Everyone has something they’re not proud of. Everyone feels like their biggest flaws should be kept hidden away, where they can fester and die. In ‘Blue Gold’ by Elizabeth Stewart and ‘Speak’ by Laurie Halse Anderson, the main characters go through some difficult experiences. In ‘Speak’ a teenage girl Melinda gets raped at a summer party and calls the cops on her friends. She cuts off all communication, all her connections in school, for fear of letting her secret out. In ‘Blue Gold’, the three girls Sylvie, Fiona, and Laiping are connected through coltan, a material used to make cell phones. Each of them has a scar, a mark from their lives that they try to keep hidden from their family and friends. The two authors use a variety of different craft moves, to convey to their readers the same message. That when one mistrusts another in a relationship, that relationship becomes strained and difficult to keep, thereby making it harder to get through life together.
A common craft move both authors utilize to its full potential is character development. This development is shown through physical or emotional symbols in the character’s past, which helps the reader understand the character’s actions. This becomes especially impactful for the audience’s understanding of how vital trust is in a relationship. Sylvie, from ‘Blue Gold’ and Melinda, from ‘Speak’ both have similar scars from a similar experience and go through the same aftermath of rape. The difference here is, Stewart describes Sylvie with a “long scar on her face - from above her right eyebrow, across the bridge of her nose to her left cheek.” This scar is out in the open, where everyone can see, where “there was no way to hide it.” Because of her scar, Sylvie tries to become invisible to her community, thus making her past invisible too. Anderson uses a different kind of scar in Melinda’s story. Instead of making her scar obvious, Anderson depicts Melinda with “thoughts, whispers in my mind,” as well as Melinda’s habit of biting her lip off. Throughout the book, Melinda becomes more silent and more hidden.These scars, these symbols are significant because despite how different their scars and surroundings are, both girls are affected in the same way. Some may argue that their scars are insignificant, and only a part of their past, but through the use of physical and emotional symbols, Stewart and Anderson make the characters more understandable and relatable, thus creating a strong connection between reader and character.
It is clear that both books are powerful and grip the reader’s attention, but while ‘Blue Gold’ uses a raw, journalistic tone, ‘Speak’ uses a descriptive, fragmented style of writing to convey the same message. In the scenes that most impact the reader, Stewart uses dialogue and some inner thinking to illustrate the character’s motivations. As an example, in the end of Laiping’s story, when she loses Kai, the reader has to infer from the text what she’s feeling, and how fast the story is moving. In lines like “Laiping dug her fingernails into her palms, willing [the bus] to go faster,” Stewart uses the phrase ‘dug her fingernails into her palms’ to illustrate Laiping’s anxiety towards getting her freedom, or in this scene, reaching Kai. “Kai turned his face, bloodied and cowed to the window. He saw her, too, and his eyes filled with hatred.” At this point in the scene, the readers are just as confused as Laiping is, and words like ‘hatred’ and ‘bloodied’ ramp up the intensity. When Laiping realizes “He blames me for this! He thinks I gave him away!” she, and the audience are held in a moment of clarity. All at once, Laiping realizes where she went wrong. The main point here is Stewart didn’t use more vivid sentences to paint the picture. She wrote the story as it was, and let the reader connect and empathize with Laiping to finally understand the real story.
In ‘Speak’, Anderson uses a vastly different style to convey the same message, as mentioned before. As in one scene, Anderson draws the reader into Melinda’s shoes by writing about something her teenage audience can relate to easily. “Homework is not an option. My bed is sending out serious nap rays. I can't help myself. The fluffy pillows and warm comforter are more powerful than I am. I have no choice but to snuggle under the covers.” Not only does Anderson makes Melinda relatable, but she also changes the way the reader might think about an aspect of life, in this case, a bed. Anderson puts what some teenagers feel into the right words, and this helps the audience follow Melinda’s thinking, even though they may not have gone through the same experiences.
A more vivid and critical example of this is in Melinda’s everyday thoughts. A particularly powerful one would be “When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time. You'd be shocked at how many adults are really dead inside - walking through their days with no idea who they are, just waiting for a heart attack or cancer or a Mack truck to come along and finish the job. It's the saddest thing I know.” By using a first person narrative here, Anderson further pulls the reader in by using the word ‘you’. It feels like Melinda is talking to the reader, instead of the reader reading Melinda’s thoughts. Throughout the story, Anderson keeps the audience nodding their heads at the text. She grips the subconscious part of their minds and brings what seems like unknown thoughts to their attention. Some argue that Anderson’s style of writing makes the story depressing or alienates the main character, but what they may not realize is how much it affects the real audience, the people who have gone through a scarring experience just like Melinda. While Anderson’s use of craft is different from that of Stewart’s, both authors have the same goal - to help the reader understand the true meaning of the story.
