Reflective Blog Post

http://cristinasreadingblog.blogspot.com/2015/04/rmance.html
        My best blog which demonstrates my learning is the 2nd blog on my page on Monday, April 6, 2015. The blog was about "A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks. I wrote this blog in the middle of the novel and I loved it. I think this shows my learning because the blog explains how Landon as a character grows. In the beginning of the book Landon was trying to fit in and be cool. He cared about what others thought of him which is normal because the average teen cares about their image. Landon matures and learns how to be a better person throughout the novel and I demonstrated this by using several quotes.  Also is this exact blog I do show what Landon and Jamie's relationship is which is complicated. I wrote how Landon's feelings towards Jamie is becoming more intimate. Jamie is also teaching Landon valuable lessons which he is now implying in his life. In this blog I state a connection to Landon's actions and to an everyday kid. If your in a situation of  teasing you do anything to stop it. When Landon gets teased he avoids Jamie and tried to stop the situation. Later on Landon learns that it doesn't matter on what people think, it only matters what you think of yourself.
        Some goals for myself in the future is to make more connections. I made some connections throughout my book but I definitely thought it was the hardest part of blogging. I think I can improve on my introduction of the quote because I feel like I used the same statement over and over. I can improve this by playing around with words to change the introduction so it is more interesting to the reader. I think some goals for reading is to read more of a diversity and a higher level. I think I can push myself to read more challenging novels. I feel like I do read the same genre when I do read. I should try new genres of books because I may end up liking a different genre but I would never know if I never try. Next time I write I want to write a really strong analysis to explain the meaning of my quotes better. I hope to reach these goals next year and then create more.

         Landon invites Jamie over to his house for Christmas dinner. In chapter 10 Landon and share their ideas on life and Jesus. Landon admits to himself that he does like Jamie and he keeps wondering if Jamie returns the same emotions. Later on Landon and Jamie date. Landon asked Reverend Sullivan's blessing and he agrees but when he leaves their home he notices Reverend Sullivan crying. Landon and Jamie then spend a lot of time together. Next Landon notices that Jamie has gotten thinner and doesn't know why. Landon then tells Jamie that he loves her. Jamie cries and tells him not to say that. Jamie then tells Landon that she is dying.
       I did infer before that she must of had a life threatening condition. Jamie's main goal was to get married. Jamie never planned to go to college probably because she thought she wouldn't live long enough. Jamie also starts to question the meaning of life. Also when Landon first asked her out she agreed if he promised he wouldn't fall in love with her. When I first read that part I was very confused as to why she would say that. Since when you first to talk to someone you don't say that in normal situations.This is VERY ironic because Landon did fall in love with Jamie. Lastly, soon after Landon admitted he loved Jamie she told him she was dying.
     Landon discovers that Jamie has a rare form of leukemia which has no cure. Jamie has a few months to live unless there is a miracle. Landon clearly doesn't know what to do with this situation and wonders what he can do. He has been reading Jamie's bible searching for answers. Jamie then tells Landon that she loves him. Eric gives Jamie $400 for the orphanage. He then thinks what is his purpose.  Landon then does the unthinkable. Landon proposes to Jamie to marry him... Jamie says YES. The theme in the novel is to listen to your heart. Landon listened to his heart and married Jamie even though he knew she wasn't going to live much longer. He wanted to marry Jamie for himself not just to make Jamie happy. The novel then ends with him saying he still wears his wedding ring and loves Jamie even though she has passed away. Landon also states that he believes in miracles.

      Landon is Tom Thornton in his high school play. Miss Garber is their drama teacher. Jamie then approaches the orphanage director to see if they can perform their lines in front of the children. This causes Landon to pay more attention to the play because he doesn't want to be embarrassed in front of the orphans. Miss Garber happily agrees with their plan to perform. When Jamie stops by Landon's house she is amazed of the size and how it appears. When they go to the orphanage and ask Mr.Jenkins declines the offer about their performance because he believes it may make the children sad. Landon starts to grow as a person in the novel. Landon states, "Unlike Jamie, I deserved to feel bad about myself-I knew what kind of person I was..."(Sparks 90). Landon realizes that he can be a better person and starts to want to be a better person. This quote also shows Landon's feelings growing more than as a friend. Landon is starting to realize that he cares about Jamie even if he doesn't want to admit it. Jamie is changing Landon by her presence and attitude towards life and how you should live it. 

     After their rehearsals Landon walks Jamie home because she always asks him to. Landon agrees because he doesn't want to hurt her feelings. During their walks together Landon starts to learn more about Jamie and realize she isn't exactly what he thought she would be. Landon learns that Jamie's mom died and the bible which she carries everywhere belonged to her mother. Eric and Margaret see them walk together and they tease Landon about him being with Jamie. Eric then tells the school about them hanging out and Landon gets teased a lot. Landon did what many people would do in modern time. Normally when you get teased about something you avoid it. You avoid it because you don't want other people to think that your uncool. Landon gets very frustrated and yells at Jamie. Landon doesn't want to like Jamie so he tries and pushes her away.

