Percy Versus

Percy Versus

By: Elias Dorsey

            Authors Note: This writing piece is about how the book The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan, displays how it falls into the category of conflict resolution.

             Well, Percy Jackson was just an average teenager. Until one day his life was turned upside down by a teacher who wanted him dead, a Greek god who blamed him of stealing his most prized possession. All in one day. This book has a ton of different conflict, from person vs. person to person vs. society. This makes me wonder. What would you do if you were accused of being a thief by a god?

            If some were ever in that situation what would you think they would do? Probably avoid it for as long as possible. Not Percy though, even though he knows he wouldn’t dare commit such a heinous crime such as stealing from Zeus. That’s one conflict and its person vs. person. Percy knows that he didn’t steal it but Zeus insists that he did. This happened because the big three gods (Zeus, Poseidon, Hades) had sworn not to have kids with mortals more than 1000 years before. So when they found out Poseidon had a kid with a mortal 14 years ago, they knew he had broken the rule. So who better to blame the child who shouldn’t have been born?

            This is also the main conflict. There are several events that led up to this such as, the Greek camp has an oracle, and the oracle gives you a poem about what will happen in the future. She gave a prophecy that a young son of Poseidon would come to their camp. The thought it would never happen. Then it did. This resulted in the camp leader explaining to Percy that he was being blamed for stealing the master bolt.

            Little did they know, Hermes cabin leader (Luke) was working with an opposing force of the gods, the titans, and stole the master bolt then framed Percy for it. In the end, the conflict was resolved by Percy finding and returning the master bolt to Zeus and explaining that it wasn’t him. Zeus then offers Percy a position on Mt. Olympus. As a god.

            So just as a recap, Percy was born and his dad is Poseidon. That’s the first step. Percy comes to a camp where he is given a prophecy that he needs to go steal back the master bolt (which is thought to be held by Hades) and bring it to Zeus. So he did, and all the previous conflicts were resolved thus stopping a war between the gods. One questions remains. What would you do?

Drunken Fury

Drunken FURY

By: Elias Dorsey

Narrator: It was a cold winter’s night at the Boller household. When Jenna was still young and her family wasn’t broken apart. She had gone with her father to the liquor store where he always seemed to glow and act positive. Jenna knew that was going to change when they got home. Her father is an alcoholic, and when he starts drinking, he doesn’t stop until he’s passed out.

Jenna: Why are we at this store daddy?

Jim:  We’re buying my drinks Jenna girl.

Jenna: What kind of drinks?

Jim: Please don’t ask any more questions Jenna.

Jenna: Ooookay.

*In the car on their way home*

*Jim pulls out a bottle of whiskey, opens the cap, and takes a couple swigs*

Jenna: What’s in that bottle daddy?

Jim: WHAT DID I TELL YOU AT THE STORE JENNA?

*Jenna cowers in the corner of the backseat*

*At home, Jenna’s in her room, while Jim is downstairs watching television*

*Jenna hears yelling and banging downstairs, she knew her mother was home*

*She sneaks to the stairs and watches in terror as her mother is abused after getting home from her work, by her drunken father*

Jenna: MOM!!!!!!!!!!

*Jim turns head slowly toward Jenna while her mother slinks to the floor crying*

Jim: Didn’t I tell you to stay upstairs?

*Jim starts running up the stairs and grabs Jenna and throws her onto her bed, then proceeds to whip her with a belt*

Jim: I TOLD YOU NOT TO COME DOWNSTAIRS

Jenna: I’M SORRY!!!!!!

Jim: Too late for that now!

*Jim finishes punishing her then storms out Gets in car and leaves*

*Jenna runs over to her mother*

Jenna: Are you okay mommy?

Mom: I’m fine Jenna… I’m fine.

Dynamic Character: Jenna

Why characters are Influential

By: Elias Dorsey

Authors note: This is an essay about how Jenna Boller in the book “Rules of the Road”, by Joan Bauer is very influential and how some of the things she says prove it. The purpose is to identify how Jenna is influential and why.

Out of all of the characters in the book, "Rule Of The Road by Joan Bauer, Jenna is by far the most influential. The story is about a young girl named Jenna who has many family problems and insecurities. She only longs for a way to escape from her life. So when Mrs. Gladstone, her boss at the shoe company she works at called Gladstone shoes, offers her a chauffeur job. She jumps on it.

So she drives Mrs. Gladstone across the country, searching the different branches of Gladstone shoes. One of the most memorable quotes happens rather early into the book. The quote is “I can sell anybody anything.” I think this quote is important because it expresses how she thinks, and also that statement comes into play later in the book when she displays it at one of the different Gladstone Shoes stores.

