Authors Note: Something happened one night to innocent Melinda, she keeps all memories of that bottled up because she thinks it is right not to tell anyone, but once she does I have a feeling everything will fall back into place; this is a character development piece.
Melinda Sordino is living a secret life; she’s depressed, has no friends, gets bullied, and won’t talk to anyone about the thing that made her this way. It isn’t the slightest bit a pleasant though, which is why Melinda likes to keep it in very back of her mind, so no one can figure out what happened. Ever since that one party she been like this, her parents noticed her strange behavior. She wasn’t cheerful, grades were not good, and she wouldn’t talk. Melinda has a reason for not speaking; she’s scared that if she does, everything she purposely kept bottled up will spill out. This is why I picked the quote “Let me tell you about it.”
For the most part, nobody knows what happened that night except for Melinda herself. It was a horrid and repulsive memory filled with images of the “beast” and unfair accusations. Everyone blames her, and the worst part of it is that, Melinda blames herself too; that is until she really starts to think about it. Later, she realizes that she needs to get her life back together, this whole thing that’s been going on, isn’t working anymore, but the only way to fix this is to open up which is why she says “Let me tell you about it.”
Although it’s not very long, this quote is unquestionably important. These few words are the last words of the entire book and I think that they symbolize how Melinda grows as a person. She has never told a soul about everything that happened that night, now she finally is. This is her way of finally moving on, the start of her new life. With just 6 simple words, she is opening up about a life changing and very traumatizing event.
Even though she told someone, it isn’t the person you’d expect her to tell, you might think she’d tell her parents, or guidance counselor, but the person she feels is most trustworthy and understanding is actually her art teacher. Before she says this she is already breaking down, she’s crying and he hands her a tissue box and I think the reason she told him, is because he didn’t pry. He was just a comforting person and Melinda decided to get everything off her chest, this made her grow, she finally told someone and because of that I think she will be able to get on with her life.
To wrap things up, I can just say that not only will Melinda feel better about herself, but I think she will get her friends back, or even make new ones, all because she opened up. This quote symbolizes all of the things that Melinda will gain back in her life. This time the things she gets will be good, not horrid memories or bruises. I think she finally understood that all she had to do was to tell someone, anyone about what happened, Melinda thought that nobody would understand, but it turns out that everyone does.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
A True Way to Stardom
Authors Note: I choose to write an informative essay on how Lady Gaga got to where she was today.
From the talent seeking streets of New York, to stages all around the world, Lady Gaga has accomplished her goal of being one of the most known pop icons around. Stefani Germanotta, more commonly known as Lady Gaga, grew up like most kids would. Well, maybe a little different, she had the basics, like loving and very supportive parents, nice friends, things that were normal enough. She learned how to play the piano, started really getting into music, and at 13 wrote her first song. Who would’ve guessed that such little things could have that kind of impact on someone, an impact so huge it drove them to stardom. It wasn’t easy though, this was a long road, one Stefani, soon to be known as Lady Gaga drove all the way.
A few things for the Germanotta family were a little different though, young Stefani attended a very prestigious, all girls, Catholic, performing arts school. It was there were she got bullied and picked on by most of her other class mates. Once, she even got thrown into the dumpster after school. Somehow, she didn’t lose faith and she would keep on going home and putting her passion, and feelings into her music. Quickly it became a big part of her life and her parents supported it completely, they signed her up for vocal lessons and would haul her places everywhere around town if she could land a gig.
Sooner than later, she started her own band called “The Stefani Germanotta Band” and she was with them for a while. It was then when she wrote her songs that are on her infamous first album titled “Red and Blue”. After a while Stefani got tired of the band and decided to ditch them and go off to do her own thing. Thus, “Lady Gaga” was born, but not entirely. Then, it was just her stage name, and ironically enough, after that she met another performer called “Lady Starlight”. It was her that changed Stefani or now Gaga completely. Lady Gaga would not be who she is today without the impact of Lady Starlight, it was this Lady who actually gave Gaga the “No Pants” rule, and look at her now.
Shortly after her and Starlight started performing Gaga was offered a chance to record her in a studio, which she obviously accepted. Now, I know I said it was Starlight who implied the no pants rule, which it was, but she wasn’t the one who got her to dress so outrageously, it was actually her manger. She would come into work in sweatpants and a T-Shirt and he would ask her what she would do if some big shot, record producer came in and she was dressed like that. After that, she would come in, dressed nice, then nicer, and that’s how her outfits evolved.
