The Trojan Horse Response-- Play and Story

Authors Note- In this response I am comparing the story and play of The Trojan Horse.

     In the parody play of The Trojan Horse, there are many differences from the original story. In the story Helen of Sparta, has an affair with the King Paris, the king of Troy, which starts a war between Greece and Troy.  After the Trojans think they have won the war, the Greeks deliver a horse filled with Greek soldiers to the city of Troy. One of the main conflicts in the story, is what to do with the horse. Should the Trojans set fire to it? Should they praise it? This story gets more in depth with the horse.

     In the play, Helen of Sparta runs away with Paris, and although similar events happen, the main conflict in this parody is the process to starting the war and the actual war itself. They do mention the horse, but it takes up a maximum of seven lines and doesn’t really show how the horse affected the war. However, the play did get more into the characters and their personalities than the book did, but the characters in the play are portrayed as immature, annoying characters. In the original story, I don’t think that during an intense battle, as your about to be stabbed you’re going to try to pull your opponents pants down and then proceed to laugh even though you were seconds away from death.  Although these changes were probably made to add humor and help people relate to the characters I didn't like them.

     One of the reasons I didn’t like these changes is because I felt like it took away from the original story. You get too distracted by the funny events that happen, that you lose the message coming from the story. I also thought that the actual horse part was very important and meaningful, but when only a short amount of time was dedicated to the horse part I was kind of disappointed. I also didn’t think that the part with Cassandra, the girl who can see into the future, was very important to the story. She didn’t’ really have an impact on the outcome or anything like that, while in the play there were scenes made just to describe her situation. Overall the changes made in the play story weren’t the best choices. 

 

Change

Authors Note- This is an essay I wrote that compares the movie with the original book, My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult.

       Picture yourself living the life of a cancer patient. Hours upon hours spent at hospitals dealing with side effects from gruesome treatments, agonizing pain,  and  no end in sight. Having cancer is truly one of the worst things that could happen to a person. In both the book and movie called My Sisters Keeper, you get a glimpse of what living with cancer is like through sixteen year old Kate Fitzgerald. Although both the film and novel show you what your life would be like if you had cancer, there are many differences between the book and movie. Some changes are minor, but a lot of changes made by the director of the movie, affect some of the overall meanings of the book.

        Like most movies that are based on books, many minor changes occur in order to keep the movie from being too long or boring. In the book My Sisters Keeper ,Anna, the main character is thirteen years old, but in the movie she is only ten years old. Although this is a minor change, it kind of took away some of the maturity and respect that you had for thirteen year old Anna in the book. Another little difference has to do with Anna’s relationship with her father. In the book, Anna even says “my dad and I have always had a connection. I think it’s because I take after him in a lot of ways. “(page 103) However in the movie, you see that Anna’s dad feels sympathy for her, but you don’t really get that special connection like in the book.

       Although there were some small edits made to the movie, there were also larger ones that took away from the point the author was trying to get across. One of the main topics I found in the book have to do with how cancer doesn’t affect just the patient, but their family as well. In the book, Anna and Kate’s parents get so wrapped up in their daughters  lives that they don’t even notice how their son, Jessie, is being affected. He starts setting fire to buildings and becomes an arsonist. This part in the book shocked me and really showed me how having cancer affects the entire family, but in the movie this part is left out. That cut took away an important message the author was trying to make.

       Along with changing the part about Jessie in the movie, the director also changed the ending of the story.  All readers were taken by surprise when Anna, the noncancerous healthy daughter, dies in a car crash, and Kate, the dying infected daughter goes on to live a long life. No one saw that coming and it completed the message the author was trying to get across. Anna served her purpose, and healed her sister, and now that Kate was healthy she wasn’t needed anymore. It also showed me that you never know when your time will come, and you will die. During the movie, the director does the complete opposite ending and just has Kate, the sister with cancer, die. With this new ending, it took away meaning and purpose from the actual story.

       Not only were drastic changes made to the ending of the story, but noticeable differences can be seen in lots of different parts of the movie. While some minor changes weren’t that big of a deal, the director of the movie made some edits that affected a lot of the authors message and purpose for the story. Unlike the movie, I felt like the author successfully got their point across that Anna served her purpose and saved her sister, that having cancer affects the entire family, and also that having cancer is something that I wouldn’t wish upon my worst enemy. 

The Trojan Horse Response

       In the story The Trojan Horse, the main conflict in the story was what to do with the horse given to them by the worst enemy. Some people thought they should burn it, because it was something dangerous, and others thought they should worship the horse. In the end, you learn that the people who wanted to burn it, were correct because inside the horse were soldiers ready to attack the Trojans. It was a very unexpected and new plan, so of course the Trojans didn't see it coming and were taken completely off guard. 

