a. Miles Roby: Dynamic, Main character of the story and operator of the Empire Grill. While Miles spends the duration of the book trying to flee Empire Falls- his dream is nearly achieved as a teenager when he attends a small catholic college in New York but his dreams are cut short when his mother becomes ill and he needs to return to the town to work to provide for his mothers medical expenses. Everything seems to be holding Miles in Empire Falls until Mrs. Whiting (a very influential and controlling figure in Mile’s life) dies in a struggle with control. Although Miles chooses to still reside in Empire Falls, he does it by his own choosing.
b. David Roby: Dynamic, After causing a car accident while under the influence of alcohol, David sobers up and turns his life around. David becomes a cook at the Empire Grill and habitual cannabis smoker.
c. Tick Roby: Static, The intelligent and scholarly daughter of Miles Roby. Suffers from minor scoliosis attributed to carrying a heavy backpack. While Tick witnesses a school shooting and experiences what could be identified as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, she appears to have recovered by the conclusion of the book and have returned to the compassionate and studious girl like in the beginning chapters.
d. Mrs. Whiting: Dynamic, A controlling figure in a family possessing political (friends with Officer Minty) and capital (owns majority of the town’s land) interests in Empire Falls. While her husband altered the path of the river for his industrial needs, he (and ultimately his family) failed in controlling nature and Mrs. Whiting becomes powerless as she is swept away in a flash flood.
e. C.B. Whiting: Dynamic, Attempts to control nature and the natural course of his life. In the begi...
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...as that no matter who you are, you never, ever, get your fill” (Russo 1382).
i. While Miles’ ex-wife Janine was starving herself in attempt to gain control of her weight, she was never satisfied with her natural and biological ability to continue to gain weight.
c. “No matter how well you planned something, God always planned better. If He was feeling stingy that day and didn't want you to have some little thing you had your heart set on, then you weren't going to get it and that was all there was to it” (Russo 5000).
d. “They stayed, many of them, because staying was easier and less scary than leaving” (Russo 6739).
e. “Not giving a shit, she decided, is like the defrost option on a car's heater that miraculously unfogs the windshield, allowing you to see where you're headed” (Russo 7136).
f. Narrative Detail: Dialogue, Vivid Imagery (5 senses), Concrete Details,
Black Hearts tells the story of a few bad soldiers from 1st platoon, Bravo company of the 1-502nd Infantry Battalion of the 101st Airborne Division, that was plagued with toxic leadership and lack of control over soldiers. The book documents the events that led to the ultimate demise of the soldiers involved in the horrific incident that occurred on March 12, 2006. Four soldiers were arrested in the brutal murder of an Iraqi family, which was a result of the lack of leadership and structure these soldiers received. Black Hearts takes a deep look into what happened to this troubled platoon and what unfortunate events occurred during their deployment.
A long, long time ago, God decided to punish the wicked people, but before he did that, he instructed Noah to build an ark and fill it with two of every animal he can find along with his family. Animals and humans. The book I would like to use throughout this essay is “ Crossing ,” by Gary Paulsen. This book took place in Juarez, Mexico, where a bridge could mean so much. Each character in this book was being compared to an animal, to make us more understand about each of them. Each of them are also different. From the shape of their eyes, the way they react to something, and those are what made each of them different and special. Paulson compares animals and humans by their simliar characteristics and their behaviors.
In Charles Frazier’s Cold Mountain, the theme of music is one of the novel’s most powerful themes. From symbolizing character growth to the healing of physical wounds, music plays an integral part in this novel. While many critics will point out that music has little effect on the human psyche, Charles Frazier shows his belief that music does indeed have a profound effect on the human mind throughout Cold Mountain. Throughout the novel, Inman, Ada, Ruby, Stobrod, and many other characters experience music that allows them to keep faith against the odds or even heal their wounds! There are three major types of music used in this novel; hymn music, folk music, and “natural music”. It is through these types of music that the characters in this novel regain their strength to continue their journeys. Many critics of Cold Mountain claim that Frazier ignored certain historical facts in order to make his point. However, when writing about the music of the South during the Civil War, Frazier stays very accurate in the use and power of music. In the world of Cold Mountain as well as the historical South, music is an extremely powerful force.
This action packed book keeps readers on the edge of their seat waiting to see what Alex Rider will do next. The book make the reader feel that they are Alex himself by
Hutch, the main character of The Big Field, has played baseball all of his life. He has always played shortstop, the same position that his father dreamed of playing as a professional. “Hutch, had always thought of himself as the captain of any infield he’d ever been a part of” (Lupica 1). Hutch finds himself being demoted to second base because there is another player, Darryl, on his new team that is expected to go pro and also plays shortstop. Hutch struggles because he does not want to play second base and his father does not support him because he does not want baseball to break Hutch’s dreams like it did his own. Hutch is betrayed by his father and Darryl when he finds them practicing together. Hutch has to learn to adjust and eventually becomes friends with Darryl, the up and coming shortstop. He understands that if he wants to win, then he needs to work together with Darryl. His father also comes around and finally gives Hutch his approval. Students should read this book in a high school English classroom because it demonstrates how relationships can be difficult, but teamwork can help to solve many issues.
