Social Action Inquiry Question #2 for Pride of Carthage by David Anthony Durham

In the book Pride of Carthage, by David Anthony Durham, several perspectives are left out of the book to put the reader more into the shoes of the Barca family.

One way this is accomplished is by not giving perspectives of the Roman people. The Romans as a whole people, the poor and rich, of all jobs, do not have a perspective in the book so far. This is a point of view that I think is often represented, but I believe the author chose not to include it in Pride of Carthage to make it more in the shoes of the Barca family. For example, Hannibal would not know how the people would respond to his victory at the Trebbia, because he was not in Rome. By not showing the perspective of the Roman people, you are led to be in the shoes of Hannibal because you are forced to come to your own conclusions about what is happening inside of Rome and her cities at the time.

Another way that the author puts you into the shoes of the Barca family is not showing very much of the Roman Army. This is a perspective I think is used very often. When the author chooses not to include it very often, the effect is that the author limits your knowledge to about the same as what the Carthaginians knew at the time. When the author includes a Roman perspective, it's always when Hannibal is always near the army, or the intention of the army is clear. Because this perspective is not very prominent whatsoever, you are forced to listen to the perspective of Hannibal and his army more often. For example, one time where the Roman perspective is used is at the battle of Cannae. In this situation, Hannibal knew everything the author revealed to readers about the Romans- so you are put into the situation where you essentially have to think "Hannibal already knows this- I don't really know anything more than he does about the situation".

In the book, there are many perspectives. There are 3 or 4 from Hannibal's army, 1 or 2 from Carthage itself, and 1 or 2 others depending on the time in the book. This is an interesting craft move, and when none or 1 out of 6 or 7 perspectives at any one point is a Roman one, you really see how the author wants to "black out" what the Romans are doing. This really becomes evident when the other perspectives have so much variety- There are perspectives from Hannibal, soldiers in the army, camp followers, generals, and family, so you are sucked deeply into the perspectives of these Carthaginians. You are allowed much more time to connect with the characters on one side, and very little time at all with the Romans. The effect of more Carthaginian perspective than Roman is that you end up in the Carthaginians' shoes.

All in all, the multi-perspective craft in the book forces you into the Carthaginians' shoes. The Roman people are deprived of their perspective almost completely, and the Roman army only has enough to show you what Hannibal already knows. The fact that you're in Carthaginian shoes almost all of the time is put their to force you to emphasize with the Carthaginian Characters, who the book is based on.

SA Inquiry Question #1 For Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

     When I read Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, I noticed a some complex ideas and themes in the book.
   
     One of these complex ideas is isolation. In the book, Ender is often isolated from most people. In the text, it says "He [Ender] recognized they were isolating them again..." He knows that the teachers isolate him, but that leads to more questions, like "Why are they isolating me?" Isolation in the book often forces Ender to think about who his "real" friends are. The fact that he is isolated means he has contact with few people- but since is isolation is controlled, he wonders if the people he does know are really his friends or not. In the text, it says "But Ender wasn't sure Dink was his friend anymore". Since the issue of "real" friends is caused by Ender's isolation, it kind of loops around infinitely.

     Another complex idea is bullying. In the story, Ender is confronted by bullies multiple times, but it is more layered than that. He knows that the teachers will not help him confront the bullies, so he faces this issue: Should he try to beat them once, and hope they don't come back, or defeat them, permanently? In the text, Ender says "Knocking him down won the first fight. I wanted to win all the next ones, too. So they'd leave me alone". He doesn't want to continue attacking people, but he realizes it's the only way to keep himself safe.

     One final complex thing is morality. Ender is forced into being cold-hearted and what others around him consider a "killer", which is not what he wanted to be like. When it comes down to destroying another alien race at war with the Humans, Ender doesn't want to, because he couldn't bear the weight of genocide on his shoulders. The question Ender is really thinking, in a deeper meaning, is "Is killing a race because they've killed humans moral?" Because Ender thinks that there isn't, he essentially asks "Is there another way?" He eventually is tricked into killing all but one queen of the race, but he finds a way to escape the genocide linked with the murder of the species by bringing the queen to another planet to start their race over for them. In the text, it says "And always Ender carried with him a dry white cocoon, looking for the world where the hive-queen could awaken and thrive in peace".

     In Ender's Game, the complex ideas of morality, bullying, and isolation are very present and form challenges that help make Ender's Game a complex book. It is also a book that many people can relate to- issues like bullying are common in many places. Issues like the ones mentioned make the reader think about how Ender reacts to them, and that could lead to the reader thinking about how they would react to a similar situation.

