Character Sketch Essay

Second Glance by: Jodi Picoult

            Ross Wakeman is not a very happy man living on earth. He lives in Comtosook, Vermont with his sister and nephew. Ever since his fiancée died in a car crash he has lost himself. He had tried to commit suicide and when that did not work he took on the job as a paranormal investigator.  In the book Second Glance by Jodi Picoult, she does not give much detail on how Ross looks except that he has long dark hair and eyes that make you melt if you look into them. Ross soon realizes that just because someone dies does not mean it is the end of the world.

            After working for years with some guy, named Curtis running a paranormal activity show, Ross realizes that Curtis is just a big lair and quits his job. He soon sets off looking for new job in Comtostook and runs into Rod van Vleet who is building a strip mall on a piece of land that has a ghost. Since Ross is a paranormal investigator and just wants to look for his dead fiancée he says that he will check for a ghost for free. While on the job Ross meets this girl, “Beaumont,” she says, “Lia Beaumont.” Lia changes Ross in a way his sister thought was never possible, until one night. Lia was in Ross’s mind night and day and all he wanted to do was kiss. So, Ross sets out looking for Lia and when he finally finds her he kisses her which shocks both of them. Lia sets off running into the woods. He follows her until they get to two stones which she passes like she walked right through and Ross trips and stumbles over them. When Ross gets up to look at the two stones and realizes that they are gravestones. One small and one big and the smaller one said, “Lily Pike, September 19, 1932. And on the larger one: Cecilia Beaumont Pike, November 9, 1932- September 19, 1932.” Ross looked just as shocked as Lia. “Cissy Pike. Cecilia. Lia,” I just kissed a ghost, he thinks to himself.

            Once Ross found out about Lia being a ghost Ross lost all over again. Then he started to get interested at how Lia had died. With the help of a policeman named Eli they figure out the whole story of Lia Beaumont Pike. Lia was half Indian and at the time her husband hated Indians. When Lia had her child in 1932 and named her Lily. It had real dark skin like an Indian so her husband took the child and suffocated it because he thought that the child was not his. When her husband later told her that Lily was too young and died she set off to look for it because she did not believe him. When Lia found Lily dead in the Icehouse she went off and hung herself. While in the process of that she heard her baby cry and realized it was not dead, but it was too late. Lia at the time had a servant named Ruby who was her only friend and asked her that if anything happened to her could she take care of the baby. When Ruby heard Lily cry she went out to look for her and found Lia dead, so she took the baby and ran off to Maryland.

Ross found out about Ruby and went to Maryland to look for her. When Ross found her he said, “I want to talk to you about 1932.” She eventually told him everything. She said that she took the Lily and raised her as her own and that she grew up in a normal environment and had children of her own. When Lily was seventy years old Ruby told her about her real mother and she had a heart attack and died. Meredith was the only child Lily had, so Ross told everything to Meredith and brought her back to Vermont to prove that what Ruby said was true. When Meredith learned the truth Ross said, “You are the direct descendant from Lia Pike. And that means you own a really nice piece of real estate in Comtosook, Vermont.”  Meredith stays with Ross in Vermont, the night before she is supposed to leave for Maryland something totally unexpected happens that changes everyone’s lives.              

The children go missing. Ross’s nephew and Meredith’s child both run off into this quarry. The quarry would not be as dangerous if it were not supposed to blow up the next day. Once Ross and Meredith find out that the children have done missing they head straight to the quarry, but not soon enough. By the time they get there the quarry has already started to blow up. The two children are alive but to get to them is difficult. In the effort to getting the two children Meredith’s leg “snapped beneath the weight of the           granite plate that pinned her.” Ross came to the rescue and got the two children out of the quarry and made them go call 911 as he went back for Meredith. On his way to rescue Meredith, Ross saw a piece of dynamite next to her and ran and got it. He did not think that he was going to die all he thought of was to get the stick of dynamite as far away from Meredith as possible. At that moment the dynamite was blew up and Ross went with it. The paramedics said, “He was dead before we even got to him.” At the hospital while bringing Ross to a room, he magical came back to life. No one could explain how it happened but Ross knew that he could never die.

Ross’s transformation is teaching us readers that life is short, so if you lose your purpose in life find a new one. He learned the hard and is warning us there is always a purpose for living. He had a hard time after his fiancée died and even his sister could not get him back on track all he needed was another love. Your soul mate is not the only thing in the world to live for but to Ross it was. He had a loving sister and nephew right in front of him and he was so blinded by the death of his love he did not realize it. Like I said, Ross soon realized that just because someone died does not mean it was the end of the world.                                                                                        

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Make sure to watch the movie, in stores now.

The journey of living, loving, and letting go; The Death and Life Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood.

The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud is a story that will make you laugh, cry, and sometimes smile. The book is all about living in the present and letting go of the past even though it may be hard. The story is full of twists, turns, and unexpected surprises.

