What do you feel is the most important word in the book? The most important passage? The most important element (an event, a character, a feeling, a place, a decision)? Why is this so important to the overall theme or conflict of the novel? Be sure to explain with details from the text.
29 Comments
Raleigh Carlton
10/27/2015 04:20:46 pm
I read "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline. In it, a boy named wade lives in a world with the most realistic virtual reality system ever made. When the creator died he told the users about an Easter egg hidden in the game. after years he found the first clue and so did 4 others. IOI, a huge company plans to win the competition by cheating. This makes the competition against the fellow "gunters" turn into a competition against IOI. This makes one of the most important people in this book Sorrento, Sorrento is the leader of IOI, a Huge company that uses hacks and cheats to win the competition for the easter egg. According to wade, Sorrento does not respect the friendly competition and play it the way the maker of the egg wanted the players to. Midway through the book after a virtual meeting with Wade and Sorrento he blows up wades house and kills his aunt. Throughout the book Sorrento and the players of the competition (gunters) never get along. This drives Wade's Determination to win the competition. At the end of the book wade creates the biggest war on the OASIS, almost every player on the OASIS fights against Sorrento and his employees.
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Ella Dillon
10/30/2015 06:00:12 am
In my current novel, Go Ask Alice, written anonymously, the most important element of the book is the concept of drugs and how they consume and take over a person’s soul. The first time this girl (whose name remains a mystery) experienced drugs, she was at a party where she was drugged and fell in love with the “escape” that comes with drugs. She soon become obsessed with the drugs, using them daily and loved the way they made her feel. Throughout the book she increasingly loses her care for anyone and only focuses on the drugs. On page 98, she says “Oh, to be stoned, to have someone tie me off and give me a shot of anything. I’ve heard paregoric is great. Oh h***, I wish I had enough of anything to end this whole sh**ty mess. I’ve been asleep and I don’t even know if it’s the same day, or week, or year, but who the h*** cares anyway?” This text shows how she just wants drugs and how she is so messed up she doesn’t even know the date, but she doesn’t care. Also, on page 58, she says, “Richie (her boyfriend/ drug dealer) gave me some joints to smoke when I’m alone and I want to be in heaven. Isn’t that nice, nice, nice!” This quote expresses how she is truly obsessed with the drugs and how consumed she is with them. The drugs take over her through the book and she can’t stop using them. The book’s main element is drugs and what they do to people and how people become quickly obsessed with them.
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Kole Arellano
11/7/2015 09:22:55 pm
Ella,
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Sydni Stoffek
11/9/2015 07:51:26 pm
Ella,
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Sydni Stoffel
12/9/2015 08:00:15 pm
Ella,
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Haley C
12/16/2015 08:54:58 pm
Dear Ella,
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Grace Smith
10/31/2015 09:52:21 am
In my book there was a very important passage that led to the overall theme of the book. “Just two days ago I couldn’t have imagined myself even thinking about it, but suddenly there I was, listening to myself as I spoke the magic words. ‘Well, would you like to go to the dance with me?’”(pg.43). There are many ways this passage contributes to the overall theme of my novel. First, it establishes how insecure Landon is. In the passage, he thought “Two days ago I couldn’t have imagined myself even thinking about it,” he was referring to that because two days ago Jamie, the girl he asked to homecoming, was still the weird girl who carried around a bible everywhere she went. It also refers to how he didn’t want to go to the dance with Jamie, she was just “The only decent looking girl left at such short notice.” This is an example of how Landon just wanted a date because all of his friends had one too, and going with the weird girl was better than going with no girl at all. Another way he is insecure, is that he will let what’s cool get in the way of what’s right. He used Jamie so that he could have a date like everyone else, so his peers would think higher of him. Landon has many insecurities, and they contribute to an overall theme of you have to let go of what’s holding you back and do what’s right, no matter the cost.
