Blog Post #7 An Inductive Leap too Far

Shepard, Sara. Twisted. The United States of America: Alloy Entertainment, 2011. Print.

In the novel Twisted by Sara Shepard the four main characters are suspicious that their old friend Ali is still alive even after a fire from the year before. Hanna, Aria, Spencer and Emily go on vacation to Jamaica, while there they see a girl that had looks very similar to Ali. The inductive leap made is that because this girl named Tabitha looks exactly like Ali, she is Ali. Emily faces inner turmoil because at the fire she left the door open to let anyone (in this case Ali) out of the burning lakehouse.
"But I bet you weren't always gorgeous, were you?" (Shepard 107). In this sentence Tabitha implies she knows something more than she should for someone who had just met them. With all the things she says, the way she looks and the way she talks leads the four girls to the inductive conclusion that Tabitha is in fact Ali. In the end they are wrong Tabitha is just an innocent girl and her blood is on their hands. The inductive leap created a very large problem, their assuming got the best of them and Tabitha ended up being pushed of a cliff by the girls. Her body drifted off to sea and was not found until a year later. "Guys, Tabitha wasn't Ali. We killed an innocent girl." (299).

Post #6 Style

Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl. The United States of America: Doubleday, 1967. Print.

A poetic device used throughout the novel The Diary of a Young Girl a symbol is used. The symbol used is the cupboard.
 "Dear Kitty,
     The entrance to our hiding place has now been properly concealed. Mr. Kraler thought it would be better to put a cupboard in front of the door (because a lot of houses are being searched for hidden bicycles), but of course it had to be a movable cupboard that can open like a door." (Frank 24)

  The cupboard used as a door for the Frank family symbolizes how the Jews struggled to survive during World War Two. They had to hide from everyone and live behind a cupboard because if they were found they were most likely going to be killed just as other Jews before them. It also symbolizes the hope that every single person living behind it had. They had hope for their lives, they trusted in that cupboard to keep their "secret annexe" a secret. 

Post #5 Social Issues

Weyn, Suzanne. Distant Waves. New York: Scholastic, 2009. Print.

The underlying issue of the novel Distant Waves by Suzanne Weyn is discrimination of race and being a women. The time period is set from the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

"'It might make your life harder if people knew,' I said, thinking only of Mimi's happiness. 'You know how things are in this country.'" (Weyn 68). In this quotation the main character, Jane, is speaking to her older sister about what it would be like if Mimi told everyone that her real mother was a "black Haitian" (Weyn 66). The history of Canada did have racism and that is why this is plausible within the story.


"It's bad enough that as a woman I can't vote" (Weyn 50). This quote is when Jane's mother tells her that she does not want to be married again. She is a single mother and is okay with being single because it does give her some rights. 
These issues are purposeful within the story because it gives a background of the time period. It makes the story plausible within the time period written and therefore makes the overall story more enjoyable to read. 

Post #4 Significance of...

Frank, Anne. The Diary of a Young Girl. The United States of America: Doubleday, 1967. Print. 

I am at the point in the book where the Frank family has gone into hiding. The hiding place is on the third floor of an office building. A quote I found significant is "We have forbidden Margot to cough at night, although she has a bad cold, and make her swallow large doses of codeine." (Frank, 21)  This helps us understand the character's relationship to the setting because the Frank family are in hiding and need to be quiet at all times, so that no one will be able to find them or suspect there are others in the building.
"The knocking, pulling, pushing, and wrenching went on. I nearly fainted at the thought that this utter stranger might discover our beautiful secret hiding place." (Frank, 41) This quote is significant to the story because it creates suspense and maintains the atmosphere. It gets you wondering who is behind the door and what is going to happen to Anne. This quote maintains the atmosphere because it keeps it a scary isolated environment. Through this quote you can feel the underlying fear that the Franks must live through everyday. The fear that at any moment they could be taken away to a concentration camp or even be killed.

Post #3 Define and Describe a Character

Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay. New York: Scholastic, 2010. Print. 

The main character of this novel is Katniss Everdeen. Three words I would use to describe her would be confused, bold and rebellious. 

1. Confused- Two synonyms to the word confused are flummoxed and puzzled. Two antonyms would be understanding and clear. 

2. Bold- Two synonyms of the word bold are adventurous and unafraid. As for antonyms weak and fearful. 

3. Rebellious- Synonyms of rebellious are defiant and revolutionary. Two antonyms of this word are manageable and obedient. 

Underlying the story about the rebellion and war Katniss finds herself puzzling about who she really loves and does not know which person she could live without. Peeta or Gale? She struggles throughout all three of The Hunger Games books to finally realize her true love. For example "Katniss will pick whoever she thinks she can't survive without." (Collins, 329)

Throughout the story Katniss shows her adventurous side. She wants to be in the war fighting not watching from a distance observing. She knows what she wants and does not back down to the danger that may await her. For example when Katniss says to President Coin "Just one more thing. I kill Snow." (Collins, 41). She knows what her objective is and will go through the dangerous adventure to achieve this goal. 

All through each Hunger Games books Katniss has been defiant of the Capitol. In this book she goes into battle and everyone knows how important it is to follow orders during battle. Well Katniss does know but she  is not as obedient as everyone hoped. When Katniss and members of District 13 and others went to District 8 to get footage of the Mockingjay, she rebels. "I hear the warning note in Haymitch's voice and I know what's coming. "Don't even think about it-!" I yank the earpiece free and let it hang from its wire." In this quotation Katniss deliberately disobeys Haymitch's orders and begins to act on her own instinct and her own orders. She may be very defiant against the Capitol, but in reality she is a very defiant person over all.    

Post #2 Identify and Sort

Collins, Suzanne. Mockingjay. New York: Scholastic Press.2010. Print.

 1.Within the first five chapters of the novel Mockingjay

 five main elements I have noticed the conflict, suspense, immediacy, the mood and atmosphere and the plausible story line. 

2.  Rating these elements on level of importance to me I would rate suspense as most important Then immediacy, conflict, mood and atmosphere. The least important to me would be if the story line is plausible. 

3. This novel uses suspense by creating scenes in the story where I question what is going to happen. The main character, Katniss,  makes decisions based on instinct and heart by the author making her like this it creates suspense. The author uses suspense with many of the decisions that Katniss makes. "From behind door 3908 comes a sound. Just a tiny whimper. Like something a cowed dog might make to avoid being struck, only too familiar. My eyes meet Gale's for just a moment, but it's long enough for two people who operate the way we do." ( Collins, Mockingjay 46). This line in the novel creates suspense by wondering what or who those sounds are coming from and also wondering what Katniss and Gale are going to do.   





Post #1 Identify

     In my lifetime I had read many books. Some I am fond of, but others not quite intrigued. The three qualities I find that I like in a good book is that it must be adventurous, unpredictable and straight forward. If the book is adventurous I find that I do not want to put it down and the action makes the book unpredictable. When a book is unpredictable it adds suspense and when there is suspense you find excitement while reading. If the book I am reading is jumping back and forth between the past, present and future I have a hard time following and it will take me more time to read that book. Although if it is not switching too frequently I am okay if it helps me understand more.

     The book I have read and the book I am reading currently contain all three. Both books are adventurous and unpredictable. Since they have the same main character the adventurous is quite similar; breaking the laws of the country by hunting in the woods and lying to the people of her country about her lover. These books are always surprising me. As for being straight forward the main character does experience flash backs but they are not all the time and it helps me understand what is happening in the current time.



Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press. 2008. Print. 



Collins, Suzanne. Catching Fire. New York: Scholastic Press. 2009. Print.