Sandra Steffen's 'Come Summer'

Family members and close friends impact people’s lives in immeasurable ways. Octavia E. Butler uses this to develope Lauren in Parable of the Sower through interactions with the people around her. Growing up in a bleak area of a now dismal United States, her faithful upbringing contrasts with the necessary survival mentality demanded by the outside world. Two effectual characters in Lauren’s journey are her father, Reverend Olamina, and her younger brother, Keith. These two characters represent extremes of both devotion and destruction as they influence Lauren to choose her own path as an adult.

The Chicago World Fair stirred many emotions in this great time of industrialization, but not only was Chicago shining in the spotlight from the fair, it was also promoting something much more sinister, this dark enclosing spotlight shined directly on H.H Holmes. Burnham the leader of the World Fair and H. H Holmes the notorious serial killer, are the two main characters in this novel that Erik Larson uses the balance between light and dark between these two’s personalities. In the novel The Devil in the White City Erik Larson uses Imagery, paradox, and alliteration to show the balance between the light and dark in the ever growing city of Chicago. Imagery paints an ever expanding picture for the audience, the detailed descriptions such as “but his eyes are as blue as ever, bluer at this instant by proximity to the sea" (Larson 3).

The Book of Unknown Americans by Christina Henriquez has been reviewed by many newspapers, like The New York Times, The Washington Times and The Guardian. All three start their reviews by giving a summary of the book. The book seems to be about Hispanic/ Latino families living in Delaware. From all of the reviews, The Book of Unknown Americans seems to be a fictional documentary that tells the stories of all of the people, from all across the Spanish-speaking world, living in the apartment building and the struggles they are going through in the United States.

The theme of this book is learning to love and care for the people around. How I came to this conclusion is by how Liesel acts towards Max, her foster parents, Rudy, and her neighbors. Liesel cares for people even if they weren't like her and she doesn't understand why there is hatred in this world. She wanted the world to be a happy place for everyone including Jews to be friends with one another. On page 426 in ‘The Book Thief’, when Rudy’s father went to war Liesel could relate to Rudy because “her mother.

Sarah Dessen writes a novel that so many people can connect to including myself as I connected with the main character Sydney as being invisible and feeling what true friendship is. Both Sydney and I connected by feeling invisible for a number of reasons. One main example is that Sydney feels invisible in her own family. Her brother Peyton is the star of the family. He is handsome, a daredevil, and popular.

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams and Dead of a Salesman by Arthur Miller are two plays in which the two main characters, Blanche Dubois and Willy Loman have problems facing and separating the reality from the fantasy. In both plays the characters tend to fantasized a life trying to avoid real world problems. Both authors develop the idea of who they should be vs. who they really are as humans and that illusion does not only affect them but also everyone around. The fact that we will do anything just to sell ourselves in a miserable world will drive us to an endlessly insanity. Humanity envision things and ideas they can’t get hold of just to end up depressed and in solitude.

Ever since I was young I have always enjoyed lending a hand to someone, I felt needed support in one way or the other, and this passion of mine helped shape what the future may hold for me on a rainy summer night after my soccer game. It was on a Tuesday night around 11.15pm when my soccer game ended, I ran straight to the men’s washroom because I was dying to use the toilet. Unfortunately for me, I took too long and missed my only ride home; they must have thought I had another ride home. I became bewildered about what to do next then, I thought about giving my mother a call. I reached into my bag for my phone and tried turning it on but, it was unresponsive

The Secret Lives of Sgt. John Wilson was written by Lois Simmie. This story is an engaging full-length non-fiction novel that describes true events, which happened in several areas in Saskatchewan, Canada. John Wilson left his wife and son with one on the way, to find opportunity overseas. He then begins serving for the Royal North West Mounted Police where he finds himself falling madly in love with a young lady named Jessie.

The title of the book, Daughter of Fortune, provides a clue of the main character in the story. The title describes the daughter, Eliza, who was adopted by Miss Rose Sommers, but concludes being the daughter of Jeremy Sommers, who she believed was her uncle. The main character, Eliza, is not aware of her origins, but she was raised in Chile by Miss Rose, who taught her how to be a proper English lady. Eliza is described as a girl who lived with a wealthy family, but chases after the man she loves, Joaquín Andieta. The title of the book describes how Eliza grew up, but later on she discovers work and how hard it is to earn the things she wants.

The Disconnect of Dialogue and Interiority in Selected Stories in Olive Kitteridge Introduction After reading a short story or novel that leaves me with that intangible effect that I think all writers want their stories to possess, I like to read interviews from the author. For me, reading about the genesis of a story keeps it alive longer. I want to know how the writer arrived at her idea, how many drafts she went through, what the complications were regarding plot, what questions she asked herself and how she came to solve, answer them. Most of the time I want to know how her characters came to be and how they evolved into their fullness. Reading these interviews always leads me to reflect and compare my own process of writing.

Firstly, Matt’s life seems to only have light when he is with the people he loves because they are the only ones that leave him anything to hold onto throughout his predicaments. Even when he is kept from the people who are loyal to him, just the mere thought of them can bring him hope, and lift his spirits. After Matt has been under Rosa’s care for quite a while, transitioning from a room with a cot, to the cold, hard floor, to sawdust, he has to battle against the insipidity that threatens to engulf him. Rosa has been cruel and malicious in being responsible for Matt, going to great lengths to make sure that he is suffering. Then a miracle happens, “One magical day a dove pushed its way through the bars and rummaged through the sawdust.

The Treatment of Women in Literature Since the beginning of time, women have always been considered less than or inferior to men. Although, the treatment of women has improved tremendously and women are seeing more opportunities than ever before, we still have a long way to go. Until recently, the majority of published writers were men and the depiction of women in literature was mainly one sided. No matter what time period or culture, women in literature usually take the back seat to men. The once popular TV drama series, Twin Peaks, which was created in 1990, and Joyce Carol Oates’s short story “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?,” which was published in 1970, but was probably written in the 50s or 60s, are perfect examples of this.

Over the summer I read about a person who was a really good track star and served in World War II. Written by Laura Hillenbrand, Unbroken is a non-fiction World War II story about a young man named Louis Zamperini. The story takes place in the pacific islands and Japan during World War II Louis grew up as a restless and naughty boy, but then became a good and famous track star before getting drafted into the second world war. Louis faces the challenge of surviving on his own and enduring cruelty against Japanese leaders as a prisoner of war. One day in 1943, an Army Air Force Bomber crashes into the Pacific Ocean, leaving Louis and some of his crew trapped in the Pacific.