       I think something like this could definatley happen, but in a more modernized way. Nowadays everyone does everything using their cell phone. If I were to try to hack into someone's life, I would go for their cell phone where I could read their messages, listen in on phone calls, and find out more about them. A situation similar to this could also happen in a school or workplace. For example, if a new kid shows up in school/new employee comes, they could be there long enough just to find out what goes on in the new lifestyle, and then end up backstabbing their new environment. I have seen situations like these in different books and movies, one in specific was in the movie "21 Jump Street." Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill hack into a teenagers phone and listen in on calls, to help prove that kid was involved with drugs.  

My Brother Sam is Dead Comparison

Authors Note: This essay is about the comparisons between the characters and situations in the book My Brother Sam is Dead and what actually happened during the Revolutionary War. 

      Gun shots pierce the air, the smell of blood and decaying bodies filter the surrounding area. Many families mourn over their losses, and no one can shake the feeling of fear and regret. In the book My  Brother Sam is Dead by Christopher Collier, the author brings forth a new side to the Revolutionary War and what went on to the people who weren’t fighting. Many families stayed at home and tried to continue on with their normal lives, even though they didn’t know if their loved ones were still alive. This novel provides a good example of what families during the Revolutionary War went through and how they dealt with their situations.

      Although a lot of  families faced similar obstacles, some families dealt with them differently. There were some families that wanted their kid to fight for freedom, others who wanted to stay loyal to the king, and then there were some who just wanted to stay out of everything. In the book the oldest  brother, Sam, decides he wants to help fight for America, but when he tells his father, who wants to stay loyal to the king, an argument quickly forms. These kinds of arguments were common between families during this time period since it could’ve meant a matter of life or death for their loved ones.

     While there were some big decisions that had to be made, there were also miner choices people during this time period had to face. Money issues affected a lot of families during the Revolutionary War since the cost of taxes had risen and a lot of money was being spent on war supplies. Lots of businesses had to make important decisions to be able to keep their business running smoothly and to avoid being in debt. In the book, the main character, Timmy, and his mother are put in charge of running their tavern. In the story Timmy admits that his family wasn’t doing too well with money by saying “Our money situation isn’t good since the cost of rum keeps getting higher.”(page 102)  Also, in the book Timmy and his family struggle over the decision to use up their last cow, since they are desperate for money. These characters, like original families during the Revolutionary War, had to make lots of costly decisions to stay out of debt.

    Even though debt was a major struggle for a lot of families, the loss of a loved one is truly the hardest obstacle to overcome. During the Revolutionary War over forty thousand people died, which means over forty thousand families had their world shattered. In My Brother Sam is Dead both Sam and his father didn’t survive the end of the war, and Timmy and his mother were devastated. They shut down their tavern and moved away because they couldn’t handle living in their house any longer. This was common with many families living in this time period. Emotionally they couldn’t handle staying in the same house. Also, after losing a husband or son, who made most of the living for the family, they couldn’t afford to stay in the same house. My Brother Sam is Dead does a good job of describing what families went through when getting over a loved one.

     Not only did this book describe what families during the American Revolution went through when getting over a loss, but it also included how families at home were affected both money wise and decision wise from the war. It provided a good understanding of what the families during that time period went through and how they dealt with their situations. It’s a hard topic to make the reader relate to, since it happened such a long time ago and the lifestyle was very different back then. However, the author of this book did a good job of including vivid descriptions of the gunshots, dead bodies, mourning families, and all the gruesome factors that were a part of this deadly war. 

A Wrinkle in Time--Research

 Authors Note:
This piece is a short response to research I found out about one of the "fighters" in the book A Wrinkle in Time and thought Isaac Newton resembled Albert Einstein and would make another good fighter.  

        Albert Einstein was a fighter for us because he is very smart and has contributed a lot to society. He came up with the formula that accurately described Brownian motion and the Special Theory of Relativity. He also invented the atomic bomb and opened up many doors to future inventions. Without his intelligence and useful inventions, our society might have turned out differently today. Einstein was probably a fighter because of his intelligence and for the many ways he has changed our lifestyle.

        Another person who has helped society and would make a good fighter is Isaac Newton. He was an English physicist and mathematician who is known for his many laws of science. He came up with the three gas laws, the law of gravity, and also helped prove theories that belonged to people who lived before him, correct. Newton, like Einstein, was very intelligent and has proved he would make a good fighter. 

Secrets

Authors Note: This is a story I wrote. I tried to correctly write in my dialogue for when the people in my story have conversations. 

