Final Reading Response

Archetypes can be extremely influential to a book, and how its story plays out. In Divergent, by Veronica Ross, there are many archetypes shown through out the book. But there are some that influence the story, and specifically the main character, majorly, and become a continual influence in the story.
       In the book, there are 2 major shadow archetypes who make a big influence on the book, Eric and Peter. These 2, throughput the book, seem to be the source of Tris's stress and problems. One example is on page 169, when Peter, Drew and Molly were picking on Tris. After the scene, one quote states "A sob bursts from my mouth, and I slap my hand over my mouth to contain it. It doesn't matter what they saw. I shake my head like the motion is supposed to make it true". This quote shows the stress that Peter and his group put on Tris, and that they influence her majorly.
       Another major archetype in the book is the mentor archetype, who is Four in this case. Throughout the story, Four helps and supports Tris, helping her through the intiation, and overall becoming the pillar of her support. One example of this is on page 237, when Four is trying to help Tris in one of the intiation tests. "'Learning how to think in the midst of fear' he says, ' is a lesson that everyone, even your Stiff family, needs to learn. That's what we're trying to teach you. If you can't learn it, you'll need to get the hell out of here, because we won't want you.'". This quote shows how Four tries to help Tris through the test, and the support he gives her.
     Overall, archetypes a huge influence in books. The shadow archetypes Eric and Peter influence Tris negatively, and Four, as a mentor archetype, influences her positively. The fact that certain archetypes reappear in all books shows how influential  they are.

Non-Fiction Reading Response

       Edward Snowden, a former National Secrurity Agency (N.S.A) worker, is now holed up in Russia, after exposing a program the N.S.A used to spy on Americans and foreigners. Snowden now risks life in prison if he returns to the U.S. "The 30 year old high school drop-out and computer whiz from North Carolina may be the most famous fugitive in the world- hailed as a hero by some, denounced as a traitor by others. But thanks to Snowden, President Obama has now acknowledged that the data collection programs the N.S.A is using may have gone to far. When working as a computer systems contractor, Snowden was troubled when he collected hundreds of thousands of top-secret documents about various classified surveillance programs, so he decided to make the documents public.
       The author explains in the article "Edward Snowden: Traitor or Hero?" who exactly is Edward Snowden, and how he did was such a big deal, in this case, how he revealed a program that shocked many Americans. Though in this article, the author was seemly bias to Edward Snowdens side, making the government seem like the "bad guys", and that it wasn't that serious that Snowden leaked top-secret files to the public. Though the article wasn't completely bias, giving both sides a say. "Courts so far have been divided over the spying program. A federal judge in Washington D.C. ruled in December that some of N.S.A.'s surveillance was probably unconstitutional. A week later, another federal judge in New York came to the opposite conclusion, ruling the N.S.A program legal and setting up the possibility that the Supreme Court will ultimately have to settle the matter".
       After reading this article, I have realized that the  government can really hide anything they want from the public, whether it should be important that we know or not. I feel that the government taking our information without us knowing is a bit harsh, but when I realize that a lot of other companies are doing the same thing, it made me think "Whats the difference?". In fact, I'd feel better putting my info in the hands of the government than any random company.  
        

Poem Reading Response

       “I love this cultured hell that tests my youth!”(4) is a line in the poem “America” by Claude McKay that mostly sums up the speaker of this poem’s opinion of America, the country. Throughout the poem, the poet praises America and the energy and vigor it gives him to be in such a country, even through all of the hardships it gives, suggesting also, that he might be an immigrant. This shows that the poet wanted the reader to recognize his love for America, through its hardships.

      Throughout the poem, the author praises America. The line “I love this cultured hell that tests my youth!”(4) shows the extent of his love for America, saying he loves it even though it is comparable to a hell. Also, the lines “Her vigor flows like tides into my blood”(5) and “Giving me strength against her hate”(6) shows that being in America, and the fortune it brings give him the strength to ignore the negatives of being there. This allows him to communicate to the readers his love the country, while also giving sight on how hard it is to be there.

