Extra Credit unit 4, Question #1

It’s a very hard to see if either the African or Asian elephant seems most likely to survive in our world.  The Asian elephant is very pliant and talented.  People might want to keep them around for this reason.  That’s why I see this elephant species’ population increasing, not decreasing.  I think people will breed them instead of kill them.  Yet, for a Poacher it wouldn’t matter to them.  But, still, People are incinerating elephant tusks to help both species.  The African elephants, though, are vulnerable since their population is increasing too rapidly; people want to decrease the population, not let the population get out of control.  There is a national agency to protect Asian elephants.  So, while the African elephants’ population is increasing more than the Asian elephants’, it seems more likely that the African elephants are fated to become victims, not saved.  The Asian elephant’s talent and lower population number makes them known and loved so that people will want to save them, and then they’ll forget about the African elephants, leaving them to poachers and campaigns to reduce their herds.   

September book blog 4-Insurgent by Veronica Roth

 

MAIN CHARACTERS: THE PROTAGONIST AND ANTAGONIST

Tris: Tris is the main character.  She struggles mentally a lot in this book.  (See my last book blog.)  She deals a lot with loss, guilt, love, and pain.  Tris’ love interest is Tobias, better known as Four.  Tris is Divergent; she could fit into Erudite, Abnegation, and Dauntless.  Last time she went through her fear landscape, she had seven fears.  Those seven fears were mainly about no escape and feeling guilt and hopelessness.  Tris is described as not exactly pretty, but not ugly.  She is teased much because of how small she is.  She originally came from Abnegation, then changed to Dauntless.

Tobias (Four): Tobias is mainly known as Four.  He received that nickname since he has the lowest amount of fears in Dauntless which is, well…four fears.  He was the instructor for the group of initiatives in Tris’ group.  He starts falling for Tris and soon the both of them start a relationship.  (That is in book one.)  Tris describes him as handsome, though he his nose curves.  Tobias’ original faction is Abnegation and then he changed to Dauntless to escape the physical abuse of his father, Marcus.

Eric: Eric is the leader of Dauntless.  A lot has changed since he became leader of Dauntless; the initiations have become extremely brutal and he sees suicide as “brave.”  He is a Dauntless traitor, though.  He teamed up with Jeanine, and put innocent people of his faction under Jeanine’s simulation to make them kill even more innocent, kind Abnegation members. 

Jeanine: Jeanine is an evil person.  She tried to kill Tris by putting her in a glass box, and having it fill up with water to drown Tris.  Jeanine doesn’t care about people, just her scientific research.  She’ll do anything to get what she wants.  She doesn’t care about killing innocent people to get what she wants.  She rebelled against the government (Abnegation), by killing as many Abnegation as she could.  Though, unlike any other dystopian books, it’s not the protagonist rebelling, this time it’s the antagonist rebelling because Jeanine wanted to keep what she had; she didn’t want things to change because chaos was happening outside the fence.  To her it was, “Who cares?  I’m safe and that’s what matters.  Now, let me have power and control everyone!  Let me continue my so amazing scientific research!”

November book blog 3-Insurgent by Veronica Roth

I love that how in Insurgent, Veronica Roth puts so much emotion into her characters.   It’s not only about the war that’s going on, but also about how Tris is actually doing.  Despite the rebellion, she’s hurting, fighting, loving and hating.  Tris goes through a state of depression after killing Will to save herself.  She hides things from everybody, including Tobias.  She and Tobias struggle with their relationship, fighting a lot of times.  They don’t have that kind of perfect relationship where they tell each other everything, and love each other all the time, never fighting.  Through everything, Tris tries to find herself, who she really is.  She goes through a lot in this book, mainly sorrow and despair.  I mean, her parents died for her, she killed her friend, and now her relationship is going downhill.  Obviously, she’s not only thinking about trying to take over what Jeanine has created, but also about her own self.  And ironically, she came from Abnegation, ha. 

November book blog 2-Insugent by Veronica Roth

Insurgent is the second book in the "Divergent" trilogy. It follows the story of intrepid, sixteen-year-old, Tris. In this book Tris has to save classified information-that Jeanine has killed many innocent people to keep away from the public for-before the factionless and Dauntless destroy it when coming by to attack the Erudite. Tobias thinks Tris is a traitor and doesn't acknowledge her. Soon he finds out she was right; the information needed to be shown to everyone. He puts on the video and everybody sees for themselves what is outside the fence. Gruesome pictures of tortured and dead people are shown, and then a lady comes on screen. She says her name is and says she will take on a new identity and life as: . That is Tris' mom and Tris realizes why they have been kept in a city surrounded by a fence. So that they wouldn't know what was happening in the "real word"; so that they wouldn't do anything, like try to intervene. It was better to keep them here, safe. Away from chaos and anarchy. After the video is over, "the screaming starts."