The Masque of the Red Death Symbolism

“The Masque of the Red Death” Symbolism

When you hear the word black, what do you think of? Do you think of the ending of something, like death? Black is the symbol of death, it also means darkness. Death is the last stage in life. Death will always be here. People may think that it is possible to buy there way out of death; the truth is it is not possible to run, hide, or stop death.

            In the story, “The Masque of the Red Death” by Edgar Allan Poe, there is a prince who believes he can buy his way out of the red death. So he walls him and his friends in and all the villagers out, who have the red death. While they are walled in the prince has a ball. The ball takes place in seven rooms. Each room has a different color, blue, purple, green, orange, white, violet, and black. These seven colors symbolize the stages of life. The very last room, the black room, is a very dark place that no one dares to go in because it reminds them of the red death. In the black room there is also a ebony clock and every time it clangs the people stop for a minute like something bad is coming and when they realize everything is ok they go back to what they were doing. The clock’s clangs symbolize that one stage of life is over and the next one is beginning. The clock clangs seven times and on the seventh clang, that means death. Right before the seventh clang “death” comes in the form of a person. The prince tried to kill “death” for invading his ball, but one look at “death” and he dies, as did all the others, on the seventh clang of the clock, while trying to catch the murder of their king.

            Death is sad but everyone experiences a death at one point in their life. I have experienced numerous deaths in my life. Deaths make people very sad, it makes them cry, lose control of themselves, and sometimes feel lost. One death I have experienced shows that you cannot buy your way out of death, like the prince in the story thought. This death was the death of my great grandmother. Most people have never met their great grandparents, but I have met both, my great grandfather and great grandmother on my father’s side. When my great grandfather died I was upset but not that upset because I was younger at the time and never really knew him. When my great grandmother died I was so upset. I could not stop crying (That is what happens to most people who experience a death, they usually cry a lot like I did.) Her death was so unexpected because she was doing so well and was very healthy. We all go to the doctor to get checked up on to see if we are healthy and well but that does not stop us from dying. This shows that you cannot run, hide, or buy your way out of death.

O. Henry

O. Henry:

·         O. Henry was the pen name used by William Sydney Porter.

·         "O. Henry's short stories are well known for their wit, wordplay, warm characterization and clever twist endings."

·         William Sydney Porter was born on September 11, 1862 in North Carolina and died on June 5, 1910 in New York.

·         "O. Henry's stories are famous for their witty narration and surprise endings, which are often referred to as an "O. Henry ending.”

·         "He was called the American answer to Guy de Maupassant."

·         "Both authors wrote twist endings, but O. Henry stories were much more playful and optimistic. "

·         Most of O. Henry's stories are set in his own time, the early years of the 20th century.

·        "Many take place in New York City and deal for the most part with ordinary people: clerks, policemen, and waitresses."

·         "O. Henry's work provides one of the best examples of catching the entire flavor of an age written in the English language."

·         "The Four Million was his first collection of stories."

·         His most famous stories are: “The Gift of the Magi”, “The Ransom of Red Chief”, “The Cop and the Anthem and “A Retrieved Reformation.”

Cite I got information and picture: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O._Henry

Edgar Allan Poe



http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edgar_Allan_Poe_2.jpg 



Edgar Allan Poe:

1. Edgar Allan Poe's birthdate is Janurary 19, 1809 in Boston. He's death date is October 7, 1849.
2. Some tragic things that happened to Poe was the death of his mother, father, brother, wife, and poverty.
3. Some theories that are thought for Poe's death are beating, epilepsy, dipsomania, heart, and toxic disorder.
4. Poe called Richmand, Virginia his home 
5.  The famous military academy that Poe got expelled from was the United States Military Academy.
6.  Poe married his cousin, Virginia Clemm. She was not yet fourteen.
7. I think that she was too young to marry and I also think it's worng to marry your cousin.
8. "The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Black Cat" were written in 1843.
9. "Murders in the Rue Morgue" is the first modern detective story.
10. "The Raven was published Janurary 1845.

All answers came from this website: http://www.poemuseum.org/index.php

Reflection:
The closest thing to learning about Poe is reading one or two stories of his in eitgth grade. It didn't really understand them and I still don't. I don't remember the titles of the stories but I thought he was a weird man for writing stories like he writes. He looks very creepy and mad or sad all the time.

The 2nd Quarter!

Welcome back! It's almost the beginning of the new quarter; my goals for this quarter are to get straight A's. We are just about to start our short stories by Edgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, and Shakespeare's love comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream. We have already read one and I think these short stories won't be to difficult. I'm glad that they aren't going to be hard because i'm so good at the plot diagrams and things like that, but I love reading the stories.   



Homecoming



Head and Sports Injuries

Head and Sports Injuries

            Everyday athletes run down the field or court with just one thought on their mind, they’re going to win the game for their team, but then all of a sudden they’re on the ground in pain. When this happens to athletes they have no idea what happened to them. They should be more aware of sports injuries. Every year millions of kids go to the hospital because of sports (Brown); people who are involved or who have a child involved need to know what kinds of injuries can happen from the sports they play and how to prevent them.