            When she gets to the store, she is disappointed in the scene she sees. The customer service at that branch of Gladstone shoes was terrible. The store clerk had no consideration for his customers. Jenna had to take care of it in some manner. She saw the perfect opportunity when a police officer walked past the front door to the building. She flagged him down and made the store clerk give the lady a discount for her five children. It shows that Jenna has sympathy for people and she wants everything to be as fair as possible.

Another quote in the book that displays what kind of character she is, is when she says “He’s a survivor, like me.” When she says this, it shows how much she has grown through the book after stressing over her alcoholic father and her mother that was never there. It demonstrates that she can stand up for herself and live on her own. Like how a mother bird nudges her baby bird.

In conclusion Jenna has been the most influential character, and has grown a lot throughout the story.

Memorable Quotes

Memorable Quotes

By: Elias Dorsey

Authors Note: I wrote this piece on the quote "I can sell anybody anything." Enjoy.

            The book “Rules of the Road” by Joan Bauer, is about a young girl named Jenna who has many family problems and insecurities. She only longs for a way to escape from her life. So when Mrs. Gladstone, her boss at the shoe company she works at called Gladstone shoes, offers her a chauffeur job. She jumps on it. So she drives Mrs. Gladstone across the country, searching the different branches of Gladstone shoes. One of the most memorable quotes happens rather early into the book. The quote is “I can sell anybody anything.” I think this quote is important because that ability comes into play later in the book when she displays it at one of the different Gladstone Shoes stores

She displays it when she is sent in to spy on the different Gladstone shoe stores, when the lazy store clerk gives terrible customer service to the paying mother of five. First he doesn’t measure the child’s shoes size. Jenna took care of it. Then he doesn’t accept her coupons for the shoes explaining that she couldn’t afford it without them. Jenna takes action by getting the authorities involved. The quote is rather straight forward and true as displayed above. Also, by saying this it shows that she loves and appreciates her job more than most people. She does it better too.

            When you sum it up the quote is important because it exposes the kind of person she is. Hardworking, loyal, and highly efficient. Also, I think that she likes to help people. Even if she was hesitant to accepting the chauffer offer at first she followed through with it. She did it rather well too.

Defy all the Stereotypes!

Defying Stereotypes

By: Elias Dorsey

Authors Note: This writing piece is about how I think the theme of the book "Ninth Grade Slays" in the Vladimir Todd Series by Heather Brewer. Enjoy.

            Vladimir Todd in a freshman in high school, who is trying to keep his vampire secret from the public, while avoiding a vampire killing professional. Wow, sounds cool right? Anyway, every story or book has a theme, and I think the theme for the book “Ninth Grade Slays” in the Vladimir Todd series is defying stereotypes. I think the theme of the book in defying stereotypes because of all the symbolism in the book. Take Vlad for example. He is in fact a vampire. Now, when you think vampire what’s the first word that pops into your head? For me it was killer. That’s the thing though, he couldn’t hurt a fly. Sure he drinks blood, but its expired blood that they can’t use for transfusions at the hospital. I think that’s a couple stereotypes defied already.

            Although the main character of the book is different from what people think is normal, so are other people in the book. Take Henry for example. He’s one of the jock, pretty boy, and superstar kids so you would think that he only hangs with the other popular students. You know one of those people that would steal your lunch money, and bully you just to make you feel bad.  Well if you think that you’re wrong. He is more like one of those people that would give you lunch money if someone stole yours. He would stop a bully from bullying you. I know he would do this because Vlad gets bullied a lot in the book and Henry is always there to stop them. He doesn’t discriminate against you just because you’re from a different social group. That’s how he defies stereotypes.

            So I already have a whole bunch of arguments as to why the theme is indeed what I say it is, but get this. The main conflict of the story also involves defying stereotypes. The main conflict is a trained professional vampire hunter. This vampire hunter didn’t want that occupation at first. He came from a long line of vampire hunters and didn’t want to carry on the family tradition at first. Until his little sister died at the hands of a vampire. He became enraged and saw every vampire as the same.  Cold blooded killers. Vlad isn’t like that though. He even swore never to feed on a human being. That’s why he has asks his aunt (who is a nurse) to bring him expired blood packets.

            Another example in a different book is in “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton. Johnny, who was obviously a Greaser, defied the rebel tough guy attitude when he risked and sacrificed his life to save the kids in the burning church. That selfless act of courage and valor proves that the Soc’s were wrong in their way of thinking that the Greasers were selfish, law breaking outlaws. Even one of the Soc’s said they changed their way of seeing the Greasers after Johnny defied the stereotype the society and the Soc’s set for them.

