Response to Leon's Blog: Quotation 3

I thought you did a great job summing up the events of the middle/end of the novel, and explaining how this quote was relevant. It helped me better understand the book (since I haven't read it yet), and what happened in it. Everything was well written and had a nice flow to it. Your connections (text/text, text/self, text/world) were very good, and they had clear connections to the quote from the novel. You supported the connections well, and they were creative and well though out, and the research was a good added brownie point. 

However, I found that in the second paragraph (talking about children disobeying their parents and stealing cookies from the cookie jar), you repeated yourself a couple times. For example:

Despite this, when you’re not be watched after (when the forces of civilization, law, and rules are not there), you might do something you’re not supposed to do, like climbing up a chair to reach the cookie jar, or reaching to grab some candy. We realize that it’s the wrong thing to do, but when the forces of rules and law are not there, anyone would act the way we did.

 In this paragraph, you stated that "the forces of civilization, law and rules aren't there" twice; almost the same phrasing both times. This paragraph would have had the same flow, and have made more sense if this had only been used once; preferably the first time. Also, the first sentence here is a little run-on, and in desperate need of a period somewhere in the middle. Also, your last paragraph contained more than one thought (underage drinking and Dumbledore), and that would have been more correct if it had been split into two paragraphs into one (yes, yes, I know that assignment said two paragraphs, but four small ones with defined statements is always better than two big jumbled ones).

Otherwise, I really liked your connections and your writing was well-written and easily understood. You explained what the quote referred to, and how it was significant to the story. Your quote seemed to well reflect the themes of the story, and highlight the events of the novel.

Link to blog post: 
http://lordofthefliesclassic.blogspot.ca/2013/04/quotation-3.html

Response to Susan's Blog: Sam's Journal

First of all, your writing was very good, and I can really see that you got into Sam's role while writing this. The thoughts really seemed to come out of Sam's head and on the paper. You jumped right into their lives, and waste much time explaining what certain terms meant, and who was who. 

However, your second and last paragraph seems to be quite jumbled and cut up. I know that is the way some books are written, and that journal entries from that book should also be this way, but then the whole entry should be like that. You could easily combine some sentences (for example: It is eerily quiet at night. I wonder whats is happening everywhere else on the island. Would have been better if it had been turned into It is eerily quite at night, and I can't help but wonder about what is happening everywhere else on the island). Also, you seemed to repeat what you just said (especially in the second paragraph). For example, ...not real but I am not really sure. The 'littluns' really think so and I am beginning to wonder so myself was really just one idea: The littluns think the monster is real, but I am not so sure. Reading everything thoroughly will easily clear these mistakes.

Your response to the entry was good, but it just needed more detail. Why was this exact time critical to the story line, and why was this character vital to the story. What kind of part does he play on the island? How did you come up with the predictions for the story?

All in all, you did a good job; you wrote a very good journal entry and you responded quite well to it.

Link to page:
http://dystopiannovellordoftheflies.blogspot.ca/2013/04/sams-journal.html

Response to Adam's Blog: Blog Post 4 Part 1

Wow, Adam, you're first journal entry actually made me terrified of this girl. I really saw how mentally unstable this girl was, and how hard it would be to survive with her. Even through her craziness, I understood what was going on with her, and I almost felt sorry (almost). I could really see a girl like her writing this (you even managed to do it without *that much* profanity), and I could really feel the confidence she exerts. Your response to her journal was good, and explained what she was like, and what she did what she did. However, I think you could have explained a little more about how she was vital to the story.

The second entry really felt emotionless (I was confused at first as to why you did this, but as I later found it out; it was intentional) and almost... forced (on his part). It seems like something Kazuo Kiriyama would write, and feel no emotional impact from doing so much harm to his classmates. Your response was good, but I think you should have put the first few sentences together. For example, "This is probably the hardest person to do a journal for. Kazuo Kiriyama has no emotions. He would not feel sadness if his parents died. He would not feel joy if he won the lottery. He had apparently had a partial lobotomy of his brain while in his mother. It was a result of a car crash that killed both his parents." Could've been turned into something like: "This was probably the hardest journal to write, as Kazuo Kiriyama has no emotions. He would not feel sadness if his parents died, nor joy if he won the lottery. This is because his parents were in a car crash (before or after he was born, I didn't understand), and gave him a partial lobotomy". It would have added a better flow to the paragraph, and made it less chopped up. Otherwise, I think you did a fine job bringing out the thoughts of this sociopathic ninth grader.