Argument Essay

YA fiction, according to many students, parents, and teachers, is becoming increasingly darker in recent times. This "Dark YA" is also very popular. Because of how dark the books are, people are asking: Who should limit (or not limit) the accessibility to dark YA for children? Parents should decide what books are accessible to children, because they are their childrens' guides, and parents know what they can or cannot help their children understand.

Parents know what they can help their children understand. In the article "The sick-lit Books..." by Tanith Carey, child psychologist Emma Citron is quoted as saying " 'It's OK [To read dark YA] as long as parents are talking to them [teen readers] about these books and what they are thinking and feeling.' " This quote is saying that if parents don't, or can't, help their children in reading books with dark topics, it's probably not a good idea for them to read the book. In the same article, Citron is quoted again, saying " 'Parents should be vigilant if a child is reading a lot of these books.' " Carey then writes, "So next time your teen is curled up with a book, ask them what it's about, says Emma." These to quotes are showing that parents need to be on top of what their children read, so that they can know what they're reading, ultimately to make sure that it's not something so outrageous that they cannot be of service if necessary. If parents can't help teens understand the books that they read, they won't be able to help them with any troubles they are having while reading the book.

Parents have known their children for the entirety of the teen's life- parents are there to guide their children in the way they think is the best. In the article "Teen Fiction Plots are Darker and Starker", by William Porter, the young adult specialist at Standley Lake Library, Jenna Obee, is quoted saying " 'The parents' job is to help children decide what they should read." This quote is tells the reader that a parent's obligation to their children's reading life is to help them choose what books to read. Because parents have known their children for so long, they are in a unique position to do this. They can use books to help guide their children to the best path possible for their lives. Also in "Teen Fiction Plots are Darker and Starker", the article says "Librarians and Booksellers insist the responsibility is up to parents...Jefferson County Public Library System's policy is stated on a brochure..."We provide alternatives. You make the choices." This quote says that the people who are giving teens the Dark YA books know that it's still up to the parents to make sure  it's a good book for their child- and if it's not, the parents can have alternatives that may be better to help the teen in his/her future. Overall, Librarians and booksellers say that parents have to be the ones to have a final say on books; parents need to choose books that will lead their children in the right direction.

Although letting teens make choices on their own and letting teens become more independent can be a good thing, with books there can be consequences. In the article "Darkness too Visible" by Meghan Cox Gurdon, it is stated that letting kids read whatever they want "depends on your [the parent's] philosophical outlook." However, there are flaws to letting kids read what they want without parents' knowledge. In "The sick-lit books..." by Tanith Carey, the text states "Child Psychologist Emma Citron urges parents to keep a careful eye on their children if they find they keep reading these books." This is telling readers that having teens read a lot of Dark YA without parents watching them is strongly advised against, which means it might not have a good ending. Parents should watch over their kids' reading, even if it means taking away some independence, because it is advised against, and could lead to consequences.

All in all, parents have an obligation to guide their children, and help them understand anything that they might have a hard time understanding in the child's reading life. Parents always should be there for kids, and their kid's reading life is no exception.

Critical Analysis: "Fields of Honor" by Edwin C Bearss

     Fields of Honor by Edwin C. Bearss is about the key, pivotal battles of the Civil War, and what made them so important to the outcome of the war. One example of this in the text is when its' stated that "Gettysburg proved to be the bloodiest battle of the Civil War... Lee's invasion of the North had been a costly failure." This shows that the author is explaining why Gettysburg was very important- it was bloody, and it was very costly to Lee. Another example is "Lee's incursion into the North had been decisively turned back. Five days after Antietam... Lincoln issued his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation... The war to save the Union was now also the war to free the slaves." In this quote, the author explains why the battle of Antietam is important by telling the reader that it led to the Emancipation Proclamation, which changed the purpose of the war. Finally, every battle has a explanation at the end proving why the battle is important. These examples connect to the focus by proving how each battle explained is pivotal in the Civil War.

     In Fields of Honor, the author wants you to feel like you're at the battle, so that the information that is given seems like you're getting it when it happened in the Civil War, and it helps to see how important some battles are. One way the author makes you feel like you're in the time is by writing in the present tense. For example, he writes "Chamberlain orders his men to fix bayonets and to sweep down on the Confederates..." This is an example of the author's use of the present tense. This makes it seem like it's happening in the moment. Another thing the author uses is statistics. An example of this is "the Yankees have about 28,000 me on the line... the Confederates have perhaps 20,000 engaged..." This is an example of a statistic, which would help make it seem like you're there by giving more of an image of the size of things in a battle. Overall, the stats and tense make you able to get an image of what it may look like at the time, and make it feel like you're there.

