Things to do on 03/30

Dear all,

As we move into the narrative essay which will be transformed into a personal video narrative, I'll begin talking about digital storytelling, identity, and storyboarding tomorrow.

After we do some sharing as a warm-up activity (please be prepared!), I'll show a TED talk on the power of personal narrative, followed by Digital Storytelling in the Classroom, for which you can find the material by clicking on our blog. So, bring your own device.

Definitely, we will view more examples from your seniors, on the Internet, and start brainstorming your own DST, what style, what to include, and what to deliver (purpose/main message). We'll do brainstorming for your DST, starting from drawing/planning on your storyboard for the very first time.

While you are playing with your storyboard, We will begin another individual conference on your D2E1. 

 

Reflexion on "YOU" CHAPTER 9 TO 12

The phase of the story in terms of intensity, was layer over layers. And this time, it blew my expectation away once again. Joe was too smart and so bold, that literally made me start worrying about him, the karma he might get for what he has done. Remember the last time he only stole a phone? This time he kidnapped a person. Benji. 

Joe scammed Benji in a reason for buisiness, because Benji wanted to sale his club soda, so Joe disguised him self as a buyer and meets up with Benji. He guides him to the basement of the bookstore, said it was a nice place to talk about buisiness. Right after Benji enters the basement, Benji senses that something is wrong, but by the time he's starting to change his mind, Joe has already smashed a hammer in his face. Joe locks him into the acrylic cage and just gets back to work like nothing happened. 

Beck comes to the bookstore to thank Joe again for saving her from the rails, and Joe asks her out on a date, and she says yes! On the day of the date, Joe is over the moon, but Beck on the other hand was pretty distracted, worrying about Benji. And that was real generationly upsetting for Joe, he went back to the cage and asked Benji for his phone password in exchange for a line of heroin, and takes over his Twitter account. He starts posting a lot so Beck can finally stop thinking about Benji. And that is the problem happens in this generation, the social media controls everythings, people's mind, a few tweets could form up with a piece of truth. The details in this story kept warning us about the hidden and invisible dangers in our generation.

Beck asks Joe to go to her best friend Peach's party with her the next day. Peach throws this party every year on her parent's divorce anniversary to distract herself from thinking about it. She used this as an emotional blackmail to convince Beck for coming to the party, which has been emphasized that this is one of the feature of her personality. As soon as they arrive at the party, Peach immediately steals Beck away from Joe, leaving him to discover the house alone. He was admiring a very beautiful collection of first edition books that he found in one of the rooms when Peach came to talk to him, saying in a very casual but also sharp way, how impossible it is, to run into each other twice, in such a big city. Joe catches that sharp, detective tone, and he steals one of her expensive first edition books out of anger. As Beck and Joe are about to leave the party, a woman named Maddie came up to Joe and said that she heard about him and "Candace", and how she left so suddenly...

Even the mainline story was so intense, the author kept bringing us back into a peaceful and a lovely vibe to make us think that what Joe has done was not really scary, and made it seems like reasonable. I couldn't stop wondering: Is it a love novel or a horror novel. Actually, I don't want to find out it's caregory on google, I'll just keep reading and find the answer in the book. If you are still reading this, thank you very much, I hope you feel the same, and hopefully I'll See you next week!

Things to do on 3/23

Dear all,

I just shared a story from a young Ukrainian refugee, about 20, just your age. I always try to, or intuitively, feel what people feel in their writing. With the help of the many news reports and stories I read, understanding their situations, empathizing with their feelings, and introspecting how I'd do and feel if I were a Ukrainian become easier and more heartbreaking. And this is a narrative essay that resonates among readers.

For tomorrow, I will still invite some of you to do your sharing. Hope you'll have something to offer no matter who will be invited. Among the more beautiful models of narrative essays, I can only share one more, which is a classic piece by Hellen Keller, published in Atlantic Monthly, 1933, coupled with clips of the 

Since some of you seem to have questions about how to develop an appealing lead-in for an essay and how to wrap up your essay nicely, we will go through several strategies to help you improve in this regard. Then you'll do peer review with your group members focusing on lead-in and conclusion. I have uploaded the material to our blog. Please bring your laptop for reading and discussion. I have decided to reduce printing out paper handouts, though I still have prepared some.

Before the peer review session, a peer review workshop will be given to help make the session more constructively and effectively. 

See ya!

