Title: Wonder 

Author: R. J. Palacio

Text Style: Novel

“Wonder” written by R. J. Palacio. Auggie Pullman, a young boy who was born with a facial deformity that stopped him from attending a mainstream school.  Now starting in 5th grade Auggie struggles with the compression to others, not able to be accepted like everyone else. An unlikely hero rises up in the mits of all the pain, proving everyone wrong, and making us understand that we shouldn’t be judged by our appearance. 

Absolutely brilliant. Everything was written extremely well, each sentence took my breath away. It really touched my soul, I’m not much of a reader. However, this book managed to keep me entertained, every step of the way. “Wonder” made me question all things I hold dear, by using the smallest sentences and phrases. Development isn’t something that is easily done, for a lot of thought goes on behind the scenes of any book, meaning is everywhere as long as you know where to look.  All I can say is amazing. The kindest that Auggie shows to others is truly inspiring. Even with all the comments that are thrown Auggie’s way he still manages to show kindness to the people that want to put him down. He believes that everyone should show some kindness in their life “I think there should be a rule that everyone in the world should get a standing ovation at least once in their lives.” no matter who you are, and the differences that we have, it shouldn’t stop us from letting others feel  important and wanted. Auggie’s character was portrayed well, that all I could do was keep reading, there aren’t many books that can keep me entertained, but somehow this book managed to keep me interested the whole time. The kindness that was shown in the novel, was a true delight because it’s a rare find. Kindest is a rare find in the world. It makes life brighter for people, who don’t have much to start with. Usually we will try to be friendly to each other, so people think we don’t have terrible personalities.  “It’s not enough to be friendly. You have to be a friend.” We need to do more than give a friendly smile or wave, we should approach a person and ask how the person is. Around towns the usual responses will always be the same, it’s no longer genuine when we say something. The first thought that came into my mind was supermarkets, there everywhere, and whenever we go into one the greetings are always the same “How are you?” “good thanks, how are you?” It feels like a routine. We should be trying to change up the routine and give a new genuine response instead of the one that repeats in our mind. Society has made it difficult to feel proud of ourselves if we stand out from others.  “Learning who you are is what you are here to do.” learning who you are should take place over anything else, for we need to be able to discover who and what we want to be. Personally I have found it extremely difficult to accept who I am and the way I look, but even if I try my hardest, I am still unable to feel acceptance for myself. Society doesn’t help in that regard either because anything that looks different to the normal is criticised, and they won’t let us be different. For some reason if we are different that’s a bad thing. Going against the normal is a very difficult task,  I have tried many times, and still seem to fail, I need to be able to believe in myself. However, now it seems almost impossible with the way society looks down on anyone that it’s the normal that is laid out. Kindness is a lesson that needs to be learnt by all the readers and everyone in the world. I am very happy the author decided to share this information with the world because it is something that everyone struggles with. Life is hard enough as it is, especially as a young kid growing up with a facial deformity. “I didn’t destroy a Death Star or anything like that, but I did just get through the fifth grade. And that’s not easy, even if you’re not me.” Even with kids bullying him, he still managed to survive through all the pain he felt, and even managed to give kindness along the way. I’m sure the majority of people have watched Star Wars, and know that the reference that Auggie made is a true statement to say the least. School isn’t something that is easy to go through, but being able to withstand all the troubles that came his way, he should be given a round of applause, and more. Auggie is an inspiration that needs to be shared with the world. Once we realise the pain others feel in their lives by being judged we discover that everyone needs to be given genuine kindness. We need to build up a character for ourselves that is someone we can be proud of “Courage. Kindness. Friendship. Character. These are the qualities that define us as human beings, and propel us, on occasion, to greatness.” There are a few qualities that everyone wants to have, and it’s possible for everyone to have them. I even hope I will be able to get them, but that isn’t something everyone is able to achieve. With the qualities that Auggie talks about, we can achieve about anything. I believe that everyone has these qualities. The difference is how deep are they hidden beneath all the fears and doubts that are inside us. Mine are hidden and, I don’t think they actually want to come out because once they do, I will feel pressured to feel perfect, which isn’t something I want to be, for I feel it  is an impossible task. 

Our mind likes to take us to the deepest corners of our mind. If we were to believe in ourselves we would think that we’re a bad person since others aren’t able to do that or any other thought that comes into our mind. Our minds should be ours to control, no ones else’s. Doubt shouldn’t be allowed to  creep into our thoughts, but for some reason we decide that they need to be let in as if they have a VIP pass. Realism is clearly shown in the novel, it shows us the connection between the things that we experience as our own, and the things that a character in a book has to face. By connecting the two together it explains the depth of our lives since it’s so easy to relate to in the book. Even if we struggle to understand how whe are able to do the same in our life we stay understanding that it could be possible, all that needs to be done is for us to try. Society has created a world in which everyone needs to be the same, differences are bad. When in fact, it’s the differences that make us special. Our appearance may not be the way it should look, but who determines what it should look like? In “Wonder” written by R. J. Palacio. Shows us that even though we look different doesn’t mean we shouldn’t receive kindest from the ones around us. Auggie had to go through 5th grade, where children do nothing, but pick out the flaws that we have, Auggie still managed to stay strong through it, not letting it break him. Instead it only made him strong. Something that we should all be doing, if only we could love ourselves the way he did. By revealing the struggles Auggie had to go through, we start to realise that anything can be possible even loving ourselves. Society may be broken, but that doesn’t mean the same for us. By connecting to the real world, we start developing ideas in our minds that tell us, it is possible to do the things the movie has portrayed. If Auggie was able to expect himself for who he is then why can’t we? Even though it’s not as simple as that, it is still a start to get us to believe it is possible. Realism is something that helps people gain a better understanding of what could be done. It’s something everyone should be able to relate to, for the majority of people around the world feel different, and that it’s bad to be different, even though we should be proud of those differences. No one should be the same, being unique is a gift we should cherish. I’ve noticed throughout my life that when I look at someone I start to judge them and the small flaws they possess. Maybe it’s because I need to see flaws in everyone else, so I don’t feel like the only freak in the world. Growing up I have also heard lots of comments and whispers in my ears, like “she’s fat” “she isn’t much of a looker is she” “she hasn’t been to the gym” this causes me to think about all these things as well. It’s almost like second nature, I really wish it wasn’t though, but it’s not something that can easily be undone. We should be allowed to be and look different from each other, it’s sad that society has crafted the world to think, that it’s bad to stand out. 