As both books progress, the message of the story becomes more and more apparent to the reader. Fiona and Melinda are both living in the same world, with a similar kind of community. Both of them have been impacted by that one party, which changes everything for them. They each deal with the aftermath in different ways, but eventually pull through. After Melinda gets raped at the party, all of her friends shun her, and she never tried to get them back. Slowly, near the end of the book, Anderson hints at how Melinda might be able to pull through, using the bathroom wall as a step towards Melinda’s return to society. Another factor of Melinda’s life that Anderson points out is her friendship with David Petrakis. Some believe Petrakis is there as a proof for Melinda that not everyone in her school is terrible. While this may be true, it is also seen that really all Melinda needed was for one person to understand her, for her to recognize another person knows her silence. “He says a million things without saying a word. I make a note to study David Petrakis. I have never heard a more eloquent silence.” Anderson uses the word eloquent in this sentence to illustrate how Melinda feels like he has every good quality that she doesn’t have, but could. Taken as a whole, Anderson uses Petrakis to give Melinda something to work for, something that in the end, may drive her to speak the truth. Fiona, on the other hand, has her secret known by everyone in her school and community, which should have made it harder for her. But one thing Stewart hints at is her ever powerful friendship with Lacey and Rick. Even though many of her friends desert her, she eventually realizes that it’s her who can fight back. And on the first day of school, when her friends stay with her and protect her, it’s only then that Fiona realizes how important they always were. It is also in the end that she realizes she should have trusted Ryan more, instead of firmly believing only what she thought was right.
All the main characters in these two books go through a powerful, life-changing experience, and while they lose hope at first, they work around the problem and find a way through. Sylvie, Laiping, Fiona, and Melinda are all examples of how a person can live with a scar, no matter how bad it is. Each of them deals with their losses in a different way, but a key role in their lives that helps them through is trust. Trusting their peers, trusting their family, it helps them create a new skin to pull on and walk around in. But their stories also warn the audience of the people not to trust and not to forgive so easily. The main message a reader can take away from both books is even when you feel left out, pushed away, or hidden by society, trusting your instincts, the people closest to you, and remaining open to other people are the key ways to getting back on your feet. Now the question to ask yourself as a reader is, is society really the place that puts the worst into a person’s life, or is it how that person reacts to an obstacle in their way?
Showing posts with label Blue Gold. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Blue Gold. Show all posts
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Hope for the Best, Expect for the Worse
All around the world, sometimes hope may be the only encouragement and comfort to a teen during stressful times. Teenagers often keep their worries and problems to themselves, concealing them from others. When feeling disconsolate and isolated, the only idea that lifts their spirits is the hope that in time, they will heal. In the book, ‘Blue Gold,’ by Elizabeth Stewart, three teenage girls live completely different lives, in three different continents, but all encounter an issue with hope, and strive towards their goal. In the poem, ‘To Hope,’ by John Keats, the speaker talks about in a time of bad fate, feeling lonely and with no one to comfort him, hope helps him cope through this time of loss. In both ‘Blue Gold,’ and ‘To Hope,’ we learn that in harsh times, hope shelters you from despondency and motivates you to endeavour forward.
A common theme in both texts is that hope can lift your confidence. In the book ‘Blue Gold’, when Sylvie’s family is at risk living in the unsafe refugee camp, the only hope that inspires her is that “Someday they will be gone from there. Someday they will be free in Canada.” Sylvie is sensitive and nervous to share her story with millions of people globally, since she thought “Now people everywhere could see the ugliness of [my] scar.” Even though Sylvie is scared and ashamed of sharing her story, Sylvie’s hope that someday she and her family will live in Canada motivates her to become confident, and tell the world about her life, in hope she will raise enough money to travel to Canada. Similarly, in the poem ‘To Hope,’ the speaker describes of his fears, “Let me not see the patriot’s high bequest.” The speaker is in deep despair and fears of the loss of freedom in his country. However, the speaker is given hope that the liberty of his country will not fade and the hope motivates him to believe that he can save liberty and, “stoop from heaven on wings.” Hope triggers the speaker to believe that he has the confidence to fight for his freedom giving the idea that he can ‘fly from heaven.’ In both the texts ‘Blue Gold’ and ‘To Hope,’ the characters both felt fretful, Sylvie was scared of sharing her story and the speaker was scared of losing his freedom. But hope brought the characters to have courage and determination, Sylvie had the courage to expose her scar and the speaker had the courage to fight for liberty. This makes me think that both texts shows that when you feel worried and concerned, hope boosts confidence and assurance.
In both texts the writers use symbolism to show hope. In ‘Blue Gold’, the “white blouse and blue skirt of [Sylvie’s] school uniform” symbolises the hope that education brings, the hope that one day Sylvie will become a doctor. In the book, Sylvie describes putting on her school uniform, “as she did every weekday,” and shares the reason why “She had always been a good student and eager to learn,” is because she believes that education is her only hope in making something of herself and achieving her “dream of becoming a doctor.” The first step for achieving Sylvie’s dream is to put on her white and blue school uniform every weekday and become ambitious to new learning. Stewart uses symbolism to show the characters motivation and supports the theme. Likewise, in the poem, Keats uses the symbolism of sonnets to show hope in love, the hope that the speaker will achieve love after heartbreak. The speaker describes after being brokenhearted “From cruel parents, or relentless fair” the only hope left in winning his admirer’s love would be “To sigh out sonnets to the midnight air!” Similarly to Stewart, Keats uses the symbolism of the speaker’s poems to show that the sonnet is the speaker’s only hope and the character’s motivation of love.
