Why Ellen Hopkins May've Wanted Readers to Feel Uncomfortable
(Note: spoiler at the end of the response)

After finishing the book "Burned" by Ellen Hopkins, I have come to the conclusion that there is quite a bit of disturbing content. The main character, Pattyn, is a Mormon teen in high school with a large, and complicated, family. She is the oldest of six sisters and later a brother, her mother is lazy, and her father is violent. Pattyn's father beats and hurts her, the second oldest sister, Jackie, and their mom. There are also pages talking and describing sexual intercourse, which later leads to Pattyn being pregnant. Although “Burned” includes lots of unsettling material, the author included it because she wanted to show awareness to these issues and truly understand how Pattyn felt in these situations.

The two topics Hopkins wrote about most intensely are child abuse, and teen pregnancy. I feel that these topics are very strong ones to chose, and many people have already taken action to raise awareness. But for teens, if they hear or read about these issues, most likely they’ll either feel lucky to not be in that situation, or feel uncomfortable because they are in that situation. That’s why I believe the author made a very good choice of weaving these issues into a YA book, because if teens get emotional after reading “Burned”, they can drive their emotions towards helping stop these problems. Also, if they read about these topics now as a young adult, later in life they will most likely feel glad that they weren’t pregnant at the age of eighteen like Pattyn. And if they decide to become a parent, after reading about how horrible Pattyn’s father really was to her, Jackie, and their mom, they will probably not want to do the same thing to their own child.

I feel that Hopkins also had to include this disturbing content and write so deeply about it because otherwise people who haven’t gone through what Pattyn did wouldn’t get how it really feels. If Hopkins had just plainly said that Pattyn’s father slapped her, the reader would probably feel upset, but that’s it. Whereas, by having a full two pages just about Pattyn’s dad slapping her, as well as many more on him continuing to abuse her, the readers usually get a discomforting feeling that makes them almost want to stop reading the book. This emotion, although not very positive, means that the content from the book has dug deeper than just “upsetting”, and that the reader feels not just sympathy, but even a bit of empathy.

Overall, it seems to me that these issues being put in the book made it all the better. At the end of the book, Pattyn’s fiancé dies, along with their baby, in a car crash. I believe that if Hopkins hadn’t intensified these issues, the ending would be somewhat loose and just depressing. But, because the author did, the ending was all the more upsetting, as well as thought-provoking.

Perspectives Missing in the Book "Burned"

The book "Burned" by Ellen Hopkins is a story about a girl named Pattyn and how she struggles with family, boys, and religion. She and her whole family are Mormons, so when Pattyn begins exploring the more rebellious things in life, it causes her some trouble. The entire book is told in verse from Pattyn's perspective. The author failed to include the perspectives of Pattyn's father and father, and this affects the entire story.

The first perspective missing from "Burned" is that of the father. Although I have not finished the book, so far Pattyn's dad has most definitely not made life easy, but I believe there are points where it may be significant to hear the father's thoughts. For example, on page 173 of the story, there is a dialogue between Pattyn and her dad, "Dad will you miss me?" Pattyn asks. Her dad responds, "Miss you? I don't even know, Pattyn." I feel that this small conversation, already important, is definitely a place where I would like to hear what the father is thinking. For one thing, without wording it like that Pattyn's father is basically saying he will not miss her. Obviously, no daughter would ever want to hear that from her dad. Also, maybe there's more too it than just what the dad says. Maybe he really will miss Pattyn, but does not want to admit it because he doesn't like to show emotion, which is shown earlier in the book. Another example is on page 192, in which Pattyn is now staying at her Aunt Jeanette's house for a portion of the summer, and Pattyn says (referring to her father) "He didn't bother with good byes, which only hurt a little." I think that the author made this sentence depressing to make the readers to know that Pattyn is still a little girl inside who only wants to be loved by her dad. On the other hand, I think the author excluded the father's point of view in this section especially because if we had heard his thoughts on this, it would make Pattyn's statement less pitiful and cause the father less blame. A final example is on page 148, in which Pattyn's dad is punishing her for romancing with a boy named Derek, after the the father has slapped her she says, "Defiance rose up like vomit. I swung back and yelled, 'Don't you ever do that again!' He caught my arm. Held it midair, and I found in his eyes conflicting emotions-something almost like apology, and something very much like satisfaction." This page is very very interesting, because at this point the author almost does give us a little of the father's perspective, but still through Pattyn. I feel that it would be so interesting to know how the father felt in that moment, considering it is so powerful. I think the father would most likely be feeling the emotions that Pattyn describes in his eyes, but I would like the dad himself to put his feelings into words, and maybe that would unfold the father's notions for slapping Pattyn in the first place, if they were not just because she did something wrong.

