Blog #6

This week in English class we have started the novel, Persepolis. Persepolis is written by Marjane Satrapi, an Iranian and French graphic novelist. This novel is one big comic book, filled with black and white pictures that help tell the story. This novel is about Satrapi's childhood in Iran, before and after the revolution. It takes place during the war between Iran and Iraq. The child in the novel is a very interesting child. She wants to become a prophet and attend demonstrations at the age of ten. Talk about a courageous young woman. I find this story very interesting because it about a revolution from a child's perspective. There are so many views and opinions that are from adults, but not many from children. I find that very odd, because children, the next generation, are the ones who will need to pick up the political messes made by adults. So our perspectives do matter. Persepolis is also very intriguing because it's about an area of the world that most Americans are not very fond of. Therefore the history of middle-east is very unrecognizable to many. I love reading this because before this story, I had no idea about the Iranian Revolution.

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. Paris, France: L' Association.2000

Blog #5

This week I have finished the famous novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, written by Julia Alverez.The story was very interesting, however it felt like I was reading more than one story. In this novel there are many characters. The characters who narrate the story are the four Mirabal sisters, Dede, Mate, Minerva, and Patria. Each has a different point of view on what is occuring in the story. For example during the movement Minerva is very involved and Dede is not at all. This caused two stories to form. One from Dede's perspective, not involved with the movement. And Minerva's perspective, a radical, deeply involved in the movement. This created a thruough but confusing story. What I found most interesting about this story was that it was based on a true story. When I read some of the details about the girls lives or about the shocking things that occured. I couldn't believe it. I was so appauled by some of the things that were occuring that it kept me reading. As terrible as it sounds, it's the truth. To anyone questioning to read this novel I highly reccommened it to history buffs.

Alvarez, Julia.In the Time of the Butterflies.1994, New York. Penguin Group.

Outside Reading #4

Don't worry Twilight fans, Edward will still be able to be seen on the big screen by November! Rumor has been flying around, especially EHS, that author of the Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer is being sued. Meyer was supposively being sued for stealing the idea of Twilight from a college roomate. Rumor also said that the production of New Moon the film was halted, meaning they would delay the release date or not even release it at all. This left thousands of teenage girls in terror. As i researched online and read through tabloids I concluded that the rumor was fiction. This was a sign of relief to myself as well to the thousands of other teenage girls who want to have their neck bit by Edward Cullen. Apparently there are many different stories to how this false information was released out into the public. One story said that it was a desperate tabloid writer. Other's say it was writers who were jealous of Meyer's fame.

New Moon. New York: Little Brown and Company,2006>

Outside Reading #3

This week I have began to read In the Time of the Butterflies written by Julia Alvarez. Julia Alvarez is a Dominican-American poet and novelist. Alvarez was born in New York City in 1950. However, she spent the first ten years of her life in the Dominican Republic. Alvarez's family was obligated to move back to the United States after her father was involved in a political rebellion. Her father was apart of a group who had attempted to overthrow the military dictator, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo. In 1960 the Alvarezs moved back to the United States. When Julia Alvarez moved to the U.S. she experienced alienation, homesickness, and prejudice. Alvarez overcame her struggles. Today she is considered on of the most successful Latina writers. Alvarez has written famous novels such as How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents, In the Time of the Butterflies, ¡Yo!, and In the Name of Salome. Alvarez's novels are very intriguing. They are full of history, and Alvarez's personal experiences. She writes with Dominican and American contributes. Julia Alvarez has proven that hard good pays off.

Alvarez, Julia.In the Time of the Butterflies.1994, New York. Penguin Group.