It was then, in 2008 when she got her big break and released her first hit, “Just Dance”, which topped the billboard charts everywhere. Since then she has gotten more fans, and not just for her music, misunderstood teenagers and young adults everywhere now have someone to look up to. Gaga stands up for bully victims and believes in gay rights because she feels that everyone has a right to be who they want to be as said in her song “Born this Way” she sings “No matter gay, straight, or bi” and “Whether life’s disabilities left you outcast, bullied, or teased rejoice and love yourself today.” Besides being there for the teens, adults are now applauding her on being the most charitable celebrity, beating Justin Bieber (2nd) and Ellen Degeneres (7th).
Now, I’m not saying Lady Gaga is the best singer, or the best dancer, but she does have talent, and she knew that from the beginning saying “I was always famous, just not everyone knew it yet.” Aside from the raw talent she holds, it is also the provocative pop with a hint of theater music that she writes that has her little monsters wanting more. It started with a self conscious 15 year old performing “Hollywood” and “Blueberry Kisses” at the night clubs and bars, to a very famous, very powerful Gaga belting out the lyrics to “Marry the Night” on a sold out stage in India.
From the talent seeking streets of New York, to stages all around the world, Lady Gaga has accomplished her goal of being one of the most known pop icons around. Stefani Germanotta, more commonly known as Lady Gaga, grew up like most kids would. Well, maybe a little different, she had the basics, like loving and very supportive parents, nice friends, things that were normal enough. She learned how to play the piano, started really getting into music, and at 13 wrote her first song. Who would’ve guessed that such little things could have that kind of impact on someone, an impact so huge it drove them to stardom. It wasn’t easy though, this was a long road, one Stefani, soon to be known as Lady Gaga drove all the way.
A few things for the Germanotta family were a little different though, young Stefani attended a very prestigious, all girls, Catholic, performing arts school. It was there were she got bullied and picked on by most of her other class mates. Once, she even got thrown into the dumpster after school. Somehow, she didn’t lose faith and she would keep on going home and putting her passion, and feelings into her music. Quickly it became a big part of her life and her parents supported it completely, they signed her up for vocal lessons and would haul her places everywhere around town if she could land a gig.
Sooner than later, she started her own band called “The Stefani Germanotta Band” and she was with them for a while. It was then when she wrote her songs that are on her infamous first album titled “Red and Blue”. After a while Stefani got tired of the band and decided to ditch them and go off to do her own thing. Thus, “Lady Gaga” was born, but not entirely. Then, it was just her stage name, and ironically enough, after that she met another performer called “Lady Starlight”. It was her that changed Stefani or now Gaga completely. Lady Gaga would not be who she is today without the impact of Lady Starlight, it was this Lady who actually gave Gaga the “No Pants” rule, and look at her now.
Shortly after her and Starlight started performing Gaga was offered a chance to record her in a studio, which she obviously accepted. Now, I know I said it was Starlight who implied the no pants rule, which it was, but she wasn’t the one who got her to dress so outrageously, it was actually her manger. She would come into work in sweatpants and a T-Shirt and he would ask her what she would do if some big shot, record producer came in and she was dressed like that. After that, she would come in, dressed nice, then nicer, and that’s how her outfits evolved.
It was then, in 2008 when she got her big break and released her first hit, “Just Dance”, which topped the billboard charts everywhere. Since then she has gotten more fans, and not just for her music, misunderstood teenagers and young adults everywhere now have someone to look up to. Gaga stands up for bully victims and believes in gay rights because she feels that everyone has a right to be who they want to be as said in her song “Born this Way” she sings “No matter gay, straight, or bi” and “Whether life’s disabilities left you outcast, bullied, or teased rejoice and love yourself today.” Besides being there for the teens, adults are now applauding her on being the most charitable celebrity, beating Justin Bieber (2nd) and Ellen Degeneres (7th).
Now, I’m not saying Lady Gaga is the best singer, or the best dancer, but she does have talent, and she knew that from the beginning saying “I was always famous, just not everyone knew it yet.” Aside from the raw talent she holds, it is also the provocative pop with a hint of theater music that she writes that has her little monsters wanting more. It started with a self conscious 15 year old performing “Hollywood” and “Blueberry Kisses” at the night clubs and bars, to a very famous, very powerful Gaga belting out the lyrics to “Marry the Night” on a sold out stage in India.
It Gets Better
Authors Note: I wrote this as a letter to the main character (Melinda) in my book Speak from her future self.