The second perspective missing is that of the mother. Up to the point I'm at in the book, the mother has been busy with her large family (Pattyn has six sisters) and obedient to her husband when he is nothing but rude to her. For example, on page 35, Pattyn questions the things that happen in her family, "How, no matter what happened the night before, the next day Mom and Dad would be tandem in bed?" I think this question Pattyn is asking is also somewhat speaking for what the readers want to know. If the mother's perspective was shown here, then maybe she would have something to say about that. I believe that the reason that Pattyn's mom is still with Pattyn's dad could be two reasons; the first is that she feels she needs her husband's money and protection to support her family, and the second is that a part of her still loves him and remembers him the way he used to be when they married. Another example is on page 52-53, in which Pattyn is reminiscing, "...But this tiny piece of me kept thinking back to another, happier time, when Mom loved Dad. And me. And Dad loved Mom. And me.". I think that this line is very strong, because it gives readers a glimpse of what Pattyn's life was like before everything became troublesome. But, I would like to know what the mother thinks of all this, because most likely she wishes it was like this all the time, including all her other children.

I believe the fact that the story lacks these two perspectives of the father and the mother greatly affects the story. One reason I think this is because if the perspectives had been there, it is possible that Pattyn's point of view wouldn't attract as much sympathy. Not that the parents' perspectives would outshine Pattyn's, but it would prove some of her points wrong and cause it to blame less the parents and more all three of them. Another reason I think this is because the mother and father are very significant characters in the story, but in many scenes their opinion is not needed, since the story is centered around Pattyn. For example, whenever Pattyn is at school or outside of home, there really is no input for the parents to make. And finally, it is after all a book for teens, and when teens tead young adult they usually like to read about someone around their age, like Pattyn. If they were reading about the mother and father's points of view, they may not understand or find it less interesting because it is much harder to relate to it. But, I still think it would be interesting to sometimes get a taste of what the father or mother's thoughts are once and a while, because it could 1) add alternate perspectives besides Pattyn's, and 2) add more depth to the story as a whole.

Overall, I believe that no, Hopkins should not have replaced Pattyn's entire perspective with that of her mother's and/or father's, but I think she should've included a bit of it once and a while. I feel that all YA books that include a powerful conflict between the child and the parents should include a little of the parents' point of view. Even so, the book "Burned" is so far fantastic and very intriguing, so aside from this one flaw I would definitely recommend it.

Should Access to YA Fiction Be Limited in Any Way?

Kids all around the world love to read. Just walk into about any school and ask; most likely you'll get a positive answer! But what's upsetting, almost detestable, is that some people would like kids to not be able to read certain books, by banning them for various reasons. No, access to YA fiction should not be banned, but certain disturbing books should be separated from ones that are not, so people who feel uncomfortable can be warned.

One reason that YA fiction should be split into more disturbing books and less disturbing books is because some teens may have terrifying responses to disturbing YA. For example, in the article Tales of teenage cancer, self-harm, and suicide by Tanith Carey, there is a quote from Joanna Kenrick, who says "I know a girl of 12 in whose class the book [Red Tears] spread like wildfire-several of them also started cutting themselves." This proves how reading disturbing books can be negative for children who decide to read what is popular, or what their friends are (sadly) plunging themselves into. What children don't realize are the effects some books can lead to as shown from Kenrick's quote. People of the opposing side may argue differently. For example, in the article Should young adult books have age ratings? by Husna Haq, there is a quote from novelist Patrick Ness, who says, “Children are great self-censors...they know what they want to read…”. This argument does not consider that some kids are influenced by their friends’ opinions on things like books, so they would read a book without thinking about whether or not they truly wanted to.