Beat the reaper

 

Hey, it's your girl Katherine here. I started reading a new novel called "Beat the Reaper." I haven't finished reading the book. So, I would only provide a partial reflection.

Plot Summary: Meet Peter Brown, a youthful Manhattan Catholic doctor with an uncommon past about to catch up with him. His morning begins with the prompt disarming of a would-be mugger. However, Peter quickly takes down the mug because of Peter's mysterious past. Then, followed by a steamy elevator encounter with a sexy young pharmaceutical rep, topped off by a visit with a new patient— Nicholas LoBrutto, who was astounded to see Peter for some strange reason that seemed like it has something to do with Peter's past. Peter's day will get a lot worse and more bizarre because that patient knows Peter from his other life when he had a different identity and a very different job.

The only reason he's a doctor now is thanks to the Witness Protection Program—and even that can't protect him from the long reach of the New Jersey mob. Now he's got to do whatever it takes to keep his patient alive so he can buy some time and beat the reaper.

Afterthoughts: From the moment I started reading "Beat the Reaper"—which opens with the protagonist Dr. Peter Brown brutally, efficiently, and humorously taking out a mugger, and footnotes about the fibula and how removing it doesn't affect a person's ability to walk—I knew I was in for a wild ride. And from there, things get a lot crazier, starting with a colorful cast of characters.

Even crazier is the plot which jumps back and forth between the present-day and Peter's current job as a first-year intern at Manhattan Catholic, and his past life when Peter Brown was known as Pietro Brnwa, aka "Bearclaw," a noted hitman for the New Jersey mob. Of the latter, readers will get to learn about the protagonist's grandparents getting killed by mobsters as part of an initiation ritual; Pietro ironically joining the mob himself; getting revenge against his grandparents' murderers; becoming a hitman; finding—and losing—the love of his life Magdalena; being betrayed by his best friend, and entering the Witness Protection Program. All excellent stuff—particularly a standout scene with man-eating sharks!—but what takes the cake is what happens when Pietro's past finally catches up with him in the hospital and how far he'll go to survive.

On the other hand, "Beat the Reaper" does have a few minor issues. Firstly, the beginning of the book can be perplexing with all of the footnotes. They are sometimes funny and sometimes informational, but not always necessary—and the narrative jumps around between the past and the present. Secondly, the narrative structure can get a bit tiresome after a while. Granted, the setup does help build the novel's suspense, but I thought the author could have mixed things up and tightened up the plotting. Thirdly, there's a lot of foreshadowing in the book, some of it excellent and unexpected, and some of it not so good. 

Review for Animal Farm Chapter1,2

One day, after Mr. Jones fell asleep, a white boar named “Major” gathered all animals of the Manor Farm. He said to the animals that it is the time for them to break free, curb their miserable condition of being controlled and exploited by human beings, and build a new world where “all animals are equal.”

I have read the book “Animal Farm” by George Orwell for the first two chapters. When I got this book, I was overwhelmed with excitement and curiosity. I always heard people talking about how famous this book is and how significant its existence is for the critique of the history and rhetoric of the Russian Revolution. With the opportunity to read books whatever we want, I thus choose this animal fable.

Since I haven’t finished the whole book, I would like to share several points I regard as attractive about this book.

1) The background of Animal Farm

The author, George Orwell, was an England born in India in 1903. The working experience of being a police in Myanmar after graduation from college made him resent Imperialism. Thus, when he returned to the UK, he hoped to pursue writing as his career. However, similar to most writers, he couldn’t make a living simply by writing. He was impoverished, and the condition of living underclass made him be inclined to support Socialism. In 1936, he joined the Trotskyists in Spain's civil war, witnessing the tyranny of communists and how they oppressed Trotskyists after they controlled the government. At the same time, the Soviet Union vigorously promoted and accused the ill of Trotskyist. The author knew the smear campaign of the Soviet Union after the experience in Spain. More importantly, it dawned on him “ how easily totalitarian propaganda can control the opinion of enlightened people in domestic countries.”

    When he returned to the UK from Spain, he found many proletarians and even intellectuals easily believed in the hypocritical image that the Soviet Union built. He regarded their misunderstanding toward the Soviet Union would bring out severe consequences in developing Socialism and diplomatic policies in the UK. Consequently, he hoped to write a story to reveal the truth of the Soviet Union, and that was also the birth of this book, Animal Farm.

2) Why it is called Animal “Farm.”