Another character in the book Blue Gold, Laiping, supports the theme that hope helps you to withstand arduous times. Even though “Laiping’s first month's wages had still not been paid,” she desperately needed her salary to pay for her father’s hospital fee, after having surgery from another heart attack. She continued to endure the harsh working conditions, “Her headache was worse and her shoulders were so stiff that she could no longer feel them,” in hope that the harder she works the company will pay her money back. Laiping’s hope that the company will give her money back motivates her to cope with the severe factory conditions. Furthermore, in the poem ‘To Hope’, the speaker talks about being in time of loss and mourning for “The fate of those I hold most dear.” Yet even though the speaker feels melancholy and dismal, hope lifts his spirits: “Let me awhile thy sweetest comforts borrow.” As described, hope comforts the speaker in times of sorrow. In both texts, ‘Blue Gold’ and ‘To Hope’, hope helped both character to endure tough times. This shows that in bitter circumstances hope allows you to undergo these times.
Even though both texts show the same message that hope motivates you to withstand arduous times, this theme occurs differently in the two texts. In Blue Gold, the character Laiping is motivated to endure the harsh factory working conditions. She feels in despair that she cannot work in the factory much longer due to the side effects of the factory work. The hope that she will make enough money to support her parents drives her to continue to work in the factory despite the conditions. However in ‘To Hope,’ the speaker is not going through a time of physical hardship with the lives of others motivating him, but is in a time of mental hardship. After losing a loved one, the speaker is in a state of deep sorrow and depression. The hope that in time he will heal lifts the speakers spirits and helps him in a time of discouragement. As opposed to motivating the character with the hope that others will benefit, in ‘To Hope’ the character is comforted by the hope that life will get better for himself. The difference in the two texts show that hope can help you withstand times of mental difficulty or physical difficulty.
Both writers weaved symbols in their writing to connect to a theme that empowers throughout both texts, hope. Connecting to real life situations in both of the texts, the writers prove throughout the texts the moral of the story. While some may argue that hope is just fake optimism, however Stewart and Keats both show that hope raises your confidence and motivates you through thick and thin. Providing with symbolism and characters motivation, Stewart and Keats help show us and guide us with to message that when we are feeling like the weight of the world is resting on our shoulders, we have to not give up and a little hope can go a long way. We need to keep on trying as we will never know what we can achieve.
A common theme in both texts is that hope can lift your confidence. In the book ‘Blue Gold’, when Sylvie’s family is at risk living in the unsafe refugee camp, the only hope that inspires her is that “Someday they will be gone from there. Someday they will be free in Canada.” Sylvie is sensitive and nervous to share her story with millions of people globally, since she thought “Now people everywhere could see the ugliness of [my] scar.” Even though Sylvie is scared and ashamed of sharing her story, Sylvie’s hope that someday she and her family will live in Canada motivates her to become confident, and tell the world about her life, in hope she will raise enough money to travel to Canada. Similarly, in the poem ‘To Hope,’ the speaker describes of his fears, “Let me not see the patriot’s high bequest.” The speaker is in deep despair and fears of the loss of freedom in his country. However, the speaker is given hope that the liberty of his country will not fade and the hope motivates him to believe that he can save liberty and, “stoop from heaven on wings.” Hope triggers the speaker to believe that he has the confidence to fight for his freedom giving the idea that he can ‘fly from heaven.’ In both the texts ‘Blue Gold’ and ‘To Hope,’ the characters both felt fretful, Sylvie was scared of sharing her story and the speaker was scared of losing his freedom. But hope brought the characters to have courage and determination, Sylvie had the courage to expose her scar and the speaker had the courage to fight for liberty. This makes me think that both texts shows that when you feel worried and concerned, hope boosts confidence and assurance.
In both texts the writers use symbolism to show hope. In ‘Blue Gold’, the “white blouse and blue skirt of [Sylvie’s] school uniform” symbolises the hope that education brings, the hope that one day Sylvie will become a doctor. In the book, Sylvie describes putting on her school uniform, “as she did every weekday,” and shares the reason why “She had always been a good student and eager to learn,” is because she believes that education is her only hope in making something of herself and achieving her “dream of becoming a doctor.” The first step for achieving Sylvie’s dream is to put on her white and blue school uniform every weekday and become ambitious to new learning. Stewart uses symbolism to show the characters motivation and supports the theme. Likewise, in the poem, Keats uses the symbolism of sonnets to show hope in love, the hope that the speaker will achieve love after heartbreak. The speaker describes after being brokenhearted “From cruel parents, or relentless fair” the only hope left in winning his admirer’s love would be “To sigh out sonnets to the midnight air!” Similarly to Stewart, Keats uses the symbolism of the speaker’s poems to show that the sonnet is the speaker’s only hope and the character’s motivation of love.
