Reading

This year I read Girl in Pieces, Cinder, City Love, Violent Ends, Speak, Hate U Give, Lord of the Flies, Purple Hibiscus, and Macbeth, a diverse group of genres. I felt I grew as a reader by reading books of different genres, putting myself out of my comfort zone. I typically read realistic fiction, but this year I read science fiction as well as Shakespeare. I also grew through writing reading responses and having specific focuses while reading a novel. This causes me to think deeper about a book and find more themes and messages the author is trying to convey. For example, while reading Purple Hibiscus, I focused on parents and education and how the two aspects of the book influence each other and affect the main character. 

Books I read:

- Girl in Pieces

- Cinder

- City Love

- Violent Ends
- Speak
- Hate U Give

- Lord of the Flies

- Purple Hibiscus
- Macbeth


Reading Response- Purple Hibiscus

Throughout Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the main character and narrator Kambili, does not have much of a voice. She goes through so many traumatic experiences and so much stress in her daily life that she bottles it up. Her father holds extremely high expectations for her, constantly keeping her on edge. Before her trip to Nsukka, Kambili abided by what her father asked of her and was extremely polite, making it seem to others, such as girls at school or her cousins, that she didn't have a personality. She also gave off the impression that her wealth made her too good for others. While in Nsukka, Kambili builds up more confidence and meets people like Father Amadi who make her comfortable to express herself. She laughs and smiles for the first time in her life when surrounded by Aunty Ifeoma and her cousins, people she looked up to for their ability to be so comfortable and happy.

Another aspect of the novel that I noticed was Papa's reaction every time he beats his wife or children. Every time Papa abused Kambili he cried or asked if she was okay. An example of this is when he pours hot water on her feet, he starts to cry. Also, when Kambili eats before mass and Papa punishes her for it, he makes an interesting statement. He asks her, "Why do you walk into sin? Why do you like sin?". Him asking her this, makes it seem as though it is her fault that he is abusive. He feels like he is obligated to abuse her and is asking her why she has to put him through this, as if he can not help it. After this, he hugs her tight and asks if she is okay. Through this abuse, Papa seems to be bipolar because of his fits of rage and then immediately feeling guilty.

Reading Response- Lord of the Flies

While reading Lord of the Flies, I have noticed a pattern of fear developing among the boys. The boys seem to be happy when arriving on the island that doesn't contain grown-ups. But under the happiness, the boys have a sense of fear as they do not have experience of what to do. The boys develop an organized system and appoint a leader to keep things running smoothly. This creates a sense of safety and unity in the boys, which will soon disappear once they experience fear again.

The rumors on the island all contain information and gossip about the beast. Each boy has their own opinion or beliefs about the beast, wether its real or not. This growing fear makes the boys tense and frightened, making them to lash out at one another, and ultimately, causing the unity to diminish. The group of boys divide as Jack voices his own opinions about the beast and how they should go about life on the island. He become another leader of his own group, a group against Ralph's. This pattern of fear started as uniting the boys for a common purpose but in turn, ends dividing them.