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Autumn Detor
11/1/2015 11:18:54 am
In the book I just recently finished, The Pathfinder, by Orson Scott Card, the most important character (event) is Rigg, the main protagonist. Not only is he the long lost prince, but he is the reason that anything in the book that happened, happened. He was born with the gift to see every creature that had ever walked the planet’s path. He could see when they were there, no matter how long ago. He could tell what species they were, how old they were, and where they had gone. Without this gift he would be an ordinary boy whose father was impaled by a falling tree. When Rigg attempts to save a small boy from falling over the falls, he experiences something he had never experienced before. A man from thousands of years ago materializes from one of the paths, becoming alive and whole once more. It is later found out in the book that the only reason Rigg experienced the past was because of Umbo, a boy who can slow down time around himself and others. Umbo and Rigg soon find out that, with each other, they can not only enter the past, but change it. Rigg is the more important of the two, though. He can actually enter the past and change it, all Umbo has to do is take Rigg into the past and bring him back to the present, like Rigg’s chauffeur. Rigg does the actual changing of the past. It is also Rigg that thinks of a way to travel through the Wall, which is an invisible, mile-long wall surrounding their “entire world.” Whenever someone comes too close to it, they begin to go insane. Torturous and terrible thoughts fill their heads until they die; it is not a pleasant experience. Along with making the final decisions on almost everything the group (which consists of Rigg, Umbo, and a retired soldier named Loaf) decides, Rigg is by far the smartest as well. He can change his accent to match those of the royals, the poor people, and everyone in between. He can act as an innocent boy, or an authority-filled man. He understands how to deal with any sort of person that he encounters, and is by far the most important character throughout the book, even if he doesn’t think of himself as higher than Loaf, Umbo, or anyone else. Unless, that is, he is trying to intimidate that person, then he can act as if they are nothing but a peasant. This leads back to the conflict of the novel because, while throughout most of the book the characters do not know it, the conflict is attempting to evade the governmental authorities and escape through the Wall. Without Rigg, that would not have been anywhere near possible.
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Gia Colosimo
11/8/2015 08:31:36 pm
Autumn,
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Caleb Upson
11/9/2015 08:41:32 pm
Dear autumn,
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Gia Colosimo
11/15/2015 05:06:24 pm
I would like to use this copy instead
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Peyton Clark
12/8/2015 06:07:24 pm
Autumn,
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Brayden Kelley
11/5/2015 11:56:11 am
In one of the books I am reading entitled Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins has a very obvious symbol. The main symbol in this book is a Mockingjay. A Mockingjay is a bird that “mocks” verbal sounds and or songs. The protagonist named Katniss Everdeen first discovers this symbol while in the Hunger Games which can be described as simply a fight to the death of teens age 10 to 18. The Mockingjay helps the protagonist because she uses the unique bird to guide her, along with using it to communicate with other tributes.
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Will Smardo
11/7/2015 11:18:14 am
In “The First Phone Call from Heaven” by Mitch Albom, the most important passage in the book is, ““He was dead when we found him Ray was first in. He had to record it. Six fifty-two p.m.”
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Ethan Gdovin
11/7/2015 01:54:32 pm
In my book "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson, the most important word is "rum". Rum is a very key word in this novel because it is symbol in this novel but also it sets the mood for the book right from the start. Billy Bones is a protagonist in this novel and a captain. He has major addiction to rum. Rum can be a very dangerous liquid if too much of it is consumed.
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Michael Winward
11/7/2015 04:16:01 pm
In my book, "Brave New World", by Aldous Huxley, is a very meaningful book that cuts not only human civilization, but also the human conscience, to their very core. If I could put down half the book here, I would, but unfortunately, I can't. I believe that one of the most crucial passages in the book goes on between an government authoritarian figure and a young man from an isolated environment.
