Eldest by Christopher Paolini
R.L. #1
The main characters of the story is Eragon and his dragon , Saphira. Eragon is the last Dragon Rider of Alagaesia. He found Saphira when she was an egg while hunting for meat in a forest(called the Spine). I think Eragon is a dynamic character because over this and the first book, he has changed a lot. He started out as a farm boy with little knowledge. When he set off on his journey, he learned a lot from his mentor(Brom, who has sadly died saving him). He learned to ride Saphira, how to sword fight, how to use magic, and many other new talents. In the synopsis of "Eragon" it states, "Eragon learns much from Brom during their travels, including how to fight with swords and use magic"(xiv). The way he thinks has also changed. After killing Durza(the antagonist of the first book who can use dark magic) Eragon states, "Fighting Durza and the dark spirits that controlled him had transformed Eragon; although for better of for worse he was still unsure"(2).
R.L#2
Another one of the main character's of the story(I'm just going to call them Protagonists from this point on) is Eragon's dragon, Saphira. Eragon found Saphira when she was a egg while hunting in a mysterious forest called the Spine. He kept the egg, thinking that it was a glossy rock, taking it back home and hoping to get some money out of it. When Saphira hatched Eragon became linked to her becoming partners, mentally and physically. Not only does Saphira serve as a mount for Eragon, but she is also: a guide, a comrade, but most of all, a close friend. Eragon and Saphira's minds are linked together. They can communicate telepathically and feel each others pain. Saphira has a sense of wisdom, often giving Eragon helpful hints and guiding him in and out of battle.
George by Alex Gino
R.L#3
George is a boy...at least that's what everyone sees. In reality, George is a girl. She shows a lot of anxiety and is pessimistic. One sign of anxiety in the beginning of the story is, "Scott's bike! That meant Scott! Scott was George's older brother, a high school freshman. The hair on George's neck stood up. Soon, heavy footsteps climbed the stairs to the second floor. The locked bathroom door rattled. It was as if Scott were rattling George's heart inside her rib cage."(8). George is looking through her teen magazines when Scott comes home. She freaks out and tries her best to hide the magazines. Wouldn't you have a lot of anxiety if you were keeping your true gender identity from your family and friends in fear that they wouldn't accept you. Throughout the beginning of the story, George is a static character. She has fantasies about having long hair and a female body, but is embarrassed to have anybody learn about her secret. When George was talking to her friend, Kelly, Kelly said, " 'I still don't see what the big deal is,' Kelly said. 'So you want to play a girl onstage. It's not like you want to be a girl.' George's face paled. The air grew hot around her."(57-58). She still has her anxiety as she did in the very beginning of the story, which shows that she is a static character.
R.L#4
The conflict of the story is about how George tells everyone that she is a transgender girl. This is the conflict because the whole story is about George finding the courage to tell people that she is transgender. The synopsis on the inside of the book even states, "With the help of her best friend, Kelly, George comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte-but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.". The idea of exposing her secret gives George anxiety, even just keeping her identity gives her anxiety. The conflict is both internal and external. It is internal because George feels stressed out and has a lot of worry about telling her loved ones that she is transgender. The conflict is also external because other people could see George differently because of her being transgender, such as the students at her school. Two boys already make fun of George because "he" acts feminine, often calling "him" a girl(12).
Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your [@$$] by Meg Medina
R.L #5
"Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass" by Meg Media is about Piddy Sanchez, a girl who just moved away from her old school and is trying to fit in. However, in the short time that she has been at her new high school, she has already made enemies. One day, a girl informs Piddy that "Yaqui Delgado wants to kick your @$!." The Depth and Complexity icon, ethics, can be seen in the first few chapters(and maybe even trickle through the rest of the story). From what is presented in the beginning of the story, Piddy's mother has some opinions about what is "good for a young girl" so that they can mature into a defined woman. Piddy states, "Ma is always inventing endless things that are 'good for a young girl' -which means, specifically, me. Hemming pants. Washing out underwear by hand because 'What decent woman puts her private things in a public washer?' Learning to fry chicken so it isn't bloody near the bone. Speaking rudimentary French. Cross-stitching pillows-I kid you not- so I'll know how to stitch my baby's initials into its bibs someday. All sorts of pointless things that are supposed to improve me 'for the future'. "(pg. 17). You can probably tell that the ethnical things that Piddy's mother believes is good for her daughter are things that a sterotypical housewife should know how to do: cooking and cleaning. While these things are important, they are not crucial to living. Piddy wants to be a zoologist and work in the field. Her mother thinks otherwise, with Piddy explaining, "If I told this to Ma, her screams would touch the sky. '?Elefantes?' She'd nag about malaria and the smell of dung I'd never get out from under my nails. She'd ask me what kind decent girl is interested in elephants. And so on."(pg. 18). As you can see Piddy's mother's ethical view is different from Piddy's. Piddy's mother should consider the kind of things that Piddy wants to do, especially because of the rise of women in various industries: medical field, computer science, ect. Then we must also consider that Piddy's mother is just trying to make sure that her daughter grows up to be decent, just like any other parent.
