Blog # 22, Fiction Journal

17. Do you have any unanswered questions about the story? Explain. 



  So, one of the more obvious questions I think almost everyone who has read the novel is DOES ACORN SURVIVE!? Aside from this, I feel like it's an irrational question almost but between this novel and the Handmaid's Tale, I keep having the reoccurring question of where is the future headed exactly? These two stories shows very different but also very similar types of distopian societies and the issues that they face don't affect just one small area, but the entire world as a whole. The fact that these stories were written not too far apart leaves me with a somewhat uneasy feeling as well. In the world today, we still wage wars, set off bombs, hurt or kill one another and just for the most part live in chaos nearly everyday. I feel as though at this point, it is easier to see the negatives in the world than the positives so I guess my question is, one day, will all those negatives consume us to the point where our world crumbles like those of Offred and Lauren?  

Disscussion Questions ( End of book )

9. What lessons do you feel you took away from this novel?

       I feel like from Parable, I got quite a few important lessons.  I think the most prominent one that I found was the fact that you are your own person and to not sub-come to what you don't believe in. Through out the entire novel, I feel as though Lauren was being almost being forced to follow the beliefs Christianity because nearly everyone around her did, especially her father, but she braved through that storm and even created her own form of religion on her journey so she didn't let anyone tell her what to believe and kind of just did her own thing. Another lesson that I took from this novel is that no matter how small or young you are, you can do great things. As I just said, look at Earthseed, to me for a fifteen year old girl to be able to create her own stable religion, that, at least for me, is really inspirational.

QUESTIONS:

1) Would you change anything about the ending? If so, what?
2) Do you thing Earthseed will live on?
3) If you had to give a short summary of this book for the back cover, what would you say?     

Convo Prep, George Toska, Parable

1. How does the title of the novel work on various levels?

The title " Parable of the Sower " to me surprisingly works in kind of an ironic way to me. If I recall correctly, a parable is something used in the Christian religion, almost like a short story about God and his life or journey's. To me, this sounds a bit ironic because Lauren makes it very clear throughout the story, even from the beginning that she does not really believe in God and the stories that people tell her about him. So that's kind of something to laugh at. On the other hand, it actually fits quite well with the story because we know that Lauren is writing " Earthseed " which is basically like her own personal bible while she creates what is practically her own religion. A sower is someone who plants seeds and whatnot so I guess calling it " Earthseed " is pretty fitting for a title of her bible.


QUESTIONS:

1) Do you think that Lauren's religion will catch on in the story?
2) Do you think Lauren will make it till the end?
3) How does this future compare and contrast to that of The Handmaid's Tale?

Perp Blog #2:Parable of the Sower

2. What are the major threats Lauren and her companions face as they travel northward? How can those threats be related to issues in our own world? How about the governmentís response to such threats?

To me, it seems like the major threats Lauren and her companions face as they travel northward are disease and judgment from those around them that do not share their religious views. In our world, diseases like Ebola and measles are slowly rearing their heads and killing people as they are said to be spreading around slowly. When it comes to the religious views things, that has always been an issue in our society. We have always had those kinds of people who if you disagree with their beliefs, they will penalize you and make you feel belittled for thinking differently. The government is now currently dealing with ISIS who hurt people partially because of religious beliefs so in terms of being shunned because of religion, the government seems to only get involved if there is violence involved. In terms of infectious diseases, the government gets involved if people are being killed by them. 



QUESTIONS: 

1) At this point of the story, do you think that this is a world wide epidemic or is it just in a specific area? 

2) Do you think that Lauren's differing beliefs from most of her home town will lead to her demise or eventually make her the hero and or God figure herself? 

3) Why do you think religion has become so important at this time?

