Spring Literary Analysis #1

1) "forever..." by Judy Blume is the story of a girl in high school who deal with problems that a lot of high school students deal with: betrayal, relationships,college, and love. Katherine is a senior in high school and while at a new years party she meets "the perfect guy" whose name is Micheal. they start off as friends and the more they hang out, the more they fall for each other.Although they go to different schools they hang out almost everyday; they are in love. They're love is so strong that they decide to completely give themselves up to each other; they really do believe they are in love. then summer comes around and they get jobs, they are states apart from each other. Katherine is a head tennis counselor at a camp near her town while Micheal is working in North Carolina with his uncle. They write to each other basically everyday but that isn't enough because Katherine falls for another counselor at the camp which causes her and Micheal to break up and they realize that it really was just a high school love because when you're so young, your feelings change, you aren't sure about anything.
2) I believe that one theme could be that nothing last forever. They thought they were in love but they're teenagers! you aren't supposed to think about spending the rest of your life with someone, you're supposed to be a rebel and enjoy you're youth because after high school everything changes. In my opinion, this book was very realistic because these are things that a lot of teenagers go through so its easy to relate to some of the situations that were read about.
3) The authors tone to me seemed to change a lot. at times there was seriousness like when they gave Katherine "the talk" because her parents felt the relationship was getting to serious. Other times it seemed really fun and relaxed like when the went ice skiing with Micheal's sister. And other times things were depressing like when one of the friends committed suicide or when Katherine's Grandpa passed away.  
4)   Conflict- In the end Katherine must choose who she wants to be with Micheal or the counselor from camp. Also, she must decide of she wants to go to school with Micheal or in Denver. There are many choices that seemed to be a conflict.
Point of view- everything was from Katherine point of view because she is the narrator of the story, its her personal experience.
Dialogue and tone- what was being said and how it was being said made a lot of difference to me as the reader because it seemed so emotional at times.
Characterization- The kinds of people who Katherine was friends with led her to make some choices that she wouldn't have made otherwise, also, the way that they were described was interesting because sometimes they turned out to be opposite of how they were described.
Setting- where the situations take place mad an impact believe it or not.




Characterization
1)   One example of direct characterization is the way Katherine describes herself and her family. She talks about many things, good and bad. she was very upfront about the way they are; their strengths and weaknesses. One example of indirect characterization is the way Katherine describes Micheal when we were first introduced to him. She talks about his characteristics but we don't get to know him on a personal level until later on in the book. another example of indirect characterization is when Katherine describes Sybil,one of her childhood friends. she describes her from how she personally feels about Sybil.
2)Katherine changed a lot. at the beginning of the book she seemed to be very close with her parents and her younger sister but once she started dating Micheal things changed. She would be distant because she was always with him. she would disobey her parents and their rules.She would sneak people in her house and she would sneak out even though her parents were really flexible on her going out, she became a rebel. 3) When i finished the story i felt like i had just hung out with one of my friends and they were telling me about their summer. This story was realistic because so many teenagers can relate to at least one thing in this book. When Katherine and Micheal would get into an argument and she would describe it i felt like i could see her pain as if i were talking to one of my friends. If I wasn't in high school and if i didn't have Friends that go through similar situations i feel like my understanding of this book would be completely different and like i wouldn't have connected with Katherine. At the end of the story I felt like I had met Katherine and even Micheal because they're emotions seemed so real .

Hafta/wanna

Is there a difference between life after high school and life in high school? Maybe ? To be honest, i feel like most people are just doing whatever they can to get by. Yeah, there are those people that really are motivated to be the best that they can be but a lot of them just give up. 
I dont feel like people "magically transform", i feel like we know that its time to grow up and get our act together. some are going to get a job right after high school, some going to a four year, and some community college, well they all involve responsibility and maturity and i feel like we know that for the most part. We goof around and do childish things in high school because we know we wont be able to get away with things like that afterwards.Those who have the mindset that they want to be successful will accomplish it and those who just don't care, well we'll see what happens with those kids. As for myself, I don't know what i want to do exactly. I do know that i want to make myself and those who believe in me proud and prove those who doubted me wrong.
The possibilities are endless, you can literally do anything you want of you really set your mind to it.

The Choice

1. What is the "choice" referred to in the title?

• I believe that the choice is whether the parents have to force their little girl to drink " the poison" or if she will drink it on her own without her parents shoving it down her throat. 

2. Is it a real choice?  Why/why not?  What is the alternative?

• Yeah, i believe it is a real choice. its painful enough for the parents to have to see their little five year old daughter suffer and the fact that they have to force her to drink something that is helping her in one way but killing her in another, that's hard. They might feel a little better knowing that they don't have to hold her down and force it in her mouth. 

3. Why does the author use the word poison in the first line?

• I believe that they used poison because yeah, its helping their daughter kill the bad cells, BUT its also attacking the good cells that she needs to grow. I find that the word poison described the medication very well, i don't know it just made sense to me. 

4. The author's daughter wants to play with a toy that is intended for older kids.  Why?  Do you agree with her?  

• She felt like she needed to play with the toy because she won't live to be eight years old. It makes sense, if you know you won't make it past a certain time you want to try and experience things before you run out of time. 

5. If you thought you might not live to the age of 30 what would you want to do right now?

• I would want to travel and do community work. I would go to the homeless shelter and help. i would play basketball, hang out with loved ones and enjoy the things I love. i would sit down and enjoy a nice book. I would Ride my bike along the beach and then go swimming. I would go bungi jumping and try new and spontaneous things. i would enjoy life. 

6. Under what circumstances does it make sense to endure discomfort--or even force it on a loved one-- in service to a greater/more important cause?

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7. Is suffering a necessary condition of life and love?

• I feel like everyone must suffer a little so they can appreciate what they have. Or maybe place themselves in a situation of someone who has suffered and that way we wont take the things that we do have for granted.

8. Most readers don't share the author's circumstances, but we feel an emotional response to his words.  Why?

• I teared up a little, i wont deny it. I got emotional because no one deserves to suffer through something as terrible as cancer but the fact that its happening to a five year old. Five year olds should just have fun, they shouldn't have to worry whether they'll make it to age eight. Life is something that most of us take for granted when in reality we should appreciate life more because it is a beautiful thing even when times are rough.