Mentally and Spiritually Growing

             In the book "Into the Wild," by Jon Krakauer, the main character Chris, who's story is about a really person continues throughout the book to show what the real meaning of coming of age means to him and in general. Chris really makes coming of age understandable because you see it happening to him through many actually struggles that he gets through and also more common not so noticeable changes. As you follows his life in this book he grows from a very young man hating his wealthy brought up life to a man with a different idea of the world and the people he knows. Chris is very young man that through his very short life learns a lot and develops as a person in many ways.

             McCandless discovers his own ideas of life by going on a journey similar to a vision quest and before he dies has a major discovering and coming of age moment the whole book following along this journey finally reaches the peak of his understanding and then he dies. For example on pg. 134, "I want you to know you're a great man. I now walk into the wild." This sentence he wrote to a man he met along his adventures shows an earned bravery and strength in him. This is the last writing he sent out before ending his younger life/being trapped and babied by civilization. He now walks a free, grown man.

             The life of Chris McCandless is so unlike any others because you rarely ran across someone with so much wealth, brilliance, and opportunity that simply grows up into a life of spiritualistic thinking and want to leave everything he has behind.When doing this he encounters a lot of people and thoughts which are part of his process of growing. It shows this on pg.189, "Happiness is only real when shared." This is a quote found written by Chris while he was all alone coming up with his own ideas about life as his own went by. This quote is truly brilliant and shows a very smart thought about life which could only be thought of in time.

             In the end he dies though it is not necessarily sad or to show that life sucks. Quite frankly I think it shows the exact opposite that life is great and the struggles put in front of you are only to help you get a better understanding of your self and why things are the way they are. A lot of the problems of growing up he faces I understand really well because they are related to my life in a more subliminal way rather than directly related. This book and Chris' life really encourages me to experience life in different ways to really get the fullest out of growing up in my own way.

Developing and Making it Through

             Coming of age is something everyone has to deal with and the story "Into the Wild," by Jon Krakauer is a story that shows the choices and struggles of coming of age through a young man originally named Chris McCandless. This book powerfully shows growing up and experiencing completely new things because the character moves out to live on his own and have great new experience which are very noticeable in his life because there aren't distractions like civilization and people. Chris is a very interesting character and seems like he was an interesting person as he grew up and wrote very interesting quotes which he came up with over time alone. Coming of age can sometimes have terrible experiences and sometimes have amazing, great experiences but everyone goes through and experiences many common feelings along the way.
             McCandless' character implies coming of age has new and strange experiences which come up as life goes along. An example is on pg. 28, "But there was a way to avoid such aggravation: He could simply abandon the Datsun and resume his odyssey on foot. And that's what he decided to do." This is how Chris is coming of age and represents a type of experience that many people face. As time progresses you see that this decision he made was a good, growing-up decision he made which made his journey more of what he was looking for and by making this choice he developed luckily in a good way. Some choices may be forced upon you sort of like this one though there is a lot where it is simply up to you and you still can't really change what happens after the fact.
             Another coming of age event that happens to many people is as you feel and live through new things you develop new views on life and come of age more. Throughout the book in many different places Chris experiences something that changes his views of things. When he is there at his destination the lack of food and comfort give him visions like a vision quest which allows him to interpret life differently and how he wants to believe things. As time goes on peoples' visions and ideas become more solid and more of a change in the way you live. This is shown very strongly in the story because these examples of it happening are much more obvious and clear about what is going on.
             Coming of age has its ups and downs with everyone the main way to make it through the changes is to just try to enjoy what you have and what you pick up and learn as life goes on. I saw a lot of what Chris and people go through in my own life. I am also changing as I grow older and there are many changes that I like and also a bunch that I wish didn't have to happen. The main thing that I feel I have in common with a lot of people is that when things like this go on later on when you've accepted how your life is now it becomes okay. All of the changes people face are for the better in someway.

