instead of being that on kid who never talks. She also taught Zach what the real meaning of life and friends is.

When I read the book Zach Lie’s Zach kind of reminded me of Peeta in Hunger Games. Zach was shy at the beginning but the main character changed him dramatically and made him a more social and friendly person to talk to. Just like in the book Hunger Games Peeta was always shy to people but Katniss changed him in such a dramatic way that he became more social. Another connection I made with Peeta and Zach is that they both experienced things not many teenagers experience like Zach was held hostage, and Peeta was forced to fight until death in the Hunger Games.

Despite the dramatic changes Zach has to go through throughout the book it really helps him throughout the book. During all of the changes Zach went through he learns one of the most important lesson of life, what friends and life really means.