Think of an event in your book where the character had to make a choice. Find a quote that discusses this event.
Make sure to INTRODUCE this quote: What event does the quote discuss? Who is involved? Why is it important?
Explain what the character is choosing between.
1. Would you have made the same choice as your character or done something differently?
2. Why or why not?
3. What influenced the choices that the character made? (consider aspects of environment, personal values, goals, beliefs etc.)
4. What influences your own choices? (What things are important to you?)
This question was written by Carlos
22 comments:
"If everybody jumped off a cliff, would you?" (pg.92) The quote discuses the event of doing what everyone else does and following the crowd vs. being your own person. The quote is reffering to when the man jumped off of a cliff. It is important because his adventure related back to his father's quote. I definitly would have made the same choice and jumped off the cliff, even if there was a serious danger involved. I think that life's too short to pass up an opportunity which would make you happy. I like adventerous situations and i enjoy taking risks. I dont get scarred of heights or anything to that nature. I think it'd be awesome to jump off a cliff. The character made the choices he did because his father just died and his friends were going through hard times also. The only thing that influences my own choices is myself. I take into effect my family and friends, but i do think about myself first. If that's considered stubborn, so be it. All my decisions i make relate to myself and what will make me happy or benefit me in the long run.
In the story Lloyd and LeAlan made a choice that they were going to try and help their building. After little Eric was thrown out of the window the media caught hold of the story. It was even in speeches from the president and Jesse Jackson. Everyone was saying that they were going to help out the Ida B. Wells buildings and after it was all said and done nobody came through. Lloyd and LeAlan decided to try and save their building by themselves. They decided to go around and get the scoop on what really happened the day of the crime. I, in the same situation would have done the same thing. I believe that the government is always making promises that they can’t keep and I would have been mad as well. It’s not fare that the United States has so much money and they don’t like to share any of it. There should be no reason that the buildings should be that bad to the point where a child can get thrown out the window by another child and nothing be done about it. One thing that influences me to make the choices I make is if I feel as though I’m going to get something out of it. I don’t choose to do something just for the hell of it. That’s why I do what I do.
The characters in my book had alot of choices to make. They could have been drug dealers who never went to school, but they chose not to. I would have tried my best to make the same choices they did. I say try my best because it is hard seeing your friends do something that you do not want to do, especially at their age. L&L really didnt have alot of influences because everyone they were supposed to look up to really didnt have anything going for themseleves. Most of my choices come off of common sense. Half of the choices we make are hard to do, but easy to make. For example Waking up in the morning and getting ready for school is an easy choice to make, but it is hard getting up early every morning to go somewhere you don't like. My life is important to me. I know Im not going to get very far in life without an education, so i choose to go to school. Choices are something we encounter everyday,and results of are choices are mainly based on what we wan to do with our live's.
In my book, my character made a choice to leave the forest which he knew so well, to search out and find turtle island. "So what was i to do?" "Thats when i decided to get a forest of my own."
this qoute was when he came to the relization after his forest getting renovated, that it wasn't really safe out there.
The character is choosing on where to go, and reside in.
Me personally, i would have indeed journeyed out to try and find a new place to reside in.
Why? because the forest in which he was living in, was bein renovated, and bulldozed through.
what influences my desicion, is pretty plane and simple. You wouldn't have anywhere to live.
In the chapter “Demolition” from my book Stranger Than Fiction the setting is set in a small town that has nothing to look forward to except the demolition derby every week. This quote right here describes how careless the drivers are that part takes in the derby. “’ There’s no insurance,’ Knodel adds. ‘We don’t sign anything, which is amazing. You’d think the Lions Club would have us sign something saying that if somebody gets hurt they’re not liable, but I didn’t sign anything. All of us out here, we’re here to have fun. We realize we’re at our own risk.’”(pg. 45) If that was me driving in the race I wouldn’t race unless there were some sort of insurance papers I had to sign. And the car I would be driving would have to be a lot more up to date, because the cars the racers drive are practically junk yard cars glue together. I would need a well equipped car, with a lot of protection in the car so that in case I get hurt I could say at least I tried to be safe. But that’s just me. The people that go to watch the demolitions are families that don’t have a lot going on in their lives other than that. And to them it’s worth it because first place prize gets a thousand dollars. I would need a lot more money just to join the demolition let alone win the contest. The characters drive beet up cars like there is no tomorrow as if the only thing they value In their lives is the win from the race.
When Palahniuk is describing the steroids he started using them along with other body builders thus he states "So I jumped off the cliff, too", Stranger than Fiction (page 95).
Personally I wouldn't have made the choice to use steroids due to I have seen what the effects can do to people. When the person I knew took them he became dependant and now that he is off he is suffering from various conditions that he needs to take medicine to try to control it.
For Palahniuk he had his doctor prescribed them only after his father was killed and he lost weight and he wanted the adventure as he called it at the end. During which time he didn’t become dependent upon them like Ed and Bill did, going so far as to keep skinless chicken breasts, and buying 10 pound egg white blocks. As for me with my decisions I base them on my values, past experiences, and what I think could happen both the good and bad.
