“When we got the letter in the post, my mother was ecstatic.”(Cass 1). This the first line of the book that I read called The Selection by Kiera Cass, which is the perfect way to start this dramatic story of America Singer. America Singer lives in a world built with castes, in which she and her family are fives out of eight castes. She gets a letter to enter The Selection, a competition for Prince Maxon’s heart. America’s name gets pulled and the next thing she knows, she is in the palace with 34 other girls. She goes on an emotional journey trying to decide if she wants to stay or go back home. I can easily evaluate that America has a lot of different thoughts running through her head right now. I found myself asking many questions such as …show more content…
why does Maxon want to keep America around. I also found myself predicting how the story will end and why it will happen a certain way. The main character America has two different sides to her. One side of America is that she is extremely caring and kind towards others. The reader’s know this due to her amicable actions at the airport on the way to the palace. America signed every autograph she was asked for. She also would talk to people willing and had a genuinely good time. America ended up being the last one down the carpet, due to her taking her time with the people. The readers also know that America is kind and caring towards others considering she worries and cares about how she treats her maids. America always lets her maids go to bed early, and undresses and gets ready for bed by herself. She also tries to help out and make the maids work easier. America is also very kind and caring, considering she is nice to everybody. The readers know this due to America being friendly to everybody when she gets to the palace. She doesn’t treat the girls like competition, but more like friends. The readers know this, because America said “ I think your hair’s very pretty”(Cass 92) to Sosie, another girl in the selection, when she was worried about her hair, and America wanted to reassure her. America is very kind to everyone; however she is angry and cold toward Maxon. The readers know this considering America didn’t want to enter the selection in the first place. America clearly states “But I don’t like it”(Cass 7) which clearly shows America is averse to the Selection. America only decides to sign up for the competition after Aspen, her boyfriend that she isn’t supposed to have, told her to sign up. America’s mom even bribed America to sign up. America also has no interest whatsoever in Prince Maxon. The readers know this due to everyone wooing over Maxon and America could care less. She also refers to Maxon as a ghost as a result of him also being taken into account of, but is never actually there. America also finds Maxon rigid and uptight when she sees him on TV. America still has feelings for Aspen when she enters the Selection, which caused her to be cold towards Maxon. The readers know this due to her keeping the jar that Aspen gave her with one penny that got stuck to the bottom. America also cries and has a panic attack when she looks at the jar, wondering if he still loves her. The main character, America, clearly has two different sides to her for these reasons. Why does Maxon want to keep America around?
I assume that Maxon wants to keep America around considering she is completely different from the other girls. The readers know this as a result of America not conforming to the expectations. America does not change herself according to the Prince, supposedly wants in a girl. She, instead, remains acting like herself and living her life for her not Prince Maxon. America also doesn’t treat her maids like any of the other girls. The readers know this considering America will just sit playing cards and relax with her maids like friends instead of her maids. America also takes her maids with her when a rebel attack occurred, which she is not allowed to do, but she did it anyways so they would be safe. The readers also know that America treats her maids different due to America asking Maxon “What will happen to my maids?”(Cass 153) which shows she cares about them like friends, and Maxon responds “Your maids?”(Cass 153) which shows that no one has ever showed worry over where their maids are in possible jeopardy. America also doesn’t indulge herself in the luxury of the palace. The readers know this due to America wearing only her small, simple bird necklace over the choice of expensive diamond necklaces. She also prefers simpler dresses compared to exquisite, detailed dress the other girls wear. I also think Maxon wants to keep America around due to her giving him a hard time unlike the other girls. The readers know that America gives Maxon a hard time by reason of her yelling at him in the garden when he tries to help her. America yells at Maxon when he calls her “dear” and glares at him. America also gives Maxon a hard time when they make a bet. Maxon and America make a bet that if May, America’s younger sister, cries when she eats one of the strawberry tarts America gets to wear pants, and if May doesn’t cry Maxon gets to take America on a walk for a date. During this time, America answers Maxon with sass and sarcasm.