Blog #16 Jesus Crust

2. Explain how a character is acting and why you think the character is acting that way.


So, one thing I noticed in Parable of the Sower is that the first 20 pages are mainly about religion and the role of God in the world. The main character in the book does not seem to believe in God and always seems to be questioning the things that he has supposedly done and does. For example, while going on her rant about baptism in the churches, the main character says "God is just the adults' way of trying to scare you into doing what they want. " ( Page 14, Last paragraph ) This shows that she has an obvious disbelief in God.
I believe that she is behaving this way because it seems like something almost nuclear has happened causing everything to be in ruins. From what I know, God is suppose to help out the little guy and give you some light at the end of the tunnel, but when you constantly pray for something that never happens, why even keep trying? She has understandably lost hope in the assistance and idea of a God because the world around her has crashed down and what had God ever done for her? Nothing. I really like her as a character as of now. She has very similar beliefs to my own. I know that's off topic but I just thought I'd put that out there because I simply can.

#15, Why We Cannot Be At Peace

       I myself am a huge pessimist so this blog is going to take a really negative approach. So as we know, in a utopia, all things are great. People are happy and peaceful. There is little to no pain and there is just an odd seance of bliss in everything. With this said, it is more than clear that our society today is so so sooooo far from a utopia. In our society, people kill each other, we go to wars with other countries just to prove our superiority. We struggle for power all the time. We have people out on the streets because as much as people like to say we are equal, we are not. There is struggle at every corner you turn, almost like we live to suffer. Sure, individually people may feel happy at times, but as a whole, we are generally in my opinion a very poor willed and miserable society. We live in a total distopia which as we know is where things are crappy, sad and overall just in ruins.
       I feel like in order to have a utopia in our present day, so much would have to change. For starters, people! People SUCK. A large majority of us can be mean ans selfish and rather heartless at times. As I said, we kill each other and I feel like most of the time, there is no real moral reason as to why people kill other than the soul fact that they want to. However, I feel like those who do kill for a real reason, their reasons are selfish such as money, revenge and power. So, for these reasons and many others, people would have to change A LOT. Also, along with the idea of power, big businesses such as like, Donald Trump like places would have to change too. I feel as though places like that take so much money from the general public and instead of using it for those in need such as the homeless or the single mother barely making it by, use it for their own benefit when they don't need it. They would either have to end as companies or start helping out a lot more. Of course, there is a lot more that I feel would have to change in order for our current society to become a utopia, but I feel like these are the most important things.
         As much as I know you hate the " In conclusion " thing Bavaro, I'm sorry. I can't contain myself. IN CONCLUSION, people really suck. We are mean and heartless for the most part and I feel like we have gotten to the point where some of us get a great sense of satisfaction out of causing another person pain where it be something a big a deal as killing a family member or something as small as cheating of your girlfriend/boyfriend *cough* (totally not speaking from a current event in my life.) *cough* Some people just enjoy putting their needs in front of the needs of others and we are just... awful. I can't think of a better description.  I feel like people will never change and that is why we will never be able to live in a perfect little utopia... though that would be pretty swamky.
     

Story Time! Post #10

          WHAT I WANT TO TELL PEOPLE WENT DOWN 

      
       It was Valentine's Day, the one day of the year when a female's dreams of of a Rose and Jack romance sprouts wings and flies into the glistening light of reality. With this said, my heart skipped a beat knowing that on that very night, I was going with Sarina to meet my hero Vic Fuentes of Pierce The Veil and take the leap of faith of every fan girl and ask the man of my dreams to be my Valentine, but woe is me, for I knew that there was going to be tons of creatures of the female persuasion with their milk makers perched outside of their shirt like a bird on a telephone wire and their cherry red lips were going to ask him the same thing. I was determined to stand out of the crowd of boobs.
        The hours of the day seemed to tick by as slow as my attention span, when at last, the time had finally come. I was an hour away from meeting Vic and I had to prepare my face to match with the breathtaking evening gown I was fluting. I winged my eyeliner perfectly and smoothly applied some lip balm. My hair was perfectly straightened like the flawless end of a razor. I was ready. I looked fierce. Just then Sarina and her mom came to pick me up and off we went to the elegance of the Electric Factory.
       We went in right away and were the first ones in line. This was it. I knew exactly what I was going to say to the handsome man behind the curtain who saved my life. At that moment, I was the definition of confidence. Suddenly, the curtains opened and Sarina and I walked in. I stared into Vic's eyes and soon locked his with mine. His jaw dropped and he approached me carefully grabbing my hand gently as if it were made of porcine. He held me close as I said " It's a pleasure to see you tonight Mr. Fuentes." To which he replied kissing my hand " The pleasure is all mine my love, I hope we can do this again very soon." I smiled at him as he kissed my hand like a prince does to a princess and said " We shall see darling " After this the concert proceeded and the whole time, Vic was staring right into my eyes. It was truly the best night of my life.



