Monday, September 11, 2017-Reading Log #1- Topic Choice #2
An important conflict scene in The House of the Scorpion is when Matt, a clone that was allowed the opportunity to grow up as a normal boy, instead of having his brains destroyed once he was fully developed was given any power he possibly wanted, he acted very manipulative and abused his power. During this conflict, since he was El Patron's clone, which is someone who nobody went against, he was given all the power he wanted and lashed out on one of his tormentors by sending him to the table for babies and then ordering Maria, someone he was interested in, to kiss him. This is a conflict because it shows how he can let go of himself at any moment and proved everyone right that believed that since he was a clone he was an animal and couldn't control himself. This problem will affect Matt because the other kinds that live on the Alacran Estate, which is the land that belongs to El Patron, will continue to taunt him and people will continue to be frightened by him just because he's a clone. The character instantly regrets having abused his power, but at that point it was too late to back down. To try and fix this, Matt tries to talk to Maria, but she completely blocks him out and doesn't want to talk to him. During this, Matt had an internal battle, it was him against himself, he had to fight with his impulsive actions and what he knew what was right. In the end he used both, he order Maria to kiss him, but decided not to back out because it could have cause Maria to be hurt.. This conflict is personal because it will affect his friendship with Maria, and will further the bullying he already receives from the other kids. "El Patron was watching them with obvious glee, and Matt realized it might be dangerous to draw back now" (110). Furthermore, Matt did not care if Maria thought of him as evil, but more about her safety, however this caused conflict because no one else knew that and people just that he was malicious. "I demand a birthday kiss" (109). In this, Matt is angered because Maria wanted to take back a gift she had given to him, this caused him to act impulsively and order Maria to give him a kiss, humiliating her in front of her father by doing so.
An important conflict scene in The House of the Scorpion is when Matt, a clone that was allowed the opportunity to grow up as a normal boy, instead of having his brains destroyed once he was fully developed was given any power he possibly wanted, he acted very manipulative and abused his power. During this conflict, since he was El Patron's clone, which is someone who nobody went against, he was given all the power he wanted and lashed out on one of his tormentors by sending him to the table for babies and then ordering Maria, someone he was interested in, to kiss him. This is a conflict because it shows how he can let go of himself at any moment and proved everyone right that believed that since he was a clone he was an animal and couldn't control himself. This problem will affect Matt because the other kinds that live on the Alacran Estate, which is the land that belongs to El Patron, will continue to taunt him and people will continue to be frightened by him just because he's a clone. The character instantly regrets having abused his power, but at that point it was too late to back down. To try and fix this, Matt tries to talk to Maria, but she completely blocks him out and doesn't want to talk to him. During this, Matt had an internal battle, it was him against himself, he had to fight with his impulsive actions and what he knew what was right. In the end he used both, he order Maria to kiss him, but decided not to back out because it could have cause Maria to be hurt.. This conflict is personal because it will affect his friendship with Maria, and will further the bullying he already receives from the other kids. "El Patron was watching them with obvious glee, and Matt realized it might be dangerous to draw back now" (110). Furthermore, Matt did not care if Maria thought of him as evil, but more about her safety, however this caused conflict because no one else knew that and people just that he was malicious. "I demand a birthday kiss" (109). In this, Matt is angered because Maria wanted to take back a gift she had given to him, this caused him to act impulsively and order Maria to give him a kiss, humiliating her in front of her father by doing so.
Monday, September 25, 2017-Reading Log #2-Topic Choice #3
An important scene was when El Patron got a heart attack, this happened in the big house of the Alacran Estate during Steven and Emilia's wedding. This scene is important because clones were used as transplants, and at this moment El Patron needed a heart, and Matt had one. The sole reason why El Patron didn't destroy Matt's brain once he was harvested, that's what you call the creation of a clone, was so that Matt would grow up to have a healthy heart and once he needed it, he would just kill Matt and get his heart. This created conflict because there were many that had grown to love Matt, and Matt had figured out what El Patron was planning, Matt was going to escape. This created conflict, not only for Matt, but for El Patron. For one, Alacran Estate was full of security guards, all looking for Matt, so he had no idea how he would escape. Also, if Matt wasn't found or if he wasn't healthy enough, El Patron would die because Matt's heart was the only way he could survive. It shows the characteristics of El Patron because it shows how malicious he truly is and how selfish he is. " You...owe...me" (235). This shows that despite El Patron was about to kill Matt, he still thought Matt owed him something, he believed he did Matt a favor for not destroying his brains, but all he wanted was his heart.He made Matt grow up thinking he actually cared about him, in reality all he wanted was a heart, he didn't care how Matt would feel or how his loved ones would feel, he only cared about himself surviving. It helps grow the universal theme, power, because it shows how El Patron abused his power and used it for bad, not for good. " What should I do? What should I do? whispered Matt, hugging himself and rocking back and forth in the dark passageway" (215). Matt starts to panic, but after Maria goes to him he calms down and follows through with her plan. This scene takes place during the climax, it was the starting point for the rest of the book and reveals the true motives of the characters. Soon after this was when El Patron's end would finally come and Matt would finally be able to thrive and not be restrained because of El Patron, nor would he have to live in fear of being used for transplants.
