Social...what?

Look out of a window, right now. (The one in your bedroom, that opens up to the street that seems to always full of loud, obnoxious people right as you're about to fall asleep.) All of those people, they have lives. They have lives, and their lives have issues. That man in the yellow parka, (which is so weird, because it's like, thirty billion degrees and sunny...) he might have marital issues, or he might have just lost his job. That woman in the workdress, her son might be gay. And she's homophobic.

Now you're asking yourself, 'Why am I making up terrible scenarios for these people?'. Well, that's what stories do. They make problems. In every book I've ever read (no, self help books and non fiction and cookbooks don't count), characters always have major issues that they're dealing with, throughout the story. Without a problem, you have no book. Problems make everything interesting. They are the story, itself. Problems make you relate to characters.

For example, I'm reading Sold by Patricia McCormick, which has major social issues. It's not just about prostitution, which is a pretty heavy topic, in itself. This goes so much deeper. Because, what makes these people think it's okay to hurt people like this, to do disrespect them?
The fact that they're prostitutes.
Why are they prostitutes?
Because these girls were tricked, hurt, and young and naive.
How are they tricked?
They are uneducated, and poor, and unexposed to the world.
Why aren't they educated?
Because they're women.

In Lakshmi (the main character) 's society (in Nepal) women are seen as lesser, they are only meant to bear children, and support a family. Women cannot function on there own, according to Lakshmi's culture. Her mother even tells her 'a crippled husband is better than none at all.' That's demeaning.
That a social issue.
How can women be so degraded?
 Women are hugely significant in life-we're not just goats who get used for milk, and then slaughtered for stew. And it's terrible that Lakshmi's society sees women this way. Because of this, she's been sold into prostitution-because of the way these women are treated, like they shouldn't have rights, like they're lesser, it isn't fair. It's what causes them to be in this situation, in the first place.

Now, how can we relate to a social issue like prostitution, anyway? That's why McCormick ties feminism, and women being degraded into this story. It's something we can relate to more easily, it helps us understand this struggle that Lakshmi goes to, having been sold into prostitution, and it makes us think.
What gives them the right?

What gives people the right to treat women-or any group of people- like they're lesser?
I mean, why couldn't these women fight back, come to the realization that this wasn't okay, that women are just as intellegent and worthy as men? Maybe, it's because they're not educated. I read this article that talked about how many families in India wouldn't send their daughters to school, because they could only afford to pay for one child's education, and they would rather educate a son, because sons are 'more worthy'.  By keeping women uneducated, they are more easily brainwashed into this 'unworthiness' idea.

And the disgusting thing, is that many women accept this. In Sold, there's this whole feeling that even if Lakshmi, or anyone else tried to speak out about the way women are treated, or the issue of children getting sold into prostitution, no one would listen. Most women have accept their fate, and have started to believe themselves, that this is how women should be; that they are lesser than men. And if anyone tried to speak out about this, even many women would be against it. And in terms of prostitution-no one really seems to know, or care, maybe. And these girls have no way of getting out-their brothels are like jails-the girls cannot speak to anyone, or get anyone's help.

I hate that, the idea that even if you tried to save yourself, or could speak up, the people you're representing would push you back down. Because they've already accept their fates. They've lost all hope. And that's the remarkable thing about Lakshmi-she never loses hope. And because of that, she's able to stay 'alive'. She's able to stay who she is, and not become another slave, another zombie to this terrible situation. She hasn't given up but she's giving in. She's accepting where she is, but you still understand, she's holding on to her past, and she still knows she can get out. And that's remarkable.

I think that strong social issues like these can bring you to conclusions like these. A social issue can get you to want to do something about the problem. Whether it's helping girls escape prostitution, or just helping girls know that they're worth something-these social issues impact you, when used and written powerfully. That's exactly what Patricia McCormick does.

So when you look out your window at 3 A.M and hate all the loud people keeping you up, maybe, you can think about their problems, and why they're so loud anyway. Maybe you'll get some inspiration. Maybe you'll want to do something. Or maybe you'll just get some earplugs and go to sleep.

Youth in Revolt

I literally just started this book today, so I'm only on the sixth page, and don't know anything about the plot yet. But so far, I love this book. It's so awkward and real. Not awkward in a cute way, awkward in a kind of gross, weird, adolescent way.The fact that Nick Twisp is so honest about how 'weird' he is, makes it more acceptable to the reader. He isn't hiding that he has weird fantasies and stuff, he doesn't embrace it either, I respect his awkwardness, in a way. And what's great about the way the writer portrays Nick, is that she still manages to make him likeable. Maybe it's the fact that in reality, his life is sort of terrible-his dad doesn't really like him, (actually his dad is just...a big terrible person) and his mom wants him to be something he isn't. Life isn't easy for Nick, and that makes us feel sympathy for him, even if he's totally gross. But you still like him! We can still connect to him, in our own, screwed up way.

Nick is basically all the awkward and hidden secret parts of us that we don't share with anyone. All those weird curious and unsure feelings we have during puberty are basically Nick Twisp. And you have to love that. You have to love that he can actually admit these things (to his diary...eheh). One quote from this book that I really love, is when Nick's mother tells him he's insane, and he responds 'I'm being a teenager'.

