Life Through Books...

   There are a lot of comparisons to real life throughout books, no matter the genre. It can go from fiction to fantasy,  to drama, to science-fiction and so forth. There are a lot of books that include a theme, or main idea that have to do with personal lives and perspectives of lives. There are also text-to-world connections that include the relation a character makes to the real world. Also, it doesn't always have to be the character... it can be the reader that makes a text-to-world connection; they can make a connection to real life from the story that they are reading.
   I've learned some things that have to do the with the real world from books that I've read in the past. For example, in a book that I recently finished, "When Zachary Beaver Came to Town", I realized that it was mostly about how Zachary felt about his life so far and how everyone was relating to him, and what everyone thought of him. It was as if you were reading his personal lifetime journal! As a matter of fact- that's another kind of book that includes sort of a secret path into someone's viewpoint at life and the lessons they've learned and continue to learn; books that are shaped into the style of a journal or a diary... That's the resource I've been searching for! Anyways, so like I was saying, there are a lot of books and novels that have a life connection added, and I'm saying that this is a mostly common potential that authors and writers have for there books... most likely because they want people, peers, and readers to make a real connection to whatever the message is they're trying to get out there...

The Portrayal..

   Every time you watch T.V. you probably have noticed by now the misunderstanding that the media has taken in about how teens are suppose to look. That's mostly recognized on T.V. but it's also in books! I've recently finished my book,  Catwalk by Deborah Gregory. It was an interesting book because although by just the title, you've probably guessed that it's about fashion, and modeling, and girly-ish things. This moves into the topic and issue of insecurity for original body image. Many girls in the past and in the present constantly doubt or refuse to accept that they are beautiful in their own way. The media has had may teens (girls and boys) under the impression that there's only one specific meaning for beautiful or cool. They have stretched out that definition by making the actresses and actors look a certain way; such as slim, unbelievably perfect hair (color, style, length,etc.), actions (the way they act), etc. and it's changing the way teens look at themselves. They're starting to change the way they are originally like, to be the certain "beautiful" or the certain "cool".
   Back to the book.... the main character, Pashmina Purrstein has a certain way that she presents herself and that certain way is very similar to the media's definition of "beautiful". She's slim, tall (model type), with straight hair and "beautiful" facial features. She acts sort of "throbby"... in other words she can back stab certain people. She's also a little snappy and at times, she can have a loyalty issue, but she can also be generous and caring for her close friends.
  My basic point in posting about this is to show that teens (in specific) can be portrayed and they pretty much are right now. The media is making their own random definitions of "beauty" and/or... "swag" and kids are actually taking this seriously! They're changing their originality to "fit in", and as a human being, we are all born a certain way and we are all born different, so there's no need to try to be someone else, no matter how much you admire them, because you're basically hiding your own dignity and identity.

Social Action Critical Thinking Question: Are the present p.o.v.'s ones that would be overshadowed if the other's were there?

   In my independent reading book, Catwalk by Deborah Gregory,  the main character, Pashmina Perrstein is the character who's voice and thoughts you hear often... better classified as the narrator. Although that is the case, you also hear secondary and other characters p.o.v. as well! Personally, I don't know many books that have this type of structure such as the case of hearing more than one's point of view. I like the fact that Deborah Gregory did this because you get to hear different sides of what others are thinking than just  looking through the main character's eyes and stepping into their shoes. You see Pashmina's view, you see her friend's; Angora Felinez and Aphro's view, and you see her moms' view. You hear what each person thinks about whatever is happening or going on. For example, if Pashmina says,
   " The catwalk competition is almost here and we haven't gotten much time to waist! I haven't seen anyone picking up the pace around here..." Then Angora's dialogue would be, " Hey! I have been putting in the work and time into this competition! I've been helping you with your walks and helped you to study on focusing!" This has been happening almost my whole life! My friends always forget about the work I put into things...I just don't think it's right! I'm not going to accept this and there has to be away that I can wake her up and show her the time and effort I put into helping her and other people!
   So you see that you get a peek of what's going on through other character's minds and not just observing what they say and making your own guesses on how they might be feeling at each moment of time. I think that the author does this because it's important to see other's perspectives of things so that you can understand what kind of things are going through their heads.
   Therefore, in this book, there aren't any overshadowed voices because the author probably realized the same thing that I have which is that it's good to hear other's perspectives of things so that you can understand and know what kinds of thoughts are going through their heads.

MY THOUGHTS...

  In Freak the Mighty, I thought that this book had a couple of valuable lessons. One of them was that there are two roads to take in life and you can only walk down one. You can switch to another path once you feel a little insecure about the one you've started to take, but you can only walk down one that you feel most honest, secure, and right to glide down in. Just know that which ever one you choose, whether it's good or dishonoring, it's YOUR CHOICE and not anyone else's.
  Another lesson (most likely half theme-half lesson) is that you have to be yourself. You only have one body, not two, so it's pretty much impossible to be someone else. We all have someone or something we look up to, but while admiring their/ it's way of being, it's important to live with your basics (your natural characteristics). For example, a part in this book that I relates to this is when Freak says that he wants a bionic body. He wants this because he admires robots/robotics and technology and he ignores who he already is! So therefore, I think that these lessons are very valuable to keep in mind in our lifetime because without it, we wouldn't have a motivational guidance within ourselves to tell us what it is that will help keep us having inner confidence and live a well planned and successful life.

Freak the Mighty: My conclusion

   When I was reading the book, Freak the Mighty , the feelings of sorrow and sadness, curiosity and confusion, surprising and breath taken because there are so many parts in the book that are very well detailed to the point where it makes you literally carry on emotions for each part you read. I think that the author meant to do this because he most likely wants the reader to not just read the story, but to feel it as well.
   The details that I've noticed now that I probably haven't noticed before is that, every time Freak opened his mouth, either it was extreme knowledge about words or robots gravitating towards Max or it was yelling orders and commands to people such as the movers (in the book).
   The themes that I tracked in this book where some like: "Trust your dignity and your inner conscience because that is most likely the answer to all your questions, confusions, problems and/or wishes (dreams)."
"Hold on to the ones you love or appreciate most because they will eventually be "on your side" or  "one of you consciences guiding you into the right path in life." (how max had freak and how freak had max... they had each other's backs) This is how I think the world should be. I think that this theme is the strongest because in the end, all we have is each other...

The Author's Point...

In the book, Freak The Mighty, I think that when the author wrote a scene about when Freak and Max spent there 4th of July together and became Freak The Mighty, she wanted to get her point across that being an individual is okay but having a friend by your side is even more powerful. Even though Freak seems to be a little bossy, and Max is the total opposite and more laid-back there's always a certain zing that makes the two of them become one, and that's what I think the author's message was in that scene-that no matter how different you maybe from your true, best friend, there will always be a magical thing that makes
you and your friend a united whole.