Another character in the book Blue Gold, Laiping, supports the theme that hope helps you to withstand arduous times. Even though “Laiping’s first month's wages had still not been paid,” she desperately needed her salary to pay for her father’s hospital fee, after having surgery from another heart attack. She continued to endure the harsh working conditions, “Her headache was worse and her shoulders were so stiff that she could no longer feel them,” in hope that the harder she works the company will pay her money back. Laiping’s hope that the company will give her money back motivates her to cope with the severe factory conditions. Furthermore, in the poem ‘To Hope’, the speaker talks about being in time of loss and mourning for “The fate of those I hold most dear.” Yet even though the speaker feels melancholy and dismal, hope lifts his spirits: “Let me awhile thy sweetest comforts borrow.” As described, hope comforts the speaker in times of sorrow. In both texts, ‘Blue Gold’ and ‘To Hope’, hope helped both character to endure tough times. This shows that in bitter circumstances hope allows you to undergo these times.
Even though both texts show the same message that hope motivates you to withstand arduous times, this theme occurs differently in the two texts. In Blue Gold, the character Laiping is motivated to endure the harsh factory working conditions. She feels in despair that she cannot work in the factory much longer due to the side effects of the factory work. The hope that she will make enough money to support her parents drives her to continue to work in the factory despite the conditions. However in ‘To Hope,’ the speaker is not going through a time of physical hardship with the lives of others motivating him, but is in a time of mental hardship. After losing a loved one, the speaker is in a state of deep sorrow and depression. The hope that in time he will heal lifts the speakers spirits and helps him in a time of discouragement. As opposed to motivating the character with the hope that others will benefit, in ‘To Hope’ the character is comforted by the hope that life will get better for himself. The difference in the two texts show that hope can help you withstand times of mental difficulty or physical difficulty.
Both writers weaved symbols in their writing to connect to a theme that empowers throughout both texts, hope. Connecting to real life situations in both of the texts, the writers prove throughout the texts the moral of the story. While some may argue that hope is just fake optimism, however Stewart and Keats both show that hope raises your confidence and motivates you through thick and thin. Providing with symbolism and characters motivation, Stewart and Keats help show us and guide us with to message that when we are feeling like the weight of the world is resting on our shoulders, we have to not give up and a little hope can go a long way. We need to keep on trying as we will never know what we can achieve.
Personal Appearance And Personal Identity
Adolescence is a time at which people from all places and cultures struggle to form their own identity. No longer children, but not yet adults, they must forge their sense of self and come to terms with the image they project to others. For young girls in particular, self identity and image is often closely associated with physical appearance. “Blue Gold” and “ Does My Head Look Big In This?” are both coming of age stories in which young girls from different places and cultures struggle to form their own identities, and in each of the stories physical appearance and clothing play an important part in the girls’ journeys towards self affirmation.
“Blue Gold” is a three part story which confronts the issues surrounding the technology industry through the stories of three girls from very different cultures in living in very different circumstances in different places around the world. Each girl must try to find her sense of self and make a place for herself in society. “Does My Head Look Big In This?” is the story of an Australian-Palestinian-Muslim girl and her journey towards self discovery. She must reconcile her Palestinian Muslim heritage within her place in secular Australian culture. A shared theme between these two books is that physical appearance and dress are central to self identity and image.
In “Blue Gold” Elizabeth Stewart uses Laiping’s uniform to show her loss of self identity and freedom. Laiping is a Chinese factory worker, the factory uniform, identical to thousands of others, demonstrates Laiping’s insignificance in the eyes of the company that controls her. Her uniform strips her of her personal identity and transforms her into “just a factory girl, like a hundred thousand others.” Laiping loses all sense of self and self empowerment. The idea, of clothing having the power to take away identity as well as display it, is also prevalent in ‘Does My Head Look Big In This?’ Once Amal starts to wear the hijab, people perceive her differently; “Too many people look at it as though it (the hijab) has bizarre powers sewn into its microfibers. Powers that transform Muslim girls into UCOs (Unidentified Covered Objects), which turn Muslim girls from an 'us' to a 'them.” When Amal dons the hijab people view her not as herself but as a Muslim, they ignore her character and focus her religion alone. To Amal this is not the way the hijab should be viewed. To her it is a symbol of her religion of which she is justly proud, it is not meant to strip her of identity but help project it. Throughout the story, Amal meets many people who are weary of Islam and who see the hijab as the single most important thing about her. However fortunately Amal also meets people who understand that the hijab is simply a symbol of her religion, an important part of her identity but not her sole defining characteristic.
In “Blue Gold” the story of Sylvie, a Congolese girl who is trapped in a refugee camp in Tanzania, is closely linked to her personal appearance and dress.The main focus of her story is her impending forced marriage to a ruthless warlord named Kayembe. Kayembe wants to marry her because she is pretty, he has no interest in her character or values. He views her as an attractive chatel. On the day of her wedding she is forced to wear a dress chosen by Kayembe.The dress is described as being too long and having “wires in it to shape a woman’s bosom.” Clearly Sylvie is being forced into womanhood too early, she is entirely under Kayembe’s control, her identity and self empowerment are being stripped away and the wedding dress is a powerful symbol of this . Conversely while many people in Amal’s story assume that the hijab is a symbol of oppression and that she was forced into wearing it, when this is definitely not the case. The hijab is an integral part of Amal’s self identity and image. Amal chooses to wear the hijab without any pressure from her parents. She does so because she is proud to be a muslim woman, to her the hijab demonstrates her identity and self empowerment.
