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For my project I'm writing journal entries from the perspective of Mr. Murry during his mission to fight the Dark Thing and becoming imprisoned in Camazotz. This project allows me to determine what the perspective of a minor character may have been during his experience with IT. I'm using books written by science fiction writers that explain how to write sci-fi for my sources. I using these entries as if he's writing letters to his wife even though he knows that he can't communicate with her now by sending letters but chooses to write his thoughts towards her. This project is exciting in terms of thinking creatively about the character.

Growing up, I loved books that had activities to do inside. It's a very engaging and interactive aspect for kids. Doing this activity was a reminder of those books I had read when I was younger, despite the topic of technology it covers.

I was beyond ecstatic to be reading a graphic novel in our children’s literature class. Growing up I loved reading comics in the paper so the day I discovered graphic novels at the public library was a day of excitement. I read the Nancy Drew graphic novels they had along with the series called “Baby Mouse”. The visual imagery seen in graphic novels is enticing especially for those who are visual learners. Talking about the design of a graphic novel reminded me of when we talked about the definition of a picture book at the beginning of the semester. I think that graphic novels could in some ways be classified as a picture book depending on the content. Most of the ones I’ve read use pictures to portray sound effects and what’s the upcoming plot of the story is. What do y’all think? Could graphic novels be considered picture books?

The activities we did in class on Monday was actually tons of fun. When I first saw the sheet and the practice coding, I was like “nope I didn’t sign up for an ENGL class to do computer science” but the worksheets were very eye-opening. I never took the time to consider what coding truly was and how it functioned (mostly because it freaked me out) but after completing these worksheets I feel like I got to see a glimpse of the world of coding with a slim understanding of what it was and how it functioned. I can’t wait to see what other books will be written to adhere to the society of technology that is prominent today and for the future.

Originally when I read, Hello Ruby, I was slightly confused on why this book was written and how a book about the inside of a computer was colorful rather than the dull, gray look I was expecting but after watching the Ted Talk from the author, I realized that it was her personality that brought her book to life. When Linda explained her passion for coding, I was finally able to see her perspective portrayed in the book. The way she described coding made me realize that it was a creative tool that was beyond the idea of numbers and letters. It makes me excited for the future generation to be ready to conquer our ever-changing, ever-growing technologically advanced world.

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- Walter Dean Myers’ Monster pg 281

I was very glad that Steve Harmon was found not guilty in this case because I personally did not think that he should have had either a death or life sentence in prison. Throughout the story, it seemed to me as Miss O’Brien was trying to keep Steve encouraged and not let him have negative thoughts about the outcome of the trial, so her reaction to winning the trial was a bit shocking to me. I was excited to read that Steve was found not guilty and was expecting a completely different response from Miss O’Brien, so I too am curious as to what made her so stand-off-ish towards Steve when he was trying to show her gratitude and appreciation.

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In class on Monday, it was mentioned that maybe Miss O’Brian never really believed in Steve’s innocence either. For me, I would find it more comforting if my lawyer believed my case but her actions throughout the trial was always for Steve. She encouraged him, and helped him believe in himself, that he was more than the guys in the jumpsuit which I always appreciated. But I’m with you when she responded quite differently then I had expected. I was hoping for happiness and another vote of confidence from her when she would tell him “I told you so”. I’m curious what other reasons why she would have behaved the way she did.

I thought it was interesting how the book came full circle in the sense that Steve looked in the mirror in the beginning and didn’t recognize himself and then in the end he still doesn’t seem to fully understand who he is when he sees his reflection. The scene where Miss O’Brien ignored him after the verdict, I think spoke a lot to Steve. And I also wonder what did she see. I’m hoping that she didn’t see what the prosecutor saw in the beginning, a “monster”. But maybe it’s guilty? Confused? I’m glad he was acquitted and seeing him pursue his passion in film makes the optimist in me happy.

I thought this quote from the closing statements of Petrocelli was very interesting because we’ve been reading the story from the narration of Steve. Earlier in the book he talked about his involvement with the “getover” so we know he was involved. As the story progressed, Steve goes up on the witness stand with ambiguous responses about his involvement in the crime. In some ways, I think Steve had to hold on to the idea of his innocence to avoid a sentence that wasn’t worth the actions he committed. Did he completely convinced himself that he wasn’t involve?

It saddened me when Steve wrote that he understood why people would rather lose their life then face a verdict. In my opinion I don’t think that Steve deserves the death penalty for being a lookout even though he’s technically being tried for murder. Although I do wonder if reading this book from Steve’s perspective, warrants a different set of emotions towards his verdict rather than from a perspective of a juror or judge. It makes me wonder if we heard from prisoners more often, would our opinions be different? Would their actions be justified?

Reading this book reminded me of when Humans Of New York did a series at several federal prisons across the world. Humans of New York was created by a journalist to capture the intimate stories of humans everywhere. In my last post I talked about hearing the perspective of prisoners and this journalist sought out complete that exact task. There’s a quote from a prisoner who is struggling with meth addiction that really stuck out to me, “Honestly, if I mess up again, I hope it kills me. Because I don’t want to keep hurting people.” She’s tired of hurting the people around her with her addiction and it was sad to think that she doesn’t have the faith in herself to believe that she could change. There seems to be a sense of hopelessness in this prisoner and in “Monster”. If you want to read some of these stories I posted the link below.

www.humansofnewyork.com/tagged/inmate-stories

The scenes where Steve is visited by his mother and his father revealed a new perspective for me. I fee like it’s not often that people think about the impact that imprisonment has on not just the prisoner, but those who love the prisoner as well. It was heart-wrenching to read Steve’s narration of their visitation as they cried for him. The despair Steve felt and the disappointment he feels from his parents. This quote is upsetting to read as Steve’s mom feels like she can’t even reach out to touch her son and give comfort without an altercation from the guards. Although I appreciate the author’s authenticity with the story, I really hope the authenticity includes a light at the end of the tunnel for Steve and his family.