An important scene was when El Patron got a heart attack, this happened in the big house of the Alacran Estate during Steven and Emilia's wedding. This scene is important because clones were used as transplants, and at this moment El Patron needed a heart, and Matt had one. The sole reason why El Patron didn't destroy Matt's brain once he was harvested, that's what you call the creation of a clone, was so that Matt would grow up to have a healthy heart and once he needed it, he would just kill Matt and get his heart. This created conflict because there were many that had grown to love Matt, and Matt had figured out what El Patron was planning, Matt was going to escape. This created conflict, not only for Matt, but for El Patron. For one, Alacran Estate was full of security guards, all looking for Matt, so he had no idea how he would escape. Also, if Matt wasn't found or if he wasn't healthy enough, El Patron would die because Matt's heart was the only way he could survive. It shows the characteristics of El Patron because it shows how malicious he truly is and how selfish he is. " You...owe...me" (235). This shows that despite El Patron was about to kill Matt, he still thought Matt owed him something, he believed he did Matt a favor for not destroying his brains, but all he wanted was his heart.He made Matt grow up thinking he actually cared about him, in reality all he wanted was a heart, he didn't care how Matt would feel or how his loved ones would feel, he only cared about himself surviving. It helps grow the universal theme, power, because it shows how El Patron abused his power and used it for bad, not for good. " What should I do? What should I do? whispered Matt, hugging himself and rocking back and forth in the dark passageway" (215). Matt starts to panic, but after Maria goes to him he calms down and follows through with her plan. This scene takes place during the climax, it was the starting point for the rest of the book and reveals the true motives of the characters. Soon after this was when El Patron's end would finally come and Matt would finally be able to thrive and not be restrained because of El Patron, nor would he have to live in fear of being used for transplants.
Thursday, October 19, 2017- Reading Log #3-Topic Choice #4
One of the literary devices that was shown in This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen is tone. When speaking about her mom, Remy, the main character of the book, talks about her mother in a tone that shows she admires her mother very much. " I could peer through them and still see my mother, but now she looked almost exotic, like a fortune-teller or a fairy, a maker of magic. Which was what she was, but I didn't know it then" (20).Sarah Dessen uses this tone by referring to Remy's mother as a maker of magic meaning that when she writes she writes incredibly. She then says "...but I didn't know it then." she now thinks of her mother as exotic and admires her for what she does and takes pride in what her mother does. The author uses this theme to set the relationship Remy has with her mother and what Remy's actual feelings of her mother are. Another literary device that is used in This Lullaby is imagery. "I was about six then, and I loved to stand there and brush my fingertips over the beads, watching them swish back and forth. They made the softest sound, like little bells" (20). Imagery is used in this book by showing how Remy's life had been when she is younger and how it is still now because of her mother being a writer and doing what she loves to do. She uses imagery to show the setting of Remy's home. This will also later set the scene for a conversation Remy has with herself in which she talks about her mother and how she views her (this is the scene I just mentioned).
One of the literary devices that was shown in This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen is tone. When speaking about her mom, Remy, the main character of the book, talks about her mother in a tone that shows she admires her mother very much. " I could peer through them and still see my mother, but now she looked almost exotic, like a fortune-teller or a fairy, a maker of magic. Which was what she was, but I didn't know it then" (20).Sarah Dessen uses this tone by referring to Remy's mother as a maker of magic meaning that when she writes she writes incredibly. She then says "...but I didn't know it then." she now thinks of her mother as exotic and admires her for what she does and takes pride in what her mother does. The author uses this theme to set the relationship Remy has with her mother and what Remy's actual feelings of her mother are. Another literary device that is used in This Lullaby is imagery. "I was about six then, and I loved to stand there and brush my fingertips over the beads, watching them swish back and forth. They made the softest sound, like little bells" (20). Imagery is used in this book by showing how Remy's life had been when she is younger and how it is still now because of her mother being a writer and doing what she loves to do. She uses imagery to show the setting of Remy's home. This will also later set the scene for a conversation Remy has with herself in which she talks about her mother and how she views her (this is the scene I just mentioned).
