"Elephants' Next Act" Time Magazine Article-- Summary and Analysis

The Time Magazine Article Elephants' Next Act by Zachary Humenik could bring positive or negative feelings towards the audience. This article shares that elephants will no longer be a part of The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

For those who are "concerned about the negative effect captivity has on these highly intelligent animals", the removal of elephants from the act will be an answer to this potential problem. According to this article, the public opinion about elephants being part of the act has changed. Now many people "aren't comfortable" with the idea. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus has definitely responded to the public, and their elephants will find a new, safe home at The Elephant Conservation Center in Florida.

For people who aren't concerned with the elephants' safety while traveling with the circus, this change may bring negative feelings. It's definitely a major shift. After all, "the elephant has been a symbol of the Ringling Bros. circus act since it began 145 years ago". Clearly elephants have had a generous role in the production of the circus if they have been with it for almost a century and a half, and they are the symbol. One of the first things several people would think about involved with a circus is elephants.

Although this is a huge change, it won't happen overnight. There's still thirteen elephants performing with The Ringling Bros. and they will do so until 2018. I give these circuses credit for doing what they think the public would want. Also, they are keeping animal safety in mind. Hopefully the show will be as successful without them.

Time Magazine Article-- A Sense of the Past-- Summary and Analysis

In the TFK article A Sense of the Past, TFK interviews the author of the book Listen, Slowly. The author, Thanhha Lai, describes the book and its characters as well as how it relates to her own life. To sum it up, the novel is about a Vietnamese girl--Mia-- who lives in America and could care less about her culture. During break, her parents send her to Vietnam to visit her grandmother and connect with where she came from. The rest of the story determines if Mia will end up having an interest in her heritage or resist learning about it.

Lai describes Mia as "sarcastic, but she’s basically an obedient child". The sarcasm will be an interesting trait. It may add some entertainment to the book. However, when Mia is in Vietnam, the language barrier might become an issue for Mia. Lai says, "Mia can’t be sarcastic in Vietnam because she doesn’t have the language to do it". This new environment could show a contrast in Mia's behavior. Think of how you would act being surrounded by people speaking a different language. Definitely different. The uncertainty of words can definitely be a obstacle. This makes the book even more intriguing, seeing how Mia will adjust to the new situation.

Also in the interview, Lai spoke about how the novel relates to her own life. She mentioned, "The grandmother character in the novel is very much my own mother.  I am the age of Mia’s parents so I understand them". The fact that Lai has a real connection with the characters may add authenticity to the book. Lai understands how they would react. This may make the events seem more real. Plus, Lai might be more passionate writing about something she is familiar with. This could make the book more exiting to read. It gives the novel more emotion. Lai's connection with the characters could really enhance the novel.

After reading this article, it is very evident how much work and thought was put into this novel. With an interesting and unique plot and an author who connects well to the characters and the situations, it seems like an excellent read.

Analysis on Time Article

In the Time Magazine article titled A Cinderella Story by Stephanie Kraus, TFK interviewed the director Kenneth Branagh of the new movie Cinderella. After reading this article, I realize more how much thought and effort is put into this movie, with careful character selection and costumes.

Branagh mentioned that Lily James (who plays Cinderella) originally auditioned for a part as the evil stepsister. However, they decided that she would actually be the “perfect choice” for Cinderella instead. According to Branagh, Lily James has traits such as causing people to feel “like she could be your best friend” and being “good at talking to animals”. These are great elements for the character Cinderella to have, so it sounds like Lily James is the right fit.

This article makes it clear of how much thought was put into making something as simple as costumes. It says, “The Fairy Godmother’s dress has LED lights, Cinderella’s dress has real diamonds, and the glass slippers are made of real crystal”. I can only imagine how much time and money was used for making these costumes. As Branagh said, it may add a “magical” effect to the movie.

After reading this article, I definitely think this movie is worth seeing. It may be hard to remake the original Cinderella movie, but based off of this article it seems that Branagh is taking this task very seriously.

 

 

Blog #4: Notes and Handouts Sheet for Theme Analysis in Fahrenheit 451

Theme 3: “In the wrong hands, technology can negatively impact our relationships and/or communities.”

Quote Part 1: “‘Mildred!!’..The small crystal bottle of sleeping tablets which earlier today had been filled with thirty capsules...now lay uncapped and empty” (Bradbury 9).

Quote Part 2: (Someone talking about their kids) “‘You heave them into the parlor and turn the switch. It’s like washing clothes; stuff laundry in and slam the lid.’” (Bradbury 93).

Quote Part 3: “The camera fell upon the victim, even as did the Hound. Both reached him simultaneously. The victim was seized by the Hound and camera in a great spidering, clenching grip. He screamed. He screamed. He screamed!” (Bradbury 149).                     

4. This theme is important to the understanding of story because it shows how technology limits our knowledge, and how with more technology, books become less important to society.

5. Our modern day society is becoming more and more reliable on technology, and this text shows what could happen if we use technology in the wrong hands.

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury-- Symbolism (Spoilers are in this)

I have recently finished the book Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. This text is about a fireman named Montag who lives in a very controlled society. In this society, "firemen" burn all books they find. With the help of a new girl, Clarise, Montag finds out that he is not happy in this society and recognizes the need for knowledge found in books. After being caught holding books in his home, Montag rebelled and ran away from the scene. By the end of the story, he made it to a new place which has people who think the same as him about books.