America also gives Maxon sarcastic remarks whenever she gets the chance. She tells Maxon she is only there for the food until he kicks her out. America also refuses to have her maids sleep in her room or have a guard by her room when Maxon suggests. I am curious to why Maxon wants to keep America around for these reasons. I predict that Maxon and America will end up falling for each other. I believe this due to Maxon already seeming to like her. The readers can assume this due to him, offering her 24 access to the garden when she has her panic attack. This shows clear interest in her, and he obviously wants to make her comfortable and happy to be there. Maxon also trusts America with information that he would never tell the other girls. For example, Maxon tells her about the rebels and what they can do. There is a clear example of this when a guard comes up to Maxon during the photoshoot and Maxon stating “She’s fine.”(Cass 216) which shows he trusts her to hear important information. Maxon also enjoys embarrassing America when he can. The readers know this due to Maxon yelling at Gavril to make America tell the whole story of when she scolded him in the garden. This shows that he enjoys her company and that they already have a good relationship. I also believe this due to America not seeming to hate Maxon as much as she says she does. The readers know this due to America not seeming to upset with her losing the bet and having to go on a date with Maxon. She didn’t complain at all actually, instead she enjoyed her time. America also doesn’t experience any nostalgia while she is at the palace. This shows that she is enjoying her time at the palace, and doesn’t want to leave. The readers also know that America doesn’t hate Maxon has much as she says considering she tells Maxon that she truly thinks that there is a chance of there being an “us” between the two of them. This shows that America has feelings towards Maxon, and is willing to try to build up her feelings. I predict that America and Maxon will end up falling for each other for these reasons. The Selection is an amazing book that causes you to wonder, inference, and evaluate the situations within the book. Kiera Cass is such a fine writer in the way she is able to make you feel the suspense such as writing “He’s not. . . ,” Tiny whispered. “Yes, he is,” I whispered”(Cass 315), which clearly shows the suspension in the drama a The Selection. Her writing makes you not want to put the book down, between wondering how America is feeling or who Maxon will cut from The Selection. Kiera Cass is a very talented writer; therefore I can’t wait to read the rest of the series. This is one of my favorite books I have ever read. It is full of drama and is very intense at times. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series. This journal went a little better than I was expecting, but I know I will have a lot to improve on.
...us allows the reader to douse in this period of Harlem Renaissance from another point of view. Finding work and establishing themselves from “white America” and becoming entrepreneurs for black was not easy, they still had to work hard for very little. Once the reader has identified with the character, the character of Carrie begins to relate to the reader. Whether the reader is feeling one of Carrie’s many emotions or feeling the desperation of how hard it is to make a living. The theme is fully digested, and creates inspiration in the reader to begin their own quest towards striving for better opportunities.
In “Princess of Nebraska” the author exemplifies the disenchantment of America when she writes, “If only her baby were a visa that would admit her into this prosperity, Sasha thought, saddened by the memories of Inner Mongolia and Nebraska, the night skies of both places black with lonely stars”(79). Although America is unique in certain rights and freedoms, these freedoms just as anything else have limitations. Sasha feels unchanged by her new environment, still feeling unable to grow her sense of self or escape the problems she attempted to abandon in her old world. The prosperity of America does not keep Sasha from the loneliness and troubles that consume her life, thus making the “night skies” of America and China comparable. In “A Thousand Years of Good Prayers”, Mr. Shi has similar struggles coping with the anticlimactic realities of true America and his inability to provoke change within his relationship with his daughter. The narrator highlights the lack of communication and distance that still exists between them when stating, “He feels disappointed in his daughter, someone he shares a language with but with whom he can no longer share a dear moment”(194). Although Mr.Shi feels America should serve him the liberties to be a better
Atwood uses many emotional words and phrases to persuade her audience, and achieve her purpose. Atwood uses words and phrases that create emotions such as anger, but more importantly she creates a sense of reminiscing and missing the “good-ole-days” which is the emotion she uses to motivate her audience to take a stand and make a change for America. Atwood starts off her letter saying, “I’m no longer sure who you are… I thought I knew you” (Atwood). These statements make the readers sad as they come to the realization that America is changing since their childhood, which is what they consider, the good ole days. Atwood continues by listing some of her favorite memories from her childhood such as “the music [she] sang and danced to: the Andrew Sisters, Ella Fitzgerald, the Platters, Elvis” (Atwood). This makes America seem like it is “a ton of fun” (Atwood). The list of Atwood’s favorite music and other memories serves as pathos, because it makes people miss the way America used to be, and it also makes them mad about how America is now. The list causes the readers to realize how corrupt and different todays music, movies, books, and television shows are, which makes the reader sad about how much times are changing and this causes them to want to act so that today 's generation can know an America that is similar to the America that they have previously known. When describing America today Atwood describes her “embarrassment” (Atwood) for the country, she describes how the government is “gutting the Constitution” (Atwood) and “torching the American economy”(Atwood), she describes how the American people are “easily frightened”(Atwood) because of all of the new policies and changes in current day America. Americans are very prideful of their country so when Atwood describes feeling of embarrassment for America,
America was not everything the mothers had expected for their daughters. The mothers always wanted to give their daughters the feather to tell of their hardships, but they never could. They wanted to wait until the day that they could speak perfect American English. However, they never learned to speak their language, which prevented them from communicating with their daughters. All the mothers in The Joy Luck Club had so much hope for their daughters in America, but instead their lives ended up mirroring their mother’s life in China. All the relationships had many hardships because of miscommunication from their different cultures. As they grew older the children realized that their ...