The author tried to get us to understand that kindness should be shown to everyone around the world, even if they are different to us doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be given the same treatment that we receive. We need to read, and visualise it in our mind to be able to understand the depths of how important it is to treat others as our equals, no matter the situation. If we were to only give kindness to the ones that we thought were worthy of it then it shouldn’t be called kindness because kindness is something that should be shared with everyone, it’s not something that should be picked for a certain amount of people, there is no limit on kindness. The realism demonstrate what we needed to learn, 

for it was the lesson we had forgotten to teach and give to others. By using a little boy as an example we understand that our children and family have fallen into the trap of society, and we need to get them out of it as soon as possible. 

Title: All the bright places

Author: Jennifer Niven

Text Style: Novel

All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. A heartbreaking book, which has a powerful message to its readers. Finch suffers from a mental illness, affecting everyone around him. Finch and Violet, two teens that meet on a bell tower, both struggling with their life’s. They had to save each other from jumping off, from there they developed as people and characters, in the touching novel. However, while one gets better the other becomes worse. 

Confliction is all I feel when reading the novel. Yes it was good that they revealed the struggles a teenageer goes through, but the way everything was written, made me feel awkward. Even though it is an understandable book to read and very true when reflecting a teeangers life, it still didn’t bring me any emotions apart from the ones I already had. In order for me to enjoy a book I need to be able to have my emotions spike up in different moments throughout the story, yet that never happened. Suicide has always been a touchy subject for me. Throughout my life, I have had my friends on the edge of a breaking point, and sometimes I have thought if it would be easier to end everything. The only thing that manages to keep me attached to the world is my family. I would never want to hurt them, so instead I would hurt myself, but just to the point that I know I can still come back. “We do not remember days, we remember moments.” If we are truly ready to let go, it  no longer matters how many days it’s been. The only thing remaining are the small moments, and the little joys that still remain. This is the reason I couldn’t figure out where or not the book was something I enjoyed reading and thought was really good, or if it was something that I regretted reading because it makes me think more about myself and the problems of life. Friends of mine have been extremely close to the edge that I have had to permanently watch them. It’s not an experience I want anyone to go through, not even a person that had bullied me in the past. I also started to wonder who else had felt like they needed to end their lives to escape, for it could be the most popular person and I wouldn’t even know it, until it was too late. That is what happened with Violet, she was popular and when she lost her sister hse was ready to die, even though we might say certain things like “You are all the colors in one, at full brightness.”  doesn’t necessarily mean our minds have been changed and that we want to stay alive. Life shouldn’t be something that we are willing to give up so quickly, and yet we still do. Why is it like this? Why do our minds go straight to death when we go through a tough time? Multiples times in my life I have been on the edge of giving into the darkness, but every time after I’m so glad I didn’t. The temptation is almost impossible to resist, the little voice in your head that tells you you’d be better off if you did. Even through it all we need to be able to tell that little voice to F*** off, it’s my mind to control not yours. I only wished others would do the same. Society has trapped teenagers in corners of their life where they think they have only two choices, when in fact there are millions to choose from, but we just become stuck with the two that society lays out for us, be happy or you shouldn’t be here. Both options are 100% wrong, no one should think like that, but it’s not something that can be controlled either, a teenager only believes what the little voice in their head tells them to believe, I would know, mine never goes away. The only thing that keeps my voice at bay is the happiness I feel when I’m with my dogs. “The thing I realize is, that it’s not what you take, it’s what you leave.” Once we leave it’s forever, no changing time back, there are no do overs, but once we are gone it no longer matters about the things you did, more the wisdom or people you will leave behind, will they be better off without you. No one is better off without the person they care about. Sadness fills me up knowing that so many people have given into the darkness. The book tells me that, not everyone can withstand the comments and insults thrown their way. It isn’t something that would bring me joy, knowing that anyone of my friends could be next, they could be pretending to be happy when in fact they really want to die, and all of a sudden they kill themselves. Leaving me with an emptiness and sadness, realizing that I didn’t figure out what a friend of mine was feeling in time and if I could have just figured it out then I could have saved them. Making me feel so bad about myself, and I can only imagine what the people in that were actually put in a situation like that in real life. If it was me in that situation I would have broken, my friends are the only thing that keeps school fun, without them I wouldn’t feel much joy at all. “The great thing about this life of ours is that you can be someone different to everybody.” Without realising it we are able to be different personalities to different people because they never notice that you are pretending to be someone else, proving no one really knows you, giving another reason to why people should give in. We need to be careful and pay attention to others otherwise you could lose someone close to you without realising it because one day you weren’t paying attention. 

