Blog Post #10

I am currently reading "The Lost Hero", by Rick Riordan. It is a follow-up to the Percy Jackson series. The novel is told in 3 points of views, as each alternating chapter is one person to the next. The 3 main characters are Jason, Piper and Leo, but I believe the hero is Jason. I am going to focus on the call to adventure and meeting the mentor.

Call to Adventure
Jason, Piper and Leo were on a school trip to visit the Grand Canyon, where things went terribly wrong. Jason doesn't remember anyone or anything, or even how he got to where he was. Their supervisor for the trip, Coach Hedge, can sense he is a demi-god, and wants to return him to safety, to Camp Half-Blood, before any beasts try to kill him. A group of Venti (storm spirits), come and put the tourists in hell, from storm clouds, lightning and horrible rainfall to distract them. That is when monsters from Tartarus sneak in and attempt to kill Jason, but Coach Hedge is to quick. Before Jason knows it, he wakes up in a hospital bed in Camp Half-Blood, with Piper, Leo and a blond haired, grey-eyed girl looking upon him.

The girl is named Annabeth Chase, and is the herald in this story. She explains to Jason that he, and his friends, Piper and Leo, are demi-gods, which means that you have one God or Godess as a parent. This also means that you have incredible powers and those powers are needed to defeat the evil of this world. Annabeth tells the trio about her boyfriend who went missing (Percy Jackson), and that the oracle stated that a group of three demi-gods must embark on a journey to find Percy before the winter solstice. It would be a heavy load as they have not trained, and they don't know anything about the horrors of Hades powers. Jason, Piper and Leo decide to take this journey, as they thought it would prove their powers to their special parent, whoever they were, in hopes of being claimed by whichever God or Godess was their mother or father.

" "Percy went missing three days ago." Annabeth said with a stutter. "He's a hero to this camp, and nobody knows what happened to him. I was hoping you would help find him." She barely managed to get that line out before bursting into tears. "I'm a horrible girlfriend!" Annabeth said between breaths." page 47

Meeting The Mentor
Before the three can start the journey, they must train in the art of fighting, by the methof of their choice. They can also be trained in various other activities like fitness, chariot-racing, rock climbing, and any other camp activity available. This is when they meet Chiron, the mentor of the story. He tells them his stories of when Percy went to camp here, and how he was a hero to all, right up untill when he went missing. He told them about how the journey would not be easy, and to be careful for anything trying to get in their way. Chiron also told the trio that if they need any help at all, just to remember where they came from, and to think of him, and help should come right away, but only when greatly needed.

Chiron worked with each seperately, but I want to focus on Jason. When Jason went to swordfighting, he realized that he had a gift. Chiron went through the same training as he did with Percy, but with Jason this time. Chiron gave Jason a pen. When you clicked the top, it turned into a glistening silver sword.

"If you are in grave danger, just remember who you are and who you are fighting for." Chiron said. "See you in training tomorrow." page 189

"The Lost Hero" novel cover by Rick Riordan

the-lost-hero.jpn

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December 18th, 2011

Here is a video of Rick Riordan himself talking about the book, and giving you some background information. I realize my post above is a little hard to follow for readers who do not know the story of Percy Jackson, so this should fill you in.

The Heroes of Olympus, The Lost Hero
Disney Hyperion
www.youtube.com
September 13th, 2010

Blog Post #9

I am currently reading, "Catching Fire", by Suzanne Collins. Katniss, the main character's ordinary world is very different than our world today. She lives in district 12, a district of both poverty and luxe. The district is surrounded by woods, and inside is your typical town. Houses, shops and Victor's Village, where the previous victors of the games live if are successful. Money is very scarce, so many families rely on the woods for hunting or the little money families get from their jobs. There is a town square, where the reapings take place, festivals etc. In the district, there is a thriving coal mine, where most of the young men work. The purpose of her ordinary world is pretty much to stay alive, and help her family stay alive. She hunts every morning (even though it's illegal) and trades with shopkeepers and the mayor for goods they need to live.


Q) What pressures exist for the character in her ordinary world?
A) The pressures are very simple. Hope you don't get picked for the reaping, find food, make money and stay alive.


Q) Who creates conflict or peace here?
A) President Snow creates conflict (even though he is from the capitol). He initiates the reapings, and pays surprise visits to the district to make sure no one is breaking the law. There is no particular person who creates peace, except maybe inner peace with yourself.


