Blog Post #7: Book 4 Review

Five Reasons Why Louis Zamperini is an Epic Hero

Everyone's seen the trailer for the upcoming movie Unbroken, but do they know the struggle that has been burned into Louie's past? Louie was cast to sea when his plane crashed, but he fought through abusive commanders, harsh winter conditions, bitter punishments, and the unforgettable sight of watching a friend die in the hands of someone that you can't do anything to. However, he is a hero, an epic hero, one that someone doesn't just forget about.

1) He survived a plane crash~ When Louie was in the war as an airman, he was shot down in his plane. He was in the Pacific Ocean drifting on a raft from Hawaii to Japan, where he was taken harshly into a concentration camp for American P.O.W.s. An epic hero is defined as someone who participates in a cyclical quest, and being taken prisoner in Japan after forty two weeks without food is a pretty amazing journey.

2) He survived both Ofuna and Omori~ Ofuna and Omori are extremely strict concentration camps where a man, nicknamed The Bird, tortures and harasses inmates, and that supposedly "filled his sexual desires". Louie was one of his main targets because Louie was successful, like Bird wanted to be. Ofuna and Omori were camps known to kill in large masses, and Louie was one of thousands to survive, and that is important to the overcoming of obstacles.

3) He changed when he came home~ Another characteristic of an epic hero is being significantly changed or transformed when returned. Louie came home to see his mother and father and two sisters, and they thought it would be a good idea to play him the forced telegram the Japanese made him send home. The plan backfired when Louie heard it: he burst into a fit of hysterical screaming, ear-shattering screaming, enough to make you know the horrors he's been through. It shows how different you can be when you hear someone say, "I love you, Mom. I'm safe in Japan and they're treating me great."

4) There was someone who helps him along the way~ Louie was a part of the Superman crew in the air force, where he was a bombardier, but his pilot, Phil, was a fighter and survivor as well. The Omori guards even decided that Phil wouldn't be killed, otherwise Louie would refuse cooperation with them furthermore. Phil was another firm believer that they would survive the plane wreck, after all, he was on the plane with Louie when they crashed.

5) Courage~ It's as simple as the word. Louie was a courageous man. He pushed his captors so far as to making them threaten to shoot him if he dropped a heavy wooden plank on his starved body. They gave up when he wouldn't drop it, clocking him at 37 minutes. If that's not enough, as he was beaten, he begged the guards to hit him harder to prove he wouldn't fall at the commander's feet, which could have gotten him killed. Louie was a symbol of hope for all who were still alive in these camps, pushing them to save themselves when they needed it most.

So, sure there were times when Louie wasn't exactly a hero, like the thefts as a young teenager, but past behind him, he was a very respectful person. He will go down in history, not only as the great Olympian he was, but the strong idol, the amazing hero he was. Louie Zamperini is a hero beyond definition. Beyond words, his heart shows what heroes truly are.

Blog Post #10: Reading Wishlist

1) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. This book is about a girl who has committed suicide, but has left behind an archive of tapes to specifically blame 13 people for her suicide. I think I'd like this book because I think it's interesting that she decided to call people out on her own suicide, and it's just different from other books, because you know the narrator is dead.

2) Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien would be a good book because it is a fantasy book, and I am very interested in that genre, and people tell me it would best compare to Harry Potter, which I obsess over.

3) Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell would be a good read for me because I can relate. The main character is a girl who is obsessed with one person and spends a lot of time on the computer in solitary, and that's kind of what I do a lot.

4) It's Kind Of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini. I've heard a lot of good and bad opinions of this book, which contradict each other, and I just wan to see what I'd think pf the book. Plus, I really like comedic stories.

5) Looking for Alaska by John Green because Green is a talented writer in my eyes, if not everyone's eyes, and I've read almost every other book written by him, so why not read this one?

6) Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle would be a good read, because I watch the BBC's 'Sherlock', and I enjoy the show very much. I'd like to be able to compare the show to a book. I also really enjoy mysteries.

7) Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell because I've never seen the movie and it was recently ranked best movie of all time, so I want to start to read and see what is recognized as some of the best literature and art.

8) A Time to Kill by John Grisham because I've seen the movie, and it makes me really think about how far we have come in less than 100 years and fighting for equal rights, yet we still aren't all equal. The books that can spark thought into my mind are the ones that deserve to be acknowledged forever.

9) Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare because everyone talks about it, and I like fantasy/Dystopian novels, so this one would appertain to what I like.

10) The Help by Kathryn Stockett because, as mentioned in A Time to Kill, I enjoy books that make me think, and the fact that two black maids and one white girl can change a racist town forever by just writing a book.