    Landon feels bad for lashing out towards Jamie so before their final performance and he apologizes to Jamie. When Landon is backstage Eric asks whats his plan for the performance. In other words how is Landon planning to ruin the play. Landon states that he is going to try his best in the performance. Eric responds,"I guess you're finally growing up, Landon" (Sparks 112) This shows another example of Landon's character growing. In the last few chapters Landon has been more mature and less sarcastic. Landon has also became more grateful when he went to the orphanage and by Jamie's reaction to his house. Landon's family is wealthy but he never thought about it till he met Jamie. He became more greatful for this family because he saw the children's lives in the orphanages.

      I have just started to read A Walk to Remeber by Nicholas Sparks. I have read books by Nicholas Sparks and I do enjoy them all. Spark's are fantastic and romantic but they do have sad moments in the books. I really enjoyed the book Safe Heaven by Nicholas Sparks and that was the first book by him I read. I love his style of writing. I also saw the movie for the book and I enjoyed it even though it did leave a lot of events out of the movie.
    I love the prologue in the book. I find it very interesting and it makes you want to read more of it. The prologue is the start of the book so it should make you want to read more and interest you. The prologue was mysterious and vague. The book is in the point of Landon Carter who is seventeen years old. The prologue starts with "When I was seventeen, my life changed forever..." (Sparks xi) The first sentence makes you wonder why happened to him when he was seventeen so you are interested in the novel. The prologue ends with "This is my story; I promise to leave nothing out. First you will smile, and then you will cry- don't say you haven't been warned." (Sparks xiii) The ending of the prologue is so powerful. The ending gives you mixed emotions. It makes you wonder what makes you happy and want to cry. You know the book will be something deep and serious.
   The setting in the novel is 1958 in Beaufort,NC. Sparks described the town as peaceful
 and small. The town has eighteen churches and many people fish. Landon grew up with the care of his mother. He was known as a "rebel" when he was little. Landon also describes a girl named Jamie Sullivan. So you can infer that Jamie Sullivan will play a big part in this novel. He later talks about his dream to go to University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Landon didn't enjoy much time with his father. He grew up with barely knowing him and he was congressman. His father wanted him to go to ivy League school and run for school president. Landon turned down his idea because he isn't popular in his school. His best friend, Eric Hunter was the star quarterback and the most popular boy in his school.

            This is an example of horatine satire. You know this because Pitkin is mocking and being over dramatic for people to understand his point . Pitkin is mocking modern issues in the world such as unemployment and gas prices. Some elements of satire in the comic is hyperbole and verbal irony (sarcasm). She is making fun how the gas prices lowered and no one knew and only cared that they could get to work while others don't have jobs. Pitkin emphasis on why and stone and job so the comic is dramatic and that the reader knows why she made the comic. The modern issues in the comic is the gas prices and unemployment so the gas prices dropped but people still didn't have a career.

       Krista Ramsey wrote an article called, "Bear in the neighborhood? Thrilling, not nuisance". This article is about how a year ago she saw a black bear in her Montgomery neighborhood and her reaction was worried and concerned. When you should be happy to see a bear because they are a life's gift. You can find this article at "Bear in the neighborhood? Thrilling, not nuisance. I would ask Krista why did she write about this? What were you trying to say in this piece of writing? What made you think that people in Cincinnati would be interested in reading this specific article?
       A powerful quote in this article is,"These animals have no skills for crossing streets and cannot grasp what's meant to be landscaping rather than lunch... Whose land was it first? ... These marvelous creatures live among us, not because of us ..."(Krista Ramsey). The animals don't know any better than to go in the streets or to walk where a bunch of people live. Where you live right now belonged to the wild life. You can't blame or be angry at them(animals) for not knowing any better. The life the animals has known don't include the laws which we obey. To them the land still belongs to them as it always did. In this quote there is a question which makes the reader stop and think about what Krista was asking. Also the quote was indented which also makes the reader think about what they just read. It makes the reader think beyond the words which are written.
       Ramsey's writing style is spaced out and includes a lot of diction and syntax. Throughout her article the length of her sentences vary. The length of the sentences changes from being very long to very short and timid.  An example of this is, "She doesn't care. Whose land was it first? ..."(Krista Ramsey). The word choice in this article is very good, Some examples are gusting winds, slashing lightning, resilience, and marvelous. In the article there is a lot of punctuation which creates a pause in the reading. This occurs when Krista Ramsey states,"That we can shape the boxwood and spread the mulch and seal the driveway all we want, but let a mother raccoon do her crazy, curvy raccoon walk down our sidewalk and we're as starstruck as a seven year old." The reputation of punctuation makes the reader stop and create an image in their mind. Lastly, Krista indents every line in her article. This creates a big pause between each line. This technique creates a pause to think more about what the writer is saying beyond the words and imagine a picture of the whole idea/topic. Also makes the piece of writing more dramatic.