We humans who live on the surface of the earth are all Overlanders! This is what I found out when I read Gregor the Overlander, a book written by Suzanne Collins. It is the first book in the Underland Chronicles series. This book was 311 pages of Underland adventure. The story begins with the protagonist, Gregor. He is a bony eleven year old boy. He lives in a hot, cramped apartment with his poor, struggling family. He is living in a state of frustration. His seven year old sister Lizzie gets to go off to camp, while he is stuck at home watching his 2 year old sister, who is called Boots. His father is missing, his mother is working all the time, his grandmother is senile and calls him Simon. There is an odd woman named Mrs. Cormaci who comes to sit with his grandmother. Gregor and Boots escape the apartment for the relative freedom of the apartment building’s laundry room. As Gregor works, Boots plays with a ball. The ball and Boots end up behind a dryer and are found by Gregor. He sees Boots near the grate in the wall, which she promptly falls into. Gregor div...
The book is narrated by a little girl named Jook-Liang (or just Liang). You are introduced to her and her family who live in Vancouver B.C. during the Great Depression. She lives in a rundown house with her father; her real mom (who she's made to call Stepmother); the "old one", the children's grandmother-- Poh-Poh; and 3 brothers. The oldest Kiam; second oldest-- an orphan the family adopted Jung-Sum; and then would be Liang; and then the youngest child Sek-Lung (or Sekky).
There are many ways in which we can view the history of the American West. One view is the popular story of Cowboys and Indians. It is a grand story filled with adventure, excitement and gold. Another perspective is one of the Native Plains Indians and the rich histories that spanned thousands of years before white discovery and settlement. Elliot West’s book, Contested Plains: Indians, Goldseekers and the Rush to Colorado, offers a view into both of these worlds. West shows how the histories of both nations intertwine, relate and clash all while dealing with complex geological and environmental challenges. West argues that an understanding of the settling of the Great Plains must come from a deeper understanding, a more thorough knowledge of what came before the white settlers; “I came to believe that the dramatic, amusing, appalling, wondrous, despicable and heroic years of the mid-nineteenth century have to be seen to some degree in the context of the 120 centuries before them” .
There are people existing among us with a special trait or characteristic that makes them stand out above the masses. They are “heroes” in a sense, who perform great acts of sacrifice and promote hope when it seems that the last drop of faith has evaporated from one’s soul. These individuals remind us of saints who walked before us, healing and caring for the sick and destitute when no other man dared. Author, Tracy Kidder (2004), brings to the forefront the noble deeds of a modern day saint, Paul Farmer, through his writing in Mountains Beyond Mountains. He illustrates how a single man can lead nations toward healing, even in the midst of war, turmoil, limited resources, or “mountains” of bureaucratic red tape. Although the book tells a story about Farmer’s life, academic achievements, and global contributions toward curing infectious diseases, the main theme, as illustrated by the book title, is that no matter what a person does, there is always more to be done. Beyond the hills and valleys of Farmer’s journey, Kidder (2004) provides scenes of leadership styles along the way. Is a leader born or is leadership learned? A review of Paul Farmer’s mission, through the eyes of the author, may provide insight to support both philosophies.
with all his might" just to liberate himself from the bed (Kafka 9). Freedman recognizes that since getting out of bed is such a formidable task to Gregor, Gregor's spatial world has already shrunk immensely. Until he manages to fling himself out of bed, Gregor's habitable world consists only of the bed. Another limitation to the world that Gregor is capable of inhabiting in his current state is foreshadowed when Gregor "fixed his eyes as sharply as possible on the window" but is not able to distinguish anything because of "the morning fog" (Kafka 7).... ...
The main character in this story is Morton “Ort” Flack, and he is twelve years old. He lives in outback Western Australia with his mother, father, older sister, Tegwyn (I have had so much trouble with the pronunciation of her name!), and his grandma.
Love and hope, together are a timeless literary thematic duo, which continue to inspire countless variations and sub-genres of romance literature. For the last many centuries, romance as a genre, is arguably the most popular of all narratives. However, the theme of love often takes presentences and overarches other thematic interpretation of stories. So why then are people seeking romance in the literature they ready? Suzanne Collins wrote The Hunger Games with the intent to introduce her young adult readership to a number of politically charged themes. Although Collins's work is acknowledged for successfully presenting themes of sacrifice, versions of reality, and power, her audience conversely identifies with the debatable sub-them of love. Social forums, such as the Official Hunger Games Facebook Website exposes an insider's perspective of sort, which reveals public perceptions and interpretations of Collins's work. Even though the purpose for the fan-website built around The Hunger games is to provide a discussion space. Participant's discussions however, unintentionally reveal a...
