121 Express is a fiction reflecting Monique Polak’s fascination with the mischief that evolved around the fictional students on the 121 express. In the beginning of the book the reader meets Lucas Samson, the new kid that will be attending Lorne Crest School. In his past, he considered himself a ‘nerd,’ but now he wants to fit in with the ‘cool kids.’ Unlike some kids, he cares about what others think of him. He’ll do anything to not be a ‘nerd; or ‘loser,’ whatever it takes. His character is dynamic, he displays his liberating take on situations and also a can be quite the culprit. Especially with the influence of his ‘friends’ being around. Pierre, Jake and Georgie are all troublemakers. They persuade Lucas to do wild acts in order to prove just how far he is willing to go to gain their approval. Even to the extent of …show more content…
Here is an example of his own thoughts; “I decided not to feel guilty. I might have tossed the yogurt at the guy’s car, but in a way, I told myself, we’d all done it. Every single one of us” (Polak 40). Self-reflective thoughts occur, this example defines the moral of his act. Polak includes moments like this to remind us of the internal conflict that transpires. Lucas has to decide for himself, Is it better to have ‘jerk friends than no friends? Polak takes the readers on a ride, the 121 express; where everything happens. From compassion to the utmost frantic events, Polak offers a unique yet authentic perspective on these compelling topics that occur.
Personal viewpoint/Opinion(s):
Reading the 121 Express was a short-read fictional drama. Like many of Monique Polak’s works, school is a popular setting. Which is partially why I chose it. Despite
In the passage, Martin, the author, Nick C. Vaca, writes about the time him and his friends had a confrontation with the new neighborhood boy, Martin. Through describing what happened before, during, and after the engagement he provides insight on what he learned from this experience. This experience left Vaca with a long-lasting impact and taught him how you shouldn't make assumptions about someone before you know them.
Mistakes can seriously impact the people who make them; however, the effects are not always negative. In the book, Whirligig, by Paul Fleischman, a teenage boy named Brent is the new kid in town and he faces some major problems with his peers. After being pushed around, treated like a pawn, and utterly rejected, Brent tries to commit suicide by taking his hands off the wheel of his moving car. Although Brent’s attempt is not successful, his actions still have a tragic ending- Lea, a young, kind, beautiful girl, is unlucky enough to be in the car that Brent crashes into. The car accident results in Lea’s death, but also the start of Brent’s magical journey of redemption. Brent’s task is to travel to the four corners of the country, build and display whirligigs, and keep Lea’s spirit alive. Though Brent may not realize it, the trip does influence him in many different ways, one major change being Brent’s newfound ability to create strong relationships with a variety of people that he meets during the course of his adventure. Throughout Brent’s journey, Paul Fleischman uses the people that Brent interacts with to portray the idea that friendships can be formed regardless of personality type, race, and age.
Even though the story might seem ordinary at times, it allows you to look at the big picture, which is the most important aspect. The main character-Brent- displays characteristics that a lot of high school students can relate to; whether male or female. In his cross-country adventure through the U.S., exciting and unexpected moments never cease to amuse you. All kinds of people contribute to Brent’s change of attitude; one comment or story or facial expression at a time. And possibly the best part of it all is that you get all of this educational, amusing literature in only 133 pages.
Sipiora states that, "Characters often perceive (or fail to perceive) the context and implications of the circumstances and relationships they are in. Some characters act in good faith, whereas others do not. As we examine literary personae, it is especially important to judge them in terms of how they react to others" (77)
...ing them how they should behave, and what they should feel. A sense of self is bigger than what one person or group of people can tell you; it is found from within. Salinger, Plath, and Heller capture ambiguity on a personal level; their characters must look within themselves and beyond the ambiguity to discover who they are. They could easily accept what society tells them, but they would be embarking on a journey of misery. They must be strong enough to resist what others tell them about war, themselves, and everyone else. The experiences are truly unique, even if they are painful. They reveal the journey of self.
Often, when a story is told, it follows the events of the protagonist. It is told in a way that justifies the reasons and emotions behind the protagonist actions and reactions. While listening to the story being cited, one tends to forget about the other side of the story, about the antagonist motivations, about all the reasons that justify the antagonist actions.
