Blog Reflection

Blog Reflection

Lucas Peterka 804

Throughout the year, I learned I’m not very good at upholding a blog and in extension, a reading life. At first, my blog posts were not really that advanced. The thesis was childish and unsophisticated, my vocabulary and tone was juvenile, and overall, they were just plain bad. But, I did progress and learn how to write more sophisticated pieces and my blog started to improve. The constant, weekly, focus on the books I read honed my abilities to identify certain author’s craft, literary devices, and underlying themes or allegories. The experiences with my blog will truly strengthen my high school life. Alas, my improvement was short lived, and my posts became sporadic. I feel extremely guilty about letting those fall behind. One reason I feel this happened is the difference between online and your own notebook. Typing on the computer forces you to elaborate further then what would be necessary in a notebook. Deeper thoughts and opinions are required from you, and sometimes it’s exhausting. It’s also quite embarrassing to include private thoughts in your posts because their being published online. Although the entire world won’t see it, everyone with internet access has the ability to find what you wrote. It feels very limiting in what you can say because you also have your peers staring down and reading your work, so you create an online persona very different from your own. The tone is different from how you truly talk and your behavior can vary drastically between your online work and offline work. It might push some users into saying hurtful things that would never be said offline. I also believe the vastness of the Internet may trick some students into believing that their work isn’t graded or checked, leaving them with a low grade and some confused thoughts. I don’t see myself keeping up this blog, or starting any other because the pressure and scrutiny is too intense. I’m pretty sure I would bend, just like I have this year.

"Sabriel" Trilogy Response

“Sabriel” Trilogy Response

By Lucas Peterka 804

Throughout the “Sabriel” Trilogy, we see three different Abhorsens in the span of “Sabriel”, “Lirael”, and “Abhorsen”. Abhorsens are an ancient family whose bloodline traces back to the creation of order. The Abhorsens have a very specific role to play in the ecosystem of the Old Kingdom. One member of the family is tasked to find servants of Death and destroy them, for good. Abhorsen and Death are mortal enemies and are polar opposites of each other. One experiences the Cycle of Death and the other a Cycle of Life. Garth Nix uses this point to drive home the fact that Abhorsen and Death are the exact opposite.

The Abhorsen’s Life Cycle starts off with the mature and current Abhorsen who uses the seven bells to fight off Death. The mature Abhorsen then mates and gives birth to a new child, passing down the Abhorsen blood. When the child has become ready to train, a brand new set of bells appear for the new apprentice. The mature Abhorsen then starts to train their heir/heiress in the Abhorsen ways. After the new Abhorsen has been sufficiently trained, the mature Abhorsen dies. Their offspring then become the mature Abhorsen and start the cycle anew. This cycle is important because it appears in many species in LIFE. It is seen everywhere in life and Garth Nix uses this to drive home the point that the Abhorsen is life.

The “Cycle of Death” that the dead monsters experience is the mirror image of the Cycle of Life. Unlike before in the Abhorsen life cycle when the older one got, the more mature they got, the longer a creature spends in Death the more it erodes its mind. Eventually, they become savage beasts who only seek to crawl their way back to Life and snuff out as much of it as possible. Death slowly makes its species more primitive, unlike the maturing process in Life. As humans in the Cycle of Life start off as primitive, one-thought creature and evolve into humans able to think in more complex ways, humans in the Cycle of Death start as complex thinking creatures to primitive, single-goal, monstrosities with a lust for the blood of Life.

As seen above, the Abhorsen’s Cycle of Life is the mirror image of Death’s Cycle of Death. The author does this on purpose to establish the Abhorsens as Death’s mortal enemy and polar opposite in every way, shape, and form. With it, we can see Abhorsen is Life and Death is...well, Death.  

"How Do Genetically Modified Foods Affect Your Health?" Critical Analysis

“How Do Genetically Modified Foods Your Health?”

Critical Analysis

By Lucas Peterka 804

In “How Do Genetically Modified Foods Affect Your Health?”, by Rachel Mount, Mount wants to inform readers about the impacts GMO’s may have on your health and how so little research has been done on the topic. One example gives of health impacts is when she states, “As genes are transferred between plants, allergenic proteins will pop up in unexpected places.  Mount also gives an example of an experiment done to gauge the damage GMO’s inflict. In this study, multiple generations of hamsters were fed GMO’s. By the third generation, they were losing the ability to produce offspring. MOunt also states that “studies link GM foods to altered metabolism, inflammation, kidney and liver malfunction, and reduced fertility.

Mount’s purpose with this text is to make her readers cautious about GMO’s. One technique she uses to express this is foreshadowing. She tells of studies that predict changes in bodily functions that have only been tested on animals. She never once said that humans would experience those same side effects, but she’s hinting that it will. Mount also makes the FDA and companies that develop GMO’s seem secretive and untrustworthy. She hints that these groups don’t care about your health when she says “Because GM foods are not required to be labeled as such, it’s impossible for consumers to tell them apart from regular foods.” Writing this after she mentions multiple health concerns is meant inspire distrust towards groups in support of GMO’s in her readers.

Rachel Mount did have some compelling evidence that persuaded me to support the labeling of the GMO’s, but she did not offer enough evidence to make GMO’s unsafe to me.

"Seeker" Blog Post

Seeker Blog Post

By Lucas Peterka 804

In the book “Seeker”, by Arwen Elys Dayton, the three Dreads are metaphors for the three main characters, Quinn, Shinobu, and John. In Dayton’s fantasy novel, we find characters tricked into doing terrible things by elder members of an elite agency called ‘Seekers’. Because of the horrible events that occur, we find our main characters running away from the location where it all occurred. However, mirror images of those characters exist in that very same place.

