Text Analyses of the Book Zach's Lie

Authors Note: This is a text analyses piece about the book Zach’s Lie by Roland Smith

 Moving is one thing, being forced to move lose everything you ever loved. Is a whole different animal. Sadly this is what happened to Jack Osborne and his family, after their house is ransacked. They’re forced in to the witness protection program. Forced to change his hair, eyes and name. To make things worse he loses his dad as the people that robbed the house have ties to warlords in Mexico and his dad has been trafficking their product. As his formally world crumbles around, he has to build a new one. Jack now has to live a lie.

Being pushed out of your home is something no one would like to have happen to them. Sadly we see this everywhere.  For example in the story Between The Shades Of Grey by Ruta Sepetys. Lina, her brother and mother are taken from their homes in Lithuania. Pushed to the coldest part of Siberia. The Soviets treat them like dogs, people die from malnutrition and or freeze to death.  The difference between the two are Jack and his family are given the basics necessities to live but have to be someone there not. Lina on the other hand has to fight to survive and is given little to no food to survive, but doesn’t have to be someone she’s not. You decide which is better.

All in all Jack makes do `with his life and cares on. He has to fight back the remnants of his past life. It’s hard to imagine your whole life being sucked away and then being put in a new city a new house a new bedroom having to play pretend. Jack was barely able to hold on to this live without selling himself out and getting in trouble. Would you be able to live with a lie

What Being Phyiscally Active Means to Me

Authors Note: This is a short essay piece about what being physically active.

Physical activity provides me with an opportunity to be with friends and something to do in my free time, especially over summer.  When we are out of school sports gives me an opportunity to be with friends.  I think it is very important to have a sport to play out of school so you don’t lose touch with them.  

Being physically fit doesn’t only effect me. In studies it is shown that the people that are more physically active, have better focus and social skills. Sadly some schools can’t afford after school activities. It is also shown that sports after school help kids stay off the streets and any from crimes. Physical activity can also help people forget, for example during world war two the American Soldiers played baseball and football when they weren’t in battle this helped relieve stress.

Staying physically active is very important. Not only to me but to the world. Without it we would all be lazy.  Without it as well many people would be forced to live a life of crime to keep food on the table. Luckily most cities and schools can afford to facilitate a after school sports program or a sports team. It’s hard to imagine a world without physical activity. It’s odd how some people put other things in front of being fit. Do you?

Alone

Authors note: This is a creative piece in which I try to incorporate good word choice and figurative language

The dawn of a new day is upon us. The deer frolic in the spring mist. The flowers dance in the wind, they bloom pretty and bright. Alas that is a long forgotten time. Before the nuclear war. When cities bright and booming brought peace and prosperity to all. Well I’m on my own.  I was disconnected with my family when the bombs started to fall. I just happened to be at right place at the right time to live.

It all started when the petroleum supplies ran out, and like a caged  tiger let loose from his cage,  the nations boxed  for the last drops of the precious fuel. When that went dry, they fought for the reserves. That’s when the nuclear bombs started being dropped. No one knows who dropped the first one as anyone that dropped them were kill, as well almost everyone.  For all I know I’m the last one left and well that means humanity is dead as well.

I remember my family, my dad as tall as a flag pole, how he would walk around with a somber appearance. Only if you knew him you could tell that was the norm for him.  My mother on the other hand would always wear a bright smile, she wouldn’t walk either she would bounce always happy, never angry or sad Good example of this is when I got a C on a test instead of yelling she simply said “No more C’s please” .  I had no brothers or sisters. It was just the three of us against the world, now it’s me against the world.

I’ve became proficient at scavenging for non-radioactive food and shelter. It’s quite easy to tell. Green and furry equals no good.  I’m tempted to try something radioactive maybe I’ll become super human or just super dead.  I walk these roads alone, the shadows are my only friend,  destroyed buildings that use to house memories and good time sit there with a sad look on their face. A crow plays it song of tweets, a cheerful hymn compared to the silence of the fallen.  Who were victims of greed and power.  My memory may fad of the ones I use to love but for now I must carry on as the fate of humanity rests on my shoulders.

The World Through Bob's Eyes

Authors Note: This is a point of view essay on the book “The Outsiders”. Where I tell the point of view from another character from the book

In the book “The Outsiders”. The story is told through Pony’s eyes. You get to see what he sees. What I wonder is how would the story be told through the Socs Eye’s. Would Pony’s journey be altered if you saw what other people saw? That’s what I hope to answer in my point of view essay, in which I will write an excerpt of what I think would fit in the book if it were to be told by Bob the main antagonist on the soc side.