Another reason that troubling YA fiction should be excluded from books that do not contain troubling content is because some parents may be uncomfortable with their children reading these types of books. For example, in the article Darkness Too Visible by Meghan Cox Gurdon, there is an anecdote about a mother, Amy Freeman, shopping at a bookstore for her 13 year-old daughter, and she says "Nothing, not a thing, that I could imagine giving my daughter. It was all vampires and suicide and self-mutilation, this dark, dark stuff." This shows how parents are truly concerned and flabbergasted by the types of books children are reading these days. Now, this might not always be fair to the teens, but most parents have their kid's best interest in  mind. Other parents might argue that children should be able to decide what they want to read without parents getting into their business about it. For example, also in Darkness Too Visible, Gurdon states, “It is a dereliction of duty not to make distinctions in every other aspect of a young person’s life between more and less desirable options.” The truth of the matter is that for teens with no parental guidance they would most likely be lost or scared. In that case, parents should always be aware of what teens are reading, especially when it's more gruesome than usual. So, by having books separated, children and parents like Amy Freeman will have no problem easily scanning the books to make sure they're safe, before reading them and being unpleasantly surprised.

In conclusion, YA fiction would be much better separated between disturbing and non-disturbing books.  If books are not separated, both kids and parents would be unhappy to find a book that contained dark and mature content. Imagine a child who had been dying to read a book that had a bit of gruesome material, only to find out it had been banned, meaning it would be inaccessible. Would you want to be that child? Of course not, it's a practically heartbreaking situation. Whereas, if the book was merely in a section of a library or bookstore that was for darker books, people would not have this problem ever again.

Response to “Fangirl”

“Fangirl” by Rainbow Rowell is a story about a girl named Cather, Cath for short, who goes to college and from there the plot revolves all around her relationship with her twin, Wren, her somewhat unstable but still loving father, her mother that left when she and Wren were young, her roommate Regan, her (later on) boyfriend Levi, as well as her overall college experience. One thing that I have picked up on is Cath’s feelings towards her mother, Laura, who abandoned her, Wren, and their father, strangely on the very day of September 11th, 2001. Throughout the story, although I have not finished it yet, it is proven that Cath is set and stone with not wanting her mother around. I feel that there is something deeper to Cath’s desire to push her mother away, and I predict that maybe something will change.

One reason that I consider there to be something deeper to Cath’s need to keep her mother away is that there are many examples within the story of Cath absolutely not wanting to merely talk about Laura. For example, as Cath is talking to her dad, he says “Cath...She’s your mother.” Cath responds, “There is no evidence to support that.” Even this small portion on dialogue demonstrates an impactful comment on Cath’s part. By saying that there is no proof to support that Laura is in fact Cath’s mom, it makes me wonder whether Cath would feel better if Laura really wasn’t her mom. But beyond that, it seems that Cath knows Laura is her mom, or is 99% sure, but responds to her dad that way almost to question it herself, so she can feel less abandoned. Another example is from later in the book, Cath is talking to Wren. Cath says, “She [Laura] left us. She didn’t love us.” Wren responds, “It isn’t that simple.” Cath states, “It is for me.” This section of conversation is also quite significant. This is because it proves how Cath really doesn’t need to know, possibly does not even care about the details to the story of Laura leaving, it is enough for her that she left in the first place. This, in my opinion, is a very reasonable and also somewhat expected response from any child or teen whose parent abandoned them without logical or fair explanation. A final example is even farther into the book, Cath gets a phone call. When she picks up and discovers her mother on the phone, she pulls her ear away from the phone. This minor action is actually anything but minor. It is so thought-provoking to read that when Cath finds out that Laura is on the other end she cannot stand it so much that she has to pull the phone away from her ear for a minute to recover. On the other hand, I don’t blame Cath. If my mother called me after a good maybe ten years of not being in touch, I would be shocked, perhaps a bit frightened, to hear my mom’s voice through the phone.