The first Dread, or the ‘Old Dread’, is most similar to Shinobu. They share many of the same personality traits. Both are both calm and calculating, but can be aggressive when needed. Both are always entwined with “each” Quinn. They also hate and despise their respective John, but must hide these feelings until their own Quinns acknowledge his flaws. Both Shinobu and the Old Dread also share some physical ailments. Both are weak, although for different reasons, throughout the bulk of the plot.

The second Dread, or ‘Young Dread’, is most like Quinn. They’re personalities are very similar. Both are very skilled fighters and can perform well in physical situations. They are both very cold and can maintain intense focus. They are also both very naive at the beginning of the book, both believing the Seekers’ actions just and fair. Both, by the end of the book, are hardened and more exposed to world ever than before. They are also both ready to do whatever it takes to take down their personal Johns.

The third Dread, or the ‘Middle Dread’, is the Dread version of John. Both are very driven to do what they believe to be right, even if it means working with the wrong people. Both are also oblivious to the fact that their missions are changing their selves, and for the worse. Both are also despised by their Shinobus and Quinns, yet they are oblivious to that fact. And most importantly, both are pursuing the same item in their quests for domination.

The similarities between the Dreads and main characters is uncanny, their too alike for it to be a coincident. The two mirror images shows us what would have happened if Quinn, Shinobu, and John had stayed behind to become Seekers. Although the characters are extremely similar, the two storylines are not.       

"Gone" Book Respone REVISED

“Gone” Book Response REVISED

By Lucas Peterka

Michael Grant’s “Gone” is a loss of innocence story set around a character, Sam Temple, who has had the harshness of the world revealed to him in an apocalyptic situation. Sam is a teenage boy faced with the responsibility of leading his peers against known and unknown enemies. Grant focuses on the courage and maturity that can be found in any child; the courage and maturity that usually goes unnoticed by the rest of society. In the traumatic plot Grant has put before his teenage characters, we find their actions, thoughts, and feelings becoming more and more adult as the plot develops. Grant not only wants us to see the plot growing more complex and mature, but also see the children maturing along with it.

           In the beginning of the book, we see Sam’s courage start to develop. After the adults disappear, a fire starts in a building in the town square. Sam, seeing the danger it poses, takes charge of his peers. Many of the older kids get to the abandoned fire station to retrieve hoses while Sam himself dives into the burning building to save a trapped child. With this small, little scene, we can see Grant introducing courage, determination, and leadership in these kids that will develop throughout the story. Sam taking charge shows us that inborn leadership that needed only the right situation to spark its development. The kids running to the station to retrieve the hoses for the building shows us the determination in those kids to save their town. But most importantly was Sam’s courage, jumping into that burning building to save a girl he didn’t know. Here, we see the plot already maturing, and along with it, our teenage characters.

           We even find this courage and leadership in other characters. Caine, for example, even as the book’s “bad guy” has shown incredible abilities to lead and manipulate with his words. When Caine and his followers came down from Coates Academy, a school for “troubled kids”, to Perdido Beach, Sam and his peer’s town. Soon after Caine enters town, he gathers the entire town, and with one speech, practically takes over. Grant uses Caine and this scene to express a differen way to use the new maturing skills of leadership. Because Sam uses his leadership skills to lead fairly, he shows us Caine leading with the wit of his tongue. Grant shows us how maturing can lead to darker paths. With this scene, Grant shows us that with these attributes, the children can be both honorable and manipulative.

           With this book, Grant hoped to make us that certain traits are found in all ages and sizes. And just like in adults, they can be used for, simply put, good and evil. Because maturity, courage, leadership, and determination are in everybody, even the “bad ones”. These traits give people power and how they use it is up to them. But in “Gone” people not only use this power however they want, it’s the kids who are using it. And to Michael Grant it is important that everybody realizes that everyone has an equal chance to become dangerous or protective, truthful or manipulative, good or bad. In Michael Grant’s “Gone” he shows us that maturity can mean very different things and can be used in very different ways.

http://booknasticsinc.blogspot.com/2014/10/gone-book-pesponse.html

"Should Laws Push for Organ Donation?" Critical Analysis

“Should Laws Push for Organ Donation?”

Critical Analysis

By Lucas Peterka 804

This article focuses on the pros and cons of laws that push for organ donation, but offers all perspectives from all different authors. One author, Arthur Caplan, is in support of “presumed consent”, meaning all adults are assumed donors, unless they opt out. The reason for this is the increase in organs that would occur with presumed consent, which are desperately needed by thousands of people across America. Mary Ann Baily, however, says that presumed consent is unnecessary because it would take away the family’s right to chooses whether or not the donor’s organs can be taken after they have passed away. Kieran Healy also agrees that overriding the family’s right to choose is unethical. Spain is often used as a successful example, “But in Spain the next-of-kin still has veto power.” according to Kieran Healy.

The author who gathered all of these perspectives, wanted their reader to feel educated enough to develop their own opinion on the issue. We can see this is the mission with the variety of opinions that are offered. The opinions range from radically in support to radically against presumed consent. Each author providing different facts that would give any reader enough information to think about the issue with their own thoughts, without an enormous amount of opinion influencing their decisions about the topic. Another thing the author does is include subheadings before every author’s written part to inform the readers about what they will be talking about. Some offer blatant opinions like “This Is a Very Bad Idea” and “The Ethical Good of the ‘Yes’ Option”. Others are almost incredibly interesting hooks like “Why Revive Old Fears?” and “Setting Up Safeguards”. The reason the author does this is to not only interest us, but to also inform us of the topics and facts that will be discussed in the section.

Although this article contained a lot of opinion, it contained a lot of DIFFERENT opinions that offered a lot of different facts. This strategy allowed me, and other readers, to develop our own opinions based on the variety of facts offered.