R.L #6
Piedad, Piddy, Sanchez is the protagonist of the story and she goes through a lot of trouble while shifting to the new atmoshere of her high school, Daniel Jones. She becomes targeted by one of the meanest girls at school, Yaqui Delgado, who can be described as "hell on legs". Piddy is an intelligent latina, who manages to keep her brains despite her failing grades. Piddy's intelligence is mentioned many times during the story. While helping an accquintance with physicis homework, Piddy is complimented on her ability to understand the subject well. Piddy states, "I have to keep reminding her that what she calls 'common sense' is not compatible with scientific logic. 'Look,' I tell her, 'Forget what you think should happen. The real world doesn't work that way.' We work on the laws of gravity again. When we're finally through, [Darlene] leans back. 'Not bad.' 'What?' 'Your science skills. I assume you'll apply to McClearly.' "(pg 143-144). This shows her understanding of physics better than Darlene, who's tries her best and takes any oppurtunity to lead a group of people, which just gives us a little taste of Piddy's intelligence. Piddy is a dynamic character. In the beginning of the story, she sounds confused and doesn't seem like she knows what she is doing in her life. She is also weak and scared of the powerful. Through many bad decisions, and some that were not avoided, she ends up being able to stand up for herself and face problems head on. Through two distict moments in the story, it states, "When I look across the yard , a jolt of fear runs throguh me. Of all people, it's Yaqui Delgado...I keep my eyes down, hoping Yaqui is too preoccupied to spot us as we go by.", and "The screen is reflected in his glasses, frozen on a frame of the fence outside my apartment. Mrs. Boika is in the window, a group of girls standing around with their backs to the camer. I feel no shame as I watch the video start to play. This time I don't even cry."(pgs 55 & 240). We can see how Piddy changes from fearing Yaqui to standing up for herself fearlessly. The video she showed the school official is about Yaqui jumping her and ripping off her tops and watched as she stood helplessly half-naked. When Piddy saw it or thought about it, she used to be sad and mad, but she overcame that. Piddy was a really great character to get to know.
R.L. #7
The conflict of the story is when Piddy gets jumped by Yaqui Delgado. While things have been going on between Yaqui and Piddy(even though Piddy doesn't even know why she is targeted by Yaqui) this is the straw that breaks the camels back. Yaqui jumps Piddy and starts beating her up. Yaqui rips off Piddy's shirt and bra while she tries to run away, leaving her exposed while she is feet away from saftey. To make matters worse, Yaqui's friend's record Piddy and upload it to YouTube. While external elements exist, such as all the scars and bruises that Piddy recieved, it is more of a internal issue because it heavily affects Piddy's pyscological state. For example, near the end of the story, when Piddy changes back to her old school, it states, "These days, I walk through the halls with my friends, but at luchtime, I find myself looking over my shoulder. I think twice before I go into a school bathroom alone, even though I know it' s safe. After school I hang out at Lila's, not because I want to but also because sometimes I'm still schared that Yaqui will be waiting for me again."(pg. 256). As you can see, Piddy is scared even after Yaqui is out of the picture and she is safe! While the problem with Yaqui is resolved, Piddy faces trauma after what has happened to her. Earlier in the story, Piddy states, "I'm crying hard not, and my voice echoes too loudly off the tile. 'I won't sit down. Don't tell me to calm down! Yaqui will just get me worse the next time-her or one of her friends. I swear to God, if you tell Ma, you're digging my grave.' "(pg. 164-165). This is right after Piddy gets jumped and her mother's best friend, Lila, is helping her with her injuries. You can hear the fear in her voice(fear that will reverberate throughout the story). This is only the start of what's to come, after that Piddy doesn't want to go back to school, she runs away from home when she is supposed to be in school, and she adds onto the list of lies that she tells her mother.