The idea of realism throughout the text shows and reveals the idea of suicide and how that can impact us directly or second hand. Young people going through high school are almost always confronted with the subject or experience of suicide, either through depression or through another student or family member talking about it. This brings the realism idea from the novel into real life, from the end of the text when Theodore Finch drowns himself the whole school is exposed to his suicide, bring to the forefront that it is a real thing and that it doesn’t only effect the one person, but effects everyone around the suicide victum. This shows the idea that ‘the darkness’ can control us but we can ‘fight’ it, as Violet Markey did after her sisters death and then after Finch’s death, to be able to fight ‘the darkness’ is something that school students should be taught in school, whether they seek it out with the school counsellor or not. The theme of suicide effects us all, whether or not it effects us directly or through a family or friend, and we should fight to not fall into ‘the darkness’.  The bigger picture is to relate to the idea of suicide as it effects us all personally even if we may not have known them personally, it is the one subject that can reach someone on a personal level at any time as so many people have been affected by suicide in some way. Not falling into the ‘darkness’ calls for a lot of mental and emotional energy and a lot of courage to reach out for help if high risk has been identified by family or friends or by the individuals that it may be directly effecting. What the theme of suicide in the text means for us and others is that it is everywhere, and we cannot combat it unless we address it directly and deal with it head on. The culture around suicide is sadly more to avoid it that to address it and talk about it as a serious and detramental thing, but as the text shows, it is more serious than society make it seem. Suicide effects everyone and as the text suggests, we can only learn from it and help others that might be falling to the same ‘darkness’. Realism gives the readers a better understanding of what the author, Jenifer Niven,  is trying to portray in the book. If we are able to see the connection between our lives and the things that occur throughout the text, such as suicide and how we can deal with that, it creates a greater bond between the reader and the novel. By portraying the idea of suicide throuhgout the novel and that we should never give into ‘the darkness’ even if it has effected us, we start to realise that combating the constant threat of depression and unfortunately suicide is important. Once we have put ourselves in those situations that the text presents to us through it’s characters, we become ‘hooked’, because we see ourselves in the characters, whether they be Violet or Finch, or one of the other characters that are effected by Finch’s suicide. The realism in the novel can directly reach the reader in a personal way as they might relate to any one of the characters that are dealing with the aftermath of the sequence of events. We all have our own problems and negative events we are trying to deal with, and finding characters that we can relate to may comfort readers and confront others about the issue that needs to be addressed. Because suicide has always been and underlining theme in my life I can connect to the text through experience. I have dealt with friends who have been close to the edge and close to losing the fight with ‘the darkness’ and I have thought about it myself, so the novel had a real impact on me as I could put myself in many of the characters, each facing a different aspect of Finch’s suicide. The realism in the text is the theme of suicide and the impact it has on all of the surounding people that are close and not close, it effects everyone whether they like it or not. Being able to connect with the text is not something that is good, but is something that is true, as many people could probably relate to the characters in some way.  The way society has shaped the view on suicide is as a joking view, shaping a very serious issue into a lesser issue by making it into a joke, “oh, i’m gonna kill myself now”,  “I failed this assessment so I guess i’ll just go die”. This is something that people may not even realise that they do, as it is so deeply embedded into society that we may not understand that it is a bigger issue than society makes it look. 

The author wanted us to understand the depths of where a teenage mind can go, and that we should never give up. The dangers that await us if we are willing to give into the darkness that can capture our soul. We needed to read through stages a kid goes through until they will meet there breaking point, the point of no return. If we didn’t gain the understanding how would we be able to prevent ourselves from getting there ourselves. Giving up isn’t an option that should be taken, it shouldn’t even be a last resort. Realism demonstrates this by letting us read about all the possibilities that have probably occurred in multiple kids lives around the world. The lesson is to never give into the ‘darkness’, it can be almost impossible to resist but in the end the outcome is worth it, surviving is worth it. 

Text style: Film

Title: Confessions of a shopaholic

Director: Paul John “P. J.” Hogan

“Confessions of a shopaholic” directed by P.J Hogan. Rebecca Bloomwood is drowning in debt, a city girl who loves to shop. Ever since she was young, she dreamed of being an employee at the city’s top fashion magazine, however she was still unable to get farther than the door. Landing a job as an advice columnist for a financial magazine owned by her dream company, she quickly becomes a success, but her addiction is a risk/threat to her career not to mention her love life. 