In the award-winning novel, Empire Falls, by Richard Russo, there is a glimpse into the lives of the people who live in a small mill town in Empire Falls, Maine. There are many different inhabitants of this small town, but the character who is easiest to feel connected to is Christina, or "Tick", Roby. Tick is very mature and grown-up for her age and she avoids trouble as much as possible. While she is in her junior year of high school, she seems to be experiencing many more burdens than the average teenager. One of the things she has to deal with is a menacing ex-boyfriend, Zack Minty. Another problem of Tick’s is the fact that after her parents got divorced, Janine, Tick’s mom, was given custody of Tick, even though Miles, her father, was undoubtedly better fit to be a parent. Tick also had to deal with the sudden appearance of Walt Comeau, her future stepfather, in the home she and her mother live in. An issue Tick had at school was that she decided to take an art class, but her art teacher couldn’t understand. Also, because Tick was given a special lunch hour to eat by herself, the principal decided she would be a good candidate to spend lunch with John Voss, who had no friends and needed someone to eat with. He would later prove to be dangerous and instable. All of the problems that Tick has encountered in her short life have been caused by the adults in Empire Falls.
In the beginning of the book, Gene has a childlike attitude. Occasionally he ends up having some sarcastic comments and this gives him a comfortable life. Gene follows the rules and does not really break them. Although Gene follows the rules, he is not able to learn to change and mature. He can change with some trouble and conflict. Finny is the opposite of Gene. Finny breaks the rules and hardly gets in trouble for it. Finny challenges Gene to break through his safe lifestyle. With Finny and Gene together, Gene begins to explore life and breaks his comfort zone.
After watching 21 Bringing Down the House and comparing the movie to the novel by Ben Mezrich I noticed a number of distinct differences. The movies whole team is not portrayed accurately while in the book they are mostly asian students the movie consists of white students. The leader of the group Micky is played by Kevin Spacey and does not portray him similar to the book. In the movie he is more aggressive to the team and focused on money. In the book he is more kind and is focused on teaching the team. Rather than leaving Micky out of the team like the book they get into an argument and decide to cut him out. A few other parts of the movie are also greatly dramaticized such as the backroom investigations. While in the book they state that
The climax of the story is when Miles is shot by the Bonewoman. The reader comes to realize that Miles’ choice to live life on the safe side was a mistake:
In the essay “Everything Now” Signs of Life in the USA: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers, author Steve McKevitt blames our unhappiness on having everything we need and want, given to us now. While his writing is compelling, he changes his main point as his conclusion doesn’t match his introduction. He uses “want versus need” (145) as a main point, but doesn’t agree what needs or wants are, and uses a psychological theory that is criticized for being simplistic and incomplete. McKevitt’s use of humor later in the essay doesn’t fit with the subject of the article and comes across almost satirical. Ultimately, this essay is ineffective because the author’s main point is inconsistent and poorly conveyed.
The book, “The Light in the Forest” is a book written by Conrad Richter. This book is about a young man named True Son. He was a young white boy that was captured by Indians. True Son was only four years old when he was captured, and eventually adopted as one of their own. True Son, at the time was way too young to fully understand what was going on. All’s True Son knew was that he had a family, an Indian family that loved him very much. To True Son, he was pure indian.
Lines and Shadows, by Joseph Wambaugh, tells the story of a group of regular San Diego street cops assigned to a task force designated to stop the victimization of illegal aliens by bandits in a hellish no-man's land near the Mexico-United States border. The officers soon realize the issue may be too big for regular street cops such as themselves, and many must deal with the psychological, emotional, and social conflicts caused and manifested by the events that occur during their mission.
for the death of the platoon. Mitchem is ' guilty ' of a series of
A few chapters later, the book consumes every spare minute of the readerof as the storyline gets better and better with each chapter. The childish antics of Miles and his friends are comical and entertaining. Alaska was an innovated and amusing character that was easy to fall in love with. The tender bonding between Chip and Miles, after Alaska's death is poignant and heartwarming. This tragedy leads two teens into a friendship that will prove the test of time. Each chapter in John Green's novel captures the excitement, happiness, affection, bonding, and even the sadness of the storyline and characters. The reader cannot help but fall in love with this
Jack London is among the many prolific writers from the United States of America who possess great artistic works ranging from great time novels ,short stories to plays just but to mention a few. He is fondly remembered for his great novel, ‘Martin Eden’ published in 1909. In the novel he tries to express the challenges faced by young writers who try to exploit their talent and passion in an area where little opportunities present themselves. This novel has stood the test of time with its relevance evident to date. It is a favorite to many young upcoming writers thus the main aim for writing this paper is to focus on the autobiography of Jack London as ‘Martin Eden’.