In “ Blue Gold” Fiona’s story is one which concerns body image as part of a young girl’s self perception and identity, which can be connected to one of Amal’s friends, Simone. Fiona’s world comes crashing down around her as a topless photo that she foolishly sent to her boyfriend is released onto the internet. She is bombarded by unwanted comments from her peers, as well as people she has never met. She loses confidence in herself and her body. The lack of clothing in the photo is not only a plot point, it is a symbol for her vulnerability. In “Does My Head Look Big In This?”, Amal’s best friend Simone also struggles with body image. Poisonous barbs from her mother and judgmental comments directed at her by other students lead Simone to loathe her own body. She tries desperately to lose weight and to achieve a perfect and unattainable figure. It takes the kindness and love of her friends to convince Simone that she is beautiful no matter what she weighs, just as it takes the love and understanding of her mother, teachers and friends to help Fiona regain her confidence and self identity.
Physical appearance and dress contribute to the way we see ourselves and others. The authors of both books understand this and harness the concept in the development of their characters and storylines.“Does My Head Look Big In This?” takes a very overt position with the clothing being a central theme of the book whilst “Blue Gold” weaves the symbolism of clothing (and even the absence of clothing) into the underlying stories.”Does My Head Look Big In This?” forces the reader to confront the issue of clothing and question whether clothes make a person or whether they are merely another layer of the character's identity. In Blue Gold, however, the theme of physical appearance and dress was largely understated however when focussed upon was both powerful, intended and well considered.
“Blue Gold” is a three part story which confronts the issues surrounding the technology industry through the stories of three girls from very different cultures in living in very different circumstances in different places around the world. Each girl must try to find her sense of self and make a place for herself in society. “Does My Head Look Big In This?” is the story of an Australian-Palestinian-Muslim girl and her journey towards self discovery. She must reconcile her Palestinian Muslim heritage within her place in secular Australian culture. A shared theme between these two books is that physical appearance and dress are central to self identity and image.
In “Blue Gold” Elizabeth Stewart uses Laiping’s uniform to show her loss of self identity and freedom. Laiping is a Chinese factory worker, the factory uniform, identical to thousands of others, demonstrates Laiping’s insignificance in the eyes of the company that controls her. Her uniform strips her of her personal identity and transforms her into “just a factory girl, like a hundred thousand others.” Laiping loses all sense of self and self empowerment. The idea, of clothing having the power to take away identity as well as display it, is also prevalent in ‘Does My Head Look Big In This?’ Once Amal starts to wear the hijab, people perceive her differently; “Too many people look at it as though it (the hijab) has bizarre powers sewn into its microfibers. Powers that transform Muslim girls into UCOs (Unidentified Covered Objects), which turn Muslim girls from an 'us' to a 'them.” When Amal dons the hijab people view her not as herself but as a Muslim, they ignore her character and focus her religion alone. To Amal this is not the way the hijab should be viewed. To her it is a symbol of her religion of which she is justly proud, it is not meant to strip her of identity but help project it. Throughout the story, Amal meets many people who are weary of Islam and who see the hijab as the single most important thing about her. However fortunately Amal also meets people who understand that the hijab is simply a symbol of her religion, an important part of her identity but not her sole defining characteristic.
In “Blue Gold” the story of Sylvie, a Congolese girl who is trapped in a refugee camp in Tanzania, is closely linked to her personal appearance and dress.The main focus of her story is her impending forced marriage to a ruthless warlord named Kayembe. Kayembe wants to marry her because she is pretty, he has no interest in her character or values. He views her as an attractive chatel. On the day of her wedding she is forced to wear a dress chosen by Kayembe.The dress is described as being too long and having “wires in it to shape a woman’s bosom.” Clearly Sylvie is being forced into womanhood too early, she is entirely under Kayembe’s control, her identity and self empowerment are being stripped away and the wedding dress is a powerful symbol of this . Conversely while many people in Amal’s story assume that the hijab is a symbol of oppression and that she was forced into wearing it, when this is definitely not the case. The hijab is an integral part of Amal’s self identity and image. Amal chooses to wear the hijab without any pressure from her parents. She does so because she is proud to be a muslim woman, to her the hijab demonstrates her identity and self empowerment.