Rebecca Bloomwood, a girl which many people can relate to. Throughout the film she shows amazing development, however it was her addiction to clothes and shopping that was intriguing. Lots of people have addiction, but everyone has their own, something they can’t help but do, and is almost impossible to stop. Instantly I was able to tell that it was going to be a relatable story to many people around the world and possibly inspiring too, for it was all of those things to me. Rebecca Bloomwoods character was portrayed extremely well. There were numerous scenes throughout the film, all with a very powerful message behind them. A few of the scenes really connected with me, the best ones would have been when she would do anything to buy the green scarf she saw in the window, no matter the cost. Even though she didn’t have the money to buy it, she was determined to get it, it was no longer something she would like to have, it was something she needed to have. It was as if she couldn’t even survive without it. “you can always find something you want.” there is always a way to find what you want whether it be a green scarf, a film, a drink or drugs, if we are determined enough to get it we can,  no matter what. Once our mind is set on it there is no going back. Multiple people have addiction throughout the world, in different ways. There’s smoking, drinking, shopping and many more things that are unique to different people. “I did a lot of shopping for her in Tokyo because the colors here are very conservative. A shopaholic would have a coat in every color and lots of accessories” the stronger an addiction is the more of a hold it has over you, until you completely give into it. There are huge temptations all around the world, which can be so hard to resist. My addiction comes from watching too much tv, somehow I become trapped in my own thoughts because the movies are my way of escaping reality. I instantly felt connected to the film, the internal struggle she had, spoke to me not because I loved to shop, but because it hit deeper than the surface of my emotion. The film managed to make me think about the stuff I have been through. Everything that I have wanted and needed, the intense desire of needing something can be so overwhelming and wanting to give into those thoughts which echo in your mind is almost impossible to resist. Each moment of the film I was hanging onto every word that was spoken aloud, wondering if she would overcome the temptation of her addiction, for if she can then maybe I can as well, maybe everyone would be able to? “I mean, when I think about it, what’s more important? Clothes – or the miracle of new life?” Eventually we need to make the choice whether or not to continue the way we are or to take control of our life and overcome the addiction we have. What is more important, the addiction we have or the chance of creating a better life for ourselves? That is something that I need to figure out, and I’m sure others are the same when it comes to their own addiction/troubles in life.  Confidence fills me up. I believe that it’s possible to have a better future, for myself, a life without being confined to my room, doing nothing but watching tv. If I manage to get past the addiction to my screens I will be able to live a life outside, expanding my knowledge of further than just what a movie can tell me. “Everyone’s moving on without me, into a world I don’t understand.” However, doubt still clouds my mind as to whether I’m going to be able to move past my troubles. I have been out of the loop for a long time. Will I be able to catch up to the real world once again? Everyone seems to have their own lifes sorted out, so why can’t I do the same and finally be a part of the world, like I once used to be? As long as I am able to move past the troubles/addictions in my life, I will be able to have the life I have always dreamed of. “Don’t think about it. Don’t think about what could have been. It’s too unbearable.”  If I would have been able to accomplish my goal from the beginning, I would have had the life I wanted from the start. However, there is no point in looking back into the past, for all it will do is break the last part of me that still managed to stay alive. I still have a second chance to become a better person,  like Rebecca Bloomwood did for herself. Pushing past my addiction is all I need to do to accomplish my life goal, the thing I have wanted and need to happen since I was a child. 

Everyone has an addiction which is unique to themselves. An addiction isn’t something that is easily controlled, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to control it. Eventually we start to understand that if we don’t take control of our addiction they will consume us, making it almost impossible to focus on anything else in life. Addictions come in many different forms such as, drugs, money, clothes, love, etc.. Realism was shown by connecting our own addiction to the one that Rebecca possessed, and if we have the will power we can be just as able to push past our addiction like she did with hers. We are in control of our own lifes, if we want to do something then all we need to do is put our mind to it. It’s completely normal to have an addiction, the only question is are we able to push past it and create a better version of ourselves. In the movie “Confessions of a Shopaholic”, Rebecca demonstrated the natural journey in which almost everyone goes through, for having an addiction is nothing anyone should be ashamed of. The director, Paul John “P. J.” Hogan, uses an adult to really open our eyes to the idea of society judging an addiction, but there shouldn’t be anything that we should judge. Once we realize that we are just as bad, but with a different thing our understanding of other people grows, no longer will we think “omg why is that person smoking” instead we realize that they are just like us, only with a different addiction. By reflecting society as a whole we begin to strip away the layers which only tell us what we can see with our eyes, but once we peel back even more layers the depths that let us understand why they are doing these things start forming in our minds. The realism shows an accurate representation of what every person would have thought in some time of their life. Confidence is needed to overcome the doubts which will cloud our mind saything that we should let the addiction consume us because it’s easier then to fight through it. This movie is able to give us the confidence which we need to overcome those thoughts, for it is always easier once we can see someone else has done it because it tells us it’s possible for us to do the same. Creating a deeper connection to the film, which wants us to keep watching, for we start relating to the film and what it presents to us. I have found myself judging other people’s addiction and life choices, like people did in the film when Rebecca bought all those clothes.  Thinking to myself why would someone do something like that it’s not a good thing, so why do they do it? Growing up around with my family and friends they have all done the same thing, and I realise that society tells us to judge others because somehow that’s what’s needed to be done. However, that really isn’t the case, in any situation. Just because society has laid out that certain way we should do things doesn’t mean that is something we should be following. Going back on my past mistakes, I wish I was able to reverse time so I could take back the comments I made in my mind for they weren’t right. Everyone goes through an addiction. The one question was, did they overcome it?  Why should we judge them when we know how hard it really is, and the confidence you need in yourself to overcome it?