After realizing the book's background, I started to wonder why the author used “ farm” to title the book and what it implied. The animal farm symbolized Russia and the Soviet Union under Communist rule.

3) Reviews for reading chapters 1 and 2

 Major did a successful work to evoke each animal's aspiration to rebel against their master. He blew the pain point of each animal, directly hit their appeals. From individual profits to collective pursuits, I saw how smart and persuasive Major was. While from another point of view, these animals seemed to be so easily convinced. They deemed Major as their leader, so they believed in whatever he said. Major might somehow use his influence to control those animals to the aim he wanted to achieve. What appeared in my mind was that this plot was what would happen in our world. When we blindly followed somebody's advocacy, we might end up being used as a tool. 

When Major died, the strong ambition to revolt against human beings seemed to be weakened. Probably was out of the existence of the chief, the true value of their plan started to have different explanations by different animals, and also, the illustration of belief was not as central as when Major was still alive.

In the meantime, the behaviors of some animals were also ironic. They were originally planned to launch a great revolution, with a beautiful blue map, and an ambitious goal. However, some animals started to doubt the necessity of the rebellion, focusing on the short-term profit they can enjoy despite the fact under the ruling of human beings. Take the mare Mollie, for example, she only cared about whether she could still wear ribbons in her mane, or whether there still be sugar after the rebellion. I think these behaviors reflect two things: 

1) Their faith in rebellion is weak.

 After the head disappeared, their belief also faded away. No matter how vigorous and devoted they used to be, that kind of passion was built on the shaky foundation with ignorant awareness of their own behavior.

2) The disregard for mutual prosperity.

The plot might imply that no matter how crucial and precarious the situation is, there will always be people who rather choose to sit back and give up resistance. Major had told those animals they were exploited by human beings, and they would even be killed eventually. While after Major died, it seems that some animals show no cares for their authentic and long-term self-interest. They are short-sighted and lacked the willingness to build a prospective future for their descendants. 

The Book of Moods: WORK

  

This chapter talks about every kind of mood when doing our job. This author was an editor, and she was almost like a deputy manager to help run the department. As one of the supervisors, she needed to become a working model; offering spiritual support to her subordinates and providing physical assistance of work were stressed her out. The author once made a mistake at work, and what she first thought about how I should explain to my boss and subordinates? Of course, this was not the first time she made mistakes in the job, but her position was different this time. The boss would need to compensate and apologize to clients, and her subordinates' efforts were all drained by her careless action. She had a mental breakdown in the bathroom, yet she had no choice but to wipe her eyes and walk out to fix the problem.

  Honestly, this story is too ordinary to read, But it is, at the same time, so touching and so down-to-earth. 

  Recently I have been through some setbacks from my job as a project manager in an NPO. I decided to take this job in February, and I thought it would be a new opportunity to gain work experience, but I was WRONG. For example, I don't have strict work hours, and I thought it would be great for me since, in this way, I would be more capable of dealing with a variety of tasks. However, after approximately one month, I realized that I could not fit in this work. I am the type of person who needs to draw a line between work and home, and I did not even notice that before I accepted this job. It is extremely hard for me to tolerate endless work messages and calls, though I clearly know that is part of my job. I feel frustrated and less motivated at home because I cannot just relax and chill in my private space. In comparison, my colleague, who is relatively enjoying this working environment, tells me that he is doing quite well, for he is getting used to it and finding it more productive and effective.

  I felt more depressed after hearing his comments about my confession.

  Well, to think it in the optimistic way, now I know I need to find a job with regular work hours (wry smile).

Pride and Prejudice

A few days after the Bennet reunions, Mr. Collins comes to visit them. But he wants to inherit their properties, so he needs to marry one of Mr. Bennet's daughters. He first chooses Jane to be his wife, but later, Mrs. Bennet tells him that Jane is engaged with Mr. Bingley. And then Mr. Collins picks Elizabeth to be his alternative. However, facing Mr. Collins’s pursuit, Elizabeth turns him down straightly. It shows that she is brave to be a master of herself and doesn't compromise the traditional thoughts in that time. As I have mentioned before, a woman should marry a rich man with high social status. She notices some defects in Mr. Collins's character and follows her heart to make a decision. 