The Muffled Terror

             In the book, "Maus I: My Father Bleeds History," Art Spiegelman tells the story of all the horrible things his father and the rest of the Jews had to go through during the Holocaust. It is drawn with cartoon animals to make things less brutal because a few of the stories included are cruel and otherwise would feel a lot more gruesome to the reader. The way Spiegelman wrote the book was interesting because it is based on real events told by his father but he also makes the story a bit of a fiction book. Spiegelman uses a bunch of different ways to make the story more suitable for younger people and not as terrible.
             One technique Spiegelman uses to make the points of the Holocaust more soft is not using specific brutal words to describe things that happened. For example on pg.33, "and no one heard from him again." Here is when the narrating at the bottom is talking about a guy that the Nazis beat to death yet the author made the words a lot sweeter so that people could read the story without being completely hit with terrible facts. Another way the events his father told him about are less cruel is by making it a cartoon of animals. Even though you still know what is going on and see drawings of some of it, it makes it a lot less violent uses mice and cats instead of humans. It is amazing that Spiegelman was able to design the book this way so that it is enjoyable to learn about and also very fascinating by keeping the facts of the Holocaust straight.
             I am glad to be able to read this book as a kid to gain a lot of knowledge of this terrible historic event and not be to overwhelmed with hard writing or scary things happening. To start reading the book again is very great because a lot of things that are written in the book become a lot clearer and I get a better picture of how Spiegelman chose to write the stories. Hopefully things like this never happen again because they are terrible and ruin so many lives and families. Despite this kind of thing not currently going on things like dictatorship and bad power go on today and are quite a bit like the Holocaust. Maybe overtime people will show power up against this and it will not have to continue to ruin peoples' lives.

Books, Movies, and, Rock and Roll!

             In the article, "From Page to Screen: Hollywood Targets YA Fiction," talks about how the Hunger Games recently came out and was a big hit and how there has been a lot of movies within the past years that came from a book. Other great movies that came out that were based off a book and good or even great were Twilight and Harry Potter. Since movies like these were successes they are planning to and did make sequels with the final book split into two movies. People in this industry decided to make movies like this because it would hopefully make a lot more money and to attract mainly a teen audience to them.

             These movies weren't even big that far back and now they are normally a big hit that teens and many other people love to see. An example is, "It wasn't until the 1950s and '60s, when such stars as James Dean and Annette Funicello began being marketed to younger audiences." This is around when people started making movies more generalized to age and specifications were made. Awhile after this was when the "books to movies" movies started to rise into a roaring industry. If a movie was a big hit and the creators got a good profit then there would be question about a sequel based on a book they made. The Hunger Games was a very successful movie and now as it is written in the article they are planning on making sequels in the same way that Harry Potter and Twilight did.

            When I saw The Hunger Games I also thought it was very good though there may have been a lot of parts that were changed quite a bit and parts that were removed to shorten the movie. I like the idea of making books come out on the big screen because then a fan really gets to enjoy it visually and gets a much better picture. I hope as time goes on society finds even better ways to enhance our ways of enjoying entertainment.

The #@*king Annoying Bird

             In the poem, "A Minor Bird," Robert Frost use a continuous rhyme scheme and good writing devices to make the poem strong and beautiful. Frost makes such a small detail of his life into a descriptive analysis about the bird and his annoyance at it. The way the poem is written is very strong and makes you think, without him using strong words or talking about an overly fascinating topic. Frost uses a lot of literary devices in this poem to enhance the experience.

             Frost uses rhyme scheme throughout his poem a lot for rhythm and flow of the words. An example is, "I have wished a bird would fly away, / And not sing by my house all day." This is at the beginning of the poem when he introduces what is going on and his feelings against it. When reading those two lines it flows smoothly as you read instead of making you read it slow and methodically. There is a small amount of hyperbole because he says, "I could bear no more," when only a little bird is making noise throughout the day. This device enhances the writing because it makes the reader feel a little more interested with the over exaggerated feeling.

             This poem gave a strong impact on me because I can relate to it and see how it is related to the world. I definitely relate to it because I also get really pissed off at things that go on end for a long time and this makes me feel the annoyance he portrays in the character at the bird. It also can relate to the world as a whole because sometimes it is the little issues going on that can get people the most ticked off versus looking at everything as a whole and realizing how unimportant some things are. Like the poem at some point people realize why am I actually getting annoyed at this when really nothing is wrong with it or it is so minor compared to something else.

The Extraordinary Anger

             In the article, "Hug a Hoodie: What the U.K. Teaches Us About Making a Sweatshirt a Symbol," it talks about the sad event where Trayvon Martin was murdered for racist thoughts against him where the guy thought he was a threat. It still can't be taken into affect to prosecute the man because of Florida's controversial self-defense law. In respect of Trayvon millions of people wore hoodies to represent the anger against the law and their care for him. This has become such a big thing and people all over are sad about it and it will probably go down into history.
             People are angry because the state can't actually accuse him until they have set in stone proof, yet everyone knows that he still did kill him and that it was a hate crime. Over in the U.K. people still respect Trayvon and are angry at what happened but it is hated upon to where a hoodie over there. For example, "In the United Kingdom, the hoodie is also associated with low-income young people up to no good—but there, in response to public agita about crime, politicians from both sides of the political aisle—including former Prime Minister Tony Blair—have endorsed campaigns to ban hooded sweatshirts from public places in an effort to combat what the British call 'anti-social behavior.' " I find it absurd the it is such a big deal that it is actual enforced over there. It was a show of honor for the people there to stand up to the government and where the hoodies anyway for Trayvon.
             Certain events can strike big affects all over the world. This was an event that happened down in Florida and became an international issue that caused many reactions and feelings. This shows that there is still racial hate going on despite the years of fighting for rights. The fact that bad events need to happen for people to realize that there should be change is terrible. Even with that being true blacks and many other races still don't have their freedom and rights fully through all the horrible events that they went through. I am very happy to know that people in the U.K. took their stand and made it clear to the government and us that they care and are not happy with any of this.

A Great Beat

             In the poem "A Boat Beneath a Sunny Sky," Lewis Carroll gives a lot of setting detail. He speaks about the sound of children on a nice sunny day and how he feels seeing what he sees. Carroll uses a lot of clear description in the poem to really emphasize imagery. The way he says everything makes it all feel a little dreamy and mellow. Lewis Carroll made the rhythm of the poem very slow and soft to portray a lazy feeling on a hot day.
             When reading this my mind took it at a slow pace because speeding through the words made everything unclear. An example of how he used rhythm to make it feel like a lazy summer day is "Ever drifting down the stream — Lingering in the golden gleam". Here he is giving a stronger image of laying out on a boat on a day where it seems like it is to hot to really do anything. Imagery isn't the only device he used to make you feel it because the word choices and the way he structured the poem all factored into the rhythm. This was definitely an intentional choice of his because the rhythm of the poem fits in perfectly with the message the actual words were trying to portray. I like the choice because it helped me get clearer with the feelings the speaker actually felt during this hot day.
              The rhythm of this poem really relates to my life because depending on the setting changes the type of reaction and ways I feel. For example a lot of the time when I am exhausted and beat from hot weather I am function very slow and drearily. Though when it is cold I might be very ecstatic and shivery because of the coldness. I feel like this poem gave a really good example that he must have observed from life and interpreted into literature. Regularly it is this type of writing I wouldn't like and skip over because it is confusing and hard though Carroll found a way to make me actually enjoy and appreciate the writing.