Hey Melinda,
Guess who wrote this for you? It’s going to sound a little crazy, but it’s me! Or you. I’m not really sure, well it’s actually your future self, so it’s kind of both of us. So here’s the deal, I was sitting in my college dorm one day when I got this crazy idea, let’s write a letter to myself from the past, this way, me/you will know that everything turns out okay. Ya, sounds crazy right? Well, it’s true, so if you’re confused, or feeling sad and junk, you might wanna listen up, or read up, I’m not quite sure how to put it.
Even though not much time has passed since high school we have really grown a lot. If you haven’t noticed already, I’ve gotten a lot more confident. Oh, and guess what? That terrible lip-biting habit we had, it’s gone. That’s right, once you spoke up, a lot of things changed. For example, there will be no more bullies picking on you, and not only will people respect you, but we make friends. And not just, “Sit with them at lunch because you have nowhere else to friends” but actual friends, that you actually hang out with. If you think all this sounds great, just keep reading because if this makes you happy, the rest will make you ecstatic.
Like I said, we do have some new friends but soon you will find a new love interest. What’s even better is that he likes us too, but the best part is, he going to stay around for a while. I should know, because he’s coming over in like, 15 minutes so I better hurry up and finish writing this. Back to the serious stuff now, I know that you just confessed about what happened that night, and trust me, I know how it feels (obviously). The main reason I wrote this is to let you know I’m proud of you, proud of us. Don’t be scared, because I am positive that it gets better.
-Melinda ;)
Hey Melinda,
Guess who wrote this for you? It’s going to sound a little crazy, but it’s me! Or you. I’m not really sure, well it’s actually your future self, so it’s kind of both of us. So here’s the deal, I was sitting in my college dorm one day when I got this crazy idea, let’s write a letter to myself from the past, this way, me/you will know that everything turns out okay. Ya, sounds crazy right? Well, it’s true, so if you’re confused, or feeling sad and junk, you might wanna listen up, or read up, I’m not quite sure how to put it.
Even though not much time has passed since high school we have really grown a lot. If you haven’t noticed already, I’ve gotten a lot more confident. Oh, and guess what? That terrible lip-biting habit we had, it’s gone. That’s right, once you spoke up, a lot of things changed. For example, there will be no more bullies picking on you, and not only will people respect you, but we make friends. And not just, “Sit with them at lunch because you have nowhere else to friends” but actual friends, that you actually hang out with. If you think all this sounds great, just keep reading because if this makes you happy, the rest will make you ecstatic.
Like I said, we do have some new friends but soon you will find a new love interest. What’s even better is that he likes us too, but the best part is, he going to stay around for a while. I should know, because he’s coming over in like, 15 minutes so I better hurry up and finish writing this. Back to the serious stuff now, I know that you just confessed about what happened that night, and trust me, I know how it feels (obviously). The main reason I wrote this is to let you know I’m proud of you, proud of us. Don’t be scared, because I am positive that it gets better.
-Melinda ;)
Friday, February 10, 2012
Botteled-Up Feelings
Authors Note: Something happened one night to innocent Melinda, she keeps all memories of that bottled up because she thinks it is right not to tell anyone, but once she does I have a feeling everything will fall back into place.
Melinda Sordino is living a secret life; she’s depressed, has no friends, gets bullied, and won’t talk to anyone about the thing that made her this way. It isn’t the slightest bit a pleasant though, which is why Melinda likes to keep it in very back of her mind, so no one can figure out what happened. Ever since that one party she been like this, her parents noticed her strange behavior. She wasn’t cheerful, grades were not good, and she wouldn’t talk. Melinda has a reason for not speaking; she’s scared that if she does, everything she purposely kept bottled up will spill out. This is why I picked the quote “Let me tell you about it.”
Although it’s not very long, this quote is unquestionably important. These few words are the last words of the entire book and I think that they symbolize how Melinda grows as a person. She has never told a soul about everything that happened that night, now she finally is. It isn’t the person you’d expect her to tell though, you might think she’d tell her parents, or guidance counselor, but the person she feels is most trustworthy and understanding is actually her art teacher. Before she says this she is already breaking down, she’s crying and he hands her a tissue box and I think the reason she told him, is because he didn’t pry. He was just a comforting person and Melinda decided to get everything off her chest, this made her grow, she finally told someone and because of that I think she will be able to get on with her life.
