Who I Am

Hi, I’m Evan.  I like to play sports, like baseball and more.  I also like movies like Star Wars or The Mask.  I am an only child. My Birthday is December 18 and I just turned 11. My favorite color is blue.  I also go on a lot of family trips, like to London Galapagos and more.  I go to camp over the summer.  It’s called Camp Androscoggin. Not only that, but every summer I go on trips with my family and family friends.  During Christmas break I went to Florida.  I celebrated my Nana’s 70th birthday and I celebrated Hanukkah there. Not only that, but for my dad’s birthday we went to the Orange Bowl.  It was Michigan vs Florida St.  Sadly, Michigan lost and only because Jabrill Peppers got hurt in practice.  Also Jake Butt tore his ACL. But, I still have Michigan pride.

I love the Yankees. My favorite Yankee player was Derek Jeter.  He retired, but he is still my favorite player.  My favorite college team is the Michigan Wolverines.  My favorite player is Devon Smith.

I like basketball too. I like the Knicks and do not Kevin Durant.  I play in a travel league for baseball and little league.  I also play in a basketball league.  I love playing flag football and my favorite position is running back.  I love watching football and hopefully next year I will do fantasy football with my dad.  I can’t wait.  The thing I don’t like though, is that it makes you hope for a team or a player to do good when you really don’t like them.  My dad went to Michigan which is why I like them.  In April I am going to the Star Wars Celebration in Orlando Florida and I can’t wait.  I am hoping to meet James Earl Jones and Harrison Ford.  For my birthday I gave money to the Turn 2 Foundation.  That is a Derek Jeter’s foundation.

All in all, this is me.

Setting and Mood of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Although there are many settings with specific moods to go along with it that enhance the quality of the “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” I feel that the fence with Shmuel on one side and Bruno on the either side is not only ver emotional, but it creates some of the main themes of the story.  The themes of dehumanizations, and division due to ethnicity are directly shown by the scene that take place at this very fence.  This fence with Shmuel on one side and Bruno on the other shows the difference between background and religion, but it also shows how the dehumanized Shmuel and the fellow prisoners are being treated compared to Bruno.  These scenes where Bruno goes to meet Shmuel can be very emotional to read as Bruno makes some comment about how bad his life is not realizing to the extent of what it is like just across the fence.  For example, when Bruno mentions how his new home is much worse than his old home because it only has 3 floors, he does not realize that only about 100 feet away from him 100’s of people are sleeping in one giant room with barley a sheet to keep them warm at night.  The drastic change between the two sides of the fence is a very important yet heartbreaking aspect of the book.  Although that is a very important scene, possibly the most powerful part of the entire book is when Shmuel and Bruno are at the setting of the fence and go under it shake hands.  A quote proving this is when the book says, “Shmuel did something that he had never done before.  He lifted the bottom of the fence up like he did whenever Bruno brought him food, but this time he reached his hand out and held it there, waiting until Bruno did the same, and then the two boys shook hands and smiled at each other.  It was the first time they had ever touched.”  This is not only an extremely powerful thing to read, it also represents and goes against many important themes of the book.  This creates a theme of rebellion as it shows that Bruno and Shmuel do not care that they are different and separated, their friendship is more important than anything else, it goes against dehumanization because for the first time, Shmuel gets to experience love and appreciation from someone who is technically a Nazi.  This represents the theme as it shows that Bruno is not going to mistreat Shmuel just for the fact that he has been brought up differently and has different beliefs.  Through everything that has happened during this book, I feel that this setting and this scene in particular are the most heart worming and defining points int he book as it truly breaks the barrier of separation, the fence, and shows that beliefs do not have to be what defines a person.

Feelings of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Due to the amount of different emotions and situations that have been conveyed in this book, “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” have given me many different feelings.  Most of the time this book gives me a sense of sadness due to the topic that is covered and in the way that certain people are being treated during the course of the book.  For example, it made me very upset to learn how weak Bruno’s family’s waiter, Pavel, has become to due what he is facing at the concentration camps.  For example, the narrator even pointed out, “When Pavel came in with the plates, Bruno couldn’t help but notice that his hands were shaking slightly under the weight of them.  And when he stepped back to his usual position he seemed to sway on his feet and had to press a hand against the wall to stead himself.  Mother had to ask twice for her extra helping of soup before he heard her, and he let the bottle of wine empty without having opened another one in time to fill Father’s glass.”  This is very upsetting because it shows that Pavel is suffering yet still being treated poorly.  It is also sad to think about how jealous he must be due to the fact that he is legitimately starving yet he must serves platters of food and cut vegetables.  It can also be upsetting when the book goes into the darkness of the prisoners being beaten.  It was especially hard when Lieutenant Kotler beat Pavel due to the fact that he became to weak to hold the bottle of wine and spilt it on Kolter.  The book even says, “What happened then was both unexpected and extremely unpleasant.  Lieutenant Kolter grew very angry with Pavel and no one – not Bruno, not Gretel, not Mother, and not even Father – stepped in to stop him doing what he did next, even though none of them could watch.  Even though it made Bruno cry and Gretel grow pale.”  This proves that some of the things that are occurring in the story are not only affecting how the readers feel, but even some of the characters, especially Bruno.  It is also upsetting at how terrible Shmuel’s life is, yet Bruno is complaining to Shmuel about his own life.  Although Bruno does not know better, and doesn’t know what Shmuel is going through, it is still upsetting that Shmuel is going through his own situation, and being complained to about something much better.  Bruno even says, “It’s so unfair, I don’t see why I have to be stuck over here on this side of the fence where there’s no one to talk to and no one to play with and you get to have dozens of friends and are probably playing for hours every day.  I’ll have to speak to Father about it.”  Due to how naïve Bruno is, this comment is not actually bad however it is upsetting in both how unfair life can be and also that Shmuel has to listen to this knowing that his own life is so much worse.  Even though this book can be very sad to read at many points in the story, I feel that it is essential that the book gives off these types of emotions as this was a very sad and hard time in history.