Ceremony of Death

             Barbaric means savagely cruel or exceedingly brutal. In the book, "The Hunger Games," Suzanne Collins, gives the feeling of barbaric ways of living with the hunger games. There are huge amounts of people from all different districts that excitedly await to watch people that they may even know fight to the death with each other. Katniss and the rest of the recruits on a road to death. The people care more about an insane battle of citizens than the well being of a family with no money. Collins may have also been trying to portray our society's bad choices of what is important to fund and support. The overall message being shown here is, the society they live in has many issues that could be fixed if the people in power cared enough to make a change.
             When Katniss and the other selected people arrived at the Capitol it was sick to find out that the people had a opening ceremony where the contestants got dressed up by designers to look amazing so people could sponsor them. For example on pg. 70, "The crowd's initial alarm at our appearance quickly changes to cheers and shouts of  'District Twelve!' " Here the crowd is cheering for Katniss and Peeta as they make their entrance to the tournament. Even  though this book sort of takes place in the future it seems like a very past-like situation where there is a crowd of people watching intently without a problem as these fellow people are headed to death. It is a very undeveloped way of thinking and living which is another meaning of barbaric. Another place where it shows that they don't really care about these people being sent off is pg.71 "It's not really fair to present us as a team and then lock us into the arena to kill each other." This is Katniss' thought when the stylist makes Peeta and her hold hands. It is wrong and also sick to get them to a friendly state where they can accept each other and then have them kill each other. The people are cruel to let the people bond and let them spend time together because then there is even more of a resistance to wanting to be a part of the games. It is a little bit like sacrifices people used to do because they didn't care which person it was or what reason they shouldn't they just did as they felt.
             Collins made an effort to make the situation in the book relate to our government and the choices them and the people make. When the government of Panem made this a tradition and made it so severe and large among their land it made many citizens' lives miserable. In our country the government has made and makes a lot of bad choices that affect  many lives. It is a different kind of choice but SOPA is an example where the government just decides to do something they think is right and then affects everyone else and makes people angry and powerless. Collins also made a very strong connection to barbaric ways and that period of time by having horrible traditions and feelings of happiness to death and she made the government and country all seem undeveloped. Their were many connections used in the book and she made things a lot more understandable by doing so.

                                                                                                                         

The Meaningful Men

             This week my blog post is on a piece of art that I selected from the MoMa collection and what feelings and ideas it provoked in me. The piece of art doesn't have a name though it is from "88 Maps". I chose this while looking through the gallery because it came out to me because it is specifically made ideas in it yet it is abstract because it isn't actually anything specifically made. My theory is that in one it shows a man who is unsure of himself and the other man on the right is more aware and feels safe. I also think that the guy on the right has many beliefs such as heaven and hell.
             I thought that the first man was unsure of himself and unaware because it was all white and and not certain making it feel like the middle of nowhere (lost). The other side is more filled with colors like a blue sky and green grass and feels more secure with a more certain idea of where he is standing. With more features included the man feels more aware and grounded with himself. I also think that the white mass or circle above him might be heaven/ holy and the red below him at the bottom of the ground is hell. These are his beliefs showing in the picture because he is sure of what he believes.
             I think that this photo connects to me because sometimes I feel like both of the men in the photo. I feel lost and nowhere with out any comfort and confidence. I also can feel very on top of things and aware and I do have my own beliefs and ideas of things like religion. I think this photo connects to the world because throughout the world there are a lot of people who definetly take sides on religion and each person thinks and acts uniquely from one another.

The Stunningly Well Decided Best Blogger

             The person who I think should be voted as the best blog writer of the class is Anouk. Part of why I chose her is because every week she takes the time to make a well-written post and in my opinion goes beyond standards. Her posts are sometimes longer than the 3-paragraph minimum and she doesn't use too much retell to finish her blog quicker. She also shares her ideas and opinions from reading the book and gives reasons of why her point is right. When I looked at some other kid's blogs they were also good except still gave a lot of retell or didn't explain their point. After using her as a mentor I hope to get better at my own blogging as the year goes forward. To look at Anouk's blog and maybe even follow it, go to: Anouk's Blog. One of my favorite posts of hers was the Harry Potter Gnome Post because first of all I love Harry Potter and secondly she gives just enough text and retell needed and then explains her feelings of such a small, simple topic and makes it into a well written response. Good job Anouk!

A Great Integrated Friendship

             In the book, "The Liberation of Gabriel King" by K. L. Going, Gabriel and Frita have a really great friendship. She always looks out for him whether it comes to protecting him from a bully or giving him motivation to cheer him up when he feels alone and hated. He is one of the few people that is friends with her and he cheers her up just by being a good friend to talk to and do things with. I think that they have developed a strong friendship where they are able to look out for each other and not have to hide secrets from each other.