Compared to Elizabeth, Charlotte, who eventually becomes Mr. Collins's wife, chooses to follow the traditions since she is afraid to be alone for the rest of her life. She is eager to manage her house and be someone's wife no matter what defects her partner's character. We can see that Elizabeth is an independent and critical woman who tends to have her own opinions to the whole society instead of following the trends blindly. But it may also have another reason why Elizabeth is different from other women. That is, she is informed. She likes to read, which can give her more perspectives on things. That's how it makes Elizabeth different from Charlotte.

Soon after, Elizabeth meets Mr. William, a soldier, and is adopted by Mr. Darcy's father. After Mr. William said his story and relationship with Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth is convinced and more resents Mr. Darcy. In Mr. William's opinion, Mr. Darcy interrupts him to manage the church that Mr. Darcy's father leaves since Mr. Darcy is jealous that his father likes Mr. William more than him. At this moment, I can’t help but wonder why Elizabeth believes what Mr. William says so quickly. She has known Mr. Darcy for a while and even longer than Mr. William. Even though Mr. Darcy is proud and arrogant, he has no sign of being despicable. I don’t think Elizabeth should accept it as true only by Mr. William’s words. People sometimes seem to believe what they have heard of rather than what they have seen and that's how misunderstandings are formed. I wish Mr. Darcy could explain the truth to Elizabeth in the following plots.

 

GLIMPSE INTO THE TIMELINE OF A YOUNG REFUGEE

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRobinJonesGunn/posts/511087430375594

Robin Jones Gunn 

gtMari0llchs 8 at 25151:0r5 PM5  · 

Several years ago I went to Bulgaria to teach at a writing workshop hosted by a ministry called, “Mission Possible”. I keep in touch with the people I met and wanted to share this personal post with you. It’s about a young woman, a Ukrainian college student, who said, "Just six days ago, my biggest challenge was writing a graduation thesis.”

GLIMPSE INTO THE TIMELINE OF A YOUNG REFUGEE

We have known Irina and her family for many years. Throughout her evacuation from home and family, Irina provided us with an insight into her experience through social media.

We want to share her story with you today, in her own words.

"I had always dreamed of traveling. Now I am traveling through three countries in just a few days, and I can't stop crying. I am not a tourist - I have escaped the war. My whole life is in one suitcase, and I am a refugee. My heart stays in Ukraine. I will take with me what is left of it."

On any other week, Irina is a typical 20-year-old college student. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine changed everything. Now she is one of the hundreds of thousands who have fled the raging war in her homeland.

To ensure her safety, her parents sent her on this journey. As Irina's mother said goodbye, she threaded her wedding ring onto Irina's finger with the words, "You will return it when we see each other again." Irina's parents and younger brother remained in Odessa. She was driven to the Moldovan border crossing by her father.

"Leaving home and family without knowing when I will return or even see them again is one of the worst feelings on earth," Irina knows what she's talking about!

AT THE BORDER

There's more than a mile-long wait to cross the border, and Irina's evacuation journey begins. She is alone in the sea of people. The night is dark. Irina's large suitcase has a broken handle, and she cannot pull it on the dirt road; she must carry the heavy bag.

"My hands shake, and tears roll down my cheeks. 'Now is not the time to freeze; get yourself together,' I give myself a pep talk. But tears come as I stand on the border with hundreds like me who have left their homes in hopes of finding refuge for their bodies and souls."

Irina is comforted by two other young women standing nearby. "Everything is going to be fine," they say. "You are no longer alone. You can come with us." The women are going to Greece and Irina Romania, but they can travel together on this first stage of their journey. The night is frigid. "no one taught me how to pack to be a refugee" Irina is cold, but it seems like a minor problem compared to the horrible new reality.

The wait in line continues into the night, and the tears dry for a moment. "We stand for a long time. I won't cry anymore. We tell stupid jokes and laugh nervously. We try to stay positive." Eventually, they cross the border leaving behind their homeland and former lives.

MOLDOVA

"Moldovans are people with a big heart. I haven't spent even a cent in Moldova yet. Volunteers were waiting for us on the other side of the border and put us on a free shuttle bus to their capital city Chisinau. They provided blankets and warm clothes and gave us some food and drink. I could not refuse the nuts with condensed milk. It tasted like my childhood…."

The young women are grateful to receive the help and care shown to them. Before arriving in Chisinau, a volunteer gave Irina 400 leu (Moldovan currency) and her phone number: "If you need help, call me. You can call at any time." Irina will later use the money for a bus ticket to get from Chisinau to Bucharest. Miraculously, the ticket costs exactly 400 leu.

