812 Reading Responses discussion

Choose one of the following:

1.) Is your protagonist a hero?

In your analysis, make sure to share how the quote shows that he/she is a hero (This proves that he is heroic.../This is heroic because....):

OR

2.) What is your character’s biggest weakness?
Make sure your analysis proves your claim: This proves ____________ is a weakness because......./This weakness influences the character because...._

Remember to make sure that your topic sentence:
-includes important text info
-restates the key words of the question
-contains your specific answer to the question

Please consult your rubric and models to ensure that you are doing your best work!

For a “4”: Did I….
• Write a topic sentence that provided the claim and important text information, such as the title, author, and genre of my text?
• Provide background of what is happening in the text so my reader understands what I’m talking about? Did I say what was happening at the time of the quote/evidence?
• Find evidence from the text that proves that the change was important?
• Paraphrase and then analyze how my quote proves my claim ("This proves that _______________ was important because.../This interested me because....)?
• Write a conclusion sentence that restates your claim in a different way?

In the fantasy novel, Haunted Island, by Joan Lowery Nixon, the protagonist, Chris is a hero because he is trying to save an island from two ghosts. The ghosts include a man named Joshua Hanover, and his guard dog, Shadow. Joshua would cast spells and curses on whoever stepped foot on the island. For example, he once filled the island up with deadly rats. Chris’ neighbor, Amos Croley, shared details on his experience on the island and how he felt treated like a slave by Joshua. Joshua assigned numerous tasks for Amos to complete. He never gave him breaks and forced him to work constantly. For example, Joshua would tell Amos to pick up certain objects and bring them back to him. Amos told Chris and his sister, Amy, to go to the island and put the ghosts to rest. He believes that it will help restore peace on the island. In addition, Chris states, “He told us it was time to put the ghosts to rest.” (65). This proves that he is heroic because he is willing to risk his life to save others, which also makes him brave. Overall, Chris and Amy are fighting to bring peace back to an island by stopping two ghosts, Joshua and Shadow, in their track. These ghosts are causing trouble to those who step foot on the island. They have guarded the island for two hundred years, and Chris and Amy are looking to set the ghosts to rest for good.

In Jeff Kinney's non fiction novel ,Diary of a Wimpy Kid The Long Haul,the protagonist (Greg Heffley) is not considered a hero.Greg is a thirteenth year old boy and is going on a road trip with his family.Now they are in a water park and he lost the key to the locker that him and his family put their stuff in."She said she had given me the key, but I turned both pockets of my bathing suit inside out to prove they were empty."(174).This shows that she gave him the key but he said he didn't get it.This proves that he is not heroic because rather then being responsible and looking after the key he is careless and doesn't pay any attention to it.He should have been paying more attention and making sure that the key is with him every couple of minutes.Therefore, because he not a hero he is some what a villain.

In Blumemthals realistic fiction novel The lifeguard the protagonist is considered a hero because he tried to save someone's life but he failed at least he still tried though. It happened when he was working his shift at the beach and he wasn't looking then he heard something and he went in the water to get the man put but it was already too late the man was dead already. Pilot is a lifeguard who lives with his grandfather Antonio in cape cod. Pilot says "let me try again to save his life." No he's dead the doctor said he's gone". This proves that pilot is a hero because he wanted to save a guys life but he was to late but he still tried and didn't want to give up. This shows that he is a hero because he saves peoples lives even though some don't end up making it he still makes the effort that's why he's the lifeguard. Therefore because pilot is considered a hero shows that he never gives up he keeps trying no matter what happens.

In Sharon G. Flakes realistic fiction novel Money Hungry, Raspberry's weakness is not getting the money she thinks she deserves. Raspberry loves money but if she cleans someone's house for two hours, she is not looking forward to $10. She loves money and she will do almost anything for it. Raspberry is a teenage girl just trying to achieve her goals. Raspberry states "Ten dollars for all that work. For lugging boxes, and sniffing dust and almost breaking my neck on top of a ladder."(94) This proves that she is disappointed about the amount of money she earned when she did a large amount of work. This shows that this was unexpecting to her and her friends and that she's not happy with what was given to her. She thinks that she deserves a little more than just $10. Therefore, Raspberry has a weakness throughout the story that gets stronger and stronger.

2.) What is your character’s biggest weakness?

In Ben Mikaelsen's fiction novel, Touching Spirit Bear, a weakness I think Cole Matthews has is losing his temper when he his frightened or scared. Cole Matthews is a teenage boy who was arrested for breaking an expensive artifact and was sent banished for a year to a remote island off the coast of Alaska where he joins the Native American Justice Circle, and meets two friends named Garvey and Edwin. Cole tries to escape the island by swimming in the ocean, but gets pushed back by the tides where he encounters a Spirit bear. At first Cole hated the bear because it kept on frightening him so Cole started to harm nature, but when he touched the spirit bear, Cole had realized what he had done to nature and starts to clean up his mess that he had done. When he is scared or frightened, Cole says stuff he doesn't mean. It was shown during the first time Cole encountered the Spirit Bear and started to threaten the Spirit Bear because Cole was frightened by it. "If I ever see you again, you're dead. I'll teach you to be afraid of me" (45). This shows that Cole Matthews can't control his actions when he is scared. This proves that Cole's biggest weakness is losing his temper when he is frightend because rather than being calm when he gets scared or frightend, Cole can't control his actions and starts to get violent. Therefore, a weakness I think Cole Matthews has is losing his temper when he his frightened or scared.

In the book Steve Jobs The Man who Thought differently by Karm Blumenthal a realistic fiction novel. It is about a guy named Steve Jobs who mayed a business. The type of protagonist Steve Job is a hero because he always thought different and has a idea of his own. For example he designed the icandy different and people said that it wont work but he did "He insisted that it could and would be done so." (200)This shows that Steve Jobs Thought different and that his idea saved Apple. This proves that Steve Jobs was a hero because he saved Apple for bankruptcy.

In the book Steve Jobs The Man Who Thought differently by Karm Blumenthal a realistic fiction novel. This is a good book about Steve Jobs the CEO of Apple. This book is about Steve Jobs past history what was he like and how did he make a company. The book first take place where Steve Jobs was a little kid who was a orphan and that layter he got adopted. When that was taken place a few years layter Steve Jobs was a teen and that he had a ideas about making a computer like nothing else. Then another few years it talks about steve jobs getting fired at apple and then Steve Jobs makes another company called NeXT but layter changed it to Pixar.
In my opinion this is a interesting book about a man who built one of the worlds most papular company and then got fired from and got rehired. This book is also good for people who are interested in Steve Jobs past life.