In I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak, the main character Ed is a nineteen-year-old cab driver in Australia who has never amounted to anything. One day, while with his three best friends, an event occurs that forever changes his life. While in a bank, they are held up at gunpoint. Ed ends up stopping the criminal and saving the day. Days later, as the bank robber’s trial is ending, he tells Ed that he is “a dead man… [And to] [r]emember it every day when [he] look[s] in the mirror” (Zusak 38). This overlooked statement by the reader comes back in the end of the novel to reveal an important message that “everyone can live beyond what they’re capable of” (535). Before attending the trial though, Ed begins to receive playing cards with addresses, names, times, and movie titles on them that require him to complete tasks, which challenge him in more ways than he could ever imagine. In the short story “Good People” by David Foster Wallace, the two characters, Lane and Sheri, are faced with a situation that changes their lives as well; Sheri is pregnant with Lane’s baby. Even though Lane’s and Sheri’s situation is a little different than that of Ed’s, they relate greatly as all the characters are forced to make decisions that can alter the rest of their lives. In the novel, morality is used to accomplish self-discovery and growth of Ed’s personality by pushing his boundaries, and in the short story “Good People” by David Foster Wallace, morality is used to accomplish growth and the realization of consequences of one’s actions by placing the young couple in a faith questioning situation no adolescent wants to face.
In the novel “The Chosen” by Chaim Potok, the story talks about a strong relationship between two friends. In the novel Potok also shows that the change in motives was what the main characters used to build up and make new connections. Reuven Malter, also known as a protagonist in the story, experiences many motives that led to changes, and how it affected him as the novel comes to an end. Making friends and communicating was a huge deal for Reuven and Danny. Each of them had to learn how to do those things to see how it would impact their future. The author shows a motive for each of the characters, and that the quote Ben Jonson said “True happiness consists not in multitude of friends, but in the worth and choice”, can be consider as the theme for the book.
People make their own person choices in everyday life. In William Carlos Williams “The Use of Force” and Hernando Tellez’s “Lather and Nothing Else”, the protagonists make their own decisions based on the conflict they are confronted with. Williams and Tellez place the protagonists in an occupation in which both protagonists are met with a new customer. In Williams’ story, the doctor approaches a patient and is concerned about the patient’s illness. He uses his professional manner to determine whether or not the child has a sore throat. Similarly, in Tellez’s story, the barber has a customer come in and is responsible for shaving Captain Torres’ beard. The beginning of both stories shows how both of the protagonists are responsible for performing their tasks to the best of their ability. Moving forward, both protagonists come across with a problem. When the doctor attempts an examination, the patient does not respond cooperatively. The attempt at an examination rapidly escalates into a physical battle because the physician is not able to perform his job. In the same way, when Torres takes a seat, the barber realizes, it is his nemesis. Torres ...
Whether a person’s life is something experienced authentically, or factually written down as literature, there are more complexities faced then there are simplicities on a daily basis. This multifariousness causes constant bewilderment and hesitation before any sort of important decision a person must make in his or her life. When it comes to characters of the written words, as soon sensations of ambiguity, uncertainty, and paranoia form, the outlook and actions of these characters are what usually result in regrettable decisions and added anxiety for both that character as well as the reader. Examples of these themes affecting characters in the world of fiction are found in the novel The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon, and the play Glengarry Glen Ross written by David Mamet. Throughout both of these texts, characters such as Oedipa Maas who allows these emotions to guide her in her journey of self discovery, and Shelly Levene who is so overcome with these emotions that they become his downfall. For both of these characters, these constant emotional themes are what guide their most impulsive actions, which can generally also become regrettable decisions. Even though it is a distinguishing factor of human beings, when these characters are portrayed in print, it somehow seems to affect the reader more, because they are able to see the fictional repercussions, and also know how they could have been avoided.
“The story employs a dramatic point of view that emphasizes the fragility of human relationships. It shows understanding and agreemen...
High schools are the bridge between adolescence and adulthood. Schools that neglect to educate students about the realities of the “real world” commit a crime against the student’s public education. Schools and parents must also realize that students attending high school, experience many of the events mentioned in the book The Perks of Being a Wallflower, including the thought of
Sylvia Barret, a new teacher is starting her first day in room 304. She finds out that teaching isn’t all that she thought it would be. Her first friend is Bea a veteran teacher who helps Sylvia out by explaining how Calvin Coolidge high works. The writer takes all the craziness of a normal high school and embellishes them; for instance the school guidance counselor is always using big words and thinks all the students need help. And Mr. Mchabe the administrative assistant who is nosy about everything. The Janitor who is never available.
In the short story, All Summer in a Day, Ray Bradbury teaches about how one’s emotions can cause them to make bad decisions that result in guilt and despair. It illuminates how people act on their feelings of envy, desire, anger, and greed. The only result of this is pain and suffering. The students in the story experience being the cause of another’s sadness. They have no intent on being the bad guys, but by the end, they regret their bad decisions. At first, they believe their hateful feelings will go away if they act on them, but instead, they feel worse. The students learn a lot about thoughtful decision making.
When I reflect back to the beginning of this semester I am astonished at how much I have learned. English 124 has been a real eye opener for me. Not only have I grown as a writer, but it has challenged me to become more of a critical thinker. In the class we have read many articles on diverse topics, studied theories of history’s greatest philosophers of education, and wrote various styles of papers.