Salwa, a successful banker and real estate agent, thought she wanted the American dream. It had been one of the reasons Jassim's fast and unexpected proposal years earlier in Jordan had seemed so attractive. He was in love with her and she was in love with the idea of the life he offered. She came to America as a new bride with stars and stripes in her eyes, where life was all that she'd dreamt it would be. Easing effort...
Mukherjee begins her essay with an exposition of her and her sister’s story. She uses repetition in order to emphasize the main differences between the two. For example, she states, “I am an American citizen and she is not. I am moved that thousands of residents are finally taking the oath of citizenship. She is not.” This line is used to set up her subject. She is stating that she is an immigrant whose dream was to envelop the American culture, while her sister does not believe that she should be assimilated into it. The use of repetition also appeals to her audience, Americans, by capturing their attention. Many Americans are nationalistic, if not jingoistic, and believe that America is the greatest country in the world. The notion that others do not feel this way may intrigue them, or potentially offend them, causing them to read on in attempt to find flaws within her argument.
Unfortunately, the life in America is not as cheerful as Antonia taught it would be as she experiences lots of hostility, hardship, and misfortune. However, throughout all the predicaments and obstacles, Antonia preserves her beliefs and never succumbs to the values of a new, American culture in an attempt to shape her life. Antonia is a very positive, generous, hardworking, and exceptionally independent character. These innate traits of her personality follow her through the “thick and thin” as she swears by them under all the circumstances. For example, besides the language barrier and cultural differences, Antonia suffers the death of her father who committed suicide as the result of disappointment that he had experienced in America. Instead of scorning the meaning of life, she did whatever it took to provide for her family, which was experiencing an immense economics hardship. Everything that she earned, she gave to her family as she valued them over herself. Eventually, due to her wit and charm, Antonia got a job in the town where she found her passion for dance and made friends. Unfortunately, her passion for dance was viewed as inappropriate and her boss insisted that she chooses between her friends and the job. Unwilling to follow the orders and disappoint her friends, Antonia
In the memoir The Distance Between Us, Reyna Grande, the author, tells of her experiences in the United States after her unconventional journey to get there. Whilst in the United States many things scare her, like her sketchy neighborhood, and other things fill her with anticipation, like her first day of school. Reyan was especially excited to see the ocean for the first time in America when going to the beach with her new family, including her long-lost father. Doing this was one of the many things that made her feel at home in America, but as time progresses there were things making her feel homesick. At school she was very put off about the way she was poorly treated, being a new Hispanic student. “I wished I didn't have to sit here in
Nancy Lee is very proud of who she is and where she comes from. Until the scholarship she received was taken away from her, she holds her head high as an African American and loves who she is and the country she lives in. Even after the scholarship is taken away from her she promises to make a difference in the world. As the pledge comes to an end and the words “one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” are spoken, Nancy Lee thinks to herself “That is the land we must make.” She keeps confide...
Each character in the novel has their own interpretation of the ‘American Dream – the pursuit of happiness’ as they all lack happiness due to the careless nature of American society during the Jazz Age. The American Dreams seems almost non-existent to those whom haven’t already achieved it.
Color of America Essay 1.) During the last few centuries many people have migrated to America. One of the main reasons for that is that they all hear about the American Dream and the Promise of America. The American Dream/Promise of America is pretty much a false idea. People from many different places hear that there is freedom and fairness here in this nation, and they hear that there is opportunity in America for everyone and that everyone had a word in things. This promise wasn’t really a promise though.
Price, Leah. "American Girl." New York Times Book Review. 12 Dec. 2010: 21. eLibrary. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
America singer in The Elite by Kiera Cass faces several challenges with herself and with the other girls in the competition. The main conflict in this book is internal although she does face external obstacles while competing against the other girls. The conflict is internal as America is constantly going back and forth over who she loves and what she is willing to sacrifice for it. She has confessed her love for Maxon, but she ‘needs more time’ so he gives her space and she goes and sneaks around with Aspen. Throughout the whole book she is fighting with herself, debating on who she wants to be with, the prince or her first love. As she is trying to choose who she loves more she is constantly distracted by the rebels who keep attacking the
...me Americans has been realized. Wong is multicultural and not Chinese. However, when she examines back to her childhood, she feels miserable. Her unhappiness is significant because this feeling shows us her present concept on her initial heritage. She can understand why her mother took them to the Chinese school at this issue. She could be an American and still having Chinese heritage. There are many All-Americans but she likes to be someone who is multicultural, and she had numerous possibilities to hold her Chinese culture. The reason for her unhappiness is that she missed these possibilities. She thought that maintaining more than one backgrounds is interesting. Through being an All-American Girl and departing her Chinese culture, she came to realise the importance of her original heritage and the factual significance of being multicultural.
on America as a whole, and uses the people and setting of the story as