In Chisinau, a local aid organization receives the refugees, provides food, and makes sleeping arrangements. Irina and her new friends are taken to a small village, an hour and a half drive from Chisinau. Their driver is a father of two who has been transporting refugees to shelters in his car for three days. That night the young women slept in the home of a 75-year-old grandmother.

"Grandma doesn't know our language well, but like all grandmothers, she tries to pamper us with as much food and drink as possible."

The next day, they are taken to a new a family. "The family warmly welcomed the six of us into their home. They greet us with a table set like a banquet feast. We take showers and sleep in comfortable beds."

As the refugee evacuation continues, the family gives everyone a big food package for the trip. They take Irina to the bus station and send her on a journey accompanied by prayers.

"God bless these people and pay them back a thousand times over! Words are not enough to tell how moved I am about what they have done for me, a stranger. And they will continue to do so for every Ukrainian."

SAFE IN ROMANIA

When Irina arrived in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, six days after the start of the war, she made contact with friends. One of Mission Possible Ukraine's workers and her daughter is also a refugee in the city.

"Just six days ago, my biggest challenge was writing a graduation thesis and juggling university and work. Now I can't study, and I pray I can still finish my degree. Before I wanted to sleep for a long time and wake up without an alarm clock - now I barely sleep at all. I wanted to live alone - now I'm hundreds of miles from home. Alone. I have dreamt of living in another country. Now I change countries and cities as fast as I change socks. My dream came true, but I had thought of traveling on a student visa and not as a refugee. My wishes have come true, but in a very different way than I had thought. Nevertheless, I believe that God is turning everything for the better."

Irina is safe now. But worries about loved ones and friends. She is shocked at the outbreak of war and feels loss for her former life, her country, and the people left behind.

Mission Possible will help Ukraine. However, the Ukraine to which Irina and the hundreds of thousands of Ukrainian refugees will hopefully return has changed profoundly. But amid even the most shocking events, we have a God who will not be shaken. He is a God of comfort, peace, and love, power to heal broken hearts and give a future and hope.

They will also need a lot of help to rebuild their own lives and country. The need for support will be great. We are already preparing for this. We can all be by their side in prayer and giving. Many of you, our friends, have already taken action, and we are deeply grateful.

As part of our effort to keep you informed, we will continue to send you emails. You can also follow the situation and our response on our website www.mp.org/ukrainian-crisis and Facebook @missionpossibleUSA.

We hope you share our updates and information about our work with your friends, relatives, and colleagues.

P.S. Since writing this letter, all of our employees in Odesa have been evacuated from Ukraine due to the imminent bombing. More updates will follow.

To Kill a Mockingbird – 3rd Reflection

 

The most apparent and easy to catch on theme in To Kill a Mockingbird is the injustice and unfairness some of the people were subjected to in the small and isolated town of Maycomb. The prejudice and hatred swirled in the place toward the black community, the poor ‘white trash’ community and the women since the first Finch founded and established the town. 

Harper Lee’s approach to expose the condition that the people were living in in the American south during the 60s is the most interesting writing choice to observe. Through the eyes of the 9-year-old that we follow, our hearts dance with her thoughts, her fears and her questions about the community. She herself had made the mistakes of putting people in a certain type of box, such as Cunninghams were supposed to be poor and uncaring for their own terrible situation, like Arthur Radley was a phantom that haunted the people of Maycomb for no apparent reason, and how Aunt Alexandra was this overly conservative and demanding woman that wanted to shape people to fit into her own ideology. 

But through Scout Finch’s gradual understanding of humanity, she realized everyone in this town; although sometimes would commit monstrous acts, was still human in their hearts. They have their own reasons, justified or not, to make those decisions. In the monumental case against Tom Robinson, we understood why Mayella Ewell lied in her testimony about Robinson assaulting her. We can never justify her lies, but we can all sympathize with her.

I recently watched a heart-wrenching crime documentary on the repent of people who sexually assaulted children, ‘What Drives A Family To Prey On Their Own - Incest: A Family Tragedy.’ The director, Edward Blackoff, interviewed a number of people who were assaulted by family members or had assaulted minors. And it was quick in the interview that the viewers would realize most of the offenders were victims once; they were preyed on by their own family members and lived in fear and pain one time. Of course, it doesn’t and can never excuse their hideous doings, but it opened up a brand-new perspective that this vicious cycle developed from a family tragedy and human psychology could never be stopped if we don’t act on preventing it. 