The director wanted to help people think about an addiction they might possess. They needed to be able to visualise for themselves another person facing an addition of their own, even if it wasn’t the one that they possessed themselves. Addition is something that everyone struggles with, the director wanted to highlight that it’s ok to have an addiction, but if you want to try and overcome it, and be a better version of yourself then there’s hope for you to do that. We had to understand the depths of which realism was portrayed in the film because each of us formed a connection to the film and what is portrayed. The understanding that there is hope to be better if you reach out and grab the chance to be better you will be able to get there. Believe in yourself, and anything can happen. 

Title: Jojo Rabbit

Director: Taika Waititi

Text Style: Film

“Jojo Rabbit” directed by Taika Waititi’s is a film about a young boy, with Adolf Hitler as his imaginary friend. It’s surprisingly shocking how well the film is able to work. This movie takes place during World War II, in Germany, it shows us the background of what went on inside Jojo’s mind, a  young Hitler Youth. The blind loyalty that the majority of Germans would have to have in order survive with their own people. Until Jojo discovers a Jewsih girl hidden inside his house by his mother, makes him question all the beliefs he has, and if they are really his own.  

Initially, all I could think was wow.  The film showed amazing development through different types of techniques, dialogue, body language to name a few. It is very difficult to create a film about history because the facts need to be accurate, but at the same time they managed to make it humorous which is very hard to accomplish, especially when it came to the world wars. Being German myself, instinally I knew I would either love the film or hate it because my family has told me what it was like back then. We used to be simple farmers providing food for people that couldn’t feed themselves, however that didn’t matter to the Nazi’s our people were turning agaisnt each other. Looking back on history, the film was able to capture a very good and basic understanding of what happened.Taika Waititi got the majority of the information. However, he was unable to show the depths of what was really going on behind the scenes, of Germany, in that time and age.  “Now, get your things together, kids. It’s time to burn some books!” The books burnt were ones that opposed Nazism, something the movie decided to leave out, because they wanted to make the film humorous. It is easier to cope with something if you can find humor in it compared to if you leave it as is without any humor. Everyone was involved in the burnings and training to be a Nazi, even the children, at such a young age their minds were corrupted, and if you had any other thoughts other then Nazim your were caught and killed. This information isn’t something people typically like to think about which is understandable. There is still one quality that is around  from both the past and the present. Somehow we manage to get stuck in a loop in our own mind, that is telling us to be like everyone else, to fit in. Jojo was the perfect example of this, as well as all the other Nazi youth. He tried so hard to be the best of what someone else wanted him to be, that he never really discovered who he wanted to be, until he realised that the person he was told to hate, was just like him, but better. “We’re Like You, But Human” A few simple words, that really made Jojo think about what his morals and beliefs were, the jewish girl that he believed to be the devil incarnate was actually a beautiful young girl, hidden to save her life.  How do we know that what we are being told is the truth? Shouldn’t we make up our own beliefs of what we have experienced instead of listening to others? However we become trapped in our mind, that we forget whether it was originally our opinion or someone else’s.  A daily problem all kids seem to have, the journey to find out who we really are is a journey which is the hardest. During World War II, my family faced extremely hard times. They believed peace was possible and that the Jews hadn’t done anything wrong, but if they were to voice that opinion they would have faced an even worse punishment than they did. If you didn’t have the same morals and beliefs Hitler forced everyone to have, the punishment was death. Once word got out to generals about my family helping not only commoners, but Jews all the people in my family were lined up to be shot, even the children. However one of the children begged an officer to let them go, but with no luck they were still lined up for death. Until another officer came to the rescue saying that the children could be useful in the War, with convincing, the other generals agreed. The children now left orphaned without their parents.  I felt very connected to the film because Jojo lost his mother due to her helping the jewish girl, and the reason Jojo wasn’t convicted too was because an officer decided to help him. Without the help of the officers standing up for their beliefs, in what was right and wrong Jojo and my family wouldn’t have been spared. It inspires me to this day, for I wouldn’t be here if he didn’t save my ancestors. To speak up and stand against what people consider normal was always a struggle for me, the system society has placed out is never an easy thing to go against, and it takes a lot of strength and willpower to do it. I’m glad that the director decided to share some of what happened to the Germans. Sharing the hard times they went through with the world, even if it wasn’t completely accurate, especially because not everyone is that lucky.  No matter what, we should always listen to our hearts, “Let everything happen to you. Beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.” the final words Jojo said. Even if we are scared, we need to face those fears because we always make it out in the end, and even if we don’t recover/survive at least we stand up for what we believed in, no regrets. Push past all the fears and be true to yourself not a person someone else wants you to be. That is what I took away from the film and hope to live up to. Once we begin to stand up for ourselves we feel invisible.  Whether we should follow everyone else or stand out and be ourselves even if it means death, would we rather be the white sheep or the black sheep in life? My choice would be simple, fight for what I believe in, and not let anyone else control what goes on in my mind. I will voice my opinion, even if someone else doesn’t like it, or agree with it. Jojo began to realise that his thoughts weren’t really his own, for his imaginary friend, Hitler had determined everything in life for him. Standing up for what he believe Jojo finally told Hitler to leave him alone “F**K Off Hitler”. We can make up our own minds, without everyone else controlling it for us, it’s time for us to be ourselves.  