            As you can see, I have many valid reasons for thinking that the theme for this particular book in the Vladimir Todd series. You may have a different opinion, but I think mine is logically correct. Either way the book is amazing and deserves more praise than it’s already getting. Especially because to some extent it is teaching you that not all stereotypes are true. I think that as long as there supporting that message, that’s what the theme is. All of this really teaches you something. Don’t be one of those people who believe something just because other ignorant people believe it. Just don’t.

Pitch Black

Pitch Black

Authors Note: This cliffhanger story is a follow-up to my original short story “Blackout.” It’s about a man named Tai, who realizes that they have been sucked into a black hole, which means they could either be drifting through space, or they could be in the orbit of another star. Enjoy.

          It’s been a long time coming before we came to our senses in what we called the “Core Complex.” A.K.A. The hole we dug closer to the core so we could live off of geothermal heat rather than the solar rays emitted from our non-existent sun. Now it’s 2029. It has been eight years since the sun explosion. Eight years of expanding and building our dome. Rigging to be especially resistant to tectonic plates shifting, resulting in earthquakes. Our “Core Complex” already collapsed once; we didn’t want it happening again.

          Let’s not get into that right now though, let’s talk about what I studied this whole time, ready to announce my discovery and my mission. Some Harvard University graduates who specialize in astronomy and I, found out that when a star explodes like that, it creates a black hole. I then realized that when our sun exploded, it created a black hole. That we got dragged into.

          I had led the team to research even further to be completely certain that that would be the exact result of a star exploding. I even made them simulate one by taking one of the light machines and setting it to overload, thus creating supernova heat. We reformed that heat into a sphere and shut the machine off. We were stunned by what we saw. The machine imploded because of the black hole on the inside of the chamber. We were absolutely certain this was the case of when the sun imploded/exploded.

So we had two conclusions. Either we are adrift in space as we speak, or were in the orbit of a different star. A different sun. The light might be shining and we wouldn’t even know. I planned an expedition with a team of mining professionals to venture to the surface of Earth once again. We scavenged some scuba gear just in case the Earth’s atmosphere had undergone drastic changes. We had gathered our supplies and ourselves.

We have high hopes. Wish me luck...

To be continued……

C&E

Cause and Effect

By: Elias Dorsey

Authors Note: I wrote this piece to display my understanding of the topic of the cause and effect of the climax in “Son of Neptune” Written by Rick Riordan.

            The book “Son of Neptune” is about a young man by the name of Percy Jackson. The goddess, Hera, wiped Percy’s memory of the past couple of years clean. Even then, he does remember one thing. Annabeth, his girlfriend. After he enrolls in the camp in Rome, That memory causes Percy to be even more determined than before. That is what fuels him. He will stop at nothing, to get his memory, and his girlfriend, back. Also with his new friends Hazel and Frank at his side they’re unstoppable.

With Thanatos (The god of death, Not Hades though, there’s a difference) in chains, the enemy has never had such an upper hand. Rather than their enemies dying, they reform in seconds after what seems to be death. Without anyone patrolling the borders of the underworld, how will the dead stay dead? Oh, and did I mention that a colossal army led by the titan Polybotes is headed straight for Percy and he has to stop them? Must’ve slipped my mind.

            Although it’s pretty blatant that a gigantic army is headed their way, they had no idea what was going on until the climax of the book. The climax of the book is when Frank’s godly parent (Mars: God of War) decides to show up after a camper dies and comes back to life, due to Thanatos not being able to survey the border between life and death. He states that Polybotes and his bold army are marching toward the camp at a considerable speed at the current time. This is the climax because it exposes what the main characters are up against, and what they have to do for the rest of the plot.

            There are so many events leading up to the climax, even ones in different books. However, the most significant ones are that Gaea (Goddess of Earth) has risen to start a war against the absent gods. I say absent because the entrance and all communications of mount Olympus have been brought to a halt. Thus only letting gods talk through their alternate forms. Which they cannot do often, since they have more important matters to attend to, other than talking to “mere mortals and demigods.” So Mars talking to the camp for demigods must mean something is urgent.

Ultimately Gaea caused the climax to occur, reason being because she wants to have full control over our world and theirs. The effect of this cause is that Mars had Percy, Hazel, and Frank go and find where the titans are hiding Thanatos so they can free him and send him back to the underworld to make sure the dead stay dead.