            Too many athletes each year get hurt. Football, for an example, has fifteen percent of young players that get injured on the field every year. One third of those who get hurt badly miss practice for a week. Another example is baseball. Baseball is one of the most deadliest sports in the world. On average two people die a year from playing baseball. In 1990 about 140,000 baseball players had to go to the hospital, 18,000 of them had to do with facial injuries. A third example is basketball. About 460,000 young athletes visit the hospital because of basketball injuries (Brown). "About half of the 70 deaths that come from basketball came from 1998-'91 came in the 11-20 age group." (Brown, 18) “While most players bounce back, many don’t. At least 55 high school football players have died in the past 10 years. Almost as many baseball players age 5-14 were fatally injured since 1973, and about three dozen basketball players age 11-20 died in a recent three-year period. Many other kids have suffered paralyzing spinal injuries, especially in football, hockey and gymnastics.”(Brown, 1)

            There are many ways to prevent injuries that parents, athletes, and coaches don't know. Many experts give important tips to parents to reduce injuries. Some of these tips include: no playing hurt, certify coaches, avoid mismatches, bold changes in rules, make practice perfect, watch summer camps, not too young, check fields, question philosophy, and stay in shape. To make some sports safer people have created some new and improved equipment, but some of this new equipment makes athletes feel safer so they play rougher. This leads to more injuries (Brown). Many are questioning this new equipment. Because of injuries, doctors are very important. Many doctors say that most athletes who get injured just need a little ice and rest but most of them refuse to listen. This creates conflicts and later on affects the athletes’ life (Schmid). “The American College of Sports Medicine estimates that 50 percent of overuse injuries in youngsters can be prevented.” (Schmid)

            Athletes get injured because they are being pressured, don't know how to prevent injuries, don't listen, aren’t aware of how common they are, or other reasons unknown. "Youth sports have moved out of the sandlot and into a new era of sophistication. Training and competition are more intense. Championships and scholarships are at stake. Pressure from parents and peers is ever-present. Improved equipment has prevented some injuries, but has also inspired rougher play among kids who now feel armored and invulnerable." (Brown, 1-2) Many athletes say that they are being pressured by parents to stay in sports after being injured. This is something that happens a lot. Parents are too involved in their kid’s sport and want their kid to be the best that they don’t realize how much it affects their child’s life (Brown). A lot of times it’s because the athletes don’t listen. Some times doctors tell athletes that all they need is a little rest and ice but they refuse to listen so their injuries get worse. Athletes need to listen to their doctors more because this could help make their injury better and not cause consequences later on in life (Schmid). One other way is because of overuse. Many athletes overuse injuries and that leads to worse injuries; this may make the athlete unable to play for their sport and wait longer than if they rested. This shows that the athlete needs to listen (Brown, Schmid, and “High School Sports Injuries”). 

            Some critics believe that high schools should have better safety rules for sports. They also believe that after being injured you should wait a week or two until coming back to the sport they were playing. "Critics of high school athletics programs say that schools should take more safety measures such as having qualified athletic trainers and proper medical equipment on hand during all practices and games, they argue, and student athletes who have suffered serious injuries in the past should be discouraged from returning to sports. Where appropriate, state and local governments should pass legislation that forces schools to improve their safety regulations, critics say." (“High School Sports Injuries”, 2) "Defenders say focusing too much on the issue of injuries distracts from the fact that athletic participation benefits the vast majority of students, they contend." (High School Injuries”, 2) This may be true. The fact that we are focusing on safety may scare athletes away because they don’t want to get hurt, but it helps because this means less injuries.

"Defenders of high school athletics programs, on the other hand, maintain that sports help to keep students active and healthy. Sports can also promote self-confidence, socialization and team spirit, advocates stress."(“High School Sports Injuries”, 2) This is true. Teams become like a second family; the more they bond the better the team plays. "Some critics argue that certain sports, particularly football and wrestling, are excessively dangerous, and urge parents to bar their children from participating in them. Also, critics argue that high schools should train their athletes less rigorously in order to minimize the risk that students will sustain "overuse" injuries, which occur when athletes wear out parts of their bodies by practicing too hard and too often." (“High School Sports Injuries, 2)

            Sports can be very dangerous but you shouldn’t ban them. They build confidence and team spirit but injuries need to be talked about. Injuries are a serious matter that people need to be aware of (“High School Sports Injuries”). If athletes, parents, and coaches take the matter more seriously and listen to the tip that experts give injuries will occur less. It’s hard to get athletes, parents, and coaches to listen to what experts say that’s probably why there are so many injuries occurring.

                                                                                       

Cited Works

Brown, Curt. “Playing Hurt: Injuries in Youth Sports.” Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN).

Nov. 1 1992: 1S+. SIRS Researcher. Web. 15 Sep 2010.

"High School Sports Injuries." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies.

Facts On File News Services, 21 Dec. 2007. Web. 28 Sept. 2010.

Schmid, Pam. "Playing in Pain." Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN). Jan. 15 2006: A1+. SIRS

Researcher. Web. 19 Sep 2010.