This novel has excellent writer's craft and holds many examples of symbolism. For example, fire first represented too much control and destruction, as it was being used to burn books the society was not allowed to have. Page 34 states, "The men above were hurling shovelfuls of magazines into the dusty air. They felt like slaughtered birds..." The way this quote describes the books as "slaughtered birds" made me think of the books being burned as desperate and useless. The fire caused the books to be destroyed like "slaughtered birds", which shows that fire can represent destruction. The destruction of books is happening because of the government having too much control over the people.

Although fire first represents bad things, later on it represents good things. This transition takes place right after Montag escaped where he used to be and went on to a new, more free place. Page 139 talks about a fire he saw. It says, "It was not burning, it was warming... He had never thought in his life that it could give as well as take". The fire in this quote can represent many things (like warmth, giving, life) but they are all good. The fire is giving people warmth, not taking knowledge.

The meaning of fire clearly altered throughout the story for Montag. It depends on how the characters use fire to determine if it's good or bad. The controlled society used it in a bad way, and the more free place Montag is currently in uses it in a good way. The setting can be determined in a way from the fire, because when it is used for good, the setting is more free and less controlled versus when it is used for bad things.

Love Finds You in Sunset Beach, Hawaii by Robin Jones Gunn-- Short Summary and Self Connections

Currently, I am reading Love Finds You in Sunset Beach, Hawaii by Robin Jones Gunn. I'm 58 percent through the book and am loving it. In the story, Sierra Jenson the main character in her late twenties who works with a mission organization in Brazil. The book starts off with her being informed with awful news-- the school she works with was cutting the program that was her mission work. Sierra and her friend, Marianna, decide to take a trip to Sunset Beach, Hawaii, and there Sierra must make a decision of where to go next with her life. She can either take a position she was offered in a remote area in Brazil (which would pretty much guarantee her a single status forever), or do something else undetermined. On top of all this, Sierra meets Jordan while in Sunset Beach. They really hit it off and are wondering how their relationship can fit in to their own lives. Is it just a short summer romance or something that could last forever?

Perhaps one of the reasons I'm enjoying this book so much is that I feel I can relate to some things Sierra is going through-- like the situation where you have to make a huge decision. We have all had to make decisions in life, and some handle that stress differently. Sierra's friend, Marianna was describing the situation to Sierra in chapter three. She said, "...you need time away from here to think about what you're supposed to do next. Just a week... We'll go to Hawaii..." Sierra obviously agreed to this. If I were Sierra, I'd do the same thing that she is doing. I would go on a relaxing vacation and spend time thinking and processing information there. I also understand Sierra's need for a break from things... that's how I feel every time when school's out for a break.

 Not only do I get Sierra's way of handle the pressure of making a huge decision, but I have also get the feeling of making a big decision. Just recently, I had to make a decision about my plans in the upcoming summer. A church retreat in Florida that I absolutely loved last year happened to fall on the same week that my family would visit Connecticut, the place where I used to live. I either could have a blast with my friends and grow my faith at the retreat, or I could see everyone back in Connecticut. After time of processing over winter break, I decided to do the retreat. That decision may not have been life changing, but it was important and hard to make-- just like Sierra's.

The situations above as well as others that Sierra goes through are very relatable and interesting to read about. I definitely recommend this book, and can't wait to finish it.

"If I Stay" by Gayle Forman-- Ending Prediction-- SPOILER ALERT!!

I am currently reading the book, If I Stay, by Gayle Forman. I'm getting to the end (right now on page 200), and I have a prediction to share. I think that Mia will choose to stay.

Mia is a high school girl whose life was dramatically changed when she and her family got in a deadly car crash. Everyone in her family (parents and brother) ended up dead... except for her. Mia is in critical condition, but she can still live. Now she has to face a life altering decision-- will she choose to stay in this world with no family, or die like her family did? My prediction, like said above, is that her decision will be to stay.

The reason I have this prediction is because even though Mia lost her immediate family, she still has great people and great things out for her if she chooses to stay. For one, she has loving grandparents. Mia always brings up flashbacks about fun memories with her grandparents, and they have been in the hospital many times, supporting Mia since the crash. Also, she has her boyfriend, Adam. Mia and her boyfriend have a very good relationship, as shown on page 199. Mia narrates, "Even as I was falling in love--full throttle, intense, can't-erase-that-goofy-smile love-- I didn't really register what was happening. When I was with Adam... It just felt normal and right..." As you can see from this quote, choosing to die would mean missing out on this great relationship for Mia. Lastly, something that this world has for Mia that would cause her to want to stay is Mia's amazing cello playing. She has so much potential. Mia said on page 200, "... I just had this sudden flash-- a vision of me lugging a cello through New York City. And it was like I knew..." Leaving this world would demolish her opportunities for the future. And considering Mia's skill, there are many great opportunities. For these reasons, and more, I believe Mia will choose to stay.

Loosing the people you are closest with would be so hard and devastating. I can't imagine. This could be why Mia is so torn of what she should do-- she lost the people she has the closest relationship with, but still has many opportunities and relationships on this earth that would go away if she chooses to die. I'm hoping and predicting that she will stay, but I will have to finish the book to find out.