November book blog 1- Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Factions

Insurgent is the second book in the "Divergent" trilogy. The "Divergent" trilogy is set in futuristic Chicago, where everyone is sorted into one of five factions. Abnegation, the selfless; Candor, the honest; Amity, the peaceful; Erudite, the intelligent; and Dauntless, the brave. Each of these factions has their own ways of living, and qualities.

ABNEGATION

What they blamed for a warring world: Selfish people.

Values: Selflessness

Appearance: Plain gray clothes; nothing attractive. Girls' hair is always up.

What they are taught: No one should want for themselves, but only for others. They should never, ever do anything to please or help themselves.

Notes: Simple things such as wearing a hair bow are considered selfish. Self defense is prohibited since it's considered selfish. The Abnegation provides food and clothing for the factionless. (Fractionless reference below in *Extras*.)

CANDOR

What they blamed for a warring world: Duplicity

Values: Complete and utter honesty

Appearance: The Candor sees the truth as black and white, so they dress in white and black. Something like a buttoned up white shirt and black slacks, would be an everyday outfit.

What they are taught: The Candor are taught how to see when somebody is lying. Body language, ect. (It's practically impossible to lie to a Candor; they can always tell if you're lying.) They are taught to be honest about everything, no matter what situation. For example, they're honest about what they think about you, whether negative or positive.

Notes: The Candor are seen as smart-mouths who are annoying, by other factions, though many people learn to deal with the Candor's honesty. They realize that they can't hold anything against them, since that is what they were taught.

AMITY

What they blamed for a warring world: No peace among people.
Values: The Amity value peace and prosperity.
Appearance: The Amity wears bright colors, mainly red and yellow.
What they are taught: The Amity is taught how to be peaceful and kind. They are told that to solve a situation, they must do it peacefully not violently.
Notes: There is no leader of Amity. They make decisions for their faction by what the majority of the population agrees with. Violence is illegal; they'd rather walk into war with no weapons and try to make people start fighting with their own words, than to use violence.

ERUDITE
What they blamed for a warring world: Ignorance; stupidity

Values: Intelligence
Appearance: People of Erudite wear blue.
What they are taught: These people are taught as much as can be crammed in their minds. They learn to thirst for knowledge.
Notes: Erudite provide people who become doctors and scientists. They have a strong rivalry with Abnegation.

DAUNTLESS
What they blamed for a warring world: Cowardice
Values: Intrepid behavior
Appearance: The Dauntless wear black and have tattoos and piercings.
What they are taught: They are taught to be daring, risk takers, but also to use common sense. Jumping off a cliff is dumb, not brave.
Notes: The Dauntless manifesto has changed over the years with the new leader, Eric. With Eric, he considers suicide brave, and initiation has become very brutal.

*Extras*
FACTIONLESS- The factionless belong to no faction. This is usually because they have failed initiation upon entering their chosen factions at sixteen.

Satire

    It’s cold outside; it’s been snowing all day here in New York City.  The flight’s been delayed two hours.  So bored, so tired.  Ah, look over there!  See, that magazine stand; over at there at that travel store!  What juicy stuff do we have here?
   

People magazine!  A picture of Kristen Stewart kissing a man that’s not Rob!  What?  No way!  She cheated with Rupert Sanders,-who is twice her age-the one who directed the movie Kristen was just in, Snow White and The Huntsman!  oh, and his wife was also in that movie!  How scandalous!  

I should get this one, but wait!  Look, Star magazine!  Suri wants to stay with daddy, Tom Cruise.  But nooooo, mommy Katie Holmes wants Suri to stay with her.  Suri needs to go to Catholic school, NOT Scientology school!  Yup, I’ll get this one instead-but look!

Glamour magazine, Emma Watson on the cover.  Who is she dating, what is she wearing?  I have to know, I have to know!  So many magazines!  Justin Bieber on one!  Is that acne on his so perfect face?  How has the party girl, Snooki’s life changed with her baby?  Paul Ryan’s photo shoot; his muscles bulging out, and right before an election!  Brad Pitt’s new commercial with Chanel: “Wherever I go, you go....”  Taylor Swift stalking the Kennedys?  Princess Kate wears the SAME dress and shoes again?!  The inside scoop on One Direction, ooooh!  

   

So much, so much, so much!  I want to get them all!  It is a loooooong flight to London, UK.  I’ll get this one, and this one, that one of course, that one, and just one more.  That should last me the flight.  “That’ll be twelve dollars and thirty-nine cents,”  the cashier says.  I moan and hand over my money.  What’ll I eat on the plane now?