Even if we don’t realise it society has a huge impact on the choices that we make. Sometimes we get caught in a loop inside our own mind, that clouds the parts of ourselves that are hidden. We are told numerous things in which we didn’t voice our opinion, but straight away we are told that it should be the opinion we hold. Realism stands out clearly in the film, showing us that we need to be ourselves instead of copying others. It tells us that the public’s opinion is supposed to be our own even if we have doubts in our mind about that, we’re told that they’re wrong. Nothing is allowed to go against the more popular belief otherwise we get shamed for it. The decisions are ours to make, no one and nothing should be allowed to change it, and if they try to, we need to be able to stand up for ourselves, sometimes even others. It has become a normality in which society lays out their opinion, and doesn’t let others voice theirs. We need to be able to  share our thoughts, even if someone doesn’t agree with them, everyone has a right to believe what they want. In the film “Jojo Rabbit” Jojo shows the way that society pushes our young youths into thinking from one perspective instead of having an open mind to everything that comes our way.  When Jojo discovered the jewish girl hiding inside his house, his initial thought was to turn her over, so she would be put to death. A perfect example of a young boy who did even think for a moment about sparing her life because he had been told that jews were the devils spawn. By revealing the depths of which society will go in order to control the public’s opinion, we are able to see that if we want to be different we need to stand out from the crowd. Change the rules society wants to lay out for us. Stand out, voice what you really believe in, not what everyone else wants to believe in. The decision is ours to make. The best way for people to understand a film and relate to it, is for the film to connect to the real world, and the realism in it. By using our history of World War II, in the perspective of Germans, it makes us think about  the tough times that people had to go through. Connecting to the hard times that are still present for a number of people. The film compares other peoples internal struggles with the ones shown is the film, creating a deeper connection between the film and people. With that connection people become drawn in to the film, for they like to see comparisons  between themselves and characters. Forcing the audience to keep watching. Throughout my life I have wanted to be my own person. Not following everyone else’s opinion, but no matter how hard I may try, society finds a way to manipulate what we should think. Whether it be as simple as what type of music we like to what religion is best to believe in, the internet seems to influence us into one direction even if it’s not fully correct. The perspective we believe in should come from ourselves. However, it isn’t as easy as it should be to find a different perspective on things. Unfortunately I fall into the trap that society lays out, with their public opinions, that don’t always cover every opinion.  

The director was hoping to make people think about their morals/beliefs whether they came from other people or themselves. The purpose was to visualise what it is like to see a person doing nothing but follow orders. When watching the film I thought to myself do I do this in real life, I would hope not because I don’t want to hide who I truly am for the sake of others. I’m sure many people would have thought about similar things, how could you not? Realism was shown extremely well throughout the film, they managed to use a historical event, to relate back to present time, how youth can be so easily corrupted by other thoughts in any day and age. The director wants us to understand that even though someone might have a strong point of view doesn’t necessarily mean that their point of view is correct, for we are all right in our own way. We need the courage to be able to be ourselves. 

Title: Everything, Everything

Author: Nicola Yoon

Text type: Novel

“Everything, Everything” written by Nicloa Yoon. Madeline Whittier, an 18 year old girl, is confined to her own home, for she suffers from SCID ( severe combined immunodeficiency ). She has been locked up her whole life, in order to be kept safe from the dangers of the outside world. Until she meets a young boy, Olly, who won’t let that stop them from being together. Slowly they begin to form a deep connection, leading to Maddy risking everything for the truth. 

Initially, I thought it would be like  every romance book my mother had recommended, a pile of romantic rubbish. “Everything, Everything” was a shock to say the least. It was nothing like the other books my mother had recommended to me. Each simple sentence, phrase and paragraph was all so powerful in more than just one way. I was captured by the book, unable to stop reading, I needed to know what was going to happen next. Bravery, something I’ve always  wished I had. The novel showed me that it is something I could have, all that I needed was courage, for there is no courage without fear. Maddy was brave enough to leave her house risking her own safety to try and live life to its fullest. “Be brave. Life is a gift.” With only a few simple words, the novel gave me the courage I needed in order to be brave, for I have struggled throughout my life with a number of things, and I have never known how to face them. However,  there was still some conflict in my mind when reading it, was it really worth the risk to go out on a limb to see if she wasn’t sick, with a risk of dying, leaving her mother behind?  It’s one thing to risk your own life, but if it was to affect others, I wouldn’t be sure if i could do that.  How was Maddy able to take the risk of leaving everything behind? Reading through the novel, many thoughts entered my mind. Lots of people suffer from illnesses which affect their life either in a significant way or a minor way, but both ways have an impact on their life. Somehow each and everyone one of them have found a way through. Even though they have some of the biggest struggles a person can have and feel,they manage to have the courage and bravery to move past it, finding some great adventures along the way. When am I going to be able to find the courage and bravery that everyone in my position finds? The majority of my life all I have felt is pain, a sickness I never asked for. In this way I felt a deep connection with Maddy, as if we could be going through the same thing. If she was able to overcome her pain, and illness could I do the same? This question would repeat in my brain, wondering if it’s possible. Doubt always clouded my mind, but after reading the novel the doubt was overcome by hope, the hope I had always been searching for, the hope I needed. I could finally be a part of the world around me because once I am a part of it, it shall forever be a part of me,  “There’s no denying it now. I’m in the world. And, too, the world is in me.” Once I put myself out into the world like Maddy did, there is no going back, your choices are going to impact you, and once again we need to be brave to overcome the struggles of life. Maddy knew this and she had the courage and bravery  to take the steps outside of her house, the steps which determined whether she would survive in the world or fade away. I had hope, not just for myself but for others in similar situations. Illness isn’t something that people wish for, I know I didn’t ask for mine. However, life has a funny way of creating curb balls in the journey we take. While reading the novel, I would think to myself, if she had the courage and bravery to overcome her life struggles and illness maybe I could do the same, find a way to have courage and bravery in life. We can still find happiness even in the mits of all our pain, “I was happy before I met him. But I’m alive now, and those are not the same thing.” she found a person who brought more than just happiness into her life. There is now hope inside me for others, and myself. Being happy isn’t the easiest thing to do, but feeling alive is a goal I still haven’t achieved probably like millions of others around the world. That can change now, I have the hope that I will get there. There is a way to be seen by the world again, to feel a part of it.  “You don’t exist if no one can see you.”  I need to be seen in order to feel a part of the world, without that, I won’t exist. Taking control of your life, and actually living it means, you would need to stand out. Having the courage/bravery to go outside and participate in the normal things every person should do, instead of blocking everyone out of your life, like I have done all too well. If I really want to be a part of something, a friend group or anything I need to open, take the chance to be hurt, instead of giving up straight away. 