      Also, the poem suggests the speaker had to go through many hardships. The line “Although she feeds me bread of bitterness”(1) suggest the speaker, referring to she as America, went through famine and had little to eat at one point. Also, the line “And sinks into my throat her tiger’s tooth”(2) suggests that the speaker may have been treated harshly by others, also suggesting the possibility that he was immigrant, as immigrants, when first coming to America, suffered many insults and discrimination.

       Overall, the message the poet wanted go bring out was to show people his love for his country, America, and to have his readers recognize that. He wanted his reader to realize that he’ll love America, even though it brings him hardships he has to pass.   

Independent Reading Response

          In "Saint Iggy", by K. L. Going, Iggy is an extremely misunderstood person, who constantly gets in trouble. Due to constantly getting in trouble, he gets a bad rep within his school. But through all of it, Iggy isn't a horrible person, he just makes bad decisions that lead to him getting in trouble. But  he tries hard  to change himself, his life, and his ways and this is seen throughout the book.
          In the book, Iggy is constantly getting misunderstood, or making the wrong decisions himself. For example, in the beginning Iggy if following the new "hot girl", when he decides to go to his class for once. In there his Spanish teacher mistakes Iggy shuffling his hands in  his pockets him "threatening" her. "Ms.Brando: 'Are you threatening me? Do you have a weapon? Are you on drugs? Someone call the principal. Help! Help! Help!' ". (Going 2). As a result he is suspended school, but due to a promise he makes to the principal he vows to turn his life around, even though it seems impossible in the state it's in, with a lazy drunk father, and a mother who's never home.
         Also, another example is when Iggy comes up with his plan to change his life. He decides he needs to get away from his father and their apartment, so he goes to his friend, Mo's apartment. After a while he sees that Mo is having issues of his own, from problems with a drug dealer to his father. So, Iggy decides to help Mo with his problems, even though in the end it doesn't work out in his benefit. "My whole day is flashing back. I see me. Mo. The social worker. Mrs Brando. My sprawled-out dad on our torn-up couch. The note I wrote this afternoon. Freddie. The grey girl.....And I hear Principal Olmos's voice in my head......And I hate to say it, but I'm beginning to think he was fat out wrong about the contributing" (Going 56).
          So overall, Iggy is a person who tries hard to redeem himself and his ways, but ends up paying for it in the end, good or bad. Even though he wants to redeem himself to the school and his father, life never turns his way, and things just end up going wrong.

Non-Fiction Reading Response

    In "Smoke Signals", by Alessandra Potenza, recently, electronic cigarettes have been the new hype for smokers in the U.S. Especially for the younger crowd, e-cigarettes have been getting increasingly popular. "A recent study by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the share of young people using  e-cigarettes doubled in 2012 from the previous year". ( Potenza 1) According to the author, though this worries health officials, who have been helping people quit smoking for decades, or in preventing them from starting in the first place. 19% of adults smoke cigarettes compared today, compared to the 42% in 1956. Though some doctors believe that e-cigarettes can help smokers quit, health officials are fearing the possibility that e-cigs will create a new wave a nicotine addiction among young people since unlike normal cigarettes, e-cigs are not tightly regulated.

     Based on the article, the author seems to want to address the issue of e-cigarettes, and how it posses to the public. The author seems to want to give both sides of e-cigarettes, showing the threat it shows, and the benefits it can give. Though the author seem biased to the side against e-cigarettes. One example is a quote the author gives in the text. Matthew Meyers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, states "The real threat is whether, with this marketing, e-cigarette makers will undo 40 years of efforts to de-glamorize smoking" (Potenza 2). Also, the author gives the side in support of e-cigs stating that a few studies show that smokers quit slightly more easily than with cessation aids like nicotine patches or gum.

        This article has made me acknowledge that along with a lot of other issues, smoking is a big issue that people are trying to fix. With the new trend of e-cigarettes, people are now debating whether this new brand, while better than tobacco, if its ok for the public.This reminds e of all the grown-ups I know who smoke. I think though, like normal cigarettes, e-cigs should be regulated, and controlled on who gets them, and that its probably not an ok thing for the younger public to have. Though, in terms of getting smokers to quit, I'm more with the idea, because they're smoking something, not completely healthy for them, but better than tobacco.