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Kole Arellano
11/7/2015 08:38:53 pm
The most important element in my book is the concept of bank robberies and how they can destroy families and people. “ ‘she left the hospital and went home, Alex. They just found her dead. He warned her not to tell anyone, and not to abort. She disobeyed him. She made a mistake. He poisoned her, Alex.’ “ (Page 244) This is an example of how robberies can destroy people. If they tell someone anyone about it after a firsthand account with the robber. The could end up deceased. Robberies can also be homicides if there are murders which involves homicide detectives. “I also thought about Christine. I loved her, couldn’t help it, but I believed she had made up her mind about the two of us. I couldn’t change it. She didn’t want to be with a homicide detective, and I probably couldn’t be anything else.” (Page 103) These are two examples of how bank robberies can destroy lives people and families.
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Cora Perkins
11/8/2015 10:14:03 am
In my book “Animal Farm”, there are many things that are important to the overall conflict of this book. An example is the word animal. This important due to what is happening in the book and the override of the humans. Animal is about the only thing that the over riders fallow is that animals are good and humans are bad. That’s going into my passage but more on that later. Animal is a signal of irony as well because the animals on the farm are acting pretty humane considering that they don’t have thumbs. The humanity within the animals shows how the book isn’t just a book about an animal revolution, but a metaphor for something bigger. The most important passage in this book adds more to the suspicion of a metaphor. This also emphasizes the suspicion of an upcoming conflict. This Passage is the seven commandments that all animals must fallow:
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Kassia lowery
11/9/2015 02:51:34 pm
In my book "Before I fall" by Lauren Oliver is about a girl named Samantha Kingston. She has it all. The worlds most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing friends and is the first pick at everything at Thomas Jefferson high. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.
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Caleb Upson
11/9/2015 07:58:23 pm
I feel that in my book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, the most important word and element of it is magic. First, magic is what the whole book revolves around. For proof, “… Harry had spent most of the last two years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.” (3) Witchcraft and Wizardry are the studies of magic. Second, it is used so many times throughout the book. For example, “’Lumos,’ Harry muttered, and a light appeared at the end of his wand, almost dazzling him.” (33) And third, it is shown in several different ways. Besides spells, another example of magic is, “So you have chosen to study Divination, the most difficult of all magical arts.” (103) this shows that magic can be interpreted in many different ways. In conclusion, these are the reasons that I picked magic for my book, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, as its most important word and element.
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Chris Balding
12/8/2015 06:47:42 pm
Caleb,
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Brayden Kelley
12/9/2015 05:07:47 pm
Dear Caleb,
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Ethan Konrad
11/15/2015 10:39:04 pm
In "Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes" The chapter+ that tells about Hercules and his story has a lot of symbolism and important elements int the plot. The most important word in the story has to be "Horror" because when he kills his family he looks down in horror at what he had done as the realization of what was wrong with him washed over him. which goes straight into the passage that was the most important, "The rage evaporated. he stared in horror at the bodies of his children. he looked in horror at the bow in his hands, the bow Apollo had given him, a weapon from the god of prophecies . The message could not have been clearer. "we told you what would happen if you didn't listen. I feel like the most important element that was in the story was the character, Hercules who i feel like really advanced the plot by killing his family so he had to, put it in the Oracle of Delphi words "go to the high king as you were told. Serve him well by doing whatever ten tasks he commands. Eurystheus alone may decide when each task is done to his satisfaction. Once all ten tasks are complete, Then and ONLY then will you be forgiven
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Noah Butzine
11/24/2015 01:29:05 pm
My book “To Kill A Mockingbird” by Harper Lee is built like the human body. The whole story revolves around a few key sections which are like the skeleton of the book. Towards the middle of the book, a main protagonist Atticus chooses to defend an African American man in court. This decision is crucial to both the theme and the conflict of the book. The reader can infer that Atticus’ decision is going to be crucial later on in the book when he says,”You might hear some ugly talk about it at school, but do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fists down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t you let ‘em get your goat.” (87)
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Gaby Bowman
12/4/2015 08:57:52 pm
When we read books there’s always something that is incredibly important, sometimes a lot of somethings. In John Green’s “An Abundance of Katherines” there are certain words and passages that make the book what they are. They mold the novel and develop just as easily as they affect the theme and even the conflict.