I chose the song “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls because I think these lyrics are a good representation of how Steve Harmon feels in the book. His background and his race makes him believe that the jury won’t understand who he really is. When he writes that “I wanted to open my shirt and tell her to look into my heart to see who I really was, who the real Steve Harmon was” (Myers 92), it makes me think of these lyrics when it says “I just want you to know who I am”. It’s heartbreaking reading his journal entries and seeing the sadness that occurs in the courtroom when no one can see how he feels. The orange jumpsuit and handcuffs overshadows his character.

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“’Cause I’m a human being. I want a life too! What’s wrong with that?” -Myers (pg. 76)

I’ve seen this common reference to Steve or the prisoners being human. Also the idea of a “good person” appears often in the first 88 pages. Steve struggles to see “yourself as being difference” among the other prisoners, while the jury is challenged to see the defendants as human and innocent before proven guilty (62).

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This makes me think of the scene in the book when Steve writes about the preacher that came and the prisoner who lashed out saying that you can’t prove to be a good person when you’re in jail. We continually see how Steve is trying to perceive himself as a good person while being on trial but I think that after learning about Myers’ biography, he’s also addressing a broader topic. Not every prisoner is the same. Despite the fact that they’ve ended up, their character traits aren’t the same.

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This quote hit me hard. I thought it was a very strong way to start the book because it makes the reader think. It made me think of all the times when I was a child and would cry at night. Sometimes I would go to my mom, sometimes I would be quiet so no one would hear me. The fact that it says “when someone is being beaten up and screaming for help” puts into perspective the environment he grew up in. Where being beaten up is not an uncommon thing.

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This quote was also very heavy for me. It immediately allows the reader to examine the different backgrounds and setting that you may share with the narrator. It also sets a somber tone for the story and for me it created a feeling of sympathy and sadness. The author grabbed my attention right away with these first few lines and it’s impressive how Myers was able to continually captivate my attention. As a reader, I tend to gloss over the details that in my eyes are unnecessary because all I care about is the dialogue but the format of “Monster” has me reading every word.

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Madeleine L’Engle’s, Wrinke In Time, is a book that includes aspects of fantasy, sci-fi, domestic issues, and coming-of-age emotions in it. I think that reading between the lines, you can see L’Engles influence in the book with her thoughts of progressivism. Attributing the boys (Charles and Calvin) with linguistic abilities and Meg with science and math knowledge, she is breaking stereotypes that perpetuated at the time the book was written and giving more than subtle messages on feminism. L’Engle was also an active liberal Episcopalian, and her work can seen as a warning message against communism with the slight references that can be made throughout the book, such as the creation of IT and his planet (only using logic and everything has it’s place and function with no room for emotion). Overall, it is easy to argue that this book was ahead of it’s time, with L’Engles progressive ideas reigning through the book and using her minority background to inspire the content on a wider scale.

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I definitely agree. With the publication of this book being made in the 1960s, progressive is definitely one way to describe it. What I found interesting from the article we read, “Finding a Happy Medium: The Design of Womanhood in A Wrinkle in Time” by Katherine Schneebaum, is how she views certain content as anti-progressive. While I understood some of the arguments she made, it seemed to be a stretch due to quotes being taken out of context. I also think that criticizing this book with the new Feminism movement isn’t fair because of the drastic change in society we’ve seen since the 1960s. I’m glad that I’m not the only one who finished reading this book with a positive reaction towards L’Engle’s overarching themes.

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When Calvin first meets Meg and Charles, he feels almost an instant connection to them. Especially Meg, he seems to always comfort her, and hold her hand just at the right moment she needs it. When it is later revealed by Mrs. Whatsit that his gift is communication, it seems as though this earlier connection may have been some foreshadowing. It was a hint that he would have special abilities.

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I never thought about that. He always seems to know how to communicate to Meg in the best, comforting way possible. Yet, even though his gift is communication, he wasn’t able to communicate to Charles Wallace or IT in the best way possible to get out of the situation. The only true communication he succeeds in other than Meg, is with the Beasts. It’s not that I doubt his skill to communicate but I wonder if it’s strongest with Meg and that was another foreshadowing within it self.

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A wrinkle in time filled my heart with joy and made me optimistic forever

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“Like and equal are not the same thing.” -Meg Murry

I loved reading this scene when Meg reaches the realization that “like” and “equal” aren’t the same thing. Charles is trying to tell her that being equal is being like everyone else but that ignores the differences we have, what makes us unique. The themes in the story are beyond universal in my opinion. It makes you realize the freedom we have to be different; to possess the many characteristics that make us who we are. It’s an important message for not just kids, but everyone that it’s better to be different than the same but we should still treat each other equally. That’s the difference between being “equal” and being “like” other people.

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