"Building a StoryBrand: Clarify Your Message So Customers Will Listen" chapter 4-5

How to tell a good story?

Now we know that story is the key to successful marketing, but how to tell a good story that makes your company stand out from the other competitors? Here comes the main character of this book, the SB7 Framework (StoryBrand 7-part Framework). By using this formula, companies can tell good stories that clarify their message and make communicating easy. 

There are seven basic elements that appear in almost every good story and movie, which are character, problem, guide, plan, call to action, failure, and success. These seven plot points can create an infinite variety of stories and they form the SB7 Framework. 

StoryBrand Principal One: A Character

(The customer is the hero, not your brand.)

The first step is to define what your customers want. Only when you identify their needs will they listen to you. Then, you have to let your customers know where you can take them. Once they see your brand as a trustworthy guide, they will likely engage. 

StoryBrand Principal Two: Has A Problem

In a story, the problem that the villain causes to the hero actually includes three levels: external problems, internal problems, and philosophical problems. External problems are the most obvious and often physical and tangible problems that heroes have to overcome. Internal problems are the emotional struggle caused by external problems, such as frustrations. Philosophical problems are the intangible values or dreams that are larger than the story itself and have a deeper meaning. 

However, companies often recognize only the external problems and sell solutions to external problems, but what customers really want is the solution to internal and philosophical problems. 

Take Starbucks for example. Starbucks deliver more value than just coffee; they provide a sense of sophistication and enthusiasm about life. They also offer a place for people to meet and to experience affiliation and belonging. Customers feel good about themselves when walking into a Starbucks. Since Starbucks understand how their customers want to feel, their customers are willing to pay more for their coffee because they sense greater value with each cup. 

Reflection

After learning the three levels of problems, I tried to apply it to my previous buying experiences. About a year ago, I needed a storage box for my clothes, so I searched online, trying to find a suitable one. After browsing through different styles of storage boxes, I decided to buy a detachable and foldable one. In this case, the external problem was that I needed a storage box. The internal problem was that I wanted it to be easy to carry and space-saving. The philosophical problem was that when I bought it from IKEA, I had the warm and comfortable feeling of home, which was the impression that IKEA gave me.

Lord of the Flies (pt. 2)

 Summary for what I've read this week:

The threat of the mysterious beast from the dark keeps haunting the boys in reality and in their dreams. After several quarrels, they summon courage to find the beast. Along the way to the mountain top, two leading characters, the leader Ralph and his second hand, Jack, who respectively represent ideals of "being content with the status quo" and "growing in adversities," have another several quarrels over how to survive and how to lead. Reaching the mountain top, Jack goes alone for the unknown where the beast might be dwelling, while Ralph avoids getting close to danger.

At this moment, the readers would have known that the beast is actually a fallen paratrooper who is now hung on a tree by his parachute, which is showed two chapters before. But in the kids' eyes, the human transforms into an ape-like beast under the influence of dark surroundings and fear rooted in their hearts. Returning to where Ralph stands, Jack shows rare hesitation when Ralph suggested going to take a closer look himself. Confirming the existence of the beast, Ralph and the boys was told to retreat by their subconsciousness. Even the brave Jack who stands for "growing in adversities" sees slight, almost no chance of fighting the beast with merely sticks they have in a deserted island.

Back to where they camp, Jack decides to overthrow Ralph's rule for the leader's lack of courage on the mountain top, but none of the other 10 boys agrees with him after his emotional speech. However, four of the boys go with Jack furtively after Jack's lone departure. They hunt down a boar as they are the only ones who have experience hunting while Team Ralph have only fruit to eat. Team Jack later raids Team Ralph and takes their fire which Team Jack don't know how to make, inviting other boys to join them for a feast. This invitation makes the heart of some littler boys tilt towards Jack, for all they think is nothing more than having fun.

My reflection:

As there are more serious tensions between the character, the story gets deeper. Not only do the boys have to survive and fight the threat from the island, they have to fight each other. The author gave the characters childish thoughts and lines, but I feel like they are adults fighting, because after all, that is actually how some adults fight: like kids, speaking the ill of each other to get more supporters for their party instead of recognizing each other's advantages and rationally communicate. In the middle of crisis, if people still fight like this and don't work as one, they will be doomed eventually.

And as always, the descriptive writing of the author pictures every detail of the settings and every motion of characters, making me feel like I'm actually stand there, seeing what they see, hearing them fighting.
 