Shinji Mimura's journal was good; it seemed laid-back yet with a 'let's do this!' kind of attitude. He really seems to want to win this thing, and get back at the government for all the harm they've caused. Your response was good, but in the second paragraph, you didn't expand on why you thought it was hard (but easy) to write Shinji's entry. I liked the drama paradox with Shinji's mysogenia, yet still having a crush on that girl. I found it quite entertaining, and I'd love to know what happens later (oh, wait, he was killed... never mind).

I really liked Nariko Nakagawa's haikus, and I can imagine that it took quite a long time to get the syllables in the right place. It was different, indeed, than what you wrote before, but it added a good bit of colour to your set of entries.  Your poetry was good, but it didn't have a good flow, like haikus usually have (yes, yes, I know you're a 13 year-old boy writing poetry, but still! Make it flow better!). However, a high five for the effort!
The love she had for Shuya was quite obvious, but a nice change from Shinji's entry. Your response was good, but once again, you didn't add include why you thought the character was vital to the story.

All in all, I think you did a great job-- your entries had a good flow to them (mostly) and they were very well written, while your responses really told a lot about the characters and who they were.

Samuel's (Grandfather's) Journal

Journal,

My days are limited, and I know that no one will read the words I write today, but my thoughts are jumbled, and I need to talk to someone, even if that someone is me. It has been a long few days, what with preparing for my final banquet and all. I have chosen a light green for my Final Plain clothes; because that is the color my wife was dressed in… I don’t believe that I will ever see her again in some kind of afterlife, but it seems almost poetic to wear the same thing she did.

The other day, I caught Cassia hungrily eyeing my pie, and I’ve chosen that to be my Final Meal. Speaking of Cassia, she came to see me yesterday with some strange news. She said that she was still matched with Xander (which I think is absolutely marvelous, and saves them the trouble of getting to know each other), but that she saw another boy’s face on the screen. She says that she saw Ky Markham’s face; the boy who was adopted by Patrick and Aida. I found this curious, indeed, but it somehow didn’t strike me as a mistake. The Society doesn’t make mistakes; everything is so well planned and thought out. Therefore, how could something like this slip through their radar?

When she told me this boy was an Aberration, I was shocked. How could my granddaughter be matched with an Aberration, of all people! This has to have been planned; a cruel joke of some kind! However, the Aberration title seems unfitting to this ‘Ky’. That poor boy, he’s been marked through with no fault of his own. He even works at the Nutrition Disposal Center; it’s hard, unfulfilling work.

The dead can’t talk, so Cassia was allowed to tell me all of this. She also told me about her new summer leisure activity; hiking. We talked about the Hill, and how wonderful it would be to hike there. I really hope they take the kids there; it would be a great experience for Cassia to get a taste of the real wilderness. I also told her to bring the compact I gave her to my Final Banquet. There is something I have to see one last time, and something that I really want to show her. I know she won’t think it’s safe to keep it, and the paranoia might lead her to destroy it; I know that’s what I would do if someone gave me something as precious as that. However, I know she has to see the beautiful old writing that my grandmother did such a good job of concealing.

As my Final Banquet is tomorrow, they have to take a sample of the inside of my cheek to preserve my body, so that in the future, they might be able to bring me back. I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I really don’t want to be brought back into an alien land. My wife didn’t have a chance at that, and neither will I. I have decided to give my sample to Abran, and tell him to destroy it before he hands it over to the Officials. I trust him with my life, including my death, but I really want to die on my own terms, and not have even my death controlled by the Society.

Wait, there’s a knock at the door: it must be Agnes bringing my evening meal. I have to conceal this journal so they don’t take it from he, and don’t find out what I’m writing.

