In the article "Whats the Deal With Iran?" by Patrica Smith,The main idea is about how the new younger generation of Iranians crave and want stronger diplomatic ties with the United States.While the religious clergy that is running the country still detest the United States.Since the 1970's our two countries have been very hostile.Due to the fact that the USA implanted a loyal Shah(king)in the Iranian government.Which caused the capture of 52 US civilians and was held hostage for over 400 days by Islamic fundamentalist.Our diplomatic relationship wasn't helped when Iran began to use nuclear power and refused to stop.  Since there has been one recent successful talk/agreement about shutting down nuclear test many young Iranians are happy that the relations are getting better with the United States.          

  I think the author wants to show that not all Iranians are bad or hate Americans .That were actually very similar to us  and they want to be more like us. I think the author wants you feel some compassion or sympathy to the younger Iranians. Since they live in a oppressive government,but they want more personal freedom like style of clothing,music and activities.Similar things that teens and young adults in the States do.

 Definitely my opinion on Iran has changed. I used to think that they were just a huge warmongering machine and there people are evil. I realized that there people are just people.Who have jobs,family and friends like and normal person here.Now my attitude towards Iranian policies and hostile attitudes towards western countries have not changed,but I now learned that its not okay  to judge a civilian by its countries attitude to my very own county.      

            Cormac McCarthy's novel "The Road" is about a man and his son who

struggle to survive in the empty shell of the United States of America. After a

apocalyptic event that left the land covered in ash .With almost no food and

barely any water made  death  very possible . Death is so prominent that eating

,drinking or people having a exchange of a few kind words is extraordinary. The

major theme of the novel is death.

        

             The man and the boy  struggle to survive. The landscape is covered in ash

and soot . Most living things were killed . Civilization has been completely

destroyed by the big mysterious event . For example, cows are extinct, and the

boy has never ever seen birds or fish. "On the hillsides old crops dead and

flattened. The barren ridgeline trees raw and black in the rain"( McCarthy 18).This

shows that everything dies and will die

 

          Eventually  the reader become aware that the man is dying. "In the night he

woke in the cold dark coughing and he coughed till his chest was raw.... He knelt

there wheezing softly, his hands on his knees. I am going to die, he said. Tell me

how I am to do that"( McCarthy 148) . His death is approaching , his worsening

cough and the increasing amounts of blood he spits out, are evidence of

that.Which adds on to the theme of death or mortality.

 

       

             The color of the scenery and landscape thoroughly represents death. The

overall tone is black and grey . The ash ,the water, the rain , the burnt trees. Bleak

landscape  in general gives and ambiance of death and depression. The

interesting thing about this book is that death is expected and even accepted by

the characters. When the man shot a bandit that was trying to get the boy. He

didn't  give a second thought about shooting him. He just accepted the bandits

death and didn't think twice about it.

One major theme that plays through out Cormac McCarthy's novel "the road" is death.
The man and the boy  struggle to survive, death is the obvious theme because there is a constant threat of murder and running out of food . The landscape is covered in ash and soot . Most living things were killed . Civilization has been completely destroyed by the big mysterious event . For example, cows are extinct, and the boy has never before seen birds or fish. "On the hillsides old crops dead and flattened. The barren ridgeline trees raw and black in the rain". 

Eventually  the reader become aware that the man is dying. "In the night he woke in the cold dark coughing and he coughed till his chest was raw.... He knelt there wheezing softly, his hands on his knees. I am going to die, he said. Tell me how I am to do that" . His death is approaching , his worsening cough and the increasing amounts of blood he spits out, are evidence of that .

The color of the scenery and landscape thoroughly represents death. the overall tone is black and grey . the ash ,the water, the rain , the burnt trees. Bleak landscape  in general gives and ambience of death and depression. The interesting about this book is that death is expected and even accepted by the characters. When the man shot a bandit that was trying to get the boy. he didn't  give a seconded thought about shooting him. He just accepted the bandits death and didn't think twice about it. 

             You Cant There from Her by Todd Strasseris about a group of homeless teenagers in Manhattan who struggle to survive a harsh winters. Maybe (the main character) has to deal with the death of many of her friends during the winter. She lives with a tribe of homeless teens-runaways and throwaways, kids who have no place to go , and no family . They struggle against the cold, hunger, and constant danger. In January come a new girl: Tears, a twelve-year-old whose mother loves her but does not believe Tears when Tears tells her that her stepfather has been sexually abusing her. It becomes  Maybe's mission to get tears off the streets. This book does not use the perspective of the family's of the run always, which I thought would  be a good addition 

             It would be a completely different story if they showed the perspective of the parents or even the siblings.It would give a inside look of how hurt or maybe not hurt there family's  were about there departure.Or what caused the runaways to run away per say. There would be a insight on there old lives.

             If there  was a perspective on the familys it would sure make the plot deeper and more emotional . it would also give more time to give each character more back story , and especially more depth.It could show how traumatized the familys were when there children or sibilings left, it could add more meaningful characters into the mix.   

Many years ago in a time where people still used VCRs and didn't have any concept of what HD was ,my favorite movie was The Nightmare Before Christmas. Every since I was little I always liked creepy and dark things. Maybe my first movie being The Nightmare Before Christmas effected my taste in movies. There was something about that movie I really loved maybe it was the colorful characters or dialogue or even the story but all I no is, that was my first and favorite movie .

            Over  200,00 child soldiers are serving  around the world. over 100,000 child soldiers are serving in Africa. Around 10,000 children were used in the Sierra Leone civil war. Ishmael Beah was one of them. "Long way Gone" by Ishmael Beah is his story of  his time fighting for the  Sierra Leone  Armed Forces  as child solider. This book is very controversial with acts of violence cursing and drugs use sprinkled throughout the book. Which caused many  parents and teachers to call to arms and tried to ban this book  from school libraries . while I do agree that at some points it could be graphic but overall I don't agree that this book should be banned

 

            This book teaches us about redemption. Ishmael was a bright happy boy but as he grew in a world of violence and death he changed dramatically especially when he was recruited in the SLAF. To be frank he was a killing machine Many times  glorify death  and killing . When he was saved by UNICEF and transported to a refugee camp, even though it took work he was able to change and was able to achieve redemption.

 

            Ishmael was able to stay grounded in his time being a child solider   by keeping lessons h learned from his parents and grandparents . even though his mind was lost in a haze of cocaine ,brown brown , weed and violence. another example  him having perseverance is how he walked for weeks at a time to find his family. even  when he was at his lowest and nearly crazy  due to loneliness

 

            Many people may say that these  examples of violence would influence children to commit  other acts of violence . while this may be true if this book was in a different context ,but actually this book is preaching against violence . it shows how violence corrupted Ishmael and eventually at a point  he couldn't even tell it was him due to the acts he had committed 

               

                While many people may say books influence kids to commits acts of violence. but many times people  read these things out of context . Like long way gone is actually about a book of redemption and seconded chances rather than the glorification of violence . I believe Ishmael is trying teach us a lesson of peace rather then violence