Everything I Never told you: The contradiction of My Siblings

        Hi everyone. I'm your girl Joyceline again. Finally, I had read the second half of "Everything I never told you" in my spare time. It is beyond my view of the novel plot I have read before. The second half of the book is more tragic than the first. Indeed, as my log1, I introspect my relationship between my family, friend, and boyfriend through this novel. In my perspective, this novel will become a hot hit film because of its every climax, detail, and vivid writing style. Therefore, I made primary and secondary characters images to give you more empathy when going through what I have learned in this novel.

Summary

        The story came to the mother, Marilyn, who has come home. Hence, she still misses her children and finds out that she's pregnant and her name is Hannah. However, Hannah, the third child of Lee's family, is ignored by her parents. The Lees family uses silence to cover the problem between their relationship. For instance, The Lees had tried to forget mother had once left without saying goodbye. But it lingered, like a bad smell. It had suffused them so deeply it could never wash out. This issue causes the three children to hesitate the habit of not expressing their true feelings in their life problems. Moreover, the reader could notice children have to fight for attention from their parents through the old brother and Lydia's interaction. These three siblings' complicated relationships as if they reflected my actual siblings' relationship and family education.

The contradiction of My Siblings

       My family has three children, as the Lees family in this novel. I am the third child in the family. The love from parents is different from the third child in the story. I'm the favorite girl of my parents; even my brothers sometimes complain to my mother. As the favorite child, I suffer from Princess Syndrome a bit. My confidence is built by others' compliments, and I usually have an impressionable mind. It has several disadvantages of being the most favorite child. Even though I am twenty-one, I don't know how to cook a meal, drive a car, and manage financially. As the third child of the book, the compression resistance and independent ability are what I lack in my personality. This point could be mentioned in the sibling's relationship with my brothers. I realize my attitude is horrible at building confidence from others' compliments. The motivation for getting good grades is to make my parents proud of me. I proved that I was the perfect child for my brothers. Once, I got into a fight with my young brother, and he complained that my parents used grades to value the children's value. It was a standard error judging a person by its score in Taiwan's traditional culture. This social stereotype also occurs in Lee's family education, a Chinese American family. However, both my family and Lee's family have a standard way of trying to reach the developmentally appropriate. 

    On the other hand, my relationship with my brother was closer in my childhood than now. It is contradictory to living about twenty-one years together, and I gradually don't know my siblings. The old brother and younger sister have the same brown eyes as their Asian American father in the story; Lydia, the main character, has blue eyes like her American mother. These character settings reveal the nuance behind the story's development.

In contrast, my younger brother and I were like two peas in a pod during childhood. We both have two small eyes and single-fold eyelids. I am closer to my younger brother than the older one. However, when I grew up, my older brother and I were made from the same mold, and we had the same big eyes with double eyelids. This consequence is the gene chosen by your following personalities and encounters in your future life. In addition, humans usually read others' minds through their eyes, let alone in this pandemic. Individuals only could see others' eyes in the first impression. The eyes are the windows to the soul. Eyes are the tunnel of expressing one's feelings and emotions. A phrase reminds me of the spirit in "Lady on fire," a movie annals the female gender in the eight teen century. The film uses the gaze movement in lots of the plots rather than letting character speak up their thoughts. I consider this is why I chose silence to speak up my words to my brothers.    

The motivation for calling my family is when I read through the second half of the chapters. It was a long period of not caring for my siblings. Once, when I passed my brother's bedroom, I heard his weeping, but I ignored his sadness and pretended as if it had never happened. I regret at all my selfishness to my most relative person. I like the one in this novel as if this book is my diary. Suppose there's an answer at the end of the book. I desire to find the solution behind the complex connection with my loved family.

  

Reflection: Three Sisters (3)

 

Summary for this week:

 

Cibi, the eldest sister. Magda, the middle. Livi, the youngest. Menachem, sisters’ father. Chaya, sisters’ mother. Yitzchak, sisters’ grandfather.

 

    Compared to Cibi and Livi, Magda's life with her mother and grandpa is a lot easier. However, every Sunday, due to Shabbat, she has to hide in a secret chamber of their neighbor's house so as to prevent the Nazis' recruitment. It has been a year since Cibi and Livi went to the camp for work. One day, another selection takes place again; it's grateful that a kapo (their supervisor) helps them overcome this inhumane event again for their useful knowledge. They made it, luckily, once again. However, some of their friends didn't. Typhus, selections, and bullets came to them without announcements. There were more to suffer from.