             One example is on pg. 14, " 'Just see if anyone picks on you again after this' Frita said." She is saying that because she is about to go punch Duke, one of the boys who was bullying Gabriel. She risks getting in trouble or getting hurt to help him out since he doesn't have the nerve to do anything about it. But someone could also say that they have a so-so friendship because sometimes she is forceful in getting him to go with her idea of what he should do and he doesn't always want to do it and she doesn't give up on getting him to do it. I think that the two of them work well together because he is soft and scared person and she is a tough and brave girl so they kind of give each other their opinions and ideas in their perspective.

             Their relationship is like how it is in the real world where people have a friend that they always love to hang out with and feel comfortable with. Also Duke and Frankie picking on Gabriel is like what the news was talking about when there was lots of cases of bullying and kids were really affected and got depressed. When they picked on him he also felt really sad and worthless but he was lucky to have Frita there to help and cheer him up.

The Sad Ancient Loss (SPOILER ALERT!)

             In the book Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling, Harry and many other people in the wizarding world are in grief after the burst of green light, knocks the Hogwarts headmaster Dumbledore dead. Throughout out the series of books I have grown very attached to Dumbledore's  sweet, calm, and intelligent quietness with dealing with issues making this also very sad for me. Dumbledore was a kind, powerful wizard, though when he knew he was ready to die he let the wizards who would never actually be able to defeat him, take him down.

             For example on page 592, " 'They thought I'd die in the attempt, but I'm here... and you're in my power.... I'm the one with the wand.... You're at my mercy...."

             'No Draco,' said Dumbledore quietly. 'It is my mercy, and not yours, that matters now.' " This scene shows that he has the power to take down his opponent yet he stands there giving his life. I see Dumbledore as a honorable, great man for this and all the things he has done in the past. On the other hand someone else would think that what he is doing he is a weak and that he made a bad decision. I thought it was extra dramatic to have all the people to have loved him over the years cry together when they found out the news and when they were at the funeral.

             I think that this part of the story relates to religion and powerful people in the real world. I think it relates to how a few years ago there was a guy who had become one of "the head people" in the Jewish community and people believed that he was the Messiah. After he died people said when he comes back all the  people will resurrect and things will be good again. Dumbledore dying is related to this because he had basically   become a head and a hope of light to the good people of the wizarding world just as "the Messiah" guy had been important and gives hope to the Jews.

                                                                                                                               

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

             Today I went to the link from the class blog page about slavery and was shocked by the things I learned from them. Not only was the information very interesting but also the results to my survey was angering. This website made me realize that there is still the issue of slavery going on throughout the world and I am tied into the reason why they are enslaved. I also couldn't believe how some of the simple daily life things we own caused so much trouble for someone else in the world to get the material and make it. I feel very stirred after visiting this website because my family and I are so against slavery and discrimination against races that to now know that basically everything I own was at least partly worked on my enslaved people and I am not okay with it.

             I was really disappointed with myself when I found out that the number of slaves that I basically have working for me is above average. This website is very interesting because it gets the person accessing it have many questions and also can cause people to make a difference. After discovering this I think I want to join in to help find a better way of getting all the collecting and manufacturing done. Maybe it could be a job where they are at least paid a decent amount for the endless hours of  hazardous work that they do if not better. Another way I have now thought of changing is to by less clothes and other products that I don't really need and  not be so wasteful of the things that I do have. It gets me very annoyed that there is anywhere in the world where they do not try their best to fix the issues that have been going on throughout history for a long time and shouldn't have ever started in the first place.

             For those who are reading this I would suggest going to http://slaveryfootprint.org and seeing what affect you have on this issue because it may get you thinking and if not, it is simply an interesting thing to see and do. I wish that many people would take on the challenge to help prevent an issue together so the goal would be stronger and probably quicker/more obtainable. In a way I sort of relate this in a minimized way to the fact that our class keeps on getting in trouble and that we cant just say we'll change or have some people trying to do the right thing; we would all have to work together in order for there to be a solid affect. I hope for the future that this issue is solved and people all understand that they actually have to be the ones to take action when trying to get the change they want to see in the world.