“Man these greaser’s are such a pain” I said “Well, Bob they haven’t done anything wrong”  “ Yeah they did, they’re greasers where suppose to beat up on them” I snapped  “But” “But nothing there below us in society” and that end our brief conversation. Our town has been like that for years, are parents were like that and their parents were like that. It’s just the way things are. Are they far? No. Is it right? No even in the slightest. Do we still do it? Yup. That’s not even the worst part, the way those kids have it is hard yes, but not like we have it. We both have our different issues, like they don’t have the nice things we do. On the contrast we are put to a higher stander in so getting drunk, smoking and doing anything that isn’t high class approved. They don’t have any standers or code that they have to follow, no stress or pressure of getting good grade, all they have do to is be hoods.

That brings me to my next point. People should be labeled because of how they dress, act and talk. Now I know you’re going to look at what I have wrote in the last paragraph and how I said “...there where below us in society,…they’re greasers where suppose to beat up on them…” The only reason I say that is because I’m the leader of the Socs, these kids younger than me need something to believe in. Now before tell them to join a club or root for a sports team, I don’t mean it like that, I mean to keep them away from killing, drugs and alcohol that stuff. Yes bulling other kids isn’t the best way to do it but it’s the only option, you would do it to if you were in my position.

I've done things I’m not proud of. We all have. The worst thing I had ever done was beat up a greaser… you know I should use that word anymore. A young kid named Johnny was walking alone in the park, me and my buddies were rolling by  and the guy in the back says “let’s jump him”. Right here would've been the perfect spot to keep driving but if I did that I would've gotten grilled and called a chicken so we continued. We jumped out of the car and…. I don’t even want to write what happened. What I did. I stayed up the whole night praying that kid would be alright, crying. Well I don’t want to write any more. I think I’m going to go talk to that Johnny kid and say I’m sorry.

Main Theme of Ponyboy

In the book The Outsiders, by S.E Hinton,  Ponyboy and his two brothers live in small town in Oklahoma with a gang of trouble makers that are dubbed the Greaser and are in social warfare with a different gang called the Soc, rich city kids that have the world handed to them. Thought  the story many themes are displayed as Pony and his gang battle with the Socs. The one theme that I found constant through the story was survival.

After a brutally fight with Darry, Pony and Johnny are laying down in a park. When a Soc named Bobby that had jumped Johnny and left brutal scars across his whole body. Pony passes out and when he awakes he sees the dead body of Bobby after he had pulled a blade on Johnny.  Johnny and Pony both know what they have to do, that’s  to go on the run.

Now today Johnny would be fine because he killed Bobby in self defense and people hopefully would ot stereotype. Although back then he was an outcast and no one would believe him, so he had to go on the run.  They have to cut their hair so no one notices them.  Also they have to stay off the main roads and shops so no one catches them.

This part of the story reminds me of the story of Airmen Johnson that Ii read online. Where his jet was hit with a SAM missile, he ejected and landed in a forest. He had to survive eight days behind enemy lines. Now of course he was surviving from soldiers  that would fire at will at even the sight of him and Pony was on the run from police that wouldn’t kill him, but the theme of survival stays the same in both stories. 

Most everyone these day has do to something to survive even if that means being home alone for an hour. You have to survive or not burn down the house, but I grantee most people would not be able to survive what Pony did.

Compare and Contrast

Authors note: This is a  compare and contrast piece about the Outsiders and Hunger Games.

Outsiders

In the past

Two main factions (Socs and Greasers)

Lost his parents in a car crash

Ponyboy still had his brothers who were good role modles

Hunger Games

In the future

Main Character is a girl in Catness

Dad died in a mining accident and moms a couch potato

After her dad died had no real parents and had to raise her Sister

Both

Had to fight to survive

Both lost their parents

Thank You Ma'am Alternate Ending

Authors Note: This is a piece in witch I predict what would happen after Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones shut the door in Roger. I believe he would do what he did because she changed roger and he doesn't want to let her down.

The boy wanted to say something else other that "Thank you, ma’am" to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, but he couldn’t do so as he turned at the barren stoop and looked back at the large woman in the door. He barely managed to say "Thank you" before she shut the door.  He looked down in his pocket and saw the ten dollars he was given  from Ms. Washington, he looked back at the door, then back at the money again. Then he proceed to the nearest shoe shop where they sold blue swade shoes.

As he walked to the door of the shop he noticed a homeless man sitting on the street right beside the store. It was a chilly September night and this man had nothing on but a torn shirt and a pair of ripped pants. When I walked by he said” Spare Change?” I replied “No but I do have a spare place to stay for a while”He directed him towards Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones house.