Blog Post #9: Book 2 Trailer

Blog Post: Good Reads

Jill's books

If I Stay

by Gayle Forman

I love this book, especially how the author uses flashbacks to trigger certain feelings in the novel. If you like romance, tragedy, and even a touch of humor, you will love this book.

The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game

by Michael Lewis

It's Kind of a Funny Story

by Ned Vizzini

Pretty Little Liars

by Sara Shepard

13 Little Blue Envelopes

by Maureen Johnson

Blog Post #8: Book Talk

   

Blog Post #6: 5 Reasons...

Five Reasons Why Jackie Robinson Was An Extraordinary Hero.

Jackie Robinson is an inspirational leader to people all over the world, as well as a genuine civil rights activist. He was well-respected, I mean, if you were the first black man to play in a professional baseball league, you'd be respected too. He played in the major leagues as a Brooklyn Dodger to start, but was traded to many different teams. He shoed many white, racist baseball players that race doesn't impact the ability of a person, but discriminating on a race defines the player themselves.

Jackie had such a movement among blacks, whites, and even children at the time. He had always cared a lot about the progress of blacks in baseball, and overall general welfare. He played the sport as if racism wasn't raging across the country and that he isn't treated like he was nothing. He played like he didm't care, hitting 40 home runs in the course of three years, and stealing 22 bases in that time as well. For major leaguers, this was almost as good as you can get, respectable especially with the stress of feeling like you have to win for future generations. So what makes Jackie so special versus other professional players today?

Here are five reasons to show that Robinson used his skills to become a legendary icon to many generations:

1.) He didn't argue~ Jackie had many misfortunes within the sport and one of which was white players nationwide believed it okay to harass Jackie, but as he stated, "They could have blown the whole bit to hell by acting belligerently and touching off of a race riot. That would have been all the bigots needed to set back the cause of progress of black men in sports another hundred years." (Robinson, 23*) This really shows that he is willing to take the pain of harassment over setting back blacks.

2.) He kept playing~ In a scene of the book, Jackie is hit in the head purposefully by another player acting unprofessionally. Jackie was down for a few moments, and he could have easily called it, thrown in the towel and quit, but after a coach started arguing, he told him it was okay and jogged down to first base, not looking at the upset pitcher.

3.) He attempted to be friends with other white players~ Jackie was especially known for his cooperation with the white players. In one scene, Jackie is showering and nobody would get in the water at the same time as he, but Jackie still tried to mingle with them. Eventually, Jackie had a friend on the team, Pee Wee Reese who stated, "You can hate a man for many reasons. Color is not one of them." This sparked the cooperation of Jackie's teammates with him, and next, the cooperation of mostly all whites and blacks.

4.) He had the support of fellow teammates~ Jackie had many friends later on in his career, and he even had the help of his manager, stating, "I do not care if the guy is yellow or black, or if he has stripes like a fuckin' zebra. I'm the manager of this team, and I say he plays. What's more, I say he can make us all rich. And if any of you cannot use the money, I will see that you are all traded." Even though he may not have been appreciated in the right ways, he was still an icon.

5.) Jackie was devoted to his fans~ As he describes his experience, he also describes that while he heard hundreds of white and black children yelling and cheering for him and he told himself he had to win. He also played for the blacks in the stands who may have been mistreated and played so they could have a good time with out the vulgar speech of hating whites people 

So is Jackie a hero, or is he just the first black baseball player? Many disagree with each other, but, hero or not, he is one to be remembered for his great accomplishments.


*book pages are referenced to iBooks.

Blog Post #5: The Truth in Non-Fiction

If a book is considered non-fiction, it would need to be 100% factual or true. When I read all the amazing adventures and endurance of an author, or maybe it's there amazing story, I want to know that the story is all true, and if I find out that some of it is false, it's more of a let-down than an angering topic. I think half-truths are great as long as the story line is good, but in this case, we wouldn't use the term non-fiction, we would say realistic fiction or something of the sort. However, I think that there needs to be a clear, distinct line between genres mostly because people need to know: 1) what they're reading
2) if they're going to enjoy it and
3) if it pertains to personal preferences.

 

Using different genre labels makes it so much easier to see if the book itself will be an interesting book to you personally and if you will even like it. If you hate thriller, sand a book incorporates thriller into their book but it also has mystery and that's what you like, then there needs to be a clear distinction of whether or not it's thriller or not, making you more or less likely to read it. If there isn't that fine line, Then the two genres will be mixed masking a book's true identity. 

That is my take on book genres and the truth in non-fiction, by saying that non-fiction needs to truly be non-fiction, not an exaggerated version of the author's or someone else's life, and genre needs a fine line of distinction.