I think that is one of the most true things I've ever heard. I think that at one point, you just snap. Teenagers seem like these crazy, mentally deranged, strange things. And they totally are. No one can understand a teenager. (except for maybe other teenagers.) I think that that's the cool thing. They're so into their own world, in a sort of inbetween, that to everyone looking in at them, they seem like strange creatures with twisted morals and twisted minds. And Nick can show you, that is SO totally not the case. Nick can show you the thought process-how everything sort of does make sense, in his weird, awkward and sad life (while managing to be hilarious and upbeat, as well).

I can't wait to continue this book to see what Nick's adolescence has in store...

Death

Death plays a fairly large part in Charlotte's Web. It seems to be more the concept of dying, that scares Wilbur. The idea that Charlotte could be no longer, or he would no longer exist. For example, when Wilbur finds out Charlotte's dying, Wilbur is totally upset and cries and is practically depressed. But when Charlotte dies, Wilbur distracts himself with Charlotte's eggsack, and later, her children.

I think it's kind of like Wilbur was avoiding his pain (from Charlotte's death) by caring for her children. People do that a lot-distract themselves from their problems. I think it's more to move on faster, to not feel pain, to pretend it didn't happen, that you're not hurting. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Wilbur was trembling and crying with joy when he met Charlotte's three children. Because he had a new version on Charlotte? Because he was upset that Charlotte was dead? I think that in order to keep from hurting , you still have to think about what you miss. Hiding something away completely will just make it harder, when the feelings come back up.

I've lost people in my life many times, and I know that hiding your problems completely doesn't help at all. Wilbur has found a way to keep Charlotte alive, in a sense. People are happier that way. Why? Why do we need to keep a memory alive, even after it's gone?Why can't we completely let go?

TBC

It's kind of a funny story

Hi Craig, it's your brain!

So you know what I think would totally be fun? If I got really depressed, which would then have you check into a mental ward (okay, it's called a psychiatric hospital facility or whatever, but we all know what that means), and throw away your practically perfect academic life, and your...merely functional social life. Afterwards, this guy, Ned Vizzini, can TOTALLY write a book about it, I think he'll call it It's Kind of a Funny Story (By the way the book will turn into a movie). And the best part? You wouldn't be able to eat sleep or enjoy yourself at all, but everyone would LOVE your story!

Now Craig, you're probably thinking this is crazy (well, I have to say, I kind of am, which explains why you're in a loony bin in the first place...), but I think that what you SHOULD be thinking about, is why people would love this story so much, anyway? I mean, what's so fascinating about a depressed teenager? We meet crazy, depressed, neurotic people all the time (whether we know they're crazy/neurotic/depressed or not, is another story) so it shouldn't really be that big of a deal, right? I totally agree Craig, but I don't think the rest of the world feels that way.

Maybe it's the things that you're going through, I mean, we never really notice how lovely and beautiful and heartbreaking and hilarious our lives are until we make a story out of them. Because really, being depressed may be a major thing, but it's not uncommon, and in reality, you're life could easily be that of any random person on the street. And that's the beauty in your story, Craig. You could be anyone, you ARE anyone, and everyone. Because really, we're all insane. We're all animal. Like Humble said 'We're all created equal, but some of us are created more animal'. Some of us may be a little more insane than the other, but we're all messed up. Why else would we try to figure out this complex, terrible, wonderful, scary thing call life? Why would we even bother with it?

That's exactly why you wanted to stop living. Because you realized how insane it was to keep trying to live. You can't manage everything-no one can. But even if life doesn't require people to be perfect, we all know it's expected. Normal people aren't liked, Craig. Only the people that give up everything wonderful to be perfect. (Or as close as possible). So why are you being called crazy? You're the most sane of them. You realized how messed up everything in life is, and you were doing a rational thing, you were being normal, and trying to get out of a situation you can't handle. But still, you're the one who's labeled as crazy. Why is that? They're all the crazy ones, for trying to live. They're like lab rat's in a rigged maze.

But you don't need to listen to me, you still have to get through this journey, I mean, your story isn't over yet, and every book needs an ending.

I just hope you get out alive.

GET WELL SOON!

Love,

Your Brain.

Charlotte's Web Post.

In class, we read Charlotte's web as a 'childhood favorite reread'. At first, I wasn't too excited. A book about a pig and his genius spider friend didn't seem to deep and meaningful to me. I was wrong. It seems that children's books can be more packed with deeper meanings than suspected.
To me, Charlotte's web was a way to reconnect with a book I'd read, (and hated) as a child, but as I read it for a second time, I began to notice things I hadn't seen before. I started to look into the morals that were given, and the way E.B White seemed to make you do a double take and say "Why would Fern/Wilbur/Charlotte/Whoever say something like that? What does that mean?". You start to question what's right and what's wrong, as a person. The way the Fern saved Wilbur, possibly only because he was vulnerable. It made me think about whether she would save him, if he were just a big normal, healthy pig.
I loved the characters in this book. They were all so charming and cute. Wilbur, a little runt when we first meet him, develops and matures wonderfully, and stays adorable and loveable as ever. And Charlotte, a beautiful spider, more like a mother than anything else.
The story is told simply, without any fancy words or metaphors or complicated things, (though to me, the book, in itself is one huge metaphor) but somehow, it's beautiful and somewhat complex. Everything is about growing up, what's wrong and right, and a loss of innocence. Charlotte's Web talks a lot about death, but somehow, it's still lovely, and a book that makes me happy everytime I read it.
It's a delightful class assignment, and a feel-good book to reread all the time.