       WHAT REALLY HAPPENED 


       It was the day after Valentine's Day so my day of eating chocolate and playing video games alone while my boyfriend was at work because he didn't take off to be with me was over. Thank God. I was super stoked because I knew that that night, I would be meeting my hero Vic Fuentes of Pierce The Veil with my best and only friend Sarina. Like I was reallllly stoked. Like full fledged fan girl stoked. I could barely keep myself together so Sarina had to keep me from exploding in joy all day. That day could not have gone by any slower, but finally somehow I made it to an hour before it was time to go. It was time to get ready... but what should I wear. Same thing I do everyday of course! A Pierce The Veil shirt and a pair of jeans. I did my eyeliner and it was a bit crooked, but not too noticeable. I straightened my hair as well but I missed a few spots making it seem as though the front of my hair was decently straight while the back was as straight as Ellen Degenerous.
       Suddenly, Sarina and her mom came to pick me up and we were off to not so sanitary beer scented Electric Factory concert venue. Once we arrived, we had to wait almost two hours in sub zero weather while the crappy staff handed out VIP wrist bands one by one. When it was FINALLY time to go in, I was surprised to still be alive and not another fallen victim of hypothermia. My hair was a mess from the wind and my eyeliner had ran a bit from tearing up in the cold, but Sarina and I were the first ones in line to meet the man and band that saved my life.
       Standing there, my excitement could not be contained. What would I say? What would he say? Did I smell? I had so many questions but no answers. Finally, the curtains opened and I walked in to see Vic standing there. As I approached him, my heart ran a marathon. Just as Vic was shaking my hand, I blurted out " HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY! I'M REALLY HAPPY RIGHT NOW!" Vic replied " Thank you so much! Haha I can tell you are so are we! " Then he rubbed my pack for two seconds and posed for a picture. HE TOUCHED MY BACK. I walked out after my two minutes in heaven and cried a little.
      During the show, I couldn't really see Vic and he probably couldn't see Sarina in I because the Electric Factory decided to put the handicap section almost all the way in the back, but overall, things were kind of great and I had the best night of my life.




 

Blog Post #9

       The pages I read were 277-286.  In the beginning of these pages, Aunt Lydia and Offred are observing a Salvaing, which to me sounds like it's almost when people go to watch a bunch of other people get killed for amusement. This got me thinking about possible influences this book is build off of.  I know that back in ancient Rome and Greece, people would flock to see battles to the death and lynchings just for fun. Some people would just have a nice picnic with their families while watching people die. So it got me wondering if this is true, why the author would take events and practices that happened years ago that most people today find morally wrong and make it so in the future, it seems like people find it okay to do this again for whatever reasons.

Blog Post #8

      The pages that I read were 267-276. One of the biggest things I noticed in these pages is the fact that either Offred seems to either be having trouble recalling memories and or is changing her memories to make them more desirable to suit her own preference. Throughout the book, Offred is always telling the reader of her past, which brings me to question if any of Offred's past stories are true because of the way she is trying to change her story at this time.  I am not only really wondering, more so hoping that someone or something can truly show me what Offred's past is because quite frankly, I don;t belive a word coming out of her mouth.

Blog Post #7

• When Offred learns the meaning of the Latin phrase in her cupboard, what else does she learn? As readers, how do you feel about these moments of revelation? Are you shocked? Disappointed? Excited? Something else?