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Chloe Williams
12/5/2015 12:27:52 pm
There are many building blocks to creating a well-developed book. Jerry Spinelli uses specific words, elements, and descriptive passages to conduct the theme and conflict of "Stargirl". The word choice in my book mainly revolves around one character who is very different from the rest. "Different". This word is used very often in describing Stargirl Caraway. Not only is Stargirl's character developed by these descriptions, but the other characters around her when they think she's different. Overall, Stargirl Caraway defines that it's okay to be different.
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Aliya Wilcox
12/5/2015 01:45:56 pm
The most important element in my book, “Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer” by Katie Alender, is the medallion that Colette found and belonged to her grandmother. The medallion had “a simple hole where a black ribbon was looped, and in the center was an engraved key – the old fashioned kind, with big square teeth. The round part of the key had a cutout in the shape of a flower with six spiky petals,” (page 14). This image on the medallion appears in many places around and in Marie Antoinette’s residence. This indicates that it means something important and most likely has something to do with Colette’s family history. “Her pale pink dress was almost ridiculous in its proportions – wide from the front and narrow from the sides…her hair was piled high on her head…I was desperate to see her up close…because of what I was almost positive I’d seen around her neck…a medallion, just like mine,” (page 50) describes what I believe to be the ghost of Marie Antoinette from Colette’s point of view. Around Marie’s neck was the same medallion that Colette found and is with her in Paris (where the story takes place). Marie Antoinette’s ghost has already killed two people, and by the description on the back of the book, more are still to come. I have a theory that this medallion is the key to unlocking some secret. I know that this medallion is an incredibly important element to the story because it keeps popping up everywhere: in a picture that Colette found of Marie and her children, in Marie’s residence, on Marie’s neck. These can’t all be coincidences. This book is a mystery and all mysteries have some key or re-occurring element that solves the main question or problem. The fact that the medallion turns up everywhere leads the reader to believe that it could be the key to solving the main problem and that is why the medallion is the most important element to this story.
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Grace Smith
12/6/2015 07:20:49 pm
Chloe,
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Peyton Clark
12/8/2015 05:47:10 pm
I don't think my post has posted so I'm going to send it in again just in case. In my story The Pearl by John Steinbeck, the pearl seems to have caught the attention of many different characters, most of wich probably have the same mentality of "I want the pearl!" When reading most story's you are reading from the protagonists point of view, but I think that reading it from a antagonists point of view might be just as interesting. One of the antagonists point of view I would like to see the most is the pearl dealer. I think that he's a good protagonist because he pushes Kino, the protagonist, to leave his village. When Kino confronts to the dealer, the dealer states , " This pearl is like fools gold. It is too large. Who would buy this?" (17) In this statement you can obviously tell that he thinks the Pearl is worthless, but is it? I feel that this is most likely a business scam. He is trying to make Kino think the pearl is worthless to get it at a cheaper price. To prove my point, the dealer later offers kino one thousand and five hundred pesos, which is far more than Kino has and is rather expensive. I would like to see if he actually thought it was worthless or if it actually was a business thing. I would also like to see what he felt like when Kino refused his offer. He was obouisly shocked and maybe sad that Kino didn't take the offer, but it would be cool to see how it effected him. I think that another interesting point of view would be , not an antagonist, but Kino's brother Juan Tomás. Throughout the story Juan is scared and even nervous for his brother after the pearl was discovered. "Juan Tomás cautioned his brother."(16) "...and Juan Tomás, in pure nervousness, went on speaking."(16). Thought you are able to tell that he wants to care for his brother, I wonder if he had thoughts of taking the pearl himself. Maybe he thinks that he deserves it more than Kino. The perspective would change the book from ,a man trying to provide for his family, to, my crazy brother won't let go of this pearl that is bringing him bad luck but I want it too. Or Juan could genuinely care about Kino, but from the story you are able to see that the pearl has changed the mentality of many people. Though there are many characters in this story the ones with the most meaning seem to make me curious of how the perspective changes the story dramatically. The protagonist side is a very good way to change the way of the story's meaning
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