The Theme of Honesty in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

     I am currently at the end of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon, and a lot has changed. The main questions that I was questioning was answered. Some of the questions were, who killed Wellington? Another question is why did Christopher receive the letters from his mother if she is "dead"? This book is about this very interesting kid named Christopher John Boone. An example of how Christopher is a very interesting boy is that he knows every prime number up to 7,057, is amazing in math, but he has no understanding of human emotions. Also, he can't stand to be touched. And he detests the color yellow. Christopher went on a quest to do some detective work find out who killed Wellington. Wellington is the neighborhood dog. Christopher's father keeps telling Christopher to not do detective work, because he would be getting into people's business. That is what Christopher thinks, but his father doesn't want him to find out that his mother is actually alive and that his mother left Christopher's father. Also, he didn't want Chris to find out that he killed Wellington because he was mad at Mrs. Shears for leaving him. The way Chris found all of this information out was when Christopher's father hid his notebook, and it was in a shoe box with all of Christopher's mother's letters that she wrote for him. I think that the theme of this book, and what the author is trying to get the reader to think, is that honesty is for the best and that lying has many consequences.
   
     First of all, the author of this book, Mark Haddon, wants us to think that honesty is always for the best and that lying has many consequences. The way that the author tells us to think this is by showing how bad it actually is when the father lied to Christopher. When Christopher finds out that his mother is actually alive and not dead, and that the father killed Wellington, the neighborhood dog, to show how mad he was at Mrs. Shears and to get revenge on her. The author also intrudes in it when Christopher's father explains what happened to Christopher and to clear everything up. When the father explains, the author intrudes with, "You have to know that I am going to tell you the truth from now on. About everything. Because... if you don't tell the truth now, then later on...later on it hurts even more" (120). The author is directly speaking to the reader here in the dialogue of Christopher's father. The 'you' in the intrusion is the reader. The lying to Christopher gets even worse. It makes Chris scared of his father, so he hides in his garden. After that he will go and run and live with his mother in London. He brings his few belongings, which includes his special food, and his pet mouse, Toby. That is horrible for a young child who has some issues to run away, and that is what lying and not being honest does to you. That is what the author wants us to think.
   
      Also, the theme in this book made me change my view on honesty. Honesty is very risky. It can be make things better and it is what you should do, be honest, but other times it actually is good to not be honest and lie. I believe that it depends on this situation. The situation that Christopher's father is in, I personally believe that it was a good idea for him to keep the fact that Chris's mother is still alive only because Christopher has no understanding human emotions. It was wrong for Chris's father to lie about it in the first place right after Christopher's mother left. But once Chris's father said that, the truth can't be revealed until Chris is an adult who fully understands emotions, and when it will be easier for him to comprehend the news. I understand that Christopher's dad was shocked when she left, and I understand why he told Chris that she was dead. Since Chris doesn't understand human emotions, he doesn't know how he feels and that will make him "break" down. The reason why it went bad was because Chris found out about the secret too early. I think that it is right to be honest in most other cases. A case that should have had honesty was with Romeo and Juliet. Them not being honest and telling the truth to their parents lead to their death.
   
     In conclusion, the theme of honesty is a big theme in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon. The author wants us to think that honesty is for the best and that lying has many consequences. The way he does this is by an author's intrusion when the father explains the situation, and by showing how bad lying is in the story line. I only partially feel what the author is trying to get us to feel. I feel that it can be make things better and it is what you should do, be honest, but other times it actually is good to not be honest and lie. I believe that it depends on this situation. I personally feel that it was the right thing for Christopher's father to not be honest. I really love this book, and it definitely changed many of my views on honesty and lying.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: Protagonist

     I am currently reading The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, by Mark Haddon, and it might be my favorite book of all time. The protagonist and main character in this book is Christopher John Francis Boone, and he is very interesting. He knows all the countries of the world and their capitals and every prime number up to 7,057. He is very intelligent, but he has no understanding of human emotions. He also really hates the color yellow and the color brown. Then one day, Mrs. Shear's  dog dies. Chris then goes to a lot of people in the neighborhood, and becomes the detective. He is told to not get into other's business, and Chris was doing this when he was doing his detective work. The reason why is because Chris's mother,who is now deceased, was cheating on Chris's dad with Mr.Shears. Chris finds out this information when he does his detective work. In this blog post, I am going to write about how much I appreciate Chris and how the setting affects Chris. 