Imagery and Symbolism of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

“The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” happens to use many different symbols and images to express something in the book or create an image in the readers brain.  All of the images portray something different, but together make the book what it is.  I feel that there are many important images created in the book such as the striped pajamas.  Not only are the striped pajamas in the title of the book but it is also one of the first things that Bruno notices when he enters into his new home next to Auschwitz.  The striped pajamas are also represent the dehumanization that the Jews are faced with from the Germans.  Due to all of the Jews all having to where the same outfit, instead of being classified by the people that they truly are, they are just viewed as the people who dress the same.  An example of this is when Bruno is asking his father who the people in the camp are and even says, “Who are all those people outside …. In the huts, in the distance.  They’re all dressed the same.”  This not only shows how Bruno doesn’t truly understand to the effects of what is going on, but this also shows how even a young kid like him realizes that something is not right, due to the fact that they are all wearing the same clothes.  Another example of an image that plays a big role in the book is Bruno’s house in Berlin.  Not only does it represent wealth, but it also represents how good life was before the war.  I feel that this house represents peace before the war due to the fact that Bruno only mentions the good time in this house.  The house also portrays a theme which is that, if everybody in the world was nice and could have peace with each other, there would be much less anger, consequences such as leaving your home, and much more happiness.  I feel that this house proves how naive and little understanding Bruno has of the situation he is in.  Bruno keeps complaining about his new home and how his house in Berlin was much bigger and cleaner, however he doesn’t realize lucky he is compared to the people he lives right next to.  This also gives off an important theme which is to always try and be grateful for what you have and to be happy that you have family instead of sad about your house.  I feel that these symbols are an essential part of the book as they help to create the story.

Characterization of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

Although there happens to be many important characters in, “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas” the character that the story mainly focuses on is of a 9 year old b0y by the name of Bruno.  I have chosen this character because I feel that Bruno is a very interesting person who I feel will later become the main protagonist of the story.  He and his family are very wealthy citizens of Berlin, Germany.  He has one sister, by the name of Gretel, his mother, his father, his grandma, and his grandpa.  His father has a very high role as a German officer.  However, due to the war, his father’s job in the military forces him and his family to be relocated to a  Nazi Concentration camp, by the name of Auschwitz.  Bruno’s family’s new home is located directly across from the camp.  Therefore, Auschwitz can be Cleary seen directly across from Bruno’s room.  Although Bruno’s sister points out that the people at the camp seem dirty, scary, poor, and mean, Bruno seems to express interest in learning more about them.  Bruno is even so interested in the people that he finds a desire to want to play the kids in the camp.  This becomes apparent when Bruno decides to enter his father’s office and ask, “Who are all those people outside … in the huts, in the distance?”  However, his father gives a very horrible answer by saying, “Those people … well, they’re not people at all, Bruno.”  Even with Bruno’s father playing a big role in the war, Bruno is still an open minded person who doesn’t seem greatly brain washed or affected by the Nazi beliefs bestowed open him by his father.  Bruno has such an interest and curious mind that instead of becoming effected by his father’s words, Bruno doesn’t not seem fazed by them at all.  This is shown when he meets one kid trapped inside Auschwitz, by the name of Samuel.  Despite the fact that they look different or are living in completely different positions, they are able to overcome these differences and be friends.  Despite people telling Bruno what to do and his parents telling him to not talk to the people behind the barbed wires, Bruno and is able to think of himself and overcome his differences with Samuel.  Bruno’s actions present a very important theme to the story and a lesson to humanity, which is that there would be a lot more peace and happiness on this earth if we are all able to overlook our differences and connect on a personal level.

Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone

I have just read the book Harry Potter And The Sorcerers’s Stone.  This is a amazing book!  I love in the book how there is some very complex characters.  It makes the book much more interesting.  I also think that the themes in the book are very interesting.  The two themes are to never give up and always do the right thing.  Those are great themes and effect me in my life.  I think Snape a very mean character in the book yet complex.  Once you really understand how he is complex you will also understand that in the end, he’s not so mean.  Overall the book is amzaing and I recomend it to any one.  Can’t wait to get started with the next one!

 

 

 

 

 

Jump Ship to Freedom.

I am starting a new book with my book club.  This book is called Jump Ship To Freedom.  It is a very good book.  I love how the author shows the connection between Daniel and his mom.  It makes the problem bigger because of that connection.  I am wondering if Daniel will try and escape Caption Iver.  If he does then where would he go?  So far some of the settings in the book has been scary. In the beginning of the book he is in a dark room and he has to do something important.  Now he was just in a pitch black room listening in on someones convercation and can’t be spotted.  So the settings are scary.

Also he has lost something in his life which makes it hard for him.  I wonder what the setting will be like the place the ship will land in.  Right now I think the theme for this book is to not give up.  I say this because there are things he has to overcome.  If he says he can’t overcome it, than really bad things could happen.  Those are my thoughts on the book Jump Ship to Freedom by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier.