Q2L 10 ELA discussion

This week, Orlando and I would like you to think broadly about your book and the characters in them. Every book is set in a particular time or place, and this setting reflects social, cultural, and economic realities. Please discuss the notable racial, cultural, gender, sexual, or socio-economic factors at play in the book? How do any of these factors affect the characters? Do you think these factors were realistically portrayed?

(Example: In Fahrenheit 451, there doesn't seem to be any obvious or outward poverty, and everyone seems to be equally middle class or something similar. Also, there is no mention of anyone's skin color, race, or ethnicity. Everyone seems to be white and straight. This doesn't fit with the idea of a large metropolis such as the one described in the book. It also doesn't seem reasonable that there should be no discussion about any economic pressures affecting this society beyond the general statement that "the rest of the world is poor and we're not." In this sense, the book seems to be a bit one-dimensional, unrealistic, and less than "quality," to use Faber's term.)

My setting is in New York City. This factor effects my character because NYC is a good place to start a theater career. It is where a lot of Broadway shows are played. My character wants to be an actor in a Broadway show. He going to do anything to be an actor on Broadway.

The setting in my book is a world with wizards. this factor affects my character (Harry potter) by him being a wizard and going to a school for wizards (Hogwarts). These factors are totally unrealistic and will never come true.

The setting of my book is in the suburbs. In the suburbs there is a lot of open space and a lot of land. Everybody lives in their own home and they live is an open space. I think this is bad because my character gets bullied mostly everyday by students in her school. I think that living at such an open space its more likely for her to run away from her home and family. I think that her family should move and move into a city so that everyone can know her and she can change her school to a better place.

I am currently reading the book "The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle", by Haruki Murakami. This book is set in a small Japanese town. The time, I can only assume, is during the time when the book was written, the early 1980's. There is not much mention of time period. Telephones are mentioned on occasion, but never computers or personal phones. The socioeconomic factors in this book are much as they are in real life. Our protagonist is a currently unemployed man who is living off his wife and the money that his dead mother left him. I do think that these were realistically portrayed.

In the book "Bag of Bones", by Stephen King; the setting takes place in a small unincorporated town in Maine so you can imagine that most people maybe even all in the town are busybodies. The book doesn't really discuss racial,gender,cultural,sexual,economic factors. Being that most people in the town like to snoop and gossip it effects the main character of the book,Mike Noonan, who is a very accomplished novelist, because he has formed this bond with a young widow and her daughter, but her father-in- law keeps getting in the way of her and her daughter being that he wants to take the child away from her. It seems like every move she makes, every encounter she has with Mike her father- in- law knows about it somehow (of course town gossip) and he finds reasons to take her child.

In my book (''Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'')by J.K. Rowling people are classed based upon knowledge. If your smart you'll be acknowledged, if not you'll be outcasted. Through out time though people begin to be represented as equals. Girls are made fun of because of the fact that their just girls. But really its just the matter that the boys are jealous of the girls. Other than that people don't really judge others based on what social class their in. This is mainly the case because a majority of the characters in this book are students and so their opinions on people don't entirely matter until they become adults.

In my book The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison, racism plays a huge part in the plot and theme of the novel. The entire text is based off of classism and racism. The main character of the book is a young African-American female named Pecola, who wishes she had caucasian qualities such as; blonde hair and blue eyes. The setting is during the early 1950s, a place in time where equality meant absolutely nothing. Young people comparable to Pecola where even mistreated by there own families. Jealousy ruled throughout. Pecola was jealous of all of the "privileged" girls in her surroundings. She feels as if she is inadequate when in comparison to these girls. The setting is spot on for the mood of this book, it was a time and place of ignorance and is depicted impeccably in this medium.

I just finished the book The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and it takes place in a regular time period but where greek mythology exists. The theme is unrealistic however it effects my character because he was exposed to this world that he never thought existed. In terms of realism this book is not very strong even in the very fact of how they maintain such an elaborate camp as camp half blood doesn't make sense because they have no income but since it's all magic i suppose thats how everything is explained. In terms of sexism this book actually happens to be relatively equal. Most likely because in the greek gods about half were girls and the other half were guys there is no distinction between a half-blood who is a hero being a guy or girl although at the end of the day the most important hero is always a guy and the 3 most powerful greek gods are guys. The time period was largely influenced with the idea's that men were the ones who should do the hard work and heroic acts so considering the fact that there were women of importance is already pretty advanced.

In the book Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift there are, most likely, more references to suffering and government abuse, but I don't catch most of them. (Hey, you, no judging, the books like 4 times my reading level)

As a satirical book Gulliver's Travels doesn't directly speak about the problems facing each world, or it would uncover the paper thin mask of fantasy. This approach, in it's self is a socio-economic statement. The very fact that Gulliver is never really in true danger, (please note I have only read the first and second parts to his journey) I believe, is a statement that these people in power, or the friends of the powerful live in their own world. That these people never interact with "normal" people, or people like things. This creates the idea that these places are perfect. This is in stark contrast to England at the time, where poverty was common, and the rich kept on getting richer. And this idea, is even more relevant in today's world, government, and society.