     First of all, I really appreciate Chris. One thing that I really appreciate about Chris is that he shows that it doesn't matter if you have behavioral problems or have special needs, everyone is special in their own way, has their own logic, and has a different view on the world. One example of this is if Chris has social problems, he is very smart in math, and he knows these crazy facts that most people won't know. Chris is amazing in math. He is the first one in his school to take A level math. One of my favorite parts of this book is when Chris writes about Marilyn vos Savant, who has the highest IQ in the world. There is question that she receives, that she answers, and many people corrected her and said she was wrong. Chris knows what is the right answer. He even has two logical ways to solve it. This proves that Chris is smarter in math than most of the world's smartest mathematicians and scientists. This question shows that numbers are not very straightforward at all, and that they can sometimes be very complicated. Even though Chris isn't socially accepted and may seem weird because of his logic, he actually is one of the world's smartest people. Another rule that Chris follows is that he is against the colors yellow and brown. When he sees yellow cars in a row, he has a bad day and when he sees red cars in a row it makes it a good day for him. The more red cars in a row, the better the day will be for him. The more yellow cars he sees in a row, the worse the day will be for him. This is what he believes and that is perfectly fine. His view on the word is on its color and that makes sense because color plays a big role in the world.

     Second of all, the setting in this book playsa big part on who Chris is. Chris's father is really rough on him. Chris's dad treats Chris like he is incapable to learn, do, or hear somethings because of his behavior and emotional problems. Like for example,when Chris wants to go be a detective to help find the person who killed  Mrs. Shears's dog, Chris's dad says that Chris shouldn't be getting into people's business.The reason is because he can cause trouble just like he did before, when he was arrested because the police thought that it was him who killed the dog and when he hit the police officer for touching him. Chris' father looks down at Chris because of his problems. That makes Chris want to prove that he is not inferior to others and that he actually is smarter than most people. Also, the colors of the world makes his mood for the day and how he feels and what he is going to do. Like for example, as it said in the text, when he saw yellow cars in a row, he "didn't speak to anyone and for the whole afternoon I sat in the corner of the Library groaning with my head pressed into the join between the two walls and this made me feel calm and safe" (53). The environment decides if he is going to do something amazing one day or not. 

     In conclusion, Chris is one of the most interesting protagonists that I have ever seen. The environment plays a big role on what he does in that day, color plays a big role in his life, because when he sees yellow cars in a row, that day is a bad day for him. Also, Chris is that he shows that it doesn't matter if you have behavioral problems or have special needs, everyone is special in their own way, has their own logic, and has a different view on the world. I really want to read on in this book to read and learn more about Chris.

Dunk: Author's Intrusion

     I am currently reading Dunk, by David Lubar, and it is about a high school boy, Chad, who lives near the Jersey shore. With the boardwalk full of arcades, games, and rides, it seems fun, but Chad is mesmerized by the "Bozo"-the dunk-tank clown whose witty insults rip the air like a chainsaw. The new guy that moved on top of Chad's house is the "Bozo", and when Chad gets accused of robbing a store, the "Bozo" didn't help to bring him to justice. Chad gets mad at this man. After having accomplishing nothing during the summer, Chad gets an idea. He can be the "Bozo" in the dunk tank. He feels that it is a perfect idea. He really wants that job, so he asked the man in charge of the game for a job, and he got it! Sadly, he get the job of picking up the balls, and he is not the "Bozo". An author's intrusion in this book is ,"Out here in the world, you never knew what would happen if you opened your mouth. Someone might laugh. Or throw a punch. Or just ignore you. In the tank, it was different. People loved the Bozo. And nobody ignored him. Nobody looked down on him or told him he was a loser" (50).
   
     With this author's intrusion line, "Out here in the world, you never knew what would happen if you opened your mouth. Someone might laugh. Or throw a punch. Or just ignore you. In the tank, it was different. People loved the Bozo. And nobody ignored him. Nobody looked down on him or told him he was a loser" (50), it shows that everyone needs to let out what they have to say. This shows to take out all of those words off of your chest. But the author is standing up for everyone in the world who cannot take all of their words off of their chest and are being bullied or attacked at by the rest of the world. Just imagine how good that would be. Imagine if you are protected and you can say whatever you want to the world that is so mean to you. Wouldn't that be so relieving? The Bozo is completely safe, behind the bars, and people not knowing his identity, because he is behind all of that makeup. I think that the reason why Chad really wants to be the Bozo is because he might have been bullied a lot at school, and that he has a lot to say back to the world. Where I currently am in the book, Chad still didn't get a job as a Bozo, so we still don't know what Chad has to say to the world, and to get off of his chest.
   