     When I was reading this book, I did feel like I was in the time period, mostly because of the tense. I really liked the way it was written, it was really engaging and fun, and it covered a wide range of topics and information, with understandable and deep content.

Critical Analysis: "Why The Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood" by Sherman Alexie

     "Why The Best Kids Books Are Written in Blood" by Sherman Alexie is an article defending the necessity of "Dark" YA Fiction. The main idea is that from Alexie's personal experiences, and experiences he's had with teenagers that have had dark experiences in their lives, dark YA fiction can be a tool for teens experiencing dark issues to help deal with the issues and stop them from occurring again. Alexie supports this with anecdotes within the story explaining his experiences. One anecdote he writes is about himself: "When I think of the poverty-stricken...self-loathing Native American teenager that I was, I can only wish, immodestly, that I'd been given the opportunity to read "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian..." Aside from anecdotes, Alexie uses other ways to support this claim. Near the end of the article, he says that he writes to give teens that have to deal with these issues a weapon, not to make sure they never experience these horrible things, because they already have, but to help them fight their "monsters". Finally, he states why people would read such dark fiction. He says "there are millions of teens who read because they are sad and lonely and enraged. They read because they believe..that books-especially the dark and dangerous ones-will save them". These supporting details all connect to the main idea because they follow a similar thread. Since, as the anecdotes tell readers, Alexie grew up the way many teens who might want to read dark YA did, he understands why teens read YA, what benefits it will give to them, and how it will help them. This is why he is able to put himself in the teens' shoes. In his own words from the article, "I write in blood because I remember what it felt like to bleed". The other supporting details mentioned, the tools and why teens read dark YA are easy for Alexie to understand, so he can slip into the shoes of people he understands and write about it for them.

     In this article, Alexie makes readers feel empowered, by the effect that the reader's  mind has on the reader's life, but also sorrowful and frustrated at how little control others have on their lives. He really makes people look at their life compared to the peoples' lives that he looks at in the article, and really makes you believe that his argument is superior to opposing sides' arguments. He uses a lot of techniques to accomplish these feelings and thoughts in the article. One technique he frequently utilizes is the use of anecdotes. This gives the reader an insight into Alexie's mind and past, and so the readers can really see how bad some of the lives described can be by looking into Alexie's life as a teenager. This makes you feel for those people, and put your life in perspective. Another technique used is how Alexie criticizes things in a mocking way. An example of this in the text is "When some cultural critics fret about the "ever-more-appalling" YA books, they aren't trying to protect..."  These mocking parts of the article make Alexie's point sound much better and formal, while making opposing arguments sound weak and unorganized. That makes you start thinking in the same way as the article.

     When I read this article, I felt that Alexie made me think even more on the side of dark YA being beneficial. When I read over the anecdotes and quotes from teenagers, I really felt that the article was very well balanced. It had the perspective of the people who dark YA fiction would affect- the teenagers. It had firsthand experiences from the author, who understood the life that some of the quoted teenagers were living, and that really made for a strong argument. The presentation of the article was also very good. It made me feel bad for the experiences of some people, then understand how this type of book would really be a tool or "weapon", as stated in the book, for these teens- or any, to get through dark events in their lives. It really got me thinking for quite some time on the matter of dark YA in a deeper meaning than in other articles I read.

Response to "Faithful Elephants"

     Faithful Elephants by Yukio Tsuchiya, is a story about a zoo in WWII Japan, where the zookeepers are being forced to kill their beloved elephants against their will, under orders from the Army. A big idea in this is that sometimes you can't go with what you think is right, for the sake of others, but what was right can still be remembered. I think the setting was very important to bring the theme to the reader's attention more clearly.

     The main setting of the story is the Ueno Zoo in Japan. Because bombs are falling, and could possibly allow the elephants to escape the zoo, the zookeepers are ordered to kill the elephants. The setting is important because the zoo is in an urban area, where wild elephants could be very hazardous to people and things alike. The text says "What would happen if bombs hit the zoo? If the cages were broken and dangerous animals escaped to run wild through the city, it would be terrible!" The author shows the reader with this portion of the text that the conflict-which is that the elephant must die, but the zookeepers don't want them to die-is caused by the setting.

     The cages in which the elephants are trapped is another setting that is key to showing the theme. One reason why is that the cages-which trap the elephants-are also showing the similarities between the elephants and the zookeepers, because the elephants are trapped by the cages, and the zookeepers are trapped by the Army into having to kill the elephants when they don't want to. Another reason why the cages help make the setting show the theme is that the elephants are starved to death in the cages. The text states "Both [elephants] died leaning against the bars of their cage". This is the climax of the story, and the setting, once again, is important. The cages are a metaphor in the story that means freedom. If the elephants could escape the confines of the cage, they'd be free. However, they die leaning against those bars, which have kept them away from freedom, and ultimately, survival.