This all leads me to predict that it would be a strange thing for Rowell to just leave the story with Cath still refusing to reconnect with her mother. The author could, but usually books resolve important issues like that at the end of the story. There are many different ways I have predicted it could happen. The first is that something tragic happens, such as maybe someone else’s mother dies, and that makes Cath want to cherish the time she has left with her mom, even though she wronged her earlier in Cath’s life. The second is that someone convinces her. I would think maybe Levi, because a) he is her boyfriend so she is bound to trust him and deeply consider his opinions, and b) he often talks about his own mother which could trigger something in Cath and make her want to be on good terms with Laura. Finally, and this to me is the least likely, Laura could reach out to Cath and try to make everything okay again. I say this is the least likely because it seems that within the last approximately ten years she has made no effort to try and talk to Cath, until Wren is in the hospital and she has no other choice. I hope that maybe one of these predictions will come true, and not just so I can say I was right, but for the good of the story. I feel that it would be nice to see Cath maybe not entirely forgive her mother, but accept her back into Cath’s life, giving her a mother with aspects that she can’t always get from her father. In conclusion, I do believe that Cath’s relationship with her mother plays an important role to the story, and I would be happy to see one of my three predictions to be proven correct.

                                                          Non-Fiction Critical Analysis

In the article "Should young adult books have age ratings?" by Husna Haq, the author wants the reader to know how even though yes, age ratings should be put on books since they have already been put on other things, kids can find the content anywhere, or may still try to gain access to a book with an age rating. One thing Haq does to help prove this is use quotes from authors G.P. Taylor and Patrick Ness to help show both sides of the argument. She also compared the idea of establishing age ratings for books to the already established ideas of age ratings for video games and movies. These examples help display how although it is most likely a good idea for books to have age ratings, because obviously it has worked fine for other items, but children might still research about a mature topic and try to get a hold of a book with an age rating above their age.

Haq hopes to explain to readers the strong points on how age ratings should be put on books considering they have worked on other things already, but there are other ways for children to obtain the information in them or to still read the book. One way she helps prove this is by including a quote from author G.P. Taylor, who says "I have changed my mind: I think children's literature has gone too far." Taylor also says, regarding the age ratings on other products, "I think think the way forward is a certification system for books, the same way we have in films." But then, novelist Patrick Ness rebuttles "Teenagers look at the Internet, they look at the news, they look at pornography on the Internet, they look at violent movies on the Internet." Ness also states, "Children are great self-censors. They know what they can read and they know what they want to read, and if you don't give it to them, they'll find it somehow." These contrasting quotes from Taylor and Ness help demostrate why books should and shouldn't have age ratings. Haq most likely does this to A) not show any bias in her writing, and B) to give readers a taste of both opinions so they can make one for themselves.

Personally, I believe that Ness has a very good point about how children will get their hands on what they desire, but people might as well put the age ratings on books so that kids who prefer not to reader mature or gruesome material can be warned, and won't be in shock halfway through a book. Although yes, I do understand that it is aggrivating for kids who are younger to read books about things they want to read about, on the other hand it could be a benefit for them. Young children may like to read about, for example suicide, but that doesn't mean they will understand it correctly, or it could even mean they would want to try it themselves. Most likely that would not happen, but it is still important to think about what the positives of putting age ratings on books are. And finally, it's not like the books with age ratings are banned! R-Rated movies aren't banned, and AO-rated video games aren't banned either, so why should a book with an age rating be banned! Overall, I feel that age ratings are quite necessary to the modern reading world, but that doesn't mean it is absolutely unaccessable to people who want to read it.