     Everybody has secrets. Some secrets are small, and along the lines of who you have a crush on, or whose outfit you secretly hated. These secrets have little impact on our lives, and blow over within the next couple days. Then there are big secrets. These secrets have a much bigger impact on our lives. About a month ago, I came across a secret about my dad that definitely classifies as a big secret. He had been cheating on my mom. I never thought he would do something like that, but after throwing up at soccer practice I had walked home and witnessed my dad, and whoever the lady was, kiss goodbye. It wasn't your typical goodbye kiss though; it was held out too long and was very sloppy. My dad and I made eye contact but I was already half way across my yard before he could get the words "Sidney wait!" out of his mouth. I kept running and running until I reached a busy intersection and decided it was time to stop. My mind was racing with many different questions. What had just happened? Did I see what I thought I saw? Who was that lady? Does my dad love my mom? Does my dad love me? I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice my dad pull up in his car. "Get in, Sidney." he said. I stood there frozen, not knowing what to do, but finally, without answering, I opened the door and got in the car. The second I sat down, I could feel the awkward tension between us. My dad was the first to speak. "Look, about what you saw earlier...” Not wanting to have this conversation with him, I cut him off”I didn't see anything, Dad." 

"Sidney, I know what you saw...and I just want you to know that I love you and your mother and what you saw today was the ending to the biggest mistake I have ever made." He looked sincere enough, or was that just what I wanted to see?

"Who is she?" I asked.

“That doesn't matter, all that matters is that you keep this between us, okay? Your mother doesn't need to know." I didn't know what to say. I thought of my mother, she was nice and innocent and definitely had a right know. 

"Sidney you have to promise not to tell your mother okay? Today was the last time I am ever going to see that other woman I swear!" 

I was torn in half. On one side, I knew that everyone makes mistakes, and I didn't want to have to go through a divorce. On the other, I thought of my mom, she should know that her husband had been cheating on her, and maybe she would give him a chance to redeem himself. Finally, after a moment of silence, I replied "Okay I promise I won't tell, but you need to promise me to never see that girl again?" 

"Of course, or course, thank you Sidney, you're doing the right thing." 

His last sentence sent chills up my spine because I knew deep down that I wasn't doing the right thing. Weeks passed and everything seemed to go well, my parents were getting along wonderfully and I had been asked to play up for the older grades soccer team. Everything was almost perfect, except for the guilt. The guilt was like a monster that was inside of me, biting and thrashing, trying to get out. I also realized that I couldn't look my mom in the eyes anymore, for fear I would slip and say something. My life went on like this for what seemed like ages. Then finally one day, I got home early form soccer, and I saw THE woman again. My heart dropped. She was THE woman who my dad was "never going to see again." The tears came almost instantly, and as I retreated, this time without being seen, I ran until I hit the intersection again. Now instead of tears just falling, I was full out sobbing. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted my mom’s car. She pulled over and instantly was shaking me and yelling

"Sidney what's wrong? Sidney talk to me!" 

"Please don't hate me!" I yelled. 

"Sidney I don't hate you, what's wrong?" 

I could barely make out the words but I looked her in the eyes and told her the secret. "Dad has been cheating on you. I don't know how long it's been going on for, over a month for sure. I caught them together after soccer one day and I didn't know what I should do! Dad said not to tell you but I wanted to, I really did Mom! Please don't hate me!" As soon as I finished, it felt like a gazillion pounds had been lifted off my shoulders. I took a deep breath, and looked up at her. She just stared. Minutes passed. It seemed like a millennium had gone by before she broke the silence.

"Sidney get in the car we're going home."

"W-w-what?"

"Sidney get in the car. Now."

I stood up and made my way to the car. No one said anything on the ride home. When we pulled in the driveway, my mom goes “Sidney get out of the car."

"Mom where are you going?"

"Sidney get out of the car!" she was yelling now.

I leapt out of the car and stood in the driveway as she pulled away. She took off, going way above the speed limit. She made an unusual looking turn that lead her to our backyard. I was too in shock to realize what was happening, and even after she crashed into the shed and started her car on fire, it took me a second to react. I sprinted towards her, even though I knew she was already dead. I was screaming "Mom! Wake up, I'm sorry!" over and over again, I didn't even stop as the paramedics moved me out of the way. It was there as I watched them remove my mother's dead body, that I realized it was my fault she was dead. I shouldn't have told her. This secret, this big secret was too much for her to handle. Now, my life had changed forever and things would never be the same. 

A Clean, Well-lighted Place response to movie

After watching the movie that goes with the book A Clean, Well-lighted Place, I noticed the director changed a lot from the book, and added completely new qualities. For starters, the book has in it’s first paragraph that the old man in the story is sitting in the only shadow, in the well lighted café. In the movie the old man is in the middle of the café with no shadow near him. However, I noticed that the booth the man is sitting on is black, which could relate to the darkness of the shadow.

Another thing I noticed the director added to the movie that was not in the book was the music. In the first minute of the movie, this depressing, off sounding song comes on that sets the mood for loneliness and sadness. It helps foreshadow that something sad is going to happen. The same song also comes on later in the movie when the old man is forced to leave the café. The director put this in there to make the person watching feel the loneliness the old man is being put through. Actors aso played an important role in putting a picture in the watcher’s head. The author of the book couldn’t add in facial expressions into the book, so it’s interesting to see how the actors react to their lines and storyline.