Divergent Update

        So in my recent readings, there have been many developments in the plot. Beatrice went with her brother Caleb to school where they would take the faction aptitude test. This test would help them figure out which faction they should choose during the Choosing Ceremony. The test gives the teenager a couple of difficult scenarios, including what to do with a dangerous dog. The test is supposed to give a clear indication of what faction suits you best- Abnegation, Amity, Candor, Dauntless, and Erudite. However, the test doesn't show which one is best for her; it instead gives back Abnegation, Dauntless, and Erudite as possibilities. Then we get to the title, Divergent, which is what Beatrice is now called. I think she will pick something other than Abnegation because she has wanted to be different from her Abnegation family.

       In a way, the faction aptitude tests are sort of like the Sorting Hat from the Harry Potter series. They are similar because they both help decide what the following years in your life are going to be like. They are also different though because the Sorting Hat picks one house and that's the one your in, but the faction aptitude test just gives you a suggestion. The faction aptitude tests would be better to have though because it only gives you advice on a choice, but the Sorting Hat doesn't let you choose your fate. Divergent seems to have many connections to many other books, including The Hunger Games and Harry Potter. We'll see if this book lives up to its hype, and if it can contend with those two books.

You could also see a little comparison between the factions in Divergent and the houses in Harry Potter. They both stress certain things, and help define you a little. This book fan had an interesting take on the comparison.

Locking into the Magic of Legos- Krista Ramsey

 Locking into the Magic of Legos

       Ramsey writes about the wonders of legos- how they are actually beneficial to kids, and how parents will do extraordinary things to get them for their children. The legos teach kids about creativity and 3D visualization.


 "That's because kids are off the clock with Legos. They're in a world beyond learning objectives and select soccer, safely out of reach of arranged play dates and online language programs. Legos let them claim the two things adults don't even realize they need: space and silence."

       I think this is a good line and is helpful to the reader because it uses four connections from the world, and a lot of people can relate to most of them. We don't like learning objectives or online language programs, and we get tired of select soccer or arranged play dates. Ramsey is trying to say that the kids get to go to a world away from the normalities of life. I also liked the syntactic strategy of using a colon near the end of the sentence, which is used to create emphasis on space and silence. She could've said "which are space and silence" , but that just doesn't flow or sound right. I also like the line 'kids are off the clock with legos" because it is a better way of saying that kids are in love with legos.

       Ramsey's style of writing seems to have some persuasion in it as she tries to raise awareness, and then she often ends with an important line or saying; something for the reader to think about. In the lego column she explains the benefits of legos, in the outdoor column she believes that kids should get outdoors more, and thinks that people should dress nicely in the Super Bowl QB's column.

       At the end of the lego column she says "With Legos, kids build sturdy little creations – which, in turn, build sturdy kids." It's an interesting line because we typically don't think about legos building up good kids, we just see them as another toy.

       "What all kids need is more training in three dimensions,” Clark says. “Life is not two-dimensional.” The ending line of this story is trying to build up the vision of seeing your life through all the lenses and angles.

       The second column ends with "If we need inspiration, we have only to watch Wilson or Manning as they board the plane to head home from the Super Bowl. Whatever the score of the game, they’ll both look like winners." She ends the column with a thought, and it is a little ironic because she is talking about their clothing and not the actual game.


For how long have you wanted to be a writer?
Does the writing ever get boring for you, or is it fun every time you make a column?
How have your past experiences influenced your writing today?
      

Divergent and Hunger Games Comparison

So I recently started Divergent by Veronica Roth, and it seems like it'll be a good book based on the first few chapters. It does seem like it is sort of similar to The Hunger Games in multiple ways. One of the reasons is that both books take place in a dystopian society. The societies that Beatrice and Katniss live in are nothing like the society that we live in today. Right from the beginning, we can see that Divergent is a dystopian society: "The other factions celebrate birthdays, but we don't. It would be self-induldent." (Roth 2) They have strict rules, such as only being able to look in the mirror on the second day of every third month, which is a rule in Beatrice's society. Katniss's district, which is like a society, can only begin their district specialty when they turn 18. Both of the books take place somewhere in the future, and the societies are both worse than what we have today. The people in the books might think they are utopian, but in reality they are actually dystopian.

Another way that they are similar is that the main characters are both girls, and very courageous girls at that. Beatrice might make a very brave move in Divergent, because she could chose to leave her family faction Abnegation, and join the Dauntless faction. When these sixteen year olds leave their family faction, they have a chance of never speaking to them again. In the end, however, Beatrice will know she made the right decision. In The Hunger Games, Katniss also did many brave and courageous things. One of those things was volunteering as tribute when her sister Primrose was selected to compete in the games. Can you even imagine doing this in our world today? What if you were in this situation? Volunteering herself to join these games nearly pushed her to the brink of the death, but she was brave and loving enough to protect her sister.

In addition to the previous connections, Divergent and The Hunger Games can also relate to each other because they both have a serious choosing day which can decide the characters' fates. In Divergent, there is the Choosing Ceremony, where the teenage citizens decide their future by selecting from one of the 5 factions. Their choice can make or break their connection with family for years. The important event in The Hunger Games is the reaping. This is the part where one boy and one girl from each district are chosen to compete in the games where everyone but one dies. It's where the clouds in Katniss's life had begun to darken. Both of these days are essential details to the development of each story.

Another thought on the similarities

Divergent

I chose to read this book because I needed a book for English class and I was able to find this in my closet. I think it will be an interesting book because I know a lot of people that have read it and they say that it was a great book, and they can't wait to see the movie. I have heard that the book is just like The Hunger Games, so I assume that it will be a good book because I really liked The Hunger Games, and I typically do not like reading. It seems to be the next biggest hit after The Hunger Games

Are the comparisons fair? What are some of the things that make them similar? Any responses are welcome. By looking at the summary, it looks like the main character will be a girl, just like The Hunger Games. I also know that both these books have movies for them, and both of them were/are pretty hyped. I thought The Hunger Games movie was pretty good, but I don't plan on seeing the Divergent movie until I finish the book. I would assume the book will be better because that is typically the case, but we'll see.