Teenagers naturally try to find out who they are. All kids go through a stage in life where they need to break free from the normality of life that they feel. Eventually they start to gain a build up of courage/bravery once they have enough they decide it’s time to take a stand. To break free from the rules and the cage which is keeping them from finding out who they are, instead of embracing their true nature. An adventure is waiting for everyone on the other side of their freedom, how and when they get there, internally depends on the person. Realism was used by connecting to the teenagers intal fears of people when they try to break free, and also wanted to show them that it is possible to escape the life that fate handed you. We are in control of our fate and destiny, our choices are the thing that will influence where we will be led, not anything else, no illness or parents can determine it for us. It’s a part of life to rebel against somethings that we are told to follow. We need to discover for ourselves whether or not we believe certain things are  right or wrong. In the text of “Everything Everything”, Madeline shows how the natural inclination of teenagers and young people is to rebel against rules and regulations, to find who they are through their experiences and how they live their lives. The idea that the author,  Nicola Yoon, presents through teenage rebellion widens the perspective of the audience to show how society is like a cage, it traps you into one way of thinking and until you realize that you don’t have to be in that cage you can escape and find out who you are through rebellion as Madeline did when she ran away from her mother’s house and traveled to Hawaii with Ollie. The story line of this novel reflects society as a whole, so many young people are suppressed by the idea that they have to grow up and be a certain way to fit into society, but this is the lie that all teenagers have to face and decide what they are going to do about it, break free of the cage and choose their own ‘destiny’ or stay in the cage and believe the lie that is told everyday through social media and everyday life. The realism shows an accurate representation of teenagers’ lives wanting to break free from rules, restrictions and the normality of life, all we need is the courage/bravery to do so. Without the build up of courage/bravery we would never be able to break free from the chains and bars that surround us. The audience gains a better understanding of the novel, for we are able to compare their internal experience of a reader to the actions inside the book, therefore drawing in the attention from people and keeping them entertained. They will relate their experience with the ones the film presents. I have gone through many stages in my life, but only recently have I started to rebel. Being locked in a cage of society isn’t something a kid wants to go through. However, even if we aren’t always held back, we still have a need to be rebellious, that is the way kids believe we need to grow up, and they’re not wrong. Each parent will tell us not to make the same mistakes they did in their youth expecting us to be better, but even though we get multiple warnings, it just makes us want to do it more. Being told what to do, pushes us to rebel even more, we need the freedom to decide what to do by ourselves. Personally, my parents have always been breathing down my neck about what I should and shouldn’t do, but all my friends tell me to ignore what they are saying and just figure it out on my own. That’s exactly what I do, I can’t help but think that I should be a part of the rest of society and break free from the chains holding me down. 

The author wanted to highlight to us that even though somethings can be hard to face we shouldn’t let anything scare us, and live life to the fullest. We needed to visualise that it really is possible to overcome our life struggles, no matter how bad they are. Reading through the book, multiple scenes showed me that it was absolutely possible, all we need is the courage/bravery to “grab life by the balls” and push past all our fears. All I can remember growing up was being pushed down by fear, letting it consume me like many people would have faced as well. It’s easily recognised how realism was placed in the novel, for the majority of people suffer from the fears and doubts that cloud our minds from being the best we can be. “Everything, Everything” showed us that we can turn that into a strength, by pushing past it and ignoring all the negative thoughts, all we needed to do now is apply what we have learned from the novel use it out in the real world since the novel was written, in a way we could understand for it wasn’t a fantasy it was reality, people go through this on a daily basis so if other people could do it why can’t we?

Title: Fault In Our Stars

Author: John Green 

Text Style: Novel

The Fault In Our Stars written by John Green. Is a novel that tells the story of a 16 year old girl named Hazel. She reluctantly participates in the cancer support group, where she meets Augustus Waters, a young boy who is there supporting a friend. Hazel isn’t someone who likes getting close to others, however Augustus begins changing that. 