The Hunger Games is the first book that makes up the famous trilogy written by Suzanne Collins. Katniss, the book’s main character, is a sixteen year old girl, who lives in Panem, a country divided in 13 different districts. Each year, a reaping is hold, where every district chooses one boy and one girl to participate to the games. The participants have to kill each other for their survival, and only one person can end up as a winner. Because of Katniss’ ingenuity and strategies, both tributes from her district were able to survive and get through this challenge. This world clearly relates to the reality television in our contemporary world and to the gladiator fights. This essay will analyse the different themes, which are used to convey symbols and messages, that arise throughout the novel.
For my book report I read a dystopian fiction called The Maze Runner by James Dashner. The main character is a teenage genius, wiped of all his memories, named Thomas. The tall lanky boy is put in a whole new civilization with no important memories of the world, his family, or even his purpose in the dreaded place.
Suzanne Collins is the author of The Hunger Games, which is an intense, suspenseful, and thrilling book and movie that contains many unexpected twists and turns. All of the readers and viewers of the Hunger Games confirmed that this is an astonishing movie and book. The book keeps you interested, because you’re turning each page with suspense. For the movie, you are just waiting to see what will happen next! I’ve heard many positive review about this book and the movie too! Therefore, these are the reasons of why I choose The Hunger Games.
The book Gregor the Overlander is about an 11 year old boy who lives in New York with his grandma and his 2 year old sister, Boots. While they were doing the laundry, Gregor’s sister Boots was scurrying around, when she suddenly falls through a gate in the laundry room. As she fell, Gregor follow and falls with her into the gate. As they woke up, they mysteriously found themselves in a place called the Underland. Also, when they woke up they saw that there were oversized cockroaches and other weird creatures. Then soon he tried to go back to the overland but both of them didn’t succeed. But as they meet Luxa and her cousins they to learn about the "Prophecy of Gray." Were all 5 of them has to work together on a quest to save
Is society too egotistical? In Hunters in the Snow, Tobias Wolfe gives an illustration of the selfishness and self-centeredness of humankind through the actions of his characters. The story opens up with three friends going on their habitual hunting routine; their names are Frank, Kenny, and Tub. In the course of the story, there are several moments of tension and arguments that, in essence, exposes the faults of each man: they are all narcissistic. Through his writing in Hunters in the Snow, Wolfe is conveying that the ultimate fault of mankind is egotism and the lack of consideration given to others.
...trayed by his family, he is imprisoned in his room; however, he "thought back on his family with deep emotion and love". His affection for his family results in his conviction that he must disappear, so that he can bring them happiness and peace. Gregor sacrifices his life and dies during the night to save his family from hardship. He loves them unconditionally, like Jesus loves his people, and does not criticise them for betraying and mistreating him. Gregor's final sacrifice of his life is the strongest comparison of his Christ-like attributes.
Gregor’s entrapment inside of the bedroom forces the realization of the isolation and alienation from society into his mind. Gregor’s life as an insect takes place in an apartment in a city. The setting forces Gregor to contemplate the reality and meaning of life. The location of a hospital across the street from Gregor begins Gregor’s questioning. He wonders why his family does nothing and how he can live close to a hospital and not get any help. Kafka applies irony to the presence of the hospital and begins Gregor’s downfall and loss of hope in returning to a normal life. Also, the window itself portrays how close, yet how far he remains from safety. The bedroom contains his body and completely controls the rest of his life. Later on, hiding in the dark becomes a routine, “And he scuttled under the coach again” (Kafka 23). The bedroom becomes too much, and he can only feel comfortable and safe while hiding under furniture. His hiding prohibits any communication with anyone, and forces him into solitary confinement. The space of the room eventually leads Gregor to flee into safer areas, yet at the same time ends all contact and communication w...
The Hunger Games novel written by Suzanne Collins reflects significant issues in the reality world nowadays which relate to the humanity, the poverty, the violence,… It describes the issues through the characters and what happens in the story, and the most significant issue occurs throughout the novel is the gap between rich and poor people. In the beginning of the novel, Suzanne Collins describes clearly the scene of the poverty, the terrible fear of the 12-district’s villagers, in contrast to the wealthy of the Capitol’s citizens. The inequality of social classes becomes the theme of the novel because of its relation and the effects to the plots of the story. And the reason, which leads to that issue, is the policies of the dictatorship government controlled by the Capitol. The Capitol’s operation has affected the villagers’ rights, has made the districts become poorer and has kept them away from development. The Hunger Games novel’s theme – the inequality of social classes – is proved by the details in the story, which becomes a huge problem for the poor districts. This essay will examine what happens in the novel and why there is a big gap between people in one country, Panem.
It all begins in a little hole in the ground. Bilbo had just eaten his