 

 

Reflection

Life was not easy for them day by day. They were living under death threat every minute; no one knows what was coming next. And for Magda, maybe this form of life would happen to her soon. She had thought of going with the Nazis to look for her sisters, but her mom and grandpa stopped her. I'm not sure if it's a good outcome for her or not. Maybe she cannot tolerate the jobs, or she might be fine with them. Also, once she leaves, Chaya and Yitzchak would have less pressure on the food shortage.

This week, I was touched and shocked by some expressions in the novel. One is during the selection. Originally, Cibi was going to be examined before Livi, but she change the sequence of Livi and her. After they both survived this turn, Livi asked Cibi about the intention why she did that. "If you were sent to the left then I would have followed you," said Cibi. (Those who were sent to the left would be executed)  Moreover, Livi asked what if Cibi were sent to the left beforehand. And she replied, "I would have made sure you were out of sight before I went to the left, that you wouldn't see me and couldn't follow." I almost cried in this part. I saw Cibi's determination to protect and even stay with Livi no matter what, even to her death. It wasn't just getting wounded, but the most fearful consequence. I believe that most people are afraid of death, not to mention dying for someone voluntarily.

Another one is about one of their friends, Hannah, who came alone. One day, they met one another on a square. They were killing the lice mutually. But Hannah responded, " I'll let my dice die with me." Cibi and Livi required her to ask her kapo for medicine to cure the sores. Hannah promised them and implored them to sit together in the sun with her. Next Sunday, more exactly, every Sunday, they never saw Hannah again. I was wondering, were they the "murderers" as they requested her to "ask?"  Because anyone who was found weak would become useless and got killed. Their lives have no difference with lice's. Sitting in the sun was the most luxurious thing they could do. I can hardly imagine the hardship they experienced while living with ease. 

Thoughts on After the End

Author: Clare Mackintosh

Genres: fiction

What is your definition of life?

The book separates into two parts. What happened? And what happens after the end. It is a book everyone should read as other readers are commended on the back of the book. But to be more specific, it is a discussion on what is life which I really recommended people in their adulthood have a read on it.

Brief story: A two-year-old current resident in the PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit) of the same hospital where he was born just a couple of years earlier Dylan, because of his brain tumour triggered by pneumonitis. His mother, Pip, takes a long break from her job to take care of her son in the hospital. His father, Max, is a worker frequently travelling between the US and the UK.

When your beloved one is suffering, fighting for the tremor weeks and months from every kind of treatment, a new treatment introduced to you, not that it will make them walk out of the hospital again, but to prolong their lives. Would you take it?

I have spent every day with my son since he was admitted to hospital last autumn. I’ve been there when he’s had seizures so bad they’ve had to sedate him, when they’ve given him morphine for the pain. I’ve learned how to suction his saliva, how to massage his back to lessen the secretions, how to manipulate his arms and legs so they don’t waste away.  

Life biggest question. The most compelling and vital is the decision. Max and Pip have different wishes, but they both agree the point – they do the best for their son, Dylan. What is the best? As in one of the author’s interviews, I can somehow give the view of the two main characters on life. Max hope for the quantity of life; Pip hopes for the quality of life. No right or wrong here, I have to state. Max tried his best to give life back to his son; meanwhile, he was concerned about the aftermath of the new treatment. Asked the doctor how it would the life be for his son. Pip, on the other hand, refuses to let her son live the way he’ll live if he survives.

Public's child. The other part I notice is the fundraising that Max put up on Twitter. The influence of social networks has done its job – spreading to more residents and media. Reports and stories of them shape in a way the public wants. On the flip side, titles and shorten-stories didn’t cover the whole thing. Invective to Pip, calling her the mother of the son enduring serious condition the murderer. The public is keenly aware as if he is their child. I find it so heart-wrenching but realistic.

I couldn’t cover all my thoughts here. But this book just indicates how life indeed can be. And trust me, the best part of the book is after the life ends of Dylan, which is the last one-third of the book. How we wish to stand at the fork of the road and hope that we could see the end of each route of the paths because we could know which one to take.

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Question: How would you treat a life? Surviving/Existing with a bearable condition which could quickly be used to it. Or struggles and challenges through life without knowing when to end and if it could succeed.