My fourth text type is diary entries. A diary entry has a lot of power over someone’s privacy. It’s a daily record on whatever the owner wants. It can be on how their day was, or just how they felt throughout the day. A lot of people confess their secrets there. Just like in the book “Go Ask Alice” I decided to write three diary entries. Of course I pretended to be someone else, I pretended to be a girl that was sexually assaulted by her own father, so I would drink and consume drugs to numb the pain. In the diary entries I pretended to be afraid of telling my own mother because I knew she wasn’t going to believe me. The audience for this text type is the writer itself because it’s too personal for someone to read, but if the writer (me) authorized people to read the entries the audience would be girls. A lot of girls are targeted by their own family members and they are afraid to reach for help. This relates to my audiences …show more content…
When I finished reading the book I was amazed because no one had ever talked to me about how some teenagers struggle with drugs, alcohol and being sexual assaulted. I knew they existed, and that it was a problem, but I didn’t know all the bad outcomes. I didn’t know how painful it was, and it was just because I never took the time to think about it till I read about it. When it comes to sexual abuse you don’t have to be a rapist to abuse and the person doesn’t have to be a rapist for him/her to abuse of you. If you’re under the influence of drugs or alcohol you’re not yourself anymore. The next day you might not even remember a thing. That is what most young adults don’t understand. Sexual assault can even be having sex just to obtain drugs and alcohol. Drugs and alcohol are depressants. Consuming those substances is the solution, and it leads to being more depressed and eventually overdose. That is the message I tried getting across each text
Feelings of the book, displays a message to teenagers and young daters that hitting, or verbally abusing someone emotionally is not going to help a situation whereas it will most probably make things worse.
For younger readers this book carries very strong language but it has a strong message. One of those is that it shows what students will do for drugs. While researching the book you discover that in South Carolina, Berkley County school district, was one of the first to pull the book from schools and libraries. This occurred after a mom protested the book when her 8th grade daughter had to read little experts from the book to her classmates. The students mother did not want her to be reading a book with so much profanity and references to sex. One of the most controversial lines that comes from the book is when Alice writes in her journal “Another day, another blow-job”. She doe...
After getting to know the lives and minds of some of the boys in jail, I truly believe that the prison system is the worst way to go on the journey to healing these kids. It may be most physically safe, but it will also produce a society that has not changed before and after going through the system. One of the most astounding discoveries I made, however, was realizing how rarely I thought about incarcerated youth, simply because it never seemed to crop up in my life.Never thought the system would be so tough on them and unforgiving as they were in the book. I believe that the best way to change the system and prevent youth from being tried as adults is to do exactly what Mark has done, provide an insight into the true soul and nature of youth, regardless if incarcerated or not, and fully understand their ability and
Due to the mains character Melinda’s story about her journey of recovery from rape and sexual assault, it was wrongly banned for small parts of the book that was taken out of context. Speak teaches the reader about rape and sexual assault and helps any survivors reading Speak. Rape and sexual assault is something that should be discussed because of how much of a problem it has become. Rape and sexual assault needs be taught in school and everyone should push hard towards educating the youth about important situations such as these so the children can grow up with safer lives then they have now. Speak should be read by many because of the extremely strong lessons. Everyone and anyone needs to be educated on these dire
Moreover, habitually ignoring the obvious has succumb them to a life of denial, which only exacerbates the inner turmoil of the teenagers. Ultimately, “parents can help teens who feel helpless by being present” (Clinton, Clark, & Straub, 2010). Furthermore, aside from the possible emotional and/or personality disorders demonstrated, such as Bobby’s incessant hand-washing, an underdeveloped prefrontal cortex, which is potentially stagnated due to their excessive drug use, it is obvious as there is no sense or fear of consequences, which is apparent in not only their sexual promiscuity, but their nonchalant demeanor as they devise a plan to commit murder. Although, God has gifted us with free will, which is clearly exhibited by the teens in this movie, parents are obligated to God to provide a strong foundation based on faith, love and guidance so as to ensure the gift of free will is not misused. Therefore, as the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed until their mid-twenties, abuse of drugs and lack of parental guidance will ultimately have detrimental outcomes. As scripture states “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother” (Proverbs 29:15
Luckily, for Melinda she found the strength she needed in a special person and project to support and encourage her expression. So many victims of sexual assault are trapped inside their minds, kind of like the way this book reads. Like a series of letters, trapped from within someone else's mind. They are afraid to tell their story, for fear they will not be believed. But finding that one outlet that builds your inner strength gives you the courage to face your fears. The character transformation that Melinda made was remarkable. She started her freshman year out as an outsider and ended up feeling confident and rejuvenated.