In “ Blue Gold” Fiona’s story is one which concerns body image as part of a young girl’s self perception and identity, which can be connected to one of Amal’s friends, Simone. Fiona’s world comes crashing down around her as a topless photo that she foolishly sent to her boyfriend is released onto the internet. She is bombarded by unwanted comments from her peers, as well as people she has never met. She loses confidence in herself and her body. The lack of clothing in the photo is not only a plot point, it is a symbol for her vulnerability. In “Does My Head Look Big In This?”, Amal’s best friend Simone also struggles with body image. Poisonous barbs from her mother and judgmental comments directed at her by other students lead Simone to loathe her own body. She tries desperately to lose weight and to achieve a perfect and unattainable figure. It takes the kindness and love of her friends to convince Simone that she is beautiful no matter what she weighs, just as it takes the love and understanding of her mother, teachers and friends to help Fiona regain her confidence and self identity.
Physical appearance and dress contribute to the way we see ourselves and others. The authors of both books understand this and harness the concept in the development of their characters and storylines.“Does My Head Look Big In This?” takes a very overt position with the clothing being a central theme of the book whilst “Blue Gold” weaves the symbolism of clothing (and even the absence of clothing) into the underlying stories.”Does My Head Look Big In This?” forces the reader to confront the issue of clothing and question whether clothes make a person or whether they are merely another layer of the character's identity. In Blue Gold, however, the theme of physical appearance and dress was largely understated however when focussed upon was both powerful, intended and well considered.
Dealing With Stress - Advice From Blue Gold and The Help
In today’s world, people are faced with high amounts of stress and frequently feel burdened. From parents to children, young to old, individuals are often worried and feel pressure in day to day activities. Sometimes, this anger can be controlled, however at times it all becomes too much. The books “The Help” by Kathryn Stockett and “Blue Gold” by Elizabeth Stewart both portray characters that are heavily burdened and are the subject of a lot of bottled up stress and anger. In “Blue Gold”, Sylvie lives in fear of the conflict around her, and at the same time tries to support her family. Similarly, in “The Help”, Minny has to support her family, manage a job, and try to resolve conflict between her employer and an enemy. These authors provide variations of a similar idea, that expressing our feelings with others close to us to ensures people do not reach a tipping point where this stress turns into misdirected anger.
When describing Sylvie’s mother in “Blue Gold”, Elizabeth Stewart shows that unnecessary anger is the result of not sharing feelings with family. To give context, the mother lives with high amounts of stress, due to the loss of her husband. She finds herself trying to manage her household, with 4 children, and lives in fear of a war happening nearby. Stewart describes her hair as “sprung in clumps all over her head, as chaotic as the brain inside.” The conclusion can be drawn that the mother is trying to cope with the pressures of her life. The constant worries have translated into chaos in her head, which is not beneficial to her wellbeing. This large amount of anxiety translates into her being “only half with the children”, as Sylvie describes her.
Consequently, this high amount of stress then transforms into misdirected anger with family. This was evident when Sylvie suggests that they move to Canada, which has been a hope of hers for years. After innocently asking her mother, the mother cried out in response saying, “Who will help me with the children, unh?” She also “[struck] Sylvie hard across the cheek.” Some people may interpret this to be a result of Sylvie’s unique suggestion to move to Canada. On the contrary, it clearly seems that the mother is trying to cope, Stewart describing her as “Tears of ... helplessness rolled down her cheeks,” just before the slap. These pieces of evidence are significant because they illustrate the misdirected anger caused by the mother’s struggle to cope with her problems. The mother is helpless, and without knowing it, becomes overly irate. Having raised Sylvie from birth, the mother obviously has high amounts of love for her children. However, these high amounts of stress resulted in unintentional anger towards Sylvie.
Later on, Stewart shows the reader how it is essential to share our feelings and emotions with others, to prevent this anger. On a day after dinner with her family, the mother suddenly starts to cry, her “Thin shoulders heaving deep waves of pain … all of the pain of the last five years.” This crying then leads to a hug between the family members. Stewart describes the mother, “stiffen, then gradually relax.” Sylvie also thinks, “Talking about it makes it better.” These pieces of description show that when talking with her family, the mother is able to lean on others for support, and become the person that she usually is. The misdirected anger can be detrimental to relationships between family members and does not lift a burden from the mother. By expressing her feelings with others, Sylvie’s mother has lower amounts of stress and less anger when trying to cope with the stresses of her life.
A similar variation of the idea is evident in the “Help”, by Kathryn Stockett. Similar to Blue Gold, Stockett describes a heavily burdened character. However, Stockett deepens the understanding of the theme by describing a tipping point, a point when the anger becomes too much. Minny, a character in the “Help”, has many stressors in her life. She is a full time nanny, and the mother of 3 children. The frequent occurrence of problems is illustrated when Minny’s problems are described as, “Kindra and her mouth, Benny and his asthma, my husband Leroy coming home drunk 2 times a week.” Minny also thinks to herself, “When am I going to clean my own house? Wash my own kids’ clothes?” These snippets from “The Help” demonstrate that Minny has a lot to deal with in her life. These large strains on Minny may result in lack of mindfulness and attention to detail, which then can lead to a chain of more problems.
At first, Minny tries to cope with the demanding strains of her life by herself and with the help of God. Stewart describes her as “praying to the Lord and the devil” to try and cope with her pain. Like all of us, Minny tries to manage on her own.