Pushing on Through

              In the book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling, Harry is a very strong and courageous boy as I have said before. In the book there are a lot of parts where he really is so fearless and more brave then anyone I know of. Throughout the series he has developed a lot into who he is now. He started out as a little, sort of nervous boy and has become helpful to others and brave at battle.
              He helped many of the other students with a private club called Dumbledore's Army (D.A.) where they learned new spells to prepare for battle because Umbridge wouldn't teach them anything. I feel that by Harry doing this action showed how kind and advanced he is. It also shows true friendship because Umbridge, Filch, and Slytherins were trying to get them into big trouble by catching them yet he agreed to keep up his training to them. This ended up not working so well because they got in big trouble once they finally found them training in action.
              The major event in the book that shows that he is brave and strong is when he is at the ministry and all the death eaters and Voldemort  and they all broke into battle. In this scene he was very brave by staying and fighting instead leaving the problem behind and going. This scene showed that Harry is a very strong person because even after Sirius his godfather is killed by Bellatrix Lestrange (they are cousins) he continues to fight while holding in all the grief of the event that just happened. Harry goes through a lot of hard times and still always manages to make it through alright. 

Hogwarts is Changing

              In the book, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling, Harry and his school are changing a lot. The years before at Hogwarts in terms of rules, teachers, and other factors were relatively the same neutral. Though in this book Hogwarts gets a lot more uptight and Harry also matures and develops a lot when the book begins and throughout the story.
              The main reason Hogwarts is changing so much is because Professor Umbridge, from the ministry of magic becomes a teacher there. For example on pg. 241-2 " 'Well I don't,' said Hermione bluntly. 'There's nothing written up there about using defensive spells.' ... 'Using defensive spells?'Professor Umbridge repeated with a little laugh. 'Why, I can't imagine any situation arising in my classroom that would require you to use a defensive spell, Miss Granger. ...' " This is a small example of how Umbridge is making very strict completely different rules like, no spell casting in Defense Against the Dark Arts. My feelings about her is that she is just rude to students and it shouldn't be in her power at all to make any decisions for Hogwarts. It makes me feel even worse that this is only one small thing that she does compared to all the things she tries to do to teachers and other things of much more authority than her.
              The other thing I mentioned earlier was that Harry also changes and develops a lot in this book. Part of the way he changed is ever since last year when Cedric Diggory died he has been on edge and ranting off at people with stress or some negative feeling. An example from the text is on pg. 245 " 'So according to you, Cedric Diggory dropped dead of his own accord, did he?' Harry asked, his voice shaking... 'Cedric Diggory's death was a tragic accident," she said coldly. I am sort of disappointing that Harry is acting so brutal yet at the same time I understand why he would feel the need to get aggravated at points. I also still really hate Umbridge because she is a horrible woman with no sense of others feelings.

Lonely Competitor

           In the book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, by J.K. Rowling, a lot of people are against Harry and putting him down, but he stays strong and tries his best not to let any of the insults and jeering get to him. Even some of the people he knows well and for a long time were being rude just because his name somehow got put into the Goblet of Fire. Some of the students that were going against Harry took it to extreme levels for no reason except for a few laughs.
           An example of how students took making fun of him extreme was when some Slytherin students actually made magical buttons to wear on your shirt that say, "Potter Stinks," and a few other rude messages. Pg. 298 "The Slytherins howled with laughter. Each of them pressed their badges too, until the message POTTER STINKS was shining brightly all around Harry." They look at him all day, pressing the button to change the writing on it, and laughing at him as heat from anger rises in his body. After days of being tortured about being part of the competition, I was surprised to see that the worst he did was a little spell at Malfoy which wasn't even a very serious spell.
           Something else that is a big deal for him is how people are starting to shun him. Even worse, a lot of the people in Gryffindor are not talking to him or being rude. Worst of all, Ron, one of his two best friends is ignoring him because he is pissed that Harry joined it and blames Harry for putting his name in. I can only imagine how bad Harry must feel for almost everyone except Hermione, to not want to hang out with anymore or for them to be rude to him and make him feel bad even though he truthfully didn't enter his name in. If I were in his situation right now I would feel very lonely and sad and just really wish people would just believe me when I would say "I didn't enter my name!"