To wrap things up, I can just say that not only will Melinda feel better about herself, but I think she will get her friends back, or even make new ones, all because she opened up. This quote symbolizes all of the things that Melinda will gain back in her life. This time the things she gets will be good, not horrid memories or bruises. I think she finally understood, that all she had to do was to tell someone, anyone about what happened, Melinda thought that nobody would understand, but it turns out that everyone does.
Melinda Sordino is living a secret life; she’s depressed, has no friends, gets bullied, and won’t talk to anyone about the thing that made her this way. It isn’t the slightest bit a pleasant though, which is why Melinda likes to keep it in very back of her mind, so no one can figure out what happened. Ever since that one party she been like this, her parents noticed her strange behavior. She wasn’t cheerful, grades were not good, and she wouldn’t talk. Melinda has a reason for not speaking; she’s scared that if she does, everything she purposely kept bottled up will spill out. This is why I picked the quote “Let me tell you about it.”
Although it’s not very long, this quote is unquestionably important. These few words are the last words of the entire book and I think that they symbolize how Melinda grows as a person. She has never told a soul about everything that happened that night, now she finally is. It isn’t the person you’d expect her to tell though, you might think she’d tell her parents, or guidance counselor, but the person she feels is most trustworthy and understanding is actually her art teacher. Before she says this she is already breaking down, she’s crying and he hands her a tissue box and I think the reason she told him, is because he didn’t pry. He was just a comforting person and Melinda decided to get everything off her chest, this made her grow, she finally told someone and because of that I think she will be able to get on with her life.
To wrap things up, I can just say that not only will Melinda feel better about herself, but I think she will get her friends back, or even make new ones, all because she opened up. This quote symbolizes all of the things that Melinda will gain back in her life. This time the things she gets will be good, not horrid memories or bruises. I think she finally understood, that all she had to do was to tell someone, anyone about what happened, Melinda thought that nobody would understand, but it turns out that everyone does.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Being at the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time
Authors Note: This is a text analysis piece focusing on the setting of the book Speak by Laurie Anderson.
Living in an ordinary town, attending an indecisive school, and starting ninth grade sounds almost like the typical kind of life for a teenager. Teenagers are supposed to go out and have fun, be with their friends and disobey their parents, and that’s how it all started. Melinda Sordino one night decided to lie to her parents about sleeping at a friend’s house, while she actually went to party some of class mates and even kids that are years older. Something happened that night that forced Melinda to call the cops, now she is friendless, scarred, and bullied.
The setting in this book controls the entire plot, if Melinda hadn’t gone to the party, or even if she went to another school, none of this would have happened. Melinda could still have friends, and she could still be happy, if only she had gone somewhere different or done something else that horrifying night. The unspeakable act that was forced upon her wasn’t her fault, but no one else knows that. All that her classmates know is that, there was this amazing party and some loser called the cops. Well, that loser had no other choice.
Life’s can change in a second, and everything in your life you had strived for could be gone, all because of one thing, one stupid mistake. Being at the wrong place, at the wrong time can get you into extreme consequences, even if none of it is your fault. Those kinds of things is what makes a book good, it’s what shapes the character and controls the plot, if in the book Speak Melinda hadn’t gone to the party, would there be a climax? Would there even be a point to reading it? So as you can see, settings can control everything that happens.
Living in an ordinary town, attending an indecisive school, and starting ninth grade sounds almost like the typical kind of life for a teenager. Teenagers are supposed to go out and have fun, be with their friends and disobey their parents, and that’s how it all started. Melinda Sordino one night decided to lie to her parents about sleeping at a friend’s house, while she actually went to party some of class mates and even kids that are years older. Something happened that night that forced Melinda to call the cops, now she is friendless, scarred, and bullied.
The setting in this book controls the entire plot, if Melinda hadn’t gone to the party, or even if she went to another school, none of this would have happened. Melinda could still have friends, and she could still be happy, if only she had gone somewhere different or done something else that horrifying night. The unspeakable act that was forced upon her wasn’t her fault, but no one else knows that. All that her classmates know is that, there was this amazing party and some loser called the cops. Well, that loser had no other choice.
Life’s can change in a second, and everything in your life you had strived for could be gone, all because of one thing, one stupid mistake. Being at the wrong place, at the wrong time can get you into extreme consequences, even if none of it is your fault. Those kinds of things is what makes a book good, it’s what shapes the character and controls the plot, if in the book Speak Melinda hadn’t gone to the party, would there be a climax? Would there even be a point to reading it? So as you can see, settings can control everything that happens.
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