Later on in the book, however, Minny is fired from her job, resulting in large amounts of anxiety for Minny. Unlike Sylvie’s mother, Minny is aware of how it is all too much for her to handle. She comments to her children, “Mama need to be with somebody not pulling on her for five minutes.” Instead of trying to deal with it herself, Minny realises that she has become overly stressed, reached this tipping point, and she needs someone to talk to. When going over to Aibileen, her friend’s house, Minny shares her feelings about losing her job. Aibileen comforts her, calmly telling her, “I’m sorry, honey … So what if she takes a nip or two to get through the day? Go talk to her Monday.” These words from a friend can comfort Minny, and make her realise that everything will be fine in the end. The gesture of Aibileen helping her shines light on a different perspective to her problem, one that she may have not considered before. This evokes calm, as opposed to the anger that comes from not sharing feelings. Minny talking to Aibileen shows that family does not have to be the only people we talk to. This contrasts to Blue Gold, where Sylvie’s mother talks with her family.
When describing Minny, Stockett illustrates to the reader when this tipping point is, and how it is essential for someone to relieve their stress before this crucial moment. In Blue Gold, the idea can be applied - Sylvie’s mother passed this critical moment, and this resulted in anger. She had so much chaos in her head, and stress on her shoulders, that she had to express her feelings. Although there is a difference in the way the characters act - the message is still the same. Throughout both of the books, the authors demonstrate that we need to share our feelings with family members to relieve our burden and stop this unnecessary anger.
This same idea can be applied in the daily lives of people in the 21st century. As the world continues to become very fast paced, we realise that we become increasingly stressed. We have to be aware of this tipping point for ourselves, and make sure that we do not pass it. What is critical to realise is that we all have different points where everything becomes too much. We must be aware of ourselves and our own limits, in turn maximising happiness and reducing anger.
On the contrary, some argue that expressing feelings with others creates greater dependability. Although we do sometimes become dependent on others, what critics fail to realise is that by talking about our feelings with others, we also strengthen a bond between people. Our friends and family feel entrusted with information that makes us vulnerable, and have a responsibility to help. This strong connection with people close to us outweighs the small amount of dependability that we may feel when talking to others.
Through these two award winning novels, sharing feelings is a proven way to cope with stress, however you may find other effective solutions. Remember that we are all unique people with unique needs, and maybe sharing feelings with others does not help as much. Other strategies may be writing down feelings and playing sports.
When describing Sylvie’s mother in “Blue Gold”, Elizabeth Stewart shows that unnecessary anger is the result of not sharing feelings with family. To give context, the mother lives with high amounts of stress, due to the loss of her husband. She finds herself trying to manage her household, with 4 children, and lives in fear of a war happening nearby. Stewart describes her hair as “sprung in clumps all over her head, as chaotic as the brain inside.” The conclusion can be drawn that the mother is trying to cope with the pressures of her life. The constant worries have translated into chaos in her head, which is not beneficial to her wellbeing. This large amount of anxiety translates into her being “only half with the children”, as Sylvie describes her.
Consequently, this high amount of stress then transforms into misdirected anger with family. This was evident when Sylvie suggests that they move to Canada, which has been a hope of hers for years. After innocently asking her mother, the mother cried out in response saying, “Who will help me with the children, unh?” She also “[struck] Sylvie hard across the cheek.” Some people may interpret this to be a result of Sylvie’s unique suggestion to move to Canada. On the contrary, it clearly seems that the mother is trying to cope, Stewart describing her as “Tears of ... helplessness rolled down her cheeks,” just before the slap. These pieces of evidence are significant because they illustrate the misdirected anger caused by the mother’s struggle to cope with her problems. The mother is helpless, and without knowing it, becomes overly irate. Having raised Sylvie from birth, the mother obviously has high amounts of love for her children. However, these high amounts of stress resulted in unintentional anger towards Sylvie.
Later on, Stewart shows the reader how it is essential to share our feelings and emotions with others, to prevent this anger. On a day after dinner with her family, the mother suddenly starts to cry, her “Thin shoulders heaving deep waves of pain … all of the pain of the last five years.” This crying then leads to a hug between the family members. Stewart describes the mother, “stiffen, then gradually relax.” Sylvie also thinks, “Talking about it makes it better.” These pieces of description show that when talking with her family, the mother is able to lean on others for support, and become the person that she usually is. The misdirected anger can be detrimental to relationships between family members and does not lift a burden from the mother. By expressing her feelings with others, Sylvie’s mother has lower amounts of stress and less anger when trying to cope with the stresses of her life.
A similar variation of the idea is evident in the “Help”, by Kathryn Stockett. Similar to Blue Gold, Stockett describes a heavily burdened character. However, Stockett deepens the understanding of the theme by describing a tipping point, a point when the anger becomes too much. Minny, a character in the “Help”, has many stressors in her life. She is a full time nanny, and the mother of 3 children. The frequent occurrence of problems is illustrated when Minny’s problems are described as, “Kindra and her mouth, Benny and his asthma, my husband Leroy coming home drunk 2 times a week.” Minny also thinks to herself, “When am I going to clean my own house? Wash my own kids’ clothes?” These snippets from “The Help” demonstrate that Minny has a lot to deal with in her life. These large strains on Minny may result in lack of mindfulness and attention to detail, which then can lead to a chain of more problems.