Forever,

Samuel Reyes

This character is the one that Cassia trusts the most, and will tell anything; her grandfather. He is in the nursing home for elders, and it is almost his last day on the Earth. The day after this journal is set in, is his Final Banquet and his eightieth birthday. This is the day that Cassia comes to visit him to tell him about her Match (and mismatch) and when the true rebel starts to show in Samuel. First, he shows Cassia the stolen poems from the compact that he gave her, then tells his son to destroy his tissue sample. As readers, we get to see how wise he really is, and how much he defies the Society (in his own ways). 

Grandfather is vital to the story because he encourages Cassia to fight for herself, and to write her own words. She doesn't understand the power of her own words, her own creativity, and how vital it is for her personal growth, and he encourages her to be herself. Predictions weren't very hard to make for this journal, because Cassia only sees Grandfather twice in the novel, and the second time is the last time anyone will ever see him. This journal was set after Cassia visited him for the first time, and the 'predictions' are what happens in the second visit. However, something that wasn't included in the novel, but that I included is how Grandfather thinks that Cassia's matching with Ky isn't a mistake. I added this because I think he's been around for a long time, and knows well how the Society functions, and knows their kinks and mistakes. He is smart and logical enough to know what truly is a mistake and what isn't (after all, this wasn't a mistake, but a cruel experiment set up by the Society).

Ky's Journal... Open If You Dare

Journal,

It was a very long day at work. My hands burned very much, and they turned bright red, even though I wore the thick protection gloves given to us by the Officials. Come to think of it, really, the gloves aren't very thick. I remember when Joey blew into my hand one day, and I could feel his warm breath on the back of my hand. They look thick, but really, they are just filled with a soft spongy material that does nothing to soothe from the heat of the water. I truly hate working at this place; I remember that my grandfather told me that in a time before ours, people got to choose what they wanted to do. It didn’t matter that they weren't good at the job; they could eventually switch work placements. I crave for such freedom, which we don’t have very much here.

Anyway, I shouldn't complain. I have a good like here with my ‘parents’ Patrick and Aida. They treat me well, as if I was their child. However, sometimes I see a flicker in Patrick’s eyes that tells me he hasn't quite gotten over the death of his child, and would swap me with him if he ever had the chance.

Yesterday, Cassia told me the most amazing thing: her grandfather had left her an amazing poem, not part of the hundred we are restricted to nowadays. She told me a line of it, and I can’t get it out of my head: Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage, against the dying of the light. I do not completely understand what it means, but I know I can decode when she gives me the rest of the poem. In exchange, I showed her how to write C in cursive. It is old writing; something my grandfather taught me when I was a young boy. It is beautiful, elegant writing, and a shame that it didn’t last longer than it did. I know I’m not supposed to know it, and that I shouldn’t ever be using it, but it’s just so beautiful, that I cannot resist.

Cassia caught me scribbling in the mud that day, and I just had to teach her. There is something about her that I find so irresistible. I can’t believe the Officials would do something as cruel as match me with her, and get my hopes up for a future with her. I know that is impossible, and not worth dwelling on. I really do like her, but I don’t know how she feels towards me. I know she is matched to Xander, and that the two have been friends for a long time, and it wouldn’t be fair to either of them if I came between their love. But there is a sparkle I see in her eyes every time I catch her looking at me. I’m trying to avoid her best I can so she sees and knows that I am not for her, and that we aren’t supposed to be together, but something keeps pulling me towards her. She is the perfect girl, and I would do anything to be with her; even if that means enduring days upon days working at the FD.

I feel so empty seeing her leave every day after hiking, and I have to do something to show her that I like her too, that the feeling is mutual. I’ve decided to draw her a picture; something that will tell her my story with as little words as possible. I’m still not sure how I’m going to do it, but I know that somehow I must.

I must get to sleep; I have a long day at the FD, and I mustn’t be late again.

Until next time,

Ky

Ky plays a crucial part in the Matched trilogy. He plays the boy that Cassia is 'accidentally' matched with, but who also has a mysterious past, and a great story to tell. I decided to write his journal entry after the second hiking trip Cassia had with him, because that is where I think she first fell in love with him. He astonished her with his old writing, and she mystified him with her illegal poem. I think this was also where Ky started to truly trust Cassia and want to know more about her.