I am reading the book Japanese; Aesthetics and Culture: A Reader edited by Nancy G. Hume.

This question is remarkably unsuited to this type of book. I am reading an anthology of essays by notable experts on Japanese culture. Being nonfiction essays, these generally do not have a setting or place to speak of. It disappoints me greatly that I am unable to correctly answer the question.

I am reading the book If a Tree Falls at Lunch Period

This story is set in modern day, and I can infer in the suburban area because the teenagers are driven or take the bus to school. There are two different stories within the story, one is told by a female and the other is told by a male.I just started this book and these kids are teenagers, so I dont know the socio-economic standings.

I am currently reading Silent Hill: Shattered Memories (Novel edition)

This story takes place at Silent hill. It takes place in modern times because, he arrived in a car. Everyone seems to be straight or into bestiality, because the only human in the story always makes sexual references to pictures of cheer leader girls inside the high school, while the monsters do sexual things to each other.

I'm currently reading IraqiGirl: Diary of a Teenage Girl in IraqIraqiGirl: Diary of a Teenage Girl in Iraq

This is inform of a diary of a teenage girl, who is going through a war right now against america over oil. She face life threating car bombing, raiden, and bombing, shooting, death of friends. The water and electricity is limited to a point to where it could be gone, so the economy has gone to crap,but she learns to survive.

I am reading A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin. This book is set in a time that bears much resemblance to medieval Europe. The setting is a fictional land called Westeros. In this land, there is a constant battle over power in the form of the iron throne. This effects all of the characters. Many of them are attempting to gain power themselves, whereas the rest are negatively affected by this situation.
The series in which this book is the second instalment is mainly about politics.

Going back to my first book Unkillable, Dan lives in New York. I remember that from the book because he fell into the Hudson River. The book is in the recent times, and tends to spend a lot of the story at night. The story isn't really racist, but there is one sexist character that acts mean towards the female character he was lusting after as soon as they finish "doing it." Now that I think about it, all the male characters seem to do are try to get into the females pants, or wish they felt that way, as Dan does. The book plays a lot on how at night, the city changes do a dark pitiful world, which is pretty pessimistic. If anything, the whole reason the character dies and comes back is because this is a cold, cruel world. :)

War of the Werelords by Curtis Jobling takes place in a fantasy world, made up of two continents: Lyssia and Bast. Both are ruled by Werelords, but Bast, a smaller jungle-like continent, is controlled by ruthless Catlords. In Bast, humanity is mostly seen as a workforce: soldiers, slaves, workers, servants, etc, and the Catlords think themselves vastly superior.

I am reading The Way of Shadows. The book is set around the medieval times with kings, queens and lords. The setting that the book show that there are districts with the rick and the poor. The society is that powerful people are killing the King and trying to take over the whole distract or land. The economic statues is controlled by a very high power group of people that can do anything they want.

I an reading the number one ladies detective agency. Its about a woman who wants to help people so she becomes a detective. The book is set in present day botswana africa. The book shows that some people are poor whale others are rich.

I am reading The Ultimate Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The universe of aliens so there doesn't seem to be much racism to other species or colors. However there is some resentment for some species targeting planets and such but otherwise i feel that there is very little resentment and aliens seem to coexist remarkably well.

I am reading the book NERDS. It is set in modern times and takes place all over the world but mostly in the main characters school. Since the kids are nerds they surfer all kinds of abuse so wile the book is meant to entertain it also brings awareness to the abuse kids take for being different.

I am reading the titans curse. The setting is the present, and there aren't any different factors. The only unrealistic thing is all of the powers that the characters do.

I am reading The Boy in the striped Pajamas. This books takes place in the time of World War II. This books is realistic and could have been a true story. This Book Takes place In a house near The Gas chambers Hitler used.

The book I am reading takes place mostly in a high school. There really isn't a problem social wise or any of the above listed things,there is more of personal problems. You cold really relate to the book if you have problems which you don't really know how to deal with.

The book that I am reading Mocking Jay by Suzanne Collins and the setting takes place in a dystopia where America is divided into 13 districts where children have to fight to the death. You could relate to the book if you are a person that doesn't feel that connected with the rest of the world. Like the place you live in is it's own District.

I am reading The Shining by Stephen King and it takes place in the 70's. Like any society or book, people are shifted into categories of financial status. Jack the main character struggles to keep himself financially secure and society has many restrictions.

My book takes place in the america but It has been divided into 13 sections. Children are put to fight to the death for food and money. You could relate if you think of your home town as a district.