Q) Which elements create the most or least comfort?
A) There really is no comfortable elements for district 12 people, except if you have won the games. Victors village provides peace, comfort, riches and anything else. The least comfort would probably be the enviornment itself. You live in a shabby, old house, no money and no food. The thought of tomorrow is probably not a comforting thought, as your life is put on the line at any moment.


Q) Why is the character excited or reluctant to leave this world behind?
A) I believe Katniss is reluctant to leave the world behind. She doesn't want to leave her family and friends again, because she knows she is most likely to never return. Also, she knows what horrors the area brings, so she doesn't want to have to go through that again.

katniss-district-12-shoot-arrow1

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Dec. 12th, 2011

This image is of Katniss hunting in the woods in district 12. There is nothing really available for the motion picture at the moment, but I thought this caught the essence of staying alive.

"In district 12, looking old is somewhat of an achievement since so many people die early. You see an elder person, you want to congradulate them on their longvity, ask the secret of survival. A plump person is envied because they aren't scraping by the the majority of us." Katniss Everdeen, Catching Fire, page 267

Blog Post #8

I am currently reading "Catching Fire", by Suzanne Collins. It is the second book in The Hunger Games trilogy.


Question : Why do you think Peeta continues to keep up the act that Katniss and himself are in love, even though he truly loves her?


 I think Peeta does this for a number of ways. The first is to hide his love for her. I think he doesn't want to tell Katniss he loves her, because he knows her and Gale have something, and doesn't want to complicate things. The second is he doesn't know how Katniss will react. She could bring up how wrong it is, something about Gale, or possibly surprise him that she loves him back. I think she will reply with how she doesn't have time to worry about her feelings, and that she doesn't know, as she told this to Gale when he told her he loved her. The third is for her safety. I added this because it seems logical. If Peeta told her he loved her, and Katniss denied it, President Snow could find out. This would not be good because he could have both of their families killed, and their district destroyed.



The visual element is the trailer for "The Hunger Games." I know it is the first novel in the series, and I focused on the 2nd book in the post, but this is the only movie so far, and it will help you get backgroung knowledge about the characters, story etc. I chose this because Peeta first expresses his love for Katniss in this novel, and this is the origins of the drama.


MLA
"The Hunger Games - Official Trailer [HD]" Viso Trailers http://www.youtube.com/  Post date : November 15th, 2011 There is no other information available.

Blog Post #6

The novel I have chosen to do my archetypal post on is "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan. The character Annabeth is most like the Herald. She determines that Percy Jackson is the chosen one, and he is the one who must embark on the journey to collect the Lightning Thief. In Camp-Half Blood (where the demigods train), Annabeth Chase, whose mother is Athena (Godess of Wisdom and Battle Strategy), hears the oracle state that Zeus's great lightning bolt has been stolen, and the son of Posideon was rumoured to have stolen it. To stop the God's from having a battle, the bolt must be returned before the summer solstice, in 7 days. The job is to prove to Zeus that Percy (the son of Posideon) is innocent. The quote, "That's him. He fits the description the oracle told me. He must be the one to face Zeus, even if we like it or not." page 53, explains why Annabeth is the Herald.

This is Annabeth Chase, the Herald in "Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief."



Blog Post #5

Classic to me comes in many different forms. The first type of classic is what I call media classic. It is something in the media that is timeless, such as a celebrity, television show, film, photograph, painting etc. I believe Marilyn Monroe is a "classic" example of a media classic. She lived long ago, but her popularity and originality has kept her alive. No one to this very day has compared to her, as she is iconic in her era. Another type of classic I came up with is bias classic. Sometimes I believe people like other things (such as books or films) because the majority of the population does. You want to fit in, and you make yourself like the topic to make it seem like you are involved. The third type of classic is Iconic Literature classic. I call this type Iconic Literature because it is truly a work of art. It is a story that has alot of enduring qualities, such as relatable characters, out-of-this-world characteristics, and a good storyline.


The novel I just finished reading was "The tales of Beetle and Bard", by J.K. Rowling. It is a book available for purchase in Diagon Alley in Harry Potter, and is featured in the 7th film. It is a collection of wizarding stories and fables. I believe this book to be a classic. It has characters and stories that intrigue you, unrealistic superhuman events (as it is a Harry Potter book, involved magic),  and it is quite good quality! I think it is also a classic because it is part of the HP franchise, which makes it classic right there, and faitfull readers will eat up this book. Future generations of students should continue to read this book because it is a great story, and it makes you feel like you are part of the magical world. Honestly, I think Harry Potter will never grow old, so this will be passed down with the series for ever and always.

