Literature Analysis #1

Topic(s) and/or Event(s):
1. The book "Heaven is for real" is based on a true story about a four-year old boy named Colton. He was in a car accident and ended up in the emergency room. When he is getting surgery, the little boy dies for a few minutes. When he wakes up he begins to tell his story.

2. The author, Todd Burpo, chose to write about this event because he thought what that little kid had experienced was incredible. He wanted share with others the amazing story that was shared with him by the little boy named Colton.

3. I chose this book because my moms great friend had mentioned to her what a great story this was. She passed on the book to us and said we would completely fall in love with it. Just knowing that the story was about a real life event inspired me to read it in the first place. The simple fact that my family is religious and we believe that miracles do occur kept me reading it once I began.

4. I did find this book very realistic because my cousin who had gone into a coma told us a very similar story once he recovered. He mentioned how he too saw a light while he was gone to heaven for a few minutes. He said a child kept telling him to return to his family because his journey was not yet over. He was told his family still needed him here on earth with us.

People:

1. This story didn't create any new characters, it was just based on the little boy's story and who he met in his journey. The author didn't add any events to the story because he thought it was best that the readers new every true fact about the events that occurred. He chose to tell the story with inspiration to get other people amazed like he was when he heard what the little boy had inspired him with all the things he has seen which nobody else in this world had experienced yet.

2. Colton was amazing because he wasn't scared with his experience. He just took it in like it was something normal. He never thought anything of it. He knew he left his body for a while but he was totally calm about it. He knew he was safe at all times. His dad was incredible because as a pastor he never thought he would ever get to hear such an  amazing story. Hearing it from his own son was amazing. The people in the story seem like just  an ordinary family. I don't think I can compare them to any fictional character.

3. They're interesting because they tell a memory of a little boy and his near death experience. It helps other Christians have a higher faith in their god. It helps them believe that god is always their taking care of them and looking after them.

Style:

1. The author told the story like a day to day life story. He told it almost as if he was writing in a journal. He didn't foreshadow any events that were going to happen. Events were mentioned over like flashback but that was because they were mentioning what the young child had seen while he was in surgery.

2. He used lengthy description when describing a place or the car ride but never really focused to much on one of the people. Well, except for the main character. He always described how he looked with such great detail that it seemed as if you were there with them witnessing the child at the same moment.

3. The author expresses care and interest when it comes to describing the horrifying yet incredible experience.

4. He was very comprehensive with what the little boy had experienced. He knew God was there answering his prayers. God understood that the man had been losing faith so he did something in order for him to believ in him once again. He reminded him that he died for them and that he will always be there. So I guess it's easy to say that the author tells the story with great faith in his beliefs.

5. He didn't offer any because it was a true story that occurred to his son. He didn't get it off some website or news article.

Hamlet's Soliloquy...Activity 5...

Alicia

Johna

Judith

...ACTIVITY 5...

Antonyms for the following words:
1. Action: Antonyms for the following words:
2.Oppression: freedom, democracy
3.Action: cessation, idleness, inaction, inactivity
4.Endurance: cutback, close, expiration
5.Mystery: understanding, obvious, clear
6.Life: death, nonexistent

Synonims for the following words:
1. Action: activity, commotion, liveliness
2. Thought: anticipation, logic
3. Suffering: difficulty, misery, misfortune
4. Mortality: carnage, dying, loss of life
5. Fear: agitation, nightmare, trembling

Hamlet's Soliloquy...ACTIVITY 4...

Alicia Ramirez

Johna Emerick

Judith Botello

...Activity 4...

1. What is a tragedy? What themes and outcomes would you expect to find in a tragedy?

•  A tragedy is something horrible that happens when you least expect it. the theme would be the lesson of the wrong path.

2. What do you know about the language in plays written by Shakespeare?

• Shakespearean language is quite difficult to understand. It seems as if he created his own language. As long as you reread the play line by line you'll be able to comprehend it. 

3. What have you done in the past to help yourself read Shakespeare effectively?

•  We went over it in class during the seminar and each student participated and mentioned how they interpreted the play. Last year we had someone come in class and explain what Shakespeare was trying to say in one of his plays. We also had to rewrite Hamlet a few weeks ago with a partner interpreting each line in our own vocabulary. 

4. The soliloquy here begins with a famous quotation: "To be, or not to be-- that is the question." What do  you think is "the question" Hamlets asking? How do you think he might answer it?

• The question he is asking is whether to be someone or not or maybe if he should do something or not. He's asking himself the same question we all ask ourselves before doing something except he's doing it in a more clever way.  

Hamlet's Soliloquy... Activity 3

Alicia Ramirez

Johna Emerick
Judith Botello

...Activity 3...

1. What Prior experiences have you had reading plays?

• Plays are always difficult to understand. Everyone interprets them differently and it affects everyone in a different way. I've read Shakespeare's play " Romeo and Juliet" before and it was so complex and old fashioned that the teacher had to go over it line by line and explain what was trying to be said. It's surprising how well messages are hidden in such complex writing.

2. What did you notice about the page format and annotations?

• The format was like a play. It would say exactly what had to be done in each scene. The only difficult part, was having to figure out what each thing meant.

3. What did you notice about the text's structure?

• Even though "Romeo and Juliet" was written as a play. It sounded as if it was meant to be a poem. I guess that's what made it sound a little more romantic and less weird. 

Hamlet's Soliloquy...Activity #1...

Alicia Ramirez

Johna Emerick
Judith Botello

William Shakespeare, "Hamlet's Soliloquy" from Hamlet, Prince of Denmark

Activity 1: What does being alive mean to you? How do you assign value to life? What makes life challenging? What makes it worth living? Describe a few examples that help show you're thinking about how people should value life.

• Being alive means being able to experience new things and using your time wisely to do what you want and having no regrets. A life with regrets is not living. You're just dying inside if you hold back. Be open and willing to face your fears. You know you're alive when you feel all sorts of different emotions. Everything seems to affect you in some way. Life becomes challenging every day you face a difficult situation. The challenges in life make a person themselves though. It ends up defining who they are and what they are capable of facing. Some have a more difficult time at facing challenges then others, just like it a situation can affect some more than others. Everyone has a different opinion to why life is worth living. In our opinion, life is worth living because it brings you happiness. Happiness makes life meaningful, therefor worth living. People should learn how to cherish what they have because no one ever knows what day will be their last. Another thing that makes life worth living is your family who is always by your side when you need them. In general though, most people value life on success. Not necessarily meaning money, but more like which goals and dreams they've accomplished through it.

Dear Steve

Steve Jobs was a very successful man who never gave up when things got difficult. He always said that when bad situations came up and you made mistakes always learn from them. It surprised me how successful he became for the simple fact that he didn't complete college. Hearing such a story like that makes anyone realize that success is open to everyone as long as you try. Even though he was surrounded by negative people he managed to look passed that and not let it get to him.

Another thing that amazed me was that he created the company of Apple in his parents garage. That's just amazing!!! I just thought it was weird how he ended up getting fired from it a while later. He never gave up though. He later went to work for Pixar and after a while ended back at Apple. I know of a few people that have gone to college and done so much, but aren't nearly that successful. Some can't even get a job in what they love. They end up having to give it up for something they hste. To see someone who tried outside of school become this successful at such a young age was just inspiring.

The Value of Choice

If we had to read one of the books listed in the file, the only text that seems interesting is "What is a Life Worth?". I think it would be awesome if we got the chance to analyze a text like that one because it seems like it focuses on actual life and it's a question that many people ask, so why not try and figure out the message the author wants us to see in the text.