In my book, Stranger than Fiction, the Author compares himself to a person in a very disturbing but understanding way."The worst part of fiction is the fear of wasting your life behind a keyboard. The idea that, dying, you'll realize you only ever lived on paper. Your only adventures were make-believe, and while the world fought and kissed, you sat in some dark room, masturbating and making money."(pg 56)
Instead of living what he would call a normal life, fighting and loving each other he sits at home, alone and keeps to himself, while making up stories and masturbating of some sort. I think that because he made that choice, it made him a better author at the same time less of a human being by cooping himself in a dark, isolated place away from interacting with others.
If I had to make the same decision I would go about it in a different way. To start off I would not keep myself away from others but rather closer so I can get better stories. I would interact so that I could become deeper in writing because, everyone does not have the same view on things. The author might not be as outgoing as me but if I had to make his decision over that is how I would do it.
How I used to make my decision I will leave a mystery, but I will tell you that my influences towards my decision making goes back to doing people right and caring about others. The decision he made might be what is best for him, but it might not be in my best interest.
In my book, Stranger Than Fiction, Jerry Bjorklund wanted to build a castle to live in. It was not an easy task, nor was it inexpensive. He had to talk to the bank to get a loan and he said, "I talked to them once while the castle was under construction, and they said there was no guarantee I was ever going to get it done, so I just said, 'To hell with it..'"(pg. 67) This is important because Jerry, even though people told him it could not be done, his mind was set on finishing the castle. Jerry finally finished the project in a few years, and he was proud of it. Many people admired his work and they would take pictures of it.
I would have done the same thing as Jerry did, because he set his mind to complete a task, and he stuck with it until he finished. He did not let other people get to him by saying that it was not possible to finish. I admire people who are told they cannot accomplish something, and they go ahead and complete the task. That shows to me that they are dedicated to getting to their goal. What influenced Jerry was that his mind was set on building himself a castle to live in. And he did not give up during the building process. The most important things that influence my choices are my personal values. Before I make a choice, I think to myself if this is really what I want to do, or does this feel like the right thing. Once I have answered those questions I usually make my choice. The other influence on my choices would be my parents. I always think if I chose this, would my parents say if I chose this. I do not want to let them down by choosing something that I do not want to do. That is the worst when I pick something that starts out good, but then ends up being a poor choice. Those are the big influences when I'm making choices.
"The Only thing I could hear was my engine. My engine actually powered out on me. I was going, and I couldn’t hear that my engine had stopped....the only way I knew that my engine fired back up was that I could look over and see the fan blades, and finally I saw them spinning again. Then I was ready to go." (Page 49) This quote discusses how Knodel is so pumped up off adrenaline that he doesn’t hear his engine die out on him. He continues to just mash on the other demolitionist. When he does finally realize that his engine dies he doesn’t stop he just continues to ride. Knodel is choosing between giving up or fighting to the end. In my case I would not have quit. I would have done just like Knodel did and fought to the end. In sports you are taught to play through pain so giving up just because you are struggling is not acceptable. I think that it was the environment that made him stay in the race. It’s a competive nature that some people have that when you get into that environment it allows to continue on when others won’t. Things that influence my choices are my own personal beliefs. Other things that help me make choices are my belief in God and personal advice from my elders. All these things come together to help me make decisions that I can’t make on my own.
"The Only thing I could hear was my engine. My engine actually powered out on me. I was going, and I couldn’t hear that my engine had stopped....the only way I knew that my engine fired back up was that I could look over and see the fan blades, and finally I saw them spinning again. Then I was ready to go." (Page 49) This quote discusses how Knodel is so pumped up off adrenaline that he doesn’t hear his engine die out on him. He continues to just mash on the other demolitionist. When he does finally realize that his engine dies he doesn’t stop he just continues to ride. Knodel is choosing between giving up or fighting to the end. In my case I would not have quit. I would have done just like Knodel did and fought to the end. In sports you are taught to play through pain so giving up just because you are struggling is not acceptable. I think that it was the environment that made him stay in the race. It’s a competive nature that some people have that when you get into that environment it allows to continue on when others won’t. Things that influence my choices are my own personal beliefs. Other things that help me make choices are my belief in God and personal advice from my elders. All these things come together to help me make decisions that I can’t make on my own.
As Lloyd and LeAlan go around interviewing people, Lloyd gets an unexpected person talking on his recorder. “This is Lloyd’s daddy talking. They call me Chilly”. Growing up Lloyd had two brothers and three sisters. Their mother died so that meant for the two oldest sisters to take care of their siblings. Their father can’t is there but not as he should be because he has a drinking problem. In the book Our America he talks about how he wants to be a good father and how he is trying to overcome the addiction to alcohol but it is hard. “We are destroying our lives. Cause it’s bad on these streets. That’s why I wanna go into rehab-because I love my children”. Lloyd’s father made a choice to drink because his wife died and he is now making a choice to go into rehab. Becoming an alcoholic was a bad choice because he has to now deal with the fact that he is out of his children’s life. Now that he is changing his life around I feel that entering into rehab is a great first step for him. I would have done the same thing if I was him because everyone makes mistakes it just about how can you better from it or change it to make it right. Things that influence me are my parents. I know that they will never tell me anything that will hurt me because they are there to help me .