     A final part of the story that shows the importance of setting to show the reader the theme is close to the end. The text says "seeing his [the elephant trainer's] beloved elephants die this way, the elephant trainer felt as if his heart would break... they [the zookeepers and trainers] too stayed away from the elephants' cage". Later, the text says "These three elephants - John, Tonky, and Wanly- are now resting peacefully under this monument". The first quote shows character change and how the characters in the story realize the theme. At first, the zookeepers tried to do all that they could to get the elephants to survive. But, they realized that they couldn't, and that the best they could do is what is described in the second quote, making a monument for the elephants, so everyone, in the present and future, could remember them, even though they're dead. The setting shows the theme in these quotes by giving the reader an image of the theme, in this case the monument. The monument is how the zookeepers, in a way, kept their beloved elephants alive.

     In conclusion, throughout important parts- such as the moments of character change, when the characters realize the theme, important metaphors and comparisons, as well as when the conflict is described- and ideas- like the theme- of Faithful Elephants, the setting shows to the reader one of the big themes in the text. The setting shows to readers that in their lives, in the real world, you won't always get what you want, and in some cases, like in the text, the issues could be serious, but there is always a way to memorialize the past.

//: Summer Book Reading Response: The Young Carthaginian by G.A. Henty :\\

This summer, I read The Young Carthaginian, by G.A. Henty. It's a Historical Fiction book that is based in the time period of the Second Punic War (219 - 201 BC). It focuses on Malchus, a young Carthaginian noble and cousin of the great Hannibal Barca, who lead the Carthaginians in the war. It starts with Malchus and his father, Hamilcar, and a small army suppressing a revolt in North Africa, then moves on to Carthage, where the people are split between the Barcid faction, who support another war with Rome and more militaristic actions, and the faction of Hanno, who support trade and no war. As the political scene is intense because the Elections for the new commander in Spain is coming soon, Malchus is swept into the heat of it all by his father, a prominent member of the Barcid faction. There is a fight on election day between masses of Carthaginians voting for either side, but the Barcids gain the upper hand and are able to get Hannibal elected. Malchus is then sent to Spain as a member of the Carthaginian cavalry, and throughout the rest of the summer, they campaign in Spain, which under Hannibal's superb leadership abilities, is a huge success. Hannibal then appoints Malchus as the head of a small scouting troop for his next idea: To invade Rome and Italy by crossing the dangerous Alps. Through this march, Malchus is separated from the Army, but him and a small group of his companions are able to find their way back after fighting of Native warriors. Malchus and most of the Carthaginians come out of the Alps starving and cold, but they are welcomed by Gallic tribes (French/Northern Italians hostile to Rome). Hannibal then sets off on a string of victories at River Trebbia, Lake Trasamine, and most famously, Cannae. After Cannae, Hannibal instructs Malchus to go to Carthage and ask for more soldiers. This is a huge turning point and character change, as after he is imprisoned by the new Sufette (Leader) Hanno, he sees that Carthage has become corrupted by the rich and no longer a glorious city or empire as it once was. After escaping via elephant, he is able to return to Hannibal by ship, but is captured by the Romans and sent to work in the mines of Sardinia, where he turns the native slaves at the minds into a rebellious army, and escapes into the woodlands, avoiding attacks by the Roman army. He realizes, though, that he does not want the life of an outlaw, and comes to terms with the Roman commander in Sardinia, and he is sent to Rome to be a slave instead. He is bought by a noblewoman in Rome, and is randomly in the same household as one of the Gallic women who had cared for him after they exited from the Alps. They run away, and are able to meet with Hannibal once again. Seeing what Carthage has become, however, Malchus decides to leave the army, and go north to Germania (Germany), where the Gallic woman's mother's tribe is found, electing a simple life over the complex and corrupted life he had in Carthage.


This book is probably my favorite Historical Fiction book, because it is very well written, has a complex plot arc, and covers a lot of important issues, including corruption, difficult choices, and loyalty. It has a lot of ups and downs in it, and is very exciting to read. It is also very realistic to the facts of this war, and that adds a lot to it by making seem very real. The writing really brings you into the book, and you feel like you're there. You can relate to the characters easily because they have similar issues to issues today. Overall, it just has an excellent combination of fiction, fact, writing style, themes, and plot. It's definitely in my top 10 best books ever.