     Another author's intrusion line that I found, that still has to do with the same issue is, "I could let loose at anyone I felt like nailing. Snobs, nasty teachers, people who didn't care about their kids-I'd get them all" (54). This shows that there are many people that Chad would like to get back at. This is also the major theme/issue in this book. The major theme is getting revenge and getting back at others. Chad wants to do this. He has many thing to get back at, and he wants to be protected while he does that. He hates how the girl that he falls in love with leaves for Montana. He hates how he  has the Bozo living right on top of him. He hates that he has no father figure in his life. He hates how Anthony is a jerk to him. The list just goes on and on. I know that this is author's intrusion because the message gets shown multiple times in different ways. Also, it answers the question that the readers question the most about this book; why does Chad want to be the Bozo so badly?
   
      In conclusion, the author of this book, David Lubar, intrudes with the message and theme of getting revenge and getting back at others. Basically, to say everything that is on your chest and get it off of your chest. I know that this is author's intrusion because the message gets shown multiple times in different ways. Also, it answers the question that the readers question the most about this book; why does Chad want to be Bozo so badly? Just imagine how cool it would be to be the Bozo, and to get back  at everyone and get everything off of your chest, while you are protected by bars. How cool would that be?

Paper Towns: Focusing on Setting

     I am currently an near the end of Paper Towns, by John Green, and after getting further into the book, I started to realize the big role that setting plays in this story. In this story, Quentin Jacobsen had always had a crush on Margo Roth Spiegelman, and one day, Margo appears at his window. She asks him to accompany her on an all-nighter of pranks and giving people revenge. Quentin thinks that this night will bring him and Margo closer together as friends again, as they were friends in their childhood. However, Margo runs away after their adventures. Quentin and his friends, including Radar and Ben, go into an attempt to find her. They find books about Walt Whitman, and other things that link to her being in New York. In this book, the setting really effects their adventures,w ho they are, and what they feel like.
   
     First of all, this story takes place in Winter Park, Florida. When Quentin and Margo go to the Sunset Trust Building, one of the highest buildings in the town, they can see everything. When Margo goes on top of the building, she makes a realization. She realizes that everything is so much better from afar and when you actually go up close, you can see all of the blemishes, cracks, and the rust. The setting of this story, Winter Park, Florida, is probably a run down town that isn't well maintained. With this setting, and Margo being on top of the Sunset Trust Building, is what makes her hate Winter Park, Florida, and that is probably why she ran away. The readers aren't told yet why Margo has ran away, but this might be a reason. Margo might have wanted to go to the places where all her idols, like Walt Whitman, lived, and she might have believed that their land is perfect. She doesn't want to live in a "paper town" anymore. Also, the author describes Winter Park as a fake, basic place. That is suppose to be Margo's view on the world. The author intrudes with Margo's view on the world.
   
      The aspects that make up the setting is a basic American town, a time of slight unrest, and in modern times. There are many other smaller settings, which include Margo's room, Quentin's house, and Jason's house. Having different settings is very important to the story, because a new side of a character is shown in each different setting. If there weren't multiple settings, many traits and sides of a character will not be shown. Also, the fact that Margo's room is very packed with interesting records and books provokes Quentin to be more interested in her life and to track her down. The fact that this part of the setting has all of this stuff makes Quentin full with all this stuff. All of her books occupies all of Quentin's free time, and he can't get it out of his mind. Another example of how the setting really effects the characters is that since Quentin believes that Margo is in New York City, and since that New York City is a really large city, it makes Margo almost "invisible". The readers aren't 100% sure that Margo is in New York City, but there is a big chance that she is there. This makes Quentin work harder, this makes Margo harder to find, and this makes more people care. Like for example, one of Quentin's friends, who lives in New York City, started to care and that person was going to place missing posters on a lot of places in New York City.
     