She learns that whoever wrote it was killed by Serena Joy. I was not happy with Offred's reaction to this reveal because I feel like it gave her a sense of saying like, what she's doing with Nick is okay and what she did with Luke was okay when it's really not. It's against the rules. I'm not really shocked because as I've said I don't like Offred and her choices and she's just being manipulative and a rule breaker again and that's really not okay. It's just kind of ridiculous how ballsy Offred is being even when she knows the risks of being caught.

Blog #6 ( Option 3 )

       Dear Diary,
                 You would never believe it to be true, but today, Moria told me something. We like each other now. So she told me something. Her breath felt warm on my neck when she told me. Like Luke's hands when he put them on my face. Moria told me that she does not believe in God. She trusts me. I won't tell. She will get hurt if I do. I am not very surprised. God has not done much for us lately. Everyone believes in God. At least they are told to. I don't believe in God, but no one must know. If there is a God, why did he make us this way? Why did he take my life away? Why did he take my baby away? Did I anger him? Maybe he was upset about my affair. I don't want to apologize. Luke made me happy. Why would I apologize to someone who isn't really there? I wonder if Luke believes in God. Moria told me something else as well. We are friends now. She told me that men do not intrigue her. She prefers the companionship of a woman to a man. I will not tell her secret. Moria said it was wrong of me to be involved with Luke. She was involved with women like Luke, but she says that was different. Whatever that means. I love Luke. Luke loves me. If she had a Luke, she would understand. I'm glad Moria and I are friends now. I'm not so lonely now. Nick's hat is askew, I must go.
               Signed, Offred

It's Not You... It's Me... Okay I Lied It's You. ( Blog #5 )

( ABSENT WHEN ASSIGNED )

       My least favorite character in this entire story is Offred. I don't like Offred mainly because of her relationship with Luke in the past and the Commander right now. With Luke, Offred says several times throughout the story that Luke is "hers." THAT IS 110% FALSE! Luke is a married man to which she believes it's okay to have an affair with. To me, there is absolutely no justification for cheating on anyone. I feel like if someone isn't happy in a relationship, they should just end it instead of sneaking around with someone else. The fact that Offed sees her behavior as okay, and not only that, but has the audacity to call Luke hers when in fact he is not, just makes me have very little respect for her character.

Let's Talk About Sex... Or Not If It Makes You Uncomfortable... Which It Should ( Quotation Question )

       A quote that really hit me with a strong emotional reaction is in the beginning of chapter 18, that quote being " Nobody dies from lack of sex. It's lack of love we die from. " ( Pg. 103 in book ) This quote hit me so hard mainly because I feel it is a perfect representation of our society is today in terms of relationships. In my personal opinion, I believe that love and sex should go hand and hand and by that I mean that people should try and save themselves for sex until they have found the one that they 100% know that they are going to be with for the rest of their lives. I view sex as something more than just putting a penis in a vagina or vagina on a vagina or a penis in... you know what I mean. I believe it takes time to fall in love and once two people take that time, when they do decide to have sex, it will be a lot more enjoyable and passionate because you have taken the time to really get to know your significant other and build a stable sense of trust so just feeling safe with that person should make it all the more enjoyable.
       In today's day and age, I feel like a lot of people, more so those in their teen years and early 20's, have taken the idea of what love truly is and twisted it to where love equals sex. Around school, I know quite a few girls that sleep around with a guy a few weeks after they've just started dating and say " I love you " not long after that. I also recall once at lunch, a few guys were talking to each other about the one guy's girlfriend and the conversation went as followed: Boy 1: So did you fuck her yet?
Boy 2; Nah man. Boy 1: Haha wow man I thought you loved her!
       I'm going to stop right here. Notice how he said " I thought you loved her! " So as it looks, boy one thinks that to be in love means to have sex right away. That's just not the case! In this generation, I feel like people are just so willing to give themselves away and throw the words " I love you " like a boomerang that will eventually come back and hit them in the face and throw them right back into that vicious cycle of misconception once again. Basically, what I am trying to say is, kids these days think that if you don't have sex, you're not in love when in fact it's the total opposite! You're waiting to actually know the person you're with! Good for you kind citizen!
 