In "our America" the character LeAlan interviewed a young boy by the name of Isaac about the killing of Eric Morse. He was asked did you know the boys who did it and are they bad children? He replied Yes, when they used to do bad things i would go.But when Eric got killed,I got scared. I said I wasn't going to be with them anyomre. this quote is important to me because I fell like Isaac made a wise decision to do the right thing. He choose to beat all odds and maybe risk his life just so he wouldn't be in the same situation that the boys where in. He got smart and thought about his life, he decided being bad was not for him.I agree with Isaac decision because it was the best decision he mad. He now focus all his attention on school and family instead of the streets. What influenced Isaac to change was the death of a child Eric Morse, and how his friends was involved, and how he never wanted to be caught up in that kind of mix so he decided to get out. what influences my own choices in life is my family, school, and most of all just life its self
"your seven minutes is up".this qoute is saying how much time we need to discover new things and see things that are right there. people that are involve are screenwriters. I guess it is important because people focus to much on time but they rush and sometimes miss the whole point of something.
1.if i only had seven minutes to try an complete something i would try my hardest to pick out the most imoprtant things.
2.because everything else that i think now is important isnt really all that seriuos and i wouldnt want to run out of time.
3.the thing i think infludnced the choice of this qoute, is our ideas ,our life stories, our experience.
4.things that are important to me are my family, my dream and faith,and my boyfriend. they all infulence me to do better at everything i do in life and help me make good decisions. also to follow my amnitions and goals.
"Instead of letting life happen, we could outline our own personal plot." In this part of the book the writer talks about how other writers, of any kind, are giving little to no time to explain something that could take between two hours to two days. He keeps saying the phrase 'sorry your seven minutes are up' in which he feels that the writer, of any king, should have a chance to have a chance to add a little more effort, so then it will feel complete. I stongly agree with the writer as far as the way he feels about so little time. If that were me I would feel like I didn;t finish what I've started, like a goal didn't get accomplished.
"I jumped off the cliff because it was an adventure," (98). In this quote the author is talking about his month long steroid adventure and though in the beginning it was not his choice to take steroids but to continue using them was. You can tell he had no intention of stopping while he talked about how orgasmic it was to eat egg whites and how much he looked forward to his next set of squats. His friends Ed and Bill had already been using them and take regular trips to Mexico to get the "little white pills" they took called Anadrol. Anadrol is a steroid that helps you gain weight and personally I could never make that big change. My body is all I got besides my mind and I really don't want to inflate it with steroids. I understand why the author did steroids; he had just lost his father and was losing an incredible amount of weight. His attitude also was a big factor he thought you only live once."It's such a chick thing to think life should just go on forever," (98).
In my book “The Last American Man” Eustace Conway is caught in a life he is not happy with. Not doing what he originally set out to do. He is on the road, giving talks about his life to people he doesn’t feel appreciate anything in this world. “What I feel inspired to write today is the deep emotional dissatisfaction with the reality of our time-corruption in the government-fake people-sick values and unconscious people living meaningless lives.” This lifestyle of being on the road hasn’t just taken a toll on him, but the people who loved him. Valerie, Eustace’s girlfriend, is lonely without him and hadn’t seen him in months. Her loneliness leads her to a terrible decision in which Eustace will never be able to trust her or anyone around him again. He’s caught up in a different life that he doesn’t want and chooses to cut ties with those around him. I feel Eustace handled the situation with Valerie well. But I feel he needs to take a look at his life and figure out what makes him happy. I have done the same thing. I was once in a time where I wasn’t happy. I took a look around and decided to cut off the things that made me feel absent. What influence me is the simple idea of right and wrong, family and friends. I wouldn’t want to hurt anyone to lead them to anything they would regret. Or anything I would regret. It’s not worth it. I think Eustace is about to find that out.
I think that most of the Characters in the book are making bad choices. Most of the people are taught survival skills instead of common sense that is used by regular humans. Like page 33 says, “If you play childish games in the ghetto you’re find a childish bullet in your childish brain.”
“I don’t think that Johnny had been taught to deal with his feelings. He was impulsive. I was not there, so I don’t know, but if indeed he did the actual pushing, it was, as far as I’m concerned, a very impulsive thing. It was based on him not knowing and not being taught how to deal with his feelings.”(Pg 125) This quote and the chapters that follow it make me believe that many people failed Johnny. I feel like it was a bad decision for teachers to let him pass without checking up on him. They even let him pass without him learning how to read.
I also think that many women make bad decisions. They make a choice to have kids who they know are going to be born into poverty. LeAlan’s sister is a perfect example because she had her kid at a very young age. I think this sets an example to younger women that it is perfectly fine to have sex and kids at 15 when it actually robs them of a part of their childhood.
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