Without Ky, there would be no story; Cassia would live a long and happy life with Xander, die at the age of 80, have two lovely kids, and a great work placement. She would never question the Society's motives and long of a different life. She would never know that there was anything better out there. Ky remains a pretty mysterious character throughout the trilogy, and we only get to discover a little bit of him every few chapters. I imagine that he is thinking about Cassia even when he's not with her, because that is what Cassia does, and when he gives her his compass (by 'accident'), you can tell that he was planning to do so, and that it was well though out. You can tell that he trusts her; he taught her how to write, and gave her bits of his story in creative and thoughtful ways. I also imagined him being jealous of Xander, but now wanting to ruin his and Cassia's current relationship; they are both his friends, and it wouldn't be fair to either of them if he got in between that. 

Quotes 3

“In the absence of real thunder, he's making his own.” 

This quote refers to Cassia's brother, Bram, who, while waiting for a storm to come, is jumping on the metal train platform, making his own thunder. He makes his own fun and entertainment and even runs in public! Rules don't apply to him; he is a young boy with way too much energy that he must spend somewhere, even if that means stomping on the platform making noise. This quote also refers to the line from the Dylan Thomas poem that Cassia read the previous day:

Because their words had forked no lightning they  

Do not go gentle into that good night.

However, I also think this quote can refer to Ky; in a world with no uniqueness, and with no difference between its citizens, he is the creative spark. The fact that writing is not allowed, and no one knows how to write cursive, he does. He draws and write as he pleases. In the absence of originality, he is original and creative. This represents the end of the beginning of the book because that is what Cassia is finally realizing: that Ky is actually very different from the other boys from the Society. He is creative, able to write, and even though he is an Aberration, that doesn't stop him from doing what he loves.

This quote reminds me of my brother; he will always make his own fun, whether that involves a rubber band, soccer ball, or a pen. He always has something to keep him entertained, making the most possible noise. This quote also reminds me of quote that states: Don't wait for the universe to find great things for you, seek them yourself. This is very similar to this quote because it has the same meaning: instead of waiting for things to happen, go make them happen yourself. In the world today, we often struggle to find the magic in our everyday lives. We are always waiting for 'miracles to happen' and other people to do nice things to us. However, in reality, we should be the ones changing the world, instead of waiting for it to change us. We have to go out and be the change we wish to see in the world.

Quotes 4

“Now that I've found the way to fly, 

which direction should I go into the night?”

This quote is from the very beginning of the book, when Cassia is having a dream about flying. Cassia abruptly wakes up, and shakes the thought out of her head. It was foolish to think such thoughts; people can't fly! The absurdity of the though amuses her; especially when her green silk wings bend into a shape of her own inventions and the night sky doesn't frighten her. The green silk represents something beautiful she had, but was taken away from her; her Matching ceremony dress. It is something she can never have again, and it is already a thing of the past; something else people of the Society shouldn't dwell on.

This represents the beginning of the book, because it shows how citizens in the Society can't even think of something impossible without being stomped down on by the Officials. Well, not literally, but everyone is raised thinking that imagination is wrong, and dreaming absurd things is a sin. In the beginning of the book, she is naive, and wouldn't dare think that something as impossible as a human flying. This is also foreshadowing because eventually Cassia will be free from the firm grasp of the Society, and she will be free to fly in whichever direction she chooses. She says that the blackness of the night doesn't frighten her; and this represents leaving the Society and being her own person. It is uncertain what she will find, and these things may be quite shocking, but it is nothing to fear.

This quote reminds me of life and our everyday choices. Once we are given the opportunity to choose and do something for ourselves, we often don't know where to go, and what to do with this newfound freedom. We know that we are free to do as we wish, but we don't truly know what direction we want to take to become our own person. This quote also reminds me of a book I read called The Queen of Babble by Meg Cabot. This book is about a girl who knows what she wants with life, but doesn't know how to get there. She wants to be a dress designer, but as soon as she's out of university, she has no idea how she is going to achieve her dream. This quote also reminds me of my free time (when I'm done a large project, for example, wink, wink, nudge, nudge) and how I spend it. There are a million things I want to do, but I don't know where to start, and where I want to go. However, I never know how I'm going to do what I want I do, even though I have the time to do whatever I want.