Blog Post #4

I am reading "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" movie script adapted by Steven Kloves.

"DUMBLEDORE

There's been another attack.

Madam Pomfrey gasps. It is not a statue lying there. It is Colin Creevy, camera still clutched to his eye.

PROFESSOR McGONAGALL

Perhaps he managed to get a picture of his attacker..." page 62

One of the main events in this script is the basiliask pertrifying most muggle-born students. I can relate this to an episode of CSI: Miami I watched a while back. In the episode, a killer was going around killing a certain profile of people. One of the victims was a photographer, and his body as found with a camera in his hand. The killer in Harry Potter (Baskilisk), only went around trying to kill muggle-borns (which is the certain profile), and the victim is obviously the same, with a camera clutched in his hand. I can also make a worldly connection. I cannot say I have heard of people bring petrified by basilisks, but in the news I sometimes hear stories about murder victims, and about the people chasing them. It reminded me of the newspaper clippings, and various news television shows, and the horror behind it.

This is Colin Creevy, whom got petrified in my example.

I could not find the exact video of the episode, but here is the theme for you. Enjoy!!



Blog Post #3

I am currently reading "Harry Potter & The Chamber Of Secrets" movie script, adapted by Steven Kloves . This script has many main characters, but I am going to be focusing on Hermione Granger. The quote, "Yes, Proffessor. But there seems to be very little written about the Chamber of Secrets. For those of us with personal interest with this subject, that is... disturbing." Said by Hermione Granger, page 53, shows her true personality. It shows her keen interest to learn new things, as she likes to be educated in pretty much everything, and is super smart. It also shows her sarcastic side, with the quote, "...For those of us with personal interest..." (same quote, page 53) She tries to force the proffessor into giving her information off the correct topic, which also shows her ability to overpower you. In the end, I believe Hermione will figure out the secret of the Chamber of Secrets, and solve the mystery behind it. During this time though, I think there will be twists and turns that steer her thoughts in the wrong direction. Does she solve this? You will have to find out for yourselves!

This video captures the essence of Hermione. It shows her sarcastic and logical side perfectly! The quotes are some of her best - it is a true Hermione video!

Blog Post #2

I am reading "The Secret Life Of Bees" by Sue Monk Kidd. Lily Owens is a 14 year old girl who lives with her abusive father, T-Ray, and housekeeper, Rosaleen. When Lily was 4 years old, her mother was shot and killed. When the civil rights act is passed, Rosaleen decided to register to vote, encountering trouble along the way. Rosaleen and Lily decide to escape their home of Sylvan, South California, to try and find work, and truly a better place to live. They come across a hot-pink house, with beekeepers living inside. Lily and Rosaleen earn a little money, and become part of the family. Everything is well untill T-Ray finds the girls, and demands to take them back to their home.  Lily finds out her mother left her, to live at this very same house, and falls into deep depression. Eventually T-Ray decides to let Lily and Rosaleen stay in the honey house, as it is the best for her future.

"The Secret Life Of Bees" is a coming of age tale about, love, war and rights. Sue Monk Kidd takes you on a ride of a 14 year old girl who is living a rough life. When she was young, her mother was shot and killed, and due to that, her father has become very abusive. During all of this, black people were just getting the right to vote, so their housekeeper, Rosaleen, decides to try to vote, no matter the risks.  I feel like Lily is a very relatable character, and when I am turning the pages to her story, I feel like I am right there with her. Sue Monk Kidd shot you right into the time zone they were in, and you could feel all the hate, blood, and anger of the civil rights act, and how strong the Negroes were. This is a time period everyone should be educated in. It is a fabulous book about the lust for love, and how peace finds itself in the end. I would highly recommend this book.



Blog Post #1

"A good book should leave you... slightly exausted at the end. You live several lines while reading it." ~ William  Styron

I chose this quote because it intrigues me. It is a story, within a story. Imagine you are reading your favourite book. You are very involved in the story, not being able to put in down! As you are speedily turning the pages, you are creating memories and a new story, that could only be happening then. You could not go back and change it after it is published, as with any story. You are probably wondering that this new story is! It is what you thought or did during this time of reading. Your facial expressions, clothes you wore and how you did your hair. It could be as simple as how you were enjoying this novel!

Another thought is the movie "Inception". In the movie, you are in a dream, within a dream, within another dream. It is kind of the same idea, but with novels.

This quote symbolizes reading and literature in general. The world is full of stories waiting to be told, and that is why I chose this fantastic quote.