Response to “13 Little Blue Envelopes”

“13 Little Blue Envelopes”, by Maureen Johnson, is a story about a girl, Ginny, whose Aunt Peg leaves behind letters before she dies which include instructions for Ginny to travel around Europe. Although this book does include vivid setting descriptions and an interesting premise, I think the book could’ve been written better. The author uses too many depictions of the setting, fails to provide a plot twist or surprise ending, and finally does not display any true meaning behind Ginny’s trip.

The first reason the author could’ve done a better job at writing this book is because of the number and length of the setting descriptions. One example of this is when Ginny first gets to London, “The first thing that hit her was the smell of a recent rain. The sidewalk was still wet and was fairly thick with people who politely moved around Ginny and her backpack. The street was jammed full of real London traffic, just like in the pictures. The cars were tightly packed together, all going in the wrong direction. An actual red double-decker bus lumbered along.” The author is redundant with her word choice, which makes the quote feel even longer than it already is. Johnson describes multiple times the crowdedness of this scene, whereas once would’ve been sufficient. Another example of this is when Ginny is in Paris, “Even just a short walk around the area revealed that Paris was nothing but cafés. Cafés everywhere. Cafés and winding streets and broad boulevards. She spent an hour circling the neighborhood, peering into shop windows at displays of bread and pastries, stepping over little dogs, weaving around people intently talking on their phones, and basically accomplishing nothing. Paris was glorious and sunny, of course.” This demonstrates how the author makes each description longer than it needs to be, when she could just use a few beautiful sentences that make a great picture. A final example is when Ginny is in Amsterdam, “Amsterdam was damp...From there, countless tiny bridges spanned the canals that spidered out and cut through every street. Plus, it was raining - a slow steady drizzle … Everything was red brick or stone and low to the ground. And the place was swarming-it was a hive.” This represents how long and overdone Johnson’s descriptions are. Also, there are so many of them that after a while they get tiring to read.

The second reason the author could’ve done a better job at writing this book is because of the weak ending. For example, the story ends with a letter Ginny writes back to her aunt, even though her aunt will never be able to read it. In the letter, Ginny states “I always thought that I could only do things with you, that you made me more interesting. But I was wrong.” This quote shows that although yes, Ginny is proving how she discovered herself more, it’s no big revelation that she can be interesting without her aunt. In fact, I feel that this had already been demonstrated when she decided to go on the trip in the first place. Another example from Ginny’s letter is, “I’ve also decided to do what you never managed to do but what I know you probably wish you did...I’m going to go home.” This quote also shows that sure, it’s sweet and all that Ginny is going home, but wouldn’t it have been more captivating if Ginny had stayed in London with her Uncle Richard and her crush? It seems that the ending proved no difference in Ginny from the beginning of the book whatsoever, because if her personality had really changed, she might’ve stayed.

The third and final reason the author could’ve done a better job at writing this book is because of the lack of purpose behind Ginny’s trip. For example, in the first letter Ginny opens from her aunt, it says, “Notice that I have included $1,000 in cash in this envelope. This is for a passport, a one-way ticket from New York to London, and a backpack.” This shows how the author excludes any reason from Aunt Peg to be going on this trip at all. Another example is in envelope two, in which Ginny’s aunt says, “What if I just went to Europe?...This is the position you are in right now. You are about to go to England with no idea of what’s in store for you.” This quote also exhibits how there is no mention of why Aunt Peg is instructing Ginny to go to Europe. Plus, it makes the reader wonder why Aunt Peg would be permitting and even encouraging a 16-year-old girl to go to another continent by herself in the first place, considering that she is supposed to play a role of authority for Ginny.

Overall, I believe that this book could’ve been written in a way that would’ve fixed each of the problems in the story. I also feel that Maureen Johnson had a good premise in mind, but stretched the story too much to the point where it became problematic. Maybe, had the author recognized these issues and fixed them, the story would’ve been much more riveting. In conclusion, although this book far from a disaster, I think the author could’ve made more of an effort to resolve these difficulties to create a much better story.