BACON SOAP AND JAZZ HANDS!

       In this day and age, beauty products are are the big thing. From fancy shampoos that make your hair smell like watermelon to eyeliners that make your eyes resemble that of the wing of a majestic bird. Beauty products are inevitable in our everyday lives and whether we say it outright or not, we love our beauty enhancers, but did you ever stop to think about what would happen if you waltzed on into your favorite establishment to get some more of that anti-aging cream you love so much, when you see that all the shelves that use to contain sed product are gone and the store clerk sadly informs you that all beauty products have now been banned. What ever shall you do now? Let me provide a list of alternatives to some of your beauty product needs.
       Your body smells like hot cow pie, but there is no shampoo, body wash or conditioner. What do you do? Some people enjoy adding pieces of various fruits such as strawberries, oranges, lemons etc. to their water to  make it taste better and also adds a sweet scent to it as well. As a substitute for those shampoos, body washes and such, one could fill up a tub with water, throw some fruit slices in it, allow it to sit for a bit and sit in the tub and let the fruity aroma engulf your body and relive the stink.        You're face is covered in blemishes and you're getting ready for a hot date with your new Christian Mingle match, but all make up products are gone. What are you going to do to pretty up that ugly mug? For cover up, one can use peanut butter and add flower to it to lighten the color to their skin tone. It will both look great and be a convenient for dipping crackers on the go. If you're looking for lipstick, look no further than a box of crayons. Warm up a  crayon of any color of your choice just a bit to the point where it gets a bit melted, but not too hot and smear that bad boy all over your lips. Need that cool eyeliner wing? Use a fine point sharpie pen! It may burn if you get it in your eye, but you know what they say, beauty hurts!
       Although beauty products play a huge role in many of our lives, as these keen examples show, if one day for one reason or another these products become banned in society, there are plenty of clever and neat items, even some that you would maybe never even think of using can be used as alternatives to our beauty enhancers. If the non-beauty product apocalypse starts, we will emerge victorious.

Blog Assignment #1

G reat things come in small packages

A nd I'm sorry they fail to see this

B ut not every heart beats the same

I am their flesh and blood made by the

E lement of surprise and everyday they

L et me know I was a accident that stole their ability to

L ove, so there is none there for me, I will

A lways be labeled their little mistake.

Blog Post #2

         I remember it like it was yesterday. I was 12 years old in my second to last year of middle school and things just seemed to be continuously taking a turn for the worst. At the time, I was having trouble keeping my grades up because I was simply upset all the time for no reason. My parents really didn't take my constant depression seriously. They just yelled at me saying things like " You're going to end up in Washington High School with all the other failures" and " You'll never get into college, what the hell is wrong with you!?" On top of being put down at home, my school life was no better.
         There was a guy at school named Kai. I felt like things were finally looking up for me when he asked out... that was until a week later he made out with Bianca, the girl I had thought was my best friend. I thought that I was done with guys at that point, until I met Z. He was funny and smart and had a face to match, but as the old saying goes, looks can be deceiving. Z and I eventually started dating and things were going great until I found out he was also dating 3 other girls on top of me and when I went to break things off, he did things to me that scar me to this day and have caused me hate my own body. Between this and school, I didn't know what to think. I was clearly alive but not really living.
         The hardest part for me was that no one saw or knew what he did, because I was afraid to speak to anyone because I feared negative judgement. A few weeks had gone by and seeing him around school, caused the graphic memories to constant play back in my mind like a song on repeat. Day by day it had eaten me alive to the point where I found no joy in living. I thought that maybe if I told someone, I would feel better and the nightmare would deplete, so now I faced a choice, do I tell someone about what had happened or try to end things on my own? I came to the conclusion that I wished not to worry people with my own problems and with that, I then took a pair of scissors to my right on and ran it up and down my arm pressing as hard as I could as tears fell stinging every open wound I had made.