Group Reading Inquiry

 How are people in power represented in Book?

In books like 1984 and V For Vendetta people in power/ government officials are portrayed as nosy and controlling groups or individuals. One of the examples is a book called Fahrenheit 451. In this book the government has banned books and have "Fire Men" whose only task is to burn books. this book was made at a time where book banning was sadly an event that took place pretty often.

Another example of power being represented in books is in the novel I Am J. In the book a transvestite lesbian girl is constantly aided by the officials around her, including shelter employees. This book shows that sometimes in books people of power are portrayed as being helpful and kind.

Both of these represent people of power in different ways. These books show that people in power are not always "evil".

A Social Issue I Noticed While Reading "Speak"

In the book, Speak, by Laurie Halse, there is a girl named Melinda who messes up during the summer and it causes her some trauma. Because of this, she talks very little and is often picked on because of it and her summer mistake. This book focuses on the social issue of picking on others because they don’t act or are a certain way. This is shown a lot in many books but I think it is presented really well here.

            Melinda speaks very rarely to anyone her own age and when she does she’s very quiet and reserved. Because of this, she gets made fun of and ridiculed. Ridicule because of difference is quite a large social issue, but it’s narrowed down in this book to this kind of quirk, speaking rarely, specifically. Melinda’s parents think her silence is her way of getting attention and don’t try to help her.

During the course of the book, the author shows how different people react to Melinda’s mostly silent personality. The overall effect that the author conveys is that people can be cruel and judgmental even without knowing it, towards other people’s differences.

Snow Crash Reading Response

“Y.T. is what Y.T. does.” In this quote Y.T. is talking about how her actions speak for themselves. I wonder why she is presented that way?

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson is a book about a futuristic, apocalyptic society with a horrible economy. After Y.T. helps out a hacker/pizza delivery guy named Hiro Protagonist (no, really) they go out to discover why a brain-virus being spread by a new religion is infecting people.

Y.T. “Yours Truly” is a street-wise 15-year old “Kourier” (courier) who is presented, as I said before, as the kind of in-the-moment girl teenager stereotype.

            Mr. Stephenson, from the start, portrays her as this aforementioned kind of stereotype by having her not tell her mother where she works and really just lying about where she is at all times. She also drinks alcohol and has had (it is implied) more than one sexual experience. As I read, it I became increasingly more aware of how she was shaping up to be like a tomboy from a bad 80’s action movie. (And that’s coming from a guy who loooooves 80’s action movies.) She refuses to do things in any way except her own, rejects any kind of feminine activity, cracks wise, rejects all help, and never wears a dress.

            After I noticed this it was impossible not to notice it. In almost every line of dialogue she was acting like a stereotype. For example, she says “Name’s Y.T.” and “Maxing the Clink” (in prison) and “You’re my boyfriend. If I get popped you’re supposed to get me out.” (Popped = get caught during illegal activity/put in prison). After I noticed this I started to look at the other characters, who had sort of a same idea. For example Hiro Protagonist is a limber, Nipponese-sword wielder with years of training by a sensei, and his ex girlfriend Juanita, is an attractive girl with a flair for computer model design.

In addition to all this, Y.T. is thrown into this society where everything is futuristic and high-tech, whereas she is a impulsive, smartmouthed, and rebellious teenager, that is very out of place for this setting.

So, in conclusion, Y.T. is a 1980’s teenager stereotype in a futuristic setting.

Finished reading "BADD"

Finished BADD

Finished reading "V for Vendetta"

Finished V For Vendetta

Finished reading "Superhuman"

Finished Superhuman

Summer reading: "Snow Crash"

I read Snow Crash over the summer. I really liked the overall dystopian feel.Tthe protaginist's name was Hiro Protaginist. That was pretty funny. The book had a good reading style that included switching between two main characters. Although the book was set in a dystopyian society, the author still adds a lot of funny commentary.