YA Book Synthesis Page

“Do College Admissions Officers and Employers Have The Right to Look at Your Social Media Profiles?”

The article “Guess Who’s Looking at Your Facebook Page?” by Alessandra Potenza is a fascinating article about how college admissions officers and employers look at students and adults’ social media profiles to help decide on whether or not they should be accepted into the school/offered a job. The author uses quotes, stories, and interviews from multiple people to help portray both sides to the argument. Yes, college admissions officers and employers do have the right to look at your social media profiles, because you shouldn’t have to hide what you post online from anyone.

One reason college administrators and hirers are allowed to view your social media profiles is because they have to make sure you are responsible and respectful. For example, in the article, the author mentions the story of how a woman named Kirsten Kelly was fired from her job for how she complained about it on Facebook, “...Kirsten Kelly complained on Facebook about the small tips she’d received from customers. One happened to be a former schoolmate and a Facebook friend. When the customer saw the post, she printed it out and showed Kelly’s managers.” This shows that Kelly wasn’t being sensible by thinking about what she was about to post before she did, and she wasn’t being considerate of the consequences that could occur if she posted what she did. Another example is Kimberly Barnhart, director of college advising at The Sharon Academy in Vermont, “friends” her students on Facebook to make sure they are posting mature things, and she says “If I see something that concerns me, I approach them and I say ‘Are you sure this is a message that you want to be sending out to the world about yourself?’” This is a great method for somebody in the school’s faculty, or just a responsible adult in general, to make sure the students are being careful about the things they put online. Also, this is good because, also shown in some of the stories in the article, even these little posts can affect big things in your future, such as job opportunities.

Another reason college admissions officials and entrepreneurs are allowed to view your social media profiles is because they have to be sure you’re even considerable for that school or job. For example, Paul Marthers, vice president of enrollment at RPI in Troy, New York, says “...Web searches have turned up cases of plagiarism, Marthers says. And even accusations of assaults that counselors and teachers didn’t feel comfortable talking about to the admissions officers, but hinted at in a phone call.” This proves that some people really don’t have any idea what they’re getting themselves into when they post something online. Something may be offensive, but beyond that some may even be illegal, like plagiarism. Another example is from a box labeled “To Tweet or Not to Tweet: Tips on how to keep a good online profile”, and step one says “1. Think before posting- Ask yourself: ‘Is this something I want my parents, teachers, or employers to read?’” This is a very important piece of advice, because a lot of people don’t realize that even if they have private settings, anything they post is still accessible in some way. If it’s online, it’s there for everyone and anyone, and it’s there for good.

Although yes, it is very logical for college admissions officers and employers to look at students and adults’ social media profiles, it is understandable that some people may think otherwise. For example, the article states that “In a recent survey, over a quarter of admissions officers at hundreds of top-ranked U.S. colleges said they’d used Facebook and Google to vet applicants.” This shows truly how many, not just schools, but also job offices nowadays use the Internet to get to know applicants applying to college or for a job. However, some people believe that this is a negative thing because people should be judged by the way they are in person, not by their private online life. Another example is the third step in the “To Tweet or Not to Tweet” box, which is “3. Remember what’s public- Everyone can see your profile photo, no matter how ‘private’ your posts are.” This helps prove the point that although anyone technically can gain access to anything you tweet or post, you make something private for a reason, so there is no need for college administrators and hirers to have to snoop around in your online life instead of just offering a flat-out interview.

Overall, this article is very informative and teaches very important lessons. It teaches people that you need to be aware of anything you put online, because if others don’t like what they see, it can cause you to be affected in a way you probably thought you wouldn’t. People have incidents such as plagiarism, offensive comments, and even accusations of things like assaults or physical harm. Those incidents can get them into heaps of trouble such as a disciplinary action, like a woman named Emma Sullivan received in high school after tweeting something offensive, or it can even cause someone to get fired from their job, like Kirsten Kelly. And even if some are upset by this new information mechanism, technology is here, and there’s no stopping it.