I’ve never been much of a romantic novel kind of girl. That all changed after I read this book, I felt so connected to the themes the book was presenting to me. The heartbreak we go through after a death, not wanting to become close to another person because we feel like we’re going to end up hurting them. It managed to make me cry in the end which isn’t something many books or anything else can really achieve. I really enjoyed Augustus being so straight forward in every situation, he would always voice his opinion which isn’t something many people are able to do. He is also full of wisdom , as if he has his whole life sorted out, and I envy that. “You realize that trying to keep your distance from me will not lessen my affection for you. All efforts to save me from you will fail.” speaking his mind is truly inspiring especially to me, for I have always wanted to have people that would be honest with me, but sadly they are rare people to find. When it comes to how I feel about people, I have a habit of avoiding the questions and trying to shrug them off, but Augustus speaks what he feels because he is able to understand that there isn’t a point in hiding it. The majority of people in the world have experienced a type of grief. Once we see and feel death for ourselves there is no going back. We have a tendency to create a world of pain for ourselves when it’s not necessary, if we were to lose a family member, that turns into a wound that leaves a scar, something that stays with you for the rest of time. “The marks humans leave are too often scars.”  This tells us that once someone leaves us that won’t be something that can be forgotten, it remains a part of us until we die. Too many people have experienced the pain of losing someone close to us, and it doesn’t always change us for the better. Even when I was a little girl I have experienced what it was like to lose a family member, along with many others. No matter how hard I tried to help them, it wouldn’t matter once fate had its hands on them there was nothing I could do that would change it. I would pray, beg, wish anything that could bring them back or cure them from what was causing them immense pain. “The world is not a wish-granting factory.” I have lost count of the amount of times I would pray for a miracle, but it wouldn’t make  a difference, so I would just stop, the world had given up on me so why should I keep thinking otherwise? After all the deaths I experienced and the people I had lost, I shut myself off from the world. I believed I was jinxed. Anyone that I was close to would just end up hurt, so I decided it would be best to stay out of everyone’s life so they could all be better off. I felt a deep connection to Hazel because neither of us wanted to get close to people. “I’m a grenade and at some point I’m going to blow up and I would like to minimize the casualties, okay?” Somehow Hazel was able to let people back into her life, so maybe I would be able to do the same. It gave my hope that I could have a brighter future for myself, somewhere I don’t need to hide in the dark. I shouldn’t let my past cloud my mind and the future I want to be able to have, I need to let go of my fears. I believe that I can finally have a chance to become a part of the world once more. I need to push past the doubts clouding my thoughts and look into the brighter future that awaits me. “Grief does not change you, Hazel. It reveals you.” My greif won’t be my excuse for not giving things a try, even if I feel different that  doesn’t mean it will become a bad change, all I need to do is turn it into a good one. I will be able to turn my pain into a positive thing because it’s possible others have done it so why can’t I?

We  shouldn’t just accept the way things are, the pain that consumes us, is still something that can be overcome, we just need to be able to see it. Society may have made an  impact on our negative thoughts, and the depression we can go through, but that doesn’t mean we should stay in that pit of despair, we need to dig ourselves out of it. We shouldn’t be afraid to try. Trying is a part of life whether we fail or succeed, all that matters is that we keep trying for something better. Realism is able to create a connection between what we are feeling and the feelings that are in the novel, by connecting the two things we form a deeper connection to the text we are reading. If we face the fears that are holding us back from trying to achieve the greatness we want, then all we need to do is overcome the fears. Everyone has fears, losing loved ones is probably one of the biggest fears a person can have. Death and pain isn’t something we should be afraid of, we need to stop overthinking about everything that could come our way and instead just jump in for a ride because that is something you will definitely get, after all “life is a roller coaster”. In “ The Fault In Our Stars” Hazel tries to deny the feelings she has for Augustus, for if she doesn’t she fears that death will take him away from her, she feels as if she is a bomb waiting to go off and needs to keep the casualties as low as possible. However that doesn’t matter to Augustus because he doesn’t care about what life will throw his way, all he wants to do is live to the fullest. This is something we should all do, move past any fears that want to hold us back because all it is, is our brain coming up with an excuse to not get hurt, but being hurt and healed as a part of life that we all need to deal with eventually. If the author wants us to be hooked to the book, they need to keep their readers interested, and the best way to do that is to form a connection with a book that makes it relatable for others. Once we begin reading a book, and we start referring to our lives when we go through it, it keeps us hooked for longer. We continue reading to see if it is even more similar to what we have experienced. Realism is the quality or fact of representing a person or thing in a way that is accurate and true to life. By using it in the book we will look back and determine if it’s interesting since it could be an accurate representation of what is happening around the world. My fears have always had a hold of me. I have been brought down by many things that I no longer want to get up. If I was to back track where all these fears came from, I am rather certain that they all came from one place, society. All the rules that are put in place, even if we can’t see them, we still know they are there. With fears of the future and death we can’t live, but really it’s the other way around. The reason it’s like this is something I will never know, all I do know is that the realisms that I have are caused by society and the invisible rules it likes to create in order to make people weak. 

The author wanted us to understand that we shouldn’t fear, fear. No matter the amount of pain in our lives doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give the world another chance to make us happy again. If we open ourselves up to someone it doesn’t mean that we will hurt them or vise versa, and even if they do we need to realise that it’s a part of life. To create an understanding of what the author is trying to do, we need to be able to see the realism that connects the book and our life experiences together. With that connection a greater understanding forms in our minds, we shouldn’t be afraid of what could happen, because it’s never gonna happen if we don’t try, and if it does happen we will just be able to learn from it and grow as people. 

By Lea McTavish