     In conclusion, the many settings that are in this story are very important to the characters, their traits, and on what they think about the world. The fact that Quentin and Margo live in Winter Park, Florida, makes Margo think of it as a "paper town", and makes her really hate Winter Park, Florida. This might have caused her to run away. Also, the fact that Margo's room is packed with interesting stuff makes Quentin care more about where Margo is, and takes up all of his mind and free time. Also, since Margo might be in New York City, and that Quentin thinks that she is, it makes a lot of people care and try to find her, because New York City is really big and she is basically "invisible" if she is in New York City. I really liked this book, and it showed me how important setting can be to the story!

Paper Towns: Character Patterns- Archetypes

     I am currently reading Paper Towns, by John Green, and I am around one third into the book. Even though I am only one third into the book, a lot has happened, and a lot of characters has been introduced. Quentin Jacobsen has always had a crush on Margo Roth Spiegelman, but one day she opens up his window and enters into his life. She wants him to drive her around for her ingenious campaign of revenge. He follows her, and they fulfill her plan of revenge. They give revenge to Margo's ex-boyfriend, who was cheating on her, and even some people who haven't even done anything bad to either Margo or Quentin, like Chuck Parson. They waxed off one of his eyebrows and put a lot of Vaseline on the doorknobs. On top of all of that, Margo vandalized his house with a big spray painted "M". With what has happened so far, I can decide which characters are each archetype, but they may change later on in the book, so I might be wrong.
     First of all, the hero in this story is one side Quentin Jacobsen. This side is the courageous and non fearfull side. I say this because he sacrificed his night, his good reputation for the future, and he sacrificed his car to help Margo with her plan for revenge. That is how he displayed self sacrifice. Also, he displays self sacrifice by just going with Margo, because he can get caught and get in bad trouble. They broke and entered many people's houses, and they did many illegal things, like vandalizing things. Quentin also isn't perfect at all. He isn't really good with girls, and lots of these things that Margo was doing, Quentin tried to refuse because he didn't think he would do it well, or that he would get caught. At the end though, he gets convinced to do it, and he displays courage.
     Also, the mentor in this story is Margo. She is the one who is guiding Quentin where to go for her ingenious campaign of revenge. She also knows a lot and resembles wisdom. She planned all of her ideas out so that she can execute her plans of revenge smoothly and not get caught. Even though it is for evil, she still is guiding the hero and she still resembles wisdom. Another reason why Margo resembles wisdom is because she makes such interesting points and smart points about the world in general. One example is when Margo and Quentin are on the top of a really tall building overlooking the whole city and seeing everything and she said, "Here's what's not beautiful about it: from here, you can't see the rust or the cracked paint or whatever, but you can tell what the place is really is. You see how fake it is. It's not even hard enough to be made out of plastic. It's a paper town. I mean look at it, Q: look at all those cul-de-sacs, those streets that turn in on themselves, all the houses that were built to fall apart" (57). She also executes her plans so smoothly like she knows what she is doing, and that she has done it before. That is how she resembles experience.
     Also, the shadows in this story are all the victims of Margo's plan of revenge. Some of the victims include Chuck, Becca, and Jason. I say this, because they represent the darker side of human nature because they are the ones, (mostly the ones), who started the fights between Margo and them, and they all did something bad, in one way or another, to deserve the revenge that Margo has planned for them. Also, they create tension in the story, because if they catch Margo and Quentin sabotaging their lives, then they can get them in trouble, and ruin their future. The readers are on the edge of their seats, seeing if the victim catches Margo and Quentin.
      Finally, the shapeshifter in this story is the other side of Quentin. There may be someone else who comes up in the story that would be the shapeshifter, but so far, the other side of Quentin is the shapeshifter. The other side of Quentin is the side that doesn't know if he wants to help Margo with her plans, and is uncertain if he made the right choice for helping her. Like when Quentin threw Jason's shirt out the window. He was uncertain if he made the right choice of sabotaging him, so he just was nice.
     In conclusion, even though I am only one third into Paper Towns, by John Green, I can already tell who the archetypes in this story are. I am not 100 percent sure that I am correct, so I'll just have to read on and see if I am correct. So, I believe that the hero is one side of Quentin, the mentor is Margo, the shapeshifter is the other side of Quentin, and the shadows are all the victims of Margo's plan of revenge. I can't wait to read on and see if I am correct.