Response to “Faithful Elephants”

“Faithful Elephants”, by Yukio Tsuchiya, is a wonderful, provocative and true story set at the Ueno Zoo in Tokyo, during World War II. The story concerns three elephants who must sadly be killed so that the bombing doesn’t cause them to be set loose and in the city. The narrator is telling the story as told to him/her by a zookeeper. “Faithful Elephants”  includes symbols from nature that help set the mood and allow the reader to consider the world from the author’s perspective.

One example of the symbolism in the story is the cherry blossoms. The first line and the last line of the story both mention cherry blossoms. The first line is, “The cherry blossoms are in full bloom at the Ueno Zoo.” Here the blooming cherry blossoms seem to symbolize happiness and peace. But by the last line of the story, the cherry blossoms “fell on the grave, like snowflakes.” Here the falling cherry blossoms seem to symbolize sadness and death, which goes along with the zookeeper’s sad story about the war and the death of the elephants. Finally, the cherry blossoms, referred to as snowflakes, represent the coldness and lifelessness of the war itself.

Another example of symbolism in this story is where the author mentions how the elephants Tonky and Wanly looked as if they were almost dead. “They just lay on their sides, hardly able to see the white clouds floating in the sky over the zoo.” The white clouds seem to symbolize heaven. One reason I think this is because sometimes the sky can be seen or described in relation to heaven. Another reason is that by the elephants are described as kind and upbeat. So I think that some readers might assume that the white clouds in the sky is a sign that the elephants will go to heaven.

A final example of symbolism in this story is where, close to the end, the author again talks about the clouds, but this time in a darker way. The sentence reads, “Above them, in the bright blue sky, the angry roar of enemy planes returned.” To me, this line represents a kind of reality that is in contrast to the earlier description of the sky with white clouds. Where earlier, the white clouds seemed to symbolize heaven, indicating that the elephants were going there, now the author mentions the angry enemy planes, in contrast to the earlier, happy sky. Also, the enemy planes seem to be reminding the trainer, the zookeeper, and everyone at the zoo that even though they may be depressed because of the elephants, they still have to protect themselves, because of the war.

Overall, I think this story uses symbols from nature both to make the story more interesting and also to get a message across. I think Tsuchiya may be saying that although there may be peace after war, there will be losses as well. The symbols portray not only peace and happiness, but also the cold and upsetting outcomes that war causes. I believe that this message is very significant not just in the story, but to all wars in general. People have to learn to accept that, even if it is depressing, just like the zookeeper and everyone else at the zoo. In conclusion, I really enjoyed reading and annotating this story.

Response to “The Funny Thing Is…”

The book “The Funny Thing Is…” by Ellen Degeneres is a hilarious book about Ellen’s thoughts, experiences, advice from her, and more. It includes intelligent and interesting remarks on everyday lifestyle, as well as humorous ideas and jokes. Ellen’s goal throughout the book is most likely just to make the reader’s laugh, and for me, it worked.

One of the things I found funny and appealing about Ellen’s book is that it seemed real. Sometimes, when I read books meant to be comical, I feel that the jokes are a little too much or it seems the author was trying a little too hard to make the reader laugh. Whereas in “The Funny Thing Is…”, because Ellen herself is very silly and creative, the book expresses the same thing. Also, it’s not like a comic book where you read sets of funny scenarios, Ellen just writes her feelings or entertaining moments that she’s that are sometimes true and sometimes not. Even if they aren’t true, they are fun to read and Ellen will go all out and tell a crazy, totally unrealistic story that makes it all the better.

Another really good aspect of the book was that sometimes Ellen would talk directly to the reader. She tries to ask questions or say things to the reader that are funny yet relatable. Ellen also gives direct advice and puts “you” in a problem situation and tells you how to solve it in a hilarious way. I believe that when authors do this, it lures in the reader more and makes them think more deeply about what the writer is saying.

Overall, I absolutely loved this book and would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a light and laugh-out-loud book.