Blog # 10 - Red

Red: Teenage Girls in American Write on What Fires up Their Lives Today, was unlike any book we have read all semester. It tells stories of what it is like growing up a teen in today’s society. I enjoyed the fact that this book is comprised of real life stories from teenage girls. It is the perfect book for any teenage girl as there is a vast range of experiences that are discussed. It also discusses many point of views as the teenage girls come from a diverse spectrum of socioeconomic, political, racial and religious backgrounds. By reading the different stories I found myself relating to my own teenage years. The Beautiful Cause of Death; brought forth the huge issue of body image. This is a huge issue in America today as many girls suffer from anorexia and bulimia. My best friend suffered from anorexia in high school and had to be treated at a special inpatient program. Although the disease did not take her life, it is something she continues to battle today. I sometimes ask myself why did it happen to her, and what influenced her to believe that she was “too fat”. The truth is we will never know. I think it is helpful though to read stories like this, to gain an understanding of what teenage girls really go through and how difficult it is to grow up as a teenage girl. I wish I would have been able to read a book like this while I was growing up as it could have helped answer and bring forth many different prospective’s on growing up as a teenage girl in the United States.

Blog # 9 - My Young Adult Novel

Writing a young adult novel would be extremely interesting and difficult. As I am now 23 years old I would have to reflect on my teenage years to determine the most important experiences and who inspired and shaped me to be the person I am today. I would write my essay from my viewpoint today, looking back on my teenage years (so I could better analyze my experiences). I would begin my novel by writing about my first day of high school and how intimidated I was to be in a new school. The high school was so much bigger in the middle school and looked like a jail from the outside. It was difficult going from being the oldest and most mature students in middle school, to being a “freshman” in high school. Throughout my high school experience I overcame many obstacles and was faced with many different types of pressure. I would also write about my first love. I feel head over heels for this boy named Chris. I thought our relationship was going to last forever only to become heartbroken when we broke up. Looking back on that situation I realize that my first break up was not the end of the world, but only the beginning! It would be my hope that teenagers today would read my book and be able to relate to many of the situations. I hope they would gain an understanding that throughout your teenage years you are faced with many obstacles and it is how you react to those obstacles that make you the person you will become. Looking back at my experiences it was the simple events and relationships I had with others that have made me who I am today.

Blog # 8- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

The story of a young Native American teenager named Junior captured my interest immediately. Before reading the book I wondered how I would engage myself with the story line as I felt I might not have a lot in common with a Native American living on a reservation. As I started to read the novel I realized that even though I had many differences from Junior, there are experiences and characteristics I could relate to. It must have been extremely difficult growing up on a reservation with a father who was consumed with alcohol. Despite all the challenges Junior, with the encouragement of his teacher, finally becomes successful. It was reassuring to see that despite his dad’s addiction to alcohol and lack of success (not able to support the family financially) his dad found ways of showing Junior that he loved and cared about him. I enjoyed the part where his dad saved five dollars at the bottom of his boot for a present for Junior. I also like the fact that even though his dad did not have a lot of money he would always come to Juniors basketball games, while some of the wealthy dads never came to support their children. Despite the fact that Juniors dad cared about him, I found it extremely frustrating because his dad did not want better for the family. Even after experiencing the tragic deaths of Grandma (Junior’s Grandma) and his best friend Eugene, in which both deaths involved alcohol, Junior’s dad continued to drink. You would think that after experiencing those tragedies, you might decide to stop drinking. Instead of stopping, his dad drank at the funerals. Overall I really enjoyed the message that despite challenges it is possible to overcome obstacles.

Blog # 7- Betsy Brown

I enjoyed reading Betsy Brown. I felt that this book was a lot easier to follow than the previous books. It was interesting to learn more about diversity. I especially liked learning about diversity through the eyes of a teen. I did not realize how traumatic it was when Betsey was first enrolled in the same school as white children (after the desegregation act of 1954). It was obvious and understandable that she was afraid to go to a mixed school, even though her father tried to include her in demonstrations to fight for equal rights. Even though black and white children attended the same schools, they still did not achieve equality. I felt very sympathetic towards Betsey, as her family put a lot of pressure on her. Despite the pressure however; Betsey’s mother served as a role model, and was a good influence on Betsy. She had high expectations for Betsey. Like Betsey, my family also has put a lot of pressure on me to succeed. They do not let me give up and make me do my best. Looking back on the things that I have done (like almost finishing nursing school) I am extremely grateful that my parents have pushed me. I would not be where I am today without them. Her mom taught her to have a positive attitude towards others, regardless of their skin color or social status. I think her strong role models, and her persistence in triumphing through different challenges make Betsy the strong girl that she became.

Blog # 6 - Essay Outline

Thesis:
Peer pressure placed on teens throughout the years can greatly affect their decisions. Taking a closer review of books Charlotte Temple, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Basketball Diaries, written throughout many years will allow us to evaluate how peer pressure placed on teens has changed throughout the years, and compare it to my own personal experiences of peer pressures throughout my teenage years.
1) Charlotte Temple written in
a. Montroville pressures Charlotte to go to America
2) Huck Finn written in
a. Tom pressures Huck to leave his house in the middle of the night to go to the cave (so they can be initiated in the club)
b. Tom pressures Huck to go through a whole ritual before rescuing Jim (the ritual was unnecessary and actually prolonged freeing Jim)
3) The Basketball Diaries
a. Friends on the basketball team influenced/pressured Jim to take drugs
b. After Jim went to jail his friends once again pressured him to being using drugs again.
4) Other Book that we have not read yet (ex. Betsy Brown, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian)
5) Personal Experiences
a. Staying out past my curfew
b. Dating people to be in the a certain peer group
c. Driving to Ohio State right after I got my licenses (even though my parents did not know I was going)
Conclusion:
It is evident that the pressures placed on teens by their peers have changed slightly throughout the years, however peer pressure is still present and greatly influences teens today.

Blog # 5 - Huckleberry Finn

Reading the classic Huckleberry Finn was different than reading the previous teen books. I know that I had to read Huck Finn in High School but forgot what the book was really about until I had to read it again for Adolescents in American Literature. I was slightly disappointed after reading it, as I thought it was a better book in high school. When reading the book this time I did pay closer attention to the roles of teens in the book and also to the race issues that were evident. I felt that Huck was much more immature (after reading it this time). I believe that Tom’s immaturity had a negative influence on Huck. Although he went on many adventures by himself and was very adventurous, he was a fairly ignorant person. In the beginning of the book Huck would play tricks on Jim. He also did not want to be civilized. When Huck was trying to rescue Jim (at the end of the book) peer pressure was evident. Tom pressured Huck into doing many rituals (like having Jim write on the wall, writing a false letter for those people hunting Jim to believe, digging a hole for Jim to escape from etc.). This delayed their rescue of Jim considerably. Many of these activities were unnecessary and cost the boys a lot of time. In the end I believe that Huck began to grow up. He thought less about himself and began thinking more about others. Huck finally realized that black people were human too.

Blog # 4 - The Modern Day Charlotte Temple

It is 6 o’clock in the morning; Bella does not feel like getting up and going to school. Not because she sick, but because she does not feel as though she fits in. One day while at the mall she meets an older guy named Bill. Unlike Bella, Bill is already in college. He is very good looking and seems to be quite wealthy. Immediately Bella become smitten with Bill. She no longer hates going to school because she now feels she is better than the other 12th graders. She is dating an older guy! Not only is he older but he seems to be smitten with her too. He buys her nice things and takes her to nice places. Her whole life becomes intertwined with his. He is her one and only. Everything seems to be perfect between them until he goes on spring break with some of his college buddies. Instead of calling her multiple times a day (like he did when they were both home) his phone calls start to dwindle off, from once a day to every other day. When he comes back home things seem to be different. Bella cannot however put her finger on what is wrong. Bill seems to be more distant. Instead of spending all his free time with her, like he used to do, he is now spending more time with his friends. One night when Bill is out with his friends, Bella gets a feeling in her gut that something is not right. She drives her car to Bills dorm and goes inside to find Bill on the futon with another girl. Bella is heartbroken. She is completely lost. Bill was her everything. She leaves the dorm and goes for a long drive, never to return again.