Endless Journies

            In the book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling, Harry and his friends go on lots of fun and exciting adventures/journeys. Some of the adventures can be a bit scary though others are very fun and great to read.
            One of the fun and exciting journeys they go on is when they are headed to the Quidditch World Cup. The story makes it very full of energy and exciting. For example pg. 112 " 'Levski - Dimitrov - Moran - Troy - Mullet - Ivanova - Moran again - Moran - MORAN SCORES!' " This sentence/dialogue shows excitement in the text and it makes it feel very real like sport games are with the people talking.
            Times when the journeys/adventures can be scary is like when Death Eaters are attacking and killing people. This leads me to my next example on pg. 119 "By the lights of the few fires that were still burning, he could see people running away into the woods, fleeing something that was moving across the field towards them, something that was emitting odd flashes of light and noises like gunfire." When I was reading this section about how the Death Eaters attacked the campsite surrounding the Quidditch World Cup stadium I was a little frightened by the attacking and dark, angry mood of when they are around (like the dark mark).

The Boy Who Excelled

           Harry in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J. K. Rowling, is a very strong and intelligent boy. Throughout the book there are many moments with teachers and in Hogwarts where he shows much strength mentally and physically. He also is not a quitter and if there is something he wants to accomplish hewill try very hard. Ever since Harry was a little boy he has been a very different, special boy.

           For example, pg. 115-117 is the whole slow process of Harry getting the hippogriff to trust him and to allow Harry to slowly get along with it and pet it. Harry is very brave in this scene because there is a good chance that the animal would strike him and possibly injure him. He is also very smart by clearly listening to what Hagrid's directions are and strategically does them slow and calmly to keep the hippogriff at ease. Once he is finished with his turn with the hippogriff, Malfoy tries without any strategy or kindness and he gets violently struck by the animal.

           Pg. 241-242 " 'EXPECTO PATRONUM!' Harry bellowed. 'EXPECTO PATRONUM! EXPECTO PARTONUM!' ... and then a huge, silver shadow came bursting out of the end of Harry's wand, to hover between him and the dementor..." This is an excerpt from a scene where Harry and Professor Lupin are working on a patronus so Harry can protect himself from a future dementor attack. Lupin said don't be annoyed if you can't get it because there are much more advanced wizards than you that have trouble with it. Despite what Lupin said Harry still got after his third round of trying to get the spell. This shows lots of strength and dedication mentally and physically.

The Horrible Dursleys

               In "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," (and all the other books) Harry is forced to live with his awful aunt, uncle, and there son Dudley. Harry is very strong by getting through the whole summer with out completely bursting out at them. He is able to stay strong and clean by remembering if he wants to get permission to go to Hogsmead he has to stay on their good side (which is equivalent to being their servant). Not only do they treat him horribly and make him do chores for them; they barely allow his friends from Hogwarts to stay in contact with him.

              An example from the text is on pg. 4 " 'THERE IS NO HARRY POTTER HERE!' he roared, now holding the receiver arm's length, as though frightened it might explode." This example is when Ron tries to contact Harry on the phone and Uncle Vernon screams at him and blows him off, furious at Harry for giving anyone their number. The only way Harry can get in touch with anyone is by owl and he is only allowed to send it out at night because they don't like the racket it makes when kept in the cage.

              Pg. 24 " 'Do they use the cane at St. Brutus's boy?' she barked across the table... 'Yes,' said Harry... 'Excellent,' said Aunt Marge." This example shows how the whole family is so rude to him and yet they still expect him to be on best behavior all the time. In a few pages before this there are other examples of the family being very rude to him as though he is an animal/lower than them. I find their behavior and actions disgusting and hard to see why anyone would treat family like they do. Though after all the good behavior he had been giving he finally blew his chance of getting to go to Hogsmeade  when he screams at Aunt Marge and literally bloats her up.