Although I grew up with both my parents, my dad was working a 12 hour shift, so he could provide for all his children. Even though I had the love of both my parents, I chose to hang out with my neighbors most of the day. The neighborhood I lived in was full of drugs, violence, and money. I wasn’t really into the violence part. My dad was working all day just so we could have the things we required. I didn’t want to waist our family’s money so I would never ask my Mom or Dad for any. I started hustling anything I had or could get my hands on. It was a bad decision but at the time I wasn’t thinking about the consequences. I was just trying to get my hands on a lot of money. I started robbing places and people, and ended up getting arrested a couple times. Before I started to realize that in the long run, it would turn out for the worst. The first time I got arrested, I didn’t even care. I just wanted to get done with the process of everything, and get back to what I was doing. My mind was set to think “Damn how could you make a silly mistake, and get caught like that.” My mother was totally shocked when she found out that I was getting into trouble, because I hadn’t gotten any complains from school for bad behavior, or bad grades, and I had never let my mom know that I was doing all these useless stuff. Ultimately I got sent to boarding school and now have completely switched up my life. My environment was having a big affect on my life. I learned from my mistakes and I am making a better future for myself. I don’t regret much because, I have gained so much knowledge from the wrong things I did in my life. The author Wes Moore had a change of environment and influences and turned out in a different situation, than the other Wes moor...
...ctly shown that Melinda’s thoughts gear readers to see many traits of people that suffered traumatic events and are able to return to their former personalities. All of the valuable lessons learned during the reading of SPEAK are encompassed by the main idea of resilience, which is the ability to bounce back from a terrifying event. Melinda showed the importance of participating in “flow” activities and maintaining healthy relationships with friends and family. Additionally, Melinda displays the horrors of rape to educate people about the terrible effects of rape and the book makes sure to deter people from engaging in crimes such as rape. The lessons that can be learned from SPEAK are priceless in that they can save lives and help everyone reach their utmost potential, making SPEAK a book that should be carried on the shelves of all middle school classrooms.
To read the Civil War diary of Alice Williamson, a 16 year old girl, is to meander through the personal, cultural and political experience of both the author and one's self. Her writing feels like a bullet ricocheted through war, time, death, literary form, femininity, youth, state, freedom and obligation. This investigation attempts to do the same; to touch on the many issues that arise in the mind of the reader when becoming part of the text through the act of reading. This paper will lay no definitive claims to the absolute meaning of the diary, for it has many possible interpretations, for the journey is the ultimate answer. I seek to acknowledge the fluidity of thought when reading, a fluidity which incorporates personal experience with the content of Williamson's journal. I read the journal personally- as a woman, a peer in age to Alice Williamson, a surrogate experiencialist, a writer, an academic and most of all, a modern reader unaccustomed to the personal experience of war. I read the text within a context- as a researcher versed on the period, genre, aesthetics, and to some degree the writer herself. The molding of the personal and contextual create a rich personalized textual meaning .
She loses her virginity while on acid, and is worried that she might be pregnant. Alice continued to use drugs without her family’s knowledge, and was eventually prostituting herself for drugs. She later was found dead from a drug overdose and her diary was published. This book is a powerful way for teens to really experience the tragic consequences of drug addiction. “Teen characters are involved in drugs, prostitution, and etc., but the shocking reality of this book has been credited with keeping many teenagers away from drugs.” This book shows teenagers the consequences of what can happen if you use drugs.
Catherine, P. (March 2008). The Anonymity Experiment. Writing in the Writing Disciplines, 11(3), 387 – 396
In conclusion fourteen year-old Melinda Sordino, finds her lost voice and is no longer a victim of sexual assault but a survivor. Desperate to regain the person she was before her trauma, she did not realize she has been developing into a stronger person. She is learning and growing from experience, which she is now able to speak of.
But the fight for a better life won't stop just because you aren't ready. What we're doing is not something you decide to do when you feel like it. Whether you're ready or not, this struggle will go on.” Pg. 159. The drug issue is relevant in the world today because kids, especially teens, use it as a way to escape the reality they are living in. Some use it to have fun but others to forget of what they are living in and to relieve the “stress” they might have. Reading fiction can teach students the harm and danger of certain things, like drugs. It can show what it does and how it can affect you in the future and even though it may take away the hurt you are feeling, it will only come back when that feeling is gone.“When you win we win but when you go down you go down alone” Pg. 159. The author shows by this quote how not everyone is willing to go down when you go down, but only succeed when you do. This is relevant in the world because when you are doing good everyone want to be surrounded by you, but once you fail no one is there to help you. This relates to the thesis because it can teach students the harm drugs can cause when using them for a temporary
Melinda’s life, dealing with the impact of her rape, revolves around increasing pressure and poor relationships. This produces further serious and significant dilemmas. Many teens internationally relate to Melinda, she is a flag a flag that represents the many young adults that encounter problems akin to Melinda. The dominant theme of adolescence in the book connects Melinda to the real world. The unfortunate circumstances shed light upon the many difficulties adolescents withstand. Melinda’s character is seen in many teens that confront rape, staying silent, and depression. If youth struggles to maintain a balance of emotions, because of abuse, will the future be the same?
Anne Frank's personal piece of writing, “Diary of A Young Girl” tells the story of a young girl transitioning to womanhood during the second world war. Along her journey, she uses her diary as a tool for getting rid of her emotional and mental stress. She faces the challenges of becoming a young adult with fellow residents at the Secret Annex, including her sister Margot. Like most girls, her relationship with her sister is bitter - full of conflict and eventually some understanding. Anne deals with her relationship with Margot by writing diary entries because she wants to vent her feelings of frustration, admiration, and jealousy.