At first, Minny tries to cope with the demanding strains of her life by herself and with the help of God. Stewart describes her as “praying to the Lord and the devil” to try and cope with her pain. Like all of us, Minny tries to manage on her own.
Later on in the book, however, Minny is fired from her job, resulting in large amounts of anxiety for Minny. Unlike Sylvie’s mother, Minny is aware of how it is all too much for her to handle. She comments to her children, “Mama need to be with somebody not pulling on her for five minutes.” Instead of trying to deal with it herself, Minny realises that she has become overly stressed, reached this tipping point, and she needs someone to talk to. When going over to Aibileen, her friend’s house, Minny shares her feelings about losing her job. Aibileen comforts her, calmly telling her, “I’m sorry, honey … So what if she takes a nip or two to get through the day? Go talk to her Monday.” These words from a friend can comfort Minny, and make her realise that everything will be fine in the end. The gesture of Aibileen helping her shines light on a different perspective to her problem, one that she may have not considered before. This evokes calm, as opposed to the anger that comes from not sharing feelings. Minny talking to Aibileen shows that family does not have to be the only people we talk to. This contrasts to Blue Gold, where Sylvie’s mother talks with her family.
When describing Minny, Stockett illustrates to the reader when this tipping point is, and how it is essential for someone to relieve their stress before this crucial moment. In Blue Gold, the idea can be applied - Sylvie’s mother passed this critical moment, and this resulted in anger. She had so much chaos in her head, and stress on her shoulders, that she had to express her feelings. Although there is a difference in the way the characters act - the message is still the same. Throughout both of the books, the authors demonstrate that we need to share our feelings with family members to relieve our burden and stop this unnecessary anger.
This same idea can be applied in the daily lives of people in the 21st century. As the world continues to become very fast paced, we realise that we become increasingly stressed. We have to be aware of this tipping point for ourselves, and make sure that we do not pass it. What is critical to realise is that we all have different points where everything becomes too much. We must be aware of ourselves and our own limits, in turn maximising happiness and reducing anger.
On the contrary, some argue that expressing feelings with others creates greater dependability. Although we do sometimes become dependent on others, what critics fail to realise is that by talking about our feelings with others, we also strengthen a bond between people. Our friends and family feel entrusted with information that makes us vulnerable, and have a responsibility to help. This strong connection with people close to us outweighs the small amount of dependability that we may feel when talking to others.
Through these two award winning novels, sharing feelings is a proven way to cope with stress, however you may find other effective solutions. Remember that we are all unique people with unique needs, and maybe sharing feelings with others does not help as much. Other strategies may be writing down feelings and playing sports.
The Importance Of Acceptance
Both Elizabeth Stewart’s ‘Blue Gold’ and Gordon Korman’s ‘Ungifted’ feature a similar concept of trying to fit in as in both books, the main characters are constantly trying to integrate themselves within groups and wanting to be accepted. For instance, in “Blue Gold,” each of the girls want to be part of something bigger, such as Lai Ping, who attempts to distinguish herself from other village workers. Similarly, in “Ungifted,” both Donovan and the academy children attempt to immerse themselves into their respective groups. This evokes the idea of how acceptance is important and the lengths people can go to in order to be accepted.
At the beginning of the book, Lai Ping is shown to be a girl who came from a village seeking a job at a factory to earn money for her ill father. After arriving at the factory, Lai Ping is introduced to Kai, who informs her about the things she needed to know about the factory. Although slightly suspicious, Lai Ping attempted to strike a conversation with Kai before he was chased away by the guards. After the incident, Lai Ping is called a “Stupid hick,” by an older girl, which she realises that standing out was dangerous. Subsequently, Lai Ping became more cautious as she tried to stay in line despite her monotonous work. Some might argue that this was a result of Lai ping being scared of losing her job, but evidence suggests that she became much less daring following the events of Kai’s first appearance. Following this, in Ungifted, Donovan is cautious when interacting with the students of Hardcastle as he fears them denoting him as an outcast.
Further into the book, after being discriminated by her schoolmates, Fiona is seen to be constantly trying to move past her photo incident and restore her former image. Some might argue that this was an attempt of desperation as she became more aggressive towards those who were concerned for her. But evidence points towards her wanting to be accepted again, which is seen further in the book, where Fiona uses people with similar stories such as Lai Ping and Sylvie to get her peers to move past the situation with sympathy. Similarly, Donovan wants his peers to understand that he is gifted in regions other than academically, in an attempt to distract them, he uses different techniques to make them forget about him being different.
Fitting into groups is important for people as being shunned as an outcast for being known as different can really have an impact on people, making them feel isolated and unwanted. Blue Gold and Ungifted address these problems and depict how certain people react to these situations, as well as show how their ideas develop and change throughout.
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